I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1816. Authority of the Present Age— The True Objective of the Lord of Fate

In the lands beyond the world, an endless expanse of spacetime drifted about like a vast ocean, its waves rising and falling.

Mountain ranges stood throughout the area, seemingly rootless and boundless, yet firmly anchored within this sea of spacetime. At the highest and most profound of those mountains was a cave entrance.

Not far from it stood a square azure stone stele, over three zhang tall and more than six chi wide.

Upon it were carved the three ancient characters ‘Yinxu Cave.’ Their strokes were vigorous and majestic, like silver hooks and iron brushwork. The characters seemed to embody the myriad Dao of the heavens, radiating a hazy, auspicious glow.

“From the current situation, Ancestor Xu has not deceived me.”

“But why do I keep feeling that the timing is wrong? What exactly is the problem?”

“How did he know that the leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance would appear at the Immortal Dao Alliance Conference?”

“What else is he hiding from me?”

“He should know the origins and background of the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s leader…”

At the entrance of the cave, sunlight and moonlight swayed together as dust dispersed.

A wisp of clear qi floated out and transformed into a middle-aged man with a Daoist topknot. His features were ordinary and unremarkable, but his gaze was exceptionally gentle and profound.

He was the master of Yinxu Cave—the Lord of Fate.

Clad in Daoist robes, divine brilliance shimmered within his sleeves. The stars of the heavens rose and fell around him while chains of order descended from above. An ancient and boundless aura surged around him, as though he existed outside every spacetime.

In his hand he held a whisk.

It appeared weightless, fashioned from the fur of some unknown divine beast, with endless Dao aura permeating it.

“Master, as you planned, the Righteous Unity Alliance has officially begun its decisive war against the Heaven-Defying Alliance.”

“The Second Master is personally overseeing the battlefield. There should not be any problems.”

One of the two attendants following behind him spoke respectfully.

“The situation with the Righteous Unity Alliance does not concern me.”

“The only thing that concerns me is still the true depth of the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s leader. He is simply impossible to see through.”

The Lord of Fate shook his head and looked into the void before him.

With a flick of his whisk, a strand of clear qi drifted forth and transformed into a circular mirror, within which appeared the scene of the Ethereal Sacred Domain.

Unfortunately, endless black mist stretched across the heavens and rose from the borderlands of the Ethereal Sacred Domain, obscuring everything within.

No matter how he calculated, he could not glimpse even the slightest detail.

“This Black Lotus Cult is certainly connected to Ancestor Xu.”

“Is he intending to use the Black Lotus Cult to test the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s leader?”

“But if he does not act personally, how can he determine the truth?”

“He may very well be using the Black Lotus Cult as a pretext to scheme against me.”

The Lord of Fate frowned.

In truth, he was still hesitant about whether he should honor the agreement between himself and Ancestor Xu.

Ever since the destruction of the Immortal Chu Vastlands, he had already resolved to personally enter the game and stake everything.

This was because he had vaguely perceived that a portion of the ‘Authority’ of the current age was beginning to surface. It might also have been due to the approaching Epoch Cataclysm. As the great calamity neared, many scenes that had once been hidden behind mist throughout the Boundless Expanse gradually became clearer.

Thus, he felt he finally had a chance.

That elusive and intangible Authority was now the only hope and aspiration left for beings like them within the Boundless Expanse.

Unfortunately, Authority rarely appeared.

Only during the descent of an Epoch Cataclysm would fragments of it emerge. And every appearance of Authority would shake the Boundless Expanse to its foundations.

Even an Epoch Cataclysm could not erase the terrifying influence it brought.

The Lord of Fate’s ambitions were immense.

He did not wish for his Dao to collapse and his path to end here. Therefore, he intended to compete for it.

Yet he had foreseen that if he personally entered the struggle, he would encounter an unimaginable calamity and face an incomparably terrifying enemy.

That premonition had lingered in his heart since ancient times. For an existence like him, who had already survived nine Heavenly Decline Tribulations and walked the path beyond the end of the Dao, the concept of a timeline no longer held meaning.

With a single glance, he could see countless scenes from both past and future.

To survive the calamity destined for him—He had been laying plans since ancient ages.

For the sake of that faint sliver of hope, he had paid an enormous and painful price. And among all beings of the present age, the one who posed the greatest threat to him was none other than Gu Changge, the leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

This was because Gu Changge never stopped expanding his power.

The Heaven-Defying Alliance grew at an astonishing pace, devouring territory after territory, universe after universe, spreading like wildfire.

Throughout this process, he never ceased waging war against various civilizations and true worlds, constantly harvesting the fortune of the Boundless Expanse.

The Lord of Fate did not want everything he had painstakingly planned to become meaningless. Thus, even though the timing was not yet mature, he had no choice but to act.

If he delayed any longer and allowed Gu Changge to seize all the fortune of the Boundless Expanse—then it would become nearly impossible for him to gain the initiative.

To this end, he made use of the pieces he had planted long ago and established the Righteous Unity Alliance, using it to oppose the Heaven-Defying Alliance and slow Gu Changge’s consumption of the Boundless Expanse’s destiny.

At the same time, he negotiated with several ancient existences he had known in the past, paying various prices to arrange a grand scheme against both the Heaven-Defying Alliance and Gu Changge.

He was waiting for the perfect opportunity—a flawless moment to destroy and absorb them both.

During this period, Ancestor Xu approached him. This terrifying existence, who had once followed the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate, possessed strength no less unfathomable than his own.

The two tested one another repeatedly before eventually reaching an agreement. Ancestor Xu openly stated that he desired the former body of the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate. He wished to devour the remaining loyalists of the Heavenly Multitude and seize the power that had once belonged to the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate.

For that purpose, he needed the Lord of Fate’s assistance. When he moved against the Heavenly Multitude, the Lord of Fate would have to hold back the current Grand High Priest, preventing her from intervening.

The Lord of Fate gladly accepted. Naturally, he also made a request of his own. He asked Ancestor Xu to help him deal with the Heaven-Defying Alliance and Gu Changge.

Ancestor Xu refused outright. He stated that the price was insufficient and that the Lord of Fate would need to offer more.

The Lord of Fate therefore settled for a lesser demand. He asked Ancestor Xu to test the true depth of the Heaven-Defying Alliance and Gu Changge.

Ancestor Xu did not refuse. He agreed to act. Both men were plotting against one another. Though they had sworn upon their respective Dao and paths, hidden schemes and calculations undoubtedly lay behind their promises.

Just as the Lord of Fate himself did not believe that Ancestor Xu merely wished to deal with the Heavenly Multitude.

The fact that Ancestor Xu had proactively sought him out for cooperation—combined with the timing shortly after the return of the Dark Clan—seemed suspicious no matter how reasonable it appeared on the surface.

Every calculation pointed towards hidden motives.

When Ancestor Xu confidently promised to test the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s strength, he had displayed absolute certainty.

Because of this, the Lord of Fate still suspected that Ancestor Xu already knew Gu Changge’s true origins and background. That was why he had approached him in the first place.

There was an obvious trap waiting ahead. Yet Ancestor Xu had accurately grasped the fact that the Lord of Fate was too anxious and impatient to ignore it.

Even knowing it was a trap, he would still step into it. Thus, the Lord of Fate had no choice but to swallow this loss.

“Just what is the origin of this Black Lotus Cult?”

“Can it truly uncover the Heaven-Defying Alliance leader’s true strength?”

“Ancestor Xu would not dare deceive me.”

“Most likely, the mastermind behind the Black Lotus Cult is another pawn being manipulated by him, used to probe the Heaven-Defying Alliance leader’s power.”

His eyes deepened.

With another sweep of the whisk, the image before him vanished and reformed into the battlefield between the Heaven-Defying Alliance and the Righteous Unity Alliance.

Universes lay in ruins.

Civilizations crumbled. Everywhere war spread, horrific devastation followed.

Ancient warships thundered across the skies, one after another without end, blotting out everything with overwhelming momentum.

In countless universes and dimensions, slaughter and chaos were everywhere. Whether Immortal Dao experts or Dao Realm cultivators, all were fighting desperately.

One Dao Realm expert after another roared as they charged forward, clashing with their opponents.

The aftermath of their battles shattered countless worlds. No one knew how many living beings perished within the destruction.

Watching these scenes, the Lord of Fate remained utterly indifferent.

The cycle of existence has always been like this.

No matter how many beings died, no matter how many civilizations collapsed, before long new life would emerge and new universes would be born.

Like crops that could never be fully harvested, waiting for the next spring. If he failed to escape his destined fate, then one day he too would share the same ending as those countless beings currently vanishing into oblivion.

Beneath Heaven’s Dao, all living beings were equal.

“Authority…”

“Only by obtaining—or replacing—a portion of that Authority can I gain a chance to escape destiny.”

The Lord of Fate’s gaze grew distant, though the determination within it could no longer be concealed.

Buzz!

With a sweep of his broad sleeve, spacetime split open into a pitch-black crack.

The Lord of Fate stepped inside with his two attendants and vanished instantly. The agreed time between him and Ancestor Xu was drawing near.

Ancestor Xu intended to strike against the remnants of the Heavenly Multitude. Naturally, he would fulfill his part of the bargain.

Before that, however, he still needed to see one result. He wanted to know whether this Black Lotus Cult could truly expose the Heaven-Defying Alliance leader’s true strength.

As for the Heaven-Defying Alliance itself, without its leader present, it posed little threat.

To be safe, he intended to employ another method.

Within a universe where spiritual energy was nearly exhausted and the laws of heaven and earth had almost vanished—a place where scarcely any living beings remained—stood an ancient planet engulfed by endless yellow sands.

Upon it sat a collapsed temple, buried beneath countless years of drifting sand. It was utterly ruined. Even its plaque remained only half intact, the other half long eroded by time.

Yet at this moment, a black spatial fissure suddenly appeared.

The Lord of Fate emerged with his two attendants. His gaze paused briefly upon the remaining characters: “Slaughtering Life.”

Then he stepped inside.

“Master… could there be an accident?”

One attendant clearly recognized the place.

Fear appeared in his eyes.

“So much time has passed. There is no need to worry.” The Lord of Fate replied calmly.

Moments later, the entire area began to shake violently. The whole planet trembled. Endless yellow sand surged into the heavens like colossal smoke dragons spiraling through the sky.

The earth split apart. Black magma erupted forth. Infinite black mist rose, blotting out heaven and earth. Within moments it engulfed the entire planet.

The black mist solidified into terrifying killing intent. Rivers of blood flowed. Corpses, skeletons, shattered weapons, and fallen immortals and demons emerged one after another, as though descending from the heavens.

The scene was horrifying beyond description.

“Kill… kill… kill…”

A savage voice rang out.

It carried endless slaughtering intent, as though it sought to annihilate every living being in existence.

The rattling of chains echoed everywhere, like sounds emerging from the deepest layers of the underworld.

The temple instantly collapsed. A terrifying abyss opened beneath it.

From within emerged a dreadful figure shrouded in black mist, bound by countless chains. Its gaunt body was draped in tattered black robes.

Its face could not be seen clearly. Only its eyes were visible—pitch-black eyes filled with hatred, like a demon reborn.

“Original Self, why have you summoned me?”

“Have you finally decided to release me?”

“Heh heh heh…”

The figure looked toward the Lord of Fate and split its mouth into a cold smile.

The moment one attendant met its gaze, terror filled his face. His forehead instantly split apart.

Bang!

He exploded into a cloud of blood. The other attendant trembled violently, as though recalling some dreadful memory.

Only the Lord of Fate calmly shook his head. A flick of his whisk restored the dead attendant to life.

“Since death is the destination of all living beings, and I bestowed upon him the glory of death, why was he afraid?”

“Death has always been the aspiration I pursue.”

“Why did you stop me from granting them death, Original Self?”

The dark figure stared coldly at him.

Terrifying malice flickered within its eyes. Even the Lord of Fate seemed somewhat troubled by it.

Nevertheless, he replied calmly, “Death is indeed the finest destination.”

“All living beings are destined to die.”

“Yet there exists a realm whose inhabitants seek to transcend death.”

“I need you to send those beings to the place where they belong.”

“Where?”

The figure instantly became excited. A terrifying aura erupted from it, threatening to tear apart the universe itself.

“I will send you there. You will know when you arrive.”

The Lord of Fate answered.

With a sweep of his whisk, a spacetime fissure opened.

On the other side, faint sounds of warfare and slaughter could be heard.

“Good.”

“I shall grant them the supreme honor.”

The figure burst into laughter.

Its roar shattered the planet beneath its feet. Every chain binding its body snapped apart. Like a demonic god, it charged directly into the fissure.

“Master, by releasing him, won’t that place notice?”

The resurrected attendant still looked terrified.

“It does not matter.”

“I have already refined him into one of my Five Aggregate Bodies.”

“Other than myself, no one knows his current identity.”

“Besides, I wish to see whether that place will intervene.” The Lord of Fate replied indifferently.

Since ancient times, those places that had already obtained portions of Authority had remained hidden beyond the world.

Only during Epoch Cataclysms would they occasionally reveal themselves. But now the waters of the Boundless Expanse had become far too turbulent. Even the Lord of Fate could no longer determine his own future fate.

Whatever consequences might arise afterward—he neither feared them nor cared about them any longer.