I Really Am A Villain

New Novel🪶

“What?” Huo Yunzi leapt from his seat in shock.

“City Lord, why are you so alarmed?” someone asked in confusion. “If he wanted to strike, let him strike. Our city walls have been reinforced four or five times over. Back then, even the Water Beast army couldn’t break through an inch, why should we fear a single slash?”

“That’s right,” another added. “As long as he leaves afterward, we’ll be safe.”

Huo Yunzi sighed deeply as he looked at their relieved faces. A bunch of fools, he thought.

“You know nothing,” Huo Yunzi replied coldly. “That man’s strength is far greater than the Water Beasts.”

He turned to the guard. “He struck once, and then?”

“Then he left,” the guard replied.

“He just struck a single blow and left?” Huo Yunzi frowned. “That doesn’t sound like Xu Zimo’s style. He’s never the type to let things go so easily.”

“Yes, but… but under that one slash…” The guard stammered as his voice trembled. “The entire ten-million mile wall of Stone Flame City collapsed! Over half the city’s buildings were destroyed. Stone Flame City is completely defenseless now, there’s no way we can hold it.”

“What?” Huo Yunzi swallowed hard, collapsing back into his seat, his face drained of color. The calm strategist from moments ago had vanished completely.

Stone Flame City had stood as the bulwark of the Chaos Fire God Realm for two reasons.

First was its powerful military, its soldiers were unmatched in strength and number. But now, that force lay in ruins. Thousands had perished in a single battle formation; their strength was gutted in an instant.

The second reason was the city wall itself. Like an unbreakable fortress, it had been reinforced generation after generation, eventually reaching its legendary state. Not even a sea of Water Beasts could breach it.

But now, Xu Zimo had shattered it with one strike. The entire wall, stretching for thousands of miles, fell apart like a broken dam.

If the Water Beasts attacked again, Stone Flame City, bare and exposed, would have no defense. No soldiers, no wall.

It was a death sentence for the city.

Huo Yunzi sat in silence for a long time before finally asking, “How long would it take to rebuild the wall?”

“This… your subordinate doesn’t know,” the guard replied, shaking his head.

Huo Yunzi let out a long, weary sigh.

This was beyond his ability to handle. He’d have to report it to the Chaos Fire God Realm.

That guy truly has a temper, he thought bitterly. I only used him a little, and he destroyed the very foundation of Stone Flame City.

No matter how this turned out, he would have to bear the responsibility.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xu Zimo and Shangguan Xian had already left Stone Flame City, heading north.

Following the map the innkeeper had given them, their destination was naturally Ocean Sage City, the massive fortress that faced the Water Beasts directly across from Stone Flame City.

“Aren’t you afraid that what you did will truly offend the Chaos Fire God Realm?” Shangguan Xian asked as they walked.

“You should be asking whether the Chaos Fire God Realm is afraid of offending me,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.

After traveling for some time, they finally saw a vast city rising before them, looming like a beast upon the horizon.

From afar, the city indeed resembled a gigantic monster, but Xu Zimo couldn’t recognize what kind. It was surrounded on all sides by the sea, the immense waters crashing endlessly around its walls.

Centered around this massive ocean, its surroundings were impenetrable. Not even the Water Beasts could easily cross it. Without the ability to walk the air, no one could reach the city at all.

Xu Zimo quickly understood why Ocean Sage City had managed to stand unbroken under countless attacks from the Water Beast hordes. The secret lay in the surrounding waters.

The so-called “Water Beasts” were, in truth, creatures cloaked in flames disguised as water, just like the blue-skinned beings Xu Zimo had once slain. They feared real water. It was their natural bane.

With such a vast sea protecting it, how many Water Beasts would it take to conquer this place?

Even Xu Zimo couldn’t help but admire the wisdom of the city’s founder, the one who had drawn the sea currents here and built Ocean Sage City in its midst.

That kind of foresight was rare indeed.

Even Xu Zimo himself had only realized the weakness of these false Water Beasts thanks to the blue men’s reminder back on the God World.

“Let’s go. I’m becoming more curious about this Ocean Sage City,” Xu Zimo said.

“I just wonder if they’ll even let outsiders in,” Shangguan Xian replied.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

They arrived at the seashore that stretched before the city’s gates, where guards stood watch.

When the guards saw Xu Zimo and Shangguan Xian approach, they didn’t seem surprised. It wasn’t uncommon for wanderers to come seeking refuge in Ocean Sage City.

After all, the city had started as one of the smallest in the region. Its current greatness was owed entirely to the wisdom of its lord.

“Are you two here to pledge allegiance to Ocean Sage City?” one of the guards on the left asked.

“I’ve heard much about your city and came to see it for myself,” Xu Zimo said with an easy smile.

“You may enter,” said the guard on the right, “but there is one rule. You must swim across this stretch of sea. It’s our method of screening for Water Beast infiltrators. Consider it a test for entry. If you’re willing, you may proceed. If not, you may leave freely.”

Xu Zimo understood immediately. Since the Water Beasts feared water, this test was designed to expose impostors.

“Perfect. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good swim. Back in the day, they used to call me the Dragon of the Waves,” Xu Zimo joked.

“Please, then,” said the guard with a courteous gesture.

Xu Zimo and Shangguan Xian exchanged a glance. Then Xu Zimo leapt straight into the sea, letting the water engulf him. The Primal Dao of Water energy flowed around his body until he seemed to merge completely with the ocean itself.

Shangguan Xian followed, though she restrained her power. A faint layer of flame surrounded her body, keeping her dry so her clothes wouldn’t get soaked.

The two moved swiftly through the surging waves. The sea roared and churned, waves crashing with a force like thunder, as if an unseen tsunami raged within.

After more than ten minutes, they finally emerged on the opposite shore, standing before Ocean Sage City’s true gate.

The wall here was so massive it made them feel small in comparison, even grander and sturdier than Stone Flame City’s had been.

The city gate was built of black obsidian, flanked by two guards in dark armor, vigilant and unwavering.

When Xu Zimo and Shangguan Xian approached, the guards didn’t stop them.

The moment they entered Ocean Sage City, the difference was obvious.

Stone Flame City had been desolate, a lonely outpost in the desert. But Ocean Sage City, this was paradise. The air was humid, the temperature mild, a land of eternal spring.

Winters were warm, summers cool. The city bustled with life and prosperity.

For a moment, both of them stood there in awe.

“Who would have thought,” Shangguan Xian said with a smile, “that within the Inferno Crucible Heaven plagued by Water Beasts, such a peaceful haven could exist?”

Xu Zimo looked up toward the distance. “It looks lively over there,” he said. “Let’s go take a look.”