Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation - Chapter 211: Listening to the Sword, Controlling the Sword

“Every person has an equal amount of 8 skill holder slots. There are normal skills such as 【Physical Strength】 which takes up 1 slot, but there are also rare skills which take up 4 to 5 slots, or even rarer ones which take up all 8 slots.”

Is what old man Hinga taught me at the Orb Mine, where skill orbs are unearthed.

But we “s*aves” could not acquire skills due to Contract Magic, thus s*aves had no future.

On one fateful day.

The noble who owned the mine, that is, our “Master”, came to visit the Orb Mine.

Due to a sudden earthquake, the ceiling collapsed. Rocks fell directly on the noble’s head. And he died.

At that moment, our contract magic disappeared.

The clever s*aves ran straight to the warehouse where the skill orbs were stored.

They absorbed rare skill orbs, and used their newfound abilities and magic to defeat the guards and escaped the mine.

It was a riot.

I was too late to pick up a skill orb.

“–It’s over. I will be forced back into being a s*ave,” I despaired.

But just then, I saw a skill orb that shouldn’t exist.

An orb which used 10 skill holder slots -【All Things In Creation 《World Ruler》】

A non-standard skill orb that would be of no interest to anyone but researchers because no soul in the world could use it.

However, I was able to absorb 【World Ruler】.

Why? That’s because I was a “reincarnated person.”

I had 8 more skill holder slots than an average person, for a total of 16 slots.

The mine is besieged and there is only one exit. A mysterious skill 【World Ruler】 in my hand.

What do I do now?

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.

Set in the Shadow Slave world...a time before Sunny was born...this story follows a simple soldier who must survive in a dystopian, apocalyptic landscape where magic and gun warfare collide.In a far-off Quadrant known as North America, a young soldier named Hope is 16 years old when he gets infected by the Nightmare Spell. He passed! But...he feels a bit scammed...?A flaw that makes him fade from people's memories...A cursed attribute that makes him remember everything endlessly in eternal wakefulness...It's as if the Spell is twisting his future and existence into an almost improbable one.All he has ever known his purpose to be was to serve as a simple soldier. Not too powerful. But not so weak either. And maybe, just maybe like some others, become an Awakened. Although he never dreamt of being one.Now that his whole life is compromised after his First Nightmare, his first objective is to survive on his own. But as he tries to escape his fate, his actions seem to lead him further from his goal.He struggles against obstacles that slowly grow bigger and out of proportion.Maybe the Dream Realm and the Real World aren't so different than one may think.Hope's journey involves uncovering secrets and gaining knowledge about his true nature and his new role in the world.Is he fit to be a hero?Could he redefine it?***Please read the READER DISCLAIMER in Volume 0.This is my spin-off novel of “Shadow Slave” by Guiltythree.But please don't expect the same writing style, setting, and characters, especially the main character.This story reveals more about how people/cities/governments operate after the Spell’s arrival. I always find it interesting how maybe one country handles it fairly, but how others handle it with desperation to the point that you question humanity.There will be easter eggs pointing to the original novel either intentional for the plot or unrelated to it, but all for fun.I am a new author so props to all who bear with me and helps me improve my writing. If it is not for you, please don't leave outright hate comments. Eat wassabi instead if you want pain. Critique and advice would be great too.