Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

(I made a discord, if anyone want to join. I’d be posting pics there that gets banned by WN. httpsdiscord) (just add ”://” after the https)

Shen Haoran opened his eyes, the absolute, deep golden luminescence of his pupils fracturing for a split second into infinite, razor-sharp recursive lines before settling back into a calm, bottomless pool of liquid gold.

As he uncrossed his legs and stood up from the freezing block of primordial spirit jade, he could feel that unprecedented, heaven defying power actively coursing through his reinforced veins and newly tempered meridians like a raging river of molten stars.

The breakthrough this time was not merely a matter of accumulating his qi or expanding the boundaries of his internal sea of consciousness, but something more.

He had now successfully mastered the conceptual mechanics of the Law of Absolute Severance, the primordial technique bestowed upon him by that enigmatic outer entity, Nyx.

It was a law designed explicitly to bypass karma, cut through luck, and cleanly shatter the heavy parameters of Destiny itself.

With this law firmly integrated into the very core of his soul-force, he can now arbitrarily imbue this conceptual law into any of his physical or spiritual attacks.

Whether it was a casual flick of his fingers, a full-blown slash from the Black Imperial Sword, Azathoth, or a localized eruption of his unique physiques, the law would instantly grant his attack the terrifying properties required to entirely bypass the destiny-armor of a protagonist.

He could now systematically execute a chosen one of the heavens without incurring the immediate, apocalyptic wrath or triggering the hidden, passive defensive mechanisms of the world’s consciousness.

The universe would find itself entirely blind to his slaughter.

And despite spending most of his time mastering that technique, he also had some time to cultivate his qi and now his standard cultivation foundation had also experienced a massive, violent leap.

He now had also officially broke through to the 5th stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and the sheer density of the raw, unadulterated energy swirling inside his dantian was so immense that it completely warped the surrounding gravity of his private chambers, causing the stone walls to groan under a constant, silent pressure that resembled a peak Spirit Ascension master.

”Congratulations on your successful advancement, my son.”

Haoran slowly looked up from his open palms, his expression instantly smoothing out into calmness as he saw his mother, Chu Xueyu, standing quietly in front of him.

She was leaning gracefully against one of the heavy obsidian pillars of the chamber, her arms crossed over her chest as a beautiful, fiercely proud smile graced her lips.

Her long, golden blonde hair was bound by pins of divine jade, and her presence alone was enough to completely stabilize the volatile energy still leaking from his breakthrough.

”Mother.” Haoran stood up fully, smoothing down the edges of his wrinkled gold silk robes as a soft, respectful smile appeared on his face. ”Thank you. May I ask how long was I in seclusion for? I didn’t miss the enrollment for the Imperial Academy did I?”

”No. You’ve only been in seclusion for a few months,” Chu Xueyu answered smoothly, ”You managed to cut through your seclusion just in time. The grand gates of the Imperial Academy will officially open for the new generation’s enrollment in exactly a week.”

”A week...” Haoran muttered, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he calculated the travel time required to cross the vast spatial distances between the Shen Clan Domain and the Imperial City where the academy is located.

”Yes, a week,” Chu Xueyu nodded, her smile widening slightly as she observed the terrifying, stable depth of her son’s new aura. ”Oh, and those two girls, Xia Mengyao and Luo Mingye, have already sent multiple urgent messages to us. They explicitly stated that they want to head to the capital academy together with you, and according to the scout reports, they are currently on the way here right now, with a massive convoy of elite disciples from their own respective clans and sects following closely behind them.”

Haoran nodded slowly, his expression remaining entirely unbothered. ”I see. Well, it’s fine. How about Huo Yue? Has there been any word from her?”

Chu Xueyu hummed softly, her golden eyes shifting with an amused light as she recalled the recent intelligence reports. ”Last I heard of her movements, she and her newly revived master, Liu Ruyan, along with those two friends of hers had successfully established a brand new faction called the Flame Moon Pavilion. It is a specialized sect that exclusively trains and takes in high-tier flame-attribute cultivators across the central region. It has actually grown quite decent, accumulating a massive amount of regional resources within a remarkably short period. Oh, and according to the reports, she’s already heading straight towards the Imperial Capital right now to attend the official enrollment ceremony.”

Haoran nodded his head, a cold, satisfied smirk forming on his lips as he realized his match had successfully burned down her enemies. ”Well, I guess I’ll begin to prepare myself for the departure—”

Just then, a sudden, piercing cry of a majestic phoenix violently resounded through the upper atmosphere of the domain, shattering the quiet peace of the inner courtyard.

The mother and son simultaneously looked up through the open terrace of the chamber, watching as a gargantuan, fifty-meter-wide golden Phoenix descended gracefully towards their position, its feathers burning with a brilliant, golden heat.

”Cousin!”

The exact moment the massive beast’s talons securely touched the jade stones on the ground, Feng Yanmei immediately jumped down from its burning back.

She completely discarded all lady-like decorum and rushed towards him like a fiery rocket, her golden hair streaming behind her. ”Cousin! You finally, successfully broke through! That golden pillar of light nearly knocked our floating island out of the sky!”

Ling Luochen and Ning Xueli descended from the phoenix right behind her, their movements far more controlled and graceful.

They didn’t rush towards Haoran with the same chaotic energy as the young girl; instead, they stopped at a respectful distance, cupped their slender hands together, and bowed deeply and formally towards the terrifying figure of Chu Xueyu.

”Greetings, lady Chu Xueyu,” they spoke in unison.

Chu Xueyu nodded her head gracefully at them, acknowledging their respect before turning her sharp eyes back towards Haoran, who was currently getting thoroughly and tightly hugged around the waist by the hysterical Yanmei.

”Haoran, once those two girls from the alliance arrive at our valley gates, you shall depart for the capital at once. Do not delay your entry.”

”Yes, mother,” Haoran replied, reaching down to pat Yanmei’s head to calm her down.

Chu Xueyu nodded, her robes rustling as she turned around to depart the chamber.

However, right as her foot cleared the threshold, she stopped dead in her tracks, looking over her slender shoulder with a deeply enigmatic, teasing glint in her eyes.

”Come find me in my personal bedchambers later tonight, my son. We have a few private matters to discuss. Oh, and before I forget... I am officially giving her back to your personal custody.”

With that final, loaded sentence hanging in the air, her silhouette suddenly turned into a faint mist and completely disappeared from reality, leaving no trace of her saint-qi behind.

”Her?” Haoran raised a sharp eyebrow, a sudden curiosity striking his mind.

But at that exact microsecond, before he could even form a solid guess, he felt the space directly beneath his boots suddenly twitch and ripple with a cold, familiar qi.

And from his very shadows, a quiet, breathtakingly familiar figure smoothly emerged into the light.

She possessed long, lustrous black hair that framed a pale, porcelain face, and a pair of extraordinarily beautiful yet inherently deadly crimson eyes that gleamed with an absolute, unyielding loyalty.

Her curvaceous, highly alluring body was perfectly emphasized by her signature, sleeveless black skintight full bodysuit, which bore the subtle, glowing runes of the Shen Clan’s elite shadow guards.

It was Qing’er, his personal Shadow Guard, assassin, and primary Head Maid.

”Young master,” Qing’er spoke, her voice a low, smooth melody that carried a trace of emotional warmth she reserved only for him as she immediately dropped to one knee, her head bowed in absolute submission. ”I am deeply honored to be placed back at your service once more.”

Haoran’s smirk widened into a genuine, relaxed smile as he reached out to pull her up by the elbow. ”Glad to have you back, Qing’er. I must admit, it was starting to get remarkably uncomfortable walking around everywhere without you being at my side.”

Qing’er stood up smoothly, her crimson eyes locked onto his face as she bowed deeply from the waist. ”Your comfort is my absolute law, young master.”

”Qing’er! I haven’t seen your face in such a long time!” Yanmei grinned hysterically at her, letting go of Haoran’s waist to bounce over to the maid. ”I guess Aunt Xueyu really did put you through some intense work, huh? Your qi feels twice as dense now!”

Qing’er shook her head slightly, her expression remaining perfectly professional and detached. ”It is nothing, Lady Yanmei. It is my absolute, fundamental duty to serve Lady Chu Xueyu and endure whatever trial she deems necessary to ensure I am strong enough to guard the young master’s path.”

Haoran turned his golden gaze away from them, his eyes sweeping over the quiet forms of Ning Xueli and Ling Luochen who were watching the reunion. ”It seems the two of you have also managed to acquire quite a significant bit of opportunities and fortune since the last time we parted ways, huh? Your core foundations look remarkably stable and solid now.”

”Haoran!”

The moment his voice addressed her directly, Ning Xueli’s structural composure completely collapsed.

She immediately grinned widely, completely abandoning her reservations as she lunged herself forward across the stones and tightly hugged his chest, burying her hair into his robes. ”I missed you so much!”

Ling Luochen stood completely still in the background, her icy eyes staring at the intimate display.

Looking at Xueli’s unbridled, shameless affection, she couldn’t help but feel a deep, burning wave of envy at her friend’s sheer boldness and lack of hesitation.

She clutched the fabric of her dress, letting out a quiet, helpless sigh.

’Next time,’ she thought to herself, her jaw tightening with a cold determination. ’Next time for sure, I won’t just stand in the back.’

Haoran casually wrapped an arm around Xueli’s waist, his golden eyes sweeping over his small, powerful entourage as the final preparations for the capital campaign locked into place.

”Alright, that’s enough playing around for now. Let’s head back inside and properly prepare our things while we catch up on the regional news. I still have to meet my mother in her inner chambers soon before the arks arrive.”