Demon King - Chapter 123: Guild Growth – 8

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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Of the ancient gods only one remained in the world. This god lived alone for thousands of years and no longer had any desires. Legend had it that during the great war between the worlds he used his powers to turn the tide managing to seal the cataclysmic rift bringing order back into the three realms. Time flew by and hundreds of years passed in the blink of an eye.

In this time Shen Li was born into the demon world. Known as the Azure Sky King she was used to living a bright and dazzling life full of successes. Little did she know that her 1000th birthday would bring misfortune to her doorstep – a politically arranged marriage with her name on it. The Azure Sky King would henceforth marry the thirty-third grandson of the Heavenly Emperor, Fu Rongjun. This arranged marriage was meant to unite the Heavenly realm with the Demonic Realm, bringing the two together. Most would consider it good fortune to be related to the Emperor.

Unfortunately Fu Rongjun was infamous throughout the two realms for his Casanova personality. As the King who called the shots in the Demonic Realm, she had the ability to quell uprisings and end wars with a swing of her silver spear – there was absolutely no way she would marry such a flirtatious idiot. She had to escape from this marriage somehow even if it meant death!

In her escape Shen Li, never expected to meet a man that didn’t belong to any of the three realms. This oddball was truly strange!

- Description from Novelupdates

They had been together since high school. Together, they faced the cold faces of their parents and the satirical or disdainful eyes of others, started a business and experienced all kinds of ups and downs. When their company was on the right track, Zhishu He was asked to give up his career to stay at home, while Wenxu Jiang gradually changed and began to indulge in merry-making. However, Zhishu chose to forgive him. Zhishu got an incurable disease, while Wenxu Jiang was still indifferent. Zhishu still chose to forgive him. Love had become a kind of habit, which was equal to an incurable disease.

In a peaceful sunny day, Zhishu quietly left Wenxu Jiang and the house in which they had lived for a long time without an advance notice.

Soon he was gone. A man with pure spirit and deep love for Wenxu Jiang disappeared from this world forever…

Sometimes love cannot stand the test of time. Someone will not know how to cherish the love until he loses it…

- Description from Novelupdates

Immediately after Gu Changge realized he had transgressed into a fantasy world, the world’s protagonist, and fortune’s chosen, vowed to take revenge on him. Envied by all, he not only has the female lead head over heels for him but he’s also treated as a distinguished guest wherever he goes. Fortunately, Gu Changge’s prestige and power are superior to everyone else’s, so shouldn’t it be easy to trample on a mere fortune’s chosen?