I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 856: I still hope that His Majesty will come here more often; the end of the trek

“Concubine greets Your Majesty.”

“You needn’t be so formal,” Gu Changge replied with a natural air, gesturing dismissively.

His gaze swept the vast, desolate hall devoid of warmth or life. Even during his approach from a distance, he had expected to see at least a servant or two.

He asked, “Are you the only one in the Temple of Destiny now?”

Xiao Ruoyin responded without much concern, “Reporting to Your Majesty, one concubine is sufficient within the Temple of Destiny.”

She had grown accustomed to solitude and coldness. Even during her tenure in the Immortal Palace, she had often been the sole inhabitant of the Temple of Destiny, with livelier gatherings reserved for grand ceremonies.

Gu Changge smiled faintly as he stood before her, remarking, “Although solitude has its charm, it lacks a certain vitality. If you have the time, consider spending more time with Mingkong and the others, discussing matters related to the Temple of Destiny or anything else. It’s better than remaining alone.”

After all, Xiao Ruoyin was one of his companions. While their past interactions had been fraught with schemes and calculations, those days were behind them.

Gu Changge saw no reason to harbor grudges or create distance between them over past grievances.

“I understand,” Xiao Ruoyin replied, her beautiful gaze locked onto Gu Changge’s face before she lowered her eyes.

She continued, “However, if Your Majesty could find the time, I would still appreciate Your Majesty’s presence here more often.”

Gu Changge had yet to anticipate such a request from her.

In the past, if Xiao Ruoyin had held the title of High Priest of Destiny in the Immortal Palace, she would never have dared to make such a request. However, the current Xiao Ruoyin differed from her past self, and Gu Changge didn’t deny her request.

“It’s true that I’ve come for the Fateful Immortal Boat,” Gu Changge confirmed.

“A few hours ago, the red-clothed female devil and Tao Yao from Peach Village borrowed the Fateful Immortal Boat. I realized I couldn’t match them, so I made the decision to lend them the immortal boat.”

Xiao Ruoyin was wise enough to understand that Gu Changge hadn’t come to visit her. She had correctly assumed that Tao Yao, the red-clothed female devil, had some inexplicable connection with Gu Changge.

Gu Changge nodded, not blaming her for her actions. “I’m aware of their intentions. They plan to use the Fateful Immortal Boat to navigate the river of time and travel back to ancient eras in search of some truths.” He shook his head slightly.

Xiao Ruoyin had also guessed this as the likely reason for their actions. After all, Gu Changge’s true identity was rooted in an era even more distant than the Forbidden Era.

Furthermore, the red-clothed female devil, Chan Hongyi, was his disciple.

However, the current situation indicated an unbridgeable rift between the red-clothed female devil and Gun Change, with their swords pointed at each other.

On the day of Gu Changge and Yue Mingkong’s wedding, the red-clothed female devil personally sent an immortal corpse to expose Gu Changge’s true identity, sending shockwaves throughout the upper realm.

Even Xiao Ruoyin had yet to learn why Gu Changge had taken action to destroy the Immortal Palace and bury that taboo era. Before that, she had believed that the Demon Lord and the Great Palace Master of the Immortal Palace had an exceptionally close relationship.

Gu Changge cut to the chase, asking, “Do you have a connection to the Fateful Immortal Boat?”

Xiao Ruoyin replied, “I can sense the existence of the Fateful Immortal Boat, but it will take some time to prepare…”

Gu Changge understood that he could afford to wait a bit, so he immediately urged Xiao Ruoyin to begin determining the current time coordinates of the Fateful Immortal Boat.

The Forbidden Era had long been shattered and lost within the vast river of time, concealed beneath an endless shroud of mist. In this realm, indescribable creatures lurked, preying on those who inadvertently ventured into the river of time, consuming them as sustenance.

Chan Hongyi and Tao Yao’s quest to return to the Forbidden Era was unlikely to succeed; at most, they might encounter fragments of broken time.

Time was the most terrible and enigmatic force in the world, challenging even those who had achieved immortality.

Despite Gu Changge’s current strength, he could traverse the river of time, but altering and reversing events came at a significant cost, potentially triggering profound upheavals in the upper realm. It might even attract the attention of supreme beings, disrupting their subsequent plans.

The ancient sacrificial rites blazed inside the temple, casting a solemn expression across Xiao Ruoyin’s beautiful face as she attempted to pinpoint the Fateful Immortal Boat’s location while communicating with it in the shadows.

Seated in a cross-legged posture, her moon-white robe stirred without any discernible breeze, and a radiant glow enveloped her, concealing a multitude of ancient runes within the void.

Before her, a misty brilliance began to manifest, resembling a tranquil water surface that suddenly sent forth ripples. Dao runes soared, and the laws of time merged as the immortal spirit took shape.

Time nodes…

Gu Changge muttered, his deep-set eyes revealing myriad scenes: colossal stars descending, universes collapsing, each sight fraught with tremendous terror.

Behind him, vast and mysterious fluctuations emerged, giving birth to an endless river of time, resonating with a cascading, tinkling sound.

Within this river of time, fragments floated by, and boundless chaotic energy hung in the air as if descending from the world’s edge. It was vast and shrouded in the mysteries of the universe.

This river was faint, its contours unclear, merely a minor tributary in the grand river of time. Yet, for Gu Changge’s current purpose, it was sufficient to pinpoint a node along the river.

With the Fateful Immortal Boat in his possession, Gu Changge didn’t need to expose his physical form to traverse the river of time and endure the terrible backlash.

Soon, a blue, enigmatic inscription appeared in the palm of his hand, radiating an aura of time and space, casting a faint, mysterious glow.

“This is a Space-time Monument. Once we’ve identified a space node, I can use it to navigate, ensuring we won’t become lost within the river of time.”

Gu Changge explained in a hushed tone. His eyes remained fixed on the river of time.

Gradually, he ascertained the positions of various nodes, perceiving the immense aura emanating from those points. This process required careful consideration; an erroneous node selection could result in wasted time.

Previously, Gu Changge had borrowed the Space-time Monument to devise a plan for attacking the upper realm. Now, he employed the monument as a spatial-temporal coordinate system to determine the end of his journey.

The concubine has sensed the location of the Fateful Immortal Boat…

Xiao Ruoyin’s eyes opened, her senses attuned to a meaningful connection from somewhere. She swiftly identified a minor node within the river of time and sensed that the Fateful Immortal Boat was present at that precise moment.