After hanging up the phone, Jiang Che held Yu Wan'er in his arms.
The little girl who had been grumbling earlier was now fast asleep, curled up snugly against him, occasionally smacking her lips as if dreaming of something delicious.
Jiang Che reached out and pinched the soft, tender cheek of the little loli.
Suddenly, he remembered the 'Custom System' he had just obtained.
Maybe... he should test it out on Yu Wan'er first?
Give her a 'Miserable System'? One where she earns 'Miserable Points' by enduring hardships, which could then be exchanged for small rewards in the system shop?
Despite her petite size, Yu Wan'er was full of defiance. If not for Jiang Che's overwhelming strength keeping her in check, she’d probably flip over and sit on his face in an instant.
"Never mind, I’d hate to see these little shoes of hers worn out," Jiang Che thought.
Though he had his twisted side, scheming against his own woman was where he drew the line.
...
"What? Jiang Che has been targeting me all along?"
Ye Qing was utterly stunned upon learning the truth.
To be honest, he didn’t even know who Jiang Che was.
Though there had been some friction at the Jiang family in the capital, he hadn’t directly clashed with Jiang Che, so the name barely registered in his memory.
"But we’ve never had any conflict. Why would he come after me? And what exactly is this 'Destined Ones Association'?"
Ye Qing was completely lost.
Ever since leaving the Immortal Prison, he’d been in a constant state of confusion.
Ye Fanchen chuckled. "Even if you don’t clash with Jiang Che, he’ll still target you. It’s simply a matter of opposing stances."
"You are a 'Destined One,' while Jiang Che... is a 'Heaven-Defying One.' Whether you oppose him or not, he’ll scheme against you. It’s just the way things are—no personal grudge, just opposing sides."
Ye Qing, who had some knowledge of fortune-telling and aura-reading, roughly grasped Ye Fanchen’s meaning.
"If you’re so powerful, why not just kill Jiang Che outright?"
Ye Fanchen’s lips twitched. "The higher-ups have their own considerations. Besides, Jiang Che is just one Heaven-Defying individual, and his fate is tied to the nation’s destiny."
Ye Qing blinked in bewilderment. "So... what should I do now?"
Ye Fanchen patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Once you join the Destined Ones Association, you’ll be safe. I’ll introduce you to the others soon."
"Just... don’t be too shocked. What you’re about to see is merely the tip of the iceberg."
Soon, Ye Fanchen led Ye Qing to a towering skyscraper, where a middle-aged man in black emerged.
He glared at Ye Fanchen. "Ye Fanchen, you didn’t even notice someone tailing you? If the Deputy Pavilion Master hadn’t spotted him, the entire 'Human Pavilion' might’ve been exposed!"
Ye Fanchen paled.
"Someone was following me? Who? I didn’t sense anything!"
"According to the Deputy Pavilion Master, it was likely a Shattering Heaven-stage expert. Be vigilant—the mortal realm seems restless lately..."
Ye Qing listened in a daze. Human Pavilion? Deputy Pavilion Master?
Yet, it felt like a door to an entirely new world had just swung open before him.
...
"Jiang Che... you... you actually comprehended the Taiji Martial Path?"
Chen Ningshuang was so shocked she could barely keep her composure.
Of course, Jiang Che wouldn’t miss a chance to flaunt his achievement—he’d mastered a complete Taiji Martial Path.
Bragging to Yu Wan'er or Qin Qiaoqiao was pointless; the girls wouldn’t appreciate it.
But Chen Ningshuang, hailing from the ancient martial Chen family and trained in Taiji herself, understood its significance. How could she not be stunned?
"Hah... it’s just a Taiji Martial Path. What’s the big deal?"
Jiang Che thoroughly enjoyed Chen Ningshuang’s awestruck expression.
"'Just a Martial Path'? Give it to me if it’s no big deal!"
Chen Ningshuang felt Jiang Che was blatantly showing off, but she had no proof.
Even the founder of the ancient martial Chen family had spent his entire life failing to forge his own complete Martial Path.
"Ningshuang, my Dual Cultivation technique doesn’t just boost strength—it can also transfer martial insights."
Jiang Che grinned mischievously, and Chen Ningshuang’s face flushed instantly.
She threw herself into his arms without hesitation. Before the allure of the Taiji Martial Path, all maidenly shyness vanished.
Few had ever witnessed just how captivating a girl could be when she took the initiative.
"Ningshuang, truthfully, you’re the reason I comprehended the Taiji Martial Path."
Jiang Che held her waist as he spoke.
"Huh? My doing? How?"
Chen Ningshuang’s innocent eyes brimmed with confusion.
"Of course it’s because of you."
Jiang Che smirked. If not for her provoking her brother Chen Hao, his karmic luck wouldn’t have crumbled so swiftly.
And without Chen Hao’s downfall, where would this 'Taiji God' reward have come from?
Ah, Chen Hao, you’re truly my old pal.
What a family you are—gifting me such a delicate little sister and dropping so many incredible loot along the way.
I owe you one!
......
Just as Jiang Che was musing about Chen Hao...
Chen Hao, who was currently on guard duty, suddenly shuddered.
A chilling sensation of being watched crept over him.
"What’s this? Did I overdo it with the late-night 'training'?"
Unbidden, his thoughts turned to Jiang Che.
"Thank goodness I’ve made peace with Young Master Jiang. Otherwise..."
He wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
The sheer terror of hindsight!
He’d seen that Lin Yu guy not long ago—everyone who opposed Young Master Jiang ended up in misery.
To think he’d once dared to bark at Jiang Che?
"I need to call Ningshuang. Maybe she can put in a good word for me with the young master. Who knows? He might even grant me an opportunity!"
Without delay, he dialed her number.
...
"Jiang Che, my brother’s calling!"
Chen Ningshuang panicked on the other end.
"Perfect timing, actually."
Chen Ningshuang: "..."
She could only roll her eyes at him.
"Ningshuang, what are you up to?" Chen Hao immediately sensed something off.
"Brother, why are you calling so late? I was cultivating! You nearly caused me to qi deviate!"
Chen Ningshuang scolded him sharply.
The old Chen Hao would’ve exploded in rage, but now...
"Heheh, Ningshuang, could you do your brother a favor? Put in a good word for me with Young Master Jiang? I’ve grown stronger lately—maybe he’d consider taking me under his wing?"
"I’m desperate to climb higher."
Chen Hao’s groveling left Chen Ningshuang speechless. Since when had her brother become so... spineless?
But after some thought, I decided to let it go. I was no different—that once proud and haughty girl had now nearly become the Joy Union Sect's holy maiden...
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.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
