Mo Jiu stared at Xue Ming with icy eyes, filled with disdain.
The Poison Prince, Xue Ming, wasn’t ranked highly on the Hidden Dragon List—only 37th. But Mo Jiu knew full well that his low ranking wasn’t because he was weak.
It was because this man preferred to stay hidden.
Like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, concealing its fangs, ready to deliver a fatal strike at any moment.
Hiss… Why so few people? I thought I was late.
A young man in plain Daoist robes appeared.
He exuded an air of lazy indifference, a blade of grass dangling from his lips, his hair loosely tied, his chest exposed to reveal well-defined muscles.
He looked utterly disheveled, even bordering on slovenly.
"Dao Alliance, Pure Yang Sect—Lv Zheng!"
The plain-robed youth announced himself loudly, as if worried no one would recognize him.
Lv Zheng of the Pure Yang Sect had no ranking on the Hidden Dragon List—there wasn’t even a scrap of information about him.
Yet, no one present dared to underestimate him.
The Pure Yang Sect wasn’t the most prominent among the Dao Alliance’s factions, but it was notoriously formidable.
"Longxiang Mountain—Zhang Qianyu!"
A young man in pristine white robes stepped onto the desert sands, his voice cool and detached, his eyes brimming with arrogance.
Longxiang Mountain had long been part of the Dao Alliance, but Zhang Qianyu couldn’t even be bothered to mention the alliance’s name.
Still, everyone present knew this man had every right to be proud.
Sixth on the Hidden Dragon List—Zhang Qianyu, the Thousand Cranes!
"Yo, where’s your crane today? Didn’t bring it for a ride?" Lv Zheng teased with a grin.
Zhang Qianyu shot him a frosty glance but said nothing.
Though the Dao Alliance had become the most powerful organization, the grudges between its factions ran deep.
Outwardly united, inwardly divided—their infighting was no less vicious than that of other sects.
"Such a gathering of youngsters… Would an old man like me ruin the mood?"
An elderly man in Tang-style attire emerged.
The crowd’s expressions turned cold.
Fifty-sixth on the Heavenly Rankings—Plum Blossom Hand, Mei Santong!
His arrival was soon followed by a flood of other martial artists, many of whom ranked within the Heavenly Rankings’ top hundred.
Xue Ruirui cautiously edged closer to Xue Ming, her voice trembling. "Senior Brother… am I really cut out for this?"
Truthfully, she had no confidence in herself. She didn’t even understand why she’d been brought along.
Among the nearly hundred people gathered here, every single one was a notable figure in the martial world.
She was merely a Dark Force practitioner, having only recently broken through. In this crowd, she was practically insignificant.
Xue Ming replied indifferently, "Don’t worry. I’ll protect you."
Hearing his assurance, Xue Ruirui relaxed slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"Hey, Green-Hair, your girl’s not bad."
Zhang Fan tugged at the hood of his sweatshirt, his grin sinister beneath the shadow.
"Pervert! Disgusting!" Xue Ruirui glared at him.
Zhang Fan licked his lips, his gaze lingering on her with unmistakable hunger.
In terms of looks, Xue Ruirui was indeed attractive—not quite a peerless beauty, but certainly one in a thousand.
But what truly caught Zhang Fan’s interest wasn’t her appearance—it was the secret she carried.
This woman… had been refined into a living cauldron.
Xue Ming narrowed his eyes at Zhang Fan.
He’d heard of the infamous Rogue Physician, Zhang Fan. Even the Poison Prince himself might not be a match for Zhang Fan in the art of poison.
"Ignore him," Xue Ming said coldly.
Meanwhile, Chen Bing, blending into the crowd, adjusted his black-framed glasses and cast a frigid glance at Zhang Fan before closing his eyes again, maintaining his optimal condition.
The opening of the Hongtian Secret Realm was imminent, and the desert was filling with more and more people.
Even those lurking in the shadows, hoping to snatch entry tokens, were growing hesitant.
Then, four figures appeared, and the entire desert fell silent.
"Damn, so many people… My fists are itching for a fight."
Zhou Dahai grinned excitedly, clashing his massive fists together.
Yang Tian snapped coldly, "Don’t embarrass the Law Enforcement Bureau."
"Alright, alright, no need to argue."
At the forefront, Jiang Cheng scratched his slightly curly gray hair and smiled. "With so many people watching, let’s not make fools of ourselves."
The crowd stared at Jiang Cheng’s seemingly harmless demeanor, yet their legs trembled beneath them.
Qinglong Jiang Cheng—one of the Four Saints of the Law Enforcement Bureau!
First on the Hidden Dragon List!
The Law Enforcement Bureau had always been an authority, its strength terrifying.
This year, three of its members had claimed spots in the Hidden Dragon List’s top ten.
As for the fourth, Zhuque—though records were scarce—her power was undoubtedly monstrous. An absolute threat.
Yan Zhi’s eyes burned with irritation as countless lecherous gazes lingered on her voluptuous figure.
This secret realm expedition was becoming increasingly unbearable.
"By the way, where’s that brat An Yi? Still not here?"
"Hahaha! What an assembly of experts! Ning here is short one token—wonder if any of you fine folks could lend a hand?"
A young man with an iron rod slung over his shoulder laughed boisterously, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.
"Ning Lie… That lunatic’s here too?"
Mo Jiu wiped his axe, his expression disdainful.
Ning Lie—44th on the Hidden Dragon List.
A decent fighter, but clearly just here to scavenge.
Ning Lie scanned the crowd before pointing at Chen Bing. "You—the four-eyed nerd! Hand over your token!"
Though nicknamed the Mad Warrior, he wasn’t stupid.
Those who’d made it here with tokens weren’t pushovers.
He wouldn’t dare challenge monsters like Mo Jiu or Jichen, who ranked high on the Hidden Dragon List, nor Mei Santong from the Heavenly Rankings, or heavyweights like Jiang Cheng and Zhang Qianyu with their unshakable backing.
But the rest? Fair game.
Snatching a token should be easy.
Chen Bing pushed up his glasses with his middle finger, the lenses flashing with a dangerous glint.
Ning Lie broke into a cold sweat.
He suddenly remembered—this bespectacled guy was Chen Bing of the Thousand Mechanisms! Ninth on the Hidden Dragon List!
"Uh… Never mind. Wearing glasses at night must be tough. Fighting’s not worth it."
Ning Lie forced a smile and pointed at another figure in the crowd. "You! The one hiding like a scared little girl! Come out!"
His eyes landed on the delicate-looking Xiao Yike, and his grin widened.
Finally, a soft target.
The onlookers watched with amusement.
Inside the Hongtian Secret Realm, everyone would be an enemy. Watching them tear into each other now was just entertainment.
"We don’t know each other, do we?"
Xiao Yike scratched his head, smiling shyly—before his eyes suddenly turned blood-red, his muscles bulging as he whipped out a massive blade and roared, "Picking on me? Wrong move, dumbass!"
Internal Force practitioner?!
Holy shit!
Ning Lie’s face paled.
Pretending he hadn’t seen Xiao Yike, he spun around and pointed at a drowsy youth sitting cross-legged. "You! The one sleeping! Get up! I’ve had enough of you!"
Tang Qingqing nudged the dozing Bai Xiu. "Wake up. Someone wants to fight you."
Bai Xiu rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Who are you?"
Ning Lie bared his teeth, hefting his iron rod.
"Idiot! Go back to sleep—in hell!"
BAM!
A jeep tore through the desert, slamming straight into Ning Lie!
The man let out a bloodcurdling scream as he was sent flying over twenty meters, crashing headfirst into a sand dune—his fate unknown.
"Hey, buddy… you okay?"
An Yi quickly jumped out of the driver's seat of the off-road vehicle and shouted loudly.
If you were facing the car, getting hit wouldn’t be this bad!
But with your back turned, your life could be in real danger!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
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.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
