Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 153: Using My Life to Sow Discord, I Thought Master Abandoned Me

The bone at the crown of Gu Changge’s skull underwent a profound metamorphosis the instant the system confirmed the exchange. It became perfectly crystalline, enshrouded in swirling strands of immortal qi and radiating an indestructible aura.

Terrifying, resplendent multicolored light and boundless qi-blood erupted from his form like a roaring primordial dragon. It resembled a vast, surging ocean with enough sheer force to shatter the heavens.

Gu Changge felt his essence, qi, and spirit condense and sublimate across multiple realms. Just from the sheer influx of raw physical power, he experienced an intoxicating sensation of absolute invincibility—even if the myriad realms collapse, I shall remain unbroken; even if the universe crumbles, I shall not perish. This was the heaven-defying benefit of the Transcendence Bone.

While the physical enhancement was comprehensive, the skull was the absolute bastion of the Sea of Consciousness, the dwelling place of the primordial spirit. Because of this newly integrated bone, his Innate Godly Spirit began to show faint signs of a miraculous evolution.

It was ascending from a mere godly spirit toward a true immortal spirit. His primordial spirit now shimmered with a profound, nine-colored glazed hue.

His spine, palm bones, and leg bones underwent similarly profound transformations. His spine acted as the grand dragon of his mortal vessel, anchoring his four limbs. The drop of Five-Colored True Dragon Blood he had previously refined violently resonated with the spinal Transcendence Bone, emitting a soul-shaking dragon roar that echoed through his inner universe!

“These Luck Points were certainly well spent,” Gu Changge murmured, opening his eyes with deep satisfaction.

He could intuitively feel that his overall combat prowess had multiplied several times over. The profound rules and mysteries of heaven and earth were now vividly clear to him, stripped of all their obfuscating veils. With a mere stretch of his hand, thousands of divine chains of order cascaded from the void, intertwining and sharpening into absolute blades of cosmic law.

“Before, I could instantly slaughter Quasi-Saints. Now, if I face an ordinary Saint, I can easily crush them to dust,” he calculated coldly. “If I push my cultivation from the God King Realm into the Quasi-Saint Realm, I might even be able to contend with Paramount Saints.”

His assessment wasn’t mere arrogance. His current mastery over the laws of reality far surpassed that of many established Saint Realm existences. In the various great orthodoxies and immortal sects, Saints were ancient monsters—clan elders who had cultivated for eons.

Peers? What peers? The younger generation couldn’t even catch a glimpse of his shadow anymore.

“With an anomaly like me existing, the Heavenly Dao will undoubtedly nurture even more ridiculously overpowered Sons of Providence to maintain balance,” Gu Changge chuckled. “But that is fine. To me, they are just robust crops waiting to be harvested.”

Speaking of crops, his thoughts drifted to Ye Ling.

He had given the “treasure-hunting rat” over a month to scurry about. By now, Ye Ling should have located the grand inheritance left behind by the Reincarnation Ancient Heavenly Sovereign.

Reaching out with his divine sense, Gu Changge pinpointed the covert Slave Seal mark left on Yin Mei and leisurely stepped into the void, heading straight toward his unsuspecting prey.

“Brother Kong, what do you think the Black Sky Eagle Clan and the Ancient Teng Snake Clan have been doing lately? They’re practically turning the continent upside down searching for something.”

“Do you think it has anything to do with Ye Lin? It’s been over a month since Lady Chi Ling and Heavenly Maiden Yin Mei left with him, yet we haven’t received a single word.”

Deep within a distant mountain range, a group of young cultivators sat camped around a flickering bonfire. These were the loyal followers of Chi Ling and Yin Mei, hailing from the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan, the Vermilion Bird Clan, and various outside orthodoxies. Their cultivation bases ranged from the Conferred Lord Realm up to the Conferred King Realm.

The man being addressed was Kong Yang of the Peacock Clan, a notoriously gloomy individual who happened to be a fervent admirer of Chi Ling.

Hearing the question, Kong Yang’s expression darkened considerably. “That bastard Ye Lin harbors ill intentions. He clearly knows exactly what is hidden out there, yet he refused to tell the rest of us! He only took Chi Ling and Yin Mei!”

Kong Yang spat into the fire. “He obviously has ulterior motives! Are you all blind? It’s been a month, and the only news we have is that entire native clans are hunting someone down. Have any of you heard a peep from our ladies?”

The more he spoke, the angrier he became. He trusted Chi Ling’s strength, but having a complete wildcard like Ye Ling by her side changed everything. Ye Ling’s origins were murky, his hidden strength was alarming, and he navigated the lethal Ancient Immortal Continent with suspicious familiarity.

“Actually,” Kong Yang lowered his voice to a chilling whisper, “I strongly suspect Ye Lin is connected to the Demonic Art Inheritor that briefly surfaced a while ago.”

The entire camp fell dead silent. Everyone snapped their heads toward him.

The Demonic Art Inheritor was a terrifying taboo. Even the Young Master of the White Tiger Clan had been brutally assassinated by him. The White Tiger Clan was still actively hunting the murderer to this day.

“Brother Kong Yang, you cannot say such things casually. You need to think this through,” a follower from the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan warned, his face turning pale. If Ye Lin truly was the Demonic Art Inheritor, their Lady Yin Mei was in apocalyptic danger.

“Think about his methods,” Kong Yang countered coldly. “Have you all forgotten how he fights? His techniques are bizarre, sinister, and incredibly lethal. He routinely kills cultivators far above his realm. He’s just as strong as any recognized Young Supreme. And most importantly… doesn’t the name ‘Ye Lin’ sound suspiciously familiar?”

“Ye Lin… Ye Lin…”

“Wait… could it be… Ye Ling?”

Realization struck them like a physical blow. Their eyes widened in horror, and a collective shudder ran down their spines.

When Ye Ling first joined them, he looked incredibly unremarkable. But as time passed, he effortlessly displayed the combat prowess of a Young Supreme. Why would someone that powerful willingly degrade himself to be Chi Ling’s mere follower? What was his endgame?

“Ye Ling… Ye Ling… heavens, it can’t be a coincidence,” someone stammered, their voice trembling.

Everyone knew that Bai Lie’s sworn brother—the prime suspect originally outed as the Demonic Art Inheritor—was named Ye Ling! When ‘Ye Lin’ had first introduced himself, they had brushed it off as a mere homophone. But now?

“He’s hiding in plain sight,” Kong Yang snarled, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles popped. “He doesn’t care if we eventually figure it out because he can just change his face and vanish again. It’s sheer arrogance!”

“Lady Chi Ling and Heavenly Maiden Yin Mei trust him completely. They’re practically walking right into his jaws!”

“We’re fools! We realized it too late! Who knows what sick, twisted plans he has for them!”

Panic infected the camp.

“We have to leak his location,” Kong Yang decided, his eyes burning with resolve. “If we broadcast that Ye Ling the Demonic Art Inheritor is hiding in this sector, every cultivator in the continent will swarm the area. It’s the only way to force him into hiding and give Chi Ling and Yin Mei a chance to escape!”

The group unanimously agreed. Within minutes, dozens of communication talismans flared into the night sky, pinning the identity of the Demonic Art Inheritor entirely onto Ye Ling and broadcasting his general location to the world.

Thirty thousand miles away, on a desolate, fog-shrouded mountain ridge, the trio in question was currently sprinting for their lives.

Ancient, towering trees and thick vines provided some cover, but their situation was dire. Compared to a month ago, they looked thoroughly ragged. They were constantly dodging pursuit from the Black Sky Eagle Clan and other native forces.

Their location kept getting exposed.

Unbeknownst to Ye Ling, the native experts were tracking the subtle resonance of the Slave Seal deeply embedded within Yin Mei’s soul. Furthermore, Yin Mei had been discreetly leaking their exact coordinates using hidden fluctuations, ensuring the hounds never completely lost their scent.

However, Ye Ling’s protagonist aura was working overtime. Despite the relentless pursuit, he consistently stumbled upon hidden Fated Chances, successfully breaking through his bottlenecks and acquiring precious spiritual herbs.

His sheer luck left Chi Ling completely speechless.

Conversely, she and Yin Mei were suffering horribly. They didn’t have Ye Ling’s heaven-defying fortune. They were just collateral damage in his escape routes. They gained almost nothing and suffered numerous injuries.

Yin Mei, in particular, was in an abysmal state. She was covered in blood, her face pale and her breathing ragged.

Chi Ling was a woman of her word; since she had promised to help Ye Ling, she wouldn’t abandon him easily. However, her patience was wearing dangerously thin. No matter where they hid, they were found within hours. She logically deduced that Ye Ling had been marked with a tracking spell, but when she voiced her concerns, Ye Ling adamantly denied it.

His stubborn refusal to listen deeply disappointed her.

“Old Turtle, I can feel it. The Sovereign’s cave abode is hidden within that ancient town up ahead,” Ye Ling whispered excitedly, communicating with the spirit in his pendant. His intuition had guided him through multiple death traps and led him to several treasures already.

“But Old Turtle… why do they keep finding us?” Ye Ling asked, his frustration boiling over.

He had asked the Old Turtle to scan him multiple times; there were absolutely no tracking marks on his body. So how were they constantly being cornered?

Ye Ling’s gaze shifted suspiciously toward his two companions. Was Chi Ling deliberately leaking his whereabouts? He had also suspected Yin Mei, but looking at her now, he felt a sharp pang of guilt.

Yin Mei was leaning heavily against a green rock. Her delicate oval face, usually as flawless as mutton-fat jade, was terribly pale and gaunt. Her silk dress was stained with her own blood. She had taken the brunt of the attacks to protect him. Furthermore, she had bravely stood up to Gu Changge in the sect—she was a woman of strong moral fiber. He completely trusted her affection for him.

But Chi Ling? She was an old friend, yes, and she had promised to help him clear his name. But…

“There’s only one logical explanation, Ye Ling,” the Old Turtle’s ancient voice echoed in his mind. “One of them is a traitor. You need to be extremely careful and judge this objectively.”

Ye Ling fell silent. He had already suspected it, but the reality tasted like ash in his mouth.

“Who do you think it is, Old Turtle?” Ye Ling asked grimly.

“If we remove all emotional bias,” the Old Turtle analyzed slowly, “Chi Ling is the prime suspect. Yin Mei’s betrayal makes absolutely no logical sense. Think about it—you saved her completely by chance. Your paths crossing was an accident. If she orchestrated all of this, including the near-fatal injuries she’s suffered, she would be a monster of unparalleled cunning. Furthermore, she publicly offended Gu Changge. Your situations are identical.”

Ye Ling nodded heavily. What the Old Turtle said was perfectly logical. What could Yin Mei possibly want from him? If anything, he was the one coveting her beauty.

“And Chi Ling?” Ye Ling prompted.

“Chi Ling is riddled with suspicious points. She knew your true identity as the Sovereign’s Inheritor from the start. She offered to help you clear your name, which sounds noble, but now your location is constantly being leaked. Her motive is glaringly obvious: she wants your inheritance,” the Old Turtle stated ruthlessly. “Furthermore, you’ve warned her about Gu Changge’s true nature multiple times, yet she completely ignores you. Human hearts are separated by flesh and bone, Ye Ling. Who knows what venom she hides behind that stoic face?”

The Old Turtle’s flawlessly flawed logic hammered the final nail into the coffin.

Ye Ling glanced at Chi Ling. Unlike the battered Yin Mei, Chi Ling’s delicate face was completely fine, her gemstone-like eyes bright and alert. She hadn’t suffered even a fraction of the injuries Yin Mei had.

His mind was made up. He stood up abruptly.

Both women opened their eyes, looking at him in surprise.

“The final stretch is going to be incredibly dangerous,” Ye Ling said, keeping his tone perfectly even. “I think we should split up here. I’ll take Yin Mei with me. She’s heavily injured and won’t survive alone. Chi Ling, you haven’t taken much damage. We can all meet up at the ancient town ahead.”

He thought he was being terribly clever. He didn’t want to openly tear his face with Chi Ling just yet. If she was truly plotting to steal his Fated Chance, this proposal would physically force her away from the prize. And once they split, he simply wouldn’t show up to the rendezvous point.

Both women stared at him, utterly stunned.

“Ye Ling, what are you saying?!” Yin Mei cried out, her voice laced with perfect, desperate concern. “How can we split up now? We need to stick together to survive!”

Chi Ling, however, simply stared at him. The warmth completely drained from her eyes, replaced by a chilling, unfamiliar void.

He wants to split up now? Was he afraid she would try to steal his inheritance since they were so close to the destination?

A wave of profound disgust and icy disappointment washed over Chi Ling. She wasn’t after his Fated Chance. If she hadn’t promised to help him, she wouldn’t even be in this miserable swamp. She had wasted weeks of her life being hunted like a dog just to keep her word to a friend.

And now, he was tossing her aside like garbage because his paranoia had finally consumed him. She had suspected his overly intimate relationship with Yin Mei for a while now, but seeing him blatantly use Yin Mei’s injuries as an excuse to isolate her was actually almost laughable.

“Fine,” Chi Ling said, her voice dripping with aristocratic frost. “Since you’ve made your decision, Ye Ling, we will part ways here.”

She didn’t demand an explanation. She didn’t try to defend herself. As of this moment, their friendship was entirely dead and buried.

“Found you!”

Suddenly, an apocalyptic Pressure crashed down from the sky.

Rolling black clouds blotted out the sun as several terrifying figures materialized above the tree line. The experts of the Black Sky Eagle and Ancient Teng Snake Clans had finally arrived in full force. The absolute weakest among them was a Heavenly God, and several bore the overwhelming aura of God Kings!

“Dammit!” Ye Ling’s face twisted in sheer terror. Without a second of hesitation, his body erupted into a streak of divine light, instantly abandoning the two women as he fled toward the horizon.

“It’s too late! Run separately! Meet at the town!” he transmitted frantically from afar, trying to sound heroic as he used them as bait to distract the God Kings.

He was absolutely convinced Chi Ling had summoned these experts to kill him. He would settle the score with her later.

“What are you standing there for? Run!” Chi Ling snapped at the dazed Yin Mei. Disgusted beyond words by Ye Ling’s cowardice, Chi Ling crushed a high-tier Divine Movement Talisman and vanished in a flash of spatial light. She couldn’t care less if Ye Ling died today.

Soon, the desolate mountain ridge was empty, save for Yin Mei.

She sat alone on the green rock. The desperate, panicked expression melted off her face like cheap wax, revealing an ocean of absolute, chilling calm. A hint of profound relief, mixed with a tragic melancholy, danced in her eyes.

“Master,” Yin Mei whispered softly into the wind. “I have finally completed the task you gave me.”

She had never forgotten Gu Changge’s primary directive: totally isolate Ye Ling by severing his ties with Chi Ling. Today, her flawless Bitter Flesh strategy had succeeded perfectly.

However, her success came at a steep price. By constantly drawing the native experts to their location, she had genuinely suffered grievous wounds. She didn’t possess Ye Ling’s plot armor or Chi Ling’s elite talismans. Facing Heavenly Gods and God Kings with her meager Conferred King Realm cultivation was practically suicide.

She had used her own life as a bargaining chip to sow this discord. And now, she was out of moves.

Yin Mei accepted her fate calmly. Her only regret was that she wouldn’t get to see Gu Changge one last time.

A bitter smile touched her lips. In the end, I was just a pawn. A tool to be discarded the moment my utility was exhausted. He won’t even spare me a second glance.

“Heh. Look at this little fox. Has she accepted death?” A terrifying God King from the Ancient Teng Snake Clan descended from the black clouds, his massive snake tail thrashing the air. His oppressive qi-blood suffocated the surrounding mountains.

He stared at Yin Mei, his reptilian eyes gleaming with vile, predatory lust. “Tell you what, little beauty. Submit to me willingly, and I’ll spare your pathetic life. How about it?”

Yin Mei looked at the monstrous God King, her expression completely devoid of fear.

“Keep dreaming,” she spat coldly. “I will detonate my own soul before I let a filthy beast like you touch me.”

She didn’t want to die, but she absolutely refused to live in humiliation. She had willingly submitted to Gu Changge, recognizing him as her supreme Master, but that didn’t mean she would ever bow to trash.

“Insolent wretch! You dare refuse me?!” The God King roared in fury.

Boom! He struck violently. A massive, horrifying hand woven from absolute power descended from the sky, aiming to crush her resistance and snatch her away.

Yin Mei closed her eyes, instantly igniting her origin essence to self-destruct.

Buzz!

Suddenly, a terrifying, peerless sword light tore through the fabric of reality itself. The blinding, cataclysmic strike sung with the wrath of a god, intercepting a Heavenly God Realm expert who had lunged forward to assist the God King.

With a sickening shiiing, the Heavenly God was cleaved neatly in two, his blood raining down upon the forest.

“Who goes there?!” The God King recoiled in shock and sheer rage, his killing intent locking onto the tear in the void.

“Master…”

Yin Mei’s beautiful eyes snapped open, wide with utter disbelief.

Stepping elegantly out from the rippling spatial tear was a young man clad in spotless white robes, his demeanor as aloof and majestic as an immortal descending to the mortal realm.

Tears immediately flooded Yin Mei’s eyes. She threw herself into Gu Changge’s arms, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed.

“Master… I thought… I thought you didn’t want me anymore…”