Gu Xian'er had never imagined that a cultivator like her could ever experience the life of an ordinary person.
But upon reflection, had it not been for following Chen Chang'an, she would likely never have stepped foot inside a gambling den in her lifetime.
She would never have known the thrill of winning a bet, nor the adrenaline of being chased by the den's enforcers, fleeing in disarray.
"Young Master, is this your way of amusing yourself in the mortal world, experiencing different lives?"
"I truly never expected Young Master to have already reached such a profound state of enlightenment." Gu Xian'er gazed at Chen Chang'an with admiration.
Seeing her adoration, Da Huang curled his lips in disdain. To spin idleness into something so lofty—this Gu Xian'er was certainly no ordinary person either.
Talented!
Both of them were downright talented!
"The world is full of suffering. If I do not descend into hell, who will?"
"Young Master possesses great wisdom. Xian'er is ashamed of her ignorance."
"No matter. In time, when you reach a certain level of cultivation, you will understand."
"Yes, Young Master. Xian'er will strive diligently."
"Good. I have high hopes for you."
Da Huang watched with undisguised contempt. Could they at least pretend to have some shame?
"Can we go already?"
"I'm asking—can the two of you finally move?" Da Huang snapped impatiently.
"Xian'er, remember—do not be like Da Huang, restless and impatient. Such a temperament will never achieve greatness."
"Yes, Young Master. Xian'er will take it to heart."
"Damn it, I can't take this anymore. Just kill me already, you two."
"Alas, some pupils are beyond teaching."
Chen Chang'an sighed helplessly, his gaze toward Da Huang filled with disappointment and pity.
That look stirred something in Da Huang—an urge to swallow Chen Chang'an whole once more. But this time, he’d make sure to digest the bastard properly, not spit him back out!
"Why here? Why not a brothel?"
"I don’t care—I want to go to a brothel!"
Chen Chang'an chose a tavern instead, much to Da Huang's displeasure. Yet both Chen Chang'an and Gu Xian'er ignored him completely, letting him roll on the ground in protest without so much as a glance.
"Da Huang, brothels are places of fleeting pleasure. Do not linger in such distractions."
"Bah! I’ll linger all I want! Without a fair maiden by my side, food loses all flavor—utterly tasteless!"
Chen Chang'an chuckled and shook his head. He knew full well that Da Huang’s obsession with brothels wasn’t purely for indulgence—it was mostly out of sheer boredom.
If he had something worthwhile to do, Da Huang would never clamor for brothels.
"Hmm?"
"How interesting. I never expected to run into an old acquaintance here."
Suddenly, Chen Chang'an sensed a familiar presence—one that even Da Huang picked up on.
Da Huang’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Isn’t that… Fang Yunxi?"
"What’s he doing here?"
"Not sure, but we’ll find out soon enough."
At the same time, Fang Yunxi also detected a familiar aura. Unsure, he approached the private room where Chen Chang'an was seated.
"This humble one is Fang Yunxi. Might I ask—"
"Come in."
"Ah! It really is you!"
Hearing Chen Chang'an's voice, Fang Yunxi brightened and eagerly pushed the door open.
"It’s been a long time, Brother Fang. I trust you’ve been well?" Chen Chang'an greeted with a faint smile.
"Hahaha! Who would’ve thought I’d run into you here, Brother Chen!"
"Brother Chen, after all these years, you remain as distinguished as ever."
Fang Yunxi made himself at home, taking a seat without ceremony. Truth be told, it had been over two thousand years since they last met.
"The Fang Clan’s territory is quite far from here, isn’t it? What brings you to this place?" Chen Chang'an asked curiously.
"An invitation. Besides, after centuries of secluded cultivation, it was time for a change of scenery."
"Had I not come, who knows when I’d have seen you again?"
"Meeting you alone makes this trip worthwhile!"
"By the way, Brother Chen, what brings you here? Were you invited as well?" Fang Yunxi inquired with a smile.
Chen Chang'an shook his head. "I’m merely wandering the world. My arrival here was purely coincidental."
"Whoever managed to invite you must be no ordinary figure, then?"
Fang Yunxi nodded. "Indeed. It was the Supreme Elder of the Qingyun Sect who extended the invitation. A favor like that couldn’t be refused."
"Do you know of the Qingyun Sect?"
Qingyun Sect?
Chen Chang'an searched his memories. The name sounded vaguely familiar, though it must have been from a long time ago.
After a moment of contemplation, it finally came back to him.
"You don’t mean the sect founded by Lu Qingyun all those years ago, do you?"
"Exactly. The Qingyun Sect’s founding patriarch was none other than Lu Qingyun."
Suddenly, Da Huang snickered mischievously, leaving Fang Yunxi puzzled.
"Brother Da Huang, why the laughter?" Fang Yunxi asked, confused.
"Ask him," Da Huang replied with a sly grin.
"Hmm? Brother Chen, does this… have something to do with the Qingyun Sect?"
Something to do with it?
Oh, it had everything to do with it.
The Qingyun Sect was established five thousand years ago, and the sole reason Lu Qingyun founded it was because of Chen Chang'an.
"Lu Qingyun back then—"
"Ugh, if you won’t say it, I will. That kid Lu Qingyun pestered Chen Chang'an relentlessly, begging to become his servant. Chen Chang'an got so fed up that he gave him a task."
"He told him to establish a sect and build it into a supreme powerhouse. Only then would he consider taking him on as a servant."
"The kid swore on the spot—he’d return, found the Qingyun Sect, and not bother Chen Chang'an again until he met the requirements."
"And that’s how the Qingyun Sect came to be."
By the time Da Huang finished, Fang Yunxi was utterly dumbfounded.
What kind of absurdity was this?
The founding patriarch of the Qingyun Sect had once begged to become Chen Chang'an’s servant?
That was Lu Qingyun—a legendary powerhouse at the peak of the Immortal Realm Ninth Layer, just one step away from the Emperor Realm!
"Brother Chen, just… what kind of being are you?"
"You knew Lu Qingyun over five thousand years ago?" Fang Yunxi stared at Chen Chang'an in shock.
"Me? I’ve just lived a long time. Naturally, I’ve met quite a few people."
"But that doesn’t change anything between us. We’re still friends," Chen Chang'an said with a smile.
Friends?
The man whom Lu Qingyun had groveled before was calling him a friend?
Fang Yunxi suddenly felt his entire existence elevated. His very spirit seemed to shine brighter.
Damn—this was Lu Qingyun they were talking about! A figure of immense renown!
Though Fang Yunxi himself was no slouch—having risen to the status of an elder in the Fang Clan—the Fang Clan paled in comparison to the Qingyun Sect.
Not only did the Qingyun Sect boast Lu Qingyun, a half-step Emperor Realm expert, but the number of Immortal Realm cultivators within its ranks far surpassed the Fang Clan’s.
Although the Qingyun Sect has yet to become a top-tier force—given the absence of a Great Emperor-level powerhouse to anchor it—no one would dare underestimate its standing.
"By that logic, could I consider Lu Qingyun and myself friends?" Fang Yunxi remarked with a hint of excitement.
"Well... you could always try asking him when you see him."
"Whether Lu Qingyun agrees or not is one thing, but I doubt the rest of the Qingyun Sect would be on board."
Da Huang shot Fang Yunxi a disdainful look—this guy really had a knack for wishful thinking.
Hearing Da Huang's remark, Fang Yunxi chuckled awkwardly. He knew the odds were slim; it was just idle daydreaming on his part.
"By the way, why did the Qingyun Sect invite you? What’s the occasion?"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
] [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!"
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
