The Final Betrayal and the First Breath
The cold steel of the blade pierced through Lin Feng's chest, the tip glistening with his own blood. He looked up, his vision blurring, into the eyes of the woman he loved—the woman he had sacrificed everything for.
"Why, Elena?" he gasped, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth.
Elena leaned in, her voice a cold whisper that froze his soul. "The Divine Core was never yours to keep, Lin Feng. You were just a stepping stone. A commoner like you could never truly lead the Silver Wing Sect."
Behind her stood his best friend, holding the Sect Leader's seal. They had orchestrated it all. As the light faded from Lin Feng's eyes, he felt a burning rage—not of sorrow, but of pure, unadulterated hate.
If I have another life... I will turn this world into your graveyard.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
[1%... 50%... 100%]
[Condition Met: Death of the Uncrowned King.]
[Initiating Chrono-Rebirth...]
Lin Feng's eyes snapped open. He gasped, his lungs burning as if he had just inhaled fire. He wasn't in the cold mountains of the sect. He was lying on a hard, wooden bunk bed in a cramped, dusty room.
He looked at his hands. They were smaller, calloused from manual labor, and free of the scars of a hundred wars.
"I'm... back?"
He stumbled toward a cracked mirror in the corner. The face staring back at him was eighteen years old. This was the Outer Disciple dormitory of the Azure Cloud Sect—the place where his journey had originally begun ten years ago.
Suddenly, a transparent blue screen flickered in front of his eyes.
[Ding! The Absolute Devouring System has been activated.]
[Host: Lin Feng]
[Status: Weak / Trash Talent]
[Current Objective: Survive the 'Initiation Cleansing' in 10 minutes.]
"A System?" Lin Feng's heart hammered against his ribs. He had heard legends of ancient gods possessing such powers, but he never believed it.
[Newbie Gift Pack detected. Would you like to open it?]
"Open it," Lin Feng whispered, his eyes narrowing. He knew what was coming. In his previous life, in exactly ten minutes, the sect bullies would burst through that door to steal his meager cultivation pills and beat him half to death. That beating had crippled his potential for years.
[Ding! You have received:]
[God-Tier Passive: Infinite Critical Hit (Every attack has a 10% chance to deal 100x damage).]
[Cultivation Technique: Chaos Devouring Manual (Grade: Forbidden).]
[Special Item: Perception of the Void (See through any lie or hidden stat).]
Lin Feng felt a surge of warmth flowing through his veins. The 'Trash Talent' meridians in his body were being torn apart and rebuilt with golden energy. The pain was excruciating, but he didn't scream. Compared to the betrayal of a blade through the heart, this was nothing.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden door of his room was kicked open with a loud BANG!
"Hey, Trash Feng! It's collection day," a mocking voice boomed.
Three young men stepped in, led by a muscular disciple named Zhao Hu. In Lin Feng's past life, Zhao Hu had broken Lin Feng's ribs today.
Zhao Hu sneered, walking toward Lin Feng with his hand outstretched. "Hand over the Spirit Pills, or I'll make sure you can't walk for a month. What are you staring at? Kneel!"
Lin Feng stood still, a shadow falling over his eyes. In the past, he would have trembled. Now, he only saw three moving targets with red markers over their heads—the System's way of showing their weaknesses.
[Warning: Target Zhao Hu is preparing a 'Heavy Fist' attack.]
[Chance of 100x Critical Hit: Calculated.]
Lin Feng's lips curled into a cold, terrifying smile. "Kneel? You're right. Someone is definitely kneeling today."
Zhao Hu roared, enraged by the trash's defiance. He swung a massive fist aimed at Lin Feng's jaw.
But Lin Feng didn't flinch. He didn't move until the fist was an inch away. Then, with a speed no Outer Disciple should possess, he caught Zhao Hu's wrist.
Crack.
"Arghhh!" Zhao Hu screamed as his bones shattered instantly.
The other two bullies froze. Their eyes widened in horror. This wasn't the weakling they knew. This was a monster.
Lin Feng leaned closer to Zhao Hu's ear, his voice sounding like it came from the depths of hell. "This is just the interest for the first year. Now... do you want to see what happens when I actually get serious?"
[Ding! Critical Hit Triggered! Damage multiplied by 100x!]
A blinding golden light erupted from Lin Feng's palm.