I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1843. Those at the End of the Path Return One After Another — A Summons from the Unseen? Love and Resentment Intertwined

Several decades had passed since the appearance of the Nine Heavens Land and the retreat of the Dark Race.

Countless scenes of history flashed by in the blink of an eye. Yet the situation within the Vast Expanse had not changed much. The fortune of the Heaven-Defying Alliance continued to surge like a mighty tide.

During these decades, many astonishing geniuses emerged once more. Across the universes and worlds under its jurisdiction, numerous individuals blessed with immense destiny rapidly rose to prominence, their strength undergoing earth-shaking transformations every day.

At the same time, many ancient beings who had returned from the endless rivers of spacetime came to the Heaven-Defying Alliance and personally sought an audience with its leader, hoping to join its ranks.

Those ancient existences who had hidden themselves within endless spacetime to evade the scrutiny of Heavenly Dao had already sensed that the Epoch Calamity was approaching once again.

The current Vast Expanse resembled a body of water that had been completely stirred into chaos. Whether great fish or tiny shrimp, all were forced to surface. Even the giant predators lurking beneath could no longer remain hidden. Even beings who had reached the End of the Path were emerging one after another.

Among them were figures such as: The Tathagata Buddha Lord, who established the Buddhist system, abolished all other methods, and exalted Buddhist arts above all.

The Three Pure Dao Lord, who rode a green ox through the heavens, spread purple qi across countless worlds, established the Ten Great Daoist True Mansions, and left behind Daoist inheritances.

The Great Luo Dao Lord, creator of the Immortal Realm of Wuji, developer of the Great Luo Dao, whose disciples were spread throughout all worlds.

As well as the pioneers of the Yuan Dao Civilization, the Witch Dao System, the Barbarian Dao System, and many others.

Such a spectacle was extraordinarily rare. Every one of these figures had once left a profound mark upon the history of past epochs. All had reached the End of the Path.

Of course, not all of them wished to join the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

With the emergence of the Nine Heavens Land, the Palace of Defying Fate also revealed itself to the Vast Expanse, and its name and origins became known to countless living beings.

Among those ancient beings who had returned were many members of the Palace of Defying Fate who had remained hidden in ancient spacetime because of various reasons dating back to primordial eras.

Compared to the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s aggressive expansion, the Palace of Defying Fate had become a more attractive choice at this moment.

As for the Dark Race, backed by the Lord Who Replaced Heaven, it was not even considered an option by these returning End-of-the-Path beings.

“The appearance of the Palace of Defying Fate has broken the situation in which our Heaven-Defying Alliance stood alone.”

“As the situation has become increasingly turbulent over these years and more End-of-the-Path beings have returned, the Palace of Defying Fate has gradually begun revealing its true foundations.”

“Besides the two End-of-the-Path figures who appeared outside the Nine Heavens Land that day, two more have emerged recently. One is called the Yuan Lord, while the other remains extremely mysterious, with no known origins.”

Inside the central palace of the Heaven-Defying Alliance, many high-ranking members were discussing the matter. Some believed that if things continued this way, the Palace of Defying Fate would eventually obstruct the Alliance’s future development.

Of course, this was only the opinion of part of the leadership.

The Vast Expanse had finally become peaceful after so much turmoil, and many people wished for this rare calm to continue.

In their view, even if the Heaven-Defying Alliance ceased expanding and merely maintained its current territory, that would already be sufficient.  Moreover, aside from the Alliance Leader himself, the Heaven-Defying Alliance truly lacked any additional End-of-the-Path experts.

There were many Ancestor Dao Realm experts. But the gap between the Ancestor Dao Realm and the End of the Path was beyond imagination.

To put it bluntly, an End-of-the-Path existence could kill an Ancestor Dao cultivator without even taking action. Merely sensing their location through the unseen workings of fate and sending down a single thought would be enough to annihilate them.

The two were simply not on the same level.

Under such circumstances, any attempt by the Heaven-Defying Alliance to absorb the Palace of Defying Fate was completely unrealistic.

Meanwhile, during this period, Gu Changge rarely showed himself. Only Vice-Leader Ling Yuling was handling the Alliance’s affairs and overseeing its continued development.

Many of the senior members were worried. What the Heaven-Defying Alliance lacked was indeed its highest-tier combat strength. A single End-of-the-Path existence could easily alter the entire situation.

No matter how vast the Alliance’s territory became, how abundant its destiny and fortune were, or how prosperous its development appeared, its End-of-the-Path figures consisted only of Eternal Primordial God and Luo Lord, both of whom remained by Gu Changge’s side.

This was an undeniable weakness. Even Vice-Leader Ling Yuling was only at the Ancestor Dao Realm.

As for the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor, he still remained some distance away from the End of the Path.

“With more and more End-of-the-Path beings returning, they will certainly seek favorable territories and divide up the rapidly growing fortune of the Vast Expanse.”

“In the Little Western Sacred Domain, an existence calling himself the Tathagata Buddha Lord has recently appeared…”

“The Buddhist sect also spreads teachings and gathers faith. That directly conflicts with our Heaven-Defying Alliance.”

“I believe that this Tathagata Buddha Lord has appeared because he covets the immense fortune and power of faith currently possessed by our Alliance.”

The Little Western Sacred Domain was a vast region within the Vast Expanse. It consisted of numerous great worlds, countless middle and lesser worlds, and various multiversal realms capable of containing Dao Realm-level power.

Within the domain, Buddhism reigned supreme.

The strongest force there was known as the Little Western Heaven, encompassing all Buddhist sects and teachings, possessing foundations comparable to those of the mightiest civilizations.

Recently, however, the Tathagata Buddha Lord had appeared.

Using supreme Buddhist methods, he unified all Buddhist sects and established a paradise known as the Tathagata Buddha Kingdom deep within Little Western Heaven.

His believers spread across starfields and universes spanning billions upon billions of light-years.

Within mere days, dazzling Buddhist radiance illuminated countless worlds, purifying the hearts of believers everywhere. Many high-ranking members of the Heaven-Defying Alliance noticed that the Tathagata Buddha Lord was attempting to comprehend the mysteries hidden within the power of faith.

In various True World civilizations, similar faith-based sects had begun appearing as well, all developing followers and gathering faith through different means.

The Heaven-Defying Alliance’s use of faith power to nourish and empower all living beings had already attracted the attention of numerous ancient existences throughout the Vast Expanse.

Although the Alliance’s leadership were only Ancestor Dao Realm cultivators and could not fully understand why this was happening, they could clearly sense the growing number of faith-centered organizations.

The same was true of the remnants of several Divine Dao civilizations.

After the great divine kingdoms had been devoured and annexed by the Dark Race, practitioners of the Divine Dao system had become extremely rare throughout the Vast Expanse.

Absorbing and refining faith power had always been one of the Divine Dao Civilization’s specialties.

“The power of faith ultimately originates from the heart and soul.”

“Could it be that when the power of the heart reaches its ultimate limit, it can break through certain rules?”

Zhuofeng Xie, Hun Yuanjun, and others from the former Immortal Spirit Civilization had also been researching this matter. However, no matter how they studied it, they always felt as though a thin veil separated them from the truth.

They simply could not perceive its essence.

“The winds of the Vast Expanse are changing.”

“With the return of the End-of-the-Path figures, the power of destiny throughout the Vast Expanse has reached a certain limit.”

“Even someone like me, who has survived nine Heavenly Decline Tribulations, can sense the will of heaven itself.”

“The Heaven-Defying Alliance is rejected by Heavenly Dao. This may eventually create a great trend of opposing heaven and earth themselves, inviting unknown calamities and disasters.”

The Ethereal Sacred Ancestor frowned secretly. Around him stood many ancient figures from the former Ethereal Sacred Domain, including numerous Ancestor Dao experts.

After hearing his words, they all nodded in agreement. Even they could sense an invisible trend forming.

Previously, the existence of the Heaven-Defying Alliance had likely been concealed by Gu Changge using supreme means, preventing the Heavenly Dao of the Vast Expanse from noticing it.

After all, “Defying Heaven” was a far greater taboo than merely defying fate. It was destined to incur the hatred of heaven and earth.

As for those who had reached the End of the Path, they generally spent their time avoiding Epoch Calamities while also hiding from Heavenly Dao itself.

They concealed all traces of their karma and existence. Because at their level, they had already become the endpoint of Dao itself. Their existence was nearly indistinguishable from Dao. Thus Heavenly Dao would attempt to absorb them, turning them into part of its own rules and completing itself through them.

This process was known as Assimilation into Dao. Once it occurred, however, they would no longer be themselves. They would simply become a fragment of Heavenly Dao, disappearing completely from the world.

The return of so many End-of-the-Path figures might very well have been caused by some unseen summons. This possibility deeply worried the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor and the others. Perhaps the Heaven-Defying Alliance would soon become the target of everyone.

Even a false heaven was still heaven.

At the central region of the Heaven-Defying Alliance, the World Sphere floated high above. Endless streams of faith power gathered and poured into it.

After being refined through the countless supreme laws engraved within, they transformed into pure and profound Creation Substance and Indestructible Substance.

Gu Changge had been sitting here for a long time.

The vast torrents of these two substances surged around him like an ocean, completely enveloping him.

Suddenly, he sensed something. His eyes opened. He looked towards the courtyard where he usually rested.

Within a mist-covered pond, spiritual energy intertwined as a wondrous aura of creation emerged.

A brilliantly colored crystal-like fish suddenly leaped into the air.

Thunder rumbled across the void. A Dragon Gate appeared. In an instant, the fish crossed it. Its body became wrapped within a cloud of glowing mist.

Gu Changge watched quietly before casually waving his hand. A dense mass of Creation Substance descended, completely enveloping it.

Half a day later, the mist dispersed. In place of the fish stood a beautiful woman with a slender, graceful figure.

She wore a golden feathered robe. Her eyes shone like golden clouds, brilliant and dazzling beyond comparison.

For a moment she seemed confused and lost. Then a reincarnation mark on her forehead began to glow.

With a crack, it shattered into countless golden fragments that merged into her soul. Only then did she fully awaken. Memories surged through her mind.

Finally, they settled upon the scene from the Demon Realm.

The scene from before her death. The dreamlike image she had seen at the very end. She had believed that after death her soul would vanish into nothingness.

Yet Gu Changge had used heaven-defying methods to grant her another life.

In this life, she had transformed from a fish into a dragon and remained by his side for many years.

“Xiyao greets Alliance Leader.”

The woman in golden robes bowed gracefully, her expression complicated.

Gu Changge appeared in the courtyard.

Hearing her address him that way, he laughed lightly.

“That day, I did not respect your wishes.”

“You may resent my selfishness.”

“But I have always been this kind of person.”

“Strong, domineering, unreasonable.”

“You may hate me or blame me, but what is done is done.”

“You are no longer the Demon Queen of the Demon Realm.”

“You may do whatever you wish now, and no one will stop you.”

“I could not make you into a truly carefree fish.”

“But I can at least do my best to fulfill your wishes.”

“I… actually guessed that you would do this.”

“You’ve never really cared about other people’s feelings.”

“So I had no way to resist you.”

Xiyao looked at him quietly.

She remembered telling him that in her next life she wanted to become a carefree fish. And he had truly transformed her into one.

That was indeed the sort of thing only he would do.

“You said it yourself, so naturally I found a way to make it happen,” Gu Changge replied with a smile.

“You really are something else…”

“You make people love you and hate you at the same time.”

“You leave them completely speechless.”

Xiyao bit her lip gently and stared at him.

Then she suddenly threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

“Is all of this real?” She whispered.

“More real than anything else.” Gu Changge gently stroked her hair.

“Then why won’t you hold me?” She asked, raising her face.

Gu Changge smiled. This time, he wrapped his arms around her.

Whatever emotions she had felt in her final moments before death, women were often contradictory. What she felt then might truly have been genuine.

But who could say what the future would bring?

He could have examined all future possibilities before making his decision. Yet if everything in the future were already known and fixed, life would become far too dull.

“I never imagined a future like this.”

“But now… it actually seems quite good.” Xiyao spoke softly.

“No one can truly determine the future.”

“Even the future seen at this very moment ceases to be that same future once it arrives.”

“The future is infinite, chaotic, and without order.”

“It contains endless possibilities.” Gu Changge replied.

“You’re talking too far beyond me.”

Xiyao could not understand such concepts. She did not care what the future looked like. What mattered to her was that this present moment was beautiful.

Gu Changge smiled and said nothing more.

Having regained her body and recovered her former memories, Xiyao found herself wanting to speak endlessly with him.

Peach blossoms bloomed brilliantly throughout the courtyard.

Crystal petals drifted through the air, filling everything with fragrance.

No longer the Demon Queen who ruled over the Demon Realm, Xiyao now seemed like a carefree young girl who had cast aside all worldly burdens.

Gu Changge patiently accompanied her. He told her stories and recounted various interesting events.

Xiyao was fascinated by the modern Vast Expanse.

Everything seemed new and wondrous to her. It was like a fish leaving a small well and entering a vast river.

Every sight was fresh and exciting.

“The Vast Expanse, True Worlds, the Real Land, and the Epoch Calamity…”

“So the catastrophe that once descended upon Daochang True World was also because of an Epoch Calamity?”

This was her first time hearing such things. Many facts that were now common knowledge throughout the Vast Expanse were entirely new to her.

After all, regardless of how one viewed it, the Demon Realm had merely been a lower realm within Daochang True World.

Whether in scale or world level, it could not compare to a true world. The difference was like dust compared to the stars.

Yet now, the Heaven-Defying Alliance created by Gu Changge had already shown signs of unifying the entire Vast Expanse.

Xiyao was profoundly shocked. But soon her eyes shone with dazzling excitement. She was filled with yearning for such a vast and boundless world.

When she had been the Demon Queen, countless responsibilities had bound her.

She could not even leave the Demon Realm freely. She had never personally walked across all of Daochang True World with her own feet.

Now, however, everything was different.