The Three Pavilions—Heaven, Earth, and... Mortal?
Just the Mortal Pavilion alone housed so many formidable experts. The Earth Pavilion and Heaven Pavilion were beyond his wildest imagination.
"So, how does one enter the Earth Pavilion and Heaven Pavilion?"
Ye Qing had only just arrived in the Mortal Pavilion, yet he was already itching to climb higher. After all, even crabs try to crawl from the 35-yuan-per-catty basket to the 38-yuan one!
What more for a proud Son of Destiny?
Ye Fanchen scoffed dismissively.
"Barring some miracle... both of us are probably stuck in the Mortal Pavilion forever. Our fates are predetermined by destiny. The truly exceptional ones are all in the Earth Pavilion and Heaven Pavilion."
Ye Qing frowned. "But my master said... the Mortal Realm has no spiritual energy left. Even the most gifted martial prodigies can only reach the peak of Grandmaster at best."
"Pfft. Your master just lacks knowledge. Typical!" Ye Fanchen sneered arrogantly.
Ye Qing’s temper flared instantly. Insult him all you want, but never insult his master!
"What, you disagree? Our Destiny Society has existed for centuries. Ever since a mighty sage severed the connection between heaven and earth, cutting off the dragon veins and extinguishing spiritual energy, the Earth Pavilion and Heaven Pavilion have been completely isolated from the Mortal Realm..."
Hearing this, the fire in Ye Qing’s heart was instantly doused.
Hiss... He didn’t fully understand, but he was thoroughly awed!
At the very least, this Destiny Society had an impressive background.
This might just be the heaven-sent opportunity he’d been waiting for!
"But... surely my destiny isn’t limited to the Mortal Pavilion? I have quite the impressive background—I’m backed by 18 powerful masters!"
"My first master is a mysterious Transcendent expert, my second master is the White Jade Sword Immortal Li Changfeng, my third master is the Ghosthand Divine Physician..."
Admittedly, Ye Qing was a rebellious and overconfident guy. Though he didn’t even know the name of the "Loan Hero," he’d already subconsciously adopted him as his first master.
And just like that, Ye Qing spilled his entire backstory.
Ye Fanchen’s pupils shrank as he scrutinized the young man before him.
No wonder he had reached the Grandmaster Perfection stage at such a young age—his destiny was this high?
By all rights, someone with this level of fortune should qualify for the Earth Pavilion. But alas... after the severance of heaven and earth, he was stuck wandering the Mortal Realm.
"Hah, you think your masters are impressive? Let me be blunt—they’re nothing special!"
Ye Fanchen, ever the Son of Destiny, never missed a chance to show off—even if he had to force one.
"Let me tell you... in the rankings of us Destiny-Bearers, relying on masters is the weakest path. The real elites are those bound to a System!"
"A... System?" Ye Qing latched onto the unfamiliar term.
"Exactly! Those with Systems are the true legends. They just sit back and let the System spoon-feed them power. Take our Mortal Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, for example—he has a 'Check-In System.' All he has to do is check in at different locations daily to receive rewards."
"And... how strong is the Pavilion Master?" Ye Qing grew even more excited. Getting stronger without cultivation? That was downright broken!
"He doesn’t practice martial arts. He’s a pure superhuman, wielding multiple abilities like thunder and fire. With just a wave of his hand... he can slay a Grandmaster."
"Hiss—"
As Ye Qing and Ye Fanchen conversed, more people trickled into the base.
All of them were young, with arrogant smirks plastered across their faces, radiating disdain.
"Reporting to the Deputy Pavilion Master, among the newly recruited Destiny-Bearers, only one has a System—and it’s a pretty weak one: the 'Great Director System.'"
The Deputy Pavilion Master stepped forward, his expression indifferent.
His gaze swept over the newcomers, noting their signature smirks, and his eyes darkened.
"Slap them!"
In the next instant, several black-robed figures materialized beside the recruits, delivering sharp slaps across their faces.
The Sons of Destiny were stunned.
Rage ignited in their hearts instantly!
"First rule of the Destiny Society: No smirking."
The Deputy Pavilion Master had presence—his mere entrance silenced the entire room.
Including Ye Qing.
He had a gut feeling: he stood no chance against this man.
The Deputy Pavilion Master scanned the group before settling on the one with the 'Great Director System.'
"Your name?"
"Qin Hao!"
"Good. Starting tomorrow, we’ll provide you with substantial funding for film production. But you’ll hand over 70% of your System rewards to the Society."
This wasn’t a negotiation—it was an order.
Then, the Deputy Pavilion Master removed his sunglasses.
"All System users will receive tailored support to maximize efficiency in claiming rewards. Far more effective than going solo."
Clearly, the Destiny Society had been around long enough to industrialize System exploitation.
Of everything said, Ye Qing grasped one key takeaway:
System users were the real elites—far superior to his 18 masters.
......
Early morning.
Jiang Che brought Qin Qiaoqiao back home for a visit.
Even though they’d be attending university in Hangzhou, once classes started... Qin Qiaoqiao might not return for months.
After all, a married daughter is like spilled water—gone for good.
"Jiang Che, there’s no need to bring so much. My parents don’t really like these precious Vermilion Fruits anyway~"
Hmph. Qin Qiaoqiao’s loyalty was already swaying toward her man.
Jiang Che reached out and flicked her nose playfully.
"Don’t give me a daughter in the future. If she inherits your rebellious streak, I’ll die of frustration. Better to have a son who can torment someone else’s daughter."
Qin Qiaoqiao’s face flushed crimson.
Her small hands clutched at the hem of her clothes.
...
This time, Jiang Che brought plenty of gifts for Qin Qiaoqiao’s family.
Even two bottles of Youth Preservation Elixir and several Vermilion Fruits.
You respect me, I respect you tenfold.
If they didn’t appreciate the gesture?
Well, they’d just be a bunch of ungrateful old fools.
"Hehe, Young Master Jiang, you shouldn’t have brought gifts just for visiting!"
Wang Lili’s face blossomed into a chrysanthemum-wide grin the moment she saw Jiang Che.
Her attitude toward him had done a complete 180.
Once disdainful, now obsequious—like the toxic mother-in-law from those revenge fantasy novels.
Jiang Che smiled humbly. "Teacher Wang, you’ve been doing well lately, I see."
Wang Lili froze, immediately catching his implication.
Doing well? She’d been soaring to new heights!
She never knew power could be this intoxicating.
"Jiang Che, you must be joking. How has my Qiaoqiao been lately?"
Wang Lili turned her gaze toward her daughter.
Jiang Che raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Teacher Wang, are you referring to Qiaoqiao's depression?"
"Her hypersexuality disorder has indeed improved quite a bit."
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.
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!
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.
