I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1841. Heaven Pities the World, Heaven Loves the World — Therefore Man Can Triumph Over Heaven, and the Power of the Mind Is Infinite

“Call you what?”

Gu Changge seemed to smile and asked, “Do you think that still matters now?”

Ling Yuling was stunned and did not know how to answer. In the end, she let out a faint sigh.

Indeed, with the current state of the Vast Expanse, the overall situation had already become a foregone conclusion.

Did titles or forms of address still matter?

In truth, the moment her memories returned, she had already understood many things. The worries she once held had finally become reality.

Yet she still did not know what Gu Changge intended to do.

Acting on behalf of Heaven? Defying Heaven?

He was the Lord Who Replaced Heaven. He was the one who had once created the Dark Race. He was also the one who had brought endless calamities upon the entire Vast Expanse, the source of all darkness. Yet he was also the Master of the Heaven-Defying Alliance, the one who resisted the Dark Race and unified the Vast Expanse. She raised her head and looked beyond the great hall. There lay the boundless universe and endless spacetime. No matter how many layers of universes and dimensions existed, none seemed able to escape the concept of “Heaven.”

“What exactly is Heaven?” She asked, falling into confusion.

Gu Changge replied casually, “Heaven pities the world. Heaven loves the world. Heaven is impartial and selfless. Heaven hangs high above and never perishes. It exists forever.”

“Heaven… is order and law.”

Upon hearing those words, a buzzing seemed to erupt in Ling Yuling’s mind, and a deep sense of reverence arose from the depths of her heart. This was the innate awe all living beings of the Vast Expanse possessed toward Heaven. Perhaps only Gu Changge dared to speak of it so openly and fearlessly.

Looking at him, she asked, “So, are you planning to change all of this?”

“Change what?” Gu Changge asked.

Ling Yuling replied, “To change the eternal laws and rules of this vast cosmos, which have remained unchanged for endless ages—just like those Heaven-Defiers of the past.”

To all living beings, the existence of the True Land was like that eternal Heaven suspended above them.

The Heaven-Defiers had not appeared only in the Newborn True Realm or the Ancient True Realm. They had existed since time immemorial, passed down through the ages like heroic spirits.

They opposed Heaven and sought to destroy it, attempting to overthrow the purges and domination imposed by the True Land upon the Vast Expanse and to topple that Heaven hanging above all existence.

“Change it? Can it truly be changed?” Gu Changge seemed to sigh softly.

Ling Yuling looked at him and said gently, “If one carries the will of all living beings and the aspirations of every Heaven-Defier throughout history, why shouldn’t change be possible?”

“It isn’t nearly that simple,” Gu Changge merely shook his head.

“Even you say that?”

Ling Yuling’s feelings towards Gu Changge were complicated.

She knew he had once been the Lord Who Replaced Heaven, the mastermind who had plunged countless beings into despair and cast the entire Vast Expanse beneath darkness. He was known as the Source of Darkness.

And yet…She truly could not bring herself to hate him.

The existence of the Heaven-Defying Alliance had, to some extent, helped her understand Gu Changge’s intentions.

Perhaps bearing the curses, hatred, and condemnation of one lifetime, a hundred lifetimes, a thousand lifetimes, or ten thousand lifetimes was worthwhile if it could leave behind even a single ray of light for future generations, a tiny spark of hope.

That was the noble ideal pursued by countless Heaven-Defiers before them. She knew she herself could never do such a thing. Yet she felt that Gu Changge was moving forward precisely because of such an obsession.

Gu Changge gestured towards her.

After a moment of hesitation, Ling Yuling walked over. He took her with him, and their figures instantly disappeared from the great hall of the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

When they appeared again, they stood before an immeasurable river of stars stretching endlessly beyond sight.

Within that starry river, waves rose and fell. Inside every wave were countless worlds and universes undergoing cycles of birth and destruction. Each wave contained innumerable small worlds, and within every one of those worlds lived billions upon billions of living beings.

With a casual motion of his hand, Gu Changge summoned an enormous wave.

The countless droplets scattered before finally gathering into his palm. As his fingers slowly closed, the small worlds inside shattered and collapsed one after another. Then, with a mere thought, the destroyed worlds were instantly restored.

Ling Yuling stared blankly.

“Are you trying to tell me that, to those living in these worlds, you are their Heaven? That in the eyes of the weak, the strong are Heaven?”

Gu Changge shook his head.

“No.”

“I only want to ask you: if you lived in one of those small worlds and one day faced all of this, what would you do?”

“I could do nothing,” Ling Yuling answered.

Then she fell silent.

If she truly imagined herself living in such a world, where a mere ripple from the outside could destroy everything, then the helplessness and despair would be impossible to describe.

Perhaps, to the beings of the True Land, the Vast Expanse was exactly like that.

“One person can do nothing,” Gu Changge said.

“But what if all living beings stood together?”

“The power of the mind is something that should never be underestimated or looked down upon.”

“No one can truly measure how powerful a single mind can become.”

He waved his hand.

The endless river before them returned to calmness.

Then he brought Ling Yuling back to the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

However, she remained deeply shaken. Her mind repeatedly replayed Gu Changge’s words.

During this period, the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s strength had indeed been growing at an astonishing rate.

Its changes could be described as transforming with each passing day. And all of this stemmed from the doctrines and beliefs the alliance had spread. In the unseen realm, these teachings had continuously produced powerful experts.

Even Dao Realm cultivators had emerged in large numbers.

Faith originated from the purity, conviction, and devotion of believers. And the source of faith was the mind itself.

Under normal cultivation, reaching the Dao Realm would require countless epochs, immense opportunities, and tremendous destiny. Yet within only a few thousand years, the number of Dao Realm experts produced by the Heaven-Defying Alliance had surpassed previous eras many times over.

“One Dao Realm cultivator cannot change anything.”

“But what if there were billions upon billions of Dao Realm cultivators?”

“Man can triumph over Heaven.”

At that moment, Ling Yuling seemed to grasp something.

Divine radiance shone from her eyes.

“Humanity truly can overcome Heaven.”

Gu Changge concealed the strange look in his eyes and smiled faintly. He reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Do you need me to retrieve the Six Harmonies Heavenly Abyss Armor?” Ling Yuling asked while looking at him.

“No.”

“I will have Luo retrieve it.”

“If you leave the Heaven-Defying Alliance, many matters will become difficult to manage. I do not trust the others.”

Ling Yuling nodded softly.

“I understand. Then I’ll inform my younger sister during this time.”

There existed a profound connection between her and Ling Yuxian. If she had learned Gu Changge’s true identity, Ling Yuxian would inevitably know as well.

Afterward, she told Gu Changge all the clues and karmic traces related to the Six Harmonies Heavenly Abyss Armor that remained in her memories.

Gu Changge gave an order.

The Luo Master immediately appeared outside the hall. With the strength of a Road’s End expert, retrieving the armor would not take long.

After Ling Yuling and the others departed, Gu Changge slowly returned to the throne and sat down.

Looking at the empty hall, he fell into deep thought. The Heaven-Defying Alliance was now flourishing like the blazing sun.

Across the entire Vast Expanse, only the Nine Heavens Land and the Ancient Hidden Civilization possessed the qualifications to contend with it openly. As for the hidden forces possessing Road’s End experts, there were only a handful.

Logically speaking, everything was proceeding according to his plans. Even the many experts within the Heaven-Defying Alliance were continuously providing him with immeasurable faith power, allowing him to create more Indestructible Matter and Creation Matter.

Yet the vague sense of unease arising within him had not disappeared. Instead, it was becoming increasingly intense.

“Does it originate from a future that is chaotic and unknowable?”

“The past can be observed, but in certain dimensions and timelines, there are still mists that conceal everything.” Gu Changge frowned slightly.

At the same time, within the Nightmare Demon Domain, endless dark matter surged like magnificent rivers of stars.

Before the Hall of Heaven’s Replacement, all the High Priests, Priests, and Protectors had withdrawn after paying their respects. Only the High Priestess Wuyue remained standing there.

As the vast and overwhelming aura gradually subsided, she let out a faint sigh and pushed open the doors of the hall. Inside, above the magnificent altar, the World-Burial Coffin floated in the air.

Although the coffin lid had already been opened, its interior was completely empty. Only a misty blood-colored haze lingered within.

Beside it lay the Mirror of Reincarnation. Above the coffin sat a vague and immense figure.

Twisted layers of spacetime surrounded it, preventing ordinary beings from seeing through them.

Rather than a figure, it was more accurate to call it a projection.

The true Lord Who Replaced Heaven had never actually remained inside the hall. What existed here was merely a portion of his power.

Within the World-Burial Coffin, which the Heavenly Multitude had guarded for countless ages, the flesh and blood body had long since transformed into an unimaginable, untouchable mist-like force.

It awaited the return of its true owner.

Wuyue respectfully approached the coffin and picked up the Mirror of Reincarnation.

Outside the hall, a figure was already waiting. It was Jingtian Yuan, the incarnation of the Eternal Gate’s Artifact Spirit.

“Did the Master say when he will see me?” she asked, hope visible beneath the mist obscuring her face.

Jingtian Yuan accepted the mirror and shook his head.

“The Master said nothing.”

“He only instructed me to retrieve the Mirror of Reincarnation.”

All the light in Wuyue’s eyes gradually faded. She watched as Jingtian Yuan disappeared into the endless darkness.

The fusion of the Dark Source Land and the Nightmare Demon Domain had always been the Lord Who Replaced Heaven’s command. Even before Destiny Lord and Ancestor Xu had launched their attack, she had already known that the Lord Who Replaced Heaven had escaped and awakened.

Her only regret was that, due to various circumstances, she could not personally stand before him and see him once more.

After countless ages and epochs, his face had never become blurry in her memory. Instead, time had only made it clearer.

Although the war between the Nine Heavens Land and the Dark Race had ended, fierce battles still raged outside the Ancient Hidden Civilization.

War cries shook the heavens. Massive warships tore through spacetime.

Countless experts poured forth.

Dao Realm cultivators led vast armies that crashed together like overwhelming tides. Several races from outside the Ancient Hidden Civilization had joined the conflict.

Dao Realm experts appeared among them as well.

Every star was incomparably vast, yet all had become battlefields. The clashes of Ancestor Dao Realm experts had already shifted into higher-dimensional spacetime.

Merely a trace of their aura was enough to tear apart surrounding universes.

Jiang Weiyang, Ji Hanjing, and the others stood upon the decks of the warships, observing the battlefield.

“The Ancient Hidden Civilization runs far deeper than expected.”

“Even the races inhabiting the surrounding universes possess formidable strength.”

“Nearly all of them have Dao Realm experts. Any one of them could rule an entire Newborn True Realm.”

“The Ancestor Dao Realm expert who just acted has an unknown origin. With those forces alone, he managed to stop us.”

Several ministers spoke one after another. Among them were former titled commanders such as the Assistant State General and the Northern Suppression Heavenly King. Yet all wore solemn expressions.

Starbright National Preceptor, dressed in pure white robes, spoke, “The Ancient Hidden Civilization only wishes to make us retreat voluntarily.”

“That is why they have merely dispatched Ancestor Dao Realm experts.”

“If several more appear, resisting them may become difficult.”

As someone who had once followed Destiny Lord, he could be considered one of Destiny Lord’s disciples.

Yet whether it was Xing Ying, the old woman from Immortal Chu Vast Land, Xing Sha who had assisted Emperor Jiang Yun, or Starbright himself, all hated Destiny Lord deeply.

Jiang Weiyang frowned slightly and remained silent.

Meanwhile, Ji Hanjing seemed to think of something.

Her eyes flickered thoughtfully as she gazed toward the Ancient Hidden Civilization.

Deep within the Ancient Hidden Civilization, inside a magnificent hall, the Lord of Reincarnation and the World Lord were working together to refine an object resembling a small green boat.

The Calamity Lord, Destiny Lord, and Ancestor Xu had already departed.

Before leaving, however, Ancestor Xu had handed over a portion of the Lord Who Replaced Heaven’s flesh and blood that he had once obtained.

Vast waves of power surged throughout the endless hall. The boat-like object before them suddenly erupted with immeasurable energy.

The rust-like substances covering it peeled away, revealing a surface resembling eternal divine metal.

The expressions of both the Lord of Reincarnation and the World Lord were grave.

Countless tiny dust-like particles revolved around them.

Each particle was actually a vast and genuine world containing traces of world-origin energy.

Suddenly—Boom!

The green boat trembled violently.

A clear crack appeared. Then it rapidly spread across the vessel.

Although both men immediately noticed and attempted to stop it, it was already too late.

They could only watch as cracks spread across the boat, seemingly on the verge of shattering completely.

“Has it failed again?” The World Lord sighed.

“I extracted the strongest substance from the cores of billions of universes, yet even that cannot repair the fissure on this vessel.”

“It still doesn’t work.”

The Lord of Reincarnation’s expression darkened before returning to its usual calm depth. The hall around them had already collapsed billions of times from the shockwave released moments earlier.

Yet under the influence of their power, it instantly restored itself. Even time itself flowed backward.

Everything became frozen at a single moment. As a result, the newly formed cracks on the vessel healed, returning it to its previous state.

They possessed the ability to reverse spacetime. Yet they could not repair the fissure on the green boat.

The World Lord said, “Although we failed to repair the crack completely, I can sense that some vitality has returned to it.”

“It no longer feels as lifeless as before.”

The Lord of Reincarnation shook his head.

With a wave of his hand, the green boat transformed into a streak of green light and returned to his palm.

It now appeared only palm-sized. Its surface remained rusted, and the mysterious crack still stretched across it.

Long ago, when they had discovered this mysterious vessel drifting through endless chaotic spacetime, a mere trace of the aura lingering upon it had nearly annihilated them. At that time, neither had yet stepped into the Road’s End Realm.

Nevertheless, they already stood among the supreme powers of the Vast Expanse.

Yet they had been utterly incapable of approaching the vessel. It was because of this green boat that their formerly hostile relationship gradually eased.

After endless ages and countless years, they finally entered the Road’s End Realm and together succeeded in bringing it away.

The origins of this mysterious boat remained impossible to determine. Even now, as holders of Authority, they could neither uncover its source nor destroy it.

They could not even identify the material from which it had been forged, despite searching countless universes and timelines. They speculated that the crack upon the vessel had not been created within the Vast Expanse.

Rather, it likely originated from the True Land. Perhaps, long ago, some unimaginable existence had used this vessel to secretly cross from the True Land into the Vast Expanse.

Now, however, the two of them had refined it and made it their own.

“The passage we constructed… there shouldn’t be any problems with it, right?” the World Lord asked.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the scepter returned to his hand.

The countless tiny particles floating nearby were also absorbed back into his robe. Though they appeared insignificant, a single one released into the outside world would be enough to severely wound an Ancestor Dao Realm expert.