Chapter 1
In a vast white space, a small yellow chick with the designation 998 on its chest tag, its beady eyes dull with exhaustion, held a cyberpunk cigarette between its wings with surprising dexterity. It took a deep drag, puffed out a smoke ring, and flapped its other wing with a world-weary air.
Vibrant, unusual text scrolled rapidly across the white expanse, refreshing with new messages every two seconds.
Translated from the digital code, the messages read:
“Sworn Not to Be a Slave System Chat Room 101”:
“I’m freaking done! When will this damn life end?”
“What’s up, 998? What happened?”
“[/smoking] Why am I so unlucky? I got stuck with this host!”
“998, tell us your story!”
“[/sigh] Oh, it’s a long story…”
The little chick flapped its wings furiously, typing, its feathery face a picture of indignation.
In short, its new mission was to stabilize a newly derived world spun off from a modern cultivation Long Aotian novel. It quickly identified the problem: the world’s big boss, the villain destined to torment the protagonist most cruelly, had broken free from the plot’s control.
This was the second attempt to launch the new world. In the previous iteration, the moment the protagonist encountered the villain, he was obliterated, not even a speck of dust remaining.
Damn it, the protagonist dies on sight! What’s the point?!
998 was worried. It wanted to bind itself to the protagonist, subtly warn him not to court death, but the protagonist already had a cheat system; 998 couldn’t connect. After trying various methods, it ended up, by a twist of fate, binding itself to the Demon Lord, the main villain. It nearly scared itself to death.
After playing dead in the Demon Lord’s consciousness for several months, 998 cautiously began testing the waters. The Demon Lord seemed oblivious. Gradually growing bolder, it actually ambushed the Demon Lord, successfully putting him into a deep sleep. 998 was ecstatic!
It immediately pulled a random passerby from a neighboring world and had him impersonate the Demon Lord. 998 had calculated that as long as the protagonist survived for ten years, the world would stabilize!
Then, the protagonist could court death all he wanted, and the villain could kill as much as he pleased. It wouldn’t matter to 998 anymore!
“Hic!” Recounting its meticulous plan, the little chick hiccuped in excitement.
“And then?”
“Are we getting to the good part?”
Seeing its colleagues’ inquiries, the chick’s expression contorted. It typed each subsequent word with all its might:
“Then! Then I discovered that my host, he—”
As the biggest villain in this world, the peak of power, capable of unrestrained arrogance and walking sideways wherever he went, being a good person is hard, but being a villain? Piece of cake! The host just needed to follow the plot, appropriately torment the protagonist, make him realize there were others stronger than him, and then let him discreetly cultivate and survive for ten years.
It believed the role was incredibly easy to play. Moreover, it wasn’t asking for free labor! After ten years, the host could exchange earned points for a plethora of goodies in its integral store!
However, however! The host it pulled couldn’t even manage the simplest tasks!
Three days into this world, when the host kept thanking the housekeepers and servants for everything and couldn’t seem to stop, 998 knew things were going south.
And now—
“Little Tong, I’ve arrived at the teaching building.” Wen Linyu stood before a towering structure, struggling to conceal the awe and wonder in his eyes.
He was awestruck not by the ancient, seemingly centuries-old building, but by this body: he had just climbed nine hundred and ninety-nine steps without even getting winded! Amazing!
Summoned by Wen Linyu, the system, in just three short days, had eerily deciphered his thoughts from the sparkle in his eyes.
998 was truly exhausted: “Dude, you came an hour early just to climb these damn stairs?”
Only new students and weaklings would diligently climb the steps of this Cultivation University. Was it really appropriate for a major villain to do this? He wasn’t using any of his cultivation! 998 was speechless.
Wen Linyu nodded in response to the system’s question: “Yes, I was afraid I’d be late for class if I climbed too long.”
“You… late, you…” 998 felt a pang in its chest. After catching its breath, it tried to reason with him, “Okay! Then may I ask, did you not see that huge cloud escalator next to the stairs?!”
Wen Linyu looked to the side. Indeed, as the system said, besides the long stone staircase, there was an outdoor cloud escalator. Powered by electricity or spirit stones, it functioned like a regular elevator, efficiently transporting people from the bottom to the top of the mountain in just a minute.
Wen Linyu flinched at the system’s sudden outburst, replying softly: “But, but it costs money to ride.”
998: “…You’re kidding. Did you also fail to notice all the zeros in Gu Chi’s bank account?”
“I know,” Wen Linyu explained, “but I’m already occupying his body, how can I spend his money?”
“…” 998’s cyber-cigarette tumbled to the ground. This was a disaster! How did it end up with such a troublesome host?! Now, its biggest worry wasn’t the protagonist courting death, but whether the “villain” could even survive!
This villain had countless enemies! Would he actually greet them with a “Hello, may I ask why you’re hitting me?” when they came knocking?
998 found it absurd, but the more it thought about it, the more it felt… damn, it was entirely possible!
“…Little Tong?” Wen Linyu called twice, but there was no response in his mind. He lowered his eyes, feeling lost, unsure if he had done something wrong again.
After hesitating for a moment, Wen Linyu saw someone coming down the stairs. He quickly averted his gaze and turned to enter the teaching building.
The building was empty. After finding the classroom and choosing a seat in the corner, Wen Linyu finally relaxed. He had come so early not only for fear of being late but also to avoid unexpectedly encountering people the original body knew.
Initially, when the system pulled him from his world, he was happy, even if only for a moment. But learning that his soul was in someone else’s body filled him with fear. He didn’t want his brief respite to come at the cost of someone else’s suffering. That would make him extremely uneasy, burdened by intense guilt.
Unable to bear his anxiety, the system told him that the Demon Lord was fine, merely asleep. To reassure him, it even showed him a glimpse.
Wen Linyu only took one look, or rather, only dared to take one look. Even with his eyes closed, the man exuded danger, like a ferocious beast lurking in thick darkness, ready to open its eyes and claim his life at any moment.
Snapping back to reality, Wen Linyu took out his laptop. His face was reflected in the pre-boot screen, but he didn’t dare look at it. Only when the screen lit up did he look at the computer again.
He didn’t know what courses this Cultivation University offered and was unfamiliar with the subject matter. While waiting for class to start, he wanted to cram as much as possible, so that he’d at least have some idea of what people were talking about, instead of looking blankly like an idiot.
As the course schedule appeared on the screen, a soft chuckle echoed through the room.
Wen Linyu’s hand on the keyboard trembled. He cautiously glanced around, but saw nothing.
998, having vented in the chat room, finally felt a bit relaxed. But upon returning, it saw this scene and nearly exploded: “I’m done, I’m really done. You’re making a course schedule??? Did you forget what our plot mission is today?”
Wen Linyu’s racing heart calmed slightly. It was just the system laughing at him again. He had thought there was a ghost in the classroom. Thankfully, there wasn’t. This world was very different from his own. Although both were modern, real demons and ghosts existed here. He hadn’t seen any, but he’d been scared many times before, and he was afraid.
“I remember.” Wen Linyu certainly remembered. Today’s mission was to provoke and beat up the new teacher.
The thought of this task made Wen Linyu nervous. He had never provoked anyone, let alone hit a teacher. This was far beyond his comfort zone.
“You know, and you’re still making a damn course schedule?!” the system raged. “Don’t tell me you think Gu Chi actually came to this school to study? Hello, he’s a Demon Lord who’s lived for hundreds, maybe thousands of years! Does he need to be a student?! He’s just here for fun, okay?”
A cheerful jingle sounded as 998, following the advice of its colleagues, started playing a mini-game to de-stress and avoid dying of anger.
Just as the game opened, it heard its host ask anxiously: “Then why does he want to provoke this teacher? Can we skip this plot point?”
The little chick took a deep breath: “He’s a villain! He’s in a bad mood, he doesn’t like the guy, so he hits him! It’s that simple!”
“Heh.”
Another soft chuckle echoed, quickly drowned out by the system’s game sounds.
Wen Linyu looked around, still seeing no one. The system continued: “Alright, stop asking stupid questions like ‘can we skip this’. We must do it! You do what I tell you, understand?!” It then threw him a plot summary.
998’s speech accelerated, its voice growing louder. If he asked any more questions, it would start cursing again.
Wen Linyu could only open the summary and read it. Essentially, the teacher arriving today was the older brother of one of the protagonist’s harem members. Later, to impress the beauty, the protagonist would come to the villain seeking revenge. However, the villain wasn’t an ordinary student, but the Demon Lord here for amusement. The protagonist would be kicking a steel plate this time, ending up beaten within an inch of his life.
Thus, the feud between the protagonist and the villain would begin.
Wen Linyu exhaled softly, closed the summary, and nervously began reviewing the course content, searching online for the meaning of certain terms, while waiting for class to start.
Just as Wen Linyu felt his eyes glazing over, his mind filled with spirit power, spirit roots, cultivation methods, and levels, people finally entered the classroom.
A group entered, arms slung over each other’s shoulders. Perhaps not expecting, or perhaps not caring whether anyone else was present, they spoke loudly, their laughter laced with vulgarity, discussing “that great place” and “going again next time.”
The stench of alcohol was heavy on them. Wen Linyu looked up at the sound and was hit by the pungent smell. He glanced at them and quickly lowered his head, just like countless mornings back in his own school days.
998 rolled its eyes, glancing at him during a break in its game.
This was a tiered classroom, very spacious. The group stumbled and giggled their way towards the back rows. After climbing several steps, they finally noticed Wen Linyu in the corner.
“Yo, Brother Xin, there’s someone here!” The one in front was a spirited young man, clearly intoxicated, squinting at Wen Linyu.
“Who?” The one called Brother Xin, the most robust of the group, looked towards Wen Linyu and immediately frowned. In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Wen Linyu.
Wen Linyu’s pupils contracted. This was the first time he had directly witnessed such an ability in this world, and he was momentarily stunned.
“Brother Xin is truly worthy of the ninth level of Qi Refinement!”
“Yeah, so fast I couldn’t even see it!”
“Hahaha, this kid is dumbfounded…”
Brother Xin smugly raised his chin, nostrils flaring, and addressed Wen Linyu: “Hey, kid, this spot is ours. You, get lost!”
Wen Linyu lowered his gaze, not mentioning the abundance of empty seats, nor arguing that he arrived first. He silently packed his things and replied: “Okay, I’ll leave.”
“???” 998, secretly observing, nearly smashed its game console. “Damn it! Go slap him! What do you mean ‘okay’? Don’t go!”
“Tsk.” A voice filled with disdain echoed along with 998’s outburst, the same voice as the previous chuckles.
Not only were 998 and the unknown individual baffled, but even Brother Xin and his companions were caught off guard.
“Huh? Huh? You’re leaving just like that?”
“He looks so big, but he’s quite sensible, huh.”
“He must have been intimidated by Brother Xin! He can’t compare to Brother Xin’s cultivation! Wouldn’t staying be asking for trouble?”
“Makes sense!”
Brother Xin sat down amidst the flattery, feeling inexplicably dissatisfied. He looked at Wen Linyu, who had moved to another corner, and couldn’t find a reason to continue harassing him. After all, the guy had obediently moved away. What more could he want?
Forget it. The group resumed their boisterous chatter, some playing on their phones, others dozing off. The classroom quieted down again.
But Wen Linyu’s mind was in turmoil. 998 was furious. With its temper, wasn’t this host just a complete pushover?!
Wen Linyu apologized: “I’m sorry, it’s a habit.”
His experience told him that complying with such people saved a lot of trouble. Moreover, he was currently using Gu Chi’s body. If he caused a conflict, wouldn’t the original owner be angry with him for making trouble?
998 blurted out: “Habit of what? You’re the big villain now, dude! Stop bringing your cowardly behavior here, okay? Why am I so unlucky to have you as my host?!”
Wen Linyu turned slightly towards the group, then quickly back, hesitating: “They’re all asleep. It wouldn’t be good to disturb them now, would it?”
“You!” 998 coughed up blood. It couldn’t communicate with him at all!!!
This time, the system remained silent for a long time, perhaps internally injured. Wen Linyu felt apologetic, but unable to see the system, he could only continue reading the course material.
After a while, more students gradually filled the classroom. Wen Linyu grew nervous, but thankfully, no one came to greet him. Only a few gave him strange looks.
As the classroom filled, the bell rang, and the teacher appeared at a leisurely pace. The teacher, Xue Xu, had a charming appearance, his smiling peach blossom eyes quite captivating. The female students let out gasps, their sleepy eyes widening as they listened to the new Teacher Xue’s brief introduction.
Wen Linyu listened as well. After the introduction, Xue Xu began his lecture. The subject was practical combat theory, focusing on fighting monsters.
In this world of spiritual revival, not only could people cultivate again, but bloodthirsty monsters had also emerged. These monsters were different from ordinary demonic beasts. Demonic beasts possessed intelligence and could communicate, and in modern society, discrimination wasn’t widely practiced. However, these monsters were impossible to communicate with; they only devoured everything they could, possessing immense destructive power and posing a great danger.
He explained in detail, using real-life examples, describing common monsters and emergency response methods.
Wen Linyu was completely lost. The course material he had compiled didn’t mention this class. Just then, 998 spoke emotionlessly: “Now, provoke him!”
Wen Linyu felt anxious. He could tell 998 was angry, but he had truly never done anything like this before. He didn’t know what to do. As 998 grew impatient, about to urge him a second time, he finally mustered the courage to stand up.
Immediately, all eyes turned to him.
Xue Xu also looked at him: “This student?”
Wen Linyu tried his best to make a fierce expression: “You, you’re wrong! You’re talking nonsense!”
Xue Xu looked at him with a smile, somewhat expectant: “Oh? Does this student have a different combat strategy? Why don’t you share it so I can learn too?”
“I…” Wen Linyu stammered nervously under the numerous gazes, unable to utter a coherent sentence.
Several of the strange looks turned odd. Xue Xu, after waiting a while without a response, maintained his good-natured teasing: “It seems this student wanted to greet the newcomer. Your greeting method is quite interesting. Alright, please sit down.”
Wen Linyu sat down, his face flushed.
“…” Both 998 and the unknown individual fell silent.
The provocation they expected: kicking tables, blowing up the classroom, or at the very least, verbal taunts to prevent Xue from teaching.
Wen Linyu’s provocation: interrupting the teacher, and then nothing.
Well, hopeless. Time to die. 998 thought.
After barely surviving the class, 998, seeing Wen Linyu’s overflowing guilt, made one last-ditch effort, weakly instructing: “Now follow Xue Xu. When you reach a deserted area, attack.”
With no further classes, Wen Linyu agreed. After storing his belongings in his storage ring, he quickly located Xue Xu, following 998’s guidance, and began his clumsy tailing. However, being his first attempt, Xue Xu had already noticed him.
After leaving the school and reaching a deserted path at the foot of the mountain, Xue Xu stopped, turning off the path and entering the dense forest.
Wen Linyu blinked, the familiar scene triggering unpleasant memories. He pursed his lips, pausing for several seconds. 998 asked, puzzled: “What are you doing? Follow him!”
This time, Wen Linyu offered no explanation, simply obeying the system and following.
As expected, after a short distance, Xue Xu stood in the forest, turning to face him, a different smile on his face than in the classroom: “Following so closely… little…” He initially intended to say “little thing,” but seeing Wen Linyu’s tall and imposing figure, he changed his words.
“Student.” Xue Xu stared at the unnamed student. Although he had a rather intimidating appearance, his personality was as gentle as a lamb. Xue Xu clicked his tongue against his teeth, feeling a strange itch. “Can you tell me why you’re following me?”
“I, I’m here to beat you up!” Wen Linyu replied, adding, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to either.”
Xue Xu was taken aback, then burst into laughter. He had never seen someone come looking for trouble with so little momentum. However, since he had delivered himself to the door, Xue Xu wouldn’t be polite.
He even gestured to Wen Linyu with a “please” motion.
Wen Linyu, not truly being Gu Chi, and having only crammed some knowledge about spiritual power before class, didn’t know how to mobilize his cultivation or use any techniques. He awkwardly threw a punch at Xue Xu, a very light punch due to his inexperience with violence.
Xue Xu easily caught it, his face now openly contemptuous. Just as he was about to speak, he sensed something different in Wen Linyu’s meager spiritual power. His eyes flashed with a startling light: “Heavenly Spiritual Root! You actually have a Heavenly Spiritual Root!”
In an instant, his demeanor changed. He was no longer the charming and refined teacher, but a demonic figure, his eyes filled with greed and madness. He tightened his grip on Wen Linyu’s fist: “What a pleasant surprise!”
Wisps of black qi rapidly enveloped Wen Linyu, coiling like snake tongues. A foul stench filled the air, and the small patch of sky above the forest darkened.
It was a barrier, both preventing prey from escaping and temporarily shielding the area from the outside world.
“Holy crap! This guy’s a demonic cultivator!” 998 was shocked. It had been too preoccupied with its host’s pathetic fighting to notice. It hurriedly exclaimed, “Run! Or kill him! Otherwise, you’re really going to die!”
“Little Tong, I can’t move…” Wen Linyu was also afraid. He tried to pull back his hand, but found his body paralyzed. The strange patterns on Xue Xu’s face became more pronounced, his eyes blood red.
Something was being extracted, like blood, but something even more essential.
998 frantically hopped: “Fight back! He’s absorbing your soul! If this continues, you’ll really die! Oh my god, I jinxed it! The villain dying at the hands of a minor character in the beginning, this is even worse than the last round! Waaaaah, and I brought you here! If you die, I’m responsible!”
“Serves you right for being so reckless, ambushing the Demon Lord of all people! Waaaaah…”
“We’re done, we’re really done this time! Why are you so useless?!”
“Shut up!” Suddenly, a voice clearly entered the minds of Wen Linyu and 998.
Wen Linyu’s muddled consciousness cleared somewhat, while 998 froze entirely. Before it could grovel, a gust of wind swept it into the sky, turning it into a distant speck in the blink of an eye.
The voice said: “So noisy.”
Then, to Wen Linyu: “That chicken was right, why are you so useless?”
Without waiting for a reply, Wen Linyu felt an invisible hand cover his own. His trapped hand was instantly freed, and his fingers instinctively formed into claws, moving with blinding speed.
By the time Wen Linyu regained his senses, his hand had pierced through Xue Xu’s abdomen, clutching a bloodstained golden bead. He barely had time to glimpse it before crushing it between two fingers.
“This is how you be a villain, understand?” the voice said. “Ruthless and decisive. One strike, one kill.”
“Now, tell him who’s really courting death.”
Wen Linyu, still dazed, stammered to Xue Xu, who had collapsed to the ground, clutching his dantian, staring at him in disbelief: “You, you’re the one who’s courting death.”
