I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 161 - Spring of Life

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Little Gui was left dumbfounded by the scene before him. He could clearly sense that Liu Pingfan was only at the peak of the Desolate Meridian Realm, yet his strength was absurdly overwhelming.

Xu Zimo shook his head and chuckled. “I think you’re wrong. The highest level of swordsmanship isn’t using anything as a sword, it’s winning without using a move at all.”

“Oh? And what do you mean by that?” Liu Pingfan asked, intrigued.

Xu Zimo unsheathed Shadow Tyrant, held it in his right hand, and gently waved it in the air.

That simple swing had no spiritual energy, no visible technique.

Xu Zimo smiled. “What did you see?”

“Just… a casual slash?” Liu Pingfan replied in confusion.

“No. Look behind you.”

Liu Pingfan turned his head.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Thunder and fire exploded in the sky. Blazing sparks ravaged the space above.

The mountain Liu Pingfan had previously split in two was now utterly leveled by the roaring thunder. Half the mountain turned into flying rubble and shattered into countless particles of dust.

Liu Pingfan was stunned. He had infused all his power into the blade of grass, using it as a medium to split the mountain.

But Xu Zimo's strike confused him. It had no energy fluctuation, no signs of power, yet it produced such terrifying might. How?

“You’ve still got a long road ahead,” Xu Zimo said with a calm smile.

Liu Pingfan was momentarily dazed, then quickly smiled and replied, “Brother, you’ve taught me a lesson, I humbly accept.”

He opened the wine gourd at his waist, took a heavy gulp of liquor, and let the breeze carry his long hair as he laughed.

“Friends, until we meet again.”

“We will,” Xu Zimo replied.

Then Liu Pingfan turned and took a single step, a step so mystical that it spanned more than ten meters in one stride.

“The long river flows, the dusk sky glows…”

He began reciting that strange verse again, his figure slowly fading into the mountains.

…

“What a weirdo,” Little Gui muttered.

“A genius, that’s all. The world is full of prodigies and monsters,” Xu Zimo replied with a smile. “The Western Region is just a remote corner.”

They continued deeper into the Grand Myriad Mountains. The noonday sun shone down, and the depths of the mountain range grew especially quiet.

Xu Zimo looked at Chi Qianxue and said, “How about a deal?”

“Do I have the right to refuse?” Chi Qianxue asked calmly.

“Smart girl,” Xu Zimo smiled. “Your ancestor, Grand Emperor Bing Xue, left behind an inheritance, a purple box. If I let you live, you’ll give me that box.”

Chi Qianxue fell silent in thought before replying, “I’m just a contender for the Saintess title. I can’t guarantee anything. All I can say is, I’ll try. If I don’t become the Saintess, I won’t have access to the inheritance.”

“So you want me to help you find a life-attribute treasure,” Xu Zimo said, smiling.

“I had originally planned to steal the titan’s Essence of Life, but now… I have no idea where to find one,” Chi Qianxue admitted. “The others competing for the Saintess title are also strong. If they find one first, it’s bad for both of us.”

“I don’t have a life-attribute treasure on hand,” Xu Zimo replied, “but I can give you one thing, free of charge.”

“What thing?”

“The location of the Spring of Life.”

Chi Qianxue’s expression shifted. The Spring of Life, ranked tenth on the Heaven’s Rare Treasure List.

She knew that even a titan’s Essence of Life could at best sustain the formation for another hundred years. Once it ran dry, they’d be back to square one.

But if they could obtain the Spring of Life, they could produce life-attribute treasures endlessly, a permanent solution.

“The Spring of Life is located in the Ice Snow Mountains, one of the Ten Forbidden Grounds,” Xu Zimo said.

“The Ice Snow Mountains?” Chi Qianxue was stunned. Her Chi Clan had deep ties with that place.

Their ancestor, Grand Emperor Bing Xue, had achieved enlightenment and ascended there.

But that was before the God Emperor appeared. Back then, the Divine Gate didn’t exist.

“Is this information reliable?” Chi Qianxue asked seriously.

If she could deliver this intel to her clan and they actually found the Spring of Life, her position as Saintess would be all but secured.

“Would lying to you benefit me?” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

Previously, to prevent Chi Qianxue from escaping, he had sealed all her meridians.

Now, Xu Zimo released the seals and cut the ropes tying her.

“You can go.”

“You’re just… letting me go?” Chi Qianxue was stunned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll break my word and come back with the Chi Clan to kill you?” she asked, incredulous.

Xu Zimo smiled, gently hooked a finger under her chin, leaned in close, and said affectionately, “Silly girl. Of course, I trust you.”

Chi Qianxue flushed slightly and stepped back. “If the Spring of Life is real, I’ll keep my promise.”

Then she mounted her pegasus. Its silver light flared, and in the blink of an eye, she soared into the sky and vanished.

Watching her go, Little Gui asked, “Senior Brother, do you really trust her?”

“I don’t trust anyone,” Xu Zimo said with a grin.

“Then why let her go?” Little Gui asked, puzzled.

“If she gives it to me, it saves the trouble,” Xu Zimo replied. “If not, I’ll take it from the Chi Clan myself, and that won’t be so gentle.”

Little Gui nodded, still a bit confused.

…

No birds in the thousand peaks, no trace of man on ten thousand paths.

In the deepest parts of the Grand Myriad Mountains, not even a single bird could be seen. The shrubs and bushes grew several meters tall.

As Xu Zimo and Little Gui exited a narrow valley, a thunderous shout erupted outside.

Little Gui looked up slightly. On both sides of the valley, hundreds of yellow-clad warriors stood on the ridges, wielding all sorts of weapons and cheering loudly.

“We’re being ambushed,” Little Gui muttered. “Looks like these guys are from the Hundred Beast Tribe, just not sure which clan.”

“Seems like the Grand Myriad Mountains aren’t going to be peaceful,” Xu Zimo said with a light smile, unfazed.