"I'm here to save you!"
Chen Yi's expression was solemn, his calm gaze fixed on her face, instantly shattering all her doubts.
After all, only the weak relied on lies to mask their fragility—the strong always cut straight to the point.
Shen Lingxi's heart sank, her wariness tinged with confusion.
Save me?
Aren’t we enemies?
Instinctively, she lowered her head, peering at the River of Forgetfulness shrouded in mist below.
The frozen river stretched like a mirror, veiled in gray fog, resembling an abyss embedded in the earth.
Though she seemed freed from her predicament, she remained trapped in a prison of her own making.
"You can't save me. This illusion is born from my primordial spirit—damage to it is damage to me. Finding the other shore flower condensed from my true self can only preserve my spirit and consciousness, but it won’t purge the corrupting force tainting my soul!"
"I know you’re powerful, but this malevolent energy is no trifling matter. Even Cai Yu, our leader, fell victim to it unknowingly. Forcing your way in was already perilous—if you act recklessly now, you’ll face annihilation too..."
"Leave. Take Qianxue and go, as far as you can!"
This wasn’t a threat, just a cold, final warning—a last act of goodwill.
"Can’t save you? How about a wager then?"
"Let’s bet on you—what do you say?"
Chen Yi was unabashed, his voice low and steady, carrying an odd penetrating force.
Such were the awkward struggles of early-stage ventures.
Though confident in expanding the Purple Star Continent’s influence, until success was achieved, it was little more than empty promises.
Recruiting talent was tough; sometimes, unconventional methods were needed to retain people.
Shen Lingxi: "......"
I knew he wasn’t a good man!
He’s not even pretending anymore!
"You seem utterly confident. But coercing gratitude—aren’t you afraid I’ll turn against you?"
Shen Lingxi turned away, pointing at the eerie mirror of the River of Forgetfulness below. "Forced fruits are never sweet!"
Being rescued was one thing, but the tragedy of Han Qianxue was still fresh. Submitting to him would be like escaping a tiger’s den only to enter a wolf’s lair.
If freedom came at too high a price, she’d rather drown forever.
"I know." Chen Yi met her gaze calmly. "That’s why I only need to quench my thirst."
"Don’t worry—I won’t impose on you. You’ll remain free, just with a well-paying job. Take Old Xu, for example. After defecting, he thrived under me. You can exchange notes with him later."
"Besides... you don’t truly wish to remain trapped in this illusion forever, do you?"
Chen Yi was sharp.
He saw right through Shen Lingxi’s stubbornness.
She wanted to yield—she just needed a way to save face.
Fine. He’d give her that.
Recruiting talent was nothing to be ashamed of.
Especially someone as rare and skilled as her!
Shen Lingxi: "......"
Fine. Reluctant as she was to admit it, he had a point.
If she kept resisting, she’d die within this illusion of her own making, leaving behind a hollow shell of herself—a fate worse than death.
As the saying went: Some are dead while alive; others live on even in death.
Legacy mattered. Compared to servitude, preserving her name was the lesser evil.
"Alright, Chen Yi. You win."
"Or should I call you ‘Boss’ now? So, Boss—what’s next?"
Once resolved, Shen Lingxi wasted no time hesitating.
"Sign this."
Chen Yi grinned, producing a soul contract.
Words were fleeting, and trust was fickle. Unlike Xu Jinghong, who had ties to the Purple Star Continent, Shen Lingxi had no leverage. What if she ran?
"Understood, Boss." Shen Lingxi skimmed the contract—a literal soul-binding agreement—and signed without hesitation.
She had no choice left. Might as well commit fully.
Chen Yi smiled. "Welcome aboard. Now, shatter this prison yourself. The key lies within."
With that, he tossed her the other shore flower condensed from her primordial spirit.
"Shatter... this prison? Are you serious?"
Shen Lingxi was stunned.
She knew her new boss was unorthodox, but this was extreme.
The prison was her soul’s manifestation. Destroying it meant destroying herself!
Kill myself to be reborn?
Is this even safe?!
"Relax. You haven’t even started working for me yet—why would I sabotage my own investment?" Chen Yi reassured her.
Shen Lingxi: "......"
Logically sound, but did he have to be so blunt?
It stung a little...
"Fine, Boss!" She pushed aside her doubts. Things couldn’t get worse anyway.
Transforming into a streak of light, she shot toward the frozen abyss like a meteor piercing the gloom.
BOOM!!!
The impact sent fissures spiderwebbing across the mirror-like surface.
Ethereal radiance burst forth, melting the frozen river, revealing the churning primordial waters beneath.
Then came the pain—unimaginable pain.
Shen Lingxi felt as if ten thousand needles stabbed her, followed by scalding lava, then flash-freezing into ice.
"AGH—! It hurts!!!"
Her soul was being torn apart. Even as an unshakable Mystic Immortal, she screamed.
Her consciousness blurred, tossed in a maelstrom of agony—ripped, burned, frozen, shattered...
"Boss... save me... I can’t..."
Her mind flickered through memories, a final desperate scramble for survival.
But the only lifeline left was him—his image crystallizing in her fading thoughts.
At the brink of annihilation—
A warm, firm hand grasped hers, dispelling the abyss.
For the first time, Shen Lingxi felt safe.
"So warm... so comforting..."
With that last thought, she drifted into peaceful oblivion.
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?"
] [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!"
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...
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?"
