I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1295: In just the blink of an eye has passed, yet it reflects the boldness of desecrating the divine
Previously on I Am the Fated Villain...
The White Brow Star Lord served as a loyal advisor to Chu Gucheng, the previous sovereign of Xianchu Haotu, occupying a vital role and overseeing numerous matters in the domain. As Xianchu Haotu endured assaults from several enemy powers, he refused to escape and instead battled fiercely beside many commanders and officials. Yet, even as a master in the Ancestor Dao realm, he was eventually seized and restrained through the united forces of those rival groups.
Exiled and confined within a void cage, the Sacred Maiden Xiyuan showed no worry during her seven days of captivity, confident that Gu Changge would come to her aid since it suited his own agenda. In the end, though, Xiyin from Xiyuan Sacred Hall and her companions freed her, leaving the Sacred Maiden a bit confused. Upon liberation, she never encountered Gu Changge. It appeared that once he had engineered the collapse of Xianchu Haotu, Gu Changge slipped away from sight, vanishing completely like a ghost.
Afterward, the Sacred Maiden Xiyuan joined Xiyin and the rest in managing the consequences of Xianchu Haotu's downfall. During the climactic clash, Champion Marquis Chu Heng opted not to resist until the bitter end. When he obtained the white jade bottle holding Chu Wushang's true soul fragment, a sudden epiphany struck him—he had been tricked by Chu Gucheng—and fury consumed him entirely. He promptly directed his supporters to yield. Chu Heng's betrayal exposed Chu Gucheng's web of lies, causing numerous devoted officials in Xianchu Haotu to hesitate, and soon they too surrendered just like Chu Heng.
Xianchu Haotu, formerly a majestic and thriving empire, plunged into disorder, its frontiers overrun by invading forces from beyond. The immortal Dao alliances that joined the assault seized the bulk of Xianchu Haotu's riches and assets. Meanwhile, the Demon Court and Zixiao Mountain, positioned along Xianchu Haotu's edges, pressed forward to claim lands. Thus, Xianchu Haotu faded from existence, its splendid domains now shattered into wreckage and swallowed by rival dominions.
The chaos lingered for years in the wake of the conflict. Surviving insurgents from Xianchu Haotu scattered in flight, only to be relentlessly pursued and wiped out by the allied powers. Countless ex-divine generals and star lords either capitulated or perished. Captured and probed by multiple Dao groups, the White Brow Star Lord divulged vital details from his divine soul's recollections about the origins and mysteries of Yinxu Cave. At first, most dismissed Yinxu Cave as a myth concocted by Black Calamity survivors, deeming it imaginary. But the White Brow Star Lord's divine soul memories proved Yinxu Cave was authentic, existing long before the Black Calamity and perhaps tracing back to the dawn of ancient legends in primordial eras.
Even with this discovery, skeptics deemed the notion ridiculous, wondering how such a phenomenal site could endure endless disasters without ever surfacing in history.
After all, the Black Calamity's survivors had displayed unmatched strength and dominance, powerful enough to twist the recollections and destinies of Ancestor Dao realm entities.
Amid these heated arguments and divided views, the White Brow Star Lord stayed locked in Xiyuan Sacred Hall's Void Sky Prison, pending judgment until the ancient Xiyuan sage's return. At the same time, the black coffin that Zixiao Mountain's lord, Zhi Wanhe, had unleashed at Chu Gucheng's birthday feast—the ruler of Xianchu Haotu—drew intense scrutiny. Numerous Dao sects turned their doubts toward Zixiao Mountain, suspecting its leader's ties to Black Calamity remnants. The coffin, eerily like the world's burial vessel, served as damning proof of such links.
Yet following Xianchu Haotu's ruin, Zixiao Mountain's lord withdrew with his followers and publicly declared the black coffin an unintended find, uncertain if it linked to Black Calamity survivors at all.
The Sacred Maiden Xiyuan and her allies could examine whether the black coffin connected to Black Calamity remnants themselves. Post-Xianchu Haotu's collapse, the coffin passed into the possession of various Dao sects. As a imitation of a legendary civilization artifact, despite being counterfeit, it offered immense insight.
The Sacred Maiden Xiyuan herself probed the black coffin's interior, verifying that the swirling black mist wasn't formed from darkness essence—it merely mimicked the appearance. She theorized that an individual had attempted to imitate Black Calamity remnants by crafting this darkness-like mist.
This black mist could erode and corrupt the spirits of cultivators and creatures alike, though it posed threats mainly to those with weaker cultivation levels. Cultivators beyond the Immortal King realm could effortlessly neutralize it. Nonetheless, the black coffin had sown immense havoc across Xianchu Haotu.
Over the ensuing centuries, Xiyuan Civilization's Dao sects labored to settle the fallout from Xianchu Haotu's demise, aiming to restore calm to the turbulent region. The toppling of such a mighty immortal realm was unprecedented, and word of it had rippled to distant civilizations, sparking massive outrage.
Factions present at Chu Gucheng's—the Xianchu Haotu ruler's—birthday celebration reeled from the announcement. The influences backing old Jin from Xudan Civilization also went quiet. Losing an Ancestor Dao figure in Xiyuan Civilization struck a devastating blow no group could withstand.
Ancestor Dao beings emerged so infrequently that even across hundreds of eras, few might arise. Xianchu Haotu had enjoyed heavenly favor and extraordinary fortune. Within little more than a hundred years, it birthed multiple Ancestor Dao experts—a staggering achievement that stunned eras past and future.
Naturally, throughout this time, myriad sects and Dao realms monitored the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's actions closely. Especially Gu Changge, the enigmatic and unfathomable head of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, had drawn gazes from countless civilizations spanning the immense void.
Yet in the five centuries after Xianchu Haotu's fall, sightings of him ceased entirely, and his whereabouts post-battle remained a mystery, as though he had evaporated from reality. Then, in the sixth century following Xianchu Haotu's end, a Heaven-Slaying Alliance outpost quietly took shape in the former Xianchu Haotu territories.
Countless major and minor groups were swiftly integrated. More precisely, they weren't devoured but eagerly aligned with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, merging into its fold. This sparked uproar in Xiyuan Civilization, pulling focus from diverse Dao sects.
Normally, an external entity like the Heaven-Slaying Alliance couldn't root itself in Xiyuan Civilization without centuries of groundwork; local Dao sects would fiercely contest such intrusion. Even against pushback, including from Xiyuan Sacred Hall, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's branch expanded swiftly, like a colossal tree sprouting roots, branching out and thriving at breakneck speed.
Within a mere century, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance engulfed nearby cosmic star regions, Great Thousand Worlds, and Middle Thousand Worlds, amassing endless devotees and adherents. Waves of faith energy poured in relentlessly, gleaming like a galactic river, flowing and meandering through the cosmos's profound depths.
Across Heaven-Slaying Alliance branch domains, myriad Heaven-Slaying Temples sprang up, each enshrining a hazy statue of a youthful deity wreathed in misty vapors that hid its features. This youthful deity loomed as if beyond all realms, surveying the infinite throngs of life below, timeless and imposing. He embodied the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's most enigmatic chief. Before these Heaven-Slaying Temples, no cultivator or being dared misbehave. Upon arrival, sincere prayers and ample offerings would summon the Heaven-Slaying Alliance leader's graces, enveloping them in his safeguarding embrace.
Through this explosive growth, Heaven-Slaying Temples proliferated, claiming expansive swaths of old Xianchu Haotu lands. Xiyuan Civilization's Dao sects observed it all up close. They recognized this as the Heaven-Slaying Alliance extending its reach inside Xiyuan Civilization, yet none dared intervene or dismantle it.
Though the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's leader had faded from view over time, his aura lingered oppressively, weighing on every cultivator and being's soul, evoking profound reverence and fear. This dynamic persisted for ages until one day, the Demon Court of the Endless Demon Domain abruptly proclaimed its merger with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, integrating as one of its branches.
This revelation rocked Xiyuan Civilization to its core, leaving innumerable Dao sects quaking in astonishment. The Demon Court wasn't some trivial force; its Demon Ancestor, Emperor Hao, had withstood eight Heavenly Calamities and outmatched Chu Gucheng, Xianchu Haotu's sovereign, even at his zenith.
Post the Xianchu Haotu-Demon Court war, the Seventh Prince, Emperor Kun, ascended as the fresh Demon Emperor, ruling over all demonic kin. In subsequent years, he commanded the Demon Court's legions in endless skirmishes through the Endless Demon Domain, broadening its holdings. Under escalating strain, resistant demon clans previously defiant against Demon Court authority surrendered without recourse.
The Demon Court swelled in might relentlessly. Though it hadn't recaptured its legendary supremacy—where it lorded over all planes and commanded universal homage—its strength dwarfed its state from centuries prior. The new Demon Emperor's ruthless governance instilled terror in the court's demon lords and commanders, with dissenters punished per Demon Court edicts, even high-ranking Demon Lords slain without hesitation.
The choice for the Demon Court to affiliate with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance came from the new Demon Emperor. As to why the Demon Ancestor, Emperor Hao, offered no protest, speculation ran rife among Demon Court members. Truthfully, after Xianchu Haotu's tumble, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's leader had graced the Demon Court in person. Back then, the Seventh Prince, Emperor Kun—not yet Demon Emperor—escorted him. In the Demon Court's abyssal core, the Demon Ancestor received the Heaven-Slaying Alliance leader with utmost deference.
Their exchange's specifics eluded the Demon Court's lords and generals, but they noted the Demon Ancestor's ensuing rage, nearly prompting his departure. Only Emperor Kun's entreaties kept him there, barely containing his wrath.
Observers could plainly see Emperor Kun enjoyed the Heaven-Slaying Alliance leader's backing, fueling his boldness in assaulting Xianchu Haotu. Other Demon Court princes seethed, viewing themselves as pawns in Emperor Kun's schemes, convinced open combat would let them rival him.
As an eternal entity spanning endless ages, the Demon Ancestor, Emperor Hao, grasped that the Demon Court-Xianchu Haotu feud probably stemmed from Gu Changge's covert schemes. Indeed, his youngest son Emperor Wen's demise tied directly to Gu Changge's plots.
Though ages past, the Demon Ancestor burned with fury recalling it. What galled him most was his cherished son, Emperor Kun, now seeming to revere Gu Changge over his own sire.
While the Demon Ancestor's clash with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance leader stayed unseen by outsiders, whispers circulated in the Demon Court. Post-banquet, it emerged the Demon Ancestor had struck at the Heaven-Slaying Alliance leader, only to suffer grievous wounds from one blow. Humiliated by the loss, he withdrew into temporal voids to heal, handing Demon Court reins to Emperor Kun.
From that instant, Emperor Kun cemented his Demon Emperor throne. These whispers, confined to Demon Court circles at first, leaked to myriad Dao sects, igniting massive turmoil. The notion that even the formidable Demon Ancestor fell to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance leader's strike sparked doubts if any in Xiyuan Civilization could oppose him.
Decades post-Demon Court's Heaven-Slaying Alliance entry, the Jing Clan from Shengyang Ancient Domain declared its aim to join the Heaven-Slaying Alliance as a branch. The Jing Clan's forebear, Jing Tianyuan, hailed from the Yuxian Palace founder's epoch—a genuine antiquity. His choice left all sects reeling in incredulity.
The Heaven-Slaying Alliance's meteoric ascent eclipsed Xianchu Haotu's past splendor. While Xianchu Haotu had merged various sects and Dao lineages in its rise, none rivaled the Demon Court or Jing Clan's clout. At its height, Xianchu Haotu scarcely equaled powers like the Demon Court and Jing Clan.
In scant centuries, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance entrenched itself in Xiyuan Civilization, its bedrock rivaling timeless Dao sects and immortal realms. This surge bred anxiety and dread among the factions.
Xianchu Haotu once made them vigilant, but how did the Heaven-Slaying Alliance stack against the vanquished Xianchu Haotu?
A millennium flashed by swiftly. To Dao realm experts, a thousand years was a mere instant. In its expansion phase, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance of Xianling Civilization—though not matching Xiyuan Civilization's might—had claimed all adjacent real worlds, vast and modest, as its domain. Heaven-Slaying Temples proliferated across cosmic expanses, icons of devotion for tribes and forces, especially those civilizations rebounding from dire tribulations.
Having braved a cosmic ordeal, the Kunxu True World eagerly awaited a fresh epoch's dawn.
In the Taixu Realm, before a grand Heaven-Slaying Temple rising like a divine fortress atop the skies, a lithe form in veiled silver armor lingered, surveying the vast crowd of prostrating cultivators and beings beyond the temple.
Her expression, frozen like an eternal glacier, at last eased into a subtle grin.
“Fate’s Warrior, Chen Jinhang, has finally fulfilled her mission. The name of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance now echoes across the entire Taixu Realm.”
Positioned at the temple's entrance, as throngs of cultivators and beings chanted prayers and kowtowed in harmony, the god statue inside—previously veiled in haze—sharpened into clarity and substance.
The god stirred to life. His profound, limitless eyes, spanning endless voids, fixed upon her through immeasurable ages and spans.
“What reward do you seek?”
The voice, grand and terrifying like a deity or fiend, echoed once more in Chen Jinhang’s thoughts.
She remembered her sister's heartless desertion at the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons and the day she reformed her form in a forsaken shrine, attaining eternal life.
That fierce, obsessive craving reignited within her.
“The Fate’s Warrior asks for no reward but is willing to dedicate everything to the great Lord of Heaven-Slaying,” Chen Jinhang said with a gaze that was almost crazed, her voice unwavering and resolute as she stared at the temple, focusing on the statue of the young god that seemed to come to life.
“A person with a peculiar fate… how interesting,” the voice responded, its tone filled with amusement. “You have the boldness to desecrate the divine, yet why do you hesitate to act?”
“Hehehe… how about I give you a hand and bring this god down to the mortal realm?”
In the boundless void, a gaze full of interest suddenly pierced through the vast expanse of space, falling into the Kunxu True World.