The young man's gaze was sharp as he looked at Chen Chang'an, a hint of wariness in his eyes.
Chen Chang'an merely smiled faintly and said, "Not a bad approach. All sword techniques in this world ultimately trace back to the fundamentals."
"Your starting point isn’t wrong. Mastering the basics can indeed greatly enhance your comprehension of the sword path."
"But relentlessly pursuing perfection—while not entirely incorrect—isn’t entirely right either."
Hearing this, the young man frowned. Not right? What did he mean?
"You practice the sword path as well?" the young man asked, his brow furrowed.
"I know a thing or two."
A thing or two?
The young man scrutinized Chen Chang'an carefully. His cultivation was only at the first level of the Divine Ability Realm—lower than his own—yet he dared to act like some expert in front of him?
"I have my own path. There’s no need for you to concern yourself," the young man said coldly.
"I have training to attend to. I’ll take my leave."
Not intending to engage further, the young man tossed out those words and turned to leave.
Chen Chang'an chuckled softly, then flicked his finger, sending a streak of sword qi straight toward the young man.
Sensing the attack, the young man’s heart jolted—such powerful sword qi!
With a swift movement, he dodged the strike and glared at Chen Chang'an. "What was that for?"
"Looking for a spar?"
"Exactly what I had in mind."
Chen Chang'an stood up and gestured invitingly.
"Fine. Let’s see just how skilled you are in the sword path!"
Without another word, the young man darted forward, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
Draw, thrust—his movements were fluid, seamless, and lightning-fast!
Yet, just as his sword was about to pierce Chen Chang'an, his body froze mid-motion.
No matter how much force he exerted, his sword remained locked in place, unable to advance even an inch.
"What… what is this?"
"Why can’t I control my sword?" The young man stared at Chen Chang'an in shock.
"Want to know?"
At this, the young man’s expression turned grave as he nodded.
Chen Chang'an smiled faintly, and with a mere thought, the young man was pushed back several steps.
"Tell me—was what I just used the sword path, or cultivation?" Chen Chang'an asked.
The young man frowned, puzzled by the question.
Chen Chang'an hadn’t even drawn his sword, so it couldn’t have been a sword technique. It must have been some kind of restraining skill.
"Neither. It was some kind of technique that immobilizes others," the young man answered.
"Wrong."
"It was the sword path."
What?
The sword path?
"I don’t understand."
"Have you heard of sword intent?"
Sword intent?
Any practitioner of the sword path would know what sword intent was—it was fundamental. Only those who comprehended sword intent could truly call themselves swordsmen.
But the young man still didn’t grasp it. Even if Chen Chang'an had mastered sword intent, he hadn’t sensed any trace of it earlier.
"You’re saying you stopped my sword with sword intent?" the young man asked skeptically.
"Not sword intent. A domain."
What?
A domain?
A sword path domain?
He… he’s actually comprehended the legendary sword path domain?
The young man’s face was a picture of disbelief. Only those who had perfected their sword intent to the pinnacle had a chance—just a chance—to glimpse the domain. And even then, not everyone succeeded.
Chen Chang'an didn’t look much older than him, and his cultivation was weaker. How could he have achieved this?
While the young man was lost in thought, Da Huang, who had been watching from afar, was utterly stunned.
First sword intent, now a sword path domain? Just how had Chen Chang'an trained?
"Strange. Truly strange. I’ve never seen Chen Chang'an practice the sword path, yet he’s silently reached this level?"
"Xian'er, have you ever seen him train?" Da Huang asked, baffled.
"Senior Da Huang, if even you don’t know, how would I?"
"Come to think of it, haven’t I answered this question before?"
"Never mind. He’s a freak. Freaks defy logic."
With a resigned shake of his head, Da Huang flopped onto the grass and fixed his eyes on Chen Chang'an, saying nothing more.
"So you’ve truly comprehended the sword path domain?" The young man’s voice was thick with doubt.
Chen Chang'an didn’t answer. Instead, he released his sword intent.
As the overwhelming pressure of Chen Chang'an’s sword intent washed over him, the young man’s eyes lit up with fervor.
"Sword intent… this is sword intent!"
"Feel anything?" Chen Chang'an asked.
At this, the young man slowly closed his eyes, immersing himself in the sensation of Chen Chang'an’s sword intent.
"What’s gotten into Brother Chen? Taken a liking to this kid? He’s actually personally instructing him?"
Fang Yunxi had also arrived beside Da Huang, watching the scene with curiosity.
"Hard to say. His motives are sometimes beyond me."
"But knowing him, he must see something special in this boy."
"Wait—this kid… what incredible comprehension!"
Suddenly, Fang Yunxi noticed that within Chen Chang'an’s sword intent, the young man had actually grasped his own sword intent.
His talent was terrifying!
"Sword intent… I’ve actually comprehended sword intent!"
The young man opened his eyes, his face alight with excitement. He hadn’t expected to achieve this so quickly.
"You were already on the verge of grasping it. You just needed the right push."
"Even without me today, you’d have comprehended it within a month," Chen Chang'an said with a faint smile.
"My thanks, brother."
"I never imagined your mastery of the sword path had reached such heights."
"My earlier rudeness was uncalled for. I hope you won’t hold it against me," the young man said apologetically.
"No matter."
"Do you have a master?" Chen Chang'an asked with a smile.
The young man shook his head, his expression somber. "No."
No master? So he’d been training alone all this time?
To reach this level without guidance—his talent and comprehension were truly rare.
"If you’re willing, I can take you as my disciple."
The moment these words left Chen Chang'an’s mouth, the young man froze, and Fang Yunxi’s jaw dropped.
Chen Chang'an was actually taking a disciple? What kind of luck did this kid have?
"I knew it. He wouldn’t be this generous without a reason. He really does want a disciple," Da Huang muttered, surprised but not entirely shocked.
The young man hesitated, glancing at Chen Chang'an. Becoming the disciple of someone his own age?
And with such low cultivation—only the first level of the Divine Ability Realm?
"Damn it, why is he hesitating? An opportunity like this is something others would beg for!"
Seeing the young man hesitate, Fang Yunxi was itching to stride over and slap some sense into the kid. How could he still be deliberating when such a golden opportunity had fallen into his lap?
"Can I ask you a question?" After a moment of silence, the young man furrowed his brows and spoke.
"Ask."
"Why should I take you as my master?"
Hearing this, Chen Chang'an smiled faintly and replied, "Because I am stronger than you—and I can make you stronger still."
"Good!"
"In learning, there is no distinction of seniority; the accomplished are the teachers."
"I am willing to pledge myself as your disciple."
"Disciple Ye Zhiqiu pays respects to Master!"
Ye Zhiqiu?
So, this young man was named Ye Zhiqiu.
"Ye Zhiqiu? That name... why does it sound familiar?"
"Holy shit, how could it be him?"
"He... actually came to the Qingyun Sect?"
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.
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
