The old Taoist turned around, his eyes widening instantly as he saw a woman in white standing there with an air of indifference, her gaze filled with nothing but endless mockery. Her posture was relaxed, hands resting lightly in front of her.
He had never met this woman in person before, yet he recognized her immediately.
Her reputation was simply too great.
Bai Xuanling—the one known as the Living King of Hell in the Central Continent.
The old Taoist refused to believe it. He extended his spiritual sense, only to perceive a void.
Having never faced a Tribulation-stage powerhouse before, he couldn’t tell whether this emptiness matched the aura of such a figure.
"Still playing illusions?!" The old Taoist narrowed his eyes, his expression skeptical, though his body tensed slightly.
He wasn’t entirely dismissive. After all, for a Golden Core cultivator to forcibly drag him, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, into an illusion—even with the aid of a treasure—was no small feat. Such a prodigious disciple surely wouldn’t be sent into danger alone.
But… everyone knew Bai Xuanling had only one disciple.
The old Taoist hesitated for a moment, still finding the situation absurd. If Bai Xuanling’s temperament was as the rumors described, she’d more likely knock him out without a word than stand there posing.
The Eight Trigrams beneath his feet expanded instantly. With a solemn expression, the old Taoist summoned a peachwood sword, and lightning crackled to life within the formation.
Thunder Art—Cloud Severing!
A thunder dragon surged from the formation, streaking toward Bai Xuanling in midair.
"Tch…" Bai Xuanling smirked disdainfully, extending a finger to lightly tap the charging dragon. There was no violent clash—the moment the thunder dragon touched her, it dissipated into nothingness.
The old Taoist’s face stiffened—she was real?!
"Few dare to attack me after realizing who I am," Bai Xuanling said as she slowly descended. "What… do you think my temper has improved lately?"
The old Taoist remained wary, his Eight Trigrams spinning wildly as spiritual energy surged around him. Though he still suspected an illusion, he replied,
"I merely didn’t expect you to come, Senior."
"You’ve dared to go this far—why wouldn’t I come?" Bai Xuanling’s eyes narrowed, utterly indifferent to the old Taoist’s cautious movements. "Kidnap my people? Does Mist Mystic Temple think the Taidao Sect’s backing gives you the right to overstep?"
The old Taoist didn’t answer. His skepticism faded as he ignored Bai Xuanling entirely, turning his gaze instead to Zhou Ping, who stood frozen at the entrance.
Lightning erupted from the Eight Trigrams once more, striking directly at Zhou Ping.
Zhou Ping showed no reaction, not even attempting to dodge.
The lightning struck—and Zhou Ping dissolved into motes of light.
In an instant, the entire scene followed suit, even the haughty Bai Xuanling vanishing into nothingness.
Everything returned to reality.
Under the moonlight, the mountain in the direction where the old Taoist had unleashed his thunder dragon now had its peak obliterated.
Clearly, the girl had merely used some illusionary technique to mask her presence.
Standing at the entrance now, under the pale moonlight, was Chen Baiqing, shielding Zhou Ping behind her.
Ignoring Chen Baiqing for the moment, the old Taoist swept his spiritual sense over Ancestor Zhou, verifying that this was indeed the real Ancestor Zhou—not some illusionary replacement conjured by the absurdly skilled Golden Core girl.
"Little girl, your methods are impressive," the old Taoist said warily. "Hiding the aura of a thunder dragon is no small feat. For a Golden Core cultivator to achieve this… I can’t help but admire it."
"But you should learn when to stop. Don’t test my patience."
Though he had seen through the illusion in mere moments, if this girl had been at the Nascent Soul stage, she could have toyed with him effortlessly.
Chen Baiqing remained silent. Maintaining an illusion capable of deceiving a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, even with the aid of the Azure Sky Treasure Ring, had drained her significantly.
She couldn’t understand how the old Taoist had seen through it so quickly—there shouldn’t have been any flaws.
Deceiving him again would be difficult now.
Should she retreat?
Or call her master?
Chen Baiqing lowered her head slightly, the Azure Sky Treasure Ring transforming into a dagger that she pressed lightly against her wrist.
Perhaps she should really summon Bai Xuanling—if she injured herself severely enough.
Self-inflicted wounds still counted as injuries.
But she quickly dismissed the thought—she shouldn’t worry her master.
Without hesitation, Chen Baiqing turned away, speaking to Zhou Ping beside her,
"Follow me."
Zhou Ping hurried after her, casting a nervous glance back at the old Taoist standing in the ancestral hall.
The old Taoist’s gaze remained fixed on Chen Baiqing, but he made no move to stop them as they left.
To his spiritual sense, Chen Baiqing had completely withdrawn her own awareness, utterly defenseless—as if she didn’t care whether he attacked her or not.
Though he had no intention of harming her, wasn’t this too reckless?
Was she… baiting him into attacking?
This girl… was a little too cunning.
Zhou Ping followed closely behind Chen Baiqing, not daring to even breathe loudly.
He had just witnessed the power of immortals—a single casual strike had erased a mountain peak.
Gold and silver paled in comparison to such terrifying might.
And to think that the mastermind behind these horrifying events was an immortal, not some demon…
It was…
Chen Baiqing made no effort to conceal their path, striding boldly down the main road as they left.
Zhou Ping’s heart pounded with fear.
Were immortals always this true to their word? They said they’d spare him, and they did. Said they’d take him, and they did.
No second thoughts?
Could it be that this immortal before him was actually young, lacking caution?
Zhou Ping’s mind raced, trying to distract himself from the terror and confusion.
Chen Baiqing walked in silence, neither questioning nor glancing back at Zhou Ping.
By her measure, she had failed the mission.
The person following her now was, in her master’s words—just a consolation prize.
Translated to her master’s usual fishing analogy: if you couldn’t catch the fish, at least scoop up some water.
She mentally reviewed her mistakes.
Lack of intelligence had forced her to avoid using spiritual sense or energy, and an unexpected Nascent Soul cultivator had been lying in wait.
These were valid excuses, but she could have done better.
If her illusion had been more convincing, perhaps she could have tricked the old Taoist.
Just a little more time—her spiritual energy had nearly enveloped Ancestor Zhou. A few more breaths, and she might have succeeded.
As Chen Baiqing led Zhou Ping beyond the barrier, she saw her master, Chu Xingchen, already waiting there.
Her master hurried over, placing a hand on her head and examining her anxiously. Though not a single fold of her robe was out of place, he still asked worriedly,
"Are you hurt?"
Chen Baiqing shook her head lightly, her voice tinged with guilt.
"Forgive me, Master… I failed the task you entrusted to me."
Chu Xingchen exhaled in relief.
"Nonsense. You’ve already accomplished the most important part."
Chen Baiqing smiled beneath her mask, her earlier weariness dissipating considerably.
Though her master hadn’t said it outright, wasn’t her safety the most important thing to him?
Sometimes, her master just loved saying things like this.
Baiqing enjoyed hearing them, but just like what her senior sister had said on her birthday—
it was just too shameless.
u serious?" Chen Feng watched helplessly as his painstakingly trained disciple, fresh off a championship victory, publicly abandoned him. "You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now, face the consequences of your choice!" Chen Feng possessed the "Master System," a treasure trove of supreme martial arts techniques, capable of molding ordinary individuals into peerless prodigies. "Legs like yours? A shame not to train in the Crippling Kick." "Ever heard of a palm strike that descends from the heavens?" "Auntie! I see extraordinary bone structure in you—a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand." The once-defiant senior disciple, now watching her juniors rise to fame one after another, dominating the internet, was consumed by endless regret.
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
