A new year.
An explosive piece of news spread across the entire world.
Information about martial artists was completely declassified.
Everyone became aware of the other side of this world!
Major media outlets rushed to publish reports on martial artists, and martial arts forums officially entered the public eye.
All trending topics on Weibo were replaced, and entertainment news was taken down entirely.
Short video platforms were flooded with official introductions to martial arts by government-affiliated media.
Everyone was stunned.
So the world wasn’t as simple as they had imagined?!
The next morning.
The Leng Family residence.
Gu Yan leisurely sipped his black tea while scrolling through the trending headlines on his phone.
The top one read—[What Are Martial Artists? What Is the Ancient Martial World?]
Right below it were:
[Shocking! Fiction Has Become Reality!]
[Can an Ordinary Person Become a Martial Artist?]
[The Relationships Between Factions in the Martial Arts Department]
...
...
From top to bottom, every single trending topic was related to martial artists.
The world had changed drastically—not just in the Eastern Nation, but even the Western Nation had publicly released information about martial artists.
Gu Yan swiped through a few more short videos.
Countless official accounts posted videos explaining martial arts, making it clear to everyone:
This was no joke. It was real.
He opened the comments section.
[What the—? Did I wake up too early? The government’s saying martial artists exist now?]
[Not just that, dude. There are Demon Creatures too. Check out this "Demon Creature.GIF."]
[Honestly, does this mean we can train to become martial artists too?]
[Hey! That’s a good point!]
[+1]
[+2. The whole world’s evolving, and we’re just left behind? Government, you’re unbelievable.]
[What kind of joke is this? This is way too sudden. Why would the government announce something like this out of nowhere? My kid’s cram school got canceled today! I’m filing a complaint—this isn’t funny!]
[Are you insane? How can you still care about cram school at a time like this?]
[Parent of the year right here, folks.]
[Wait, why have prices at my local grocery store skyrocketed? Feels like the apocalypse is coming.]
[Yikes… I just checked my food delivery app—a bag of salt costs 10 bucks now? A pack of instant noodles is 30? And this isn’t even a tourist area.]
[The government just announced a halt to all social activities today. There’ll be a press conference at noon to explain why martial arts info was kept secret until now. They’ll probably address the price surges too.]
[Hope so.]
[Hope +1]
[Looking forward to it +2]
Closing the video app, Gu Yan had a rough idea of how the public was reacting to the revelation.
First, thanks to the rise of short videos, movies, TV shows, and novels, most people weren’t entirely shocked to learn the world had another side.
But there were still those who refused to accept this new reality.
They believed a peaceful, stable world was the ideal, and introducing unpredictable elements like martial artists and Demon Creatures would disrupt their tranquility.
Their stance was: even if this hidden side of the world existed, they’d rather not know—preferring to live and die in ignorance, safe and sound.
Gu Yan was sure many people felt this way.
The Martial Arts Department’s original intention had been the same.
But… unfortunately, the Night King incident and the Forbidden Zone crisis had left them severely understaffed.
That was why the Martial Arts Department had no choice but to make this decision.
Gu Yan smirked. Good. Everything was going according to plan.
Now, it was time for him to make his move.
With that thought, he spoke softly, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. "Old Gao, tell Shitou and the others to get ready."
"We’ll make our appearance… at noon today."
Behind him, Old Gao seemed to understand what the young master was planning. He nodded. "Understood, Young Master."
......
......
At noon, a strange phenomenon occurred.
Society ground to a halt.
Everyone gathered in front of TVs or phones, silently awaiting a live broadcast that would determine the future of their world.
Local logistics teams of martial artists patrolled the streets, rounding up those who couldn’t watch the broadcast and bringing them together—ensuring no one remained unaware of the world’s transformation.
The Leng Family residence.
Gu Yan, Leng Ling'er, and Leng Qingqiu sat together in the living room.
"Big sis, I’m so nervous. It’s like the world’s turned upside down. Is it because I started training?"
Leng Ling'er fidgeted anxiously. Was she the protagonist or something?
Did the world change just because she began cultivating?
Did this mean she’d face all the crises only protagonists encountered?
Leng Qingqiu gave an exasperated chuckle. "Confidence is good, but the proposal for universal martial arts was approved a long time ago."
"They just happened to announce it on New Year’s Eve."
"Oh… Huh? So you and brother-in-law already knew about this… and I was the only one left in the dark?"
Leng Ling'er pouted indignantly.
Gu Yan laughed and draped an arm over Leng Qingqiu’s shoulders. "Kids don’t need to know everything."
"We thought having your sister and me to protect you was enough. Who knew you’d get dragged into this mess?"
At that, Leng Ling'er recalled the incident when a mysterious assailant had attacked their home.
Come to think of it…
She glared at Gu Yan and called him out. "Ohhh, brother-in-law! That arm that suddenly appeared on my shoulder back then—that was your ability, wasn’t it?"
Gu Yan shrugged. "Who knows?"
Hah, this kid was sharp.
Meanwhile, Leng Qingqiu thought to herself: So it really was Gu Yan who’d placed a protective measure on Ling'er.
Before Leng Ling'er could press further, the sound of the live broadcast starting came from the TV.
"Ah! It’s starting!"
Leng Ling'er’s attention immediately shifted to the screen.
Gu Yan and Leng Qingqiu also turned to watch.
The broadcast began.
Onscreen, a broad-shouldered man in a white uniform appeared.
A starburst emblem was pinned to his chest.
"Wait, isn’t that the guy from the New Year’s Eve countdown last night?"
Leng Ling'er blinked in surprise.
This time, however, there was an added detail.
A caption appeared beneath him:
[Head of the Martial Arts Department: Long Tianyuan]
Long Tianyuan.
Gu Yan silently reviewed the man’s background in his mind.
In the original storyline, Long Tianyuan was the supreme leader of the Martial Arts Department—a peak Grand Master, just one step away from the legendary realm.
Known as humanity’s ultimate weapon, he was a centuries-old monster teetering on the edge of transcendence.
But…
His lifespan was running out, and the breakthrough to Grand Master remained elusive.
So he chose a different path—one of self-destruction.
He… revived the "Anti-Demon Weapon" experiments.
The very same cruel experiments that had created beings like Lin Yinyin.
He hoped that through this experiment, he could find another way to break through his limits and survive.
In truth, Long Tianyuan's original intention was noble—he wanted to eradicate all Demon Creatures from this world.
This included the Night King as well.
That was why he sought to live indefinitely, wiping out every last Demon Creature and the Night King without exception.
But... after conducting the Anti-Demon Weapon experiment on himself, the essence of the Demon Creatures began to corrupt his heart.
As a result, he lost his sanity and descended into a demonized state, slaughtering countless innocent people during this period.
In the end, he was tragically put down by the protagonist group—Xiao Lin and his companions—who acted with heavy hearts.
] [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!"
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?!
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!"
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."
