The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary - Chapter 22: From Defending to Changing for the Worse

After 10,000 years of intense, solitary cultivation inside the Immortal Palace, Ancestor Li Shen finally steps outside —only to realize the world has changed, his sect is broke, and the juniors are clueless.Naturally, he does what any enlightened master would do:He starts throwing spirit stones at the problem.Need cultivation pills? Buy them in bulk.Sect disciples weak? Dump divine weapons on them like party favors.Enemy sects causing trouble? Bribe their ancestors into early retirement.Soon, Li Shen isn’t just revered as the most powerful being alive —he’s the richest, loudest, and most dramatically dressed cultivator to ever walk the continent.With a golden flying palace shaped like a reclining dragon and a pet phoenix that doubles as a chef, Li Shen’s new path to immortality is paved with cash, chaos, and really questionable decision-making.Will he reach true enlightenment?Will the Heavens finally notice him and file a noise complaint?Find out in this completely serious tale of wealth, wisdom, and way too many spirit stones.

Lu Mingshu had never believed in fate.

The World of Ephesus. A vast world plagued by Breaches containing countless Beasts of Corruption. A World on the brink of ruin as the Four Human Lineages defend the last bastions of Humanity! With the power of Gem Masters standing against the Beasts of Corruption, the flames of Humanity seek to burn ever brighter. In such a world, in the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline, Alexander awakens a Gem Socket that others consider defective. A Variant Gem Socket. Looked down upon by those who do not understand it, this supposed defect may just be the solution that the burning embers of humanity were waiting for. Follow Alexander as he entirely warps the perception of what a Gem Master is- as he embarks on a journey to become...The Empyreal Gem Master!

[MATURE CONTENT]“Kiss or Kill?”“Karma.”*****Broken by a pack that was supposed to be home, Tamiko swore to never attend any mating ceremonies. He knew they would eventually reject him, so he didn't want to risk the heartbreak even more.However, a lonely best friend in need of a mate and a bunch of convincing later, Tamiko found himself at the entrance of the mating ceremony.As if that wasn't enough, the midnight moon gave him what he didn't want the most. A mate. But not just any mate. Gabe; the alpha's dark son, a man who made it his mission to make Tamiko's life harder, and also the man Tamiko hated more than life itself.As their eyes glowed in the night, Tamiko didn't see a mate, he saw a very rare opportunity; a chance to run, or be the one that Gabe ran from.He chose the latter.Like a gift from the moon, he realized the one thing that could burn down the Grealor pack.He bore the mark of lycan royalty, more precisely, King Zaffuto's mark.The outcast, Tamiko, was the lost lycan prince.