"Pfft—!"
A sharp, searing pain pierced Lin Yan's chest, tearing through his lungs like a hot knife through butter. He stumbled backward, his hands clutching the hilt of the sword that had been driven into his heart. His eyes, wide with disbelief and agony, locked onto the two people standing before him.
Lin Feng, his own blood brother, stood there with a face twisted in cruel satisfaction. The sword in his hand trembled slightly, not with fear, but with the thrill of betrayal. Beside him, Liu Mei, the woman he had loved for three years and planned to marry, wore a cold, disdainful sneer that cut deeper than the blade.
"Why...?" Lin Yan's voice was a gurgling whisper, thick with blood that bubbled from his lips and soaked his white robes. He could feel his life force draining away, his cultivation base of the Golden Core Realm collapsing like a house of cards.
Lin Feng let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Why? Oh, my dear brother, you were always too kind, too naive. Since childhood, father and grandfather have doted on you, giving you the best resources, the most powerful techniques. But look at you now—you're nothing but a dead man."
He stepped closer, pressing the sword deeper with his boot. "The Lin Family's inheritance belongs to me. And Liu Mei... a woman of her beauty and ambition deserves a true master, not a weakling like you who wastes his talent on compassion."
Liu Mei finally spoke, her voice like ice chips. "Lin Yan, you were a good stepping stone. Your infatuation made it easy for us to steal the family's secret manual and poison your cultivation. You should be grateful that we ended your misery quickly."
As the darkness closed in, Lin Yan's vision blurred. He saw their triumphant faces, heard their cold laughter, and felt an ocean of regret and hatred surge within him. If only he had been stronger... if only he had seen their true colors earlier...
"I... regret..."
The world went black.
***
"Ugh!"
Lin Yan jolted upright, gasping for air as if he had been drowning. His body was covered in cold sweat, his chest heaving rapidly. He looked down, half-expecting to see a bloody wound, but his chest was intact, covered only by the soft fabric of his sleeping robes.
He was in his room.
The familiar wooden beams of the ceiling, the scent of sandalwood from his incense burner, the old practice dummy standing in the corner... it was all exactly as it had been three years ago.
Lin Yan scrambled out of bed and rushed to the mirror. Staring back at him was his own face—but younger. No longer the weathered, determined visage of a 25-year-old Golden Core cultivator, but the fresh, unmarked face of a 22-year-old at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
His hands trembled as he reached for the calendar hanging on the wall.
"October 15th... the day of the Lin Family Annual Competition..."
His eyes widened in shock. This was the exact day everything had started to go wrong! It was on this day that Lin Feng had deliberately humiliated him in the competition, setting the stage for his eventual downfall.
"I'm... reborn?" He whispered, the words tasting foreign on his tongue. "I actually went back in time?"
Just as the overwhelming joy threatened to consume him, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice echoed directly inside his mind, causing his blood to run cold:
[Ding! Scanning host soul... 100% complete.]
[Soul strength exceeds standard. Qualification verified.]
[Binding the Supreme God System...]
[Binding successful! Welcome, Host Lin Yan.]
Lin Yan froze. He had heard legends of heaven-defying treasures called "Systems" that could grant impossible powers, but he had never thought he would receive one.
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of his eyes, visible only to him:
----------------------------------------
[Host]: Lin Yan
[Cultivation]: Foundation Establishment Stage 1 (Weak)
[System Points]: 0
[Abilities]: None
[Inventory]: Beginner's Gift Pack x 1
----------------------------------------
[Ding! Congratulations on your rebirth! To celebrate the successful binding, the system has issued a Beginner's Gift Pack. Would you like to open it now?]
"Yes! Open it immediately!" Lin Yan replied without hesitation, his voice filled with urgency.
[Ding! Beginner's Gift Pack opened successfully!]
[Reward 1: Cultivation Base forcibly upgraded to Foundation Establishment Stage 9!]
[Reward 2: Supreme Sword Technique (Complete Proficiency) implanted!]
[Reward 3: 10,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones added to inventory!]
A warm, surging current suddenly erupted from his dantian, spreading throughout his meridians like wildfire. The weak qi in his body exploded in volume, breaking through bottlenecks one after another. In the span of three breaths, his cultivation base soared from the first stage to the peak of the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment!
He felt invincible.
The profound knowledge of the Supreme Sword Technique flooded his mind—thousands of sword moves, insights, and battle experiences were now his to command.
Lin Yan clenched his fists, feeling the power coursing through his veins. The hatred in his heart was still there, but it was now tempered by cold, unshakable resolve.
This time, he would not be the naive fool who trusted everyone.
This time, he had the Supreme God System by his side.
This time, all those who had betrayed him would pay with their blood!
*Knock knock.*
The door to his room was pushed open, and a familiar figure walked in with a fake, concerned smile on his face. It was Lin Feng, looking just as he had three years ago—arrogant, and utterly unaware of the storm that was about to hit him.
"Brother," Lin Feng said, his tone dripping with false sincerity, "the family competition is about to begin. Father is waiting. Don't be late, and... try not to embarrass yourself too much this year, okay?"
Lin Yan slowly turned around, the corners of his mouth lifting into a cold, predatory smile. The power of the System hummed beneath his skin, and the Supreme Sword Technique lingered in his mind.
Lin Feng felt a sudden chill run down his spine. For a split second, he thought he saw a terrifying killing intent in his brother's eyes—like a god of death looking down on an ant.
"Don't worry about me, brother," Lin Yan said calmly, his voice carrying a weight that made Lin Feng uneasy.
"I guarantee that today... everyone in the Lin Family will remember my name."