"Master, didn’t you bring me here to retrieve the fetal pearl?"
"This... there’s no one here."
After leaving the Fengxian Platform, Mu Yunyao led Chen Chang'an and Da Huang to the summit of Cloudpeak Mountain.
Upon reaching the peak, Chen Chang'an noticed that there were no traces of human presence or activity in the surroundings.
"It’s here, but within a separate pocket dimension."
"The Zhou family’s overseers in the Tai Xuan Realm do not casually reveal themselves to others."
"Nor do they allow their existence to be known."
As Mu Yunyao spoke, she formed a series of hand seals. Moments later, an entrance appeared at the summit of Cloudpeak Mountain.
Seeing Mu Yunyao step inside, Chen Chang'an and Da Huang quickly followed.
Upon entering, Chen Chang'an discovered a small, picturesque world—lush scenery, birds singing, and fragrant flowers—an exceptionally serene environment.
There were no grand, opulent structures here, only a few modest courtyards in the distance.
The place exuded an air of refined elegance, radiating tranquility.
"This place is quite nice. The Zhou family certainly knows how to enjoy themselves," Chen Chang'an remarked with a faint smile.
No sooner had he spoken than five figures materialized before Mu Yunyao.
"Greetings, Young Mistress."
Their auras were overwhelming!
These individuals were undoubtedly formidable. In the Tai Xuan Realm, Chen Chang'an had never encountered anyone who exuded such oppressive pressure.
The Zhou family had truly invested heavily—stationing five experts of this caliber in the Tai Xuan Realm?
Though Chen Chang'an couldn’t discern their exact cultivation levels, he estimated they were at least at the Quasi-Immortal Realm.
Mu Yunyao glanced at them indifferently. "You already know why I’m here, don’t you?"
Given her presence with Chen Chang'an, there was no need to spell out their purpose.
"Young Mistress, the last fetal pearl is indeed in our possession."
"However..."
"Hm?"
Mu Yunyao’s gaze sharpened, causing the five to pale.
"Are you trying to negotiate terms with me?" she asked, her tone laced with amusement.
"We wouldn’t dare!"
"But..."
"May we speak with Chen Chang'an first?" the Zhou family members asked helplessly.
Speak with him?
Mu Yunyao glanced at Chen Chang'an, who showed no objection, and nodded.
"Go ahead. Speak here," she said coolly.
"Understood."
The Zhou family members bowed respectfully before addressing Chen Chang'an. "Chen Chang'an, the fetal pearl is indeed with us."
"We can return it to you without demanding anything in return."
"However, we hold Chen Yunxuan and the others in high regard."
"Would it be possible for them to join the Zhou family?"
"Rest assured, we will provide them with the finest resources and guidance. They will not be mistreated."
The Zhou family had long realized that Chen Chang'an himself was beyond their reach—Mu Yunyao’s level of concern for him far exceeded their expectations.
They had assumed he was merely a casual disciple, but no one could have predicted her deep investment in him.
Yet Chen Yunxuan and the others were too promising to ignore.
They had even added immortal techniques to the Earth Ranking rewards in hopes of swaying them, only to find the group completely uninterested.
This left them without leverage, so now, meeting Chen Chang'an in person, they hoped to persuade him to influence the others.
If Chen Chang'an spoke on their behalf, their chances would improve significantly.
"Their choices are their own. I won’t interfere excessively."
"Discuss it with them directly. Whatever they decide, I don’t want my influence to sway them."
"Everyone has the right to choose their own path," Chen Chang'an replied calmly.
Hearing this, the Zhou family frowned. Had Mu Yunyao not been present, their attitude would have been far different.
But with her standing there, what else could they do?
"Very well. Then this is how it must be."
"So, you won’t obstruct our recruitment efforts, correct?" they pressed.
"Will your recruitment harm them in any way?" Chen Chang'an countered.
"Of course not. Only benefits. If they ascend to the Ancient Immortal Domain, our family’s support will spare them many hardships," the Zhou family member replied with a smile.
"Then why would I interfere?"
"I simply won’t be involved. Their decisions are theirs alone."
Relieved by his stance, the Zhou family member nodded. After all, Chen Yunxuan and the others obeyed Chen Chang'an without question.
"Here is the fetal pearl. Back then, we..."
"By the way, I’ve been curious—with your strength, why resort to sending a woman to deceive the Nine Nether Emperor for the fetal pearl?"
"Couldn’t you have taken it effortlessly?"
This had puzzled Chen Chang'an for some time. As overseers of the Tai Xuan Realm, shouldn’t acquiring something so trivial be simple?
They likely had the means to take it unnoticed. Moreover, the Nine Nether Emperor hadn’t even treated it as a treasure.
"The laws of heaven and earth bind us. Though the Zhou family governs, we cannot act recklessly."
"Otherwise, the Tai Xuan Realm would suffer."
"We cannot excessively interfere in its affairs. Even when selecting talents, we must rely on systems like the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Rankings—under the guise of heavenly will."
Excessive interference was forbidden?
It made sense, though being a ruler yet so constrained must feel stifling. Even on their own turf, every action required careful consideration.
"Then what’s the purpose of stationing overseers here?"
"It seems unnecessary," Chen Chang'an mused.
"Well... conflicts among minor realms are fierce."
"Someone must remain vigilant to prevent unforeseen threats from escalating beyond control."
"For instance, when Feng Xiu first appeared in the Tai Xuan Realm, we detected him immediately but chose not to act, observing his intentions."
"Meanwhile, we laid a trap for him," the Zhou family member explained with a smile.
Feng Xiu had believed himself cunning, even joining the rankings to mislead the Zhou family.
Little did he know, they had been aware of him from the moment he set foot in the Tai Xuan Realm.
Chen Chang'an asked no further questions, accepting the fetal pearl instead.
Holding the final pearl, he felt a surge of excitement.
From this day onward, he would finally be whole!
Hmm... though something about that phrasing felt a bit off.
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?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
