The gentle rain of light scattered by the broad scythe blade gradually faded away its last glimmer, and the countless tiny specks of light floating in the mid-air around it completely vanished into the dim air.
The wails and vicious whispers hovering at the top completely fell silent.
The black river that had surged for countless years was rapidly shedding its murky impurities, becoming crystal clear.
It ultimately turned into large swathes of gray mist, scattering throughout this vast underground void.
That solitary divine throne still hovered at the top of the ruined altar, but the dense resentment layered and entwined upon it had mostly faded, making its entire outline appear somewhat illusory and thin in the faint light.
A sigh echoed leisurely in the depths of Chen Guan's consciousness.
The voice no longer carried its previous urgent, bewitching tone, leaving only a sense of melancholy from having weathered long epochs.
"You will return, sooner or later."
The voice echoed faintly in the empty space of his consciousness.
"This is your destined fate."
Gripping the heavy scythe, Chen Guan stood quietly in place. He did not turn to look at the seat that symbolized supreme power, but merely lowered his eyes slightly and spoke to the empty air ahead of him.
"People have tried to persuade me with such words before."
His calm tone spread over the empty altar.
"But I happen to be someone who does not believe in fate."
If he truly believed in those ethereal arrangements of destiny, he would probably still be in some remote corner right now, acting as an obscure student, looking enviously at the chosen ones.
This was the fate of "Chen Guan."
If he truly bowed his head and surrendered to fate, he would now be exactly like that true body he had securely hidden in the coffin, eyes closed in an eternal dark slumber.
This was the fate of the "self."
Unknown to anyone in this world, leaving not a single trace of himself in the long river of history.
But he simply insisted on going against those established rules.
And thanks to this stubbornness of never turning back until hitting a brick wall.
He was able to grip his weapon and fight his way to this day, to personally experience those life-and-death struggles under the identity of Chen Guan, and to meet those vibrant lives who were currently standing by the black riverbank, anxiously waiting for him.
He silently chewed over the word "divine throne" on the tip of his tongue.
That majestic power that could crush everything with a raise of a hand was certainly full of temptation, and the thrill of leaping across hierarchies in a single step was enough to make one lose their mind.
But he knew better than anyone what hid behind this gift; it was profound agony and a dark prison with no light of day, extending for countless tens of thousands of years.
He raised his head again and cast his gaze forward, looking past the lingering shadows that were gradually melting around the altar, straight toward the direction he had come from.
As someone who had come incredibly close to godhood, that position did not hold such a strong attraction for him.
Even if there came a day in the future when he truly needed to sit in that position, he would fight his way up there relying on the scythe in his own hands.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with his true body at the pinnacle.
I do not need any gifts of unknown origin.
Chen Guan said to himself silently in his heart.
That ancient voice sensed the unshakable resolve in his mind and did not try to argue further, merely repeating stubbornly in that prophecy-like tone for one last time.
"You will return."
This time, the voice was so weak that it seemed it could cut off at any moment.
With the complete fall of the last syllable, the ruined altar floating in mid-air and the illusory, thin divine throne finally turned into fine, dancing specks of light under Chen Guan's gaze, completely dissipating within this underground space.
With the total disappearance of the divine throne, this underground space instantly underwent an earth-shattering transformation.
The ground beneath his feet reverted back to that familiar, wide, ancient passage of dark-cyan stone slabs.
The massive scythe tightly gripped in Chen Guan's hands also turned into specks of dark gold light and scattered into the air; since he could imprison those souls, he could naturally grant them release as well.
"Who are you?"
Chen Guan asked the empty air, but received no response.
That voice of unknown origin seemed to have dissipated along with the divine throne.
Everything before his eyes now looked no different from the outside world, just like an ordinary ruin.
However, for Chen Guan, it was fraught with unanswered questions.
He stepped forward, treading on the hard stone slabs, and strode toward the faint light waiting for him.
Since things had come to this, it was better to leave first. With Chen Guan's current strength, he really didn't dare to venture into deeper places.
Because he still had his true body behind him, how could he take risks lightly?
At the distant riverbank.
When the black river that lay across in front of everyone, dividing the banks, completely dried up and disappeared, the massive sorrow that heavily weighed on everyone's hearts also dissipated cleanly.
"Is it over?"
Hong Yuan looked at the bluestone passage ahead that had returned to its original state, muttering softly in uncertainty.
The palm of her hand, tightly gripping the long handle of the giant axe, had long been thoroughly soaked with warm sweat.
Su Yuehe stared unblinkingly at the pitch-black exit of the passage, anxiously waiting for that familiar figure to reappear.
"He succeeded."
Yin Chen had his arms crossed over his chest. His standing posture seemed to have regained its usual composure, but an unconcealable look of awe surged in the depths of his eyes.
He had just witnessed with his own eyes a clash of wills that spanned long epochs, and the being who ultimately stood victorious was none other than his companion.
Long Ao pressed his lips tightly together and did not reply, merely silently lowering the weapon held high in his hand a few inches from its highly alert stance.
His back muscles, originally tense to the limit, also relaxed slightly, but his gaze remained firmly locked on the dark depths ahead.
A clear sound of footsteps—shoe soles rubbing against stone slabs—came from the deepest part of the passage, the rhythm sounding neither rushed nor slow.
That familiar tall figure finally walked out of the darkness step by step, reappearing completely unharmed in the center of everyone's vision.
The clothes on his body were no different from when he walked in, and the expression on his face remained as unruffled as ever.
It was as if the massive upheaval that was enough to upend the entire ancient ruin just now was nothing more than an ordinary after-dinner stroll to him.
But everyone standing here knew very well that some invisible, intangible things had undergone earth-shattering changes.
An Changqing watched Chen Guan striding toward them, and his heart, which had been constantly hanging high in his throat, finally settled safely back into his stomach at this moment.
He took the initiative to step forward two paces in Chen Guan's direction, stopping just one step away from the other party.
He raised his arm and solemnly extended his right hand toward Chen Guan.
"Welcome back."
An Changqing's voice was gentle yet full of strength. Every word echoed clearly throughout the spacious underground space, carrying complete acceptance and unreserved sincerity.
Chen Guan's gaze first fell upon An Changqing's broad, outstretched hand. He then raised his eyes to look at the gentle smile on the man's face, before finally sweeping his gaze over the diverse, concerned expressions of the companions standing behind him.
He stood there in silence for a moment, then raised his right arm, reached out, and firmly grasped An Changqing's hand.
"Yeah."
The simplest of syllables slipped from his lips.
] [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!"
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
