I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1278:

1639. Xuanluo Heavenly Battle Array had directly turned into a prisoner’s trap

Standing at a distance, Old Jin observed the cold-eyed Xi Yuan Saintess. A flicker of guilt and regret crossed his features, but his face soon hardened into a mask of calm indifference.

The strategy for this evening had been meticulously debated and finalized. They had ensured it was airtight before ever extending the invitation to the Xi Yuan Saintess. Regardless of her formidable power, escaping their synchronized assault was deemed an impossibility.

“My actions are for the greater good; I trust you can grasp my motives,” Old Jin stated tonelessly. “I have coordinated this path with Lord Chu and the others. Your life is not in danger. If my word is insufficient, I shall pledge my own life as a guarantee.”

“When this crisis concludes, I will travel to the Xi Yuan Sacred Hall in person to offer my apologies. Should your Master, Senior Xi Nv, return, I will provide a full explanation. I am confident she will see the necessity.”

Chu Gucheng, positioned beside him, added with a steady gaze, “I only resorted to such desperate measures because the situation demanded it. I hope the Xi Yuan Saintess can be understanding. Once the perils facing the Xian Chu Hao Earth and the Xi Yuan civilization are averted, I will naturally submit to whatever punishment you deem fit without a single word of protest.”

Behind him, Chu Xin Yue felt a twinge of remorse, though she quickly suppressed it. She believed that those who achieve greatness must not be hindered by minor moral qualms. In her mind, every action taken was for the survival of the Xian Chu Hao Earth and the Xi Yuan civilization.

The Law Saint remained a blurred silhouette, his features obscured. Though the elderly figure remained silent, the oppressive aura radiating from him made his allegiance clear.

The Xi Yuan Saintess swept her cold gaze over the group. Her robes billowed and her hair caught the wind as a terrifying energy began to surge. Within her slender hands, myriad mystical lights danced, evoking images of the shifting winds, the four seasons, the cycle of reincarnation, and the roar of thunder—all manifestations of the world's deepest and most cryptic laws.

She had arrived at the banquet with a degree of caution. Gu Changge’s previous warnings had left her unsettled, yet she had struggled to believe the Xian Chu Hao Earth possessed the audacity to move against her.

It was only when Chu Gucheng dropped his mask and demanded the Reincarnation Mirror that the realization hit her: this peace summit was nothing more than a calculated snare.

From the start, Chu Gucheng had never abandoned his ambition to seize the Reincarnation Mirror.

He had spent recent days using Chu Xin Yue to befriend her and lower her defenses, all to set the stage for tonight. But she wondered what source of confidence emboldened Chu Gucheng to commit such an act.

Even if he managed to restrain her, he could never force her to surrender the Reincarnation Mirror willingly.

To the Xi Yuan Saintess, such a gamble appeared utterly moronic.

“Chu Gucheng, as the sovereign of a nation, you have picked a path of extreme folly. You must weigh the fallout of your choices,” the Xi Yuan Saintess declared icily. She was bathed in celestial radiance, the essence of the great Dao swirling around her. Subtle, infinite forces gathered in her palms, as if she were lifting the weight of the heavens themselves.

Her form became hazy, appearing as a pillar supporting all existence. She looked both holy and beyond the mortal veil, a sight that made others instinctively want to bow in reverence.

The sheer magnitude of this aura caused the expressions of everyone in the palace to shift slightly.

“The Xi Yuan Saintess has indeed progressed beyond the eight tribulations of the Heavenly Decay. Had we not united our strengths, we might have failed to contain her,” Old Jin remarked, his eyes reflecting a spark of envy as he spoke in a low tone.

The Xi Yuan Saintess was an undeniable genius. Despite being a member of the younger generation, her Cultivation had already outstripped veterans like himself.

If she had the Reincarnation Mirror in her possession right now, they likely wouldn't stand a chance.

Chu Gucheng’s expression grew grim as he commanded, “I ask everyone to assist me now in binding and sealing her.”

The Star-Illuminating Elder from the Yin Xu Cave possessed eyes of pure white, yet they seemed to gather intense starlight, projecting a sense of absolute authority.

“The Xuanluo Heavenly Battle Array is the pride of our Yin Xu Cave. Within it, she cannot exert her full potential. With our combined power, capturing her will be effortless,” she remarked with cold confidence.

While the Xi Yuan Saintess’s power was surprising, the Elder remained unperturbed, placing total faith in the formation of the Yin Xu Cave.

As the words left her lips, the banquet hall began to warp. The space itself seemed to churn and roll like a violent sea.

A thick, chaotic mist swallowed the area, dragging them into the depths of a nameless void. Reality blurred as massive pillars of chaotic Dao principles erupted throughout the cosmic space.

The luxurious palace vanished, replaced by a ruined battlefield beneath a sky as dark as ink, choked by dense fog.

Coiled around each pillar were dark chains forged from the rarest Dao gold. These chains were crafted with such density that even a tiny sliver possessed the weight to crush a universe.

Chu Gucheng and his allies had prepared this grand array long before the Xi Yuan Saintess arrived. To neutralize a target whose Cultivation far exceeded the standard Ancestor Dao realm, no detail had been overlooked.

These Dragon Lock Pillars were heritage treasures of the Xian Chu Hao Earth, designed to bind even the true dragons of the Ancestor Dao realm. By deploying four of them, Chu Gucheng had signaled his absolute commitment to her capture.

A flash of surprise finally touched the Xi Yuan Saintess’s face. She had underestimated the depth of Chu Gucheng’s resolve. He had truly gone to extreme lengths to imprison her.

The palace had been encased in the Xumi Realm, an illusory pocket that severed it from the standard flow of time and space. This ensured that the shockwaves of their clash would not alert the outside world.

She hadn’t sensed the shift earlier, likely due to the subtle expertise of the Star-Illuminating Elder.

But further words were useless. The Xi Yuan Saintess’s gaze turned frigid as she struck out with a delicate palm.

Billions of rays of twilight light erupted, manifesting as a pool of Dao laws, a mountain of thunder, and a celestial city. Simultaneously, she called forth a four-legged ancient bronze tripod. Its surface was etched with primordial scenes of ritual, sacrifice, and mountain spirits consuming the clouds of dawn.

These images suddenly surged into life, transforming into nightmare beasts. True dragons, Pixiu, Xie Niu, and Taowu manifested as if leaping from the ancient river of time, their murderous intent piercing the heavens as they lunged at Chu Gucheng and his group.

With a roar of power, Chu Gucheng, the Law Saint, and the others didn't hesitate. They unleashed their most devastating techniques, determined to subdue the Xi Yuan Saintess.

The Star-Illuminating Elder remained stationary, her lips moving in a silent, rhythmic chant.

Within this hidden realm, the heavens seemed to bow to her will. She was wreathed in a brilliant, silver-white astral glow.

The area ignited once more with the blinding light of divine refinement. It swirled around like drifting willow silk, weaving into a cage designed to hold the Xi Yuan Saintess fast.

Simultaneously, glowing Dao symbols flickered in the emptiness. This terrifying energy held the foundational truths of existence. Upon its appearance, visions of cosmic fire, thunder, and the end of worlds manifested, as if reality were splitting and reforming.

Every person present had reached a level of Cultivation beyond the Ancestor Dao realm. Their grasp of the Dao was beyond mortal comprehension.

In truth, they had reached the Dao level, where a mere thought could birth a new principle or forge a path of its own.

Their techniques were boundless, capable of creating or evolving life with a single breath of intent.

Around the Law Saint, countless shimmering particles of light appeared. Each was a concentrated burst of pure energy that exploded like celestial fireworks, expanding into miniature worlds that hurtled toward the Xi Yuan Saintess.

Within those tiny spheres, one could witness the birth and death of civilizations and the swirling chaos of the cosmos.

“The Dao follows the natural path,” the Law Saint intoned, his weathered face reflecting the myriad facets of life. He pressed a massive hand downward. The energy particles gathered at his command, coalescing into a shimmering, ancient character for "Dao."

Boom!

The bronze cauldron summoned by the Xi Yuan Saintess shivered violently upon impact with the Dao character. It rang out with a series of thunderous claps, and the ancient beasts it had conjured were instantly shattered into a mist of fading light.

Chu Gucheng joined the fray, his body radiating a blinding luster. A phantom of the Human Emperor rose behind him, sharing his likeness and projecting a crushing, regal majesty. Every strike he made was infused with the weight of the Dao, aimed squarely at bringing the Xi Yuan Saintess down.

The Xi Yuan Saintess’s hair whipped around her as her expression remained frozen in defiance. Suspended in the air, she struck out with her palm, causing the void to collapse into chaos. Energy boiled and then vanished into nothingness. She moved with the weight of an entire world, her immense power surging forward.

In this moment, she had shed her image as a tranquil moon goddess, becoming an invincible female war deity. She was fierce, dominant, and unyielding. Even against the combined might of Chu Gucheng, the Law Saint, and Old Jin, her aura did not falter.

The battlefield was a vortex of destruction. The Xi Yuan Saintess utilized her supreme techniques, her very being seemingly merging with the Dao. She manifested multiple clones to engage her various foes, the void trembling with every collision.

Yet, despite her incredible prowess, the strain began to show. No single person could indefinitely hold off multiple Ancestor Dao experts at once.

The Star-Illuminating Elder had yet to strike directly. She focused entirely on maintaining the formation, strangling the Xi Yuan Saintess’s connection to her power and preventing her from using her full strength.

While Chu Gucheng had called upon the Human Emperor’s image, he had refrained from tapping into the national fortune of the Xian Chu Hao Earth. Doing so would have caused a disturbance too large to hide from the rest of the world.

Instead, they focused on finding gaps in her defense, seeking to drain her vitality. Though she initially held her ground, the relentless pressure eventually took its toll. She was soon injured, coughing up fresh blood.

Finding an opening, Chu Gucheng’s hand flared with light. A palm print swirling with billions of Dao laws slammed into the Xi Yuan Saintess. She gasped as she was hurled through the void, her pristine white gown stained with crimson.

Old Jin’s hand shimmered with astral sand, forming a divine whip that lashed out with a howl. The strike, carrying the destructive light of the Dao, carved a deep, bloody wound across the Xi Yuan Saintess.

She cried out softly, her eyes burning with a mixture of frost and fury.

Seizing the moment, the Star-Illuminating Elder’s white eyes suddenly erupted with a blinding, intense glare.

“Go,” she commanded. With a flick of her gnarled hand, the hovering Dao symbols swarmed the Xi Yuan Saintess, striking her as she tumbled through the air.

These symbols acted as if sentient, transforming into primordial characters that buried themselves into her flesh. Her aura instantly began to fail, and her surging strength withered away.

The rattling of metal filled the air. With a gesture from the Elder, the chains of the Dragon Lock Pillars shot forth, making the entire void shudder.

Blood dripped from the Saintess's mouth as she tried to evade the chains through her pain. But the chains moved like living things, possessing the weight of entire galaxies and the spirit of true dragons. Phantoms of dragons roared as they coiled around her limbs and torso, intent on binding her to this spot.

The Xi Yuan Saintess’s arms glowed with Dao symbols as she tried to shatter her restraints with a violent surge of power.

However, the Dragon Lock Pillars flared in response. Their ancient carvings released a web of ordered chains that anchored the Dragon Lock Chains, dragging her down from the heavens.

“This cannot be…” she whispered in shock, finding her power suppressed to a point where escape was impossible.

She was forced to the ground, her hair veiling her porcelain face. Blood marked her lips and the edges of her dress—a rare sight of total humiliation.

Seeing her fall, Chu Gucheng, Old Jin, and the others finally allowed themselves to smile with the satisfaction of victory.

“Are you aware of the origin of the Yin Xu Cave's Xuanluo Heavenly Battle Array?” the Star-Illuminating Elder asked coldly. “Eons ago, a master named Xuanluo Tianzun stood at the very peak of the Dao. Our patriarch slew him and used his Dao fruit to forge this formation. Do not think that even those who have endured nine tribulations of the Heavenly Decay can bypass its power.”

“My personal strength may not equal yours, but with this array in place, subduing you is as simple as drawing breath.”

Though blind, the Elder perceived everything. She looked down at the restrained Saintess with a mocking air, as if ridiculing her for her perceived arrogance.

The Xi Yuan Saintess had realized the trap too late. The Dragon Lock Pillars alone weren't the issue; it was the specific carvings and the domain field that were neutralizing her Cultivation. She had been overconfident, believing that having survived eight Heavenly Decay tribulations made her untouchable within the Xi Yuan civilization. It was clear Chu Gucheng had prepared for every variable.

In that moment of defeat, she remembered Gu Changge’s warning. A wave of regret and frustration washed over her. Had she taken his words to heart and been more wary of the Xian Chu Hao Earth, this would never have happened. Without this specific formation and the combined strength of these experts, they could never have touched her.

“You certainly have your methods, Senior,” the Xi Yuan Saintess said, her voice regaining its composure. She spoke calmly.

She understood that Chu Gucheng lacked the nerve to kill her, and likely the power to do so permanently. Even in chains, her confidence remained. Her Master was the progenitor of the Xi Yuan Sacred Hall, a legendary ancient sage. Though she had been missing for ages, no one could be certain if she was truly gone or merely wandering the distant reaches of space-time.

The Xian Chu Hao Earth might want the Reincarnation Mirror, but they wouldn't dare invite the wrath of such a being.

“I am grateful for your assistance, Senior Xing Ying,” Chu Gucheng said. Seeing the Saintess composed, he finally let out a triumphant smile.

After thanking the Star-Illuminating Elder, he turned back to his prisoner. “What occurred today is indeed a grave offense, but I shall find a way to make amends and offer a proper apology once this is over.”

As she had guessed, Chu Gucheng did not dare harm her. His only aim was to secure the Reincarnation Mirror to save his kingdom from its current peril.

The Xi Yuan Saintess gave him a frigid look and said nothing. She closed her eyes and sat cross-legged, beginning to heal her wounds. she expected Chu Gucheng would try to coerce her into surrendering the mirror. As for using her as a hostage to blackmail the Xi Yuan Sacred Hall, she doubted he had the stomach for such a gamble.