I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1272:

1633. The Coffin of the Burial World

The threads of fate were already woven, causing the heavens and the eight followers to shudder in unison. A cosmic tremor rippled through the universe as stars disintegrated during the conflict, transforming into jagged debris that scattered across the void.

A gruesome legion of demons poured from a celestial rift, charging with bloodthirsty shrieks. Leading this vanguard was Emperor Kun, the Seventh Prince of the Demon Court, draped in a crimson cloak of darkness. He orchestrated the Heavenly Demon Soul-devouring Great Formation, a karmic power as vast as a blooming red lotus of fire that licked the sky, gradually encroaching upon the heart of the Immortal Chu Hao Earth.

Myriads of cultivators and sentient beings were trapped within the array, their screams echoing as the scent of slaughter rose to choke the heavens. The sun and moon were eclipsed by the gore, and the radiance of the stars began to dim. Standing next to Emperor Kun at this moment was a gaunt, skeletal elder whose limbs resembled parched timber. Huddled within obsidian robes, the old man revealed only a pair of crimson eyes that radiated a bone-chilling dread.

A thin veil of frigid black mist drifted around him, seemingly paralyzing the flow of time and space itself.

“What do you call this ancient array?”

The black-robed elder spoke with a slight tremor in his voice, his gaze fixed intently on the primordial formation deep within the cosmos.

Despite the elder's suffocating pressure, Emperor Kun responded, “This array is known as the Heavenly Demon Soul-devouring Great Formation.”

“This ancient construction… I recall seeing it in my organization's archives, though the knowledge to manifest it has been lost. It was not originally titled the Heavenly Demon Soul-devouring Formation, but the Nine Heavens Divine Evil Reincarnation Formation… No, the version you have erected is a derivation of that original. Its killing power is significantly diluted compared to the true form, yet it is better tailored to the demon race…”

Shaking his head, the elder continued to stare at the cosmic array. His eyes glimmered with fervor, and his voice cracked with a passion he could barely suppress. His frail frame shook violently from the sheer intensity of his excitement.

Emperor Kun was preoccupied with maintaining the formation’s core and had little interest in the elder’s ramblings. Lacking the power of the ancestral path, he had to exert immense effort to stabilize such a potent ancient array and could not afford a lapse in concentration. Still, he chose his words carefully to avoid offending the mysterious figure, as the elder’s Cultivation far exceeded his own.

“I have no knowledge of what you speak, Senior. The Nine Heavens Divine Evil Reincarnation Formation is unknown to me,” Emperor Kun admitted honestly, shaking his head.

“I suspected as much… I knew it…”

The emaciated elder seemed to drift into a state of delirium. He ignored Emperor Kun and began muttering under his breath, enveloped in a chaotic aura that threatened the sanity of those nearby. The demon lords and generals surrounding Emperor Kun knit their brows, watching the black-robed figure with extreme caution, yet none dared to intervene.

The elder had previously displayed a terrifying level of power, his mere presence enough to cow several Dao-level demon lords into submission. They stood paralyzed, watching as his chaotic Qi fractured the surrounding space-time, making any attempt at movement seem suicidal. They were trapped in a state of uncertainty, unable to determine if this hauntingly powerful man was an ally or a threat.

Secretly, several demon lords reached out to the ancestral Dao realm experts of the Demon Court stationed at the frontiers, fearing the elder might turn hostile at any moment.

“Speak! Tell me at once, where did you find this ancient formation?”

The elder’s eyes remained locked on the array as it cycled through endless light, manifesting phantasms of ancient demons. He looked upon it as if it were a priceless relic. His voice was thick with agitation, and he nearly reached out to seize Emperor Kun in his excitement.

Emperor Kun frowned, feeling cornered. He was forced to delegate the stabilization of the formation’s core to the nearby demon lords so he could retreat a step, attempting to distance himself from the elder’s reaching, withered hand.

However, as Emperor Kun tried to move, his heart sank. Though he intended to dodge, the Dao laws in his vicinity suddenly blurred into a standstill. The very essence of the great Dao seemed to evaporate, leaving him completely immobilized.

The gnarled hand clamped onto his wrist. It felt like a block of ice, and wherever the skin met the elder's touch, it turned a bruised blue and began to freeze. His flesh and bone started to wither and rot instantly, turning pitch black as if struck by a lethal toxin.

“Seventh Prince!” The onlookers from the Demon Court turned pale, their hearts racing with fear.

Emperor Kun’s face twisted in a mixture of alarm and fury.

He was fortunate that his true form was a Golden Crow, granting him a resilient physique and immense vitality. Had any lesser being been grabbed by the elder, their limb would have likely disintegrated, causing permanent damage to their foundational essence.

“Tell me the origin of this formation. I am well aware you are the Seventh Prince of the Xi Yuan Civilization’s Demon Court, but do not assume your father, Emperor Ti Huan, can protect you from me. I might show him some deference were he here, but he is not.”

“If you attempt to lie, I can extinguish your life with a mere thought.”

As the elder spoke, a ghastly light flickered in his eye sockets. A freezing aura, seemingly pulled from the depths of the Nine Hells, washed over the crowd, sending a shiver through their souls.

The demon lords felt a cold sweat break out. They wondered who this man could be, to speak of the Demon Ancestor, Emperor Ti Huan, with such blatant disregard.

“This Heavenly Demon Soul-devouring Great Formation was discovered by chance. It appears you recognize it, Senior, but I cannot simply hand it over,” Emperor Kun replied, maintaining his composure in the face of the terrifying elder.

He assumed the elder had been drawn by the formation’s raw power and wished to claim it for himself.

However, the array had been bestowed upon him by Gu Changge. Without his master's consent, Emperor Kun would never dare to relinquish it.

While the elder was undeniably frightening, he paled in comparison to the shadow Gu Changge cast over Emperor Kun’s mind.

“Do you have a death wish? Do you truly believe I won’t tear the truth from your soul?”

The elder’s expression grew even more frigid, and his grip on Emperor Kun’s arm tightened painfully.

Emperor Kun gasped as agonizing pain flared through his body, feeling as though he were being pierced by a thousand blades. Shards of necrotic flesh fell away as the freezing energy began to siphon the life force from his veins.

“Senior, is your goal to learn the origin of this array, or do you intend to steal it?” Emperor Kun asked through clenched teeth, enduring the torment.

“Hmph, if this were the perfected Nine Heavens Divine Evil Reincarnation Formation, I might care to take it. But what you possess is a mere fragment—a primitive draft. It is useless to me,” the elder snorted with disdain.

Emperor Kun realized then that the formation had likely stirred some ancient memory or connection within the elder.

After a brief hesitation, he decided to speak the truth. Gritting his teeth, he said, “This was granted to me by my master. Senior, if you…”

“Your master?”

The elder cut him off mid-sentence. At the mention of a master, his entire demeanor shifted instantly. He released his hold on Emperor Kun’s arm. Sensing that the mention of Gu Changge had instilled a sense of caution in the elder, Emperor Kun pressed on: “I will not deceive you, Senior. This Heavenly Demon Soul-devouring Ancient Formation was indeed a gift from my master. I swear this is the truth and am willing to take a heart-devouring oath.”

“Who… who is this master of yours?”

The elder’s attention snapped away from the cosmic formation, his trembling voice now focused entirely on Emperor Kun.

“I do not know his true name, but my master is an omnipotent and eternal being. He resides in the hearts of all living things across the myriad worlds.”

A look of profound reverence filled Emperor Kun’s eyes as he recalled the words Gu Changge had spoken on the Blood-colored Plateau.

“It must be so… it must be… I knew this day would arrive.”

“As long as light persists, the darkness is destined to return…”

The elder became even more frantic, his excitement spiraling into a near-manic state that surpassed his previous agitation. He looked like a man who had completely lost his grip on reality.

Emperor Kun was baffled, yet he could sense that the elder’s cryptic words were deeply intertwined with Gu Changge’s existence.

At that moment, the black-robed elder appeared as a zealot, consumed by an ancient, obsessive faith.

“Where is this master now?”

The elder tried to steady his breathing, turning his gaze back to the prince.

“My master’s path is hidden from me. I do not know his current location,” Emperor Kun admitted, shaking his head.

Though he had met Gu Changge in person, his true identity remained a mystery. He only knew that Gu Changge possessed an unnervingly youthful appearance, resembling a transcendent immortal from a classic painting.

Gradually, the elder regained his calm and lost interest in Emperor Kun. He whispered to himself, “I knew the Xi Yuan civilization was destined for a great upheaval. My journey here was not in vain…”

With a flick of his sleeve, the elder transformed into a streak of light, vanishing as silently as he had appeared, leaving no trace behind.

Emperor Kun exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, drenched in cold sweat. The elder was an enigma of unfathomable power. He couldn't even guess at the man's origins.

However, based on the elder’s remarks, Emperor Kun began to suspect the man was not a native of the Xi Yuan civilization, but perhaps hailed from a different civilization or even another true realm entirely.

“Seventh Prince…” The surrounding demon lords and generals were visibly shaken, their faces pale with lingering dread. Had the elder intended to kill them, none would have survived. Furthermore, Emperor Kun’s revelations had left them trembling with unease.

Emperor Kun silenced them with a sharp, frigid glare. No one dared to utter another word.

“It appears that forces from beyond the Xi Yuan civilization are watching this place with hidden agendas…”

Staring toward the horizon where the elder had disappeared, Emperor Kun sank into contemplation. He questioned the path he had chosen, but the elder’s reaction only confirmed that Gu Changge was far more terrifying than he had first suspected. Moreover, the elder’s background was clearly significant. Why had he arrived in the Xi Yuan civilization now? What was his true goal?

Meanwhile, not far from the clash between the Immortal Chu Hao Earth and the Demon Court, atop a desolate, jagged peak, an old Taoist sat in a meditative trance. He was clad in tattered rags, his hair was a matted mess, and a foul stench clung to his body.

A bizarre field of energy radiated from him, causing the local space-time to warp and freeze.

Suddenly, the Taoist felt a presence and opened his eyes to look into the distance.

“Cold Crow Elder…” he spoke softly.

The Taoist’s eyes were grotesque—empty, hollow sockets oozing blood and pus, creating a truly revolting sight.

“Heh, Daoist, are you curious about what I just discovered?”

The black-robed elder, who had just interrogated Emperor Kun about the formation, descended from the clouds and landed before the Taoist. His laugh was a chilling sound that seemed to echo from the underworld, causing the local temperature to plummet.

“For one of the Lesser Yin Sect, what could possibly stir your blood other than the source of absolute yin?” The Taoist asked calmly, watching the elder approach.

The elder was known as Cold Crow Elder, a title he had carried for so long that his birth name had faded into obscurity over the eons since he achieved the Dao.

“I have moved beyond simple interests in absolute yin. While passing the battlefield, I stumbled upon an ancient formation described in the sacred texts,” Cold Crow Elder remarked, a twisted grin crossing his face.

The Taoist’s interest was piqued; he knew exactly which texts the elder meant.

“Which array?” he inquired.

“The Nine Heavens Divine Evil Reincarnation Formation. The very one used to grind an entire immortal kingdom into dust,” Cold Crow Elder replied with a dark chuckle. The Taoist was momentarily stunned, then overtaken by shock. “Was that formation not eradicated during that ancient war? How could you have found it?”

Cold Crow Elder ignored the question, sneering instead. “The Celestial Court remains deluded, trying to grasp at that supreme authority, oblivious to the fact that destiny is already set. That Great One will return—perhaps he has already woken. His influence is already silently permeating the myriad realms…”

“I am certain I will soon witness his glory. He shall walk the worlds again, and all those turncoats in the Celestial Court will be purged. Hahaha…”

The Taoist was accustomed to the elder’s fanatical outbursts. However, he hadn't expected his search for the Gate of Eternal Life in this civilization to yield such a lead.

The Celestial Court and the Eight Follower Sect were the two remnants of the collapsed Celestial Organization. To the rest of the universe, both were viewed as the dregs of a dark calamity, with little to distinguish them.

Yet, their ideologies were vastly different. While both shared the same roots, the Celestial Court claimed to be the rightful successor, viewing the Eight Follower Sect as heretics to be absorbed in their quest to rebuild the original organization.

Cold Crow Elder belonged to the Lesser Yin Sect, one of the branches of the Eight Follower Sect.

“The secret of the Gate of Eternal Life has been exposed, and the Celestial Court will surely move to claim it. Since we share this goal, an alliance is logical. The Jing Clan from the Shengyang Ancient Domain is clearly the key to finding it…”

The Taoist spoke with a slow, heavy tone, his body showing signs of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. Most would shun him as a walking omen, but this was the hallmark of the Heavenly Decline Sect within the Eight Follower Sect.

Cold Crow Elder’s mania subsided as he listened. His hollow sockets glowed with a faint light as he sneered:

“The Mirror of Reincarnation resides within the Xi Yuan Sacred Hall. The Celestial Court has coveted it for ages without success. Now, with the Demon Court and the Immortal Chu Hao Earth at each other's throats, they will likely use the search for the Gate of Eternal Life as a smoke screen to steal the Mirror.”

“Hehe, I suspect Zixiao Mountain has already aligned with the Celestial Court. That black coffin currently terrorizing the Immortal Chu Hao Earth is a signature creation of the Celestial Court—no one else possesses the craft to forge such a thing.”

The Taoist fell silent, lost in thought. “The sage who established the Xi Yuan Sacred Hall has long been fighting a...”