Above the firmament, the sea of clouds surged like a tide.
An Imperial Ark, forged entirely from millennial cold jade and stardust iron, was piercing through the layers of clouds and slowly sailing east with a posture of disdaining the world. The Nine Dragons Soaring Cloud patterns engraved on both sides of the hull shone brightly under the agitation of spiritual power. Every line seemed to come alive, emitting low dragon roars.
This ship was the symbol of power of the Great Xia Dynasty, the personal vessel of the Empress Wu Lingxiao. Even if ordinary cultivators merely caught a glimpse of it from afar, their hearts would be filled with awe.
On the deck, the golden light of the morning dawn scattered down.
Ying'er was still happily practicing her flying, like a carefree butterfly.
Her little feet, which had just learned to walk on air, clumsily stepped on invisible stairs in mid-air, sometimes rising, sometimes lowering. Every successful hover would make her let out a silvery, bell-like laugh.
The hem of her skirt fluttered in the wind like a blooming cloud brocade flower. Her innocent smile was dazzlingly bright in the sunlight.
However, in the shadows at the edge of the deck.
Two figures lurked like venomous snakes, their eyes locked dead onto Ying'er's cheerful back.
Wu Lingxiao was dressed in a gray robe. It was casual wear she would never wear on ordinary days, but even so, her innate imperial pressure could not be concealed.
Her fingers gripped the railing tightly, her knuckles turning white from excessive force, veins bulging.
In her eyes, although the killing intent was temporarily suppressed, the jealousy and bitterness had grown even stronger.
Beside her, Zi Yao's face was equally gloomy. The former Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect now had an expression twisted almost to the point of ferocity.
She bit her lower lip, biting so hard that a trace of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth, but she remained completely oblivious.
Her eyes were bloodshot, staring fixedly at Ying'er's little feet joyfully dancing in the air.
"Fools have fool's luck..."
Zi Yao gnashed her teeth, the words squeezing through the gaps of her teeth with deep resentment. "Why is she the one who gets to learn the Kunpeng's Carefree Roam?"
"Don't rush," Wu Lingxiao said coldly, her voice laced with a suppressed ruthlessness. "So what if she learned it? It's just a technique for running away."
She turned her head, her phoenix eyes that once looked down upon the world now flashing with a sickly obsession:
"As long as her body is not pure... she will never become the main wife."
"We still have time... to find that truly pure woman."
The two comforted themselves, continuing to wallow in the labyrinth of lies carefully woven by Ye Xuan, unable to extricate themselves.
What they didn't know was that on the other side of the cabin, Ye Xuan had a panoramic view of their every move.
He looked at these two aloof women who once viewed him as an ant, now suspecting each other and struggling in pain over a pure woman who didn't even exist. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl into a sarcastic arc.
Dressed in white clothes like snow, his long hair fluttering in the wind, he held a jug of thousand-year spiritual wine—"Drunken Immortal Brew"—borrowed from Wu Lingxiao's private collection.
The wine was entirely amber in color, every drop containing pure spiritual energy, invaluable.
Ye Xuan raised the wine jug to his lips, tilted his head, and downed it in one gulp. The spicy yet mellow liquid slid down his throat, bringing a hearty and exhilarating thrill.
Ye Xuan looked at the spiritual wine in his hand and drank it all in one gulp.
Take your time playing.
My Empress Majesty, my Fairy Zi Yao.
On this long road of immortal cultivation, if I didn't have you two clowns as companions...
How boring would it be.
His gaze looked into the distance, where a massive thundercloud was churning, lightning dancing wildly like dragons and snakes. That was the necessary path leading to the Sword Burial Abyss.
After passing through the thunderclouds, the Imperial Ark slowly docked above a massive canyon named the Sword Burial Abyss.
This was the entrance to the "Tianyuan Mystic Realm," where only Nascent Soul stage cultivators were allowed to enter.
The Sword Burial Abyss, as the name implied, was a perilous place where countless divine weapons and sharp blades were buried.
The canyon was bottomless. The cliffs on both sides were covered with rust-mottled broken swords and shattered sabers. Some had already turned to dust, while others still emitted a faint sword intent.
Legend had it that this was once the battlefield of a heaven-shaking war in ancient times. Countless sword cultivators fell here, and their swords rested eternally with them.
Now, this place had become the entrance to the Tianyuan Mystic Realm, opening once every hundred years, attracting countless Nascent Soul geniuses to come and compete for fortuitous encounters.
Above the canyon floated hundreds of flying ships from major factions across the Three Thousand Dao Realms.
Some flying ships were carved entirely from white jade, radiating a holy light; those were the symbols of the Righteous Alliance.
Some flying ships were as black as ink, with blood-red runes wrapping around the hulls; those were the vessels of demonic sects. There were also flying ships with peculiar shapes, like massive skeletons of demonic beasts; those were the warships of the demon race.
Over the past few days, the atmosphere on the ship had been depressing to the extreme.
Ever since Ye Xuan proposed going to the Tianyuan Mystic Realm to train, it immediately drew opposition from the two women.
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Young Master, you must think twice."
Inside the room, Wu Lingxiao stood up abruptly. Because her movements were too large, she knocked over the teacup on the table.
She stared fixedly at Ye Xuan, who was packing his luggage, her eyes full of anxiety and panic:
"Young Master! That is a mystic realm! It is a place that eats people without spitting out their bones!"
Her voice was trembling. This trembling was not faked, but a fear coming from the bottom of her heart.
She had seen too many geniuses enter mystic realms and never come out. She had seen too many corpses carried out mutilated beyond recognition.
"It's heavily restricted inside, with killing intent lurking everywhere! Moreover... moreover, the geniuses from the Three Thousand Dao Realms going this time are as common as clouds, and every single one is ruthless!"
As Wu Lingxiao spoke, she suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Ye Xuan's sleeve.
Her hand was shaking, her fingertips turning white from excessive force. She looked up, and those once cold and ruthless phoenix eyes were actually welling up with a layer of mist:
"You..."
Wu Lingxiao bit her lip, her voice softening, carrying a trace of humble pleading: "If you want resources, this servant... this servant will go beg for them for you! Even if it's the stars in the sky, this servant will find a way to pluck them down for you!"
"Why must you go take such risks?"
In her tone was a humbleness bordering on begging.
This Empress, who could once decide life and death with a single word and leave millions of corpses in her wake with a single burst of anger, now looked like a little girl terrified of losing her favorite toy.
Zi Yao, who was standing to the side, also rushed up and hugged Ye Xuan's arm, her whole body practically hanging onto him.
Her body pressed tightly against Ye Xuan, her eyes red, tears swirling in her sockets:
"That's right, Benefactor! Please don't go, alright?"
"Just stay on the ship and let us serve you, isn't that good?"
"If you suffer even the slightest injury, even if it's just a scrape, my heart will ache to death!"
As she spoke, her tears finally couldn't be held back and rolled down, dripping onto Ye Xuan's sleeve and blooming into a wet stain.
They were truly afraid.
Not afraid that Ye Xuan wouldn't be able to get the treasures.
They were afraid of him leaving their line of sight.
Afraid he would get hurt, afraid he would die, and even more afraid that he... would run away.
In their eyes, although the current Ye Xuan had recovered to the Nascent Soul stage, he had, after all, neglected his cultivation for far too long.
He was like a toddler holding a golden begging bowl; once he walked into a jungle where the strong preyed on the weak, he would be torn apart until not even crumbs remained.
More importantly, they were afraid that Ye Xuan would meet that pure woman in the secret realm.
What if he met his destined true love inside? What if he was lured away by another woman? What if he never returned...
Wouldn't all their efforts over these past days be completely in vain?
"Enough."
Ye Xuan stopped what he was doing.
He slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the two women.
Seeing them act as if they were facing a formidable enemy, looking as though he would drop dead the moment he stepped out the door, Ye Xuan only found it amusing.
"Are you trying to teach me how to do things?"
Wu Lingxiao and Zi Yao's bodies stiffened. They subconsciously let go of him and lowered their heads, saying, "Your servants would not dare..."
Their voices were very quiet, carrying an instinctive fear. Even though one was an Empress and the other a Demon Venerable, in front of Ye Xuan, they still could not help but feel a sense of oppression.
"You wouldn't dare?"
Ye Xuan scoffed, casually picking up the Sun-Slaying Divine Sword from the table and lightly flicking his finger against it.
Buzz!
The sword hummed like a dragon's roar, echoing throughout the cabin.
"Have you forgotten who I am?"
Ye Xuan raised his head, his eyes erupting with a long-lost arrogance and confidence.
This radiance was so dazzling that it caused the two women to fall into a momentary daze, as if they were seeing the peerless Sword Venerable of the past, who had suppressed the heavens with just himself and his sword.
"I, Ye Xuan, bear the Flawless Dao Body. I am immune to all spells, and all evils retreat before me."
"I cultivate the Kunpeng's Free Roaming, soaring ninety thousand miles into the sky. As vast as heaven and earth are, where can I not go?"
"I have mastered the Great Luo Limitless Sword Qi; the light of a single sword strike chills nineteen continents."
Ye Xuan pressed closer to them step by step. With every sentence he spoke, the aura around him grew a fraction higher.
His white robes fluttered without wind, and his long hair flew wildly. His entire being resembled an ancient god of war on the verge of awakening. The spiritual energy in the room began to riot, forming visible vortexes that swirled around him.
"Furthermore, I still hold this Sun-Slaying Divine Sword, which once struck down the grand sun."
He raised the longsword in his hand. A faint golden radiance flowed along the blade. Although the glow was weak, it gave off the illusion that it could incinerate all things.
"A mere Nascent Soul secret realm?"
"In there, as long as I do not wish to die, who can kill me? Who would dare to kill me?"
Ye Xuan reached out and lifted Wu Lingxiao's chin. Looking into her phoenix eyes full of worry, the corners of his mouth curled into a cruel and mocking arc:
"Rest assured."
"Within the Nascent Soul realm."
"I, Ye Xuan, am invincible under the heavens."
These words were spoken with absolute certainty, leaving no room for doubt.
Wu Lingxiao was so awed by his aura that she was rendered speechless for a moment. She stared blankly at the man before her, a complex mix of emotions surging in her heart—fear, worship, and an indescribable infatuation.
"I am not going this time to gain experience, nor am I going to snatch resources."
"It's just that I haven't killed anyone in too long, and my hands are itching. I want to go in and join the fun, and along the way..."
Ye Xuan's gaze became somewhat profound as he looked out the window at the gathered flying ships of the major sects:
"Along the way, I want to see if there is still anyone in the current cultivation world who is worthy of my attention."
These words were spoken with a domineering edge, filled with unparalleled arrogance.
Wu Lingxiao and Zi Yao opened their mouths, only to find that they could not refute him at all.
It was true.
He was Ye Xuan.
Even if he was re-cultivating in a new lifetime, he was still that man of unyielding pride.
If they kept him locked in a cage and raised him like a canary, would he still be himself?
"Then... Young Master, please be extremely careful." Wu Lingxiao finally compromised. She pulled out a large pile of extremely precious protective talismans from her robes and forcefully stuffed them into Ye Xuan's arms. "Take these... for your protection."
Every single one of those talismans was invaluable. Some were Vajra Protection Talismans, capable of blocking a full-force strike from a Soul Formation stage cultivator.
Some were Teleportation Talismans, which could transport the user a thousand miles away in times of crisis.
There were also Death Substitution Talismans, which could suffer death once on behalf of their master under a fatal attack. Even as an Empress, she would normally be reluctant to use these items, but at this moment, she did not hesitate to shove all of them onto Ye Xuan.
Zi Yao was not to be outdone. She took out bottle after bottle of pills that would make even Mahayana stage cultivators green with envy: "Benefactor, these are for healing injuries, these are for explosive power boosts, these are for detoxifying..."
The pills she brought out were equally priceless. There were Nine-Revolution Soul Return Pills, which could instantly restore all injuries when one was on the verge of death.
There were Spirit Explosion Pills, which could elevate one's combat power by an entire major realm for a short period of time, as well as Myriad Poison Immunity Pills, which granted immunity to ninety-nine percent of the world's poisons.
Every single one of these pills was a supreme treasure of the Heavenly Demon Sect, yet Zi Yao dumped them all into Ye Xuan's storage bag as if she were tossing out the trash.
Looking at the pile of invaluable items in his arms, Ye Xuan sneered in his heart, but on the surface, he waved his hand impatiently:
"Enough, you're being too nagging."
After saying this, he walked out of the room without looking back.
Leaving only the two women standing in place, looking at his back with complex and infatuated gazes.
"We must keep a close eye on him..." Wu Lingxiao transmitted her voice with a gloomy and ruthless look in her eyes, her tone carrying a bone-deep killing intent: "Although we cannot enter, if anyone dares to hurt him... once they come out, I shall exterminate their nine generations."
"Do you even need to say it?" Zi Yao licked her lips, her eyes filled with chilling killing intent. "I have already memorized the auras of a few powerful little brats. If they dare to lay a single hair on Ye Xuan... Hmph."
At some unknown point, a pitch-black token had appeared in her hand. It was the Heavenly Demon Sect's Blood Kill Token. As long as she crushed this token, all the elders of the Heavenly Demon Sect would receive the signal and pour out in full force.

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”

uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.

his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"