Lost and found, then lost again.
Jiang Ningshu felt like she wanted to die right now.
Of course, that was just an expression—she wouldn’t actually do it.
If Su Luo hadn’t assured her that her cultivation could be restored, her Dao Heart would have shattered completely.
Right now, Jiang Ningshu’s dejection was plain to see.
"Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you," Su Luo said to her.
"I know, but I can’t help dwelling on it."
"Even if I tell you not to, it won’t make a difference. So, I won’t leave your side for a single step."
"Mm."
Seeing Su Luo’s earnest expression, Jiang Ningshu felt a warmth in her heart.
Maybe losing her cultivation once in a while wasn’t such a bad thing.
...No, never mind. It was definitely better to keep her cultivation.
Meanwhile, Nangong Xiyun circled Jiang Ningshu, studying her with great interest.
"Did you really lose all your cultivation? Let me see."
Nangong Xiyun was genuinely curious.
For such formidable power to vanish just like that—it was nothing short of miraculous.
She claimed she’d never face such a situation, but that was just bravado. Even she couldn’t be certain about surviving the upcoming Heavenly Tribulation.
It wouldn’t hurt to learn more in advance.
"Go away, stop bothering me." Jiang Ningshu was no match for Nangong Xiyun now.
But Su Luo was here.
"Even without cultivation, you’re still so bold."
"Su Luo, she’s trying to kill me."
Nangong Xiyun: "......"
Hey, hey, I was just talking normally. Who’s trying to kill you?
"Su Luo, do you believe her?"
Jiang Ningshu had already ducked behind Su Luo, as if Nangong Xiyun truly intended to strike her down.
"Jiang Ningshu, you’re really overdoing it. I have a strong suspicion you’re faking this."
"Just wait till I recover my strength. I’ll beat you up."
"Oh? Why not try right now?"
Su Luo stepped in. "Enough, both of you. Once Ningshu recovers, you can fight until the heavens and earth collapse for all I care."
Nangong Xiyun finally eased up—but only slightly. "Fine, fine. So, to avoid getting beaten up, should I work harder on my cultivation?"
According to Su Luo, Jiang Ningshu’s power would grow even stronger after this ordeal.
But Nangong Xiyun wasn’t intimidated. She had full confidence in herself.
"Exactly. Shouldn’t you go into seclusion?"
"Who are you to tell me what to do? I’m not going."
With that, Nangong Xiyun dropped the argument, giving Su Luo face by not provoking Jiang Ningshu further.
Su Luo comforted her. "Don’t be afraid. It’ll only last a few days. You endured much longer before—you’ll get through this too."
Hearing Su Luo’s reassurance, Jiang Ningshu’s expression softened slightly.
Just then, Little Yu brought out a tray of delicious food.
"Since you’ve lost your cultivation, you must be hungry. Have something to eat."
Little Yu had already prepared a full table of dishes.
The aroma was irresistible.
Not because Little Yu was an exceptional cook, but because the ingredients were of the highest quality.
High-end ingredients required only the simplest preparation.
Now that it was mentioned, Jiang Ningshu did feel a pang of hunger.
"Then I won’t hold back."
She began eating with refined grace.
But being watched by so many people didn’t exactly whet her appetite.
"Ahem, let’s all eat," Su Luo suggested, adding more food to his plate to spare Jiang Ningshu the awkwardness of dining alone.
Little Yu agreed. "Right, I’m hungry too."
Nangong Xiyun shrugged. "If you’re all eating, I might as well join."
And so, they all enjoyed the feast together.
Occasionally, lighthearted conversations sparked laughter around the table.
For a fleeting moment, even Jiang Ningshu forgot she had lost her cultivation.
But only for a moment. Once the meal ended, reality returned.
A hollow feeling settled in her chest.
And as time passed, that emptiness only grew.
Jiang Ningshu couldn’t help but feel a creeping dread.
She tried her best to hide it.
......
Su Luo and the others set out, though not in any hurry.
They strolled leisurely, moving forward at a relaxed pace.
With Jiang Ningshu powerless, they could have carried her swiftly if needed.
But moving slowly helped ease the panic in her heart.
Before long, however, Jiang Ningshu grew tired.
The fatigue only reinforced the stark realization—she was no different from a mortal now.
The thought filled her with unease. What if her cultivation never returned?
But seeing Su Luo beside her, she regained a sliver of confidence. It wouldn’t come to that.
Night fell. Su Luo casually conjured a room—such tasks were effortless for someone of his cultivation.
Nangong Xiyun cheerfully went to find Su Luo, only to discover Jiang Ningshu already lying on his left side.
"Oh? I thought you weren’t interested?"
Nangong Xiyun couldn’t resist gloating. Who was it that claimed to have no interest in Su Luo’s body?
Talk about a slap in the face.
Jiang Ningshu understood her implication.
"Don’t get the wrong idea. I just want to stay close to Su Luo."
It made her feel safe.
Right now, she was holding Su Luo’s hand—only then could she fall asleep peacefully.
"Then you should sleep quickly," Nangong Xiyun said with exaggerated seriousness.
But the more composed she looked, the more Jiang Ningshu sensed something amiss.
Suddenly, it hit her.
"What do you mean? Don’t you dare pull anything while I’m asleep!"
Jiang Ningshu felt like she was about to explode.
In her current state, all she wanted was a good night’s rest beside Su Luo.
And now Nangong Xiyun was scheming?
How utterly shameless.
"What are you talking about? I’d never do such a thing," Nangong Xiyun insisted, keeping her tone deadpan.
No way she’d admit it.
"You think I don’t know you?"
"And what makes you think you know me?"
Meanwhile, Little Yu quietly settled on Su Luo’s right side.
Without a word.
Soon, drowsiness overtook Jiang Ningshu, and she fell asleep—though even in slumber, her grip on Su Luo’s hand remained firm.
Su Luo and Little Yu had already closed their eyes, tuning out the other two.
Their bickering was just background noise—nothing that could disrupt their ability to sleep at will.
Now, only Nangong Xiyun remained awake. She gazed at the three sleeping figures.
Each holding one of Su Luo’s hands, nestled close.
Nangong Xiyun realized—there was no space left for her.
But that didn’t stop her.
She’d just sleep on top of Su Luo.
Nangong Xiyun levitated slightly before gently settling onto Su Luo, wrapping her arms around him casually as she drifted off.
She gave him no chance to refuse.
Not that Su Luo could—he was already deep in sleep.
Only a vague, blissful sensation lingered in his dreams, pulling him deeper into unconsciousness.
The next morning, Little Yu and Nangong Xiyun woke early and stepped outside to wander, leaving Su Luo and Jiang Ningshu to sleep undisturbed.
But soon, Jiang Ningshu stirred awake.
Her first instinct was to search frantically for Su Luo.
Finding him beside her, she exhaled in relief.
Then she checked herself—still no sign of her restored cultivation.
Disappointment crept in again.
And with it, the endless spiral of anxious thoughts.
] [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!"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
