Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 97: Heir of the Ancient Reincarnation Heavenly Venerate; Yue Mingkong’s Scheme

Immemorial Immortal Clan, Ye Clan.

Ye Liuli’s cheeks flushed a delicate shade of crimson. She offered a soft snort of protest.

“Brother, do not speak in jest. How could I possibly be unable to forget him? I am merely curious. After all, he is a Young Supreme spoken of in the same breath as you.”

She paused, her eyes drifting. “I heard he easily crushed the Crown Prince of the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty and has already broken through to the Mid-Stage of the Conferred King Realm. His strength is terrifying… finding a rival among the younger generation seems increasingly impossible. That is why I asked.”

Her words sounded like a rational explanation.

However, Ye Langtian was not easily deceived. He heard the underlying current in her voice.

She is asking for my assessment of Gu Changge?

He glanced at Ye Liuli’s expectant expression and shook his head internally. He still couldn’t fathom how his sister had developed such a deep, tangled connection with Gu Changge in the Lower Realm.

According to Aunt Xue, Ye Liuli had offended Gu Changge, yet he had not made things difficult for her, merely demanding an apology. Was that singular act of ‘mercy’ enough to make her obsessed?

Ye Langtian pondered for a moment before speaking gravely.

“I do know a fair amount about Gu Changge. That man is indeed my greatest adversary. The world calls me the Reincarnation of an Ancient Emperor, but they say he possesses the Capital of a True Immortal. Ancient Emperor versus True Immortal… the distinction speaks volumes.”

“Ancient Emperors conquered vast territories, bore the Mandate of Heaven, and established supreme orthodoxies. But only a True Immortal can claim true immortality, an existence that is truly eternal.”

Though the titles sounded comparable to the layperson, the gap was significant. Ye Langtian knew this well.

“Gu Changge has already broken through to the Mid-Stage of the Conferred King Realm,” Ye Langtian admitted, his voice low. “I have only just entered the Early Stage. This gap… is not small.”

Hearing her brother’s solemn evaluation, Ye Liuli’s heart trembled. Even her proud brother admitted inferiority?

Gu Changge is truly terrifying.

In her mind, the image of a strange, ancient deity surfaced—majestic, archaic, and absolute. The mental imprint made her fear and reverence for Gu Changge deepen, bordering on worship.

Ye Langtian didn’t notice the strange glaze over his sister’s eyes. He shook his head, his fighting spirit reigniting. “Regardless, we will cross paths eventually. As Young Supremes, we must harbor the heart to contend for supremacy. I will not fear him.”

“Young Master!”

A servant’s voice suddenly interrupted them from outside the hall.

“That youth from the collateral branch, Ye Ling, has returned. He is clamoring to challenge you again. A large crowd has already gathered at the martial arts arena.”

Ye Langtian frowned, his expression darkening.

“Ye Ling?” Ye Liuli blinked, surprised. “Who is that? A collateral branch member dares to challenge my brother?”

As the Successor of the Immemorial Immortal Clan, Ye Langtian’s strength was unquestionable. For a nobody to challenge him seemed like the height of folly.

“Is he seeking death?”

Ye Langtian sighed, his annoyance palpable. “Ye Ling took first place in the recent collateral branch competition. The clan promised him three requests. One of them was the right to challenge me—to ‘seek justice’ for when I accidentally injured his father years ago.”

“But Brother, didn’t you already pay them a massive compensation?” Ye Liuli asked, confused. “I remember they accepted it.”

“Exactly,” Ye Langtian scoffed. “They took the money, and now they want ‘justice’ too. He is using this to stir up trouble, claiming the main line suppresses the collateral branches. The Clan Elders have already reprimanded me for the unrest.”

He stood up, adjusting his robes. “It is a headache. If I crush him too hard, the collateral branches will riot. If I go easy, he acts arrogant. He is borrowing the clan’s rules to make a scene.”

“I will go take a look,” Ye Langtian said, heading for the door.

“I’ll come too,” Ye Liuli said, following him. She wanted to see this clown who dared to challenge her brother.

Unrivaled Celestial Dynasty, Eternal Daylight Heaven.

Celestial City.

Inside an ancient, majestic palace where the sun and moon seemed to hang high within the ceiling, stabilizing the cosmos.

Yue Mingkong sat high upon the Dragon Throne, her form draped in voluminous imperial robes. Her phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, exuding a suffocating imperial pressure.

Below her, a group of ministers trembled as they finished their reports.

“The internal and external affairs of the Celestial Dynasty have been stabilized,” Yue Mingkong declared, her voice cold and absolute. “From today on, I will hear no more dissent.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Dismissed.”

She waved her jade hand. The ministers bowed deeply and retreated, leaving the vast hall empty save for a few trusted aides, whom she soon dismissed as well.

Alone, the Regressor Empress rubbed her temples, letting a trace of exhaustion show on her flawless face.

“Gu Changge…”

She whispered the name like a curse.

Even with the advantage of foreknowledge, moving against the currents of fate was exhausting. If she didn’t know what was coming, she would have been swallowed whole by now. He was simply too terrifying.

“According to the timeline, the Absolute Yin Heaven is about to descend. The Inner Domain will fall into chaos as ancient universes manifest… This will be the focal point for all Dao Lineages.”

“The great sects will soon join forces to establish the True Immortal Academy, gathering the realm’s monsters to cultivate a True Immortal…”

“And the Immortal Road of the Daootian Immortal Palace should be showing traces soon.”

Yue Mingkong’s eyes flashed with realization.

“My good husband joined the Daootian Immortal Palace and plotted for so long… it must be for the Immortal Road. In my past life, I was completely blind to it.”

“Thinking back… when the ‘Immortal Spirit’ appeared, the Supreme Beings of all races fought for it, tearing the sky apart. Yet, in the end, the Immortal Spirit vanished without a trace.”

She let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“It must have been Gu Changge. He stole the food right from under the mouths of those terrifying existences. Hehe, truly worthy of being my husband.”

Her expression grew solemn.

“He possesses the Forbidden Demonic Art. His public cultivation is Conferred King Mid-Stage, but his true strength… it must be far beyond that. My trip to the Gu Family was reckless. If he had wanted to kill me then, I would be dead.”

“I need foolproof preparations.”

She sighed deeply. The encounter at the Gu Family had unsettled her. Gu Changge’s actions in this life were deviating from her memories.

“He is born with a Demonic Nature. Soon, the world will know he dug out his cousin’s Dao Bone to suppress it. He will bear the infamy, but it won’t stop him.”

Yue Mingkong’s thoughts drifted to Gu Xianer.

“Sister Xianer is so kind… just a pitiful soul. In my past life, Gu Changge dug out her bone and likely devoured her origin later, causing her to vanish from history. Back then, I foolishly thought she had just gone into seclusion.”

Her eyes hardened.

“In this life, I must protect her.”

Yue Mingkong felt the weight on her shoulders increase. She was the only one who knew the truth: Gu Changge was backed by a mysterious, terrifying Master.

In her previous life, that Master had acted only once—to save Gu Changge when his Demonic Art was nearly exposed. That entity was undoubtedly connected to the Forbidden Art itself.

“Even someone that powerful only dares to hide in the shadows,” she mused. “It proves that once the secret is out, the entire world will become their enemy.”

Despite everything, Yue Mingkong felt a pang of pain in her heart. She didn’t want to see the day Gu Changge stood alone against the world, betrayed by all, with only enemies on the horizon.

“What I am doing… is it not also protecting him?”

She steadied herself.

“I must go to the Daootian Immortal Palace. For the Immortal Road, and for Gu Xianer. As her sister-in-law, I cannot watch her walk into the tiger’s den unaware.”

Suddenly, another memory surfaced.

“Right. The heir of the Ancient Reincarnation Heavenly Venerate should be appearing soon. His name is… Ye Ling? He holds the Reincarnation Talisman, an artifact containing the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.”

Yue Mingkong’s phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously.

“The Ancient Reincarnation Heavenly Venerate… an existence that even Heaven and Earth could not bury. I must seize that power while his heir is still weak.”

Inner Domain, Immeasurable Heaven.

Daootian Immortal Palace.

On a secluded mountain peak, amidst ethereal clouds and mist, an old man in white robes sat fishing at the edge of a cliff. He radiated an aura of transcendent sagacity.

“Great Elder, such leisurely elegance truly makes this Junior admire you.”

A light chuckle broke the silence.

Gu Changge, dressed in immaculate white robes, casually took a seat on a stone stool nearby. His demeanor was relaxed, as if he were in his own back garden.

“Gu Changge,” the Grand Elder said without looking up, his gaze fixed on the hook dangling into the sea of clouds. “If you have something to say, speak plainly. There is no need for beating around the bush between us.”

His tone was cold. He had no patience for Gu Changge’s facade.

Gu Changge didn’t mind the hostility. He smiled faintly.

“It is nothing major. I simply came to thank the Grand Elder for helping me teach my sister.”

Behind him, Gu Xianer stood expressionless. Hearing this, her grip on her jade sword tightened until her knuckles turned white. She had a sudden, violent urge to stab him through the heart from behind.

This peak was a restricted area. Few could enter.

Gu Changge had only been here once before—the day he joined the sect and broke the 100,000-year record on the Road of Heavenly Dao. Back then, everyone assumed the Grand Elder would take him as a disciple.

Instead, the Grand Elder had brought him here, spoken a few words, and sent him away empty-handed.

Gu Changge remembered those words clearly.

Your motives are impure. Your demonic nature is deeply ingrained. You are unfit for heavy responsibility.