"Do you know your sins?"
A thunderous voice roared in my ears, shaking my soul awake.
I opened my eyes, and for a moment, I froze. The grand hall, the towering pillars, the disciples surrounding me—this scene, this exact moment…
"Wait… I… I am reborn?"
The realization struck like lightning. My breath caught, my heart trembled.
In my previous life, I had transmigrated into this cultivation world. Back then, I was naïve. I thought this sect was a holy sanctuary, a place of belonging. I tried desperately to please my master and my three so-called senior sisters.
What did I get in return? Nothing but disgust. They looked at me as if I were filth.
And in the end—framed by that despicable junior brother, I was killed without a chance to defend myself.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. How laughable. How pathetic.
Why? Why couldn't they tell truth from lies? Why didn't they investigate? Why did they believe every word that snake spat out?
I still remembered the final moments of that life.
At the very end, when the world was fading from my eyes, a figure appeared before me. His lips curled into a cruel smile as he leaned down and whispered:
"Do you know why you always lose? Because I am not the same as you. I, too, came from Earth. But unlike you, I have a system. I am invincible. I can plunder your luck, strip you of your chances, take away everything that belongs to you. Every so-called opportunity you stumbled upon—I made sure it became mine. That is why, in this world, you were fated to always be beneath me."
I remembered his twisted grin, his mocking eyes, his words like poisoned daggers.
At the last breath of my life, only one thought echoed inside me.
Why… why not me?
The present.
"Xu Chen!"
A cold, majestic voice cut through my thoughts.
I raised my head. At the highest seat of the main hall sat Shao Xiu, my master. Her face was cold as ice, her words sharp as blades.
"You injured your fellow disciples, and even attempted to kill them. Such evil cannot be tolerated. Today, you shall be punished and confined in the Punishment Hall!"
I stared at her, my eyes narrowing. Then, slowly, a sneer tugged at my lips.
So this is how it begins again.
I rose from my kneeling posture, my body steady, my gaze firm.
"Master," I said, my voice calm yet cutting. "It is true. I injured my junior brothers. I even harbored killing intent. Therefore… today, I will expel myself from the sect. Since I carry evil thoughts, I am unworthy to stay."
The hall fell silent.
Every disciple turned to me, stunned. They had expected me to grovel, to beg for mercy, to cling to the sect like a worm. Instead, I chose to sever everything myself.
Without giving anyone a chance to react, I reached into my robes, pulled out my disciple token, and snapped it in half.
Crack!
The sound echoed like thunder in the silent hall.
Then, without hesitation, I threw my storage ring and sect sword onto the ground.
I've had enough. In my past life, I suffered beneath you all. In this life… I will make you suffer instead.
Shao Xiu's face twisted in anger.
"You dare play tricks before me? You think I am a fool? You cannot simply walk away from the sect!"
At that moment, a girl stepped forward from the crowd. Her eyes glittered with false righteousness.
"Senior Brother Xu," she said with a cold tone, "why not confess your crimes? Repent in the Thunder Prison. Only then can you cleanse your heart."
It was Wen Yun.
I looked at her and burst out laughing. "Repent? Hah! You self-righteous hypocrites don't even bother to follow the rules of law enforcement. Do you take me for a blind fool?"
Before she could reply, a young man stepped forward.
"Master!" he said urgently. "Perhaps Senior Brother is not guilty. Perhaps we misunderstood him. Please, reconsider!"
It was Lu Yan.
But inside, I could see the fear in his eyes.
So, he is the one. The so-called Son of Destiny, the thief of luck.
He didn't want me to leave. Because if I left, how could he plunder my fate?
I smiled coldly at him and spoke in a loud, clear voice:
"Yes. I injured my fellow disciples. I did attempt to kill them. And according to the sect's own rules, such a person should be expelled! Why hesitate? Do you dare trample upon your own laws?"
Gasps spread through the hall. The disciples exchanged glances, whispers rippling like waves.
Lu Yan's face turned pale. He was panicking.
Why? Why is he saying this himself? Isn't he supposed to beg, to kneel, to fight desperately for forgiveness? Why is he willingly cutting himself off from the sect? This… this wasn't how it was supposed to go!
Shao Xiu slammed her palm against the armrest of her seat. "Very well! You want to leave the sect? Fine. Here is the master-disciple contract. Sign it, and you will never again be part of my Celestial Flame Sect!"
Her eyes gleamed with hidden malice. Hmph, sign it if you dare. Let's see how long your arrogance lasts before you beg to crawl back.
Without hesitation, I took the contract and signed it.
The elders seated at the side exchanged uneasy looks. Their brows furrowed, their foreheads sweating. They could sense something was wrong. Something was off. Yet none of them dared to speak for me.
Cowards. Every last one of them.
I turned around. My steps were firm.
"If there is nothing else," I said, my voice calm and cold, "I shall leave. After all, how can a non-disciple remain in the sect?"
I took one step, then another, toward the exit.
But suddenly—
"How dare you!"
Shao Xiu's voice exploded with fury. She stood, her figure blurring, and in an instant, she appeared before me.
"You dare break ties with me? You dare shame me in front of the sect? Then… I will destroy your dantian with my own hands!"
Before I could react, her palm struck my abdomen.
Boom!
Agonizing pain surged through my body. I coughed blood and fell to my knees, my vision trembling. My dantian—shattered.
"You are nothing but trash now!" Shao Xiu spat, her eyes full of disdain. With a flick of her sleeve, she flung me from the mountain peak.
Boom!
I slammed into the ground below. Bones cracked, blood spilled, my body broken and battered. Pain ripped through me as I lay on the cold earth.
But through gritted teeth, I forced myself to move. Crawling, stumbling, dragging my broken body, I ran into the forest.
Finally, my strength gave out. I collapsed onto the ground, my breath shallow, my life slipping away.
And then—
[Ding! Host is on the verge of death. Invincible System awakening…]
My eyes widened.
[System online. Condition: The farther the host is from the Son of Destiny, the faster cultivation speed will increase.]
[Effect: 1 km distance = 10x speed. 10 km distance = 100x speed.]
[Ding! Host's dantian and injuries repaired.]
[Ding! Host is no longer bound by cultivation limitations. No pills, no treasures required.]
Warmth surged through my body. My shattered dantian knitted itself together. My broken bones mended. The pain receded like a dream.
I gasped. My hands trembled as I touched my abdomen.
"This… this is outrageous!"
I turned my gaze back toward the distant sect, my eyes burning with hatred.
"You bastards… you will pay for this."
[Ding! Host is currently 1 km away from the Son of Destiny.]
[Cultivation speed: 10x.]
I clenched my fists.
With silent resolve, I stumbled into a cave hidden within the forest. The flames of vengeance burned deep within my heart.
This life… will be different.