I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1287:

1648. The Glimpse of the Real Place Alarms the Beyond

“Since my youth, I have walked the path of the Dao, surviving a thousand tribulations and experiencing the world's many flavors. I have faced countless formidable foes, yet I have always transformed disaster into blessing, bearing the mandate of heaven as I ascended.”

“The heavens favor me; my destiny is overflowing with providence, for I am the chosen one destined to weather the calamity. Your current strength may exceed mine, but what of it? In the end, you are nothing more than a whetstone for my advancement.”

Standing beneath the cosmic gateway, Chu Gucheng was wreathed in lightning and saturated with the aura of Reality. He cast a freezing glare toward the distant Gu Changge.

This rival was unlike any other, and that perpetually mask-like, emotionless face stung Chu Gucheng’s pride to the core.

“Is that your belief?” Gu Changge replied. His icy demeanor didn't flicker as he casually brushed his sleeve. A single palm strike swept through the void, snuffing out the river of stars as it reached across the distance.

At that instant, his hand seemed to carry the weight of celestial punishment, causing the infinite lightning of the calamity to shatter and dissolve within his grasp.

He didn't target Chu Gucheng directly but instead struck the hazy, flickering portal.

That region of space appeared to be completely annihilated. The sheer impact of the collision released a titanic force, pulverizing billions of layers of cosmic energy.

The distorted gateway that loomed over all worlds trembled violently, appearing on the verge of total collapse.

The leaking aura of Reality began to warp and fade, threatening to vanish entirely.

The gathering storm clouds of the tribulation began to scatter at high speed, and the aura of Heavenly Decline surrounding Chu Gucheng started to evaporate. His expression shifted into one of sheer horror and disbelief.

“You... you actually dare to meddle with the Heavenly Decline Calamity?” he hissed through clenched teeth, unable to process the reality of the situation.

Within the imperial capital, every observer witnessed this impossible feat, their faces turning pale with shock.

“How can this be?”

“The Heavenly Decline Calamity is being forcibly halted and is rapidly receding?” The crowd was paralyzed with terror.

Chu Gucheng found the situation impossible to swallow. He had clearly touched the threshold of the eighth Heavenly Decline and was prepared to cross it, yet that doorway had suddenly become blurred and distant, as if it were being pushed away.

The aura of Reality retreated swiftly, making the previous moments feel like a fading dream or a transient illusion.

“The Heavenly Decline Calamity is not something you can traverse so easily.”

Gu Changge’s voice was frigid, stripped of any human warmth.

The people of the capital were frozen in place, their bodies trembling with primal fear.

He possessed the power to interfere with the very laws of Heavenly Decline, seemingly indifferent to the cosmic backlash such an act would invite.

Such a monstrous level of power was beyond their comprehension.

Moments later, Gu Changge pointed a finger. A wave of energy surged forward with deceptive calm, constricting the space around Chu Gucheng. The latter’s face contorted with agony and shock as his body began to crumble once more. The fractures upon his Dao Fruit grew more pronounced, threatening to shatter under the instability.

Even though his Cultivation had improved and he was at the precipice of the eighth Heavenly Decline, why did he remain so helpless before Gu Changge?

“Halt!”

A thunderous roar suddenly split the air. The battered form of Fa Sheng appeared from the distance.

Drenched in blood, he lunged forward in a desperate attempt to shield Chu Gucheng and assist him in completing the Heavenly Decline Calamity.

Gu Changge shifted his gaze slightly toward the sound, his cold eyes locking onto Fa Sheng. The finger originally aimed at Chu Gucheng redirected its strike toward the newcomer.

“A touching bond between master and disciple. Unfortunately, while he possesses means to survive, you do not.” His voice remained as flat as ever.

A mist of blood instantly erupted in the sky as Fa Sheng’s body was blown apart mid-charge. His Dao Fruit escaped into a different fold of time and space, yet it was riddled with countless cracks, teetering on the edge of destruction.

“Master!” Chu Gucheng wailed in sorrow, his voice thick with agony and resentment.

In the capital of Xian Chu Hao Tu, the onlookers were paralyzed, filled with dread. The many officials and noble guests looked on with ashen faces.

Suddenly, a monstrous rumbling erupted from beyond the boundaries of all worlds. The vast void outside the Xiyuan Civilization seemed to become translucent as a strange, supreme, and indescribable presence began to descend. That location, though infinitely far from the mortal realms, felt hauntingly close.

Furious voices and waves of emotion spilled from that distant place. The shattered portal began to reconstruct itself, and shadows of altars stained with dark ichor materialized behind it. It seemed a terrifying entity from that realm had been provoked and was now venting its rage.

Everyone in Xian Chu Hao Tu was gripped by a soul-deep terror, feeling as though an unimaginable eye was watching them. Behind the warped gateway, a creature stirred in anger, its gaze sweeping across the worlds.

“To think such a place would be disturbed...” Elder Xing Ying’s face drained of color as she shook with fear. she desperately suppressed her own aura, terrified of being noticed.

She stared at Gu Changge, who stood outside the worlds, her eyes wide with shock.

She had assumed that Gu Changge’s interference with the Heavenly Decline would trigger an even more catastrophic punishment that would consume him.

However, instead of a greater tribulation, his actions had drawn the gaze of that unspeakable realm.

What were the implications?

It meant the Heavenly Decline Calamity was no longer a threat to Gu Changge. He was likely an existence at the very end of the path—or perhaps even beyond it.

Had she known he was such a being, she never would have come to Xian Chu Hao Tu to join Chu Gucheng’s alliance.

“No, the Master must have realized this. He must have sensed it.”

“Yet he still sent me here.”

“Have I been discarded? Or does he have other intentions?” Elder Xing Ying’s heart sank as her face grew even paler.

An eerie silence fell over Xian Chu Hao Tu. Even the Xiyuan Civilization seemed to hold its breath, and all the heavens trembled.

Chu Gucheng felt a cold shiver down his spine, paralyzed by an overwhelming dread. He felt like a tiny rabbit beneath the shadow of a starving wolf, waiting to be devoured. He tried to locate Gu Changge, but the man had vanished from the void outside the worlds.

That terrifying gaze from beyond wasn't fixed on him; it was searching for Gu Changge.

“Has the attention of that side been drawn?”

Gu Changge reappeared within a pocket of void. He looked thoughtful, ignoring Fa Sheng’s Dao Fruit as it fled through time. To him, Fa Sheng was no longer a concern, even at full strength. Besides, his primary objective was complete.

Sabotaging Chu Gucheng’s Heavenly Decline had caused the shadow of the Real Place to manifest, attracting the notice of its denizens—an unexpected turn. Not wishing to be scrutinized by the Real Place just yet, he had slipped away earlier.

That gaze wasn't following the world; it was hunting for him.

“The affairs of Xian Chu Hao Tu are mostly settled. All that remains is the cleanup.”

Gu Changge decided not to kill Chu Gucheng immediately. He would leave him alive for a few more days to facilitate the final stages of his plan.

With a tear in space, he vanished again. When he stepped out of the void, he was on a renowned mountain range outside the borders of Xian Chu Hao Tu.

The White Bone Ancestor King, Turbid Wind Evil, and Hun Yuan Jun were already waiting there as per his previous commands.

“Take this jade and deliver it to Chu Heng, the Champion Hou, at the frontline where Xian Chu Hao Tu meets the Demon Court,” Gu Changge instructed. A pair of ancient, intricate mandarin duck jade pendants appeared in his hand. He handed them to the White Bone Ancestor King.

“As you command, Master.” The White Bone Ancestor King bowed, took the jade, and vanished instantly.

Gu Changge had already delegated the management of the Xian Ling Civilization to Mu Yan, Ling Huang, and the others.

The Heavenly Alliance was still in its infancy and required much oversight. Despite being in Xiyuan, he had kept a close watch on the Xian Ling Civilization’s developments.

However, it was clear that Ling Huang, despite being an empress, lacked the necessary finesse for such grand administration.

As for Mu Yan, the Daughter of Destiny, she seemed largely indifferent to the bureaucratic burdens of the Fattening Heaven Alliance.

Gu Changge could not truly trust anyone else. Once things here were wrapped up, he planned to return to the Da Chang True Realm. He would have Yin Mei, the Gu family’s ancestor, and the Jiu Jian Xian take over the management of the Alliance. During that visit, he also intended to begin the refinement of the Grand Aspiration Orb.

Since the Alliance already had roots in the Da Chang True Realm, integration would be a smooth process.

The strength of the Zuo, Hun, Wu, and Gou clans paled in comparison to the immortal lineages of Xiyuan. A single expert at the Ancestral Dao level could shift the tides of an entire war.

As it stood, the Fattening Heaven Alliance had yet to reach the standard Gu Changge envisioned.

...

Time flowed on. Half a month had passed since the cataclysmic struggle between Gu Changge and Xian Chu Hao Tu.

The battle had gutted the vitality of Xian Chu Hao Tu. Although Chu Gucheng had managed to survive the eighth Heavenly Decline by drawing upon the collective will of his people and the luck of the heavens, the cost was staggering. His Dao Fruit bore permanent scars that might never heal. Furthermore, his mentor, Fa Sheng, was a broken man—his Dao Fruit was shattered, and his Cultivation base had plummeted. It would take tens of thousands of epochs to even hope for a recovery.

Moreover, Xian Chu Hao Tu had lost a significant number of Dao Realm experts during the conflict.

For any major power, such a loss was devastating.

A Dao Realm expert required immeasurable time, resources, and luck to produce.

Nearly seventy percent of the experts Xian Chu Hao Tu had spent eons nurturing were wiped out. Those who survived were only spared because they were stationed on the distant frontlines against the Demon Court and Zixiao Mountain.

The various dignitaries who had witnessed the fall were quietly mocking the situation. Xian Chu Hao Tu’s dreams of dominating the Xiyuan Civilization were now in ruins.

Recovery would likely take an eternity, if it happened at all.

Though Chu Gucheng was technically an eighth-decline expert now, the wounds Gu Changge left behind meant he couldn't use his full strength. He was arguably weaker now than he had been before the breakthrough.

Fa Sheng’s sacrifice to save his disciple had resulted in a permanent regression in his realm.

Observers were now gossiping about how much of a foundation Xian Chu Hao Tu even had left.

Furthermore, in his bid to stop Gu Changge, Chu Gucheng had sacrificed so many of his subjects that entire territories were now desolate husks. Many began to wonder if the ruler had truly weighed the costs of his defiance.

Would he have made the same choice if he knew the outcome? Did he feel any regret?

Despite having every possible advantage, they had been crushed, their lifeblood drained away.

The battle had yielded no glory, only making Xian Chu Hao Tu the laughingstock of the vastness. Yet, many questions remained unanswered.

Why did the old woman from Yin Xu Cave watch from the sidelines without helping?

Why did the Holy Maiden of Xiyuan remain neutral? She had accused the leader of the Fattening Heaven Alliance of being a puppet of the Black Calamity, yet she didn't lift a finger when Chu Gucheng and Fa Sheng were being slaughtered.

This led to many theories about her true goals. Some thought she stayed her hand only to prevent Gu Changge from massacring everyone in the capital.

After all, she was one of the most powerful entities within the territory.

Gu Changge’s terrifying display of power, which even drew the gaze of the Real Place, convinced the guests that no unified front could have defeated him. Many were simply glad they hadn't joined the fight.

The rumors of the Alliance’s ties to the Black Calamity remained unproven and murky.

Meanwhile, the citizens and ministers of Xian Chu Hao Tu felt a complex mix of emotions. Gu Changge had come to destroy them, yet he had stopped short of a total massacre and left. If he truly wanted to bring ruin to the Xiyuan Civilization, why stop there?

The heavy toll of the battle left many feeling disillusioned with Chu Gucheng’s leadership.

Two weeks later, the Xiyuan Civilization was still buzzing with the aftermath. People wondered where Gu Changge had gone and if another clash was imminent.

With Xian Chu Hao Tu weakened, the Demon Court was aggressively seizing territory. The resistance was failing, and Zixiao Mountain’s shadow loomed even larger.

Attention also turned to the Xiyuan Holy Hall. Chu Gucheng had previously spoken of a marriage alliance and a grand "Xiyuan Alliance" to fight the Black Calamity.

Even with a weakened Xian Chu Hao Tu, the Holy Maiden’s influence remained supreme. If she moved forward with the alliance, the other sects would have little choice but to comply.

In the following days, every major power kept a close eye on the shifting political landscape.

Cultivators from across the vastness remained in Xiyuan, watching for the next change in the wind.

As one of the most influential civilizations, the fate of Xiyuan would ripple across countless universes and true realms.

Naturally, the Fattening Heaven Alliance was the center of attention.

Gu Changge’s personal strength had sent shockwaves through the hearts of all. Though the Alliance was new, it was now feared by the most ancient families and Dao lineages.

Chu Gucheng had the desire to rule Xiyuan, but Gu Changge had the power to actually do it.

This realization made many reconsider the Xiyuan Alliance as a necessary defense. Outside, the atmosphere grew heavy with anticipation as the dust of the battle refused to settle.

The former Grand Tutor, supported by a coalition of officials, had already come forward to demand a formal explanation.