I am Villain Cultivator
Chapter 26: Verdant Deathwood: The Trial Begins

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Verdant Deathwood: The Trial Begins

The sun dipped low over the Kilvish training grounds, casting long shadows as the clang of steel rang out once again. Kaal stood in the center of the dueling ring, breathing heavily, sweat trickling down his neck. Before him stood General Ruke, towering, muscular, his one arm gleaming with scarred resilience. The other sleeve of his military armor hung empty, a grim reminder of his punishment.

Kaal wiped his brow and picked up a new weapon, a massive greatsword. He lunged forward, swinging it with raw force, but the blade felt awkward in his grip. The balance was off. Next, he switched to a mace, its brutal weight too cumbersome. He tried a spear, but his movements lacked the fluidity needed for such reach.

Each clash with General Ruke ended the same. The veteran’s counterattacks were precise, unforgiving, and full of battlefield experience.

Frustrated, Kaal reached for a double-headed battle axe.

As he gripped the handle and swung, something clicked. His body moved differently, more fluid, more instinctive. The axe’s weight became easy to swing with force. Each swing carved the air with savage precision, and for the first time, General Ruke narrowed his eyes.

The ground trembled with their renewed clash. Sparks danced, and a rhythm formed a song of steel. With each swing, he can demonstrate the full potential of the Myriads of Thousand Demon Body. Slowly, he was able to block Spear of General Ruke, and with his Mind eye, he was able to dodge most of the strike.

Soon, he was able to see a gap in General Ruke’s defence from the missing left arm side. Without hesitation, he threw the axe toward General Ruke, noticing that General Ruke blocked with the tip of his spear. Noticing that General Ruke blocked, but that was a feint. This was a chance that Kaal was waiting he threw a punch with his left hand.

General Ruke was cornered because his arm was served not long ago; he was not able to adapt to fighting with one hand. Then General Ruke unleashed something unexpected.

With a sharp exhale, the general’s entire aura flared. A surge of invisible pressure burst outward. Kaal’s eyes widened as the invisible wave crashed into him, sending him skidding backwards like a ragdoll. Dust spiraled around him as he landed with a grunt.

Some dust got into Kaal’s mouth as he landed. He spat to the side, grimacing. ’What the hell was that?’ he asked, wiping his lips.

"What was that?" Kaal thought, panting.

"Young master, it was the Qi burst technique that I developed. It was an inferior version of my Soul abilities that I got when I reached the Blessing realm. It lacks power compared to my blessing, but it takes less Qi and it can be used instantly."

( In the Blessing realm, cultivators can access the soul and gain their (Soul ability) or Talent unique to themselves, which people call a blessing. In this realm, people can fly and have a life of 800 years. )

" Teach me this technique," said Kaal with some excitement.

"But, Young master, it takes me twenty years to master this technique, and most importantly, the reason I can master this is because it was similar to my Blessing," said General Ruke, worrying that Kaal misunderstood him.

"That will be no problem," Kaal said confidently because with Mind eye, his learning abilities are enhanced and his indigo-tier talent with the Myriads of Thousand Demon Body stenth he can master this technique more easily.

A helpless expression appeared on General Ruke’s face, but soon he began to explain the technique to Kaal.

Qi Burst—a powerful wave of spiritual Qi expelled from the body with explosive intensity. Like Sword aura, where an intense amount of Qi gathers on a sword to make a sword aura, just like that first step is to gather Qi in your body, then concentrate that Qi in your heart, and then rotate the gathered Qi around the heart in a circular manner, first three circles clockwise and last two circle anti-clockwise and last collide this two Qi. This is Qi Burst.

"Young master, this technique puts pressure on the heart. Please be careful while practicing this." Giving last advice, General Ruke bowed to Kaal and left, and near Shadow Zero also left quietly with General Ruke.

On the edge of the field, two young women walked toward the training ground.

Jane, her long red hair tied back, carried bezzel fruit juice, the glass jars filled with icy blue liquid. Mia, with her cotton-candy pink hair and violet eyes, trailed behind her.

Mia walked over, her brows furrowed in concern as she handed Kaal a towel. "That was too rough! General Ruke went all out on you, Young Master. Isn’t he supposed to be training you, not trying to kill you?"

Kaal chuckled softly, wiping the sweat from his face. "If he held back, I’d be disappointed in him," he said, looking at the cracked ground where they had clashed. "There’s no point in training if it doesn’t push me to my limit."

Mia pouted but said nothing more, clearly unconvinced. Jane, standing beside her, gave a quiet nod of approval.

Jane moved toward Kaal and served him the drink. A loose strand of her crimson hair slipped over her eye. She paused, tucking it gently behind her ear with practiced grace.

Kaal, stepping out of the training ground, caught this moment.

His heartbeat quickened. A desire of lust appeared in his eye, but he shook his head subtly, clenching his jaw. Blood drips from his mouth. Ever since using the Soul Orb to absorb Raven’s memory and acquire the Origin Core, something had shifted. The orb had gifted him powerful insights, techniques, and bloodline resonance.

But it had a side effect.

Kaal had inherited not just Raven’s strength, but also his personality. And Raven’s... weakness for women. His lascivious nature now lived buried in Kaal’s mind, slowly rising.

" I needed to quickly resolve this issue," he reminded himself.

Soon, a week passed

A hundred young cultivators stood in a wide circle at the base of the towering Nirvana Tower, their faces a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

Surrounding the training field, towering stands had been set up where elders and representatives of major sects and clans sat, their gazes sharp and assessing. Among them, the central platform drew the most attention, it was there that Patriarch Charles Kilvish sat, clad in regal silver-blue robes, exuding calm authority. On his right was Elder Alvin, and on his left, other prominent elders of the Kilvish Clan. Their eyes silently appraised the participants.

Suddenly, a ripple of spatial energy shimmered above the platform, and from thin air descended a strange figure.

A childlike boy with luminous silver hair and translucent robes appeared, floating mid-air. Despite his youthful appearance, an ancient aura surrounded him, making even the strongest elders grow solemn. His feet never touched the ground, and his eyes sparkled like stardust.

"The Spirit of Nirvana Tower," someone whispered in awe.

The boy’s lips curved slightly into a neutral expression, and his voice echoed without a trace of emotion, yet carried to every corner of the field:

"Welcome to the second stage of the True Dragon Completion Path: The Survival Trial."

Silence fell. Every participant listened closely.

"You will be transported into the Verdant Deathwood, a living forest within Nirvana Tower. Your goal is simple: survive for seven days."

Murmurs began to ripple through the crowd, but the spirit raised a hand, and they quieted instantly.

"Inside the Deathwood, no storage rings are allowed. Resources must be hunted, stolen, or created. All items, except your clothes and basic weapons, will be stripped before entry."

Gasps echoed from some of the younger disciples.

"In this trial, killing is permitted. You are free to form alliances or betray them. The tower will monitor your actions. At the end of the seventh day, only thirty cultivators will move to the final round."

The words hit like a hammer. For many, this wasn’t just a trial, it was a battlefield.

Kaal, standing with his arms crossed, narrowed his eyes. Beside him, Divya stood in calm silence, her expression unreadable. A breeze ruffled her blue hair, but her green eyes never wavered.

From the elevated seats, Ashen leaned slightly forward, watching the crowd. Samrat, a few feet away, sneered, his fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest.

Back in the field, the spirit raised both hands.

"The gate to Verdant Deathwood shall now open."

A pulse of energy surged from the base of the Nirvana Tower. Glowing runes spiraled across its massive surface, and a grand portal shimmered into existence, like a pool of liquid emerald light.

"Step forward, if you dare," the spirit said.

One by one, the hundred participants began walking toward the glowing gate, their hearts pounding.

As Kaal took his step forward, a faint smirk touched his lips.

"Time to hunt... or be hunted."