I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1844. Setting Things Right, Intending to Open the First Heavenly Tomb — Trouble Befalls the Epoch Mother Tree

“If you want to see it, then go and see it yourself. The time of peace and tranquility in the Vast Expanse is running short…” Gu Changge said.

With a gentle point of his finger, a crystalline ray of light, brilliant as rosy clouds, descended into Xi Yao’s forehead.

“What is this?”

Leaning against him with her knees drawn up, her waterfall-like hair shining with a mirror-like luster, Xi Yao sensed a vast power that did not belong to her suddenly appear within her sea of consciousness.

“It is the means by which you can roam the world freely, unbound by any restraints,” Gu Changge replied.

“This world truly is fascinating. But if there is no one to accompany me, then it loses much of its meaning…” Xi Yao gazed steadily at him.

“You ask for quite a lot these days,” Gu Changge said with a faint smile.

“…”

Xi Yao responded with a smile of her own, though her eyes carried a trace of melancholy.

Gu Changge did not answer further.

As if she had expected this, Xi Yao merely asked softly, “If it were Yue Mingkong, would you agree with her?”

Gu Changge simply replied, “She would never ask such a thing.”

Holding her knees, Xi Yao said, “As expected, I was hoping for too much.”

“At a time like this, I cannot give you too many promises or answers. The Epoch Calamity is about to descend…” After a moment of thought, Gu Changge reached out and gently stroked her hair.

Feeling his warmth, Xi Yao leaned her head against him. Breathing in that familiar scent—pure and warm like aged sandalwood—she felt an indescribable sense of peace.

At that moment, she thought back to her days in the Demon Realm.

Countless memories flashed through her mind before finally freezing on the day he stepped into the void and departed. She did not fully understand what the Epoch Calamity meant, but she vaguely realized that now was perhaps not the time to speak of such matters.

True freedom without constraints was far more difficult to attain than she had imagined.

“I want to return to the Demon Realm and take a look…” she said softly after some thought.

Partly because she was worried about the situation there, but more importantly because of Song Youwei, who had accompanied her until the very end of her previous life.

She still remembered that Song Youwei’s mother had been human.

The bloodlines of humans and demons conflicted with one another, and Song Youwei’s health had always been poor. Perhaps she also wanted to escape from certain things…

“The entrance to the Daochang True Realm is within the Heaven-Felling Alliance.”

Gu Changge did not refuse her request.

With a casual wave of his hand, a spatial rift appeared before them, accompanied by temporal fluctuations and the aura of newborn life.

Xi Yao glanced at him, rose to her feet, and stepped forward.

Graceful as a soaring swan, she instantly vanished into the rift.

Watching her disappear, Gu Changge briefly sensed the current state of the Daochang True Realm and fell into contemplation.

Having been nurtured in the pool for so many years and having absorbed vast amounts of divine substances, Xi Yao’s foundation had naturally surpassed that of her previous life by an enormous margin.

She could break through to a higher realm whenever she wished.

Yet whether it was Xi Yao, Su Qingge, or Wang Zijin, none of them seemed particularly concerned with cultivation realms or power.

What they pursued was something more natural and free-flowing—a state of enlightenment and release attained after experiencing countless events.

Life and death, transcendence and immortality—all seemed no longer important to them.

“All beings in the mortal world are merely travelers beneath heaven and earth. Whether memories or traces left behind, all will eventually fade away. Only the Great Dao endures forever…” Gu Changge’s eyes grew profound.

But he had never intended to interfere with such matters. Even if Xi Yao and the others broke through into the Dao Realm or even became Ancestor Dao Realm beings, it would have no impact on his plans.

At present, many ultimate experts of the Vast Expanse had also sensed the approaching catastrophe and realized it could not be avoided. Thus they had emerged from hiding one after another.

This, too, was entirely within Gu Changge’s expectations.

Under the great calamity, heaven and earth would fall into chaos. Moreover, he himself had already stirred the entire Vast Expanse into muddy waters.

Those great fish who had hidden themselves for ages naturally could no longer remain detached from worldly affairs. And his so-called Heaven-Felling Plan still required these ultimate beings as its core force.

The next step would be to use the banner of “Felling Heaven” to orchestrate this grand drama.

“The timing is just about right now…”

His gaze pierced through layer upon layer of space and landed upon a distant location.

“On the side of the Nine Heavens Land, with the appearance of the Palace of Defying Fate, it seems they intend to open one of the Heavenly Tombs.”

“The Ninefold Heavenly Tombs have always been buried within the Nine Heavens Land. It is said that they contain the Heavenly Incarnations once defeated by the Heaven-Fellers of old. Whenever anomalies appear during an Epoch Calamity, Heavenly Incarnations emerge to restore order.”

Ling Yuling’s figure suddenly appeared beside him.

In truth, she had sensed Gu Changge’s presence earlier and arrived at the courtyard, but because Xi Yao was present, she had chosen not to enter.

“The Palace of Defying Fate intends to make a final desperate attempt in this epoch and fulfill the great mission pursued by countless pioneers before them. Opening the Heavenly Tombs is inevitable.”

“However, Heavenly Incarnations have never truly been killable. They can only be sealed, for they are manifestations of the rules of the Vast Expanse Heavenly Dao itself,” Gu Changge said as he withdrew his gaze.

“If the Palace of Defying Fate forcibly opens a Heavenly Tomb, could it attract the attention of the Heavenly Dao and cause it to descend?”

“Since ancient times, nine has represented the ultimate limit. Since the founding of the Palace of Defying Fate, how many Heaven-Felling wars have they participated in? And how many Heavenly Incarnations have they actually sealed?”

Ling Yuling appeared deeply concerned. Even ultimate beings had recently begun sensing the attraction of the Heavenly Dao.

They felt themselves being drawn toward union with the Dao, becoming part of the Heavenly Dao itself. Even if they resisted this pull, they would still face the reckoning of the coming Epoch Calamity.

The stronger one was, the stronger the attraction became.

To walk the world openly, they had to constantly expend effort resisting it. Unless they possessed and controlled a portion of a Heavenly Authority.

In a sense, such beings were agents of the Heavenly Dao, wielding part of its power and therefore unaffected.

But throughout history, how many such existences had there been?

Aside from that, whenever the world underwent major transformations—such as the rise of a force like the Heaven-Felling Alliance—the Heavenly Dao would seek to correct the imbalance. Thus, the stronger a being became, the more clearly they perceived such omens and sought opportunities for themselves amid the tides of destiny.

“I don’t know,” Gu Changge replied with a smile and a shake of his head.

The premature arrival of the Epoch Calamity had always been part of his plan. The return of those ultimate beings had likewise been orchestrated by him.

Ling Yuling stared at him skeptically.

Was there really anything in existence that he did not know?

“The Sixfold Heavenly Abyss Armor has been exiled into the deepest layers of dimensional spacetime. Even for ultimate beings, retrieving it will not be easy.”

“Back when the predecessors sealed the Acting Heaven Lord, dealing with that indestructible armor cost them enormous effort.”

Ling Yuling brought up another important matter.

Although Gu Changge had sent the Eternal Primordial God to retrieve the armor, she felt things would not proceed smoothly.

Many ultimate beings had returned recently. If they truly sensed heavenly destiny, they might receive guidance from the Heavenly Dao and begin obstructing the Heaven-Felling Alliance.

No matter how powerful the Eternal Primordial God was, he was still merely an ultimate being. His movements could easily be noticed and calculated against by those who possessed Heavenly Authorities.

Such had always been the case. Whenever someone sought to defy fate, they attracted the attention of the Heavenly Dao.

Following Heaven’s will was the great trend of the world and earned rewards, even allowing one to avoid reckoning and forced union with the Dao.

Defying Heaven, however, invariably led to unimaginable consequences.

Since the establishment of the Heaven-Felling Alliance, it had initially been too weak to exert much influence.

But now it had grown stronger and stronger, nearly unifying the Vast Expanse. Its destiny and fortune had surged to unprecedented heights unseen for countless epochs.

This, in turn, had caused the Epoch Calamity to descend ahead of schedule. The destiny of the Vast Expanse possessed a threshold.

Once it surpassed that limit, an Epoch Calamity would inevitably occur.

This was an eternal law.

Once formed, an Epoch Calamity could not be stopped. One could only wait for it to naturally conclude before the cycle began anew. Even the name “Heaven-Felling Alliance” itself was taboo.

It should never have existed. And now, the destruction of the Heaven-Felling Alliance has become the will of heaven and earth itself.

“If someone intervenes to obstruct us, wouldn’t that be even better?” Gu Changge merely smiled in response to Ling Yuling’s concerns outside the Ancient Treasury Civilization

“This Ancient Treasury Civilization is like an impenetrable turtle shell. With our strength, harming it is absolutely impossible.”

Above the cosmos outside the Ancient Treasury Civilization floated countless colossal warships wrapped in temporal, chaotic, and dimensional energies.

On one of their decks stood Jiang Weiyang, her robes fluttering in the wind.

Beside her stood General Zhu Cangning and many others in respectful silence.

They had already ceased their assault upon the Ancient Treasury Civilization.

The civilization simply ignored them. Only Dao Realm experts had emerged to block their army.

Unless an ultimate being personally appeared, the high-ranking figures of the Ancient Treasury Civilization would not even meet them.

This left everyone in the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty feeling helpless. Even Ji Hanjing had fought personally. Yet an Ancestor Dao Realm expert appeared to oppose her, and the battle ended inconclusively.

“If the Ancient Treasury Civilization keeps hiding like this, we cannot continue indefinitely…”

“Princess, can you contact the Alliance Leader?”

The speaker was a handsome young man in embroidered robes, his eyes calm and steady, chaotic mist swirling within them. He was Zhu Fuyi, Zhu Cangning’s great-grandson.

Once disguised as a coachman, he had helped Jiang Weiyang escape from the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty.

Now he had become a Dragon Cavalry General and held considerable power. His cultivation had already reached the Dao Realm thanks to many opportunities and resources over the years.

Jiang Weiyang shook her head.

Although she was a princess, she still belonged to the younger generation. She had not even reached the Dao Realm.

Within the Heaven-Felling Alliance, even Dao Realm experts found it difficult to meet Gu Changge. Only through her close relationship with Yao Yao had she been able to see him frequently.

“Then this is troublesome. What if the Ancient Treasury Civilization drags this out for thousands or tens of thousands of years?” Zhu Fuyi frowned.

“What the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty lacks now is top-tier combat power. Without an ultimate being overseeing us, we have no leverage before a giant like the Ancient Treasury Civilization.”

“If our dynasty possessed an ultimate being, everything would be different.”

Several ministers sighed.  Although they themselves were Dao Realm experts who had survived three or four Heavenly Decline Tribulations, they were still far from the Ancestor Dao Realm.

In a supreme true realm they might possess status. But under the unprecedented era created by the Heaven-Felling Alliance, they had become insignificant.

The number of Dao Realm experts born in recent years exceeded the combined total of countless previous epochs. The growth of the Heaven-Felling Alliance’s destiny and fortune had created a positive feedback loop.

More great destiny holders emerged. More opportunities appeared.

Condensing Dao Seeds and comprehending the Great Dao had become easier than ever before.

It was a crazy method. Yet it had completely changed the structure of the Vast Expanse.

If this continued, would the future become an era where Dao Realm experts were as common as dogs and Ancestor Dao experts walked the streets?

Of course, everyone understood there must be drawbacks.

Many cultivators rejected this approach entirely. They considered such power rootless and unstable.

Since the Alliance Leader could bestow opportunities and fortunes, he could also reclaim them.

Nevertheless, the Dao Realm remained a threshold that trapped countless cultivators.

Given the chance, who would not wish to soar to the heavens and become the protagonist of legend?

“Do you really think reaching the ultimate realm is so easy?”

A disdainful voice echoed.

Ji Hanjing sat deep within the warship, enveloped by a hazy radiance.

“Throughout history, there have been countless Dao Realm experts. Yet those who reached the Ancestor Dao Realm were absolute protagonists of heaven and earth.”

“As for ultimate beings, they have already walked their chosen Dao to its very end. They are the protagonists of thousands upon thousands of epochs.”

“They cannot be produced merely through opportunities and fortune.”

Even her father, the Middle Sovereign who founded the Radiant Ancestor Court and had existed since the Primordial Era, had never reached the ultimate realm.

These ministers seemed to think ultimate beings grew on trees. Without the accumulation of tens of millions of epochs, such an existence could never emerge.

The Weiyang Emperor Jiang Yun was indeed extraordinary. But even given endless time, he might never reach that level.

“Ancestor…”

“Then what should we do now?”

Jiang Weiyang worried deeply.

Her father remained in the hands of the Lord of Fortune, his fate unknown. The longer this dragged on, the greater the danger.

“Wait,” Ji Hanjing answered.

“The Alliance Leader surely already has plans.”

“The reason those ancient existences inside the Ancient Treasury Civilization refuse to appear is because they fear him.”

“Besides, with the great calamity approaching, countless eyes are secretly watching the Ancient Treasury Civilization.”

“Before past Great Reckonings, it was never this quiet.”

Jiang Weiyang felt somewhat reassured. But almost immediately after Ji Hanjing spoke, her expression changed.

She looked sharply toward the Ancient Treasury Civilization. If the Vast Expanse were an endless chaotic ocean, then the Ancient Treasury Civilization would be a continent standing immovably amid raging waves.

Other civilizations were merely isolated islands wrapped in world energy, always at risk of being swallowed by the tides.

Yet now, in Ji Hanjing’s vision, the gray, spacetime-like energy surrounding the Ancient Treasury Civilization suddenly began boiling violently.

Countless dimensions, spacetime layers, and planes trembled.

From the deepest reaches emerged overlapping world particles like bubbles, forming a terrifying storm.

The ancient continent itself shook as though struck by an earthquake.

The surrounding Vast Expanse energy transformed into devastating hurricanes capable of shredding nearby worlds and universes like leaves in a tempest.

Not only Ji Hanjing—At that moment, countless ancient gazes deep within the civilization suddenly awakened.

“What happened, Uncle?”

“The Epoch Mother Tree has encountered trouble…”

The entire Ancient Treasury Civilization was thrown into turmoil.

Ancient wills of unimaginable power awakened one after another.

From the deepest dimensions came voices filled with shock.

Within the five great royal clans—Calamity, Karma, Longevity, End, and Void—ancient figures beyond description tore through dimensional barriers and appeared.

The World Lord and the Lord of Reincarnation both changed expression repeatedly.

Together they looked toward the Epoch Ancient Tree standing above the Sea of Reincarnation.

Under the stunned and horrified gazes of all present, the Epoch Ancient Tree appeared to be seized by an invisible and terrifying giant hand.

It slowly rose into the air. Even the Sea of Reincarnation surrounding it suddenly fell silent.

Above it, endless layers of spacetime split apart.

The powerful creatures hidden within the Sea of Reincarnation trembled in extreme terror, feeling like insignificant ants before an elephant.

As the Epoch Mother Tree ascended, chaotic, bubble-like substances—ancient and profound void matter from the deepest reaches of existence—began gathering around its roots.

There lay the Epoch Abyss Ruins, formed from the accumulated remnants of countless universes and true worlds. But now even that region has become blurred.

It wrapped itself around the roots of the Epoch Mother Tree, as though containing the infinite truths and mysteries of all existence.