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

Chapter 177: Fang Yuan's Predicament, A Burden Not Yours to Bear

Supreme Elder Mo Yu, accompanied by the other three Dao Palace realm peers, meticulously scanned Fang Yuan from top to bottom.

"What's the prognosis?"

Inquired Ji Mingxiu, his brows knotted in concern.

"The situation is somewhat dire!"

"He's invoked self-destructive, power-amplifying secret arts numerous times within a short duration. Fang Yuan's cultivation base has suffered substantial damage!"

Mo Yu slightly shook his head in disapproval, then added with a hint of surprise, "Nevertheless, it's less severe than I anticipated, likely due to the minor residual effects of the secret arts he employed."

"That's somewhat of a relief."

"Fang Yuan, this young man, is excessively arrogant. He requires some discipline. Hopefully, this predicament will serve as a lesson for him."

A Supreme Elder voiced his dissatisfaction with a hint of regret.

"I accept the blame. I failed to convince Junior Brother Fang Yuan to reconsider earlier on."

With a solemn tone, Jiang Chen stepped forward and confessed.

"Jiang Chen."

"Fang Yuan's predicament is of his own making; you needn't shoulder any guilt."

"We've all borne witness to Fang Yuan's obstinacy and pride."

Ji Mingxiu shook his head, casting a glance at Jiang Chen filled with approval and pleasure.

Jiang Chen had exceeded his expectations in terms of strength.

Given his combat prowess, he was undoubtedly at the zenith of the Middle-stage Inquiring Journey realm.

This surpassed Ji Mingxiu's initial projections.

Currently, Fang Yuan's conduct had severely marred his reputation in the eyes of Ji Mingxiu and the rest.

Moreover, he was the architect of his own downfall, his cultivation base was compromised, and the path to restoration would be extraordinarily challenging.

Conversely, Jiang Chen showcased not just an awe-inspiring talent, but also an admirable character.

As Fang Yuan's prestige dwindled, Jiang Chen's ascended. In Ji Mingxiu's perspective and that of the others, Jiang Chen now held a loftier position than Fang Yuan, his significance even more pronounced.

For the Purple Heaven Holy Land, Jiang Chen was the irreplaceable future Holy Lord.

As for Fang Yuan, he was merely a slightly more extraordinary genius.

"Very well."

"Fang Yuan's injuries aren't critical; he merely needs time to convalesce."

"However, mending his foundation isn't a task that can be completed swiftly. We can only endeavour to gradually restore it."

Supreme Elder Mo Yu chimed in once more, "It might take a few centuries to regain some stability... Let's start with his immediate treatment."

As a Supreme Elder of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, he was far from being utterly helpless in such a predicament.

If this had been a force outside the triad of major factions - the Purple Heaven Holy Land, the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace, and the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple - they would undoubtedly lack the means to repair Fang Yuan's foundation.

At this juncture, Ji Mingxiu signalled approval, gestured with his hand, and summoned an Elder to escort Fang Yuan for medical attention.

Throughout the process, Fang Yuan remained conscious yet seemingly disoriented and dumbfounded, silent as if in a vegetative state!

As Fang Yuan was ushered off the stage.

[Ding! You've successfully altered a pivotal plot point. You've inflicted substantial psychological damage on the protagonist Fang Yuan, leading to a decrease in his Heavenly Fate Value by 500 points!]

[Ding! You've accrued 1000 points of Villain Value!]

The system notifications echoed once more.

A subtle smile emerged at the corner of Jiang Chen's mouth.

Toppling Fang Yuan for the second time was tantamount to exacerbating his "wound" to a nearly lethal extent!

Subsequently, his gaze grazed over Fang Yuan, and in an instant, the Villain's Eye was activated.

[Name: Fang Yuan

Realm: Late-stage Heavenly Origin

Status: Protagonist

Heavenly Fate Value: 3486/3486]

'Once I deplete his Heavenly Fate Value by another nineteen hundred, I'll have the green light to annihilate him.'

'But, I can't impulsively execute him. I must adhere to the strategy and primarily entrap Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning!'

A flicker of anticipation glinted in Jiang Chen's eyes.

Indeed, his triumph over Fang Yuan this time was partially influenced by their previous encounter.

During the entire sequence of Fang Yuan's combat, neither Nangong Wan nor Shangguan Ning dared to intervene or even communicate with Fang Yuan.

It was only when Fang Yuan retreated to his cave dwelling to rest and heal, that they were able to pass on the power-amplifying secret art to him.

Without this circumstance, vanquishing Fang Yuan would not have been such an easy feat!

At this instant, Fang Yuan was transported by an Elder, destined for the specialized healing sector of the Purple Heaven Holy Land for meticulous treatment.

In the Holy Land Square, all eyes were riveted on Jiang Chen!

"The ranking contest proceeds."

Ji Mingxiu made the announcement personally, his gaze sweeping across the crowd as he casually posed a question, "Is there anyone who dares to challenge Jiang Chen?"

"Senior Brother Jiang Chen is unparalleled!"

"We stand no chance against Senior Brother Jiang Chen!"

"In the presence of Senior Brother Jiang Chen, we already feel deeply humbled, how could we dare to challenge?"

"..."

One by one, the prodigious cultivators of the Purple Heaven Holy Land conceded in utter humility.

"In that case."

"Effective immediately, Jiang Chen is declared the Holy Son of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, the future Holy Lord!"

Ji Mingxiu pronounced loudly and extended a ring to Jiang Chen, "This holds the Holy Son's token, exclusive sect secret methods only accessible to the Holy Son, along with a number of spirit jades."

"Thank you, Master!"

With a slight bow, Jiang Chen accepted the storage ring.

"Holy Son, Holy Son!"

"Senior Brother Jiang Chen is officially the Holy Son now!"

"The future of our Purple Heaven Holy Land looks even brighter!"

"Hahaha, this is certainly one of the most momentous celebrations of my lifetime. Let's keep the merriment going post-competition till we're thoroughly merry!"

"..."

One after another, the disciples reveled in the excitement, chattering away in sheer delight.

From this point forward, the Purple Heaven Holy Land had another pillar, another stalwart to support another segment of its expansive sky. As disciples of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, all were overflowing with excitement!

Well, all except for Fang Yuan!

Just as everyone burst into jubilation, Jiang Chen's divine sense delved into the storage ring.

The contents of the ring instantly became perceptible.

Among them was a complete set of luxurious garments signifying the status of the Holy Son.

This ensemble also served as a top-grade defensive artifact tailored for the Inquiring Journey realm, and it was the kind that could be reshaped and enhanced.

Additionally, there was a massive collection of cultivation techniques and secret arts, as well as five hundred high-grade spirit jades.

Earlier, when Jiang Chen became Ji Mingxiu's disciple, he had received a hundred high-grade spirit jades, and now he had secured an additional five hundred!

In terms of spirit stones and spirit jades alone, his wealth had already eclipsed that of most cultivators in the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

'Next, I need to amass spiritual plants on a large scale to swiftly bolster my cultivation base!'

A thought that brought a sense of jubilation to Jiang Chen.

At this moment.

"Now that Jiang Chen's status as Holy Son is firmly established."

"The competing cultivators will continue the ranking competition."

Ji Mingxiu resumed speaking, "Fang Yuan's rank is set at the second position. Given his prowess, I trust none of you have any objections, correct?"

All the cultivators concurred with a nod.

Despite Fang Yuan's crushing defeat at the hands of Jiang Chen, his power was unquestionable. The other contending disciples present simply couldn't rival him.

"Hmm."

"The next part is yours to handle."

Ji Mingxiu gave a slight nod, immediately delegating the responsibilities of presiding over the event to the Elder who had originally been assigned to the task.

"Yes, Holy Lord!"

The Elder responsible for overseeing the event respectfully acknowledged the command, then proceeded to conduct the ranking competition.

"Jiang Chen, accompany me."

Ji Mingxiu turned his gaze to Jiang Chen, a benevolent smile of an elder adorning his face.

"Yes, Master!"

A thought flitted through Jiang Chen's mind, approximately deducing Ji Mingxiu's impending course of action.

Subsequently, Ji Mingxiu nodded at Mo Yu and the others, then departed the main arena with Jiang Chen, heading towards the Holy Land Grand Hall.