Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: The Gathering

Within the vast, secluded territory of the Shen Clan Domain, the laws of nature bend to the absolute will of the ancient lineage.

Mountains of floating spirit stones drifted through the clouds, and rivers of compressed spiritual liquid cascaded from heaven to earth, misting the landscape in a permanent shroud of dense, rich qi.

At the center of this sacred domain sat Chu Xueyu’s Palace, an architectural marvel that stood as a symbol of absolute authority, unyielding and majestic.

Inside the grand audience hall, the atmosphere was thick with an oppressive, solemn silence.

Chu Xueyu sat gracefully upon her throne.

She looked like a goddess descended from the higher realms, her features flawless, her gaze colder than the deepest abysses of the frozen north, yet carrying an innate majesty that demanded unconditional submission.

A step below her, standing like rigid statues of iron, the Seven Enshrined Elders stood silently.

Each one was an old monster whose name alone could cause empires to tremble, their countenances hidden beneath ancient, embroidered robes.

And below them, ten youths stood respectfully.

The air around these ten vibrated with an intense, fluctuating resonance of newly forged power.

They are the Ten Crowns, the ultimate geniuses of the Shen Clan’s younger generation, who, for the past year, have changed in rankings.

A year of brutal, internal competition, life-and-death trials in hidden realms, and relentless cultivation had reshaped the hierarchy of the clan’s peak talents.

The current First Crown was now Shen Tao, the creator of the Internal Energy Cultivation, and the former Third Crown.

His posture was straight as a spear, his expression calm and grounded.

By pioneering a completely new pathway of circulating internal energy, he had mended his shattered foundation and risen above his peers, his aura carrying the deep, unyielding weight of a true pioneer.

The current Second Crown was Shen Fei, possessor of the Earth Suppressing Sacred Physique, and the former First Crown.

Though he had been dethroned from the top spot, his presence remained terrifyingly heavy.

Every step he took seemed to subtly alter the gravity of the room, his physical form containing the compressed weight of entire continents.

The current Third Crown was Shen Xinye, the strongest female of the Crowns, and the former Fourth Crown.

Her eyes were like cold stars, her demeanor aloof and detached as a faint, lingering shadow of sorrow and determination hung around her soul, driving her to push her limits beyond what anyone thought possible, which allowed her to defeat the former third crown and take his place.

The current Fourth Crown was Shen Jian, the one who stole the Supreme Bone of Shen Tao, and the former Second Crown, who fell into the Third Crown after being defeated by Shen Tao, and fell into Fourth after being defeated by Shen Xinye.

His eyes were sharp, filled with a restless, arrogant light as the stolen Supreme Bone within his chest pulsed with a golden, divine radiance, but his drop in ranking indicated that raw talent stolen from another could not entirely compensate for the unyielding willpower of a true martial artist.

The current Fifth Crown didn’t change; it was still Shen Ji, the possessor of the Tyrant King Sacred Physique.

He stood like a towering mountain of muscle and unrefined violence, his very breath smelling of ozone and blood, a natural-born destroyer who lived for the thrill of the meat grinder.

The current Sixth Crown also didn’t change; it is still Shen Xun’er.

She stood with her arms crossed, a confident, predatory grin plastered across her face, her eyes darting between her peers as if calculating the best way to beat them in a fight.

The current Seventh Crown was Shen Hei, who was the former Eighth Crown, a silent shadow of a youth whose presence was so faint he almost blended into the background of the jade pillars.

The current Eighth Crown was Shen Cai, who was the former Seventh Crown, the Artificer.

His fingers were calloused from handling divine metals, and his eyes were constantly scanning the arrays carved into the palace floors.

The current Ninth Crown was Shen Bai, who was the former Tenth Crown, the Formation Master.

A faint glow of runic symbols swirled within his pupils, his mind constantly calculating the geometry of space.

And the current Tenth Crown was Shen Ying, who was the former Ninth Crown, the Alchemist.

A subtle, sweet scent of medicinal herbs and spirit plants drifted naturally from her baggy robes, her eyes covered by her bangs, making her appear gloomy.

Chu Xueyu stared down at them from her high vantage point, her cold eyes sweeping over the ten individuals and a rare, subtle nod of approval passed through her expression.

”All of you have finally broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Congratulations.”

The Ten Crowns immediately cupped their hands and bowed in perfect unison, their voices echoing through the grand hall.

”Thank you, Matriarch.”

”Hm. I won’t beat around the bush,” Said Chu Xueyu, her voice transitioning instantly into a tone of cold, pragmatic reality. ”The Empire has requested all geniuses to gather and discuss a plan on how to take back the Eastern Region, which has been conquered by the barbarians from the Vast Wilderness.”

Hearing those words, the Ten Crowns looked shocked, and the stoic masks they had worn throughout the audience cracked, replaced by absolute disbelief.

An entire region was conquered?

How was that possible? The Eastern Region was vast, protected by countless sect formations, ancient city walls, and millions of local practitioners.

Why didn’t the Emperor immediately send the Imperial Army to drive away those barbarians?

The regular armies of the Tian Yuan Empire were massive, consisting of hardened veterans and terrifying war machines capable of leveling mountain ranges.

Why call upon the younger generation for a crisis of this magnitude?

”From the information we received,” Chu Xueyu continued, ignoring their silent bewilderment, ”None from the other Nine Immortal Clans responded, and it is unlikely for them to participate. And amongst the Thirteen...the Twelve Immortal Sects, only the Purple Sky Immortal Sect, Heart Severing Dao Immortal Sect, and Endless Path Immortal Sect have participated. Some other secondary forces like the Pill Tower, the Diamond Titan Sect, and the Blissful Immortal Coupling Palace have also decided to participate to gain merit and resources.”

Just then, Shen Ying raised her hand slightly, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Chu Xueyu raised an eyebrow, pausing her explanation. ”Yes?”

”Matriarch, why didn’t the Emperor just send his army and instead let us, the younger generation, handle this mess? Isn’t a barbarian invasion a matter of national security? Sending unseasoned young cultivators seems like an inefficient way to wage war,” Shen Ying asked, voicing the question that was burning in the minds of everyone present.

Chu Xueyu shrugged her shoulders, a faint, almost mocking smile touching her lips. ”This is actually an excuse just so the Emperor can send the pampered geniuses of the noble clans and temper them through battle. The old man on the throne thinks the capital’s youths have grown too soft under the protection of their clans. He is using the barbarian invasion as a giant crucible to filter out the waste and force the remaining ones to grow.”

”I see. I understand,” Shen Ying nodded, her analytical mind quickly calculating the political risks and rewards of such an endeavor.

”Anyway, if any of you wanted to participate, raise your hand. I will arrange for your departure and ensure you have the necessary transport and basic supplies,” Chu Xueyu stated, leaning back against her throne.

Shen Tao didn’t hesitate for a single second as he raised his hand firmly, his eyes shining with a clear, righteous light. ”I will go, Matriarch. It is our duty as the strong to protect the weak. I cannot allow those barbarians to harm the common people of the Eastern Region. If we possess the power of the Nascent Soul, we must use it to shield those who have nothing.”

”Wimp,” Shen Jian snorted mockingly from the side, a look of pure disdain on his face.

He despised Shen Tao’s righteous philosophy, viewing it as a weakness.

However, Shen Tao completely ignored him, not even turning his head to acknowledge the insult.

Shen Jian crossed his arms and looked away. ”I won’t go. I’m too lazy to bother with the affairs of some desolate, backwater place like the Eastern Region. My time is better spent enjoying the embrace of women than that.”

”I also won’t go,” Said Shen Fei, his deep voice vibrating with power. ”I have something important to do. My physique requires me to descend into the deep earth veins of the domain to refine my secondary core. So a war with mortals and barbarians offers no benefit to my path.”

”I will go,” Said Shen Xinye quietly, her voice steady but carrying a hidden weight.

As she raised her hand, her mind drifted back to the events of a year ago—the humiliating defeat, the shifting dynamics of the clan, and the lingering sense of inadequacy that had plagued her.

And most importantly, she thought of that man who had deceived her, taking advantage of her kindness.

She thought that she could use this bloody, chaotic chance to try and forget about that incident a year ago, forging her heart into something unbreakable amidst the flames of real war.

”I want to go. I want to try and fight those barbarians. I fought some other barbarian tribes before, and they can wrestle dragons with their bare hands. Let’s see if the barbarians who invaded this time have bones are harder than my Tyrant King Sacred Physique!” Said Shen Ji, a savage grin spreading across his face as he cracked his knuckles, the sound like thunder within the hall.

”We’re on the same boat,” Shen Xun’er punched her open palm, her eyes flashing with a predatory light as she grinned widely, her competitive nature instantly flared by the prospect of an uninhibited slaughterhouse. ”An environment where we don’t have to hold back our attacks sounds perfect.”

”Ah, I’m in the middle of forging another high-grade artifact. The flame in my forge cannot be extinguished right now, so I can’t come,” Said Shen Cai, laughing sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, declining the offer.

”I’m currently modifying another defensive formation for the outer sectors of the domain. Apologies, Matriarch, but I can’t come either,” Said Shen Bai, bowing respectfully as he declined.

”Hmm. I will go. I want to test my skills against the Alchemists from the Pill Tower. I heard their younger generation has produced a few decent talents this century,” Said Shen Ying, a small, confident smile playing on her lips before it quickly vanished.

”Alright,” Chu Xueyu nodded slowly, her gaze resting on the five volunteers. ”Shen Tao, Shen Xinye, Shen Ji, Shen Xun’er, and Shen Ying... five of you, right? A balanced team of vanguard, defense, intellect, and support. Then, as for the leader of the group...”

She paused, her cold gaze shifting away from the Ten Crowns and looking towards the massive, grand entrance of the throne room.

Then, a soft, genuinely warm smile, completely different from her usual frosty demeanor, appeared on her beautiful face.

”I can leave it to you, right, Haoran?”

Hearing that name, everyone in the hall, the Seven Enshrined Elders and the Ten Crowns, simultaneously turned their heads towards the entrance.

From there, Shen Haoran entered the grand hall.

He moved with an effortless, fluid grace, his iconic black and gold robe fluttering slightly despite the lack of wind in the room.

His golden hair seemed to catch and amplify the ambient light of the jade palace, and his golden eyes shone with a brilliant, newly acquired depth that seemed to see through the very essence of everyone present.

A confident, calm smile was etched onto his face as he walked down the central aisle, the pressure radiating from his body causing the newly advanced Nascent Soul Crowns to feel a sudden, instinctual tightening in their chests.

He stopped at the base of the dais, looked up at Chu Xueyu, and bowed slightly.

”Of course, mother.”