I Really Am A Villain

He lifted Shadow Tyrant, and the blade’s intent surged violently.

As the long knife swept through the air, Xu Zimo raised Shadow Tyrant high and struck fiercely at the dead tree before him.

Yet there was not even the faintest ripple. The tree’s body absorbed every ounce of the blade’s energy.

Xu Zimo frowned again, preparing to swing once more, when the ancient tree suddenly opened its eyes.

“Young man, stop that. This old fellow can’t take another beating,” the tree said with a chuckle.

“Who are you?” Xu Zimo asked.

“You’ve come into Sunflower City, my home. Shouldn’t you first announce your name?” the tree said, still smiling. Then it added, “Ah, forget it. Even if you told me, I doubt I’ve ever heard of you.”

“Then who are you?” Xu Zimo pressed.

“Just an old dying tree. I have no name,” the tree replied lightly.

“You came here seeking the Wood God’s inheritance, didn’t you?”

Xu Zimo said nothing, but his silence was answer enough.

“I know where the inheritance lies,” said the tree, stretching out a branch toward the Tree of Life above Xu Zimo’s head. “But in exchange, I want that tree.”

“Impossible,” Xu Zimo replied flatly.

The Tree of Life was far too important to him, it was not something he could hand over so easily.

“I’ll find the Wood God’s inheritance myself,” Xu Zimo said. “Now get lost.”

“If you can’t agree to my terms, then I can’t simply let you pass,” the old tree said with a shake of its branches, still smiling.

“Then there’s nothing left to discuss,” Xu Zimo said coolly.

Shadow Tyrant rose once again. Endless knife intent tore through the air, fracturing space as it poured toward the tree.

The old tree’s limbs crackled with sharp snapping sounds, it seemed they hadn’t moved in eons.

Its branches stretched wide, dissolving every shred of Xu Zimo’s blade aura.

Within Xu Zimo’s body, billions of Power Vortexes began to spun wildly.

Behind him, the Heaven-Shatering Giant surged forward, striding out of the void and grabbing the tree’s trunk, attempting to rip it from the ground.

But the tree’s roots ran deep into the earth. No matter how the giant roared, the tree didn’t budge.

Countless branches lashed downward, wrapping around the giant like ropes, binding it tight.

With a thunderous crash, the giant was completely obliterated.

Xu Zimo snorted coldly. This tree’s strength was far greater than he had anticipated.

“In the Primordial Era when the Ancient Gods walked these lands,” the tree said with a low laugh, “the Wood God planted a sapling. Through the ages it grew mighty. In the Ancient Era, that tree gained its own consciousness. I have cultivated across billions of years, do you truly think a mere junior like you can harm me?”

The old tree chuckled. “I didn’t wish to ruin my reputation by seizing your Tree of Life, so I offered the inheritance as an exchange instead. Think again, young one.”

“If you’re so powerful, why the hell are you half-dead now?” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. “Do you want my Tree of Life just to keep yourself alive?”

“Young man, I’m advising you kindly, don’t go too far,” the old tree replied, its tone hardening.

“Oh? Too far? Gonna cry?” Xu Zimo shook his head lightly. He took a few steps back, smiling. “Since you’re already on the verge of death, why don’t I help you on your way?”

The Tree of Life above his head vanished. The moment its protection disappeared, an endless tide of death energy surged toward him.

The death aura corroded and gnawed at everything it touched.

Around Xu Zimo, the Primal Dao of Death began to flow.

“If the dead cannot be resisted,” he said calmly, “then why not become death itself?”

As the Primal Dao of Death burst forth, his figure vanished, merging completely with the death aura radiating from the countless Flowers of Death.

Under his control, the death energy gathered faster and faster until it erupted into a furious storm, a death tempest raging toward the old tree.

The deadly aura surged over it like a tidal wave, and for the first time, fear flashed in the tree’s eyes.

“Boy! If you kill me, you’ll never find the inheritance!” it shouted.

“I came to Sunflower City because I’m confident I can find it,” Xu Zimo said evenly. “You don’t have the leverage to to threaten me.”

He had the Traceless Compass, finding the inheritance was only a matter of time.

The death aura continued to pour down. The already-withered tree grew even more desiccated, its yellowing leaves turning to dust.

“Enough, young man! I admit defeat,” the old tree said at last, its voice weary. “Stop, I’ll give you the inheritance.”

Xu Zimo paused, considering for a moment.

“Don’t hesitate,” the old tree sighed. “My old body won’t last much longer.”

Xu Zimo waved his hand, redirecting the surging death aura elsewhere. Then he summoned back the Tree of Life, letting its energy shield him once more.

The death energy slowly dispersed. Xu Zimo approached the tree and asked, “Where is the inheritance?”

“Before I pass it on to you,” the old tree said, “let me tell you a story.”

“Not interested. I only want the inheritance,” Xu Zimo said bluntly.

“This story concerns a forgotten chapter of the Ancient Gods,” the tree said patiently. “Out in the world, countless people would kill to know it. Are you sure you’re not interested?”

Xu Zimo frowned slightly.

He did, in truth, wish to learn more about the other Ancient Gods, he would have to seek their inheritances eventually, after all.

“Fine,” he said. “Let’s hear it.”

“The Wood God,” the old tree began, “was killed by the other Ancient Gods. Before his death, he left behind his inheritance, hoping that the one who received it would carry his will and stop the others’ conspiracy.”

“Look around you,” the tree said. “All these Flowers of Death, they were the key to his demise. They aren’t flowers at all, but a powerful poison.”

“Poison?” Xu Zimo frowned, not quite understanding.

“Among the Nine Ancient Gods, one was the Ancient Poison God, named Shebishi,” the old tree said. “He used the Flowers of Death to destroy the Wood God’s core, then joined the others to kill him. These flowers covered the mountains and plains. To prevent the Wood God from ever reviving, they even destroyed all of Sunflower City.”

“The Wood God you’re speaking of, is he the one whose tree holds up this entire city?” Xu Zimo asked, remembering the massive, lifeless tree buried deep beneath the ground.

“That’s right,” the old tree said with a sigh. “I was once a small sapling the Wood God nurtured long ago. I’ve been sleeping ever since. But now, the corruption from these Flowers of Death has nearly drained my lifespan completely. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked for your Tree of Life to sustain me.”

“What do you think of my Tree of Life?” Xu Zimo asked.

“It’s powerful,” the old tree said earnestly. “Even at the height of Sunflower City’s glory, few trees could compare. But compared to the Wood God himself, it still falls short. For the Wood God’s true form was the first tree between heaven and earth across all Nine Heavens, the tree that reached the heavens. The World Tree.”