I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 312 - The Tournament Continues

Seeing the long halberd tear through the air, Xu Ze frowned slightly.

The sharp aura surrounding it made his expression shift.

He slowly raised his long saber. The blade’s edge radiated fierce intent, and pale blue spiritforce raged around it.

The two clashed again with a loud boom.

Endless spiritforce exploded in all directions.

Both figures staggered back several steps.

For a moment, it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.

Xu Ze’s frown deepened. He felt that his opponent’s strength had completely changed from earlier.

Dugu Ao gave a sharp shout, spinning the halberd once more.

The iron arena beneath his feet was shattered and mangled.

Each swing of his halberd grew stronger.

After a few more collisions, Xu Ze was faintly being suppressed.

Dark spiritforce swirled around the halberd, fracturing the space around them.

“War Halberd Art!” Dugu Ao roared.

He leapt into the air, slamming his halberd down onto Xu Ze’s saber.

Xu Ze staggered backward, nearing the edge of the arena.

Suddenly, Dugu Ao bent the halberd’s tip slightly and used the shaft as a pivot. Both feet flew up and struck Xu Ze hard in the abdomen.

Xu Ze didn’t even have time to react. His body flew out of the arena.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly stood up, speaking reluctantly.

“I lost.”

Dugu Ao scanned the entire field, his voice cold.

“The name of my master is Heaven-Defier.”

After saying this, Dugu Ao turned and walked off the stage.

He had only taken a few steps before his body swayed and collapsed.

The Grand Elder frowned and instantly stepped through the air to his side.

Dugu Ao was covered in blood. Several blood vessels in his body had burst.

He looked terribly injured.

“He wasn’t strong enough. Using the War Halberd Art by force just now was practically suicide,” the Grand Elder said, frowning.

He immediately began treating Dugu Ao.

Although Dugu Ao had won the match, the tournament had to continue.

No one expected him to be this ruthless with himself.

But with the core disciples’ duels about to begin, everyone’s attention shifted back.

“The core disciple matches begin now!”

With the elder’s announcement, one by one, the core disciples stepped onto the stage.

Though their numbers were small, only a few dozen, each one was a top talent.

Even among them, there were differences in strength.

The first round of fights began, dazzling the audience.

Battles between Imperial Meridian cultivators were much more exciting to watch.

As the tournament progressed, only a few familiar names remained among the core disciples.

...

“Xiang Qianheng, let’s have a match,” Undefeated Sword Monarch stepped forward, holding his sword calmly.

“Sure,” Xiang Qianheng smiled lightly and stepped onto a nearby arena.

“Sister Xi'er, let’s go a round too,” Xia Zihe glanced at Xu Zimo, then turned to Jiang Xi'er.

Her eyes were icy as she stepped onto the stage without a word, her meaning clear.

“Then it’s just us left,” Jue Ming smiled at Prince Daoyang and Star Sword Fairy.

“I’ll take you both on.”

Prince Daoyang and Star Sword Fairy cultivated together and practiced joint techniques, so they always competed as a pair.

...

As the matches began, the crowd focused on the first arena, where Xiang Qianheng faced Undefeated Sword Monarch.

“Overlord Xiang Qianheng was said to be undefeated during his time training outside the Sacred Ground. He probably has a high chance of winning,” some disciples in the crowd discussed.

“You don’t know, do you? Xiang Qianheng once lost, to Undefeated Sword Monarch. Do you know why he’s called the Undefeated? Because ever since joining True Martial Sacred Ground, Undefeated Sword Monarch has never lost a match.”

Setting aside the gossip below, on the arena.

Undefeated Sword Monarch slowly drew the sword at his waist, his gaze calm.

“Did you know? I’ve been waiting years for this fight.”

“A great honor,” Xiang Qianheng replied with a smile.

Undefeated Sword Monarch took a deep breath. The sword in his arms trembled slightly.

Several years ago, in late autumn, the two most gifted core disciples had once dueled.

Undefeated Sword Monarch won and was called the Undefeated ever since.

But only he knew, his opponent had been injured at the time and couldn’t fight at full strength.

He’d never gotten over it.

Xiang Qianheng didn’t use a weapon. Red spiritforce surged around his hands.

He stepped forward into the air and charged straight at Undefeated Sword Monarch.

Undefeated Sword Monarch swung his sword. Countless waves of sword intent rang out through the air.

A storm of sword aura engulfed them both as they fought.

...

On the other arenas, Xia Zihe and Jiang Xi'er also showed no weakness.

Xia Zihe’s wide sword slashed with the force to sever rivers, shattering layers of ice.

Jiang Xi'er’s long hair flowed, and icy spiritforce nearly froze the entire stage.

Clad in a white dress and surrounded by white aura, she looked like a fairy descending to the mortal world.

As for the other match,

Jue Ming was the seventh Grand Elder’s personal disciple.

His mastery of formation techniques was unmatched within the Sacred Ground.

Prince Daoyang and Star Sword Fairy, with their joint cultivation, were equally formidable.

The three were locked in a tight match, with no clear winner.

...

From the high seat, Xu Zimo watched the battles with boredom.

They really were like children playing.

He was thinking about the road ahead.

Back when he visited Holyflower Region, he had obtained a strange stone in Fireflow City.

At the time, the Supreme-Yin Nether-Glow within him had reacted strongly, suggesting a connection.

But once he took the stone, it calmed down again.

Perhaps the stone was related to the Supreme-Yang Solar-Illumination, he planned to study it carefully.

After all, it might relate to the completion of his True Fate World.

That would be the main path forward.

After the matter with the Buddha Burial Temple, he would also visit the Northern Continent.

Xu Zimo had a feeling that Paimon’s fate was drawing closer.

Perhaps it was almost time for him to leave.

Then there was the matter of the Demon Slayer Clan, the Lan Clan.

Just as Xu Zimo was deep in thought, the loud roar from the crowd pulled him back.

On the arena, the battles were nearing their end.

Undefeated Sword Monarch’s sword hummed violently.

Half the sky was covered in his sword intent.

When all that sword aura finally fell, the resulting destruction would be devastating.

But Xiang Qianheng wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

He was surrounded in red spiritforce, but it wasn’t fire.