I Really Am A Villain

Xu Zimo was puzzled. Everyone knew that the White Emperor had once followed the Grand Empress into the final battle, and then vanished completely. Ever since then, White Emperor Mountain had become a masterless place.

So seeing the White Emperor again here was enough to surprise him.

“This is merely an avatar of mine; there’s no need to be shocked,” the scholar in a white robe said with a gentle smile. “I am the White Emperor, and yet not truly the White Emperor.”

“You sought me out for something?” Xu Zimo asked. “Because I didn’t kneel?”

“No, no,” the scholar shook his head with a laugh. “That was only a test. Those who refuse to kneel, those who possess unyielding pride, are the ones allowed to meet me. The White Emperor left behind his legacy to find an heir.”

“I came for the inheritance, yes, but not to be his successor,” Xu Zimo replied.

“And what’s so bad about being the White Emperor’s successor?” the man in the scholar’s robe said with a faint chuckle. “In his era, when he strode across the Nine Heavens, his name alone made the heavens tremble.”

“I only want the Traceless Compass. Nothing else concerns me,” Xu Zimo said calmly.

“If you’re willing to become the heir, I’ll hand over every bit of his inheritance to you,” the scholar offered.

“Being an heir must come with a price, doesn’t it?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Of course,” the scholar said, still smiling. “As his successor, you would have to inherit the White Emperor’s will.”

“I have no interest in inheriting your or anyone else’s will,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head. He didn’t even bother asking what kind of will it was.

“You’d better think carefully,” the scholar warned. “If you refuse, you’ll be giving up the inheritance entirely, and will have to enter the final battleground, like the others.”

“Then I’ll go to the battleground,” Xu Zimo replied evenly.

“Very well. As you wish.”

The scholar waved his hand, and the void around them began to tremble. A cloud of gray mist enveloped Xu Zimo, swallowing him completely.

After Xu Zimo disappeared, the young attendant beside the scholar asked, “I thought he was a lot like the White Emperor. Why not try harder to convince him?”

“He’s nothing like the White Emperor,” the scholar said with a soft smile. “The White Emperor understood the world and knew when to stop. But that one, his arrogance runs in his bones. He looks down on everything.”

“I couldn’t see that at all,” the attendant muttered.

“You just don’t know how to read people,” the scholar replied, shaking his head. “Still, I do rather admire him. Men like him either achieve immortality, or die early. There’s no third outcome.”

The attendant nodded, half understanding.

Xu Zimo’s vision pierced through the mist. When his sight cleared, he was back inside the White Emperor’s mausoleum.

Everyone was gathered around him, staring intently.

“What?” Xu Zimo said, glancing up, and startled everyone around him.

“He’s awake!” someone breathed in relief.

“Brother Xu, what happened just now?” Feng Buxiu asked from the side.

“Yeah,” Chu Feiyang added. “Your soul left your body, we thought something happened to you!”

Seeing the expectation in their eyes, Xu Zimo shrugged.

“Nothing happened,” he said.

“Is Young Master Xu hiding something?” Wu Daozi from Ghost God Collegium sneered. “Seems like you’ve discovered something extraordinary.”

“So what if I am hiding something?” Xu Zimo smiled. “We’re all competitors here. You’re not my son, why would I owe you an explanation? Unless you think you are?”

“You!” Wu Daozi’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Enough,” Chu Feiyang said quickly, stepping in to smooth things over. “If Young Master Xu doesn’t wish to say, let’s not press him. The battleground is already open, we should all decide our representatives.”

“Ghost God Collegium has already chosen,” Wu Daozi said, looking toward the woman beside him in a tight black outfit. “Seven Kills, it’s yours.”

The woman stretched lazily, her perfect figure drawing every gaze before she nodded.

From the Desolate Temple, Wrathful Emperor stepped forward without hesitation, it was clear he would represent them.

At Primal Monastery, the kindly bald monk was regretfully withdrawn from the selection.

From Martial Blade Collegium, it was naturally Crimson Soaring Emperor.

From the Dragon Demon God Realm came Grand Emperor Heaven-Mammoth, massive and muscular, his entire body built like that of a giant mammoth.

From Sinful Abyss God Realm stood the Ghost Prince, cloaked in black and wearing a bamboo hat that shadowed his face, except for the half revealed cheek branded with the word “Sin.”

And from the Northern Hill clan, though their patriarch had died, Ji Jiuning still stood tall. She did not withdraw, she too wanted to fight.

Before the wordless stone stele, a giant vortex appeared in midair, radiating a strong suction that pulled at the surrounding space.

“Let’s go,” Xu Zimo said as he and the others lined up, stepping forward together into the vortex.

As their bodies vanished one after another, Chu Feiyang smiled and said, “Everyone, let’s watch together.”

The vortex slowly dissolved, leaving behind an image suspended in the void, showing the scene within the battleground.

The final battleground was not just an empty field for a simple duel. It was the very place where the White Emperor had once fought his greatest enemy. After that enemy’s death, his body had become the land itself.

The terrain was riddled with deadly dangers. In past competitions, many prodigies had perished before even facing one another.

When Xu Zimo appeared within the new space, he found himself surrounded by ruins. Broken, crumbling buildings stood scattered across scorched earth. Wisps of smoke curled lazily into the air.

As soon as he steadied himself, a faint fragrance drifted toward him, light as jasmine, yet as heated as roses in bloom.

Turning, Xu Zimo saw Ji Jiuning standing beside him. She had apparently been transported to the same location. Her soft eyes gazed at him, full of charm.

“Fate really does bring us together, doesn’t it, my lord?” Ji Jiuning said with a smile.

“You do realize the rule of this battleground is mutual slaughter, right?” Xu Zimo replied calmly.

“There’s no need for you to kill me,” Ji Jiuning said sweetly. “I won’t compete against you. In fact, I can help you deal with the others.”

“Why?” Xu Zimo asked.

“I’m searching for the one who attacked and killed my people,” Ji Jiuning said, her tone turning cold as her aura shifted.

“Your enemy?” Xu Zimo recalled what Feng Buxiu had told him earlier. “You suspect it was one of the major factions here.”

“Exactly. I want to test them, to see who’s behind it,” Ji Jiuning said. “The ranking itself doesn’t matter to me.”

“That’s interesting,” Xu Zimo said, nodding slightly. “But sorry, I refuse.”

“W–Why?” Ji Jiuning blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback. “I can’t think of a reason for you to refuse.”

“Because I can crush them all myself,” Xu Zimo said flatly. “Why would I need to join forces with you?”

The moment his words fell, the ground beneath them began to shake violently.