Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 573 Heavenly Tribulations

The night stretched on, a tapestry of laughter, music, and the clinking of crystal glasses. In the heart of the Hidden Flying Ship, Wang Jian, the master of ceremonies, reveled in the company of his diverse harem. He regaled them with tales of his exploits on X-98 Star, his voice dripping with charm as he embellished key moments, knowing a good story added to the allure.

But the real entertainment began after the stories ended. With a sly grin, Wang Jian unleashed his signature technique – the art of the Thousand Shadows. His form shimmered and split, multiplying into hundreds of identical figures that scattered amongst the women. Each clone, a perfect replica, held the essence of his being, his mind a hive connected to a central hub – his true self.

This ability allowed him to indulge every desire, to devote himself fully to each woman in turn. Feng Xiaoyu, with her fiery spirit, found herself swept away in a whirlwind of passionate abandon. Mu Xuanyin rediscovered the thrill of the hunt, her quarry this time being the pleasure that danced just out of reach.

Yin Lian, ever the devout follower, saw this act as a sacred ritual, her devotion taking on a new, carnal form.

The Pavilion Mistress, Cui Lan, a woman who had tasted power and pleasure in equal measure, found herself surprised by the intensity of the experience. The younger disciples, wide-eyed and innocent at first, succumbed to the seductive whispers of their desires, learning a different kind of cultivation under Wang Jian's tutelage.

The voyage spanned as the time lost meaning amidst the hedonistic revelry. Finally, the familiar landscape of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion's Starry Expanse materialized on the viewscreen. A mixture of nostalgia and anticipation filled the air.

Upon landing, a flurry of activity unfolded. The Pavilion Mistress and elders, seasoned leaders, dispersed amongst the various branches of the sect, re-establishing control and disseminating news of their travels.

The younger members, eager to share their experiences, regaled the remaining disciples with tales of daring exploits and exotic encounters.

One of the most significant changes was the introduction of the Yin Attribute Herbs they had procured from their travels in the Ancient Devil Starry Expanse.

These herbs, imbued with potent demon energy, were unlike any they had encountered before.

Under the watchful eyes of skilled alchemists, new concoctions were brewed, promising enhanced cultivation speeds and possibly even the unlocking of dormant demonic powers within the disciples.

Beyond herbs, the women returned with a newfound appreciation for array formations.

They had witnessed elaborate power management systems on various Devil Stars, and now, driven by this knowledge, they embarked on a project to upgrade their own sect's infrastructure.

Advanced spatial storage arrays were designed, allowing for better resource management.

Power distribution arrays were revamped to enhance the overall energy flow within the sect.

The once static architecture of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion buzzed with activity as construction crews toiled under the watchful eye of innovative engineers.

Weapons and artifacts, another area where the devils excelled, were also undergoing a revolution.

Sketches and descriptions gleaned from their travels were translated into prototypes by the sect's finest forgers.

Sleek, obsidian blades infused with devilish energy began to replace traditional steel weapons. Demonic talismans, pulsating with an ominous purple glow, were crafted for the first time, promising devastating offensive capabilities.

The Heavenly Jade Pavilion, once focused solely on the light side of cultivation, was entering a new era. The influence of the Ancient Devil Starry Expanse, brought back by Wang Jian and his harem, was slowly weaving itself into the very fabric of the sect.

While some might see this as a dangerous path, the women of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion saw it as an opportunity for growth, a chance to harness the power of both light and darkness to reach new heights of cultivation.

Wang Jian retreated to a secluded peak within the Heavenly Jade Pavilion's Starry Expanse. The air crackled with anticipation as he surveyed the mountains of spirit herbs and rare materials meticulously gathered from the treasury and herbal gardens. He had meticulously categorized them – a testament to his near-obsessive planning.

With a controlled breath, he activated his Law of Alchemy, a powerful technique acquired during his travels. The air shimmered as the herbs and materials danced, drawn by an invisible force. His hands moved in a blur, channeling his spiritual energy, shaping the raw materials into potent pellets. Days blurred into nights, the only sound the rhythmic clinking of vials and the low hum of power.

Finally, exhausted but exhilarated, Wang Jian surveyed his creation – hundreds, maybe even thousands, of three distinct types of pellets. Each gleamed with an otherworldly light, resonating with potent energy.

The first type, aptly named "Spirit Ascension Pills," were specifically formulated to propel cultivators at the Divine Spirit Realm to the next level. The second, "Tribulation Fortifying Pellets," were designed to bolster the resilience of those at the Divine Tribulation Realm, the realm Wang Jian currently occupied. And the final set, "Harmony Elixirs," were a rare and potent concoction that could potentially push those at the Divine Tribulation Realm to the pinnacle – the Divine Harmony Realm.

A thrill coursed through him. These pills represented a quantum leap for the Heavenly Jade Pavilion. They could accelerate the cultivation of every member, from the youthful disciples to the seasoned elders.

Without hesitation, Wang Jian popped a Tribulation Fortifying Pellet into his mouth. Energy surged through his veins, his spirit core thrumming with renewed power. A wave of potent celestial energy coursed through his veins, shattering bottlenecks and pushing his cultivation base towards the absolute peak of the Divine Tribulation Realm. Each elixir felt like a mini-explosion within his body, purging impurities and refining his spiritual essence.

One elixir turned into ten, then twenty. Wang Jian, fueled by an insatiable hunger for power, pushed himself to the absolute limit. His body thrummed with raw power, a testament to his audacious gamble. He ignored the worried glances cast his way by the Pavilion Mistress, Cui Lan, and the elders, their faces etched with concern.

He felt himself nearing the precipice, a point of no return. With a final deep breath, he ingested the last of the Tribulation Fortifying Pellet. The world around him shimmered, condensing inwards as his presence intensified. A feeling of absolute oneness with the universe washed over him, a terrifying precursor to what was to come.

Suddenly, the sky above the Heavenly Jade Pavilion darkened, an oppressive silence blanketing the entire expanse. A colossal vortex, swirling with a kaleidoscope of colors, materialized above them. It was a Heavenly Tribulation, but unlike anything they had ever witnessed before.

Shock and awe rippled through the crowd. This tribulation, unlike the records they had pored over for generations, seemed to contain attributes and laws beyond their comprehension. Bolts of lightning, crackling with spatial distortion and temporal manipulation, danced within the vortex. Monstrous beasts, forged from pure elemental energy, roared within the churning clouds. It was as though the heavens themselves were conspiring to annihilate whoever dared reach such a level of power with such unorthodox methods.

Wang Jian, however, stood unfazed. A predatory grin split his face. He had courted this tribulation, embraced it. With a defiant roar, he launched himself into the sky, his body shimmering with a protective layer of his primordial essence.

The first wave of the tribulation slammed into him – a monstrous lightning bolt infused with the power of temporal distortion. Time seemed to slow around him, granting him an eternity to witness the devastating power of the attack. But Wang Jian, with his profound understanding of spatial manipulation, simply sidestepped the attack, his figure blurring as he moved through the distorted flow of time.

Next, came a pack of ferocious, fire-breathing beasts, their bodies radiating the power of Law of Destruction. With a flick of his wrist, Wang Jian unleashed a torrent of ice spears, each spear imbued with the Law of Absolute Zero. The spears froze the beasts in mid-air, shattering them into a million glittering fragments.

The tribulation continued, hurling attack after attack at Wang Jian. Spatial rifts manifested around him, threatening to tear him apart. He countered with blasts of pure elemental force, patching the rifts before they could consume him. Beasts of pure energy, manifesting every element under the heavens, assaulted him relentlessly. But for each attack, Wang Jian had a counter, his understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe turning him into a whirlwind of power.

The final wave of the tribulation arrived, a convergence of all the elements, infused with the wrath of the heavens. It was a sight that would have quaked the hearts of even the most seasoned cultivators. Cui Lan and the elders watched with bated breath, fear twisting their features.

But Wang Jian met the attack head-on. Gathering his entire being, his primordial essence surging through his veins, he unleashed a counterattack of his own. A blinding white light engulfed the starry expanse, blotting out all other forms of energy. When the light finally subsided, there stood Wang Jian, unscathed, panting slightly, his eyes gleaming with a newfound power.

He had conquered the tribulation, defying the very heavens with his audacity and his unorthodox cultivation methods.