"It is best to learn fewer mystic arts and instead ensure high proficiency in those you have already learned. This way, you can cast them smoothly when needed, avoiding embarrassing situations where spells fizzle."
Dong Zhongyuan pointed his fan at one of the little girls and admonished, "Especially you, Jiang Qin. You're always trying to learn new spells without having fully mastered previous ones..."
"Senior brother!" the girl he pointed out said helplessly, "I'm Jiang Ran!"
"I'm talking about you, Jiang Ran..." Dong Zhongyuan was not embarrassed at all. He continued pointing at Jiang Ran,
"I've told you already - when shape shifting, you need to cycle the qi through the Lung Meridian of Hand Taiyin, make the Orchid Mudra, and emit from Chi Canal, Lieque, and Shaoshang. Why do you always emit from Tianquan and Zhongchong?"
"But I have been emitting from the Lung Meridian, haven't I?" Jiang Ran made an orchid finger mudra, puzzled.
Dong Zhongyuan lightly tapped her forehead with his fan, shaking his head. "Completely wrong. You make the same mistake every time!"
Just then...
"Elder Brother Dong!" a girl called out to him from the side.
Dong Zhongyuan looked over to the voice and his eyes lit up. It was a cute girl wielding a sword, followed by a white tiger. He ignored the male tiger.
But he recognized the girl and quickly returned the courtesy. "Junior Sister Li!"
"Elder brother recognizes me?" Li Shiyin frowned. She did not recall any interactions with this Dong Zhongyuan.
What beautiful girl from the sect - no, what beautiful female doesn't he recognize?
Dong Zhongyuan smiled gently. "Junior Sister Li's reputation for talent is well known to me."
She didn't realize she had such fame!
Li Shiyin was secretly happy and raised her brows. "Since you know my name, then why am I not on the list of the ten greatest Dao Sword Sect geniuses?"
"The ten greatest geniuses?" Hearing this, Dong Zhongyuan laughed strangely. Li Shiyin had come all this way for that? Still smiling, he replied,
"Junior Sister Li has exceptional innate gifts and cultivation. Everyone knows this. However, I do have strict criteria for the top ten..." Smiling, he continued,
"Although you didn't make ten greatest geniuses, you are one of the five great beauties! Your beauty itself is a supreme asset beyond all else."
Li Shiyin was clever and not fooled by Dong Zhongyuan's placating words. She ignored the latter part of what he said and simply asked, "You claim your criteria is strict, so tell me what exactly makes it so strict?
"Why doesn't Dan Peak have a single person on the list...Are you looking down on us?!"
"Grr..." Chasing the Wind beside Li Shiyin growled lowly at Dong Zhongyuan, adding momentum for her.
"Dan Peak?" Seeing Chasing the Wind, Dong Zhongyuan remained smiling and replied, "The ranking isn't about having quota spots for each peak. It looks at the Dao Sword Sect as a whole."
"Then how is it ranked?"
"First, innate gifts are considered, then cultivation level, and finally, strength." Dong Zhongyuan gave the selection criteria.
"Then what were the innate gifts, cultivation level, and strength of the tenth-ranked person?" Li Shiyin asked. She figured that since Huang Feiyu was at mid Golden Core realm and ranked fifth, the tenth-ranked must not even be at Golden Core realm yet...
Dong Zhongyuan was always patient with beauties. He carefully answered, "The tenth is my junior brother from Qi Peak, Song Ze. He has the Myriad Origin Spiritual Body, top-grade innate gifts, and amplifies all techniques. He is also at mid Golden Core realm with his primordal soul initial manifestation, making his combat ability extremely terrifying."
Li Shiyin didn't catch what he said about myriad origins spiritual bodies, but she heard top-grade innate gifts and mid Golden Core realm...Heavens! Even the tenth spot was mid Golden Core realm? Her heart thumped wildly.
Wait. If Huang Feiyu was the same cultivation level yet ranked fifth, how incredible was he?
Hmm... Hearing that the tenth spot was also mid Golden Core realm, Li Shiyin got cold feet. Even if it had been early Golden Core realm, she would've still wanted to give it a try. But she didn't expect this...
"It's actually very simple to earn a spot on the ranking..." Seeing Li Shiyin's discouraged expression, Dong Zhongyuan smiled more roguishly and deliberately said, "Choose whichever spot you want and challenge that disciple. If they accept, you can engage in open combat on the Debate Platform. As long as you win, you can take their place."
"Oh..." Li Shiyin nodded, wanting to slip away. "I see!"
Dong Zhongyuan asked, "Won't Junior Sister give it a try? Even challenging Brother Song would be fine."
"No...no..." Just as Li Shiyin was about to refuse, she suddenly noticed the meaningful look on Dong Zhongyuan's face.
Hey! Wait a minute. What's the meaning here? Is he mocking this sword immortal?
Li Shiyin's expression abruptly became resolute. She recalled that she had come because Dan Peak lacked any great geniuses. Now the main culprit was before her, yet she wanted to give up just because her opponent was much stronger? And allow others to mock her?
No! She, Li Shiyin, would defend the glory of Dan Peak! So what if it's mid Golden Core realm? She'll take care of him! With one sword strike, whatever special constitution would be useless!
"I do intend to challenge..." She told Dong Zhongyuan. "Just not right now."
She wasn't a fool. At her current Foundation Establishment realm, she knew she was no match for mid Golden Core realm. At least...
She had to reach mid Foundation Establishment realm too!
"Oh?" Dong Zhongyuan's spirit stirred. For this Foundation Establishment junior sister to actually want to challenge a Golden Core genius? Seeing that Li Shiyin didn't seem to be joking, he quickly asked, "When then?"
After a quick calculation in her mind, Li Shiyin answered, "Give me one month's time. I will challenge Song Ze on next month's night of the full moon!"
"One month from now?" Dong Zhongyuan carefully sized up Li Shiyin, pondering to himself, "One of the five great beauties challenging one of the ten great geniuses. Weak versus strong. Beauty versus talent. Hits all the elements for a sensational story!"
Feeling a bit excited, he said, "Very well, junior sister can go prepare. A small matter like arranging the duel with Brother Song can be handled by me."
"Hey! Are you serious about this?" Chasing the Wind blinked his large eyes and whispered to Li Shiyin.
"As personal disciple to the Peak Lord of Dan Peak, I must safeguard its glory!" Li Shiyin stated. "Naturally, I'm serious."
"Mid Golden Core realm..." Chasing the Wind reminded.
Li Shiyin grabbed Chasing the Wind by the ear and dragged him off toward Dan Peak. "Then, you're accompanying me for special training right now!"
Watching Li Shiyin's disappearing back, Dong Zhongyuan clicked his tongue in admiration. "Incredible! Just incredible!"
"What is her cultivation level?" Jiang Qin asked. "To be so arrogant."
"Early Foundation Establishment realm," Dong Zhongyuan laughed.
"What?!" Jiang Ran exclaimed in shock. "She has a death wish?"
"No..." Dong Zhongyuan shook his head. "What I saw in her eyes was thick confidence!"
"She must be an idiot or something..." Jiang Qin remarked.
Li Shiyin's conversation with Dong Zhongyuan occurred at noon, but the sun had yet to set. Soon, the entire Dao Sword Sect, except for Dan Peak, came to know of this matter:
Dan Peak's personal disciple, Li Shiyin, intended to challenge Qi Peak's personal disciple, Song Ze, one month from now on the night of the full moon.
Moreover, Li Shiyin was one of the five great beauties while Song Ze was one of the ten great geniuses.
To preserve suspense, Dong Zhongyuan intentionally did not reveal Li Shiyin's cultivation level.
As a result, the entire Dao Sword Sect seethed that very night!
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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."
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?!
