Ling Shuangshuang moved. Her body made the decision before her mind could catch up. Stepping forward, her bare feet padded against the black stone slabs as she walked toward Qin Hao, step by step.
She stopped behind him. Qin Hao did not turn around, his attention still entirely focused on the cultivation manual in his hands. Taking a deep breath, Ling Shuangshuang reached out, her slender, pale fingers coming to rest lightly on his shoulder.
Her body trembled slightly, not out of fear, but from an indescribable thrill of nervous excitement.
Ye Hao, Ling Shuangshuang's voice was soft and light, like a wisp of cloud scattered by the wind, drifting airily into Qin Hao's ear.
Qin Hao merely furrowed his brows. He ignored her completely, the motion of his hands turning the pages not pausing for even a fraction of a second.
Biting her lip, Ling Shuangshuang let her fingertips trail slowly along his shoulder. Gazing at Qin Hao's face, which looked as though it had been meticulously sculpted by the heavens, her breathing began to grow unsteady.
Seeing that Qin Hao was still ignoring her, she leaned forward another half-inch. Her chest was practically pressed against his back, and her warm breath brushed against the nape of his neck, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.
You have been reading for so long. Do you want to take a break?
Qin Hao finally reacted. He set the book down, turned around, and looked down at Ling Shuangshuang, who was practically leaning into his embrace. Reflected in his calm, tranquil eyes was her flushed face and hazy, infatuated gaze.
Witnessing this scene, the two nearby clan elders could not help but exchange a glance and communicate via voice transmission:
Since ancient times, even heroes have struggled to overcome the allure of a beautiful woman. It seems Young Friend Ye is no exception.
Indeed. Her Highness the Princess possesses breathtaking beauty and is courted by countless young talents. It is only human nature for Young Friend Ye to be swayed. This works out perfectly. If such a peerless genius can be brought into the fold of our Lingxiao Divine Dynasty, our absolute dominance over the Ten Directions and Nine Netherworlds will remain utterly unshakable.
Just as the two elders thought Qin Hao was about to succumb to Ling Shuangshuang's charms, he reached out, grabbed her by the collar, and shoved her away:
Get lost! Stop bothering me!
Pushed back a couple of steps, Ling Shuangshuang's bare feet slapped crisply against the black stone slabs. She stood frozen in place. The flush on her cheeks had yet to fade, but the hazy infatuation in her eyes was instantly replaced by sheer bewilderment.
No way, he told me to get lost? Does he really not have the slightest bit of interest in me?
Standing there, her lips trembled slightly as her expression shifted rapidly, from embarrassment to grievance, then to indignation, and finally settling into an inexplicable, obscure excitement.
He even looks handsome when he is cursing at people. As expected of the man I have set my sights on! The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, completely devoid of any anger.
Seeing this, the two elders mentally cried out in madness. Oh, our dear Princess, could you please have a little self-respect? He humiliated you like that, and you are still eagerly pressing your warm face against his cold backside?
Ling Shuangshuang did not try to approach Qin Hao again. Instead, she squatted on the ground, resting her face in her hands. A lovestruck smile blossomed on her face as she stared at him unblinkingly.
Tell me, has the Princess been struck by some sort of mind-bewitching spell? Otherwise, she would not be acting like this, right?
It does not look like it. Have you ever seen anyone under a bewitching spell smile so... so... The elder wanted to say lewdly, but he simply could not bring himself to utter the word.
Time ticked by, minute by minute, second by second. In the blink of an eye, a whole day had passed. After spending a full day, Qin Hao had finally engraved all three thousand cultivation manuals and divine abilities on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion into his mind.
Immediately after, he prepared to head to the second floor. The moment he stepped onto the stairs, he felt an invisible, oppressive might surging from every ancient tome on the second level. Like thousands of silken spider webs, the pressure intertwined from all directions, sealing off the entrance to the floor above.
This was not the will of a single person. It was a torrential flood formed by the convergence of Daoist rhythms and wills left behind on the texts by countless generations of Lingxiao Divine Dynasty predecessors who had practiced these techniques and abilities.
This torrent contained the obsessions and unyielding pride of past powerhouses. If one could not withstand this flood, ascending to the second floor would be utterly impossible.
How long do you all think it will take Young Master Qin to reach the second floor?
A voice rang out from the crowd, laced with curiosity.
His talent is incredible. I have never even heard of someone like him, let alone seen one. In the recorded history of our Lingxiao Divine Dynasty, the fastest genius below the Immortal realm to ascend to the second floor was our current Emperor, who took twenty breaths of time. As for Young Master Qin, he might be even faster than the Emperor. I would estimate ten breaths.
However, before these people could even finish their sentences, Qin Hao moved. It was not a hesitant, cautious step. Instead, his legs suddenly exploded with power, and in the next second, his figure vanished. By the time the crowd clearly registered where he was, his silhouette had already appeared on the second floor.
The moment Qin Hao's figure materialized on the floor of the second level, it was as if an immobilization spell had been cast over the entire first floor of the Scripture Pavilion. Everything fell dead silent.
In less than a single breath of time, he had leaped straight up, going from the very first step to standing firmly on the second floor.
Are my eyes playing tricks on me? I did not even finish speaking, and he is already up there? This... this is way too exaggerated!
You can say that again. Every time I try to climb those stairs, I feel so suppressed I cannot even breathe. But how did he do it without facing any resistance whatsoever? It is as if those wills and Daoist rhythms are nothing but mere decorations in front of him.
The two clan elders stood at the very front of the crowd, looking up at the figure standing with his hands clasped behind his back on the second floor. They remained speechless for a long time. Finally, one of the elders managed to choke out a sentence:
I have guarded this pavilion for eight hundred years, and never, never have I seen such a monstrous genius!
This is not just a monstrous genius anymore. This is a monster, a freak that completely exceeds the boundaries of our understanding! As they spoke, the two elders turned their heads in unison to look at Ling Shuangshuang:
Your Highness, we must absolutely keep this man within our Lingxiao Divine Dynasty. If we cannot make him serve us, then do not hesitate, such a freak must be obliterated with thunderous means!
Faced with their solemn warnings, Ling Shuangshuang waved her hand dismissively, a confident smile tugging at the corners of her lips:
Relax. He will not escape the palm of my hand. I can handle him.
Hearing this, the two elders revealed expressions of blatant disbelief. You, handle him? He told you to get lost, and you were grinning like an idiot who just ate bee droppings. You think you can handle him?
The two exchanged a glance and gave a subtle nod. This matter was of grave importance; they had to report it to the Emperor and let him make the final decision.
Ling Shuangshuang gazed up at Qin Hao's figure on the second floor, a beaming smile on her face:
Even the way he walks up the stairs makes my heart flutter. I almost cannot wait to eat you up. She muttered under her breath, then, quickening her pace, she headed toward the second floor as well.
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.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
