The voice atop the city wall made Chen Chang'an frown slightly.
Were they... questioning his noble character?
Ah!
Indeed, the exceptional are always lonely. How could these mediocre minds ever comprehend his lofty virtues?
Tragic!
Truly tragic!
Chen Chang'an sighed helplessly before turning his gaze toward the Blood Slaughter Emperor kneeling in the deep pit.
"You had a chance to leave earlier. Why choose death instead?" Chen Chang'an asked with a smile.
Hearing this, the Blood Slaughter Emperor raised his head, his eyes burning with defiance.
"Even if I knew this was all a scheme, so what?"
"At this point, how could I retreat?"
"If I retreat, I, the Blood Slaughter Emperor, will become a laughingstock for all eternity," Leng Tu said coldly.
For some, reputation far outweighs life itself. Though Chen Chang'an couldn't understand it, he respected it.
"To persist in the impossible—such courage."
"A pity your mind isn't as sharp."
"Truthfully, none of you needed to die."
"But you chose the path of death."
"Let me be clear—even if you had chosen to leave, I wouldn’t have let you go," Chen Chang'an said, still smiling.
Leng Tu was baffled. Even if he had tried to leave, Chen Chang'an would have stopped him?
Was this man truly so bloodthirsty?
"Why?" Leng Tu demanded.
"If you don’t die, how will I uncover the true intentions of the mastermind behind this?"
The words struck Leng Tu like a thunderbolt. Chen Chang'an intended to use their deaths as bait to lure out the puppeteer in the shadows?
But... wouldn’t sparing them be the better option?
"If you spare us, wouldn’t that thwart their plans?"
"Isn’t that the wiser move?"
"Since you’ve already seen through their scheme, why play into their hands?"
"Wouldn’t this just give them what they want?"
Perhaps kneeling had cleared his mind, for Leng Tu suddenly seemed sharper.
"Ah, now you start thinking. What’s the use?"
"The die is cast. Chen Chang'an won’t spare him."
Fan Yi sighed, watching Leng Tu finally engage his brain. From his observations, nothing Leng Tu said would sway Chen Chang'an’s decision.
It was just like when he had pleaded with Leng Tu earlier—his words fell on deaf ears.
But the difference was stark. Leng Tu was blindly stubborn, clinging to his beliefs without self-awareness.
Chen Chang'an, however, had calculated every move from the start.
Fan Yi even suspected that before the Blood Slaughter Hall arrived, Chen Chang'an had already foreseen this outcome—and what might follow.
This man wasn’t just terrifying in strength; his intellect was equally chilling.
Fan Yi prided himself on his wit, yet in Chen Chang'an’s presence, he felt every thought and scheme laid bare.
Chen Chang'an possessed eyes that could pierce the human heart!
"But... doesn’t the Blood Slaughter Emperor make a valid point?"
"If Chen Chang'an doesn’t kill them, wouldn’t the schemer’s plot fail?"
Kuang Zhongtang couldn’t grasp it. To him, Leng Tu’s logic seemed sound. If it were him, he’d spare the Blood Slaughter Hall to foil the conspirators.
"With that brain of yours, better stop thinking," Da Huang said disdainfully.
"What? Why shouldn’t I think?" Kuang Zhongtang retorted, annoyed.
"That pig head of yours can’t think worth a damn!"
"Chen Chang'an has his reasons. You think he kills just for the sake of killing?" Da Huang sneered.
"Oh? Isn’t that the case?"
Seeing Kuang Zhongtang’s utterly naive and clueless expression gave Da Huang a headache.
How had this fool survived this long?
"Fine, let me explain."
"Chen Chang'an wants to wipe out the Blood Slaughter Hall not just to uncover the mastermind’s goals."
"He also knows that even if he spares them, they won’t live long."
"If the puppeteer schemed once, they’ll scheme again."
"So why not let them die by Chen Chang'an’s hand? At least he might uncover clues."
"More importantly, Chen Chang'an understands human nature!"
"From what I know of Leng Tu, even if spared today, he wouldn’t feel gratitude—only resentment."
"He’d plot revenge, even targeting those Chen Chang'an cares about."
"That’s just another form of retaliation."
"So, for every reason, Chen Chang'an won’t let the Blood Slaughter Hall walk away."
"But one thing puzzles me—how does Chen Chang'an, having never met Leng Tu, know his character so well?"
Fan Yi couldn’t fathom how Chen Chang'an had deduced Leng Tu’s nature.
Through hearsay?
But rumors are unreliable. Still, Fan Yi was wise enough not to dwell on it, lest he provoke Chen Chang'an’s displeasure.
His explanation clarified Chen Chang'an’s reasoning for the others.
Truly, Fan Yi was sharp—a hundred Kuang Zhongtangs combined couldn’t match his intellect.
"Learn from him, or you’ll get yourself killed," Da Huang poked Kuang Zhongtang with a paw, dead serious.
"Killed by myself? How?"
"Senior Da Huang, enlighten me."
"It means you’ll die from your own stupidity!"
Fan Yi sighed. Was this man’s mind truly that simple?
Hmm?
Suddenly, an overwhelming aura erupted from Leng Tu’s body.
Chen Chang'an’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Blood Detonation?
Since leaving the Chaotic Zone, this was the first time he’d seen someone use such a technique.
Had the Blood Slaughter Emperor been there?
No.
This version seemed different—more refined.
"Your technique resembles the Blood Detonation of the Chaotic Zone," Chen Chang'an mused.
"But it’s far superior. What is this?"
Now empowered by this blood-like surge, Leng Tu’s energy skyrocketed, his entire being radiating killing intent. No longer was he trapped in that humiliating kneel.
"HAHAHA!"
Leng Tu laughed wildly, glaring at Chen Chang'an. "So you know of Blood Detonation."
"But let me tell you—the Chaotic Zone’s version is worthless."
"My self-created Blood Detonation is a hundred, a thousand times stronger!"
"Chen Chang'an, you are formidable. But killing me won’t be so easy."
Leng Tu had always looked down upon places like the Zone of Chaos, but during a chance visit, he caught sight of a unique cultivation technique known as Blood Explosion, native to that lawless land, and it piqued his interest.
When it came to slaughter, Leng Tu had spilled no less blood than the denizens of the Zone of Chaos—in fact, he had surpassed them.
After all, as a supreme Emperor-level expert, the Blood Explosion technique he devised was far more devastating.
When Leng Tu unleashed Blood Explosion, Chen Chang'an could sense his aura surging at least twofold, if not more.
Under the overwhelming pressure of Leng Tu's presence, the Blood Slaughter Army behind him regained their mobility.
"All hail the Sect Master!"
"The Sect Master is peerless!"
"The Sect Master is invincible!"
The roaring cheers from the Blood Slaughter Army left those atop the city walls stunned.
Word for word—it was identical to what Da Huang had shouted earlier. Had they overheard and deliberately mimicked him?
"Your Blood Slaughter Sect has no shame, copying my words like that?"
"Why don’t they copy my looks too?" Da Huang sneered in disdain.
"No, they’ve always been like this."
"It was Leng Tu’s demand," Fan Yi admitted awkwardly.
"Oh? Leng Tu demanded it?"
"In that regard, he and Chen Chang'an… share something in common."
"Neither has any shame!"

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!

th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"

and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!

【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)