The Empress Begs for Forgiveness? I, the Villainous Overlord, Won't Pretend Anymore! - Chapter 17:

Chapter 17:
Imperial Capital, Bedchamber

Xu Ning sat on the Luohan couch with his eyes closed, resting.

[The Child of Destiny has fallen out with Zhou Shuxian, negatively impacting the Child of Destiny. One strand of Primordial Purple Qi has been plundered. Gained 200 Fate Points.]

As the system prompt sounded, Xu Ning opened his eyes, a playful smile forming at the corner of his lips. Just as he expected, with Long Lingtian’s naturally suspicious personality, he had walked right into his trap.

Now that all ten strands of Primordial Purple Qi on Long Lingtian had been plundered, he was of no value anymore. All Xu Ning had to do next was wait for Long Lingtian to open the Demon Lord’s Heavenly Tomb and let him act as the treasure-hunting rat before collecting the final harvest.

“Tsk tsk, it really feels amazing to toy with the Child of Destiny in the palm of your hand.”

“I wonder… if I kill the Child of Destiny, will I get any extra rewards?”

He muttered to himself and opened the system page.

[Host: Xu Ning]
[Identity: Direct descendant of the Xu family, King of the North]
[Realm: Peak of 1st stage Heaven Venerable Realm]
[Physique: Pure, excellent mortal body]
[Cultivation Method: Xu Family Origin Return Technique]
[Fate Points: 3,100]
[Inventory: Heart of the Dao Seal, Canon of the Dao Slave]

Looking at the 3,100 Fate Points, he fell into deep thought.

Spending all of this to improve his cultivation or purchase techniques felt too wasteful. After all, Fate Points were valuable and rare, while cultivation and techniques weren’t things that could only be improved with Fate Points.

Making money generate more money was the real path to power.

He opened the system mall and glanced across the dazzling variety of items before locking onto the “System Functions” category.

One feature in particular caught his attention—Child of Destiny Prediction!

Activation cost: 2,000 Fate Points!

“System, what does Child of Destiny Prediction mean?” he wondered.

[This function detects the host’s current entanglements of karma and predicts potential Child of Destiny targets likely to intersect with the host.]

He hesitated briefly, then decisively spent 2,000 Fate Points to activate the prediction feature.

Know yourself and your enemy, and you’ll never lose. If he could predict the Child of Destiny’s information, he could plan in advance. The potential value was enormous.

This was blood profit!

[Congratulations, host. Child of Destiny Prediction feature activated.]

[He is the Immortal-Slaying Great Saint. By mistake, he transmigrated into the body of a useless youth.]
[The Xuansheng Empress is ruthless and cruel. She exterminated his family. He swore to destroy her and return to his peak.]

Huh?

That’s it?

I spent 2,000 Fate Points… for just two lines of vague backstory?

Although Xu Ning mocked it internally, he actually felt the 2,000 points were well spent.

“Yes, just as I suspected. He’s the typical powerful soul-reincarnated type of Child of Destiny. I can target this angle. First, drive a wedge between him and Yuwen Rou… then cripple one of his arms!”

“He won’t be easy to handle. Once this kind of Child of Destiny survives their growth phase, their strength becomes terrifying.”

“Thankfully, I snatched a Saint Law Realm soul fragment from Long Lingtian. I must find time to refine it into a puppet of that level. Only then will I have a backup plan.”

He took a deep breath, already outlining plans for the future in his mind.

As for the remaining 1,100 Fate Points, he chose not to use them for now—better to keep some in reserve.

On the large bed in the distance, Zhou Shuxian lay naked beneath the covers, waiting for Xu Ning.

Her mood was a tangled mess. There was humiliation and unwillingness, as well as the nervousness and shyness of a girl about to lose her virginity.

Lingtian, did you really betray me…?

She still couldn’t believe it. Deep in her heart, she clung to one last sliver of hope.

What if Xu Ning had lied to her?

She was planning to find a chance to meet Long Lingtian face-to-face and confirm it herself. She refused to believe Xu Ning’s words alone.

My pure body is about to be given to Xu Ning. Will you hate me?

Her delicate body trembled slightly, like a frightened little animal. She curled into a ball, her alluring figure wrapped tightly, heart pounding.

Her beautiful eyes flickered with complicated emotions—bashful and timid. Though she hated Xu Ning intensely, she couldn’t stop thinking about how he would take her for the first time.

Time passed unknowingly. As early dawn broke and the sky turned pale, sunlight spilled over the land—yet Xu Ning still hadn’t touched her.

This confused her. Joy and unease clashed in her heart.

She glanced at Xu Ning sitting on the Luohan couch. Her beautiful eyes were filled with even more confusion.

Xu Ning had clearly summoned her to serve in bed. Why hadn’t he touched her? What did it mean?

Could it be that he wasn’t even interested in her body… and didn’t want to punish the Great Zhou Empire? That he only used this method to protect his image?

The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded. Otherwise, how could tonight’s situation make sense?

I didn’t expect you to be like this… so gentle.

She felt a bit shy. Her gaze toward Xu Ning softened, no longer filled with hostility and coldness.

Noticing her change, Xu Ning smiled knowingly.

He didn’t care what she was thinking. But her self-initiated change in attitude? Very charming indeed.

As the saying goes: control through restraint, victory through the heart.

If he wanted her to truly work for him, he had to win her heart first.

Roughly speaking, it required three steps:

First, reward her with something sweet, changing her impression of him.

Second, find an opportunity to reveal Long Lingtian’s true nature to her.

Third, appear before her again with his handsome and wealthy image, and take advantage of her emotional vulnerability.

With these three steps, capturing her heart would be effortless.

And judging from the current progress—the first step had succeeded brilliantly.

Just then, rumbling sounds suddenly echoed from the distant sky.

The world changed. A vast wave of purple aura surged eastward for 30,000 kilometers. Chaotic divine demons knelt in reverence. A terrifying phenomenon erupted across the entire Great Zhou Empire.

Zhou Shuxian was stunned. Her eyes filled with a complicated light. After some hesitation, she ultimately chose not to reveal the matter of the Demon Lord’s Heavenly Tomb to Xu Ning.

Because deep in her heart, there was still a place for Long Lingtian.

“It’s finally begun?”

Staring at the vision outside the window, Xu Ning’s face remained calm.

In the original novel, the owner of the Demon Lord’s Heavenly Tomb was a terrifying sage from the ancient era, a mighty figure who suppressed an entire age with his strength.

Such a grand display made sense.

“Shuxian, get dressed and come with me to the Demon Lord’s Heavenly Tomb.”

Zhou Shuxian’s face froze. Her eyes widened.

So Xu Ning had known about the tomb all along!

And she’d foolishly believed he was completely in the dark!

…

Inside the Demon Lord’s Heavenly Tomb

Having just escaped from the dungeon, Long Lingtian looked utterly disheveled and reeked of filth. He walked side by side with Yuwen Shuang, heading straight toward the center of the tomb.

“Lingtian, the space here is chaotic. If we move forward so rashly…” Yuwen Shuang noticed the spatial disorder and frowned.

This space was unlike the outside world. It was unstable and constantly shifting. Without some way to probe the spatial forces, they might get lost forever.

“Don’t worry, Shuang’er. I have a way to find our direction.”

Long Lingtian held the Twelve-Armed Demon Statue in his arms. With its guidance, the two passed through a turbulent space zone, steadily advancing toward the center.

He never mentioned the statue to Yuwen Shuang. After the incidents with Yao Ling’er and Zhou Shuxian, he no longer trusted these so-called soulmates.

The moment he thought of the two women, the hateful face of Xu Ning appeared in his mind. His fury surged violently.

Yao Ling’er, Zhou Shuxian, Xu Ning… just wait. I’ll make you all pay in blood!

Yuwen Shuang could clearly sense he was hiding something.

She had opened her heart to him, yet he couldn’t even offer her trust in return. A wave of indescribable disappointment welled up within her.

So this is the real Long Lingtian…?

A bitter feeling rose in her heart.

…

Outside the Imperial Capital, in a remote mountain range

The terrain stretched endlessly, vast and undulating. Towering ancient trees filled the landscape.

Normally, this place was completely deserted. Few cultivators ever came here.

But now, with terrifying auras erupting, it had attracted a massive gathering of cultivators.

Every reputable cultivation family across the Great Zhou Empire had sent representatives—each hoping to claim a share of whatever treasures might emerge.