Wanhua Ridge, Li Xingtian's residence.
Li Xingtian lay silently in a makeshift iron bucket, fashioned on the spot by Chu Xingchen, wearing nothing but a pair of loose shorts. Beneath the bucket, a firewood blaze crackled.
The boiling water inside the bucket churned relentlessly, dispersing the pungent aroma of medicinal herbs into the air.
As a cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm, ordinary flames couldn’t harm him in the slightest, let alone mere boiling water.
And yet… he couldn’t shake the illusion that he was being cooked alive.
Li Xingtian lifted his head, his gaze settling on his master, who was casually rummaging through his spatial ring before tossing herbs into the bucket with an air of nonchalance.
There didn’t seem to be any precise measurements involved—in fact, it almost looked like the herbs were being thrown in at random.
Still, trusting his master implicitly, Li Xingtian held his tongue and remained submerged, allowing his teacher to work his methods.
Before long, however, the overpowering medicinal scent made him feel as though he were being marinated. His eyes flicked upward again just in time to see Chu Xingchen toss in another ingredient. Finally, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
"Master… is Sichuan pepper really part of the bone-refining process?"
Chu Xingchen glanced at the casually sprinkled peppercorns, then at Li Xingtian’s slightly horrified expression—as if to say, Master, are you sure you’re not just trying to cook me?
"Of course not," Chu Xingchen replied with perfect composure.
Li Xingtian blinked. He hadn’t expected his master to deny it so bluntly—but that very bluntness only deepened his suspicion.
Was this not a bone-enhancing ritual at all, but some kind of joke?
"Then… why add Sichuan pepper?" he asked, voice laced with doubt.
Chu Xingchen sighed softly.
"To neutralize the fishy smell, of course."
"…What?!" Li Xingtian’s expression nearly cracked.
Chu Xingchen patted the side of the iron bucket reassuringly.
"I know you dislike reeking of blood, but your bone structure is what it is. This refinement might seem like it’s intensifying that aspect, but in truth, it could very well change things, freeing you from reliance on blood-based techniques."
"These are just ordinary peppercorns—they won’t interfere with the medicinal effects. But I added them as a gesture of goodwill, a blessing for your hopes."
Li Xingtian fell silent for a moment before bowing slightly. "My apologies, Master. I spoke out of turn."
Indeed, his master had always treated him with kindness—why would he play such a cruel prank now?
Chu Xingchen nodded approvingly—then casually tossed in a few slices of ginger.
"This is also for neutralizing the smell."
"…Thank you, Master." Li Xingtian eyed the ginger, suppressing a twitch before adding, "These two should suffice. Let’s leave out anything unnecessary."
If his master started throwing in star anise or cinnamon, he’d start feeling like a braised dish.
He appreciated the thought, but some things were better left to fate. The peppercorns and ginger were already more than enough.
"Tch. Can’t even handle this much? Fine, if you don’t appreciate my kindness." Chu Xingchen shook his head. "How do you feel now?"
Li Xingtian closed his eyes, focusing inward before answering uncertainly,
"Like… nothing’s changed."
"Good. That means the herbs haven’t fully integrated yet. What you need now is the supreme marrow-reforming elixir, personally refined by your master—a peerless alchemy grandmaster!"
With that, Chu Xingchen retrieved a pitch-black pill from his spatial ring, nearly the size of a child’s fist.
Li Xingtian stared at the pill for a long moment. Still, he had long since steeled himself—he’d consumed plenty of his master’s concoctions over the years.
Chu Xingchen’s pills were undeniably potent, but their side effects bordered on unbearable.
Many times, Li Xingtian had been forced to purge the effects prematurely. Yet through relentless endurance, he’d tempered his willpower far beyond that of ordinary cultivators.
He reached out, accepting the pill, then took a deep breath before asking cautiously,
"The peppercorns and ginger… they won’t fuse into my body, will they?"
The last thing he needed was to emerge smelling like a walking dish—so thoroughly "de-fished" that even genuine demonic cultivators would sneer at him.
Chu Xingchen arched a brow. "Of course not. Don’t underestimate your master or his creations. Just take it. Once you do, you’ll understand the heights of my prowess."
"After swallowing, focus solely on digesting the medicinal energy. Leave the rest to me."
Hearing this, Li Xingtian hesitated no longer. He opened his mouth and took a decisive bite of the pill.
Who else could he trust if not his master?
Down it went!
Chu Xingchen watched impassively as Li Xingtian devoured the pill in a few hearty bites.
Li Xingtian’s bone refinement was fundamentally different from Li Yingling’s Fortune’s Blessing upgrade.
Luck was intangible—even if Li Yingling’s fortune improved, she might not notice.
But Li Xingtian’s case was entirely different. His Bloodbone True Physique, originally a purple-tier trait, was now ascending to gold-tier.
Forget mystical phenomena—such a drastic enhancement would undoubtedly bring unmistakable sensations.
Excruciating pain, bone-deep restructuring—anything was possible.
After all, an orange-tier trait’s prestige was beyond question.
Rather than letting Li Xingtian overthink things or forcing awkward explanations, it was better to be direct.
The system’s existence was best kept secret—for everyone’s sake. Some truths were better left unspoken.
Chu Xingchen’s gaze remained fixed on Li Xingtian’s resolute expression. Moments later, the latter’s brows suddenly furrowed in discomfort.
The medicine had taken effect!
Without delay, Chu Xingchen upgraded Li Xingtian’s Bloodbone True Physique.
[Target: Li Xingtian]
[Cultivation: Early Nascent Soul]
[Gold Trait: Reborn One]
[Orange Trait: Primordial Blood Physique]
[Purple Trait: Ruthless Resolve]
[Blue Trait: Loyal Heart]
[Blue Trait: Dungeon Savvy]
[White Trait: Mild Tact]
Chu Xingchen studied the Primordial Blood Physique trait and fell silent.
As much as he wanted to argue otherwise, the trait’s description made it clear—this was no escape from blood-tinged techniques.
Still, it was undeniably an orange-tier trait.
Seemed his peppercorn-and-ginger deodorizing method hadn’t quite hit the mark.
Maybe he should have added star anise and cinnamon after all. If Li Xingtian still reeked of blood, surely eighty percent of the blame lay with the man himself?
His gaze shifted back to Li Xingtian, whose brows remained tightly knit as he wrestled with the pill’s potency.
Now… the only hope was that after this upgrade, the blood aura would at least be subdued enough for Little Baiqing’s enchanted robes to mask it.
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
