All Chapters of THE FATE-STEALER’S ASCENSION: STRIPPING THE HERO BARE: Chapter 1
- Chapter 10
15 chapters
Chapter 1 Sentenced to Hell
The first thing Garou felt wasn't light. It was the sharp, metallic tang of blood pooling in his mouth and the soul-crushing weight of a knee pressed firmly into his spine. His face was slammed against the cold, cobblestone floor of a courtyard he didn't recognize, and his ribs felt like they had been put through a hydraulic press."Look at me when I'm sentencing you to hell, you pathetic piece of trash!" a voice roared, vibrating with pure, unadulterated hatred."I... I can't... move..." Garou wheezed. The words didn't sound like his own. They were higher, more arrogant even in their desperation. "What the hell is going on? Where am I?""Still playing the fool, Jian Chen?" another voice sneered from the crowd. "You drugged the Inner Disciple, attempted to steal the Moonlight Elixir, and nearly killed the Sect Master’s own niece. Do you really think your family name can shield you now?"Jian Chen? The name hit him like a lightning bolt. A tidal wave of alien memories crashed through h
Chapter 2 The Elders Secret: A Prophecy Undone
"Alright, you bucket of bolts, let's see what else you can do," Jian Chen muttered, stepping over the crumpled form of the guard. The iron keys were warm in his hand, stained with a dark, glistening crimson that didn't belong to him. The adrenaline was a jagged blade in his veins, carving away the remnants of the old, pathetic Jian Chen. [Path confirmed. Host must navigate the service tunnels to reach the Elder’s personal sanctuary. Current concealment: Low.]"Give me some credit, System. I lived through twenty-four years of corporate hell on Earth. Avoiding a few geriatric cultivators shouldn't be that hard," Jian Chen whispered, his voice raspy but gaining a razor-sharp edge. He dragged the corpse into the deepest corner of the cell, tucking it under the moldy straw. "Wait, Host. My sensors indicate that your internal Qi is fluctuating," the cold, mechanical voice echoed in his head. [Warning: The 'Sinner’s Remnant' is an unstable catalyst. Use it to reinforce your gait, but do no
Chapter 3 Fubune’s Chains: A Ruthless Emancipation
Fubune stared at the hand reached out to her—a hand stained with the drying blood of a sect guard, pale in the sickly pre-dawn light. Her fingers gripped the jagged shale so hard her knuckles turned white. Her breath came in shallow, jagged hitches that rattled in her hollow chest. She didn't see a savior. She saw a different kind of predator, one wearing the expensive silks of a man who had likely ordered her ancestors into these very pits."I know who you are," Fubune whispered, her voice like grinding stones. "You’re Jian Chen. The monster of the Inner Court. The man who laughs while others scream."Jian Chen tilted his head, his shadow stretching across the slave-tent’s muddy floor. "Guilty as charged. But reputations are such tedious things, aren’t they? People see a crown and forget there’s a head underneath it. I see a girl in rags, and I see a spider web waiting to catch the world.""Why me?" she hissed, refusing to take his hand. "There are a thousand slaves in this slag heap
Chapter 4 The Abyss Couldn’t Hold Him
Master Xun’s eyes bulged, the silver jade jar trembling in his grip. The sudden voice cut through the sulfurous bubbling of the marsh like a serrated blade. He whipped his head around, his face pale under the purple haze. “Jian Chen? You... you’re supposed to be in the Dark Abyss! I saw Elder Su take you away himself! How the hell are you out here?”“Su is a very slow walker, Xun. Besides, the dungeon was a little too damp for my taste,” Jian Chen said, casually tossing the stone from hand to hand. He took a slow, measured step forward. The black mud hissed beneath his boots, but his footing was as steady as if he were walking on palace marble. “I see you found the local flora. It’s a bit of a cliché, isn’t it? An alchemist finding a rare herb in a dangerous swamp to fix his failing career?”“Stay back! Don't you come another inch closer!” Master Xun shrieked, his voice cracking. He tried to project a sense of authority, but the way his knees knocked together ruined the effect. “I am
Chapter 5 Ambushing the Sects Forbidden Carriage
The night air of the Cloud Ascent Sect was thin and bitingly cold, carrying the faint, sweet scent of incense from the inner shrines. High above, the crescent moon hung like a silver scimitar, illuminating the grand ivory gates. Down in the thick brush of the surrounding forest, Jian Chen crouched, his eyes fixed on the massive, ornate carriage currently being escorted through the secondary gates. The Imperial crest—a sunburst over a dragon—glinted with a nauseating sense of unearned authority.“Look at them,” Jian Chen whispered, his voice low and vibrating with a dark hum. “Pompous. Predictable. They really think a few extra soldiers will keep destiny in their favor.”“That carriage is a problem, Master,” Fubune said, her voice barely a breath beside him. “The Liu Clan guards aren't like the slag mine thugs. They’re professional. If the Saintess is truly inside, we aren't just looking at spiritual purity; we're looking at a Grade-A military unit.”“Who said we were fighting the carr
Chapter 6 Seeds of Misfortune: The Merchant’s Collapse
The darkness of the ravine offered no warmth, but Jian Chen didn't mind the cold. He leaned against a jagged outcrop of rock, watching the far-off flicker of torches near the Cloud Ascent Sect’s southern perimeter. Beside him, Fubune was fastidiously sharpening the silver dagger he had given her, the rhythmic shink-shink-shink of steel against whetstone the only sound competing with the mountain wind.“The note, Master,” Fubune said without looking up, her voice as sharp as her blade. “You weren't joking? A ransom note to the Liu Clan? You’re inviting a war that will level these mountains.”“Wars are profitable, Fubune, if you’re the one selling the matches,” Jian Chen replied, examining his palm where a faint violet spark of spatial energy danced. “The Sect is panicking because they lost a pearl. If they think they’ve lost the Saintess too, their focus won't be on the missing criminal—it’ll be on the border. They’ll look for a shadow, not a man walking through the front door of their
Chapter 7 Chaos Erupts at the Pill Pavilion
The scent of charcoal and burnt sulfur hung heavy over the Jade Cauldron District, a stark contrast to the usual fragrance of high-grade medicinal herbs. Jian Chen adjusted his collar, his eyes tracking the frantic movements of a crowd gathered outside the ornate, five-story pagoda of the Pill Pavilion. Men in expensive silks were screaming at the guards, waving vials of translucent liquid with shaking hands."You heard them, didn't you, Master? The rumors didn't just walk; they ran," Fubune said, leaning against a damp brick wall in the alleyway. She was dressed in non-descript gray linens, her hair tucked under a rough hood. A faint, knowing smirk played on her lips."’Impurities,’ you said. Simple, effective, and devastating for an alchemist's ego," Jian Chen remarked, glancing at his notifications. "How many did you bribe to start the riot?""Only three, and I didn't bribe them with gold. I gave them truth," she replied, her voice dropping into a colder, sharper register. "I showe
Chapter 8 Don’t Breathe The Living Mist
The trees in the Misty Forest didn’t grow; they twisted. Grey, knotted trunks reached toward the sky like the skeletal fingers of a drowning man, draped in moss that dripped with a foul, viscous moisture. The fog was a living thing—heavy, cold, and smelling faintly of copper and old wet fur. It clung to Jian Chen’s boots, resisting every step he took into the silent, suffocating heart of the woods.“Are we really doing this, Master? Even the shadows feel like they have teeth in this place,” Fubune whispered, her hand trembling as she gripped the hilt of her dagger. She stood half a step behind him, her eyes darting between the gnarled roots that looked far too much like crawling limbs.“The shadows don’t bother me, Fubune. It’s the things hiding behind them that should worry you,” Jian Chen replied, his voice a flat, dead note in the mist. He stopped, tilting his head as if listening to a frequency no one else could hear. “Besides, fear is a luxury we burned along with the Pill Pavili
Chapter 9 Rage Hotter Than Frozen Hell
The White Dragon River roared like a caged beast, its icy spray coating the jagged rocks in a thin, slick film of frost. It was a place of violent beauty, the kind of landscape that made mortal men feel small and insignificant. For Elder Yuan, however, the thundering water was merely background noise to the furnace of rage burning in his gut."He’s late," Yuan hissed, his voice grating against the wind. He stood at the edge of the stone bridge, his white robes billowing majestically, the embroidery of the Azure Cloud Sect shimmering with spiritual protection. He looked every bit the paragon of justice, but the way his fingers twitched over the hilt of his heavy broadsword betrayed a frantic, desperate impatience."The reports said he was moving north, Elder," one of the Heavenly Shield Vanguard replied, his voice muffled by a thick steel visor. "If the 'Shadow Emperor' is half as arrogant as the rumors say, he’ll cross this bridge to reach the capital.""Don't call him that!" Yuan bar
Chapter 10 A Countdown to Your Funeral
The Phoenix Festival smelled like money, hypocrisy, and cheap incense. Hundreds of paper lanterns hung from the cherry blossoms of the Rising Sun Plaza, casting a sickly pink glow over the faces of the thousands gathered to watch the next generation of 'saints' peacock for their elders. To Jian Chen, the festive laughter and the rhythmic drumming sounded like a countdown to a funeral that nobody was invited to yet. He stood in the shadows of an ornate food stall, his eyes tracking a figure on the main stage—a young man in shimmering gold and teal robes, swinging a heavy claymore with a grace that felt entirely unearned.“He’s pretty, Master. I’ll give him that,” Fubune whispered, her hood pulled low. She didn't look at the stage; her eyes were scanning the rooftops, her fingers drumming a nervous beat against her belt. “Zhou Feng. The darling of the Southern Marches. They say his spirit root is as clear as a summer stream.”“Stream? More like a puddle, Fubune. A puddle the gods spit i