Han Shi raised an eyebrow.
His deep, unfathomable gaze swept into the distance, where the rankings displayed across the sky had, at some point, shifted.
‘First: Li Mo, 577 beast tokens.’
‘Second: Ying Bing, 240 beast tokens.’
‘Third: Bai Jinghong, 77 beast tokens.’
...
Han Shi: “?”
To be honest.
Even with his millennia-spanning experience, Ying Bing’s performance was nothing short of astonishing.
Facing beasts of equal or even higher cultivation realms, she had slain over two hundred in just an hour—averaging two per minute.
Of course, reality couldn’t be measured by sheer numbers. The more powerful skeletal beasts carried more tokens.
But no matter how you looked at it, Ying Bing’s dominance could only be described as peerless.
Yet...
What in the world was up with the first place?
Five hundred?!
Even if the skeletal beasts stood still and let themselves be slaughtered, it wouldn’t be possible to kill them that fast.
The crimson-robed youth’s brows furrowed.
He distinctly remembered.
During the Nine Peaks Tournament, Li Mo—though undeniably a genius within the Eastern Wasteland Domain—still paled in comparison to a prodigy like Ying Bing.
Had something gone wrong in the secret realm? Had this guy found some underhanded trick?
“Han Shi, should I enter the realm and drag him out?” Yin Huaxuan asked softly.
“Let it be. There’s no need to interfere.”
The crimson-robed youth’s expression relaxed.
“As long as Ying Bing arrives here, that’s enough.”
“Li Mo... is still a rare talent. With our current need for capable hands, it would be ideal if he understands the wisdom of choosing the right master.”
Exploiting loopholes was still a form of strength.
Besides, among the Eastern Wasteland’s younger generation, he was one of the few who had caught Han Shi’s eye.
“But this disciple is Shang Wu’s apprentice. He’s likely wild and unyielding—”
Before Yin Huaxuan could finish, the crimson-robed man turned, his sidelong glance carrying an unspoken weight.
“Isn’t that even better if he’s Shang Wu’s disciple?”
Yin Huaxuan’s heart skipped a beat.
“It would be his fortune to serve Han Shi.”
“But if he refuses...”
The crimson-robed youth said coolly,
“If he won’t be of use to me, his only remaining value is to become nourishment for the Blood Phoenix Essence.”
......
First Layer of the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm.
The vast lake had frozen over in many places.
A monstrous fish, its skeletal tail thrashing, sent ripples of dark energy through the water, desperately resisting the encroaching auroral light.
Yet the frigid power of the Lunar Yin continued to shrink its space for evasion.
The lake grew colder.
So cold it felt as though time itself had frozen.
Then—
Ssssh!
A crescent radiance flickered, carrying a snow-white sword that descended from the heavens.
The skeletal fish struggled with all its might, only to find its immense strength vanishing into nothingness.
The sword pierced through the void.
Dark ripples shattered in its wake.
Thud!
The blade impaled the beast’s forehead.
Lunar Yin energy erupted, freezing everything it touched into solid ice.
In moments, the skeletal fish became an exquisitely lifelike ice sculpture.
A string of beast tokens fell into the maiden’s delicate hand, swiftly tucked into the pouch at her waist.
After completing this, Ying Bing finally lifted her gaze, her eyes tinged with confusion.
First.
She still hadn’t seen Han Zhen.
Had her memory failed her? Or had that man not obtained the Blood Phoenix Essence from here after all?
And then there was Li Mo.
How... was he so fast?
“The top fifty will advance to the next layer.”
“It makes no difference either way.”
After a brief pause, Ying Bing’s thoughts stirred.
The resplendent Phoenix Qi behind her seemed to come alive, forming four radiant wings that rippled with auroral light.
Whoosh—
With a single beat, the phoenix wings carried her into the wind.
......
Elsewhere.
The cavern was draped in countless spiderwebs—delicate in appearance, yet strong enough to immobilize even an Internal Breath realm martial artist.
A jade-white spider, several zhang in length, hissed atop its silken trap.
“Cloud-Cutting Sword Art!”
A hundred sword shadows coalesced before merging into one.
Ssssh! Ssssh! Ssssh!
The jade spider was riddled with wounds, swiftly obliterated by the sword energy.
“Had I used this move from the start last time, I would never have lost!”
Bai Jinghong’s chest heaved.
That duel had been a test. He hadn’t employed his true techniques.
He had merely been caught off guard—his full strength never unleashed...
After collecting the beast tokens, he stepped out of the cave.
But the moment he looked up, Bai Jinghong’s expression froze completely.
......
At the same time.
Before a cascading waterfall, droplets sprayed in all directions.
Behind the falls lay a pitch-black stone wall, within which a small hollow had been carved.
Inside rested a crimson-jade herb, its faint fragrance carrying the phantom image of a phoenix in flight.
Such a treasure was never unguarded.
Over a dozen skeletal apes prowled the waterside.
Unlike ordinary skeletal beasts, they exhibited sharper intelligence—and their auras were far more menacing.
The weakest were at the peak of the eighth rank, equivalent to the Internal Breath Golden Core realm.
The strongest had reached the mid-seventh rank—comparable to a Five-Aperture Insight cultivator.
Two figures, one large and one small, peeked out from the nearby undergrowth.
Xiao Qin and Tang Xiaobao.
Their bodies were smeared with thick black mud mixed with beast bone powder, masking their presence from the skeletal apes.
“Senior Brother Xiaobao, you’re amazing! It really is the Phoenix Blood Spirit Grass!” Xiao Qin whispered excitedly.
He had left markings along the way—signs only Qingyuan Sect disciples could decipher, as Elder Qian had instructed before entering the realm.
Sure enough, he had run into Senior Brother Xiaobao.
And Xiaobao seemed to possess an uncanny talent for locating rare treasures...
“Heh, of course.” Tang Xiaobao snorted, already preparing to leap out.
“Senior Brother, what are you doing?!”
“Going to grab the herb, obviously. Didn’t you want it?”
“......”
Xiao Qin glanced at Tang Xiaobao’s small frame, then at the towering, ferocious skeletal apes nearby.
“Senior Brother, I know you’re strong, but maybe we should... plan this carefully.”
Just dealing with these apes would be beyond their capabilities.
Even with their master’s assistance, the cost would be steep.
And even if they secured the herb, who was to say someone wouldn’t swoop in to claim it afterward?
“Old Xiao, Senior Brother Xiaobao, what’re you two muttering about?”
A familiar voice suddenly called from behind them.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
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?"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
