Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

After meticulously deciphering the golden patterns etched onto the walls, Jiang Chen gained profound insight into this inheritance.

'It's a Dao Palace realm inheritance,' he mused internally. 'Furthermore, it's quite an advanced one at that.'

'In the Immortal Martial Continent, such an inheritance carries enough significance to establish a sect, giving birth to a force comparable to the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect.'

Yet, it didn't captivate him.

After all, with Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning—two vibrant beauties in the Void Tribulation realm—by his side, he was hardly lacking in cultivation methods.

In the grand scheme of things, a Dao Palace realm inheritance hardly mattered.

However, Jiang Chen's disinterest didn't imply that he'd allow Gu Ran to claim this inheritance without a struggle.

Discovered under the influence of Heavenly Fate, this cave dwelling that Gu Ran found was rather extraordinary, far surpassing the typical, mundane discoveries.

So, this inheritance would likely be of greater significance to Gu Ran.

"Wu Qian, Liu Xiong, aim to secure this cave dwelling's inheritance for yourselves. Gu Ran has a tendency to overreach; we can't indulge him any longer." With a knowing smile gracing his lips, Jiang Chen conveyed these orders to Wu Qian and Liu Xiong through divine sense.

"Understood!" Both Wu Qian and Liu Xiong nodded in succession.

In truth, upon setting eyes on this Dao Palace realm inheritance, both were immensely excited. To say they didn't desire it would be a complete falsehood!

So, following Jiang Chen's instructions, Wu Qian and Liu Xiong quickly positioned themselves on either side of Gu Ran, effectively cornering him.

'These two old foxes!' Sensing the changing atmosphere, Gu Ran's expression began to darken.

"Young Master Gu, accumulating more cultivation methods at this stage may not serve you well. Therefore, we'll take temporary custody of this inheritance for safekeeping," Wu Qian gravely told Gu Ran before advancing further into the cave.

"Fear not, Young Master Gu. The inheritance will still be yours; it's just that now is not the ideal time for you to practice it." With a conciliatory smile, Liu Xiong also moved closer to the inheritance.

"You old scoundrels! I discovered this inheritance; don't even think about claiming it for yourselves!" Unable to restrain his fury, Gu Ran shouted vehemently.

Immediately, Wu Qian and Liu Xiong came to a stop and turned their heads to confront Gu Ran.

"Hmph!" With a defiant gleam in his eyes, Gu Ran stared down Wu Qian and Liu Xiong, emphasizing each word through gritted teeth:

"Always talking about the Heavenly Gu Society!"

"Always boasting of your roles as my guardians!"

"Yet in the end, you're here merely to stifle my growth!"

"Mark my words—either this inheritance is mine today, or you might as well kill me!"

Gu Ran was convinced that the Heavenly Gu Society had ulterior motives related to him, most probably connected to his own bloodline.

Therefore, he surmised they wouldn't dare harm him until their goals were achieved.

Fueled by heightened emotions, he was ready to gamble everything. If they didn't yield, he was prepared for an all-out confrontation!

"Young Master Gu, we're merely looking out for your well-being," Wu Qian earnestly advised. "A cultivator should focus on mastering a single Dao, rather than spreading themselves thin."

"Young Master Gu, your growth rate is extraordinary," Liu Xiong stated earnestly, his voice tinged with concern. "In such a situation, do you really think the Heavenly Gu Society remains ignorant?"

"With your shaky foundations, reaching a higher realm would be a strenuous journey. Once your innate potential is exhausted, what path will you take to progress further?" Informed by Jiang Chen's insights, he sighed as he spoke these words.

"Enough! I'll ask one last time, are you planning to stop me from acquiring this inheritance?" Ignoring Wu Qian and Liu Xiong's advice, Gu Ran's face grew icy, underscored by a subtle ferocity.

"Let him have it," Jiang Chen commanded, his brow slightly furrowed.

Gu Ran had not yet fully broken away, which suggested lingering reservations in his heart.

As long as this remained true, they could continue to use the 'Heavenly Gu Society' as a restraint on his development, until the day came when Gu Ran deemed his own power sufficient and fully unleashed it.

"Seeing your determination, we won't obstruct you any further." Receiving Jiang Chen's order, both Liu Xiong and Wu Qian immediately stepped aside, ceasing to impede his path.

"Hmph!" With a disdainful snort, Gu Ran advanced into the cave dwelling.

A glimmer of satisfaction sparked in his heart.

His firm stance today had also served as a litmus test to gauge the boundaries of the Heavenly Gu Society.

It now seemed that the Heavenly Gu Society was indeed cautious about directly confronting him.

Unfortunately, he was unaware. The Heavenly Gu Society was a makeshift entity created by Jiang Chen; even the pretense of desiring his bloodline was a deception.

The label 'Heavenly Gu Society' was useful only as long as it served its purpose, and disposable once it outlived its utility.

At this moment, Gu Ran entered the cave dwelling, followed closely by Wu Qian and Liu Xiong.

While they were prepared to allow Gu Ran to claim the inheritance, it didn't mean they wouldn't also partake in its benefits.

Once inside the cave dwelling, they faced no obstacles. The path before them was clear, and soon Gu Ran, Wu Qian, and Liu Xiong found themselves standing in front of a jade bed.

Arrayed neatly on this polished jade bed were numerous jade slips.

Based solely on their material composition, some of these jade slips seemed extraordinarily precious. The concise details of the cultivation methods inscribed on their surfaces were no less captivating.

Besides the jade slips, small vials containing a few pills each were also present.

Unfortunately, the relentless passage of time had diminished the medicinal potency of some of these pills, leaving only a limited number still effective.

Yet, the remaining usable pills were of immense value, as they were all discontinued breakthrough pills specifically designed for the Dao Palace realm!

In today's world, ninety-nine percent of Dao Palace realm cultivators in the Immortal Martial Continent had hit their potential limit due to the exhaustion of available breakthrough pills.

These newly unearthed types of breakthrough pills could offer them invaluable benefits!

"I'll take the cultivation method inheritance! You two can split the pills." Gu Ran briefly eyed the pills, then casually stated his choice as he gathered all the jade slips related to cultivation methods.

"Very well," Wu Qian and Liu Xiong agreed with a nod. This was also in line with Jiang Chen's plans.

As for the jade slips detailing cultivation methods, once Jiang Chen had a chance to examine them, he could precisely assess their quality and related effects, guided by the insights of Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning.

Upon reviewing them, Jiang Chen found that these cultivation methods did indeed contain a few superior secret arts suitable for the Transcendence realm!

For Liu Xiong and Wu Qian, these cultivation methods were nearly impossible to practice.

Likewise, they were not resources that Gu Ran could make use of in the near term.

Therefore, in the immediate future, these jade slips detailing cultivation methods were unlikely to bring significant benefits to Gu Ran.

Given that these cultivation methods were discovered in this Dao Palace realm cultivator's cave dwelling and were serendipitously acquired by Gu Ran, they certainly held some uniqueness.

Jiang Chen speculated that they most likely represented a sort of 'causality'. In simpler terms, they could serve as catalysts to spark another subplot.

This great powerhouse had been dead for over a million years, leaving no heirs on the Immortal Martial Continent.

Moreover, the rank of this inheritance of cultivation methods was effectively at the Transcendence realm level!

According to the original path set by the Heavenly Fate, Gu Ran was definitively going to begin practicing these cultivation methods at the end of the Immortal Martial Continent's saga.

Subsequently, there was a high chance that after 'completing' his journey on the Immortal Martial Continent, he would move on to the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star, which is closely related to the Immortal Martial Continent.

Therefore, the 'causality' of this inheritance of cultivation methods was likely connected to the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star!

This was merely Jiang Chen's speculation, so he chose not to interfere with Gu Ran's exclusive claim to these cultivation methods.

At this moment, a system prompt sounded.

[Ding! You have slightly reduced Protagonist Gu Ran's opportunities. Gu Ran's Heavenly Fate Value has decreased by 200 points!]

[Ding! You have earned 400 Villain Value points!]

The diminished opportunities pertained to the pills.

Due to Gu Ran's unique ability to absorb the cultivation base of his victims through his bloodline, he could achieve breakthroughs without hindrances. As a result, the pills were of little importance to him. Therefore, the decrease in his Heavenly Fate Value was relatively minor.

'The inheritance is secured.' Jiang Chen mused, stroking his chin, 'So, what's the next twist in the plot?'

All of a sudden, his divine sense detected a disturbance in space, and a large group of individuals materialized out of thin air.

'So, they've come,' he thought, a knowing smile crossing his lips. 'Just as I expected.'

'These individuals are from the Ninth Heaven Domain's Nine Heavens Tower.'

'Their Fate Values aren't high; they're clearly here to assist Gu Ran in advancing his level.' With a pensive look, Jiang Chen assessed the newcomers through his Villain's Eye.

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