Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Falling Blossom Villa.

The gentle, soothing sound of cascading water from a hotspring echoed softly through the rear perimeter of the estate, harmonizing beautifully with the continuous, rhythmic rustle of the ancient peach blossom trees.

This hotspring is located away in a private rocky hollow at the very back of the villa.

Earlier that afternoon, right after the group had officially secured the ownership deeds from Senior Xie Ji, Huo Yue had casually explored the outer boundaries of the property and immediately discovered the steaming, mineral-rich waters.

Sensing that the entire spring was rich with concentrated qi and can help in cultivation, she had enthusiastically run back to inform Shen Haoran about her magnificent find.

Then, with a little bit of structural modification, they had smoothly, seamlessly separated the massive natural pool into two completely private, independent halves separated by a thick wall of solid bamboo wall.

Right at the entrance of the spring, they built a small, elegant wooden house made of spiritual bamboo to serve as the changing rooms for the entire entourage.

At this exact, quiet moment, inside the boy’s side of the hot springs.

All the male members of the prestigious Ten Crowns of the supreme Shen Clan were currently sitting scattered throughout the natural stone pool, their powerful, scarred bodies submerged within the bubbling, high-temperature waters to wash away the residual mental exhaustion of the academy’s grueling selection trials.

The humid air was thick, heavy, and thoroughly saturated with a dense, white spiritual steam that carried the faint, refreshing scent of natural minerals and ancient nature’s qi.

Shen Tao, the undisputed current 1st Crown of the generation, sat perfectly relaxed near the center of the deep pool.

His muscular back was resting calmly against a smooth, jade-lined stone wall, his faded golden hair damp from the rising steam as he lazily held a fine jade glass filled with a high-grade, gold-tinted spiritual wine, occasionally taking a slow, unhurried sip.

”Tsk. I honestly can’t fucking believe that you can actually sit there and tolerate my literal existence.”

Just then, a sharp, incredibly cold voice violently sliced through the peaceful, bubbling silence of the cavern.

Shen Jian, the notorious former second crown who had recently been beaten down to occupy the current position of the 4th Crown, walked slowly out from the steam.

He sat down heavily right on the stone edge directly beside Shen Tao’s position, his expression tight, bitter, and thoroughly dark as he let his bare feet submerge into the boiling, qi-infused water.

Shen Tao slowly opened his calm eyes and turned his head slightly to the side, his gray pupils reflecting the damp light of the cave as he stared flatly at the youth’s aggressive posture. ”...What exactly do you mean by that statement, Shen Jian?”

”What do I fucking mean by that?” Shen Jian spat out through his locked teeth, a dark, volatile wave of pure resentment and raw frustration violently flaring within his brown eyes as he stared back at the 1st Crown.

Sensing this, everyone immediately turned towards him, ready to interfere if things escalate.

”Don’t you fucking dare act like you don’t care, Shen Tao! Stop playing the part of a saint within my sight! I am the one who cold-bloodedly ripped your very own Supreme Bone straight out of your chest when we were children inside the training camps! I mutilated your body, I destroyed your supreme destiny, and now... you act like all is perfectly forgiven between us?! If we had switched our situations back then, and I was the one who climbed back to the apex, I would have ruthlessly, gladly slaughtered you the absolute very first chance I got!”

The other male crowns scattered throughout the deep corners of the hot spring and preparing to interfere, instantly froze in place, their breathing hitching as the sheer, suffocating density of the sudden tension caused the rising steam to violently stutter.

They quickly, simultaneously stared at each other through the white fog, sharing a look of profound, silent agreement, and instantly decided to look away, submerging themselves deeper into the water as they collectively chose to act like they didn’t even exist within the room.

After all, every single member of the bloodline was fully aware that this was a deeply buried, blood-stained conversation that the two top geniuses of their generation explicitly should have had a long, long time ago.

Shen Tao remained perfectly still within the bubbling water, his fingers tightly, yet elegantly holding the stem of his jade wine glass.

He didn’t show a single thread of explosive rage, nor did his expression break into a defensive panic; he merely stared at his own scarred chest with a look of profound, heavy solemnity.

”I think you may have some misunderstandings, Shen Jian,” Shen Tao spoke softly, his voice incredibly calm, yet carrying a deep, echoing weight that effortlessly suppressed the volatile aura rising from the edge. ”Do you honestly believe that my heart has completely forgotten the blinding, agonizing pain of having my bones violently torn from my flesh? Do you truly believe that I do not carry a deep, burning reservoir of absolute hatred for what your hands did to my childhood?”

”Then why?!” Shen Jian roared out in a low, furious hiss, his fingers digging into the hard stone edge of the pool so violently that the structural rock began to web with fractures.

Then, he stood up, and walked in front of Shen Tao, glaring at him with absolute hatred.

”Why the fuck do you tolerate me?! Why don’t you fucking kill me?! If you hate me, then look at me with hatred! Treat me like the executioner I am! Your fucking tolerance makes me absolutely, thoroughly sick to my stomach!”

Shen Tao stared at him, and Shen Jian couldn’t help but get angrier seeing that calm look in his eyes.

”Why? Because my personal feelings, my individual trauma, and my hatred for your character are completely, utterly insignificant when measured against the ultimate glory and survival of the Shen Clan,” Shen Tao countered instantly, his gray eyes flaring with a sudden, magnificent intensity that forced Shen Jian’s breath to catch in his throat.

He set his jade glass down onto a flat stone with a sharp clink, his posture turning incredibly straight.

”Look at the state of the universe, Shen Jian! The Heaven’s Will is actively preparing to manifest upon this specific generation. The empire is gathering their forces, the other immortal Lineages are strengthening their descendants, and every single ancient faction under the sun is desperately, ruthlessly plotting to trample our lineage into the dirt to steal our destiny!”

He stood up, walking towards Shen Jian and stared straight into his eyes.

”In a total war of that absolute, apocalyptic magnitude, our clan cannot afford the luxury of internal fractures, and we certainly cannot afford to lose a single high-tier combatant.”

At that moment, the other crowns couldn’t help but take a look, their gazes alternating between the two men.

”Despite the monstrous cruelty of your past actions, your raw martial talent, plus the supreme bone, and your killer instinct are among the absolute sharpest assets our house possesses. If I were to kill you out of a desire for petty, emotional revenge, I would be actively weakening the vanguard of the Shen Clan right before the storm arrives. I would rather endure the sight of your face every single day than allow our enemies a single fraction of an advantage.”

Shen Tao leaned forward slightly, the hot spring water rippling across his broad shoulders as his voice dropped into an unyielding, sovereign whisper.

”And most of all... I tolerate your breath because of Young Master Shen Haoran. Our young master is the undisputed center of our house’s future. He is the one who carries the absolute mandate to trample the old gods, claim the Heaven’s Will, and ascend past the boundaries of mortality to become the next Immortal of this era.”

”My life, my path, and my strength are entirely, unconditionally dedicated to clearing the stones beneath his boots. He needs an elite, completely unified vanguard of Ten Crowns to shield his flank from the hidden checkers of the cosmos—not a fractured, bleeding circle of bickering children. I hold back my blade not for your sake, Shen Jian... but to ensure that when Young Master Haoran steps onto the Immortal Road, he has an army of loyal monsters ready to butcher the world on his command.”

He extended his hands and pointed his index and middle finger into Shen Jian’s throat, his eyes cold and murderous.

”You are a tool of the Shen Clan, and as long as you perform your duty to the Young Master with absolute loyalty, I will allow you to breathe. But the moment your footsteps falter, or the moment your pride causes a single thread of harm to young master Haoran’s path... I will personally, cleanly rip that bone straight back out of your chest and decorate the steps of our palace with your skull. Remember your place.”

Shen Jian sat perfectly frozen on the stone edge, his mouth slightly open as the heavy, unadulterated weight of the 1st Crown’s words completely, thoroughly dismantled his residual anger.

He had spent his entire life expecting a sudden dagger in the dark, a political trap, or a public execution from the man he had wronged; he had prepared himself to face a wall of hypocritical righteousness.

But to hear that Shen Tao’s absolute tolerance was entirely driven by an unbending, selfless devotion to the clan’s survival and the sovereign path of the young master... it was a level of structural maturity and mental density that his own chaotic, selfish mind could barely fully comprehend.

Slowly, the disgust and the bitter rage inside Shen Jian’s chest began to completely dissolve, replaced entirely by a profound, deep, and unvarnished sense of genuine respect for the man standing in front of him, and threatening him.

He let out a long, slow breath through his nose, his shoulders dropping as his posture relaxed for the first time in a decade.

”An army of loyal monsters, huh...” Shen Jian murmured softly, a sharp, genuine smirk slowly forming on his blond features as he looked down at the rippling water.

He turned his head to lock his eyes directly back onto Shen Tao’s face, his tone dropping all of its toxic edge, turning incredibly serious and anchored.

”You truly are a terrifyingly magnificent bastard, Shen Tao. Your mind belongs to a real commander.”

He paused, a sudden, dark golden light flaring within his pupils as he formally delivered his sacred marital commitment to the vanguard.

”Then hear my sacred vow today, 1st Crown. I will explicitly, unconditionally accept your conditions. As long as Young Master Shen Haoran remains significantly stronger, sharper, and more terrifyingly absolute than me... Then my strength will remain completely, fiercely loyal to his shadow. I will absolutely never betray him, and I will gladly act as the sharpest executioner on his flank to butcher any faction that dares to block his road to the throne. But the moment his hand slips... I will climb.”

”He will never slip,” Shen Tao replied smoothly, a calm, supremely confident smile returning to his lips as he reached back out to pick up his jade glass of wine. ”But I am glad to hear that we finally have a clear, functional understanding.”

Shen Jian let out a short, genuine laugh, walking to the side and let his body submerged into the hot spring water as the rest of the male crowns finally let out a massive, collective sigh of deep relief through the steam.

The long-awaited peace of this group finally achieving a perfect, blood-forged alignment.