The peak of the myriad realms.
The Martial Emperor's body stirred slightly. He opened his golden eyes, first showing a hint of confusion, then seeming to understand, and chuckled lightly.
"Let you scheme for a while longer," he murmured. "After all, you won't live much longer."
With a flicker of his figure, he vanished from the peak of the myriad realms, reappearing within the boundaries of a domain. His arrival was not grand, just a casual walk like any ordinary person.
This domain now belonged to Chen Xia. The small worlds within it naturally fell under Chen Xia's authority, including the Martial Emperor's homeland - Qing Province.
He hadn't returned to Qing Province in a long time, as there was nothing left to reminisce about. With the passage of time, even the faint traces of memory had faded.
But he had to visit this domain once. He needed to observe the marks left by Chen Xia, to trace the cause and effect, ensuring his scheme was foolproof.
His first stop was Zhang Family, the clan that revered Chen Xia as their ancestor. Disguised as an ordinary man, the Martial Emperor stood among a group of cultivators, gazing at a statue of Chen Xia while listening to their discussions.
"This is the Zhang Family's venerated ancestor, Chen Xia. Legend has it that he was the second founding ancestor of Zhang Family and a towering figure in the domain. Without Chen Xia, Zhang Family would have long since fallen. They could never have attained their current prosperity."
"There's also Ming Zu within the Zhang Family, whose realm isn't high, and achievements aren't significant. Yet, when speaking of Chen Xia, people always mention Ming Zu together. Even the Zhang cultivators believe that it was because of Ming Zu that Chen Xia rose to such heights. The specifics, however, remain unclear."
The Martial Emperor listened, scanned the statue, and felt no special emotions. He then stepped into Zhang Family's main hall and came face to face with a middle-aged man.
"Who are you?!" The middle-aged man suddenly turned, scrutinizing the Martial Emperor. His aura surged, displaying his dominance and vigilance toward this unexpected guest.
The Martial Emperor remained silent. His golden eyes scanned the man, unraveling the threads of fate attached to Chen Xia using his divine ability. Finally, he revealed a thin line connecting the man to Chen Xia.
"Zhang Nianming, Heaven Mending Realm cultivator, the current head of Zhang Family. You once studied the Dragon Slaying Art from Chen Xia."
The Martial Emperor recited the man's past as seen through the threads of fate.
Zhang Nianming was stunned, his aura weakening slightly. In aflutter, he asked the Martial Emperor, "Do you know Chen Xia?!"
"You guess," the Martial Emperor replied with a light chuckle. His figure suddenly vanished, leaving to explore elsewhere. Zhang Family and Zhang Nianming were not his targets.
He ascended higher, pinched the air as if catching a wisp of nothingness, and followed this thread of fate without delay. In moments, he reached a small hut.
Someone was inside.
The Martial Emperor entered and saw a towering figure tending to a medicinal field. The man paused suddenly, placing his left hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. Without turning, he asked, "Who?"
"A passerby," the Martial Emperor replied softly, observing the surroundings. This was the place most connected to Chen Xia's fate, and the man before him bore the most connection to Chen Xia within the domain.
Wang Yangzi.
"There are no passersby here, only an unwelcome guest," Wang Yangzi slowly turned, pulling his sword slightly out, unleashing countless layers of sword energy.
"Just observing," the Martial Emperor nodded, not reacting otherwise. "This is where Chen Xia's journey began, and you possess the potential to become a Great Emperor."
"That's none of your concern," Wang Yangzi slightly drew his sword again, revealing a true killing intent.
The wind swayed.
The Martial Emperor's figure disappeared from the spot as if he had never been there, leaving no trace behind.
Wang Yangzi was momentarily stunned. He returned his sword to its sheath, his expression slightly heavy. The stranger had mentioned Chen Xia, and despite not knowing why, he felt it was no trivial matter.
Where was Chen Xia now?
As Wang Yangzi gazed at the sky, thoughts swirled in his mind.
Perhaps, he should take a journey to the distant lands.
The sea of Qing Province today rippled faintly as the Martial Emperor emerged from it, his clothes dry, not a single trace of water. Gazing at his hometown, he smiled faintly, feeling a tinge of nostalgia.
In his youth, this place was called Tianguang Province. Hundreds of thousands of years had passed, and where could the traces of youth remain?
Even reminiscing wouldn't bring them back.
He walked slowly, passing through forests, crossing rivers, until he entered a town following the path.
The bustling streets, the vendors crying out their wares, all illustrated the vibrancy of the place.
The Martial Emperor followed the threads of fate that led him here. The fates related to Chen Xia in Qing Province converged in this town.
He wasn't in a rush, standing by the roadside, waiting.
By his side, some children chattered excitedly, then suddenly burst into tears. One child held a piece of candy wrapper, the candy itself having fallen into the mud.
"Here, don't cry," the Martial Emperor handed the child a candy from who knew where, soothing him.
The child blinked his teary eyes, instantly stopping the crying. Accepting the candy, he beamed with joy, then ran off merrily, not even saying thanks.
The Martial Emperor chuckled lightly, finding it amusing. His golden eyes flickered as he focused on the front.
There stood a woman amidst the crowd, her emerald eyes glimmering with pure brilliance.
"Qiu Yi," the Martial Emperor murmured, reading the connection between her and Chen Xia, a thread that was on the verge of breaking.
"Fate brings all together easily," he chuckled lightly, pinching this fragile thread, reconnecting it firmly.
He followed the threads of Chen Xia's fate but would not alter them, nor interfere with the fate of those connected to Chen Xia.
The Martial Emperor disdained such actions. His scheme had its own principles.
He merely solidified the threads of fate to increase the variability of the future, creating more possibilities. With a larger base of possibilities, he could select the one most favorable to him.
That was the desired outcome.
The Martial Emperor chuckled once more, not lingering. He crossed his arms behind his back, climbed to the summit, stood shoulder to shoulder with the clouds, gazing out at the vast expanse of heaven and earth. Reflecting on the countless years gone by, he recalled the past, and his eyes brimmed with nostalgia as he chuckled.
"Esteemed ones, the grand era I envision shall soon come to pass. Please... Wait and see."
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
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?"
] [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!"
