The Hero Returns - Chapter 3

Ripped from a dead-end life and plunged into a world where danger lurks behind every smile, Xiulan must learn to thrive in a realm ruled by ruthless ambition and deadly secrets. When Li Mei dies in a traffic accident after another soul-crushing retail shift, she awakens in a familiar yet dangerous world—inside her favorite game, . Now inhabiting the body of Lin Xiulan, the scorned second daughter of a noble family, she finds herself thrust into a nest of vipers where her very existence is an offense to those around her. Armed only with her knowledge of the game and the wounds from a lifetime of dealing with entitled customers, Xiulan refuses to play the role of the family’s punching bag. Determined to rise above, she’ll need to master immortal alchemy, tame arcane spirit beasts, perfect her martial arts, and face off against her scheming sisters and stepmother. But in Arinthia, a land where power reigns supreme and the weak are swept aside, Xiulan must do more than just survive and fade into the background. With the knowledge of a devastating future that awaits the realm’s beloved Crown Princess, she’ll need every ounce of her modern wit and growing abilities to prevent a catastrophe that would ruin the entire realm—assuming she can survive her own family long enough to do anything about it. Only by transforming herself into a force of reckoning can Xiulan hope to protect those she comes to care about—and survive the darkness that awaits.

Even after knowing what came next....I still accepted.A deal with the devil herself.A devil, in the form of a goddess.I accepted a life that I knew wouldn't end well, a life that was worse off than the very curel one I already lived.But I still choose to do it.I chose to become the villain.

Xuanqian Continent, where sects stood in great numbers and experts abounded.The youth, Zhou Heng, with a mysterious black Broken Sword in his Dantian, emerged from Origin Stone Town and fought his way to claim a piece of the world in this grand era.To the exceedingly wicked, kill!To those who bullied my friends and family, kill!To those who obstructed my path to enlightenment, kill!On the path to the heavens, I tread with songs, with a sword in hand, I alone am honored under the heavens!

Zuo Chengan was thrown into a brutal survival game, only to awaken its sole god-tier skill: The Eye of Truth.From that moment, he began to see the game—and the world—for what they truly were.A broken branch lying by the roadside?Ordinary players: “Just a useless stick. Toss it aside!”Zuo Chengan: “A hidden NPC is offering a feast of rare delicacies.”A suspicious dish placed before the group?Ordinary players: “Don’t touch it! It’s probably poisoned!”Zuo Chengan: “Completely safe. And utterly delicious.”A monstrous creature blocking their path?Ordinary players: “Terrifying! Avoid it at all costs!”Zuo Chengan: Silently studies its hidden weakness.What began as a game to push humanity toward evolution revealed itself to be something far more sinister—a trap, a scheme of ruthless exploitation.The desperate battles fought in the game’s dungeons were nothing but a spectacle, staged for the amusement of another world.With his all-seeing Eye of Truth, Zuo Chengan ascended through the 12 Heavenly Trials, dismantling the web of lies spun by the false gods. His piercing sight exposed the malicious truths behind the game.Standing at the summit, blade in hand, he declared, “I will cut through this endless night, tearing apart the shadows of chaos to reveal the light of truth. Let the world see reality once more!”