Two days later,
At the east gate of the Su residence.
On the long, dark gray stone street still covered in untouched snow, cold winds howled as the gloomy skies revealed not a ray of sunlight.
A long procession of carriages was arranged in formation before the east gate, flanked on both sides by Su residence’s profound armored guards.
"Young miss, be careful not to let the cold winds blow on you."
Wearing a fox fur coat and a bun hairstyle, Su Qiluo held onto Yun Shan's hand with one hand while cradling Du Ke with the other. When they stepped out of the east gate, Du Ke couldn't help but shiver involuntarily.
His earlier doubts were now dispelled.
Although the Su residence was always warm and comfortable like spring within, once they stepped out, it was the middle of winter outside, with howling, frigid winds.
Seeing the frozen ice fragments that had melted from the remaining snow only to freeze over again, Du Ke couldn't help but purse his lips – wasn't this too cold?
Little Shi, on the other hand, was rather excited. Well-fed and well-rested, he did not fear the howling cold winds one bit.
After all, he was a husky, bred for generations to live in snow and ice.
"Auntie Yun, it's so cold outside!"
With Yun Shan's help, Su Qiluo entered the carriage. After Su Qiluo went in, Yun Shan followed her and knelt by the door.
"It's currently the height of winter, less than ten days until the new year. Of course it's cold outside."
Su Qiluo lifted the carriage window curtain, and the cold winds instantly blew in through the gaps, causing her to close it again.
"That's because there is a formation called the Eight Scenes of Spring within the Su residence protecting the entire premises, keeping it perpetually spring-like. Naturally the winter weather from outside cannot affect the interior."
Yun Shan patiently explained while lighting up the carriage's brazier. She took a copper fork and tended to the burning coals within, making them burn brighter.
After doing all that, Yun Shan covered the brazier again and said to Su Qiluo, "Young miss, do you still remember Yunzhou where your mother's side of the family is from?"
"Mother's family?"
Su Qiluo shook her head. "I don't remember anything. I only know my mother was buried there."
"That makes sense. After all, you were very little when you visited Yunzhou, so it's normal you have no memories of it. You just have to remember Yunzhou is where your mother's clan resides."
"This time, we are going to visit your grandfather."
"Maternal grandfather?"
"That's right."
Yun Shan nodded with a smile. It was at this moment that Du Ke crawled out from Su Qiluo's embrace and went to lie down at the edge of the carriage bed, letting his tail hang over the side for Little Shi to bat at playfully.
"It is time to depart!"
Suddenly, a powerful voice called out from outside the carriage, followed by the whinnying of horses.
The carriage jolted and began slowly moving forward, pulled by the vigorous horses.
As the carriage started moving along, Du Ke aptly jumped onto the window ledge from his spot at the edge of the bed.
"General!"
Seeing Du Ke's actions, Su Qiluo quickly called out to him. Du Ke gave Su Qiluo a reassuring look before pushing aside the curtain covering the window and leaping out.
Once outside, Du Ke landed directly on top of the carriage roof. Sitting atop it, he gazed forward to see the profound armored knights leading the procession had already exited this long street from the Su residence entrance.
As they drew nearer and nearer to the end of the street, Du Ke simply laid himself down, calm as can be, intent on seeing more of the outside world.
Ever since transmigrating over, he had been confined within the Su residence's gardens and never left before.
Although Du Ke had yet to fully explore the entirety of the Su residence, that didn't diminish his curiosity about the wider world.
The gaze of the meditative cat was split into two – one half his normal vision, the other gazing into the void space where his Black Cauldron resided.
"Extreme elixir at the Skin and Flesh Realm, Blood Qi elixir, all kinds of books..." Du Ke glanced inside the Black Cauldron's space and couldn't help but chuckle.
The Black Cauldron's space was now stuffed full with all manner of items. Aside from pills necessary for cultivation, there were also piles of books.
Du Ke finally understood he could use the Black Cauldron's space for storage.
Over the past two days, he had Su Qiluo prepare many things for him to store inside.
All would prove useful for him.
As for daily necessities and such, the convoy could provide them, and there would be people preparing them once they reached Yunzhou too.
What Du Ke prepared were items he needed urgently for the moment.
Just the Extreme elixirs at the Skin and Flesh Realm alone, he stocked up nine.
The ever-useful Blood Qi elixirs, specially catered toward cats, numbered three hundred – enough to last him an extended period.
He also prepared two hundred Tempering Bone elixirs for the second stage of the Skin and Flesh Realm.
In addition, there were also piles of books and secret manuals.
"I'll first consolidate my cultivation on the journey, then make a breakthrough at the limits of the Skin and Flesh Realm once we reach Yunzhou and cultivate the Water and Fire Immortal Raiment. Next will be steadily progressing through the Tempering Bone Realm."
"The Immortal Warrior Treatise says normal humans have two hundred and six bones. For the Root Mirror Bone to fully mature requires tempering them all."
"Arms, torso, spine, skull – every last bone needs to be tempered before the Root Mirror Bone can complete."
"However, I'm a cat with two hundred and thirty bones, so my tempering difficulty is much higher compared to humans."
"Which means I have to make the most of my time!"
As Du Ke silently went over his plans within and withdrew his consciousness from the Black Cauldron's space back into reality, the carriage procession had already completely exited the long street and entered the main road within the city.
Turning the corner, Du Ke suddenly saw a massive sea of people up ahead.
The crowds of residents all bundled up in thick clothing were packed along both sides of the road. Within everyone's fearful gazes toward the Su family convoy, nothing else could be discerned.
As the convoy slowly passed by, all peddling shouts instantly vanished from the streets.
Not only did everyone scarcely dare to breathe loudly, they also instinctively bowed their heads, not daring to look around casually.
A cry rang out from not too far away, but was quickly silenced. Glancing over, Du Ke saw a woman desperately covering her bawling child's mouth and nose before hurrying into a nearby shop with the child in tow.
The moment the child cried out, not only did Du Ke look over, some of the Su family's armored guards also glanced in that direction.
Although it was just a brief wail, it was still enough to put many people on edge.
"As expected, the Su family's everyday prestige inspires great fear!"
Du Ke sighed inwardly and promptly leapt down from the carriage roof.
Such a lifeless street filled solely with terror wherever the eye could see held no appeal.
Slipping back into the carriage, Du Ke was unaware that at a second floor riverside pavilion in a restaurant not too far away, someone else also sighed in similar sentiment.
"So this is what they call an immortal noble clan?"
A youth dressed no differently from an ordinary scholar tapped his folded fan repeatedly against his palm.
"Truly a commanding air from all sides."
"Within this Qingzhou, the Su family might as well be gods. Even imperial kinsmen normally wouldn't travel with such pomp!"
Next to the scholar sat a middle-aged man with the bearing of a merchant. He downed the wine from his cup in one gulp and mildly stated, "Among the twenty eight provinces of the Long Life Celestial Dynasty, the thirteen most prominent clans lists the Suzhou Su family in the top three. That shows how profound their heritage is."
" Humph, they're still nothing but a lineage of immortal cultivators."
A sickly, gaunt man coldly sneered. Hearing this, the scholar raised his fan and rapped the sickly man on the head with it.
"Ah, Brother Wen, I detect an overwhelming sour note in your words!"
"Post-Heaven, Pre-Heaven, Immortal Cultivators – forget how difficult it is to become an immortal cultivator, even reversing Post-Heaven back to Pre-Heaven is nigh impossible. To the likes of you and I, the Su family sees us as nothing but common mortals!"
"So what if we're common mortals?" The sickly man sneered again and again. "Enough ants can bite an elephant to death!"
"They may be immortal cultivators, but they're not exempt from death!"
"Death may come, but difficultly so!" The scholar sighed and stood up from the table to approach the window, leaning on the ledge overlooking below.
"One can only wonder when we'll get to witness the sight of white banners raised atop the city gates."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
