Chapter 64: Rebirth as the Great Villain (2) |
The Third Elder of the Gu Clan held absolute authority over the clan's punishments and penalties—his power so immense that most people avoided crossing his path. Yet in front of Su Chen, he was simply a doting grandfather. A plate of Su Chen's favorite pastries sat neatly arranged before him.
"You've come, Chen'er," Gu Yixian said warmly.
He was extremely pleased with this grandson, whose temperament resembled his own the most. Ever since Su Chen's parents perished while exploring a secret realm, there was nothing Gu Yixian wouldn't do for him—even if Su Chen asked for the stars in the sky, he would find a way to pluck them down.
Su Chen casually picked up a piece of pastry and praised, "Grandfather's Seven-Colored Immortal Bean Cake is still the best."
Gu Yixian's smile deepened, his eyes overflowing with affection. Su Chen devoured several pieces in quick bites. A warm current immediately flowed through his abdomen. Every ingredient in these pastries was a rare and precious treasure. They truly were delicious.
But Su Chen hadn't come just to eat. He looked at Gu Yixian and said directly, "Grandfather, I need you to take action once. There's someone I want dealt with."
He had no intention of letting Lin Zhan slowly level up until he became a towering final boss standing in his way. He would summon Gu Yixian himself—this Nirvana Realm Venerable—to handle it. Of course, having a Nirvana Realm expert personally act against a junior who hadn't even reached the peak of the Spirit Soul Realm would invite ridicule. But the request came from Su Chen.
Gu Yixian's expression turned serious. "Chen'er, who have you offended?"
Su Chen recounted the entire matter involving Lin Zhan, then continued, "Grandfather, I want whatever great fortune is on him. For a minor clan's son to grow so rapidly in just two years—it can't be ordinary. He might possess some enormous opportunity, or perhaps an ancient monster stands behind him. Either way, I need your help to ensure nothing goes wrong."
He handed Su Chen an orange-yellow talisman imbued with his own aura.
With Gu Yixian's backing, Su Chen finally felt some real confidence in eliminating Lin Zhan. He then borrowed an elite squad from the Gu Clan, setting up an inescapable net to ensure Lin Zhan's death was certain.
The opportunity arrived soon enough. Lin Zhan had appeared in the Spirit Fox Clan's territory.
A cold glint flashed through Su Chen's eyes. This was his first time taking direct action against a Child of Destiny. Failure was not an option.
…
Inside the Spirit Fox Clan.
Lin Zhan gazed tenderly at the fox clan girl who was carefully bandaging his wounds. He had forced his way into the Verdant Waves Sea Region. If not for this girl's rescue, he would already be dead.
"Lin Yue'er, Gu Chen—I, Lin Zhan, swear that we will never share the same sky!"
Hatred burned in his heart.
After being hunted by the Gu Clan's forces, he had left the Azure Profound Martial Mansion to avoid implicating them, plunging straight into the perilous Verdant Waves Sea Region. While fighting for a fortuitous opportunity, he clashed with enemies, barely seizing the treasure but suffering grievous injuries in the process.
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The green light glowing in the fox girl's palms gradually faded. She wiped the sweat from her brow and gently reminded him, "Brother Lin Zhan, your injuries are almost healed. Just rest quietly for a while longer."
Lin Zhan nodded. "Thank you for saving my life, Miss Hu Wan. I will repay this kindness a hundredfold in the future."
While recuperating among the Spirit Fox Clan, Lin Zhan helped Hu Wan defeat a group of spoiled young masters who came to harass the clan. He also aided the Spirit Fox Clan in repelling the prodigies of a rival major clan, preserving their standing among the thirteen clans of Verdant Waves Island. His bond with Hu Wan deepened day by day. Until one day, a major figure arrived at the fox clan.
Lin Zhan saw a face he could never forget. His teeth clenched so hard his gums bled.
"Gu Chen… and Lin Yue'er!"
A large contingent of Gu Clan guards had surrounded the entire Spirit Fox Clan. The commotion alarmed the clan leader.
"Fox Clan Leader, hand over Lin Zhan, and not only will I pardon your clan for sheltering a fugitive wanted by my Gu Clan—I will also present you with a Void Breaking Pill to help you break through to the Void Refining Realm."
Su Chen was confident that the reward he offered was more than generous.
"Impossible. Lin Zhan is the benefactor of my Spirit Fox Clan. If you want his life, Lord Gu Chen, you will have to step over the corpses of my entire clan first."
The Fox Clan Leader spoke with righteous indignation.
The elders of the Spirit Fox Clan echoed him one after another. "Lin Zhan is our benefactor. Betraying him would make us no different from beasts!"
Su Chen thought to himself: Aren't you all already beasts?
Still, the Spirit Fox Clan now held a stable position as one of the thirteen major clans of the Verdant Waves Sea Region, which made the situation somewhat troublesome for him. His expression gradually turned cold.
"Fox Clan Leader, are you truly determined to make an enemy of my Gu Clan?"
Massacring the Spirit Fox Clan would inevitably offend the Verdant Waves Palace. Upon returning to the clan, he would face punishment, and it might even implicate Gu Yixian.
But Su Chen could no longer afford to wait. Who knew when a Child of Destiny might catch him off guard and end him the moment he stepped outside?
"As long as he lives, I will have no peace."
With that resolve burning in his heart, Su Chen decided he would eliminate Lin Zhan at any cost—even if it meant annihilating the entire Spirit Fox Clan.
The Fox Clan Leader raised his hand and said coldly, "Escort Young Master Gu out."
Su Chen spoke softly. "Using the lives of an entire clan to protect someone who isn't even one of your own kind—what a pointless sacrifice."
"Kill!"
At Su Chen's command, the Gu Clan guards surged forward and launched their assault on the Spirit Fox Clan.
"Protect the benefactor and get him out of here!"
Figures poured out from within the Spirit Fox Clan, clashing fiercely with the Gu Clan elders.
"Gu Chen, I want you dead!"
Lin Zhan watched swathes of Spirit Fox Clan members fall under blades and swords. His eyes immediately turned bloodshot as he charged toward Su Chen in a frenzy.
Su Chen had already noticed him. An ordinary-looking young man, yet he carried an unyielding, tenacious aura.
"Kill him. No matter the cost!"
Su Chen had no interest in a one-on-one duel. He simply ordered the guards beside him to cut Lin Zhan down and eliminate the threat once and for all.
Just as the guards closed in for the kill, the Fox Clan Leader suddenly erupted. He defeated his opponent in an instant and threw himself in front of Lin Zhan, blocking the fatal strikes.
"Benefactor, go now! Take Wan'er and leave the Spirit Fox Clan!"
Su Chen cursed inwardly: "Damn it, he's really hard to kill."
Without hesitation, he crushed the talisman in his hand.
The sky and earth suddenly darkened.
A massive Eight Trigrams Diagram of Qiankun appeared above the Spirit Fox Clan, blotting out the sun and moon. An imposing old man materialized, his colossal figure like a pillar holding up the heavens.
"Third Elder of the Gu Clan—Venerable Yixian!"
The entire Verdant Waves Sea Region dimmed. A Nirvana Realm Venerable had descended.
Gu Yixian wasted no words. His cold gaze locked onto Lin Zhan. This was the boy Chen'er had said must die. Killing intent surged from him as he struck directly at Lin Zhan. A Nirvana Realm Venerable personally acting to slay a mere Spirit Soul Realm junior.
Just as Gu Yixian was about to obliterate everything in his path, a giant hand reached out from the clouds and halted his attack. Nine black serpents coiled and danced behind an old man. Nirvana Realm phenomena swirled around him. With a flick of his sleeve, he laughed boldly. "Gu Yixian, this little fellow is under the protection of my Verdant Waves Palace! If you want to kill him, this mere spiritual incarnation of yours isn't qualified. Send your true body."
Su Chen watched the Verdant Waves Palace Lord appear and couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the sheer power of a Child of Destiny's halo. But then… A deep, resonant voice thundered across thousands of miles.
"Since when does the Verdant Waves Palace dare interfere in the affairs of my Gu Clan?"