This Is What a Villain Is Like

Atop the high platform, amidst a misty brilliance, Li Ran waved his hand, and a vast chessboard instantly materialized in the Void.

Black and white pieces crisscrossed its surface, faintly taking the form of two True Dragons locked in a ferocious battle, their roars and hisses echoing intermittently.

Flanking the two True Dragons, one could see multi-colored currents of energy swirling together. They seemed to be offering support, yet they also appeared to be lying in wait, ready to devour the dragons at any moment.

In the depths of the board, a bloody light flickered and black mist billowed, suffused with a primordial aura. All around, pure qi, immortal light, and the divine radiance of stars lingered, at times threatening to surge and overpower the two dragons.

Prime Minister Jiang Lintian gazed at the chessboard, his eyes seemingly performing their own deductions as countless scenes flashed within them. In the end, his brow furrowed slightly.

’This chessboard represents the grand tide of the world. The black and white dragons are, of course, the two future Emperors who will vie for supremacy.’

’The game is intricate and the situation unprecedentedly chaotic. Even with my cultivation, I can sense currents of hidden, suppressed malice.’

’But as for where that malice originates, even I cannot deduce it.’

"The world is on the verge of a great transformation. According to my deductions, the Nine Provinces Land is destined to be the epicenter of this era. The Great Xia Dynasty, in turn, occupies the supremely advantageous terrain of the Celestial Central Province. In the future, it will inevitably become a land all factions will fight for."

"After the Middle Ages, many ancient Dao Lineages and Sects vanished without a trace. But I have a premonition that before long, their disciples will appear in the world. They will attempt to interfere with the grand scheme of things, opening planar coordinates to guide the return of their masters."

"Lin Tian, your machinations within the Great Xia Dynasty must not fail. Emperor Xia is an excellent chess piece. She has inherited the destiny of an Ancient Celestial Emperor."

"In the visions of the future I have foreseen, she will become the sovereign of all under heaven. If the Prime Minister’s Mansion were to contend with her, it would be defying the will of heaven, and you would invisibly invite tribulation upon yourself."

"Now that she and Lan’Er are married, the fate of the Prime Minister’s Mansion has become inextricably entangled with that of Great Xia. As for Lan’Er’s own destiny, even I cannot see it clearly. It is obscured by something, yet I can tell that several powerful strands of fortune are entwined with him..."

"Of course, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, you yourself only reached your current standing by seizing countless opportunities and strokes of fortune. The opportunities surrounding Lan’Er are no less significant than those you encountered. He has some secrets that even I find difficult to fully grasp."

Li Ran gave a gentle wave of his hand, and the chessboard in the Void before him dissipated into nothing.

"Father, you are a Saint of this age. The things you see are naturally different from our own visions."

"Lan’Er has glimpsed a sliver of the future and seen many of its scenes. With such foresight, he has seized every advantage, so it’s only natural that he has come across many opportunities. This is his own good fortune."

Jiang Lintian’s expression was one of deep respect for Li Ran.

The Eighth Realm is known as the Tribulation Bridge Realm. In ancient times, cultivators who reached this realm were called Great Powers.

The Tribulation Bridge Realm consists of nine steps. Simply taking the first step grants one a lifespan of three thousand years and the ability to sense the esoteric Dao. Their methods can only be described as inconceivable.

With each tribulation they overcome, their power undergoes an earth-shattering transformation.

In the classifications of ancient times, the first three steps of the Tribulation Bridge Realm were collectively known as Great Powers or Giants.

The middle three steps were known as Supreme Powers, and the final three steps were called Supreme Great Powers.

Upon reaching the level of a Supreme Great Power, one could truly roam the Void and travel through it at will, possessing profound divine might akin to the power of creation and destruction itself.

In the current Nine Provinces Land, experts of the Eighth Realm Tribulation Bridge Realm were already exceedingly rare, standing proudly at the apex of power.

Even within the top-tier Immortal Sects and Ancient Families, such individuals were foundational, ancestor-level figures who presided from the deepest recesses of their clan and would not easily reveal themselves.

As for the Ninth Realm, the Feather Transformation Realm, those who reached it were, in the truest sense, invincible in the world. They were also known as Heaven and Earth Saints.

Their lifespan exceeded ten thousand years. They could carve out a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land within the Void, nurture a Little World, command creation and destruction—they were virtually omnipotent.

Since ancient times, only a family that had produced a Saint could possess a foundation that was indestructible through tribulations and eternal through the ages.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

And a family presided over by a living Saint possessed a level of power and depth that was simply unimaginable.

"No one can say for sure what the future holds. The future Lan’Er saw was merely one of many possibilities."

"The very moment he made a choice and acted upon it, the future he had foreseen ceased to be. Everything is in flux. No one can truly grasp the future."

"Even I can only faintly glimpse a few of its possibilities."

Jiang Lintian and Li Qingshu had already informed Li Ran about the events surrounding Jiang Lan, so it was no longer a secret among them.

"As events in the present have unfolded, the future Lan’Er witnessed has become an impossibility. The main culprit who would have caused the downfall of the Prime Minister’s Mansion has already perished."

"The true future is always in the hands of those in the present," Li Ran said calmly.

"You speak the truth, Father." Jiang Lintian had the humble air of a student receiving a lesson.

"I came this time not only for Lan’Er’s wedding and to see him," Li Ran said, looking at Jiang Lintian with a profound glint in his eyes. "There is another matter I must inform you of."

"Are you referring to... the matter with Huangfu Hao?" Jiang Lintian’s eyes flickered as a thought occurred to him.

At the mention of this name, Li Qingshu, who was beside him, also frowned. Killing intent flashed in her eyes as she said coldly, "He really is a tough nut to crack. Clearly dead, yet he still won’t rest in peace."