After just a brief clash,
Two of the four mountain peaks had already been flattened.
Spiritual energy surged like dark undercurrents in the sea, tearing open the earth and dragging everything into destruction.
Chu Xingchen's gaze remained calm as he followed Xu Linglong, who was being relentlessly pursued.
[Target: Xu Linglong]
[Cultivation: Unity? — Mahayana? — ?]
[Gold Trait: Heavenly Demon]
[Purple Trait: Allure]
[Purple Trait: Ruthlessness]
[Blue Trait: Cunning]
[Black Trait: Greed]
[Black Trait: Bloodthirst]
[Black Trait: Divine Retribution]
Chu Xingchen wasn’t surprised by the system’s wildly fluctuating assessment of her cultivation level. This was likely a warning—either this [Heavenly Demon] could undergo a sudden power surge, transforming when cornered, or she possessed some unique innate ability.
A gold-tier [Heavenly Demon] trait was undoubtedly a big catch.
She was likely one of the Eight Great Heavenly Demons. His disciple in his past life must have had something this demon coveted, something that led to his disciple being drained dry without even a touch.
And what she desired couldn’t possibly be just Li Xingtian’s Nascent Soul cultivation and his life force.
After all, even the weakest Heavenly Demon at the Unity stage could easily reach the Tribulation Transcendence realm.
If she were just after the meager cultivation of a Nascent Soul cultivator, then this [Heavenly Demon] would be downright laughable.
Li Xingtian currently possessed the gold-tier trait [Reincarnator].
If this demon could see through and attempt to plunder even that… then the [Heavenly Demon] was far more troublesome than he had imagined.
He had thought he was here to capture a deceitful seductress who liked to take everything and leave nothing behind. But upon closer inspection, he found himself facing a genuine demoness.
Chu Xingchen had believed he was being cautious enough, even rallying cultivators from the Tianyan Sect to join the hunt. Now, it seemed he had underestimated the situation—he should have brought more.
At the very least, he should have dragged Yanyun and Lv Xuan along, along with a few more elders.
If Xu Linglong could only power up to the Mahayana stage, she’d likely be finished here. But if she could reach the Tribulation Transcendence realm, victory would be uncertain, and stopping her from escaping would be nearly impossible.
Chu Xingchen naturally remembered the summoning talisman Bai Xuanling had given him.
The last time Bai Xuanling appeared, he had seemed vigorous, as if he could once again stand before the masses at Pudu River and block an army of Buddhas.
But in reality, Chu Xingchen knew—there was at least an 80% chance Bai Xuanling was putting on an act.
If he were to summon Bai Xuanling for this hunt, given his temperament, he’d probably drag this Heavenly Demon into a mutual destruction rather than let her escape.
Bai Xuanling was his trump card, but Chu Xingchen couldn’t afford to play him yet.
Besides, the situation wasn’t desperate—he had brought plenty of reinforcements.
Today, he would test his limits!
Slay a Heavenly Demon!
Chu Xingchen’s gaze remained fixed as a streak of azure light tore through the sky, its terrifying power pouring out unrestrained. The massive burial mound was nearly reduced to ruins.
Xu Linglong’s movement techniques were impressive, and her methods were peculiar, but against a Unity-stage opponent, they still fell short.
Chu Xingchen wasn’t going all out yet—he was waiting for the reinforcements outside to finish setting up the formation, sealing off all escape routes.
His goal was clear: stall Xu Linglong, prevent her from triggering a full transformation, and buy time before she could ascend to the Tribulation Transcendence realm and start slaughtering everyone.
Xu Linglong shifted positions, sensing the terrifying aura of that azure light chasing her. Her calm eyes settled on Chu Xingchen, who seemed almost leisurely.
"Eightfold Revolving Flow."
Her whisper was soft. The black dagger, which had been weaving through the air like a dark thread, suddenly retracted.
It reformed into a short blade, then flashed coldly as it shot toward Chu Xingchen.
In the next moment, her delicate hand grasped the dagger, and her figure blurred—crossing space in an instant.
The black dagger was already at Chu Xingchen’s face in the blink of an eye.
The blade rose.
The blade fell.
Darkness erupted from the dagger, swallowing all color in an instant.
Only the faint glint of the blade remained visible.
The darkness arrived first—then came her voice.
"Shadow, depart." Xu Linglong’s tone was icy.
"Light, come."
Chu Xingchen’s smile didn’t waver. The embroidery needle in his hand, Wanban, transformed into a longsword.
A righteous aura surged from the blade, pure white light flaring—untainted by the darkness, instead tearing into it.
BOOM!
The shockwave of their clash rippled outward. The already fragile secret realm trembled under the strain.
The mountain peaks began to dissolve into motes of light.
Xu Linglong was sent flying again by Chu Xingchen’s slash, the darkness dissipating as she retreated.
This time, however, she wasn’t as disheveled—she merely twisted midair and landed gracefully.
Her eyes locked onto Chu Xingchen, a faint smile playing on her lips as she spoke calmly:
"Righteous Qi? And this spiritual treasure… You must be Chu Xingchen."
Chu Xingchen shrugged nonchalantly.
"Who’s that? Though the name does sound like it belongs to someone incredibly handsome."
A bewitching purple began to spread in Xu Linglong’s eyes. Dark, sinister runes crawled up her arms as thick black energy streamed from her fingertips into the dagger. In an instant, the short blade elongated into a sword, and her spiritual pressure skyrocketed.
She chuckled, her tone warm, as if greeting an old friend:
"Do you know who I am?"
"Guess."
"Did you deliberately place Li Xingtian here?"
"Guess again."
"Did someone tell you something they shouldn’t have? Or did you discover something? Tell your big sister, and I’ll spare your life this time."
Chu Xingchen’s laughter echoed from behind his mask.
"This time, it’s not clear who’ll be begging for mercy."
"Getting beaten hurts," Xu Linglong said, her smile still bright. "Are you sure about this?"
As she spoke, her aura surged—reaching the cusp of the Mahayana stage.
Chu Xingchen tightened his grip on Wanban, his tone light.
"Brother Yuyang, she’s asking us to surrender. What do you think?"
The moment the words left his mouth, a figure leaped into the crumbling space.
Daoist Yuyang stood clad in the Taidao Sect’s Supreme Spirit Robe, its purple radiance swirling around him. Above his head floated the sect’s famed treasure—the Yin-Yang Fish Square Decree, an ethereal artifact where black and white fish endlessly chased each other in a circle.
With every rotation, an unfathomable power rippled outward before vanishing into the surroundings.
The decree’s energy infused the ambient spiritual energy, bending it to Daoist Yuyang’s will—he could command it with a mere thought.
Multiple defensive treasures shimmered around him, their protective auras alone enough to weigh heavily on those nearby.
In his hand was the spiritual treasure Chu Xingchen had jokingly called a "glowstick"—his bonded weapon.
Truly, his entire ensemble was dazzling.
Even an ordinary pig wearing this gear could wreak havoc.
Xu Linglong couldn’t hide her astonishment at Daoist Yuyang’s grand entrance.
This was the epitome of "when cultivation falls short, equipment makes up for it."
Daoist Yuyang fixed his gaze on Xu Linglong and declared,
"She is the one who should be begging for mercy."
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!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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."
