Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix - Chapter 15: Dual Cultivation - The Cycle of Earth First Layer [1]

***Completed***“I'll marry you if you promise to kiss me every day.”On the harrowing day she lost her family, out of all the men she knew, Marcella didn't expect those words from “Sweet Baby” Tony. She thought he was not interested in her.She had to ask him for the marriage as she wanted to fulfil her sister's last wishes.She got married the day she suffered a horrifying loss.Don DeAngelo's youngest daughter became the wife of Antony Crawford.She didn't wait to think why he wanted to marry her when every men she knew wanted her for who her father was. She trusted him that much.But in a day, she learned that Tony was not so different from other men.What choice can she make?She can throw away the marriage and lose custody of her nephew, or...She chose to be married to him. Their marriage can be a deal. She needed him, he needed her. It's all fine.Except...What does Tony feel? Is their marriage all but a business transaction for him? What is the secret he is hiding? Why can't he reveal it to her?-----*Excerpt*“We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell,” she said looking into his eyes. The alluring mystique behind those blue eyes made her heart skip a beat.How can she hate and love someone this much? She must be missing a part of her brain.In the silence of the dining room, the candle flickered. The curve of his lips widened and in the romantic ambiance, the thin lines around his eyes gave her a thrill.“Quoting Oscar Wilde?” he chuckled comfortably, leaning forward.“Isn't that true in our case?” she asked.She observed him, trying to digest every single expression on his face.He went silent. His lips pressed to a line. His pensive eyes never left hers except for the few seconds when he placed down his cutleries. She still couldn't guess what goes on in that smart brain of his.It is this, she thought. I am a decently adventurous person. He's an adventure. Maybe that's his allure!“Then, Birdie,” he stood up and walked to her.Marcella's back got stiff as she tried to figure out what he was going to do.Also, is that a pet name? Birdie? It's nice. But that came out of nowhere...She followed him with his eyes. He kneeled beside her and held her hand. Only when she felt the warmth of his big hand on hers did she realize that she had been holding her breath for a while.This man is going to be the end of her. It sucks when he does not feel even half of what she feels.“Let's be angels,” he kissed her hand. With a smooth smile that reached his eyes, he looked at her. “Let's be each other's angels, and let's make this world our heaven.”“You are...”Unable to find any words to say to him, she buried her face in her hand. Her chest was heaving as if she ran a marathon.This man surely is going to be the end of her.“What?” he chuckled while teasing her to show her face. “What am I?”“You're a brute, Mr. Crawford. That's what you are,” she said trying to hold her stoic expression to relay her “disapproval” of his methods. But in front of his goofy smile, she lost.She lost, and she didn't feel defeated.She felt delighted in his presence.“Mark my words, Birdie. I am taking you to the White House,” he said.Marcella opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. The determination shining in his eyes...He's not talking about a visit to the White House, is he?No way! No f*cking way!Her eyes widened. But he was smiling sweetly as always. He stood up and leaned to her ear.“Let's have today's kiss on the bed,” he said.Before she could form a resistance, he picked her up and walked up the stairs.Again, Marcell pondered the one question she's been asking a lot lately.Whom did I marry?

In order to chase down and kill her own murderer, Xia Yichu reached an agreement with the 233 system, and she will travel through the world to complete the task, and The 233 system helped her return to the original world.
However, Xia Yichu often encountered a broken BOSS while he was on his way to do the task. He did n’t agree with each other on the wall, the bed, the various patterns, and kept talking.
System: Please use one word to describe the other person’s impression in your heart.
Xia Yichu: Competent.
Shen Jiaye: Mine.

- Description from 69shu

Luo Ning, a cannon fodder female supporting character in a celebrity circle's group pet novel, gets a rerun of life—this time she refuses to be the cannon fodder!Haters clamor: “Luo Ning is just a vase, bad at singing, dancing, and acting; always riding on top celebrities' coattails to generate heat, first-class in everything but talent except for her looks.”Later, when Luo Ning who excels in singing and dancing, skilled in musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting, survival skills, gourmet cooking, and also proficient in drawing talismans and fortune-telling appears before the public—extremely beautiful, highly intelligent, and with explosive acting skills.Haters are convinced: “Sister, I can do it!!!”Suddenly, one day a bombshell hits social media.A photo of the mysterious film emperor Lu Xun kissing Luo Ning's cheek surfaces, igniting a whirlwind of scandals across major headlines.Fans and onlookers do not believe it, “Impossible! The photo must be positioned in a misleading way, Luo Ning wants to cling to the film emperor for hype again, shamelessly chasing for popularity and traffic!”Before Luo Ning could respond, the usually low-key Lu Xun clarifies first.@LuXunV: The photo wasn't positioned misleadingly; the shameless one is me!Following this, everyone witnesses the film emperor changing styles daily on social media, showing off his love; either showcasing the cuisine made by Luo Ning or her beautiful photographs.Fans and the public are stunned, never expecting such a demeanor from the film emperor...

Ethan Crowe walked out of prison after seven years with nothing to his name and nowhere to belong.The world he returned to was unrecognisable.Gates had torn open across the globe, monsters roamed beyond human control, and society now revolved around the Titled - people chosen by mysterious voices and granted supernatural powers that made them heroes, weapons, and rulers all at once.Ethan wasn’t one of them.Not at first.Lost, angry, and with no future worth chasing, Ethan was barely surviving when a voice finally spoke to him.“Your title is… Lord Of Beasts.”But his awakening was wrong.Instead of power manifesting in the real world, Ethan was dragged into the Tower of Beasts - a brutal, game-like realm he could only enter while asleep. There, he hunts, tames, and evolves monstrous beasts that persist beyond his dreams…Registered as an E-Rank Titled with D-Rank potential, Ethan should have been insignificant.Yet the Lord Of Beasts cannot be measured by ordinary means.As Ethan grows stronger at an impossible rate, his existence begins to ripple outward - drawing the attention of elite Titled, criminal syndicates, and the Gates themselves.His past refuses to stay buried. His beasts grow more dangerous. And the truth behind his title hints at something far older and far more terrifying than anyone realises.In a world ruled by power, Ethan Crowe starts at the bottom.But as Lord Of Beasts, it's only a matter of time before he reaches the top!P.S. This is my WSA 2026 Entry - all support with powerstones and reviews is appreciated :)Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real events, locations, or people are purely coincidental and not intended to portray anything.