Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

At this moment, in the trial dimension.

Shen Haoran and Shen Xinye found themselves in the middle of a vast desert.

The spatial distortion from the teleportation array dissolved with a soft, crystalline pop, leaving behind a heavy, suffocating silence.

As far as the eye could see, monumental dunes of pale, crimson-tinted sand rolled endlessly beneath a harsh, blazing sun that hung like a molten coin in the sky.

The heat waves rose from the parched earth in thick, shimmering ribbons, distorting the horizon and turning the distant landscape into a blurry, shifting mirage.

There was no wind, yet the fine grains of sand seemed to shift and dance on their own, whispering a quiet warning to any outsider foolish enough to trespass into this forbidden territory.

”Hmm,” Haoran looked around, his golden eyes casually scanning the desolate expanse.

He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the blistering heat or the oppressive atmosphere.

He adjusting his crisp sleeves, completely untainted by the dust. ”This place, huh... Be careful, Xinye. This desert is filled with massive earthworms that like to devour people from the ground.”

Shen Xinye nodded, her expression immediately shifting into one of absolute vigilance.

Her hand clenched tightly, her blue robes snapping slightly as her qi began to circulate, creating a faint, cool barrier around her body to repel the ambient heat.

”I understand, young master,” she replied softly.

She took half a step closer to his side, her large, intelligent eyes scanning the shifting sands beneath their boots before she spoke up again.

”By the way, young master, I made a deep research of people that might pose a threat to us. However, I only researched our classmates, as I don’t have enough time to do more research from other classes.”

”Is that so?” Haoran hummed as he took a step forward, his movements entirely relaxed, as if he were simply taking a casual stroll through a private garden rather than a treacherous primordial trial zone. ”Tell me.”

In truth, he couldn’t care less about his classmates, which is why he knew almost nothing about them.

To someone of his status and transcendent capabilities, the squabbles and names of ordinary mortal geniuses were entirely inconsequential.

Heck, he didn’t even know most of their names or faces.

They were just passing shadows in his academic life. But seeing how eager and meticulous Xinye had been in preparing for this trial, he was more than happy to humor her and listen to her report.

Shen Xinye walked beside him, matching his smooth, unhurried pace perfectly while remaining highly alert to the ground beneath them.

”First is the Hei Xuan and Shi Tian pair,” she began, her voice clear and precise. ”Both of them are from the Nine Immortal Clans, with Hei Xuan being a 6th stage Nascent Soul realm expert and Shi Tian at the 5th Stage Nascent Soul realm. They possess exceptionally powerful bloodlines and have been trained in high ranking ancient battle Techniques since infancy. Both of them were childhood friends, so their teamwork is impeccable.”

”Them, huh,” Shen Haoran muttered, a faint, fleeting memory of the two names surfacing in his mind before he shook his head with a look of utter indifference. ”They’re not a problem.”

To him, whether they were at the fifth or sixth stage of the Nascent Soul realm made absolutely no difference.

A single wave of his hand would reduce them to the same dust covering this desert.

Although, he has to admit, Hei Xuan is troublesome to deal with if he really gets serious.

It’s not because he was strong, but he’s just incredibly difficult to subdue because of his clan’s Cultivation Technique, allowing anyone who practiced it to teleport from shadow to shadow.

And if he wanted to, he can even create a shadow dimension where he can stay indefinitely.

Shen Xinye nodded at that, completely accepting his evaluation without a shred of doubt.

In her eyes, the young master was an absolute, invincible deity.

”Then, next is Ling Yinchi and Su Meilin, both at the 5th stage of Nascent Soul Realm.” she continued, her brow furrowing slightly as she recalled the intelligence reports. ”Both of them are also from the supreme Immortal Clans. Ling Yinchi is known across the capital for her incredible spiritual strength that makes her illusions almost indistinguishable from reality. She can manipulate the senses of her opponents so thoroughly that they will slash their own throats thinking they are attacking a beast. As for Su Meilin... she... she...”

She paused, hesitating for a moment. Her footsteps slowed down slightly, a look of profound confusion and uncertainty crossing her delicate features.

Haoran paused and turned towards her, raising an eyebrow at her sudden hesitation. ”What about her?”

Shen Xinye sighed, shaking her head lightly as she looked up at him. ”There is little to no information about Su Meilin, young master. During her childhood, because of severe internal political matters within the Su Clan, Su Meilin was ambushed by rogue elders and fell into a lower realm, losing her memories completely. It was only a few years ago that she finally recovered her true identity and returned to the main clan. But since then, the Su Clan has kept her tightly hidden, and there has been absolutely no news about her true cultivation or abilities.”

Shen Haoran paused at that, his eyes narrowing slightly as a strange expression crossed his face.

Why does that setting sound so much like a heroine template? he thought to himself, a silent, amused chuckle echoing in his mind.

The mysterious background, the tragic betrayal during childhood, the fall into a lower realm with amnesia, and the sudden, triumphant return—it possessed all the classic, stereotypical hallmarks of a heroine of a destiny-favored child of heaven.

Is she a heroine as well? So her protagonist is still in the lower realm? Haoran pondered, his mind immediately flying back to his own past exploits. It couldn’t be that Shen Hao that I left behind in that lower realm, could it?

He quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought. No, he’s still a kid. He hasn’t had enough time to grow into a proper protagonist yet. So it should be another one. Interesting. It seems the wider cosmos is far larger and more chaotic than I initially anticipated.

Although, he should’ve already expected this, after all, most protagonist came from the smallest village of a smallest city of a smallest kingdom of a smallest empire of a smallest continent of a smallest plane.

”Then, lastly,” Shen Xinye continued, breaking through his silent contemplation as she hurried to finish her assessment. ”There is that Sword Maniac from the Jian Clan, Jian Xi, who is also from the Nine Immortal Clans. He is a terrifying 7th Stage Nascent Soul realm expert, and he has been paired with a 9th Stage Nascent Soul realm senior from the upper classes. His sword intent is exceptionally sharp, and he is known to be a complete battle lunatic who cares for nothing but slaughter.”

Haoran nodded at that, his expression remaining entirely unbothered. ”Understood.”

”These three are what I believe to be the most dangerous threats to us,” Xinye said, letting out a soft breath as she concluded her report. ”Of course, that is not counting Sister Xunyi, Sister Yue, and the rest of the Crow—”

She didn’t get to finish her words.

Before the last syllable could leave her lips, the fine sand beneath their feet suddenly began to vibrate violently, liquefying into a spinning vortex.

Haoran’s instincts flared. Without a single word, he reached out, his strong arm wrapping tightly around her waist as he grabbed her and jumped back.

His movement was a blur of absolute speed, cutting through the heavy air and landing flawlessly dozens of yards away.

She was stunned, her heart leaping into her throat as she instinctively clutched at his robes.

But in that exact instant, a giant worm emerged from the ground where they had been standing just a millisecond earlier.

The desert floor erupted in a spectacular geyser of red sand.

The giant worm let out a shriek that was completely inhumane—a high-pitched, grinding roar that shook the very air and caused the nearby dunes to collapse into avalanches.

The massive creature rose dozens of feet into the sky, blocking out the harsh sun, before it, for the lack of a better word, ’stared’ at them.

It didn’t really have eyes. It was just a massive, writhing tube of brown, leathery flesh, its segmented body dripping with a thick, acidic green slime that hissed as it touched the burning sand.

Its head featured a huge, yawning, lamprey-like questing mouth that contained multiple concentric rows of long, crystalline teeth that ground against each other with a terrifying, metallic screech.

From its immense, suffocating aura, it was a genuine peak Nascent Soul realm level beast—an apex predator of this specific desert zone, completely capable of shredding an entire team of ordinary students into minced meat within seconds.

Shen Xinye’s face turned serious. She immediately began to channel her sword intent her fingers, her qi flaring to life as she prepared for a brutal, high-stakes fight to protect the young master.

However, before she could even take a proper combat stance, Haoran suddenly flared his aura.

He didn’t use a technique, nor did he draw a weapon. He simply released a fraction of his true power.

In an instant, the majestic, world-crushing draconic might of the Infinity Dragon God Physique exploded outward from his body like an invisible, absolute shockwave.

The air itself seemed to freeze, and the space around them groaned under the sheer weight of a supreme primordial bloodline that stood at the very apex of the celestial hierarchy.

The giant worm’s terrifying shriek was instantly cut short.

Its massive body shuddered violently, and it let out a pathetic, high-pitched whimper.

The fierce, predatory aura vanished instantly, replaced by a deep, instinctual terror that penetrated to the very core of its primitive soul.

It lowered its massive body, flattening itself entirely against the red sand, trembling uncontrollably as it bowed its head toward him in absolute, unconditional submission.

Shen Xinye stared at it in complete shock, her half-drawn sword freezing in its sheath.

Her jaw dropped slightly as she looked from the trembling behemoth to the calm face of the young man beside her. ”W-What?”

”Just a worm,” Haoran spoke, his voice cool, level, and entirely dismissive of the peak Nascent Soul beast.

He looked at the flattened head of the creature, his dark eyes carrying a commanding, irresistible weight.

”Carry us to our destination.”

The worm let out a low, submissive gurgle, shifting its massive flesh to create a stable, flat platform near its upper segments.

Haoran, still carrying Shen Xinye securely against his side, lightly tapped his foot against the ground and jumped toward the head of the worm, landing with effortless grace on the leathery skin.

With a silent command through his aura, the giant beast immediately surged forward, gliding through the desert sands at an incredible, breakneck speed, carrying them deeper into the trial zone.

The two of them sat down in silence, with Shen Xinye still taking all these in.

Just then, she suddenly thought of something and asked, ”By the way, young master, where are we going?”

”Hongyan told me that there’s an inheritance of a Pseudo-Immortal realm expert in this place, so let’s try our luck.”

Pseudo-Immortal... Shen Xinye whispered. In this world, anything that has something to do with Immortals are invincible.

Shen Xinye’s eyes sparkled at the thought.

Shen Haoran noticed her excitement and patted her backside to calm her down.

”Sit tight, we’ll increasing our speed.”

With that, the worm suddenly accelerated.