I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1839. The Cause of That Day, the Result of Today; Perhaps His Goal Is the Same as Ours

The mountain ranges were majestic, with palaces and halls standing in great numbers. This was a land resembling a paradise beyond the world—silver waterfalls cascaded down, divine mountains and ancient peaks hidden amid chaotic mist. It seemed like a world of heaven and earth itself, filled with a rich primordial aura.

Yet at that moment, the entire place was trembling violently.

The earth rumbled continuously, as though being pushed over and over by an invisible giant hand.

Mountain ranges shook. Every pavilion, palace, cave residence, and meditation chamber seemed like a lone leaf boat in a raging sea, swaying incessantly. The array patterns engraved throughout the land burst forth with dazzling radiance, erupting into unprecedented turbulence.

Figures rapidly flew out from every direction. Many beings clad in ancient garments, their bodies carrying the aura of countless ages, appeared one after another.

That terrifying consciousness was like the gaze of heaven itself. Like an unstoppable storm, it swept across the land. The entire Nine Heavens shook and rolled. Spiritual treasures and divine objects were uncontrollably swept upward into the sky.

This was the ancestral land of the Gu Clan, deep within the Nine Heavens.

“Who dares spy upon our clan’s territory?”

“This consciousness seems to come from the unseen depths, yet in truth it is invading from the outside world. It pierced through the great array barriers established by our clan. This is simply unbelievable.”

A boundless and tyrannical aura spread forth, as though awakening from the River of Time itself, disturbing all heavens across eternity.

An old man appeared. His hair was white, his body stooped with age, and he wore a loose gray robe. His face was filled with shock. Even he found himself unable to resist that sweeping consciousness. His body was involuntarily drawn upward towards the heavens.

“There is no need to panic.”

“Nor should anyone attempt to stop it.”

Buzz!

Silently, the space-time before the old man collapsed.

A figure stepped out. She was tall and graceful, peerlessly magnificent. Countless fragments of time circled around her. At her feet, the phantoms of the River of Time and the River of Ages intertwined before gradually fading away.

“First Ancestor…”

The powerful figures of the Gu Clan who had gathered all looked respectfully towards her.

The woman stood there calmly. The vast sea-like currents of energy surging around her instantly settled down.

“This consciousness belongs to the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf.”

“He is searching for something.”

After merely observing for a moment, she understood what had happened and instructed everyone not to be nervous.

As her words fell, within one of the palace complexes, a white-robed woman surrounded by immortal mist and auspicious radiance suddenly flew out uncontrollably. Her cold and jade-like face was filled with shock and astonishment. The consciousness sweeping across the entire Nine Heavens had locked onto her.

Flying out alongside her was an ancient bronze mirror radiating a hazy divine glow. At that moment, the bronze mirror released hundreds of millions of rays of light.

It seemed capable of reflecting the past and future alike, while endless mysteries evolved within it.

“It’s her?”

“She was brought back together with Xian’er back then. I had already sensed that she carried certain secrets and seemed connected to someone within the Palace of Defying Fate. However, I never investigated further.”

“I never expected that she would attract the attention of someone like the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf.”

Several supreme figures of the Gu Clan were filled with shock and disbelief.

“This should be the Reincarnation Mirror—the civilization treasure that once sealed the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf.”

“I never expected it to be by her side.”

“The cause of that day has become the result of today.”

The Gu Clan’s First Ancestor looked over calmly, unsurprised.

After thinking briefly, she still extended a hand and stopped the white-robed woman from being carried away.

As for the Reincarnation Mirror, she merely glanced at it. She understood that attempting to intercept it would certainly trigger unimaginable consequences.

Therefore, she withdrew her intention.

As the Reincarnation Mirror flew out, strange changes began occurring within it. A crisp cracking sound echoed from the mirror surface. Certain seals and marks began collapsing and disintegrating.

Divine light pierced through heaven and earth.

Then countless threads resembling karmic lines rapidly vanished into the void.

Among them, one cluster of karmic mist-like threads directly descended onto the white-robed woman, rushing toward her sea of consciousness.

“What is this?”

Several supreme figures of the Gu Clan noticed this scene and were slightly startled.

The First Ancestor frowned slightly before pondering:

“These are her memories.”

“She sealed some of her memories within the Reincarnation Mirror.”

“Perhaps she feared some unforeseen accident.”

“Or perhaps there were secrets she did not want others to discover through investigation.”

Many ancient existences also noticed this scene. However, because this was the Gu Clan’s ancestral land, many figures throughout the Nine Heavens could not peer inside.

Only Huang Zhu and Yong Zu cast their gazes over from afar. Across the immense distance, they nodded toward the First Ancestor of the Gu Clan in greeting, clearly acquainted with her.

Their gazes landed briefly on the white-robed woman before moving away. Instead, they focused upon the Reincarnation Mirror engulfed by that terrifying consciousness.

“Could it be that the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf came for the six civilization treasures?”

“They are called civilization treasures, but their true origins have never been determined.”

“Even the blueprints used to forge them are of unknown origin.”

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through their minds.

They attempted to deduce the origin of the Reincarnation Mirror.

But they quickly failed.

The six civilization treasures were all shrouded in mysterious fog. If one wished to uncover the secrets of the mirror before them, one would need to forcibly intercept it. Yet doing so would undoubtedly offend the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf.

The white-robed woman was enveloped in immortal mist. Her jade-like face alternated between confusion and pain.

Deep within the Nine Heavens, in a certain space-time dimension, there existed a place that seemed eternally frozen, like a perfectly still mirror.

Suddenly, ripples spread across its surface.

A blurry figure appeared silently. She stood upon that mirror-like plane. Her robes fluttered, and her bare feet were white as snow. She looked towards the white-robed woman outside and sighed softly.

Space suddenly split apart.

The figure extended a snow-white jade hand and directly pulled the white-robed woman away. As though sensing a familiar aura, the white-robed woman’s confused expression eased somewhat.

In a low voice, she murmured, “Master…”

Watching this scene, the First Ancestor of the Gu Clan was momentarily surprised before quickly understanding.

She did not intervene.

The other supreme members of the Gu Clan also watched silently as the white-robed woman was taken away.

Virtually everyone within the Palace of Defying Fate knew that it had three leaders.

The distant ancestor of the Gu Clan was one of them.

During the great catastrophe of the worlds, she had chosen to transform herself into a world in order to shelter all living beings.

The current First Ancestor of the Gu Clan possessed status and authority within the Palace of Defying Fate comparable to the other two leaders.

Because of the selfless sacrifice of the Gu Clan’s distant ancestor, the Gu Clan occupied a uniquely respected position within the Palace of Defying Fate.

Even the other Path-End members treated them with deep respect.

“Was that aura just now the Director’s?”

A supreme figure of the Gu Clan could not help asking.

The First Ancestor seemed to frown slightly.

“I am not certain either.”

“I cannot determine the relationship between that woman and the Director.”

“Only two leaders remain in the Palace of Defying Fate.”

“Yet today, it seems both have appeared.”

“When will our distant ancestors finally return?”

The emotions of the Gu Clan’s powerful experts gradually calmed. They turned their gazes toward the deepest part of their ancestral land.

Within mountain ridges shrouded by endless mist, a vast power stirred.

The terrain there towered above every mountain. Its shape resembled an inverted plateau.

The plateau stretched endlessly through the mist. A primitive ancient ancestral hall stood upon it. It seemed to overlook all heavens and worlds.

A supreme and majestic aura permeated the surroundings. Chaos waterfalls poured down like oceans, distorting the surrounding laws of space and time. That place seemed to be the source of all life throughout the heavens. Even beneath its terrifying supreme aura, rich vitality still flourished.

This aura far surpassed any Ancestor Dao Realm existence. Even beings who had survived nine Heavenly Decline Tribulations and stood near the Path-End Realm would find their spines crushed upon approaching that place, unable to advance another step.

Deep within that ancient ancestral hall existed a space-time turbulence created through unimaginable power.

It stood outside the past, future, and present. It was unaffected by the current world.

Cultivating within it allowed one to retrieve the true self and power from every timeline to the greatest extent possible. It could gather all causal lines and timelines across every plane and dimension into a single unified existence.

As for how long that process required, no one knew.

Above the Nine Heavens, the Reincarnation Mirror emitted hazy radiance as it was swept away toward the armies of the Dark Race.

The living beings and cultivators throughout the various heavenly layers watched solemnly.

No one dared stop it. Even Huang Zhu and Yong Zu, two Path-End existences, remained silent and merely watched.

The boundless consciousness that shook the Nine Heavens finally receded like a tide. Heaven and earth returned to calm. The trembling mountains and earth settled.

The cracked universes and dimensions also stabilized. The overwhelming aura that had swept through creation seemed like nothing more than an illusion.

The Dark Race likewise began withdrawing. They departed through the space-time passages they had opened.

The endless black tide stretched beyond sight, obscuring everything. The pressure it emitted weighed heavily upon all existence.

The sight was incomparably vast and terrifying.

“The Dark Race has finally retreated…”

“The Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf truly has only just awakened.”

“Beneath that immense and terrifying consciousness, it felt as though a single thought from him could tear apart the Vast Expanse and annihilate all living beings instantly.”

“This is simply too terrifying.”

Many powerful supreme beings remained emotionally shaken, still carrying traces of fear. The countless civilization worlds throughout the Vast Expanse also seemed to fall into silence. Any being capable of sensing what had happened stood among the highest ranks of existence.

Ordinary creatures did not even know what had occurred. Yet even sensing a tiny fragment of that aura left them with apocalyptic terror and oppression.

As for the Nine Heavens, which had directly faced the event, it had seemed that the slightest disturbance might have triggered an unimaginable war.

“The final test…”

“What exactly was tested?”

“The true strength of the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf?”

“Or the relationship between him and the Lord of the Heaven-Defying Alliance?”

“And what secrets do the six primordial civilization treasures contain?”

“What could possibly require the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf himself to retrieve them?”

The figures of Huang Zhu and Yong Zu vanished silently. They appeared within another space-time. There stood an enormous palace as vast as heaven and earth itself.

The palace was boundless. It seemed as though countless universes had been layered together to form it.

At its center hung a brilliant sun. Though calling it a sun was not entirely accurate. It resembled a limitless sphere of fire, constantly releasing scorching and terrifying energy.

Within it seemed to exist another world entirely. At the center of the palace sat a radiant figure deep within the great sun. He appeared to be cultivating.

As Huang Zhu and Yong Zu arrived, he opened his eyes.

The light from them was dazzling beyond comparison. They resembled two actual suns. Infinite energy surged behind him like cosmic tides.

For beings at their level, transforming one’s eyes into suns was naturally effortless.

“Lord Ju…”

Huang Zhu and Yong Zu stood within the palace.

“This era is truly lively.”

“All sorts of monsters and demons have emerged.”

The ancient voice that had echoed above the Nine Heavens spoke once more. Clearly, the one who had intervened to stop the Dark Race army earlier was this very person.

Even members of the Palace of Defying Fate knew him only by the name “Ju.”

Thus they addressed him as Lord Ju. The current ruler of the Ninth Heaven, the Eternal Dao Lord, had once met him and received his guidance.

“Does Lord Ju refer to the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf?”

“He is indeed extremely powerful.”

“He single-handedly created the Age of Dark Calamity.”

“The Director noticed him back then, but did not order the Palace of Defying Fate to interfere, choosing instead to observe.” Huang Zhu spoke.

Lord Ju’s body shone with endless brilliance.

Matter around him transformed into particles of energy.

Yet a closer look revealed that each energy particle contained life. Within them, microscopic worlds were constantly evolving.

“Not only the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf.”

“I already sensed a gaze from deep within the Ancient Hidden Civilization.”

“And I imagine the Land of Reincarnation will soon make its move as well.”

“The Epoch Tribulation is approaching.”

“If the Nine Heavens fail to prepare, they may no longer remain detached from worldly affairs.”

Lord Ju spoke calmly.

Huang Zhu and Yong Zu had long anticipated such a situation. Before previous Epoch Tribulations, how could there have been so many Path-End beings openly appearing?

Everyone remained hidden and carefully concealed their auras. Even supreme shattered existences comparable to those who controlled Authorities would not casually reveal themselves and leave karmic traces.

In former ages, even Ancestor Dao Realm experts would hide their auras before an Epoch Tribulation and avoid causing disturbances.

Yet in this era, not only Path-End beings but even True Path existences who controlled Authorities had been forced into the open. It could only be said that the Lord of the Heaven-Defying Alliance truly possessed remarkable methods.

He continuously stirred the waters. Through direct and indirect means alike, he forced figures like them to reveal themselves.

Today, if Lord Ju had not intervened before the Nine Heavens, the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf might truly have sunk the Nine Heavens.

Rather than saying they were testing him, it was more accurate to say that he had forced them to act, leaving them no choice but to probe his attitude.

Without someone of equal standing appearing, the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf would never have retreated so easily.

“There have been too many upheavals in this era.”

“It has long exceeded our expectations.”

“Perhaps the grand plan of the Palace of Defying Fate will be advanced ahead of schedule in this lifetime.”

“But are we truly prepared?” Lord Ju sighed.

Huang Zhu and Yong Zu felt their hearts tighten. They understood exactly what he meant.

The very existence of the Palace of Defying Fate was, in a sense, to resist the Real Land and defy destiny itself.

Countless predecessors had sacrificed themselves for that goal.

One after another.

Fearless of death.

Yet to accomplish such a monumental undertaking required the accumulation of strength across unimaginable ages.

Although the Palace of Defying Fate was now extraordinarily powerful, whether it could truly overthrow the Real Land remained unknown.

“The one who acts on Heaven’s behalf…”

“The one who defies Heaven…”

“Perhaps his goal is actually the same as ours.”

Huang Zhu slowly shook his head and spoke.