"Thud."
The door closed softly, shutting out everything outside.
That meal just now had left her feeling utterly uncomfortable.
Su Qi’s cautious demeanor, filled with guilt and an eagerness to please, was far more unsettling than his usual carefree or teasing self. It left her completely flustered.
It was almost as if… as if she were the one who had done something wrong.
Damn it!
He was the one who barged into her room without permission!
He was the one who saw… who saw…
Liu Yuan’s cheeks burned again, the heat spreading all the way to her ears.
How mortifying!
Why hadn’t she been more assertive?
At the very least, she should have scolded him a few times!
But what had she done instead?
She’d just muttered, "Who wants to eat your food," and then… then obediently sat down and ate.
And finished every last bite.
So spineless!
……
Liu Yuan walked to the bed and sat down, her body still feeling somewhat weak.
That earlier… experience.
That overwhelming sensation, like fireworks exploding deep in her mind.
Even now, a strange lingering thrill seemed to pulse faintly within her.
Wait…
Liu Yuan frowned slightly.
It wasn’t just a lingering feeling, was it?
Something inside her… felt different.
Not exhaustion, nor that shameful flutter.
But something… subtle.
Like something had…
Awakened?
Liu Yuan froze.
She focused intently on the changes in her body.
An indescribable awareness.
Her senses had sharpened slightly.
There was a faint surge of energy inside her?
This feeling… unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar?
Wait a minute—
Could it be… a special ability?!
It had been a while since she’d broken through to the fourth tier.
All these days, there’d been no sign of a special ability manifesting.
But she hadn’t dwelled on it.
Generally, if no unique energy fluctuations were sensed at the moment of breaking through the fourth tier, it meant one was destined to never awaken a special ability.
This was perfectly normal.
Most people never developed one.
But nothing in the world was absolute.
There were rare cases of "exceptional talents."
Some awakened under intense external stimuli.
For example, someone witnessing their entire family slaughtered might suddenly gain a new power in their rage.
Could it be… that the overwhelming shame and secret excitement she’d just felt… counted as "intense emotional stimulation"?
Liu Yuan’s heartbeat quickened.
If that were true, then… had she actually benefited from this?
Was it really a misfortune?
Or… a blessing in disguise?
No, that didn’t sound right either…
…Ugh, what was she even thinking?!
Liu Yuan shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the chaotic thoughts.
Yet the strange sensation inside her grew clearer, stronger.
Unable to resist, she raised a hand and placed it against her chest.
The faint energy flow within her became more active, coursing slowly through her limbs.
A tingling, numbing sensation, mixed with an inexplicable… excitement?
Her body felt like a powder keg waiting for a spark, ready to explode at any moment.
This feeling… was so strange.
But also… a little… intoxicating?
Liu Yuan bit her lower lip, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
Should she… try it?
Could she control this energy?
After all, it might very well be her special ability…
Liu Yuan slowly closed her eyes.
She recalled the energy guidance techniques taught at the academy.
First, focus.
Then, sense the energy’s flow, gently coaxing and guiding it with her will…
At first, nothing happened.
The energy inside her continued its sluggish drift.
Liu Yuan felt a pang of disappointment.
Had she been wrong?
Or was the ability not fully activated yet, requiring even stronger stimulation?
No… no more intense stimulation!
She’d literally explode!
Just as she was about to give up—
A tingling sensation shot through her fingertips.
Liu Yuan’s eyes snapped open, locking onto her right hand.
The tip of her index finger glowed with an almost imperceptible… light?
The glow was faint, barely noticeable.
But this time, she could clearly feel it pulsing in sync with her thoughts, flickering like a breath.
And as she concentrated, the glow at her fingertip seemed to… brighten slightly?
So, what would her special ability be?
Enhanced physique? Elemental control? Or…
Yet this energy didn’t resemble any type she knew.
Neither hot nor cold, neither sharp nor heavy.
It didn’t seem like a combat-oriented ability.
Liu Yuan’s brow furrowed again.
After that humiliating experience… surely her ability wouldn’t be…
Her cheeks burned anew.
Don’t tell me it’s… a charm-enhancing or mind-influencing support ability?
As her thoughts spiraled, the glow at her fingertip suddenly dimmed.
The strange energy inside her receded like a tide, settling back into dormancy.
"Huh?"
Liu Yuan blinked.
What happened?
Had the energy depleted?
That couldn’t be—she still felt mentally alert.
She tried guiding it again.
This time, no matter how hard she focused, the energy remained unresponsive, as if asleep.
It was like a seed buried deep within her.
That brief sprouting seemed to have exhausted its stored strength.
It needed… nourishment?
What kind?
Liu Yuan tentatively prodded the "seed" with her will.
No response.
She tried nurturing it with 'source' energy.
Still nothing.
What about mental energy?
Again, no reaction.
Liu Yuan slumped in frustration.
Against her will, Su Qi’s face surfaced in her mind.
If it were her brother, he’d probably know how to…
But in that instant, she felt it—the "seed" inside her quivered faintly.
As if… sensing something it craved.
Liu Yuan: "…"
A ridiculous, almost horrifying thought struck her.
Could it be… that this special ability required Su Qi to activate or grow?
The more she considered it, the more plausible it seemed.
There were indeed rare cases where special abilities needed specific conditions—or even specific people—to function.
If that were true…
Did that mean she’d have to… rely on Su Qi from now on to use or strengthen this ability?
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
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!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
