Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Chapter 136: Reactions

Northern Region.

Ning Xueli stood at the center of a clearing where the very grass had been flash-frozen into brittle needles of mercury.

In front of her, dozens of cultivators—remnants of the once-proud Golden Cloud Immortal Sect—were frozen in various poses of agonizing terror.

Their bodies had been turned into solid silver by Ning Xueli’s Bright Silver Qi, the qi she inherited from the Bright Silver Emperor, and as the wind whistled through the clearing, they began to crack and disintegrate into a fine, metallic dust that sparkled in the sunlight.

Behind her, a Shadow Guard clad in the signature obsidian-weave suit of the Shen Clan was kneeling on one knee, her head bowed in a posture of absolute deference as she delivered a message.

"Haoran has returned?" Ning Xueli asked softly.

She blinked, her cold, focused expression melting away as her eyes brightened with a sudden, overwhelming surge of joy.

The sharp, lethal aura she had cultivated over a year of slaughter seemed to retract in an instant, replaced by the warmth of a girl in love.

A few days ago, the Matriarch, Chu Xueyu, had already informed her that Haoran will be returning, however, Ning Xueli hadn’t been able to wait for him in the Shen Clan Domain as Feng Yanmei, the chaotic daughter of Feng Yuyan, had dragged her deep into the wilderness to "field test" a new series of explosion-based formation techniques.

They had used the fleeing remnants of the Golden Cloud as live targets, turning the sect’s tragic demise into a playground for experimental destruction.

"What!? Cousin finally returned! Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner!?"

Just then, a streak of fire tore through the silver canopy as a golden phoenix, its feathers radiating a heat that rivaled the sun, dropped down from the sky with a triumphant cry.

Feng Yanmei, dressed in her usual red and gold battle-cheongsam, jumped down from the bird’s back before it even touched the ground.

The moment her feet hit the soil, the massive phoenix glowed with a soft, amber light and transformed.

Then, with a puff of sparks, it turned into a tiny, palm-sized chick with golden down feathers and hopped onto the top of Feng Yanmei’s head, nestling into her hair.

"Yes, young miss," the Shadow Guard nodded, her face remaining as expressionless as a mask. "The Young Master returned just recently and is currently in seclusion with the Matriarch. Also, I have been sent to deliver a decree: the Heaven’s Choice Tournament will officially begin in three days. The Madam is asking all of you to return to the Divine Domain immediately."

"Yes! Yes! I can finally see cousin Haoran humiliate those arrogant, big-headed ’Crowns’!" Feng Yanmei began to hop around in the silver dust, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and excitement.

She had spent the year listening to the branch family geniuses boast about how they would "take the throne" once Haoran returned, and she was dying to see their faces when they realized the gap between a crown and a god.

The little phoenix chick on her head chirped happily in resonance, flapping its tiny wings and spitting out a small, harmless ember.

"Allow me to escort the two of you back, young misses," the Shadow Guard said as she stood up.

She then gestured toward a nearby clearing where a Profound Arc—a sleek, silver-and-black vessel used for spatial transit—was hovering.

While it was much smaller and less ornate than the one owned personally by Haoran, it was still a masterpiece of engineering, capable of crossing an entire solar system in a matter of hours.

And it wasn’t just them. At this moment, the announcement had spread like a wildfire across the dry plains.

The decree from the Shen Clan, that a Heaven’s Choice Tournament would be held to determine the ranking of the young generation, had reached every city, every hidden sect, and every trade hub throughout the entire Central Region.

It was an event that happened once in a lifetime, especially since the Shen Clan had declared that the tournament will be open for anyone who can make it in time.

At this moment, in a high-end inn located on the border of the Central Region, three cloaked figures sat at a corner table.

They were Huo Yue, Medusa, and Zhu Ziyan, the three girls who had just arrived in the Central Region.

They had their hoods pulled low to hide their striking features from the prying eyes of the local cultivators as they sat in silence, listening to the boisterous conversations of the mercenaries and merchants downstairs.

Huo Yue looked up through the window at the distant, floating islands of the Shen Clan, her eyes calm and contemplative.

’A tournament?’ she thought. ’Haoran, it seems some idiots decided to start barking just because you’ve been gone for a while. It’s really a case of a dog playing king when the tiger is away.’

Then, a small, gentle smile appeared on her face as she slowly shook her head, and the anxiety she had felt since the loss of her master seemed to ease for a fraction of a second.

’It doesn’t matter,’ she mused. ’There is no need for me to worry about you. After all, you are the strongest person I know. You were born to stand at the top.’

For now, her path was clear. She had to survive the journey to the Central Academy, gather the resources to rescue the soul of Liu Ruyan from the Shadow Hall, and then... then she would reunite with the man she loved once the recruitment of the Grand Academy began.

She just had to grow strong enough to stand by his side.

*

*

*

Deep within the Blue Wind Kingdom, in the inner sanctum of the Luo Clan, a different kind of obsession was playing out.

Luo Mingye was humming a cheerful, slightly off-key tune as she reclined on a silk sofa.

In her hands was a leather-bound book, a diary that had mysteriously and magically appeared beside her bed one morning.

She had spent more than a year reading its entries, fascinated by the insights and the life of its owner.

She didn’t know why, but from time to time, she felt a physical, magnetic urge to find the owner of the diary.

It was as if her very soul were being pulled toward a specific coordinate in the world.

The only thing stopping her from acting on this impulse was her own pride and her status as a noble lady; the owner of the diary was clearly a man, and she was already determined to marry only the young master Shen in this life.

What if words got out that she went out to meet with a man? It would ruin her reputation!

If that happens, maybe young master Shen wouldn’t like her anymore.

Just then, a shadow flickered in the corner of her room, and a man dressed in all-black attire appeared beside her, kneeling.

"Young miss."

Luo Mingye didn’t even take her eyes off the page she was reading. "Did something happen with Young Master Haoran? Is there news from the Shen Clan?"

"Yes. The Shen Clan has officially declared a Heaven’s Choice Tournament. It is a public event; everyone who can reach the Divine Domain in time is permitted to watch the proceedings from the outer spectator stands."

Luo Mingye immediately stood up straight, the diary snapping shut as her eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and pure, unadulterated joy. "Really!? He’s finally showing himself again? Quick! Don’t just stand there! Prepare the fastest Profound Arc we have in the treasury! I have to go and see him with my own eyes!"

*

*

*

Meanwhile, on the misty peaks of the Flower Mountain Sect, a place known for its isolation and its sword-masters, and also the wine brewed from grapes squeezed by the feet of beautiful wood spirits.

Xia Mengyao, still disguised in her masculine traveler’s robes to avoid the unwanted attention her beauty usually brought, was practicing her swordsmanship.

Her shoulder-length red hair swayed with every lightning-fast movement of her blade, her sweat glistening like diamonds in the morning sun.

Just then, a young man walked up to the training platform, holding a glowing communication artifact. "Senior Sister, someone is calling you. It says it’s an urgent priority from the Blue Wind Kingdom."

This young man was Xiao Chen, an abandoned prince from a fallen dynasty whom Xia Mengyao had rescued during her travels and brought back to the sect as a disciple.

He followed her everywhere, his eyes filled with a clear, puppy-like adoration that Xia Mengyao chose to ignore.

"Thank you, Xiao Chen," Xia Mengyao nodded, sheathing her sword and taking the artifact as dhe activated the runes, and a holographic image of Luo Mingye appeared in the air. "Mingye? Why are you calling me at this hour?"

"Sister Mengyao! Stop whatever you’re doing and come to the Imperial Capital right now!" Luo Mingye shouted, her face flushed with excitement. "The Shen Clan is holding the Heaven’s Choice Tournament! Young master Shen is back! We can finally see him in action once again!"

Xia Mengyao’s eyes widened in genuine shock as a flicker of something complicated—anticipation, curiosity, and perhaps a trace of the "destiny" she felt tied to him—crossed her face.

She nodded firmly. "Alright! I’ll prepare the sect’s transport right away. I’ll meet you at the border. We’ll go together."

With a sharp *click*, the call ended.

"Senior Sister... you’re going to the Imperial Capital?" Xiao Chen asked, his voice sounding a bit small and uncertain.

Xia Mengyao turned to him, her red hair settling around her shoulders. "Yes. It is an event that only happens once in a lifetime. I cannot miss it."

And also because she wanted to talk with the man whom she and her friend have chosen to be their husband.

"Can I come?" Xiao Chen asked, stepping forward. "I want to see the geniuses of the Central Region too. I won’t be a burden."

Xia Mengyao hesitated. She wanted to see someone whom they decided to marry one day, and bringing along a man... doesn’t seem good, does it?

But eventually, seeing the determination in his eyes, she could only sigh and nod her head.

"Fine. Pack your things. We leave in an hour."