I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1827. The Third Path — Was the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate Not a Being of the Vast Expanse?

“The Heaven-Felling Alliance has already achieved overwhelming momentum. There is no longer any possibility of resisting it. However, I have also calculated the most crucial link in all of this. It is not as though I have no chance at all.”

Within the Vast Expanse lay a realm known as the Little Western Sacred Domain. Hidden amid layers of turbulent spacetime currents stood a corroded bronze palace.

The palace was incomparably vast. Its interior seemed to contain countless stars gathered together, each star being a boundless continent. And upon every continent lived innumerable beings, among whom were even existences of the Dao Realm.

On the surface, the Little Western Sacred Domain was ruled by Buddhist cultivators, but in secret it had always been under the control of the Heavenly Decline Multitude.

At that moment, Ancestor Void sat at the head of the corroded bronze palace, deep in thought. Below him sat the many high-ranking members of the Heavenly Decline Multitude.

The likes of Wuxuzi and the others who had accompanied him to the Nightmare Demon Domain had already perished completely. Even he was unable to resurrect them.

“We schemed and plotted against each other like this—what meaning was there in it? In the end, both sides suffered devastating losses.”

After hearing these words, the Fate Lord merely responded calmly.

He had brought all of his subordinates with him, including two of his Five Aggregates Incarnations.

One of them was a white-robed figure bearing the bloodline of the Central Lord. During the war against the Heaven-Felling Alliance, he had displayed extraordinary prowess, using the Fourth Ancient Killing Formation to trap Ling Yuling and exile her into chaotic spacetime.

The two child attendants who had always followed him still addressed him as “Second Master.”

His real name was Ji Wudao, and he was considered one of the Fate Lord’s descendants.

This was because the Fate Lord, through one of his Five Aggregates Incarnations, had once been entangled in a relationship with Ji Hanshuang, the youngest daughter of the Central Lord.

Ji Hanshuang had borne him a son—Ji Wudao.

Through Ji Wudao, he had calculated away the final destiny of the Shaking Light Ancestral Court, successfully devouring all of its fortune, severing all its future prospects, and obtaining the Calamity-Crossing Disk that had once been in the Central Lord’s possession.

The other figure, wrapped in chains and clad in black, came from the Hall of Non-Existence. The Fate Lord possessed five Five Aggregates Incarnations in total. One now served as his true body.

Two others still remained hidden as contingencies for future emergencies. Within the hall were also many former high-ranking members of the Orthodox Alliance.

Their strengths varied. The strongest were at the Ancestor Dao Realm, while the weaker ones were at the True Dao Realm. These were all subordinates and chess pieces the Fate Lord had cultivated over countless years.

Now that the game board had been destroyed, he was unwilling to accept defeat. Thus, he had brought all his followers here in hopes of finding another opportunity to rise again.

His karmic ties with Ancestor Void ran deep. Finding his whereabouts was therefore not difficult.

After the Orthodox Alliance collapsed, he had immediately come seeking Ancestor Void.

During that time, Ancestor Void had repeatedly refused to meet him. The Fate Lord had spent considerable effort forcing a meeting, intending to discuss cooperation.

“If we had acted blindly without first testing the situation, then not only I, but even you would have had no chance of survival. You may possess many trump cards and backup plans, but do you truly believe it would be difficult for the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate to kill you?”

Ancestor Void’s expression remained calm and indifferent. His entire figure seemed like an illusory projection, impossible to see clearly.

The Fate Lord did not become angry. After the battle at the Nightmare Demon Domain, he had already gained a clear understanding of the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate’s strength.

At least in their current state, neither he nor Ancestor Void could contend against him. Even if Ancestor Void possessed countless methods and claimed to have already uncovered the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate’s origins—Before such absolutely overwhelming power, none of it would matter.

“Unless one holds a Heavenly Authority, there is little chance of victory against the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate. Yet as far as I know, he has neither seized nor replaced any Authority…”

“Why is he so powerful? Even merely the strength he displays while dormant is unimaginable.” The Fate Lord asked.

Ancestor Void replied leisurely, “This is precisely the other path I mentioned before. To walk that path, one must understand the ultimate truth behind his flesh and blood origin, comprehend everything about him, and only then can we create a new path for ourselves.”

“You do not understand my courage or my ambition. Nor do you realize that I am opening an entirely new road for the whole Vast Expanse.”

“I am not the same as you.” The Fate Lord did not argue.

At their level, their beliefs and convictions were fundamentally different.

Neither could ever persuade the other. Just like the path the Fate Lord himself had chosen—He had already stepped onto it.

There was no turning back. Either he would succeed through sheer determination, or perish utterly, body and soul destroyed.

“What exactly did you obtain during the Chaos of the Heavenly Multitudes?”

“Why are you so certain that a third path exists?” The Fate Lord asked.

“What did I obtain?”

Ancestor Void smiled faintly.

Upon his originally featureless face suddenly appeared a cold and wild expression.

Then he laughed.

“I obtained his blood and flesh.”

“I have studied and comprehended them for many years. I already know his origins.”

“That is why I promised I could help others advance further.”

“Why do you think the other divisions of the Eightfold Multitudes listened to me?”

“Why do I still possess hidden pawns and agents among the Heavenly Multitudes even today?”

“It is because I control the power they desperately desire.”

“The emergence of the Black Lotus Sect this time was merely one of my experiments.”

“And I am very satisfied with the results.”

The Fate Lord had no interest in these ramblings.

What he wanted to know was simple: How were they supposed to survive the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate’s coming reckoning?

Did Ancestor Void truly think hiding here would prevent them from being found?

Yet Ancestor Void clearly had no intention of ending the topic. A sickly, fanatical ambition appeared in his eyes.

An indescribable madness radiated from him.

“I will tell you this.”

“The Lord of Heaven’s Mandate is not a being of the Vast Expanse at all.”

“And it is precisely because of that that his existence shattered everything we thought we knew.”

“But it is also because of his existence that I gained the opportunity to touch what is called reality.”

The Fate Lord frowned deeply.

Not a being of the Vast Expanse?

Could he have come from the True Land?

As for the Third Path that Ancestor Void constantly mentioned, the Fate Lord knew very well that it was little more than speculation.

Because no one had ever successfully walked it. Since ancient times, a certain legend had circulated throughout all worlds of the Vast Expanse: After surviving nine Heavenly Decline Tribulations, one could achieve transcendence.

But they all knew this was a lie. Even after enduring all nine tribulations, no transcendent road appeared.

Instead, the fog only grew thicker, and the path ahead remained severed.

This realm became known as the End-of-the-Road Realm. Throughout countless ages, ancient sages had advanced one after another, exploring relentlessly. Eventually they discovered two clues hidden within the fog.

They were merely clues, not true roads. For no one had ever reached the end.

The First Path: Supreme Shattering

One method was to take another step beyond the End-of-the-Road Realm. One would shatter one’s own path, abandon everything, destroy all past karma and existence through supreme courage.

Only then could one enter the realm known as Supreme Shattering.

Supreme Shattering represented the highest realm the Vast Expanse had ever produced. A single mistake meant true annihilation. There was also a saying that when taking this step, one would encounter a gate believed to be the Gate of Transcendence.

Yet those who truly entered Supreme Shattering knew the truth. That gate was merely one’s own Dao Gate—the same gate opened when first entering the Dao Realm.

Supreme Shattering simply meant smashing that Dao Gate apart and standing beyond the Dao Realm itself.

The Second Path: The True Path Realm

The second method appeared when the Epochal Great Tribulation descended to cleanse the Vast Expanse. During a brief period when Heavenly Secrets became dim and obscure, the Authorities of Heaven and Earth would reveal themselves.

These Authorities were regarded as a kind of Dao Fruit. Whoever seized or replaced one could merge with Heaven and Earth itself, becoming eternal and undying.

Such beings would transcend the Dao Realm in the truest sense. This realm was known as the True Path Realm.

Existences at this level could evade Heavenly Secrets and survive cosmic purges. Even when the Epochal Tribulation arrived, they could conceal themselves and protect those they wished to preserve.

Supreme Shattering beings were enormously powerful. Yet they lacked the concealment granted by the True Path Realm.

Without integration into Heaven and Earth, they remained vulnerable to detection. Thus they had to act with extreme caution.

The slightest mistake could invite annihilation. There was no superiority between Supreme Shattering and the True Path Realm.

They were simply two different choices beyond the End-of-the-Road Realm. Still, if given the option, everyone preferred the True Path Realm.

Not only was Supreme Shattering nearly impossible to achieve, but even success meant living forever under threat.

The Fate Lord’s lifelong ambition had been to seize a Heavenly Authority before the great tribulation of this era arrived. His goal had always been to step into the True Path Realm.

Unfortunately, the emergence of the Heaven-Felling Alliance and Gu Changge had destroyed all his plans.

Originally there were only these two roads.

No third path existed.

Yet during the Black Calamity, the appearance of the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate gave many End-of-the-Road experts new hope.

The Lord of Heaven’s Mandate seemed neither a Supreme Shattering existence nor a True Path Realm being. And yet his strength surpassed both.

Thus many suspected that he had discovered a Third Path. Ancestor Void had once willingly followed the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate and repeatedly sought his guidance. His purpose had always been to uncover the secret of that Third Path.

“I have no interest in your Third Path.”

“You and I are now grasshoppers tied to the same rope.”

“How do we solve this situation?” The Fate Lord asked.

“There’s no solution.” Ancestor Void answered directly.

“In today’s Vast Expanse, those capable of opposing the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate—or even possibly threatening him—will not reveal themselves lightly.”

“I followed him for many years.”

“I personally risked everything to test him.”

“I know he is still fishing.”

“Those who hold Authorities or have reached Supreme Shattering are not fools.”

“They will not take the bait so easily.”

“He has cast his net for a very long time.”

“But those fish are not stupid.”

“I suspect he is already running out of patience.”

“He may overturn the table at any moment.”

The Fate Lord froze. He had not considered this possibility. After a long silence, he could only reluctantly accept reality.

Ancestor Void continued calmly, “You and I have merely reached the End-of-the-Road Realm.”

“In his eyes, what are we but tiny fish and shrimp?”

The Fate Lord remained silent.

In truth, he had another thought.

The ancient sages had once sealed the Lord of Heaven’s Mandate using six Primordial Civilization Treasures.

Why should it not be possible now?

Gu Changge certainly had not recovered his full former strength.

Surely there was still a chance. Ancestor Void looked down at him.

“However, it is not entirely hopeless.”

“We must wait for an opportunity and continue hiding.”

“The Epochal Tribulation is almost here.”

“And the Ancient Hidden Civilization is about to act.”

In Ancestor Void’s eyes, the Fate Lord was merely another chess piece.

Since he had come seeking help, he remained useful.

As for whether the Fate Lord harbored schemes of his own— Ancestor Void did not care.

Compared to what he sought, the Fate Lord truly was nothing more than a small fish.

“I have no choice now but to trust you.”

The Fate Lord glanced at the many experts standing behind him.

Their conversation had not been concealed from anyone present.

As for Gu Changge’s true identity, he had considered exposing it to the world and rallying all civilizations of the Vast Expanse against him. But he ultimately abandoned the idea.

Even setting aside whether Gu Changge had already anticipated such a move—All the visible power in the Vast Expanse combined still could not oppose him.

The Heaven-Felling Alliance had already become unstoppable.

If Gu Changge’s identity were exposed and he simply stopped pretending, then, as Ancestor Void had said, he could overturn the table outright.

What could they do then?

Without power capable of opposing him, all schemes were meaningless. The Dark Clans obeyed Gu Changge’s commands. The Vast Expanse would once more descend into the dark age of old, living forever beneath his shadow.

Thus they could only continue plotting in secret while Gu Changge still chose to maintain appearances. Although the Fate Lord intended to cooperate with Ancestor Void, he remained wary.

The six Primordial Civilization Treasures were his greatest hope of turning the situation around. Ancestor Void did not know that the Calamity-Crossing Disk was already in his possession.

“After scheming for so long in pursuit of the Dao Fruit of this era…”

“Now it almost feels as though I’ve become some kind of savior trying to save all worlds of the Vast Expanse.”

The Fate Lord laughed bitterly.

Ancestor Void replied, “I have an old friend within the Ancient Hidden Civilization.”

“We can head there next.”

“Coincidentally, the Great Epochal Purge of this age seems destined to arrive early.”

Another hundred years passed quietly.

The situation throughout the Vast Expanse gradually stabilized. The Dark Clans abandoned the Heaven-Felling Alliance and shifted their strategy.

While continuing to search for clues regarding the Nine Heavens Land, they began conducting a sweeping purge of civilizations hidden across countless dimensions and spacetime layers.

Many deeply concealed civilizations were forced into the open. Among them were Arcane Civilizations comparable to Divine Dao Civilizations, as well as strange civilizations born from imitation faith systems.

One after another, these civilizations entered the conflict. Faced with invasions from the Dark Clans, they had no choice but to resist.

Universe after universe was infiltrated by dark matter.

Black rain fell from the heavens. Black mist spread endlessly. Entire worlds were corroded. Even multiversal structures composed of numerous great worlds were unable to escape.

One true world after another fell and became territory of the Dark Clans. Yet the Vast Expanse was simply too enormous.

The Dark Clans were no longer at their peak strength. Even through grand sacrifices, they could not reach every remote corner.

A mere hundred years was far from enough to complete the Great Sacrifice. Thus the Four Chief Sacrificers of the Heavenly Multitudes descended once more.

Beyond the blurred heavens, beyond the barriers of all worlds, ancient chants of sacrifice echoed again.

Countless beings appeared.

Around the enormous blood-colored ancient altar at the center, four additional altars emerged. The scale of the Great Sacrifice became even greater.

During this process, within shattered and ruined true worlds, remnants of fortune that had not yet dissipated began intertwining.

Within the invisible void, some immense destiny seemed to be taking shape. A mysterious force gathered according to an indescribable law.

“Dark Clans!”

“You destroyed my home!”

“You slaughtered my parents!”

“I will never coexist under the same sky as you!”

“In this lifetime, I will surely eradicate the Black Calamity!”

On a land blackened and shattered by devastation, a young boy roared furiously, his fists clenched tight. At that moment, an extraordinary destiny began gathering around him.

Streams of indescribable fortune converged upon him, transforming into a power born specifically to answer the coming tribulation. At the same time, a voice seemed to emerge between heaven and earth.

It was as though even the heavens themselves could no longer tolerate the slaughter and harvesting of living beings by the Dark Clans.

The world was responding to the boy’s call. Strange powers began forming within his body. A peculiar vortex appeared in his dantian. It resembled a galaxy and yet possessed the boundlessness of an abyss.

Residual powers from countless shattered universes and dimensions seemed attracted to the vortex and surged continuously into his body. In a single breath, the boy obtained terrifying strength.

And in the distant spacetime layers where the Heaven-Felling Alliance resided—A pair of eyes gazed at him calmly and indifferently watching everything unfold.