"Calm down, Xu Tun."
A deep voice came from nearby.
Xu Tun turned toward the sound and saw a man slowly emerge from the shadows.
It was Li Xuanfeng—the one who had forcibly taken him here.
"Who the hell are you? Why did you bring me here?" Xu Tun demanded through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with wariness and hostility.
He couldn’t understand it. He had devoted himself to cultivation solely for revenge, so why had he been dragged into such an absurd situation?
This world… why did it seem determined to target him at every turn?
Li Xuanfeng didn’t answer. Instead, he walked straight to a stone table and lightly traced his fingers over the shadowy patterns carved into its surface.
In an instant, the shadows in the entire hall flickered violently, accompanied by a piercing, resonant hum.
Then, a spectral figure gradually materialized above the stone table—a massive, grinning ghostly face formed from shadows, its mouth stretching ear to ear to reveal rows of gleaming white teeth.
"Welcome to the Shadow Courtyard, Xu Tun."
The ghastly face spoke in a voice that echoed like overlapping reverberations.
"We’ve been waiting for you for a long time."
Xu Tun froze. "Waiting for me? What do you mean?"
He was completely lost.
Glancing around, he noticed the black-robed figures standing silently in the corners, their cold eyes fixed on him like he was prey ready for slaughter.
The next second—
Gurgle!
Another ghostly face, this one weeping, materialized behind Xu Tun.
Its shrill voice pierced into his mind, forcing out every one of his secrets.
"Xu Tun, don’t you want revenge?"
"Don’t you want to make the Empress Linglong pay for betraying you?"
"How… could you have forgotten all about it?"
BOOM!
The words struck Xu Tun like a thunderbolt, sending his mind into chaos.
"Wha—?!"
His eyes widened, and an involuntary cry escaped his lips.
These people… knew his deepest secret?!
"Who… the hell are you?!" Xu Tun snarled at the figures surrounding him, his teeth clenched.
The feeling of being completely exposed was unbearably unsettling.
For the first time, he felt a chill crawl down his spine.
"Us?"
The two ghostly faces seemed amused by the question.
They let out shrill laughs before dissolving into black mist and vanishing from Xu Tun’s sight.
The next moment—
RUMBLE!
The ground trembled violently.
Twenty-four dark golden pillars burst from the earth, each engraved with twisted carvings of weeping and grinning ghosts.
Eight of them bore masked figures standing atop them, their crimson pupils gleaming eerily under an eerie blue glow.
HUM!
With the pillars’ emergence, the atmosphere in the hall grew even more oppressive, as if even breathing had become difficult.
Then—
Two figures slowly emerged from the shadows, each seated on a throne woven from darkness.
On the left was Qin Luo, wearing a half-weeping ghost mask. His left eye was a swirling black hole, while his right burned with icy-blue flames.
On the right was Su Muwan, her face concealed behind a grinning ghost mask that oozed black mist. The corners of her lips curled in a playful smirk.
"We are called… the Shadow Courtyard."
Qin Luo’s voice was deep and commanding, carrying an undeniable authority.
The Shadow Courtyard!
Xu Tun’s pupils contracted.
He stared up at the eerie beings before him, his breath growing slightly ragged.
An organization unheard of even in the ancient realms.
Yet… they knew about Linglong?
They knew everything about him?
What kind of conspiracy lay behind this?
Could it be… even his rebirth had been part of their calculations?
"What… do you want from me?" Xu Tun asked through clenched fists, forcing down his unease.
Qin Luo answered coolly, "We have descended upon this world to change it."
"To shatter its chains and reshape its order."
"That is our purpose."
"And you, Xu Tun."
Su Muwan took over, her tone light yet laced with threat. "Your fate has already been decided."
"Whether you join us or not, you will be swept into this storm."
"The only difference is… the choice is yours."
Xu Tun’s mind was in turmoil.
The sheer power radiating from these two was suffocating, and their words dripped with temptation and coercion.
He didn’t know what to believe—or how to respond.
"Why me?" he finally asked, his voice hoarse and trembling.
"Because you have potential."
Qin Luo’s fingers curled, summoning a wisp of shadow energy that pointed at Xu Tun. "You carry hatred within you. That obsession is the fuel we need."
"Obsession?"
Xu Tun repeated the word softly, Linglong’s image flashing through his mind.
She was his deepest scar—and his greatest driving force.
"Exactly. Obsession."
Su Muwan looked down at him with a mocking tilt of her head. "We won’t force you to do anything. But you must understand—on your own, you will never reach the Empress Linglong."
"She exists on a level far beyond your comprehension."
Xu Tun fell silent for a moment before suddenly lifting his head, his gaze resolute.
"What if I refuse?"
"Refuse?" Qin Luo scoffed. "Then you’ll remain a discarded pawn, tossed around by fate."
"Perhaps one day, you’ll die by her hand again—just like in your past life."
!!
The words stabbed into Xu Tun’s heart like a blade.
His jaw tightened, his fists shaking with barely restrained fury.
"What do I have to do?"
In the end, he forced out the question.
Qin Luo and Su Muwan exchanged a glance, their lips curling in unison.
"It’s simple."
Qin Luo raised his hand, his finger aimed at Xu Tun. "Submit to the Shadow Courtyard. Become one of our forces."
"We will provide you with every resource, nurture your growth—until you are strong enough to challenge the Empress Linglong."
"But remember one thing."
Su Muwan added with a smirk, "Once you choose this path, there’s no turning back."
"Betray the Shadow Courtyard, and your fate will be death."
She glanced at Qin Luo, as if seeking approval for her performance.
Qin Luo blinked. Good, good.
Su Muwan: …?
Xu Tun took a deep breath, his eyes scanning his surroundings with conflicted intensity.
He knew there was no way out.
His identity in the outside world was already blacklisted.
Either he accepted this, or he abandoned all hope of revenge.
The Shadow Courtyard knew more than he did.
By following them, he could uncover the truth—and finally make that treacherous woman pay.
"Fine. I accept."
"A wise choice."
Qin Luo nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand. The shadowy chains binding Xu Tun vanished instantly.
"Then pledge your allegiance, Xu Tun."
His lips curved as he laid out the terms. "Swear eternal loyalty to us."
Feeling his ankles freed, Xu Tun didn’t hesitate.
He lowered his head and spoke firmly.
"I pledge my eternal loyalty to you both."
[Grand Army Command—Activate!]
【First Time Subduing a T0 Protagonist!】
【Reward Obtained: Seal of Destiny (Can create individuals certified by the Heavenly Dao as "Chosen Ones." Requires the ability to infuse them with fortune (condition met) and the power to manipulate fate threads (condition met)).】
Hearing the voice in his mind, Qin Luo smiled in satisfaction.
"Welcome to..."
"the Shadow Garden."
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
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?!
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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."
