"Hey, little beggar, get lost! We don't welcome you!" A group of eight- or nine-year-old children picked up pebbles from the ground and threw them at Lingyao, uttering ruthless words of shooing him away.

In order to avoid the attack of the stones, Lingyao could only be chased to the city gate.

Seeing that he had already left the city limits, the group of children finally stopped at the city gate. They then raised the stones in their hands to intimidate him, threatening that if he dared to turn around and step back into their city, they would smash his head until it bled.

The city gate guards nearby merely frowned upon seeing this scene, without intervening further.

Lingyao rubbed his shoulder, which had been accidentally hit, and stared blankly at the plaque on the city gate.

He wasn't looking at the name of the city, since he couldn't read.

He was just thinking that the last city was driven out around the same time as now.

It seems like he's not welcome anywhere.

So many cities offered him no refuge; his wandering seemed to have no end.

Lingyao turned around numbly and headed towards the next city along the edge of the forest.

Perhaps the people in the next city will be more friendly to him.

As Lingyao was thinking this, he was completely unaware that a bloodthirsty red figure in the forest had already quietly locked onto him.

Just as Lingyao was about to leave the area covered by the forest, a lion-shaped magical beast suddenly sprang out of the dense forest and knocked him to the ground with a single claw.

The monster opened its blood-red maw, its sharp fangs about to fall upon him.

Seeing this, Lingyao remained resigned and even closed his eyes.

Is my miserable, lingering life finally coming to an end?

It might be a kind of relief—when death approached, Lingyao was unexpectedly calm and composed.

After so much wandering and hardship, he was actually exhausted.

Lingyao quietly awaited death, but did not feel the pain he had imagined.

A bright light suddenly flashed through the complete darkness, and the weight on my body vanished in an instant.

Feeling warm liquid splash onto his body, he opened his eyes and saw that the magical beast on his body had been split in two and scattered around him.

A figure slowly descended from the sky, his chin slightly raised, and said arrogantly, "My name is Yin Ming. From now on, I will protect you."

Lingyao stared blankly at the scene, feeling that the red dress was stunningly beautiful.

】

—Excerpt from the novel "Gods and Demons Supreme" when the male protagonist encounters the villain from the original work.

The villain from the original story later took the male protagonist on a journey, bought him new clothes, provided him with three meals a day, and ensured that he no longer had to sleep on the streets. With the villain from the original story around, the male protagonist was no longer bullied.

This series of actions gave the male protagonist a deep illusion, making him feel that the villain was the only light in his world.

So even when the villain later puts him in danger, and occasionally mocks, makes things difficult for, and injures him, the protagonist will feel that the villain is training him and will be even more grateful.

Speaking of this, Yin Ming really has to complain: the male lead's eyes aren't just filtered, they're blind.

Seeing the male protagonist become more and more courageous and outstanding despite setbacks, the villain in the original work was definitely unhappy. As a result, the villain intensified his abuse of the male protagonist, and then the male protagonist became even more courageous despite setbacks...

And so they got stuck in a vicious cycle.

It wasn't until much time had passed and he had experienced more and seen through more of people's hearts that the protagonist gradually realized that the hatred in the villain's eyes was real.

Thus, the passion he once had for playing villains gradually began to freeze.

However, the male protagonist always harbored a glimmer of hope.

Therefore, even though he obtained powerful secret manuals and rare treasures through numerous opportunities and successfully transformed into a powerful figure, he still silently followed the villain as his lackey and punching bag.

Of course, the villain didn't know that the male lead was pretending to be weak while actually being strong. He also couldn't believe that the person who had been suffering abuse under his nose without saying a word had been transformed and was still trying to trip up the male lead, both openly and secretly, just like before.

For four years, they did it without fail, rain or shine.

The ninth incarnation's ending takes place in the Forbidden Forest.

That was the most dangerous forbidden area on the continent of gods and demons, located in the center of the Boundless Sea. It was home to countless magical beasts and a hunter's paradise.

Hunters hunt magical beasts and obtain their cores, which can then be exchanged for whatever they desire in the trading market. The higher the level of the beast core, the more valuable it is.

This forbidden forest is divided into ten layers. If there were no clouds to block the view, it would look like a target from the air, with each layer forming a circle, and the bullseye being the most dangerous area.

The corresponding level will have magical beasts of the corresponding realm. The first level has magical beasts of the first realm, the second level has magical beasts of the second realm, and so on.

The Forbidden Forest is surrounded by a barrier, making it impossible for cultivators to detect its interior or land directly from the air. To reach the central area of ​​the Forbidden Forest, one must venture in layer by layer.

Rumor has it that there are ten-realm demonic beasts on the tenth floor, beings so powerful they are almost like gods. However, whether this is a legend or historical fact, no one dares to verify it.

After all, there are no cultivators at the tenth realm on the continent of gods and demons, nor are there any beings comparable to gods. If a tenth realm demon beast truly exists, then no cultivator is its match. If one rashly provokes it, a bloodbath will likely sweep across the continent.

As for the origin of the barrier, legends also mention it.

It is said that it was laid down by a tenth-realm supreme expert in ancient times and a tenth-realm magical beast in the Forbidden Forest through some kind of agreement, the contents of which are unknown to anyone.

The legend is quite credible, as it tells of a cultivator at the initial stage of the Ninth Realm who attempted to force his way into the Forbidden Forest but ended up being injured by the barrier's backlash.

Four years later, when Lingyao was eighteen, the villain from the original story led him into the Forbidden Forest.

In novels, the protagonist's destinations and actions always have their significance. As soon as the protagonist's halo was activated, Lingyao and his companion encountered an eighth-realm demonic beast just as they entered the third level.

The villain in the original story only wanted to wander around the outer perimeter and find some low-level magical beasts to torture the male protagonist. He thought that even if those high-level magical beasts would visit, they would at most encounter those at the fifth or sixth level. Who would have thought that this big guy would suddenly appear.

This villain is only at the seventh level of cultivation; he's no match for them.

He reluctantly stepped onto the field, but was immediately swatted away by the monster and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

When the monster launched another attack, this guy, in order to save his own life, threw the male protagonist out as a shield and ran away alone.

He was overjoyed, thinking that this was the perfect opportunity to kill the male protagonist. Afterward, he would find a way to eliminate the secret guards of the Demon Sect who were protecting him. In this way, only he would know the truth. When he returned to report, the elders would have no choice but to believe whatever he said.

Even if the elders suspect him, they will let him go because of his high talent. After all, the gods have been pressing him step by step, and the other demon sects have been waiting for an opportunity to take over the Demon Sect's transcendent position in the demon race.

If the Demon Sect were to fall into internal strife at this time, not only would the young master perish, but he, a seventh-realm general, would also be lost. With the butterfly effect, it would be difficult to guarantee that they would not face the tragedy of annihilation. He bet that the elders would understand the implications.

With the sole heir dead, the elders will surely choose a gifted individual from among the Demon Sect disciples to become the new sect leader.

The most talented disciple of this demonic sect right now is none other than himself.

Once he receives careful training from the sect, his strength will definitely advance to another level.

While tending to his wounds, the villain in the original story was happily dreaming. He had even figured out how to use that eighth-realm demonic beast to eliminate those demonic sect guards.

But out of the corner of my eye, a blinding color flashed into my vision. I looked up and saw the male protagonist walking towards me from a distance, covered in blood.

The male protagonist had a cold expression and walked with steady, slow steps, each step seemingly treading on the heart of the villain in the original story. In the end, he simply sat down next to the villain without saying a word.

The atmosphere was eerily quiet. None of the expected questioning or harsh criticism occurred. The villain, unable to fathom the protagonist's thoughts, feigned composure and pretended nothing had happened, feigning concern for his escape.

He quickly analyzed the possible developments in his mind—could it be that those guards killed the monster?

He knew the level of those guards; they were all at the mid-stage of the seventh realm. Even if they had some powerful trump cards, a cross-border battle couldn't end so quickly.

Could it be... that a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into the villain's mind—this kid killed the monster?!

As if to confirm the villain's suspicions, the male protagonist casually replied that he had killed the monster. As he spoke, he took out a clean silk cloth and carefully wiped the bloodstains off his body.

The villain then realized that although the protagonist was covered in blood, he had no wounds on his body—all the blood was from the monster.

He fought a level eight magical beast and emerged unscathed! Moreover, judging from his steady breathing and rosy complexion, this battle seemed effortless for him.

The villain felt his mind explode, staring dumbfounded at the male protagonist, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

My worldview is on the verge of collapse—how did the male protagonist do that? Why does he have such immense power? And now that I just pushed him out to take a knife for me, will he kill me in a fit of rage?

He didn't want to believe it, yet he had no choice but to. Resentment, shock, fear... all the negative emotions surged forth in an instant, and the villain from the original story coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Although their relationship had already reached its lowest point, the male protagonist, who had been resting with his eyes closed, noticed that the villain had vomited blood, so he took out a bottle of healing medicine from his spatial ring and threw it to him.

The villain looked at the medicine thrown into his arms, and the foul language that he used to utter frequently no longer dared to say a word.

When they first met, the male protagonist was indeed without any cultivation. Regardless of how he silently grew stronger under her nose, or how strong he is now, the fact that he could so easily kill an eighth-realm demonic beast proves that his cultivation has at least reached the eighth realm. How could she possibly be his match?

Unexpectedly, this little bastard had been acting all along, and the villain was completely unaware.

The male protagonist usually displays a cultivation level of the high-level of the third realm. The villain feels a tightness in his chest when he thinks about how he used to find those fourth and fifth realm magical beasts to "practice" with every day, and how he was often injured. The clown is actually himself.

Knowing that his plan to seize the throne had completely failed, the villain could only reluctantly suppress his rebellious thoughts.

Although he can no longer harm the male lead, he is still a member of the collateral branch, possessing not only outstanding talent but also a superior status.

He hasn't done anything too outrageous yet, and things haven't reached the point of no return.

Even if he can't become the sect leader, with his cultivation level, he can certainly take over the position of Grand Elder in the future. This position, second only to the sect leader, is not unacceptable.

The villain then secretly reported the matter back to the Demon Sect. Anyway, one of the orders the elder gave him was to torture the male protagonist. Now that the male protagonist was safe, the elder would not suspect that the villain had other intentions.

After discussing the matter, the six elders felt the time was right and instead issued another puzzling order—to have the villain kill the protagonist.

And the methods used are as cruel as possible.

The fact that the male protagonist needs to reincarnate nine times and endure countless hardships before he can return to the Demon Sect is the Demon Sect's top secret.

To prevent the male protagonist from being persecuted by those with ulterior motives during his reincarnation and from ruining their plans, only the six elders knew about this matter.

The villain only knows that the male protagonist is the child of the sect leader and a member of the divine race, and is a bastard with impure blood.

He didn't know why the male protagonist had broken free of his demonic form and become a commoner with mixed bloodlines, nor did he know why the elder had sent him to protect him, torment him, and now wanted to kill him—

Even disregarding the protagonist's status as the young master, his eighth-realm cultivation alone is enough to make the Demon Sect treat him as an honored guest.

An eighteen-year-old eighth-realm expert, what a promising future he has! The tenth realm, which is beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators, is probably just a matter of time for him.

Could it be that the speed at which the male protagonist grows up has made the elders feel threatened, and this pawn has already escaped their control? The elders are afraid that after the male protagonist learns about the heinous things the Demon Sect has done to him, he will take revenge on the entire Demon Sect. So they decided to abandon this bastard and nip him in the bud before he becomes strong.

Regardless of the truth, this order suits the villain's purposes perfectly.

The heart, chilled by the cold water, instantly stirred again—as long as the male lead dies, who else but him can take the position of the next sect leader?

His plan to seize the throne was miraculously saved; it was truly a stroke of luck.

The demonic sect's secret guards, who were originally meant to protect the male protagonist, were also assigned by the elders to assist the villains in completing this task.

There were five bodyguards in total, plus the villains, making a total of six seventh-realm cultivators.

However, the seventh and eighth realms are not the same concept at all, and cross-realm battles cannot be won by sheer numbers.

Fortunately, the guards had mastered the Five Demon Binding God Formation.

This formation can bind cultivators who are one realm higher than the one who sets it up.

In other words, these five guards can currently control a mid-level eighth-realm cultivator for two minutes.

In a life-or-death duel, two minutes is enough to turn the tide of battle.