After a long silence, someone finally snapped back to reality and hurried over to the stone monument to check. Instantly, they gasped in shock.
"The top spot on the Human Yuan Ranking has indeed changed! It's Gu Qingfeng now!"
Like a stone tossed into a calm lake, the news sent ripples through the crowd.
The area before the monument was soon packed with disciples, all pushing and shoving to catch a glimpse, as if witnessing history unfold.
To their astonishment, the name "Sword Heavenly Emperor," which had stood unchallenged at the pinnacle for tens of thousands of years, had now been relegated to second place. In its stead, the name "Gu Qingfeng" shone brilliantly at the very top, radiating golden light.
At the sight of this name, the crowd was left utterly stunned. Not a trace of envy remained in their hearts.
When they had first learned that Gu Qingfeng possessed dual Sacred Physiques and saw the Twin Jades of the Sword Sect accompanying him, many had burned with jealousy.
But now, all such feelings had vanished. Such is human nature—when the gap becomes insurmountable, envy gives way to awe.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Look! Gu Qingfeng's cultivation level!"
The crowd turned their attention to the details, and their minds reeled, their Dao hearts nearly faltering.
"What?! He's only at the fifth level of the Human Yuan Realm!"
"How is that possible?! How could someone at the fifth level defeat Sword Heavenly Emperor, who was at the peak of Human Yuan?!"
It felt like listening to a fantastical tale—something so absurd that not even the wildest stories would dare to depict it.
Those cheap martial arts novels might write about reincarnated Heavenly Emperors who could effortlessly defeat opponents far beyond their level.
But here? The Heavenly Emperor, who had always been the one to surpass others, had been surpassed himself?!
This shattered all common sense!
The disciples' exclamations caught the attention of Dugu Wei and the others. They descended from the sky and made their way toward the monument.
A gentle force pushed the crowd aside, clearing a path.
The disciples, initially ready to curse, nearly fainted when they turned and saw the Sword Sect's leader and the seven peak masters approaching together.
Dugu Wei and the others reached the monument and gazed at the name in first place. Their pupils constricted sharply as their eyes locked onto the words "fifth level of Human Yuan."
A stunned silence fell over them all.
This defied all logic. Throughout history, young Heavenly Emperors had been defeated before—but never by someone of a lower realm. Only those one or even two major realms above them had ever managed such a feat.
For a young Heavenly Emperor, surpassing others was as natural as eating or drinking. They never deigned to compete with peers of the same level.
Yet now, a young Heavenly Emperor had been surpassed—and defeated—by someone beneath him?!
This overturned all conventional understanding.
It was like reading a web novel where the protagonist, who should always be the one to defeat stronger foes, suddenly found himself crushed by a weaker antagonist. The sheer absurdity of it was mind-bending.
"Does anyone remember what Gu Qingfeng's cultivation level was when he first joined the Sword Sect?" Dugu Wei suddenly asked, still staring at the monument.
One of the peak masters pondered before replying, "If I recall correctly, he was at the second level of Human Yuan."
"Exactly. The second level. And yet, in just one month, he has reached the fifth level. Such speed is unheard of!"
"Even with dual Sacred Physiques, this shouldn't be possible. The only explanation is that Gu Qingfeng has been cultivating day and night without rest since joining the sect. Only such relentless effort could allow him to break through three levels in a single month."
"This boy's talent and determination are truly peerless," another peak master remarked with admiration.
However, no one noticed Ling Fei'er in the crowd, who rubbed her slender jade-like legs when she heard this.
They felt stiff—after all, being stretched apart every day for extended periods would do that.
"Gentlemen, Gu Qingfeng has defeated Sword Heavenly Emperor despite being at the fifth level of Human Yuan. His talent is unparalleled in this era. I propose we initiate the Imperial Heir Trial for him."
"Agreed."
"Seconded."
The peak masters all nodded in unison. No one dared oppose such a suggestion.
Only Meng Yan seemed anxious, as he had yet to awaken Gu Qingfeng's "true kindness and virtue."
Just as Dugu Wei and the others were deliberating, another wave of murmurs erupted among the disciples.
"Hey, is it true that Gu Qingfeng defeated Sword Heavenly Emperor in just a few breaths?"
"Absolutely true! I was here at the Sword Tower since dawn and saw Gu Qingfeng enter. He first challenged the 100th-ranked opponent—within two breaths, golden light erupted from the monument, signaling his victory.
Then he challenged the 10th-ranked opponent. Again, in less than two breaths, he won.
And then... Sword Heavenly Emperor."
The disciple swallowed hard before continuing in a trembling voice, "Again... less than two breaths..."
"You're lying!" another disciple shouted, his face twisted in disbelief.
"We've all taken the Sword Tower trial. You know the projection takes time to form. If it was less than two breaths, subtracting the formation time... that means Gu Qingfeng defeated every opponent instantly?!
Defeating others is one thing, but Sword Heavenly Emperor?!"
This disciple, a fervent admirer of Sword Heavenly Emperor, was on the verge of collapse, his faith shattered.
But then, others stepped forward.
"He's not lying. I saw it too. Gu Qingfeng's arrival caused quite a stir—many of us witnessed it."
"Same here."
"Me too."
The disciples who had been present that morning all confirmed the account, leaving no room for doubt.
The Sword Heavenly Emperor fanatic paled, his legs giving out as he collapsed to the ground, muttering in despair, "But... but it's Sword Heavenly Emperor...
Sword Heavenly Emperor!!
How could a Heavenly Emperor be instantly defeated by someone weaker?!"
A strange silence settled over the crowd.
Dugu Wei and the others, being supreme experts, naturally overheard the disciples' discussion. They, too, were left speechless.
A lower-realm cultivator instantly defeating a young Heavenly Emperor? What did that even mean?
Not even a reincarnated Heavenly Emperor could accomplish such a feat!
And Sword Heavenly Emperor wasn't some late-blooming prodigy—he had been hailed as the foremost genius of the sword path, unmatched from the very beginning of his cultivation, invincible all the way to his ascension as a Heavenly Emperor.
Yet he had been surpassed—and instantly crushed—by someone beneath him?
Just how monstrous was Gu Qingfeng's talent and potential?
In the past, the highest praise one could receive was "this one has the makings of a Heavenly Emperor."
But how could one describe a genius capable of instantly defeating a young Heavenly Emperor?
No one had an answer.
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.”
] [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!"
【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.)
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
