The competition began.
Huang Lingfeng was the first to step onto the stage, clad in golden robes and wielding a longsword, his aura as imposing as a dragon.
Opposite him stood a frost-spear cultivator from the Extreme Cold Sect, who sneered, "Dragon King Palace? Just a ragtag bunch of leftovers from a bygone era!"
Before the words could fade—
Huang Lingfeng's sword flashed, unleashing a golden sword energy that spiraled like a tornado. The frost-spear cultivator thrust his weapon to block, but the sword's momentum was unstoppable—it cleaved through the spear and sent both man and weapon crashing off the stage.
Next up was Huang Lingyu. Petite in stature, she wielded a pair of violet daggers, her movements swift as lightning.
The second challenger from the Extreme Cold Sect barely had time to summon an ice shield before she closed the distance. Her blades crisscrossed, releasing a flurry of purple slashes that shattered the shield instantly. A swift kick sent him flying.
Jiang Zixuan took the stage third, gripping a massive axe. Faced with the Extreme Cold Sect's ice-wall defense, he smirked and swung down with devastating force. The wall exploded into shards, and his opponent was sent sprawling, coughing blood.
Zhu Lan entered fourth. Her gaze lingered on the commentary booth, where the young mistress sat. Her eyes reddened slightly as she murmured, "The young mistress is as beautiful as ever... And that guy is still as annoying as ever."
She was, of course, referring to Qin Luo.
Her opponent from the Extreme Cold Sect taunted, "Daring to lose focus?"
Zhu Lan's expression turned icy. With a flick of her wrist, a verdant vine whip lashed out like the wind, coiling around her foe before hurling him high into the air and slamming him down off the stage.
Shen Fei was the last to step forward. He sighed, "Feels good to be back. Those sects made my bones stiff."
His opponent scoffed, "Enough chatter!"
Shen Fei grinned and flicked his hand. A shadowy blade shot forth, too fast for the eye to follow. The ice shield barely formed before the blade pierced his opponent's chest, dropping him instantly.
[What the—?! Dragon King Palace can still keep up in this meta?!]
[Unbelievable! Who's their Dragon King now?]
[No idea... But I heard the Long family’s patriarch in the royal city was replaced—Long Dingtian took over. Maybe the Dragon King Palace’s leader changed too...]
[Hard to say!]
After a day of fierce battles, the top four were decided: Primordial Sanctum, Profound Demon Sect, Dragon King Palace, and Tianhai Sect.
As the host, Tianhai Sect barely scraped through with their versatile water-based techniques.
Qin Luo summarized, "Today’s battles were spectacular. The strength of the top four is undeniable. Tomorrow’s finals will be even more intense."
Su Muwan quipped beside him, "Qin Luo, you sound like a script-reading NPC."
"Because it is a script."
"Pfft..."
Night fell, and Tianhai City blazed with lights as the four factions held their victory banquets.
At the Primordial Sanctum’s feast, Su Bailian was surrounded by admirers, her delicate smile winning countless hearts.
But in a secluded corner, Chu Yu stood alone by the window, her grip tightening around her wine glass until it creaked.
Her eyes burned with resentment as she stared into the night, her mind churning with schemes—
Tomorrow, she’d make the entire sect regret favoring Su Bailian. That white lotus would shatter into pieces.
Just then, Su Bailian excused herself and slipped out.
Chu Yu smirked inwardly. Probably off to meet some pathetic simp.
Meanwhile, at the Profound Demon Sect’s quarters, Xiao Fei sat across from Mo Li, his gaze tender yet nervous.
Mo Li, draped in a black dress with features like a painting, smiled. "Xiao Fei, you performed wonderfully today."
He scratched his head sheepishly. "How could I lose with you watching?"
Mo Li’s eyes glinted with amusement before she stood. "I’ll be back soon."
She left, heading straight for a hidden courtyard outside the city.
Inside, Qin Luo and Su Muwan sat side by side, with Su Bailian nearby.
Mo Li pushed the door open, her face lighting up at the sight.
As the number one shipper of Qin Luo and Su Muwan, she vibrated with excitement. "Q-Q-Qin Luo! And...!"
She glanced nervously at Su Muwan’s sharp gaze. "L-Lady Su!"
Su Muwan rolled her eyes and shot Qin Luo a glare.
[Another woman? Why are all your spies female?]
[Don’t blame me, my lady. It’s these top-tier protagonists—their harems only have women!]
[Hmph!]
Qin Luo cleared his throat and cut to the chase. "Tomorrow’s the finals. I need your cooperation."
"Chu Yu will definitely... [redacted for brevity]."
"As for Xiao Fei, I have other plans. Mo Li, you just need to [redacted]."
"Understood?"
Mo Li blinked, as if she both did and didn’t get it.
Su Muwan tilted her head. Did you even explain anything?
Su Bailian rolled her eyes, thinking, Finally, this boring undercover stint at the Primordial Sanctum ends.
This time—once Chu Yu’s out, I’m taking the Saintess position!
Meanwhile, Mo Li, having "processed" the plan, was fully focused on Qin Luo and Su Muwan.
She propped her chin on her hands, eyes sparkling. "Qin Luo, Lady Su, are you two really together? Last night, I dreamed you—"
Before she could finish, Su Muwan’s face flushed. She leaned toward Qin Luo and whispered, "Is her brain wired wrong?"
Who jumps from strategy talk to shipping in a split second?
Qin Luo replied calmly, "Demon Sect folks are like this. Don’t mind it."
Su Bailian smirked to herself.
She’d been the first to discover these two.
And she’d nudged them together.
Honestly, between spying, laboring, and matchmaking...
She was kinda the MVP here.
...
...
Dawn broke on the third day in Tianhai City.
The morning sun bathed the arena in gold as the sect tournament reached its climax—
The four-way melee to decide the finalists.
The stands were packed, buzzing with anticipation. The air crackled with tension and excitement.
Above, a massive floating screen displayed the rules:
[Four teams—Primordial Sanctum, Profound Demon Sect, Dragon King Palace, and Tianhai Sect—20 participants total.]
[All 20 will battle on a single stage. The fight continues until only two remain standing. If they’re from different sects, they advance to the finals.]
[If they’re from the same sect, that sect wins outright.]
Simple and brutal. The crowd erupted in cheers.
On the stage, the fighters assembled.
Chu Yu of the Primordial Sanctum stood in cyan robes, lightning flickering at her fingertips, her gaze frosty.
Xiao Fei of the Profound Demon Sect carried a black coffin, his aura ominous.
Huang Lingfeng and his Dragon King Palace comrades stood in formation, their golden robes gleaming.
The water cultivators of Tianhai Sect held azure staffs, fluid as the tide.
As the 20 took their positions, spiritual energy surged around the arena. The audience held their breath, awaiting the signal.
Qin Luo quietly calculated what was to come.
A playful glint flashed in his eyes as the corners of his lips curled up:
"The match... begins!"
With Qin Luo's loud declaration, the arena erupted instantly.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
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...
