At the same time, Gu Qingfeng also learned the origins of that man surnamed Chu.
Like himself, the man hailed from the lower realm. His name was Chu Fengyang, an Extreme Dao cultivator who had ascended. A swordsman of immense power, he was capable of defying the heavens and slaying immortals.
Even before his ascension, the sword in his hand was already a divine immortal blade—proof that he carried great fortune.
After all, an immortal weapon was an exceedingly rare treasure. Not every loose immortal possessed one, yet Chu Fengyang had obtained his even before achieving immortality.
By chance, Shangguan Qing encountered Chu Fengyang. At the time, Chu Fengyang, though not yet an immortal, had drawn the attention of a loose immortal due to the divine sword he carried.
The result? That loose immortal was obliterated with a single strike. Shangguan Qing was instantly awestruck and promptly invited Chu Fengyang to participate in the Taiyi Trials on her behalf.
Shangguan Qing had also stumbled upon news that the Taiyi Secret Realm contained the Eternal Night Lamp Technique—a method to purify spiritual energy and increase the chances of ascending to True Immortality.
Her reason for joining was to make amends for her younger sister, helping Shangguan Wan'er achieve True Immortality.
As a True Immortal herself, the Eternal Night Lamp Technique held little benefit for Shangguan Qing. Her efforts were entirely for Wan'er's sake, hoping to do more for her sister before her marriage into the upper realms.
No wonder Gu Qingfeng remarked on the deep bond between the two sisters.
Kind-hearted Gu Qingfeng resolved to help the sisters reconcile.
Yet one thing nagged at him—Shangguan Wan'er had also learned of the Eternal Night Lamp Technique in the Taiyi Secret Realm by coincidence, just like Shangguan Qing.
Were there really so many coincidences in the world?
After a moment’s thought, Gu Qingfeng dismissed his concerns. Whatever happens, happens. In this corner of the lower realm, was there anything his trillion years of cultivation and hundredfold True Immortal physique couldn’t handle?
If there was, he could always resort to the Immortal-Binding Chains, the Starfire of the Polar Extremes, or the Nine Heavens Profound Ice—Freezing Soul, Sealing Spirit, Piercing Cold Light Pillar.
And if even that failed? Well, he could always retreat into the starry river and lay low for a while. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—time would tell.
......
"How long until the wedding?" Chu Fengyang asked.
"Ten years," Shangguan Qing replied gloomily.
"Ten years... That’s too tight. In that case, we’ll have to rely on..." Chu Fengyang’s gaze fell upon the divine sword in his hand.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. The secret realm is about to open. Let’s go. Rest assured, I will secure the Eternal Night Lamp Technique for you."
"Good. But I noticed my sister has also recruited a trial participant. Perhaps once inside, you could help him obtain it instead."
Chu Fengyang shook his head. "If he claims the inheritance, do you think your sister would still owe you any gratitude?"
"But—"
"No buts. Besides, didn’t we agree earlier? I also need that inheritance. I can make a copy for your sister later. Let’s go."
With that, the two departed.
Gu Qingfeng observed their exchange, clicking his tongue in silent amusement. Something about the situation felt oddly familiar.
Hadn’t he seen this plot somewhere before?
Probably overthinking it.
Just a case of a woman resembling the heroine recruiting a man resembling the protagonist for a trial, while the villainess also enlisted a rival participant, and then—
Yeah, definitely overthinking it.
BOOM—!
A deafening roar suddenly shook the heavens and earth.
"The Taiyi Secret Realm is opening!" someone shouted.
The world trembled visibly before their eyes.
In the depths of the mountains, the eastern region erupted with boundless vitality—ancient trees and vines surged from the earth, growing wildly.
The western region shimmered with golden light, accompanied by the clashing of metal.
The southern region blazed with towering flames, fire licking the sky.
The northern region exhaled a bone-chilling frost, instantly coating everything in white.
And at the center—the mountain itself—seemed to come alive, swelling monstrously until it nearly pierced the heavens, looming like an insurmountable barrier.
Once the transformations ceased, a dense surge of primordial Five Elements energy enveloped the area. Multicolored divine light condensed into mist, obscuring all vision.
"What an intricate Primordial Five Elements Formation. They say those who conquer the trials of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth can enter the inheritance grounds and claim its rewards."
"Easier said than done. Over countless millennia, countless prodigies have fallen at the fifth trial. This thing is practically impossible for anyone below immortalhood. Nowadays, the Taiyi Secret Realm is just a training ground—most come for the elixirs and spirit herbs, not the inheritance."
"Enough talk! First come, first served. This humble Daoist takes his leave!"
Impatient trial participants had already begun pouring into the Taiyi Secret Realm, eager to hunt for treasures.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at the Taiyi Immortal Token in his hand, glowing insistently as if urging him forward.
Then he looked at the participants—many not even immortals—and couldn’t help but feel absurd.
It was like stepping into a kindergarten to race against toddlers. Or a grandmaster slumming it in a beginner’s arena.
Wasn’t this just bullying the weak?
Damn, why did it feel so satisfying?
With a single step, Gu Qingfeng entered the Taiyi Secret Realm.
The scenery shifted instantly. The first trial—a fog-shrouded ancient battlefield littered with broken weapons and wreckage. Metallic killing intent permeated the air, raising goosebumps as if countless blades pressed against skin.
Not far away, metallic puppet soldiers clashed with trial participants, their weapons sparking with each collision.
And their numbers kept growing—more and more emerged from the mist, assembling into an army of a hundred thousand.
Individually, these puppets weren’t strong. But their terrifying trait was their ability to endlessly absorb the primordial metallic killing intent from the air, regenerating even when shattered. A relentless, exhausting foe.
"Everyone, these puppets are too numerous. Fighting alone is hopeless—let’s unite and break through!" someone shouted.
"Agreed!"
"Good plan!"
Groups of trial participants began clustering together, preparing for a joint assault.
Yet at that moment, a lone, solitary figure strode toward the hundred-thousand-strong army. He stood tall and unyielding, accompanied by nothing but a single sword.
This was Chu Fengyang.
Sword in hand, he faced the overwhelming force without fear, his aura undiminished—as if he alone had surrounded them all.
"Hey! Are you insane? Get back here and fight with us!" a kind soul called out.
Chu Fengyang didn’t even glance back. "Sheep flock together. Beasts walk alone."
With those words, he charged—one man against a hundred thousand.
But just then, a lazy, resonant voice echoed through the void:
"Retract."
Like an imperial decree, the entire ancient battlefield quaked. Everything began dissolving into smoke.
The hundred-thousand-strong army reverted into pure primordial metallic killing intent.
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.”
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."
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
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?!
