Murong Qingrou and her sister had come to realize that when dealing with Chen Chang'an, it was best not to assert one's individuality—because if you did, he would outdo you in every way.
So when Chen Chang'an once again told them to rise, neither hesitated and immediately stood up.
Having obtained the fetal pearl, Chen Chang'an was in high spirits. After all, this time, the process hadn’t taken too long, nor had it been particularly troublesome.
"Sit down, no need to be so formal."
"Yes, Senior."
After the Murong sisters took their seats, they suddenly felt something was off—wasn’t this supposed to be their territory? How had Chen Chang'an so effortlessly taken over as the host?
"Both of you should be at the Supreme Realm, and your cultivation levels are deliberately suppressed to the same stage. So why did you two come all the way to this chaotic region and even become the city lords of No Return City?"
Chen Chang'an was a man of many virtues, but he was also hopelessly nosy. When it came to these twin sisters, he sensed there were plenty of stories to uncover.
"Since Senior knew our ancestor, you must be aware that our Murong family originally resided in the Central Heaven Domain, in the land of Wangchuan."
"Unfortunately, our ancestor was betrayed by vile schemers, and the Murong family was nearly wiped out. The surviving members had no choice but to flee Wangchuan. After wandering for years, we eventually settled in this chaotic region."
"No Return City wasn’t built by us—it was our father’s doing."
"Though this place is lawless, it’s an excellent training ground to nurture talent and strengthen our forces for the day we take revenge."
"But the chaotic region isn’t ruled by No Return City alone."
"The rise of No Return City drew the covetous eyes of other major powers. In the end, though our father repelled their joint assault, his injuries were beyond recovery."
"After that..."
As Murong Qingrou recounted the tale, Chen Chang'an gradually pieced together the full story.
Their father had died, but the outside world remained unaware. To prevent No Return City from collapsing, the two sisters took up the mantle of city lords.
The rumors that the city lord, Asura, possessed unfathomable strength—possibly even the power of an Emperor—were deliberately spread by Murong Qingwu through the Pleasure House. The goal was to instill fear in people’s hearts.
However, the other major factions in the chaotic region knew this was nothing but a farce. What they didn’t know was that the sisters’ father had already perished.
The battle from years ago had left them with lingering dread, which was why they hadn’t dared to move against No Return City all this time.
Moreover, No Return City had kept a low profile, and over time, the other factions lost interest.
The Medal Battlefield was a scheme devised by the sisters to attract and recruit talent.
Yet, despite the years passing, no one had ever earned a Violet Gold Medal—until Chen Chang'an arrived, reigniting their hopes.
They had thought they were dealing with a promising junior, only to discover he was older than their ancestors.
Even if Chen Chang'an hadn’t demanded to meet the city lord, they would have eventually revealed the truth to him.
"Senior, if you’re willing, from this day forward, No Return City is yours."
"Our request is simple—we only hope you can lead us sisters to avenge our Murong family."
City lord of No Return City?
Chen Chang'an had no interest in such a role. He wasn’t the type to stay rooted in one place.
"Being city lord isn’t for me. I’ll pass."
"Oh, and about the bet—shouldn’t we settle that first?"
"Even brothers must settle accounts clearly. Just because I knew your ancestor doesn’t mean I’ll let you off the hook," Chen Chang'an said with a laugh.
The bet?
The Murong sisters had completely forgotten about it. They had assumed Chen Chang'an would overlook the matter after meeting them—yet again, they had miscalculated.
"Senior, we truly don’t have a billion top-grade spirit stones."
"How about… how about we repay you with ourselves?"
Hmm? Repay with themselves? Payment in flesh?
These two women certainly had a cunning plan. By doing this, they could deepen their ties with Chen Chang'an, making it natural for him to assist them in the future.
Chen Chang'an studied them carefully. The usually bold and unrestrained innkeeper now wore an uncharacteristically shy expression.
"That’s quite the expensive pound of flesh."
Huh?
What kind of remark was that? A pound of flesh?
Murong Qingrou and her sister’s expressions darkened, torn between anger and frustration. Did Chen Chang'an have no concept of cherishing beauty?
Moreover, how could he remain completely unmoved?
Murong Qingrou firmly believed that she and her sister were undeniably stunning, both in figure and appearance.
Add to that the irresistible allure of twin sisters, and most men would be spellbound. So why was Chen Chang'an the exception?
"Enough, just return my capital, and let's consider the bet settled."
"Senior, are we sisters truly so lacking in your eyes?"
"For so many years, we two sisters have struggled to hold our ground in this City of No Return."
"If not for our gender, we wouldn’t have had to hide ourselves away, afraid to show our faces."
"We’ve truly done our best."
"You… really won’t help us?"
Murong Qingrou saw it clearly—Chen Chang'an wanted to avoid further entanglement with them, which was why he chose to nullify the bet.
"Those who can help you are none other than yourselves, not others."
"Why do you belittle yourselves for being women?"
"Strength knows no gender—it is measured by power alone."
"If your strength is sufficient, what does it matter if you’re women? Who in this world would dare look down on you then?"
"Even now, in this City of No Return, among so many men, how many are truly your match?"
"Don’t let your gender confine you."
"You are no lesser than anyone."
Chen Chang'an’s words struck deep into the hearts of Murong Qingrou and her sister.
For so long, they had resented their identity as women, believing that if they were men, they might have achieved more.
It had never occurred to them that true strength had nothing to do with gender—it was all about power!
At this moment, it was as if a veil had been lifted from their minds, and their very souls felt transformed.
"Hmm?"
"Did they just… break through?"
Chen Chang'an hadn’t expected his words to trigger a simultaneous breakthrough for the sisters.
Their cultivation had been stagnant at the third level of the Supreme Realm for so long, yet now, in an instant, they ascended to the fourth level.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."
Their faces alight with excitement, their gratitude was now utterly sincere.
"No need to thank me. I merely spoke a few words."
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to the Joyous Tower now."
"Senior, there’s something I’ve been curious about."
Just as Chen Chang'an was about to leave, Murong Qingrou’s question gave him pause.
"What is it?"
"The cultivation test in the Medal Battlefield shouldn’t be wrong. Why did yours show the Transcendent Realm?"
"Has your strength reached such heights that you can freely control your realm, even evading detection by the test?"
Hearing this, Chen Chang'an chuckled.
"What if I told you… I really am only at the Transcendent Realm?"
"Senior, you… you must be joking."
"How could someone at the Transcendent Realm live so long or possess such overwhelming power?"
"But I truly am at the Transcendent Realm."
Seeing that Chen Chang'an wouldn’t elaborate, Murong Qingrou didn’t press further. After all, this was a private matter. Still, in her heart, she believed his true cultivation must be unfathomable—if not at the level of a Great Emperor, then surely at the peak of the Immortal Realm.
"Hmm?"
"Someone’s barged in?"
] [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!"
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
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?"
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...
