'Grudge' understated Ye Chen's feeling toward Gu Changge. He detested him, and he was overly eager to tear him into pieces before grinding him into ashes. At that moment, he could feel his mind ringing.
[Master was bought with just some sweet-talk and a damn pill?] He was obviously pained. Devastated even.
On the other hand, Yan Ji was clueless as to Ye Chen's resentment toward Gu Changge, but she figured it had something to do with Su Qingge. In every aspect, Gu Changge was indeed more proficient than Ye Chen, so the latter being envious was only natural. After all, Ye Chen was too young, and as he was still in his youth, his mind had yet to grow mature, so he tended to get hot-headed. "Chen, you don't have to be envious of Prince Gu. I believe you'll grow stronger than him in the future," Yan Ji softly comforted in an attempt to heal the fracture in their bond.
Essentially, if Gu Changge really wanted Ye Chen dead, he could have killed him right away. Of course, she had no idea that Ye Chen was highly favored by the heavens as the layer of luck shielding him was invisible. Otherwise, Gu Changge wouldn't have gone to such a length to put up the act.
"Prince Gu this, Prince Gu that! If you like him that much, you should go to him! There's no need to pity me and stay by my side!" All of a sudden, Ye Chen's blaring shout interjected Yan Ji's utterance. He clenched his teeth as his eyes reddened, resembling an injured beast. First, Su Qingge had abandoned him, and now, his Master, who had been his companion all along, was also gravitating toward his nemesis. Unable to accept any of that, he was thoroughly enraged. If someone else were to stand in his shoes, they would have spewed blood and passed out dying. Fortunately, Ye Chen's mental strength exceeded the ordinary, and that prevented him from going insane from such a shocking situation.
Hearing that, Yan Ji was dazed. Lowering her eyes, she was visibly confused. She never expected Ye Chen to utter such words. [His behavior is no longer out of jealousy, but complete adolescent arrogance. Does he not see my rejection of Gu Changge despite his persistent persuasion? Does he not understand my true intentions? If Prince Gu were the one who awakened me back then, things would have been so much easier.] Yan Ji internally sighed as disappointment surged in her heart.
"Regardless of your opinion, I intend to take the pill. Even if Gu Changge has ulterior motives, he wouldn't have expected me to save you from this prison," Yan Ji continued, though her voice was clearly less gentle and even carried a trace of coldness and apathy. Not only could the Mind Convergence Pill better her current condition, but it could also stabilize her and give her a power boost.
[Save me? So, that's how Master really perceives it?] Upon hearing her words, Ye Chen no longer said anything. His mind was a mess, and he could really use a timeout. However, he could sense that something inexplicable but important around him was slowly waning.
…
<*Ding!* Ye Chen experienced a fracture in his and his Master's bond, losing 80 Fortuity. User is rewarded with 400 Fatums.>
Meanwhile, in the palace, Gu Changge subconsciously smiled after hearing the system's notification. [Stupendous! Things are indeed going according to plan. Ye Chen's Fortuity has dropped from 550 to somewhere over 200 in just a few days. An ordinary person would be spooked as hell, but to Ye Chen, it surely is the biggest tragedy in a decade! With the female protagonist gone and the master-disciple bond breaking up, it seems the Fortuitous One can no longer mess with me.]
With that, Gu Changge pulled up the virtual interface. Ultimately, the reason he tortured Ye Chen was to harvest an insane amount of Fatums to enhance his abilities. So he shouldn't get too caught up in the drama and end up foiling all his plans. Shortly after, the virtual interface popped up.
Identity: Direct Disciple of Skyward Schloss
Bloodline: Demonic Heart, Daoist Bone
Level: Early Stage of Honoured Lord Realm
Spells: Skyward Ascension (Level 7) , Demonization (Talent), Nommening…
Fatums: 1100
Fortuity: 50 (Onyx)
System Shop: Unlocked
Storage: Domain Shattering Talisman*1, Five-Hue Magic Robe*1>
[Based on my experience, a thousand plus Fatums can hardly advance Skyward Ascension's level, so it shouldn't be able to break it through to level eight. That should mean Skyward Ascension's current level is pretty high, so it's not that urgent for now. As for Nommening, I shouldn't use it openly before I reach Partial-Enlightented Realm, so for now, I shall use only the hidden techniques within it. Of course, I'll refine these hidden techniques by myself without spending any Fatums. After all, Nommening is too abysmal of a Spell to show to the public eyes which could bring the entire world against me.]
Gu Changge analyzed as he was navigating the System Shop. Referring to his fused memories, he found that the host was an antagonist evil to the bone. Even in the Beyond, Nommening was a demonic Spell that petrified even the most terror-striking ancient creatures. Nonetheless, the Spell was long lost in time, and as no one dared to mention its existence, it was considered as a forbidden Spell. [Seems like I'm walking deeper into the path of the antagonist…]
Swiftly, Gu Changge shifted his concentration to the offers in the System Shop. As he expected, the offered items were classified into three main categories—Arts and Techniques, Divine Talents, and Supporting Items. Seeing the first category, he immediately swiped on it.
[Aren't these techniques a little too cheap? A cultivator can obtain Partial-Enlightented Realm's Heavenly Grade techniques for just 50 Fatums? Or perhaps Fatum's value in the System Shop is actually higher than I expected?]
Gu Changge was somewhat astonished. [So basically, any one of the Heavenly Grade Techniques could wreak havoc in Eastern Barren.]