The ceiling of the limestone cave was torn open, leaving a gaping hole where rock, soil, and flesh-like barriers had once been. The heavenly tribulation's lightning spread outward, slowing the regeneration of the bloody walls.
The atmosphere abruptly turned silent.
The Blood Refining Hall's elder, Tan Zhuyin, the male Daoist nun, and the remaining cultists all froze in place as the heavenly tribulation descended.
The power of heavenly tribulation, acting as the will of the heavens, was among the most destructive of all Dao paths.
This particular Dao was governed by Great Yu's Imperial Uncle, Jiang Qian. Thus, when they sensed the tribulation, they instinctively assumed a seventh-realm Sage of Mysteries had arrived.
"Ying Bing," Tan Zhuyin muttered in shock.
"I really want to use her identity for the Hidden Dragon Tournament," the male Daoist nun murmured to himself.
No one had expected her to be the one riding the heavenly tribulation, yet it somehow made perfect sense. With her jade-like skin, pursed crimson lips, and an aura so divine it seemed the heavens themselves favored her—even entrusting her to enact celestial punishment.
The Celestial Sword in her hand hummed with excitement.
Her phoenix-like eyes were sharp and regal, carrying an air of authority... and perhaps a hint of domineering charm?
It was a sight too dazzling to behold directly.
"Li Mo, these people don't seem like good ones," Ying Bing said expressionlessly, her voice as cold as ice.
Li Mo coughed awkwardly, nodding with a guilty conscience. "Yeah, otherwise I would've come looking for you sooner."
"They wouldn't let you leave?"
Ying Bing's delicate brows furrowed. "That does sound pretty terrible."
"There's a fifth-realm cultivator here."
"It's fine. This external manifestation doesn't seem self-cultivated. It won't stop me."
Her jade-like face remained composed as her lightning-laced gaze swept over the group.
The cultists of the Demon Summoning Sect all lowered their heads.
Li Mo instinctively reached for her hand but was immediately jolted by a numbing electric shock—reminiscent of Aunt Manbo's electrotherapy sessions.
Had this ice block cultivated some new martial art?
Strangely, the heavenly tribulation seemed to have a purifying effect, refining the body and expelling impurities...
His hammer treasure, sensing his call, flew back into his hand through the gaping hole.
"We got lucky—this external manifestation is weak, and you arrived just in time..."
Ying Bing's lashes fluttered slightly. "Next time, don’t run off alone."
"???"
The elder of the external manifestation realm desperately wanted to ask—
If it wasn’t self-cultivated, did that mean he wasn’t truly fifth-realm?
Am I even fifth-realm? No... am I even human?!
How dare these two third-realm cultivators act like this!
By now, he had realized this heavenly tribulation had nothing to do with a seventh-realm expert. If Jiang Qian himself had arrived, none of the Blood Refining Hall members would still be standing.
"What are you all standing around for? Enjoying the show? Attack!!"
A furious roar snapped everyone back to reality.
Weapons were drawn—some blocking escape routes, others encircling Li Mo and Ying Bing.
The elder naturally took the lead.
Gu Liuhen, the male Daoist nun, was practically trembling with excitement. No matter how he reshaped himself with yin-yang energy, he could never replicate Ying Bing’s flawless beauty. Every other renowned beauty, even the seductive enchantresses of the Joyous Harmony Sect, now seemed dull in comparison.
The mere thought of taking her place—attending the Hidden Dragon Tournament as the "Frost Fairy"—made him shiver with anticipation.
True beauty was something everyone could recognize.
"Li Mo, do you have any idea how I suffered those past two weeks?!"
"I’ll kill you!"
Tan Zhuyin’s face twisted in fury as the phantom of a sin-dragon materialized behind him.
He had long wanted to personally end Li Mo.
He had even messaged the all-powerful Heitu Immortal, begging for divine assistance in tracking Li Mo down.
Unfortunately, the lofty Heitu Immortal had ignored him.
"Li Mo, I’m invoking the third heavenly tribulation."
Ying Bing’s soul had already synchronized with his Lunar Intent, allowing them to sense each other’s emotions.
"Got it!"
Li Mo tightened his grip on the hammer.
BOOM—
The heavenly tribulation stacked upon itself. Three layers of gold-and-silver lightning cascaded downward in a violent torrent.
Ying Bing raised her sword, its tip aimed skyward, channeling the lightning.
The Divine Skyheart Sword Art was originally designed to replace the heavens, enacting celestial justice. Though Ying Bing had modified it, its core principle remained unchanged.
The terrifying lightning surged in waves, each more violent than the last. The electric currents transformed into rampaging dragons, guided by the Celestial Sword in her grasp, crashing down with overwhelming force.
The sword light bloomed like a thousand trees under the night sky—breathtakingly beautiful. The lightning carved through the world like serpents splitting heaven and earth.
With the heavenly tribulation amplifying its power, the sword finally revealed its true might!
For an instant, the cave was bathed in gold and silver, bright as day.
"You are the lightning, you are the light, you are the only..."
Li Mo snapped out of his daze. Now was not the time to space out.
Well, it wasn’t his fault—this ice block was just too unfair.
BOOM—
Gu Liuhen’s face twisted in panic. His body instinctively dodged, but the sword was too fast. The strike disrupted his yin-yang balance, sending his energies into chaos.
But the sword wasn’t aimed at him.
It was meant for the fifth-realm elder.
The elder, having dissolved his physical form into his external manifestation, was now part of his own domain.
ROAR—
A bone-chilling howl erupted, filled with endless resentment. Blood rain poured inside the cave, each drop corroding flesh and drowning souls in despair.
Where the blood met the lightning, thick black smoke billowed.
Heavenly lightning was the bane of all wicked paths, but it couldn’t fully bridge the gap in cultivation realms.
The electric radiance dimmed, seemingly on the verge of being extinguished by the blood rain.
Then—
BOOM—
Thunder rumbled once more.
The dark clouds had lost their original form, twisting into a vortex of golden lightning, gathering an even more terrifying, annihilating force.
"Is the ice block trying to summon the fourth tribulation?"
Li Mo instantly understood her intention.
Even with her peerless physique—for a third-realm cultivator—he had noticed the subtle tension in her lips.
The third tribulation was already her limit.
She didn’t even know if she could control the fourth.
Without hesitation, he recalled his hammer, channeled the Eight-Nine Arcane Art to its fullest, and lunged forward.
SNAP—
A split second before the fourth tribulation struck, he seized Ying Bing’s slender hand.
She stiffened, her bright eyes lowering slightly.
"Ice block, don’t be so reckless next time."
"I know you know me."
Her face remained cold, but her body—and heart—tingled. Maybe it was just the overwhelming power of the fourth tribulation, its mere approach electrifying the air?
"?"
The elder, now formless within his external manifestation, would’ve had a question mark floating above his head if he still had one.
The hell?! This is a life-and-death battle! You’re fighting two realms above your level!
Can’t you two take this seriously?! Have some dignity!!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
] [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!"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
