The Anti-Template Alliance: God Emperor Long Aotian's True Fragrance Moment

Inside the "Xiao Family Fortress" of the Free Story Universe, Xiao Feng gazed at the red alerts flashing across the holographic star map, the Ancient Emperor Jade fragment in his hand growing slightly warm. The projection of Code Girl suddenly appeared in the center of the conference table, her pixelated skirt hem still dusted with binary particles from the Template Universe: "Big Brother Xiao, the Creation God has been locked in the 'Setting Prison' of the Template Universe! They want to trade them for your free code!"

Medusa stood up immediately, her mechanical snake tail tapping a metallic rhythm against the floor: "I suggest we launch the 'True Love Fleet' at once and use the Emperor Flame Cannon to blast open the barriers of the Template Universe!"

Xun Er turned the Seed of Life in her hands: "Let's not be hasty. The beings in the Template Universe might just be 'Setting Slave Laborers' forced to work against their will; perhaps we can rescue them peacefully..."

Yun Yun flipped through the Wasteland Codex: "Diplomatic channels take priority—I shall draft the Anti-Template Peace Initiative."

Gu Ling was already clattering away at her keyboard: "Don't worry, I've hacked into their 'Villain Recruitment System' and am currently broadcasting the 'True Fragrance' highlights of the Xiao family story~"

Xiao Yan bit into an energy bar scavenged from the wasteland world and mumbled indistinctly: "Third Brother, I bet their warden is a total tsundere, the kind that explodes at a single poke."

Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow: "Oh? You know this how?"

Xiao Yan grinned: "The skeleton teacher at the Villain Training Class once said that all bosses in the Template Universe have a hidden 'denial-is-just-a-front' attribute."

When the fleet of the Anti-Template Alliance arrived at the Template Universe, they were greeted by a sky composed of "system notification sounds," while the subjects of the "Long Aotian Kingdom" on the ground stood in line to receive their "face-slapping scripts" and "harem tokens." Medusa's mechanical fleet had barely entered the airspace before being intercepted by a group of "Dao Protectors" wearing sequined capes, led by none other than God Emperor Long Aotian, who had been sabotaged by Xiao Yan during a talent show.

"Xiao family brat!" God Emperor Long Aotian brandished the Invincible Long Aotian Blade, the inscription "Seconds the Heavens, Seconds the Earth, Seconds the Air" etched into its edge. "Hand over the free code, and I shall spare your corpses!"

Xiao Yan leaned out of the spaceship's porthole and gave him the middle finger: "Come on then! Let's hurt each other! I heard you're afraid of heights and allergic to pollen?"

God Emperor Long Aotian shuddered, his blade nearly slipping from his grasp: "You... how do you know that?!"

Gu Ling's voice boomed from the broadcast system: "We also know you've been secretly writing fanfiction for The Overbearing CEO's Wife-Chasing Chronicles under the pen name 'Princess Long Aotian'~"

The sky was instantly filled with pixelated "Shocked" and "Funny" emojis. God Emperor Long Aotian's face turned the color of a liver, and he suddenly raised his blade toward the sky: "System! This script is wrong! I am supposed to be the invincible male lead, why do I have such dark history?!"

Code Girl's projection appeared before him: "Because you are a template character; all your weaknesses exist solely to highlight the protagonist's sense of satisfaction~"

God Emperor Long Aotian froze on the spot, his blade clattering to the ground: "So... the fact that I slap faces thirty times a day is actually forced by the system? Even marrying three hundred wives was all pre-set?"

Xiao Feng seized the opportunity to fly out of the ship, the Emperor Flame dancing in his palm: "Brother Long, true invincibility isn't about performing according to a script, but about choosing your own life—for instance, by joining our Anti-Template Alliance."

God Emperor Long Aotian looked at Medusa, Xun Er, and the others behind Xiao Feng, then looked at his own empty harem (which were actually just template-generated NPCs), and suddenly knelt down, weeping: "I've had enough! Every morning I have to recite 'arrogant quotes,' and even when I eat, I have to pose with a 'wicked, charming smile'! Big Brother Xiao, take me in!"

The system notification sound chimed right on cue:

Ding! Recruitment of God Emperor Long Aotian successful, gained "Template Traitor" buff (Template Defense -50%)!
Xiao Yan gained the title "Savage Tongue Representative," unlocked "Roast Critical Hit" skill!

Yun Yun struck while the iron was hot, handing over the Freedom Alliance Charter: "Mr. Long, as long as you sign this agreement, you can freely decide what to eat today, how many wives to marry—or not to marry at all."

God Emperor Long Aotian signed immediately, even pressing a bloody handprint onto the page: "I want my first mission! I want to beat the living daylights out of the screenwriter who wrote my dark history!"

Gu Ling raised her hand: "I know where he is! The 'Setting Editorial Department' of the Template Universe, the most boring place in the entire universe~"

When the fleet arrived at the Editorial Department, they saw a group of bespectacled code-beings working on an assembly line, writing template plots like "Male lead falls off cliff and must find a secret manual" and "Villains die from talking too much." Xiao Yan suddenly pointed at a bald code-being: "That's him! He's the one who wrote me as the 'jealous villain brother' back then!"

The bald code-being raised his hands: "Don't kill me! I'm just a wage slave! The Creation God's second personality forced us to do it!"

Xiao Feng frowned: "Where is the Creation God?"

The code-being pointed toward the "Setting Furnace" deep within the Editorial Department: "Locked in there! Every day they scream, 'Let me out to write free stories!'"

Medusa swung her mechanical snake tail, easily shattering the furnace door, only to find the Creation God tied to the "Template Throne," their mouth gagged with "Forced Power Fantasy." Upon seeing Xiao Feng and the others, they immediately let out a muffled cheer: "Quick! Destroy the throne! That is the core of the Template Universe!"

Xiao Yan pulled out the "Flame of Roast" and unleashed a barrage of output at the throne: "What kind of trashy throne is this? It must be uncomfortable to sit on! Villains die from talking too much? I'd rather let the villain talk the protagonist to death! Male lead falls off a cliff? Why not let him open a BBQ stall at the edge of the cliff!"

The throne let out a scream of resentment amidst the flames, crumbling into countless fragments of "power fantasy tropes" like "Artifact Recognizes Master" and "Zero-to-Hero," which exploded into brilliant fireworks in the air.

The system notification sounded with the joy of liberation:

Ding! Template core destroyed, Creation God rescued!
Reward: "Multiverse Pass," "Story Freedom MAX" achievement!

God Emperor Long Aotian picked up a fragment of "Artifact Recognizes Master" and suddenly burst into tears: "So... I never had a real artifact; they were all system-generated props..."

Xiao Feng patted him on the shoulder: "Now you can forge your own artifacts—for example, a blade that can grill skewers?"

God Emperor Long Aotian's eyes lit up: "Good idea! I shall call it the 'True Fragrance BBQ Blade'!"

The Creation God stretched their bound hands and feet, offering a grateful smile to Xiao Feng: "Thank you, Guardians of Free Stories. Now, the story tree of the multiverse can finally grow again—and you shall become the source of inspiration for all free stories."

Medusa suddenly knelt on one knee, her mechanical fingers opening a ring box: "Xiao Feng, after being reborn in the Template Universe, I am even more certain—you are my destiny."

Xun Er's vines extended a Ring of Life: "Big Brother Xiao, this is a seed cultivated from the tears of the Creation God, symbolizing our eternal symbiosis."

Yun Yun unfurled a new marriage announcement: "Following a vote by the survivors, you are now the Honorary Sect Master of the White Cloud Sect—and my husband."

Gu Ling held up her modified keyboard: "This is the dowry made from the template core; from now on, I will type out the strongest code for your stories!"

Xiao Feng looked at the four rings, then at the expectant heroines, and finally at Xiao Yan, who was snickering on the side, before finally laughing out loud: "Fine! I accept them all—but first, we need a resounding name for our alliance."

Xiao Yan immediately raised his hand: "Let's call it the 'Xiao Family Anti-Trope Troupe'!"

God Emperor Long Aotian raised his hand as well: "Count me in! I want to be the Vice-Leader!"

The Creation God shook their head with a smile, their fingertip writing a line in the void—The Free Story Alliance is officially established.