The moon hung on the treetops.
Xiaoyun Peak was enveloped in silence as Ye Zhiqiu sat in meditation. Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears, and he slowly opened his eyes.
"Who's there?"
"Lu Yun."
Lu Yun?
The son of the Qingyun Sect's Sect Master?
Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t expected the Qingyun Sect’s young master to visit him in the dead of night.
Pushing open the wooden door, Ye Zhiqiu stepped outside to find Lu Yun standing calmly before him, his expression unreadable.
"May I ask the reason for Young Master Lu’s visit?" Ye Zhiqiu inquired evenly.
Lu Yun studied Ye Zhiqiu carefully—his sharp brows and bright eyes, his dignified bearing. He was indeed a remarkable talent.
What surprised Lu Yun even more was the young man’s cultivation, which had already reached the fifth level of the Divine Ability Realm.
"So, you’re Ye Zhiqiu?"
"I know of you."
"What Jinxiu did back then was ill-considered. I only learned of it afterward."
"But what’s done is done, and our wedding is imminent. I don’t want any complications."
"If you harbor resentment, I can apologize on her behalf. Or if you seek compensation, I’m willing to make amends."
"What do you say?"
Lu Yun’s attitude took Ye Zhiqiu aback. As the saying goes, one doesn’t strike a smiling face. Since the other party had extended goodwill, Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t very well respond harshly.
"I don’t need any compensation."
"My purpose in coming to the Qingyun Sect isn’t to stir trouble."
"I only wish to prove myself in the upcoming martial assembly. That’s all."
Hearing this, Lu Yun understood—Ye Zhiqiu intended to use the martial assembly to demonstrate that he wasn’t the worthless figure others had dismissed him as.
But wouldn’t that imply Cao Jinxiu had poor judgment?
And what would that make him, Lu Yun?
Originally, this event had been arranged to bolster Cao Jinxiu’s reputation. But after seeing Ye Zhiqiu, Lu Yun suspected she might not be his match.
If so, all their efforts would be in vain, and Ye Zhiqiu would emerge victorious instead.
"Your actions, though not malicious, would humiliate Jinxiu and embarrass me, the Qingyun Sect’s young master."
"How about we both take a step back?" Lu Yun asked, frowning.
Take a step back?
Ye Zhiqiu looked at him in confusion, unsure of his meaning.
"Withdraw from the martial assembly."
"After my wedding, I’ll send someone to the Ye Family personally to restore your family’s honor. How does that sound?"
In Lu Yun’s view, as the young master, he had already made a considerable concession. Surely Ye Zhiqiu wouldn’t refuse?
Yet Ye Zhiqiu’s response was a simple shake of his head.
Lu Yun’s proposal was unacceptable. It wouldn’t restore the Ye Family’s dignity.
A visit from the Qingyun Sect after the wedding—what would that be?
Pity? Charity?
Whatever it was, the Ye Family would become a laughingstock, and Ye Zhiqiu himself would be ridiculed.
He wasn’t seeking conflict, but some things had to be done—or they would haunt him for life.
"I only want to prove that I’m no less than anyone else."
"The rest doesn’t concern me."
"Your affairs with Cao Jinxiu are none of my business."
"Besides, the Qingyun Sect Master declared the event open to all."
"Young Master Lu, instead of wasting time here, perhaps you should spend more time with your fiancée." Ye Zhiqiu’s tone was indifferent.
Lu Yun’s temper flared at Ye Zhiqiu’s obstinacy. As the young master, he was being outright disregarded by some nobody?
"You truly have no fear?"
"Why should I?"
"Fine, Ye Zhiqiu. I’ll remember this. Tomorrow, I’ll show you that proving yourself won’t be so easy."
With a cold snort, Lu Yun stormed off in a rage. Unfazed, Ye Zhiqiu returned to his room to resume his cultivation.
"Tsk, tsk. This kid’s got a spine of steel."
"Lu Yun was being polite and reasonable, yet he didn’t give an inch?"
Lu Yun’s late-night visit hadn’t gone unnoticed by someone of Fang Yunxi’s cultivation level, who had been observing the exchange.
Naturally, Chen Chang’an was also keeping an eye on things—after all, Ye Zhiqiu was his disciple, and he couldn’t let anything happen to him.
"Lu Yun’s upbringing is commendable. It reflects well on the Qingyun Sect’s discipline."
"But Ye Zhiqiu isn’t wrong either. If it were you, would you have agreed?"
Chen Chang’an’s question gave Fang Yunxi pause. Would he?
He shook his head uncertainly. Agreeing would leave him resentful, but refusing might invite danger. A true dilemma.
"That’s where you differ from him."
"Ye Zhiqiu doesn’t hesitate or compromise."
"He does what he believes in, regardless of opposition. Only with such resolve can one advance unhindered." Chen Chang’an smiled faintly.
"That may be so, but aren’t you worried Lu Yun might retaliate?"
Though he’d only observed from afar, Chen Chang’an judged that Lu Yun, while not a saint, was no villain either.
He was simply a young man with pride, especially as the Qingyun Sect’s young master.
He wouldn’t resort to underhanded tactics—such behavior would violate the sect’s principles and earn him universal scorn.
No intelligent person would sabotage their own future, and Lu Mengran would be the first to punish him if he did.
The most Lu Yun could do was ensure Ye Zhiqiu was swiftly defeated in the arena, denying him any chance to shine.
That way, neither his nor Cao Jinxiu’s reputation would suffer.
Fang Yunxi nodded at Chen Chang’an’s analysis. "Lu Yun’s got his merits, but he’s too caught up in romance."
"At just over forty, why rush into marriage?"
"Many cultivators don’t wed until they’re centuries old."
"Wasting prime cultivation years like this is a shame."
Though Fang Yunxi didn’t say it outright, Chen Chang’an understood—Lu Yun was somewhat lovestruck, and it might hinder his progress.
"To each their own. Everyone walks a different path."
"True. Why bother? He’s not my son anyway. But aren’t you concerned about Ye Zhiqiu? The Qingyun Sect’s core disciples include many stronger than him."
"No matter. Consider it tempering. Losses are part of growth. Besides, I don’t believe Ye Zhiqiu will lose."
"Cultivation level doesn't necessarily determine a person's true strength." Chen Chang'an smiled faintly, his confidence in Ye Zhiqiu unwavering.
"Fine, it's none of my business anyway. I'm just here for the show."
"Still, I’m curious to see how far that kid Ye Zhiqiu can go."
"By the way, where’s Gu Xian'er? What are her plans? If she joins in, things will get really interesting."
"Gu Xian'er’s strength is enough to crush all the younger generation here, isn’t it?" Fang Yunxi asked curiously.
Gu Xian'er?
Originally, Chen Chang'an had indeed considered letting Gu Xian'er participate, but given the current situation, he decided it was best to ask for her opinion first.
"Let’s head back. Tomorrow might bring quite a spectacle."
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...
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?"
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!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
