Chapter 126: Seeds of Doubt

Lu Jianwei arrived at the study room three minutes early, followed closely by Gu Huaizheng, who took a seat at the very back. It couldn't be helped; given his height and the fact that his own wife was the instructor, he felt a certain sense of responsibility to set an example.

Lu Jianwei began her lecture. This was their second session; the previous one had been primarily for introductions, during which she had also gauged the current state of deep-sea diving technology in the country—which was, essentially, a blank slate.

The performance was startling. The flying target traced rapid, irregular arcs in the air, yet he remained remarkably calm as he pulled the trigger, his composure as unshakable as Mount Tai—a mark of the exceptional psychological fortitude characteristic of an air force pilot.

However, in the vast starry domain of the Demon Realm, Alliance Leader Zhao, who was revered as the sovereign, had begun tearing up agreements and launching a massive invasion less than two hundred years after his ascension.

Moreover, Li Hengxun was in the wrong in this matter. He had gotten along well with Ao Ying during this time, and from the start, he had intended to escort her back himself once things were settled here.

Zhao Xu said, "I share that sentiment. I believe..." The two began to discuss, marking their first private interaction since the trip began.

The next morning, a sliver of pale red sunlight broke through the clouds. While the other team members were washing up for morning exercises, Wang Feng had already dressed in a neat uniform and arrived at the door of Captain Xue Hao's quarters.

Meanwhile, Li Shang walked along, thinking to herself that today she must finally stand up for her own interests. She wanted to see what Tan Er would say and whether he truly held any place for her in his heart.

It was truly a case of burning mountains and boiling seas; for ten thousand miles in every direction, the seawater was boiling. And this was in the frigid Sea of Lost Souls—anywhere else, it would have been scorched dry.

Because her father was home, Jiajia had stayed up a bit late today and was now hunched over her desk upstairs, working hard on her winter break homework. This was Lianhua’s strict rule: beyond completing the school assignments, she had to consolidate the knowledge learned in her textbooks every day.

In the Evil Lands, the highest authorities were the Evil King and the Ghost King. Their strength was at the pinnacle of the eight-star realm, just one step away from the nine-star level. Of course, above them were the Supreme Elders, who were nine-star powerhouses.

The shipyard on the deserted island was being managed quite well; the craftsmen were now capable of building large merchant ships requiring 2,000 units of timber. With this maturity in technology, Lixin began to plan the construction of the 18th-century British sailing warships he had seen in his past life.

Having realized this, Liu Jianing felt no hesitation or reservation. He understood clearly that he had to persevere now.

Furthermore, aside from panic, helplessness, and fear, the spiritual plague of Yuluo revealed no other emotions within Natsuki Subaru.

Two days before the New Year, Guo Dalu helped out at both the furniture store and the supermarket. While working, he never used any formations or Taoist techniques, casting aside his identity as a cultivator and performing various menial chores as a completely ordinary mortal.

Krul watched Yuluo vigilantly. She noticed that although Yuluo was also wary of her, he was focusing the majority of his attention on the monster.

Jiang Miao personally took Chu Yunduan to see the Human Path layer, allowing him to fully realize his wish.

Hou Peipei sat on the sofa with Li Junlin in her arms, ignoring the crying child. Her eyes were vacant, her mind filled with what her father had just said. She found it hard to believe; she simply could not accept his words.

Thus, Duan Hanyan, along with Jiangxin Qiuyue, Wu Zuile, Qian Henduo, Fang Zhida, Feng Muyang, Wei Zhuangshi, and the four members of the Illuminati, set off toward the river to board a boat.

As for the countries near the Great Tang—such as Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, which were rich in oil—how could Li Shen possibly abandon them? He had to secure these lands at any cost.

"The Gourmet Sect holds two or three gourmet conventions every year," Linghu Tang explained. "There are no set locations or times, no notifications, and no invitations. They rely purely on the aroma of the food to attract guests—and every time, the place is packed to overflowing."

Wu Changsheng felt as if he had swallowed a fly. Once the temporary housing was built, he took the Wu family’s leadership, including Wu Shun, and went to discuss subsequent arrangements, feeling deeply annoyed.

It was a voice Tatsumi knew all too well, yet when it rang out, he felt no joy or excitement.

Ni Yuan spoke and pushed Hunyuanzi forward. Hunyuanzi, inwardly thrilled, cast a grateful look at him.

"So, what should this new sect be called?" Zikui and Tianliu arrived at the peaceful, beautiful valley, listening to Tianliu’s ambitious plans, and asked curiously.

"Very well. I will have someone book your flight immediately. Leave now. The Great War in the Capital may be drawing near; I hope you can return with experts from the Ghost Clan to assist me," Ye Tianyu said softly.

Jin Liunian’s every move was perfectly measured—neither ostentatious nor distant. He always left Liulian with the impression of being as gentle as jade, a rare gentleman as refined as an orchid.

Moreover, he knew he would not die. When he was in the Hunyuan Space, Hunyuanzi and the twelve disciples of Yuxu had made it clear that they would ensure his safety. With their protection, what did he have to fear? Given their strength, any one of those immortal elders could wipe out Gongsun Ce ten times over with a mere flick of a hand.

The neatly lined-up guards were fully armed with firearms, and the automatons had been deployed. A few seemed insufficient, so the Disciplinary Committee had also been mobilized. The security was exceptionally tight, yet there was an air of chaos.

"Junior Zhou Chuan greets True Person Hongyu!" Zhou Chuan looked at the middle-aged man in the mirror with amazement, a trace of confusion appearing on his face.

Bai Sheng felt worried about Jin Liunian’s appearance. Regardless of how many secrets of the inner court he had heard at the Ling family estate today, his goal was to ensure he held the winning hand.

"Hey, weren't you all going to gamble? Why have you all gone quiet?" After a long moment, Shen Mengjie finally reacted.

As he left the Xuanzheng Hall and walked down the dragon-tail steps, Xue Shao subconsciously pinched his right index and middle fingers together. If he could have a Cuban cigar right now, he wouldn't mind lighting it up for a puff or two, even though he wasn't addicted to smoking.

Yang Yunfeng was overjoyed at this. He ordered his men to treat Zou Xiu well, then, dressed in official robes, he stepped into the county office and took his seat in the high hall. From this moment on, even without a formal appointment from the imperial court, he was in every way the true county magistrate.

As for the other Emperor-level experts, their eyes were fixed in a stare. Although they were all of the Emperor rank, the strength of the Forbidden Emperor-level was too terrifying, especially the two top-tier ones; the ordinary Emperors could barely see the details of their clash.

Su Haoran bought two tickets and took Tang Xinyi to queue up. There weren't many people riding the roller coaster today, and since the previous car had just departed, they were next in line.

With a calm smile, Yang Yi suddenly retracted his war blade, tilted his body slightly, and dodged the puppet warrior’s attack by a hair’s breadth.