Blue Phoenix - Chapter 116: The Path I Take

In a world torn apart by rifts that release dangerous monsters, Espers—humans imbued with powerful abilities—serve as humanity's last line of defense. But the power of an Esper comes with a price. Overuse of their abilities leads to dangerous corruption, a force that can destroy them from the inside out. This is where Guides come in: individuals with the unique ability to calm the corruption within Espers and restore their balance.Rowan Mercer, an S-class Guide, is one of the best in his field, capable of stabilizing even the most dangerous Espers. He has worked quietly behind the scenes, helping those in need, but his life takes a dramatic turn when he is called to work with Lucian Vaughn, an S-class Esper whose immense power and unstable corruption levels make him a dangerous threat to himself and others.Lucian, a tall, stoic, and enigmatic figure, has long fought against the growing corruption within him. At first, his relationship with Rowan is purely professional—Rowan as his Guide, helping him to stay in control. However, as their interactions grow more frequent, their bond deepens in ways neither expected. What started as a simple duty soon turns into a complex relationship where power, trust, and vulnerability collide.As the world around them faces escalating threats from rifts, Rowan and Lucian must navigate not only their personal challenges but also the dangerous world of Espers and Guides. Their bond will be tested as they fight together against the corrupting forces that threaten them both.In Corrupted Bonds, survival isn’t just about battling monsters from the rifts—it's about fighting the darkness within themselves and finding a way to stay connected in a world that’s constantly pulling them apart.

[Fiction from the 1980s] Su Wen read a popular novel about son-in-law in the 1980s. The hero is a tough guy with a sense of security, but at the same time he is a bit dark-bellied and sullen.

It was the style she liked, so with a wave of her hand, she rewarded one million reading coins—and then she became the hero’s scumbag ex-wife.

In the book, the original body, as the head of the family who recruits a family at home, does not want to stand up for the family, but is a love brain. Don’t want to have huge golden thighs, but was instigated by the little white flower heroine, and fell in love with the scumbag from the next village.

After Su Wen came through, she hugged the male lead’s golden thigh tightly, and worked hard to make money and become rich. As a result, the younger sisters were too competitive, crying and shouting to recruit a son-in-law at home like the older sister, and they gave birth to a baby with the surname Su.

So, Su Wen started the rhythm of choosing her son-in-law every day, all of them are handsome and talented. One body is better than the other, and the family background is better than the other. It’s so hard to choose!

Someone who was left out aggressively blocked her behind the door: “Am I handsome? Is my figure good? Is my family strong?”

Su Wen: “…But they are my sister-in-law.”

“My whole body is yours. I will give you the passbook, and I will give you my life.”

The next day, Su Wen woke up and looked at more than twenty passbooks, lost in thought…

“Hey, hurry up and massacre those bandits!”

In the world of cultivation, countless tales follow righteous protagonists, fated heroes blessed by destiny, or those chosen by heaven to walk the path of immortality.But what of those who stand in their way?What of the villains? The so-called obstacles to the hero’s journey—do they not bleed, dream, and struggle as well?Xiao Ning was never meant to succeed.From the very beginning, the Grand Dao wove him as a stepping stone—a necessary sacrifice to elevate another. His path, like that of all designated ‘villains,’ was doomed to failure by design.But what happens when that design is defied?After death, Xiao Ning awakens—not in the cycle of reincarnation, but in the cold silence beyond it. There, he is offered the Eternal Paradox Codex—a forbidden artifact containing the hidden truths of the Grand Dao System itself.Rules. Loopholes. Vulnerabilities.Knowledge not meant for those like him.With this power, Xiao Ning is granted a single, impossible choice: accept oblivion, or step outside the Grand Dao entirely—to abandon fate, sever karma, and cultivate a path unbound by heaven or law.It is Xiao Ning’s journey, from ashes to something beyond comprehension.Not to become an Immortal among men.But something even the heavens dare not bind.If fate is a chain…Then let him forge his own path in the void beyond.Welcome to this humble tale.The cultivation world is vast and unkind.Let us begin again—on our terms.