Morning sunlight bathed the courtyard in warm gold, but Lin Xuan felt none of its warmth as he stepped outside. Birds sang on the rooftops. Disciples sparred in the distance. A gentle breeze drifted across the estate.
To most, it was a peaceful morning.
To him, it was the beginning of a war.
Every stone, every branch, every breath reminded him of what would soon be stolen from him—his family, his future, his life.
Not this time.
Not again.
Lin Xuan stood still for a moment, letting the memories of his past life settle like dust in the corners of his mind. He needed clarity. Precision. Patience. The sword was strongest when drawn at the perfect moment.
He closed his eyes.
Ten years… I have ten years before the betrayal unfolds.
Ten years to destroy his enemies before they destroyed him.
DING!
A mechanical whisper slipped into his ears.
[Daily Quest Generated]
• Stabilize Foundation: 0/1
• Perform Sword Meditation: 0/1 (Reward: +1 Sword Intent Fragment)
• Identify Hidden Threats: 0/1 (Reward: +10 System Points)
[Warning: Foundation compromised by past tampering. Immediate action recommended.]
Lin Xuan exhaled slowly.
So the system wasn't just for cultivation—it understood the threats he faced and was already pushing him toward strengthening himself.
He lifted his hand, staring at his palm.
Thin. Untrained. Young.
Yet beneath the skin, a storm was gathering.
A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Xuan? You're awake early today."
A gentle woman approached—his mother. Her hair was tied in a simple knot, and worry lines softened the corners of her eyes. She held a small tray of breakfast.
Lin Xuan's chest tightened again.
She died in his previous life.
Targeted. Killed. Because of him.
This life would be different.
"Come eat," she said kindly. "Your father says training will be harder today."
Lin Xuan nodded silently.
His mother smiled helplessly. "Still so quiet. You're a growing boy—you need to speak more."
He didn't answer.
Words were unnecessary. His silence was a sword sharpening itself.
At the Dining Hall
His father was already seated, drinking tea in between reading scrolls. He looked up with a small nod.
"Morning, Xuan. After breakfast, I'll evaluate your meridians. If you want to be accepted into the sect trial next year, you'll need to advance at least two stages."
Lin Feng entered moments later.
Lin Xuan's jaw tightened.
He felt Lin Feng's gaze on him immediately—curious, probing, strangely cautious. The fake warmth was gone; Lin Feng's smile today was tighter, more forced.
No doubt because of earlier.
Lin Xuan's refusal to drink the poison had shaken him.
Good.
Let fear settle in early.
The table felt colder than steel as the family sat together. His mother placed warm dishes in front of the brothers.
"Lin Xuan," she said gently, "eat well. You hardly touched dinner yesterday."
Lin Feng chuckled lightly.
"Maybe he's nervous about becoming a cultivator. His talent is too weak, after all."
His mother frowned. "Feng! Don't talk like that."
Lin Xuan didn't react.
He lifted his chopsticks calmly, his expression unchanged. His silence was a blade, and Lin Feng felt its edge even without words.
Lin Feng swallowed, eyes twitching.
The older brother who once dominated him… was starting to fear him.
Good. Remember this feeling.
After breakfast, Lin Xuan followed his father to the training courtyard.
The moment they began, the system whispered again.
[Hidden Threat Detected.]
[Source: Lin Feng.]
Lin Xuan didn't even flinch.
Of course.
Lin Feng was watching them from behind the courtyard pillars, pretending to train from afar while spying.
Trying to see if the poisoning had taken effect.
Lin Xuan's lips twitched very slightly.
Watch all you want. This time, you'll see something different.
Training Begins
His father—Lin Hai—stood with arms crossed.
"Xuan, show me your Qi circulation."
Lin Xuan nodded.
He closed his eyes, guiding the faint trace of Qi through his young, fragile meridians.
In his previous life, the poison Lin Feng fed him at this age had rotted half his foundation before anyone noticed. No matter how hard he cultivated afterward, breakthroughs became slow and painful.
But now… the poison hadn't touched him.
For the first time in years, his meridians felt clean.
Clear.
Untampered.
Lin Hai's eyes widened slightly. "Hm? Your Qi flow is smoother than I expected. Did you train last night?"
Lin Xuan shook his head.
His father laughed. "Silent as always. Well, promising start."
But Lin Xuan wasn't focused on praise.
He was focused on efficiency.
The system chimed:
[Daily Quest Progress]
Stabilize Foundation: 1/1 — Completed
Reward: +10 System Points
Bonus Reward: Foundation Toughening +2%
Lin Xuan felt the subtle strengthening within his meridians.
A small improvement—barely noticeable to most cultivators—but to him, it was monumental.
Every percentage he gained today would pay off tenfold later.
Sword Training
Lin Hai handed Lin Xuan a wooden training sword.
"Your body is still young, so you can't practice heavy forms yet. But show me the basics."
Lin Xuan gripped the sword.
The moment his fingers touched the wood, something inside him trembled.
Sword intent.
Faint. Weak. Almost non-existent in this young body.
But the memories in his soul were a roaring ocean.
He inhaled deeply.
Stepped forward.
Swung.
A simple strike.
Yet—
SWISH.
The wooden sword sliced through the air with a precision far too sharp for a twelve-year-old.
His father's brows rose.
"…Your stance improved overnight?"
Lin Xuan said nothing.
But the system did.
[Sword Meditation Complete]
Reward: +1 Sword Intent Fragment
Current: 1/10 to unlock Basic Sword Intent
His heart beat slowly.
Controlled.
Sharp.
He had regained a piece of what was stolen from him.
Even a single sword intent fragment was priceless.
Lin Feng Watched.
From a distance, Lin Feng's hands clenched at his sides.
"This… brat… what's happening with him?"
His expression twisted.
"Why is he improving? He should've been weakened by now… Did he suspect me?"
A hint of fear flickered in his eyes.
Lin Feng turned away, biting his lip until blood appeared.
"This won't do. I need to act faster."
Lin Xuan heard every word.
He didn't turn.
He didn't speak.
He simply lowered the wooden sword… and smiled silently.
It wasn't a warm smile.
It was the smile of a blade recognizing prey.
Private Meditation
After training, Lin Xuan retreated to his room.
He sat on the floor, legs crossed, eyes closed.
He summoned the system pages again.
Two systems hovered before him, overlapping slightly, pulsing with hidden power.
[Heaven-Defying Cultivation System]
Points: 10
Foundation Toughness: 2%
Talent: Suppressed (Condition may be reversible)
Then the Dao system:
[Dao Comprehension System]
Sword Dao: 0%
Sword Intent Fragments: 1/10
Abilities:
• Accelerated Enlightenment (Lv.1)
• Emotion-to-Dao Conversion (Locked)
• Intent Devouring (Locked)
• Memory Synchronization (Partially Active)
Memory synchronization…
He focused, and past-life memories surged.
His death.
The betrayal.
The Abyssal Void.
And more—memories he had forgotten. Secrets. Conversations. Faces.
This was more than reincarnation.
This was a weapon.
A weapon built for one purpose:
Vengeance.
The system chimed again.
[New Quest: Path of the Silent Sword]
Objective: Regain Basic Sword Intent
Reward: Skill — Silent Edge (Passive)
Penalty for Failure: Dao Regression]
Lin Xuan opened his eyes.
Silent Edge.
A passive sword skill that concealed sword intent until the moment of striking.
Perfect for assassination. Perfect for revenge.
Perfect for him.
He clenched his fist.
I will unlock it soon.
Evening Falls
The sun dipped below the horizon. Shadows grew long. The world quieted.
Lin Xuan stepped outside again.
The night breeze brushed against his skin. The sky above was littered with stars—cold, distant, uncaring.
He stared at them with eyes just as cold.
This world had taken everything from him once.
But now, he had time.
He had knowledge.
He had systems.
He had purpose.
And his enemies?
They still thought he was weak.
They still underestimated him.
They still breathed.
Lin Xuan's fingers tightened at his sides.
Not for long.
DING!
[Warning: A hostile presence approaches.]
Lin Xuan's eyes sharpened instantly.
He turned his head slightly.
A black-cloaked figure stood on the rooftop across from him.
Silent.
Watching.
Motionless.
Lin Feng's first assassin.
Already?
Lin Xuan's lips curved into a faint, eerie smile.
Very well.
If they wanted to see the "weak" Lin Xuan…
He would show them what lived behind his silence.