In the grand Su family villa, Wang Xiaotian moved quietly around the dining table, arranging each dish with practiced care. The hall was vast and cold, built for a family that had never once treated him as one of its own.
Only two figures sat at the table — Su Moyan and her younger sister, Su Yixin.
After setting the last plate down, Wang Xiaotian lowered his gaze and spoke in a measured, careful tone.
"Wife… where were you last night? I kept calling, but you never answered. I was worried."
The chopsticks slammed against the table.
Su Moyan turned to face him, her eyes cold and cutting, like a blade drawn from its sheath.
"And since when do I owe you an explanation for where I choose to be?"
Wang Xiaotian's throat tightened. He pressed on, his voice dropping lower.
"I didn't mean anything by it. I was only concerned. It's just… last night, you were with Ji Yuan, so I thought—"
SLAP.
The sound cracked through the dining hall like a whip. Su Moyan's palm struck his cheek with enough force to send him staggering. Her eyes burned not with guilt, but with fury — the kind only worn by someone who had never once questioned their own authority.
"How dare you say that to my face? That I would betray you with Ji Yuan?"
Her voice dropped to something sharp and quiet.
"How small must your mind be?"
Su Yixin tilted her head back and laughed from her seat, utterly unbothered.
"Sister, can you blame him? He's always known his place. A man like him couldn't stand beside Ji Yuan even if he had ten lifetimes to try."
Wang Xiaotian had barely caught the edge of the table to stop himself from falling. His palm gripped the wood, knuckles pale. He steadied himself, but the room continued to spin.
He pressed a hand to the side of his head and let out a low grunt. "Ah… my head. Did I throw myself in front of a truck?"
Su Yixin burst into laughter again, clapping her hands in delight.
"Oh, wonderful! Now he's performing for us. Sis, his acting has improved — he'll do anything to get your attention."
Su Moyan's expression darkened further. She crossed her arms and looked at him with cold contempt. "Wang Xiaotian. Stop this pitiful act. You're embarrassing me in front of my own sister."
But Wang Xiaotian had gone quiet.
"Didn't I already die?"
He blinked slowly. "Why is she here? Is this what they call a life flashing before your eyes? Even in death, this woman won't leave me alone. Can't I at least die in peace?"
"WANG XIAOTIAN!"
Her voice split through his thoughts like a blade.
"HUH?"
He blinked and looked up.
Su Moyan stared at him for a moment — his blank eyes, his loose posture, the complete absence of fear or urgency.
Her irritation deepened into something bordering on disgust. She exhaled slowly through her nose, reining herself in.
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue. "What else can I expect from a man with no education, no ambition, and nothing to offer except latching onto others for their wealth and name?"
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked out, her heels striking the floor in sharp, even steps as she left for the company.
Su Yixin watched her sister go, then turned back to Wang Xiaotian with a smirk carved across her face.
"Keep pretending, trash. Sooner or later, my sister will throw you out where you belong."
In his room, which was no better than a storage room, Wang Xiaotian sat on the edge of his worn bed, elbows resting on his knees, fingers pressed lightly against his temples.
"I've gone back."
He was certain of it. That scene — the slap, the laugh, every word exchanged — he had lived through it all before.
⟦System Downloading⟧⟦System Processing⟧⟦System Synthesizing⟧⟦System 99% Setup Complete⟧
A translucent screen shimmered to life before his eyes.
Wang Xiaotian's fist shot forward on instinct. It passed straight through the panel as if it were air.
"What the—!" He recoiled, his heart hammering. "That nearly scared me to death."
He steadied his breath and reached out again, slowly this time. His fingers passed through the surface without resistance.
I can see it. I can hear it. But I can't touch it.
A quiet smile crossed his face.
⟦The Supreme Martial God System — Final Setup Complete.⟧
⟦Host, speak the word 'Status' to view your personal information.⟧
"Status."
⟦Name: Wang Xiaotian Age: 24 Title: None
Race: Human HP: 10,000/10,000 Inner Energy: 6000/6000
※ Stats:
Agility: 410 Constitution: 400 Dexterity: 430
Intelligence: 500 Strength: 500 Stamina: 520 Luck: Locked
Note: Base stat of average human is 5.... See more. ⟧
"Why is Luck locked?"
⟦Warning: Your Luck has been exploited by others. Continued exploitation will lead to your death.⟧
Wang Xiaotian leaned back slowly, a quiet, dangerous smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
"Without me — without my Luck — let's see how far the Su family climbs in Wujin City."
He exhaled and lay back against the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Then he remembered.
"Damn. I got distracted by these people and forgot to read the full status." He blinked. "System, show me the complete window."
⟦You only need to think it. There is no need to speak aloud.⟧
⟦Name: Wang Xiaotian Age: 24 Title: None
Race: Human HP: 10,000/10,000 Inner Energy: 6000/6000
※ Stats:
Agility: 410 Constitution: 400 Dexterity: 430
Intelligence: 500 Strength: 500 Stamina: 200 Luck: Locked
Note: The base stat of the average human is 5.
※Martial Arts Cultivation Technique: Nine Golden Lotus Technique.
※Martial Arts Skill:
Crimson Sun Fist (Rank4, Stage: Perfection) Golden Lotus Palm (Rank5, Stage: Master) Azure Lotus Heavenly Palm (Rank6, Stage: Perfection) Shadow Lotus Step (Rank6, Stage: Master) Heaven Veil Mist Step (Rank6, Stage: Perfection)
※Sword Art:
Nine-Fold Golden Sword Art (Rank8, Stage: Advancement)
※ Dao Comprehension:
Dao of Death: Insight detected. Comprehension insufficient to establish a formal stage. ⟧
Note: Martial Arts Skill Ranks range from Rank 1 (Lowest) to Rank 9 (Highest).
Proficiency Stages are: Beginner → Advancement → Expert → Perfection → Transcendence.
Note: Martial Arts Cultivation Levels are: Body Refining → Martial Apprentice → Martial Artist → Martial Expert → Martial Master → Martial Grandmaster → Martial King → Martial Emperor → Martial Saint → Martial God.
His eyes lingered on the Nine-Fold Golden Sword Art. Rank 8. Stage: Advancement.
He let out a slow, quiet sigh.
"This sword has always reminded me of the one wall I could never climb."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"A sword art built for immortal cultivators — not for men who walk the martial path. And yet I still managed to reach Advancement… even if I could never go further. Perhaps that truly was my limit."
He scrolled further down and stopped.
Dao of Death.
His eyes went wide.
"What?" He sat up sharply. "Is the system broken? How could a martial artist like me have comprehended a Dao — even partially? That makes no sense."
Silence from the system.
"You can lock my Luck stat, but you won't answer a simple question?"
⟦Host, the Dao holds no fixed path. It can be comprehended through any experience — and death itself is one of them. In the final moments of your previous life, you did not step across the threshold, but you caught a faint glimpse of its edge.⟧
Wang Xiaotian fell quiet for a long moment, his gaze distant.
Then the system spoke again.
⟦New Mission⟧
⟦Strength is not found by following another's footsteps. It is forged through one's own will. A true Martial God does not walk a path built by others. He carves his own way toward the Dao.⟧
⟦Mission: Destroy the path you once walked, and forge a new one.
Reward: Path Severance Rebirth Pill⟧
Wang Xiaotian stared at the reward for a long moment, then tilted his head.
"Are you going to explain what that pill does, or am I supposed to guess?"
⟦...⟧
He clicked his tongue and looked away. A weary sigh left him.
"Destroying my path will shatter my foundation. But a pill called the Path Severance Rebirth Pill… His brow furrowed slowly. That name. Could it be meant to rebuild what is broken afterward?"
His fist tightened against the mattress.
"I would rather tear it all down than keep walking the road those bastards built for me."
He drew a slow breath, letting the anger settle beneath the surface where it was useful rather than reckless.
"Tomorrow, I'll head to Mount Langshan."
He stared at the ceiling, his voice quiet and certain.
"In my previous life, I found a low-grade spirit vein hidden there. I had no use for spirit stones then, so I told my master's about it — and they handed it straight to Ji Yuan the moment they took him on as a disciple."
He closed his eyes.
"Not this time."
Evening had fallen over the Su villa, and the house had grown still.
Then — "WANG XIAOTIAN!
WHY HAVEN'T YOU PREPARED DINNER YET?!"
The voice tore through the quiet like iron dragged across stone.
Wang Xiaotian jolted upright and toppled sideways off the bed with a loud thud. He lay on the floor for a moment, staring at the ceiling.
"An earthquake?" He blinked. "No. That voice."
He pressed his palm to his forehead. "I finally get a decent rest after a wasted lifetime, and this is how it ends."
"WANG XIAOTIAN! COME OUT OF THAT ROOM!"
He dragged himself to his feet with a low, irritated grunt and made his way toward the dining hall, his expression flat.
When he stepped in, the entire Su family was gathered around the table — Su Xiao seated at the head, Li Mei rigid at his side, Su Yixin lounging with her arms crossed, and Su Jianyu sitting quietly near the end.
Wang Xiaotian looked over the room and asked plainly, "So, who died?"
The hall went silent.
Every pair of eyes turned to him.
Li Mei's face flushed red with fury. "You dog! How dare you curse my family?!"
Su Jianyu leaned forward slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Mom, let's calm down. Brother probably just misspoke. Don't take it to heart."
Li Mei pressed her lips together. She held her tongue, though her eyes didn't soften.
Wang Xiaotian scratched the side of his head, his face carrying a look of mild confusion.
"Anyway. What's all the noise about? Why were you calling for me?"
Su Xiao's voice was cold and measured. "You do nothing all day but rot in that room. I gave you one simple task, and even that was beyond you."
Wang Xiaotian turned his gaze to him, unhurried.
"You gave me a task? I don't recall that. Would you kindly remind me what it was?"
Su Xiao's eyes sharpened. His voice dropped to something low and threatening.
"Watch your mouth, pig. Or you will regret it."
Wang Xiaotian lowered his head and let his shoulders drop, adopting the posture of a man ashamed. "I'm sorry, Father-in-law. I spoke without thinking. But I truly do not remember the task. Please, remind me."
"Don't call me that." Su Xiao's voice cut clean. "I have never acknowledged you as my son-in-law."
Beneath his bowed head, Wang Xiaotian's jaw tightened. A cold and quiet killing intent flickered through him like a candle flame in a still room — and he extinguished it just as quickly.
"Patience. Destroying my path will weaken me first. There is no reason to move against him now."
"I'm sorry. I know my place," he said, keeping his voice low and subdued.
A brief, satisfied smile crossed Su Xiao's face.
"From the day you married my daughter, your role in this household has been clear — prepare the meals, manage the chores. Instead, you lie around all day like a kept animal."
Wang Xiaotian said nothing. Inwardly, he sneered.
"I married your daughter. Not signed a contract to clean your floors. On the very first day, you dismissed the servants, leaving me without a single hand to help."
"Give me a few minutes," he said evenly, and turned toward the kitchen.
Su Yixin watched him go with a look of mild disgust. "Lucky dog. If Grandfather were here, he'd have flayed him for this already."
Li Mei smiled thinly. "Your father is too soft. But you're right — some people only understand one kind of lesson."
Su Yixin sat straighter, her chin tilting upward. "Wang Xiaotian! When you're done in the kitchen, get on your knees and thank my father for letting this go!"
Su Jianyu turned sharply toward his sister, his expression dark.
"Su Yixin. He is older than you, and he is your brother-in-law. If you can't speak to him with basic respect, then don't speak at all."
Su Yixin's lips formed into a pout. She turned to her mother with wide eyes, seeking support.
Li Mei reached over and patted her daughter's head. "Don't mind your brother. Everything you said was only the truth. There's nothing wrong with stating facts."
In the kitchen, Wang Xiaotian stood at the counter, his hands still, his gaze fixed on nothing.
The blood in his veins ran hot.
Su Yixin's words pressed against the inside of his skull, and the rage that had simmered all evening quietly began to rise. His fingers found the handle of the kitchen knife. His grip tightened.
Then — Su Jianyu's voice came through the wall, measured and firm, defending him without hesitation.
It was like cold water poured over a burning pan. The heat broke apart and scattered.
Wang Xiaotian exhaled slowly. He rolled his neck once and let the tension bleed out of his shoulders.
Then his arm moved.
The knife left his hand.
It punched clean through the thin wall between the kitchen and the dining hall, tearing open a narrow gap. It passed within a breath of Li Mei's cheek, drew a thin line of red across her skin, and buried itself deep into the wall directly in front of her.
Not a word came from the dining hall.
Wang Xiaotian stepped through the doorway. He looked at the frozen faces — pale, wide-eyed, not one of them breathing — and spoke in a calm, almost apologetic tone.
"My apologies, Mother. I was cutting the chicken, and my hand slipped. The knife must have gone through the wall. I hope I haven't caused any inconvenience."
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Su Xiao snatched a plate from the table and hurled it at him. Fury and fear had tangled together behind his eyes, and pride refused to let the fear show first.
"You beast! You nearly killed your own mother-in-law! After everything this family has given you, this is how you repay us?!"
Wang Xiaotian didn't open his eyes. He stepped aside without any visible effort, and the plate shattered against the wall behind him.
He straightened and looked at Su Xiao calmly.
"I apologize, Father. You know I stand at the peak of the Martial King realm — one step from becoming a Martial God. The pressure of an impending breakthrough leaves the mind unsettled, and for a moment, my grip faltered. I hope you will not hold it against me."
The words landed exactly as intended.
Su Xiao understood. Every syllable was a reminder wrapped in courtesy — a quiet declaration of what Wang Xiaotian could do to any person in that room if he chose to. The old man swallowed his fury and looked away.
He stood abruptly, pushing his chair back hard enough to scrape against the floor.
"You've ruined my appetite."
His voice was flat and controlled.
"We're eating out. Everyone, get up. Now."
Su Yixin's eyes lit up. She rose without hesitation, still entirely convinced the situation was under her father's control.
"Dad! He should be punished for what he did to Mom!"
Su Xiao turned to her with cold, tired eyes. He said nothing. Just looked at her.
Su Yixin fell quiet immediately. The excitement drained from her face. She dropped her gaze, pressed her lips together, and cast a quiet glare toward Wang Xiaotian that held more helplessness than venom.
"Wait, Dad."
Su Jianyu stepped forward and placed himself in Su Xiao's path.
His voice was steady and direct.
"Brother-in-law prepared the meal. The table is set, and the food is hot. Are we truly going to walk away from it?"
Su Xiao looked past him. "That's not my concern."
He turned and walked out of the dining hall, Li Mei and Su Yixin falling in behind him without another word.
Su Jianyu stood there for a moment, watching them go. Then he turned to Wang Xiaotian, a quiet apology in his expression.
"I'm sorry. On behalf of my father — I'm sorry. Please don't let this weigh on you. I'll speak to him."
Wang Xiaotian let out a short, quiet laugh. "Don't worry about it. I knew they would do this. That is why I did not bother to cook."
Su Jianyu blinked. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and after a long pause, gave a small nod. Without another word, he turned and left.
A faint smile settled on Wang Xiaotian's face as the room emptied around him.
"In my previous life, that bastard never told me they were going out to eat. I cooked a full table of food and not one of them touched it. I won't be making that mistake again."
Wang Xiaotian stepped into his room and closed the door quietly behind him.
The lamp cast a faint, steady light across the bare wooden table.
He walked to it slowly and picked up the small bottle resting near the edge.
For a moment, he simply stood there, feeling the weight of it in his palm.
His fingers closed around it.
His eyes were calm and certain.
"A few life-sustaining pills for tomorrow. When dawn comes, I will destroy my path and begin again from nothing."
He set the bottle down gently and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling in the soft quiet of the room.