The First Confrontation with Zhou Fan

Jiang Che was genuinely surprised.

This Zhou Fan was truly extraordinary—his aura of destiny was stronger than any "Chosen One" Jiang Che had ever encountered before. Even Ye Qing, who had eighteen powerful masters, couldn't compare to him!

[Zhou Fan]

[Originally an illegitimate child abandoned by the Zhou family, he was reclaimed by his father a year ago, only to be schemed against and left in a life-or-death crisis. At the brink of death, his soul transmigrated to another world, where he gradually ascended the path of cultivation. In that world, he trained for a thousand years, rising through the demonic path to the Ninth Stage of Divine Ascension, earning the title of "Demon God."]

[While attempting to transcend, he was ambushed, causing his soul to reincarnate back to Earth, bringing with him an otherworldly treasure—the Ten Thousand Souls Malignant Bamboo. Though a millennium had passed in the other world, only a single year had gone by on Earth...]

[Personality: Cold, meticulous, ruthlessly pragmatic, and self-serving.]

[Current Cultivation: Half-Step Grandmaster.]

Well, Jiang Che thought, this was one hell of a tough opponent.

It reminded him of those power-fantasy novels he'd read—tropes like "Demon Emperor Returns" or "Immortal Venerable Reborn," where the protagonist was basically invincible from the start.

Still, despite Zhou Fan’s intimidating background, Jiang Che believed he could still keep him under control. Zhou Fan’s past life’s cultivation shouldn’t have surpassed the Divine Ascension Realm, though his potential was undoubtedly high.

Jiang Che weighed his options—should he just kill Zhou Fan outright?

After all, the guy’s backstory was terrifying. A demonic cultivator who’d lived for a thousand years in another world, reaching the peak of Divine Ascension’s Ninth Stage?

Unlike the usual joke protagonists Jiang Che had dealt with, this guy was different. A true Chosen One who had clawed his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

If he were to strike, he’d need airtight measures to ensure Zhou Fan couldn’t resurrect in any form.

Maybe… take him out now while he’s still weak?

Before coming here, Jiang Che had already prepared for the worst. He’d even summoned three Shattering Heaven Realm subordinates. With a single command, they could strike without hesitation.

"You must be… Young Master Jiang?"

Zhou Fan spoke first.

He was sizing Jiang Che up as well, though a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes—almost imperceptible.

[Spiritual energy? Why is this man enveloped in spiritual energy? Wait… it’s the same as the faint traces I’ve sensed recently. Does he know about Earth’s spiritual energy resurgence?]

[Perhaps I can follow him to uncover the secrets of Earth’s spiritual revival, seizing opportunities before anyone else…]

In that instant, Zhou Fan’s mind raced. A world undergoing spiritual energy resurgence was something he’d never encountered before, though he’d read about it in ancient texts. Legends spoke of awakening ruins of forgotten civilizations, filled with unfathomable techniques and treasures.

Earth had countless myths, especially Dragon Country’s ancient legends… If spiritual energy truly resurged, it would be an unimaginable opportunity.

While Zhou Fan was scheming against Jiang Che, Jiang Che was also plotting against him.

Honestly, a protagonist like Zhou Fan—a reborn Demon God—was a real headache.

Jiang Che wasn’t entirely sure he could kill him in one strike. Sure, his system had plenty of overpowered items. He could spend millions of points on lethal cards and bombard Zhou Fan with them. Even at his peak, Zhou Fan would be lucky to survive with his life.

But what if he didn’t die?

The consequences would be disastrous. Jiang Che wasn’t alone anymore—he had people he cared about.

A typical protagonist wouldn’t harm those around him, but Zhou Fan? This guy was a Demon God reborn. That "Ten Thousand Souls Malignant Bamboo" sounded like some seriously sinister stuff.

Jiang Che browsed the system shop briefly.

[One-Hit Kill Card (Basic): Instantly kills any martial artist below Shattering Heaven Realm. May fail against Chosen Ones…]

[One-Hit Kill Card (Intermediate): Instantly kills any martial artist below Divine Ascension Realm. May fail against Chosen Ones…]

The cards were powerful, but they weren’t foolproof against destiny’s favorites.

Soon, he found a skill.

[Omniscient Ear (Skill): Can hear the thoughts of all living things without detection.]

[Price: 10,000,000 points.]

Now this was a divine skill—the ultimate tool for a schemer.

Jiang Che had already used Heart-Reading before and knew how invaluable such skills were.

But Omniscient Ear seemed even more overpowered—probably the premium version of Heart-Reading.

Ten million points? Worth it.

With Chen Hao and Jiang Ruoxu as his "dedicated workers," points weren’t an issue.

[Ding! Host has successfully purchased "Omniscient Ear." 10,000,000 points deducted. Heart-Reading skill recycled. 50,000 points refunded.]

[Current points: 2,700,000.]

[Ding! Chosen One Chen Hao successfully scammed someone. Chosen One Jiang Ruoxu successfully showed off. Total points gained: 80,000…]

Look at these two, working so hard for him!

After assimilating Omniscient Ear, Jiang Che’s senses expanded explosively. His divine consciousness stretched out, instantly allowing him to hear the thoughts of every living being within a kilometer—even a simple potted plant. It was absurd!

And mind-reading was just the tip of the iceberg. Jiang Che’s current strength was still too low to unleash the skill’s full potential.

But it was already ridiculously powerful.

Young Master Jiang knew when to save and when to splurge.

At worst, his two "junior brothers" would earn those points back in a month or two.

[Wait… that girl behind him—a Void Physique?!]

A shocked voice echoed in Jiang Che’s mind.

Clearly, he was hearing Zhou Fan’s thoughts.

As a master schemer, eavesdropping on someone’s inner monologue was… satisfying.

Watching a movie without headphones was like Jiang Che without Heart-Reading—unthinkable.

Now that he had this skill, dealing with Zhou Fan became much easier.

Of course, Zhou Fan had no idea his every thought was laid bare before Jiang Che.

Given Zhou Fan’s level, ordinary mind-reading skills would’ve been detected instantly. That’s why Jiang Che went all-in on a divine-tier ability.

If Zhou Fan could sense Omniscient Ear’s surveillance, Jiang Che wouldn’t hesitate—he’d eliminate him at any cost.

"Young Master Jiang, we don’t know each other, do we?"

Zhou Fan’s tone was casual, but his mind was racing.

[This man’s spiritual energy is dense—he might come from a place where spiritual energy is abundant. Why is he seeking me out? Could he have sensed the Ten Thousand Souls Malignant Bamboo on me?]