"There isn't anything of value here at the moment. I've checked the surrounding buildings, and there isn't a single researcher."
Chen Xuan explained, "Only some insignificant guards are left here."
Xu Mu exhaled and shook his head, "These people from the Immortality Research Institute all have something wrong with their heads."
Take Yuli from before, for example. The plot made it very clear that anyone who leaked information about the Immortality Research Institute wouldn't just die a simple death.
As long as they were caught by the Immortality Research Institute, they would suffer endless torture.
Ultimately, they would become priority test subjects and die from being tested with drugs.
Therefore, in Xu Mu's understanding, after Yuli leaked the branch's location, she most likely wouldn't speak of it.
She and Zi Wangyou were in the same boat. As long as they kept their mouths shut, no one would know they were the leakers.
After all, the remaining people had all been controlled by the cleaners.
But beyond Xu Mu's expectations, Yuli chose to tell Mr. Soul about the matter, unafraid of death.
It was the same with Tong Guoguo this time. Even though he had the judo video, she didn't care at all and instead wanted to perish together with him.
"Maybe all the good stuff has been taken away. This ruin is merely meant to welcome us."
As Xu Mu spoke, his expression suddenly froze. "Oh no! Hurry, let's go!"
He grabbed Chen Xuan's shoulder and quickly retreated from the building.
At this moment, the two stood in an open area. They noticed that the distant peaks and buildings were entirely frozen by a chilling aura.
A visible white chill was rapidly approaching them.
Wherever the chill passed, everything was frozen into solid ice.
Trees, grass, buildings, and even the people fleeing for their lives.
"Run!"
Looking at the distant chill, Xu Mu immediately sprinted toward the deeper parts of the area.
Chen Xuan broke out in a cold sweat from fright; he had just witnessed the hardness of that ice.
Once frozen, there was almost no chance of breaking out.
Xu Mu and Chen Xuan continued to go deeper. Only when they reached high ground did they get a clear view of their surroundings.
The chill wasn't coming from just one direction; it was surrounding them in a circular formation.
"Brother Mu, this range isn't going to cover the entire ruin, is it?"
Chen Xuan looked around, slightly panicked.
Suddenly, Xu Mu pointed at another distant peak. "Old Chen, look!"
Chen Xuan gazed into the distance. Although the figure was very small, he could still make out the general outline.
Especially that head of red hair, which was extremely conspicuous.
"It's that woman from before!"
Chen Xuan immediately said.
"That's right. I don't believe this ice will freeze her as well. If I'm not mistaken, her goal is to make us go over there!"
After Xu Mu finished speaking, he rushed toward that peak.
Chen Xuan immediately followed behind.
Both were in the Grandmaster realm, and they burst forth with their full strength as they ran.
One was enveloped in a dark red glow, the other in a golden glow.
Finally, the two arrived at the peak. Tong Guoguo was standing there, her eyes calm and indifferent.
Upon seeing Xu Mu, she deactivated the two array keys on her body, and the chill instantly ceased.
Xu Mu gazed around. The entire ruin had turned into solid ice; only their peak remained intact.
Not taking the terrain into account, the area they were in was roughly the size of two football fields.
"I didn't expect there to be a level nine array in this ruin. It truly is spectacular."
Xu Mu was full of surprise. He then looked at Tong Guoguo. "You really are ruthless. There are quite a few of your guards here, right? They've all been frozen by you."
"When an ordinary person is completely frozen, all bodily functions stop. With their brain deprived of oxygen, they will die in about five minutes. But ancient martial artists have physiques far surpassing ordinary people. The guards here can last for over ten minutes in a completely frozen state."
Tong Guoguo put away her token. "Within this time, it will be enough for me to kill you both."
Xu Mu took two steps forward. "Beauty, how about we make a bet? I bet you won't be able to kill me within this time."
"I don't bet."
As soon as Tong Guoguo's voice faded, she once again executed her Heaven-rank technique and lunged at Xu Mu.
Chen Xuan gripped his wood-chopping knife tightly, the power in his body erupting suddenly. "Mountain Severing!"
Boom!
A massive golden axe phantom violently smashed down.
But just as it was about to land, Chen Xuan suddenly rotated his wood-chopping knife, shifting from a vertical chop to a horizontal slash.
The massive golden axe swept horizontally as well.
Tong Guoguo had originally dodged, but the sudden horizontal slash still struck her waist.
Whoosh!
Tong Guoguo's body flew sideways, snapping several large trees before crashing into a distant ice wall.
She didn't stop at all. Planting her feet on the ice, she lunged at Xu Mu and Chen Xuan once more.
"Holy crap! My wood-chopping skill hit her squarely, and she's completely fine?"
Chen Xuan was dumbfounded.
He finally understood why Xu Mu said she couldn't be damaged.
Swish!
Tong Guoguo arrived in front of Xu Mu, her fist already swinging out.
Looking at the fist, Xu Mu immediately dodged. He couldn't even be bothered to swing his sword right now.
Since he couldn't inflict any damage on this woman anyway, why waste his energy?
Swish swish swish!
Tong Guoguo continuously launched attacks at Xu Mu, while Xu Mu relied on his God of Assassins title to keep dodging.
After fighting for a long time, she surprisingly hadn't landed a single hit on Xu Mu.
"You're like a fly! Watch me swat you to death!"
Tong Guoguo gathered her strength and consecutively threw out two fireballs, five or six meters in diameter.
Boom! Boom!
The fireballs suddenly exploded, easily engulfing everything in the vicinity.
Xu Mu and Chen Xuan were instantly blown away by the terrifying blast wave, crashing into a distant iceberg.
"Old Chen! Are you alright?"
Xu Mu immediately asked.
"I'm fine, but that move is at least an Earth-rank technique. If she does that a few more times, I might not be."
Chen Xuan said with a smile.
Hearing this, Tong Guoguo unleashed another fireball, primarily targeting Xu Mu.
Every explosion swallowed Xu Mu up.
Boom!
Xu Mu's body flew backward again, smashing into the ice wall behind him before falling to the ground.
This time he didn't get up; he could feel that he was injured.
The damage reflection from the Demon's Guardian couldn't harm her.
Xu Mu wasn't anxious. He had so much Destiny Power that he could easily heal himself.
However, keeping this up wasn't a solution either.
Watching Tong Guoguo charge at him again, Xu Mu quickly dodged and slashed with his sword.
Crack!
The sound of shattering glass rang out.
"Guoguo, why aren't you wearing anything?"
Xu Mu said with a smile.
Tong Guoguo looked down and found that she was indeed completely bare. She was even marveling at the other party's technique.
Even though she knew it was an illusion, she still fell for it.
But she showed absolutely no expression and continued to attack Xu Mu.
"Are you rebelling? You dare to raise a hand against me?"
Xu Mu suddenly demanded sternly.
Tong Guoguo looked at the man in front of her and instantly froze in place. "Mr. Soul... No! It's your illusion again!"
"Guoguo, I love you."
Xu Mu said with a completely serious face.
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.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
