I Truly Am The Villian Chapter 2298 - 2297: The Great Battle Erupts, Cruel Truth

The Doomsday Temple stood as a formidable power in Demon City, rivaling the two major factions established back then.

Even at its zenith, the Doomsday Temple was a force that compelled both Blood River Valley and Corpse Burial Mound to unite if they ever hoped to challenge it.

Then, for reasons that remain shrouded in mystery.

One day, the Doomsday Temple declared its withdrawal from the city's power struggles.

They relinquished all influence in Demon City, preserving solely their ancient temple.

Apart from the customary annual sacrifices, the Doomsday Temple faded into silence, its activities becoming nearly non-existent.

Over a considerable period, their initial caution evolved into present-day indifference, as the other two prominent powers ceased to regard the Doomsday Temple as a threat.

However, the moment news spread that Xu Zimei had entered the Doomsday Temple, both major factions felt a prickle of unease.

What if this was a sign that the Doomsday Temple intended to resurface?

Should the Doomsday Temple decide to make a move, the Blood River Valley and Corpse Burial Mound would instantly put aside their animosity and join forces to subdue it.

The territory of Demon City was finite, and any entity attempting to claim a share of their dominion was utterly unacceptable.

At this critical juncture, an endless expanse of blood-red rivers merged with countless reanimated corpses, forming a tight cordon around the Doomsday Temple.

As Xu Zimei emerged, Emperor Qingshi's brow furrowed slightly.

He recognized the elder monk from the Doomsday Temple.

The practitioner's Myriad Forms Method was known for its perplexing nature.

Yet, Xu Zimei himself was an unknown entity.

"Doomsday Venerable, since when has your Doomsday Temple extended hospitality to outsiders?" Emperor Qingshi inquired coolly.

From the very entrance of the Doomsday Temple, the aged monk slowly stepped forth.

His expression was placid, devoid of emotion, presenting an unexpectedly serene visage.

The Blood Ancestor guffawed, "Doomsday, you have sequestered yourself from the world for years, devoted to vegetarian meals and Buddhist chants; how is it that you still emanate an aura of authority, despite hands once stained with the blood of countless demons?"

"Does this not strike you as a peculiar irony?"

"Having embarked upon this path, born within Demon City, yet failing to see it through to its conclusion, do you now intend to embrace righteousness?"

Upon hearing these words, the old monk simply shook his head.

He responded, "It is all futile; regardless of the path taken or the deeds performed, it holds no significance."

"For everything is an illusion, and all your actions, all the lives you have extinguished, will eventually be reset."

"Doomsday, what cryptic pronouncements are these? You speak with an inexplicable air of mystery," Emperor Qingshi asserted icily.

"Who precisely is this individual?"

"He has committed acts against members of our two great forces; do you intend to offer him sanctuary?"

"This person, he is one who causes dreams to vanish," the old monk observed, looking toward Xu Zimei.

A sorrowful laugh escaped his lips, "Indeed!"

"All things must revert to their original state, must they not?"

"It is remarkably convenient to converse with an astute mind," Xu Zimei remarked with a smile.

"When something has never truly existed, how can its disappearance be asserted?"

"I am eager to ascertain the identity of that fragment of reality; who is it, precisely?" The old monk's tone held a hint of lingering reluctance.

Perhaps it was the approach of death, a reluctance to let go, an enduring desire to uncover the truth.

After all, his lifelong pursuit had culminated in this profound fixation.

"Reality, hmm, I might as well enlighten you," Xu Zimei declared with a grin.

"The esteemed Medicine King of Demon City; do you recall the name Lu Simiao?"

"Lu Simiao, Lu Simiao," the monk echoed, the name reverberating twice.

A sudden surge of emotion overcame the old monk.

He then erupted into laughter, a mixture of mirth and despair. "It was all predetermined; utterly destined!"

The Medicine King wielded such renown throughout Demon City, yet he had never encountered him.

The question was, why had he never heard of him?

It was because their very existence had been meticulously orchestrated.

Despite sharing the same city, they existed as if on parallel trajectories.

Close, yet perpetually destined never to intersect.

Much like automated machines, pre-programmed from the factory floor, all functioning according to their designed algorithms.

Blood Ancestor and Emperor Qingshi were no different.

However, the old monk, Doomsday Venerable, this particular machine, had encountered a glitch in its operational sequence, leading him to perceive the tragic reality of his simulated existence.

Consequently, he had renounced all worldly attachments, subsisting on daily vegetarian meals and chanting prayers, convinced of the utter meaninglessness of all things.

"Why? Why were we created?" the old monk murmured, his voice filled with bewilderment.

"Perhaps it was merely to appease the Heart Demon," Xu Zimei responded, shaking his head.

Across the expanse, Blood Ancestor and Emperor Qingshi exchanged a knowing look.

Witnessing the old monk's state, they both concluded he had succumbed to madness.

"That old fool has surely lost his mind; it explains his withdrawal from worldly affairs."

"It is perhaps for the better that he is mad; today, we shall raze the Doomsday Temple, and from this day forward, Demon City shall be divided, with its dominion shared between us."

The Blood Ancestor scoffed.

Despite their frequent clashes, the prospect of dividing the spoils of Demon City was a point of unanimous agreement.

Any notion of additional parties joining the fray was, naturally, met with displeasure.

As both figures gestured commandingly, a torrent of blood-red rivers and a horde of zombies surged forward.

Their immediate target was Xu Zimei, intending to eliminate him swiftly and thereby bolster the prestige of their respective factions.

As for the Doomsday Temple, a fierce confrontation was surely imminent.

... …

Faced with the imposing Blood Rivers and the shambling zombie legion, Xu Zimei offered only a smile.

His attention then shifted to the peculiar individual before him.

With a laugh, he declared, "Your next task falls to you."

From the outset, the strange figure struggled violently, roaring in an attempt to break free from Xu Zimei's firm grasp.

However, all efforts proved futile.

For this entity was, after all, a being conceived from pure greed.

Born of avarice, it was therefore ensnared by avarice.

...

Witnessing the peculiar individual compelled to perform intricate hand gestures.

Mudras were formed with both hands.

At that precise instant, the entirety of Demon City seemed to react.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The very earth and heavens appeared to split asunder.

Innumerable streams of power surged forth from the depths of the Blood River's source.

Within Demon City, in the chamber where Lu Simiao was occupied with his diagnoses.

Lu Simiao sensed a subtle shift, his head snapping up to observe the city's unsettling transformations.

A tremor ran through him.

"How can this be? How is this possible…"

"Wasn't that demon sealed away? Why is it manifesting again? This is utterly impossible."

He ceased all other concerns.

A surge of power enveloped him, his cultivation escalating dramatically; in mere moments, he was positioned outside the Doomsday Temple.

At this juncture, just beyond the threshold of the Doomsday Temple.

Every single zombie had been annihilated, and even the once-flowing Blood Rivers had completely dried up.

Only Blood Ancestor and Emperor Qingshi remained untouched.

Their eyes widened in disbelief, their expressions contorted with shock.

Moments prior, an enigmatic, unseen force had emanated outwards from the vicinity of the Doomsday Temple.

In an instant, all existence in its path vanished.

Like delicate snowflakes melting under the fierce glare of the midday sun, disappearing without the slightest trace.

The two felt as though they had encountered specters.

Utterly bewildered as to the cause of these events.

"Still haven't grasped it? You and I are but phantoms; even our demise is a fated conclusion," the ancient monk taunted from nearby.

"Mad old man, what nonsensical words are you uttering?" the pair demanded in unison.

"Have you ever truly contemplated departing from Demon City?"