I Truly Am The Villian Chapter 2300 - 2299: Completion of Goodwill Collection, Establishment of Endless Hell

"Goodness?"

"For someone of my nature, is there still any 'good' left to speak of?"

"The wicked deeds I've committed, the lives I've ruined, are countless. You are the very first person to ever deem me good!"

Lu Simiao let out a hearty, unrestrained laugh.

It was as if years of pent-up emotions were finally escaping.

The aura surrounding his body surged upwards, piercing the heavens.

As this potent wave of energy radiated outwards, the entirety of Demon City seemed to quake.

After all, it wasn't merely the inhabitants—this entire city had been brought into existence by Lu Simiao himself.

At this precise moment, Lu Simiao turned his gaze towards Xu Zimei.

His laughter, laced with a hint of derision, eventually subsided.

He then inquired, "If my senses are correct, that monstrous being behind you must be the Demon, correct?"

"The very Demon that annihilated the entire Bliss Sect in days past."

"That is correct," Zimo acknowledged with a slight nod.

"How is it that this monstrosity adheres to your every command? Could it be that you are the creator of these Demons?" Lu Simiao pressed.

"I simply understand its inherent weakness, nothing more," Xu Zimei stated.

"Nothing in existence attains power without cause.

If something possesses the capacity for strength, it naturally holds the potential for weakness as well—it all hinges on the desires harbored within one's heart."

Tears began to well up in Lu Simiao's eyes.

"If… if only you had appeared a little sooner, perhaps the tragedy that befell the Bliss Sect could have been averted."

"Your heart was simply overcome with greed," Xu Zimei countered.

"You inflicted harm upon so many within the Bliss Sect, yet I comprehend that such actions were not your true intent."

"Therefore, it was baseless malevolence."

"Yet here, within this Demon City, you tend to the ailing, aid the suffering, and guide souls toward righteousness—this is the goodness that emanates from your genuine will."

"Thus, I have come to claim that goodness."

Xu Zimei elucidated his purpose.

Good and evil are seldom starkly delineated; perhaps more accurately, the world exists not in monochrome but in a spectrum of shades.

It is a subtle, intoxicating gray that captivates the soul, making resistance futile once ensnared.

For you, I, and all myriad living beings share this commonality.

At that very instant, Lu Simiao's gaze shifted towards the Demon.

He perceived an unsettling change in the Demon's condition.

He observed the dark Qi surrounding the Demon intensifying, becoming progressively denser.

Within that oppressive blackness, faint echoes of the departed souls, unjustly wronged, could be discerned.

"It seeks to break free from your control," Lu Simiao urgently warned.

However, at this critical juncture, the Demon erupted into laughter.

Its voice reverberated, piercing the very clouds, and its malevolent aura surged skyward.

It fixed its hateful gaze upon Xu Zimei.

And declared, "Did you truly believe you could command me?"

"At that moment, I had only just regained consciousness, my strength not yet fully restored, that is all."

"You attempted to bind me with greed, but all I need do is refuse to absorb yours."

"I have already claimed the lives of countless individuals; the amassed greed within me numbers in the hundreds of millions. Why would I require yours?"

Witnessing the Demon regaining its former might, Lu Simiao's brow furrowed slightly.

His expression darkening, he uttered, "It is too late. The Sealing has been broken by your actions. With these Demons now unchained, I fear an era of peace will never return."

"There is no need for haste. Since I was capable of releasing it, I never truly regarded it as a significant threat from the outset."

Xu Zimei replied calmly.

"I have taken a measure of your goodness, and in turn, I am willing to resolve a lingering torment within your heart."

"Do you harbor the desire to vanquish this Demon?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Simiao instinctively clenched his fists and responded without a moment's hesitation, "Yes. It is my deepest wish to destroy it."

This was because the Bliss Sect had been obliterated by this very Demon; his kin and fellow disciples had all met their demise before his very eyes.

This agonizing memory served as Lu Simiao's Heart Demon.

It had plagued him relentlessly for years, compelling him to dedicate himself to good deeds as a form of atonement.

Even though he understood the immutable truth that the departed could not be resurrected; no matter the extent of his atonement, the dead would remain irrevocably gone.

However, mortals always require some solace, some comfort for their weary souls.

... …

"Then, I shall assist you," Xu Zimei declared.

"Insolent whelp, that look on your face infuriates me," the Demon snarled at Xu Zimei, its expression contorted with fury.

"Do you presume to dictate the fate of all things?"

"Then I shall obliterate you first."

As the Demon concluded its threat, it extended its right hand.

With a resounding roar of immense power—

a colossal Mi Tian hand descended from the heavens.

However, as that celestial Mi Tian hand drew near the crown of Xu Zimei's head, it faltered, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch further.

"Insignificant ant, do you not yet grasp that your end is nigh?"

Xu Zimei inquired with serene composure.

With a mere wave of his hand, an overwhelming pressure materialized from the void, immovably pinning the Demon in place.

"Your existence is an affront to the natural order of Heaven and Earth. Today, your demise shall be a cause for universal rejoicing."

Lu Simiao watched, dumbfounded, as the Demons struggled in vain, no matter how they thrashed.

He had never anticipated that these very Demons, so troublesome for him, would be utterly incapable of resistance before Xu Zimei.

"Kill him. He's right there in front of you. I'm giving you the chance to kill him," Xu Zimei commanded.

Lu Simiao's hands began to tremble slightly.

Honestly, he had desired to eliminate the Demons long ago, but unfortunately, he lacked the capability.

In the end, after exerting all his might, he had only managed to seal the adversary.

Now that his long-held aspiration was on the verge of fulfillment, his entire body started to shake.

A long, blood-stained blade materialized in Lu Simiao's grasp.

This very blade he had discovered years ago within the Sea of Blood belonging to the Bliss Sect; it was the personal weapon of someone most dear to him.

His beloved had never taken a life; the blade had primarily served as an ornament.

However, subsequently, it plunged into the Sea of Blood and became thoroughly drenched in crimson.

Through the years, the blood on the blade had long since dried, yet Lu Simiao had never considered cleansing it.

Because every encounter with this blade served as a stark reminder, ensuring he never forgot the events of that time.

At this precise moment, as Lu Simiao advanced towards him step by agonizing step—

the Demons let out continuous roars.

He was neither invincible nor immortal.

In reality, his very existence was woven from pure greed; once Xu Zimei gained dominion over that greed, the Demons became astonishingly vulnerable.

Perhaps this single strike had the potential to end his existence.

"Don't come any closer. Stay away from me," the Demons shrieked.

In that instant, he no longer resembled a monstrous entity but rather a helpless victim.

"Back then, when you slew those individuals, did they wear the same expression?" Lu Simiao couldn't refrain from asking.

As he uttered these words, the blood-soaked blade in his hand descended with brutal force.

Amidst piercing screams, the sound gradually faded into silence.

All grievances, all accumulated hatred, dissolved completely into the ether, carried away by a passing breeze.

... …

Xu Zimei extended his hand, gathering Lu Simiao's goodness piece by piece.

This was the final fragment of goodness he needed to collect.

Following this, he would be able to forge the Endless Hell.

Subsequently, he spoke to Lu Simiao about Liu Ruyan, entrusting her care to him.

From that point forward, the Demon City dissolved, leaving no trace.

For Lu Simiao, perhaps a new life, uniquely his own, awaited.

This dominion, devoid of order, would also vanish forever.

As Xu Zimei departed, Liu Ruyan knelt and bowed deeply in the direction of his exit.

Encountering Xu Zimei had been an immense stroke of fortune for her.

Otherwise, she couldn't even fathom what her ultimate fate might have been.

She might have ended up as mere ornamentation adorning the face of the Moon-picking Fairy.