The only person who knew about the Heavenly Sword Sect was Gu Fengyao!
This was because the Gu family had once mentioned the Heavenly Sword Emperor and incidentally brought up the Heavenly Sword Sect.
"A sect with a Sword Emperor—how could it remain unknown?"
"Even we haven’t heard of it?" Lie Zhankuang asked curiously.
"Because the Heavenly Sword Sect is truly very low-key."
"Moreover, the Central Heaven Domain is vast, and the Heavenly Sword Sect is located in a rather remote area."
"The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect rarely venture beyond a fixed region, so not many know of them."
"Logically speaking, the chances of Chen Yunxuan clashing with them… are extremely low."
"Unless Chen Yunxuan went to the Famous Sword State, where the Heavenly Sword Sect resides."
Did Chen Yunxuan go to the Famous Sword State? It wasn’t impossible.
"Fengyao, what’s the reputation of this Heavenly Sword Sect?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"Hmm… I’m not entirely sure, but I’ve heard that the Heavenly Sword Emperor is a sword fanatic—utterly obsessed. So, the people of the Heavenly Sword Sect are probably all sword maniacs."
"Did Chen Yunxuan have a serious conflict with them?" Gu Fengyao asked curiously.
Serious?
If it weren’t serious, Wang Tianji wouldn’t have risked using a secret technique to send him a message.
"Wang Tianji’s message was brief: Chen Yunxuan has a conflict with the Heavenly Sword Sect and is in danger. He couldn’t intervene."
"So, he had to inform me."
"As for the exact nature of the conflict, he didn’t say."
Wang Tianji had been keeping tabs on Chen Yunxuan, having long believed him to be a man of great fortune. But even he hadn’t expected Chen Yunxuan’s luck to be so formidable, propelling him straight to the top of the Human Ranking.
This made Wang Tianji even more eager to ally himself with Chen Yunxuan—and by extension, Chen Chang'an—knowing it would only benefit the Tianji Pavilion.
"Are you planning to go to the Heavenly Sword Sect?"
"How far is it from here to the Famous Sword State?" Da Huang asked Chen Chang'an.
"It’s very far. Even at the speed of an Emperor-level expert, it would take several months to reach," Gu Fengyao said.
Several months?
At that rate, they probably wouldn’t make it to Alchemy Emperor City in time.
"Several months? It should still be manageable."
"Da Huang, this time, we’ll have to split up."
"You take them to Alchemy Emperor City first. I’ll go to the Heavenly Sword Sect."
For anyone else, the journey would be impossible, but Chen Chang'an was different. He had mastered spatial power, allowing him to travel far faster than others.
"Brother, can you make it back in time? What if we’re all dead by then?"
"That’s the Blood Slaughter Emperor we’re talking about—he’s incredibly strong," Lie Zhankuang said worriedly.
"What are you scared of? Where’s that arrogance of yours from back in the day?"
"Has all your courage been washed away by the Heavenly Pool’s waters?" Chen Chang'an shot Lie Zhankuang a disdainful look.
This guy had been utterly fearless when his cultivation was weak, but now that he’d reached the Emperor level, his courage had shrunk.
Was this the so-called "ignorance is bliss"?
"I’m just… ahem, concerned for them," Lie Zhankuang said awkwardly.
"What’s wrong? You looking down on me?" Da Huang glared at him unhappily.
"Are you stronger than the Blood Slaughter Emperor?" Lie Zhankuang asked in surprise.
"Not sure. Never fought him," Da Huang shrugged.
"Then why are you so confident?"
"Why not? Unlike you, I can still look down on him even if we’ve never fought."
"He hasn’t beaten me either, right? Fair enough?" Da Huang grinned.
Huh?
That… kind of made sense, but not really. Yet, something about it felt off.
Lie Zhankuang pondered for a while before realizing—that logic was completely flawed.
"That’s just asking to get your ass kicked after talking big!"
"Hey, where are you guys going? Wait for me!"
"Eh? Where’s Chen Chang'an?"
"Already gone?"
By the time Lie Zhankuang snapped out of his thoughts, Da Huang and the others had already left. When he caught up, Chen Chang'an was nowhere to be seen.
"He left ages ago."
"If you keep spacing out, he might already be in the Famous Sword State."
"Don’t joke around. That’d be ridiculously fast."
"Isn’t he already ridiculously fast?"
"…Fair point. He really is."
Famous Sword State
"This time, the Famous Sword State is in for quite the spectacle."
"Chen Yunxuan, the top-ranked on the Human Ranking, has clashed with the Heavenly Sword Sect. Tsk tsk, he’s in serious danger now."
"What exactly happened? How did they even come into conflict?"
"Chen Yunxuan came to the Famous Sword State to train and challenge experts—nothing unusual about that."
"But the Heavenly Sword Sect’s young mistress apparently took a liking to him, and Chen Yunxuan didn’t reciprocate."
"Guess what happened next?"
"What?"
"When Chen Yunxuan first arrived in the Famous Sword State, he seemed injured. He passed through Fengxia Town, where a local healer treated him."
"He stayed at her place for about a week before leaving."
"It was just a chance encounter—they might not even have been friends."
"But the Heavenly Sword Sect’s young mistress assumed Chen Yunxuan rejected her because of this healer… so she had the healer’s entire family slaughtered."
"Even if it was just a fleeting encounter, the healer had helped him. When Chen Yunxuan found out, how could he let it slide?"
"Chen Yunxuan declared that he repays kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance. No matter the cost, he would make the young mistress pay with her life."
"…I feel like both of them have issues."
"The young mistress killed a healer just because Chen Yunxuan stayed there?"
"And Chen Yunxuan—does he even know how powerful the Heavenly Sword Sect is? Why would he risk everything for a healer?"
"They’re both insane."
Many couldn’t understand it. The young mistress was undoubtedly spoiled and cruel, but why was Chen Yunxuan so reckless?
For the sake of a healer, he’d provoke a behemoth like the Heavenly Sword Sect?
It just wasn’t worth it.
"You don’t get it."
"For someone like Chen Yunxuan, how could he tolerate someone who helped him dying because of him?"
"If he ignored it, it would weigh on his conscience, preventing him from achieving a clear heart and mind."
"Chen Yunxuan is the Human Ranking’s number one—his future is limitless."
"Even for the sake of mental clarity, it’s not worth it."
To most, Chen Yunxuan’s decision was akin to digging his own grave. Talent alone wasn’t enough—his current strength was no match for an entity like the Heavenly Sword Sect.
This was nothing short of suicide.
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, a young man approached and asked, "The person you were talking about—was it Chen Yunxuan?"
"That’s right, Chen Yunxuan. Young man, judging by your attire… a swordsman?"
"You’re not from the Heavenly Sword Sect, are you?"
"Here to deal with Chen Yunxuan?"
The crowd noticed the young man carrying a sword on his back, appearing to be a swordsman, yet his attire did not match the robes of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
"Do any of you know where Chen Yunxuan is?" the young man asked.
"Well... we’re not sure. But didn’t Chen Yunxuan make an announcement? On the fifth of this month—three days from now—he’ll personally visit the Heavenly Sword Sect."
"Are you even from the Heavenly Sword Sect?"
"I’m not!" The young man shook his head.
Not a member of the Heavenly Sword Sect, yet concerned about Chen Yunxuan’s whereabouts?
Could he be a wandering swordsman hoping to join the sect?
"Young man, you should know—Chen Yunxuan ranks first on the Human Leaderboard. He’s the undisputed top genius among the younger generation in the entire Profound Mystic Realm."
"You’d better think carefully. He’s not someone just anyone can afford to provoke."
"By the way, we still don’t know your name, young master."
"My name?"
"Ye Zhiqiu!"
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?"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
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...
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
