Ever since Qin Ran effortlessly refined a top-grade fourth-tier pill under the old man's watchful eyes, he quickly found his place. No longer causing trouble for Qin Ran, his attitude visibly shifted to one of respect.
He understood clearly that Qin Ran didn’t belong here—he posed no threat to his position. Whenever faced with an unsolvable pill-related problem, he would even approach Qin Ran with the deference of a disciple. And as Qin Ran helped him resolve increasingly complex issues and refine ever more challenging pills, his reverence only grew.
Most importantly, Qin Ran seemed harmless, showing no interest in usurping his authority as the chief alchemist. Unless sought out, Qin Ran simply stayed in his room, reading. This made the old man respect him even more—and trust him completely.
After establishing his reputation with that flawless fourth-tier pill, Qin Ran found himself enjoying an unexpectedly peaceful period of cultivation in this den of enemies, a true dragon’s lair.
In fact, since arriving in the Tianhai Region, this was the most tranquil time he’d experienced.
If only he could cook and experiment with food, it would feel just like Dan Peak. Unfortunately, this place was filled with cultivators—no ingredients, no kitchen tools.
Perhaps this was his only grievance.
One day, after finishing his reading, he crouched in his room, tinkering with medicinal tea. He mixed various herbs he’d "borrowed" during pill refining into the tea leaves, adjusting the flavor.
Knock knock!
The door suddenly sounded.
Still crouched, he used his identity token to open the stone door and called out, "Come in."
Assuming it was the old man or another alchemist seeking his help, he didn’t bother looking up, fully absorbed in his tea experiment.
"Take a seat. I’m working on a ‘Complete Sea Demon Tonic Tea’—great for strengthening the body," he explained, holding a sea demon’s tendon as he measured the dose, ready to add it in.
Then, he sensed an exceptionally delicate figure settling nearby, accompanied by an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance.
His focus remained on the tea, but even without looking, he could tell it was a woman—soft, graceful, undoubtedly a female cultivator. He promptly stashed the sea demon tendon away.
"What pill are you refining, miss?" he asked.
No answer came.
After a pause, he tried again, "Do you have the formula?"
Still silence.
Puzzled, he finally glanced up—and met a pair of tender, autumn-water eyes gazing at him.
"Holy Maiden?!" He recoiled in shock, scrambling backward on the floor as if he’d seen not a peerless beauty but a prehistoric monster.
Dressed in black robes, her face veiled behind a sheer black gauze, the enchantingly alluring woman sat gracefully on the chair. Her eyes, lively and teasing, studied Qin Ran as she smiled.
When she finally spoke, her voice was sinfully smooth, like a cat’s tail teasing one’s heart. "Do you know the crime of secretly hoarding so many spirit herbs?"
Qin Ran didn’t answer immediately. His eyes darted to the door—still shut—and he exhaled in relief.
"Why would the Holy Maiden visit my humble quarters?" He rose from the floor but found standing awkward under her gaze, so he leaned back against the wall.
The Holy Maiden watched him, smiling silently.
Ahem. He got the hint and answered her question. "This is nothing. Just an unspoken rule among alchemists.
"If you ask an alchemist to refine a pill, you provide the ingredients. Once the pill is successfully made, you take it. What happens to the leftover herbs is none of your concern.
"If the alchemist succeeds, any extra materials are their rightful reward—proof of their skill."
The veiled woman’s crescent-moon eyes sparkled with amusement. "I’ve never seen someone so brazen about it."
Steadying himself, Qin Ran stepped forward to the tea stove, poured a cup, and offered it to her. "Dare to drink?"
The Holy Maiden accepted it. "Why wouldn’t I?"
"I’m quite skilled at refining poisons," Qin Ran remarked, pouring himself a cup before retreating to the main seat, keeping his distance. "I prefer killing with toxins."
"Would you really kill me?" Her eyes shimmered with exaggerated affection.
"They call me the ‘Flower-Crushing Executioner,’" Qin Ran replied, sipping his tea. After a thoughtful pause, he added, "Needs more Water-White Immortal for balance."
The Holy Maiden chuckled softly, tasting the tea herself. Bitter yet sweet—nothing remarkable.
"Was it you who refined the Golden Cloud Vein Pill last time?" she finally broached the real matter.
"Indeed," Qin Ran nodded. "Used it all up already? Did it suit your needs?"
"It was excellent," she admitted. "Comparable to the pills from headquarters."
"An honor..." Qin Ran smiled.
"Who knew you had such mastery?" Her gaze deepened with feigned admiration. "Would you like to go to headquarters?"
"I’ve only just joined the organization. I wouldn’t dare dream of it yet," he deflected. "Where is headquarters, anyway?"
The Holy Maiden rolled her eyes, a gesture brimming with charm. "Naturally, in the Seven Isles."
Qin Ran knew the "Destiny" organization’s true headquarters wasn’t in the Seven Isles, but there had to be a major branch there.
"Did the Holy Maiden come from the Seven Isles?" he pressed.
"Indeed."
"Ah, I’ve never been," Qin Ran sighed.
"With your skills, you’ll go there eventually." She reached into the pouch at her waist—a spatial storage item—and handed him a set of herbs. "Since it was you who refined it, I’ll come directly to you from now on. Another Golden Cloud Vein Pill."
Qin Ran accepted the herbs but couldn’t help sighing. "The Golden Cloud Vein Pill, huh..."
"Why the sigh?"
"If you didn’t need to take the Cloud Vein Pill, would you still want to?" he asked.
The Holy Maiden’s playful eyes flickered imperceptibly. She glanced at him, then just as quickly looked away, gazing at the ocean outside the window. "Do you know what the Golden Cloud Vein Pill is for?"
"I refined it. Of course I know," Qin Ran replied calmly, sipping his tea. "I’m saying I can make something better. Would you prefer that?"
Her eyes locked onto him again, as if probing his soul for honesty. After a long pause, she answered, "No need. The Golden Cloud Vein Pill is perfect as it is."
"Very well. I’ll refine the Cloud Vein Pill then." Qin Ran nodded. "You can always come to me when you need more."
The Holy Maiden let out a soft, cryptic laugh. Rising, she walked to the door. Just before leaving, she murmured, "You’d do well to pretend you know nothing."
Qin Ran watched the sway of her veiled silhouette and grinned. "I’m just a pill refiner. I only give suggestions. What could I possibly know?"
She glanced back once but said no more, stepping out and shutting the door behind her.
Sipping his tea, Qin Ran stared at the empty doorway, his thoughts a tangled mess.
The Golden Cloud Spirit Vein Pill is used for cultivating seduction techniques. Consuming this pill can unlock a woman's physical potential, making her appear even more youthful, beautiful, and alluring during her prime.
However, once the potential is exhausted, the user will rapidly age and die.
The Holy Maiden is employed by the "Fate" organization to erode the willpower of its members. Yet, she herself is also a consumable resource.
"Damn, the power of seduction is too strong," Qin Ran muttered, setting down his teacup and closing the door with a sigh. "I actually started wondering whether I still have that kind of function."
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."
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
