Pov: Third Person

  Seeing the old man, Lin Chen picked him up and ran, trying to save his young master while all Lin Chen's men were fleeing for their lives. In a few minutes, only three people remained: Vik and his two disciples.

  Vik looked at his disciples, still in snake form, and asked, “Disciples, are you alright?”

  They both nodded. Then he said, “Let’s get out of here. I can’t open a spatial portal due to the suppression in this area. We need to move quickly because I have a bad feeling about this place. We will return after some preparations.”

  After that, they made their way out of the forest, leaving the Heaven Suppressing Zone behind.

  Pov: Vik

  I just saved my disciples from Lin Chen's trap, but I still felt uneasy about leaving. Earlier, seeing my disciples in danger ignited my anger. I flicked my tail at Lin Chen and killed the men holding my disciples down. I felt no remorse at that moment. Just as I wanted to chase Lin Chen, something told me to turn back, which is what I am doing now.

  I am heading toward the exit of the forest and the Heaven Suppressing Zone with my disciples. Doubts lingered in my mind, so I asked the system about it, and it responded immediately.

  System: “Host, it’s because you nearly killed Lin Chen, a chosen one. Think carefully about why you attacked him with your tail instead of using your mouth or poison in your snake form. Your snake form may be suppressed, but it could still kill Lin Chen, who is just a mortal. Yet, you spared him.”

  As I processed the system’s words, I reflected on the earlier events. Transforming into a snake was forced by the Heaven Suppressing Zone, which didn't allow enough spiritual energy for my normal form. Yet, I unconsciously spared Lin Chen.

  System: “Host, this is because Lin Chen is a chosen one; fate will protect him. You could attack him only because you are also a chosen one, but that ends there. Fate won’t allow two chosen ones to fight unless their destinies collide, so the heavens influenced your decisions briefly.”

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  It unsettled me to think that despite my strength, the heavens could alter my choices. I realized that even after gaining power, I remain vulnerable to many forces.

  Soon, we moved far enough from the entrance of the Heaven Suppressing Zone for its effects to diminish. Now, I could unleash strength up to Nascent Soul. Without wasting more time, I opened a spatial portal using a space-based magic spell and teleported us to the entrance of my manor.

  I instructed my disciples, “Let’s go inside. We need to form a plan. This attack on you cannot go unanswered.”

  I said this out of anger—anger at Lin Chen for abducting innocent villagers to trap my disciples, anger at the heavens for supporting such people as chosen ones, and finally, anger at myself for letting the heavens manipulate me.

  Once in the living room of the manor, we saw Sherry serving dishes on the dining table, with Lu Xiaoran’s mother helping her. Lina was also trying to help but looked unsure.

  When Lu Xiaoran entered with Roman, his mother Layla smiled and said we had come at just the right time for dinner. We all had lunch together. While we ate, Layla kept thanking me for keeping her son safe and well.

  I accepted her gratitude but immediately called my disciples to my room for a meeting. After Lu Xiaoran, Roman, and Lina joined us, I teleported everyone back to the main hall of the Anonymous Hall in the Great Fire Forest.

  Sitting in the main chair, I looked at my disciples, who settled into their seats. My focus was mostly on Lina, who watched with bright, eager eyes, like a child in a new playground. But back to the task at hand, I said, “Disciples, tonight we will attack Lin Chen and his group. I will create a plan for this.”

  Vik: “First, I will cut off the support he is getting from the city or at least slow it down for a while. As you’ve seen, the police and security forces are isolating that area. It seems the city government is also backing Lin Chen. This is likely because his hidden identity is now exposed, and he has support from his family.”

  Vik: “But I will handle all of this, so don’t worry. However, the second stage of this plan will need your full participation. You know he is currently hiding in that forest, taking villagers hostage. We can attack him, but the problem is the Heaven Suppressing Zone. I don’t have much information about it, except that it suppresses cultivation bases and the spiritual energy in the environment.”

  Hearing this, Lu Xiaoran said, “Master, this Heaven Suppressing Zone must relate to that treasure in the mountains. Lin Chen is close to getting it since he is in a hurry; I can tell from his earlier behavior.”

  I nodded at his words. This complicated matters, as we needed to act tonight. The issue remained the Heaven Suppressing Zone. Then, an idea struck me, and I voiced it.

  Vik: “Disciples, tonight we will attack Lin Chen. Don’t worry about the suppression. If they are all mortals, I will make sure you can defeat them easily, and for that, we will use a weapon.”