I Really Am A Villain

A hundred great ships were moored by the shore, each one massive.

Every vessel was built for war, majestic and towering, each stretching over a hundred meters long.

“Board the ships!” Literature Sovereign’s shout echoed over the harbor.

Hundreds of cultivators moved in perfect order, stepping aboard their assigned vessels.

When all was ready, Qin Haoshi stood proudly at the bow of the leading ship. He raised both hands and shouted, “Raise the sails, set off!”

With a thunderous rumble, the fleet came alive.

Hundred ships surged forward together, cutting through the foaming, endless waters.

The sea stretched vast and boundless, the sky reflected upon its surface. The pale, bubbling waves churned as though the ocean were boiling, murmuring with a deep, endless gurgle.

After departing the harbor, the fleet split into four directions.

Each of the Six Sovereigns led a squadron to search their assigned area.

Xu Zimo traveled aboard one vessel with Qin Haoshi and Literature Sovereign.

When the voyage steadied, Literature Sovereign approached Xu Zimo with a smile.

“Sir Xu,” he said, “are you prepared?”

“I’m always ready,” Xu Zimo replied.

Literature Sovereign sat down beside him on the deck. “Tell me,” he asked, “does your Primordial Domain still have others alive?”

“No,” Xu Zimo answered calmly. “Our lineage passes through a single successor each generation. When the Gatekeeper of the previous age nears death, he chooses the next.”

“I see,” said Literature Sovereign. “And how old might you be, if I may ask?”

“Three hundred,” Xu Zimo said casually.

“If fate allows,” Literature Sovereign continued with a chuckle, “could you one day take me to see the Primordial Domain?”

Xu Zimo smiled faintly. “So that’s your true purpose in asking so much, isn’t it?”

Literature Sovereign only smiled, saying nothing.

The Six Sovereigns were among the strongest mortals alive, all at the God Meridian Realm. Once, they’d taken pride in their strength, believing themselves invincible.

But the emergence of Chaos had shattered that illusion. Before such a being, even they seemed like frogs in a well, small, blind, and ignorant.

A deep sense of dread had been growing in their hearts.

Yet cultivation was never a matter to rush. It required time, patience, and understanding.

So, if Literature Sovereign wished to advance further, he had no choice but to seek another path, and his eyes had turned toward the mysteries of the Primordial Domain.

“When the time comes,” Xu Zimo said, “I’ll take you there. Whether you find opportunity or not will depend on your own fortune.”

“Then I thank you,” Wen said with a warm smile.

As Literature Sovereign left, Xu Zimo gave a quiet, amused laugh.

Days passed as the fleet sailed steadily eastward.

One morning, a thick fog rose from the surface of the Northern Sea.

The mist was so dense that visibility dropped to only a few dozen meters.

The ships drifted forward blindly, groping through the white void.

Suddenly, boom!, a loud crash echoed from the front.

“What happened?” Qin Haoshi demanded, frowning.

“It seems we’ve hit a reef!” someone shouted back.

Moments later, exclamations rang from the lead ship.

“The Dao-Slaying Mountain!”

“City Lord, come look, we’ve found it!”

Shouts of excitement rippled through the fleet.

Qin Haoshi’s eyes narrowed; he sprang into the air and flew toward the prow.

“Come, Sir Xu,” Literature Sovereign said with a grin. “Let’s take a look.”

He was far more courteous now, after all, his hopes of reaching the Primordial Domain rested entirely on Xu Zimo.

When they reached the bow, their sight pierced the veil of fog, and there it was.

A mountain towered before them, so tall it seemed to pierce the heavens.

It wasn’t rooted to the seabed but floated upon the waves, drifting slowly with the current.

Its slopes were steep, its cliffs jagged and sharp as blades.

The formation resembled five great fingers, five peaks of different heights, each rising from the same base.

Even before they landed, an overwhelming sword intent, no, blade intent, filled the air.

It swept in invisible waves, slicing through the mist, rippling the very fabric of space.

The pressure was so intense that most dared not lift their eyes; it felt as though the invisible edges would stab through their vision itself.

“What kind of divine weapon could radiate such force?” Qin Haoshi murmured in awe.

“Indeed,” Literature Sovereign agreed. “The blade itself has yet to appear, yet its presence already reigns over the heavens.”

“Before today,” he added, “I doubted whether one sword alone could match that monster. But now, now I believe it can.”

“Should we climb?” someone asked.

“Not yet,” Literature Sovereign replied. “We’ll wait until everyone’s gathered. And we still haven’t seen the monster, best to stay cautious.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. They disembarked and made camp at the mountain’s base.

Qin Haoshi raised a signal flare. The bright fireworks burst into the air, brilliant even under the daylight, before scattering into five-colored sparks that lingered in the sky.

“Once they see that, the others will come,” Qin said.

Within minutes, distant ships began converging toward them.

Hundreds of figures rose into the air, flying to join them.

“Found it, have you?” boomed Golden Sovereign’s voice as he arrived.

“And where’s the monster?”

“Haven’t seen it,” Literature Sovereign answered.

“Who cares?” Golden Sovereign roared. “Let’s climb!”

“Patience,” Qin Haoshi said. “We should be-”

Before he could finish, the entire mountain began to shake violently.

Rocks tumbled from the cliffs.

Out at sea, titanic waves rose like walls, crashing toward the shore.

The roar of the ocean grew deafening.

Explosions thundered across the waters as the shockwaves hit, the fleet’s ships shattered into splinters.

“Watch out!” Qin Haoshi shouted.

As the waves and debris slammed into them, several cultivators were struck and killed instantly, their bodies impaled or crushed.

Then came the roar.

A low, guttural rumble at first, then louder, stronger, until it became a roar that split the sky.

“It’s the monster!” someone cried in terror.

“Afraid of what?” Golden Sovereign barked, stepping into the air. He glared down at the surging sea and bellowed, “Monster, come out and die!”

At his words, the ocean spiraled into a massive whirlpool, deep and endless.

From its heart rose the colossal form of Chaos, its arrival shattering heaven and earth.

Lightning fell in torrents. Waves rolled higher than mountains, crushing everything beneath them.

“Humans,” the voice of Chaos thundered, “leave the mountain, or be destroyed!”

“Sir Xu,” Literature Sovereign said urgently, turning to him. “Go for the God Blade. We’ll hold it back!”

“I’ll leave it to you,” Xu Zimo nodded.

With a single stride, he shot forward, racing toward the peak.

Seeing this, Chaos let out a furious roar and charged at the group.

“Block it!” shouted Literature Sovereign.

The Six Sovereigns led the formation, hundreds of cultivators aligning their energy into a single grand array to stand between Xu Zimo and the monster.

The battle erupted with earth-shaking explosions.