Su Ji snapped back to reality.
He was still sitting cross-legged on that somewhat chilly rock...
Holy shit!
Su Ji sprang up like a catapult, instantly putting distance between himself and the boulder.
Why the hell did it suddenly get so hot under his ass?
Whatever.
Not important.
He began recalling the scenes he had glimpsed in [Peering into Fate].
The Heart Demon Tribulation made sense.
After all, he'd already attracted heavenly punishment—what's one complimentary heart demon combo on top?
The Heavenly Dao was just being hospitable, throwing in a freebie. Made perfect sense.
Better prepare for that.
But... the Heavenly Fox Tribulation?
He meticulously replayed the vision in his mind—Su Jiu hadn't faced the slightest hint of danger throughout.
Where was the tribulation?
Su Ji shook his head, dismissing the chaotic thoughts.
At any rate, underground Foundation Establishment was the right approach.
As for the heart demon, he'd mention it to Su Jiu when she returned. See if she had any brilliant insights.
One man's wisdom had limits—might as well exploit a free walking encyclopedia.
Decision made, Su Ji wasted no time.
He picked up his spear from the ground.
Balanced it horizontally across his shoulders, the shaft pressing against the back of his neck, arms hooked around either end.
Striking an outrageously cocky pose, he strode deeper into the molten cavern.
About fifty steps in,
perhaps feeling the stance wasn't arrogant enough,
he adjusted the spear.
Now gripping it single-handedly behind his back, tip angled toward the ground.
As he advanced, the spearhead scraped against stone, spraying sparks.
Yeah. This was way more badass.
Much better.
...
Then came the discomfort.
Half an hour later,
Su Ji stood at a three-way fork, his spear now properly strapped to his back.
His expression was... colorful.
"This can't be right... I followed the map exactly."
He flipped the parchment repeatedly, scrutinizing it.
Then eyed the three identical tunnels ahead, deep in thought.
Refusing to believe it, he backtracked and took another branching path.
Only to return to the same damned junction.
Su Ji's face darkened.
He brought the map inches from his eyes.
Turned it right side up, upside down.
Finally, in frustration,
rolled it into a tube and peered through it like a telescope at the fork.
Still no epiphany.
His face flushed crimson.
Goddammit!
Should've known better than to trust anyone from the Love-Longing Sect.
That Contribution Hall elder took his spirit stones and sold him a fake.
This forged map looked more authentic than Su Ji's own handwriting.
Map was useless now.
Only himself to rely on.
Su Ji carefully stored the map away,
then fished out a low-grade spirit stone from his robe.
He weighed it in his palm before casually flicking it forward like a pebble.
"Clink-clatter..."
The stone bounced several times before rolling into the leftmost tunnel.
Su Ji dusted his hands, wearing a "told-you-so" smirk.
Don't ask.
This was advanced methodology.
One of these paths had to be correct.
Where there was passage, there was airflow.
Faint, but enough to alter the stone's trajectory.
Take notes, folks. This was premium knowledge.
Su Ji marched into the left tunnel.
...
Through relentless stone-tossing,
he somehow stumbled upon the right path.
After an indeterminable time,
a subterranean river surged into view.
The rapids churned in an eerie ink-black hue.
To Su Ji, this was far more reliable than any map.
Without hesitation, he followed the current downstream.
About an incense stick's worth of walking later,
Su Ji froze mid-step.
Slithered soundlessly behind a protruding rock.
Squinting, he focused on a bend ahead.
After all this time...
living souls.
...
"Senior Sister, I still feel uneasy,"
a timid female voice barely pierced the roaring waters.
"What if... what if those rogue cultivators aren't enough?"
Another voice, crisp yet impatient, answered: "Nonsense! The Holy Maiden's calculations are flawless. If she says their sacrifice suffices, it does."
Joyful Union Sect disciples.
Two women in sheer pink gossamer stood by the river, backs turned.
The fearful junior's voice trembled:
"But... what if I get sacrificed too...?"
"Useless coward!"
The senior sister scoffed.
"The Holy Maiden isn't unleashing that beast—she doesn't need that many lives."
"She's just retrieving a [Dragon's Saliva Stone], a heavenly treasure to aid her breakthrough to the ninth-tier Golden Core!"
"Once those cannon fodder break the outer formations, she'll claim it."
"We'll earn sect contributions without lifting a finger. Zero danger."
The junior seemed reassured.
"Oh, I see now..."
Su Ji held his breath.
Exactly as suspected.
Blood sacrifice!
As he strategized, the senior sister spoke again:
"Enough dithering."
"The Holy Maiden's orders: if this river shows no change in three hours, we investigate."
"Hope those rogues aren't slacking—or else... heh."
Her words hung as the air suddenly thickened.
"Wait—"
Her body tensed like a predator sensing prey.
"Someone's here."
An invisible detection pulse swept over Su Ji's hiding spot.
The cavern's atmosphere turned glacial—even the river's roar seemed muted.
The pair whirled around, their pretty faces now devoid of levity, replaced by icy vigilance.
Exposed.
Su Ji emerged leisurely from behind the rock, ambling as if on an evening stroll.
"Threesome, ladies?"
The women didn't respond, exchanging a glance.
A silent psychic conversation flashed between them.
The senior sister's thought was frigid: 'A rogue cultivator, late Qi Refining. He heard everything.'
The junior panicked: 'He knows about the sacrifice! What do we do?'
'Calm down,' came the mental reprimand. 'Two Foundation Establishment against one? Crush him fast.'
'Kill him?'
'No choice. The Holy Maiden's plan cannot leak. Strike together—quick and clean.'
'Understood.'
That fleeting murderous intent? Su Ji caught it crystal clear.
He even gave them mental applause for efficiency.
Not giving them time to hesitate, Su Ji closed the distance with deliberate steps.
Ten paces. Five.
As he neared, the senior sister forced a saccharine smile, voice dripping honey:
"Such bold words, dear cultivator~ Your skills must be... formidable. I wonder if you can satisfy us both—"
Su Ji's response was a gale that tore through the air.
The spear in his hand became a soul-reaping weapon.
His target was not the senior sister who had spoken, but the timid junior sister beside her, who had exuded cowardice from start to finish.
When picking a persimmon, one should choose the softest.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
