The Qin Clan courtyard bathed in morning light, its peach blossom trees swaying gently in the wind. Sword cries echoed in the distance — younger disciples practicing their forms under watchful elders.
At the center of the main hall stood Qin Ye, black-robed, calm-eyed, and already the subject of half-whispered awe.
"Hiss...that's Qin Ye, the fifth ranked genius of our family"
"I heard that he is going to build a foundation soon"
"What! He is only 14 years old! How monstrous is he?"
Yes, It is Qin Ye from Earth. When he was 6 years old and officially started cultivating, he remembered the memories of his previous life, and along with it his endless regrets and determination to work hard.
Luckily, he was born to Qin Zhenhai who is the sword elder and also the son of retired elder Qin Mu. His mother Shen Yue is a direct descendant of the prestigious Shen clan. He grew up without any worry for resources or talent. Because, he travelled/reincarnated his soul was special and his own understanding was also unprecedented.
After finishing his morning routine, he left the training place to find his grandpa.
Qin Ye walked through the courtyard in silence, hands tucked behind his back. Disciples passing by would bow with nervous smiles. He offered curt nods in return.
His expression was calm. His breathing, steady. His cultivation aura, precise — measured to seem powerful, but not monstrous.
He had no interest in flaunting power.
He had done that in his past life — back on Earth, burning bright for a moment… then fading into irrelevance.
Now, he climbed carefully. Silently. Efficiently.
Up in the highest pavilion, Grand Elder Qin Mu observed his grandson through a jade mirror.
The old man stroked his beard, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Even now, you're suppressing your aura," he murmured. "What are you hiding, little devil?"
He chuckled softly.
"The clan thinks you're just a bright star. They don't realize you're the eclipse that swallows all stars whole."
Elsewhere in the clan's training grounds, Qin Feng who is Qin Ye's cousin was flaunting his sword skills.
"Did you know that Qin Feng used to be mediocre before, but all of a sudden he started doing well and is now tied with the No1 genius of our clan Qin Qingshuang!"
"Yeah, I heard that he awakened a special physique and his talent sky rocketed"
Qin Feng who was practicing his sword heard this and his face remained unchanged, but secretly he was happy. When he was finishing his training a old voice came from his pendant "Feng Boy, this place cannot provide much help for you. Get ready to leave for the Azure Heaven Sect after dealing with your father's things".
Across the courtyard, Qin Ye passed by — not even sparing him a glance.
Qin Feng who was listening to Feng lao saw this. "Don't worry feng lao. After helping my father succeed the throne as patriarch i will leave immediately. But to do that i need to destroy that bastard Qin ye or else he will become a hidden danger".
Feng lao who heard this also agreed "That kid is indeed weird. Try to lure him away from the clan and kill him".
While they were discussing how to kill him, Qin Ye who was already close to his grandpa's residence suddenly heard a 'Ding'
The Villain System, bound to his soul since age fourteen, buzzed softly in the background like an annoying mosquito.
[Ding!]"Host has neglected the daily system lottery again. Would you like a free stat point?""Reminder: You can buy various things using villain points but it requires suppressing the protagonist and doing various villainous things!"
Qin Ye didn't even blink.
"Keep it."
Qin Ye never trusted easy power. From the moment the so-called Villain System latched onto his soul, whispering promises of instant strength and destiny-defying luck, he knew something was wrong. Others might have rejoiced at the thought of lying down and letting cheat codes shape their fate — but not him. He had died once believing shortcuts would save him. Not again. Every time the system offered free points, randomized rewards, or lazy breakthroughs, he refused. Strength gained without understanding was no different from debt. He chose to bleed in training, grind in silence, and master every layer of his cultivation with clarity. He didn't want to become powerful by the system's will — he wanted to become powerful in spite of it.
Qin Ye wasn't blindly stubborn—he accepted techniques and weapons from the system, but never the shortcuts. Pills, instant breakthroughs, or stat point injections were all refused outright. He knew that strength bought so easily came with shackles. Even the techniques he received weren't used as-is; with his heaven-defying comprehension, he dissected every script, every rune, uncovering hidden constraints and backdoor triggers buried deep within the patterns. Then, with silent fury, he rewrote them into something entirely his own. As for weapons, he never wielded them directly—he melted them down, reforging the metal into blades that bore only his mark, his will. The more he studied the system, the clearer it became: it wasn't granting him power, it was domesticating him. Training a loyal, obedient puppet that couldn't stand on its own. Qin Ye would rather crawl to the peak with bloodied hands than ascend as someone else's tool.
After reaching his grandpa's cave, before he could speak he was teleported into the room.
Inside his Qin Mu gave him a letter,
Sealed with the sigil of the Void Moon Sect.
"Report immediately to the inner sanctum. You've been selected as a prime candidate."
He read it once.
Twice.
Then calmly folded it and burned it in his palm.
So they're finally ready to bring me in.
Time to start playing on the real board.