Pain.
That was the first thing he felt. His lungs burned, his vision swam, and a heavy stench of blood filled the air.
Did I… die?
His last memory was of screeching tires, a blinding flash of headlights, and then nothing. Yet when his eyes fluttered open, he was no longer lying on asphalt—he was sprawled across a stone platform, his robes tattered, his body battered.
A grand martial arena stretched around him.Thousands of disciples jeered from the stands, their laughter stabbing into his ears like knives.
"Young Master Lin, is this all your so-called talent amounts to?"
The cold, confident voice echoed across the stage.
A young man stood before him in simple, patched robes. His weapon was nothing more than a cracked wooden sword, yet his bearing was unshakable. His eyes burned with the determination of someone born under heaven's favor.
Ye Feng.
The name appeared in his mind, along with a flood of memories that weren't his own.
Lin Tian. He was Lin Tian, heir of the powerful Lin Clan. Arrogant. Cruel. Hated by everyone. Destined to be humiliated and trampled under this very youth.
In the novel he had once read, this duel was Lin Tian's first downfall. Crippled here, mocked by the world, abandoned by his fiancée, and eventually killed off by chapter fifty.
No… don't tell me… I transmigrated into the villain?!
Before he could even catch his breath, a sharp sound rang out in his head.
Ding!
[ Destiny Plundering System Activated ]
[ Mission: Survive the first humiliation event ]
[ Reward: Beginner's Destiny Plundering Pack ]
[ Penalty for Failure: Permanent Death ]
His eyes widened. A system? In this world?
Pieces clicked together in his mind. He had truly been reborn—not as the hero, not as the genius, but as the stepping stone. The one destined to die.
But this time… things would be different.
The crowd's laughter grew louder. Some disciples pointed and mocked. Others shook their heads in disdain. To them, Lin Tian was nothing but a spoiled young master about to be crushed by a "lowly commoner."
"Beg, Young Master," Ye Feng said coldly, stepping forward with his wooden sword. "If you kneel and apologize, perhaps I'll spare your life."
Lin Tian staggered to his feet. His legs trembled, his chest burned, but his eyes gleamed with a new light.
The arena's silence was deafening.
Every disciple stared at Lin Tian in disbelief. The arrogant young master who should be trembling in fear now stood tall, his eyes gleaming with an unfamiliar sharpness.
Ye Feng narrowed his gaze. "What did you just say?"
"I said…" Lin Tian straightened his back despite the searing pain coursing through his body. His lips curled into a smirk. "…destiny doesn't belong to you."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Has the young master gone mad?"
"Does he not realize Ye Feng's talent is blessed by the heavens?"
"Idiot. He's just digging his own grave."
Ye Feng's wooden sword trembled slightly, but his eyes hardened. "Arrogant to the end. Fine. Since you refuse to kneel, I'll cripple you here and now!"
He dashed forward, sword slicing through the air. The movement was sharp, clean—practiced thousands of times. The original Lin Tian would have frozen, his pride preventing him from dodging. That arrogance was the very reason he had been defeated.
But this Lin Tian was different.
At the last second, he staggered sideways, letting the blade whistle past his ribs. The crowd gasped.
"Did he just… dodge?"
Ye Feng's brows furrowed. "Lucky move."He spun, striking again.
This time, Lin Tian gritted his teeth and raised his arm. The wooden blade slammed into his forearm with a sickening crack. Pain shot through him, but he twisted his body with the impact, reducing the damage. Blood trickled down, but he was still standing.
Good. As long as I don't collapse, I'm still in the game.
Ding!
[ Host has resisted humiliation. System approves. ]
[ Reward unlocked: Beginner's Destiny Plundering Pack ]
A surge of energy exploded in his dantian. His body trembled, and information flashed before his eyes—
[ Beginner's Pack Contents:
– Low-Grade Healing Pill (x1)
– Basic Cultivation Manual: "Iron Blood Tempering Art"
– 50 Destiny Points ]
Perfect timing.
He clenched his fist, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arm. His lips curled into a grin that sent chills through the onlookers.
"Is that all you've got, Ye Feng?" Lin Tian sneered, spitting blood to the side. "They call you Heaven's chosen, but to me… you're nothing more than an extra with a wooden stick."
The audience gasped.
"Young Master Lin dares to insult Ye Feng?!"
"Has he completely lost his mind?"
Ye Feng's face darkened. His aura flared like a storm as he tightened his grip on his sword. "Then you can die with those words engraved on your tomb!"
The crowd roared with anticipation.
---
Ye Feng lunged like a hungry wolf, his cracked wooden sword cutting through the air with deadly precision.
The disciples watching held their breath. This was it. Lin Tian would be crippled, just like in the story they all knew.
But Lin Tian's lips curved in a smirk.
At the last second, he pulled a small jade vial from his sleeve. With a flick of his thumb, he crushed the pill inside and swallowed it whole.
A cool, refreshing wave surged through his body. Torn muscles knit back together, the bleeding slowed, and strength returned to his limbs.
Ding!
[ Low-Grade Healing Pill consumed. Minor injuries stabilized. ]
His stance straightened, and his eyes gleamed with mockery.
Ye Feng's brows furrowed. "A pill? Hmph! Tricks won't save you, Young Master."
"Tricks?" Lin Tian chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "Call it whatever you like. To me, it's just preparation. Something a so-called genius like you never learned."
The crowd buzzed with shock.
"Wasn't he supposed to be hopelessly beaten?"
"Where did he get that pill?"
"Did he… plan this all along?"
Lin Tian stepped forward, ignoring the whispers. Each movement was slow, deliberate, filled with an arrogance that no longer felt empty.
He had no weapon, no advantage in cultivation. But he had something Ye Feng didn't knowledge.
He remembered this fight. In the novel, Ye Feng had been injured in secret training the night before. His ribs were cracked—an old injury he would normally hide as he overpowered Lin Tian with ease.
But if that weakness were struck…
"Come, Ye Feng!" Lin Tian barked,spreading his arms wide as if to welcome the blow.
"Show everyone how strong Heaven's chosen truly is!"
Veins bulged on Ye Feng's forehead. With a furious roar, he lunged again, sword aiming for Lin Tian's chest.
At the last moment, Lin Tian twisted his body, letting the blade scrape his shoulder while his fist shot forward—Thud!
His knuckles slammed directly into Ye Feng's side. Right where the hidden injury lay.
"Ugh—!" Ye Feng's face twisted in pain as his body staggered backward. The wooden sword clattered to the ground.
The arena went deathly silent.
The arrogant young master, the villain destined to be humiliated, had just drawn first blood from the protagonist.
Ding!
[ Plot deviation confirmed! ]
[ Reward: +10 Destiny Points. ]
Lin Tian stood tall, blood dripping from his arm, but his smirk was radiant. He looked down at the struggling Ye Feng and said coldly:
"Remember this well, Ye Feng. From today onward, I am no one's stepping stone."
The crowd erupted in chaos.
Some shouted in disbelief. Others stared in shock. And in the elders' seats, hidden eyes narrowed with sudden interest.
For the first time in this world's story, the villain had not fallen. He had risen.
---
Ye Feng's face twisted in pain as he staggered backward, clutching his side. His wooden sword slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the stone platform.
Gasps erupted across the arena.
"Impossible!"
"Did Young Master Lin just… land a strike?!"
"But wasn't Ye Feng supposed to crush him completely?"
Lin Tian wiped the blood from his lips, his smirk widening. His body screamed in pain, but inside, exhilaration roared.
So this is what it feels like to change fate.
Ding!
[ Current Mission: Survive humiliation event ]
[ Progress: 80% ]
Ye Feng's eyes blazed with fury. He stumbled, then straightened, his teeth gritted. "You… bastard!"
His aura flared again, stronger than before.
He snatched his wooden sword from the ground and charged.
Lin Tian's heart raced. The healing pill had dulled his injuries, but he was far from Ye Feng's equal. A direct clash would still end in disaster.
Think, Lin Tian. The script wants you crippled… but what if humiliation doesn't come from defeat… but from walking away whole?
As Ye Feng's blade slashed down, Lin Tian didn't meet it head-on. Instead, he twisted his body, letting the strike slice his robe and graze his skin. Blood sprayed, but he was still standing.
The crowd roared. "He dodged again!"
Ye Feng's expression grew darker with every missed strike. His movements grew reckless, his injured ribs slowing him down.
And that was when Lin Tian struck not with fists, but with words.
"Is this the strength of Heaven's chosen?" he sneered, his voice echoing through the arena. "A so-called genius, pushed back by a 'pampered young master'? If this is destiny, then destiny is laughable!"
The stands exploded.
"Young Master Lin dares to mock Ye Feng?!"
"This… this isn't how it's supposed to go!"
Ye Feng roared and lunged again, but Lin Tian sidestepped, delivering another sharp blow to his ribs. The protagonist coughed blood, stumbling to his knees.
Gasps filled the air. Even the elders stirred.
Ding!
[ Plot deviation intensified. Additional rewards granted. ]
[ Host has humiliated Heaven's chosen without falling. ]
[ Reward: +20 Destiny Points | Skill unlocked: 'Iron Blood Tempering Art' ]
Lin Tian's veins burned with sudden heat as a faint golden light coursed through him. His skin hardened, his muscles tensed—the first stage of the Iron Blood Tempering Art had already begun.
His lips curled into a cold grin.
He had just stolen Ye Feng's spotlight… and gained power from it.
Ye Feng collapsed to one knee, pale and trembling. His furious eyes locked on Lin Tian. "You… this isn't over!"
Lin Tian looked down at him, expression indifferent. "Of course it isn't. But remember, Ye Feng—" He leaned closer, his voice like a blade. "From this day onward, you are not the only one blessed by destiny."
The arena went silent.
The duel was supposed to be Lin Tian's humiliation. Instead, it ended with Ye Feng coughing blood on the ground, and the "villain" walking away under countless stunned gazes.
Ding!
[ Mission Complete: Survive first humiliation event ]
[ Beginner's Pack fully unlocked. Rewards delivered. ]
And thus, on the very first page of the story, the script had been shattered.