The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him! - Chapter 3 - 2 Basketball: Starting as an Unemotional "Data Brush

The Path to Immortality is elusive, and everyone wants to achieve it even if there's only a glimmer of hope.Tian Yongheng is a person who regained his past life memories after his family was brutally slaughtered. His extreme fear of death and desire to be undying have forced him to step onto this dangerous path of Immortal Cultivation.He is not a Chosen One who is the favored son of heavens, nor is he the reincarnation of a Great Emperor. Armed with a unique system of unknown origins and his obsession with immortality, he sets forth to carve a way of his own in this world where fate toys with one's very existence itself and cosmic horror-like beings devour universes for fun.However, can he really touch the illusory, eternal and ethereal Immortal Dao that is everlasting and everchanging?Will he ever be able to reach the end of this grand path to eternity, establishing himself as a myth and beyond? or will he also drown in the long river of history just like many others?-------The background settings and world building of this story are greatly inspired by Top Tier Providence, Secretly Cultivate for a Thousand Years. the main characters are also pretty similar, so if you like stories where the MC is a hidden powerhouse who, despite being hidden, is still known across the world, then you can give it a try. Please be patient while reading, as this is my first time writing a novel and don't hesitate to point out any mistakes I do in the comments.Also, I'm not a native of China, so there are probably going to be a lot of mistakes in names and history and stuff, please bear with it.Note: English is not my first language and the cover image is not mine.

“Devouring Lifespan to grow stronger!!”When Ricky Stormwind—a washed-up office worker—drank himself to death, he expected eternal nothingness. Instead, he awoke in a new world… as a mosquito.Weak as an ant. Fragile as a piece of paper. Prey to everything.But this world is no ordinary one. Magic, monsters, and powerful beings dominate the land, with ruthless forces waging war for supremacy. And Ricky? He possesses a terrifying ability—he can drain lifespan from any living creature and use it to evolve.A single bite can grant him hours. A feast?..... Years!!Now, in a forest filled with predators and beside a village on the brink of destruction, Ricky must climb the evolutionary ladder—from insignificant pest to a calamity that could devour the world itself.But when his first real meal triggers a mass sacrifice, the world mistakes him for a rising Demon Lord. Bounties are placed on his head. Armies march to hunt him down. And lurking in the shadows, a forbidden power calls to him, promising a path beyond mere survival—one that could reshape reality itself.In a world where everything is prey to something greater, something horrendous… he will rise to become the apex.

[Ilyasviel completes the check-in and rewards himself for a height increase of 1cm]

Elijah: “???”

[Shizaki Kuangsan completes the task, rewarded with a historical video of Shizaki Kuangsan, please accept it! 】

Tokisaki Kurumi: “???”

[Fit Testrosa completes the quest and is rewarded with a whole set of bombardment flow for making friends with Takamachi Naiba! 】

Fett: “???”

[Shiroi Kuroko completes the task and rewards Misaka Mikoto Ai’s bento! 】

Shirai Kuroko: “…!!!”

Chu Chen silently watched the group of system hosts who had been playing with the system he created to the point of collapse, and drank tea very calmly.

“You don’t really blame me for the rewards you get. I’m only responsible for the system delivery system. You blame me for being like this…”

- Description from novelbuddy

Delia's life was a cruel reality: the neglected and abused illegitimate daughter of a noble family, the Ellington family, she yearned for the love of her stepmother, Baroness Augusta, and younger sister, Lady Anne, who relentlessly mistreated her.Her world crumbled when she discovered a double betrayal: her beloved husband, Lord George had secretly pined for Anne, marrying Delia only to be near her sister. Simultaneously, her step mother framed her for a crime Anne committed.Overwhelmed and heartbroken, Delia's attempt to escape a death sentence led to a fatal carriage accident.But death was not the end. Delia awoke one year in the past, finding herself still engaged to George. This was her second chance, and the naive girl was gone, replaced by a woman consumed by a burning desire for revenge. Her first target: Duke Eric Carson, the powerful and wealthy man her sister Anne desperately pursued.Delia boldly approached Eric with a proposition for a contract marriage. To her surprise, Eric agreed, but with a condition: their fake marriage would become real and they can go their separate way after a year, hiding his own secret agenda. Now, armed with Eric's unexpected devotion and his willingness to lay down his life for her, Delia meticulously begins to dismantle her family's world. With Eric's help, she exposes the secrets they hide, manipulates their desires, and turns them against each other, orchestrating George’s demotion, Anne's downfall and seizing everything her sister coveted, including Duke Eric love and obsession.Will Delia and Eric be able to conquer all odds to get what they want? What happens when Eric doesn’t want their contract marriage to end? What happens when the last petal of that indicates her second chance falls?———————EXCPRET“I can’t return your feelings, your grace,” Delia whispered, her back against the cool wall.“But I can,” Eric murmured, stepping closer.Delia’s voice trembled. “It’s not the same.” She choked out. “ No one can love me without hurting me.”“Then teach me,” he said, his breath warm on her cheek. “Teach me how to love you the way you deserve to be loved. I’m a quick study.”When she stayed silent, he sighed contentedly, a soft smile playing on his lips.“It’s alright. Just… use me. Anything you need. if you want money, ask the treasury, take as much money that’s needed. if you want power, use my name. if you want security and love, use my body.”His breath warmed her skin, his chest rose and fell with hers. “As long as it's from you, I'm happy.”