Seeing Luo Xi teasing Lilith with a watermelon, Ye Chuan initially wanted to remind her that Lilith wasn't a child, but when he noticed how easily the tsundere was being played, he kept silent. Luo Xi did have a mischievous side to her occasionally.
Before they knew it, evening arrived, the time of sunset.
The tide had receded to its farthest point, exposing vast stretches of tidal flats marked with watery traces, now dyed orange by the setting sun. Bai Qianshuang slipped off her sandals and stepped onto the sand. The grains still carried the lingering warmth of the day, but as she curled her toes, she felt a cool, damp touch beneath.
"……" Perhaps because her heart had been unburdened, the young woman's mood was unusually serene.
Despite possessing cultivation nearing the realm of a transcendent, Bai Qianshuang was, after all, just a girl in her early twenties—one who had spent most of her time secluded in her sect, training, with little exposure to male peers.
Matters of the heart would inevitably sway her emotions.
"Swish~" Waves lapped at her ankles, and Bai Qianshuang, usually composed and aloof, found herself lifting her feet playfully to chase the retreating foam.
She waded a few steps deeper, letting the waves roll over her ankles before pulling back, leaving behind a fleeting coolness.
The sun was slowly sinking into the horizon, stretching her shadow long and thin across the shimmering water, as if it might dissolve into the gentle orange glow at any moment.
Splashing in the sea, Bai Qianshuang felt joy spreading through her—a rare sensation of truly being alive.
"Qianshuang~" A voice called from behind after what felt like ages. Only then did she realize how far she had wandered, chasing the ebbing tide. Turning, she saw Lan Xiaoke waving at her.
Bai Qianshuang started walking back, momentarily forgetting she could fly—perhaps because she preferred the feeling of sand beneath her feet.
When she reached Lan Xiaoke, the latter tilted her head in confusion. "Qianshuang, you…"
"What?"
"You're smiling."
"Smiling…?" Bai Qianshuang instinctively touched her face, realizing she had been wearing an expression of happiness all along. It had been so long since she last smiled so genuinely, not since the destruction of her sect.
"My apologies."
"Hey, there’s nothing to apologize for! The beach is fun, isn’t it?" Lan Xiaoke said, understanding the weight Bai Qianshuang carried—how even happiness could feel like a betrayal.
"……"
"You look beautiful when you smile. Do it again," Lan Xiaoke encouraged.
Bai Qianshuang shook her head, catching a whiff of something savory in the air. "What’s cooking?"
"Oh, Ye Chuan’s grilling meat. Let’s go join them."
"Mm."
Meanwhile, Ye Chuan was busy tending to the barbecue grill. After all, what better way to spend an evening by the sea?
"Sizzle~" The charcoal burned steadily, each skewer of meat glistening with oil.
"Here we go~" Ye Chuan grabbed a bowl, sprinkling cumin and slathering on barbecue sauce.
Nearby, Luo Xi was grilling oysters, adding a handful of goji berries to the garlic topping.
"Why the goji berries?" Ye Chuan eyed the red specks with mild suspicion.
"Hehe~" Luo Xi giggled, leaning forward slightly as she pressed her chest against his arm. "Chuan Chuan~ Eat up~"
"Ahem. I don’t need that kind of supplement at my age."
Soon, the grilled feast was laid out on the table, and everyone gathered around, enjoying the meal.
"So, where are we sleeping tonight?" Lan Xiaoke asked curiously.
The private island’s buildings had been wrecked by monsters, and they hadn’t brought tents or anything.
"That’s easy," Ye Chuan said. With his Anywhere Door, they could just go home.
"I brought sleeping bags!" Luo Xi chimed in.
"Or we could just build something," Ke Ning suggested casually.
Lan Xiaoke tilted her head. "Build?"
"Mm." Ke Ning’s gaze settled on an open patch of land. "That spot will do."
As soon as she spoke, the floating magic cube beside her drifted over, scanning the area with beams of light. Blue particles gathered, and in moments, a sleek white capsule-shaped cabin materialized out of thin air.
"……" The others stared, dumbfounded—except for Ke Ning, who acted like this was perfectly normal.
Lan Xiaoke hurried over to inspect it. The cabin was compact, containing just a bed and a simple bathroom.
"This is amazing!" She was utterly awed by Ke Ning’s seemingly magical craftsmanship.
"Uh…" Ye Chuan wasn’t sure where to begin with his disbelief.
But then again, if Ke Ning had things like an Anywhere Door and a Minimizing Lamp, conjuring a portable cabin shouldn’t be surprising.
"Wow~" Luo Xi also went to take a look before turning to Ke Ning. "Is this the only style? Can you make different ones?"
"Of course. This is just the simplest and quickest." Clearly, this wasn’t Ke Ning’s limit. With another command, the magic cube produced a larger cabin, complete with a table and more space.
"Now that’s convenient," Ye Chuan remarked.
"……" Bai Qianshuang had never seen anything like this before. During her travels, she’d always slept under the open sky—but if given the choice, she’d pick a soft bed any day.
"Whoa!"
Lan Xiaoke couldn’t wait to step inside. The interior was surprisingly cozy, and the sound of waves outside was completely muted—proof of excellent soundproofing.
Wang Yanran, having witnessed too many unbelievable things already, was numb to it all. At this point, even if Ye Chuan and the others summoned an aircraft carrier, she wouldn’t bat an eye.
"Guess we’ll sleep well tonight," she mused. She had initially assumed they’d be roughing it in sleeping bags or on the flying boat.
Seeing everyone’s approval, Ke Ning had the magic cube produce more cabins until each person had their own.
"Alright, I’ll turn in first. Tonight’s a rare break," Ke Ning said before retreating into the first cabin.
"I wanna shower first—I’m all salty," Lan Xiaoke declared, picking a cabin for herself.
Bai Qianshuang glanced at her skin, noticing the same salt residue, and followed suit.
"Chuan Chuan~" Ye Chuan turned at the voice to find Luo Xi grinning at him.
"What’s up?"
"That bigger cabin looks like it fits two." She pointed at the larger capsule, then looped her arm around his, pressing herself against him.
"Let’s go shower together?"
"Shower? Absolutely." Ye Chuan put on a solemn face. "Let’s go!"
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!
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.
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!
