Gu Qingfeng transformed into a streak of light as he flew into the distance.
As he soared, he suddenly noticed a large group of cultivators rushing in the same direction, their figures streaking through the sky like countless beams of light.
"What's going on?" Gu Qingfeng wondered, swiftly moving to intercept one of them.
The intercepted cultivator wore an impatient expression, about to snap back when a shimmering azure glow flashed before his eyes.
Gulp.
The man swallowed his words and gasped, "H-heavenly Thunder Pearl!?"
"Seriously?"
"Enough nonsense. I’m asking you—why the hurry?"
The man reluctantly explained, "Word just spread that a Golden-Winged Great Peng at the peak of the Tianyuan realm has been spotted in the central region of the Xuantian Secret Realm, so..."
"Why the excitement over a Golden-Winged Great Peng? It’s not like you all have a system or something."
The man didn’t understand Gu Qingfeng’s sarcasm but, under the threat of the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, continued, "The Golden-Winged Great Peng is guarding the Ethereal Spirit Water, a rare treasure from an immortal’s abode. This divine water can purify one’s essence, energy, and spirit, reduce bottlenecks, and increase breakthrough chances—immensely beneficial for cultivation."
At the mention of the Ethereal Spirit Water, Gu Qingfeng’s eyes blazed with brilliance.
Ethereal Spirit Water! Golden-Winged Great Peng!
Heh heh heh... This lord has arrived!
The value of the Ethereal Spirit Water aside, the Golden-Winged Great Peng alone was worth the trip.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng was a primordial ferocious beast, one of the rarest creatures of heaven and earth, possessing strength far beyond its peers. It might even grant him some extra attributes.
"Um... can I go now?" the man asked timidly.
"Sure. Leave your Qiankun Ring behind, and you’re free to go."
"What?! Don’t push your—"
Bam!
Gu Qingfeng’s fist slammed into the man’s gut, the sheer force nearly dislodging his organs.
Feeling the overwhelming power, the man wisely surrendered.
......
In a desolate valley.
A massive Golden-Winged Great Peng, its body bathed in golden divine light, let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens.
Behind it, a small spring flowed with water of an ethereal, almost illusory hue—the Ethereal Spirit Water. The space around it seemed to blur as the liquid trickled forth.
Surrounding the valley stood a dense crowd of human cultivators, their greedy eyes fixed on the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the treasure behind it.
More and more figures arrived from all directions.
When Gu Qingfeng arrived, he was slightly surprised by the sheer number of people. Since entering the Xuantian Secret Realm, this was the first time he’d seen so many prodigies gathered in one place.
After all, prodigies were usually proud and solitary, traveling alone unless accompanied by close friends or sectmates.
Like sheep flock together, while beasts roam alone.
For such a large gathering today, and with the Ethereal Spirit Water at stake yet no one making a move, it was clear they feared the Golden-Winged Great Peng’s strength.
This struck Gu Qingfeng as odd. The Xuantian Secret Realm had level restrictions. Even if the Golden-Winged Great Peng was a primordial ferocious beast with strength surpassing its peers, it was still just one creature. Logically, it shouldn’t intimidate so many prodigies. Was there something unusual about it?
Curious, Gu Qingfeng activated his Truth-Seeking Eyes to observe the beast—and instantly grew exhilarated!
Strong!
Unbelievably strong!
This was far beyond the power of a peak Tianyuan realm being!
The Golden-Winged Great Peng’s demonic energy was as vast as an ocean. Not only that, but its demonic energy, soul, and even body were refined to near-perfection, flawless like pristine jade—clearly the result of long-term consumption of the Ethereal Spirit Water.
With this level of refinement and the potential of a primordial ferocious beast, it was no exaggeration to say the Golden-Winged Great Peng’s strength was nearing the half-step Heavenly Human realm!
If not for being trapped in the Xuantian Secret Realm, this beast would have long ascended to the Heavenly Human realm!
No wonder these proud prodigies hesitated to act. They must have spread the news themselves, gathering forces to take down the Golden-Winged Great Peng together!
As Gu Qingfeng pondered, a commotion erupted in the crowd. Many rushed toward the eastern slope.
Following the movement, he saw several figures standing proudly atop the elevated ridge. Among them were the Little Yama King of the Hell’s Gate and Sword Maniac of the Sword Sect.
Beside them stood other extraordinary individuals—men and women alike—each radiating divine light, their auras imposing like celestial beings. Clearly, they were also peerless prodigies.
The fact that they stood alongside the Little Yama King and Sword Maniac spoke volumes.
"Esteemed peers," a young man dressed in royal robes declared loudly, "this Golden-Winged Great Peng is a primordial ferocious beast, its strength nearing the half-step Heavenly Human realm. Only by joining forces can we hope to defeat it. Once the beast is slain, the Ethereal Spirit Water... shall be contested fairly. What say you?"
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Who is this guy? How dare he give orders here?"
"That’s Wu Qianfeng, the Seventh Prince of the Martial Dynasty!"
"What?! The Martial Dynasty’s top prodigy, Wu Qianfeng? No wonder he has the confidence to speak before so many elites."
Then, a dissenting voice rose from the crowd.
"If we all contribute to killing the Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Ethereal Spirit Water will just end up in the hands of you top-tier prodigies. What’s in it for the rest of us?"
Wu Qianfeng smiled. "Friends, haven’t you noticed the growing demonic aura here? While we gather forces, that feathered beast is also summoning other demons.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng reigns supreme in the Xuantian Secret Realm, commanding countless demonic subordinates.
Your opportunity lies in slaying those demons. We—" he gestured to Sword Maniac and the others, "—will claim none of their remains. We seek only the Ethereal Spirit Water. Fellow Daoists, do you agree?"
Sword Maniac and the others had no interest in demon corpses, their eyes fixed solely on the Ethereal Spirit Water, so they nodded.
The crowd grew tempted.
In terms of strength, Wu Qianfeng, the Little Yama King, and Sword Maniac were all at the peak of the Tianyuan realm but wielded power far beyond it—the very pinnacle of prodigies.
Facing such monsters, no one dared dream of claiming the Ethereal Spirit Water. Even if they somehow obtained it, they couldn’t defend it.
Accepting Wu Qianfeng’s proposal at least promised other rewards.
Thus, more and more voices rose in agreement.
Yet, some peak Tianyuan experts, confident in their strength, remained silent, their eyes gleaming with schemes—clearly hoping to play the waiting game and reap the spoils later.
Wu Qianfeng and his companions paid no heed to those insignificant nobodies, for their overwhelming strength granted them the confidence to suppress all opposition.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
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.”
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
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.”
