The Pill Pavilion was actually not large at all, having only three floors.
However, its interior was a whole different world. A hollow design in the center led straight to the top floor, and looking up, one could see the carved railings of the third floor.
The first floor was spacious and empty. Aside from a ring of praying mats meant for meditation, there was nothing else, giving it a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
The second floor served as the pill refinement room. The fragrance of pills accumulated over the years had almost condensed into a physical substance; a deep breath would make one feel relaxed, joyful, and clear of mind.
The group from the Mask Society clearly had no mood to appreciate the scenery. With agile movements, they completely ignored the stairs, leaping straight up from the atrium on the first floor. In just a few bounds, they landed silently on the third floor.
On the third floor, a solitary figure sat cross-legged, his back facing the crowd.
That simple Daoist robe caused the breathing of several masked men to suddenly hitch.
They were no ordinary people. Shock would not make them retreat; it would only trigger their most primal killing instincts.
Amidst the dead silence, murderous intent arrived first.
A man wearing a hideous porcupine mask was the first to strike. His arm, covered in thick black hair, jerked violently, muscles bulging.
In the next instant, those black hairs stood on end and transformed into a sky full of needles, emitting a rustling sound as they tore through the air, heading straight for the back of the figure's heart.
Turning hair into needles was a treacherous method that carried an indescribable sense of disgust.
Zhang Gonglian did not even turn his head. His right hand pressed against the floor beneath him in a seemingly casual manner.
Buzz!
With a muffled sound, brilliant golden light erupted from his body, instantly condensing into a translucent golden energy shield that protected him securely.
Countless black needles crashed against the shield, emitting a dense, crisp sound like a torrential downpour striking banana leaves, yet not a single one could advance an inch.
Zhang Gonglian slowly turned around, his movements completely free of mortal urgency.
He raised his hand and, aiming at the hairy-armed man, struck out an empty-handed palm strike across the distance.
Spiritual energy surged, and a giant palm made purely of golden light materialized out of thin air, crashing down with an aura that could suppress all things.
The unnamed hairy-armed man didn't even have time to let out a scream before his entire body was swatted away by the golden palm print, falling directly over the railing of the third floor.
On the first floor, Buddha Face, who was looking up to observe, watched helplessly as a lump of something fell from the sky, crashing heavily onto the praying mat in front of him. The splattered blood stained his pristine white mask.
Buddha Face fell silent for two seconds. He did not wipe away the stain on his mask; instead, he walked toward the stairs without a word.
His steps were steady, but every step made the wooden stairs emit a heavy groan.
It was as if Buddha Face's weight was gradually increasing.
On the third floor, the others got a clear look at that face and invariably gasped.
Zhang Gonglian?! Weren't you at the Heavenly Master Pavilion?!
Zhang Gonglian's gaze swept across the various masks before him. His eyes were as placid as an ancient well, but his tone was freezing cold.
So it is you people from the Mask Society.
The atmosphere was at a breaking point, yet an untimely voice abruptly rang in Zhang Gonglian's ear.
What is the Mask Society? They sound pretty impressive.
It was Lin Mo.
Zhang Gonglian originally thought Lin Mo had dusted off his hands and left, but to his surprise, the guy was still hiding here watching the show.
And he was invisible, no less.
The Mask Society is an organization I encountered in the past when I descended the mountain. It's made up of ability users, and many of them are extremely vicious and evil individuals.
Watching Zhang Gonglian talk to thin air, this bizarre scene sent a chill through their hearts. No one dared to make a rash move.
Just then, shadows flickered at the top of the stairs. The others had rushed up, and Buddha Face was almost the last one to arrive.
A variety of masks completely surrounded Zhang Gonglian, sealing off all avenues of retreat.
The intense murderous aura almost caused the air on the third floor to solidify.
Buddha Face stood outside the encirclement, his voice hoarse.
I presume Your Excellency is the Heavenly Master of this generation. A pleasure to meet you.
Zhang Gonglian's expression remained indifferent, seemingly completely unbothered by this grand display.
Lin Mo's voice rang out again, carrying a bit of the excitement of someone who loved watching a good spectacle.
Damn, surrounded already? Didn't you say you had everything arranged?
Zhang Gonglian ignored Lin Mo and looked at Buddha Face instead.
A Buddha mask. So you're an abandoned disciple of Shaolin.
This old monk is Buddha Face, Buddha Face paid it no mind, instead sizing him up carefully. Observing the Heavenly Master's aura, it seems a bit unstable.
Zhang Gonglian did not answer Buddha Face's question. His gaze swept over the masked men in front of him one by one.
Hmm, is that guy not here? Zhang Gonglian asked casually.
Everyone instantly understood who Zhang Gonglian was asking about.
However, none of them spoke. Only Buddha Face opened his mouth to represent them.
The Heavenly Master must be speaking of Ghost Face. He went to the Heavenly Master Pavilion to kill you, but he never expected you would actually be here.
Hearing this, Zhang Gonglian let out a chuckle. So that's how it is. Then I'll just take care of you all first.
As soon as the words fell, before anyone could react, Zhang Gonglian's hands had already spread wide.
Two bright yellow talismans appeared out of thin air between his fingers. They ignited without a flame, instantly transforming into two streaks of golden light that shot forward at a speed difficult for the naked eye to track.
Not good!
Scatter!
The crowd from the Mask Society cried out in alarm. Their murderous intent instantly turned into horror as they hastily retreated backward.
But the speed of those two golden lights far exceeded their imagination.
The golden lights crossed and coiled in the air, unexpectedly transforming into a massive golden net that descended over their heads!
What is this thing!
My body can't move!
Over a dozen masked men were like flying insects caught in a spider's web. Entangled by the golden light, they were firmly pinned in place, unable to move even a single finger.
The masks on their faces could not conceal the terror in their eyes.
Zhang Gonglian didn't even look at those trapped small fry. His gaze remained locked on Buddha Face outside the encirclement.
Warm-up is over.
He spoke indifferently, then formed a sword gesture with his right hand and gently waved it at the group bound by the golden light.
Come, lightning.
Boom!
A muffled explosion erupted on the third floor!
It was not a deafening thunderclap, but rather a dull thud that seemed to strike directly against everyone's heart.
Countless tiny electrical arcs suddenly emerged out of thin air on top of that golden net, darting around madly, before finally converging into a thick bolt of lightning that smashed down right in the middle of the crowd!
Crackle and pop!
A sound of shattering bones and scorching flesh rang out.
Over a dozen masked men fell like dumplings being dropped into a pot. Spewing black smoke and twitching all over, they were blasted backward, crashing heavily against the walls and pillars before going completely still.
The masks on their faces were either shattered or charred black.
In merely two breaths of time, the previously murderous encirclement had already crumbled and collapsed.
A faint smell of ozone and burnt flesh permeated the air.
On the entire third floor, only Buddha Face was left still standing in his original spot.
As early as when the two golden talismans were shot out, he had taken two steps back.
Just enough to avoid the envelopment of the golden net.
Buddha Face stood in place, a corner of his monk's robe already scorched black by the stray electrical arcs. The look in his eyes hidden behind the mask was dark and unreadable; clearly, he had not expected the battle to end so quickly either.
Amitabha.
The title of Heavenly Master is truly well-deserved. However, this old monk senses that your aura is weaker than before.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
