Su Jiu said nothing more.
She simply cast a layer of illusion silently behind the two of them.
The illusion wasn’t sophisticated—it merely bent the light, making the small corner behind the stone pillar even dimmer and more inconspicuous.
After finishing, she took a deep breath.
"Lie down."
"Close your eyes."
Su Ji complied without question.
He could sense the faint movements nearby.
"Junior Sister, just go ahead and do what you must."
"Shut up!"
Su Jiu’s voice was a mix of embarrassment and irritation.
Then, Su Ji felt a gentle yet unyielding force supporting him.
Unable to see Su Jiu’s actions, he could only imagine them based on sensation.
"I’m just reviewing my movement techniques to prepare for the possible battle ahead. Don’t overthink it."
"My clan’s secret movement technique is called [Heavenly Fox Mirage Step]. It emphasizes harmony between mind and body, movement guided by intent."
Su Jiu’s voice was soft, as if explaining to him—or perhaps convincing herself.
"The first stance is called ‘Treading Snow.’"
Her touch was light, carrying an odd rhythm, like a snowflake drifting down.
"The second stance, ‘Tracking Shadows.’"
This time, the sensation became elusive and unpredictable.
At times, it was like a dragonfly skimming water—barely touching before retreating.
Other times, it coiled like a serpent, lingering and winding.
"Junior Sister… this footwork… is quite profound…"
"Quiet!"
Su Jiu snapped, though her voice wavered slightly.
Only by breaking through would they have a chance to survive.
...
"The ninth stance."
"Hiss!"
...
"The tenth stance."
...
"The final stance—[Magpie Alights on Branch]!"
Su Ji felt a breeze brush past his face.
His vision dimmed slightly as a graceful shadow enveloped him.
Cracking his eyes open just a slit, he saw Su Jiu poised like a magpie landing on a branch.
She stood with her back to him, posture straight and proud.
Yet, Su Ji felt no weight at all—as if the one standing above him wasn’t a person, but a feather.
Effortless grace, light as a swallow.
This was the essence of [Magpie Alights on Branch].
Su Jiu’s heart tightened as she sensed something amiss.
With a light tap of her toes against Su Ji, she floated down like a startled swan, putting distance between them.
She quickly regained her usual aloof demeanor.
Expression unchanging, she flicked two fingers, wrapping the medicinal liquid Su Ji offered in a cocoon of spiritual energy.
Then, with a hook of her finger, she guided it into her mouth and swallowed.
...
Two and a half minutes passed...
Su Jiu glared at Su Ji with displeasure. "Why don’t I feel any signs of a breakthrough this time?"
Su Ji explained, "It’s a matter of probability. Didn’t you have a secret technique to enhance your fortune?"
Not feeling it was normal.
Because Su Ji hadn’t used any enhancements at all.
According to [Gazing Upon Fate], Su Jiu had failed in her previous attempt.
This was a question of probability.
Perhaps her condition had been too poor then.
Or maybe her luck had simply been terrible.
"Try again! This time, boost your fortune—it has to work!"
"Fine."
...
The magpie descended from the branch once more.
Su Jiu swallowed another dose of the medicinal liquid.
Meanwhile, Su Ji’s face turned as pale as paper, his lips dry.
"Junior Sister..."
Su Ji lifted his head weakly.
Su Jiu turned her face away, not daring to look at him.
"This matter… must never be mentioned to anyone!"
Her voice remained icy, but the faint blush at the tips of her ears betrayed her inner turmoil.
This time, she felt it.
The indomitable barrier of her cultivation realm shattered before this overwhelming force.
No wonder high-grade elixirs were priceless—there was a reason for it.
Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment—broken!
A torrent of spiritual energy swirled around her, visible to the naked eye.
But it didn’t stop there.
The power continued surging relentlessly, pushing her cultivation higher and higher.
Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment!
Peak of the Ninth Layer!
Only the thinnest veil remained between her and the legendary Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.
Su Jiu gritted her teeth, channeling the raging energy with all her might.
Success or failure—it all came down to this!
"Break!"
She roared inwardly.
Crack!
An unprecedented sense of exhilaration flooded her entire being.
Her aura soared to its zenith in that moment.
Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment!
Achieved!
The instant she broke through, the ethereal voice from the arena rang out again, carrying a trace of barely perceptible surprise.
"Hm?"
"An illusion?"
...
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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?!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
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."
