The Sacred Ruins - Chapter 42: The Heartless and the Merciless

“It’s not the people who claim they are evil you should worry about, it’s the ones that claim they are good”.What would a modern-day earthling do if they suddenly open their eyes to find themselves in a cultivation world?Suffering from an incurable disease since young, Yang Chen’s life came to an end due to the malicious stratagems of his relatives.Life, youth, love, wealth, family, he got to enjoy nothing.Bitter at the injustice he suffered, Yang Chen's soul was reincarnated into a whole new world where immortals and divine beings weren’t just myths.This time, he vowed to live a whimsical, self-serving, materialistic life.But what’s this? His starting point was the lowest of the low, a slave that was at the mercy of the Zhang clan.Can this still be called living? Raising a cry in defiance against his destiny, what appeared before him was the Greedvil system.Heaven-Defying Battle Skills, Supreme Pills, Weapons, Armours... anything that Yang Chen wants, can be purchased from the shop.In return, all Yang Chen had to do was commit evil acts. The Greedvil System ran on mischief points, his actions determined the points he earned.The greater the degree of evil, the higher the points!!!Hehe… Now wasn’t that great? Even the heavens want him to become a villain.Equipped with a healthy body and a powerful system, what kind of storms would Yang Chen create?“What’s that, a heavenly constitution? I, your grandfather can buy dozens of them. Beauties? The more the merrier. Villains? Who can hold a candle against me?”This is the story of a villain who sets on a journey to reach the martial peak. He will stomp on all the heavenly sons and pick up beauties on his way.

The rivers and lakes carry wine with swords, the waist is slender and the palm is light.

The young man carried a long knife on his shoulder, and hung wine on his waist, striding forward, but the rivers and lakes in his heart were vaguely visible.

Turning a page in the book of troubled times, the rivers and lakes have been raining nightly for decades.

Looking back suddenly, the world has been shattered.

- Description from novelbuddy

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

In the post-apocalyptic era, amidst the wasteland and chaos, the great path reaches the heavens.Mad Outer Gods, uncontrollable cursed cultivation methods, extraordinary martial artists facing ominous old age... Above the starry sky, deities circle, and below, ghosts roam at night!In this doomsday scenario, Xu Shu carries the “Primordial Scroll” and transmigrates. Through a simulation game, he achieves one exclusive accomplishment after another, seeking a sliver of hope for survival.The ten-day apocalypse, the Dragon King returns, resurrects his lover, and saves the world;With a passionate and generous heart, he fights and conquers while carrying the burden of a grieving father whose child was stillborn...As more and more accomplishments are achieved, he gradually lets himself go within the simulation game.Until...A true disciple of the Female Void Palace is pregnant overnight, announcing an emergency lockdown;The long-extinct master of the White Jade Capital rises from the grave, destroys enemies with a wave and proves his Dao as a Great Emperor;A shepherd boy arrives at the gates of the Holy Temple, claiming to be Ye Su;Moreover, a young man riding a cow attains enlightenment, leaving Hangu Pass and preaching with a scroll:- The human race must strengthen itself. You may admire me, but there's no need to worship me;- Together, we punish those who claim to be gods!...Dreams reflect reality, and more and more people begin to spread his name and words across the land. Only then does Xu Shu realize that the life he simulated has far-reaching effects, like a butterfly flapping its wings!And those rampant Outer Gods finally recall the fear that once dominated them...He dies thousands of times on the path to ascension, and another night passes in the Primordial Scroll.Suddenly looking back, he has shattered both heaven and earth.“I, Xu Shu, am a crude person. My apologies, fairy!”---