The battle in Treasure Ring Scale State dragged on without conclusion, and the entire Treasure Ring Scale State was on the verge of collapsing due to the clash of four Five Paths Great Emperors.
The reason for this stalemate was that apart from Emperor Witch, no one was willing to risk their lives. The Lord of the Divine Realm was still putting forth effort in the battle, as Treasure Ring Scale State was his own territory.
The Sovereign and the Star Lord, however, were blatantly coasting. Together, they were less effective than half of the Lord of the Divine Realm, and on several occasions, they nearly fled when the situation looked dire. Only when they saw that the Lord of the Divine Realm could hold his own against Emperor Witch did they return half-heartedly to the fight.
The Lord of the Divine Realm was somewhat exasperated with the two. He had thought he had enlisted two enforcers, but instead, he had gotten two pretenders.
He had no time to berate them, fearing that if he angered them, they would stop pretending altogether and simply run away. Furthermore, the Lord of the Divine Realm was currently preoccupied with the pressure from Emperor Witch.
The Sovereign and the Star Lord were shrewd. With a glance between them, the Sovereign let out a roar and charged fiercely at Emperor Witch, appearing full of killing intent. After exchanging a single blow with Emperor Witch, the Sovereign's body plummeted, crashing into Treasure Ring Scale State.
This crash caused the Sovereign to vanish for half a day.
The Sovereign and the Star Lord took turns in this manner, each requiring half a day to recover from a single strike.
By the time the Lord of the Divine Realm was battered and bleeding, the two had only accumulated a layer of dust on their bodies and were already discussing how to escape.
In truth, the Lord of the Divine Realm was as much their enemy as Emperor Witch. Eliminating the Lord of the Divine Realm would increase their chances of reaching the ultimate pinnacle.
Emperor Witch aimed to become the ultimate being, but they didn’t seem to have any reason to compete with him, as there were multiple paths to the ultimate pinnacle.
As long as they could perceive the heavens and earth, they had a chance to achieve the ultimate.
Moreover, after the Lord of the Divine Realm and Emperor Witch clashed, Emperor Witch would enter a period of exhaustion, giving them an even better opportunity—like the "hidden bird" in the saying "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the hidden bird behind."
Perhaps they could even use this chance to eliminate Emperor Witch.
In summary, they were indifferent to the outcome.
As for oaths and promises, they didn't apply here. Their actions were far from betrayals; they were still aiding the Lord of the Divine Realm in the battle.
BOOM!
Another huge explosion resonated from the sky.
The Lord of the Divine Realm crashed to the ground, sinking a piece of land in Treasure Ring Scale State. His clothes were torn, his aged face gloomy, and he shouted at the Sovereign and the Star Lord.
"Do not hold back! Join me and together we can kill Emperor Witch and seize the ultimate opportunity!"
"We’re not holding back; we’re giving it our all," the Sovereign replied.
"Indeed, indeed," the Star Lord nodded, leisurely rising from a crater.
The Lord of the Divine Realm didn't respond, as Emperor Witch was already standing before him. Both were injured, but Emperor Witch’s wounds were slight, with only a bit of fragmentation on his left side and blood seeping from the gap.
"Why must you push to the bitter end? Can’t you sense your own heavenly domain and let us live in peace, each pursuing our own path to the ultimate?" the Lord of the Divine Realm demanded of Emperor Witch.
"Live in peace and achieve the ultimate?" Emperor Witch tilted his head and asked mockingly. His laughter rang out, echoing across the sky before suddenly stopping. Then, with derision, he said,
"The ultimate is not something you can achieve by staying safe! I want to be unique, supreme, and unparalleled. If the ultimate could be achieved through safety, would it still be the ultimate?"
"Only by eliminating all of you and leaving the path to the ultimate unchallenged will I truly be the ultimate."
The Sovereign frowned and mumbled, "What an unanswerable logic... and so arrogant."
"Indeed, indeed," the Star Lord nodded.
Despite this, they still weren’t willing to risk their lives in the battle, still hoping to exploit the situation.
"Then I give you two choices," Emperor Witch finally declared.
"One, die in Treasure Ring Scale State. Two, abandon the pursuit of the ultimate and retreat to the Divine Realm, continuing your dream of achieving the ultimate through safety."
The Lord of the Divine Realm's eyes flickered, and he exhaled softly, tearing off the remains of his tattered shirt to reveal his aged body. His gaze became firm as he declared,
"Then I will die in Treasure Ring Scale State."
"Good," Emperor Witch nodded, appearing in front of the Lord of the Divine Realm. His left hand rose, casting a shadow over the Lord of the Divine Realm’s body. Death was revealed as the most ferocious killing intent in the world burst forth. This hand was the pathway to hell, smashing down without hesitation.
Crimson Arts, Deadly Strike!
BOOM!
The Lord of the Divine Realm withstood the blow, his body crashing into the sea below, causing the ocean’s surface to surge as if it would submerge Treasure Ring Scale State.
At the Ninth Mountain.
The ruler of the nine mountains stood atop the peak, his defeated eyes quietly observing the battle, filled with complex emotions.
"What are you thinking?" A voice came from beside him. An elderly man in white robes, holding a cane, softly inquired.
"I’m thinking... dying for one’s dream might not be so bad," the ruler replied, his hands behind his back.
The white-robed elder nodded. "Your ambition and dream have always been to rise to the top, to be the best in the world. That’s why you’ve reached this position. You’re a proud person, so why compromise now?"
"For the entire immortal realm, for the Ninth Mountain, for the past that once was," the ruler replied softly, slightly bowing his head.
His obsession remained pure, but he himself was no longer so.
Perhaps he no longer deserved to compete for the ultimate.
I am the Taishang Elder of the Ninth Mountain and have accompanied you for a long time. I believe I understand you. If you truly have an obsession and feel resentment, then go ahead and try. Having lived for hundreds of thousands of years, you should live for yourself.
"And what about you?" the ruler turned and asked.
"I fear nothing, including death!" the Taishang Elder declared loudly.
"..." The ruler fell silent for a moment, then softly said,
"Let’s see what happens first."
He wanted to observe when the Lord of the Divine Realm would be defeated by Emperor Witch to gauge their strength.
Though Emperor Witch was powerful, he wasn’t in a position to completely dominate. The fight with the Lord of the Divine Realm was somewhat balanced, slightly favoring Emperor Witch, mainly because the Sovereign and the Star Lord were too uncommitted. Otherwise, the three could have turned the tide against Emperor Witch.
Emperor Witch seemed to understand that the three wouldn’t fully cooperate, so he became even more unrestrained in his attacks against the Lord of the Divine Realm, unleashing all his deadly moves, causing the entire immortal realm to tremble.
As the battle dragged on, the Lord of the Divine Realm gradually couldn’t hold out, shedding large amounts of blood and nearly being driven to hallucinations.
The Heaven Pill Gate’s disciples also stood atop a mountain, using great divine powers to protect the East Jia State from the repercussions.
The more they watched, the more they realized the invincibility of the Five Paths Great Emperors.
Even the usually arrogant Emperor Capital began to suggest, "Maybe we should pack up and return to the Blue Sky Sword Sea; it’s safer there."
"Aren’t you the most arrogant one?" Qiu Li curiously asked.
"What am I supposed to be arrogant about without Chen Xia around? With Chen Xia, of course, I’d be arrogant," Emperor Capital replied, crossing his arms with an air of certainty.
He had clearly grasped the essence of "dog relies on its owner’s might."
By now, Treasure Ring Scale State had sunk by half. The Lord of the Divine Realm, gasping for breath, had given up on the Sovereign and the Star Lord.
Judging by their behavior, it seemed the two had already colluded with Emperor Witch, aiming to have the best of both worlds.
Now, he could only rely on himself.
He pounded his aged chest and declared in a low voice, "For the ultimate in my heart, I will not retreat even one step!"
Hum.
A soft sound echoed as Emperor Witch, though lightly injured, appeared before the Lord of the Divine Realm. His hands were in a drawing bow position, aimed at the Lord of the Divine Realm’s head, his eyes flickering with black light. He declared,
"Dead Arrow."
He released his bow hand.
Whoosh!
A real arrow sound pierced the air, slamming into the Lord of the Divine Realm’s forehead.
BOOM!
A twisted black arrow was embedded in the Lord of the Divine Realm’s brow, stretching his body into a line, then condensing into a single point. His body seemed sucked into a chaotic space, instantly reaching the outermost edge of Treasure Ring Scale State, bursting with countless black rays.
The explosion coalesced into a dark sun, its radiance carrying a heavy aura of death.
The Lord of the Divine Realm hadn’t lied; he truly hadn’t retreated, just flown a bit too far.
Any living creature that approached the dark sun died instantly, leaving a lifeless area stretching thousands of miles.
The Lord of the Divine Realm struggled in the center of the dark sun, several attempts to pull out the black arrow from his forehead failed. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his eyes slightly vacant.
It seemed Emperor Witch now had an invincible demeanor.
Was he truly going to become the ultimate...
The Lord of the Divine Realm couldn't help but sigh in resignation. Suddenly, his expression froze, and he thought he heard footsteps, like a phantom echo, beside his ear. A hand appeared at his forehead, and the azure cuff sleeve fluttered for a moment, grabbing the black arrow and pulling it hard.
A teasing voice reached his ears.
"Old folks really do have great sleep quality, even lying on the ground can be considered a rest."
Chen Xia held the black arrow in his hand, pressing down hard.
Boom.
The entire arrow shattered, and the dark sun instantly dissipated.
The Lord of the Divine Realm stared blankly at the azure-robed figure in front of him, his entire body so stirred up that he couldn't speak, his eyes brimming with tears.
Damn it, the real heavy-hitter has finally arrived!
The Star Lord and Emperor Witch's expressions were complex as they observed from where they stood.
Chen Xia nudged a pebble in front of him, waved his hand at Emperor Witch, and said with a polite and gentle smile.
"Hello."
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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.”
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!
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
