Everyone was halted, their eyes filled with shock and doubt as they looked ahead.
The glacial hills were blindingly bright under the radiant sunlight, making it almost impossible to keep one's eyes open. Yet, the blood-soaked ground littered with severed limbs and broken bodies remained a horrifying sight.
A decapitated head as tall as a man.
Fingers as thick as tree trunks.
Grotesque, rotting tree-like remains!
...
The scattered remnants instantly seized everyone's attention, and Zhong Limeng's clear eyes trembled.
"This...!"
Exchanging hushed glances, even Uncle Song's expression darkened with caution.
The group fell into an uneasy silence, their faces heavy with tension.
As they cautiously stepped forward to inspect the scene, gasps of disbelief rose among them.
"These remains still carry a terrifying aura of slaughter—this must be the work of a high-ranking demon!"
"Worse than that. Look at this skull. Even devoid of life, it exudes an oppressive pressure. This demon was no ordinary foe in life!"
"Hiss... Who could have slaughtered so many demons?"
"Only a true Heaven-tier expert could accomplish such a feat. And the one who left behind nothing but useless carcasses after killing so many demons... It’s most likely Fu Haotian and his group!"
"Damn it! That spoiled heir beat us to it!"
"What do we do now? They have an elite team backing them and have already taken the lead. Even if we press forward, we’ll likely find nothing worthwhile!"
"This..."
The disciples exchanged anxious glances, their voices thick with frustration.
Fu Haotian had the support of a powerful entourage, far beyond what their group could match.
Even with ten of them—including Yi Feng, a Saint-ranked expert—they stood no chance against Fu Haotian’s forces. They had already been left far behind.
At best, they could only scavenge scraps.
The outcome of this disciple hunting competition was all but decided.
When they returned to the Cangtian Heavenly Palace, Fu Haotian would undoubtedly claim victory with overwhelming dominance. Not only would they lose, but they would lose humiliatingly.
It was almost certain—a crushing defeat awaited them.
"What a ruthless move—killing the competition and breaking their spirits! That shameless bastard is truly merciless!"
Even Uncle Song, a seasoned elder, couldn’t suppress his fury.
The younger disciples clenched their fists in bitter resentment.
They weren’t afraid of losing—but losing to a despicable schemer, watching such a man become the next Palace Master, filled them with seething hatred!
Amid the despair, Zhong Limeng’s delicate brows furrowed.
Her clear eyes reflected the pressure as she stared at the mutilated corpses.
The gruesome battlefield resembled a massacre. Witnessing it firsthand, she realized the vast gap in strength between their groups, and a sense of hopelessness crept into her heart.
Yet, the thought of defeat stoked her unwillingness.
Looking ahead, the blood-stained hills stretched endlessly—there was no chance left on this path. Pressing forward would be futile.
Unless... they abandoned this conservative route!
At this thought, Zhong Limeng tightened her jade-like fingers hidden in her sleeves.
"Uncle Song, everyone."
"There’s one last option—we abandon this path and split up to search for other opportunities!"
Her resolute voice cut through the gloom like a ray of dawn, startling the group.
But as her words sank in, hesitation flickered across their faces.
Splitting up was a desperate gamble—expanding their search range could increase their chances of success, however slim.
To remain so composed in such dire straits was extraordinary. That she could propose such a strategy outshone countless men in the world.
But splitting up also meant facing unknown dangers alone.
On the demon-infested Shui Hanxing...
This was an incredibly reckless move—akin to courting death!
On one side, their honor and future hung in the balance. On the other, a deadly gamble.
The internal struggle was fierce, and even the male cultivators wore expressions of shame and indecision.
The atmosphere grew suffocatingly tense.
Except for Yi Feng.
After seeing the demon corpses and hearing the proposal, he was practically brimming with excitement, barely stopping himself from clapping in approval.
Splitting up? Absolutely!
Otherwise, others would take all the kills!
This woman was decisive—she had spoken straight to his heart.
Truly, great minds think alike!
The silence stretched for several breaths, so heavy that even the sound of breathing was audible.
Uncle Song was the first to speak, his voice filled with aged wisdom.
"Good! It’s rare to see such resolve, niece. This old man will stake everything to support you. Even if I meet your father in the afterlife, I can embrace him with pride!"
"I’d rather die than let that shameless brat Fu Haotian succeed!"
The elder’s fighting spirit flared like a youth’s, his white beard and robes billowing.
His fervor ignited the disciples’ blood.
Gritting their teeth, they solemnly pledged their commitment one after another.
Zhong Limeng’s eyes shimmered with emotion as she bowed deeply to Uncle Song, thanking her sworn brothers and sisters before giving urgent final instructions. Soon, the group scattered in all directions.
Before parting, Yi Feng eagerly turned to Zhong Limeng.
"Miss Zhong, everyone has their own path. Which direction should I take?"
Zhong Limeng blinked in surprise.
Only then did she realize she hadn’t factored Yi Feng into her plans.
But seeing the righteous young man’s earnest request, she couldn’t bring herself to dismiss him.
They were merely passing acquaintances, with no deep ties. Yet Yi Feng had volunteered to aid their demon-slaying mission and support her in the disciple competition.
For both public duty and personal gratitude, such a noble-hearted young man couldn’t be abandoned in danger.
Remembering Yi Feng’s unusual mount—perhaps capable of swift escape—she refrained from outright rejecting him to spare his pride.
Forcing a gentle smile, she softly advised,
"Yi Feng, just search nearby as before, guarding our rear. Do not advance recklessly."
"If you encounter any danger, send a distress signal immediately!"
Her tactful words carried warmth and concern, lifting his spirits.
Yi Feng nodded obediently.
"Understood."
After their agreement, Zhong Limeng bid him a solemn farewell before darting cautiously eastward, her graceful figure soon disappearing into the distance.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
