"We've killed so many Qingyun Sect disciples and elders—when they see the shattered life tablets, they'll surely send stronger forces, possibly even Sect Leader Qin Tianya himself," Bai Qianshuang said.
Ye Chuan lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Qin Tianya's cultivation should be at the peak of the Enlightenment Realm. He’s indeed a troublesome opponent."
"Ye Chuan, how do you know so much about him?"
"Ah, I beat him up once when I broke through to the Golden Core stage."
Bai Qianshuang froze.
Golden Core… beating up an Enlightenment cultivator?
Wasn’t that like an ant fighting an elephant?
"Where should we go next?" Now that they had returned to the Donghua Divine Continent, Ye Chuan decided to ask Bai Qianshuang about her plans.
If they were going to seek revenge, building a faction would be necessary, right?
Of course, Ye Chuan wasn’t completely without allies either. After all, each of his avatars carried the Chaos attribute—genuine magic-immune terrors, every one capable of taking on Qin Tianya.
At least, if he only used spiritual energy.
Bai Qianshuang lowered her lashes, her voice carrying a faint rasp. "The three hundred and seventy-two lives of the Jade Void Sect… the sight of my senior sisters shielding me as I fled… I remember it all."
"Ye Chuan, I want to return to the ruins of the Jade Void Sect. There lies its final legacy… I wish to preserve it."
Ye Chuan understood. "The ruins of the Jade Void Sect?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"The ruins are in the Frostmoon Mountains, at the western edge of the Donghua Divine Continent. The Qingyun Sect has long declared it forbidden territory, so there should be cultivators guarding it," Bai Qianshuang explained.
Still, even if there were guards, their strength likely wouldn’t be overwhelming.
With Bai Qianshuang at the half-step Enlightenment stage and Ye Chuan’s unpredictable combat power, they were more than enough.
"Alright, Qianshuang, let’s set off tomorrow."
As Ye Chuan finished speaking, he noticed Bai Qianshuang’s obsidian-dark eyes fixed intently on him.
"What’s wrong?"
"We… are husband and wife," she murmured softly.
"Then, my dear wife, shall we retire early?" Ye Chuan grinned.
"Mm."
The night passed without incident.
At dawn the next day, the two were already prepared.
Ye Chuan had even dressed deliberately—a dark blue coarse linen robe, an ordinary iron sword hanging at his waist, looking every bit the wandering rogue cultivator.
Bai Qianshuang had tied her hair into a simple bun, donned a veiled hat, and draped a gray cloak over her plain dress, completely concealing her aura and cultivation.
They left the inn, blending into the early morning crowd heading out of the city, and set off toward the Frostmoon Mountains.
Since Ye Chuan couldn’t teleport with Bai Qianshuang, they traveled by sword flight, arriving at a town after a little over two hours.
This town was several times larger than Dongyou City. Above its gates hung a gilded plaque inscribed with the bold characters "Luo Xia City," exuding faint spiritual energy.
The guards here were far stricter than in Dongyou City, with a Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing inspections for every entering cultivator.
"Hmm, seems the Qingyun Sect’s search has reached here. Looking for suspects?" Ye Chuan remarked to Bai Qianshuang beside him.
Luo Xia City was the closest settlement to the Frostmoon Mountains, making it a prime spot for gathering intelligence.
"Husband, let’s enter first," Bai Qianshuang said.
"Alright."
While waiting in line for inspection, Ye Chuan suppressed his cultivation to the early Foundation Establishment stage, and Bai Qianshuang followed suit, lowering hers to mid-Crystallization.
When their turn came, the guards, seeing their unremarkable cultivation and lack of suspicious energy, waved them through.
Stepping into Luo Xia City, the clamor of the streets instantly enveloped them.
"Follow me," Bai Qianshuang whispered, leading Ye Chuan confidently through the streets.
Clearly, she had been here before.
If this was the closest city to the Jade Void Sect, her familiarity made sense.
Eventually, they stopped before a teahouse.
Located in the bustling heart of the city, the three-story wooden building had wind chimes at its entrance that tinkled crisply in the breeze.
"This teahouse is Luo Xia City’s largest intelligence hub. Rumor has it the Yaoguang Pavilion backs it. With enough spirit stones, you can learn anything—from sect secrets to street gossip," Bai Qianshuang explained.
"Yaoguang Pavilion?"
"What? You’ve heard of it?" Bai Qianshuang asked.
"Yeah…"
Heard of it? More like bought a map of the Tianxuan Continent from a certain girl there—though why hadn’t she finished it yet?
"Let’s go."
Inside, the rich aroma of tea mingled with the sweetness of pastries.
The first floor was packed with cultivators, huddled in small groups, murmuring among themselves.
The second and third floors held private booths, separated by carved screens for discretion.
As Ye Chuan and Bai Qianshuang entered, a waiter—noticing their plain attire yet refined bearing—hurried over with a practiced smile.
"Esteemed guests, this way, please! We have private rooms upstairs. How about it?"
"Waiter, a window-side booth on the second floor," Bai Qianshuang said, discreetly slipping a spirit stone into his hand.
"Also, a pot of Biluochun tea, two delicate pastries—one sweet, one savory—and the tea at eighty percent heat."
The waiter’s eyes gleamed at the spirit stone. "Right away, honored guests! I’ll make sure everything’s perfect!"
He ushered them upstairs, opening a booth by the window, then fussed over the tea set before leaning in by the screen, voice hushed.
"What would you like to know? If it’s about Luo Xia City, I may not know everything, but I’m close."
After Bai Qianshuang took her seat, Ye Chuan watched with interest.
Was that earlier exchange some kind of code?
His wife had her reliable moments too.
Bai Qianshuang’s expression remained cool, her veiled face even more aloof.
"I want to know the Qingyun Sect’s recent movements. Also, anything about the Frostmoon Mountains and surviving members of the Jade Void Sect."
The waiter’s smile faltered slightly at her words. He leaned closer, whispering,
"Honored guest, that’s… sensitive information."
Bai Qianshuang produced another high-grade spirit stone. "I can pay more."
The waiter pocketed it silently before speaking. "You may not know, but last night, several Spirit Transformation elders fell in Blackwind Valley. They say the Qingyun Sect Leader flew into a rage, vowing to hunt down the killers."
That fast?
Ye Chuan blinked, impressed by Bai Qianshuang’s choice of venue.
"Rumors about Jade Void Sect survivors are tied to Blackwind Valley—apparently, their Holy Maiden was involved," the waiter continued, voice dropping further.
"Also, more Qingyun Sect disciples have been heading to Frostmoon Mountain lately. They’re not just hunting survivors… they’re searching for something."
Searching?
"Searching for something…" Bai Qianshuang repeated. "What?"
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.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
