I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 404 - Vermillion Bird vs. Shadow Dragon

The Four Great Guardians froze in place. Their expressions were grim as they exchanged glances, all seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.

“You all come back,” Zhao Changfeng frowned slightly and said to them.

The four immediately nodded, stepped back, and said nothing further.

“Mister, how about we both take a step back?” Zhao Changfeng turned to Xu Zimo and said calmly.

“Why should I back down? You need to have the strength to negotiate with me first,” Xu Zimo replied coolly.

“You really think there’s no one in Vermilion Bird Academy who can stop you?” Zhao said flatly.

Though Vermilion Bird Academy couldn’t compare to Heavenly Dao Academy in ancient history or ancient masters, it was still backed by Heavenly Dao and had a solid foundation.

Since its founding, the academy had taught countless students and produced innumerable strong cultivators.

Few people truly knew how powerful Vermilion Bird Academy was, and the outside world could only speculate.

Xu Zimo chuckled, gripping his curved blade Shadow Tyrant. Dark spiritforce gathered on the blade as it trembled slightly.

He stepped toward Zhao Changfeng one step at a time.

Zhao frowned, not backing down. His aura, the peak of Empyrean Meridian Realm, surged outward.

As the head of Vermilion Bird Academy, he was the strongest on the surface.

“Mister, must you be our enemy today?” Zhao asked calmly.

“Hand over the Blazing-Vermillion God-Sparrow Physique and I’ll leave without another word,” Xu Zimo replied.

“That’s impossible,” Zhao shook his head.

Spiritforce erupted from his body, and his true fate appeared, a blazing red Vermilion Bird phantom.

It was incredibly lifelike, as if the divine beast had truly descended. Its powerful beast aura filled all of Vermilion Bird City.

Flames surged across the sky, blanketing it in blazing fire.

The Vermilion Bird screeched, its sharp cry echoing through the heavens.

When it spread its wings, it covered the entire sky. Its sharp eyes locked onto Xu Zimo as if ready to dive down any moment.

Xu Zimo snorted coldly. He raised Shadow Tyrant, and from within the blade came a dragon’s roar.

The weapon’s spirit, Shadow Dragon, was activated.

A massive black dragon, over 100 meters long and radiating a powerful dragon might, burst from the blade.

The Shadow Dragon soared into the sky, piercing through the Vermilion Bird’s fire barrier and circling above with a predatory gaze fixed on Zhao Changfeng.

Xu Zimo’s aura surged around him. He swung Shadow Tyrant slowly, and the dragon’s eyes flashed with black mist.

With a long roar, it charged toward the Vermilion Bird.

The Vermilion Bird let out a shriek and surged forward with overwhelming fire.

The flames melted the sky itself. The bird’s entire body was wrapped in layers of blazing fire.

As they collided, Boom!

Waves of energy spread out in all directions.

Half of the space collapsed.

The two beasts clashed, dragon roars and bird screeches mixed, demonic aura clashing with flames.

Thunderous explosions echoed through the air.

The Shadow Dragon wrapped its massive body around the Vermilion Bird, trying to trap it.

But the Vermilion Bird’s fire burned ever stronger, attacking the dragon’s body relentlessly.

Zhao Changfeng frowned as he watched. He continued strengthening his true fate while quickly commanding the Vermilion Bird.

Meanwhile, Xu Zimo remained calm.

With a casual wave of his hand, he infused the dragon with the power of creation.

As the dragon absorbed this power, its aura exploded. With a swing of its tail, it flung the Vermilion Bird into the void.

Then it grabbed the Vermilion Bird’s wings and, with a roar, ripped them apart.

As the wings tore off, the Shadow Dragon rushed forward and coiled its body around the bird,

With a final cry, the Vermilion Bird vanished into the air.

Zhao Changfeng spat out a mouthful of blood, pale-faced and stumbling backward. The direct damage to his true fate was overwhelming.

Worse still, his opponent hadn’t even used his own True Fate.

Zhao took a deep breath, extremely wary of Xu Zimo.

...

“Even Dean Zhao lost?” the nearby students whispered in disbelief.

“Is this guy some Immortal who became young again? He only looks a few years older than us, how is he so strong?”

“Even the holy sons and daughters of imperial lineages don’t seem this monstrous.”

Amid the chatter, the Four Guardians supported Zhao Changfeng, all staring at Xu Zimo with full vigilance.

Xu Zimo gave a light chuckle and turned to the stunned Yue Qingli.

“Come with me.”

“Ah? Oh, okay,” Yue Qingli snapped out of it and quickly followed.

Xu Zimo headed straight toward Vermilion Bird Academy.

The two disciples at the gate didn’t dare stop him.

“What is he doing?” the Thunder Guardian asked in confusion.

“Oh no, the Blazing-Vermillion God-Sparrow Physique!” Zhao Changfeng suddenly realized.

Everyone rushed into the academy.

...

Passing through the crimson gate, the inside of Vermilion Bird Academy became clear.

“So this is the Sacred Academy,” Yue Qingli murmured, amazed as he looked around.

Towering buildings, some over a hundred stories high, were everywhere.

Floating islands hung in the sky, while neatly dressed students in red robes walked below.

Distant mountains and rivers were shrouded in mist, with only faint outlines visible.

In the center stood a thousand-meter-tall Vermilion Bird tower, the first thing anyone saw upon entering.

...

Yue Qingli stood still, overwhelmed by the sight of the place he once dreamed of.

“Why are you dazed?” Xu Zimo asked calmly.

“Teacher, why are we here?” Yue Qingli asked quickly.

“To take something,” Xu Zimo replied.

He led Yue Qingli toward a tower structure.

It was common knowledge that Vermilion Bird Academy possessed the Blazing-Vermillion God-Sparrow Physique.

However, it had never been given to any student, which many found odd.

They soon arrived at a black tower.

The tower was a hundred stories tall, so high its top was out of sight.

Few students were nearby, this seemed like a forbidden area.

Two black-robed guards stood at the entrance. As Xu Zimo and Yue Qingli approached, the guards immediately blocked their path.