【Side Quest Activated】
【Objective: Locate the Lost Fragments of Authority】
【Divine artifacts lie scattered, the land barren and desolate】
【Hint: The wishes of the masses—how could they become another’s weapon?】
【Reward: A weapon exclusive to the host】
Chu Xingchen paused mid-step, his gaze turning toward a pale-yellow seal as he asked,
“What is this?”
Chen Mouguang didn’t answer immediately, instead glancing at Zhao Yang beside him.
Zhao Yang, understanding the cue, tactfully retreated a few steps.
With a casual wave, Chen Mouguang erected a soundproof barrier. Bai Xuanling’s reputation was beyond doubt, and anyone sent by Bai Xuanling hardly needed further scrutiny.
Thus, Chen Mouguang was inclined to trust Chu Xingchen.
More importantly, time was running perilously short. If they let this opportunity slip—especially with a powerhouse like Chu Xingchen—Chen Mouguang knew the mission would be doomed.
It was clear the Tianyan Sect’s higher-ups didn’t consider this matter critical. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have dispatched an inner disciple like him. After all, many of the peak masters’ personal disciples had already reached the Nascent Soul realm.
Or perhaps the Tianyan Sect deemed it unwise to risk conflict with the Taidao Sect over this.
Regardless, Chen Mouguang had realized one thing: while the Path of Divine Worship might not be strong enough to shake the foundations of the Eighteen Immortal Sects, it undoubtedly held the power to reshape the world’s balance.
With a grave expression, Chen Mouguang explained, “This is what forms when the Path of Divine Worship coalesces. It allows mortals with no foundation to rapidly ascend in cultivation.”
“Aside from me, three others are investigating this matter.”
“We haven’t yet deciphered how to absorb or utilize it, nor its ritual mechanics. But we’ve witnessed firsthand how mortals who absorbed this seal gained cultivation equivalent to at least the eighth layer of Qi Refining.”
Worried the expert before him might dismiss Qi Refining as trivial, Chen Mouguang hastily added,
“Senior, don’t underestimate the eighth layer of Qi Refining. Countless souls never even step onto this path.”
“A hundred Qi Refining cultivators may seem insignificant, but what of a million?”
“We don’t know the cost, nor the upper limits of the Path of Divine Worship. The eighth layer might just be the surface—who’s to say it doesn’t reach Core Formation, or even Nascent Soul?”
“A mortal, starting from nothing, could breach realms most could only dream of, all with a single seal.”
“Senior, I clawed my way up from the bottom. I know what this means.”
Chu Xingchen had once been a struggling Foundation Establishment cultivator himself. Even without the system’s prompt, he understood the gravity of the situation.
“How far has this spread? What should I do now?” he asked.
Seeing Chu Xingchen’s willingness, Chen Mouguang exhaled in relief and quickly replied,
“Time is of the essence. We’ve located an experimental site for the Path of Divine Worship at the Mist Mystic Temple. For now, it’s still in testing—they only have basic facilities, each guarded by at least two Nascent Soul cultivators.”
“The Mist Mystic Temple isn’t a top-tier sect, but they’ve received backing from the Taidao Sect. We can’t trust anyone from the other Eighteen Immortal Sects.”
“At the very least, we need to uncover the core truth. That means raiding one of these sites.”
“Even if it alerts them and delays their progress, it’s better than walking away empty-handed. Yes, it might force the Taidao Sect to intervene sooner, but we have no choice.”
Chu Xingchen didn’t commit immediately. “Let’s scout first,” he said lightly.
Chen Mouguang didn’t press further. Even reconnaissance was progress. “Then, Senior, will you return with us? The other three Tianyan Sect members are waiting.”
Chu Xingchen declined. “No. I need to prepare. Give me a time and place—I’ll meet you there.”
Without hesitation, Chen Mouguang clasped his hands and answered,
“The third quarter of the Hai hour, at Yongping Funeral Parlor in the west of Towering City.”
Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow. “You picked a rather… ominous spot.”
“Practicality over aesthetics,” Chen Mouguang replied with an awkward chuckle before bowing and taking his leave.
Chen Baiqing watched him go, then turned to Chu Xingchen. “If this is as serious as he claims, and he’s surely reported it to the Tianyan Sect, why aren’t they taking it seriously? Why wait for Master’s involvement? Could this be a trap?”
Chu Xingchen chuckled. “What if the Tianyan Sect simply doesn’t care?”
Chen Baiqing frowned. The man had spoken of world-altering power—how could the Tianyan Sect ignore it?
Reading her confusion, Chu Xingchen explained,
“You’ve seen the spiritual veins the Tianyan Sect hoards. You’ve felt their overwhelming reserves of spiritual energy. You know the depth of their true strength.”
“To the Eighteen Immortal Sects, the Path of Divine Worship is just a deeper exploitation of wish-force—still borrowing power from external sources, nothing more.”
"If it's not one's own cultivation, then there must be flaws. Moreover, such a thing undoubtedly has its limits."
"Even if the Path of Divine Favor can grant someone the power of a Deity Transformation cultivator out of thin air, it surely can't be mass-produced. Nor can it be accessible to everyone—its conditions are likely even stricter than those for regular cultivators."
"Right now, this is Taidao Sect's territory. We also have intelligence confirming that Taidao Sect is aware of this matter. So, would Taidao Sect truly remain ignorant of the specifics?"
"Taidao Sect has probably sniffed out every last secret of the Path of Divine Favor."
"If even Taidao Sect refuses to pave the way for it, can it really be anything good? Why would Tianyan Sect risk its reputation and sour relations with Taidao Sect over something like this?"
"Secondly, even if it were all true, what would it mean for Tianyan Sect? At most, they’d delay their own research and development. Tianyan Sect’s foundation lies in its spiritual veins."
"Even if the Path of Divine Favor were as miraculous as claimed, in Tianyan Sect’s eyes, it would likely be nothing more than a toy to study."
Chen Baiqing nodded in understanding.
Chu Xingchen sighed softly—this was precisely why Bai Xuanling had sent him here.
Bai Xuanling’s intention aligned with her words: If you want to meddle, go ahead. If not, just come back.
His choice would likely influence how seriously Bai Xuanling took this matter.
If he turned and left, Bai Xuanling would probably shift her attention elsewhere.
But if he chose to act, Bai Xuanling would spare a glance—because Chu Xingchen’s involvement meant there was profit to be had.
So, it seemed Bai Xuanling had some faith in his judgment.
This had even triggered a system task, one with considerable significance. He wondered if he’d just stumbled upon it by sheer luck.
Zhou Mountain Village, Nightfall.
The sound of gongs and drums echoed incessantly from the remote mountain village.
Firelight bathed the tiny settlement in an eerie glow.
From the newly built ancestral hall emerged an open-roofed palanquin, carried by eight bearers. All the villagers of Zhou Mountain Village lay prostrate on the ground, clutching burning incense, their lips murmuring prayers and pleas.
Seated atop the palanquin was an elderly man in his twilight years, clad in a vibrant crimson official’s robe. His gaze was vacant, his lips cracked and dry, twitching faintly as if trying to speak.
Among the crowd knelt Zhou Ping, a sixteen-year-old boy born and raised in Zhou Mountain Village.
"Bless us with a bountiful harvest…"
"Let my child recover from illness…"
"Grant us wealth…"
"Let me find a wife…"
Whispers of desperate wishes filled Zhou Ping’s ears. To these people, the figure before them was no less than a deity capable of granting every desire.
Zhou Ping joined in, murmuring, "Keep me safe and healthy… keep me safe and healthy."
Their fervor wasn’t unfounded—after all, some wishes had come true.
Zhou Ergou’s wife had given birth to a son.
Zhou Tu’s dog had returned with a nugget of gold.
Countless other prayers seemed to have been answered by Ancestor Zhou, who was now on the verge of ascension.
Yet Zhou Ping felt no excitement—only bone-deep terror.
As the palanquin passed slowly before him, the drums and gongs fading into the distance, he dared a sidelong glance.
What he saw froze his blood.
Ancestor Zhou’s body was now covered in egg-like crimson growths, pulsing and swelling as if feeding on something unseen.
The palanquin wasn’t particularly heavy, and Ancestor Zhou himself was emaciated. Yet the bearers strained under its weight, their faces twisted with effort, their steps labored.
Zhou Ping understood—if anyone was becoming a god here, it wasn’t Ancestor Zhou.
It was the egg on his head.
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!
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?"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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!"
