Lu Mengran looked at Chen Chang'an with a complicated expression.
Deep down, he was troubled—should someone like this really become an honorary elder of the Qingyun Sect?
Though he had the authority, if the other elders found out, it would be hard to justify.
Yet, for a prodigious talent like Ye Zhiqiu, Lu Mengran felt it might be worth taking the risk.
"You are Ye Zhiqiu's master?" Lu Mengran asked.
"Indeed," Chen Chang'an replied calmly, nodding.
His composed demeanor made many curious—what was he trying to pull?
It was your disciple who was impressive, not you. Why put on such airs?
Even if you didn’t want to appear overly excited, the Qingyun Sect’s Sect Master was speaking to you. Couldn’t you at least show a little more reaction?
"You must have heard everything just now," Lu Mengran continued.
"So, what is your decision?"
To his surprise, Lu Mengran realized that aside from anticipation, he also felt a hint of unease. He was actually afraid of being rejected.
The thought amused him. Ye Zhiqiu had refused because he had a master, but what about this guy? What reason could he possibly have to decline?
"An honorary elder?" Chen Chang'an mused.
"I truly have no interest. Besides..."
He left the rest unsaid, but the implication was clear—the Qingyun Sect wasn’t even worthy.
Chen Chang'an’s half-spoken words and faint smile only fueled irritation.
Just spit it out already! Besides what?
This was infuriatingly vague!
And most importantly—he refused too?
Ye Zhiqiu had the skills to back up his refusal, but who the hell are you? Without Ye Zhiqiu, who would care whether you joined or not?
"You… do you not know the strength of our Qingyun Sect?" Lu Mengran pressed.
"Or are you unaware of our standing?"
"Have you never heard of the Qingyun Sect before?"
Confusion and disbelief filled Lu Mengran’s mind. He refused to believe there was anything lacking about the Qingyun Sect. Instead, he wondered if Ye Zhiqiu’s master was simply ignorant.
Hearing this, Chen Chang'an couldn’t help but laugh. Did he really look that foolish? Or did Lu Mengran genuinely think the Qingyun Sect was some kind of prize?
The laughter made Lu Mengran feel awkward, as if he’d said something incredibly stupid.
"Brat, are you looking down on the Qingyun Sect?"
The Peak Master of Qinggang Peak had a notoriously short temper. Chen Chang'an’s attitude infuriated him. If not for his position, he might have already taken action.
"I have no intention of looking down on anyone," Chen Chang'an replied.
"Neither I nor my disciple, Ye Zhiqiu, will join your Qingyun Sect."
"As for the reason, you’ll soon find out."
"But right now, I do have another matter to discuss with your sect."
"Last night, someone infiltrated Xiaoyun Peak and attempted to assassinate my disciple, Ye Zhiqiu."
"The Qingyun Sect owes us an explanation for this."
The moment these words were spoken, Lu Mengran and the others were stunned.
An assassination attempt on Ye Zhiqiu?
Impossible!
They would never do such a thing.
"Wait, did I hear that right? Someone tried to kill Ye Zhiqiu last night?"
"Could there be someone in the Qingyun Sect who wants him dead?"
"Looking at Sect Master Lu’s expression, even he seems shocked. Maybe it was a disciple acting out of resentment?"
"No, wait—have you forgotten Ye Zhiqiu’s other identity?"
"Other identity? Oh, right, he’s…"
At this, everyone’s gaze shifted toward Lu Yun—including that of his father, Lu Mengran.
Seeing the suspicion in their eyes, Lu Yun’s expression darkened. What was this? Did they really think so little of his character?
"Father, it wasn’t me," Lu Yun said firmly.
"I know my own son. Of course it wasn’t you."
"Where is Cao Jinxiu? Where is she now?" Lu Mengran demanded coldly.
If anyone in the Qingyun Sect had motive to kill Ye Zhiqiu, Cao Jinxiu was the prime suspect.
Lu Yun was also a likely candidate, but Lu Mengran knew his son well. Even if he had the thought, he likely lacked the nerve to act on it.
"Jinxiu? Father, you can’t possibly suspect her! She would never—"
"I asked where she is."
"She… she was here earlier, but she wasn’t feeling well and went back to rest."
Lu Yun felt a pang of unease. Part of him refused to believe Cao Jinxiu could do such a thing, but another part feared the worst.
"Not feeling well? A cultivator at the Divine Ability Realm, suddenly unwell today?"
"Go. Bring her here," Lu Mengran ordered coldly.
"Wait—"
"No need," Chen Chang'an interjected.
"She’s already here."
Lu Mengran and the others were taken aback. Already here?
Before they could react, Gu Xian'er stepped onto the stage, dragging an unconscious Uncle Tu in one hand and a struggling Cao Jinxiu in the other.
Thud! Thud!
She unceremoniously tossed them onto the platform, gave Ye Zhiqiu a nod, then vanished in a flash, reappearing beside Chen Chang'an.
"Such speed! Who is that woman?"
"She looks young, yet she’s already at the Divine Transformation Realm?"
"How is it that Chen Chang'an is surrounded by prodigies, while he himself remains utterly ordinary?"
"Another monstrous talent?"
Gu Xian'er had been standing quietly by Chen Chang'an’s side, unnoticed until now.
Lu Mengran and the others could tell she was young, yet her cultivation had reached the first level of Divine Transformation.
Such talent couldn’t belong to an unknown. Was she on the Human Ranking?
There weren’t many women on the Human Ranking. Could she be Gu Fengyao? No, Gu Fengyao should be older.
Then who was she?
While the others speculated about Gu Xian'er’s identity, Lu Yun’s attention was fixed on Cao Jinxiu.
"Lu Yun, save me!"
Earlier, Cao Jinxiu had been weighing her options, ultimately deciding to flee.
She no longer cared about the consequences for the Cao family—she just wanted to escape before it was too late.
She was afraid. Afraid that even Lu Yun wouldn’t be able to protect her.
But just as she was about to run, a stranger appeared, dragging an unconscious Uncle Tu.
Cao Jinxiu knew the woman was after her, but the gap in their strength was too vast. Now, she had been hauled onto the stage.
At this moment, Lu Yun was her only lifeline.
"Jinxiu? Uncle Tu?"
Lu Yun frowned. What exactly was going on?
Meanwhile, Lu Mengran observed his son closely, gauging whether he could remain composed under pressure.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Yun steadied himself and looked at Cao Jinxiu.
"Don’t be afraid. This is the Qingyun Sect. If you’re innocent, no one can harm you here."
Lu Yun's restraint in acting impulsively left Lu Mengran thoroughly pleased. But for Cao Jinxiu, his words plunged her heart into despair.
It's over!
Lu Yun truly couldn’t defy all reason for her sake. If that was the case, did she even have a chance to escape now?
At that moment, Chen Chang'an flashed onto the arena with a flicker of movement. With a light tap of his finger, the unconscious Uncle Tu slowly stirred awake.
The moment his eyes opened, Uncle Tu’s expression twisted in alarm, his instincts screaming at him to flee.
But when he took in his surroundings, his heart sank into hopelessness.
It's over!
How had he ended up at Qingyun Peak?
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
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?"
] [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!"
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...
