"What the hell?"
Cross-Eyes furrowed his brows as he looked at the greasy brute who'd suddenly frozen in place, a hint of unease rising in his chest.
The greasy brute had halted right before the youth, yet cold sweat was streaming nonstop down his forehead.
"I, Li Gui, have never feared anyone."
The greasy brute said flatly.
"I know."
Bang—
The moment Xuan Chen finished speaking, the greasy brute dropped stiffly to the ground.
Blood oozed from his seven orifices, his eyes rolled white, and only now did the rest of the crew realize—this kid wasn't some weakling pretending to act tough, he was a seasoned predator in disguise!
"Who the hell are you?! You dare kill someone from the Wolf Head Mercenary Company? You won't live to see another day!"
Cross-Eyes was the first to shout, lunging with his treasured sword, its blade gleaming as he stabbed straight toward Xuan Chen.
Xuan Chen remained rooted in place. He could feel a constant surge of power flowing through his body.
"Die. May Buddha show mercy."
Xuan Chen inhaled deeply. With just a single glare, the man charging at him dropped dead on the spot!
The remaining members of the Wolfhead Group didn't dare linger another second. They turned and bolted, leaving the corpses behind without a second glance.
Xuan Chen didn't bother chasing. He simply bent down and started untying the money pouches from the two corpses.
"Not bad. Even though it was a low-tier kill, you pulled it off with such clean elegance. I have to say, you really are the one this system chose."
"Eh? You're the one who did it right. If not for you, I'd probably be the one lying dead right now."
Xuan Chen and the system flattered each other in a classic ass-kissing exchange, puffing up the system's ego to full capacity.
"How about a mission?"
The system's voice rang out again.
"What mission?"
Xuan Chen frowned and leaned on the big tree, taking a long golden piss.
"Ahem... This system is the Male God System. As the name implies, your task is to become a Male God."
"You need to understand—the road to Male Godhood is cold and lonely. So let's start with this: head to Wu Tan City, join the Xiao Clan as an inner disciple, and based on your talents, steal all of Xiao Yan's opportunities."
Steal all of Xiao Yan's opportunities?
Xuan Chen leaned against the tree, thinking hard.
He smacked his forehead. Only then did it hit him—he'd transmigrated into the world of _Battle Through the Heavens_!
Back when he was just a high school student in Huaxia, he had been absolutely obsessed with a novel called _Battle Through the Heavens_.
And the protagonist in it—Xiao Yan—was a total fucking scumbag!
"I'm in." Xuan Chen accepted the mission.
Right then, a newbie starter pack descended from the sky with a _whoosh_, floating down like airdropped supplies.
It was a red supply crate wrapped in a large sheet of blue cloth.
He pulled open the blue fabric and saw several talismans and a peachwood sword inside. Xuan Chen was instantly speechless.
"You trying to turn me into a Daoist priest?!"
He grabbed the peachwood sword and inspected the rest of the talismans. Strange characters were written on all of them, and he quickly realized these probably weren't as simple as they looked.
"You dumbass. You dropped from the fucking sky with no identity! You think I'm gonna hand you a steel sword instead of a peachwood one?!"
The system mocked, then ignored him completely.
Xuan Chen undid the strap from the corpses and used it to carry the peachwood sword on his back. Then he grabbed one of the talismans and tore it.
_Poof._
A cloud of mist enveloped him, and when it cleared, a pale-faced youth in Daoist robes now stood in his place.
"If you're gonna act, go all the way. Time to head down the mountain."
Reminded by the system, Xuan Chen started making his way down. And he had to admit, ever since he gained cultivation, his legs didn't feel sore, his back didn't ache—he felt like he could punch a fucking bull to death.
The Magical Beast Mountain wasn't as hard to traverse as he imagined. Although he occasionally encountered some magical beasts, perhaps because they sensed the terrifying aura from his body, none of them dared to make a move.
At the foot of the mountain, there was an independent teahouse.
Xuan Chen used it as a resting spot and ordered a pot of tea, drinking leisurely on his own.
"Fourth Uncle, didn't they say the Magical Beast Mountain had some massive heavenly phenomenon? Why don't I see anything?"
A crisp and airy voice drifted into Xuan Chen's ears.
He looked up and saw a young girl walking in.
She was no more than fourteen. While not a peerless beauty, her immature face carried a hint of flirtatious charm—pure innocence mixed with allure—a contradictory combo that made her the center of attention.
"Mei'er, tomorrow is the Xiao Clan's Testing Stone Tablet test. Don't embarrass this old man."
The elder beside her had the demeanor of a sage, dressed in a grayish-white robe. Even so, he radiated an aura of authority without saying a word.
"Don't worry, Fourth Uncle! I'm confident I'll blow everyone away tomorrow at the Testing Stone Tablet!"
Xiao Mei'er was already a 7-Star Dou Practitioner, with a bright future ahead.
"Xiao Yan! Back then you didn't give a damn about me! Now? You can't even reach my level!"
Xiao Mei'er pouted angrily. Maybe because she was still young, the childishness in her tone actually made her rather likable.
The Xiao Clan's Fourth Elder stroked his beard in satisfaction.
Just as the two of them passed by the teahouse, Xuan Chen quickly dropped some silver coins and chased after them.
"Who are you? Why are you blocking our way?" The Fourth Elder frowned at the youth in Daoist robes, a flicker of complexity flashing in his eyes.
"Didn't expect Daoism to still exist on the Dou Qi Continent... Back when it was at its peak, it could shake the entire Jia Ma Empire's royal family..."
Memories from years past seemed to surface in the Fourth Elder's mind, leaving him visibly shaken.
"This is a letter from my master."
Xuan Chen pulled a letter from his chest and handed it over.
The envelope was marked "To Xiao Butong—Urgent." The elder quickly opened it. After reading the contents, his body trembled and he immediately gripped Xuan Chen's arm.
"Child! I can't believe I've lived long enough to meet you!"
What the fuck??
Xuan Chen turned his head awkwardly. The system had told him to deliver that letter—he thought it was just an introduction, but instead, it turned him into someone's long-lost fucking son?!
"Huh? Fourth Uncle, are you serious?! He's really my cousin?!"
Xiao Mei'er was equally stunned.
Even though she wasn't sure if this kid was legit, there were rumors in the Xiao Clan that when Xiao Butong was younger, he was quite the flirtatious heartthrob.
Xiao Butong's hands trembled as he tightly gripped Xuan Chen's arm, speaking excitedly:
"There's no mistake!"
"Last night, Linying came to me in a dream... She said I'd finally meet our child."
"How old are you, child?"
Choking back his emotions, Xiao Butong's eyes reddened as his voice cracked.
"To be honest... Seventeen."
Maybe it was the old man's overwhelming emotions, or maybe it was Xuan Chen's past acting training—he'd studied at China's top performing arts school. His voice naturally grew hoarse and heavy with emotion.
"Seventeen..."
"Child, your father has let you suffer all these years!"
***
Read Early On Ptreon // Aszarell