I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 310 - The Tournament Begins

At the break of dawn, the blue sky was dotted with white clouds, like a beautiful painting.

The morning air felt especially fresh.

Disciples of the True Martial Sacred Ground had dressed neatly and were heading with full energy to gather at the entrance of the Skyjade World.

Some came to witness the exciting matches of the day.

After all, it wasn’t often that so many top talents gathered in one place.

Others came to fight for a better ranking.

All the hard work up to this point was finally about to be displayed.

The disciples filed in one after another. The Skyjade World was a vast and boundless Particle World, even if every disciple in the Sacred Ground entered, it wouldn't feel crowded.

At the center stood a hundred arenas forged from Black-Tortoise True-Iron, like warriors standing firm at the edge of heaven and earth.

As always, they were rooted deep into the ground.

This tournament wasn’t only about combat. There were also competitions in alchemy, formations, and other professions.

Of course, the highlight remained the combat events.

This was also the first large-scale tournament hosted by Sacred Lord Xiao since his return.

Wearing golden robes, he stood at the front of the arena with an imposing presence.

The might of the God Meridian realm roared around him.

A storm of spiritforce surged in the sky above.

His aura was overwhelming, shaking heaven and earth.

It was a clear sign that he had broken into the God Meridian realm.

At the top of the arena, there were more than a dozen seats.

Besides Sacred Lord Xiao, Vice-Lord Xu Qingshan, in his green robe, also arrived slowly from a distance.

His aura from the Empyrean Meridian realm was just as impressive. The pressure he emitted kept growing stronger, he was clearly at the edge of breaking into the God Meridian realm as well.

As for the so-called seven Grand Elders, with the sixth Grand Elder in confinement, only six remained. All six elders wore white robes and walked powerfully toward the top seats.

Their steps were heavy, and every movement carried the power to stir the wind and clouds.

A disciple in the distance was beating a war drum.

The sounds of the drum echoed throughout the land.

With each strike of the red drumstick, the red cloth tied to it fluttered in the wind.

The atmosphere grew tense and pressing, like the calm before a storm.

The war drum raised the energy of the crowd to a peak.

It seemed to ignite the fighting spirit in everyone.

With the arrival of several core disciples, the atmosphere became even more fiery and intense.

As if the entire scene was ready to explode.

Overlord Xiang Qianheng, Heartless Fairy Jiang Xier, Wave-Chasing Swordsman Xia Zi He, Formation Master Jue Ming, Undefeated Sword Monarch.

...

When these legendary core disciples gathered, the atmosphere became electric.

Xu Zimo looked at the disciples below, full of fighting spirit, and smiled lightly.

As the Holy Son, he didn’t need to participate in the tournament.

Like the six elders, he had a dedicated seat at the top.

For the average disciple of the True Martial Sacred Ground, these core disciples were the ones they looked up to.

They were the true geniuses.

But for Xu Zimo, their battles were no more than child’s play.

After this tournament, he planned to leave the True Martial Sacred Ground.

It was also time to consider his breakthrough into the Empyrean Meridian realm.

There was the promise he made with the Dark Primordials, and the journey to the Buddha Burial Temple still needed to be fulfilled.

...

Sacred Lord Xiao stood at the front of the arena, his sharp gaze sweeping over the disciples who had come to compete or spectate.

“You are the future hope of our Sacred Ground!”

He spoke loudly and clearly.

“There’s no denying that high-level power is the foundation of a Sacred Ground’s strength. But you, the younger generation, even if you're weak now, I believe that one day, you will become the future of the Sacred Ground, determining our limits. I’m proud and honored to have you as part of this family.”

He paused for a moment, then slowly exhaled before raising his voice again:

“I hope in this tournament, everyone gives their all to earn a good ranking. Because it will determine the Sacred Ground’s investment in your future and the resources allocated to you. Every one of you is qualified to compete. The tournament will be conducted with absolute fairness.”

With Sacred Lord Xiao’s announcement, the entire Skyjade World erupted with cheers and excitement.

The rules of the tournament were relatively simple.

Outer Sacred Ground disciples would fight other outer Sacred Ground disciples.

Inner Sacred Ground disciples would fight among themselves.

The main event would be the battles between core disciples.

Of course, the top three winners among the outer and inner Sacred Ground disciples would get a chance to challenge the core disciples.

This was always the most exciting part of the annual tournament.

Even though most inner disciples would lose against the core disciples, there were always a few dark horses.

Core disciples had trained for far longer, and were nurtured by the seven elders.

Those with great talent were mostly at the peak of the Imperial Meridian realm. Even the weaker ones were already at early Imperial Meridian level.

In contrast, the strongest inner Sacred Ground disciples were only at the peak of the Paragon Meridian realm.

The higher the realm, the harder the breakthroughs.

...

Wu Feng vs. Shao Xin, Zhuo Yan vs. Cheng Yu...

As the First Grand Elder announced the matchups, disciples stepped onto the arena one by one.

All hundred arenas began matches simultaneously.

This greatly improved the pace of the tournament.

Fights between outer Sacred Ground disciples weren’t very exciting, their cultivation levels were low, and they lacked combat experience.

However, some high-ranking observers watched carefully, likely scouting for talent.

Compared to them, the battles between inner disciples were far more intense.

Xu Zimo had his eye on Ji Baiyu.

She had inherited the legacy of Grand Emperor Fei Yu and was ahead in both resources and cultivation.

With her peak Paragon Meridian strength, she easily defeated her opponents.

There was also a boy named Gao Xiong. Though his cultivation wasn’t top-tier, only peak Desolate Meridian, he had the bloodline of an Ancient Tyrant Bear, giving him strength unmatched for his realm.

Even a Paragon Meridian cultivator might not be able to face him head-on.

There weren’t many impressive inner disciples. By Xu Zimo’s standards, only one truly caught his eye.

A short-haired young man in a light blue long robe.

His eyes were cold, and he wielded a long halberd forged from black iron.

His moves were bold and forceful, showing great pride and presence.

The halberd was three meters long, entirely black.

Golden dragons were engraved along its body, it was clearly no ordinary weapon.

Every swing of the youth's halberd cracked the iron arena beneath him.

He wasn’t just at the peak of the Paragon Meridian realm, his combat experience and mastery of techniques were also superb.

He was clearly someone who had grown through fire and blood.

“What’s that guy’s name?” Xu Zimo asked the elder beside him.