I am the villain in the book

Shu Prefecture, midnight.

Nine Peak Mountain, main altar of the Heavenly Net Sect.

Black clouds densely covered the sky, layer upon layer, creating a dull and oppressive atmosphere as if it were the end of the world.

Looking up, one could occasionally see lightning rolling in the clouds, but the rain still hadn't fallen, and everything was shrouded in endless darkness, accumulating all its power.

"Senior Brother, why has the weather been so strange these past few days? I feel like these dark clouds are almost within reach."

The fifty-two-story black tower represented the Heavenly Net Sect's destruction of fifty-two "reputable and righteous" sects. At this moment, two outer disciples responsible for guarding the tower were standing at its base, chatting idly.

"Who says it isn't? This rain has been held back for so many days, I'm afraid it will cause a flood when it finally comes down."

"It shouldn't be that bad, Shu Prefecture hasn't had a major flood in many years."

"Hey, let's not talk about that. Anyway, these things have nothing to do with us. You and I might as well think about how to be promoted to inner disciples as soon as possible."

"Senior Brother is right."

"."

The two briefly discussed the weather. Although surprised, neither took it too seriously.

After all, Shu Prefecture was inherently rainy, with cloudy days accounting for at least half of the year, so the current scene wasn't too unusual.

However, at this moment.

"Boom!"

"Crack!!!"

A thick bolt of purple lightning tore through the night sky, striking directly on the summit of Nine Peak Mountain, followed by several earth-shattering explosions that erupted beside the two disciples' ears.

"Whoosh!"

All the disciples in the Heavenly Net Sect were carefully selected cultivation prodigies, and even the outer disciples were all exceptionally skilled.

The moment they saw the purple lightning strike, the two disciples immediately flashed backward, while simultaneously looking up at the spire of the black tower that had been struck by lightning.

And it was this one glance that caused their figures to visibly freeze.

"Wh-what?!"

"This is impossible!!"

Lightning chariot under the nine gates, sudden black clouds like a mountain of soil.

The two suddenly widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.

The spire of the majestic black tower, which had stood on the summit of Nine Peak Mountain for hundreds of years, only growing taller, now almost reaching the clouds, had been violently blasted apart by this huge lightning bolt, instantly turning into countless fragments of stone and wood that rained down from the sky.

And if that was all, it would have been fine.

As if a purple dragon had crashed into the black tower, accompanied by dazzling purple light flashing from top to bottom inside the tower and deafening explosions, the fifty-two-story black tower exploded layer after layer like a string of firecrackers!

"Boom!!!"

"Boom!!!"

"Boom!!!"

"."

The two disciples blankly stared, mouths agape, at the rapidly "shrinking" black tower, even forgetting to dodge the splashing rubble around them.

They couldn't understand how a lightning strike could have such power, let alone why the lightning would strike the black tower so perfectly.

But regardless of whether they understood or not, with their power, there was absolutely no way to stop this purple lightning.

Or rather, no one in the entire Heavenly Net Sect, the entire Shu Prefecture, or the entire Da Ning could do it.

Except for...

"Boom!!"

The sudden change made the two disciples temporarily forget that they were still in danger, and they immediately rushed towards the remaining ten or so stories of the black tower.

At the same time, nearly a thousand Heavenly Net Sect disciples and elders emerged from all parts of the mountain gate, transforming into black shadows rushing towards the black tower.

"Sect Leader!"

Braving the rubble and lightning, the crowd rushed into the tower and immediately saw Qin Zhengqiu standing tall beneath the purple lightning, gritting his teeth and constantly waving his palms upwards.

Streams of golden palm prints, carrying unparalleled power, smashed towards the purple lightning, each collision delaying the electric dragon for a moment.

"Quickly, help the Sect Leader!"

"Everyone! Help!"

"We must protect the black tower!!"

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh!"

"Bang bang bang bang!!"

"."

In the blink of an eye, countless weapons and techniques, carrying various colors of light of varying strengths, converged into a giant colorful dragon, and with a majestic dragon's roar, led by Qin Zhengqiu's golden palm prints, once again slammed fiercely towards the purple lightning!

At this moment, everyone's thoughts were surprisingly consistent—

The black tower, as a symbol of the Heavenly Net Sect, could be damaged, but it absolutely could not be annihilated by a lightning strike like this!

"Boom!!!!!"

Mountain moon entering the pines, gold shattered, river wind blowing water, snow avalanching.

The deafening roar that remotely shook Nine Peak Mountain echoed, and in the roar, lightning intertwined into a vast electric net.

One purple and one colorful, two giant dragons, one borrowing the power of heaven and earth crashing down from above, and the other gathering the power of a thousand people, raising their heads fiercely from below.

The intense impact generated by the collision instantly blew away hundreds of weaker disciples, and even a world-class powerhouse like Qin Zhengqiu had to temporarily lower his head to avoid the brunt of the force.

And then...

"Bl-blocked it!!"

No one knew how long it had been, nor who had shouted first.

Hearing this, everyone immediately looked up in unison.

The two giant dragons had already dissipated into smoke in the collision, leaving only rolling smoke obscuring the night sky.

"Hahaha, good!!"

"Sect Leader is mighty!"

"Even if it's lightning, what can it do?! Our Heavenly Net Sect is not afraid!"

"Tonight's events... What?!"

"Th-this..."

Suddenly, the shouts of triumph, excitement, or enthusiasm came to an abrupt halt, and everyone seemed to have their throats choked by a force, only staring with wide eyes and open mouths, unable to utter a single sound from their throats.

"Whoosh!"

A gust of wind blew past, dispersing the rolling smoke that had obscured everyone's vision, revealing the night sky without stars or moon.

The dark clouds remained, and the thunder rumbled.

Hundreds of purple lightning bolts swayed and surged in the clouds.

Then, they fell.

"Rumble!"

"Crackle crackle..."

"Young Master, the rain is too heavy!"

The dirt road from Shu Prefecture City to Nine Peak Mountain had become extremely muddy, and no matter how good the horses pulling the carriage were, they could hardly run in this condition.

Zhang San, completely soaked, pulled open the curtain and shouted loudly over the torrential rain that sounded like ten thousand horses galloping:

"There are still more than ten li to Nine Peak Mountain! But the horses really can't move anymore!"

"."

Wei Changtian, sitting in the carriage, did not answer immediately, but glanced distantly in the direction of Nine Peak Mountain.

Although Qin Zhengqiu hadn't used the Burning Jade to notify him of the discovery of the Cloud Lotus, ever since it started raining tonight, he had been inexplicably restless, so he decided to come to the Heavenly Net Sect to take a look.

And it was fortunate that he came.

After all, the scene of lightning and thunder in the distance looked wrong no matter how you looked at it.

"Zhang San, you go back to the city first! Take Yang Liushi and Yuan'er to a higher place to take temporary shelter! Wait for me to return!"

"Don't forget to pick up Xu Qingwan as well!"

"Yes!"

Zhang San responded loudly, then asked: "Young Master! Then what about you? Are you still going to Nine Peak Mountain?! Should I notify Young Master Chu?!"

"No need!"

Wei Changtian waved his hand, picked up the bamboo hat beside him and put it on his head, then leaped out of the carriage and plunged into the rain curtain.

Zhang San raised his hand to shield himself from the rain, trying to look at Wei Changtian's back.

But the latter had already disappeared into this rainy night that had not been seen for a thousand years.