Chapter 21 | How Could the Master of All Villains Be Righteous?

The spinning umbrella handle came to a stop. The lazy look in Feng Ling's eyes shifted instantly as his gaze locked onto Wen Li.

Wen Li continued, “Lord Feng Ling must have heard of the Divine Mound Ruins. It is a place where even Soul Formation cultivators fall, yet the opportunities within are a once-in-a-ten-thousand-years occurrence for the Western Province. Even if you cannot enter yourself, if you take the opportunity to enter to the Nine Corpses Palace, they would surely reevaluate Jiuyin Island.”

“Currently, Jiuyin Island stands at the head of the four major sects in the Western Province. If the Nine Corpses Palace offers its aid, would you not like to taste the supreme power of ruling over an entire province?”

Feng Ling sneered mockingly. “Do you think a few deceitful words will make me let you go?”

“You could always kill me and extract my soul memories.”

Wen Li smiled faintly, leaving it entirely to Feng Ling whether to believe her or not. “However, you can only find out if I remain alive. If you don't believe me, why not take a gamble?”

Only then did Feng Ling look at her properly. He had never been able to see through this woman. A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator could command his Nine Underworlds Reincarnation Banner and even knew about the Divine Mound Ruins...

While he hesitated, Wen Li, who appeared calm on the surface, was screaming inwardly at the system.

Damned system! Have you found a weapon yet or what?!

[Eh? Host, can't you use that information to get Feng Ling to spare you?] the system replied nonchalantly.

Bullshit information! I was lying to him!

[You should have said so earlier!] The system suddenly jolted awake. [I found a Supreme Grade Rank 5 Immortal Sword in the armory. However, given your cultivation, you can only unleash thirty percent of its power, giving you just a single chance for a fatal blow. It will require deducting points into the negative, and you must unlock six villains within three years afterward, or you die.]

Wen Li’s brows furrowed tightly. Give it to me.

Her life was almost on the line; what good was worrying about all that useless nonsense?

“You've stalled for so long, yet the person coming to save you still hasn't arrived.”

Suddenly, Feng Ling moved.

Perhaps what she said about the Divine Mound Ruins was true, but wouldn't it be far safer to capture her and place a curse on her to keep her under control?

Exposed, Wen Li shrugged. “Then why did you listen to my nonsensical chatter for so long?”

“Because... I wanted to watch your desperate death throes. It's quite amusing.”

Wen Li felt a surge of power in her hand. The cheat provided by the system had arrived. She curled her lips into a smile.

“Is that so? Has Lord Feng Ling ever heard a certain saying?”

“What saying?”

“Villains die from talking too much.”

With those words, she flipped her right hand. A surge of spiritual energy swirled in the air, stirring up winds and clouds while sweeping yellow sand off the ground.

Amidst the golden light, an immortal sword radiating a mysterious aura slowly materialized. Its blade was long and slender, with translucent cold light gleaming along its edges. Strange runes were engraved upon the steel, vibrating with a newly emerged sword hum that echoed between heaven and earth. Filled with defiance and arrogance toward its enemy, its sword qi pressed aggressively against everything around it.

The hilt was carved with twin golden serpents, their flickering tongues bearing blood-red droplets, wrapped in a sinister aura.

Wen Li’s pale hand gripped the immortal sword tightly. She swished the sword in a flourish and surged forward with all her might, slashing down toward Feng Ling.

Feng Ling’s eyes flickered slightly. What kind of sword was this to actually make him feel uneasy?

Yet he did not dodge. Holding his red umbrella, he charged straight toward Wen Li. As he twisted the umbrella handle, dozens of eerie blue bone blades shot out from the tip.

Bang!

Wen Li raised her hand and slashed down, snapping those bone blades squarely in half!

Feng Ling’s expression chilled. As the remaining bone blades rushed at Wen Li, he pulled out the Nine Underworlds Reincarnation Banner, forming hand seals while chanting an incantation.

The banner spun rapidly, releasing a dark, malignant aura as it flew into the sky. It expanded instantly, and skull after skull emerged from the black mist, jostling and roaring wildly outward.

Feng Ling’s red robes fluttered around him, dark mist swirling around the corners of his narrow eyes.

“Kill her!”

He thrust his hands forward, and millions of skulls surged out like a roaring flood, charging straight for Wen Li.

Yet the strike she had swung earlier had managed to sever all the other bone blades!

It even collided with the towering malevolence and ghostly spirits of the Nine Underworlds Reincarnation Banner, locking against it in a deadlock. Violent air currents swirled around them, throwing the surrounding world into turmoil and emanating a subtle, space-destroying aura.

Astonishment flickered in Feng Ling's eyes. His instinct told him something was wrong.

Holding back no longer, he instantly formed hand seals. A dark blue vortex materialized behind him, and the bone blades that had been cleaved apart by Wen Li flew out from it once more.

He soared into the air, a ruthless sneer on his thin lips.

“For a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator to force this move out of me, your death will not be in vain.”

With that, he commanded all the bone blades to hurtle toward the immortal sword with a violent crash.

Bang!!!

Boom!

The Supreme Grade immortal sword actually trembled and was forced back step by step. Blood trickled from the corner of Wen Li's mouth as she plunged straight from the sky, her feet skidding along the ground and carving a trench dozens of meters long in the sand.

[Host!]

The system shrieked in horror as the immortal sword was knocked flying by Feng Ling's spiritual energy, leaving thousands of skulls to swarm in and engulf Wen Li.

[Be...] Panicking, the system desperately wanted to break the rules and risk digging an underground tunnel for her.

Bang!!!!

Boom—

Yet in the very next instant, an explosion erupted in midair. A deafening roar accompanied by clouds of dust and smoke obscured the entire world.

Wen Li was thrown dozens of meters away, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood. Fine beads of sweat poured from her forehead due to intense pain, and though she tried to push herself up, she ultimately collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The system also went offline as she fell into a coma.

Yellow sand swept across the sky, cloaking the world in apocalyptic gloom.

Amidst the swirling sand and dust, a protective shield shimmering with eerie blue lightning slowly descended from the air. A barely perceptible streak of blood was cut into Feng Ling's cheek as he looked around vigilantly.