"It's been some time since Master left, hasn't it?"
Cui Hao reached out and picked up a dessert from the table, then playfully waved it in front of San Dong.
San Dong’s little head and gaze followed the treat as it swayed back and forth. Seizing the moment, she took a quick bite.
Chewing the dessert with satisfaction, her expression turned triumphant, as if she’d just won a battle.
Cui Hao, ever the indulgent one, clapped in approval.
Chen Baiqing raised her hand as a gluttonous Tianyan Sect crane spread its wings, dancing gracefully. Hearing Cui Hao’s words, she replied naturally:
"If Master is handling it personally, it must be important. Important matters naturally take time."
"Though it’s rare to see you miss Master like this. Are you scheming again? How long has it even been since you last behaved?"
Cui Hao stayed silent, his gaze drifting enviously toward the training grounds where Yun Li was practicing his forms. The green serpent’s human form was quite striking—almost half as dashing as himself.
The way Yun Li moved added even more flair, though he still fell far short of Cui Hao’s own brilliance.
But Cui Hao’s envy wasn’t really for Yun Li—it was for the spirit treasure sword in his hand.
Tsk…
So cool…
The blade shimmered with a radiant glow, its sharp aura pulsing with power. The sheer elegance of it was unmatched.
He never should’ve listened to Master and taken up fist techniques. He should’ve gone for the sword.
Master had swords, sabers—even Third Senior Sister had her bracelets. But not a single pair of gauntlets.
Even Yun Li, a mere guardian beast Master took in, had a spirit treasure. Meanwhile, he, the true disciple, was still bare-fisted.
Chen Baiqing followed Cui Hao’s gaze and immediately saw through him. He wasn’t missing Master—he was coveting a spirit treasure of his own.
She released the crane, her tone indifferent:
"If Master hasn’t given you one yet, it’s probably because he’s still preparing it properly."
"Of course I know that. The bond between Master and me is unshakable," Cui Hao sighed. "Not to boast, but I genuinely think even you, Third Senior Sister, can’t compare to my relationship with him."
Chen Baiqing’s lips curled into a smirk—little Cui Hao, so delusional.
San Dong swallowed her dessert, patted her belly, and giggled. "I think the Sect Leader gets along better with Third Senior Sister. He always smiles at her, but with you, he starts with a smack to the head."
Cui Hao promptly grabbed another sweet and stuffed it straight into San Dong’s mouth, retorting:
"What does a little thing like you know? The more a master hits you, the closer you are!"
San Dong chewed slowly, her eyes conveying a clear message—even she wasn’t fooled by that.
Cui Hao couldn’t stand it. If even San Dong doubted him, he had to set the record straight:
"Think about it. Strangers greet you with a smile, but close friends? They shove food in your mouth without hesitation."
"Same logic. Master hits me because we’re close! Who else does he hit regularly? Even Second Senior Brother barely gets a tap."
San Dong pondered this as she nibbled on her treat, her expression turning thoughtful.
After a moment, she swallowed and turned to Chen Baiqing with concern:
"If the Sect Leader never hits me, does that mean we’re not close?"
Chen Baiqing, seeing San Dong on the verge of being led astray, didn’t bother explaining. Instead, she clenched her right fist and held it up to Cui Hao.
Her smile was sweet as she asked softly:
"Since Third Senior Sister wants to get closer to you, should I punch your left cheek or your right?"
Cui Hao stared at those delicate yet tiger-slaying hands and didn’t hesitate. His envious gaze instantly cleared as he hurriedly corrected himself:
"Ah, my mistake! That logic only applies to mortals. For cultivators like us, even a casual strike can flatten mountains and part seas. A simple nod or greeting is more than enough."
Chen Baiqing withdrew her fist and pressed:
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely."
Cui Hao nodded vigorously, then noticed San Dong opening her mouth to ask more. He swiftly stuffed another dessert into it.
The gluttonous crane had just escaped Third Senior Sister’s grasp—he had no intention of taking its place.
San Dong mumbled with her mouth full but found Cui Hao’s reasoning sound.
Mortals could roughhouse harmlessly, but cultivators? Their playful taps could shatter the earth.
"Cui Hao, are you tricking San Dong again?"
Li Yingling strolled over leisurely, her brow arching as she watched Cui Hao force-feed San Dong.
Cui Hao grinned and defended himself:
"No, no! I was just wondering what kind of top-tier spirit treasure Master will give me."
Li Yingling nodded knowingly and took a seat, casually popping a dessert into her own mouth.
Disciples naturally had varying degrees of closeness with Master, but he never played favorites.
If Cui Hao still hadn’t received a spirit treasure, there must be a reason.
After all, finding the right treasure for fist techniques required some creativity.
Cui Hao couldn’t resist asking:
"Eldest Senior Sister, what brings you here?"
"Your second senior brother is asking for a beating. I've been putting him off for two days, trying to give him a way out, but he just won’t take it."
Li Yingling tilted her head slightly, signaling as Li Xingtian strode in from outside.
Li Xingtian walked with an imposing air, his gaze resolute as he approached. He then clasped his hands and looked at Li Yingling, saying:
"Eldest Senior Sister, are you ready?"
That saying—"Evil shall never triumph over good"—was something he, Li Xingtian, would make sure his eldest senior sister understood clearly today!
Who represented righteousness, and who stood for wickedness!
Li Yingling rose to her feet:
"Hmph, does the eldest senior sister need preparation to beat her second junior brother?"
Cui Hao's eyes sparkled with even greater curiosity, and he promptly shut his mouth, waiting for the spectacle about to unfold.
Li Yingling glanced at Yun Li on the training field and called out:
"Yun Li, make some space."
Yun Li turned his gaze toward her, then sheathed his sword and stepped aside.
Li Yingling and Li Xingtian stepped onto the dueling platform together.
A spiritual treasure sword and a spiritual treasure bloodblade materialized in their hands.
Just like that day, spiritual energy surged between the two.
A faint smile played on Li Yingling’s lips: "Junior brother—"
"Eldest Senior Sister, let’s skip the pre-battle taunts." Li Xingtian cut her off bluntly, knowing full well his words could never match hers. He chose to bypass the disadvantageous stage entirely.
"We’ll let our skills do the talking!"
Li Yingling’s spiritual energy flared as she gave a slight nod, her flowing water sword intent swirling around her.
The pinnacle prowess of a Nascent Soul-stage cultivator was on full display.
Cui Hao clicked his tongue and stuffed a piece of dessert into his mouth before casually remarking:
"Third Senior Sister, do you think Eldest Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother will settle this quickly?"
Chen Baiqing, seeing that Cui Hao’s question was earnest, replied:
"Unlikely. Second Senior Brother’s aura is exceptionally dense as well."
"I thought so too." Cui Hao grinned before revealing his true intentions. "Since it won’t be over soon, how about you brew some tea, Third Senior Sister? We can enjoy the desserts, sip tea, and watch the fight at leisure—learn a thing or two while we’re at it."
"Brew it. I’ll watch too."
Chu Xingchen seemed to appear out of nowhere, suddenly seated on a stone bench, though he looked somewhat weary.
Cui Hao’s eyes lit up, and he was about to ask—
Chu Xingchen shook his head slightly, signaling Cui Hao not to pry. His gaze shifted to the two on the training field as he said:
"I’ll take bets. Eldest Senior Sister at one-to-one-point-two odds, Second Senior Brother at one-to-one-point-five."
Cui Hao immediately pulled out spirit stones:
"If you’re gonna gamble, go big—I’m betting on Second Senior Brother!"
San Dong didn’t understand the concept of betting, but seeing Cui Hao take out spirit stones, it roughly grasped the idea.
Support whoever you favor by spending on them.
It also took out moon essence and spirit stones, declaring:
"I’m closer with Eldest Senior Sister, so I’ll back her."
If you can’t find the book by title, try searching the author—it might just have been renamed!
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!
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
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.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
