!!
The Peach Blossom Sect Leader widened her eyes upon hearing the voice. She stiffly turned her head toward the source of the sound.
There, standing beside her and Tao Ying, was a figure nearly identical to the one from years ago!!
Without hesitation, she channeled her qi and activated the Peach Blossom Secret Technique.
The shadow of five years ago still haunted her mind—the Night King, with his invincible demeanor, had effortlessly slaughtered everyone who approached him.
Back then, she had survived only by hiding in a safe place. Now, facing the Night King again, she had no intention of fighting.
If she could just use the secret technique to stall the Night King for a moment, that would be enough! They could activate the teleportation array and escape!
However... crack!!
Her protective barrier, capable of withstanding a grandmaster's attack, was shattered by a single, overwhelming strike. Then...
Squelch!!
A sharp pain pierced her chest. Looking down, she saw a long blade protruding from her chest.
Because she had never suspected Tao Ying, her back had been completely exposed.
"Wha...!"
The Peach Blossom Sect Leader's secret technique was abruptly interrupted. She stared in disbelief at her granddaughter, whose eyes now gleamed with excitement.
"Yingying... you!"
The Sect Leader's face turned pale. Before she could say more, another figure suddenly appeared beside them.
Holding a black dagger, the figure swung it with a roar that echoed like a tiger and a dragon.
Boom!
Squelch!!
A headless corpse was born, its blood instantly vaporized by the scorching qi.
Thud!
The Peach Blossom Sect Leader's lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
Old Gao held the Sect Leader's head, her face still frozen in terror.
She had died without understanding what had just happened.
The entire sequence had been executed flawlessly, leaving no room for the Sect Leader to react.
Tao Ying quickly ran over to Gu Yan, eager for praise. "Master~ Did I do well~?"
Gu Yan nodded slightly. "Not bad."
Hearing this, Tao Ying blushed with excitement.
Gu Yan then walked over to Old Gao, looking at the head in his hand. He couldn't help but marvel at how the Night King from years ago had left such a deep psychological scar on these people.
None of them even thought about fighting—they only wanted to flee.
If they had actually fought, and the Peach Blossom Secret Technique had been fully activated, he might have had to rely on the passive effect of the Dragon King Palace jade pendant to resist the illusion.
Thinking this, Gu Yan extended a finger, and a sharp claw formed from black water materialized.
He plunged it into the Peach Blossom Sect Leader's head.
In an instant, countless threads appeared, wrapping around her head and the corpse on the ground.
Zhua Zhua's innate skill—Devour!
It could consume the soul of others and selectively acquire their techniques!
The devouring process took only a few seconds.
A stream of information flooded Gu Yan's mind.
[Congratulations! Your pet "Zhua Zhua" has devoured a skill book~~]
[Congratulations! Zhua Zhua has devoured another strand of dragon qi~~]
? System, can you be serious for once?
He checked the description.
[Peach Blossom Secret Technique]
Description: Manipulates the target's senses and consciousness, creating lifelike illusions to confuse, distract, or deceive the target's attention and actions.
Perfect. This would be a great asset for future plans.
Gu Yan smiled with satisfaction.
Then, as Zhua Zhua finished devouring the fifth strand of dragon qi, a vast and pure aura of dragon divinity erupted from Gu Yan's body.
His power began to surge rapidly.
Old Gao watched in astonishment.
Legend had it that when one devoured enough dragon qi, they would be blessed by the heavens and become a Chosen One!
But...
It was Zhua Zhua who had devoured the dragon qi!
Which meant...
The aura faded, and Gu Yan looked down at Zhua Zhua, who had transformed into a ring on his finger. He fell silent.
Because...
[Congratulations! Zhua Zhua has devoured the corpse of a grandmaster! Having devoured five strands of dragon qi, Zhua Zhua's cultivation has advanced to the early grandmaster stage!!]
[When Zhua Zhua merges with the host, the host will gain all of Zhua Zhua's power!]
[New title acquired—Chosen Claw!]
? Seriously?
Gu Yan slowly formed a question mark in his mind but quickly shook his head.
Whatever. The story had already taken such a bizarre turn that he probably wouldn't be surprised by anything else that happened.
As for the upgraded mimicry ability...
Gu Yan focused for a moment and immediately understood how it worked.
With a thought...
Gurgle!!
Countless threads emerged from the ground, forming the figure of the Peach Blossom Sect Leader in just a few seconds.
This was Zhua Zhua's upgraded mimicry ability!
It could now perfectly replicate the appearance of anyone Zhua Zhua had devoured, using its cells to create a lifelike copy!
It could either create a standalone replica or merge with a living being to transform into the target's appearance.
The only downside was that the replica lacked a soul or consciousness, acting purely on Zhua Zhua's instincts.
Suddenly, Zhua Zhua seemed to sense a delicious aura and began transmitting a strong desire to devour it.
Previously, Zhua Zhua hadn't been this intelligent, but after advancing, its mental capacity had clearly improved.
Gu Yan sensed the aura and quickly realized who it belonged to.
It seemed that, just like in the original story, this person had displayed astonishing talent in cultivation in a short time.
Good.
Next up was...
Gu Yan's feet slowly left the ground as he raised his hand, feeling the immense power coursing through him.
So this was the power of a grandmaster? Thanks to Zhua Zhua's fusion, he now possessed grandmaster-level strength.
He could even use the techniques Zhua Zhua had acquired.
With the Peach Blossom Secret Technique in hand, a glint of intrigue flashed in Gu Yan's eyes.
Now, it was time for the Heavenly Demon Sect to play the role of the scapegoat.
Meanwhile...
In a secluded cultivation chamber.
Wang Yulan sat alone on a stone bed. As a surge of energy rose within her, she opened her palm, and a green branch formed from qi sprouted from it.
Seeing this, Wang Yulan's eyes lit up with joy.
Amazing! So this is the qi Tao Ying mentioned?
The unique appearance was likely due to the influence of the Flower God's energy within her.
Swish!
She dispersed the qi, her eyes filled with hatred for Xiao Lin.
She could never forget that night—the night Xiao Lin had killed her mother.
"Xiao Lin... just you wait. I will kill you and avenge my mother!"
Her voice dripped with murderous intent, but then, as if remembering something, the killing intent faded.
Only a sense of loneliness remained in her eyes.
Sigh... I still can't forget him.
......
......
You Xingxue had just finished her training for the day.
After taking a bath, she collapsed onto her bed, utterly exhausted.
"Ah... I'm so tired... my eyes hurt..."
"My brain feels like it's about to explode..."
You Xingxue mumbled weakly. Today, Mei Xue had taken her to a pure white underground space.
There, she had met several terrifying individuals.
For some reason, she could instantly replicate any technique they demonstrated, which had left her mind on the verge of overload.
Just then...
[How was today's training?]
A voice that sent shivers down her spine echoed in her mind.
!! It's Master!
You Xingxue immediately perked up.
"M-Master, I'm fine... not tired at all... hehe..."
She spoke slowly, her face flushing and her heart racing at the sound of his voice.
Even her body seemed to grow warmer.
[Good. Come to this location. Let me see the results of your training.]
With that, the voice faded.
You Xingxue sat up abruptly, her expression brimming with excitement.
Master... wants me to come now?
Gulp...
She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
Master needs you right now, You Xingxue. Don't... don't mess this up.
With trembling fingers, she pointed forward.
Hum!
A black hole, identical to the one Mei Xue had summoned earlier, appeared before her.
You Xingxue sighed in relief, quickly changed her clothes, and mustered her courage before stepping through.
Master, I'm coming~!
. 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!"
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?"
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
