"The aftermath of the Great Calamity continues to this day. What collapsed was not just the land of the Western Oxhorn Continent, but the very heavens and earth that bore all things."
"During the calamity, a divine dragon emerged, bearing the fate of the tribulation. The burden it carried was solely the fortune of the mortal realm—a desperate gamble by the world, staking everything on a single decisive battle."
"At that time, nearly all the world's fortune converged upon the divine dragon. Fortune was not merely about rare treasures, protective artifacts, or the heavens' acknowledgment. Most crucially, it was the unwavering support and recognition of humanity and other races, who pledged their all without hesitation."
"Faced with impending desolation and no retreat, humanity chose to place their bets on the divine dragon."
“But the outcome was utter darkness. The divine dragon perished at the border between the Western Oxhorn Continent and the Southern Zhanbu Continent, and the mortal fortune it carried scattered completely.”
Xu Jin's gaze remained fixed on the faintly glowing, amber-hued orb of fortune as he solemnly continued:
"Ancient texts record that the moment the divine dragon fell, the sky transformed into a riot of colors, as though the gates of heaven had flung open. Countless strands of fortune fled across the continents, with some intercepted in the Western Oxhorn Continent, falling into the hands of the [Demons]."
"That day, though the sky shimmered with hues, all knew it was an omen of heaven's collapse."
If even the divine dragon, bearing the weight of heaven and earth's fortune and staking everything, perished at the Southern Zhanbu Continent, how could we hope to reclaim the scattered fortune? And even if we could, who's to say it wouldn't birth another divine dragon?
"Yet... our ancestors knew no fear of hardship, only the pursuit of a future."
"Difficult, but unavoidable."
"Humanity turned to face the [Demons] while also seeking the scattered fortune."
"But fortune, when unbound, is a free thing. Great opportunities belonged to all, and those blessed by fortune became countless."
"This was no blessing. Fortune represented destiny, and with destiny scattered, hearts grew divided. Misdeeds were committed in its name."
"The world nearly regressed to a lawless wasteland, where life and death were decided on a whim."
"In the end... our ancestors chose a last stand—either humanity would overcome the calamity, or perish entirely."
Xu Jin channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into one of the crystalline fragments of law. Instantly, it blazed with light.
The surroundings shifted, revealing countless plainly dressed cultivators soaring through the skies, their numbers blotting out the sun.
Ahead lay only darkness and crimson. Yet these cultivators advanced without hesitation.
Knowing it was death, they marched forward—for the sake of the future.
Xu Jin withdrew his hand and turned to Chu Xingchen. "Even so, the fortune humanity bore was insufficient to withstand the calamity. If the divine dragon fell, how could we, who had only reclaimed fragments of fortune, hope to prevail?"
"The world's fortune had dried up. What little remained... was in the heavens."
"It was then that the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect was founded, to bear the fortune of heaven!"
"But this came at a cost. On that day, a celestial marvel descended—a cascade of white light."
"Beyond heaven's fortune, there were these laws... No one knows what price heaven paid. Only that after the calamity, no one ever ascended again."
"Others assumed it was due to insufficient cultivation, but we believe heaven could no longer bear the weight of ascension."
"The Dao of Heaven is impartial, treating all beings as straw dogs—immortals and mortals alike. It protects them equally."
"The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect bore heaven's fortune, while humanity bore the world's. Even then, the price to quell the calamity was immense."
"After the calamity, humanity flourished, and the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, bearing heaven's mandate, became the undisputed foremost immortal sect of the flourishing mortal realm."
As Xu Jin's words faded, the glow from the crystalline law dimmed.
Chu Xingchen met his gaze steadily.
Xu Jin lowered his eyes, gesturing to the surrounding graves before continuing:
"After the calamity, as humanity thrived, the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, under heaven's mandate, gradually reclaimed much of the scattered fortune—though it had shifted from the world's fortune to humanity's."
"At the same time, the sect sought a way to return heaven's fortune."
"In the end, the sect's Elder, knowing full well that ascension meant certain annihilation, chose to ascend and seek answers on how to return heaven's mandate."
"For as long as the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect held heaven's fortune, ascension would remain impossible—cutting off the ultimate path for all cultivators."
"We, too, are cultivators, yearning for the Great Dao. And to hold heaven's fortune is to bear its endless responsibilities. What one possesses, one must uphold."
"The answer they received was... 'The calamity persists. There is no need to return it.'"
"By then, the [Demons] had been hunted to the last, so the elders surmised it must herald a new calamity."
"Thus, you must understand—for the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, bearing heaven's fortune, to monopolize the spirit veins at all costs seems a losing gamble."
"And yet... it is the only choice."
Xu Jin raised his hand, summoning the smallest fragment of crystalline law and floating it before Chu Xingchen.
Chu Xingchen studied it, sensing the purest essence of law within.
Xu Jin spoke calmly, "This is the reason for our actions. If it's you, Brother Chu, a mere touch should reveal the truth."
Chu Xingchen took a deep breath, his right hand tightening around the small sword while his left reached tentatively toward the crystal.
It wasn't that he fully trusted Xu Jin's words, but the needle-like weapon hidden in his sleeve, Wàn Bān, resonated intensely with the crystal.
And Chu Xingchen trusted Wàn Bān's instincts.
His left hand made contact.
In that instant, a scroll unfurled within his mind—a map of eighteen spirit veins, all severed at the Central Continent, their locations meticulously marked.
He withdrew his hand at once.
Xu Jin observed his reaction with a sigh. "As expected of Brother Chu..."
"You must have seen it. This is why the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect acts as it does—and why I call it heaven's mandate."
"The sect's elders deduced that the coming calamity would be even more devastating. Thus, we must gather all eighteen spirit veins in the Central Continent—to better control the situation and ensure that if disaster strikes elsewhere, the lack of spiritual energy will mitigate its severity."
"Yet even the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect cannot face the world's cultivators alone to claim all eighteen veins."
"So... we chose to divide them among eighteen immortal sects, each monopolizing one."
"Of these eighteen, perhaps only our sect knows the price to be paid."
"When the calamity comes, the eighteen sects will be the first to perish."
"Severing the spiritual veins—do you truly believe it will bring about an eternal reign of dominance?"
"Inheriting the Mandate of Heaven is never without reason."
Chu Xingchen gazed at the Rule Crystal and suddenly asked,
"If this is indeed the Mandate of Heaven, and you possess such an artifact, why did it spark such a storm of bloodshed in the past?"
"Because not everyone can perceive the truth within it," Xu Jin stepped forward, his expression solemn.
"In fact, it’s far stranger that you can directly glimpse its contents."
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?!
] [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!"
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
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."
