Volume One, Chapter 79: A Windfall—A Diva Falls from the Sky!

“Ms. Maggie? What a coincidence, you're here too!”

“Are you here to renew your contract as well?”

“I heard there are some changes to the contract this year. Do you know anything about it?” Kemin asked with a smile.

But Maggie Chen was in no mood to discuss contracts. Kemin was now a rising star, her very own protégé! In recent years, she had garnered considerable attention; though she hadn’t exploded in popularity, she had always remained in the public eye. Her concerts had all concluded with great success. Especially this year, she looked every bit the queen in waiting.

“I’m not sure,” Maggie replied. “I have something to take care of, we’ll talk another day.” Her spirits were low; after a brief, polite farewell, she turned and left.

Back in her office, she began packing her belongings.

Preparations...

When it comes to subduing and recruiting, it’s always a mix of reward and intimidation. The one surrendering must not feel too at ease; one must first instill fear, then offer kindness and solace.

Meanwhile, at Kunlun Sect, life went on as usual—cultivation never ceased, the mountains and waters were admired, and the meetings among the upper ranks had already begun. The disciples of the lower and middle ranks continued their leisurely existence.

As they spoke, common folk gathered outside, listening as the monks shouted in unison, “Enemy of the Buddha!” and began to whisper among themselves.

Qiu Lingxin’s lovely face turned pale; she suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of danger, as though she were utterly exposed beneath the fangs of a savage beast.

Completely powerless to resist, the Celestial Emperor with the vertical eye let out a wretched scream, reverted to human form, and collapsed atop a meteorite, wracked with spasms.

At the moment between life and death, who cares about something as trivial as dignity? Yan Qi certainly didn’t—he instantly abandoned his previous stance and pledged his loyalty to Bai Sen.

Fiery red magma spewed outward, while thick black-gray smoke shrouded the entire Red Flame City. In an instant, heavy clouds and mist rolled in like a dark tide, a harbinger of the demon king’s descent.

The celestial spirit nodded hurriedly. Together with Kong Gu, she supported the marquis into the basement of the meeting house.

After all, when the Dreamweaver antivirus software was first launched, it was free only for users in China; users from other countries had to pay to download it, which had already left a bad taste.

Lin Zhixiao was always a slow eater. Now, as his mind wandered to what awaited him in bed later, he kept forgetting to pick up his chopsticks.

The mid-stage Dustless Realm—such a level of cultivation was rare indeed, especially for a sword cultivator. Perhaps only Lin Han, Mu Anran, Li Kunlin, and Nangong Yangtian among those present could claim such strength.

The two of them worked in tandem, their playful banter amusing everyone in the room and even drawing a rare smile from Jing Rong.

This refuge lay about a thousand meters underground. As expected, Dongfang did not disturb the refugees again, but quietly continued constructing the Dawn. Once it was complete, he began the process of upgrading his excavator into a kilometer-class warship: the Doomsday Lone Ark.

This road was the only way from Bihe’s home to Lin Zhiyong’s, but Bihe hadn’t spoken to him in over a dozen days—Lin Zhiyong could not understand why she would appear here.

Even the likes of Master Xuanshui, Master Lihuo, You Daozi, Long Zhen, and Hua Diexiang had come to offer their congratulations, and Qian Yun responded to each in turn.

Wiping away tears, Bainuo said, “It was you! You killed Baixi! And now you try to blame someone else!” With that, she rushed out of the house.

This profession was incredibly powerful. The term "mystic arts" could be translated into modern language as "magic," but at the Medicine King’s level, it was real magic—magic that could save lives.

This was a matter of past and present lives. Next came the story of the Azure Dragon Order. Uncle Xiao Wu glanced at Prince Qing, and only when the latter showed no reaction did he dare to speak.

Of course, being highly cultivated did not necessarily mean one was adept at managing affairs. Eventually, a replacement would be needed, but for now, this was the only emergency solution.

How did Wang Junxi find out? Han San’s gaze involuntarily drifted to the back of Old Zhao’s head...

“There’s no need for you to give me three moves,” Ren Qingqing shouted, charging at Zhang Yang and launching a flying kick. Zhang Yang stepped back slightly, dodging with a simple sidestep.

As for the “Stellar Shadow Step”—though it was an Earth-rank martial art, even of the lowest grade, it was still difficult to master. In these last few days, Ye Qingfeng had only just begun to grasp its basics.

A man with a large, bulging eye, a shiny bald head, and square-rimmed glasses greeted the audience with his head held high under the spotlight, striding purposefully to the center between the two groups of sofas on stage.

Overcome with emotion, An Haoran coughed up blood. Gu Hongxuan saw that his face had turned completely purple, his eyes shot through with blood.

It was precisely because of this that the river upstream of Wanghe had risen so sharply, while downstream, in the territory of Zhaoyuan Prefecture, there had been no warning. Corrupt officials had embezzled the funds for river management, which led to today’s breach of the dike, plunging the innocent people once more into a living hell.

In October 394, his cousin Yang Ding helped Fu Chong, the former Qin king, attack Western Qin, but was defeated and killed. Yang Sheng did not hold the funeral immediately, but waited two years before succeeding to the throne.

Her words needed no further explanation—everyone present knew what she meant: Xiang Yu’s fate was almost certainly sealed.

He could faintly sense that this Chuan Yun Peak possessed a powerful repelling force. To reach the summit, one would have to brace against the stones and climb with great effort.

As for the number and names of candidates, there was no issue at all—they moved directly to the next item of discussion.

“Heh, perfect—I’ll take this opportunity to see for myself the strength of the Demon Clan.” With a serene smile, Jiang Xue remained utterly unafraid, even in the face of the three great Demon Lords, the most they could muster at this time.

Even now, remembering it gave Gerda chills—their chieftain was nothing short of a scoundrel.

Not that anyone expected much from them in the first place. Besides, the Demon King Poshun and the Master of Victory Heaven didn’t seem to take it all that seriously, either.

Suddenly, the secret palace began to tremble violently; the chamber, once hidden in the ocean’s depths, started to rise abruptly.

With a single leap, Zhang Yuanhao emerged from the passageway. Before he could take in the whole stone cave, a massive black shadow, reeking foully, plummeted from above with a piercing, ear-splitting screech.

Many stared in disbelief. This was a scene everyone yearned for, one they would pursue at any cost—yet so few could achieve it, dying with regret, unable to rest in peace.

For the Celestial Demons could change at will. When it came to the future, they possessed this very power—it was their clan’s unique gift, perhaps the only one in all the Three Thousand Worlds not bound by fate.