MTL - Overlord in Cultivation - Chapter 2189 Ten thousand years old!

Five years ago, humanity’s strongest Tower Climber was betrayed at the peak of his conquest.Rael Arden, known only by his codename Phantom, was the silent genius who cleared impossible floors, crushed monsters with forbidden magic, and shaped the rules of Tower exploration. No one had ever seen his real face—yet his legend was feared across the world.But at the Tower’s summit, the teammates he carried to glory stabbed him in the back. For power. For godhood. For fear of what he might become.They thought he died.They were wrong.Reincarnated in secret, Rael awakens in a modern world that’s on the edge of collapse. Dungeons bleed into cities. Monsters evolve. The Tower is no longer just a gate—it’s infecting the world. And the very ones who betrayed him now rule from the shadows, hiding behind titles, guilds, and lies.But Rael isn’t alone. His soul split across hidden clone bodies, each designed to infiltrate, gather information, and prepare for war. As each clone reawakens, his power grows—and so does his rage.With him are three women tied to his fate:Selene, the shadow rogue who never betrayed him.Lyra, a curious researcher drawn to the legend of the Phantom.Aeris, the sword saint who still mourns his death… and may not be as loyal to the enemy as she seems.Now, Rael hunts the seven betrayers who destroyed his past.One by one, they will fall.But revenge is just the beginning.Because deep within the Tower, something else is waking—an ancient force that even Rael feared. And this time, the world may not survive unless the Phantom reigns again.

The white lotus, a mysterious artifact rumored to contain the very secrets of the soul, granted its wielder otherworldly power. Countless powerful Magi from all around the universe waged an epic battle over it. When the dust settled from their fierce clash, the artifact disappeared, awaiting to be inherited by one with great destiny.

Adam dreamed of breaking free from the grip of poverty, yearning for a life of riches and comfort. Yet, in a world ruled by arcane spellcasters, achieving such a dream meant becoming one himself. However, learning magic was an expensive aspiration. Not only did it require talent, but also vast resources.

But one day everything changed when he stumbled upon a seemingly ordinary white lotus…

Born and raised as a nameless shadow guard for his kingdom’s crown prince, his life’s purpose was to be used and discarded at the whims of his liege.

And his meaningless life ended when the gaze of a princess lingered on him for too long. The crown prince had him beheaded without a second thought, as if throwing out trash.

Transmigrating into the body of a baby girl, the nameless shadow finally had a name, a family, and a place to call her own. Throwing away his past, the shadow guard was now called ‘Emilia’, and walked on a new path to seek fulfillment.

It was not meant to be, however, as the girl whom she had loved with all her heart and soul ended up mercilessly plunging a dagger through Emilia's love-struck heart at the highest point in her life.

The crowd clamored at the ‘deserved death of the villainess’, and at that moment, the shadow could only wonder… why?

Why am I always the one to dedicate myself fully to someone, only to be thrown away like trash in the end?

And thus, as her soul floated away while cursing in resentment, ‘Emilia’ vowed to herself that in her next life she shall never be the one to fully dedicate herself.

Whatever she likes shall be held in her palm, and shall never escape.

The moment the vow was made, a self-proclaimed villainess system proposed to partner with her, to explore and conquer the worlds through their anchors—the heroes and heroines.

And by cultivating this energy, she shall one day go back. Back to the world she was born as ‘Emilia’ in, and face the so-called heroine once more.

The second time they meet, Emilia won’t be the one drowning in regret!

...

Author's Note: The heroines are not just trophies she’s collecting, only to be forgotten once she collects them. Each of them will remain relevant throughout the story. And it won’t become a mess, promise!

Jiang Xiaoman was bound to a system when she was three years old. The system told her that she was the lost daughter of a wealthy family assigned to play the cannon fodder in this script. The fake daughter that her parents adopted was the heroine of the story. 

Jiang Xiaoman blinked her eyes and asked, “What is a cannon fodder?” 　 

System: “You all live in a book, and everyone is assigned their role. From now on, you should keep on blackening and be a bad child. Do you see that little boy? He has a bigger role than you, in the future, he will become the big bad villain. Why don’t you bully him now, and show him up real good!” 

The naïve Jiang Xiaoman picked a handful of colorful flowers and stuffed them into his hands. “I’m showing you something really good!” 

System: “…”

Darling, you got it all wrong! Not showing him something good that way!

The little boy: “I don’t need friends, I don’t need company. I’m just a burden that no one wants. It’s my destiny to be abandoned.” 

Jiang Xiaoman: “That’s wrong. Everyone’s existences have meaning. System said you are especially important, even more important than me. You’ll be a really really useful person in the future!” 

System: “…??”

Did it say that?? 

Later on, the system stopped giving Jiang Xiaoman any tasks. Jiang Xiaoman was very sorry and said, “Mr. System, why won’t you play with me anymore?” 

System: “… just try to grow up first and learn to understand every word! You’re killing me!!” 

Jiang Xiaoman worked hard to blacken (not really) under the system’s supervision until she was reunited with her wealthy parents. She scratched her little head and asked, “Mr. System, what about the task? Didn’t you say that we should fight over the family’s wealth?” 

System: “What kind of wealth do you still want to fight over? You already have more money than your wealthy parents!”