Volume One, Chapter 57: The Second Divine Gate

“Breathing techniques?”

Montage mulled over these words carefully. Then, turning his gaze to the group including Nine Faces, who were cultivating in silence, a sudden flash of insight crossed his mind.

“Wind, arise!”

A current of air swept up around Montage, gathering the surrounding mist into a dense swirl.

“Compress!”

He closed his hand, and the mist, drawn together, was instantly compacted into a single mass.

Moments later…

A few droplets of dew formed, hanging motionless before Montage.

“Well, to be honest, they probably ran off on their own.” Lin Hao hesitated slightly, then scratched his head in embarrassment. Truth be told, those cultists hadn’t really been chased off by him; in fact, he had no idea why they had left so abruptly. He’d only spoken that way earlier in the heat of the moment.

Stepping out of that oppressive laboratory, Zhang Jiaming returned to the real world. Countless snowflakes drifted down from the sky, dusting his broad shoulders. He exhaled a billow of hot breath, but even so, Zhang Jiaming still had to face the problems before him.

At that moment, Gu Fan noticed the look in Yansong’s eyes—a wild and unyielding stare, not at all befitting an old man in his twilight years. Appearances could be altered, but temperament was far harder to disguise. That expression was as if he were staring at a dead man.

A squadron of cavalry had prepared their mounts and waited outside. Zhang Jiaming wasted no time, swinging onto his personal steed—“Dark Cloud Crossing Snow,” a horse black as night with four white hooves. With a flick of his whip, he galloped straight toward the riding grounds.

Once the troops were organized and the formation arranged, Zhang Jiaming nodded to Geng Sheng, signaling that he could begin.

The innkeeper shuddered, about to speak, when a commotion erupted outside. The next instant, a heavy crash sounded as the wooden door was forcibly splintered open.

“These are refugees from Grass Carp Island. They’ve witnessed Zhang Jiaming’s ruthlessness and decisive action, and they were among the first to benefit from his aid. Their loyalty is unquestionable. May our Lord Christ watch over the apostles of God.”

“Father, is that monastery on the mountain ahead a temple of the monastic order?” a handsome young man on a black stallion asked.

Seran’s eyes finally cleared, regaining that ambitious glint. “Can we pretend I was never here today?” Seran said with a smile.

While Dragon Fist was recruiting in Cotton City, Long Ming had already arrived in Riverside. The great ship was now fully built, and its design was unique: the upper structure was made of wood and fitted with sails, while the hull below was forged from steel and equipped with a propeller. It could sail by wind or by mechanical drive.

Duanmu Hong’s heart fluttered wildly, a sudden nosebleed streaming down his face, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. He longed to dive into that deep ravine and see everything clearly.

When Chu Feng crawled out of bed early in the morning and checked his phone, it was already past nine o’clock.

Ye Chen would not give his opponent a moment to breathe, raining blow after blow. Golden light burst from his fists, pouring out like a volcanic eruption—brilliant and fierce.

The Lord of Life and Death was astonishing in martial power, hurling a mighty punch forward. His divine aura was overwhelming, his hair whipping about in wild disarray.

Ancient weapons streaked across the sky, shattering all in their path, their cold gleam blinding. They encircled Ye Chen, whose escape was cut off. Razor-sharp sword energy struck first, surging down like a relentless river.

Han Wei stepped from his tent and beheld a magnificent steed. The horse’s bearing was extraordinary—it was a true thoroughbred of the highest caliber.

Li Zhuang said, “Could it be we all had the same dream?” Tian Xiue nodded. Li Zhuang hurriedly added, “No, we can’t keep doing this or I won’t survive it.” Tian Xiue nodded again.

But at the entrance, Dian Wei and Yan Xing barred the way, informing everyone that Han Wei was mourning his wife and would receive no visitors.

The scouts from Wan City had long since gathered enough intelligence and reported back to Liu Pan. The veteran general Huang Zhong—known as Huang Hansheng—volunteered to intercept Xu Chu.