"Why are we going to the blacksmith's shop?" Musen asked, puzzled.
"Isn't it obvious? To forge you a body of steel!" Liyana said excitedly. "If we replace the pages with iron sheets, they won’t get damaged so easily. Who knows, you might even be able to use them as a weapon..."
"Won’t that make it too heavy?" Mo Lini tilted her head. "And who’s going to carry this holy scripture around? You, Liyana?"
"Hmm... On second thought, maybe not."
Musen let out a sigh of relief and gave Mo Lini a grateful look.
He was genuinely afraid Liyana would go through with one of her wild ideas.
Aina’s voice came from outside: "I have some good materials here. We can use them to upgrade Musen later."
Musen quickly replied, "That’s too much trouble for you..."
"Don’t worry about it, Musen. It’s fine," Xia Lun chimed in. "The stronger you are, the more useful you’ll be to the team. We’re in this together."
"Why be so polite with them?" Liyana reached out and patted Musen’s shoulder—though she didn’t actually touch him, she had learned to stop her hand mid-air as if she had. "We just need to relax. Xia Lun will handle the rest."
Musen rubbed his bald head and finally stopped protesting.
"By the way, Xia Lun, where are we now?" Liyana called out. "When will we reach the city?"
"Up ahead is a place called the Dragonblood Mountains," Xia Lun said, studying the map. "Not far from here is Olie City."
He frowned. Olie City... It sounded vaguely familiar.
"Xia Lun." Aina suddenly pressed herself against him, her lips sealing his in a possessive kiss.
Xia Lun sighed but didn’t resist her demanding affection.
"Olie City... It’s been so long since we’ve been here. I’m surprised the city is still standing," Musen mused from inside the carriage.
Aina grew even more aggressive, cupping Xia Lun’s face as her gaze softened, yet her movements remained fiery, her fingers tightly interlaced with his.
"Yeah, I wonder how Lady Ankula is doing. She became quite famous after becoming the city’s ruler... It’s thanks to her that Olie City has prospered all this time," Liyana added.
Aina’s actions turned even more intense, pinning Xia Lun beneath her as her tongue greedily sought his, leaving him no room to speak.
Musen sighed. "Liyana... Lady Ankula was human. She couldn’t have lived this long."
Liyana gasped. "But wasn’t she a witch? I heard witches never age or die..."
"Impossible. That’s just a fairy tale. No one lives forever. Think about it—does that sound realistic?"
"Well, that’s a shame."
Inside the carriage, none of them noticed what was happening outside.
Xia Lun, struggling to breathe, gently patted Aina’s back. Reluctantly, she pulled away, a thin, glistening thread still connecting their lips.
"What’s wrong?" Xia Lun whispered.
"Nothing. I just suddenly wanted to kiss you," Aina murmured, licking her lips, her chest rising and falling slightly, her cheeks still flushed.
Xia Lun leaned in and kissed her cheek, then playfully licked away a bead of sweat left from their earlier passion.
"Aina... This tastes like a lie," Xia Lun said, his gaze sharpening.
"What... What are you talking about, Xia Lun?" Aina seemed confused by his sudden remark.
Xia Lun spoke slowly. "Actually... I have this ability where I can tell if someone’s lying by the scent of their sweat. It seems like you’re hiding something from me."
Aina’s eyes narrowed.
Of course, this "ability" was a complete fabrication. As her husband, Xia Lun could easily sense Aina’s unusual behavior.
Ever since Olie City was mentioned, Aina had been acting strangely.
And then there was Lady Ankula, whom Liyana had brought up...
Xia Lun remembered Professor Enlaisi mentioning her name during lectures—she was said to have been an admirer of the hero.
But Xia Lun had no recollection of her.
Aina bit her lip. "I’m sorry... Xia Lun, I..."
Xia Lun pulled her into his arms, pressing her cheek against his chest.
"Can you hear it?" he asked.
"Hear what?"
"The heartbeat you gave back to me."
Aina nodded.
"So there’s nothing to apologize for, Aina. My fate, my everything—you can decide it all," Xia Lun said softly, stroking her hair. "I just want you to know that I’m your husband. No matter what happens, I’ll always be on your side."
"Thank you... Xia Lun," Aina whispered.
"Those are my words to you," Xia Lun replied, kissing her forehead.
"Xia Lun... The truth is, you’ve lost your memories."
"Oh, really?"
"Your current memories aren’t complete. You’ve forgotten parts of your past," Aina said, her voice tinged with sorrow. "I’m sorry, Xia Lun. I’m so useless... I know those memories were precious to you... I couldn’t recover them. I didn’t want you to feel regret..."
Xia Lun closed his eyes, carefully sifting through his mind.
It was true—there were large gaps in his memory, blank spaces where he couldn’t recall anything, as if those moments had never existed.
Just like Olie City and Ankula... Xia Lun had no memory of them at all.
"We confirmed our relationship in 1816," Xia Lun suddenly said. "So that was my second time picking Dragonblood Flowers."
Aina blinked in confusion.
"Our first date was at the elven restaurant Liyana recommended—back when the team was still together."
"In 1818, I found out you were the Demon King."
"You accepted my proposal in 1819, the same year I defeated and sealed you away... That was also our first time... Well, you might get mad if I say more, but the look on your face was priceless. It really got me going."
"Aise was born in 1827..."
"In 1829, for our tenth anniversary, I gave you a mermaid’s gemstone necklace..."
"In 1839, for our twentieth anniversary, you took me to see the sunrise on the Winged Race’s floating islands. That was the happiest I’ve ever seen you smile..."
"1849..."
"...All of it. Every single important memory—I still remember them all. And it’s all thanks to you, Aina." Xia Lun kissed her lips again.
Aina’s tears were salty against his skin as he gently wiped them away, smiling.
"Thank you, Aina."
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
