The Lotus Crosses the Mortal World

Du Lian was a rare cultivation prodigy, every bit the equal of Yao Tianliu, the Demon Venerable who ascended a thousand years ago. When it came to cultivating the Heartless Way, Du Lian was an even greater genius. He broke every record left behind by the Demon Venerable Yao Tianliu, and at last achieved the Great Dao, becoming the only person to ascend after Yao Tianliu. On the way to ascension, however, Du Lian was bound to a System and ordered to play the villainous BOSS in a male-lead power fantasy, putting the male lead through trials to spur his growth. So Du Lian was supposed to become: A cold and demanding master You never show any warmth to the male-lead disciple you took in, and leave him to face missions with almost no chance of survival. But every time, he makes it through and his cultivation rises by leaps and bounds. He slaughters all the heavenly demons and saves the cultivation world, then kills you, his sanctimonious master. A privileged young master who betrays his best friend You steal the treasure that belongs to your male-lead friend and sneer at him as he struggles in a mire of misery. Later, the male lead awakens his true golden finger and rises to prominence, crushing you and your family beneath his feet. Your family offers up your head to pledge loyalty to him and save themselves, but still fails to escape annihilation. A cruel and vicious emperor You suspect your fiercely loyal general, the male lead, frame the innocent, and rule foolishly and recklessly. When foreign invaders arrive, no one at court is fit for the task, and the army suffers defeat after defeat. The male lead raises an army, easily claims the throne, and defeats the invaders. You are placed under house arrest and eventually hang yourself from a tree. Du Lian: ? What kind of lousy task is this! I’m supposed to be someone’s stepping stone? The damn System can go do it itself. He, Du Lian, will always be the one standing at the summit. Heavenly demons? Kill them! The male lead’s treasure? What a piece of junk. Toss it. Foreign invaders? Wipe them out with a few sword strikes. Du Lian did as he pleased, making one move after another. His inner demons vanished, and his cultivation rose yet again. At last, he successfully ascended. When Du Lian saw the man with the exact same face as the male lead... He gleefully strung him up and gave him a thorough beating! Du Lian: “That’ll teach you to pull so many tricks!” Theme: Only by becoming strong can you earn respect.