I Really Am A Villain

Perhaps to Ouyang Xiu, Xu Zimo was the strongest person he had ever encountered in his life.

If Xu Zimo were to casually offer a few pointers, even the leftovers from his table would benefit Ouyang Xiu more than a lifetime of hard cultivation.

Xu Zimo opened his eyes. His gaze pierced through layers of void and fell beyond the teleportation formation.

He knew they were almost there.

Finally, with a loud boom, the teleportation formation seemed to take a heavy blow. A powerful force nearly overturned all three of them.

The next moment, sunlight appeared before their eyes, and the three figures fell out of the void.

“What’s wrong with this teleportation formation?!” Ouyang Xiu shouted.

Xu Zimo adjusted himself in midair and landed on the ground first.

Ji Zhan and the other man, however, crashed heavily onto the ground.

“People from Corpse City are here. Everyone come take a look!”

“Grab them. No one from Corpse City is good. They even stole my son some time ago.”

A chorus of shouting erupted.

Ji Zhan and the others were stunned. Even Xu Zimo froze for a moment when he looked around.

In an instant, dozens of Iron-Eating Beasts charged toward them from all directions.

Iron-Eating Beasts were what people commonly called giant pandas.

All across the mountains and fields, giant pandas stared at Xu Zimo and the other two.

The sight alone was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Moreover, their auras were powerful and their strength astonishing. Every Iron-Eating Beast was like a towering giant.

“Who are you?” one black-and-white Iron-Eating Beast asked in a childish voice.

“We’re here for Divine Mountain. We have no intention of offending anyone,” Ji Zhan replied quickly.

“What’s so good about Divine Mountain? Things haven’t been peaceful lately,” another Iron-Eating Beast said.

“Recently, the Eighteen Blade Purgatory seem to have gone crazy. Someone keeps roaring in anger. I don’t know what’s wrong with them.”

Xu Zimo knew that after so many Infinite Dao cultivators had died, it would be strange if the Eighteen Blade Purgatory were not furious.

They were probably already issuing bounties for their heads.

The Eighteen Blade Purgatory likely never imagined that Xu Zimo and the others would walk straight into Divine Mountain on their own.

…

Xu Zimo really wanted to pet a giant panda. But with so many Iron-Eating Beasts around, he feared getting beaten to death by the whole group.

So he asked, “Have you guys lived here for generations?”

“Of course. You humans are all bad. You’re always stealing our cubs,” one Iron-Eating Beast replied angrily.

“We’re only passing through. We mean no harm,” Ji Zhan said.

Several Iron-Eating Beasts snorted coldly.

“I don’t trust humans. I’m going to watch you until you leave our territory.”

Xu Zimo shook his head and smiled helplessly.

Ouyang Xiu reminded him from the side, “I’ve heard that not just anyone can enter Divine Mountain.”

“Divine Mountain is protected by the power of edicts. Without its permission, no one can enter,” the Iron-Eating Beast said proudly.

“But our Iron-Eating Beast race can. We reign supreme through body cultivation. We aren’t suppressed by edicts and can shatter them with pure physical strength.”

“Then could your clan help us out?” Ouyang Xiu asked.

“I will, if you trade me Heavenly Immortal Bamboo,” the Iron-Eating Beast said.

At this point, seeing that Xu Zimo and the others posed no threat, the rest of the Iron-Eating Beasts gradually dispersed.

Only this one stepped forward to continue speaking with them.

“What is Heavenly Immortal Bamboo?” Ji Zhan asked.

“It’s bamboo watered with the blood of immortals. Eating it allows us to undergo transformation,” the Iron-Eating Beast explained.

“My name is Panda Sixteen. If you have it, I can help you.”

“Where can we obtain this Heavenly Immortal Bamboo?” Xu Zimo asked.

“I know a place left behind by a human cultivator. Only humans can enter it. If you’re capable, you can take it from there,” Panda Sixteen said.

“Alright. Take us there,” Xu Zimo replied.

Panda Sixteen did not object. His chubby figure led the way ahead.

This place felt like a paradise beyond the world. The scenery was exceptionally beautiful.

Emerald-green bamboo grew across the mountains like an endless sea of green.

In addition to green bamboo, there were black bamboo, white bamboo, purple bamboo, and more.

Everywhere were bamboo forests of every color, and everywhere were Iron-Eating Beasts gnawing on bamboo.

“Up ahead is the trading market of our Iron-Eating Beasts. Behave yourselves,” Panda Sixteen warned.

“Relax. What good things could you Iron-Eating Beasts possibly have?” Ouyang Xiu said with a laugh, shaking his head.

But when they arrived at the market, they realized how wrong he was.

The place was filled with all kinds of rare treasures.

“Twin Blades, one half life, one half death, obtained after I slew a Grand Emperor. Ten Purple Crystal Bamboo stalks to exchange.”

“Saint Sovereign blood essence, complete with manifested phenomena. Seven Enlightenment Bamboo stalks to exchange.”

“Soul-Locking Hairpin, once worn by the Blood Maiden, locking eighty-eight million souls. Only one Longevity Bamboo required.”

The market was bustling with activity. Every stall radiated brilliant light, with phenomena appearing one after another.

Iron-Eating Beasts stood behind their stalls, shouting enthusiastically to hawk their goods.

Ouyang Xiu and Ji Zhan were completely stunned. They had thought the market would be unimpressive, but their perspective had been far too small.

“Are these bamboo stalks really that hard to get?” Ouyang Xiu asked.

He was even wondering whether he could trade for something himself.

“Each bamboo stalk is at least comparable to an immortal artifact,” Panda Sixteen said.

“And the bamboo is sentient. It isn’t a dead object. With your level of strength, the two of you probably couldn’t even defeat a single bamboo stalk.”

“That hurts,” Ouyang Xiu and Ji Zhan said with bitter smiles.

Xu Zimo glanced around. He was not particularly interested in these items, but the market itself was lively and fascinating.

At this moment, Panda Sixteen stopped in front of a large mountain.

Embedded in the mountainside was an iron gate.

The gate was already rusted, clearly ancient.

“It’s inside here,” Panda Sixteen said.

“The Heavenly Immortal Bamboo is in there?” Ouyang Xiu asked curiously.

Panda Sixteen ground his teeth and said, “Long ago, a human came here. Our Iron-Eating Beast race treated him kindly. Who would have thought he’d steal our Heavenly Immortal Bamboo and hide inside this mountain. He even set up restrictions that prevent us Iron-Eating Beasts from entering. Only humans can go inside.”

As Panda Sixteen spoke, more Iron-Eating Beasts arrived, bringing other humans with them.

“As long as you retrieve the Heavenly Immortal Bamboo inside, all the treasures of our Iron-Eating Beast race will belong to you.”

They were explaining the same conditions to the newly arrived humans.

“Panda Sixteen,” another Iron-Eating Beast called out when it saw him.

“Go in quickly,” Panda Sixteen urged Xu Zimo and the others.

“Otherwise, this guy might get ahead of you.”

“No rush. Let them try first. It doesn’t matter,” Xu Zimo said, waving his hand.

He had just probed the depths of the mountain.

There seemed to be something inside that blocked even his divine sense.

He was an Infinite Dao cultivator. The fact that his perception was obstructed meant that the fallen cultivator inside must have been extremely powerful.

Otherwise, the Iron-Eating Beast clan would not have been kept out.

Panda Sixteen did not force the issue. Instead, he turned around with an unfriendly expression.

“Panda Seven, what do you want?”