Gu Ruochen's heart was tangled in conflict. He was strongly tempted to abandon Gu Qingfeng in exchange for the opportunity to purchase a Tribulation Transcendence Pill. To be honest, compared to such a pill, Gu Qingfeng—a complete stranger—was insignificant.
Having cultivated to his current level, he naturally wouldn’t sacrifice his own path for someone he didn’t know.
What truly troubled him wasn’t Gu Qingfeng, but the attitude of the Radiant Immortal King.
Gu Ruochen understood all too well—based on the Radiant Immortal King’s past behavior—that the king would never allow him to ascend to the same rank.
This was only natural. The resources of the Sixth Star Ruins were limited, and those lofty Immortal Kings had no desire to share their dominion with another.
That was why Gu Ruochen hesitated. He feared that even if he abandoned Gu Qingfeng, the Radiant Clan would never hand over the Tribulation Transcendence Pill.
Yet, at the same time, a sliver of hope lingered in his heart—what if?
The chances were slim, but what if the Radiant Immortal King relented?
If he showed more humility, offered greater concessions, perhaps he could obtain the pill?
Or maybe he could forge an alliance by marrying off a few of his daughters to the Radiant Clan...
But then, Gu Ruochen reconsidered. Given the Radiant Immortal King’s domineering nature, it was far more likely that the king would simply watch him perish and then seize the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom for himself.
By then, all his wealth—and even his daughters—would belong to the Radiant Clan. Wouldn’t that be more convenient?
Just as Gu Ruochen wrestled with his thoughts, Gu Qingfeng’s spirits lifted.
An Immortal King’s Tribulation?!
He had never forgotten his family, still sealed within the Prisoner’s Demon Sword!
How could he stand by and watch them suffer? The thought was unbearable.
The tribulation’s power could weaken the sword’s seal—this had been proven when Ye Wuyou’s nascent Devil Infant triggered a heavenly punishment.
But Ye Wuyou’s tribulation had been pitifully weak, barely equivalent to a Profound Immortal’s trial.
After absorbing that tribulation, the seal on the Prisoner’s Demon Sword had only weakened by a fraction.
To fully break the seal and free his family, he needed a tribulation billions of times stronger.
Would an Immortal King’s tribulation suffice?
At this thought, Gu Qingfeng also found himself torn.
Which mattered more—the Great Luo Golden Immortal, or his family trapped in the sword?
If he chose the Great Luo Golden Immortal, he should tell Gu Ruochen to leave and mind his own business.
If he chose his family, he should befriend Gu Ruochen and offer to help him survive the tribulation.
Damn it! Only children make choices—adults take everything!
A moment before Gu Qingfeng resolved his dilemma, Gu Ruochen had already made his decision.
Years of cultivation had taught him one truth: those who entrusted their fate to others would never become true powerhouses—never become Immortal Kings.
Since ancient times, no Immortal King had ever ascended by begging!
"Gu Ruochen, have you made your decision?" Yuwen Bo pressed impatiently. "My patience wears thin."
A cold glint flashed in Gu Ruochen’s eyes. He had cast aside all illusions. He knew full well that if he died, the Radiant Clan would be the first to carve up the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom. So why bother with diplomacy?
"What gives you the right to address this emperor by name? Scram!"
His roar thundered like divine judgment, sending visible shockwaves rippling through the void.
Boom!
A devastating soundwave surged forth, like a tempest from the heavens, crashing toward Yuwen Bo.
Both Yuwen Bo and Gu Qingfeng paled, their faces mirroring the same dread.
Yuwen Bo feared Gu Ruochen’s attack—but so did Gu Qingfeng.
"No!" they both shouted in unison.
Bang!
Yuwen Bo was sent flying, blood spraying across the void.
Witnessing this, Gu Qingfeng nearly slapped Gu Ruochen for meddling.
But one glance at the man’s radiant immortal aura and overwhelming presence made him reconsider.
Far away, Yuwen Bo stabilized himself, his face twisted in fury. "Gu Ruochen! The Radiant Clan will not let this go!"
"I await them," Gu Ruochen replied coldly.
With a final glare, Yuwen Bo turned and fled, vanishing into his treasure ship, which then sped away into the void.
"Don’t go!" Gu Qingfeng stretched out a hand, as if to grasp his departing "family." But they left without looking back.
"Young friend, thank you for your earlier assistance. This is no place to talk—come with me."
With that, Gu Ruochen’s figure dissipated into the void.
Gu Qingfeng sighed. "One got away. I can’t let this one escape too."
Then, he too vanished.
---
Within the palace of the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom...
Gu Ruochen, along with his royal sons and daughters, stood in the grand hall.
Naturally, Gu Qingfeng was also present.
"Might I ask your name, young friend?" Gu Ruochen inquired politely.
"Gu Qingfeng."
"Young Master Gu, I must thank you for your intervention earlier. Without it, the dignity of the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom would have been trampled."
Gu Qingfeng nearly retorted: I saved your face, yet you drove away my family. Is this how you repay kindness?
But instead, he said, "This emperor acted not for you, but because his ship blocked my sunlight."
Gu Ruochen: "..."
The royal heirs: "..."
So you were serious about that?!
Gu Ruochen’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. As a monarch, he had little patience for arrogance—precisely why he despised the Radiant Clan.
"Regardless of your motives, you aided this emperor. Thus, I shall repay you. Name your desire—immortal weapons, pills, or spirit jade—it shall be granted."
His tone remained courteous, though colder now.
"This emperor seeks only the whereabouts of the Tear of the Stars. Does the Ancient Kingdom possess any leads?"
"The Tear of the Stars?" Gu Ruochen’s expression tightened. "That is a relic of antiquity, said to have vanished long ago. I’m surprised you know of it."
"Vanished?!" Panic flickered in Gu Qingfeng’s eyes. This couldn’t be—his family’s survival depended on it!
"However... if any place might still hold such a treasure, it would be the Soaring Immortal Forbidden Zone. That land has endured since time immemorial, making it one of the oldest forbidden realms. The Tear of the Stars could very well lie within."
At these words, hope ignited in Gu Qingfeng’s eyes.
Yes! My family can still be saved!
"Tell me, Ancient Monarch—how does one enter the Soaring Immortal Forbidden Zone?"
"It seems this is your first time participating in the Seven Stars Assembly. The very purpose of the assembly is to compete for entry into the Soaring Immortal Forbidden Zone.
The Seven Stars Assembly gathers talents from across the realm. Those who rank within the top hundred earn the right to enter."
"Of course, if Young Friend Gu wishes to enter the Feixian Forbidden Zone, This Emperor can make an exception and grant you a passage token, exempting you from the martial competition. Consider this our repayment."
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
