Substitute Bride Phoenix, The Tyrant's Pampered Demon Empress - Chapter 7: The Last Time

Chen Feng looked cautious in the awakening room, lest he had no martial spirit, but was detected to have nine martial spirits, and the audience was in an uproar.

Everyone thought that his martial spirits were ordinary, but they didn’t know that Chen Feng’s nine martial arts were not ordinary plants, but nine divine trees that were unique in the ancient times, and each of them possessed incredible power!

Such a divine tree, as long as one, is enough to step into the peak of the human race, and he has nine!

- Description from novelbuddy

In a world of brooding heroes and dark justice, one mercenary stands out—not for his skill, but for his relentless sarcasm and love for chaos. A self-proclaimed anti-hero, he finds himself working with the Titans, much to their frustration. While undeniably skilled in combat and nearly impossible to kill, his real talent lies in driving his teammates insane with endless jokes, fourth-wall breaks, and questionable decision-making. Whether it’s swapping Robin’s gadgets with toy versions, turning serious battles into slapstick comedy, or giving monologues mid-fight, he thrives on pushing everyone’s patience. But beneath the humor, there’s a sharp mind, a tragic past, and a surprising willingness to do what others can’t. While the Titans may roll their eyes at him, they also know that when things get truly dire, he’s the wildcard they need. Love him or hate him—he’s here to stay, and he’s having way too much fun.

...[Inside an underground basement]“You are going to die for nothing, hahahaha,” the old man's voice thundered through the room, sending chills down my spine.Step.With a swift and ruthless motion, he lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air and slashing my throat, crimson droplets staining the darkness.“We'll see,” I whispered defiantly, my final words escaping as a mere breath against the impending darkness.Slowly, inexorably, my consciousness slipped away, and I descended into a deep, unfathomable slumber.“Huh!?” My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself seated in a bustling tavern, the air thick with laughter and the clinking of glasses.In front of me stood a captivating lady, her beauty juxtaposed with an angry furrow upon her brow, threatening to shatter the harmony of the jovial scene.“Don't follow me around!” Her words pierced the air like shards of ice, the intensity of her emotions palpable as she cast a resentful glare in my direction, before swiftly departing from the tavern....Am I trapped within the confines of a game? The fragments of my shattered common sense scattered before me, leaving me to question the very fabric of my reality.

In a future, alternate timeline, the Gods have been reawakened with a fury, and with that fury, they take control of the world and reshape it to their collective liking, and reignite the power of magic, changing the way the world functioned as we knew it.With the concept of magic now introduced to humanity, they went wild with it in this new world, creating new things and people that eventually restructured the system of the Gods themselves, changing everything once again.Time has passed since then, and in a remote city in the largest desert two beings encounter one another and create an unlikely spawn, the mother dies shortly after giving birth due to a curse inflicted upon her by mysterious forces. The was then father left to take care of his child on his own and does his best, but is forced to return to his home realm in hell, due to the same reasons he was allowed in the mortal plane in the first place.Left alone with only her friend, the two young serpentines venture off on many adventures together, developing a strong bond for one another that quickly grows into something more.Then on one of these adventures, they find themselves trapped inside a hidden and desolate place. They searched for a way out, but in the end, only one escapedNow alone the little serpent girl has to survive this world without anyone by her side, struggling to cope with all of the losses she's suffered over her life.Will she be able to survive? Or will she fall into an endless spiral of despair and loneliness?