Ten Thousand Bone Demon Abyss.
One year later.
This deadly wasteland, a place even mighty Soul Formation stage experts were reluctant to step foot in, was shrouded in black demonic miasma all year round.
On a steep cliff at the edge of the abyss.
The space suddenly distorted without any warning.
A figure in tattered black clothes slowly walked out from the thick, impenetrable demonic energy.
Shen Fei.
He didn't ride a flying sword, nor did he release any spiritual energy shield.
The demonic miasma, potent enough to corrode a Nascent Soul stage cultivator into bare bones, docilely parted ways when it came within three feet of his body, as if encountering a far more terrifying monster of the same origin.
Shen Fei stood on the cliff.
He took a deep breath of the long-lost fresh air of the outside world.
Crack, crack, crack...
He casually rolled his neck and stretched his shoulders, his bones emitting a series of explosive pops that sounded like muffled thunder.
For a whole year.
He had tirelessly circulated the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art day and night within this natural furnace of demonic energy.
On his system panel, a line of golden data floated quietly:
[Physique: Heavenly Demon Body (Broken through to SS+ Rank)!]
[Current Status: Physical strength can withstand a full-power strike from an early Soul Formation stage expert. Immune to all demonic cultivation techniques and sinister yin energy, with an added assimilation and devouring effect.]
Shen Fei looked at this data.
His pitch-black eyes were as deep as an abyss.
His cultivation base was still at the early Nascent Soul stage, but his combat power had taken a qualitative leap compared to a year ago in the Sunset Abyss.
He looked up into the distance.
The Taixuan Holy Land's global arrest warrant for him was still in effect.
As long as he showed his true face in any market town, he would immediately draw the pursuit of old monsters at the Soul Formation stage.
Time to change identities.
Shen Fei said plainly.
He was just about to leave the cliff to hunt for his next prey.
Suddenly.
Boom!
From behind a mountain ridge less than ten miles away, the intense sound of spiritual energy colliding rang out.
It was accompanied by the roar of exploding magical artifacts and a shrill scream.
Shen Fei stopped in his tracks.
He didn't release his divine sense to investigate, so as not to alert the enemy.
Instead, relying on the monstrous eyesight granted by his SS+ Rank Heavenly Demon Body, he peered straight through the distant mist.
On a rocky shore below the ridge.
A deadly pursuit was underway.
The one being hunted was a young cultivator in a moon-white brocade robe.
He was at the early Nascent Soul stage.
He was covered in blood, his hair in disarray, and the top-grade spiritual sword in his hand was already full of chips.
And behind him.
Four cultivators wearing uniform black robes were closing in, forming a fan shape.
Two were at the early Nascent Soul stage, and two were at the peak of the Golden Core stage.
Chu Yuan! You can't escape!
The leading black-robed cultivator sneered, summoning a soul-calling banner that exuded black smoke.
Hand over the formation map of that top-grade spirit vein, and I'll give you a quick death! Otherwise, today, the True Legend Holy Son of the Lingxiao Pavilion will become the main soul within my banner!
The young cultivator named Chu Yuan gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.
You Xuanhei Palace scum! You dare ambush me at the edge of the Ten Thousand Bone Demon Abyss? Aren't you afraid of the Lingxiao Pavilion's revenge?!
Hahahaha! Revenge?
The black-robed cultivator laughed uproariously.
This is a lawless dead zone! As long as you die here, who would know we did it? By then, that spirit vein will be in the bag for our Xuanhei Palace!
Do it! Stop wasting time with him!
The four men activated their magical artifacts simultaneously, unleashing a sky-covering barrage of colorful lethal attacks toward Chu Yuan.
Chu Yuan closed his eyes in despair.
The spiritual energy in his body was completely exhausted; he was utterly powerless to block this fatal strike.
Above the ridge.
Shen Fei watched this scene quietly.
His gaze lingered for two seconds on the jade identity token hanging at Chu Yuan's waist, which bore the characters Lingxiao.
Lingxiao Pavilion.
A mid-tier righteous faction.
True Legend Holy Son.
In his mind, Shen Fei pieced these terms together.
It was a perfect alt account that would allow him to openly return to the core circle of the Righteous Alliance.
System.
Shen Fei called out to the panel in his mind.
Extract the Thousand Illusions Mask.
[Ding!]
[Thousand Illusions Mask (Special Item): Can completely strip a target's facial features, aura, and all memories from the past three months. The user will perfectly disguise themselves as the target, ignoring any divine sense probing below the Soul Formation stage.]
[Note: The stripping process is irreversible. The target must be in an unresisting state.]
A transparent mask, thin as a cicada's wing and devoid of any facial features, appeared in Shen Fei's hand.
This was a strategic-level item he had redeemed from the System Shop using the Villain Points he had accumulated earlier.
Shen Fei gripped the mask in his hand.
His figure flashed.
He leaped directly down from the ridge.
On the rocky shore.
Chu Yuan had his eyes closed, waiting for death.
However.
The expected bombardment of magical artifacts never landed on him.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four muffled explosions rang out almost simultaneously.
Chu Yuan snapped his eyes open.
He saw the most unbelievable scene of his entire life.
Those four previously arrogant and domineering Xuanhei Palace cultivators.
Now, they had been reduced to four headless corpses.
Blood sprayed wildly as they collapsed limply into the pile of rocks.
Standing amidst them.
Was a man in tattered black clothes.
Shen Fei.
He hadn't even drawn a sword, nor had he used any spells.
Relying solely on the terrifying speed and strength of his SS+ Rank Heavenly Demon Body, he had crushed the heads of four cultivators of the same realm with his bare hands in an instant.
Clean.
Crisp.
Not a single wasted movement.
Chu Yuan stared blankly at this savior who had suddenly appeared.
His mind was completely blank.
Th... thank you, Senior, for saving my life!
Chu Yuan snapped back to reality and hurriedly struggled to kneel on the ground, his voice trembling.
He thought he had encountered some rogue mighty cultivator living in seclusion at the edge of the Demon Abyss.
This junior is Chu Yuan, the True Legend Holy Son of the Lingxiao Pavilion. For Senior's great grace, the Lingxiao Pavilion will surely offer a heavy reward!
Shen Fei turned around.
His pitch-black eyes calmly looked at Chu Yuan kneeling on the ground.
No need to thank me.
Shen Fei's voice lacked any trace of warmth.
He walked step by step until he was right in front of Chu Yuan.
Your identity is the best reward.
Chu Yuan froze.
He didn't quite understand the meaning behind those words yet.
Shen Fei's right hand shot out like lightning.
He grabbed Chu Yuan by the neck and lifted his entire body off the ground.
Urgh...
Chu Yuan struggled in terror, but his depleted spiritual energy was worse than a mere ant's in Shen Fei's grasp.
Shen Fei didn't kill him.
In his left hand, he held the transparent Thousand Illusions Mask.
He pressed it directly onto Chu Yuan's face, which was twisted from suffocation.
Buzz!
The moment the mask touched Chu Yuan's skin, it erupted with a blinding white light.
Ah!!!
Chu Yuan let out a shrill, bloodcurdling scream.
He felt as if his soul was being forcibly torn apart by some terrifying power. His memories from the past three months, the aura of his cultivation techniques, and even his speaking habits and tone.
All of it was being frantically extracted and copied by this mask!
Ten seconds later.
The white light dissipated.
Shen Fei let go.
Chu Yuan collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud, his eyes rolling back as he completely lost consciousness.
Although he wasn't dead, his divine sense had suffered severe trauma, and there was no way he would wake up anytime soon.
Shen Fei looked at the mask in his hand, which had already taken on the appearance of Chu Yuan.
He did not hesitate.
He placed the mask directly onto his face.
After a strange, writhing sensation, Shen Fei's figure, bone structure, and facial contours began to change visibly.
A moment later.
The person standing there was no longer Shen Fei, the demon wanted across the entire domain.
Instead, it was Chu Yuan, the Holy Son of the Lingxiao Pavilion—a man with a handsome face and an ethereal temperament, though currently looking rather pale and bearing the aura of someone heavily injured.
Even the spiritual energy fluctuations radiating from his body perfectly simulated the aura of the orthodox cultivation techniques unique to the Lingxiao Pavilion.
Early Nascent Soul stage.
Without a single flaw.
Shen Fei looked down at his own hands.
In his mind, Chu Yuan's memories from the past three months flashed by like a slideshow.
The internal interpersonal relationships of the Lingxiao Pavilion.
The details of this mission to search for spiritual veins.
And the upcoming Prodigy Tournament, an event that concerned the interests of the entire state.
Shen Fei quickly digested this information.
He walked over to the unconscious, real Chu Yuan.
He thought for a second.
He didn't move in for the kill.
This real Holy Son was still useful alive. If he ever needed to shed this disguise in the future, or if he encountered an unexplainable dead end, the original owner would make the perfect scapegoat.
Shen Fei grabbed Chu Yuan by the collar.
He walked to an extremely well-hidden natural cave nearby.
And threw Chu Yuan inside.
Then, with a single palm strike, he shattered the rocks above the cave entrance.
Massive boulders crashed down, completely sealing the cave off.
Having done all this.
Shen Fei turned around.
He picked up the chipped, top-grade spiritual sword from the ground and held it in his hand.
He straightened the bloodstained, moon-white brocade robe he was wearing.
He took a deep breath.
The coldness and brutality in his eyes instantly vanished.
They were replaced by the relief of surviving a disaster, along with a trace of the arrogance belonging to an orthodox prodigy.
Profound Black Palace...
Shen Fei imitated Chu Yuan's tone and cursed in a low, teeth-gritting whisper.
Then.
Dragging his heavily injured body.
He staggered step by step toward the direction of the Lingxiao Pavilion.
Night fell.
When Shen Fei, in the guise of Chu Yuan, stumbled up to the mountain gates of the Lingxiao Pavilion.
The guarding disciples turned pale with fright.
It is Senior Brother Holy Son!
Senior Brother Holy Son has returned! Hurry and report to the Pavilion Master!
The entire Lingxiao Pavilion was instantly alarmed.
Several inner sect elders rushed over and carried the heavily injured and unconscious Shen Fei into the main hall of the sect.
No one doubted his identity.
The disguise of the Thousand Illusions Mask flawlessly deceived everyone's divine sense probes.
Shen Fei lay on the Lingxiao Pavilion's highest-grade healing jade bed.
With his eyes closed.
He felt the anxious and concerned gazes of the orthodox cultivators surrounding him.
The corners of his mouth, hidden in the shadows where no one could see.
Curled up slightly.
Orthodox Alliance.
I have returned.
...
That same night.
Tens of thousands of miles away from the Lingxiao Pavilion.
In the secret chamber of the sect leader of the Blood Fiend Sect.
Liu Tianxing stared at a slip of paper that had suddenly appeared in his hidden compartment.
There was only one sentence on it:
Continue investigating the clues regarding Meng Chuan. Do not alert the enemy. Wait for my instructions.
Liu Tianxing looked at the familiar handwriting.
His entire body shuddered.
That Demon King who had disappeared for a year.
He had appeared once again.
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 the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
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.
