Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

The void whispered secrets around the four figures traversing its desolate expanse.

They moved with purpose, four distinct energies cutting through the emptiness – Raizel's abyssal darkness, Feng Xuan's restless crimson, Altan's slightly subdued gold, and Gorthan's emerald draconic might.

The conjoined map, clutched firmly in Raizel's hand, pulsed faintly, a beacon in the starless dark.

It guided them unerringly westward, deeper into the intergalactic void than any of them had ever dared venture before.

'This map...

it's truly a relic of immense power,' Raizel mused, his obsidian eyes fixed on the glowing path.

'To navigate the void beyond the established cosmoses...

remarkable.

'Feng Xuan shifted impatiently, his crimson aura flaring slightly.

'Enough admiring the scenery, Raizel.

How much further?

My patience wears thin.

' He was eager, desperately eager, to reach the Secret Realm, to grasp the Heart of Creation.

'That power will be mine.

I will surpass Wang Jian.

I will regain my glory.

'Altan remained composed, though a flicker of anticipation danced in his golden eyes.

'The map indicates we are close to the designated coordinates.

But...

' He frowned slightly.

'The energy readings ahead are...

strange.

Unfamiliar.

' His encounter with Wang Jian had left him more cautious, less inclined to rush headlong into the unknown.

'We must remain vigilant.

'Gorthan merely grunted, his massive form radiating impatience.

'Vigilance is for the weak.

We are Heavenly Talents.

We find this realm, take the power, crush Wang Jian.

Simple.

' His simple worldview rarely allowed for complex strategies, only direct application of overwhelming force.

'Obstacles will be smashed.

'They flew onward, oblivious.

Oblivious to the turmoil brewing back in their respective cosmoses.

Oblivious to the fact that the sanctity of their homes, the loyalty of their cherished consorts, had been utterly violated.

Oblivious to the shadow of Wang Jian, who had not merely played while the cats were away, but had systematically dismantled the foundations of their personal lives, planting seeds of betrayal and subjugation with cruel, calculated precision.

Their minds were fixed solely on the prize ahead: the Secret Realm, the Heart of Creation, the key to the Godking Realm.

The fabric of space before them began to warp.

It wasn't the familiar ripple of spatial travel or the chaotic tear of a collapsing star.

This was different.

It felt...

solid.

Like hitting an invisible barrier.

"We've arrived," Raizel announced, stopping his flight.

The map in his hand glowed brighter, indicating this was the threshold.

"This is...

the edge?

" Feng Xuan murmured, touching the shimmering distortion.

It felt resilient, ancient, immensely powerful.

'The wall between cosmoses...

'Altan's eyes widened slightly.

"The legends spoke of cosmic boundaries, but to witness one...

" He felt a sense of awe mixed with apprehension.

'Can we truly break through?

'Gorthan narrowed his reptilian eyes.

"A wall?

Then we break it.

" It was as simple as that to the Dragon Lord.

Raizel nodded.

"Indeed.

We cannot pass through conventionally.

The map indicates the Secret Realm lies between this cosmic boundary and another.

We must create an opening.

" He looked at the others.

"Separately, it might be impossible, even for us.

Together...

"Feng Xuan grinned, a flash of crimson arrogance.

"Together?

We could shatter stars.

This wall is nothing!

"Altan took a deep breath, his golden aura intensifying.

"Let us combine our strengths.

Aim for a single point.

"Gorthan let out a low growl, flexing his immense claws.

Power surged around him.

"On my mark," Raizel commanded, his own abyssal energy swirling, darkening the void around him.

"Focus your strongest single-target techniques!

"He raised a hand, pointing towards a specific point on the shimmering cosmic wall.

"Now!

"Four distinct, terrifying energies erupted simultaneously.

"Abyssal Void Rend!

" Raizel unleashed a concentrated beam of pure darkness, entropy made manifest, designed to annihilate existence itself.

"Crimson Phoenix Sky Piercer!

" Feng Xuan conjured a blazing phoenix of cosmic fire, its beak aimed like a divine drill, radiating incinerating heat.

"Stellar Core Implosion!

" Altan channeled the power of collapsing stars, focusing gravitational force into an infinitesimal point of crushing density.

"Draconic World-Breaker Claw!

" Gorthan roared, slashing forward with a claw manifested from pure draconic might, large enough to tear continents, imbued with the power to shatter reality.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact was deafening, even in the void.

Light and darkness warred, gravitational forces clashed, and raw power slammed against the ancient barrier.

The cosmic wall groaned, vibrated, resisted.

For a moment, it seemed it would hold.

'Impossible!

' thought Feng Xuan, pouring more energy into his attack.

'It's stronger than anticipated,' Altan realized, gritting his teeth.

'Break!

BREAK!

' Gorthan roared internally, pushing his draconic essence to its limit.

'Just a little more...

' Raizel focused, his abyssal energy drilling deeper.

Then, with a sound like tearing silk amplified a billion times, a crack appeared.

A hairline fracture at first, spiderwebbing outwards under the relentless assault.

The four Talents pushed harder, sensing victory.

The crack widened, deepened, until finally, a section of the cosmic wall shattered inwards, revealing not another void, but a strange, luminescent space beyond.

"We're through!

" Altan breathed, lowering his hand, his aura flickering slightly from the exertion.

"Hmph.

Took long enough," Gorthan grumbled, though a hint of satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.

Raizel immediately consulted the map.

"The entrance...

it's close.

"They didn't hesitate.

Driven by the promise of ultimate power, they surged through the newly created opening, leaving their home cosmos behind.

The transition was jarring.

One moment they were in the cold, dark void between cosmic walls, the next they were enveloped in an atmosphere thick with an almost suffocatingly rich energy.

Lush, alien flora glowed with soft, internal light.

Strange, crystalline structures pulsed with power.

The air hummed with vitality.

This was the Secret Realm.

But something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

"My...

my divine sense!

" Altan exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

He tried to extend his consciousness, to scan the surroundings, but it was like hitting a wall of impenetrable fog.

Nothing.

Feng Xuan's crimson eyes narrowed in disbelief.

He focused, pushing his spiritual energy outwards.

It dissipated instantly, absorbed by the very air around them.

"Sealed?

Completely?

"Gorthan let out a confused rumble.

Even his primal draconic senses, usually capable of piercing illusions and detecting hidden threats across vast distances, were useless here.

He could only rely on his sight, his hearing, his sense of smell – shockingly mundane limitations.

Raizel frowned deeply, attempting to tap into the abyssal energies that were usually an extension of his being.

He could feel his power, the connection was still there, but his ability to perceive beyond his immediate physical vicinity was gone.

Utterly suppressed.

"Impossible...

" Raizel murmured, the word echoing the thoughts of the others.

"We are peak Divine Ascension Realm cultivators.

Heavenly Talents blessed by the Dao itself!

How can our senses be so thoroughly negated?

"'This realm...

it possesses a power, a law, that surpasses even the Heavenly Dao of our cosmoses?

' Altan felt a chill that had nothing to do with the ambient temperature.

'Is this a trap?

' Feng Xuan wondered, his initial elation turning sour.

'Did Raizel lead us into a cage?

' He eyed the Northern Talent suspiciously.

'This place...

feels ancient.

Older than the cosmos itself,' Gorthan thought, his instincts screaming caution despite his usual bravado.

Raizel sensed the rising suspicion.

"This changes nothing," he stated firmly, though his own mind raced.

'What power could achieve this?

Is it the Heart of Creation itself?

Or...

guardians?

'He forced calmness into his voice.

"Our senses may be limited, but our power remains.

We can still unleash our abilities.

The map still functions.

" He held it up; the path towards the center remained clear, glowing insistently.

"We proceed, but with extreme caution," Altan declared, drawing a shimmering star-forged blade.

"We stay together.

No wandering off.

"Feng Xuan snorted but drew his own crimson saber.

"Fine.

But if this is some trick, Raizel...

"Gorthan simply cracked his massive knuckles, emerald scales shimmering.

Threats needed no words.

Despite the unnerving suppression of their senses, a shared, albeit fragile, understanding settled over them.

They were blind in a potentially hostile land, but they still possessed the power that made them Heavenly Talents.

They began to move, slowly, cautiously, following the map's glowing trail deeper into the mysterious realm.

The richness of the environment was staggering.

Every few steps, they encountered plants and fungi radiating divine energy so pure it was almost intoxicating.

"Starpetal Bloom!

" Altan gasped, recognizing a flower whispered about only in the most ancient celestial archives.

Its petals shimmered like captured galaxies.

"Said to refine one's connection to stellar essence tenfold!

"'Invaluable!

' His mind instantly calculated its worth, the boost it could give his Star God disciples.

Further on, nestled amongst pulsating crystals, grew a patch of dark, velvety moss.

"Is that...

Abyssal Night Root?

" Raizel murmured, kneeling for a closer look.

The moss seemed to absorb light, radiating a chill that resonated with his own power.

"Legends claimed it could nourish and stabilize even damaged demonic cores...

"'If I could cultivate this back in the Northern Cosmos...

' The potential was immense.

Feng Xuan pointed with his saber towards a vine dripping with ruby-red, flame-shaped fruit.

"Crimson Sun Nectarines!

They burn with pure Yang fire!

Consuming one could purify a cultivator's energy channels completely!

"His eyes gleamed.

'Enough of these, and my Crimson Legion's overall strength would soar!

'Even Gorthan paused, sniffing the air near a cluster of jade-green, scale-patterned gourds.

"Ancient Dragon Heart Melons," he rumbled, a rare note of reverence in his voice.

"Contain diluted True Dragon blood essence.

Can strengthen draconic bloodlines.

"'My descendants...

they could reach new heights...

' The thought made his draconic heart beat faster.

The Secret Realm was a treasure trove beyond imagining.

Herbs, fruits, ores – materials thought lost to time, extinct for countless eons, grew here in abundance, soaking up the potent ambient energy.

The temptation to stop, to harvest everything in sight, was almost overwhelming.

"We should gather these," Feng Xuan urged, already reaching for a Nectarine.

"Think of the power boost for our forces!

"Altan hesitated.

"The value is undeniable...

but our primary objective...

"Raizel shook his head, pulling Feng Xuan back.

"No.

Not yet.

"Feng Xuan rounded on him.

"Why not?

Are you planning to hoard them for yourself once we deal with the Heart?

"Raizel met his glare coolly.

"Use your head, Feng Xuan.

Our senses are sealed.

We don't know what dangers lurk here.

Gathering these resources now would slow us down, divide our attention.

And...

" He lowered his voice slightly.

"This level of richness...

it suggests an even greater prize at the center.

The source of this vitality.

"'The Heart of Creation,' the thought echoed in all their minds.

Altan nodded slowly.

"Raizel is right.

The ambient energy here is potent, but it feels...

diffuse.

The true concentration, the core power, must lie ahead.

" 'And that is what truly matters.

'Gorthan grunted agreement.

"Herbs are good.

Godking Realm is better.

"Feng Xuan reluctantly withdrew his hand, though his eyes lingered greedily on the glowing fruits.

'Fine.

We get the Heart first.

I get the Heart first.

Then all of this will be mine anyway.

'The unspoken tension resurfaced.

The Heart of Creation.

Only one could claim it.

The moment they found it, this fragile alliance would shatter.

Each Talent knew it.

Each prepared for it.

Their caution doubled, not just for the unknown dangers of the realm, but for the inevitable betrayal lurking amongst themselves.

They pressed onward, leaving the fields of divine herbs untouched for now, their gazes fixed on the path leading deeper into the realm, towards the pulsating light the map promised.

But even as they focused ahead, none of them noticed the subtle shift in the air.

None of them perceived the almost imperceptible flow of divine and spiritual energy, drawn from the glowing flora, the pulsing crystals, the very atmosphere itself, converging steadily, relentlessly, towards the realm's hidden center.

At the heart of the Secret Realm, the ambient energy reached a crescendo.

It wasn't chaotic.

It flowed with a strange, rhythmic pulse, like a cosmic heartbeat, converging on a single point.

There, seated upon a throne carved from solidified starlight and shadow, was a man.

His beauty was ethereal, otherworldly, yet underscored by an aura of absolute dominance that seemed to warp the very space around him.

Long hair, the colour of the deepest azure night, cascaded around sharp, regal features.

His eyes, currently closed, were framed by thick lashes.

He wore robes that seemed woven from the fabric of twilight, embroidered with constellations that subtly shifted and pulsed.

He radiated power – ancient, primal, and undeniably draconic.

If Wang Jian had been present, his carefully cultivated nonchalance would have evaporated instantly.

A jolt of genuine shock, perhaps even a flicker of remembered fear, would have crossed his face.

Because this man, seated upon a throne of cosmic power, was the spitting image of the Dragon Prince he had faced in the climactic battle of the lower realm.

The same impossible beauty, the same terrifying draconic pressure, the same aura that had pushed Wang Jian to his absolute limits, making him believe, for a terrifying moment, that he might actually lose.

It shouldn't have been possible.

The Dragon Prince was defeated, his ambition thwarted in that lower realm.

How could he be here, in a Secret Realm between cosmoses, radiating power that dwarfed even his previous incarnation?

The man's eyes slowly opened.

They were not the eyes of a mere cultivator, but swirling vortexes of azure energy, deep and ancient, holding the wisdom and fury of ages.

A faint smile touched his lips, a smile that held no warmth, only predatory anticipation.

He could feel them.

Four distinct, powerful signatures, piercing the boundary of his domain, moving closer.

Heavenly Talents, judging by the faint resonance of Providence clinging to their energy.

'Good,' the Dragon Prince thought, the voice in his mind echoing with draconic resonance.

'They have arrived.

Four sources of potent origin energy, infused with the favour of their insignificant Heavenly Daos.

'He flexed his fingers, azure energy crackling around them.

This body, this clone, had slumbered for eons, slowly gathering the ambient energy of this isolated realm, a pocket dimension created long ago for this very purpose.

It was a vessel, meticulously prepared, waiting for a catalyst.

'The energy accumulated here is substantial, but insufficient for the true task,' his thoughts continued, cold and calculating.

'But their origin power, their Providence...

absorbing them will provide the final surge needed.

'His smile widened, revealing slightly pointed canines.

'Finally.

After all this time waiting, this vessel can fulfill its purpose.

It can gather the strength to tear open the dimensional barrier, to bridge the gap.

'His azure eyes gazed into the distance, not seeing the lush flora of the Secret Realm, but peering across unimaginable gulfs of reality.

'To open the path.

The path back to the Primal Universe.

The path back...

to my true body.

'The four approaching Talents were not explorers seeking power in his eyes.

They were fuel.

Sacrifices, willingly walking into the furnace to ignite a gateway across realities.

He waited, motionless on his throne, the converging energy of the realm swirling around him like a cloak, amplifying his already terrifying aura.

The air grew thick, heavy with power.

The ambient energy was so dense now it felt like wading through liquid light.

The map pulsed violently in Raizel's hand, its glowing lines converging just ahead.

"We're here," Altan breathed, his golden eyes wide, staring forward.

Before them lay a vast, circular chamber.

The ground was polished obsidian, reflecting the glowing crystals embedded in the ceiling like captured stars.

And in the very center, floating serenely above a dais of pure, solidified divine energy, was the source of it all.

It wasn't large, perhaps the size of a human heart, but its presence dominated everything.

It pulsed with a soft, multi-coloured light, radiating waves of creative force so potent it made their very souls tremble.

Lines of cosmic law, fundamental principles of existence, could be faintly seen swirling within its depths.

The Heart of Creation.

It was real.

More magnificent, more powerful than any description could capture.

A wave of pure, unadulterated desire washed over the four Heavenly Talents.

The Godking Realm.

It was right there, within reach.

Feng Xuan's breath hitched, his eyes burning with avarice.

'Mine!

'Altan felt his regal composure cracking, the raw allure of ultimate power tempting him beyond measure.

'With this...

'Gorthan let out a low, possessive growl, his muscles tensing.

'Power!

'Raizel's obsidian eyes fixed on the Heart, a vortex of ambition swirling within their depths.

'The final step...

'But their rapturous focus on the Heart was shattered by a presence they hadn't sensed, couldn't have sensed, until they were practically upon it.

Seated calmly on a throne of starlight and shadow, positioned almost directly beneath the floating Heart, was the man.

Shock registered on their faces.

"Who...

who are you?

" Feng Xuan demanded, instinctively raising his saber, the initial shock quickly replaced by suspicion and hostility.

'Someone else is here?

Did he beat us to it?

'Altan frowned, his senses still useless, but his instincts screaming danger.

"Another cultivator?

How did you get here?

And how are you unaffected by the sensory suppression?

"Gorthan just glared, emitting a low, warning rumble.

An intruder near the prize was an enemy to be crushed.

Raizel studied the seated figure intently.

'He feels...

wrong.

Not demonic, not human, not celestial...

something else.

Something...

ancient.

'The man on the throne finally turned his gaze towards them.

His azure eyes swept over the four Talents, lingering for a moment on each, an expression of mild amusement on his impossibly handsome face.

"Cultivator?

" he repeated, his voice smooth, resonant, yet carrying an underlying pressure that made the air crackle.

"An inaccurate designation.

"He slowly rose from his throne.

As he stood, his aura, previously contained, unfurled like a physical force, pressing down on the four Heavenly Talents.

It was an aura of pure, unadulterated draconic might, but far more primal, far more terrifyingly potent than even Gorthan's.

It spoke of epochs, of creation, of a lineage so ancient it predated the stars themselves.

Gorthan staggered back a step, his emerald eyes wide with disbelief and a primal fear he hadn't felt since he was a mere hatchling facing the previous Dragon Lord.

"That...

that pressure...

The bloodline...

Chaotic Azure Dragon God?!

"The name hung in the air, heavy with cosmic significance.

The progenitor of all true dragons, a being of myth, a god-tier existence from the dawn of time.

The man smiled faintly.

"You recognize the echo of my progenitor.

Good.

It simplifies things.

""Echo?

" Raizel questioned sharply.

"You are not the Dragon God himself?

""I am...

a fragment.

A vessel.

A will given form," the Dragon Prince stated enigmatically.

"And you," his azure gaze hardened, "are sacrifices.

"The Heart of Creation pulsed above him, seeming to resonate with his words.

The fragile alliance instantly evaporated.

The immediate, overwhelming threat replaced their mutual suspicion.

"Sacrifices?

" Feng Xuan scoffed, though fear pricked at him.

"You think you can take on four Heavenly Talents?

You're dreaming!

" He channeled his power.

"Crimson Vortex Slash!

" A tornado of fiery saber energy shot towards the Dragon Prince.

The Prince didn't even move.

He simply raised a hand, palm outward.

"Draconic Void Mirror.

"A shimmering barrier of azure energy appeared before him.

Feng Xuan's attack hit it and simply...

vanished.

Absorbed without a trace.

Feng Xuan stared, aghast.

'My attack...

nullified?

'"Insolence," the Dragon Prince murmured.

He flicked a finger.

FWOOSH!

A beam of pure azure energy, faster than thought, erupted from the mirror and struck Feng Xuan squarely in the chest.

The Eastern Talent screamed, his crimson robes disintegrating, his body thrown back like a broken doll, slamming into the far wall of the chamber.

He coughed up blood, his aura flickering violently.

Defeated.

In a single, casual gesture.

"Feng Xuan!

" Altan shouted, horrified by the sudden, brutal display of power.

Gorthan roared in fury, draconic rage overcoming his fear.

"Primordial Dragon's Roar!

" A shockwave of sonic force and draconic pressure blasted towards the Prince, powerful enough to liquefy mountains.

The Prince remained unimpressed.

He inhaled slightly.

"Azure Dragon's Counter-Breath.

"He exhaled, not fire, but a wave of shimmering, iridescent azure energy that met Gorthan's roar head-on.

The two forces collided, but Gorthan's attack was instantly overwhelmed, dissipated like smoke in the wind.

The Azure Breath washed over the Dragon Lord.

Gorthan bellowed in agony as the azure energy bypassed his scales, striking directly at his origin, his draconic soul.

He collapsed to his knees, scales cracking, emerald light dimming rapidly.

Two Heavenly Talents, incapacitated in seconds.

Altan and Raizel exchanged a look of grim understanding.

This wasn't a cultivator.

This was something else entirely.

A being operating on a level far beyond their comprehension.

'We cannot win,' Altan thought, despair creeping in.

'His power...

it feels absolute.

''This aura...

it suppresses even my Abyssal Core,' Raizel realized with dawning horror.

'Is this the power of a true Godking?

Or...

beyond?

'But surrender was not in their nature.

"He's too powerful head-on!

" Raizel yelled, abyssal energy flaring around him.

"Domain of Endless Night!

"Darkness exploded outwards from Raizel, attempting to engulf the chamber, to sever the Prince's connection to the ambient energy, to trap him in absolute shadow.

Simultaneously, Altan raised his hands to the crystalline ceiling.

"Myriad Starfall Descent!

"Points of light flared overhead, coalescing into miniature stars that then rained down upon the Dragon Prince, each carrying the explosive force of a supernova.

It was their strongest combination: Raizel's control and suppression, Altan's overwhelming destructive power.

The Dragon Prince stood calmly amidst the encroaching darkness and the rain of falling stars.

He looked almost bored.

"Pointless struggles.

"He stomped his foot lightly on the obsidian floor.

"Realm Nullification.

"A pulse of azure energy radiated outwards from him, not attacking, but unmaking.

Raizel's Domain of Endless Night dissolved instantly, the darkness receding as if it had never existed.

The falling stars fizzled out, their energy neutralized before they could even reach him.

Altan staggered back, clutching his chest.

The backlash from having his ultimate technique so casually dispelled was severe.

Raizel felt a profound emptiness as his domain collapsed.

'He didn't block it...

he erased it from existence within this space!

'The Dragon Prince took a step forward.

Then another.

He walked calmly towards the two remaining, reeling Talents.

"Your origin energy," he stated, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Your connection to your cosmos's Providence.

They will serve a greater purpose.

"He reached out a hand towards Altan.

Altan, desperate, poured the last of his strength into his star-forged blade.

"Final Star Cleave!

" He swung with everything he had.

The Prince simply caught the blade between his index finger and thumb.

The star-forged metal, capable of cutting through dimensions, stopped dead.

Altan stared in disbelief.

With a casual flick of his wrist, the Prince snapped the blade in two.

He then tapped Altan lightly on the forehead.

"Origin Extraction.

"Altan's eyes went wide with unimaginable pain, his golden aura flaring violently before being sucked inwards, drawn towards the Prince's fingertip like iron filings to a magnet.

His body convulsed, then went limp, collapsing into a desiccated husk as his life force, his stellar origin, and the strand of Heavenly Dao Providence within him were forcibly pulled out and absorbed by the Dragon Prince.

A faint golden shimmer now surrounded the Prince's azure aura.

He turned to Raizel.

Raizel, seeing Altan's fate, knew resistance was futile.

But pride, the pride of the Abyssal Lord, would not let him kneel.

He gathered the last vestiges of his power.

"Abyss Lord's Final Judgement!

"He didn't aim to attack, but to self-detonate, to take the enemy with him in a blast of pure entropic annihilation.

The Dragon Prince sighed, a sound of infinite weariness.

"Temporal Stasis.

"Time around Raizel froze.

His burgeoning self-destruction halted mid-flare.

He was trapped, conscious but utterly immobile, a statue of impending doom.

The Prince walked up to the frozen Raizel, placing a hand on his chest.

"Soul Devour.

"Raizel's obsidian eyes widened in horror as he felt his very soul, his consciousness, his eons of memories, being ripped from his body, drawn into the Prince's palm.

It was an agony beyond physical pain, the ultimate violation.

Dark energy flowed into the Prince, his aura darkening slightly, absorbing Raizel's abyssal power and Providence.

Then, the Prince waved his hand.

The frozen body of Raizel crumbled to dust, his self-detonation forever halted.

The Dragon Prince turned, surveying the scene.

Four husks, or piles of dust, lay where the mighty Heavenly Talents had stood moments before.

Feng Xuan and Gorthan, though incapacitated early, had their origins and souls similarly extracted and devoured while Raizel was dealt with.

Crimson, emerald, golden, and abyssal energies now swirled faintly around the Prince's dominant azure aura.

He had absorbed not just their power, but the very essence granted to them by their respective cosmoses.

He closed his eyes, processing the influx.

Raw power surged through the clone vessel, pushing it closer to the threshold required.

But more valuable were the memories.

Eons of experience, knowledge of four different cosmoses, secrets of the Heavenly Daos...

and something else.

Within the torrent of memories absorbed from the four souls, one figure appeared repeatedly.

A figure radiating confidence, arrogance, and an unsettling blend of demonic, draconic, and human energies.

A figure surrounded by women, wielding immense power, and consistently thwarting these supposed Heavenly Talents.

Wang Jian.

The Dragon Prince's eyes snapped open, a flicker of genuine surprise – the first real emotion he'd shown – crossing his face.

'This...

Wang Jian,' the Prince thought, accessing the memories of Altan's humiliating defeat, Feng Xuan's emasculation, Raizel's caution, Gorthan's fury.

'He reached the Divine Realm?

And ascended to the peak of Divine Ascension so quickly?

With that foundation?

'He remembered their battle in the lower realm.

Wang Jian had been powerful, unnaturally so, possessing a chaotic energy and a will that defied his origins.

But this...

this level of growth was unprecedented, almost impossible.

'He even possesses Demonic and Draconic bloodlines?

And wields power capable of suppressing Heavenly Talents blessed by Providence?

'A slow smile spread across the Dragon Prince's face, this time tinged with genuine, calculating interest.

'My original plan...

forcing open the gateway to the Primal Universe...

carries immense risk.

That universe...

its protectors...

they are formidable, even for my true body in its weakened state.

'He looked down at his hands, feeling the newly absorbed power thrumming within the clone.

It was almost enough.

Almost.

'But this Wang Jian...

he thrives on chaos.

He possesses power outside the conventional systems.

He defeated me once, albeit my weaker incarnation...

'The calculation in his azure eyes sharpened.

'Perhaps...

perhaps I don't need to face the dangers of the Primal Universe alone.

''If I could somehow...

lure him.

Entice him.

Or even force him...

''His power could be...

useful.

A diversion.

And even a weapon against those righteous bastards.

'The thought solidified.

Wang Jian wasn't just an anomaly in the memories of his fuel sources; he was a potential asset.

A powerful, unpredictable tool to be used in the far grander, far more dangerous game that awaited once the path was opened.

The Dragon Prince looked up at the pulsing Heart of Creation.

It was time.

He had the power.

He had the memories.

And now, he had a new, intriguing variable to add to his plans.