I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1815. For the Sake of Staging It Himself? An Ancestral Dao Realm That Could Not Be Killed

As the Ethereal Patriarch took action, the enormous black lotus in the distant heavens trembled. Terrifying aftershocks spread outward, boundless energy surged, and it seemed as though the universe itself was about to be torn apart.

The void exploded as endless black light erupted forth.

The Ethereal Patriarch snorted coldly once more, seemingly enraged. From within his sleeve, he unleashed a dazzling golden glazed sacred tower. It had nine levels and flew out just like that, rising and falling among the worlds.

The black-scaled giant hand inside the lotus stretched out again. Yet before the Ethereal Patriarch’s attack, it had little power to resist. With a puff, it was severed, black blood splashing across the sky as a muffled groan rang out.

Accompanied by a cry of pain, the creature within finally revealed its true form. It was an enormous and ancient black dragon, its scales dense and fearsome, like molten iron forged into armor, gleaming with an icy cold light.

Yet around its neck was wrapped a thick black chain. Great Dao aura lingered upon it, and whenever it moved, the chains rattled with a sound that shook heaven and earth.

Raising its head, it let out a roar that reverberated throughout the cosmos. Black flames poured from its mouth, instantly scorching the void. The River of Time appeared faintly, becoming blurred, as though it were about to dry up.

“An ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm existence would not be a match for that black dragon. Yet it is bound there, left with only its battle instincts.”

Many ancient beings watching the scene felt their hearts tremble. This was a true dragon whose strength surpassed that of ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm experts, yet its true soul had been refined away and turned into a guardian of the Black Lotus Cult.

The guests atop Ethereal Peak all changed expressions. None had expected the previously underestimated Black Lotus Cult to possess such terrifying foundations.

“A glow as insignificant as a grain of rice dares to shine?” The Ethereal Patriarch merely snorted again.

The glazed sacred tower rose and fell as endless treasure light cascaded downward. Threads of chaotic energy pressed forward.

With a boom, it smashed onto the black dragon.

In that instant, it felt as though the entire universe trembled. The surrounding cosmos shook violently, and boundless ripples exploded outward.

At the same time, the Ethereal Patriarch stepped forward, leaving Ethereal Peak.

Since he personally presided here, yet the Black Lotus Cult still dared to wreak havoc so brazenly, it was obvious they held no regard for him.

Now that he had chosen to emerge into the world once more, he naturally intended to display his might and intimidate all enemies across the ages.

Buzz!

Beneath the Ethereal Patriarch’s feet, Dao patterns appeared and vanished. Order intertwined as vague fragments of time flickered.

A golden avenue formed and extended through heaven and earth. Every inch of the void seemed weighed down by billions upon billions of pounds of Great Dao pressure.

In an instant, he appeared before the black lotus.

Raising his hand, he struck downward. His attack was tyrannical and unmatched, intending to destroy the lotus outright.

The black dragon roared and tried to resist. Yet beneath the terrifying radiance of the Great Dao, its body shattered, disintegrated, and faded away.

It was as though it was being erased from all worlds. Its traces, karma, and aura were all vanishing.

For beings at the Ancestral Dao Realm, life had already reached a nearly inexhaustible state.

Ordinary methods could not kill them.

When Ancestral Dao Realm experts fought, their battles often spanned rivers of time and countless ages before one side could finally wear the other down to death.

For someone as domineering as the Ethereal Patriarch to directly erase another being’s existence, it could only mean that his cultivation and Dao far surpassed the opponent’s.

At that moment, countless gazes watching the scene trembled slightly, filled with shock.

The Ethereal Patriarch’s move was not merely aimed at the Black Lotus Cult. It was also a demonstration directed towards all the ancient existences and hidden powers gathered atop Ethereal Peak, warning them against taking advantage of the chaos.

Gu Changge continued sipping tea calmly. His eyes remained tranquil and indifferent. He showed no intention of intervening.

The senior members of the Heaven-Defying Alliance behind him likewise remained silent.

Although the Black Lotus Cult’s appearance had been sudden, with Gu Changge seated here, it felt as though even if the heavens collapsed, there would be nothing to fear.

“Master, that woman seems to have been watching me this whole time…”

Yaoyao spoke softly beside Gu Changge. She had noticed a cold-faced woman in white from the side of the Orthodox Unity Alliance who kept glancing in their direction.

“She should be considered your junior sister. You’ll get to know each other soon enough.”

Gu Changge glanced casually in that direction.

Naturally, he knew it was Zhao Xiuyan, the chess piece he had planted long ago in the Yanyang True Realm.

Although Zhao Xiuyan’s current strength was still insufficient, she was the Realm Child of the Yanyang True Realm, and her father had become a Vice Alliance Leader of the Orthodox Unity Alliance.

That alone would allow her to play some role in the coming situation. Moreover, what Gu Changge had valued back then was her long-term worth.

Yaoyao was surprised.

When had her master accepted another disciple?

Still, she wisely refrained from asking further.

The Luo Lord and the Eternal Primordial God watched the appearance of the Black Lotus Cult with furrowed brows.

The two exchanged glances and saw the same heaviness in each other’s eyes. Among everyone present, they were likely the only ones who knew Gu Changge’s true identity.

Because of that, they understood even more clearly—This so-called Black Lotus Cult was very likely Gu Changge’s own creation.

After all, all dark matter throughout the boundless expanse originated from him.

It had been created by him.

In their eyes, the essence of the Black Lotus Cult was simply a transformation born from concentrated dark matter. Yet now, even they could not determine Gu Changge’s intentions.

Was he planning to use the Black Lotus Cult to wipe out every guest and every True Realm civilization attending this Immortal Dao Alliance gathering?

Or was he merely staging everything himself?

If it was the former, was he preparing for the unification of the Boundless Expanse?

If it was the latter, was he fishing for hidden enemies?

The Luo Lord considered himself far stronger than the Ethereal Patriarch.

Yet before Gu Changge, he was no different from an ant.

Gu Changge’s current strength was sufficient to sweep through the entire Boundless Expanse effortlessly.

Yet he still had not done so.

What exactly was he waiting for?

What was he plotting?

The thought alone sent chills down both their spines.

Boom!

Far away in the heavens, the Ethereal Patriarch struck once more.

The outcome was naturally unsurprising.

The black dragon shattered and dispersed into powder.

None of the guests found this unexpected. If even the Ethereal Patriarch could not suppress the Black Lotus Cult, then the other True Realm civilizations would stand even less of a chance.

However—Just as the Ethereal Patriarch was about to destroy the black lotus, the black dragon, whose body had already been obliterated, suddenly began to recover.

It was as though time itself were flowing backward.

Within moments, it was fully restored. Its strength returned to its peak.

The sight caused every ancient existence and hidden powerhouse on Ethereal Peak to inhale sharply.

Shock and disbelief filled their faces. Many people stood up directly. Their pupils contracted. Their voices trembled.

“It can’t be killed?”

“How is that possible?”

“We saw the Ethereal Patriarch kill that black dragon with our own eyes. Even its traces were erased. How did it reappear?”

Everyone who witnessed it was stunned. It was utterly inconceivable.

“The power of resurrection comes from that black lotus. The lotus must be destroyed first.”

One sharp-eyed ancient figure spoke gravely.

For the first time, he discarded all contempt toward the Black Lotus Cult and stared intently at the lotus.

“We can’t just sit and watch anymore. This Black Lotus Cult is truly bizarre. It can even revive dead Ancestral Dao Realm existences. Such a thing has never been heard of.”

Someone rose from Ethereal Peak and prepared to join forces with others to destroy the spreading black lotuses.

Looking across the entire Ethereal Sacred Domain, there were far too many black lotuses.

If every single one possessed such a strange source of power, how could anyone possibly deal with them?

“The number of believers on the lotuses is decreasing. Their resurrection isn’t unlimited.”

Another observer noticed something.

As the black dragon revived, many of the believers seated upon the lotus vanished, dissolving into countless particles of light.

Yet as those believers disappeared, more rays of divine light rose from various regions of the Ethereal Sacred Domain.

They replaced the vacant positions and sat upon the lotus once again. They were also followers of the Black Lotus Cult.

If replenishment could continue indefinitely like this, did that not mean all the universes and spacetime regions within the Ethereal Sacred Domain served as nourishment for the lotus?

The realization caused everyone’s hearts to sink.

The mastermind behind the Black Lotus Cult had not even appeared yet. And already everyone was being forced to confront the threat seriously.

“In that case, I’ll simply destroy this lotus directly. Let’s see how many times it can revive.”

After a brief moment of surprise, the Ethereal Patriarch quickly understood.

To deal with the Black Lotus Cult, one had to begin with the lotuses themselves. He stomped lightly.

The void trembled as though all worlds would collapse.

Wave after wave of Great Dao force, each weighing billions upon billions of pounds, crashed toward the lotus, intending to sink it.

At the same moment, atop the black lotus stood an ancient shrine.

It trembled slightly.

Circles upon circles of believers sat around it. As they chanted scriptures, countless strands of faith power gathered toward the shrine.

Faintly, the ancient shrine began to glow.

A vague supreme figure seemed about to descend into all worlds.

An indescribable pressure spread outward. It was sacred and inviolable.

“Hm?”

The Ethereal Patriarch frowned. His power had actually been blocked. It was truly unbelievable.

What exactly was being worshiped within that ancient shrine?

How could a mere shadow possess such terrifying power?

Meanwhile, throughout the other regions of the Ethereal Sacred Domain, dragon roars and phoenix cries echoed from the black lotuses.

True dragons, phoenixes, peacocks, and other powerful ancient creatures emerged. Radiant beams shot across the skies.

The energy was overwhelming.Their true bodies were enormous. Yet all had lost their true souls and were bound by chains as they resisted the powerful attacks aimed at the lotuses.

“Alliance Leader, should we assist them?” One of the Heaven-Defying Alliance executives asked.

Gu Changge waved his hand. “No need. With the Ethereal Patriarch present, the Black Lotus Cult is not something we need to concern ourselves with. Let’s simply watch the show.”

Not only would he refrain from helping—He intended to add fuel to the fire.

In the end, the Black Lotus Cult existed only to make wedding clothes for him. At present, Gu Changge’s true objective remained fishing.

Only this time, his bait had become the Fate Lord and the Primordial Ancestor Void.

Not far away, Zhao Tianqi, Vice Alliance Leader of the Orthodox Unity Alliance, frowned slightly but said nothing. Nor did he step forward to help.

However, several high-ranking members behind him revealed flickers of silver light deep within their eyes. The flashes disappeared quickly, and their expressions returned to normal.

Boom!

A tremendous battle erupted.

The True Realm civilizations that had originally intended to watch from the sidelines atop Ethereal Peak were forced into the conflict.

Ancient beings took action one after another to block the advance of the Black Lotus Cult.

Upon every black lotus stood an ancient shrine.

Boundless divine radiance shone from them. Vague shadows seemed ready to manifest and reappear in the world.

The sight was deeply unsettling.

At the same time, within that dark and secluded underground palace—Wuxiang, clad in armor, stared fixedly at the blood-mirror image before him.

His eyes burned with excitement, yet also carried a trace of confusion. He greedily licked his lips. His breathing quickened.

“As expected of the source of power belonging to the Lord Who Replaces Heaven.”

“It is truly incomparable.”

“Even a mere fragment of flesh possesses such unimaginable power.”

“No one can contend against it.”

“…But why is the revival speed of the guardians even faster than I anticipated?”

“Even if all the source power were concentrated in one place, it should still take at least half a day to resurrect an Ancestral Dao Realm existence.”

“And the expansion speed of the black lotuses is also unbelievably fast.”

“At this rate, the Black Lotus Sacred Realm will soon take shape.”

“Could it be that the Ethereal Sacred Domain contains something special?”

“Perhaps it was contaminated by some strange substance in the past?”

Although greedy, Wuxiang was not stupid.

Something about the current situation felt wrong.

The number of believers he had accumulated was immense, but not to the extent that he could instantly revive a fallen Ancestral Dao Realm expert. If he truly possessed such a capability, he would have long ago swept across the Boundless Expanse and established his own Black Lotus Sacred Realm.

The strange developments left him utterly puzzled.

No amount of deduction revealed the answer.

Instead, he increasingly suspected that the problem lay within the Ethereal Sacred Domain itself.

Perhaps some mysterious substance had once tainted this region, making faith power corrupted by dark matter become even more active and violent.

“That’s a great thing for me regardless.”

Suppressing all other thoughts, Wuxiang’s gaze became greedy and burning once again as he awaited the formation of the Black Lotus Sacred Realm.

At that moment, countless eyes throughout the Boundless Expanse were focused on the Ethereal Sacred Domain.

Everyone was shocked by the appearance of the black fog.

The black mist had isolated the entire Ethereal Sacred Domain from the outside world.

External observers could no longer peer inside.

No one could see what was happening there. Only by physically entering could one investigate.

But at such a time, who would dare act rashly?

The establishment of the Immortal Dao Alliance concerned countless sects and civilizations.

Even the leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance was trapped inside.

If even he had no solution, what could others accomplish?

Many True Realms throughout the Boundless Expanse began to worry.

They believed the Black Lotus Cult was a scheme orchestrated by the Dark Race. Its purpose was to trap and eliminate all the powerful figures attending the Immortal Dao Alliance gathering.

If all of them perished there, it would be an immeasurable loss for the entire Boundless Expanse.

To guard against a sudden invasion by the Dark Race, every major civilization entered a state of high alert.

Yet just as this great incident unfolded in the Ethereal Sacred Domain, chaos erupted elsewhere across the Boundless Expanse.

Along the borderlands between the Heaven-Defying Alliance and the Orthodox Unity Alliance, war broke out once again.

And it was far more intense than before.

The surrounding universes and spacetime regions collapsed immediately. The conflict spread across countless starfields.

Cosmic currents overturned. Stars were swept backward. Those fighting were forbidden-zone existences whose strength surpassed ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm experts.

Each had survived eight Heavenly Decay Tribulations.

The moment the battle began, both sides fought with true killing intent. It was a struggle to the death.

For the civilizations already preparing against a Dark Race invasion, this was undoubtedly the heaviest possible blow.

The Immortal Dao Alliance gathering had been disrupted.

Now the two greatest powers in the Boundless Expanse—the Heaven-Defying Alliance and the Orthodox Unity Alliance—had resumed their war.

Was this not simply creating the perfect opportunity for the Dark Race to invade?

Did they not understand the principle of securing internal stability before facing external threats?

Unfortunately, neither alliance seemed to care.

Both appeared determined to fight a decisive war.

Every day within the Orthodox Unity Alliance, countless ancient warships filled the skies. They blotted out the heavens.

Smoke and banners stretched endlessly. Their numbers reached into the billions upon billions.

Tunnels were opened through universe after universe as endless armies poured towards the battlefield.

All affiliated civilizations dispatched their strongest and most elite forces to join the war.

This mobilization by the Orthodox Unity Alliance was more determined and direct than ever before.

In the eyes of many, it seemed as though the Orthodox Unity Alliance had long anticipated that the Heaven-Defying Alliance Leader would become trapped within the Ethereal Sacred Domain.

Thus they seized the opportunity to launch a full-scale counteroffensive. This battle concerned survival itself. Either one side died, or the other.

Under such circumstances, many naturally began to suspect that the Orthodox Unity Alliance had connections with the Black Lotus Cult.

Of course, there was no evidence. No one dared voice such accusations openly. However, at this critical moment, the Immortal Dynasty of Boundlessness, founded by the Orthodox Unity Alliance Leader, the Unending Emperor, was suddenly betrayed from within.

The dynasty was now controlled by the ancient princess of the Shaking Light Ancestral Court.

She personally stepped forward and proclaimed to the world that she would quell the chaos and suppress the unrest. Her first target was the Southern Zhao Ancient Kingdom, once an ally of the Immortal Dynasty.

Issuing a public confession decree in the name of Jiang Yun, the Unending Emperor, she declared:

The Southern Zhao Ancient Kingdom had colluded with the Dark Race and conspired against Jiang Yun, causing him to be corrupted by dark matter.

Furthermore, they had incited regional kings to fracture the Immortal Dynasty.

She openly accused the Orthodox Unity Alliance of harboring wolfish ambitions and claimed it had already been infiltrated by the Dark Race.

While launching her campaign against the Southern Zhao Ancient Kingdom, she simultaneously dispatched vast numbers of troops to reinforce the Heaven-Defying Alliance and publicly declared her allegiance.

For a time, the entire Boundless Expanse descended into even greater turmoil and confusion.

No one could see the truth of the situation anymore.