I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 321 - Please Break The Game

This type of Ghastly Tree originally belonged to the dark element.

But now, the trees here looked even darker in color.

Also, their size was much larger than ordinary Ghastly Trees.

There was no one around Xu Zimo.

He used Shadow Tyrant to cut the bark of a tree in front of him, and black resin flowed out.

“Looks like it’s mutated,” Xu Zimo muttered.

Ordinary Ghastly Trees weren’t like this.

Looking around, he saw that all the trees here were basically mutated.

And it wasn’t just the trees, even the bushes and plants beneath his feet had mutated.

As he walked forward, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the place was extremely eerie.

It wasn’t just the gloomy weather, it felt like countless eyes were watching him from the shadows.

...

This Silent Extinction Ridge was once just a dangerous place.

Legend has it that after the battle where Grand Emperor San Dao bore the Heaven's Will, the resentment of all beings became too great, and all life here was cursed.

Eventually, it became one of the forbidden grounds.

Xu Zimo didn’t really believe in that story.

Although he had never visited the Silent Extinction Ridge in his previous life, he knew about it from documents and rumors.

Some time ago, he used the Primordial Chaos Bead to traverse the River of Fate to watch the evolution of the Silent Extinction Ridge.

Some of what he saw surprised him, so he had prepared for this moment.

What he needed to be cautious about were the small details.

...

Walking through the gloomy forest, all the surrounding trees looked the same.

After walking for most of the day, Xu Zimo realized he still hadn’t left the forest.

And he had the illusion that he was walking in circles.

There was a mysterious power suppressing the sky above, making it difficult for cultivators to fly.

Continuing forward, Xu Zimo found a large clearing ahead.

In the center of the clearing was a stone table.

A man in black robes sat on the stone bench beside it.

As Xu Zimo approached, he saw a chessboard on the table.

The black-robed man was thin and bony.

His whole body was just skin and bones, with lifeless eyes, like a walking corpse.

His frail body was wrapped in a large black robe.

Seeing Xu Zimo arrive, the black-robed man slowly adjusted the pieces on the chessboard.

A hoarse, aged voice came from his mouth.

“Beat me on the board, and you may leave.”

“What if I lose?” Xu Zimo asked.

“You’ll become like him,” the black-robed man said, pointing to a piece on the board.

“Interesting,” Xu Zimo smiled and sat down on the stone bench across the table.

He looked at the chessboard.

The chessboard appeared empty, but there were countless scenes and images hidden inside.

It seemed like a whole world was contained within it.

When Xu Zimo looked again carefully, the chessboard suddenly returned to normal.

“Are you ready?” the black-robed man asked calmly.

“Shouldn’t you tell me the rules first?” Xu Zimo asked.

This chessboard was unlike anything he knew; there were many things he didn’t understand.

“You’ll understand once you’re inside.”

The black-robed man waved his right hand, and endless dark energy surged out.

Xu Zimo’s vision changed. When he regained his senses, he found himself standing in a vast starry sky.

...

“Close your eyes, and you will understand,” the black-robed man said softly.

Xu Zimo smiled and closed his eyes slowly.

At that moment, his spiritual perception became extremely clear.

Inside this chessboard was a world of its own.

And the layout of this world was modeled after the Primordial Heartlands.

Many of its places looked identical to those in the Primordial Heartlands.

But it was different from Xu Zimo’s True Fate World.

This world was illusory.

Nothing truly existed here.

When Xu Zimo opened his eyes again, he already understood the situation.

The world within this chessboard was designed based on the Primordial Heartlands.

But it was incomplete in many parts.

He was standing above the starry sky, with the heavens above.

At this moment, the heavens were in turmoil. A vortex had appeared at its center.

The vortex was boundless, spreading across the entire sky.

And at the source of the vortex, something seemed to be forming.

“The Heaven's Will,” Xu Zimo said with widened eyes, breathing heavily.

“No... it’s also an illusion.”

The Heaven's Will was taking shape, and below it, countless people were rushing toward it in competition.

Xu Zimo couldn’t see their faces clearly, they seemed covered in mist.

There was no bloodshed, no overwhelming aura.

When those fighting died, their bodies simply disappeared.

The only one that caught Xu Zimo’s attention was the person standing at the very front, carrying three swords on his back.

He stood closest to the Heaven's Will, suppressing all others.

When the three swords were unsheathed, no one around could withstand even one move.

At that moment, the man stood above the universe, unstoppable and towering.

A majestic presence throughout the ages.

...

Even though he couldn’t see the man’s face, Xu Zimo was sure this was Grand Emperor San Dao.

The scene before him was the moment the Grand Emperor San Dao bore the Heaven's Will.

But much was left out in this scene, it couldn’t show the bloody cruelty of that time.

Xu Zimo turned his head and looked at the black-robed man.

...

This world reminded him of someone.

Someone ancient, or someone who should have died long ago.

Seeing Xu Zimo’s gaze, the black-robed man was silent for a long time before finally saying, “Please break the game.”

As his words fell, the scene in the sky changed instantly.

All the people competing for the Heaven's Will disappeared.

Only two people remained beneath the vortex.

One stood above, carrying three swords.

The other stood below, wearing a star-patterned robe.

...

Their faces couldn’t be seen. They were like chess pieces, frozen in place.

“You remind me of someone,” Xu Zimo said.

“Please break the game,” the black-robed man ignored his words and calmly repeated.

“The Ancient Star God, right?” Xu Zimo said.

Hearing that, the black-robed man slowly raised his head.

He looked at Xu Zimo in silence for a while before finally saying again, “Please break the game.”

...

The Ancient Star God, a legend from the same era as the Grand Emperor San Dao.

Back then, he may have been very famous.

But after several eras passed and everything settled, many ancient powerful names were forgotten in the silence of time.

Xu Zimo only learned of him when researching the Silent Extinction Ridge.

After all, people always remember the final victor.

Back then, the Ancient Star God entered Silent Extinction Ridge to fight for the Heaven's Will and never returned.

He was the most unique among all who tried to claim the Heaven’s Will.

All because of the Ancient Star Realm he cultivated.