Cold.
That was Lián Xù's first thought.
Not because of the wind.
Not because evening had fallen across Azure River Kingdom.
Because after hearing 99.99% fatality rate, his soul had quietly detached from his body and had yet to fully return.
He sat on the stone steps outside the training grounds, staring into empty space.
The western sky burned crimson beneath the setting sun.
Golden light spread over palace roofs and jade tiles.
Long shadows stretched across the ground.
Somewhere nearby, guards rotated shifts. The sound of armored footsteps echoed softly through stone corridors.
Life continued normally.
The world remained peaceful.
Lián Xù, meanwhile, was reconsidering every decision he had made since transmigrating.
"Ninety-nine point ninety-nine?"
The words tasted bitter.
"Couldn't it at least pretend to encourage me?"
Nearby, Lián Hào stood silently.
The First Prince had removed his armor and now wore dark training robes instead. Loose sleeves shifted lightly in the evening breeze.
He looked toward Lián Xù several times.
Then away.
Then toward him again.
Finally—
"Your Majesty."
"Hm?"
"Drink this."
A jade bottle appeared before him.
Lián Xù stared.
"??... Again?"
"Recovery medicine."
"..."
Lián Xù accepted it.
Brother.
Please.
At this point even rocks could see through you.
Far away—
Beyond mountain ranges.
Beyond rivers.
Beyond lands where ordinary cultivators dared tread—
there existed a place no map recorded.
A land swallowed by fire.
An endless volcanic abyss.
The earth itself looked wounded.
Rivers of molten magma flowed through shattered valleys like blood through torn flesh. Dark smoke rose endlessly toward the heavens, turning the skies above into perpetual darkness.
No life should have existed there.
No birds.
No beasts.
No insects.
Nothing.
Because within a thousand miles—
everything breathed carefully.
Everything feared.
Deep beneath the volcanic world—
far below the earth itself—
a massive chamber existed.
Ancient chains thicker than mountains stretched across endless darkness.
Countless crimson runes burned across them.
Some had shattered.
Some remained intact.
And at the center—
something sat quietly.
A figure.
Human-shaped.
Barely.
Blood covered his body.
Ancient wounds crossed pale skin.
Dark tattered wings protruded from his back.
Not fully spread.
Broken.
Ruined.
Yet even damaged—
they radiated pressure so terrifying that space itself distorted around them.
Golden chains pierced flesh and bone.
Golden blood dripped slowly downward.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
His head remained lowered.
Eyes closed.
Silent.
Then—
without warning—
those eyes opened.
Golden.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
The entire volcanic world froze.
Mountains trembled.
Magma exploded upward.
Within thousands of miles—
countless beasts collapsed onto the ground.
Some immediately bled from eyes and ears.
Some simply died.
The pressure alone suffocated heaven and earth.
Then—
the chained creature looked upward.
Toward somewhere impossibly distant.
Toward Azure River Kingdom.
Toward something—
or someone.
And suddenly—
it screamed.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—
The sound shattered mountains.
The heavens shook.
Ancient chains exploded with blinding light.
********
Inside Azure River Kingdom—
Lián Xù suddenly sneezed.
"Ah-choo."
He frowned.
"Who cursed me?"
****************
Night had fallen completely.
Moonlight poured over the imperial palace.
Silver light reflected across calm lakes and quiet stone pathways.
After the exhausting training of the entire day, Lián Xù had returned to the throne room.
Returned was perhaps the wrong word.
Dragged himself back was more accurate.
The moment he entered—
he collapsed onto the dragon throne.
Not gracefully.
Not regally.
Face first.
Thud.
"I understand now..."
His muffled voice echoed weakly.
"Cultivators are insane."
His body still felt sore.
Even after medicine and Body Tempering enhancement, exhaustion clung stubbornly to his muscles.
His shoulders ached.
His legs felt strangely detached from reality.
His soul remained somewhere outside the palace.
Maybe outside the kingdom.
Maybe outside existence itself.
Lián Xù lay there motionlessly.
Then suddenly—
Ding.
A soft metallic chime echoed through the quiet hall.
Lián Xù froze.
Slowly—
very slowly—
he lifted his head.
[Daily Gacha Tokens Available]
[Gacha Tokens ×10]
Silence.
Then—
his eyes began shining.
Actually shining.
Hope returned immediately.
His soul returned.
His body sat upright instantly.
Ten draws.
TEN.
Lián Xù nearly became emotional.
The previous rewards had been painful memories.
Absolute pain.
The first day:
"Thank you for your patronage."
Repeated.
Repeated again.
Repeated harder.
He still remembered staring blankly at the system screen wondering if he had somehow entered a mobile game designed by demons.
Yesterday had been slightly better.
Three talismans.
One defense talisman.
One attack talisman.
One teleportation talisman.
Ten thousand gold.
Everything else?
Garbage.
Duds.
"Thank you for your patronage."
Prototype system my ass.
This thing clearly had loot box mechanics.
Lián Xù rubbed his hands together slowly.
The movement looked almost ceremonial.
Like a gambler approaching divinity.
"...Alright."
He leaned forward.
Eyes narrowed.
"System."
His voice lowered.
Serious.
Determined.
"...Let's talk."
Silence.
"...I don't ask for much."
"...Divine rank cultivation."
"...Ancient bloodline."
"...World-shaking treasure."
"...Maybe heavenly luck."
Pause.
"...Basic requests."
Ding.
A wheel slowly materialized before him.
Ancient symbols rotated around its edges.
Stars flowed across its surface.
Golden light moved beneath transparent layers like rivers beneath ice.
The throne room darkened slightly.
Only the wheel remained illuminated.
Lián Xù swallowed.
Then pressed spin.
The wheel began turning.
Slowly.
Then faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Light blurred.
Symbols twisted.
Lián Xù leaned forward unconsciously.
Divine rank...
Please...
Something for cultivation...
Come on...
COME ON—
Ding.
The wheel stopped.
Ten floating chests appeared before him.
Lián Xù's eyes widened.
Small chests.
Medium chests.
Silver.
Gold.
Blue.
Then—
his breathing stopped.
Because among them—
two chests glowed with brilliant golden light.
No.
Not ordinary gold.
Divine gold.
Ancient symbols flowed across their surfaces.
Even through the system interface—
they radiated terrifying pressure.
Lián Xù slowly stood.
"..."
"..."
"...Holy shit."
Then immediately covered his mouth.
Emperor.
Dignity.
Maintain dignity.
But inside—
his mind had already exploded.
DIVINE?!
TWO?!
WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT—
A grin slowly spread across his face.
Wild.
Dangerous.
Hopeful.
"Not bad..."
His voice came out quietly.
Almost reverently.
"...Not bad at all."
Then—
one of the divine chests suddenly trembled.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Lián Xù's smile slowly disappeared.
"Why is it moving??"
********************
Somewhere in Vermillion River Kingdom…
Blood trickled from the corners of Gu Feng's mouth as he limped through the shadowed alleyways, each step sending a dull, torturous ache through his body.
His once-pristine robes—symbols of wealth and power—were smeared crimson. His own blood mixed with that of the pursuers he had barely escaped.
"Shit... Damn you, Gu Chuan!"
The curse escaped through gritted teeth.
The usual ruthlessness in his voice was gone, replaced by raw exhaustion and pale desperation.
"I'll make you pay for this..."
Gone was the enigmatic, untouchable prince.
Now all that remained was a man stripped bare—
weak,
bleeding,
hunted.
He pressed himself deeper into the shadows, slipping behind stacks of old baskets and dilapidated carts.
The alley reeked of rot and dust.
Normally, he would have found the stench unbearable.
Now—
it felt like sanctuary.
A temporary cage where he could hide and nurse his wounds unseen.
His body ached in ways that felt unfamiliar.
Poison coursed through his veins.
Unseen.
Insidious.
It spread quietly through his body, suppressing his cultivation and neutralizing the strength that had once made others fear him.
His guards—
all loyal,
all capable—
lay dead somewhere nearby.
Victims of the same treachery.
Gu Feng closed his eyes.
For the first time in his life—
he felt the icy grip of helplessness.
His brothers.
The very blood he had trusted.
They had turned on him.
The struggle for the throne was no longer subtle.
No longer hidden beneath court smiles and polite words.
They had struck with precision and ferocity he had never witnessed before.
All because he had sent a gift—
a gesture of diplomacy meant to probe at the enemy's weaknesses.
And now that same move had become the blade driven into his own chest.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
Weak.
Ragged.
"Irony..."
"...Cruel irony..."
Voices suddenly echoed through the alley.
Harsh.
Impatient.
"Find him!"
"He couldn't have gone far!"
"He's poisoned! He won't last long!"
Gu Feng barely moved.
From within the darkness, his sharp eyes watched silently.
The pursuers rushed past.
Oblivious to the figure crouched among broken debris and shadow.
Clutched tightly between his fingers was a camouflage talisman.
A faint shimmer pulsed across its surface.
Not only could it hide him from sight—
it could suppress his presence and aura.
The last sliver of safety in a world collapsing around him.
Three incense sticks' time.
That was all he had.
Suddenly—
pain stabbed through his right side.
Sharp.
Violent.
Blood seeped through the spaces between his fingers.
A hiss escaped his lips.
But he did not move.
His breathing became shallow.
Every muscle locked tightly.
He endured each wave of agony in silence.
Movement could mean death.
Breathing too loudly could mean discovery.
Patience had become his final weapon.
Around him, the alley remained still, save for the distant sounds of the hunt.
But Gu Feng's mind continued moving.
Calculations.
Contingencies.
Betrayals.
Thoughts twisted and coiled together like venomous snakes.
Survival was no longer a game of strategy.
Now—
it was a test of endurance.
Of cunning.
Of sheer, unyielding will.
And Gu Feng had always been a man who refused to die quietly.