Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 96: Such Sibling Harmony; Why Can’t You Forget Him?

Gu Xianer’s decision stunned the world.

For a moment, the mountains fell into a deathly silence. Then, chaos erupted.

Everyone stared with widened eyes, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.

This was a golden opportunity to make a name for herself! To shake the heavens and earn the adoration of millions!

Many disciples watched with eyes red with envy, their breathing ragged. She had already reached the eighteenth step. Why stop? Why turn back?

If it were them, they would have crawled forward at any cost, burning their blood essence just to take that single, glory-defining step. It was the only chance to trample Gu Changge’s record and stand at the pinnacle of the younger generation.

Even the Elders shook their heads, sighing in disappointment. They couldn’t understand why she would forfeit such a legendary achievement to settle for a tie.

In their eyes, breaking the record was the final seal. It would have guaranteed her status as the Grand Elder’s personal disciple. To miss this chance… there would likely never be a second one.

Far away, atop a mist-shrouded peak, the Grand Elder watched with a furrowed brow.

He had witnessed Gu Changge’s brutal dismantling of Chu Wuji earlier. The disparity in strength was undeniable. Among all the prodigies the Grand Elder had seen in his long life, Gu Changge was in a league of his own.

If he wanted to preserve the dignity of the Daootian Immortal Palace’s Successor, Chu Wuji was no longer a viable candidate.

He had to choose Gu Xianer.

Even if she failed to break the record, he would have accepted her. But to voluntarily give up when she clearly had the strength to continue? It baffled him.

Is there some unknown secret between her and Gu Changge? Or is she plotting something else?

On the Road of Heavenly Dao.

Gu Xianer walked down the jade steps slowly. Her expression was calm, her green robes fluttering around her slender frame. Her steps were firm, devoid of regret.

She saw the confusion in the crowd’s eyes, but she simply shook her head internally.

They didn’t understand.

She had realized the truth: Gu Changge didn’t care about this record. To him, the “Eighteenth Step” was a relic of the past, a footprint left by a weaker version of himself. If he were to walk this road again today, he would undoubtedly ascend far higher.

Gu Changge was different. The rumors that had surrounded him since birth weren’t empty hype. He possessed her Dao Bone, yes, but what of his own innate talent? To this day, no one had seen the true depths of his potential.

So, what would breaking this record prove?

That the current Gu Xianer was stronger than the teenage Gu Changge?

Pointless.

“Xianer, why did you stop?”

Gu Changge met her at the bottom of the stairs. He wore a look of regret, shaking his head with a sigh. “Your brother felt you could have taken at least a few more steps.”

He acted as though he were genuinely disappointed that she had only tied his record.

Gu Xianer glanced at him, too exhausted to even roll her eyes.

She wanted to snap at him to stop calling her ‘Xianer’—it sounded gross coming from his mouth. This man was her nemesis, the one she wanted to flay alive and grind to dust. Yet, here he was, dangling in front of her, untouchable and infuriating.

Her three Masters in the Land of Abandoned Immortals were shameless, but compared to Gu Changge, they were saints.

Gu Changge truly embodied the maxim: When a man has no shame, he is invincible.

If she could beat him, she wouldn’t be standing here talking; she would be beating him into a pulp.

“I don’t need your concern,” Gu Xianer said coldly, turning her head away.

“I didn’t want to concern myself either,” Gu Changge shrugged, his voice dropping to a cool, mocking drawl. “But you really disappointed me. I had such high expectations for my little sister… and this is all you have?”

Is that it?

The fake warmth vanished from his face, replaced by a faint, stinging ridicule.

“Gu Changge… don’t think you can bully me forever!”

Gu Xianer’s composure snapped. She bristled like a threatened kitten, glaring daggers at him.

What do you mean ‘is that all’?

She knew he was baiting her. She knew it was a trap. But anyone else saying that wouldn’t matter—only he couldn’t say it.

It felt like he was mocking her resolve. With just this little ability, you want revenge? Keep dreaming.

Gu Xianer’s pride was immense. She couldn’t tolerate his disdain.

“Don’t think?” Gu Changge chuckled darkly. “Do you honestly believe you have a chance?”

His expression was pure, unfiltered arrogance. I am bullying you. What are you going to do about it?

Gu Xianer trembled with rage. She wanted to scream. No one could unravel her sanity with just a few sentences like he could. She gripped her sleeves, fighting the urge to draw the supreme blade her Master had given her and chop him into meat paste right then and there.

To the onlookers, however, this scene painted a very different picture.

From a distance, they saw the tension, but they also saw Gu Changge’s “concern.” They heard him expressing regret that she hadn’t broken his record.

She must have stopped out of respect for him, they reasoned. She didn’t want to humiliate her brother in public, so she chose to tie his record instead.

“Such sibling harmony,” an Elder murmured, stroking his beard. “Brotherly kindness and sisterly respect. It is a touching sight.”

Many disciples, ignorant of the blood feud, looked on with envy.

News of the events at the Road of Heavenly Dao spread like wildfire across the Daootian Immortal Palace’s divine islands.

The fact that Gu Xianer reached the eighteenth step caused a sensation. Major factions began investigating her background, confirming her connection to the Immortal Gu Family and uncovering whispers of a significant, hidden past.

However, the Immortal Gu Family had stood for countless epochs. If they wanted to bury a secret, outsiders would never find the bones.

Simultaneously, the story of Gu Changge crushing Chu Wuji—a fellow Young Supreme and True Disciple—with casual ease shook the cultivation world.

The pressure on the younger generation multiplied. Young Supremes from the Inner Domain’s Supreme Dao Lineages, Immortal Sects, and Immemorial Imperial Clans felt the weight of Gu Changge’s shadow. Many declared him a life-and-death enemy and immediately entered secluded cultivation, desperate to close the gap.

Profound Azure Heaven, Territory of the Immemorial Immortal Clan (Ye Clan).

Inside a palace on a radiant, iridescent divine island.

A stunning young woman in a purple dress sat listening to the reports from the outside world. Her expression was erratic—shifting between dazed confusion, lost longing, and sudden blanks.

“Young Miss, are you still feeling guilty about that boy, Ye Chen?”

Beside her, a beautiful middle-aged woman spoke with concern. This was Aunt Xue.

They had recently returned to the Upper Realm after the events in the Lower Realm. Since their return, Ye Liuli had been acting strange. She would drift off mid-conversation, her spirit seemingly wandering. Aunt Xue assumed she was grieving for Ye Chen.

Hearing Aunt Xue’s voice, Ye Liuli snapped back to reality. She blinked, looking genuinely puzzled.

“Aunt Xue, what are you talking about? Ye Chen is dead. He was just a scheming little ant. Why would I care about him?”

Aunt Xue froze.

She forgot him? Or… she just doesn’t care anymore?

A wave of relief washed over the older woman. Good. Forgetting was good. They had almost offended Young Master Gu because of that brat. Now that she heard the terrifying rumors of Gu Changge daily in the Upper Realm, she realized just how close they had come to disaster.

Even if Ye Chen had ascended, he would have been scared to death by Gu Changge’s current status.

“You are right, Young Miss,” Aunt Xue said, smiling brightly. “Just a Ye Chen. An ant. He isn’t worth your thoughts.”

Ye Liuli nodded, her expression returning to a placid calm.

But inside, her mind was a storm of confusion.

Why… why have I been so obsessed with news of Gu Changge lately?

And why… why do I catch myself wanting to call him ‘Master’?

She felt like a massive chunk of her memory was missing, or rewritten. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall the truth of what happened in the Lower Realm.

Suddenly, a voice boomed from outside the hall.

A heroic young man strode in. He was tall and broad-shouldered, clad in golden armor that seemed to burn with solar fire. His hair glowed with divine light, and his blood essence roared like a vast ocean. He looked like a young Emperor walking among mortals.

“Little Liuli, what are you thinking about? You didn’t even notice me coming in.”

The young man smiled, his presence warm and dazzling.

“Brother?” Ye Liuli’s face lit up. “You’re here? Have you heard any news about the Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family… Gu Changge?”

The man was Ye Langtian, the Successor of the Immemorial Ye Clan.

Though he had not yet fully entered the world stage, legends of him already circulated in the various Heavens. He was known as the “Reincarnation of an Ancient Emperor,” one of the few prodigies believed capable of standing toe-to-toe with Gu Changge.

Hearing his sister’s question, a sharp light flashed in Ye Langtian’s eyes.

He kept his smile, but his tone carried a hint of probing curiosity.

“Sister, why bring up Gu Changge again? I heard you met him by chance in the Lower Realm while looking for something.”

He paused, studying her face.

“So why is it that now… you can’t seem to forget him?”