Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

Damn it! What am I supposed to do? Just sit back and let these demons take the immortal tool?

Hiding in the shadows, Mo Hao's mind raced. His eyes stayed locked on the immortal tool floating inside the massive sinkhole, his fingers twitching with impatience.

And then—something no one expected happened.

The immortal tool moved on its own.

With a sharp hum, the sword-shaped phantom sliced through the air like a dragon cutting through water. It didn't hesitate. It shot straight toward Ben Man, its blade flashing with deadly intent.

Ben Man's lips curled into a grin.

"Good! Let's see how strong you really are!"

He didn't dodge. Didn't back down. Instead, he raised a massive fist and punched straight at the incoming sword phantom.

BOOM!

The impact sent a terrifying shockwave blasting in all directions.

The weaker demons and demonic beasts barely had time to react. Their instincts screamed at them to move, and they did—scrambling back as fast as they could, desperate to avoid getting shredded by the sheer force of the clash.

From his hiding spot, Mo Hao's pulse quickened. His eyes burned with excitement.

"They're actually evenly matched!" His breath came fast. "That demon and the immortal tool are locked in a fight… no clear winner yet!"

Then, a grin spread across his face. A cocky, knowing grin.

"Hah! This is it! This is the moment I've been waiting for!"

He could already picture it—Jiang Chen must be panicking right now. That old hag guarding Red Maple City was too busy to interfere.

Nobody could stop him now.

With Ben Man distracted, all the pieces were in place. Mo Hao just needed to make his move—appear out of nowhere, turn the tide, and steal the show.

Let the world watch in shock.

It wouldn't just be Ben Man and the demons—every creature in that sinkhole would be stunned by what was about to happen.

If Mo Hao played this right, the rewards would be massive. This moment could push him straight into the Late-stage Transcendence realm. And with the immortal tool in his hands? He could even take down Ben Man.

There was no time to waste.

With a burst of energy, Mo Hao shot out of his hiding spot, his aura surging like a tidal wave. Power rolled off him in waves, screaming Dao Palace realm for all to see.

He didn't hold back.

"You filthy demons dare invade human land?! Prepare to die!" His voice boomed across the battlefield, sharp and commanding.

That got their attention.

"A human? Charging in alone?" One demon blinked in disbelief.

"Wait—he's just at the Dao Palace realm! Is he trying to get himself killed?" another scoffed.

"Hah! I could take care of this idiot myself."

At first, the demons just stared. Then, they started looking at each other, as if making sure they weren't the only ones seeing this.

And then—laughter. Low chuckles turned into full-blown sneers. Their lips curled in amusement, eyes filled with mocking disdain.

Ben Man? He didn't even bother looking at Mo Hao. A single glance, a flicker of disinterest—then he turned away.

To him, Mo Hao wasn't even worth acknowledging.

Down in the massive sinkhole, the people who lived there watched Mo Hao with mixed feelings. To them, he looked like a moth flying straight into a fire—one that would burn him up in seconds.

But Mo Hao? He just chuckled.

Heh. None of them think I can win. Perfect. That's exactly what I want them to believe.

Just then, a soft, almost amused voice floated through the air.

"Oh?"

A moment later, the voice spoke again, clear and confident.

"Daoist Mo Hao, so you do have some sense of justice after all. A Transcendence realm expert finally stepping up to defend humanity—how noble of you."

The words carried a teasing edge, but before Mo Hao could react, the voice continued.

"Still… that vajra demon might be a bit much for you. How about this—you take care of the small fries, and I'll handle him."

Then, without warning, a figure appeared above the vast sinkhole, shrouded in a swirling mist. Power exploded from her, filling the air with a crushing force.

Late-stage Transcendence realm!

The moment her presence settled over the battlefield, silence slammed down. Every single person—human, demon, or otherwise—froze in shock.

Then, the voices started.

"It's one of our experts!" someone gasped.

"She's a human cultivator—and an insanely strong one at that!"

"I had no idea the Immortal Martial Continent had powerhouses like this… This is unbelievable!"

"We're saved! We're actually saved!"

The people trapped in the sinkhole looked up at the mysterious woman like she was a miracle, their eyes filled with pure, desperate hope.

Like drowning men who had just found something—someone—to hold onto.

"What?! Another Transcendence realm human just showed up?" a demon outside the barrier blurted out, his voice full of disbelief.

"That human bastard tricked us! His Dao Palace realm aura was just an act!"

"Shit! With two human powerhouses at Transcendence realm, what do we do now?"

"Hold your ground! Reinforcements are already on the way!"

The demons were rattled. The battlefield had already been chaotic, but now? Panic was starting to creep in.

Meanwhile, Ben Man's eyes darkened as he focused on the new arrival. "A Late-stage Transcendence realm human..." he muttered. His mind raced.

Could this be the one who destroyed the spatial channel? The one responsible for the deaths of a million demons?

His lips curled into a sneer.

"A Late-stage Transcendence realm cultivator? Hah! There's not a single human at that level who can take me on!"

Even as he fought against the immortal tool, his attention stayed locked on the mysterious figure floating in the sky.

At the same time, Mo Hao's excitement plummeted. His gaze snapped to the newcomer, his stomach twisting.

Wait… could it be...?

Jiang Chen's Master?!

His mind reeled. This doesn't make sense! She was supposed to be in Glorious Obsidian City, deep in the Black Wasteland Domain! What the hell is she doing here?!

And just like that, everything fell apart.

Not only did she steal my moment of glory… she stole my kills!

She completely ruined my entrance!

Worse, now everyone knew his real strength. The dramatic reveal he had been building up? Gone. His perfect, show-stealing moment had been shattered.

A heavy weight crashed down on him, smothering his excitement like a fire doused in cold water.

Mo Hao's frustration exploded.

"Jiang Chen's Master! Stay out of this!" he roared, his voice shaking with fury.

"These demons are mine! Just stand there and watch—I swear, I'll take care of them myself!"

Without waiting for a response, he shot forward, straight at the demon army.

But the moment he moved, something annoying happened.

The demons—especially the weaker ones—didn't even try to fight him. Instead, they scrambled back, retreating toward Ben Man like scared rats.

Mo Hao's eye twitched.

Now that his real strength was out in the open, they knew he wasn't some Dao Palace realm nobody. He was actually at the Transcendence realm. And without their own Transcendence realm powerhouse to back them up, what could they do?

Numbers didn't matter if they were all too weak to face him. Charging at him would be suicide.

So, they didn't. They ran.

Even if it meant getting caught in the insane battle between Ben Man and the immortal tool, they'd rather take that risk than fight him.

Mo Hao felt his blood pressure spike. His fists clenched so hard they shook.

This was not how things were supposed to go.

"AAAAGH!" His furious scream echoed through the battlefield. His face twisted in rage, his teeth grinding together.

"Damn you, woman! This isn't over between us!"

With that, he threw himself into the demon army anyway, rage fueling every strike like a wild beast unleashed.

However, by the time the mysterious woman arrived, Ben Man had already started pulling away from his fight with the immortal tool.

He was stronger—that much was clear. Breaking free didn't take much effort. With one final burst of power, he shook off the weapon's aggro and turned his attention elsewhere.

Right as Mo Hao charged headfirst into the demon army…

Ben Man landed right in his path.

Thump! Thump!

The massive demon pounded his chest, sending shockwaves of power rippling through the air. His aura flared—unshaken, unchallenged—Late-stage Transcendence realm in full force.

Mo Hao's stomach dropped.

"What the hell?!" His face twisted in shock. His instincts screamed at him—back off, NOW.

He didn't hesitate. The charge came to an abrupt stop, and he immediately started retreating.

But Ben Man wasn't about to let him go so easily.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

With a roar, Ben Man lunged. His attack came down like a falling mountain, massive, unstoppable—ready to crush everything in its way.

But Jiang Chen?

He wasn't the type to just stand back and watch.

The difference in power between Mo Hao and Ben Man was way too big. If they fought one-on-one, Mo Hao wouldn't just lose—he'd be destroyed.

When a protagonist faces certain death, Heavenly Fate has a dramatic way of stepping in—shifting the tide, creating a sudden opening, turning despair into opportunity.

That wasn't the outcome Jiang Chen wanted.

"You dare lay a hand on a junior of my human race? DIE!"

The mysterious woman's voice thundered across the battlefield. With just a flick of her wrist, the sky exploded into flames.

Not just any flames—Burning World Raging Flames.

Jiang Chen had never revealed this technique in front of Mo Hao before. It was a hidden ace, a power meant for the most crucial moments.

The fire roared to life, twisting and morphing into a storm of firebirds that dove at Ben Man. In seconds, they engulfed him, forming a massive, raging fireball that locked him inside.

"ROOOAAARR!"

Ben Man thrashed inside, his furious roars mixing with pure panic. He slammed his fists against the burning prison, but no matter how hard he struck, the flames held.

And then—

"I'VE GOT THIS!"

Mo Hao's voice ripped through the chaos.

With every ounce of energy he had, he charged straight at Ben Man, eyes blazing with determination.

This was his moment. His kill. His glory.

Or at least, that's what he thought.

Because Jiang Chen wasn't about to let that happen.