Behind the main peak, deep within the restricted grounds.
Inside the grand cultivation hall, shrouded in drifting spiritual mist, the atmosphere was completely different from the joyous bustle outside, where guests filled the grounds and celebrations were in full swing.
Here, it was so quiet that one could almost hear the flow of spiritual energy.
Ye Xuan sat cross-legged at the center of a Spirit-Gathering Array, bare-chested. Dao patterns flickered across his body, while an extremely faint jade-colored radiance flowed over his skin.
In the short span of a week, his cultivation had already stabilized at the late stage of the Body Integration Realm, and it was still growing more solid at an astonishing rate.
His body, soul, and magical power were being tempered again and again through a method that was both domineering and incomparably precise.
Ying’er sat in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. Looking languid, she rested her little head against his chest.
Both of their clothes were slightly disheveled.
A faint lingering fragrance and a certain indescribable, ambiguous atmosphere still filled the hall.
Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes.
There was not the slightest trace of indulgence in them. He remained frighteningly calm. Even during their most intimate cultivation, he had always maintained absolute clarity.
Ying’er, however, was different.
Her pretty face was flushed, fine beads of sweat glistened at her temples, and her entire body was practically limp against Ye Xuan. Her eyes were moist, as though soaked in water, and even her breathing was still somewhat unsteady.
She had clearly been pushed to the point of depleting her primordial yin and weakening her waist and limbs. Yet whenever she lifted her head and saw Ye Xuan’s face so close to hers, her heart would still beat a little faster against her will.
She was becoming more and more unable to leave him.
Not merely in an emotional sense.
Her body, soul, and even her cultivation habits had all been thoroughly shaped by him, bit by bit, during this period.
Ye Xuan turned his head and glanced at her. His voice was calm. “Drifting off again?”
Ying’er came back to herself and hurriedly shook her head. She could not help pressing closer to him as she whispered, “It’s just that you look so handsome when you cultivate, Master. I can’t help myself…”
Ye Xuan chuckled but did not respond.
He merely raised a hand, brushed aside a strand of hair dampened by sweat from her forehead, and casually handed her a warm jade bowl.
“Nine-Turn Snow Spirit Soup.”
Ying’er froze for a moment. The moment she caught the familiar, precious medicinal fragrance, she immediately realized what it was.
“Did Sister Ye Jiuhuang send someone to deliver it?”
Ye Xuan gave a quiet hum, his expression perfectly calm.
Ying’er held the jade bowl in both hands and pursed her lips slightly. Yet she did not dare let too much displeasure enter her voice.
“She’s really good to you.”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “What? Jealous?”
Ying’er immediately shook her head, then added in a tiny voice, “It’s not exactly jealousy… I just feel that she’s becoming more and more like the lady of the house.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she herself was stunned.
Because she suddenly realized that she had not said it out of spite.
It was simply the truth.
By now, every part of the Sword God Palace, from top to bottom and inside to out, bore traces of Ye Jiuhuang.
She did not need to make any deliberate declaration or intentionally suppress anyone. As long as she stood there—handling affairs, arranging guests, attending to Ye Xuan’s daily needs, and taking on the etiquette and social obligations that should have belonged to a “wife”—everyone would naturally assume that she was the lady of the house.
Ye Xuan merely said, calmly, “That’s because she is.”
Ying’er fell silent.
She knew Ye Xuan was not wrong.
But for some reason, hearing him say it still stirred a faint trace of bitterness in her heart.
She was ultimately only Ying’er.
Even though she could cultivate with Ye Xuan, nestle in his arms, have him pat her on the head and carry her to bed, even though she could call him Master or husband in the dead of night…
Deep down, she had always understood.
The one who would wear a phoenix crown and crimson wedding robes and stand beside him on the day of their grand wedding would not be her.
The one whom the entire Sword God Palace would bow its head and acknowledge would not be her either.
At that moment, Ye Xuan closed his eyes and said flatly, “Stop overthinking things. Finish your soup. We’re continuing.”
Ying’er’s face flushed. “Continuing… what?”
Ye Xuan finally opened his eyes and swept her a glance, a trace of playful amusement hidden within them.
“What do you think?”
Ying’er’s ears instantly turned bright red. Hugging the jade bowl, she shrank back slightly and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
“Master… aren’t you afraid you’ll drain me dry?”
Ye Xuan let out a soft chuckle. “Isn’t your purpose to help me cultivate?”
If anyone else had said something like that, Ying’er would probably have gone mad on the spot.
But the person standing before her was Ye Xuan.
So instead of feeling hurt, her ears grew even redder, warmth spread through her chest, and her gaze softened. She looked like a little cat being stroked in just the right way.
Lowering her head, she drank the Snow Spirit Soup and muttered softly, “Then you have to remember to cherish me…”
Ye Xuan did not answer. He merely reached out and ruffled her hair.
The gesture was casual, yet it left Ying’er completely limp.
Meanwhile, outside the Sword God Palace, invitation after invitation had already spread like the most poisonous flame, burning away the reason of countless people.
Not everyone who received an invitation would go mad.
But everyone who had a karmic connection with Ye Xuan, everyone who had once occupied a place in his life, and everyone who understood what that name represented felt as though a piece of their heart had been torn out when they saw the invitation.
And one of the most insane among them was Bai Qianqiu of the Wuji Demon Sect.
The Wuji Demon Sect was located in a stretch of Evernight Demon Soil at the westernmost reaches of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces.
There was no day-and-night cycle in the conventional sense. The sky remained perpetually dim, while a blood moon hung high above. The mountains and rivers stretching for thousands of miles were all steeped in a sinister dark-red hue.
Demonic energy soared into the heavens, accompanied by the wails of ghosts and the cries of evil spirits.
Black palaces and altars built from white bones dotted the land. Countless unorthodox cultivators, demon cultivators, and strange, monstrous beings prostrated themselves here, regarding it as the true sacred land of the Demonic Path.
Deep in this demonic territory stood a white-bone hall forged from the skulls of countless gods and demons.
At this moment, it was terrifyingly silent.
All the great figures of the Demonic Path standing within the hall kept their heads lowered, even breathing as quietly as possible.
Because the woman seated upon the white-bone throne above them had been silent for far too long.
Bai Qiangu.
The current leader of the Wuji Demon Sect.
She was also the Demonic Path’s most fearsome madwoman.
She wore a loose blood-white robe, and her exposed wrists were so slender they seemed as though they would snap with the slightest bend.
Her thick, jet-black hair cascaded over the white-bone throne like a waterfall, making her look like a sickly snow demon born from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
She was beautiful.
Beautiful in a sinister, chilling, and uncanny way—so beautiful that no one dared look at her for long.
Especially her eyes.
They were pitch-black and hollow. Yet at certain moments, a terrifyingly feverish light would flare within them.
And now, those eyes were fixed upon the invitation in her hand.
Two kinds of Dao aura circulated across the invitation.
She did not care about one of them at all.
The only one she cared about was the other.
“Hubby…”
She murmured those two words, her voice as light as a feather.
But in the next instant, her voice twisted violently.
“He’s mine.”
Her fingertips turned white from the force of her grip. She clutched the edge of the invitation so tightly that she nearly ground it into her bones.
“He is my husband alone.”
The demons in the hall lowered their heads even further.
They knew that their sect master’s illness had flared up again.
But no one dared to speak.
Everyone knew that although Bai Qiangu was usually cold and taciturn, once she truly lost control of her emotions, it was far more serious than mere anger.
Many people would die.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
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?"
