Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist Chapter 957: Golden Sky Burning Phoenix Flame

Deep within the hidden chamber under the Cloud-Peak Pavilion, a scorching golden glow enveloped everything. The atmosphere hung thick and sticky, infused with the surging pure Yang energy emanating from three fist-sized fruits placed on a jade dish at the room's heart. Those Golden-Flame Essence Fruits didn't just rest idly; they pulsed with a deep, humming vibration that matched the rhythm of any onlooker's pulse.

Cross-legged on a cushion for meditation, Wang Jian wore a grave look. Encircling him in a ring aligned with the Five Elements positions were his kin—his forces. Yue Lingshan, Liu Ruyan, Chen Ying, and Mu Lianhua.

"The moment is here," Wang Jian declared, his words slicing the thick quiet. "This goes beyond a simple feast. It's a transformation. The power inside these fruits draws from a sacred beast's renewal. It will scorch. It will resist your human forms. You have to master it."

Extending his arm, he enveloped his hand in a shield of Stellar Qi to fend off the blistering warmth of the fruit's surface. Using a blade made from cold-iron, he cut into the fruits.

No crisp sound came. The blade glided through like parting warm butter, and right away, a thick, lava-resembling liquid seeped forth. The aroma that spread across the space was mesmerizing—like a blend of honey, fresh lightning, and heated iron. It carried the essence of might.

"Consume it," Wang Jian ordered, passing a portion to each one. "Let nothing go to waste, not even a drop."

He claimed his share and slipped it between his lips.

The effect hit fast and fierce. It resembled gulping a tiny sun rather than savoring a bite. The fruit's pulp melted away the instant it touched his tongue, becoming a rush of blazing liquid that surged into his gullet.

"Guh!" Liu Ruyan choked out, gripping her neck, eyes bulging in surprise.

"Contain it!" Mu Lianhua snapped firmly, her tone tight as she took her bite. "Don't let the heat escape! Circulate it! Drive it toward your dantian!"

Wang Jian shut his eyes. The torment was intense. It seemed like molten rock coursed through his blood vessels in place of blood. The blaze surged into his meridians, cleansing the inner walls of his spiritual pathways. This was a refining blaze, hunting down each flaw, every hardened bone fragment, every remnant of human frailty.

'Here it comes,' Wang Jian mused, his thoughts a bastion of serenity amid the bodily torment. 'The might of the Phoenix.'

Inside his dantian, his Triple Spirit Roots—Fire, Wood, and Water—burst into activity. The Fire Root, holding the upper hand here, swelled hungrily, serving as a lure for the untamed power. It drew in the golden core like a ravenous beast. Yet the force proved overwhelming, wildly unstable. It risked reducing his Fire Root to cinders.

Wang Jian triggered the Stellar Demonic Meridian Scripture in his mind.

'Break it apart. Consume it. Claim it as my own.'

His dantian transformed into a devouring void. The Stellar Qi whirled furiously, forming a whirlpool that ensnared the raging Phoenix blaze. The scripture functioned like a heavenly grinder, pulverizing the fierce intent of the Phoenix core and distilling it into a refined, harnessable energy.

The women around him shook uncontrollably. Vapor rose from their bodies—not mere steam, but a noxious black haze.

"It... it scorches..." Yue Lingshan moaned softly, her complexion ashen, perspiration streaming from her brow only to hiss and vanish in a flash.

"Persist, Lingshan!" Wang Jian sent his words straight into her thoughts. "The suffering means your flaws are fleeing! Direct the blaze to your Wood root; allow it to fuel life's renewal!"

Chen Ying remained still as stone, her blade laid across her lap. Her jaws locked tight enough to draw blood from her gums, yet she stayed silent. Her Wind Spirit Root stirred the blaze into a storm inside her, distributing it quicker than in the others, hardening her frame at an alarming pace.

Mu Lianhua operated on another level. As a Peak Core Formation master, her reserves were vast. The golden blaze poured into her core, smashing against her established Azure Sky-Heart Flame.

'Yield!' Mu Lianhua's inner cry thundered.

Within her mental realm, a fiery battle ignited. The Azure flame, serene and grand, battled the Golden Phoenix flame, fierce and overbearing. Yet Mu Lianhua avoided dominating one over the other. She leveraged her deep cultivation to merge them forcibly.

The sacred Phoenix flame, bearing the trait of total cleansing, started to engulf the Azure Sky-Heart Flame. Rather than erasing it, the process integrated it fully.

A fearsome shift took place. The blue blaze deepened, gaining a rich, imperial azure tint, while its center blazed with searing, liquid gold.

BOOM!

A blast of scorching force erupted from Mu Lianhua's form. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone beneath her.

Her eyes snapped open. They held no ordinary pupils; instead, they swirled with vortexes of blue and gold fire.

"It's complete," she murmured, her tone echoing with a deep vibration that resonated in everyone's skeletons.

Time dragged on for hours. The searing agony faded gradually, giving way to a deep, steady warmth.

Wang Jian's eyes fluttered open. A golden spark lit the dim chamber, throwing stark shadows on the walls. He breathed out, and a thread of golden fire trailed from his mouth.

He examined his flesh. It shimmered with a soft, iridescent shine. He sensed a weighty solidity. His skeleton felt forged from godly alloy.

Glancing about, he noted the ground layered with dark, sticky residue—the impurities expelled from their systems. The odor was vile, a stark reversal from the fruit's earlier allure.

"Purify," Wang Jian uttered. With a gesture, a breeze gathered the grime and funneled it into the corner's waste array.

"We... we made it through," Liu Ruyan exhaled, staring at her palms. Her complexion gleamed perfectly, emitting a subtle pink radiance. She conjured a fire in her hand. It wasn't her typical red blood blaze; golden streaks threaded through it. "Teacher... see. My fire... it seems... sacred."

"It bears the Phoenix's divine spark," Mu Lianhua explained, rising to her feet. She appeared more statuesque, commanding. The heavy presence she often restrained now flowed with flawless restraint. "Ruyan, using this blaze, you could craft pills free of any flaws. The fire will incinerate impurities before they form."

Wang Jian rose, flexing his body. His joints cracked like bursting fireworks. He ignited a tiny flame on his fingertip. Pure gold, no bigger than a spark, yet its warmth distorted the surrounding air.

"This devours spiritual energy on its own," Wang Jian observed, fixating on the blaze. 'It's bold. Unyielding. Much like its avian source.'

"Elder Lianhua," Wang Jian addressed her formally for Lingshan's sake, though his gaze heatedly traced Mu Lianhua's curves. "Your flame... it's altered."

"It has advanced," Mu Lianhua amended, a faint, satisfied curve on her mouth. She called forth her flame. It was a stunning, daunting sight—an azure lotus cradling a golden core. "The Azure Sky-Heart Flame has fused with the Phoenix core. I call it the Azure Sky Heart Phoenix Flame. It surpasses all I had prior."

"Facing the Iron-Blood Hall," she went on, her gaze sharpening, "this blaze would mean swift doom. Their blood methods depend on taint and grime. This fire purges utterly. I could incinerate their skills mid-air before they reach us."

"A concealed ace," Wang Jian agreed with a nod. "We decide to hide this flame as our secret edge. To outsiders, we've just healed strongly and gained minor boosts. No one imagines we wield a Heaven-grade flame."

Yue Lingshan got up, checking her energy flow. "My Wood and Water Qi... they no longer clash with the Fire. The Phoenix core has bridged them. My base is... flawless."

"Outstanding," Wang Jian grinned at his spouse. "Now, we recover. Tomorrow marks the true cultivation start."

The following two months flew by in a haze of rigorous, isolated practice. The concealed garden below the Cloud-Peak Pavilion turned into their domain.

Daily, they meditated for hours beneath the Phoenix Fire Tree. Nourished each day by Wang Jian's Verdant Eternal Spring Essence, the tree had stretched to ten feet. Its foliage resembled flaming plumes, and it emitted a persistent, calming Yang energy that cultivated the fire seeds in their cores.

Wang Jian's regimen was merciless. Bare from the waist up under the tree, he let the warmth envelop him as he ran his Stellar Demonic Meridian Scripture. He supplied the fire seed with his Qi, growing it from a flicker to a robust blaze in his dantian.

One afternoon, echoes of battle filled the practice hall.

"Once more!" Wang Jian bellowed.

Chen Ying faced him across the space. Her gaze pierced keenly, intent. She gripped the Gale-Severing Frostblade.

"Watch yourself, Junior Brother," Chen Ying cautioned, her tone icy. "This move... it's volatile."

"Demonstrate," Wang Jian smirked, bracing his posture.

Chen Ying drew in air. She tapped her Wind Spirit Root, but now she pulled from the golden seed in her dantian.

The gusts around her sword didn't merely wail; they burst into flames.

"Seven Absolutes: Firestorm Slash!"

Her blade arced. A wind sickle flew out, cloaked in howling golden fires. The winds fueled the blaze, and the blaze intensified the winds. It formed an endless loop of ruin.

The strike howled through the hall, liquifying the stone path it followed.

Wang Jian stood his ground. He sought to gauge his physique. Arms folded, he poured Stellar Qi into a protective shield, bolstering his hide with the Stellar Body Tempering Art.

BOOM!

The Firestorm Slash crashed against him. The force was solid, shoving him back three paces, his heels gouging the floor. The blaze seared harshly, charring his locks and garb, but his flesh—fortified by the fruit—endured. It shone with a steely gloss, deflecting the edge.

The fires scattered. Wang Jian dropped his guard. A faint red mark lingered on his arm, faintly steaming.

"Remarkable," Wang Jian chuckled, flexing his limb. "That strike could cleave a Mid-Stage Core Formation master if they're off guard. Blending wind and phoenix fire... it's vicious, Senior Sister."

Chen Ying sheathed her blade, a subtle pride coloring her face. "It drains Qi heavily. But... it's potent."

'My frame,' Wang Jian reflected, eyeing the fading mark. 'It rivals a Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact in toughness. Paired with my Stellar Qi... I could smash an Early Stage Core Formation foe in ten strikes without my hidden arts. Add the Phoenix Flame? A single blow.'

In a separate area of the training space, Yue Lingshan handled fresh array banners. They shone red, woven with golden strands.

"Elder Lianhua," Lingshan summoned. "Would you try this shield?"

Mu Lianhua inclined her head. She pointed a finger, launching a streak of her Azure Sky Heart Phoenix Flame at the array.

The blaze struck the setup. Rather than shattering it, the array drank in the fire, shining more intensely.

"Success!" Lingshan cheered, clapping. "The Phoenix-Fire Killing Array. It takes in Yang energy strikes to bolster itself, then fires them back as a focused ray. Plus, it passively warms enough to boil the blood of those caught within."

"Your skill with arrays is frightening, Lingshan," Mu Lianhua commended, truly awed. "You've woven the flame seamlessly."

During these months, the group's ties grew stronger. They transcended a mere gathering; they formed a clan of beasts maturing in shadows. They dined as one, drilled as one, and guarded their rise's mystery.

Wang Jian observed them closely. He noted the assurance in their steps. They moved with fresh boldness. The dread that trailed them since escaping the State of Yue—the dread of frailty in a mighty realm—had vanished. They prowled as lions in the underbrush, poised to strike.

"We're prepared," Wang Jian resolved one dusk, gazing at the lively, fiery fronds of the Phoenix Tree. "We possess the power to seize our desires."

His eyes shifted to the Orchid Palace, glimpsed via the pavilion's tall frames.

"Now," he breathed. "Time to turn our sights beyond."

As the Cloud-Peak Pavilion stayed a bastion of hidden truths, the Fragrance Melody Sect's standing in the wider realm climbed rapidly.

Word of the sect's astonishing rebound and their crushing triumph over the Iron-Blood Hall raced across the Inner Islands like a blaze. The Fragrance Melody Sect shed its image as an easy mark, a troupe of performers ripe for conquest. It earned regard as an emerging force.

Merchant vessels queued at the harbors. Representatives from Starfall Island and key Righteous sects arrived often, seeking pacts.

In his post as Head Male Guest Elder, Wang Jian managed the male visitors. He won them over with sharp banter, awed them with his 'humble' prowess, and subtly gauged their dangers.

"Deacon Wang stands as a true mainstay of the sect," an elder from the Azure Wave Sword Sect noted to Hua Yimei at a feast. "To shield the Young Mistress with his body against a blood arrow... such devotion is scarce nowadays. He qualifies as a legend."

Hua Yimei beamed, her sight wandering to Wang Jian serving drinks to traders. "Indeed. He does."

Her faith in him knew no bounds. She'd even shared the sect's monetary records, seeking his input on paths of trade and resource division. It handed Wang Jian a clear view of the sect's real riches.

At the same time, Mu Lianhua cemented her role. She functioned as Vice-Sect Leader in every way but title. Her rulings on alchemy and inner order held absolute sway.

Via the Shadow Flowers, Wang Jian monitored the seas' rhythms.

"The Iron-Blood Hall has splintered," Bai Xue conveyed through a message. "The survivors cower before the 'Mysterious Beast Tamers' of the Fragrance Melody Sect. They won't risk a direct assault."

"Fine," Wang Jian responded. "Fear serves as a fine weapon."

Thanks to the constant flow of top-tier pills from Wang Jian's circle—crafted with Phoenix Flame for flawless clarity—the sect's commerce profits had doubled. The Fragrance Melody Sect stepped into an era of prosperity.

Yet Wang Jian cared little for riches. His focus lay on the sect's bloom.

Hua Ling.

Boosted by the boundless supplies from Wang Jian and his... tailored "personal lessons" featuring Yang energy exchange (intimate caresses and excitement), Hua Ling's cultivation had surged.

She positioned herself in the training yard's midst, her presence wavering. She'd hit the Peak of Initial Foundation Establishment. A breakthrough loomed, but she remained stalled.

Mu Lianhua watched from the edges. She grasped precisely what Wang Jian aimed for.

That afternoon, Mu Lianhua sought a closed meeting with Sect Leader Hua Yimei.

"Sect Leader," Mu Lianhua stated, tasting tea in the Orchid Palace. "I've watched Young Mistress Hua Ling closely. Her base is firm, her Qi plentiful. Yet she can't advance."

Hua Yimei sighed, massaging her brow. "I understand, Sister Mu. She misses... discipline. Her life on this isle has been too protected. Her path is overly serene."

"Exactly," Mu Lianhua agreed wisely. "A blade needs fire to harden. A cultivator requires blood to forge. She craves battle experience. True fights, not gentle bouts with pupils who fear injuring her."

"But dangers lurk outside," Hua Yimei fretted. "The demons..."

"The demons tremble," Mu Lianhua rebutted. "And she won't go solo."

She bent closer. "I suggest a hunt. To the Coral-Spine Reefs. Third Order creatures dwell there—ideal for her stage. Tough, yet controllable."

"Who will guard her?" Hua Yimei inquired.

"My senior pupil, Chen Ying," Mu Lianhua replied. "She's a Late Stage Foundation Establishment sword expert. Her strikes are deadly. And..." She held for emphasis. "I'll provide my Black-Scaled Flood Serpent."

Hua Yimei's eyes grew wide. "The Fifth Order creature? You'd offer that?"

"For Ling’er? Without question," Mu Lianhua smiled kindly. "She's like my own kin. Guarded by a Core Formation beast, she'll be secure beyond her chambers. But she must land the fatal hits alone."

Hua Yimei regarded Mu Lianhua with deep thanks. "Sister Mu... your kindness overwhelms. I consent. She needs to venture forth."

The command issued at dawn the next day.

The hunting party gathered at the piers. It included Hua Ling, Chen Ying, and ten top female fighters from the battle wing.

Hua Ling donned gleaming silver-white armor that clung to her shape, casting her as a bold warrior maiden. She seemed anxious yet resolute.

"Senior Sister Chen," Hua Ling saluted the blade master.

Chen Ying gave a brief nod, expression neutral. "Young Mistress. Remain near. Strike without pause when you unsheathe."

In their wake, the waves stirred. The enormous skull of the Black-Scaled Flood Serpent surfaced, its amber eyes surveying the distance.

Wang Jian lingered on the Cloud-Peak Pavilion's overlook, observing their departure preparations.

"Bloom, little bloom," he murmured, twirling his wine cup. "Build your strength. Mature. I'll wait to harvest you."

The vessel departed, bound for the vast ocean. The goal was straightforward: pursue Third Order beasts, collect scarce materials for refining, and come back transformed.

But as the vessel faded beyond sight, Wang Jian’s smile turned pre