The Ancient Immortal Realm
"Phew!"
"The air in the Ancient Immortal Realm is truly refreshing."
"It even carries a faint aroma of roasted meat."
"Incredible."
After entering the Ancient Immortal Realm, Da Huang took a deep breath, marveling at the scents lingering in the air.
"It’s not just a faint aroma."
"Look over there."
Chen Chang'an pointed not far away, where a group of people were gathered around roasting meat.
The smell Da Huang detected indeed came from that direction.
Hmm?
Da Huang glanced at them, feeling a bit curious. Do people in the Ancient Immortal Realm also eat roasted meat?
"My cultivation!"
"It seems I’ve broken through again!"
Freed from the restrictions of the Tai Xuan Realm, Chen Chang'an’s cultivation immediately soared to the first level of the Emperor Venerable Realm upon arriving in the Ancient Immortal Realm.
"Oh, really? So, you’re now at the first level of the Emperor Venerable Realm?" Da Huang asked curiously.
"Exactly."
Chen Chang'an nodded. However, the amount of immortal spiritual energy required for his breakthroughs was staggeringly vast. Moreover, he noticed that after fully merging the nine embryonic pearls, his automatic absorption of immortal spiritual energy had slowed significantly compared to before.
Chen Chang'an couldn’t help but suspect that his rapid progress after merging the pearls earlier was due to the energy conversion they provided.
Sensing the disturbance around Chen Chang'an, the group roasting meat stood up and approached him.
Observing their expressions, Chen Chang'an frowned slightly. It seemed they had been waiting for him.
Members of the Zhou Family?
"Is your master Mu Yunyao, the eldest daughter of the Mu Family?" the leader asked, eyeing Chen Chang'an.
"Correct."
"So, you must be Young Master Chen."
"I am Zhou Yuanxiong, the head of the Zhou Family."
The Zhou Family’s patriarch had personally come to wait for him?
This was unexpected for Chen Chang'an, though he figured it was likely out of respect for Mu Yunyao.
"Did my master ask you to wait for me here?" Chen Chang'an inquired.
"Indeed!"
"The Tai Xuan Realm is a minor world under our Zhou Family’s control. The ascension passage naturally connects to a region within our domain."
"Lady Mu instructed us to wait here to help you evade detection by the Wang Family," Zhou Yuanxiong explained with a smile.
Evade the Wang Family’s detection?
"How?" Chen Chang'an asked curiously.
"By sending you away."
Huh?
He had just arrived in the Ancient Immortal Realm, and they were already sending him away? Was this a joke?
"Of course, not away from the Ancient Immortal Realm—just to a distant location where the Wang Family won’t easily find you."
"As for where you’ll end up, we don’t know either."
"That depends on your luck."
Luck?
Did that mean random teleportation?
"This way, even we won’t know your whereabouts, making you much safer."
Chen Chang'an nodded in understanding. If the Zhou Family knew he had arrived but not his destination, it would indeed be harder for the Wang Family to track him. Even if they pressured the Zhou Family for information, they wouldn’t be able to provide specifics.
"Where is my master’s Mu Family located?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"As one of the Nine Great Immortal Clans of the Ancient Immortal Realm, the Mu Family naturally resides in a prestigious place."
"They dwell in the blessed paradise known as Little Cloud Heaven."
"It’s one of the most remarkable paradises in the Ancient Immortal Realm."
"Our Zhou Family’s current paradise was also secured with the Mu Family’s support."
"However, your master emphasized that your priority now is to grow stronger."
"Avoid direct confrontation with the Wang Family."
Direct confrontation?
Chen Chang'an wasn’t foolish enough for that. Back in the Tai Xuan Realm, he had only killed Wang Zhiwei’s avatar to buy time for Mu Yunyao.
Now that he was in the vast Ancient Immortal Realm, why seek out the Wang Family? That would be tedious.
Even if he couldn’t die, being constantly hunted wouldn’t be enjoyable.
"Did my master leave any other instructions?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"No, just these."
"Alright, when do we begin?"
Seeing Chen Chang'an’s decisiveness, Zhou Yuanxiong wasted no time. With a glance at his companions, they formed hand seals and conjured a teleportation array before Chen Chang'an.
"Step inside, and you’ll be sent to an unknown location."
"Be careful," Zhou Yuanxiong reminded.
"Understood."
Chen Chang'an didn’t doubt their words or intentions—after all, he had no other choice.
Even if the array sent him straight into Wang Family territory, he’d have to accept it.
After exchanging a glance with Da Huang, the two stepped into the array.
Once Chen Chang'an vanished, Zhou Yuanxiong and the others deactivated the formation.
"Patriarch, are we really helping him like this?"
"If the Wang Family holds us accountable, will the Mu Family truly support us?" a Zhou Family member asked worriedly.
"Mu Yunyao is the Mu Family’s eldest daughter—her word carries weight."
"Besides, this Chen Chang'an is no ordinary man."
"Could any of you, at the Quasi-Emperor Realm, have slain Wang Zhiwei’s avatar?" Zhou Yuanxiong asked with a smile.
"Well..."
"Even though it was just an avatar and within the Tai Xuan Realm, I wouldn’t have been confident."
"Neither would I."
"Not just you—even I couldn’t have done it. I doubt Lady Mu could either."
"Most importantly, Wang Zhiwei couldn’t harm Chen Chang'an in the slightest within the Tai Xuan Realm."
"This man is formidable. Helping him today benefits us without risk."
"The one who truly offended the Wang Family is him, not our Zhou Family. The Wangs won’t trouble us," Zhou Yuanxiong reassured.
The events in the Tai Xuan Realm couldn’t escape the Zhou Family’s notice. Zhou Yuanxiong was shrewd, weighing pros and cons before acting.
Though weak now, Chen Chang'an’s potential was limitless. No one could predict how far he’d grow.
By aiding him today, the Zhou Family might one day seek his help in return.
"Patriarch, do you truly have such high hopes for Chen Chang'an?" another member asked in surprise.
"It’s not just me—Lady Mu clearly does as well."
"Otherwise, why would she gift him a treasure like the God-Slaying Sword?"
"Just wait. That young man will make a name for himself in the Ancient Immortal Realm before long," Zhou Yuanxiong declared confidently.
Seeing his certainty, the others fell silent. What was done couldn’t be undone, and worrying now was pointless.
"Let’s go. The Wang Family will likely arrive soon. We’ll need to stall them."
"As you command, Patriarch!"

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?"

ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!

] [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!"