Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Shen Haoran smiled with cold satisfaction as yet another graduating student finished their official transaction.

He flicked his wrist lightly, letting his gaze slide over to the digital readouts of his Academy Identification Token.

The glowing holographic screen displayed an updated balance that made his eyes gleam beneath the bright sunlight: 103,921 Dao Points.

In the standard currency valuation of the Central Region, that amount of premium academic currency was equivalent to more than a staggering one billion low-grade spirit stones.

Had he been forced to use his own physical savings of spirit stones or ancestral treasury reserves to exchange for this massive mountain of points, he would have probably been required to completely empty out one of his many high-grade spatial storage rings.

That was something he was profoundly loath to do, as liquidating physical capital for localized currency was always an inefficient waste of raw resources.

Instead, he had chosen a far more strategic and incredibly lucrative route: he simply offered high-paying, stable jobs within the vast external enterprises of his primordial clan.

Of course, there was a deeper, much more calculated reason behind this sudden mass recruitment drive.

Everyone who managed to enter this prestigious academy—whether they were commoners, fallen nobles, or minor heirs—contained some sort of latent ”luck” or fragmented ”destiny” within their souls.

After all, the sole, historic purpose of this grand institution that his own ancestors had helped build millenniums ago was precisely to gather these sort of high-destiny individuals under one roof.

By tying these graduating cultivators to the Shen Clan via binding spiritual contracts, not only could he effortlessly earn massive amounts of Dao Points by offering them employment, but their collective, anchored destinies could also effectively slow down, or perhaps even completely halt, the gradual, centuries-long decline of his clan’s supreme heavenly luck.

It was an absolute, flawless win-win situation for both parties.

”Next,” Haoran called out, his voice smooth and melodious, yet carrying the weight of an imperial decree that echoed clearly across the crowded, stone-paved plaza.

At that precise moment, Nuo Wan stepped forward nervously, his knees trembling slightly as he took his seat on the heavy wooden chair right across from the grand obsidian desk.

He swallowed hard under the pressure, bowing his head respectfully. ”G-Greetings, young master.”

”Hm,” Haoran hummed softly, his golden eyes observing the older student with an indifferent, analytical gaze. ”Name? And what is your current balance of points?”

”I’m Nuo Wan, senior of the outer court... and I currently only have... 917 points left on my token,” Nuo Wan muttered, his face heating up with a deep, burning embarrassment as he admitted to possessing such a pitifully small amount of academic currency in front of a supreme scion.

Haoran stared at him intently for a couple of seconds, closed his eyes to think deeply for a brief moment, and then slowly opened them, locking his piercing gaze onto the nervous graduate once again.

”Are you perfectly fine with working in a designated lower realm?”

Nuo Wan blinked in utter surprise, his mind briefly processing the implications.

A lower realm? To commoner cultivators, traveling across the starry void to an auxiliary world was filled with danger, but it also offered endless opportunities for conquest and resource accumulation.

”Y-Yes! Absolutely! I can certainly do that, Young Master!”

Haoran nodded slowly in approval and raised his left hand toward his side.

At that exact moment, anticipating his every whim with perfect synchronization, Zhu Ziyan reached into her spatial pouch, took out a blank sheet of high-grade spiritual parchment and a fine ink pen, and gently handed them to him.

Haoran caught the pen and immediately began to write with fluid, elegant strokes as the golden ink shimmered as it bonded with the parchment.

After a few minutes of silent composition, he slid the newly minted contract across the dark surface of the desk, showing it directly to the waiting graduate.

”Our clan’s astral scouts have recently discovered a brand-new, completely uncivilized, and heavily barbaric lower realm,” Haoran stated casually, his tone smooth yet dark. ”We currently require capable, battle-tested explorers and frontline crusaders to venture into their territories, pacify their local factions, and let their native population finally have a generous taste of freedom.”

Ziyan snorted, rolling her eyes. Freedom, my beautiful ass.

”Yes! I understand completely! I am more than willing to work diligently as a loyal mule and a horse for your magnificent clan, Young Master!” Nuo Wan proclaimed fiercely, his eyes burning with newfound hope for his future.

”There is no need for such excessive subservience. Just read the terms and sign the contract,” Haoran replied smoothly, dismissing the flattery with a wave of his hand.

Nuo Wan didn’t hesitate for a single second as he swiftly scanned the generous compensation clauses, pricked his index finger to draw a drop of pure blood, and immediately signed his name upon the contract.

Once the spiritual bond was formally sealed, he raised his identity token and instantly transferred his entire balance of 917 Dao Points directly to Haoran’s screen.

Haoran stared calmly at the new points that safely arrived in his balance, offering a silent, satisfied nod of his head.

”I swear I will not disappoint your expectations, Young Master!” Nuo Wan declared proudly, standing up from his chair with a massive, triumphant grin.

”I have absolutely no expectations of you,” Haoran replied coldly, a razor-sharp smirk playing upon his lips as he looked at the commoner. ”But see to it that you do not fail.”

With that chilling warning echoing in his ears, Nuo Wan simply grinned wider, entirely unfazed by the scion’s cold nature, and respectfully moved aside to let the next student take his place.

At that exact moment, another eager student stepped up and quickly took the seat before the desk, desperate to secure their own contract.

However, before they could even begin their formal discussion, a horrific, reality-shattering roar tore through the ambient noise of the crowded avenue.

”Zhu Ziyan!”

A incredibly loud, furious voice boomed across the entire expanse of the grand plaza like a sudden thunderclap.

Everything in the area instantly paused, causing the smooth flow of the long line ground to a screeching halt, and a heavy, tense silence descended upon the stone square.

Zhu Ziyan’s delicate feline ears twitched violently as she frowned deeply, her purple eyes turning toward the source of the vulgar shout with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust.

Even Shen Haoran raised a sharp, elegant eyebrow, a look of profound, malicious intrigue blooming across his handsome features as he leaned back comfortably against his golden throne.

However, the hundreds of graduating students who were currently lining up under the hot sun were definitely not feeling the same level of casual amusement as him.

They were profoundly annoyed! They were on the very verge of securing the greatest, most life-changing employment contracts of their entire lives, and some random madman was suddenly interrupting the process.

Yet, seeing that the supreme Young Master Shen remained completely silent and relaxed on his throne, the waiting crowd also tried their absolute best to keep their mouths shut, swallowing their boiling anger out of sheer reverence for Haoran’s terrifying presence.

From across the wide cobblestone street, Yun Chi—or rather, Tai Yuhao—could be seen aggressively storming toward them.

His expensive noble robes were disheveled, his breathing was incredibly ragged, and his bloodshot eyes were burning with a terrifying, unhinged fury that bordered on literal madness.

And when his frantic gaze finally locked onto the central platform, seeing his designated, pure fiancee, Zhu Ziyan, submissively holding a beautiful silk umbrella to shade another man from the afternoon sun, the last remaining threads of his sanity completely snapped.

The jealousy in his chest exploded like a volatile volcano.

”Zhu Ziyan, you absolute whore!” Tai Yuhao cursed at the absolute top of his lungs.

His voice echoing so incredibly loud that every single pedestrian, merchant, and high-level cultivator in the surrounding commercial streets turned around to stare at him in profound shock.

”How dare you act like a low-grade servant and display such disgusting intimacy with another man right out in the open!?”

Zhu Ziyan frowned at her, ”I miss the part where it’s your problem who I have intimate contact with.”

”You—!”

Shen Haoran stared directly at the approaching youth, his golden eyes suddenly flickering with a dark, primordial power.

For a fraction of a second, his pupils transformed into a mesmerizing, rainbow-colored hue, deploying a supreme cosmic sight that could peer into the very fabric of natural destiny.

Through this specialized vision, he saw a shocking, but expected sight.

Tai Yuhao’s physical body was radiating an intensely bright, blinding seven-colored light that wrapped around his soul like a celestial armor.

It was the unmistakable, distinct, and thoroughly disgusting spiritual signature of a primary Protagonist—a favored Child of Destiny blessed by the blind heavens themselves.

His eyes immediately returned to their normal, piercing golden hue as he slowly stood up from his golden throne.

A cruel, patronizing smirk spread across his lips as he looked down at the furious youth. ”And who exactly are you supposed to be? How dare a minor bug like you raise your voice to curse my woman in my presence?”

That calm, possessive declaration seemed to piss off Tai Yuhao even more, his face contorting into a hideously twisted mask of pure hatred.

”Your woman!? You crazy bastard! That woman belongs to me! She is my legally bound fiancee from birth!”

Haoran let out a low, melodious chuckle that carried a terrifying edge of mockery. ”Is that so?”

With slow, deliberate, and agonizingly provocative steps, Haoran walked directly behind the frozen Zhu Ziyan.

He leaned forward and smoothly wrapped his strong arms completely around her slender waist from behind, pulling her soft body flush against his chest.

He lazily rested his chin upon her delicate shoulder, his warm breath fanning against her neck as his golden eyes locked onto the trembling Tai Yuhao.

”Tell me, little bug... has she ever actually let you hold her like this?” Haoran asked smoothly, his voice dripping with pure psychological venom.

Tai Yuhao clenched his fists so violently that his knuckles turned completely white, his fingernails drawing fresh blood from his palms as his aura fluctuated wildly. ”Get the hell away from her! Step back right now!”

The truth of Haoran’s mocking question cut Tai Yuhao deeper than any sword.

Back in the Eastern Region, during their entire childhood engagement, Zhu Ziyan had never allowed him to experience anything even remotely resembling that level of physical intimacy.

Heck, she hadn’t even allowed him to hold her hand properly! She had always maintained a strict, distant boundary between them.

But now...but now some random guy was actually holding her like they’re a pair of lovers!?

As a man, how could he accept this!?

Haoran acted exactly as if he hadn’t heard a single word of the madman’s screaming threats. ”Or perhaps... has she ever let you touch her like this?”

With a slow, agonizingly smooth movement, Haoran extended his right hand, tracing his long fingers delicately along the smooth, pale skin of her exposed thigh, which was beautifully framed through the deep side slit of her black and purple qipao.

Tai Yuhao was already hyperventilating, his chest heaving up and down as his vision began to turn red with pure, murderous rage.

And what angered him infinitely more than Haoran’s provocative actions was the devastating, undeniable fact that Zhu Ziyan was standing perfectly still, willingly letting this golden-haired bastard do absolutely as he pleased with her body without showing a single trace of resistance or discomfort!

”It seems the answer is a no,” Haoran smiled beautifully, now stepping away from her back to stand directly beside the flustered cat-eared girl.

He turned his gaze back to the panting protagonist, his tone mockingly polite. ”What a truly pathetic shame. But I guess I really have to express my deepest gratitude to you for preserving her value.”

With that final, crushing insult, Haoran suddenly reached out, firmly grabbing Zhu Ziyan’s chin with his fingers and lifting her beautiful face upward.

And there, right in the absolute center of the grand plaza, under the wide-eyed, gasping stares of hundreds of graduating students and enforcement scouts, he leaned down and fiercely pressed his lips against hers.

Zhu Ziyan’s purple eyes widened into massive plates in total, unadulterated shock, her mind turning completely blank as the sudden, overwhelming sensation of his lips crashed over her senses.

But ultimately, deep within her soul, she felt absolutely no desire to pull away.

Her body melted into his embrace, her eyelids slowly fluttering shut as she actively reciprocated the deep, passionate kiss right in front of her past.

Soon, after a few seconds of absolute dominance, Haoran broke the kiss with a soft sound, a trace of moisture glistening on his lips.

He then turned his head back toward the paralyzed Tai Yuhao, a sharp, victorious smirk cutting across his face.

”Indeed,” Haoran murmured smoothly, his voice carrying across the silent street like a heavy hammer. ”Your fiancee truly was delicious.”

At that final, apocalyptic provocation, the last remnants of Tai Yuhao’s mental control completely collapsed.

”DIE YOU BASTARD!”

A horrific, blood-red spiritual light exploded from his physical vessel as the full, unchecked power of a 9th Stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator violently erupted into the sky, shattering the cobblestones beneath his feet into a thousand flying fragments!