Jiang Chen opened his eyes, not to heavenly clouds, not to celestial choirs, and certainly not to the grateful disciples he died protecting.
Instead, he opened them to the sharp sting of someone's palm crashing into his face.
SMACK!
He saw stars—literal stars—and then sky, dirt, and sky again as his body flew several feet through the air and hit the ground like a sack of regret-flavored turnips.
A chorus of gasps echoed around him, followed by someone enthusiastically shouting:
"Hah! That'll teach him!"
"Trash like him should've been kicked out long ago."
"Finally, peace for the sect!"
Jiang Chen blinked against the pain as muddy earth greeted his face. A squelch of humiliation squirmed beneath him as he tried to make sense of what just happened.
Did I… fall asleep mid-battle?
No. Wait. No battle. No celestial thunder. No betrayal dagger piercing his back this time—though judging by the welt on his cheek, he was halfway there.
Everything hurt, but it was a familiar sort of pain. Not physical, but emotional. The ache of being publicly humiliated.
Jiang Chen pushed himself up slowly, only to freeze as a mechanical voice chimed inside his head.
[DING—Welcome, Host, to the Scorned Sovereign System™!][You have been reincarnated in the body of Jiang Chen (coincidentally same name, significantly worse life).][Current stats: Mortal Realm, Bone Quality: Questionable, Reputation: Subterranean.]
Jiang Chen blinked.
I've… reincarnated?
The last thing he remembered in his previous life was standing atop the Nine Heavens Peak, bloodied but undefeated, facing his inner circle—only to watch as each of them plunged their blades into him, one after another.
His most trusted disciple. His childhood friend. Even his lover.
All of them… betrayed him.
And now, here he was. Reborn in a weakling's body, barely spiritual, surrounded by shouting nobodies in mismatched robes.
A familiar voice screeched above the crowd:
"You are no longer welcome in the Azure Sky Sect! From this day forth, Jiang Chen is expelled!"
The crowd parted with practiced precision as a burly man in elder's robes stepped forward, chest puffed with self-righteousness. His beard jiggled with indignation. "You've dishonored the sect for the last time! Fighting, bullying, stealing resources—your actions are unforgivable!"
Jiang Chen stood slowly, swaying slightly. Not because he was afraid—but because this body had the muscle tone of steamed tofu.
[DING—Public Humiliation Detected. Emotional Damage Energy: +120 points.][System Advice: Say Nothing. The more misunderstood, the stronger you grow.]
Say nothing?
That sounds suspiciously like laziness...
He glanced around. The crowd of outer disciples, servants, and gossipy sect aunties looked on with a mix of curiosity and savage glee.
But none of them noticed the shift in Jiang Chen's gaze—calm, sharp, and somehow ancient. He had lived and died as the Sovereign of Eternal Night. He had faced gods and demons. This... wasn't even breakfast-tier drama.
Still, he had to admit—this situation was painfully ironic.
Expelled. On day one. Before he even understood how this body worked.
Fantastic. I reincarnated… and got fired before onboarding.
An elder hurled a dusty sack of belongings at his feet. It landed with the thud of a lifetime's worth of disappointment. "Take your rations and go. Consider this mercy!"
Inside were two moldy buns, a half-filled gourd, and a pair of sandals with mismatched soles.
Another voice muttered from the back, "I heard he even tried to fight the Sect Heir over a girl…"
"Oh yeah! That inn girl with the pigtails."
"Trash courting disaster. Always thinking he's more than he is."
"Maybe someone else reincarnated into his body too, and just gave up halfway."
[DING—Rumor Bonus Activated. +45 Emotional Damage.][Hidden Trait Unlocked: World Misunderstanding Aura Lv.1]
You've got to be kidding me.
"Enough!" the Grand Elder barked. "Escort him out of the sect grounds. Let the heavens judge him. Let the mortals forget him."
Two outer disciples awkwardly grabbed Jiang Chen by the arms.
He didn't resist.
He didn't need to.
The outer gates slammed behind him with a thud of finality that echoed into the surrounding forest.
Jiang Chen stood on the winding path just outside Azure Sky Sect, holding his pitiful bag of scraps, wearing robes stained with dirt and disappointment.
Birds chirped cheerfully in the distance, as if mocking his tragic fate.
He looked up at the mountain peak he'd just been ejected from and sighed.
"Didn't even get a chance to pick a cultivation manual," he muttered.
[DING—Correction: Host was forcibly removed before completing registration.]
"Gee, thanks."
[New Main Quest: Do Absolutely Nothing.][Mission Objective: Let others come to regret their past. Remain calm, silent, and vaguely mysterious.][Optional Bonus: Drink tea dramatically.]
"...You're really leaning into the laziness angle."
[Affirmative.]
As he walked deeper into the forest, feet aching and morale at rock-bottom, Jiang Chen started to gather what he knew.
Apparently, this body's original owner was… himself. Kind of.
This version of Jiang Chen had been an arrogant, spoiled sect child—always provoking fights, disrespecting elders, trying to coerce women into his 'harem.' Talentless, violent, and prone to wildly overestimating himself.
In short, a perfect cannon fodder villain in someone else's story.
And now?
Now he was inhabiting that same body. And the world expected him to continue being a disgrace.
This might actually be fun.
By kate afternoon, he found a small clearing near a stream and decided it was time for his first spiritual act as a reborn cultivator:
Sitting down and doing nothing.
He took a deep breath, leaned against a flat stone, and let the breeze ruffle his sleeves. Leaves rustled overhead. The sunlight filtered through the trees. For a brief moment, he felt... peace.
Until a sudden rustle in the bushes made him crack one eye open.
A girl burst into the clearing, panting, eyes wide.
She was dressed in sky-blue robes and looked like she'd just run a marathon through a gauntlet of flying swords.
"J-Jiang Chen?" she gasped.
He didn't move.
He didn't recognize her either.
"Y-You're really here. I… I came to find you. After what happened this morning, I—"
[DING—First Regret Detected. Target: Su Lan, Childhood Friend (Rejected You Publicly 3 Years Ago).][+250 Emotional Damage. Unlocking Beginner Passive: Heavenly Presence Lv.1]
She took another step forward, lip trembling. "I never should've said those things... I just thought you were pretending to be strong! But you—" She paused, gazing at him as though he'd become a completely different person.
He was literally just sitting under a tree.
"You look... so composed. So enlightened..."
I'm trying not to fall asleep, actually.
"I... I just want to say I'm sorry," she whispered. "If you ever need anything, anything at all... I'll be there."
Jiang Chen slowly lifted his teacup—which he didn't remember owning until now—and took a graceful sip.
The breeze lifted his hair slightly. His sleeves fluttered like a sage from the heavens.
Su Lan froze in awe, eyes sparkling.
"You've... transcended."
[DING—+300 Bonus Points: Enlightenment Misinterpretation Activated.][Reward: Spiritual Tea Brewing Skill Lv.1 Acquired.]
[New Title Earned: The Silent One Beneath the Blossoms.]
Jiang Chen exhaled.
So let me get this straight. I do nothing… and the world crumbles in reverse.
"This might be the easiest cultivation path I've ever taken."
Meanwhile, back in the Azure Sky Sect, two elders were whispering in the shadows.
"Did you feel that strange energy just now? Near the forest basin?"
"Yes. It came the moment Jiang Chen was expelled. Could it be…"
The Grand Elder frowned. "Perhaps… we were wrong about him."
And thus, the legend began.
He was kicked out for being trash.
He sat under a tree.
And the world began to kneel.