The Sword and The Shadow - Chapter 0 – The Brewing of a Storm

Lucas Graves was an ordinary young man from a futuristic world—until a tragic accident took his life. Now, he awakens as Xavier Alden, the son of a noble in an ancient era where cultivation reigns supreme. But Xavier was weak, betrayed, and left for dead. With no memories of Xavier's past life, Lucas must conceal his true identity while uncovering the truth behind his predecessor’s downfall.Determined to grow stronger, he begins practicing the forbidden Dual Cultivation Technique, a path long shunned for its overwhelming power and dangerous consequences. But to fully unlock its potential, he must conquer the world’s most extraordinary beauties, forging bonds that will elevate his strength to unimaginable heights.As shocking secrets unravel and war brews in the shadows, Lucas is thrust into the turmoil of a world on the brink of chaos. To survive, he must defy fate, master the lost art of cultivation, and carve his own destiny—before the past catches up with him.NB: The novel may start at a slower pace, allowing for deep world-building and character development, but I assure you, the story will become increasingly engaging as it unfolds.

Lying on the hospital bed, Yu Bing, who was severely ill to the point she could not open her eyes, could do nothing but wait for death. Because of her frail body, her parents had disliked her since she was born. And because of what happened in the countryside, her elder sister hated her for a lifetime. Her second sister, Yu Yan, who had been sent away as a child, also hated her for some bizarre reason. All kinds of framing and setup were used on her, and they even stole her fiance from her…

As she didn’t get enough love and care since she was young, she regarded Yu Yan’s false kindness to be real and treated her sincerely, only to have the former trample all over her reputation. For the sake of getting a smile from her parents and some false praise, she lived frugally until she almost died. Looking back on her life, Yu Bing felt it was absurd, and endless resentment festered in her heart. She had never done anything to anyone, so why? Why did those relatives and close family members treat her this way? Since they didn’t want her, well, then she wouldn’t treat them like family anymore.

If there was a next life, she didn’t want to be the Yu family’s daughter! “She’s my sister, so how can I not love her? But the dead have to make way for the living. It’s rare that there’s such a happy event in our family. We can’t let her bad luck taint this home!” Familiar words rang in her ears. Yu Bing opened her eyes with difficulty, and found that she had been reborn back to when she was younger! She had been reborn to the eve she had been sent to the countryside. Her family was arguing about who to send to the countryside in response to the call of the country.

Her elder sister had gotten married in a hurry as she didn’t want to be sent to the countryside, and placed all the blame for the misfortune of her marriage on Yu Bing. As Yu Bing wanted to stay away from the Yu family, she took the initiative to sign up and went to the countryside. She completely cut off contact with the Yu family and vowed to change her destiny!

Doomsday was approaching…

An ancient virus was released upon the world and from then on nothing was the same…

Zombies, mutant wild animals and people with mutant powers…

Jiang Liushi , one day woke up and found the Starseed in his mind, a Black Technology which could assist him in various ways.

Its most important function? Refitting and upgrading vehicles!

- Description from Novelupdates

It all happened so abruptly. After finally grasping my situation, I found myself in an entirely different world. Looking around, I noticed others in the same predicament… Could this possibly be one of those Hero developments?

Was there a tyrannical Demon Lord needing extermination, or would I be tossed into the maelstrom of war? Whatever it was, I was afraid. I never wanted to be a Hero. I don’t want to harm another…… Ignore the nonsense I was spouting; there was nothing to fret over.

The Demon Lord was slain a thousand years ago, and 800 years had passed since the last war. The nobles didn’t treat us summoned like tr*sh; instead, we were kindly cared for. The Demons have been on good terms with Humans for some time now. Dangers, such as monsters, were being taken care of by the Guild and the Order of Knights. What’s more surprising is the fact that I wasn’t even a hero! Instead, I was unintentionally summoned!

It also turns out that this world was a world in which the three races, the Spirit World’s Magical Races, the Celestial World’s Divine Races, and the Mortal World’s Human Races, are kind neighbors. Here, everyone lives a peaceful and fulfilling life.

In summary, this other world was――at peace.

What’s my plan for the future? For my limited stay here, I will live this world to its fullest; going on a cultural exchange, sightseeing, then, after experiencing the festival that is only held once every ten years, …… I shall safely return home.

However, despite my lust for a peaceful last year before returning, this planet’s heavyweights have begun amassing around me, and……