Prince Peng Fei turned his head toward the door that had been kicked open by his younger brother, Prince Peng Wei. His eyes widened in fury, his pleasure interrupted just when he was about to force himself upon the terrified young woman.“Peng Wei! Have you forgotten how to respect your elder brother!?” roared Prince Peng Fei, his face flushed red with anger.“I have no reason to respect a man as vile and corrupt as you, Brother Fei!” shouted Prince Peng Wei in reply, his voice trembling with disgust. “You’ve dragged the entire Shang Dynasty into shame and ruin! The people no longer respect this empire like they once did — all because of your depraved actions!”The heated argument between the two brothers escalated quickly. Consumed by rage, Prince Peng Fei drew his sword and lunged at his younger brother without hesitation.Though skilled in martial arts, Prince Peng Wei was no match for his elder brother’s strength. Within moments, he was cornered against the wall, desperately defen

“Why the hurry to continue your journey?” asked the prince after they finished eating.“Forgive us, Your Highness,” Fang Yun replied. “Zhao Wen must return to the mainland of Hu. His grandfather is gravely ill, and he must succeed him as the head of the Temple of Eternity.”“How did you come to know of his grandfather’s illness when you’re so far away?” Peng Wei asked curiously.Fang Yun scratched his head awkwardly. He couldn’t possibly explain about Manarah’s visitation.“Someone informed me during meditation last night, Your Highness,” he answered calmly.“I see.” Peng Wei stood and walked toward an ornate wooden cabinet. From one of its drawers, he retrieved two small pouches filled with gold coins and handed them to Fang Yun.“Take these for your journey’s provisions. And for Zhao Wen, I’ll assign two of my soldiers to escort him to the port,” he said warmly.“Thank you, Your Highness. May you become a wise and just emperor in the future,” Fang Yun said sincerely.Peng Wei smiled

“Keep pushing your power!” Mariaban roared.Fang Yun shut his ears to the beast’s taunting voice and focused on attacking. Yet no matter how many times he struck, Mariaban seemed completely unaffected. This time, the creature’s palm struck Fang Yun’s body with even greater force.Several trees fell as his body was hurled through them, finally crashing into a massive boulder that shattered into pieces on impact.“Ugh!”Fang Yun coughed violently, spitting fresh blood again and again. His strength had already waned—his body weak, his breath uneven. For the first time, he felt a faint trace of resignation creeping in.“I told you,” Qiang Mo’s voice echoed in his mind, “don’t fight him with power alone. The more you increase your energy, the stronger he becomes. That’s Mariaban’s ability!”“You know him? Then what should I do?” Fang Yun shouted back in his mind.“Use your brain for once! Stop asking me questions!” Qiang Mo snapped.“At a time like this, you refuse to help me? Damn you!” F

Fang Yun smiled broadly and nodded, agreeing to Commander Bird’s offer.“All right, Fang Yun. You must recover your strength first, because the training I’m going to give you requires excellent stamina.”From the edge of the lake, Commander Bird observed Fang Yun. With his spiritual sight, he could see a pale green aura flowing into the young man’s body. However, he was soon astonished when the energy intensified, drawing more and more of the natural essence around the mountain.“At this rate, the entire elemental energy of this mountain might be drained by him,” he thought silently.He immediately vanished and reappeared beside Fang Yun.“That’s enough, Fang Yun. Don’t absorb all the natural essence on this mountain! Other beings need it too. The next step—merge the natural elements within you and bind them with your inner energy!”Without replying, Fang Yun followed Commander Bird’s instructions.Moments later, the surface of the lake trembled as Fang Yun succeeded in uniting the na

“You strange serpent, why are you disturbing my journey!?” Fang Yun stood firmly atop the water’s surface, glaring sharply at the three-headed snake. With his mastery of light body movement, he could support himself even upon the flowing river without sinking.The serpent grinned wickedly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve tasted human sacrifice. I appeared today to hunt for prey!”“So, you can speak human tongue,” Fang Yun replied coldly. “I know you are the guardian demon of this river. Leave now, or I will destroy you!”“Hahaha... even if you can stand upon the water, you won’t be able to defeat me. You’ll become my first offering today!”The serpent lunged forward with terrifying speed. Its massive tail sliced through the air, but Fang Yun leapt high, dodging the deadly strike.The creature slithered across the surface, then dove beneath the waves before emerging again, attacking with one of its heads. Fang Yun avoided the strike and landed upon another head, ready to counterattac