Being continuously splashed with water, Ye Chuan called out, "Senior Sister, your clothes!"
Only then did Zi Ning'er snap out of her daze. In a flash, she transformed into a streak of light and dove back into the sacred pool, sending a splash of water high into the air.
"Junior Brother, don't look over here!" Zi Ning'er's flustered voice rang out.
Watching this scene, Ye Chuan also sank back into the sacred pool. He twitched his lips, suddenly realizing that his senior sister might be a bit single-minded—perhaps even a little scatterbrained—seemingly forgetting everything else once focused on one task.
The atmosphere grew awkward. In the distance, Zi Ning'er kept her back turned to Ye Chuan. Feeling the endless surge of spiritual energy from the sacred pool, she found herself reluctant to leave.
"Senior Sister, since the water level isn’t dropping anymore, why don’t we absorb the remaining spiritual energy?" Ye Chuan suggested. "It won’t take much longer."
"But..."
"Fluctuations in the water level are normal. Even the tides rise and fall—maybe the pool follows the same pattern."
"The pool does that too?" Zi Ning'er asked.
"Well, it is a sacred pool after all. It must have its own unique properties. It’s not like someone could’ve stolen all that water, right?" Ye Chuan reasoned.
Zi Ning'er found his logic sound. After sorting through her thoughts, she calmed down. "Let’s refine this spiritual energy first. If anything changes, we’ll leave immediately!"
Indeed, the water here wouldn’t vanish without reason—perhaps it was just part of the pool’s natural rhythm.
"Alright."
Once Zi Ning'er settled down, Ye Chuan fully activated his Indestructible Chaos Body. The spiritual energy in the sacred pool surged toward him, being devoured at an astonishing rate, like a whale gulping down water.
Though he had already reached the peak of his current realm, the absorbed energy could still be stored away, ready to be refined into his cultivation once he broke through to the Golden Core stage.
"Hmm?" Zi Ning'er, who had been quietly cultivating, suddenly sensed the shift in the pool’s energy. Surprised, she turned her head toward Ye Chuan—
She was stunned to see all the spiritual energy flowing toward him. Just what kind of monstrous talent did he possess, that even she couldn’t compete for it?
No wonder their master had been suppressing Ye Chuan—to prevent him from shining too brightly and overtaking her as the top rising star of Flying Sword Peak.
Yet, even after witnessing Ye Chuan’s talent, Zi Ning'er didn’t believe her master’s actions were justified.
Cultivation wasn’t solely about innate gifts. She was confident that with her own diligence and effort, she could match her junior brother’s strength in the future.
Setting aside her thoughts, she refocused on her cultivation.
An unknown amount of time later, Ye Chuan opened his eyes and glanced around—
Nearly seventy to eighty percent of the sacred pool’s spiritual energy had been absorbed by him. The once-glowing pool now lay dim, its spiritual essence nearly depleted.
"Not bad. Once I reach Golden Core, this reserve of energy will help me break through several more stages." Sensing the vast energy within him, he noticed Zi Ning'er still sitting motionless in the distance, absorbing the remnants of the pool’s energy.
Ye Chuan decided to wait patiently.
...
That night, Zi Ning'er finally opened her eyes, realizing she had broken through to the next minor realm. "I’ve advanced!"
Delight flashed across her face, but then she spotted Ye Chuan standing on a rock nearby, already dressed in fresh robes.
"Junior Brother, did you break through too?" she asked.
"I made some progress," Ye Chuan replied casually. Just then, Zi Ning'er began swimming toward him through the pool. Seeing certain buoyant objects, he reminded her again,
"Senior Sister, your clothes."
"Ah!" Zi Ning'er suddenly remembered and immediately submerged herself.
A long moment later, she reappeared on the opposite side of the pool, standing atop her flying sword. Her robes were clean but haphazardly thrown on, as if she’d dressed in a hurry.
"Ahem. As cultivators, we shouldn’t be troubled by such distractions. Forget about it—don’t dwell on it," Zi Ning'er said, her gaze flickering toward Ye Chuan.
"I wasn’t particularly bothered," Ye Chuan said with an amused smile, watching her flushed face. "Senior Sister, it’s time to leave."
"R-right."
After tidying up, the two crushed their teleportation talismans together.
A small rift opened behind them, swallowing them whole.
"..."
"..." When Ye Chuan opened his eyes again, he found himself back at the teleportation array.
Though their gains weren’t immense, breaking through a single realm was already a significant achievement for Zi Ning'er. After all, progressing beyond the Golden Core stage was notoriously difficult.
"Junior Brother..." Zi Ning'er, still embarrassed by what had happened in the pool, hesitated before speaking. "I’ll go rest first."
"Mm." As soon as Ye Chuan acknowledged, Zi Ning'er summoned her flying sword and soared toward her cave abode. But before she’d gone far, she turned back in a streak of light, holding a communication token.
"Junior Brother, Master wants to discuss something with us. I wonder if it’s about the sacred pool."
"The sacred pool?"
"Yes." Zi Ning'er nodded. "I think we should also report what happened in the sacred land."
Ye Chuan thought for a moment, then smiled. "In that case, let’s go."
Zi Ning'er agreed, and the two flew toward Tianheng Peak.
The journey wasn’t long. After about half an hour, they arrived and stepped into the grand hall.
"Where is Elder Ziyun?" Zi Ning'er asked a gatekeeping disciple.
"Inside. Just head straight in," the disciple replied, his expression slightly odd as he pointed the way.
"Let’s go, Junior Brother."
"Mm." Watching Zi Ning'er walk ahead, Ye Chuan withdrew his gaze from the disciple and suddenly said, "Senior Sister, you’ve always been so kind to me. I feel a bit ashamed."
"What are you talking about? You’re my junior brother," Zi Ning'er said with a smile. "It’s only natural."
Ye Chuan chuckled softly but then murmured, "What a pity."
A pity?
Zi Ning'er was puzzled. What did he mean?
Just as the two stepped further into the hall, an overwhelming pressure crashed down on them, as if the very air had solidified!
"Hum—"
"Hum—"
"Hum—"
Dozens of golden divine senses shot forth, forming layer upon layer of restraints around Ye Chuan!
"Junior Brother?!" Before Zi Ning'er could react, a powerful force yanked her aside, sending her stumbling to the ground.
"Master?" She looked up to see Elder Ziyun standing beside her.
Not only that—dozens of elders surrounded them, even the Sect Leader was present!
Elder Ziyun ignored Zi Ning'er, his cold eyes fixed on Ye Chuan as he demanded sharply,
"Huang Haotian! You’re the thief who stole the cultivation manuals, the herb garden, and the pill formulas, aren’t you?!"
What?!
"Master, are you mistaken?" Zi Ning'er asked in disbelief, unable to comprehend why her master would say such a thing.
She immediately turned her gaze to Ye Chuan, only to find his expression eerily calm. Even under the oppressive aura of the assembled elders, he merely let out a light, indifferent chuckle.
"Not at all."
In that instant, Zi Ning'er felt as if her heart had plunged into an icy abyss.
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.
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
