Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

[Ding!]

[Detected a compatible Host...]

[System binding initiated... 1%... 20%... 60%... 100%]

[Binding Successful.]

[The Goddess Capturing System greets you, Host.]

”A system?!” Qing Yan exclaimed, his voice ringing loudly across the quiet, blood-soaked clearing, startling Luo Mingye and Xia Mengyao.

His sudden, bizarre shout made both girls jump slightly as Xia Mengyao’s hand instinctively tightened around her sword hilt, her eyes narrowing as she studied his manic expression, while Luo Mingye lowered her zither, a look of genuine pity and concern softening her ethereal features.

”Qing Yan, what’s wrong with you?” asked Luo Mingye worriedly, her soft, melodious voice carrying a touch of gentle reproach. ”Did you hurt your head too hard when that demonic beast struck you? You’re acting so strangely, shouting nonsense at the sky... Maybe you should give up this exam and let us send you back through the emergency spatial talisman.”

Before going inside, the academy had provided them with a talisman that they can use to instantly exit the dimension once they encounter danger.

Qing Yan froze, his eyes widening as he realized what he had just done and he almost smacked his forehead in sheer frustration for blurting that out loud!

’Idiot!’ he screamed at himself internally. ’You’re in a strange world, surrounded by two drop-dead gorgeous girls holding weapons, and you’re screaming about systems like a complete lunatic!’

Still, how should he answer? He didn’t even have the memories of this original body yet!

He had no idea where he was, who these girls were, what his name was, or what kind of relationship he held with them.

If he misspoke now, they might think he was possessed by a demonic spirit and cut his head off!

[Detected an imbalance in soul.]

[Target soul possesses a shattered, dormant remnant soul of the original inhabitant.]

[Would Host like to completely fuse with the remnant soul of this body to acquire memories, language comprehension, and instinctual habits?]

’Yes! Do it right now!’ he thought frantically, screaming the confirmation in his mind.

[Fusing soul...]

___

At this moment, unknown to the transmigrator, deep within the darkest, most hidden abyss of his spiritual sea, a very small, fragile soul was residing.

It was the true, remnant soul of the original Qing Yan.

The poor boy’s spirit was battered, translucent, and trembling like a withered leaf in an arctic gale.

He sat curled up in a ball amidst the pitch-black void of his own subconscious, his pale phantom hands covering his ears. He was terrified, utterly confused by the sudden intruding entity that had hijacked his brain, and looking around in absolute, helpless fear.

”W-Where am I...?” the fragile soul whimpered, his faint voice echoing hollowly in the dark void. ”Who is talking in my head...? Sister Mengyao...? Sister Mingye...?”

Suddenly, the silent, black void around him began to warp.

The dark space tore open like rotten cloth, and countless giant, crimson eyes materialized out of the shadows.

They all locked simultaneously onto the tiny, helpless soul cowering in the center.

The original Qing Yan felt a bone-chilling, unthinkable terror paralyze his limbs, his soul shrieked in agony as invisible, icy tendrils shot out from the dark, wrapping around his neck, his arms, and his chest.

”NO! NO! PLEASE!” the boy cried out in sheer, unadulterated horror, tears of spiritual energy streaming down his pale face as he desperately thrashed against the constricting darkness.

He tried to run, dragging his bound legs through the dark sludge of the void, but the tendrils violently yanked him back.

*CRACK! TEAR!*

The horrific sound of tearing spirit echo-chambered through his mind.

The eldritch-like tendrils sank sharp, invisible teeth into his soul, slowly and methodically ripping his limbs apart.

”HELP ME! SISTER MENGYAO! TEACHER! SOMEONE HELP ME! IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH!” The original Qing Yan screamed until his voice cracked into raspy, silent gasps of absolute agony.

His memories, his childhood, his fears, his dreams, and his very identity were mercilessly torn into microscopic fragments, chewed up, and devoured by the monstrous system protocol, assimilating every shred of his existence into the new host’s consciousness.

With one final, suffocating sob, the last lingering speck of the original Qing Yan’s soul dissolved into nothingness, completely erased from the universe.

___

[Fusion complete.]

The system’s cold, robotic voice echoed in his mind. As for that incident inside his soul, he remained completely unaware.

Even if he did, he doesn’t have time to think about it as a sudden, overwhelming flood of information rushed into his brain.

He saw memories of growing up in a poor, dusty farming village within the lower realms, being scouted by an academy elder due to a rare, hidden talent, and being brought to the grand Imperial Academy with grand dreams of becoming a legendary immortal.

He saw memories of the harsh reality that followed: being mocked by arrogant young masters, called a low-born plebeian, ignored by the instructors, and standing at the bottom of his class as the weakest, most talentless disciple.

He remembered the cold, condescending gaze of his assigned partner, Xu Xiansu, who had looked at him as if he were a piece of trash on her boot before leaving him alone to die in the teeth of demonic beasts.

Qing Yan took a deep, shaky breath, letting out a soft sigh as he absorbed the memories.

He couldn’t help but think that the original boy was truly, heartbreakingly pitiful.

He quickly shook off the lingering melancholy, adjusting his posture. Recomposing his face into an expression of gentle, timid vulnerability that matched the memories of the old Qing Yan, he turned his gaze back towards Luo Mingye and Xia Mengyao.

He offered them a soft, pitiful, and slightly embarrassed smile, rubbing the back of his neck timidly.

”I’m... I’m so sorry, Sister Mengyao, Sister Mingye,” Qing Yan murmured, his voice softening into the familiar, quiet tone they were used to. ”I was just... shaken up from almost dying to that demonic wolf. My mind was playing tricks on me. Thank you both so much for saving my life and heal my wounds. But... I don’t want to give up. I want to continue the exam and prove that I can at least finish it.”

Xia Mengyao stared at him for a long, quiet moment, searching his face for any signs of lingering madness.

Seeing the familiar, timid posture return, her tense shoulders relaxed, and she let out a soft, helpless sigh, sheathing her longsword completely.

”Up to you,” Xia Mengyao said, her tone cool but no longer hostile. ”If you insist on staying, you can follow us. Let me and Mingye search for Sister Xiansu first. Once we reunite you with your partner, you can decide your next move.”

Luo Mingye smiled gently, nodding her head in agreement as she cradled her zither. ”That’s right. The two of you were paired together by the academy after all. It’s better if we find her so you two can look out for each other.”

”Thank you so much, sisters! You are both so kind!” Qing Yan smiled brightly, bowing his head respectfully toward them.

With that, the three of them turned their backs on the piles of dead demonic beasts and walked together towards the foggy, wind-swept distance of the Golden Core trial grounds.

”Where should we head next, Mingye?” Asked Xia Mengyao.

”Maybe north? I felt battle there earlier.” Said Luo Mingye.

”North it is, then.”

As they walked through the jagged, fog-draped mountain passes heading towards north, Qing Yan kept his head slightly lowered, assuming his usual timid and subservient posture to avoid raising any suspicion.

However, beneath his quiet, unassuming exterior, his mind was racing at a frantic pace.

He was actively communicating with the newly bound system residing deep within his soul, eager to understand the exact mechanics of his newfound golden finger.

’System, what are your exact functions?’ Qing Yan asked in his mind, testing the mental link.

[Answering to the Host. The System is officially designated as the Goddess Capturing System. My primary function is to assist the Host in conquering top-tier female cultivators throughout the realms. I can bestow magnificent rewards for every Goddess that Host successfully captures.]

Qing Yan frowned slightly, his brows knitting together as he digested the system’s explanation.

’Capture... Does that mean I have to sleep with them or officially make them my lovers before you can give me any rewards? If it takes that long to get a single payout, my short-term survival is going to be a massive problem.’

[Not at all, Host,] the system’s cold, robotic voice chimed smoothly in his consciousness. [A grand reward will definitely be bestowed once a target’s Affection Meter reaches 100. However, incremental increases in affection points—such as reaching thresholds of 30, 40, 50, or 90—will also grant you various minor rewards, including cultivation pills, ancient martial techniques, and rare artifacts.]

’I see,’ Qing Yan nodded mentally, a sharp, calculating glint passing through his hidden gaze.

That was far more flexible. He didn’t need to rush into an immediate relationship; he just needed to play his cards right, manipulate their emotions, and slowly farm affection points step by step.

’Then who exactly constitutes a ’Goddess’ in your evaluation metrics? Is it a literal title for divine ascendants, or is it just based on physical beauty?’

[Any female individual possessing a universal Charm Rating of 90 and above is officially categorized as a Goddess eligible to be captured by the Host.]

’Oh.’ Qing Yan stroked his chin in his thoughts, pausing for a brief second to question the system’s logic. ’By the way, how do you even determine these charm points? After all, beauty is entirely subjective. Someone who is considered stunningly beautiful in another man’s eyes might be considered completely average to someone else. Maybe a 90-point rating by your system’s standards would look quite average in my eyes.’

[A Charm Rating of 90 is universally acknowledged as breathtakingly beautiful, Host, regardless of race, cultural background, or personal aesthetic opinion. It represents the physical peak attainable by ordinary mortal and immortal genetics. Anything above a 90 rating will be dynamically calculated and judged based specifically on the Host’s personal innate preferences and subconscious desires.]

’I see. I understand now,’ Qing Yan mused, a slow smirk forming in his mind. ’Then can you scan these two women walking in front of me right now?’

[Understood, Host. Initiating deep soul and physical scan of target entities...]

A faint, invisible ripple of energy swept outward from Qing Yan’s eyes, focusing entirely on the backs of the two maidens leading the way through the grey wasteland.

Within a fraction of a second, two translucent, glowing blue status panels materialized before his vision, visible only to his eyes.

[Target Scan Complete]

[Name: Xia Mengyao]

[Identity: Golden Class Student of the Imperial Academy / Sword Cultivator]

[Charm Rating: 93 / 100]

[Affection Level: 10 / 100 (Status: Normal Classmates / Mild Pity)]

[Capture Difficulty: SSS]

Qing Yan took a deep, sharp breath internally, his heart skipping a beat as he stared at the red ”SSS” difficulty indicator flashing on the panel.

’SSS difficulty?!’ he cursed in his mind, his eyes widening slightly. *Is that the highest difficulty tier?! Are you kidding me?! Despite looking so approachable, gentle, and willing to help a weak classmate like me, this woman is actually so insanely hard to get along with on a deeper level?!’

He thought for a moment, and only then realized that Xia Mengyao’s kindness was purely a result of her noble upbringing, moral ethics, and innate sense of justice as a sword cultivator.

She pitied the weak, but gaining her genuine, romantic affection or breaking through her emotional guard was an entirely different beast altogether.

To her, he was likely nothing more than a pathetic, helpless puppy she felt obligated to protect from wild beasts.

Before he could process his frustration, the second status panel expanded directly beside the first.

[Target Scan Complete]

[Name: Luo Mingye]

[Identity: Golden Class Student of the Imperial Academy / Zither Cultivator]

[Charm Rating: 95 / 100]

[Affection Level: 10 / 100 (Status: Normal Classmates / Mild Sympathy)]

[Capture Difficulty: SSS]

’Holy shit...’ Qing Yan nearly stumbled over a sharp rock on the trail, barely catching his balance in time. ’These two approachable, kind-looking women are actually so hard to get along with! Both of them are SSS rank difficulty?!’

It took him a moment to calm down and finally analyze the numbers hovering before him.

Luo Mingye held a staggering 95 points in charm—a full two points higher than Xia Mengyao.

According to the system’s explanation, any charm rating above 90 was dynamically adjusted based on his own personal preferences.

Looking at Luo Mingye’s delicate, flowing robes, her long soft green hair tied into twin tails, and the serene, ethereal grace she radiated while holding her ancient zither, it made complete sense.

He genuinely preferred a soft, gentle, and elegant woman like Luo Mingye over a heroic, sharp, and noble swordswoman like Xia Mengyao.

Luo Mingye looked like a delicate fairy straight out of a painting, appealing directly to his subconscious desires.

Yet, despite her gentle demeanor and soft voice, her soul was protected by an SSS difficulty rating.

Her kindness was polite and distant—a pristine wall of courtesy that kept everyone at arm’s length.

’Shit... it’s going to be ridiculously hard to actually rake up some affection points with these two,’ Qing Yan thought, letting out a long, silent sigh deep in his heart as he maintained his timid, respectful stance behind them. ’if I try to act too eager or pushy, their affection meters will probably plummet into negative numbers instantly. They aren’t stupid, naive girls; they’re elite disciples of the Imperial Academy.’

He watched the two maidens chatting softly ahead of him, their voices carrying smoothly over the cold wind of the trial space.

’Well... no use worrying about it all at once,’ Qing Yan resolved, a cold, determined glint flashing in his eyes behind his lowered bangs.

’Take it one step at a time. First, I need to stay close to them, use their strength to survive this exam, and wait for the perfect opportunity to show my ’hidden worth’ when they least expect it.’