The path back from Spirit Herb Valley felt different than when Chen Yu had come.
The disciples they passed barely glanced his way, but Chen Yu's mind wasn't on appearances. His steps were steady, his breathing controlled, yet inside his dantian, qi surged like a restless river. Every movement, every inhale, reminded him that he had broken through — not by sweat and suffering like the so-called protagonist, but by stealing fate itself.
He touched the spirit bag at his waist, where the remnants of the Azure Spirit Lotus still radiated faint warmth. A smile tugged at his lips.
The first chance has been seized. And it feels… intoxicating.
Behind him, Wang Ping kept glancing nervously at his master, as if expecting him to burst out laughing or start cursing like the old Chen Yu would have. But this Chen Yu was different. His silence was heavier, more dangerous, and it unsettled the cowardly lackey.
When they finally returned to Chen Yu's residence, the sun was setting. Disciples lit lanterns along the sect pathways, the air filled with the faint hum of evening chants from the cultivation halls.
"Brother Yu," Wang Ping stammered, bowing low. "I'll… I'll go fetch some food for you. Yes, you should rest after today's trip…"
Chen Yu waved him away without a word.
The moment the door slid shut, he exhaled slowly and sat cross-legged on the floor.
"System," he murmured. "Show me today's gains."
The mechanical voice echoed immediately.
[Status Window Updated.]
Host: Chen Yu
Cultivation Base: Qi Condensation, 4th layer (new)
Fate Value: -90 (villain rank rising)
Destiny Points: 50
Techniques: Minor Spirit Refining Technique (new)
Chen Yu's lips curled upward. Fifty Destiny Points was no small number for a first plunder.
"Open the shop."
[Villain's Shop Opened.]
A screen unfurled in his mind's eye, filled with rows of treasures that glimmered faintly like stars.
Qi Condensation Pill – 30 Destiny Points. Accelerates qi circulation for minor breakthroughs.
Iron-Blood Tempering Art (Fragment) – 50 Destiny Points. Body-refining technique that strengthens muscles and bones.
Spirit Gathering Talisman (Single Use) – 20 Destiny Points. Doubles natural qi density for one night.
Profound Flame Sword Technique (Incomplete) – 80 Destiny Points. High-grade offensive sword art.
Mysterious Locked Item… (Price: 200 Destiny Points).
Chen Yu studied them carefully, his fingers tapping against his knee. The temptation of a sword technique was great, but he didn't yet have the foundation to wield it. A talisman would help only once. The body-refining art, however… that would strengthen him permanently.
"System," he whispered. "Purchase the Iron-Blood Tempering Art."
[50 Destiny Points deducted.][Iron-Blood Tempering Art (Fragment) acquired.]
A flood of memories seared into his mind — postures, breathing techniques, and the sensation of blood boiling within the veins. He gritted his teeth as his body trembled, adjusting to the violent images.
When the vision cleared, his eyes gleamed.
Good. Very good. If I strengthen my body alongside my qi, I'll gain an advantage that Lin Tian won't expect.
That night, Chen Yu prepared. He placed the Azure Spirit Lotus beside him, not for consumption — it had already given him its greatest gift — but because its lingering qi would act as nourishment for his new technique.
Sitting cross-legged, he initiated the Minor Spirit Refining Technique. Immediately, his breathing deepened, his meridians opening wide like gates. The thin stream of qi that usually entered during meditation now rushed in torrents, doubling, tripling. It was as if he had gone from sipping with a straw to drinking from a river.
But with the Iron-Blood Tempering Art layered atop, the qi did not simply pool in his dantian. Instead, it spread through his flesh and bones, compressing, hardening, reinforcing. His muscles ached, his bones creaked, and his skin burned as if submerged in fire.
So this is body refinement… brutal.
Yet Chen Yu endured. His past self on Earth had wasted away in an office cubicle, but his mind had been sharpened by years of silent suffering. Compared to that soul-crushing monotony, this pain was invigorating.
Hours passed. Sweat poured from his body, staining the floor. His breath became ragged, his meridians screamed under the strain, but the qi within him continued to condense, whirl, and grow denser.
At the peak of midnight, his body trembled violently — and then, like a dam breaking, his dantian surged forward.
Boom!
His qi erupted, stabilizing into a new rhythm.
[Cultivation Breakthrough: Qi Condensation, 5th layer achieved.]
Chen Yu's eyes snapped open. His vision was sharper, his breathing deeper, his body stronger. Even his heartbeat felt like the pounding of a war drum.
He flexed his hand, and the joints cracked like thunder.
Two layers in two days. If the sect knew, they'd lose their minds.
He inhaled, then exhaled slowly, feeling the steady, burning strength in his limbs. This was not the strength of blind luck. This was stolen, refined, and wielded with purpose.
Reflection on Fate
He sat quietly after, gazing at the lantern light flickering on the walls. His mind drifted back to Lin Tian's face earlier — that righteous, indignant expression when the lotus was stolen.
Lin Tian had probably returned to cultivate bitterly, convincing himself he would work harder, train longer, break through faster. It was the same script every protagonist followed.
Chen Yu chuckled.
"But no amount of hard work will let you reclaim a miracle already stolen, Lin Tian. You sweat and bleed for scraps, while I will plunder the feast from under your nose."
For the first time, Chen Yu truly embraced the role the system had given him. He was a villain. The stepping stone. The cannon fodder. But this time, the stepping stone had fangs, and the cannon fodder was armed with gunpowder.
"I won't just survive, Lin Tian. I'll take everything. Your treasures, your techniques, your women, your destiny itself."
His words echoed in the empty room, cold and resolute.
As if responding to his declaration, the system chimed softly.
[Villainous Intent Detected.][System Enhancement Unlocked: Fate Tracker.][Description: Host may now sense faint fluctuations in the fate of targeted protagonists. Warning: excessive tampering with fate may increase Heavenly Tribulation risk.]
Chen Yu's breath caught.
A new function. With this, he could track Lin Tian's future encounters before they even unfolded. He wouldn't need to wait for fate to knock — he could stalk it, hunt it, and seize it first.
"Good," Chen Yu whispered, his eyes gleaming like a predator's. "Very good."
By the time dawn light crept through the paper windows, Chen Yu had already risen. His robe clung to his sweat-dampened body, but his posture was straighter, his aura sharper. Even Wang Ping, who brought in breakfast nervously, stumbled when he felt the subtle pressure radiating from his master.
"B-Brother Yu… your aura…"
Chen Yu didn't bother to explain. He simply picked up the bowl of rice porridge, ate in silence, and said, "Prepare yourself. We have work to do."
Wang Ping blinked. "Work? What kind of—"
"Opportunities don't wait," Chen Yu cut him off coldly. "And I intend to plunder every last one."
As the sect stirred awake, disciples filing into training yards and elders emerging for their morning duties, Chen Yu's shadow stretched long in the rising sun.
The villain had laid his foundation. The next step… was domination.