Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 877: Foundation Establishment Realm

The biting wind of the Glacial Heart Wastes felt like a distant memory within the sealed, silent confines of the ice cavern. The four of them stood amidst the echoing emptiness of the plundered legacy dwelling, the weight of their shared secret a palpable, binding force. Wang Jian, the silent orchestrator of their immense fortune, turned his gaze towards the main cavern, where Chen Ying's three followers still lay in their magically induced slumber.

"It is time to wake them," he stated, his voice calm, cutting through the tense silence. "We cannot linger here indefinitely. Chen Ying, you will handle the explanation."

Chen Ying, her face still pale from her earlier terror and the recent, humiliating encounter in the scripture hall, flinched at the sound of his voice but nodded numbly. She knew her role. She was now a puppet, and he was the one pulling the strings.

She approached her three followers—Lin Jing, Wu Qian, and Bai Mei. Each was a beauty in her own right, elites of the inner sect. Lin Jing possessed a sharp, swordswoman's grace; Wu Qian, an arrogant, intellectual beauty; and Bai Mei, a gentle, healing aura that made her seem soft and approachable. Chen Ying produced a small, green pellet from her storage pouch, crushed it, and wafted the fragrant powder under their noses.

One by one, the three women stirred, groaning softly as they woke, their minds clouded with a strange, unnatural fatigue.

"Senior Sister Chen… what happened?" Lin Jing asked, rubbing her temples, her memory hazy. "The barrier… it broke. And then… I feel so tired."

"We all do," Wu Qian added, frowning as she tried to piece together the missing time. "The last thing I recall is charging through the opening, and then… nothing."

Chen Ying's face became a mask of carefully constructed concern and relief. "It was a near disaster," she began, her voice steady, having rehearsed her lines in her mind. "After Junior Brother Wang so brilliantly repaired the barrier, trapping the beasts outside, a strange, poisonous mist began to seep from the Spirit Cleansing Pool itself. It was odorless, colorless, and seemed to specifically target the spirit, inducing a deep weariness."

She gestured towards Liu Ruyan. "Fortunately, Fairy Liu of the Crimson Pill Sect, with her profound knowledge of toxins, recognized it. She said it was a 'Soul-Wearying Miasma', a natural phenomenon that sometimes occurs around such ancient spiritual treasures."

Bai Mei, the healer, looked alarmed. "A soul-affecting poison? We were fortunate you were here, Sister Liu!"

Liu Ruyan, who had been briefed on the narrative by Wang Jian via a swift spiritual message, played her part perfectly. "It was a close call," she said, her voice laced with professional gravity. "I was only able to resist due to a protective talisman my Master bestowed upon me. It took all my effort to concoct a temporary antidote to awaken you."

Chen Ying continued the tale. "While you were unconscious, Junior Brother Wang and I stood guard. The beasts outside eventually tired of their futile assault on the barrier and departed, likely in search of easier prey. We were safe, but the miasma made it impossible to linger."

Her story was clever, weaving together truths and falsehoods seamlessly. It explained the missing time, their unconsciousness, and the convenient departure of the Frost-Maw Devourers.

"But the pool…" Wu Qian began, her gaze turning greedily towards the shimmering sapphire liquid.

"I made a decision," Chen Ying said, her voice firm, taking on the air of a decisive leader. "Our safety was paramount. I concluded a trade with Junior Brother Wang and his companions. Their group is small but possesses formidable strength and, as we have seen, unique skills. In exchange for a significant portion of the Spirit Cleansing Pool's water, Senior Brother Wang provided me with several high-grade pellets and treasures I required for my cultivation. It was a necessary transaction to ensure our safe return."

She looked at her followers, her gaze daring them to question her judgment. "I trust you will all keep this arrangement concealed from the sect. My reasons are my own, but the favor I have gained for our faction will become apparent in time."

The three inner sect disciples, their loyalty to Chen Ying ingrained, nodded readily. While disappointed at the reduced share of the pool's water, they did not question their leader's decision, especially when presented with such a logical, life-saving explanation.

With the story set, the group turned their attention to the Spirit Cleansing Pool. They produced every flask, gourd, and container they possessed. Under Wang Jian's quiet direction, the division was swift. His group—himself, Yue Lingshan, and Liu Ruyan—claimed a staggering seventy percent of the precious, liquefied spiritual essence. The remaining thirty percent was left for Chen Ying and her three followers, a generous prize by any standard, but a pittance compared to the true treasure they now possessed.

As the last of the glowing blue liquid was siphoned away, the cavern felt suddenly… empty. The profound purity of the air lessened, the magical aura fading. Their time here was well and truly over.

Wang Jian, with another display of exquisite control, opened the ice barrier once more, and the seven of them stepped back out into the biting winds of the Glacial Heart Wastes. The alliance, forged in necessity and sealed by secrets, was officially dissolved.

They journeyed together towards the designated exit zone of the Blood Forbidden Ground, a journey that took several days. They traveled in a loose, sprawling group, the Mystic Peak contingent maintaining a polite distance from one another, the unspoken tensions a palpable, invisible barrier.

As they neared the exit, a shimmering, unstable portal hovering over a desolate plain, Liu Ruyan broke away from the main group, guiding her Flying Leaf towards Wang Jian.

"Senior Brother Wang, Senior Sister Yue," she said, her voice a soft melody against the wind. "I must rejoin my own sect's contingent before we exit. It would not do for my elders to see me traveling so intimately with disciples from another sect."

Yue Lingshan offered a warm, sisterly farewell. "Of course, Sister Liu. It was an honor to fight alongside you. May your path be smooth."

"And yours, Sister Yue," Liu Ruyan replied gracefully.

Then, her veiled gaze fell upon Wang Jian. Her heart gave a little flutter. His calm strength, his mysterious depth, his handsome face… and the audacious, thrilling memory of his hand on her waist. He had become a figure deeply imprinted upon her soul.

Just as she was about to turn away, a voice, his voice, echoed directly in her mind, a secret thread woven between their souls.

'Fairy Liu. Six months from now. The Full Moon Festival. Meet me at the Willow Creek Teahouse in Jade Dew Market, near my sect. Come alone. We have… alchemical secrets of a most intimate nature to discuss.'

Liu Ruyan's breath hitched. Her gaze darted towards Yue Lingshan, but the princess was looking ahead, seemingly oblivious. A jolt of thrilling, terrified excitement shot through her. An invitation. A secret rendezvous. She knew it was reckless, she knew it was a betrayal of the unspoken bond she felt with Yue Lingshan, she knew he was a dangerous, possessive man who had brazenly bullied her with his touch… but she couldn't bring herself to refuse. She craved it. She craved him.

Without turning her head, without a single outward sign, she gave the tiniest, almost imperceptible nod. A silent promise. Then, with a final, graceful bow, she veered away, a green-robed fairy disappearing into the crimson twilight, her heart a chaotic symphony of anticipation and guilt.

At the exit portal, the various sect groups were reconvening. The surviving disciples were a hard-bitten, weary-looking lot, their numbers noticeably thinned. The air was thick with tales of harrowing escapes, triumphant beast kills, and bitter losses.

Wang Jian, Yue Lingshan, and Chen Ying's group rejoined the Mystic Peak contingent. They maintained their public distance, acting as separate, successful parties who had perhaps aided each other out of sect solidarity. They submitted their mission spoils—a carefully curated selection of common and uncommon beast corpses and standard spirit herbs. The truly legendary treasures remained hidden, deep within their storage pouches.

Ancestor Chen's gaze, sharp and probing, fell upon his granddaughter. "Ying'er," he said, his voice low so only she could hear. "Did you find it?"

Chen Ying, her face a mask of calm composure she did not feel, nodded once. "Yes, Grandfather. The legacy is secured." A shiver went through her as she remembered the cost of that security.

Ancestor Chen's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Good. We will discuss it in detail when we return to your dwelling."

Wang Jian and Yue Lingshan, meanwhile, presented their own reports, their contributions deemed satisfactory, if not spectacular, earning them a few approving nods. No one suspected the sheer, world-altering scale of the fortune they now controlled.

The return to the Mystic Peak Sect was a quiet, contemplative affair. Back in the familiar, if less potent, air of their private cave dwellings, Wang Jian and Yue Lingshan finally had a moment to themselves.

"Jian," Yue Lingshan sighed, leaning against him, the tension of the past months finally beginning to drain away. "We did it. We actually did it."

"This is only the beginning, Lingshan," he murmured, his hands already beginning their familiar, possessive exploration of her magnificent body.

Over the next few days, before entering true seclusion, Wang Jian began his preparations. His mind, now armed with the alchemical knowledge of the Crimson Pill Sect and the forging techniques of a Nascent Soul expert, worked at a feverish pace.

First, he attended to his cultivation scripture. He spent three days in deep meditation, not absorbing Qi, but weaving the newly acquired knowledge into the very fabric of his Steller Demonic Meridian Scripture. He integrated the soul-tempering principles from fragmented texts found in the legacy dwelling. He refined the demonic pathways using insights from the Asura Blood Devil Scripture, making his Steller Flesh Reinforcement even more potent.

When he was done, his scripture had evolved. It was no longer just about cultivating body and Qi. It now had a third, crucial component: Soul Cultivation. The Steller Qi he cultivated would now passively nourish and strengthen his spiritual sense, making his divine soul more resilient, more powerful, with each breakthrough. It was now a true, top-grade, tripartite cultivation method, a monstrous art that would allow him to cultivate his body, his energy, and his soul in perfect, synergistic harmony.

He didn't neglect his partner. He spent a full day with Yue Lingshan, meticulously analyzing her Verdant Water Nourishing Art. He didn't replace it entirely—he lacked sufficient high-grade Wood and Water elemental arts to create a new scripture for her from scratch. But he modified it, optimized it, weaving in principles of Qi density and flow from Lan Fengzi's legacy, creating a version that was at least five times more efficient than the sect's original.

With their foundations secured, he turned to material preparations. He made a discreet trip to the most reputable artifact forging hall in Jade Dew Market. He didn't reveal his own knowledge; he acted as a wealthy, eccentric client. He presented the corpses of several Second-Rank beasts he'd slain—the Duskscale Earthrender Serpent, the Crystal-Horned Rhino, the Stonefist Ape.

"I require custom artifacts," he told the head forger, a grizzled old Foundation Establishment expert. "A flying artifact, faster and more stable than the sect's Flying Leaves, crafted from the serpent's most resilient scales. A suit of flexible inner armor, made from the rhino's hide, inscribed with defensive runes. And a set of offensive bracers, incorporating the Stonefist Ape's knuckle bones." He also commissioned a new set of luxurious, yet incredibly durable, robes for himself and for Yue Lingshan, to be woven with the finest spirit-silk and embroidered with subtle defensive patterns.

The forger's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of the high-quality Second-Rank materials. He quoted an astronomical price in spirit stones and a timeframe of three months. Wang Jian paid without blinking, his recent acquisitions making him astonishingly wealthy.

With all his affairs in order, Wang Jian finally returned to his cave dwelling. He handed Yue Lingshan a pouch filled with over a dozen top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills he had refined from the legendary herbs, keeping a similar amount for himself.

"It is time, Lingshan," he said. "Three months. When we emerge, we will be in a new realm."

He entered his deepest chamber, sealed the entrance with an array plate, and began his final push. Consuming the pellets, circulating his impossibly potent Qi, he shattered the bottleneck of the Twelfth Stage within days, reaching the legendary Thirteenth Stage of Qi Condensation. His foundation was as solid as a primordial mountain.

Then, he consumed the Foundation Establishment Pill. A tidal wave of pure, foundational energy washed through him. The process, which for others was a perilous, often fatal gamble, was for him a controlled, if intense, process. It took the full three months, his body and soul being reforged, his dantian collapsing and reforming into a vast, swirling sea of liquid Steller Qi.

When he finally emerged, the world felt different. Sharper. Clearer. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. But his aura, the density of his Qi, the terrifying power humming in his very bones, felt leagues beyond any early-stage Foundation Establishment expert he had ever encountered. He was now at the Fourth Level of his Steller Demonic Meridian Scripture, his body, Qi, and soul all having taken a monumental leap forward.

He went to Yue Lingshan's cave. A barrier of her own making indicated she was still in the final, crucial stage of her breakthrough.

A slow, hedonistic smile spread across Wang Jian's face. He was powerful. He was wealthy. And he was… bored.

With a flicker of thought, he activated the latent demonic Qi within his scripture. His aura vanished, his presence becoming like a ghost, a shadow in the wind. He made his way, unseen and unfelt, towards the inner sect, towards the private dwelling of a certain proud, cold phoenix.

Chen Ying was in her opulent cave dwelling, meditating. Her brow was furrowed in frustration. In the three months since their return, she had been recultivating her new, superior sword art from scratch. The process was arduous. She had only managed to reach the Tenth Stage of Qi Condensation again.

Suddenly, the air in her sealed chamber grew cold. A presence materialized before her.

Wang Jian stood there, a dangerous, playful smile on his handsome face, his new Foundation Establishment aura washing over her like a physical force, pressing her down, making it hard for her to breathe.

"Senior Sister Chen," he purred, his voice a low, seductive rumble. "You didn't forget about me, did you?"

Chen Ying's heart leaped into her throat. Terror, pure and absolute, seized her. The way his eyes roamed over her body made her skin crawl, yet also sent a traitorous, humiliating shiver of heat through her. Her magnificent, large breasts, fuller and more voluptuous than even Yue Lingshan's, heaved beneath her fine silk robes.

"W-Wang Jian! What are you doing here?!" she stammered, scrambling to her feet. "Get out! If my grandfather finds out…"

"Your grandfather?" Wang Jian chuckled, taking a slow step towards her. The sound was low and predatory. "Do you truly think a mere Core Formation expert can sense my presence when I do not wish to be sensed?" He set up a simple sound-and-sense-blocking array around her main chamber with a flick of his wrist, an act of casual, arrogant power that made her despair.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she threatened, her voice trembling. "I am the granddaughter of an Elder! Do anything you regret, and you will pay the price!"

Her threat only seemed to excite him more. "Oh, I will be doing many things I regret not doing sooner," he said, his smile widening. In a flash, he was before her, his arms wrapping around her like steel bands.

He pulled her voluptuous body tight against his. She could feel the hard, toned muscles of his chest, the raw power radiating from him. He was like a furnace, and she a moth.

"You are quite a horny woman, aren't you, Senior Sister?" he whispered, his lips brushing against hers as he greedily inhaled her scent. He could feel the fine tremors running through her, the way her nipples had become taut, rosy pebbles, pressing insistently against the thin fabric of her elegant dress.

"N-no! Let go of me, you beast!" she cried, struggling in his arms, her movements only serving to grind her soft, curvy hips and large, magnificent breasts against his hard frame.

His mouth descended on hers, a hungry, punishing kiss that stole her breath and her protests. He kissed her with a greedy, ravishing passion, his tongue plundering her sweetness. Simultaneously, his hands began their assault. One hand cupped her large, heavy breast, pinching the taut nipple through the silk, eliciting a choked moan that was swallowed by his kiss. The other slid down her back, grabbing and squeezing one of her incredibly plump, curvaceous buttocks, which jiggled sexily at the contact.

"Mmmph!" Chen Ying moaned, her resistance weakening under the combined assault of his overwhelming power and her body's treacherous, undeniable response. His touch was terrifying, humiliating… and so intensely stimulating she thought she might faint. Her white, delicate skin flushed a deep crimson, her mind reeling as this handsome demon began his carnal conquest.