[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-really-am-a-villain":3,"chapter-i-really-am-a-villain-i-really-am-a-villain-chapter-697":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Really Am A Villain",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1433472,1885,"Chapter 697 - The Divine Ranking","i-really-am-a-villain-chapter-697",697,"\u003Cp>The God Ascension Staircase was one of the most famous landmarks in Eternal City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether day or night, the golden staircase radiated a steady golden glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had a total of nine levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only nine levels, looking up from the base, the top was nowhere in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People frequently came to challenge it, locals and visitors alike, forming long lines that looped around the plaza several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All around, onlookers gathered in droves, while street vendors shouted energetically to attract customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zimo glanced at the staircase, but he couldn’t see what was inside. The staircase was sealed off by walls of dark gold that glowed faintly with divine energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stood on a vast plaza, with fountains spraying water and flowers blooming in every corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Statues of Eternal City’s ancestors stood tall and proud around the square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Want to give it a try?\" Jiu You asked eagerly, eyes shining with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want to meet the Eternal Godly Monarch’s spirit too?\" Xu Zimo chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not exactly. I’m just curious about what’s so magical about this staircase,\" Jiu You replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I already asked around yesterday. The God Ascension Staircase is completely fair. It adjusts the difficulty based on the challenger’s cultivation, so the higher your cultivation doesn’t mean it’s easier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staircase was managed by disciples of the Eternal God Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next to it were number dispensers. After Jiu You got her number, she joined the long line. Xu Zimo, however, wasn’t in a rush and stood to the side watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, most of the crowd watched quietly. But when the line reached a certain young man, the crowd stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s Yue Lun! He’s trying again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s see how far he gets this time. That guy’s no joke, he’s lived in Eternal City for three years. I saw him go from level three to level six with my own eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Think he’ll make it to the seventh level today? Only the God Child of the Eternal God Sect ever reached that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As people discussed, Xu Zimo turned his head to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the staircase entrance stood a young man in black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His posture was upright like a spear. His eyes were sharp, and on the inside of both arms were two short blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His clothes were specially tailored with sleeves that could hold the short blades, perfect for surprise attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood there at the base of the staircase, exuding a powerful aura that made him stand out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yue Lun stepped into the staircase, the dark golden walls of the first level lit up immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One-hit clear! That was fast,\" someone exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I took over ten minutes to clear the first level.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To guys like him, the early stages are nothing. The real test is later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the second, third, and fourth levels lit up in quick succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a little more time on the fifth, and by the sixth, the crowd held their breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was where Yue Lun had always been stopped before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, after the time it took to burn one incense stick, the dark golden wall of the sixth level began to glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He made it! He passed level six!\" someone shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the voice faded, Yue Lun’s figure was transported back to the base of the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike before, his face was pale, and a trace of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why’s he back?\" someone asked in confusion. \"He clearly cleared the sixth level.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If someone attempts the seventh and gets instantly defeated, the staircase ejects them immediately,\" someone else explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Lun sat down nearby, meditating to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly someone yelled, \"Look! The Divine Ranking just changed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zimo followed the crowd’s gaze and noticed a piece of dark golden cloth hanging in midair at the side of the plaza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the cloth, dozens of names shimmered with golden light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking closely, it read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gong Feiyang, Rank 1, Highest Level: Seven\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Lun had previously been ranked fifth. He now jumped to third, surpassing many others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rankings considered not just the level reached, but also the time one lasted within that level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd looked at the black-clothed figure healing nearby with newfound respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Lun was a rogue cultivator, unaffiliated with any major sect. Getting this far was no small feat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zimo found it interesting. Soon, it was Jiu You’s turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a descendant of the gods, Xu Zimo held high expectations for her among her peers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The divine bloodline in her veins gave her many advantages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jiu You first stepped up, few paid attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when she reached level five and moved into level six, the murmurs started.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who’s that girl? Never seen her before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She must be from out of town.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yue Lun opened his eyes and glanced over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could we see two people reach the seventh level today?\" someone speculated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as they spoke, Jiu You’s figure was transported back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she hadn’t reached level seven, she had lasted long enough in level six to show great promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next time, she might just succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiu You ignored the stares and chatter around her and walked straight back to Xu Zimo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s pretty tough,\" she said, taking a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s it like inside?\" Xu Zimo asked with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From levels one to six, you fight virtual opponents. The higher the level, the stronger and more numerous they get,\" Jiu You explained after thinking for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll give it a shot,\" Xu Zimo said with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up his token, waited briefly, and then entered the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first level was an empty grand hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space was quiet, and then vortexes of light formed as a figure appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a faceless man in a blue robe, with no features on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zimo suppressed his own cultivation to the Fusion Heaven realm, the staircase wouldn’t detect this trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could sense the faceless man was one minor realm above him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not wasting time, he slapped the opponent into nothingness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A suction force pulled him upward to the second level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, there were two faceless men, each two realms stronger than him.\u003C\u002Fp>",1033,"2026-06-06T01:06:54.961Z",1,"novelbin.me","162bda66846f9651e5f61f74178c6a8138939392fe9900a47356a92fdc724ff2","i-really-am-a-villain-chapter-698","i-really-am-a-villain-chapter-696",1822,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-really-am-a-villain-cover.jpg"]