Though enhancements are helpful, they are only a temporary solution. Sometimes, there's simply no way to overcome certain challenges.
Chen Xia was fortunate to have the East Jia State as his sanctuary, which gave him some confidence and stability compared to the other Five Paths Great Emperors, who were far more anxious.
The East Jia State was no longer what it used to be. Besides its prestigious status as the Supreme Primordial Land, it had now also fused with the Great Death Domain and the Boundary Domain. In terms of power and influence, it far outshone the other major realms in the Immortal World.
As someone who had fused with the East Jia State, Chen Xia naturally benefited from this. This fusion was the key reason why he, with only the strength of a false emperor, could defeat the Heaven Emperor. It was essentially because he had stacked too many buffs, making it impossible for the Heaven Emperor to match the combined efforts of so many.
Yet, despite this, the situation remained precarious. Rumors suggested that the Martial Emperor had already taken control of several major realms near the Ninth Mountain, and he had brought the Emperor Witch along with him. This implied that the Emperor Witch was likely the Martial Emperor's chosen successor.
The realms under Martial Emperor's control might be paving the way for the Emperor Witch's rise. As for the other Five Paths Great Emperors, what were they supposed to do?
The Lord of the Divine Realm, the Eminence, and the Star Lord, who hadn't yet fused with their own realms, were in even more danger than Chen Xia. They couldn't afford to worry about their pride anymore and decided to visit Heaven Pill Gate together to consult with Chen Xia.
The Lord of the Divine Realm, who had initiated the discussion, spoke first.
"Given the current situation, it's likely that we'll soon be ousted from power, with the Emperor Witch taking over our realms. Therefore, I believe we should join forces. We don't necessarily have to resist the Martial Emperor, but at least we should try to secure some opportunities for ourselves."
The Eminence nodded in agreement. "I agree. The Martial Emperor's actions are indeed excessive. He arrives with the Emperor Witch like a heavenly army, pushing everything aside with brute force, without considering our feelings as Five Paths Great Emperors."
The Star Lord chimed in, "Indeed, indeed."
Chen Xia quickly waved his hands. "Among you all, I have the lowest cultivation level and thus the least ability. As the old saying goes, the less ability, the less responsibility. I don't think I'm qualified to play big with you."
"You weren't saying that when you killed the Heaven Emperor," the Lord of the Divine Realm said, glancing at him before continuing.
"Moreover, you have the Supreme being's support. If we work together and include Daoist Suppressing Heaven, we might be able to hold our own against the Martial Emperor."
"Indeed, indeed," the Star Lord nodded.
"Can we just kick him out? All he does is say 'indeed, indeed,'" Chen Xia said, pointing at the Star Lord.
"Don't worry about him. Just tell us, do you agree? If you say yes, our alliance is formed," the Lord of the Divine Realm said, looking directly at Chen Xia, waiting for his answer.
Chen Xia scratched his head, feeling that it wasn't a fair deal. He was currently living comfortably and saw no reason to take such risks with these three.
"Okay."
As he was still hesitating, a puppet figure walked out from the gate, answering for him.
It was Daoist Suppressing Heaven.
"Good, very good!" The Lord of the Divine Realm nodded, feeling more confident now that he had Daoist Suppressing Heaven's agreement. He believed that they at least had a chance to challenge the Martial Emperor.
The Eminence and the Star Lord also smiled with relief, happy to have formed this alliance.
"Don't be too happy yet," Daoist Suppressing Heaven's voice, stiff and mechanical, rang out. The puppet extended its hand forward and continued,
"All of you, come and swear a life oath with me. We'll be tied together by it. Though it doesn't mean we share the same life and death, it will act as a constraint. Anyone who betrays the alliance will face a broken heart and falling cultivation level as punishment."
The group's expressions stiffened, and they exchanged wary glances.
"Everyone has to do it?" the Lord of the Divine Realm asked calmly, his old eyes flickering with caution.
"Yes, everyone," the puppet replied.
"Alright!" The Lord of the Divine Realm nodded, not questioning further. He stepped forward, placed his hand over the puppet's, and sealed the life oath.
The others followed suit, including Chen Xia.
Once the life oath was completed, the Lord of the Divine Realm retracted his hand into his sleeve and smiled lightly.
"Now we're tied together like grasshoppers on the same string. We should take good care of each other in the future."
"Of course, I hope all of us can sync and fuse with our own realms, taking that crucial step toward the Supreme Path," the Eminence added.
"Indeed, indeed," the Star Lord nodded.
After their discussion, they left one by one.
At the gate, a flock of migratory birds arrived, forming into a cluster beneath the vast, blue sky. They occasionally chirped as they flew toward the distant horizon.
"They are flying toward their future," Daoist Suppressing Heaven suddenly said, then looked down at Chen Xia and asked,
"And what about yours?"
Chen Xia crossed his arms and tilted his head. "It's on its way, too."
"Good." Daoist Suppressing Heaven nodded. Suddenly, it flicked its hand, and a streak of light dropped, returning to Chen Xia.
It was the life oath they had just sworn.
Chen Xia's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Daoist Suppressing Heaven, puzzled. "What does this mean?"
Daoist Suppressing Heaven had already turned around and was walking away, its voice drifting back, stiff yet profound.
"The final adjudicator shouldn't be bound by any oaths."
"Ga!" The birds chirped one last time before leaving behind the azure sky, flying off into the unknown.
Chen Xia stood by the gate, tilting his head, muttering softly to himself.
"Why are you so sure I'm the final adjudicator? What if I'm just someone clinging to life until the very end?"
There was no response. Inside Heaven Pill Gate, things were peaceful. Xu Zhen, Huang Qingyue, and Qiu Yi had gone to other parts of the East Jia State, while Wang Yangzi was refining medicine.
It had been a long time since things had been so quiet.
Chen Xia slowly walked to the higher part of the gate, looking outward. He had a feeling that the so-called end of this great era wasn't far away.
Could he withstand it?
He glanced back at the gate behind him, feeling that he had no choice but to. The cost of failure seemed too great—so great that it was almost unbearable.
"Screw it," Chen Xia cursed under his breath, then shook his head. A breeze brushed past his ears, tousling his hair. It seemed to try to blow away his worries, but only intensified them.
Finally, he patted his head and forced a smile. "I hope I'll be the final adjudicator."
A cool breeze blew in the moment, as autumn waters flowed past the western hills.
Around and around.
Worrying over old friends once more.
] [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!"
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?"
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...
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
