The Ninth Mountain was not quite the same today.
The Great Elder sat at the summit, gazing at the foot of the mountain. His brow furrowed slightly, as if deep in thought. After a long hesitation, he suddenly stood up and with a single step reached the foot of the mountain, asking Xu Zhen, who was descending.
"Are you heading to Treasure Ring Scale State?"
"Yes." Xu Zhen nodded, her feet stepping on shimmering white lotuses. She frowned slightly, puzzled.
"Why ask something you already know?"
The Great Elder sighed, shaking his head softly. "You've been in seclusion for too long, and are unaware of the current situation in the Immortal Realm and Treasure Ring Scale State. You can't go. Treasure Ring Scale State is no longer a major state in the Immortal Realm."
"What do you mean?" Xu Zhen's brow tightened, confused by the Great Elder's words. How could a once-great state like Treasure Ring Scale State no longer be part of the Immortal Realm?
"It's a long story. Currently, only East Jia State is in a slightly better situation. The other three states—Treasure Ring Scale State, Upper Cloud State, and Manghei Continent—have all been seized by Divine Realm practitioners. Treasure Ring Scale State is the worst off, with the Divine Realm Lord himself stationed there, making it the center of the Divine Realm in the Immortal Realm."
Xu Zhen's frown deepened, her shimmering white lotuses trembling under her feet.
"What about the Imperial Lords of the Immortal Realm? Don't they counterattack? Just watch as Treasure Ring Scale State falls into the hands of the Divine Realm practitioners?"
"How can they counterattack? The Divine Realm Lord's actions have almost cut off all fortunes in Treasure Ring Scale State. The Imperial Lords have either fled or died. Even the Seventh Mountain Lord, who governed Treasure Ring Scale State, perished in battle. Who would dare to counterattack? Who could even attempt it?!"
Xu Zhen's expression grew agitated, unable to remain calm. She quickly asked again.
"What about Fuyao Immortal Sect now? How is it faring?"
"I'm not sure, but it probably still exists." The Great Elder sighed once more. "That's why I'm here to persuade you not to return to Fuyao Immortal Sect. You've worked so hard to become an Imperial Lord, one of the rare fresh forces in the Immortal Realm. If you return to Treasure Ring Scale State, who knows what might happen to your future."
"This isn't me being unreasonable. It's just that you really shouldn't go back. Many sects from Treasure Ring Scale State have already relocated. You might as well stay here on the Ninth Mountain to stabilize your cultivation and enhance your strength..."
"No, I will return," Xu Zhen interrupted the Great Elder, her voice firm as she stepped forward on her shimmering white lotuses. She looked determined as she headed outward.
"If Fuyao Immortal Sect hasn't moved away, then it's waiting for me to return."
Her resolve was unyielding.
"But you've taken our Ninth Mountain's fortune—your Imperial Lord status is in part due to our mountain. You should heed my advice!" The Great Elder called out loudly, even resorting to this reasoning.
Xu Zhen didn't turn back, only softly replied. "I understand. I'll return the favor to the Ninth Mountain if the opportunity arises."
Her figure soared into the sky, becoming a beam of white light, piercing through the barriers between states and hurtling toward Treasure Ring Scale State.
This was the first time since the Divine Realm Lord's arrival and his takeover of Treasure Ring Scale State that an Imperial Lord from the Immortal Realm dared to venture into it.
Four Divine Realm Imperial Lords had already taken positions at the borders of Treasure Ring Scale State, speculating about the upcoming Immortal Realm Imperial Lord.
"At this juncture, is there still an Immortal Realm practitioner daring to come to Treasure Ring Scale State? Are they courting death or seeking to defect?"
"Isn’t that Xu Zhen—the once-greatest genius of the Immortal Realm and Fuyao Immortal Sect’s Sect Master? She’s actually returned as an Imperial Lord! Hah, does she still think she can lead Fuyao Immortal Sect to its former glory?"
"Genius? Weren’t we all once geniuses? Regardless, her return will indeed make things interesting in Treasure Ring Scale State. By the way, isn’t Fuyao Immortal Sect currently under Ao Pai's rule? What if Xu Zhen comes back and doesn’t submit?"
Ao Pai's gaze sharpened as he sneered. "If she doesn’t submit, then Fuyao Immortal Sect should no longer exist. In Treasure Ring Scale State, it’s the Divine Realm practitioners who call the shots!"
"Very well, let's wait and see then, hah!"
Xu Zhen's white light drew the attention of many, eliciting sighs, admiration, or mockery. However, none stopped her as she entered Treasure Ring Scale State, blazing a path straight to Fuyao Immortal Sect under the gaze of numerous practitioners.
An elderly practitioner hurriedly approached her, bowing respectfully.
"Imperial Lord, why have you come? Please, come in. We know it’s almost tribute time. Vice-Sect Master Chen Xi has gone to prepare, so don’t worry. Grant us a little more time, Vice-Sect Master Chen Xi shall arrive shortly."
"I’m Xu Zhen," the white light faded, revealing her figure and an emotionally charged statement.
The old man froze, then looked up in disbelief.
"Sect Master?"
His voice rose sharply.
"The Sect Master has returned! The Sect Master has returned!"
An uproar spread across Fuyao Immortal Sect as all its practitioners flooded toward where Xu Zhen stood.
Chen Xi naturally arrived as well. She stood at the sect entrance, her previously numb eyes showing a flicker of relief. She nodded in satisfaction.
"Returning is good… returning is good…"
Her voice paused suddenly, and she shook her head with a bitter smile. "No, returning isn’t good at all."
Is there anything good about returning to this Treasure Ring Scale State, except for suffering?
Xu Zhen didn’t know what had happened to Fuyao Immortal Sect, but just hearing the word "tribute" made her sense something was amiss. She questioned Chen Xi in detail, learning the full story with a wry smile and a surge of killing intent in her gaze.
Chen Xi noticed this and reached out in an attempt to dissuade.
"Xi, there’s no need to dwell on it. For the sake of maintaining stability, Fuyao Immortal Sect can endure a few tributes."
"Mmm." Xu Zhen nodded calmly, though her eyes held an undercurrent of intense emotion.
The return of Fuyao Immortal Sect’s Imperial Lord Sect Master caused a significant stir in Treasure Ring Scale State—that was until fifteen days after Xu Zhen’s return.
Hu Jiao returned, demanding tributes from Fuyao Immortal Sect.
Fuyao Immortal Sect complied, handing over every single tithing without shorting or adding more.
Hu Jiao, as usual, poured the tributes onto the ground and kicked them around to count. Satisfied, he sneered.
"Hmph, so unruly. Did the reappearance of the Sect Master embolden you? The tributes are even fewer than before. Soon, I can’t even imagine what you’ll do, maybe even overthrow our Divine Realm’s rule."
Chen Xi was standing upfront, ready to bow her head and apologize.
Xu Zhen stepped forward directly, crossing her arms and standing face-to-face with Hu Jiao. Her gaze sharp as she pointed at the scattered tributes, ordering coldly.
"Pick them up."
Hu Jiao’s expression faltered, then he sneered. "What if I don’t? You’re merely an Imperial Lord, would you truly dare…"
Bang!
In a sudden move, Xu Zhen launched a decisive blow, sending Hu Jiao plummeting from the heavens, crashing into the mountains below. His chest collapsed, blood pouring out uncontrollably.
She followed up, stepping on Hu Jiao’s head and grinding it into the ground with contempt.
"Next time you want to challenge me, send an Imperial Lord. Do you think you, a mere Quasi-Imperial Lord, are qualified?"
The members of Fuyao Immortal Sect were stunned for a moment, then filled with uncontrollable excitement and emotion. They began to shout.
"Sect Master! Sect Master!"
Chen Xi looked at Xu Zhen, her eyes filled with relief, excitement, and apprehension.
The Divine Realm Imperial Lords would come. They would definitely come to retaliate. What would happen then?
Xu Zhen eventually let Hu Jiao go, reclaiming the tributes herself and declaring that if the Divine Realm Imperial Lords didn’t personally come for them, Fuyao Immortal Sect wouldn’t pay anymore tributes.
Was this Fuyao Immortal Sect’s savior rising? No one could say for certain.
Seven days later.
Three Divine Realm Imperial Lords descended upon Fuyao Immortal Sect with overwhelming power, declaring.
"We shall settle our accounts with Fuyao Immortal Sect!"
This news spread like wildfire, stirring up excitement across several states.
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'!"
u serious?" Chen Feng watched helplessly as his painstakingly trained disciple, fresh off a championship victory, publicly abandoned him. "You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now, face the consequences of your choice!" Chen Feng possessed the "Master System," a treasure trove of supreme martial arts techniques, capable of molding ordinary individuals into peerless prodigies. "Legs like yours? A shame not to train in the Crippling Kick." "Ever heard of a palm strike that descends from the heavens?" "Auntie! I see extraordinary bone structure in you—a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand." The once-defiant senior disciple, now watching her juniors rise to fame one after another, dominating the internet, was consumed by endless regret.
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?
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
