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.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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.
【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.)
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
