The sudden change in the Heavenly Pride Rankings naturally drew everyone's attention, but no one expected the one who made it onto the list would be Yun Qingluan!
It wasn’t that they looked down on Yun Qingluan—in fact, most of them didn’t even have the right to look down on her.
But everyone knew Yun Qingluan’s test results. With her cultivation level and combat power, it should have been impossible for her to make it onto the Heavenly Pride Rankings.
Yun Qingluan had barely met the minimum requirements, still far from the level needed to rank.
And yet…
"Rank 47: Yun Qingluan, Cleared: Sixth Floor, Time Taken: Thirty-two Days."
Not only had Yun Qingluan made it onto the rankings, but she had also secured the 47th spot, not just the 50th.
"Did the difficulty of the Heavenly Pride Tower decrease?"
"How is that possible? If that were the case, why didn’t others who attempted it make the rankings?"
"But Yun Qingluan’s combat power was barely over twenty thousand. How could she clear the sixth floor in just thirty-two days?"
"Could it be that… during those thirty-two days, Yun Qingluan’s strength improved?"
"Seriously? Isn’t that too fast?"
"Well, she’s a Golden Immortal at just a hundred and thirty-five years old. Fast progress isn’t that unusual, right?"
"That’s true. But since the rankings have updated, this must be her limit for now."
"Right, she probably plans to leave the Heavenly Pride Tower and won’t attempt the seventh floor."
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, Yun Qingluan emerged from the tower.
Only a month had passed, but when everyone saw her again, they could sense a drastic change in her demeanor.
Before entering the tower, Yun Qingluan had carried an aloof, untouchable aura—her cold elegance kept others at a distance, yet her presence wasn’t aggressive, merely serene.
But now, though her elegance remained, her aura had sharpened.
The battles within the tower had tempered her, making her more formidable, her presence now carrying an edge that made her seem even more unapproachable.
The moment she stepped out, Yun Qingluan searched for Chen Chang'an. When she didn’t find him, a flicker of disappointment crossed her face before she quietly returned to the Heavenly Pride Inn.
"You’re back."
"Your month in the Heavenly Pride Tower seems to have been fruitful?"
Chen Chang'an had already noticed the changes in her the moment she returned.
As an Extreme Yin Saint Body, Yun Qingluan’s talent was undeniable. Moreover, she had always been highly perceptive—though her previous physical condition had kept her from cultivation until now.
"Master, I made it onto the rankings."
Onto the rankings?
Chen Chang'an was slightly surprised. His original intention had only been to let her gain experience and temper herself in the tower. He hadn’t expected her to bring him such an unexpected achievement.
"What rank?"
"Forty-seventh. But if I had more time, I could have climbed higher." Yun Qingluan spoke nervously, unsure if her performance would satisfy her master.
"You did well."
"Better than I expected."
His words eased her tension, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Master, my time in the tower gave me many insights. I’d like to go into seclusion to cultivate."
"Good. Take these resources—use them as you see fit."
Chen Chang'an had amassed quite a stockpile of resources lately and handed a portion to her without hesitation.
Yun Qingluan didn’t refuse. After accepting the spatial ring from him, she asked, "Master, are Da Huang and Xiao Yao cultivating?"
"Yes, both of them are in seclusion."
"And… what about you?"
"Me?"
"You focus on your cultivation. I’ll enter seclusion soon as well."
"Yes."
Chen Chang'an hadn’t fully immersed himself in cultivation these past days—after all, people kept coming to deliver resources every few days.
But now, nearly everyone on his list had sent their promised resources, including those from the City Lord’s estate.
Still, one thing puzzled him, so he summoned Chu Xiao.
"Young Master Chen, what can I do for you?" Chu Xiao asked with a smile.
"It’s been a month. During this time, you’ve frequently brought food and wine."
"But not once have you asked for payment."
"You haven’t charged for the meals, nor for the lodging."
"Why is that?"
Chen Chang'an wasn’t blind to the Heavenly Pride Inn’s preferential treatment. The inn had always operated on a strict pay-as-you-go basis—no debts, no favors.
"Ah, so that’s what this is about."
"Young Master Chen, you’ve already received an investment from the City Lord’s estate, and the Heavenly Pride Inn is part of that arrangement."
"In other words, you don’t need to pay for anything here."
"All expenses are covered by the City Lord’s investment."
An investment from the City Lord’s estate? Was the Heavenly Pride Inn footing the bill, or had the City Lord separately compensated them?
"What’s the relationship between the City Lord’s estate and the Heavenly Pride Inn?" Chen Chang'an pressed.
"Young Master Chen, I’m just a servant here. Some matters… aren’t for me to discuss."
"Was there anything else you needed?"
"No, that’s all. You may go."
"Very well. If you need anything, just call for me."
After Chu Xiao left, Chen Chang'an frowned. If the man refused to speak, then the connection between the two factions was likely more complicated than it seemed.
"Never mind. Time to cultivate."
With resources in hand, Chen Chang'an saw no reason to delay and threw himself into cultivation.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. With Chen Chang'an and his companions fully immersed in cultivation, the Heavenly Pride City gradually quieted down, the chatter about them fading.
Meanwhile, Shen Yunfei had successfully climbed the Heavenly Pride Rankings, securing an impressive 20th place.
But what baffled him was—why had no one approached him?
Why hadn’t a single investor sought him out?
People merely greeted him politely, nodding with perfunctory smiles.
Shen Yunfei had no idea that while he was inside the Heavenly Pride Tower, Chen Chang'an had sold him off—again—for an exorbitant price.
After Shen Yunfei’s ranking, the Heavenly Pride Rankings fell silent once more, and the city returned to its usual calm.
"Whew!"
"Never thought this round of cultivation would take me a full year."
Spending an entire year solely on cultivation was a first for Chen Chang'an, but the results were satisfying.
"Peak True Immortal Realm. Just one step away from breaking through to the Golden Immortal Realm."
"These resources… don’t last long."
Chen Chang'an sighed helplessly. The amount of energy he needed for breakthroughs was absurd. Even with all the resources he had swindled, more than half were already gone.
"Chen Chang'an, care to explain what this means?"
"Where are the things?"
"Where are the resources?"
"Lost them?"
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.
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?!
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!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
