The wind swept through the remnants of sand, the grit crackling against the wooden shield like firecrackers.
Li Gongfeng noticed An Gongfeng frozen in place as if plunged into an icy abyss, his spiritual energy eerily stagnant. His expression darkened, brows furrowing into a knot.
"What are you hesitating for, An Gongfeng? Don’t tell me you’re still clinging to the young mistress’s past kindness, thinking of turning traitor?"
"N-no… it’s not… ah—"
An Gongfeng forced the words through gritted teeth, his Taoist robe already drenched in cold sweat. An invisible pressure now bore down on him like a crushing mountain, freezing the spiritual energy in his dantian. Even his fingertips refused to budge.
He could feel the sheer terror of that power—as if the very essence of heaven and earth had bared its fangs at him. The slightest movement would reduce him to dust.
"Can’t move your body? Don’t mock me." Li Gongfeng found the situation bizarre when suddenly, a faint whistling sound brushed past his ear.
It wasn’t the howl of natural wind but more like the residual echo of a blade slicing through the void—
The next instant, the world spun before Li Gongfeng’s eyes.
To the onlookers, a flash of crimson light streaked across their vision. By the time they refocused, a geyser of blood erupted from Li Gongfeng’s neck. His head tumbled to the ground like a severed kite string, rolling twice before stopping at An Gongfeng’s feet, eyes wide with disbelief.
"What?!"
Gasps were cut short as if an invisible hand clenched around their hearts. Everyone stared at the head lying in the sand.
A cultivator at the late Qi Refining stage, slaughtered without even a chance to resist?
Such power was beyond their comprehension!
"L-Li Gongfeng…" An Gongfeng trembled violently as the headless corpse beside him collapsed, blood splattering onto his robe in scalding spurts.
Straining to turn his gaze toward Chen Muling, he saw only confusion on the young mistress’s face. The wooden shield in her hand still bore the scorch marks from his earlier fire technique—clearly, she hadn’t struck.
"Which senior master intervened?" Chen Muling’s heart pounded, but there was no time to dwell. She slammed her shield into the ground with a deafening crash.
"Brothers, charge with me!"
At her rallying cry, the guards surged forward like tigers descending a mountain.
"For the young mistress, offer your hearts!"
The thugs who had relied on the two Gongfengs for support now scattered like startled birds, their morale shattered in an instant.
The dull thuds of blades cleaving flesh, the crisp snaps of breaking bones, and agonized screams filled the air. Within the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the remaining foes fled into the valley’s depths, abandoning even the coins at their feet.
Chen Muling drove her blade through An Gongfeng’s heart, her emotions churning as she stared at the two lifeless heads.
She had known An Gongfeng and Li Gongfeng since childhood—they were practically elders to her.
And yet…
Greed had poisoned their hearts.
Taking a deep breath, she ordered her guards, "Seal these heads in jade boxes. When we reach Xiluo Kingdom, I’ll present them to my uncle myself and demand answers!"
"Yes, young mistress!"
Once the aftermath was dealt with, Chen Muling gazed at the swirling sands and suddenly bowed deeply toward the valley, her voice laced with reverence.
"Esteemed senior, who granted us aid—this humble one, Chen Muling of the Great Qian Trading Company, begs to meet you and offer gratitude!"
Only the mournful wind answered.
The terrifying aura that had obliterated Li Gongfeng in an instant had already receded like the tide, leaving no trace behind. Were it not for the blood still pooling from the corpses, they might have believed the ordeal a nightmare.
"This junior understands. My apologies for the intrusion." Chen Muling bowed again. "A debt of this magnitude cannot be repaid with words. The Great Qian Trading Company and I shall never forget this kindness!"
As she spoke, her eyes involuntarily flicked toward the rear of the caravan—where an unremarkable green-canopied wagon stood, its curtains drawn tight, wheels caked in dust.
But she quickly dismissed the thought. If a senior capable of slaying a Qi Refining cultivator in an instant had been among them, why would they stoop to hiding in a merchant’s wagon?
Such beings would have soared through the skies, leaving even the wind in their wake.
Besides…
That man had been lying bare-bottomed by the roadside, sunbathing his bird.
Chen Muling stifled a laugh, shaking her head to dispel the absurd notion.
Mounting her horse, she turned toward Xiluo Kingdom.
"Move out!"
As the caravan resumed its journey, Ye Chuan let the wagon’s curtain fall shut behind him.
The enemies’ cultivation was so far beneath him that he hadn’t even needed to lift a finger—just a wisp of his aura had paralyzed that Qi Refining nobody.
"Too weak. Where’s the real challenge?" Ye Chuan mused.
Well, except for the little dragon girl.
She still had the upper hand… for now. Once he could bring Lan Xiaoke to the Aiser Continent, he’d settle that score properly.
"Hey, kid, you alright? Didn’t scare you, did it?" The wagon driver poked his head in just as Ye Chuan pondered his next move.
"I’m fine."
"Lucky us. Some passing immortal must’ve saved our hides back there, or we’d be dead meat." The driver sighed.
"Quite the coincidence. Bet that immortal was dashing," Ye Chuan said. "The most handsome in the universe."
"Who knows? Those immortals are all pretty as jade."
After some idle chatter, the caravan crossed into Xiluo Kingdom’s borders. Spotting the distant city walls, the driver warned,
"Listen, kid—when we reach Xiluo, they’ll question your identity. Just say you’re one of our company’s drivers."
Question his identity?
Ye Chuan could blink inside without anyone noticing. What questioning?
"Kid?"
"Hey—?"
When no reply came, the driver turned to find Ye Chuan gone, leaving only a spirit crystal behind.
"What’s this?" Puzzled, he picked it up. With no sign of Ye Chuan, he hurried to the lead wagon.
"Young mistress, that kid vanished. Left this behind."
"Vanished?" Chen Muling absentmindedly accepted the object—then froze. "A spirit crystal? No ordinary person could possess this!"
A single one was worth more than her entire shipment of goods.
"Could it be… he saved us?"
A realization dawned on her, though she hardly dared believe it.
That bare-bottomed man…
Was an immortal?
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
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."
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
