"Phantom isn't just going to stand here like this forever, is he?" Xia Fei grimly asked.

This was truly a very serious problem. If Phantom's failure to fuse to a machine caused him to lose the ability to move and speak, not only would Xia Fei not gain an assistant, he would even lose a very important companion!

Sophie shook her head. " In seven more minutes, Phantom will leave this state. This is another problem. The fusion time can only last for three hours, and there's no means of extending it."

Xia Fei nodded. Sophie had always wondered if her creator, Radix, could be an immortal soul fused with a machine, so Sophie had dedicated herself to experiments concerning the fusion of machine and soul. She had made a little progress in these experiments, but she was still some distance away from practical application.

Seven minutes went by in the blink of an eye. The robot suddenly went limp, and Sophie opened up its chest and took out the red Moore Stone. She then handed it to Xia Fei. The familiar figure of Phantom instantly appeared in his mind.

"That was suffocating! The sensation of fusing with a machine is very strange, as if something is constantly squeezing me. I don't understand machines, so you get in there and find out what went wrong. During the fusion, I couldn't even speak. That simply won't do!"

Xia Fei had underestimated Phantom's desire to get a new body. As soon as he came out, he asked Xia Fei to help him solve this problem.

In truth, Phantom's urgency was understandable. As a wandering soul attached to Xia Fei, he could not do anything except talk to Xia Fei. Over the long term, this situation would eventually become insufferable.

Now that he finally had a chance to get a new body, even if it was a mechanical one, it was still a body. Phantom could not help but be tempted.

Upon realizing this, Xia Fei decided to help Phantom as much as he could, since this would be of help to himself as well. After all, if Phantom had a body, Xia Fei would have a walking and talking assistant, which only stood to benefit him.

"Fine, let me take a look at the design first," Xia Fei sternly said.

...

Once Xia Fei got to work, he finally only emerged from Sophie's room after more than ten hours later. When he arrived at Avril's room, Xia Fei suddenly remembered that there had been another reason he had gone to find Phantom: To find out how he could use the Bloodswallow Gem to cross the Law Emperor threshold.

"I can't believe I forgot about that," Xia Fei shook his head and muttered to himself. "Forget it. Seeing how busy Phantom and Sophie were, that fellow probably wouldn't have the time to help me research the gem. It's probably best for me to research it myself."

Avril and Pod had been waiting for Xia Fei all this time. They served him bowls of Fried Paste noodles and plates of cucumber slices and tomatoes, and Xia Fei swept through them like a storm, only stopping after devouring six servings.

Avril watched with her hands propping up her chin and a smile on her lips. She found watching Xia Fei eat a source of pleasure. Some wise person had once said that to capture a man's heart, one had to capture his stomach. Avril had gotten a lot better at cooking over the years, and that rather unruly young girl was gradually becoming an excellent wife material.

...

Xia Fei and Avril always had things to talk about. In the dimly lit bedroom, Avril lay on top of Xia Fei's chest, a contented look on her face and her body covered in fragrant sweat.

"You're so strong," Avril said, her face red as she bashfully whispered. The thought of that fierce storm she had just been through made her dizzy from excitement.

Xia Fei frowned. "You're not going to bring up me taking a concubine again, are you? It's not enough that I hurt you, but I have to hurt other girls as well? Forget about it."

Avril hastily placed two slender fingers on Xia Fei's mouth, not allowing him to continue to speak.

"Who said that you hurt me? You have know idea how many people actually envy me. Let's use Nicole as an example. That girl has been enchanted by you ages ago. If you don't accept her, she probably won't forgive you for the rest of her life," Avril said with a smile, a cunning tone to her voice. When she was alone with Xia Fei, that willful and temperamental young girl would sometimes come back to Avril's body.

This was also one of the reasons Xia Fei liked Avril. This girl was always able to match herself to his appetite. Was there any man who liked his wife to be an aloof virgin in bed? While she was normally very generous and relaxed, she was still quite amorous in bed, leaving Xia Fei enchanted.

"If she won't forgive, then she won't forgive me. There are plenty of people in this universe who hate me. If I worry about all of them, won't I have to spend my entire life on edge? Let's not talk about this anymore. A person should know to be content with their situation, and I'm plenty content with you at my side."

All girls like such warm and gentle words. Feeling incredibly blessed, Avril tightly hugged Xia Fei.

"Right, how's your progress on that law I gave you?" Xia Fei asked. The Law of Life would decide whether or not he could live long and grow old with Avril, and Xia Fei was very concerned about it.

"I've broken to the first level," Avril softly said.

Xia Fei hugged Avril and excitedly said, "Wonderful! Before I go, I'll give you a big reward."

He could not help but give Avril a big kiss on the lips.

"You're leaving again?" Avril tilted her head and asked.

"Mm, tomorrow," Xia Fei replied.

Hyacinth's operation was about to begin, and because of the limits of the radar system, Xia Fei had to remain in the Law Realm so he could get quick updates on how the operation was progressing. Thus, he had to return to the Exiled Grounds and find a place where no one was around. There, he would try to advance to the next level while awaiting reports from Hyacinth. He also had to prepare for a possible counterattack.

A warm and rough hand reached into the blanket and took off Avril's silk underclothes. Their naked bodies came together, the sounds of heavy breathing and groaning coming from the bedroom.

"Remember… take good care of your things after you use them," Avril squinted, her face blushing as she softly spoke.

...

The Exiled Grounds was very large, and there were many uninhabited areas. Xia Fei found a remote canyon and prepared to cross the Law Emperor threshold!

The canyon was quiet and contained numerous caves. Xia Fei chose a cave that was concealed by shrubs. Walking in, he placed down a coldlight lamp and then installed numerous seals around the entrance. He then laid out a blanket and sat down.

"Not bad. The space is large enough and the rock is tough; there's also good ventilation. It's an excellent space for attempting a breakthrough," Oro said as he observed the surroundings. "The Law Emperor threshold is extremely important to any warrior. Whether or not you can ascend to the apex in one go will depend entirely on this one attempt. It would be best if you're done handling all your affairs so you could have a clear mind, devoid of stray thoughts, to focus entirely on advancing."

Xia Fei thought it over. If there was one thing he was worried about, it would be how Hyacinth's group was doing, how their preparations were progressing, and how confident they were. After all, Hyacinth was from the Exiled Grounds. When infiltrating the Law Realm, one needed to be cautious, and there would be numerous challenges.

Taking out the Black Bat radar, Xia Fei called Hyacinth.

A screen popped up, and an old man appeared in front of Xia Fei. Putting aside his entirely white hair and beard, his face was covered in innumerable wrinkles. This was merely another one of Hyacinth's disguises. For a professional infiltrator, what was most important was concealment at all times, never revealing one's true self no matter the place.

"Where are you now?" Xia Fei asked.

"The Yu Family, High Rise Hotel." Hyacinth pointed behind him as he spoke. The room he was in was clearly arranged like a hotel room. The room was not large, but it had all the right furnishings.

Xia Fei nodded. "Yu Hua's appointment ceremony should be tomorrow. How are your preparations?"

Hyacinth smiled and nodded. "The Yu Family isn't considered a big clan in the circle, and it lives on a warship, so its defenses are vastly inferior to those of the White Horse Constellation. Our men are already in position. We will proceed with the plan tonight."

Xia Fei said, "I have my faith in you. Yu Jin and Yu Peng aren't anything to worry about, but Yu Hua is different. He's a meticulous planner, so the slightest mistake can end up ruining the whole plan. You have to be careful."

Hyacinth casually said, "It's in our nature to adapt to the situation. We've already prepared several plans. At worst, we'll just sow chaos throughout the clan. Just like you said, when cutting the grass to get at the rabbits, whether or not there are rabbits, you have to first make the area a mess first."

Xia Fei faintly smiled, his eyes somewhat dark and heavy.

Xia Fei had a famous saying: "Anyone who makes me unhappy should not even think about being happy!"

Though the words were crude, the principle behind the world was not. Someone had stabbed him in the back and had gotten away with it, while Xia Fei had been forced to flee with Avril. Until this debt was settled, Xia Fei would find it difficult to sleep.

Thus, Xia Fei had decided on this plan to cut the grass and kill the rabbit. He had bided his time until this crucial moment so that he could bring Yu Hua as much trouble as possible. Did the man not enjoy stabbing others in the back? Xia Fei did not plan to take a stab at him back, but drive the knife up his butthole, even!

Xia Fei was truly a very patient person, waiting only until today to make his counterattack. It was not that a counterattack before this would not have been effective; it just would not have given Yu Hua the most trouble possible. This strategy verified another one of Xia Fei's sayings: "Do something to the absolute or do not do it at all!"

The thought of the beautiful expression on Yu Hua's face come tomorrow had Xia Fei smiling.

With a faint smile, Xia Fei said, "It's very simple to cut the grass, but the key is killing the rabbit. If my guess is correct, we're not just going to get the rabbit but also the bears and snakes. You must be careful. Remember: What's key isn't cutting the grass but remembering which is the rabbit."

After giving Hyacinth a few more instructions, Xia Fei turned off the screen, lit a cigarette, and began to think.

Oro curiously asked, "What sort of key evidence do you have that you think you can turn the tables at once? Since you have evidence, why haven't you released it until now?"

Xia Fei chuckled. "Your memory is really getting worse with your age. Have you forgotten that every suit of combat armor comes with a high-speed camera that helps a warrior recall the details of a battle and improve their techniques?"

Oro was startled, then he said, "That's true! How could I have forgotten about that? Your Edgeless recorded the entire thing! Once you reveal this evidence, who will dare to try and frame you?"

However, after that, Oro paused and then shook his head. "You're truly a sinister fellow, hiding the evidence for so long and only releasing it when Yu Hua is about to succeed. It will certainly make for a good show this time. Just when he's about to get the patriarch position, you'll drag him down from heaven to hell at the very last second. That's too ruthless, too sinister! Anyone who becomes your enemy is truly an unfortunate soul! Yu Hua will probably hate you to the bones this time."

Xia Fei craftily smiled as he harshly spoke. "I'm a man, so I have to be a little ruthless to others. I'm never one to hit people on the body, for I specialize in hitting them in the face!"