The chess game on the mountaintop echoed loudly, clanging, as the grand-scale chessboard also played its part, affecting the entire Immortal Realm.
The Five Paths Emperors were fiercely battling, while Chen Xia was recovering from his injuries, though not participating, he had already thought of which great continent to conquer next.
It was the Manghei Continent, where the Heavenly Emperor had fallen.
This continent was now unclaimed territory, perfect for him to occupy, and since he was the one who killed the Heavenly Emperor, it was only reasonable for him to take it.
The current state of the Immortal Realm was too chaotic; it wasn’t enough to merely abstain from contention and conflict. If Chen Xia wanted stability, he had to conquer the entire Immortal Realm and become supreme. Only when he could stand toe-to-toe with the Martial Emperor would he truly be at ease.
More and more people were gathering at the mountain gate, all representing variables that Chen Xia dared not gamble on. He ordered everyone not to leave the East Jia State and to remain within it for relative safety.
Everyone agreed, waiting for Chen Xia to become invincible.
However, the Immortal Realm saw another variable as more Five Paths Emperors arrived, brazenly occupying the Jianxuan Continent near the Ninth Mountain.
One of these Five Paths Emperors, Chen Xia recognized—it was an old acquaintance.
Emperor Witch.
Ever since breaking through the realm’s limitations, his cultivation had grown at an astonishing pace, reaching the level of a Five Paths Emperor within just a few tens of thousands of years. No wonder he was once regarded as the top genius of the myriad worlds, one of the figures favored by the Martial Emperor.
Emperor Witch’s arrival caught all the other Five Paths Emperors off guard, and his subsequent actions even more so.
He directly engaged in combat with the Dominator of the Nine Mountains, challenging this former ruler of the Immortal Realm to a duel. Moreover, his moves were unrestrained, as if he truly intended to determine life and death.
Naturally, this attracted the attention of the other Five Paths Emperors, who watched from the sidelines, not intervening, purely for the spectacle.
Chen Xia, being the sort who loved a good show, was naturally among them, eagerly watching and inquiring to the Lord of the Divine Realm beside him, “New here—who’s winning?”
The Lord of the Divine Realm glanced at him, noting that his injuries were almost healed, feeling a chill in his heart but masking it, responding casually, “Emperor Witch has a slight edge, maybe because the Dominator of the Nine Mountains is growing old, or perhaps Emperor Witch is just too strong.”
The Supreme One stood nearby, shaking his head, “That’s not quite right. The Dominator of the Nine Mountains isn’t old; he’s even stronger than before. I’ve fought him before, so I know. It’s Emperor Witch who’s truly powerful, there’s something to his Dao.”
“Indeed, indeed,” the Star Lord of the Twilight Realm, not one to stand out much, added his agreement.
“Hey, wait—given Emperor Witch’s attitude, is he really trying to kill the Dominator of the Nine Mountains here?” Chen Xia noticed the issue at hand, astonished.
“Should be about right, but he probably can’t kill him. After all, the Dominator of the Nine Mountains is the former leader of the Immortal Realm, even if it’s just nominal, he’s still under the protection of fate. He won’t die, just severely injured.” The Lord of the Divine Realm assessed.
“This Emperor Witch is truly mad. Even if he does severely injure the Dominator of the Nine Mountains, what good could it possibly do for him? Wouldn’t he end up equally injured?” the Supreme One added.
“Indeed, indeed,” the Star Lord nodded.
“You’re kind of just repeating yourself, huh?” Chen Xia commented to the Star Lord.
“Indeed, indeed,” the Star Lord nodded again, not denying it.
While Emperor Witch and the Dominator of the Nine Mountains fought fiercely, the other Five Paths Emperors showed no intention of joining in, instead happily discussing who would win.
They even placed bets.
“Two Emperor Pills—I’m betting on the Dominator of the Nine Mountains. Emperor Witch looks exhausted now, but the Dominator is still holding strong.”
“Three Emperor Pills on Emperor Witch. Don’t you get it? The new tide drives out the old.”
“…”
They perfectly demonstrated what it meant to “mind your own business and stay high above.”
Being peers, there was no need for pretense, so their words were more candid, influenced by Chen Xia’s bluntness, making them even more unrestrained.
Even the Lord of the Divine Realm boasted to Chen Xia, "Fifteen hundred thousand years ago, at my peak, you wouldn't have been a match for me."
Chen Xia rolled his eyes and retorted, "Give me fifteen million years, and if I don't beat you to a pulp, then consider yourself house-trained."
The Lord of the Divine Realm fell silent, not arguing, because the reality was exactly that. If Chen Xia were given fifteen million years, he might truly be ready to challenge the Martial Emperor.
The Supreme One sighed, saying, “Chen Xia, my boy, not that I’m trying to lecture you, but we’ve all been around for so long, just surviving off the hope of reaching the supreme position. You’re young, so why don’t you give the opportunity to us old guys? There’ll be plenty of chances for you to become supreme later.”
“Indeed, indeed,” the Star Lord nodded again.
“Come on, after tens of thousands of years and you still haven’t reached the supreme position? I think you guys should just pack it in and go to sleep. The supreme position’s gotta be mine, or it’ll be a waste.” Chen Xia waved it off.
The group chatted and boasted, enjoying themselves.
Suddenly, a light flickered in the sky, not glaring or intense, but a pure golden glow, dazzling to the eyes.
Boom!
This golden light suddenly descended.
Buzz.
An echoing sound filled the world, so much that even Chen Xia and the others couldn’t hear anything, feeling as if the world had become illusory, everything unreal.
This feeling persisted for a moment.
When Chen Xia and the others came to their senses, Emperor Witch had stopped fighting the Dominator of the Nine Mountains. Only a figure with golden eyes stood there.
It was the Martial Emperor!
Where was the Dominator of the Nine Mountains?
Chen Xia and the others looked around in confusion and finally found him. The Dominator was at the Martial Emperor’s feet, half-dead, his spirit dazed.
Chen Xia paused, then quickly waved his hands, laughing, “Well, fellas, guess I’ll catch you later—busy at home, won’t be joining you for the supreme position.”
With a sway of his steps, he made his escape.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
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!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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.”
