"No, focus on getting stronger." Lilith didn't elaborate further, as if she understood that explaining more to Ye Chuan in his current state would be futile. She spread her palm, revealing a luminous orb that materialized in her hand.
"Take this."
The orb exuded an unusual aura. Ye Chuan instinctively reached out and took it. As the orb merged into his body, he realized it was a spell.
[Spell: Causality Reversal (Passive) Red
When suffering a fatal blow, reverses causality to transfer the damage to the attacker and fully restores the user's condition.
Cooldown: 100 hours]
"Huh?" Ye Chuan was momentarily stunned. This seemed like an incredibly overpowered spell.
Legendary-tier!
Another legendary-tier item?
And wasn’t this essentially a life-saving spell? Not only did it negate a fatal hit, but it also reflected the damage back and fully restored his condition.
This was insane.
"Lilith…" Ye Chuan started to speak, only to see her dissolve into a streak of violet light and retreat back into his jade pendant.
"Granny Lilith?"
"...Call me that again and see what happens." Ye Chuan could almost picture the irritated expression on Lilith’s face inside the pendant.
Shrugging, he decided not to press further since she clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk.
As expected, Lilith truly cared for him—even the random treasures she handed out included two legendary-tier items.
After collecting himself, Ye Chuan pushed open his door, planning to take a shower—
Only to come face-to-face with Bai Qianshuang stepping out of the bathroom, her hair damp and steam still rising around her, clearly fresh from a bath.
"Ye Chuan…" Bai Qianshuang held a towel in her hand, her cool eyes flickering slightly. For some reason, the teardrop mole under her eye seemed even more captivating now.
"Can I go to your room?"
"Sure, just let me shower first." Ye Chuan glanced toward his room. "You can go in and sit down."
"Mm, alright."
After finishing his shower, Ye Chuan returned to his room to find Bai Qianshuang sitting obediently on the edge of his bed. She was in her pajamas, stretching her legs slightly. When she noticed him, she spoke up.
"Ye Chuan, I’ll be leaving for a while soon."
"Why?" Ye Chuan froze.
Was his cash cow about to fly away?!
Panic set in!
Bai Qianshuang was his daily source of pills—Ye Chuan relied on her output to unlock new alchemy recipes. Plus, with so few ways to earn points, only a handful like her could accumulate them steadily. How could she just leave?!
"Did something make you uncomfortable here?" Ye Chuan took her small hand in his. "If it’s just about living conditions, we can fix that, Qianshuang."
Bai Qianshuang trembled slightly at his touch, her gaze drifting away uneasily.
Even so, she didn’t pull back, merely replying in a soft voice,
"You’ve misunderstood, Ye Chuan. It’s not about discomfort. I’m just one step away from the Nascent Soul realm… Breaking through to Nascent Soul triggers celestial phenomena, and with the world so unstable right now, I’m worried you might get targeted because of me."
"That’s all?" Ye Chuan blinked.
What kind of reason was that?
It was just some celestial phenomenon—no big deal.
"Mm." Bai Qianshuang nodded lightly.
"Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your breakthrough." Ye Chuan’s aura suddenly surged, no longer concealed. "I’m a Crystal Phase powerhouse—who dares mess with me?"
The revelation of his late-stage Crystal Phase strength surprised Bai Qianshuang. "You… have already reached this level?"
She found Ye Chuan’s talent terrifying. Without formal guidance or following the orthodox path of cultivation, he was nearly catching up to her.
Meanwhile, Ye Chuan thought Bai Qianshuang’s growth rate was absurd—even with his system, her progress felt unreal.
Both silently acknowledged how monstrous the other was.
"Don’t worry about burdening anyone. This is your home. If anyone causes trouble, I’ll wipe them out." Ye Chuan stroked the back of her hand gently.
"Didn’t we promise to stay together for life? You even swore an oath to the heavens."
Bai Qianshuang paused. "That’s true…"
The reminder of her heavenly oath made her freeze, her hand still in his grasp. She had vowed to protect Ye Chuan until the end of his lifespan.
But the problem was—
Ye Chuan’s cultivation speed wasn’t slow either.
At this rate, wouldn’t she end up staying with him for millions of years?
That… wasn’t what she’d initially imagined.
The thought inexplicably made her face heat up, her vision growing slightly hazy.
"Hm?" Ye Chuan noticed the girl’s flustered expression—and he’d only held her hand.
Was she really this sensitive?
Seeing her reaction, he smoothly wrapped an arm around Bai Qianshuang’s waist and pulled her into his embrace. Feeling the soft pressure against his chest, he gazed at her tenderly.
"Qianshuang, don’t go. I’ll protect you during your breakthrough."
Bai Qianshuang could practically feel his breath against her skin. The next second, she abruptly pushed him away. "I—I need to go cultivate!"
With that, the usually composed Bai Qianshuang bolted from the room like a flustered schoolgirl, stumbling slightly in her haste.
Lan Xiaoke happened to be passing by in the hallway and blinked in surprise at the sight. "Huh?"
She phased her head through the wall, peering at Ye Chuan, who was now sitting on his bed. "What did you do? That’s the first time I’ve seen Qianshuang’s face so red."
"Nothing much." Ye Chuan spread his hands. "Just hugged her."
"That’s all?"
"Of course."
"If you’ve got a hugging addiction, I’ll let you hug me too—ten bucks a pop." Lan Xiaoke grinned like a little miser, though she was clearly joking.
"Oh?" Ye Chuan beckoned. "Come here, then."
Lan Xiaoke stiffened. "Eh… I was kidding."
"Then I’ll start kidding about your allowance too."
Oh no!
Lan Xiaoke realized she’d misspoken. Scratching her head awkwardly, she floated over reluctantly.
Looking at the white-haired girl, Ye Chuan pulled her into a hug. She felt cool to the touch, like holding a water pillow.
"Ehh—" Lan Xiaoke blinked.
Ye Chuan then took her hand and said with exaggerated sincerity, "Don’t go."
Lan Xiaoke tilted her head. "Well, duh, I wasn’t planning to. Hehe, not with all that allowance money…"
The next moment, Ye Chuan released her without warning, sending her tumbling onto the bed.
"Why aren’t you blushing?" He poked her cheek.
"Why would I blush?" Lan Xiaoke sprawled on the bed, puzzled.
"Guess compared to Qianshuang, you’ve got thicker skin." Ye Chuan rested his chin on his hand, smirking knowingly.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
] [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!"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
