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Chapter 1: Strike First for the Upper Hand
“You useless trash! You’re nothing but a disgrace to the Lin family!”
“Just got bumped once and you’re acting like you’re dying?”
“The family head gave you so many precious elixirs, and you still can’t condense even a trace of battle qi. Your body’s worse than a vegetable seller on the street…”
Su Cheng was jolted awake by the barrage of insults.
She blinked in confusion.
And found herself standing in a courtyard.
The surroundings were lush and green, dense with vegetation. A stone path half-hidden by flower beds stretched ahead, while distant shouting echoed continuously from deeper within the estate.
At the entrance of the path, a group of teenagers—boys and girls—had gathered around a young boy sitting on the ground, laughing and mocking him without restraint.
The boy looked about sixteen or seventeen. Thin build, delicate features, but his face was deathly pale. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips as he coughed weakly, over and over.
Su Cheng: “?”
Wasn’t she taking an afternoon nap at home? Where the hell was this?
“Hey! Someone’s here!”
The teenagers turned around. Upon seeing Su Cheng standing by the path, their expressions immediately shifted.
“Miss Su,” one of them greeted with a smile, “please excuse this. Lin Yun here is famously our clan’s—”
“—trash,” someone finished casually, like it was nothing worth hiding.
Su Cheng blinked. “Lin Yun?”
The language wasn’t one she recognized, yet she understood it perfectly—and even responded instinctively in the same tongue.
“Yes,” another sighed. “You’ve just arrived at our household, so you probably haven’t heard…”
Su Cheng looked at the boy on the ground.
He sat slumped there, head lowered, eyes unfocused. After a few seconds, his expression suddenly shifted into something strange—confused, almost dazed.
Slowly, he lifted his hand and wiped the blood from his lips.
On his wrist was a thin black obsidian chain. The moment it was stained with blood, it subtly changed.
At its center hung a dull gray jade pendant. On its surface, a strange, intricate pattern began to surface—slowly, ominously.
The boy froze.
Su Cheng: “……”
This is the classic scene where blood activates a cheat item!
Looks like the old grandpa inside the bracelet has already started talking to the protagonist.
Yes. The protagonist.
Just a few hours ago, Su Cheng had stumbled across an uncensored, restricted web novel titled The Divine Throne Chronicles.
The male lead, Lin Yun, dies in a car accident in the modern world and transmigrates to another continent, becoming a trash young master of the Lin family in Golden Ember City—sharing the same name.
The original Lin Yun was orphaned and living under his uncle’s roof. With abysmal talent, he was constantly bullied by his relatives.
After transmigration, the protagonist accidentally activates a divine artifact left by his father. With the help of an ancient soul sealed within a bracelet, he begins his rise.
But at its core… it was still one of those novels.
The plot existed only to string together hotspots. The real focus was the protagonist entangled with female leads, supporting heroines—and everything in between.
Yes. Explicit scenes everywhere. Extreme “play” variations. Even niche, grotesque fetish elements.
The serialized novel ran for millions of words. The comment section was always chaos—people arguing, flaming, shipping, dissecting, spoiling, cursing the author, even threatening violence. It had everything.
Su Cheng had read the beginning properly, then skimmed the rest, also browsing comment-section spoilers.
Some said the plot became increasingly incoherent, the protagonist’s personality changing like he had split personalities. The author constantly retconned his own settings.
Others suggested the author should just focus on the explicit content—if he couldn’t write plot, he shouldn’t force it. Even filler would be better if it was at least entertaining, instead of the protagonist being toyed with like an idiot.
There were even absurd spoilers like:
—“The male lead almost got gang-raped by male antagonists”
—“A god who slept with the protagonist might have been male before ascension”
—“A mother-daughter duo involved in threesomes were actually stitched-together corpses and sludge monsters”
The comment section had completely exploded over it all.
Su Cheng had laughed at it at the time.
It was already noon. Sleepiness hit her hard, so she turned off her phone and took a nap.
Who would’ve thought that upon waking up… she’d be here.
Right at the opening scene.
After sorting through the body’s memories, Su Cheng was certain of one thing:
She had become a minor cannon-fodder character with the same name.
A character who appeared for barely two chapters. Less than three thousand words total.
One chapter for background noise. One chapter for death.
Even the comment section had been confused—because the author had clearly described her beauty, only for her to be killed off almost immediately.
And the reason was simple.
Lin Yun had sworn that since he had taken over this body, he would avenge the original owner—killing all enemies of his parents, including their descendants.
Even if those descendants were innocent.
Even if they knew nothing of the past grudges.
“Su Cheng” was one of them.
That plot point had also been heavily mocked. Readers complained that if it was an erotic novel protagonist, forcing a righteous avenger persona just made everything sound ridiculous.
“……”
Su Cheng looked at Lin Yun on the ground.
He was staring blankly at the bracelet, lost in thought—before suddenly pulling himself up.
“Lin Ting!” Lin Yun shouted sharply. “Did you just ambush me?!”
The group turned around again.
“Ambush?” A tall boy stepped forward. “I just accidentally bumped into you. You don’t even have first-tier warrior strength—if I really ambushed you, you’d already be dead!”
“Apologize,” Lin Yun said coldly.
The boy laughed. “Apologize? Who do you think you are? You think you deserve it? What if I don’t apologize—are you going to duel me?”
Lin Yun’s lips curled slightly. His voice turned icy.
“Fine. Lin Ting. You choose the time.”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“Is Lin Yun insane?”
“Did that bump break his brain?”
“He was never smart to begin with. The family head gave him so many resources and he still can’t condense battle qi!”
Lin Ting sneered. “Hahaha! Since you want to die, I won’t hold back. Considering your injuries… ten days from now—”
“Wait.”
Su Cheng suddenly interrupted.
She stepped forward under everyone’s confused gazes.
Lin Yun’s bracelet had been activated. The old soul inside would guide him. Soon, he would grow stronger day by day, with multiple women and factions backing him.
And in ten days’ time, Lin Ting would have his heart shattered by Lin Yun’s battle qi and die on the spot.
She didn’t care about Lin Ting’s life or death.
But she also couldn’t allow Lin Yun to develop freely.
Su Cheng cleared her throat. “Lin Yun, I’d also like to duel you.”
“…?”
Everyone stared at her like she was insane.
She was an in-law of the Lin family, not blood-related, merely staying temporarily in the household to prepare for academy admissions.
“You?” Lin Yun squinted at her for a few seconds. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes as he slowly looked her up and down.
Then he smiled.
“Even though I don’t know you, considering you’re quite beautiful… I’ll fulfill your request in ten days.”
He expected anger. Embarrassment. At least some reaction.
But none came.
“No,” Su Cheng said calmly. “Right now.”
Lin Yun froze.
Moments ago, he had learned from the soul in the bracelet about the core issue in this body—he couldn’t cultivate. But given time, he was confident he would transform completely.
By then, whether it was Lin Ting or this troublesome woman, he would handle them easily.
Especially her.
Beautiful. Striking figure. The kind he had never even touched in his previous life.
He would definitely enjoy her later.
But—
Right now?
What a joke.
“Miss,” Lin Yun sneered lightly, glancing at her chest. “You’re a second-tier mage, and you want to challenge someone who isn’t even a first-tier warrior? Or are you just too impatient… maybe you like me?”
Still no reaction.
Su Cheng tilted her head slightly. “So you mean… in ten days, you’ll be able to reach a rank?”
Lin Yun frowned.
He intended to, but couldn’t reveal the bracelet’s secret. He said nothing.
Su Cheng smiled faintly. “Then what’s the difference?”
Murmurs broke out among the crowd.
“What’s going on?”
“Why is she challenging Lin Yun? He doesn’t even have a rank!”
In this world, warriors were divided into eleven ranks based on battle qi strength:
War Attendant, War Adept, Warrior, War General, War Master, Great War Master, War Sect, War Sovereign, War King, War Emperor, War Saint.
Each rank had nine stars.
All Lin family youths were already at War Attendant level—first-tier warriors—just differing in stars.
Only Lin Yun had no rank at all.
As for Su Cheng—
Everyone recognized the emblem on her chest.
A swirling wind mist, a slanted short staff with a spiral shaft.
Wind element. Apprentice Mage.
Mages, like warriors, also had eleven ranks. Apprentice Mage corresponded to second-tier.
Same rank combat between mage and warrior was roughly balanced.
So as a second-tier mage, she should be challenging at least a second-tier warrior.
Not Lin Yun—who had no rank at all.
“You—!” Lin Yun panicked. “I’m injured!”
Didn’t people in this world care about honor?
Was she not afraid of being ridiculed for bullying the weak?
He couldn’t use battle qi or magic. His whole body hurt. How was he supposed to fight?
Even an ordinary person could kill him right now!
“Oh, that’s fine,” Su Cheng shrugged. “I don’t have that many requirements.”
She looked relaxed—but her heart was pounding violently. Cold sweat soaked her back. Her right hand, hidden behind her, trembled slightly.
And then—
Between her fingers, wind began to gather.
Air currents spiraled. Wind elementals danced, flickering within the flow. In moments, they condensed into a pale cyan blade.
A Wind Blade—second-tier magic.
Its raw power wasn’t exceptional. Against a first-tier warrior with battle qi, it would be weakened significantly.
But against an ordinary person—
It was lethal.
Su Cheng swung it toward Lin Yun’s neck.
Lin Yun staggered back in shock.
“No!”
The soul inside the bracelet roared.
But it was too late.
The Wind Blade shot forward like lightning, slicing into his throat.
Wind had no “travel time.”
Flesh, veins, bone—all were cut through simultaneously. Blood exploded outward, splattering across the pale stone ground.
Lin Yun clutched his neck, stumbling backward.
“You—”
Half his neck was gone. Blood poured through his fingers. A wound like that, for someone without rank, meant death within seconds.
He collapsed.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
A furious roar erupted from behind, rapidly approaching.
A tall, thin man appeared at the courtyard entrance, face filled with disbelief.
“Family Head…”
The youths nearby bowed nervously.
The Lin family head, Lin Zhen, was a nine-star War Master—fifth-tier warrior, only one step away from advancement.
In Golden Ember City, he was already among the strongest.
“Su Cheng!”
His expression was dark as he looked at the boy in the blood pool. Veins bulged on his forehead.
“Because your deceased wife shares kinship with me, I’ve treated you with respect since you arrived in Golden Ember City. I have never offended you. And now you’ve killed my nephew—my sister’s son!”
A terrifying pressure erupted from him.
It surged toward Su Cheng like a tidal wave.
But Su Cheng calmly pulled out a handkerchief, wrapped it around her hand, and tugged the obsidian chain from Lin Yun’s stiff wrist.
“Family Head,” she said, raising it, “look at this.”
“I once had the fortune of visiting Archmage Dawson’s magic tower. In her library, I saw ancient texts describing a similar pattern.”
Her voice steadied.
“This is a symbol of dark god worshippers.”
The courtyard erupted in chaos.
In this world, dark god worship was strictly forbidden under the Holy Light Church. Entire kingdoms had been annihilated for it—cities burned, empires reduced to ash beneath holy knights.
“Destroy it!” someone screamed. “We’ll be branded heretics!”
“This has nothing to do with us!”
Panic spread instantly.
Lin Zhen’s face turned pale. “Su Miss… are you certain?”
Su Cheng nodded.
She had thought carefully.
Cooperating with the protagonist? Explaining she was a transmigrator? Hiding? Running?
None of it was safe.
Better to eliminate the source entirely.
If Lin Yun would kill her for such absurd reasons, then she might as well strike first.
And now—he was at his weakest.
He would never have such an opportunity again.
After weighing everything, she made her decision.
But she still needed a way to survive Lin family retaliation.
A justification that would absolve her completely.
And conveniently—this bracelet did have connections to dark god symbols.
Even the old soul had said it himself: the Holy Light Church must never see it.
“So why do you think I challenged him?” Su Cheng lifted the chain higher.
“Because I saw this. We live under the grace of the Holy Light God. I cannot allow such filthy blasphemous objects to exist openly!”
“…I see.”
Lin Zhen closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down.
“Burn it immediately.”
No one dared argue.
Su Cheng handed it over carefully, stepping back.
But the next instant—
A black shadow erupted from the bracelet.
It was humanoid, but blurred and unstable, writhing violently.
“You!” it screamed at Su Cheng. “You ruined everything! I waited two thousand years! You servant of the Holy Light! Foolish, ignorant false believer—!”
Lin Zhen’s expression changed drastically.
All remaining doubt vanished.
In the Northern Continent, who would dare insult the Holy Light God?
The supreme deity who could burn worlds with a glance?
Without hesitation, Lin Zhen struck down with a blazing punch.
BOOM!
The courtyard trembled violently. Stone shattered. Dust filled the air.
Su Cheng exhaled slowly and stepped back—
Then realized, with horror, that she couldn’t move.
Everything around her faded into grayscale, like a paused painting. Time itself seemed frozen.
“You did alter a few things…”
A voice echoed.
It didn’t come through her ears, but directly into her soul—cold, gentle, and utterly inescapable.
“But it seems… you might be more suitable.”
What?
Suitable for what?
Her thoughts sank into chaos.
The voice dissolved her consciousness, dragging her into something distant and unreal.
“Then you—”
Darkness fell.
She lost all awareness.
When light returned, someone spoke beside her.
“Hey! You finally woke up!”
Su Cheng opened her eyes.
She was lying on a bed inside a warm, softly lit room. Pale curtains hung from the bedposts, and amber light flickered gently across the walls.
The Lin family head stood beside her, looking at her with a mixture of pity and affection.
“Chengcheng,” he sighed, “you’re still young. Listen to your uncle—there are plenty of men in the world. As they say, what’s gone is gone, new ones will come…”
Su Cheng: “???”
Wake up. You are absolutely not my uncle.
Your wife is my maternal aunt—you are my aunt’s husband!
Lin Zhen, seeing her confused expression, sighed again. “You fainted after seeing their engagement letters…”
He shook his head. “Rest well. They’ll arrive tomorrow. I still have matters with the merchant guild—I’ll go first.”
And then he left.
Su Cheng stared after him, completely bewildered, then slowly sat up.
Soon, two youths entered the room, both wearing smug expressions.
They looked vaguely familiar.
They were the same boys who had mocked Lin Yun earlier.
“Hey, Su Cheng, we heard! Your fiancé studying in the capital has become the rising star of South River Academy!”
“Such a pity. Murong Yue is going to break off your engagement.”
Su Cheng’s pupils shook violently.
Murong Yue?
Isn’t that the name of the female lead in the original story?!
