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

Chapter 172: A Public Apology from Fang Yuan

What did it entail to possess a broad and enlightened perspective?

Here was the perfect demonstration!

Fang Yuan, stung by the sting of defeat, reacted with misplaced anger, lashing out at Jiang Chen, despite the latter speaking in his defense.

Remarkably, Jiang Chen bore no resentment. Instead, he demonstrated deep empathy and articulated wise words that exhibited the demeanor expected of the head senior brother from a revered Holy Land!

"Senior Brother Jiang Chen is truly extraordinary!"

"In this life, I am resolved to follow in the footsteps of Senior Brother Jiang Chen till the end!"

"Fang Yuan's meeting with Senior Brother Jiang Chen is akin to him having exhausted his accumulated good fortune of eighteen generations!"

"..."

The cultivators exchanged glances. Within their eyes was a shared excitement, admiration, and an almost fanatical reverence for Jiang Chen!

"Jiang Chen is indeed a virtuous individual, completely free of faults!"

Ji Ruxue observed Jiang Chen on the stage, her feelings of affection for him rising exponentially.

Simultaneously, both Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning's perceptions of Jiang Chen also soared.

"That's the conduct befitting a true genius!"

"Taking a single loss as a matter of life and death is utterly dishonorable!"

Shangguan Ning muttered to herself. Her thoughts remained unspoken, for who knew how Fang Yuan might react if he heard them.

"Jiang Chen's character is truly of the highest caliber!"

Such were the thoughts of Nangong Wan.

She had encountered many individuals in her life, yet there were seldom any like Jiang Chen.

Should anyone else have been in Jiang Chen's shoes, they would most likely ridicule Fang Yuan or dismiss him with cold indifference.

[Ding! You have successfully enhanced the affection of the Unpursued Heroine, Nangong Wan, towards you. The Heavenly Fate Value of the protagonist, Fang Yuan, has decreased by 200 points!]

[Ding! You have successfully enhanced the affection of the Unpursued Heroine, Shangguan Ning, towards you. The Heavenly Fate Value of the protagonist, Fang Yuan, has decreased by 200 points!]

[Ding! You have successfully enhanced the affection of the Unpursued Heroine, Ji Ruxue, towards you. The Heavenly Fate Value of the protagonist, Fang Yuan, has decreased by 100 points!]

[Ding! You have accumulated 1000 points of Villain Value!]

The system notifications echoed in Jiang Chen's mind.

'Yet another drop of 500 points in Fang Yuan's Heavenly Fate Value!'

'However, it seems Ji Ruxue is nearly fully swayed, given his Heavenly Fate Value has only dipped by 100 points on her account.'

'...'

Jiang Chen mused, a cocktail of elation and disappointment brewing in his heart.

The elation stemmed from his imminent total sway over Ji Ruxue.

The disappointment was rooted in the impending reality where he would no longer be able to leverage Ji Ruxue against Fang Yuan for his gain.

Just then.

"Very well."

"Jiang Chen, your words bear merit."

Ji Mingxiu declared, "Fang Yuan, if you acknowledge your fault and rectify your actions, we may absolve you of this transgression and waive any punitive measures."

His voice was brimming with authority.

"Apologize!?"

The word nearly escaped through Fang Yuan's gritted teeth.

Apologize in front of such a multitude!!

This was sure to etch an indelible mark on his life!

He was a prodigy!

He was a prodigy destined to rise above the masses!

"Fang Yuan!"

"A true man must have the courage to act and own up to his actions. Be flexible, admit your wrongdoing."

Jiang Chen regarded Fang Yuan, conveying his message through both his eyes and transmitted words.

"Jiang Chen!"

Fang Yuan remained outwardly stoic, yet internally, he was seething. He had always considered Jiang Chen as an adversary.

Jiang Chen was ostensibly creating an avenue for him to retain some dignity.

Yet, through Fang Yuan's lens, Jiang Chen was coercing him to concede his error, to capitulate, to lose face!

Rage!

Fang Yuan's heart surged with intense fury towards Jiang Chen!

"I understand that you're unwilling to yield to me."

"I'm also open to another face-off!"

"You still have three opportunities in the upcoming ranking tournament!"

"But if you fail to handle this situation, you might end up being confined directly."

Jiang Chen's face bore an empathetic expression as he relayed his words, a hint of resignation in his voice.

Fang Yuan's response was immediate upon hearing these words.

'Indeed!'

'I still hold three chances in the ranking competition!'

Fang Yuan's eyes ignited with fierce resolve, 'I must triumph, I will triumph!!'

If a simple apology meant safeguarding these three opportunities to vindicate himself, then such an act was not beyond consideration.

'If only I had maintained my composure from the start!'

'Why does my temper flare especially when confronted with Jiang Chen?'

Fang Yuan pondered, a hint of remorse surfacing in his heart.

But remorse was futile at this juncture.

He was left with no alternative but to apologize.

"I, disciple Fang Yuan, concede my mistake!"

"I ought not to have breached the Holy Land's rules, nor should I have assaulted Senior Brother Jiang Chen! I commit to rectifying my conduct and will abstain from such transgressions henceforth!"

Fang Yuan inhaled deeply, extended a respectful bow towards Ji Mingxiu, and issued his apology.

"If such a situation recurs, I shall exhibit zero leniency!"

Ji Mingxiu responded with a nod of indifference, his dismissive wave serving as a tacit signal to absolve Fang Yuan of the misstep.

[Ding! You have successfully compelled the protagonist, Fang Yuan, to issue a public apology. The Heavenly Fate Value of the protagonist, Fang Yuan, has decreased by 200 points!]

[Ding! You have accrued 400 points of Villain Value!]

The system notifications chimed once more!

Meanwhile, beneath the stage.

"Amazing!"

"Fang Yuan has been rescued by Senior Brother Jiang Chen once again!"

"Senior Brother Jiang Chen is too benevolent, alas!"

"If that ungrateful Fang Yuan dares to repay Senior Brother Jiang Chen's goodwill with treachery in the future, I swear I will confront him and criticize his lineage up to eighteen generations!"

"..."

The fervent admirers of Jiang Chen were engaged in animated discussions.

Just then.

"We hereby announce, the ranking competition is on the verge of commencement."

"All participating disciples, please proceed to the numbered arenas corresponding to your ranks. The competition officially begins an hour from now!"

Following Ji Mingxiu's directives, the presiding Elder declared in a resonant voice, "All participating disciples, please make use of this time to recuperate and restore your strength."

In reality, the ranking competition had been in motion since the conclusion of the first round.

The disciples who were defeated in each round vied for the highest rank within their respective rounds.

For instance, over sixty disciples had been vanquished in the first round. Therefore, the highest possible rank was in the sixties, while the lowest possible rank could run into hundreds, effectively placing one at the very end.

Nevertheless, the Holy Land upheld a particular rule.

Every disciple held the right to challenge the prospective Holy Son!

At this juncture, what the presiding Elder announced essentially signified the initiation of the challenge against Jiang Chen.

'The challenge commences in an hour!'

'Within this timeframe, I must enhance my abilities!!'

As Fang Yuan proceeded towards his designated arena, being second in rank, he steeled his resolve.

How could he possibly amplify his strength within such a narrow window?

It was certainly unfeasible for him to achieve this alone!

His only recourse was to rely on Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning, two formidable figures who had attained the Void Tribulation realm!

Consequently, he sought to connect with Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning within the Soul Embodying Ring.

However, he was under the vigilant scrutiny of a multitude of people, including towering figures like Ji Mingxiu and Mo Yu, who had reached the Dao Palace realm.

After receiving a caution from Jiang Chen earlier, he dared not risk any reckless action.

Thus, Fang Yuan plotted to retreat to his cave mansion first!

At this juncture, disciples armed with healing and restorative pills were making their way into various arenas, distributing them among the competitors.

Witnessing this, Fang Yuan briefly paused, intending to acquire the pills before his departure.

Nonetheless, he did not anticipate that the pill-bearing disciple would merely toss them his way.

Further, as the disciple retreated, he muttered a remark laden with disdain and scorn.

"Cursed!"

As Fang Yuan stared at the receding figure of the disciple, a glint of icy menace flickered in his eyes.

Yet, he dared not retaliate, he could only suppress his rage momentarily.

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