Villain: I transmigrated with Mind Control Powers

Aric's eyes gleamed as he read the notifications from the system.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have gained +10,000 Villain Halo and +100,000 Villain Points for stealing the opportunities of the protagonist, Tyler Tsei.]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have gained +10,000 Villain Halo and +100,000 Villain Points for breaking the dantian of the protagonist, Tyler Tsei.]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have gained +10,000 Villain Halo and +100,000 Villain Points for breaking the protagonist's spirit!]

"So many rewards for so little effort," Aric mused, a smirk tugging at his lips. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the communication crystal as he gave his next order to his servants, "Keep an eye on him and give me regular updates on his movements. I want to know every step he takes."

"Yes, Young Master," came the obedient reply.

Satisfied, Aric pocketed the crystal and turned his attention back to Amanda, who was admiring a delicate jade necklace at the stall. Her face lit up as he approached, and she quickly looked away from the trinket, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Everything was taken care of, Young Master Aric?" Amanda asked, her voice sweet and laced with curiosity.

Aric smiled smoothly, stepping closer to her, "Of course, Amanda. Just some minor business matters."

Meanwhile, Tyler lay motionless on the floor, buried under a heap of debris, his body barely clinging to life. The inn had collapsed around him after the violent Qi deviation, leaving nothing but ruins in its wake. Dust swirled in the air, and the scent of burnt wood and blood hung heavily.

A few onlookers who had been nearby cautiously approached the wreckage, their eyes wide with fear and curiosity. "Is there anyone left alive in there?" one of them asked, scanning the ruins for any signs of movement.

Another man pointed toward a figure half-buried under the rubble. "There, I see someone!"

They rushed forward, carefully pulling away the debris until they found Tyler, unconscious and barely breathing. His face was pale, his body battered, and blood dripped from his lips. One of the men noticed a small token hanging from his waist—an insignia bearing the symbol of the Tsei family.

"Wait a minute," one of the rescuers said, recognizing the symbol. "This is a member of the Tsei family!"

The crowd murmured in surprise, and one of them quickly sent word to the Tsei family. Within minutes, a group of Tsei family guards arrived, their faces grim as they took in the sight of their fallen young master.

"He's in bad shape," one of the guards muttered, lifting Tyler carefully. "We need to get him back to the family estate immediately."

Meanwhile, in the depths of his unconscious mind, Tyler found himself lost in a swirl of darkness. He floated in an endless void, weightless and alone. But then, faint voices began to echo around him, calling out to him from somewhere far away.

"Child of the Tsei bloodline..."

"Come... seek your inheritance..."

The voices were faint, like whispers on the wind, but they stirred something deep within Tyler. He wanted to respond, to reach out toward the source of the voices, but he couldn't move. His body was paralyzed, trapped in the darkness.

"You are destined for more..."

"Do not let this be the end..."

The voices grew louder, more insistent, pulling at his very soul. He could feel something calling to him, beckoning him toward a distant place he could not see. But just as the voices began to grow clearer, he was abruptly jolted awake.

Tyler's eyes snapped open, and he found himself lying in a bed within the Tsei family estate. His body ached all over, and his mind was still foggy from the effects of the Qi deviation. He blinked a few times, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

"You're awake," a voice said from beside him. It was one of his cousins, a member of the Tsei family. "We thought we'd lost you."

Tyler's heart sank as he remembered what had happened. His dantian was shattered, and his cultivation was in ruins. The Spirit Reinforcement Pill, which was supposed to be his salvation, had turned into a curse. He felt a deep, crushing despair settle over him.

"I... I failed," Tyler whispered, his voice barely audible.

His cousin placed a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't fail, Tyler. You just... made a mistake. You can recover from this."

But not everyone in the Tsei family was so sympathetic. Outside the room, he could hear the whispers of others—family members who had once supported him now speaking in harsh, mocking tones.

"He's useless now. A broken dantian? What good is he to the family?"

"Maybe it's for the best. He was never going to live up to expectations."

"Honestly, he should have just stayed in hiding. Look at what's happened to him now."

Tyler clenched his fists, his heart pounding with anger and shame. The words cut deep, each one a reminder of how far he had fallen. He had once been the pride of the Tsei family, but now... he was nothing more than a failure.

In the days that followed, Tyler remained bedridden, his body slowly recovering but his spirit crushed. The once vibrant light in his eyes had dimmed, and he found it hard to summon the will to keep going. Every attempt to cultivate ended in failure, his shattered dantian refusing to respond.

But the voices... the voices from his dreams continued to haunt him.

"Child of the Tsei bloodline..."

"Seek the Mountain of Shadows..."

Late one night, as he lay awake in bed, the whispers returned, stronger this time.

"Your inheritance awaits..."

Tyler sat up, his heart pounding. Could it be real? Was there truly a way for him to regain his strength? The voices had spoken of an inheritance, something that could help him restore what he had lost. But where? And how?

"The Mountain of Shadows..." he whispered to himself, the words lingering in his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more certain he became. This was his only chance. If the voices were real, if there was an inheritance waiting for him, then he had to find it. It was the only way he could rise again, the only way he could prove himself.

He couldn't stay in the Tsei family estate any longer, surrounded by people who had already given up on him. He had to leave, to find this mysterious inheritance before it was too late.

With renewed determination, Tyler swung his legs out of bed and began gathering his things. His body was still weak, but he couldn't afford to wait any longer. The voices were calling to him, and he would answer.

Tyler, now reduced to the state of a mortal, knew that his journey to the Mountain of Shadows would be perilous. The name alone struck fear into the hearts of even seasoned cultivators. It was a place whispered about in taverns and amongst adventurers—filled with spirits, ghouls, and unspeakable dangers. Without cultivation to defend himself, entering that cursed mountain would be a death sentence.

He needed protection. He needed someone strong enough to shield him from the dangers that lurked within the mountain's dark depths.

And there was only one person he could turn to—his father.

His father, Kirk Tsei, was a powerful cultivator and the head of the Tsei family. Even though Tyler's recent failures had cast a shadow over their relationship, his father still held the power and influence that Tyler needed to survive this journey.

Tyler stood outside his father's chambers, hesitant. He hadn't spoken to his father since his dantian had shattered. He knew the disappointment in Kirk's eyes would be hard to bear, but he had no choice. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

"Enter," came the deep, resonant voice of Kirk Tsei.

Tyler pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside. His father was seated at his desk, pouring over scrolls and documents. His sharp eyes lifted from the papers to meet Tyler's gaze, and for a moment, there was silence between them.

"Father," Tyler began, his voice steady but filled with desperation. "I need your help."

Kirk's gaze was unreadable, his face a mask of stone. "Help?" he asked, his tone neutral but edged with the disappointment Tyler feared. "I've heard what happened. Your dantian is shattered, and your cultivation is gone. What could you possibly need help with now?"

Tyler swallowed the lump in his throat and stepped forward. "I... I know I failed. I know I've brought shame to the family, but I've found a way to fix this. There's a place—The Mountain of Shadows. I've heard there's an inheritance there, something powerful that could restore my strength."

Kirk leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "The Mountain of Shadows? Do you even realize what you're talking about, Tyler? That place is no joke. Cultivators far stronger than you have died there, and now you, a mortal, think you can survive it?"

"I don't have a choice," Tyler said, his voice shaking slightly. "If I stay here, I'm nothing. But if I can get that inheritance... if I can restore my cultivation... I can be more than I was before. I can redeem myself."