I Truly Am The Villian

The figure of the woman in red was dreamlike, while the melody of the woman in blue seemed illusory.

The two complemented each other perfectly, their music lingering for three days, enchanting and surreal.

"Dean Feng, we've been awaiting your arrival for quite some time," Patriarch Chu Feiyang of the Chu Family stood up first and said with a smile.

"You've traveled a long way, please take a seat."

As Feng Buxiu's party entered, some factions within the grand hall also rose to express their goodwill.

Such as Ciyuan Temple and Sin Prison.

However, some factions showed little respect, such as the Dragon Demon Sect and the Monster Temple.

Especially the Nine Ghosts Academy. Xu Zimei noticed a familiar face—the Academy's Dean, Wu Daozi.

This time, seated beside him was a woman dressed in a fitted long gown.

Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall down both sides of her temples.

The woman's eyes were pitch black, and as she sipped a drink from her wine glass, she appeared indifferent. She was likely the current contestant representing the Nine Ghosts Academy.

Upon seeing Xu Zimei and his companions, Wu Daozi let out a heavy and disdainful snort.

With Chu Feiyang extending his greetings, the Seven Gods Academy members took their seats.

They had barely settled when the Wujian Academy group also arrived shortly thereafter.

Emperor Feilian glanced at Xu Zimei and made a throat-slitting gesture, his expression particularly arrogant.

Xu Zimei responded with a light smile, tapping his index finger twice on the table, producing a "tap-tap" sound.

"Why wait for the competition? I can send you to your death right here and now."

"Everyone, everyone, allow me to intervene," Chu Feiyang saw the scene on the verge of spiraling out of control and quickly stepped forward to mediate.

He took a deep breath, knowing that the factions here were fundamentally irreconcilable.

Though tensions between the Dragon Demon Sect and Sin Prison had recently eased, the Seven Gods Academy's arrival seemed to stir chaos once more.

"Honored guests, any grievances can be settled during the competition, and no one will interfere."

"For now, I ask that you grant the Chu Family a semblance of face."

"Patriarch Chu, we will honor your request," Wu Daozi was quick to respond.

"But what form is this year's White Emperor Mountain competition supposed to take? You've yet to reveal it, and everyone's growing impatient."

"The Northern Hill has not arrived yet," Chu Feiyang replied with a smile.

"Once they are here, I will announce it all at once."

"Northern Hill, huh. Everyone else is here, yet they're the ones tardy," someone grumbled from the crowd.

"A group of mere women, no wonder they are unfit for the grand hall."

The moment those words fell, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Soon, Steward Chu rushed into the hall in a flustered state.

"Patriarch! The Northern Hill representatives have arrived."

"If they've arrived, why not invite them in?" Chu Feiyang barked.

"I'm afraid they cannot be invited in," Steward Chu hesitated before responding.

"You had best come outside and see for yourself."

Chu Feiyang knitted his brows and was the first to stride outside the Hall of Heroes. The rest of the factions followed closely behind.

As they stepped out of the grand hall, the pungent stench of blood and the tangy odor of foxes assaulted their senses.

Looking ahead, they saw a fox and a woman lying in the clearing.

Both were clearly gravely injured. The woman was in slightly better condition, though her face was pale and hair disheveled.

As for the fox, its body was drenched in blood. It had nine tails, but eight had been severed, and its fur was riddled with wounds.

"What happened here?" Chu Feiyang exclaimed in shock.

The sheer disbelief was shared by everyone present, whose expressions varied greatly.

"What's going on?" Xu Zimei turned to Feng Buxiu and asked.

"That fox is the Clan Leader of Northern Hill—Ji Linglong. It's likely that severe injuries have forced her to revert to this form.

The woman next to her, based on our intel, should be Northern Hill's contestant for this competition, Ji Jiuning."

Feng Buxiu continued speaking with a solemn tone, "Ji Linglong exists at the peak of the Great Emperor realm. For anyone to harm her like this, the offender must possess the power of a Great Saint."

"Heaven Venerable then," Xu Zimei muttered to himself.

The Five Realms of the Great Emperor: Yin and Yang, Refining Void, Divine Passage, Life and Death, and finally Heaven Venerable.

Xu Zimei himself was currently in the third realm, Divine Passage.

He was still quite a distance away from reaching the Heaven Venerable level. Witnessing such devastation, he sighed inwardly.

At times, even Great Emperors were akin to ants—perhaps just mightier ants.

......…

"Quick, begin treatment!" Chu Feiyang commanded with urgency.

"Summon the Holy Doctor immediately."

Steward Chu nodded rapidly and dashed out the door.

Meanwhile, Chu Feiyang's hands began channeling spiritual energy, aiming it toward the fox's battered body—but the energy dissipated each time it condensed midway, forcibly interrupted.

It seemed as though a force within the fox's body clashed back in resistance.

Chu Feiyang's face darkened, and he resorted to using his power to shield the woman lying beside the fox instead.

In no time, Steward Chu returned, leading an elderly man who hurried closely behind.

"Holy Doctor, we request your expertise," Chu Feiyang moved aside and implored upon seeing the aged figure.

The old man nodded slightly, his attire a long robe of ivory-white.

His hair and beard were entirely gray, a testament to his advanced years.

The old man extended his palm, and a golden-yellow glow dispersed from his hand, expanding to envelop the injured fox entirely.

His furrowed brows deepened as he scrutinized the scene. Each wrinkle on his forehead seemed to intertwine tightly.

"It cannot be saved," the old man sighed, standing up and looking ahead.

"No way to save it?" Chu Feiyang inquired anxiously.

"There is a way—go to the Illusionary Sea and retrieve her Yin Soul. Then I can heal her," the Holy Doctor explained.

His words plunged the gathering into silence.

To seek Yin Souls in the Illusionary Sea—wasn't that a journey of no return, even for a Great Saint?

"But the young woman can still be cured," the old man glanced at the unconscious Ji Jiuning and spoke calmly.

"Shall I proceed?"

"Yes. Get her cured, and we'll find out exactly what transpired," Chu Feiyang agreed with a nod.

The others present were equally curious.

To be truthful, Northern Hill's demise was of no concern to them. Whether it was the death of a Clan Leader or the annihilation of the entire Northern Hill, it mattered little.

Their concern lay in discovering the force capable of pursuing Northern Hill.

Could that entity pose a threat to them as well?

The Chu Family, in particular, could not afford complications disrupting the competition.

The Holy Doctor flicked his fingers. A golden pill, radiating brilliant light, soared into Ji Jiuning's mouth.

Suddenly, her body floated into the air.

A tremendous force churned within, seemingly expelling the energy resisting her recovery.

"What an overbearing presence," the Holy Doctor remarked with mild astonishment.

He produced golden needles, interconnected by threads, and directed them into Ji Jiuning's body.

Ji Jiuning let out a soft groan before spitting up a mouthful of black blood.

That black blood appeared to contain something sinister and immediately attempted to flee underground.

"Intercept it!" Chu Feiyang shouted.

As the entity surged skyward, monks from Ciyuan Temple stepped forward decisively.