I am Villain Cultivator
Chapter 31: Beneath the Clan’s Banner

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Beneath the Clan’s Banner

Ashen stood motionless, the air around him thick with silence. A strange weight settled in his chest, cold, unfamiliar. For the first time, he had taken a life.

No... not with his own hands.

It was Lauren who had died, and the death had been orchestrated by him. The plan, the manipulation, it was all his doing.

He was supposed to be just a character in the novel. A name on a page. A Character to entertain readers.But now, watching her lifeless body, a horrifying thought gnawed at his mind.

What if this world weren’t just fiction anymore?

What if he had killed a real person?

Ashen inhaled sharply, held his breath for a moment, then slowly released it. The panic subsided, replaced by a grim resolve. He couldn’t afford hesitation, not here, not now.

Raven’s death had already thrown the story into chaos. If he wanted to survive in this world, he had to keep control. His knowledge of the original plot was the only advantage he had.

He had to stick to it. Use it.

Next was Kaal, the first true villain of Volume One. Once Kaal was dealt with, the storyline would start to stabilize. With Raven gone, all Ashen had to do was take his place. It was ruthless, yes, but necessary.

In the shadows, Ashen whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.

"Earthcore Beasts... They weren’t supposed to appear in this trial. But they did. Lauren is dead. No one suspects me. Everyone thinks I’m just another unlucky participant... another victim."

His eyes flicked toward the distant chaos, unreadable.

{ Outside the Trial Tower }

At the top of the VIP platform, a thunderous pressure suddenly erupted. The sky seemed to tighten under the weight of it.

It was Elder George, a Truth Realm cultivator, and his eyes burned with fury.

"Stop the trial!" he roared. "Save my grandson!"

His spiritual energy surged as he prepared to act, but just as quickly, a second pressure rose to meet his.

The air trembled as two invisible forces collided.

Another Truth Realm cultivator had intervened in Elder Alvin.

"Elder George," Alvin said calmly, though his voice carried the weight of command, "what are you doing?"

George turned to him with fury in his gaze, but Alvin didn’t flinch. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"This trial exists to find the true heir of the Kilvis Clan. Do not insult the tradition, especially not as an Elder."

There was a glint in Alvin’s eye, something cruel, something pleased.

He had once mourned the death of his grandson, Raven. For weeks, he had endured that grief in silence. But now, to see George’s grandson facing death in the same way...

It was poetic. And satisfying.

George clenched his fists. "Don’t try to stop me, Alvin. You’ll regret it."

But Alvin stood firm. "You didn’t move when my granddaughter was wounded," he said coldly. "You stayed silent when other children died during the trial. And now, because it’s your blood, you want to break the rules?"

His voice hardened.

"Don’t show double standards, Elder George. We are Elders of the Kilvis Clan. We uphold tradition. We do not bend it to our grief."

A suffocating silence swept across the VIP platform until a voice thundered through the air like a crashing wave.

"Take a look at where you are."

The words were sharp, and the power behind them even sharper.

It was Patriarch Charles, and his voice was filled with fury. A devastating pressure descended upon the platform, directed squarely at Elder George and Elder Alvin. Both elders staggered under the invisible weight. This was no ordinary suppression; it came from a Sea Realm cultivator.

Neither dared to move.

Charles’s piercing gaze turned to Elder George. His expression was cold, his eyes burning with restrained anger.

"This trial was held to select the next Young Dragon Shadow of the Kilvis Clan," he said, his voice echoing like thunder. "Lauren chose to participate, fully aware of the risks. If he stepped into the arena, knowing the danger... then his decision deserves respect, not interference."

George opened his mouth to protest. "But—"

He stopped mid-sentence, unable to speak further under the piercing glare of the Patriarch. Words failed him. The fury in Charles’s eyes was enough to silence even a Truth Realm elder.

Just then, another calm but authoritative voice broke the tension.

"Elder George, control yourself."

All eyes turned toward the speaker, Grand Elder William, the only other Sea Realm cultivator in the Kilvis Clan. His tone was firm, though not aggressive.

"My son, Samrat, is participating in this very trial," William continued. "Even I cannot interfere, and I am certain the same applies to Patriarch Charles."

His eyes flicked briefly toward Charles, a silent message passing between the two. There was a clear implication: You shouldn’t interfere either.

William’s confidence was unshakable. He believed in his son. Samrat wasn’t just capable of winning the entire tournament; he could even kill Kaal.

Charles nodded slowly, understanding the veiled warning. "Of course," he said evenly. "I will not interfere."

He turned away from the platform, adjusting his robes with poise. Then, facing the assembled guests, he gave a slight bow.

"I apologize for the disturbance," he said.

"As expected of the Kilvis Clan, always so united," said Heavenly Dragon Adaeze of the Storm Clan, his tone laced with sarcasm. He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "But I must admit, it was quite the entertaining show."

His words hung in the air like a knife cloaked in silk.

Everyone knew what he truly meant. Adaeze was far from amused. He was seething with his bitterness, not only directed at the spectacle of infighting between the Kilvis Clan Elders, but also at Charles, the so-called wild baboon who had married the woman of his dreams: Lady Bella.

He didn’t bother to hide his disdain.

Across the platform, the expressions of Patriarch Charles and Grand Elder William visibly twitched. The irony was clear while Adaeze mocked their "unity," the clan’s two highest-ranking Elders had just clashed openly before everyone.

The hypocrisy stung.

Before anyone could respond, a dramatically sultry voice rang out from nearby.

"Oh my, Adaeze," cooed Elder Adrian, fanning himself as he gazed at the muscular cultivator with half-lidded eyes. "You look adorable when you’re jealous. Those muscles... those abs... they shine brightest in that green hue of envy."

He licked his lips in exaggerated delight. "No matter how many times I see them, it’s never enough."

Adaeze visibly recoiled, his body stiffening instinctively as a chill ran down his spine. He dropped into a loose defensive stance without even realizing it.

Elder Adrian’s eyes then shifted toward Charles.

"Charles, baby," he said with a smirk, spreading his ornate fan coyly over his mouth, "I don’t mind~."

Even Charles, calm and composed as he usually was, couldn’t stop the goosebumps from crawling across his skin. A single bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Grand Elder William averted his gaze, pretending to watch the clouds.

The VIP platform descended into awkward silence. No one dared engage Adrian when he was like this.

Far below, in the heart of the Trial Grounds, the chaos continued.

A radiant figure materialized above the battlefield, a childlike body cloaked in ancient robes, hovering in the air. His features glowed faintly with ethereal energy. It was none other than the Spirit of the Nirvana Tower, a being older than most clans combined.

He gazed down upon the rampaging Earthcore Blood Queen Bee, whose screeching fury tore through trees and stone alike.

"Hmm..." he mused aloud, eyes gleaming with childlike curiosity. "How could I miss such a beast? Should I remove it?"

He raised a hand, energy swirling at his fingertips, but paused.

"No," he said after a moment’s thought, smiling faintly. "This might be a perfect opportunity... for the two awakened bloodline children to prove themselves."

As for the other participants who might die from the Earthcore Beast’s rampage? He didn’t care.

This world had never been fair.

Those without strength had no place in it. Dying here would be a mercy.

And those with strength, those like Ashen, who knew how to survive even encountering the Earthcore beast, this was their trial, their moment to prove themself.

"Let the strong prove themselves," the Spirit whispered, vanishing like mist. "And let the weak be forgotten."

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