Su Ji's palm was warm, the heat seeping through the thin fabric of his Daoist robe and directly touching Su Jiu's skin.
It was an unfamiliar sensation.
Unlike the dry heat of medicinal baths or the scorching intensity of cultivating techniques.
This warmth carried a soothing power.
For a moment, the tension in Su Jiu's heart loosened ever so slightly.
She didn’t pull away.
In fact, she found herself craving this feeling.
"Senior Brother..."
Su Jiu's voice was soft, tinged with a barely noticeable hoarseness.
"I..."
The burden of revitalizing her clan weighed on her like an invisible mountain, crushing her until she could barely breathe.
She had kept it buried deep inside.
Only now had she found the chance to voice it.
Su Ji remained silent.
He simply listened, feeling the faint tremors in the delicate shoulders beneath his hand.
He could sense her helplessness.
That powerlessness of bearing the fate of an entire race, only to find the path ahead severed.
A long silence passed.
Just as Su Jiu thought he wouldn’t respond, Su Ji suddenly spoke.
His voice was calm, yet carried an unshakable certainty.
"I am the strong one."
Su Jiu stiffened, instinctively raising her head. Her clear fox-like eyes widened in shock.
Su Ji met her gaze, his usual frivolity absent.
Instead, there was a seriousness she had never seen before.
At this moment, Su Jiu saw a completely unfamiliar Su Ji.
She couldn’t tell anymore.
Were the reflections in this man’s eyes merely the molten lava of the underground cavern—or were they burning with an ambition fierce enough to scorch the heavens?
All of Su Ji’s past actions—his greed, his schemes—now took on a new meaning.
Not cowardly opportunism, but the accumulation of strength.
Like the legendary bird of the north, silent and still for three years.
Yet when it finally takes flight, it soars three thousand miles.
When it finally cries out, its voice shakes the heavens.
Su Jiu’s heartbeat quickened uncontrollably as she stared into those profound eyes.
She could feel it.
This was no jest.
Su Ji’s future truly lay in becoming a powerhouse.
She was about to nod firmly when Su Ji spoke again:
"How about you call me 'Master' first, Junior Sister?"
The carefully built atmosphere shattered instantly.
Su Jiu sprang up from the ground, her fair cheeks flushing crimson in an instant.
Even her snow-white neck turned a delicate shade of pink.
"...Shameless!"
Embarrassed and furious, she swung her hand without thinking.
How could he say something like that out loud?
Wasn’t it enough to just know it in their hearts?
A surge of immense yet non-lethal demonic energy, laced with scorching heat, rushed toward Su Ji.
Su Ji didn’t dodge. Instead, he let out an exaggerated cry—"Aiya!"—and rolled twice on the ground.
Watching his undignified flailing, Su Jiu’s anger subsided, though the blush on her face remained.
She stomped her foot and turned away, refusing to acknowledge him.
"Hmph, let’s go."
"We’ve completed the Foundation Establishment. Shouldn’t we return to the sect?"
Her voice was muffled, giving no hint of her emotions.
...
The two retraced their steps without further incident.
By the time they crossed the frigid pool and returned to Qihuang Gorge, dusk had fallen.
The unlucky fire dragon they had encountered earlier was nowhere to be seen.
Without lingering, they set off toward the Love-Longing Sect.
Half a day later.
The undulating mountain range of the Love-Longing Sect appeared on the horizon.
Yet the closer they got, the deeper Su Jiu’s frown became.
"Something’s wrong."
Su Jiu stepped into the air, ascending effortlessly.
Hovering midair, she stared intently at the distant sect, her expression grave.
Su Ji followed her gaze.
The Love-Longing Sect was now encased within a massive, translucent dome, exuding an aura of immense weight.
Countless arcane runes drifted across its surface, reinforcing the barrier until it seemed impregnable.
"What’s this? Looks impressive—some kind of sect-protecting array?"
Su Ji, a complete novice in cultivation, could only think of that term.
"It is a sect-protecting array..."
Su Jiu’s fox-like eyes flickered with unease.
"Once activated, the daily expenditure of spirit stones is astronomical—enough to bankrupt a mid-sized sect within a month."
"Even for the Love-Longing Sect, this array is only deployed during existential crises, requiring joint activation by the sect master and the Grand Elders."
She paused, her tone growing heavier.
"To my knowledge, the last time this array was used was five hundred years ago, during the Blood Fiend Sect’s invasion."
Su Ji’s heart sank.
Was even the Love-Longing Sect no longer safe for him?
Without hesitation, he focused his mind.
[Fate’s Gaze]!
The familiar gray-white world enveloped his vision once more. Three crimson threads hovered before him.
[Spiritual Root Tribulation]
[Love-Longing Tribulation]
[Golden Core Tribulation]
Su Ji’s movements froze.
His eyes locked onto the thickest thread at the top.
[Spiritual Root Tribulation]?!
Seriously?
He had already reached Foundation Establishment—why was this still haunting him?
Was it glued to him like some stubborn curse?
Grumbling inwardly, Su Ji’s divine sense obediently pressed forward.
The surroundings shattered like glass, disintegrating into dust.
...
In its place, the familiar gates of the Love-Longing Sect materialized.
In the vision, he and Su Jiu had just handed over their identity tokens to the gatekeepers and were about to step inside.
Then—
An indescribable pressure descended from the heavens.
Su Ji didn’t even have time to react before his body locked in place, completely immobilized.
A woman in pristine white robes, her figure elegant and poised, appeared before them without a sound.
She ignored Su Jiu, her gaze sweeping over Su Ji just once.
That single glance made him feel as though he had been stripped bare—every secret laid open.
"To think our Love-Longing Sect’s outer sect has grown so lax in oversight?"
Her voice was icy, devoid of emotion.
"Allowing a little thief with… certain features to slip in?"
"Given the sect’s current troubles, we cannot afford to keep you."
With that, she simply raised a slender finger and pointed lightly at Su Ji.
No earth-shaking force, no cataclysmic energy.
Yet Su Ji felt his very soul tremble under that fingertip, on the verge of annihilation.
Death’s shadow loomed over him like never before.
"You dare!"
Su Jiu stepped forward.
The vision abruptly ended.
Su Ji’s eyes snapped open.
That was the Love-Longing Sect’s master?!
Talk about overkill!
Camping the entrance just to one-shot him?
"Senior Brother, what’s wrong?"
Su Jiu noticed his pallor and spoke with concern.
"You look terrible."
Su Ji didn’t answer. He stared at the sect gates so close yet so far, then at Su Jiu beside him.
A reckless idea took root in his mind.
Taking a deep breath, he seized Su Jiu’s wrist.
Su Jiu flinched, instinctively trying to pull free, but Su Ji held firm.
"Senior Brother, you—"
"Shh, don't speak yet. Your senior brother has never begged anyone in his life, but now I'm asking you for a favor..."
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!
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)
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
