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

I Am the Fated Villain

Chuxin Yue was directly obliterated by Gu Changge’s hand, leaving everyone on the flying ship stunned. Many of the remaining Chu Clan disciples, who had been hesitating and tangled in their thoughts, showed fear and trembling expressions. They never expected Gu Changge to be so decisive in killing, not even bothering to waste words with them.

At that moment, many people’s legs gave way, collapsing to the ground, and they opened their mouths, attempting to beg for mercy, hoping to survive.

Ouyang Ji and everyone from the Free and Easy Heavenly Palace were also left dumbfounded, their faces filled with shock and fear.

“I gave you all the chance to choose,” Gu Changge lightly shook his head. With a flick of his sleeve, in the next moment, those who begged for mercy turned into flying ash, not even leaving a trace behind.

Eradicating Chuxin Yue was as simple to him as crushing an ant. As for what was on the minds of these remaining Chu Clan descendants, he understood it all too well. Naturally, he wouldn’t allow them to live, as they would become a future threat.

After leaving the area, Gu Changge directly instructed the White Bone Ancestor King to deliver the white jade bottle containing the soul fragment of Chu Wushang to Champion Marquis Chu Heng.

When Champion Marquis Chu Heng saw the white jade bottle, he would understand what needed to be done. He could no longer continue fighting for the Immortal Chu Realm. After all, he was the most influential figure in the Immortal Chu Realm, second only to the realm lord, Chu Gucheng. Those ministers who weren’t willing to die would, if they weren’t foolish, understand what choice to make.

As for the remaining matters, Gu Changge had no intention of getting involved, leaving others to handle the aftermath.

The Chaos and Muddy clans from the Immortal Spirit Civilization had already sneaked in and were stationed at various locations. Now that the Immortal Chu Realm was in turmoil, it was the perfect time for them to fish in troubled waters.

For Gu Changge, it was also the perfect opportunity to allow the Heaven Slaughter Alliance to infiltrate and occupy the territories of the Immortal Chu Realm.

As for the orthodox sects that sought to gain from this, Gu Changge had no intention of stopping them. These sects would eventually be subdued and become part of the Heaven Slaughter Alliance.

Whatever resources they seized now would be reclaimed by him in the future.

With Chu Gucheng’s death, the Immortal Chu Realm was bound to collapse and fragment.

Champion Marquis Chu Heng was the person Gu Changge had chosen and planned to support, leaving him to stabilize and manage the aftermath.

On the Demon Court side, there was the Seventh Prince Di Kun, and on the Zixiao Mountain side, there was Ziwang He. These pawns had been carefully chosen by Gu Changge.

Because he didn’t intend to unite the Xi Yuan Civilization like in the Daochang True Realm but rather to divide and rule, turning all these orthodox sects into part of the Heaven Slaughter Alliance.

What Gu Changge needed to do was control these pawns, ensuring they worked for him.

Now that the grand plan against the Immortal Chu Realm was finally in its final stages, all that was left for him was to erase any traces of his involvement and fully withdraw from the situation.

“Master, how should we deal with this man?”

The ethereal figure of the Eternal Life Spirit drifted around uncertainly. It looked at the haggard old man, who was hunched over, with a cold tone in its voice.

“The Immortal Chu Realm has already been destroyed…”

At that moment, Old Fubo, not paying attention to the Eternal Life Spirit, gazed at the distant war-torn land of the Immortal Chu Realm. His face was filled with sorrow, confusion, and pain.

During the time the Eternal Life Spirit occupied his body, although he could see what it did, he could not stop it. However, sometimes, the Eternal Life Spirit would be affected by his strong will.

But to avoid interfering with Gu Changge’s grand plan, the Eternal Life Spirit dared not truly consume Fubo’s consciousness.

“Yes, the Immortal Chu Realm has fallen.” Gu Changge nodded slightly, his tone calm.

For him, Fubo was the only one who knew his plot to destroy the Immortal Chu Realm.

During the time the Eternal Life Spirit occupied Fubo’s consciousness, Fubo had heard the conversations between the Eternal Life Spirit and Gu Changge, learning of Gu Changge’s involvement in many events.

This made Fubo even more fearful, trembling in terror. He never imagined that the conflict between the Demon Court and the Immortal Chu Realm was all a result of Gu Changge’s scheme.

The extraordinary treasure, the Sun-Shooting Bow, which Chu Bai obtained, had actually been personally forged by Gu Changge and then scattered across the world.

The innate spirit within the Sun-Shooting Bow had also been arranged by Gu Changge.

The conflict between the Immortal Chu Realm and the Demon Court, the trigger for their great war, was all secretly orchestrated by Gu Changge.

Everything, every event, was set in motion by him from behind the scenes.

Chu Gucheng had always suspected that there was a terrifying invisible hand pushing the Immortal Chu Realm toward an irreparable doom.

Now it seemed that Chu Gucheng’s suspicions were correct. It wasn’t that he had intentionally led the Immortal Chu Realm to its demise, but rather there had been a mastermind behind it all, orchestrating everything.

“So it turns out that the great calamity the venerable Sage Law once predicted was something like this, and I was already part of the scheme…” Fubo’s face was filled with misery and despair, tears streaming down as he was filled with sorrow and regret.

But what use was it to understand all of this now? Even if they had understood everything back then, would they have had any other way to face Gu Changge, this great enemy?

He had once watched as the Immortal Chu Realm, starting from a weak small country, gradually grew into an immortal power that now overlooked the world. And now, he was witnessing this immortal kingdom collapse in a single day, shattered like a fleeting dream, vanishing into thin air, leaving nothing behind.

“The Immortal Chu Realm is no more. Do you still want to avenge it?” Gu Changge looked at the despairing old man in front of him, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

Logically speaking, Fubo was the only one who knew the truth behind the fall of the Immortal Chu Realm. As long as he was removed and all traces of him and his involvement erased from the world, then Gu Changge would truly be able to pull away from the matter without anyone knowing that he had been the mastermind.

The Heaven Slaughter Alliance would also be able to take over the Immortal Chu Realm in name, and Champion Marquis Chu Heng would never know that it was actually Gu Changge who had schemed against him.

But seeing the old man, consumed by despair and grief, Gu Changge unexpectedly thought of another figure. His raised hand lowered again.

“Can this old man still avenge it? Earth to earth, dust to dust, everything has already dissipated. Now, this old man no longer has the strength to take revenge,” Fubo said with a bitter smile.

During the time the Eternal Life Spirit occupied his body, his true soul had been continuously devoured. Now, his strength was likely weaker than even an ordinary Daoist realm cultivator.

Hoping that he could avenge the Immortal Chu Realm? Hoping that he could deal with Gu Changge? That was simply a fool’s dream.

“Young Master Gu, if you’re going to kill this old man, just do it. Whether I live or die now doesn’t really matter,” Fubo said wearily, collapsing onto the ground. His cloudy eyes reflected the fire consuming the royal capital of the Immortal Chu Realm.

Gu Changge calmly looked at him and said, “You once said that if it weren’t for Chu Gucheng still needing your help, you would have long sought a quiet human village to live out your days, raising children and grandchildren, enjoying a peaceful old age.”

Upon hearing this, Fubo’s eyes flickered with a moment of clarity. He hadn’t expected that Gu Changge would remember this. It was something he had said back when Gu Changge came to visit the Immortal Chu Realm during the birthday banquet of Chu Gucheng. They had talked over tea in a teahouse.

“To think Young Master Gu still remembers what this old man said…” Fubo’s face showed a trace of bitterness.

“I was just a servant in the Chu family, serving the generation of the realm lord’s father. If it weren’t for him becoming successful in cultivation and taking me from the Chu family, I likely wouldn’t have encountered such a vast and magnificent world, and I would have long become a pile of bones.”

“The old man is grateful to the realm lord, but to be honest, I have no pursuit of cultivation, nor did I ever think about how long I would live or how powerful I would become. In the beginning, I just wanted to take good care of the realm lord’s generation, earn a good reputation, and then when I grew old, retire to my hometown. I could sit with the other old men in the village, telling stories of my youth, watching their faces full of respect and admiration. Just thinking about those days made me feel content…”

“But later, I was taken by the realm lord into the cultivation world, becoming an immortal in the eyes of mortals who could fly and burrow into the earth. But I was not happy in that life…”

Looking at Fubo, who seemed lost in memories, Gu Changge remained silent, not interrupting him.

“Maybe these words are not for someone like you, Young Master Gu, but really, does all that supreme Dao and endless, boundless cultivation bring you happiness?”

“How long has it been since you truly felt joy, happiness from the bottom of your heart? When the realm lord was younger, he would be overjoyed for a long time after breaking through a small realm. He would be happy for a long time when he understood a new divine ability. But as his cultivation grew stronger, he could no longer feel that satisfaction. His smile became less and less frequent.”

“When he became the realm lord of the Immortal Chu Realm, every day became so busy. Sometimes he would enter seclusion for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. His power grew stronger, and the divine abilities he mastered became more terrifying, but he no longer had the sincere, joyful smile he once had. I even asked him once—was this the kind of cultivation life he had once desired? On that day, the realm lord was silent for a long time, and in the end, he didn’t know how to answer me.”

“He had already realized that he had changed. What he was pursuing, he himself didn’t know anymore…”

Fubo gazed at the buildings being consumed by flames, at the stars in the far reaches of the universe gradually dimming. Eventually, he fell silent once again.

“As you said, everyone has different pursuits. Cultivation and becoming stronger aren’t the only pursuits, but in this vast world, it is the only way for countless living beings to survive. To live, one must become strong. You may feel it’s wrong, but it isn’t,” Gu Changge said calmly.

The old man responded, “I understand that. Everyone has their own understanding. But to me, I don’t need to live for too long. When I look back, if there’s nothing or no one that I regret, and when I think of something, I can still smile sincerely, then my life is enough.”

Fubo no longer looked at the Immortal Chu Realm, which was ravaged by the flames of war. In his final moments, it seemed he remembered something, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips before he closed his eyes. He chose to end his own life and didn’t make Gu Changge kill him.

“My Lord, this old man, even at the moment of death, still tries to disrupt your resolve. Letting him die like this is really too lenient on him,” the Eternal Life Spirit floated in the air, looking at the self-inflicted death of Fubo with disdain.

Gu Changge didn’t respond, but after a brief silence, a ball of flame appeared in his palm. He dropped it onto Fubo’s body, reducing him to ashes.

The ashes scattered into the sky, falling along with the Immortal Chu Realm, buried here forever.

Amidst the drifting immortal mist, beside a calm, mirror-like azure lake, a breathtakingly beautiful woman played the zither, her face hidden behind a veil, and her black hair swayed with the breeze. Her delicate fingers brushed across the zither strings, creating an aura of profound mystery, evoking a sense of awe in the hearts of those who heard it.

“The development of the Heaven Slaughter Alliance in these years is becoming more terrifying. Compared to the Immortal Chu Realm back then, it’s like a small witch trying to compare to a great sorcerer. There’s simply no basis for comparison,” said a beautiful woman, with cloud-like hair pinned by a jade hairpin, dressed in palace attire, frowning slightly.

The woman playing the zither, who had been lost in her music, released the zither string and raised her bright eyes, calmly asking, “The Heaven Slaughter Alliance has remained relatively stable over the years, and there’s no sign of recklessness. Although its development is indeed intimidating, it is also within reason. Are you planning to intervene, Senior Sister?”

The beautiful woman, Xiyin, shook her head helplessly, looking at her talented younger sister, who had always been a genius full of pride, as if after the incident in the Immortal Chu Realm, she had been shaken.

“I don’t have the courage to interfere, but the rise of the Heaven Slaughter Alliance makes me uneasy. However, ever since you escaped from the Immortal Chu Realm, you’ve focused on cultivating your body and mind, almost ignoring the affairs of the Xi Yuan civilization.”

Xiyin turned to the woman playing the zither, who was the Holy Maiden of Xi Yuan. With a slight teasing tone, she added, “Ever since you’ve focused on cultivation, you’ve stopped paying attention to the state of Xi Yuan civilization. You’ve even given up all concerns about current matters.”

The Xi Yuan Holy Maiden, putting away her zither, stood up, her fair, jade-like hands resting behind her back as her bare feet stepped lightly across the calm lake’s surface. Her voice carried a slight tease, “Whether I care or not makes no difference. Senior Sister, you, however, haven’t stopped since leaving seclusion. It’s only been a thousand years since the Immortal Chu Realm collapsed, yet you’re already worried about other matters. Don’t you worry about overworking yourself?”

Xiyin, who had always spoiled her younger sister, sighed with some helplessness at her playful tone.

“Since the fall of the Immortal Chu Realm, a thousand years have passed…” she sighed deeply.

The Holy Maiden’s expression shifted slightly as she recalled the past.

“Yes, I didn’t expect it to have been a thousand years since that battle. It feels like it happened only yesterday.”

It had been a thousand years since the Immortal Chu Realm was jointly attacked and destroyed by various orthodox sects.

In that world-shaking battle, the realm lord of Immortal Chu, Chu Gucheng, had died in battle, and his master, the Sage Law, had also perished. In addition, many gods, generals, and ministers had died or been severely injured.

The already weakened Immortal Chu Realm had no chance of resisting the collective onslaught from various forces.

The old woman from Yin Xu Cave, known as Xing Ying, had escaped and disappeared without a trace, while her disciple, the White Brow Star Lord, was captured after being besieged by the ancestors of the various sects.