Rising Phoenix - Chapter 196

Fu Yuran, a genius actor crowned as a queen upon her debut, basked in endless glory; Yuran, a prodigal, frivolous, and brainless rich third-generation heir.Fu Yuran never thought that upon her sudden death, she would become Yuran, sharing the same name but vastly different in standing, not to mention living at the mercy of others and having an infinitely dazzling movie emperor ... brother?Yuran, who had intended to keep a low profile and strive to better herself, was one day scandalized as the “little demon” cohabitating with the great movie emperor, Yen Shen. Such gossip, truly malicious and insane!Lately, Yuran replied with no expression, “No, I'm not close with Yen Shen, you've misunderstood. How could Yen Shen possibly take a fancy to me?”Just when the dust seemed to be settling, some media personnel surprisingly caught her hand in hand with Yen Shen, and she still spoke earnestly and nonsensically, “We're just acting, don't misunderstand!”Yen Shen, “Let me formally introduce, my wife, Yuran!”

The vast seas are filled with abundant resources but are also home to numerous sea demons, making it a place difficult for human cultivators to tread.One day, Lu Li crosses into the vast and boundless sea realm of immortal cultivation, carrying with him a magical beast-refining pot that can transform into various sea monsters, allowing him to roam the seabed.While cultivators on the islands struggle for a single spiritual herb, Lu Li has already built an underwater spiritual farm base.Watch him strategize step by step, leaving a footprint with every move, as he grows into a top-tier power in the world of immortal cultivation. Looking back after countless years, the days spent fighting sea demons, refining evil spirits, and treasure hunting in the deep sea remain vivid in his memory...

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.