I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1294: Even at the point of death, still attempting to harm your resolve, a thousand years of time

Gu Changge obliterated Chuxin Yue with a single strike, shocking all those aboard the flying ship into silence. The surviving Chu Clan disciples, who had lingered in doubt and inner conflict, now revealed faces twisted in terror and shivers. They hadn't foreseen his ruthless swiftness in taking lives, sparing no effort on needless talk with them.

In that instant, countless onlookers buckled at the knees, slumping to the deck, lips parting as they desperately pleaded for clemency in hopes of clinging to life.

Ouyang Ji and the entire group from the Free and Easy Heavenly Palace stood frozen in disbelief, their expressions overwhelmed by horror and dread.

"I offered you the opportunity to decide," Gu Changge remarked with a faint shake of his head. A casual sweep of his sleeve followed, and in the blink of an eye, the mercy-seekers dissolved into wisps of dust, vanishing without a remnant.

To Gu Changge, wiping out Chuxin Yue felt no different from squashing a mere insect. He grasped the scheming thoughts swirling in these leftover Chu Clan heirs' heads all too clearly. Of course, he refused to let them breathe, knowing they'd pose risks down the line.

Once clear of the zone, Gu Changge commanded the White Bone Ancestor King to pass the white jade bottle holding Chu Wushang's soul shard to Champion Marquis Chu Heng.

Upon spotting the white jade bottle, Champion Marquis Chu Heng would grasp the required actions. He could no longer push for the Immortal Chu Realm's cause. After all, as the top authority there, rivaled only by realm lord Chu Gucheng, the ministers unwilling to perish would, barring stupidity, see the wise path forward.

Gu Changge cared little for the leftover cleanup, delegating it to others.

The Chaos and Muddy clans of the Immortal Spirit Civilization had already infiltrated, positioning themselves across key spots. With the Immortal Chu Realm plunged into chaos, it served as prime chaos for them to exploit.

For Gu Changge, this chaos opened the ideal window for the Heaven Slaughter Alliance to slip in and claim chunks of the Immortal Chu Realm's lands.

He had zero plans to block the orthodox sects eyeing profits from the mess. In time, those groups would fall under control, folding into the Heaven Slaughter Alliance.

Any spoils they grabbed now would simply return to his grasp later on.

Chu Gucheng's demise guaranteed the Immortal Chu Realm's downfall into shards and ruins.

Gu Changge had picked Champion Marquis Chu Heng as his backed choice, tasking him with steadying the chaos and overseeing the remnants.

On the Demon Court front stood Seventh Prince Di Kun, while Zixiao Mountain had Ziwang He. Gu Changge had selected these pieces with precision.

His aim wasn't to forge unity in the Xi Yuan Civilization like in the Daochang True Realm; instead, he sought to splinter and dominate, weaving all orthodox sects into the Heaven Slaughter Alliance's web.

Gu Changge's role boiled down to steering these proxies, making sure they served his ends.

With the scheme against the Immortal Chu Realm nearing its close, his final step involved scrubbing away all links to himself and stepping fully back from the fray.

"Master, what fate awaits this fellow?"

The Eternal Life Spirit's ghostly form hovered in uncertainty. It eyed the weary elder, bent and frail, its voice laced with chill.

"The Immortal Chu Realm lies in ruins…"

At that juncture, Old Fubo ignored the Eternal Life Spirit entirely, staring off at the scarred, battle-ravaged expanse of the Immortal Chu Realm. Sorrow, bewilderment, and anguish etched his features.

While the Eternal Life Spirit commandeered his form, he witnessed its deeds yet remained powerless to halt them. Still, at times, his fierce resolve swayed the Eternal Life Spirit.

Yet, to steer clear of derailing Gu Changge's vast scheme, the Eternal Life Spirit held back from fully devouring Fubo's awareness.

"Indeed, the Immortal Chu Realm has crumbled." Gu Changge gave a subtle nod, his voice steady and even.

To him, Fubo alone held knowledge of his plot to topple the Immortal Chu Realm.

As the Eternal Life Spirit seized Fubo's mind, Fubo caught the exchanges between it and Gu Changge, uncovering Gu Changge's hand in countless incidents.

This deepened Fubo's dread, leaving him quaking in fright. He never dreamed the Demon Court-Immortal Chu Realm clash stemmed wholly from Gu Changge's machinations.

The wondrous artifact, the Sun-Shooting Bow that Chu Bai claimed, had been crafted by Gu Changge himself before being strewn across realms.

Even the innate essence inside the Sun-Shooting Bow came from Gu Changge's designs.

The Immortal Chu Realm-Demon Court rift, the spark igniting their massive clash, all bore Gu Changge's hidden orchestration.

Every twist, every happening, he had pulled the strings from the shadows.

Chu Gucheng long harbored doubts of some colossal unseen force driving the Immortal Chu Realm to utter ruin.

Now, it proved true. He hadn't willfully doomed the Immortal Chu Realm; a hidden architect had woven the entire downfall.

"So the dire prophecy from the venerable Sage Law unfolded this way, and I was ensnared in the plot from the start…" Fubo's visage brimmed with anguish and hopelessness, tears flowing as regret and grief consumed him.

But what good came from grasping it all now? Even with full insight back then, could they have countered Gu Changge, this formidable foe, any differently?

He had seen the Immortal Chu Realm rise from humble origins to a towering immortal force dominating the cosmos. Yet now, he watched it shatter overnight, crumbling like a shattered illusion, erased without a whisper.

"The Immortal Chu Realm is gone. Do you still seek vengeance for it?" Gu Changge regarded the broken elder before him, his gaze empty of feeling.

By rights, Fubo was the sole bearer of the truth on the Immortal Chu Realm's collapse. Eliminating him and wiping every mark of his existence would let Gu Changge detach cleanly, with none suspecting his role as the puppeteer.

The Heaven Slaughter Alliance could then claim the Immortal Chu Realm openly, and Champion Marquis Chu Heng would remain blind to Gu Changge's betrayal.

Yet, facing the grief-stricken elder, Gu Changge suddenly recalled another silhouette. His lifted hand dropped once more.

"Can this elder still pursue revenge? All returns to earth, dust to dust—it's all scattered now. This elder lacks the power for retribution anymore," Fubo replied with a wry grin.

Through the Eternal Life Spirit's takeover, his core soul had been steadily eroded. At present, his might probably fell short of a basic Daoist realm cultivator.

Expecting him to avenge the Immortal Chu Realm? To challenge Gu Changge? Pure delusion.

"Young Master Gu, if you mean to end this elder, then strike. Living or dying holds no weight for me now," Fubo murmured tiredly, crumpling to the ground. His dim eyes mirrored the blaze engulfing the Immortal Chu Realm's capital.

Gu Changge eyed him steadily and stated, "You mentioned once that without Chu Gucheng's need for your aid, you'd have retreated long ago to a serene mortal hamlet, tending kin and basking in tranquil twilight years."

These words stirred a spark of sharpness in Fubo's gaze. He hadn't thought Gu Changge would recall it. It dated back to Gu Changge's visit for Chu Gucheng's birthday feast, their chat over tea in a modest pavilion.

"To imagine Young Master Gu recalls this elder's words…" A hint of bitterness crossed Fubo's face.

"I started as a mere retainer in the Chu household, tending the realm lord's father's era. Without his cultivation triumphs pulling me from the family, I'd never have glimpsed such boundless realms, and I'd be dust ages ago."

"This elder owes the realm lord deep thanks, but truthfully, cultivation held no allure for me. I never chased longevity or might. At first, my aim was simply to serve the realm lord's line well, build a solid name, then in old age, withdraw to my roots. I'd gather with village elders, sharing tales of bygone days, their eyes alight with awe and envy. Just picturing it filled me with quiet joy…"

"Yet the realm lord drew me into the cultivation path, making me an immortal figure to mortals—leaping skies, delving earth. But that existence brought no delight…"

Gu Changge stayed quiet, watching Fubo drift into reminiscence, offering no interruption.

"Perhaps these thoughts don't suit one like you, Young Master Gu, but truly, does that ultimate Dao and infinite cultivation path grant you true bliss?"

"When last did you feel pure delight, joy rising from your depths? In youth, the realm lord reveled for ages after minor breakthroughs. He'd beam endlessly upon grasping fresh divine arts. But as power swelled, that thrill faded. Smiles grew rare."

"Upon claiming the Immortal Chu Realm's throne, days blurred into endless toil. He'd retreat for millennia, even longer. Strength mounted, arts turned deadlier, yet the genuine, heartfelt grin vanished. I once questioned him— was this the cultivation dream he chased? That day, the realm lord pondered long, ultimately lost for words."

"He knew he'd transformed. The goal he sought? Even he no longer knew…"

Fubo stared at the fire-swept structures, the distant cosmic lights fading to gloom. In the end, silence claimed him anew.

"As you put it, pursuits vary for each. Strength and cultivation aren't sole aims, yet in this endless cosmos, they're the lone shield for myriad beings. Survival demands power. You might deem it misguided, but it's not," Gu Changge replied evenly.

The elder answered, "I get that. Views differ per soul. For me, though, brief life suffices. If, looking back, regrets are few and thoughts bring honest smiles, then I've lived full."

Fubo averted his eyes from the war-flamed Immortal Chu Realm. In his last breaths, memory surfaced, drawing a content curve to his lips before eyelids sealed. He ended himself, sparing Gu Changge the deed.

"My Lord, even facing death, this elder schemes to unsettle your will. Granting him such an easy pass is far too merciful," the Eternal Life Spirit lingered aloft, scorning Fubo's self-wrought end.

Gu Changge offered no reply, but after a quiet pause, a flame orb bloomed in his grasp. He let it fall upon Fubo's form, charring it to cinders.

The cinders dispersed skyward, mingling with the Immortal Chu Realm's fall, entombed eternally here.

Within swirling immortal haze, by a serene, glass-clear blue lake, a stunning veiled beauty plucked zither strings, her raven locks dancing in the wind. Slender fingers danced over the cords, weaving an enigmatic aura that stirred reverence in listeners' souls.

"The Heaven Slaughter Alliance's growth these years grows ever more alarming. Against the Immortal Chu Realm of old, it's like a petty hag facing a mighty witch—no contest at all," a graceful woman with cloud-tossed tresses held by a jade pin, clad in regal robes, said with a furrowed brow.

The zither player, immersed in melody, let the string slip free and lifted her luminous gaze, inquiring coolly, "The Heaven Slaughter Alliance has held steady these years, showing no wild impulses. Its swift rise daunts, yet stays predictable. Do you intend to step in, Senior Sister?"

Beautiful Xiyin shook her head in faint resignation, eyeing her prodigious junior—once brimming with arrogance, now seemingly rattled since the Immortal Chu Realm fiasco.

"I lack the boldness to meddle, but the Heaven Slaughter Alliance's ascent stirs my unrest. Still, since fleeing the Immortal Chu Realm, you've immersed in self-cultivation, barely glancing at Xi Yuan civilization's woes."

Xiyin faced the zither woman, the Xi Yuan Holy Maiden, adding with light mockery, "With your cultivation focus, you've tuned out Xi Yuan civilization's pulse, abandoning all ties to worldly shifts."

The Xi Yuan Holy Maiden stowed her zither and rose, porcelain hands clasped behind as bare soles skimmed the still lake. Her tone held playful edge, "My concern changes naught. Senior Sister, you've been ceaseless since emerging from retreat. Merely a millennium post-Immortal Chu Realm's end, and worries mount anew. No fear of exhaustion?"

Xiyin, ever indulgent toward her junior, let out a helpless sigh at the teasing lilt.

"A thousand years since the Immortal Chu Realm's tumble…" she breathed out heavily.

The Holy Maiden's look softened, memories stirring.

"Yes, hard to believe a millennium has flown since that clash. Feels like mere days ago."

A thousand years had elapsed since orthodox sects' united assault razed the Immortal Chu Realm.

In that cataclysmic fray, Immortal Chu's realm lord Chu Gucheng fell in combat, his mentor Sage Law perished too. Countless deities, commanders, and officials met death or grave wounds.

The frail Immortal Chu Realm stood no chance against the onslaught of allied powers.

Yin Xu Cave's ancient, dubbed Xing Ying, fled into oblivion, while her pupil White Brow Star Lord fell to capture after elders of the sects swarmed her.