"Kekeke... my little darlings, come on! Let’s have some fun!" Gu Qingfeng looked down at the horde of demons and monsters, laughing wildly.
The demons roared in fury and surged forward in a frenzied rush.
Gu Qingfeng watched their murderous onslaught with ecstatic delight. He didn’t dodge or move an inch, firmly blocking the exit, clearly intending to take their attacks head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless surges of demonic energy erupted, causing the heavens and earth to tremble violently!
Gale winds, scorching suns, towering mountains—various supernatural phenomena manifested from the demons’ hands, relentlessly crashing toward Gu Qingfeng.
"Kekeke... level up for me, damn it!"
Gu Qingfeng cackled madly as his figure was swallowed by the demonic energy. But then...
Something bizarre happened.
The system’s notification sound didn’t ring.
"What’s going on?!" Gu Qingfeng shuddered in shock.
Did the damn system malfunction? Where’s the notification?
But then he reconsidered—if the system really had malfunctioned, why was he still completely unharmed?
"System, System, are you there?" Gu Qingfeng hurriedly called out in his mind.
"Here." The system’s cold, aloof voice responded promptly.
Hearing its voice, Gu Qingfeng immediately relaxed. The system was his greatest trump card—if it disappeared, he’d be screwed!
"System, were you napping just now? So many divine-level demons attacked me, why didn’t my stats increase?"
"This system is named the Become Stronger When Attacked by Demons System. Please comprehend its function yourself."
Damn it!
Gu Qingfeng cursed out loud. Ever since he got this system, the brain-dead thing seemed capable of only spouting that one sentence.
Still, the system’s words gave him a clue. If the system only worked when attacked by demons, and he wasn’t getting stronger despite being ganged up on, then there was only one explanation.
The ones attacking him weren’t demons.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at the circle of ferocious monsters around him. If these weren’t demons, then what the hell were they?
Just as he was racking his brain in confusion—suddenly!
The entire blood-red space shattered like a mirror, countless cracks appearing out of nowhere. The grotesque demons burst apart one after another, vanishing like bubbles.
Once the space fully collapsed, an entirely different scene was revealed.
It was as if Gu Qingfeng had traveled through time and space, abruptly shifting from a demon-infested hellscape to the immortal realm.
Lush green mountains, crystal-clear waters, and layers of mist-shrouded peaks stretched before him. White cranes soared through the skies, while deer darted through the forests.
A waterfall cascaded down as if pouring from the heavens, its source invisible. Majestic palaces stood atop mountain peaks, veiled in white mist like celestial abodes.
Immortals occasionally flew past—some riding swords like exiled deities, others drifting on clouds, chasing rainbows.
Everything was exactly as one would imagine the immortal realm to be.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Gu. You have passed the Trial of Heart’s Reflection."
A voice came from behind Gu Qingfeng. He turned to see Jue Mingzi, the speaker, standing there with the same warm, gentle smile as before—so comforting it could make one feel bathed in spring breeze.
Yet, looking at that smiling face, Gu Qingfeng had the overwhelming urge to punch it.
He wasn’t stupid. Putting together the system’s earlier behavior and Jue Mingzi’s mention of the "Trial of Heart’s Reflection," he understood exactly what had just happened.
And now he was furious—not just because Jue Mingzi had deceived him, but because that whole demon feast had been fake!
It felt like winning the lottery, only to find out the numbers were from last week’s draw—pure disappointment!
Seeing Gu Qingfeng’s dark expression, Jue Mingzi quickly explained, "Fellow Daoist Gu, please don’t take offense. The Trial of Heart’s Reflection is a test every newcomer must undergo. With the demonic forces growing stronger, we in the Hidden Realm must take precautions to prevent traitors from infiltrating. This was a necessary measure."
I’ll endure it!
Gu Qingfeng suppressed the urge to beat Jue Mingzi senseless. He kept reminding himself—this was the territory of human divine-realm experts, not demons. He had to stay low-key.
While he understood the Hidden Realm’s reasoning—after all, a demon-revealing mirror could only confirm if someone was human, not whether they had sided with demons—adding a heart trial made sense. But understanding didn’t mean he wasn’t pissed.
Once he became invincible, he’d make sure Jue Mingzi learned why flowers were so red!
"Alright, Fellow Daoist Gu, come with me to meet the Dark Emperor."
Huff.
Gu Qingfeng took a deep breath. "Let’s go."
Jue Mingzi nodded, then raised his hand toward the sky. A cloud drifted down to his feet, and he stepped onto it, soaring away.
Gu Qingfeng watched enviously. Speed aside, the sheer coolness factor was undeniable—and being cool was a lifelong pursuit!
Unable to summon clouds himself, Gu Qingfeng had to rely on brute-force flight to catch up. "Fellow Daoist Jue Mingzi, I’ve noticed many in the Hidden Realm can ride clouds. Is this a divine-realm-exclusive ability?"
"Fellow Daoist Gu, you reached the divine realm through sheer effort, without inherited teachings, so it’s natural you wouldn’t know these minor techniques. Divine-realm cultivators can borrow the power of heaven and earth through their divine souls to cast spells—cloud-riding being one of them. The Hidden Realm has a Scripture Pavilion containing many divine-realm techniques. After meeting the Dark Emperor, I’ll take you there."
Gu Qingfeng was intrigued. During his battle with Silver Prince, he’d noticed that divine-realm combat was entirely different from that of ordinary martial artists. With a wave of his hand, Silver Prince summoned gale winds, while pre-divine-realm fighters relied on brute swings of swords and fists.
It was like transitioning from warrior to mage.
What excited him wasn’t the power of spells—nothing could surpass his Indestructible Demon-Dragon Body—but the sheer coolness factor.
Summoning clouds and commanding wind and rain with a flick of the wrist was infinitely more stylish than just swinging fists.
He’d definitely visit the Scripture Pavilion later. At least then this trip to the Hidden Realm wouldn’t be a total waste.
Soon, the two arrived before a grand palace.
Descending, they entered the hall.
Inside, over a dozen figures stood waiting. At their forefront was a man clad in dark golden robes, his face hidden behind a golden mask. Each exuded an ethereal aura, like immortals descended from the heavens.
Gu Qingfeng’s heart tightened. Among them were several peak divine-realm experts, and the masked leader’s power was utterly unfathomable—even his divine soul, enhanced to peak divine-realm level by Silver Prince’s sacrifice, couldn’t pierce through!
This defied logic. If even peak divine-realm perception couldn’t gauge this man’s strength... did that mean he had surpassed the divine realm?
"Dark Emperor, this is the newcomer, Fellow Daoist Gu Shenghui," Jue Mingzi introduced.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
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...
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
] [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!"
