"Teacher, I finally learned how to fold a flower!"
"Really? Let me see."
"Here!"
Xu Xi took the yellowed paper flower handed to him by the girl.
The edges were slightly crumpled, and the inside showed multiple creases, giving it a somewhat comical appearance. But overall, the outline of a "flower" could be discerned.
"Very good, Yingxue."
Xu Xi praised, encouraging the girl, "You've made great progress. I'm sure it won't be long before you can fold something even more vivid."
The princess stood with her hands on her hips.
Her body leaned back.
Her head tilted upward.
Her tone was overflowing with self-satisfaction, "I'm so smart, and with your teaching, isn't that only natural~~"
As she spoke, a spark of inspiration flashed in Wu Yingxue's eyes.
"Teacher, can I learn something else?"
"Something else?"
"Yes, folding flowers is too easy. I want to learn other types of origami."
"Is that so? I understand."
Looking at the enthusiastic princess, Xu Xi smiled gently and glanced down at the battle report in his hand. Demons from the vast mountains were stirring, constantly harassing the rear of the Qiuhuo Army.
...
"Teacher, will we win?"
"We will win."
"But I don't have much confidence..."
"Don't believe in yourself?"
"Mm..."
"Then try believing in me, the one who always believes in you."
The Qiuhuo Army was fully prepared.
Ahead lay the Great Qian, behind them the vast mountains.
After learning the truth about the Azure Dragon's abductions, Xu Xi silently planned everything, seeking a way out for the people of the Qiuhuo Army, or rather, a path to true freedom.
The journey was perilous and rugged.
Almost nonexistent.
To truly break free, one could only carve a path with their own hands.
The goal was so difficult that even the usually confident princess fell into a silent confusion.
But—
It's okay, nothing matters.
A figure stood at the forefront, leading the way, guiding Wu Yingxue forward and accompanying her on the journey.
...
"Teacher, I... want to stay here with you."
That figure could no longer move.
Like burnt-out ash, all color faded, leaving only silent pallor and an intense stillness.
Sitting alone at the base of a withered tree.
Smiling gently, watching Wu Yingxue.
The smile was weary, lips pale and cracked, eyes gradually unfocused, like a wilting flower about to wither.
Wu Yingxue didn't want to leave.
But she was refused.
"Yingxue, everyone is still waiting for you."
Starlight fell on the man's weakened face, and he shook his head, refusing the princess's request to stay.
With the last of his strength.
He trembled as he extended his hand, pushing the girl's back.
He pushed her.
Pushed her toward the path he had carved with his own hands.
It was the path of survival, forged by the departed, for the living.
"Yingxue."
"The road ahead is still long."
The man paused, his breathing growing ever fainter in the quiet night, his voice dry like stones rubbing together, "Go on, keep moving forward, everyone is waiting for you."
...
"Surround it!"
"Quick, surround it!!"
In the Martial Realm.
The people seeking survival quickly encircled the Azure Dragon Demon God.
The Azure Dragon was terrifyingly huge, its body covered in layers of hard azure scales, each comparable to a grown man, shimmering with a deep, eerie light.
The dragon's body swam through the clouds.
Like a winding staircase to the heavens.
Spanning across storms and lightning.
It had a fierce expression, its deformed dragon horns hard enough to pierce the sky, and its cold eyes swept over the army below seeking survival, and Wu Yingxue at the forefront.
"Interesting, truly interesting."
"The fleeing creatures have actually come to seek me out."
"Could it be they know I am hungry?"
"Hahaha, hahahahaha!!"
The dragon's roar echoed across the heavens and earth, filled with ultimate malice towards the human race.
Livestock.
Food.
That was the Azure Dragon's designation for humans.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Boom!!!" On the ground, a crimson spear light flickered, held by Wu Yingxue, who was covered in blood.
She bore an indescribable immense pressure.
Staggering, she half-knelt on the ground.
Her left hand covered her eye, with extremely bright red blood flowing through the fingers, while her right hand gripped the long spear, using its shaft for support to remain standing.
Her qi and blood surged continuously, enhanced by forbidden techniques.
She leapt to the same level as the Azure Dragon, the realm of the other shore.
"Is it really that funny..."
"Is such a thing really that funny!!"
The spear left the ground.
A crimson shadow soared to the sky.
Her fury transformed into real flames, burning red-hot, piercing the universe, igniting all in its path under the terrified gaze of the evil dragon.
It was a flame that incinerated everything.
Both seeking life and facing death.
"What's wrong, Yingxue, did you have a nightmare?"
Earth, Yanshan City.
A courtyard in the afternoon.
Wu Yingxue awoke from her slumber.
The light and shadow in the courtyard changed with the sun's position, presenting different angles and arrangements.
Sometimes golden and bright.
Sometimes cool and dim.
Wu Yingxue lay on a wicker chair in the corner.
Upon waking, her mind was still a bit hazy, but the familiar voice by her ear quickly brought her back to her senses.
"I remembered a few things, sir..."
The princess sat up from the wicker chair.
She found a thin blanket covering her.
Without needing to ask, the princess knew who had done it.
Without removing the blanket, Wu Yingxue wrapped it tighter around herself, curling up inside like a caterpillar, leaning against Xu Xi's shoulder.
"Are you alright, Yingxue?"
"Of course not~~"
Hearing the slightly cheerful answer, Xu Xi finally felt relieved.
Sunlight poured into the courtyard, sparkling like countless golden threads hanging from the sky.
But due to the shade of the canopy above.
The heat did not descend upon the two.
"Ah~~~"
Wu Yingxue yawned, resting her sleepy head on Xu Xi's shoulder: "I don't know why, but I feel like sleeping when I'm next to you."
"Blame me?"
"Hehe, I didn't say that, you did."
The princess blinked.
Showing a very innocent look.
So Xu Xi gently flicked her forehead.
"It hurts..."
The princess behaved.
"Yingxue, have you thought about the wedding?"
"Um... sir, I think having just one isn't enough."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because everyone likes different styles."
Feeling the warmth of the person beside her, Wu Yingxue instinctively leaned closer and explained her reasoning to Xu Xi.
For example, the witch and the hero both preferred white wedding dresses, while the princess herself liked traditional red bridal attire.
Different styles of wedding dresses.
If placed in the same wedding, they would inevitably clash, appearing mismatched.
"This is indeed a problem..." Xu Xi frowned, lost in thought.
Just then.
The wind rustled through the treetops, making the leaves whisper. Wu Yingxue suddenly tossed aside the thin blanket covering her and stealthily leaned close to Xu Xi's ear:
"Sir, I actually have a way to solve this."
"What?"
"You and I could elope, then we wouldn't have to worry about anyone else~~"
Wu Yingxue blew a breath forward.
That breath swirled around, making the strands of hair by Xu Xi's ear flutter.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
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!
