The stench of iron and blood filled the dark back valley of the Li Clan.
Li Wu Qian lay sprawled across the cold ground, his chest rising and falling with great difficulty. He was only fifteen years old, yet his body was covered in wounds and stab injuries. Standing before him were three young members of the clan, led by Li Zheng, the Third Elder's son. A cruel smile spread across Li Zheng's face as he wiped the blood from his sword.
"Li Wu Qian, you little insect... Did you really think you could keep the Crimson Qi Herb for yourself? In the Li Clan, the weak have no right to own anything. The only thing they have the right to is death!"
Li Zheng sneered before turning to his companions.
"Leave him here to bleed out. The mountain wolves will take care of his corpse before dawn."
The three of them walked away, leaving him to die.
As darkness consumed his vision and the cold spread through his limbs, there was no fear in Li Wu Qian's eyes.
Only an unsettling calm.
He had lived a previous life filled with bloodshed, schemes, and betrayal. Now, in this new world, he was dying once again—this time because of the weakness of his current body and the lack of resources.
"Death... once again?"
His cracked lips moved silently.
"If I survive... I will exterminate your entire bloodline. I will turn your skulls into goblets for the Wine of Immortality..."
His heart stopped beating.
Li Wu Qian died.
Suddenly, the darkness within his mind split apart.
A crimson-black light erupted from the void, and an icy mechanical voice devoid of all emotion echoed deep within his soul.
[Warning: Host's vital signs have ceased.]
[Activation conditions fulfilled: Death under absolute despair and blood-stained resolve.]
[Binding System: Heavenly Demonic Path.]
[Beginning resurrection and body restoration...]
At that instant, mysterious black energy poured from the void and flowed into every wound on Li Wu Qian's body.
His shattered bones fused back together.
The bleeding stopped.
His heart thundered back to life with a strength he had never possessed before.
His eyes snapped open.
A terrifying gleam shone within his pupils.
Li Wu Qian slowly sat up and examined his fully restored body.
Not a trace of shock appeared on his face.
Only absolute indifference.
A translucent screen materialized before his eyes.
Host: Li Wu Qian
Cultivation Realm: Body Tempering Realm – First Layer
Black Energy Points: 0
Beginner Skill (Free): Blood Devouring Art
Allows the host to convert the blood of defeated enemies into Black Energy, which can be used to raise cultivation and evolve skills.
Moving like a ghost through the darkness, Li Wu Qian returned to his dilapidated wooden hut on the outskirts of the Li Clan.
The hut was cold, weathered, and surrounded by overgrown weeds—a fitting home for someone whom everyone regarded as a nobody.
He firmly shut the door behind him and sat cross-legged upon the hard wooden bed.
He did not waste even a second resting.
Tomorrow was the Awakening Day of the Li Clan—the day that would determine the future of every young disciple according to their talent and physical potential.
Closing his eyes, he summoned the system once more.
The transparent interface appeared again.
Host: Li Wu Qian
Cultivation Realm: Body Tempering Realm – First Layer
Skill: Blood Devouring Art (Level 1)
Black Energy Points: 0
Focusing his thoughts, he asked inwardly in a cold voice,
"How do I obtain Black Energy Points? And what conditions must I fulfill for the system to grant me stronger abilities?"
The lines of text shifted before answering immediately.
Conditions for obtaining Black Energy and unlocking new abilities:
• Killing and Betrayal: Harvest the lives of cultivators and seize their blood and abilities.
• Stealing Fortune and Resources: Plunder the treasures of others, shatter their pride, and destroy the destinies of the world's Chosen Ones.
• Spreading Chaos: The greater the turmoil the host causes within the clan or the world, the more Black Energy Points will be awarded.
Li Wu Qian smiled faintly.
"Excellent... A system tailor-made for my Demonic Path."
"In my previous life, I had to calculate every step and avoid the chains of fate. But this system feeds upon chaos... It suits me perfectly."
He immediately began circulating his energy and practicing the beginner skill, Blood Devouring Art.
Although there was no corpse nearby from which to absorb blood, merely guiding the technique through the meridians of his body accelerated his blood flow, strengthened his frail muscles and bones, and gradually purified the impurities within them.
Hours slipped by.
When dawn finally broke, Li Wu Qian slowly opened his eyes.
They shone with icy confidence.
His cultivation had stabilized firmly at the First Layer of the Body Tempering Realm, but thanks to the system's reconstruction, his physical strength and endurance had already surpassed those of ordinary cultivators at the same level.
He washed his face, put on his plain gray robe, and stepped out toward the Li Clan's central plaza.
The beating of war drums echoed throughout the clan, announcing the beginning of the Awakening Ceremony.
He knew Li Zheng and his companions would be there.
And he was looking forward to seeing the expressions on their faces...
...when they witnessed a dead man walking once again.