Tang Xiaoxue was brought to the front hall of the Qingyun Sword Sect's master.
"Xiaoxue, wait here for a moment. I'll go report to the sect master," the female cultivator said.
"Okay, senior sister," Tang Xiaoxue replied.
As soon as the female cultivator stepped into the main hall, her demeanor completely changed.
"Master, bad news, bad news!"
The Qingyun Sword Sect's sect master and group of elders looked towards the door.
Seeing it was his disciple, the sect master scolded, "Jade Butterfly, what's with the yelling and shouting?"
Li Yudie quickly stopped and paid respects, "Greetings Master, greetings elders."
The head elder laughed, "Girl, when will you fix that rash behavior of yours?"
"Elders, please listen to me first," Li Yudie said.
"Go on then, speak," the elder replied.
Li Yudie quickly continued, "Master, elders, I've discovered an excellent cultivator seedling. You should confirm how good she is."
The sect master scolded, "Then why were you yelling bad news?"
Li Yudie mumbled while pulling at her clothes, "I was afraid other sects would find out!"
"Alright alright, Yudie was just worried," the second elder mediated.
"Call the person in first!"
"Yes! I'll bring her in immediately, Master!"
Returning to the front hall, Li Yudie resumed her previous tranquil manner.
"Xiaoxue, come in with me. The sect master wants to see you."
"Okay, senior sister."
Stepping into the hall, Xiaoxue was a little nervous and stuck close behind her senior sister.
"Tang Xiaoxue pays respects to seniors," she greeted.
Seeing the girl, the sect master immediately smiled, "Xiaoxue, don't be scared. We just want to test your aptitude."
Li Yudie thought to herself, [Master is so petty, whispering gently to Xiaoxue yet yelling at me.]
Xiaoxue nodded.
"Eldest brother, test Xiaoxue," the sect master said.
"Alright."
As the head elder inserted spirit energy into Xiaoxue's body, his expression continuously changed.
"Metal, wood, water - three attribute spiritual roots."
The other elders exclaimed in unison, "What? Three attributes simultaneously? Even disciples personally taught by the Holy Land rarely have three attributes!"
The sect master forced himself to stay composed, already plotting to take Xiaoxue as a disciple.
He transmitted to his disciple, "Whether Xiaoxue can become your junior sister depends on you."
"Understood," Li Yudie replied.
The second elder took out an artifact, "Let's test her aptitude again!"
The head elder gently told Xiaoxue, "Xiaoxue, put your hand here."
"Okay, senior."
As Xiaoxue placed her hand on the artifact, everyone craned their necks staring at it.
The artifact quickly lit up white, then rapidly cycled through colors -
Blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, red.
It stopped on red without changing further, only shining brighter.
The head elder wondered, "Why is it getting brighter without changing color?"
While the sect master and elders were confused, Xiaoxue plainly said, "Can it only test up to red?"
Everyone turned to Xiaoxue, frightening her into quickly lowering her head.
Unsure, the second elder ventured, "It seems... it should... maybe it can only test up to perfect grade."
The others were also uncertain until the sect master stamped his authority, "Then it's perfect."
Everyone readily agreed.
Blinking her large eyes, Xiaoxue thought, their arbitrary decision really shows how stupid the elders are, just like Master said.
Before anyone could react, the sect master stated, "Since her spirit roots are only perfect grade, I can reluctantly take Xiaoxue as my disciple!"
"Xiaoxue, hurry and bow as disciple."
Hearing this, Xiaoxue immediately knelt, "Disciple Tang Xiaoxue pays respects to Master."
"Good good, my well-behaved disciple, rise."
The second elder said, "Junior brother is truly our..."
He didn't finish saying "perfect" before reacting, "Junior brother, how shameless! You reluctantly accepted a perfect grade aptitude. Do you have no shame?"
The others also reacted, "This bow doesn't count. We don't agree!"
The head elder jumped up, "Our sect hasn't produced a perfect grade aptitude disciple in hundreds of years. It's rare to encounter one, yet you used such underhanded means to cheat her away. I'm the first to disagree!"
"We don't agree either!"
Unperturbed, the sect master breezily said, "It can't be helped since I'm smarter than you all. Otherwise, Master wouldn't have let me be sect master."
"You mean we're stupid?"
"I didn't say that. It was our late teacher who said it," the sect master replied.
"We'll compete with you for her!"
The sect master instantly cowered, "Everyone, let's talk it out. Violence won't solve anything. Most urgent now is how to teach and conceal Xiaoxue."
"You're right."
The group of people then started discussing.
Xiaoxue thought, Master really was right about the stupidity of the elders.
In the end, the sect master took Tang Xiaoxue as personal disciple with the elders all participating in teaching her and claiming to be her masters.
Of course, Xiaoxue's status as personal disciple wouldn't spread outside. Only those present knew.
Xiaoxue didn't disappoint her many masters. In just one day, she absorbed energy into her body achieving the Energy Refining Realm. In one month, she reached late Energy Refining Realm, ready to establish her foundation at any time.
The sect master and elders all became arrogantly proud, each one trying to claim credit. To build a good foundation for Xiaoxue, the old fellows took out all their treasures.
Li Yudie felt considerably vexed. Ever since Xiaoxue's arrival, she was no longer the apple in her master and seniors' eyes, reduced to some outsider. But for those heavenly treasures, Li Yudie thought - I can endure another decade.
Inside the main hall of Qingyun Sword Sect, the group was immersed in intense debate.
"Xiaoxue should focus on metal attribute arts."
"Wood attribute."
"No, it should be water attribute."
The daily headache for the sect master was his unreasonable elders acting like immature children.
"Enough arguing. Have Xiaoxue learn arts of all three attributes."
"Sect master really has the solution."
"Sect master is wise."
This was distressing for Tang Xiaoxue who had to cultivate three attributed arts daily, keeping each one evenly matched without falling behind the sect's other geniuses. It indirectly showed her astoundingly high aptitude for cultivation.
What truly gave Xiaoxue a headache wasn't cultivation itself but her meddling masters - a group of nosey old men fussing over her like nagging grandparents over a cherished granddaughter.
Xiaoxue currently only thought of reaching Golden Core Realm, so she could cultivate independently and go out adventuring by herself.
The sect master and elders believed for foundation building that Xiaoxue might not do it right without sufficient supervision.
As for Tang Xiaoyu after over a month of long-distance travel, he finally arrived at White Tiger City, the one nearest to Maple Moon City.
Tang Xiaoyu thought - I'll never willingly change locations in this vast cultivation world again, even if you beat me to death.
Entering White Tiger City, Tang Xiaoyu tangibly felt it was more dangerous than Maple Moon City.
"Uncle, let's find a spot to busk first. Otherwise, we'll have to leave the city to scrounge for food again," he said.
The man dressed like a farmer, Lu Changchun, nodded, "I'll listen to you."
After wandering the city half the day, they finally found a nice looking area.
Setting up their instruments and a signboard made beforehand, the pair prepared to work for their day's income.
Tang Xiaoyu didn't know where Lu Changchun had obtained a guqin but insisted on accompanying his singing.
Tang Xiaoyu felt an additional instrument would enhance the singing performance, but lessons on teaching Lu Changchun the accompanying melody were true torture.
After over ten days instruction, Lu Changchun was finally taught with subsequent public performances in some nearby villages to test things out. The reception felt fairly positive.
Eager for some fresh entertainment and lacking other amusements, quite a few villagers would come listen to Tang Xiaoyu's singing. In turn, the two obtained a fair number of eggs, fruits and vegetables.
"Uncle, first sing that song I taught you, 'The Ascetic Monk', to draw people in."
"No problem, I'll let my desolate and slightly mournful voice captivate everyone," Lu Changchun answered.
Tang Xiaoyu could only shake his head, thinking [Even if your singing is great, must you be so narcissistic?]
Initially rather shy with stage fright, only encouragement from the rustic common folk allowed Lu Changchun to slowly grow accustomed to singing before crowds. Now he could sing casually anywhere.
As the guqin's melody rose, Lu Changchun gradually got absorbed singing out 'The Ascetic Monk'.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
] [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!"
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)
