I Really Am A Villain

Cracking sounds echoed continuously.

The entire ground trembled, though the Myriad Streams itself remained utterly still, like stagnant pools of dead water. It seemed that even if the heavens collapsed beneath it, it would remain unmoved.

As the cracking grew louder, the dark waters below began to boil. From within the darkness, a path slowly opened up. The path then sealed itself, leaving behind a small doorway, narrow, barely large enough for a single person to pass through.

“Come in, child,” the voice sighed. “Perhaps you are the last hope I have…”

Xu Zimo didn’t hesitate. He stepped through the small gate.

The moment he entered, his surroundings shifted dramatically.

He found himself inside an enormous space. A colossal dragon pillar rose straight into the heavens, stretching beyond sight. He had no idea where it led.

Chains wrapped tightly around the pillar, and all around it grew coral of countless shapes and colors. The sight was breathtaking, magnificent beyond words.

“Where are you?” Xu Zimo called out.

He saw no one, which made him suspicious. Could this be a trap?

“I’m right in front of you,” the voice replied.

Xu Zimo frowned and glanced at the coral ahead. “Huh? You’re… a coral?”

“To your left, look at the sealed pillar,” the voice said again. This time, the tone was different. Aged, weary, carrying the warmth of an old man rather than the cold detachment from before.

“The pillar?” Xu Zimo turned quickly, stepping back warily.

He hadn’t sensed anything unusual about the pillar before, but now that he looked closely, he noticed a faint, thread-like aura within it, so subtle that it was nearly undetectable.

Had the owner not revealed it intentionally, Xu Zimo would never have noticed.

“How did you end up like this?” he asked in surprise.

“It’s a long story,” the voice sighed. “A matter of survival. I am indeed the Water God, I did not lie to you. As for how things came to be, I can explain everything. But first, I need to understand you.”

“Understand me?” Xu Zimo smiled faintly. “What’s there to understand?”

“You seek the inheritances of the Ancient Gods, don’t you?” said the Water God.

Xu Zimo knew there was no point in hiding that. He nodded.

“And what is your purpose?” the Water God asked.

“Does that really matter?” Xu Zimo countered.

“If you don’t tell me, I cannot entrust you with my legacy,” the Water God replied calmly.

“I want to break a seal,” Xu Zimo said after a pause. “A seal placed by the Heavenly Court, one that locks away a land of exile and oblivion and free my people.”

Of course, he couldn’t reveal the truth about the Primordial Demon Cave. But at this point, he couldn’t walk away from the Water God without receiving his inheritance.

This also confirmed his suspicions.

The Myriad Streams, the Water Beasts, all of it was connected to the Water God. What had once been speculation now stood clearly before him.

He looked up and said, “Ask whatever else you need to ask, all at once. We don’t have much time, the red beings will notice something’s wrong soon.”

“The Heavenly Court…” the Water God murmured. “A truly ancient organization.”

“Ancient? Could it possibly be older than you gods?” Xu Zimo said with a grin.

These so-called Ancient Gods were beings who had existed since the creation of the Nine Heavens, since the very first era when the gods walked the world. Back then, the Heavenly Court hadn’t even existed.

“Not necessarily,” the Water God said, chuckling softly. “Age and power aren’t always linked. Still, the Heavenly Court has indeed become the most powerful force in all the realms. Through countless ages, empires and sects have risen and fallen, yet they alone endure, growing only stronger.”

“They’re nothing but lapdogs of High Heaven,” Xu Zimo said disdainfully.

“That’s not entirely fair,” the Water God replied. “In a world ruled by the Heavenly Dao, everyone is merely struggling to survive. Some simply choose different ways to live.”

Xu Zimo didn’t argue. He understood that truth well enough, some stand and eat proudly, others kneel and beg to survive. The world was full of both kinds.

As long as he remained true to his own path and walked it without hesitation, that was all that mattered. That was the way of Xu Zimo.

“Let’s put that aside,” Xu Zimo said. “Now it’s my turn to ask questions.”

“Go ahead,” the Water God replied.

“How did you end up like this? A dignified Ancient God, reduced to such a pitiful state?”

The Water God sighed. “It all began with the Water Beasts. I sensed their aura on you, you’ve met one, haven’t you?”

“You mean… the blue man?” Xu Zimo asked.

“So that’s what you call it,” the Water God said with a faint laugh. “I called it the Stream of Hope. You are human, so you likely don’t understand much about our kind. But among us of the Fire God Race, once one reaches a certain realm of cultivation, one eventually discovers something… troubling. Our Fire God Race is flawed.”

“Flawed? What do you mean?” Xu Zimo was startled.

After all, the entire Inferno Crucible Heaven belonged to the Fire God Race. If there truly was some flaw in their nature, that was an enormous secret, and one he had never heard of.

Even most Fire God Race members probably didn’t know. The fact that such a thing had been kept hidden was almost unbelievable.

“That’s because only those who have reached the realm of Infinite Dao can sense it,” the Water God explained. “Ordinary Fire God Race cultivators would never realize. Tell me, how many Infinite Dao beings are there among them now?”

Xu Zimo nodded slowly. “That’s true enough. As far as I know, only Primordial Flame exists at that level today.”

And if Primordial Flame never spoke of it, no one else would ever know.

Understanding that, Xu Zimo asked, “So what is this flaw?”

“The Fire God Race is born with too much yang energy,” said the Water God. “At lower levels of cultivation, it isn’t noticeable. But at the peak, when one seeks to reach the union of yin and yang, the simplicity and perfection of the Great Dao, the imbalance becomes fatal. What they lack is yin, the water energy that can temper and balance their inner fire. Only by merging water and fire, achieving harmony, can one reach the true apex of the Dao.”

“So that’s how the Water Beasts came to be?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Yes,” the Water God said softly. “I once cultivated the Fire Dao myself. But when I understood this truth, I abandoned my already-completed Fire Infinite Dao and shattered my own foundation, choosing instead to start over and pursue the Water Dao.”

Xu Zimo couldn’t help but feel respect.

To have already reached the peak and yet willingly destroy it all, starting again from nothing, that took a resolve few in all the realms could ever possess.