Countless clusters of pale green orbs of light floated around the Divine Tree of Life. They were likely the soul projections of elves within the Spirit World, their faint glimmers creating a dreamlike illusion.
"Legend has it that elves are born by fusing with the aura of the Divine Tree of Life, which is why they possess such incredibly long lifespans." Holding Xia Lun's hand, Aina flew ahead of him, her voice sounding exceptionally clear and ethereal in the Spirit World.
There was no solid ground here; it felt like floating in the boundless void of the universe... However, right beneath their feet were the massive, twisting roots of the Divine Tree of Life, which looked no different from the ground itself.
"By the way, when we were in Aurel City earlier, why didn't we see the Divine Tree of Life?" Xia Lun asked in confusion.
He realized that his knowledge of this world was still far too lacking.
Xia Lun roughly estimated the distance between the Forest of Libya and Aurel City... Given the majestic size of the Divine Tree of Life, shouldn't its traces be visible from anywhere? Just like how, no matter where you go, you can always look up and see the sun in the sky.
"This is the Spirit World, Xia Lun." Aina shook her head gently, as if explaining the most basic of common sense to him. A faint smile played on her lips, seemingly delighted by his reliance on her. "Space in the Spirit World isn't continuous. Sometimes, even if two things are only a meter apart in reality, their projections in the Spirit World might not be able to perceive each other at all... Have you forgotten? Both times we entered the Spirit World, I made sure to have physical contact with you. That wasn't just to take advantage of you."
Realization dawned on Xia Lun.
Well... it was a bit embarrassing. He had genuinely thought Aina was just looking for an excuse to get intimate with him.
"That's why I really didn't want you entering the Spirit World alone. If I hadn't brought you in with me, we might have been separated by a vast distance... and finding you would be quite a hassle." Aina pursed her thin lips, her cheeks flushing a rosy red as she found the most perfectly justifiable excuse for her actions.
"It wasn't for the sake of my own desires that we had to... join together... A tight connection in reality allows me to sense you much faster."
Xia Lun finally understood Aina's earnest intentions.
It was just that the tight connection Aina spoke of was indeed a bit too tight.
"I understand, Lord Demon King. I will be a good boy and listen to you." Xia Lun tightly squeezed Aina's small hand.
Aina gave him a radiant smile, one that seemed capable of dispelling the cold desolation of the Spirit World.
When he first arrived in the Spirit World, everything felt quite novel. The scenery here was truly something you could never see on the outside... but after staying for a while, a sense of emptiness began to breed in his heart.
No matter where they went, the scenery before them remained the same. Countless soul orbs floated around them; while awe-inspiring at first, it inevitably grew a bit dull after staring at it for too long... Furthermore, it made him feel as insignificant as a speck of dust, drifting aimlessly like duckweed.
The Spirit World was indeed quite dangerous. Sometimes, even when the space ahead appeared completely empty and traceless, Aina would lead him on a detour around it.
However, having Aina by his side gave Xia Lun an immense sense of security.
Thinking of this, Xia Lun felt a little ashamed.
Sooner or later, he needed to become stronger than Aina so he could be her protective umbrella.
But Aina seemed to thoroughly enjoy the feeling of protecting Xia Lun. Ever since they arrived in the Spirit World, the corners of her mouth hadn't drooped once.
It seemed there was nothing left worth looking at around them.
Aside from the Divine Tree of Life and the sky full of soul orbs, there was nothing else.
Other than absorbing some of the Divine Tree of Life's vitality earlier... nothing unusual had happened.
This was actually the most normal state of affairs in the Spirit World. If there had been anything else, it would most likely mean something had gone wrong.
"Shall we go back, Xia Lun?" Aina squeezed Xia Lun's palm. She was still looking forward to continuing where they left off once they returned.
In reality, neither of them had even put their clothes back on yet.
Xia Lun nodded gently. Aina spread her bat wings, wrapping Xia Lun tightly within them.
Of course, those bat wings were also an illusion formed by Aina's soul.
Just as Aina was preparing to leave, a green orb of light suddenly dashed toward Xia Lun. As if it had lost control, it frantically darted up and down around him.
It was obvious that it was in a tremendous hurry.
"What's wrong with this little guy?" Xia Lun couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the bizarrely behaving soul in front of him.
"Hmm... perhaps it's encountered something highly urgent in reality?" Aina guessed. "Judging by its appearance, it should be an elf... Maybe it's in danger."
At the same time, a dark purple orb of light wobbled over from behind, seemingly chasing the elf from earlier.
The two orbs of light, one green and one purple, began to circle around Xia Lun.
"What's going on here?" Xia Lun said, unable to hold back his amusement. These two little things looked quite cute, though he wondered if they would make themselves dizzy from all the spinning.
"The purple one should be some kind of monster. It's chasing after this elf," Aina said, pointing her slender finger at the soul orbs.
"Why are they circling me?" Xia Lun asked in confusion.
Aina sighed. "Did you already forget what I just told you, Xia Lun? Spirit World projections are merely manifestations of reality. They're circling you simply because you are present in the Spirit World and blocking their path. Their souls instinctively avoid colliding with you, but this doesn't have much to do with what's happening in reality... In the real world, they might be engaged in a fierce battle."
Xia Lun watched the two glowing orbs dancing up and down in front of him, deep in thought.
"So you mean that, in reality, this elf might be in danger?"
"Exactly. That purple soul has traces of green mixed into it, which indicates it has probably already claimed the lives of other elves," Aina deduced.
Xia Lun's gaze grew slightly serious.
"Can we help?" Xia Lun asked Aina.
As a Hero, he naturally couldn't just stand by and watch someone die... but this was the Spirit World. He was currently powerless here and could only pin his hopes on Aina.
Aina nodded, then held out both of her hands.
Clap—
Just like swatting a mosquito, when the dark purple orb flew in front of her, Aina clapped her hands together and smashed it.
Instantly, the purple orb symbolizing the monster's soul dissolved into scattered motes of light and vanished.
"Problem solved." Aina dusted off her hands and raised an eyebrow at Xia Lun. Catching her drift, Xia Lun leaned down and kissed Aina on the cheek.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"It certainly was hard work," Aina said, playing along with Xia Lun's words. "Actually, the way witches curse people is quite similar to what I just did. They use the target's aura to interfere with their soul... but no witch could ever do what I did and simply swat a soul to pieces."
"You're amazing, Lord Demon King," Xia Lun praised.
Aina tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, her gaze wandering slightly. "Don't let how easy it looked fool you, it was actually quite exhausting... You'll have to reward me properly once we get back."
"As you command, Lord Demon King."

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?"

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.”

ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!

lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...