The breeze was gentle, carrying a hint of autumn chill, yet the entire Northern Guardian City felt as if it had plunged into the depths of winter—cold and piercing.
Last night, the thunderous march of the Northern Guardian Army's three hundred thousand soldiers echoed through the city, shaking the earth and sending its inhabitants into panic. The army's entry into the city was no common occurrence; the last time such a thing had happened was decades ago. Many still vividly remembered that event, yet now… they were witnessing it a second time.
Recalling the events of the day, the people grew even more bewildered. Were three hundred thousand soldiers truly necessary to deal with just two individuals?
Now, the entire Northern Guardian City lay desolate. Apart from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, everyone had retreated into their homes, and all shops had shut their doors. The streets were eerily silent, resembling a ghost town.
The Prince of Zhenbei gazed at his severely injured son on the bed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. That night, he had pondered many things.
The prince had not fathered only this one son, yet he was the sole survivor. The prince would not allow any harm to befall his last remaining heir.
"No matter their origins or status…"
"I will not let them escape justice!"
"Yesterday… I should never have let them leave."
"Still, those two have quite the audacity—they didn’t even flee."
After Chen Chang'an departed, the prince had felt a twinge of regret, but his curiosity about the man's identity and purpose had stayed his hand. When he learned that Chen Chang'an had gone to the Gathering Immortals Pavilion, his intrigue only deepened. Why would the man act so brazenly?
Though the urge to kill Chen Chang'an burned within him, the prince had restrained himself.
"Take care of the young master."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After instructing his servants, the prince strode out of the mansion with his trusted aides.
Outside, the long streets were lined with soldiers of the Northern Guardian Army, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Boom!
"Salute to His Highness!"
The moment the prince appeared, the three hundred thousand soldiers stood in perfect formation, paying their respects in unison. Their voices reverberated through the city, sending shivers down the spines of its terrified inhabitants. Though uninvolved, the sheer force of the sound left them trembling.
The prince glanced at the generals ahead, mounted his steed, and coldly commanded, "Move out!"
"Yes!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled beneath the march of three hundred thousand soldiers. Only when the sound faded did the people dare to emerge from their homes.
"What in the world is happening? The entire Northern Guardian Army has been mobilized?"
"Who would have thought the prince would gather three hundred thousand troops?"
"They’ve left the city! The prince led them out—does anyone know where they’re headed?"
"I… I’m not sure. Should we follow?"
"Are you out of your mind?"
"But I’m dying to know!"
"Wait, wasn’t that Chen Chang'an staying at the Gathering Immortals Pavilion? Is he still there?"
"Rumor has it he left the city early this morning with that woman by his side."
"Both of them are gone?"
Meanwhile, fifty li outside the city, Chen Chang'an and Gu Xian'er had been waiting for some time.
"They’re coming."
Chen Chang'an smiled faintly, his gaze turning toward Northern Guardian City.
"Young Master, later…"
"Just watch. You’re not yet strong enough to participate in a battle of this level," Chen Chang'an said calmly.
"Yes, Young Master."
Gu Xian'er felt a pang of disappointment, but she understood the vast gap between her own strength—though ranked second on the Human Rankings—and that of true powerhouses. This was a long journey, not something effort alone could bridge in a short time.
The sound grew louder as the prince and his army drew nearer.
When the prince caught sight of Chen Chang'an, he froze in disbelief.
Just the two of them?
This was not what he had expected. He had assumed Chen Chang'an had reinforcements waiting in the shadows. Otherwise, how could the man be so bold?
"I’ve arrived!"
"Now, will you finish what you left unsaid yesterday?"
"Or shall we wait for your backer to show himself?"
"Tell him to come out. There’s no need to hide."
The prince’s words left Chen Chang'an momentarily speechless. Did the man truly underestimate him so much—just because his cultivation was only at the first level of the Divine Transformation Realm?
"There’s no one else. I alone am enough."
"You alone?"
"Hahaha! Do you truly take me for a fool?"
"A mere Divine Transformation cultivator, spouting such arrogance!"
"If not for my curiosity about your motives and who stands behind you, do you think I would have let you leave the mansion alive yesterday?" The prince sneered at Chen Chang'an.
Hearing this, Chen Chang'an shook his head with amusement. The prince believed he had granted Chen Chang'an an extra day of life.
Little did he know, it was Chen Chang'an who had allowed him one more day.
"My name is Chen Chang'an. You may not know it, and perhaps few in the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty do."
"But within this dynasty, there is one who remembers it well."
"That person… is Yin Tianzi."
The moment Chen Chang'an uttered these words calmly, the prince’s mind went blank.
Yin Tianzi?
He knew of Yin Tianzi?
And what did he mean by that? Did Yin Tianzi know him as well?
Was Chen Chang'an sent by Yin Tianzi?
But… how could that be?
Who was Yin Tianzi? The foremost powerhouse of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, a half-step Great Emperor!
Moreover, Yin Tianzi had last made a move centuries ago. After that incident, hadn’t he gone into seclusion?
When had he emerged? Why was there no news of it?
"Are you Yin Tianzi’s man?" The prince’s expression darkened.
"Yin Tianzi’s man?"
Chen Chang'an scoffed. "Yin Tianzi is nothing. Is he even worthy?"
Boom!
His words sent shockwaves through not only the prince but the entire Northern Guardian Army.
What had he just said?
He had insulted Yin Tianzi?
Mocked the god of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty?
"Outrageous!"
"How dare you disrespect Yin Tianzi!"
"Who the hell are you?!" the prince roared.
"Who am I?"
"Tell me… have you heard of the name Wu Mingdao?"
Wu Mingdao?
How did he know that name? Unless…
The prince was well aware of Wu Mingdao. The incident involving him had caused quite a stir in the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty. Though the prince had not participated in the manhunt, he knew the details well.
Was this man here to avenge Wu Mingdao?
The prince was both stunned and amused. A mere Divine Transformation cultivator, seeking revenge? Was he out of his mind?
Did he think the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty was some backwater? Did he not know who Yin Tianzi was?
Yin Tianzi is the one with the highest chance of breaking through to the Great Emperor realm within the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty. How could a mere brat like him possibly turn the heavens upside down?
"Exactly!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"
"You think you can seek revenge against Yin Tianzi?"
"Have you even looked at yourself? Are you even worthy?"
"Don’t even mention Yin Tianzi—you won’t even get past me, the Prince of Zhenbei!"
After mocking him relentlessly, the Prince of Zhenbei suddenly felt something was amiss. If this kid wanted revenge against Yin Tianzi, why come here?
And why ask him to bring so many men? What was his purpose?
No…
There must be someone behind this kid—a true powerhouse. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare be so audacious!
"Hmph!"
"If you dare to come, then stop hiding. Show yourself! Let me see what kind of person has the nerve to cause trouble in the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty."
The Prince of Zhenbei’s voice boomed, echoing across dozens of kilometers, reaching even the commoners of Northern Guardian City.
His words sent shockwaves through the people. Could an enemy be invading the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty?
Who could it be?
The Fengtian Imperial Dynasty hadn’t seen war in years. Was their peaceful life about to end?
Chen Chang'an looked at the Prince of Zhenbei and smiled helplessly. This man was truly overthinking things, stubbornly convinced that someone else was pulling the strings behind him.
"Enough shouting!"
"The one with a grudge against Yin Tianzi is me."
"As for why I came here—"
"I’ll tell you right now."
"It’s to deliver a gift to the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty… and to Yin Tianzi."
"Your life, Prince of Zhenbei, along with the lives of your Northern Guardian Army, will be my first offering." Chen Chang'an said coldly.
The moment these words left his mouth, the Prince of Zhenbei and his men paled.
"Just you alone?"
"Hahaha!"
"I don’t even need to lift a finger to deal with you."
"Northern Guardian Army!"
"Here!"
"Kill him!"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
] [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!"
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!
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
