MTL - The Great Voyage: the Prop Master on the Straw Hat Ship - Chapter 30

Reincarnated as the first prince of the Jing Dynasty, Jiang Changsheng was transferred by a traitor as soon as he was born, and then he was sent to a temple to become an ordinary little Taoist priest.

From the prince to the little Taoist priest who no one cares about, his life has fallen. Fortunately, Jiang Changsheng has activated the survival system and has an infinite lifespan. As long as he survives the hardships of life, he can get a survival reward.

He was almost killed by his brother while practicing martial arts, but survived by luck and got the leg of the gods.

Encountered an earthquake, was nearly killed by the beam of the house, and obtained the Nine Searching Heavenly Dragon Step.

The demons roamed the capital, passed it safely, and obtained the magic weapon to conquer the demon pestle.

…

There are many dynasties, demons are rampant, and martial arts rule the world. This is a world without immortals and gods, and Taoism is hidden in the halls and mountains.

Three hundred years later.

When the Jing Dynasty was prosperous, it ushered in decline, the princes rose together, the emperor became a puppet in the hands of the heroes, split the dynasty, and fought for decades.

The puppet emperor Jiang Xuanzhen came to the Taoist temple and knelt down and cried, “My descendants are not filial and unable to return to heaven, please ask our ancestors to ascend the throne and continue my grand scene for another 300 years!”

- Description from novelbuddy

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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