Little Bai and the others had been wandering outside, but they were suddenly brought to this place by the so-called "clawed ones." Even though nothing had been done to them, they were still deeply frightened inside.
However, Gu Yan's arrival today brought an immense warmth to each child's heart, reigniting hope in their lives.
They were led by the death warriors, holding their hands as they walked toward the dormitory.
As they walked, each child kept glancing back at Gu Yan.
The latter wore a faint smile on his face.
It wasn't until the children were out of sight that Gu Yan's smile slowly faded.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
Zhua Zhua emerged from Gu Yan's fingertip, making a sound as if seeking praise.
Gu Yan nodded lightly. "I know you did well. I'll allow you to have a little."
"Chirp!"
Zhua Zhua twitched excitedly, then its three miniature claws plunged into Gu Yan's finger, greedily sucking his blood.
It seemed utterly obsessed, as if Gu Yan's blood were some kind of potent elixir.
Gu Yan silently observed the oddly behaving Zhua Zhua.
Hmm, another strange thing to add to the list. Recently, Zhua Zhua had become even more attached to his blood.
Oh well, no point dwelling on it.
Gu Yan shook his head, his thoughts drifting to the candies he had just handed out.
In truth, when he gave the candies to the five children, Zhua Zhua's cells had already infiltrated them.
Starting the infection from childhood allowed Zhua Zhua's cells to penetrate deeper.
Of course, his gentle, considerate, and kind demeanor wasn't without reason...
It was because those siblings were extremely important...
Though they seemed ordinary now, they were actually one of the key antagonists in the later stages of the original story. Yes, they were also subordinates of Leng Qingqiu in the original work.
Recognizing their talent and temperament, Gu Yan had recruited them.
He had given them a cultivation technique called the "Twin Demon Art," which had stringent requirements.
It could only be practiced by two individuals of the same bloodline. Once mastered, the two would share a single mind and body.
Moreover, they would gain two lives! As long as one of the siblings remained alive, the other could be resurrected within their body and reborn!!
In the original story, this pair of antagonists nearly wiped out the protagonist's group. Fortunately, their weakness was discovered, allowing them to be defeated in one fell swoop.
As for the others, they were just ordinary orphans with cultivation potential.
However, they too would play a significant role in his future plans.
Thinking of this, Gu Yan glanced at the sky. There was still some time before Little Bai and the others finished washing up and settling in. Now would be a good time to inspect the future headquarters of his organization.
After a thorough inspection, he could make the necessary renovations.
After all, this place would house more than just five children in the future.
With this in mind, Gu Yan smiled slightly and said, "Let's go, Old Gao, Zhua Zhua. Accompany me on a tour of this place."
"Yes, young master."
"Yes, sir."
Time passed slowly.
Gu Yan finished touring the area.
If he had to describe his impression of the place... it was simply too run-down.
The facilities consisted of a derelict playground, a dilapidated school building, and crumbling dormitories, surrounded by barren land.
If only he had Qingqiu's ability to casually create spatial black holes, he could summon Long Zaitian right now.
After showing him the place, Long Zaitian could arrange for the construction of a suitable base.
Of course, he could just mention it to him later.
Entering the dormitory, Gu Yan shook his head in disgust. The place was in shambles.
The glass windows were all shattered, and the staircase connecting the fourth and fifth floors had collapsed onto the first floor.
It seemed everything would need to be rebuilt from scratch.
Once the renovations were complete, he would need to find teachers to educate the children.
After all, he didn't want a bunch of battle-crazed brutes with no sense of propriety under his command.
Thinking of this, Gu Yan realized he also needed to recruit talented individuals.
While martial artists were essential, humans needed more than just combat skills to live fulfilling lives. Therefore, he would also need specialists to improve their quality of life.
This wouldn't be difficult for the Gu Family. Gu Yan couldn't help but marvel once again at the perks of being part of a powerful family.
"That's enough for now. Let's go check on the children."
Gu Yan had a rough plan in mind, but the specifics would have to wait until after the renovations were complete.
......
......
Meanwhile, deep in a remote mountain forest.
Mei Xue looked somewhat surprised at You Xingxue, who was panting heavily with her hands on the ground. "I didn't expect you to last this long. I underestimated you."
"However, you're still far from being able to cultivate true qi."
You Xingxue gasped for breath, looking up. Honestly, she hadn't expected to endure this either.
Perhaps because she had been running through the forest for so long, she felt a bit unwell and turned to Mei Xue. "Can't I... start learning how to cultivate true qi now?"
Mei Xue shook her head and sneered, "Do you think I don't want to?"
"But your physical condition is too poor."
"This level of training is just to improve your physical fitness to meet the minimum requirements for cultivating true qi."
"For example, look at me. Cultivating true qi is simple. I just need to focus my mind and circulate the technique to extract true qi."
"Like this..."
Mei Xue opened her palm, and a buzzing sound followed. A swirling vortex of black true qi gradually formed in her hand. "See? This is the true qi I've cultivated using my technique."
"True qi has many uses. I've also prepared a suitable technique for you. Once your physical condition improves, you can start practicing it."
You Xingxue watched intently, feeling an itch in her eyes. She rubbed them, her expression turning peculiar.
Mei Xue didn't notice You Xingxue's odd behavior. Instead, she glanced at the sky and continued, "Alright, before noon, you need to complete another 10-kilometer cross-country run. Don't worry, even if you pass out, I'll heal you."
"Um..."
At this moment, You Xingxue spoke up timidly, "I think... I might not need to train anymore..."
"Huh?"
Mei Xue frowned, turning her cold gaze toward You Xingxue, ready to mock her. "Are you giving up already...?"
But before she could finish, Mei Xue froze.
There, in You Xingxue's palm, was a swirling vortex of black true qi, identical to her own.
Looking at Mei Xue's increasingly stiff expression, You Xingxue raised her hand weakly and asked, "Um... Miss Mei, does this mean I've become a martial artist?"
At these words...
Wait, what?
Mei Xue felt her worldview shaking.
Hold on... It took me a whole week to cultivate true qi back then. How did this kid manage it just by watching? What's going on? Is You Xingxue a genius?
No, no... No genius can learn something like this just by seeing it once...
Wait, could she be a natural-born martial artist? Yes, that must be it! She must have already awakened her true qi naturally!
Mei Xue tried to console herself. Originally, her plan was to train You Xingxue's body and mind simultaneously.
By the time You Xingxue could cultivate true qi, she would already be a beginner martial artist.
But now...
She looked at You Xingxue, who seemed both embarrassed and timid.
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This girl didn't look like someone who could meet the standards of a beginner martial artist!
Handing her over like this would likely be unacceptable to Gu Yan.
Well, at least she's a natural-born martial artist...
Mei Xue began to scheme. Maybe she could convince Gu Yan to recruit her if she proved talented enough.
Then... once Gu Yan revealed the whereabouts of her brother, she could expose Gu Yan's true nature.
Afterward, she could send You Xingxue to infiltrate Gu Yan's circle and strike at the right moment.
Perfect!
With this in mind, she turned to You Xingxue. "Since you've cultivated true qi, I'll take you to a good place."
"Okay..."
You Xingxue nodded, then added hesitantly, "But I need to go home to take care of my dad before mealtime..."
Mei Xue: "........."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
