Volume 1, Chapter 175: Plotting Cooperation

Li Xu was unaware of the cooper's eccentric rules. Accustomed to doing household chores, he had always treated the demands of his elders as absolute commands. Hearing the cooper instruct him to wield the hammer, his instincts made him instinctively grasp the hammer handle.

Ying Yu observed the reverence and wariness that Jia Han, Qian Liang, Ying Yi, and the others held toward him, feeling quite helpless in his heart.

"I believe this person must possess one or several powerful external augmentations to display such dominance in the first two arenas. Alternatively, he may wish to clear the stages without interruption, leaving no margin for error, and unleashing his full might right from the start to secure a higher score," someone speculated.

As Ye Zheng and his companions emerged from the back mountain and looked in the direction of Niu Family Village, the expressions on all three of their faces changed drastically. From afar, they saw that the entire Niu Family Village was engulfed in raging flames, with chickens squawking, dogs barking, and thick smoke billowing everywhere within the village.

"Strike first to gain the upper hand!" Kong Ming roared, a true dragon manifesting around him. His physical body was replaced by the shell of a true dragon, exhibiting the ultimate art of power.

Amidst the crisp sound of a slap, blood sprayed from a nose! It was Hu Hai who delivered a fierce blow across the dazed face of Zhao An. The sharp sound of the slap echoed with piercing clarity through the silent grand hall! The half of Zhao An's face that took the strike swelled up at a speed visible to the naked eye within moments.

"Good brother, come to my stronghold! With your martial prowess, there will surely be a chair for you in the Hall of Loyalty!" Upon parting, Liu Jizhen patted Li Xu's shoulder and urged him loudly.

"Sir, we know we were wrong. Please, just save the two of us," the man in the yellow robe pleaded without the slightest hesitation, immediately begging Xia Fanchen for mercy. They were well aware that only Xia Fanchen could save their lives now.

This man was none other than the vegetable vendor who had previously "extorted" two hundred gold coins from Guan Hai at Anfeng Ford, and bestowed upon Guan Hai the title of "General of Fundraising" during their march toward Yingshang.

This cold wave was truly terrifying; in terms of freezing capacity, it was even more formidable than the Nether Asura Black Ice from Simon's drill mountain. The Cold Tyrant was just calming his anger, preparing to watch Tu Meng and the human suffer a setback, but whether his anger was actually calming down was hard to say—instead, the cold wave was subsiding at an unimaginable speed.

Looking at her younger brother who had yet to regain consciousness on the hospital bed, Li Siyi wept bitterly. Ever since joining the Ideal Group, not to mention herself as a cousin, even her parents lived increasingly prosperous and comfortable lives.

"We haven't lost yet. We haven't reached the finish line, and the outcome hasn't been sealed. Until the very last moment, none of us have lost!" Li Xiang, who had remained silent all the way up and down the mountain, finally spoke up at this moment.

Miao Miao saw that Sun Xiao'ai said nothing further, so she slowly lowered her eyelids and pretended to nonchalantly eat her fruit.

Bringing him along this time was also to conduct an inspection of the equipment. If there were no issues, it could be purchased and brought back for installation.

Wu Mu lay in a pool of blood, struggling to raise his head. His weak gaze burned with anger, and he bit his lips until they bled, yet he uttered not a single word.

Seeing this series of events, Xi Lan originally intended to stay out of it. But if she were to let Ning Wanzhui die right in front of Huai, she feared he would live forever in self-reproach.

This kind of mutually destructive sorcery had always been despised by the venomous-insect-raising sects. When they planted curses, they always ensured people surrendered to them willingly, and would never resort to such barbaric witchcraft.

When two supremely powerful individuals duel, even the slightest difference can ultimately dictate the direction of victory or defeat.

Unlike Zhu Pingjin's encounters at Niujiao Stronghold, Xu Hanqing's three hundred native tribal soldiers met with fierce resistance from the villagers in Chen Village, suffering heavy casualties.

"Let me go! Let me go!" By this time, Jiang Bin's drunkenness had been completely triggered, and his mind was a chaotic blur. Being pinned down, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I know very well whether I have done it or not. My only fear is that you might wrong me," I said.

Yet the cruel reality was that the Qi army had fought for two years, always invincible in attack and unconquerable in battle, only to encounter the enemy's most stubborn resistance when facing him. This fierce resistance prevented his army of two hundred thousand from advancing even an inch for over three months.

"The cavalry of the Nagao clan? Let Swamp Izumo begin his operations!" Within the main camp of the Ashina clan, facing the Nagao clan's cavalry galloping toward the camp, Ashina Munemori not only showed no panic whatsoever, but even displayed a sense of anticipation.

The stars were hidden and lost in the dark, ink-like night sky. The dry, biting cold air of winter carried a piercing chill, and the bustling city was shrouded in a brilliant array of neon lights.

Prior to this, Zhao Zhou had not leaked any word at all, and Fang Zhongyong was merely a Hanlin Academician rather than a chief chancellor, possessing no authority to understand such military secrets unless he happened to hear them while on duty recording the emperor's daily activities. In circumstances occurring outside of his shifts, it was exceedingly difficult to find out.

Therefore, under these circumstances, Yuhuazi had no choice but to earnestly request Zhang Yu to keep the secret.

Although his cultivation was mediocre, this teacher possessed exceptionally formidable theoretical knowledge. If it came solely to lecturing, even Daoist Master Jia might not necessarily surpass him.

Once time dragged on, those impoverished farmers who could no longer afford to eat would inevitably revolt. And because the imperial court lacked funds and grain, it would ultimately be unable to sustain a prolonged war. At that moment, the time would arrive for a dynastic change.

Right now, two tribes—namely the Lanshi Tribe and the Lan Tribe—had already discovered their presence, and the strong men of the tribes had begun patrolling the areas where they were hiding.

Not bad at all. Without a shred of intelligence, very few people could solve the Nine-Linked Rings puzzle in such a short amount of time.

Irena and the others in the resting area suddenly felt an irresistible pressure bearing down upon them, causing an involuntary pang of discomfort in their chests.

However, the bracelet was something she had unearthed from a secondhand market. Carved from antique jade with some of the original stone skin left as its core, the craftsmanship was nothing short of perfection.

"What?! I reached the finish line at the same time as her? How is that possible? Are you sure you saw it clearly?" Bailuo asked from the side.

Suddenly, like the battle cry of an ancient titan, a massive and resounding horn blast echoed from the streets stretching all the way to the edge of the horizon. The powerful sound waves rolled forth like a tsunami sweeping across the clouds, spreading continuously to the very ends of the earth.