Glasses clinked, laughter and cheerful banter filled the air.
The more beautiful something is, the more fleeting it tends to be—gone in the blink of an eye.
At the very least, Qinghe still felt unsatisfied and was subtly hinting to Cui Hao to suggest another round of games tonight.
Last night’s Monopoly session had been a losing streak for Qinghe… well, more accurately, Qinghe hadn’t won a single game.
The penalties were amusing, but Qinghe ended up bearing the brunt of them.
Say what you will about Qinghe, but they were a good sport. Though they might grumble a little when rolling a bad dice, they carried out the penalties without hesitation, putting in full effort.
The kind who could take a loss gracefully.
They were also a great hype person, contributing plenty of their own unique laughter to the atmosphere.
San Dong joined in for a round too, though they seemed a bit clueless while playing. But as the sect’s mascot, the others naturally cut them some slack.
And so, the grand sect gathering came to a perfect close.
The next day, at noon.
Sect Main Hall.
Chu Xingchen glanced sideways at Li Yingling. "Master has a question for you."
"Cultivation requires a balance of work and rest."
"...Do you really think that’s what I wanted to ask?"
Li Yingling shook her head calmly, a faint, carefree smile on her lips.
"Of course not. I just wanted to say that line."
No wonder Master loved preaching about balancing cultivation and leisure—once you reached a certain level, saying it really gave off an air of effortless superiority.
Like a top student claiming, "I just listen casually in class, play all day after school, and copy my homework."
My "casual" is a realm you could never hope to reach.
But before Li Yingling could bask in that feeling for long, Chu Xingchen abruptly reached out and flicked her forehead.
A crisp thwack—proof of a fine, solid skull.
Li Yingling clutched her forehead, eyes slightly aggrieved as she looked at Chu Xingchen. "Why’d you hit me?"
Chu Xingchen replied calmly, "Because you started talking nonsense."
"And Master, were you making sense?" Li Yingling retorted, shedding all dignity befitting a Nascent Soul cultivator, her tone equally aggrieved. "You asked, so of course I answered!"
"Shouldn’t I, as your master, respect my head disciple’s choices?"
"If I said ‘no,’ would you really drop it?"
"No. I’d flick you again so you understand just how heavy the virtue of respecting one’s master truly is."
Li Yingling fell silent for a moment. If "respecting one’s master" was described as "heavy"... then yes, it was indeed very heavy.
She quickly adapted, her tone so earnest it bordered on theatrical:
"Master, please ask away. This disciple will hold nothing back, sparing no detail."
Chu Xingchen ignored her exaggerated tone and instead pulled out a sheet of paper, writing down three words with his brush:
[Fortune’s Favor]
[Peerless Beauty]
[Keen Wit]
Li Yingling’s eyes followed the strokes of his brush, watching as her master finished writing. She lifted her gaze, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Is this Master’s summary of me? Quite fitting, I’d say."
Chu Xingchen ignored her self-praise and instead asked, "If you could upgrade one of these three, which would you choose?"
Li Yingling didn’t press further—perhaps wary of another lesson in the "weight" of respecting her master—and instead lowered her head, contemplating the three words.
First, "Peerless Beauty." Upgrading it wouldn’t change much. She was already stunning beyond compare; any further improvement would be negligible.
As her master would say, the cost-benefit ratio just wasn’t worth it.
As for "Keen Wit"...
Li Yingling prided herself on being second only to her master in intelligence. Most of the fools she encountered in the sect were so dim-witted that debating with them felt like lecturing pigs.
If her wit improved further, wouldn’t arguing with them feel like lecturing ants?
Leaving aside how much smarter she’d become, she wasn’t sure she could tolerate the sheer density of idiocy in the world.
Her gaze lingered on the final option—[Fortune’s Favor].
After all, who would ever complain about having too much luck?
Though Li Yingling already considered herself incredibly fortunate, wouldn’t a little extra be even better?
"If I had to pick, I’d upgrade Fortune’s Favor."
She didn’t know why her master was asking about such abstract things, but after careful consideration, she gave her answer.
Chu Xingchen nodded lightly. "You’re sure?"
"Why wouldn’t I be?" Li Yingling looked up curiously. "Master, what’s the point of this?"
"None. I was just curious if you were vain or arrogant." Chu Xingchen shrugged. "Turns out you just like dumb luck."
Li Yingling huffed. "Who doesn’t like dumb luck? Most people would kill for it. Don’t tell me you don’t, Master?"
Chu Xingchen leisurely rose to his feet, heading for the door.
"As long as you’re happy. Even though you’ve reached the Nascent Soul realm, as your master, I must remind you to keep practicing and strive for greater heights."
Li Yingling watched him go, sensing something oddly off about her master today.
Was this… some roundabout way of warning her not to get complacent?
Her eyes fell on the note left on the table, lost in thought.
Chu Xingchen stepped outside, greeted by the gentle noon sunlight.
[Target: Li Yingling]
[Cultivation: Early Nascent Soul]
[Golden Trait: Genius of Cultivation]
[Orange Trait: Heaven’s Fortune]
[Blue Trait: Peerless Beauty]
[Blue Trait: Keen Wit]
[White Trait: Confidence]
Though blessed by heaven’s fortune, caution was never amiss. Nothing in this world was absolute—there was always room for the unexpected.
Chu Xingchen glanced back, seeing Li Yingling still staring at the note on the table.
He chuckled softly, then turned and walked away without another word.
[Quest Complete]
[Reward: Mountain and River Diagram has been placed in the system inventory.]
Chu Xingchen’s carefree stride faltered. He silently opened his system inventory and examined the so-called reward—the Mountain and River Diagram.
Well…
How to put it? At first glance, the diagram was clearly no ordinary artifact. Chu Xingchen could roughly discern the flow of spiritual veins, with faint shifts visible now and then.
This meant it was, at the very least, a reliable real-time map of spiritual energy currents.
But that was likely just its most basic function—its true potential would require further study.
However… the thing looked like a child had torn a piece of paper in a tantrum. The diagram was visibly ripped, with many spiritual vein paths abruptly cut off at the jagged edges.
What was this?
Such a lofty name—Mountain and River Diagram—only to be a half-finished, torn scrap?
But then—
[Main Quest Issued]
[Have any disciple break through to the Divine Transformation realm]
[Reward: Mountain and Sea Diagram]
Chu Xingchen instantly understood.
Mountain and Sea Diagram? No—this was clearly Mountain and River Diagram: Part Two!
Was the system really so starved for rewards that it had to split one into two?
Would there be an Earth and Sea Diagram waiting for him after this?
Tch.
Li Yingling raised her head just in time to catch sight of her master’s slightly displeased and brooding figure walking away.
What…?
Had she been too smug? Or was her talent still somewhat lacking in her master’s eyes?
If you can’t find the book by its title, try searching for the author—it might have just been renamed!
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
