The horizon darkened as clouds of war gathered from every direction. Rumors of Feng Xuanlong's battle with the ancient entity had traveled faster than any messenger could ride. Across continents and seas, dynasties fortified their borders, Heaven's Chosen sharpened their blades, and secret sects whispered of a villain who had devoured threads older than Heaven itself.
From the east, jade sails of the Immortal Jade Dynasty cut through the skies once more. From the south, obsidian fleets from the Shadowed Abyss sect approached, carrying semi-divine cultivators and elite generals. From the north, frozen peaks stirred with ancient guardians awakened by the tremor in fate threads. And from the western deserts, caravans of desert sects brought celestial beasts and war machines designed to confront Semi-Deities. Every corner of the known world was converging upon the Nine Flames Heavenly Clan.
Inside the clan, Xuanlong stood atop his throne of black chains, crimson eyes blazing as he surveyed the gathering storm. The devoured fate threads, now including fragments of the Jade Prince, the guardian spirit, and the ancient entity, pulsed within him like a living web. He could feel the tremors of the approaching armies, the distant manipulations of Heaven's Chosen, and even the faint whispers of dynasties attempting to coordinate strategies against him.
"Good," he murmured, a cruel smile cutting across his face. "Let them converge. Let them bring everything. The world will learn why villains are feared more than gods."
He stretched his chains outward, letting them probe the edges of the continent. Black flames licked the air, extending over miles of territory. The threads of devoured fate pulsed, resonating with distant energies, mapping out the strengths and weaknesses of every approaching force. Even the semi-divine fragments of the ancient entity quivered in anticipation, recognizing the threat in unison with its new master.
Yan Ruyan's whispers echoed through the grounds, now refined and amplified by the devoured threads. Her strategies infiltrated not only their enemies' minds but also minor fate threads linked to the converging forces, subtly undermining coordination before the first strike was even made. Meiyu's shadows crept across valleys, immobilizing scouts, intercepting war beasts, and siphoning energy from semi-divine reinforcements. Qiao Ling and Meilin executed precise strikes that bent space itself, creating perfect channels for Xuanlong's chains to move without obstruction. Even the newest disciple, still trembling with awe, released shadow pulses that disrupted distant arrays of protective seals, feeding fragments of energy back into their master's aura.
Across the skies, the armies hesitated as they sensed the Semi-Deity aura. Winds bent unnaturally, clouds churned in chaotic patterns, and black flames flickered along the distant horizon. Generals and Heaven's Chosen tightened their grips on weapons, their instincts screaming that the villain they sought to confront was no ordinary foe.
From the east, Prince Yuan Jihao, now partially recovered, led a contingent of elite cultivators. Though his aura had been diminished by Xuanlong's devouring, the fragments of his fate threads now lent subtle insight into the villain's power. He hesitated, realizing that a direct assault without coordination would lead to certain annihilation.
From the west, sect masters convened in the air, their combined strategies forming intricate webs of attack patterns. Celestial beasts roared, engines of war thrummed, and countless cultivators prepared their finest techniques, all aimed at crushing the Nine Flames Heavenly Clan.
Yet Xuanlong did not falter. Crimson eyes gleamed, and chains coiled with anticipation. "So eager," he said softly. "The world converges, and I taste the first morsels of its fear."
He moved, stepping down from his throne, and the black chains erupted from the ground and sky simultaneously. The devoured threads pulsed, expanding his Semi-Deity aura to stretch across valleys, mountains, and rivers. The chains reached out in every direction, probing the converging forces like a predator circling a herd.
Small skirmishes broke out immediately. Scouting formations collided with Xuanlong's chains and shadows. Even minor attacks were devoured mid-flight, fragments of enemy energy absorbed to strengthen his aura. The disciples moved with flawless coordination, each action feeding back into their master's perception.
Yan Ruyan intercepted a wave of semi-divine cultivators, bending their strategies with whispers that left them disoriented. Meiyu immobilized entire squads of reinforcements before they could engage. Qiao Ling and Meilin shattered arrays that had taken decades to form, twisting space to funnel energy into Xuanlong's chains. The smallest threads of fate were now his to taste and manipulate.
The armies froze as the reality sank in: this was not a battle against a person, but against a force capable of devouring strategy, energy, and even destiny itself. Each attack launched against him was anticipated and consumed, fueling the villain further.
In the distance, Prince Jihao's golden eyes narrowed. "We underestimated him… again." He signaled his forces, and a coordinated assault began, multiple Heaven's Chosen striking simultaneously from different directions. The sky tore apart with divine light, blasts of energy colliding with black flames that bent laws themselves.
Xuanlong smiled, crimson eyes flashing. He extended a hand, and the devoured fate threads responded instantly, weaving an intricate lattice across the battlefield. The chains moved with sentience, intercepting every strike, devouring every fragment of energy, and amplifying his Semi-Deity aura in real time.
The world trembled. Mountains fractured. Rivers boiled. Even the skies seemed to shift in response to the pulse of his aura. The villains' disciples moved as extensions of his will, perfect instruments of his devouring strategy.
And yet, in the distance, more Heaven's Chosen were gathering, some with techniques that bent time, some wielding artifacts that challenged the very laws of the world. The air shimmered with the combined presence of multiple semi-divine beings converging on a single point.
Xuanlong's smile widened. "So be it. Let them come. I will devour them all. Every thread, every morsel… will fuel the villain's throne."
The black chains writhed higher, lashing into the sky, while his crimson eyes pierced the gathering forces. The world had converged, bringing every hope, fear, and blade against him. And Feng Xuanlong, villain of destiny, Semi-Deity of devoured fates, prepared to meet them head-on.
The first true global assault had begun. And the villain was ready.