Time passed slowly.
A week later, the martial artist industry emerged out of nowhere.
Martial artist stores, martial artist restaurants, martial artist vending machines, and more began appearing on every street corner.
The commercial districts underwent a complete transformation.
Ordinary shops and restaurants were replaced with martial artist specialty stores and martial artist dining establishments.
The food and services were divided into sections for martial artists and the general public.
People could freely choose between the two areas, though the prices and effects of the items differed.
Behind all of this was the influence of the Gu Family.
Some time had passed since the Demon Creature invasion in the headquarters district.
The city had begun rebuilding, but unlike before, everyone now remembered the painful lesson—Demon Creatures... and the Night King were humanity's greatest enemies.
At some point, rumors spread online that the Night King was the mastermind behind the Demon Creature attack on the headquarters district.
Whether it was just a rumor or not no longer mattered.
The deaths of loved ones became motivation to grow stronger.
More and more people joined the alliance, becoming martial artists.
They wanted to gain power... and then eradicate every last Demon Creature and the Night King.
The martial artist forums became hubs for sharing cultivation techniques and exchanging information about the Night King and Demon Creatures.
Short video platforms also began featuring content about martial artists in every aspect.
The most talked-about topic recently was naturally the rise of the martial artist industry.
At the headquarters of the Martial Artist Alliance, inside the training hall—
Swish! Swish!
Leng Ling'er swung her longsword with a serious expression.
Ever since the death of Leng Xing'an's family, Leng Ling'er had been in low spirits.
But with the support of her friends, she gradually emerged from her grief.
Her sister had called it an accident.
Leng Ling'er could only silently mourn for Leng Xing'an's family, praying that they would be reunited in their next life.
At that moment—
Lin Yinyin stood below the training platform, waving excitedly. "Ling'er-jie, Ling'er-jie! Come look at this!"
"Yinyin! What are you doing here?"
Leng Ling'er's stern expression softened. With a flash of golden light, she leaped down from the platform.
She then playfully ruffled Lin Yinyin's hair. "Didn’t you say you were going back to the Jianghai branch?"
"Hehe, Ling'er-jie, I finished my business early!"
"Never mind that—look at this!"
Lin Yinyin held up her phone, playing a video. "Ling'er-jie, we’re about to have a long break. Should we go visit another city?"
"Another city?"
Leng Ling'er leaned in to look.
On the screen, a new video blogger was showcasing a commercial complex in another city.
"Everyone, take a look—this is the largest commercial complex recently built in Linhai City!"
Standing on an observation deck, the blogger gestured downward as the camera panned to reveal a dazzling cluster of modern architecture.
The towering main building, spacious shopping center, luxurious five-star hotel, and a variety of entertainment facilities were all clearly visible.
"And that’s not all!" the blogger continued. "The shopping center spans two million square meters, featuring top global brands to meet every consumer’s needs!"
"But wait—there’s more! With the martial artist industry sweeping the world, this place has gathered the latest martial artist products!"
"Have you ever seen [Spirit Cuisine] that boosts your cultivation after eating it?"
"Or artificial [Spirit Pets] available for purchase?"
"How about cultivation gyms exclusively for martial artists? Here, you’ll find it all!"
"Don’t wait—come to Linhai City’s commercial complex! Address below: XXXXXX!"
The video ended.
Leng Ling'er’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Wow… the world is changing so fast!
"So, Ling'er-jie, what do you think? The break is coming up—should we go?"
Lin Yinyin looked up expectantly.
Leng Ling'er didn’t hesitate. "We’re going!"
"But I’ll need to invite a few others—Qiong Lan, Yun Xing, Ning Qian, and some of the new friends I’ve made..."
Lin Yinyin froze for a moment.
......
......
Inside the Anti-Demon Weapon Laboratory—
Two figures stood before a containment unit.
This was the deepest part of the lab, accessible only to a select few.
If anyone familiar with them were present, they would be shocked.
Because standing there were none other than... Gu Yan and Old Gao!
They observed a large container holding a grotesque, writhing creature.
It appeared to be a patchwork of different organisms, with metallic-like skin and eerie glowing eyes. Its body twisted unnaturally, as if struggling against unseen restraints.
The lab’s harsh lighting cast ominous shadows over its form, making it even more terrifying.
This was an Anti-Demon Weapon artificially cultivated by Gu Yan using Demon Creature cells, the Power of Night, and other experimental materials.
It had absorbed the abilities of multiple Demon Creatures.
Now, the entire Anti-Demon Weapon project was under his control.
After reviewing the experimental data, even he had to admire the researchers’ wild imagination.
Human lifespans were ultimately limited.
So, they had conceived the idea of merging humans with Demon Creatures to create a "New Humanity" capable of surpassing natural limits.
However, after years of experimentation, the only successful case was Lin Yinyin.
All others had turned into mindless, monstrous abominations.
At that moment—
Swish!
A robed figure appeared beside Gu Yan and handed him Lin Yinyin’s control device.
"Master, Leng Ling'er has agreed to visit Linhai City."
"Mm."
Gu Yan nodded faintly. "Is everything prepared on their end?"
"Young Master, all arrangements are complete."
"Once Leng Ling'er enters the commercial complex... the Anti-Demon Weapon will be deployed immediately."
Hearing this, Gu Yan opened his eyes.
Unlike Leng Qingqiu’s symbol-marked eyes when she became the Night King, his were filled with chaotic, shifting lines.
The creature in the container locked eyes with him—and instantly froze in terror, ceasing its struggles.
Gu Yan closed his eyes again. "Deploy this one as well."
"But... this one is at the Grand Master level. Leng Ling'er might not be able to—"
"No matter."
Gu Yan interrupted. "Leng Qingqiu will intervene."
Old Gao understood. "Understood, Young Master."
It seemed the Young Master had planned everything.
Meanwhile, at the Alliance Headquarters—
"Master, Leng Ling'er plans to visit the martial artist commercial complex in Linhai City."
"It’s a recent investment by the Gu Family."
Shangguan Miaoyin respectfully reported the situation.
After listening, Leng Qingqiu frowned.
Linhai City... commercial complex.
Right, it’ll soon be the Alliance’s official holiday... Except for essential staff on duty, everyone has the right to take time off.
Counting the days, Ling'er will be on break around then.
Given her usual personality, it’s perfectly normal for her to want to go out and have fun.
But the three great families are still lurking in the shadows, watching closely.
If Ling'er travels to another city and the three families catch wind of it, they might strike. That would be disastrous.
Yet, Leng Qingqiu didn’t want to suppress Ling'er’s childlike nature.
Besides, she had already placed a psychic defense on Ling'er.
If danger arose, it would automatically activate a mental barrier—strong enough to withstand even a Grand Master’s attack.
And she would sense it immediately.
Even if something happened, she could rush over in time.
After a moment of contemplation, Leng Qingqiu nodded in agreement. “Let her go.”
“Understood, Master.”
Since it’s a rare holiday, let Ling'er enjoy herself to the fullest.
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)
. 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!"
] [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!"
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!
