Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!-Chapter 43: Die

Xueli’s consciousness returned in waves, like a tide rolling back onto a shore of soft silk as rhe agonizing compression of the 999th step had vanished, replaced by a warmth that seeped into her very soul.

She groaned softly, expecting her muscles to tear, but the pain was gone—replaced by a profound, hollow exhaustion that felt almost peaceful.

"You’re awake?" A gentle voice sounded.

She blinked and found herself looking up at a sharp, regal jawline, and only then did she realise that she was lying on Haoran’s lap as he sat cross-legged on the cold obsidian of the summit, his fingers moving through her hair with a rhythmic, almost hypnotic gentleness.

She offered him a weak, trembling grin. "I didn’t disappoint you... did I?"

Haoran’s gaze shifted down to her, and for the first time, his smile was genuinely gentle, not the gentle but indifferent smile he always wore to everyone. "No. You exceeded my expectations, Xueli."

He leaned down, so close that their foreheads are an inch away from touching each other, "And you know what? I think I’m finding myself becoming more and more fascinated with you by the second."

Xueli let out a breathy, tired chuckle. "Hehe, is that so? Then keep on looking at me, Haoran. I promise you... eventually, you’ll find yourself unable to look away from me even if the world is ending."

"Is that so? Then I’m waiting to see it," Haoran chuckled, though his eyes remained sharp as he patted her shoulder gently. "Now, get up. What we came for, what you bled for, is just behind us. It is time for you to receive your reward."

Xueli stood up with reluctant limbs as Haoran rose in one fluid motion.

Haa~, she sighed. I really wanted to enjoy that moment a bit more.

It was really so interesting to see someone who is so high and mighty, with pride bordering extreme arrogance, acting so kind and gentle.

They turned, and there they saw, at the very edge of the platform, where the silver mist gathered like a shroud, sat a massive coffin floating in the air.

It was carved from an unknown material, probably only found in the Eastern Region during his era, as it glowed with swirling motes of silver light that looked like trapped galaxies.

"The Tomb of an Emperor," Xueli muttered. The exhaustion in her eyes was instantly replaced by a burning, primal desire.

And who can blame her? Not to mention in this Desolate Region, even in the entire Tian Yuan Empire, this is a power that can turn you into a Hegemon of an era.

This was the pinnacle of power of the entire Prime Origin Realm.

And at this moment, she will be getting this legacy.

"Let’s go." Haoran led the way, his footsteps echoing eerily through the platform.

"Hmm." Xueli nodded and followed behind him.

They stopped exactly a meter away from the radiant sarcophagus, and from this distance, they can effectively feel just how dangerous whoever was inside this coffin was.

Even though this tomb was probably several tens of thousands of years old, the aura it gives off was still suffocating.

For Xueli, it felt like staring straight into the abyss, and the only reason why she can remain calm is because Haoran was with her.

Just then, Haoran reached out and placed his hand upon the cold, vibrating metal as his Qi, now infused with the golden-purple essence of the Dragon Core, flared to life.

"Awaken..." He whispered.

The moment his energy touched the coffin, the entire inheritance realm let out a thunderous groan.

The pillars shook, and the silver lights above swirled into a violent tempest.

Xueli stumbled back, but she refused to look away, her eyes fixed on the lid as it began to dissolve into mist.

And from the vapor, a phantom manifested, forming the shape of a man in front of them.

When it solidified, the man’s appearance was finally revealed. He possessed a face of ethereal beauty, with hair like spun moonlight and robes that seemed to be woven from the void itself.

He took a deep breath, as if savoring the air after tens of thousands years.

"I am the light of the stars; the earth is my body, and the seas are my blood."

"Unknown to heaven, nor known to earth."

"I am Lei Yin, and within the boundless universe, I alone am the honored one."

The spirit spoke with a voice that sounded like a thousand chiming bells, as if declaring the life of supremacy that he once had.

He then opened his silver eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two youths. "Are you two the ones who completed all my trials?"

Haoran and Xueli nodded in unison, but they didn’t speak, simply observing the spirit silently.

The spirit of the Emperor studied them for a long moment, then slowly shook his head, a look of profound regret on his face. "Apologies. But you are not the ones I am waiting for, so I cannot give you my inheritance. But to praise you for your efforts and your undeniable talent, I shall grant you other treasures from my armory as compensation."

"What!?" Xueli’s voice cracked, the shock hitting her harder than the pressure of the stairs. "Then what was the point of those trials!? Do you have any idea what I went through to stand here?! You’re telling me I just get a consolation prize because I’m not the ’right’ person!?"

Lei Yin’s phantom frowned, his expression turning cold. "That is why I am offering you other treasures. I commend your tenacity, girl, but the core of my soul, my unique laws... you are simply not the fated one I saw in my prophecies."

"Fuck your mother!" Xueli shrieked, her temper, the legendary fire of the ’Little Witch’, exploding in the face of the Emperor. "I hope you suffer eternal damnation in the underworld, you senile ghost! Scammer! Pig! Ugly!"

As she said those words, the atmosphere in the hall shifted instantly as the silver light turned into a jagged, suffocating pressure.

The air was sucked out of the room as if by a vacuum, and Xueli felt an invisible hand crush her throat, forcing her to struggle for breath.

"You—! How dare a mere ant disrespect this Emperor!?" Lei Yin’s voice was no longer melodic; it was a roar of thunder. "Girl, do not test my patience. Kneel down and apologize, and I might still consider leaving you with your life and a pittance of gold."

Xueli gritted her teeth, her knees shaking as she tried to resist the soul-crushing pressure of a Supreme’s remnant.

Suddenly, a hand patted her shoulder as Haoran stepped in front of her, and the moment he did, the Emperor’s pressure shattered like glass hitting a stone floor.

She gasped for breath, before she stared at Haoran’s back with eyes filled with gratitude and trust.

"You... who are you?" Lei Yin stared at Haoran, his silver eyes wide with shock as the boy casually shrugged off his pressure.

He actually didn’t see it before since his focus was on the girl, it was only now when he stepped forward that he realized he couldn’t see through the golden-haired youth; it was as if he were staring into the center of the universe and trying to comprehend all of creation.

Haoran stared at the spirit, his eyes held nothing but indifference.

"I doubt someone from this godforsaken backwater would know my name, but I am Shen Haoran, of the Shen Immortal Clan," Haoran said, his voice carrying a terrifying pride and authority, born from his upbringing as the heir of a Hegemon Clan, "And I will tell you this, remnant. The people at my side, with the sole exception of myself, do not need to bow to anyone else. You are just a flickering shadow of an unknown emperor, you are far from worthy of making her kneel."

"Shen... Immortal Clan?" Lei Yin’s ghost flickered, his voice trembling. "Could it be... That Shen Clan? That hegemon from the Imperial Capital?"

"Oh? It seems you are far more knowledgeable than I thought," Haoran said, his smirk returning.

Lei Yin narrowed his eyes, his spectral form stabilizing as his pride fought back his fear. "...So what if you are from the Shen Clan!? Brat, in my era, I was still a Supreme Emperor! I ruled the stars while your parents were still counting spirit stones!"

"And I don’t care," Haoran interrupted, his patience reaching its end. "Are you going to hand over your inheritance willingly, or not?"

Lei Yin exhaled a mist of silver light. "Kid, for the sake of the Shen Clan’s face, I will forgive yours and that girl’s offense. But as for my inheritance—forget it. I will let you take whatever you find in my realm, but my core legacy is reserved for the one fated by the stars."

"I see." Haoran nodded slowly, a look of cold, murderous intent, crossing his face.

Them, from his spatial ring, he took out a simple looking obsidian knife, but with its blade wreathed in a dark, purple flame that seemed to consume the surrounding light.

"Then... die."