This Is What a Villain Is Like

Inside Qianyuan Prefecture, the mist was heavy and the rosy clouds brilliant. Many ruins were wreathed in purple mist, and even the broken rubble shimmered with a divine, blazing light.

As far as the eye could see, the world was vast and desolate. All the buildings exuded a wild, ancient aura, heavy with the weight of time.

The mountains were towering, the ancient trees lush. Some branches and leaves blotted out the sky, looking as if they had been growing for tens of thousands of years.

The prefecture was divided into three regions: Heaven, Earth, and Human. The deeper one ventured, the richer the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became, and the more fortuitous encounters and opportunities were to be found.

The various sages of Great Xia had poured their heart and soul into the refinement of Qianyuan Prefecture, expending a vast amount of resources.

It was said that this place was actually a Little World once inhabited by an ancient race. After Great Xia conquered it, they spent decades on its Refinement, turning it into a Secret Treasure.

In the process, thousands of Spirit Stone Veins were consumed, and tens of billions of Arrays were inscribed.

If disaster struck, Qianyuan Prefecture could even be carried away. Cultivators and living beings could hide inside and easily take refuge for several hundred years.

Of course, no one knew what Qianyuan Prefecture’s true form was. They only knew that it was controlled by the Royal Family and would only be opened for half a month during each Southern Hunting exercise.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...

Streaks of Divine Rainbows shot through the mountains and deep forests, startling the many native Demon Beasts within into roaring incessantly.

Jiang Lan recalled the various reports and records about Qianyuan Prefecture as he led his followers deeper inside. Finally, following the meeting point agreed upon in the Communication Jade Talisman, he landed beside the rippling Bihu Lake.

Bihu Lake was vast and crystal clear. A gentle breeze stirred up wisps of mist from the water. The grass was as lush as a carpet, reaching high enough to submerge a person to their waist.

Many creatures native to Qianyuan Prefecture were drinking at Bihu Lake. There were pure white Celestial Horses, as well as white cranes and Spirit Deer suffused with Spiritual Energy.

Seeing Jiang Lan and his group arrive, the creatures weren’t startled. They simply raised their heads to glance at them before lowering them to drink again.

Although conflict between the young Celestial Prides was not forbidden within Qianyuan Prefecture, there were still rules. One was that they could not casually slaughter the native creatures.

Moreover, the native creatures of Qianyuan Prefecture were not without powerful and long-lived beings. Even a Seventh Realm expert would have to be cautious if they encountered one.

’We’ll wait here for Luo Ying, Ao Xu, Chi Yunxiao, and the others to arrive.’

’And I can ask them what they’ve managed to find.’

By Bihu Lake, Jiang Lan casually found a green rock, ordered someone to lay a clean blanket over it, and then rested there.

His every move within Qianyuan Prefecture was being watched by the outside world. Naturally, he couldn’t be bothered to do things himself. This trip was just for show, a way to placate Emperor Xia.

With Li Mengning by his side, plus all his followers, the top position in this Qianyuan Prefecture event was basically in the bag.

"Young Master, these are a few strange Spirit Fruits we picked when passing through that primeval mountain range. They contain an astonishing amount of Spiritual Energy. When the points are tallied later, they should be worth quite a bit."

At Bihu Lake, a few young Celestial Prides washed several Spirit Fruits that were shimmering with colorful light and had translucent flesh. They then hurried over, their faces eager for praise.

All fortuitous encounters and gains obtained within Qianyuan Prefecture were recorded by its internal rules. When one left for the outside world, these would automatically be converted into points.

"It does taste pretty good."

Jiang Lan accepted one, took a casual bite, and offered his praise.

Upon hearing this, the young Celestial Prides’ faces immediately lit up with joy.

Outside, on the Central Square, the group of Nobility and Immortal Sect Elders who had been watching Jiang Lan’s every move since he entered Qianyuan Prefecture saw how leisurely he was, even beginning to admire the beautiful scenery as if he were on a spring outing. They couldn’t help but be secretly speechless. ’He really is confident of his victory.’

In contrast, the other members of the younger generation had grown tense after learning that Jiang Lan had entered, unwilling to waste even a single breath of time.

Of course, this was only true for the young cultivators from powerful backgrounds.

The other young Loose Cultivators and ordinary Disciples didn’t have such worries. The top position was out of their reach anyway, so they might as well use the time to cultivate and not squander this precious opportunity to be in Qianyuan Prefecture.

Before long, streams of light and Divine Rainbows descended from other regions toward Bihu Lake where Jiang Lan was located. They respectfully reported the gains they had made since entering Qianyuan Prefecture.

They had entered on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Mansion the moment Qianyuan Prefecture opened.

However, because they had no one to lead them, they had all acted independently and were scattered in various places. But if this force were to gather, their numbers alone would be nothing to scoff at.

"Greetings, Young Master..."

From the west, red clouds surged into the sky. A man in a fiery red robe with a somewhat pale and uncanny face approached, leading many young Celestial Prides. Behind him, mist and clouds churned, glowing with a brilliant red hue, and there were both men and women in the group.

Within his pupils, wisps of fiery red Runes flickered like clusters of flames.

This was none other than Chi Yunxiao, a True Inheritor of the Red Bright Ancient Sect’s younger generation.

Jiang Lan nodded slightly and revealed a faint smile. "Chi."

"If the Young Master is interested in the top position of this Qianyuan Prefecture event, we will naturally clear the way for you," Chi Yunxiao said.

He waved his hand, and the young Disciples of the Red Bright Ancient Sect behind him came forward one by one to hand over the opportunities they had obtained over the past few days.

Jiang Lan gave them a quick glance and already had a good sense of their haul. He smiled and said, "Many thanks, Chi. I will remember this favor from the Red Bright Ancient Sect. After we leave Qianyuan Prefecture, I will personally host a banquet at the Desire Immortal Pavilion to thank you."