Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 172 Ebon Void Essence Ore

Within the depths of this cavern lay a colossal repository, a boundless reservoir of riches coveted by creatures of every kind: beasts, demons, and even humans.

Throughout the vast expanse of the world, only a scarce few treasures possessed the potential to benefit such a diverse array of races.

And in this remarkable assemblage, one particular treasure shone with resplendence—the very embodiment of rarity.

The discoveries made by Wang Jianʼs faction and the members of the Church within this sacred cave surpassed all expectations.

They had stumbled upon an extraordinary marvel—an intact mine brimming with the exceedingly rare Ebon Void Essence Ore.

”I never fathomed that this cavern would harbor such a prodigious deposit of the elusive Ebon Void Essence Ore,” remarked Hong Meilin, her eyes widening in astonishment.

Wang Jian, the seventh prince of the Everlasting Mystic Empire, maintained a composed demeanor in response. ”Indeed. Judging by its scale, it appears that we have stumbled upon a cache containing over a thousand tons of this rare ore.”

”Iʼve heard tales of its extraordinary potency, capable of rending through dimensions,” murmured Hong Meilin, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and curiosity. ”Through the manipulation of this ore, one could fashion spatial rings with unparalleled capacity, far surpassing those we currently possess.”

The bishops accompanying her nodded in agreement, their expressions reflecting a similar sense of wonder.

One of them spoke, addressing Hong Meilin respectfully, ”That is not all, esteemed Saintess. It is said that with this ore, we can construct teleportation formations, enabling swift travel between cities and even entire kingdoms. Our mobility would be greatly enhanced.”

The other bishops chimed in, their voices filled with anticipation. ”Furthermore, legends speak of the potential for individuals with exceptional understanding to glean insights into the Law of Space, should they acquire this ore.”

While the members of the Church of Divine Light harbored a deep-seated dislike for Wang Jian, they found themselves in a predicament.

Despite their reservations, they were compelled to accompany him, for he had recently saved their group from the clutches of a powerful demon force led by Aiden.

Hong Meilin, in particular, detested Wang Jian due to his earlier actions, yet reluctantly acknowledged that it was necessary to stay with his faction.

At that moment, both the Churchʼs faithful and Wang Jianʼs faction couldnʼt help but succumb to the allure of greed.

For the Church, the Ebon Void Essence Ore presented an incredible opportunity to establish a network of teleportation formations, linking their branches and safeguarding their territories.

And for Wang Jianʼs faction, the potential benefits were equally enticing.

Firstly, it would drastically enhance their mobility, granting them a remarkable advantage in their operations.

Secondly, they could fashion improved items like spatial rings that surpassed anything currently available.

And thirdly, they could forge weapons capable of harnessing Spatial Abilities.

Imagine the impact of possessing weapons with such extraordinary spatial prowess—they would immediately dominate the market across the entire Empire. Thatʼs how scarce and coveted Spatial Weapons were.

Truth be told, the resources used to fashion the current crop of spatial equipment, weapons, and even spatial store rings were laughably inferior compared to the Ebon Void Essence Ore.

It was like comparing cheap knock-offs to the real deal—they simply didnʼt measure up.

But Wang Jian had a different kind of plan in mind—a use for this ore that no one in this world had even dreamed of. And why? Because he hailed from another world altogether.

His aim? To harness this precious resource and create an artifact that would revolutionize communication.

Frankly, he was sick and tired of the archaic practice of sending messages through letters. After all, for someone accustomed to the convenience of mobile phones in the modern world, the whole process felt unbearably primitive.

Now, he knew telephones worked by harnessing signals and frequencies, but he never had the chance to delve into the intricate workings of those devices in great detail. Besides, there were countless resources in his previous world that were sorely lacking here, and vice versa.

But with the discovery of the Ebon Void Essence Ore, a glimmer of hope ignited in Wang Jianʼs mind.

Perhaps he could piece together a communication device—a makeshift telephone or even a damn radio conversation.

Anything that would be a massive upgrade from this antiquated mode of communication.

Yet, bringing such an audacious plan to fruition required an enormous quantity of this ore. He needed it for extensive trial and error, as well as mass production.

Unfortunately, the presence of the Churchʼs zealous followers posed a dire risk—the news of the Ebon Void Essence Ore could easily leak to the public.

And if that happened, this entire mine brimming with priceless ore would be divvied up among countless factions. Guess whoʼd be taking the lionʼs share? None other than the Emperor himself.

Wang Jian had absolutely no desire to relinquish his claim. After all, sharing was definitely not on his agenda.

ʼShould I simply slaughter them all?ʼ The thought flickered in his mind like a passing shadow.

However, a single glance at Hong Meilin shattered that notion. Her luck, infuriatingly, still surpassed his own, despite all the times he had tricked her into unwittingly kissing him.

It became painfully clear that eliminating her was an impossible feat.

And if he couldnʼt eliminate her, then the news of this invaluable ore would undoubtedly seep out.

But Wang Jianʼs cunning mind refused to surrender. He sensed another path, a way to manipulate this precarious situation to his advantage.

This scheme brewed within Wang Jianʼs mind, wickedly delightful to the point where he could hardly contain his laughter.

It held the promise of resolving all his predicaments, while simultaneously leaving a lasting impression on Hong Meilin.

”Hey Meilin, weʼve got ourselves quite a situation here,” Wang Jian remarked casually, his gaze fixed on Hong Meilin.

A sense of unease crept over Hong Meilin as she heard his words. Her followers turned their attention towards her, and she couldnʼt help but respond hesitantly, ”Um... What exactly are you implying?”

Wang Jian let out a chuckle, ”Come on, donʼt play dumb. Iʼm talking about this whole mine ownership deal. Iʼm pretty sure you understand the value of the ore here, and itʼs no secret I ainʼt keen on sharing it with all of you.”

The church followers didnʼt take kindly to his explanation. Outrage filled the air as they raised their voices in protest.

”What?! Seven Prince, youʼre being downright selfish, staking claim on this ore! We discovered this cave before you!” one follower exclaimed with frustration.

Another follower chimed in, ”Absolutely! We entered this cave together and stumbled upon this ore at the same time. If anything, both our factions should get a fair share, at least half of the damn ore in this cave!”

Before Wang Jian could respond, his buddies Xie Zhiwei, Liu Yu, and Luo Ying swiftly came to his defense.

Xie Zhiwei retorted, ”What a load of bullcrap! Just because you caught a glimpse of this cave a tiny bit earlier, you think itʼs all yours? Let me ask you this, what if I told you my ancestors spotted this very cave thousands of years ago but couldnʼt extract the damn resources for some reason? Does that mean itʼs my property now? Screw that! You wouldnʼt even get the chance to lay eyes on it if we hadnʼt brought you along!”

Liu Yu interjected, ”Donʼt forget, without us, your crew would be nothing but a pile of bones, likely devoured by those demons.”

Luo Ying added with a mischievous grin, ”Damn right! Actually, you all owe us some protection fees for saving your sorry hides from those demons. Just because our leader, the Seventh Prince, is a kind-hearted bloke doesnʼt mean you can push us around. Iʼve got a stash of assault talismans waiting to be unleashed. Iʼve been dying to see what the Eviscerating Nova Storm Talisman or the Vortex of Oblivion Talisman can do. Heard they pack a wicked punch, capable of wiping out entire groups of experts. Donʼt give me a reason to test them out.”

The audacious reasoning of the three outlaws left the church followers dumbfounded. Their words were both uproarious and razor-sharp, hitting the nail on the head. These three certainly lived up to their reputation as the notorious Outlaws of Aria City.

The followers of the church grew even more incensed upon hearing the remark.

One of their devout members stepped forward, his voice dripping with anger, ”You shameless scoundrels! Itʼs because of the unwavering battles fought by our bishops and us that you managed to effortlessly vanquish those demons. If it werenʼt for the countless sacrifices made by the loyal followers of the church, defeating those demons would have been an insurmountable feat!”

Xie Zhiwei, never one to hold back, retorted with a sly grin, ”Oh, my dear friend, you seem to be suffering from a severe case of delusion. Letʼs get our facts straight, shall we? It wasnʼt the bishopsʼ prayers or your battles that saved the day. It was our unruly band of misfits here who swooped in and showed those demons whoʼs boss. Your sacrifices? Well, they allowed you to survive until we could make our grand entrance, so you ought to be grateful to the dead!”

Liu Yu chimed in, unable to resist adding fuel to the fire, ”Seriously, mate, donʼt overestimate your contribution. We were the ones pulling off epic moves left and right, while you guys were just making a racket in the background. Sacrifices or not, those demons would have been reduced to dust under our feet!”

Luo Ying, his eyes gleaming mischievously, joined in with his own outlandish remark, ”Oh, please. I already told you before, We should be charging you a fee for our impeccable demon-slaying services. Letʼs be real here—without our unparalleled skills, your so-called tireless battle would have been a pitiful display. Sacrifices or no sacrifices, we were the true heroes of the day!”

The church followers were so angry that they planned to curse them aloud just to win this argument.

However, Wang Jian suddenly spoke with a heavy commanding tone, ”Shut it!”

The church followers couldnʼt help but turn silent upon hearing his command. This was an instinctive reaction rather than a thoughtful one. The origin of their compliance was none other than fear.