"Fate is the hand that writes your doom, but only the brave dare rewrites its script."

The first thing Jiang Chen noticed was the piercing cold of the jade floor beneath him, a stark contrast to the searing heat pounding in his head.

His vision blurred, shadows twisting and curling at the edges of his sight, while a haunting chant echoed faintly in his ears, like the lingering remnants of a forgotten ritual.

It felt as if he had been ripped from one reality and flung into another.

His body ached, each joint stiff and unyielding, as though it didn't belong to him.

He groaned, struggling to push himself upright.

As his palms pressed against the icy surface of the floor, a shiver coursed through his spine, grounding him in this strange, overwhelming moment.

When his vision finally cleared, he found himself in a grand hall of unimaginable opulence.

The jade pillars that surrounded him shimmered with celestial engravings, faintly glowing as if alive with divine energy.

Treasures of every imaginable kind—ancient relics, golden artifacts, and spirit stones—lay scattered across the room, their worth beyond comprehension.

Yet the grandeur felt hollow, as though it was nothing more than a gilded cage.

Before he could dwell on it further, fragments of memories began surging forward—names, faces, voices—all crashing into his mind like waves in a storm.

Each memory was foreign yet carried an eerie familiarity.

Finally, the clearest memory of all: a radiant young man, his entire form glowing with celestial light, wielding a massive sword that radiated a righteous aura.

The young man sneered, his voice dripping with scorn.

Jiang Chen gasped aloud, clutching his chest where the phantom pain flared anew.

His breaths came fast and shallow as he muttered hoarsely, "What… is this?"

A voice, cold and mechanical, shattered the silence:

[Villain System initializing… Binding host: Jiang Chen.]

"What the hell?"

Jiang Chen staggered to his feet, his gaze darting around the hall.

The place reeked of wealth, but the ominous air it carried made his skin crawl.

The voice spoke again, calm and unfeeling:

[Congratulations, host. You have been selected as the "Villain" in this cycle of karmic reincarnation. The Heavens demand your downfall, but you have been granted the Villain System to defy your fate.]

"Villain? What kind of nonsense is this?"

Jiang Chen demanded, his voice rising.

[Your role: Be the antagonist in the protagonist's story. Current protagonist: Lin Fan.]

As the words settled, another torrent of information flooded Jiang Chen's mind.

Lin Fan—a name etched into the destiny of this world.

An orphan blessed by the heavens; he was a man of extraordinary potential who had risen from obscurity.

His turning point? Discovering a mysterious ring that housed the soul of an ancient alchemist.

With the alchemist's guidance, Lin Fan had rapidly grown in strength, mastering impossible techniques and unearthing treasures fated to be his.

But that wasn't all—the heavens themselves seemed to favor him, turning every hardship into an opportunity.

Jiang Chen sneered.

"Lin Fan… Heaven's Blessed protagonist. So, I'm just… what? His steppingstone?"

[Correct,]

the System replied. Its tone was devoid of sympathy, but there was a hint of provocation in its next statement.

[Unless you choose to fight against your fate.]

Jiang Chen's lips twisted into a bitter smile.

"And how, exactly, am I supposed to fight destiny itself?"

[By disrupting the narrative and harvesting the protagonist's luck. The more chaos you create in Heaven's way, the more power you gain.]

For a long moment, Jiang Chen stood in silence, his mind racing.

He had read enough cultivation novels in his previous life on Earth to understand the absurdity of his situation.

Yet, absurd or not, the weight of the system's words settled heavily in his chest.

If fate demanded he fall, he would stand.

If the heavens sought his destruction, he would ensure they regretted it.

Jiang Chen's eyes gleamed with dangerous resolve.

"Fine," he said, his voice cold and steady. "Let's see how this game is played."

Far away, in Holy Sect secluded compound, a young man sat cross-legged in meditation.

The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated his youthful face, though it was marred by a fierce determination.

Lin Fan, the Heaven's Blessed, radiated an aura of burgeoning strength.

His ring, an unassuming band on his finger, gleamed faintly as otherworldly energy flowed from it into his body.

"Focus, Lin Fan,"

an ethereal voice instructed from within the ring. The tone carried the weight of authority, its sternness cutting through the stillness of the room.

"You have yet to master the Flame Lotus Art. Without it, you'll be nothing but fodder in the trials ahead."

"Yes, Master," Lin Fan replied, his voice steady and respectful.

In his mind, he could still hear the haunting cries of his mother and see the proud figure of his father, now reduced to a broken shell of a man.

Both had suffered terribly at the hands of Jiang Chen—the man who had stolen his clan's treasured artifact and crushed his family's honor.

Lin Fan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"Jiang Chen," he whispered, the name like poison on his tongue.

"This time, I'll destroy you."

Back in the opulent Jiang estate, Jiang Chen leaned against the grand throne in his hall.

The moonlight spilling through the tall windows painted him in stark shades of light and shadow, highlighting the cruel smirk playing on his lips.

The System chimed again:

[Host has a significant advantage over Lin Fan: wealth and cultivation resources. To begin disrupting his fate, consider striking at his emotional foundation.]

"Emotional foundation?"

Jiang Chen mused, his smirk widening.

"You mean his family."

[Correct. Lin Fan's growth is tied to his sense of vengeance and justice. Breaking his spirit will weaken the protagonist's narrative power.]

Jiang Chen's eyes gleamed with malice.

"So, Heaven wants me to play the villain? Fine. Let's give them a performance they'll never forget."

That night, Jiang Chen summoned his shadow guard.

A dozen cloaked figures knelt before him, their presence like dark specters in the dimly lit hall.

"Find everything there is to know about Lin Fan's family," Jiang Chen commanded, his tone sharp and unyielding.

"His allies, his resources, his weaknesses. Leave no stone unturned."

The guards vanished into the shadows without a sound. Alone once more, Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the moonlit sky outside.

"If the heavens have chosen Lin Fan as their pawn," he murmured, "then I'll make sure they regret it."

The Storm Brews

As the night deepened, the estate's eerie stillness belied the storm brewing within Jiang Chen's heart.

His resolve hardened with each passing moment.

This wasn't merely a game of survival—it was a battle against destiny itself.

And if fate had written him as the villain, then he would rewrite the script, one torn page at a time.

The heavens would soon learn what it meant to defy Jiang Chen.

This chapter sets the stage for the intricate dance of fate and rebellion, with Jiang Chen's first steps as the villain mirroring Lin Fan's rise as the protagonist. The storm of chaos has only just begun.