The heavy rain continued to fall.

Dark clouds shrouded the cliffs with a pressure, oppressive and suffocating.

The donkey snorted in the heavy rain.

Mo Liuqi stared blankly at the shattered smiling mask, as an expressionless and indifferent face appeared before his eyes.

Mo Yiheng clearly had a paralyzed face, and that was why he always loved to wear a smiling mask. Every time Mo Liuqi saw him, he would laugh at Mo Yiheng—aka “Poker Face”—for being fake.

Poker Face never got angry at that. He said that since he could not smile, he wanted to wear a mask that represented a smile.

The torrential rain stormed on, thoroughly soaking Mo Liuqi’s clothes.

Covered in mud, he picked up the mask. When the rain washed away the mud, he could see the bloodstains on Poker Face’s mask.

“Three more missions, and I’ll be free. You will then be the best assassin in the world.”

“Once I retire, I’ll produce a lot of wine, and if you’re craving some good wine, you can come and have a drink with me.”

“As an assassin, no one knows when you’ll fail your next mission and end up dead somewhere. So if you like someone, you have to tell that person sooner rather than later, although whether or not they’ll accept you is another thing.”

Mo Liuqi squeezed the mask as memories flashed before his eyes. One was a scene of him chatting with Poker Face.

At the edge of the cliff, under the moonlight, there would always be a thin, expressionless young man carrying a sword with its hilt wrapped in cloth. He would always be staring off into the emptiness outside the cliff, with yearning and hope deep in his eyes.

“Poker Face, you’re free.”

“Wish you all the best.”

The rainwater slid down Mo Liuqi’s face and drained from his chin.

Mo Liuqi put the mask away and looked toward the top of the cliff, where the never-ending thunder was coming from.

A figure resembling that of a red Angel’s Trumpet flower and wearing a silver-white mask flashed past his eyes. For a moment, it was as if he could see the red figure falling into the water like a drop of red ink and disintegrating completely.

A sudden feeling of fear and panic rose in his heart.

Poker Face was right—if he liked someone, then he should tell that person as soon as possible…

Mo Liuqi got on the donkey and gave it a few whips of the bamboo pole. The donkey immediately hissed as it started running toward the top of the mountain.

The sound of the donkey’s hooves resonated loudly, as muddy water splattered with each step.

******

Beiluo Lake Island.

Outside, the strong winds continued to surge, as puddles of rainwater and blood mixed.

But on Lake Island, it was like a paradise, relaxing and comfortable.

The lake breeze carrying Spirit Qi blew gently, creating ripples on the lake surface. The fishermen sailed on their lone boats and threw their fishing nets, as plump bass swam their way into them.

Ni Yu had her backside perched up as she continued to release her farts. However, her eyes were full of excitement as she and Jing Yue knelt in front of the pot—which was transformed by Lu Fan—and added the herbs into it one by one.

She, Ni Yu, was going to refine the elixir!

Nie Changqing put his hands behind his back while he floated on the lake surface as he guided little Nie Shuang in his cultivation.

With her legs crossed, Yi Yue was still cultivating, absorbing the Spirit Qi of the heaven and earth. She was very diligent and working very hard.

Everything on the island was very harmonious.

On the second-floor balcony of White Jade City pavilion…

Lu Fan leaned against the railing as he listened to the wind.

In front of him, the Heavenly Go Manual and the Mountain River Strategy were both spread half-open, side by side.

“Young Master, the wine is ready.”

With her sleeved hands, Ning Zhao held up the bronze wine cup that was filled with hot green plum wine.

Lu Fan took the bronze wine cup from her with deep, pondering eyes that resembled the galaxy in the skies.

Although her Qi Core Realm had achieved Great Completeness, she still dared not look at Lu Fan directly in the eyes.

At this moment, the Young Master’s eyes seemed to hold the whole world in them.

“Interesting. The Mohists have joined hands with the North County Army and occupied Yuanchi City, and they want to march right into the capital city. But the Overlord led 80,000 West County soldiers to attack the Mohist City of Traps…”

Lu Fan took a sip of the green plum wine as the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Actually, it did not matter to him how the world events came about or how the imperial power would change.

What he was concerned with was the changes in the entire World Leveling System.

What he wanted to do was to nurture cultivators.

Only with the emergence of a powerful cultivator could the level of the world be elevated.

Compared to the confrontation between Yuanchi City, the North County Army, and the elite troops of Great Zhou, Lu Fan was more curious about the battle at the Mohist City of Traps on the Eastern Lake.

Because he had discovered something even more interesting…

It seemed that Mo Liuqi was about to come in contact with the Overlord.

If they started fighting, would this be the first time cultivators clashed with each other?

However, it looked like Mo Liuqi’s odds of winning were not too high.

Lu Fan drank his wine with great interest.

The battle between the Ancient Qi Practitioner Jiang Chao and the Overlord with the others inside the Immortal Palace of the Hidden Dragon Ridge was, in fact, also a clash between cultivators. But in that battle, there was nothing interesting for Lu Fan to watch since he was the one who created the situations for the Ancient Qi Practitioner. Everything from the start to the end would go according to how Lu Fan had set the rules, so naturally, there was no suspense in watching it.

What was really interesting for him was seeing the cultivators, whom he had nurtured by himself, clash with each other.

“Eh?”

Lu Fan’s brows furrowed out of the blue, and he took another sip of the green plum wine.

The scene before him shifted to a few hundred miles away, from the Mohist City of Traps battlefield to the Drunken Dragon City.

It seemed that something unexpected was going to happen again at the Drunken Dragon City.

“Sister Ning, refill the wine. I’m busy over here.”

Lu Fan leaned against the railing, listening to the wind, as he raised the bronze wine cup in his hand.

“Here.”

Ning Zhao was beautiful and gentle, her white dress flowing. She carried the heated green plum wine over and poured some into Lu Fan’s cup, an intoxicating fragrance wafting from the liquor.

******

Drunken Dragon City.

The small farmyard that used to be peaceful had now become an utter mess.

There was fear in Bai Qingniao’s eyes as she hid in the chicken coop with Lil Phoenix One in her arms.

She was terrified of the mysterious Yinyang School Necromancers who were wearing bamboo hats.

She was just an ordinary agriculturist—poultry woman—who often liked to treat others to the chicken soup she loved to make. If she had not experienced an Immortal encounter, then she would probably have fainted from shock right now.

The grandma she used to be familiar with had shuddered and transformed into a glamorous beauty whose figure was so hot it made feel her ashamed of herself.

It had totally changed Bai Qingniao’s impression of her.

What scared her, even more, was that…

The grandma had killed people.

In the small farmyard…

Chi Lian’s hair drifted as she tossed the short knife in her hands and stabbed it directly into the chest of one of the Yinyang School Necromancers.

The other Yinyang School Necromancer was even preparing to create an incantation seal, but he was knocked down by Chi Lian’s flying knee kick.

After taking out a dagger that was hidden in her robes from her inner thigh area, she expressionlessly stabbed it into the necromancer’s neck.

One stab.

Two stabs.

Thirteen stabs.

Only when the necromancer had died with an unwilling look in his glaring eyes did she halt.

Chi Lian’s gorgeous and beautiful face was stained with blood. She stood up and walked over to the other necromancer, who had been stabbed with her short knife, and pulled out the demon knife, sharply wiping it on the necromancer’s neck.

In the chicken coop, Bai Qingniao was stunned.

She looked at Chi Lian, who was covered in blood, her eyes shining with a glint of… awe.

That was so… so cool!

Chi Lian held onto her demon knife that was dripping with blood and looked at Bai Qingniao, who was staring at her with shining eyes and was slightly taken aback.

“This is no doubt the descendant of General Bai, who buried 30,000 soldiers alive. Her courage is beyond that of ordinary people…”

Chi Lian laughed.

Jiang Li told her to protect Bai Qingniao, and she had done it, living up to the high expectations of her master.

Suddenly…

Chi Lian’s body stiffened slightly.

She sharply turned her head around.

Outside the farmyard, a swift breeze blew by, and the sound of clear footsteps that were not concealed.

There was a faint invisible air current blowing in the wind.

“Who’s there?!” Chi Lian shouted.

Bai Qingniao’s eyes also widened as she continued to hold on to Lil Phoenix One.

“The giant’s guess was right indeed. How could Jiang Li possibly expose his weakness openly without any form of defense?” It was a light voice with a hint of slack in it.

Amid the blowing wind…

A thin and handsome figure emerged.

One of his sleeves was empty and flying in the blowing wind.

“Mo Clan… Mo Shougui!”

Chi Lian’s eyes narrowed.

Mo Shougui had a warm look on his face. He glanced at Chi Lian and then looked away from her and landed his gaze on Bai Qingniao.

“Tsk tsk tsk…”

“The descendant of the Bai family that could kill 30,000 people easily is now just an ordinary poultry woman. Jiang Li really kept her very well-protected…”

Mo Shougui chuckled.

Bai Qingniao was startled.

Chi Lian raised her bloodstained demon knife.

“Not to mention, you’ve been poisoned by the Gu poison. Even if you weren’t already poisoned, it would only take me one strike to defeat you.”

Mo Shougui smiled disdainfully.

He raised his lone arm.

The wisp of Spirit Qi he had absorbed from the Secret Realm of the Hidden Dragon Ridge was moving in his Qi Core.

Combined with Qi and blood, it suddenly burst out. The blow landed on Chi Lian, causing her eyes to clamp shut as she coughed up blood. She flew backward and dropped at Bai Qingniao’s side.

Not only was Chi Lian’s hair disheveled, but also a wound on her thigh had blackened and was rotting. She clearly had been poisoned when she fought with the Yinyang School Necromancer.

Chi Lian’s face turned white as she tried to stand up straight.

However… there was no ounce of strength left in her at all.

Bai Qingniao’s face was pale.

Watching as Mo Shougui approached them slowly, Bai Qingniao stood in front of Chi Lian, unyielding.

Mo Shougui looked at Bai Qingniao strangely.

“The giant told me to take you with me without killing you.”

“But… I do think that if your head appears at Yuanchi City, it’d be much better. If Jiang Li goes berserk, then the Great Zhou will collapse disastrously.”

Mo Shougui’s empty sleeve flew in the wind as a sword appeared in his other hand.

His eyes gradually enlarged as he let out an illiberal smile.

There was no nonsense and no hesitation.

Because he knew that once he hesitated, it would mean defeat.

One of his arms was gone because he hesitated.

The sharp sound of Mo Shougui’s sword resounded.

Mo Shougui raised his sword at an angle and aimed it at Bai Qingniao’s neck.

Once he brought it down, Bai Qingniao’s head would come flying off.

Suddenly…

Right at the moment when Mo Shougui was about to cut off Bai Qingniao’s head…

Beiluo Lake.

A young man dressed in white and sitting in a wheelchair was smiling as he drank his wine. Then he placed a chess piece on the chessboard.

“A cultivator’s sword is being swung down on an ordinary poultry woman.”

“How brazen.”

After he placed the chess piece…

Vast Spirit Qi was released into the air.

The Phoenix had not appeared yet. How could the poultry woman die?

At Drunken Dragon City above the farmyard.

Heavy clouds were rolling.

Spirit Qi was firing and scattering everywhere like pillars of rays.

It enveloped… Lil Phoenix One, who was in Bai Qingniao’s embrace.

The body of Lil Phoenix One shuddered instantly, and its wings spread out.

A loud and piercing cry could not help but emerge from its throat…