MTL - The Mad Cultivator - ~ Outer Volume 32: Provocation

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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As one of the world’s top hackers, Yu Han suddenly died because she stayed up late launching an attack on a certain country’s firewall! She did not expect to transmigrate into a romance novel that her friend had arranged for her to read and become a female supporting character with the same name in the novel. Yu Han expressed her dissatisfaction. What right did others have to transmigrate into the female protagonist while she could only be a female supporting character? Wait a minute! Yu Han was suddenly excited because, in the novel, her fiancé was the top celebrity in the novel, Ji Jun.

He was also her favorite man in the novel because he was the only one who did not have a brainless crush on the female protagonist in the novel. Now, this man was her fiancé! It was rumored that the top male idol in showbiz, Ji Jun, had a crush on someone. His fans, “Impossible, I don’t believe it. Brother loves us!” When they heard that the person Ji Jun had a crush on was Yu Han, his fans, “ It’s impossible. Brother only treats Yu Han as his junior that he wants to promote!” During a variety show, Heartthrob Ji lost in a game of truth or dare and chose truth. The host, “I heard you have a crush on someone. Is it Yu Han?” Yu Han gave him a cold glare. Ji Jun answered, “No.” Snap! The red lights on the lie detector’s glared red. Yu Han, “…?” His fans, “…?” She was the star in the sky, while he was the star-picker.

Epilogue 1: “Shocking! The popular female star, Yu Han, sold her body to seduce a seventy-year-old man for the sake of stardom. Here is a picture as proof!” While the entire internet criticized Yu Han for her shamelessness, Ji Jun’s trust in her never faltered. He tagged the reporter and replied to him with two words, “F*ck you!” Yu Han read Ji Jun’s protective words in shock and was overjoyed. With the entire screen filled with curses, Yu Han started a live stream and taught the netizens how to photoshop photos and videos. At the same time, she also restored the photos that were circulating on the internet. The netizens were shocked that Yu Han actually had such skills! At the same time, after restoring the photo to the originals, everyone wondered how the man in the photo resembled Prince Charming Ji Jun so much!

Epilogue 2: The transmigrated Queen Yu had a headache. Yu Han knew that the Ji Jun in the book had a serious obsession with cleanliness. “Can we ask the director to do a cheat cut for this kissing scene? Aren’t you a clean freak?” The smile on Ji Jun’s face widened. “We’re not canceling that scene. Are you doubting my professional ethics?” Yu Han, “…” A certain female star in the same production crew just finished shooting a scene where she fell into the water. She looked at Ji Jun pitifully. “Brother Jun, I don’t have any strength left. Can you help me?” Ji Jun did not even look at her. “Sorry, I have issues with cleanliness.” Yu Han, “…?”

Five years ago, humanity’s strongest Tower Climber was betrayed at the peak of his conquest.Rael Arden, known only by his codename Phantom, was the silent genius who cleared impossible floors, crushed monsters with forbidden magic, and shaped the rules of Tower exploration. No one had ever seen his real face—yet his legend was feared across the world.But at the Tower’s summit, the teammates he carried to glory stabbed him in the back. For power. For godhood. For fear of what he might become.They thought he died.They were wrong.Reincarnated in secret, Rael awakens in a modern world that’s on the edge of collapse. Dungeons bleed into cities. Monsters evolve. The Tower is no longer just a gate—it’s infecting the world. And the very ones who betrayed him now rule from the shadows, hiding behind titles, guilds, and lies.But Rael isn’t alone. His soul split across hidden clone bodies, each designed to infiltrate, gather information, and prepare for war. As each clone reawakens, his power grows—and so does his rage.With him are three women tied to his fate:Selene, the shadow rogue who never betrayed him.Lyra, a curious researcher drawn to the legend of the Phantom.Aeris, the sword saint who still mourns his death… and may not be as loyal to the enemy as she seems.Now, Rael hunts the seven betrayers who destroyed his past.One by one, they will fall.But revenge is just the beginning.Because deep within the Tower, something else is waking—an ancient force that even Rael feared. And this time, the world may not survive unless the Phantom reigns again.

[No turning back to old love + single female lead + daily sweetness + no system, no Golden Finger + relaxation & healing + long-lasting romance]“Xie Xiao, you can't just stop wanting me after being so good to me for three years and getting me used to it. What do these three years between us amount to?” Zhou Mianmian looked at Xie Xiao with tears blurring her eyes and a pitiful expression.“Consider it my bad luck,” Xie Xiao said indifferently with a glance at her.“Are you mad at me because I didn't agree to be with you?” Zhou Mianmian reached out to grab his hand, her voice pleading, “Then let's be together now, okay?”“You deserve someone better than me,” Xie Xiao dodged her hand, pulling the beautiful girl by his side into his arms, “Wife, let’s go.”Now that I'm reborn, let someone else be the lovestruck fool.Xie Xiao just wants to live a sweet life holding the tsundere treasure of a girl he overlooked for years~----In his past life, Xie Xiao was blind, unable to tell the difference between a scheming girl and a treasure.To buy milk for the scheming girl, he got hit by a car and was paralyzed in bed for three years.In the end, the scheming girl turned around and went with another lovestruck fool.Instead, there was a proud and cute girl by his side...Until her accidental death...Xie Xiao closed his eyes in despair...If only time could be turned back...