"Young Lord, something terrible has happened, and Lord Lian Canming has fallen!"
A terrified scream suddenly echoed through the quiet and otherwise empty main hall of the Lian Clan.
Inside the magnificent hall, Lian Wuchen slowly opened his tightly closed eyes after hearing those words.
He sat silently upon an enormous throne constructed from countless interwoven black chains, his expression remaining completely unreadable.
The main hall was incredibly magnificent, being spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of people without appearing remotely crowded.
Yet at this moment, the enormous hall remained almost completely empty, except for Lian Wuchen and the woman standing before him.
The floor had been paved entirely with flawless black marble that reflected the dim golden light above.
Countless ancient black chains surrounded the hall, their enormous forms creating an atmosphere that was simultaneously majestic and oppressive.
Dense Spiritual Qi constantly rose from the surroundings like pale mist, filling every corner of the magnificent main hall.
Hundreds of enormous pillars supported the magnificent dome above, each one appearing sturdy enough to withstand the collapse of an entire mountain.
Every pillar had been carved from precious golden stone, displaying the wealth and overwhelming influence possessed by the ancient Lian Clan.
Ancient formations covered the ceiling and walls, working together to maintain the enormous defensive barrier surrounding the entire clan.
The Spiritual Qi within this hall was so dense that ordinary cultivators could almost feel it becoming liquid.
For an ordinary cultivator, merely breathing inside this place could provide several months worth of ordinary cultivation.
This magnificent hall represented both the deepest foundation and greatest authority of the ancient Lian Clan.
The Lian Clan was one of the five most influential ancient clans recognized throughout the Great Immortal Phoenix Empire.
Despite the overwhelming majesty surrounding the hall, however, its atmosphere had become suffocatingly oppressive.
At this moment, all the invisible pressure seemed concentrated upon the single woman standing before Lian Wuchen.
A young woman stood quietly in the center of the enormous hall, her beautiful eyes reddened from crying while faint sobbing sounds escaped her lips.
She wore a flowing red dress that had once appeared immaculate, elegant, and completely untouched by worldly dust.
However, that beautiful clothing was now covered with dust, bloodstains, and countless traces left behind by her desperate journey.
Her long white hair flowed down across her delicate shoulders like a waterfall beneath the pale golden light.
Several strands had become damp with cold sweat and clung messily against her pale forehead.
She kept her head lowered while her slender shoulders trembled uncontrollably beneath the oppressive atmosphere.
She was Jin Lia, the famous beauty of the ancient Jin Clan.
Her extraordinary beauty had made her famous throughout the northern regions of the Great Immortal Phoenix Empire.
Many people affectionately called her the White Lotus of the Northern Region because of her appearance.
Yet even that extraordinary beauty could not conceal the terror currently filling her tearful eyes.
She had just witnessed something that she could never have imagined seeing with her own eyes.
Her supposed lover, Lian Canming, had been blasted apart directly before her eyes during their journey.
More importantly, the young man who had died was the sworn younger brother of Lian Wuchen.
"Young Lord, please spare me, because I truly did not do anything!"
"Lian Canming's death had absolutely nothing to do with me or anyone from my family."
"We were returning from the Lu Family after completing the engagement annulment."
"However, a mysterious arrow suddenly appeared and struck Lord Canming during our journey."
"The arrow was so terrifying that it instantly destroyed Lord Canming's body."
"Neither of us could even detect the arrow before it suddenly appeared."
"The attacker killed Lord Canming but did not continue attacking afterward."
"We genuinely had no opportunity to discover the culprit or protect Lord Canming."
Jin Lia spoke desperately while suppressing her trembling voice as tears continuously rolled down her cheeks.
"I beg Young Lord to personally investigate this matter carefully and thoroughly."
"This tragedy absolutely has nothing to do with the Jin Clan or myself."
Inside the enormous main hall, Lian Wuchen remained completely silent throughout her desperate explanation.
His deep eyes calmly observed the crying woman without revealing even the slightest trace of emotion.
He appeared exceptionally young for the position he currently occupied, yet nobody within the empire dared underestimate him.
Not only was he the young master of the Lian Clan but also the twelfth prince of the Great Immortal Phoenix Empire.
Despite being only twenty years old, Lian Wuchen possessed an aura that seemed completely incompatible with his youthful appearance.
His handsome face carried an extraordinary calmness that made him appear much older than his actual age.
He was not some ancient ancestor who had cultivated for thousands of years beneath the protection of the clan.
He was merely twenty years old, and he was only two years older than his deceased sworn brother.
Yet throughout the entire Lian Clan, nobody dared to treat him like an ordinary young man.
Lian Wuchen had awakened his extraordinary cultivation talent at an incredibly young age.
His cultivation speed had surpassed every genius recorded throughout the clan's long and ancient history.
By the age of sixteen, he had already surpassed numerous cultivators who had cultivated for several centuries.
By the age of nineteen, he had defeated every outstanding young genius within the entire Lian Clan.
At twenty years old, he had become the strongest cultivator among his generation throughout the northern region.
His sworn brother, Lian Canming, had always been like his own biological brother.
The two of them had grown up together after meeting many years earlier during one of Lian Wuchen's childhood hunting trips.
When Lian Wuchen was seven years old, he discovered Lian Canming within the Forest of Dawn.
The young boy possessed a special constitution that allowed him to naturally channel enormous quantities of Spiritual Qi.
The Lian Clan eventually adopted him, and from that moment onward, the two brothers remained together.
Lian Wuchen had always protected his sworn brother because their years together had made their relationship stronger than ordinary blood relations.
Therefore, everyone within the Lian Clan understood one extremely simple rule regarding Lian Canming.
Offending Lian Canming was practically the same as offending the young master himself.
Because of Lian Wuchen's overwhelming favoritism, Lian Canming had gradually become increasingly proud and arrogant.
However, Lian Wuchen had always turned a blind eye toward his sworn brother's increasingly reckless behavior.
Even the woman standing before him had become a prime suspect of killing Lian Canming despite desperately claiming innocence.
After all, Jin Lia had not merely been an ordinary acquaintance of Lian Canming.
She had originally been engaged to another man from the Lu Family before everything suddenly changed.
When Lian Canming became interested in her, Lian Wuchen used his enormous influence to force the Jin Clan into accepting their relationship.
The engagement was eventually broken publicly, causing considerable humiliation for Jin Lia's former fiancé and his family.
The reason behind that humiliation was simple, because Lian Canming had deeply hated that man.
Naturally, Lian Wuchen had never cared about the dignity of some ordinary fiancé or his insignificant family.
Therefore, everyone familiar with Lian Wuchen expected him to erupt with unimaginable fury.
Yet nobody inside that enormous hall knew that Lian Wuchen was experiencing something completely different.
His greatest shock had absolutely nothing to do with his sworn brother's sudden death.
Instead, the young man was desperately attempting to understand the strange memories suddenly appearing inside his mind.
'Did I actually transmigrate into another world just like those novels?'
Lian Wuchen silently stared toward the crying woman while countless thoughts raced uncontrollably through his mind.
Only moments earlier, he had been an ordinary university student who regularly stayed awake late while reading web novels.
He had been living inside a tiny rented apartment while constantly complaining about his miserable and painfully ordinary life.
Now, however, he had suddenly become Lian Wuchen, the young master of an ancient clan and prince of an enormous empire.
Before he could completely understand his current situation, several strange sounds suddenly echoed inside his mind.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The familiar mechanical sounds immediately attracted his attention and interrupted his chaotic thoughts.
[Ding! Welcome, Host, to the Plunder System!]
A puzzled expression appeared upon Lian Wuchen's face as he silently questioned the mysterious voice.
'Plunder System? Do you mean one of those systems from the stories I used to read?'
[Ding! Indeed, Host, it is similar to the systems appearing throughout the novels you read in your previous life.]
[This world possesses countless Sons of Destiny, and their numbers continue increasing alongside the growing influence of Heavenly Will.]
[Therefore, in order to reduce their numbers and restore the balance of destiny, you have been brought into this world.]
[The Plunder System will assist you throughout your journey and provide the necessary means for completing your mission.]
Lian Wuchen listened carefully before asking another question about the strange explanation.
'Sons of Destiny? Heavenly Will? Does that mean exactly what I think it means?'
[Ding! Correct, Host. The concepts are similar to those described within the villain novels you previously enjoyed reading.]
[The world you currently inhabit follows similar concepts involving transmigration, villains, protagonists, destiny, and Heavenly Will.]
An expression of understanding gradually appeared upon Lian Wuchen's face as everything began connecting together.
'Alright, alright, I understand the general idea, but what exactly am I supposed to do here?'
[Ding! Your mission is the same as those villains from the novels you previously read.]
[Hunt down every Son of Destiny, plunder their accumulated fortune, and obtain Plunder Points.]
Lian Wuchen became completely silent for several moments after hearing the system's straightforward explanation.
'So I really did transmigrate into something resembling those generic cultivation novels.'
A strange smile slowly appeared upon Lian Wuchen's face as he finally began understanding his bizarre circumstances.
His previous ordinary life had disappeared completely, and an entirely new world had opened before him.
More importantly, he now possessed an extraordinary identity, a mysterious system, and countless potential enemies.
If this world truly contained countless Sons of Destiny, then his journey was destined to become anything but ordinary.