I Really Am A Villain

When all the factions had finally formed their own lines of battle, Bright Sun Sovereign’s confidence grew stronger.

He looked up at the suspended Radiant Court and said coldly, “The destruction of the Radiant Lands will begin with the fall of this Radiant Court. Everyone, follow my command, destroy the Radiant Court first!”

“Yes!” the surrounding Saint Sovereigns roared in unison.

On the sides of the Divine Crow God Realm, the Undying Fire God Realm, and the Hell Fire God Realm, messengers were already rushing to summon their respective ancestral patriarchs to join the war.

Meanwhile, the Chaos Fire God Realm and the Vermilion Flame God Realm were doing the same.

This was no ordinary battle, it was a war involving every major power in the Inferno Crucible Heaven.

Because of Bright Sun Sovereign’s order, countless Saint Sovereigns shot toward the sky, charging straight for the Radiant Court.

But the ten Saint Sovereigns guarding the Radiant Court were not about to stand idle. In an instant, both sides clashed.

Explosions rumbled through the heavens. Terrifying power rippled across the battlefield, tearing open the sky above, a wound that refused to heal.

This was a battle so fierce that anyone beneath the Saint Sovereign realm didn’t even have the right to join.

The smaller sects, like the Ancient Eternal God Realm under Realm Lord Bai, could only struggle to survive, hiding wherever they could.

But fortunately, in the chaos of so many mighty beings fighting, no one had time to notice them. Even figures of Xiao Anshan’s level had no place in such a war.

…

Xu Zimo, meanwhile, ignored the rest.

This was the Fire God Race’s internal conflict. Even if the heavens themselves were overturned, it was still their affair.

Just look at the Heavenly Court, merely pulling a few strings from the shadows had thrown the Fire God Race into civil war.

Even if the Radiant Court emerged victorious, their losses would be catastrophic.

Xu Zimo didn’t mind ruining the Heavenly Court’s scheme, but for now, his targets were clear. Shangguan Xiongba and Du Mingxiu, the Realm Lord of the Undying Fire God Realm.

He looked at Du Mingxiu and sneered. “I thought our grudge ended when I slaughtered your Undying Domain’s people. I didn’t expect you to be so eager to come seeking death yourself.”

Du Mingxiu gave a cold snort. “A life for a life, a debt must be repaid. That’s the law since ancient times. You kill my people and expect to walk away free? Too naïve.”

“Then I’ll just wipe out your Undying Fire God Realm completely,” Xu Zimo said indifferently. “You call yourselves undying, let’s see if you still claim that when you’re nothing but corpses.”

“You’re too arrogant!” Du Mingxiu’s chest rose and fell with anger.

Shangguan Xiongba patted his shoulder, saying, “Brother Du, don’t stoop to this brat’s level. He’ll die soon enough.”

“Shangguan Xiongba, you can stop talking too,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “Your Divine Crow God Realm won’t fare any better than the Undying Fire God Realm.”

“When the ancestors of our two powers arrive, let’s see if you still have that sharp tongue,” Shangguan Xiongba replied coolly.

“Then you’d better hope you survive long enough to see them,” Xu Zimo said.

As soon as his words fell, his figure became a streak of light, shooting toward Shangguan Xiongba and Du Mingxiu.

The two men were shocked, but before Xu Zimo could reach them, a voice stopped him midair.

“Please wait, good sir.”

It was Sumeru Buddha. His round belly and fat frame blocked Xu Zimo’s path as he folded his hands together in a Buddhist salute, smiling gently.

“There’s no need for anger, benefactor. Why not sit and talk with this humble monk instead?”

“Fat monk, don’t stand in my way,” Xu Zimo said, eyes narrowing.

The saber in his hand, Shadow Tyrant, trembled violently, eager to strike. The endless aura of blade intent around him grew denser and sharper.

“Your killing intent is far too heavy,” Sumeru Buddha said with a gentle chuckle. “Allow this poor monk to help you find peace.”

As his voice fell, the kasaya on his shoulders suddenly expanded a thousandfold, sweeping down from the heavens and enveloping Xu Zimo within it.

“Find peace? With you?” Xu Zimo’s voice echoed from within the robe, cold and disdainful. “Even if God or Buddha descended to this world, what difference would it make? I would kill them both if they stood in my way.”

He raised Shadow Tyrant, and as boundless saber intent crashed down, the kasaya was sliced cleanly in two, ripped apart down the middle.

Yet in an instant, it reformed, sealing Xu Zimo back inside once more.

Sumeru Buddha smiled cheerfully, shrank the kasaya back to its normal size, and draped it over his shoulder again.

“Amitabha,” he intoned softly.

But the next moment, the surface of the kasaya turned crimson red.

Startled, Sumeru quickly threw it away, just in time.

The robe burst into roaring flames, burning brighter and brighter until it was reduced to ash.

From within those flames emerged Xu Zimo, his entire body wrapped in the divine fire of Zhurong. The world around him turned red with its glow.

He looked like the Fire God incarnate, majestic, untouchable, and unstoppable.

“How about dying beneath these flames?” he said with a faint smile. “It would be an honorable death.”

With a wave of his hand, the fire of Zhurong condensed into a colossal dragon that coiled around him.

Then, with a shout of “Kill!” Xu Zimo sent it roaring forth.

The dragon’s cry split the heavens as it plunged down toward Sumeru Buddha.

The monk began chanting a sutra and then roared, “Vajra Palm!”

His hands turned to gold, and he thrust them forward. A massive golden Buddha palm manifested across the sky, meeting the fire dragon head-on.

But he had underestimated the sheer ferocity of Zhurong’s fire.

The blazing dragon tore straight through the golden palm and continued its deadly charge toward him.

Sumeru Buddha’s eyes widened in alarm. He leapt into the air, walking upon the void itself in an attempt to dodge.

But the dragon’s flames were alive, it hunted him relentlessly, no matter where he fled.

The monk sighed softly. “So persistent…”

He drew out a string of golden prayer beads and sat cross-legged in midair. The beads detached from his hands, floating before him to form a radiant golden barrier.

When the dragon struck, its flames crashed violently against the shield, but the barrier held firm, and the fire gradually dimmed.

The beads trembled slightly, but nothing more.

“Not bad,” Xu Zimo said with a grin. “But if one dragon isn’t enough, let’s see how you handle ten thousand.”

He raised both arms, and endless flames erupted skyward, flooding the heavens and earth.

Within those waves of fire, countless dragons took shape, their roars echoing one after another, lighting up the world.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sumeru Buddha gasped as the fiery dragons dove toward him in an unending torrent.

At first, his golden barrier withstood the impact.

But as the assaults grew more violent, cracks began to spread across its surface.

Finally, with a thunderous explosion, the shield shattered completely, and the prayer beads detonated with it.

In that instant, Xu Zimo’s figure blurred. He appeared right before the monk and drove his blade clean through his abdomen, pinning him to the sky itself.

“Why must it come to this, benefactor…” Sumeru murmured, his smile fading at last.

Blood flowed freely from his wound, but his expression remained calm as he whispered softly:

“Sumeru… Sumeru… all things are void.”