The mountain breeze swept by, rustling the leaves in the forest and carrying over the hushed conversation of the few people ahead.
Although they spoke in very low voices, Lin Mo could hear them loud and clear. He rubbed his chin and said earnestly to Lv Xian.
"I have a plan for you to become stronger in all aspects. It will be hard at first, but if you stick to it for two months, you will see results."
Lv Xian, who had been pondering what to do, snapped his head up at those words. His eyes instantly burst with a burning light. "Really?! What plan?"
Meeting his expectant gaze, Lin Mo slowly recited that classic workout list from the future.
"It is 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every single day. If you persist for a while, you will find yourself getting stronger. I like to call this the One Punch plan."
Fortunately, the bald hero of One Punch didn't exist in this era yet.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Lv Xian's breath caught in his throat. His mind rapidly calculated this training volume. The exhaustion on his face was swept away, replaced by a near-fanatical excitement.
"What if I stick to it for a year?!" Lv Xian was already fired up; he didn't even consider whether he could actually keep it up.
Lin Mo shook his head. "If you stick to it for a year, you should change your routine."
Seeing Lv Xian's complete ignorance on the matter, Lin Mo explained, "A single exercise movement only trains a single muscle, but if you do a high number of reps, your endurance will also be trained. With that kind of endurance, what couldn't you train?"
These words made Lv Xian's blood boil. He took a deep breath and suddenly straightened his back.
"Alright! I'll start today!"
Saying that, he assumed a stance, ready to start running along the mountain path right then and there.
A hand shot out like lightning, firmly pressing down on his shoulder and rendering him unable to move.
It was Lin Mo.
"Don't fool around."
Lin Mo's tone deepened. "Mountain climbing is already a moderate-intensity exercise. If you add more training now, your body simply won't be able to take it. If you over-exercise, beware of rhabdomyolysis. Then, instead of getting stronger, you'll end up in the hospital."
Behind him, Fang Jun suddenly shivered and nodded repeatedly in agreement. "That's right, that's right. Old Mo thinks of everything. Listen to him!"
Lv Na also nodded. Looking at her brother's foolish enthusiasm, she sighed with some concern. "I just don't know how long my brother's three-minute passion will last. He's never been good at sports since he was a kid."
"It'll be hard."
Fang Jun stroked his chin and began to analyze seriously, "I doubt it. After all, Grade Three students all have a frail and delicate constitution, sickly and weak."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cai Junhuang, who had been quiet on the side, suddenly threw in a comment.
"When you move up to Grade Three, you will be too."
"How is that the same? I'm so healthy! I definitely won't become sickly and frail!"
Fang Jun instantly bristled, patting his thin chest. As a result of using too much force, he choked and coughed twice.
"Is that so?"
Cai Junhuang glanced at him sideways, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "With your scrawny arms and legs, you probably don't even have this muscle of mine."
Saying that, she slowly rolled up her sleeve.
The skin on her arm was very white, almost dazzling under the dappled light of the forest. But as she flexed her arm, a well-defined bicep suddenly bulged out, brimming with a sense of power.
"Whoa." Fang Jun's eyes lit up. Unable to hold back, he reached out and squeezed it.
It felt firm and elastic.
This was probably the result of a dance student's daily strength training.
"Hey, hey, hey! Look all you want, but keep your hands to yourself!" Cai Junhuang reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly losing her cool composure.
A merciless elbow strike!
"Ah!"
Fang Jun let out an exaggerated cry. His whole body immediately went limp. Clutching his stomach with one hand and leaning against a nearby large tree with the other, his inner drama queen took over, and he began to groan.
"I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying... My sickly, weak body... I can't take it, I feel like my striated muscles are dissolving..."
He instantly turned into a frail invalid after just one elbow strike.
As he spoke, he winked and made faces at Cai Junhuang, looking exactly like a scammer staging an injury.
"I'm telling you! Don't try to scam me!" Cai Junhuang was both annoyed and amused, rolling her eyes at this clown.
Lv Na was the first who couldn't help but laugh out loud. The others followed suit, and the mountain forest was suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Looking at this group of goofballs, Lin Mo shook his head helplessly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
The vitality of youth was always so interesting.
In truth, Mount Tianyun wasn't really high. Mount Nankun, where Lin Mo went during his Foundation Establishment, was what you would call high.
It was at least over a thousand meters high, whereas Mount Tianyun was only a little over three hundred meters, which was nothing.
The group soon arrived at the mountaintop plaza. Rather than the mountaintop, it was more like a flat area carved out halfway up the mountain. The true peak, Tianxing Ridge, was still hidden in the night sky further up.
Most of the snack bars and souvenir shops in the plaza had already pulled down their rolling shutters. Only a few vending machines glowed with solitary lights, adding a touch of human presence to the chilly night wind.
"So, are we going to Tianxing Ridge next?" Mai Chuwen gathered her wind-tousled hair and asked softly.
"Yes, exactly."
Fang Jun patted his chest, looking like he had everything under control. "There's a dedicated camping site up there. We'll go up, pitch our tents, and then we can peacefully wait for the sunrise."
Fang Jun had done his research long ago and was completely unafraid of anything going wrong.
He had studied the travel guide thoroughly and was brimming with confidence.
"Wow, this must be the night view of Yangcheng." Jiang Yunlu looked down at the city from this angle for the first time, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
She trotted over to the guardrail of the viewing platform, standing on her tiptoes, wishing she could embrace the entire dazzling sea of lights.
From the mountaintop plaza, they could already see the city lights in the distance.
Fang Jun looked at the girls' joyful expressions and cleared his throat. "It's still early. Let's sit in the rest area for a while and enjoy the scenery before heading up. Caicaizi, I see you seem to have a few mosquito bites; your arm is all red."
Saying that, Fang Jun had already grabbed Cai Junhuang's wrist and started walking toward the rest area.
Then came another merciless iron elbow strike.
Fang Jun curled up instantly like a cooked shrimp, the smile on his face freezing into a mask of pain.
Cai Junhuang expressionlessly withdrew her elbow and shot him a cold glare.
"Hmph! Trying to take advantage of me, huh."
Fang Jun clutched his abdomen. "We're muscle bros, how can that count as taking advantage?"
Another merciless iron elbow strike.
This time, Fang Jun stumbled backward two steps and landed flat on his butt.
Lin Jiajun and Ma Li couldn't hold back their laughter as they went to help him up.
"I was just trying to be nice." Fang Jun sat on the ground looking wronged, pouting his lips.
This made Cai Junhuang huff in exasperation, and she grabbed him to pull him up from the ground.
Then she held out her open hand.
"Where's the mosquito repellent?!"
"Huh? Oh, oh, oh, it's in my pocket."
Saying that, Fang Jun pulled out the mosquito repellent.
Cai Junhuang simply waved her hand. "Sisters, we have mosquito repellent. Who wants to use it?"
Lv Na and Mai Chuwen both walked over.
"Thank you, Junhuang."
Fang Jun was left standing all alone, completely bewildered in the wind.
"Wait... I mean..."

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.”

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!

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!