I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1283:

1644. The Dreadful and Ceaseless Clash within the True Essence of the Zudao Realm

A collective shiver ran through the crowd as they realized Chu Gucheng was truly a man who had clawed his way from obscurity to the pinnacle of power. His calculations were so cold and precise they made one's skin crawl.

Han Feng and his companions had believed that reaching the former Grand Tutor’s estate would allow them to secure the Yuanyang Jade Pendant and expose the individual behind the murder of the Champion Marquis’ wife. They were blind to the fact that Chu Gucheng had prepared for every contingency. Even if the assassins failed, he had ordered the destruction of the jade pendant. Thus, even if Han Feng’s group survived against all odds, the trail to the real killer would be permanently erased.

“I cannot fathom who is targeting the Marquis to deserve such extreme protection from the Nation Lord,” Han Feng muttered, his voice thick with bitterness and teeth clenched. Although he had dispatched a message to Champion Marquis Chu Heng regarding the chaos in the capital, he now felt a gnawing doubt about whether the report had ever left the city.

The faces of the others turned deathly pale. Their influence was minuscule compared to the might of the royal family; resistance seemed impossible. They had spent the last several days in a state of hyper-vigilance, terrified that the horrors of the previous night would repeat themselves.

Chu Bai was equally consumed by a sense of injustice. Having narrowly escaped death the night before thanks to Gu Changge’s intervention, he was certain that Xian Chu Haotu would stop at nothing to ensure their complete disappearance.

Xian Chu Haotu had transformed from a home into a death trap.

“Is this how Xian Chu Haotu repays you? And yet, your only thought is to continue cowering? You truly get what you deserve,” the mocking voice of the Shooting Sun Bow’s artifact spirit suddenly vibrated within Chu Bai’s consciousness.

His complexion drained of color before giving way to a dark despair. Chu Bai found his own fear humiliating, yet he felt paralyzed. What could he possibly achieve? Could he truly challenge Xian Chu Haotu or Chu Gucheng on his own?

Even the enigmatic and formidable Gu Changge was currently being besieged by a host of Zudao Realm experts.

The roar of slaughter from Chongxiao echoed through the annals of time, vibrating with such intensity that onlookers felt an instinctive urge to fall to their knees in the face of such overwhelming waves of power.

In that distant sky, following the opening move by Zhen Xian Hou Chu Yuan, Nation Lord Chu Gucheng and several others joined the assault. A battle of indescribable proportions erupted. The imperial capital seemed to pulse with a life of its own as billions of strands of the people's will rose like a majestic dragon, converging from every corner of the realm.

The heavens and earth trembled as if a primordial god had been stirred from slumber, inhaling the very essence of the world.

The resonance from countless universes sounded like a crashing tsunami. This terrifying momentum surged into Chu Gucheng, making him appear as a divine emperor descending to the mortal plane. Clad in armor that radiated an eternal light, he led the charge against Gu Changge.

The impact of their collision was like a cosmic ocean surging across billions of miles; the ancient firmament shuddered, and billions of rules of order were swallowed by a boundless tide.

Several Elders from the Yuxian Palace were hurled back by the concussive force, unable to keep their footing. Low-level disciples were vaporized into blood mist almost instantly. The surrounding architecture crumbled into dust, creating a zone of absolute vacuum where even the great path was erased, leaving a hollow void in reality.

The conflict then migrated to the outer realms, beyond the sight of any mortal or cultivator. Despite the distance, terrifying ripples continued to wash back from the void like a relentless tide, weighing heavily on the souls of everyone below.

Beyond the borders of the Xian Chu Haotu capital, the world was plunged into a perpetual twilight. Stars were shaken loose from the sky, shattering into cosmic dust as the river of time itself grew turbulent.

A mere gaze from a Zudao Realm entity could lay waste to entire universes. A battle at this echelon was beyond human comprehension, capable of severing the pillars of heaven and fracturing the timeline itself.

To someone like Chu Bai, witnessing such a spectacle made him feel like a pathetic insect, utterly insignificant in the grand scheme of the Dao.

He had no defense against the stinging taunts of the Shooting Sun Bow’s artifact spirit.

He was but a "minor cultivator" who had not even reached the heights of an Immortal Emperor. How could he hope to affect a clash between such titans? “If I possessed the might of the Zudao Realm, I would fight back without hesitation. But as I am now, I am powerless,” Chu Bai admitted dejectedly.

The artifact spirit of the Shooting Sun Bow let out a sharp, derisive laugh. “I thought you possessed some spine, but I clearly misjudged you. With such a weak spirit, you actually dreamed of making me submit and acknowledging you as master? What a pathetic joke.”

Chu Bai’s expression darkened further at the insult, but he bit his lip and countered, “Then tell me, what is the solution? Do you truly believe I can walk into a Zudao Realm battlefield? A single glance from them would erase my existence ten thousand times over.”

The artifact spirit was actually taken aback by Chu Bai’s defeatism. Usually, those blessed with immense providence like Chu Bai were not so easily broken; they were typically restless and defiant.

It recognized that the sheer pressure of the Zudao Realm had crushed Chu Bai’s will, making him feel entirely impotent.

Under the circumstances, his reaction was somewhat understandable.

Even those at the Dao Realm would feel a sense of hopelessness when faced with such a catastrophe.

“Do not forget that you are not the only victim of Xian Chu Haotu’s tyranny. You have allies who could join you in resistance. Since Xian Chu Haotu abandoned justice first, why should you show them any loyalty?”

“If you lack even the bravery to demand what is fair, then you might as well abandon your Cultivation entirely,” the spirit added with a cold, prodding laugh, intent on stoking his fire.

The chaos within Xian Chu Haotu was spreading, but it wasn't yet a total collapse. It needed one more spark to turn the disorder into a conflagration.

Chu Bai grasped the logic, yet he remained skeptical that a group of outcasts could truly rattle the foundations of the empire. He doubted even the arrival of Champion Marquis Chu Heng would change the outcome now.

Nevertheless, the spirit’s words resonated within him. Living in the shadows, constantly fleeing, was no way to exist. It was better to stand tall and demand the justice he was owed.

His path of Cultivation required a clear and resolute mind. To remain a coward would surely invite a heart demon, ending his journey toward the Dao forever.

“I see it clearly now.”

With this epiphany, Chu Bai’s eyes flashed with a brilliant, renewed light. He finally understood the purpose behind the artifact spirit’s scorn. His mental state felt as though it had been purified, becoming sharp and focused.

“Brother Han Feng, we must find a way to get word to Champion Marquis Chu Heng. He needs to know the truth of the capital. Xian Chu Haotu has betrayed us and seeks our blood. We owe them no mercy. We must force them to provide an explanation.”

Chu Bai’s frame shook with resolve as he turned to consult with Han Feng and the others.

While the residents of the Talent and Exceptional Talent Manor were technically subjects of the crown, many were eccentric loners with little true devotion to the royal line.

Figures like Chu Kui and Bi Xin were not the sort to suffer in silence. They had been hunted by Chu Gucheng’s elite guards the night before, and their anger was reaching a boiling point.

Inspired by Chu Bai’s declaration, they rose in righteous fury, agreeing that Xian Chu Haotu must be held accountable.

It was common knowledge in the capital that Han Feng was the trusted right hand of the Champion Marquis.

They intended to use the previous night’s assassination attempt as a political weapon, demanding the return of the Marquis’ wife’s remains, the recovery of the Yuanyang Jade Pendant, and the public naming of the murderer.

“Regardless of who took my daughter’s life, I will see them brought to light,” the former Grand Tutor declared. He stared toward the unreachable battlefield, a profound Confucian Qi beginning to swirl around him.

He was deeply moved by the resolve of the younger generation. He had spent his life nurturing the elite of Xian Chu Haotu, only for the royal family to shield the murderer of his own child. Such betrayal had broken his spirit, then forged it into something harder.

The Grand Tutor’s support acted as a massive morale boost for the group. Though he rarely took direct action, he was a genuine Confucian Sage whose wisdom could influence the cosmos and whose voice could shatter the heavens. His influence was peerless; many high-ranking officials were his former pupils. His network was vast and deep.

With the former Grand Tutor leading the charge, their cause gained undeniable weight.

“With the Grand Tutor’s backing, our path is clear,” Han Feng and the others said, feeling the tide begin to turn.

“I have stayed out of politics for years, but today, the imperial house will answer to me,” the Grand Tutor said, his voice resonating with power.

Shortly thereafter, letters bearing the Grand Tutor’s personal seal were dispatched from his residence, heading toward the homes of various ministers and reaching out to the distant borders of the realm.

An invisible, dangerous current began to flow through the heart of Xian Chu Haotu.

Meanwhile, in the Prince’s estate, Chu Wushang listened to his scouts' reports with a mask of indifference.

“Father was correct. The former Grand Tutor was never going to stay silent. That is precisely why I was tasked with monitoring his every move,” Chu Wushang whispered to himself.

“Fortunately, Father’s preparations are complete. The capital is now under total seal; no information can leak out. Any minister who dares to waver or conspire with the Grand Tutor will be branded as a collaborator with the black disaster and purged,” he continued coldly.

“It is a painful necessity, but it will ensure the long-term stability of our empire.”

He turned his gaze toward the ruins located in front of the Yuxian Palace’s local branch.

The moment Chu Gucheng, the Sage of Laws, and Old Jin had united to hunt Gu Changge, a conflict that transcended time and space had commenced. A Zudao Realm battle was a phenomenon that occurred across infinite dimensions. The Qi in that region had become so chaotic that it resembled the primordial soup from before the dawn of creation.

Even Chu Wushang could not perceive the details, though he could feel the fabric of reality twisting and fracturing as entire pocket dimensions collapsed in the wake of the titans.

The sky above the capital remained as dark as ink, a shroud of eternal night.

Stars continued to fade and fall, ground into a shimmering dust by the aftershocks. The continuum of space-time was being woven into a chaotic mess, blending past and future into a void. Across the world, others watched in awe and terror, though only those nearing the Zudao Realm could catch fleeting glimpses—a shadow flickering through time, or a colossal hand emerging from the river of history to crush anything in its path.

Their faces were etched with fear. The Zudao Realm represented the ultimate foundation of the great Sects—beings who usually remained secluded for hundreds of thousands of years. To see several of them coordinating an assault on a single target was an unprecedented event in the history of the Xiyuan civilization.

The shockwaves were felt far beyond the borders of Xian Chu Haotu, vibrating through every corner of the Xiyuan civilization and into the great beyond.

“Join me! We shall suppress this demon!”

Chu Gucheng’s enraged roar suddenly tore through the void, echoing like a thunderclap that threatened to burst the eardrums of every living soul.

Following that cry, several Dao Realm experts who had attempted to assist from the periphery were seen coughing blood as they were blown back. One specific figure, drenched in gore, plummeted from the firmament.

His armor was in tatters, revealing a face where the bone was exposed—it was Zhen Xian Hou, Chu Yuan. He was mangled beyond recognition; his skull was fractured, his brow caved in, and a massive hole yawned in his chest. Dark, sinister rules of order clung to his wounds, hungrily draining his remaining life force.

It appeared as though a single, devastating blow had stripped him of his combat potential, sending him spiraling toward the earth. The sight struck terror into the hearts of the onlookers. They had assumed Chu Gucheng’s side held the absolute advantage, yet in a shockingly short span of time, Zhen Xian Hou had been brought to the brink of death. It was clear why Chu Gucheng had roared in such fury.

“He must be safe...”

Ling Yuxian, though unable to help due to her own level of Cultivation, felt her heart race with worry for Gu Changge.

She then noticed that the Xiyuan Saintess, who had remained a neutral observer, appeared even more distressed than she was. The Saintess’s usual mask of icy calm had completely shattered.

“If only my sister, Ling Yuling, were present. She could end this madness.”

Ling Yuxian sensed something strange about the Saintess’s reaction but couldn't focus on it. She could only pray for her sister’s intervention. This clash was reshaping the destiny of Xian Chu Haotu and the entire Xiyuan civilization, drawing the eyes of ancient, hidden powers from every corner of the universe.

A sound like the heavens tearing apart erupted from the outer void, becoming the only thing audible in existence.

Fragments of broken laws and shattered Dao filled the air, as the very essence of the universe’s power manifested and collided before the eyes of the terrified world.

Each glowing symbol pulsed with a light so blinding and a power so destructive that it threatened the stability of the timeline. The siege dragged on, creating a paradox where it felt as though eons were passing in the span of a few heartbeats.

In the heart of the storm, time had ceased to exist. For Zudao Realm beings, the idea of tiring was non-existent. They stood at the summit of existence, capable of replenishing their essence instantly. Concepts like exhaustion or energy depletion simply did not apply to them.

Their reserves of power and life force were effectively boundless—immortal and unchanging.

Suddenly, a massive tremor rocked the foundations of reality, as if a fist had punched through the sky. The outer battlefield fractured, and a rift opened in the pitch-black cosmos, illuminated by a flash of eternal lightning.

Through the haze, a blurred and terrifying silhouette was seen standing at the center of the carnage. With a casual flick of his sleeve, a wave of energy descended, carrying the crushing weight of billions of paths—the image of a true sovereign of the cosmos, the master of all existence.