Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate (Old Version)

After three rounds of toasts, Feng Liu's eyes sparkled as he said, "Brother Niu, I was quite impressed with your adept handling of the demonic beast tide earlier. Your poise and your skillful maneuvers were truly praiseworthy!"

"Absolutely," chimed in one of Feng Liu's trusted confidants, nodding in agreement. "Brother Niu's prowess is unmatched!"

"And your invisibility skill! Once you disappeared, those demonic beasts became completely disoriented, unable to sense Brother Niu's presence at all!"

The others were equally swift in joining the wave of accolades, heaping praise upon Gu Ran as if elevating him to the skies!

An ordinary young man might have become slightly inflated by the adulation.

However, Gu Ran was different.

He continued to respond with his characteristic grace and composure.

"Brother Niu, you have my utmost respect!" Feng Liu announced, his curiosity bubbling over. "I would love to witness that invisibility skill again, just to marvel at its grandeur!"

"Nonsense!" Feng Hongbo interjected, his voice stern as he reprimanded Feng Liu. "Brother Niu has just emerged from a grueling battle; he needs to rest!"

"To pressure young friend Niu Qing into demonstrating his invisibility skill againaren't you asking too much?"

Even though Feng Hongbo was reprimanding Feng Liu, he himself was also eager to see Gu Ran's invisibility skill again, curious to determine whether it was a secret art or a magical treasure at play.

However, in his opinion, requesting such a demonstration at this juncture was premature.

However, Feng Hongbo's admonishment was not simply a rebuke aimed at Feng Liu!

He had another intention, namely to see if he could subtly provoke Gu Ran.

Indeed, it was a mild form of reverse psychology.

Should Gu Ran be keen to validate himself, to flaunt his abilities, he would surely take the bait.

If not, there was no harm done to Feng Hongbo.

But was Gu Ran the kind of individual eager to validate himself? Certainly not!

His demeanor was vastly distinct from that of the protagonist, Fang Yuan.

Instead, he bore some resemblance to the protagonist Ye Fanboth were prudent yet steady, yet not lacking in determination.

"Indeed, I do require some rest," Gu Ran acknowledged, offering a modest bow and a slight smile to Feng Hongbo, Feng Liu, and the others. "Perhaps on another occasion, I can perform the skill for all to see."

"Haha, that's the spirit!" Feng Hongbo bellowed in laughter, lifting his wine cup high.

"Everyone, raise your glasses! Today, we on Black Wood Island have weathered the demonic beast tide, thanks to the timely intervention of our esteemed savior. Let's toast to this moment of relief and gratitude!" His words electrified the mood.

Consequently, the banquet continued, drawing to a close only after a full day had passed.

Gu Ran was then ushered to rest in the area with the most abundant Spiritual Qi on Black Wood Island.

...

At this juncture, a battered spirit boat surfaced near Black Wood Island.

The boat bore the marks of demonic beast attacks, and the cultivators aboard were all bruised and weary.

As the spirit boat neared Black Wood Island, Feng Hongbo promptly detected its arrival and rallied others to welcome it.

From their initial glimpse of the boat, Feng Hongbo and the others deduced that these cultivators were survivors of the demonic beast tide.

Aboard the boat was an Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm cultivator named Zhang San, while the others were cultivators from the Heavenly Origin realm, the Mysterious Platform realm, and the Spiritual Awakening realm.

As expected, Feng Hongbo began a dialogue with Zhang San, who was at the Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm.

Soon, he discovered that the individuals on the boat had essentially banded together in their flight, and they were not well acquainted with each other.

This revelation brought immense pleasure to Feng Hongbo.

Because in such circumstances, he could freely recruit these cultivators.

If they were members of an organization, it would amount to poaching, which was undoubtedly unacceptable.

However, Feng Hongbo was oblivious to the fact that all the individuals on the boat were death warriors dispatched by Jiang Chen!

Soon, Feng Hongbo warmly welcomed Jiang Chen's death warriors ashore and treated them hospitably.

During this process, many cultivators from the boat chose to go their separate ways, not wishing to remain with this makeshift crew.

Consequently, many dispersed and blended into the population of Black Wood Island, becoming an unobtrusive part of it.

The leader, Zhang San, along with some experts from the makeshift crew, accepted Feng Hongbo's invitation and relocated to the Feng Clan.

From that moment on, Zhang San and the others initiated their covert surveillance of Gu Ran!

Gu Ran was acutely aware of Zhang San and the others' scrutiny.

However, the vibe they gave off was akin to that of Feng Hongbo and his associates.

It made him cautious but not anxious.

Gu Ran surmised that Zhang San and the others were likely planning to affiliate themselves with the Feng Clan, hence his heightened vigilance towards them.

The following day, Feng Hongbo arranged another banquet to welcome Zhang San and his companions.

For the ensuing few days, Zhang San and the others dedicated their time to recovery.

Simultaneously, Feng Hongbo seized this opportunity to recruit many cultivators from the 'makeshift crew'.

Moreover, a few days later, Feng Hongbo subtly proposed the idea of recruiting Zhang San as a Guest Elder.

Zhang San confessed that he was a wandering cultivator, wearied by the lack of support.

His recent brush with death had left him yearning for a stable environment to settle down and focus on his cultivation.

Thus, their interests aligned.

Subsequently, Zhang San, accompanied by a few Heavenly Origin realm cultivators, joined the Feng Clan.

This development affirmed Gu Ran's suspicions.

In his perception, he had fully classified Zhang San and the others as part of the Feng Clan, utterly oblivious to the fact that they were actually Jiang Chen's agents!

It was at this very moment, a system alert echoed in Jiang Chen's Sea of Consciousness.

[Ding! You have successfully slightly altered the plot, Protagonist Gu Ran's Heavenly Fate Value has decreased by 500 points!]

[Ding! You have earned 1000 Villain Value points!]

'Slightly altered the plot!?' he mused.

'The main plan seems to be working!'

'Next up, the plot involving Gu Ran claiming lives on Black Wood Island is set to unfold!' Thoughts burgeoned in Jiang Chen's mind, his eyes shimmering with an icy glint.

He approached Black Wood Island, extending his divine sense.

He deliberately sidestepped Gu Ran, initiating observation of the other supporting characters.

He needed to deduce their death timeline based on these supporting characters' Fate Values!

Only by doing so could he deploy his death warriors to thwart Gu Ran!

Time gradually elapsed.

On Black Wood Island, as the teleportation array underwent continuous repairs, Feng Hongbo, Feng Liu, and others began to feel a mounting sense of urgency.

Therefore, another banquet was hosted by the Feng Clan, this time to celebrate a marriage within the clan.

Being a guest of honor, Gu Ran was unable to decline the invitation and participated in the festivity.

Similarly, after the third round of drinks, Feng Liu and his group commenced their praises for Gu Ran once again, inviting him to showcase his invisibility skill.

In response, Gu Ran's heart brimmed with sardonic amusement.

At this juncture, he could definitively discern that the Feng Clan's ultimate target was his 'Spectral Concealment' ability!

"If you wish to see it, then I shall oblige." Gu Ran rose to his feet with an impassive countenance, directly activated his bloodline power, and exhibited his cloaking ability.

Suddenly, his form vanished from everyone's sight, and even divine sense couldn't detect it.

"Remarkable! Daoist friend Niu Qing, your invisibility skill is truly extraordinary!" said an elderly man, his voice brimming with admiration.

"Indeed, it's so potent that we can't perceive him at all!"

"An undeniable young hero, such an exceptional talent!"

"I wonder if Young friend Niu Qing requires a maid?"

The crowd burst into a chorus of exclamations, one after the other.

After a few moments, Gu Ran rematerialized, merely bowing slightly and offering a fist and palm salute as a response to everyone's praises and flatteries.

However, those harboring hidden intentions, such as Feng Hongbo and Feng Liu, found themselves somewhat taken aback.

Even at such a close proximity, employing the maximum extent of their divine sense for examination, they couldn't gather any clues.

They were unable to determine whether Gu Ran's invisibility was the result of a secret art or an artifact.

'This young man's invisibility ability is formidable!' Feng Hongbo mused, his avarice intensifying.

As for Feng Liu, it went without saying.

He had already commenced daydreaming about the marvelous life he would lead once he obtained Gu Ran's invisibility skill.

The banquet persevered.

Late into the night, the other guests progressively departed, leaving behind only the Feng Clan's core members, the Guest Elders, and Gu Ran.

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The first protagonist, armed with a system, takes the stage.

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