It was lunchtime.
Wang Yanran had arrived early at the cafeteria, dressed in a simple uniform with her long, wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. She sat quietly at the table, not daring to be late since she had agreed to meet Ye Chuan for lunch.
With the Super Martial Assembly approaching, every prominent family was preparing, and the Wang Family was no exception. Their clan was among the weaker tiers within the super martial families, and their frequent dealings with supernatural entities made many super martial artists reluctant to associate with them.
The Wang Family placed great importance on this assembly, as it would determine future resource allocations. They had to give it their all.
As her grandfather had said, the younger generation of the Wang Family was far weaker than their peers from other families—a fundamental disadvantage.
Supernatural entities feared fire, thunder, and light.
Yet many super martial artists from other families wielded such powers, rendering the Wang Family's abilities completely countered.
The only wildcard in this situation was Ye Chuan.
Tasked with acting as the intermediary to communicate with him, Wang Yanran had been entrusted with a crucial mission by Old Master Wang.
"Ye Chuan, over here!" Wang Yanran stood up the moment she spotted him at the cafeteria entrance.
Hm?
Ye Chuan noticed her as he walked in and made his way over, only to find that she had already prepared his meal.
"So thoughtful?"
"This way, you won’t have to queue. I just hope the food suits your taste." Wang Yanran smiled sweetly.
"I’m not picky. No need to be so formal." Ye Chuan genuinely liked Wang Yanran—though not in a romantic sense.
This little rich girl was seriously loaded.
"Here, the pills for you." Ye Chuan pulled out a small vial.
"Got it." Without even inspecting them, Wang Yanran carefully tucked the vial into her purse and zipped it shut.
Then she added, "The remaining twelve million will be transferred to you."
"Ahem, sounds good."
Twelve million.
Damn.
Time to max out the in-app purchases—everything except that Immortal Emperor upgrade card!
Bring it all on!
"Oh, right. Since your Wang Family’s been so sincere, consider this a freebie." Ye Chuan pretended to rummage through his pocket before pulling out a palm-sized booklet.
Wang Yanran: ?
Where did he even pull that from?
"This is…?" She stared at the booklet’s contents, puzzled.
"Nine Nether Ghost Control Art"
The script was unusual, but she could still decipher it. Strangely, holding the booklet gave her a chilling sensation.
Was this… a manual on ghost control?
"Oh, this thing might actually be useful for your family. You can try practicing it." Ye Chuan waved it off casually. It was the only premium ghost-control technique from the Flying Sword Peak’s archives.
Since super martial artists all had some level of spiritual energy, mastering even a fraction of this technique would undoubtedly boost their strength.
Hearing that it could benefit the Wang Family, Wang Yanran didn’t dare take it lightly and stored it carefully.
Though the contents were cryptic, anything from Ye Chuan had to be valuable.
The two chatted for a while longer before parting ways.
---
That afternoon.
Wang Yanran skipped class and brought everything back to the Wang Family.
She immediately sought out her grandfather.
"Yanran, you’re back?" Old Master Wang sat reclining on a rattan chair, eyes closed in meditation. When he noticed his granddaughter’s return, he smiled. "How did it go? Did you get the items from Mr. Ye?"
"Everything’s here, Grandfather. The pills." She handed him the vial.
A glint flashed in Old Master Wang’s eyes as he examined the bottle. He popped one pill into his mouth—and his face instantly twisted.
"This bitterness… rue~"
So bitter. So revolting.
But soon, he felt a surge of vitality coursing through his veins. Refreshed, he exhaled deeply.
Amazing!
"I feel like I could father five or six more kids right now!" Old Master Wang flexed his arms, muscles bulging. With a sudden burst of strength, rip—his clothes tore apart, revealing his sculpted physique.
Wang Yanran: "Grandfather…"
She gave him a skeptical look.
Were these… potency pills?
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Old Master Wang reined in his excitement.
"Yanran, what’s this?" He noticed the second item she had brought—a booklet with an unusual texture.
It felt like paper… yet also like leather.
"A freebie. Ye Chuan said it might be useful for our family." Wang Yanran explained. "It seems to be a cultivation manual, but I tried reading a bit—the content is too profound."
Some of the characters were even unfamiliar to her.
"Oh?" Old Master Wang’s interest was piqued. He flipped through the booklet, and as he painstakingly deciphered the first page, his expression grew increasingly animated before turning solemn.
"What’s wrong, Grandfather?" Wang Yanran asked curiously.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Old Master Wang spoke gravely,
"Yanran, you must not speak of this to anyone else."
Hearing his serious tone, Wang Yanran nodded instinctively, though she didn’t fully understand.
"Grandfather, what does it say?"
"Ghost control techniques—but entirely different from our family’s methods." His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Are they… stronger than our ancestral techniques?"
"No." Old Master Wang tightened his grip on the booklet.
"Our family’s techniques are nothing compared to this. It’s the difference between a firefly and the stars."
That exaggerated?
Wang Yanran was stunned. Ye Chuan had given it to her so casually, calling it just a freebie.
"Did Mr. Ye set any conditions?"
"None. He just gave it to us."
Old Master Wang fell silent for a moment, then glanced at his granddaughter’s curvaceous figure. "Does he fancy you?"
"Ah…" Wang Yanran froze, cheeks flushing. "I-I don’t think so?"
Though Ye Chuan’s gaze burned when he looked at her, she could tell it wasn’t romantic—just… something else.
"I must study this manual thoroughly. If I succeed, our Wang Family could become the top family in this region—no, the entire Super Martial Alliance."
"T-Top family?"
Seriously?
The Wang Family was just a minor super martial clan. Could a single booklet really change their fate?
Now she understood why her grandfather was so grave.
And yet, Ye Chuan had handed it over like it was nothing.
"Then… should I show some gratitude?" Wang Yanran wondered.
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."
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
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.
