Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate-Chapter 304: Crossing the Line

"Thankfully, the Holy Lord and the others moved the battle elsewhere to protect us!" a disciple from the Purple Heaven Holy Land said with relief.

"Now that demons and demonic cultivators are here in this Cave Heaven, we need to put aside our personal grudges and focus on this greater threat."

"That’s right. Against the demon race, our own conflicts can wait."

The sentiment quickly spread. Cultivators from both the Purple Heaven Holy Land and the Golden Proud Cult stopped fighting. They stood still, waiting for news of the battle.

Damn it! Gu Ran cursed inwardly as he watched the two major factions standing united.

Why did those three Dao Palace powerhouses from the demon race have to show up here? he thought, his frustration growing.

Now that the Purple Heaven Holy Land and the Golden Proud Cult had stopped their feud, Gu Ran felt trapped. He clenched his fists, feeling a crushing weight in his chest, so heavy it nearly made him want to spit blood.

His target had been locked in.

He was ready.

Amid the chaos, he was confident this was his chance to break through to the Dao Palace realm.

But just like that, his golden opportunity was gone.

Hmph, what a coincidence... Gu Ran thought bitterly, suspicion flickering in his mind. Could it be that mysterious Transcendence realm powerhouse from the Heavenly Gu Society interfering again?

As the thought crossed his mind, a wave of darkness swept over his vision, leaving him slightly dizzy. His confidence wavered once more.

At first, Gu Ran was firm in his belief. With his powerful bloodline, he was certain that, even under suppression, he would rise step by step and eventually turn the situation in his favor.

When he discovered the inheritance of the Transcendence realm, this belief grew stronger, filling him with hope and excitement for the future.

But time and time again, he was met with failure!

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On the sacred grounds of the Inheritance Peak, he failed to claim the vital inheritance. His attempts to kill and grow stronger were also stopped.

When it seemed fortune had finally smiled on him—when the Golden Proud Cult and the Purple Heaven Holy Land were at each other’s throats—that opportunity vanished too!

Thinking back on his life since his resurrection, Gu Ran realized that his successes were painfully rare.

Worse, he began to suspect that his arrival in this remote part of the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sea might have been part of a plan crafted by the mysterious figure behind the Heavenly Gu Society.

It felt like his entire life was controlled by the Heavenly Gu Society, as if he were nothing more than a pawn on their sacrificial altar, always just one step away from destruction.

And the most maddening part? He had never even seen the face of the mastermind behind it all!

The feeling was suffocating, like an invisible shadow wrapping around Gu Ran, squeezing the air from his lungs. He felt trapped, gasping for breath as despair closed in.

No! This ends now! Gu Ran’s inner voice roared with defiance. I won’t be their puppet, their toy, or their lamb to the slaughter! His eyes swept over the nearby cultivators, a chilling intensity radiating from him like a storm about to break.

The crushing weight of hopelessness and frustration shattered the last remnants of his optimism. The confidence he once had crumbled, leaving behind only raw determination and fury.

For Gu Ran, his resolve to spare the innocent now felt like a shackle, binding him when he most needed to act.

It’s time to break free from those chains. His gaze dropped to the weapon in his hand, his emotions in turmoil. He knew that once he crossed this line, there would be no going back. He would leave behind the man he used to be.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen, preparing to chase Ji Mingxiu and the others, suddenly paused, sensing something unusual. Hm? What’s going on now?

He had planned to settle accounts with Ji Junhao and his group, but something unexpected caught his attention.

The Fate Value of several supporting characters, hovering nearby, began to plummet sharply.

At that moment, a system notification echoed in Jiang Chen’s mind.

[Ding! You’ve successfully inflicted a blow to the mental state of protagonist Gu Ran. Gu Ran’s Heavenly Fate Value has decreased by 500 points!]

[Ding! You’ve earned 1000 Villain Value points!]

Jiang Chen’s eyes flickered with a moment of surprise as a thought raced through his mind: Gu Ran’s mental state has cracked!

And the Fate Value of all the supporting characters has dropped sharply too.

His brow furrowed as another realization dawned on him: Could Gu Ran be at his breaking point, ready to abandon his morals and principles?

If Gu Ran truly took that irreversible step, it would destroy the moral compass that defined him. Such an act would strip him of his protagonist status, taking away the shield of Heavenly Fate that had protected him all along.

Once that happened, no matter how much Heavenly Fate Value Gu Ran still had, it would transform into regular Fate Value. Without Heavenly Fate, he would become vulnerable to countless dangers.

Jiang Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully, his mind piecing things together. So that’s it. He’s already at his breaking point.

After all, I’ve stayed hidden in the shadows, continuously applying pressure, setting up his repeated failures, and stealing his opportunities one after another.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Jiang Chen acknowledged the inevitability of it all: With everything he’s endured, it’s no surprise he’s about to snap. A faint smile spread across his face.

His strategy had always been to operate from the shadows, rarely taking direct action. While some might see this as overly cautious, it gave him several key advantages. He could gather vital information, build layers of intricate plans against Gu Ran, and inflict an unrelenting psychological strain on his opponent.

Now, the results of this method were beginning to show.

As Jiang Chen quietly watched, waiting for Gu Ran to cross that critical threshold, a voice unexpectedly cut through the stillness.

"Members of the Purple Heaven Holy Land! Are you seriously claiming you didn’t receive the inheritance?" a cultivator from the Golden Proud Cult suddenly asked.

"That’s correct!" responded a representative from the Purple Heaven Holy Land. "The inheritance inside was stolen by someone skilled in stealth!"

The cultivator continued bitterly, "Before our chosen inheritor could even enter the space to claim it, it had already been taken by that person."

"It was an inheritance of the Transcendence realm!" another added, their tone filled with regret.

The members of the Purple Heaven Holy Land wore somber expressions, their disappointment palpable as they mourned their loss.

Unbeknownst to them, the true inheritor was none other than Jiang Chen himself. Their misunderstanding led them to believe that Gu Ran was responsible.

Because of this, their sorrow and frustration were entirely genuine.

"Is that really true?" a member of the Golden Proud Cult asked.

"That thief is awful!" another cultivator said angrily. "To think he not only stole the inheritance but also made our two great forces clash, causing so many losses."

"Damn it! For someone at the mere Inquiring Journey realm to steal such an inheritance and even attack our people—he’s asking for death!" one of them spat.

"Everyone, stay vigilant," another cautioned. "He might not have gone far. He could even be hiding among us right now."

"I noticed him earlier," one cultivator said. "He’s in the Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm, but his strength is on par with those in the Middle-stage."

Finally, someone added, "I used a secret art to capture some traces of his aura. If we act quickly, we might be able to track him down."

After a brief discussion, the cultivators of the Golden Proud Cult and the Purple Heaven Holy Land resolved their misunderstandings. Now united, they set their sights on Gu Ran, determined to bring him to justice.

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow in surprise. What’s going on? he thought to himself. Gu Ran hasn’t made a move yet, and he still has his protagonist status. So why does it feel like the danger around him is increasing?

At the same time, Gu Ran’s expression darkened, his mood growing increasingly grim.

Then, the cultivator from the Golden Proud Cult who had boasted about his secret art spoke again. "My secret art has never failed!" he said confidently. Without wasting time, he activated his technique.

As the energy of the secret art surged, his eyes lit up with excitement. "He’s that way!" he announced, pointing decisively in one direction.

But his confidence quickly wavered. Confusion flashed across his face as he muttered, "Wait, why am I getting another signal... over there?" He pointed to a completely different direction.

"This doesn’t make sense! The aura is showing multiple trails. Which one do we follow!?"

Before anyone could answer, the situation grew even stranger. Within seconds, three more signals appeared, each pointing to a different location.

The group stared in shock as the secret art now showed not one, but five different directions. Their confusion turned into doubt. "Five directions? How is this possible!? Are you sure your secret art is working?" one of the cultivators from the Purple Heaven Holy Land blurted out.