Chapter 375: Don't Judge by Appearances

"I have decided to lead our Cangjian Villa to re-emerge into the world and seize everything that is rightfully ours!"

With irrepressible ambition flashing in his eyes, Zhuo Yi was confident that under his leadership, Cangjian Villa would reach the very pinnacle.

And as the Villa Master of Cangjian Villa, he would also enjoy everything he deserved, rather than being trapped in a corner, filled with grand aspirations and soaring ambitions but nowhere to unleash them.

Living in this world, one seeks nothing more than power and beautiful women, yet trapped on this tiny patch of land, his power was limited, and he even had a group of old fogies above him calling the shots.

As for beautiful women, don't even mention it; there were only so many women in the villa, and not a single one was a peerless beauty. Even so, they were still fought over—this was hardly the stature a major power should have.

Look at the leaders of the major powers outside; who among them isn't followed by a group of charming beauties, with wives and concubines in droves and beauties like clouds?

And look at himself, forced to pretend to be affectionate every day with a sallow-faced woman; why should he have to?

He, too, wanted to wake up holding the power of the world and fall asleep on the knees of beauties, and all of this was now within his easy reach.

Cangjian Villa must emerge into the world, and once it does, it must awe the world so that none dare disobey!

"Absolutely not!" When Zhuo Yi fully revealed his ambition, the expressions of several Cangjian Villa Elders changed drastically.

"Villa Master, the Sword Master previously warned us repeatedly to hide ourselves carefully, precisely because he feared that once the Spiritual Qi Surge arrived and the Great Contention Era began, if Cangjian Villa were found, it would be slaughtered!"

"That is why we must hide ourselves and not be discovered; those old monsters kill everyone they see—they have no humanity!"

"Great Contention Era, Great Contention Era—you keep repeating these same few phrases over and over!"

A terrifying aura pressed directly down upon them, the mountain-like, dreadful power making their entire bodies tremble.

Under this power, the several Elders seemed able only to shiver, lacking even the qualification to say a single word of dissent.

"Before, just because I sent my son to the Southern Border to attend the Eight Trigrams Mountain Assembly, you old fogies wouldn't let it go and nearly impeached me as Villa Master. By what right? I am the Villa Master!"

"From today on, whoever dares to defy this Villa Master, regardless of the reason, will be killed without exception. I say Cangjian Villa will emerge, so it must emerge!"

"You!" The few dared to be angry but dared not speak, yet the unwillingness and worry in their eyes could not be concealed.

The Villa Master before them was one they had collectively chosen; they had previously thought Zhuo Yi was the top choice in terms of aptitude, strength, and character, which was why the position of Villa Master had fallen to him.

But who could have imagined that he could endure for so many years, only to become arbitrary, tyrannical, and overbearing once he erupted.

You could say the past was the past, but look at the situation outside now: the Spiritual Qi Surge is here, and those legendary old monsters have already begun to slowly awaken.

Under these circumstances, Cangjian Villa choosing to come out of seclusion would not only render the efforts of over a hundred years of sealing the mountain void, but would even invite a catastrophic disaster.

Those old monsters kill everyone they see, and experts, in particular, are the food they scramble to snatch up.

Cangjian Villa is full of experts; in their eyes, it is like a rare delicacy, enough to make them drool.

It is likely that if Cangjian Villa chooses to emerge today, it will be slaughtered clean by tomorrow, with not a single person left.

"Are you worried that Cangjian Villa will be in danger after choosing to emerge?"

He glanced at the Elders with disdain; timid and cowardly, they could never achieve anything great. In Zhuo Yi's view, these old fogies had lost their nerve, and this was all they would ever amount to.

"Do not worry; since this Villa Master dares to make this decision, I have absolute certainty!"

"Not only have I fused with the Sword Intent of Mu Zishan, but I have also devoured the entire strength of the strongest old monster among them; my strength is no longer what it once was!"

"From now on, I will only grow stronger, until I am invincible just like Mu Zishan was back then!"

"It's over, it's truly over now!" Looking at Zhuo Yi's current arrogant and despotic appearance, the several Elders felt a bitterness in their mouths.

Big Brother, even if we have gained some strength, there's no need to get this carried away.

And you devoured an old monster's power? Do you believe that the moment you appear in front of an old monster, they will open their mouths and eat you whole?

"What, you don't believe me? You old fogies are not only pedantic and stubborn, but your vision is also pitifully shallow!"

"You may not know that Mu Zishan's Sword Intent can actually devour other sword intents. I must say, Mu Zishan was truly a heaven-sent genius; even the sword intent he left behind is so extraordinary."

Tilting his head, Zhuo Yi wore a look of smugness; this was a secret he had hidden for a long time.

"Do you know how I became this powerful? It's actually very simple: I just channeled Mu Zishan's Sword Intent into the Jinghong Sword and forcibly fused the two together."

"By the way, I also took the opportunity to practice the Jinghong Sword Art, so I will only get stronger and stronger."

"What?" Zhuo Yi's words were like dropping a giant boulder into a calm lake, instantly kicking up huge waves.

They had never imagined that Zhuo Yi would be so insane; he dared to touch the Jinghong Sword and dared to learn the Jinghong Sword Art—these were taboos in Cangjian Villa!

"You're mad, truly mad! Do you know what you're doing? If you touch that sword, you will become a bloodthirsty beast that only knows how to kill!"

"Wrong, dead wrong. That is why you are all fools, possessing a treasure but not knowing how to use it."

"You old fogies racked your brains only to think of using Mu Zishan's Sword Intent to attract those old monsters and then destroy them. How selfless and great you are."

"Cangjian Villa is clearly unable to even look after itself; in the Great Contention Era, instead of seeking self-preservation, you are thinking of helping others—utterly foolish!"

"I am different; I am the one truly thinking for Cangjian Villa, wanting to make the power left behind by Mu Zishan truly my own."

Speaking to this point, Zhuo Yi's face was filled with self-satisfaction; what could be more gratifying than being arrogant in front of these old men who once looked down on him?

Wealth without returning home is like wearing silk in the dark. Now that I have succeeded, I naturally have to show off!

"Mu Zishan's Sword Intent suppresses the bloodthirsty mania within the Jinghong Sword, while simultaneously giving it the instinct to devour the power of others."

"I previously agreed to your plan to let someone take Mu Zishan's Sword Intent away to attract those old monsters."

"This wasn't because I wanted to save the common people like you do, but because I wanted to use Mu Zishan's Sword Intent to devour the power of others!"

"I am not worried that someone could completely fuse with Mu Zishan's Sword Intent, because even if they could, as long as I am willing, I can strike them down in an instant. Do you think my years of preparation were for nothing?"

"On the contrary, I hope someone can fuse with the sword intent, rather than just hiding the sword on their person. Because the more they do so, the greater my harvest will be!"

With a light laugh, Zhuo Yi looked into the distance, as if everything were under his control.

He had plotted for so long; from the day he became Villa Master, from the day he was qualified to come into contact with Mu Zishan's Sword Intent, he had already begun preparing.

Now that his elaborate schemes had finally borne fruit, the sword intent within his body gave him endless confidence; all the sacrifices were worth it!

"Hiding Mu Zishan's Sword Intent on one's person will cause that person to radiate the aura of Mu Zishan. And for those old monsters, the attraction of Mu Zishan is too great—so great that they simply cannot resist."

"Therefore, in order to fight for Mu Zishan, they will surely engage in a great battle. And the final victor, the strongest one, will enjoy the fruits alone!"

"But they will never imagine that this fruit is actually a deadly poison. You old fogies thought that Mu Zishan's Sword Intent erupting would easily take their lives!"

"But I think that Mu Zishan's Sword Intent, having fused with the sword intent in the Jinghong Sword, possesses the ability to easily devour others."

"As long as those old monsters choose to devour and fuse with it, then Mu Zishan's Sword Intent will actively fuse with them and, in turn, devour all of their power."

"And I will become the true fisherman, having both obtained Mu Zishan's Sword Intent and fused with the power of those old monsters."

"I admit I had a gambling element, but I won the bet. From now on, I will only grow stronger and stronger, strong enough that everyone can only crawl at my feet."