I Really Am A Villain

The presence in the heavens fell silent.

It seemed to be weighing the pros and cons.

“You should understand that the foundation of your Otherworldly Demon race is not here. If we truly tear things apart, the ones who suffer in the end will only be you,” Xu Zimo said again.

“A wise man submits to circumstances. I believe the Otherworldly Demons are not a bunch of fools.”

Xu Zimo’s words enraged the Otherworldly Demons.

But when they thought it through carefully, they had to admit that what he said made sense.

“Then let the Flame Otherworldly Demon serve as the messenger. We need to consult with the other Otherworldly Demons,” the existence in the sky replied.

Immediately, the demonic clouds that had been roiling across the heavens began to disperse.

As the demonic clouds faded, the sky once again became clear.

Xu Zimo was not afraid that they would refuse.

After all, this was the Great Beyond, not some other place. The Heavenly Dao did not permit the existence of Otherworldly Demons here.

The True Martial Progenitor also said, “Once you take the Desolate Tree, return as soon as possible. We cannot afford to delay.”

“I know,” Xu Zimo nodded.

This was only a remnant projection of the True Martial Progenitor, and it soon dissipated.

At that moment, a loud boom rang out.

The sky cracked open.

It seemed as if a meteor had fallen from the heavens and smashed violently into the ground.

But upon closer inspection, it was no meteor at all. It was Bone Demon.

He was gravely injured.

Although both were Three Blossoms existences, even within the same realm there were differences in strength.

The man guarding the tomb was clearly far stronger than Bone Demon.

This was understandable. Bone Demon had been suppressed within the Human Sovereign Palace for many years, while the man had been cultivating the entire time.

As one waxed and the other waned, such a result was only natural.

The broken sword descended from the sky.

It stopped directly at Bone Demon’s brow.

Bone Demon’s intention to struggle vanished instantly. He froze in place, terror filling his eyes.

“Where is the Otherworldly Demon Lord?” he asked.

“He’s already been sent away,” Xu Zimo waved his hand casually.

“Kill him. Keeping such filth alive serves no purpose.”

The man nodded.

The broken sword fell.

It was terrifyingly powerful. Not only did it shatter Bone Demon’s head, it also annihilated all of his divine soul.

How to kill an Infinite Dao cultivator, no one understood that better than another Infinite Dao cultivator.

Yet Bone Demon was a Three Blossoms existence, and killing him was not that easy.

Even though the sword strike destroyed everything, a black glow still emerged from his corpse, fleeing toward the heavens.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the man shouted.

He hurled the broken sword forward.

In an instant, heaven and earth shook. Boundless power twisted and shredded the black aura.

“Must you really wipe me out completely?” Bone Demon’s furious and terrified voice rang out.

“If the weeds are not pulled out by the roots, they will grow again when the spring wind blows,” Xu Zimo said calmly.

Boom.

The dao runes on the broken sword flared brilliantly.

This time, the black aura was completely ground to dust.

Amid Bone Demon’s screams, everything finally vanished into nothingness.

The man retrieved his sword and stood still, then turned his gaze toward Xu Zimo.

“You promised me that you would borrow the Desolate Tree.”

“One month. You must return it within one month,” the man said after a brief silence.

Xu Zimo nodded.

He himself was not particularly interested in the Desolate Tree.

The man tore open space and departed.

Beside him, Liu Xu’er seemed to realize something.

She had been pondering the man’s identity in silence.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

“Senior… are you Wood Ancestor?” she called out hurriedly.

But the man did not answer her. He had already left.

Xu Zimo was also curious.

“Who is Wood Ancestor?” he asked.

“It’s said that he was our founding ancestor’s Dao companion,” Liu Xu’er replied.

“I saw it in an ancient text. It says that Wood Ancestor once abandoned our founding ancestor in order to pursue the Great Dao. From that point on, our Jade Maiden Palace never again allowed men to enter.”

“Who would have thought that after the founding ancestor passed away, Wood Ancestor would remain guarding her tomb all this time?”

Liu Xu’er sighed with emotion.

Indeed, this was something no one had expected.

Perhaps only the Arctic Ancestor knew the truth.

“I should be leaving as well,” Xu Zimo said.

“Thank you, Young Master Xu, for saving our Jade Maiden Palace. We will remember this kindness,” Liu Xu’er said solemnly.

“I only acted for my own sake,” Xu Zimo waved his hand.

“Still, with the four great factions either destroyed or severely weakened, if your Jade Maiden Palace seizes the opportunity, you may be able to unify the Great Beyond.”

Liu Xu’er was slightly tempted.

But she still sighed and said, “I fear we lack the capability. The Arctic Ancestor is gravely injured. And Wood Ancestor does not concern himself with such matters.”

Xu Zimo said nothing more.

After bidding farewell to Liu Xu’er, he entered the founding ancestor’s tomb.

The man was already waiting there.

With a wave of his right hand, a spatial gate appeared before them.

Within it, vast amounts of desolation edicts surged forth endlessly.

It felt as though this was the very origin of the desolation edicts.

The man stood before the spatial gate in silence for a long time.

Finally, he said, “When Ling’er and I first arrived in the Great Beyond, this place was nothing but desolation. There were no living beings at all. We found the Genesis Island and uncovered the secret of this world. From then on, we settled down here.”

The man seemed to be reminiscing.

They were the first living beings to arrive in the Great Beyond.

Only later did the five great factions arise, ruling together, as more and more beings came here.

Back then, he was full of ambition.

He devoted himself entirely to seeking the Dao, abandoning everything else for it.

But in the end, the Dao was not attained, and the one he loved had died.

So he spent his life guarding the tomb.

This became his final resting place.

…

The man gathered his emotions.

With a wave of his hand, the spatial gate opened with a boom.

He and Xu Zimo stepped inside.

The space within was not very large.

It was an independent world, within which only a single tree grew.

A towering tree that rooted itself deep into the earth and connected to the heavens.

The tree was immensely lush. Any single branch was thousands of meters thick and tens of thousands of meters long.

The leaves growing upon it were dark yellow in color.

Within those leaves lay vast, surging desolation edicts.

The tree was flourishing in full splendor.

Xu Zimo knew that the great tree before him was the Desolate Tree.

The true center of the Great Beyond.

Its very root.

Without the Desolate Tree, the Great Beyond would likely cease to exist.

Unlike the Nine Heavens, the Great Beyond was more like a rootless duckweed, surviving only by relying on the Desolate Tree.

That was why the man had given Xu Zimo a time limit of one month.

Exceed one month, and the Great Beyond would face the risk of total destruction.

Xu Zimo stepped before the Desolate Tree.

This great tree had long since developed intelligence.

Xu Zimo did not act forcefully. Instead, he said, “I need your help to break a formation. Once it is done, I will return you.”

The Desolate Tree swayed, its desolation edicts surging violently.

It seemed dissatisfied.

The man beside him spoke to persuade it. “Desolate, just go with him. I have already given my word.”