Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 863: Forbidden Grounds and Calculated Preparations

The steady rhythm of cultivation in their secluded cave dwellings had become a familiar comfort for Wang Jian and Princess Yue Lingshan. Days were spent in meditation, fueled by Wang Jian's endless supply of top-grade Qi Refining Pellets, their Qi levels steadily climbing towards the elusive higher stages of Condensation. Nights were a blend of shared intimacy, strategic discussions, and Wang Jian subtly guiding Lingshan's understanding of the sect's undercurrents and her own burgeoning power.

Princess Yue Lingshan, now a formidable Tenth Stage Qi Condensation cultivator, had become a true star among the outer sect disciples, and even some in the inner sect were taking notice. Her superior dual spiritual roots, combined with Wang Jian's modified cultivation technique and his high-quality pellets, had allowed her to advance at a speed that left many of her peers in awe and, in some cases, bitter envy.

Her 'study group' for array formations had expanded. Junior Brother Lin Kai (he was now indeed her junior in cultivation, a fact he accepted with a blush and even greater adoration) was still her most devoted tutor, but other, more powerful senior brothers, some even at the Ninth or Tenth Stage themselves, now vied for the honor of 'discussing complex array theories' with the beautiful and talented Junior Sister Yue.

One such admirer was Senior Brother Feng Zhihao, a stern-faced but secretly smitten Tenth Stage disciple known for his meticulous understanding of defensive arrays. Another was the charming, silver-tongued Senior Brother Bai Xun, also Tenth Stage, who specialized in illusion formations and always seemed to have a rare diagram or an insightful anecdote to share, usually accompanied by a lingering gaze.

Yue Lingshan, following Wang Jian's earlier advice, skillfully navigated these attentions. She accepted their tutelage, absorbed their knowledge, and even accepted the occasional 'gift' of rare array components or talisman crafting materials they offered in hopes of currying her favor. But she maintained a polite, almost ethereal distance, never allowing any of them to cross the line into inappropriate familiarity. Her smile was radiant, her gratitude seemingly sincere, but her heart, and her body, belonged solely to Wang Jian.

'They are like moths to a flame,' Wang Jian had mused one night, his hands possessively exploring the delightful curves of her body as she recounted her day's interactions. 'And you, my little Lingshan, are learning to use your light very effectively without getting burned.' He'd punctuated his words with a firm squeeze of her curvy buttock, eliciting a soft yelp and a playful slap.

One afternoon, after a particularly insightful (and flattering) session on 'Multi-layered Spirit Warding Arrays' with Senior Brother Feng Zhihao, Yue Lingshan returned to her cave dwelling, her mind buzzing not just with array diagrams, but with a piece of news that had the entire outer sect, and parts of the inner sect, humming with excitement.

That night, when Wang Jian slipped into her cave, his own cultivation session complete, he found her pacing, a rare agitation in her usually composed demeanor.

"Jian!" she exclaimed as he entered, her eyes wide. "You won't believe what I heard today!"

"Oh?" Wang Jian raised an eyebrow, pulling her into his customary embrace, his hands immediately finding their way to the comforting swell of her breasts beneath her soft inner robe. "More admirers confessing their undying devotion, Princess?" he teased, his lips brushing her ear.

Yue Lingshan squirmed slightly but didn't pull away from his touch. "No, silly! Well, yes, Senior Brother Bai Xun tried to gift me a 'Spirit-Guiding Hairpin' he 'found', but that's not it!" She took a deep breath. "It's about the Blood Forbidden Ground!"

Wang Jian's hands stilled their exploration for a moment. 'Blood Forbidden Ground? The name sounds… ominous. And intriguing.'

"Tell me more," he said, his voice calm, though his interest was piqued.

"Senior Brother Feng Zhihao was discussing it with some other senior disciples," Yue Lingshan explained, her words tumbling out in her excitement. "Apparently, the restrictions on the Blood Forbidden Ground are going to be loosened in about four months! It only happens once every ten years!"

"Restrictions loosened? What kind of ground is it?"

"It's an ancient battlefield, they say," Lingshan continued, her eyes shining. "From a colossal war fought between righteous and demonic sects thousands of years ago. So much blood was spilled, so much spiritual energy unleashed, that the very land became… tainted, but also incredibly fertile for certain types of rare, potent spirit herbs. Herbs that are almost impossible to find anywhere else!"

Wang Jian's mind immediately went to the recipes he'd acquired – particularly the one for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Many of its rarer ingredients were described as growing only in 'ancient battlegrounds' or 'areas rich in congealed blood essence'.

"And," Yue Lingshan added, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial level, "it's not just herbs, Jian. They say that deep within the Blood Forbidden Ground, due to the unique confluence of energies, a special type of 'Blood Spirit Flame' is sometimes born! It's a naturally occurring spiritual flame. Not as powerful as a True Heavenly Flame, of course, but still incredibly valuable, especially for alchemists or cultivators with fire-based arts!"

'A spiritual flame?' Wang Jian's interest sharpened considerably. His Steller Demonic Meridian Scripture's speed was good with pellets, but he knew that refining rare elemental sources, like a spiritual flame, would truly unlock its terrifying potential. Even a relatively weak spiritual flame, if he could absorb and integrate it, would be a massive boon for his future alchemy and cultivation speed.

"And the most important part, Jian," Princess Yue Lingshan said, gripping his arm, " is that only disciples below the Foundation Establishment Realm are allowed to enter! Qi Condensation disciples only! The array was specifically attuned to limit entry to lower-realm cultivators, likely as a failsafe to keep powerful experts from disturbing what lies deeper. Anyone above Qi Condensation gets forcefully repelled and not even combined attacks from ten Core Formation Realm elders can break that restrictive formation."

'Qi Condensation only. That levels the playing field significantly. No Deacons, no Elders. Just us… and every other ambitious Qi Condensation disciple from the major sects.'

"And all five major sects of the State of Yue will be participating," Yue Lingshan confirmed. "The Azure Sword Clan, the Crimson Pill Sect, the Silent Puppet Guild, the Hundred Beast Manor, and our own Mystic Peak Sect. Each sect gets a quota of disciples they can send. It's a race for resources, a chance to find treasures that could change a disciple's destiny. They can stay inside for three months, then they must exit before the restrictions tighten again."

Wang Jian processed this rapidly. Rare, high-age spirit herbs – vital for high-grade pellets like the Foundation Establishment Pill. A potential spiritual flame. And an opportunity to test his strength against disciples from other major sects, perhaps even acquire more… resources from them.

"This Blood Forbidden Ground," Wang Jian said slowly, a predatory gleam entering his eyes, "sounds like an opportunity we cannot afford to miss, Lingshan."

"I thought so too!" Yue Lingshan agreed, her excitement palpable. "Imagine, Jian! If we could find the herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill! And a spiritual flame for your alchemy! We could reach Foundation Establishment much faster!"

"Indeed," Wang Jian mused, his mind already racing through calculations and plans. His hand, which had been resting on her buttock, gave it a thoughtful squeeze. "But if this place is so valuable, and all five major sects are sending their Qi Condensation elites… it will also be incredibly dangerous. Not just from the environment, but from other disciples. Competition for rare herbs can turn bloody very quickly."

He looked at Yue Lingshan, his expression serious. "If we are to participate, Lingshan, we need to prepare. Meticulously. Four months is not a lot of time, but it's enough, if we are efficient."

Princess Yue Lingshan nodded, her face now serious as well. "What do we need to do, Jian?"

"Firstly," Wang Jian began, his fingers unconsciously tracing the curve of her hip, "our cultivation. We are both Tenth Stage now. We need to push for the Twelfth, ideally the Thirteenth Stage of Qi Condensation before we enter. The stronger our foundation, the better our chances. That means consuming our remaining Qi Refining Pellets and me refining even more, as quickly as possible."

"Secondly, our skills. Your array formations, Lingshan. You need to master at least a few practical defensive and trapping arrays. Simple, quick to deploy. And your talisman crafting. We will need a stockpile of attack, defense, and evasion talismans. I will focus on combat spells and refining my control over the Steller Demonic Qi."

"Thirdly, equipment." He tapped the hilt of his Night Fang. "Our current swords are high-grade mortal spirit-tempered weapons, good for Qi Condensation, but against disciples from, say, the Azure Sword Clan, who will undoubtedly have superior blades, we'll be at a disadvantage. We need to see if we can acquire true low-grade spirit artifact weapons, and perhaps defensive artifacts as well. Shields, inner armor. Anything that can give us an edge."

"And fourthly," his voice became graver, "single-use trump cards. Powerful talismans, perhaps some of the more… volatile pellets I've learned to concoct, things that can turn the tide in a desperate situation. Our enemies will have them. We must too."

Yue Lingshan listened intently, her mind absorbing his strategic breakdown. "Spirit artifact weapons and defensive artifacts… those are incredibly expensive, Jian. Even low-grade ones cost hundreds, if not thousands, of spirit stones. We don't have that kind of wealth."

"Not yet," Wang Jian said with a confident smirk. "But I am a prodigious alchemist, remember? Top-grade Qi Refining Pellets are always in demand. And I've learned to make those Five Poisons Detoxification Pills, Swift River Qi Pills, and Eagle Eye Spirit Pills. They are more specialized, and top-grade versions will fetch an even higher price. We turn our existing resources into more spirit stones, and then we invest."

He gently pulled her closer, his lips near hers. "We have four months, Lingshan. It will be intense. We will push ourselves to the limit. But the rewards from the Blood Forbidden Ground… they could set us on a path far beyond what Mystic Peak Sect alone can offer."

Yue Lingshan's eyes shone with determination, her earlier excitement now tempered with a steely resolve. "I understand, Jian. We will prepare. We will be ready."

The next four months were a blur of focused, relentless activity.

Wang Jian spent almost all his daylight hours in the Earth Fire Chambers, a privilege he now exploited to its fullest. He churned out top-grade Qi Refining Pellets by the hundreds, fulfilling his sect quota easily, then using the surplus sect-provided materials to refine even more for their own use and for trade.

He also dedicated significant time to practicing the concoction of his three new pellet types.

The Five Poisons Detoxification Pill required handling some rather unpleasant and volatile ingredients, but his precise control and the detailed instructions from the recipes he'd bartered for allowed him to master it quickly.

The Swift River Qi Pill involved a delicate balance of stimulating and stabilizing herbs, demanding perfect heat control.

The Eagle Eye Spirit Pill used rare, light-sensitive fungi and required refinement in near-darkness.

Within a few weeks, he was producing top-grade versions of all three, though in smaller quantities than the Qi Refining Pellets due to the higher cost and rarity of some ingredients.

He began to discreetly trade these specialized pellets in Jade Dew Market, and sometimes even made quick, cloaked trips to larger markets like Azure Sky if he heard of a wealthy merchant or a desperate cultivator seeking such specific elixirs. His reputation as 'Senior Alchemist Wang', the young genius who could consistently produce top-grade low-level pellets, grew, and so did their stockpile of spirit stones.

Princess Yue Lingshan, meanwhile, threw herself into her array and talisman studies with a ferocity that surprised even her doting senior brother tutors. She spent hours practicing, her delicate fingers becoming calloused from inscribing runes on talisman paper and manipulating formation flags.

Senior Brother Lin Kai, Senior Brother Feng Zhihao, and Senior Brother Bai Xun found themselves constantly 'assisting' her, providing her with increasingly advanced diagrams, rare materials, and invaluable practical advice, all in the hope of winning more of her radiant smiles and perhaps, just perhaps, a moment of her private attention.

Lingshan, under Wang Jian's subtle guidance, expertly managed their affections, extracting maximum benefit while giving away nothing more than polite gratitude and encouraging words.

She learned to set up a passable 'Minor Spirit Gathering Array' that significantly boosted the Qi in their cave dwellings during meditation. She could now create a surprisingly resilient 'Five Elements Defensive Ward' array plate, small enough to be carried and activated quickly. And her 'Minor Lightning Spark' attack talismans, while still basic, packed a decent punch.

Their cultivation, fueled by an almost endless supply of Wang Jian's top-grade Qi Refining Pellets, soared. They pushed relentlessly towards the Thirteenth Stage of Qi Condensation, the legendary peak that Wang Jian insisted was crucial for their foundation.

Every night, without fail, Wang Jian would visit Yue Lingshan's cave dwelling (or she his, as their proximity now made it easy).

Their nights were no longer just about passion, though that element was always present, always intense. They would review their day's progress, discuss strategies, practice their new spells and array deployments.

Wang Jian would often spar with her, his movements controlled but challenging, pushing her to refine her combat instincts, her Qi control, her use of the Verdant Willow Blade and the demonic fan.

And yes, their bodies would inevitably find each other, their lovemaking a release from the day's intense efforts, a reaffirmation of their bond, a sharing of energy that seemed to subtly enhance their cultivation even further.

Wang Jian was meticulous in his attention to her pleasure, ensuring she was always satisfied, always craving more, further cementing her emotional and physical dependence on him.

He'd explore every inch of her magnificent body, his hands and lips memorizing the curve of her large breasts, the delightful swell of her curvy buttocks, the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.

He made her feel like the most desired woman in all the cosmos, even as he was subtly moulding her into the perfect companion for his lust.

As the deadline for the Blood Forbidden Ground approached, the changes in both of them were profound.

Wang Jian, now at the peak of the Twelfth Stage of Qi Condensation, his dantian brimming with potent Steller Demonic Qi, radiated an aura of quiet, dangerous power. His control over his innate scripture abilities, the Ether Pulse Surge and Steller Flesh Reinforcement, was now reflexive, instinctive.

His arsenal of basic elemental spells and his Flowing Metal Slash sword technique were honed to lethal efficiency.

He had also, through careful trading, acquired a sturdy, low-grade defensive spirit artifact – a simple, unadorned black metal buckler called the 'Shadowguard Shield' – and a new primary weapon.

His Night Fang was good, but he'd found a superior spirit-tempered longsword in a dusty corner of a Jade Moon Market stall, a blade forged with traces of rare Frost Iron, which he named 'Glacial Bite'. It resonated well with his Steller Qi when he chose to manifest it.

Princess Yue Lingshan, also at the peak of the Twelfth Stage, was a vision of deadly grace. Her Spiritual Energy flowed with power and precision. Her mastery over basic arrays was solid, and she had a small arsenal of self-made attack and defensive talismans.

Her Verdant Willow Blade danced in her hands, and the demonic fan, the 'Nightwind Terror Fan', was a surprisingly effective ranged weapon when infused with her Spiritual Energy. Her peak mortal body, further enhanced by her cultivation, gave her a surprising resilience and strength that belied her delicate appearance.

They had amassed a significant number of spirit stones, enough to purchase a few precious, single-use, high-power attack talismans from a reputable dealer in Jade Dew Market – talismans capable of threatening even a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator.

They had healing salves, detoxification pills, Qi recovery pills, and Eagle Eye pills. They were as prepared as two Twelfth Stage Qi Condensation disciples could possibly be.

"One more stage, Lingshan," Wang Jian said one evening, as they stood on the precipice of the Thirteenth Stage. "One final push. The Blood Forbidden Ground awaits."