Pain.
Blinding, soul-splitting pain surged through Lin Xuan's body as he staggered through the forest, soaked in blood—his and others'. The Chaos System had quieted after the initial flood of notifications, but its presence lingered like an invisible weight pressing against his mind.
There were no glowing screens. No AI voice. No tutorial.
Only cold, mechanical text that appeared in his vision, as if the heavens themselves were watching him like a game piece.
> [Main Quest Activated: Survive the First Night.]
Reward: Chaos Points +10, Unknown Ability (Random)
Failure: Permanent Death
"Survive the night?" he muttered hoarsely, leaning against a tree trunk. "What kind of absurd dream is this?"
He clutched his chest. The sword wound from his duel with Han Jue still ached, though it had vanished with his rebirth. The memory was too fresh, too real to be fantasy.
He had died.
He had seen it.
And now—he was alive again, seventeen years earlier.
"You expect me to believe this is some divine chance?" he whispered, glancing at the system text still glowing in the air. "A system... like the nonsense in those ancient scrolls? Where are the elders laughing at this prank?"
No answer.
Only the distant howls of spirit beasts in the night.
His hands trembled, not from fear, but from rage. His sect had betrayed him. His master had turned away. His fellow disciples had watched him die like an insect.
And now this system wanted him to "complete quests"?
He grinned, teeth bared. "Fine. You want a player? I'll play your damn game."
He stood up fully, despite the exhaustion. His qi was barely at the Foundation Establishment realm, still weak compared to the monsters lurking in the Azurewood Forest. But now—he wasn't walking this path blind.
> [Quest Progress: 0%]
Objective: Locate Shelter, Hunt a Spirit Beast, Meditate 1 Hour Before Dawn
The screen blinked, then faded.
No handholding. No direction.
"I see how it is."
He began walking.
---
Branches snapped under his feet as he navigated through the moonlit forest. Trees twisted unnaturally here. Azurewood was known even in his time as a forbidden zone. Spirit beasts roamed free, drawn by qi-rich herbs and spiritual wells.
A foolish place to go alone.
But the system had sent him here. Why?
> [Chaos Tip: Danger is growth.]
[Spirit Beast detected. 43 meters west.]
That cold, emotionless text blinked in the corner of his vision. His eyes widened.
"How do you know that?" he hissed. "What even are you?"
No reply. Just silence, then—
> [You are not authorized to access system consciousness.]
[Level Up System Link: 0.5%]
He clicked his tongue. "Figures. A glorified taskmaster with secrets."
He stepped westward.
The beast was waiting.
---
He crouched behind a moss-covered boulder and peered into the clearing. There it was.
A Crimson-Fanged Wolf, twice the size of a normal hound, qi surging from its fur in visible waves. Its eyes glowed red. Foundation Realm—possibly even peak stage.
Lin Xuan sucked in a slow breath.
This would've terrified him before. In his last life, he would've waited for a senior to kill it. Or fled.
But now? The Chaos System was watching. He had no time to waste.
> [Optional Quest: Kill the Spirit Beast using only a mortal weapon.]
Reward: Chaos Points +15, ??? Trait Unlock
Penalty: None
His lips twitched. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
He unsheathed the dull blade strapped to his side. Not a spiritual weapon. Just a normal iron training sword.
The wolf's head snapped toward him.
Too late for subtlety.
He charged.
---
The fight was brutal.
The wolf leapt with claws extended, faster than any normal beast. Lin Xuan ducked, slashing upward. Sparks flew as his blade clashed with its qi-hardened hide.
Pain shot up his arm. The wolf swiped again—grazing his ribs.
But Lin Xuan grinned.
He wasn't aiming to win in one strike. He was learning.
His body reacted quicker than it should've. His footing adjusted by instinct. He wasn't just fighting—he was evolving.
> [Adaptive Combat: +2%]
[Chaos Energy Absorbed: +1]
[New Trait Available: Blood Tempered (Locked)]
Each blow taught him something. Each injury refined his movements.
Then—an opening.
He slid under its next strike, drove the iron blade deep into the wolf's throat, and twisted.
The beast howled once. Then collapsed.
> [Spirit Beast Killed: Crimson-Fanged Wolf]
+10 Chaos Points
+12 Qi
Trait Unlock: Ruthless Instinct (Passive)
Description: You no longer hesitate. In life-or-death, hesitation is death.
His chest heaved as he stared at the corpse.
Blood covered his hands. The iron blade was chipped. His body ached.
And yet... he felt more alive than ever.
---
He found shelter in a nearby cave, lighting a fire with flint and spirit grass.
> [Objective Complete: Locate Shelter]
[Objective Progress: 1/3]
As the fire crackled, he sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
> [Meditation Begins...]
[System Sync: 0.7%]
His qi stirred. Stronger. Clearer. No longer the sluggish flow of a new disciple. The Chaos System didn't just give him power. It sharpened his body, his mind, even his instincts.
And it demanded he never stop.
> [Side Quest Complete: Kill with Mortal Weapon]
+15 Chaos Points
+Trait Unlocked: Predator's Gaze (Passive)
Description: Spirit beasts instinctively fear your presence. Human cultivators subconsciously sense threat.
He opened his eyes. The cave seemed smaller. The night less cold.
He was growing.
Faster than he ever had in his past life.
> [You have survived the first night.]
+10 Chaos Points
+Ability Gained: Chaos Devour (Rank F)
Description: Absorb and corrupt spiritual roots, transforming them into chaos energy. Risk of backlash.
His breath caught.
Now this—this was the start of a monster's path.
"Han Jue. Sect Leader Liang. All of you," he whispered, "you should've killed me more thoroughly."
His eyes gleamed with madness, hunger, and a cold fire.
"I'm coming back. And this time... I'll devour everything."