MTL - Martial King’s Retired Life - v7 Chapter 17 .County Kings [Part2 / 2]

The next morning, Jian Anning asked, “What is happiness?” Yu Xingxing hooked his lips into a smile and suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. “Happiness,” he said, “is being with the one you love and doing things that make you happy. Let's continue, wife!” Jian Anning kicked him off. “Get lost!”

Long Chen, a crippled youth who cannot cultivate, is constantly targeted and bullied by his fellow noble heirs. After a particularly vicious beating, he wakes up and realizes a Pill God’s soul has somehow merged with him, giving him some additional memories. Within those memories is the mysterious Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, a cultivation technique that even he can train in, but whose secrets and origin are still a mystery to him. Relying on his improved instincts as he finally begins to cultivate, he realizes a huge conspiracy is underfoot within the Phoenix Cry Empire, one involving his father, members of the imperial family, and even the Emperor himself.

In order to solve the mysteries around him, he must rely on his new alchemy techniques and the powerful but baffling Nine Star Hegemon Body Art. Countless enemies block him as he attempts to climb to the peak of the cultivation world.

Fate destined him to be only a chess piece, but he would not bow to the will of the Heavens.

Ethan Cross was just an ordinary college student in his past life—until he died trying to save a banker playing hero. Now, he finds himself reincarnated in “New World”, a realm plagued by Dread Beasts, where only those who awaken Aethermarks can become Heroes.But there’s a problem.Ethan has awakened as an E-rank Hero, the weakest tier, cursed with only one ability slot—a death sentence for any aspiring warrior. With no powerful clans willing to recruit him and the world already looking down on him, his future seems bleak.Until he discovers his Innate Talent: Sanctum of Beasts.This mysterious power grants him access to a personal dimension, where he can hunt endless waves of Dread Beasts. Unlike the real world, slaying them in this space drops Ability Fragments, which he can combine to gain abilities without slot restrictions. Even better? Time flows differently—he can train for days, yet only an instant passes in reality.Determined to rise from nothing, Ethan embarks on a secret journey to accumulate power. But as he completes missions and unravels the truth about the Black Pits, he realizes there’s something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface.The Hero Association hides dark secrets. Villains roam freely in the shadows. And Dread Beasts may not be the mindless creatures everyone believes them to be.With powerful enemies watching his every move, Ethan must play a dangerous game—remain unnoticed or become the hunter of both beasts and men.But one thing is certain:In this world, strength is everything. And Ethan Cross will carve his own path to the top—no matter the cost.

In a world ruled by strength and chaos, a soul from modern Earth awakens in the frail body of a seven-year-old Sakazuki. Orphaned by pirates and left with nothing but a burning hatred, he refuses to remain weak. With knowledge from his past life and the power of the Magma Magma Fruit, he begins his ruthless ascent through the ranks of the Marines.But justice is not so simple. Corruption festers within the very institution meant to uphold order, and the line between protector and tyrant blurs with every battle. Undeterred, Sakazuki will forge his own path—one paved with fire and blood.From a vengeful child to the most feared force in the Marines, witness the rise of a man who will set the seas ablaze and redefine what it means to bring order to a chaotic world.