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

"Damn it! My chance for a surprise attack is gone," Gu Ran lamented. He had hoped to ambush the Inquiring Journey realm's cultivators, banking on the notion that they would hesitate to strike back, fearing harm to their allies.

This brief window of confusion would have given him the chance to eliminate more foes, bolstering his strength in combat.

Yet, the members of the Purple Heaven Holy Land struck first.

Assassinating in the wake of scattered attacks had intensified the challenge!

Nevertheless, Gu Ran chose a path that left even Jiang Chen astounded—he pressed on with his deadly chase!

The reason?

'After all, the Heavenly Gu Society won't let me die!' A chilling smirk played in Gu Ran's heart. 'If that's their game, then I'll give it everything I've got!'

Without hesitation, he brandished his weapon and lunged at one of the Inquiring Journey realm cultivators.

'He's pressing the attack?' Jiang Chen, having newly acquired the inheritance, was momentarily stunned. 'Ah, I get it. Gu Ran is betting on the Heavenly Gu Society's backing... Is he trying to make others do his dirty work for him?'

Luckily, Jiang Chen had been tracking the Fate Value of supporting characters. He'd discerned Gu Ran's aim: the Outer Sect Elder, Li Dong.

He'd also given Ji Mingxiu a heads-up.

So, when Gu Ran finally struck, while the blow did connect with Li Dong, it wasn't life-threatening. Li Dong was repelled by the 'residual force of a previous attack'.

'What?' All Gu Ran sensed was a void where his target once stood – Li Dong had disappeared from his sight!

He had now laid himself bare!

A voice rang out, "There! That's the thief who took our inheritance!"

"Take him down! Get back what's ours!"

"We can't end him. Without him, the cultivation method inheritance is lost!"

"Seize him, but keep him breathing!" The Purple Heaven Holy Land members' cries of shock and rage filled the air as they swarmed toward Gu Ran.

Yet, unbeknownst to most, the real possessor of the inheritance was Jiang Chen. Misled into thinking it was Gu Ran, they refrained from landing a lethal strike.

Ji Mingxiu and the others, heeding Jiang Chen's warning, also held back from delivering a fatal blow to Gu Ran.

But as the members of the Purple Heaven Holy Land closed in on Gu Ran, another unexpected turn took place!

"Sigh." The Sub-soul guarding the inheritance let out a sound of resignation. "As expected, under the lure of prospective gains, they've turned on one another."

"The inheritance is now in your hands, and my purpose has come to an end," it concluded.

Yet, these expressions weren't truly reflective of the Sub-soul's feelings or consciousness. In fact, it didn't possess any emotions or subjective awareness.

Such statements were merely pre-programmed responses, set to activate under these conditions.

'It's evident those elders had a keen understanding of human nature,' Jiang Chen mused with a chuckle. 'Humans stay consistent in their ways; why expect a sudden change?'

However, soon after, he sensed an overwhelming force bearing down on him.

In a blink, this immense power flung Jiang Chen straight out of the vast peak.

It wasn’t just him. Every member of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, Gu Ran included, found themselves forcibly ejected from the mountain.

Whoosh!

Beams of light burst from the mountain's heart, settling just outside the grand peak's perimeter.

At that moment, a system alert echoed in Jiang Chen's Sea of Consciousness.

[Ding! You have successfully altered the plot and snatched the protagonist's opportunity. Gu Ran's Heavenly Fate Value has dropped by 2500 points!]

[Ding! You have acquired 5000 Villain Value points!]

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, the peak reverberated with thunderous tremors. Dust clouds billowed upwards, obscuring the heavens, as the mountain itself began to collapse at a staggering pace.

Like a great behemoth meeting its end, the majestic peak plummeted, causing the ground to shudder upon its descent.

Yet, despite this chaos, the fierce confrontations between the cultivators raged on unabated.

"They've emerged!" exclaimed a voice in anticipation.

"It's the Purple Heaven Holy Land group!"

"Strike now! All of you, strike!" The air was filled with enraged cries. Leading these shouts was none other than Bao Xunwu from the Golden Proud Cult.

They hadn’t planned on retreating so easily. On the contrary, they had laid a multitude of traps in wait to ambush the unsuspecting members of the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In a heartbeat, a massive wave of Golden Proud Cult cultivators unleashed their fury, swiftly cutting down several Inquiring Journey realm practitioners from the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

'Blast it! Is the Golden Proud Cult always this rash? To charge in so recklessly?' Jiang Chen's face clouded over in suspicion. 'The Heavenly Fate must be pulling strings behind the curtain.'

Swiftly, he accessed the Fate Value of the supporting characters.

The unfolding chaos was tilting distinctly in Gu Ran's favor.

Inside the mountain, Gu Ran had been isolated, pitted against the Purple Heaven Holy Land's might. With formidable enemies all around, hunting the vulnerable to enhance his own power was akin to treading on thin ice.

Yet, with the Golden Proud Cult now clashing head-on with the Purple Heaven Holy Land, the vise of pressure around Gu Ran had significantly loosened. He was free to engage or retreat on his own terms.

With the current state of affairs, Jiang Chen felt certain that Gu Ran wouldn't let this prime chance slip away, especially in pursuing his grudge against the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

And he was right.

Hidden once more, Gu Ran mused silently, 'To think I'd be ejected from the inheritance peak!'

'How fortunate! With the Golden Proud Cult and the Purple Heaven Holy Land at each other's throats, the tides have turned in my favor!'

'Hmph, Purple Heaven Holy Land, don't think I've forgotten!'

'As for the Golden Proud Cult, they're no saints. If the opportunity arises, a few of them will meet their end!' With these thoughts, his gaze eventually settled back onto Li Dong, his prior target.

Already weakened by Gu Ran's prior assault, Li Dong was particularly vulnerable, primed for a deadly strike.

On the other hand, tapping into the insights offered by his Villain's Eye, Jiang Chen discerned that, amidst the tumult, Gu Ran had once more set his sights on Outer Sect Elder Li Dong.

"Guard Li Dong!" Jiang Chen urgently relayed to Ji Mingxiu.

Ji Mingxiu gave a subtle nod, signifying he'd gotten the message.

Meanwhile, the Purple Heaven Holy Land members were rallying, managing to solidify their defenses against the sudden onslaught by the Golden Proud Cult.

"Golden Proud Cult scum, halt your attack!" Thundered Supreme Elder Si Zhangjian. "The inheritance isn't with us! Another has claimed it! Cease your assault!"

"You expect us to swallow that nonsense?" Bao Xunwu shot back, refusing to buy into Si Zhangjian's claims. "Only the Purple Heaven Holy Land's members entered the inheritance peak. If you haven't taken the inheritance, then who has?"

His fury unabated, he roared, "Brothers, to the fray! If the Purple Heaven Holy Land won't yield the inheritance, then let's rain havoc and drench the earth!"

Elsewhere in the turmoil, Gu Ran lunged at Li Dong once more. But a potent force intervened, swiftly pulling Li Dong out of harm's way. This left Gu Ran's strike to slice through empty air, revealing his position for the second time.

'Darn it, again?' Gu Ran's face twisted in alarm. 'Someone from the Heavenly Gu Society is covertly protecting him!' Cold sweat streamed down his back as a shiver raced up his spine.

This eerie feeling of being thwarted had now made him profoundly cautious.

Without a second's delay, Gu Ran masked his aura and veered towards the Golden Proud Cult.

If the Purple Heaven Holy Land housed an elusive powerhouse from the Heavenly Gu Society who could monitor him, then his focus would shift to targeting the Golden Proud Cult members.

He would confront them, regardless of any covert disruptions from the Heavenly Gu Society.

The ranks of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, already outnumbered by the Golden Proud Cult, had further dwindled with recent losses. Their forces, stretched thin, struggled to maintain order.

Given this situation, it was unlikely the Purple Heaven Holy Land could hinder him should he focus his ire on the Golden Proud Cult.