I Really Am A Villain

“No one can save you from this curse. It is a death curse, certain and final.”

Though the black-robed man spoke with a tone meant to intimidate, the power building in the heavens above was undeniable. Xu Zimo could sense its overwhelming force. He turned to the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign and said quietly, “You go first.”

“We can try to block the strike together,” the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign replied.

“Do you still remember what I told you before?” Xu Zimo asked.

The Violet Mist Saint Sovereign nodded slightly. Xu Zimo had warned him earlier, if they ever encountered an unstoppable force or a true life-threatening danger, he had a way to protect himself. The Saint Sovereign, however, was to prioritize his own safety and retreat.

Understanding this, the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said hurriedly, “I’ll wait for you at the place where we met.”

By “place where we met,” he naturally meant Ocean Sage City, the place where the two had first met. The Violet Mist Saint Sovereign planned to return there. He had nowhere else to go, and he feared that if Xu Zimo survived, he might not be able to find him otherwise.

Xu Zimo nodded slightly.

As the sky’s power swelled to its peak, he paid it no mind. Instead, he directed the Heaven-Shattering Giant to strike at the portal suspended in the void, the very core of the seal imprisoning Ancient Phoenix City.

If that portal were destroyed, the seal would naturally collapse.

Xu Zimo’s intent to destroy the portal alarmed the remaining Saint Sovereigns, but they had exhausted much of their power to cast the Absolute Annihilation Curse. Though they wished to stop him, they lacked the strength to intervene.

With a thunderous explosion, the portal shattered completely.

Seizing the moment, the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign transformed into a beam of divine purple light and vanished from sight as swiftly as dawn mist.

The Saint Sovereigns tried to stop him but were far too late.

The black-robed man only sneered. “You’re the big catch here. Once you’re dead, that Ocean Sage City and the people there will all be like birds trapped in a cage, they won’t escape either.”

Xu Zimo said nothing.

The four Saint Sovereigns surrounded him from all sides. Now that the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign had escaped, they were determined to ensure Xu Zimo did not. Even if it cost them their lives, they would hold him here.

Xu Zimo remained calm. He had never intended to run.

By now, the heavens themselves had collapsed into chaos.

Thunder and lightning raged across the sky, their fury world-destroying. The oppressive power of the curse filled the air.

Many might have believed that the lightning itself was the true killing strike, but it wasn’t. The real danger lay within the thunderclouds. A mass of gray mist so vile and ominous that even the Saint Sovereigns dared not approach.

The very sight of it made their souls recoil.

They scattered far away, watching from a distance as the gray fog enveloped Xu Zimo, cutting off all routes of escape.

Relief crossed their faces.

They had paid a great price for this ambush, especially the countless Grand Emperors who had been sacrificed.

In truth, even the vast majority of Grand Emperors had little value in the Heavenly Court. Having reached the peak of their mortal limits, they could never advance to the Saint Sovereign realm.

Their deaths, though regrettable, had been expected.

The Heavenly Court bred countless followers for this very purpose, for sacrifice.

In their doctrine, to die for the Heavenly Court was not tragedy but glory.

To them, death in service to their god was the highest honor.

The gray mist engulfed Xu Zimo.

He could feel every part of himself rotting away, his flesh, his soul, his meridians, even his blood and internal organs.

This time, he did not resist.

He didn’t summon the life force of the Tree of Life to counter the decay. He simply let himself wither.

He watched as his body and soul slowly faded.

One of the Saint Sovereigns turned to the black-robed man. “Are we just going to let him die like this?”

“What else would you suggest?” the black-robed man replied flatly.

“I think we could try to control him instead,” the Saint Sovereign suggested. “He seems extraordinary. If we capture him alive, his identity might prove useful. We could use that to advance our other plans.”

The black-robed man fell silent, lost in thought, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

“Very well,” he said finally. “We’ll use the Fourfold Holy Seal. If he proves worthless, we can kill him afterward.”

After a long pause, he had chosen to take the risk.

Their original plan had been precise and methodical, but temptation had won.

The others nodded.

They each formed hand seals, and from their fingertips flowed four streams of energy. When the powers merged, they condensed into the shape of a coffin.

“Seal!” they shouted in unison.

A surge of energy rippled through the air. The spectral coffin pushed through the gray mist, parting it like water, and slowly descended over Xu Zimo’s withering form.

It closed around him, its crystal-like walls shimmering faintly, encasing him within.

By now, Xu Zimo showed no signs of life.

He looked no different from a corpse.

“This Absolute Annihilation Curse is truly fearsome,” one Saint Sovereign said in awe. “In mere moments, it really wiped out everything.”

“Of course,” another sneered. “Did you think something passed down by the Holy Progenitor would be simple?”

“Let’s move him,” said the black-robed man.

The group carefully guided the crystal coffin closer.

Even they had to proceed cautiously, the curse’s gray mist was lethally toxic. A single touch meant instant death.

Such was its terrifying power.

When they finally brought the coffin before them, they examined Xu Zimo closely.

After confirming that his life force was nearly gone, they concluded that he was, at best, half-dead, alive in name only.

“You,” the black-robed man said to one of the Saint Sovereigns, “go investigate his identity. I want to know who he really is. Hopefully, he’s a big catch.”

It was clear that among them, the black-robed man held authority. The others obeyed him without question.

“Understood,” the Saint Sovereign replied, vanishing into the void.

“How are things in Ocean Sage City?” the black-robed man then asked another.

“We’ve already hidden many of the mutated Water Beasts inside the city,” the Saint Sovereign answered. “But they’re not strong enough to take the city by force. They’ll only serve to create chaos. The real advantage lies in the water-resistant armor we’ve been developing. The experiments have proven its strength, it’s more than enough to bring down Ocean Sage City.”

“And what about our ‘partners’?” the black-robed man asked, frowning slightly.

“Those fools are still lost in their delusions,” the Saint Sovereign said with a cruel grin. “I agreed to all the terms they wanted, but whether they live long enough to enjoy them? That’s another matter.”

“Don’t act rashly yet,” the black-robed man cautioned. “Once this business is finished, you can deal with them however you like. I’m heading to the Abyss of Departed Flame.”

“What about him?” one Saint Sovereign asked, glancing at the crystal coffin containing Xu Zimo.

“I’ll take him with me,” the black-robed man said. “Just in case something unexpected happens.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Author’s Note: After harvesting the wheat today, it should just about be done. I’ll take a day off to finish dealing with the wheat in my farm. Feels like I’m about to get as tanned as an African!