It threw its head back and let out a roar that sounded nothing like a human voice. Its massive body began to convulse violently, and its bluish-purple skin split apart inch by inch.
More and thicker black blood vessels surged out from the cracks. They multiplied frenziedly and became hopelessly tangled, completely wrapping the creature in a gigantic black cocoon of flesh.
“What is it doing?” Hong Yuan asked warily.
“Things are looking bad. Everyone, fall back.”
An Changqing immediately issued the order. Everyone instinctively retreated, widening the distance between themselves and the bizarre cocoon.
Hong Yuan was on the verge of losing her temper. “We’ve all avoided using our abilities. How is it still evolving?”
Liu Feiyu pointed to the blood-red magic array that had appeared on the floor at some point. “And the people we brought in from outside. They’ve probably been caught up in the battle too. Now, every fight taking place here has become a key activating this altar.”
“Now, the sacrifice… is about to emerge.”
The moment he finished speaking—
Rumble!
The entire theater began to shake violently.
Dust sifted down from the ceiling as enormous cracks appeared out of thin air. Something was about to descend.
The layers of flesh began peeling away from the cocoon, revealing what lay within—a beating heart.
The heart was as large as the front of a truck, its surface covered in writhing blood vessels as it throbbed steadily.
Every beat let out a deep, muffled boom like a war drum, while a nauseating stench spread through the entire theater.
Countless thick black tubes extended from the bottom of the heart, winding toward and connecting with the theater’s walls and floor. The entire space had been transformed into a living organ.
Liu Feiyu’s expression grew grave. “This… this is the core. All our battles, all the energy we’ve released, has been absorbed by it.”
“Not just that.”
An Changqing’s expression was equally solemn as his gaze swept over the tubes connected to the ground.
“It’s also drawing on the ley lines beneath Magic City. That’s the primary source. At most, we’re only the ignition switch.”
Those words weighed heavily on everyone present except Chen Guan.
“Hahahaha! Welcome, welcome, everyone, to the sight of my masterpiece.”
Liu Xiao’s voice echoed through the space in rhythm with the beating heart.
“I’ve named it the Cradle of Astaroth.”
“You are all fortunate enough to witness a truly great moment.”
“When the hourglass on the stage runs out, the Cradle will be fully activated.”
“By then, the colossal power accumulated here—enough to trigger a small-scale natural disaster—will tear open the curtain between reality and the void, allowing the great divine shadow to descend upon this place.”
Liu Xiao’s voice was filled with indescribable devotion.
“And you, my dear guests, will become the first witnesses after the divine shadow arrives.”
The instant his voice fell silent—
Crack. Crack.
The theater’s smooth floor split apart inch by inch. Pale arms reached up through the cracks, followed by hundreds and thousands of puppets crawling out from underground.
Their eyes glimmered with scarlet light. Their movements were stiff yet swift as they surged toward the people at the center of the stage, forming an army of demonic puppets that was both fearless of death and seemingly endless.
“Damn it.”
Hong Yuan held her giant ax across her body, her scalp prickling as she stared at the vast, dark mass of puppets.
Just as the group was about to be swallowed by the tide of puppets—
A shadow silently swept over their heads and landed at the very front of the formation.
It was Chen Guan.
With his back to the others, he stared at the enormous, ever-beating heart, completely ignoring the army of puppets before him.
“Take out the heart first.”
His words set the sole objective for the chaotic battle.
“Then let’s smash it to pieces.”
Long Ao spoke excitedly. With a clear target before him, his fighting spirit ignited instantly.
“Good.”
A glint flashed in An Changqing’s eyes as he made his decision.
He shouted his orders. “Long Ao, Hong Yuan, Liu Chengjun.”
“You three will attack head-on. Clear out those cannon fodder and create a straight path to the heart.”
“Liu Feiyu.”
“Here.”
Liu Feiyu immediately responded.
“Disrupt those tubes. Don’t let them continue supplying energy. Even if it’s only for an instant, create an opening.”
“I’ll handle the main assault.”
In truth, An Changqing was already beginning to regret this—not coming here, but bringing Long Ao, Chen Guan, Hong Yuan, and the others with him. His father had clearly only told him to come.
This was no longer something that could be dealt with easily.
But regret was useless now.
The only thing he could do was make sure his companions did not die before him.
After An Changqing assigned the tasks, everyone swiftly moved into position.
“Understood.”
Long Ao was the first to respond. He charged straight into the army of puppets.
His fists cut through the air with tremendous force. Every punch sent several puppets exploding into pieces.
“Keep up!”
Hong Yuan shouted. She swung her giant ax in a deadly vortex, following close behind and cutting down every puppet attempting to surround Long Ao, clearing his flank.
Watching those two valiant figures, the fury in Liu Chengjun’s eyes transformed into tangible flames.
This time, his flames would not serve as an energy source for the enemy. Instead, they were the most effective weapon for clearing out these fragile puppets.
The three of them formed a blazing arrowhead and forcibly carved a path through the endless army of demonic puppets.
Elsewhere, Liu Feiyu pressed his palms together and closed his eyes.
The moisture permeating the air throughout the theater began to gather around him in a frenzy.
“Stop.”
He uttered the command in a low voice. The chaotic moisture immediately spread throughout the entire space.
The tubes came to a halt at once, and the transmission of energy became noticeably sluggish.
Boom. Boom-boom… boom.
The beating of the gigantic heart fell briefly out of rhythm.
An Changqing, who had been gathering his strength, seized the opportunity.
His figure moved.
Starlight flowed along his sword. Man and blade became one, transforming into a dazzling meteor that followed the path Long Ao and the others had carved open and shot straight toward the heart’s body, which had revealed a momentary weakness due to the disrupted energy supply.
Time seemed to slow at that instant.
Everyone’s eyes converged on that streak of light.
The radiance arrived in the blink of an eye. The tip of the sword was just about to pierce the heart’s thin layer of flesh—
When a figure emerged from the beating flesh and blocked the blade.
It was Liu Xiao.
A smile hung on his face. Facing An Changqing’s full-powered strike, which contained all his strength, he merely extended two fingers and casually caught the tip of the streaking sword.
Hum.
All the light, all the power, and all the momentum vanished completely before those two fingers.
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.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
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?
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!
