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

Chapter 77: The Mind Games Between Jiang Chen and Ye Fan

When Jiang Chen spoke, Ye Fan’s eyes briefly flashed with a hint of coldness that went unnoticed. He realized, ’Jiang Chen is here for the thirteen monsters as well! It looks like he’s after the secret treasure hidden within their skulls too.’

Yet, outwardly, he kept his cool and responded in a friendly tone, "Alright, I’ll leave first. Take care, Daoist friend Jiang Chen." After nodding to Jiang Chen, Ye Fan didn’t stick around and gradually moved away.

Jiang Chen responded with a small nod, but internally he was skeptical. ’Ha! If I didn’t know you’re the protagonist, I might have been fooled!’

’Considering how keen you are on the treasure inside these crimson beasts, I doubt you’re actually leaving. You’re probably hiding nearby, planning to let me wear them down before you jump in to snatch the treasure!

’Basically, this guy is looking to play the third party,’ he thought to himself.

As Ye Fan’s figure gradually faded away into the thick greenery, Jiang Chen pretended not to care and shifted his focus to taking the storage ring off Li Teng’s hand.

With Li Teng no longer alive, the defenses around his storage artifact naturally vanished. This allowed Jiang Chen’s divine sense to easily explore the contents of the ring.

Within the storage artifact, Jiang Chen quickly found an array of cultivation methods. Among them, he uncovered the true inheritance of the Azure Jade Sect, as well as a cultivation method of Heavenly Origin rank!

Additionally, the collection of spiritual plants gathered by Li Teng was among the discovered items. Along with various other resources Li Teng had accumulated, his wealth turned out to be impressively large!

’Hehe, all these treasures are mine now!’ Jiang Chen thought gleefully. With a simple gesture, he conjured a flame that reduced Li Teng’s body to ashes, then called upon a breeze to disperse them.

With these actions done, Jiang Chen, his sword still stained with blood, made his way towards the thirteen giant monsters. He moved deliberately, his approach marked by great caution.@@@@

...

Meanwhile, Ye Fan moved through the forest at a relaxed pace, constantly measuring the distance between him and Jiang Chen.

’Have I moved out of his divine sense detection range yet?’ Ye Fan pondered quietly once he had covered a distance of one kilometer. Nonetheless, opting for extra safety, he went a few hundred meters more before finding shelter inside a tree hollow.

Sitting cross-legged, Ye Fan took a moment to breathe deeply. With a focused thought, he initiated his secret art, the Turtle Breath Concealment Art. In just a short time, any fluctuations of his cultivation base and other signs disappeared completely.

But he didn’t stop there; he activated several other methods to further hide his aura and presence.

Almost instantly, Ye Fan became one with the shadows of the tree hollow, rendering himself nearly invisible.

’With this level of stealth,’ Ye Fan considered, ’it would be impossible for the divine sense of an ordinary Mysterious Platform realm cultivator to detect me!’

"Hmph, Jiang Chen, you’re not only my sworn enemy, but today you’re also after my treasures. Just wait and see how I’ll crush you!" he muttered resentfully through clenched teeth. Standing up, Ye Fan left the tree hollow and started moving towards Jiang Chen.

"Roar!" The monster emitted a distressing cry, a blend of human and beast, as blood poured from its injury. However, it didn’t fall; instead, it kept swinging its razor-sharp claws, which seemed as deadly as divine weapons, aggressively at Jiang Chen.

"Guess I’ll just dodge again," Jiang Chen muttered playfully, lightly stepping aside to avoid the attack.

Then, suddenly, six huge arms reached for him from behind with great force, while an even more powerful pair of arms descended from above, aiming right for him.

But Jiang Chen, with agile movements, managed to dodge the monsters’ combined attack at the last second. ’Whew, that was a close one!’ he thought to himself with a hint of sarcasm.

He portrayed the battle as intensely challenging through his actions, yet each time a critical moment approached, he adeptly shifted the situation to his advantage.

...

Hidden in the shadows nearby, Ye Fan watched the unfolding battle, a spark of satisfaction lighting up his eyes. Jiang Chen was engaged in a drawn-out conflict with the thirteen monsters, a situation that worked entirely in Ye Fan’s favor.

He bided his time, waiting for the moment when both Jiang Chen and the monsters were on the brink of exhaustion. Ye Fan’s strategy was to step in at that critical point, kill Jiang Chen in revenge for his family, and then effortlessly eliminate the weakened monsters, securing a decisive advantage for himself.

...

As the battle wore on, Jiang Chen fought tirelessly against the thirteen monsters. Following an extended and fierce confrontation, he managed to defeat the weakest six.

This left seven monsters, now considerably weakened; their ability to fight was greatly reduced, making them almost harmless.

Sensing it was the right time, Jiang Chen started to simulate a pale look, and his actions became visibly slower.

...

Hidden in the depths of the forest, Ye Fan’s anticipation grew as he thought, ’He’s on the brink!’ Stepping out, he moved carefully towards the battleground. Soon after, he reached the perfect spot to launch his attack.

Just then, he saw Jiang Chen, seemingly struggling in combat, suddenly release a powerful blow, quickly eliminating two more monsters. Jiang Chen then hurried towards the fallen beasts, evidently planning to seize the treasures they dropped before fleeing.

Without hesitation, a bright spark ignited in Ye Fan’s eyes. Clutching his longsword, he sprang into action in a blink, a soft shout emerging, "Jade Harmony Mist Veiled Sword!"

With remarkable speed, akin to that of a Late-stage Mysterious Platform realm expert, and employing a sword technique beyond the endurance of anyone at the Middle-stage Mysterious Platform realm, Ye Fan felt sure of dispatching Jiang Chen in one move.

Considering his target’s seemingly diminished condition, reduced to that of an Early-stage Mysterious Platform realm cultivator, the disparity in their powers seemed significant.

Yet, as the old saying goes, looks can be misleading.