I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1784. Knowing Full Well It’s a Huge Pit, Yue Mingkong Comes Out of Seclusion

Qi Luo’s heart was set off in a storm of shock that took a long time to calm. She could not determine how much of Venerable Void Ancestor’s words could actually be trusted.

But since Venerable Void Ancestor dared to say this, he must have some reliance and confidence.

For this plan, he had likely been laying groundwork for who knows how long. Even within the Heavenly Tribe, his influence had probably already infiltrated many places.

Some of the priests might already be his people.

One could only say that, as expected of someone who once truly followed the Lord of the Substitute Heaven, his scheming mind and courage were far beyond what ordinary beings could compare to.

“So, Venerable Void Ancestor, what exactly do you want me to do?” Qi Luo asked in a deep voice.

“It’s very simple. I only need Priest Qi Luo to help me hold one person back when the time comes. Once the matter is complete, our transaction will be finished, and there will be no further karmic entanglement between us. In addition, I can share with you many of my insights and experiences, and let you share in the secrets of the Lord of the Substitute Heaven.”

Venerable Void Ancestor smiled faintly, his voice still ethereal and elusive.

Qi Luo’s gaze sharpened. She ignored the so-called benefits he mentioned afterward. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. With Venerable Void Ancestor’s scheming nature, how could he possibly hand over his insights and experiences so easily?

As for the person he wanted her to hold back, she had already guessed.

It seemed Venerable Void Ancestor did not intend to act personally, which was why he arranged so many plans and even went so far as to involve her.

From another perspective, Venerable Void Ancestor was also extremely cautious—likely worried that the Lord of the Substitute Heaven still had hidden trump cards.

“How highly do you think of me? Do you really believe that with my strength, I can hold back the Great High Priest?” Qi Luo sneered.

“Regardless, you still possess half of the Lord of the Substitute Heaven’s flesh and blood. If you are willing, you can naturally delay her. Moreover… there will be others helping you…”

Venerable Void Ancestor still spoke in that misty, indifferent, and unfathomable tone, without revealing too much.

Qi Luo’s heart tightened again.

It seemed things were much as she had guessed—Venerable Void Ancestor had long intended to move against the Heavenly Tribe, and within the Heavenly Tribe, he already had his own people.

It was just unknown how many of the Eight Divisions were already under his arrangement and control.

This invisible, terrifying conspiracy was like a massive net slowly enveloping the Heavenly Tribe.

The Great High Priest had always been elusive over the years, her whereabouts unknown. No one knew what level her cultivation and strength had reached.

After all, she was the one who had followed the Lord of the Substitute Heaven for the longest time.

Even Venerable Void Ancestor and others ranked slightly behind her.

However, why would someone as powerful as the Great High Priest never show any intention of betraying the Lord of the Substitute Heaven?

One must know that after the end of the Dark Calamity era, the other High Priests among the Eight Divisions had already gone their separate ways and disappeared. Even during the internal turmoil of the Heavenly Tribe, several High Priests were suspected to have intervened.

“Timing is not yet ripe. When the time comes, I will inform Priest Qi Luo again.”

The ethereal voice faded away. Qi Luo’s thoughts churned violently. When she came back to her senses, she was already back in the barren mountain range where she had come from.

“Liuyun, you were once someone who followed the Great High Priest. What kind of person do you think she is?”

Beside the luxurious carriage, a woman in white stood quietly waiting. She was otherworldly and pure, detached from dust.

Qi Luo glanced at her and, as if thinking of something, asked softly.

“The Great High Priest possesses vast divine abilities and is beyond my ability to speculate,” Liuyun replied calmly, her expression unchanging.

“Still as watertight as ever…” Qi Luo laughed lightly, her gaze turning somewhat interested. “The Great High Priest has you following me all this time. It seems she already sensed something wrong with me. Is this meant as a warning, or does she have other intentions?”

Liuyun remained silent.

Qi Luo shook her head in boredom, then lifted her gaze toward the clear, cloudless sky and let out a soft sigh.

Although Venerable Void Ancestor was unfathomable and deeply scheming, the Great High Priest was no easy opponent either.

For so many years, the Heavenly Tribe had been under her control. The three priests ranked above her in sequence—did they truly not wish to interfere, or were they simply unable to intervene at all?

There was no way to know. Even the higher echelons of the Heavenly Tribe had not seen those three priests for a very long time. Rumors had spread that they had already betrayed the Heavenly Tribe and were secretly eliminated by the Great High Priest.

Because of this, the later High Priests had taken their positions.

Did Venerable Void Ancestor already know all this, which was why he approached her? After all, she was currently the fourth-ranked priest in the Heavenly Tribe’s hierarchy.

“This is clearly a pit, yet he still wants to drag me into it…”

“Why is the Great High Priest so certain that the Lord of the Substitute Heaven will return? If that is true, then what exactly are the other Eight Divisions thinking?”

Qi Luo suddenly fell into deep thought.

The Heavenly Tribe and the Eight Divisions were once all part of the Lord of the Substitute Heaven’s forces. The difference was that the Heavenly Tribe consisted of the earliest core followers of the Lord of the Substitute Heaven, while the Eight Divisions were composed later of various clans, civilizations, and powerful beings subdued by him.

Shaoyin, Shaoyang, Luo Clan, Sword Clan, Tianshuai, Zhuyou, Yanpo, Wuxiang.

Each division was once a faction capable of contending for dominion over all realms.

The sheer scale and terror of this force was beyond what later generations could imagine.

Frankly speaking, at their peak, any one of the Eight Divisions could rival the current Zhengyi Alliance.

If not for the changes of circumstances and the decline of ancient prosperity, the Zhengyi Alliance would not have been able to stir up such chaos in the present world.

The establishment of the Immortal Dao Alliance was imminent. The myriad civilizations and true-world races of the vast expanse had all turned their attention towards it, closely observing the situation. It could be said that this event would influence the entire future landscape of the vast expanse.

Not only that, once the Immortal Dao Alliance was established, the vast expanse would shift from a three-way balance of power to a four-way structure.

All the countless civilizations caught in between would gain a chance to breathe.

Streaks of divine rainbows pierced through the universe. Ancient warships rumbled, crushing through spacetime tunnels. Many orthodox traditions had already sent experts to attend the ceremony. The Misty Sacred Domain was extremely lively, filled with lanterns and decorations, and all cultivators and beings were discussing the matter.

Many believed that after the establishment of the Immortal Dao Alliance, the Misty Sacred Domain would become a new holy land, comparable to the headquarters of the Fatian Alliance and the central region of the Zhengyi Alliance.

This also gave the various clans and forces living in the Misty Sacred Domain a sense of pride and confidence.

Meanwhile, the movements of the Zhengyi Alliance affected the hearts of countless forces. When they saw that many high-level members of the Zhengyi Alliance had set out aboard broken-domain ancient vessels and opened spacetime passages to attend, almost everyone let out a breath of relief.

However, the Fatian Alliance still had no movement, which continued to leave many people uneasy. Who knew whether, at the critical moment, the Fatian Alliance would suddenly send down an army and wipe out both the Immortal Dao Alliance and the Zhengyi Alliance’s higher-ups in one sweep?

Daochang True Realm, beside the Divine Nation, the Temple of Fate stood on the eastern side of this boundless sea of stars—vast and endless, adorned with countless stars, both beautiful and cold.

In this region, countless islands floated, surrounded by mist that made everything hazy and indistinct. All year round, it remained in a cold color tone, without sunlight, making one wonder if life even existed here.

At the center stood a cluster of palace halls known as the Temple of Ritual, grand and solemn, ancient and imposing.

Although the palaces stretched endlessly in orderly rows, there were no signs of living beings. It was so quiet one could almost hear the cold wind echoing through the empty halls.

Compared to other regions, this place resembled the legendary Lunar Immortal Palace—forever cold and devoid of sunlight, making one doubt whether any vitality remained.

“My Lady, the Divine Nation has been more lively than usual these past few days.”

“Many families and sects have brought their clans here to offer congratulations.”

Inside the central Temple of Ritual, a young woman in a red shrine maiden outfit stood barefoot in wooden clogs, her long black hair tied with a crimson ribbon, holding a green lamp. While lighting the extinguished candles around her, she looked toward the distant vast star sea and spoke softly.

She was none other than Qi of Fate, the next temple lord of the Temple of Fate, also possessing the Fate Void Physique.

Beside her, on a clean prayer mat, sat a breathtakingly beautiful woman in a moon-white priest’s robe. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, her expression calm and emotionless, exuding a transcendent aura like a fairy from the Moon Palace above the Ninth Heaven.

She was also the master of this place—the Great Fate Priest of the Divine Nation, now respectfully called Lady Ruoyin.

“It is because the Empress Consort has come out of seclusion. All realms of Daochang True Realm have come to offer congratulations,” she said calmly and indifferently.

“The Empress Consort?” Qi of Fate widened her beautiful eyes in shock.

She had been in the Temple of Fate for quite some time and had heard the most about the Divine Nation’s ruler, Gu Changge. Next to that were stories of the Empress Consort Yue Mingkong, who had been betrothed to him since youth and never abandoned him through life and death.

Her legend was equally dreamlike and extraordinary. She was the only woman in Daochang True Realm worthy of the title “Empress.”

In her youth, she had commanded armies and governed immortal dynasties. Among the younger generation, aside from Gu Changge, no one could suppress her.

However, Qi of Fate had never seen her true appearance, as she had been in seclusion cultivating an extremely profound technique.

Even when Gu Changge returned to Daochang True Realm last time, she had not appeared.

“Who else in Daochang True Realm could bear the title of Empress Consort besides her?” Lady Ruoyin’s voice remained as calm and cold as ever, without the slightest fluctuation of emotion.

Qi of Fate looked curious and could not help but whisper, “Now that the Empress Consort has come out of seclusion, I wonder if His Majesty will return to Daochang True Realm…”

At these words, Lady Ruoyin’s jade-like hand trembled slightly. Although she quickly recovered, Qi of Fate still noticed it. She immediately regretted her words and wished she could slap herself. Why did she bring up such a sensitive topic?

Last time His Majesty returned to Daochang True Realm, he did not even ask about the Temple of Fate, let alone visit.

Although Lady Ruoyin appeared unconcerned on the surface, Qi of Fate knew she must still feel sadness and disappointment. After all, no matter how cold and detached she seemed, she was still a woman.

And Gu Changge was the only man in her life.

Being treated like this, as if abandoned in a cold palace, would be unbearable for anyone.

“My Lady, should we go offer congratulations? The Empress Consort and His Majesty are deeply affectionate and inseparable. If she mentions you beside him, perhaps His Majesty will remember you…” Qi of Fate said softly.

“It is said that His Majesty is building a great undertaking in the vast expanse outside Daochang True Realm and has no time for romantic affairs…” she added carefully.

She looked at that flawless, icy immortal face and truly could not understand how any man could remain indifferent to such a woman.

Lady Ruoyin understood Qi of Fate’s intention and gently waved her hand.

She twirled a strand of hair from her forehead with a finger as jade-like as ice, gazing at the increasingly cold and quiet Temple of Fate, and said softly:

“If he wishes to see me, no matter how busy he is, he will come. If he does not wish to see me, then no one can persuade him.”

“You are pure of heart and untouched by worldly distractions. If you devote yourself fully to the path of fate, your achievements will surpass mine in no time. My heart is already impure; my state of mind has flaws, and I am destined to go no further.”

Qi of Fate fell silent.

She understood what Lady Ruoyin meant. Many years ago, Lady Ruoyin had already stopped at the threshold of the Dao realm.

The Fate Void Physique was extremely special. Unlike other physiques that required comprehending the Dao, condensing Dao seeds, or breaking through mortal limits into Dao, one might, with a single thought, touch the river of fate, perceive past and future causes and effects, and directly enter enlightenment, causing one’s cultivation to soar.

Lady Ruoyin’s talent and comprehension were unmatched in this path, and even Qi of Fate, who shared the same physique, could feel the gap between them. But precisely because of a flaw in her state of mind, her cultivation had ultimately stopped here.

If she had remained flawless, she would likely have broken through that enlightenment, transformed from immortal to Dao, and stepped into the Dao realm in one leap.

But she failed. And such an opportunity, once lost, would likely never come again. This meant she would forever remain at this stage, unable to advance even half a step.

“Fate plays tricks, fate is unpredictable. This is my destiny. You need not grieve for me…” Lady Ruoyin shook her head calmly. “Perhaps one day, when I cut away my flaws and unify my will, I will try once more to push open that door.”

Qi of Fate trembled and could not help but ask, “And if you fail…”

“Then I will perish in body and soul.”

Lady Ruoyin’s eyes remained as calm and cold as ever, as if she were speaking of something unrelated to herself.

Within the vast Divine Nation, star regions stretched endlessly, palace complexes surrounding them.

Starlight glittered, the Milky Way hung like a waterfall, solemn and majestic like a true divine palace.

An overwhelming pressure enveloped the place. Within the dense immortal and divine radiance, one could faintly see terrifying, indistinct figures like innate gods, guarding this land under orders.

Deep in the heavens, strands of extreme Dao aura flowed. It felt as though some supreme gaze was watching everything.

No cultivator or being dared show disrespect here. At a certain point, they were even forbidden from flying and had to walk up the jade steps of the heavenly ladder.

Ancient dragon-pillars stood on both sides of the steps, each carved from heavy chaotic mysterious human mother metal, surrounded by mist.

As cultivators passed, the coiled ancient dragons opened their eyes, revealing cold, majestic gazes as they inspected all.

At the deepest part of the Divine Nation, the World Tree stood towering and ancient, each leaf supporting suns and moons, emitting thunderous vibrations.

Beneath it, the Lake of Samsara shimmered with silver light, countless ripples and glowing points spreading outward, flowing with profound mysteries of reincarnation and ultimate truths of all realms.

At the very center of the canopy stood a grand palace complex.

Today, this place was extremely lively, with streaks of divine light and rainbow radiance crossing the sky.

From various universe islands, immortal mountains, caves, and palaces, figures emerged as news spread, all rushing here.

The Saintess Palace, Ten-Fox Pure Land, Long Life Wang Family, Human Ancestor Hall… almost all factions of Daochang True Realm had sent representatives.

Even ancestors of the Gu family, the master of Wang Xiaoniu—Wine Sword Immortal, Shen Xian’er’s master Ming, and many ancient beings from mythological eras, all famous figures in Daochang True Realm, had to set aside their affairs to come.

Although Yue Mingkong was a junior, she was the lawful wife of Gu Changge and the Empress Consort of the Divine Nation. No one dared show any disrespect.

“A Dao realm aura… and so ethereal and dreamlike…”

Almost all visitors felt a shock upon sensing the aura deep within the hall, behind the curtain, where a tall and majestic figure sat calmly.

No one had expected that the first person in this era to break into the Dao realm would be Empress Consort Yue Mingkong.

She had clearly only gone into seclusion once—yet her cultivation had advanced so dramatically, like a complete transformation.

“This aura… real yet illusory. It seems recorded in ancient texts… as if connected to some extremely ancient era…”

The Gu family ancestor showed a look of astonishment, unsure whether Yue Mingkong had obtained some fortune or whether it was a chance arranged by Gu Changge for her.