I Truly Am The Villian Chapter 2: What is the Great Emperor?

He stood like any other person in this world, with common features, his long hair loosely fashioned into a simple topknot, faint streaks of white hair showing at his temples.

The only striking feature was his eyes, which appeared to hold the entirety of the Circulation Stars. A single glance from them caused the guard, Zhang Chongtian, to feel his very soul turn to ice.

It's important to realize that Zhang Chongtian himself was a cultivator in the True Vein Realm, yet he felt utterly powerless, incapable of withstanding even a single strike. Indeed, moving forward felt akin to ascending to the heavens themselves!

"You have truly grown," Xu Qingshan stated with evident pleasure.

Xu Qingshan felt a measure of surprise at his son's capacity for such prolonged stillness. After all, a genuine, powerful cultivator must learn to embrace loneliness and solitude.

"Father, you have aged," Xu Zimei remarked, his voice trembling as he observed the white strands at his father's temples.

In that moment, it felt as though all his pent-up emotions erupted. In his previous existence, he had forged a three-year pact with the destined protagonist, Chu Yang. Their agreed-upon confrontation was set for Secluded Dragon Gorge, but ultimately, he proved no match for his rival and was cast into the chasm below.

His father, seeking retribution, had marshaled the full might of their Sect to hunt Chu Yang. However, he had never foreseen the protagonist's astonishingly rapid ascent in power.

Time and again, Chu Yang evaded pursuit, growing more formidable with each escape. Finally, wielding the legendary Green Peak sword, he personally laid siege to the True Martial Holy Sect.

It was said that the ensuing battle stirred the very heavens, darkened the sky, and caused mountains and rivers to fracture.

Ultimately, his father was defeated by Chu Yang's blade. Had the Sect Master not intervened unexpectedly to de-escalate the situation, his father's life would have been in gravest peril!

Yet, that devastating encounter left such a deep scar that his father's hair turned white overnight. From that point onward, he retreated into the mountains, vanishing from public view.

But fate held an unexpected turn; after plummeting into Secluded Dragon Gorge, he did not perish but instead discovered a fortuitous encounter.

It was only then that he began his rigorous cultivation journey, driven by an intense yearning for greater strength.

Eventually, he broke through to the Divine Vein Realm, his sole aim to exact revenge upon Chu Yang.

However, he had completely underestimated Chu Yang's heaven-defying talent. The opponent possessed an array of hidden strategies that rendered that confrontation utterly shattering to all of Xu Zimei's prior arrogance.

......

Returning his focus to the present, Xu Qingshan presented a token to Xu Zimei, speaking gently, "You are now of an age to commence your cultivation. Proceed to the Scripture Pavilion and select a cultivation technique that suits you best.

This token grants access to the highest echelon of the Scripture Pavilion, where the authentic teachings of four Great Emperors reside. Your choice is entirely your own."

Xu Zimei accepted the token with a solemn nod. In truth, he had already studied the authentic teachings of those four Great Emperors in his previous life.

Yet, circumstances offered no alternative. Many actions still needed to be performed as if for the first time. He could not reveal the secret of his reincarnation, and even now, Xu Zimei remained uncertain how to harness the power of the mysterious round pearl.

"I do not wish to unduly influence your cultivation path. Whatever cultivation technique you choose should stem from your genuine interest. Ultimately, everyone must forge their own unique Dao," Xu Qingshan explained after a brief pause. "Right now, you are like a carriage teetering on the edge of a cliff. My role is to guide you, to ensure the carriage doesn't topple over.

Whether that carriage ventures east, west, south, or north is entirely dependent on your own steering."

Xu Zimei nodded, fully comprehending his father's profound message.

In essence, whether the techniques originated from a Great Emperor or were merely common cultivation methods, their ultimate significance was comparable.

Every individual would eventually need to carve their own Martial Path towards the heavens. Even potent legacies left by others belonged to them, and would never perfectly align with one's own circumstances.

"You may go now. Your mother has recently visited your grandfather's estate. I heard their Ten-Vein Fruits are nearing ripeness, and she intends to procure one for you," Xu Qingshan conveyed with a smile. "Cultivate diligently and do not let me down."

"Disappoint?" Xu Zimei mused inwardly, then affirmed with a resolute nod.

In his former life, he had indeed failed his father's expectations.

Prior to his defeat at Chu Yang's hands and his subsequent fall into Secluded Dragon Gorge, he had scarcely given serious cultivation any thought.

Lost in a haze of wine and women, he resided within a self-fashioned dreamscape. As the legitimate Crown Prince of the True Martial Holy Sect, countless individuals offered him subservient respect, groveling like subservient hounds.

His life was one of ease, devoid of any wants. Why then would he subject himself to the arduous path of cultivation?

He would later come to understand that true tranquility is a luxury, afforded by the sacrifices of others who bear unseen burdens.

......

Xu Zimei departed from his father’s Azure Mountain Peak, his destination set for the Scripture Pavilion.

Before him stood a monumental structure, veiled in an aura of immortality, a sect steeped in profound legends.

The True Martial Holy Sect was no common affiliation; it stood as an Imperial Rule Immortal Sect, boasting a lineage that traced back to four Great Emperors.

Throughout the immense and sprawling history of the True Martial Holy Sect, spanning millennia, four Great Emperors had emerged.

What defines a Great Emperor?

The absolute pinnacle of power within any given era! Ancient lore tells of a celestial destiny bestowed by the heavens and earth in each epoch, and the one who ascends above all others to claim this destiny becomes the Great Emperor.

...

Ten thousand years prior, the Yuan Central Continent languished in the brutal Wild Desolation Era. Humanity was as insignificant as scattered ants, as inconsequential as motes of dust, their existence perpetually on the brink of annihilation.

On a fated day, a warrior named True Martial embarked on a solitary journey, his sword his only companion. Through trials of life and death, he ignited the Divine Fire, forged his imperial might, and claimed his destined path.

Finally, from his vantage point high above the firmament, he declared with resounding finality, "This destiny is mine alone!"

With these words, the Wild Desolation Era drew to a close, and humanity heralded the dawn of the unprecedented Era of Emperors.

The True Martial Great Emperor became the inaugural Great Emperor of the Era of Emperors, inaugurating an epoch of profound change and breathtaking splendor.

"We recognize you as the supreme," the multitudes proclaimed in unison, their bodies pressed to the ground in reverence before the overwhelming majesty of the True Martial Great Emperor.

...

Having claimed his destiny, the True Martial Great Emperor journeyed to the Extreme West Region of the Eastern Continent, where he founded the True Martial Holy Sect.

Upon the establishment of the True Martial Holy Sect, esteemed guests arrived from every corner of the land, offering felicitations. Throngs from distant shores bowed in sincere veneration, and countless aspirants clamored for acceptance into the sect.

Furthermore, numerous other sects expressed a fervent desire to become affiliated with the True Martial Holy Sect as subordinate branches.

From that moment on, the vast expanse of mountains and rivers, stretching for thousands of miles within the Extreme West Region, fell under the dominion of the True Martial Holy Sect, a reign that continues to this very day.

...

Millennia later, another formidable figure emerged from the ranks of the True Martial Holy Sect.

Though his name has long faded from worldly memory, the mere mental image of the three imposing blades he bore upon his back could send shivers of dread through the souls of all who recalled them.

"Immortal Slay, Demon Slay, True Self."

Wielding these three legendary blades, this individual single-handedly subdued his era.

He was recognized as the seventh Great Emperor to grace the Era of Emperors, and the second such luminary to emerge from the True Martial Holy Sect.

"The Great Emperor of the Three Blades!"

...

Another ten thousand years elapsed, and the True Martial Holy Sect witnessed the ascendance of its third Great Emperor.

"Divine Travel Great Emperor."

Amidst the pantheon of formidable Great Emperors throughout eternities past, the Divine Travel Great Emperor may not have been the most resplendent.

However, his unparalleled speed placed him at the very forefront among all Great Emperors.

In the twilight of the Divine Travel Great Emperor's era, he cast a contemplative gaze towards the distant, unseen edges of the world.

His parting words echoed with profound meaning: "With these feet, I shall traverse the glorious mountains and rivers, witness the full spectrum of life's splendor, and journey to the ultimate zenith of the sun and moon."

Then, he departed, leaving behind only a legendary silhouette etched forever in the collective memory of humankind.