Big Brother, you're amazing!

Jiang Zeyu stood stunned for a moment before realizing what he had been thinking. The person who had sent him the message and photo was clearly trying to sow discord between them—if he really acted on it, he would be falling right into their trap. Hadn’t he promised Qu Wan that, no matter what happened, they would talk things through honestly and not jump to conclusions? How could he lose trust in her now?

Jiang Zeyu opened the door.

Qu Wan was standing in front of Qu Jin, her brother sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, the two of them looking for all the world like a teacher scolding a student.

At the sound of the door, both turned to look at him.

Jiang Zeyu paused, then composed himself and walked in, closing the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Qu Wan was clearly shocked—after all, she had only just arrived herself. He too—what if, just like with “Lu,” he ended up traveling to another world again, only to be trapped for another decade or more?

These threads were spun from the fur of a legendary world dragon said to dwell in the clouds above the East Sea—exceptionally tough, yet razor-sharp.

Perhaps because he had crafted this template himself, Jiutian displayed none of the odd intentions one might expect. Instead, he regarded his creation with the air of someone admiring their own work.

Tang Yongjie felt a flock of crows fly across his brow—he couldn’t fathom what kind of unnecessary worries the other man harbored, as though his departure this time meant he would never return.

Suddenly, I began to understand—could Meihua’s death be tied to a man? There must have been a romantic entanglement, which ultimately led to her demise. But what exactly had happened? My curiosity was piqued, so I listened in silence.

So that was it? Senior Brother, have I become your shadow? With a bitter ache in his heart, Zhang Yizhi thought this, but then his eyes grew resolute—he was determined to achieve the greatest merit in this war, to further his plan for vengeance. Beitang must fall, no matter the cost.

It was precisely for this reason that the Cloud Sect was so keen to arrange marriages with the Clear Forest Sword Sect and the Yuanyang Sect. Alliance was only one aspect; even more, the Cloud Sect hoped to expand its influence and lay the groundwork for future development.

Yang Kuang understood the implication—the Southern Xia still held the dominant voice in the world. As the mightiest nation, flawless in every aspect, even though the Great Shang claimed first place on both lists and had other achievements, it could not make up the overall gap.

Judging the moment right, I quietly signaled to Xiao Yu to stop. The middle-aged man finally halted, and a red mist seeped from his body, drifting behind me. Xiao Yu had already left his body—of course, no one else could see this; only I could.

There was nothing more to be said. Fortunately, he was no ordinary man—his body was preternaturally strong, his recovery astonishing. In tune with the world itself, drawing on vital energies, his wounds did not worsen.

Qin Hao wanted to speak, but exhaustion left him unable to do more than utter a muffled sound.

With a tremendous roar, beside Angel Island, the earth-formed island—Island of the Gods—rose from the sea, floated into the sky, and then plummeted straight toward Angel Island.

He Qingchuan also stood up and spoke. The three of them settled their bill and left the tavern. They made their way to a secluded spot, Li Yang and Bai Qiu watching as He Qingchuan took to the air on his sword.

With all the city’s finest craftsmen—including Ailman—working together and the Guild’s materials team providing full support, such a towering iron cage—dozens of meters high and enclosing the entire dueling arena—was completed in just half a month. It was nothing short of miraculous.

If the other party had a normal disposition, it would be fine, but if they were capricious or ill-tempered, approaching them unbidden could spell trouble—or worse, they might crush you like an insect on a whim.

The dynasty’s special circumstances called for special measures. At least, other players returning to the real world didn’t encounter nearly as many complications.

The girl, flustered and shy, tried to break free, but upon meeting Qin Hao’s burning gaze, simply lowered her head and let him hold her.