Seven days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Deep within the endless desert, there was nothing but boundless yellow sand, not a trace of green in sight. From time to time, gusts of wind would sweep across, exposing half-buried bones that reeked of decay.
A sprawling sand dune stretched for thousands of miles, looming like a curtain that blocked out everything.
At the foot of the mountain, a group of people toiled with tools, mining ore. Some pushed heavy carts, while others swung long shovels. These were once-renowned supreme cultivators from various realms, now reduced to dust-covered laborers, their cultivation sealed away, forced to work like ordinary mortals.
Even the enforcement captain, shackled at the ankles, pushed a cart toward the mountain’s base.
Looking at Lin Ruowei—her face drained of color, her lips cracked from dryness—the captain couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. Just seven days of hard labor with sealed cultivation had already stripped this peerless beauty of her former radiance.
Unable to bear it any longer, he whispered to her in a low voice.
"Miss Lin."
"There are no sentries around right now. You should rest for a while."
Lin Ruowei lifted her gaze at his words, a flicker of gratitude flashing in her eyes before vanishing.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Cheng."
"But those sentries possess extraordinary cultivation. Even if they aren’t nearby, they might still detect us. If I rest alone and cause everyone to be punished, how could I bear that?"
"Given our circumstances, we must endure together and persevere…"
Hearing this, her maidservant gritted her teeth and continued hauling ore.
Though her mistress’s voice was soft, it carried an extraordinary sense of resolve and foresight. The servant’s loyalty ran deep—this master-servant pair was truly remarkable.
Captain Cheng Yuxun nodded in admiration, sighing inwardly.
For such a prodigy to fall to such a state—what a cruel twist of fate.
Who could have imagined that the legendary Land of Fallen Gods would be so dark, so hellish?
As he loaded ore onto the cart, a sudden commotion erupted nearby.
A once-dashing young hero suddenly burst into hysterical laughter and tears!
"Damn it! Hahaha…!"
"The Land of Fallen Gods!"
"What a load of crap about the pinnacle of the Great Dao! I’ve been utterly fooled!!!"
Before long, the nearby sentries were alerted, dragging the man away into the void.
Watching this scene from afar, many couldn’t help but sigh.
They were no different—filled with bitterness and helplessness, feeling deceived by the world’s rumors, now trapped in this wretched fate!
If they’d known the truth, even a fool wouldn’t have come!
"Tch…!"
"Damn it…"
Amid the sighs and curses, the sounds of labor resumed.
As the man was dragged off and the sentries vanished again, most people’s attention was drawn away. Yet Lin Ruowei never looked up, her composure eerily unshaken.
Even among women, she was the one who could be relied upon.
Noticing her extraordinary demeanor, Captain Cheng’s eyes flickered with realization.
Seizing the chance while moving ore, he sidled closer and whispered again.
"Miss Lin…"
"To be honest, though I’ve never been to the Land of Fallen Gods before, one of my ancestors once lived here. So I know a little—the truth is nothing like the absurd ‘opportunity’ we were promised."
At this, Lin Ruowei’s delicate frame stiffened slightly.
Then she replied softly,
"I know."
"One of my ancestors also lived here for a long time."
The moment these words fell, Cheng Yuxun froze in place. Though he held a heavy chunk of ore, it suddenly felt weightless.
An indescribable shock spread through his heart.
No wonder.
No wonder this young lady had remained so composed, her demeanor surpassing her years—she had her own backing, already privy to some of the truth!
Cheng Yuxun’s spirits soared. Finding a kindred spirit in this dire situation was more reassuring than anything. Hope surged within him.
Lifting the ore, he suddenly felt lighter.
Leaning in, he whispered with renewed vigor,
"Since you know the truth, that’s excellent!"
"Being trapped here isn’t hopeless, nor is it our fate! If we can send word to our ancestors and explain everything, we’ll surely escape!"
"After that, reaching the pinnacle of the Great Dao won’t just be empty talk!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, as if strength had returned to his body.
Yet Lin Ruowei remained silent, focusing only on moving the ore.
By the time the cart was half-full, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
"Miss Lin, say something!"
In such dire straits, maintaining hope was already a feat. The captain, after all, was only human—his patience wore thin, his usual authority and calm long gone.
But Lin Ruowei only grew calmer.
As she placed another piece of ore, she glanced up discreetly.
"Fellow Daoist Cheng, what you say makes sense. But have you considered—how do we send word out?"
The question struck Cheng Yuxun like a thunderbolt!
With their cultivation sealed, they were no different from mortals. Sending messages or escaping was pure fantasy.
Sentries lurked everywhere—not even a bird could slip past. Straying beyond the permitted range meant certain death or mutilation.
How the hell were they supposed to send anything?!
Damn it…
There really was no way out!
Just as Cheng Yuxun stood there, dumbstruck, a distant figure seemed to glide across the horizon.
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
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.”
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…
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
