This Is What a Villain Is Like

Such power was simply unbelievable, like an Ancient Fierce Beast reawakening. His blood and qi surged, turning him into a veritable furnace of heaven and earth.

Xiao Teng didn’t know how long he could maintain his current state, but he felt as if he had become the Master of Stars. Unrivaled power pulsed with his every move, allowing him to easily borrow the might of the celestial bodies themselves.

Just moments ago, he had been no match for Li Mengning, his Cultivation Realm falling short. But now, the tables had turned. It felt as if a real star was awakening within him, filling him with an indescribable confidence.

With a wave of his hand, the stars in the sky flickered. Points of starlight began to fall, growing larger as they plummeted toward Jiang Lan, as if to crush him into a mist of blood.

"Young Master..."

Beside Jiang Lan, Luo Ying, Chi Yunxiao, and the others were shaken to their core. Their faces drained of color as their bodies creaked and groaned, their very bones trembling under the immense pressure.

The stars were infinitely distant and had not yet truly descended, but their oppressive force was already this terrifying.

If a single one of those stars were to truly fall, the resulting might would be absolutely cataclysmic.

And now, Xiao Teng could actually command a sliver of such power...

’They aren’t true stars, but their power is comparable.’

’The might of the Star Body, amplified by a partially awakened Shaking Light Immortal Jade, is truly extraordinary.’

’In the future, he might genuinely be able to command the stars beyond the heavens.’

Jiang Lan’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, his resolve to squeeze every last bit of value out of Xiao Teng solidified.

’The power of the stars is undoubtedly one of the greatest forces in this world...’

Sensing Li Mengning grow serious beside him, Jiang Lan thought for a moment before taking her hand. "Don’t worry," he said.

A hint of confusion appeared in Li Mengning’s eyes.

But in the next moment, the dark night sky began to recede swiftly. The brilliant stars blurred and faded without ever falling, and the bright daylight sky reappeared.

"What’s going on?"

Xiao Teng froze, all the light surrounding his body dimming and vanishing.

He was utterly aghast, standing there in a daze. He could no longer perceive that overwhelming sense of being enveloped by the stars, a power once at his command.

An unprecedented weakness washed over him, making his body tremble before he collapsed bonelessly to the ground. His face was a mask of utter disbelief and terror.

"How is this possible?" Xiao Teng’s eyes widened as he stared intently toward the east.

Light emerged from the direction the darkness had vanished. To be more precise, it seemed that as this light advanced, the night that had enveloped the region was rapidly driven away.

The crowd turned to look. The night sky was gone.

In its place, a snow-white Celestial Horse, carrying a girl in white, had appeared atop a mountain peak.

Following behind her was a vast procession of young nobles and cultivators.

At this moment, everyone, including her followers, was frozen in shock, rendered speechless by the miraculous scene they had just witnessed.

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would have surely thought they were hallucinating.

’Was that starry night afraid of the girl in white before them? Did it truly recede and vanish at her approach? What an unbelievable sight.’

"You... Who are you?"

Xiao Teng looked over, his voice trembling. The vast power that had surged within him moments ago had now vanished without a trace. He could not sense the slightest shred of it; it was as if it had fallen completely dormant.

As the girl in white’s gaze swept over him, he thought he could faintly sense a fearful tremor... originating from within his own body.

This revelation left Xiao Teng completely frozen, unable to believe it.

’She’s terrifyingly strong. How on earth did she do that?’

Xia Jie, Chong Xiuyuan, and the other young nobles had been following the girl in white, and they too had noticed the abrupt change in the sky.

In the blink of an eye, night had fallen. Yet, after the girl in white merely glanced up, the starry night sky above her instantly receded.

Everywhere she and her snow-white Celestial Horse passed, the land was instantly bathed in daylight. It was like witnessing a miracle.

’There’s absolutely no suspense left in this competition for the top spot...’

This was the single thought running through all their minds. ’No matter how many people Jiang Lan has, no matter how strong they are, what’s the use?’

This girl in white, all by herself, could cow everyone into submission, snuffing out any thought of defiance.

’Heh, but I guess Jiang Lan got off easy. If this girl in white hadn’t interfered, he wouldn’t be having such a relaxed time dealing with that Xiao Teng fellow.’

Xia Jie glanced over, feeling a bit resentful.

And so, the snow-white Celestial Horse descended from the mountain peak, heading toward Bihu Lake under the watchful eyes of all.

Seething with indignation, Xiao Teng struggled to his feet with the help of a few followers and bellowed, "Who in the hell are you?"

However, the girl in white on the snow-white Celestial Horse seemed not to have heard him at all. She paid him no mind, passing right by him as if he were thin air.

On the shore of Bihu Lake, a cold mist swirled. Jiang Lan, however, remained calm and composed, his expression showing no fluctuation.

Li Mengning, beside him, had been staring intently at the approaching girl in white. At first, she seemed confused, but as the girl drew nearer, a startling chill emanated from her flawless, jade-like face, turning her expression utterly frigid.

She recognized the familiar aura. Though the girl’s face and figure had changed, there was no mistaking her identity.

She knew who it was.

Jiang Lan squeezed Li Mengning’s now-frigid hand, then calmly addressed the newcomer, "What is the meaning of this?"

He had, in fact, already pieced together from various reports that Jiang Ruxian had also entered Qianyuan Prefecture.

That was why he had anticipated she would make a move.

"I... I wanted to help you."

Jiang Ruxian stopped her snow-white Celestial Horse a short distance before him. Her gaze swept over the hand Jiang Lan used to hold Li Mengning’s, pausing for a fraction of a second. A faint, sour pang arose in her heart before she calmly looked away.

With a light flick of her hand, a Sumeru Bag appeared before her. As the bag opened, a dense, kaleidoscopic mist billowed out, dazzling the eye. It was filled with rare Exotic Spirit Ores, Medicinal Herbs, Ancient Jade Scrolls, Relic Stone Carvings, and more.

The brilliant light from the treasures instantly engulfed the area. These were the spoils gathered from the many young Celestial Prides within Qianyuan Prefecture, items that could be exchanged for an astonishing number of points.

Upon hearing the exchange between the two and seeing Jiang Ruxian’s actions, everyone in the vicinity stared wide-eyed, utterly dumbfounded.

The mountains, which had been buzzing with a shocked uproar, now fell deathly silent. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

’What?’

’Don’t tell me they know each other?’

Xia Jie, Chong Xiuyuan, and the others, who had been eagerly anticipating a good show, were first stunned, then collectively petrified. They stood as rigid as statues.

And they were not the only ones among the younger generation who felt this way; many others shared their shock.

At this moment, they were all reeling with shock and disbelief, wondering if they had misheard or were seeing things.

’This terrifyingly mysterious girl in white... was actually here to help Jiang Lan?’

"Thank you..."

"But there is no need."

Jiang Lan gazed at the mountain-like pile of Spiritual Objects before him. He seemed to fall silent for a moment before calmly shaking his head.

Li Mengning stood protectively in front of him, her limpid eyes filled with hostility and ice as she stared at Jiang Ruxian, as if staking a claim.

"It didn’t take long to collect all this..."

Jiang Ruxian seemed to have anticipated this outcome, and she simply gave a casual smile.

"There is no need," Jiang Lan interrupted, his tone still calm.

’He had never intended to use Jiang Ruxian to claim the top spot in this competition. He didn’t need to.’

’On the contrary, Jiang Ruxian’s brazen move to help him, and the grand stir she’d caused within Qianyuan Prefecture, would only draw unwanted attention from more people and factions.’

’Jiang Lan disliked this feeling. He preferred to remain behind the scenes, secretly pulling the strings.’

’Being noticed this early would only make his future plans more difficult and troublesome to execute.’

’In essence, Jiang Ruxian was just making things more complicated for him.’

Seeing that Jiang Lan’s calm demeanor couldn’t hide his distant indifference, Jiang Ruxian gave a silent, bitter smile. Though she had anticipated this, seeing how close he was with Li Mengning still left an unpleasant feeling in her heart.

"I will leave these things here. I won’t disturb you or cause you any more trouble," she said.