Lin Xu died at 2:17 a.m.
Not heroically.
Not tragically.
Not meaningfully.
He died staring at a glowing screen in a cramped apartment, one hand on a half-empty cup of instant coffee, the other scrolling through the final chapter of a cultivation webnovel he had been hate-reading for weeks.
The title was stupid.
The protagonist was worse.
A righteous, heaven-blessed genius who stumbled into ancient inheritances, conquered peerless beauties, and defeated arrogant young masters with the emotional depth of a wooden plank.
And in the final chapter—
The villain knelt.
Broken meridians. Destroyed cultivation. Clan slaughtered.
Executed beneath heavenly lightning while the protagonist stood bathed in golden light.
Lin Xu remembered snorting.
"Serves him right for being written like that."
Then the screen flickered.
The lights went out.
And his heart stopped.
—
When he opened his eyes again, he was not in his apartment.
He was sitting upright on a bed made of spiritual jade.
The air was thick.
Not humid.
Dense.
Every breath felt like inhaling cold lightning.
Silk curtains embroidered with dragons swayed gently. Incense burned with a faint silver glow. Outside, distant cranes cried as they flew past floating mountain peaks.
Lin Xu did not move.
He did not panic.
He did not scream.
He stared at his own hands.
Long fingers. Pale skin. Smooth. No keyboard calluses.
He lifted one sleeve.
Black silk.
Crimson inner lining.
Golden dragon embroidery stitched with threads that shimmered faintly with spiritual energy.
His heart beat once.
Then twice.
Memory flooded in.
A name.
A clan.
A destiny.
Lin Xu.
Young Master of the Lin Clan.
Heavenly Spirit Root.
Peak Foundation Establishment.
Arrogant.
Untouchable.
Villain.
His breathing slowed.
He closed his eyes.
And remembered the novel.
This world.
This exact setting.
This exact room.
He remembered how it ended.
Three years from now, the protagonist—Ye Chen—would rise from a small outer sect disciple to a heaven-defying genius.
He would shatter the Lin Clan.
Kill Lin Xu's father.
Break Lin Xu's cultivation.
And execute him publicly for "crimes against the righteous path."
Lin Xu opened his eyes.
They were calm.
"...Of all characters."
Footsteps approached outside the chamber.
A maid's gentle voice trembled beyond the door.
"Young Master, the outer sect disciple Ye Chen has arrived to annul the engagement…"
Silence filled the room.
Lin Xu felt something inside his chest tighten.
Right.
This was the beginning.
The humiliation arc.
In the novel, Lin Xu had slapped Ye Chen, mocked him, and forced the annulment in public.
That humiliation had triggered Ye Chen's explosive rise.
Golden finger activated.
Ancient ring inheritance awakened.
Revenge arc initiated.
Lin Xu swung his legs off the bed.
He stood.
And in that moment—
The world changed.
A translucent golden screen appeared before his eyes.
Not in the air.
Not projected.
Imprinted directly onto his vision.
[Destiny Plundering System Activated]
Host Identified: Lin Xu
Current Fate Role: Major Antagonist
Predicted Survival Rate: 0.3%
Primary Threat: Ye Chen (Son of Heaven Candidate)
Function Unlocked: Fate Vision
Lin Xu did not react outwardly.
But his pulse slowed.
Not fear.
Clarity.
"So I get one too."
The screen shifted.
The walls faded slightly.
Through the closed doors, beyond the courtyard—
He saw it.
A faint golden halo above a young man standing rigidly in worn disciple robes.
Brilliant.
Blinding.
Like the sun was kneeling above his head.
Ye Chen.
And beneath that halo—
Countless golden threads stretched outward.
One connected to the engagement token inside this very room.
One to the ancient ring on his finger.
One to the inheritance cave outside the city.
One—
To the woman who was supposed to be Lin Xu's fiancée.
Destiny.
Visible.
Tangible.
Stealable.
A slow smile touched Lin Xu's lips.
Not arrogant.
Not cruel.
Intrigued.
"So this is how you win."
The system pulsed again.
New Mission: Disrupt Protagonist Fate Node
Reward: Destiny Fragment x1
Failure: Protagonist Growth Acceleration
Lin Xu stepped toward the door.
Then paused.
In the novel, he had slapped Ye Chen immediately.
Emotionally reactive.
Predictable.
Stupid.
If destiny ran on narrative momentum…
Then humiliation was fuel.
He exhaled softly.
And changed the script.
"Let him in."
The doors slid open.
Ye Chen entered.
Average face. Determined eyes. Worn robes.
But above his head—
A blazing future.
Ye Chen's gaze was sharp. Angry. Proud.
"I have come to return the engagement token."
In the original story, Lin Xu would have mocked him here.
Instead—
Lin Xu descended from the jade platform slowly.
Each step measured.
He stopped three paces away.
Looked at Ye Chen.
Not down.
Not dismissively.
Directly.
Then he did something the novel never described.
He bowed slightly.
The room froze.
The maid's eyes widened.
Ye Chen stiffened.
Lin Xu spoke calmly.
"You must have your reasons."
Ye Chen blinked.
"…What?"
"The engagement," Lin Xu continued evenly. "If your heart is not here, forcing it benefits no one."
The golden halo flickered.
Just slightly.
System notification flashed faintly.
[Minor Fate Deviation Detected]
Lin Xu continued.
"I accept."
He took the token.
Crushed it gently in his palm.
Spiritual light scattered like fireflies.
The thread connecting Ye Chen to this household—
Vibrated.
But did not break.
Interesting.
Ye Chen frowned.
Suspicion replacing fury.
"You're not angry?"
Lin Xu met his eyes.
"For what? A marriage built on obligation?"
That wasn't in the script.
The halo flickered again.
Destiny did not know how to categorize this.
Lin Xu could almost feel it recalculating.
He stepped aside.
"The door is open. I wish you well."
Ye Chen hesitated.
Something in his gaze shifted.
Confusion.
Unease.
As if the villain was not playing his role correctly.
He left.
And as the courtyard gate closed—
The golden halo dimmed.
Just a fraction.
The system chimed.
Destiny Fragment Acquired (Minor)Protagonist Momentum Reduced 2%
Lin Xu stood alone in the hall.
The incense smoke curled around him.
His heartbeat steady.
"So that's how it works."
Not confrontation.
Disruption.
If destiny required emotional triggers—
Then he would starve it.
He walked back to the jade platform slowly.
But as he sat—
A strange sensation passed through him.
Like something watching.
Above the sky beyond the palace roof—
For just a second—
He thought he saw countless threads stretching infinitely upward.
As if this world were suspended.
Harvested.
Cultivated.
And somewhere—
Something noticed.
The system screen flickered.
For a fraction of a second—
A line of text appeared.
Then vanished.
[Observer Attention: 0.01%]
Lin Xu's eyes narrowed.
"...Observer?"
The incense flame went out.
Wind swept through the hall.
And far beyond mortal sight—
Something shifted.
Night fell over Qinghe City like a velvet curtain soaked in ink.
From the highest pavilion of the Lin Clan estate, Lin Xu stood alone, overlooking the vast sprawl of lantern-lit streets below. The mortal district glittered like fallen stars, while spiritual formations shimmered faintly around the noble estates.
But his gaze was not on the city.
It was fixed beyond it.
Far beyond.
To the western mountains.
With a thought, the world shifted.
Golden threads emerged once more — countless lines of destiny stretching outward like a spiderweb woven across reality.
Most were faint.
Ordinary lives.
Merchants. Guards. Servants.
But one thread burned brighter than the rest.
Ye Chen.
Even at this distance, Lin Xu could see it — a radiant golden filament stretching from the outer sect disciple straight into the depths of Black Wind Ridge.
And at the end of that thread—
A pulsing node.
Ancient.
Dormant.
Waiting.
"Inheritance Cave," Lin Xu murmured softly.
In the original story, Ye Chen would be chased by senior disciples tomorrow. Injured. Cornered. Forced to flee into Black Wind Ridge.
He would fall off a cliff.
Discover a hidden cave.
Bleed onto a stone altar.
Awaken the Ancient Azure Sovereign's remnant soul.
Receive supreme cultivation art.
Begin his meteoric rise.
Lin Xu tilted his head slightly.
"Predictable."
The system shimmered before him.
Fate Node Detected: Ancient Azure Sovereign Remnant
Current Designated Heir: Ye Chen (89% probability)
Recommended Action: Interference
Risk Level: Moderate
"Moderate?"
He almost smiled.
If fate required circumstance to activate—
Then he would remove circumstance.
No chase.
No cliff fall.
No desperation.
No awakening.
He turned from the balcony.
"Prepare a carriage," he ordered calmly.
The servant bowed deeply. "At once, Young Master."
—
An hour later, a black spirit carriage carved with dragon patterns glided through the night sky.
Two Qi Refinement guards stood at the front, guiding it with spiritual force.
Lin Xu sat inside alone.
Eyes closed.
But not resting.
He was observing.
The destiny thread connected to the cave flickered occasionally — as if sensing deviation.
As if fate itself felt uneasy.
Good.
Let it.
The carriage descended near Black Wind Ridge.
The mountains were jagged, wrapped in mist. Spirit beasts howled faintly in the distance.
Lin Xu stepped down.
The guards moved to follow.
He raised a hand.
"Wait here."
"Young Master, the ridge is dangerous—"
"I am aware."
His tone was calm.
Final.
They did not argue.
He walked alone into the mountain forest.
—
The deeper he went, the thicker the spiritual energy became.
Wind rustled ancient trees.
Shadows twisted between rocks.
Halfway up the ridge—
He stopped.
The golden thread ahead brightened.
The node pulsed faster.
He stepped forward.
And the illusion shattered.
What appeared to be solid cliff face rippled like water.
A concealment array.
Not particularly high-level.
But effective against ordinary cultivators.
Lin Xu extended his hand.
Spiritual energy gathered at his fingertips — controlled, refined.
He pressed forward.
The array trembled.
Cracked.
Shattered like glass.
The hidden cave entrance revealed itself.
Dark.
Ancient.
Breathing faint blue light from within.
He entered.
—
The air inside was cold.
Heavy.
Dust hung undisturbed for centuries.
Stone carvings lined the walls — depictions of a majestic cultivator standing above kneeling enemies.
Azure robes.
Heaven-piercing spear.
At the end of the cavern stood a stone altar.
On it—
A jade ring.
Cracked.
Unremarkable at first glance.
But through Fate Vision—
It burned.
A concentrated mass of golden destiny threads wrapped around it like coiled serpents.
Waiting for blood.
Waiting for narrative necessity.
Lin Xu stepped closer.
The air thickened.
A faint voice echoed inside the cave.
"…Finally…"
He paused.
Interesting.
So the remnant soul was semi-conscious.
In the novel, it had mistaken Ye Chen for its destined heir.
He looked at the ring thoughtfully.
Then pricked his own finger.
A drop of blood fell onto the altar.
For a split second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The golden threads convulsed violently.
They recoiled.
As if rejecting him.
The cave shook.
The voice roared, furious.
"You are not the chosen—!"
Lin Xu's eyes sharpened.
"System."
Manual Destiny Override Available
Cost: 1 Destiny Fragment
He didn't hesitate.
"Use it."
The fragment shattered.
A pulse erupted from his body.
The golden threads screamed.
Not audibly.
But metaphysically.
They were being rewritten.
Forcefully.
The ring trembled.
The remnant soul's voice became distorted.
"Impossible… the script… the resonance…!"
Lin Xu stepped forward calmly and placed his hand on the jade ring.
The resistance lasted three breaths.
Then—
Silence.
The threads snapped.
All of them.
The cave dimmed.
The jade ring flared with azure light.
Information flooded his mind.
Ancient Azure Sovereign Art.
Spear Dao comprehension.
Soul cultivation method.
Battle experience.
A fragment of a once-dominant cultivator.
All of it—
Now his.
The system chimed repeatedly.
Major Fate Node Seized
Ye Chen Protagonist Momentum Reduced 17%
Host Destiny Increased
New Title Unlocked: Fate Interceptor
Lin Xu exhaled slowly.
He could feel it.
His cultivation base stirred violently.
Foundation Establishment peak… beginning to loosen.
Almost breaking through.
And yet—
He did not sit to cultivate.
He turned toward the cave entrance instead.
Because something had changed.
Outside—
Far in the distance—
A golden thread had begun shaking violently.
Ye Chen.
Somewhere in the outer sect dormitories, a ring on his finger had just cracked.
A future had just vanished.
The balance of the world had tilted.
And the sky above Black Wind Ridge darkened.
Lin Xu stepped outside.
Clouds were gathering unnaturally fast.
Lightning crackled faintly.
Not tribulation.
Observation.
The system flickered.
For a split second—
A new line appeared.
[Observer Attention: 0.07%]
It was increasing.
Someone.
Something.
Was noticing deviations.
Lin Xu looked up at the clouds.
Then smiled faintly.
"Too late."
—
Far away—
In a dim sect dormitory—
Ye Chen stared at the ancient ring on his finger.
It had gone cold.
Cracked down the middle.
The faint warmth he sometimes felt…
Gone.
His chest tightened.
An inexplicable sense of loss filled him.
As if something enormous had slipped through his fingers.
He clenched his fists.
Unaware that destiny had already been stolen.
—
Back at Black Wind Ridge—
Lin Xu closed his eyes briefly.
He felt stronger.
Sharper.
More solid.
But beneath that strength—
A subtle tremor.
The world did not like being rewritten.
And somewhere beyond the sky—
A presence had begun watching.
Carefully.
Curiously.
As if evaluating him.
Not as a character.
But as a variable.
Lin Xu opened his eyes.
Calm.
Unshaken.
"If you're watching," he murmured quietly, "watch closely."
The wind howled through the mountains.
And the first true deviation of fate settled into reality.