That night, beneath the celestial canopy, the world underwent a cataclysmic transformation.
The long-standing barrier between the ancient martial world and the secular world shattered, blurring the boundaries between the two realms as if an invisible wall had crumbled. The flow of energy between heaven and earth grew unusually active, unleashing powers once restrained.
The world's cultivation limits were elevated, making previously unattainable heights and strength now within reach. Countless martial artists felt their power surge, their realms climbing rapidly in a short span, as if they had breached an insurmountable chasm.
Martial artists were ecstatic, while ordinary people in the secular world sensed an inexplicable shift, as though the entire world had changed overnight.
Celestial phenomena followed.
In the sky, rolling clouds of seven-colored radiance unfurled like a magnificent painting. Stars shimmered, their dazzling light seemingly within grasp, while the moon shone brighter than ever, illuminating every corner of the earth. The ground trembled, mountains and rivers resonating as if welcoming the arrival of something monumental.
Amid these phenomena, faint echoes of distant bell tolls could be heard, as if transmitted from an ancient era, stirring the soul. Many martial artists sat cross-legged, absorbing the boundless energy of the world, their minds serene, as if merging with heaven and earth in that moment.
---
Secular World.
Inside the training chamber of the Sword Holding Department.
Hum!
A spatial ripple appeared, and Xiao Leng stepped out.
Expressionless, she walked toward the exit.
Hum!
With each step, another spiritual blade materialized behind her.
Hum! Hum! Hum!
By the time she exited the chamber, a total of 26 spiritual blades hovered behind her.
It was as if she had suppressed her cultivation for too long, and now, at last, it erupted. Her strength had skyrocketed.
Beyond the Grandmaster realm lay five more tiers: Post-grade, Earth-grade, Heaven-grade, Immortal-grade, and Divine-grade.
By these standards, she had already broken through to Post-grade First Tier!
Moreover... as a spiritualist, she was invincible within her own realm!
If Xiao Leng took over as the dominant personality, she could also wield the Power of Night.
Combined, these two forces meant even an Earth-grade expert would stand no chance against her.
Of course...
The world had only just raised its upper limits. She was likely the only Post-grade expert in existence.
But it wasn’t enough. The hidden enemies stood above the Divine-grade.
A mere Post-grade cultivation was insufficient.
Xiao Leng sighed softly. "Other me... the spiritualist’s power was awakened by you. Only you can master it more proficiently."
"You must... work harder."
"Otherwise, in the end, the outcome will still be..."
Her thoughts trailed off as she closed her eyes, diving into the depths of her consciousness.
---
...
...
Within a warm, flower-filled sea of consciousness.
Leng Qingqiu sat on a swing chair, a book in one hand and sweets beside her. She nibbled on treats while happily reading.
Upon closer inspection, her eyes here were perfectly intact, and her appearance matched that of five years ago.
Then—
Whoosh!
As if an intruder had arrived, the flowers around her began to wither.
Leng Qingqiu blinked in surprise and looked up.
Standing beside her was a person who looked exactly like her.
"Xiao Leng?"
"Why are you here?"
She was puzzled. It wasn’t daytime yet—why had Xiao Leng appeared so soon?
Xiao Leng glanced at the food and book Leng Qingqiu had manifested through spiritual energy.
With heightened perception and strengthened spirituality, the two could now meet in this shared mental space.
Without preamble, Xiao Leng said flatly, "From now on, I won’t emerge unless absolutely necessary."
"The world’s cultivation limits have been raised. Beyond Grandmaster lies Post-grade, Earth-grade, Heaven-grade, Immortal-grade, and Divine-grade."
"You’re currently equivalent to Post-grade First Tier—invincible within your realm."
"But it’s not enough. Other me, you must cultivate and reach beyond the Divine-grade."
"Otherwise, you won’t survive the calamity ahead."
Leng Qingqiu stared blankly. "Wait—"
Before she could finish—
Flash!
A light flickered across the sea of consciousness.
Moments later, Leng Qingqiu opened her eyes in confusion as control of her body returned to her.
"?"
A question mark slowly formed in her mind.
What just happened? What did Xiao Leng mean? Calamity?
What calamity?
Suddenly, a strange sensation surged through her.
She raised her hand slightly.
Instantly, countless spiritual needles materialized, blanketing all of Jianghai City—each one precisely locked onto every citizen.
With a single thought, those needles could pierce through every brain in the city.
Post-grade cultivation had completely transcended the limits of martial power.
"?!?"
Horrified, Leng Qingqiu checked her own condition and realized...
She had already condensed 26 spiritual blades. Her power had exploded.
"What in the...?"
She froze. Was this what Xiao Leng meant by the raised cultivation limits?
Beyond Grandmaster: Post-grade, Earth-grade, Heaven-grade, Immortal-grade, and Divine-grade.
New realms... How did the world change like this?
Leng Qingqiu felt like she had just finished a 12-hour shift and switched bodies, only to find the world turned upside down.
Could someone please explain?!
Yet, for some reason...
Her thoughts inexplicably drifted to Gu Yan.
This absurd change—she couldn’t shake the feeling that bastard was behind it!
Damn you, Gu Yan, what are you scheming now?
Just as she was about to curse him—
Shangguan Miaoyin approached and whispered, "Milady, headquarters has called an emergency meeting."
"Understood."
Leng Qingqiu swiftly composed herself.
---
...
...
Ancient Martial World.
Atop a high cliff, Gu Yan stood with a gaze so profound and tranquil that the upheavals of heaven and earth seemed but trivial ripples in his eyes.
The old boundaries and restraints no longer existed. The world was evolving toward a new horizon.
Whoosh!
A chilling aura emerged as Leng Bingning appeared beside him.
She studied him, inwardly astonished.
Despite her own breakthrough to late-stage Grandmaster thanks to the celestial phenomena, she still couldn’t discern Gu Yan’s cultivation level.
Just how strong is this guy?
After a pause, she spoke. "The Feather Emperor of the Phoenix Feather Dynasty has begun cultivating the Abyssal Extinction Art. Before the celestial phenomena, he had already disseminated the technique to everyone in the dynasty."
"Now, the dynasty’s Phoenix Feather Art has been sealed away. The entire nation has switched to the Abyssal Extinction Art."
In response, Gu Yan opened his palm.
Dense black light drifted across the entire world as he said calmly, "I’ve refined the Abyssal Annihilation Technique. By incorporating the Power of Night and the properties of the Claw Cells, it can now enhance the practitioner’s physique and accelerate cultivation speed."
"And it can be disguised as a new cultivation method for others to learn."
"Of course, I’ve kept the feature of devouring living beings to boost one’s cultivation."
"Whether to use it or not is entirely up to the individual."
Leng Bingning nodded, though she looked puzzled as she watched Gu Yan dispersing those black orbs. She asked, "What are you doing?"
Hearing this, Gu Yan explained, "Have you heard of... the Chosen Ones?"
"Chosen Ones?"
"Exactly." A peculiar glint flickered in Gu Yan’s eyes.
"Every Chosen One is destined to encounter their own fortuitous opportunities. What I’m doing is artificially creating those opportunities for them."
"A ring housing the soul of a powerful expert."
"An ancient artifact capable of speech."
"A cauldron that can refine and strengthen anything in this world."
"A suddenly awakened unique constitution."
"Memories of a past life as a supreme expert, abruptly restored."
"Or even a... system that grants rewards for completing tasks."
"In this world, there will always be those who believe themselves extraordinary. My role is to bestow upon them... the kind of destiny reserved only for protagonists."
"And when the time is ripe... it will be my turn to reap the fruits."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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.
