August 3rd: The mysterious martial artist Chen Bing emerged out of nowhere, slaying the Zheng Brothers Trio at Mount Qin and securing the 87th spot on the Rising Dragon Rankings!
August 24th: Chen Bing defeated Zhang Zhiqian, ranked 54th on the Rising Dragon Rankings, and climbed to the 49th position!
September 3rd: Chen Bing killed the fierce ax-wielder Xiong Qianshan, ascending to the 30th spot on the Rising Dragon Rankings!
September 14th: He defeated the late-stage Dark Force cultivator Thousand Taoist, severing one of his arms, and claimed the 17th spot on the Rising Dragon Rankings!
After scrolling through Chen Bing’s achievements on the Martial Alliance app, An Yi was stunned: "That glasses-wearing guy is this strong? How did I not know?"
Chen Bing had become a frequent name in the Martial Alliance’s recent updates. In just two months, he had broken into the top ten of the Rising Dragon Rankings, drawing the attention of many. Yet, most investigations turned up empty—this man was shrouded in mystery.
Lin Chen, after hearing An Yi’s explanation, frowned in confusion.
This guy had always been clueless about the martial world, not even knowing what the Rising Dragon Rankings were. Yet somehow, he was aware of Chen Bing, the dark horse who had recently taken the rankings by storm.
An Yi shrugged and explained, "He’s the guy from the Joy Sect, the one who chopped off Thousand Taoist’s arm—the one with glasses."
Lin Chen’s expression turned serious. "I’ve seen him fight Thousand Taoist. It was impressive."
Though Lin Chen was usually cold and silent, those who knew him understood that he was inherently proud. For him to acknowledge someone’s strength was rare.
Scrolling through the Martial Alliance app, An Yi continued exploring.
"Gotta admit, this thing is really useful." He paused, his gaze fixed on the app. "The Heavenly Rankings—that’s the strongest list of martial artists, right?"
Lin Chen nodded. "Exactly. The Rising Dragon Rankings are just for young up-and-comers, full of inflated reputations. The Heavenly Rankings, though—that’s the universally recognized list of the Great Xia’s most powerful martial artists. Being listed there means your name will go down in history."
"Mm. Don’t recognize a single one." An Yi skimmed through the names, sighing internally before continuing his scroll.
Then, his eyes stopped.
A name caught his attention:
Heavenly Rankings, 29th Place: Sword Immortal Cheng Yuanfeng, Leader of the Qi Sword Sect.
"Whoa! That pervy old man who plays chicken is actually on the Heavenly Rankings?!" An Yi was so excited he nearly lost grip of the steering wheel.
Click.
The cold barrel of a sniper rifle pressed against An Yi’s head.
Su Xue'er glared at him. "Watch the road."
An Yi kept one hand on the wheel, putting his phone away with a grin. "I am watching. So, where to, miss?"
Only after confirming he was paying attention did Su Xue'er lower her weapon.
"Monarch’s Bar."
"Got it—wait, Monarch’s Bar?" An Yi raised an eyebrow.
If he remembered right, that Lin Mei'er woman was also at Monarch’s Bar.
---
Monarch’s Bar.
Su Xue'er stepped out of the taxi, then turned back with a hint of shyness. "Want to come in? I’ve got some good drinks stashed away."
An Yi rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Don’t mind if I do!"
Su Xue'er: "?"
Lin Chen blocked his path with his cane. "No drinking if you’re driving. You still have to take me back."
"Who’s taking you? You’re not a pretty girl—walk your own ass home!"
"Your taxi’s tire is flat."
"Bullshit, it’s fine! Could go another few hundred miles no problem."
"I meant it will be flat soon."
Just then, a voluptuous figure in a red dress appeared at the entrance.
Lin Mei'er, with her enchanting curves and alluring charm, stepped forward.
"Xue'er, you’re back—huh? Why are you three together?"
Noticing Lin Chen and An Yi, she blinked in surprise.
One was her nephew, whom she’d watched grow up. The other was her little boyfriend.
She hadn’t expected them to cross paths.
Lin Mei'er smirked at An Yi. "Seems you two get along well. No wonder you used Lin Chen’s name outside."
"Used his name?"
Lin Chen immediately caught the implication.
An Yi hurriedly explained, "Misunderstanding! Me and this poker-faced guy have nothing to do with each other. We just happened to run into each other today. I was just giving Xue'er a ride."
Click.
Su Xue'er coldly loaded a bullet into her sniper rifle, staring daggers at An Yi.
Lin Mei'er stepped forward, pinching An Yi’s chin. "Little Yi, Xue'er is already spoken for by our Lin family. Don’t get any ideas, okay?"
An Yi rolled his eyes.
Who’d want a girl who’d blow your head off at any moment?
In his mind, Shen Muxuan and Lan Ruoxi were ten thousand times better than this glasses-wearing trigger-happy girl.
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes at An Yi and Lin Mei'er. "What’s your relationship?"
"Hm? Isn’t it obvious?"
Lin Mei'er wrapped her arm around An Yi’s, grinning. "He’s my little boyfriend."
Being pressed against this mature beauty, An Yi coughed awkwardly. "C-cut it out. Your nephew’s right here!"
This woman looked like she was in her late twenties, but An Yi was certain she was at least thirty.
Not that it mattered—milfs are eternal.
"Who are you calling ‘nephew’?!"
Lin Chen’s grip on his Cloud-Splitting Cane tightened, murderous intent radiating off him.
"Let’s talk inside. It’s been almost three years, hasn’t it?"
Lin Mei'er looked at Lin Chen, her voice softening with nostalgia.
The bar was empty in the early hours of the morning.
Under the warm, gentle lighting, the four of them sat together.
Lin Chen remained silent, his already icy expression turning even colder.
"Three years apart, and you’re still wearing that grumpy face?"
Lin Mei'er pinched his cheek playfully.
Lin Chen exhaled slowly. "How have you been?"
"Same as always. I left the Underworld Guild. Now I’m just a freelancer, planning to settle in Jiangbei City. Unless something changes, I’ll be at Monarch’s Bar for good. If you ever need anything, come find me."
"Oh."
Lin Chen responded flatly. After a long pause, he asked, "How is she?"
He didn’t specify who "she" was, but Lin Mei'er understood.
"Not well at all."
Lin Mei'er swirled her wine glass, her lips curving slightly. "After the old Guild Master passed, the Underworld Guild fell into chaos. She has the skill and the will, but her foundation’s too shallow. Too many people beneath her are discontent. The internal struggles keep her exhausted."
Lin Chen listened silently, as if hearing a story about someone else’s life.
"It’s late. We should go."
Lin Chen stood, grabbing An Yi—who showed no intention of leaving and might’ve even wanted to stay the night—by the collar, dragging him toward the exit.
"Damn poker-face! Let go of my collar or I’ll make you regret it!"
Lin Mei'er watched Lin Chen’s retreating figure, her lips trembling slightly.
"Lin Chen… if you have time, go back and see her. The Underworld Guild is still yours."
"Sorry."
Lin Chen stopped, his back still turned.
Lin Mei'er’s eyes widened, tears welling up.
With a resolute expression, Lin Chen spoke coldly. "From today onward, I, Lin Chen—"
"Are we leaving or not? I’ve been waiting forever!"
An Yi suddenly grabbed Lin Chen’s collar from behind and yanked him out, cutting off his declaration.
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.
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.
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!
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?!
