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

Chapter 288: The Gamble Pays Off

After carefully studying the golden patterns on the walls, Jiang Chen finally understood the history behind this mysterious cave dwelling.

It’s an inheritance from a Dao Palace realm cultivator, he thought. And not just any inheritance—it’s quite advanced.

In the Immortal Martial Continent, an inheritance like this could create a powerful sect, rivaling even the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect.

Still, Jiang Chen wasn’t impressed.

With Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning—two strong cultivators at the Void Tribulation realm—by his side, he already had plenty of powerful cultivation methods.

To him, a Dao Palace-level inheritance wasn’t particularly valuable.

But that didn’t mean he would let Gu Ran take it without a struggle.

This cave dwelling, discovered under the influence of Heavenly Fate, was no ordinary find. Its value far exceeded typical discoveries and could mean a lot to Gu Ran.

"Wu Qian, Liu Xiong, make sure you claim this cave dwelling’s inheritance. Gu Ran is getting too bold, and it’s time to put him in his place," Jiang Chen ordered, a sly smile on his face. He sent his instructions through divine sense.

"Understood!" Wu Qian and Liu Xiong both nodded firmly.

When Wu Qian and Liu Xiong first saw the Dao Palace-level inheritance, they couldn’t hide their excitement. Claiming they didn’t want it would have been a blatant lie.

Following Jiang Chen’s orders, the two quickly positioned themselves on either side of Gu Ran, trapping him in place.

These crafty old foxes! Gu Ran thought as his expression darkened, sensing the shift in tension.

"Young Master Gu," Wu Qian began in a serious tone, "it’s not wise to take on more cultivation methods at your current level. We’ll safeguard this inheritance for now."

"Don’t worry, Young Master Gu," Liu Xiong added with a polite smile. "This inheritance will still belong to you. It’s just not the right time for you to practice it."

Their words only fueled Gu Ran’s anger. His face turned red as he shouted, "You old scoundrels! I was the one who found this inheritance. Don’t you dare think you can take it from me!"

Wu Qian and Liu Xiong paused, turning back to look at him.

With a sharp glare and gritted teeth, Gu Ran responded defiantly, emphasizing each word:

"Always talking about the Heavenly Gu Society!"

"Always boasting about how you’re my guardians!"

"But all you do is hold me back!"

"I’ll take the cultivation method inheritance. You two can split the pills," Gu Ran said casually, glancing briefly at the pills before gathering all the jade slips related to cultivation techniques.

"Very well," Wu Qian and Liu Xiong replied with a nod. This arrangement aligned perfectly with Jiang Chen’s plans.

Once Jiang Chen had a chance to examine the jade slips, he could accurately determine their value and effects, with input from Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning.

Upon reviewing them, Jiang Chen discovered that the cultivation methods contained within were indeed impressive. They included several high-level techniques and secret arts suitable for cultivators at the Transcendence realm.

However, for Wu Qian and Liu Xiong, these methods were nearly impossible to practice due to their complexity and requirements. Similarly, Gu Ran wouldn’t be able to use them effectively in the near future because they were far beyond his current cultivation level.

In the short term, these jade slips wouldn’t provide Gu Ran with any real advantage.

Still, their origin and uniqueness couldn’t be ignored. These cultivation methods, discovered in the cave dwelling of a Dao Palace realm cultivator, held a certain mysterious significance. Jiang Chen suspected that their appearance might trigger some sort of karmic connection or serve as a catalyst for future events.

This Dao Palace realm powerhouse had been dead for over a million years, leaving no descendants in the Immortal Martial Continent. Yet the inheritance left behind—particularly these cultivation methods—was of extraordinary rank, reaching the Transcendence realm!

According to the original trajectory set by Heavenly Fate, Gu Ran was destined to begin practicing these cultivation methods near the conclusion of the Immortal Martial Continent’s saga.

Afterward, it was highly likely he would move on to the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star, a place closely tied to the Immortal Martial Continent.

This suggested that the inheritance of cultivation methods might have a deeper connection to the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star.

Though this was just Jiang Chen’s speculation, he decided not to interfere with Gu Ran’s exclusive claim to the cultivation methods. Letting things play out naturally for now.

At that moment, system prompts echoed in Jiang Chen’s sea of consciousness:

[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 lost opportunity referred to the pills.

Because of Gu Ran’s unique bloodline ability to absorb the cultivation base of others, breakthroughs came naturally to him. The pills were of little value to him, which explained the minor decrease in his Heavenly Fate Value.

The inheritance is secured, Jiang Chen thought as he stroked his chin. Now, what’s the next twist in the plot?

Suddenly, his divine sense detected a spatial disturbance. A large group of people appeared out of nowhere, materializing in the cave dwelling.

So, they’ve arrived, he thought, a sly smile forming on his lips. Just as I expected.

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

Scanning them with his Villain Eye, Jiang Chen noted their modest Fate Value. They’re clearly here as pawns to help Gu Ran level up. His expression grew thoughtful as he began analyzing their role in the unfolding plot.