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.
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)
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
