[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-this-villain-is-too-self-destructive":3,"chapter-this-villain-is-too-self-destructive-this-villain-is-too-self-destructive-chapter-142":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","This Villain Is Too Self-Destructive",{"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},2282509,4465,"Chapter 142: The Strange Traces of the Compass, Clouds of Suspicion over Black Water","this-villain-is-too-self-destructive-chapter-142",142,"\u003Cp>The battle at Black Reef Bay was like a stone cast into a calm lake, stirring ripples within the newly established \"Tianyuan-Hanhai Anti-Demon Alliance.\" Lin Xuan’s effortless, essence-striking purification methods and Zhao Yuan’s resolute, sharp sword of annihilation—which severed all illusions—not only quickly cleared a potential threat node but also demonstrated the power and efficiency of these two newly emerged core combatants to those both inside and outside the alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the battle, detailed action reports and purification data were quickly compiled, analyzed, and issued to every purification squad as a standard operating procedure template. The alliance’s resources began to operate efficiently, and teams composed of cultivators from various factions, led by experienced individuals, rushed to the marked demonic erosion nodes across the land. Although there were occasional setbacks and encounters with more stubborn nodes that had fused deeply with the earth veins, most of the initially formed nodes were successfully eradicated or temporarily suppressed after paying a certain price, curbing the rapid spread of the \"Erosion Realm\" power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the frequent reports of victory on the surface did not dispel the increasingly heavy shadows in the hearts of the high-level leaders at the Alliance Leader Conference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As of now, a total of seventeen demonic erosion nodes of various sizes have been confirmed and handled,\" the head of the Intelligence Division, a Nascent Soul Elder from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, reported at the routine meeting. \"Thirteen of these were nascent nodes, similar in structure to Black Reef Bay, and have been cleared according to the method provided by Honored Guest Lin. The remaining four are more deeply integrated with the earth veins; after purification, they require long-term formation suppression, and... there are signs of recurrence. More notably, while clearing the 'Star Fall Plain' node, this was discovered.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand to release a projection: in the image, after a demonic erosion node located in an inland grassland was purified, a fragment of a strange stone slab—neither gold nor jade, engraved with twisted runes—was embedded in the center of the charred marks left on the ground. Along the edges of the fragment, some dark red, coagulated blood-like substance adhered, emitting an extremely uncomfortable and filthy aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After joint appraisal by the Star Palace and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion,\" Beichen interjected with a grave expression, \"some of the runes on this stone slab fragment bear similarities to certain forbidden formations used for 'sacrifice' and 'positioning' in ancient times. And those dark red substances... contain an extremely faint aura that is of the same origin as the 'Erosion Realm' demonic intent, yet seems even more 'ancient,' as if it were some kind of 'marker' or 'fuse' that had long existed in this realm, recently reactivated by the active demonic erosion power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ancient marker?\" Wei Gong frowned. \"Pavilion Master, do you mean that before the 'Erosion Realm' plan, this realm had already been 'nailed' by the Demon Abyss or other similar existences?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blurry figure of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master nodded slightly: \"It is highly likely. The Demon Abyss has coveted the myriad worlds for more than a day. In ancient times, perhaps some demon or its descendants infiltrated this realm and laid down secret hands, remaining dormant only because the timing was not right or their power was insufficient. Now that the 'Erosion Realm' has been activated, these ancient 'coordinates' or 'altars' have become ready-made 'breakthrough points' and 'amplifiers'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xuan looked at the strange stone slab in the projection, lost in thought. His Chaos Tribulation Dao Dharma Body’s perception of \"abnormalities\" and \"tribulations\" far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even through the projection, he could sense a trace of extremely obscure, twisted Dao rhyme related to \"stars,\" \"blood,\" and \"contracts\" from the stone slab fragment. This was definitely not naturally formed, nor could it have been created by recent demonic erosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We must find out the distribution, quantity, and purpose of these 'ancient markers',\" Huangfu Hao said in a deep voice. \"They are like gunpowder barrels buried beneath our feet. If we do not eliminate them in advance, the consequences will be unimaginable once they are detonated by the Demon Abyss simultaneously. Intelligence Division, increase the intensity of the investigation, especially in those long-standing dangerous places, ruins, and locations where large-scale blood sacrifices or catastrophes have occurred.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meeting continued, discussing resource allocation, coalition training, and the joint action plan to reinforce the seal on the Return to Ruins Sea Eye. Lin Xuan remained silent for most of the time, only offering suggestions at critical points. Part of his mind was focused on the further realization and stabilization of the Chaos Tribulation Dao, while the other part was stirred by that half of the ancient stone slab and the potentially more distant conspiracy behind the \"Erosion Realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the meeting adjourned, Lin Xuan did not immediately return to his quiet room but instead came to an independent courtyard deep within the alliance headquarters, which had been specifically allocated to him and set up with layers of formations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the courtyard, Zhao Yuan was practicing swordplay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no grand momentum, only a gray-white figure merging with the \"Silent Shadow\" divine sword in his hand, moving and shifting within a small space. The sword light was condensed like silk, its trajectory profound and unfathomable. Every strike carried the resolution to sever all tangible and intangible shackles, yet within that sharpness, it contained a \"resilience\" of protection. The dark gold patterns on the sword body flowed with the sword momentum, sometimes bright, sometimes restrained, intertwining with the gray-white sword light of annihilation to form a unique and harmonious Dao rhyme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lin Xuan enter, Zhao Yuan sheathed his sword and stood still, his breathing steady; only the fine beads of sweat on his temples showed his focus during practice. \"Senior.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xuan nodded: \"Your sword intent is becoming more rounded; you have caught a glimpse of the realm of 'Sword Heart Clarity.' Not bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving Lin Xuan’s affirmation, a flash of joy appeared in Zhao Yuan’s eyes, but he quickly returned to calm: \"This junior dares not slacken. The demonic tribulation is approaching; only by striving for improvement can I live up to the sword in my hand and the expectations of you and His Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Diligent cultivation is naturally one's duty.\" Lin Xuan walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down, signaling for Zhao Yuan to sit as well. \"At today's meeting, the matter of the ancient markers was mentioned. What are your thoughts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yuan pondered for a moment and said: \"This junior feels that this matter is of great importance. If there are indeed 'nails' left behind by ancient demons, it means that the Demon Abyss's infiltration of this realm is much earlier and deeper than we previously knew. Clearing existing nodes is only treating the symptoms; if we do not find and pull out these 'nails,' I fear they will be impossible to guard against. And...\" He hesitated for a moment, \"When I received the inheritance of 'Silent Shadow,' I vaguely sensed that the ancient sword cultivator senior who struck down the stars and perished with this star... it seems it was not just because of a Dao dispute or demon-slaying; perhaps it also involved some more ancient secrets related to this realm. These secrets might be related to those 'markers'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of appreciation crossed Lin Xuan’s eyes. Zhao Yuan not only had extraordinary talent in the sword Dao but was also quite meticulous, able to connect the clues deep within the inheritance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your guess is not without reason,\" Lin Xuan said. \"The Chaos Tribulation Dao also emphasizes tracing the origin. I want to go to the original site of the 'Star Fall Plain' node to take a look myself. If you are interested, you may accompany me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yuan’s spirit lifted: \"This junior is willing to go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days later, Star Fall Plain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was originally a grassland with lush grass and water, where the starlight often appeared exceptionally bright; legend had it that star fragments had fallen here, hence the name. But now, a charred dead zone several miles in radius had appeared in the center of the grassland; the vegetation had withered, the ground was cracked, and faint demonic energy and the aura of thunder and fire from the purification remained in the air. The alliance’s formation cultivators were setting up long-term suppression formations at the edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xuan and Zhao Yuan descended into the center of the scorched earth, where the location of the strange stone slab fragment had been carefully cleared, leaving a shallow pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xuan squatted down, a wisp of gray chaotic airflow lingering at his fingertips, gently brushing over the soil at the edge of the shallow pit, and then pressed his hand onto the residual aura that still felt cold after purification. He closed his eyes, and the power of his Chaos Tribulation Dao Dharma Body spread slightly, sensing all the \"information\" remaining in this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his \"Tribulation Dao perspective,\" this scorched earth was no longer just a material residue, but a chaotic and twisted \"scroll of tribulation\" composed of countless colors and lines. The black and dark red lines representing the recent demonic erosion were intertwined like a net, but deeper within this net, he \"saw\" a few gray-brown \"threads\" that were more dim, almost fused with the earth veins, yet exuding an ancient, evil aura. The source of these threads seemed to point to the deep underground, and... faintly produced a certain rebellious resonance with the \"starlight\" characteristic of this grassland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed...\" Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a flash of chaotic light in his pupils. \"There is indeed an ancient arrangement here, and it has utilized the special earth veins and residual star power left by the 'falling stars.' The reason this node is more stubborn than others is not only because of the deep demonic erosion power, but because it has, to some extent, 'activated' and 'twisted' an ancient star ritual foundation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood up and cast his gaze toward the deeper part of the grassland: \"According to the direction of the 'threads' of the remaining traces, the core part of that ancient marker is likely not here, but in... that direction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yuan looked in the direction Lin Xuan pointed; it was the northwest edge of the Star Fall Plain, and further away, the outlines of rolling mountains were vaguely visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior, should we pursue this?\" Zhao Yuan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally,\" Lin Xuan said. \"However, this matter may be more complex than expected. It is difficult to accurately locate the core based solely on residual traces, and we might trigger unknown restrictions. We need to return to headquarters first to consult all ancient records, geographical gazetteers, and especially content related to ancient star worship and strange sacrifices concerning the Star Fall Plain and surrounding areas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two returned to the Imperial Capital, and Lin Xuan immediately requested the relevant files from the Intelligence Division. At the same time, he also asked the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master to assist in using secret arts to deduce the possible source of the ancient markers in the Star Fall Plain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, on the fifth day that the Intelligence Division and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion were busily conducting their investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An urgent piece of intelligence arrived from the alliance’s branch in \"Black Water City\" on the western border, which was directly presented to the Alliance Leader Conference via the Intelligence Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black Water City, located in the western part of the Tianyuan Continent and adjacent to the vast \"Black Water Swamp,\" was a transportation hub and resource distribution center, where dragons and snakes mingled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The content of the intelligence was shocking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Urgent report from the Black Water City branch: Recently, seven cases of missing cultivators have occurred in the city, with the missing persons' cultivation levels ranging from Foundation Establishment to Jin Dan, and their backgrounds varying. Secret investigations revealed that the last known locations of the missing persons were all linked to an emerging secret sect in the city called the 'Rebirth Sect.' This sect preaches 'Rebirth to Bliss' and 'Transcendence from the Sea of Suffering,' and seems to be secretly conducting some kind of bloody sacrificial ritual. Even more suspicious is that when our secret agents infiltrated the periphery of one of their secret strongholds, they sensed energy fluctuations similar to the 'Erosion Realm' demonic intent but mixed with an ancient, decaying aura, and discovered fragments in the stronghold similar in material to the 'Star Fall Plain stone slab,' the runes on which... seem to point to some kind of 'summoning' or 'guidance'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attached to the intelligence were several projection jade talismans. The images were blurry, clearly taken under extremely dangerous conditions: in a dim cave, a rough altar built from bones and strange ores could be vaguely seen, with twisted runes carved around it; something seemed to be enshrined in the center, emitting a dark red faint light. And in one corner, half a broken stone slab extremely similar to the one found in the Star Fall Plain could indeed be seen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"'Rebirth Sect'... summoning... guidance...\" Huangfu Hao looked at the intelligence, his face gloomy. \"Could it be that these cultists are trying to actively 'guide' the arrival of an existence from the Demon Abyss? Or are they themselves pawns influenced or controlled by an ancient 'marker'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beichen’s expression was ugly: \"If this is true, the matter in Black Water City is likely not an isolated case. Those dormant ancient 'nails' might be being 'awakened' one by one through cult organizations like the 'Rebirth Sect,' becoming 'insiders' and 'vanguards' for the 'Erosion Realm' plan in this realm!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We must immediately eradicate this 'Rebirth Sect' and find out the truth!\" Wei Gong said sternly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xuan’s gaze was locked on the center of the rough altar in the projection. Although the image was blurry, the keen perception of his Chaos Tribulation Dao Dharma Body captured a \"rhythm\" from that dark red faint light that was extremely familiar, yet made his heart tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That rhythm had a subtle... similarity to the rhythm of the \"Chaos Tribulation Crystal\" rotating in his heart? No, not similarity, more like a \"resonance\" that came from the same source but headed toward diametrically opposite extremes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it an illusion? Or...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master once saying that the Chaos Creation power contained in the Chaos Breathing Soil was the key to neutralizing and transforming the primordial demonic energy. And the \"rhythm\" emitted by the object enshrined on this altar, although full of evil and filth, seemed to be at a very high root level. Could it be... related to \"Chaos\"? Was it some kind of polluted, twisted Chaos relic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave this matter to me,\" Lin Xuan said slowly, his voice calm but carrying an unquestionable power. \"Zhao Yuan will accompany me. Also, please ask Elder Ling Shuang to lead a team of cultivators skilled in purification and sealing, as well as a unit of the 'Demon-Slaying Army,' to follow and provide support. The situation in Black Water City is unclear; we need to be prepared to deal with large-scale cult riots or even... worse situations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huangfu Hao looked at the rare look of gravity in Lin Xuan’s eyes and knew that this matter was likely of great importance, so he made a decision: \"Granted! Brother Lin, be careful in everything. If needed, I can dispatch more forces to support at any time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, rest assured.\" Lin Xuan nodded, then said to Zhao Yuan, \"Prepare yourself; we depart in half a day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Lin Xuan and Zhao Yuan were preparing to head to Black Water City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in the endless Hanhai, the ancient altar half-buried under seabed sediments and covered in rust and reliefs, the dark red stains in the central groove throbbed more and more obviously. A faint sound of prayer and calling, as if crossing endless years, intermittently seeped out from the stains, producing a strange resonance across space with the dark red faint light of the rough altar in the cave in Black Water City on the distant continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the deep-sea darkness around the altar, countless pairs of scarlet, irrational eyes slowly opened.\u003C\u002Fp>",2712,"2026-06-20T01:44:26.720Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","d0580e06e8427f3ab763302f15e09acbdab69eb025ab09ef95e35f87bf8159ae","this-villain-is-too-self-destructive-chapter-143","this-villain-is-too-self-destructive-chapter-141",182,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthis-villain-is-too-self-destructive-cover.jpg"]