"Wizard Xu Xi, please step behind me. Let me protect you."
"Ah, Wizard Xu Xi, thank you for the umbrella."
"The sky is dark, but I'm not afraid because you're here."
A world swallowed by torrential rain.
A summer forest scorched by sweltering heat.
The clamorous heart of a bustling town.
Morning greetings and nightly farewells, day after day.
Silently,
time slipped away amidst these utterly ordinary moments.
When Servia looked back, she realized she and Xu Xi had already been traveling across the continent for three months.
What had they done in these three months?
The young girl pondered.
After some thought, she recalled sheltering from storms, foraging for mushrooms in the woods, and often falling asleep in the wizard's embrace.
It was simple.
And she loved it.
Servia adored this life—wandering the edges of the world with Xu Xi, savoring the customs of distant lands, and cherishing the warmth of human connections.
The only flaw?
The hero felt clumsy.
Unlike others, she couldn’t articulate her feelings properly—too stiff, too bashful.
Ah…
This wouldn’t do…
She had to find a way!
Servia patted her cheeks, took a deep breath, and her emerald-green eyes gleamed with resolve under the daylight.
She made up her mind.
She would make Wizard Xu Xi understand her feelings!
"Is something wrong, Servia?"
Xu Xi noticed her distraction.
"Nothing, nothing, Wizard Xu Xi."
The girl shook her head hurriedly.
She had already sought advice from her parents. As the heir of Clawphire, she had to confess her feelings at the right time, in the right place.
It couldn’t be rushed.
So, she couldn’t let the wizard catch even a hint of her thoughts.
"I was just thinking about what to have for dinner tonight," Servia blurted, clumsily steering the conversation away. She was convinced she’d hidden her intentions perfectly.
Her expression amused Xu Xi.
"I’ll cook tonight."
Gently stroking the girl’s platinum-blonde hair,
Xu Xi smiled, choosing not to expose the obvious lie.
……
Days passed, peaceful as ever.
With the Demon King gone, the world basked in tranquility, and even the blue skies and white clouds seemed more vibrant.
Lush greenery.
Dappled sunlight.
Carried by a gentle breeze, Xu Xi and Servia arrived at a secluded valley.
Flowers blanketed the hills, swaying like waves—a dazzling, dreamlike tapestry of colors.
"This scenery is rare."
Xu Xi paused at the edge of the floral sea, gazing into the distance.
He saw a surreal blend of summer and winter—the vibrant blossoms rippling lazily in the breeze, while a towering glacier loomed in the distance, unleashing blizzards.
Melting snow cascaded down the mountainside, converging before the flower field into a radiant, ice-blue pool.
"Servia, let’s rest here."
"Yes, Wizard Xu Xi."
After dispersing a nearby swarm of slimes,
Xu Xi led Servia to the water’s edge for a brief respite.
"BOOM!!!"
To gather ingredients,
the hero swung her sword lightly at the pool.
Instantly, water erupted skyward, flinging fish onto the grass—along with drenching Servia entirely.
"Wizard Xu Xi, I’m sorry…"
The girl stood sheepishly on the shore, soaked and dripping, water trickling from her hair.
She felt like she’d caused trouble.
But Xu Xi didn’t scold her.
"Servia, everyone makes mistakes. It’s nothing to worry about."
"Here, dry your hair first."
Backlit by the sun, Xu Xi knelt before Servia, using a towel to pat her hair dry with featherlight touches.
The motion was soothing,
almost like a scalp massage,
making the girl’s eyes drift shut.
"Wizard Xu Xi is always so gentle…"
The thought surfaced unbidden in Servia’s mind.
This kindness was special.
It had stayed with her even when her body was just bones.
She loved it.
She craved it.
She never wanted to let go.
"Ah, Wizard Xu Xi."
Mid-reverie, Servia remembered something important and lifted her head, meeting Xu Xi’s gaze.
"Water got inside my armor."
"Should I take it off, Wizard Xu Xi?"
Her tone was pure, devoid of any ulterior meaning.
Yet upon hearing this, Xu Xi suddenly felt his clothes clinging uncomfortably—with sweat.
"Servia."
"Yes, Wizard Xu Xi?"
"Let’s eat first."
"Eh?"
……
The fourth month of their journey.
Xu Xi and Servia pressed onward, only to encounter a sudden, violent thunderstorm.
One moment, the sky was clear blue.
The next, it plunged into darkness.
Amidst the roaring thunder,
Servia stood frozen, staring at the lightning-streaked heavens.
Her face no longer held the fear it once did.
But then, as if struck by inspiration, she adopted a terribly unconvincing act—sidling up to Xu Xi and burying her face against his chest.
Curled up, trembling.
"Wizard Xu Xi… p-please forgive me…"
"I’m just… so scared…"
Under the storm-choked sky, the hero’s eyes gleamed with unnatural brightness in the gloom.
Her fingers clutched Xu Xi’s sleeve as she played the part of a helpless, pitiful creature.
Xu Xi chuckled.
"Servia, I’m just a mortal now. I can’t cast sound-blocking spells for you."
With that,
he cupped his hands over the "quivering" hero’s ears,
shielding her from the thunder’s roar.
But as the warmth of his palms seeped in, Servia’s cheeks burned.
She fell silent.
Her usually calm, gemlike eyes swirled with disarray,
their focus blurring like whirlpools.
……
The fifth month of their journey.
Xu Xi and the hero arrived at an ancient mountain range, home to elder dragons.
The land was dotted with small kingdoms,
overflowing with treasures—
and plagued by dragons who raided gold and abducted princesses.
Just as Xu Xi entered the region, a dragon assault began.
Good news: The sight was spectacular. A sky blotted out by winged behemoths put the grandest movie effects to shame.
Bad news: Xu Xi became a dragon’s target.
Servia unsheathed her sword,
rescuing her beloved wizard from the clutches of the beast.
"Ah, I almost forgot—heroes slaying dragons is a classic tale," Xu Xi remarked after landing safely. He praised Servia while eyeing the now-trembling dragon with amusement.
So… did that make him the "prince" who got kidnapped?

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?"

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.

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."

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.”