The Fall of the Northern CrownThe atmosphere in the royal court was suffocating. Lu Chen's brother and sister stood trembling before the throne, their heads bowed in forced submission. The King looked down at them with cold, calculating eyes.
"You are being sent to the Northern Lands," the King declared, his voice echoing against the marble walls. "Consider it a service to your kingdom. For the next two years, you will remain there to labor for the crown. Do not think of refusal."
Lu Chen's siblings gripped their robes tightly, their knuckles white. The injustice burned in their chests, but against the King's authority and his surrounding guards, they remained silent. To speak back was to invite immediate execution.
The Messenger's PanicSuddenly, the heavy oak doors of the Great Hall burst open. A messenger staggered in, gasping for breath, his face pale with pure terror.
"Your Majesty! Emergency! A disaster has struck!"
The King stood up, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "Control yourself! What could possibly warrant such a pathetic display? The entire court is watching."
"The Governor's youngest son... he has arrived at the gates," the messenger stammered. "He has brought his entire personal army with him!"
The King let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Is that all? We have our own Royal Guard and ten thousand seasoned soldiers. We will crush him for this insolence. Why are you shaking like a leaf?"
"It's not just the army, Sire!" the messenger cried out, his voice cracking. "He has brought a 'supporter' with him. A single individual... but we cannot gauge his strength. Our sensing stones shattered trying to measure him. His level is... undetectable!"
The King's laughter died instantly. A chilling silence fell over the court. "Undetectable? Impossible. Even a Level 8 Master can be sensed."
The Calamity StrikesBefore the King could utter another word, the very foundations of the palace groaned.
Miles away, high above the city skyline, the Main Character (MC) hovered in the air like a vengeful god. He didn't offer a speech or a warning. He simply raised a hand, gathering a terrifying amount of dark energy into a single point. With a flick of his wrist, he launched a Phantom Attack toward the heart of the capital.
The projectile hit the earth with the force of a falling star.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted, turning stone to dust and iron to liquid. In a single heartbeat, half of the sprawling city was erased from existence. A giant crater sat where markets and homes had been seconds before.
Inside the palace, the windows shattered. Lu Chen and his siblings were thrown to the floor as the entire mountain base of the castle shifted.
"What... what was that?" Lu Chen's brother gasped, looking out the shattered window. His eyes widened in horror. "Brother Lu... he summoned this person? That power... it must be Level 6, no, Level 7 at least!"
The System AwakensThe King was paralyzed, staring at the rising mushroom cloud of dust and fire. But amidst the chaos, a cold, mechanical voice rang out in the MC's mind:
[NOTIFICATION]
Host has eliminated 20 million people in a single strike.
Reward: 5,000 Villain Coins.
Current Status: Ruthless Overlord.
The MC looked down at the carnage with eyes as cold as ice. He saw the King's remaining army—thousands of men—charging toward him in a desperate, suicidal attempt to defend their crown. They looked like ants marching toward a bonfire.
The MC didn't say a word. He didn't need to. He unleashed a second wave of energy, a sweeping horizontal blade of light. The impact didn't just kill the soldiers; it vaporized them. The army turned into a cloud of ash that drifted away in the wind. The destruction was so massive that it could be seen from the King's private chambers as if a second sun had ignited on the horizon.
The King's Final CardPanicking and realizing his kingdom was turning to rubble, the King retreated into a hidden inner sanctum. His hands shook as he pulled out a glowing, ancient Jade Token.
"I have no choice!" the King hissed. He smashed the token onto the floor.
This token was a direct line to his most powerful allies—a group of legendary Martial Artists and Kings of neighboring realms.
"Brother, help me!" the King screamed into the swirling mist rising from the broken jade. "A monster has attacked! An enemy of impossible power is destroying everything! Come quickly or there will be nothing left to save!"
Across the continent, a powerful figure opened his eyes, feeling the distress signal. "Who dares touch my ally?" the figure whispered, beginning his journey toward the battlefield.
The BattlefieldBack at the city ruins, the air was thick with smoke and the smell of ozone. The MC stood amidst the "boom-boom" of secondary explosions. The once-proud capital was now a graveyard of twisted metal and broken stone.
As the MC prepared to move toward the palace to finish the job, a booming voice echoed from the dust.
"Hey! Kid! Stop right there!"
A new presence had entered the fray, standing between the MC and the palace. The real battle was just beginning.The Birth of the Die DynastyThe dust had barely settled over the ruined city when a figure descended from the clouds. He was a Level 7 Cultivist, a man named Leon, whose presence alone made the air vibrate with metallic pressure. He looked at the devastation and then at the young man standing calmly amidst the rubble.
"You have incredible courage, boy," Leon said, his voice deep like grinding stone. "To launch an attack of this magnitude against a royal capital... you are either a god or a madman."
The MC didn't flinch. A thin, cold smile played on his lips. "A Level 7 Cultivator? Interesting. Usually, I end things with one strike. But today, I think I'll enjoy the process of breaking you. Tell me, before you die, what is your name?"
"I am Leon," the warrior replied, drawing a massive, gleaming blade. "And yours?"
"Gu Fen," the MC replied.
In an instant, Leon moved. He swung his sword, sending a massive crescent-shaped energy slash—a Sword Slay—tearing through the ground. Gu Fen didn't dodge. He drew his own blade and countered with a casual flick. The two slashes collided in mid-air, canceling each other out in a shower of sparks that melted the nearby stone.
Leon's eyes widened. "You blocked my strike so easily? Remarkable! Let's see you handle this!"
Leon unleashed a flurry of attacks, but Gu Fen moved like a ghost, parrying every blow with effortless grace. Finally, Gu Fen decided to end the games. He gathered his Qi, and the sky turned dark.
"Heavenly Slay!" Gu Fen roared.
A pillar of divine light descended from the heavens. Leon's face went pale. He realized he had horribly underestimated this youth. He threw every ounce of his power into a desperate defensive barrier, but Gu Fen's strike was absolute. It shattered Leon's defense like glass, passing just inches from Leon's neck, the wind pressure alone drawing blood.
Leon fell to his knees, shaking. He realized that Gu Fen could have killed him ten times over in that single second.
Gu Fen walked up to him, looking down. "I know why you're here. You want to help the King, but more than that, you want to become stronger. Why waste your life for a weak King? Join my team. I am going to build the strongest family this world has ever seen. You will be my First Ancestor."
Leon looked at the power radiating from Gu Fen and made his choice. "I accept. My blade is yours."
The Four EmperorsInside the palace, the King was losing his mind. He turned to his four most powerful allies—the legendary Level 7 Martial Artists known as the Four Emperors: White Emperor, Phoenix Emperor, Dragon Emperor, and Black Emperor.
"Go!" the King screamed. "Kill him! Bring me his head!"
"Consider it done, Your Majesty," the White Emperor sneered. "After we finish this child, we expect a feast."
The four legends flew to the battlefield, surrounding Gu Fen. "You're the one causing all this trouble? You're just a brat," the Black Emperor laughed, launching a massive shadow attack.
Gu Fen didn't say a word. Instead, he decided to show them his True Form. His body began to shift and grow. Four additional sets of arms sprouted from his back, and four glowing eyes opened on his face. He reached the Peak Stage of Level 8.
The atmosphere turned heavy. Leon, Lu Chen, and the Four Emperors were all frozen in shock. The pressure was so immense that the ground beneath the Emperors began to sink.
"Impossible!" the Phoenix Emperor shrieked. "We must combine our strength! Now!"
The Four Emperors stood together, channeling 100% of their power into a single, massive Combined Ultimate Attack. A sphere of world-ending energy surged toward Gu Fen.
Gu Fen, using only 60% of his power, threw a single punch. The collision was deafening. Gu Fen's strike completely annihilated their combined attack, sending the four Emperors flying backward, their internal organs shattered.
Realizing they were facing a being beyond their comprehension, the Four Emperors knelt. They accepted Gu Fen's offer to join his new family.
The End of a DynastyGu Fen marched into the palace. The King stood trembling on his throne.
"You... you traitors!" the King screamed at the Emperors. "How dare you join him!"
Gu Fen looked at the King. "I'll give you one chance. Join me."
"NEVER!" the King roared.
Gu Fen simply raised a finger. BOOM. The King's body instantly exploded into a mist of blood. Seeing this, the remaining royal army and officials immediately surrendered, falling to their knees in terror.
Gu Fen smiled. He now had an army of Level 4 and 5 warriors, and five Level 7/8 Ancestors. He officially established the Die Family. He appointed Die Chan (formerly Lu Chen) as the public Leader, while he remained the Shadow Leader, the true power behind the throne.
The System chimed in his mind:
[NOTIFICATION]
Family Established. Reward: Level Up for all members.
Army: Level 1 -> Level 2.
Martial Artists: Level 4 -> Level 5.
Ancestors: Level 7 -> Level 8.
Host: Level Up to Level 7.
Revenge and the Immortal Path"This world is limited to Level 10," Gu Fen told his five Ancestors. "But I want more. I want to become Immortal. Are you ready to climb to the Upper World with me?"
"WE ARE READY!" they roared in unison.
"First," Gu Fen said, his eyes darkening. "We settle old scores. The Wun family and the Lin family... my ex-fiancée's people. They think they are safe. They have Level 7 ancestors and a Level 4 army. They are nothing compared to us."
Gu Fen looked at his five Great Emperors. "Who wants to handle this?"
"I will go, Young Master!" the White Emperor stepped forward, eager to prove his loyalty.
At the Wun family estate, a grand ceremony was being held. The ex-fiancée was laughing, talking about how they had gotten rid of Gu Fen. Suddenly, a portal ripped open in the sky.
A foot stepped out, and the mere pressure caused every guest at the party to collapse onto the floor, vomiting blood. The Wun and Lin Ancestors rushed out, screaming, "Who dares?!"
The White Emperor looked down at them like they were insects. With a single, lazy swing of his leg—a Leg Slay—both family Ancestors were decapitated instantly. He then unleashed a Giant Palm Attack that flattened the entire estate, wiping the Wun and Lin families off the map forever.
The Final PreparationBack at the Die Family fortress, the System rewarded Gu Fen with 5 Cultivation Orbs, which he gave to his Ancestors to help them reach the next level.
Gu Fen opened his system interface. He had 30 Million Points.
He purchased a Legendary Barrier that covered the entire territory of the Die Family. Inside this barrier, the spiritual energy was so dense that they could cultivate to become Immortals without ever needing to leave for the Upper World until they were ready.
The Die Family was now a fortress of gods, hidden from the world, preparing to conquer the heavens themselves.