Chapter 78: A Soft Spot in the Heart

Lu Qingqing stared at Shen Jin, who appeared frail yet was actually unharmed, her teeth clenched in frustration.

The man's eyes brightened.

“What’s wrong, Qingqing? You seem anxious—are you that afraid I might die?” Shen Jin’s lips curled into a faint smile, his heart full of delight.

Lu Qingqing gritted her teeth. “Of course, no matter what…”

“Boss, a gentleman seeks revenge even if it takes ten years. Even ordinary folk understand this principle, let alone cultivators like us. South Yu Island will inevitably fall to us one day, so why rush?” the clone advised.

He passed on the information he’d heard to Ah Huang, who grew concerned. Their mounts, Cat Winter and the dried corpse puppet, belonged to the wood element and were unaffected, but he and his companion were pure metal and earth types. They had never come into contact with pure wood energy, so they had no idea how it would affect metal and earth.

Meanwhile, some of the elders could clearly see that Chu Xiong’s head, after Mu Hao’s relentless blows, had been reduced to a mangled mess, blood and brain matter still streaming out.

Lin Yifeng also noticed that among those present, only Gandalf, King Elrond, Aragorn, and Glorfindel seemed unaffected.

Li Nezha, kneeling on one knee, suddenly found strength from somewhere and sprang up like a mad dog.

Divine Hua’s expression grew somber. After a long pause, he sighed. “I’ve worked here nearly ten years—this place holds so much of my effort. You haven’t seen it in its glory, when the line of trucks stretched beyond the town.”

“We’re sorry!” the group apologized, aggrieved. It was their fault, after all—they’d tried their best, but still hadn’t achieved the top spot. There was nothing more they could do.

“Please speak in Korean, thank you,” YoonA and Park Jiyeon shouted at Chen Shao and Sica, neither understanding a word.

The crowd grew excited, buzzing with anticipation. They were curious about the courage of the newcomer, and about how Tian Xiangwu—who hadn’t personally acted in years—would unleash his wrath, what methods he would use to make the boy regret ever stepping forward.

Despite Mu Hao’s fists tightly binding him in midair like a wobbling doll, Xueming had not lost consciousness. His strange, blood-red eyes showed no fear as he looked at Mu Hao—only a hint of gravity.

“If you go too far at once, you’ll expose yourself. Don’t worry about me,” Xinhu said calmly, waving her hand dismissively.

He noticed Dou Ying’s unhappy expression and pressed for answers. When he learned the cause, Guan Fu’s temper flared instantly; pointing at Ji Fu, he began to curse him out.

“Why didn’t you warn me sooner!” Xinhu shouted at Qin Wuyan as she sank further, her knees already buried in the red mud.

“If it’s a dream, then let me kiss you,” she murmured, pressing her lips against Jian Mofan’s.

“Palace Lord, don’t worry! I’ll come save you right away…” Hong Jin’s loud voice echoed from afar.

Jian Mofan suppressed his desire, hurriedly wiped himself on Yan Mumu, and threw on her nightgown.

Just as Yu Xie was leaving, the cocoon wreathed in crimson flame trembled slightly. The moment passed, and all was still again, as if it had all been but an illusion.

Suddenly, a willow branch struck Chen Hu’s arm like lightning, leaving a bloody mark. Instantly, the branch wrapped around his arm and yanked him violently.

In everyone’s eyes, as long as the dragon throne had an owner, there would be no problems—the days would continue as they always had.

Clearly, those three months had taught them thrift. They now understood the hardships of life and cherished what they had all the more.