Guess I'll Just Follow the Plot Myself! [Apocalypse]

Wu Lingchan was once the unparalleled prodigy of the Immortal Alliance, the youngest Golden Core cultivator in the Three Realms and the owner of a celestial-grade life-bound artifact known as Xuan Xiang Taishu. His meteoric rise ended abruptly on his fifteenth birthday when his Golden Core shattered inexplicably, reducing his cultivation to the lowest Qi Refinement stage. For a year, he struggled to recover, eventually entering the Demon Ruins to seek rare Zhu Tiao grass. During his return, his senior brother Meng Ping, consumed by jealousy over Wu Lingchan’s former glory, betrayed him. Meng Ping destroyed Xuan Xiang Taishu’s spirit body and severely wounded Wu Lingchan, leaving him for dead among a horde of demon beasts.

Instead of dying, Wu Lingchan was found by the demon clan. A golden seal bearing the character "Wu" on his neck awakened, revealing him as the lost son of the previous Demon Lord. He is the legitimate heir to the Kun Fu Ruins, making him the young lord of the Demon Clan. However, the throne is currently held by Chen She, the Demon Lord’s adopted son, who seized power after the previous lord went into seclusion. Chen She is a blind, ruthless cultivator who rules with an iron fist, suppressing any opposition. Wu Lingchan returns to a political minefield where Chen She’s faction, led by the ruthless Xun Ye, views him as a threat, while loyalists like Elder Jiang Zhengliu see him as a tool to challenge Chen She’s authority.

Wu Lingchan’s return coincides with a crisis: the barrier sealing the beast tide at Wang Le Ying is weakening, causing demon beasts to overrun the ruins. The elders blame Chen She’s leadership, arguing that Wu Lingchan’s pure bloodline is needed to stabilize the region. Despite his lack of cultivation, Wu Lingchan’s presence alone causes the demon beasts to submit, validating his status. Chen She, however, remains ambiguous, neither fully embracing nor rejecting his half-brother. He allows Wu Lingchan to stay in his former childhood residence, Dan Jiu Palace, under the guise of protection but effectively keeping him under surveillance.

During the night, Wu Lingchan is attacked by demon beasts that have infiltrated his palace. In the struggle, he is bitten by a beast infused with purple demon qi, which temporarily restores his Golden Core and allows him to defeat the attackers. He discovers that demon qi can heal his shattered core, a fact Chen She fiercely guards and destroys. Wu Lingchan, unaware of the political dangers, befriends a half-demon scavenger who explains the nature of demon qi. His ignorance of the grim realities of the Demon Ruins contrasts sharply with the lethal intrigue surrounding him.

Wu Lingchan’s relationship with Chen She is complex. Chen She saves him from further attacks and tends to his wounds, displaying a twisted form of care rooted in their shared childhood. Wu Lingchan, still childlike in his understanding, misinterprets Chen She’s actions and demands protection, pointing to Xun Ye as his guard. Chen She refuses but gives Wu Lingchan a golden bell that can summon him in emergencies. The story follows Wu Lingchan’s attempt to navigate this hostile environment while seeking a way to restore his cultivation permanently, all while Chen She monitors him, hiding his own intentions regarding the Demon Lord Seal and the sealing of Wang Le Ying.

As Wu Lingchan settles into Dan Jiu Palace, he faces internal and external threats. He attempts to rebuild his Golden Core using the Zhu Tiao grass he collected, but his human cultivation method fails in the demon realm. The purple demon qi from the beast’s core offers a solution, but Chen She controls access to it. The political tension escalates as elders plot against Chen She, using Wu Lingchan’s bloodline as a lever. Wu Lingchan, oblivious to the deeper conspiracies, focuses on his survival and recovery, often acting in ways that inadvertently challenge Chen She’s authority. The narrative sets the stage for a power struggle where Wu Lingchan’s pure bloodline is the key to the Demon Ruins’ stability, and Chen She’s willingness to share power remains uncertain.