I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1311: The Destiny of the Cicada Clan, Doomed to Perish and Turn to Ashes

“Master…”

From afar, a girl with silver hair bounded over to the woman dressed in green, her movements swift and brimming with delight.

“Jiu Mei, you’ve emerged from your seclusion?”

The stunning woman clad in black cast a brief look of mild astonishment at the green-robed woman, though her face soon settled back into its typical composure.

“Greetings, Ninth Princess.”

The other robed figures in white also offered respectful bows as the woman in green drew near.

“I’ve emerged from seclusion.”

The green-robed woman gave a small nod, her eyes shifting to the dark feathers drifting down through the fiery heavens. She continued, “This catastrophe stems from my actions. I’ve dodged it across numerous ages, but now I must confront and settle it all.”

“Are you certain? Your flight during the ceremony humiliated the High Priestess before every clan. Without her worry over our clan’s ancestral domain’s power, she wouldn’t have overlooked it so lightly.”

“Visiting the High Priestess now might invite her scorn,” the black-robed woman warned, her brow furrowing.

“Third Sister, don’t worry. I’ve decided firmly. Whatever follows, I’ll shoulder it myself.”

“Big Sister sacrificed herself because of me and has endured isolation for endless years, sharing her pain with no one. If I can’t handle this minor shame, how could I face Big Sister once more?”

“How could I face Mother and the rest?” The woman in green shook her head gently, her voice steady and soft.

At these words, the black-robed woman and the others revealed faces touched by varied feelings.

“The Ninth Miss has truly matured,” an aged voice remarked, laced with contentment.

Over these years, the High Priestess of the Ancient Civilization had sent mighty experts to hunt for the green-robed woman’s location. Her escape amid the sacrifice had shamed the High Priestess in the eyes of all clans. Moreover, it had provoked the True Realm’s fury, unleashing endless dreadful repercussions.

Though the Cicada Clan’s eldest princess later took the Ninth Princess’s place as the offering and was dispatched to the beyond, easing the True Realm’s rage for the moment, the High Priestess hadn’t erased the embarrassment from the clans’ gaze. With her vengeful and spiteful disposition, she kept dispatching powerhouses to pursue the Ninth Princess, aiming to seize and drag her back.

Without the Cicada Clan’s persistent shielding of the Ninth Princess’s trail and masking her presence, she would have been captured ages ago.

Now, it appeared the Ninth Princess had at last come of age, validating their long vigil and safeguards.

“Third Sister, I can’t predict the outcome of seeing the High Priestess this time. If I fail to return, please look after the True Realm I forged using the Immortal Dao Civilization’s fire seed.”

“As that True Realm’s true spirit, I couldn’t shield them from invading foes or looming disasters. I wonder what fate has befallen them.”

The woman in green let out a soft sigh, her mind drifting as a subtle yearning flickered in her eyes. Yet this sentiment faded swiftly, restoring serenity to her features.

Hearing this, the black-robed woman nodded and replied, “I get it. Rest easy on that front. Though I never entered that True Realm, I sensed its prosperity blooming. It should avoid severe crises for now.”

“For a fresh True Realm to evolve into an ancient one demands not just vast time and buildup but also surviving numerous ordeals. Don’t fret excessively. Across the boundless cosmos, new True Realms emerge and fade daily.”

“The Immortal Dao Civilization’s fire seed you granted that True Realm stands as its supreme fortune.”

The woman in green dipped her head slightly, falling silent. Then she pivoted and headed off into the horizon, ready to depart.

Noticing this, the silver-haired girl rushed after her, calling out, “Master, hold on! I want to come along!”

The green-robed woman appeared a touch resigned, whispering almost inaudibly, “I should’ve left you with him long ago. Being near me has done you no favors.”

But the silver-haired girl missed her quiet words entirely. She hurried to catch up, hooking her arm through the woman in green’s and gazing up at her with warm fondness. From a distance, the black-robed woman could only shake her head wryly. Moments later, a thought struck her, curving her lips into a subtle smile.

The first time she spotted the little Wangyue beyond the Daochang True Realm, she sensed a hint of Immortal Blood in it, believing that with diligent training, it could one day reclaim its forebears’ lost splendor.

Yet after returning the little Wangyue to the Cicada Clan, she quickly learned of its indolence and greed for food. It proved utterly lax in cultivation, preferring to feast, lounge, and slumber through its days.

Though the Ninth Sister—the green-robed woman—insisted she wasn’t the little Wangyue’s real master and pointed to another as its true guardian, the black-robed woman saw through this as mere reluctance from Ninth Sister to own up to her role. She avoided claiming responsibility for the creature.

Still, with the arrival of Ninth Sister and the little Wangyue, the Cicada Clan, stagnant and somber for so long, had sparked back to life. Even their mother, on the brink of her final days, now often bore a soothing, tender smile.

“It’s regrettable that Big Sister will never witness this…” The black-robed woman’s thoughts turned somber, the smile draining from her lips.

She shifted her attention to the aged silhouette and inquired, “Elder Qing Cang, any progress on the inquiries I tasked you with?”

As she spoke, she gestured for the others to withdraw.

“Elder Qing Cang, the investigation you assigned is yielding clues. But pardon my confusion—why this sudden focus on that doomed force?”

The figure called Elder Qing Cang held immense esteem in the Cicada Clan. Her query left him puzzled, his expression one of bewilderment. He couldn’t fathom it.

After all, even uttering that power’s name filled him with dread. He shied from dwelling on it mentally, lest it draw perilous notice and spark dire fallout.

The Ancient Civilization differed from realms like Xiyuan or Xudan; it served as a frontline outpost for the True Realm, open to its directives and calls.

Naturally, countless such outposts dotted the True Realm’s expanse, much like the Ancient Civilization. Frequently, heavenly punishments and purges began through these outposts, heeding the True Realm’s commands and striking ahead of wider awareness.

Legends persisted in the Ancient Civilization of an immortal entity from the True Realm lurking in its core—a paramount being tied by blood to the True Realm’s most enigmatic powers. It would rouse before a heavenly tribulation, guiding the harvesters to reap souls across the endless voids.

Thus, the Ancient Civilization held a profounder awe and insight into the True Realm than other grand civilizations.

“Never mind that. Share all you’ve uncovered,” the black-robed woman cut in, pulling Elder Qing Cang from his musings. Her striking, icy visage remained unmoved.

Elder Qing Cang paused briefly before continuing. “Lately, the Xiyuan Civilization faces a major upheaval tied to that power. Diverse Daoist groups have allied with past sages who opposed the Tiantian Organization, aiming to craft a Xiyuan Covenant to hinder its growth.” “Yet I suspect the Xiyuan Civilization’s roots won’t suffice to halt that power’s ascent. They might even court ruin. Its founders are fearsome, their motives elusive…”

“Every civilization and realm observes the Xiyuan Civilization’s stirrings, including some Ancient Civilization sects. Should the Xiyuan Civilization forge the Xiyuan Covenant, it’d offer a vital warning to all realms.”

The black-robed woman absorbed this in quiet, without interjection. Finally, her stare deepened, as if pondering deeply.

“I see. My thanks for your work, Elder Qing Cang.” Myriad ideas swirled in her thoughts, and unwittingly, her sleeve-concealed hand clenched into a jade fist.

“Third Princess, no need for such courtesy. If that’s all, I’ll depart.”

With that, Elder Qing Cang, noting no more from the black-robed woman, leaned on his staff and shuffled away.

The black-robed woman lingered in stillness briefly, then lifted her eyes to the cosmic expanse before striding toward the splendid palace nestled amid the treetops.

“The Heavenly Extermination Alliance, huh?”

“If it comes to pass, might this not offer the Cicada Clan a chance to shatter its fated path?”

She whispered to herself, her eyes flashing with icy resolve.

For the Ancient Civilization’s myriad groups, mere mention of the ‘Heavenly Extermination Alliance’ stirred terror and awe.

Were anyone privy to her inner schemes then, they’d deem her insane, courting apocalypse for the whole Cicada Clan.

“Second Sister, I must depart the clan briefly. Handle the internal affairs in my absence.”

Within the treetop palace depths, a woman in vibrant robes sat in meditation, lids shut. Seven-hued vapors cloaked her, while strands of primal haze danced as she inhaled and exhaled. Visions of myriad minor realms shimmered about her, dazzling and sublime.

The black-robed woman stepped in and waited silently in the vast chamber, her allure still frosty and captivating.

“Leaving? To where?”

At this, the colorful-robed woman gradually parted her eyes. Her ethereal, crystalline stare mirrored the infinite celestial domains. Her tone rang like divine melody, enchanting any listener into rapturous trance, loath to return to reality.

“To the Xiyuan Civilization,” the black-robed woman stated evenly.

The colorful-robed woman peered intently at her, as if piercing every secret in her soul.

She refrained from blocking her, merely questioning, “Are you resolved to proceed?”

“I’ll face all repercussions by myself. The Cicada Clan bears no blame,” the black-robed woman answered.

The colorful-robed woman breathed a faint sigh. “Fine, if you’re set on it, I won’t hinder you. But what of Little Nine’s charge to you?”

“Isn’t Second Sister present?” A rare, soft grin touched the black-robed woman’s usually stern countenance.

The colorful-robed woman gave a slight headshake, opting for silence. She shut her eyes once more, resuming her practice.

The black-robed woman offered a deferential bow before exiting the hall, streaking away as a beam of dark radiance into the boundless void.

“The Cicada Clan’s destiny defies simple reversal. It’s a chain our ancestors couldn’t break. Why can’t shrewd Third Sister grasp this?”

“I pray you avoid rash acts. The ancestral domain’s safeguard won’t endure forever.”

The colorful-robed woman’s eyes reopened, fixing on the black-robed woman’s fading form afar. A quiet sigh escaped her. She had long discerned her third sister’s intents. For a while, she’d been discreetly probing the Heavenly Extermination Alliance, and now aimed for the Xiyuan Civilization.

Across the immense void, the True Realm embodied the divine firmament. To plot its demise was not just irreverence toward the True Realm but a bold, unthinkable defiance.

The horrors and reprisals that would ensue, even she dared not envision.

The Cicada Clan stood as a singular lineage in the vast void, echoing the era-spanning cicadas.

Each wingbeat marked an age’s close, the demise of myriad lives.

From primordial days onward, in the Cicada Clan’s wake, timelines warped, cycles turned, and existence reborn amid endless birth and decay.

The Cicada Clan’s bond with the World Tree mirrored the phoenix’s tie to the paulownia.

They pursued the World Tree, dwelling in symbiosis, fates intertwined in life and demise.

The World Tree, called by titles like World Tree, Ancestral Tree, Origin Tree, cradled all existence and spawned the cosmos. Such was the Cicada Clan’s ordained course.

Through antiquity, they embraced their lot, heeding heaven’s decree, revering and dreading the skies.

Yet ultimately, the World Tree—their eternal guardian—fell to the True Realm’s paramount force. Their race’s destiny and luck shattered, casting them as the Ancient Civilization’s sacrificial pawns.

For the Cicada Clan to harbor no grudge or yearning to evade fate would be inconceivable.