Outside the Taiyi Secret Realm.
Countless individuals from immortal dynasties and sects waited anxiously for their disciples to emerge, hoping they would return with bountiful gains. Even better, if possible, would be the retrieval of the legacy itself.
However, after a long wait, a thunderous boom echoed across the heavens, and the Taiyi Secret Realm began to visibly crack apart before their eyes.
"What’s happening!? The Taiyi Secret Realm, which has stood for millions of years, is collapsing!?"
"Under normal circumstances, a secret realm’s destruction only occurs for two reasons—either an overwhelming external force shatters it, or someone has obtained its legacy. Once the realm’s purpose is fulfilled, it naturally crumbles."
"We’ve been guarding this place all this time, and no one has attacked it. The trial-takers inside aren’t even immortals, let alone capable of breaking the realm. That means… someone must have acquired the legacy!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted in fervor, speculating about which disciple had succeeded.
If it was one of their own, they would need to leave immediately to avoid unforeseen consequences.
If it wasn’t, they would have to prepare an ambush to seize the prize by force.
After all, this was the legacy of a True Immortal—a being who stood at the pinnacle of power in the lower realms. And the Taiyi True Immortal was no ordinary True Immortal; among their ranks, they were one of the mightiest.
Amidst the tension and excitement of the crowd, Shangguan Wan'er and Shangguan Qing remained eerily calm.
One was confident in her master, the other in the trial-taker she had chosen.
Finally, under the gaze of countless onlookers, a figure of extraordinary grace and presence strode forth—Gu Qingfeng.
"He’s out!"
"Why is he the only one? Are the others still behind?"
"That man seems to be Princess Wan’s trial-taker."
"Young friend," an immortal called out, unable to wait any longer for his disciple to appear. He stopped Gu Qingfeng, restraining his impatience out of respect for Shangguan Wan'er. "May I ask where the others are?"
Gu Qingfeng cast a disdainful glance at the immortal, his aura so overwhelming that it seemed to reverse their roles—as if the immortal were the mortal and he the transcendent being.
"Dead," Gu Qingfeng replied flatly.
The immortal stiffened, barely suppressing his displeasure. "People die in the Taiyi Secret Realm every time. How do you even know who I’m asking about? How can you just—"
"All of them are dead," Gu Qingfeng interrupted with a frown.
"All… all of them!?" The immortal froze, then exploded in fury. "Brat, I’ve been civil out of respect for Princess Wan, but how dare you mock me!?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a deafening crash resounded—the Taiyi Secret Realm collapsed entirely, its celestial mountain shattering into rubble like a landslide.
The immortal stared blankly at the ruins, petrified.
The others erupted into chaos.
"My disciple!"
"The realm has collapsed, so why haven’t they come out!?"
Several streaks of immortal light shot into the wreckage, frantically searching. Yet no matter how hard they looked, not a single survivor could be found—as if everyone inside had truly perished.
Then, dozens more immortal lights surrounded Gu Qingfeng.
"Speak! What happened!? Why are they all dead, and you’re the only one alive!?"
"This must be your doing, isn’t it!?"
Several immortals roared.
Only their deference to Shangguan Wan'er kept them from immediately resorting to soul-searching and torture.
Faced with their demands, Gu Qingfeng uttered a single word: "Scram."
The immortals were stunned. Never had they imagined a mere mortal would dare speak to them like this.
Then, their rage erupted. "You insolent wretch! How dare a mortal disrespect us immortals!?"
"You refuse to talk? Fine! Once I flay your soul and refine your essence, let’s see if you still keep silent!"
They shouted, yet none made the first move, their eyes flickering toward Shangguan Wan'er to gauge her reaction.
After all, even when beating a dog, one must consider its master. Though furious, they had no desire to provoke Shangguan Wan'er needlessly.
Their words were a test—to see if she would intervene.
To their surprise, Shangguan Wan'er remained utterly indifferent, as if Gu Qingfeng were a stranger rather than her trial-taker.
These immortals were no fools. They immediately understood her stance.
It made sense—even as a princess, Shangguan Wan'er was still an immortal. Why would she side with a mortal against her own kind?
Mortals were fleeting. Even if she protected him now, he would die eventually. Immortals and mortals were no longer the same species.
With Shangguan Wan'er’s indifference confirmed, the immortals shed all restraint, their eyes gleaming with malice as they prepared to tear Gu Qingfeng’s soul apart to uncover the truth.
But just as they were about to strike, Shangguan Qing stepped forward.
"Everyone, this matter is strange. Let’s clarify the details before acting rashly."
The others hesitated at her intervention.
"Sir," Shangguan Qing fixed her gaze on Gu Qingfeng, her voice tense. "Have you seen my trial-taker, Chu Fengyang?"
Gu Qingfeng, amused by her distress, smirked. "I have."
"Wonderful! Where is he now?" Shangguan Qing asked, hope flickering in her eyes.
"Dead."
"Dead!?" Shangguan Qing staggered as if struck by lightning, her face paling. "Impossible! With his strength, he could rival even a loose immortal. How could he die!?"
Gu Qingfeng offered no explanation. Instead, he casually drew the Prison Demon Sword.
The moment Shangguan Qing saw the blade, her spirit seemed to drain away.
"How did he die?" she whispered hoarsely.
Gu Qingfeng studied the fragile woman before him, a cruel grin spreading across his face. "I killed him."
Shangguan Qing’s head snapped up, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief. "Why!?"
"The moment he dared raise his sword against this Emperor, his fate was sealed."
"But you didn’t have to kill him—"
"Silence, you wretched woman! He drew his blade against me—should I have spared him? Speak another word, and I’ll kill you too!" Gu Qingfeng sneered.
Shangguan Qing recoiled at his demonic aura. As a proud princess, she had never been treated this way.
At that moment, Shangguan Wan'er rushed over. She couldn’t allow her sister to die—not like this. Shangguan Qing was her own flesh and blood. If she died now, it would be too easy.
No, she had to be humiliated, defiled, dragged down from her lofty pedestal!
So Shangguan Wan'er yanked Shangguan Qing away.
"Wan'er, you—"
"Shut up, you fool! So what if a mere trial-taker died? He was weak—it was his own fault! Are you really going to avenge him? As a princess of the Feather Transformation Immortal Dynasty, would you lower yourself to attack a mortal? You disgrace our lineage!"
Without another thought, Shangguan Wan'er unleashed a torrent of insults, berating Shangguan Qing mercilessly.
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."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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!
