After dealing with the forces the Qingyun Sect had stationed here, Ye Chuan organized the souls within his spirit banner before storing it away.
"Then what? Should we head straight to the Jade Void Sect?"
Bai Qianshuang gave a slight nod. "We need to move quickly. Since they're already dead, the Qingyun Sect will have received the news immediately."
"Let's go."
Ye Chuan and Bai Qianshuang flew upward together.
Passing through the snow-covered belt halfway up Frost Moon Mountain, the ruins of the Jade Void Sect gradually emerged from the swirling snow.
There were no grand palaces or jade towers like those of the Qingyun Sect—only broken walls and charred debris, remnants of war, lying silently on the mountain peak, blending into the endless snowfall, exuding a bone-chilling desolation.
"Crunch, crunch." Ye Chuan and Bai Qianshuang walked through the snow, surveying the surroundings.
The first thing that caught their eyes was the remnants of the mountain gate. The stone archway at the entrance was already in ruins, the three characters "Jade Void Sect" at the top cleaved in half, leaving only fragments of the words "Jade" and "Void."
Deep sword marks, their edges coated in perennial frost, scarred the stone pillars, as if still recounting the brutality of the battle fought here long ago.
Further in lay the sect's various halls. Their roofs had long since collapsed, leaving only the broken remnants of surrounding pillars standing.
The side chambers flanking the main hall were even more dilapidated, reduced to half-standing walls.
Despite being a powerhouse at the Spirit Transformation Realm, Bai Qianshuang felt her steps grow heavier. As she recognized the remnants of familiar structures, her pace slowed further.
The laughter of her senior and junior sisters, her mother's gentle reminders, her master's earnest teachings—it all felt like yesterday. As she walked, the tears at the corners of her eyes froze into crystals the moment they fell, lost to the relentless snow.
A sense of exhaustion and helplessness surged through her, spreading to her limbs.
Suddenly, a gust of icy wind swept through, making Bai Qianshuang sway unsteadily. Her vision blurred, and she could barely see the path ahead.
Instinctively, she reached out—and the next moment, a firm hand grasped hers tightly.
Bai Qianshuang froze, meeting a pair of deep, dark eyes.
"You alright?" With a gentle tug, Ye Chuan steadied her as she nearly stumbled backward. For a brief moment, the young woman was dazed, noticing the concern in his gaze.
"I'm fine..."
"Let's go together. It's alright—I'm here with you," Ye Chuan said.
His words dispelled the weariness and cold in her heart, as if strength had returned to her legs.
"Mm."
When they reached the main hall, the view from above was unrecognizable. Yet, this was where Bai Qianshuang had spent most of her time.
"This was where I cultivated. My master would come here to guide me when he had time," Bai Qianshuang murmured.
"That over there—the training grounds. Everyone practiced their techniques and moves there."
"And there—the place where we kept the spirit beasts. They were adorable, always greedy for treats."
"Then, that way was our favorite grove. The scenery was beautiful, and the spiritual energy was rich—perfect for meditation."
"The scripture pavilion... Studying techniques was tedious, but it felt easier when we all learned together..."
Bai Qianshuang recounted each memory, the usually reticent girl now speaking in an uncharacteristic stream of words.
Ye Chuan stood beside her, watching her raven-black hair flutter in the wind, choosing to listen quietly.
By the end, her voice grew softer. After all, she was still a girl not yet twenty, having endured so many ups and downs. The fact that she could still stand strong now was nothing short of remarkable.
"Ye Chuan."
"Hm?"
"Only with strength can we protect what matters," Bai Qianshuang said softly.
"I've already lost everything once."
"You gave me something to hold onto again." Her beautiful eyes gleamed with resolve.
"I will grow stronger—strong enough to protect everything around me..."
"And you."
"..." Ye Chuan smiled faintly. "Alright."
......
Meanwhile, at the Qingyun Sect...
The atmosphere in the grand hall was unusually tense.
A disciple knelt on the floor, trembling, his voice choked with fear. "Reporting to the Sect Master... The life tablets of the elders and disciples stationed at Frost Moon Mountain—they've all shattered! Not a single survivor!"
On the throne, a middle-aged man in azure robes slowly opened his eyes.
Qin Tianya, Sect Master of the Qingyun Sect, had eyes as sharp as an eagle's, his aura unfathomable. Though seated, he seemed to command the heavens and earth.
At the disciple's words, his gaze narrowed slightly, and the temperature in the hall dropped.
"Annihilated?" Qin Tianya's voice was calm, yet carried undeniable authority.
"Who did this? Remnants of the Jade Void Sect? Or... the demonic tribes?"
"Could they possibly have such capability?"
"W-we don't know," the disciple stammered, bowing even lower. "The life tablets shattered almost simultaneously. The one responsible... must be beyond the Spirit Transformation Realm."
"Beyond Spirit Transformation?" Qin Tianya's brow furrowed as his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest.
He had thought sending multiple Spirit Transformation elders to suppress the remnants of the Jade Void Sect was foolproof. Yet now, even the outpost at Frost Moon Mountain had been wiped out.
In the Donghua Divine Continent, aside from the supreme elders of the top sects, who else possessed such power?
"Dismissed." Qin Tianya waved his hand, and the disciple scrambled out of the hall as if granted mercy.
Alone, Qin Tianya rose and stepped onto the terrace outside, gazing at the sea of clouds in the distance, a flash of killing intent in his eyes.
"Jade Void Sect..." he murmured the name.
"Countless elders and disciples slain, the Heavenly Water Mirror missing, halls reduced to ruins by heavenly lightning..." Qin Tianya muttered.
"All of it—the work of those Jade Void remnants."
"Hmph! Cowards who hide in the shadows!"
A terrifying aura erupted from Qin Tianya's body as azure spiritual energy surged like a tidal wave, engulfing the entire Qingyun Peak.
The sea of clouds churned, fierce winds howled, and the spiritual flora on the mountain trembled violently, as if bowing to this supreme power.
Half-Step Great Ascension Realm!
"I have reached Half-Step Great Ascension—who dares defy the Qingyun Sect?" Qin Tianya's voice echoed across the mountain range.
"I shall personally go to Frost Moon Mountain and tear you limb from limb, avenging my disciples!"
He turned back into the hall and summoned all the sect's elders.
"By my order, activate the sect's grand protective formation! I, the Sect Master, will personally lead the expedition to Frost Moon Mountain!"
"Yes, Sect Master!" the elders and disciples responded in unison.
They could feel the terrifying aura emanating from Qin Tianya. Clearly, against the remnants of the Jade Void Sect, the Sect Master had decided to take matters into his own hands.
] [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!"
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
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!
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...
