The first rays of dawn crept over the jagged peaks of the Azure Cloud Sect. Mist swirled around the mountains, glowing faintly with spiritual light as qi from the heavens descended like an unseen tide.
Chen Yu opened his eyes from meditation. His breathing was steady, his mind sharp. Though his cultivation was still at the 3rd layer of Qi Condensation, he felt more awake than ever. The Villain System's existence had erased the despair that clung to the original Chen Yu's memories. Now, there was only ambition.
Today would be his first real step against fate.
"Wang Ping," he called.
His lackey scrambled into the room almost immediately, clutching a bundle of spirit-gathering bags. "B-brother Yu! I'm ready! Do we really need to go to Spirit Herb Valley so early? The inner disciples usually—"
Chen Yu's eyes narrowed. "Do I need to explain myself to you?"
Wang Ping swallowed his words and lowered his head.
Chen Yu rose to his feet, straightening his azure sect robe. In the past, the original Chen Yu wore his privilege like armor — strutting about, throwing his weight around, earning only contempt. But Chen Yu was different. His steps were calm, his expression unreadable. A villain didn't need to scream his authority; he would let results speak.
The two left their residence and followed a winding stone path that curved down the mountain. Disciples in identical blue robes bustled along the roads, some carrying swords, others herb baskets.
Conversations drifted through the crisp morning air:
"Did you hear? Senior Brother Lin Tian broke through again!""Of course. At this rate, he might even enter the inner sect by next year!""Heaven bless him. He's a true example for us outer disciples."
Chen Yu's lips curled slightly. Even here, Lin Tian's name spread like wildfire. Admiration, respect, hope — all the things he was never meant to have.
Protagonists really are blessed by heaven's favor. But admiration means nothing if I cut their opportunities out from under them.
The path wound downward for an hour before it opened into a broad valley cradled between cliffs. Rows of spirit herbs grew in natural terraces, glowing faintly in the morning light. Disciples knelt among the fields, carefully harvesting leaves and roots to be delivered to the sect's alchemists.
But Chen Yu wasn't here for the ordinary herbs. His system pulsed with an almost instinctive pull, drawing his attention deeper into the valley.
[Villain's Treasure Sense activated.]
[Detected: Fateful Opportunity belonging to Protagonist Lin Tian.]
[Target: Azure Spirit Lotus – a rare herb capable of accelerating cultivation by two full layers when refined.]
Chen Yu's eyes sharpened.
There it is.
The Azure Spirit Lotus grew only once every hundred years in hidden pools fed by spiritual springs. According to the original timeline, Lin Tian would discover it today, absorb its power, and rise like a comet. That singular chance had propelled him to crush Chen Yu in a month's time.
But this time, the lotus would be his.
"Wang Ping," Chen Yu said casually. "We're heading deeper. Don't speak unless spoken to."
Wang Ping hesitated, his expression flickering with unease, but quickly followed. "Y-yes, Brother Yu."
The deeper they walked, the quieter the valley became. Fewer disciples came this far, for the qi grew dense and beasts sometimes prowled the hidden ridges. After another half hour, they arrived at a secluded glade where a spring bubbled from between two boulders. Mist clung to the water's surface, shimmering faintly.
And there, resting on a stone in the center of the pool, was the prize.
A lotus of brilliant azure petals, each veined with glowing light, swayed gently as if greeting him. Its fragrance filled the air, thick with qi so pure that even standing nearby made Chen Yu's meridians stir restlessly.
Wang Ping's jaw dropped. "Azure Spirit Lotus! Brother Yu, this… this is worth hundreds of spirit stones! No, thousands! If the elders find it—"
"They won't," Chen Yu cut him off, his gaze never leaving the lotus. "Because it's mine."
The system's voice chimed:
[Host has located protagonist's opportunity.]
[If acquired, +50 Destiny Points, +1 cultivation layer guaranteed.]
Chen Yu's lips curled into a cold smile. Exactly what he needed.
Just as he prepared to step into the spring, the sound of footsteps echoed from the forest path. A clear, youthful voice followed, steady yet brimming with determination.
"So it's true. An Azure Spirit Lotus grows here."
Chen Yu turned slowly, already knowing who it would be.
A young man in simple outer disciple robes strode into the glade. His features were sharp, his eyes clear as a mountain stream, and his bearing carried a quiet strength that set him apart from others. Unlike Chen Yu, he had no backing, no status — yet his presence seemed to draw the very world toward him.
Lin Tian.
The protagonist.
His gaze flickered to the lotus, then to Chen Yu. A frown creased his brow. "Chen Yu? What are you doing here?"
The original Chen Yu's memories whispered: arrogance, mockery, needless provocation. That had been his downfall. But the new Chen Yu only chuckled softly, his expression calm.
"What am I doing? The answer is obvious. I came for the lotus."
Lin Tian's frown deepened. "This lotus belongs to heaven and earth. To take it greedily—"
"To take it greedily?" Chen Yu interrupted, smirking. "Tell me, Lin Tian, did you think heaven reserved it for you?"
Lin Tian stiffened but said nothing.
Chen Yu stepped closer, his voice dropping. "The world doesn't hand out miracles for free. If you want something, you take it. If you can't, you lose it. That's the way of cultivation."
He turned his back deliberately and walked into the spring.
The water of the spring was cool yet thrummed with energy as Chen Yu waded forward. Qi surged around him, pressing against his meridians like waves against stone. But he pushed onward until he reached the stone where the lotus bloomed.
Kneeling, he plucked it with a steady hand. Instantly, its glow dimmed, the fragrance condensing into a sharp pulse of qi that rushed into his dantian.
[Host has seized protagonist's opportunity.]
[+50 Destiny Points acquired.]
[Cultivation boosted: Qi Condensation, 4th layer achieved.]
Chen Yu's eyes widened slightly as the power coursed through him. His meridians expanded, his qi roared like a newborn river, and the bottleneck that had plagued the original Chen Yu shattered like glass.
So this is fate, stolen and rewritten…
The system chimed again:
[Additional Reward: Minor Spirit Refining Technique acquired.]
[Description: A foundational cultivation art that doubles qi absorption speed when meditating near spiritual herbs or springs.]
Chen Yu nearly laughed aloud. Not only had he advanced, but he had also gained a technique that perfectly suited his next steps. With this, his cultivation speed would leap forward.
Behind him, Lin Tian's fists clenched. The opportunity that was supposed to be his had been stolen before his eyes.
"Chen Yu!" Lin Tian's voice trembled with suppressed anger. "You don't deserve that lotus. You've wasted every chance the sect gave you. Why take more when you've never earned it?"
Chen Yu turned, his expression calm but his eyes glinting.
"Deserve? Earn?" He chuckled softly. "This world doesn't ask whether you deserve. It only asks whether you can hold onto what you seize. I took it, Lin Tian. And if you want it back…" His voice dropped, sharp as a blade. "…then you'll have to kill me."
The glade fell silent, the tension between them crackling like a storm about to break.
Lin Tian's jaw tightened, but he didn't attack. At the 5th layer of Qi Condensation, he might have held the advantage, but to fight here — so close to the sect, with witnesses possibly nearby — would be reckless. He drew a deep breath, forcing himself to calm.
"This isn't over," Lin Tian said quietly.
Chen Yu smiled thinly. "Of course it isn't. In fact, it's only the beginning."
He tucked the lotus into his spirit bag, feeling the steady hum of his newfound power within. For the first time since transmigrating, he had faced the protagonist head-on — and won.
As Chen Yu and Wang Ping left the glade, the system's voice whispered one final notification.
[Warning: Protagonist Lin Tian's hostility has increased.]
[Future encounters will become more dangerous.]
Chen Yu only smirked.
Danger was expected. After all, a villain's path was never safe. But with every opportunity stolen, every shred of fate plundered, he would climb higher.
Lin Tian, you were meant to rise by stepping over me. Now, I'll rise by tearing the heavens away from you.
The road to the apex had begun in earnest.