I Really Am A Villain

The sea of lightning seemed as though it could devour everything. But by this point, some people were beginning to feel uneasy. Whoever obtained the Ancestral Flame would inevitably become the enemy of all others. Everyone harbored their own hidden motives.

Eventually, it was Tiger Overlord of the Hell Tiger Race who proposed, “I think we should first break through this sea of lightning, don’t you agree?”

“And what if your Hell Tiger Race takes the Ancestral Flame after we break the lightning sea?” someone questioned.

“We should come up with a fair method.”

“There’s no such thing as fairness in this world,” another person sneered. “If you all don’t dare to move forward, then we of the Thunder Dragon Race will not hold back.”

A dragon’s roar echoed through the valley.

A moment later, a figure emerged, humanoid, yet clearly draconic.

He was of human size, but his entire body was covered in shimmering dragon scales, and a long tail extended behind him. His entire form pulsed with raging lightning.

The Thunder Dragons were not of the Fire God Race. Strictly speaking, they were a sub-dragon race, but they were born attuned to thunder and lightning. They never feared thunder; in fact, being struck by it was part of their cultivation.

Now, this Thunder Dragon could no longer restrain himself. The Ancestral Flame was right before him, surrounded by lightning, his very element. How could he possibly resist?

“It’s Zhen Leizi!” someone shouted upon recognizing him.

Zhen Leizi dove directly into the sea of lightning.

Though the thunder was world-shattering, his dragon scales deflected it all. He moved like a true Thunder Dragon, swimming proudly through the storm.

“I see it!” Zhen Leizi exclaimed in excitement.

At the center of the lightning sea, a glowing sphere of thunderfire floated in the depths, blazing with radiant energy.

“He’s getting there first, don’t let him take it!” someone roared.

Those who had been waiting for the right moment could hold back no longer.

The first to move were the swordsmen of Sword Mountain.

Their flying swords streaked through the sky, slicing open half the heavens. Their sword qi was sharp and unyielding. Surrounding themselves with blades, they plunged into the lightning sea, their sword aura so dominant it actually forced the thunder back, carving open a path.

Tiger Overlord of the Hell Tiger Race charged next, his body gathering immense spirit energy that formed into a colossal tiger phantom.

The tiger’s roar shook the heavens as it leapt into the lightning sea, untouched by the raging bolts around it.

“Kill!” countless voices cried. Everyone unleashed their strongest powers, diving into the lightning sea to seize the Ancestral Flame.

Explosions rocked the void.

“Despicable Sword Sect dogs! You dare to ambush me!”

“We are opponents, how is that despicable?”

“Brother Cheng, we just fought side by side to break the formation, why must we become enemies now?”

“If you withdraw from this fight for the Ancestral Flame, I swear I won’t harm you.”

A single Ancestral Flame had turned allies into enemies, throwing everyone into chaos.

Zhen Leizi was the first to reach the Ancestral Flame. He grabbed the glowing sphere that enveloped it, laughing wildly.

“I’ve got it! The Ancestral Flame is mine!”

But his laughter had barely echoed before countless attacks rained down on him.

He had no time to revel in his victory.

In the blink of an eye, Zhen Leizi’s body was obliterated, erased by overwhelming power.

Even with his legendary dragon-scale defense, he couldn’t withstand the combined assault.

Outside the valley, Murong Qing narrowed her eyes, watching the scene unfold.

Xu Zimo asked calmly, “When are you going to act?”

“Very soon,” Murong Qing replied. “The Ancestral Flame has shifted position, that means the destruction of the Thunder Domain is about to begin. Not just us, others won’t be able to resist taking action either.”

Indeed, the moment Zhen Leizi touched the Ancestral Flame, the Thunder Domain began to unravel, just like the previous domains.

Starting from the outermost edge, everything began to collapse.

Beside her, Realm Lord Bai suddenly realized something.

Her face turned pale as she asked, “If the Thunder Domain is destroyed, what will happen to us? Won’t we all be buried with the Ancestral Lands?”

“Exactly. When the Ancestral Lands are completely destroyed, everything within will be buried,” Murong Qing said with a faint smile.

“If you want to leave alive, you’ll have to hand over the Ancestral Flame.”

Realm Lord Bai froze in shock. Now she understood the Radiant Court’s plan.

The Radiant Court controlled both entry to and exit from the Ancestral Lands.

They didn’t need to fight for the Ancestral Flame at all, because in the end, everyone would be forced to surrender it. Otherwise, they’d all perish within the collapsing world.

More than that, if the Radiant Court directly destroyed the Ancestral Lands and killed all the Fire Keepers themselves, their reputation among the Fire God Race would be utterly ruined.

But by opening the Ancestral Lands to all forces and letting them fight over the Ancestral Flame, they had spread the blame evenly. When destruction came, no one could hold the Radiant Court accountable.

Realizing this, Realm Lord Bai shivered.

The Radiant Court’s scheming was terrifying.

Murong Qing smiled again and said softly, “Don’t panic, my dear. As long as your Young Master Xu doesn’t oppose us, you can leave safely.”

Meanwhile, within the lightning sea, after a brutal slaughter, half of those who entered were already dead, their corpses swallowed by thunder.

The survivors were still fighting desperately, unwilling to give up.

But then, someone sensed something, a deep, rumbling change in the world.

“Do you hear that? What’s that sound?” someone shouted.

Several cultivators flew upward, gazing toward the distant horizon.

There, dust rose high into the air. The earth cracked apart. The sky itself was fracturing.

For those who had witnessed other domains collapse, the sight was unmistakable.

“The Thunder Domain is collapsing! Run for your lives!”

“Run? Run where?”

“The Radiant Court, they brought us in, maybe they can take us out!”

“Yes! Let’s go to the Radiant Court, they must have a way!”

The once-frenzied crowd fighting for the Ancestral Flame suddenly came to their senses and turned toward Murong Qing.

Murong Qing knew it was her cue to act. She smiled and called out, “Everyone, don’t panic! The Radiant Court will send you out safely!”

“I knew it! The Radiant Court is the pride of the Inferno Crucible Heaven, our leaders would never betray us!” someone exclaimed in relief.

Murong Qing’s smile deepened. “There’s just one matter that must be resolved before anyone can leave.”

“What matter?” someone demanded anxiously.

“The Radiant Court graciously opened the Ancestral Lands so you all could seek your fortunes,” Murong Qing said. “But instead, you plundered the Ancestral Flame and brought ruin to this sacred place. How can we explain that?” She sighed softly.

“So, we must ask everyone to hand over the Ancestral Flames. Only then can we ensure your safe departure.”

“Are you kidding me?” someone shouted angrily. “We risked our lives for those! You Radiant Court people are shameless, you just want to reap where you didn’t sow!”

Murong Qing kept smiling. “We won’t force anyone,” she said. “But if you choose not to comply, then the Radiant Court will be… unable to send you out.”