At the same time, in a little-known abandoned factory in Jiangxia City.
A long-deserted building, its outer walls covered in ivy.
The interior was dimly lit, with only sparse sunlight filtering through the gaps in the ivy and streaming through the windows.
Tiny dust particles floated visibly in the air.
In the center of the empty space stood a chessboard.
A man wearing a grotesque demon mask sat before it.
His slender fingers picked up a black piece and placed it slowly on the board.
"Tap."
The piece landed with a soft yet crisp sound.
He then reached for a white piece, pondered for a moment, and placed it in a seemingly inconspicuous yet strategically pivotal position.
A figure emerged silently from the shadows and knelt on one knee several meters behind the masked man.
The newcomer spoke respectfully, "Leader, everything is ready."
"The 'bait' has been released."
"Jiangxia's guardian has taken an interest and has already begun investigating the 'clues' you 'carelessly' left behind."
The subordinate also wore a mask, though a simpler one, covering only the upper half of his face. His exposed jawline was tense.
"Should we begin our 'ritual' now...?"
The masked man didn’t turn his head, his gaze still fixed on the chessboard.
"What’s the rush?"
His fingertips lightly tapped the patterned edge of the board.
"A good show requires careful setup."
"Every step, every piece, must fall precisely under my control—down to the last detail."
He picked up another black piece, paused briefly, then decisively intercepted the white pieces' momentum.
"The martial exam... Heh, what a perfect stage."
"A gathering of all of Jiangxia City’s future hopes, all its so-called 'geniuses.'"
"If those hopes were to wither at their brightest, most celebrated moment... what a beautiful sight that would be."
A trace of barely concealed excitement laced his voice.
"Are the examinees also our targets?" the subordinate ventured hesitantly.
"Examinees?"
The masked man scoffed, as if the question were absurd.
"They’re merely decorations on the board."
His fingers glided over the chessboard.
"I enjoy playing against myself."
He mused leisurely.
"Because only I truly know what I want. Whether I hold the white or black pieces, I know exactly how my opponent—myself—will move next."
"Every variable, every possibility, is within my expectations."
"For example... this sacrificial piece."
The subordinate lowered his head. "Forgive my ignorance, Leader. I don’t understand."
The masked man picked up a white piece and blocked the black's advance.
"You see, even against myself, I create obstacles—just to make it more interesting."
"This world... it’s too dull. Too many mediocrities, too many fools."
"So, we must create some 'surprises,' spice up their mundane lives."
He paused, his tone turning icy.
"Those self-important people up high—they think they control everything, setting rules, nurturing 'future pillars.'"
"They believe they’re the players, unaware that they, too, are merely pieces on my board—ones who can only react step by step."
"This martial exam isn’t just an attack."
"It’s a declaration. A... purification."
His fingers brushed lightly over the cold surface of his demon mask, the glint in his eyes sharp.
"Those blinded by false peace and order—it’s time they see the world for what it truly is."
"Humanity... never stood a chance from the beginning."
"Why struggle pointlessly?"
With that, he picked up a black piece and drove it forward recklessly, tearing a massive breach in the white side’s defenses.
"I need chaos. The bigger, the better."
"When order collapses, when panic spreads, people will shed their laughable morals and pretenses, revealing their most primal desires and fears."
"That... is the truest face of humanity, don’t you think?"
A low chuckle echoed through the empty factory.
The masked man’s voice brimmed with fervor.
"I’ll make them understand who truly rules this era."
"We will redefine the world."
He stood and walked to the window—a specially designed one-way mirror.
Beyond it lay the bustling city.
"What a beautiful city," he murmured.
"Pity it’s built on lies and delusions."
"Soon, it will either be reborn in flames... or reduced to ashes. Either outcome would be... entertaining."
"It will crumble under our Master’s might."
The subordinate remained kneeling, not daring to speak.
He could feel the Leader’s overwhelming presence—the suffocating pressure, the near-fanatic thirst for destruction.
The masked man returned to the chessboard and slammed down the final black piece.
"See? This game... I win."
The subordinate looked up.
His eyes widened at the sight of five black pieces lined up in a row.
For some reason, he felt the urge to object...
Wait, so you weren’t playing Go this whole time?
The masked man began collecting the pieces one by one, his movements graceful and unhurried.
As he tidied the board, he spoke.
"We are revolutionaries."
"What we bring isn’t destruction... but truth."
"My mask covers my face, hiding my expressions—yet it sharpens my will."
"But them, those high-and-mighty, sanctimonious hypocrites... their masks are in their hearts, veiling their conscience, warping their souls."
"They’ve even forgotten they’re wearing them. Pathetic."
"So," he placed the last piece into the box and closed the lid.
"Our task is to tear off those inner masks."
"Let them take a good, long look at what they really are."
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
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)
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
