I Am the Fated Villain - Chapter 273

Chapter 273: Destroying eight thousand states with one palm, Qing Feng’s mysterious small bottle

In the cavern, divine radiance blossomed as immortal mist intertwined, emanating a formidable aura that surged forth. Even the creatures kneeling outside felt the oppressive weight, trembling as they struggled to comprehend their usually composed lord’s sudden fury.

Perplexed, they wondered what could have provoked their lord’s ire. Their master had always exuded an air of calm indifference, seemingly unfazed by any circumstance. His demeanor remained unaltered, regardless of the situation.

“Could it be that even our lord has encountered a dilemma? Perhaps it concerns the recent arrival from the Gu family,” they speculated, their thoughts swirling.

Their lord had shown unusual interest in the individual from the Ancient Immortal Gu family, prompting them to suspect a connection between the newcomer and their master’s agitation.

Despite their lord’s past triumphs, he had retreated from the public eye, leaving his capabilities in question. Facing someone as formidable as the descendant of the Gu family, the outcome remained uncertain.

Meanwhile, within the cavern, the purple-robed man grappled with disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.

“It’s inconceivable… Is Gu Changge not her cousin? How could he commit such an act?” he murmured, struggling to reconcile the contradiction.

“I always knew Gu Changge was no saint. His outward demeanor is but a facade, masking his true nature as a callous and indifferent individual. His purported act of filial piety is nothing but a charade,” he continued, his expressions shifting.

Though the purple-robed man eventually regained his composure, his gaze remained troubled. He harbored no doubt about the authenticity of his immortal vision.

In the vision he witnessed, the young man was unmistakably Gu Changge. While the man in the purple robe had never met Gu Changge, he had seen portraits of him, finding an uncanny resemblance between the image and the figure in the vision.

Furthermore, the woman was clad in green, shackled with iron chains, and suspended on the wall in the cold, damp dungeon. Wasn’t she his junior sister from a previous life, Dao Xian?

In this lifetime, she was known as Gu Xian’er, the cherished daughter of the Ancient Immortal Gu family. Her childhood had been marred by tragedy, culminating in Gu Changge’s ruthless extraction of her bone. However, in a twist of fate, Gu Changge was eventually compelled to aid her, returning her bone and rectifying past grievances before the Heavenly Dao ancient city.

The purple-robed man entered this world late, learning of these events only after Gu Changge had returned Gu Xian’er’s bone. He had believed these grievances to be settled, yet the fragmented glimpse of the future shattered his peace.

This revelation incited a tumultuous storm within him, rendering him unable to find solace. He had once viewed this life as a destined confrontation between him and Gu Xian’er. In their previous incarnation, she had spurned him and dashed his hopes of winning her affection.

Back then, his junior sister had been relentlessly pursuing the Dao, undeterred by distractions. Even their masters were ultimately surpassed by her brilliance.

However, a sudden upheaval shattered their world, obliterating her, her sect, and, inevitably, his junior sister.

The purple-robed man had never fathomed the possibility of reincarnation. In his original sect, his talents were deemed mediocre compared to his junior sister’s radiant brilliance.

To find himself reborn now was beyond his comprehension. The era they once inhabited had become an ancient chapter, shrouded in desolation, despair, and fear—unfit for recording.

On that fateful day, the world wilted, and even the immortals, once eternal and ageless, fell beneath the relentless halberd that cleaved through universes and epochs alike.

Thousands of immortals perished, their lineages collapsing into oblivion. Even the Immortal Palace, which had once stood as an epitome of sovereignty over all realms, was reduced to ruins in a single day.

As for mortal beings? A mere flick of the hand obliterated eight thousand realms, leaving no soul to inhabit the heavens or the earth.

Since then, no one dared to speak of that era. It became a forbidden topic, shrouded in veils of secrecy and dread.

Years passed, and countless cycles of reincarnation unfolded, erasing many epochs in its relentless march.

And now, he was reborn.

He had always believed in reincarnation, hoping his gifted junior sister would someday reappear.

How long had he waited for this moment?

“Why have you met such a fate in this life? It does not befit your character…” the purple-robed man lamented, his teeth clenched in frustration.

Despite the cost, he summoned the Heavenly Eye of Immortal Dao again. Though it offered only fragmented glimpses of the future, each use exacted a heavy toll.

After two uses, he knew he couldn’t employ it again for at least half a year. The toll on his being was profound, a price no one could evade.

As the brilliance before him waned into mist again, the signs of time flowed, and the purple-robed man’s complexion grew paler.

Then, the vision emerged again— the familiar cold, damp dungeon.

A spark ignited in his eyes as he scrutinized the future. Something stirred within him, a primal instinct beckoning him forward.

He looked up, the corners of his mouth revealing a hint of intrigue. His plain eyes seemed to pierce through layers of space until they settled on the figure before him.

“Interesting,” he remarked.

Hearing those words, the purple-robed man felt like his head would explode. The third eye between his eyebrows throbbed with pain, blood flowing unabated.

But what truly shook him to the core was the realization that the other party had noticed his presence.

With a splutter, he spat out blood. Though the visions had vanished swiftly, they left behind a lingering fear that trembled in his core.

“Gu Changge is far more than the rumors suggest… He’s a hundred times more terrifying than I imagined… How can such a monster appear in this life…” the purple-robed man muttered, his expression growing solemn.

…

Meanwhile, in a mansion bathed in rays of sunshine and immortal mist, Qing Xiao Yi and Qing Feng, now refreshed, engaged in conversation.

Gone were the days of begging on the streets; they now exuded the aura of disciples from a prestigious sect, their bodies enveloped in a radiant glow.

Qing Xiao Yi, clad in a pristine white dress adorned with simple charms, her skirt aglow with divine chains of intertwined laws, exuded an air of innocence and purity as she queried Qing Feng about her physique.

“Brother, all the elders say I have an immortal body. What does that mean?”

Qing Feng smiled in response, “Xiao Yi, your talent is extraordinary. All the elders are vying to take you as their disciple. Without you, I wouldn’t have gained entry to a place like True Immortal Academy.”

He sighed, reflecting on their newfound circumstances. Compared to the treasures they once sought, the offerings at True Immortal Academy surpassed them by far. Even the water they drank was sourced from divine springs of unparalleled value, rare to find outside these hallowed halls.

Not to mention strengthening his foundation, learning the Dao, and delving into cultivation—all these were things Qing Feng had never dared to imagine. Though lacking a natural spiritual root for cultivation, the elders, in goodwill toward Qing Xiao Yi, had specially transplanted one for him. In an instant, he became a young genius with promising cultivation potential.

While he might not have been comparable to the servants of the academy’s top geniuses, Qing Feng was already content. Qing Xiao Yi’s remarkable talent instantly made her a coveted asset among various venerable figures. Everyone sought to claim her despite her tender age of thirteen or fourteen and her lack of prior cultivation experience—a desire few other geniuses dared to entertain.

“But brother, I actually don’t want to cultivate. The way those elders look at me… it scares me,” Qing Xiao Yi confessed, her tone uneasy and troubled. “I feel like they don’t see me as a person, but like an object. For me, I just want us to live a good life, to eat without starving, to avoid being bullied, and to find the cultivator who killed grandpa and avenge him. The cultivation world is so cruel… I’m so afraid…”

“I know you’re scared, Xiao Yi. It’s my fault for being incompetent, for failing to protect you and ensure you live carefree,” Qing Feng said, his voice tinged with guilt.

“Brother, you don’t have to blame yourself,” Qing Xiao Yi reassured him. “Actually, I think… that day in front of the mountain gate, if the elders hadn’t intervened, couldn’t we have followed young master Changge? He’s so kind. At that moment, he was the only one who treated us normally, not like the rest who looked at us like monkeys.”

As Qing Xiao Yi spoke, her voice trailed off, her tone tinged with shyness. The young girl, at thirteen or fourteen years old, couldn’t shake the memory of that day. The thought of standing alongside young master Changge, untouched by the world, felt like a dream.

That scene played repeatedly in Qing Xiao Yi’s mind during this period. If the elders hadn’t intervened, perhaps she and her brother could have become young master Changge’s guards. With his status, no one would dare to bully them. It didn’t sound like a bad life at all.

“Young master Changge is indeed different from others, but Xiao Yi, don’t get ahead of yourself,” Qing Feng cautioned, seeing his sister’s hopeful expression. “At that time, for young master Changge, it was just a casual remark. Don’t read too much into how he treated us. Even now, as disciples of the True Immortal Academy, our status is still worlds apart… He might not even remember our names.”

Seeing his sister’s reaction, Qing Feng couldn’t help but smile bitterly as he tried to reason with her.

“Oh, brother, you’re making things up. I’m not being unrealistic,” Qing Xiao Yi protested, waving her hand hurriedly. Her face flushed with embarrassment as if her heart had been exposed. “I’m just thinking that if there’s ever a chance in the future to repay young master Changge’s kindness…”

Before Qing Xiao Yi could finish, Qing Feng sighed and shook his head before leaving. They resided in separate mansions, and he retreated to his room, ensuring no one was around.

Alone, Qing Feng carefully retrieved a bottle from his robes. It was an antique, plain bottle devoid of any embellishments.

This bottle was the reason their old benefactor, the beggar, had been killed by a cultivator. Fortunately, they had been spared as they were absent at the time. Qing Feng later found the bottle in the broken temple they used to call home, within a dry well—a relic left behind by the beggar.

He had kept the bottle safe, though he didn’t know its purpose. Recently, however, he discovered that as he attempted to cultivate, the bottle absorbed his spiritual energy and returned a purer, more refined aura. It felt weighty and dense and threatened to collapse the very fabric of space.

Even though Qing Feng had seen less, he still recognized it— the aura was likely the Chaos aura rumored to be capable of toppling mountains with a mere strand. It was nourishing his blood, bones, and lungs.

Carrying such a valuable treasure, Qing Feng was naturally cautious, fearing that others might discover it. The slightest carelessness could lead to unwanted attention in a place like the True Immortal Academy, where numerous strong individuals congregated. Thus, he hadn’t even confided in Qing Xiao Yi about it.

—

At the mountain gate of the True Immortal Academy, Gu Changge’s figure appeared, marking his presence in this bustling environment. The academy had grown livelier with each passing day, attracting young geniuses from all corners of the world, both contemporary and ancient.

Several older men stationed at the gate were responsible for verifying the age of the arrivals. Among them was a white-clothed elder named Wang Zhongyong, who greeted Gu Changge with a smile and approached him cordially.

“I’m curious about the reason for your visit, Young Master Changge,” he inquired respectfully.

Gu Changge’s arrival caused quite a commotion, drawing the attention of many young geniuses who gazed at him with admiration and curiosity. However, Gu Changge was veiled in a layer of mist, rendering him enigmatic and distant, as if he existed in another realm entirely.

Standing atop the mountain rocks, he appeared profound and ethereal, evoking a sense of transcendence. His presence captured the admiration of many young women, whose eyes shimmered with awe.