The Survival Rules of the Cultivation World
— The Last Testament of the Outerworld Demon, Shen Changsheng
I am neither an immortal nor a demon.
I'm just a transmigrator.
I arrived in this world a few years before you, and managed to survive a little longer.
I have no talent, no backing, and no grand ambitions.
I only wanted one thing — to stay alive.
So I learned what to trust, and what not to trust.
I learned when to endure, and when to run.
I learned all the dirty tricks you sneer at, and all the methods you call "dishonorable."
Later, I realized one thing —
In this world, surviving is the greatest talent of all.
So I wrote this book.
It won't teach you how to fly, ascend, or save the world.
It teaches only one thing:
How to survive in the cultivation world.
Every rule in this book is written in blood — the price I paid at the edge of death.
I won't say this book suits everyone,
But if you're not the Son of Heaven,
If you've ever bowed your head to survive,
If you fear death —
Then you might live longer because of it.
In the end, I am dead.
But if you survive thanks to this book —
May you never have to become a demon.
And if you do become one —
May you live longer than I did.
— Shen Changsheng
The Ten Survival Rules of the Cultivation World
1. Gang up, never duel.
Fair fights? That's a fool's fantasy.
Before attacking, your first move should always be to gather allies.
Numbers are not shameful — they're survival.
2. Always carry weapons.
Fists are for swatting mosquitoes.
Real killing comes from poisoned blades, puppets, talismans, formations.
Forget about "honor." Think about "results."
3. Show three parts, hide seven.
Never let others know your full strength.
Once your power is exposed, schemes will follow.
The weak are pitied. The strong are feared — and targeted.
4. Hero saves beauty? That's fiction.
You're not the protagonist. She's not the heroine.
Save her today, and tomorrow she might get you killed for a better-looking genius.
Forget the drama. Your plotline is staying alive.
5. Learn forbidden, shady, and evil arts.
Poison, curses, traps, assassination, extortion, corpse refinement, puppet mastery — learn them all.
They are all extensions of life.
6. There are only three true cultivation levels: Senior, Fellow Daoist, and Ant.
"Spare me, Senior!"
"Wait, Fellow Daoist!"
"Die, ant!"
You either step on others, or get stepped on. Equality is a lie.
7. Do nothing… or do everything.
If you kill someone, kill their whole family.
Crush the body, destroy the soul, burn the corpse — avoid revenge by ghost cultivators.
If you're "righteous", just call it "purification."
8. Learn crafting. Master soul control.
For example: the Myriad Soul Banner (the righteous call it "Human Sovereign Banner") — use it to refine your enemies' souls.
If it emits black smoke? Just rename it "Purple Qi from the East."
9. Always prepare backups.
In every fight, three escape plans.
In every deal, a trap formation ready.
You can die — but let your curses and death-triggers haunt your enemies forever.
10. If you become a demon — be born one.
Don't pretend. Don't repent.
You're not "fallen."
You're an anomaly — not of this world, not of its rules.
You are the flaw in Heaven's design, the ultimate foreign being.
[Appendix: Later Annotations]
This is not a manual of cultivation, nor a treasure book.
It is a true inheritance.
It doesn't teach you how to become stronger.
It teaches you how to live long enough to become strong.
Later generations called it:
The True Sutra of Cowardice
The Ten Forbidden Edicts
The Outerworld Testament
But its real name is only one:
The Survival Rules of the Cultivation World
It is said the last page reads:
"My name is Shen Changsheng. This is the only legacy I leave after 3,000 years."
"By the Path of Cowardice, I attained Immortality."
"I'm dead. But if you survive this world — then I didn't die for nothing."