I Really Am A Villain Chapter 3 - Annihilation Codex

The inheritance from the three Grand Emperors once propelled the True Martial Sacred Ground into a golden era like no other.

Yet in this world, all things adhere to cycles of rise and fall—what blooms must someday wither.

Over the tens of thousands of years that followed, the sect produced no new Grand Emperor.

Remaining a colossal force, the True Martial Sacred Ground still faced an inevitable slide from its past splendor.

This changed three thousand years back, when one girl's emergence broke the prolonged lull.

She hailed from a secluded village deep within the vast ten-thousand-mile domain under True Martial Sacred Ground's rule.

She spent fifteen years in modest simplicity until a clash between two Desolate Meridian Realm cultivators unfolded high above her village one day.

In that instant, a spark ignited in her youthful heart, offering a peek into a vast new realm.

Fueled by wonder and desire, she traveled to the True Martial Sacred Ground to seek entry, only to fail the aptitude trials due to her mediocre spiritual roots.

Undeterred, the girl dropped to her knees on the stone steps before the sect gate and stayed put for seven straight days.

Storms lashed at her, fierce sun scorched from above. Not a sip of water passed her lips, no food touched her mouth.

A mere mortal without power back then, she weathered every trial. Even as her mind faded in and out, it never fully slipped away. Her unyielding determination touched onlookers.

Finally, an outer court elder felt compassion and took her on as a registered disciple.

Like a frog stuck in a shallow well craving freedom, like an ant trudging over the land, forever inching ahead… ceaselessly striving.

Then came the day that ant rose mighty, and folks finally saw: At some unknown moment, she had soared to rival the very heavens.

Her time brimmed with brilliant talents and myriad prodigies.

No one could have foreseen a girl of plain aptitude dominating her whole generation.

Grand Empress Hong Tian—that's what they named her.

In the boundless chronicle of Grand Emperors, Grand Empress Hong Tian blazed as one of the brightest luminaries.

Her radiance lit up not just her age but deeply shaped Emperors who followed in her wake.

Under her lead, the True Martial Sacred Ground entered a second golden epoch.

…

Xu Zimo pondered the sect's storied past, his expression growing grave.

Someday, he aimed to etch his name among the myriad stellar legends of this grand heritage.

…

He headed toward the Scripture Vault, nestled in the sect's core.

There, it safeguarded all techniques and martial skills amassed since the True Martial Sacred Ground's inception.

Far from the grand imposing presence expected, the vault's surroundings exuded a serene, soothing vibe.

Towering ancient trees stretched upward. Spirit herbs blanketed the earth. Dao Flowers burst in vivid hues, with radiant butterflies fluttering nearby.

Uncommon alchemy fowls roamed about, caring for the plants—tilling dirt, adding nutrients, and removing bugs.

The Scripture Vault rose in eighteen levels. At its doorway, Xu Zimo sensed an aura of timeless depth. The structure loomed silent, whispering of epochs spanning tens of thousands of years.

Green mingled with soft gold in its hue, featuring jade bases, blue-green shingles, and red-tinged ridges.

Strange beasts adorned the roof edges—eagles with wings unfurled, phoenixes in flight, leopards mid-roar, lions snarling fiercely.

No sentries stood at the entrance, but Xu Zimo keenly detected perilous power lurking nearby.

Advanced formations lay concealed everywhere. Trespassers would trigger them, trapping even a Paragon Meridian Realm expert with little chance of breakout.

…

Xu Zimo inserted his father’s token into the door's groove. A concealed guardian elder would check it and grant suitable entry rights.

The glowing shield dissolved, letting Xu Zimo step through.

The ground level featured a straightforward design, with countless bookshelves lined in order.

Various meridian skills and cultivation arts filled each rack, shielded by subtle luminous veils.

Every shelf bore a front plaque detailing the techniques' names, uses, and ranks inside.

Xu Zimo pressed on without pause, ascending directly to the eighteenth level.

Dim light bathed the area, which contained just four statues.

Each figure occupied its own separate void-like domain.

Xu Zimo positioned himself in front and scanned them left to right.

The initial statue depicted a long-haired man with locks cascading over his shoulders. He exuded dominance, eyes profound and boundless, embodying a ruler supreme over all.

This figure towered with mountains underfoot and heavens upon his shoulders.

The second statue depicted yet another man, emanating an intensely obsessive aura—as if he had forsaken all else for a singular devotion.

Exuding pride and untamed ferocity, three peculiar long sabers were strapped across his back.

One glimpse at those blades made it clear: here stood a warrior utterly surrendered to the saber’s path, one whose life and death revolved around it.

“Born beneath the saber, die beneath the saber.”

The third statue revealed only a shadowy outline. It seemed transient, positioned right before your eyes while feeling infinitely remote at the same moment.

Shifting fluidly between the real and the void, his sole quest was the profoundest secret of swiftness.

The fourth statue portrayed a woman whose flowing locks tumbled down her back, her countenance veiled by a gossamer shroud.

Her presence altered with every gaze. Initially, she radiated innocence and vivacity, akin to the charming girl next door, the type to capture your heart on a tranquil afternoon.

With the next glance, she turned alluring and mesmerizing.

Then, she emerged as a dauntless combatant, a war divinity unmoved by carnage, resolute in her convictions and unrivaled in prowess.

At last, she transcended into something wholly unique—an Empress reigning supreme. An absolute sovereign. Under her piercing stare, all creatures dwindled to ants. The world’s splendor faded to irrelevance in the shadow of her might.

…

Xu Zimo gazed at the statues commemorating the four Grand Emperors from his sect’s storied past, reverence swelling within his chest.

Honestly, cultivating another’s art held no appeal for him. In his previous life, he had already carved out his own martial journey.

Still, to dodge scrutiny and mask his hidden truth, he opted for Grand Emperor San Dao’s technique.

He genuinely respected the Grand Emperor’s unyielding, fanatical saber dao—it promised a solid interim cultivation path.

Xu Zimo rested his palm against the statue, shut his eyes, cleared his mind, and sought to attune himself to it.

A dense white fog cloaked the area. A rush of memories flooded into his consciousness.

This was Grand Emperor San Dao’s signature cultivation method, the Annihilation Codex.

Everything commences in annihilation. Everything concludes in annihilation. Arisen from annihilation. Extinguished in annihilation.

Securing the technique, Xu Zimo geared up to depart.

Moments before pivoting away, he cast an offhand look at the vault’s corner, let a subtle smile play on his lips, and strolled off utterly unburdened.