Every chess piece dreams of breaking free from the board—the feeling of being constrained at every turn is unbearable. Any cultivator who ascends to the pinnacle seeks unfettered freedom.
Gratitude is gratitude, after all—one who eats another’s food must bow their head, and one who takes another’s gifts must soften their stance. What is owed will naturally be repaid!
But to use gratitude as leverage, forcing someone to do what they refuse? Even if unspoken, resentment will fester in the heart.
Such was the case for Han Qianxue. Rising from obscurity, the chat group had been indispensable in her journey to becoming a Celestial Immortal. She acknowledged this debt. Had the group been willing to keep up appearances—to not blatantly expose its desire to control her—she would have remained unwaveringly loyal, ready to die for their cause without hesitation.
After all, "Repaying the lord’s golden platform favor, drawing the jade dragon to die for the king" was no empty phrase.
Alas, the chat group did not trust her. Every gift was merely a means to mold her into a puppet, to be manipulated at will!
And Han Qianxue, who had climbed from mortal roots to her current heights, was no docile lamb to be led by the nose!
Before, when resistance was impossible, she had no choice. But now, an administrator had emerged, daring to rebel...
Well, this treacherous ship carried great risks—but the rewards were even greater!
The chat group’s backing came from a mighty immortal of the higher realms, seeking to make her a puppet. Now this rebellious administrator was stirring the pot? Fine—let’s fight!
When two tigers clash, one is bound to be wounded. Having taken such a gamble, she would seize the greatest advantage possible!
She would be a partner in this scheme, not a powerless pawn!
Of course, her weight alone wasn’t enough—which was why she intended to drag the deeply acquainted second-ranked powerhouse into the fray.
"You setting conditions pleases me," Chen Yi said calmly, watching her. "But your desire to play both sides? That, I dislike."
Agreeing too readily would arouse her suspicion. This old fox, tempered by years of cultivation with an unshakable Dao heart, wasn’t so easily fooled.
Only by feigning refusal, applying pressure, and then relenting could he lull her into lowering her guard.
Once the chat group’s inspection passed without issue, she’d get what was coming to her!
Han Qianxue felt the crushing weight of his gaze but pressed on. "I need to leave myself a way out, don’t I?"
Chen Yi shook his head slightly. "Don’t think watching from the sidelines will keep you safe. Those who straddle the fence die the worst deaths."
Han Qianxue forced a smile. "Who knows how far your sinking ship will sail? Betting my life on it—the waves are too high. I’m afraid."
Chen Yi held her gaze, letting the pressure build until her primordial spirit teetered on the brink of collapse. Only then did he nod faintly. "Very well. I’ll grant you time to observe. I trust you’ll make the wise choice. Now—you know how to cooperate, don’t you?"
"I believe you won’t break your word," Han Qianxue replied with a slight nod. "First, withdraw from my consciousness. Otherwise, any abnormal state can’t be blamed on me."
Without another word, Chen Yi kicked off, sending tremors through her consciousness as he forcibly withdrew.
The next instant.
Deep within the lair of the Voidborn Abominations.
Chen Yi yanked hard, dumping Han Qianxue out from a concealed pocket dimension.
She lay serene, a swollen lump on her forehead, eyelids puffy as she stirred awake.
"Ugh... that hurts..."
Regaining control of her body, Han Qianxue winced at the throbbing pain in her skull. She channeled immortal energy to disperse the bruise while scanning her surroundings—only to stiffen in shock.
She was no longer on the Azure Cloud Continent. But how had she ended up in the Voidborn Abominations’ nest?
The undying broodmother was gone too. Had this guy wiped it out?
Impressive. No wonder he dared to rebel!
"Had enough time to wake up?" Chen Yi’s voice echoed from nowhere, his form entirely hidden beneath a concealing cloak. "Good. Then prepare your testimony."
Han Qianxue saw nothing—unsurprising, given that if she could, she wouldn’t have been ambushed in the first place.
Not that seeing him would’ve helped. Even with warning, she couldn’t have resisted. But the sheer lack of martial virtue! Not even a chance to struggle—just one punch, and her head still ached...
Shaking off the dizziness, she steadied her turbulent sea of consciousness. "I’m ready. Proceed."
The moment she spoke.
A needle-like apparatus materialized before her, emitting an eerie pulse that scanned her state.
[Confirmed: Disconnected group member—‘Noble Lady Han of the High Isle’]
[Disconnection cause: Mid-Zhōu-grade Bone Cocoon Parasite. Member ‘Noble Lady Han of the High Isle’ was instantly devoured, severing signal.]
[Parasite eliminated. Member status stable, no anomalies detected.]
[Cleared for reintegration into Group One’s jurisdiction.]
Han Qianxue: "..."
Since when was there a "Mid-Zhōu-grade Bone Cocoon Parasite"?
The audacity of this lie!
Chat Group System Administrator, your authority truly knows no bounds!
[Multiverse Travelers’ Mutual Aid Group—Group One—login verification in progress...]
[Inject a strand of divine sense for authentication...]
[No anomalies detected.]
[Next verification: Primordial Spirit resonance sensitivity.]
[Identify personally experienced scenes from among 1.296 billion image nodes. Time limit: 30 seconds...]
[Time’s up. Correct selections: 6. Incorrect: 102. Confirmed as ‘Noble Lady Han of the High Isle’s’ autonomous will.]
[Verification passed. Login permitted.]
"Tch. That many wrong?" Han Qianxue muttered, feigning frustration to prove she wasn’t scheming but genuinely attempting the test.
Chen Yi: "..."
Devious verification system!
Good thing he hadn’t directly puppeteered her. Had he controlled her responses, he’d have objectively matched every memory node—selecting all correctly within the time limit.
And that would’ve been the trap—proof she’d been compromised!
Caution truly paid off.
Now, having cleared the hurdle, Han Qianxue... did she really think she could stay neutral? Heh. Time to put her to work.
Without ceremony, Chen Yi seized control of her account interface.
"Eh? Why can’t I—? Wait! Why’s the interface moving on its own?! You—is this your doing?!"
Panic surged as she recalled the consciousness space—how he’d dismantled the chat group’s imprint and stuffed something inside before reassembling it.
What had he inserted?
Could it be... some kind of virus?!
Oh no!!!
Her chat group account was gone—along with everything she hadn’t withdrawn yet!!!
Watching Han Qianxue clutch her chest, seemingly heartbroken to the point of suffocation, Chen Yi smirked.
"Done here. I’ve kept my word—no coercion. You may return to the Azure Cloud Continent now. A surprise awaits."
With that, he vanished without a trace, as though he’d never been there at all.
Due to the effect of the Cloak of Concealment, Han Qianxue couldn't see Chen Yi at all. But when she heard him trying to leave after taking everything he wanted without consequences, she immediately panicked:
"No, don't go! I was wrong, I shouldn't have been greedy. I don't want any surprises anymore, just please give my account back. I'll do anything you say..."
"Senior... senior, are you still there?"
"Please say something? I'm scared... don't leave me alone like this..."
"Ahhh!!! You bastard! You complete bastard!!!"
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
