The plaza was silent.
Not the silence of reverence, but the silence of fear.
Feng Xuanlong stood above the broken body of Ye Tianxing, his long hair fluttering in the dying flames of the altar. The colossal shadow of the Heaven-Swallowing Palm still lingered faintly in the sky, as if the heavens themselves refused to let its presence fade.
Disciples trembled. Elders frowned. No one dared step forward.
At last, the clan patriarch—a towering figure with a beard like molten fire—rose from his jade throne. His eyes were complicated, torn between pride and unease.
"Xuanlong…" the patriarch's voice rumbled. "What… what was that technique?"
Xuanlong turned slowly, his crimson gaze sweeping across the sea of faces. For the first time, he felt the weight of their fear. In the original tale, this was when their admiration for him shifted to doubt, paving the way for Ye Tianxing to steal their hearts.
But not this time.
He smiled faintly, a smile colder than fire. "A gift… from destiny itself."
Before anyone could respond, the heavens rumbled.
Clouds churned above, black and heavy. Thunder boomed, not of natural origin but of Heaven's Malice. Golden arcs of lightning writhed like serpents, as if the sky itself was enraged.
Gasps echoed.
"A Heaven's Wrath Tribulation?"
"But he hasn't even broken through a realm!"
Indeed, Xuanlong was still only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, yet Heaven had already chosen to punish him.
The Villain System's voice whispered in his mind:
[Alert: Heaven's Malice has locked onto host.]
[New Quest: Devour the First Wrath Tribulation. Reward: 2,000 VP + unlock Tribulation Devourer.]
Xuanlong clenched his fists. Fear did not rise within him. Instead, excitement blazed.
Heaven itself dares to descend? Then Heaven itself shall be my first meal.
The tribulation descended.
A pillar of golden lightning split the skies, roaring down upon him with destructive force. The plaza shook, disciples screamed, and elders rose to intervene—only to be blocked by the patriarch's hand.
"Stand back," he commanded. "Let us see if he can endure Heaven's wrath."
Within the storm, Xuanlong stood unflinching.
The Heaven-Devouring Scripture stirred within his veins, its forbidden runes igniting across his meridians. He spread his arms wide, welcoming the bolt.
The golden lightning crashed into him—yet instead of burning him to ash, it was pulled inward, sucked into his flesh, his blood, his bones.
Black flames erupted from his body, coiling with arcs of lightning that bent and twisted until they were swallowed whole.
The crowd's eyes widened in horror.
"He's… he's devouring the tribulation itself!"
Pain tore through him, but beneath it was ecstasy. The lightning fused with his blood, tempering his marrow, strengthening his flesh. His cultivation roared, the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment shattered like glass.
The black flames around him deepened, his dantian became a vortex of abyssal fire, and above his head flickered the faint image of a throne—illusory, yet undeniable.
[Quest complete. Reward: 2,000 VP.]
[New Technique unlocked: Tribulation Devourer.]
Xuanlong exhaled, smoke and lightning spilling from his lips. He had stepped into Core Formation, not by harmonizing with Heaven, but by feasting upon its wrath.
He looked skyward. "If that is all Heaven can muster… it will never stop me."
The clouds churned once more, then dispersed reluctantly, leaving only silence and terror in their wake.
The patriarch's eyes gleamed. Pride warred with unease. At last, he said, "Today, the Nine Flames Heavenly Clan has birthed something never before seen—a son who can devour tribulation itself."
Yet whispers rippled through the disciples.
"Heretical…"
"Against the heavens…"
"Is he still human?"
Xuanlong heard them all, but he no longer cared. He had broken free of the script. That was enough.
As the crowd slowly dispersed, a soft voice called his name.
"Senior Brother Xuanlong…"
He turned. Standing at the edge of the plaza was a girl in white robes, her beauty as pure as snow, her eyes shimmering with concern. Yan Ruyan—the clan's pearl, and in the original tale, his fiancée who would eventually abandon him for Ye Tianxing.
She bit her lip, then stepped closer. "Are you… are you unharmed?"
The system chimed.
[Side Quest: Steal Yan Ruyan's loyalty before it shifts to Ye Tianxing. Reward: 500 VP + Fate Fragment.]
Xuanlong's smile deepened. He looked into her worried eyes, memories of betrayal flickering in his mind.
This time, he would not lose her.
This time, he would steal not only her heart, but the fate entwined with it.
High above, unseen by mortal eyes, threads of golden fate writhed like wounded serpents. One had already been torn away, coiling toward the abyss that was Feng Xuanlong's soul.
The heavens had marked him.
And he would devour them all.