Reality Alteration: The Absurd Drama of the Villainous Younger Brother and the Vase Female Lead

The sky over the Douqi Continent suddenly rippled with strange pixels. Xiao Feng, who had been teaching the creators, abruptly froze. The patterns of his Emperor Scale glowed red like an alarm, and the Ancient Emperor Jade fragment in his arms began to tremble. Twisted "system template" code appeared on its surface.

"Third Brother!" Xiao Yan's voice came from Wutan City, a thousand miles away. "My Dou Qi... it's turning black!"

Xiao Feng's pupils contracted. His soul power pierced through the spatial barrier, and he saw black pixelated mist coiling around Xiao Yan. His once-clear gaze had turned sinister, and a wicked smile curled his lips—the telltale sign of a Story Plunderer altering reality!

"Abnormal setting detected: Xiao Yan has been labeled 'the villainous younger brother who envies his older brother.' Affection level: -100. Acquired 'Blackened Douqi: Pseudo.'" The system prompt crackled with static. "The female leads' character settings are being reconstructed..."

Medusa's snake tail suddenly turned plastic. She blinked her empty, wide eyes and spoke to Xiao Feng in a mechanical voice. "Brother Xiao, I'm your brainless fangirl, you know~"

Xun'er's veil fell off by itself, revealing a vacant expression. "Big Brother Xiao, everything you do is just so amazing~"

Yun Yun's sword clattered to the ground. She swayed her hips as she sidled up to Xiao Feng. "Young Master Xiao, I don't want to be sect master anymore. I only want to be your little woman~"

Gu Ling's Ancient Spirit Cold Flame turned into pink hearts. Clutching a bouquet, she squealed, "Big Brother Xiao, I wrote this Mary Sue love poem just for you!"

Xiao Feng gaped. He raised a hand and sent out a streak of Emperor Flame to purge the pixels from Medusa, only for her to snap back to her senses at once. Her tail lashed fiercely at the distant pixel clouds. "Damn it! What kind of ridiculous setting is this?"

"It's the Story Plunderers' 'template assimilation' ability!" Xiao Feng ground his teeth. "They want to turn the Douqi Continent into yet another cookie-cutter system power fantasy! Xiao Yanzi, hold on! I'm coming!"

But when he reached Wutan City, he saw Xiao Yan standing atop the ruins, black smoke "reserved for villains" swirling beneath his feet. In his hand was the reality-altering Setting Pen. "Brother, it's time you handed your Son of Destiny script over to me~"

"Xiao Yanzi, snap out of it!" Xiao Feng flung out the Emperor Flame Chain, but Xiao Yan dodged it with ease. Noticing the struggle deep in his younger brother's eyes, Xiao Feng immediately activated "Soul Movement Three Thousand." His soul power took on Xiao Zhan's voice. "Xiao Yanzi, do you remember what you were like when you refined a pill for the first time?"

Xiao Yan shuddered, and cracks appeared in the black smoke. "Third Brother... hurry and destroy the Setting Pen!"

At the same time, Medusa and the others arrived. Xun'er tossed out a fragment of the Progenitor Ancient Jade. Green light purged the "vase code" from her. "Big Brother Xiao, we'll hold off the plunderers' pixel army. Go save Xiao Yan!"

Xiao Feng nodded. His Emperor Flame surged to its limit, transforming into a "Setting Eraser" as it shot toward Xiao Yan. But the Plunderers' leader suddenly appeared—a pixelated figure in a suit, holding a scroll of the "Official Outline." "Xiao Feng, just accept the template makeover! Your freeform story doesn't conform to market rules!"

"To hell with your market rules!" Xiao Feng punched the pixelated figure, only to discover that its body was made of code. Ordinary attacks had no effect. "Xiao Yanzi, use Flame Emperor Fire to burn the Setting Pen's source!"

Xiao Yan clenched his teeth and burned up what little of his clear mind remained. Flame Emperor Fire became the "Flame of Roast"—forged from millions of "this plot makes no sense" comments by netizens on Earth, it was made to target templated settings. The Setting Pen let out a piercing scream in the flames, and the pixelated leader stumbled back in terror. "Impossible! How could you have this kind of power?"

"Because our readers decide how our story goes!" Xiao Feng and Xiao Yan unleashed "Dual Emperor Sky-Breaking: Chapter of Freedom" together. The Fire Lotus and Emperor Flame fused into a pillar of light called the "Law of True Fragrance," shattering the entire pixelated space.

The system prompt rang out with a solemn roar:

Ding! Ultimate mission "Resist Templating" triggered. Consuming "All-Plane Male Lead" aura ×1 and "Free Creator" inspiration ×1000!

Warning! Reality alteration progress has reached 60%. Destroy the core Setting Hub as soon as possible!

Medusa seized the chance to unleash the "Snake-People Kingdom Setting Patch," restoring her "queen" character setting. Xun'er used the Gu Clan Emblem to rewrite the code for the "Gu Clan heiress." Yun Yun picked up her sword, once again becoming a "sect master with a great sense of justice." Gu Ling used the Ancient Spirit Cold Flame to ignite the setting document for a "talented young woman."

"Big Brother Xiao, catch!" Gu Ling tossed him a burning "Character Setting Correction Talisman." Xiao Feng caught it and infused it with Emperor Flame. It transformed into a "Character Resurrection Card" and flew toward Xiao Yan. The black smoke vanished completely. Xiao Yan crumpled to his knees, and the Setting Pen in his hand crumbled to dust.

"Third Brother," he panted, lifting his head. "Those plunderers... they wanted to turn every story into the same tired trope: 'the older brother is invincible, the younger brother is jealous, and the female leads throw themselves at him'..."

Xiao Feng helped him to his feet and gazed up at the sky, clear once more. "That's why we have to protect real stories all the more—stories with laughter and tears, brotherly bonds, and the unique souls of every person."

Medusa joined them, her tail coiling around the pixelated leader. "Now we can ask this guy who's pulling the strings."

Trembling, the pixelated figure pointed into the depths of the universe. "I-it's the Creation God's second personality! She wants to use templates to save the story market, which is on the verge of collapse..."

Xiao Feng and Xiao Yan exchanged a glance and tightened their grips on the Ancient Emperor Jade. It seemed their next stop would be the Creation God's "Notebook Universe."

The system prompt rang out again, warmer than ever:

Ding! The female leads' sincere feelings are immune to template alteration. Acquired the "True Love Invincible" buff (all attributes +50%, will never betray)!

Xiao Yan unlocked the title "Anti-Trope Master." Xiao Feng received the "Destiny Guardian" badge.

Amid the ruins of Wutan City, Medusa suddenly knelt on one knee and took out the Snake-People's "Symbiosis Ring." "Xiao Feng, in the name of the queen, I swear that the Snake-People Kingdom and the Xiao Clan will fight side by side forever—and as your wife, I'll protect this freedom with you."

Xun'er smiled and unfurled the Gu Clan's marriage contract. "Big Brother Xiao, we can make up our own rules for the Gu Clan's marriage ceremony—like having younger brother Xiao Yan officiate."

Yun Yun handed Xiao Feng the sect master's token of the White Cloud Sect. "From now on, the White Cloud Sect is at your command."

Gu Ling, meanwhile, stuffed a copy of the Anti-Template Romance Guide into his hands. "Big Brother Xiao, I wrote this overnight. Now you'll never have to worry about falling into a trope again!"

Xiao Feng looked at the ring, marriage contract, sect master's token, and guide in his hands, then at Xiao Yan's beaming face—and suddenly burst out laughing. He turned to gaze at the distant stars, the patterns of his Emperor Scale shining in harmony with the Flame Emperor Fire Mark. No matter whether the Creation God or some other threat lay ahead, as long as his younger brother and the female leads were with him, he had nothing to fear.