Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

In this moment,

Jiang Chen's words brimmed with sincerity and goodwill, which only served to bolster the positive impression Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian held of him.

The trio seated themselves,

And their conversation proceeded.

"Lin Feng, that young man,"

"When he returns, I will surely find a means to guide him and help him realize his errors."

"With his present mindset, if he aspires to attain greater heights, change is imperative!"

"..."

Qiu Liaoxi let out a soft sigh.

Jiang Chen smiled and nodded, for he knew more than he let on.

In truth, Lin Feng's mindset was fairly commendable, but the scorn he endured due to his damaged dantian had left a deep wound.

He had not yet completely healed from it.

According to the original narrative, a string of successes would have inevitably helped him swiftly surmount his emotional turmoil.

Regrettably, however, he crossed paths with Jiang Chen.

Time and time again, 'accidents' and 'coincidences' thwarted Lin Feng's efforts. Although he knew Jiang Chen was behind it, he couldn't vent his frustration due to various reasons, and was forced to bottle it up inside!

As Ning Xian and Jiang Chen grew closer, Lin Feng's feelings of discontent and unease only escalated.

Furthermore,

The intuition that came with his protagonist status, constantly whispering to Lin Feng that 'Jiang Chen is not a good person', clashed with Jiang Chen's actual deeds on multiple occasions.

This spawned a sense of contradiction and doubt in Lin Feng, which accumulated in his heart, fueling his frustration...

All these negative emotions, compressed within Lin Feng's heart over a short span, rendered his temperament somewhat volatile, culminating in an explosive outburst.

At this juncture,

Lin Feng's image had drastically deteriorated in the eyes of many.

In stark contrast, Jiang Chen's reputation flourished!

Upon finishing his cup of tea,

Ning Xian stood up, intending to refill Jiang Chen's cup.

"Ning Xian, thank you, but there's no need."

"I still have some cultivation practice to attend to, so I won't impose upon you two any further."

With that, Jiang Chen gracefully rose and bowed to the master and disciple.

"Indeed!"

"As cultivators, our focus must remain on our cultivation."

Ning Xian nodded in agreement, conveying her approval of Jiang Chen's choice.

Seeing that Jiang Chen intended to cultivate, Qiu Liaoxi refrained from insisting he stay, and together with Ning Xian, they escorted him outside the Vast Spirit Residence.

Jiang Chen strode away with light, nimble steps, progressively distancing himself from the Vast Spirit Residence, as a smile gradually formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Where is Lin Feng? What is his current situation?"

Jiang Chen retrieved his transmission jade token and sent a message to the individual responsible for monitoring Lin Feng, inquiring about his status.

Under Jiang Chen's orchestration,

Spies were scattered throughout the city.

Many of them blended in as inconspicuous passersby, making them nearly impossible to guard against.

Unless Lin Feng could become invisible, his discovery and tracking were inevitable.

"Reporting to Young Master!"

"Lin Feng is currently residing at the Golden Apricot Inn, situated in the southern part of the city."

"Following your directives, we closely observed other passersby, but we did not encounter any attractive young women or individuals afflicted with severe ailments."

"Nonetheless, it appears that Lin Feng's perceptiveness has heightened. Some of our men reported that he seemed to be watchful of their presence. Fortunately, one of our agents acted swiftly, feigning the role of a thief to steal another person's spirit stone, thereby avoiding detection."

A succession of responses materialized on the transmission jade token.

'Has Lin Feng's perceptivity truly increased?'

'It's plausible. After all, he has demonstrated the ability to defeat those at the Middle-stage Spiritual Awakening realm.'

'Still, his discovery of the individuals I dispatched to observe him is not a significant concern.'

'Based on today's events, he is more likely to suspect that the Zhou Clan orchestrated the surveillance due to lingering mistrust.'

'Naturally, to more effectively monitor Lin Feng, I must take matters into my own hands!'

Jiang Chen pondered for a moment before reaching a decision.

Exercising caution, he initially returned to the Jiang Clan.

He planned to go there only after the clan's henchmen had secured a discreet residence suitable for observing Lin Feng.

In the interim,

Lin Feng was under temporary surveillance by the clan members.

Since Lin Feng remained at the Golden Apricot Inn, his only option was to concentrate on cultivation for the time being.

In a serene chamber of the Jiang Clan,

'Open the System Mall!'

With a single thought, a panel materialized before Jiang Chen.

The panel displayed four categories: 'Cultivation Methods', 'Medicinal Pills & Elixirs', 'Artifacts', and 'Other'.

In order to advance from the Middle-stage Spiritual Awakening to the Late-stage, Jiang Chen had ingested four Clearing Mind Awakening Spirit Pills.

Jiang Chen still possessed four pills.

It went without saying that these four pills would not suffice for his subsequent breakthrough.

Consequently,

He intended to acquire a few more!

"Currently, my Villain Value has amassed 4500 points!"

"Exchanging for Clearing Mind Awakening Spirit Pills valued at 80 each is a breeze!"

Jiang Chen exclaimed with excitement, then expended 800 Villain Value points to obtain ten Clearing Mind Awakening Spirit Pills.

Having consumed the Clearing Mind Awakening Spirit Pills on multiple occasions, he had a firm grasp of the quantity required for a breakthrough.

Ten pills—no more, no less.

Coupled with the wondrous effects of the 'Ten-Turn Harmonious Spirit Pill', he was confident in achieving a breakthrough to the Mysterious Platform Realm!

Nonetheless,

Since he was soon to surveil Lin Feng, Jiang Chen refrained from commencing cultivation immediately. Instead, he retrieved the transmission jade token and reached out to his uncle, Jiang Xingtai.

Shortly thereafter,

Jiang Xingtai requested and procured a highly comprehensive autopsy report on the Spiritual Awakening cultivator from the Zhou Clan, under the guise of assisting in the search for the perpetrator.

In due course,

The report surfaced on Jiang Chen's transmission jade token.

"Based on the analysis of the body and Lin Feng's flame attribute, we were unable to identify any corresponding cultivation method, but it possesses the following traits..."

As Jiang Chen perused the report, he accessed the 'Cultivation Methods' section of the System Mall.

Suddenly!

A vast collection of cultivation methods unfolded before Jiang Chen's gaze, densely arrayed and enticing, causing his vision to nearly blur from the overwhelming assortment.

"List the cultivation methods that counterbalance the fire element!"

"Omit the cultivation methods below the Heavenly Origin Realm, disregard those beyond my means, and exclude those that require extended periods to cultivate..."

Jiang Chen sequentially issued directives in his mind.

Shortly after.

The array of cultivation methods before him had been diminished by more than half.

Aiming to preserve some Villain Value points as a reserve, Jiang Chen ruled out certain cultivation methods with an insufficient cost-effectiveness ratio.

Subsequently.

Jiang Chen personally sifted through the remaining cultivation methods.

Upon comparing them to the autopsy report, he chose a secret art titled 'Cold Sky Frost Brilliance Secrets' after half an hour!

[Cold Sky Frost Brilliance Secrets: A Heavenly Origin Realm ice element secret art, characterized by rapid action and explosive power that is highly effective in neutralizing fire element cultivation methods.

Its drawback is that it demands an immense quantity of Yuan Power, and sustained usage may potentially harm the meridians.]

'Exchange!'

[Ding! You have successfully exchanged the 'Cold Sky Frost Brilliance Secrets' for 2,300 Villain Value points!]

Upon receiving the system's notification.

A pristine, snow-white jade slip materialized before Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen grasped it, experiencing a frigid sensation as if holding ice.

His divine sense delved into it.

Instantly, a wealth of secret art profundities unveiled before Jiang Chen's eyes, every nuance impeccably distinct!

"I hope to complete its cultivation as swiftly as possible,"

"Besides this secret art, I have yet to master the 'Wind Void Steps'."

"I can only attribute it to the exceptional protagonist status and Lin Feng's incessant fortune, which leaves me with insufficient time to practice my martial skills."

Jiang Chen clutched the jade slip in his hand and then ingested a pill that could soothe his mind and stabilize his breathing. He commenced his study of the Cold Sky Frost Brilliance Secrets.

Time elapsed steadily.

The Cold Sky Frost Brilliance Secrets was indeed an accessible secret art, which Jiang Chen grasped with remarkable speed.

In a brief span, he had scrutinized it in its entirety and gleaned numerous insights.

Just then.

The mansion intended for surveilling Lin Feng had been readied.

Jiang Chen momentarily set aside the secret art and stealthily infiltrated the mansion.