The slightly intoxicating morning sunlight slanted through the windows and spilled into the hall. When Xia Lun pushed open the creaking wooden door and walked out, his whole person seemed bathed in a light, cheerful halo.
"Yo! Xia Lun, how did you sleep last night? You must be thrilled, huh?"
Liyana was curled up like a lazy cat on the long sofa covered with coarse cloth. As soon as Xia Lun came out of the room, she started making sarcastic remarks.
"It was alright." A gentle smile played at the corners of Xia Lun's mouth.
Liyana pursed her lips. Seeing Xia Lun like this, it was obvious that he had made progress again.
To think she had actually guessed right; she inexplicably felt even more annoyed.
"Young man, take it easy, and remember to use safety measures." Liyana sighed and patted Xia Lun's shoulder with earnest gravity.
"What are you talking about?"
A voice as cold and clear as an icy spring sounded without warning from behind Liyana. Aina had suddenly appeared behind her at some unknown time, scaring the living daylights out of Liyana.
If the Mage Lady had heard what she just said... that would be disastrous.
Liyana could almost imagine her tragic fate: being instantly frozen into an ice sculpture and then blasted into fine powder by an Arcane Missile.
"No! Nothing!" Liyana shook her head frantically, her flowing golden hair whipping through the air.
"I already heard it, Liyana. You said something about 'safety measures'." Aina's gaze was as calm as ever, carrying a hint of scrutiny. Liyana felt as if she had just been handed a death sentence.
"So, what does 'safety measures' mean?" Aina furrowed her beautiful brows, asking with some confusion.
"I don't know either." Xia Lun shook his head with an innocent face and also looked at Liyana, the corners of his mouth curling into a somewhat meaningful smile. "Liyana, what did you mean by 'safety measures' just now?"
This guy!
Xia Lun had grown up with her and hung out in adventurer taverns with her... Could he possibly not know the things she knew? And now he was actually throwing all the blame onto her!
"Ah, safety measures... it means... ahem! Since you two are sleeping in the same room, you must pay attention to safety, don't get into a dispute and start fighting..." Liyana began to spout nonsense. If she told the truth, she had no idea what the consequences would be.
"Baffling." Aina shook her head. She had long grown accustomed to Liyana's occasionally meaningless remarks and decided not to pursue the matter further.
Aina walked straight toward the door, seemingly to wash up.
Liyana let out a sigh of relief. She had survived.
Following that, Liyana glared indignantly at Xia Lun. Xia Lun revealed a warm, sunny smile, as if he truly knew nothing.
Soon, the members of the Wings of Dawn had packed up properly and gathered at the door, ready to leave.
"Are you leaving after staying for just one night?" Clea looked at Xia Lun with some reluctance, her fingers tightly gripping her apron.
"After all, we're just passing through this time... When we have more free time in the future, we will come back," Xia Lun replied with a smile.
"If you ever get tired out there, come back here... Xia Lun, this will always be your home." Clea stepped forward, gave Xia Lun a hug, and patted his back. "In the blink of an eye, you've grown so big..."
Reya stood to the side, not saying anything, but his gentle gaze seemed to have said everything he wanted to say.
"Oh, right... Aina, could you come here for a moment? We have some things we'd like to discuss with you in private." Clea beckoned to Aina.
Aina was clearly taken aback for a moment, then looked at Xia Lun, who gave her a slight nod.
Clea and Aina sat down at opposite ends of the broad sofa.
"Miss Aina, you are of the Blood Clan, aren't you?" Clea began, deeply staring at the pale and perfect face opposite her.
"That's right."
"Then I'll just say it directly, Miss Aina... Actually, I do not agree with you and Xia Lun being together." Clea looked at Aina quite seriously, her hands resting somewhat nervously folded on her lap.
Aina's long, slender eyelashes fluttered slightly, but her expression did not change much as she waited for Clea to continue.
Clea's voice lowered, carrying a hint of admonition. "You have a long lifespan, while Xia Lun is merely a human... If you invest too much emotion in him, it will be very painful for you in the future."
"It matters not." Aina shook her head. "I am not as fragile as you think."
"Xia Lun is a very good child. Anyone by his side will inevitably be drawn to him," Clea murmured. "Do not overestimate yourself, Miss Aina. Emotions can sometimes be like the most powerful curse, silently permeating the soul. By the time you realize it, it is already too late."
Aina asked in return, "What about you, Lady Clea? You are an elf."
"I am already prepared. When we made the decision to adopt Xia Lun, Reya and I had already anticipated that such a day would come," Clea sighed.
Aina did not reply.
"Furthermore, the Blood Clan belongs to the Demon Race, right? Xia Lun stands in a position opposing yours." Clea sighed softly. In her view, it was simply too difficult for these two children to be together. "I've heard that some conflicts have recently broken out again between the Demon Race and the Human Race."
"I will not be bound by my race," Aina said indifferently.
Whether it was the Blood Clan identity bestowed upon her by her bloodline, or the sense of belonging to the Demon Race brought about by her power, in her eyes, they were nothing but dispensable labels on the path to the summit.
Even the title of Demon Lord was not something she actively sought out; it was merely a byproduct of her pursuit of power.
Aina, her name, should be placed before the title of Demon Lord.
This was what she desired.
She was destined to stand at the peak, accompanied by loneliness... Xia Lun was nothing more than a bit of seasoning in her mundane life, a stepping stone she had carefully selected. He could not possibly disturb her state of mind.
Thinking of this, Aina revealed an almost arrogant smile, one that belonged exclusively to the Demon Lord, filled with absolute confidence: "At least for now, I have no intention of leaving him."
...
The Wings of Dawn set off once again.
Aina sat quietly in the corner of the carriage, suddenly raising her head to glance at Xia Lun beside her.
"What's wrong?" Xia Lun asked with a smile.
Has this guy been watching me the whole time? How did he notice such a slight movement?
Aina muttered in her heart.
"Aren't you curious about what your mother said to me?"
"A little curious." Xia Lun leaned a bit closer to Aina. "Can you tell me secretly?"
"She thinks you are not worthy of me and told me to leave you." Aina suddenly felt a bit of wicked amusement in her heart.
Xia Lun fell silent.
Aina was slightly taken aback, feeling an involuntary twinge of panic in her heart, as if she had made some mistake.
A moment later, Xia Lun finally spoke slowly, "I will work hard to become someone who can stand by your side."
Xia Lun's words set Aina's mind at ease once again.
"I will look forward to it."
The corners of Aina's mouth curled up slightly. She hoped the Hero wouldn't make her feel too bored.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
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.”
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
