I Truly Am The Villian Chapter 2297 - 2296: The Assassination Arrives, the Monster Revives

"Weren't you curious just now?"

"Why, knowing the dangers of demons, did I still release it?"

Xu Zimei gazed upon the shattered statue.

He calmly stated, "Because, to me, demons are merely like ants."

"Just as an ant beneath your feet, would you truly concern yourself with the threat of its escape?"

Liu Ruyan was aware of Xu Zimei's formidable strength.

However, she had not anticipated Xu Zimei to possess such an unshakeable confidence.

The very entity that had annihilated the Bliss Sect was, in his eyes, nothing more than an insignificant ant.

At this precise moment, as Sikong Xingyun's statue disintegrated entirely.

A deep crimson glow erupted from within the broken fragments.

Instantly, a chilling gale swept through the heavens, accompanied by sounds akin to furious roars.

The scarlet light cascaded across the sky, enveloping the entirety of the Doomsday Temple.

"Boom, boom, boom."

Xu Zimei observed the crimson luminescence, akin to a wild horse set free, relishing its newfound liberty.

He watched in quiet contemplation.

Eventually, the red light, as if weary of its revelry, burrowed into the form of the mysterious man.

At that instant, the eyes of the man, previously vacant like an automaton, flickered with a crimson hue.

The peculiar man unleashed a ferocious roar.

"It is free, finally free."

"One thousand years of confinement, and I have finally emerged triumphant."

"Lu Simiao, you could not contain me; the loser, as always, remains you."

"The greed of this world is my sustenance; as long as greed endures, I shall never be extinguished."

A potent energy surged from the mysterious man's physique, reminiscent of crashing ocean waves.

Once the initial euphoria began to subside.

His gaze eventually settled upon Xu Zimei.

He understood that it was Xu Zimei who had orchestrated his release.

"You have done well in freeing me, boy; I shall grant you a single wish," the strange man declared with indifference.

"A wish?" Xu Zimei inquired, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Indeed, I have already determined your wish for you; you may request that I spare your life," the strange man responded with a smile.

"I have no need for such a boon; I command you to obliterate Demon City once more," Xu Zimei stated calmly.

The strange man's brow furrowed slightly.

Observing Xu Zimei's composed demeanor, suspicion began to creep into his mind.

He recalled falling prey to Lu Simiao's machinations due to an excess of emotion in the past.

Now, he regarded Xu Zimei with a wary eye.

He then probed, "Boy, why did you release me? What is your true objective?"

Before Xu Zimei could formulate a reply, a formidable throng began to converge upon the Doomsday Temple from the outside.

Xu Zimei's gaze shifted towards the exterior of the temple.

First, rivers of blood emanated from all directions, the turbulent and viscous currents coiling around the temple.

Subsequently, the sound of marching footsteps echoed.

Figures advanced deliberately through the cloying blood.

These were not living humans, but rather corpses devoid of consciousness.

These zombies, lacking sentience, would relentlessly assault any living being, tearing it asunder.

There were at least several hundred, if not thousands, of these zombies, wading through the blood, presenting a hideous and terrifying spectacle.

... …

"Observe these enemies surrounding us; would you not assist me in dispatching them?"

Xu Zimei proposed.

"Watching you all annihilate each other would be far more entertaining," the strange man chuckled.

He subtly withdrew, adopting a stance of an observer anticipating the unfolding drama.

Yet, Xu Zimei emitted a soft chuckle.

He declared, "You may not desire it, but your wishes are no longer your own to decide; your words hold no sway here."

Xu Zimei slowly raised his hands, his fingertips appearing to manipulate invisible strings.

The strange man found himself behaving like a puppet, utterly under his control.

"What is occurring? What have you done?"

The strange man struggled with all his might.

However, he discovered that complete dominion over his own body had been wrested away.

His every effort to resist proved utterly futile.

"What have I done? I am merely directing you through the very essence of greed," Xu Zimei elucidated.

"You were originally a spirit of the heavens, untethered."

"Without roots or foundation, strength or weakness, life or death held no meaning; only through greed did you acquire vitality."

"You may grow formidable by embracing greed, yet you are also bound to be governed by it."

As Xu Zimei articulated these words, he gestured with his right hand.

The bewildered strange man, now following his lead, exited the Doomsday Temple.

"I decree that you shall raze Demon City once more; whether you are willing or not, you shall comply," Xu Zimei commanded.

Upon hearing Xu Zimei's directive, the strange man unleashed an enraged roar.

Meanwhile, the elderly monk remained with his eyes tightly shut, silently chanting Buddhist scriptures, refraining from opening them.

"Be it fortune or calamity, it now lies beyond his influence."

"All occurrences in this world have, in essence, been preordained by unseen forces."

From the very moment Xu Zimei seized control of the strange man, the inevitable destruction of Demon City in a bloody cataclysm was sealed.

It is whispered that Demon City is a realm devoid of law.

Here, might dictates all; notions of justice and morality are utterly irrelevant.

Yet, when this lawless metropolis encountered Xu Zimei, it was reduced to the stature of a minor fiend facing a supreme devil.

Xu Zimei's silhouette materialized within Demon City.

Immediately, he became the focal point of attention for countless zombies.

The blood pooling on the ground began to coalesce, taking on a discernible form.

The leader of Blood River Valley, known to the inhabitants of Demon City as the Blood Ancestor, stood present.

Alongside the Blood Ancestor was an elder with a white beard, Dugu Yun, who held the position of Great Elder of Blood River Valley.

His eyes blazed with fury as he fixed his gaze upon Xu Zimei, his voice like thunder.

He roared, "Boy, did you kill Zhaoyue?"

Xu Zimei offered no reply.

He merely stated, "No need to hurry. Wait until all of you have arrived, and then I shall deal with you collectively."

Not long after, the Master of Corpse Burial Mound also made his appearance.

This Master was known as Emperor Qingshi.

The name "Qingshi" reflected their guiding principle: the transformation of all living things into zombies, thereby achieving a purification of the world.

Emperor Qingshi, dressed in a black robe, possessed entirely black pupils, devoid of any discernible eyeballs.

He was attended by an innumerable horde of zombies, forming a celestial display around him.

However, the moment his gaze landed on Xu Zimei.

Instantly, a tremor ran through the multitude of zombies.

Emperor Qingshi was immensely enraged by the demise of the Black Soul Mage.

Considering the Black Soul Mage was the second-in-command of Corpse Burial Mound, and typically quite capable, his death was a significant loss.

Without any repercussions for this act, Corpse Burial Mound would likely struggle to maintain its standing in Demon City.

At this juncture, Xu Zimei had managed to provoke both Blood River Valley and Corpse Burial Mound.

With the combined might of these two factions, they initiated a grand formation, encasing the entirety of Demon City.

They swiftly pinpointed Xu Zimei's location.

Upon learning that Xu Zimei had ventured towards the Doomsday Temple, both factions grew considerably uneasy.

While others might not comprehend the sheer terror associated with the Doomsday Temple, they certainly did.