Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 839: Altanʼs Sudden Ambush

Lyra, though outwardly serene in the Gardens of Starlight, was far from undisturbed by Wang Jianʼs approach. His words, though veiled in admiration, had carried an undercurrent that resonated uncomfortably with her deeply ingrained loyalty to Altan. The ʼcuriosityʼ in his eyes, the suggestive glances, the subtle challenge to her devotion – it all painted a picture that was far from benign.

As soon as Wang Jian and his companions had left the Gardens, Lyra retreated to her private sanctum within the Celestial Nexus. Her serene façade dropped, replaced by a frown of deep concern. She reached for a delicate, crystalline talisman, pulsating with soft starlight – an emergency communication device, reserved for matters of utmost urgency involving Altan.

Activating the talisman, she poured her celestial energy into it, sending out a coded message across the vast cosmic distances to Altan, who was still in the Eastern Cosmos, ostensibly overseeing some minor territorial disputes. The talisman shimmered, then projected a holographic image of Altanʼs face, his usual radiant smile replaced by a look of focused concentration.

”Lyra? Is something amiss?” Altanʼs voice, usually melodious and carefree, held a note of underlying tension.

”My Lord Altan,” Lyra began, her voice urgent, ”a… stranger approached me in the Gardens of Starlight today. A traveler, he claimed to be, from a distant cosmos.”

Altanʼs brow furrowed. ”A traveler? In the Gardens? Security protocols should have flagged any unauthorized presence.”

”He presented himself as harmless, merely expressing… admiration for the Western Cosmos and… for me, specifically,” Lyra continued, choosing her words carefully. ”But there was something… unsettling about him. His gaze, his words… they felt… predatory, my Lord.”

”Predatory?” Altanʼs eyes sharpened, his casual demeanor vanishing completely. ”Describe this traveler, Lyra. Every detail.”

Lyra recounted her encounter with Wang Jian, describing his silver hair, his piercing blue eyes, the subtle demonic aura she had sensed beneath his charming façade, the unsettling confidence in his demeanor, and the suggestive nature of his words. As she spoke, Altanʼs expression shifted from concern to shock, then to a chilling realization.

”Silver hair… blue eyes… demonic aura… suggestive words…” Altan murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, his face paling visibly. ”It cannot be… but the description… it matches… perfectly.”

”Matches what, my Lord?” Lyra asked, her concern deepening, sensing Altanʼs growing unease.

Altanʼs holographic image flickered slightly, a sign of his internal turmoil. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke, his voice now laced with a chilling dread. ”Lyra… the description you gave… it matches Wang Jian. The demonic cultivator who… who defeated Feng Xuan in the Eastern Cosmos. The one who… stole Feng Xuanʼs wives.”

Lyra gasped, her serene composure shattering completely. ”Wang Jian? The… the demonic thief? Here? In the Western Cosmos?” A wave of fear washed over her, replacing her initial unease with cold dread.

”It must be him,” Altan said, his voice grim. ”No other individual fits that description. And his… ʼadmirationʼ for you, his ʼcuriosityʼ about your devotion… it all points to his… predatory intentions.” He clenched his fist, his radiant aura dimming slightly, replaced by a palpable sense of anger and fear.

”But… why, my Lord? Why would he come here? To the Western Cosmos?” Lyra asked, her mind racing, trying to comprehend the implications.

”I do not know his full motives yet,” Altan admitted, his voice tight with frustration. ”But Wang Jian is ambitious, ruthless. He seeks power, and he… collects beautiful women. You, Lyra… you are the most radiant jewel of the Western Cosmos. He would see you as… a prize.” The thought of Wang Jianʼs predatory gaze lingering on Lyra sent a jolt of possessive rage through him.

”What should we do, my Lord?” Lyra asked, her voice trembling slightly, her usual confidence shaken by the gravity of the situation.

Altan took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain control, to suppress his fear and anger, replacing them with cold calculation. ”We will not panic, Lyra. We will be… strategic. Wang Jian believes he is one step ahead. We will let him believe that. I will return to the Nexus immediately, but… secretly. No one must know I am back. Especially not Wang Jian.”

”Secretly, my Lord?” Lyra asked, confused.

”Yes,” Altan affirmed, his mind already formulating a plan. ”I will conceal my presence, mask my cultivation. I will use Seraphinaʼs astral cloaking techniques to become… invisible. I will wait… and observe. When Wang Jian makes his next move, when he attempts to approach you again… we will be ready for him.” A dangerous glint entered Altanʼs eyes. ”He seeks to seduce my wives? He will find that the Western Cosmos is not as easily conquered as the Eastern Cosmos.”

He instructed Lyra to act normally, to continue her routine, to feign interest if Wang Jian approached her again, to lure him into a trap. Lyra, though still fearful, understood the plan. She was a Star Goddess, after all, not easily intimidated. She would play her part, for Altan, for the Western Cosmos.

Altan severed the communication, his holographic image vanishing, leaving Lyra alone in her sanctum, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She was to be bait, a lure for a dangerous predator. But she trusted Altan, she believed in his power, in his destiny. She would play her role, with grace and with cunning.

Days later, Wang Jian, confident in his charm and his carefully laid plans, decided it was time to re-engage with Lyra. He had spent the intervening days exploring the Celestial Nexus, subtly gathering more information, solidifying his presence, letting his demonic aura subtly permeate the atmosphere, a silent declaration of his arrival.

He chose a secluded pavilion within the Gardens of Starlight for their next ʼaccidentalʼ encounter. He instructed Yujia and Xinqiao to remain at a discreet distance, allowing him to approach Lyra alone, to maximize the impact of his charm. He arrived at the pavilion, his silver hair gleaming in the starlight, his blue eyes radiating confidence and seductive allure.

Lyra was already there, seated gracefully on a crystalline bench, gazing out at the shimmering landscape. She turned as Wang Jian approached, her expression serene, composed, almost… welcoming. A faint smile played on her lips.

”Traveler Wang Jian,” Lyra greeted, her voice as melodious as ever, but Wang Jian, with his heightened demonic senses, detected a subtle undercurrent, something… different. ”You return to the Gardens. Have you found the sincerity you sought?”

Wang Jian smiled, his confidence bolstered by her seemingly receptive demeanor. ”Indeed, Star Goddess Lyra. And I believe I am closer to understanding the… sincerity of your devotion. It is… truly captivating.” He stepped closer, his demonic charm radiating outwards, a subtle wave of seductive energy washing over Lyra.

”Devotion is a complex thing, traveler,” Lyra said, her smile widening slightly, a hint of… something else flickering in her starlight eyes. ”It is not always as simple as it appears.”

Wang Jian paused, a flicker of unease crossing his mind. That smile… it felt… different. Scheming, almost. It wasnʼt the serene, regal smile he had encountered before. It was… knowing.

ʼSomething is off,ʼ Wang Jian thought, his senses sharpening, his instincts screaming a silent warning. He scanned his surroundings subtly, his demonic energy probing the air, searching for any sign of threat. The Gardens seemed peaceful, serene, just as before. But that smile…

”Indeed,” Wang Jian said slowly, his voice now cautious, his eyes fixed on Lyraʼs face. ”Complexity is often the most… alluring aspect, wouldnʼt you agree, Star Goddess?”

Lyraʼs smile widened further, now undeniably scheming, almost predatory. ”Perhaps, traveler. But sometimes… simplicity is the most effective answer.” Her gaze flickered past Wang Jian, towards something behind him.

It was at that moment that the serene atmosphere of the Gardens shattered. A massive wave of golden energy erupted from behind Wang Jian, a blinding, overwhelming force that slammed into him with the force of a collapsing star. Golden hair, radiating pure starlight, flailed into view – Altan Starbright, no longer concealed, his aura blazing with incandescent power.

”Wang Jian!” Altan roared, his voice amplified tenfold by his power surge. ”Demonic thief! You dare to defile my domain? To prey upon my wives?”

Altanʼs power was immense, amplified beyond anything Wang Jian had anticipated. The ʼStarbound Astral Convergenceʼ technique, as Altan called it in his furious roar, lived up to its name. Star and astral energies converged around Altan, swirling into a vortex of golden power, boosting his abilities to terrifying levels. A palpable aura of Godking power radiated from him, amplified, intensified, almost overwhelming.

And it wasnʼt just Altan. Dozens of array formations, previously hidden, now activated simultaneously throughout the Gardens of Starlight. Crystalline runes flared to life on the paths, in the foliage, in the very air itself. The Gardens, seemingly a place of peace, transformed into a deadly trap, a fortress of celestial energy designed to subdue even Godkings.

Formations like the ʼCelestial Sword Heart Formationʼ materialized around Wang Jian, conjuring thousands of shimmering, starlight blades, each radiating lethal intent. Others, like the ʼAstral Confinement Array,ʼ pulsed with binding energy, attempting to immobilize him, to suppress his demonic power.

Each formation was powered by incredibly precious resources, celestial crystals, solidified starlight, ancient astral runes – resources that spoke of Altanʼs immense wealth and meticulous preparation. These werenʼt mere defensive arrays; they were weapons, designed to restrain and destroy beings of immense power.

Wang Jian, though startled by the sudden ambush and the sheer intensity of Altanʼs power, did not falter. He had faced down Godking talents before, and he would face down another. A smirk touched his lips, a flicker of excitement in his blue eyes. This was more interesting than he had anticipated.

His silver hair flailed around him, mirroring Altanʼs golden mane, his blue eyes blazing with demonic energy. He unleashed his own power, a wave of dark, chaotic energy that clashed against Altanʼs golden radiance, creating a visible ripple in the fabric of the Gardens of Starlight. His demonic aura intensified, pushing back against the oppressive celestial energy, a defiant roar against Altanʼs orchestrated assault.

ʼHe was waiting for me,ʼ Wang Jian thought, his mind racing, assessing the situation. ʼLyra… she played me. It was a trap, meticulously planned. Altan… he is far more cautious, far more cunning than Feng Xuan.ʼ He acknowledged Altanʼs strength, his strategic prowess. This was not going to be as easy as he had initially assumed.

But fear? No. Wang Jian felt no fear. Only a surge of adrenaline, a thrill of the challenge. He was Wang Jian, the demonic conqueror. He thrived in chaos, he reveled in conflict. And he was ready to face Altan Starbright, and his army of celestial arrays, head-on. The game had just become a whole lot more interesting.

Meanwhile, Altan, hovering in the air, radiating golden light, observed Wang Jian with a mixture of fury and apprehension. He had seen reports, heard whispers of Wang Jianʼs battle with Feng Xuan, but witnessing his power firsthand was a different matter entirely. The demonic energy radiating from Wang Jian was palpable, oppressive, a chaotic force that seemed to defy the very order of the cosmos.

ʼFeng Xuan was not exaggerating,ʼ Altan thought, his gaze fixed on Wang Jian, his caution intensifying. ʼThis demonic cultivator… he is dangerous. More dangerous than I initially believed. But he is also… arrogant. He walked right into my trap. Now, he will face the full might of the Western Cosmos.ʼ

Altan raised his hand, channeling the combined power of the Starbound Astral Convergence and the array formations. Thousands of starlight blades shimmered, poised to strike. The Astral Confinement Array pulsed with binding energy, tightening its grip on Wang Jianʼs demonic aura. The Gardens of Starlight, once a sanctuary of peace, were now a battleground, ready to witness a clash of cosmic titans. The confrontation had begun.