Even amidst the infinite mysteries of the Heavenly Phoenix Domain, His presence remained unmistakably vivid.
Ying Bing now felt as if the lunar energy within her was erupting for the first time. The boundless, frigid cold seemed to surge from the depths of her soul, spreading through her entire body, rendering her unable to move even a finger. It was as though she were trapped in an icy abyss, endlessly falling deeper...
And she had become a mere bystander to herself, powerless to act.
"You've come."
Was it the wind that carried that voice?
It was identical to the one she had heard in the underground palace.
So.
The one calling to her within the Yunmeng Palace was never the Yunmeng Ancestral God...
It was Him!
The moment this thought arose, Ying Bing felt her consciousness plunge into chaos.
Buzz—
Buzz—
As if the heart of the heavens was beating, the call suddenly became deafening, as though whispering something to her. The murmurs seemed unlike any human language—perhaps mortals weren’t even qualified to comprehend their meaning.
"He... wants to seize my consciousness?"
"Even if it means mutual destruction..."
Ying Bing clung to her fading awareness. Facing a being as vast as the heavens, she was but an insignificant ant.
Yet she refused to do nothing.
Time seemed to lose all meaning.
Then, her vision abruptly cleared. In the void, she saw the familiar Moon Palace—but the woman seated within was not her.
The Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix.
Her face was indistinct, but her aura—serene yet profound, compassionate and sorrowful—was irreplaceable.
"You... want to replace me?"
Ying Bing instinctively reached out but couldn’t grasp her sword.
"The present me does not, but the future me... perhaps." The gentle woman's voice flowed like a murmuring stream.
Ying Bing’s voice turned icy. "Who are you?"
"My name... my name..."
The gentle woman paused, as if lost in memory. The void around them trembled violently, mirroring the turbulence of her thoughts.
After a long silence, her voice returned:
"I am Ying Huang."
"This is a fragment of my consciousness, left behind in the Heavenly Phoenix Domain while I divined the future of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."
Ying Huang’s gaze softened.
Using the Heavenly Phoenix Domain to divine the future of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?
In her past life, Ying Bing had controlled half of the Heavenly Phoenix Domain from the Celestial City Realm. Only now did she learn of its origins.
The Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix—Ying Huang.
After leading the Nine Immortals to save the world, she feared the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths might collapse again for other reasons, so she tirelessly divined its future...
What unfathomable power had she gained after returning from the Celestial Realm?
Ying Bing fell silent.
Unless she ascended the path of immortality, such a feat would be impossible.
Ying Huang brewed a cup of tea and gently pushed it toward her:
"Do you know of the chess game at Rotten Ke Mountain?"
"Yes."
Ying Bing nodded.
"That game’s layout reflects my divination of the future of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, expressed through chess—but it is incomplete."
"If you can see me, you possess the qualifications to break the game."
"Then I ask you to retrieve the other half of the Heavenly Phoenix Domain."
The gentle woman who called herself Ying Huang spoke earnestly.
"..."
Ying Bing pondered silently, like a jade sculpture amidst frost and snow.
In her past life, with only half the Heavenly Phoenix Domain, her inner realm had already been peerless—let alone with the complete artifact.
But she didn’t know what this ancestor of the Ying family, savior of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, truly intended.
Friend or foe?
Or something else entirely?
Ying Huang sighed faintly:
"I cannot answer your doubts, for I am incomplete as well."
"Then why me? Just because... I am of Ying blood?"
Ying Bing was certain this was their first meeting.
"You and I... are the same," Ying Huang said.
"How?"
Ying Huang lowered her eyes, as though the center of this world:
"My heart says so, but I do not know the reason."
"I will retrieve the other half of the Heavenly Phoenix Domain."
After a moment of silence, Ying Bing added firmly: "But I refuse to become you—or anyone else. I... will only be myself."
"Otherwise, I would rather perish."
Her tone was like shattering ice.
The ice block was deadly serious.
"Then you must surpass the future me—surpass yourself."
The gentle Ying Huang seemed to smile faintly:
"Those who learn from me, live."
"Those who imitate me... die."
The instant these words were spoken, all color faded from the world. Everything receded rapidly, and reality descended.
Ying Bing slowly opened her eyes.
Everything remained unchanged. The steam from the hotpot downstairs still rose, blurring the outlines of the Qingyuan Sect.
Were it not for the incomplete Heavenly Phoenix Domain now wholly hers, the encounter might have been nothing but a dream...
She walked to the bronze mirror by her bed. Her reflection was coldly beautiful, like an exiled immortal—yet tinged with a sickly pallor.
Perhaps the exchange had drained her spirit.
"Surpass Him, surpass myself..."
"I will!"
Ying Bing rubbed the head of the plush doll at her waist and whispered to herself.
As if sensing her resolve, the system’s text reappeared:
[Host, initiate a new ranking...]
Before it could finish, Ying Bing’s answer was immediate.
Yes.
[If only the host were always this eager...]
[Initiating current ranking of peerless talents.]
[Scope: Imperial Capital.]
[Penalty for defeat: Plant forty-nine strawberries for the victor.]
"Imperial Capital..."
Ying Bing had anticipated this, yet she still pondered.
By the timeline, the next ranking would coincide with the gathering of hidden dragons and talents in the Imperial Capital.
To claim the top spot, she would have to outshine all geniuses of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
And.
She couldn’t afford any distractions.
"Perhaps there are other ways to prevent the awakening of other consciousnesses within me..."
"I’ll ask Qin Yuzhi later."
......
After dinner, Li Mo returned to his room.
Now wasn’t the time for dual cultivation—but for...
The prize draw!
Little Li rubbed his hands, barely containing his excitement.
Upon leaving Rotten Ke Mountain, a flood of investment feedback notifications had chimed—from the escaped factions, wandering warriors...
And, of course!
The ice block’s!
"As usual, start with the ordinary fates."
Li Mo began collecting his rewards with ceremonial flair.
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
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?
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'!"
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
