The chamber smelled of ancient sandalwood.
This sanctuary belonged to the heir of a god-king. Materials that old monsters would hoard in their deepest caves served as mere infrastructure here—ceiling beams of Thunder-Struck Phoenix Wood and floors of polished Black Star Iron.
At the center rose the Heaven-Aligning Spirit Platform, carved from Nine-Colored Glazed Jade, pulsing rhythmically as it gathered the ambient qi into a thick mist. Outside, sects and empires would slaughter each other for a shard of it; here, it was just furniture.
Qin Ting stood with his hands behind his back. Tall, broad-shouldered, and draped in a regal purple robe hemmed in gold, he carried the heavy presence of a body forged by peak-tier cultivation. His features were sharp and flawless, but his eyes betrayed a rare moment of confusion.
"Have I... transmigrated?"
His low voice cut through the stillness.
In his past life, Qin Ting had been a nobody, surviving on webnovels to fill his hollow nights. Now, staring down at powerful hands brimming with latent force, he realized he had opened his eyes inside one.
The initial disorientation quickly receded, replaced by a cold, clinical acceptance. In his previous life, he had owned nothing. Here, everything he had ever craved already belonged to him.
He closed his eyes, letting the original host's memories settle.
This Qin Ting was no downtrodden wretch; he was born at the absolute apex. The ancient Qin Family ruled the Eastern Wilderness, and he was the True Disciple of the prestigious Profound Heaven Divine Sect.
At eighteen, he already stood at the Divine Wheel Realm, unchallenged among the younger generation. His supremacy rested on the Sky Destroyer Immortal Physique, which allowed him to grasp the Grand Dao with ease, and his father—Immortal Emperor Qin Yu—was a towering pillar of the sect.
'My birthright is already a launchpad to the high heavens. Has destiny simply crowned me invincible from the start?'
Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[The Villain System has awakened.]
[Binding to the Host is complete.]
A translucent interface unfolded across his consciousness.
"Villain System? So, I am the antagonist?"
[Correct. Objective: Annihilate the Children of Destiny, plunder their fortune, and accumulate Villain Points.]
The realization fit like a glove. Crushing upstart rivals and claiming their luck was the most efficient path to immortality anyway.
"System, what are Villain Points used for?"
[To trade for supreme cultivation arts, elixirs, and legendary weapons. Amass 100,000 points to earn one spin of the Wheel of Fate. A complimentary spin is available.]
"Use it," Qin Ting commanded.
A grand celestial wheel spun in a blur before locking onto a golden icon.
[Epic reward claimed: Pill of the Five Aggregates.]
A dense, warm pill materialized in his palm, its qi slightly warping the surrounding air. Inherited knowledge told him it was a sovereign medicine lost for millennia—offering flawless ascension and shattering bottlenecks without any backlash.
'A legendary relic from a single free spin. How are others even supposed to compete?'
The interface refreshed.
[New mission: Investigate the secrets of your rival, Ye Qiu. Reward: 5,000 Villain Points.]
Qin Ting settled onto a throne of Deep-Sea Abyssal Bone and sifted through his memories for the name Ye Qiu.
Three months ago, during a sect expedition in the Sunken Moon Valley, their paths had crossed.
Among Ye Qiu's ragged group of rogue cultivators was a girl with unmistakable talent. The original Qin Ting had casually offered to make her his maid, promising her proper resources.
When the girl hesitated, Ye Qiu had stepped between them in righteous fury, shouting about how a family name didn't give Qin Ting the right to trample on others.
Qin Ting hadn't even bothered to look. A lazy flick of his wrist sent a guard forward.
Ye Qiu was slammed into the dirt in heartbeats, coughing blood, but his eyes burned as he screamed the classic line: "Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years west! Don't bully a young man just because he is poor! Today's humiliation will be repaid a thousandfold!"
The memory faded. Qin Ting drummed his fingers on the armrest.
'A true Child of Destiny. Humble origins, unyielding spirit, and a vow of vengeance. Classic.'
He snapped his fingers. The air rippled, and a figure clad in black knelt before him.
"My lord," Nie You rasped. He was the Commander of the Death Guards, assassins raised by Qin Ting's father.
"Nie You," Qin Ting ordered. "I want every detail of Ye Qiu's life. His origins, his fortuitous encounters, and his current whereabouts. Leave nothing buried."
Nie You's brow twitched, remembering the boy from the valley. "My lord, that ant has already slighted you. Allow me to simply slit his throat."
"No," Qin Ting said smoothly, leaving no room for debate. "Investigate him. Nothing more. Do it in silence."
Nie You bowed until his forehead touched the floor. "As you command." He vanished back into the shadows.
Qin Ting looked down at the pill in his hand.
Sending assassins after a Child of Destiny was foolish. A clumsy hunt would only cause the boy to narrowly escape, triggering another lucky encounter and a power-up. Clumsy blades would just become the ladder the protagonist used to ascend.
Know the enemy, know yourself. Ye Qiu was a variable protected by the heavens; absolute preparation was the only way to crush him utterly.
First, he would refine this pill, break through the Divine Wheel Realm, and step into the Divine Spirit Realm. In this world, raw strength was the only truth that never lied.