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."
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
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.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
