Villain: My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

Deep within the palace, a muffled groan, like a thunderclap, suddenly erupted, causing the beams and pillars of the palace to tremble.

An overwhelming pressure spread out like a tide, and the guards around the hall were terrified. They were all pale, their legs were trembling, and they didn't dare to breathe.

"That aura just now, my god, it was like there was some kind of peerless demon squatting inside!" A guard trembled, his voice shaking like a leaf, and cold sweat dripping from his fingertips.

"Watch your mouth! If these words reach the ears of the young master, we'll all lose our heads!" Another guard quickly covered his mouth, but he himself felt a chill run down his spine, and his robes were already soaked with cold sweat.

Everyone could guess that the young master in the hall was probably breaking through his cultivation level.

But the commotion was terrifying. The oppressive force was so strong that it was hard to breathe, as if one would be crushed into dust if one wasn't careful.

Inside the hall, Xie Zheng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, but a hint of mocking smugness lurking in his eyes.

"This Marquis-level strength isn't that terrifying." He scoffed lightly. As soon as he finished speaking, the void in front of him rumbled, and an even stronger pressure surged from his body.

His blood, lungs, and even bones shone with a crystalline brilliance, like refined steel tempered by a raging fire, exuding an innate resilience.

Between his heart and bones, there was a faint flow of Daoist energy, while demonic intent lurked like an underground river, intertwining with him in strands, yet he held it firmly in his control.

With a breakthrough in cultivation, one's talent also rises accordingly.

His demonic heart and Dao bones were already extraordinary, and now they have become even more solidified. His physical strength has also suddenly increased to a new level, and every move he makes exudes an aura of dominance over the world.

"The demonic heart is mine, but the Daoist bones..." Xie Zheng stroked his chin, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "They're probably related to that future woman of destiny."

Fragments of the original owner's memories surged up, and he quickly pieced together the clues. Then he frowned, looking pained: "So this Celestial Immortal Scripture is this high-level? Breaking through just one level has completely depleted my more than 500 Fate Points. This isn't cultivation; it's burning money!"

The exhilaration of breaking through was still fresh in his mind, but the thought of his empty Destiny Points balance froze his smile on his face.

Five hundred or so Destiny Points—not a lot, not a little—were wasted, like feeding a dog, without even a splash.

It seems that the claim that this Celestial Scripture points directly to the immortal realm is not just empty talk; the value of this technique is even higher than he imagined.

"Forget it, there's always a way out. There's still that kid Ye Chen waiting for me to harvest his wealth. In the future, the Fate Points will be a piece of cake."

Xie Zheng quickly consoled himself, and didn't forget to add a witty remark, "Speaking of which, he looked quite pathetic while cultivating, but when I took some of his luck, he looked absolutely handsome."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his fingertip, and a pale golden spiritual light shot out, landing in his palm and transforming into a small jade talisman, which was the Domain Breaking Talisman he had obtained from the newbie gift pack.

"Keeping it to save your life is never a bad idea." Xie Zheng played with the jade talisman, a sly glint in his eyes, then stood up and walked out of the hall.

Back in the dungeon, Elder Ming sent word that Ye Chen was sitting there listlessly. He had to go check on him; this "leek" needed to be properly nurtured to harvest more luck points.

……

Meanwhile, in the dungeon of the Tai Xuan Holy Land.

A damp, musty smell mixed with the stench of decay filled the air; the moss on the stone walls was slippery and sticky; and the light was so dim that one could hardly see a face.

Ye Chen's wrists and ankles were bound by heavy shackles, the chains dragging on the ground with a harsh scraping sound, but he seemed oblivious, sitting blankly on the cold ground, his eyes empty and lifeless, as if his soul had been ripped away.

What happened to him in the main hall today was an utter disgrace.

Three years ago, his fiancée publicly broke off their engagement. That was his only low point. But when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

Xie Zheng's aloof and cold demeanor was like a thorn, piercing his heart.

In the past, no matter what difficulties he encountered, he always managed to turn the tide. But today, he felt like a grasshopper with its neck being squeezed, without even the strength to struggle.

Xie Zheng

Ye Chen clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white, his teeth grinding together, and he squeezed out the three words one by one from his throat, his eyes surging with overwhelming hatred and resentment.

Just then, the storage ring on his fingertip suddenly became slightly warm, and a sweet and melodious female voice rang out, breaking the deathly silence of the dungeon.

"Xiao Chen".

Ye Chen was startled and suddenly looked up. His eyes were first blank, then filled with anger and grievance.

Her voice was trembling with tears: "Master! Where did you go? I called you for so long, why didn't you respond at all?"

He was seething with anger, and with nowhere to vent it, he took it all out on his master, who was inside the ring.

Everyone knows that his current level of cultivation and opportunities are all thanks to the guidance of this master.

But in the main hall, Xie Zheng was so aggressive, yet his master remained silent. No matter how he thought about it, he felt a chill in his heart.

The figure inside the ring sighed softly, and a faint female silhouette slowly emerged. She had a pair of eerily beautiful crimson eyes, and a helpless, bitter smile in her eyes.

"Xiao Chen, let me explain. It's not what you think." The woman's voice was weak, but still gentle.

She is Yan Ji, a powerful figure who once dominated the upper realm. After being assassinated by her enemies, a wisp of her soul drifted to the lower realm and possessed this ring, which is how Ye Chen obtained it.

Now that she is just a remnant soul, she has to be careful even when she shows her face, and dares not move around casually.

"At that time, a terrifying divine thought enveloped the entire Tai Xuan Holy Land in the main hall. I suspected it was the enemy who caused my death back then, and I dared not show myself easily for fear of implicating you," Yan Ji explained slowly, her tone full of apology.

Ye Chen's anger gradually subsided, but upon hearing this, his eyes widened in shock: "The Upper Realm? Xie Zheng is actually from the Upper Realm?"

No wonder the Supreme Saint Lord was so wary of Xie Zheng; it turns out the other party had such a powerful background!

He originally thought his master was powerful enough, but he didn't expect Xie Zheng to be even more terrifying than his master. This gap in his understanding left him feeling powerless and bewildered.

Abandon Su Qingge? Let her fall into Xie Zheng's trap?

Ye Chen clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm, drawing blood, and the resentment in his eyes was almost overflowing.

Su Qingge was the person he cherished most, how could he just stand by and watch her be bullied by Xie Zheng?

But now his cultivation is sealed, he is trapped in a dungeon, and he can't even protect himself, so what can he use to protect Su Qingge?

In the cold dungeon, the musty smell still lingered. Ye Chen and Yan Ji in the ring stood facing each other in silence.

After a long pause, Yan Ji spoke first. Her figure flickered in and out of the dim light, and her crimson pupils were filled with caution: "This matter needs careful consideration. Xie Zheng's background is too terrifying, and there are unknown powerful figures hiding behind him. You must not confront him head-on now, or you will only bring trouble upon yourself."

She paused, then added with a hint of reproach, "Besides, you shouldn't have been so reckless in this matter."

Ye Chen hung his head, his shoulders slumped slightly, like a deflated balloon, and said in a muffled voice, "I understand, Master. I'm sorry, I was too impulsive."

After calming down, he realized how much he had gone too far. It was really wrong of him to lose his temper with his master who cared about him.

Fortunately, Yan Ji wasn't angry and was still thinking of him, which made him feel both warm and guilty.

As for being reckless? Ye Chen secretly rolled his eyes. He had already thought of a solution, but his master messed up at the crucial moment, which led to this outcome.

"I know I was wrong, Master." Ye Chen raised his head, his eyes filled with determination. "From today onwards, I will lie low and wait until my cultivation surpasses Xie Zheng's before I make him pay for his crimes in blood!"

He gritted his teeth, speaking each word with a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve.

Yan Ji looked at him with a hint of relief in her eyes, but then frowned: "Hiding is not a long-term solution. If you are trapped here, Su Qingge will also be implicated. In my opinion, we should find a way to leave the dungeon first, and then make a more careful plan."

"But my cultivation is sealed, and the shackles are specially made, so I can't break free at all." Ye Chen shook his wrist helplessly, but the iron chain didn't budge. The shackles were also wrapped with a restriction, so even his spiritual power couldn't pass through.

Yan Ji remained silent for a moment, a thoughtful glint in her crimson pupils: "I remember that deep within the stone walls of this dungeon lies an ancient teleportation array, but it has long been sealed away and requires essence blood as a catalyst to activate. However..."

She paused halfway through her sentence.

Activating the teleportation array requires a large amount of vital essence, and Ye Chen was already suffering from internal injuries. If he were to consume even more vital essence, it would likely damage his very foundation.

"What master? As long as we can get out, what are these injuries!" Ye Chen perked up instantly at the prospect of hope, his eyes shining like burning fire.

Yan Ji looked at him, her tone grave: "But I don't know where this teleportation array leads. Moreover, Xie Zheng has set up restrictions all over the dungeon, so when the teleportation array is activated, the noise will inevitably be noticed by him."

This is the most troublesome part.

Xie Zheng is powerful and meticulous. Once he notices their actions, he will definitely stop them.

At that point, they probably won't even be able to touch the edge of the teleportation array.

Ye Chen's expression also darkened. Yes, Xie Zheng was like a large net, trapping them tightly and not giving them a chance to breathe.

"What should we do? We can't just stay here forever, can we?" Ye Chen scratched his hair in frustration, his eyes filled with anxiety.

Yan Ji pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke, her tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning: "Xie Zheng may seem strong, but he is actually a master of the art of feigning weakness to lure you in. The reason he didn't kill you today, but instead spared your life and locked you in the dungeon, is to make you resentful and throw you into disarray."

"Think about it, if he wanted to kill you, it would be easy for him with his strength. But he deliberately kept you alive, just to use you as a pawn, to watch you struggle, to watch you fall into his trap step by step."

Yan Ji's words struck Ye Chen's mind like a thunderbolt.

He was suddenly stunned, then began to think about it carefully.

Xie Zheng's actions in the main hall today, though seemingly aggressive, always left room for maneuver.

Not only did they not kill him, they also let him walk out of the main hall alive and imprisoned him in the dungeon.

It turns out that all of this was Xie Zheng's scheme!

He wanted to make himself resentful, act impulsively, and expose his weaknesses so that he could take advantage of him.

"Then what should we do? Are we just going to let him scheme against us?" Ye Chen asked through gritted teeth, his heart filled with shock and anger.

"Of course not." Yan Ji's voice turned colder. "He wants us to panic, but we won't. For now, calm yourself down, pretend you're terrified of him, and spend your days in the dungeon, letting him think you've become a helpless ant."

"Once he lowers his guard, we'll take the opportunity to activate the ancient teleportation array and leave the Tai Xuan Holy Land. As for Su Qingge, we'll find a way to bring her out once we're safe."

Ye Chen's eyes lit up, and he instantly understood what Yan Ji meant.

This is an example of using someone's own methods against them!

Xie Zheng wanted to play hard to get, so they did the opposite, pretending to be manipulated while secretly accumulating strength, and then slipping away when the time was right.

"Alright! I'll listen to Master!" Ye Chen nodded emphatically, the anxiety in his eyes fading away, replaced by a strong fighting spirit.

He took a deep breath, slumped back to the ground, his face regaining its previous blankness and despair, as if he had truly been terrified by Xie Zheng and could no longer cause any trouble.

Outside the dungeon, a dark figure silently swept past, taking in all the commotion inside.

The old man's figure was hidden in the shadows. He looked at Ye Chen, who was looking dejected in the dungeon, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. He turned around and disappeared into the darkness to return and report to Xie Zheng.

Meanwhile, Xie Zheng, inside the palace, was toying with the tattered World Seed, listening to Elder Ming's report, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

"Playing hard to get? Then I'll play along." He murmured softly, his fingertips gently stroking the surface of the World Seed.

"Wait until you show a weakness, then I'll see how I fleece you, this fat sheep, until only bones remain."