The rain in Haizhou was a relentless curse, soaking Wei Chen's ragged coat as he crouched in a filthy alley, clutching a moldy baozi scavenged from a dumpster. At twenty-two, he was a shadow in Yanjing's neon-lit sprawl—a forgotten orphan with no name, no future, only the gnawing hunger that defined his days. The city's pulse mocked him, its wealth and warmth just out of reach. He bit into the baozi, grimacing at its sour taste.
"Survive another day," he muttered, rain dripping from his matted hair. "That's all I've got."
The air shimmered, and the world exploded in light.
Wei Chen's body was torn apart, his scream lost in a vortex of starfire and shadow. When the chaos spat him out, he stood in a celestial hall of jade and obsidian, its pillars carved with coiling dragons and snarling qilin, their eyes glowing like dying stars. Above, a tapestry of galaxies churned, and before him stood a woman in crimson robes, her face veiled in starlight. Her presence was a blade, sharp and unyielding, her voice echoing like a gong struck by a god.
"Wei Chen," she said. "The cosmos has chosen you."
He staggered, heart pounding. "Where am I? Who are you? What's happening?"
"I am Tian Zhi, the Celestial Weaver, Keeper of the Myriad Threads," she intoned. "The worlds—stories spun by gods and mortals—are unraveling. Their narratives fracture, threatening the cosmos itself. You will bind them."
Wei Chen laughed, a bitter edge to his voice. "Bind them? I'm nobody. I can't even bind my own life. You've got the wrong guy."
Tian Zhi's eyes blazed through her veil. "You are empty, a vessel of nothing. Only such a soul can wield the Ebon Star Mandate and bear the weight of ruin."
"Ebon Star Mandate?" Wei Chen's voice cracked. "What's that?"
A jade tablet materialized, its surface etched with vermilion characters that burned into his vision:
Crimson Pact of the Myriad Worlds
. Role: Demon of Ruin
. Objective: Embody the antagonist to drive
the narrative and prevent cosmic collapse.
. Gift: Cosmic System (qi-based progression) and Ebon Star Mandate (supreme power of primordial chaos).
. Reward: Ascendancy, survival, and the chance to forge your destiny.
. Penalty for Failure: Oblivion for you and all worlds.
"Demon?" Wei Chen whispered. "You want me to be a monster?"
"You will be the villain each world needs," Tian Zhi said. "The Ebon Star Mandate, a force older than the Jade Emperor, will grant you power to shatter or save. But beware—its chaos hungers to consume you."
The tablet pulsed, a timer igniting: 59 breaths… 58 breaths...
Wei Chen's mind reeled. He was nothing, a speck in Haizhou's gutters. But a supreme power? A chance to rise above his misery? He thought of the cold nights, the sneers of passersby. If being a demon meant rewriting his fate, he'd take the risk.
"I accept," he said, voice steady despite the fear clawing his chest.
Tian Zhi's veil shimmered, almost a smile. "Then claim your power."
She raised a hand, and a black star ignited above Wei Chen, its light devouring the hall's glow. It plunged into his chest, and pain seared through him—his veins burned, his soul screamed, as if the universe itself was rewriting his existence. A system interface flared in his vision, a jade scroll etched with crimson:
Cosmic System Activated
. World 1: Shattered Jade Empire
. Role: Demon Lord of the Ebon Lotus
. Objective: Subjugate the Nine Clans of Yuhuan to stabilize the narrative.
. Power Level: Mortal (Tier 1). Cultivate qi and master the Ebon Star Mandate to ascend.
. Skill Unlocked: Nether Lotus Strike (Tier 1). Channel resentment to unleash dark qi.
. Supreme Power: Ebon Star Mandate (Dormant). Risk: Uncontrolled activation may destabilize the world.
The hall dissolved, and Wei Chen stood in a black jade arena, its walls carved with phoenixes and dragons, their eyes glinting with malice. The air reeked of blood and incense, and a spectral crowd roared from misty stands. His ragged coat was gone, replaced by a robe of obsidian silk, crimson lotuses writhing at its hem. A guandao, its blade pulsing with dark qi, rested in his hand, and a strange heat burned in his chest—the Ebon Star Mandate, stirring like a caged beast.
"Great," Wei Chen muttered. "A system and a cosmic bomb in my soul. What could go wrong?"
The arena quaked, and a bronze gate swung open. A woman emerged, her armor of white jade gleaming like moonlight, her jet-black hair adorned with silver cranes. She wielded a jian that sang with celestial qi, and her eyes burned with defiance. The crowd chanted, "Luo Yan! Luo Yan!"
"Demon Lord!" Luo Yan shouted, her voice a clarion call. "I, Luo Yan of the Celestial Crane Clan, will end your blight upon Yuhuan!"
Wei Chen's stomach dropped. She was radiant, her qi a storm of light. He was just a street rat with a fancy weapon and a system he barely understood. The interface flashed:
Celestial Trial Initiated:
. Opponent: Luo Yan, Sword of the Celestial Crane (Tier 3)
. Victory Condition: Defeat or Subdue
. Failure Condition: Death or Narrative Collapse
. Warning: World stability at 45%. Ebon Star Mandate instability detected.
"I'm dead," Wei Chen muttered, gripping the guandao.
Luo Yan charged, her jian a blur of moonlight. Wei Chen dove aside, the blade slicing his robe. He swung the guandao, and a wave of dark qi—black lotus petals swirling like a storm—erupted, forcing Luo Yan back. The crowd gasped.
System Notification: Nether Lotus Strike executed. Resentment amplified: +15% damage.
Warning: Ebon Star Mandate stirring. Control advised.
The heat in his chest flared, and for a moment, the arena dimmed, as if the black star within him could swallow it whole. Wei Chen gritted his teeth, forcing the sensation down. "Not now," he hissed.
Luo Yan attacked again, her qi weaving a net of light. The system guided Wei Chen—parry, dodge, strike—like a master's voice in his mind. He was weak, his qi a flicker, but the system amplified his instincts, and the Mandate's power pulsed in his veins. A second strike cracked Luo Yan's armor, and she stumbled, eyes wide.
"How?" she demanded. "A mortal with such power?"
"I don't want this!" Wei Chen shouted, dodging a thrust. "I'm just trying to survive!"
The fight was chaos—Luo Yan's elegance against Wei Chen's desperation. The system highlighted her weaknesses: a slight hesitation in her footwork, a flare of temper in her strikes. Each move unlocked more of his qi, and the Mandate's heat grew, tempting him to unleash it. But Tian Zhi's warning echoed—uncontrolled, it could destroy everything.
"You'll ruin Yuhuan!" Luo Yan cried, slamming her jian into the ground. A wave of celestial qi erupted, forcing Wei Chen behind a dragon statue. The system blared:
Warning: Narrative stability at 30%. Subdue Luo Yan within 80 breaths. Mandate instability rising.
"I don't want to hurt you!" Wei Chen yelled, stepping out. "This world's collapsing, and I'm the only one who can stop it!"
Luo Yan hesitated, her sword wavering. "Lies! You're the Demon Lord!"
"I'm Wei Chen," he said, voice raw. "Just a guy stuck in a cosmic game."
Her doubt cracked the narrative's tension, the crowd's chants faltering. Wei Chen channeled his pain—years of hunger, cold, and rejection—into the guandao. A torrent of dark qi exploded, black lotuses engulfing Luo Yan's jian and wrenching it away. He lunged, pinning her with the guandao's shaft against her throat.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, the Mandate's heat burning in his chest. "I have to do this."
Luo Yan's eyes searched his, a flicker of something—curiosity, maybe connection—beneath her fury. "If you're not a demon… what are you?"
"I don't know," Wei Chen said. "But I won't let this world die."
The system chimed: Celestial Trial Complete. Luo Yan Subdued. Narrative Stability Restored: 82%.
The arena vanished, and Wei Chen was back in Haizhou's alley, rain soaking him. Tian Zhi stood before him, her veil shimmering.
"You wielded the Mandate without breaking," she said. "A promising start. But the cosmos is vast."
Wei Chen glared, the Mandate's heat still simmering. "And if I lose control of this power?"
"Then you become the ruin you seek to prevent," she said, vanishing.
The system flashed:
Power Level Increased: Mortal (Tier 1.5). New Skill Unlocked: Ebon Lotus Aura (Passive). +10% qi regeneration.
Mandate Status: Dormant (5% awakened).
Next World: Crimson Phoenix Dynasty. Role: Betrayer of the Dragon Throne.
Wei Chen clenched his fists, the Mandate's pulse both terrifying and exhilarating. He was still weak, but for the first time, he felt the weight of a universe—and the chance to reshape it.