The Hundred Thousand Mountains occupied a portion of East Jia State's territory, while the Divine Realm took another part.
Has East Jia State become a colony?
Though it sounds unpleasant, the reality is indeed so.
For a time, the Divine Realm couldn’t quite grasp the nature of the Hundred Thousand Mountains—whether they were friend or foe. Thus, they treated them as enemies, believing it was better to err on the side of caution to avoid any losses.
The news about the Hundred Thousand Mountains wasn’t particularly hidden within East Jia State. With some effort, the cultivators of the Divine Realm quickly gathered information, which could be summarized in just a few concise sentences.
The Hundred Thousand Mountains, originating from beyond the known realms, had taken over large swathes of East Jia State. Over the past thousand years, the outer regions of the Hundred Thousand Mountains had opened up, allowing cultivators below the Sage level to enter and seek opportunities. It had become a land of fortune for lower-level cultivators, bringing significant benefits to East Jia State.
Upon hearing this, the Divine Realm cultivators immediately saw the Hundred Thousand Mountains as a valuable asset. Even if they couldn’t claim it, they couldn’t allow East Jia State’s cultivators to obtain it so easily.
Thus, they began devising ways to muddy the waters of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, ensuring that no one could reap its benefits.
Their plan revolved around setting up a grand formation to isolate the entire Hundred Thousand Mountains. However, the specifics of how to arrange this formation required careful consideration—it had to be foolproof.
While the schemers of the Divine Realm were still brainstorming, an unwelcome guest arrived.
The Inner Demon leisurely emerged from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, his steps unhurried, as if he were there solely to admire the scenery.
By now, his temperament had grown increasingly similar to his original self. When the time was right, they would merge—a destined outcome.
The Inner Demon chuckled softly, his gaze flickering briefly to the left, where a startled bird flapped away in panic upon meeting his eyes.
“A petty trick,” the Inner Demon sneered, recognizing it as a minor surveillance technique used by East Jia State’s cultivators to monitor the outskirts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
With the will of the realm concealing his appearance, everyone saw him differently. His aura was also hidden, so he paid no mind to the surveillance and continued his journey outward.
He was in no rush at all. While crossing a river, he even took the time to row a boat, calmly appreciating the lush green mountains and waters around him. His crimson eyes held no trace of killing intent.
The verdant landscape was dotted with birds, most of which kept their eyes on him.
These were East Jia State’s spies.
The Inner Demon didn’t shy away from them. Instead, he would occasionally smile at the birds, displaying a surprising courtesy.
Meanwhile, the Great Emperors of East Jia State were in an uproar. First, the Great Emperors of the Divine Realm had descended upon the Immortal Realm, and now this ancient entity from the Hundred Thousand Mountains had emerged as well!
Was this truly an era of chaos? Why were all these ancient beings coming out of hiding?
Having just suffered a defeat at the hands of the Divine Realm’s Great Emperors, the East Jia State Great Emperors were further shaken by the Inner Demon’s appearance. They quickly sought out the Eighth Mountain to shift the burden, making their stance clear.
“This situation is beyond the capabilities of the three of us. Either summon the more powerful mountain lords from the other peaks or directly call upon the legendary Lord of the Nine Mountains. Otherwise, if anything happens to East Jia State, as long as it doesn’t affect our own sects, we won’t take responsibility.”
The elders of the Eighth Mountain could only sigh in resignation, advising the three Great Emperors to wait and see. Perhaps the ancient being from the Hundred Thousand Mountains was simply bored and out for a stroll, right?
The three Great Emperors could only hope that was the case.
Among them, the Wu Xi Great Emperor frowned slightly as he observed the Inner Demon’s figure. Though he didn’t recognize the appearance or sense any familiar aura, he couldn’t shake a strange feeling of familiarity, as if he had seen this being somewhere before.
He quickly dismissed this uneasy feeling, attributing it to the stress of the situation.
The scenery of East Jia State was truly beautiful, with evergreen landscapes throughout the seasons.
The Inner Demon followed the river downstream, letting the current carry him. He no longer needed to row, sitting at the front of the boat with his hands tucked into his sleeves, calm and unhurried, like an old man enjoying a leisurely boat ride.
Along the way, he encountered a boatman and even exchanged a few light-hearted words with him.
The boatman, who traveled far and wide transporting pills and magical artifacts, was quite talkative. Curious, he asked the Inner Demon,
“Fellow Daoist, where are you headed? Are you going to Gusu City downstream to watch the sword immortals duel, or perhaps to Cloud Mountain along the left tributary to see the martial artists compete? If not, you must be heading to Wang Bai’s place to discuss poetry, haha.”
“Neither,” the Inner Demon replied with a light chuckle, his gaze calm.
“Oh? Then there’s not much else around here worth traveling such a distance for. What brings you on this journey, Fellow Daoist?” the Nascent Soul-level boatman pressed.
“I’m not entirely sure…” The Inner Demon pulled his hands from his sleeves, stroking his chin as if pondering.
“But I suppose it’s mostly to kill someone.”
“Ah…” The boatman was momentarily stunned, not quite processing the response. Then, remembering that conflicts among cultivators were inevitable, he laughed it off and asked again,
“Might I ask who it is you’re planning to kill, that it’s worth traveling so far?”
The Inner Demon turned to look at him, his crimson eyes flashing with killing intent. His lips curled into a wide grin, revealing his true nature as he replied with a smile,
“A Great Emperor.”
The boatman’s face paled instantly. He abandoned the boat, transforming into a streak of light that shot into the sky, fleeing into the territory held by the Divine Realm’s Great Emperors.
He was, in fact, a Great Emperor of the Divine Realm!
The Inner Demon wasn’t in a hurry. He slowly stood up from the boat, straightened his sleeves, and looked up at the territory held by the Divine Realm’s Great Emperors, his smile radiant.
“The game of cat and mouse isn’t particularly fun, but raiding the mouse’s nest is quite entertaining.”
The boat suddenly accelerated, carried swiftly downstream by the river.
Flying down three thousand miles in an instant!
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
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?"
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
