The Heaven Pill Gate had visitors arriving in a wobbly manner. Ascending the steps appeared stiff and tense, with a rigid, mechanical movement, resembling a puppet more than a human.
Chen Xia had spotted him from afar and sent Huang Qingyue to hide in the back while he stood at the gate to greet the guest.
The stiff figure's every step was marked by a significant sway, his body contorted as though about to fall, yet he never actually did. He'd quickly right himself.
"Quite the talent for dancing," Chen Xia mused.
After a brief wait, the figure finally made his way up the mountain.
"What kind of dance style is that?" Chen Xia asked, crossing his arms.
The puppet stared at him, eyes blank, body slumped, producing rhythmic creaks with each movement.
"Got it. Mechanical dance," Chen Xia nodded.
The puppet stilled abruptly, opening its mouth to speak in a stiff manner.
"Azure Sky Medicine Ancestor, Chen Xia, Blue Sky Sword Sea, Thunder Sword Lord, Chen Supreme..."
Chen Xia frowned, scrutinizing the puppet. "Are you a fan?"
"I am here to... discuss matters with you. Regarding the Supreme, the All Heavens World, and... the Martial Emperor." The puppet replied slowly.
Chen Xia shook his head, waving his hand. "No, no. Let's not engage in these sensitive topics."
"You don't want to know the Martial Emperor's true intentions? His plans, the fate he has set for the All Heavens World?" The puppet insisted.
"..." Chen Xia looked up at the sky, softly asking, "Can he really not hear?"
"I came as a puppet without soul, spirit, or karma or fortune to specially avoid drawing the Martial Emperor's attention," the puppet responded.
Chen Xia nodded, his gaze sharpening as he said to the puppet, "Then speak quickly."
"The Martial Emperor, the strongest in the All Heavens World and the original Supreme. His schemes... I only understand a little. You are certainly part of his plan. Before you, there were three others: the first being you, the second, Ancestor Zhu who illuminated the entire All Heavens World, and the third, Emperor Witch, the original domain's center."
"These are the Supreme formed by the Martial Emperor. His words to us were all to nurture us to fight the Way of Heaven with him, to replace it."
"But that was a lie. He doesn't want to replace the Way of Heaven. What he wants..."
"Is to eliminate the Way of Heaven entirely!"
The puppet spoke these words, then added stiffly, "We, the cultivators, are all his pawns. He will end the current era and create the equal world he desires."
"The Martial Emperor is certainly capable of this. Since he no longer cares for anything in this world, having lived for so long, he seeks only his ideal equal world."
"The Way of Heaven's liquidation in the Great Heaven was likely part of his plan."
The puppet disclosed many insider secrets.
Chen Xia thought for a moment, then glanced at the puppet and asked, "So who are you?"
The puppet trembled, responding, "I am the second Supreme, Daoist Suppressing Heaven, the first to discover the Martial Emperor's true intentions. I am also the only one in the All Heavens World who dares to resist him."
"You want me to join you in resistance?" Chen Xia asked again.
"No," the puppet shook its head, "You don't have the capability. And I don't say the Martial Emperor is wrong; it's simply from my standpoint, I cannot allow him to act this way. Everyone has their own right and wrong. I merely want you to know the truth, and I'll inform Emperor Witch as well."
These two potential Supreme certainly needed to know the truth.
"Indeed. If you hadn't explained, I would've reported you," Chen Xia nodded. The Martial Emperor's actions didn't matter to him; he just wanted a peaceful life. When everyone close to him is gone, creating an equal world wouldn't affect him.
The puppet's stiff expression shifted slightly, adding, "You're quite optimistic. But I must warn you; the Great Heaven is part of the Martial Emperor's plan, an incitement to anger the Way of Heaven. It will only escalate. You must be careful."
He stood on the next level of steps, looking at Chen Xia.
Chen Xia looked back.
The two were separated by a distance. A gentle breeze blew through the gap.
Chen Xia already had his sword in hand, smiling lightly at the puppet.
"So, you still haven't told me, what are you here for?"
"To speak the truth with you, and..." The puppet paused, its lifeless eyes suddenly sparking with light, pure like compressed stars. It continued, "And for you to experience the strength of a Supreme."
"Damn, I knew something like this was bound to happen when you guys show up," Chen Xia cursed, raising his sword, but not yet striking.
The puppet's slender index finger was already at Chen Xia's chest. The light erupted instantaneously but was quickly suppressed into a point before exploding.
Boom!
Chen Xia was sent hurtling down the mountainside, skidding along the ground and crashing into a large, fan-shaped pit. He lay stunned in the craters.
Seriously? The puppet mean business?
The puppet lifted one leg stiffly, landing beside Chen Xia, adding, "When I stand before the Martial Emperor, I am as powerless as you are before this puppet. Fighting back would mean death."
"And you still dare resist the Martial Emperor, you're not afraid he'd punch your kidneys out?" Chen Xia climbed out of the pit, brushing off the dust, puzzled.
"What is there to fear from death? Living tens of thousands of years, if one still fears death, that's tens of thousands wasted. What I seek now is only this one thing. If I can stop the Martial Emperor, I'll be content," the puppet replied.
"Then why beat me up? If you're so bold, go take on the Martial Emperor," Chen Xia rolled his eyes.
"This is to make you aware of the gap between you and top-tier cultivators. Five Paths Great Emperor are roughly on par with or even exceed this puppet's strength. To survive in the coming chaos, if you aren't a Great Emperor, don't leave the East Jia State territory. That's my advice to you," the puppet explained.
After speaking, sensing something, the puppet's stiff body twisted and disappeared instantly.
Chen Xia dusted off his sleeves, pondering the puppet's words about the coming chaos.
How chaotic could it get? He cursed to himself. If things went south, he'd just pull the trigger and detonate with everyone.
Who would he be afraid of in the immortal realm?
Chen Xia was known for being hot-headed but capable, excelling in battle. What was he best at?
Calling for backup — rally all his friends for the fight!
Goodnight.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
