The young figure vanished, and then more people, like sharks drawn to blood, rushed forward in a frenzy to seize the divine artifact. Elder Zeng's expression froze instantly, his sword-gripping hand trembling uncontrollably.
"Li Mo!!"
The same disbelief was mirrored on the faces of the Three Heroes of Hengyun.
That young hero—the youngest among his peers yet the fastest to rise, the one who had returned unscathed from the battlefield of the Southern Border—was he truly gone?
For anyone else, this might have been a common tragedy.
After all, life is unpredictable, full of twists and turns...
But he was the one destined to potentially top the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the famed "Prosperous Wife Battle Soul," the "Divine Hammer Little Tyrant"...
"It's over..."
"What's over?"
"The Summoning Demon Sect is finished." Bai Jinghong shuddered.
Wu Chushu and Cao Mu exchanged glances, their minds suddenly conjuring the icy, aloof demeanor of a certain frosty immortal. They couldn't help but shiver as well.
Would Lady Ying... turn dark?
Well.
Before her, it seemed someone else was already on the verge of losing it.
"Master/Uncle... you..."
"With Young Hero Li gone, I no longer care to distinguish right from wrong."
Elder Zeng tore off his black hood and slammed it to the ground, turning back with a heavy heart.
"We must at least recover his body and return it to the Qingyuan Sect, to give his elders an answer."
"Let's go help too!"
Moments later.
With most people distracted by the scramble for that unremarkable-looking pearl, and Elder Zeng being among the strongest in the Fifth Realm, they finally managed to retrieve the "remains" of Young Hero Li.
"Damn it, all that's left of Brother Li is a single strand of hair!"
Staring at the lone hair in Elder Zeng's palm, Bai Jinghong clenched his fists in grief and fury, slamming them against a nearby boulder.
"Let's head to the Qingyuan Sect. Sigh..."
Elder Zeng carefully tucked away the strand of hair and sighed deeply, preparing himself to console the bereaved family.
......
Autumn Water Pavilion.
The bubbling aroma of hotpot wafted through the air above the Autumn Water Pavilion. After the perilous adventure in the ancient tomb, they were finally enjoying a meal of hotpot and song.
If one ignored the fact that the tomb's owner was sitting at the same table, the scene was downright heartwarming.
"It's over. Everything's over."
Qin Yuzhi mechanically swished slices of mutton in the broth, muttering to herself in a daze, her eyes vacant.
Li Mo wasn't sure what to say.
Her career was ruined, and everyone she knew had abandoned her.
It was the kind of midlife despair where words failed before tears could even fall.
"Well, look at it this way—it might not be all bad. At least you're still here, eating and drinking."
"You can always start over. Any plans?"
"None."
Qin Yuzhi shook her head, chewing on the spicy, savory mutton, finding some small comfort in the taste.
"Interested in a career change?"
Li Mo glanced at the ice-cold beauty beside him, whose cheeks moved slightly as she ate, a faint hint of pleasure in her eyes. He posed the question seriously.
Admittedly, Young Li had ulterior motives.
Every word the Cloud Dream Immortal had spoken lingered in his mind. It wasn't just a curse—there was more to it.
The ice queen might very well face the same fate as Qin Yuzhi in the future.
He had witnessed the horror of the Cloud Dream Immortal firsthand.
The former Summoning Demon Sect leader, once half a step from divinity, had resorted to sealing himself in slumber to delay its awakening—and even that had failed. Had they not been quick-witted, the entity might have already returned.
And the one it spoke of—the Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix, ruler of the Nine Heavens...
Would be an even greater nightmare!
One day, its consciousness might awaken within the ice queen...
Even with his cheat-like advantages, Li Mo had no idea how to handle such a scenario.
Qin Yuzhi, unreliable as she seemed, was the only known survivor of such an ordeal—and at the very least, she was a Dream Dao master of the Profound Realm.
"What kind of career change?" Qin Yuzhi asked.
"Ahem, say... joining my Vast Illusions Limit—er, Immortal Sect!"
"Immortal Sect?"
Qin Yuzhi blinked. It sounded grand.
Immortal Sect!
Even the Summoning Demon Sect, founded by a true immortal, hadn't dared take such a name—the karma was too heavy to bear.
"But... I've never heard of it."
"Of course not. The Vast Illusions Immortal Sect was established while you were still asleep."
Li Mo took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.
"Our current operations are mainly in the Southern Border, and we’ve already formed a strategic partnership with the Summoning Demon Sect."
"Eh?"
Qin Yuzhi was baffled.
She recognized every word, but strung together, they made no sense.
Tian Miao also looked intrigued.
Ying Bing watched the earnest young man with a resigned curl of her lips.
Here he goes again.
"Is this Vast Illusions Immortal Sect... here?" Qin Yuzhi asked, glancing around at the unremarkable surroundings.
"Of course not. This is the Qingyuan Sect."
"Qingyuan... Oh, the imperial mausoleum."
Hearing the familiar name, Qin Yuzhi nodded in recognition.
"Right. Before joining the Vast Illusions Immortal Sect, you’ll need to stay at Autumn Water Pavilion and report to the elders of the Qingyuan Sect."
"Huh?"
Qin Yuzhi scratched her head.
Since when did joining a faction—no, getting a job—require such convoluted bureaucracy?
The former sect leader was utterly lost.
"I'm done eating. I’ll rest for a while."
Ying Bing set down her chopsticks and stood.
"Call me if you need help falling asleep."
"......"
In the boudoir on the second floor of Autumn Water Pavilion, the window framed a view of snow-capped mountains.
The frost-laden peaks were breathtaking, yet they paled before the beauty of the young maiden.
Ying Bing sat quietly by the bed, listening to the young man’s animated chatter outside. Her eyes closed, her lips pressed together.
Would she become someone else?
Someone unrecognizable, someone who... no longer remembered him, reverting to her former self in the Cassia Palace?
Her slender fingers unconsciously clenched the black fabric of her dress.
"No."
"In this life, I have a 'system' beyond reason. There’s always a way."
As her thoughts churned, a sudden pang of dread gripped her heart—as if an invisible hand had seized it, making even breathing difficult.
Somewhere in the void, someone was calling to her, waiting for her...
The Celestial Phoenix Domain!
It was the Celestial Phoenix Domain!
A divine light flickered across Ying Bing’s jade-like face, her eyes reflecting half of the Celestial Phoenix Domain’s radiance—and the figure within it.
Who...?
And she could feel it.
Its gaze was fixed upon her.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
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!
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."
] [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!"
