Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert - Chapter 20

[Main Plot Completed]A love doomed from the start, a lost cause, a losing battle—and yet, neither hearts are willing to let go until the very end.-----Arlan Cromwell, the epitome of the perfect Crown Prince. All he wants is to live a normal life of a human but the life of a dragon is anything but normal. He has but one goal—to find his runaway betrothed and behead her. What happens when he discovers that the woman who has snagged his heart is the one he vowed to kill?Oriana, a Black Witch, disguising herself as a man, has spent her entire life on the run without knowing what she is running away from. When the mysteries of her past slowly catch up to her, she has no one to turn to…except Arlan. But when she learns that the man she has given her heart to is the same man who wants to kill her, how can she accept the cruel card life dealt her?Two people with secrets to keep, identities to hide, and answers to find. When the certain darkness threatens to take Oriana away, will the Dragon be able to protect his mate?-----Excerpt-“If I knew you were my betrothed, I would have killed you the very first moment we met.” Arlan's gaze darkened with hatred.“If I knew I was betrothed to you, I would have killed myself before you even killed me!” Oriana mirrored the same emotions as him.He pulled out a dagger and offered it to her. “It’s not too late. Just slit your throat with this and you'll bleed out painlessly.”She accepted the knife, her fingers clutching its handle tightly. The next moment, he was pressed against the wall and the knife was on the right side of his neck. “How about I try it on you first, my betrothed?”“Feel free to try. But when you fail, this knife will first taste your grandpa's blood, then yours.”Anger rose in her eyes, and the next moment, blood was flowing through the right side of his neck. She cut deep enough to severe an important blood vessel.“You should not have challenged me,” she sneered and stepped back, waiting for him to collapse.He simply smirked and brushed his finger along the deep wound on his neck. “Seems like you failed.”She watched the wound on his neck heal on its own and felt shocked to her bones. “You.. what are you?”“Guess?”

He had four disobedient disciples, who now achieved success, won recognition and established their own sects.

The embarrassing thing is that it was him who drove those four out of his sect to make them independent.

But one day he had an incident and lost his cultivation. His life was hanging by a thread. Wandering around, he walked into his third disciple’s territory.

What should I do?

Mountains and seas can be tamed, days and nights can disappear.

Only you, the exceptional you, refuse to give up.

——

A man blessed with fortune, the best in his generation, had an accident and started anew; broken in body but firm in spirit, he now uses his wisdom to guide his evil disciples back to the right path.

Notes :
The title 参商 (Shēnshāng) has two meanings:
1) Constellations Shen (ch. “Three Stars mansion”, eu. Orion) and Shang (ch. “Heart mansion”, eu. Antares), which never appear at the same time.
2) Two friends/relatives who are separated/estranged and irreconcilable.

- Description from Novelupdates

Alex was just another ordinary gamer—until the day he died. Struck down by a terminal illness, he found solace in his favorite game, a vast fantasy RPG filled with powerful warriors, intricate politics, and world-shaking events. But before he could see the game's ending, fate had other plans.When he opens his eyes again, he’s no longer Alex from Earth. Instead, he’s Alex Dragonheart, a nameless extra in the very game he once played. Not a protagonist. Not even a villain. Just an unknown side character who was fated to die early, forgotten by history.Armed with only half of the game’s knowledge, an unawakened bloodline, and a mysterious sealed skill, Alex is thrown into a brutal world where strength is everything. His beloved younger sister is sick and needs treatment, but his past self had been powerless to save her. Not anymore.Determined to rewrite his fate, Alex will rise through the ranks, manipulate events from the shadows, and seize power that was never meant for him. If fate refuses to acknowledge him, then he’ll carve his own legend—one that even the gods will fear.After all, in a world where only the strong survive, even an extra can become a nightmare.( Okay guys just because there is a system tag does not mean he will get everything handed to him he will have to work hard to attain power because I will make it so )

In the year 2000, the System arrived on Gaia and changed the world of mankind. The environment became volatile and organisms evolved. To the humans, the System offered a class-base progression with a myriad of skills just like in old RPG games. From magic to bloodlines, as long as people immersed themselves in their passions, the System would incorporate their interests into classes and skills. And with the rise of new powerhouses, old nations were brought down and new ones rose from the ashes, stabilizing and governing their evolved populace.Around 500 years later since the dawn of the System, the story of our MC began. Drai was a musclehead, and his days were mostly spent for two purposes: becoming stronger and tougher! With his single-mindedness and crazy trainings he was finally offered a special class on the Revelation Day. From there on, his journey began. Starting from a prestigious academy and meeting his mentor and new friends, each with their own peculiarities, Drai steadily walked the path of power and invincibility. Party adventures, dark schemes, and veiled threats would accompany Drai throughout his journey.