Central Continent, Tianyan Sect.
"Wow..."
"Wow..."
San Dong sat perched on Cui Hao's shoulder, wide-eyed as she took in everything within the Tianyan Sect, continuously uttering single-word exclamations of awe.
Whether it was the flood dragons coiled beneath the mountain peaks, the white cranes soaring through the skies, or even the Tianyan Sect disciples hurrying past—everything captivated her.
Most Tianyan Sect disciples would pause and greet Chu Xingchen's group before continuing on their way. Given the sheer number of greetings, a simple nod usually sufficed.
Only San Dong would return each greeting with earnest politeness.
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the wonders of Tianyan Sect.
She had thought she'd already seen the height of sophistication back in the sect at Wanhua Ridge—Cui Hao's house with its retractable roof, the underground spring-fed pond, the extravagantly expensive fish, and the highly cultivated seniors.
But this trip to another sect for friendly exchanges turned out to be the first step in truly broadening her horizons.
Especially the density of spiritual energy here—it was so rich that San Dong almost felt like hugging a spirit stone to absorb it all.
It was... just too incredible.
"Wow..."
She gasped again as she took in the towering peaks piercing the clouds and the floating grand halls suspended midair.
Qinghe was the most sensitive to San Dong's exclamations along the way.
Tilting her chin up proudly, Qinghe declared, "See, little San Dong? This is what a true top-tier major sect looks like!"
San Dong nodded enthusiastically.
"It does look amazing, but for San Dong, being together with everyone is still more important."
Chu Xingchen glanced at her and chuckled.
"As expected of our sect's mascot—your words truly capture the essence of our teachings."
Cui Hao smoothly clasped his hands and chimed in, "Reporting to Master, this disciple has a humble suggestion."
"Oh? What might that be, my beloved disciple?" Chu Xingchen played along seamlessly.
Chen Baiqing, walking beside his master, couldn't help but smile at the familiar banter—his master did have a playful side.
Xie Lingyu sighed softly, watching the two.
Cui Hao, with utmost solemnity, declared,
"Given San Dong's immense contributions to the sect, and today's golden words uniting us all, this disciple humbly proposes promoting our mascot by two ranks."
San Dong's eyes lit up with surprise and gratitude, but she quickly waved her tiny hands.
"Being a mascot is already an honor! San Dong is very happy as is!"
Li Yingling side-eyed the genuinely moved San Dong—this little flower spirit hadn't improved at all over the years. She still hadn't realized she'd become a prop in her master and Cui Hao's heartwarming master-disciple performances.
"Merits must be rewarded, regardless of satisfaction," Chu Xingchen declared, waving a hand. "Cui Hao makes a fair point. But what should the new title be?"
Cui Hao bowed again. "Naturally, it should be 'Peerless, Heaven-and-Earth-Defying Guardian Mascot of the Sect.'"
"Approved!" Chu Xingchen laughed, retrieving a Moon Essence from his spatial ring and floating it over to San Dong with a flick of spiritual energy. "From now on, the sect's safety is in your hands. Your daily stipend will include an extra Moon Essence."
At the word "stipend," Li Yingling perked up.
"The sect finally has stipends? Who do we collect them from?"
Without even turning, Chu Xingchen replied swiftly, "You still owe me. Once you've repaid your debts, I'll let you know when to collect."
Li Yingling's face fell. "Just say there aren't any, why make up—"
"Hmm? What was that, my dear disciple Li?" Chu Xingchen cut in, fixing her with a look.
Li Yingling clasped her hands resignedly. "As Master commands..."
San Dong, cradling the Moon Essence, tilted her head curiously.
"Then where does San Dong collect the Moon Essence?"
Chu Xingchen answered without missing a beat.
"From Cui Hao, of course."
"Me?" Cui Hao pointed at himself in surprise.
Li Xingtian and Lin Luoyu trailed at the back of the group, watching their master and Cui Hao's antics.
With interesting people gathered, there was never a dull moment.
Any journey became short when shared with good company.
Before they knew it, the group had arrived at Tianyan Sect's main peak—Tianyan Peak.
Yanyun stood at the grand hall's entrance, watching as Chu Xingchen essentially brought his entire sect along. Seeing the group approach, especially Chu Xingchen's overly enthusiastic "long-time-no-see" greeting, her earlier calm evaporated.
The urge to punch him felt overwhelmingly real.
But she quickly suppressed it. According to Sect Leader Lü, Chu Xingchen and his disciples would be staying at Tianyan Sect for a while.
Losing her composure right away would reflect poorly on her dignity.
Yanyun steadied herself, nodding slightly to Xie Lingyu first before speaking.
"Welcome, fellow Daoists."
San Dong reacted fastest, clasping her hands.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist! We appreciate your hospitality."
Yanyun's gaze lingered on the tiny flower spirit perched on Cui Hao's shoulder, momentarily wary—why so polite?
One glance confirmed this was a genuine flower spirit.
And those eyes—utterly guileless.
There was an air of refreshingly naive simplicity about her, but Yanyun refused to believe it was entirely sincere.
Flower spirits were typically innocent, but none could stay that way long under a sect leader like Chu Xingchen.
Honestly, even a wild boar spirit would turn into a troublemaker after a few days with him.
The other disciples—Li Yingling included—returned the greeting a beat slower but just as properly.
Chu Xingchen gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, smiling.
"No need for formalities among friends. Is Sect Leader Lü inside?"
Yanyun shook her head. "Master is occupied with urgent matters. Today, I’ll be hosting you all."
"Please, come inside."
Chu Xingchen agreed.
San Dong marveled at the grand hall's exquisite decorations and let out another soft—"Wow..."
As Yanyun led them in, she added,
"Tianyan Sect has prepared a new mountain peak for your stay."
Xie Lingyu frowned slightly.
"Our numbers are few. Zhuji Peak should suffice."
Yanyun offered a gentle smile. "For a short stay, certainly. But since you'll be here longer, it’s best to be prepared."
"Besides, all peaks are within Tianyan Sect. A short walk is all it takes to visit."
Xie Lingyu nodded—Yanyun's reasoning was sound.
San Dong piped up eagerly.
"Will the mountain assigned to us have space for planting spirit herbs and trees?"
Yanyun's gaze shifted toward San Dong upon hearing the remark.
At its core, it was a trivial matter—with ample spiritual energy, one could plant whatever they pleased.
But the question had been posed by a flower spirit brought by Chu Xingchen…
If he were fooled by those innocent eyes… his master would likely never let him hear the end of it for the next century.
Best to tread carefully!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
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...
