Villain : After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse

Chapter 238

The Heavenly Soul Flower was of paramount importance to both him and the elder. If the elder could fully recover, he would gain a Great Saint as his protector. With that kind of power backing him, Du Guyun would have no trouble eliminating any so-called heavenly talents, devouring them to strengthen himself.

In the past, Du Guyun had been thwarted multiple times while trying to kill heavenly talents, mainly due to the intervention of their protectors. But with the elder fully revived, those protectors would no longer be a concern.

Just imagining the future, Du Guyun grew excited. He could hardly wait to enter the small world and seize the Heavenly Soul Flower!

“Heavenly Soul Flower! I hope we can secure it!” The elder thought to himself, his heart filled with anticipation. He had waited too long for this chance. As long as he could obtain the Heavenly Soul Flower, he would immediately recover.

“When I am revive, it will be time to leave… but should I eliminate Du Guyun?” The elder mused silently. Once he recovered, he intended to part ways with Du Guyun. Staying by his side was far too dangerous.

Du Guyun was now an enemy of the world. If their connection were discovered, the elder would surely face retribution.

Even though a Great Saint was a top-tier powerhouse in the Nine Heavens Realm, there were still many beings capable of killing one. More importantly, the elder saw little hope in continuing to follow Du Guyun.

Although the Immortal Devouring Technique was powerful, he doubted Du Guyun would survive much longer. Especially now that the technique had been exposed, it was only a matter of time before Du Guyun became the target of relentless pursuit from all factions.

Escaping death once or twice was one thing, but surviving indefinitely was another matter altogether. In the elder’s eyes, staying with Du Guyun was a death sentence. Given this reality, why not leave early?

However, if he left quietly, Du Guyun’s vengeful nature would undoubtedly lead him to hold a grudge. If Du Guyun told Du Guyong, his father, it was possible that the elder would be hunted down. It was a death either way.

The only path to survival was to kill Du Guyun and frame another faction, eliminating all risk.

“I have to get rid of Du Guyun! Only then can I carve out a path to survival!” The elder concluded coldly.

Someone who had reached his level of cultivation had an incredibly firm will, especially as a wandering cultivator who had fought his way to the top. His mindset was far more ruthless than most could imagine. If anything posed a threat to his survival, it had to be removed, regardless of whether that threat was his disciple.

—

Meanwhile, in a luxurious pavilion within the city, Yan Ruyu batted her eyes in confusion as she looked at Jiang Chen.

“Holy Son, are you really not going to enter the secret realm?”

She had initially assumed that Jiang Chen intended to enter the secret realm to seek opportunities. But upon arriving here, she was surprised to learn that Jiang Chen had no plans to go inside.

If he wasn’t going in, why had he come all the way here? Yan Ruyu was puzzled; this wasn’t typically how Jiang Che acted.

“Brother Jiang Chen really isn’t going in?” Jing Muyu said with a hint of disappointment.

After five years of growth, Jing Muyu was now eighteen years old, and she had undergone a complete transformation, both in her cultivation and in her appearance.

Especially the two peaks on her chest, which even made Yan Ruyu appear less striking in comparison. Paired with her cold demeanor, there was a strong sense of contrast.

Perhaps under the guidance of Mu Jianxue, Jing Muyu’s style had become more and more like hers—cold and unapproachable, like a snow lotus blooming high on an icy mountain.

“I’m not going. This place is for the younger generation. What’s the point of an old man like me entering? If I go in, won’t I take away your chance to gain experience?” Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows.

He hadn’t come here for the secret realm. His real focus was on Heavenly Fox Empress. In the original storyline, after the secret realm appeared, Heavenly Fox Empress was wandering around its outskirts and was bullied by others.

As the male protagonist, Du Guyun couldn’t stand by and watch, so he saved Heavenly Fox Empress. From then on, the two grew close, and she became Du Guyun’s greatest supporter and pillar of strength.

Naturally, Jiang Chen couldn’t allow Heavenly Fox Empress to return to the plot and become Du Guyun’s backer.

He was, however, considering whether or not to intervene himself. If he chose not to act, he would likely receive the “slacking off” reward, which should be valuable. However, it would mean missing the opportunity to build a relationship with Heavenly Fox Empress.

On the other hand, if he did step in, he could absolutely replace Du Guyun in the storyline and win over Heavenly Fox Empress. But by doing so, he would lose the “slack off” reward.

The dilemma left Jiang Chen somewhat indecisive. As for the secret realm itself, Jiang Chen wasn’t concerned at all. The most precious item inside was the Heavenly Soul Flower, which, while valuable, wasn’t anything significant to the Primordial Holy Land.

The secret realm’s appearance wasn’t because of any particularly rare treasures; it was more of a stage for Du Guyun to show off and flaunt his abilities.

Knowing this, Jiang Chen had no interest in meddling. Moreover, he didn’t need to engage with the realm’s events. It wasn’t that he feared the other powerhouses, but that his current strength far exceeded the realm of the so-called “heavenly talents.”

Participating would be inappropriate, as it would just feel like a one-sided sweep with no real challenge or fun.

However, Jing Muyu and Yan Ruyu were perfectly suited for this. Both were top-tier talents, though they lacked some battle experience. This secret realm would serve as an excellent opportunity for them to gain valuable experience.

“I heard that many top talents have gathered this time,” Yan Ruyu said softly, “even the Holy Son of the Ye Family has come. Aren’t you the least bit interested, Holy Son?”

The Ye Family’s Holy Son had always been extremely low-key. People knew only that his talent was unparalleled, and he was hailed as one of the three great human geniuses from the start. Yet, how extraordinary he truly was remained a mystery.

It was precisely because of rumors about the Ye Family’s Holy Son appearing that many heavenly talents had rushed here. Some wanted to gauge whether he was as formidable as the legends claimed, especially the heavenly talents from the Ancient Desolate Demon Realm.

If they couldn’t defeat Jiang Chen, surely they could take down the Ye Family’s Holy Son, right? Defeating him would at least boost the morale of the ancient imperial clans.

As for Jiang Chen? He had transcended the realm of heavenly talents. Ever since he wiped out the Golden Crow Clan and slapped a Saint King to death, Jiang Chen had become a taboo in the eyes of many and was no longer considered part of the list of heavenly talents.

Even monsters like Huang Qingtian had removed Jiang Chen from consideration and categorized him with the older generation of powerhouses—even though Jiang Chen was barely in his twenties.

“The Ye Family’s Holy Son?”

“You mean that Ye Qing?” Jiang Chen scoffed indifferently, “That guy’s a waste. He probably wouldn’t even be able to beat you!”