On the other side.
Su Jiu obediently sat cross-legged as instructed.
She retrieved five materials from her storage ring and arranged them into a simple spirit-gathering formation.
With a True Dragon guarding her, many preparatory steps became unnecessary.
However, summoning spiritual energy was something she couldn’t trouble the other party with.
The materials saved could be reserved for Su Ji’s breakthrough to the Golden Core stage later.
She didn’t think much of it—just a case of making the best use of leftovers.
Then, Su Jiu began circulating the supreme core-condensation technique of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage.
Torrents of spiritual energy surged through her meridians, flowing along specific pathways before converging in her dantian, scouring her Dao Foundation.
With each surge, her Dao Platform solidified further.
Countless wisps of spiritual energy swirled and dissipated across its surface as an overwhelming aura radiated from her body.
Once the Dao Platform underwent nine refinements, guided by her soul, she could condense a supreme Ninth-Grade Golden Core in one go.
Su Ji had already achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.
How could she afford to fall behind?
Su Jiu focused entirely, her soul immersed in controlling the spiritual energy.
First refinement—success.
Second refinement—success.
...
Just as the seventh refinement was about to complete—
A voice tinged with impatience abruptly echoed in her ears.
"Stop."
Su Jiu’s mind shuddered, forcibly halting the flow of spiritual energy.
A mouthful of reverse blood nearly spilled out, but she swallowed it back with effort.
Her eyes snapped open as she looked at the red-haired little girl in confusion.
"Senior?"
"Spiritual energy scours the Dao Platform, shaping its form and condensing its essence—this is the foundation of core condensation."
The red-haired girl’s golden eyes swept over Su Jiu.
"Yet you do the opposite, using the Dao Platform to bear the spiritual energy before forcibly compressing it with your soul. This is a heretical shortcut—the worst possible choice."
Su Jiu froze, her face blank with disbelief. "But… my clan’s ancient texts state that this is the method to condense a Ninth-Grade Golden Core."
"I haven’t made a mistake."
She had absolute faith in her lineage’s inheritance.
This supreme technique had been perfected by the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage over countless years—how could it be heresy?
"Ninth-Grade Golden Core?"
The red-haired girl paused, then gave Su Jiu an odd look.
"Has the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox clan fallen so low?"
"With me guarding you, you’re settling for a mere Ninth-Grade?"
Su Jiu was stunned.
"Isn’t… Ninth-Grade the highest?"
The red-haired girl scoffed, her tone dripping with undisguised disdain.
"Who told you Ninth-Grade is the peak?"
"Beyond Ninth-Grade lies the Tenth-Grade Perfection."
"And beyond that—the Golden Core of the Heavenly Palace, a direct path to immortality."
"Is this how your elders taught you?"
Su Jiu wanted to argue, but no words came out.
Because she truly had never heard of this…
All her knowledge came from her clan’s inheritance.
If that inheritance was flawed…
She had no rebuttal.
Seeing Su Jiu’s devastated expression, the red-haired girl’s disdain gradually faded.
She sighed, her voice carrying an inescapable melancholy.
"Fine."
Her gaze returned to Su Jiu.
"Your so-called technique is nothing more than a shortcut created by mediocre talents of ancient times to forcibly break through realms."
"While it can condense a core, it exhausts your potential prematurely, cutting off your future path."
"With your talent, forming that dead Ninth-Grade Core would forever bar you from the Immortal Emperor realm."
Barred from becoming an Emperor!
Su Jiu’s body trembled violently, her face turning deathly pale.
She could disregard the Golden Core’s grade, but she could never accept her path ending here.
She still wanted… to walk further alongside that person.
"Senior!"
Su Jiu looked up, her usually aloof eyes now filled with desperation.
"I beg you… teach me!"
The red-haired girl studied her in silence.
Her flawless face betrayed no emotion.
Just as Su Jiu’s hope began to fade—
"Want to learn?"
"Fine."
"But why should I teach you?"
"Your ancestor once stole my man."
"That debt remains unsettled."
Su Jiu bit her lip, saying nothing.
She knew the other party spoke the truth.
She had no bargaining power.
"However…"
The red-haired girl’s tone shifted, her lips curling into a meaningful smirk.
"Seeing as your little lover amused me, I’m in a good mood today."
"I’ll make an exception and guide you once."
Su Jiu’s heart leaped—then her cheeks burned crimson.
"He… he’s not—"
"Enough."
The red-haired girl cut her off impatiently.
"Focus. Calm your mind. Guard your essence."
"Listen to my chant."
"The heavens and earth as the furnace, creation as the craftsman, yin and yang as the charcoal, all things as the bronze."
"Draw energy into your dantian—not to scour, but to nurture."
"Use your soul as flame, your Dao Platform as the embryo. Temper it repeatedly, removing impurities."
"Only when it becomes flawless should you summon heavenly thunder to temper your body and earthly fire to refine your heart."
"Only then can you achieve the Golden Core of the Heavenly Palace!"
The red-haired girl’s voice resonated in Su Jiu’s consciousness.
Every word carried profound truths of the Great Dao, shaking her soul.
Without hesitation, Su Jiu followed the chant, carefully guiding each wisp of spiritual energy to gently nurture her crystalline Dao Platform.
The platform, which had dimmed earlier, now blazed with radiant light.
An aura several times stronger than before erupted from her body.
The red-haired girl nodded in approval.
"Thunder!"
"Come!"
With her command, the entire chained space trembled violently.
Outside, above Qihuang Gorge, the remnants of heavenly punishment—which had nearly dissipated—suddenly churned anew, drawn by an invisible force.
Tendrils of violet lightning snaked across the ground before coalescing into a single strand.
It tore through the void, violently piercing into the hidden space!
Su Jiu’s scalp prickled.
She watched as the destructive bolt shattered the spatial barrier, hurtling straight toward her.
"Focus!"
The red-haired girl’s voice brooked no argument.
"Let me show you what true core-tempering divine thunder looks like!"
She raised her shackled arm and clenched her delicate fist at the violet lightning.
The raging thunder dragon instantly docile, compressed into a fist-sized orb—its energy contained yet terrifyingly potent.
"Go!"
With a flick of her finger, the orb struck Su Jiu’s newly formed Dao Platform embryo.
"Zzzzt—"
Unbearable agony seared through her, as if her soul were being torn apart.
But once the pain faded, an unparalleled vitality surged from the embryo, nourishing every inch of her being.
] [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!"
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
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."
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
