The air above the Nine Flames Heavenly Clan crackled with tension. Scouts and distant observers reported an unprecedented coalition of elite disciples: Ye Tianxing, personally leading a combined force of three mid-tier sects, along with several Heaven's Chosen aspirants. Their intent was clear—end Feng Xuanlong's rise before his influence became unassailable.
Xuanlong stood atop the tallest tower, black flames coiling around him like serpents in the wind. Crimson eyes scanned the horizon, every thread of fate visible, weaving a complex web of impending conflict.
[Alert: Heaven's Chosen coalition approaching. Danger level: Extreme. Recommended strategy: Utilize Core Formation mastery, Tribulation Devourer, and inner circle coordination.]
He smiled faintly. Finally… the world sends its Chosen to test me. Let them try. I will devour their Dao and their pride alike.
The first wave descended at dusk. Golden auras clashed with black flames in the skies above the courtyard. Shockwaves of raw cultivation power shattered the ground, sending stones and debris spinning like torn meteors.
Xuanlong's five loyal disciples formed a protective ring around him, each a master of their respective arts. Yan Ruyan's precise strikes intercepted elite attackers, Meiyu's spirit threads manipulated enemy formations, Qiao Ling's dual-element mastery tore through advancing ranks, Meilin predicted and countered attacks in real-time, and the final disciple executed perfect flanking maneuvers, leaving enemies exposed.
The Villain System prompted:
[Optional Action: Activate Tribulation Devourer against multiple elite targets. Recommended for maximum VP and cultivation gain.]
Xuanlong's lips curved. Black flames surged upward, Dao-Plundering Chains extending outward like nightmarish tendrils. Golden auras and Heaven-forged cultivation collided with abyssal darkness.
Ye Tianxing led the charge personally, spear blazing with divine light. "Feng Xuanlong! You have humiliated me once. Today, Heaven's Chosen will reclaim order!"
Xuanlong met the attack without fear. Black flames erupted from his palms, chains writhing to entangle the spear and siphon the Dao within. Sparks of golden light shattered against abyssal fire, shaking the battlefield.
[VP gained: 1,500. Partial absorption of spear Dao successful.]
The coalition pressed relentlessly. Multiple elite disciples attacked from all sides, their combined might threatening to overwhelm even the inner circle. Yet Xuanlong remained calm. Every strike, every feint, every subtle shift of Dao threads was calculated, using both Core Formation mastery and Tribulation Devourer to control the battlefield.
The five disciples moved in perfect harmony, forming a living web of attack and defense around Xuanlong. Yan Ruyan cut off key threats, Meiyu disrupted the enemy's strategy mid-combat, Qiao Ling unleashed devastating elemental storms, Meilin predicted openings before they appeared, and the final disciple struck from blind spots, breaking ranks.
By the time the first hour of battle passed, several elite disciples lay drained, their Dao partially absorbed.
Xuanlong's crimson eyes fixed on Ye Tianxing. The Chosen's golden aura flared, spear crackling with Heaven-forged energy. "I will not yield!" Ye Tianxing shouted.
"Nor will I," Xuanlong replied. Good… let this be the final test.
He focused, black flames coiling more tightly, chains spinning outward to entangle not just physical attacks, but the very threads of fate guiding them. Every pulse of his core cultivation reverberated through his body, drawing on the Villain System's insights.
[Heaven-Defying Breakthrough Initiated: Core Formation → Dao-Plundering Tribulation Stage.]
Pain surged, a consuming heat of black flame, lightning-like energy splitting his body's Dao pathways, stretching his comprehension to the limit. Crimson eyes blazed brighter as Xuanlong absorbed not just the enemies' attacks, but the knowledge and potential within each Dao thread.
The battlefield trembled as Xuanlong's cultivation exploded outward. Black flames and Dao-Plundering Chains intertwined, forming an immense vortex of power that devoured incoming attacks. Golden threads of fate recoiled from him, bending slightly as the Villain System registered:
[Breakthrough Complete: Heaven-Defying Tribulation Stage. Cultivation significantly increased. VP gained: 5,000. New Technique Unlocked: Fate-Eater's Wrath.]
Xuanlong's body shone faintly in crimson-black aura, every muscle, every strand of power aligned. He moved as a singular entity of devastation, chains lashing and flames erupting, absorbing and converting enemy attacks into his own power.
Ye Tianxing's spear was swallowed by the black flames. He staggered, golden aura flickering as his Dao threads were partially siphoned. "Impossible…" he gasped. "How can a villain… surpass Heaven's will?"
"I devour what Heaven refuses to grant," Xuanlong said simply, voice cold and deadly. This is only the beginning.
One by one, the coalition's elite disciples fell, drained or incapacitated, leaving only Ye Tianxing standing. The battlefield was littered with shattered stones, scorched earth, and the remnants of severed Dao threads.
Xuanlong stepped closer, black flames flickering over his body, chains writhing. "Yield," he said, voice echoing across the battlefield, "or be erased."
Ye Tianxing's golden spear trembled. Pride warred with survival, but he knew defeat was imminent. "I… will not… yield!"
The Villain System chimed:
[Optional Action: Activate Fate-Eater's Wrath to decisively end duel. Recommended for VP and Dao insight.]
A single motion of Xuanlong's hand, chains converging, flames erupting, and Ye Tianxing was overwhelmed. His Dao threads weakened, body drained, and golden aura flickering like dying embers. He fell to one knee, forced to retreat, yet alive—a future adversary for another time.
[Quest Complete: Coalition defeated. First Heaven-Defying breakthrough achieved. VP gained: 6,000. Fate Fragments acquired: 5.]
The battlefield fell silent. Xuanlong stood atop the ruins, crimson eyes scanning the horizon. His five loyal disciples approached, bows deep but awe-filled. Their master had surpassed all known limits, and the world beyond the Nine Flames Heavenly Clan had just witnessed the rise of a true villain capable of devouring Heaven itself.
Above, faint golden threads of fate trembled, bending slightly in deference to the newly awakened power. Xuanlong's smirk was cold, confident, and unstoppable.
"Let them prepare," he murmured. "The world still does not know the depths of a villain unbound."
The first arc had reached its climax. Feng Xuanlong, the Heaven-Devouring Villain, had emerged from the storm not only victorious but transcendent, ready to challenge the very balance of Heaven itself.