Clang!
Su Ji’s spear continued chiseling at the rocky wall.
A few sparks flew, leaving only a faint white scratch.
After a few half-hearted thrusts, Su Ji was already panting heavily, his spiritual energy nearly depleted.
He turned toward Gu Ranran’s direction and forced out a smile uglier than tears.
"Saintess, I’m afraid I can’t keep going."
The disciples of the Joyful Union Sect behind Gu Ranran wore undisguised contempt on their faces.
A mere Qi Refining trash—what did he expect?
Gu Ranran remained as cold and detached as ever. "Continue."
"Yes, yes!"
Su Ji fell silent and resumed his futile chiseling.
Amidst the gathering tension, a sudden change erupted!
Splash—!
The nearly unnoticed underground river exploded as a scorching, air-distorting streak of light burst from the water.
Carrying an overwhelming aura, it shot straight toward Su Ji’s back!
Too fast!
So fast that Gu Ranran’s pupils had barely constricted before the light had already crossed a hundred meters.
In her eyes, this Qi Refining trash was as good as dead.
Yet, in the split second before the light could pierce through Su Ji’s body—
His seemingly clumsy form suddenly snatched a small, nearly loosened piece of [Dragon’s Saliva Stone] and tucked it into his robes. Then, with a movement impossible for a Qi Refining cultivator, he sidestepped half a foot to the left.
His spear flicked in his hand as he executed a flawless backward thrust—graceful, effortless.
Only for…
Only for the spear to shatter and send him flying.
Boom!
The scorching light devoured the 'Gleaming Spear' whole.
Su Ji didn’t resist the terrifying recoil.
Instead, he let himself be flung backward.
The flames barely grazed the edge of his robes.
He could feel his hair curling from the heat.
Then, the fiery light slammed into the rock wall he had been chiseling.
The previously unyielding stone melted like tofu under its force, leaving behind a bottomless hole.
The edges of the crater glowed red, wisps of smoke curling upward.
Still midair, Su Ji glanced toward his attacker, heart pounding.
From the dark river, a massive head slowly rose, churning the water into towering waves.
A colossal beast, its body covered in crimson scales, a small protrusion on its head, and four stubby claws on its belly.
Its eyes burned with savage flames.
A flood dragon?!
Su Ji suddenly remembered.
The vision he had seen in [Heaven’s Gaze] had been set in a sea of magma.
So this was the culprit?
Time to go.
Though Su Ji couldn’t yet fly on a sword, his Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivation was close to the threshold.
A burst of spiritual energy propelled him further through the air.
When he landed, he rolled clumsily across the ground, playing the part of a helpless, battered weakling.
He quite literally rolled out of Gu Ranran and the flood dragon’s sight.
Meanwhile, the Joyful Union Sect’s attention was fully captured by the beast.
No one cared whether Su Ji lived or died.
"Hmm…?"
Gu Ranran glanced at her Heavenly Mandate.
[Heavenly Mandate: Myriad Illusions (False)]
[Rank: Purple]
[Effect: You are one of the incarnations of a certain existence, possessing cultivation talent far beyond ordinary individuals. But the price… Struggle with all your might! One day, you will either devour ‘it’ or be devoured.]
Her position as the Joyful Union Sect’s Saintess was partly a desperate gamble—if they wanted to devour her? Fine, she’d offer this incarnation to tens of thousands as their "companion in the Dao." It was, after all, a quick path to power.
But this mandate wasn’t today’s focus.
The real star was the other mandate she had obtained upon reaching Foundation Establishment.
[Heavenly Mandate: Divination of Fate]
[Rank: Orange]
[Effect: Once every three months, you may divine a 'world-shaking opportunity.' The divination will always contain minor errors but never major ones.]
[Current Divination: The Phoenix Rest Gorge’s true name is the Slumbering Dragon’s Den. A true dragon sleeps within, where you may obtain the materials to forge a Ninth-Grade Golden Core—'Dragon’s Saliva Stone.']
So…
Had her mandate miscalculated again?
Sigh.
An orange-rank mandate, after all.
To expect it to perfectly unravel the heavens’ secrets was asking too much.
A flood dragon and a true dragon…
The difference was vast.
But no matter.
As long as the Dragon’s Saliva Stone was real, it didn’t matter whether a dragon or a flood dragon slumbered here.
"ROAR—!"
The flood dragon’s deafening bellow shook the entire cavern, sending rocks tumbling from the ceiling.
Its fiery eyes locked onto Su Ji.
A puny human, daring to covet its treasure?
This was its key to ascension!
Then it saw Su Ji’s scrambling, stumbling retreat…
The magma brewing in its throat paused.
Those savage eyes slowly turned toward Gu Ranran.
The flood dragon was no fool.
Hah.
Such crude, exaggerated acting!
Trying to lure it away from the stone?
Not a chance!
If it chased Su Ji, wouldn’t these people steal all the [Dragon’s Saliva Stone]?
Ignoring the insignificant Su Ji, the flood dragon unleashed the molten fireball it had been gathering in its throat—straight at Gu Ranran and her disciples!
The fireball streaked like a falling meteor, its tail of flames scorching the air with crackling fury.
"Formation!"
Gu Ranran’s icy composure shattered as she barked the order.
If they wanted the [Dragon’s Saliva Stone], they’d have to walk over this flood dragon’s corpse.
But so be it.
A flood dragon’s body was a trove of treasures itself.
Her hands flew through a series of seals, and the twenty Joyful Union Sect disciples instantly shifted positions, forming a defensive array.
A massive shield of spiritual energy materialized before them.
BOOM—!
The fireball crashed into the shield.
The cavern trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
The shield shuddered violently, spiderweb cracks spreading across its surface—but it held.
Still, the impact sent the Joyful Union Sect disciples staggering back. Several of the weaker ones coughed up blood.
Gu Ranran’s expression darkened. "A Golden Core beast!"
Enraged by its failed strike, the flood dragon grew even more ferocious.
Its enormous body surged from the river, water cascading around it—only to sizzle into steam upon hitting the ground.
Its massive tail lashed out like a steel whip, carrying enough force to shatter stone.
"Scatter!"
Gu Ranran’s command came just in time.
The disciples barely dodged as the tail cratered the ground where they had stood, debris flying.
Chaos erupted.
But the flood dragon’s assault was relentless, leaving no room for recovery.
The Joyful Union Sect’s formation, though intricate, began to crumble under the overwhelming force.
"Gah—!"
A female disciple failed to evade in time. The tail struck her, sending her crashing into the wall like a broken puppet. Blood sprayed from her lips—her fate sealed.
The situation grew grimmer by the second.
Su Ji hid in the shadows, watching with great relish.
The only thing he regretted was not having any spirit fruits in hand to munch on with satisfying crunches.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
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]
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
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?
