The Shadow Pearl emitted a radiant glow.
The light formed an image.
Chu Xingchen stood at the center, grinning broadly with both hands raised in a "V" sign.
Chen Baiqing leaned her head slightly against her master's side, her right hand extended.
Li Yingling tilted her chin up, her face lit with a brilliant smile, instinctively placing a hand beside her eye—looking even more like someone from Blue Star than Chu Xingchen himself.
Li Xingtian remained somewhat stiff, his gesture appearing a bit formulaic, though it was still an improvement from before.
Lin Luoyu and Li Junzi were more subdued, their smiles gentle and their gestures soft and delicate.
Xie Lingyu stood beside Qinghe, who had initially been a bit too lively—until Xie Lingyu pinched her ear, forcing her to behave.
Qinghe obediently leaned against Xie Lingyu’s side, though whether out of stubbornness or defiance, she stretched her hand far out, her little face still carrying a hint of rebellion.
Xie Lingyu, as always, extended her hand gracefully, her smile warm and serene.
Ning Kun still seemed a bit reserved, but Ning Qianqian was much more at ease. They stood in a corner, each wearing different expressions, capturing the moment in their own ways.
Cui Hao struck a cool pose, tilting his body slightly, his gesture exuding a touch of arrogance.
Bai Xuanling stood somewhat off to the side, yet her aura of authority remained undiminished—she truly didn’t care.
Her posture was relaxed, her smile carefree, and her gesture casually extended forward. Yet even so, she radiated an air of unshakable confidence.
They had used many Shadow Pearls, but Chu Xingchen liked the effect of this one the most.
Chu Xingchen swiftly stored the Shadow Pearl away. "Perfect, everyone looks great."
As he put away the last of the pearls, Qinghe immediately piped up:
"None for Qinghe??"
Chu Xingchen nodded knowingly and retrieved one from his spatial ring, handing it to Xie Lingyu.
Qinghe stared at him eagerly, but alas, no second pearl appeared.
"What about Qinghe? What about Qinghe?" she demanded, wide-eyed.
Chu Xingchen sighed. "Just ask Lingyu when you want to see it. We only have so many—everyone has to share."
"You’re such a cheapsk—"
Before she could finish, Bai Xuanling’s slender fingers found the little horns on Qinghe’s head.
"—such a genius… or maybe Qinghe’s just too dumb to figure it out."
Under Bai Xuanling’s grip, Qinghe quickly surrendered, her expression shifting instantly.
A perfect picture of a "dumb Qinghe."
Chu Xingchen chuckled lightly, his gaze drifting toward the performers on stage and the cheering crowds below.
Truth be told, though they had hired a renowned troupe for the occasion—one even approved by Cui Hao—and their performance was undeniably spectacular, most of the group in the private booth were too engrossed in conversation and toasts to pay much attention.
Even Qinghe, who usually loved excitement and novelty, was no exception.
So Chu Xingchen turned his attention back to Li Yingling.
"Your master and everyone else have prepared a gift for you. Would you like to see it?"
"Of course!" Li Yingling replied firmly.
Chu Xingchen planted his hands on his hips, teasing. "Fine, but no ‘little pearls,’ got it?"
His playful remarks always had a pattern—once you got used to them, you could guess the meaning even if he hadn’t used the phrase before.
"Little pearls" were just tears, after all.
Li Yingling mirrored his stance, hands on her hips, retorting stubbornly:
"No way! I decide that."
At this point, she knew her image as the dignified, reliable senior disciple was long gone.
Might as well indulge today.
So what if she cried?
She’d cry if she wanted to!
Everyone set down their cups and followed Chu Xingchen as he led them past the main hall of Zen Forest Temple, toward the rear mountain.
The temple had a dedicated hillside area with a scenic view, featuring a spacious platform overlooking Yuzhou City.
Originally meant for monks to meditate, it had since become a spot to entertain distinguished guests.
And Chu Xingchen was undoubtedly the most distinguished of them all.
A gentle breeze swept through as they arrived, the city’s twinkling lights stretching out below.
Everyone except Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun—who lacked cultivation or had minimal prowess—could see the dragon and lion dances parading through the streets, the lively crowds bustling about.
Li Yingling gazed into the distance, quietly awaiting her master’s promised gift.
Chu Xingchen took out a talisman from his spatial ring, infused it with spiritual energy, and watched as it dissolved into streaks of light.
A moment later—
A sharp whistle pierced the sky.
A massive firework exploded across the heavens, painting the night in crimson.
Then, from all directions, countless more whistles followed.
The sky bloomed with radiant bursts, as if wrapping the entire Zen Forest Temple in their glow.
The fireworks’ light danced across every face.
Even Qinghe’s little face lit up with awe.
Chu Xingchen glanced at Li Yingling, who was staring at the sky.
From his angle, he could only see her profile, the reflections of fireworks flickering in her eyes.
"First Disciple," he said softly, smiling. "Happy birthday."
Chen Baiqing chirped sweetly: "Happy birthday, Senior Sister!"
Li Xingtian: "Happy birthday, Senior Sister!"
Lin Luoyu and Cui Hao: "Happy birthday, Senior Sister."
The others echoed: "Happy birthday!"
Li Yingling turned to face them, her lips pressed together.
"Thank you, Master… thank you, everyone."
At first, she had been skeptical. But after entering the city, she’d dismissed her doubts.
She never imagined her master would go to such lengths for her birthday—it seemed excessive.
Back then, she’d assumed it was just her fifth junior brother’s latest eccentric whim.
But when she saw Qinghe and Xie Lingyu, she began to suspect the truth.
And when Li Xingtian appeared, she knew for sure.
Her master really had orchestrated all this—just for her.
Chu Xingchen spoke softly. "You once told me how, as a child, you envied others’ fireworks because you could only hear them from afar."
"So today, I thought—let others envy my first disciple’s fireworks instead."
"And in the future, may they envy you in all things."
Li Yingling nodded, smiling.
Right now, not even divine weapons, peerless techniques, or miraculous elixirs could tempt her to trade this moment away.
"Oho, what’s this? ‘Little pearls’ now?"
"As the eldest senior sister, if I want to drop something, I’ll drop it! Who dares to laugh at me?"
But everyone was laughing, including Li Yingling.
I originally wanted to arrange a group portrait, but it didn’t work out, and I couldn’t afford to hire an artist either. How frustrating! I wonder if I could just... cough... perhaps some generous reader with extraordinary skills might be willing to draw one out of love...
I wanted to say something but didn’t know what, so I’ll just wish everyone happiness, good health, joy, prosperity, and a blissful marriage instead.
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!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
