I Really Am A Villain

“What’s going on?” Someone sensed the disturbance in the valley and shouted in alarm.

“It’s a formation,” another cultivator immediately realized.

“A formation? Who could have set up a formation right under our noses?” someone frowned and asked.

Everyone present was among the most powerful beings of the Inferno Crucible Heaven.

At this moment, the valley trembled.

Countless fragments of space burst into the air, ripples spreading through the void.

A storm of yellow sand rose skyward, engulfing the entire valley.

“Go!” One of the cultivators, sensing something was wrong, shouted the command and tried to retreat with his disciples.

But the moment they leapt into the air, a tremendous pressure descended.

As that oppressive power fell, everyone felt their bodies grow heavy.

“Spatial restriction,” someone muttered.

Under that pressure, it didn’t matter if you were an unmatched prodigy or an ancient patriarch of a great sect, even an existence like the Chaos Fire Progenitor, no one could do anything.

Everyone was grounded.

Even though there were countless Saint Sovereigns among them, not a single one could take to the sky.

To suppress Saint Sovereigns… only one level of power could do that.

“An Infinite Dao realm cultivator,” someone whispered.

“Has the one from the Radiant Court emerged?”

Some were uncertain, even shocked.

That figure from the Radiant Court hadn’t appeared for many years, many had never seen them in their entire lives.

What could have happened to make them appear now?

In truth, everyone knew that the opening of the Ancestral Lands wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

But the deeper details were beyond their reach.

They could only take things one step at a time.

At this moment, some disciples who had escaped from the Ancestral Lands briefly recounted what had happened.

“What? The Ancestral Lands was destroyed?”

The elders were shocked.

The destruction of the Ancestral Lands was one thing, but where had all the Ancestral Flames gone?

When they heard that the Radiant Court had reclaimed them, the elders felt both regret and helplessness.

In matters like this, they could only admit their misfortune.

It was impossible to confront the Radiant Court about it, doing so might get them killed outright.

Ancestral Flames were not something anyone outside the Six Great God Realms could dare to meddle with.

Treasures of heaven and earth belonged only to the strong.

The activation of the formation caused a brief panic.

Its power grew stronger by the second.

The surging yellow sand seemed intent on burying everything in its path.

Even many Saint Sovereigns wore solemn expressions.

The formation felt dangerous even to them.

“Everyone, do not panic,” at that moment, the voice of the Light Lord Sage Monarch of the Radiant Court echoed through the air.

His calm tone instantly shattered the atmosphere of fear.

“This formation was arranged by our Radiant Court, but it is not aimed at any of you. It concerns a major matter within our Fire God Race,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch said with a smile as he walked through the air.

The oppressive power continued to suppress everyone, preventing them from flying.

Yet the Light Lord Sage Monarch himself remained unaffected, a clear sign of who controlled this domain.

“What does the Sage Monarch mean by this?” one cultivator stood up and asked.

“The opening of the Ancestral Lands was the Radiant Court’s decision. We came here following the Radiant Court’s rules. Now that the Ancestral Lands is destroyed, does the Radiant Court intend to hold us accountable?”

“There’s no need for alarm. That’s not my intention,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch replied with a smile. “Today, I’m here to reveal an important secret concerning our Fire God Race.”

“What is it?” everyone asked, puzzled.

“In truth, from the very birth of our Fire God Race, there has been a defect within our bodies. This flaw may go unnoticed in the early and middle stages, but once we reach higher realms, if it is not resolved, no member of the Fire God Race will ever advance further.”

The Light Lord Sage Monarch’s voice was calm yet carried weight.

“This is not an exaggeration. I believe some among you have already heard whispers of this matter.”

“There’s such a thing?” Faces turned pale with shock.

This wasn’t a problem affecting just one person, it concerned the entire Fire God Race.

Their collective fate was suddenly at stake.

“What evidence does the Radiant Court have for this claim?” someone asked.

“What need is there for evidence?” the Light Lord Sage Monarch replied. “Our Radiant Court has no reason to deceive you. For countless years, we have been searching for a way to mend this flaw.”

“Did you find it?” someone asked eagerly.

“You should all know about the Water Beasts,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch said with a faint smile.

“Of course,” everyone nodded quickly.

To the Fire God Race, the Water Beasts were hated enemies.

They had destroyed the Departure Fire Region, no one knew whether their own domain might be next.

“We once slew a group of Water Beasts and obtained a Sunflower. That Sunflower was left behind by one of our forebears. According to our research, it likely holds the power to change the nature of our Fire God Race and mend our defect.”

The Light Lord Sage Monarch explained clearly.

Everyone was stunned.

None of them had expected that the Radiant Court had been secretly preparing for this all along.

“What are you getting at, Sage Monarch?” someone demanded.

“You lured us into the Ancestral Lands, what was the real purpose?”

“Exactly. If your Radiant Court is so capable, why not just fix the flaw yourselves?”

“Please, listen to me,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch said with a patient smile. “We paid a great price to reach this stage. The only thing we still require is Ancestral Flame energy. Only with all six Ancestral Flames can we proceed.

“But the Ancestral Flames lie within the Ancestral Lands, and the Fire Keepers would never hand them over. Since the Ancestral Lands is the birthplace of all Fire God Race beings, not just the Radiant Court, we decided to open it up so that everyone would have a chance to enter.”

“So that’s it, huh? You just wanted us to do your dirty work, then threaten us to hand over the Ancestral Flames before leaving,” someone scoffed.

Everyone here was shrewd, none would be fooled by a few pretty words from the Radiant Court.

“Please, don’t be hasty. Hear me out,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch continued smoothly.

“Our plan was indeed related to this. The Ancestral Flames, whatever they may be, are an internal matter of our race. However, some people, some among us, attempted to betray our Fire God Race. They sought to hand the Ancestral Flames to the Heavenly Court in exchange for authority over the Inferno Crucible Heaven.”

“What?” The crowd erupted in shock.

This was no longer a minor issue.

This was betrayal, treason against their very race, something more despicable than any crime.

“Who are they?” someone demanded.

In the crowd, certain individuals’ eyes flickered with unease, and they subtly stepped back.

“These people,” the Light Lord Sage Monarch said with a smile, “I want them to step forward on their own. Let everyone see who they are, the traitors who sold out our Fire God Race.”