The mobilization capability of Qiangsheng Group was swift. Within just three days, the first batch of "Equalizer Devices" was manufactured—a total of 1,000 units, all purchased by the Dragon Country government and quickly put into use.
The results were astounding. Once activated, the Equalizer Device could instantly disrupt all ancient martial artists within a radius of several dozen kilometers. Those who refrained from using internal energy were unaffected, but the moment they tried to channel it, their meridians would instantly become chaotic, causing unbearable discomfort throughout their bodies. Even grandmaster-level practitioners were suppressed, let alone those at the Dark Force or Transforming Force stages.
In no time, the Equalizer Device became infamous across the entire ancient martial arts world of Dragon Country.
...
At the summit of Mount Hua, within an ancient Taoist temple:
"Make way, everyone! A Transforming Force master is about to demonstrate his lightness skill! This 30-meter cliff—watch as the Taoist master shows you what real lightness skill looks like!"
"Folks, send some free gifts! If we hit 1 million likes, the master will jump straight off this cliff—30 meters high, no safety gear or wires! Thanks to the big boss for the Porsche!"
A crowd had gathered in front of the temple. The people of Dragon Country had always revered martial arts, and even now, that tradition remained strong. While Dark Force practitioners might not be anything special, Transforming Force masters were a different story!
Plucking leaves as weapons, gliding effortlessly with lightness skills—it was all incredibly entertaining, a perfect showcase of sheer badassery.
Many Transforming Force masters had descended the mountain to start live-streaming, and even grandmasters were joining in, hawking products during their broadcasts. The audience ate it up.
"Holy shit, is this for real? That cliff’s gotta be at least seven or eight stories high! Jumping from there would be suicide!"
"Relax, the master’s a peak-level Transforming Force expert. In ancient times, he’d be a top-tier imperial guard. A mere 30 meters is nothing to him."
"Lightness skill… God, I’m so jealous."
Hundreds of spectators were present in person, while the livestream drew hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Then, from the temple, a Taoist master slowly emerged—long white beard, black Taoist robes, a horsetail whisk in hand, exuding an air of immortal grace.
"This humble Taoist is named Ai Yuanjiao. I have cultivated at the summit of Mount Hua for over fifty years. Though untalented, I only reached the peak of the Transforming Force realm at nearly sixty years of age..."
A master’s entrance had to come with flair.
The crowd erupted in praise, and the livestream was flooded with dazzling gifts. The old Taoist’s lips curled imperceptibly. A single broadcast could earn him hundreds of thousands, and a 30-meter jump was child’s play for a peak-level Transforming Force expert like him.
"Alright, folks! If any big bosses want to send more gifts, this humble Taoist will now demonstrate his lightness skill!"
With that, Ai Yuanjiao strolled casually to the edge of the cliff. With a flick of his whisk, he circulated his internal energy through his meridians, completing a full cycle in an instant—activating the Taoist lightness technique.
Then, he leaped off the seven-story cliff.
This was the moment the audience had been waiting for. Everyone held their breath—this was top-tier lightness skill in action!
But the moment Ai Yuanjiao committed to his leap of faith, his expression suddenly twisted.
An indescribable sensation surged through his body—his meridians were sealed! His internal energy had frozen solid. The slightest attempt to force it sent needles of pain shooting through his limbs.
Panic set in instantly. "What the hell—?!"
Before he could process it, Newton—long suppressed in his coffin—finally struck back.
Damn it! You Eastern martial artists think you can just show off and defy the laws of physics all the time?
Gravity took over. Ai Yuanjiao plummeted.
SMACK!
He hit the stone pavement below, legs twitching twice before going still.
Silence. Not a single person dared to speak.
A full minute later, someone finally screamed.
"Someone help! The master fell!"
The livestream exploded into chaos.
"What the hell just happened? Wasn’t he a Transforming Force master? Where was the lightness skill? Was this a scam?"
"No way! Something must’ve gone wrong. Nobody would joke about their own life like that!"
"I’m here on-site. I’m a martial artist too—my internal energy suddenly stopped working. The master must’ve been affected the same way."
"Well, he’s done for. The master’s dead!"
The crowd erupted into uproar.
And it wasn’t just this location. Across Dragon Country, Equalizer Devices had been activated in many areas. Countless ancient martial artists in the secular world were instantly reduced to ordinary people.
Soon after, the Dragon Country government issued an official statement:
[Effective immediately, to maintain domestic order, 'Internal Energy Suppression Devices' will be deployed in secular and urban areas. These devices will interfere with ancient martial artists, though the ancient martial world itself will remain unaffected...]
The moment this news broke, the entire martial arts community of Dragon Country was thrown into turmoil. This was a direct threat to their way of life!
The worst part? There had been zero prior intelligence leaks.
Out of nowhere, this thing had appeared.
What made matters worse was that some people began digging deeper and eventually uncovered the manufacturer behind these "Internal Force Stagnation Devices."
The Qiangsheng Group!
Although the Dragon Country government had secretly collaborated with Jiang Che, there were still high-ranking figures among the ancient martial artists who caught wind of it.
"What on earth is the Jiang Family trying to do???"
A grandmaster-level martial artist was so furious that his scalp tingled, his beard practically bristling with rage.
This was clearly an attempt to force all martial artists back into the ancient martial world, never allowing them to set foot in the secular realm again!
"That Jiang kid has gone too far! Does he really think he can act all high and mighty just because he has Jiang Yunhuang backing him?"
"Ahem, Brother Li, calm down. I heard Jiang Yunhuang has already broken through the limits of a grandmaster and reached an entirely new level. No one in the entire ancient martial world can match him now."
"This... He’s just kicking away the ladder after climbing up—utterly shameless!"
The entire ancient martial world was secretly cursing Jiang Che left and right. But why only in secret?
They still valued their lives. If push came to shove, they’d just stay out of the secular world—better that than getting beaten to death.
...
Meanwhile, chaos erupted within the Chosen Ones Association.
"What the hell is Jiang Che planning now?"
Deputy Director Xu Rong seethed with anger. The "Equality for All Device" didn’t just affect ancient martial artists—it also had an impact on supernaturals like them.
Though not as severely crippled as the martial artists, their powers had been drastically weakened.
Even an A-rank supernatural like him had his strength suppressed to less than half. As for lower-ranked supernaturals? Forget about it.
Those with X-ray vision, pyrokinesis, electrokinesis, or phasing abilities—all of them were completely neutralized!
Just then, a phone call came through.
"Chen Hao? What mess has he gotten himself into now?" Xu Rong frowned. He was well aware of Chen Hao’s system—one that specialized in screwing people over. He’d previously turned a blind eye when it got a low-level Chosen One killed.
"Director Xu, it’s a disaster!"
Xu Rong’s frown deepened. "What happened?"
Chen Hao wailed over the line, "Yesterday, I went on a mission with that guy who could phase through walls, right?"
"Just now, he got stuck inside a wall while phasing... and couldn’t get out. He’s already dead—it’s horrifying!"
Xu Rong: "......"
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!
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.”
] [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!"
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
