Chapter 158: Withering

The guests were greatly shocked; they never expected that a mere Lu Fei could compel Hu Dingyuan to mobilize the entire provincial military! Such treatment was reserved only for national heroes. Upon reflection, Tang Bing’s discovery of the elixir of immortality would forever alter the fate of humanity. Tang Bing was truly a national treasure, perhaps the greatest of all.

It was no surprise then that Hu Dingyuan reacted so fiercely to protect him when Lu Fei sought to harm him. Even Zhong Xuecheng dared not stand his ground any longer. Though inwardly disgruntled, Lin Lu wasted no time; he swiftly rose, tidied his clothes, and dashed toward the mountain gate, curious to behold the beautiful maiden.

She was strikingly handsome, yet her complexion was pale, as if she had just recovered from a grave illness. Li Wei had long coveted the Vermilion Bird Cauldron. Even in his former life, when he was still at the Nascent Soul stage, he knew of this treasured artifact but had never managed to obtain it before his untimely demise.

Meanwhile, Li Wei, Huang Xiaowei, Wei Dehua, He Nan, Wei Shuhai, Mu Qianyuan, and Mu Qianming all wore expressions of profound discomfort. But now, with Chen Fan playing the recording, the situation took on a different tone. It became clear that the Lin family had relinquished the marriage agreement, and only then did he marry Han Luoxue, removing any moral conflict of love being stolen.

Within Jiulong Mountain, numerous sorcerers had gathered, and many mountain ranges were ripe for exploration by these practitioners. Luo Cheng shuddered with lingering fear—luckily, he had closed out his positions earlier; otherwise, the 40-point plunge would have wiped out his account.

“I rejected you once, and you gave up on me? Is this how you love?” Yun Shangtian asked, his tone righteous and firm.

“I won’t do it again, never again. The acacia was planted by Zhang Liangsheng, not your Jiuer. It’s Zhang Liangsheng’s, not the Zhang family’s. I’ve been by your side all along. You are my wife now, not the Zhang family’s daughter-in-law. It’s different—nothing like your dream…” Xi Zixiao kept repeating the word "different," as if that alone could ease his anguish.

Ling Tian nodded at Shangguan Lan and the others, then calmly turned to the two arrogant martial masters and said with quiet authority.

Meanwhile, in Cuilong Mountain, Jiangxi, the entire mountain buzzed with excitement. Everyone on the peak was in high spirits, for a new brother had arrived these days—his name was Wang Shouren.

Relying on Ling Tian’s strength, whenever he encountered one or two Martial Ancestor-level warriors alone, he struck decisively, slaying them instantly before retreating without hesitation.

Then, with a casual snap of his fingers, Ling Tian unleashed a supreme force of law that enveloped the strong adversary. The Moon Sovereign felt utterly immobilized, as if everything was controlled by Ling Tian.

These thoughts stirred a strange feeling within him, as though the words spoken by ‘Hua’ Jiu were true. He seemed to have failed the promises made to her, and a torrent of pain and remorse surged through his chest. Suddenly, from an unknown source, a deep sorrow overwhelmed him, leaving his heart heavy and restless.

“You can fly on your own. Why do you have to cling to Ling’er’s chest? You’re already so old—can you stop being so lecherous?” Shen Yu scorned him.

Seeing Bernstein’s resolute stance, the man remained silent. After all, Bernstein now commanded the Shadow Martial Alliance’s European division, and he had no authority to interfere.

As soon as the man finished speaking, he launched a punch that blazed like a falling star—dazzling and unstoppable.

Yuan Ye’s responses were swift and agile, clearly observed by Lu Yu.

Moreover, with Ye Feng’s care for Zhong Ling, it was only natural that Zhong Ling would develop feelings for him and become infatuated. Gan Baobao did not oppose Zhong Ling’s affection toward Ye Feng.

The underground mutant organization he led was so insignificant that it barely ranked even among third-tier mutant groups.