I Really Am A Villain

“It seems you’re just another pitiful fool deceived by the Holy Progenitor.”

The people of the Heavenly Court worshiped their so-called ancestor with fanatical devotion. To be of such rank and still so blindly loyal, Xu Zimo could only describe it as pathetic. The Heavenly Court’s indoctrination ran bone-deep; they were frightening in their delusion.

At his words, the black-robed man’s voice turned cold. “When you’re kneeling beneath my feet, you’ll understand who the real fool is.”

“Someone who betrays and slaughters his own blood, what meaning does your life have?” Xu Zimo said calmly. “I’ve long been called a demon, yet I still honor my parents and cherish my friends. Even thieves have some honour. Even demons have their own way. But men like you, you’re nothing but a stain upon the world.”

The black-robed man’s face flushed red with rage. He roared, and an immense power burst forth. The great tree behind him glistened with icy brilliance, and the fire summoned by the Bell of Absolute Sun shattered instantly.

A clear chime rang from the bell in Xu Zimo’s hand before it was completely frozen solid.

“Looks like that won’t work anymore,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. “Then I’ll handle this my own way.”

Truth be told, he had never placed much hope in the trinket given by the man from the plum forest. If the black-robed elder had long known of the bell’s danger, how could he not have found a way to counter it? That he had overcome it was no surprise.

“See? That’s the laughable extent of your power. You don’t even understand what true strength is,” the old man sneered.

He raised his right hand, and countless vines surged forth at his command. The entire ancient tree responded, lashing outward like a living beast.

Xu Zimo leapt back just as the spot where he’d stood exploded, millions of ancient vines stabbed into the earth, leaving behind a honeycomb of deep holes.

“Not bad,” Xu Zimo said lightly.

“Ancient God Fire Dao,” he whispered.

The Flame of Zhurong roared to life in his palm. By nature, fire restrained wood.

“You’re not of the Fire God Race,” the old man scoffed. “Even if you grasp the Primal Dao of Fire, they won’t carry you far. Fire burns wood, yes, but that depends on what kind of wood. Even your Extreme Yang fire failed. You’re delusional.”

“Your wood may not be ordinary,” Xu Zimo said, “but this fire of mine, I call it the greatest flame under heaven. Even the Fire God Race’s sacred flame is beneath it.”

With a deafening crack, the Flame of Zhurong exploded through the air.

Endless fire swept across the sky. It was as if a rain of flame descended from the heavens, engulfing all of Ancient Phoenix City.

Xu Zimo raised his hand and shouted, “Fall!”

A storm of burning embers poured down. Under the divine fire’s blaze, the thick layer of ice covering the ancient tree melted in an instant. The flames pierced straight into its core.

The black-robed man’s scream of agony echoed through the city.

No longer daring to hold back, he uprooted the ancient tree itself, soaring into the sky in an attempt to flee beyond the fire’s reach.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Zimo called after him. “Weren’t you supposed to be immortal? Not afraid of a little flame?”

The man said nothing, only grunted coldly. The searing pain coursing through his body was unbearable.

“I can’t believe such fire exists in this world,” he muttered.

“That’s because your vision is too narrow,” Xu Zimo replied. “You joined the Heavenly Court and thought yourself unmatched. Yet the true peak of the world, you’ve never even glimpsed it.”

This time, the old man did not argue. He simply turned to the other three Saint Sovereigns and barked an order. “Prepare yourselves! This fiend is ruthless. We must kill him here today!”

“Do not worry,” the other Saint Sovereigns replied, nodding.

The four of them sat cross-legged in unison.

One Saint Sovereign formed hand seals and chanted under his breath. “God.”

Another followed. “River.”

The third. “War.”

The fourth. “Dao.”

The syllables were strange, like an ancient incantation. With each word spoken, the oppressive force in the heavens grew heavier.

Xu Zimo frowned. Even he could feel the pressure of it.

He looked up, and the sky had become a sea of lightning.

Thunder raged above, surging with boundless bolts that lit the heavens with divine fury.

The power felt like judgment itself, impossible to face directly.

Xu Zimo would not allow them to finish their chant.

With a sharp shout, he slashed downward, his Shadow Tyrant cleaved through the void.

The terrifying blade intent swept in four directions at once, slashing toward each Saint Sovereign.

But the four moved swiftly, darting through the air to evade. They refused to clash head-on, focusing instead on completing their ritual.

“Stop them!” Xu Zimo ordered the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign.

The Saint Sovereign nodded.

Just as they moved to strike, a crushing pressure descended from the sky, forcing both of them back down, denying them any foothold in the air.

Xu Zimo’s eyes shifted to the Grand Emperors still suspended above, their lives feeding the portal’s seal.

“I had no intention of killing you,” he said coldly. “But since you’ve chosen death, then die first.”

Behind him, the Heaven-Shattering Giant rose to its full height. Its immense presence filled the void, shaking heaven and earth.

With a mighty roar, it reached out and grabbed at the nearest Grand Emperor.

The man had no time to react. The giant’s grip crushed him into a mist of blood.

The others froze in terror.

The giant bellowed, slamming its fists into the air, shattering the seals above, then charged toward the glowing portal.

The Grand Emperors dared not approach and could only launch distant attacks, but they were helpless.

The giant tore through them one by one, each caught, each crushed, leaving no survivors.

Meanwhile, the four Saint Sovereigns chanted faster and faster. Their voices rose in unison, and the sky itself trembled.

Above, thunder gathered until it seemed the end of the world had arrived.

Now freed from the portal’s suppression, Xu Zimo and the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign rushed toward the chanting Saint Sovereigns, power blazing from their palms.

At the final moment, the black-robed man didn’t dodge, he took the full force of Xu Zimo’s strike head-on.

As his body was sent flying, torn and bloody, the last word of the chant left his lips.

“Slay!”

At once, the thunder in the heavens converged into a single storm.

The black-robed man lay broken and blood-soaked, but he laughed through his pain.

“You’re finished,” he spat, blood dripping from his mouth. “This is the Heavenly Court’s Absolute Annihilation Curse.”