"The cultivation techniques of our Blood Fiend Sect have always been renowned for their domineering power."
A disciple of the Blood Fiend Sect licked the black liquid from the corner of his mouth, stepping forward first, his voice hoarse.
"Nonsense! Those pathetic tricks of your Blood Fiend Sect aren't even fit for a proper stage, and you have the nerve to show them off?"
From the side of the Joyful Union Sect, a male disciple with a pale face immediately retorted, his voice sharp and carrying a hint of effeminacy.
"The Yin-Yang Great Dao of our Joyful Union Sect is the supreme method that points directly to the origin of all things!"
"Silence!"
A furious roar, like a sudden clap of thunder, suppressed all the clamor.
It was the man from the Puppet Heaven Holy Land who had just broken through.
He slowly rose from the ground, casually wiping the filth from his mouth. His eyes, glowing with a red light, were filled with arrogance that looked down upon all living beings.
The pressure of a Golden Core Perfection cultivator swept across the courtyard like a mountain range.
Several weaker rogue cultivators were immediately forced to their knees, collapsing to the ground, their faces full of terror.
"A bunch of worthless fowl, how dare you make such a racket here?"
The man coldly swept his gaze around. Wherever his eyes fell, no one dared meet his stare.
"The heritage of my Puppet Heaven Holy Land originates from ancient times, peerless and profound."
He turned to look at the Lord of Anyang City, his face wearing an unquestionable, haughty expression.
"Lord of Anyang, you have only one choice."
"Hand over the Immortal's corpse to me, and I will impart to you the supreme method of my Holy Land, enough to set you on the path of immortality, free and unfettered in this world."
These words directly treated everyone else as if they were air.
The smile on the Lord of Anyang's face remained unchanged. He cupped his hands towards the man, neither subservient nor arrogant.
"Immortal Master, you jest."
"This official is but a mere mortal, with dull eyes, unable to distinguish the quality of cultivation techniques."
"How about... each of you esteemed Immortal Masters gives a demonstration? It would allow this official to broaden his horizons."
His words undoubtedly added more fuel to the fire.
"Fine! A fine way to 'broaden your horizons'!"
The man from Puppet Heaven Holy Land laughed in extreme anger.
He could see it now; this mortal city lord just wanted to watch them fight like dogs.
Yet, frustratingly, he was falling for it.
How could he allow others to covet what was his?
"In that case, I'll clear the field first!"
"After all, it wouldn't be good for me if word of today's events got out."
The moment his words fell, his figure flickered, vanishing from his original spot.
The next second, he appeared in front of the Blood Fiend Sect disciple who had spoken first.
That disciple's pupils contracted sharply, utterly unable to react.
A dull thud was heard.
The Puppet Heaven Holy Land man slapped his palm onto the disciple's crown.
The disciple's head exploded like a watermelon, red and white matter splattering across the ground.
With one palm strike, he had instantly killed a Golden Core Initial Stage cultivator!
This display of strength sent a chill through the hearts of everyone present.
The man withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over the terrified, silent crowd.
In a corner: "Senior Brother, this man is so strong..."
"But also so foolish..."
"If there were no conflict of interest, our three sects would naturally follow the Holy Land's lead."
"But if conflict arises..."
"When people are killed, they die..."
Just as Su Ji's words fell.
The situation unfolded exactly as Su Ji had predicted.
Although the man from Puppet Heaven Holy Land was formidable, the Blood Fiend Sect and the Joyful Union Sect were not to be trifled with either.
They had greater numbers. After a brief moment of intimidation, they quickly regained their composure.
"Attack together! No matter how strong he is, he's only one man!"
The remaining members of the Blood Fiend Sect roared, surging killing intent around them. Over a dozen of them attacked simultaneously, transforming into streams of bloody light assaulting the man from all directions.
The Joyful Union Sect members followed closely. Their methods were even more bizarre; wisps of pink mist materialized out of thin air, enveloping the man.
A chaotic battle erupted just like that, without any warning!
The entire courtyard was instantly submerged by various spiritual lights and magical techniques.
Tables overturned, rockeries collapsed. Some of the low-level rogue cultivators were torn to shreds by the aftermath of the battle before they could even let out a scream.
More, seeing the situation turning dire, simply scattered and fled.
The Lord of Anyang had, at some point, retreated to the corridor deep within the mansion. A strange smile hung on his face as he watched with relish the bloody slaughter he had personally orchestrated: "Take it outside, take it outside, don't ruin my courtyard."
No one paid him any heed.
The man from Puppet Heaven Holy Land, even after his breakthrough, gradually began to show signs of decline under the relentless siege of the two sects' cultivators.
The white jade puppet beside him, though exquisite and capable of both attack and defense, was also outnumbered. It was quickly entangled by several magical artifacts, clear cracks appearing on its body.
The man's situation was even more precarious.
Every time he struck, he could take a cultivator's life, but he would inevitably gain a new wound on his body.
The Blood Fiend Sect's techniques were insidious and vicious, while the Joyful Union Sect's methods were bizarre and unpredictable.
Before long, his once-magnificent Holy Land Daoist robe was stained with blood, its original color unrecognizable.
Affected by the turmoil of spiritual energy within his body, the aftereffects of that Corpse Wine also seemed to be kicking in.
A violent aura rampaged through his meridians, running wild, causing his blood and qi to churn and his spiritual sea to tremble.
A trickle of crimson blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Yet, contrary to everyone's expectations, not a trace of despair appeared on his face. Instead, a hint of chilling cruelty gradually surfaced.
He seemed to relish this feeling of walking the line between life and death.
As for who the final winner would be.
Su Ji was no longer concerned.
He pulled Su Jiu and, taking advantage of the most chaotic moment, slipped away quietly.
He was only at Foundation Establishment, and Su Jiu's cultivation hadn't recovered yet. Staying here was no different from delivering themselves on a platter.
If not now, then when?
...
Early the next morning, the door of the Spring Breeze Pavilion was gently knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
Su Ji crawled out of bed and somewhat impatiently opened the door.
Standing outside was the dancing girl.
She had changed out of her revealing dance dress and into an elegant, plain blue gown. The silver rings on her legs were gone, making her look much more refined.
"What is it?"
Su Ji asked, yawning and leaning against the doorframe, looking like he hadn't fully woken up.
The dancing girl handed over a food box in her hands, keeping her head down, not daring to look at him.
"Nothing major, just... just wanted to thank you, young master."
Su Ji glanced at the delicate pastries inside the food box and some local specialties wrapped in oiled paper. Without hesitation, he casually took them.
"Alright, noted. You may leave."
With that, he prepared to close the door.
"Young master!"
The dancing girl mustered her courage to stop him.
Su Ji paused in closing the door, looking back somewhat impatiently.
The dancing girl bit her lip, took out a small sachet from her bosom, and offered it to him.
"This is made from Anyang City's wisteria flowers. I heard from elders it has calming and mind-soothing effects... Young master, you..."
Before she could finish, Su Ji had already grabbed the sachet and, along with the food box, stuffed them into the arms of Su Jiu, who had quietly stood behind him without him noticing. Then, with a bang, he closed the door.
Outside the door, the dancing girl stood there in a daze, holding her now-empty hands.
Inside, Su Jiu was holding a pile of things, clearly bewildered by Su Ji's actions.
"What are you looking at?" Su Ji shot her an annoyed glance, then turned and walked to sit at the table. "You wouldn't understand a senior brother's personal charisma like mine."
Su Jiu: "..."
She placed the items on the table and opened the food box. The aroma of pastries instantly filled the air.
Su Ji picked one up, took a bite, and found the taste rather good.
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..."
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)
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
[Dao Companion Rental System]. By renting himself out as a temporary dao companion to daughters of destiny, Qin Hao could obtain generous rewards. His service philosophy was simple: play the role of the devoted lover, resolve their troubles, depart without a trace once the matter was settled, and absolutely avoid entangling karma. However, those daughters of destiny didn't see it that way. That night, all the major powers across the Three Realms and Nine Heavens jointly besieged the Qin Clan, plunging it into an unprecedented crisis. "It's Su Qingyue! The peerless sword immortal who attained the Dao and became an Immortal Emperor in a thousand years, the one who severed the River of Time with a single sword strike! When... when did our Qin Clan make an enemy of her?" Qin Hao stepped forward, clearing his throat lightly: "Ahem, Ancestors, don't panic. She's here for me. To be honest... she's my ex-girlfriend." From another direction, the newly ascended Empress of the Demon Realm arrived with ten thousand demons pressing on the border: "Qin Hao! Today, the entire Qin Clan shall be buried with you!" Hearing this, the Qin Clan ancestors all turned their eyes sharply towards Qin Hao. Qin Hao scratched his head somewhat sheepishly: "The Demon Empress... she's also my ex-girlfriend." Before the Qin ancestors could process this, an aloof figure traversed the River of Time: "The Qin Clan deserves annihilation!" Recognizing the newcomer, the Qin ancestors paled in terror: "It's her! Liu Ruyan, the Extinction Empress who ventured alone into the alien realm and suppressed it for an entire epoch! Didn't she vanish into the River of Time long ago? Why would she cross it just to target our clan?" Qin Hao scratched his head again, looking even more embarrassed: "My fault, my fault. She's an ex-girlfriend too." Watching countless celestial maidens descend, the Qin Clan ancestors were utterly astounded: "You scoundrel! Just... just how many women have you gotten involved with over the years?"
