In the grand hall of the palace.
"How could Yu Yang lose? It's simply unacceptable."
Emperor Jingtai shook his head with a sigh, though the smile on his face was unmistakable. "Chu Long has become so formidable..."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward Empress Chuge with a faint smile.
"They are both of Your Majesty's bloodline. How can one be deemed superior to the other?"
Empress Chuge narrowed her eyes, her expression still tender, yet the curve of her lips carried a hint of coldness.
Jiang Chulong looked far too much like that woman.
Especially when she wielded a sword.
How had she managed it?
But then, Empress Chuge's brows relaxed.
After all, few in the imperial family had placed their hopes on Yu Yang to begin with. He had merely been sent to fulfill a formality.
The true focus was still Jiang Yu.
"I wonder what would happen if Jiang Chulong were to face Yu'er. What does Your Majesty... think?"
Her voice was soft, yet just loud enough for those nearby to hear.
"You wouldn't dare?"
Emperor Jingtai turned to her, his eyes gleaming with a trace of unmistakable menace.
"Your Majesty has always been so skilled at turning a blind eye."
Empress Chuge smiled pitifully. "Why can't you do the same for this humble consort?"
......
At the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor.
"What formidable sword intent!"
"What kind of swordsmanship is that?"
"There seems to be traces of our Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor's style in it, but most of it is her own creation."
"That girl looks familiar. Have I seen her somewhere before?"
"Too similar... far too similar..."
Several disciples of the Sword Manor watched with shining eyes.
"If we were of the same realm, I might not be her match." Xie Xuan shook his head, though he showed no signs of dejection.
After all, she was the daughter of Master Shi. It was only natural for her sword talent to surpass his.
Besides, Jiang Chulong's cultivation was still relatively low—nowhere near the oppressive aura of Ying Bing.
He could only hope not to face her too soon...
Xie Xuan lifted his gaze toward the Scroll of Mountains and Rivers, where the matchups were displayed, and quickly found Ying Bing's name.
[Ying Bing vs. Jiang Chengling]
He exhaled silently, the memory of their sparring outside the Cloud-Treading Pavilion still fresh in his mind.
Who was his own first opponent?
Looking further down, Xie Xuan suddenly froze.
[Xie Xuan vs. Li Mo]
......
The host took the stage at this moment—none other than the Eunuch in Purple Robe who had previously presided over the Divine Arms Convention. This time, however, he was not alone. By his side stood Du Wufeng and Xie Yiding, two esteemed judges from the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor.
It all seemed... remarkably professional.
Like commentators, they analyzed the battles of the rising geniuses, discussing their odds of victory.
"A stunning upset! Jiang Chulong defeated Yu Yang in a single move! What an awe-inspiring sword strike!"
The Eunuch in Purple Robe held up a voice-amplifying conch shell:
"However, the matches to come promise even greater excitement. What do our two esteemed seniors think?"
"There's little to say about Ying Bing versus Jiang Chengling. Her martial prowess is so profound that even I find it unfathomable. At the same Eighth Aperture of Insight realm, I cannot imagine anyone who could best her."
Du Wufeng shook his head.
"And what does Senior Xie think... Senior Xie?"
The Eunuch in Purple Robe noticed that Xie Yiding was still staring at Jiang Chulong, lost in thought.
A mere thirty percent resemblance was enough to leave the sect master of this sword sanctuary utterly transfixed.
"Manor Lord, your headscarf has slipped."
Du Wufeng remarked impassively.
"Hm?"
Xie Yiding snapped back to reality, instinctively touching the headscarf atop his head before shooting a glare at Old Du.
"Manor Lord, everyone is waiting for your analysis."
"Mm. As for Jiang Chengling... Never mind, there's little worth mentioning. He doesn't even have the right to make the Frost Fairy take him seriously. A lengthy discussion would be pointless."
Xie Yiding had already rendered his verdict on the match.
"What about the Young Manor Lord versus the Divine Hammer Little Tyrant?"
The Eunuch in Purple Robe pressed on.
"In my opinion, Li Mo's chances are slim—unless he doesn't use his hammer."
"How so?" the eunuch inquired further.
Xie Yiding shook his head.
"First, Li Mo is at the Seventh Aperture of Insight. He's already at a disadvantage in terms of cultivation."
"Moreover, while the Divine Hammer Little Tyrant's talent in swordsmanship is passable—enough to enter our Sword Manor—it is far from exceptional. His style is too rigid... No, it's entirely rigid, devoid of any spark of ingenuity."
To put it in perspective, if he were a painter, Li Mo would spend his whole life merely copying others. No matter how flawless his imitations, they would never be his own. His future would not lie in becoming a master artist, but rather an expert forger.
If someone could just supply him with acid-free paper and color-changing ink...
Ahem. That was merely an analogy. In simpler terms, Li Mo's sword was lifeless—no matter how closely it resembled another's, it remained dead.
"In terms of weapons, the Heaven-Man Divine Sword is no weaker than the Ancestral Master's Sword. However, Li Mo likely cannot unleash its true power, whereas Xie Xuan has spent years in close companionship with the Ancestral Master's Sword."
Du Wufeng pondered for a moment before also shaking his head. "Young Li's odds of victory are indeed low."
Most of the spectators and onlookers were laymen, yet even they could grasp the obvious implication.
In short, the advantage lay with Xie Xuan.
"The Divine Hammer Little Tyrant versus Xie Xuan—we're about to witness the first clash of divine weapons!"
"Xie Xuan has taken the stage. Why is Li Mo just standing there?"
"Over at the Frost Fairy's side, it looks like the match is already ending..."
......
Jiang Yu took a sip of tea. He had thought Jiang Chengling might at least test Ying Bing's techniques.
Never had he imagined the defeat would come so swiftly.
How long had it been since a peer had made him feel such a sense of threat?
Emotional fluctuations—what a wondrous thing they were. Even if they were born of danger, fury, or... fear.
On the platform, Xie Xuan held a wooden sword, looking down in confusion.
"Brother Li, what are you doing?"
"Just wait a little longer. It won't take much time."
Li Mo shook his head, showing no signs of nervousness, his gaze entirely fixed elsewhere rather than on Xie Xuan.
"Wait for what?"
Xie Xuan was utterly baffled.
Then, he heard shouts from the adjacent platform: "The Frost Fairy has won!"
Ying Bing, who had only just stepped onto the stage, descended less than a minute later.
She walked down with an air of icy detachment, the remnants of her sword intent still lingering—the aura of someone who, despite the presence of nobles and royals, seemed the most regal of all, her dignity untouchable.
Stopping before Li Mo, she tilted her head slightly.
"Why haven't you gone up yet?"
"Waiting to recharge."
"......"
Ying Bing noticed the many eyes fixed on them. Her expression swiftly turned aloof, though her fingers curled slightly in discomfort.
Nevertheless, she wrapped her arms around Li Mo's waist, holding him tightly.
"Do your best..."
"Mm. I'll definitely make it to the top three!"
As all knew, the stronger the fighting spirit of the Heaven-Defying Battle Will, the greater the combat prowess.
Young Li's morale instantly soared.
"???"
"What are you doing, Li Mo? What is this?"
"You're supposed to fight Xie Xuan, not us!"
Amidst the uproar, Li Mo ascended the platform.
Xie Xuan stood frozen, feeling as though he had already lost before the fight even began.
After some thought, Li Mo refrained from saying, "She doesn't love you at all." Old Xie wasn't a bad guy—no need for that.
Besides, he wanted to win fairly with the sword this time.
For the sake of his dream, he would hold back from using the ultimate technique of the Brawler King.
"The hall is drunk with blossoms, enchanting three thousand guests; a single sword gleams, chilling fourteen provinces!"
"Sword, come!"
The Celestial Divine Sword flew backward from below the stage into his hand. If it had a face, it would probably look utterly exasperated right now.
The young swordsman, Li Mo, struck a dashing pose, exuding effortless elegance:
"Brother Xie, after you!"
"So... impeccably composed," Xie Xuan muttered to himself.
Why did this guy seem more like the legendary swordsman than he did?
Somehow, the pressure was mounting inexplicably, as if he were the one seeking guidance here.
Wait a damn minute—you’re a hammer-wielder! What kind of "sword chills fourteen provinces" nonsense is this, huh?
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
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.
