Ascendance of a Bookworm - Volume 7, Chapter 4: Talks with the Ink Guild and Its Successor (Part 1)

The World of Ephesus. A vast world plagued by Breaches containing countless Beasts of Corruption. A World on the brink of ruin as the Four Human Lineages defend the last bastions of Humanity! With the power of Gem Masters standing against the Beasts of Corruption, the flames of Humanity seek to burn ever brighter. In such a world, in the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline, Alexander awakens a Gem Socket that others consider defective. A Variant Gem Socket. Looked down upon by those who do not understand it, this supposed defect may just be the solution that the burning embers of humanity were waiting for. Follow Alexander as he entirely warps the perception of what a Gem Master is- as he embarks on a journey to become...The Empyreal Gem Master!

The world is a sea of bitterness.

The mortal swims in the sea.

The body is the vessel.

The soul is the mortal on the vessel.

The vessel carries the mortal as it sails endlessly towards the other side of the sea.

Does cultivating the body strengthen the vessel enough to reach the other side of this sea of misery?

Or does cultivating the soul give the mortal on the vessel the ability to master swimming?

Cultivating according to the martial path allows one to become an Earthly Immortal.

Cultivating according to the immortal path allows one to become a Divine Immortal.

Which path should be chosen?

- Description from Novelupdates

Jian Tian transmigrated into a Mary Sue school novel and became the cannon fodder female supporting character.Although she is cannon fodder, her entire family is full of villains.The villainous eldest brother opposes the male lead and leads the company to bankruptcy.The villainous second brother opposes the female lead and ends up with crippled legs.The villainous third brother is a love-struck fool and ends up on the streets.And she has it worse, being implicated and sent to prison.Why should she be the only cannon fodder in a family of villains? She wants to turn the tables! She wants to rise!However, just as she ignites her fighting spirit, she discovers she’s bound to a system that will obliterate her soul if she doesn't slack off.Jian Tian: “...”Lies down.And she even persuades her whole family to slack off collectively.Seeing the eldest brother working overtime at the company: “Stop working overtime; after all, the company won't be yours in the end! Trust me, first lose 1 billion!”Seeing the second brother busy with his medical career: “Don't work too hard, after all, you're ultimately making wedding dresses for others. Why not research a cure for crippled legs instead?”Seeing the third brother running errands for the female lead: “Isn't being a happy bachelor nice? Why must you suffer for love? Wake up, licking the boots will get you nothing in the end!”The three brothers of the Ji family: “...”Has our little sister gone crazy?Later, after experiencing the joy of slacking, the three brothers: “Hmm, this is nice...”However...We agreed to slack off together, so how did you quietly become a top boss?!Jian Tian awkwardly scratches her head: “There’s too much development in my field; I can't help it.”And the dark villain lurking in the shadows, aggressively wrapping his arms around her waist: “Hmm? How about including me too?”Jian Tian: “...”Don’t come near me!

Yang Yi, along with everyone else, is thrust upon a Maritime Survival Game.Some lucky individuals possess special ships; the Iron Heart is armed to the teeth, the Swift Wind is so fast it’s almost invisible, and the Ironhead charges forward with a massive ram.Only the Nightmare, Yang Yi’s ghost ship, has strange and gory elements.The protagonist’s journey won’t be smooth sailing — this is not a story for the weak-hearted.