Late at night.
The summit of the Ice and Snow Sacred Domain was bitterly cold, with a fierce wind howling.
Qin Luo stood with his hands behind his back atop the Star Observation Platform.
"My lord."
Qianhuan knelt on one knee, his voice hushed. "We’ve confirmed the whereabouts of the three Sovereign Realm masters—Han Tianqing remains stationed in the main hall, the Second Elder Han Wujiu is in seclusion attempting to break through to the Eternal Realm, and the Third Elder Han Shuangyue left three days ago to attend a banquet in the Central Heaven Sacred Realm."
"Leaving only a drunkard?"
The corners of Qin Luo’s lips curled slightly. "This saves us some trouble."
His objective was clear.
He intended to create the ultimate villain, thereby completely nullifying Su Muwan’s "villainous aura."
To this end,
the infiltration plan of the Shadow Court was steadily progressing.
Once the Great Thousand War concluded, this hidden network would spread across all realms.
Additionally,
thinking of Xu Tun’s recent circumstances,
a hint of amusement flickered in Qin Luo’s eyes.
Was this the world’s corrective force at work, or the power of the Heavenly Dao’s script?
Suo Yunyun, the Holy Maiden of the Profound Nether Sacred Domain, was supposed to be one of Xu Tun’s destined harem members.
Later, after reconciling with Ling Long, they would compete for his affection.
But in this life, it seemed the Heavenly Dao’s script was about to be rewritten.
As for why that abomination appeared in the secret realm—it was simple. It had been drawn there by the chaotic scent of Xu Tun’s disrupted fate.
Beside him,
Qianhuan hesitated before speaking. "My lord, though Han Tianqing is drunk, he is still a Sovereign Realm expert. If he detects the 'Odorless and Tasteless Spirit-Severing Water'..."
"No matter."
Qin Luo’s lips curved faintly, his gaze profound.
The Odorless and Tasteless Spirit-Severing Water was a peculiar little concoction he had only used once or twice a very, very long time ago.
(For details, see Chapter 98.)
With the system’s upgrades, this little vial had also evolved.
From merely dispersing spiritual energy, it now eradicated cultivation and shattered meridians—its effects were devastating!
The potion had no stated cultivation restrictions. Theoretically, given the right opportunity, even a Heavenly Dao Realm expert could be incapacitated!
Let alone a drunkard like Han Tianqing, who was merely at the Sovereign Realm and completely off guard.
With that in mind, he spoke indifferently. "Prepare to move. Tonight, the Ice and Snow Sacred Domain will undergo a transformation."
"As you command!"
---
Han Tianqing’s bedchamber.
The Lord of the Ice and Snow Domain, Han Tianqing, lay sprawled across his bed in deep slumber.
But suddenly, his eyes snapped open as an excruciating pain surged through his limbs and bones. His spiritual energy was receding like a tide, vanishing at an alarming rate.
He tried to circulate his cultivation technique, only to find his meridians shattered and his dantian utterly empty.
His cultivation… had dissipated in his sleep?
"...What is this...?"
Han Tianqing was stunned.
My cultivation… gone?
What kind of joke is this?!
In this world, what could possibly render a Sovereign Realm expert like me powerless—without even a sound?!
What in the heavens happened?!
Han Tianqing was, after all, the ruler of a domain.
After careful consideration, he realized the only suspicious detail was the fine wine Qin Luo had gifted him during his visit earlier that day!
Just as the thought crossed his mind,
the candlelight spontaneously ignited.
At the same time,
"Lord Han, you’re awake."
A languid voice drifted from the darkness.
In the dim glow of the candlelight, Qin Luo leaned lazily against a jade pillar, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Behind him stood Qianhuan, clad in a sinister demon mask, his presence chilling to the bone.
"!!!"
"Qin Luo! You—!!"
Han Tianqing roared as he tried to rise, only to stagger and collapse.
He lay sprawled on the ground, staring up in disbelief, his voice trembling. "You poisoned me?!"
"Not poison—Spirit-Severing Water."
Qin Luo crouched down, studying him like prey, and said with a smile, "Odorless, tasteless, specially designed to dismantle a cultivator’s spiritual energy and meridians… You drank so merrily, Lord Han, I almost didn’t have the heart to warn you."
Han Tianqing’s eyes bulged with fury. "I treated you like a brother, and you—!"
"Brother?"
Qin Luo scoffed, his gaze dripping with mockery. "The Northern Profound Frost Realm has long conspired with the Central Heaven Sacred Realm to invade the Netherfrost Divine Domain. Your Third Elder, Han Shuangyue, attended that banquet precisely for this purpose, no?"
"Let me guess—you planned to join forces during the Great Thousand War to devour our Netherfrost Divine Domain?"
"No, no… Perhaps it wasn’t just your Northern Profound Frost Realm. The other major realms likely had the same idea."
"After all… as the only Divine Domain that rose to power despite lacking deep-rooted foundations, we’ve long been seen as a juicy piece of meat."
"Everyone wants a bite."
Qin Luo had never naively believed that a few gifts would deter these upper-realm schemers.
To those who treated lower-realm cultivators as mere pawns,
how could they possibly tolerate watching a minor domain lord rise to prominence?
Han Tianqing’s expression twisted.
He stared in shock at the man before him—who had addressed him so respectfully just that morning—now gazing at him with icy detachment.
Why? Where had he slipped up?
More importantly, how did Qin Luo possess such a potent toxin?
One capable of incapacitating a Sovereign Realm expert?!
After all, only something at or above the Sovereign Realm could affect a Sovereign… Wait—!
Suddenly,
a realization struck Han Tianqing like lightning.
"I—I understand now!!"
Han Tianqing bellowed abruptly.
Qin Luo blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Understand what?"
Han Tianqing’s lips quivered with rage, his face contorted in fury as he snarled, "I see it all now!"
"This—all of this!! It’s all Su Muwan’s scheme, isn’t it?!"
"That envoy, that spiritual device—everything!! It’s all the machinations of Su Muwan, the true master of the Netherfrost Divine Domain!"
"This poison… Su Muwan concocted it, didn’t she?!"
"Su Muwan!!"
"You venomous witch!!"
"Even if I die, I won’t let you—"
SLAP!
"Ghk—!"
Qin Luo sighed and backhanded him, no longer in the mood for theatrics. A blade of shadows formed in his palm, pressing against Han Tianqing’s throat.
"Two choices."
"One: die."
"Two: die quickly."
Han Tianqing, naturally unwilling to surrender, let out a final roar and lunged with the last of his strength.
Thud!
Only to be impaled through the heart by the shadow blade. Well, he chose the latter.
Qin Luo flexed his wrist, then nodded at Qianhuan. "Your turn."
Qianhuan bowed, his body twisting and morphing. In an instant, he took on Han Tianqing’s appearance—down to the finest detail, even his aura indistinguishable!
Qianhuan’s ability allowed him to freely alter his form, mimicking others’ appearances, voices, and even replicating some of their abilities.
Next,
Qin Luo snapped his fingers, and shadows enveloped Han Tianqing’s corpse.
In moments, it transformed into a shadow creature.
The figure knelt respectfully, its face obscured by darkness. "My lord."
Qin Luo gave a slight nod, then turned to Qianhuan—now Han Tianqing’s perfect replica.
"The real Han Tianqing will join your ranks."
"Proceed as planned."
"Understood?"
Qianhuan grinned, his voice now identical to Han Tianqing’s. "This subordinate understands."

ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"

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!

m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!

+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!