Boom——
A deafening bang echoed.
The entire Liu estate seemed to shudder.
The massive red foot, wreathed in flames, slammed down onto Liu Ruyan's body.
Before she could even scream, she was trampled into a pile of bloodied flesh.
It was worse than death.
Chen Xiao glared at the remains with mild disgust, then pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and lightly tossed it onto her body.
"The letter of withdrawal you requested…"
"I cannot allow someone like you to monopolize the title of my young master's fiancée."
"Since you are dead, I, Chen Xiao, grant you freedom."
"Everyone here, bear witness: I, Chen Xiao, have no fiancée."
…
Silence fell, heavy and suffocating.
No one had expected that Chen Xiao would trample Liu Ruyan over a petty dispute.
Even the Liu family's cultivators wanted to intervene, but it was too late.
Hidden among the crowd, Nangong Qi nearly spat blood.
The Third-Level Explosive Yuan Pill, the Fifth-Level Fiery Flame Talisman, and the antidote for the Bone-Eroding Soul-Dispersing Incense — all painstakingly purchased from the System Mall — had been utterly obliterated by a single kick!
He felt as though he had thrown a punch with all his strength, only to be kicked squarely in the backside.
"Is this the protagonist?!" he muttered inwardly. "Am I the villain… or is he? Why doesn't Chen Xiao follow the rules?"
In Nangong Qi's understanding, the Heavenly Dao's protagonist should be upright. Challenged in public, humiliated by a broken-off fiancée, he should have faced it directly and triumphed honorably.
"System! System! What the hell is happening to the plot?"
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in Nangong Qi's mind.
"[Host, I am here.]"
There was hesitation in the system's tone.
Chen Xiao's initial characterization was that of a carefree playboy, but after Liu Ruyan broke off the engagement, his character had shifted.
[However, this morning's engagement-breaking plot differs from the original. The protagonist's character remains unchanged — quirky, dissolute, unpredictable.]
Then, silence. Even the system seemed confused.
The plot appeared unchanged, yet simultaneously, it had completely collapsed.
After a pause, the system continued:
"[Now, the protagonist's luck is growing increasingly powerful. Host must personally intervene to curb the protagonist's arrogance and intercept his heavenly fortune.]"
Nangong Qi's eyes narrowed as he stared at Chen Xiao.
…
Chen Xiao held the massive red dog, his gaze on Liu Ruyan's body.
A bloody, severed hand slid out from the pile, kicked by him, and rolled across the ground.
In that hand was a talisman, still faintly glowing with fire.
"Tsk tsk tsk… challenging this young master with a Fifth-Level Fire Talisman?"
"You Liu family are truly cunning."
Everyone's attention turned to the severed hand.
"It really is a Fifth-Level Fiery Talisman!"
"It can unleash an attack equivalent to an early-stage Spirit Refining cultivator!"
"Liu Ruyan brought this to challenge Young Master Chen? Isn't that practically an assassination attempt?"
"And her cultivation — she just hit Golden Core stage. She must have swallowed an Explosive Yuan Pill!"
Outside the Liu estate, many spectators gasped.
Originally, Liu Ruyan's death would have provoked outrage — she was the most beautiful woman in Aurora City.
But now, seeing the talisman and recalling her sudden cultivation surge, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. She had clearly tried to kill Chen Xiao in a single blow.
The Chen family cultivators surrounding the estate erupted in spiritual pressure anew, even more intense than before.
Liu Yuanzun's face drained of color. Despair washed over him like a suffocating tide.
"Master Liu… are you ready to pay the ten million high-grade spirit stones?" Chen Xiao asked, stepping over Liu Ruyan's remains, the dog at his side, advancing toward Liu Yuanzun with measured, relentless steps.
Liu Yuanzun retreated again and again, growing paler by the moment. The Liu family cultivators dared not move.
"Chen Xiao…"
A sudden shout rang out.
"I've repaid the Liu family's ten million high-grade spirit stones myself!"
A young man in a light blue robe emerged from the inner hall, his figure imposing, his face subtly feminine. He strode through the stunned Liu family members toward Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao's brows twitched. A strange feeling surged in his heart.
He had never seen this man before. Yet from the moment he appeared, Chen Xiao knew one thing:
He had to kill him.
If he didn't, he would be the one to die.
"Master… is this the Destined Villain?" Chen Xiao muttered under his breath.
"Why?" Yun Ranran's voice echoed in his mind.
"Master, can't you see him?" Chen Xiao asked.
Yun Ranran's tone was subdued. "The Destiny Villain System on the destined villain can block detection from the Heavenly Dao. Even while I was in a Heavenly Dao state, I could not sense his existence."
"Brother Disciple, the Destiny Villain System is… unusual. Be careful!"
Chen Xiao hummed. He raised his eyes to Nangong Qi and said meaningfully, "So… you're the adulterer? No wonder…"
Nangong Qi blinked, confused. "Adulterer?"
Chen Xiao pulled out a photo stone, tapping it lightly.
Instantly, the erotic image from that morning appeared before everyone again.
"This figure… it's really him!"
Nearby immortal cultivators gasped.
Though Nangong Qi wore a loose brocade robe now, his body was unmistakably the one in the projection.
Voices of recognition and shock rippled through the crowd.
Nangong Qi's face flushed crimson.
"That's enough!" he barked.
"I'll pay ten million high-grade spirit stones!"
He waved a hand — mountains of spirit stones appeared within the Liu estate.
Spiritual energy surged, scattering across the scene. Everyone's eyes widened. Even Chen Xiao had never seen so many spirit stones in one place.
Nangong Qi raised his chin, a faint smile on his lips. "But…"
"If you want these ten million high-grade spirit stones, you'll have to defeat me!"
"Chen Xiao… do you dare to fight me?!"
He looked Chen Xiao directly in the eyes.
Chen Xiao slowly lowered the projection stone, glancing at the mountain of spirit stones.
"Who are you… to be worthy of fighting me?"
Nangong Qi waved his hand dismissively. "I am Nangong Qi, second son of Marquis Tianyang of the Dayu Immortal Cultivation Dynasty. Do I have the qualifications to fight your Young Master?"
The four great princes of the Dayu Dynasty held influence comparable to the heads of the eight major families. In the Xiuxian Dynasty, central power was weak; sects and families obeyed orders but rarely announcements.
These four princes were staunch supporters of the royal family. Loyal to the end.
Chen Xiao looked Nangong Qi up and down, sneering.
"So your father, Marquis Tianyang, taught you every day how to seduce other people's fiancées… and…"
"Skills in bed?"