Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Separation

At this moment, the atmosphere surrounding the central plaza of the Myriad Dao Pavilion was thick with the hum of ancient machinery and the crackle of condensed spiritual energy.

Shen Haoran stood with the Five Crowns and Shangguan Mu’er in front of a massive Ark—a vessel of such gargantuan proportions that it cast a shadow over several city blocks.

The black star-iron hull was etched with glowing runes that pulsed like a slow, rhythmic heartbeat.

As the chosen leader of this eclectic and volatile group, Shen Haoran turned to face the dense crowds of noble geniuses and sect disciples.

”Everyone, nobles and disciples,” his voice resonated with a calm, absolute authority that brooked no dissent. ”Know that our first stop will be the Spirit Hall, there we will revise or improve our plans depending on the information that they have. Once everything is read, all of you will have to either follow the plans I laid out, or the new plans we might make. So make sure to listen. There will be no room for individual glory at the expense of the formation.”

”Yes!”

Sounds of agreement echoed throughout the pavilion, a thunderous roar from thousands of cultivators.

The previous bickering and vanity had been momentarily suppressed by the sheer weight of Haoran’s presence and the cold reality of the coming war.

”Very well, let us depart.” Shen Haoran entered the Ark first, his movements fluid and purposeful.

He was followed closely by the Five Crowns of the Shen Clan, then Bai Wenxin and her entourage of purple-robed disciples, and Su Xishi, whose fox-like grace didn’t falter even in the face of such a grim departure.

The Princes, representatives of the other great powers, and finally, the mass of noble scions filed in, filling the cavernous interior of the vessel.

On the very corner, Xu Xiansu remained silent as she stared through the glass window in deep thought.

The Eastern Region.

For others, they might’ve think that it’s just a backwater place, but for Xu Xiansu, who has lived for over 500 years, Eastern Region is not just a treasure trove of talents and inheritance, but also because of its separation to the Empire.

Back then, Spirit Hall used the chaos of the giant invasion to build its army and conquer and control the land that used to belong to them.

Then, three hundred years from now, they will found the Eastern Empire, completely severing ties with the Empire itself.

However, that Empire didn’t even last a year as Xu Jingshan personally went and destroyed them.

They were so insignificant to the tides of the story that Xu Xiansu only remembered it just then.

’Hmm, right now, those people should be very disappointed with the Emperor, right?’

Maybe they can subdue?

Xu Xiansu thought as she watched and listened as at that moment, the Ark groaned and its internal engines roared to life.

It floated upward, hovering for a heartbeat before the space surrounding it began to distort and fold.

Within the blink of an eye, the ship warped space and time, vanishing from the Imperial Capital and leaving behind only a faint ripple in the atmosphere.

*

*

*

In the far reaches of the Eastern Region, the deepest part of the East, considered as the capital of the Region and is the only way in the Eastern Region that leads to the Central Region.

However, the air here was not filled with the luxury of the capital, but with the metallic tang of blood and the smoke of burning cities.

At the center of the remaining resistance stood the Spirit Hall, the strongest force in the Eastern Region and the power supported by the Empire to stop the Eastern Kingdoms from rebelling.

At this moment, in the Pope’s Palace, a structure of gleaming white stone and silver filigree, the place where the highest command of thr Spirit Hall resides.

A beautiful woman with light purple hair tied in a sophisticated braided bun sat upon a high throne.

She wore a silver crown that caught the flickering light of the braziers, and a majestic purple robe that flowed around her like a regal shroud.

She was Lu Xinglan, the current Pope of the Spirit Hall.

At only a hundred years old, she was a First Stage Nirvana Rebirth Realm expert, and on a region where reaching the Spirit Ascension realm was considered the peak of a lifetime, her achievement was the mark of a true, peerless genius, one who could stand tall even among the elites of the Central Region.

However, her face, so perfect and beautiful, was now twisted in fury.

”Elders!” Her voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy silence of the hall.

At that moment, two old men appeared beside her in a blur of motion, cupping their hands in deep respect.

One was shrouded in a faint, floral aroma, and the other in a chilling, ghostly mist.

From their aura, both of them were at the 5th Stage of the Spirit Ascension Realm, the twin pillars of the Hall’s military power.

”Your Majesty!” they spoke in unison.

”Are there any news from the Imperial Capital yet?” asked Lu Xinglan, her fingers drumming restlessly against the cold stone of her throne.

The two elders looked at each other, a trace of hesitation and bitterness visible in their eyes, before shaking their heads.

”Aside from the earlier message of His Majesty the Emperor, saying that he will send the younger generations to train and ’temper’ themselves, there has been no further news. No Imperial Legions have been mobilized, and no Saints have been dispatched.”

Lu Xinglan’s hand tightened, and with a sickening crack, she crushed her armrest into fine powder as her wine-red eyes burned with a deep, volcanic fury.

”That incompetent, useless, piece of garbage!” she gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with rage. ”Sending a bunch of brats to the frontline!? Is he serious!? Does the Imperial Capital have such a surplus of children that he wanted to cut off their numbers under the clubs of barbarians!? Just one Saint! One Saint alone is enough to end this entire war in a single afternoon! Why haven’t they done anything!? Do they truly care so little for the lives in the East?”

Her power flickered uncontrollably throughout the hall, a suffocating pressure that made the stone walls groan and the two elders bow their heads lower as they struggled to breathe.

At that moment...

”Mother, that is enough.”

The voice was soft yet firm, carrying a strange, stabilizing frequency.

Hearing that, Lu Xinglan paused, her aura receding as she looked towards the entrance of the hall.

A beautiful young woman walked in, her long golden blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and her clear blue eyes reflecting a maturity beyond her years.

”Yunxi,” Lu Xinglan whispered, her expression softening instantly. ”You’re here. Have you finished with your breakthrough?”

This was Qian Yunxi, the daughter of Lu Xinglan and the pride of the Spirit Hall.

At only 30 years old, she had already broken through to the 1st Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Her talent was the greatest in the entire history of the Eastern Region; she was the hope of the Spirit Hall, the one they intended to use to gain a permanent footing in the Central Region during the upcoming opening of the Imperial Academy.

”Elder Ju, Elder Gui,” Qian Yunxi spoke to the two elders with a respectful nod. ”Please leave us two alone for a moment.”

The two elders bowed low and disappeared into the shadows.

”Mother, you need to be careful. Getting stressed will make you look old,” Qian Yunxi smiled warmly as she walked up the dais and sat down on the remaining armrest of the throne, leaning in to hug her mother.

Lu Xinglan remained silent for a long time, stroking her daughter’s hair. ”Yunxi, if one day, there will be someone who can overthrow that evil Emperor... who do you think we should side with?”

”At the side that gives us the most benefits with the least risks, obviously,” Qian Yunxi chuckled, though her eyes remained serious. ”But of course, the best choice would be the one we make ourselves.”

”Indeed...” Lu Xinglan seemed to fall into deep thought for a moment, contemplating the shifting tides of the world, before she shook her head. ”The Emperor seems to not care about this region. He views it as a backyard for his children to play soldier.”

”It’s for the best, right?” asked Qian Yunxi, looking up at her mother.

Lu Xinglan nodded slowly. ”Yes. Paradoxically, his neglect is our opportunity. Once these barbarians have been driven out, by our own hands or by the ’geniuses’ he sends, we can proceed with our ultimate plan.”

The plan that had been whispered in the dark corners of the Spirit Hall for generations: for the Eastern Region to separate from the Tian Yuan Empire entirely and form its own independent, sovereign nation.

In fact, this plan had been ongoing for years since the tournament back then, where they slowly conquered the kingdoms.

Unfortunately, because of those giants, their plan had been postponed.

But soon, once these giants have been driven out, they can finally have a land or a home.

In the chaos of the invasion and the subsequent ”tempering” of the capital’s youth, they would find the cracks necessary to shatter their chains.