System of Sin: Cultivator Reborn as Villain
Chapter 1 – Rebirth in Ashes
They said the heavens were merciful.
They said karma watched all.
But when Ravyn Xie burned, no divine hand reached down to save him.
He remembered the pyres—divine flames descending from the sky, judgment etched into every bolt of lightning. The Sky Pillar where he once stood as the Flame Sovereign became his execution ground. Betrayed. Condemned. Forgotten.
His only crime?
He had grown too powerful.
Too fast.
Too independent.
If I return, I will not ascend—I will dominate. I will become sin itself.
And the heavens, in their divine arrogance, allowed it.
The first breath he drew was cold and wet.
Pain lanced through every muscle. His throat felt as if it had been scrubbed raw with stone. A rotten smell filled his nostrils—mildew, mold, old sweat.
He opened his eyes to darkness, lit only by the dying flame of a lantern swaying overhead. Cracked stone walls surrounded him. A rat scurried past his foot. His body lay on a bed of damp straw, torn robes barely covering skin stretched tight over bones.
Where the hell…
But the thought wasn't his alone. It came intertwined with memories—foreign, weak, and pitiful.
Lin Xian, outer disciple of the Hollow Cloud Sect. Bullied. Starving. Powerless. Forgotten by all but those who found pleasure in cruelty.
And now, a soul far darker had taken root in that broken shell.
You gave me a worm's body, heavens? Good. I'll show you what monsters grow in filth.
A cold hum stirred the air.
[SYSTEM OF SIN INITIALIZING…]
[Host: Ravyn Xie]
[Soul Integrity: Stabilized]
[Body Host: Lin Xian (Deceased)]
[Cultivation Level: Body Tempering – Stage 2 (Stagnant)]
[Core Status: Fragmented]
[System Alignment: WRATH]
[Sin Index: 0]
[Welcome, Ravyn. You have returned.]
The voice echoed in his skull—mechanical, genderless, yet ancient. No warmth, no sympathy. Only purpose.
I was denied justice. Now I will become injustice itself.
He smiled.
He sat up, muscles screaming. His body was little more than a sack of bones and bruises. But each pang of weakness was a reminder.
He was alive.
The mirror shard in the corner revealed a face that barely resembled the tyrant he once was. Hollow cheeks. Swollen lip. A bruise around his left eye. Teeth missing. Eyes dim and bloodshot.
Ravyn stared into the reflection and smiled.
Perfect camouflage.
No one would fear this boy. No one would watch him. And when they finally did… it would be far too late.
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED]
→ SIN TRIAL: WRATH (Level 1)
Target: Feng Jiu – Outer Disciple
Details: Stole your cultivation pills. Humiliated you before peers. Left you bleeding in the sparring yard.
Objective: Cause significant emotional or physical suffering.
Time Limit: 24 hours
Reward: +10 Sin Points | Passive Skill Unlock
Failure Penalty: Qi Lock – 72 hours
Feng Jiu. That arrogant insect with a bark louder than his bite.
Ravyn remembered him through Lin Xian's memories—loud, vain, and utterly mediocre. But mediocrity always sought someone weaker to stomp on.
Today, the hierarchy would shift.
Ravyn pulled himself to his feet, grabbing a splintered walking stick. His legs shook. His stomach growled. But his mind? Sharp. Focused. Vicious.
He opened the door and stepped into the bitter cold of the outer sect barracks. Mist coiled around the courtyard. Lanterns flickered in the distance. Disciples milled about, ignoring him.
They always had.
He followed the familiar path toward the training grounds—memories guiding his steps. Feng Jiu would be there. Laughing with his minions. Bragging about how he made Lin Xian bleed.
Ravyn's fingers twitched. Not with anger. With anticipation.
He spotted Feng Jiu near the eastern wall, surrounded by three sycophants. All outer disciples, all barely at the Qi Foundation realm. Weak. But arrogant.
Feng Jiu held a gourd, tossing it between his hands like a prize.
"Little Xian won't be needing his pills anyway. What's the point of feeding a dog you're going to put down?"
Laughter erupted.
Ravyn stepped forward, his voice low.
"Then what happens when the dog learns to bite?"
Feng turned, blinking.
"You—! You're still alive?"
"Disappointed?"
Feng scoffed, taking a step closer. "I thought I hit your head hard enough to kill the worms in your skull. Looks like they multiplied."
Keep talking, worm. Keep giving me reason.
Feng's hand moved. A slap, no doubt. Predictable.
Ravyn caught it mid-air.
"Let me give you something to remember me by."
With a twist of his wrist, he snapped two of Feng's fingers backward. Bone cracked. Feng screamed. The crowd froze.
"You think I'm still the same? Let me show you what sin tastes like."
Ravyn drove his knee into Feng's gut, doubled him over, then slammed his elbow down onto his spine.
One of the lackeys rushed forward. Ravyn pivoted, grabbing the man's robe and slamming his head into a post. Blood spattered the stone. Teeth flew.
Feng crawled away, groaning.
Ravyn grabbed him by the hair, yanking him upright.
"You humiliated me in front of everyone. You beat me half to death. You stole what little I had."
He pulled a dagger from Feng's own belt.
"Let me return the favor."
He didn't aim for the heart.
He aimed for the cheek.
A clean slice, ear to chin. Blood poured. Flesh peeled. Screams echoed.
The crowd watched in horror. No one moved.
"This is mercy," Ravyn whispered. "Next time, I carve your tongue."
He dropped Feng to the ground and turned away.
[QUEST COMPLETE]
+10 Sin Points Earned
Passive Skill Unlocked: Predator's Aura – Rank I
→ Exudes an aura that instills fear in those of lower cultivation or unstable will.
Sin Alignment: Wrath – Level 1
Current Sin Index: 10
[New Sin Trial Available in 12 hours.]
The path back to his quarters was quiet. No one followed. No one dared.
He collapsed onto his bed, chest rising and falling rapidly. Pain throbbed in his limbs. But it didn't matter.
He had power.
He had momentum.
He had sin.
This world abandoned me once. Let it try again. I will drown it in blood if I must.
The system's voice returned, softer this time.
[Do not forget, Ravyn: trust no one. The path of sin is narrow. Only one can walk it to the end.]
He smiled.
"Good. That's how I like it."