Su Jiu felt the spiritual energy surging like a tidal wave within her body. She forcibly restrained the aura of Foundation Establishment perfection within herself. Lowering her gaze, she looked at Su Ji.
The guy was staring back at her with a weak yet somewhat smug expression, as if saying, "Told you it would work."
A complicated mix of emotions welled up in Su Jiu’s heart—embarrassment, irritation, and even a trace of gratitude she refused to acknowledge. She turned her face away and snorted coldly.
"What are you staring at? Hurry up and meditate to recover."
"Got it."
Su Ji obediently closed his eyes, putting on the appearance of someone fully focused on recuperation.
...
Meanwhile, on the arena.
The clamor and clashes were nearing their end. Most cultivators had already withdrawn, either dejected or severely injured, their faces filled with defeat.
All attention was now fixed on the final arena—the one that represented the "Heavenly Pride."
There, light and shadow intertwined as biting cold clashed violently with sword glares. A blood-soaked but still overwhelmingly powerful "Heavenly Pride" phantom was locked in fierce combat with another figure.
And that figure—no one could have guessed—was none other than Wang San!
At this moment, Wang San was in a pitiful state. His Daoist robes were in tatters, and only the layers of ice armor formed by the Bluefrost Grass coiled around his body barely withstood the phantom’s relentless onslaught.
Though the Heavenly Pride phantom was only at Qi Refining fifth layer, its sword techniques were exquisite, and its mastery of spiritual energy far surpassed Wang San’s amateurish skills.
Thud!
A momentary lapse in concentration cost Wang San dearly—the phantom’s sword struck his chest, shattering the ice armor and sending him flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth.
"Worthless! Focus! Use what I taught you!"
The furious voice of the Bluefrost Grass echoed in his mind.
Wang San struggled to his feet, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. He didn’t have time to question why the grass’s tone sounded different from usual.
He knew that if he dragged this out any longer, defeat was inevitable.
He couldn’t let the opportunity of an Elder’s legacy slip through his fingers!
"All or nothing!"
With a roar, he channeled every last drop of his spiritual energy into the Bluefrost Grass.
A brilliant azure light erupted from the grass, and an extreme cold burst forth, freezing the very air around him.
The Heavenly Pride phantom’s movements froze for an instant.
Now!
Seizing the fleeting opportunity, Wang San unleashed his strongest attack. His body blurred into an afterimage as he drove his fist straight into the phantom’s chest.
Crack!
The phantom shattered in disbelief, dissolving into countless motes of light.
He won.
Wang San won!
"Seriously?"
"He… actually won?"
"That Heavenly Pride phantom seemed weak. I could’ve beaten it too—this isn’t fair."
"It is unfair. That guy’s only at Qi Refining fifth layer. With so little spiritual energy, even a Heavenly Pride wouldn’t have many techniques to use!"
Panting heavily, Wang San stood unsteadily at the center of the arena, battered but basking in the attention of over a hundred pairs of eyes fixed on him.
Shock. Envy. Disbelief.
He, Wang San, was the chosen one!
He was the protagonist of this world!
Just as he reveled in the spotlight, an ethereal woman’s voice, laced with amusement, rang out once more.
"Not bad."
"Defeating a Heavenly Pride of the same realm at Qi Refining fifth layer."
"Though you relied on tricks, it’s still commendable."
As the words faded, light and shadow swirled in the void above the hall, coalescing into the figure of a female cultivator clad in pristine white robes.
Her posture was graceful, her beauty peerless, yet she exuded an otherworldly detachment.
Her mere presence pressed down on the souls of every cultivator present.
Wang San’s heart pounded wildly.
An Elder!
It was her!
The woman’s fathomless eyes settled on Wang San.
A man…
And his cultivation was so low.
Not even Foundation Establishment.
A far cry from the perfect vessel she had envisioned.
But there was no choice.
Her time was running out.
This remnant of her soul was on the verge of dissipating.
This boy carried great fortune, and he even had a ten-thousand-year-old plant spirit protecting him—something even she couldn’t fully discern.
He would have to do.
"Congratulations. You’ve passed my trial."
Her voice was calm, yet it carried clearly to every ear.
"Are you prepared to inherit my legacy?"
Wang San trembled with excitement. Suppressing his ecstasy, he forced what he believed to be a dignified, masterful smile, the corners of his lips quirking up.
"Bring it on!"
"I’m ready!"
In a corner, Su Ji slowly opened his eyes.
Watching Wang San’s smug, twisted grin—as if he already ruled the world—only one thought crossed his mind.
What a dumbass.
...
"I’m ready!"
The woman, however, showed no reaction to his declaration. Instead, her gaze shifted away from Wang San, sweeping over the hundred or so Foundation Establishment cultivators present.
She sighed faintly, her red lips parting.
Then, with a casual flick of her sleeve—
Every cultivator felt the air around them solidify. Their spiritual energy churned sluggishly, as if weighed down by an invisible force.
Squelch!
Among the crowd, a Foundation Establishment first-layer rogue cultivator—one who had barely survived his earlier defeat on the arena—didn’t even have time to scream before his body dissolved into a pool of blood, splattering the ground.
The treasured cultivation manual he had hidden in his robes fell into the gore alongside his tattered clothes.
The abrupt horror plunged the hall into dead silence.
Lin Bufan of the Blazing Sun Sect was the first to react, his voice shrill with terror.
"Fuck! This bitch plans to slaughter us all!"
Wang San’s triumphant grin froze. He took a wary step back, putting distance between himself and the white-robed woman.
She didn’t so much as glance at Lin Bufan.
Her focus returned to Wang San, her tone almost coaxing.
"San’er, think carefully."
"You’re only at Qi Refining fifth layer. If I don’t eliminate them all, do you truly believe you can walk out of here safely with my inheritance?"
Her words were soft, yet they struck Wang San like a hammer to the chest.
"I will not allow my legacy to end in such a farcical manner."
"I am clearing the path for you."
Three simple sentences shattered Wang San’s flicker of wariness.
She was right!
The fault wasn’t in the treasure, but in the one who carried it.
At his current level, if word spread that he had obtained an Elder’s legacy, he wouldn’t even make it out of this cave alive…
This senior was removing all obstacles for him!
She truly had high hopes for him!
Realization dawned. Wang San’s caution melted into fervent gratitude. Without hesitation, he strode toward the woman.
"My deepest thanks, Senior!"
A faint smile of satisfaction finally graced the woman’s lips.
"Mmm."
"You’ll have more to thank me for later."
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
] [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."
