The night at Qingyue Peak was exceptionally peaceful. The pre-dawn moonlight spilled like water through the window lattice of the quiet room. Shi Jingxian was immersed in the tranquility of his cultivation when his blanket was suddenly thrown off by a brute force.
Jingxian! Mochen! Get up quickly!
Shi Wanshan's rotund figure barged in. His usually dignified, plump face was flushed with a strange red glow, looking exactly like a mouse that had just stolen oil.
His small eyes darted around in the dim light as he made a shushing gesture. Your master is taking you to find a great fortune. Keep your voices down.
Before he even finished speaking, Shi Jingxian was yanked into a stumble. Next door, Lin Mochen was also dragged out, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
This youth, two years younger than Shi Jingxian with Heaven-tier Mid-grade aptitude, currently had hair as messy as a chicken's nest and was still groggy from sleep. Master, what kind of fortune requires us to go out in the middle of the night?
Purple Bamboo Peak!
Shi Wanshan rubbed his plump hands together mysteriously, his tone full of certainty.
After Xuanyangzi's two disciples returned from there, their cultivation surged. That brat Gu Changge must be hiding some good stuff!
Shi Jingxian felt bewildered. Although Gu Changge, the Lord of Purple Bamboo Peak, was a peak master, he was only known to have a Core Condensation Realm cultivation and usually lived a secluded life. How could he have any great fortune? He whispered a reminder, Master, isn't it inappropriate to trespass on another peak?
What's there to be afraid of! Shi Wanshan patted his round belly, speaking with righteous conviction. I am the Lord of Qingyue Peak, after all. What's wrong with dropping by my junior brother's place?
And so, under the moonlight, the three of them sneaked stealthily toward Purple Bamboo Peak.
As the silhouette of Purple Bamboo Peak appeared in the moonlight, Shi Jingxian couldn't help but hold his breath.
The entire mountain peak was shrouded in a faint purple mist. Bamboo leaves swayed gently in the wind, making a soft rustling sound. What was even more peculiar was that the spiritual energy in the air was so dense it almost condensed into tangible points of light, floating slowly in the air.
Such dense spiritual energy! Lin Mochen took a deep breath, his eyes instantly lighting up.
Shi Wanshan stroked his beard smugly. See? I told you there were good things here! Let's go up the mountain!
Following the stone steps upward, the spiritual energy became even more mellow. The golden core within Shi Jingxian's body actually began to revolve on its own, greedily absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.
Just as he was about to respond to Lin Mochen's doubt of Is Martial Uncle Gu really only at the Core Condensation Realm?, his ankle suddenly tightened. An emerald green vine had wrapped around it at some unknown time.
Mas—
Shi Jingxian's cry got stuck in his throat as his entire body was hoisted upside down.
The exclamations of Shi Wanshan and Lin Mochen echoed in his ears. In the blink of an eye, the three of them were strung up like cured meat by the Spirit-Binding Vines between two sturdy purple bamboos.
Spirit-Binding Vine?! Shi Wanshan cried out, his plump face turning bright red. Gu Changge, you little brat! To actually put such an insidious thing right at your doorstep!
Hanging upside down, blood rushed to Shi Jingxian's head, turning his vision a bloody red.
He forced his eyes to move and saw that his master had been tied up like a dumpling. His gray robes were rolled up, exposing his round belly, and a bamboo leaf was even hanging from his beard.
Lin Mochen had it even worse. With a bamboo leaf stuffed in his mouth, he looked just like a caught frog, only able to let out muffled whimpers.
Master... is this the great fortune you were talking about? Shi Jingxian spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse from the rush of blood.
Shi Wanshan coughed awkwardly and forced a defense. An accident, purely an accident! This Spirit-Binding Vine only ties up those with malicious intent, which proves that there's definitely something fishy going on at Purple Bamboo Peak!
The night breeze blew past, and the three of them swayed gently like wind chimes. Lin Mochen struggled to spit out the bamboo leaf in his mouth. Shi Wanshan was still struggling in vain, but the more he struggled, the tighter the Spirit-Binding Vine constricted, until eventually, he couldn't even speak.
It wasn't until the eastern sky turned the color of a fish's belly that Shi Jingxian, borrowing the morning light, could clearly see that every bamboo stalk on Purple Bamboo Peak glowed with a faint purple light, with runes faintly flashing at the joints.
What was even stranger was that the sweat dripping from them onto the soil of Purple Bamboo Peak was instantly absorbed completely, leaving not a single trace behind.
Senior Brother, look...
Lin Mochen pointed at the ground with difficulty, his tone full of shock.
Ahem... Shi Wanshan suddenly cleared his throat and lowered his voice. Jingxian, Mochen, when Gu Changge arrives later, remember to act pitiful. We've lost a lot of face this time, so we must at least get some benefits out of it.
Shi Jingxian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After being hung up all night, his master was still thinking about getting benefits.
Right at that moment, light footsteps came from deep within the bamboo forest. A figure in a green robe walked over slowly. The morning mist lingered around him, making him look like an immortal from a painting.
It was a young man under twenty years old, with handsome features and picturesque eyebrows. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth. He indeed only had the spiritual energy fluctuations of the Core Condensation Realm around him, but those eyes were so profound that they seemed to see right through a person's heart. It was exactly the Lord of Purple Bamboo Peak, Gu Changge.
What kind of play is Senior Brother Shi putting on here?
Gu Changge walked a circle around the three of them, his voice as clear as clashing jade.
Early in the morning, instead of watching over your disciples at Qingyue Peak, you ran to my bamboo forest to swing on swings?
Shi Wanshan's old face flushed red, and he quickly begged for mercy. Junior Brother, stop making fun of me! Hurry up and let us down!
Gu Changge chuckled. Green light gathered at his fingertips as he tapped lightly.
The Spirit-Binding Vines loosened instantly. The three of them fell to the ground with thuds. As they rubbed their numb limbs and stood up, they heard Gu Changge add with a half-smile, How am I supposed to know if Senior Brother came to my Purple Bamboo Peak in the middle of the night with malicious intent, or to steal my skills?
Junior Brother, please stop making fun of me!
Shi Wanshan wore a bitter expression. Catching a glimpse of his two disciples' miserable states out of the corner of his eye, he quickly changed the subject.
Yesterday I saw Xuanyangzi's two disciples coming out of your place, and their auras were different. I knew you must be hiding some good stuff! Look at my two disciples, their aptitudes are mediocre, and they've been stuck at the early stage of the Core Condensation Realm after years of cultivation. Why don't you show some mercy and let them benefit a little too?
Your two disciples, one with Heaven-tier Low-grade aptitude and the other with Heaven-tier Mid-grade aptitude. Placed in any of the Seven Great Sects, which one wouldn't be treated like a precious treasure? This is what you call mediocre? Gu Changge's voice was flat, but it sent a shock through Shi Jingxian's heart. Martial Uncle Gu had seen through their aptitudes at a single glance. This was definitely not something a Core Condensation Realm cultivator could do!
Shi Wanshan laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hands together. Compared to Xuanyangzi's two disciples, aren't they just mediocre...
Gu Changge shook his head. His gaze turned to Shi Jingxian and Lin Mochen, a hint of profound meaning flashing in his eyes. You two little guys, following this improper old master of yours, it must have been hard on you.
The two bowed respectfully. Disciple Shi Jingxian and Lin Mochen pay our respects to Martial Uncle Gu.
Rise. Gu Changge waved his hand, his tone softening. Since you're here, come in and have a cup of tea.
Hearing this, the awkwardness from moments ago vanished from Shi Wanshan like smoke. Beaming with joy, he followed along. Now that's more like it! Let's go, let's go. Junior Brother's Purple Bamboo Tea is a specialty of our sect!
Watching their master's eager back as he followed closely behind Gu Changge, Shi Jingxian and Lin Mochen exchanged a smile. This Martial Uncle Gu, who seemed to only be at the Core Condensation Realm, appeared to be very different from the rumors.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
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!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
