Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

The mantis stalks the cicada, not knowing the oriole's right behind it. Jiang Chen watched the chaos unfold, already two steps ahead of everyone.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

High above Burning Sun City, seven Nirvana Peering realm cultivators went all out. Each clash shook the heavens, sending waves of destructive energy ripping through the city.

In just seconds, the place was in ruins—buildings shattered, streets torn apart.

Only one spot was left untouched: the courtyard where Lu Yi was hiding. A shimmering barrier, put up by Zhong Yushan and the others, kept it safe. Not even a crack showed.

Farther away, countless cultivators watched from afar with their divine sense, holding their breath as the battle raged. Once-in-a-millennium fights like this didn't come often—and every now and then, someone couldn't help but gasp.

More and more cultivators were rushing in from all over after hearing the news.

Most had their eyes glued to the battle in the sky—but they were also watching Lu Yi closely.

"Is that really Lu Yi? He just looks like a normal human. Are we sure he's actually a human-demon hybrid?" someone asked, just arriving.

"Come on, think about it," said a short-haired man, scoffing. "Why else would a fight like this break out? The Purple Crest Immortal Sect raised a traitor and let a half-breed slip through. Their days at the top are over."

The crowd murmured in agreement.

Bit by bit, public opinion was already shifting in favor of the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace.

...

At the Dragon Roar Thousand-Mile Waterfall, both You Shaojun of the Purple Crest Immortal Sect and Liang Youwen of the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace had spies feeding them updates from Burning Sun City. They now knew the two sides were fully locked in battle.

"You Shaojun, no point making excuses now," Liang Youwen said with a cold chuckle. "Even if your side wins, the truth's already out."

"Say whatever you want," You Shaojun replied, throwing a sharp look at Liang Youwen and his group. "We stand by what we've done. We don't owe anyone an explanation."

In his mind, if their four Nirvana Peering realm experts pulled off a win, they could spin the story however they wanted.

With the weight the Purple Crest Immortal Sect carried, as long as the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace couldn't show solid proof about Lu Yi, things wouldn't get out of hand.

"How noble of you," Liang Youwen smirked. "I look forward to watching you choke on those words."

Neither said anything more after that. The standoff continued in silence as they waited to see how things would play out in Burning Sun City.

...

In Burning Sun City, both Wu Jiaxun's group and Zhong Yushan's allies were going all out, throwing everything they had into the fight.

For the Purple Crest Immortal Sect, ending things fast was the best way to limit the damage to their name.

The Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace, on the other hand, was deep in enemy territory—there was no telling if reinforcements might show up.

So neither side held back. Everyone wanted a quick finish.

They poured all their power into each strike, burning through Immortal Origin Power at a shocking pace.

The battle kept heating up.

Wounds started to pile up on both sides.

Things were looking worse for Zhong Yushan and his group from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace—they were still one man short.

But that was exactly what Zhong Yushan had planned for.

He had a trump card ready, one that would hit hardest when the enemy let their guard down. All he needed was that one opening—a moment when they got too comfortable.

Their slip-up would be his chance to strike.

The fight kept dragging on.

Both sides were taking more and more damage. Robes were torn, hair was a mess—they looked completely worn out.

By now, everyone had burned through their supply of pills. They were running on fumes, relying only on whatever strength they had left.

...

In the courtyard, Lu Yi watched the chaos unfold overhead. He might've looked like some frail old man, but his mind was anything but quiet.

Come on, hit him! The fat one—yeah, you! Throw a left hook already! And you, baldy—how'd you miss that opening? You could've gutted the guy with the tattoo! And seriously, rainbow-hair over there—why are you gasping like that? Asthma? Tsk. Looks like they're all running on fumes. Might be my turn soon.

Despite the sarcasm in his thoughts, he stayed sharp—ready to fuse his human and demon bloodlines at a moment's notice and go all in.

...

High above, Jiang Chen waited.

With the strength he had now, clearing the whole battlefield wouldn't even be a challenge.

...

In the blink of an eye, another fifteen minutes had passed.

Burning Sun City was now nothing but ash. What was once a city had become a massive sinkhole—big enough that, if it were filled with water, it could pass for an endless sea.

And right in the center of it all, Lu Yi's courtyard remained standing—like the last island in a drowned world.

The fight between Zhong Yushan's group and Wu Jiaxun's side had finally settled into a clear pattern.

Already outnumbered, Zhong Yushan and his two allies were in bad shape. They were battered, bloody, and barely hanging on.

A bulky cultivator from Wu Jiaxun's side, Late-stage Nirvana Peering realm, let out a wild laugh as he charged at the wounded trio again and again.

"Hah! You lot from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace are starting to fall apart, huh?"

He didn't stop, jabbing his finger toward Lu Yi's courtyard.

"You keep saying this guy's some half-demon freak, but then you guard him like your lives depend on it. Doesn't add up. Maybe he's not a half-demon at all. Maybe he's not even Lu Yi."

He sneered, eyes full of scorn.

"And if he is a half-demon and you're still protecting him, then you're just a bunch of demon-loving lunatics. Either way, you're finished. I'll make sure the whole world sees what you really are!"

"Three of you—someone's forcing your hand, right?" Wu Jiaxun likewise sneered. "Just admit this whole thing's a setup, that you're being used, and maybe I'll let you live."

He stepped forward without hesitation.

"But if you keep being stubborn… there's only one outcome left. Death."

From what he could tell, their exhaustion wasn't an act. In his mind, the battle was already won.

"Hmph. Heretics!" Zhong Yushan stood firm, drenched in blood but eyes sharp. "Even if it costs me my life, I won't let you win so easily!"

"Same here! We'd rather die than surrender to the likes of you!" the other two from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace shouted, just as resolute.

Wu Jiaxun narrowed his eyes. He drew his long blade, energy crackling around it, and rushed straight at Zhong Yushan.

His aura crashed down like a tidal wave, heavy and terrifying.

In front of that pressure, the worn-out Zhong Yushan looked like a helpless lamb, with no choice but to stand there and take it.

At the same time, Wu Jiaxun's three allies closed in, launching fierce attacks on the remaining two from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace.

Just about time.

Down in the courtyard, a flicker of clarity passed through Lu Yi's cloudy eyes.

Just about time.

High above, Jiang Chen, who had been watching everything unfold, let a faint smile creep across his face.