Afterword

From the spring that lingered long after winter had passed, to the sweltering heat of summer that refused to fade as it neared its end, I spent nearly four months finally completing the first draft of this novel. In truth, the creation of this second novel was born of stubbornness and persistence, infused with a renewed sense of conviction during those frequent pauses. It felt like a declaration of my refusal to bow to the demands of life. Caught in a cycle of repeated job hunting and resignation, I gradually lost my way, or perhaps—

Li Shaofan smiled, saying nothing more. With so many people present, finding a few expert archers should not be a difficult task.

In that very instant, a terrifying roar suddenly echoed in everyone’s ears.

The Empress Dowager’s bedchamber was located to the southwest of the rear garden, and with the northeasterly wind currently blowing, the fire was naturally spreading toward the chambers.

Only then did Gu Xue dare to take a deep breath. She had been walking in such a hurry, and upon meeting Fang Chen, she felt that he was now radiating an aura of inviolable authority.

Relying on their years of acquaintance, An Xingran decided to help Lei Sheng this one last time. He had secretly aided Lei Sheng before regarding the new pill workshop, and the benefits he had gained from that were substantial! He reckoned that this time, Lei Sheng would surely not treat him unfairly either.

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Yiying became the center of attention. Everyone was whispering, clearly unaware of her background or why she would make such a claim.

Before Fang Chen lay a smooth, elevated platform, carved with unknown talismans that exuded an ancient, mysterious aura.

As if everything had already been settled, the ancestor of the Jing family did not immediately move to capture Chu Tian.

It was clear that Dou Cheng did not want to be involved in this matter. After all, this was a treasonous affair, and even as the Grand Tutor, he dared not meddle in it.

"Brother Chu Tian, congratulations!" At that moment, Dan Yanchen called out from behind, smiling at Chu Tian.

"What is this? Look, it even requires essences of vegetation and the blood of exotic beasts. What are these things? I have never even heard of them," a Golden Core cultivator from the Hehuan Sect shouted.

Lian Yunfei cast a faint glance at the burly man and spoke. This person was the strongest of the Kou family, the Primordial Spirit ancestor, General Kou. In terms of combat power, he was second only to Lian Yunfei, ranking him second in the Lianyun Mountain Range.

Chen Wu looked at Dian Yong and, seeing him shake his head to indicate that he had not summoned anyone, turned around to inquire.

It was a pity that the middle-aged Golden Core cultivator did not know that two Golden Core cultivators, who supposedly could never be killed, had been truly and utterly slain.

Up to this point, Fang Yun’s presence had not caused any negative repercussions for Lin Feng and his group. Precisely because of this, they were no longer as resistant toward her as they had been in the beginning.

However, Su Luo was not discouraged, as she was still in the leveling stage and had immense room for growth.

Meanwhile, Wang Yong was climbing out of the pool with a wry smile. Only when he stepped out of the misty vapor could people clearly see his current state.

The moment the first squad of the Taiping Army ran into the city gate, the government troops of the First Security Brigade finally reached the end of the East City Boulevard.

Although Xiao Jingtian did not know how much she understood about his predicament, he was certain that she must have guessed he was facing a dangerous situation and had come to find him out of concern.

The Green-Clad Guards were men who had seen it all. They oversaw torture; how could they be strangers to scenes of slaughter? Yet, even with all they had witnessed, this was their first time encountering something so grotesque.

The city’s canals were fed by water from the Balo River to the north. Tall cacti were common here, but these thorny creatures did not require much water; sometimes, when the heavens were kind, a single rain could sustain them for months.

Just as Liliana was on the verge of victory and about to kill the God-Ancestor, someone suddenly intervened. The great scythe of the undead skeleton was deflected by a steel bullet that came whizzing toward it. In that brief moment, a heroic and beautiful figure appeared before them.