Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

At the exact same moment on the neighboring Golden Core trial realm, the battle for the mandate have also ended.

[”The Academy’s Mandate has been claimed! Congratulations to disciple Xu Xiansu for successfully securing the jade token! By order of the Master Teachers and Ten Sages of the Imperial Academy, this trial has officially reached its conclusion!”]

[”All remaining participants will now be extracted from the dimension! Prepare yourselves for spatial recall!”]

Xu Xiansu was casually tossing and catching the mandate in her right hand like a small stone as she stood proudly at the top of her own black obsidian pyramid.

Surrounding her stood Ning Xueli, Ling Luochen, Xia Mengyao, Luo Mingye, and Zhu Ziyan, their robes fluttering softly in the fading mountain breeze.

The emerald light of the ancient jade token illuminated their serene, stunning faces.

”Seems like we have two of these now,” said Xu Xiansu, catching the glowing token once more and holding it loosely in her palm.

”Two?” Luo Mingye blinked, tilting her head gracefully to the side as a strand of her soft hair fell over her shoulder, her dark eyes filled with mild confusion. ”Didn’t we only claim one from this summit?”

”Yes, but you must not forget, there’s still Haoran. He definitely has one for himself over in the Nascent Soul trial realm,” said Xu Xiansu, a rare, soft smile touching her lips as her eyes flickered with fond confidence.

The other maidens exchanged glances and nodded in total agreement at that statement.

They knew Shen Haoran’s terrifying strength better than anyone else—there was simply no universe where he wouldn’t easily sweep his own trial and claim the supreme prize.

Just then, their bodies started to dissolve into tiny, floating particles of golden light—the grand extraction formation was completing its work, smoothly transporting them out of the trial dimension and back into the real world.

*

*

*

Back above the sprawling metropolis of Ye City, inside the central VIP room of the floating Ye Family Stadium.

The immense projection screens hanging over the stadium floor were slowly fading to black as the trial officially concluded.

The crowd of billions of spectators below was still buzzing with excitement, discussing the intense battles and surprising turn of events they had just witnessed.

In a private, luxurious balcony chamber set apart from the Ten Sages, Ye Hongyan stood leaning against the polished marble railing.

”What do you think, mother?” asked Ye Hongyan, turning her head and smiling softly at her mother.

Yan Renhua smiled gently, her warm, discerning eyes remaining glued to the muscular back of the dissipating Shen Haoran through the flickering projection screen until his image completely vanished.

”He is indeed a very good child. Exceptionally gifted, absurdly talented, and possesses a rare, dignified presence.”

She paused slightly, turning her gaze toward her daughter with a teasing, subtle glint in her eyes. ”Although... aren’t you about two hundred years older than his mother?”

Ye Hongyan casually waved her hand, completely unbothered by the age distinction. ”Lady Chu Xueyu is far stronger than me, so strength-wise, she is my senior. In the cultivation world, absolute strength determines standing, not mere years lived.”

Yan Renhua nodded at that, her expression filled with understanding. ”Indeed. That is the truth of our world. By the way, are you going to return to the main academy campus soon? Why don’t you stay for a while and watch the grand concert tonight?”

Ye Hongyan raised an eyebrow, a slight look of genuine confusion crossing her sharp features. ”Concert? Whose concert?”

Yan Renhua chuckled warmly, shaking her head with a soft sigh. ”It really seems you haven’t been paying any attention to the internal family affairs since you left.”

Ye Hongyan clicked her tongue in mild annoyance, looking away toward the grand city lights outside the window. ”You already know how my relationship with my father is. I have zero interest in his endless commercial schemes.”

Yan Renhua nodded patiently. ”You know about the Dragon-Horse race, right?”

Ye Hongyan nodded, her tone flat. ”Yeah, I know them. They were a small, ancient tribe of beasts that father enslaved years ago to act as the main attraction for his massive gambling business.”

Yan Renhua looked decidedly awkward, coughing softly into her sleeve. ”’Enslaved’... isn’t really what I would call their arrangement at all.”

Ye Hongyan waved her hands dismissively. ”Whatever you want to call it. Why did you ask about them, mother?”

”The Dragon-Horse are a unique, all-female race that possesses a trace of dragon blood running through their veins,” Yan Renhua explained gently. ”Because of that divine heritage, they possess an innate, miraculous ability to seamlessly transform into a half-beast, half-human form. Every time after a major grand race concludes, they hold a massive, city-wide music concert, with the winning Dragon-Horse leading the entire performance as the center star.”

Ye Hongyan blinked, her eyes widening slightly as she absorbed the surprising information.

Yan Renhua let out a quiet sigh, her tone turning fond. ”Yes. Your father might not be a good man in many aspects, but he is undeniably a brilliant businessman. As for them being ’enslaved’... that’s just a completely false rumor spread by outside rivals. In reality, they are treated as absolute top-tier celebrities and hold the single highest prestige here in Ye City—surpassing even the core members of our own Ye Family in public adoration! In fact, the most influential matriarchs of the Dragon-Horse race possess enough political weight and public backing to officially veto your father’s business decisions if they ever disagree.”

Of course, if it really comes down to it, Ye Liuman can use force to shut them up.

After all, the Dragon-Horse race are a flawed race, and the strongest among them are only at the 9th stage of Body Refinement realm.

The only thing they have going on was their speed, allowing them to outrun even a Spirit Ascension realm experts via the virtue of their bloodline.

”...I see,” Ye Hongyan hummed, resting her hand on her chin as she pondered the revelation. ”Well, I’m still not particularly interested. Maybe I’ll drop by later if I have free time.”

Yan Renhua nodded smoothly, accepting her daughter’s choice. ”Are you going to go meet your adoptive brother, Ye Fan, before you head out?”

Ye Hongyan shook her head instantly, her expression completely indifferent. ”Not interested.”

With that, she stood up straight, adjusted her sleek robes, and gave a brief wave of her hand. ”I’ll be leaving now, mother.”

Yan Renhua nodded, ”Be careful.”

*

*

*

At this moment, across the vast, sweeping central field of the main Imperial Academy campus, spatial distortions rippled through the air in brilliant, cascading waves.

One by one, the bright golden pillars of light faded into the wind, revealing the thousands of returning students who had survived the harrowing trials.

The wide plaza was instantly filled with the murmur of exhausted voices, the heavy scent of lingering battlefield qi, and the soft rustle of academy robes.

Standing at the front of the grand marble pavilion, overlooking the gathered crowd, stood the Ten Sages along with all the high-ranking Master Teachers of the academy, their majestic robes fluttering with ancient authority.

Venerable Sky Cloud stepped forward, his long white beard swaying gently as his deep, resonant voice echoed effortlessly across the entire field, reaching the mind of every single disciple present.

”Welcome back, brave disciples of the Imperial Academy! Today, you have stepped onto the grand stage, witnessed by the entire empire, tested your martial foundations against the trials of fate, and proved the strength of your resolve. Whether you claimed supreme glory at the apex or faced difficult setbacks in the wilderness, every drop of blood spilled and every barrier overcome today shall serve as the immortal bricks paving your future Dao path! Be proud of your survival, honor your growth, and rest well. The path to the peak is long, and today’s victory is merely your first step!”

With a final, majestic wave of his embroidered sleeve, Venerable Sky Cloud and the rest of the Ten Sages vanished simultaneously into spatial light, leaving the Master Teachers to manage the crowd.

The thousands of students let out a collective, massive sigh of deep relief.

The suffocating, high-pressure atmosphere instantly dissipated, and the crowd slowly began to disperse into smaller groups, chatting loudly about their experiences as they headed toward their respective dormitories and faction hubs.

Among the crowd, Ling Yinchi walked over, her eyes fixed on Shen Tao’s muscular, unyielding frame.

She stared at him for a long, quiet moment, her expression a mix of lingering shock and sheer disbelief.

”You... you’re not human,” she muttered, shaking her head as she recalled the mountain-shattering punch that had nearly taken her head off earlier.

Shen Tao simply ignored her, keeping his posture straight and his eyes looking forward as if she weren’t even standing there.

Ling Yinchi let out a helpless chuckle, shook her head, and left to rejoin her clan members.

Nearby, Jian Xi, the famous sword lunatic of the Jian Clan, stepped forward with his soul-bound sword resting at his hip.

He didn’t look at Shen Haoran or Shen Tao, but instead stopped directly in front of Shen Xinye.

His sharp, usually cold and arrogant eyes were filled with an unmistakable, profound sense of genuine respect and deep admiration.

”Your sword intent is exceptionally impressive, Lady Shen Xinye,” Jian Xi spoke with a serious, formal tone, bowing his head slightly. ”I admit I severely underestimated you back on the stairs. Your mastery of spatial restraint integrated into blade techniques is unlike anything I have witnessed among our peers. If there is a chance in the future, let us have a proper, honorable battle of swords.”

Shen Xinye smiled gently, her demeanor warm, graceful, and polite as she cradled her Imperial Artifact crown. ”Thank you. It is a true honor to hear such praise coming from one of the single best swordsmen of this entire generation.”

One by one, the arrogant heirs of the Immortal Lineages—who had previously looked down on everyone outside their own circles—approached the Ten Crowns, offering sincere expressions of admiration and newfound respect.

Even Qian Yunxi, who stood modestly behind Shen Haoran, found herself surrounded by praising heirs, with some inviting her to dinner.

And when they found out that she hailed from the distant, resource-scarce Eastern Region, instead of disdain, their praises grew even louder, much to her extreme shyness and blushing embarrassment.

*SWIISH—!*

At that moment, shadow fell over the ground as Hei Xuan walked over to stand directly in front of Shen Haoran.

His swollen, broken nose was now completely restored, his skin pristine, and his blood-stained clothes clean.

It seems whatever grand transportation formation the academy uses automatically heals the physical body and cleanses injuries upon extraction.

Hei Xuan crossed his arms, glaring at Haoran with a fierce, competitive light in his dark eyes.

”That physical brawl earlier doesn’t count!” Hei Xuan huffed bitterly. ”Your divine physique is an absolute cheat! One day, when my qi isn’t restricted by a damn array, I’ll fight you properly and show you that I am the superior one!”

Without waiting for a response, he turned around with a sharp flick of his cloak and walked away.

Meanwhile, Shi Tian adjusted his broad shoulders and bowed deeply toward Gu Xunyi, a hopeful, slightly bashful grin spreading across his broad face.

”Sister Xunyi... I failed to retrieve the Mandate for you today, but... would you still be willing to go on a dinner date with me tonight?”

Gu Xunyi chuckled softly behind her sleeve, her red eyes twinkling with elegant amusement. ”In the next trial, if you can somehow manage to beat Shen Haoran... then I might consider it.”

Shi Tian’s eyes lit up like blazing torches, his jaw dropping before snapping shut with absolute determination. ”Alright! It’s a deal! I’m gonna train like a madman and beat this guy!”

With literal fire burning in his eyes, Shi Tian turned on his heels and marched off toward the cultivation chambers, completely energized.

”Hmph. You sure have lots of suitors,” Huo Yue muttered from the side, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, feeling a bit down as she watched Shi Tian leave.

It wasn’t that she was actively looking to have suitors trailing after her, or that she craved romantic attention from random men, after all, her body and soul belonged to Haoran.

It was just that, despite her striking beauty, her fiery charm, and her incredible figure, she felt as though she was constantly getting bullied, ignored, or underestimated by almost everyone she encountered!

She always had to resort to slapping people in the face with her abilities just to force them to show her basic respect and not mess with her.

It was completely fine if people didn’t like her, but why did they always have to look at her with such casual disdain and condescension before she beat them up?!

And to make matters even worse, during their entire journey together, her close friends—Medusa and Ziyan—were constantly getting hit on, praised, and courted by young masters wherever they went, while she was practically treated like invisible background scenery!

’Does heaven even have eyes?!’ Huo Yue grumbled furiously in her mind, puffing out her cheeks. ’In what possible way am I inferior to them?!’

”He’s far too annoying,” Gu Xunyi said with a light sigh, completely ignorant to Huo Yue’s internal crisis. ”At least now, with him running off to train for an impossible fight, I can finally have some peace and quiet.”

”Haoran!”

Just then, a clear, confident voice called out from across the field.

Xu Xiansu, accompanied by Ning Xueli, Xia Mengyao, Luo Mingye, Ling Luochen, and Zhu Ziyan, walked gracefully through the crowd toward them.

As she closed the distance, Xu Xiansu tossed the glowing emerald jade token she had claimed from the Golden Core trial smoothly through the air toward him.

Shen Haoran caught the Academy’s Mandate effortlessly between his fingers, his golden eyes reflecting the warm, green light of the two matched tokens resting in his palms.

”Well now,” Shen Haoran smiled faintly, slipping both palm-sized jade tokens into his inner robe. ”I guess we’ll be having two full cities under our banner instead of just one.”

He turned his head, looking back at his retinue, the Ten Crowns, Huo Yue, Gu Xunyi, and the gathered maidens with a calm, handsome expression.

”Now that everyone’s here, let’s go back.”