Chapter 99: The Great Witch, Chief of All Rituals

"Didn't you say we couldn't report to the Emperor?"
Watching the Great Peng lead him toward the Xuanyuan Supreme Palace, Xuantong felt somewhat puzzled.
The Great Peng Lord couldn’t help but roll his eyes and said,
"The situation has changed now; naturally, we can’t apply the old rules across the board. Since the Spirit Realm is so formidable, this isn’t your fault. It’s the Heavenly Court’s intelligence that failed, so you can’t be blamed. On the contrary, reporting the truth not only absolves you but earns you merit."

Since Ouyang Jue had chosen to assist the Seven Killers, I could only go to the Pillar of Heaven. Though in combat strength the Pillar of Heaven couldn’t match the Illusion Swordsman Seven Killers, in terms of monster resistance, the Pillar of Heaven held a slight advantage.

The blood-red long sword locked onto his aura, and the youth could only furrow his brows as he watched Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran depart.

"The coexistence of extreme Yang and extreme Yin energies achieves the balance of Yin and Yang, essentially no different from ordinary people. The only difference, if one must point it out, is that without external interference, the cultivation talent is unimaginably average," the shadow of the Jiaolong explained.

"Alright, let’s do as Shadow suggests. As long as everyone can be happy together, that’s what matters. Come on, let’s go watch the match," Ouyang Jue nodded at me. Though a bit reluctant, I believed he could understand me.

So, for Ling’er, he was willing to abandon his own persistence and lay down everything just for her. Now, with Tianying alongside Ling’er and Lian’er, sensing the fluctuations of their spiritual energy, Tianying felt a trace of helplessness.

At this moment in Tianjing City, there were already nearly ten thousand skilled craftsmen. Once the provincial decree was issued, expanding the royal residence or even building a new one would be effortless.

Today was the day new students entered the Tianyu Spirit Academy. Luo Ze and his group, along with several hundred fresh recruits, arrived at the academy’s gates, just as Mu Yi had done before.

The Ironclad Shell painfully opened its two clam-like shells, then a sharp white-glowing spike swiftly extended from it, lengthening continuously, its keen cold light radiating around. In the next moment, the spike separated instantly from the Ironclad Shell and dashed fiercely toward the Mighty Croc.

The five nations’ peace talks and the unified alliance of Loulan, Yan State, Dongling, and Nanyao ultimately stemmed from their reluctance to recklessly wage war against Cangyue. They needed time to nurture their strength—that time was the two-year peace treaty, during which the four nations aimed to rapidly rise.

As for why they concealed their true appearances, it was simple: they did not want anyone to discover their real identities.

This was the advantage of the centrally governed garrison. Unlike the cautious military response when the epidemic first broke out, now there were only a handful of survivors living alone in the wilderness rather than gathering in settlements. If anything abnormal appeared, no one would object to bombarding it with artillery, rockets, or missiles first.

Since Chu Bingyue had spoken this way, no one persisted in persuading Du Yu further. Under Du Yu’s arrangement, the group followed him slowly into the Devil’s Forest.

In modern times, as technology became widespread, knowledge of magic gradually waned, and the matter of the Soul-Returning Bead faded from memory. Du Yu only learned of it from Old Lin; otherwise, he might have mistaken the bead for an ordinary gem.

"Senior Sister, please stop teasing me. I’m eager to meet Senior Master. If I was rude, I’ll make amends another day," Su Ying wiped the cold sweat from his brow and said earnestly.

"Trying to leave?" Shen Qiansan sneered, his green hoop staff transforming into a black bow, firing three consecutive arrows.

"The ultimate goal of this campaign is not merely to defend Jinzhou, but to reclaim Liaodong. The Master wants this command conveyed to Governor Yuan!" Chongzhen declared.

Suddenly, Jiang Binghan’s speed surged violently, the cold aura erupting from his hand, forming an ice spear that directly thrust toward Gu Feng.