The entire internet was in shock.
Dawn had yet to fully dispel the night, but the skyscrapers of thirty cities in the Eastern Kingdom were already crawling with eerie sigils.
These were emblems woven from flowing shadows and molten gold patterns—twisted thorns coiled around a cracked-pupil black moon, with a crimson glow seeping from the depths of its pupil. Dark golden veins stretched from the edges of the lunar disk, writhing like living tendrils across the glass facades.
Beneath each sigil, the same words were etched in corrosive shadows:
[Shadow Garden · Takeover Countdown: 71:59:59]
7:00 AM.
Social media platforms were in a frenzy, reporting the events of the previous night.
The top twenty trending topics were all marked in black and red, with the suffix "Shadow Garden" dripping like blood:
[Shocking! Demonic Sigil Appears on Landmark in Gold City! What Is the Shadow Garden?!]
In drone footage, the cracked-pupil black moon slowly rotated on the surface of the 500-meter-tall Global Financial Center as the sun rose.
When the camera zoomed in, the pupil suddenly contracted, and a laser-like red beam shattered the drone—the live feed ended with an explosion.
[Unbelievable! Thirty Cities' Elite Disappear Overnight! Major Sects Issue Urgent Missing Person Notices!]
Missing person notices from martial arts families and even sects of the Profound Heaven Realm flooded the front pages.
[Breaking News!! Survivor Speaks Out at Riverside Dock!]
On Douyin, fisherman Old Zhang trembled as he raised his phone.
His pupils were unnaturally dilated as he whispered fearfully, "Folks!"
"Last night... last night..."
"I hauled in a bunch of seafood, now just 9.9 for shipping."
[Seriously?! Stop selling stuff at a time like this!]
Beyond the online uproar, the Martial Arts Alliance headquarters urgently held a press conference.
When Ouyang Xuan stepped into the venue, three hundred cameras automatically focused on his haggard face.
Luo... you’ve really outdone yourself this time...
While no ordinary civilians were harmed...
How did you manage to vanish so many elite disciples from those sects?
Frankly, those sects would gladly trade a thousand ordinary lives for even one of their precious prodigies.
It was clear just what Qin Luo had accomplished in a single night.
But...
This guy is on another level—how did he harvest so many elites and make them vanish without a trace?
BZZT!
A holographic projection materialized at the center, forming 3D models of the thirty cities. Each Shadow Garden sigil was corroding the buildings in real-time, with energy readings spiking past critical levels.
"Everyone," Ouyang Xuan took a deep breath, his gaze heavy as he recited the script Qin Luo had prepared.
"Please forgive the Martial Arts Alliance for our failure."
"We apologize."
"In truth, we’ve been tracking this organization for months."
"But only yesterday did we finally learn... the true name of the Shadow faction."
"It is called—"
His eyes sharpened.
"Shadow Garden."
CLICK CLICK CLICK!
Flashbulbs erupted.
"Shadow Garden? Minister Ouyang, were the enemies in the ancient ruins last time also from Shadow Garden?"
A reporter from Truth Daily shot up, gripping his mic in excitement.
This is huge!
In an era of prolonged peace for martial artists, a force capable of threatening the world had emerged!
Ouyang Xuan nodded. "Correct. Core members of Shadow Garden had already appeared in Wang City’s ancient ruins."
With that, he pressed a button.
Illusions of Ling Yu’s multiple disguises flickered into view before the crowd.
Each figure had distinct appearances and mannerisms—utterly indistinguishable from real people.
Ouyang Xuan explained, "This individual calls himself [Thousand Faces], one of Shadow Garden’s more troublesome operatives."
"He can mimic and transform into different people, blending into crowds—even replicating their abilities."
"Extremely dangerous."
CLICK CLICK CLICK.
More flashes.
"Minister Ouyang, could this also be the doing of the [Soul Devourer Legacy Holder]?"
A reporter from Alliance Daily stood, his expression indignant.
"Last time at the ancient ruins, there were traces of the Soul Devourer’s influence."
"No—rather..."
"The Soul Devourer might be a member of this faction, or perhaps even its founder!"
Hearing this, Ouyang Xuan gave a solemn nod and tapped another button.
Footage of one city among the thirty appeared.
The crowd watched as streets were stained with thick, black blood.
Ouyang Xuan’s voice was grave. "As you can see, this is the black blood that only appears when the Soul Devourer consumes living beings."
"Yet it’s only present in this city, not the others."
"We’ve deliberated, theorized..."
"And reached one conclusion."
He locked eyes with the cameras.
"The Soul Devourer—perhaps even a member of Shadow Garden—may be..."
"In Cloud Sky City!!!"
BOOM.
The room erupted in shock.
Here?! In Cloud Sky City?!
If Minister Ouyang said so, they must have found clues.
As expected of the Minister!
Another question arose: "Minister, what does the takeover countdown on the thirty cities signify?"
Ouyang Xuan stayed silent, switching the display.
The hologram shifted to an aerial view of the thirty cities.
Civilians went about their lives—but every towering structure bore Shadow Garden’s sigil.
Twisted thorns around a cracked-pupil black moon.
And beneath each emblem, the numbers ticked down:
71:51:19... 71:51:18...
"We believe this is Shadow Garden’s countdown to total control over these thirty cities."
Ouyang Xuan’s nails dug into his palms. "When it hits zero, shadow will consume them all."
"But—!"
His tone hardened. "The Alliance will fight this malevolent force to the end!"
CLICK CLICK CLICK.
Another voice cut in: "Minister Ouyang, given Shadow Garden’s displayed power, can the Alliance—even allied with ancient sects—truly stand against them?"
Ouyang Xuan’s eye twitched.
Damn it, Luo predicted every question...
He inhaled deeply and pulled up one final image.
"Rest assured, everyone."
"Because..."
Clearing his throat, he announced under the crowd’s stunned gaze:
"We have the Martial Arts Alliance’s certified supreme martial master—Su Muwan."
THUD.
Every flashbulb froze.
Reporters gaped at the projected image of Su Muwan’s icy, beautiful portrait.
Huh?!
Wait—
How is SHE involved now?!
What else?
Martial Arts Supreme?
Huh?
Since when did Su Muwan become this?
Martial Arts Alliance, if you're being threatened, blink twice.
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
'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.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
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.
