Jiang Zhi nodded, and although she had lost hope, she still politely replied, "Your wisdom is unparalleled, senior."
"No wonder," Gong Chen chuckled knowingly. No wonder she thought he was her hope of escape.
The ability to kill all the Shadow Wolves on Dark Shadow Island was indeed worthy of being considered a hope.
"You're mistaken. I didn't kill these Shadow Wolves."
Jiang Zhi was surprised, and then the light in her eyes completely disappeared.
"But you don't need to be disappointed," Gong Chen said calmly. "Although I didn't kill them, it was my master, to whom I've pledged allegiance, who did."
"Not only that, but my ability to use my cultivation freely on this island is also a power he gave me."
"While I can't be your hope of escape, he can."
In an instant, the light in Jiang Zhi's eyes rekindled.
Her bright eyes looked at Gong Chen, "Really?!"
"Of course!"
Gong Chen declared confidently, believing it wholeheartedly.
"My master can not only come and go from Dark Shadow Island at will, but he can also dominate it."
"On this island devoid of spiritual energy, where he allows life, there is vitality. Where he doesn't, it's a dead zone."
With just a few words, the light in Jiang Zhi's eyes turned to utter astonishment.
"May I ask... who is senior's master in the Immortal Realm?" she inquired cautiously. After all, she was a figure in the Immortal Realm herself.
She had heard of many famous and even legendary figures, but she couldn't think of any big shot that matched the description of this master.
"Hmph." Gong Chen snorted disdainfully. "Those are nothing. My master is a figure who keeps a low profile in the Immortal Realm. How could others casually hear of him?"
"Yes, yes, senior's words are absolutely right," Jiang Zhi quickly agreed. "This junior truly can't think of any title that could match him."
In her heart, however, waves of shock were surging.
If even those legendary figures couldn't compare to this person on Dark Shadow Island, how powerful must he be!
Gong Chen looked at Jiang Zhi with satisfaction. "The reason I came to find you this time is also because of my master's orders."
"He needs to recruit people at least at the Reincarnation Realm to serve him. I've been observing you for some time now. I can see that you're resilient and of good character."
"Are you willing to follow my master?"
Gong Chen got straight to the point about his intentions.
Jiang Zhi looked at Gong Chen in disbelief, overjoyed!
No wonder the elders in her clan had used the Celestial Plate to divine that her luck was rare in ten thousand years, so this was it!
She had thought she would perish on Dark Shadow Island, but unexpectedly found a chance for life here!
It truly was a case of finding hope in despair!
"Of course I'm willing!" Jiang Zhi could barely contain her excitement.
This response was clearly within Gong Chen's expectations. He didn't think anyone would refuse to serve a master so incredibly powerful.
"Very well, come with me." Gong Chen was about to fly off.
Remembering that Jiang Zhi couldn't use her cultivation, he turned back, grabbed her from the ground, and flew away.
In the blink of an eye, the two had landed steadily in a place.
Right in front of them was a simple, ancient-looking courtyard.
Jiang Zhi was amazed.
Following Gong Chen into the courtyard, Jiang Zhi's body stiffened in shock.
She had thought that this person was powerful enough to control life and death on Dark Shadow Island, but she never imagined he could build an independent dwelling in such a place without being eroded by wind and sand.
Moreover... it was an independent world...
"You can feel the difference here too, can't you?" Gong Chen smiled knowingly. "Didn't you feel your body start to heal the moment you entered?"
Jiang Zhi nodded vigorously, her voice trembling with excitement, "Did your master create this world? It seems... even the air has such an incredibly potent healing ability..."
Gong Chen nodded calmly, "If the master were here, he might reward you with a few grapes." He pointed to the back garden, "Those aren't ordinary vegetables and fruits. Just one grape can not only heal you completely but also help you break through your cultivation bottleneck!"
Jiang Zhi listened in even greater disbelief. This... she had never heard of such a powerful existence!
Be it people, grapes, or this entire realm.
Just a casually grown grape was superior to top-tier immortal pills from the Immortal Realm!
Not only could it heal a body ravaged by Dark Shadow Island, but it could also break through cultivation bottlenecks.
It's worth noting that in the Immortal Realm, every bottleneck above the Heavenly Immortal level is extremely difficult to overcome.
Above the Profound Immortal level, each stage becomes increasingly difficult, with bottlenecks that are harder and harder to break through!
It was terrifyingly impressive...
As they were talking, a person carrying a hoe walked out of the courtyard. Seeing Gong Chen and Jiang Zhi, he greeted them.
"Old Gong, you've found another person above the Reincarnation Realm for the master, eh? The master will reward you again when he returns, congratulations!"
"That's right, who knows if he'll break through again," a plump woman carrying a basket chimed in as she walked out. "Old Gong, you really lucked out with such a cushy job."
"Unlike us, who can only till the soil, weed, and do some harvesting work."
Gong Chen smiled and responded, then turned back to Jiang Zhi, "The master isn't here, and I don't have the courage to pick fruits from the back garden for you. Just stay here for a while and let your injuries heal."
"After you've recovered, you'll have to leave. You can't stay here long before the master returns to confirm."
"Yes, of course."
At this moment, Jiang Zhi wasn't just trembling in her tongue, but her very heart was quivering.
From uncertainty, from nervousness, and also from excitement.
Gong Chen continued: "After the master returns, I'll send you a message. Then you can come back to meet the master in person."
"If the master agrees, you can stay."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but ask, "When will your master return?"
She didn't want to stay outside for a moment longer.
"Nobody knows," Gong Chen seemed a bit displeased with Jiang Zhi's question. "How could outsiders casually know the master's whereabouts?"
"I see." Jiang Zhi quickly lowered her head and apologized, "This junior was presumptuous. Please forgive me, senior!"
"Never mind," Gong Chen waved his hand. "Just wait for my message, and don't die on Dark Shadow Island in the meantime."
"Rest assured, senior. Before your master returns, I will definitely stay alive," Jiang Zhi responded decisively.
This time, she had encountered not just hope for escape, but a great stroke of luck for her entire immortal journey!
No matter what, she had to seize this opportunity!

【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)

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.”

and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!

] [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!"