Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Chapter 190: Chapter 190: The Gathering(2)

”Come on, brother. Have a seat.”

Xu Xiaojun stood at the center of pavillion, where a jade chairs and round jade table were placed, and pointed at the wooden chair brought by one of his underlings.

Everyone almost chuckled at that.

This is an open conspiracy.

If the Fourth Prince got mad, the Crown Prince can act that as if the fourth prince wasn’t respecting him.

But if he dared agree, it will be incredibly humiliating, being the only one to seat on wooden chair that looks like it could snap any second while others sat on expensive looking jade chairs.

Xu Jingshan stared at the chair, then to Xu Xiaojun who was grinning.

But before he could make a choice, a commotion sudden broke the tension.

”Look! Look! It’s them! It’s really them!”

”Are they also planning on attending the meeting!?”

The atmosphere within the Myriad Dao Pavilion, already strained by the cold confrontation between the Imperial Princes, reached a fever pitch of anticipation.

The air hummed with a resonance that only ancient lineages could produce.

At that moment, another commotion broke, more intense and reverent than any that had come before.

”That’s... The Purple Sky Immortal Sect!? They are going to participate in this!?”

The exclamation rippled through the crowd of noble scions like a physical wave.

Xu Xiansu turned her head, her gaze sharpening as she peered through the fluttering silver leaves of the pavilion’s garden.

She saw around a dozen women walking towards the pavilion, their movements synchronized and ethereal, all of them wearing the iconic purple robe of the Purple Sky Immortal Sect.

The fabric of their garments seemed woven from the very essence of the twilight sky, shimmering with protective runes that warded off the mundane dust of the world.

Leading them is an incredibly beautiful woman with waist-length purple hair and wine-red eyes that seemed to hold the weight of a thousand storms.

Unlike the others, she was wearing a black robe with purple accents, a choice of attire that did not hide, but rather emphasized her incredibly mature and sexy body.

Every curve was a testament to both her physical perfection and her refined cultivation.

”Bai Wenxin...” Xu Xiansu whispered under her breath, a name that felt like a block of ice in her throat. ”The Heaven Shrouding Empress.”

In her past life, this woman had been a pillar of the Empire.

She became the main wife of the fourth prince, Xu Jingshan, forming a power couple that practically dictated the fate of the Central Region.

She was a very dangerous, talented, and regal woman, known for her strategic brilliance as much as her overwhelming martial prowess.

Xu Xiansu had fought her before, a memory that still burned in her soul.

It was during the height of her path of vengeance, when she was razing the entire Empire to the ground, seeking retribution for the suffering of her mother and herself.

Bai Wenxin had come to stop her, acting as the ultimate shield for the imperial throne.

Back then, both of them were already at the Supreme Emperor realm—a stage where a single clash of their wills could shatter space and extinguish star systems.

Although Xu Xiansu won that particular duel, Bai Wenxin was able to buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive, forcing Xu Xiansu to retreat before her final objective could be met.

Xu Xiansu stared at her now, watching the younger, yet no less intimidating version of the Empress walk into the light. ”This time... I will turn her into my ally.”

A cold realization had dawned on Xu Xiansu since her ’rebirth’, for her to defeat Shen Haoran, that golden monster who stood at the apex of all things, and to have her revenge against the Empire, she needed allies.

In her past life, she failed exactly because she was alone.

During her revenge against the Empire, she repeatedly failed to thoroughly destroy it because every time she attacked, she will be held down until reinforcements arrived, forcing her to retreat.

Although the Empire did suffer significantly, it wasn’t enough.

And when she wanted to get revenge Shen Haoran, she was already worn down from fighting Shangguan Mu’er, Ling Luochen, Ning Xueli, and Qing’er that by the time she reached Haoran, she can barely even life her sword.

Haoran didn’t even exert a fraction of his power to kill her.

But this time, it will be different.

She would not be the lone avenger, she would be the architect of a new coalition.

At that moment, another group arrived, their presence heralded by a rhythmic, chanting sound that seemed to echo from the very fabric of reality.

”That’s! The Endless Path Immortal Sect!?”

”Holy crap! Why is every big shot gathering for a mere Eastern Region!?”

The noble geniuses were in a state of shock.

The Eastern Region was widely considered a backwater, a place of low-density spiritual energy and meager resources.

To see these transcendent sects, forces that usually remained secluded in their mystical domains, sending their primary disciples was unprecedented.

Endless Path Immortal Sect... Xu Xiansu remembered them vividly.

They were a sect that sought the ultimate truth of the cosmos, but their pursuit would eventually meet a tragic end.

They were destroyed by the Hei Clan, one of the Nine Immortal Clans, roughly three hundred years from now.

She doesn’t know the reason for their annihilation, the details had been scrubbed from history, and also because she was wandering then, but that event shook the heavens and earth of the Tian Yuan Empire, marking the beginning of a dark era of clan dominance.

The arrivals continued in a staggering display of power.

”Look! That’s the Heart Severing Dao Immortal Sect! They came as well!” A group of stoic, blade-like cultivators entered, their killing intent so sharp that the nearby ornamental plants began to wither.

”That’s the Pill Tower! The Holy Land of Alchemists!” A group of youths in white and gold followed, the scent of medicinal herbs and precious cauldrons clinging to them like a physical mist.

”And that’s the Diamond Titan Sect!” Massive warriors, whose skin held the luster of polished stone, marched in, their every step vibrating through the foundations of the Myriad Dao Pavilion.

”And look! That’s the Blissful Immortal Coupling Palace! Holy crap, they are definitely top-notch seductresses!”

The arrival of the final group caused a visible stir among the male nobles.

A group of women dressed in revealing, gossamer silks that fluttered provocatively in the breeze glided into the pavilion.

Their movements were languid and full of a practiced, hypnotic charm.

Xu Xiansu ignored everyone else and simply focused on the Blissful Immortal Coupling Palace, specifically, to that woman with white fox ears and a fluffy, white fox tail that flicked with a mischievous rhythm.

Su Xishi.

She was the star disciple of the Mistress of Blissful Immortal Coupling Palace and, just like her master, possessed the bloodline of a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox.

She was a beauty that transcended the mortal realm, her every gaze capable of stealing a man’s soul.

The cultivation system of the Blissful Immortal Coupling Palace, as obvious from their names, is through dual cultivation and absorbing the feelings of lust released during such acts.

They transformed the basest of human desires into high-tier spiritual energy.

However, these types of cultivation are ultimately flawed; by relying on external emotions and the interplay of yin and yang, the highest they can go is the Heavenly Saint Realm.

They hit a ceiling that no amount of pleasure could break.

But... there was a secret hidden within their sect’s forbidden archives.

For those who cultivate this technique, yet manage to reign in their desires and not indulge in intercourse, they have the potential to even reach the Supreme Emperor realm.

By refining the energy of ”lust” without succumbing to it, they could achieve a state of ”Transcendent Emotion.”

However, even five hundred years later in Xu Xiansu’s previous timeline, only two people had managed to reign in their desires and become Supremes: Su Xishi and her teacher, the Mistress of Blissful Immortal Coupling Palace.

Although she heard they have gotten married at some point to a mysterious powerhouse, their path to the top was legendary.

”Also a good ally,” thought Xu Xiansu, her mind spinning with strategic possibilities. ”Once I arrive at the Eastern Region, I should also befriend Huo Yue. Between Bai Wenxin, Su Xishi, and Huo Yue, I will have a core group that can challenge even the heavens.”

The chaotic chatter of the pavilion was suddenly cut short by a booming, authoritative voice.

”Alright, everyone...” Xu Xiaojun, the Crown Prince, took the opportunity to establish his authority.

He stood tall, his golden armor reflecting the afternoon sun, trying to project the image of a leader who could unite these forces.

”Let us take a seat and discuss our plans. We are here for one purpose: to reclaim the honor of the Empire and purge the Eastern Region of the barbarian filth.”

He motioned towards the center of the pavilion, where a massive, circular round jade table had been placed.

The table was engraved with a map of the entire Tian Yuan Empire, with the Eastern Region highlighted in a troubling shade of crimson.

At that, everyone turned towards the representatives of the Immortal Sects and other top-tier sects.

The atmosphere of playful arrogance among the nobles vanished instantly, replaced by a tense respect.

After all, amongst the younger generations, the sect disciples were the only ones truly qualified to lead these arrogant and egocentric nobles.

A title of ’Marquis’ or ’Duke’ meant nothing to those who walked the path of the Immortals.

Bai Wenxin took her seat first, her movements possessing a natural, terrifying grace.

Su Xishi followed, sitting with a playful tilt of her head, her wine-red eyes scanning the room with amusement.

Even Xu Jingshan ignored the mocking looks and sat down on his wooden chair.

One by one, the leaders of the great sects sat down, forming a circle of power that would soon decide the fate of billions in the East.

Xu Xiansu remained in her corner, like a ghost in the shadows as she watched as her ”brother” Xu Xiaojun tried to manage the egos of these geniuses, noting every flicker of annoyance and every hidden alliance.

The gathering of the geniuses had truly begun, but the real war was far from the maps on a jade table.

It was in the hearts of those who sought power, and Xu Xiansu was ready to claim hers.