An utterly absurd thought appeared inescapably in Li Mo’s mind.
If it was this Qingxuan Sect Patriarch who had knocked him unconscious, stolen his battle armor, and stripped him naked…
Then when he woke up and saw Shi Wanshan beside him, equally half-dressed and fumbling around, was Shi Wanshan telling the truth? Was he also a victim?
Had he hated the wrong person?!
All this relentless pursuit, this hellish ordeal—could the source of it all actually have been a misunderstanding?!
Not only had he hated the wrong person, but he had personally delivered himself and his accomplice to the real culprit’s lair, where they had been beaten half to death like punching bags, only to be healed and beaten again in rotation.
His entire world had collapsed.
“Pfft—!!!”
This time, overcome by rage and panic, blood gushed from his mouth like a fountain!
His eyes rolled back. His body convulsed violently a few times before suddenly stiffening and toppling straight backward!
“Junior Brother Li! Quickly!” Ye Guying’s expression changed, and he immediately shouted.
Li Muran reacted with astonishing speed. He had already darted forward, instantly stuffing several life-saving divine pills into Li Mo’s mouth.
Such a fine punching bag might actually have been angered to death.
Nearby, Shi Wanshan had been frozen in place ever since the Third Patriarch began speaking. At last, he finally broke free from the incomparable shock and absurdity of the situation.
The color drained from his face in an instant, only to be replaced by a terrifying flush. His entire body trembled violently.
All the grievances and fury he had suffered in the past—the frustration of being hunted, the suffocating helplessness, the humiliation of being unable to explain himself, and the sheer absurdity of the truth finally coming to light—erupted in his chest like a volcano!
He suddenly stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot. He pointed at Li Mo on the ground, then at the Third Patriarch and Second Patriarch.
His voice was hoarse and trembling from the intensity of his emotions, yet he roared like a wounded beast.
“It was you two?!!!”
“Back in the Imperial Tomb, the ones who stole his battle armor, stripped him naked, and knocked me unconscious and stripped me too while you were at it—you two Patriarchs?!!!”
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire scene erupted once again!
What?!
Senior Brother Shi had been stripped too?!
And by the Patriarchs of his own sect?!
That was far too much information to process!
The Third Patriarch was stunned by Shi Wanshan’s roar. Then his old face flushed red, and he gave an awkward cough.
His eyes darted away, and his voice unconsciously dropped several notches, though he still stubbornly muttered, “Ahem… Well, the situation was special. Things just got a little out of hand.”
At that point, he suddenly slapped his thigh and pointed at the Second Patriarch, who had been standing nearby with a cold expression and pretending to be profound.
“Wanshan, you need to get the facts straight! It was mainly the Second Patriarch who acted back then! The attack that knocked you unconscious was his doing! I merely followed behind and took a few things on the principle of not wasting resources. I only realized it was you after I’d stripped you!”
Shi Wanshan’s blood-red gaze instantly locked onto the Second Patriarch.
The Second Patriarch was also beginning to feel embarrassed. He glanced at the Third Patriarch and said, “Third Patriarch, if you’re going to speak, tell the whole story. Once I realized I had accidentally struck you, I intended to return everything. It was the Third Patriarch who stopped me and said you needed to be taught a lesson.”
The Third Patriarch looked a little guilty now that he could no longer pass the blame.
“That was because I wanted you to experience how dangerous the outside world can be, and how unpredictable people are. It would do you good in the future!
“Look at you now. Aren’t you much more vigilant than before?”
The more he spoke, the more convinced he became that he was in the right, and his voice rose again.
“Besides, I didn’t really do anything to you! Didn’t I leave you several life-saving treasures?”
The more he talked, the more certain he became that everything had been done for Shi Wanshan’s benefit. His back straightened as well.
“See? You’re perfectly fine! You even turned a disaster into a blessing and became more cautious!
“If anyone else had been in your place, do you think they would have gained such an opportunity? You should be thanking your Patriarch!”
“I’ll thank your ancestors!!!”
Shi Wanshan completely exploded. His hair stood on end, his eyes spewed fire, and he pointed at the Third Patriarch’s nose as his voice cracked with fury.
“According to your logic, after you stripped me bare and took every last possession I had, I’m supposed to kneel and kowtow to you?!!!”
“Ahem… That won’t be necessary…”
The Third Patriarch shrank back under his roar, feeling the fury radiating from Shi Wanshan as though it might become tangible.
The surrounding disciples were all trying not to laugh, but their eyes clearly said, Patriarch, that was really too much.
The Third Patriarch immediately felt uncomfortable. His eyes darted left and right until he suddenly spotted Li Mo, whom Li Muran had just revived, as well as Mu Sen on the other side. At once, he found an excuse to escape!
“Ahem! Sect affairs come first! You two continue! Make sure to properly entertain our two distinguished guests!”
He gave two dry laughs as he edged toward the edge of the crowd.
“I just remembered that the cauldron of pills in the secret realm might be burning! I need to go check on it! You all carry on! Carry on!”
Before he had even finished speaking, he applied oil to the soles of his feet. His figure transformed into a streak of light and shot toward the secret realm!
He was even faster than when he had stolen a Saint King-level demon beast cub and fled back then!
“Old bastard! Stop right there! Give me my things back!!”
Seeing him run, how could Shi Wanshan possibly let him go?
The frustration, fury, and humiliation he had bottled up for days all transformed into a towering rage, along with the fierce determination that if he did not get an explanation today, he would no longer call himself Shi!
He let out a furious roar. His entire body erupted with astral energy, and he smashed the ground beneath his feet with a thunderous boom. Like a primordial ferocious beast gone berserk, he charged after the fleeing Third Patriarch!
“That’s my storage ring! That’s everything I own! You old bastard, don’t even think about getting away with this!!!”
Two streaks of light, one ahead and one behind, flashed across the skies above Qingxuan Sect like shooting stars.
The one in front fled in utter panic, darting through side paths and squeezing through gaps in the formations. The one behind was consumed by fury, smashing through mountains and breaking through formations, clinging tightly to his prey without letting go!
The thunderous roar of their passage and Shi Wanshan’s furious howls resounded throughout the entire sect.
At that moment, every Qingxuan Sect disciple, servant, and even spirit beast stared blankly up at the sky.
They witnessed a scene so absurd that it was destined to go down in the annals of the sect—
The Peak Master of Mount Quelling, Shi Wanshan, eyes blazing red, chasing down his own sect’s Third Patriarch across the entire sect!
Meanwhile, the Third Patriarch being pursued shouted back as he fled for his life, clutching his head in both hands:
“Hey! You child! Why are you being so stubborn? I already told you it was a misunderstanding! I’ll make it up to you later! I’ll give you ten times the amount!”
“I wouldn’t believe you if you said the sun rises in the east! Give me my things back first!!”
The two figures vanished into the horizon in an instant, leaving behind echoes of furious roars and frantic haggling.
The entire space behind the mountain fell into an even longer, stranger silence.
And then…
“Pfft—hahahahaha!!!”
No one knew who was the first to lose control and let out a laugh that had been suppressed to the absolute limit.
Immediately afterward, it was as though a dam had burst. No one in the crowd could hold back any longer, and uproarious laughter erupted everywhere!
People doubled over, slapped their thighs, and pounded their chests as they laughed!
Even the Fourth Patriarch’s lips twitched violently several times before finally settling into an inaudible sigh. He helplessly closed his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.
The Second Patriarch shook his head and said, “Let’s go, Yanqiu. You all continue.”
“Understood, Patriarch!”
Ji Yanqiu and the others respectfully acknowledged his order.
The Second Patriarch and the Fourth Patriarch said no more. With a flicker of their figures, they silently vanished from where they stood.
At the instant the three Patriarchs departed one after another, Mu Sen faintly sensed the vast auras that flashed across their bodies before disappearing.
Saint Kings!
Every one of them was a Saint King!
And judging by their cultivation, they were probably no weaker than he was!
Before this, he had still clung to a sliver of hope, believing that the Qingxuan Sect had only managed to trap him by relying on superior numbers and those bizarre pills.
If he fought with everything he had, perhaps he might still be able to tear through space and escape.
But now, there were at least three Saint Kings guarding the sect, along with dozens of Saint elders whose foundations were terrifyingly solid and whose coordination was flawless!
This strength was already comparable to that of a Holy Land.
The last trace of hope and resistance in Mu Sen’s heart was like a candle flickering in the wind. At this moment, it was extinguished completely.
He slowly closed his eyes, his face reduced to an ashen, deathly numbness.
Whatever happens, happens.
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
