[When the disguise was shattered, you must make a choice:]
— Embrace your true nature and confront the Heavenly Dao.
— Seek a new method of protection.
— Attempt to negotiate with the higher forces.
Hearing the system's revelation, Xie Yan reeled. The truth about his disguise and the nature of his power upended everything he thought he knew about his existence. His mind struggled to process it all, but his thoughts tangled like fog smothering his consciousness.
As he pondered, Xie Yan suddenly realized—every part of him, from his appearance to his lineage, seemed tailor-made for the villain's role. A strange sensation gripped him as he began dissecting his life.
Every detail of his being pointed to inevitability.
All the trials he endured only tempered his will, making him stronger with each blow of fate. Every loss hardened his heart and steadied his resolve.
Now he saw the whole picture.
The pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place—he was made for this role, born to be a villain.
In this realization, new strength emerged. The powerof accepting his destiny, the strength ofacknowledging his purpose. Now he wasn't merelywalking the path of a villain—he was embodying it,becoming the living incarnation of the role for whichhe was born.
Fate seemed to laugh at him and with himsimultaneously, weaving the threads of his life into apattern that could only have been created for himalone—for the birth of a true villain.
[Master, you have chosen to confront the Heavenly Dao.]
___________________________________
[Status]
Name — Xie Yan.
Personality — Young master of the Yan family.
Bloodline — Low-grade god, High-grade demon (immortal level).
Realm — Second level of the Enlightenment of the Dao stage (5).
Skills:
Devour — [Innate Ability – Allows absorption of living beings' souls to enhance spiritual energy, restore vitality, or extract memory fragments.
Caution: Use of this skill is prohibited by the Immortal Council. Violators will be declared outlaws and subject to immediate annihilation!]
Villain Value: 0 [For each humiliation or usurpation of opportunities from the «Child of Destiny», you will receive a certain amount of points]
Fate Value: 0 [Points will auto-accumulate upon complete suppression of «Heaven's Chosen»]
Shop: Closed
___________________________________
- So the Heavenly Dao can't directly kill me on its own - Xie Yan murmured thoughtfully, his eyes fixed on the glowing lines of his system interface. His gaze swept across every metric, lingering particularly on the [Devour] skill.
Though forbidden by the world, this skill held boundless potential.
With a satisfied nod, he dismissed the interface and turned his attention to the arena before him.
His eyes traced the stands packed with elite young talents. This ranking tournament was prime hunting ground for those dubbed "Heaven's Chosen"—fate's darlings, marked by destiny itself.
- I wonder if anyone special will appear today? - Xie Yan mused, recalling the countless tales he'd heard.
Time and again, it had happened: an unremarkable rookie with a low cultivation level would suddenly unleash staggering power, backed by the Heavenly Dao itself.
He smirked at the legends of such "geniuses."
Xie Yan surveyed the tournament participants with mild disappointment. Most were talented by Lower World standards, but he saw nothing extraordinary in them.
- Seems he isn't here - he thought, already turning away.
But at that very moment, his attention was drawn by subtle movements at the entrance to the royal box. There, in the shadow of the columns, stood two figures: a young man and a girl.
The girl's beauty was indescribable—it seemed as though her appearance had been crafted by the world's greatest artists. Every feature of her face, every curve of her body, was perfect, as if carved from marble by masterful sculptors.
Her skin was pale as moonlight, and her hair, dark as night, flowed over her shoulders in soft waves. Her eyes, deep and mysterious like the ocean, drew attention to themselves. She stood motionless, but even in that stillness, incredible grace was felt.
- Such beauty can't be mere coincidence - Xie Yan thought, studying the girl intently. He knew that beneath her striking allure might lie something far more consequential.
His gaze shifted to the youth beside her.
The boy appeared sixteen or seventeen, dressed in slovenly robes utterly mismatched for a tournament of this prestige. Yet a self-assured smile played on his lips, as though victory were already assured.
Above the boy's head pulsed a vivid yellow glow—the unmistakable mark of a Heaven's Chosen. This radiance symbolized the Heavenly Dao's favor, a celestial brand of predestination.
Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, White, Purple.
In simpler terms, the brighter the mark's color, the more unique and talented the bearer was considered, and the greater the achievements they were destined for. The brightness of the mark indicated a high level of talent and potential. Of course, the marks could change over time, growing brighter as the person's abilities developed.
[Ding! You have detected a Heaven's Chosen, current luck — 350]
- What if I kill him now? - Xie Yan mentally asked the system, his eyes gleaming coldly.
[Master, assassination would incur unforeseen consequences. This action is not advised. A more optimal approach would be to harness the target's potential for your benefit.]
Xie Yan scowled, weighing the system's warning. Killing the youth might indeed breed more complications than rewards.
Perhaps it was time to… adjust the strategy.
*****
- Xiao Chen… how certain are you of winning this tournament? - asked the astonishingly beautiful girl, gazing intently into the youth's eyes. Tension threaded her voice, her gaze occasionally trembling as if struggling to contain unspoken fears.
Xiao Chen paused for a moment before answering, his trademark confident smile broadening slightly as he met her stare.
- I've always trusted my own strength - he replied with practiced calm.
The girl nodded slowly, assessing his answer like a strategist evaluating a battlefield report. Yet her eyes remained piercing, probing the depths of his expression as though deciphering encrypted truths.
- What if someone stronger than you appears? - she pressed on.
- Then I'll fight with all my strength - Xiao Chen replied simply.
Watching this overly confident youth, Xia Qingyue struggled to hide her irritation. His arrogant smile and defiant gaze were getting on her nerves.
«Does he really think he's invincible?» - she wondered in her mind.
Xia Qingyue let out a heavy sigh, silently cursing herself for trusting this young man. Her beautiful brows furrowed slightly, and a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes.
«Why did I do this?» - she thought bitterly. His ostentatious self-assurance and arrogance now grated on her nerves more than ever.
A wave of disappointment surged within her, every instinct screaming that this youth was unworthy of her trust. Yet something about him still lingered, defying her judgment.
Clenching her fists, Xia Qingyue forced herself to regain composure.
«Enough of this nonsense» - she chided herself. - «Focus on the main goal»
But the unpleasant feeling of her own gullibility stilllingered in her soul, making her sigh again and again.
Unlike Xia Qingyue, Xiao Chen exuded absoluteconfidence. What she considered a serioustournament was nothing more than child's play tohim.
After all, he was a transmigrator with a golden finger—someone who had come from another world withhis own unique abilities and knowledge.
*****
Sorrow's Embrace:
Hello, traveler.
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