I Am the Fated Villain
chapter-432

The following morning, Gu Changge, Jiang Chuchu, Chosen Monk Jin Chan and several others stood on a mountain outside the Floating Buddhist Temple, watching the deep abyss swirling with Demonic Qi in the distance. The dark purple Demonic Qi surged violently as it spread, resembling dark clouds blocking the sky. It was like a darker world where no light could be seen.

The Demon-Burying Abyss was more like a doorway than an abyss. The terrifying entrance was like a giant wound slicing across the air, emanating frightening energy. Entering it would be like entering a dark and silent world. Piles of bodies could be seen inside the entrance, some as big as mountains. Even dead, some of the bodies continued to glow like tiny suns while emitting heat. However, those bodies were covered in hole-like injuries due to pollution by Demonic Qi.

There were many powerful arrays near the Abyss, expelling strong beams of divine light which transformed into swords, blades, and tridents as they shot into the abyss to prevent more from escaping. Many strong cultivators could be seen around the Demon-Burying Abyss; while they didn’t dare stand near it, they fought with the great demons inside.

They weren’t here because they wanted to protect the peace of the land but because killing the great demons could allow them to gain material containing crystals with high concentrations of energy. Those included the demonic core, skull, finger bones, and other materials which often fetched high prices in the market.

Demonic cores could be used to meld artifacts and set up arrays but could only be commonly found near the Demon-Burying Abyss, making them extremely rare. That was why many talented and brave cultivators risked their lives to come here.

These cultivators had noticed Gu Changge’s group and were shocked by them, not expecting others to come other than them. However, some quickly recognised Gu Changge and became surprised yet puzzled. [Why had he come when he has such a noble status?]

“Why is Young Master Changge here? Is he planning on dealing with the source of this chaos? I guess that does fit his character.”

Their expressions became respectful and admiring. How many of the younger generation would risk their lives to come here? They admired such bravery and selfless behaviour. They wouldn’t have set foot here if not for money constraints, but here he was walking into the lion’s den.

“That’s the entrance of the Demon-Burying Abyss. A powerful monk from the Buddhist Mountain set up an array there to prevent demonic entities from escaping. Follow me closely and don’t fall into the array,” Jin Chan told them. He was much calmer after talking with the elderly monk last night.

He led the group from the Buddhist Mountain as they transformed into divine rainbows and moved forward. Beams of golden light shot from the peak of the mountain. The great cloud of Demonic Qi surging towards him was repelled by the Buddha aura from the Buddha beads in his hand.

The ghostly golden figure of a Buddha had appeared behind him as well, the strong vibrations from its roar of fury sweeping away all the demonic entities in front of the group.

Gu Changge, Jiang Chuchu and the rest followed from a slight distance away. Since Jin Chan wanted to open a path for them, it would be more convenient for him.

Gu Changge’s gaze was distant as he remembered the conversation he had heard last night. He had nearly been discovered by that elderly monk but fortunately, he had left quickly so nothing had gone wrong.

That elderly monk had to be at least in the Quasi-Nirvana Realm and had lived for a very long time. His techniques were also closely related to the senses, thus able to even detect mysterious changes in the void. The more surprising part for Gu Changge was Jin Chan’s identity; he had known the monk had a Buddha Heart and Buddhist Bone, but not that he was the reincarnation of a powerful monk of Buddhist Mountain.

[The Zen Robe was probably left in the Demon-Burying Abyss, so that’s why he wanted to take it back.] Gu Changge was now intrigued about that Zen Robe; if he wasn’t mistaken, it was a Buddhist treasure which had been brought into the Demon-Burying Abyss to suppress the Demonic Qi within. However, it had been left behind for some reason.

When he arrived, he did not feel discomfited by the Demonic Qi; in contrast, he sensed an overpoweringly familiar yet natural energy. Dao runes flickered in his blood as if they were cheering, as the energy came from the same source as him. It was a very familiar feeling which allowed his sealed memories to become restored. Pieces of them flashed in his head, his mind now filled with more memories than before. It was all clear to him now.

The Demonic Qi here was so much stronger, and Sacred Realm cultivators had to be careful to evade corrosion from it. A faint celestial light shimmered around Jiang Chuchu to shield her against the Demonic Qi as she frowned and muttered to herself. Gu Changge glanced at her and waved a hand. A powerful wave spread out to blow away the Demonic Qi surrounding her.

“Why don’t you remain outside? With your strength, you may just cause problems rather than help.” He frowned at her slightly. Nonetheless, she eyed him before shaking her head.

“No. I want to go in with you. You don’t have to worry about me when I have abilities of my own.” He had been involved in this because of her. How could she stay outside and let him go in by himself?

Seeing her stubborn eyes, Gu Changge said nothing else. He would have to put her in his Inner World if anything went wrong anyway, so it wouldn’t make a difference.

Jin Chan was leading their way, yet their journey wasn’t peaceful as they had to watch out for any arrays and kill anyone whose minds had been corroded by the Demonic Qi. However, he had the experts of the Buddhist Mountain accompanying him, who were at least in the Sacred Noble Realm. They were powerful enough to repel the Demonic Qi and protect his safety.

This continued for a few hundred kilometres before they eventually reached the entrance of the Abyss. The suffocating and depressing aura emitted made everyone solemn as their souls began to quiver like they were facing something terrible. They even had the urge to prostrate themselves before the entrance.

The Demonic Qi here had nearly turned into liquid, forming a small lake in the ground. Runes flickered within while dark purple demonic rocks were scattered around. Those precious and rare rocks emitted an aura of Sources.

“Young Master, look there.” Behind Gu Changge, a Sacred Lord Realm Master pointed towards a lotus plant in the distance in surprise. It was a dark purple lotus which had grown from the small lake formed by Demonic Qi, even though the lake wasn’t even fifty kilometres in diameter. There was a fragrant scent in the air as if the lotus flower was made of a celestial purple metal.

“What’s that?” One of them walked towards it curiously but was enveloped by the dark purple fog emanating from the lake before he could approach. He didn’t have a chance to scream before he became a cloud of bloody mist. The horrifying sight scared many people and they took several steps back.

“That is a Soul-Exterminating Lotus. Don’t go near it.” Jin Chan frowned before relaxing again and explaining everything to them. “This plant grows near the Demon-Burying Abyss and feeds on flesh as well as Demonic Qi. It may look beautiful but contains something very frightening, so you shouldn’t go near it recklessly to pick it.”

His words made everyone present look wary, knowing how dangerous this place was. The closer they were to the entrance of the Demon-Buying Abyss, the more dangers they would encounter.

“The Soul-Exterminating Lotus. This thing may be hundreds of millions of years old since it has already formed its territory in the surrounding area.” However, Gu Changge looked interested and walked over to it. Everyone else became stricken while the monks of Buddhist Mountain frowned but didn’t stop him. Jin Chan had already warned them and if Gu Changge refused to listen, then he would have to suffer the consequences.

Something shocking then happened; as Gu Changge approached, the Soul Exterminating Lotus shivered lightly as if in fear. The roots then shifted and suddenly walked out of the lake. Its feet glowed purple and purple mist rose from the ground as it walked. It was a curious sight which made everyone’s eyes widen in shock. Even Jiang Chuchu was taken aback before she quickly controlled herself and recalled his identity while looking at him. [Did that Soul-Exterminating Lotus have enough consciousness to feel fear from him approaching?]

The roots had formed feet as they approached Gu Changge. He ignored them all and quickly grabbed the lotus plant, throwing it into the storage ring. This plant was conscious enough that it knew it couldn’t escape him and so chose to submit.

“Why did you take it?” Jiang Chuchu was curious, since the Soul-Exterminating Lotus, while dangerous, had no medicinal properties.

He smiled. “I’ll cultivate it since a Soul-Exterminating Lotus millions of years old is very rare. It may not take a long time for it to manifest physically.”

Due to its unique characteristics, the Lotus would have abilities specifically countering Primordial Spirits if it manifests physically. If that didn’t happen, he could consume it and cultivate his Primordial Spirit. It might be as frightening as poison to others but it was a herbal supplement for him.

“Cultivating the Soul-Exterminating Lotus…” She nodded and did not say anything else. The plant only fed on flesh and Demonic Qi in enormous quantities, which wouldn’t really impact him much due to his abilities. While his attitude towards her had improved immensely, she hadn’t forgotten his true personality.

“Let’s go.” Jin Chan looked away, his wariness against Gu Changge increasing to another level.

The group became much more careful upon their arrival, including Jin Chan himself who was afraid of any missteps. Blindingly bright patterns resembling those of Dao could be seen everywhere, while more powerful and savage great demons from the Demon-Burying Abyss were present in larger numbers. They had no intelligence in their eyes, merely murder and violence.

After crossing another area, the group eventually reached the entrance of the Demon-Burying Abyss, expelling great clouds of Demonic Qi which could probably drown out the world. Even those in the Sacred Lord Realm had become completely pale and shivered in fear.

Jin Chan paused and turned towards them. “Anyone not in the Sacred Lord Realm should stay here. I’ll set up a space array here; if anything goes wrong, we can all return here quickly and escape this place. I also need people to remain on guard.”

As he spoke, he took out a purplish-gold Buddha Staff and began cautiously setting up the array as well as other materials. The monks of Buddhist Mountain already knew the arrangements and quickly split into two groups—one would follow Jin Chan, while the other would remain.

“Stay here then.” Gu Changge looked towards Jiang Chuchu.

“No.” She shook his head, gazing at him. “I want to go with you.”

While she wasn’t at the Sacred Lord Realm yet, she still had other abilities which could make up for her weaknesses.

He frowned as if infuriated, and Jiang Chuchu quickly felt intimidated. She still looked up at him, mustering her courage to look him in the eye. “I don’t want to stay here. This is my problem.”

Gu Changge sighed but didn’t blame her, asking instead, “Is your problem not mine? What’s the difference?”

If she went with him, his plans would be harder to carry out and it would inconvenience him greatly.

“I—” She was stunned, not expecting him to say that. Warmth flowed through her as she didn’t know how to refuse. However, she quickly recollected herself. They were in public, yet Gu Changge had said all that. Wasn’t he admitting to their relationship? This made her somewhat shy, being already sensitive herself. Of course, she was good at controlling herself in public as she was a Saintess of Mortal Palace, so she quickly reined herself in.

“Be careful then. I’ll wait here for you.” She finally agreed.

He nodded, expression becoming serene, and gave orders to members of their group. Some were selected to accompany him inside while the rest remained.

As soon as the array was complete, Jin Chan looked back towards Gu Changge. “Brother Gu, we can go inside now.”

His body glowed faintly with Buddha aura, making him look solemn while he quickly tore apart the Demonic Qi moving towards him and entered the Demon-Burying Abyss. Something flashed in Gu Changge’s eyes, the void blurring for a moment before the Demonic Qi parted automatically. He walked in, following Jin Chan’s footsteps, and disappeared in the thick Demonic Qi as he descended into the abyss.

The Demon-Burying Abyss was enormous, practically forming its own realm. Terrifying energy ran wild, with many demonic entities fought inside without any sign of exhaustion. All beings there, both in physical and spiritual form, had been corrupted by Demonic Qi which made them fight savagely without caring about their lives.

Gu Changge could imagine how tortuous it would be for the demoness in red Chan Honyi to be sealed here for countless years or even millennia. All beings here, even those with powers which rivalled those in the Sacred King Realm, did not have any intelligence and only knew how to fight and kill. It was either kill or be killed; if anyone else had been trapped here, they would have gone insane and caused unimaginable havoc after leaving. A complete massacre of all the other worlds was no joke.

“Brother Gu, what do you think of the strange stirrings in the depths of the Demonic Abyss?” As Gu Changge pondered the issue, Jin Chan, who had been leading their way, suddenly smiled and looked back at him.

“It’s probably because the seal had broken, or the monstrous thing sealed inside will reappear in the world soon,” Gu Changge responded calmly. He had been planning to make a move on Jin Chan, but the monk’s words reminded him. It was best to not do anything before he laid eyes on that so-called Zen Robe.

Jin Chan didn’t seem surprised by that and continued asking him, “It’s strange that when the chaos occurred, all the great demons escaped to the outside world. What’s your opinion on it?”

He was planning on investigating Gu Changge’s motive and how much he knew about the Demon-Burying Abyss. If Gu Changge was also here for the Zen Robe, then Jin Chan would have to find a way to bind the other man here forever. Gu Changge might be formidable, but he wasn’t familiar with the Demon-Burying Abyss the way Jin Chan was.

“They seem to be afraid of something. Personally, looking at it first hand, it’s more like they are fleeing rather than causing chaos.” Gu Changge looked like he had quickly guessed Jin Chan’s intentions. “Did you not conduct any investigation before coming here?”

“What’s your plan then?” Jin Chan’s heart raced as he asked the question, a Buddha aura shining faintly on his robes to counter the Demonic Qi in the place. The monks around him were busy fighting to create a safe path and had already sustained injuries.

Gu Changge replied carelessly, ” I came here because I was concerned about her being in danger, of course. However, I couldn’t convince her against it. Do you think I’m interested in resolving the scourge inside the Demon-Burying Abyss? If so, you may be disappointed.”

He laughed after that, sounding rather open yet teasing. Jin Chan was taken aback, not expecting Gu Changge to be so honest. It sounded very close to ‘I’m here just to retain my good image and do not plan on doing anything about the Demon-Burying Abyss’. However, that did fit the impression he had of Gu Changge.

This man would never care about anyone’s survival, so he might be risking his life because he had intentions towards Saintess Chuchu and wanted to accompany her. This reassured him somewhat since things were now easier.

“Ah, I see. You are a very honest person.” Jin Chan smiled. If Gu Changge didn’t plan on getting involved in the issue of the Demon-Burying Abyss, then he wouldn’t know anything about the Zen Robe.

“What is your purpose for being here, then? I’m curious.” Gu Changge asked, sounding interested.

Jin Chan’s expression had returned to normal, and he didn’t dare lie or brush the other man off. If Gu Changge knew Jin Chan was just appeasing him, the other man would suspect his intentions and become interested in the Zen Robe. His plans would be ruined if Gu Changge took it. He decided to open up about it, though some details would have to remain secret.

“My purpose here is actually to get a Buddhist treasure which was lost here,” he began.

Seeing Gu Changge’s sceptical look, he continued, “I feel somewhat ashamed since it is an embarrassment for Buddhist Mountain. One of our enlightened monks had a grand wish to destroy the Demon-Burying Abyss but was enchanted by a savage and powerful demoness in its depths. He was tricked into stealing a treasure from Buddhist Mountain in order to relieve his suffering. Yet, that demoness was far too savage and cruel…”

He sighed. It had been his past self who had done it, but he could only see things from an outsider’s perspective since his memories of his past life hadn’t been awakened. It was terrifying and inconceivable that a demoness had bewitched an enlightened monk just by her looks, yet it had happened.

“Then he was killed by her here?” Gu Changge asked calmly, though he felt that things had become much more complicated. It would be fine if Chan Honyi was still dazed, but wouldn’t she seek revenge upon seeing him if she was conscious during all those years of pain and torture? Besides, other things had happened before the Demon-Burying Abyss.

To Gu Changge, a lot of that hatred couldn’t be dealt with so easily. Hate that had evolved from love was hard to erase even in the depths of Hell. That means he would have to use either of the two ways he had thought of: slowly smooth things over or find a way to eliminate it once and for all.

The only thing he was thankful for was that Chan Honyi hadn’t died after taking on his attack directly. Though, she didn’t fare well after it either. There was a possibility he had gone easy on her, but the injuries caused by that attack might not heal after even such a long time.

Therefore, he sought after a Sanctuary for Resurrection; she would be easy to trick into thinking he helped her when dazed, but he would have to think of something else if she was fully conscious.

“It’s an embarrassment for Buddhist Mountain, even if people rarely talk about it now.” Jin Chan smiled bitterly as if he had a lot of thoughts about it, then continued to lead the way while using his Buddhist Bone to sense the whereabouts of the Zen Robe.

The further they went into the Abyss, the more Gu Changge could feel the vibrations in his Demonic Heart. The Eight Barren Demonic Halberd seemed to be awakening as well, no longer as quiet as usual. The frightening aura of the Abyss felt like the weight of the sky falling on them, making it hard to breathe or move.

The energy from the being which had been sealed also felt like they had already surpassed the Nirvana Realm. It even might enter the Immortal Realm.

[The Demon-Burying Abyss was caused by a drop of True Blood from when I was the Demon Lord.] Gu Changge’s eyes were however distant, sensing that there was a very familiar energy at the deepest parts of the Abyss. It wasn’t Chan Honyi but someone else who was in the much deeper location of the source of this place.