"Tang Chen! Today you shall finally pay for the debt of standing in my path all these years. Today... you will die!"
Ye Feng's voice thundered as he hoisted Tang Chen by the throat, his grip like a vice. Tang Chen, a bloody mess with one arm missing and his robes soaked crimson, let out a jagged, mocking laugh.
"Kill... me..." he wheezed, a spray of fresh blood erupting from his lungs with every word.
With a cold, metallic ring, Ye Feng unsheathed his blade. In one fluid, brutal motion, he drove the cold steel through Tang Chen's chest, pinning him to the earth like a broken insect.
'Finally... the mission is over,' Tang Chen sighed inwardly, a sense of liberation washing over him as he welcomed the cold embrace of the void.
________
After Tang Chen regained consciousness, he bolted upright, gasping. "I'm back. I'm finally back in my own world"
But when he looked around, he froze. He wasn't in his world. He was draped across a sprawling, silk-laden bed in the chamber he had occupied 100 years ago when he first entered this novel's world. A vein began to throb at his temple.
"System... why the hell am I not in my world?"
[Ding! Host, I apologize. The 'Will of the World' intercepted your soul during transit. However, there is no need for concern. If Host simply completes the plot one more time, this time success is guaranteed.]
"You bastard System! Send me back now!" Tang Chen's roar echoed through the silent hall. "I played my part for a hundred damn years! I was a stepping stone, a clown! I've had enough!"
[Negative. Host, return is impossible until the Plot reaches its conclusion.]
Tang Chen let out a long, hollow laugh, his eyes turning cold. " I'm done. I refuse to spend another century being trampled and humiliated by Ye Feng and his insufferable harem. If this world wants a show, it'll have to find a new fool."
[Ding! Host, do not give up. Failure is the mother of success, and these trials only serve to temper one's character. With your past experience, completing the plot will be as easy as flipping one's palm. Your reward upon return shall be your entire cultivation + 1 billion dollars as a bonus]
"No, System. I am exhausted," Tang Chen muttered, his voice thick with a weary cynicism. "I'll just live in this world. It's not as if I have anyone waiting for me back home, as I was an orphan."
After a brief pause, the system replied
[Understood, Host. However, be warned: as the designated Villain, the 'Will of the Heavens' will inevitably orchestrate a fated confrontation between you and the Protagonist.]
"Hmph. I don't want to deal with him anymore, but if he comes to provoke me," Tang Chen's eyes flashed with a cold, predatory light. "This time, I won't hold back. I'll show that bastard that being a 'Villain' doesn't mean being a easy target. If he wants to tread on me, he'd better be prepared to lose his legs."
Tang Chen inspected his Dantian and gasped in shock. "System, how is my Soul Transformation Late Stage cultivation still intact? At this point in the timeline, I should only be at the Golden Core early stage stage.
[Host, as an apology, this System consumed a large portion of its energy to bring your cultivation with you. Now I must recharge; I will be inactive for a period of time. Host, I am sorry for the hardships of your previous life. Have a beautiful life!]
Tang Chen's anger vanished, replaced by a surge of triumph. "Finally, you're useful for once."He walked to the window, gazing at the misty peaks of the Xuantian Sect. I haven't been back here in 50 years, since my master, Qi Mengdie, cast me out. I was caught red-handed by her and Ye Fan while attempting to "assault" my junior sister, Xiao Ruxue—though, I was simply following the plot. The villain Tang Chen, consumed by jealousy at the sight of Ruxue and Ye Fan's intimacy, finally snapped; in a fit of rage, he attempted to force himself upon her.
Qi Mengdie and Xiao Ruxue were both lead heroines. Ruxue was his fiancée; the "original" Tang Chen had spent decades simping for her, showering her with rare herbs and treasures. Yet, she treated him like dirt and fell for Ye Feng a Qi Refıningant stage ant at first sight. Even more absurd was Qi Mengdie, a 1,000-year-old woman who had remained untouched by worldly pleasures, yet fell for a 20-year-old outer disciple.What a brain-dead plot, Tang Chen sneered. In this life, I'm severing all ties. I'll break the engagement and leave the sect.
At the Soul Transformation Stage, I'm at the absolute top of this realm. I won't kill the 'Son of Heaven' because the the Heaven Will protects him, but if he disturbs my retirement... I'll show him a fate worse than death.A knock at the door broke his reverie. "Senior Brother, Peak Master Qi Mengdie summons you to the Palace," an outer disciple announced with a polite bow.Tang Chen remembered: today was the day they discussed the marriage contract. Following today's plot, The protagonist Ye Fan who is at the Qi Refining stage, , will appear to save Xiao Ruxue from the villain and challenges him to a fight one year from now because his cultivation is too weak know. If Ye Fan will win, Tang Chen must leave Xiao Ruxue alone; and, if the villain wins, Ye Fan must leave the sect.
Good. Today, I will cut the these problematic ties. Stepping onto his flying sword, he reached the Lingjiu Palace in a blur of light. Inside, his Master sat upon the high throne. Her crimson hair flowed like a river of fire, contrasting with her delicate, porcelain features. Her obsidian eyes seemed capable of peering into one's very soul.Tang Chen remained indifferent. To him, she was just a headache he needed to cut ties with. He gave a curt, perfunctory bow. "Master, I have arrived."Qi Mengdie looked down at him, her expression uncharacteristically conflicted. "Sit," she commanded softly.Tang Chen scanned the room. His father, Tang Wulin an elder, was present, alongside Xiao Ruxue and her father, Xiao Zhan. Ruxue sat there in her pristine white robes, her aura as cold and aloof as ever. But if you paid attention, you could see her looking deeply at Tang Chen, breathing heavily with a red face.
When Xiao Zhan saw him, he smiled and said, "Little Chen, come and sit by my side."
But Tang Chen did not respond. He merely raised his gaze, looking coldly toward Qi Mengdie. Feeling that frigid stare, Qi Mengdie sensed a faint trace of killing intent. Her fists tightened, yet she found herself unable to speak, her mind clearly racing with turbulent thoughts.
Tang Wulin, seeing his son's blatant disrespect toward his old friend Xiao Zhan and Peak Master Qi Mengdie, flared with anger. "You brat! Sit down! What is this insolence?" Tang Chen turned his gaze toward his father, his expression softening at the sight of the man who, in his previous life, had died protecting him. His father had been killed by Ye Fan while trying to carve out an escape route for Tang Chen to flee from both Ye Fan and Qi Mengdie.In that timeline, Tang Chen had led a thousand demonic cultivators in an assault on the Azure Cloud Sect to hunt Ye Fan down—a move driven by the villain's spiral into depression after being rejected by Xiao Ruxue. Ultimately, following a blood-soaked battle, Tang Chen lost just as he had in the original story. Having secured their victory, Ye Fan and Qi Mengdie were determined to end him, refusing to let him slip away again.
"Father, I am sorry, but I have something important to declare. I have no time for idle chatter," Tang Chen said, his voice flat.
He cast a chilling glance at Xiao Zhan. This man had been Ye Fan's greatest benefactor in the early stages, especially after his daughter became involved with Ye Fan. As a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator, Xiao Zhan had played a pivotal role in the death of Tang Chen's father. Under that gaze, Xiao Zhan felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine.
Xiao Ruxue, seeing Tang Chen so distant and cold, wanted to say something, but she simply clenched her fists and remained silent.
Tang Chen looked directly at Qi Mengdie and spoke clearly. "Master, I have come to dissolve the engagement. After much reflection, I have realized that 'a forced melon is not sweet.'"
The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Ruxue bolted upright, her voice bordering on a scream. "I do not accept this!"
Tang Chen looked at her with genuine confusion. What is wrong with this foolish woman? I'm offering her a clean escape from an engagement she never wanted, and now she refuses?
Tang Wulin stood up, his face flushed crimson with embarrassment and rage. "Brat! What are you saying? Have you lost your mind? Weren't you the one who begged for this arrangement in the first place?"
Xiao Zhan grabbed Tang Wulin's shoulder, offering a forced, hollow laugh. "Haha, Wulin, calm down. I believe Little Chen is just a bit confused."
Tang Chen ignored them both, his eyes fixed on Xiao Ruxue. "You never truly wished to be my fiancée. Today, I will set you free. From this moment on, there is no connection between us. We shall each walk our own path."
Tears began to well in Xiao Ruxue's eyes. "Senior brother, what is wrong with you? Haven't you always wanted to be my Dao companion? ...Now I accept."
Tang Chen's gaze remained icy. He wondered briefly if she had eaten something rotten, before remembering that as a Golden Core cultivator, she had long since transcended the need for mundane food. He turned his head back to Qi Mengdie.
When Qi Mengdie heard he wanted to break the engagement, a strange, flickering light of happiness danced in her eyes. "Are you certain, Little Chen?"
"Yes," Tang Chen replied firmly. "As of today, I no longer have any ties with my 'former' Junior Sister."
Both Qi Mengdie and Xiao Ruxue looked at him in surprise. "Senior Brother, what are you talking about? What do you mean 'former'?"
"I have made my decision," Tang Chen announced, his voice echoing through the hall.
"Today, I am leaving the sect."
The entire hall froze. Qi Mengdie slammed her hands onto the armrests of her throne and stood up, her face a mask of disbelief. "I do not accept this! You will not go anywh—"
Before she could finish, the massive, ornate doors of the palace were violently thrust open. The heavy thud echoed through the chamber as everyone turned their heads.
There stood Ye Fan. He wore the dusty, tattered robes of an outer disciple, yet his face was brimming with an heroic confidence. He marched into the hall, his eyes locked onto Xiao Ruxue. "Do not worry, Ruxue! Today, I, Ye Fan, shall save you from this villain!"
The elders and masters stared at him as if he were a complete fool.
Tang Chen glanced at the protagonist for a brief second, his eyes filled with nothing but boredom, before turning back to Xiao Ruxue. "Look, your 'hero' has arrived to save the day. Go to him. From this moment on, our fates are severed; each of us shall follow our own destiny."
But Xiao Ruxue didn't even look at Ye Fan. Her mind was trapped in a spiral of panic at the thought of Tang Chen leaving the sect. She lunged forward, grabbing his hand with a desperate, trembling grip. "Senior Brother, please! I have nothing to do with Ye Fan! I beg you, do not leave! I will be your wife, I will make you happy... I am so sorry for how I acted in the past. Please, just give me one more chance!"
Tang Chen's expression twisted into one of pure loathing. He remembered how Xiao Roxue had helped Ye Fan kill him in their final battle. He wrenched his hand away as if her touch were a foul poison. At that moment, he stopped suppressing his presence.
A monstrous, suffocating aura erupted from his body, heavy with the weight of a Soul Transformation master. The floor beneath him cracked. Xiao Ruxue, despite being a Golden Core cultivator, was slammed into the floor by the sheer pressure. Ye Fan, who was shocked by what Ruxue said, still in the Qi Refining stage, was crushed instantly, his face hitting the marble with a sickening thud as he gasped for air, his confidence was replaced by sheer terror.
Tang Chen looked down at them, his voice cold and echoing like a god looking at ants. "From this day forward, do not dare to lay your hands on this Venerable again."
His aura erupted like a collapsing star. Qi Mengdie, herself an early-stage Soul Transformation expert, gasped in horror as she realized Tang Chen's cultivation actually eclipsed her own.
"Tang Chen, What are you doing? You are harming your Junior Sister!" Qi Mengdie roared, manifesting her own aura in a desperate attempt to suppress him. Nearby, Xiao Zhan forced his Nascent Soul cultivation to its limit, rushing to shield his daughter.
Only Tang Wulin remained untouched by the crushing pressure. He moved through the storm of energy, looking into his son's hollow, frigid eyes. Sensing the profound weariness and the bone-deep coldness within, Tang Wulin let out a long, sorrowful sigh and pulled his son into a firm embrace.
"You have suffered, my son," he whispered. "Lets go home."
Feeling the warmth of his father's chest the man he had watched perish in his previous life Tang Chen's killing intent vanished instantly. "Hmm... lets go"
Xiao Zhan gasped for air as the pressure lifted. Seeing his daughter unconscious on the floor, he spat through gritted teeth, "Tang Chen! From this day forth, do not you dare step within ten thousand miles of my daughter!"
Tang Chen stepped out of his father's embrace, a mocking glint in his eyes. "That is exactly what I desire."
With a sharp whistle, Tang Chen summoned his flying sword. His father followed suit, the two of them preparing to take flight.
But Qi Mengdie blurred, blocking their path. "Where do you think you are going, Chen'er? I will not allow you to leave. Do you truly wish to break your Master's heart?"
Tang Chen reached for his waist, detaching his Disciple Identity Jade. With a flick of his wrist, the jade clattered at her feet like a piece of trash.
Qi Mengdie's composure shattered, tears streaming down her face. "Chen'er, I beg you, stay!" She drew her sword, her hand shaking with grief.
Tang Chen looked at her with eyes like frozen abysses. "Qi Mengdie, do not force this Venerable. I have no desire to stain the Azure Cloud Sect with blood"
He ascended onto his blade, his father trailing him into the clouds. As their figures vanished into the horizon, Qi Mengdie collapsed onto the frigid marble floor, her weeping echoing through the silent hall.