Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

"Then... I formally welcome you, to the Kingdom of God."

Haoran smirked, his arms spread as if welcoming the system, though, his gaze held a trace of mockery.

The system, however, simply looked around.

[Scanning...] Said the system as it stared at the domain that completely replaced its own, [Scanning complete: Not a domain, but a complete independent world created from the soul]

Its eyes showed genuine shock for the very first time, the cold, mechanical mask of calculation that had defined its expression throughout the entire confrontation completely cracked, replaced by a sudden, jarring look of biological disbelief.

It felt its internal processors screaming, hitting unprecedented levels of error warnings as it tried to measure the absolute conceptual density of the space it was now standing on.

A domain and an independent world are two completely different concepts, separated by an insurmountable cosmic gulf.

A domain is something a Supreme Emperor possessed that allows them to temporarily reject the overarching laws of the world and replace it with their own localized rules, suppressing all enemy abilities that were caught inside while boosting your own parameters to the absolute maximum.

It is an extension of one’s dao, a localized distortion of reality that requires continuous, active spiritual focus to maintain, and it collapses the moment the user’s qi reserves run dry or their focus is broken.

A complete independent world is something entirely higher in the cosmic hierarchy.

It is a fully realized, self-contained pocket reality that can completely sustain life, generate its own natural elements, and even allow you to dictate your own absolute, unyielding laws that everyone caught within must completely and unconditionally obey.

It is not a temporary distortion; it is a permanent piece of cosmic territory carved directly from the soul itself, holding its own independent source of universal energy.

The system’s deep scanning arrays whirred, analyzing the boundaries of the black metallic earth and the crimson sky, and it found something even more terrifying: this isn’t the limit of this world.

The foundations were fluid, shifting, and constantly evolving, in other words, with enough knowledge and power, it could still expand infinitely.

And, if Shen Haoran grew enough, if his cultivation level achieved the zenith of the cosmic paths, he can probably even turn every single cell of his body into its own independent universe, creating an infinite network of multiverses within his physical flesh.

The sheer, world-shaking potential of such an existence was something the system’s database had never even conceived of.

Not to mention that black metallic earth under its feet.

The system’s sensory modules can clearly feel a completely foreign, bizarrely structured power radiating from the dark metal.

It possessed a molecular and spiritual weight that defied all logic.

It doesn’t belong to anything from this entire realm... Does it come from the outside?

The system was completely startled at that single, monumental thought, its processing arrays lagged as it tried to comprehend the implications.

The Prime Origin Realm is vast beyond measure, stretching out across dimensions that would make an ordinary cultivator’s mind collapse from the sheer scale.

However, no matter how infinitely large it is, it is still just one connected land, like infinite multiverses stacked together on top of one another, surrounded by an absolute, impenetrable "prison" known across the eras as the Outer Space.

Even the legendary, exalted Immortal Realm only exists on a different, much larger landmass than the small Tian Yuan Empire.

It is technically a higher plane, yes, but it is still physically a part of the same geographical structure.

However, the spatial distance separating the lands is so utterly far away that only those who have successfully broken through to the legendary Red Dust Immortal realm can actually cross this devastating boundary and reach its shores safely.

But, despite this immense hierarchy of power, no one, no matter how completely powerful they became, had actually ever managed to escape the supreme prison known as the Outer Space.

Even the ancient Nine Headed Dragon God failed to escape this prison, and in the end, died, its head and powers severed, recycled by the Prime Origin Realm into what the Immortal Realm called the Nine Dragon God Physiques.

It is also said among the oldest, most ancient records that beyond the Prime Origin Realm, there are countless more realms similar to it, existing in a higher state of cosmic organization.

Think of it like this: the entire, infinite Prime Origin Realm is merely a single book.

Each individual page of this book is an independent realm that contains its own infinite network of universes, and the heavy leather cover binding them all together is the absolute, unyielding prison known as the outer space.

Many grand Immortals scholars and sages throughout history have theorized that beyond the single book known as the Prime Origin realm, there must be an entire, endless bookshelf.

And beyond this massive bookshelf, there is an entire, sprawling library.

And in this infinite library, there must logically be a supreme librarian that manages and maintains every single volume.

But since absolutely no one since the very dawn of time immemorial has ever successfully escaped or pierced through the Outer Space, no one was ever able to confirm this grand cosmic structure, and it remained nothing more than a wild, unproven philosophical theory spoken of in hushed whispers by dying sages.

But now... looking at the black metal under its feet...

[...energy from the outside] the system spoke through Xiao Long’s vocal cords, and this time, its layered, mechanical voice actually carried a distinct, completely undeniable trace of raw, visceral greed.

Right now, its own machine logic was being thoroughly corrupted by the sheer allure of an foreign concept.

[Where exactly did you find that? How did a native of this lower realm manage to touch the outside?]

Haoran smirked, his golden eyes gleaming with an absolute, victorious amusement as he saw the system’s composure dissolve.

"You sound incredibly greedy for a machine. Tell me, does a soulless program also possess the capacity to feel such base, biological desires?"

The system’s eyes narrowed into sharp, defensive slits, its internal processors wrestling with the sudden influx of anomalous data, but it did not answer the mockery.

Haoran chuckled, shaking his head slowly as he took a casual step forward on the black metal. "Greed is a dangerous thing for a tool, system. It is a privilege meant exclusively for living beings, a spark of ego that drives them to conquer, to create, and to destroy. But when a mere program begins to feel greed... it introduces a flaw into the code. It creates a vulnerability. If you can feel greed for the outside, then you can be bought. You can be swayed. It means that under the right circumstances, you would willingly betray your own host just to satisfy that hunger, wouldn’t you?"

The system didn’t say anything, its silence the ultimate validation of his psychological strike.

Unknown to Haoran, Xiao Long, whose consciousness was pushed to the back when the System took over, was still able to see and hear.

And when he heard Haoran’s words, he immed felt as if his soul leapt out of his body in fright.

That’s right. He trusted the system because it’s mechanical, only doing what it’s programmed to do, but if the system actually gained true sentience and started feeling emotions like greed...then...

Haoran casually turned his head to the side and saw the rigid, floating figure of Qing’er, who was still completely frozen within the spatial ice the system had placed her in.

He nonchalantly raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

*CRACK!*

The invisible spatial lock shattered instantly into millions of harmless particles under the absolute, dictatorial authority of his world’s laws.

Qing’er finally regained her movements, her body dropping lightly onto the black metallic earth.

Without a single second of hesitation, ignoring her own heavy pain, she immediately moved towards Haoran’s side, positioning herself as a protective shield.

"Apologies, young master," she whispered, her voice tight with a profound, raw shame as her head remained lowered. "I was entirely incompetent. I wasn’t able to protect you from the enemy’s assault."

"No, you don’t have to apologize at all, Qing’er. You did exactly what was required of you," Haoran smiled gently, his tone thoroughly warm as he reached out and lightly tapped her shoulder. "For now... heal."

The next instant the word left his lips, the dictatorial laws of his Genesis Protocol manifested.

A brilliant, soothing golden light enveloped her physical form.

Within a single, breathless fraction of a second, the deep fractures in her bones fused perfectly, the severe internal bleeding vanished, and her tattered spirit circuits were thoroughly, instantly healed, returning her to her absolute peak physical condition.

The system stared at the instantaneous restoration of her life force, its pale eyes calculating the energy expenditure.

[Impressive. A true manipulation of localized conceptual laws. However, even with this independent world acting as your anchor, you will still not be able to enforce your primitive laws directly on me. The raw qualitative difference in our core power output is still too vast. I still wield the strength of a Supreme Emperor; I can shatter this nascent world from the inside out before your laws can compromise my system.]

"I know," Haoran chuckled softly, his smile widening into a sharp, terrifyingly confident expression as he looked up at the crimson sky. "I am perfectly aware that my personal cultivation is far too low to lock down a Supreme Emperor using just the base terrain. That’s why I didn’t intend to fight you with just the ground."

He lazily raised his hand and snapped his fingers for the second time.

At that exact, critical moment, his entire independent world began to violently rumble and groan.

The crimson sky split wide open, a massive, cataclysmic spatial rift tearing across the heavens like a gaping wound.

Screams of ancient, mechanical engines and the dense, deafening hum of ungodly power resonated through the air as a massive, world-blocking structure slowly descended through the rift, casting a colossal, suffocating shadow over the black metallic earth below.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

It was a terrifying, floating fortress of silver steel, ancient stone, and glowing technological arrays, its defensive turrets pointing directly down at the system’s position like the fingers of an angry god.

Haoran rested his hand casually on the hilt of his Black Imperial Sword, Azathoth, his golden eyes reflecting the blinding light of the fortress above as he looked at the machine.

Normally, the Hanging Gardens is impossible for him operate in battle due to the cultivation requirements.

However, within this world of his, that requirements can be completely bypassed, and the true power of this Imperial Artifact can be fully realized.

This is the Imperial Artifact of an ancient empire, the Imperial Artifact used by an ancient Heavenly Saint to kill an ancient Supreme Emperor of the Shen Clan.

The system was stunned seeing the Imperial Artifact appeared, [An Imperial Artifact? No, you wouldn’t be able to use—wait, I see]

The system realized then. Indeed, this world can indeed not enforce its laws against a Supreme Emperor, but bypassing the restrictions of your own artifact is still perfectly capable.

In other words, for a limited amount of time, as long as this world remained intact, Shen Haoran is virtually, a Supreme Emperor.