They had searched for partridges at the edge of the sky and turtles in the depths of the sea.
They had gazed upon the clouds from the summit of snowy mountains and gathered flowers beneath colossal trees.
They had seen demons and monsters, and encountered the treachery of human hearts.
They had hurried along shallow streams and fished beside moonlit lakes.
Yet no matter how many beautiful sights life had to offer, they could never see the whole of the world.
The five continents and ten thousand lands were too vast to explore in their entirety. In the end, they circled back to Myriad Flower Ridge.
Time was always fleeting when everything was going well.
By the time everyone had visited all the places they wished to see and they finally set out for Myriad Flower Ridge once more, it seemed that two winters had already passed.
Spiritual horses led the way, while enormous beasts hauled the carriage.
The horses trampled through showers of flowers as the sect drew near.
When they had set out, everyone had carried a spatial ring with them. By the time they returned, however, they had brought back quite a few things—some of which could not be stored in a spatial ring.
During the journey home, Lin Luoyu and Li Yingling each picked out a spiritual horse they were satisfied with.
Yun Li, meanwhile, had encountered an exotic beast that possessed a trace of true-dragon bloodline. It had the antlers of a deer, the body of a tiger, and an appearance resembling a qilin.
The beast was enormous and unusually affectionate toward Yun Li.
Unable to bear leaving it behind, Yun Li brought it back to the sect as well.
Fortunately, the beast possessed intelligence. Its cultivation was still shallow for the moment, but if it was carefully raised in the future, it should be more than capable of guarding the entrance.
Yun Li named the beast Yun Gui.
Yun Gui had seemingly endless stamina, so for the time being, it took on the job of pulling the carriage.
Using a spatial ring required cultivation, and Qian Qing did not possess any. For convenience, everything Qian Qing bought remained on the carriage. Only when there was no room left would they seek out Yuan Kong and ask him to clear out a little space.
“Home really is the most comfortable place…” Cui Hao stood at the entrance, stretching lazily.
Zheng Zhaoling kicked him. “Go be comfortable somewhere else. You’re blocking the gate.”
After traveling together for so long, she had long since grown familiar with everyone.
At first, she had wanted to say goodbye, but the others had persuaded her to stay. After all, Zheng Zhaoling had never visited Myriad Flower Ridge. Even if she intended to leave, she ought to at least be a guest there before departing.
Unable to refuse their warm invitation, Zheng Zhaoling had agreed.
Cui Hao was not offended in the slightest. Grinning, he moved aside.
Seeing this, Chu Xingchen let out a quiet laugh. He glanced at Xie Lingyu beside him, and the two of them walked into the sect shoulder to shoulder.
“It feels as though we only left yesterday, yet we’re already home today,” Chu Xingchen said, taking the initiative to speak.
Much of the coldness in Xie Lingyu’s bearing had melted away. This journey had been extraordinarily meaningful to her, and she smiled faintly.
“You’re just not done having fun.”
At her words, Chu Xingchen subconsciously looked up at the heavens.
The five-colored lotus that hung there was no longer as vivid as before. Its colors had faded so greatly that they were almost impossible to see.
It had once been able to rival the sun itself. Now, it was dimmer than the moon, barely worthy of being called a star.
Chu Xingchen lowered his gaze.
“Yeah…” he murmured. “I’m not done having fun.”
The search for the Authorities was no easy matter. After searching for so long, the eighteen Immortal Sects had found only news and clues. None of them had truly located an Authority.
When it came to this matter, being infinitely close was no different from finding nothing at all.
Three years was nowhere near enough.
Sensing something unusual in Chu Xingchen, Xie Lingyu stopped and reached out to take his hand.
“If you don’t want to trouble anyone else, I can go out with you again.”
Chu Xingchen tightened his grip around her hand.
“No. I’ve already been resting for so long. I don’t know how many people have been cursing me for being irresponsible.”
“When this is over, you can accompany me again.”
Xie Lingyu nodded lightly.
Chu Xingchen stopped and, still holding her hand, turned around to look back.
At the entrance of the Myriad Matters Go As Wished Star Sect, Yuan Kong was moving Qian Qing’s belongings.
Li Yingling and Lin Luoyu were leading the horses, while Li Xingtian helped San Dong arrange the flowers and plants it had bought.
Chen Baiqing stood at the entrance. As if sensing Chu Xingchen’s gaze, she turned her head and looked toward him, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
Zheng Zhaoling was tugging unceremoniously at Cui Hao’s collar.
Zhang Miaoyu was helping out with Zhou Ping, Ye Wanzhou, and Ning Qianqian.
Yun Li had taken Yun Gui around to familiarize it with Myriad Flower Ridge.
Amid all the bustle and commotion, there was perhaps nothing warmer than this moment.
Chu Xingchen turned around once more and continued forward beside Xie Lingyu.
“In two days, I’m going to visit the Tianyan Sect and see your master.”
“I’ll go with you.” Xie Lingyu answered without hesitation.
Chu Xingchen gently shook his head.
“There’s no need. You still need to help manage the sect.”
Xie Lingyu hesitated for a moment. Her feet continued to follow him almost unconsciously, but her eyes held a hint of confusion as she studied Chu Xingchen’s unchanged expression.
“Just consider it a favor to me.” Chu Xingchen did not dare turn to look at her.
Xie Lingyu remained silent for a long time. It was not until they had walked past the main hall that she finally spoke.
“All right…”
Chu Xingchen tightened his grip on her hand, pulled her close, and wrapped one arm around her. Holding her tightly against him, he leaned close to her ear and softly sang:
“It must be the warmth of spring…”
“How many times have human affections…”
Xie Lingyu buried her head against Chu Xingchen’s chest.
She did not dare speak. She could not find the words.
If she could choose to be selfish, then at this moment, she would be selfish to the very end.
But Chu Xingchen was not merely her Dao companion.
Still, perhaps the affairs of this world had already been decided. All she could hope for was that Chu Xingchen would return safely once he had finished what he needed to do.
Night descended like a curtain, and the bright moon climbed high into the sky.
The full moon was flawless, and the sound of wine cups touching rang out.
Chu Xingchen raised his cup and clinked it against the cup held by Cui Hao.
Moonlight gleamed brilliantly, reflected without a blemish in the deep pool.
Cui Hao took a sip. The spring wine slipped warmly and gently down his throat. He set down his cup and looked calmly at Chu Xingchen.
“Master…”
“Don’t look at me as though the sky is about to fall.” Chu Xingchen put down his cup and raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. “Today, I called you here to give you a fine treasure.”
Cui Hao looked at him suspiciously.
Chu Xingchen continued:
“Didn’t your master promise you an unparalleled spiritual treasure?”
“You never owed me one.” Cui Hao spoke seriously. “There’s nothing I was entitled to receive in the first place.”
Chu Xingchen shook his head.
“That’s not the same thing. A master must not show favoritism. Besides, your cultivation art isn’t as profound as those of your senior brothers and sisters. If you don’t even have a spiritual treasure, I’ll feel as though I’ve treated you unfairly.”
At that, Cui Hao fell silent for a moment before smiling.
“What did you prepare for me, then?”
Chu Xingchen raised a hand slightly. A stream of radiance flowed through the air, and from it emerged an embroidered needle, formed from Wanban. It rested quietly in his open palm.
“Wanban is yours now.”
Cui Hao did not reach out to take it. He looked up at Chu Xingchen, his voice a little hoarse.
“Master, does it really have to be this way?”
“Nothing is inevitable.” Chu Xingchen placed Wanban into Cui Hao’s hand himself. “But sometimes, there is simply no choice. For example, if you had to choose between me dying and you dying, you would have a choice—but you would certainly choose to die yourself.”
“Besides, your master isn’t going to die. I’ll merely need to spend quite a bit of time away.”
Cui Hao stared wordlessly at Wanban in his hands.
Chu Xingchen continued:
“I’m leaving the sect in your hands. Baiqing may have sensed something, so after speaking with you today, I’ll be leaving the sect.”
“For some matters, rely on your second senior brother. And don’t trust everything your third senior sister says. As for your eldest senior sister… let her rest properly.”
“If someone really turns the heavens upside down, your mistress will help you. And it isn’t just your mistress—I’ve also found you a powerful patron to rely on.”
“I guarantee they’re both formidable and reliable, so don’t worry.”
“Besides, I believe you’ll handle most matters well.”
“And in the end, I’m still sorry for putting you through this.”
“There are a few other things here, Master, so I’ll give them all to you as well. I don’t know how to use some of them either, nor do I know what effect they’ll have once they’re built.”
As he spoke, Chu Xingchen took out everything from within the spatial system.
The Map of Mountains and Rivers, some sort of shuttle, the blueprints—anything he could give was placed on the table.
The only thing he kept back from Cui Hao was the Shattered Spirit Butterfly Jade.
Cui Hao stared at the table, now covered with all sorts of items, then looked up at Chu Xingchen.
Under the moonlight, Cui Hao’s eyes were clouded with tears.
Chu Xingchen reached out and pressed a hand against Cui Hao’s head, saying softly,
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Do what you can. No matter what happens, it was your master’s choice to choose you.”
“No matter how well you do, your master won’t blame you.”
“Cui Hao, aren’t you and your master the best of friends in all the world?”
Cui Hao’s voice was hoarse as he struggled to force out a reply:
“Yes…”
The long night stretched on.
Cui Hao lay alone upon the stone table,
weeping quietly until dawn.
And don’t forget the author’s promise.
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.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
