Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

One year later.

The morning sun crested the high, jagged mountain ranges of the western continent, bathing the vast plains in a radiant, golden dawn.

Where the jagged, scarred remnants of an ancient war once smoldered in ruin, a colossal, breathtaking metropolis now rose into the azure heavens like an immortal fortress forged by the gods themselves.

Mei Mei was a senior student of the prestigious Imperial Academy and, without a single shadow of a doubt, the most reliable, famous, and prolific source of breaking news, investigative exposés, and insider intelligence on the entirety of the Imperial Academy forum network.

Her journalistic posts under her renowned forum handle regularly gathered millions of views, heated debates, and instant shares across every major faction, student council, and noble faction board.

Whether it was the sudden breakthrough of an elusive imperial prodigy, the clandestine political maneuvers between ancient Immortal Clans, or the shifting balances of power across the myriad realms, Mei Mei was always the first to arrive, the sharpest to investigate, and the most unapologetically thorough to document the truth.

And right now, driven by sheer journalistic instinct and boundless curiosity, she decided to personally gather firsthand information and conduct an exhaustive field report in the very city whose sudden, apocalyptic conquest exactly one year ago had violently shaken the entire Academy Dimension to its core.

The former Leaf Green City.

Or, as it was now officially renamed, the Boundless Sky City.

Stepping off the grand, high-speed regional teleportation platform located just outside the outer boundary, Mei Mei couldn’t help but let out a soft, breathless gasp as she looked up.

A year ago, forum intelligence had described this place as an ancient, claustrophobic botanical stronghold burdened by exorbitant commerce taxes, decaying infrastructure, and a catastrophic thousand mile crater left by the terrifying clash between Shen Haoran and Mu Gang.

Yet today, the reality before her eyes was nothing short of a miracle.

The legendary abyss cleaved by Shen Haoran’s thousand-meter Spirit Avatar had not been left as an ugly scar; instead, through the genius of the master Artificer Shen Cai and the master Formation Master Shen Bai, it had been meticulously engineered into an awe-inspiring, crystalline moat and multi-layered subterranean defensive trench.

High-density defensive barrier runes shimmered softly beneath the clear, rushing spiritual waters, while colossal bridge arches forged from refined dark-star iron and glistening white jade spanned the chasm, allowing thousands of merchant carriages, spiritual beast mounts, and travelers to stream smoothly through the soaring city gates.

Floating high above the city’s skyline were massive, hovering garden islands suspended by ancient gravitational arrays, connected by arched sky-bridges that caught the morning light.

The air itself smelled extraordinarily pure, saturated with rich, revitalizing spiritual qi that felt several times denser than the surrounding provinces.

Mei Mei adjusted the spirit recording crystal hanging neatly from her neck, tapped the glowing transmission talisman resting on her leather bracer, and pulled out an enchanted jade stylus along with a blank recording scroll.

With a bright, determined gleam in her sharp eyes, she walked through the towering gates and began her comprehensive investigation.

Her first stop was the sprawling outer commercial district, where wide, pristine streets paved with smooth, impact-resistant spirit stone tiles were lined with thousands of vibrant shops, open-air food stalls, and bustling merchant pavilions.

Mei Mei approached a middle-aged street vendor who was energetically tossing skewers of fragrant, sizzling spiritual beast meat over a stove fueled by pure, low-heat alchemical coal.

The man had a broad, honest face and was humming a cheerful tune as a long line of hungry customers eagerly waited their turn.

”Excuse me, uncle!” Mei Mei called out with a warm, disarming smile, pulling out her recording crystal. ”I’m a student of the Imperial Academy and an independent journalist doing a feature report on the city’s transformation over the past year. Do you have a moment to share your thoughts on living under the new administration?”

The vendor looked up, wiped his hands on his clean apron, and broke into a wide, hearty grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes.

”An academy student, eh? Well, welcome to Boundless Sky City, young lady!” the vendor laughed, handing a freshly roasted skewer to a customer before turning his full attention to her. ”If you’re asking about the changes, I can talk for three days straight without stopping! Back when this place was Leaf Green City under the old Botanist Faction, running a small food stall was absolute hell. Mu Gang’s tax collectors would come around every single week, demanding forty percent of our gross earnings just for the ’privilege’ of setting up a wooden cart on the curb! If you couldn’t pay, they’d smash your stove and have their guards drag your sons into forced labor in the toxic herb mines.”

The vendor gestured proudly to his spacious, permanent brick and mortar shop with its glowing spiritual heating arrays.

”When Young Master Shen Haoran took over, the very first decree he issued wiped out all those extortionate street levies and capped local merchant taxes at a flat, transparent eight percent! On top of that, the city guards actually protect us! No more protection fees, no more crooked academy students shaking down honest folk.”

”Hmm, hmm,” Mei Mei nodded along.

”Look around you—the streets are clean, business has quadrupled, and my family eats high-grade spirit grain every single night now. Life here isn’t just better; it’s like moving from a muddy ditch straight into the immortal heavens!”

Mei Mei’s jade stylus flew across her recording scroll, capturing every word and the genuine, radiant joy on the man’s face.

”Thank you, uncle! I won’t be disturbing you further then!”

She waved her hand and left.

Moving deeper into the grand market avenues, Mei Mei arrived at the Grand Alchemical Exchange, a towering multi-story pavilion where hundreds of trade caravans, exotic beast-drawn carts, and high-tier merchant guild representatives from across the academy dimension were actively negotiating massive wholesale contracts.

She approached a lavishly dressed merchant master wearing deep purple silk robes embroidered with the insignia of a prominent, independent southern trading faction.

He was overseeing the loading of dozens of heavy, enchanted storage chests filled with glowing jade vials.

”Greetings, senior Merchant,” Mei Mei politely bowed. ”May I ask how the transition to Boundless Sky City has affected large-scale inter-provincial trade?”

The merchant turned, his eyes gleaming with the sharp, calculated satisfaction of a man whose profits had reached unprecedented heights.

”Affected trade? It has completely revolutionized the entire western economy, junior!” the merchant declared enthusiastically, tapping the edge of a sealed crate. ”Under Mu Gang, the Botanist Faction held an ironclad, suffocating monopoly on all rare spiritual herbs and alchemical pills. They price-gouged outside merchants, forced us to pay outrageous tariffs just to cross the outer borders, and hoarded high-grade elixirs for their elders.”

The merchant pointed toward the glowing alchemical towers in the distance, where faint plumes of fragrant, dark-crimson and azure pill smoke drifted gracefully into the sky.

”The Shen Clan destroyed that entire corrupt monopoly on day one. Under Lady Shen Ying’s oversight, they integrated the Heavenly Flame into the central alchemical arrays and opened up wholesale access to Grade 6, 7, and 8 herbs to all registered merchant syndicates at standard, fair market rates! The export tariffs were slashed, and the trade routes are kept entirely free of bandits by the city’s elite shadow patrols. In just twelve months, our caravan’s turnover has grown by over five hundred percent! Boundless Sky City is now the undisputed economic heart of the western territories, and every serious merchant guild in the world is clamoring to establish a permanent headquarters here.”

Mei Mei diligently recorded the figures, her mind racing as she realized just how profoundly Shen Haoran’s economic policies had reshaped the regional trade landscape.

After awhile, Mei Mei bid farewell to the merchant and decided to search for another person to interview.

This time, Mei Mei headed toward the city’s newly constructed cultivation plazas, where several groups of visiting students and native servants were seated in meditative rows around a massive, glowing array fountain.

She approached a group of three senior Imperial Academy students who were resting on a stone bench, their faces glowing with vibrant spiritual energy.

”Fellow students!” Mei Mei greeted them, waving her academy token. ”What brought you all the way from the central academy grounds to Boundless Sky City during the study break?”

One of the students, a young swordsman carrying a silver longsword, laughed and shook his head in pure marvel.

”So it’s you, Mei Mei!” the young man smiled at her. ”We came here specifically to cultivate! The Nine-Palace Spatial Convergence Formation that Shen Bai established over the city didn’t just repair the ruptured spirit veins but also harmonized them with the subterranean earth lines! The ambient qi density in these public cultivation plazas is nearly three times higher than the standard cultivation chambers back at the academy, and it’s completely free for visiting students and registered citizens! You can sit here for an hour and absorb more refined spiritual energy than you would in a week of secluded meditation back home.”

His companion, a female spellcaster, chimed in with equal excitement. ”And the safety here is unmatched! You can walk through the darkest alleyways at three in the morning, and not a single person will dare to lay a finger on you. The entire city is clean, orderly, modern, and brimming with cultivation opportunities. Honestly, half our graduating class is already planning to apply for permanent residency and join the Shen Clan’s external administration after graduation!”

”Is that so? Good luck then! I’ll be moving now, don’t let me disturb your cultivation.”

”No problem! See you at class!”

”Right, right, see you at class!”

Intrigued by the students’ praise of the city’s security, Mei Mei walked toward one of the primary garrison headquarters stationed along the inner ring wall.

There, standing in disciplined, razor-sharp formations, were the city guards.

Unlike the ragged, arrogant, and undisciplined soldiers of the former Botanist Faction, these guards were clad in uniform, pitch-black armor etched with dark-gold dragon runes, their weapons gleaming with cold, pristine sharpness.

Their eyes were alert, disciplined, and calm, radiating the formidable pressure of peak Nascent Soul and early Spirit Ascension veterans.

Mei Mei approached a senior guard captain who was conducting a routine equipment inspection.

”Captain, could you spare a moment for the Academy Forum news network?” Mei Mei asked respectfully. ”How has the military restructuring under the Shen Clan evolved over this past year?”

The captain turned, offering a crisp, respectful salute.

His posture was straight as an ancient pine, his voice carrying the calm, grounded authority of a true professional soldier.

”Under the previous regime,” the captain explained steadily, ”the guard corps was divided into corrupt cliques, led by officers who cared only for bribes, nepotism, and personal comfort. We were given substandard armor, pitiful wages, and forced to act as the private thugs of council members like Advisor Liu and Elder Zhao.”

A proud, unyielding light shone in the captain’s eyes as he gestured toward his men.

”When Young Master Haoran restructured the garrison, he placed Lord Shen Ji, Lord Shen Jian, and Lord Shen Fei in charge of military doctrine. They eliminated every corrupt officer, established a strict, merit-based promotion system, and provided every single soldier with top-grade standard-issue spiritual armor, high-tier cultivation pills, and direct access to advanced martial libraries. Our wages were doubled, our families were given secure housing in the upper residential districts, and our mission became crystal clear: to protect the citizens, uphold absolute justice, and defend the sovereign honor of the Shen Clan. Every man and woman under my command is ready to lay down their lives for Young Master Haoran without a second thought.”

”I see, thank you for your service then.”

”No problem. Now hurry along student.”

With that, Mei Mei decided to leave, now thinking of seeking the most critical and complex perspective of all, and visited the Great Botanical Research Complex on the northern edge of the city.

This vast, dome-covered facility housed the thousands of spiritual herb fields and refining chambers that had once been the private property of the Botanist Faction.

Inside the central greenhouse, surrounded by lush, towering stalks of Grade 7 Crimson Fire Grass and glowing Jade-Core Orchids, Mei Mei found Elder Sun—a former senior elder of the Botanist Faction who had surrendered during the initial conquest and subsequently chosen to swear fealty to Shen Haoran.

The old elder was carefully inspecting the vibrant, emerald leaves of a rare spiritual herb, his weathered face filled with calm, scholarly contentment rather than the bitter resentment one might expect from a conquered official.

”Elder Sun,” Mei Mei said gently, stepping onto the stone path. ”Many in the outside world wondered how the surviving members of the Botanist Faction would fare under the Shen Clan’s rule. How have you and your fellow botanists found this past year?”

Elder Sun looked up, setting down his jade shears with a quiet, reflective chuckle.

He stroked his long white beard and smiled warmly at the young journalist.

”Ah, the outside world loves to imagine bloody purges and vengeful enslavement,” Elder Sun mused softly, his eyes sweeping across the breathtaking, vibrant herb fields around them. ”The truth, young lady, is that joining Young Master Shen Haoran was the greatest blessing that ever happened to our faction’s researchers and botanists.”

The old man walked over to a stone table, gesturing for Mei Mei to observe the intricate spiritual irrigation arrays pulsing beneath the rich soil.

”The elders of our faction were bloodsucking tyrant who cared only for raw power, political domination, and personal hoarding, and our faction leader Mu Gang couldn’t care less.”

Saying that, the old man’s fists clench.

”They forced us to burn through our sacred herb reserves to fuel their unstable vitality pills and treated our life’s work as mere currency for their political games. When Young Master Haoran took the city, he did not execute those who surrendered. Instead, he recognized our knowledge and gave us complete creative and scholarly freedom.”

Elder Sun’s voice filled with deep, sincere reverence as he looked toward the central palace tower in the distance.

”Lady Shen Ying personally restructured our spiritual soil arrays, introducing methods that accelerated herb growth cycles by three-fold without damaging the soil’s vitality. We are no longer pawns in a corrupt, stagnant faction; we are pioneers of a brand new era of alchemical science, respected, well-funded, and protected by the strongest sovereign in the realm. Every single surviving member of the old faction who stayed behind is profoundly grateful. We are proud to call ourselves citizens and scholars of Boundless Sky City.”

”I see, thank you uncle! I’ll be walking around for a bit.”

”Alright, be careful out there.”

With that, Mei Mei decided to leave, and the comprehensive investigation continued for hours as she walked through every sector of the city.

She interviewed ordinary citizens who praised the new public healthcare clinics and clean water arrays; she spoke with foreign mercenaries who marveled at the transparent mission reward boards; and she questioned small shopkeepers, scholars, and youth apprentices, only to receive an unbroken, overwhelming consensus of radiant, positive feedback.

There was no fear lingering in the streets, no whisper of rebellion, and no longing for the corrupt past.

Under the visionary intellect, bottomless resources, and unyielding strength of Shen Haoran and his core circle, Leaf Green City had not merely been conquered—it had been completely reborn into an utopian beacon of prosperity, order, and limitless martial advancement.

By the time Mei Mei finally concluded her final interview, the brilliant golden sun had slowly dipped beneath the western horizon.

The vibrant crimson and violet hues of twilight settled over the city, and the thousands of spiritual lanterns embedded within the soaring white jade towers and floating sky-gardens flickered to life, illuminating Boundless Sky City in a mesmerizing, celestial glow that looked like a carpet of fallen stars resting upon the earth.

Mei Mei stood atop the observation balcony of the central transmission tower, feeling the cool evening wind gently brush against her hair.

She looked out over the glittering, majestic expanse of the city below, her heart pounding with immense professional excitement.

”Unbelievable...” Mei Mei whispered to herself, looking down at the mountains of glowing text, recorded audio logs, and crystal projections stored within her spatial scrolls. ”This isn’t just a regular news report. This is going to completely detonate the entire Academy Dimension!”

She knew she couldn’t afford to waste a single second of sleep.

She stopped her field work immediately as the twilight deepened, finding a comfortable, quiet desk inside a private VIP study in a hotel.

Pulling out all her items, she decided to compile, edit, format, and post this comprehensive report as soon as possible.

After all, the long-awaited, monumental Imperial Academy Year-End Examination—an unprecedented grand trial that would be taking place directly in the vast, turbulent expanse of the lower realm—was about to officially begin very soon.

Every major genius, immortal heir, and faction across the academy dimension was preparing to descend into the mortal planes for the ultimate trial of strength, intellect, and survival.

And when this report regarding Shen Haoran’s unchallenged dominion over Boundless Sky City hit the academy forums tonight, it would serve as an earth-shattering declaration to the entire academy of who truly ruled the dimension.