At high noon, under the blazing sun.
Within the Dragon Gate, golden light shimmered upon the waters.
The bustle by the Fish-Dragon Lake rivaled that of the martial arts summit held earlier at Hengyun Sword City, with an unusually large gathering of warriors from across the jianghu.
All had come at the behest of Hengyun Sword City’s favor, summoned to discuss matters of great importance.
“Why has Sword City urgently called us here? Could something major have happened?”
“Could it be related to the events in the Southern Border?”
“The Southern Suppressing King’s delegation has already arrived in our Yunzhou. With him absent from the Southern Border, could chaos truly have broken out there?”
“Speaking of which, during the last ranking viewing, Young Master Li and Fairy Ying were said to be slaying demons in the Southern Border…”
“What a pity. I came to Yunzhou hoping to catch a glimpse of their brilliance.”
The murmurs of the jianghu crowd soon quieted.
For words had begun to materialize upon the Dragon Gate.
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 100th Place: Xiao Qin]
[Martial Arts: Two Apertures of Insight, mastery of Six Harmonies Fist, proficiency in Black Iron Wind-Severing Sword, learned a profound form-mimicking martial art. At the Insight Realm, possesses over ten superior forms and two extreme forms, with no obvious weaknesses. Also wields a secret technique.]
[Achievements: Fought the Concealed Wolf King, who had eight Apertures of Insight, trading severe injuries for the crippling of his opponent’s leg; sparred with Lei Jiaojiao, ranked in the top 20 of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, holding his ground at the same realm.]
[Title: Severing Wind, Broken Sword]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 86th Place: Huang Donglai]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 68th Place: Xu Yi]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 60th Place: Zhong Zhenyue.]
...
Zhong Zhenyue’s rank had climbed another five spots.
Yet this achievement did nothing to break the silence in the second floor of the tavern, as if even the clamor below could not reach them.
“Father, since you bear His Majesty’s decree, I shall take my leave soon.”
Zhong Zhenyue declared resolutely.
Zhong Qin’s eyelids lowered slightly. Even now, the Southern Suppressing King remained unshaken.
“But the Southern Pass still stands. Without royal orders, if I abandon my post and become a deserter, I would be executed under military law in the face of the enemy.”
Zhong Zhenyue did not hesitate.
Even if Qingmu City had fallen, at least the Southern Pass remained.
If he did not return, the soldiers there would be left leaderless, and the Southern Pass might collapse as well.
But before leaving, he wanted to confirm one thing on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
Brother Li… was he still alive?
Moments later, the rankings reached the eighth spot.
Zhong Zhenyue did not see the name he sought.
Neither Li Mo nor Ying Bing appeared.
The two elders from Hengyun Sword City paled.
Eighth, seventh, sixth—still nothing.
Did this mean the two youths who had left an indelible mark on Hengyun Sword City’s history had perished alongside Qingmu City?
The hearts of those who shared their sentiment sank.
But the next instant, Zhong Zhenyue’s eyes widened.
He pointed at the bold, silver-hooked characters on the Dragon Gate, mouth agape, yet no sound came out.
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 5th Place: Ying Bing]
[Martial Arts: Five Apertures of Insight, Sword Heart’s Clarity, martial arts mastery reaching the pinnacle of creation. Wields an immensely powerful secret technique; observed divine forms unknown.]
[Achievements: Current top disciple of Qingyuan Sect, Yunzhou’s Sword Prodigy, Divine Maiden of the Azure Phoenix. Crossed realms to slay numerous calamity beasts in the Southern Border. During the Battle of Qingmu City, commanded armies with peerless skill, directing tens of thousands of soldiers as if they were extensions of her will, forming a battle array comparable to an external vista. Mastered the musical arts of the Azure Phoenix Clan, surpassing even her teacher. Summoned the True Phoenix, forcing high-tier calamity beasts to retreat.]
[Title: Goddess of Gushe, Frost Fairy]
...
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 4th Place: Li Mo]
[Martial Arts: Five Apertures of Insight, mastery of the hammer path reaching the heavens, form-mimicking martial arts at the pinnacle of creation; observed divine forms unknown.]
[Achievements: Slaughtered former 16th-ranked Helian Wu, displaying the prowess of a warrior who could face ten thousand foes alone. Withstood the assault of countless soldiers, beheaded the former dynasty’s Grand Preceptor, dispelled the Blood God’s phantom, shaking the Southern Border with his might. Alongside Ying Bing, defended Qingmu City, wielding the Heaven-Reversing Hammer to avert catastrophe.]
[Title: Wife-Fortune Battle Soul, Divine Hammer Young Hero]
Silence fell over Fish-Dragon Lake.
No one even glanced at the top three of the Hidden Dragon Ranking—the Crown Prince, the Young Master of Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor, and the Demon-Calling Sect’s Holy Son—whose names had been discussed endlessly before.
If there was anything left to discuss, it was whether these three would still hold their positions next time…
Countless faces in Yunzhou’s jianghu wore expressions of disbelief, as if trapped in a dream.
The bad news: Many had guessed correctly—the Southern Border had indeed faced disaster, worse than imagined.
The good news: The matter had already been resolved.
A crisis even experts from the Human and Earth Rankings might not have handled had been settled by two rising stars of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
In the tavern—
“Huh? This…”
Zhong Zhenyue stood dumbfounded.
He had just steeled himself for a desperate last stand, psyching himself up for battle.
Now, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him.
“...”
Elder Xu’s face flushed red before he finally managed to speak:
“They’re so young—how can they be this damn impressive?”
“Good, good…”
Elder Zeng exhaled deeply, unable to suppress a grin.
He had thought the story was over, yet it only grew more legendary. What else was there to say?
“Does this mean we don’t need to rally the heroes to defend Yunzhou?”
“Hahaha, since they’re already here, let’s invite them to Sword City for a drink!”
“Exactly! Let’s toast to our Sword Prodigy and Hammer Immortal—this calls for celebration!”
The elders cheered, with Elder Zeng even claiming inspiration had struck—he’d compose two poems tonight.
Zhong Qin, who had remained unshaken even in the face of catastrophe, finally relaxed slightly, though his expression grew more complicated.
He glanced up at the three suns in the sky.
The weight on his shoulders remained.
“Set out for the capital.”
The Southern Suppressing King’s voice was calm once more.
Zhong Zhenyue opened his mouth to speak, but Zhong Qin cut him off:
“They will come to the Imperial Capital eventually. You can wait for them there.”
“Yes, Father.”
...
Eastern Wasteland Domain, Ziyang Prefecture City.
Ziyang Prefecture City had no Dragon Gate, but every issue of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Rankings was posted on the notice board by the city gates.
The Qingyuan Sect ensured its dissemination.
Any sect granted land by the imperial court would receive the news around the same time.
And now, the news had arrived.
Inside the Joyful Hotpot Restaurant, silence reigned.
The elders exchanged glances, recalling how, at the start of the year, the boy had been a clueless novice, untouched by martial arts, while the girl had been plagued by a life-threatening chill.
Now, their names stood side by side in the top five of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
They had become renowned across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, true legends in the making.
Had it really been so short a time?
Why did it feel like an eternity had passed?
“No need to leave now, hahaha! We’re staying!”
Xue Jing grinned from ear to ear.
"That brat, why hasn't he responded to my Heartbound Bell when he's clearly fine?"
Shang Wu was inwardly delighted, but her stunningly beautiful face wore a pout as she planted her hands on her hips, vowing to squeeze her precious disciple Li Mo dry once he returned.
"Five Mystic Crystals—five! I should never have fully charged the battleship in one go."
Elder Qian's face twitched with pain at the thought:
"Ah well, what's done is done. Let's eat first."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
