A Rich Second-generation Villain Can’t Just Enjoy Life — Chapter 450

Chapter 450: Weaponizing A Master’s Name

While Shen Anyu was sizing up Immortal Doctor Lu Ran, Immortal Doctor Lu Ran was also sizing up Shen Anyu.

*‘I originally wanted to possess that boy with the same name, as his Luck and root bone were quite good, but it wasn’t meant to be, and I didn’t encounter him,’* Lu Ran’s ancient consciousness mused, his spectral form radiating an aura of immense power that warped the very fabric of this soul space. The air here was thin and frigid, carrying the faint, despairing whispers of countless souls he had consumed over the ages. This was his domain, a purgatory built within Shen Anyu’s mind.

*‘However, this boy is also good. No, he is far better.’* A flicker of greedy light ignited in Lu Ran’s ethereal eyes. *‘His Luck is a raging torrent, not a mere stream. His root bone… it’s practically divine! The quality of his soul is pure and dense, a vessel forged by the heavens themselves. This is not just a pleasant surprise; it is a gift from destiny!’*

His gaze swept over Shen Anyu’s form, a projection of his physical self—handsome, with features as elegant and sharp as carved jade, exuding an innate nobility that even this grim soul-scape could not diminish. A chilling satisfaction settled over Lu Ran. *‘He’s the one. He is the key to my rebirth.’*

In that very instant, a silent command was issued. The legion of kneeling figures—men, women, the elderly, and children, all with vacant, worshipful eyes—shattered like porcelain dolls. They didn’t bleed; they erupted into a maelstrom of swirling black mist. The air filled with a chorus of silent screams as the essence of a thousand captured souls surged forward, a tidal wave of spiritual corruption aimed directly at Shen Anyu.

Simultaneously, Immortal Doctor Lu Ran’s serene, white-robed form dissolved. The image of the transcendent physician vanished, replaced by a churning, predatory current of pure black and white energy. It twisted upon itself, forming a perfect Yin-Yang Taiji fish, a symbol of cosmic balance now perverted into a weapon of soul-devouring hunger. It shot through the black mist like a shark through blood-soaked water, a vortex of life and death intent on consuming Shen Anyu whole.

A chorus of overlapping, spectral voices echoed not in the air, but directly within Shen Anyu’s consciousness, hypnotic and cloyingly sweet.

“Come… come… merge with me… become one… we will be indivisible…”

“This is your greatest honor… an ant like you… to cast off your mortal shell and step upon the true Immortal Path…”

“Become an Immortal Doctor… Master the life and death of Yin and Yang… a god among men…”

“Your family… your women… everything you hold dear… I will take good care of them for you… They will learn to worship me as they worshiped you…”

The whispers promised power, immortality, and glory, seeking any crack in his mental defenses to seep through and rot his will from the inside.

*‘Take care of my family and women for me?’*

The corner of Shen Anyu’s mouth curled into a razor-sharp smirk. Amidst the suffocating pressure and the horrifying psychic assault, he showed not a single flicker of fear. He watched the swirling Yin-Yang symbol of Lu Ran approach, his eyes glinting with a cold, predatory light of their own. Then, a low, mocking laugh escaped his lips, a sound of pure confidence that cut through the cacophony of wailing spirits.

“Song Hongyan,” Shen Anyu’s voice was calm, almost conversational, yet each syllable struck with the force of a thunderclap in the silent soul-scape. “I’ve taken care of her for you.”

The effect was instantaneous and catastrophic. The black and white Yin-Yang Taiji fish, a blur of unstoppable spiritual force just a moment ago, screeched to a violent, shuddering halt. The fluid grace of its attack shattered, its momentum completely broken as if it had slammed into an invisible, immovable wall. The disembodied consciousness of Lu Ran reeled, thrown into a state of utter shock and disbelief. How? *How* could this mortal ant, this insignificant speck of dust from a barren world, possibly utter the three words that were his most sacred, most deeply buried secret: Song Hongyan.

In that precious, manufactured moment of hesitation, Shen Anyu struck. He pushed the Tian Yuan Secret Technique to its absolute limit, drawing upon the deepest reserves of his spiritual strength. The ambient energy of the soul space warped around him as he gathered his invisible Mental Energy, compressing his will, his killing intent, and his very essence into a single, lethal point. A faint, crimson light began to glow before him, coalescing from nothingness into the solid, three-inch form of a wickedly sharp dagger. It pulsed with a malevolent, soul-tearing light.

“Soul Destruction!” Shen Anyu roared, his voice now a weapon in itself.

This wondrous mental secret technique, a legacy originating from the protagonist Ye Yan and his master, Tian Yunzi, now became a villain’s tool of execution. The crimson dagger vanished with a soundless shriek, leaving behind a long, bloody streak against the bleak canvas of the soul space. It effortlessly ripped through the defensive screen of black mist, the tormented souls within dissolving into nothingness with silent screams as it passed. Its target was not the body, but the core of Lu Ran’s very being.

The dagger slammed directly into the paused Yin-Yang Taiji fish!

Even as a remnant soul, a mere fragment of a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator who had withered across countless eons, the power Lu Ran possessed was terrifying. But he was unprepared, his defenses annihilated by a single name. The crimson dagger of pure mental force plunged deep into his essence, tearing a grievous wound in his spiritual form.

“Ah—!”

A pained, guttural scream, raw and utterly inhuman, tore through the space.

[Ding! Child of Destiny Lu Ran has been severely wounded, plundering +66,666 destiny value!]

[Ding! Child of Destiny Lu Ran’s mind is agitated, plundering +19,999 destiny value!]

The system notifications chimed like a death knell in Shen Anyu’s mind.

Lu Ran’s form flickered violently before re-solidifying into the image of the white-robed youth. His face was pale, his body drenched in a cold sweat that wasn’t physical but a manifestation of his soul’s agony. He clutched his chest where the dagger had struck, a gaping, shimmering wound visible in his spiritual body. But he didn’t care about the debilitating injury. His first action, his only action, was to stare at Shen Anyu with wide, horrified eyes.

“Who are you?!” he demanded, his voice a mixture of rage, disbelief, and a new, unfamiliar emotion: fear. “Why do you know the name of my Master, Song Hongyan?”

The calm, divine composure was gone, shattered completely. The feigned godliness of the Immortal Doctor had been stripped away, revealing the panicked, flustered man beneath. Could it be? Could this young man standing before him not be a mortal ant at all? Was he a cultivator from the Xuanhuang World? It was the only explanation. How else could he know that name?

Any other threat, any plea for mercy or attempt at intimidation, would have been meaningless. Lu Ran was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had lived for over a century; his will was forged from iron and tempered by time. But the name ‘Song Hongyan’ was different. It was the one exception. It was the key to his soul.

She was not just the most special existence in his heart; her name should have been an absolute secret in this desolate, mortal world. No one, absolutely no one, should know it. The implications were terrifying.

[Ding! Child of Destiny Lu Ran is terrified, plundering +9,999 destiny value!]

[Ding! Child of Destiny Lu Ran’s mind is shaken, plundering +9,999 destiny value!]

Shen Anyu’s handsome face was wreathed in a leisurely, almost playful smile. A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed behind his temples—a clear sign of extreme Mental Energy depletion. That single, all-out strike had nearly drained him dry. He needed to buy time, to let his mind recover enough to form another attack. And what better way to do that than to twist the knife he had so expertly lodged in his opponent’s heart?

“Why wouldn’t I know?” he asked, his tone light and airy, as if discussing common knowledge.

“Song Hongyan, the esteemed Sect Master of the Purple Spirit Sect,” Shen Anyu began, observing Lu Ran’s reaction with the keen eye of a predator. The information from the system’s appraisal was his script, and he was a master actor. “Known for her ethereal immortal grace, a beauty that surpasses even the celestial fairies, and a charm that is simply unparalleled. She is, without a doubt, one of the foremost beauties of the Xuanhuang World. Tell me, how many powerful cultivators and young masters admire her from afar?”

He paused, letting the words hang in the air. These claims were half-truth, half-embellishment, but they were rooted in the core of Lu Ran’s obsession. Though Shen Anyu had never met Song Hongyan, it was a simple deduction. The primary female lead in a novel of this genre would never be plain, and a stunning Master figure would naturally possess a captivating allure.

As he had predicted, Lu Ran’s expression grew increasingly uncertain, a storm of confusion and suspicion brewing in his eyes. The system’s chimes were music to Shen Anyu’s ears.

[Ding! Child of Destiny Lu Ran is uncertain, plundering +9,999 destiny value!]

Shen Anyu secretly willed his mind to recover faster. The remnant thought of a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator was already this monstrously difficult to deal with. He couldn’t begin to imagine how overwhelmingly powerful Lu Ran must have been at his peak. A Land Immortal on Earth would likely be nothing more than an insect before him. The gap between martial arts and true cultivation was truly an insurmountable chasm.

“Who exactly are you?” Lu Ran’s face darkened, the initial shock giving way to a cold, murderous glint in his eyes. He wouldn’t be played with. He demanded answers.

“Who I am is not important,” Shen Anyu’s smile widened, becoming utterly mocking. He looked at Lu Ran with an expression of playful pity, drawing out his words, savoring each one like a fine wine. “But—I know that you, Lu Ran, are a despicable traitor. A disciple who betrayed his Master, who coveted the very woman who showed you immense benevolence. You harbored filthy, romantic feelings for your own Master, Song Hongyan!”

[Ding! Child of Destiny Lu Ran is in disarray, plundering +50,000 destiny value!]

It was a direct hit. A secret he had carried to his grave, a truth no one had ever known, was being laid bare by a mortal he had intended to treat as a mere vessel. Immortal Doctor Lu Ran’s mind collapsed into chaos, his formidable will shaken to its very foundations.

And in that moment of profound disarray, Shen Anyu struck again.

The Tian Yuan Secret Technique flared to life once more. The second Soul Destruction dagger materialized, a crimson rainbow of death, and shot forward, tearing through the air.

When dealing with an old monster nearly 180 years old, Shen Anyu felt no need to adhere to any so-called martial ethics. Ambush and psychological warfare were his weapons of choice.

However, this time, Lu Ran merely sneered. The moment the dagger formed, his form dissolved again into the swirling black and white currents, instantly collapsing like a popped bubble and avoiding the attack with contemptuous ease.

Then, his form instantly re-condensed a few feet to the side, completely unharmed.

The white-robed youth stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes now shining with a cold, divine light. The panic was gone, replaced by icy mockery. “Heh, the same trick?” he scoffed, his voice dripping with condescension. “Did you truly believe this Seat would fall for it a second time?”

The first time Shen Anyu had spoken that name, Lu Ran had been caught completely off guard, his shock too profound to allow for a proper reaction. But now, though his heart was still in turmoil, his mind was prepared. One hundred and seventy-eight years of life and cultivation had not been for nothing.

Immortal Doctor Lu Ran looked down on Shen Anyu, his divine aura fully restored. “This Seat does not know how a mortal ant like you came to know so much,” he said coldly. “But it no longer matters. I will simply search your soul, and I will know everything!”

“Mortal, you have gravely underestimated the power and divine abilities of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!”

As Immortal Doctor Lu Ran’s words fell, the strange black mists surged towards Shen Anyu from all directions, with black claws reaching out, accompanied by the wails of demons and ghosts, unsettling the mind…