Chapter 48: The First Kill Reward; The Destiny Villain Halo

Devouring a remnant soul from the God King Realm was an effortless task for Gu Changge, especially with the Immortal Devouring Demonic Art at his disposal.

He closed his eyes, silently absorbing the essence. As the energy flooded his system, he began to sift through the memories of the man who had called himself the God King of Slaughter.

For a Child of Destiny of the “reborn powerhouse” variety, their greatest assets were their insights into divine techniques, their mastery of secret arts, and eons of combat experience. To someone like Lin Tian, these were the tools that would have allowed him to rise from the ashes.

Now, they all belonged to Gu Changge.

The Immortal Devouring Demonic Art was an insatiable black hole; it didn’t just consume the physical origins of gifted bloodlines, it devoured the very soul. This was precisely why he had dismissed Lin Qiuhan before starting. He had no intention of letting anyone—even those close to him—glimpse the true nature of his cultivation. In the Upper Realm, soul-searching techniques were common, and Gu Changge didn’t trust anyone but himself.

“Improving my Primordial Spirit by feasting on remnant souls… this sensation is truly peerless,” he murmured. “An art loathed by the entire world. If this ever comes to light, not even the Heavens could protect me.”

He felt his Primordial Spirit power swelling, rapidly surpassing the level of most experts in the Conferred King Realm. As he basked in the growth, the cold, mechanical chime of the System echoed in his mind.

“Ding! First Kill of a Child of Destiny confirmed. The ‘Luck Depletion’ rule has been triggered. Commencing settlement…”

“Congratulations, Master. You have received an Additional Heavenly Dao Treasure Chest, 100 Luck Points, and 500 Destiny Points.”

“First Kill settlement complete. Obtained: First Kill Treasure Chest.”

“Luck Point Exchange function is now unlocked.”

“Master’s personal Luck Points may now be converted into Destiny Points at a ratio of 1:10.”

Gu Changge’s interest was piqued. Beyond the standard rewards, he had secured a “First Kill” chest and a new utility for his Luck Points.

A universal currency? he thought. That gives me a significant trump card. Since ancient times, there were legends of masters “burning” their Providence to traverse the heavens or survive certain death. As a villain, if he ever found himself backed into a corner, he could now liquidate his Luck into Destiny Points to find a way out. Of course, he wouldn’t do so lightly. He understood better than anyone that once a Child of Destiny ran out of Luck, their story ended abruptly.

“Open the First Kill Treasure Chest,” Gu Changge commanded.

He was curious to see what his first major victory would yield. Like the gacha games of his previous life, it all came down to the luck of the draw. Golden light erupted before his eyes as an ornate chest manifested and burst open.

“Ding! Congratulations, Master! Your luck is explosive. You have obtained: Luck Plundering Card (x3), Damaged World Seed (1/3), and a System Settlement Crit Card (x1).”

“A Luck Plundering Card?”

Gu Changge scanned the description. The card allowed him to forcibly seize the Luck of a Child of Destiny. The success rate fluctuated depending on the target’s current mental and physical state. If successful, the target’s Luck Points would be wiped to zero and added to his own. If it failed, the card was simply wasted.

“And the System Settlement Crit Card… it provides a random multiplier during reward settlements. Anything from a 0.1x penalty to a 100x jackpot.”

He clicked his tongue in appreciation. It was a gamble, but based on his recent pulls, his “luck” seemed to be on a hot streak. He decided to save that card for when he finally dealt with Ye Chen.

As for the Plundering Cards, they were invaluable. Normally, he had to meticulously suppress and humiliate a Child of Destiny to grind down their Luck. These cards allowed him to skip the foreplay and go straight for the kill. However, a single card cost 10,000 Destiny Points in the System Shop.

“Ridiculous,” he muttered. “I’d need to successfully plunder at least 2,000 Luck Points just to break even. Otherwise, it’s a net loss.”

Still, he suspected the “protagonists” he would encounter in the future would be far more lucrative than those in this backwater. The Azure Realm was a minor pond. In the grand hierarchy of the lower planes, it was barely a “Small Thousand World”—a place where a Void God could shatter the spatial barriers. Larger realms, like the “Medium Thousand World” where the God King of Slaughter had originally reigned, required one to reach the God King Realm just to leave.

Then there was the Upper Realm—the central hub and platform connecting all these infinite worlds.

Gu Changge then turned his attention to the Additional Heavenly Dao Treasure Chest. He suspected this would be tied directly to the “system” of the Child of Destiny he had just slain.

Golden light flashed again.

“Ding! Congratulations, Master. You have obtained the ‘Child of Destiny Halo.’ The Halo has been automatically corrupted and transformed. Congratulations, Master, you have obtained the ‘Destiny Villain Halo.’”

“Congratulations, Master. You have obtained: Heart of the God King.”

“Destiny Villain Halo?” Gu Changge ignored the rest and focused on the description.

“Destiny Villain: You are the ordained antagonist. When eliminating a Child of Destiny, you may ignore the Providence Gap.”

“Ignore the Providence Gap? System, clarify.”

“When the master’s strength vastly exceeds a Child of Destiny, but the master’s Luck is significantly lower, the Heavenly Dao will naturally intervene to protect its ‘child,’ resulting in Providence Backlash against the master,” the System explained.

“I see. So that’s why when I first arrived, even though I was powerful, the world tried to nerf me to protect the protagonists. The Heavenly Dao couldn’t just turn me into an idiot, so it used ‘Backlash’ as a safety net for them.”

Gu Changge understood perfectly. While he didn’t fear the likes of Ye Chen or Lin Tian now that his own Luck had grown, this halo eliminated a major hidden danger for the future. It was a weight off his shoulders.

As for the “Heart of the God King,” he checked it briefly. It was the distilled mental fortitude and Dao-heart of a cultivator who had lived for tens of thousands of years. Lin Tian’s personality had been flawed, but the experience itself was real.

He chose to fuse it immediately.

A shroud of warm light enveloped him. His consciousness blurred, becoming muddled as if he were being submerged in the river of time. In a single heartbeat, he witnessed eons of change—the rise and fall of empires, the shifting of stars, and the relentless cycle of reincarnation.

A single glance spanning ten thousand years.

When he opened his eyes, the hazy visions vanished. Gu Changge frowned slightly. His personality hadn’t changed—he was still the same cynical, calculating man—but the way he perceived the world had shifted. He felt a profound sense of clarity and composure that usually only came with age and exhaustion.

As a transmigrator, he had adapted quickly, but there had always been a slight disconnect between his modern soul and this ancient, magical world. The Heart of the God King bridged that gap, saving him centuries of mental cultivation.

“State of mind… it’s as ethereal as Providence itself,” he mused, a thin smile playing on his lips. “But I suppose every little bit helps.”