Volume 1, Chapter 30: He who is not ruthless is not a true man!

If even the slightest error were to trigger public resentment, there would be no shortage of people ready to kick one while down. This was a concern even under the normal circumstances of high-pressure governance and unified purpose; if the leadership were ineffective and subordinates were merely paying lip service while acting against instructions, it would be an absolute disaster for the commander, likely signaling the end of their political career.

"The equipment on my end is ready, but it hasn't been calibrated yet, so I'm afraid the safety margin for the first round won't be very high," Zhong Wei said first, providing a rough summary of his current progress.

Sword of the Vanishing Rainbow was stunned; he had not expected this seemingly unremarkable gunner to be so formidable. Every skill was a lethal blow.

Zhou Ji turned back to look at the silent Ilin, reached out, and picked up a piece of snake meat to hand to her. Ilin took it in silence.

The capital of the Wu Dynasty was the nation's center for economic exchange, bustling with merchants coming and going from all directions, making it incredibly prosperous.

Although the conditions offered by both sides were tempting, he knew very well that the Demon Heaven Sect had no good intentions.

At this moment, no matter how ferocious the Octopus King was, Blue Light continued to unleash attacks, inflicting damage bit by bit. However, he dared not imagine the consequences for Yu Haijiao if this continued. Therefore, he had to end the battle quickly; even if he couldn't defeat the Octopus King, he had to rescue Yu Haijiao first.

Thus, the primary task for the reborn Cao Ang was to adapt and learn. At the very least, his modern, cross-dimensional thinking gave him an advantage in comprehension and decision-making. For now, he needed to adapt to the lifestyle of the Han Dynasty while arming himself with knowledge.

How had he survived those fourteen years, day after day? He never looked back. He only knew that if he didn't bear everything he could—and couldn't—bear, he would instantly collapse. Ten years had passed in the blink of an eye. Today, the status of the Feather-Chasing Sword Sect was unshakable, but his father? He would never see his father again.

After parting ways with Wang Yitian, Ruoyu carried her empty bamboo basket back to the room she shared with Wang Niqian.

Inadvertently, she touched a cold object at her waist—his jade pendant. It was a warm, translucent piece of green jade hanging beneath a lover's knot, though she couldn't remember when it had been tied to her.

"You..." Duan Can still couldn't accept the reality before him. He didn't understand why Bu Guai, whom he considered a close friend, would suddenly turn on him.

Just then, a bizarre scene unfolded. The elder who had traveled across space, along with the old man who had previously protected Wei Shaotian, suddenly retreated violently, returning to the elders' seats. Then, a voice of extreme chill echoed from the throne, making the two elders' hair stand on end.

"Don't be surprised. I am an elder of the Xianluo people, so naturally, I know. You grew up in Dawn City, and it was Great Elder Younan who sent you to the warrior academy," the Silver-Masked King said.

Yes, that was the method he used to win not only Meng Zhu’s body but her heart as well. Ji Qing firmly believed this was Situ Xiao's extraordinary quality: appearing not to use the coercion of power, yet exerting influence in the shadows.

The second round began the very next day, with no time for recovery in between. No one had any objections to the fair scoring, but the newcomer Xiao Yan, being only a three-star rank, drew everyone's attention, leading to speculation that he was an expert hiding his true strength.

However, when the "Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens" descended and the entire arena—reinforced by a special magic array—was reduced to dust by the move, there was no expected spray of blood.

The two glanced at each other and shouted sternly, "Stop the nonsense and take them down!" With that, they looked toward the approaching instructors without the slightest concern.

"Very good archery, very good arrows, and an even better bow!" The dark shadow actually had time to offer praise! However, this arrow from Luo Sihan truly had no effect on him; not even his speed had faltered in the slightest.

Zhu Gang naturally assumed Lin Xiang was seeking a favor, and since Lin Xiang was a friend of Zhu Qian, Zhu Gang couldn't refuse and could only respond politely.

"If that's the case, why didn't he go with you? Why go to Liuhe instead?" Yi Sheng asked, anxious and puzzled. She knew her husband was not a man to act on impulse, so why would he make such a move?

Bai Fuling said nothing, though she had a vague premonition that she would likely not survive that day. She simply did not wish to go against her parents' wishes in her final days.

"My fear is that if someone like Ye Shang appears again, it will be troublesome..." Mike said worriedly.

Bo Yuzheng’s trip to France to conduct inspections was a long-publicized affair. Arriving via Italy, he was met by the Chinese Minister to France and high-ranking French military and political officials. The bustling spectacle was far greater than his previous private visit to see Feng Weilin.

It was unclear how much time had passed when Sang Meiying returned to the bathroom, looking dejected and staring helplessly at Chang Ning.

After sending Tongtong and the others back to the villa, Lin Xiang, who had been at the Huaxia Sea, was summoned to the Chairman's office by an urgent phone call.

He was truly fed up. All these days, he had been busy outside dealing with his sister's affairs, thinking that he could rescue Yi Sheng on his own without relying on Ji Huan.