Chapter 851 – Destroyed
“This is that small world that the Golden Crow Divine Spirit created?” Feng Xue’er asked. She had heard Yun Che speak of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley before but its true appearance still far surpassed what she had imagined.
“Mnnn,” the Little Demon Empress replied in affirmation, her brows faintly raised. This was because she could clearly sense that the fire aura in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was much weaker than it had been the last time they had been here.
After passing through countless flame seas, a mountain rampart finally appeared. In front of the mountain rampart, a profound formation that was burning with golden flames was slowly revolving in place.
“There it is!”
They landed in front of the fire profound formation, the Little Demon Empress gently shrugged off Feng Xue’er’s supporting arm before slowly kneeling to the ground:
“The Twelfth Emperor of the Illusory Demon Imperial Family, the eleventh successor of the Golden Crow bloodline, Huan Caiyi, begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God.”
Feng Xue’er also hurriedly knelt down as she held Yun Che in her arms. In front of the only hope they had of saving Yun Che, she would not hesitate in the slightest even if she was required to adopt the humble posture of a lowly ant.
The Little Demon Empress’ voice was quickly swallowed up by the sound of the roaring flames that resounded in the Golden Crow Lighting Flame Valley. But even after waiting a long time, they received no response.
Bewilderment and uneasiness welled in the Little Demon Empress’ heart. This was the independent world that the Golden Crow Spirit had created, so its spirit perception should cover every corner of this world. Anything that happened in this place would not be able to escape it’s spirit perception. It should have sensed their presence from the moment they had entered Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
Especially since it had expressed such regard for Yun Che the last time around…
So why had it not made an appearance and met them yet?
“The Illusory Demon Imperial Family’s Huan Caiyi begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God.”
The Little Demon Empress called out again but she still did not receive the Golden Crow Spirit’s response, even after a long time had passed.
“Little Demon Empress sis, the Golden Crow Spirit… Is it not present in this place?” Feng Xue’er asked in a worried voice.
Just as her voice fell, an ear-splitting and soul-shaking girlish voice abruptly rang out from all corners of the place, “Huan Caiyi, why did you suddenly come to this place and disturb this noble one’s slumber!?”
This voice was even more intense and violent than lava and it also contained a simmering rage.
“Ah!” Feng Xue’er cried out in alarm. The Little Demon Empress raised her head and looked upwards as she spoke in an extremely respectful and reverential tone, “For inadvertently disturbing the Golden Crow Divine God’s slumber, Huan Caiyi is willing to accept all punishment. But… Yun Che has sustained heavy injuries and he teeters on the edge of death. The only one in the world that can save him now is the Golden Crow Divine God, so I beg that you present your golden body and save his life. Huan Caiyi is willing to pay any price. Even if you want my life in exchange, I am willing to give it.”
Feng Xue’er’s mouth dropped open and she stared dazedly at the Little Demon Empress. The Little Demon Empress had uttered the words “even if you want my life in exchange, I am willing to give it” in such a calm and matter-of-fact manner.
She may have appeared cold to the point where it seemed like she did not have any emotions but the Little Demon Empress’ feelings for Yun Che did not lose to anyone else in this world… Even as the noble and supreme monarch who ruled over the entire Illusory Demon Realm, the Little Demon Empress regarded Yun Che as more important to her than even her own life.
“Him? Heavily injured and on the brink of death? Hahahahaha…”
The Golden Crow Spirit did not materialise and the Little Demon Empress’ words only provoked a loud laugh of disdain from it, “Idiot! Yun Che possesses the bloodline of the Dragon God and has the protection of the power of the Rage God. So no matter how heavy his injuries are, even if he is lingering on his very last breath, as long as he isn’t dead, he will definitely recover. But the both of you want this noble one to save him? This is simply ridiculous!”
“No, that isn’t the case this time around,” the Little Demon Empress pleaded in a loud voice. “It was not just any power that harmed him this time. He has already been tottering on the edge of life and death for an entire ten days. He has only woken up once during these past ten days and he might die at any time. In this world, it is truly only you that can save him now.”
“…Ten days?” The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was clearly laced with suspicion. Because Yun Che had the body of the Dragon God and the powers of the Rage God, so on this plane, there should not be any power that would cause him to lie at death’s door for ten days without any signs of recovery.
Clang!
At this moment, a pair of scarlet-golden eyes suddenly opened up in the dull-golden sky as scorching rays of light that seemed like fire descended from above. It seemed as if a blazing sun had risen in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley as the place grew even brighter and hotter.
The Golden Crow Spirit finally appeared and the Little Demon Empress bowed deeply in it’s presence. Feng Xue’er also hurriedly knelt down but after that she gently placed Yun Che in front of her body as she plead, “Great and magnanimous Golden Crow Divine Spirit, I beg that you definitely save Big Brother Yun. I, Feng Xue’er, am willing to use everything that I have and everything that I am to repay this favor.”
The light released by those scarlet-golden eyes first fell on Feng Xue’er’s body as it lingered on her for a very long time… Because her body was releasing a Phoenix aura that was far too dense, dense to the point where it was abnormal.
But it did not ask her anything. Instead those golden eyes swept across the Little Demon Empress before stopping there for a short moment. After that, the Golden Crow Spirit asked in a severe voice, “You actually ignited your origin blood? Hmph, given the power that this noble one has bestowed upon you, to think that there is actually someone on this plane that can push you to this extent!?”
“Even though Caiyi was forced to ignite her origin blood, my body was not harmed. I will recover within the month. I beg that the Golden Crow Divine God definitely save Yun Che,” the Little Demon Empress plead once again.
Facing the Golden Crow Spirit, every single word she said was regarding saving Yun Che’s life.
“Hmph, then let this noble one see just what kind of wound can render a person, who possesses both the body of the Dragon God and the powers of the Rage God, unconscious for ten days!”
A beam of golden light fell from the sky before morphing into layers of weak flame which covered Yun Che’s body.
In a single instant, all the flames that had just touched Yun Che’s body fiercely jumped before dispersing like flashing lightning. The golden eyes which hung in midair also released a strange light as the Golden Crow Spirit said, “This is…”
The Golden Crow Spirit’s tone underwent a fierce change, “Why did he get harmed by this kind of power? Just what did all of you encounter?”
“We don’t know either.” Feng Xue’er as she shook her head, “At that time, I was at Big Brother Yun’s side but I did not even see who harmed him. I could not even sense a single trace of any strange or abnormal energy auras around him. Big Brother Yun just suddenly… became like this.”
“…” The Golden Crow Spirit suddenly grew silent and it did not speak for a very long time.
The aura in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley also suddenly became stifling.
The Golden Crow Spirit’s silence caused a thick sense of uneasiness to arise in the hearts of the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er. Feng Xue’er was finally unable to endure this stifling aura. She raised her delicate head and spoke in a pleading voice, “You are the great and magnanimous Golden Crow Divine Spirit, so you definitely have a method to save him. I beg that you bestow your great mercy upon us, no matter what…”
“There is no need to speak any further.”
The Golden Crow Spirit suddenly spoke, interrupting Feng Xue’er’s words. It continued in a cold voice, “Are any of you aware just what kind of power he was harmed by?”
“…” Both the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er shook their heads at the same time.
“The person who harmed him used the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God!” The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was like a raging fire, “However, on this plane, there shouldn’t be any person who has heard of the name ‘Heavenly Poison Star God’”.
“Then… how can we save him exactly?” Who the Heavenly Poison Star God was and why that person wanted to kill Yun Che was not their main concern right now. The only thing that they wanted to know was how to rescue Yun Che.
“Save him?” The Golden Crow Spirit said with a heavy snort, “You don’t even know what kind of existence the Heavenly Poison Star God is, so it’s natural that neither of you can even imagine how terrifying she is. This is an incomparably strong divine power and it is far more malicious than it is strong, reaching the very pinnacle of maliciousness!”
“The power which has harmed Yun Che is enough to reduce any other living creature on this plane to dust. But Yun Che possesses the Dragon God’s marrow and his bones are as strong and resilient as star steel, so that is why he did not disintegrate completely.”
“The Heavenly Poison Star God’s power also definitely contains a virulent poison. The only reason why Yun Che wasn’t poisoned instantly by this virulent poison was because he has the Sky Poison Pearl on his person.”
“After the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power has harmed someone, the lingering energy left after the attack does not dissipate. Instead, it will burrow into the body like a maggot and even if the person does not die immediately, it will continue to rend the soul and devour that person’s life. Only a power on the same level as it can force it to dissipate. This is also the reason Yun Che has not yet recovered his strength or recovered from his wounds yet. But in the end, he still has the protection bestowed upon him by the body of the Dragon God and the power of the Rage God, so that is why he has forcefully endured until now without succumbing to death.”
“The fact that he can forcefully survive under the influence of the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power is a miracle in and of itself. If the same power had been inflicted on either of you, both of you would have already died ten thousand times over! But even though he still lives, it is only the last gasps of a dying man! And if you truly want to save him… that is no more than a fool’s wishful thinking!”
The four words “a fool’s wishful thinking” felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads. Feng Xue’er’s tears immediately started to gush out. She tried her best to hold back her tears as she spoke, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit… is it true that even you… can’t think of anything?”
“Yun Che’s innate talent is special and unique and not only is he the one who inherited this noble one’s bloodline, he is also the one that this noble one has placed all of my hopes in. If I can save him, this noble one will not spare any effort. But even if this noble one’s power was a hundred times what it is right now, it would still be far from that Heavenly Poison Star God who harmed him.”
“It would be easy for this noble one to rouse him temporarily but even if I expended all my strength and effort, it would be impossible for me to save him.”
Even though the Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was still as fiery and explosive as fire it was now laced with a deep somberness and helplessness.
Feng Xue’er immediately melted to the ground, hugging Yun Che as she sobbed and wept. Their last ray of hope had been mercilessly destroyed. If even the Golden Crow Spirit was unable to save Yun Che, then there truly existed no method in this world that could save him…
“Speaking of which, there was originally someone that could save him but since the Heavenly Poison Star God appeared, then it is natural that this person would definitely not be able to continue to stay in this place,” the Golden Crow Spirit said, its voice and the gleam in its eyes had dulled by several degrees.
The person it was referring to was naturally Jasmine. But right now, it could no longer sense the presence of Jasmine’s soul in Yun Che’s body. In the next instant, it deduced that seeking out the Heavenly Slaughter Star God was the only reason the Heavenly Poison Star God would even appear in this world. It was also for this reason that she would make a move to kill Yun Che.
Feng Xue’er knew that the person the Golden Crow Spirit was speaking of was that dreadfully powerful girl in the red dress. But… she had already left and she would never ever be able to return. Even if Feng Xue’er wanted to go look for her, she would not be able to find her.
“You should leave,” the Golden Crow Spirit said in a somber voice. “He is dead and that is indeed extremely regrettable. But such is fate. Given his tenaciousness, he should still be able to struggle on for around another ten days… In this life, he has already experienced good fortune that a normal person would not be able to even hope for in ten lives. Even though he was born with an unfortunate fate, it could be said that he has not lived his life in vain at all.”
The Little Demon Empress stood up, her eyes bleak and lifeless. She gloomily said, “Xue’er, let us depart. He hasn’t seen his father or mother… for a very long time now.”
Feng Xue’er’s mind was a swath of grayish white, her vision completely blurred by her tears. She gently hugged Yun Che as she listlessly stepped forward in a disoriented fashion but she did not even know which direction she was headed.
“Wait a moment!!”
The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice suddenly rang through the air like an unexpected peal of thunder, stopping the footsteps of Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress.
Two golden lights fell on Feng Xue’er’s body as the Golden Crow Spirit stared her fixedly. The light that it’s pair of golden eyes was releasing at this moment was far more thick and intense than it had been at any other moment.
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit?” Feng Xue’er muttered lifelessly.
“Feng Xue’er, answer one question for this noble one.” The Golden Crow Spirit’s dull voice suddenly regained the explosiveness of a volcano, “Are you still a virgin?”
Chapter 852 – Repeating the Same Old Trick
“Ah…” Feng Xue’er was stunned by that question and she did not even know how to begin to respond to it.
“Answer this noble one’s question, are you still a virgin?” The Golden Crow Spirit repeated in a grave voice, “The answer to this question is directly related to whether or not Yun Che can be saved.”
To the two girls who had already given up their last bit of hope, these last words uttered by the Golden Crow Spirit were without a doubt completely earth-shattering. The Little Demon Empress instantly turned around and the confused Feng Xue’er was also shocked back into sensibility. She opened her tender lips while frantically nodding her head in embarrassment, “I… I… am…”
Even though Feng Xue’er was practically like a sheet of unspotted white paper when it came to relations between men and women, she still clearly understood the meaning of the word “virgin”.
“Hahahahaha…” Feng Xue’er’s reply caused the Golden Crow Spirit to abruptly start laughing loudly. Moreover, this loud laughter began to surge fiercely, sweeping away the previous heavy and stifling atmosphere, “Yun Che has the Dragon God’s bloodline. Combined with the Golden Crow’s flame, this means that the yang energy in his body is incomparably rich and vigorous. Furthermore, you possess surpassing beauty and it seems like your feelings for him are deeply rooted as well. To think that he hasn’t even touched you yet, this is truly an extremely rare occurrence!”
The Little Demon Empress, “…”
“I…” A red blush stained Feng Xue’er’s cheek as she began to hem and haw, “The power within my bloodline still hasn’t… still hasn’t fully awakened… So I can’t… Big Brother Yun has always cherished and treasured me…So… So…”
“Hmph, this is simply absurd!” The Golden Crow Spirit said in a huffy voice, “If you had lost your phoenix vital yin to any other male, it would indeed have seriously stifled the awakening of the power within your bloodline. But how can Yun Che’s constitution be compared with that of a normal male’s!? Just by the virtue of his Dragon God bloodline, not only can he cause your physique to fundamentally change, he can even greatly aid the awakening of the power of your Phoenix bloodline.”
“Right now, you have awoken roughly forty percent of the power of your Phoenix bloodline. If you maintain your present state, you will need at least fifteen more years to fully awaken your power. But if you practice Dragon Phoenix Dual Cultivation with him, you will be able to awaken ninety percent of your power in no more than three months! Within half a year, you will be able to fully awaken your power. At that time, your strength will far surpass Huan Caiyi and the Phoenix Spirit who bestowed this bloodline upon you. Three years later, you will be able to step into the way of the divine and reach a new horizon!”
“You desire for the power of your bloodline to be fully awakened, yet you are not even aware that such a top-class male incubator is right by your side. Instead, you reject what is near at hand and seek something that is far away. It is simply far too laughable.”
“Ah…?” The strange and unreasonable outburst from the Golden Crow Spirit stunned Feng Xue’er in place, leaving her at a complete loss.
“Golden Crow Divine God, you just mentioned that there was a method to save Yun Che. Is that true?” the Little Demon Empress asked in an anxious voice.
“Hmph, I guess this kiddo is pretty fortunate after all.” The Golden Crow Spirit said indifferently, “If he had touched that Phoenix girl in the past, then he would undoubtedly be destined for death right now. Not only was this Phoenix girl deeply in love with him, she also possessed enough beauty to overthrow a country. As someone who carried such heavy yang energy, with someone like her by his side, being able to control himself was indeed not an easy feat. But since this is the case, he has also gained a new life for himself.”
The scarlet-golden eyes hovering in midair opened wide as thick and dense firelight spilled out, “Right now, there is indeed a method that can save him. Furthermore, it is a method that will not only allow him to fully recover but it will also cause his cultivation to explosively increase within a short period of time.”
“What method!?” Both Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress yelled at the same time. The elation of rising to heaven from the depths of hell caused all of the blood in their bodies to roil about agitatedly.
“This noble one has already said so much but the both of you still do not understand? Of course it’s your phoenix vital yin!” The Golden Crow Spirit thundered as it stared at Feng Xue’er, “When it comes to destructive power, the Phoenix flames are far inferior to the Golden Crow flames. But the Phoenix flames have a special cleansing ability. Yun Che is unable to recover from his heavy injuries because the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power is still running rampant inside his body. Given your Phoenix flames, it would undoubtedly be a fool’s errand to attempt to cleanse a power that far exceeds the level of your own. However, your phoenix vital yin is able to ignite the Phoenix’s ‘primal flame” one time in his body.”
“It’s other name is—the Flame of Nirvana!”
“The Flames of Nirvana… I have heard Lord Phoenix God mention this before,” Feng Xue’er said dazedly.
“The Flame of Nirvana is a divine flame unique to the Phoenix and it possesses the ultimate cleansing power in this entire universe. Furthermore, even the Phoenix itself can only ignite these flames twice in its life. The first time is when it is born, the second time is when it experiences rebirth. Furthermore, if it forcibly ignites those flames before its rebirth, then when it loses its life, it will not be able to undergo a nirvanic rebirth.”
“The Flames of Nirvana is impossible for a normal person to ignite but you are different.” Even though the Golden Crow Spirit was repulsed by the Phoenix flames, it possessed a deep interest and astonishment towards Feng Xue’er, “Because you did not merely inherit the bloodline of the Phoenix, you also inherited the entirety of a Phoenix Spirit! So your phoenix vital yin is completely sufficient to ignite a faint and weak Flame of Nirvana one time.”
“Even though it is faint and weak and should only last for an instant, it is enough to disperse the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God that is running through his body!” The Golden Crow Spirit’s tone changed abruptly after that, “However, if this is the case, then if you perish in the future, you will be unable to undergo a nirvanic rebirth as well. You, who should have had the body of the Phoenix which possesses two lives, will only be left with one life just like everyone else.”
“Then… then what should I do? What can I do to save Big Brother Yun?” Feng Xue’er completely disregarded whatever she was going to lose. If she was able to save Yun Che, she would not hesitate no matter the cost. Even though she had vaguely been able to guess at something but her understanding of relations between a man and a woman was completely limited to the intimate actions that Yun Che normally displayed with her. She did not even have the foggiest idea regarding the rest of it and she did not know what she had to do.
“Right now, it is fine if you don’t know what to do. Don’t you have a person beside you that can teach you whatever you need to know!?” The Golden Crow Spirit declared, relishing every word that it spoke.
“Ah?” Feng Xue’er gave a low cry while the Little Demon Empress was in a mild shock.
“You are inexperienced in the ways of the world, so it is natural that you don’t know what to do. But Huan Caiyi, at that time you were without a teacher, yet you took the initiative and learned by yourself. And after you married Yun Che, you did it day and night, so you have long ago become well-versed in such matters. It will be up to you to guide Feng Xue’er in what she needs to do… What’s more, the person that she wants to save is your man as well!”
“ “~！@#￥%…” The Little Demon Empress’ mouth faintly opened. A panicked and flustered expression that even Yun Che had never seen before was now clearly pasted on that normally cold and practically emotionless face.
The gloomy and stifling atmosphere shared by both girls suddenly became extremely subtle. The Golden Crow Spirit’s eyes flashed before it gave a heavy snort, “Hmph, how troublesome!”
Whoosh!!
A ring-shaped cluster of flames suddenly sprang up around the three of them, placing them squarely in the center. After that the flames suddenly surged, forming a gigantic flame barrier which contained all three of them within it.
Moreover, it was not the first time that the Little Demon Empress had seen this flame barrier… The Golden Crow Spirit had used this method to seal Yun Che and her the last time… While telling her that she had a time limit of two months to obtain his vital yang at least five hundred times before they would be allowed out.
“Huan Caiyi, you better listen up and listen good.” The Golden Crow Spirit’s grave and serious voice resounded in her ears, “If you merely want to save Yun Che, then you can simply rely on the ‘Flame of Nirvana’ that will be ignited by Feng Xue’er’s phoenix vital yin to disperse the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God that is coursing through his body. After that, Yun Che’s extremely strong self-healing ability will allow him to make a full recovery within days. But Feng Xue’er is definitely not any normal inheritor of the Phoenix bloodline and her body can nearly be called the actual ‘body of the Phoenix God’. Because of this, her phoenix vital yin is incomparably precious, so even if the slightest bit of it is lost, it will still be a huge, incalculable loss which can never be recovered.
“If Yun Che can perfectly obtain her phoenix vital yin, then it will definitely cause his profound strength to soar within a short period of time. At that time, it might be possible that he could even surpass you.”
“The enemy that you encountered was able to force you to ignite your origin blood. Given Yun Che’s current strength, even if he does make a full recovery, the moment he clashes with that enemy, he will undoubtedly die. If you don’t want him to suffer a miserable death after he barely manages to snatch it back in the first place, then you should assist him in perfectly obtaining Feng Xue’er’s phoenix vital yin. At the same time, it will also help Feng Xue’er by speeding up the awakening of the power of her bloodline.”
“This barrier will last for three months. Given Feng Xue’er’s body of the Phoenix God, she will completely use up her phoenix vital yin after these three months. As for how to allow Yun Che to perfectly obtain her phoenix vital yin… Heh, you should be far more experienced regarding that than this noble one. The results that all of you obtain after three months will be entirely dependent on you. So you definitely must not disappoint this noble one.”
“Hahahahaha…” The Golden Crow Spirit let out a loud laugh, as if it had done something delightful. After that, those eyes flashed with a golden light and the barrier below was instantly sealed away completely, securely trapping those three people within its confines.
It had initially forcefully trapped the Little Demon Empress and Yun Che within that barrier and it would not let them out before they achieved the target it had set for them.
Not more than two years later, it was once again doing the same thing. The only thing that was different this time around was that it had forcefully confined three people and the limit was not the “amount of times”, it was time itself.
What was even more different was its state of mind.
After bestowing the last of its Golden Crow origin blood and its own soul origin to Yun Che, the Golden Crow Spirit had gradually started to recede from existence. Before this, it would often release its own spiritual perception to observe the Illusory Demon Realm but during this period, it had spent most of the time sleeping so as to reduce the rate at which it was disappearing.
Even though this was the case, it will still vanish forever before ten years pass… Along with the Sea of Death and the entire Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
“Ah.”
After sealing those three people into the barrier, the Golden Crow Spirit did not immediately return to its slumber. It lingered on silently for a very long period of time before letting out a heavy sigh.
“As a spirit fragment left behind by the Phoenix itself, even if it was on its last legs, it actually disregarded the dignity of the divine beasts and gave all of itself to a lowly human being. How utterly absurd. As a fellow spirit, even though my spirit is about to be scattered to the four winds, I would definitely not be able to do such a thing…”
“But it looks like it had also definitely sensed that dreadful aura, so it ultimately chose to do this. Devoting all of its strength to give this world the ability to resist what is to come, giving this world a faint and weak hope that isn’t even equivalent to a grain of sand…”
“The cracked Wall of Primal Chaos… What exactly is stirring behind it…”
Chapter 853 – The Yun Family Receives Guests
Xiao Yun and Number One Under Heaven led the people who had come to the Illusory Demon Realm for the first time to Demon Imperial City before directly heading towards the Yun Family household.
The Yun Family had already received a sound transmission beforehand, so Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou were already at the main gate waiting to receive them.
After Xiao Yun spied the anxiously waiting figures of Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou, he galloped towards them before heavily bowing to the ground, “Father, Mother, your child has returned.”
Number One Under Heaven was hot on his heels as he bowed as well, “Patriarch Yun, Madam Yun, it has been a long time.”
Yun Qinghong gave a faint smile as he nodded his head. He extended a hand to lift Xiao Yun up, his warm gaze extending to the unfamiliar faces behind him, including the gaggle of Frozen Cloud girls who were so beautiful that they caused one’s head to spin. Just as he was about to ask, he suddenly heard Mu Yurou speak in an anxious voice, “Yun’er, where is Che’er? He didn’t come back with the rest of you? And the Little Demon Empress… Has she already returned to the palace?”
“Father, Mother, concerning Big Brother and the Little Demon Empress…” Even though Xiao Yun had already thought about what to say while he was on the way here, now that he saw Mu Yurou’s extremely worried eyes, he still felt his heart panicking. He silently swallowed a mouthful of saliva before forcing himself to speak in a relaxed voice, “Actually, Big Brother sustained some injuries before he returned. So the moment we returned, the Little Demon Empress brought him to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley in order to get the Golden Crow Divine God to heal Big Brother’s wounds.”
“Ah!!” Mu Yurou gave a cry of alarm as the look of joy and anticipation on her face instantly turned into a look of fear and dread. She grabbed Xiao Yun’s arm, gripping it so hard that the joints of her fingers turned white, “Yun Che, he… how did he get hurt… Are his injuries serious… Who was it that hurt him… Just what exactly is his condition right now…”
“I… Big Brother, he…” Xiao Yun was a person who was extremely bad at lying. Besides, right now, he was in front of the mother he was closest to and loved and respected the most. So in this moment, he was at a complete loss as to what to do, stumbling over his words and unable to form a coherent sentence.
“Yurou, there’s no need to worry.” Yun Qinghong said as he gave a relaxed smile and patted Mu Yurou’s shoulder, “Your concern has truly left you frazzled this time. Could it be that you’ve forgotten that Che’er not only has extremely great medical skills, he also possesses a constitution that far exceeds that of a normal person? Even extremely serious injuries can be quickly recovered from in his case so even if his injuries are particularly heavy this time around, hasn’t the Little Demon Empress already personally brought him to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley? Given the divine power of the Golden Crow Divine God, no matter how serious his injuries are, he will definitely be able to safely recover from them.”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” Xiao Yun hurriedly said as he followed along and nodded his head, “Even though Big Brother was wounded this time… and it was just slightly on the serious side the moment he meets the Golden Crow Divine God, he will definitely be better in no time. So Mother doesn’t need to be worried at all. For all we know, Big Brother might safely return tomorrow.”
Yun Qinghong’s words had managed to somewhat assuage the panic that had seized Mu Yurou’s heart, “That’s right… The Golden Crow Divine Spirit regards Che’er so highly, so it definitely won’t be stingy with its divine power. Che’er will definitely return safe and sound.”
“Heh heh, of course,” Yun Qinghong laughed as he nodded his head. But at the same time, a somber heaviness flashed in the depths of his eyes.
He was very clear regarding Yun Che’s abnormal recovery ability… but this time, he was so badly wounded that they had not even brought him back home first. They had instead directly gone to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
The injuries he sustained this time were definitely extremely vicious…
What exactly had happened over in the Profound Sky Continent?
“Right! Father, Mother, I found Grandfather when I went to the Profound Sky Continent.”
Xiao Yun quickly strode towards Xiao Lie’s side and supported him over before speaking to Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou once more, “This is my grandfather by blood. It was also Grandfather who raised Big Brother up into a man. Grandfather, these are my parents in the Illusory Demon Realm, they have raised me for more than twenty years and they have treated me as their very own. In my heart, I have always regarded them as my real parents.”
Xiao Lie measured the couple before making a light bow, “At the risk of being presumptuous, I must say that I, Xiao Lie, will never be able to return the favor you have done me by raising Yun’er.”
Xiao Lie did not receive a reply for a long time after he spoke. From the moment Xiao Yun introduced him, Yun Qinghong’s body had shaken before he stood there completely petrified. His eyes dazedly stared at Xiao Lie as they trembled and his body was so tense that it kept trembling.
“Father?” Xiao Yun gazed questioningly at the Yun Qinghong who suddenly seemed to lose all his vigor.
Thump!!
Yun Qinghong fell to his knees with a heavy thump as he knelt in front of Xiao Lie.
“Father!!” Xiao Yun cried out as in great shock.
“Ah! Pat… Patriarch!!” The gathered elders and disciples of the Yun Family cried as they all went white with shock.
Xiao Lie was so shocked that he had instinctively retreated half a step. But after that, he hurriedly sprang forward and extended a hand to help him off the ground, “This… What you are doing… this is not something that you should be doing!”
But even though he used all of his strength, Yun Qinghong’s knees were rooted to the ground and he did not move in the slightest. Beside him, Mu Yurou had also knelt down, her eyes shining with tears.
“Senior Xiao…” Yun Qinghong but his tiger eyes were already streaming with tears, “I, Yun Qinghong, have wronged you… It was I who caused Brother Xiao Ying to meet such a calamity during his heroic years. It was I who caused your family to break down, separating all of you for more than twenty years… But not only did you not hold any resentment or hatred towards us, you even treated Che’er as your own flesh and blood, personally raising him for more than ten years, allowing my family to finally be reunited…”
“Even if I have lived past ten lives, I, Yun Qinghong, will still be unable to repay the debt of guilt I owe you. I will still have not repaid the great favor you have done for us…”
When Yun Qinghong had personally heard from Yun Che that Xiao Ying had died more than twenty years ago, he was in such agony and grief that he wished that he was dead. The boundless gratitude and guilt he felt towards Xiao Ying had left an extremely deep knot in his heart. So when he saw Xiao Lie today, all of the emotions that had piled up in his heart exploded forth like rushing river. This Yun Family patriarch, who was deeply respected and admired by far too many people, was crying like a child in front of this weak and fragile-looking old man.
Mu Yurou was crying along with him because she was very clear on just how much pain he bore in his heart. Now that Xiao Ying’s father was in front of them, he was finally able to vent that pain out.
The rims of Xiao Lie’s eyes had also grown wet. He was face to face with the patriarch of the most exalted family in the Illusory Demon Realm, a family whose status was comparable with the unparalleled Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent. But such a person was actually kneeling down before him, an old man who could not be any more ordinary, in front of everyone… This sentiment was as heavy as a mountain. He now finally and completely understood why his son Xiao Ying would be willing to go to such an extent for this man all those years ago.
“Please rise… Please quickly rise.” Xiao Lie tried to pull the couple off the ground time and again. He said tearfully, “What happened all those years ago was never your fault, so how could you owe us? My son Xiao Ying died for the sake of friendship and he died with no regrets or complaints and I have never borne even a shred of hatred or resentment towards the both of you either. Today, Yun’er and Che’er have all grown into men who have achieved remarkable things so everything in the past have turned into so much fog and smoke. Why should we still allow them to weigh down on our hearts?”
Xiao Lie not only did not blame or resent them in the least. He instead strove to encourage them to not torment themselves over such a thing. A multitude of emotions surged in Yun Qinghong’s heart and for a time, he wept without being able to make a sound. Afterwards, he kowtowed heavily towards Xiao Lie.
The gathered members of the Yun Family, who were gathered behind, could finally figure out that the person Xiao Yun was kneeling to was actually the person who had raised Yun Che in the Profound Sky Continent. In the next moment, all of them stopped kicking up a ruckus as every one of them felt a deep respect for Xiao Lie.
“Senior Xiao.” Yun Qinghong’s every word resounded like the clang of metal, “Xiao Ying and I are brothers, so Xiao Ying’s father is also my father. My blood father was harmed by villains and he also passed on to the west so I am unable to perform my filial duties towards him. But from now on, you will be my father and I, Yun Qinghong, will be your son… If I am ever unfilial to you, may it not be tolerated by the heavens or the earth!”
“Most respected father, please accept this kowtow from your children.” Yun Qinghong’s attitude was extremely serious as he kowtowed along with Mu Yurou.
Even though Yun Qinghong was far older than Xiao Lie when it came to age, this scene was not the least bit inappropriate and everyone present all felt the rims of theirs eyes grow wet.
Tears coursed from Xiao Lie’s aged eyes. He did not reject Yun Qinghong’s gesture and accepted the kowtow from the couple. After that, he extended a hand to help both of them off the ground, “Good, good children, hurry up and rise…”
This time, Yun Qinghong was finally willing to be helped off the ground.
“This is simply splendid!” Xiao Yun said as he felt his nose crinkle with emotion. “The spirit of Father in heaven will definitely be very joyful and appreciative of this… Ah, right, besides Grandfather, I also have a little aunt.”
“Father, Mother, this is my little aunt, her name is Xiao Lingxi.” Xiao Yun pointed towards Xiao Lingxi as he introduced her.
“Oh you, how can you be so impudent and actually address a senior by her name.” Yun Qinghong rebuked Xiao Yun with a smile as he wiped away the tears on his face. After that, he spoke to Xiao Lingxi in a peaceable manner, “Miss Xiao, I have often heard Che’er mention you. I am truly unable to express the gratitude in my heart for the abundant care and concern that you have shown towards him while the two of you were growing up. From today onwards, you are my, Yun Qinghong’s, own sister. So if anything ever happens, you must definitely not be too polite with your big brother over here.”
When Xiao Lingxi had first seen Yun Che’s real parents, she was filled with a nervous apprehension. Just as she had thought of how to greet and address them, Yun Qinghong’s “from today onwards, you will be my own sister,” completely stunned her. Her beautiful eyes widened as her heart was thrown into turmoil. To acknowledge those words would be bad but to not acknowledge those words would not be good either. So she stood in place, stumbling over words that she could not utter.
The senses that only women possessed allowed Mu Yurou to vaguely figure out the reason for Xiao Lingxi’s appearance. She gave a faint smile as she strode forward and clasped Xiao Lingxi’s hands intimately. After that, she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at Yun Qinghong, “Look at you, she is still a small and little girl but the old man that you are wants to immediately make her your sister. You’re making this little girl feel old.”
As she looked at Xiao Lingxi, Mu Yurou’s expression immediately turned warm and genial, “Lingxi, you don’t need to bother with him. From now on, you can treat this place as your own home as well. If you need anything, feel free to let me know about it, you definitely mustn’t be too considerate towards me. As for how to address me, if you want to call me sister, then call me sister. If you want to call me aunt, then call me aunt. You don’t need to follow what these men have decided on their own.”
Yun Qinghong was utterly baffled by Mu Yurou’s glare so he had no choice but to shut up and not speak any further.
“Yes… Au… Aunt.” After her hands had been clasped by Yun Che’s mother, Xiao Lingxi turned even more nervous and she confusedly addressed her as aunt.
This greeting caused Mu Yurou to beam on the inside. At this moment, her gaze was suddenly drawn to one particular girl. She stood quietly in her spot, the profound strength surrounding her body was faint and weak but she exuded a gentle refinement and nobility that was hard to describe. Furthermore, this air of nobility was definitely not something an ordinary family could cultivate and from all the girls that she had met in her lifetime, only the Little Demon Empress had made her feel this way.
As they had just arrived in a strange world and had just arrived at the Yun Family, most of the newcomers were apprehensive and reserved. Only she was unperturbed and tranquil, looking as picturesque as an elegant painting.
“And whom might this lady be?” Mu Yurou had been captivated for a brief moment before asking that straightforward question.
“Hehe.” Number Seven Under Heaven giggled as she said in a happy and bubbly tone, “Father, Mother, didn’t the both of you keep talking about that princess daughter-in-law that you hadn’t met yet? She is standing right in front of you right now.”
“Ah… Could it be that she is…” Mu Yurou said with a startled little cry. Yun Qinghong’s gaze also settled on Cang Yue as surprise flashed in his eyes.
Cang Yue strode forward and made a deep bow, “Daughter-in-law Cang Yue greets Father and Mother.”
Now that Mu Yurou had finally seen the daughter-in-law that she had pined for day and night, she hurriedly strode forward to help Cang Yue up. She measured Cang Yue at a glance and she was so excited that she was at a loss for what to do, “Good child… Ah look at this mother over here, I even forgot to prepare a greeting present for you…”
“You just need to prepare another greeting present then. Mother, I have another secret to tell you,” Number Seven Under Heaven said with a lovable smile. “Sister-in-law isn’t a princess anymore. She is the current empress of Blue Wind Nation and she is renowned throughout the entire Profound Sky Continent. She is simply too awesome.”
“Hahahaha!” Yun Qinghong let out a great laugh as he sighed in a heartfelt manner, “You are indeed a girl that has caught Che’er’s eye. Che’er is truly a lucky man.”
“As father and mother, we were unable to be present on the day of your wedding… Child, we have truly wronged you,” Mu Yurou said in an affectionate voice as she looked at Cang Yue. The more she looked at her, the more she felt like Cang Yue was truly a rare specimen and that even the heavens would have very few of her ilk.
Cang Yue gently shook her head, “Being able to become Husband’s wife is Cang Yue’s greatest fortune in life, so why would I feel even the least bit aggrieved? Today, I have finally managed to meet Father and Mother, thus resolving a great wish of mine. From today onwards, I will wait on you and show my filial piety towards you along with Husband.”
“Ah, such a good child.” Mu Yurou was so overjoyed that hot tears touched her eyes but she did not forget that there were other guests as well. She looked towards the gathered ladies of Frozen Cloud Asgard who were standing in the back and despite her extensive life experience, she had never once seen so many rare beauties with outstanding temperaments gathered together in her life. Just a single glance already threatened to completely dazzle her. After that, she asked in a hesitant and unsure voice, “These ladies, they wouldn’t happen to be… Che’er’s concubines, right?”
Even though the number was rather exaggerated, given the fact that his formal wife was an empress, finding several thousand concubines did not seem to be too far-fetched. Was there not a saying that went something like “the imperial harem is filled with three thousand beauties…”
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Author’s Note:
Wha? What’d I write in this chapter? Why do I not remember it at all?
Chapter 854 – Tortuous Wait
Just as Xiao Yun was about to introduce Frozen Cloud Asgard to Yun Qinghong and his wife, he suddenly heard Mu Yurou’s words and he was so shocked that he felt his legs go weak, his knees almost hitting the ground.
The jade faces of the gathered Frozen Cloud girls had turned a faint shade of pink as they stood there completely flabbergasted.
Murong Qianxue stepped forward and spoke in a respectful manner, “Patriarch Yun, Madam Yun, we are the disciples of the Profound Sky Continent’s Frozen Cloud Asgard. Yun Che is our Asgard Master. Half a year ago, Asgard Master Yun saved our sect from calamity and he was the one who granted us salvation. He brought us here in order to preserve the lives of everyone here. Forgive us for imposing on your hospitality but we were overwhelmed by fear for our lives.”
“Oh?” Yun Qinghong said with a puzzled expression on his face as he nodded his head. “So that is how it is. I have heard Che’er mention the name Frozen Cloud Asgard before. But when Che’er spoke about your noble sect, he mentioned that you have traditionally only taken in female disciples, so how did Che’er become your Asgard Master?”
“How this all came to pass… is a long story,” Murong Qianxue said solemnly. “If not for Asgard Master Yun, Frozen Cloud Asgard would have long ago disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“Father,” Xiao Yun said. “I will give you a detailed account of the reasons for why this happened later. Frozen Cloud Asgard has around two thousand disciples altogether, this is the first time they have come to the Illusory Demon Realm and they have basically nowhere else to go. Before Big Brother returns, I request that Father arrange a place for them to stay in the meantime.”
“Mn, of course we will.” Yun Qinghong nodded his head without hesitating in the slightest. Since Yun Che specially brought all of them to the Illusory Demon Realm, it spoke of his regard for Frozen Cloud Asgard. He thought about it for a moment before speaking to Murong Qianxue, “If you don’t mind, how does it sound if all of you fairies stayed in the residences of our Yun Family until Che’er returns? I also want to reassure all the fairies gathered here, I heard from Che’er that Frozen Cloud Asgard is cold and distant from the rest of the world and that your sect has never been willing to taint yourselves with the affairs of the outside world. So I will also give an order that no one is to be allowed near the residences where all of you will be staying so as to not disturb your peace and quiet. And there will definitely be no one outside the Yun Family who would dare to intrude upon any of you.”
Murong Qianxue bowed deeply in gratitude before speaking, “Since this is so, Murong Qianxue thanks Patriarch Yun and Madam Yun on behalf of all of the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
Bang!!
A huge boom resounded through the air as the main gates of the Yun Family were roughly thrown wide. A loud and boorish yell immediately followed after, “Seventh Treasure, Seventh Treasure!!”
“Father!?” Number Seven Under Heaven crowed in delight as she turned around to see Greatest Ambition Under Heaven bustle towards her.
“Father,” Number One Under Heaven said as he hurriedly strode forwards to greet Greatest Ambition Under Heaven.
But Greatest Ambition Under Heaven practically ignored Number One Under Heaven as he swept past him and rushed towards Number Seven Under Heaven and roared with delight, “My Seventh Treasure, you’ve finally returned. From the time you were little until now, you’ve never left your father’s side for more than three days but this time you were gone for half a year. You made me miss you so much!!”
Number Seven Under Heaven’s mouth gaped open and her body retreated with a ‘whoosh’ as she hid behind Xiao Yun’s back, causing Greatest Ambition Under Heaven to hug the empty air in front of him. Both his arms embraced the air in front of him as he stared in disbelief at the Number Seven Under Heaven who was hiding behind Xiao Yun. He spoke in an incredibly wounded voice, “It’s only been half a year but… but you’re not close to your father anymore…”
“Cough, Father-in-law.” Xiao Yun hurriedly and carefully explained, “Actually… Actually Seventh Sister is currently already six months pregnant, so…”
“WHAT!?” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven roared as he jumped. His roar was so loud that it caused Xiao Yun’s ears to buzz and ring.
“This… Is this true?” Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou asked with looks of delighted surprise on their faces.
“Of course it’s true,” Number One Under Heaven said helplessly. “Father, if Old Seven hadn’t dodged your embrace just now, you might just have inadvertently hurt your yet-to-be-born grandson.”
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven shoved Xiao Yun aside with one hand while he grabbed Number Seven Under Heaven’s arm, “Let’s go! Seventh Treasure, hurry up and return home with Father. Right now you are pregnant, so you definitely must not be gallivanting about.”
“Go home? I don’t want to.” Number Seven Under Heaven said as she retreated backwards, “I want to stay with Brother Yun.”
“This…How can this punk know how to take care of you? Right now, you are pregnant with my grandson, if by any chance… if by any chance some mishap occurs…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he was overcome by a fit of anxiety.
“That’s enough, Brother Under Heaven,” Yun Qinghong said as he hurriedly stepped forward. “You’ve truly let your emotions get the better of you. There is no reason to force your married daughter to return to her previous home. Besides, Number Seven is currently a royal princess whose title was personally bestowed by the Little Demon Empress.”
Bang!!
Another loud boom rang through the air as the main gates of the Yun Family, which had just been closed, were blasted open once again. The sound of loud and carefree laugh that was filled with excitement practically resonated throughout the entire Yun Family household, “Hahahaha, Che’er, Grandfather has come to see you.”
Mu Feiyan had brought along his three sons Mu Yubai, Mu Yuqing and Mu Yukong as he grandly strode through the gates. After that, he was immediately startled by the formation in front of him. Mu Feiyan’s eyes swept the area several times but he did not see Yun Che’s figure. So he immediately spat out a few words while glowering at everyone, “How about Che’er? Where is Che’er right now? Could it be that he didn’t return with you all?”
“Father, you need to calm down first,” Mu Yurou said in a soft voice. “Che’er did return but he was injured, so he is receiving treatment from the Golden Crow Divine God right now. He should return fairly quickly…”
“WHAT!?!” Mu Feiyan’s hair and beard immediately stood on end as he soared into the air in explosive rage, “Who was it!? Who was the bastard that harmed Che’er!? Speak, who was it!? Let’s see if this old man doesn’t tear him to pieces and pound him into mincemeat.”
“That’s about enough Father,” Mu Yubai said wryly, the corners of his mouth hooking upwards. “With the Little Demon Empress around, the bastard who harmed Che’er has definitely been burned to the point where there wasn’t even ashes left. What makes you think that you’ll even get a chance?”
“…” Xiao Yun opened his mouth before speaking in a very soft voice, “Actually… Actually, the Little Demon Empress wasn’t able to beat that person either and she ended up wounded as well. She was even forced to ignite her origin blood… In fact, all of us nearly died there.”
Those few words of Xiao Yun caused Mu Feiyan and the rest of them to be completely stunned, their faces rapidly losing color. Yun Qinghong grabbed Xiao Yun anxiously as he stared straight at him, “You said… that the Little Demon Empress was wounded as well? And that she was also forced to ignite her origin blood?”
“How… How can that be possible?” Mu Yukong said with a shocked and frightened expression on his face. “How can there still be anyone who can rival the Little Demon Empress in this world… How can that be possible!?”
“Xiao Yun’s words were not the least bit exaggerated,” Number One Under Heaven said with a heavy sigh.
Mu Feiyan, Greatest Ambition Under Heaven and Yun Qinghong glanced at each other with dismay. They were scarcely able to believe their own ears. Yun Qinghong relaxed his grip on Xiao Yun as his brows furrowed tightly together and he spoke in solemn tone, “Yun’er, give us a detailed account of everything that happened after all of you left for the Profound Sky Continent.”
“I think it’d be better if I told this story,” Number One Under Heaven said as he took a step forward.
Immediately after he said that, Number One Under Heaven gave them a long and detailed account of what had happened in the Profound Sky Continent. He especially focused on the details regarding Xuanyuan Wentian, from the time he had kidnapped Xiao Yun to the time when he had forced everyone into a desperate situation. He gave a thorough and detailed explanation of every single detail to the best of his ability.
Once Number One Under Heaven had finally gotten to the part of the story where they had returned to the Illusory Demon Realm, Yun Qinghong and the rest of them had lapsed into a deep state of profound shock and they did not regain their senses for a long period of time.
“Duke Ming was actually… only a pawn… He was actually only a pawn…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven kept muttering to himself as he shook his head.
“Just where did Xuanyuan Wentian’s power come from? How did it come to pass that even the Little Demon Empress was not able to fight him?” The shock that was present on Mu Feiyan’s face refused to recede as he asked that question.
“I have already told you all that I know,” Number One Under Heaven said in a heavy voice. “However, I spent the majority of the time in Floating Cloud City, so Brother Yun and Princess Snow definitely have more information and know more secrets than I do. They may even know the reason behind Xuanyuan Wentian’s bizarre change.”
“If all of this is really true, then Xuanyuan Wentian is at least ten times more dreadful than Duke Ming,” Yun Qinghong said as he closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven suddenly thought of something and his expression faintly changed. He spoke in a heavy voice, “Since Xuanyuan Wentian’s current power is so dreadful and his obsession for the Mirror of Samsara is so fierce, then once he fully recovers from his injuries, he will definitely attack our Illusory Demon Realm… During those years, they could already forcefully construct a dimensional profound formation that could link both of our continents, so there is no reason that they would not be able to do it now. This won’t do! I need to inform all the cities and the various regions who hem our borders. From today onwards, we need to be on our guard constantly.”
“Hold on for a moment, Brother Under Heaven,” Yun Qinghong said to restrain him. “It is not advisable to make this matter public at this present time. The absolute authority that the Little Demon Empress currently possesses is entirely built upon the reality of her absolute power. If the news that the Little Demon Empress was defeated gets spread around, it will definitely incite fear and panic. We should keep this matter to ourselves for now and wait for the Little Demon Empress to return from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley first before deferring this decision to her.”
“Mn, Qinghong’s reasoning is sound,” Mu Feiyan said with a faint nod of his head. “We should refrain from disclosing this news for now. Since Xuanyuan Wentian’s injuries are so serious, he definitely won’t make any rash moves for now. Let’s wait for the Little Demon Empress to return first before we make a decision on anything.”
“Ah, we had just quelled the chaos incited by Duke Huai too. The Little Demon Empress presided over the land with power and prestige and I thought that the chaos and disorder that afflicted the Illusory Demon Realms was finally over, but who would have thought…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he let out a long sigh. “These are truly troubled times that we live in.”
So Xiao Lie, Xiao Lingxi, Cang Yue and all the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard were moved into the Yun Family household.
Yun Qinghong regarded Xiao Lie as his own father and he would go and pay his respects every morning and night. He also personally attended to every matter that concerned Xiao Lie. He also took extremely good care of Xiao Lingxi, his only fear being that she suffered even the smallest indignity.
As the wife of the Young Patriarch, Cang Yue was accorded remarkable status the moment she entered the Yun Family. Mu Yurou grew more and more delighted with this daughter-in-law of hers as the days passed and she would spend entire days dragging Cang Yue along with her and asking her various things about her relationship with Yun Che.
Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven did not return to their King Palace. Instead, they stayed with the Yun Family to accompany Xiao Lie and spent every day joyfully awaiting the arrival of that little life.
Yun Qinghong had also personally arranged for the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard to be housed in the Yun Family residences.
Even if one was to randomly choose one girl from amongst the girls of Frozen Cloud Asgard, she would be breathtaking enough to stun everyone around her, let alone when so many of them appeared at one time. During the thousand year history of Frozen Cloud Asgard, there was never a time when they completely mobilized and showed themselves to the world. So one could well imagine the sort of commotion they incited after they had all entered the Yun Family. Whether they were old or young, every single one of the Yun Family disciples were left completely dumbstruck by their beauty. It was as if all of them had entered some dreamland. But the stern prohibition of Yun Qinghong that swiftly followed firmly put a damper on all of their fantasies. So the only thing the male disciples of the Yun Family could do was stare at those distant courtyard walls with a burning desire. Because even drawing close to those walls was wishful thinking.
The Mu Family had dispatched many people to guard the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley but even after a day and night had passed, the profound formation at the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley remained shut and no one had emerged from within.
Seven days…
Ten days…
Fifteen days…
One month…
An entire month had passed by but the Little Demon Empress and Yun Che had still not emerged from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. At this point, even Yun Qinghong could no longer maintain his previous cool. For the next few days, he would travel by himself to the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley before the sun even kissed the sky and observe the sealing profound formation to see if it had undergone any changes.
The only thing he could console himself with was the certainty that Yun Che was definitely alright. If not, the Little Demon Empress and the girl who was known as Princess Snow would have long ago departed from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
They must have a very important reason for staying in there for such a long time.
It was amidst this self-consolation and increasingly anxious and frantic waiting that an entire three months slowly passed. The wait was akin to a long and drawn-out painful torture.
However, while they were still unaware, a dark cloud was slowly creeping towards the Illusory Demon Realm.
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Author’s Note:
The title of this volume is: “Cloud’s End Mirage”. These four words are the key. The rest are just to make up for the word count.
A friendly reminder: Su Ling’er is now sixteen years old.
Chapter 855 – Illusory Demon Crisis
Five Way Region was located northwest of the Illusory Demon Realm. There were no cities present in the region and it was simply a piece of wasteland. However, a large army was safeguarding the region day and night, all year round. That year, this place was the starting point of Profound Sky Continent’s infiltration into Illusory Demon Realm. Back then, the Four Great Sacred Grounds paid a great price to construct a spatial profound formation and its exit was right here.
At the same time, this place could be considered the end point of the infiltration that year. Though the Four Great Sacred Grounds were strong, the number of people that could be transferred was limited. With Demon Imperial City as their home ground, the battle eventually pushed the people from the Four Great Sacred Grounds back here and the final ferocious battle unfolded in this Five Way Region.
Even till today, traces of disasters left behind by that ferocious battle a hundred years ago were still present here.
Not too long after the disappearance of the Little Demon Emperor, the exit of that spatial profound formation disappeared. However, Demon Illusory Realm was still unable to ascertain whether the Four Great Sacred Grounds had completely closed off the spatial passageway for good. In order to prevent the other party from re-opening the exit, a large elite army would always be keeping watch, day and night. Among them, there were even several disciples from the Guardian Families.
A hundred years had passed and not a single anomaly had appeared. Forget about the profound formation making a reappearance, even the slightest of irregular spatial ripples was never sighted at all.
Following after the calm of Duke Huai’s upheaval, the Little Demon Empress regained her authority and even obtained astonishing strength. The pressure on the guards here had thus plummeted as well. In the past, this was a dangerous land that concerned the safety of Demon Imperial City but now, it would often be filled with laughter and sounds of happy guards. There was no longer even the slightest bit of heavy or suppressive atmosphere.
In the early hours, the sky had just turned bright. If it was a year ago, it was most likely the time for a change in shift as per schedule. Presently, however, the various powerful guardian districts of Five Way Region were filled with snores and those guards who were on night duties were in a mess as well. It was seemingly impossible to find a person who still maintained his clarity and alertness. Even the leaders coming from the Guardian Families were all sound asleep.
Right at this moment, in the skies above the center district of Five Way Region, space severely distorted all of a sudden. An abnormal profound light weakly flashed and then, in the span of a few short breaths, it released an eye-piercing profound radiance, drawing out a small sized profound formation that was merely a meter in length.
A spatial profound formation that only allowed a single person to pass through once!!
In the instant the spatial profound formation was formed, a black figure gently descended from within.
A suppressive aura that felt as though it had originated from purgatory enveloped the entire Five Way Region, waking up all the soundly sleeping guards in thick, trembling fear.
Demon Imperial City, Yun Family.
It had been exactly three months and there had yet to be any news of Yun Che and the Little Demon Empress since they had entered Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Though Yun Qinghong was still consoling Mu Yurou especially calmly and peacefully like before, he had actually long been blazing with anxiety.
Today, he had once again gone another night without sleep, as he silently stood in the courtyard, staring blankly until the sky brightened. Finally, he was no longer able to restrain himself and was preparing to head over to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley again like yesterday.
At this moment, an incomparably intense energy ripple was suddenly released from his sound transmission jade.
With a heavy heart, he quickly picked up the sound transmission jade. Glancing at the sound transmission imprint, he realized it was actually coming from Yun Zheng, a disciple from Yun Family who was stationed at Five Way Region!
Yun Qinghong’s brows fiercely twitched. The number of disciples stationed at Five Way Region was not many but every single one of them was a leader of either a small or large group of soldiers. As for Yun Zheng, he was the leader among all the Yun Family disciples stationed in Five Way Region. Usually, he would send a routine sound transmission at the end of each month to report on the situation among the guards and there had never been a situation where he would send a sound transmission at any other times.
“Patriarch… Save… us…”
The voice transmitted by the sound transmission jade contained an agonized and hoarse voice, as though it was uttered by someone who would soon meet his death, carrying deep fear and despair.
Yun Qinghong was shocked, growling. “Yun Zheng, what happened over there!?”
“Hehehehe…” What replied him was the sound of sunken laughter.
Though it was merely the sound of laughter and did not carry the slightest bit of the other party’s aura, it still fiercely pressed down on Yun Qinghong’s chest and even his breathing had suddenly turned abnormally rapid.
“Who are you?” Yun Qinghong said with a sunken voice.
“Regarding this sovereign’s identity, why don’t you make a guess… Yun Qinghong.” Behind the sinister voice was Yun Zheng’s bitter and frail groans.
Yun Qinghong’s hair stood on end and his pair of hands trembled, as though at any moment, he could shatter the sound transmission jade due to the loss of control of his strength. The heavy name which had been binding his heart in this few days, surfaced within his mind…
“Xuanyuan… Wentian!?”
“Well done.” The voice on the other side softly praised and then continued with an amused tone. “Yun Qinghong, inform the Little Demon Empress that within the next hour, this sovereign shall grandly descend upon Demon Imperial City. Furthermore, it will just be this sovereign alone. Have her bring the Mirror of Samsara and personally welcome this sovereign’s. This sovereign might even consider pardoning Demon Imperial City then. Otherwise, this sovereign will have all of you witness what true fear is.”
“WUARGHH—”
The final sound that reverberated was Yun Zheng’s scream and following after was the sound of the sound transmission jade shattering.
“!!!”
Bang!!
The sound transmission jade in Yun Qinghong’s hand was also immediately shattered by the squeeze of his hand due losing control of his profound energy. His back was ice-cold and his heart felt as though it was being pressed down by a hundred and fifty ton gigantic boulder, incomparably heavy.
If it was three months ago, suddenly hearing news of Xuanyuan Wentian… forget about Xuanyuan Wentian, even if he received the sudden report of the Four Great Sacred Grounds making another infiltration, he would still remain incomparably calm. However this time, the arrogance that was carried within that voice, as though he was a deliverer of judgement, had informed Yun Qinghong that only he alone had arrived. It made his hands shiver intensely and he only managed to calm himself down after taking in a few dozen breaths.
Because, the present Xuanyuan Wentian was not the Xuanyuan Wentian of a hundred years ago but someone who could defeat Little Demon Empress!!
The strength that Little Demon Empress possessed after she awakened her bloodline was powerful beyond compare and had even broken the record in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm. Duke Ming, who was supposed to be undefeatable in the Illusory Demon Realm, merely had the power to flee when facing her. During this period, the Illusory Demon Realm had seemingly regarded the Little Demon Empress as a divine spirit. The Twelve Families and the countless Duke Palaces were all behaving obediently as well and none dared to carry the slightest bit of treacherous intention or disobedience.
After the situation in the Illusory Demon Realm had completely settled down, taking revenge on the Profound Sky Continent would no longer be a mere dream but a matter that was within reach.
But to be capable of defeating the Little Demon Empress… That immense power was something Yun Qinghong and even the entire Illusory Demon Realm, was unable to imagine or comprehend!
Furthermore, the Little Demon Empress was still inside Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. If Xuanyuan Wentian were to break into Demon Imperial City, the consequences would be completely unimaginable!
Yun Qinghong’s expression immensely changed. Then, he fiercely gnashed his teeth, as he had finally made a heavy decision. His arm suddenly struck towards the sky and an astonishing lightning bolt exploded apart in the sky above the Yun Family residence, releasing out a lightning light that had seemingly filled the skies of Illusory Demon Realm with a purple glow.
“Purple… Purple Cloud Tribulation Order!!”
To the Yun Family, this purple lightning bolt was no less important than lightning from the Ninth Heaven. From the highest echelons of Grand Elders to the most regular of Yun Family disciples, all leapt up as though they had been struck by lightning and they madly charged towards Yun Qinghong’s position.
The Purple Cloud Tribulation Order was Yun Family’s summoning order used for extreme emergencies. Even during the chaos brought upon them by the Profound Sky Continent a hundred years ago, the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order was never used. Because the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order would only be used at the moment when the Yun Family was standing at the border of life and death!
The sudden appearance of the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order had not only startled the Yun Family but also the entire Demon Imperial City, the Twelve Families and especially the countless Duke Palaces. When they saw the purple lightning that filled the skies above the Yun Family, none of them failed to pale from astonishment. The various Patriarchs, Elders and Dukes basically did not spare any time to think, as they put down all of the matters they had on hand and charged towards the Yun Family household at their fastest speeds.
The Yun Family was in a complete mess and the skies above the Illusory Demon Realm were instantly filled with human figures flying towards the Yun Family household, like locusts swarming through.
“Patriarch! What happened!?” All of the Yun Family Elders charged over hectically and they said with unstable emotions. The moment they saw Yun Qinghong’s expression, their hearts had even skipped a beat because Yun Qinghong’s face was enveloped with a layer of gloom that they had never seen before.
“Father!!” Xiao Yun flew over while holding Number Seven Under Heaven by her arm. Number Seven Under Heaven’s abdomen was already heavily bloated, as the infant in her belly was already sufficiently nourished and she could give birth at any moment.
“…” Yun Qinghong however did not speak up for a long while. In his surroundings, even more Yun Family disciples had arrived while panting.
It had only been a short few dozen breaths since the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order was released and all of the Yun Family disciples had already gathered in one area, without a single exception. All of them looked straight at Yun Qinghong, their faces carried unease and panic. Even after all the Yun Family disciples had gathered, Yun Qinghong still remained silent.
For a moment, the oppressing atmosphere made it hard for people to breathe.
“Patriarch Yun!!”
Several loud roars sounded from all directions. The various Patriarchs, Elders and Dukes had all arrived in flaming anxiety and then, they surrounded Yun Qinghong. Looking at the formation encompassed by the Yun Family, their hearts started beating wildly as well. With their understanding of Yun Qinghong, if not because of a heaven-bending matter, he definitely would not have done such a thing.
“Qinghong, just what in the world happened?” Mu Feiyan said with a stern expression.
“Could something have… happened to the Little Demon Empress?” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said anxiously.
Yun Qinghong swept a glance at his surroundings. Most of those who should be here had arrived. He took in a heavy breath. “It seems like none of you received the report from Five Way Region?”
“Five Way Region?” Everyone present looked at each other. “What happened in Five Way Region!?”
“…” Yin Qinghong was now absolutely certain that the troops in Five Way Region had all lost their lives at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands. Furthermore, it was in a such an extremely short timespan that they did not even have the slightest bit of opportunity to transmit a message outside. As for Yun Zheng, he was purposefully left alive.
Yun Qinghong said in a sunken voice. “Xuanyuan Wentian has already infiltrated Five Way Region… In less than an hour, he will make his way here to Demon Imperial City!”
“Wh… What!!?”
All of them were utterly astonished, while Greatest Ambition Under Heaven and Mu Feiyan who knew of the internal circumstances had both roared out loud, their faces had instantly lost all color.
“Brother Yun, how many people have Xuanyuan Wentian brought this time? Does is it comprised of merely Mighty Heavenly Sword Region or have all Four Great Sacred Grounds came?” Su Xiangnan anxiously said.
“…Only him alone.” Yun Qinghong said.
The moment he said this, the crowd let out long sighs of relief. Su Xiangnan’s expression soothed and then he said with a sharp voice. “Alone? Hmph, is he here to send himself to death!?”
“But, why is he coming alone? Could a problem have occurred with the spatial profound formation?” Yan Zijing said skeptically.
“No, this matter is not as simple as you people think. Although he is alone… That person is Xuanyuan Wentian!!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said agitatedly, cold sweat had already drenched his entire forehead.
“This… Why is that?” The entire crowd was filled with doubtful looks.
“Since things have come down to this, there’s no longer a need to conceal it any further,” Mu Feiyan sighed heavily. They had wanted to wait for the Little Demon Empress’s return and have her make the final decision on this entire matter. They never expected that after three months had passed, there would still be no movement from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. He clenched his fists tightly and he said with an incomparably heavy voice. “The present Xuanyuan Wentian can basically no longer be treated as the same Xuanyuan Wentian of a hundred years ago. Does anyone know why the Little Demon Empress has been staying in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley for the past three months?”
“Wasn’t it said that the Little Demon Empress had brought Young Patriarch Yun to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley to heal his injuries? … Could it be, there’s still other hidden reasons behind it?”
“That’s right!” Greatest Ambition Under Heavenly fiercely gnashed his teeth. “The one injured is not limited to Young Patriarch Yun… Even the Little Demon Empress suffered heavy injuries, to the extent… to the extent where she was forced to ignite her origin blood. And, the person who forced her to such an extreme, was exactly Xuanyuan Wentian!”
“In other words, the present Xuanyuan Wentian, is someone even Little Demon Empress… is unable to defeat!”
This declaration was as though thunder had blasted right next to everyone’s ears. Among the various Patriarchs and Dukes up above and the crowd of Yun Family disciples at the bottom, none of them was not astonished with gravely twisted expressions, as though they had heard a clap of thunder.
“That… That’s impossible! How is that possible…” Su Xiangnan said with a trembling voice. “Though Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength is incredible and might have even surpassed the former Demon Emperor’s but… but how could he possibly be the Little Demon Empress’s match?! In just a short hundred years, even if he had a heavenly fortunate encounter, his strength couldn’t possibly rise by such a degree.”
“This is true.” Number One Under Heaven said with a stern voice. “That was something which Xiao Yun and I, along with Little Seventh, personally witnessed in the Profound Sky Continent! We can’t figure out what kind of demonic technique Xuanyuan Wentian used but he actually managed to possess someone else’s body and his strength has grown to an incomprehensible degree. Even after igniting her Golden Crow origin blood, the Little Demon Empress was still defeated… Furthermore, she almost lost her life at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands.”
Xiao Yun and his wife quickly nodded as well.
“If Xuanyuan Wentian has really come, it means that his injuries have completely healed… This is disastrous.” Number One Under Heaven’s tightly clenched fists trembled. Because he had seen Xuanyuan Wentian’s terror first-hand and had personally experienced the fear brought about by him…
“…” Immense astonishment and disbelief surfaced on everyone’s faces. The sky was filled with the sounds of people taking in cold breaths.
After the Little Demon Empress awakened her bloodline, her strength had grown to an incomprehensible extent and just by releasing her might was enough to shake the bodies and souls of these Monarchs, drowning them in chilling silence. They had firmly believed that the Little Demon Empress’s strength was bestowed by the Golden Crow Divine Spirit. Not a single person in the history of Illusory Demon Realm could match her and even among the countless experts that resided in the Illusory Demon Realm, it was impossible for anyone to be the Little Demon Empress’s opponent.
The countless citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm had even begun to revere the Little Demon Empress as a divine spirit.
They never expected that…
If the incident of the Little Demon Empress’s defeat were to spread, it would definitely ignite an uproar on an extremely large scale.
“No matter the case, if he truly is alone, how can we possibly be afraid of him?” a duke said but his tone carried a degree of frailty, with no backing to his words whatsoever.
Yun Qinghong slowly shook his head and calmly said, “Back then, when Duke Huai almost succeeded in taking the throne, in the end, whose power turned the tide? It wasn’t us but the Little Demon Empress herself!”
“Duke Huai Palace had patiently prepared for so many years and had won over countless forces and experts. Back then, even if the former Demon Emperor were to return alive, there was hardly a possibility to turn the tide. But, the Little Demon Empress was able to. It was not because her prestige had surpassed the former Demon Empress but because her absolute strength made the crowd of experts under Duke Huai Palace lose all ability to retaliate. It was as though they were children, she defeated them in the blink of an eye!”
“Anyone should know that after having her bloodline awakened, the degree of strength that the Little Demon Empress possessed had already surpassed the realm of ‘Monarchs’ and there’s an extremely high possibility that it reached the legendary divine way. This plane-surpassing absolute strength can no longer be dealt with by just numbers. Otherwise, the power that Duke Huai Palace had accumulated for several hundred years would not have fallen apart in the blink of an eye with just the power of the Little Demon Empress alone.”
“And since Xuanyuan Wentian could defeat the Little Demon Empress, needless to say, his strength has definitely reached that level as well… Furthermore, his strength is even a step higher than the Little Demon Empress’. He’s basically not an enemy that the collaborative strength of people of our level can possibly deal with!”
Yun Qinghong’s tone were very calm but every single word of his was incomparably heavy, as they pressed down heavily on the hearts of everyone present.
“Qinghong, have you already thought of a countermeasure?” Su Feiyan said.
“There’s only one final resort.” Yun Qinghong lightly sighed.
Chapter 856 – Great City Barrier Formation
“What final resort!?”
Yun Qinghong gazed afar, his sunken expression carried deep helplessness. “Do you people still recall the thing left behind for Demon Imperial City by the fourth generation Demon Emperor, which he used half of his entire lifetime worth of sweat and blood to build?”
“Patriarch, are you referring to… the Great City Barrier Formation?” Great Elder Yun Waitian immediately said.
Beneath Demon Imperial City was a Great City Barrier Formation and presently, seemingly not many people still knew of this matter. It was not some secret that could not be made known to outsiders, rather, it had long been gradually forgotten due to the passage of time.
However among the Twelve Guardian Families, the people who knew of its existence still made a decent number.
“In the history of our Illusory Demon Realm which spans thousands of years, there are indeed records of the fourth generation Demon Emperor spending several hundred years of sweat and blood to construct an enormous protection profound formation beneath Demon Imperial City in order to guard against a tribulation that might descend one day. However…” Mu Feiyan shook his head. “This Great City Barrier Formation has completely sunk into silence ever since the fifth generation Demon Emperor took the throne and it has never been activated in the next several thousand years. The energy within the formation must have long been scattered away and presently, it’s already a dead formation with neither head nor tail… Qinghong, you should be aware of this point as well.”
“That’s right, the Great City Barrier Formation is indeed already a dead formation,” Yun Qinghong sternly said. “However, though the formation is dead, the foundation of the formation still exists and it is even completely intact. About this point, the Little Demon Empress and I specially confirmed it half a year ago… Back then, I merely headed there under orders and I never expected that we would actually be forced into such a situation all of a sudden.”
“Patriarch Yun, what you’re meaning to say is… we’re going to forcefully awaken the Great City Barrier Formation and resist Xuanyuan Wentian?” A duke had his mouth wide agape, as he said with utter disbelief. Similarly, everyone else was looking on with widened eyes… And if Yun Qinghong were to nod in response, they would definitely believe that he had already gone crazy.
“That’s indeed the case!” Yun Qinghong did not have the slightest hesitation. His tone suddenly grew heavier and his eyes turned incomparably sharp. “Everyone, the immense amount of energy needed to awaken this Great City Barrier Formation, I believe you people have a rough estimate in your minds. Furthermore, the amount of time we have is merely less than an hour! In this hour, we must bring out all of the energy that can be possibly used… All of it! Including all of our disciples and all of our profound crystal resources! Not the least bit must be left hidden away!”
The word “all” was emphasized incomparably heavily.
Everyone present looked at Yun Qinghong with astonished expressions and the Yun Family disciples below were all in dazed states as well… They basically could not believe their own ears.
“Patriarch Yun, bringing out all of our energy… All of our accumulated strength to forcefully awaken the Great City Barrier Formation… This… This…” A duke shook his head, he was unable to comprehend this at all. This was more than just exaggeration, it was simply the biggest ludicrosity in the world.
If this had not been said by Yun Qinghong himself, they would have just treated this as the most absurd joke that they had ever heard in their lives.
“I’m not joking.” Yun Qinghong heavily sighed, his eyes firmly locked onto everyone present. “Xuanyuan Wentian is worth us doing such a thing… And we have no choice but to do it in this manner! You people carefully recall how powerful the Little Demon Empress’s profound strength was. Xuanyuan Wentian is someone who can defeat the Little Demon Empress!”
“On the other hand, though he is merely a single person, what’s he bringing over can be said to be the biggest crisis Demon Imperial City has ever faced in history! The chaos brought about by Duke Huai, if he had gotten his way, would merely lead to a change in royal authority. However, if Xuanyuan Wentian breaks into the city, the consequences would be a city dyed in blood! Perhaps, by this time tomorrow, Demon Imperial City will have been turned into ruins and wiped from existence!”
“Do you people wish to be bathed in blood or choose to put everything on the line for this resistance that is the only possible way to extend the short amount of time of us living in this world?”
Yun Qinghong’s words were like the chimes of a morning bell, causing their expressions to fiercely change… Probably only at this moment did they truly realize just how terrifying this tribulation actually was.
Even though he was alone… he possessed power that surpassed the Little Demon Empress!!
It was a power that was completely sufficient in decimating the entire Demon Imperial City!!
“Brother Yun, I understand now.” Su Xiangnan nodded heavily. “If I am not mistaken, there are a total of eight formation regions in this Great City Barrier Formation and every formation region has its own six formation points. As to how we’re going to go about doing it, let’s have you issue the orders!”
“That’s right, presently, we still do not have any response from Little Demon Empress and Patriarch Yun is the most suitable in managing this entire situation. Patriarch Yun, please be at ease. This matter concerns the existence of Demon Imperial City, not a least bit of the powers of my Duke Zheng Palace will not go undeployed. The profound crystals we have accumulated will also be taken out, not sparing a single one!”
“Patriarch Yun, your orders please!!”
None of the various Guardian Family Patriarchs, Elders and Dukes present had a single hesitation, some were even trembling due to their anxiety.
“If Xuanyuan Wentian is unable to break through from a single spot, he will definitely shift to another position. So all eight formation regions must be protected! It’s best we distribute our powers evenly, not leaving a single weak area. Otherwise, once a breach opens up, it will lead to the annihilation of Demon Imperial City. As to how we’re going to distribute our powers, I will inform everyone through voice transmission in a moment. Everyone, please return hastily back to your clans. Gather all your disciples and bring all of your profound crystals, as well as deploying all possible profound practitioners in the city… All preparations must be completed in the shortest time possible and then prepare to activate the Great City Barrier Formation.”
After saying that, without waiting for them to make any response, Yun Qinghong suddenly turned around and sharply said, “All Yun Family disciples heed my order, I shall give you two hundred breaths of time to make preparations. After two hundred breaths, gather in this place once again. Yun Ye, Yun Qiuyue, Yun Yanzhi, Yun Fanjian, make haste to the Medicine Pavilion and bring all the profound crystals and medicinal pellets, not the least bit must be left behind!!”
Yun Qinghong gave the most tragic patriarchal order ever since he became the Yun Family Patriarch. The rest of the guardian families and dukes had also retreated at their fastest speeds. With a crisis approaching, the entire Demon Imperial City was already thrown into a storm.
“Seventh Treasure… Hurry! Leave to the south of Demon Imperial City immediately! The further you run, the better! Do not turn back!”
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, the only person who did not leave, charged towards Number Seven Under Heaven and said with burning anxiety. If not because he had taken her nine months pregnancy into consideration, he would have immediately sent her flying with a push of his palm.
“Don’t want to…” Number Seven Under Heaven however stubbornly shook her head. “I want to be together with Big Brother Yun.”
“Then you two husband and wife leave together!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven grabbed onto Xiao Yun and growled. “Hurry and leave with my daughter! Even if it’s not for my daughter’s sake, you must do it for your wife and your soon-to-be born child… If you don’t leave now, it will be too late.”
“I…” Xiao Yun was in a fluster. He glanced at Number Seven Under Heaven for a moment and then firmly shook his head. “In a time like this, how can I possibly selfishly flee… If I manage to live in such a way, I won’t have the face to welcome my child’s birth. Seventh Sister, you…”
“Brother Yun, no need to speak any further.” Number Seven Under Heaven lightly leaned on him and said with a smile. “Be it life or death, our family shall be together and none of us will be left alone.”
“Y-y-y-you… You two…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven stomped his feet out of anger.
“Brother Under Heaven, be at ease.” Yun Qinghong said with a smile. “I won’t allow them to die before my eyes. Furthermore, with a Great City Barrier Formation activated with all of our powers, no matter how strong that Xuanyuan Wentian is, he best not think of breaking through it that easily.”
“Haah!!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven sighed heavily. Rising into the air, he flew in the direction of his clan like a madman.
The airflow within Demon Imperial City instantly began to stir, while a huge wave had hit the entirety of the Yun Family. Only Yun Qinghong was still quietly floating in that same spot. Raising his head to look at the sky, he closed his eyes and lightly sighed. This plan was undoubtedly quenching one’s thirst with poison. Even if they managed to temporarily stop Xuanyuan Wentian, it would severely expend Demon Imperial City’s power and resources. Not to mention, they definitely would not be able to resist a second time.
However, Xuanyuan Wentian would arrive in just another hour. Other than this method, there were no other choices to make.
Or maybe, a miracle was all that was left to hope for.
The news of an approaching crisis had spread throughout the entire Demon Imperial City. All of the citizens received the news very quickly and the atmosphere was filled with heavy fear and chaos. Countless people squeezed into the streets. Among them were mortals and profound practitioners and they were all desperately running out of the city. However, there was still close to half of the population staying behind.
With the Yun Family taking the lead and with the Twelve Guardian Families and the various Duke Palaces as the core, they quickly arranged and integrated the strengths of all of the large and small families, sects, clans and forces of the city. Very quickly, the distribution of power among the eight formation regions had been completed and the energy released by countless profound practitioners merged into profound energy tornadoes, where each and every single one of them was enough to shake the entire world. The energy radiance emitted by the profound crystals that were stacked into mountains had even caused the sky to shine in a purple color.
A scene like this was never before seen even in the ancient history of Illusory Demon Realm. As Yun Qinghong had predicted, under such incredible power, the Great City Barrier Formation that had silently slept for several thousand years was being awakened at a quick pace.
Rays of profound light pierced through the skies from underneath Demon Imperial City and enormous translucent light curtains slowly began to form and link with one another in the sky. Then, the curtains enveloped the entire Demon Imperial City.
Following after the completion of the Great City Barrier Formation, the northern skies suddenly dimmed at this moment as well.
“That darkness… It’s Xuanyuan Wentian!!” Number One Under Heaven cried out!
Yun Family and Under Heaven Family were guarding north of the Great City Barrier Formation. Dozens of Elders and twenty thousand disciples of the Yun Family were present, while not a single person out of the sixteen thousand elves of Under Heaven Family was missing either. If one were to return to the Yun Family and Under Heaven Family households now, they would realize that the two enormous residences were actually completely empty.
They were truly in desperate straits!!
The rest of the Guardian Families were the same as well.
With two great Guardian Families taking the lead, there were still a total of three hundred thousand profound practitioners who belonged to regular sects and clans. Though their power levels were far lower than that of Guardian Families, the strength of three hundred thousand profound practitioners still should not be underestimated.
The other seven formation regions were all stationed with protection forces of similar degree as well.
Thick darkness quickly spread from the northern direction of Demon Imperial City and this gloom was completely different than regular dark clouds. With just a single glance, chills would run down one’s entire body and his heart would thump wildly, as though he had fallen into an ice-cold abyss. Several of those weaker profound practitioners at the back were even drenched in cold sweat, their bodies trembling.
“So this is what you people spoke of… Xuanyuan Wentian’s extremely strange black profound energy?”
Even someone as powerful as Yun Qinghong, while the dark aura was still quite a distance away, was feeling extremely uncomfortable all around his body.
The fast approaching dark aura was far, far more terrifying than predicted. Standing at the very front, the expression of Greatest Ambition Under Heaven grew heavier as he watched the darkening northern skies. At this moment, he unquestionably understood that Yun Qinghong’s words were not the least bit exaggerated at all.
Because, that was a pressure that was even heavier and more terrifying than the Little Demon Empress’!
“All Under Heaven disciples heed my order… Prepare to battle! If you don’t want to die, then release all of your power!!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven roared out explosively.
“One can leave the Great City Barrier Formation but not enter it. Absolutely remember not to mistakenly leave the great formation,” Yun Qinghong said in a sunken voice. Raising his two hands, purple lightning exploded forth from his palms and his body was encircled by dozens of lightning spirits.
“I never expected that Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength would actually be powerful to such an extent. He’s nearly twice as strong as the Little Demon Empress!” Yun Qinghong’s chest felt like it was being ripped apart by the terrifying aura coming from the northern direction and his expression grew much heavier than before.
“Ah? That… That shouldn’t be the case.” The profound energy in Xiao Yun’s entire body surged and he was trembling a little from the anxiety. “Though Xuanyuan Wentian defeated the Little Demon Empress back then, he ended up very fatigued as well, not to mention he suffered from very severe injuries, to the point where he could barely stand. Even if he surpassed the Little Demon Empress, he shouldn’t have surpassed her by that much.”
Yun Qinghong, “…”
“No.” Number One Under Heaven however shook his head. “Xuanyuan Wentian’s aura has changed. It has become much more powerful than that time in the Profound Sky Continent three months ago. Just by this aura alone, being nearly twice as strong as the Little Demon Empress is definitely not an exaggeration!”
“Wh… What!?” Xiao Yun paled from shock. He hurriedly focused and sensed the aura in the northern direction and his expression gradually paled even more. Cold sweat wildly dripped from his forehead. “How… How can this be…”
Chapter 857 – Resilient Defense
“What is with this eerie and evil aura?” Great Elder Yun Waitian gritted his teeth and said, “Duke Huai’s Fallen Flame Devil Art’s evil aura was suffocating but this aura is… on an entirely different level.”
“With how things are, there’s no point thinking about it. We better prepare well to defend the city with our full strength. Only after we survive today will there be a chance for us to think about other matters. If we fail… we will no longer have a tomorrow!” Yun Qinghong sternly said.
Yun Qinghong rarely spoke with pessimism and this was the first time he ever said something so depressing. Yun Family’s Second Elder Yun Duanshui shook his head as he spoke, still unable to believe it, “Is the current Xuanyuan Wentian really frightening to this extent?”
Yun Qinghong did not answer as he merely looked forward and said coldly, “Xuanyuan Wentian, just come out. Acting sneakily will only invite ridicule!”
“Heheheheh… Hahahaha!!”
In the distance, the dark clouds rumbled and a deep laughter that seemed like thunder echoed in the skies. Suddenly, the dark clouds seemed to spread instantly from the distance and covered over half of Demon Imperial City. This caused the city to instantly become dim, especially the region where the Yun Family and the Under Heaven Family were located. It became so dark that it was as though night had fallen and the laughter that came from the skies suddenly turned into a careless and hysterical laughter.
“Yun Qinghong, it’s you instead that came to receive this sovereign. Could it be that your Little Demon Empress has escaped with her tail between her legs?”
Beneath the dark clouds, the figure of a person slowly descended. He was surrounded by a black aura and his eyes gave off a creepy black glow. Following his appearance, an unexplainable cold aura could be felt and it caused everyone to tremble uncontrollably.
Although he was still at the northern part of Demon Imperial City, the cold aura and his voice spread throughout the entire city.
Almost everyone within Demon Imperial City doubted whether Xuanyuan Wentian was as frighteningly strong as Yun Qinghong had imagined and they all also felt that their actions were simply too much of an exaggeration. However, following the descent of this aura, even those as strong as monarchs could not help but tremble uncontrollably
Now they finally really understood how frightening the opponent they were going to face was.
The figure that appeared from within the darkness caused Yun Qinghong to squint his eyes… because although this person’s exterior was indeed the Xuanyuan Wentian that he knew, their auras were completely different.
“There’s… actually such a thing as bodily possession!?” Great Ambition Under Heaven had not only seen Xuanyuan Wentian before, he had also fought with him for a short while hundreds of years ago. He could recognize Xuanyuan Wentian’s voice, but the person who appeared before him was a completely fresh face.
“You want to meet the Little Demon Empress? We must first see whether you have the qualifications!” Yun Qinghong stretched out his hand and pressed on the Great City Barrier Formation now that Xuanyuan Wentian was right before him. He relied on Number One Under Heaven and Xiao Yun’s descriptions to try and predict Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength with the utmost accuracy and he dared not underestimate him at all. Eventually, he made such a decision now… Now that Xuanyuan Wentian was in front of him, he was shocked that his abilities were far beyond what he had imagined.
And they had surpassed it by a large extent.
Also, Xiao Yun and Number One Under Heaven’s words from earlier obviously meant that three months ago, Xuanyuan Wentian was only barely able to defeat the Little Demon Empress and was not as overbearingly strong as he was now.
He could not imagine just how Xuanyuan Wentian had obtained strength that exceeded the Little Demon Empress in these hundred years.
“Heh heh heh,” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed with contempt. Other than Yun Qinghong, tens of thousands of other profound practitioners stood in front of him but his eyes still showed signs of pity, “Yun Qinghong, looks like you’re still completely unaware of the situation. Duke Ming, that dumb pig, still continuously praised you and once saw you as his biggest stepping stone. This sovereign had thought that you were exceptionally clever but it turns out that you were just another pathetic and stupid worm. You actually dream of putting up an useless struggle. Hehehehe, could it be that you want this sovereign to have a little more fun?”
Yun Qinghong had never heard such an arrogant voice in his life before. However, this arrogance was not intentional. Instead, it was borne from possessing absolute strength that caused him to looked down on the entire world and all living beings.
“Xuanyaun Wentian, just what are… your intentions!?” Great Ambition Under Heaven roared.
“My intentions?” Xuanyuan Wentian eyes shut slightly, “Of course to kill and take what I want to take. All along, all this sovereign wanted has been the Mirror of Samsara and was never interested in your Illusory Demon Realm. It’s a pity that not only did your Little Demon Empress refuse to heed my words, she even damaged this sovereign’s devil body. It took this sovereign an entire month before he fully recovered. This is a sin that cannot be forgiven.”
Xuanyuan Wentian slowly stretched out his hand, his palm facing downwards and his eyes grim like a ghost, “Not only do I want to tear her apart today, this sovereign is also going to turn your Demon Imperial City into eternal ashes! Let that foolish woman know the consequences of angering this sovereign! After all of you go to hell, never forget that it was that foolish woman who sent you all to your deaths!”
“Don’t bother to talk to him!” Yun Qinghong said in a low voice. Even though the situation had turned out this way, he was actually not one bit afraid. “He has already turned into a mad man… no, he has always been a mad man! Let’s bet our lives and defend Demon Imperial City!”
“With just you lot? With just your pathetic barrier? Hahahaha…” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed hysterically. “Tsk tsk, you pathetic people. You’ll forever remain pathetic worms that think that a mere Monarch is already the pinnacle. You’ll never be able to comprehend what true strength really is. Pity. Such a pity. Regardless of whether it’s your so-called powerhouses of Illusory Demon Realm or whether it’s the barrier that you all think is so strong. In front of this sovereign, it is all a bunch of garbage!”
“Take a clear look at what true strength is!”
Black light surged from Xuanyuan Wentian’s body. A pitch black sword beam descended from the skies and shot straight at Yun Qinghong, accompanied by the sounds of space being torn apart.
Crack!!
The pitch black sword beam collided with the Great City Barrier Formation. The translucent barrier instantly exploded with thick black beam. At the position the sword beam struck, thousands of tiny cracks appeared and started to quickly spread. However, it did not break apart and following the black sword beam dispersing under the impact of the recoil, the cracks on the formation began to slowly mend.
“Oh?” Xuanyuan Wentian’s eyes slanted as he was obviously surprised.
Yun Qinghong and the others were also exceptionally shocked.
This Great City Barrier Formation that the entire Illusory Demon Realm had activated without considering the cost had actually been cracked by Xuanyuan Wentian with a sword beam that had been casually struck.
“Patriarch…” Behind Yun Qinghong, the voices of a few elders started to tremble.
“Prepare yourselves,” Yun Qinghong coldly said. “Remove all doubts from yourself. He is just that strong. We either defend to our deaths or we die!”
“Let me remind you once again, the Great City Barrier Formation can only be exited and not entered. Don’t rush outside of the formation by mistake!”
“A mere barrier and you hope to stop this sovereign?” Although Xuanyuan Wentian’s sword beam was casually struck, it still possessed the strength of a half-step Profound God. The fact that it did not destroy the barrier in one blow had obviously damaged his self esteem slightly. All the negative aura on his body surged and his voice became so low that it was suffocating.
“You all are going to find out how laughable your struggle is going to be!”
Xuanyuan Wentian howled and black fog rose from his body. A black figure then flashed past and a right hand that had been infused with darkness profound energy grabbed onto the barrier.
“Protect the barrier!!!”
With a loud roar from Yun Qinghong, the Yun Family disciples who had been waiting shot into the skies like a flock of majestic eagles. They released all their profound energies without restraint and turned into lightning that completely filled the skies as they struck the formation while screaming loudly with all their might.
The energies that struck the barrier all turned into the barrier’s defense in an instant. This caused the barrier to instantly glow purple, as though it was a purple gem.
Bang!!!
Xuanyuan Wentian’s right hand struck the formation and a ball of black light instantly exploded. The formation slightly caved but did not break apart. There were not even any cracks on the formation. Then, a strong recoil that exceeded Xuanyuan Wentian’s imagination struck back at him, causing him to be sent flying three hundred meters away in an instant.
“We… succeeded!” Xiao Yun shouted in agitation.
“Heh…” Xuanyuan Wentian who was sent flying looked up strongly, his eyes which were filled with the black light stared fixedly at the barrier that he did not think much about before, “A defensive formation that could gather profound energy from within. The tiny Illusory Demon Realm actually has such a thing!”
“Hmph! This was the product of our Illusory Demon Ancestors’ wit and strength. Now, it also contains all our strength and willpower,” Yun Qinghong coldly said. “It’s not something a maniac who lost his mind can break through.”
“Hoh, is it?” Xuanyuan Wentian revealed an extremely dangerous cold laugh, “This sovereign’s power has long since exceeded the limits of this world. There is nothing in this world capable of stopping this sovereign. Let alone a mere barrier!!”
Both of Xuanyuan Wentian’s arms waved and black aura rumbled behind him. Then, it ferociously turned into ten black tentacles, concentrated and struck at the barrier in front of Yun Qinghong.
Yun Qinghong’s Purple Cloud Art was already activated to its limits. Both his palms were deep purple and they directly held onto the part of the formation where Xuanyuan Wentian’s dark energy was going to strike. All the Yun Family elders and disciples followed Yun Qinghong’s actions and screamed loudly and struck their energy onto the barrier.
The most special part about Demon Imperial City’s Great City Barrier Formation was that it could absorb the profound energy of those within the formation and turn it into its own defensive power. The Great City Barrier Formation was split into eight parts. Any energy from within that struck onto it would turn into the formation’s defensive power and the efficiency of this was exceptionally high.
This Great City Barrier Formation had already existed for thousands of years but this was the first time it was actually used. Its power brought about surprise and hope for everyone.
Bang bang bang bang bang…
As thought a meteor had crashed, the noise was deafening. Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength was exceptionally frightening but the formation that had turned purple stood on steadily and there was no sign of it breaking. Although a crack might appear occasionally, it would disappear immediately as well.
Although the Yun Family was strong, against Xuanyuan Wentian, who was half-step into the divine way, even if all the Yun Family elders and disciples ganged up on him, the outcome would still only be their complete destruction.
However, a defensive power made up of all the gathered profound energy from everyone in the Yun Family was not something that even Xuanyuan Wentian he could easily break!
Looking at the formation that remained undamaged under his strength, the black glow within Xuanyuan Wentian’s eyes started to turn hideous. He stared widely and roared as thousands of black sword beams filled the skies.
“Pointless struggle… All of you can die now!!!”
Thousands of sword beams shot down as though it was an apocalyptic rain.
“Defend with all your might!!!” Yun Qinghong’s Purple Cloud Art that had already been activated to its pinnacle had been forcefully raised by another level. At the same time, he shouted, “Brother Under Heaven!!!”
Screeeeeeee…
The pitch black sword light stabbed ferociously at the purple barrier like a blade from hell. Although they were separated by the barrier, all the Yun Family disciples were experiencing a deadly pressure that they had never experienced before. Their eyes turned bloodshot and they all struck with the Purple Cloud Art like mad men as they used up all their strength to support this barrier that would decide the fate of the entire Demon Imperial City.
Cra-crack…
Under the impact of the black sword beam, the purple glow on the barrier began to dissipate bit by bit. It gave off an ear piercing screech and cracks started to form and spread.
At this time, following a roar from Great Ambition Under Heaven, everyone from the Under Heaven Family who had not acted since the start leapt into the air and thousands of pale green profound lights shone gently.
Clanggg!
The purple barrier that protected the city started to give off a jade green glow. Under the combination of the deep purple and jade green colors, the cracks on the barrier disappeared quickly. The black sword beam continued to descend ferociously but it was no longer able to damage the barrier at all.
Chapter 858 – Miserable
The Great City Barrier Formation was still in perfect condition, while Xuanyuan Wentian’s expression had finally turned ugly.
Three months ago, his strength rose explosively and he had believed that there was no longer anyone that could go against him. However, he was heavily injured by the Little Demon Empress and he only managed to turn the tide by relying on the Eternal Night Devil Sword. Within these three months, sixty percent of his devil blood had already awakened and he believed that even if there were three Little Demon Empresses, it was definitely impossible for them to be his match. However, before he could even encounter the Little Demon Empress, he was being slapped in the face by this Great City Barrier Formation.
A droplet of water was not enough to form a stream but by gathering countless droplets, it could bring about a large wave that could cover the skies!
The dark clouds in the sky were tumbling. With a face that had twisted into that of a ferocious devil’s, the black aura on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body reached an extreme level of density. An enormous black vortex revolved behind him, as though it was the first terrifying black hole made in primordial space.
An indescribable pressure enveloped Demon Imperial City and it even enveloped the entire sky and earth. Xuanyuan Wentian had actually elevated his darkness profound energy to his absolute limits!
Before arriving here, he had actually believed that with present strength, he could sweep across the Illusory Demon Realm with a wave of his hand. He had definitely not expected that he would actually have to unleash his full power to deal with a mere barrier!
“Heh… Heh… Heh… This sure is done pretty well.” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed in a sullen manner. However, his expression was no longer covered completely with scorn but now with a hint of fury and irritation. “However, no matter how ants struggle, they will still be merely a bunch of lowly ants!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian pounced towards the barrier with a dark aura that filled the entire sky and a huge pitch-black hand stretched out of the dark vortex behind him, violently smashing onto the barrier which was flashing with purple and green lights.
This was strength nearing the divine way, a terrifying power that had never appeared in this plane. Wherever the gigantic pitch-black claw reached, the fragile space would immediately break down into dust and before it even closed in, the barrier was already twisted to a significant degree.
“Brothers, let’s bet on the life and honor of every single one of us… We must hold on!!”
After the intense roar, the Yun Clan, Under Heaven Clan and all the Illusory Demon profound practitioners behind them let out roars that filled the sky as they blocked Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks one after another. The roars allowed them to suppress their initial fear with even more confidence as several hundred thousand profound lights instantly shone, merging into a radiance above the barrier that was comparable to the sun…
Boom——
The entire barrier, along with the entire Demon Imperial City, shook intensely. The sky suddenly darkened as the gigantic dark hand struck the barrier. A black vortex of more than three kilometers in diameter exploded forth as it wildly struck and devoured the barrier which was imbued with the profound energy from hundreds of thousands of profound practitioners.
The barrier was like an air balloon being pressed down by a gigantic force and was displaying a shocking distortion under the black vortex. However, due to the agglomerated energy within, it stubbornly remained unharmed.
“You bunch of detestable trash!”
The dark strike which he unleashed with his full power still ended up being blocked. Xuanyuan Wentian roared as he was shrouded by the dark aura. Like a hurricane, he smashed towards the barrier with both hands, bringing about terrifying explosive roars.
Traces of cracks spread on the barrier, however, they would heal speedily, albeit with difficulty.
“This sovereign shall see how long you bunch of trash can hold on!!” As Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks continued, his heart grew even more enraged and irritated, dark profound energy was being smashed out like crazy.
The profound energy of the Illusory Demon profound practitioners were being expended quickly, however, as they continued to hold on, their confidence was constantly rising as well, allowing them to unleash endless energy from their bodies which were being heavily suppressed by the darkness, as they resisted the almighty Xuanyuan Wentian with brute force.
The strength of the Illusory Demon profound practitioners was quickly diminishing and they had long since lost their calm, while the strength Xuanyuan Wentian, who was anxiously smashing onto the barrier, was similarly diminishing quickly as well. As the power of his devil blood awakened even more, the calmness in his personality would continue to diminish, converting into its opposite—irritation.
The sky had already completely darkened and for over fifteen minutes, Xuanyuan Wentian had consecutively thrown out millions of smashes. The energy exuded outwards had turned the surrounding area of fifty kilometers into nothingness, yet he was still unable to break through even an inch of the barrier.
“Patriarch, over half of our profound strength has already been depleted, if this keeps up… we will lose all the energy to hold on!” Yun Waitian said with a painful expression. “Let us just call the people from the rest of the domains to provide aid.”
“That’s right… Xuanyuan Wentian has been attacking our side the entire time and basically does not carry any trace of wanting to attack anywhere else,” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven followed up.
“We can’t!!” Yun Qinghong however shook his head decisively. “Don’t forget, Xuanyuan Wentian is someone who is even more cunning and treacherous than Duke Ming! With his realm of cultivation, he will be able to see through the intricacies of the Great City Barrier Formation with a glance. If we mobilize the power from the rest of the domains, there’s an extremely high possibility that he will switch to that domain… Once an opening is opened, all of our earlier efforts will be wasted!”
After saying that, Yun Qinghong roared out with a raised head, his voice instantly transferred to every corner of Demon Imperial City. “All of you, do not move. We can hold on!”
Though they had only held on for a short fifteen minutes, to them, the consumption of their profound strength was far more intense than having undergone a battle of life and death. Yun Qinghong’s breathing had turned coarse and at the same time; he could feel Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks were constantly weakening at a slow rate.
At this moment, the dark smashes that could shake the skies suddenly stopped. Xuanyuan Wentian had stopped his actions. Before the Illusory Demon profound practitioners could take this opportunity to catch their breaths, a sinister smile suddenly rose at the corners of his mouth. A black glow flashed in his hand and he then grasped the pitch-black Eternal Night Devil Sword.
And at the same time, an aura that was far more sinister than before suddenly enveloped downward, causing everyone to feel a stifling sensation in their chests, making it hard to breathe.
“It’s that Heavenly Sin Divine Sword… Watch out!!” Xiao Yun roared out in shock. Three months ago, in the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, it was this exact sword Xuanyuan Wentian used to reverse the tide against the Little Demon Empress.
“A bunch of trash actually forced this sovereign to use the devil sword, this sure is a humiliation!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s laughter was no longer the same as his former wild laughter but a sunken one. “It seems, this sovereign has no choice but to turn this place… into the cruelest purgatory!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian’s body… Fen Juechen’s body to be more exact, was definitely not the true physique of a devil and merely carried an extremely thin amount of a Devil God’s bloodline. Similarly, the devil soul in the Eternal Night Devil Sword merely had a thin strand as well. Adding that the power of the devil blood had yet to fully awaken, the two were basically unable to attain perfect compatibility.
Though the darkness profound energy unleashed by the devil blood could expand to its limits by using the Eternal Night Devil Sword, at the same time, it would increase the rate of consumption. Furthermore, it would cause him to endure immense pain for the next several days. That was why, unless it was the last resort, he would not make use of the the devil sword’s power.
He came to the Illusory Demon Realm on this day in order to, one, seize the Mirror of Samsara and two, kill the Little Demon Empress. However, he never expected that he would have to make use of the Eternal Night Devil Sword.
To him, this was indeed a great humiliation!
“All of you, die!!”
The Eternal Night Devil Sword, engulfed in a black aura, struck down amidst Xuanyuan Wentian’s roar, along with an indescribable ice-cold pressure which descended mercilessly from the skies above.
Crack!!!!
The barrier that had lasted long against Xuanyuan Wentian’s darkness profound energy emitted an ear-piercing screech under this sword strike and a crack of several meters in length instantly extended on the surface of the barrier. Wisps of dark profound energy seeped through the crack, bringing sinister winds which felt like they had originated from hell into Demon Imperial City.
“UUAAAAHH——”
Though it was merely an extremely frail amount of dark profound energy, it was still undoubtedly a terrifying nightmarish power to those Illusory Demon profound practitioners with weaker cultivations. Several thousand profound practitioners instantly tumbled over and their bodies felt as though they were falling into a cave of ice as they huddled their bodies in pain. They were unable to release even the least bit of energy.
The crack on the barrier was still expanding and even more darkness profound energy were seeping through. If it continued to expand, the barrier would definitely collapse.
“Father, what… what do we do?” Xiao Yun asked with trembling lips. He was releasing the Purple Cloud Art through both of his hands with all his might and leaning closely behind his back, was Number Seven Under Heaven, who had been his source of reliance and faith, like how he was to her.
Under the Eternal Night Devil Sword, the pressure on the Illusory Demon profound practitioners rose steeply. Yun Qinghong’s expression was calm as he watched the quickly spreading crack in the sky above. His hand gesture quickly changed and his body began to flash with lightning sparks. Even his pair of eyes had turned amethyst purple in color.
“Purple Cloud Domain!!”
An enormous lightning domain expanded, paving onto the barrier. This action of his was immediately followed up by a coordinated movement of all the Yun Family elders and Yun Family disciples above the Emperor Profound Realm as they released the profound energy in their bodies to their absolute limits and expanded several thousand Purple Cloud Domains. They overlapped and turned into an incomparably immense sea of purple clouds, enveloping the barrier.
The eyes of Greatest Ambition Under Heaven flashed, roaring out, “Castle of Elves!!”
The rumbling sea of purple clouds had also ignited the heavily suppressed resolve of the elven clan, as all of them expanded out their Elven Domains, pouring another mass of immense domain energy onto the barrier… Instantly, the crack on the barrier stopped spreading and then, it began to heal at a slow pace.
However, before they could even celebrate, an incomparably terrifying black radiance had exploded forth from Xuanyuan Wentian’s body. A pair of ferocious eyes opened sharply from the Eternal Night Devil Sword, as the pitch-black blade wildly smashed towards the barrier that protected the city.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom…
Under the terrifying power of the Eternal Night Devil Sword, the defenses molded by the domain power of the two great Guardian Families were collapsing layer by layer. Streaks of cracks wildly blasted open on the barrier and in the blink of an eye, the barrier which was initially in a seemingly perfect condition, was filled with spiderweb-like cracks. Its restoration speed was far from its speed of collapse.
“This… This is bad!” The faces of the Illusory Demon practitioners turned incomparably pale. Deep fear and despair emerged coldly on their faces.
“Not good… We can’t… We can’t hold on any longer!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven had both of his arms facing the sky, desperately squeezing out all of the energy in his body as he roared out his unwillingness.
Yun Qinghong’s expression turned incomparably cold. He slightly gnashed his teeth and his fists were tightly clenched. When a streak of cracks suddenly stretched all the way to the part of the barrier where he was facing, the light in his eyes instantly turned determined. Suddenly, he retracted the Purple Cloud Domain and charged out of the barrier.
However, just as he was about to move, his arm was already tightly grasped by a hand. When he turned around, he saw Mu Yurou’s face which carried a teary smile and she lightly said, “Husband, are you really willing to leave me behind… If you’re going, we husband and wife should be going together.”
Yun Qinghong’s eyes instantly turned misty and then, he gave a slight smile as he held tightly onto Mu Yurou’s hand. They raised their heads together and looked towards the sky above, their expressions turned bone-piercing cold at the same time. Then, they flew up arm-in-arm and charged straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Father… Mother!! You two…” Xiao Yun was stunned for a short moment and then he understood their intentions right after. With a frightful roar, he desperately pounced towards the two of them. However, how could he possibly catch up to Yun Qinghong and his wife with his speed?
“Patriarch, allow us!!”
Just as Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou were about to charge out of the barrier, an elderly roar resounded. An immense, formless energy assaulted them from behind, ruthlessly pushing them back. At the same time, three elderly figures, with purple light enveloping their entire bodies, flew out of the barrier and charged straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Gra… Grand Elders!!” Yun Qinghong was hurled back into the city. Seeing the three figures who flew out, his pupils intensely shrank, as he let out a loud blood-weeping roar.
The three of them, were actually the only three surviving Grand Elders of the Yun Family—Yun He, Yun Xi and Yun Jiang.
“Patriarch, you must properly live on. As long as you’re still alive, the Yun Family will never fall!”
“Old Patriarch, we’re coming to accompany you now!!”
Their voices were vigorous and they even carried intents of joy. The profound light on their bodies had already been unleashed to the absolute limits and like three purple bolts of lightning, they smashed onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.
Caught off guard, Xuanyuan Wentian fiercely staggered from the full power attack of the three Yun Family Grand Elders; even the black aura on his body had slightly scattered. He fiercely raised his eyes, the irritation that he had been holding in his stomach had finally found something to vent on. With the Eternal Night Devil Sword, a pitch-black arc was sliced out.
They were powerful level six Monarchs whom people looked up to, however, the moment they made contact with Xuanyuan Wentian’s dark sword light, their protective profound auras were instantly torn apart like blisters. Like countless ice-cold claws, the dark profound energy brutally rushed into their bodies.
“Die… You three undead farts!!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian’s devil sword once again smashed out, completely engulfing the three Grand Elders in abysmal darkness. Then, with a dull explosive sound, they turned into three masses of black powder.
The pause in Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks had allowed the jeopardizing cracks on the barrier to quickly heal. In the instant the three Grand Elders fell, all of the cracks had completely disappeared and the barrier which protected the city was once again restored to perfect condition.
Chapter 859 – Return
The crisis was temporarily dispelled. The price, however, was the lives of three Grand Elders of the Yun Family. The entire Yun Family was filled with sad cries, while the Under Heaven Family and the crowd of Illusory Demon profound practitioners were misty-eyed as well… Carrying revered statuses of Grand Elders of a Guardian Family, not only were they unable to pass away in bed due to old age, their deaths were so tragic, where even their corpses were not left behind.
“Xuanyuan… Wen… Tian!!” Yun Qinghong shivered intensely, his face had turned even more ferocious than the enraged Xuanyuan Wentian. He shouted out Xuanyuan Wentian’s name, yet these short two words carried resentment that could envelop the entire sky.
“Don’t be anxious,” Xuanyuan Wentian sinisterly said. “You all will soon follow them down to hell!”
A pitch-black sword beam rose out of the Eternal Night Devil Sword and under Xuanyuan Wentian’s wild laughter, it bombarded the surface of the barrier. A ray of black light charged towards the sky and on the barrier, dozens of fine cracks were instantly blasted open.
“Brothers… No matter what, we must hold on!! Especially our sons and daughters of Yun Family… You definitely mustn’t let the lives of our three Grand Elders go to waste!!”
Yun Qinghong roared out hoarsely. A seemingly wild energy once again poured into his initially half-expended body as he desperately bombarded the barrier. Under their sorrows and pain, all the Illusory Demon profound practitioners unleashed their powers as well. Using their increasingly depleted bodies, they released powers that resisted the Eternal Night Devil Sword.
Facing Xuanyuan Wentian whom even the Little Demon Empress was unable to defeat, them being able to resist this long was already an incomparably difficult feat. However, Xuanyuan Wentian, who was now wielding the Eternal Night Devil Sword, was too frightening. The deaths of the three Grand Elders of Yun Family had won them an opportunity to take a short breather. In the face of profound strength that far surpassed theirs and power at an unimaginable realm, they bitterly held on for less than one hundred breaths, yet the barrier which had endured countless tribulations, was once again facing the danger of shattering.
As the Eternal Night Devil Sword continuously bombarded down, the number and length of the cracks increased. Its restoration speed was far behind the speed of the spreading cracks. Xuanyuan Wentian looked at the barrier which had already formed spiderweb shapes from the cracks. He did not feel the least bit of joy, merely intense rage and humiliation.
“Detestable trash!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian charged into the skies. An enormous devil shadow appeared in the air and a black sword light of several dozen meters in length suddenly stretched above the Endless Night Devil Sword. Then, carrying an apocalyptic aura, it pierced straight towards the barrier that was nearing its collapse.
Cra!!
The barrier that was covered in damage in the first place once again shattered open several thousands cracks yet it still did not collapse completely; the sword beam was firmly obstructed. Xuanyuan Wentian glared with widened eyes. With a growl, the pitch-black sword beam once again grew explosively.
Crack!!
The tip of the dark sword light ruthlessly pierced into the barrier. A dark tornado that felt as though it had descended from purgatory itself, instantly swirled up a large half of the formation region.
A large sea of terrified screams reverberated within the barrier. A large amount of Illusory Demon profound practitioners were swept into the darkness and nearly a thousand profound practitioners were instantly killed. Their bodies instantly turned into pitch-black withered bones and amidst the screaming, even more profound practitioners had fainted. Their lives and deaths were uncertain.
This unprecedentedly terrifying strength had left all the profound practitioners, who had witnessed everything that transpired, shaken, as though they had fallen into a cave of ice.
“Hahahahaha…” Xuanyuan Wentian’s arrogant wild laughter came from the sky above. “With such trash like you, how can you possibly resist this sovereign who has already become a Devil God! All of you… Go to hell!!”
Even though they put everything into resistance, in the end, the city barrier was still penetrated through. Perhaps, in another few more breaths, it would completely collapse. Yun Qinghong looked at the sword beam which had pierced through the barrier and did not feel the slightest bit of anxiety or fear. With a solemnly cold expression, an incomparably heavy sigh rang in his heart.
Against such a terrifying Xuanyuan Wentian, for them to be capable of holding him off until now could already be considered a miracle.
Now, they had truly reached the absolute limit.
Every single breath was spent on defending with all his might. As a level five Monarch, more than seventy percent of his profound strength had already been expended, let alone the others.
Initially, he had thought that rely on this mythical formation left by the former Demon Emperor would make it possible to block Xuanyuan Wentian out of Demon Imperial City. However, Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength was too frightening. Even after expending all of Illusory Demon Realm’s trump cards and powers, they could only resist until now.
“Patriarch, what do we do?” Yun Waitian roared out as he heavily panted.
“…” Yun Qinghong lightly breathed in and slowly said. “Inform the people in the rest of the formation regions, prepare to engage.”
The way he said the three words “prepare to engage” sounded exceptionally calm and indifferent, however, every single one of them could hear the determined dying will carried within.
Crack!!
Yet another ear-trembling crackle. The biggest crack so far appeared on the barrier, as the pitch black sword beam fiercely pierced even deeper. The protection barrier shook… It was completely at the very verge of collapse.
Yun Qinghong retracted his energy at this moment as well. Holding onto the Sudden Lightning Sword in his right hand, a crimson lightning glow began to encircle the sword’s blade.
Right at this moment, a clear and bright light suddenly shone down from above the dark sky. Everyone present instinctively raised their heads to look… In the northern direction, a ray of golden light, like a meteor from space, sliced apart the tumbling dark clouds above Demon Imperial City and amidst a long, sky-piercing cry, descended with a bang.
“That’s… the Golden Crow’s flames!!” Number One Under Heaven shouted out in pleasant surprise.
Boom!!!
Like a falling boulder, the golden flames smashed earth-shakingly onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s pitch-black sword beam. The pitch-black sword beam that had pierced into the protection barrier was instantly burnt to smithereens while Xuanyuan Wentian was pushed far back as well. He let out a roar and then screamed out. “Ah!! Little Demon Empress, you finally dare to show yourself!!”
The barrier escaped its fate of collapse at the very last moment. Under the immense profound energy of the Illusory Demon profound practitioners, it began to quickly mend the countless lines of cracks.
The dark clouds in the sky quickly scattered apart, revealing a petite figure dressed in a fluttering rainbow dress. Her eyes were like cold stars as they coldly gazed at Xuanyuan Wentian. In her hands, a cluster of golden flames was blazing intensely.
“Little Demon Empress… It’s the Little Demon Empress!!” Looking at the figure that had suddenly appeared in the sky, earth trembling cries exploded from within Demon Imperial City. Because this person, was the Little Demon Empress who had been out of contact for three full months.
“It’s the Little Demon Empress… the Little Demon Empress has returned!” Xiao Yun shouted excitedly.
At the moment of impending despair, the Little Demon Empress had suddenly returned. Undoubtedly, it brought huge excitement and hope to all the people of Demon Imperial City. The solemn and tense atmosphere was sunk beneath the world encompassing cries of joy and that was the case even at the northern formation region which was directly facing Xuanyuan Wentian. However, Yun Qinghong still carried a heavy expression.
Because with such a terrifying Xuanyuan Wentian, it was basically impossible for the Little Demon Empress to be his match either. Furthermore, the place she appeared at was outside the barrier, making it impossible for her to rely on the protection of the barrier!
“Hahahaha.” Looking at the Little Demon Empress who had made her appearance, Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out wildly. “This sovereign had even thought that you had already fled with your tail between your legs. It seems you still have a little bit of backbone. Are you prepared to obediently hand over the Mirror of Samsara and then kill yourself or do you want this sovereign to personally turn you into pitch-black ash!?”
“Tch, trash that would even throw away his own face and shamelessly steal the strength of someone else actually dares to act this wildly and arrogantly. It sure is laughable!”
Amidst the scornful ridiculing laughter, the dark clouds behind the Little Demon Empress were also quickly being scattered apart by a blazing fiery light. Yun Che and Feng Xue’er walked out from it side by side, arriving next to the Little Demon Empress.
“Big… Big Brother!!” Xiao Yun was excited to the point of leaping up straight up.
“Che’er… Che’er!” Mu Yurou shouted out twice and she was this close to fainting from excitement.
“Asgard Master!” The girls of Frozen Cloud Asgard were even more exhilarated than ever.
Standing side by side with the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er, Yun Che carried a light smile which they could not be more familiar with. His eyes were as deep as the abyss and from head to toe, not the least bit of injury or frailty could be seen.
“Brother Yun, he… He seems to have completely recovered!” Number One Under Heaven shouted out.
“But of course! I already said so… With the Golden Crow Divine God’s divine power, Big Brother will definitely make a full recovery.” As Xiao Yun spoke, his nose could not help but turn sour and tears were this close to falling from his eyes. In these silent three months, he had been passing every day in a nervous manner.
“Yun Che?” Xuanyuan Wentian’s eyes flashed with a dark light. “You’re actually still alive!?”
Yun Che coldly laughed. “Even someone as shameless as you is still alive, how can I possibly have the nerve to die!?”
“Heh… You’re still alive.” Xuanyuan Wentian’s face revealed an incomparably terrifying savageness. “Then that’s truly great! I can finally return to you the humiliation I have suffered under that red-clothed demoness a million-fold!”
Though he already knew of Xuanyuan Wentian’s mutation, looking at “Fen Juechen” in front of him, Yun Che still let out a sigh in his heart.
“Though I don’t really like Fen Juechen,” Yun Che lightly said, “a dirty soul like yours isn’t worthy of his body! This face of yours is truly the biggest humiliation to Fen Juechen in his entire life!”
“No, it’s the biggest honor in his entire life!” Xuanyuan Wentian twisted his face, while he slowly raised the Eternal Night Devil Sword. “Yun Che, even in your dreams, you definitely can’t even fathom just how strong this sovereign has become now! Even this sovereign can’t believe that I could actually be this powerful!”
“Because this is the physique of a Devil God, the power of a Devil God. You mortals will never be able to understand such power in your entire lifetimes. However, out of good fortune, you get to taste the fear and death it brings!”
“Especially you, Yun Che!! This sovereign will bestow you a death that will have you sink into endless fear even after hundreds and thousands of reincarnations!!”
“Big Brother Yun, he… has become really terrifying.” Feng Xue’er tightly held onto Yun Che’s sleeves.
“The degree of strength of his aura has nearly doubled since the last time we exchanged blows.” The Little Demon Empress’s eyes were filled with bone-piercing hatred yet her milky white face still showed complete calm. “But, with how he was trying to take down the protection barrier in such a forceful manner, he has expended quite a bit of energy. With the powers of us three, victory is not impossible. Xue’er, this empress needs to borrow your strength.”
“Mn!” Feng Xue’er nodded strongly.
“Talking anymore is unnecessary.” The Little Demon Empress raised her hand. The golden blazing image of the Golden Crow appeared from her body as she raised the Golden Crow flame energy to the absolute limits right from the very start. “Xuanyuan Wentian… Die!!”
The Little Demon Empress pushed out her small hand and the surrounding area of fifty kilometers instantly turned scarlet-gold. Though there was an extremely strong barrier isolating them, the Illusory Demon profound practitioners below still felt an extremely searing heat wave blowing towards them, causing them to condense their energy to put up defenses in a flustered manner.
“What should we do!? Che’er… Che’er is still outside!!” Mu Yurou tightly held onto Yun Qinghong’s arm, she was anxious to the point of being helpless.
Their utterly bitter resistance earlier had allowed them to witness the terrifying strength comparable to the Devil God of legends that Xuanyuan Wentian possessed. Not only were Yun Che and the Little Demon Empress both outside the barrier, they were even facing Xuanyuan Wentian head on. She felt that her entire heart was suspended above a mountain of blades.
“…” Yun Qinghong did not speak. His two fists were tightly clenched.
“Brother Yun’s aura…” Number One Under Heaven looked skeptically at Yun Che up in the sky and expression suddenly changed as he exclaimed. “Tyrant Profound Realm… level six!?”
“What?” Xiao Yun was thrown into shock. “You’re talking about… Big Brother?”
“That’s right. His profound aura is indeed already at the sixth level of Tyrant Profound Realm.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven sighed in astonishment. “It truly is an astonishing aptitude. I never expected that in just a single year, he would actually gain such a huge rise in power.”
“No.” Number One Under Heaven shook his head. “Three months ago, when Brother Yun was heavily injured, his profound strength was merely at the middle levels of the Emperor Profound Realm. This time… Not only has he recovered from his injuries, his profound strength has actually… has actually risen directly by an entire huge realm!!”
“Could it be that the reason why he had stayed in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley for the past three months was because he was training under the divine guidance of the Golden Crow Divine Spirit?”
It was impossible for Number One Under Heaven to stay unagitated. As a level eight Overlord, a level six Overlord was still below him. However, he knew without a doubt that Yun Che’s strength basically could not be estimated using the conventional profound strength levels. When his profound strength was at the middle levels of the Emperor Profound Realm, he could already defeat Fen Juechen, who was at the middle stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
Now that he had made a reappearance, his profound strength had actually miraculously surged to the sixth level of Tyrant Profound Realm… Just how powerful could his actual strength be now!?
Boom!!
Sounds of exploding flames intensely shook space within a fifty kilometer radius. Especially right in front of Xuanyuan Wentian; space had already distorted into an irregular swirl by the searing heat of the Golden Crow flames. Though this was her first attack, she was already unleashing her power to the utmost limits without holding anything back.
Because in front of her was Xuanyuan Wentian!
Not only were these the Little Demon Empress’ strongest flames, they were also flames standing at the peak of this plane. Facing flames like this, Xuanyuan Wentian however, did not give the slightest sign of retreat. Instead, he quietly laughed and took the flames on with a smash of his sword.
Amidst the dull sounding explosion, a sunken roar was mixed within, as though it was the wailing of an evil ghost. The Golden Crow flames which carried the might of the burning heavens themselves, was scattered from a single collision and they splashed onto the surroundings. A few scattered sparks of flames landed on his body, however, they were immediately extinguished by the black aura. Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out loud. “Little Demon Empress, three months ago, if I have not relied on the power of the devil sword, this sovereign was indeed not your match. However, if this sovereign wants to kill you now, it is basically an easy feat!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian instantly crossed a distance of three kilometers and stabbed his sword towards the Little Demon Empress. The sound of a sword slicing through air should have been an ear-piercing screech or the devil sword wielded by Xuanyuan Wentian should have brought about an incomparably sullen explosive sound which would cause one’s hair to stand on end. Furthermore, at the same instant, the black aura in the surrounding space intensely poured in, suppressing the light of the Golden Crow flames in the blink of an eye.
Screee!!
With a long cry, the blazing image of a Golden Crow broke through the skies and flew straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian, clashing intensely with the pitch-black devil sword in an instant.
Space ferociously tore and the cries of the Golden Crow blazing image began to distort as well. The stalemate between the flames and devil sword had merely lasted for a short moment when the Golden Crow blazing image let out a miserable cry. It furious struggled but half of its body was immediately engulfed by the black fog.
“See this? This is this sovereign’s current power!” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out arrogantly, streaks of dark red blood faintly filled his face, making his face look extremely ferocious and terrifying.
“Perish!!” Xuanyuan Wentian roared out, suppressing the Golden Crow blazing image even more intensely than before, causing it to collapse at any moment. Right at this moment, a scarlet red fire came blasting over from his right.
Xuanyuan Wentian had a look of disdain and he did not even bother batting an eye. But, when the flames approached his body, he was suddenly thrown into shock, as he hurriedly retracted the Eternal Night Devil Sword. Then, with a thunder-like explosive cry, he swept out the sword and clashed against the two divine flames.
Boom!!
As though boulders had fallen onto the ground, the ground surface deeply caved in. Within the sky enveloping flames, Xuanyuan Wentian was instantly pushed three thousand kilometers back. Grabbing onto the devil sword in his hand, he glared deeply at Feng Xue’er with eyes filled with skepticism and menace.
“That red-clothed girl… Is the Feng Xue’er you people spoke of?” Yun Qinghong said dazedly.
“That’s right! She’s Little Sister Xue’er.” Xiao Yun nodded.
“She’s actually…” Yun Qinghong took in a deep breath. “Her aura, is actually not any weaker than the Little Demon Empress’!!”
“…Haah!?” Xiao Yun went blank for a moment and then his jaw almost fell onto the ground from astonishment.
“This… is simply unbelievable.” Number One Under Heaven, who was aware of Feng Xue’er’s former strength was also dumbfounded. Feng Xue’er was definitely someone who had the most terrifying aptitude he had seen in his life. At the mere age of twenty, she was already a level eight Monarch. No matter if it was in the Profound Sky Continent or Illusory Demon Realm, it was unheard of since the beginning of time.
But a level eight Monarch and the Little Demon Empress who had power nearing a god, was still an incomparably huge difference.
However, after merely three months of disappearance, not only had Yun Che’s strength risen explosively, Feng Xue’er’s strength had actually reached a realm comparable to the Little Demon Empress!?
He was simply unable to imagine just what had actually transpired in the three months they were in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!
“Feng Xue’er, you sure gave this sovereign a considerably pleasant surprise,” Xuanyuan Wentian said sinisterly. “In just three months, the little phoenix has actually grown to such an extent. But unfortunately… you’re still too soft!”
Three months ago, Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength could easily suppress Feng Xue’er.
But the threat brought by the Phoenix flames that Feng Xue’er smashed him with earlier was actually not the least bit weaker than Little Demon Empress’s Golden Crow flames!
And it had merely been three short months!
Feng Xue’er’s change had greatly shaken his heart. At the same time, the intensity of his killing intent towards Feng Xue’er had grown several fold.
Feng Xue’er quietly stood next to the Little Demon Empress with a thin layer of scarlet red flames wrapped around her body. On her delicate face with dream-like beauty, a slight degree of tenderness and doubt had faded away. What replaced them were the extraordinary aptitude and grandeur of a celestial maiden… as well as a very faint might that was sufficient to shake one’s soul.
“The Phoenix flames are the divine flames of a divine spirit, I bear the gift of the Phoenix God and I have never used it to eliminate a single living being,” Feng Xue’er lightly said. “But for you alone, I will definitely not hold back!”
Feng Xue’er lightly flipped her palm and dancing Phoenix flames began to fill the sky. Golden flames that could set the sky ablaze also burned within Little Demon Empress’ hand. Two masses of divine flames smashed out at the same time and collided against each other. However, they did not obliterate each other. Instead, they blended together without the slightest bit of rejection, forming an enormous fiery serpent that was several dozen meters wide. It slithered towards Xuanyuan Wentian and everywhere it went, space were blazingly torn through.
Three months ago, the two people were mere strangers. However, in these three months, they resided in the same place and did not separate even for a moment. Subtly, the energies of these two people could already easily merge. Though the Phoenix and Golden Crow discriminated against each other, the flames of the Phoenix and Golden Crow were divine flames of the same attribute and plane!
Chapter 860 – Battling the Devil God with Combined Strength
Xuanyuan Wentian carried a ferocious smile as he stretched out his hand. Following after this movement, a gigantic pitch-black palm stretched out from the space in front of him, grabbing towards the merged flames brought out by the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er head on.
Bang!!
With a dull reverberation, the divine flames that had blazingly crossed through three kilometers in space were firmly grasped within his palm. The annihilation energy within the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames exploded forth at the same time. Fiery light charged into the skies, yet the flames were never able to escape from the control of the pitch-black hand. As the pitch-black hand tightened, the struggling Golden Crow flames and Phoenix flames quickly extinguished. In a short several breaths of time, they had already been completely engulfed by the black aura.
Looking at this scene, the expressions carried by Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress changed at the same time. The Illusory Demon profound practitioners below had even more so stared with their eyes opened wide.
“Little Demon Empress’s Golden Crow flames, were actually… actually…”
“Divine flames are just nothing more than that in the face of this sovereign’s present strength.” Xuanyuan Wentian coldly laughed, filled with arrogant pride. He slowly raised the Eternal Night Devil Sword and the surrounding tumbling black fog began to gather towards the blade like raging tides. An ice-cold yet dangerous aura enveloped the surrounding space of several hundreds of kilometers. “Why don’t you people tremble… as you welcome the deaths personally bestowed by this sovereign!?”
The black aura on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body exploded forth as he pierced his sword straight towards the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er. While he approached them, the streaks of light suddenly dimmed. The fiery light that was initially scorching to the eyes was quickly being suppressed into dimness. At the same time, the two of them felt that space had suddenly turned sticky, as though their bodies were stuck on a spider web, making it especially hard for them to move.
They were basically unable to evade as well and they were left with no choice but to take Xuanyuan Wentian’s sword strike head on.
The pressure exuded by Xuanyuan Wentian was far more terrifying than three months ago. The Little Demon Empress’s eyes shone with an ice-cold glint and not the slightest bit of fear could be seen on her face. Golden Crow flames that had a color close to that of pure gold were smashed straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian’s chest. Feng Xue’er made a move right after, as scarlet red flames blazed into the skies.
Out of the two women’s flames, one was like a scorching fiery sun, while the other was as sacred as a rainbow.
Boom!!
The overly intense clash of profound energy swirled up tornadoes that had enveloped the entire sky. The Golden Crow flames and Phoenix flames that blended together had even set the horizon ablaze. The dark sword beam was engulfed by the flames, however, like an enraged dark gigantic beast, it suddenly expanded, ruthlessly suppressing the Golden Crow flames and Phoenix flames. Following after the ghost cry-like whistling of a sword image, the flames were ruthlessly torn apart.
The faces of the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er paled at the same time and their bodies were quickly thrown back by the impact. However, a blast was suddenly heard from behind them as a third ball of flames passed between the two of them, straight toward Xuanyuan Wentian.
Xuanyuan Wentian groaned as his body tumbled several dozen times to the back. When he stopped his body, the hair covering his forehead had already been completely burnt to a crisp. He reached out his hand to rub his forehead but instead of being furious, he let out a grim laugh. His pitch-black eyes locked firmly onto Yun Che. “Heh, Yun Che. Your every appearance would always bring a different surprise to this sovereign and this time it’s no exception. It has only been three short months but your strength has actually elevated several times and it has seemingly surpassed this sovereign when I had yet to cultivate my devil physique. What astonishing aptitude.”
“But… So what!?”
The swirling black aura was still endlessly pouring into the Eternal Night Devil Sword. While Xuanyuan Wentian’s low voice was still echoing, his body had already shuttled off like a ghost. The Eternal Night Devil Sword slashed down and its pitch-black blade sliced open a dark curtain of light that was several dozen meters in length in the sky, wantonly twisting space itself.
“Big Brother Yun, watch out!!”
The exchange of blows earlier had already allowed Feng Xue’er to truly experience Xuanyuan Wentian’s terror… That was power that she could not hope to match against with her present strength. Furthermore, she had an uncomfortable feeling that even if she worked together with the Little Demon Empress, it would still be seemingly impossible to defeat Xuanyuan Wentian. And though Yun Che’s profound strength had risen explosively in the three months they were in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he was still far weaker than the two of them.
After Feng Xue’er yelled out, the blazing image of a Phoenix immediately flew out of her body. Within the twisted space, it ignited a mass of Phoenix flames that burned to the absolute limits. As though their hearts were in resonance, the Golden Crow blazing image on the Little Demon Empress’s body flew out at seemingly the same time, releasing an extremely sonorous mighty cry under Xuanyuan Wentian’s sword curtain.
Among the three of them, Yun Che’s strength was comparatively the weakest. However, facing Xuanyuan Wentian who was like a nightmare itself, how could he possibly allow two women to face him while he alone retreated? Golden Crow flames ignited in his two hands and with Falling Moon Sinking Star activated, he struck towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
Boom!!
Four terrifying energies clashed against each other, forming incredibly terrifying energy tornadoes. The surrounding space completely collapsed in an instant and that terrifying profound energy tornado was imprisoned right after as it shrank into the collapsed space. The tornado wildly twisted and then, like a balloon being popped, it suddenly exploded.
This time, space in the surrounding several hundred meters broke apart and spatial fragments scattered haphazardly all around like countless metal needles. Under the force of the impact that radiated out, Xuanyuan Wentian was pushed back several dozen steps, while Feng Xue’er, Little Demon Empress and Yun Che, as though they smashed away by a gigantic mountain, felt intense pain in their organs and were sent flying back in three directions like broken leaves.
Even after the three people had combined their strengths, they were still defeated in the exchange!
“Hahahaha…” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out loud. Sweeping up his body, he had already charged right towards Yun Che who was still flying backwards. The Eternal Night Devil Sword flashed with an ominous black glint. “Then let’s first begin with you!!”
“Ah!! Big Brother Yun!” Feng Xue’er’s beautiful face paled from Xuanyuan Wentian’s actions. She could no longer afford to care about the mess within her body as she desperately circulated the Phoenix flame energy. A pair of Phoenix flame wings spread open behind her and a gigantic image of a Phoenix surfaced on her body as well. Her entire being looked as though it had materialized into an actual Phoenix.
Using the Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix Wing, she forcefully reversed her posture and with a force that could destroy the sky and decimate the earth, she charged towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
However, Xuanyuan Wentian’s speed was too quick. Even if Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix Wing could temporarily allow Feng Xue’er’s speed to break through her limits, it was basically still far from being enough. The pitch-black devil sword was now merely a meter away from Yun Che.
Yun Che gritted his teeth, however, he did not use Star God’s Broken Shadow to escape. A red light flashed in his hands, then he grabbed onto the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword and smashed it straight at Xuanyuan Wentian.
Xuanyuan Wentian revealed an extremely belittling smile after seeing Yun Che’s action. He suddenly retracted the Eternal Night Devil Sword and grasped towards Yun Che’s gigantic vermilion sword with his empty left hand. “Your sword still isn’t worthy of being received by this sovereign’s own sword!”
Clang!!
With a loud clang, Xuanyuan Wentian’s hand had already grabbed onto the blade of Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, releasing out a deafening noise akin to divine metals clashing against each other. People were unable to believe that it was actually a noise made by a clash between a physical body and a sword.
Yun Che’s arms trembled and under the intense numbness. He instantly lost his sense of touch, his organs were even more so in a state comparable to rivers and seas being overturned. It was not that his heavy sword had never been directly held by anyone else… just that no one had ever once grabbed it bare-handedly.
However, Xuanyuan Wentian merely used a single hand and his Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword was firmly fixated in the air. The entire surging force of the heavy sword rebounded back onto his own body. If not because the strength of his body had long surpassed the realm of mortals, his hands and even his arms, would have already been shattered.
But…
Before Xuanyuan Wentian, who held onto Yun Che’s heavy sword, could even leak out an arrogant laugh, his expression suddenly changed. Following after, he even retracted his hand as though he had been electrocuted and accompanying his action was a scream that could not be completely described as mournful.
The sudden scream would naturally lead to a short loss of focus and the Phoenix image materialized by Feng Xue’er broke through the skies at this moment, heavily smashing onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.
Xuanyuan Wentian’s body was instantly ignited with Phoenix flames and he was ruthlessly sent flying away. The direction he flew to was coincidentally where the Little Demon Empress was. By then, the Little Demon Empress had already stabilized her body. Waving out her palm, with Xuanyuan Wentian’s body as the medium, an intense mass of Golden Crow flames ferociously exploded, adding a layer of Golden Crow flames to his body which was already burning with Phoenix flames.
Bang!!
Xuanyuan Wentian heavily smashed onto the ground, smashing out a humongous, deep crater on the surface of the ground. In the next moment, a ray of black light exploded out from the deep crater, instantly extinguishing the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames which enveloped his body.
Within the black light, Xuanyuan Wentian slowly floated into the air. His outer garments had already been burned to a crisp and his body was also filled with burn injuries. However, he did not seem to be batting an eye at these injuries. His two eyes firmly glared at the left hand he raised and his entire left arm was trembling intensely.
A vermilion scar was engraved on the palm of his left hand and it was still emitting a frail vermilion glow. Within the scar, pearls of crimson black blood dripped downward.
With his level of cultivation and “devil physique”, even if it was an injury ten times heavier than this one, the casual guidance of his profound energy would have immediately stopped the blood from flowing.
However, even after pouring his profound energy towards this scar which was emitting out a vermilion glow several times, when approaching the wound, the profound energy would suddenly dissipate away, basically preventing him from stopping the flow of blood, let alone healing it. What was more frightening was that this wound which was clearly just two inches long felt as though there were millions of poisonous claws constantly stabbing into his palm, causing him unbearable pain.
“What’s going on… What exactly is going on?” Xuanyuan Wentian furiously growled.
“This is… a devil slayer sword!?”
The Eternal Night Devil Sword suddenly transmitted a fearful voice and even the pair of opened eyes at the hilt of the sword had suddenly shrunk.
“Devil slayer sword? What is that?” Xuanyuan Wentian roared out.
“No… That’s not a devil slayer sword. Its appearance, aura and profound light are all different, so it’s impossible for it to be a devil slayer sword! The existence of devil slayer swords had long disappeared from this world!”
“Kill him and then destroy that sword completely! Though that is definitely not a devil slayer sword, since it’s actually capable of dealing such harm to you, along with that aura that makes me feel extremely uncomfortable… It might be something similar to a devil slayer sword!”
“Fortunately, his strength is far weaker than yours so this sword doesn’t provide the slightest of threats to you while in his hands. But if someday, it lands in the hands of someone who possesses strength comparable to yours, then it will be huge trouble!” The devil soul in the sword said in a dark voice.
The voice of the devil soul in the sword clearly carried fear… It was more than just “huge trouble”, it was basically the object it feared the most in its entire life.
Xuanyuan Wentian fiercely clenched his left hand. The intensified pain caused his face to twist into something akin to a vile ghost and at the same time, it wildly ignited the irritation and anger in his chest. He had clearly become a Devil God, possessing peerless power that could overwhelm everything, yet he still ended up suffering such torturous pain.
“Yun… Che!!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s killing intent exploded forth from his entire body, causing the black aura in his surroundings to begin surging in a chaotic manner. He had planned on torturing Yun Che to death but now… He wanted Yun Che to die as quickly as possible! Preventing him from even breathing for a single second, a single moment more in this world!
Chapter 861 – World Scorching Fire Lotus
The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er were puzzled at Xuanyuan Wentian’s anomaly for a short moment but immediately after, they suddenly sensed Xuanyuan Wentian’s killing intent rise explosively. Furthermore, the killing intent was locked onto Yun Che… and him alone.
The two girls’ hearts skipped a beat at the same time and Xuanyuan Wentian simultaneously let out a furious roar as well. His entire being was like a dormant wild beast. Carrying a black aura that filled the sky, he charged over.
Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress met his charge at lightning speed. Like the eruption of volcanoes, two masses of divine flames engulfed Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Scram!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian smashed out his sword, slicing a pitch-black sword arc within the sea of flames. In an instant, tens of thousands of sword beams exploded forth from the Eternal Night Devil Sword and every sword beam was pitch-black and distorted, as though they were millions of ghosts originating from the crevices of hell. Even the spatial tearing sounds were ghastly like the dark howls from the netherworld.
“Chachacha…”
The pitch-black sword beams pierced through the sea of flames that shrouded the sky. The sounds of the mix between burning and tearing were even more ear-piercing and heart-stabbing than the sounds of space being torn. However, Xuanyuan Wentian’s power far surpassed Feng Xue’er’s and the Little Demon Empress’. Though half the pitch-black sword beams was burnt away, the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames were utterly tattered by the slash. When Xuanyuan Wentian smashed out his second sword strike, the black light erupted fiercely amidst the collapsing sea of flames.
Feng Xue’er and the the Little Demon Empress groaned at the same time and they were ruthlessly blown away by the immense darkness energy, their protective profound auras barely a step away from being shattered. Before they could even regain their senses, their surroundings suddenly flashed with black light and space was speedily being locked amidst its distortion. Two curtains of black light gathered right after, tightly entangling their two bodies, instantly extinguishing the flames on their bodies.
Darkness Prisons!!
However, Xuanyuan Wentian did not take this opportunity to continue attacking. Not spare them another moment’s concern, he charged straight towards Yun Che with surging killing intent.
“Big Brother Yun!!” Feng Xue’er paled from shock. She and the Little Demon Empress were both basically unable to block Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks, let alone Yun Che himself.
Little Demon Empress, “!!”
The Little Demon Empress struggled in the Darkness Prison with all her might. On her forehead, the Golden Crow imprint shone, releasing an eye-piercing golden radiance. The extinguished Golden Crow flames on her body fiercely ignited and after a loud “bang,” she forcefully shook off the dark cage.
Having escaped from the cage, the Little Demon Empress gathered the flames on her entire body into her two hands. A gigantic sword made out of golden flames stretched out into the empty sky as it fiercely slashed towards Xuanyuan Wentian’s back.
“Golden Annihilation” possessed absolute annihilation energy; even someone as strong as Xuanyuan Wentian would definitely be injured if he was directly struck with it. The Little Demon Empress did not expect that this would heavily injure Xuanyuan Wentian in the least, rather, she wanted to force him to turn around and defend or evade it.
However, as though he did not sense it in the slightest, Xuanyuan Wentian did not have any intention to dodge it or turn around to defend himself as he continued to charge straight towards Yun Che. Black aura surged from the Eternal Night Devil Sword and then it swiftly stabbed forward. “ Yun Che… Die!!”
A gigantic pitch-black sword beam was shot out of the sword tip, ripping open a dark spatial passageway as it shot towards Yun Che while carrying an annihilative might.
The moment this sword beam shot out, even the crowd that was separated by a layer of the protection barrier several dozen kilometers away was able to feel the extremely terrifying hell-like winds and the presence of death.
Xiao Yun and the rest widened their eyes as they let out terrified roars. Even Yun Qinghong’s pupils had shrunk.
“Big Brother Yun!!” Amidst an explosive noise, Feng Xue’er also forcefully shook out of the Darkness Prison. However, she was basically unable to stop it in time. She helplessly watched as the dark sword beam approached Yun Che’s chest.
The extremely thick, dark pressure and presence of death made Yun Che feel as if his body had fallen into a cave of ice. He retreated with all his strength and the profound energy in his entire body was even being unleashed in a crazed manner.
“Sealing Cloud Locking Sun!”
The Evil God barrier expanded but that presence of death still closed in with incomparable clarity.
Not enough…
Yun Che’s eyes sharpened. A beam from the cyan colored profound handle shot out from his arm and met with the pitch-black sword beam. At the same time, the flames on his body instantly turned into blue light. As he quickly retreated, several dozens of Trees of Frozen End quickly grew beneath his feet and in between them, there were even thick ice walls, numbering in the high hundreds.
When it came to destructive power, the Frozen End Divine Arts were far weaker than the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames. However, if it was pure defense, the Frozen End Divine Arts carried an enormous advantage.
Boom!!!
With a loud reverberation, the beams from the profound handle and dark sword ruthlessly collided against each other, causing the profound handle to directly scattered apart in an instant. The dark sword beam, carrying the nether howls of death, continued to speed forward as it blasted apart all of the Trees of Frozen End and ice walls amidst consecutive shattering noises.
After piercing through all of the layers of ice, the dark sword beam had already been reduced to half of its former size, yet it was still releasing an incomparably terrifying pressure as it ruthlessly smashed onto Yun Che’s body.
An extremely shrill screeching sounded. Countless cracks surfaced on the Evil God barrier before it directly shattered. The dark sword light beam had also collapsed immediately after but the shockwave of its energy had still swept onto Yun Che’s body, blasting him far away.
Though the dark sword beam had broken apart, its immortal sword intent enveloped Yun Che within, instantly slicing hundreds of scars on Yun Che’s body. Yun Che speedily ignited the Phoenix flames, extinguishing all of these terrifying sword intents… And at the same time, the Little Demon Empress’ “Golden Annihilation” had ruthlessly smashed onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s back.
Under the golden flames, the ferocious and terrifying darkness devil aura on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body was easily sliced apart. The golden beam wildly expanded, annihilating all of his defensive capabilities as it fiercely exploded on Xuanyuan Wentian’s back.
Xuanyuan Wentian let out a scream. Blood spattered from his back and the crimson black blood that flew out was completely annihilated by the Golden Crow flames. A pungent burnt smell quickly suffused into the air and his entire body was ruthlessly sent flying like a cannonball.
However, the Eternal Night Devil Sword in Xuanyuan Wentian’s hand suddenly slipped off and flew out, shooting out a sword beam that carried a rumbling black aura which pierced towards the Little Demon Empress.
The remnants of the golden flames were unable to block the Eternal Night Devil Sword’s terrifying sword light beam and the veil of fire was instantly penetrated through. Though the Little Demon Empress had dodged, the dark sword beam still pierced into her left arm. The Little Demon Empress instantly let out a painful groan and her body retreated several tens of meters, stains of bright red blood flowing down her left arm and lips.
However, she paid her injuries no mind and had even fiercely unleashed all of her profound energy, ignoring the consequences of intensely worsening her injuries. A gigantic fire lotus of pure gold bloomed explosively underneath, releasing a golden light comparable to the sun as it drew towards the descending Xuanyuan Wentian.
On the other side, Feng Xue’er’s Phoenix flame energy had also fully exploded forth. Above the dome of flames, a crimson red lotus proudly bloomed, stacking a thousand layers of petals that filled the space of several kilometers in the blink of an eye. Carrying might that could scorch the sky and raze the ground, it then started to envelope Xuanyuan Wentian and in the moment of its approach, all of the flaming petals instantly drawing in.
Two divine flame lotuses that were at the absolute limits of this world—the Purgatory Fire Lotus of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World below and the Star Scorching Demon Lotus of the World Ode of the Phoenix above—converged together amidst the dazzling flaming light, heartlessly burying Xuanyuan Wentian within.
Boom———
Two extremely gorgeous flaming lotuses exploded forth an indescribable terrifyingly catastrophic power at the same time and the energy tornadoes that were birthed ruthlessly blew away Yun Che, who had just managed to gather his breath after being attacked by Xuanyuan Wentian.
The explosive sounds of the flaming lotuses shook the earth. The inside of Demon Imperial City however, was dead silent. Everyone had their mouths wide open, their eyes staring unblinkingly straight, as they suspected if they were dreaming. Other than the endless fiery radiance, nothing else could be seen in their line of sight.
Buried by these two most terrifying flaming lotuses in the world, even if it was a peerless expert as strong as Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi, he or she would be completely burnt into nothingness in a short span of time, without the least bit of logic of survival. However, the Little Demon Empress’ and Feng Xue’er’s expressions did not relax in the slightest. The flames on their bodies intensely burned and their open hands were maintaining the power of the flame lotuses with all their might.
Because at the center of the two flaming lotuses, the terrifying darkness aura did not burn to death but was struggling wildly… and his struggle was growing even more vigorous.
Bang!!
A ray of black light suddenly pierced through the fire lotuses, shooting out like a laser. Following after were two… five… dozens. The Little Demon Empress’s and Feng Xue’er’s expressions sank. The flames on their bodies once again surged as they suppressed those dozens streaks of black light with great difficulty.
The darkness aura that had once again been suppressed by the divine might of the two world scorching fire lotuses had seemingly reached its limits; its struggle suddenly began to weaken and slowly turned silent. However, before the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er could heave short sighs of relief, a thunder-like roar rang through the empty air and also within their souls.
Like an awakened primordial vile beast which had stayed dormant for ten thousand years, a streak of black light fiercely exploded forth with the two converged flaming lotuses as the center. Darkness instantly overwhelmed the eye-scorching flaming light, spreading across the entire sky and earth. The two world scorching flaming lotus shattered into millions of fiery fragments at the same time, scattering onto the surrounding crater-filled land.
As though they were smashed by a mace originating from the depths of purgatory, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress suffered grave injuries throughout their bodies and were sent flying back like residual leaves amidst the dark tornadoes.The flawless rainbow dress and the fiery red phoenix dress were instantly dyed red in blood.
Xuanyuan Wentian, who had smashed apart the two divine flaming lotuses, was charred black throughout his entire body but the darkness aura on his body was still as terrifying as a Devil God’s. He let out a loud arrogant laugh. “To actually think of killing this sovereign with just you lot… What a foolish dream! Hahahaha…”
At that instant he broke away from the flaming lotuses, Yun Che’s figure had penetrated through layers of dark tornadoes like a meteor, arriving behind him. With all of his strength gathered onto the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, he smashed towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Destroying Sky Decimating Earth!!!”
Boom——
Xuanyuan Wentian’s loud laughter ground to a halt. Before the roars of the dark tornadoes had even scattered, another loud reverberation akin to profound thunder from the Ninth Heaven resounded when the Heaven Smiting Devil Sword solidly smashed onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s back… Xuanyuan Wentian’s body fiercely sank. No matter how strong his abilities were, he had just forcefully broken out of the burial of two great flaming lotuses and his darkness profound energy was emptied for a short moment. He was unable to completely block against the sword strike which carried Yun Che’s full might.
The sword directly smashed into Xuanyuan Wentian’s body and the vermilion blade embedded a full inch into his back.
“Guaaaaaah!!”
Like a wild beast in despair, Xuanyuan Wentian released a roar from the pain brought by the damage caused the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword. His eyes suddenly released a terrifying black glow and the muscles on his back bulged up layer upon layer, fiercely exploding right after. Several dozen streaks of blood shot up to thirty meters and the incomparably large and terrifying darkness energy shook onto the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword and Yun Che’s body.
Yun Che let out a groan and the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword had even almost slipped out of his hands. His entire being was like a kite which had its string snapped off; he was sent flying far away while trailing a long stream of blood behind him.
“This sovereign… will shatter your corpse into a thousand pieces!!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s back was mashed with blood and flesh; a long crimson red glow was deeply printed onto his back. The torturous pain stimulated his rage and madness and like a wild beast with all its instincts ignited. He charged towards Yun Che amidst his screaming.
“!!!” The Little Demon Empress had just stopped her body when she saw this scene that tremendously shook her body and heart. She no longer bothered with her injuries as she rose into the skies with all her might, blocking Xuanyuan Wentian’s path. Several dozen Golden Crow flames hurriedly ignited, meeting Xuanyuan Wentian’s charge.
Not only was the Little Demon Empress injured both internally and externally, the backlash from the shattered flaming lotus had even messed up the profound energy in her entire body. The might of the Golden Crow flames she smashed out was far weaker than before, so how could she possibly block against Xuanyuan Wentian, whose strength was merely weakened by an insignificant amount, albeit having taken damage?
Xuanyuan Wentian swept his hand which was wrapped in black aura and a large pitch-black hand stretched out from empty air, instantly engulfing all of the Golden Crow flames. The Little Demon Empress’ eyes turned ice-cold as she pushed herself to condense Golden Annihilation in her two hands and slashed onto that pitch-black palm.
“Pfft.”
With a dull sound, the golden flames were directly scattered. The Little Demon Empress’ expression paled as she spat out a streak of blood. Her consciousness instantly fell apart and her petite and frail body powerlessly fell to the bottom.
Chapter 862 – Despaired Soul
“Since you want to be the first to die… This sovereign shall grant your wish!!”
Yun Che’s physique was exceptionally strong. Although his current strength was far below the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er, in terms of the toughness of his body alone, even if the two ladies combined together, they would not be able to rival his. Although Xuanyuan Wentian’s attack that was struck with rage was frightening, it was still insufficient to cause any severe injuries.
When the Little Demon Empress blocked in front of Xuanyuan Wentian, he had already regained his mobility in the air. The Little Demon Empress was severely injured by Xuanyuan Wentian and fell downward. Yun Che suddenly realized that Xuanyuan Wentian did not continue to rush towards him. Instead, he suddenly descended and grabbed at the temporarily unconscious the Little Demon Empress.
This scene caused Yun Che to be greatly shocked, “Hold it!!”
As he shouted, Yun Che used Extreme Mirage Lightning and rushed crazily towards Xuanyuan Wentian without considering whether this was part of his devious plan.
But how could his speed be enough to catch up to Xuanyuan Wentian?
“Tch!!” Yun Che gritted his teeth as his eyes turned bloodshot from rage. A blue glow then flashed past his eyes.
“Dragon… Soul… Domain!!”
Aooo!!!
The silhouette of an azure dragon appeared in the skies and it gave off the immense pressure of the dragon god that shook the heavens and earth.
Under the effects of a mental domain that was boosted by the might of a primordial dragon god, Xuanyuan Wentian’s entire body trembled and the black aura that surrounded his body disappeared by half while his speed was also greatly slowed. Then, the silhouette of a sky wolf that had been ignited with phoenix flames appeared from behind and violently struck his back.
Bang!!
With a loud noise, another huge chunk of bloody flesh on Xuanyuan Wentian’s back was struck off and his slightly darkening backbone was also visible now. He was sent crashing downward like a cannonball, heavily hitting the ground.
Yun Che inhaled slightly and relied on the Star God’s Broken Shadow to swiftly move and catch the falling Little Demon Empress, holding her firmly in his arms.
“Ahhhhhh!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian shot up from the ground as roars of extreme rage escaped madly from his mouth. Though the injuries on his body were already startling, the black devil aura released by his body did not weaken one bit. It still remained so dense that it was suffocating.
In contrast, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress had both used up a large amount of their profound strength and they also suffered from severe internal injuries. Especially the Little Demon Empress whose profound aura in her body was so chaotic that it was almost completely out of control.
“Brother Yun, are you alright?” Feng Xue’er hurried flew over, blocking in front of him and the Little Demon Empress. However, the phoenix flames ignited on her body were obviously rather weak as well.
“I’m alright.” Yun Che softly replied. Then a palm pressed onto his chest and gently pushed him away.
The Little Demon Empress has regained her consciousness and struggled as she left Yun Che’s grasp. Her petite blood stained hands reignited with the glorious golden flame once again.
Xuanyuan Wentian rose into the skies and that devil-like face once again appeared right in front of their eyes. The eerie and dense darkness and killing intent shrouded over them, “You all actually… harmed this sovereign’s devil body once again! This time… this sovereign will definitely… send you all to your graves forever!”
Yun Che’s eyebrows sunk as he held the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword so tightly that the knuckles on both his hands turned white. Three months ago, Xuanyuan Wentian was already exceptionally frightening and within these three months, he and Feng Xue’er’s profound strength had both increased. He had thought that this would be enough to face the mutated Xuanyuan Wentian.
Unexpectedly, in these three months, Xuanyuan Wentian had become far stronger than he was three months ago. Even if the three of them combined their strength, they would not be his match.
No… Given their current condition, there was not the slightest chance that they could defeat him. If this were to continue, the only outcome would be dying at his hands and Demon Imperial City facing the fate of obliteration!
Just what should be done… what to do!?!
“Die!!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s body began to glow with a black light that covered the skies. Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress’ profound strength had been greatly weakened already. A full strength blow by him could never be received by the two of them now.
At this time, Yun Che suddenly turned forward and shouted loudly, “Fen Juechen, what the hell are you doing? Are you just going to let him manipulate your body and power like this!?”
His words caused Xuanyuan Wentian to be shocked before he started laughing hysterically again, “Hahahaha… Yun Che, in the face of death, you actually dream of that pathetic soul saving you all like three months ago!”
“This sovereign had not realized that I had not completely wiped away that pathetic soul three months ago and as a result this sovereign’s plans were foiled! Now, do you naively believe that he would still remain until today?”
“We don’t even have to say his consciousness, even the dregs of his soul have already been completely wiped away by this sovereign. There is not one single strand of residue remaining!”
However, Yun Che did not care about Xuanyuan Wentian’s words and coldly continued, “Fen Juechen, in order to obtain great strength, you suffered pain and torture that people who had lived a hundred lives cannot even imagine. Would a person like you fall so easily to such a hideous devil!?”
“You pursued strength for the sole reason of revenge and the person you wanted to kill the most is Xuanyuan Wentian. Because not only does he carry the sin of eradicating your clan, he was also the culprit who landed you into such a miserable fate! However, even today, you still have not gotten revenge. Instead, you allowed your body and the strength that you suffered tremendously to obtain to be used by the person you wanted to kill the most, giving him the power for his wild ambitions… This is such a huge hatred and disgrace!
“You have pride and arrogance that is above others. Could you actually be willing to let this hatred and shame disappear forever!? Could you actually be a weakling that is so easily killed?!”
“Tsktsk, such a weak and foolish struggle,” Xuanyuan Wentian stretched out his palm and said with disdain, “You’d be better off kneeling down and begging for forgiveness from this sovereign. Who knows, this sovereign might leave one or two bones intact when he crushes you later.
“It’s a pity that you no longer have the chance!”
The black aura surged and Xuanyuan Wentian’s claw struck and the surrounding space immediately froze.
“Be careful!!” The flames on Feng Xue’er’s body surged as she stood against Xuanyuan Wentian even before the Little Demon Empress had a chance.
Xuanyuan Wentian looked ferocious as his palm swept past the flames and struck straight at Feng Xue’er’s chest, “Die…”
His shout had not even been completed before it abruptly cut off. It seemed as though someone had suddenly choked him and his face was suddenly frozen; even the black palm that he struck deviated in direction.
With a deafening “boom”, the phoenix flames that were originally harmless to Xuanyuan Wentian had gone through the black aura that had suddenly lost control and struck firmly onto his face. Xuanyuan Wentian let out a miserable cry as he was sent flying and his entire body was rapidly engulfed in the scarlet flames.
Sending Xuanyuan Wentian flying in one blow caused Feng Xue’er to be stunned.
“Ahh… What… what happened?” Xuanyuan Wentian extinguished the phoenix flames on him in a hurry and looked at his hand in disbelief. He had an expression of extreme disbelief; it was as though he had seen a ghost just now.
Yun Che instantly had an expression of pleasant surprise.
“Im… Impossible… this is impossible!!” Xuanyuan Wentian shouted in rage and his eyes let out a ferocious gaze yet again. He grabbed onto the Eternal Night Devil Sword and swung it at Yun Che.
However, just as he rose into the air, his entire body trembled and he fell back down stiffly. His entire body shook and trembled uncontrollably, “Impossible… This sovereign had obviously… completely… impossible…”
“Fen Juechen… it’s Fen Juechen!” Yun Che shouted in surprise. Previously, when he called for Fen Juechen, it was only an attempt that was made due to a lack of plans. In his heart, he did not hold too much hope for it. Because three months ago, when Xuanyuan Wentian figured out that Fen Juechen’s residual soul still remained, he would have definitely tried to completely eradicate it with all his might.
However, Fen Juechen’s consciousness still did not get completely eradicated. Even more so, the power that come out of that unwilling and unrelenting soul was obviously affecting Xuanyuan Wentian to a large extent.
This was hope and a chance of survival that Fen Juechen had risked his remaining consciousness to obtain for them! Yun Che instantly rushed forward like lightning and struck the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.
Xuanyuan Wentian’s body that had lost control did not even make an attempt at defense as he was swept up by the great sword and flung several kilometers away. Before he could manage to get up, Yun Che had rushed forward once again, gathering all the strength within him and the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword that ignited with golden crow flames struck onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body yet again.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM…
Although his strength was not at the level of Xuanyuan Wentian, the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword was like a bane to devil profound energy. With each swing, Yun Che would cause Xuanyuan Wentian to scream miserably and the ground beneath would break under the impact.
“Ahhhhhh!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian cried miserably and the black aura on him suddenly surged and violently knocked Yun Che away. His body swayed and he breathed heavily before charging hysterically towards Yun Che.
Bang!
The Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword collided directly with Xuanyuan Wentian’s black palm. Yun Che’s entire body trembled and both his arms were in pain as he was flung hundreds of meters away, the blood and energy in his body churning within his chest. He looked up firmly and shouted, “Fen Juechen, given the way that you are now, you cannot possibly obtain revenge personally in this life! However… if I can live past today, I will personally kill Xuanyuan Wentian one day!!”
This shout by Yun Che seemed to stab several thousand poisonous needles into Xuanyuan Wentian’s soul. The residual soul that had just been suppressed by him was now filled with unimaginable strength and it violently struck his consciousness and intertwined…
“Arghhhhhhh!”
Xuanyuan Wentian cried miserably. His body that was about to get up suddenly knelt down and his hands held onto his head strongly while his body spasmed in pain, “AHHHHHHH… Wh… why… why haven’t… you been… destroyed… ahhhhhh!!”
“Because he is Fen Juechen!!”
Yun Che roared angrily, gathered all his strength and smashed the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword at Xuanyuan Wentian… Due to Xuanyuan Wentian’s mental breakdown, he had lost a large amount of control of his body and strength and was violent slashed by Yun Che on the head.
Boom!!
Xuanyuan Wentian’s brain seemed as though it was filled with millions of flies that buzzed constantly. His bloodied body was sent flying like a bundle of straw.
“You… you…” Xuanyuan Wentian laid on the ground as his entire body spasmed. Despite several struggles, he could not stand up. He turned around, his eyes that were giving out a black glow stared firmly at Yun Che. His face contorted and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly saw that the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er had caught up and were standing beside Yun Che.
At the same time these words were said, Xuanyuan Wentian cracked five of the teeth in his mouth. The Eternal Night Devil Sword swiftly flew over, picked him up and carried him towards the north like a flash of black lightning.
Chapter 863 – Devil Curse Relapse
“Don’t even think about escaping!!”
Seeing Xuanyuan Wentian suddenly escaping far away, the Little Demon Empress put aside her injuries and forcefully condensed her profound energy, chasing after him with her fastest speed.
“Caiyi, don’t chase him!” Yun Che shouted loudly.
However, the Little Demon Empress turned a deaf ear, a bone-piercing hatred flashing within her ice-cold eyes.
“Not good!” Yun Che gnashed his teeth. He could no longer afford to care about anything else, as he chased after the Little Demon Empress with all his strength. Feng Xue’er hurriedly followed closely behind as well.
A change that could be termed “inexplicable” had suddenly occurred in their battle. Xuanyuan Wentian, who initially possessed overwhelming power, seemed to have suddenly lost all of his strength. He was defeated by Yun Che single-handedly and was actually fleeing with all his might.
Though it was unclear what had happened, to the people in Demon Imperial City, this change had undoubtedly pulled up their hearts instantly from the depths of the abyss. They openly watched on as Xuanyuan Wentian fled northwest with astonishing speed driven by the pitch-black longsword, while the three including Yun Che who were following close behind, very quickly disappeared from their sight as well.
“What happened?” Yun Waitian asked, startled.
Yun Qinghong twitched his brows and suddenly said, “Brother Under Heaven, let us follow after them and take a look!”
“Alright!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven nodded without any hesitation.
The two great patriarchs charged out of the barrier at the same time, flying straight in the northwestern direction.
The power that Xuanyuan Wentian possessed was definitely sufficient to achieve complete victory against his three opponents, however, Fen Juechen’s unbending soul had once again awakened. What was most frightening about this was, the place which this unbending soul had awakened in was not outside his own soul but within his own soul realm!
Under the intense charges from Fen Juechen’s soul, even though he had the formidable “devil physique” and incredible power, he was basically unable to control them with his own will. If he did not flee, there would definitely be a possibility where he would be killed by his three opponents.
The portion of dark profound energy he could forcefully make use of, was presently poured entirely into his escape.
“Bastard… Why… Why are you still not thoroughly dead yet… You are but one of this sovereign’s pitiful chess pieces… A pitiful worm who had a fragmented soul since birth… How is this possible… How can you possibly still remain alive to this day under this sovereign’s power… Uaaahhh…”
Xuanyuan Wentian’s expression was in utter pain. His voice was coarse and his vision was blurred. His mind was suffering from a splitting headache and his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
Behind him, the Little Demon Empress was chasing closely. However, the speed of the devil sword was simply too fast. Even when she was using all her strength, she was unable to catch up the entire time.
The land of the Illusory Demon Realm was moving backwards under their feet at high speeds. After more than an hour, the devil sword, carrying Xuanyuan Wentian, charged into Five Way Region.
The center of Five Way Region was the place where he descended when he came here.
The Five Way Region which had been guarded by an army of several tens of thousands of troops throughout the year, was presently dead silent. Gazing from afar, one could see streams of strange fog swirling above the destroyed land, yet not a single human figure could be seen. The brown ground was scattered with a huge amount of dark scars, as though they were pitch-black ashes that were left behind after being burnt.
Yun Che’s expression darkened upon seeing the state of Five Way Region… the swirling black fog beneath him was clearly emitting the dark energy of a devil! Very evidently, the former guardian troops here had all lost their lives at the hands of Xuanyuan Wentian.
At the same time, it also meant that there was an extreme possibility that this was the place where Xuanyuan Wentian came from.
While carrying Xuanyuan Wentian, the devil sword flew straight towards the center of Five Way Region. There, a small sized profound formation was presently revolving very slowly, emitting a soft white profound glow.
Xuanyuan Wentian stopped next to the profound formation. He turned around and looked at the three people who had chased him all the way here, his voice carried two-fifths agony and three-fifths hatred. “This sovereign… shall once again allow you people to live… for several more months… The same situation… will definitely happen a third time…”
“Three months from now, this sovereign’s devil blood… will completely awaken… When that time comes… you people… had best… be waiting for me!!”
After completing his speech, Xuanyuan Wentian roared and pounced into the spatial profound formation, instantly disappearing without a trace.
“Even if you fall into purgatory itself… this empress will tear your bones and scatter your ashes!!”
Even after Xuanyuan Wentian had already disappeared into the spatial profound formation, the Little Demon Empress did not stop her flight even for a moment as she charged straight towards the profound formation.
“Caiyi… Don’t go over there!!” Yun Che paled from shock. “Xue’er, stop her!”
The Little Demon Empress was definitely not a person who acted on impulse. On the contrary, she was terrifyingly calm at almost every single moment.
However, only when facing Xuanyuan Wentian himself… The grudge from killing her father, the resentment for the chaos he incited, the hatred from exterminating her clan, these sentences were far from being reconcilable!
“Little Demon Empress sis, don’t!” Feng Xue’er anxiously cried out, as she released several dozen Phoenix arrows and smashed them towards the front of the Little Demon Empress in a fluster. The shockwave caused by the blast of released flaming energy slowed down the Little Demon Empress’s figure and Yun Che pounced over from behind her, firmly hugging onto her.
The Little Demon Empress struggled intensely, her watering eyes stared straight at the spatial profound formation that was right before her. However, Yun Che’s arms were firmly locked onto her like an iron clamp… A long while later, the Little Demon Empress’s struggles finally began to gradually weaken. When the confusion in her eyes had scattered away, her entire body went limp and she gently fell into Yun Che’s embrace.
On her small, milky white face, two clear streaks of tears silently slid down.
“Caiyi, don’t worry.” Yun Che softly embraced her. “Your hatred is my hatred. We aren’t able to kill him today but as long as we, husband and wife, combine our hearts, there will come a day when we will have him pay his debt in blood.”
“…” The Little Demon Empress did not reply, as she gently closed her eyes in Yun Che’s embrace.
“Xue’er, destroy that profound formation,” Yun Che turned his head around and said. There was an extremely huge distance between the Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm and to construct a spatial profound formation that could link the two continents would definitely require a large amount of resources and time. By destroying the profound formation, even if Xuanyuan Wentian were to fully recover the next day, it would be impossible for him to infiltrate the Illusory Demon Realm again in a short span of time.
Feng Xue’er nodded. Her small hand lightly danced and a stream of Phoenix flames slammed into the profound formation. With a loud boom, the profound formation had already fallen apart and its white glow scattered in all four directions.
“Little Demon Empress, Che’er… Are you three alright?”
Yun Qinghong and Greatest Ambition Under Heaven hurriedly flew over. Seeing that the three people seemed to be safe and sound, they heaved huge sighs of relief.
“Father!” Yun Che hurriedly held Little Demon Empress up. “And Patriarch Under Heaven. Don’t worry, we’re all fine. Xuanyuan Wentian has just fled back to the Profound Sky Continent and the spatial profound formation he used has already been destroyed as well. For a short span of time, he shouldn’t be able to infiltrate again.”
“That’s good to hear.” Yun Qinghong slightly nodded. He looked at his surroundings and let out a heavy sigh. “I initially believed that the Illusory Demon Realm had finally distanced itself from disaster and attained stability, never did I expect that a great crisis would fall from the heavens… The guardian army of three hundred and thirty thousand troops here has to be taken pity upon as well.”
“Haah.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven heavily sighed as well. “Xuanyuan Wentian… He’s actually such a terrifying individual.”
Yun Qinghong turned his face around and looked towards Feng Xue’er. The light in his eyes instantly turned especially warm. “Che’er, you have yet to introduce this girl to your father.”
Feng Xue’er stepped forward and gave a proper bow. “Junior Feng Xue’er greets Uncle Yun and Uncle Under Heaven.”
“Uh… Ah… I dare not receive this, I dare not receive this.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven hurriedly waved his hands and his body had also shrunk back for a moment out of slight fear. In Demon Imperial City, he had personally witnessed the terrifying strength Feng Xue’er possessed which was comparable to the Little Demon Empress’, how could he possibly dare receive such a gesture from her?
Yun Qinghong however calmly received it and said with a smile. “I have often heard Yun’er and the rest speak of you, that you have several times risked your own life in order to protect Che’er. These past few months, we husband and wife have been hoping day and night to personally meet you and now, our wish has finally been fulfilled. When your aunt sees you, she will definitely be extremely joyous as well.”
Facing Yun Che’s biological father, like all regular young maidens, a strange anxiety stirred in Feng Xue’er’s heart. “Protecting Big Brother Yun… is Xue’er’s duty.”
Yun Qinghong chuckled. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw the Little Demon Empress, who was lying in Yun Che’s embrace, suddenly open her eyes and stand up. He hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Little Demon Empress, how are your injuries? This Qinghong is ashamed…”
“This empress’s injuries do not require any worry,” the Little Demon Empress said indifferently. “Yun Qinghong, fortunately you have decisively awakened the Great City Barrier Formation this time, which prevented Demon Imperial City from facing a disaster. Otherwise, terrifying and irreversible consequences would have occurred. You have made great contributions to the incident today.”
However, Yun Qinghong shook his head with a bitter smile. “If the Little Demon Empress had not rushed back, all these would have been nothing but futile actions. These aren’t worthy of such praise from the Little Demon Empress.”
“Not only have you protected Demon Imperial City from an unprecedented crisis, the Great City Barrier Formation greatly drained Xuanyuan Wentian’s energy as well. Otherwise, the conclusion right now might not have happened. Though…” the Little Demon Empress raised her head. “This is but a temporary breather. The terror of Xuanyuan Wentian is something you people have personally witnessed today. With his greed, not too far long in the future, he will definitely descend once more. When that time comes, the fate of my Illusory Demon Realm…”
The Little Demon Empress’ had not finished her sentence yet an incomparably heavy pressure and shadow loomed over every single one of their souls.
“In any case, let’s first return to Demon Imperial City. By seeing the Little Demon Empress safe and sound, everyone would then truly feel at ease.” Yun Qinghong revealed a relaxed expression.
“Che’er, let us go… Che’er??”
They had all prepared to return to Demon Imperial City, however, they realized that Yun Che was actually still standing there unmoving and not speaking a single word. His expression was stiff and his pair of eyes was staring blankly in the air, not having the slightest of response to Yun Qinghong’s words.
It was as though he had suddenly lost his soul.
Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress hurriedly looked at Yun Che and only then did they suddenly realize his abnormal condition… He was standing there blankly, his stiff complexion was slowly being dyed with a layer of darkness and an abnormal black glow was even faintly seeping from his pupils.
“Big Brother Yun… Big Brother Yun, what happened to you?” Feng Xue’er anxiously said.
Under Feng Xue’er’s call, Yun Che suddenly groaned as he instantly knelt onto the ground. Like a sieve, his entire body was shaking intensely and his face constantly twisted and distorted, as though he was enduring an immense pain.
“Yun Che!!”
“Che’er!”
The Little Demon Empress and Yun Qinghong had both paled from shock as well, as they hurriedly arrived next to Yun Che. Yun Qinghong said with a solemn voice. “Could the injuries he received from his exchange with Xuanyuan Wentian have suddenly relapsed? Ah… Brother Under Heaven, if you please!”
“Allow me.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven hurriedly stepped forward and within the palm he quickly stretched out, a jade-green glow was condensed. The unique nature energy which their elven race possessed had extremely powerful healing and calming effects, and this was nature energy belonging to the realm of a Monarch.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s palm flipped and while carrying a jade-green profound glow that emitted a pure, natural aura, it slammed towards Yun Che’s chest.
Right at the moment his palm made contact with Yun Che’s body, as though it had been devoured, the thick jade-green glow instantly disappeared. Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s palm trembled and then, he hurriedly retracted it as though he was electrocuted.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven staggered back as he let out a painful moan. His entire arm was trembling intensely and his face revealed deep agony and fear.
“Brother Under Heaven!?” Yun Qinghong charged over like lightning and grabbed onto Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s hand. He shockingly realized his palm had already turned charred black and a frail black energy was still faintly rising from it.
“This… What is going on?”
Chapter 864 – Gloom
“Big Brother Yun, what happened to you?” Startled, Feng Xue’er worriedly said. At this moment, she suddenly saw a layer of black aura slowly surging from Yun Che’s body.
This layer of black aura was very thin in the beginning but it was gradually becoming thicker and it clearly carried an extremely ominous presence.
“Caiyi… Xue’er…” Yun Che’s palm was tightly clutching his own chest, as he painfully said. “Hurry and bring me back… to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley…”
The space in front of Yun Che speedily distorted, revealing the Primordial Profound Ark. Evidently, Yun Che knew for certain that with his present condition, forcing himself to make his way back to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was impossible and there was a need to use the Primordial Profound Ark.
“Hurry and go!” The Little Demon Empress hurriedly reached out her hands to grab Yun Che and Feng Xue’er, entering the Primordial Profound Ark in a flash of white light. Then, they disappeared along with the Primordial Profound Ark.
“Sss…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s palm was in bone-piercing pain and this form of pain was different from all the injuries he had ever suffered in his entire lifetime. It was an extremely strange… ice-cold scorching sensation.
Even with his powerful cultivation of a mid-level Monarch and the protection formed by nature energy, he could only slightly suppress that pain after a few dozen breaths.
“What in the world… Just what in the world is…” Cold sweat constantly dripped down from Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s forehead. He took in a long breath and glanced at Yun Qinghong. After hesitating for a short moment he said, “The black aura earlier… seems to slightly resemble the one on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.”
“…” Yun Qinghong did not speak for a long while and then, he lightly sighed. As if he was speaking to himself, he said, “We can ask Che’er about it after he gets back.”
The Primordial Profound Ark instantly transferred to the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Carrying Yun Che, the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er quickly flew into Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley… From the time they left until their return, the difference was not even two hours.
Passing through the land of tumbling flames, they once again arrived at the end of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Before they even stopped their bodies, Feng Xue’er had already anxiously shouted out, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, please save Big Brother Yun!”
Seemingly at the instant Feng Xue’er’s voice fell, that pair of golden eyes that carried boundless flames and might, had already appeared high in the sky, shooting a searing golden light upon the entire Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
“You three came back at the right time. This noble one has something to ask of you three.” The voice of the Golden Crow’s soul carried a deep sense of heaviness. “The individual who fought the three of you earlier, just who is he? And what’s with the profound arts he’s using?”
The Little Demon Empress anxiously said, “Regarding the Golden Crow Divine God’s questions, we will definitely inform you everything we know. However, I plead for the Golden Crow Divine God to first heal Yun Che, he’s currently…”
Yun Che curled up on the ground, the black aura entangling his body was occasionally thin and sometimes thick. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat and his facial features were all cramming together. Evidently, he was suffering immense pain but he was enduring with all his might, unwilling to leak out a sound.
“Save him?” The Golden Crow Soul’s voice sounded quite disdainful. “Could he have once again been injured by the Heavenly Poison Star God… Hmm?”
Before she even finished her words, the Golden Crow Soul’s tone suddenly changed. “This aura…”
Clang!!
A ray of golden light shot down from its mouth, enveloping Yun Che.
When the golden light came into contact with Yun Che’s body, it stopped for a short while… Immediately after, the streak of light in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley fiercely changed, the golden eyes in the sky suddenly widened. Behind them, the several hundred kilometers of sea of flames and volcanoes were as if they had encountered a disaster, as they billowed with overflowing flames.
“Golden Crow Divine God!?” Little Demon Empress raised her head in shock. She was unable to imagine just what reason could make it lose control in such a manner… As the almighty divine spirit of Illusory Demon Realm, it actually looked as if it had suddenly suffered some sort of immense shock.
“Leave Yun Che here, you two immediately leave this place,” Golden Crow’s Soul commanded. “For twenty four hours, no one is allowed to enter this place, including you two!”
It’s voice was especially heavy and sullen, it did not have the slightest intention to explain, nor did it pursue the matter regarding Xuanyuan Wentian either. Seeing its reaction, the Little Demon Empress’ and Feng Xue’er’s hearts raced. Feng Xue’er anxiously said, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, Big Brother Yun, he… Just what…”
“No need for further words, go on then!”
The golden eyes shone with a bright light and two rays of golden flames descended from the skies. They landed on the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er, instantly expelling them out of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
Sensing that the two girls had left, Yun Che slowly raised his head and said with difficulty. “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, please… With my individual strength alone… I’m basically unable to suppress…”
“There’s no need to talk! There will come a time for you to explain!” Golden Crow’s soul coldly said. When she spoke, a golden halo of flames had already gathered in Yun Che’s surroundings and then, she muttered to itself, “It seems like this noble one wanting to continue existing in this world for ten years, is already an impossible task.”
“…” Yun Che gratefully and agonizingly forced out a smile. Then, he closed his eyes as he focused on taking in the energy coming from the Golden Crow’s soul.
Four months ago, the devil origin orb which Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign shot into his profound veins right before perishing had become a devil’s nightmare that was buried in his body. Even with Jasmine’s strength, she was unable to drive it out. It would one day relapse and this was a point which Yun Che was clearly aware of.
However, he never expected that it would come this quickly.
And never did he actually expect that the relapse would be this intense.
Back then, Jasmine’s power was what sealed the devil origin orb. Because she was afraid that it would harm his profound veins, Jasmine merely dared to use a measly amount of energy to seal the devil origin orb. However, she had clearly said that it would be sealed for at least six months.
Furthermore, before she left, she had said that even if the energy she used to seal the devil origin orb disappeared, Yun Che could still use his own energy to seal it.
Not to mention that Yun Che’s strength back then was a far cry from now.
However, presently not only did the relapse happen way earlier than expected, the devil aura being emitted out was enormous to the point where he was basically unable to suppress it. If we were to compare the former devil origin orb as just a devil seed that was planted in his body, then now… it was as if a violent devil god had suddenly awakened.
After the Golden Crow’s soul bestowed its soul origin to Yun Che, its own power had declined by a huge extent. However, it was after all, a soul fragment of the primordial divine beast, the Golden Crow. When Yun Che was immersed in the blazing golden flames, surging energy poured into his body like huge waves and they charged right into his profound veins.
In an instant, the black aura on Yun Che’s body slowly receded and his complexion looked much better than before. He took an upright sitting posture and focused his mind. The Great Way of the Buddha revolved with all its might, as it suppressed the rampaging devil origin orb along with the energy from the Golden Crow’s soul.
Under the immense divine energy of the Golden Crow’s soul, the energy of the devil origin orb finally began to be suppressed little by little. Streams of golden light swirled towards the pitch-black devil origin pearl and wrapped around it layer by layer, gradually sealing its energy completely, until not a single strand of dark devil energy was being emitted out.
Yun Che opened his eyes and his complexion had already been completely restored to normal.
A total of six hours had passed.
Had he not possessed the physique of a Dragon God along with the Great Way of the Buddha, like anyone else he would have been devoured by the dark devil aura that filled his body, long before the six hours passed and devil origin pearl could be completely sealed.
“Thank you, Golden Crow Divine Spirit, you saved me again. The various graces you have given me, can never be repaid in this lifetime of mine,” Yun Che said from the depths of his heart.
“No need for the unnecessary empty pleasantries.”
The voice of the Golden Crow’s soul was evidently several times frailer than usual and even the golden glow in its eyes dimmed. Without its soul origin, its energy could no longer be restored and every bit of energy used would be energy lost. In these six hours it used to aid Yun Che in sealing the devil origin orb, the remaining ten years of existence it initially had, had been shortened by exactly two years.
“Now, you should give this noble one a proper explanation,” The eyes of the Golden Crow’s Soul fiercely widened. “Why do you have the devil origin orb in your body!?”
“That is clearly something that should have long since been annihilated from this world!”
“Explaining this matter, might be a little troublesome,” Yun Che said. There was no need for him to conceal anything in the face of the Golden Crow’s soul. Not to mention that it had even saved his life.
“In that case, how about you let this noble one investigate your memories?”
Anyone, no matter if he was the most normal of mortals, would definitely be unwilling to have his memories looked through by someone else. This time, however, Yun Che actually nodded without the least bit of hesitation. “Alright.”
The Golden Crow’s soul was evidently caught off guard by his straightforwardness. It no longer spoke further as a golden light spilled down and penetrated into Yun Che’s unresisting soul. In an instant, the memories from the time he left Illusory Demon Realm poured into the mind of the Golden Crow’s soul like a flood.
Reading around a year’s worth of memories was a considerably short process. However, after the Golden Crow’s soul retracted the golden light, it sank into a long period of silence.
Its constantly flashing golden eyes, highlighted the immense shock it had in its mind.
After a long while, the Golden Crow’s Soul finally said, “Regarding the person called Xuanyuan Wentian who exchanged blows with you three today, this noble one was able to sense a very faint devil aura from his body, along with the aura of the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night. This noble one had suspected it was just my imagination, because devils have long been extinct.”
“Never did I expect that it was truly the aura of the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night!”
“This noble one inherited the will of the Golden Crow and has existed in this world for such a long time, yet I have never sensed it this entire time. In the faraway continent in the north, there actually hid a True Devil that had survived since the Primordial Era!”
It had looked into Yun Che’s memories, so naturally, it knew about the existence of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign.
“Fortunately, he was unintentionally discovered by you and has been exterminated, otherwise, if his soul imprint recovered, with his instincts as a devil along with the hatred accumulated from being sealed for millions of years, this world definitely would have faced an incomparably terrifying tribulation. It is a feat comparable to saving this seemingly peaceful world with just your strength alone.”
Yun Che lightly smiled as he shook his head. “I killed him simply to protect my own life. Because if he did not die, I would die instead. That’s all there is to it. As for saving the world, I don’t think I have such determination nor that kind of saintly heart. Furthermore, so what if I have killed the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign? Compared to him, Xuanyuan Wentian is a hundred times more terrifying.”
“You’re wrong. How can there possibly be a comparison to speak of between a devil god and a mortal? Though Xuanyuan Wentian of today seems to far surpass the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign you exterminated, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was a True Devil. The moment it truly recovered, its strength would basically be something you are incapable of imagining. Even with the physique of a dragon god, if it wished to destroy you, it would just take the time it takes to form a thought.
“As for Xuanyuan Wentian, he had but just received a thin amount of devil blood and a slightly frail devil soul. Even if he’s capable of achieving perfect compatibility with all of his power, it would be impossible for him to truly step into the divine way.”
“But though my strength has improved by leaps and bounds in these three months, I’m still far from being Xuanyuan Wentian’s match. Today, if not because there were still remnants of Fen Juechen’s soul that had yet to be destroyed, I would have already lost my life.
“Furthermore, Xuanyuan Wentian personally told me today that his devil blood has yet to awaken completely. Three months from now, it will reach the state of perfection. When that time comes, his strength will definitely far surpass the strength he had today. Haah… I really can’t figure out how I’m supposed to go against him.”
Yun Che raised his head and muttered to himself with a low voice. “If only Jasmine was here. Even if she was still unable to make use of her own power like before, she’d still able to teach me what I should do.”
“…” From Yun Che’s body, the Golden Crow’s Soul could sense a heavy gloom.
About a year ago, when they first met, Yun Che respected yet did not fear it; even when facing its pressure, he still carried a brilliant demeanor. When it wanted to forcefully strip away his Phoenix bloodline, he stubbornly rejected it and even lashed out at it with furious curses.
Back then, when facing his curses, not only was it not angered, it instead felt that he was even more pleasing to the eye. Because as the soul of the Golden Crow, its personality was extremely prideful and violent in the first place.
But today, it sensed gloom coming from Yun Che’s body.
It was uncertain if the reason behind this gloom was because of the despair brought about by Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength or Jasmine’s departure.
Perhaps it was the latter.
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit, with your power, are you able to defeat Xuanyuan Wentian?” Yun Che asked. However, from his tone, he evidently did not carry much hope.
“If it was a year ago, I might be able to do it,” Golden Crow’s Soul bluntly said. “But now, even if I go against the will of the Golden Crow and forcefully leave this place, I’m definitely unable to exterminate Xuanyuan Wentian.”
“…” Yun Che closed his eyes, his two hands slightly clenched.
Jasmine’s departure, Moonflower’s scheme, the mutated Xuanyuan Wentian and the devil origin orb break-out… While he was still submerged in loss due to Jasmine’s departure and had yet to regain his senses from it, everything suddenly came flooding in.
In the past, no matter how terrifying of a crisis he faced, his willpower had never dimmed. However, now that Jasmine was not by his side, he felt that half of his soul had been forcefully sliced away, depressed and powerless.
After losing her, he then truly understood his reliance on Jasmine had far surpassed his imagination.
“Don’t you want to know why the devil origin orb in your profound veins suddenly escaped from its seal and acted up?” Golden Crow’s Soul suddenly said.
“I have doubts about this problem as well.” The light in Yun Che’s eyes stirred. “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, could it be that you know the answer?”
“That devil origin orb that came from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign initially possessed a very weak power. If not because you were heavily injured after the horrendous battle with the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, you could have even sealed it yourself.” The Golden Crow’s Soul slowly explained, its voice still carried an evident frailty. “It merged into your profound veins, so it will naturally absorb the profound energy in your profound meridians.”
“It is like a darkness seed which should have been close to death. Though it relies on your profound energy to awaken, it’s still something that belongs to the realm of the devil gods. The power it gradually gives birth to, will one day far surpass your own degree and realm of strength. If you wish to live, either you destroy your own profound veins or constantly seal it completely, preventing its ever-increasing devil aura from leaking out.”
“Initially, the awakened power of this devil origin orb would have required quite a considerable amount of time before it could reach the extent of harming your life. With the profound strength you had three months ago, you could have sealed it over and over again by relying on your own strength for at least several dozens of years.”
“However, in these three months, due to your dragon phoenix dual cultivation with Feng Xue’er, your vitality and profound energy were both in extremely active states in every single moment. The realm of your profound strength has even risen explosively within these three short months… However, due to a terrible coincidence, the sustained active and stimulated states sped up the growth of the devil origin orb’s power, finally leading to it breaking out of the seal your master placed and releasing a dark devil aura that you’re unable to endure.”
Yun Che: “…”
“This is negligence on this noble one’s part. If this noble one had discovered the existence of the devil origin orb in your body three months ago, it would not have led to the result today.” The Golden Crow’s Soul let out a short sigh… It did not reveal just how terrifying the devil origin orb in Yun Che’s body had become in a straightforward manner. Though it was sealed with great difficulty…
Yun Che instead laughed and shook his head. “This is not your mistake. If you have not guided Xue’er to conduct dual cultivation with me, I would have been dead three months ago.”
“The devil origin orb is within my profound veins so I have long had the expectation that it would end this way… Though, it has arrived a little too soon.” Yun Che’s voice paused for a moment, before he suddenly said, “Regarding the devil origin orb, I have a very heavy doubt. Why was it able to merge with my profound veins so easily? The profound veins of a profound practitioner are the locations where profound energy is condensed in and they will expel all foreign substances, let alone the fact that my profound veins are even the profound veins of a profound god. Why did they directly merge with the devil origin orb that belonged to a devil, without the slightest rejection?”
“This noble one is similarly unable to comprehend this matter either,” the Golden Crow’s Soul slowly said. “The devil origin orb is the orb of origin energy of a devil god. The birth of a devil god begins with the devil origin orb itself. It bears the origin energy of a devil god and is the core of a devil’s profound veins. The moment a devil loses it or its devil origin orb is destroyed, the devil will lose all of its powers and might even die there and then.”
“If the devil origin orb of a devil god is destroyed, the devil god can take over another devil god’s devil origin orb and then assimilate it into its own profound veins through a certain unique method, regaining its power from then on… Though it sounds bizarre and its possibility is unproven, in the Era of Gods, there were indeed such related rumors. However, with the profound veins of a true god or a mortal, wanting to merge them with a devil god’s orb of origin energy is basically an impossible matter. Unless…”
“…”
The Golden Crow’s Soul evidently had thought of something but its voice had suddenly ground to a halt. Even its golden eyes had shrunk several times over.
“Unless what?” Yun Che urged.
“… This noble one can’t answer you, because this is merely an extremely ludicrous conjecture. There’s no need to ask any further.”
Yun Che could hear the abnormal change in the tone of the Golden Crow’s soul. It must have thought of something, yet was unwilling to tell him… Furthermore, it was unwilling to speak about it in an extremely firm manner.
Chapter 865 – Jasmine’s Message (1)
“Let this noble one see that black jade you obtained from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign.” The Golden Crow’s soul intentionally diverted away from the topic, not wanting Yun Che to ask about it any further.
Black jade?
Yun Che was startled for a moment and then instantly recalled that mysterious black jade he picked up next to the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s remains, which he was seemingly about to forget about. He hurriedly took it out.
The perfectly round black jade was the size of a palm and it felt ice-cold and heavy when held. Its entire body was flawlessly pitch-black and extremely glossy, with its opposite side completely similar. There was not a single mark or pattern on it, nor was there even the least bit presence of profound energy.
Just from looking at its exterior and aura alone, this could be nothing more than a normal jade stone. It could not even be considered a profound jade of the lowest grade.
However, just by the fact that it could stay perfectly unharmed under the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s strength, it was definitely not a regular object.
A ray of golden light shot down and the mysterious black jade fluttered up from Yun Che’s hand, floating in the air. Then, it was enveloped by the golden light… However, an instant later, all of the golden light completely disappeared and the mysterious black jade fell from the air, returning back onto Yun Che’s hand.
“Just what in the world is this?” Yun Che raised his head and asked.
“Don’t know.”
“Even you don’t know?” Yun Che’s face was filled with astonishment. Since this black jade came from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, it was definitely something that originated from the Era of Gods millions of years ago. It was not unexpected for Jasmine to be unaware of the matter of that era, however, the Golden Crow’s soul was a soul fragment of the Golden Crow Divine Beast and it carried a portion of the Golden Crow’s primordial memories. It actually did not recognize it either?
“Just like you two, the moment this noble one’s energy dwelled within, it disappeared without a trace. For this situation to occur, there’s more or less two possibilities,” the Golden Crow’s soul slowly described. “Either within it dwells an independent small world like this Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley which this noble one created or the principles of power within are extremely profound, a plane which our powers are unable to make contact with.”
“Together with the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, it was able to stay perfectly unharmed in the Evil God’s seal for millions of years, it’s definitely not a normal object. Most likely, it’s a ‘devil jade’ or ‘devil artifact’ belonging to the realm of the devil gods. Another possibility is that it can only be awakened by the power of the devil way.”
Yun Che put away the mysterious black jade and casually said, “I have been curious about it this entire time. But now, what it is, is basically no longer of any importance.”
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit, it’s time I return. If I stay for too long, they will be worried.” Yun Che lowered his head as he deeply bowed towards the Golden Crow’s soul and sincerely said, “Back then when we first met, I once scoffed at you, made you out as selfish and arrogant and that you were not worthy of being a god… Not only did you not punish me, you instead bestowed me a new lease on life and have several times saved my life, even at the expense of greatly damaging your own lifespan. For this huge grace, Yun Che truly does not know how to repay you.”
“…This noble one naturally has my own selfishness for bestowing you my final bloodline and soul energy, there’s no need for your gratitude or repayment,” the Golden Crow’s soul lightly said.
“…However, I’m destined to disappoint you.” Yun Che lowly sighed as he turned around and left.
“You don’t have to be this pessimistic,” the Golden Crow’s Soul suddenly said. “As someone merged with the remnant power of the Eternal Night Devil Clan, Xuanyuan Wentian is indeed not someone you can deal with right now. However, with the state he is in, after awakening all the power of the devil blood and devil soul, his cultivation will forever be halted, not being able to make the slightest of improvements in the rest of his life. Even his lifespan will be greatly shorten as well. However, you’re different. Not only do you carry extraordinary talent, you possess the powers of various gods as well. In the future, there will definitely come a day where you surpass him. Before that, you can borrow the use of the Primordial Profound Ark to flee to other dimensions where Xuanyuan Wentian can’t find you.”
“I can indeed flee,” Yun Che stopped his feet and spoke with a low voice. “But Caiyi definitely would not. My father and mother definitely would not either.”
“Furthermore… Does the current me, really have a future?”
“…” The Golden Crow’s soul no longer spoke. After a long period of silence, it let out a long sigh. “Go on then.”
A golden light flashed and Yun Che had already been sent out of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
The light from the golden eyes retracted and as its eyes closed, it slowly muttered to itself. “Back then when I investigated his memories, I had thought that he was bestowed with great luck and was favored by the heavens. Along with the powers of the dragon god and Evil God he already possessed, I bestowed everything to him… Never did I expect that he would end up in such a crisis…”
“This is fate. All are powerless to go against it.”
——————————
After being sent out of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, just as Yun Che had expected, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress were waiting there, staying there the entire time. Seeing Yun Che’s appearance, their eyes shone with a similar luster, as they hurriedly charged over.
“Big Brother Yun, you… how are you right now?” Feng Xue’er said with the same worried tone.
“It looks like you’re already fine.” After the Little Demon Empress swept her eyes at Yun Che’s aura, her expression and eyes had evidently relaxed.
“Haha but of course,” Yun Che said with a relaxed expression. “With the divine power of the Golden Crow Divine Spirit, I’m naturally safe and sound.”
“That’s great,” Feng Xue’er happily placed down the heavy burden in her heart and said, puzzled. ”But, just what happened? Why did Big Brother Yun suddenly…”
“You both still have injuries on your bodies and require immediate rest and attention. Let’s go back to Demon Imperial City first. They must definitely be worried to the point of breaking down.”
“…” The Little Demon Empress looked at him deeply and said with a quiet voice. “Let us return.”
————————————
Though Xuanyuan Wentian was fought back, the influence he brought definitely could not be calmed down in just a short span of time. Demon Imperial City was presently in a state of chaos. The people who had fled out of the city beforehand had already received the news and were beginning to return one after another.
The Great City Barrier Formation had already been retracted but the entire Demon Imperial City felt as though it had been enclosed in a large wok; the atmosphere was incomparably stifling. Though they did not suffer the crisis of being annihilated, they had all personally witnessed Xuanyuan Wentian’s terror… Furthermore, he had simply fled today and was not killed. There would come a day… Or to be exact, not long later, he would definitely return.
This terrifying truth was like a nightmare pressing down on every single one of their hearts.
Under the guidance of the Guardian Families and the various Duke Palaces, the work on the aftermath in Demon Imperial City was being undergone. The entire Yun Family was also filled with the sunken atmosphere. Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou had been standing outside the main gate, their eyes facing the northern direction as they hoped for Yun Che to safely return. Xiao Yun and his wife had also been standing at the side to accompany them, constantly consoling them.
Until they saw, with their own eyes, Yun Che, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress safely return and land right before them. Mu Yurou did not care about the crowd that was present as she leapt forward with tears spilling from her eyes, hugging tightly onto her own son and beginning to cry out loud like a child.
“Mother, this child is not filial, always making you worry and spill tears,” Yun Che said guiltily.
Yun Qinghong’s eyes were slightly watery. He felt that though Yun Che’s aura was a little frail and messy, he no longer had the anomaly from before. His heart and mind instantly loosened, as he bowed towards the Little Demon Empress and said, “Little Demon Empress, your body has injuries, please tend to them as soon as possible. You must not neglect your divine body.”
The Little Demon Empress slightly shook her head. “This empress’ injuries are not severe, though that’s not the same for Yun Che. Though his injuries on the surface are light, his internal injuries are considerably heavy and it seems like his mental strength has been completely drained. It’s best to hurry and prepare a place for him to tend to his injuries. As for the other matters, we can talk tomorrow.”
“Ah?” Before Mu Yurou could even wipe off her tears, she hurriedly grabbed onto Yun Che’s sleeves. “Che’er, are your injuries… really that severe?”
“It’s not of concern.” Yun Che shook his head with a slight smile and consoled her. “My body’s self-recovery ability is extraordinary, injuries of this extent are not much… Though I am indeed a little fatigued and I wish to find a place to sleep for a while.”
Little Demon Empress, “…”
“Alright, alright… Mother has already tidied your room. Hurry and get some rest, if you need anything, let Mother know,” Mu Yurou anxiously said. After saying that, she turned around and pulled Feng Xue’er’s hand as she looked at her with a gentle gaze. “Xue’er, in these few months, I have always hoped to see you. Che’er having you by his side is truly a blessing that he had cultivated several lifetimes for… Even I don’t know how I should thank you.”
Mu Yurou’s words threw Feng Xue’er into a slight panic. “Auntie, I… I did not do anything much for Big Brother Yun… These words of yours are pushing pressure onto Xue’er…”
“Auntie?” Mu Yurou’s gentle smile carried a slight degree of warmth. “Let’s first head in, Che’er still needs rest. After I settle him down, I have many things I wish to speak with you about. Over here, you can just treat it as your own home.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Feng Xue’er gently said.
“Xiao Yun, are Grandfather and the rest alright?” Yun Che asked Xiao Yun.
“Don’t worry Big Brother. They are all safe and sound. The fairies of Frozen Cloud Asgard are all settled in the outer residences and usually, no one is allowed to approach there… After this, I will head over to inform them that you’re already safe and sound and have Grandfather and the rest put down their worries,” Xiao Yun nodded and said.
“Mn…” Yun Che lightly nodded. “Help me apologize to Grandfather, Senior Master Murong and the rest in my stead… My present mental strength is a little heavy, once I feel better, I will definitely head over immediately to show that I’m in good health.”
“…I understand. Big Brother, have a good rest.” Xiao Yun’s expression was a little astonished.
Yun Qinghong had been looking at Yun Che, his expression, his eyes, his every word and movement. From the very beginning, he had felt that Yun Che’s condition was a little amiss and now, that feeling had turned even heavier. His brows furrowed and finally, could not help but voice out. “Che’er, you…”
“Enough!” Mu Yurou however waved her hand. “Che’er is injured and his mental strength is not in a good state, let him first have a good rest. If there’s any matters, we can talk to him about them tomorrow.”
“…” Yun Qinghong had no choice but to close his mouth; his emotions, however were much heavier than before.
————————————
Returning to the mansion he had left for several months, he softly lay on the bed. All the noise outside were isolated by the door. Under this serenity, Yun Che did not immediately head to sleep, nor did he calm his heart and tend to his injuries either. Instead, he blankly looked up into the air, not a hint of focus could be seen from his eyes.
Jasmine, what in the world should the current me do…
Without you by my side, even living itself has actually become so difficult.
When the devil origin orb broke out, I sensed death… The feeling of death never felt so clear even back when I fell down Cloud End’s Cliff.
Perhaps, when it breaks out again next time, it will be the time of my death.
After I die, Caiyu, Xue’er, and Yue’er, what will happen to them… What will happen to Father and Mother… What will happen to Grandfather and Lingxi… What will happen to Illusory Demon Realm… What will happen to Frozen Cloud Asgard…
Could it be that they are all destined to die at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands…
Caiyi will definitely choose to die along with the destruction of Demon Imperial City. She will definitely be more willing to die than to choose abandoning the Illusory Demon Realm and flee.
Father and Mother are the same as well…
For me, Xue’er has left Divine Phoenix Sect and Yue’er has abandoned the entire Blue Wind Empire, all to accompany me to this Illusory Demon Realm which is completely foreign to them.
Right before her death, with tears in her eyes, Gong Yuxian entrusted Frozen Cloud Asgard to me…
Grandfather and Lingxi, I have so many times sworn to definitely protect them well and have them live safely and peacefully, never again allowing them to be bullied by anyone else.
However, if I die…
Yun Che let out an extremely heavy sigh. He began to grow fearful of death, incomparably fearful of it. However, the devil origin orb that existed in his profound veins, had already allowed him to see his approaching day of death.
What exactly should I do to live…
If I’m destined to die, then how should I exterminate Xuanyuan Wentian right before my death…
Jasmine, just what should I do?
After leaving you, what else am I capable of doing…
Three months ago, the scene of when Jasmine decisively left surfaced before his eyes. Though it had already been three months, it was still causing his chest to feel heavy and stifling. He had clearly remembered her every word, every tone, every gaze, and every expression she had back then.
“Within this memory fragment are all the words that I am unable to say to you right now.” Jasmine’s delicate face was still cold and detached but her eyes faintly shimmered for an instant, “Twenty four hours from now, the seal on this memory fragment will automatically undo itself. At that time, you will know what I want to tell you.”
This morning, I had resolved myself for this moment to come the moment I had sensed Moonflower’s aura. So, I handed something to Hong’er and she carried it back with her into the Sky Poison Pearl. After I have left, you can take it from her… Even though it will not be able to increase your cultivation by too much, it will at least be able to increase your lifespan by several thousand years
“…”
Yun Che instantly flipped up from the bed as if he had been electrocuted.
The memory fragment Jasmine left him!!
The moment Jasmine left, he suffered from Moonflower’s scheme. Even when he returned to Illusory Demon Realm, he had been unconscious and close to death the entire time. After that, in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he was “forced” to undergo three months of dual cultivation with Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress and the entire time so he did not have the opportunity to read the memory fragment Jasmine left him.
Chapter 866 – Jasmine’s Message (2)
Yun Che quickly gathered his concentration, found the memory fragment Jasmine left behind in his sea of consciousness, and gently touched it. Instantly, a voice rang from deep within his heart.
“Yun Che…”
Just two short words that were completely emotionless, yet they caused Yun Che’s entire body to feel numb and his eyes instantly became warm. His soul that was now hollow was also instantly filled up by something warm—because that was Jasmine’s voice.
During the past seven years, this was the voice that he had heard the most everyday. In this lifetime… and perhaps even including his previous life, the voice that he had heard the most was definitely Jasmine’s voice. Now, although it had only been three short months, hearing Jasmine’s voice again caused his soul to tremble violently; it was as though it had been centuries since then.
“…After our separation this time, we will not reunite again. In our fate of seven years you have saved my life and I’ve sculpted your life. Following this separation, our debts are cleared and our relationship shall end. From today onwards, I will no longer be your master. You don’t have to miss me, just treat it as if I had never appeared before… I will do the same.”
Jasmine’s voice was ice cold and heartless, just like what she personally said when she left him that day.
“The only reason why left behind this memory fragment is because I only want to say some stuff that I couldn’t say to you face to face… There are two matters in which I’ve lied to you.”
“Firstly, what I told you, was really not my actual name. I am the eldest princess of the Star God Realm. ‘Jasmine,’ is not my name but my title.”
Yun Che, “…”
“Jasmine” was just her princess title and not her name. But hat was all that she said; she did not reveal her real name.
However, this wasn’t important to Yun Che. Because, no matter what her real name was, she would still be Jasmine.
“Secondly…”
Jasmine’s voice paused for a very long moment as though even using this method, it was difficult for her to say what she wanted to say.
“…is regarding Chu Yuechan.”
Yun Che’s heart suddenly clenched.
“That day, after completely getting rid of the devilish poison, I proceeded with my promise and searched for Chu Yuechan within the Profound Sky Continent.”
“There is much life on the Profound Sky Continent and even with my powers, it is not possible for me to search through all the life. However, it could still search the auras of those above the Emperor Profound Realm… however, among them, Chu Yuechan’s wasn’t present.
Jasmine voice was very calm but the speed of her talking was obviously slower than usual.
As for Yun Che, his heart sank ferociously and an ice cold feeling spread across his chest, suffocating him.
That day, what Jasmine said to him was… although her devilish poison had been cleansed, the strength of her soul was still insufficient for her to search for Chu Yuechan at a place like the Profound Sky Continent and she needed to wait until her body was reconstructed.
“Chu Yuechan is your heart’s greatest worry and pain. After much consideration, I chose to lie to you.
“When I reconstructed my body, although I did not hold much hope, I searched for Chu Yuechan’s aura once again. This time, the aura I searched was not just those above the Emperor Profound Realm, I also searched those in the Sky and Earth Profound Realm as well. However, I still could not find her aura.
“Although Chu Yuechan’s profound arts were self crippled then, her Emperor Profound power should still remain. Even if her profound strength did not improve and deteriorated instead, her profound strength should not have fallen by more than one realm… unless she had been crippled by someone else.
“Therefore, she’s either dead or her profound strength has been crippled. Given her looks, if it were the latter, the consequences would be worse than death. With Chu Yuechan’s temperament, she would undoubtedly end her own life.”
Yun Che, “!!!!!”
“When you know this, you’d be devastated. However, remember, this isn’t your fault. Beside you are people who share the same bloodline as you, friends who would die for you… and a huge herd of women. Do not let the passing of one affect all of this. I’ll give you three days to grieve but after three days, you have to forget everything. Treat it as though there was no Chu Yuechan and no me in your life.”
“…”
In the fragment, all the voices of the memory were released and Jasmine’s voice finally stopped.
Bang!!!
All of Yun Che’s strength left his body and he slumped down weakly, the back of head knocking violently against the wall.
He closed his eyes, his face trembling with pain. His arm twisted and his palm grabbed firmly onto his chest. Within the sounds of meat tearing, his fingers dug deep into his flesh leaving behind streaks of blood.
However, he could not feel the pain at all as his consciousness and soul had long since been consumed by immeasurable grief.
“This isn’t… real… isn’t real…”
His body trembled until it spasmed and all the aura within him was a mess, relapsing the already calm internal injury within him. His body collapsed and he fell off the bed…
Knock! Knock knock…
Outside, gentle knocking noises entered the room which was followed by Cang Yue’s voice, “Husband, may I enter?”
Cang Yue stood quietly in front of the door and held a bowl of dessert that she had just made. After knocking and not getting a response, she lifted up her hand again but stopped in midair this time. After some hesitation, she chose to put down her hand, turn around, and prepared to leave.
However, after just taking two steps, her heart suddenly felt an inexplicable strong feeling of unease. She swiftly turned around and pushed open the room door… The scene before her eyes caused her to be dumbstruck.
Streaks of blood spread from the bed all the way to the wall. Yun Che shrunk to the corner, his head between his knees and his right hand clutching his chest. All five fingers were deep in his flesh, dripping with blood.
His entire body gave off a dark aura of despair.
“Hus… husband!!”
Cang Yue lost her composure, the dessert smashing to the ground as she ran towards Yun Che while screaming in shock and hugged him tightly. The moment she opened her mouth, she had already started crying, “Husband… Husband, what happened… don’t scare me… husband…”
Cang Yue’s voice seemed to have awakened the soul of Yun Che who was trapped in an abyss of despair. He slowly looked up… The corners of his mouth, his nose, his eyes and his ears… there were trails of blood from all these orifices.
“Yue’er…” His mouth cramped as a raspy voice was filled with immense pain.
“Husband… What… has happened to you…” Cang Yue was so frightened that she was almost going to sob loudly, “I… I… I’ll go call for Father and Mother…”
A hand held onto Cang Yue as Yun Che gradually shook his head, “I’m alright… Just let me hug you for a while… and I’ll be fine…”
He embraced Cang Yue and laid his head on her chest. Initially, his grip was light. However, it soon became tighter and tighter unconsciously, as though he was a baby that has lost its sense of safety.
Feeling the chaotic aura within Yun Che starting to slowly calm down, Cang Yue’s panicking heart started to calm down as well. She stuck her soft body even closer to him and placed her petite hand on his back, softly holding him.
Their numerous embraces had always been her lying on his chest and that had always been when her life felt the most safe and most satisfied. This was the first time Yun Che laid on her chest looking weak like an injured child.
“Husband, no matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side,” Cang Yue muttered. “Even if you lose everything, you’ll never lose me.”
“…” Yun Che hugged Cang Yue even more tightly.
Yun Family Great Hall. Mu Yurou was talking to Feng Xue’er.
In terms of appearance, Mu Yurou had always firmly believed that the Little Demon Empress was the most perfect woman in the world and that there could never be a woman that could be placed on a similar level. However, now that she met Feng Xue’er, even as a woman, she felt as though she was in a trance from meeting a deity. Not only that, even her profound cultivation did not pale in comparison to the Little Demon Empress. Most importantly, she was extremely devoted to Yun Che.
Although this was only their first meeting, she felt an unexplainable liking for Feng Xue’er. She held her hand and had not let go ever since.
Following an icy cold aura, Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli entered and paid respects to Mu Yurou, “Madam Yun, we heard that Asgard Master has returned. We wonder if he’s well… We sisters would like to go pay our respects.”
Senior Master Murong, Senior Master Chu, you all don’t have to worry. Big Brother Yun is fine already and is resting now. His body should fully recover in a few days,” Feng Xue’er smiled as she consoled.
“That’s good.” Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli heaved a sigh of relief. The worry on their icy faces finally seemed to alleviate slightly.
Mu Yurong looked at them and smiled gently, “You all tire yourselves for Che’er, abandoned your ancestral grounds and came to this foreign land. Yet, you still show such care towards him. For Che’er to receive such treatment from you all is his fortune.”
Mu Yurou’s words caused to two of them to be slightly afraid, “Madam Yun, please don’t say that. Asgard Master has once saved our Frozen Cloud Asgard. If it weren’t for him, our Asgard would have long since ceased to exist.”
“That’s right.” Murong Qianxue nodded slightly in agreement, “Asgard Master has saved us numerous times from the perils of extinction and we are in his debt for still existing today. If it weren’t for Asgard Master, we sisters and the other disciples would have already passed away in the Profound Sky Continent. Furthermore, back then… we did not protect our senior sister, nor did we protect the child of Asgard Master and our senior sister. However, Asgard Master did not blame us and treated us kindly. Not only did he save us numerous times, he never viewed us as burdens and even when his life was threatened, he never gave up on us. The debt we owe Asgard Master is something that we cannot repay in this life…”
Murong Qianxue’s voice gradually softened. Because she saw that Mu Yurou’s smiling face had suddenly stiffened and her expression remained fixed there.
Mu Yurou held onto the chair for support and slowly stood up. Her eyes looked listless as she looked at Murong Qianxue, “What… what did you just say… Che’er’s… child?”
Mu Yurou’s reaction caused both Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli to be stunned at the same time, “Madam Yun, regarding this matter… could it be that Asgard Master has never mentioned it before?”
“Is it… is it really Che’er’s child? Che’er has a child?” Mu Yurou became agitated as she grabbed Murong Qianxue’s arm and worriedly said, “Why hasn’t Che’er mentioned it before? What does didn’t protect properly mean? Who is your senior sister… Just what happened?”
“…” Murong Qianxue’s mouth remained half agape. She realized that she had gotten into trouble and said something that shouldn’t be said. However, since she had already mentioned it, she couldn’t just stop there in front Mu Yurou’s earnest expression. She could only bite the bullet and slowly recount the matters concerning Chu Yuechan back then to Mu Yurou.
Mu Yurou slowly sat back down, her expression stunned and she could not focus for some time.
“Madam Yun, don’t worry. Even though senior sister has lost her profound arts, within Blue Wind Nation, there still isn’t anyone that could possibly bully her. A good person like her is undoubted safe and she’s definitely leading a safe life now and isn’t bothered by anyone. There won’t be any problems,” Murng Qianxue consoled.
Chu Yueli bit her lips, her expression slightly dreamy.
“Six years ago…” Mu Yurou muttered while lost in thoughts, “Six whole years… The child is already five… Che’er’s child…”
“Auntie, don’t worry,” Feng Xue’er consoled softly, “Big Brother Yun will definitely find… ahhh, Big Brother Yun.”
Yun Che walked in from the entrance and by his side, was Cang Yue holding his arm.
“Asgard Master.” Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli hurried forward. Murong Qianxue said with unease, “Asgard Master, I…”
“Senior Master, no worries.” Yun Che looked pale but he still smiled gently, “Just now when I was outside, I already heard a little. Regarding this matter, I never knew how to break it to my parents. Now that Senior Master has said it, that’s one thing off my mind.”
“Che’er!!” Mu Yurou stood up and walked to his side, her eyes looked teary. She said to him seriously, “Even though mother has never seen this Chu Yuechan girl before, she was willing to cripple her profound arts, get kicked out of her sect and ruin her good name to exchange for half a life of misery… you must definitely find her and never mistreat her for your entire life!”
“…” Yun Che looked up, millions of emotions flooded his heart. Just as he was about to answer, hurried footsteps were suddenly heard coming from the outside.
Bang!!
“Mother!!!” Xiao Yun rushed in panickedly. He tripped and even before he managed to stand up steadily, he shouted in panic, “Mother… Hurry… Seventh Sister… Seventh Sister, she…”
Chapter 867 – Xiao Yun’s Son (1)
“What about Number Seven?”
“She… It seems like she’s…” Xiao Yun said as he gasped for breath, “It seems like she’s about to give birth!”
“Ah!” Mu Yurou let out a startled cry as she shoved Xiao Yun aside and rushed out of there like the wind.
Xiao Yun also hurriedly followed behind her; he did not even have time to greet Yun Che or Cang Yue.
“Husband, let’s go check on them as well,” Cang Yue said in a gentle voice.
She consoled Yun Che in his grief, then changed into new clothes. Even though he looked as if he had returned to normal, she could still clearly sense the extreme heaviness which weighed down on Yun Che’s heart. All of them had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xiao Yun’s and Number Seven Under Heaven’s child, so she hoped that the birth of this small life would help to dissipate some of the heavy gloom that shrouded Yun Che’s heart.
The already ultra-busy Yun Family immediately started to get even more frenetic. Yun Qinghong, who was outside the house, returned at a blazing speed. When Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, who was just about to go to the northern part of the city to oversee the great barrier which protected the entire city, received the news, it was as if a fire had been lit under his backside as he abandoned everyone and wildly sprinted towards the Yun Family household.
When Yun Che, Cang Yue and Feng Xue’er had arrived, the courtyard where Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven stayed was filled with people bustling about. Tense and nervous voices could constantly be heard coming from behind the tightly-secured door and at times Number Seven Under Heaven’s cries of pain could be heard as well.
“Big Brother!” Once he saw that Yun Che had arrived, Xiao Yun, who had been waiting outside, hurried over to him. His face was flushed completely red and he was nervous, tense and completely bewildered.
“Congratulations Xiao Yun, you’re about to become a father,” Cang Yue said with a faint smile.
“Hee, I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl,” Feng Xue’er said in a voice filled with anticipation.
“Heh… Heh heh.” Xiao Yun was both excited and nervous at the same time.
Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie hurriedly strode through the gates of the courtyard. When she saw Yun Che, Xiao Lingxi gave a low cry as she ran towards Yun Che, “Little Che, You… Are you alright?”
“Of course I’m alright. Do I look like I’m not alright to you?” Yun Che said with a relaxed smile on his face. He arrived at Xiao Lie’s side and spoke in a concerned manner, “Grandfather, I have yet greeted you since I’ve returned. Have you grown used to staying in this place yet?”
“It’s been well. I’ve had an excellent time here,” Xiao Lie said with a faint nod of his head. When he saw that Yun Che seemed fine and did not seem to be greatly affected by anything, it was as if a boulder had rolled off his shoulders, relieving him greatly. He gave a sigh of lament before speaking, “In the Profound Sky Continent, I have heard rumours regarding the Illusory Demon Realm many times. The Illusory Demon Realm that I heard about was a land filled with completely inhumane, fiendish brutal demons. Sigh, but when it comes to the affairs of this world, it seems like one must truly witness something before they can finally believe it. There are simply far too many people who are living a lie that has been forced on them by those with ulterior motives.”
“AHHHH———”
The cries of pain that were emanating from the room suddenly turned into shrill screams of agony. The voices of the doctors within also grew more hurried.
“It seems like… it’s really painful,” Xiao Lingxi said in a nervous and trembling voice.
“Seventh Sister. You definitely need to be alright…” Xiao Yun said with a pained expression on his face. He could not stand still and both his eyes were anxiously fixed on the door as he continuously muttered under his breath.
“Grandfather, you’re only just over sixty years of age but you’re about to become a great grandfather,” Cang Yue said with a faint smile. Just as she finished speaking, Yun Che suddenly chimed in mischievously, “We also need to congratulate Little Aunt, she’s about to become a grand aunt.”
“[email protected]#￥%…” Xiao Lingxi’s petal-like lips parted before she started getting mad, “I… I… I don’t want to be a grand aunt, I’m still a girl who hasn’t even gotten married yet… I don’t want to be a grand aunt… I don’t want this!”
“Hahahaha!” Xiao Lie let out a loud and unrestrained laugh. He gave Xiao Lingxi a deep look before speaking in a voice that was filled with implied meaning, “Lingxi, you’re not young anymore, it’s about time you started to thinking about your big day.”
“I…” Xiao Lingxi’s heart was completely flustered and she subtly shot a sidelong glance at Yun Che, “I don’t want to.”
Boooom…
Following the blast of wind which sounded like a thunderclap, they saw Greatest Ambition Under Heaven rush into the courtyard in a frenzied manner. Yun Qinghong was right beside him while the other six Under Heaven brothers trailed behind them, their bodies matted in sweat.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven landed on the ground while roaring testily, “Seventh Treasure… How is Seventh Treasure doing right now?”
Yun Qinghong patted his shoulder, “Brother Under Heaven, you don’t need to worry. Number Seven is no ordinary girl, so it will definitely go smoothly. Your time will be better spent thinking of what kind of gift you want to prepare for your grandson or granddaughter.”
“Right, that’s a good point, that’s a good point indeed,” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he gave a quick, herky-jerky nod of his head. His hands jerked in the air before he rushed towards that tightly shut door and hollered, “Seventh Treasure, Father is right outside. Just give birth to a big grandchild for your father and I will give you whatever you want.”
“AH!!!!”
The only response he got was a long and miserable wail of pain from Number Seven Under Heaven and the moment everyone heard it, their hearts tensed up.
“Senior Under Heaven, it would be best to not speak to her for the moment, so as to not divert her attention to other things,” Yun Che said.
“Ah… alright.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven immediately quieted down. But after that, he did not forget to cautiously warn his six sons, “Did you hear that? All of you better shut your mouths. No one is allowed to make any loud noises.”
“…” Yun Che’s brows twitched. He looked towards the door, his expression growing faintly serious.
“Husband, what’s wrong?” Cang Yue asked in a soft voice after she noticed the change in Yun Che’s expression.
Yun Che shook his head lightly, “There’s nothing wrong… It’s probably just me worrying too much. Seventh Sister is a princess of the elf clan, so she has the protection of nature energy. It should definitely be an extremely smooth procedure.”
Time slowed to a trickle as they waited with anxious excitement. The activity taking place in the room continued to grow more frenzied and Number Seven Under Heaven’s wails continued to ring out. Moreover… it seemed like each wail was more shrill than the last.
“Number Seven. Don’t be anxious, relax your body… Use your strength carefully.” That was Mu Yurou’s voice.
“Mother… I… I’m in so much pain… so much pain…” Number Seven Under Heaven was laced with a deep pain. This elven princess who had grown up smothered in love had never experienced such painful torment in her entire life before.
“It’s alright, it will get better soon…” Mu Yurou continuously consoled her but her voice had also started to tremble as well.
One hour went by…
An entire two hours went by!
Number Seven Under Heaven’s miserable wails continued to ring out but her voice had now become completely hoarse. They could also clearly hear the heavy breathing of the imperial physicians inside the room… and it was clear that their breathing was laced with panic as well.
During the wait of over two hours, the initial anticipation, excitement and joy had long ago turned into anxiety and worry. Xiao Yun paced back and forth, his hands snatching at his scalp or his chest every now and then. His entire body was drenched in sweat and he haphazardly muttered under his breath, “It will be fine… It will definitely be fine…”
The complexion of both Yun Qinghong and Greatest Under Ambition Under Heaven had turned rather grim… They did their utmost to keep in check the ominous thoughts that ran through their heads but that feeling of uneasiness had long ago spread through their chests, causing their hearts to seize up rigidly.
“Husband?” Seeing Yun Che’s extremely grim expression, Cang Yue could not help but softly call out to him.
“…” Yun Che sucked in a deep breath of air before speaking, “Something is wrong… Something has gone horribly wrong.”
If it was a normal girl, it would be very normal for their labor and childbirth to take two hours or more. But Number Seven Under Heaven was definitely no ordinary girl. She had reached the Tyrant Profound Realm and the profound energy that she cultivated was the most pure and unsullied nature energy. She also had a constitution that far exceeded that of a normal person. So the entire process of her labor should have been exceedingly simple and smooth. Furthermore, as long as she was willing, she would not even need to endure any pain.
But an entire two hours had already gone by and she had been letting out miserable wails of pain throughout.
Towards the end, those wails of pain sounded even more shrill than those of a normal girl.
Yun Che had wanted to personally confirm the condition of Number Seven Under Heaven many times but he had held himself back each and every time. But right now, he finally could take it no longer. He grabbed hold of Xiao Yun and said, “Xiao Yun! You need to go inside immediately and cover Seventh Sister with a quilt. It seems like there is something abnormal with her condition, I need to go in and personally check on her myself!”
The panicked and bewildered Xiao Yun quivered and he did not even have time to respond. He just hurriedly nodded his head as he stumbled and staggered towards the door… But just as he had just started to run, Number Seven Under Heaven let out a loud wail and Mu Yurou’s joyous voice rang out immediately after that, “The baby has come out… the baby has come out!”
Xiao Yun came to a complete halt. This was music to the ears of the tense and nervous audience. This was especially true for Xiao Lie and Greatest Ambition Under Heaven. Hot tears spilled from their eyes in that instant of emotion and they unwittingly moved forward towards the door.
Their pleasant surprise did not last for long as their expressions grew completely rigid.
There was no wailing of a newborn babe which should be ringing out from that room. In fact, the entire room had gone completely silent and there were no cries of joy nor of celebration either.
“My child… Let me look at my child…” Number Seven Under Heaven cried in a weak and worried voice.
“Madam Yun, Young Madam…” This was the voice of an imperial physician and her voice was trembling, “This is… is… is a stillborn child.”
That shivering voice mercilessly exploded in everyone’s ears like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Xiao Yun was rooted in place, his pupils slackening and his body swaying. He suddenly let out a great shout and crazily dove forward, violently smashing the room doors aside, “This isn’t possible… It isn’t possible!!”
The sound of the doors being smashed startled the already terrified physicians who were inside the room. Xiao Yun, who had rushed inside, saw Mu Yurou hugging a tiny infant to her chest, the long and uncut umbilical cord still attached to his body… But Mu Yurou’s face was streaming with tears.
Xiao Yun staggered forward as he roughly snatched the infant into his own embrace. The baby’s soft body entered his embrace and his movements instantly grew light and gentle… The baby that was in his arms did not move, it did not cry and it did not breathe. It did not even have any body heat, the only feeling it imparted to Xiao Yun was the icy cold feeling that a person felt when he was being plunged into the icy abyss of despair.
Thud…
Xiao Yun’s knees hit the ground as his body trembled in pain.
Number Seven Under Heaven was laying on the bed and her face was so pale that it seemed like she had just weathered a great illness. However, her eyes were dreadfully empty; it was as if someone had yanked out her soul. The sound of Xiao Yun’s knees hitting the ground shook her from her nightmare. She scrambled off the bed as she let out a heart-wrenching sob, “This isn’t real… This isn’t real… My baby… Give me back my baby… give me back my baby.”
“Seventh Treasure!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven yelled as he rushed inside and hugged her firmly in his arms. Pain lanced through his heart like a knife as he said, “It’s alright… It’s alright… You and Xiao Yun are still so young, you can have another baby… As long as the both of you are willing, you can have many many more…”
“No… You’re all lying to me…” Number Seven Under Heaven voice cracked and it seemed like she was weeping blood. This usually incomparably strong and optimistic girl. This little elf girl who had insisted on being with Xiao Yun despite the objections of her family and the mockery of the entire world had now completely collapsed, “My baby… You’re all lying to me… Give my baby back to me… Give my baby back… Ah…:”
Mu Yurou turned her face aside, collapsing onto Yun Qinghong’s shoulders as she sobbed soundlessly. Yun Qinghong raised his head and gave a heavy and deep sigh, his hands tightly clenched into fists.
“…” Xiao Lie’s body swayed violently. If not for Xiao Lingxi’s support, he would have long ago collapsed to the ground.
“Why did this… happen…” Feng Xue’er murmured through tightly closed lips as she wept softly. Cang Yue leaned on Yun Che’s chest, her shoulders heaving incessantly.
Everyone had looked forward to the joy and the newborn life but what welcomed them instead was a dark and gloomy nightmare. Xiao Yun knelt on the ground, his soul seemingly rent from his body. Number Seven Under Heaven wept in the most heart-wrenching manner, causing everyone to feel as if their insides had been pierced by myriad arrows. It was so painful that it was stifling.
Yun Che’s expression was dark and overcast but he still maintained enough rationality. He arrived at Xiao Yun’s side, stretching a hand towards the cold and lifeless infant in his arms.
Even if it was a stillborn child, Number Seven Under Heaven should not have gone through such a long and painful labor… He had to know what exactly had gone wrong.
Yun Che’s finger lightly pressed against the infant’s cold and delicate arm… After an instant, his entire arm shot back as if he had been electrocuted.
This was…
Devil energy!!
Why would there be devil energy!?
Chapter 868 – Xiao Yun’s Son (2)
“Xiao Yun, you need to calm down first!”
Yun Che shoved Xiao Yun’s shoulder but he did not respond.
Yun Che’s eyebrows twitched as he fiercely raised his energy and gave a loud roar, “Xiao Yun! Seventh Sister! Stop crying and calm down first… The child isn’t dead, he still has life in him! But if you don’t calm down now, he really will die!”
Yun Che’s loud roar caused all the weeping to instantly stop. Number Seven Under Heaven was completely dumbstruck while Xiao Yun had vigorously leapt off the floor. He hugged the ice-cold baby as he spoke through trembling lips, “Big Brother… what did you say? Is what you’re saying… really true?”
All eyes focused on Yun Che as Mu Yurou agitatedly strode forward and asked in an excited voice, “Che’er, is what you’re saying… really true? But that child is already… already…”
His body was icy-cold and lifeless… He was only an infant, so how was it possible that he was still alive?
“He does indeed still have some life left in him,” Yun Che said in a solemn voice. “It’s just that his life is currently ensnared by a tendril of devilish energy. This is also the reason why his entire body is icy-cold.”
“Devil… Devilish energy? What is going on here?” Yun Qinghong asked in an astonished voice.
“The only person under the heavens that could release such devil energy is Xuanyuan Wentian. Seventh Sister, you need to to recall something for me. During the time when all of you fought off Xuanyuan Wentian, were you ever directly harmed by his profound energy?” Yun Che asked.
“She wasn’t, she definitely wasn’t!” Xiao Yun said as he gasped for breath, “I always stood in front of Seventh Sister. Even though Xuanyuan Wentian’s profound energy had breached the barrier a few times it had not spread to where Seventh Sister and I was standing at.”
“…Hand the child over to me,” Yun Che said as he extended an arm towards Xiao Yun.
“Big Brother…” Xiao Yun said between choked sobs as he handed over the ice-cold baby to Yun Che, “He… Is it truly still possible to save him…”
Yun Che did not reply. Instead, he closed his eyes and slowly infused his profound energy into the body of the baby amidst the deathly silence… In an instant, he opened his eyes and said, “This tendril of devilish energy has already merged with his life vein, so it indeed should not have been something that infiltrated the body only recently. This was something that happened at least two to three months ago.”
Two or three months ago…” Xiao Yun mumbled under his breath before he suddenly leaped up, “Yes… It was three months ago… Seventh Sister and I had been trapped by Xuanyuan Wentian’s dark energy. Could it be… could it be that…”
Three months ago, they had been ensnared by Xuanyuan Wentian’s Darkness Prison at the Snow Region of Extreme Ice. In the end, they had only been saved because Fen Juechen’s spirit had suddenly awakened.
“That is extremely likely!” Yun Che said with a grave nod of his head, “Even though Seventh Sister dispelled the devilish energy in her body on that day an extremely small amount must have entered the body of her baby. This small amount would be extremely hard for the mother to detect and even if she did manage to detect it, it would be extremely hard to get rid of it as well.”
The reason why Yun Che’s profound veins had been crippled was because when he had been struck by the cold poison of Sun Moon Divine Hall while he was still in his mother’s womb. So the situation of the baby in his arms was quite similar to his own all those years ago.
It was just that he had been stricken by poison all those years ago but this child had been stricken by devil energy——Even though it was a very faint and weak tendril of devilish energy, it was still ten million times more dreadful than just poison.
“Che’er.” Yun Qinghong asked in a hopeful voice as he fought to keep cool, “Is there truly a way for this child to be saved?”
“…” Yun Che’s lips moved but no sound came from his mouth.
“Big Brother Yun!!” Number Seven Under Heaven struggled to kneel down on top of the bed as she cried out in a tearful voice, “I beg you, please save my baby… You are the greatest genius doctor in the entire world… So you definitely have a way to…”
“Little Che…” Xiao Lingxi said, looking at him through her tear-filled eyes as she supported Xiao Lie.
“Young Patriarch Yun, as long as you can save this child, I will do anything for you. I won’t blink or flinch even if you ask me to be your ox or horse!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said with great emotion in his voice.
Yun Che shook his head, “All of you needn’t behave in this manner. This child is the son of Xiao Yun and Seventh Sister. He is the grandson of my parents and the great grandson of my Grandfather. So he is like half a son to me. As long as the faintest ray of hope still exists, I will definitely do all that I can to save him.”
After saying that, he hugged the child and grabbed Feng Xue’er’s hand, “Xue’er come with me. If we are to save this child, I will definitely need to borrow your power.”
Yun Che pulled Feng Xue’er into the courtyard as the rest of them anxiously followed behind. Once he stood in the middle of the courtyard, Yun Che spoke in a solemn voice, “This tendril of devilish energy has been in his body for a long time. If it was any other child, that child would have died a long time ago. But thankfully Seventh Sister possesses a constitution that far surpasses that of a normal person, so even though it looks like he has passed on, there is still a trace of life left in his life vein. If I am able to dispel the devilish energy and resuscitate his life vein… then there is a possibility that we can save him.”
But this was only a possibility.
Whether it was Xiao Yun, Number Seven Under Heaven or the rest of them, everyone here had a clear understanding of just how difficult it would be to dispel devil energy that had infiltrated one’s body… Furthermore, because he was still a baby, he would definitely not be able to endure anything but the gentlest of profound energies. The moment the the profound energy used grew too strong or the moment the slightest deviation occurred during this process… Even the slightest error would be fatal to the already extremely frail baby.
Even though Yun Qinghong and Greatest Ambition Under Heaven were both Monarchs, they knew that they would definitely not be able to perform such a procedure.
“If it was just poison or another type of profound energy, I would be very confident. But devil energy is different…” Yun Che said as he sucked in a quick breath, “Right now, it is hibernating within this child’s body. But the moment it is touched by an external energy, it will thrash about like a startled venomous snake. Therefore, the risk that comes with trying to expel it is extremely high… So the only option we have left is to cleanse it away!”
Feng Xue’er immediately reacted to those words, “By using the Phoenix flames?”
“Right!” Yun Che said as he nodded his head, “Xue’er, your Phoenix flames are many times purer than my own. If we use your Phoenix flames, it will increase the chances of our success.”
As he spoke, Yun Che had already sat down on the ground. He placed the baby in his lap, “Father, could I trouble you to help me erect a light and sound isolating barrier?”
“Alright!” Yun Qinghong said as he stepped forward, his hand flashing with lightning. He was very clear that the procedure Yun Che had just detailed would be something that required the utmost precision and carefulness. So Yun Che definitely could not be distracted by anything during this procedure
“I’ll help as well,” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he hurriedly stepped forward.
A isolation barrier that was more than three meters in width was quickly erected by the combined powers of the two Monarchs.
“Big Brother, I will leave… everything to you,” Xiao Yun said in a trembling voice, extending his hand as if he was grasping at the very last straws of hope.
Ding!
With a gentle ring, the isolation barrier had been completely erected. Everyone’s hearts were firmly stuck in their throats… But at least the atmosphere was no longer as sorrowful or gloomy as it had been before, because now a faint ray of hope had appeared.
“Xiao Ying, my son, your spirit in heaven definitely needs to protect this child,” Xiao Lie muttered as he raised his head to the heavens, tears coursing from his old eyes.
The world inside the barrier was filled with a white profound light. Feng Xue’er sat by Yun Che’s side as she spoke in an apprehensive but sincere voice, “Big Brother Yun, what should I do?”
“Xue’er, I will need a drop of your blood,” Yun Che said softly.
“Mn!” Feng Xue’er did not hesitate to extend a finger. A drop of blood appeared on the tip of that finger before dropping onto the tip of Yun Che’s finger under Yun Che’s careful guidance.
“Phew…” Yun Che’s chest rose and fell. His forehead was already matted in sweat before he had even begun the procedure. Because the outcome of this endeavor concerned the life and death of a newborn baby… Furthermore, this also concerned the future happiness of Xiao Yun and his wife and Grandfather’s lifelong wish.
He was not confident of his chances of success… But no matter what, he needed to be the one to shoulder this immense burden.
“Child, you have a kind and gentle father, a grandfather whose righteousness touches the sky and you have a compassionate great grandfather. You are the continuation of their lives… So, you need to be strong and you definitely mustn’t be beaten by a lousy tendril of devilish energy!”
As he muttered to himself, his finger swiftly descended as he pressed that droplet of Feng Xue’er’s blood against the baby’s chest. After a few moments, the droplet of blood had slowly sunk into his tiny body like quicksilver sinking into the ground.
Under the guidance of Yun Che’s profound energy, the droplet of blood slowly spread throughout the baby’s entire body.
The Sky Poison Pearl and the Phoenix flames both possessed extremely strong purifying abilities but there were differences between the two types of purification. The Sky Poison Pearl could cleanse poison, impurities and foreign matter but the Phoenix flames cleansed negative energy.
If one were to compare the strength of their purifying power, the Sky Poison Pearl was far stronger than Phoenix flames that were not one hundred percent pure… It was just that it was unable to cleanse away devilish energy.
The Phoenix flames were a divine power. The destructive power of these flames were so dreadful that even the tiniest cluster of flames would be something far beyond what a newborn baby would be able to endure. So, when Yun Che ignited that purifying flame in the places where the devilish energy lingered, he had to carefully use the energy generated by the Great Way of the Buddha to isolate it.
Yun Che was extremely familiar with the composition of the human body. So he very clearly knew where the human body was weak, where it could be fatally wounded, in which parts the devilish energy would most likely hide and which parts could not be touched by profound energy… Swiftly, he confirmed that all of the lingering devilish energy in the infant’s body originated from one corner. So he started at that point and used the Phoenix flames to purify the devilish energy bit by bit.
A tendril of Phoenix blood came into contact with the devilish energy as a faint and tiny Phoenix flame instantly used that devilish energy as its medium and started burning weakly.
This procedure was exceedingly slow and difficult, so it would definitely take a lot of time. Even if he did not make a single mistake, it was still possible for this extremely frail baby to die at any moment.
Yun Che had thought of infusing the infant with the essence of nature in order to strengthen his life force… But he was deeply afraid that it would instantly cause the devil energy in his body to go berserk, which would cause instant death, so he could only hope that this child’s remaining life force would be strong enough to endure this current procedure.
This procedure used very little of Yun Che’s profound energy but it was an extremely mentally-taxing task. He had not yet fully recovered from his previous injuries and his heart and soul had been acutely wounded by Jasmine’s revelation. But in front of this tiny life that only he could save, his heart and soul swiftly became a sea of tranquility.
Feng Xue’er silently gazed at him. She had initially been fraught with nervousness and tension but her gaze gradually grew entranced. At this moment, that expression of single-minded concentration was deeply engraved into her heart and memories forever.
——————————
Outside the barrier, everyone’s heart was on edge as they held their breath and waited in an extreme state of anxiety. Before long, the Little Demon Empress had also arrived after receiving news of the current situation and she waited along with them.
Two hours passed.
Four hours passed.
Six hours passed…
The sky began to gradually grow darker and even though the wait grew more tortuous with every passing breath, no one had left at any point of time. Number Seven Under Heaven had struggled out of bed and she stared at the isolation barrier with unblinking eyes as Xiao Yun supported her.
Ding…
The soft ring that emanated from the barrier fiercely jarred everyone’s nerves.
Bang!
A crack spread across the surface of the barrier. Following that, the entire barrier completely shattered from within and dissolved into scattered fragments of profound light… However, before the fragments of profound light had completely disappeared, the high-pitched wail of an infant rang in their ears.
Yun Che strode out from within the profound light. There was a faint smile on his face as he hugged the loudly bawling infant in his arms. The cries of the child rang out bright and clear as day, they were completely devoid of any weakness. Furthermore, one could see four tiny and seemingly mischievous limbs moving in a lively manner within Yun Che’s embrace.
“…” All of the people present were stunned in place, it was as if they had heard a voice that had come from the very heavens themselves.
Xiao Yun’s mouth gaped open as he extended both of his trembling arms. But his feet felt like they had been nailed to the floor and his vision had gone completely blurry… It was as if he had been abruptly thrust into an illusory dreamscape.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister…” Yun Che said as a gentle and happy smile appeared on his exhausted face, “I got lucky.”
Number Seven Under Heaven was roused from her stupor. She swiftly moved forward, her trembling hands carefully picking up the child in Yun Che’s arms. She looked at her child, who was bawling loudly, as his limbs flailed about and before she could even speak, her tears had already started to pour down like a dam that had been burst. She tightly hugged her son, who had been snatched back from the very jaws of death and she could not think about anything else as she started sobbing loudly.
“Seventh Sister…” Xiao Yun stood by Number Seven Under Heaven’s side. As he looked at his wife and child, his entire being was suddenly suffused by something that was warm and fuzzy, leaving him with a contentment that he was unable to describe. He turned around and looked at Yun Che, his voice trembling, “Big Brother…”
“If you want to thank me, there is no need,” Yun Che said with a smile. “We’re brothers after all. Your son is my son. So you could say that I saved my own son. It was a natural thing to do.”
“Mn…” Xiao Yun bit his lips as he strove not to cry. After that, he nodded his head with extreme vigor as he said, “Mn!!”
“Hahahahahaha…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven turned around and let out a booming laugh. The gloom that had been in his heart and the heavy pressure and burden that had been caused by Xuanyuan Wentian had completely melted away in this moment as his heart was filled with boundless contentment and joy.
Mu Yurou was so elated that she shed tears of joy. Yun Qinghong wore a faint smile, tears gleaming in his eyes as he looked at his two sons who stood side by side. Once again, he was struck by a profound feeling that the heavens had truly not been unkind to him.
Cang Yue’s beautiful eyes were fixated on Yun Che and her lips slowly curved into an extremely lovely smile. She sensed that the smile currently on Yun Che’s face was not the same forced smile that it had been previously. She could tell that most of the gloom and darkness that clouded Yun Che’s heart had been lifted.
It could be said that he had redeemed his soul the same time he had saved this child’s life.
Chapter 869 – The Little Demon Empress’ Determination
Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven presented to their child to Xiao Lie, “Grandfather, how about you decide on a name for this child?”
Xiao Lie extended his hands and touched the infant’s tiny hands but he did not take him… He was afraid of accidently startling this little life which had just escaped a nightmarish fate. He held back his tears while he spoke in an unhurried manner, “All those years ago, I named your father Xiao Ying in hope that he would soar in the blue dome of the heavens like a majestic eagle, radiating power and majesty. But I never thought that he would be separated from us forever at such a young age.”
“After going through many ups and downs and experiencing the many vicissitudes of life, my vision is finally clear and I have gained great insight on many things. This child… My hope is not that he achieves great success and fame in life, my hope is that he simply lives a peaceful life that is free of calamity or strife. So I will name him… Yongan.”
“Yongan…” Xiao Yun murmured softly before nodding his head with great vigor, “Good, let his name be Yongan then.”
“My child, did you hear that? Your name is Yongan,” Number Seven Under Heaven whispered as she hugged her baby tightly. Even though she had stopped weeping, tears still streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.
“Xiao Yongan, that is a good name,” Yun Qinghong said with a faint smile on his face. “There is a saying that good fortune will surely follow a person who manages to survive a calamity. Yongan met with a great crisis the moment he was born but he tenaciously soldiered on. So he will definitely be graced by fortune beyond measure from today onwards.”
“That’s right. He is indeed hardy and tenacious,” Yun Che said as he nodded his head cheerfully. “The quantity of devil energy that had invaded his body was more than I expected. During the entire time that I spent cleansing the devilish energy away, my greatest fear was that he would be unable to endure until the devil energy had been completely cleansed. But he was extremely outstanding… The procedure took six hours for me to complete, that was more than twice the length than I had initially anticipated. But he managed to endure the entire thing with incredible tenacity.”
These wholehearted words of praise had come from Yun Che himself. Xiao Yun was so emotional that hot tears scalded his eyes. A profound sense of pride appeared on Number Seven Under Heaven’s tear-stained face. She hugged her child tightly, unwilling to relax her grip for even a single breath.
“Hahahaha…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s booming laugh filled the air, “At first I had been scared completely witless by Xuanyuan Wentian and just thinking of him would fill me with dread. But… even a newborn babe was able to defeat his power, so this old man has no reason to fear him either! The next time he dares to come, even if this old man has to sacrifice his own life, I will not let him return from whence he came!”
“Hahaha, that was well said Brother Under Heaven!” Yun Qinghong said as he joined in his laughter, “Yongan has set an outstanding example for us all. What is there to fear from that Xuanyuan Wentian!? Brother Under Heaven, you should stay behind today. Both our families should drink their fill today. As for the preparations for battle, we’ll discuss those things tomorrow!”
“Alright!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven replied in a merry voice.
Xiao Yongan’s miraculous revival after he had been struck by calamity had swept clean the heavy oppressiveness that had shrouded the Yun Family. This oppressiveness had now been changed into a vibrant joy which filled the air as it veritably bubbled over. Even the heavy shadow left behind by Xuanyuan Wentian had practically vanished into thin air.
As the leader of the Twelve Guardian Families, the change in atmosphere that occurred in the Yun Family subtly helped to dispel much of the haze that had enshrouded Demon Imperial City.
However, after the initial enthusiasm had worn off and they had all calmed down, they would still have to face the enormous fear wrought by Xuanyuan Wentian… and the complete annihilation that threatened to rain down on them at any moment.
————————————————
After more than ten days had passed, Yun Che had completely recovered from his wounds and the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er had largely recovered from their own as well. The work they had to do for Demon Imperial City in the wake of Xuanyuan Wentian’s attack was basically done. Under the guidance of the Twelve Guardian Families, Demon Imperial City was prepared to deploy against the disaster that could strike at any time… The terrifying shadow left behind by Xuanyuan Wentian on that day kept them all on their toes and the entire city was in a state of high alert and constant vigilance.
Powerful individuals from the other parts of the Illusory Demon Realm had either responded to the summons or had come to Demon Imperial City of their own accord as all of them prepared to defend against Xuanyuan Wentian together. After all, if Demon Imperial City were to be destroyed, the entire Illusory Demon Realm would implode on itself and fracture apart.
The funerals of Yun He, Yun Jiang and Yun Xi, the three Grand Elders of the Yun Family who had sacrificed their lives during the battle against Xuanyuan Wentian, had been concluded. As a result, the Yun Family disciples’ daily training had increased in both intensity and length. After the joy that had been brought about by the birth of Xiao Yongan had receded, the Yun Family and the entire Demon Imperial City had been engulfed by a nervous and tense atmosphere which grew heavier with each passing day.
This was because Demon Imperial City was currently facing the greatest and most dreadful crisis in its history. Even the chaos caused by Duke Huai paled in comparison to this imminent threat. If they were not able to resist the coming darkness, then there would no longer be a Demon Imperial City in this world… and that sentiment was not the least bit exaggerated.
Yun Qinghong left the house every day as he met with the other patriarchs and dukes to discuss the various strategies and tactics they could use against Xuanyuan Wentian. Yun Che did not even need to ask him about the result of those meetings; just one look at the expression on Yun Qinghong’s face told him that they had been unable to find a strategy that would be truly effective in countering Xuanyuan Wentian. After all, Xuanyuan Wentian’s power was simply far too dreadful and in front of this excessively overbearing strength, all strategies, profound tools and numbers were were rendered completely futile and meaningless.
Furthermore, as the person who had directly clashed against Xuanyuan Wentian, he had an even clearer understanding of just how terrifying and dreadful Xuanyuan Wentian actually was.
Yun Che sat on top of the highest roof in the entire Yun Family household. His eyes were calm and tranquil as he silently gazed off into the distance. He had maintained this posture for most of the late morning. At this moment, rainbow robes fluttered at his side as the Little Demon Empress quietly arrived at his side. Her face was an icy mask as she spoke, “When do you intend to return to Demon Imperial Palace?”
Yun Che turned his face to the side, a cheeky smile appearing on his face as he spoke, “Ah, Caiyi, could it be that if I’m out of your sight for more than two hours, you’ll miss me so much that you will lose all your appetite and become unable to sleep well?”
“Hmph!” The Little Demon Empress gave a cold snort, “Don’t forget, right now you’re a member of my Demon Imperial Family. Since you are back, it’s only natural that you reside in Demon Imperial Palace.”
“I know.” Yun Che said with a helpless expression on his face, “But my mother is unwilling to see me go.”
“You’re just afraid that Xue’er or that empress wife of yours will get jealous, right!?” After saying those words, the Little Demon Empress subconsciously averted her gaze, refusing to meet his eyes with hers.
“Uhh…” Yun Che said as he grabbed the Little Demon Empress’ hand and gently pulled her over, sending her soft, delicate and exquisite body spinning into his embrace, “I don’t know if Yue’er and Xue’er are the type to get jealous but my wife Caiyi is definitely jealous right now.”
“You…” Panic flashed through the Little Demon Empress’s eyes before she stubbornly turned her face aside, yet she did not expend too much energy trying to struggle free from Yun Che’s embrace.
“Okay, I understand. From tomorrow onwards, I will be at the Yun Family residence during the day but at night, I will return to Demon Imperial Palace to accompany my dear wife Caiyi.”
Yun Che’s soft and gentle words caused the Little Demon Empress’ delicate body to melt into his embrace as she spoke in tiny voice, “You don’t need… to force yourself…”
The Little Demon Empress’ voice suddenly trembled because she realized that Yun Che’s palm had abruptly moved to her chest as he gave it a light squeeze.
“…” The Little Demon Empress unconsciously struggled against him but she immediately melted back into his chest, allowing him to run amok. It was just that her breathing had become hurried as a coquettish red blush stained her cheeks.
With a deft move of his arm, Yun Che’s palm skillfully plunged into the depths of the Little Demon Empress’ rainbow robes. He unrestrainedly enjoyed feeling the shape and softness of the snowy bosom which filled his palm. He let out a contented sigh in his heart. Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Heavenly Jade Dew was indeed super effective, to think that it would actually fill his entire palm now!
The Little Demon Empress’ gentle meekness only encouraged Yun Che to push his luck even further. He nimbly and gracefully undid the belt of her rainbow robes from behind and with a slight tug of his fingers, he pulled down her robe, leaving her bare to the waist, immediately exposing her delicate, lustrous and white bosom and snowy shoulders to the air completely.
If this was Demon Imperial Palace, she would allow Yun Che’s desires to run rampant but they were in the Yun Family household! As a slight chill ran through the snowy flesh of her jade body, she immediately pushed Yun Che aside as if she had been struck by lightning. She hurriedly adjusted her clothing and at this moment, the majesty she normally radiated as the Little Demon Empress had vanished into thin air.
“You… It seems like you’ve already sat there for a good long while. What are you thinking about?” The Little Demon Empress said as she bit down on her lower lip. She was scared that her actions had harmed Yun Che’s self-esteem.
“…I was thinking of the problem that everyone has been dwelling on. Thinking about exactly what we should if Xuanyuan Wentian comes again.
Yun Che spat out a shallow breath as he spoke in a rather melancholic voice, “During these past three months, my profound strength has soared dramatically thanks to Xue’er. The degree to which my strength has increased was far greater than any previous time. I felt as if my entire body has been remoulded and reborn, reaching a level that I have never even dreamed about. In fact, I even have the feeling that I have reached the stage where no one could match me.
“However… even though my strength has clearly grown by leaps and bounds, we still could not beat Xuanyuan Wentian even when I joined hands with you and Xue’er.”
Yun Che’s words caused the Little Demon Empress’ faintly blushing face to grow solemn and grave. She abruptly said, “Yun Che, you must promise me one thing.”
Yun Che gave a bland laugh, “Are you thinking of saying something along these lines? If Xuanyuan Wentian returns to the Illusory Demon Realm, you want me to use the Primordial Profound Ark to take everyone and run away, leaving you behind to face him alone?”
“…That’s right!” The Little Demon Empress said with a heavy nod of her head, “On that day, Xuanyuan Wentian had already exhausted a large amount of his power so that he could forcefully break apart the Great City Barrier Formation. But even in that situation, we were still not his match even when the three of us combined our strength. Even though he looked very heavily wounded we had yet to touch his foundation.”
“Furthermore, he had clearly said this before he had left. In another three months, his devil blood will completely awaken. At that time, his power will reach the so-called ‘perfect’ state. At that time, it did not seem like he was making idle threats either. If all of this is really true, then the Xuanyuan Wentian who will appear before us once more will be even more dreadful than the Xuanyuan Wentian we previously faced.”
“Over the past few days, I have also been trying to think of a method to deal with Xuanyuan Wentian but I could not come up with anything. If we were to stay behind and attempt to forcefully resist him… we would merely be vainly throwing our lives away! There is no shame in running away! In fact, that is the wisest and most sensible decision! Xuanyuan Wentian’s power is far too abnormal, there will definitely be a bottleneck to that power and tremendous negative side effects to it… So if you and Xue’er manage to escape for now, there will definitely be a day when the both of you can defeat him!”
“Since that is the most sensible choice, then you definitely have to come along as well!” Yun Che said with furrowed brows.
“I can’t leave!” The Little Demon Empress said as she gave a resolute shake of her head, “Don’t forget who I am. I am the empress of the Illusory Demon Realm, the inheritor of the ten thousand year will of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. If I run away, not only will I be abandoning Demon Imperial City and the Illusory Demon Realm, I will also be besmirching the dignity of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, betraying the glory and the ten thousand year will left behind my ancestors!”
“Everyone should abandon this place as early as possible instead of pointlessly waiting for death. But for me, there will be no escape, what awaits is a glorious death in battle.”
“Fine,” Yun Che said with a faint smile as he nodded his head. “Since that’s the case, then I definitely need to stay behind with you.”
“Foolish!” The Little Demon Empress rebuked him with a cold look, “If you die, then who will protect and take care of your family members and women. Who will defeat Xuanyuan Wentian and rescue the Illusory Demon Realm from disaster!?”
“…” The Little Demon Empress softened her tone before continuing in a soft voice, “Don’t forget, I am already someone who is destined for death. Even if there was no Xuanyuan Wentian, I have less than two years left to live.”
She turned around before continuing to speak in that soft voice, “Yun Che, the fact that I was able to become your wife near the end of my life already leaves me with boundless satisfaction and contentment. Instead of quietly waiting for death to take me, I would rather carry on the will of all the Demon Emperors who have come before me and die a glorious death in battle. To me, that would be an even better conclusion to my ending.”
“As long as you are willing to promise me this one thing… Before the day comes, I will be willing to do whatever it is you wish me to do.”
After she finished speaking, the Little Demon Empress took to the air and flew far away. After her figure had completely vanished from Yun Che’s vision, a soft voice mumbled in his ear, “When you return to Demon Imperial Palace, I allow you to bring your empress wife and Xue’er along with you.”
Yun Che, “…”
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Author’s Note:
*Faints*… I just realized that I left out a chapter yesterday by mistake!! The Azure Cloud chapter is about to begin, Yun Che is about to undergo an extreme evolution!! But it’s just that the way he’ll evolve is a bit…
Chapter 870 – Star God Blood
“Haah…” Yun Che collapsed on top of the roof as he stared at the sky and softly muttered, “I’ve already lost my Little Fairy… How can I be expected to simply watch if I’m to lose you as well?”
“But, just what can I do…”
“An’er, we are going to visit your great grandfather. Be good, okay.”
Number Seven Under Heaven’s voice, which was as gentle as the wind, rang out from somewhere not far below him. She was hugging a baby that was swaddled in cloth and there was a gentle smile on her face. Her steps were light and relaxed as she teased her son every now and then, the ever-present Xiao Yun walking beside her.
The arrival of Yongan caused the relationship between the already tightly-bonded couple to become even more happy and warm. Even the shadow cast by the impending calamity which would destroy the entire city did nothing to dampen their happiness.
“Brother Yun, who do you think An’er will resemble more when he grows up?”
“Of course he’ll look more like you. If he looks more like you, he’ll definitely be even more handsome.”
“Heehee… An’er, did you hear that, you need to look at your mother more every single day. If you do that, you’ll grow to become a handsome man in the future. Also, when you grow up, you need to be dutifully filial towards your great grandfather and your Uncle Yun Che. If not for Uncle Yun Che, your mother and father would not ever be able to see you again.”
“Speaking of Big Brother, I haven’t seen him around these past few days. I also don’t know where he is right now…” Xiao Yun said as he gave a light sigh, “I just have this feeling that he hasn’t been his usual self lately.”
Yun Che, “…”
“I also felt the same way,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a dim voice. “In the past, whenever I saw Big Brother Yun, I always felt that he radiated a very powerful aura, an aura which gave people an incredible sense of security. But ever since he returned from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, every time I see him, I always feel that he… is being weighed down by many heavy worries.”
“I can roughly guess the reason behind that,” Xiao Yun said worriedly. “Big Brother Yun used all of his strength to save our son but his own child… should be five years right now but he has never even seen his child before and he doesn’t even know whether that child is dead or alive…”
“This has always been the thing that caused his heart to ache the most. So in this current situation where he has saved our child but is unable to find his own, even if it’s Big Brother, he is definitely being tormented by pain and self-recrimination that he is unable to let go of. I’m awkward, not good with words, and I also don’t know how to comfort and encourage him… I can only hope that Big Brother can walk out from under this dark cloud that is hanging over his head sooner rather later.”
“If it’s Big Brother Yun we’re talking about, then it definitely won’t be a problem,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a voice that was brimming with confidence.
As he silently watched the couple walk into the distance, Yun Che silently sighed under his breath: So it turns out that I have already caused many people to worry about me. It looks like I really need to properly adjust my emotions and mental state.
He also did not know how Yuanba was doing right now. Xuanyuan Wentian only viewed a few people as potential threats and Xia Yuanba was one of them. Given Xuanyuan Wentian’s clearly distorted temperament, the Xia Yuanba who was still in the Profound Sky Continent would definitely be struck by his devilish claws… Right now, Yun Che could only hope that he could somehow escape that calamity.
Yun Che closed his eyes as his consciousness sank into the world of the Sky Poison Pearl.
The dark green world was a sea of calm, so the sounds that Hong’er made in her sleep were exceptionally clear.
“Hong’er, it’s time to wake up!” Yun Che said as he arrived at the foot of the bed and smacked Hong’er’s small bottom. This jade bed was originally where Jasmine rested but ever since Hong’er arrived, it had been completely taken over by her.
After all, she basically did nothing else but sleep and eat. Even when she was summoned out, she was normally sound asleep inside the sword and even if he battled for an entire hour, there was no guarantee that she would actually wake up.
“Uuuu…” Hong’er had been woken up by that gentle smack on her butt. She opened her eyes and said in a sleepy and silly voice, “Master, I was just having a very tasty dream, where did you suddenly wake me up.”
Very… tasty… dream!?
“…Hong’er, did your Big Sister Jasmine leave you anything to pass to me? She would have passed it to you just as she was just about to leave,” Yun Che asked as he carried her small body.
“Hmm?” Hong’er blinked her sleep-crusted eyes as her small hand tugged at her vermillion hair. But all of the sudden, she said with an aggrieved pout on her face, “I don’t know. I’m very hungry right now, so I can’t think of anything.”
“~！@#￥%…” Yun Che extended a hand and grabbed two sparkling and translucent long swords which released the aura of the Emperor Profound Realm, “There you go, eat up.”
“Waaa! Thanks Master!!”
Hong’er’s sleepiness had faded away completely as her eyes started to sparkle. She grabbed both Emperor Profound Swords and opened her mouth wide. Following an explosive cracking sound, a bite-shaped gap appeared on the sword which was even tougher and more durable than profound steel.
Even though he had long ago gotten accustomed to the “terror” that was Hong’er’s teeth every time he saw her in action, it still sent chills down his spine.
As Hong’er ravenously wolfed down her meal, those two Emperor Profound swords had been devoured completely in the blink of an eye, not even a fragment remained. She patted her tiny, unchanged tummy in contentment before she suddenly squealed excitedly, “I remember now! Big Sister Jasmine wanted me to give Master this!”
Hong’er raised her tiny hand and a dot of glittering white light shone in it.
Yun Che’s lips faintly moved before he extended a hand and gently took hold of that white light.
Immediately, Jasmine’s voice rang out from that bright light as it resounded in the depths of his heart.
“Yun Che, on the day that I reconstituted my body, I borrowed three drops of blood essence from you. As a recompense, I promised that I would give you one drop of Star God Blood in return. Right now, I am fulfilling that promise and giving that drop of Star God Blood to you.”
“The power of the Star Gods can only be refined by using an extremely special method. Given your current ability, you won’t be able to refine any divine power from it but it will grant you many times the lifespan that you lost when you gave away those three drops of blood essence.”
“If I am no longer able to remain at your side, then this drop of Star God Blood will be my final gift to you.”
“…”
Yun Che dazedly stared at the white light in his hand… Star God Blood, that was the blood essence that came from Jasmine…
While his consciousness was still hazy, the Star God Blood that was encircled by white light suddenly flew up from the palm of his hand and directly shot towards the space between his eyebrows. After that, it forcefully entered his head and melted into his body.
Yun Che’s consciousness instantly left the world of the Sky Poison Pearl. During the same instant, a bizarre sensation that felt both warm and cold at the same time swiftly spread from the space between his brows to the rest of his body. He hurriedly sat up straight, focusing his mind as he began to absorb the Star God Blood.
After the brief period of discomfort had passed, the Star God Blood had gradually completely merged with his body. His five senses had begun to grow sharper as his entire body swelled with surging vitality. He could faintly sense that his body had grown stronger in a way but apart from this, his profound strength had barely changed.
Just as Jasmine’s voice had said, it had greatly increased Yun Che’s lifespan but it barely had any effect on his profound strength,
After the Star God Blood had completely merged with his body, Yun Che opened his eyes. A profound warmth was now swelling within both his heart and his body. He raised his head, looking into the distance as he softly muttered to himself, “Jasmine, did you truly leave behind this drop of Star God Blood just for the sake of paying me back…”
As he spoke, the corners of his mouth faintly curled up into a small smile.
Azure Cloud Continent, Supwake Country’s Rivereast Region, below Grandwake Mountain.
A large bamboo forest extended from the foot of Grandwake Mountain to the distant northern gate of the Grandwake Clan. The bamboo forest was lush and dense and if someone viewed it from a distance, a dense emerald green expanse would fill his vision.
Normally, an extremely refreshing cool breeze would gently blow among the swaying bamboo leaves in this place, relaxing and gladdening the hearts of the people who came here. It was as if even their spirits were being gently cleansed.
But today, the breeze that blew in this bamboo forest carried the acrid odor of fresh blood
Snap!!!
Following a vicious flash of a knife’s edge, blood spurted onto the arrow and a tall and mighty figure heavily tumbled to the ground. A mountain of corpses lay littered around the area where he fell.
“Old Seven!!”
Su Hengshan rushed forward and grabbed the man’s body, blood tears filling his widened eyes. The last among those that had stayed loyal to him had fallen. The ground underneath his feet and the surrounding bamboo leaves had all been dyed red with fresh blood as bodies filled his vision. Furthermore, these corpses belonged to the people who had used their lives to protect him, the people who had upheld the final dignity of the Grandwake Clan…
Right now, other than himself, all of them had fallen.
“Clan Master… Hurry up… and leave…” The tall man mumbled in agony before he closed his eyes and completely expired, the last bit of life leaving his body.
“Old Seven!!!!” Su Hengshan gave howl that tore at one’s heart, his entire body shaking fiercely due to pain and resentment.
“Hehehe, my beloved father, you have truly disappointed me.”
A formidable array of people had completely surrounded Su Hengshan. Some of them wore the attire of the Grandwake Clan while others were all dressed in black—it was astonishingly the attire of Black Wood Stronghold. Moreover, the one who stood at the very forefront of this contingent was Su Hengshan’s only son—Su Haoran.
“You were the one who promised as that as long as we allowed Ling’er to run far away, you would behave yourself and hand over the treasure key to us quietly. But in the end, you reneged on your word and obstinately struggled against us, heedless of the consequences, causing so many people to die in vain… Tsk tsk, in any case, you are a senior from the same clan, so this is truly intolerable.”
As the one who controlled the current proceedings, Su Haoran wore a bland and arrogant smile on his face. Yet there was also a trace of unwillingness on his face.
Third Elder Su Hengyue and Grand Elder Su Wangji were both present along with the Black Wood Stronghold’s Heimu Qingya. They all wore cold smiles on their faces yet they were standing… behind Su Haoran.
Arrayed behind them were people from Black Wood Cliff and… a whole eighty percent of the disciples from the Grandwake Clan!
Only a pitiful twenty percent of the Grandwake Clan’s disciples had chosen to follow Su Hengshan… and right now, all of them lay dead on the ground.
“You… You beast!!!” Su Hengshan shouted as he turned around and pointed a trembling finger at Su Haoran. His bloodshot eyes were filled with boundless grief and sorrow.
“All these years, I… have remained constantly vigilant against Su Hengyue and Black Wood Stronghold… But I never would have thought… it would be a beast like you… Cough, cough cough…” Su Hengshan’s body swayed as he coughed out a large mouthful of fresh blood.
“Heh heh,” Su Hengyue said with a cold laugh. “Haoran is someone who is far stronger than a stubborn and conservative piece of trash such as yourself. After hopping on board the giant ship that is the Seven Star Divine Palace, our Grandwake Clan will instantly become ascendant, rising into the sky like a blazing sun and no one in the Country of Supwake will dare to bully us. Furthermore, if Haoran is accepted as a disciple of the Seven Star Divine Palace, tsk, it won’t merely be so simple as bringing glory to our ancestors.”
“Heh heh heh.” Heimu Qingya shot Su Hengshan a look that was filled with mingled joy and pity. After that, he bowed his head to Su Haoran before speaking, “Young Sect Master, when you enter the Seven Star Divine Palace in the future, I hope that you will generously support us.”
“Hahahaha,” Su Haoran gave a loud and arrogant laugh. He was thoroughly pleased with himself, “That’s natural. If not for the Black Wood Hold Master, how would this young master even have the chance to obtain the favor of the Seven Star Divine Palace.”
“Su Hengshan,” Su Haoran said, directly addressing Su Hengshan by his name. “All of the stubborn and ignorant people have already died, so to save yourself from even more pain, it would be better for you to cooperate with us as soon as possible and obediently hand over the treasure key. After all, the act of torturing my own father is something that will cause me to die young.”
“You evil creature, you bunch of animals… Even if I die, all of you can forget about ever obtaining the treasure key!!” Su Hengshan fiercely spat. He tightly gripped the blood-drenched sword in his hand as a startling malevolent aura radiated from every pore of his body, “There will come a day… where all of you will suffer retribution!!”
“Retribution?” Su Haoran said as his eyes narrowed. After that, he began to laugh wildly, “Hahahahaha, could it be that this retribution that you are referring to is that man Yun Che? Tsk tsk, ah, it is truly woeful that you have yet to wake up to reality despite six years of dreaming. Now that I mention it, I had even specifically asked the people of Seven Star Divine Palace about Yun Che and Xia Qingyue but in the end, no one at that level even knew those two names. That is also to say that even the names that they gave you all those years ago were fake but to think you’re actually still dreaming that he will truly come back and marry Ling’er… Aiyah, it has truly been hard on my pitiful sister who has been stupidly waiting for six years now.”
“The Divine Palace Envoy has arrived.”
At this moment, a low and deep shout rang out from behind. Those short six words caused the expressions of every single person present to dramatically change. At the same time, a figure appeared like a ghost at Su Haoran’s side. His face was cold and stern and dressed in black clothes. A mark that looked like seven stars intertwining was embroidered on his breast.
Upon seeing this person, everyone felt as if a true god had descended from the heavens as they panickedly knelt down and said, “We greet the Divine Palace Envoy.”
“Hn.” A noise limply came from the Divine Palace Envoy’s nose and that counted as his acknowledgement.
“Divine Palace Envoy, Haoran was not aware that you would abruptly honor us with your presence. Excuse me for not going out to meet you, I beg for your forgiveness.” Facing this black-clothed man, Su Haoran’s previous brash insolence had completely disappeared. What replaced it was an expression filled with fear and unease.
“Hmph,” the Divine Palace Envoy gave a cold snort as his gaze swept across Su Hengshan, “He is that Su Hengshan?”
“Yes, yes, yes. As expected, the Divine Palace Envoy truly has keen-sighted eyes,” Su Haoran said as he swiftly attempted to curry favor with the Divine Palace Envoy.
“Heh, you are even able to so vicious towards your real father, you are truly someone who can achieve great things in life.” The Divine Palace Envoy gave a lukewarm chuckle and no one was able to tell whether it was mockery or praise.
“I tha.. I thank the Divine Palace Envoy for his praise. To be able to serve the Divine Palace is the greatest fortune that Haoran will ever encounter in his life,” Su Haoran said in a careful tone. Behind him, Su Hengyue, Mu Qingya and the rest of them had all deeply bowed their heads, they did not even dare to breathe too loudly.
“And the item?” The Divine Palace Envoy asked coldly.
“Eh…” Su Haoran started to panic on the inside as he spoke while his forehead was matted in cold sweat, “We have search the entire Grandwake Clan but we were not able to find it. The only person who would know the whereabouts of the treasure key… is him.”
“Hmph!” The Divine Palace Envoy’s eyes went cold, “You have already captured the person in front of you. Yet you were unable to force him to surrender that object despite your numbers. All of you are truly a bunch of trash.”
Su Haoran fiercely gulped before he hurriedly spoke, “He… he had originally promised to give us the treasure key as long as we allowed his daughter to escape. But we never expected him to suddenly go back on his word. However, I want to assure the Divine Palace Envoy of one thing. Now that he has fallen into our hands, forcing the treasure key out of him will only be a matter of time.”
“His daughter?” The Divine Palace Envoy said with narrowed eyes, “Since he cares so much about his daughter, then go and capture his daughter and see whether he will still continue to be so stubborn at that time.”
Su Haoran’s eyes gleamed and immediately echoed what he had heard, “The Divine Palace Envoy is truly wise! Haoran will immediately dispatch people to capture Su Ling’er…”
When the heavily wounded Su Hengshan heard those words, he immediately howled in fury like a despairing and enrage wolf, “You bunch of wretched animals… If you dare to harm Ling’er… I won’t let you off even after I die!!”
“Wait a minute!!” The Divine Palace Envoy said as his head suddenly jerked upwards. His gaze abruptly turned cold and dangerous as he said, “That treasure key… It is extremely likely that it is in his daughter’s possession!!”
“Ah!” The Divine Palace Envoy’s words caused everyone to be startled. Su Hengshan’s expression also fiercely changed upon hearing that… and that change in expression had been clearly seen by the Divine Palace Envoy. His face turned dark as he growled in a deep and low voice, “Did you really let that Ling’er escape? Wasn’t anyone sent to secretly keep an eye on her?”
“This… this…” Su Haoran was completely flustered as he struggled to stammer out an explanation, “Su Ling’er is only… is only a witless young girl… I truly did not think that Su Hengshan would entrust such an important thing… I… I will immediately dispatch people to…”
“Hmph, there is no need for that! All of you are truly a bunch of worthless trash!!” The Divine Palace Envoy spat as he turned around and spoke to the empty bamboo forest, “Mobilize all of our people and coerce all of the sects in the Country of Supwake along with the Supwake Imperial Family to seal the entire Country of Supwake. I want Su Ling’er to brought before me, even if you have to dig up the ground to accomplish that task!”
“If she is alive, I want to meet her! If she is dead, I want to see her corpse!”
“Yes.” a low and deep reply rang out from the depths of the empty bamboo forest.
————————————
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Author’s Note:
The Star God Blood is pretty useless right now, but it will be very useful later on… it will be useful indeed, hohoho.
Chapter 871 – Resolute (1)
One whole month had passed since Xuanyuan Wentian had invaded Demon Imperial City but the gloomy and tense atmosphere which shrouded Demon Imperial City had yet to fade away. During this period, many experts from all parts of the Illusory Demon Realm had surged into the capital. At the same time, most of the citizens and sects had quietly fled the city… But the Little Demon Empress gave an order to not interfere with or obstruct anyone who chose to run away.
During the wee hours of the morning, Yun Che was returning to the Yun Family household from the Demon Imperial Palace. Just as he reached the gates of his house, he met Yun Qinghong, who was just about to return home as well.
“Father, were you preparing the Great City Barrier Formation together with Grandfather and the rest?”
Both father and son had stopped in the air above the family gates.
Yun Qinghong nodded his head, “The Great City Barrier Formation left behind by the first Demon Emperor is incredibly profound. When we hurriedly activated it the last time, it was even able to hold back Xuanyuan Wentian for a large amount of time. So before Xuanyuan Wentian returns, we are putting in all our effort to ensure that the Great City Barrier Formation will be able to perform to its fullest… As for the rest, that is up to the will of heaven.”
“…Father, forgive me for being direct. But if it’s merely a protection barrier which won’t allow Xuanyuan Wentian to enter Demon Imperial City, even if it can hold him off for more than a year, what’s the point of it all?” Yun Che said as he shook his head, “It will only result in us delaying our deaths for a while more. Furthermore, Xuanyuan Wentian can very well just ignore Demon Imperial City for the moment while he goes to ravage other parts of the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“Ah, how could I not be aware of this?” Yun Qinghong said with a long sigh. “But it’s not just the Little Demon Empress who isn’t his opponent, even the Golden Crow Divine God won’t be able to match him. So other than this, what else can we do? Struggling until our last breath is still a better option than helplessly waiting for death to come.”
“Father, if we have the option to flee the Illusory Demon Realm and guarantee that Xuanyuan Wentian won’t be able to find us… Would you and Mother be amenable to that?” Yun Che asked solemnly.
Yun Qinghong gave him a deep look before speaking, “Would the Little Demon Empress be willing to flee the Illusory Demon Realm together with you?”
“…” Yun Che was at a loss for words.
“Given my understanding of the Little Demon Empress, she definitely would not do so and I share the same sentiments as well.”
While he said this, a faint smile appeared on Yun Qinghong’s face and it was not the least bit forced or discontent, “In this world, there are many things that are far more important than one’s own life. That goes for me and the Little Demon Empress as well. If you forcefully take her away, this would be far worse than death for her… Your mother and I feel the same way.”
“We have all personally witnessed the terror of Xuanyuan Wentian and now we are still working hard to resist him and think of a plan to deal with him. But we have never once thought of fleeing.”
“But Che’er, it’s not the same for you!” Yun Qinghong said as his eyes grew stern, “You have to go. We are not choosing to stay because we are stupid or stubborn but it is because we have something that we need to protect. But in your case, if you choose not to leave, it will not only be an irrational decision, it will also be a very stupid one… I believe that the Little Demon Empress has already spoken to you about this and you should be very clear about it as well.”
“…” Yun Che remained silent for a very long time.
“Tomorrow, we will be holding holding a feast to celebrate Yongan’s first month,” Yun Qinghong said with a faint smile. “As his grandfather, it’s only natural that I arrange everything personally. So for the next two days, let’s set aside these important matters for now. Che’er, come over and help us out later.”
“Alright…” Yun Che said rather despondently.
Yun Qinghong left but Yun Che stayed standing in that spot for a very long time. Gradually, his eyes started to grow colder and colder and he quietly clenched both his hands.
“It looks like… I need to kill Xuanyuan Wentian… no matter what!!”
Need…
Yun Che sucked in a long breath as a blurry decision formed in his heart. He looked at the Yun Family household and just as he was about to land in the courtyard, he suddenly felt his entire body shake fiercely as a dark and sinister aura suddenly exploded within his profound veins. This caused an indescribable pain to instantly spread throughout his entire body…
Could… Could it be…
Xiao Lingxi strode out from the courtyard. Once she saw Yun Che, who was hovering in the air above her, her beautiful eyes twinkled as she crowed in delight, “Little Che, you’re back!”
“What about Sister Cang Yue and Xue’er? How come they didn’t come back with you?” Xiao Lingxi said as she scampered towards Yun Che. As she spoke, her nose turned up slightly as an adorable pout formed on her lips, displaying the jealousy in her heart.
But after she had finished speaking, she realized that Yun Che had not responded to her at all. Xiao Lingxi let out a soft cry but just as she was about to ask a question, she saw Yun Che suddenly tumble from the sky and hit the ground fiercely. He remained curled up on the ground, his entire body shivering as his face contorted in incredible agony.
“Li-Little Che!” Color drained from Xiao Lingxi’s pretty face as she threw aside the thing she was holding in her hand and panickedly ran over to Yun Che, “Little Che… You… what happened to you?”
As the voice of Xiao Lingxi grew ever closer, Yun Che’s remaining clarity allowed him to stretch out a quivering hand. After that, a soft and gentle profound energy pushed Xiao Lingxi far away as he croaked out in pain, “Do not… come over here… Ah!!”
Black energy that he was unable to suppress streamed out of Yun Che’s body before slowly rising into the air, causing Yun Che to experience even more pain.
“Little Che… Little Che!!” Xiao Lingxi had been scared completely witless and she shouted in a teary voice, “Somebody come quick… Somebody come quick… Come and save Little Che!!”
The entire Yun Family was instantly alerted to this commotion as the nearby Xiao Yun rushed over like a blustering gale. After he took one look at Yun Che’s state, his expression immediately and violently changed, “Big Brother, what’s happening to you!?!”
“Don’t touch him!”
Just as Xiao Yun was about to approach Yun Che, Yun Qinghong’s stern shout rang out from behind him, causing Xiao Yun to immediately freeze in place.
Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou had rushed over and many of the Yun Family elders and most of the Yun Family disciples hurried along behind them after they had heard the news. They took one look at Yun Che’s condition and the black energy that was gushing out of his body, all of them being shocked in place.
With a single glance, Yun Qinghong could tell that Yun Che’s current condition was exactly the same as one month ago. After Yun Che had returned from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he had not yet explained to him the reason behind this and Yun Qinghong had not pursued the matter either, he even believed that Yun Che had completely recovered from it. But he had never thought that Yun Che would suddenly find himself in the exact same situation again.
“Che’er… What’s wrong with Che’er?” Mu Yurou’s face had gone completely pale. If not for the fact that Yun Qinghong was holding her arm tightly, she would already have thrown caution to the wind and rushed to his side.
“No one is allowed to touch him… Yun’er, immediately go and inform the Little Demon Empress of the present situation!!” Yun Qinghong’s expression was rigid as he forced himself to speak calmly.
Just as his voice had finished, an energy explosion that sounded like thunder suddenly rang out in the air above them. The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er had brought along Cang Yue as they approached at an alarming speed… They had taken their time at first but then they suddenly sensed a terrifying devilish energy—Furthermore, this devilish energy did not originate from Xuanyuan Wentian. Instead, it was exactly the same as the devilish energy Yun Che had released a month ago so they had hurried over at the greatest speed while shock and fear shook their hearts.
“Big Brother Yun!” Feng Xue’er was seized by panic as she rushed towards Yun Che side, supporting his body, which was entwined by black energy, off the ground.
The Little Demon Empress set Cang Yue down and spoke in a serious tone, “Yun Che, quickly focus your thoughts and summon out the Primordial Profound Ark… We will immediately head to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!”
No one would be able to understand the kind of terrifying circumstance that Yun Che found himself in right now. Just having devil energy invade one’s body was already incredibly terrifying but this devil energy was erupting from within Yun Che’s body. If it was someone else, they would not even have the opportunity to struggle in agony, they would have lost their lives in practically one instant.
“…” Yun Che could barely make out any intelligible words but with his strong will, he managed to successfully summon forth the Primordial Profound Ark while correctly setting the coordinates to travel to the entrance of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
After it had instantly jumped through space, the Little Demon Empress picked up Yun Che and carried him into Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley once more.
The last time around, even though Yun Che did not explain, they had all naturally assumed that his condition had been due to the sudden flaring up of the devil energy that had infiltrated Yun Che’s body after his fight with Xuanyuan Wentian. So they definitely had not thought of the fact that this devilish energy was actually coming from inside Yun Che’s body… This time however, the both of them were struck by a profound feeling that something was not right.
After they entered Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley again after one month, the both of them clearly sensed that the fire aura in this place had once again weakened by a great amount. The volcanos in the original Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley were initially in a state of constant and violent eruption and one could see roiling lava and seas of fire everywhere. But today, nearly half of those volcanoes had gone dormant and the lava and the seas of fire seemed far more sluggish than before.
But right now, none of them were in the correct frame of mind to bother about these continuing bizarre changes. They brought Yun Che towards the end of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley at the fastest speed possible.
“The Empress of the Illusory Demon Realm Huan Caiyi… begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God!” The Little Demon Empress cried towards the scarlet sky
“I beg that the Golden Crow Divine God appear before us!”
The Little Demon Empress continued to cry out but the only thing that answered her was heavy silence. It was only after she had cried out more than ten times that the sky finally rang with the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s voice.
“Huan Caiyi, why do you disturb this noble one’s rest yet again!”
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit!” Feng Xue’er said anxiously, “It’s Big Brother Yun… the same devil energy that appeared on his body the last time has reappeared yet again, so I beg that you save him!
The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er clearly could sense the space around them suddenly tightening up.
Clang!!
The eyes of the Golden Crow finally opened up in the air above, the dazzling light that came from its eyes caused the scarlet sky to turn a dull gold. The golden light that radiated from its eyes quickly fell upon Yun Che’s body and after a brief period of silence, a long and drawn-out sigh rang through Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
“The both of you may leave. Within ten days, no one is allowed to take a step into this place.”
“Ten days?” The Little Demon Empress said with an alarmed expression on her face, “Golden Crow Divine God, just what is wrong with Yun Che…”
Before her voice had even finished falling, a golden light had already enshrouded her before kicking both her and Feng Xue’er out of the world of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
SCREEEEE——！
A long cry filled the air as those scarlet-golden eyes abruptly grew wide and scarlet golden fire fell from the sky like a storm of meteors, engulfing Yun Che in a sea of golden flames.
The black energy was slowly suppressed by the violent Golden Crow flames. The pressure on Yun Che’s body lessened as he managed to sit up straight with much difficulty and focus his mind. He started to absorb and guide the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s boundless power into his body and gradually the black color on his face began to recede and his complexion returned to normal. His breathing also began growing steady.
“It has just been a short month, so how did the devil origin orb break out of its seal so quickly and flare up again?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s voice rang in Yun Che’s ears.
Yun Che, “…”
“Hmph, this noble one has already found the cause,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit said gravely, “There is another heavy emotional issue that plagues your heart, causing you to block up your heart and be in a state of sorrow all this time, while also accelerating the growth of the devil origin orb’s power!”
“…Even sorrow will influence the devil origin orb?” Yun Che asked in a low voice.
“Sorrow is the same thing as rage, greed and resentment. All of them are negative emotions. Furthermore, strong negative emotions will agitate and accelerate the revival of the devil origin orb’s power. Hmph, this noble one had never thought that such a gigantic emotional knot could form in your heart given your experiences and temperament.”
“…” Yun Che could only smile bitterly in response.
“It looks like you have already seen the memory fragment that your master left for you.” When the Golden Crow Divine Spirit had scanned Yun Che’s memories three months ago, it had also read the memory fragment that Jasmine had left for him. So it knew about the message Jasmine left for Yun Che before Yun Che himself found out about it.
Yun Che was not surprised at all, he merely muttered in a soft voice, “The reason human beings are humans beings is because all of their emotions and desires are fully intact. My mind knows that I should not be wallowing in sorrow but I am simply unable to accept that I’ve lost my Little Fairy… and our child as well… I also don’t know how long I will need before I am able to truly accept everything.”
“Hmph, this is precisely the aspect of humanity that is most ridiculous and feeble! If it was someone else, this noble one could forcefully seal away this memory. But given your present soul strength, even this noble one is unable to forcefully interfere with your memories anymore. That’s fine… The devil origin orb in your body not only broke its seal but it also behaved even more violently than it did the last time. Given this noble one’s remaining power, I can just barely suppress it by force. But if I want to seal it again, not only will I need a lot of time, I will also need to rely on the Sea of Death.”
“For the next ten days, you will need to remain inside the Sea of Death at all times. You’re not allowed to leave it for even an instant.”
A golden light fell from the sky and picked Yun Che up before instantly depositing him into the boundless Sea of Death.
“Since it has come to this, we regrettably have no other choice… So let’s give it our best shot,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit said with a low sigh as it infused the last of its divine power into the Sea of Death.
Chapter 872 – Resolute (2)
Ten days was only the time the Golden Crow Divine Spirit predicted.
However, the scariness of the current state of the devil origin orb far surpassed the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s prediction.
Yun Che’s body has long surpassed that of any normal human. From head to toe, he was a true monster. His body actually perfectly combined the Evil God’s Profound Veins, the Phoenix’s blood, the Dragon God’s blood, the Golden Crow’s blood, the strength of the Rage God, as well as the Sirius’ power and there had not be any rejections—Needless to say, the Golden Crow Divine Spirit or even if the actual Golden Crow Divine Beast was present, it would not be able to comprehend the existence of this “monster”.
This was also the main reason why the Golden Crow Divine Spirit gifted everything to him without hesitation after reading his memories.
And within this “monster’s” body, the speed at which the devil origin orb grew was illogical as well. This was the second time the Golden Crow Divine Spirit used all its strength to help him seal the devil origin orb but its spirit was still continuously shocked.
Finally, after sixteen long days, the devil origin orb was once again sealed with difficulty within Yun Che’s body.
Within the Sea of Death, Yun Che opened his eyes and sensed that his body was no longer invaded by the devilish aura. He inhaled and flew out, escaping from the Sea of Death and landing on the scarlet grounds near the Sea of Death.
Just as he was about to give his thanks to the Golden Crow Divine Spirit, he was suddenly shocked.
The Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley that was usually constantly filled will the sounds of the raging sea of flames was now unusually quiet. At one glance, all the volcanoes within vision actually laid dormant. There was not one that was erupting. The lava was flowing slowly and the sea of flames that originally scorched the skies could now no longer be described as “a sea of flames”. The flames were dull and they burned slowly and weakly.
Turning back and looking towards the Sea of Death, the boundless flames rumbled but the colors had turned completely dark as though it was a fierce beast at the end of its life.
Yun Che lifted up his head and high up in the sky, the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s golden eyes was staring at him. However, the divine pressure that originated from it was greatly inferior to before.
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit,” Yun Che was feeling complicated, “I thank you for saving me once again.”
“This noble one has mentioned before, there’s no need for such useless words,” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly replied. “Whatever this noble one wants to do, no one can stop. Whatever this noble one does not want to do, no one can force either.”
“Since you’re fine now, hurry up and leave. This noble one already does not have much time left. If she still does not go into slumber, this world might collapse at any time. However, remember, you must let go of the knot in your heart quickly, otherwise, the devil origin orb in your body might break free at any time.”
“…” Yun Che still did not leave immediately. Instead, he calmly asked, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, can you straightforwardly answer one of my questions?”
Golden Crow Divine Spirit, “?”
“How… long do I have left?” Yun Che’s tone and expression seemed exceptionally calm.
“…” The air suddenly became dense and the golden eye that was in the air remained silent for a long time before slowly replying, “To know your own death date is a thing that is more fearsome than death. Are you really sure you want to know?”
“I have to know.” Yun Che’s expression still remained calm.
“One month,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit replied straightforwardly.
“…” Yun Che’s eyelids slowly closed and he exhaled one long breath, “One month… that’s not much different from what I predicted. The next time the devil origin orb’s energy overflows will be the day of my death.”
He laughed self-mockingly, “I never expected that I, Yun Che, would die in the end because of an inanimate object… Heh, there’s a part of me that can’t accept this.”
“This is the last time this noble one is able to help you. The devil origin orb within your body is constantly growing. The next time it goes out of control, even if this noble one were to have regained her full strength and was not in this current state, it would still be nearly impossible to reseal it. This noble one using up all her strength to seal it now would only allow it to remain for about a month.
“That’s why you had better leave this place quickly and think carefully what you want to do in this last month!”
Yun Che remained silent for some time before suddenly asking, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, since you know that there’s a devil origin orb within me and I’m unable to be saved and destined to die, why are you still willing to use up a large amount of your last remaining strength to save me?”
“Because this noble one is willing, that is all!” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly replied.
Yun Che, “…”
“When this noble one read your memories back then, I was shocked by your physique and experience. I knew for certain that your talent was oddly strong. Along with your exceptional talent, you’d be the perfect successor. That was why this noble one bestowed upon you everything and hoped that the flame of the Golden Crow left in this world would burn brightly within you.
“However, unexpectedly, you seemed have used up all your luck in the first half of your life. In just the span of two years, you encountered such calamity that even this noble one is unable to save you. On this plane, there is nothing that can save you either.
“However, you are, after all, the person that this noble one has chosen. Even if it was the wrong choice, it still has to be followed through to the end.”
This was the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s explanation. Each word was uttered with deep arrogance and stubbornness..
“…I still have one question and this question is of utmost importance to me,” Yun Che continued to ask. His eyes slightly narrowed and his gaze became dull, “If i forcefully open the fifth realm of the Evil God, 【Hades】, is there any possibility of me killing Xuanyuan Wentian!?”
The Golden Crow Divine Spirit was stunned for a moment before she suddenly laughed heartily, “Hahahaha! Good question, this should be what you’re like!”
Yun Che also laughed, “Looks like you can probably give me a clear enough answer. After all, you inherited some of the Golden Crow’s memories and when the Golden Crow was alive, it had a close relationship with the Evil God. You should have a rough gauge of the Evil God’s strength.”
“No, this noble one actually does not know the Evil God’s strength much better than you,” the Golden Crow said in a low voice. “However, based on the strength you possessed when you forcefully activated 【Rumbling Heaven】 against the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, if you were to open your 【Hades】, you might indeed be able to forcefully kill Xuanyuan Wentian!”
Yun Che, “!!!”
“However, it is only a possibility. However, if you were to forcefully open Hades, the consequences wouldn’t be possible death… but certain death! Even if it’s just for one or two moments!”
“When you battled the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign initially, although you managed to forcefully open the Rumbling Heaven to forcefully exterminate him, I hope that you have not forgotten the miserable state that you ended up in. Back then, if your master had not forcefully closed the Evil God’s realm for you, you would have died on the spot then. Now, your strength far exceeds the time when you battled the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, your physique has also changed greatly. However, you can at most maintain the powers of Rumbling Heavens for one moment. If you were to forcefully open the Hades, the moment your strength was released, your body would also be smashed into smithereens with no chance of survival.”
“Alright!” Yun Che gradually nodded. Both his hands clenched tightly but his face did not reveal any disappointment, fear or unwillingness to resign. Instead, there was a slight smile that had a hint of ferocity, “Since you said it’s possible, then there’s definitely a possibility!”
“Judging from what you said, are you prepared to bet your life?”
“Heh, since I’m going to die, why shouldn’t I bet?!” Yun Che laughed lowly.
“Hahahaha,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit laughed heartily once again. “As a person that is about to die, you aren’t thinking about how miserable your life is but instead how to die even more miserably! As expected, this noble one did not choose the wrong person and also did not save the wrong person. Your blazing integrity and resolve is worthy enough of the Golden Crow’s blood and Golden Crow’s soul in your body!
“This noble one is not going to stop you since you have already decided. You should hurry to return to the Profound Sky Continent then. You should know that the devilish blood within Xuanyuan Wentian’s body is awakening every day and his strength is also increasing by the day. The longer you day this, the greater the certainty of your death! If you really can exterminate Xuanyuan Wentian, the entire Illusory Demon Realm will be saved because of you and your death would be worth it!”
“I understand,” Yun Che muttered under his breath. “But, I still need some time… perhaps two or three days.”
“Hmph, is all this for your final farewell?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit said without care.
“…Other than that, there’s one more thing.” Yun Che turned around, looked into the distance as his gaze gradually became hazy. Two hazy figures appeared in his heart and gradually became more and more clear. Also, gradually… they bonded together and became one figure…
“I want to return to Azure Cloud Continent to see Ling’er… I want to know whether what I witnessed and experienced six years ago was a dream or not,” Yun Che’s voice softened as though he was recalling his dream.
“Since you’re determined to die, what’s the point in meeting her?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly said. After reading Yun Che’s memories, she knew who “Ling’er” was and also knew what “dream” he referred to. However, as the spirit of a divine beast, it knew nothing of the love between humans.
“I’m okay with a look from afar.” Yun Che faintly smiled, “If that wasn’t a dream and it was really Ling’er, even if I were to die, I can die feeling a little more satisfied.”
“Then when are you preparing to go? The Azure Cloud Continent is millions of kilometers away rom the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“Right now!” Yun Che said without hesitation.
He did not prepare to say his farewells with the Little Demon Empress or his parents because this would undoubtedly increase their worries. Furthermore, he had absolutely no way of explaining everything.
If the Azure Cloud Continent’s Ling’er was actually a dream, he would completely give up hope as well. If that were really Ling’er… he would fulfill his wish before returning to spend his remaining time with them.
After that, he would use his life… to bring Xuanyuan Wentian with him to hell!!
Chapter 873 – Finally Returned to Azure Cloud
The Azure Cloud Continent was about five million kilometers away from the Profound Sky Continent. The distance between the Illusory Demon Realm and the Azure Cloud Continent was about that far as well. Jasmine had once told him that with the remaining power left in the Primordial Profound Ark, it could at most make one round trip to the Azure Cloud Continent.
However, given Yun Che’s current state, once was already enough.
After leaving Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, Yun Che did not return to Demon Imperial City but instead immediately activated the Primordial Profound Ark. Jasmine had already left behind the location of the Azure Cloud Continent in his memory.
The consequences of going to the Azure Cloud Continent were something he could not predict. However, if he did not go, it would remain a massive regret in his life.
The spatial transfer of millions of kilometers similarly only required one moment.
Leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che’s emotions were suddenly in a turmoil… Because, the ground that he stepped on, was the already familiar yet exceptionally distant Azure Cloud Continent.
“Azure Cloud Continent…” He muttered under his breath. His master, his Ling’er, all that happened within this world. Countless memories and images flooded his mind like surging waves and rumbled violently. No one could understand his experiences of two lifetimes and similarly, no one could understand how he was feeling right now.
A gentle mountain breeze blew, calming Yun Che’s heart. He finally looked at his surroundings. In front of his eyes was a mountain that meandered upwards. It’s highest peaks were above the clouds and turning around, five hundred kilometers of scenery could be seen… He was obviously standing on the side of a tall mountain.
Yun Che quietly looked at his surroundings and quickly, a name flashed past his mind.
This was…
Grandwake Mountain!!
His heart was greatly shocked… The position that Jasmine had imprinted in his soul was not just the general location of the Azure Cloud Continent but it accurately pinpointed the location of the Grandwake Mountain that stood nearby!!
As for the Grandwake Clan Su Ling’er belonged to, it lay at the foot of this Grandwake Mountain!
His heart fluttered and he was unable to calm down. Yun Che was not in the mood to admire the scenery of Grandwake Mountain. He immediately descended and before long, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.
A huge jade green forest stretched at the foot of Granwake Mountain. Entering the forest, Yun Che slowed down his footsteps and walked ever more and more slowly. Six years ago, within the dreamlike world, this place was also a large forest. Then, Su Ling’er excitedly brought him to the forest while jumping and hopping… because, this was her favorite place.
This place, was also a forest.
If…
If everything was real, the other end of the forest, would be the Grandwake Clan she resided in.
Yun Che’s footsteps became lighter as though he was afraid that his movement might disrupt the gentle breeze here. He especially desired to meet Su Ling’er but was also afraid that everything from start to end had been just a dream…
The forest was exceptionally quiet except for the sound of the wind blowing and the branches rustling. There was no other movement nor were there any figures of people or beasts. Rather than quiet, it would be more accurate to describe it as eerily lonely.
Yun Che continued moving and after walking for some time, he suddenly stopped.
In the midst of the dense forest, there was a small plot of empty land. In the middle of the empty land, there was a bamboo house that lay quietly there.
The bamboo house was small and simple and even looked rather old. All the bamboo was now yellowish in color.
Looking at the small bamboo house, Yun Che’s eyes blurred. He hurried forward and opened the unlatched bamboo door.
Inside the bamboo house, there was a small bed and table made of bamboo. Yun Che stretched out his trembling hand and gently pressed onto the bamboo bed. The bed was simple yet sturdy. Following his palm, coming into contact with it, it made a soft “squeaking” noise… there was not one speck of dust on the bed either.
Looking up, at the top of the bamboo house, there was a round hole. At night, the bright moonlight would shine through from above and illuminate the entire interior of the house.
For six whole years, other than the bamboo turning yellow, nothing about the bamboo house had changed… It was as though it was a baby that had been carefully loved and cared for in one’s arms. For six whole years, there was no damage at all.
“Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s really Ling’er…”
Yun Che’s mind crashed. His vision became completely blurred, his emotions a complete mess, his soul trembling furiously. Every ounce of blood within him boiled with intensity… Although Jasmine had repeatedly told him with complete confidence that the “illusion” from six years ago was definitely not an illusion, he still bore a sense of disbelief… He dared not believe that there was a truth in this world that was so perfect that it was like a dream. He dared not hoped that he could still hug the Ling’er that he had already lost for eternity.
However, this forest and the small bamboo house that he built for Su Ling’er within the forest proved that whatever happened six years ago was not a dream but actually reality. It was a truth that he dared not even imagine in his dreams.
“Ling’er… Ling’er… Ling’er!!!”
The warm feeling that engulfed his entire body was not going to his head. Yun Che rushed out of the house, continuously calling Su Ling’er’s name and rushed like a madman in the direction of the Grandwake Clan in his memory.
Countless green bamboos were knocked down by him but he could not be bothered about it and continuously sped up.
Just when he was about to leap into the sky, a blowing wind from in front brought an abnormal pungent smell along.
This was a smell Yun Che was exceptionally familiar with… this was obviously the smell of a rotting corpse!!
As though a pail of cold water had just been poured onto him, Yun Che’s senses seemed to swiftly recover from his vigorous agitation to a clear mind. This was clearly very close to Grandwake Clan… why was there such a strong smell of a rotting corpse?
Yun Che sped up as he moved forward, the smell in the air becoming stronger and stronger. Gradually, the forest in front was no longer intact and there was a large amount of damage. The ground and the body of the bamboo were all filled with stains of blood that had already dried up long ago.
“…” Yun Che eyebrows sunk and a corpse also appeared in his sight then.
Within a forest like this, the speed at which a corpse decayed would not be too quick. Judging from the condition of the rotting corpse in front, it had already been dead for half a month. However, what caused Yun Che’s heart to grip tightly was the bloodstained clothes that the corpse wore…
That was obviously the clothing of someone from the Grandwake Clan!
Furthermore, there was not just that corpse. As Yun Che continued forward, the front part of the forest had been completely destroyed. Dried up stains of blood covered the entire floor and broken bamboos. The further forward he proceeded, the more corpses there were. In the end, all the corpses were stacked up together and the scene was startling. The pungent smell of rotting corpses completely covered the fresh air coming from the bamboo forest.
Along the way, he saw close to a thousand corpses altogether. The time which they died was fairly close to one another and judging from their clothes, they all belonged to the Grandwake Clan!
Yun Che’s expression became worse and worse, his previous agitation and mad joy was replaced by a bone piercing coldness… Let alone thousands of corpses, even if ten thousand or a hundred thousand laid in front of Yun Che, his expression would not change. However, this was near the Grandwake Clan and for half a month, no one bothered with the corpses of these members of Grandwake Clan!
This undoubtedly proved that something terrible had happened to the Grandwake Clan!!
Then, Ling’er…
An icy cold aura spread from Yun Che’s spine to the top of his head. His fists clenched tightly, his scalp numb and he rushed forward towards the Grandwake Clan like lightning.
Just what had happened to the Grandwake Clan?
Ling’er… you must be fine… I pray for your safety!!!
Yun Che activated the Extreme Mirage Lightning at full strength and very quickly, the Grandwake Clan from six years ago appeared before his eyes.
Staring at the southern door of the Grandwake Clan from afar, although Yun Che was extremely worried, he did not immediately barge in. Instead, he stopped, hid his aura with the hidden flowing lightning before he proceeded silently towards the Grandwake Clan.
Within the Grandwake Clan, several figures were moving about. It did not seem like they were in any peril nor was there any extremely cautious aura. Everything looked as though it was normal. Sneaking into the Grandwake Clan, Yun Che soon realized that there were several unusually strong auras among them.
Thirty two Thrones, two level two Overlords, and even one level eight Overlord!!
Yun Che’s gaze instantly became cold.
The Grandwake Clan and Blackwood Stronghold reigned within the region of the Country of Supwake and the Grandwake Clan was slightly stronger than the Blackwood Stronghold. Here, the Sky Profound Realm was already a pinnacle existence. If a Throne were to appear, he was sufficient to reign over the entire Rivereast. Even the two hegemons of the Grandwake Clan and Blackwood Stronghold were not at the level of Thrones either.
However, right now, there were thirty two Thrones and three Overlords who suddenly appeared with the Grandwake Clan!
And their profound auras were obviously not those of the members of the Grandwake Clan.
Yun Che gritted his teeth slightly, his heart was expanding with unease. He could only constantly pray for Su Ling’er’s safety in his heart and that nothing had happened to her… Otherwise, he would not be able to predict what kind of crazy things he would do!!!
Inhaling deeply, Yun Che hurriedly sneaked into the Grandwake Clan and directly went to the positions of those Overlords. Then, as he passed by two disciples of Grandwake Clan, he heard their conversation.
“…Back then, if the clan master wasn’t kind enough to adopt me, I would have lost my life already. I wouldn’t even need to compare with what I have now… However, I’ve betrayed the clan master… Sigh, sometimes, when I think about it, I’m really inhumane.”
“Your choice was not wrong. You have already seen that those who were stubborn and maintained their loyalty are all dead. After all, they were the Seven Star Divine Hall. Only idiots would be foolish enough to go against them.”
Seven Star Divine Hall!?
This name caused Yun Che’s eyes to shrink slightly.
“Sigh, why must clan master be so stubborn. Follow Young Clan Master’s plan and leech off Seven Star Divine Hall. This is something other sects could never even dream about…”
“I heard that even though the clan master has already been trapped for so long, he still refuses to say anything. No one knows why he’s persevering this hard. He would give up a rare opportunity and seek death. No idea if we should call him righteous or stubborn…”
The conversation between the two suddenly stopped and two ice cold palms suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gripped their throats firmly.
The eyes of the two Grandwake Clan disciples expanded and their faces revealed shock. It was as though they had just seen a ghost.
“The clan master you all are referring to, is he Su Hengshan?
The two of them nodded in fear, unable to utter any sound.
“Tell me, where is he being kept?” Yun Che’s voice was bone chillingly ice cold. However, once he found out that Su Hengshan had not died, he felt slightly more relieved.
The hand that gripped the guy on the right gradually loosened, allowing him to utter in a difficult voice, “He’s in… the cell… the inner most one…”
“Then what about Su Ling’er?” As Yun Che asked this question, his chest expanded greatly once again.
The two of their eyes widened and drifted away as they both shook their heads.
“Heh…” Yun Che laughed unusually creepily, “Remember, in your next lives, don’t be ungrateful beasts!”
With a soft crack, the bones in both throats were instantly and mercilessly destroyed by the enraged Yun Che.
Chapter 874 – Extreme Fury
Yun Che had a very clear impression of the Grandwake Clan’s dungeon. Back then, when Su Ling’er led him around to observe the Grandwake Clan, she had once mentioned that the dungeon was at the extreme east and it was also a place that she had never approached.
Yun Che concealed his presence but he was still incomparably quick as he speedily moved to the most inner portion of the Grandwake Clan. In just a few moments, he had already flashed past not even three meters in front of a Grandwake Clan disciple. However, the other party did not have any reaction at all. He basically did not even catch a glimpse of a shadow flashing past at all.
Based on the location in his memories, the entrance to the prison of the Grandwake Clan should soon appear before Yun Che’s eyes. The turbid air that was suffusing toward him was the best proof.
In front of the dungeon, six people kept guard. Among them, four wore the uniform of the Grandwake Clan, evidently the disciples of the Grandwake Clan. However, the other two people were dressed in black and on the front of their chests, they were marked with a faint yellow constellation intersected vertically and horizontally by seven stars.
Yun Che’s brows fiercely furrowed… This seven-star mark was the proof of being a disciple of Seven Stars Divine Palace! In the Azure Cloud Continent, not a single person dared to impersonate one!
Seven Stars Divine Palace was one of the biggest sects in the Azure Cloud Continent. Along with Heaven Thwarting Sect and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, they were the three great overlords of Azure Cloud Continent. The three powers could be said to be the pillars of the continent and their positions in Azure Cloud Continent, were not any less than the Four Great Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent!
Just what was going on? Seven Stars Divine Palace and the Grandwake Clan were clearly existences from two completely different planes, how did the small Grandwake Clan offend Seven Stars Divine Palace?
Just what in the world happened!?
Ling’er… Where’s Ling’er… What happened to her!?
Four Grandwake Clan disciples were earnestly guarding the entrance of the dungeon. Every single one of them was standing straight and upright and the weapons in their hands were gripped firmly. They did not even dare to glance at the two Seven Stars Divine Palace disciples in front of them. Their cautious and fearful looks were as if they were shivering ants facing a devil god.
The two Divine Palace disciples crookedly sat on the ground, their faces filled with irritation. The corners of their eyes would occasionally glance at the four Grandwake Clan disciples behind them, filled with looks of extreme disdain. The one on the right leisurely said, “I really wonder what Hall Chief is thinking. He’s actually staying in a place like this in the middle of nowhere for so many days. In a small place like this where even I can poke everyone to death with a single finger, how can there be any decent treasure?”
The other Divine Palace disciple scanned his surroundings with narrowed eyes and suddenly said with a suppressed voice, “I heard from rumors that Hall Chief bringing us out this time… was actually the Palace Chief’s intention.”
“Wh… What? That… That can’t be, right? This place… With a status like that of the Palace Chief, how could there possibly be anything that’d interest him?”
“Now that isn’t something I know about and it’s something impossible for us little figures to know about either. We just have to earnestly listen and obey orders. It’s best if we don’t inquire about it too much.”
While hearing these two terrifying experts, who donned the seven stars and had profound strength at the Emperor Profound Realm, actually referring to themselves as “little figures”, the four Grandwake Clan disciples gulped down their saliva one after another. They looked even more terrified than before.
“But, from what I’ve heard from the Hall Chief, he seemed to have already ascertained that the item is in Su Ling’er’s hands. As long as that Su Ling’er is found, the mission this time will be completed. However, half a month has already passed and that little brat has yet to be found.”
“It is reported that her profound strength is merely at the Spirit Profound Realm. She can’t even fly, so where can she escape to? She is probably hiding in the deep mountains or in old forests that very few people go to. Hmph, the entire Country of Supwake is currently sealed by us and the Supwake Imperial Family. All of the sects are undergoing the search according to our orders as well, so even an ant shouldn’t even think of flying out of our grasp. I guess that at most in another three days, we can capture her and bring her back here.”
Yun Che clearly heard Su Ling’er’s name from these two Divine Palace disciples’ conversation!
She was actually being hunted by Seven Stars Divine Palace!
From their conversation, Su Ling’er had yet to be found. This was a huge relief.
However, she, who was just a sixteen-year-old girl with profound strength at the Spirit Profound Realm, was actually being hunted by the powerful Seven Stars Divine Palace and was also being pursued all around the country by all of the sects of the Country of Supwake and the Supwake Imperial Family. Furthermore, they had even unhesitatingly sealed the entire Country of Supwake in order to capture her… Not to mention, this had continued for around half a month!!
In this half a month, every breath must have been an unimaginable terror and nightmare for Su Ling’er…
Extremely thick anger, killing intent and hatred wildly grew and surged within Yun Che’s chest. He instantly broke out of the seal of his Hidden Flowing Lightning and flew into the sky. From his tightly clenched hands, a seemingly ear-trembling bone-grinding noise had even rung out.
“Who is it!?”
The two Divine Palace disciples were instantly startled into action. However, the moment they spoke out, before they could even stand up, a pair of crimson red eyes that looked as though they were dyed in blood had already appeared before them.
Bang bang!!
Fiery light exploded. The two Divine Palace disciples had instantly turned into ash and they did not even have the time to let out screams. Furthermore, even right to their deaths, they did not clearly see just who sent them to the pits of hell.
The four Grandwake Clan disciples who were guarding the entrance of the dungeon were all standing blankly, their expressions dumbfounded. Their eyeballs were protruding out, as though their horrified souls had already scattered into the air. They wanted to scream out loud but their throats felt as if they were being stuffed by something so they could only let out dry groaning noises under their intense fear.
“As members of the Grandwake Clan, you people actually harmed the family of your own Clan Master and become dogs… Do you people still have the face to live!?”
Yun Che’s body trembled. Under his extreme anger, his Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames were both at the brink of losing control as they violently burnt around his body. With a wave of his palm, the four Grandwake Clan disciples instantly sank into the sea of flames, turning to ash.
At the same time, the dungeon gate which was constructed with profound metals directly melted as well. Whilst carrying a terrifying heat wave and surging fury, Yun Che charged into the dungeon.
The loud sounds and irregular aura had undoubtedly and immediately startled the entire Grandwake Clan… Especially the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace. In an instant, a roar sounded in all directions within the Grandwake Clan and seemingly everyone had charged straight towards the direction of the dungeon.
“Who is it!? Who dares to break into the dungeon… Ah!!!”
There were three waves of guards in the dark dungeon. The moment they realized an anomaly, they had already been heartlessly smashed into pieces by Yun Che. Fresh blood and tattered corpses rained down on the rancid smelling dungeon floor.
The alarm bells were already sounding loudly outside but Yun Che did not care in the least. All the obstructions and doors within the dungeon were brutally smashed apart by him. Rather than saying he was moving hastily through the dungeon, it would be more accurate to say that the entire dungeon was being brutally chiselled through.
Very quickly, Yun Che charged into the extreme depths of the dungeon without pause. This was the darkest place in the entire dungeon. There were no lights and one could not see his fingers of his stretched hand due to how pitch-black it was. However, Yun Che could clearly sense an extremely frail aura.
Yun Che swung out his palm and a ball of scarlet red flames lighted up at the side of the wall. The flames instantly brightened the entire dungeon.
At the end of the dungeon was a jet black wall forged by profound metals and a person was being tightly pinned to the wall with several dozen chains. His robe was ragged and his entire body was drenched in blood. His aura was weak, seemingly on his last breath. Evidently, he had endured immense torture. A large half of his face was covered by his dishevelled hair, while the remaining half of his face was blurred with streaks of dried bloodstains.
However, Yun Che was still able to recognize on first glance that this person was actually the Clan Master of the Grandwake Clan, father of Su Ling’er—Su Hengshan!!
A violent emotion charged right into Yun Che’s head, however, it was then immediately fiercely suppressed. Yun Che took in a heavy breath and hurriedly charged forward. “Clan Master Su!”
Bang bang bang bang…
Several masses of flames shot out from Yun Che’s hand, burning and breaking all of the chains on Su Hengshan’s body.
The shattered chains rattled as they felt onto the ground. Su Hengshan’s body shook and then limply fell towards the ground, however, he was then immediately caught and held tightly by Yun Che.
Su Hengshan was not unconscious. He slowly raised his head, his blurry vision passed through his dishevelled hair and looked at the youth who had suddenly appeared before his eyes. “You… are…”
His voice was dry and coarse but after just speaking those two words, he suddenly paused. Even his pair of initially dimly lit eyes had instantly widened, emitting out a trembling glow…
They had not met for more than six years. Yun Che had grown about half a foot and even his expression and demeanor were greatly different than before. However, his appearance did not undergo an overly obvious transformation. Adding that while Su Ling’er had been obsessed with him in these few years, looking forward to see him every single day, Su Hengshan was concerned about Su Ling’er so it was natural that he would not forget Yun Che’s appearance.
“You… are… you are Yun Che!?”
“It’s me!” Yun Che strongly nodded, his eyes grew slightly warm.
“It’s really… you?” Su Hengshan tremblingly stretched out his hand, not daring to believe his own eyes.
“It’s really me…” Yun Che pressed his palm against Su Hengshan’s chest, inserting the pure energy of heaven and earth into his body. “Clan Master Su, I’m Yun Che. I’ve returned!”
Under Yun Che’s nature energy, Su Hengshan could feel a clear and cooling sensation spreading through his entire body. In just a short span of a few breaths, vitality was actually quickly being birthed from his initially weak and powerless body. His messed up senses quickly regained their clarity and even his withered profound energy was recovering at an astonishing speed.
“Yun Che… You…” Su Hengshan’s excitement was now accompanied by shock and disbelief. For a moment, he felt as though he was living in a dream. However, as his spirits gradually regained clarity, he suddenly realized something and anxiously said. “No… Hurry and leave… Leave now!!”
Boom!!
A loud reverberation came from behind as the entrance of the dungeon was violently blasted apart by an immense strength.
Yun Che slowly turned around. The killing intent and anger he had been desperately holding in was rumbling in his chest, about to burst apart. He sensed twenty-six auras charging into the dungeon, while the other auras were surrounding the outside of the dungeon.
Among these twenty-six auras, there were three Overlords that belonged to Seven Stars Divine Palace… At the very front, there was even a level eight Overlord, who should be the one commanding all of the Divine Palace disciples here!
“This is bad… There’s no time left!”
The quickly approaching auras and reverberations turned all of Su Hengshan’s excitement into fear. He stood up in a struggling manner, wanting to stand in front of Yun Che. “Yun Che, being able to see you again right before my death and having you risk your life to save me has already cleared a large part of my regrets. At the very least… At the very least, Ling’er’s six years of obsessive anticipation were not for nothing. However, the people at the other side are very terrifying… They are more terrifying than you imagine… If you have the opportunity later, please escape… You don’t need to worry about me…”
Yun Che pushed out his palm, blocking Su Hengshan behind him and slowly shook his head.
If Su Hengshan could see Yun Che’s eyes right now, he would definitely be shocked to the point of being speechless.
That was a pair of eyes belonging to a crazed fiend covered in blood.
The palm he used to press towards Su Hengshan’s chest turned into a grab, as he rose into the air while carrying Su Hengshan along.
Boom!!
With a loud sound, the roof of the dungeon was immediately blasted apart and eye-piercing rays of light rained down. When Yun Che descended again, he was already standing outside the dungeon along with Su Hengshan, their feet already stepping on the ground of the eastern courtyard of Grandwake Clan.
Chapter 875 – Living Hell
Carrying Su Hengshan, the moment Yun Che landed on the ground, he was instantly surrounded by a large group of people.
Undoubtedly, the people who surrounded them were all disciples of the Grandwake Clan. When they saw Sun Hengshan covered in bloodstains and his dishevelled hair, though some had complicated and cramped expressions for a moment, there was not the least bit of hesitation in surrounding them. Rows of sparkling weapons were pointed straight at them.
“You still wish to run… Let me see where you’re going to run off to!”
An overbearing voice resounded from the collapsed dungeon. Hearing this voice, the name “Su Haoran” flashed past Yun Che’s mind.
Su Hengshan’s only son, Su Ling’er’s brother from a different mother… Someone who he had already been extremely disgusted with in the “dreamscape” six years ago.
The crowd split open and the twenty-six people Yun Che sensed earlier leisurely walked over.
Walking at the very front was a middle-aged man dressed entirely in black robe. His appearance was on the thin side with a slight hint of paleness and the most conspicuous part of his body, was the constellation of seven stars marked on the black robe on the front of his chest. The constellation was deep green, highlighting that he had a considerable status in Seven Stars Divine Palace. As he walked, his entire body emitted out a lofty aura of someone in a high position, as though he was the king overlooking everything in this piece of land, while the rest were merely ants.
The profound aura emitting from his body, was to the extent of the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.
Behind him were two middle-aged men who were similarly dressed in black robes and had light green constellations marked on the front of their chests. They were precisely the other two Overlords Yun Che sensed… But they were both early stage Overlords.
Further behind, were a few familiar faces.
Su Haoran, who shouted out earlier!!
Su Hengyue, who collaborated with Blackwood Stronghold and wanted to force Su Hengshan to hand over the key to the treasure!
Su Wangji—the Grand Elder with the highest seniority in the Grandwake Clan!!
Even Heimu Qingya, the Blackwood Stronghold Master who was scared off by Xia Qingyue back then, was in the formation as well!
Furthermore, from the way these people walked in, it seemed Su Haoran was taking the lead.
And these people were like a bunch of pugs walking behind the three Overlords of Seven Stars Divine Palace. Their bodies were slightly arched, taking up respectful postures, as though merely walking with them was like an extremely fearful matter.
When they saw Yun Che, they were stunned at the same time as well. Following after, Su Haoran was the first to recall him and exclaimed. “It’s… It’s you!!”
The black-robed man at the very front had been sizing up Yun Che with cold eyes the entire time. Hearing Su Haoran’s shout, he lightly said. “It seems you recognize this person?”
“Ah… Yes.” As the black-robed man suddenly questioned him, Su Haoran’s waist hurriedly bent down a little more. “We met a few years ago but he’s just a little figure and doesn’t bear mentioning. He isn’t worth being mentioned to Lord Divine Envoy.”
“Little figure?” The black-robed man who was referred to as “Lord Divine Envoy” coldly snorted. “A young level six Overlord can actually be a little figure?”
When these words fell, no matter if they were people of the Grandwake Clan or Seven Stars Divine Palace, all of them were shocked on the spot. The people who had met Yun Che six years ago were even standing there blankly, while even Su Hengshan who was blocked behind Yun Che was greatly astonished.
Su Haoran’s eyes widened and then, he stammered. “Sixth… sixth level Ov… Overlord!? Th-th-that’s… That’s impossible. Six years ago… He was only at the Spirit Profound Realm… How could he…”
“What? Could it be that this great one’s sensing abilities are inferior to yours!?” The black-robed divine envoy’s voice suddenly turned cold.
Su Haoran instantly trembled, as he said fearfully. “No no no, this little one has misspoken. Even if this little one had ten thousand more guts, I wouldn’t dare to suspect Lord Divine Envoy. I beg Lord Divine Envoy for your forgiveness.”
Watching his own son groveling like a pug, Su Hengshan’s expression was indifferent, seemingly not a single hint of pain could be seen on his face… because he had long been numbed by the immense pain and grief.
“Young man, I sense that your age should not be over thirty, yet you already possess such cultivation,” the black-robed divine envoy lightly said. “Even in our Seven Stars Divine Palace, a talent of this level is still of the highest caliber. You shouldn’t be someone nameless but from your appearance, it’s not likely that you hail from Heaven Thwarting Sect or Soaring Celestial Sword Sect either. What is your name? Which sect do you hail from? Who is your master?” His expression fiercely sank. “And who gave you the guts to provoke our Seven Stars Divine Palace!?”
A level six Overlord whose age had yet to reach thirty. Though the black-robed divine envoy was not afraid, he was unable to stay calm in his heart. That was why he did not immediately make a move and instead wanted to pull out his background. However, no matter what background he had, it was impossible for them to fear him… Because they were Seven Stars Divine Palace!
Even if this person was truly from Heaven Thwarting Sect or Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, at the very most, he could only stand at the same level as them.
Under the energy of heaven and earth that came from Yun Che, Su Hengshan had already recovered a great amount of his vitality. He struggled to step forward, strongly pushing Yun Che away and roared out. “Old thief, this young man has simply mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know him at all! If you have the guts, then come and kill him right now!”
He fiercely turned his head towards Yun Che and with an even louder voice, roared out. “Look clearly, I’m Su Hengshan, not Ling Datong. This place is the Grandwake Clan, not the Second Profound Clan that you’re looking for! The matters of my Grandwake Clan, the life and death of I, Su Hengshan, are not matters that you, an outrageous outsider, can meddle in! Why have you not left yet!? Scram!!”
Yun Che: “…”
He understood Su Hengshan’s intentions. He was telling him that the people in front of them were not people he could possibly deal with. He wanted him to immediately leave and then look for Ling’er.
Looking at the situation in front of his eyes, the groveling Su Haoran and his men and those corpses dressed in the the Grandwake Clan’s robes found in the bamboo forest… By putting together these details, Yun Che had already more or less understood what happened in the Grandwake Clan. He held back the impulse to massacre everyone here, took a step forward and spoke with an incomparably calm tone. “Have you people located any traces of the places Su Ling’er has been to? If you have, then speak now so I can let you people die a little more pleasantly.”
Su Hengshan was instantly stunned, his stretched out palms had powerlessly drooped down. The eyes of the black-robed divine envoy fiercely narrowed and laughter resounded in the surroundings. The disciples of Seven Stars Divine Palace especially, were seemingly laughing in concert, the initial cautiousness they had when looking at Yun Che had turned into incomparable ridicule… and even pity.
“Heh.” The black-robed divine envoy let out a light cold laugh and leisurely said, “It seems like though your talent is pretty good, your brain isn’t that bright… Oh, I’m mistaken, it’s pure idiocy.”
Su Haoran’s face was filled with gloating and he arrogantly roared out. “Yun Che, never did I expect that after six years, you’re actually seeking death the moment you return! Do you know who this great figure standing front of you is!? He’s a dignified Divine Palace Envoy of Seven Stars Divine Palace! If you immediately kneel and kowtow now, you might still have a chance. Lord Divine Envoy is magnanimous, he might be able to grant you a full corpse.”
Yun Che’s eyes did not even bat Su Haoran a glance, as his eyes slowly narrowed. “I will say it again, tell me all of the information concerning Su Ling’er and I can let you people die a little more pleasantly!”
“Heh,” the black-robed divine envoy let out a low laugh. “It seems like, you’re intentionally seeking death!”
Yun Che did not move his body. With only his finger, he lightly tapped towards that Divine Palace disciple on the right of the black-robed divine envoy.
Bang!!
A slight explosive noise sounded and it was instantly accompanied by an extremely miserable scream. That Divine Palace disciple tumbled onto the ground, as his chest had exploded apart. Violent Golden Crow flames, with his chest as the starting point, spread towards his entire body.
“WAAAAHHH….”
Even a Monarch could barely endure the incinerating heat of the Golden Crow flames, let alone an early stage Overlord… Furthermore, this mass of Golden Crow flames was ignited from within his body! He desperately screamed, desperately rolled about and desperately used his profound energy to resist, however, how could Yun Che’s Golden Crow flames be influenced by his strength!?
This terrifying scene which happened all of a sudden, had made everyone pale in shock and the complexion of the black-robed divine envoy had similarly changed as well. The Divine Palace disciple on his left hurriedly charged forward, wanting to extinguish the “profound flames” on his body. However, the moment his hands made contact with the flames, he suddenly screamed out, as both of his hands had already turned into thick white bones… Following after, the white bones were completely burnt away from the searing flames, while the devil-like flames slowly burnt along his arms, causing him to fall onto the ground amidst intense pain and fear. Like the first Divine Palace disciple, he desperately rolled and screamed out.
The burning of the Golden Crow flames was especially slow as they leisurely devoured their bodies. This process was accompanied by pain that was even crueler than the purgatory in their imaginations. The screams of the two Divine Palace disciples were shrilling like the cries of vile ghosts in hell. Their bodies madly rolled about and spasmed, their eyeballs looked as if they were about to protrude out of their eye sockets from pain and the blue veins on their foreheads were clearly fleshed out like earthworms!
“Kill me… Kill me… I beg you all… Kill me… AAAAHHH!!!”
The voices of despair that they desperately mustered out… were actually their wishes for death.
Bang!!
Following after the change in Yun Che’s expression, the most violent flames in the world suddenly exploded and in an instant, the bodies of the two Divine Palace disciples, like shattered rags, broke into pieces, scattering countless fiery fragments. Before these fragments could even land on the ground, they had already been burnt into nothingness… Forget about tattered corpses, not a single wisp of smoke was left behind. The fiery sparks that splashed onto the ground instantly burnt up thousands of holes like bubbles.
Everyone was completely speechless. Every single one of them stared with widened eyes, their complexions were as pale as paper. The sudden inflation of astonishment and fear made their eyes look as if they were about to explode.
Su Haoran’s face had already been drained of all colours, as he retreated in panic and tremblingly said. “Demonic… Demonic art… It’s a demonic art!!”
The face of the black-robed divine envoy had already distorted completely, no longer carrying the slightest hint of calmness and loftiness. The paleness of his face highlighted the fast surging fear in his inner heart. He stepped backwards and suddenly roared out. “Everyone move… Kill him!!”
When his order fell, the crowd of frightened Divine Palace disciples trembled, as they charged towards Yun Che on conditioned reflex.
Yun Che’s face was ice-cold and he did not even bat his surroundings an eye. The flaming light in his hand turned into blue light and it suddenly flashed.
In an instant, several dozen Trees of Frozen End rose, encasing all the charging Divine Palace disciples within. Countless ice branches that were bone-piercingly cold stretched out, ruthlessly piercing and stabbing through their bodies… However, under the cold air, before their blood could even flow out, they had already been frozen. Even the draining of their lives, had turned especially slow under this cold air.
In thea short span of a single instant, all the Divine Palace disciples had already been buried within the Trees of Frozen End. Every single one of their bodies was penetrated by several dozens of ice branches, like grasshoppers pierced through by poison. However, they did not have any flow of blood, they did not struggle and they could not even die immediately, only their mouths were letting out fearful and shrilling miserable cries.
When overlapping these screams of despair together, it was like a funeral for the dead that originated from the lowest depths of hell!
Chapter 876 – Ling’er’s Whereabouts
Among the disciples of Seven Stars Divine Palace that came here, the weakest was still a Throne, not to mention that there were two early stage Overlords. Any one of them was a powerful god-like existence to the Grandwake Clan disciples and even to all the profound practitioners of the entire Rivereast Region. However, in a blink of an eye, they were annihilated by flames and penetrated by cold ice.
Not a single one of them made contact with Yun Che’s sleeves, nor was there even a single moment of struggle. They were just a living bunch of worms that charged forward and ended up tyrannically mowed down with a step of his foot.
The sickly pale face of the black-robed divine envoy had already turned miserably white from fear. As level eight Overlord, he had initially felt absolutely assured in his victory over Yun Che, whose profound aura was merely at the sixth level of the Tyrant Realm. However, even if he was an idiot, by now, he should have understood that Yun Che’s strength was definitely not as simple as being in the ranks of a level six Overlord.
The most terrifying thing was that the other party basically did not care about their Seven Stars Divine Palace background in the slightest. During the two times he attacked, they were all fatal blows that were completely relentless with nothing held back!
The feet of the black-robed divine envoy retreated amidst his shock and fear. Then, he fiercely pushed away from the crowd, squeezing out his fastest speed.
However, how could Yun Che possibly let him escape? Reaching out his hand and grasping it, a blue light softly flashed and an ice wall was instantly condensed right in front of the black-robed divine envoy.
Caught by surprise, the black-robed divine envoy, who was desperately squeezing out and escaping, ruthlessly crashed onto the ice wall. Following after, an irresistible immense energy could be felt from behind, pulling him towards Yun Che’s direction at extreme speed.
The black-robed divine envoy desperately struggled. However, even after using all his strength, he was unable to escape from Yun Che’s power in the slightest. Under immense fear, vile intentions sprouted amidst his fright. He no longer struggled but had instead suddenly turned around. Letting out a wild roar, the profound energy in his entire body gathered in his arm and then struck towards Yun Che head-on while carrying an astonishing profound energy vortex.
Boom!
There was neither an ear-trembling blast nor sounds of air explosions but merely a light ring that sounded especially dull. In a casual manner, Yun Che’s hand had already grabbed onto the black-robed divine envoy’s fist, which was infused with all of the divine envoy’s profound energy. In an instant, the profound energy vortex disappeared without a trace, while the profound energy that the black-robed divine envoy condensed had completely scattered as well. His entire body was thus fixated in midair, his eyes widened due to extreme fear and were on the verge of exploding.
Crack!
Yun Che’s face was ice-cold as his hand slightly squeezed. A clear bone shattering sound instantly resounded.
The black-robed divine envoy screamed miserably and he instantly knelt on the ground. His left hand was tightly clasping his right wrist, yet he was unable to free himself in the slightest. The intense pain drained his entire body of its color and his forehead was raining with sweat.
“You… just who in the world… are… you…”
The black-robed divine envoy trembled, his voice was coarse. His strength as an level eight Overlord was actually this weak in the face of the person in front of him. To be capable of accomplishing a feat of this extent, one definitely had to possess strength at the level of a Monarch.
Even in his dreams he would never have expected that the foreign young man who suddenly appeared in front of him was actually a Monarch!
As for the surrounding Grandwake Clan disciples, their souls had already scattered from astonishment. The faces of Su Haoran, Su Hengyue, and the rest had long lost all of their color. They wanted to retreat but their legs had gone incomparably limp due to their intense trembling. Forget about escaping, they would soon be incapable of even standing stably.
Their current postures were not just because of their astonishment and fear… Yun Che’s aura had long enveloped all of their bodies; it was as though an enormous mountain was heavily pressing them down.
Facing the black-robed divine envoy’s question, Yun Che simply smiled with incomparable coldness.
Crack crack crack…
Like several hundreds of beans exploding at the same time, the bones of the entire right arm of the black-robed divine envoy were heartlessly shattered in a blink of an eye. The black-robed divine envoy let out the miserable squeal of pigs being slaughtered and his entire body spasmed like a worm that was about to die. Large beads of sweat wildly poured down from all over his body.
“Spare my life… Hero… Spare… my… spare my life…”
His instincts to plead for his life caused the black-robed divine envoy to let out cries for mercy, his distorted face was filled with a lowly, pleading look. Yun Che was still grabbing onto his bone-shattered right hand without loosening his grip and he coldly said, “I shall ask one last time, tell me all the news you have received about Su Ling’er, otherwise…”
“I will say it… I will say it!” The black-robed divine envoy desperately nodded as he hissed out under intense pain. “Six… Six hours ago… I received news… that someone in the Mythical Abode Mountain Range… saw a person who was most likely Su Ling’er… This is all I know… Presently, this is all the news concerning Su Ling’er… Spare my life… I’m someone from Seven Stars Divine Palace… Spare my life…”
Hearing the black-robed divine envoy’s words, Yun Che’s body trembled, his eyes revealed an incomparably agitated glow.
Mythical Abode Mountain Range?
Located south of the Country of Supwake, separating Country of Supwake and Southern Sky Country was the Mythical Abode Mountain Range!
The Cloud’s End Cliff which he fell into back then, was exactly within the Mythical Abode Mountain Range.
Yun Che calmed his breathing and continued. “If that’s the case, according to the news received, I assume all the people of your Seven Stars Divine Palace are currently gathered at the Mythical Abode Mountain Range to capture Su Ling’er?”
“Yes…” The black-robed divine envoy nodded tremblingly.
“Good…” Yun Che’s eyes revealed a fierce light. “Right now, you shall do something for me. Immediately send a sound transmission to your people and have them stop chasing after Su Ling’er this instant!”
“Ah…” The black-robed divine envoy’s eyes widened. “Hero… There’s something you’re unaware of… The people chasing after Su Ling’er… are all under the instructions of an elder in our Divine Palace… I am but a mere Hall seat… and I’m only staying here to interrogate… Su Hengshan… I’m basically… unable to give them orders… Ugh…”
Yun Che’s expression sank and no longer wasted any more of his breath on him. His other hand suddenly stretched out and his profound handle charged straight into the black-robed divine envoy’s soul.
The black-robed divine envoy’s will had long crumbled under the fear and pain and his soul was basically devoid of any retaliating forces. In an instant, the consciousness of his soul was infiltrated by the profound handle.
Yun Che began to quickly retrieve his recent month’s’ worth of memories. The causes and consequences behind all the Grandwake Clan’s changes gradually surfaced in his mind.
The history of the Grandwake Clan was not considered long and until now, with everything calculated in, it had only amounted to about nine hundred years. On the six hundredth year, when an ancestor of Grandwake Clan headed towards the southern territory, he coincidentally saved someone who had been miserably hunted down and was at his dying breath. However, that person still ended up losing his life in the end and right before he died, he handed a pitch-black box to him.
Stored inside was something called the 【Coiling Dragon Feeler】.
The Coiling Dragon Feeler was similar to the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus which Xia Qingyue ate back then, it was something comparable to a “sacred object” that could be hardly seen in several hundred years. When Xia Qinyue took the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus after being refined by the Sky Poison Pearl six years ago, she broke through into the Emperor Profound Realm from the Earth Profound Realm in just a single day. On the other hand, the medicinal effects of the Coiling Dragon Feeler were much fiercer than the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus. Profound practitioners with strength below the Sky Profound Realm would immediately die from self-imploding when taking it, making it only usable for profound practitioners with strength comparable to and above the Sky Profound Realm.
If a Sky Profound Realm profound practitioner took in a refined Coiling Dragon Feeler, that profound practitioner would immediately break through a large realm, achieving the level of a Throne.
Furthermore, Seven Stars Divine Palace also possessed a divine pellet that was ranked at the apex of the Azure Cloud Continent and was famous throughout the world—the “Seven Stars Heaven Crossing Pellet”. Its effects were to allow someone at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm to immediately breakthrough that bottleneck, achieving the level of a Overlord, similar to the Overlord Pellet of the Illusory Demon Realm.
And, the material for the “Seven Stars Heaven Crossing Pellet” that was the most important and also the hardest to find, was exactly the Coiling Dragon Feeler. Even with the forces of Seven Stars Divine Palace, they could only find one an average of once every two hundred years. Once traces of a Coiling Dragon Feeler could be sniffed, they would obtain it no matter the price… Even if they had to annihilate an entire clan to seize it.
That person who was saved by the ancestor of the Grandwake Clan, was precisely being hunted down by Seven Stars Divine Palace. Their reason was naturally to seize the Coiling Dragon Feeler from his hands.
The ancestor of the Grandwake Clan brought the Coiling Dragon Feeler back to the Grandwake Clan from the southern territory. He was deeply aware that this Coiling Dragon Feeler was enough to allow their Grandwake Clan to ascend to the skies and was even more so aware that if this was exposed, a crisis of the annihilation of their clan would probably be brought upon them. He had hesitated for a long time over keeping it and personally handing it to Seven Stars Divine Palace and in the end, he chose the former. He sealed the Coiling Dragon Feeler in an absolutely secret place and left behind an unique key, which was then passed down to every generation of Clan Master. Only when a genius with an upright conduct had broken through the Sky Profound Realm under the age of thirty-five appeared in the clan could it be retrieved with the key, allowing that disciple to take in the Coiling Dragon Feeler and achieve the level of a powerful Throne. That person would then inherit the position as the new Clan Master, leading the Grandwake Clan to even greater and more prosperous heights.
All these were recorded in the secret codex left behind by that ancestor of the Grandwake Clan and this secret codex could only be read by each generation of Grandwake Clan Masters. Thus, other than every generation of Clan Masters, no one else was aware just what this “treasure” being passed down through the generations of Grandwake Clan was. They only knew that only when a peerless genius were to appear in the clan, could the “treasure” finally be retrieved.
In these few years, Su Haoran had been harboring ulterior motives and had deliberately wanted to pry into the secrets of the clan treasure. Then, one time, he took the opportunity while Su Hengshan was not in the clan to overturn his inner chamber and accidentally activated a hidden profound formation. He discovered that secret codex and from then on, found out about the origin and secret behind the clan treasure.
After finding out that one had to be at least in the Sky Profound Realm to take in the Coiling Dragon Feeler and without sufficient profound strength, forcefully taking it in would be undoubtedly an act of suicide, Su Haoran was disappointed and resentful that even if he obtained it, there was nothing he could do with it. However, his foolishness and madness had led him to forming the thought of dedicating it to Seven Stars Divine Palace to curry their favor.
But he did not speak of this to Su Hengshan nor anyone else. Rather, he secretly came up with countless schemes and at all costs, searched for opportunities to speak with people from Seven Stars Divine Palace face-to-face… After all, this was a “huge merit” belonging to him, he definitely could not make use of others to pass on the message.
After two years worth of “hard work,” he finally obtained an opportunity and informed a “divine envoy” of Seven Stars Divine Palace the news of a “Coiling Dragon Feeler” being hidden within the Grandwake Clan face-to-face.
From then on, after Su Haoran, who had received Seven Stars Divine Palace’s “commendation,” returned to the Grandwake Clan, he speedily collaborated with Su Hengyue, Su Wangji and Black Wood Stronghold, to force Su Hengshan to hand over the key to the treasure. With the terrifying “Seven Stars Divine Palace” as their backing, members of the Grandwake Clan fearfully defected to Su Haoran’s side one after another.
As for all those who were not obedient, other than Su Hengshan, they were heartlessly massacred and their corpses were abandoned in the bamboo forest in the rear mountains.
Yun Che’s hand slowly loosened from the black-robed divine envoy’s head, the peripheral light in the corner of his eyes swept towards the trembling Su Haoran. With his head lowered, he slowly said. “It seems you did not lie. In that case, I shall keep my promise and grant you a pleasant death!”
“Uugh…” Deep fear and despair surfaced on the black-robed divine envoy’s face.
Yun Che withdrew his hand, flinging the black-robed divine envoy onto the ground and then, stomped his foot.
Spurt!!!
Yun Che’s right foot instantly stomped through the black-robed divine envoy’s chest, heavily landing onto the ground’s surface. A mashed bloody hole appeared in his chest from the stomp and a large amount of scarlet blood, broken bones and organs fiercely scattered, sprinkling the surrounding area of about a dozen meters with stains of blood.
The four limbs of the black-robed divine envoy spasmed before he completely went silent, no longer making a single breathing sound.
Yun Che raised his leg, yet his leg was not stained even with the slight trace of blood. He kicked away the black-robed divine envoy’s tattered corpse in disgust and then his fingers gently moved.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang…
The Trees of Frozen End that buried all of the Divine Palace disciples heartlessly exploded. The Divine Palace disciples who endured the long ice hell torture let out their final screams of despair as their bodies fragmented and shattered amidst the fluttering snowflakes that filled the sky.
Looking at the scattered ice crystals and broken corpses, the large number of Grandwake Clan disciples in the surroundings toppled onto the ground. Amidst their screams, as though they had awoken from their dreams, all of them dropped the weapons in their hands and fled in a haphazard manner.
“Heh, still thinking of fleeing!?” The corner of Yun Che’s lips revealed a cruel cold smile. His palm slowly opened and flames were ignited. The sky above the Grandwake Clan was suddenly covered entirely in red.
Chapter 877 – A Will That Hovered Between Life and Death
The aura of death hurtled down from below and blanketed the area. The fleeing disciples of the Grandwake Clan screamed in pain and terror as they felt like they had suddenly been thrown into a blazing furnace.
Just as a raging Yun Che was about to burn them all to ashes, Su Hengshan’s hurried shout rang out behind him, “Yun Che! Don’t hurt them!”
Yun Che’s movements stopped for a moment but he only stopped for just that moment. After that, he immediately flipped his palms as the flames that were hovering in the sky mercilessly exploded downwards.
“Stop… STOP!!!”
Those loud yells nearly tore Su Hengshan’s throat… In an instant, the flames which filled the sky stopped in place while Yun Che’s expression fluctuated. Amid the stifling fear which had seized everyone’s heart, he finally took in a deep breath and withdrew his palms.
The flames in the air had all been extinguished as well, immediately allowing the gathered members of the Grandwake Clan to escape that terrifying and hellish furnace. After that, all of them sank to the ground limply, their bodies shaking in fear.
Su Hengshan’s lips trembled before he spoke in an agonised voice, “Spare them. Seven Stars Divine Palace. These four words are far too terrifying, so they had no choice but to go along. It was not even for their own lives but for the lives of all of their family members… Their sin is not worthy of death.”
“Their sin isn’t worthy of death?” Yun Che asked in a deep voice, “Then could it be that you committed a sin that was worthy of death? Or could it be that those other clan members, whose bodies litter the bamboo forest, deserved death?”
“The ones who were truly loyal to the Grandwake Clan have all died a terrible death but these vile things who have betrayed their clan, renounced their ancestors, harmed their fellow clan members and clan master and willingly became someone else’s lapdog deserve to live instead?”
As he thought of his fellow clan members who had thrown their bodies in front of him and collapsed one by one in their own blood, Su Hengshan’s heart was filled with agony. Tears streamed from his eyes as he spoke, “The result of today’s events is mainly due to the uselessness of this clan master and my incompetence in educating my own children. They meant to do me harm but I am unable to watch them suffer injustice. Too many people from the Grandwake Clan have died already… Let them go…”
Yun Che’s words caused all the disciples of the Grandwake Clan to bow their heads in shame but Su Hengshan’s words caused all of them to tremble violently. They felt so ashamed that they wished for death and they were unable to lift their heads.
Since Yun Che had already withdrawn his Golden Crow flames, he was not planning on wiping all of them out anymore. His eyes coldly swept across the surrounding area as his spoke in an incredibly dark and grave tone, “Sincerely kowtow ten times to Clan Master Su. After that is done, all of you are to disappear from my sight immediately! Also, you are never to call yourselves members of the Grandwake Clan ever again!”
Yun Che’s words were undoubtedly a special pardon for all of them. The gathered disciples of the Grandwake Clan collapsed to their knees in panic as they heavily banged their heads against the ground as they faced Su Hengshan… Their kowtows were especially deep and heavy and it was not only due to their desire to live, it was also because of the gratitude and shame that burned in their hearts.
“Clan Master, it is we who have wronged you. We are not even worthy to be called dogs or pigs. We will never have the face to ever see you again, we wish you… all the best!”
“Clan Master, in our next lives, we will definitely work like cows and horses for you in order to repay your great magnanimity…”
Tears streamed down the faces of some of the Grandwake Clan disciples who had finished performing their kowtows. There were others who kowtowed tens of times, smashing their heads against the ground until their heads bled and there were still others who bid farewell to Su Hengshan while kowtowing; they were too ashamed to look him in the eye.
They made their retreat swiftly, before all of them finally dispersed. Yun Che observed their flight coldly but he did not block their retreat.
Su Haoran, Su Hengyue, and Su Wangji were huddled together. All of them were planning on quiety creeping away but a heavy, icy-cold aura suddenly pressed down on them, causing all of them to freeze in place.
“Did I say the three of you could leave?” Yun Che’s bone-piercingly dark voice rang out from behind them.
All of three men trembled as they turned around. Their legs had grown weak and they were on the verge of sinking to their knees. Their lips moved continuously but not a single sound came from their throats.
“Su Hengyue, Su Wangji,” Yun Che said, his dark and tyrannical gaze piercing the two pale-faced men, “Six years ago, the both of you teamed up together with Black Wood Stronghold in order to intimidate and threaten Clan Master Su. Those actions were already equivalent to betraying your clan and even if the both of you had been killed on the spot, it would not have been unjustified. But on account of your relationship with the clan, Clan Master Su not only did not seize the opportunity to severely punish you, he even directly overlooked your actions, deciding not to pursue the matter any further. But the two of you were not only not grateful towards him in the slightest, you actually even conspired to commit such an ungrateful and ugly act!”
“And as for you, Su Haoran,” Yun Che said as he gritted his teeth lightly. “As the Young Clan Master of the Grandwake Clan, you terribly harmed your own clan members and your own father for the sake of personal gain! You destroyed the foundation that the Grandwake Clan had built up for hundreds of years in a single day! You are simply completely devoid of conscience, not even worthy to be called a dog or a pig, a person who deserves to be struck by lightning! So are you shameless enough to still think you deserve to live!!?”
Su Haoran’s entire body trembled uncontrollably before he suddenly knelt to the ground and started kowtowing towards Su Hengshan without stopping, “Father, I was wrong… I’m truly repentant, save me… Save me please… Father!!”
“You still have the face to call him father?” Yun Che said as he slowly advanced towards them, his mind flashing with the most terrible and cruel ways to ensure that they died in great agony. “The fact that Clan Master Su has a son like you and the fact that Ling’er has a elder brother like you is truly the greatest shame of their entire lives.”
“All of you can go as well,” Su Hengshan’s disappointed voice rang out from behind Yun Che, causing their bodies to jump.
“Never ever appear before me again… I have no desire to see any of you again.” Su Hengshan’s eyes were downcast, his voice drifting, it was as if he was talking to himself.
“…” Yun Che’s feet ground to a halt, his face a cold and frigid mask.
Su Haoran and the other two people could barely believe their own ears after they had heard Su Hengshan’s words. All three of them widened their eyes as they climbed to their feet while shaking in fear. They tried to see if they could retreat a few steps… and after that, they practically bowled themselves over as they scrambled to flee like three dogs that had their tails snipped off.
Yun Che stood at his original spot and did not pursue them. It was only after a long period of time that he finally turned around and arrived in front of Su Hengshan.
Su Hengshan sank to the ground limply, his head drooping low amidst his unkempt hair. He muttered to himself, “Yun Che, my present state is definitely something that you despise… Heh heh heh…” He gave a miserable laugh before continuing, “If it was any other clan master, they would have long ago leaped at the chance to personally tear them to shreds but I… I was not able to do so…”
“These past few years, I have always remembered our relationship as a clan and a family. As a result, I kept compromising and giving way to them, thinking that this would definitely be able to correct everything. But in the end, I… am simply not fit to be a clan master. If not for my indecisiveness, compassion and soft-hearted ways, the Grandwake Clan would not have walked this path under my supervision…”
Su Hengshan’s shoulders were heaving as hot tears flowed down his face.
“…” Yun Che did not deny Su Hengshan’s words because six years ago, he had already seen Su Hengshan’s soft-heartedness and compassion.
“Clan Master Su, perhaps you were indeed unfit to be the leader of a clan but at the very least, you are someone worthy of respect and everything you have done in your lifetime has been done with a clear conscience and is above all reproach,” Yun Che said sincerely.
Su Hengshan’s shoulders stopped heaving at those words. He raised his head and steadily looked at Yun Che, “Yun Che, did you come this time for Ling’er? Does the current you still… still remember the words you said six years ago? Are you still willing… to take care of Ling’er?”
The Yun Che six years ago had given him a far too distant and hollow feeling. The current Yun Che had grown strong to the point where Su Hengshan believed that he would never be able to fathom his strength. During these six long years, he had never truly dared to believe that this kind of person would still be willing to marry his ordinary daughter.
“I remember, of course I remember.” Yun Che nodded with incredible vigor, “All of these years, I was not able to return because… because of circumstances that I could not control. But during the past six years, Ling’er has always been on my mind. Don’t worry, I will immediately go and find Ling’er. I will definitely bring Ling’er back safe and sound, no matter what, even if I have to bet my own life.”
“Good… Good!” Su Hengshan’s eyes once again flowed with tears. He could sense the pure sincerity and concern in Yun Che’s voice and eyes… From the moment Yun Che had killed all of the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace for his and Ling’er’s sake, he had no reason to not believe him.
Su Hengshan stretched out a hand and retrieved a small and exquisite crystal. It was shaped like a rhombus and radiated a weak purple light.
“This is?” Yun Che unconsciously spoke.
“This is Ling’er’s soul crystal,” Su Hengshan said softly. After that, he carefully and gently placed it in Yun Che’s hand. Su Hengshan’s solemn and dignified attitude made it seem like he was entrusting his entire world to Yun Che, “As long as this soul crystal does not shatter, it means that Ling’er is still alive. If Ling’er is in the vicinity, its light will grow stronger… I beg you please, definitely find Ling’er.”
Ling’er’s… soul crystal!
Yun Che held it softly in his hand before gravely nodding his head, “Alright. Don’t you worry, I will definitely bring Ling’er back safely.”
“Good, good.” Su Hengshan said with a light nod of his head, a small and relieved smile finally showing on his face, “Then I will entrust… Ling’er to your care.”
Just as he was about to agree, he suddenly sensed that there was something wrong with Su Hengshan’s words.
Just as he had sensed this, Su Hengshan’s entire body shook before his eyes lost their luster. His body slowly toppled to the side, a bright stream of blood running down the side of his mouth.
“Clan Master Su!!”
Yun Che was so startled that the color drained from his face. He rushed to Su Hengshan’s side at lightning speed, extending a hand to catch his body. But he discovered that his life force was swiftly flowing away like a stream of flowing water.
This was… the severing of one’s own life veins!
Yun Che instantly understood what was happening. Su Hengshan wanted him to be able to rescue Su Ling’er without anything distracting him and he was afraid that if he still lived, he would only become a burden on Yun Che which would cause him to delay his rescue of Su Ling’er.
Besides that, he let off those disciples of the Grandwake Clan while feeling like he had let down those fellow clan members who had died for him and acknowledging that today’s result had all been his responsibility.
Therefore, he chose to commit suicide by severing his own life veins once he had entrusted Su Ling’er’s safety to Yun Che.
“Clan Master Su… Clan Master Su!!”
Yun Che continued to shout but Su Hengshan gave no response. This caused Yun Che to immediately recall what had happened all those years ago under the Heavenly Sword Villa’s Sword Management Terrace. His grandfather Yun Canghai had chosen to sever his own lifeline so that Yun Che could see the light of day again…
Yun Canghai had done it for him.
Su Hengshan had done it for Su Ling’er.
He was indeed not qualified as a clan master but he definitely was a great father.
He could not save his grandfather all those years ago, the only thing he could do was kneel on the ground and weep…
Today, while facing another such situation, how could he sit back and allow the same sequence of events to play out right before his eyes!!?
Yun Che firmly gritted his teeth as he activated the Great Way of the Buddha with all of his strength. Instantly, a golden pagoda appeared over his head. Yun Che pressed one hand to Su Hengshan’s brow and the other hand to his heart as he started to pour pure energy of heaven and earth into his body. He firmly sealed the last bit of life force Su Hengshan had as he tried to slowly repair his severed life veins.
“Clan Master Su… Don’t die! Ling’er is still waiting for you! Don’t die!” Yun Che yelled in a low voice as sweat cascaded down his forehead.
The eyes of the Ling’er who had zealously defended him during their past lives was forever clouded by melancholy that could not be dispelled.
So how could he allow the Ling’er who had miraculously been given back to him to return to that previous condition!
Fifteen minutes passed and under the miraculous power of the Rage God, Su Hengshan’s life force stopped slipping away and even started to slowly recover. Su Hengshan’s eyes cracked open, his dull pupils slowly regaining focus. His lips trembled as he croaked in a hoarse voice, “Don’t… bother with me.. Go save Ling’er… Go and save Ling’er quickly…”
“I will definitely find Ling’er and bring her back!” Yun Che yelled loudly as his brows sunk, “But you definitely can’t die either! If you die, then what will Ling’er do!? Do you want her to be parentless from now on!? Do you want her to live a cold and lonely existence with no one that she can rely on!!?”
“I…” Su Hengshan muttered with a face filled with pain.
Yun Che was already someone destined for death so he would not be able to take care of Ling’er for life… Yun Che knew this well but Su Hengshan did not. If Su Hengshan died as well, then Su Ling’er would truly be alone and without support.
“Clan Master Su, if you really mean well for Ling’er, then you must live properly as well! Do you think that you are being very magnanimous if you do such a thing!? Bullshit! Could it be that you want to deprive Ling’er of her father at such a young age? Could it be that you want her to live a pain-filled life, suffering under the dark shadow left behind by the fact that her own father severed his own life veins because of her? You’re just being selfish right now! It’s utterly foolish!”
“Even if you don’t want to be reunited with your daughter, Ling’er definitely… she definitely wants to be reunited with you!!”
Yun Che’s roars caused the pupils of Su Hengshan’s eyes to continuously contract. As they contracted, his eyes gradually grew hazy and after that his eyes closed as he fell unconscious once more.
But Yun Che could clearly sense that the will to die had completely vanished from his body. What replaced it was an incredibly fierce will to survive.
Chapter 878 – Mythical Abode Mountain Range
Based on anyone’s knowledge, the result of self-severing of one’s own life vein was inevitable death. In this plane of existence, only Yun Che’s Rage God powers were able to allow someone who had self-severed the life vein to come back to life.
Su Hengshan’s aura still remained exceptionally weak but luckily, it had stabilized. Furthermore, his desire for death had already disappeared. If there were no accidents, his life was no longer in danger.
Yun Che removed his hands from Su Hengshan’s body before feeding him three of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Snow-colored Pellets. Only after that did he let out a long sigh of relief. However, repairing the life vein was not something that could be done quickly. Even with Yun Che’s power of the Rage God, it still required several months of time.
He shifted Su Hengshan into the Primordial Profound Ark, stood up and muttered, “Ling’er, wait for me!”
The Mythical Abode Mountain Range lay far south. Yun Che knew the approximate position and distance, however, he did not immediately enter the Primordial Profound Ark to undergo spatial transfer nor did he head towards the south. Instead, he flew the opposite way, towards the north.d
Su Haoran, Su Hengyue, and Su Wangji who had all just escaped from death rushed towards the north like a bunch of homeless animals after they left the Grandwake Clan. As they were escaping, they did not even dare to stop for a short rest as they were afraid Yun Che would suddenly change his mind and chase them… He even dared to kill members of Seven Stars Divine Palace without hesitation, to kill them would be no different from trampling three ants to death.
Escaping with all their lives, they could not tell how far they had already run. Only when they were completely out of strength did they collapse on the ground and breathe heavily. Their faces were pale white and their souls unsettled.
“Should be… should be safe already,” Grand Elder Su Wangji muttered. When he looked behind them, Grandwake Mountain was already more than fifty kilometers away.
“Young Master, what should we… do now?” Su Hengyue asked while breathing heavily.
“Huff… huff…” Escaping just now, Su Haoran nearly burst his lungs. He lay on the ground, relaxing for a long time before he gritted his teeth and complained half in shock and half begrudgingly while his entire body trembled, “Let’s go to Seven Stars Divine Palace… Yun Che killed their people, Seven Stars Divine Palace won’t let him off so easily!”
“Yes, Young Clan Master is right,” Su Wangji voiced his agreement. After all, Su Haoran was someone who obtained the “agreement” of the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace. Even though things had developed in such a way, they still had to treat Su Haoran as their core. “That Yun Che must have eaten a bear’s gall to be so daring and actually kill someone from the Seven Stars Divine Palace. An existence like Seven Stars Divine Palace, if they found out, even if Yun Che could dive underground, his only outcome would be death. Then…”
“Hehe, very good idea. I pray that you all succeed.”
A voice with an ice cold tone of ridicule sounded from above, causing the three of them to be extremely shocked. Su Haoran sat onto the ground, his entire body trembled and he nearly peed his pants in fear, “Yun… Yun Che!”
Yun Che slowly descended from the sky and stood in front of the three of them. They all trembled vigorously, they stared wide eyed as though they had seen a death god descending.
“It’s… It’s them who said it… I didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything… Even if I were ten thousand times braver, I also… also wouldn’t dare to disrespect you.” Su Hengyue’s teeth chattered as he shook his head repeatedly.
“Su Hengyue, you… you…”
“…Oooo… Ahhhh… Sss…” Su Haoran’s entire face trembled as though the flesh on his face was rotten, he had wanted to open his mouth to beg for forgiveness but due to the intense shock he was in, he could not utter a single word.
“Heh,” Yun Che coldly laughed. “ You all don’t have to be so afraid, I didn’t say I’m going to kill you all. Since I’ve already let you all leave in front of Clan Master Su, I’ve no desire take your lives anymore.”
Hearing Yun Che’s words, the three of them who were frightened to death were all stunned before becoming overjoyed. Su Hengyue could not believe what he had said, “Really… really? Is what you said for real?”
“Of course.” Yun Che narrowed his eyes, “Of the three of you, one can be considered Clan Master Su’s elder, one is an elder brother of the Clan Master Su with the last being the Clan Master Su’s own son. If I were to kill you privately after already promising to follow his wishes, I would not be able to answer to him. You all have to be grateful to Clan Master Su for being able to keep your lives.”
Su Haoran and the three of them finally believed that they were not dreaming, Su Hengyue panickedly replied, “Yes… yes, we have done our Clan Master wrong. In our next life… in our next life, we’ll definitely do everything and anything and show our utmost gratitude until death.”
Su Hengyue and Su Wangji pulled up Su Haoran whose strength had left his body and said fearfully, “Go… let’s go.”
They had just walked a few steps when Yun Che’s eerie voice sounded yet again from behind them, “Hold it.”
The three of their bodies trembled, they turned around cautiously and Su Wangji asked in a trembling voice, “Young… young hero Yun, what other instructions do you have? Didn’t you personally just say that… you would definitely not harm our lives?”
“Of course, I said that I was not going after your lives.” Yun Che’s gaze instantly turned ice cold, “But I did not say I was going to let you off!!”
Frightening killing intent was emitted from Yun Che’s body caused the three of them to freeze in their tracks. Su Haoran who was already weak to begin with, collapsed yet again, crying with all his might, “Let me off… I’m Su Hengshan’s son, Ling’er’s blood related brother… Let me off… I… I definitely won’t go to Seven Stars Divine Palace… I won’t tell anyone the fact that you killed people from Seven Stars Divine Palace… I won’t say a single word… Let me off please… I’m willing to do anything…”
“You still have the face to claim you’re Ling’er’s brother!”
Su Haoran’s words undoubtedly angered Yun Che even more. The Grandwake Clan was now finished. Su Hengshan had undergone intense torture for the past few days and only barely escaped death just now. Su Ling’er’s fate was still uncertain too… and the culprit of all of this had been Su Haoran who was devoid of any humanity!
As Yun Che stretched out his hand and grabbed, he had already sucked Su Haoran ferociously in front of him and a splatter of blood burst out from his abdomen area. Instantly, his profound veins were all severed and his profound aura that he had been cultivating for several dozens of years quickly dispersed like a balloon that had been burst… In his currently lifetime, he would be a complete and utter cripple from now on.
Su Haoran let out cries of despair as he hugged his abdomen and rolled on the floor in pain. However, how would simply crippling his cultivation be sufficient to calm Yun Che’s rage? Yun Che stepped forward and stepped onto Su Haoran’s right arm.
“Crack.” With a crunching noise, Su Haoran’s right arm had been stomped and broken into two pieces. Blood splurted out of the wounded area like a fountain.
Su Haoran’s miserable cries instantly became several times more pathetic. Seeing Su Haoran’s body curl up like a prawn while rolling around in pain, Yun Che’s face did not show any signs of sympathy or empathy. He stretched out his fingers and two icicles shot out and mercilessly into Su Haoran’s eyes.
“Ughhhhahhhhhhhh——”
Both of Su Haoran’s eyeballs had been destroyed and Su Haoran, who had been sent into eternal darkness, let out miserable ghastly cries. Yun Che gave a cold glance at Su Haoran’s miserable state and muttered like a devil, “Su Haoran, you’re not fit to be a human. Even being an incomplete human and an incomplete ghost is too light a punishment for you!!”
Puuuu!
Yun Che kicked a rock that was on the ground and the rock shot like a meteor towards Su Haoran. It entered from his left face and exited from the right, producing two bloody holes on his face while at the same time, neatly severed his tongue.
“Uwaghaghhhh…”
Su Haoran’s cries instantly became even more miserable and despairing than the wailling of a ghost… His profound veins completely crippled, his right arm severed, his eyesight lost, his face disfigured, and his tongue also cut off. Willing to sacrifices the lives of his loved ones and his clansman, willing to send the entire Grandwake Clan to their graves. Su Haoran, who dreamt of hugging Seven Stars Divine Palace’s feet had now not only become a cripple, he would no longer be able to see or speak and could no longer hold any dreams about his future. All that was left for him was endless nightmares.
The color of the faces of Su Hengyue and Su Wangji who were behind were completely drained. When Yun Che’s gaze shifted towards them, they let out similarly miserable cries, half rolling half crawling and tried to escape.
Yun Che stretched out his hands slowly towards the direction they escaped in.
Puuuu!!
With a soft noise, the profound veins of Su Hengyue and Su Wangji were destroyed simultaneously. They fell to the ground and their entire bodies twitched. They had faces of horror and despair.
Yun Che turned around, unwilling to take another look. He floated into the skies and said extremely coldly, “The three of you better pray that Ling’er is fine. If… Ling’er were to meet with any mishap, I… would… ensure… you… all… live… the… remainder… of… your… lives… as… though… you… were… in… hell!”
The last of Yun Che’s words were uttered with extremely dense malice; it was as though they were the most vicious curses of a devil.
Yun Che swiftly flew towards the south and after flying for several kilometers, he swiftly called out the Primordial Profound Ark. While thinking about the location of the Abode Mythical Mountain Range in his heart, he swiftly proceeded toward the Abode Mythical Mountain Region from his memories.
Hundreds of kilometers passed by instantly. When Yun Che left the Primordial Profound Ark, the view before him was not an endless and massive mountain range.
The Mythical Abode Mountain Range was situated between the borders of the Azure Cloud Continent’s Supwake Country and Southern Sky Country. The north was Supwake while the south was Southern Sky. Although it was not the Azure Cloud Continent’s largest mountain region, it possessed Azure Cloud Continent’s highest peak.
Standing at the borders of Mythical Abode Mountain Range, at once glance, one could see that beneath the surrounding hills, a massive mountain shot straight into the sky, surpassing the cloud layer and dominated the area.
However, people from the the Azure Cloud Continent knew that although it looked like it was a single mountain from far, it was actually two separate mountains. They lay at the core of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range. They were close in proximity and had similar heights. What was the weirdest was the fact that at the opposite ends of the mountains, the slopes were exceptionally steep and the ends between the mountains were practically like a vertical line upwards, from top to bottom, as though it had been cut!
If viewed from the east or west side, it looked as though a mountain had been cut neatly into half by a sword from the heaven, forming two weirdly shaped mountains.
The cliff formed by these two weirdly shaped mountains had been named by the people of the Azure Cloud Continent as 【Cloud’s End Cliff】. It was the most forbidden location within the Azure Cloud Continent and the place where Yun Che ended his Azure Cloud Continent life.
It was also the place Jasmine forced him to swear to never to approach and explore.
Upon coming here, Yun Che did not have time to recall anything. He took out the soul crystal that Su Hengshan had given him. He maximized his speed and shot straight into the Mythical Abode Mountain Range like a flash of lightning while screaming in his heart, “Ling’er, please be safe!”
The Mythical Abode Mountain Range possessed numerous profound beasts and vast resources. Often, there were profound practitioners from the Country of Supwake who came here to train or search for treasures. However, immediately after Yun Che entered the region, he realized that the atmosphere was rather odd. It was overly quiet. As Yun Che proceeded swiftly, he also maximized his spiritual sense to detect any possible aura as well as constantly looking at the soul crystal in his hand… This was a soul crystal that belonged to Ling’er and if she was near, the crystal would become even brighter.
Then, Yun Che’s spiritual sense suddenly detected a group of profound practitioners. Their auras were in close proximity and it seemed like they belonged to the same clan. The strongest was only in the Sky Profound Realm with the weakest in the Spirit Profound Realm. There were a total of seventy to eighty people. Yun Che did not slow but instead swiftly approached them before stopping at a mountain path nearby.
This mountain path was one of the main paths of Mythical Abode Mountain Range. At this time, there was a group of people wearing the same clan’s profound robe standing there. Their expressions were nervous and cautious and they constantly looked around at their surroundings.
Judging from the formation they put up, it seemed as though they were sealing the path.
Chapter 879 – Dire News Concerning Ling’er
The young profound practitioner dressed in luxurious clothes who stood at the forefront of all of the other profound practitioners spoke to the stern-faced middle-aged man in front of him, “Father, who exactly is that Su Ling’er? I heard that she is some girl from a sect in the Rivereast Region in her teens. So just why is Seven Stars Divine Palace trying to hunt her down?”
Yun Che, who was just about to go forward and ask a question, immediately came to a halt.
Yun Che observed this middle-aged man’s attitude and the thick and dense profound energy aura radiating from his body before concluding that this person should either be the leader of this group of people or their sect master. He faintly shook his head, “I doesn’t know either. It would also be wise if you refrained from inquiring about the affairs of Seven Stars Divine Palace.”
The young profound practitioner’s neck contracted as he spoke in a low whisper, his voice unconsciously dropping a few octaves, “No matter who she is, since she has been targeted by the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace, then all her fleeing will be in vain.”
“Ah.” The middle-aged man gave a heavy sigh before speaking in an extremely soft voice, “Seven Stars Divine Palace will be Seven Stars Divine Palace. Even though only twenty of them have arrived, the various mayors and sect masters would have no choice but to bow their heads and obey if they issue so much as a single order. Right now, all the sects belonging to the northern region of this mountain have been gathered here, so even if that Su Ling’er had the ability to traverse the heavens, she can forget about escaping us today. Furthermore, she is only a little girl.
Yun Che’s teeth fiercely ground together… It was just as he had expected, these people belonged to one of the sects in the Country of Supwake who had been forced to search for Su Ling’er by Seven Stars Divine Palace.
Yun Che’s heart palpitated and he felt the urge to rush forward and grab that person so that he could perform a Profound Handle Soul Search on him. At that moment, the middle-aged man suddenly snatched up his Sound Transmission Jade as profound energy ripples rapidly vibrated on its surface.
The middle-aged man swiftly read the Sound Transmission Jade and after that, his face had clearly grown relieved. He turned around and spoke to his men, “Everyone, we can relax and stand down now. Let’s make preparations to leave.”
The young profound practitioner promptly asked, “Father? What’s the situation? Could it be that this Su Ling’er person has already been captured by Seven Stars Divine Palace?”
Yun Che, “…!”
“I don’t know.” The middle-aged man said calmly, “According to the traces she left behind, it has already been confirmed that she fled towards Cloud’s End Peak. At first, she could still use the interference that came from the auras of profound beasts and the complicated terrain of this place to hide but once she climbs up Cloud’s End Peak, there will be no way out for her. After Seven Stars Divine Palace confirmed that Su Ling’er had fled towards Cloud’s End Peak a while ago, twelve of their seniors personally started to ascend Cloud’s End Peak as well. So we can assume that this matter has already reached its conclusion.”
“The reason for why Seven Stars Divine Palace wants to capture this girl and what they will do after they capture her are things that are impossible for us to know… Let’s all prepare to leave. Don’t ask too much about anything else. If you don’t want to die too young, then the less you know the better.”
BANG!!!
An energy explosion that sounded like a clap of sudden thunder rang out as Yun Che exploded into the depths of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range like galloping lightning. The hurricane that was stirred up in an instant sent all of the profound practitioners who were preparing to leave flying. They instantly flew into a great panic, their faces filled with shock and fear as they thought they were being assaulted by a powerful profound beast.
Yun Che used all of the profound strength in his body as he circulated Extreme Mirage Lightning to its limit. His speed was so fast that it would leave even a Monarch wide-eyed and tongue-tied…
No, this would not do… this method is still too slow!
Relying on his memories of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range, there were still roughly around two hundred kilometers between his current location and Cloud’s End Peak. Given his current speed, he would close this distance in a very short time but right now, he could not afford to waste even half a breath.
He quickly summoned the Primordial Profound Ark as he was running and he instantly jumped across the space of two hundred kilometers, arriving at the foot of Cloud’s End Peak.
As he raised his head to look up at it, the gigantic mountain rose into the heavens. It climbed into the clouds, its peak hidden from sight. The moment Yun Che appeared, he did not even bother trying to find any mountain paths. He simply rushed up the side of the mountain, his body surging with incredibly violent profound energy.
“LING’ER!!” Yun Che let out a great shout, “Ling’er, where are you? It’s me, Yun Che… Ling’er, where are you!!?”
His shouts which were laced with profound energy shook the surrounding area, startling the countless profound beasts that lived in Cloud’s End Peak and causing them to flee in all directions.
The body of Cloud’s End Cliff was enormous and even Yun Che’s spiritual perception was not able to fully cover it in its entirety. Coupled with the fact that there were many profound beasts that lived in this area whose auras would interfere with his search, this meant that it would be very hard to find Su Ling’er quickly even though he had already confirmed that she was on Cloud’s End Peak… If those from Seven Stars Divine Palace managed to find Su Ling’er before him, the result would be unthinkable.
As Yun Che’s mind whirled, he once again summoned the Primordial Profound Ark. After estimating the location of the mountain peak, he forcefully jumped through space again.
It would naturally be easier to locate his target from above.
After the Primordial Profound Ark jumped through space, Yun Che directly arrived at the summit of Cloud’s End Peak. He glanced downwards and to his shock, he saw a steep cliff that hung across the clouds. Below that steep cliff, a boundless abyss that resembled the great maw of a devil devoured all light, releasing a terrifying aura that caused one’s heart to palpitate.
The summit of Cloud’s End Peak… Cloud’s End Cliff!!
Even though fate had returned him to the Profound Sky Continent, this location in the Azure Cloud Continent… the place which terminated his fate with the Azure Cloud Continent was a location that he would never forget.
Just a few months ago, he had promised Jasmine that he would definitely never approach Cloud’s End Cliff. But who would have thought that he would come face to face with it again right after he had returned to the Azure Cloud Continent.
But right now, he was not the least bit melancholic. His eyes directly skipped over Cloud’s End Cliff as it quickly surveyed the area below him. After that, he also started to swiftly descend as well… Just as he was about to call out Su Ling’er again, he suddenly discovered that there were more than ten human figures gathered near the borders of Cloud’s End Cliff.
Yun Che’s eyes immediately focused and zoomed in on them. Twelve people stood in front of Cloud’s End Cliff. The auras radiating from their bodies were rather powerful, there were six Thrones, five Overlords… and astonishingly one Monarch!
From what Yun Che could determine from his aura, that person was a level three Monarch.
All twelve people were dressed in similar attire. Eleven of them were dressed in black, the green-colored seven star mark embroidered on their breast. However, the old man who was radiating the aura of a Monarch was dressed in silver clothes, the same seven star mark was also embroidered on his breast… However, his mark was not the same dull green color as the others, instead it was a rather dazzling bright blue color.
Yun Che’s heart fiercely seized up… The sect that had guarded that mountain path had mentioned that the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace had personally climbed up the mountain to look for her after they had confirmed that Ling’er had entered Cloud’s End Peak. The party of people that was mentioned also numbered twelve in all.
These twelve people were astonishingly the twelve people who belonged to Seven Stars Divine Palace, not a single person was missing!
They had actually already reached the summit!
Wait a minute… then what about Ling’er??
He was the one who had been forced into Cloud’s End Peak all those years ago, so he clearly knew that only one side of Cloud’s End Peak was a mountain, the other side was the dreaded Cloud’s End Cliff. The moment someone was forced into Cloud’s End Peak, unless he could forcefully break through the forces encircling him and flee, he would definitely be forced down the dead end that lead to Cloud’s End Cliff. There would definitely be no mountain waiting on the other side that he could flee down.
Furthermore, given Su Ling’er’s profound strength, there was basically no way she could have forced her way through these twelve people. Moreover, since these people had already chased her to this location, why did he still not see Su Ling’er?
Yun Che’s heart violently sank. He could not be bothered to care about anything else as he boldly rushed down… At the same time as he was making swift descent, the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace had already discovered his presence. The old man that was leading them shouted in a stern voice, “Who goes there!?”
Bang!!
Yun Che landed heavily in front of them, his gaze dark and dreadful. A malevolent aura poured from every pore on his body as he roared in a crazed and enraged voice, “Where is Ling’er? Where is Su Ling’er? Where have you hidden Su Ling’er!!?”
“Heh, a punk like you actually dares to make rude demands our Seven Stars Divine Palace. Have you grown tired of living?” One of the Divine Palace disciples said with a look of contempt plastered over his face.
The old man who stood at their head sharply raised his hand to stop everyone from acting blindly without thinking. Because he could clearly sense a dangerous aura radiating from yun Che’s body. He slowly strode forward and said in an indifferent voice, “Who are you? You’re looking for Su Ling’er? Could it be that you are prepared to fight our Seven Stars Divine Palace over this person…”
Before his voice had even finished falling, the figure in front of him suddenly blurred. Before he could even react, a peerless and dreadful aura enveloped his entire body. A hand that felt like cold steel firmly wrapped around his throat and carried him off the ground.
“You…” The old man from the Divine Palace croaked as his eyes bulged outwards, he was in a state of complete shock and terror. He was a dignified elder of Seven Stars Divine Palace, a level three Monarch who could arrogantly look down on the entire Azure Cloud Continent! However, it had only taken an instant for him to be seized by the throat like an infant. His shock and fear had caused him to attempt to struggle against this hold but to his horror, he found that his profound strength was being suppressed by an enormous power that he was not able to resist. He could barely even move at all and despite being a Divine Palace elder, he could only allow himself to be limply suspended in the air like some dead dog.
“Elder Duoxing!!”
The remaining divine palace disciples were all utterly shocked but after that, they rushed forward together.
“Speak! Where is Su Ling’er… SPEAK!!!”
The hand which Yun Che used to grab the Divine Palace elder was shaking and he lost control of the power he was exerting with his hand, his fingers jabbing deeply into the old man’s flesh. Every single word that he roared sounded like a clap of sudden thunder and the onrushing Divine Palace disciples were blasted aside by this roar as if they had been hit by a heavy mallet. As they flew threw the air while they screamed, the six Thrones felt their internal organs rupture. When they landed on the ground, they vomited a large mouthful of blood and they were unable to stand up for a long time.
The bulging eyes of the Divine Palace elder nearly burst under the extreme terror he was experiencing. The pair of eyes glaring at him were the most dreadful eyes he had ever seen in his entire life, they were so bloodshot that it seemed like they had just been soaked in fresh blood.
“Quickly speak! SPEAK!!!”
“She… She…” The great terror and icy-cold despair that gripped the divine palace elder caused him to let out a voice filled with unbearable agony, “She… just… jumped down… Cloud’s… End… Cliff…”
Zzzing————
It was as if countless bolts of profound lightning had exploded in Yun Che’s brain simultaneously as his blood-stained pupils nearly instantly turned ashen.
After he had appeared at the summit, the moment he had seen the people belonging to Seven Stars Divine Palace but not Su Ling’er, this dreadful idea had flashed through his head… Ending my own life is far preferable to falling into the hands of wicked men.
But this thought was fiercely extinguished by him nearly instantly, because he could not believe nor was he able to accept that anything had happened to Su Ling’er.
So when those ice-cold words had been blurted out by the Divine Palace elder he was grabbing, Yun Che felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
“No… No… it’s not possible…” Yun Che’s face and lips had lost all color as his entire body swayed, “It’s not possible… it can’t end up like this… it’s not possible…”
Suddenly, both his hands firmly grasped the divine palace elder’s neck at the same time as he yelled wildly in a crazed voice, “You’re lying to me! You’re definitely lying to me!! Tell me… Where is Su Ling’er!! You must have hidden here somewhere… Where is she, where did you hide my Ling’er!!”
“Uuug…” The divine palace elder’s neck bones snapped and his entire body twitched. A dry and hoarse groan came from his throat as his skin slowly started to turn grayish-white, the same color as a corpse.
All of the Divine Palace disciples present knew just how powerful this old man. So once they saw that he was not able to struggle or resist as Yun Che held him aloft like a little bird in his hands, none of them dared to move forward anymore. One of the Divine Palace disciples said in a trembling voice, “Se… Senior, Elder Duoxing isn’t lying to you, Su Ling’er, she… she really jumped down that cliff.”
“~！@#￥%…” The malevolent aura that radiated from Yun Che’s body seemed to come from a blood-drenched despairing beast caused all the Divine Palace disciples to shake in their boots.
“Thi… This has nothing to do with us, we didn’t want this to happen either.” Another divine palace disciple said in a flustered tone, “We only wanted something that she had in her possession. We had no plans to harm or kill her. But who would have guessed… who would have guessed that she would suddenly jump off the cliff the moment she saw us.”
“Right, right, right… We didn’t even touch her. Before we were even given the opportunity to speak to her, she suddenly… jumped down…” The Divine Palace disciple who spoke panickedly took out an item, “This is the token that dropped from her body… when she jumped off the cliff… Senior, please… look at it.”
The wooden token in his hand was dainty and delicate and an unusual “Su” word had been engraved on its surface.
As his last rays of hope were completely obliterated, Yun Che’s vision spun.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”
All of the blood in his body rushed to his head in nearly an instant. After that, Yun Che’s body became as sinister as a devil’s. He let out a shrill howl that overflowed with grief as he slammed his fist into the head of the old man in his hand.
Bang!!
With an explosive pop, the Divine Palace elder’s entire head was instantly turned into blood and pulp which sprayed into the air.
“AAAAAAHHHH——AAAAAAHHHH!!!!”
Boom!!
Yun Che had gone completely insane as he smashed the body that had just lost its head fiercely into the ground, pounding it into parts that could not be described.
This bloody and horrifying scene had scared the Divine Palace disciples completely witless. They made weird noises which they themselves had never heard before as they raced down the side of the mountain like mad men. But mere moments after they had fled, they heard a howl that seemed to come from a devil growing closer and closer to them.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
Bang!
Bang!!
BANG!!!
Given their speed, how could they possibly escape from the palm of Yun Che’s hands? The Yun Che who had nearly lost all coherent thought and rationality hunted them down one by one. He did not use his sword nor did he use fire. This time, he simply struck them fiercely with his fists. Every time a fist thundered forward, the body of one of the Divine Palace disciples mercilessly exploded into ground meat.
Chapter 880 – Descending into the Abyss
Amidst the dreadful sounds of bodies being ruptured, the bodies of the ten Divine Palace disciples were cruelly smashed into pieces within a few breaths by the berserking Yun Che. Just as his blood-drenched fist was about to explode against the body of the last Divine Palace disciple, he suddenly stopped moving and just stood in place.
The Divine Palace disciple who had sunk limply to the ground had long ago been drained of all color. The Divine Palace disciple had originally given up all hope but when he saw that Yun Che’s movements had suddenly stopped, he saw his one chance for survival. His body trembled as he scrambled backwards, “Don’t kill me… don’t kill me… Ah!!”
He gave a miserable shout as his entire body was sucked towards Yun Che. Yun Che’s hand grabbed his skull, his left arm flashed with light as his profound handle flew out and instantly buried itself into his soul.
The Divine Palace disciple immediately grew dazed as his memories over the past hour swiftly flooded into Yun Che’s brain… Within his memories, Yun Che clearly saw the scene where Su Ling’er jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff.
“UWAA… AAAAAAHHHH!!!” Yun Che’s face warped as he let out a furious roar, his teeth chattering as he fiercely flung the Divine Palace disciple in his hand away. Before the Divine Palace disciple had even hit the ground, he had already been shattered into many pieces.
Bright red blood splattered the mountain stones, the twelve members of Seven Stars Divine Palace had instantly been turned into broken bloody corpses littering the ground but it had not done anything to lessen the fury and pain in Yun Che’s heart. He closed his eyes and howled wildly like a berserking vicious beast…
Bang…
He fell to his knees with a heavy thump, his blood-drenched fist fiercely exploding downwards.
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!!
A huge explosion blanketed most of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range as countless boulders rained down from the Cloud’s End Peak.
Yun Che’s arm streamed with blood but he could no longer feel even the slightest hint of pain. He knelt to the ground, both his hands rigidly clawing the ground. Rough and heavy gasps escaped his throat as his whole body was shaking in an incomparably violent manner.
Why…
Why had it turned out like this…
Yun Che felt as if his soul had been pierced by ten thousand arrows… Losing Ling’er had always been the greatest point of pain and regret in his life.
After he was allowed to be reunited with Ling’er once more, he had always believed that this was definitely the greatest boon that heaven had ever bestowed upon him. When he found out that he was destined to die, the last and greatest desire of his life was to see Ling’er once more… Even if he could only gaze at her from a distance.
He used the Primordial Profound Ark, taking his one and only chance to come to the Azure Cloud Continent. After he confirmed that everything that had happened here six years ago was not a dream, he was simply ecstatic. However, before he was even able to see Su Ling’er, he received such tragic news instead. This kind of ending was…
In his past life, he had allowed revenge to consume his eyes and soul. Su Ling’er had given her everything to him, giving him enough tears to last a lifetime but he had not even made a single promise to her…
In this life, when he had met Su Ling’er again in that “dreamscape,” he had made all those promises to her but before he could make those words a reality, those words had caused her to wait vainly for six years… before he lost her once more.
“Ling… er… Just what sin did she commit…” The pain of his soul being torn apart caused Yun Che to be unable to feel the existence of his body or his five sense. Icy-cold tears dripped down to fall on the ground besides his hands, “Why did heaven… have to treat her this way!!”
“No… It’s my fault… It’s all my fault…” Yun Che said as his entire body trembled. He had gritted his teeth so hard that he had nearly shattered them, “Why did I waste so much time… to deal with Su Haoran and those other bastards… If I had come just a bit earlier, things wouldn’t have turned out this way… and Ling’er would have been fine…”
“It’s all my fault!!”
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Yun Che’s pupils went red as he raised his left arm and heavily smashed it against his own chest.
Pfft!
His chest sank under the weight of this blow as a long arrow of blood was fiercely expelled from his body. But the pain his body felt was not even ten-thousandth of the agony his heart was under.
Ding…
Under his blow, a small and delicate precious stone that he had kept inside the clothes around his chest was jolted high into the sky, striking the mountain stone in front of him. It let out a clear and crisp sound as it the stone before it rebounded back towards Yun Che while it quiet shone with a dull purple light.
The weak purple light that was flashing in his eyes caused Yun Che to freeze the arm that was just about to smash his chest again. In the next instant. He sprung forward as fast as lightning, picking it up in his hand.
The small rhombus-shaped precious stone was releasing a warm purple light. This precious stone was no ordinary profound jade, it was the soul crystal that Su Hengshan had given him!
Su Ling’er’s soul crystal!!
A soul crystal was bonded with its owner’s soul; once the soul of the owner was extinguished, the soul crystal would instantly shatter. In those sects that were slightly bigger, important members of the sect would leave soul crystals within the sect. So if they died while abroad, their sect would be the first to know.
But the soul crystal of Su Ling’er which he held in his hand… had not shattered and it still glowed with the light of her soul!!
Ling’er was not dead!!
It was as if a cold spring had rushed into Yun Che’s body, causing his chaotic heart to become incomparably cold and sober. He tightly gripped the soul crystal as he hurried over to the side of Cloud’s End Cliff.
The foggy cliff was so deep that Yun Che could not see the bottom. Cloud’s End Cliff was also known to the world as the Death God’s Graveyard. Over the entire history of the Azure Cloud Continent, countless people had either been thrown off Cloud’s End Cliff or had tried to climb down Cloud’s End Cliff but not a single person had ever returned alive—This included the incomparably formidable existences that were akin to gods for most people, Monarchs!
Furthermore, this was not something that was hidden, it was something that was common knowledge in the Azure Cloud Continent!
The twelve people from Seven Stars Divine Palace could lie to him but those memories were not able to lie to him. Su Ling’er had indeed jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff.
However, the warm and unbroken soul crystal that lay in his hand would also not lie to him.
Yun Che stepped onto the very edge of Cloud’s End Cliff while he sucked in a deep breath of air, striving his best to calm his wildly beating heart. He could not stop himself from muttering in a flustered voice, “Ling’er is still alive… Ling’er isn’t dead… Ling’er isn’t dead…”
He suddenly took the air and hovered right above Cloud’s End Cliff. After that he used all of his strength to shout into the boundless abyss below him:
“Ling’er!! Ling’er!! This is Yun Che… Ling’er, where are you… Ling’er!!”
His voice was enhanced by profound energy, so it could be heard from as far as fifty kilometers away. But it had been completely swallowed up by the jet-black abyss below him. He did not hear even the tiniest response, even after a long time had passed… and more importantly, he did not hear Su Ling’er’s response.
Above him was the boundless blue dome of heaven, below him was an endless abyss. At this moment, it seemed as if he was standing on the border between heaven and hell and the only sounds left in this world were the sound of his breathing and the sound of his beating heart.
He slowly raised his hand, the soul crystal that was bonded with Su Ling’er’s soul glowing with a warm light. This warm light told him that Su Ling’er was still alive in this world, waiting to be reunited with him. He steadily stared at the soul crystal and Su Ling’er’s figure slowly appeared before his eyes…
First was the Su Ling’er from his previous life, the girl who seemed like a melancholic fairy, the girl who had wept countless tears over him…
Next was the Su Ling’er from six years ago, the girl who had the smile of an angel, the girl who cried as she told him that he must definitely come back…
Yun Che softly gripped the soul crystal in his hand as he stopped shouting. The chaos had suddenly vanished from his eyes, becoming incredibly clear as his body slowly descended. After that he began to quickly pick up speed as he plunged downwards towards the boundless abyss below him like a falling meteor.
【Yun Che, I want you to promise me… When you go to the Azure Cloud Continent, regardless of whether that happens sooner or later, you’re not allowed to approach Cloud’s End Cliff ever again! Even if your strength becomes a hundred times stronger than it currently is and you grow strong enough to sweep across the entire continent and easily defeat someone like Xuanyuan Wentian, you must never attempt to investigate the bottom of Cloud’s End Cliff… I can’t tell you what is hiding at the bottom of Cloud’s End Cliff. Its dreadfulness is far beyond what you can imagine!】
【I understand! I won’t ever go near Cloud’s End Cliff from now on. Even if I do end up at Cloud’s End Cliff due to special circumstances, I will definitely not attempt to investigate what is hidden at the bottom… This is something that I’ve promised you Jasmine, so I definitely won’t ever break this promise.】
The warning that Jasmine had issued to him in the sternest of tones echoed in his ear. The vow that he made in front of Jasmine also clearly rang in his mind as well.
Jasmine, I am sorry, I am going to break the vow I made to you back then…
During my life in the Azure Cloud Continent, I had thought that the most important thing in my life was vengeance.
But the moment that Ling’er died in my arms, I suddenly felt as if my entire world had become hollow and empty and that pain and remorse doggedly followed me for the rest of my life… I was tortured by pain and remorse every single moment I was awake. In my dreams, I dreamt countless times that all of it was a lie and that Ling’er was still by my side. I dreamt that I was willing to set aside everything else for her sake, to give her all of me…
Moreover, those dreams and hopes have miraculously become a reality… So how can I lose her again!?!
“Ling’er…” Yun Che softly whispered as he descended into the abyss, “Even if I am buried forever with you in the Death God’s Graveyard, I will definitely not let go of you again!”
Yun Che descended without any hesitation or fear. Instead, he grew faster and faster as he tightly grasped Su Ling’er’s soul crystal in his hand. He fervently prayed in his heart for it definitely not to shatter… for it to never ever shatter.
In the blank of an eye, he had already descended a full three thousand meters and his surroundings had become a sea of pitch-black darkness. He raised his head and discovered that he could no longer see even a hint of light in the space above him.
Ling’er, where are you… Where exactly are you!
I know that you are definitely safe and sound… I am going to find you soon!!
Darkness instinctively causes fear in human beings, let alone the absolute darkness found in a deep abyss. But the speed of Yun Che’s descent did not slow in the slightest, instead, it was growing even more rapid with every passing moment.
The soul crystal in his hand told him that Su Ling’er was definitely waiting for him in the world beneath the abyss.
Previously, his tardiness had resulted in and led to a terrible result where Su Ling’er had chosen to jump down Cloud’s End Cliff. So how could he tolerate the slightest bit of hesitation and sluggishness at this moment?
Whoosh!
The scarlet phoenix flames ignited in Yun Che’s hands, illuminating the pitch-black world of the abyss. But under the light that was radiating from the Phoenix flames, he still only saw a swathe of darkness and he saw no end to the abyss that stretched below him.
Yun Che simply extinguished the ignited Phoenix flames and continued his descent at full speed… In the history of the Azure Cloud Continent, the countless profound practitioners who had attempted to descend Cloud’s End Cliff had done so in an exceedingly slow and cautious manner. Even Jasmine had remained vigilant and careful when she descended the Cloud End’s Cliff several months ago.
So Yun Che was definitely the first person to ever crazily rush down this cliff that was the most dreadful abyss in the entire Azure Cloud Continent… or even the rest of the world.
The wind whistled in his ears as the air slowly grew dark and colder. Yun Che’s wildly beating heart had not regulated itself from the start to the end. He imagined that the world below the abyss was a vasty body of water… or perhaps it was a pitch-black forest… But just what would allow a person who fell down here to survive while making it hard for them to escape…
So, Ling’er was definitely safe! As long as he fell into the world below him, he would definitely be able to find her!
Jasmine had clearly told him that the world beneath Cloud’s End Cliff was incomparably dreadful, that it possessed a dreadfulness he would not even be to imagine… But right now, he exerted all his effort to cling onto those thoughts, used all his might to continue believing.
Amidst the dark and howling wind, he continuously descended several thousand feet. At this time, he had finally begun to sense the weird aura that Jasmine had sensed at that time.
This aura was…
Darkness devil energy!?
Chapter 881 – The Girl in the Abyss (1)
Why would there be devil energy here?
If it were someone else, they would only treat this as a yin aura that naturally occurred at the bottom of the deep abyss. However, Yun Che had fought Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian, as well as interacted with an actual devil within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest before. In one instant, he could tell that this aura was the same type of aura as the devil aura on the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign!
However, this devilish aura was exceptionally weak… at least based on Yun Che’s senses, if one was not paying attention, there was a possibility that it would not be detected.
As Yun Che was feeling extremely anxious, although he wondered for a short moment, he did not take it to heart too much and continued descending at maximum speed.
Usually, he was an exceptionally cautious person. When searching an extremely dangerous region, he would definitely take each step with caution. However, today, facing Azure Cloud Continent’s most frightening “Death God’s Graveyard,” he had instead “rushed to his death” without a care.
The sound of wind became ever more eerie. He had already descended for quite some time. Based on his estimate, he had already fallen for more than thirty thousand kilometers yet there were no signs of it coming to an end. His heart contracted more and more tightly. Su Ling’er’s profound strength was only in the Spirit Profound Realm so there was no need to talk about flying as even her ability to float in the air was exceptionally weak.
Falling from three kilometers would be certain death, let alone thirty kilometers.
However, the soul crystal he held in his hand remained whole and warm all the while.
Both of Yun Che’s hands clenched slightly tighter as he tried to rid his brain of all other useless thoughts. To him right now, just knowing that Su Ling’er was still alive would be sufficient… No matter what was below, no matter what happened to Su Ling’er, this time, this lifetime, he would definitely not let go again!
Not just an unknown deep and dark abyss, even if he knew it was hell, he would jump down without any hesitation.
When he jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff for the first time, he had lost his consciousness in the progress while he descended. He did not know where he landed or how long he fell. Only this time did he know how frightening the deep abyss below Cloud’s End Cliff was.
After falling for another several kilometers, he still had not reached the bottom of the abyss. However, Yun Che’s body had unknowingly passed through a “checkpoint” at this time and entered into a different world.
Instantly, Yun Che’s body felt extremely cold. A strong and extremely dense cold aura started attacking from the surroundings, attacking his entire body and his profound veins. At the same time, he felt a strong attraction force coming from below. It was as though there were countless unseen hands of darkness pulling him violently.
He instantly gathered his strength and tried to resist but the strength of the pulling force was too extreme. His profound strength seemed like a speck of dust in front of this force and he could not even gather one bit of resistance as he was violently swung downward.
“Ugh!!”
Bangg!!
With a painful cry, like a stone that had been thrown with great strength, Yun Che fell head first and descended for some thousands of kilometers before eventually smashing heavily into an exceptionally tough object. Pain shot through his entire body turning it numb as he collapsed down there. After some time, he finally managed to struggle and sit up.
Yun Che pressed one hand onto his head while the other hand pressed onto the floor. Finally, he reacted. Below him was hard ground, which meant that this was the bottom of the abyss!!
The surface that the palm came in contact with was cold yet tough… the feeling it gave him was that this was even tougher than the toughest profound steel that he had ever seen within the Profound Sky Continent.
Just as Yun Che wanted to stand up, when his arm tried to support his body, he sat down heavily once again. His mouth opened widely and he nearly had to use all of his strength before he managed to breathe once. He felt suffocated, as though an extremely heavy steel plate was compressing his chest. His brain felt dizzy and his mind was so fuzzy that he felt as though his spirit was leaving him.
The remaining clear-headedness in his brain told him that this was the devouring power which originated from a dark devil aura!
Devouring one’s life force and soul!!
When he initially entered the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, he had already felt this type of feeling. Now, his profound strength was far superior to that time but it was several dozen times more times unbearable. Only several breaths of time and he felt as though he had lost half his life.
Because the dark devilish aura was even more dense than the frightening one at the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest… and it was numerous times stronger!
Furthermore, this type of dark devilish aura not only devoured the life force and soul, it also suppressed profound energy. If not for his Evil God’s Profound Veins that were not suppressed, he wouldn’t have the chance to come up with any resistance at all.
“Devil energy… why… is there… such a frightening… devil energy…”
Yun Che let out a groan but he nearly could not hear his own voice. He shook his head with strength and struggled to maintain consciousness before he wriggled himself into an upright sitting position. He quickly calmed his mind and used the Great Way of the Buddha. It started slowly before turning faster and faster. Fifty four profound entrances and all the pores in his body were opened and strands of heaven and earth’s energy entered his body like a refreshing stream, turning into his strength and life force.
Above Yun Che’s head, a pale golden mini pagoda appeared hazily and began to spin slowly.
In this world of darkness that was frightening beyond imagination, his life force and soul were being devoured quickly. However, at the same time, the Great Way of the Buddha was also swiftly replenishing his life force and soul by taking the denser than normal heaven and earth’s energy from the extremely dense dark world… Gradually, as the mini golden pagoda spun noiselessly, the devouring and recovery finally reached an unique equilibrium.
Just like that time within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, except that it took much longer this time.
“Huff…”
Yun Che opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air. His gaze and consciousness finally returned to normal but he did not feel one bit of joy within him. Instead, his heart sank even more.
Darkness devil aura that was at least ten times more dense than the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest… This was a world so frightening that no normal person could imagine what it was like. Not just normal people, even those as strong as the Little Demon Empress or Feng Xue’er, if they were to fall into this world, they would undoubtedly lose their lives within fifteen minutes.
He possessed the Evil God’s profound veins and Rage God’s strength. The former resisted the suppression of profound strength while the later maintained his vitality and soul force. That was the only reason why he could stay in this world for so long… and it was only him that could do such a thing in this world.
If Su Ling’er were to fall into this world, even if she did not fall to her death, she would definitely not be able to survive in such a world.
Being only in the Spirit Profound Realm would be instant death in such a world.
However, why…
Yun Che opened his palm, the soul crystal that had been held firmly by him all this while was still shining with a faint purple glow.
The soul crystal has not shattered, which meant that its owner was still alive.
However, Su Ling’er had jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff before him and would have descended into the same world. With her physique and profound strength, there was no chance of her survival…
Just what had happened?
Could it be… that this was not Su Ling’er soul crystal?
It couldn’t! It definitely couldn’t… Yun Che shook his head hard to reject the idea… This was handed to him personally by Su Hengshan and he had held it tightly with him for dozens of days when he was in jail. It could not be wrong!
It definitely couldn’t be!
Ling’er must be safe, it’s just that I haven’t found her yet.
Yun Che stood up, the Golden Crow flames on his body burned strongly but barely illuminated a fifteen meters radius around Yun Che in the extreme darkness.
Beneath his feet, the floor was flat with an occasional bump here and there. The entire area was black and did not contain any other color. Not far away, at the sides, the mountain side along which he descended could be seen. He tilted his head and looked down, recalling the attractive force which he could not resist. His heart tightened and he jumped up with all his strength, flying into the air.
He continued flying for several hundred meters but there was still no change.
However, just as he was about three kilometers off the ground, the extremely frightening attractive force suddenly gripped him from thin air. Yun Che was prepared and immediately opened the Purgatory gate. The surge in profound energy brought his body up with full strength…
However, the strength of his full power seemed like a piece of leaf within a huge wave, under the effects of the attractive force and instantly… Simply instantly, he was flung violently down to the ground just like before.
Bang!!
With a loud noise, Yun Che was smashed to the ground and even somersaulted a few times. His entire body nearly fell apart and the flames on his body extinguished. However, the ground remained perfectly fine and there was not one bit of damage on it.
“Hsss…”
Yun Che grimaced in pain. As he looked up into the dark sky, his heart heavily sank.
Now, Yun Che already understood why if someone fell down Cloud’s End Cliff, there would be no return. It was certain death. This exceptionally frightening darkness devil aura was something that the profound practitioners of this world could not resist. Even if they were so strong that they could resist it temporarily, with such a frightening attractive force, there was essentially no escape.
This also meant that anyone who came into contact with the dark world within the deep abyss would instantly be attracted in. There was no chance of any struggle, let alone escaping.
This was also why… Jasmine warned him to never ever try and explore the world below Cloud’s End Cliff.
Yun Che did not attempt to challenge that frightening attractive force because no matter how hard a leaf struggled, it would never be able to overcome the huge wave. He lifted up his hand and looked sternly at the soul crystal that was shining purple… In such a world, how could Ling’er possibly be alive… Once she came into contact with this world, in less than a breath of time, she would be completely devoured by the darkness leaving no trace behind…
How could she still be alive…
Could it be that Su Hengshan really had mixed up the soul crystals?
That’s not right… I cannot think this way… How could I possible think this way… Yun Che shook his head miserably, closed his palm and held the soul crystal tightly… I need to believe this soul crystal, I need to believe in Ling’er… and I need to believe in miracles! Ling’er, whom I have already lost once, could appear yet again in my life… What reason do I have to not believe that she could be safely alive still!?
With his head filled with thoughts that Su Ling’er must still be alive, Yun Che stood up once again and ignited his Golden Crow flames. He took each step slowly, searching in the darkness of this creepy world. Even after walking for sometime, the scene that he saw remained the same… Eerie, dark, empty and lonely.
This was simply like an empty world of death. Other than darkness and exceptionally strong devil aura, there was nothing else.
“Ling’er! Ling… Er!!!”
Yun Che started to shout loudly, hoping for the appearance of a miracle. His shouts did not transmit too far in the deep darkness. As he carefully went forward hoping to find something, he started to focus his profound energy on shouting.
“Ling’er!!”
“It’s Yun Che! Where are you… I know you’re here!!”
He proceeded forward step by step and shouted continuously. In the extreme darkness of the world, the light from the flames on his body seemed exceptionally eye catching.
In the darkness, he did not know how far he had walked. He had already shouted more than a thousand times but each time, the reply he got was still darkness and silence.
Finally, Yun Che stopped… subconsciously, he already knew that Su Ling’er could not survive in this world. Within this entire plane, other than him, there was no one nor any living being that could survive in this world.
However, he dared not and was unwilling to accept this cruel truth. He struggled internally to believe that this was definitely Su Ling’er’s soul crystal and struggled to chase after the slim chance of a miracle occuring…
He looked up. All he could see was just pure darkness. His heart sank so much that he felt like his chest was exploding. His entire body shuddered as he sucked in a huge breath of air and let out a scream with all his might:
The air vibrated and the shout passed through the darkness, travelling a long distance.
“ROARR!!”
At this time, a long distance away, there was suddenly a dull roar.
This roar came from extremely far away, possibly thousands of kilometers away. However, Yun Che’s body was stunned, he temporarily lost his hearing, his chest felt as though it had been smashed by a huge hammer, his organs trembled and a mouthful of blood back flowed through his throat.
This… this was?!
Yun Che retreated several steps before he managed to stabilize himself as his heart was completely shocked… this sound was obviously the cry of a beast!
In this place… there were actually living profound beasts?
In such a world, there were actually living profound beasts?!
Simply having living beings surviving here was enough to shock Yun Che but what shocked him the most was that just the roar of a profound beast from such a distance away was enough to cause him to suffer internal injuries.
It was as though a level eight Monarch had struck him on the chest while he was defenseless.
What kind of frightening strength and what kind of frightening being was that!?
Chapter 882 – The Girl in the Abyss (2)
“HSSS—”
“AOOUU!!”
“ROOAR!”
………………
After that terrifying roar, large numbers of roars resounded from much further away, one after another. In an instant, the previously dead silent, dark world began to slightly tremble and even space itself was faintly shaking. Yun Che quickly channeled his profound energy to resist but his entire body was still numbed by the shock wave from the overbearingly horrifying roar, sending his mind into a daze.
There were living creatures in this place and not only was there more than one, they existed in large numbers!?
After the heaven-shaking roars, Yun Che began to feel the earth trembling. The dark ferocious beasts faraway were evidently quickly approaching… And their speed was incomparably fast.
Though Yun Che really wished to personally witness just what kind of monster could actually survive in this dark world, the strength of a monster that could injure him with just the shockwave from its faraway roar was basically not something that he could retaliate against… No, it had already completely surpassed his range of knowledge and imagination by countless times.
It was possible that it might not be that much weaker than Jasmine herself.
With a monster like that, if he entered its attack range, he basically would not have any possibility of surviving… With his strength, in the face of such a monster, he might not even be able to struggle for a mere instant.
Yun Che hurriedly calmed his energy and blood. Not hesitating any further, he fled in the opposite direction at his fastest speed.
The Extreme Mirage Lightning Yun Che executed with all his might, could be said to be speed at the extreme limits of this plane. However, the beast roars behind him were clearly getting closer and their immensely loud footsteps, that were capable of moving mountains, were becoming even more startling to the ears as well.
The monster behind him not only possessed power, its speed was something he had never seen before either.
Just what in the world is that thing!?
What is going on with the world in this deep abyss?
Why does such a place exist in the Azure Cloud Continent!?
Yun Che’s inner heart was filled with the same doubts as Jasmine had back then.
Presently, he was beginning to understand why Jasmine had warned him with an especially stern tone, to never investigate the world beneath Cloud’s End Cliff.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The sounds of the footsteps of the monster behind him drew closer and finally, every step it took was as if it was stepping on his heart itself, greatly messing up the rhythm of his heartbeat, making his entire body feel incomparably uncomfortable.
It was extremely rare for foreign bodies to enter the world within this deep abyss and since Yun Che was found to be a completely foreign entity, naturally, he would attract the dark ferocious beasts here and be wildly chased by them.
The pressure coming from behind continued to grow and accompanying it was an unprecedented sense of danger. Though Yun Che had been resisting it with all his might, streaks of blood still began to trickle down from the corner of his lips.
Yun Che glanced behind him. What entered his eyes was still plain darkness and not even the monster’s huge silhouette could be seen.
Yun Che forcefully wiped the corner of his lips, his complexion gradually darkened… This can’t do. If this keeps up, it will be certain death. Just what should I do?
Turning back was just seeking death, he would be immediately caught by moving forward and going up was even more impossible…
It seemed like he had to first leave this place immediately. No matter how, it was impossible for Ling’er to be in this place.
Yun Che did not hesitate any further. He immediately summoned the Primordial Profound Ark and directly jumped a vertical distance of forty-five kilometers.
Although he was unable to resist against the strange attractive force of this dark world, he could still directly escape by jumping through space with the Primordial Profound Ark. Going up a height of forty-five kilometers was the distance he estimated that could allow him to return to the edge of Cloud’s End Cliff.
The Primordial Profound Ark appeared and then disappeared amidst the ripples in space… However, the layers of spatial ripples were a little frail and they disappeared immediately after.
The Primordial Profound Ark’s jump was complete. Yun Che left the Primordial Profound Ark and arrived at the outside world… Then, he instantly blanked.
The place he was in, was still the incomparably dark world and his surroundings were filled with an extremely dense amount of dark devil energy. Beneath his feet, it was still that incomprehensibly firm dark ground.
“What’s going on?” Yun Che repeatedly confirmed his surroundings, the haze in his heart instantly grew several times heavier.
The approaching terrifying roars had disappeared and his surroundings were dead silent. This proved that he had indeed left the place he was previously at, as he was completely unable to hear the roars of those dark monsters. At the very least, he had traveled several hundred or even several thousand kilometers. However, he had clearly steered the Primordial Profound Ark to jump upwards and it was not even a distance of sixty kilometers. However, his vertical position evidently had not undergone any change!
“…” Yun Che heavily frowned. Not giving up, he once again summoned the Primordial Profound Ark. This time however, the jump coordinates he directed, was a vertical jump of exactly sixty kilometers.
The Primordial Profound Ark appeared and disappeared, completing its second spatial jump.
Leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che’s feet directly stepped onto the cold hard ground and the terrifying dark devil energy, like the breath of a fiend, blew straight towards his face.
The two consecutive vertical spatial jumps, both ended in failure! Furthermore, there was not a single change in his vertical position during these two times, though an uncertain degree of offset had appeared in his horizontal coordinates.
Yun Che’s mood quickly sank… He suddenly recalled Jasmine had once described to him the spatial laws. The spaces in different worlds and different planes were different and like other elements, they were ranked from high to low. The realm of the spatial laws in the Profound Sky Continent was very low, enabling one to tear through it and undergo spatial jumps rather easily. However, in a world which possessed a high realm of spatial laws, tearing space and undergoing spatial jumps were much more difficult.
Jasmine had also once mentioned that the realm of power of the Primordial Profound Ark itself was extremely high, however, with only the Jade of the Nine Suns as its sole energy source, it was basically impossible to unleash its full strength. It could make whimsical jumps in a world like the Profound Sky Continent but within a high level space, the trajectory of the jump could be really easily twisted, which might even make short distance jumps impossible.
These two completely failed spatial jumps had undoubtedly proven to Yun Che that the spatial laws of this dark world were far from being comparable to the world outside.
Very evidently, the jump trajectory of the Primordial Profound Ark was being severely twisted in this world!
However, if he was unable to rely on the Primordial Profound Ark to leave this place, then… would that not mean that he had no choice but to be trapped here for all eternity!?
Yun Che’s expression changed. He opened his hand and on his palm, was still that complete soul crystal, emitting a warm purple glow.
No, I must find a way to leave this place!
I have not gotten to see Ling’er and I have yet to pull Xuanyuan Wentian down to purgatory along with me!
I can die but I can’t die for naught!
Though I can no longer leave by going up, there might be other exits somewhere.
Yun Che knew in his heart that this possibility was basically close to non-existent, however, since he was still alive, there was no reason for him not to search and try.
Presently, he was completely unaware of where he was in this dark world and he was unable to discern the direction he was facing either. He could only randomly choose a direction and walk forward with heavy steps.
Though this place was covered in absolute darkness, with Yun Che’s eyesight that transcended the realm of humans, he could still caught a few blurry silhouettes in the darkness after gradually adapting to it. After walking for a good while, he ignited the Golden Crow flames, brightening up the surrounding space.
“Whoosh~”
Not too long after the Golden Crow flames started burning, a heavy breathing sound suddenly came from behind Yun Che… And after this breathing sound, was a sudden explosive roar.
“Aoouu!!!”
This roar was different from the ferocious beast that was chasing after him earlier, however, it was similarly terrifying beyond compare. Yun Che’s body trembled immensely, his vision instantly darkened and he was so close to spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The previously silent and dark world, was suddenly enveloped by an evil air that could shroud the heavens and the roaring dark ferocious beast stood up from its silence. Amidst the loud resounding roar that could shake the sky and earth, it pounced towards Yun Che’s location.
“!!!” Yun Che did not even think, as he fiercely raised his energy and fled forward with his fastest speed.
“Aoouu!! Ouu!!”
With a devil god-like imposing aura and an extremely terrifying roar, the ferocious beast behind him seemed to have gone completely enraged, as if it wanted to annihilate Yun Che at all costs.
Yun Che gnashed his teeth as he constantly looked back. Every time he looked back, he could sense that it had gotten closer to him by a certain extent. Though its speed was inferior compared to the one that had chased him previously, it was still at a level where he could not escape from it with his speed alone.
Could it be that all the monsters here do not have the least bit of reason and only know how to desperately kill all outsiders?
Wait a minute! Could it be… the flames!?
To be capable of living in this dark world, the monsters within it must possess a similar attribute. Jasmine had long mentioned before, that bodies which carried darkness profound energy would averse to or even hate flames. They would even be suppressed by fire profound energy to a certain degree. Especially the flames of the Vermilion Bird… Followed by the Phoenix flames and then the Golden Crow flames.
The purer the dark profound energy, the more it was so.
The dark monster behind him was suddenly alerted right after he ignited the Golden Crow flames as well.
Realizing this point, Yun Che hurriedly extinguished the Golden Crow flames from his entire body, allowing the surrounding world to once again return to complete darkness.
“A… Ouuu!!”
However, the roars behind him persisted and there was not the slightest bit of slowing down or hesitation in its pursuit. The extremely terrifying sense of danger continued to approach from behind.
“Hss… Is it already too late?” Yun Che gritted his teeth in the dark… It seemed like he had to once again rely on the Primordial Profound Ark to forcefully flee.
Though the Primordial Profound Ark was unable to bring him out of this world, at the same time the two former attempts failed, he was still brought to different places… Especially the first time, where he successfully escaped from the dark monster’s pursuit.
Yun Che’s speed slowed down slightly and he turned his body around in the air. The flames that he had extinguished earlier once again burned… However, they were no longer the Golden Crow flames but the Phoenix flames.
Since a dark monster like you hates and fears flames, then before escaping this place, let me give you a big present!!
The profound energy in Yun Che’s entire body poured out and the flaming light from his body exploded forth. A gigantic Phoenix Flaming Lotus speedily bloomed, growing several hundred meters wide in the blink of an eye. Then, it was pushed towards his back with all his might.
The gigantic flaming lotus flew out amidst a sonorous phoenix cry and when it landed on the ground, a stream of crimson flaming light blazed through the darkness, charging straight up into the skies and reaching several hundred meters in height. It released what might be the most intense heat and light in the history of this dark world.
Initially, Yun Che smashed out this flaming lotus with the pure intention of disgusting the dark monster that was relentlessly pursuing him.
However, he was unaware that this action of his had ruthlessly stabbed the hornet’s nest of this dark world.
“Aoouuuu!!!”
“Scree~”
…………
The previously considerably silent dark world, was suddenly blasted with countless thunderous beast roars. Some came from afar, some came from up close and these roars evidently carried incomparably intense ferocity and anger.
Boooooom…
The earth and space wildly trembled. Those were the sounds of countless dark ferocious beasts sprinting at the same time. In the sky faraway, extremely shrilling space-tearing sounds could also be heard. Evidently, a large number of flying ferocious beasts were approaching with peerless speed.
One dark monster was already incomparably terrifying, let alone a herd of this size. Their overlapping roars constantly shook Yun Che’s body and there were several times where he had almost collapsed. Never did he expect that a causal release of his flames had actually brought about such a terrifying situation. He no longer dared to stay any further, as he charged forward with all his might. At the same time, he quickly summoned the Primordial Profound Ark and set his coordinates, which was still a vertical jump of sixty kilometers.
Where it was going to bring him was not important, as long as it could allow him to escape from the noses of these dark monsters.
The Primordial Profound Ark appeared and under Yun Che’s will, its spatial jumping ability activated. Layers of ripples swayed in the surrounding space… However, these ripples were incomparably frail, several times weaker than the previous two times. They could not even be compared to the water ripples caused by a gentle breeze.
Following after, these ripples immediately appeared, while the Primordial Profound Ark stayed at its original position, not having moved in the slightest.
“!!!” Yun Che was shocked in his heart. Though there were situations in the past where he was unable to jump out of independent small worlds, there had never been a case where he could not even undergo a jump within the same world.
Could it be that the spatial laws in this place were far stronger than his previous location, preventing the Primordial Profound Ark from even undergoing a spatial jump?
Not giving up, Yun Che consecutively tried several times but the results were all the same. The Primordial Profound Ark would only bring about frail spatial ripples and would not move in the slightest.
“[email protected]#$%…”
The roars behind him grew even closer and the numbers were increasing as well. Yun Che’s hair stood on end. He put away the Primordial Profound Ark and once again raised his speed to the absolute limits, charging towards the darkness in front of him.
Under this immense crisis, his will surpassed his concentration and he ended up not noticing something that was obviously strange. A large number of dark ferocious beasts were startled into moving by his flames but the auras and roars of these ferocious beasts, were all coming from the world behind him.
In the direction he was fleeing to, it had been completely silent from beginning to end, as though no dark ferocious beasts existed there. Not even a single one.
Chapter 883 – The Girl in the Abyss (3)
Yun Che did not know the direction in which he was traveling nor did he know what was ahead of him. The only thing he could do was fly forward with all of his strength. Death would bear down on him the moment he stopped.
The oppressive might that was bearing down on him from behind was growing more and more dreadful, the sound of pursuit growing ever so closer. However, it was at this time that a penetrating cry pierced the air above him. That shrill cry directly covered the darkness monster that had started pursuing him first. A dangerous aura that was even closer and more terrifying than the previous one spread out from above and it swiftly drew near to him using a dreadfully peerless speed.
What was that? What a terrifying speed!
Yun Che was greatly shocked and alarmed because the darkness monster, which was rushing in from above, was at least two to three times faster than the previous monster!
If Jasmine was here, she would instantly be able to tell that this was clearly the primordial devil beast known as the Bane Glass Bird! When she had come here previously, she had also been attacked by a Bane Glass Bird.
This kind of speed was undoubtedly a terrifying nightmare to Yun Che.
With the Bane Glass Bird’s dreadful speed, the considerable distance between the two of them had swiftly dwindled in a short period of just over ten breaths.
“SCREEEEE!!!”
The shrill cry behind him abruptly turned incredibly sharp, the sound causing Yun Che’s entire body to fiercely shiver… Because judging from that sense, the darkness monster that was pursuing him from above was astonishingly only a few kilometers away from him!
Furthermore, when this bird cry sounded, the dangerous aura behind him instantly turned into an aura of death which sent chills running through Yun Che’s entire body.
The Bane Glass Bird who had already come within seven kilometers of Yun Che gathered its wings before it violently flung them out wide. In a split second, a howling darkness gale was formed and it hurtled forward with an earth-shaking screech. Wherever this storm of darkness hit, it instantly warped the dark space, which even the Primordial Profound Ark could not jump through, into twisting vortexes.
The instant the storm of darkness arrived, Yun Che felt as if he had been thrown into an abyss of death… He was acutely aware that if he came into contact with this storm of darkness, even if it merely brushed him, he would instantly be wrung into dark powder.
Yun Che’s gaze grew dark and heavy as he desperately raised his speed to its very limit. Even though his speed was already peerlessly quick and fierce, the storm of death that bore on from behind grew ever closer…
This would not do… If he maintained his current speed, he would definitely die!
Ssssss!!
Yun Che fiercely gritted his teeth, his eyes glowing with a tyrannical light. After that, he let out a low roar as he forcefully opened the 【Rumbling Heaven】 gate.
Bang!!
A profound energy storm violently exploded outwards from Yun Che’s body. His profound energy immediately turned scarlet red. As his profound strength explosively increased by several times, his speed also abruptly increased as he frantically tore through the darkness at a frantic rate…
BHOOOOM
The storm of death smashed against the ground behind Yun Che, reducing the dark ground which was countless times stronger than profound steel into countless motes of dust. The intervening space immediately became riddled with holes.
After that peerlessly dreadful destructive power erupted, the remaining power spread out in waves that buffeted the surrounding space that was tens of kilometers wide…
Before Yun Che, who had forcefully opened the 【Rumbling Heaven】 gate to escape certain death, even had time to catch his breath, the extremely dangerous aura hurtled in from behind once again. His pupils contracted and he did not have enough time to even turn around but he nearly instinctively activated the Evil God Barrier.
Bang!!
Yun Che’s back was buffeted by a backlash wave that had been emitted by the storm of death.
It was merely a backlash wave that had yet to dissipate and its strength could only be described as weak compared to the center of that storm. But for Yun Che, this “weak” backlash wave was still akin to an incredibly dreadful disaster.
With an explosive ring, his Evil God Barrier instantly collapsed and fractured and his entire body shot out at a speed that was even faster than his fastest speed. He flew for an entire thirty five kilometer before fiercely smashing against the ground.
“Cough… cough, cough… cough…”
Yun Che planted his palms on the ground as he gingerly lifted himself off the ground before coughing out more than ten mouthfuls of bright red blood.
After he had perfectly obtained Feng Xue’er’s Phoenix vital yin, his strength had risen explosively and he had reached the pinnacle of strength in this world. Besides Xuanyuan Wentian, the Little Demon Empress, and Feng Xue’er, there was no one else who could rival him/.
But within this dreadful dark abyss, he was like a young and tender child who had mistakenly crawled into a demon’s den, he was so weak that even a touch could consign him to death.
It was just a backlash wave that had been dispersed from far away but it practically took away half his life… and this was when he had even activated the Evil God Barrier.
Right now, Yun Che did not have time to even consider what kind of crazy place this was. He stood up and staggered forward… Forcefully opening up Rumbling Heaven had already done an enormous amount of damage to his body and before he even had time to catch his breath, he had sustained such a dreadful amount of damage yet again. But he had to stand up, because the moment he stopped, he would die.
“Cough… cough, cough…”
Yun Che pressed a hand against his chest and the fierce pain that he felt from his internal organs told him that most of his vital organs had ruptured. It felt exceptionally difficult to even walk and if there was light in this place, one would be able to see a long trail of blood dripped along the ground that he had traversed.
I… still cannot die yet…
His steps were heavy and his wounds were so serious that he was unable to take to the air. Even his consciousness was starting to grow blurry. After he had taken more than ten steps, he finally sensed that something was amiss and he slowly turned around.
Those terrifying bestial roars and earth-shaking footsteps that had rung out behind him had completely disappeared.
The dangerous aura that had engulfed him had also completely dissipated.
What was going on?
Has my consciousness become muddled to such a great extent?
However, all of this was not Yun Che’s misperception. Tens of kilometers away, those profound beasts that had been chasing after Yun Che had completely stopped their pursuit. Even the sounds of their howls and roars had completely died down and they did not dare to advance even a step further.
It was as if the region in front of them was a forbidden ground that they absolutely could not enter.
Yun Che did not know what had happened behind him. He trudged forward in the darkness and he did not even know how long he had been walking for. At the moment when he was just about to collapse, he suddenly fell against a hard and solid wall.
After he had run around in this unknown and vast world for such a long period of time, he had finally touched something other than the ground.
Yun Che, who had finally found something to support him, leaned against the wall for a while as he gasped for breath. Now that he had arrived at this point, he was able to confirm one thing, his feeling that those profound beasts had abruptly stopped their pursuit was not due to his senses growing blurry.
Before he could even consider the reason for this, he had to regulate his energy and blood first. So he sat down and started to treat his injuries. At this time, he suddenly saw a gleam of purple light out of the corner of his eye.
Yun Che’s heart was shaken and he swiftly turned his head around as he focused his vision on that spot… He had not been mistaken, there was indeed a gleam of purple-colored light coming from a spot that was somewhere in front of him.
This gleam of light was extremely faint and weak but in this world that only contained endless darkness, the existence of this light was undoubtedly extremely unusual.
“Light…!”
Yun Che subconsciously muttered to himself
Yun Che gave up on healing himself. He leaned against the wall and dragged his heavily wounded body towards the purple light, his leaden feet dragging against the ground. He was not being motivated by his curiosity. He was moving to the light because this gleam of light in this incomparably dreadful world of darkness was undoubtedly a dazzling ray of hope!
As he moved forward, the purple light grew increasingly closer and increasingly brighter in his vision. Gradually, Yun Che could sense a strangely familiar feeling from this purple light.
This purple light… I have definitely seen it somewhere before!
What could it be?
Yun Che gasped roughly as he strove to pick up speed. After he had walked a very far distance and seemed to be very near to that purple light, he abruptly reached a bend in the wall that he had been using to support himself.
After he turned the corner, he stood in a complete daze for a while.
What appeared in front of his eyes was a world that was filled by a bewitching purple light.
There were countless stalks of fantastical flowers swaying amidst this purple light. Scores of bewitching flowers bloomed proudly upon deep purple stalks. Every single petal of these flowers seemed to be like gleaming purple jade, they released a bright purple light and a faint and indistinct dull purple fog that seemed to come from the depths of the netherworld floated around them.
The purple light that filled this space had all come from these bewitching purple flowers.
Within this incomparably dreadful world of darkness, Yun Che’s flames could only illuminate an area that was not even ten feet wide but these bewitching flowers could clearly illuminate a very large area and the light that was being radiated was incredibly clear. It seemed to be near at hand and it was not dimmed by the darkness at all.
Yun Che dumbly stood in place and it seemed as if his entire body had been petrified.
These bewitching purple flowers were clearly Netherworld Udumbara Flowers!!
Before this, he and Jasmine had spent an entire seven years just to find the traces of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. Jasmine had also said that it was likely that the flower they had found in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest was the only one that could be found on this plane.
However right now, tens of thousands of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers swayed before him in full bloom, forming a gigantic sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.
It was as if he had been thrust from a dark world of death into a purple-colored netherworld dimension.
However, the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was not only incomparably bewitching, its most unique trait, which was also its most dreadful trait… was its ability to steal one’s soul!!
Even though Yun Che was still rather far away from this sea of flowers, he was heavily injured and was being bathed by the purple light that radiated from tens of thousands of netherworld Udumbara Flowers. So in a short amount of time, the vision of those eyes which stared at the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers grew increasingly blurry as his pupils swiftly expanded without him noticing.
Yun Che rapidly tried to raise his guard but it was already too late. He wanted to retreat but he could barely even feel the existence of his body, and his vision and consciousness very swiftly grew blurry.
When he had gone to the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, Yun Che had personally experienced the dreadfulness of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower and he was even more acutely aware that the dreadful result of having one’s soul stolen was no different from death.
He fiercely bit down on the tip of his tongue as he regained some clarity of mind but his body, which had slipped out of his control, swiftly sank to the ground.
This could not happen… He definitely could not faint here.
Yun Che fiercely gritted his teeth but his wounds were too severe and his complexion was exceptionally pale. At this moment, he suddenly saw a silver-colored figure slowly drift out of the sea of purple flowers through his blurry eyes.
“Ah…” Yun Che’s body had completely collapsed to the ground. He desperately tried to widen his eyes and look towards that silver-colored figure…
It seemed to be the figure of a human and it was very tiny and delicate, it was just as small as Hong’er. The silver that gleamed in his eyes came from the light that gleamed on her long hair and her body was covered by a layer of lustrous white light.
She slowly floated over, her feet not touching the ground but her silver-colored hair was long enough to reach the ground.
His consciousness grew more and more blurry and his blurred vision could no longer clearly distinguish outlines or colors. Yun Che’s eyes closed many times but he forcefully opened them each and every time. And every time he regained his vision, he discovered that the figure that floated over from the sea of flowers had grown closer by several degrees.
After he barely managed to open his eyes for the last time, he saw an unfathomably beautiful pair of eyes that was right in front of him.
A pair… of eyes that seemed to glitter with all the colors of the rainbow.
“Who… are… you…”
Yun Che let out an extremely weak and faint voice as his vision turned white before everything turned black and his consciousness completely faded away.
Chapter 884 – Hong’er?
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Yun Che gradually regained his consciousness. His surroundings were a completely white world, where he could not see anything nor feel his own presence.
Where… is this place?
Am I still alive…
“Big Brother Yun Che…”
Within the pale white world, the soft calls of a girl could be heard. This voice caused Yun Che’s consciousness to throb intensely as he let out a panicky shout, “Ling’er? Ling’er, is that you… Where are you?”
He searched diligently, looking all around and yet, he could not find Ling’er’s figure at all. There was only her dream-like voice that rung quietly beside his ear, “Big Brother Yun Che, all these years, I kept waiting for you. Even though they said that you wouldn’t return, I believed that Big Brother Yun Che wouldn’t lie to me… I’m already sixteen… But, where are you Big Brother Yun Che… Why didn’t I manage to wait for you… Will I really… never get to see Big Brother Yun again…”
Her soft muttering was still filled with deep longing and sadness.
“Ling’er, I’m already here. I’m sure you’re safe and sound and must still be waiting for me… Where are you? Quick, tell me where you are…”
Yun Che shouted with all his might as his desperately searched for Su Ling’er’s figure in the completely white world. Finally, in front of him, a moon white silhouette of a fairy gradually appeared. Looking at that figure in front of him, Yun Che muttered in shock, “Qing… yue?”
Xia Qingyue who appeared before him was still beautiful and flawless. However, her temperament was far too different from the Xia Qingyue in his heart. She was his legitimate wedded wife but now when she appeared before him, he felt ashamed as though he was admiring a fairy that was on the moon.
“Yun Che…” Xia Qingyue muttered softly, “I found what I’ve always desired but why is everything different from what I imagined… What I’ve always pursued and wished for have all deviated from my prediction. Instead, I was trapped in a cage that seemed to be beautiful…”
“Yun Che, was I wrong… What should I do…”
Xia Qingyue continued muttering words that Yun Che could not understand and her silhouette became more and more hazy. Just as Yun Che subconsciously stretched out his hand and tried to touch it, he suddenly saw that at the end of the pale white world, the shadow of someone else wearing a fluttering snow robe appeared.
“Little… Little Fairy…” Yun Che muttered with a trembling voice.
“Yun Che,” Chu Yuechan’s back was facing him and her ice cold voice was warm and gentle, “Our daughter is already six. She’s like you and like me, cuter than any single star in the vast night sky. However, she has never been able to see her father…”
Bang…
The pale white world suddenly collapsed and disappeared.
“Little Fairy!!!”
Yn Che cried hurriedly as he sat up furiously.
It was a dream…
He had experienced a weird dream like this before… that time, it was due to the Netherworld Udumbara Flower’s soul stealing.
Wait, I’m currently at…
The pain that spread throughout his body caused him to regain his consciousness swiftly. Yun Che opened his eyes swiftly. Before him, was the same world as the one before his lost consciousness. The dark world was filled with an demonic purplish glow. He immediately realized the origin of the purple glow and swiftly lowered his head yet again.
Previously, an incomplete Netherworld Udumbara Flower almost took my life. But why is it that even though there were millions of flowers here, even though I am severely injured, I could still regain consciousness?
Furthermore, the injuries had actually recovered by more than half… With my body’s natural healing rate, could I have been unconscious for several days already?
Although Yun Che did not look at the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers with his eyes, his entire body was still being basked in the purple light. What Yun Che did not understand was that the feeling of the soul stealing was exceptionally weak.
What’s wrong?
Yun Che tried lifting up his head, looking in the direction of the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers and his expression instantly became stunned.
The massive sea of flowers filled his eyes and he could not see the end of it. However, at this time, all the petals of the purple devilish flowers were closed and it turned into its budding state. Although the purple light was still bright, the power of the soul stealing had be weakened by several dozen times.
At the same time, what was different from the other Netherworld Udumbara Flower that Yun Che saw that time was that in such a massive sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers, there was not a hint of the ghostly crying noise. They swayed silently within the purple light as though they were afraid of disturbing something present.
What’s wrong? How long have I been unconscious? Why did I manage to wake up? Why are there such weird changes to the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers… Sssss… That figure?!
Yun Che suddenly remembered that before he lost consciousness, he vaguely saw that figure walking out from the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.
Yun Che finally detected something at this time and turned around swiftly. His gaze suddenly met with a pair of eyes that were emitting an enchanting glow.
“…” Yun Che was stunned.
On his right, barely two steps away, there was a petite little girl silently floating there. Her galactic bright silver hair clung to her delicate body and hung all the way down. A long section of it dragged on the ice cold floor. The hair in front of her forehead danced even though there was no wind, complementing her white jade-like tender looks.
Her body was covered with a white glow and beneath the glow, it seemed as though she was not wearing any garments. Her delicate white legs, however, were not covered by the white glow and were completely exposed. Her tender feet that resembled ice lotuses hung in the air and each snow white toe of hers glistened as though she were carved from jade.
Other than her long silver hair, her entire person seemed like a jade doll, flawlessly carved from white jade.
But the strangest thing was her eyes… those were a pair of enchanting eyes that Yun Che had never seen before.
The top half of her right eye was pale yellow in color while the bottom half gradually turned a faint green.
As for her left eye, the top half was a pale blue color while the bottom half gradually became deep purple.
A pair of eyes, giving off the glows of four different colors.
The colorful glow that he had managed to capture before his sleep had not been an illusion!
Yun Che had seen numerous abnormally colored eyes, before when he was practicing medicine with his master in the Azure Cloud Continent. In medical terms, abnormal colored eyes were being labelled “iris heterochromia.” However, he had never seen or heard of someone who actually possessed four different eye colors.
Yun Che looked at the young girl in shock while the girl looked back at him quietly. Her entire person was quiet; she made no sound and had no expression. There wasn’t even any aura coming off from her. If Yun Che closed his eyes now, he would not be able to detect her presence at all.
Beneath the deep abyss, in the world of darkness, the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers, four colored eyes…
This girl who was in front of Yun Che right now was giving off a deep deep feeling of mystery and illusory… no, magical color.
“You are…” Yun Che finally used an exceptionally gentle tone and asked but just as he opened his mouth, his voice was suddenly stuck and he became stunned once again. After that, he could not control himself and uttered, “Hong’er!?”
Mysterious young girl, “…”
Yun Che realized in surprise that other than the color of her hair and eyes, the face, facial features and even the figure of the mysterious girl before him were exactly the same as Hong’er!!
It’s only… a coincidence. Yun Che immediately said to himself. After all, similar appearances were a common thing… though she was overbearingly similar to Hong’er.
Furthermore, their demeanors were completely different. Hong’er was full of expression and loved to cry, laugh and make noise. There was nearly never a time when she was silent. Even in her sleep, she would say all sorts of weird things. However, the girl in front of him was too silent and it seemed as though she did not possess any emotions.
Although the girl gave off intense feelings of mystery and magic, at least Yun Che could not detect any sense of danger from her.
“Who… who are you?” Yun Che looked at her and quietly asked, “Was is you that saved me?”
The young girl’s lips separated slightly before gently closing yet again. Then, they separated and closed yet again… She seemed as though she was trying to say something but could not make any noise.
“You… can’t speak?” Yun Che asked probingly.
“…” The girl looked quietly at him and lightly nodded her head
“Then, you… understand what I’m saying?” Yun Che asked again.
The girl nodded once again, the four colored glow in her eyes was firmly fixed on Yun Che’s face.
One of Yun Che’s more exceptional abilities was that he could decipher a person’s intention from the look in their eyes. However, within the girl’s colorful gaze, there were many things but Yun Che could not understand any of them.
Yun Che stood up from the ground. The girl could understand what he was saying but could not speak. This meant that he would not be able to ask her where this place was and who she was. But at least she had no ill intentions towards him and did not seem to reject him. To Yun Che, this was already an exceptionally bright light in a world of darkness.
That he could wake up in front of the massive sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers, this mysterious girl… must be the only reason?!
Surviving in this dark and deep abyss, this girl who was floating among the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers… just what kind of an existence was she? Was she a person or…
Looking at the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers in the distance, he suddenly had a weird thought in his heart and directly blurted, “Those purple flowers, was it you that closed them?”
The girl nodded slightly, her gaze still remained fixed on him and had not left him from the start.
“…” Yun Che was stunned and after some hesitation, he asked rather boldly, “Since you can control those purple flowers, then… could you give one of them to me? I really need it. Just one is fine. Can you?”
He did not forget that currently, whatever was supporting Jasmine’s soul was only residual netherworld powers and it could last for at most twenty to thirty years. If she wanted her soul and body to fuse perfectly, she needed a complete Netherworld Udumbara Flower.
The young girl completely understood his words. She turned her body and stretched out her small hands, gently pointing towards the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.
Instantly, in the front of the sea of flowers, a completely closed Netherworld Udumbara Flower blossomed beautifully, giving off even more dreamlike purple glow. And immediately, all the petals along with the flower completely broke off from its stem. Then, while being engulfed by an eerie light, they flew towards the young girl.
“…” Yun Che looked at this sight with a dumbfounded expression.
Even though the complete Netherworld Udumbara Flower was just a small distance away, it was being engulfed within an mysterious and eerie light and its soul stealing powers could not be felt at all. The girl held up the flower that seemed huge to her and brought it in front of Yun Che. The four colors of her eyes remained beautiful and flawless.
The shock and throbbing in Yun Che’s heart was so strong that it could not increase any further. He carefully stretched out his hand and said with gratitude, “Thank you. Not only have you saved me, you have given me such a precious present.”
With both hands, he received the complete Netherworld Udumbara Flower and while receiving it, he touched the young girl’s hands… but he did not feel any warmth nor was there any feeling of contact. His eyes subconsciously shifted downward and he clearly saw his finger passing through her small hand.
“This… is your soul body?” Yun Che asked in shock.
“…” The young girl looked at him silently and after some time, she finally nodded lightly.
Yun Che was shocked yet again. The young girl in front of him was actually the same as Jasmine who had just lost her body. It was just her soul body.
What made him even more shocked was that Jasmine has once told him before, the devouring powers of high levels of darkness energy was exceptionally frightening to the soul body and it was nearly irrecoverable. Even someone as strong as Jasmine did not dare to appear within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest with her soul body.
However, this girl who was similarly in her soul body was existing in this dark world where the dark devilish aura was many times stronger than within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest… and from what it felt like, it seemed as though she had already been here for an exceptionally long time
Chapter 885 – Evil God’s Seed—Darkness (1)
“You…”
Yun Che opened his mouth, but for a long moment, he didn’t know what to say. The mysterious feeling she gave off was much stronger than when he met Jasmine in the past, as well as when he encountered a genuine primordial devil within Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.
The four colored glow coming from the girl’s eyes was mysterious yet quiet as she continued to look at Yun Che. There wasn’t a glint of curiosity, and no matter how hard Yun Che tried, he could not decipher what hid behind that glow.
“Have you been here for a long time?” Yun Che asked.
Just like before, the girl just nodded slightly.
As for how long “long” was, perhaps even the girl herself did not know.
“Then you…” Yun Che hesitated for quite awhile before finally asking the question he cared about the most. “Do you know how to leave this place?”
The girl’s lips parted a tiny bit… but she didn’t nod or shake her head. In the end, the shine in her eyes changed slightly.
She did not shake her head… Could it be that she knew?
However, the girl didn’t know how to speak. Therefore, even if she did know, she had no way to tell him.
This girl was simply too mysterious. Although Yun Che really wanted to know who she was and why she was there, there was no doubt that the most important thing to him was leaving this place.
Yun Che quietly took out the soul crystal. Although he did not know how long he had been unconscious, the soul crystal was still intact and its glow hadn’t diminished at all. He firmly believed that it wasn’t possible for Su Ling’er to be here. However, he was also more willing to believe that the soul crystal definitely belonged to Su Ling’er. This crystal had been given to Yun Che by Su Hengshan who was already determined to die, which meant that he had entrusted Su Ling’er’s life and future to him. How could he possibly be wrong!
Intense pain constantly spread through every part of his body. Yun Che was eventually able to bear it after standing for some time. He put away the Netherworld Udumbara Flower that the girl gave to him and softly said, “Before anything else, I need a while to treat my wounds. I’ll talk to you afterwards, okay?”
The girl did not react and instead continued to silently watch him. Her silence was like that of being under a starry night sky.
Yun Che sat down cross-legged and swiftly calmed himself as he concentrated on recuperating. In the past, whenever he treated his injuries, he would devote thirty percent of his senses to in case danger were afoot no matter how safe the location was. Here, however, he concentrated entirely on healing and left no defenses.
Although this girl was so mysterious that she could have been a dream, Yun Che was absolutely certain of one thing—that she wouldn’t harm him. On the contrary, she gave him a mysterious sense of security. She had helped him gather the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, and she was definitely the reason why the dark beasts didn’t dare to enter this area.
Yun Che stabilized his aura, his profound energy and the Rage God’s strength channelled together. After his breathing became consistent and light, his entire body quickly entered a state of trance. His profound energy and the Rage God’s strength operated even faster, quickly healing the injuries on his body.
The girl didn’t disturb him, and from start to finish, she just stayed there levitating like a carved silver doll. Her eyes didn’t leave him either, and her gaze gradually became calm. She looked at the small golden pagoda above his head and the color that started returning to his pale face.
A long time passed in silence, and the girl’s stance and gaze did not shift in the slightest. Eventually, once Yun Che’s internal injuries had recovered more than halfway, his profound aura began to radiate from him even more. It gradually grew into a strong, quickly spinning profound aura spiral that surrounded Yun Che’s entire body.
The second that this profound aura spiral that was used to treat external injuries appeared around Yun Che’s body, the colorful glow in the girl’s eyes began trembled and continued to do so for quite awhile… It was as though she had seen something of utmost importance.
It was a field of purple silence; the flow of time almost couldn’t be felt. After what seemed like forever, the aura on Yun Che’s body started to relax. His internal injuries had already completely healed and his external injuries were mostly recovered as well. Given a few more days, they would be entirely healed.
Yun Che exhaled softly, opened his eyes, and immediately he saw the petite figure of the girl beside him. He smiled at her and moved to stand up… but suddenly felt that his heart was beating furiously.
Yun Che was stunned and the expression on his face changed completely…
This… this was…
Could it be…
An eerie bone-piercing feeling spread from the depths of Yun Che’s profound veins. Immense pain flooded his body like a plague. Yun Che’s pupils shrank, and his body, which he’d just treated, fell to the ground yet again, his palm pressed tightly against his chest.
A weak black aura gradually appeared from where Yun Che’s palm was pressing against his chest and started getting thicker. Soon enough, Yun Che’s body and face were shrouded by an increasingly dense black aura.
Yun Che’s entire body spasmed and his face twisted with pain. His entire body broke out in a cold sweat…
The devil origin orb…!
Why was this happening…? Why so soon!?
The devil origin orb had just been sealed by the Golden Crow Divine Spirit! Even though it would undoubtedly relapse eventually, it should have remained sealed for another month or two. Why was it happening now…?
In the midst of his pain, Yun Che’s pupils grew significantly larger… in sudden realization. Could this deep dark abyss be the reason why his devil origin orb was relapsing prematurely?!
This was a world that was filled with dark devil energy. Furthermore, that energy was frighteningly dense! It was highly likely that staying in such an environment had spurred the recovery and growth of the devil origin orb.
“Ughhhhh… Ahhhhh…”
Yun Che cried out in pain. Not only had the devil origin orb unexpectedly broken from its seal, it was relapsing with a strength that was far greater than last time. In a few breaths of time, the darkness profound aura that came from the devil origin orb had easily broken his profound energy defenses apart. It surged through his entire body, attacking every part of it as though he had been sent to hell.
Yun Che almost didn’t have time to struggle, and his entire body was immersed in the deep darkness abyss. His profound aura was quickly and completely dispersed under the influence of the dark devilish aura. He could not even stand up, let alone muster up any defense.
Looks like… I really won’t make it this time…
Yun Che had a grim expression on his face. His vision slowly grew blurry due to the increasingly dense dark aura. He gave up his struggle, lacking the consciousness to do so.
He quickly lost his grip on his senses, and the only thing he had that he could focus on was to try and forcefully stay conscious.
I originally thought that I’d prepared how I was going to die… I didn’t expect that I would die in a place like this…
I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Father… Mother… Xue’er and the rest…
I didn’t get the chance to see Ling’er again…
I feel… so unsatisfied…
But… it’s not that bad… I can finally… see Little Fairy sooner…
The relapse of the devil origin orb was so sudden and far more intense than before. No one could help him this time. Even if the Golden Crow Divine Spirit were present, she still wouldn’t be able to help him reseal it.
The black aura that shrouded Yun Che became thicker and thicker, swiftly devouring Yun Che’s body as well as his life force. Yun Che gave up on struggling and just stared blankly at whatever he could still see… He could barely see the girl in front of him approaching, lifting up her small hands, and quietly manipulating a small orb of black light.
That orb of light was so pitch black that it defied common sense. It looked as if it were the black hole that legends told of, the one that appeared at the center of the universe. Yun Che’s vision and consciousness had already become hazy, but that shine of that orb of black light seemed to be exceptionally clear in the core of his soul.
Looking at this orb of black light, Yun Che’s body, which was already immersed in darkness, started to ferociously throb all of a sudden. This throbbing came from the depths of his profound veins, and his profound veins, which were originally enveloped in the dark aura, started to flash with a scarlet, blue, and purple profound glow. It seemed to gradually oppose the darkness and become stronger and stronger…
This feeling…
Could… could it be…!?
The girl’s figure eventually stooped down to Yun Che, and she shifted the orb of black light in her hands so that it was next to his mouth. Her small hands then flipped upside down, and under the influence of a gentle force, the orb flew into his mouth and ended up inside of his body.
Boom!
The exceptionally dense dark aura that surrounded and permeated Yun Che’s body suddenly surged. All of the darkness profound aura resembled a fierce beast that had just been rudely awakened and was now angrily screaming as it circulated through his body.
Booom!
A noise that seemed as though it had come from the depths of hell rang out, and the black aura on Yun Che’s body exploded, completely dispersing. Only a flawless black light remained. This black light attached itself to the surface of Yun Che’s body, and even his eyes shone with it.
All the pain in Yun Che’s body disappeared, and he swiftly regained consciousness. In the depths of his profound veins, the devil origin orb that was embedded there was still releasing a strong black light and an aura of darkness. It had initially been like a frightening foreign object to Yun Che, the source of his terrifying doom. Now, however, not only did Yun Che clearly feel its presence, it no longer felt foreign to him at all. He could even clearly sense that it was just another part of his body, closely interconnected to it, his profound veins and his soul. It had become peculiarly gentle, and he could freely control freely.
It was just like how he could control his own limbs.
Even the darkness aura that had previously almost destroyed him was completely fused with his profound aura and circulated as he wanted.
This… this is… What happened?
Just what in the world happened?
The enormous changes that occurred in his body had been completed in just a few breaths of time. It happened so fast that Yun Che had been unable to react or even think about it. However, the bizarre changes did not stop there… they had only just begun.
Boom… Boom… Boom…!
The black light that had entered Yun Che’s profound veins all started to shatter, and the darkness had, beyond all comprehension, fractured into countless slivers of darkness. When each one came into contact with his profound veins, they immediately fused with it like mercury touching the ground—not one bit had been lost.
It was as though they were one entity to begin with.
At the same time, after every sliver of darkness fused with Yun Che’s profound veins, massive tidal waves of energy surged within those very profound veins… This energy was foreign, yet unbelievably strong. Yun Che opened his eyes, but his expression was one of complete astonishment. He had clearly felt the orb of black light fuse with his profound veins, and was definitely experiencing his own profound strength increase at an alarming rate…
Seventh level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Ninth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Tenth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Bang!!
Following the strange noise that resounded within Yun Che’s soul, the bottleneck that numerous overlord spent their entire lives trying to break through was shattered in one push. The profound aura within Yun Che’s body subsided and his profound veins became silent. A dense profound aura began to calmly circulate within them as though they were layers of nebula.
On this plane of existence, this was the strongest of profound auras.
—The first level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
The orb of black light that came from the girl finally finished fusing with Yun Che’s profound veins. All the weird changes stopped, and Yun Che’s entire body became calm. He inspected his own profound veins… the profound veins that had originally been scarlet, blue, and purple now had an additional region within them that was black.
The black region was at the center of the profound veins and nearly took up half of the space within them. In the space around the black region, the three colors of scarlet, blue, and purple coexisted as though they were stars surrounded the moon that was the black region.
At the core of the black region was the devil origin orb that had become unusually tranquil.
Yun Che didn’t know when he stood up, but his entire person was in a state of shock. He was unable to focus for quite some time.
With her colorful eyes, the girl silently watched him. Ever since he had appeared, her gaze had not left him. It was not the gaze of a person that seemed to be observing a stranger. It was a gaze that seemed as though the girl was looking at someone that meant the entire world to her.
Chapter 886 – Evil God’s Seed—Darkness (2)
Yun Che dazedly raised his arm and silently observed that layer of pure black light. His will shifted slightly and in an instant, all of the black light that was flowing over his body disappeared without a trace. He concentrated his will slightly and a tiny profound energy vortex started to quietly circulate in the palm of his hand.
With a twitch of his lips, Yun Che’s will changed yet again.
Instantly, the colorless profound energy vortex turned into a pitch-black vortex of energy which violently rotated on his palm.
Darkness profound energy…
Which also meant that it was devil energy!
This was the dark devil energy that both Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian possessed!
As the darkness profound energy revolved, Yun Che immediately felt an irascible violence swell up in his heart and soul. Even though it was not intense and it should not be hard for him to control it,it left a clear and indelible mark on his emotional state.
Jasmine had said before that darkness profound energy was a form of negative profound energy. It would agitate its user’s negative emotions and state of mind and it could even warp one’s personality… Moreover, all of these side-effects had been clearly seen from Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian.
However, right now, this kind of power had actually appeared within his body…
The icy-cold sinister feeling that had emanated from his surroundings had disappeared completely as well. This originally incomparably dreadful dark abyss now gave him an incredibly cozy feeling. It was as if his entire body was happily relaxing in a hot spring.
He raised his head and his vision directly pierced through the layers of darkness. Right now his vision could perceive the tiniest grain of sand with perfect clarity. The darkness not only did not seal away his vision, it had actually become another kind of “light” for him.
Yun Che, “…”
He had originally stepped into an abyss of death but in the blink of an eye, he had not only escaped this death but his profound strength had also grown explosively and even the devil origin orb had become a source of power for him. His profound veins and body had also undergone enormous bizarre changes.
All of these changes stemmed from the young girl feeding that black-colored ball of light to him.
The moment the orb of black light had entered his body, it had caused his profound veins to throb. This coupled with the huge change to his profound veins clearly told him that this orb of black light was…
It was clearly one of the Evil God’s Seeds!
An Evil God’s Seed of the darkness element!!
But when Jasmine had previously told him about the Evil God’s Seeds, she had told him that there existed a total of five Evil God’s Seeds in the universe and their powers were divided into fire, water, lightning, wind, and earth respectively. She had never once mentioned a darkness element Evil God’s Seed before.
Furthermore, during the Primordial Era, darkness profound energy was a power that belong to the devil gods and it directly went against the divine power that the gods used. It had been a negative profound energy that had opposed the gods. As a primordial True God situated in the highest tiers of power among the gods during the Primordial Era, why did the Evil God possess darkness profound energy?
What was even more bizarre was the fact that the power contained within this Evil God’s Darkness Seed far surpassed the power that had been contained within the Evil God’s Fire, Water and Lightning Seeds.
When Yun Che had obtained those three Evil God’s Seeds, the change in his profound veins had only been accompanied by a small rise in profound strength. However, when this darkness seed had fused with his profound veins, it caused his profound strength to rise explosively. Coupled with the power that had come from the devil origin orb, it directly caused him to breakthrough the limits of the Tyrant Profound Realm and allowed him to step into the Sovereign Profound Realm in a miraculous fashion!
The amount of energy space it had occupied in the Evil God’s Profound Veins was far greater than what the other three kinds of power had occupied.
It felt as if… it was darkness profound energy that was the Evil God’s primary power.
When this thought flashed across Yun Che’s mind, it frightened him greatly. He hurriedly denied this possibility. It definitely was not possible, the Evil God was a god and he was divine being that resided in the highest echelons of power during the Primordial Era, a divine being who was respected and admired by all the gods…
So how could darkness profound energy be his primary power… Would that not make him a devil god instead?
…But now that he had suddenly attained the ability to control darkness profound energy. Wasn’t the current him just like Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian… Hadn’t he fallen to the way of the devils…
He had been reborn after escaping calamity and his power had exploded as well, so this was undoubtedly a fantastically joyous surprise. At the same time, the darkness energy that was now produced by his profound veins caused him to be dazed and at a loss for a long period of time. However, this state did not continue forever. Yun Che dispelled the black-colored profound energy in his hand as his eyes started to focus.
Clearly, it was this power that had saved my life and helped me to escape the nightmarish grasp of the devil origin orb, so what do I have to worry about?
Not only do I not need to die but my current strength… Yun Che raised his head to look towards the sky… If I can get out of this place, it should be… completely sufficient to take down Xuanyuan Wentian!
Yun Che had recovered from his stupor and he looked at the girl with rainbow eyes who had been constantly by his side. She had actually had the darkness element Evil God’s Seed in her possession… and the existence of the Evil God’s Darkness Seed was something that even Jasmine had not been aware of.
Moreover, she was also the one who had proactively merged the Darkness Seed into his body when he had been approaching death after the devil origin orb inside his body had flared up.
She knew that the Evil God’s Darkness Seed could save his life…
Or could it be that she was aware of the existence of the Evil God’s Profound Veins within his body!?
This bizarre girl whom he had a chance encounter with in this dark abyss, just who was she…
“Thank you for saving me.” There were countless questions he wanted to ask in his head but now that he faced the girl who had saved him two times consecutively after they had just met, he could not bring himself to pursue those questions in an overly hasty and unseemly manner.
“…” The girl remained as she had been in every previous instance as she continued to silently stare at him.
“You… Did you perhaps recognize the power inside of my body?” Yun Che asked using the warmest tone and words possible.
“…” The young girl did not respond. She suddenly floated forward and arrived in front of Yun Che, extending a hand that glowed with the white luster of a diamond as she slowly approached Yun Che’s left hand.
He did not feel the sensation of being touched as the girl’s fingers directly passed through his palm. Just as Yun Che was about to ask, he suddenly discovered the back of his hand was glowing with a vermillion light.
The mark of the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword.
He had not summoned it but it actually started to flicker all by itself.
Following that, a red light flashed as Hong’er appeared in front of him.
Yun Che, “…”
“Mwah.” Hong’er let out a long yawn before asking in an extremely lovable voice, “Master, why’d you suddenly disturb my sleep again. Are we gonna fight again… Oh… Ah??”
Hong’er discovered the existence of the girl with rainbow eyes and she started to size her up with a look of curiosity on her face. At the same time, Yun Che had been stunned silly… He was very sure that he had definitely —definitely— not been the one to summon Hong’er!
The sudden flickering of the Heaven Smiting Sword’s mark and the sudden appearance of Hong’er. All of this had happened because the girl had touched his left hand.
This sort of thing had never happened before. Even when it was Jasmine, who had not only shared a body and lifeline with him but was also millions of times more powerful than him, even she could not go against his will and forcefully summon out Hong’er.
“Ah…” The girl with rainbow eyes looked at Hong’er while Hong’er also looked at her. Hong’er’s mouth was half open and her ruby eyes were stunned, it was as if she had suddenly frozen in place.
One girl had long and gorgeous vermillion hair, the other had long hair that sparkled with the light of stars. One pair of eyes were vermillion red, the other pair of eyes were a fantastical four colors. The two girls stared intently at one another, not moving an inch. It was as if the other person’s eyes had suddenly stolen away their souls.
“….” Yun Che stared at the both of them in amazement. The strange atmosphere that had abruptly formed between the two of them rendered him utterly silent for the moment.
The girl with rainbow eyes had always been as mysterious as the starry sky and as quiet as a dark night. But he understood Hong’er better than anybody else; as long as you summoned her, there would definitely not even be a moment of peace.
It was even less plausible that she would quietly stare at someone for such a long period of time.
As the two girls looked at each other in dazed silence, they extended their hands at nearly exactly the same time and touched each other. The girl’s hand lightly caressed Hong’er’s face while Hong’er’s hand touched the girl’s face at the same time…
At this time, Yun Che’s eyeballs nearly jumped out of their sockets because he had clearly seen the part where each girl had touched the other’s delicate face being pushed in slightly…
Hong’er could touch her!?
But she was clearly a soul body! He could previously only treat her as an Illusionary existence but Hong’er could actually touch her!
Yun Che immediately thought of Jasmine. Only he could touch Jasmine’s soul body but that was because Jasmine and him had shared a body and a life in order to prevent Jasmine’s soul body from dissipating. Then Hong’er and this girl…
Besides the color of their hair and their eyes, they looked exactly the same, could it be… No, it could not be such a coincidence.
They did really share some mysterious connection?
“Ngh… sniff… sniff…” Hong’er’s lips suddenly started to pout and her shoulder started to heave as she let out a sob. Yun Che stared at her dazedly but he discovered that Hong’er’s vermillion eyes were shining with tears. After that, those tears started to drip down with pattering sound.
Yun Che, “…”
“Uuu… uuuuuu… UUUUUWAAAAAAHHHH!!”
Hong’er suddenly rushed into Yun Che’s body as she hugged him and bawled her eyes out, her tears flowed out like a burst dam as they quickly soaked his outer shirt. Yun Che was greatly shocked as he panickedly asked, “Hong’er… what happened to you?”
“I don’t know… don’t know!!” Hong’er shouted as she bawled her eyes out, “I suddenly became really really sad and I suddenly felt like crying… Uuu.. uuuuuuuu… I’m so sad… My entire body feels so sad… Have I become broken… Uuuuuu… Uuuwaaaaahhhhhh…”
“…” Hong’er was weeping up a storm. Yun Che raised his head to look at the girl with colorful eyes, only to discover that the two long trails of tears slowly flowing down her face were the color of white jade…
The girl stretched out her hand towards Yun Che’s left hand once again. The moment she came into contact with his hand, the vermillion-colored sword mark appeared yet again and the weeping Hong’er transformed into a beam of red light before returning to the Sky Poison Pearl.
She had not only bypassed his will to summon out Hong’er, she could actually send her back as well.
She… did not want to see Hong’er cry?
“You recognize her? You’ve seen Hong’er before?” Yun Che was unable to stop himself from hurriedly asking that question.
Hong’er’s bizarre behavior, the two of them sharing the same appearance and the two of them weeping tears at the same time. All of these undoubtedly proved that there was definitely some sort of relationship between her and Hong’er… and it definitely was no ordinary relationship at that.
Hong’er had come from the Primordial Era. So this girl who clearly recognized Hong’er, could it be that she had existed from the Primordial Era until today?
But Yun Che did not expect this girl to actually slowly shake her head.
Yun Che, “…”
Chapter 887 – A Sword That Should Not Exist
She shook her head?
“Then do you know who she is?” Yun Che asked again.
“…” The girl continued to shake her head mutely.
Yun Che, “…”
She has never seen Hong’er before?
And she also does not know who Hong’er is…
Then why did she…
After recalling Hong’er’s reaction, it was clear that she had never seen this girl before either.
Then the entire sequence of events where the girl summoned Hong’er which led to Hong’er bawling her eyes out after she saw her and the two of them shedding tears when they looked at each other… could it be have been an instinctual reaction that came from their bodies or souls?
And if they did not have an extremely special connection, why did such an instinctual reaction occur?
Yun Che, who was currently filled with extreme suspicion, caused his consciousness to sink into the Sky Poison Pearl. He saw Hong’er sitting down with her legs curled up to her body, her tiny hand vigorously rubbing away the tears in her eyes. Even though she was no longer sobbing, she had wept until her eyes and her nose had turned red.
“Hong’er,” Yun Che asked as he moved forward. “What exactly happened just now? The girl that you just saw… Have you seen her before?”
“Of course I haven’t.” Hong’er stuck out her tiny reddened nose, “I already said that I can’t remember anything from my past, so how could it be possible that I’ve seen her before? Master is really stupid.”
“Then why did you suddenly start crying buckets?”
“I already said that I don’t know alright!?” Hong’er pouted as she shook her head, “I just suddenly felt really sad and felt like crying. However…” Hong’er’s lips suddenly curved into a bow as a sweet and happy smile appeared on her face, “After I finished crying, I feel really good. It’s true. Master, why don’t you cry once for me to see?”
“…” Yun Che retreated in defeat.
Countless enigmas nagged at Yun Che’s mind.
The Darkness Seed that had fused with his profound veins had proven that the ancient Evil God did not only have perfect control over the five elemental profound energies of water, fire, wind, lightning and earth, he also clearly possessed darkness profound energy. As a god belonging to the god race, he would definitely not have allowed the other gods to know that he possessed the darkness element when he was still alive in the Primordial Era. Because the gods did not tolerate any negative profound energy and none of the legends that he had heard from Jasmine regarding the Evil God had mentioned him possessing darkness profound energy.
Even the ancient memories of the Evil God that Jasmine had obtained from the Evil God’s blood had only told her that there were five seeds of power that comprised of the five elements.
Clearly, the Evil God had probably never exposed his darkness profound energy during the Primordial Era. Furthermore, he had buried this information exceptionally well. At the same time, one could clearly tell from the legacy and memories that he had left behind that the Evil God did not want the future generations to know of his secret.
Then how did this Darkness Seed end up in that girl’s possession?
And this mysterious, terrifying and extremely bizarre world of darkness…
Could it also be something that the Evil God left behind?
Why did he want to leave behind such a world of darkness?
Why was this girl in a place like this? What connection did she have with the Primordial Evil God?
And what kind of connection did she have with Hong’er…
And that Hong’er… Who exactly was she?
“~！#￥%…” Yun Che’s brain was a complete mess right now. He had been plunged into this thick and tangled web of mysteries at the same time he had obtained this enormous power. Before this, every time he had obtained an Evil God Seed, besides feeling joy, he would also feel as if he was fulfilling some sort of destiny. But after he had obtained this Darkness Seed, he had been left at a complete loss.
Furthermore…
He had this indistinct feeling that he had come into contact with a secret that even the ancient divine beings were not aware of…
However, he had merely faintly touched the surface of this mystery. The whole truth behind all of this, including the girl with rainbow eyes and Hong’er’s true identity, should probably have become an eternal mystery following the end of the era of gods and devils.
At the present moment, the most important thing to him was how to leave this place.
Yun Che raised his head to look above him. If he flew straight up, he should be able to fly out of this abyss but that peerlessly dreadful suction power was able to securely seal away everything that dwelled within this dark abyss.
Even though Yun Che’s profound strength had grown immensely after he had obtained the Darkness Seed, he was very sure that the terrifying suction force above him was something that he could not resist.
All of the darkness monsters in this place were unfathomably strong and any one of them could instantly destroy the Yun Che who had obtained the Darkness Seed. It would not be possible for this bottomless abyss to imprison these kind of existences but not a single one of them had ever appeared in the outside world.
The reason for this was because even these darkness monsters could not resist that suction force, so they were forcefully sealed away in this world of darkness.
So how exactly could he leave this place…
Yun Che looked at the space above him as he lapsed into deep thought. After a long period of time, he gritted his teeth and suddenly launched himself into the air as he flew upwards with all his might.
Even though he did not know whether he could struggle free, he wanted to experience just how strong that suction force was once more.
Would it end up in complete despair or would he be able to see a ray of hope?
Yun Che’s flying speed was extremely fast. At the same time, all of the profound strength in his body swelled up as he swiftly reached the height of three thousand meters. The surrounding darkness energy started to boil as it swept towards Yun Che. Yun Che, who had made sufficient preparation for this, let out a low yell as his entire body released an incomparably dense jet-black profound light.
BOOM
The profound light that shone on Yun Che’s body exploded outwards with an incredibly loud ring but the moment the surrounding rampaging darkness energy came into contact with his body, it suddenly recoiled at lightning speed. Regardless of whether it was Yun Che’s body or the profound energy that had erupted out of his body, neither of them had been obstructed at all.
RIIIIP….
At the checkpoint between both worlds, Yun Che’s body immediately rang with the incomparably sharp sound of space tearing apart. Before he had even realized it, he had already escaped the world of darkness below him.
“…” Yun Che slowly came to a stop as he was dazed for a brief period of time.
I came out…!?
I actually managed to come out!!
That dreadful suction force that had previously appeared and was impossible for him to resist had not appeared this time.
No, it had appeared… But it instantly disappeared after that!
Yun Che suspiciously looked at the black light surrounding his body. He was stumped for a good long while before he muttered to himself, “Could it be because of… the Evil God’s Darkness Seed?”
Could it be that the Evil God’s darkness profound energy was the power that was sealing away this world of darkness, so it would not obstruct him because he had obtained the Evil God’s darkness profound power?
……
Could it be this reason?
After he stood there indefinitely in a bewildered state, Yun Che’s brows finally twitched before suddenly sinking again. After that, he began to descend once more.
With a soft ring, Yun Che traveled through the boundary between the two worlds yet again. This time, he did not circulate any profound energy, instead he focused on observing the changes that occurred around him.
As soon as he entered the world of darkness, the surrounding dark energy instantly changed and gathered around him. The moment the gathered darkness touched his body, it recoiled, not tearing at Yun Che at all.
So that was indeed the case!!
He forcefully descended into this dark abyss for the sake of Su Ling’er and when the devil origin orb had flared up inside his body, he had thought that certain death awaited him. But he never imagined that in the blink of an eye, not only did his strength explosively increase, he had even completely escaped the nightmarish grasp of the devil origin orb and right now, he once again discovered that he could freely leave and enter this world of darkness.
This complete reversal of fortune had been entirely due to the Evil God’s Darkness Seed.
It was all because of the chance encounter he had with that strange girl in the abyss.
Yun Che descended at an extremely quick speed. He followed that hellish purple light and soon landed at that girl’s side. He did not know who she was and why she was here. It was even possible that he would never ever know the answers to those questions but she was his savior… and she had done far more than simply saving him.
But right now, it was time for them to bid each other farewell.
“It’s about time for me to go. I still have many things I need to do on the outside, so I need to leave this place,” Yun Che said in a soft voice. “However, I will forever remember you. After all, the life I have right now is something that you’ve given me.”
“…” The girl’s lips opened as she looked at him with a steady gaze, it was as if she wanted to say something.
“You are all alone in this place, so you must definitely feel very lonely,” Yun Che said with a faint smile. “After I have finished what I need to do, I will come and visit you often.”
“…” The luster in the girl’s eyes seemed to faintly billow.
“Then… I’m off.”
He stretched out a hand to lightly caress that girl’s ethereal hair as he gave her one last long look… Whoever saw those four-colored eyes would never be able to forget them for the rest of their lives. After that, he stopped hesitating as he took to the air and rushed toward the borders of this dark world.
The girl’s eyes silently chased after his figure until he had completely vanished from her vision… Gradually, the light in her eyes slowly grew dull and she turned around and flew back into the midst of the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers. In an instant, all of the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers bloomed at the same time, forming a sea of purple flowers that was more wondrous and fantastical than any dream.
The girl hugged herself and curled up like a helpless little kitten amidst the sea of flowers. In this eternally lonely world of darkness, these living Netherworld Udumbara Flowers were her only companions.
Yun Che left the confines of the world of darkness and shot straight up. Even though his heart was filled with urgency, his speed was not fast and it even grew slower and slower.
On that day, he had clearly seen the scene of Su Ling’er jumping down the Cloud’s End Cliff in the memory of the remaining Seven Stars Divine Palace disciple. Furthermore, Su Ling’er’s soul crystal was still intact as well. But in his panic, he did not even give this much thought as he lost all composure and directly jumped off Cloud’s End Cliff.
However, during the time he had spent immersed in that world of darkness, he had regained his calm and he realized that he had left out one possibility… and it was a very big possibility at that.
That was the possibility that Su Ling’er did indeed jump off Cloud’s End Cliff… but she did not drop into the dark abyss below!
Instead, she had been caught by something as she was falling!
If that purple-colored soul crystal truly belonged to Su Ling’er, then this could be said to be the likeliest reason! Given how terrifying the world of darkness was, if Su Ling’er had fallen into it, she would definitely have died in an instant.
With this thought in mind, Yun Che chose to ascend at a slow speed while releasing his spiritual perception to its maximum range as he searched for any possible auras that he could detect.
He believed that the intact soul crystal definitely belonged to Su Ling’er! Fate had been cruel to Su Ling’er once, so for what reason would it be cruel to her again!?
As he strictly restrained his speed, Yun Che had only risen by around fifteen kilometers after a full fifteen minutes had passed. But his heart had also begun to sink over this period of time.
Even though the world of darkness below him was an independent existence, there was still some darkness energy that had been dispelled from it… The faint aura of darkness devil energy that Yun Che had sensed while he descended into that world of darkness was the best proof of this.
It was also because of the existence of this darkness devil energy that a tall cliff like Cloud’s End Cliff was completely devoid of life. Not even a single blade of grass grew there, much less any tall and thick trees, so there would not be anything that could stop someone who fell in this place.
Furthermore, even if those trees truly existed… and even if it was a thick tree which stretched out very far, if someone fell down ten thousand meters, the accompanying force would be sufficient to instantly snap that tree apart. Expecting it to catch a person was something that was basically impossible.
Even though his heart was growing heavier and heavier, Yun Che refused to give up any hope. He slowed his ascent even further as his spiritual perception desperately swept across every spot that it could touch… But he did not find anything other than the silent and dead stone.
He could not even sense the life force of even a single reptile.
Yun Che kept his composure as he continued to advance. When he was still about fifteen kilometers from the top of the cliff, a strange aura suddenly pricked Yun Che’s spiritual perception.
Furthermore, this was clearly a familiar aura that was not too far away.
Yun Che’s eyes instantly zoomed in on the source of that aura. His vision pierced through the darkness and his whole body unconsciously burned with Phoenix flames.
This place was not the dark abyss that lay below him, so the scarlet-red Phoenix flames instantly illuminated the entire space around him. Astonishingly, a gloomy green glow flashed in the direction that this strange aura was coming from.
Yun Che’s heart fiercely jumped as that familiarity instantly multiplied countless times over. He quickly rushed over.
The dark gray mountain wall had been deeply pierced by a long and thin sword. Even though, it had been there for an indeterminate amount of time there was not a single speck of rust on its body and the entire sword lowed with a gloomy green light.
As well as an extremely discomfiting aura
Yun Che stretched out his hand and lightly touched that gloomy green sword, his fingers faintly trembling.
“Sky… Poison… Sword…” He softly whispered as his vision swayed.
Chapter 888 – Ling’er, Ling’er (1)
Initially, it was just a normal sword. It was the one and only sword which his master gave him when he was accompanying his master and practicing his medicinal arts in the Azure Cloud Continent. He had always used it for self-defense and had only used it to kill profound beasts. Never had he used it to kill people.
Later on, his master was forced to death and under his hatred, he crazily unleashed the venomous poison of the Sky Poison Pearl, killing countless people… While the sword, because it was infected by the Sky Poison Pearl’s venomous poison, turned into a poisonous sword.
Its name, was thus changed by Yun Che to Sky Poison Sword.
When he leapt off Cloud’s End Cliff back then, he had done it together with this Sky Poison Sword. He still vaguely remembered that when he leapt off, the final thing he did before his consciousness completely disappeared, was to fling out this Sky Poison Sword with all the remaining strength left in his entire body.
This Sky Poison Sword was the one and only in this world and it was definitely impossible for a second one to exist.
Yun Che gently pinched onto the blade and with a slight use of force, he had already completely pulled it out from the mountain wall with a light clanging sound. Its blade, tip, hilt, color and aura, were completely the same as the Sky Poison Sword, which he was familiar with as if it was part of his body and had accompanied him for a few dozen years.
However, hadn’t the cause and effect of this world been altered by the Mirror of Samsara at the same time he reincarnated? “He” no longer existed in this world and the Sky Poison Pearl no longer existed in this world either. So why did the Sky Poison Sword, which had come into existence because of him here?
Furthermore, the most exaggerated consequence brought about by the Mirror of Samsara reincarnating him was the shift in time axis of Azure Cloud Continent. Everything had returned back to a few dozen years ago and according to the present time in the Azure Cloud Continent, even if this world still had another “him,” everything would have gone abiding to all the events that happened back then. During this time, he basically had yet to jump off Cloud’s End Cliff.
Furthermore, the Sky Poison Sword would not have even been born yet and it would have only been his first encounter with Su Ling’er.
Could it be that the shift in time axis brought about by the Mirror of Samsara’s reincarnation, was not just purely a reversal of time but had to a certain degree or due to some unique circumstances, maintained the things that existed and the incidents that happened in the “future”?
Yun Che carefully raised the Sky Poison Sword as he felt surging waves in his heart. The reason why it existed was hard to explain but it was not that important. To Yun Che, being able to wield it once more was a pleasant surprise bestowed by the heavens. Though its might was far from being able to compare to the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword materialized by Hong’er, nor was it a weapon suitable for use, it was something given to him by his master.
By regaining possession of this Sky Poison Sword, he finally had a keepsake left behind by his master.
His fingers lightly slid through the blade and then to the hilt. Just as he was preparing to keep it, at the ends of the hilt, his fingers suddenly touched a few strands of something that were firm yet a little soft at the same time.
Yun Che put some force behind his fingers before he was able to pluck them out from the sword.
At first glance, the things on his hand were a few strands of torn metal flakes which had considerably shining metallic surfaces. However, looking at the degree of their distortion and adhesion, these properties were clearly not something regular metals would have. The aura they were emitting was completely different from metals as well.
Yun Che looked at them with focused eyes for a short while and suddenly recognized them…
These are… dragon scales!?
Why were torn dragon scales hanging on the hilt of the Sky Poison Sword?
Just as this question flashed past Yun Che’s mind, his body suddenly shook as though he was struck by lightning.
These dragon scales…
Wait a minute… Could it be…
Yun Che’s memories, hazily returned to the Ranking Tournament hosted by Heavenly Sword Villa… returned to what felt like a dreamscape, where he once again encountered Su Ling’er…
These dragon scales…
Dragonscale Armor!!
The first prize of Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, that Dragonscale Armor!
The Dragonscale Armor which he gave to Su Ling’er back then!
These torn dragon scales, were clearly the same dragon scales from the Dragonscale Armor!
The same color and the same aura!
Could it… Could it be…
There seemed to be something rumbling within Yun Che’s chest, exploding out. He tightly held onto the torn dragon scales in his hands. His heart throbbed intensely and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. “Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s definitely Ling’er…”
He hurriedly turned around, panting roughly. Within this abyss of death, he let out an agitated loud roar. “Ling’er!! Ling’er!! Where are you!? Ling’er!”
His voice heavily echoed within the abyss, shaking the tumbling sand and stones. Yun Che shouted loudly. As he was too excited, only after shouting out a few dozen times, it felt as though he had emptied all of his strength, as he was no longer able to shout again.
“Big Brother Yun Che… Is that you?”
A dreamy clear voice, like the breeze in an empty valley, lightly reverberated next to Yun Che.
Yun Che’s body suddenly stiffened straight, as he stood completely rooted to the ground, as though he had suddenly fallen into a dream, unable to believe the world he was currently being exposed to. He raised his head, his action was so stiff and slow, it felt as though he was a wooden doll being raised up by a string.
On the mountain wall high above, a dark round rock protruding outwards. At the side of the round rock was a jade-green beautiful figure. She had an impressively elegant appearance and eyes that could cause the stars to lose their color.
Droplets of water silently fell off her two beautiful eyes, drawing long glittering traces of water in the sky, falling all the way down to the unreturnable abyssal depths.
Under the radiance of the Phoenix flames, their two pairs of eyes made contact while separated by a long empty space. The scene froze for a long while and even the entire world had sunken into silence, until everything was broken by Yun Che’s breathing.
“Ling… er…” Yun Che forcefully stretched out his hand. Everything before his eyes was much more perfect than a dream and he dared not to even approach and make contact for a moment, afraid that everything was merely just a dreamscape that would shatter with the slightest touch.
The Ling’er in his line of sight was much slenderer than six years ago and was more youthful and tender than his past life. However, that was his Ling’er. He definitely would not mistake her as it was impossible for him to do so.
“Big Brother Yun Che…” Su Ling’er called out, feeling as if she was talking in her dream. Her two hands and body, were as though they were being pushed by an invisible force, unconsciously approaching Yun Che… Then, she felt a sense of weightlessness beneath her feet as she slipped off the round rock, falling towards Yun Che.
However, she did not scream because of this sudden accident, nor was she even the slightest bit afraid. Present within her eyes was just an extremely beautiful calm.
“Ling’er!!”
Yun Che quickly called out, finally awakening from the haziness. He rose into the air and tightly caught Su Ling’er who was descending towards him. When he was truly holding onto her soft and tender body, the endless warmth and sense of satisfaction spread through Yun Che’s body.
Because at this moment, he was finally completely certain that all this was not an illusory dreamscape.
He hugged Su Ling’er tightly and from the bottom of the cliff, charged towards the skies. Su Ling’er quietly leaned into his chest, a light smile surfaced on her lips and tears welled in her beautiful eyes. In her heart, she no longer carried the slightest fear or anxiety but merely endless bliss, sense of security and satisfaction.
Su Ling’er was alive, safe and sound. After that loss back then, the “dreamscape” six years ago and once again another “loss”, he was finally able to embrace her tightly.
Everything was like a dream.
At this moment, he already knew that after Su Ling’er had jumped off Cloud’s End Cliff, the Sky Poison Sword and Dragonscale Armor had saved her life.
In the process of falling, the Dragonscale Armor on her body coincidentally hung onto the hilt of the Sky Poison Sword.
If it was anything else, like a branch or even a protruding rock, it could not have possibly stopped Su Ling’er. However, the Sky Poison Sword was swung towards the cliff with all of Yun Che’s strength while he was carrying the heart of certain death, deeply stabbing into it. Due to the poison power that originated from the Sky Poison Pearl, it was incomparably sturdy and even the force of a fall that accumulated for several kilometers would not possibly break it.
And, if it was regular clothing which ended up stopped by the Sky Poison Sword, under the intense force generated by the fall, the only result was the clothing being torn. It would have been impossible for it to hang onto the sword. However, the Dragonscale Armor Yun Che gave Su Ling’er was a Sky Profound Armor, constructed by actual dragon scales. Just by being worn, it could even block the power of even a Sky Profound Realm profound practitioner by an extremely large degree. The force generated by a fall of several kilometers was basically insufficient in completely tearing the Dragonscale Armor apart.
Just like that, the Sky Poison Sword he unintentionally flung out in his past life, which should not still exist in the first place…
The Dragonscale Armor which he gave her in what he thought was a “dreamscape” that did not exist in this life…
Had actually miraculously saved Su Ling’er’s life together.
As though their two hearts were in consonance, neither of them spoke. Clearly, their inner hearts were like surging ocean waves but when they were embracing each other tightly, their hearts had turned especially silent. Even the initially shrilling howls of the wind felt incomparably gentle.
Unknowingly, bright rays of light began to shine down on them from above and the air no longer felt oppressive. Yun Che’s arms slightly tightened as he circled in the air, escaping from the world of the abyssal depths. Hugging Su Ling’er, he gently landed on the side of Cloud’s End Cliff.
The mountain breeze was cooling and it did not carry the light scent of blood which Yun Che expected. Even the bloody scars that filled the ground earlier had disappeared without a trace as well. Probably, they were cleared away by the sects and clans of the Country of Supwake due to fear or they might have been cleaned by the disciples of Seven Stars Divine Palace later on.
However, at the very least, they were presently the only two people on Cloud’s End Cliff and it turned into a world that solely belonged to the two of them.
Gently holding onto Su Ling’er’s cheek, Yun Che silently focused his eyes and gently said. “Ling’er… You have grown up. These few years…”
Yun Che’s voice choked, as he did not know what explanation he should give that had to make her bitterly wait for six years. In the end, he said with a pale look. “…It’s my fault. I made you wait for such a long time.”
Su Ling’er gently shook her head, tears welled in her beautiful eyes. She gave a slight smile before hugging him once more, quietly leaning onto his chest, as she let out a dream-like voice. “Big Brother Yun Che, I’m definitely not dreaming, right…”
“This really might be a dream but it is a dream that we will never ever wake up from.” Yun Che lightly smiled as well.
The Ling’er of six years ago was like a lively and innocent little fairy. She would giggle out loud and wail out loud. But in a considerably short six years, she had turned especially quiet… quiet like a drifting orchid.
Rather, she was more like… the Su Ling’er whom he had painfully lost back then.
And back then, other than being quiet like a drifting orchid, it felt as if that Su Ling’er was filled with sadness and pain that could never disappear.
The two people immersed themselves in the mountain breeze for a very, very long time and from beginning till end, they were tightly embracing each other, as though they wanted to knead their own bodies into the other’s.
Only when the mountain breeze had quietly changed in direction, did the two figures finally, gently separate.
“Ling’er, are you not going to ask me… why I did not return to look for you this entire time in these few years?” Yun Che said guiltily.
However, Su Ling’er lightly shook her head, as she looked at him with misty eyes. “Because I know that Big Brother Yun Che definitely had no other choice and it isn’t because you don’t want Ling’er and have forgotten Ling’er.”
“…” Yun Che’s eyes swelled, as he was moved beyond words.
In his past life, she had given him endless accommodation, endless affection and endless sacrifices…
In this life, she was still the same as well…
This was his Ling’er.
“When I leapt off Cloud’s End Cliff, I had thought that I would no longer be able to see you again in this lifetime.” Su Ling’er stretched out her hand and gently caressed Yun Che’s cheek, her eyes were covered in foggy mist. “I never thought that, Big Brother Yun Che’s Sky Poison Sword and the Dragonscale Armor Big Brother Yun Che gave me would save me… I believe that it’s definitely because Big Brother Yun Che had always been thinking and worrying about me, that brought about such a miracle, allowing me to once again see Big Brother Yun Che.”
Yun Che lightly shook his head, his heart still carried the deep fear from earlier. “Ling’er, you’re so silly. Why did you have to jump? When I found out that you…”
Yun Che’s voice suddenly stopped halfway through, as he looked blankly at Su Ling’er. His voice turned especially stiff. “Ling’er… You… You… How did you know about… the Sky Poison Sword?”
Chapter 889 – Ling’er, Ling’er (2)
Facing Yun Che’s surprise, Su Ling’er placed her own small hand on Yun Che’s palm and her forehead gently leaned on his chest. “I fainted right after being stopped by the Sky Poison Sword. When I woke up, I was still hanging on the Sky Poison Sword. I recovered a bit of strength soon after and with the support of the rock at the side, I crawled up to a place that was considerably less dangerous.”
“You… How do you know about the Sky Poison Sword?” Yun Che was still in a daze.
The Sky Poison Sword was something from his past life, so why was Ling’er able to shout out its name?
The name of the sword was definitely not engraved on the Sky Poison Sword’s blade.
Su Ling’er continued to speak gently. “That place was very dark and very cold. I was really afraid, afraid to the point where I had several times wanted to leap directly down… After that, I unconsciously fell asleep and even dreamed…”
“It was a very long, long dream.”
Su Ling’er raised her face and looked at him with her beautiful affectionate eyes. Yun Che’s heart intensely skipped a beat from her eyes, because this was the expression Su Ling’er from his past life used to look at him with… Melancholic, spoiled, affectionate…
“Ling’er… You… You…”
“In the dream, there was a clear, small river, an emerald green bamboo forest, a small self-built cottage and Big Brother Yun Che.” It was as though Su Ling’er’s voice was coming from a dream. “In the dream, Big Brother Yun Che was always bearing so many injuries and was always flowing with so much blood. Every wound and every trickl of blood, would always make my heart ache, to point where it was hard to breathe… He was so gentle in the beginning but he became really terrifying, as though he had gone crazy. But, I still loved him and was infatuated with him… Every day, I would be staying in the small bamboo cottage, desperately praying for him to return alive, yet every day, I would be awoken by these nightmares, unable to stop the tears in my eyes…”
“…” Yun Che’s mind was ringing out loud. “Ling’er, you… you… How did you…”
“At the end of the dream, I died. I died in his embrace. He was desperately crying out loud while hugging onto me, crying in such a disheartening manner. After crying out all his tears, in the end, all that flowed down from his eyes was blood… At the center of the bamboo forest, he dug a place for me to lay in rest with his bare hands, to the point where his own hands were dyed completely in blood… With his blood-filled hands, he engraved on the tombstone… Written on the tombstone was… my beloved wife Su Ling’er…”
Su Ling’er’s voice, trembling in the beginning, choked at the end. Each of her final words was accompanied by a single tear. “At first, I thought that, to him, vengeance meant everything in his life, while I was just someone he didn’t need to have… However, that dream had let me know that, in the heart of the Yun Che I loved, my existence had always been there. I gave him all the tears of my lifetime and what I received in return, was all the tears of his lifetime. It seems, I had always… been blissful… I had always had in my hands, the thing that I wished for the most…”
Boom!
Yun Che’s mind once again rang out, his eyes and even his entire body, were beginning to tremble.
“Big Brother Yun Che,” Su Ling’er’s pair of slender arms circled around Yun Che’s neck and she said in an indulgent manner. “We… won’t ever separate again, right?”
“Ling’er… Ling’er!!” His two calls carried feelings that transcended time and space. He hugged Su Ling’er tightly in return and with a trembling voice, he said stutteringly. “Yes… We will never separate again, never again!”
That was not a dream. That was the memories of her past life, no, it was her past lifetime.
The Su Ling’er in his embrace, was both Su Ling’er of this lifetime and also Su Ling’er of his past lifetime… She was Su Ling’er in her entirety.
He did not know why it would turn out like this. Probably, this was the heaven’s way of making up for the fate of his and Su Ling’er’s past life…
However, no matter the reason, it was no longer that important. Not only had he once again held onto Su Ling’er,it was even Su Ling’er in her entirety. This was already a result that was far more than perfect.
And actually, what brought about this entire chain of events, was a miraculous accident.
Back then, when Yun Che leapt off Cloud’s End Cliff, in the very last moments of his life, probably because he subconsciously did not wish for the Sky Poison Sword to be buried in the abyss of Cloud’s End Cliff alongside him and used up all his strength to fling it away, seemingly at the same time, the Mirror of Samsara which had been worn in front of his chest all this while, activated the reincarnation ability after foreseeing Yun Che’s certain death.
The reincarnation ability that was a violation of the Heavenly Way was used on Yun Che and the Sky Poison Pearl and there was a small amount of energy which seeped into the Sky Poison Sword as well. This prevented the Sky Poison Sword from disappearing due to the shift in time axis and amendment of the karmic effect in the Azure Cloud Continent and it also allowed Su Ling’er, who made contact with the Sky Poison Sword, to awaken the memories of her “past life.”
This was an extremely profound coincidence and maybe, it was really an arrangement made by destiny.
The two people stayed on Cloud’s End Cliff for a very, very long time. After submerging themselves in their overly beautiful world of two for a long time, they began to face the reality that had already happened.
Though Su Ling’er did not question him, Yun Che knew that she definitely wanted to know just what had happened to her and what happened to the Azure Cloud Continent. Regarding all of this, he would honestly tell her everything and he was even eager to tell her everything. Because after Jasmine had left, Ling’er, who similarly carried memories of “two lifetimes,” was the only person left he could talk to about them.
She was also the only person who truly knew of his past.
However right now, what Su Ling’er was most concerned with, would definitely be the matters regarding the Grandwake Clan. He told Su Ling’er in detail the things that happened after he returned to the Grandwake Clan, while Su Ling’er quietly leaned on him. Her reactions were calm and her heart was similarly beating calmly as well. After awakening to the memories of her “past life,” like Yun Che, she had become someone who possessed “two lifetimes.” She had already become very indifferent to the fate of the Grandwake Clan and the consequences Su Haoran would face. Because she had already obtained everything she wanted, obtained the entrustment of her devotion and soul of two lifetimes. As long as she was with him, everything else was no longer important.
Finally, when Yun Che spoke of Su Hengshan suddenly severing his own life vein after passing him the soul crystal, Su Ling’er was instantly startled up and her two hands tightly grabbed onto Yun Che’s arms as she said in a panic. “Father… Father, he…”
Yun Che hurriedly said. “Ling’er, don’t worry, your father is fine. Although he severed his own life vein, he was immediately saved by me. Right now, he’s already completely fine and he won’t ever do the same silly thing again.”
From the intense panic shown on Su Ling’er’s expression, Yun Che felt incomparably fortunate that he chose to save Su Hengshan’s life with all his strength at that time. Otherwise, if Su Hengshan had really lost his life then, he was unable to imagine just how depressed Ling’er, whom he had managed to regain, would have been.
“Father, he… Is he really alright?” Su Ling’er initially flustered eyes, once again soothened up.
“Of course. Have you forgotten? Back then, master has often criticized me but in front of you, he had many times secretly praised my medicinal arts and he had even said that once I’m over a hundred years old, my medicinal arts might even surpass his… These were all things that Ling’er secretly told me. If I can’t even save Ling’er’s father, how can I possibly live up to my master’s kindness?”
“Mn!” Su Ling’er lightly smiled, the anxiety on her face vanished like smoke in the air.
“I can bring you over to look at Uncle Su right now.” Yun Che stood up.
“Ah? Now?”
“I will bring you to a place.” Yun Che summoned the Primordial Profound Ark with a mysterious look and then, carrying Su Ling’er along, they entered the inner world of the Primordial Profound Ark.
The sudden switch in space left Su Ling’er’s lips open for a long while. “This place is…”
“This is the world of the Primordial Profound Ark,” Yun Che said with a smile. “It can directly cross through large distances in space and instantly move to places I want to go. The reason why I was able to return to the Azure Cloud Continent this time was because of it. Regarding the matters of the Primordial Profound Ark, I will tell you about them in the future.”
“Mn.” Su Ling’er gently nodded. Following after, the light in her eyes stirred and she hurriedly rushed towards the person who was lying on the stone slabs in front of them.
“Ah… Father!”
Su Hengshan was quietly lying there and was still in a state of deep unconsciousness. However, his complexion was already quite ruddy and his breathing was calm and stable. Only his aura still remained a little frail.
Yun Che arrived next to Su Hengshan and reached out his hand to check the health condition of his life vein. Following after, the light in his eyes fiercely stirred… The extent of recovery of Su Hengshan’s life vein had actually reached nearly thirty percent.
Reaching such an extent should have required at least ten days.
In other words, after his soul was being stolen by the Netherworld Udumbara Flower in the dark abyss, he did not wake up very quickly but had stayed unconscious for nearly ten days!
Then Su Ling’er had similarly stayed in the darkness for ten days… Or maybe, in these ten days, she had been experiencing that long “dream”.
Sensing Su Hengshan’s frail, yet especially stable presence of life, Su Ling’er’s final worry had completely dispersed as well. With sparkling eyes, she said. “Big Brother Yun Che, thank you.”
Yun Che immediately shook his head. “Compared to the sacrifices you made for me and the debts I owe you, something like this can’t even be considered a piece of hair off of the bodies of a hundred cows. Furthermore, he is my father-in-law. Protecting my own father-in-law is a natural thing to do.”
“Heh…” Su Ling’er cheerfully laughed and said a little playfully, “Big Brother Yun Che, you have become even better at making girls happy, hehe.”
“Uh…” Yun Che’s eyes floated away. Then he hurriedly changed the subject and said decisively. “Ling’er, don’t worry. I won’t let the danger and wrongs you endured go for naught. I will also definitely make Seven Stars Divine Palace pay for all their debts towards Uncle Su and the Grandwake Clan!”
“Ah…” Su Ling’er lightly moaned. Her initially playful eyes were instantly dyed with panic. “Don’t… I managed to find Big Brother Yun Che and Father will immediately get better as well, so I did not suffer from any wrongs. The me now feels even more blissful than ever before. I don’t hate anyone, nor do I resent anyone. I don’t want you to take revenge, I really don’t…”
Seeing the worry and even fear pouring out of Su Ling’er’s eyes, Yun Che instantly wished he could ruthlessly slap himself in the face. In his past life, it was exactly because he was fixated on vengeance which made her life bitter and had burdened her for her entire life. Back then, she wondered how many times she had plead in tears for him to stop seeking revenge, yet he had never listened to her. Every day, like a crazed dog which had lost its heart, he headed out to bite the people he hated…
He reincarnated and had endured countless hardships to finally reunite with Ling’er, so how could he once again step onto the mistaken path he once took and make her sad and afraid again?
He grabbed onto Su Ling’er’s hands, looked straight in her eyes and said with incomparably seriousness and calm. “Alright, I will listen to Ling’er’s words. Who cares if they are the divine palace or ghost palace, even there’s ten thousand of them added up together, they will never be as important as a single strand of Ling’er’s hair. Right now, I can’t even wait to hug my Ling’er, why would I have the spare time to care about them?”
“Pfft…” Su Ling’er laughed. She leaned onto Yun Che’s chest and lightly drew circles on his chest with her finger as she sweetly said. “Big Brother Yun Che, you sure have a slippery tongue now. In these few years I wasn’t next to you, could you have already tricked many girls into your arms behind my back?”
Chapter 890 – The Other Sky Poison Pearl (1)
Upon leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che and Su Ling’er sat against each other for an entire night at the side of Cloud End’s Cliff. They talked about what happened all these years or perhaps more accurately, what happened in this lifetime.
In regards to the pitch black abyss below them, they were not the least bit anxious at all. Both of them had jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff before and their fates had completely changed because of it. It was obviously the “Death God’s Graveyard” that everyone in the Azure Cloud Continent talked about and yet, it did not devour their lives. Instead, it had completely mended their severed fates.
After that, Su Ling’er fell asleep smoothly in Yun Che’s grasp and when she woke up, it was already noon the next day.
“Big Brother Yun Che, after we go to the place called Illusory Demon Realm, are we really unable to return anymore?” Su Ling’er asked as she watched Yun Che with a tender expression, but her voice did not show much unwillingness.
“At least, in the short term, we would probably not be able to return. The amount of energy within the Primordial Profound Ark was only sufficient to travel to and from from the Illusory Demon Realm to the Azure Cloud Continent once. But if Ling’er wants to come back, I can think of something,” Yun Che said seriously.
However, Su Ling’er smiled lightly and shook her head, “With you and Father here, anywhere is fine.”
As she spoke, she took out a profound crystal that was intertwined with a yellow glow from her shirt. Judging by its aura, the profound crystal seemed to hiding some sort of unique profound formation.
Immediately, Yun Che deduced that it had to be the “precious treasure key” Su Hengshan gave her. It was because this “precious treasure key” attracted many eyes of avarice that there was an internal conflict within the Grandwake Clan. In the end, it even attracted the attention of Seven Stars Divine Palace, resulting in the disbandment of the Grandwake Clan.
Gripping the profound crystal in her hand, Su Ling’er forcibly threw it towards the Cloud’s End abyss.
They watched the orange-yellow arc into the endless world of the abyss alone and eternally be buried within; the so-called supreme treasure of the sect would now no longer attract greed and disaster ever again. Su Ling’er’s face did not show any heartache or unwillingness but only a short moment of anxiety and sadness… before revealing a relaxed smile.
“Big Brother Yun Che, I want to return to the Grandwake Clan first. There are still some things from my mother there that I cannot bear to part with.”
“Okay,” Yun Che naturally expressed his complete consent, “Let’s return to the Primordial Profound Ark. If I use the Primordial Profound Ark, it would only take an instant to return from here to the Grandwake Clan.”
However, Su Ling’er shook her head and smiled cheekily, “I refuse! I want Big Brother Yun to carry me and fly there. Last time, it was always me that carried you. Now, I want you to repay everything back.”
“…Alright!” Yun Che’s emotions were riled and his eyes were slightly warm. That’s right, in the past, she had always carried him… when he was covered in blood. However, he had not even hugged her warmly more than a few times. Other than enjoying her tireless care and her tears filled with concern, he was the one who roughly released his beastly desires onto her.
Putting away the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che wrapped his arms around Su Ling’er’s waist and leapt into the air. Accompanied by her dreamlike laughter, Yun Che moved by stepping on the air.
Yun Che moved at slow speeds and it took nearly two hours before they flew out of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range’s borders and returned to the borders of the Country of Supwake. In the process of flying out of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range, he detected numerous energy waves. He counted that there were a total of thirty seven different auras of Seven Stars Divine Palace disciples.
Obviously, they were trying to find who was it that killed their people. After all, an elder of Seven Stars Divine Palace being brutally murdered was an earth shattering event within the entire Azure Cloud Continent.
If it were before, when his remaining hatred had not been quelled, he would make all the divine palace disciples that had come to Mythical Abode Mountain Range die there and cause Seven Stars Divine Palace to be even more enraged. Now however, he couldn’t be bothered to even give them another glance.
Looking at the Country of Supwake’s territory from afar, Yun Che’s gaze gradually became dreamy.
“Big Brother Yun Che, is something on your mind?” Su Ling’er who had been listening to the sounds of the wind and the heartbeat sounds of Yun Che asked in concern.
“I’m thinking… where would Master be right now? Should I go and find him?” Yun Che heaved a faint sigh, “In the Azure Cloud Continent now, Master must still be safe. however, what’s different is that he does not have me by his side and has never possessed the Sky Poison Pearl before.”
“It’s just that…” Yun Che laughed self mockingly, “he brought me up, imparted me medicinal skills and taught me how to be kind and benevolent. However, after his ‘passing,’ the amount of people I killed were several million times more than the amount of people I saved. Do I even have the face to see him?”
“No,” Su Ling’er softly consoled, “Master was such an amazing person. How would he not be able to differentiate whether Big Brother Yun Che was a good or bad person? He loved you so much back then. If he were to see you again, even if he did not recognize you, he would surely like you like before. Because my Big Brother Yun Che possess such charm.”
“Hahaha…” Su Ling’er’s words that were filled with infatuation made Yun Che laugh. However, in his heart, he was still hesitating about whether or not he should go and search for his master. He desired to see him again but was also afraid of meeting him. He was even more afraid that his appearance might disturb his peaceful life.
The current Azure Cloud Continent did not have the existence of the Sky Poison Pearl which meant that his master would no longer meet with a disaster due to the possession of a treasure. Instead, he would be widely respected. As for him, no matter where he went so far, bloodshed would follow. He was afraid that his appearance might destroy his master’s peaceful life.
After leaving the Mythical Abode Mountain Range, the two of them continued flying north, in the direction of the Country of Supwake. After traveling another fifty kilometers, Yun Che’s eyebrows suddenly twitched… because an exceptionally strong profound aura came not far ahead of him.
The aura of more than forty people who were in the Sovereign Profound Realm!!
Among them, the strongest three were already in the ninth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
Other than the sovereign profound aura, there were more than two hundred Tyrant Profound auras present as well.
Among the three continents on Blue Pole Star, the combined profound cultivation of the Profound Sky Continent was the strongest and the Illusory Demon Realm was weaker than the Profound Sky Continent. As for Yun Che’s understanding of the Azure Cloud Continent, the combined profound cultivation on the Azure Cloud Continent was to some degree, weaker than the Illusory Demon Realm.
The three strongest sects within the Azure Cloud Continent were the Heaven Thwarting Sect, Seven Stars Divine Palace, and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect. Each one of them possessed strength that was similar to a middle class guardian family within the Illusory Demon Realm.
Ninth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm was essentially the pinnacle of strength within the Azure Cloud Continent. As for the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, they currently existed within the Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm, but for the Azure Cloud Continent, it seemed as though there were only records of their appearances before.
Therefore, the appearance of forty odd Sovereign Profound Realm auras… was an extremely exaggerated figure in the Azure Cloud Continent.
Then, the three who were in the ninth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm were essentially the same as the gathering of the Four Sacred Masters in the Profound Sky Continent.
Furthermore, all the profound auras will obviously split into three sections and each of their combined strengths was largely similar.
To be able to pull off something like that, there was no other possibility in the Azure Cloud Continent.
Heaven Thwarting Sect! Seven Stars Divine Palace! Soaring Celestial Sword Sect!
The three most pinnacle sects of Azure Cloud Continent were actually gathered in the Country of Supwake and they had brought such an outrageous lineup… It was highly likely that even their three sect masters were present. Just what was going on?
What was so worth it within the tiny Country of Supwake that the three supreme sects would take such huge actions?
“Big Brother Yun Che, what’s wrong? Is something happening in front?” Seeing Yun Che’s eyebrows slightly knitted together, Su Ling’er asked curiously.
Yun Che’s eyes turned back and he laughed, “There seems to be a bunch of people causing trouble in front. I guess we had better move away from them? Or should we just fly past above their heads?”
Su Ling’er laughed at his strange question.
If it had been Yun Che alone, he would have definitely gone forward to investigate. However, he had Su Ling’er in his grasp now so she was obviously the one that mattered the most. He did not hesitate much as he greatly changed directions and lowered his high speed.
As he approached this exaggerated aura closer and closer, Yun Che used Hidden Flowing Lightning to hide the aura of both him and Su Ling’er. He had not wished to frighten Su Ling’er again because of some outsiders.
However, when he passed by, he was still driven by curiosity and released his spiritual sense to listen to the commotion nearby.
“Sect Master Zuo, you have indeed still come.” The voice came from a middle aged man and each word he uttered was filled with exceptionally dense profound energy. He was one of the three level nine Monarchs present.
“Hohoho,” The one who was called “Sect Master Zuo” let out a long laugh and said with some contempt, “That’s natural. I heard that this object that would harm the world has appeared and it is a duty of our clan to exterminate it. As for Sect Master Mu, have you specifically come to exterminate it as well?”
“That’s natural, however, it seems that I am very ‘uncoincidentally’ handling the same matter as Sect Master Zuo. In order to get rid of that trouble, Sect Master Zuo has personally come, even sacrificing by prematurely coming out of seclusion, wasting a heaven sent chance to breakthrough for nothing. This is really the ultimate self sacrifice.”
Sect Master Mu’s words sounded like compliments but as long as one was not an idiot, one could hear the mocking behind each and every word.
“Heheh, same here. Speaking of which…” Sect Master Zuo attempted to shift the conversation onto the other person, “Palace Chief Duan, I heard that an elder and several dozen disciples of your palace were murdered sometime back. For Palace Chief Duan to appear in this tiny Country of Supwake so suddenly, could you be personally handling the investigations?”
“Hoho,” the one who had been called “Palace Chief Duan” laughed. “My palace’s elder was killed outside. Such a matter has not happened for more than a thousand years. This was not just simply the lives of one elder and several dozen disciples, it’s also a big shame that my divine palace has suffered for the first time in a thousand years. Of course this palace chief has to personally handle this! Instead, coincidentally meeting Sect Master Mu and Sect Master Zuo who also personally appeared, now that is such a strange coincidence.”
“Who says it isn’t , hahahaha……”
The three of them began laughing and within each of their laughters, obvious coldness could be felt.
Their auras, language and greetings for one another immediately allowed Yun Che to confirm their identities.
Heaven Thwarting Sect’s Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo!
Seven Stars Divine Palace’s Palace Chief Duan Heisha!
Soaring Celestial Sword Sect’s Sect Master Mu Yingchan!
The three of them had actually came in person.
Furthermore, they obviously had the same motive!
For this same motive, they had all not descended and collided strongly against one another.
Just that it was uncertain why they took such strong measures.
Yun Che brought Su Ling’er and quickly passed the region of the three great sects. The further Yun Che went, the words and voices that he could hear gradually became weaker.
Just as Yun Che was prepared to retract his spiritual sense, he heard one of them say, “Very good… since we have the same goal, should we force the ‘trouble’ out before deciding who should handle it?”
“Sect Master Mu is right,” Duan Heisha happily agreed before his voice suddenly turned cold and he let out a deep pressurising howl. “Yun Gu, since you already know who we are, don’t choose the hard way out. Immediately hand us the Sky Poison Pearl!”
Yun Che, who had already flown a long distance away, seeme to have been struck by lightning as he came to an abrupt halt.
Chapter 891 – The Other Sky Poison Pearl (2)
“Ah,” Su Ling’er, who was bathing in the wind, exclaimed out when Yun Che suddenly stopped and she hurriedly asked, “Big Brother Yun Che, what’s wrong?”
“Master…” Yun Che muttered out absentmindedly. Then, he forcefully turned his body. He was about to wildly charge over regardless of the costs. However, the moment he gathered his profound energy, his reason took over and suppressed the impulse.
The “Yun Gu” which Duan Heisha shouted out earlier, was his master’s name!
The name of the “Medical Saint” whom everyone in the Azure Cloud Continent knew and respected!
He never expected that just as he was thinking about his master, hesitating over whether he should look for him, look at him from afar or even head over and have a simple conversation with him… he would be caught by surprise and suddenly hear the name of his master.
Nor would he ever expect that Heaven Thwarting Sect, Seven Stars Divine Palace, and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect would move together. The three great hegemons personally coming to this scene could be said to be an enormous parade in the Azure Cloud Continent that one might not be possible to witness even in a hundred years. And it was actually for his master and…
The Sky Poison Pearl…
Sky Poison Pearl!!??
“Master? Are you talking about Master?” Su Ling’er was also tightly grabbing onto Yun Che’s arms in excitement. “Is it true? Where is he? Where is Master?”
Yun Che carried incomparable respect towards Yun Gu and though he had always addressed him as “Master”, during that lifetime when he was in the Azure Cloud Continent, that person was his only father!
And why wouldn’t Su Ling’er carry deep respect and feelings towards Yun Gu as well?
Yun Che’s eyes flickered. He did not immediately reply, as a doubt floated in his heart… What was going on with the “Sky Poison Pearl” Duan Heisha spoke of? These words of his clearly expressed that the three great sects were here in order to snatch the Sky Poison Pearl off the hands of his master, Yun Gu.
However, the Sky Poison Pearl was clearly in his possession and it had even merged with his body, accompanying him back to the Profound Sky Continent. So how could another one possibly appear?
Furthermore, Jasmine once mentioned that the reincarnation brought about by the Mirror of Samsara was accompanied by the amendment to karmic effect but it was definitely impossible to bend the laws of causality. Though time had shifted in the Azure Cloud Continent, another him would no longer appear and another Sky Poison Pearl would not appear either.
Not to mention, the Sky Poison Pearl was not just an ordinary object but a Heavenly Profound Treasure similar to the Mirror of Samsara!
How could something like this possibly be “duplicated!?”
There was another thing he couldn’t figure out… Though his master was forced to death because of the Sky Poison Pearl, the sects and clans that forced him to death were just a few first-rate sects and clans of the Azure Cloud Continent. At the very most, they had only ruled over certain countries or certain territories in the Azure Cloud Continent; none of them was a sect at the sacred ground-level like Heaven Thwarting Sect.
Later on, with intent for vengeance, he madly released the poison power of the Sky Poison Pearl, allowing the common people to witness the terror of the Sky Poison Pearl. This thus attracted the greed of sects like Heaven Thwarting Sect… and the pursuit of the entire continent.
Yun Che had thought that because he did not possess the Sky Poison Pearl in this lifetime, with his kindness and medicinal techniques, his master Yun Gu would definitely be able to live his life peacefully amidst the respect garnered by the people. He never expected that his master Yun Gu would still end up suffering such a plight…
However, based on the present time, it had been brought forward compared to his past lifetime and it was even more terrifying than his past lifetime… Coercion by three sects at the sacred ground level!
Just what in the world was going on?
However, no matter what and no matter who it was… How could he possibly allow his master to suffer the same disastrous fate again!?
“Ling’er, the person those people were surrounding earlier, was Master,” Yun Che had already calmed down and he said with a low voice. “Back then, I did not have the abilities to save master. This time, even if it’s the heavenly king himself, he shouldn’t even think about touching a strand of Master’s hair again!!”
“Ah…” Su Ling’er’s eyes turned towards the back and her expression instantly tensed up. She was anxious about Yun Gu but she was even more anxious about Yun Che.
“Ling’er, let’s head over quietly… Don’t worry, we won’t be discovered by them.”
Yun Che tightly hugged Su Ling’er again and with Hidden Flowing Lightning activated, he perfectly concealed both their auras before quietly approaching them… He wanted to figure out what exactly was going on. He wanted to know if the “Sky Poison Pearl” he heard earlier could actually be the Sky Poison Pearl.
After approaching within a distance of three kilometers, with his gaze passing through layers of trees and the human crowd, Yun Che saw the old man who was being surrounded by the three great sects with a single glance. Yun Che’s heart fiercely trembled and his eyes, which had several times lost control after reuniting with Su Ling’er, once again swelled up.
He had a long white beard, long white brows, and long white hair, yet his face was not the least bit covered with wrinkles and his eyes were as clear as water. His entire figure looked as if he was a celestial walking out from the clouds as his body exuded an extraordinary and dustless brilliance.
Even though the three great hegemon sects were surrounding him, even though he was directly facing the might of the three great sect masters who had reached the apex, he still carried a calm look. Only his eyes carried a deep tiredness, as though he was sighing at human greed and its filth.
“Master…” Yun Che agitatedly muttered and it seemed as if his profound energy was about to leak out due to his loss of control. “I finally… I finally get to see you again…”
“Yun Gu, you’re not trying to say that the Sky Poison Pearl isn’t in your hands, right?” Heaven Thwarting Sect’ Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo took several steps forward with leisurely eyes, giving a faint smile. “Seven months ago, the number one sect of Southern Sky Country, Fleeting Villa, suffered the disaster brought upon by the Sky Poison Pearl as they tried to hide the Sky Poison Pearl for themselves. A total of two hundred and seventy thousand people in the villa melted into venomous liquid and the entire villa turned into a ruin of death. It was unspeakably miserable and even the people that entered the villa after that, all lost their lives.”
“After the poison scattered, there were actually no traces of the Sky Poison Pearl in Fleeting Villa and there has been no news of the Sky Poison Pearl since that day. However, just recently, we confirmed a single matter… Before the poison in Fleeting Villa scattered, there was a single person who came out alive after walking in and that person was you, Yun Gu! Are you going to deny this matter?”
“Haah,” Yun Gu let out a long sigh.
“Sect Master, why the need to waste time speaking with this old man? Let’s just take him down.” An elder of Heaven Thwarting Sect was about to step forward.
“Ah, don’t be impolite.” Zuo Hanshuo however lightly raised his hand. “Yun Gu is the Medical Saint of this world. Having saved countless lives and being revered by the people of the world, how could he possibly be an idiot who does not know where he stands and does not care about the peace and stability of the entire continent?”
Naturally, these words were not out of respect towards Yun Gu. If there was only a single sect present here, they would have long made use of all possible methods to take it away. However, with the three great sects gathered together, though they looked harmonious on the surface, whoever was to make the first move would definitely suffer from a combined assault.
“Sky Poison Pearl is indeed in the hands of this old one,” Yun Gu slowly said. His voice was rich, without the slightest sense of having aged.
Yun Che: “…” (Yun Gu actually directly admitted to it.)
“Hahahaha.” Seven Stars Divine Palace Chief Duan Heisha laughed out loud. “As expected of the Medical Saint, you’re truly a smart individual who knows your place. In that case, are you going to obediently hand it over or do you want us to personally take it away from you?”
“Why do you people wish to obtain the Sky Poison Pearl?” Yun Gu raised his head to look at the sky and asked a question that he already knew the answer to.
“Hmph, is there even a need to ask?” Mu Yingchan, the Sect Master of Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, slowly stepped forward and righteously said. “Ever since the Sky Poison Pearl appeared in this world four years ago, countless people of our Azure Cloud Continent have died under its intense poison. In the beginning its poison merely killed several dozen people. However, with every subsequent appearance, it would bring upon an even more terrifying poisonous disaster. From a few dozen people, to killing several hundred people at a time and then to a thousand people… several thousand… several tens of thousands…”
“And, the last time it appeared, it had poisoned and killed a total of two hundred and seventy thousand people in Fleeting Villa. All of their corpses no longer exist and the entire villa has turned into a wasteland. Furthermore, the intense poison had only scattered after an entire month. An item of such disastrous level will definitely bring a gargantuan crisis to the Azure Cloud Continent if given even more time. The reason our Soaring Celestial Sword Sect had bitterly search for the Sky Poison Pearl the entire time, was in order to seal it forever and to prevent it from harming the world ever again.”
“And looking at the entire the Azure Cloud Continent, the only ones with the abilities capable of sealing the Sky Poison Pearl, are our Soaring Celestial Sword Sect.”
Yun Gu: “…”
“Hohohoho, Sect Master Mu, are you not afraid that your tongue will get bitten by the large winds?” Duan Heisha said in a ridiculing tone. “If it’s the way of the sword, our Seven Stars Divine Palace is indeed unable to compare but when it comes to the ways of medicine and poison, I’m afraid your esteemed sect is not even at the level of our toes. If the Sky Poison Pearl is truly handed to your esteemed sect, heh… Sect Master Mu, are you not afraid that your Soaring Celestial Sword Sect would step on the trail of Fleeting Villa due to its lack of abilities?”
Mu Yingchan was not angry either, as he said smilingly. “Now this isn’t something Palace Chief Duan has to worry about. If our Soaring Celestial Sword Sect is really unable to contain the Sky Poison Pearl, the ten thousand years we have stood on the Azure Cloud Continent for, would have been for nothing. Though when it comes to Palace Chief Duan, an elder and a bunch of disciples from your esteemed palace seem to have just been killed by someone, yet even now, you still do not have any leads. With a foreign danger not yet dispelled, you still forcefully ran over here to intervene in the matters of the Sky Poison Pearl. This sect master was merely worried that your esteemed palace would be overwhelmed and accidentally step onto the trail of Fleeting Villa. Now that would really be ugly to see.”
Duan Heisha coldly laughed. “Compared to the peace and stability of the Azure Cloud Continent, what’s there to care about a mere foreign danger?”
Their words fell into Yun Che’s ears without a single word missing, causing him to feel even more surprised.
The “Sky Poison Pearl” they spoke of appeared four years ago and it was able to release an incomparably terrifying poison.
The Sky Poison Pearl that merged with him possessed complete purifying and refining powers. However, even after so many years had passed, the poison powers that it once had were never restored… Not even the least bit of it was restored.
Back then, his master Yun Gu was forced to death. The reason why they wanted to snatch away the Sky Poison Pearl, was all for the purifying and refining powers displayed by the Sky Poison Pearl when Yun Gu was giving treatment to people.
Yun Gu used the Sky Poison Pearl to save people, yet the ones who were saved exposed the powers of the Sky Poison Pearl. Through the entire the Azure Cloud Continent, they spread the fact that the Sky Poison Pearl could understand the countless poisons under the heavens and that it could refine countless objects under the heavens. With the Sky Poison Pearl, they no longer needed to be afraid of any form of poison and there would no longer be medicine that they could not refine.
In the end, under the greed of countless sects and clans, Yun Gu killed himself. The reason he killed himself, was in order to protect Yun Che. However, Yun Che had instead…
As for the poison powers of the Sky Poison Pearl, the people of the world only found out about the most terrifying part of the Sky Poison Pearl, its annihilative poison powers, only after the vengeful Yun Che had released them to kill those who had forced Yun Gu to die without regard for any consequences.
And now, the reason why these three hegemons wanted to snatch away the “Sky Poison Pearl,” was clearly because of its poison powers. In their words, they had never brought up that it carried purifying and refining powers.
The “Sky Poison Pearl” they were trying to snatch right now, just what in the world was it?
Yun Gu swept his eyes at his surroundings and lightly sighed. “If you people are truly here to seal the powers of the Sky Poison Pearl and prevent it from bringing a crisis of poison to the Azure Cloud Continent, then all of you can leave now.”
“What do you mean by that?” Heaven Thwarting Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo leisurely asked.
“The poison of the Sky Poison Pearl is not your regular poison. Presently, its poison powers have only just awakened by a small amount, yet it is already displaying such a level of terror. Controlling and sealing its poison powers is definitely not as easy as using a profound energy formation. This old one has dwelled deep into the ways of the medicine and poison for so many years and furthermore, when it comes to the way of poison, I have a slightly unique disposition for it, which allowed me to barely control the Sky Poison Pearl. If it is handed to you people, the moment its poison powers lose control and go berserk, yet another calamitous crisis that can never be restored will happen once again.”
“Heh heh heh, hahahahaha…” Heaven Thwarting Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo laughed out arrogantly and Duan Heisha and Mu Yingchan were similarly laughing out loud. With a ridiculing tone, Zuo Hanshuo said, “And here I was wondering just what kind of individual this Medical Saint is. I had thought he was a saint who truly cared about the safety of countless lives but in the end, he’s nothing more than a vulgarian who covets the Sky Poison Pearl.”
“Such laughable words. You’re the only one capable of controlling the Sky Poison Pearl and we can’t? In other words, our three sects, which have prospered for ten thousand years in the Azure Cloud Continent, cannot hold a candle to an old man who practices medicine? Hahahahaha, this is simply the most idiotic joke this palace chief has heard in his entire life.” Duan Heisha laughed arrogantly.
“Old fogey Yun.” Mu Yingchan dropped his pretense. His address towards Yun Gu had already turned incomparably belittling as he reached his hand out towards Yun Gu. “Hand over the Sky Poison Pearl obediently. This is all for the countless lives under the heavens.”
“What you people want, is but the poison powers of the Sky Poison Pearl.” Grief was clearly carried within Yun Gu’s eyes and his voice was still as light as the wind. “The real disaster and mistake, will be handing it over to you all.”
“Heh.” Mu Yingchan’s eyes darkened, as an ice-cold and pale hand stretched out, grabbing onto Yun Gu’s left shoulder. “You sure are unexpectedly stubborn. In order to monopolize the Sky Poison Pearl, you would even throw away your life. I really wonder, if you were to lose an arm, would your answers remain the same?”
The moment Mu Yingchan’s voice fell, an ice-cold, bone-piercing voice rang behind him.
“Take your dirty hand off him!”
Chapter 892 – Debts of Past and Present
It was as if someone had suddenly poured a bucket of cold water over Mu Yingchan’s head as his entire body went completely rigid.
This sound seemed to come from the empty space that had abruptly ruptured as it echoed in his ears. As the Sect Master of Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, one of the three most powerful people in the Azure Cloud Continent, he actually had not detected the aura of the owner of that voice before it had appeared.
What was even more terrifying was the fact that even though that voice was very soft, it contained a coldness and killing intent that seeped into his very soul, causing every hair on his body to stand on end.
He had never ever experienced this sensation before in his long life.
“Who is it!?” Mu Yingchan yelled out in a low voice as he turned around as swift as lightning. After that he unwittingly looked above him as everyone’s shocked gazes simultaneously focused on the space above Mu Yingchan’s head.
They saw a young man dressed in white hovering in the air with a green-clad girl who did not look a day over sixteen in his arms. The girl was beautiful enough to cause the fall of cities and countries and she clung tightly to the man by her side. There was some fear reflected in her eyes but it was overshadowed by a sense of security and safety.
The place they were in was only thirty meters above them but not a single person who was present knew when exactly they had appeared in that place.
Those were two overly-youthful and completely unknown faces. The girl’s profound energy aura was only at the third level of the Spirit Profound Realm but the young man’s aura was at the initial stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm.
The three great sect masters all felt profound shock in their hearts… There were already very few Monarchs in the Azure Cloud Continent and the three of them were extremely familiar with all of them. Moreover, only a peerless genius could have reached the Sovereign Profound Realm at such a young age but the three of them had never seen this young man before.
“Who are you?” Mu Yingchan said as his eyes narrowed into slits, “Were you the one who spoke to this sect master just now?”
“Sect Master, it’s merely some reckless young punk who doesn’t value his own life. Do we chase him away or…” a person standing behind Zuo Hanshuo said in a voice that was filled with disdain.
“Young punk?” Zuo Hanshuo said with a low chuckle, “From the aura given off by his lifeforce, he should not be more than thirty years old, yet his profound strength has already reached the initial stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm. This young fellow surely must have an incredible background.”
“Oh?” Zuo Hanshuo’s words caused everyone besides the three great sect masters to gasp in shock. But their shock was merely at the level of surprise, so that person immediately replied, “No wonder he dares to display such an arrogant attitude, he indeed has the goods to back it up. However, it is truly a pity that he has chosen the wrong people to target today.”
“Young man, you called this sect master’s hand dirty. That is truly a strange thing to say,” Mu Yingchan said in an amused manner as he shook his own hand. “This sect master has lived for seventeen hundred years but it is the first time I’ve heard anyone use the word ‘dirty’ to describe this sect master. Do you want to try and say it again?”
Yun Che did not say anything and his expression did not change either. Both him and Su Ling’er were still looking intently at Yun Gu and it was as if neither of them had even heard what Mu Yingchan had just said.
Yun Che’s figure blurred and in an instant, he had already flashed by Mu Yingchan with Su Ling’er in tow, both of them arriving at Yun Gu’s side. Mu Yingchan did not stretch a hand out to stop them. Instead, he turned around in a calm and composed manner. From his behavior, it was clear that he was extremely interested in Yun Che’s identity. He was also naturally mistaken about why Yun Che had rushed to Yun Gu’s side. He gave a cold smile as he said, “Ah, you are also here for the Sky Poison Pearl after all.”
Master…
As he looked at Yun Gu, who was right in front of him, Yun Che cried out loudly in his heart. His mood, the complete change in his nature and temperament, and the greatest frenzy he had ever fallen into in both of his lives had both been because of this old man in front of him. The debt Yun Che owed this man for raising him and nurturing his talent was higher than the heavens and deeper than the ocean. He had originally thought that he would forever be separated from him. He also never expected to actually be able to meet him once more.
His appearance had not changed in the slightest and his aura was still as warm as a gentle breeze. The clear and fresh smell of medicine wafted from his body and his eyes looked deep enough to hold the entire world in them.
In this world, there were many people who were called magnanimous men or saints but in Yun Che’s eyes, if there could only be one true saint in this entire world, then it would definitely be Yun Gu, who had been both a father and a teacher to him.
Yun Gu was also gazing at Yun Che. Yun Che’s eyes alternated between clear and cloudy and it was as if his emotions had been so stirred up that he could barely control himself. However, Yun Gu could not see the slightest trace of greed in Yun Che’s eyes… So, at the very least, Yun Gu could tell that he was definitely not here for the Sky Poison Pearl.
He was sure that he had never seen this person before but he hazily felt a strange and old sense of familiarity with him.
“Little brother, even though I do not know why you rushed towards this old one but you are definitely not after the Sky Poison Pearl in this old one’s possession. Or perhaps, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. This place is far more dangerous than you can imagine, I would advise that you leave as quickly as possible,” Yun Gu advised.
“…” Yun Che calmed the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He squeezed Su Ling’er’s small hand and said in a low voice, “Ling’er, return to the profound ark with Master first… I will forcibly send Master there.”
Su Ling’er hands tensed as she gazed at Yun Che for a good long while before she finally gave a light nod of her head, “Big Brother Yun, you must be careful.”
A spatial ripple surged from around Yun Che and before any of the people present had a chance to react, Su Ling’er and Yun Gu had both vanished from that place.
Mu Yingchan, Duan Heisha and Zuo Hanshuo were briefly stunned but after that, their expressions changed as all three of them rushed towards where Yun Gu had been standing at practically the same time. But whether it was his figure or his aura, Yun Gu had completely vanished and he had not left even a single trace behind.
“It… it was a dimensional escape!” Zuo Hanshuo said with a low yell as he swiveled towards Yun Che. He stared at Yun Che furiously, his aura firmly locking onto him as well, “There is some kind of spatial profound artifact hidden on his person.”
“To think we fell for this young punk’s trick,” Mu Yingchan said as his expression turned completely dark. The three great sect masters and the entirety of their three supreme sects had been gathered in this place and no one in the Azure Cloud Continent could disobey or resist such a force. The power gathered here could rule over all of existence but all of them could only watch as their prey disappeared right before their eyes.
“Hohoho, it seems like Sect Master Zuo and Sect Master Mu truly have not made much progress these last few years. It is merely a small accident, yet it so easily caused the two of you to lose your composure.”
On the other hand, Duan Heisha was completely calm and composed. He stared at Yun Che, his amused smile deep and long, “Even if that Yun Gu flees, where else can he flee to? Moreover, don’t the both of you think that another big present has delivered itself to our doorstep?”
“Oh? What does Palace Chief Duan mean?” Mu Yingchan and Zuo Hanshuo’s gazes grew more intense as they reacted to those words.
“Heh.” Duan Heisha slowly walked towards Yun Che, “Kid, this palace chief really has to commend your guts. Of course, the reason you have such courage is because you still do not know who we are. Before this palace chief personally reveals this to you, you still have one last chance… Right now, this palace chief is extremely interested in the spatial profound artifact that you just used. If you are willing to obediently hand over, perhaps this palace chief will disregard your previous behavior. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Yun Che said as the corners of his mouth hooked up into a cold smile, “Duan Heisha, I heard that Seven Stars Divine Palace dispatched an elder and a group of disciples to shamelessly harm an innocent sect in the Country of Supwake. All for the sake of a stalk of Coiling Dragon Feelers. But in the end, they received their just desserts and all of them died a miserable death… I don’t know who it was who sent them all to hell but I wonder if your Seven Stars Divine Palace has found that person already?”
Duan Heisha’s face gradually grew rigid but a divine palace elder who stood behind him already started to roar in fury, “Ah, so the one who killed the Nineteenth Elder and his party was you!!”
“Preposterous.” Duan Heisha smiled despite his rage. He had originally believed that the reason Yun Che had dared to act so boldly and presumptuously in front of them was because he did not know who they were… If not, he would have been scared shitless a long time ago.
But right now, Yun Che had addressed him by his name and had accurately identified the Seven Stars Divine Palace behind him.
He actually even took the initiative to tell them in a tone filled with contempt that he was the person who had cruelly killed all of those people from Seven Stars Divine Palace ten days ago!
If they had originally believed that the reason for his lack of fear was sheer ignorance, then right now… the other party not only knew who they were, he had also clearly and arrogantly treated his Seven Stars Divine Palace with contempt while boldly taunting them.
“Sect Master Zuo, Sect Master Mu… Will there be any objections if my Seven Stars Divine Palace takes down this kid?” Duan Heisha’s face had turned a faint green and it was clear that he was truly enraged.
“You can subdue him but you need to guarantee his survival,” Zuo Hanshuo said, the schadenfreude evident in his voice. “Whether it is the Sky Poison Pearl or the spatial profound artifact, once we reach an agreement on these two things, you can deal with him in whatever manner you please.”
“Forget it, I’ll leave this matter to Palace Chief Duan. This sect master will just treat the matter where this kid just called this sect master’s hands dirty as forgotten,” Mu Yingchan said indifferently as his lips curled up but his hot and venomous gaze was still locked onto Yun Che’s body.
After seeing that the other two sect masters consented to his proposal, an elder that was standing behind Duan Heisha strode forward and spoke aggressively. “Palace Chief, let me teach this arrogant and ignorant punk a lesson! He has merely reached the first level of the Sovereign Profound Realm but he behaves as if he is unrivaled under heaven and actually dares to kill members of our Seven Stars Divine Palace.”
“Let him keep his life but break his arms and his legs first!” Duan Heisha said in a dark voice. As the Seven Stars Palace Chief, it was only natural that he would not stoop to dealing with this matter personally.
The divine palace elder took a step forward before fiercely rushing towards Yun Che. The boundless and majestic energy field of a Monarch instantly expanded outwards, causing squalls to spring up in the surrounding area which was tens of kilometers wide.
“Kid, give your granddaddy a good kneel first!” As he shouted those furious words, his extended palm was no more than three feet away from Yun Che’s head.
Yun Che did not move an inch. His eyes were tranquil and his expression was cold and indifferent, not wavering in the slightest. He only blandly murmured in his heart: The old debts of the previous years and the new debts of the present, I’ll settle them all today!
RIIIIP!!!
The divine palace elder’s palm grabbed Yun Che’s head but in the instant that his profound energy expanded outwards, he suddenly discovered that his palm was grabbing empty air and the profound energy that he released had only torn a long black gash in the air.
Wha… What!?
Where was he… Where was he!?
The divine palace elder felt an unexpected shock bloom in his heart; he could barely believe his own eyes. But before he could recover from his shocked daze, an extremely dull and heavy sound suddenly rang out behind him.
Zzng
This sound was not particularly resonant. It also could not be described as intense, but it was so dull and heavy that it caused extreme discomfort to everyone’s eardrums and body. It was as if something had suddenly exploded against their heart.
The Yun Che who had “disappeared” had materialized in front of Seven Stars Palace Chief Duan Heisha like a ghost. His right elbow struck Duan Heisha’s chest… At that moment, Duan Heisha’s expression was still dark and heavy and he did not even have time to be startled before this happened.
That dull and heavy noise was the sound of Yun Che’s elbow striking Duan Heisha’s chest.
After everyone had shifted their incredulous gazes to Yun Che’s new position, he was in the midst of moving his elbow away from Duan Heisha’s chest in a simple and unexaggerated manner.
Duan Heisha’s body did not move an inch and even the place that was struck did not sink in or bend. In fact, there was not even the slightest change in Duan Heisha’s expression.
Yun Che’s speed was so fast that it was as if they had seen a ghost. However, after they saw that his “sneak attack” had clearly not hurt Duan Heisha and they had recovered from their shock, the surrounding divine palace elders and disciples were about to open their mouths to laugh out loudly to mock Yun Che’s overconfidence… But before their laughter could make it out of their throats, they suddenly saw Duan Heisha’s face turn ghastly pale at an astonishing speed and then his face then started to turn into a purplish-black color… After that, his entire body fell backwards like a block of wood that had been blown on by a light wind.
Bang!
Duan Heisha’s body smashed against the ground, his eyes set in a wide and unblinking stare. A large amount of red-stained foam leaked out of his mouth as blood wildly gushed from his nose.
“Pala… Palace Chief!!”
The scene shocked all the gathered divine palace disciples. In fact, it shocked everyone present and the shock was so great that it seemed to cause everyone’s souls to leave their bodies. The divine palace elders scrambled forward but before they could even draw near to him, Duan Heisha’s body abruptly trembled.
Whooooosh.
Duan Heisha’s profound veins and dantian resembled a punctured balloon. The profound energy that he had cultivated for his entire life was turning into countless streams of agitated energy as they flowed out from every part of his body… until it ran dry.
Chapter 893 – Crippling Three Monarchs
After all of his profound energy had leaked out of his body, Duan Heisha’s entire body became soaked in cold sweat and he resembled a drowning dog that had just been fished out of the water. His constantly twitching limbs and face showed that he was still alive.
After receiving just a single blow from Yun Che, Seven Stars Divine Palace’s Palace Chief Duan Heisha’s profound veins had become completely crippled and all of his profound energy had been reduced to nothing.
“Pa… Pal… Pala… Palace Chief…”
Those elders who were rushing over to Duan Heisha’s side all dumbly stood in place. Their eyeballs shook in their sockets as their legs went limp. There were even some who sank to their knees and did not come back to their senses for a long while.
Besides the members of Seven Stars Divine Palace, the gathered members of Heaven Thwarting Sect and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect had all been so shocked that their faces had turned white as a sheet while the pupils of their eyes completely dilated. Even Heaven Thwarting Sect’s Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo and the Soaring Celestial Sword Sect’s Sect Master Mu Yingchan had gone pale with shock; when Duan Heisha’s profound energy started wildly leaking into the air, Mu Yingchan was so shocked that he had actually taken a step back.
They had just witnessed with their own two eyes the crippling of Duan Heisha, a level nine Monarch; Palace Chief of Seven Stars Divine Palace; one of the three strongest people in the Azure Cloud Continent!!
Furthermore, this had been done a single blow… he was crippled in just a single blow!!
“Palace Chief… Palace Chief!!”
The great divine palace elders who were the nearest to Duan Heisha had all scrambled to his side. They stretched out trembling hands to probe Duan Heisha’s aura but they discovered that Duan Heisha’s body had become extremely soft. There was not even the slightest trace of profound energy remaining and even his profound veins had been reduced to paste.
He had not merely been crippled, he had been so thoroughly and completely crippled that he would not be able to restart his cultivation from the Elementary Profound Realm even if he wanted to.
Duan Heisha was not dead and he even still possessed some awareness but his eyes were gray and dark, empty holes that were no different from that of a dead man’s. All of the skin and muscles on his body could visibly be seen withering up too.
He had fallen from the pinnacle of the known world to a complete cripple in a matter of seconds. For a peerless profound practitioner, this was a fate that was millions of times crueler than dying in battle. Furthermore, this cruel series of events happened all too quickly and suddenly and perhaps Duan Heisha himself thought that he was currently in the middle of a nightmare.
“Duan Heisha, you must thank my master,” Yun Che coldly said as he turned his back to Duan Heisha. “If not for the presence of my master, I would not even leave an intact corpse behind, much less that useless life of yours!”
Yun Gu was a medical practitioner and he was a medical practitioner that was far too pure at that. That was also the reason he was able to become the “Medical Saint” who possessed medical skills which could snatch fate away from the heavens. Yun Che’s medical skills originated from Yun Gu and whether it was the Profound Sky Continent or the Illusory Demon Realm, they were unparalleled. Even if that was the case, Yun Che was aware that his medical skills were roughly only fifty to sixty percent of Yun Gu’s medical skills.
If one were to say that Yun Che’s medical skills could save lives then Yun Gu’s medical skills could be said to truly be able to “snatch fate away from the heavens.”
Furthermore, it was also because of his pureness of intent towards “saving lives,” that he had never killed and he had never been able to accept killing. Even the death of someone wicked would elicit a sigh of lament from him.
“You… you…” The divine palace elder that knelt by Duan Heisha’s side jerked his head upwards. Baleful energy swelled up in his body as he spoke but it faded away as swiftly as it had risen. After that, he spoke in a voice that clearly contained deep shock and fear, “You… Who exactly are you…”
Yun Che did not reply, his icy gaze piercing Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan. Both of them had completely different expressions on their faces at this moment. Yun Che said, “Now on to the both of you. Will the both of you do the deed yourselves or do I have to personally take action!?”
Under Yun Che’s gaze, both Mu Yingchan and Zuo Hanshuo instantly felt an icy coldness surge through every fiber of their beings. The feat of completely crippling Duan Heisha in one strike, this was a power that they could barely believe and they could not fathom. They had striven to rationalize this event using the explanation that Duan Heisha was caught unprepared. But if you gave this sort of explanation to an idiot, even that idiot would not believe you.
As the current hegemons of the Azure Cloud Continent, they were even more clear on the fact that completely crippling a level nine Monarch was ten times harder than actually killing him!
Much less crippling him in a single strike.
“You… Who exactly are… you!?” One could clearly hear the trembling in Mu Yingchan’s voice as he said these words.
“We have no grievances or resentments between us…Why are subjecting us to such a harsh judgement?” Zuo Hanshuo asked hurriedly. His words and the tone of his voice had clearly become much softer due to fear.
“No grievances or resentments against each other? This time, all of you people gathered together in the Country of Supwake so that you could steal something from my master. If I had not arrived, given my master’s nature, he would have once again been… he would definitely have been forced to his death by you lot! But right now, you’re trying to tell me that there are no grievances or resentments between us?”
Yun Che lightly ground his teeth together as the boundless hatred and enmity from all those years ago was faintly aroused once again.
“You are a disciple of the Medical Saintr Yun Gu?” Zuo Hanshuo said as he shook his head, “That’s not possible! None of us has ever heard of Yun Gu accepting any disciples! You… You are clearly thinking of obtaining the Sky Poison Pearl for yourself!”
Yun Che’s eyes faintly narrowed as he muttered words that only he could hear, “The debt that you owe my master, the debt that you owe Ling’er, and the debt that you owe me… Master does not approve of killing and Ling’er’s is soft-hearted and compassionate, so I’ll simply get some interest back from them…”
He extended three fingers towards Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan as he spoke in an incredibly apathetic and unsympathetic tone, “I will give the two of you three breaths. Don’t worry, I don’t want your lives either. So in the span of these three breaths, you will either cripple your own profound strength or I will personally cripple your entire bodies!”
“You…” Zuo Hanshuou and Mu Yingchan’s pupils contracted at the same time.
“One!” Yun Che folded the first finger.
“Two!” Yun Che folded the second finger and his aura, which was originally as tranquil as still water, started to fiercely rise.
Before the events of this day, if anyone had said that there was a time where both Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan were scared witless, there would be no one in the continent that would believe them and the person who said such things would become a huge joke himself. But right now, Duan Heisha, the only other person who could be grouped together with them a mere hundred breaths ago, was now a cripple who was lying on the ground like a dead dog. So when they faced Yun Che’s outstretched fingers, they were seized by a profound and heart-wrenching sense of terror.
“Three!”
Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan took to the skies at the same time as they soared backwards and roared loudly in unison, “Kill! Kill him! Everyone advance… kill him now!!”
The gathered elders and disciples of the three great sects could hear the palpable fear in Zuo Hanshuo’s and Mu Yingchan’s voices. But they were also seized by the same terror. A person that was able to instantly cripple a character like Duan Heisha; they could well imagine how terrifying a character they were facing right now. But the orders of the sect masters could not be defied, so the moment the two sect masters fled in panic, they had no choice but to summon up their courage and charge forward to attack Yun Che.
However, nearly half of them… especially the disciples who belong to Seven Stars Divine Palace, also turned around and fled like the two sect masters.
Yun Che eyed the direction where Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan were fleeing in but he did not give chase immediately. Instead, his body flashed as he instantly shifted to a spot that was more than three hundred meters above his previous location. After that, a blue light descended from above.
Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack…
The blue light spread amidst the sounds of ice congealing as it instantly sealed away tens of kilometers of space in ice. When the sound of ice congealing had stopped, the entire world seemed to have gone quiet in an instance as all of the sounds of people shouting had completely disappeared.
Besides the fleeing Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan, forty Monarchs and hundreds of disciples had all been solidly frozen inside thick layers of ice.
The surpassingly-strange noise caused Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan, both of whom had been fleeing with all their might, to subconsciously turn their heads back. After seeing the scene that had unfolded in front of them, both of them were so shocked that their souls had practically flown out of their bodies. But as their eyes swept the surrounding area, they did not catch a single trace of Yun Che’s figure.
Zuo Hanshuo’s heart became even more uneasy. He fiercely gritted his teeth as he raised his speed to the point where he nearly broke through his own limits. But the instant he turned around, he suddenly saw Yun Che standing in front of him in complete silence.
This startled Zuo Hanshuo so badly that his soul really threatened to leave his body and fly to heaven. Right now, he was rushing forward at full speed, so he did not even have the time to come to a halt, much less reverse directions and flee backwards. The terrified and shocked Zuo Hanshuo, who had been left with no path of escape, could only let out a wild roar as both of his arms thrust outwards and he desperately summoned forth all of the profound energy in his body. A bluish-purple profound formation swiftly formed in the space between his two hands as his palms exploded towards Yun Che’s chest.
Even though the profound formation that formed between Zuo Hanshuo’s hands was small, it was the top profound formation that anyone in the Azure Cloud Continent was aware of, the Heaven Thwarting Formation! It had enough might to sunder the heavens and the earth, yet Yun Che did not even pay any attention to it. He had an expressionless face as he simply sent a fist flying against the wind, smashing it toward Zuo Hanshuo’s chest.
BAAAANGG!!!!!
The resulting explosion sent vibrations through the air as Yun Che’s fist smashed through the Heaven Thwarting Formation that Zuo Hanshuo had formed with all his power. The huge force of the backlash neatly snapped the bones in Zuo Hanshuo’s arms but Yun Che’s fist still contained all of its original force as it exploded against Zuo Hanshuo’s chest. Amidst an explosive wail, a beam of fire violently burst out from Zuo Hanshuo’s back.
“Wu…” Zuo Hanshuo’s eyes bulged outwards. He had never ever dreamed that his power, a power that had not been rivalled during his lifetime, was actually so insignificant and inadequate in front of this person.
In that instant, he could no longer feel the existence of his own profound veins any longer.
“Just… who…exactly.. are… you…”
Zuo Hanshuo gasped out those words with much difficulty. His entire body had become just like Duan Heisha’s, it resembled a balloon that had been pierced by a million needles as the foundation of all of his profound strength leaked out into the air.
Similarly, Yun Che had spared his life… Even though death would have been considered a blessed release for a continental hegemon such as Zuo Hanshuo.
Yun Che flicked his arm, throwing Zuo Hanshuo tens of kilometers away. He just so happened to land at Duan Heisha’s side. After that, the fire light on Yun Che’s body flashed as he took off in hot pursuit of Mu Yingchan, who had fled in the other direction.
As Mu Yingchan was wildly fleeing, he sensed that Zuo Hanshuo had released the aura of the Heaven Thwarting Formation behind him. He breathed a small sigh of relief in his shocked and terrified heart at the same time. Because he and Zuo Hanshuo had fled in opposite directions, so if he pursued Zuo Hanshuo, he would not have the chance to chase after him.
But after a brief moment, he suddenly sensed that the aura of the Heaven Thwarting Formation had disappeared completely and following that, even Zuo Hanshuo’s aura began to rapidly weaken. Mu Yingchan unwittingly turned his head back and to his utter shock, he saw that Yun Che’s figure was not even five kilometers away.
“Wha… What!?”
Mu Yingchan’s body sank as his shocked face was instantly drained of all blood. He frantically raised his energy as he desperately surged forward. When he turned his head back once more, he discovered that Yun Che was actually less than one and a half kilometers behind him.
This time, Mu Yingchan was so shocked that his gall bladder nearly ruptured. He was moving at the full speed that a proper level nine Monarch could muster but in front of Yun Che, he was practically sitting still.
As he realized that continuing to flee would be absolutely meaningless, Mu Yingchan fiercely gritted his teeth before he abruptly wheeled about, a seven and a half foot long lustrous white longsword grasped in his hand. In an instant, a violently surging sword energy caused the surrounding space to fiercely tighten.
If Xuanyuan Wentian could be said to be the number one swordsman in the entire Profound Sky Continent, then Mu Yingchan was the emperor of the way of the sword in the Azure Cloud Continent. The 【White Jade Imperial Dragon Sword】 in his hand was the sword that reigned supreme over all the other swords in the Azure Cloud Continent. When profound energy was poured into it, a gentle sweep of its blade would produce dragon roars which would shake the heavens.
“HAAH!! Soaring Celestial Sword Formation!”
The White Jade Imperial Dragon Sword danced prettily in the air as a giant circle-shaped sword formation swiftly formed in the air. It was just as Mu Yingchan had performed three hundred and sixty consecutive sword strokes and was only left with six strokes to complete the Soaring Celestial Sword Formation that Yun Che, who was rushing right at him, suddenly disappeared.
The sword in Mu Yingchan’s hand also disappeared at the same time.
Mu Yingchan’s entire body froze in place as his mind went completely blank. It was still reasonable that he could not sense how Yun Che had suddenly disappeared. But he had no idea how the sword that was practically one with his body had suddenly disappeared from his hand as well.
It was as if it had been swallowed up by the empty air.
“This is truly a waste of time.”
A detached and apathetic voice coldly rang out from behind him. At the same time that voice fell, an enormous power that was too great to describe smashed into his back.
PUU!!
Blood streamed from Mu Yingchan’s seven orifices as his profound veins and consciousness collapsed at the same time and he was sent tumbling downwards.
__________
Author’s Note:
【Zuo Hanshuo + Duan Heisha + Mu Yingchan】The names Huangji Wuyu, Xuanyuan Wentian, Qu Fengyi, Ye Meixie of Profound Sky Continent all sound tyrannical, possess great disposition, and are not easily forgotten! Why do our names sound as if they were given on the spot, even though we’re similarly overlords of a continent!
【Mars】: Because they’re overlords of the main storyline, and have lived for several hundred chapters, while you three are but mere regular mobs found in dungeons that will only live for no more than three chapters! I spent an entire day and night to think of those four names, while I settled your three names in just ten seconds. What wishful thinking you guys have… I don’t even know what’s the meaning of the word ‘Ying(郢)’, how is it supposed to be read? It’s so troublesome to type it every single time.
Chapter 894 – Sky Poison Fusion
“Hong’er has something delicious to eat again. This sword… even I feel like eating it when I see it.”
When he stroked the White Jade Imperial Dragon Sword he obtained from Mu Yingchan, the shiny whiteness of the sword’s blade seemed like a young girl’s skin and even gafe off an extremely concentrated aura of a true dragon. Yun Che muttered a few words, placed the sword into the Sky Poison Pearl, and then descended.
Ice that was several kilometers thick sealed all the members of the three sects within. The weakest were Thrones while the strongest were Monarchs. None of them could escape and there wasn’t even anyone that could make any noise. If it were the usual Yun Che, these people would have long turned into a sea of corpses and it would only be a question of whether they would still have complete corpses. Now, however, all of these people were simply sealed in ice and not one of them lost their lives.
Zuo Hanshuo, Duan Heisha and Mu Yingchan were stacked on top of one another. The three of them were still in almost the same state; their eyes were listless, their mouths foamed, and their entire bodies seemed as though they were a pile of boneless slime. It was just that their limbs spasmed occasionally.
They were similarly still alive but the profound strength that once stood on top of the Azure Cloud Continent had been completely crippled.
Which also meant that after all the commotion Yun Che caused today, not one person had died.
If the perished souls of the Burning Heaven Clan were to know of this, they would definitely jump out from the depths of hell at all costs and loudly scream, “WHY!?”
They were some of the culprits that forced Yun Che to his death back then. If he had not come not come today, Yun Gu would have definitely lost his life. Among them, Seven Stars Divine Palace even harmed the entire Grandwake Clan and nearly caused Yun Che and Su Ling’er to be separated yet again, but he actually did not kill anyone.
All of this was because of Yun Gu.
Not just because Yun Gu was unable to accept the murder of living beings; even if he had killed all of them, Yun Che believed that his master Yun Gu would definitely blame himself for the deaths of all these people. The guilt and responsibility might haunt him for the rest of his life.
Since he could not kill them, he might as well let his master Yun Gu pardon them… perhaps, this could be considered something that he had done for him.
Calling out the Primordial Profound Ark, Su Ling’er and Yun Gu walked in together and the sights within caused them to be greatly shocked.
“This…” Yun Gu looked at the surroundings, his face revealing several emotions.
“Big Brother Yun Che, are you alright?” Su Ling’er hurried over and examined him worriedly. Only when she did not find any drops of blood on him that she heavily heave a sigh of relief.
“Of course I’m fine, they are the ones that are in trouble.” Yun Che’s face was completely relaxed as he held Su Ling’er’s hand and walked in front of Yun Gu, “Senior, don’t worry, all these people are just simply sealed by ice profound energy, they aren’t dead. As for the leaders, I only crippled their profound cultivations, preventing them from causing any more trouble. As for how they should be handled… since they came for Senior, how they shall be treated should be decided by Senior.”
Yun Gu looked at Yun Che for quite a while, his gaze filled with doubts and complexity. Following which, he shifted his gaze away, glanced at the three people by his feet, sighed lightly and closed his eyes, “Let them go.”
A reply that was completely expected, Yun Che did not immediately release the ice seal but added, “Release all of them? Senior, you should know that there are massive powerhouses behind them. You magnanimously let them off but they might not let you off. In no time, they will definitely come trouble you again. They might pay you back with a fiercer vengeance. Even so, are you still intent on letting them go?”
“As long as you give me consent, I can immediately kill of them here and now, letting them receive the retribution they deserve. No traces would be left behind. In the future, there would not be anyone that could point the blame to you. Perhaps, even the secret of the Sky Poison Pearl on you might not be known.”
Although the people within the ice seal could not move or make any noise, they could clearly hear what was happening on the outside. Yun Gu’s words caused them to be overjoyed but Yun Che’s words that followed caused their hearts to sink. Their gazes showed feared and despair.
“Ahh,” Yun Gu sighed longingly, “This old one has made his mission in life saving others. How can I let so many lives be lost because of this old one? They are only driven by greed and do not deserve death. Now, it can be said that they have already been punished. Just let them go.”
Do not deserve death? Then, does Master deserve death?
Furthermore, how would these people be “not deserving of death?!” Heaven Thwarting Sect, Seven Stars Divine Palace, and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect; they were all the top of the food chain within the Azure Cloud Continent, the makers of law and order within the entire continent. They had lived for hundreds to thousands of years. Which one of them does not have hands that are stained with large amounts of blood of the innocent.
To let go any of them go, allowing them to live for several hundred more years, who knows how many hundreds or even more innocent lives would die at their hands… this was equivalent to harming several hundred lives.
In reverse, killing them would be equivalent to saving several hundred lives.
Such logic, if it were any other benevolent person, he would undoubtedly preach this. However, he was unable to do it before Yun Gu.
Furthermore, with Yun Gu’s experience and intelligence, how would he not have thought about all of this…
“Since that’s the case, we shall follow your wishes.” Yun Che smiled and his finger waved. Instantly, the profound ice instantly melted, releasing the elders and disciples who had been trapped within for a long while. When they regained their freedom, they all collapsed to the ground weakly. They were holding onto each other’s shoulders and trembling with cold and fear, unwilling to believe that they would actually be spared.
Yun Che swept his eyes across them and coldly said, “I had originally wanted to kill all of you but Senior Medical Saint chose to repay your evil acts with kindness and forgave all of you. Since this is the instruction of Senior Medical Saint, I shall let you off temporarily for today!”
All the trembling people raised their heads and finally believed that they were really going to leave the place alive.
“We thank Senior Medical Saint for his kindness… Thank both seniors for the kindness…”
They dragged the slime-like bodies of their three sect masters in fear and sprinted frantically in three different directions. Their bodies gradually warmed as their speeds became even faster; they feared that the fiend behind them would change his mind.
“Little brother, thanks for saving me today. This old one has no means of repayment but will definitely remember this for all his life,” Yun Gu said in gratitude, greatly paying his respects towards Yun Che and Su Ling’er.
Yun Che brought Su Ling’er and retreated at lightning speed, causing Yun Gu’s action to land on thin air. Cold sweat broke out in the back of Yun Che’s forehead and he stammered, “Master… Nononono, Senior, you can’t. Junior can’t… how can I receive such great courtesy? Senior is a medical saint of this era. Being of help to Senior is this junior’s honor.
“This…” Yun Che’s strange actions caused Yun Gu to be slightly stunned before he sighed, “Little brother, you have such shocking profound strength but your temperament is so pleasant. This is indeed a joy to the world. Today, you have not only saved the life of this old one. If the Sky Poison Pearl were to fall into the hands of those evildoers, who knows how many innocent lives would suffer from the calamity of the Sky Poison.”
Yun Che’s heart was moved and followed on, “Senior Medical Saint, what are you going to do with the Sky Poison Pearl?”
Seeing the deep doubt in Yun Che’s eyes, Yun Gu said, “Looks like little brother really does not know about it. This Sky Poison Pearl appeared approximately four years ago. It was said to be found by a merchant of True Vermillion Country’s Miragecatcher City…”
When Yun Gu said “True Vermillion Country’s Miragecatcher City,” Yun Che’s entire body tightened and Su Ling’er’s hands also grabbed onto Yun Che’s arm tightly.
True Vermillion Country’s Miragecatcher City… This was one of the cities he exterminated using the Sky Poison Pearl previously. An entire town of one million seven hundred thousand people and all the other living beings within had died due to the Sky Poison!
Only because Miragecatcher City possessed two of the huge sects he hated to the core, yet was unable to go against due to their size
That was one of the biggest debts in his two lifetimes.
And it was also that time, when the Sky Poison Pearl’s poison powers were completely used up and could not release its poison powers anymore from then onward.
“The family that picked it up only put it at home as they thought it was a pretty looking pearl but after several days, the family was bathed in green light and when they were found, the entire family of several dozens had all passed away from a vicious poison that had never been seen before.”
“From then on, whenever the Sky Poison Pearl appeared, it would cause a poisonous disaster and each time, the poisonous disaster would become more and more frightening. Also, because of that, its poison powers started to be sought after by some who hoped to use its poison for their own benefits. Southern Sky Country’s Fleeting Villa obtained the Sky Poison Pearl out of pure chance and had the intention of causing a huge disaster. But such a huge sect… Sigh.”
“Big Brother Yun Che, that Sky Poison Pearl, could it be…” Su Ling’er whispered.
Yun Che, “…”
Yun Gu did not notice Yun Che and Su Ling’er’s weird expressions and continued, “This old one personally obtained the Sky Poison Pearl from Fleeting Mountain Villa several months back and learned that its true might was far more frightening than the rumors. This old one felt that its poison powers were still just awakening and if its poison powers were to completely recover, I wonder…”
Yun Gu’s voice suddenly stopped and his expression darkened.
Yun Che was shocked, “Senior Medical Saint?!”
“This… why is this? It’s obvious already…” Yun Gu suddenly raised his head and shouted loudly, “Hurry and leave! You guys hurry up and leave!!”
“Senior… just what has happened?” How would Yun Che possibly leave? Instead, he took a step forward.
“It’s the Sky Poison Pearl! Its poisonous powers are suddenly showing signs of losing control… You guys hurry up and leave! If you don’t, you won’t make it!” Yun Gu urged with even more anxiety.
Yun Che swiftly pushed Su Ling’er behind him and rushed forward to the front of Yun Gu and said seriously, “Senior, hurry and take out the Sky Poison Pearl! It’s lucky that this junior has some special properties that can cure poison, perhaps they can help senior control the vicious poison… Quick! Believe me!
With Yun Gu’s temperament, how would he risk the lives of innocents? Just as he was about persuade them once again, he thought about Yun Che’s heaven-shakingly powerful profound strength, gritted his teeth and took out the Sky Poison Pearl.
A pale green round pearl appeared before Yun Che and emitted a slightly aggressive green light.
This pale green poisonous light shone into Yun Che’s eyes and a sensation that felt like connected souls was quickly borne in his heart.
This feeling…
Could it be…
“This old one has thought that he already had it under control and it would not lose control within a year. Unexpectedly…” The aggressive green light caused Yun Gu’s heart to be completely anxious, “Looks like, this old one has overestimated himself… Oh!?”
In Yun Gu’s shock, the Sky Poison Pearl suddenly flew out of his hand by itself and shot straight towards Yun Che. Yun Che did not dodge and looked stunned as it approached, flying all the way to his chest.
“Little brother!” Yun Gu stretched out his hand subconsciously and wanted to remind Yun Che when he suddenly realized that with a flash of light from the Sky Poison Pearl, it had fused into Yun Che’s body like a stone that has dropped into water and completely disappeared.
A pale green light instantly flashed on Yun Che’s entire body but in an instant, Yun Che gradually lifted both his arms.
His left hand, was the familiar jade green light of purification.
And his right hand also flashed with a pale green light.
The light of vicious poison!!
Chapter 895 – The Conclusion of Azure Cloud
Previously, when he heard Duan Heisha and the others talk about the “Sky Poison Pearl,” he had thought that it was only just a coincidence in name because the actual Sky Poison Pearl was already on him and there could never possibly be two Sky Poison Pearls existing in this world.
However, when Yun Gu took out the “Sky Poison Pearl,” a feeling of spiritual connection reverberated clearly within his heart. The Sky Poison Pearl within his body appeared to sense it strongly and in his mind, the three words “Sky Poison Pearl” appeared.
The Sky Poison Pearl within his body was real, but the Sky Poison Pearl that Yun Gu held was real as well!
However, these were two completely different Sky Poison Pearls.
The Sky Poison Pearl that fused with Yun Che had strong purifying and refining abilities but did not possess any poison powers. However, poisonous powers were the Sky Poison Pearl’s main powers, but even after so many years had passed, there were no signs of the poison powers of the Sky Poison Pearl recovering even slightly. Although Yun Che had never mentioned this matter to Jasmine before, he still wondered about it frequently.
However, the Sky Poison Pearl on Yun Gu possessed pure poison powers!
When this “second” Sky Poison Pearl fused with his body, the memory seal on it finally solved the doubts in Yun Che’s mind…
Back then in Azure Cloud Continent, when Yun Gu handed the Sky Poison Pearl to Yun Che, he warned him never to release the vicious poison within the Sky Poison Pearl. After Yun Gu died, Yun Che lost his mind and furiously released the Sky Poison that Yun Gu had tirelessly sealed, exterminating numerous people and clans with the poison. The final time he released the poison, he completely used up all the poison powers within the Sky Poison pearl and even the poison origin had at the same time been released following the release of the last bit of Sky Poison.
Originally, when the poison origin had recovered, it would return to the Sky Poison Pearl on its own. However, due to the interference of the Mirror of Samsara, not only had the Sky Poison Pearl that had lost its poisonous origin oddly fused with Yun Che’s body, it had also passed through reincarnation and arrived in a different world. There was even a mismatch of time. Although the poisonous origin that remained on the Azure Cloud Continent did not disappear due to the powers of the Mirror of Samsara, after it recovered, it did not manage to return to the Sky Poison Pearl and formed its own body, producing the second Sky Poison Pearl.
Now, as Yun Che approached, the two Sky Poison Pearls detected the existence of one another and fused together once again.
Only today, Yun Che finally learned that the Sky Poison Pearl that he possessed had always been incomplete. It was a Sky Poison Pearl that had lost its poison origin, which was also why it never possessed any poison powers.
The pearl that Yun Gu possessed was a Sky Poison Pearl that possessed poisonous powers.
Now, the time and space mismatch between the two finally reverted to normal once again, becoming complete within Yun Che.
“Little brother, this… this…” Yun Gu revealed a rare expression of shock.
With a simple thought in Yun Che’s mind, the green light on his palm extinguished instantly and all the poisonous aura disappeared without a trace. Compared to himself back then who could only barely manipulate the Sky Poison Pearl, fusing with the Sky Poison Pearl had allowed him to gain complete knowledge of the item. With the return of the poison origin of the Sky Poison Pearl, the Sky Poison was slowly recovering. The awakened Sky Poison was already nearly ten percent of what it was back then.
If it were completely released, it would be sufficient to turn a small town into a prison of poison.
“Senior Medical Saint,” Yun Che did not know how to explain so he could only sincerely say, “This Sky Poison Pearl has already recognized junior as its owner and can be controlled at junior’s will. Therefore, there should no longer be any signs of the poison powers losing control. Senior does not have to worry.”
Yun Gu was, after all, no ordinary person. After being shocked temporarily, he smiled gently, “Then that couldn’t be even better. This old one can now be at ease.”
He did not question the reason behind this nor did he question Yun Che’s intentions but the gentle smile on his face had come from the bottom of his heart. From what he saw, Yun Che’s gaze was clear as water and he said each word with sincerity. Although he was obviously exceptionally strong, he did not show any arrogance or carelessness.
Furthermore, with strength that could even casually suppress the three major sects, he definitely would not covet a Sky Poison Pearl that one could not decide if it was a blessing or a curse.
“Even after having my life saved and having a matter that was weighing on my heart settled, this old one still does not know little brother’s name,” Yun Gu gently said.
“Senior Medical Saint does not have to be so courteous.” Yun Che frantically paid respects and said after a slight pause, “Junior’s surname is Yun, with a single word Che. This is junior’s childhood sweetheart, Su Ling’er.”
Yun Che… this name, was also given to me by you.
“Yun… Che…” Yun Gu muttered before smiling slightly and sighed, “As leisurely as clouds, as clear as water.. Such a good name. Not only do you have the same surname as this old one, your heart of medicine is so compatible. It seems like we really have been brought together by fate.
Zzzz
There was a faint buzzing noise in Yun Che’s mind, his lips moved but he could not say anything.
As leisurely as clouds, as clear as water… This was the meaning and desire of the name that Yun Gu had when he named him “Yun Che” back then.
“To able to meet someone like little brother is definitely a blessing upon this old one’s life. Little brother’s profound strength is earthshaking and your temperament is exceptional. You must have some important matters to attend to coming here. This old one shall not nag anymore. If there are any matters where this old one can help, please let this old one know and he shall definitely assist you with all his strength.”
“Senior, hold on!”
Even before Yun Gu managed to move, Yun Che frantically shouted for him and asked panickedly, “Where is Senior heading to now?”
Yun Gu laughed and shook his head, “A person who practices medicine has no fixed home. Where he goes shall be where he stays. However, this old one’s life also has an end. It’s time this old one finds a successor to which he can pass on his skills and the heart of medicine. However, the world is tainted, people meet by fate and it cannot be sought. This old one is uncertain when his wish can possibly come true.”
The heart of medicine…
Yun Che’s hands clenched tightly, as he dared not look into Yun Gu’s eyes in guilt. He bore all of Yun Gu’s hopes but in the end, he did not succeed the heart of medicine and instead walked to the other end of the extreme…
“Senior Medical Saint,” Yun Che said. “Those that were pardoned by Senior previously and escaped all know that the Sky Poison Pearl is on senior. In no time, the message will swiftly spread and the entire world will know. Even if you told those people that it was no longer on you, no one would actually believe you. At that time, Senior would undoubtedly encounter unavoidable trouble. Has senior thought about all of this?”
“Whether it’s a blessing or a curse is to be determined by the heavens.” Yun Gu shook his head slightly, “With the lesson little brother has taught them, they might not have the guts to do anything to this old one due to fear.”
“Fear is limited but greed is limitless!” Yun Che stood in front of Yun Gu, his tone slightly agitated. He was certain that if Yun Gu chose to stay within the Azure Cloud Continent, he would meet with the same fate as today in no time, “Senior Medical Saint, regarding this matter, junior has a solution. Junior is not from the Azure Cloud Continent but came from a place called the Illusory Demon Realm. I hope senior can follow junior to the Illusory Demon Realm. At that place, junior can guarantee that no one will cause trouble for Senior nor will anyone disrespect Senior.”
“…” Yun Gu turned and stared at Yun Che for quite a while, shaking his head, “This old one had already guessed previously that little brother had come from elsewhere and it looks like I was right. This old one is extremely grateful for little brother’s sincere heart. However, this old one’s roots are after all firmly buried here and this old one’s medical path is also set on this land…”
“No, that’s not right! What Senior has said is wrong.” Yun Che suddenly interrupted and denied Yun Gu’s words and said exceptionally firmly, “Senior Medical Saint has a heart of medicine that is revered by many and the heart of medicine is what Senior has pursued all his life. If it were just the heart of medicine, it would be curing more illness and saving more people, regardless kindness or evil, race, status, and location!”
Yun Gu’s entire body trembled slightly.
“Since your entire life has been dedicated to the medical path and you’ve lived by the heart of medicine, then, what difference is there whether you practice medicine within the Azure Cloud Continent or the Illusory Demon Realm? Furthermore the territory of the Illusory Demon Realm is larger than that of the Azure Cloud Continent. There’s more living beings and more races that need people like Senior.
“In the Illusory Demon Realm, Senior can continue saving the masses and I believe that in a few years, Senior’s name would resound around the entire Illusory Demon Realm. If Senior were to remain adamant about staying in the Azure Cloud Continent, if Senior were to encounter any accident, all that you have learned and all that you desired would turn into nothing. If you take the first option, your life would be fulfilling and it would benefit many. However, if you chose the latter… perhaps you might save millions fewer people and would not even find a successor, leading to the suffering of future generations.”
“…” Yun Che’s words caused Yun Gu to remain silent for a long while as his gaze began to shift.
“Senior Medical Saint, Big Brother Yun Che is right. Please follow us to the Illusory Demon Realm. It’s too dangerous for you to stay here,” Su Ling’er pleaded softly.
“Senior…” Yun Che held his breath as he looked nervous at Yun Gu.
“Hohohoho,” Yun Gu suddenly turned around and smiled gently, “That’s right, since my whole life has been dedicated to medicine, where I practice makes no difference. Only when I leave, can I help more people and save even more lives. Little brother, it is you who has enlightened this old one. It seems like this old one’s heart of medicine is still lacking.”
“Does that mean… Senior, you… have agreed?” Yun Che asked in joy.
“Hoho,” Yun Gu smiled once again, “Then, I’ll have to trouble little brother and little miss here to bring this old fogey along.”
“That’s great!!” Yun Che and Su Ling’er exclaimed together in joy. At the same time, their eyes were watery due to agitation.
Upon seeing the joyful faces of the two youths, Yun Gu also began to laugh. However, he did not know why but his eyes also began to water uncontrollably.
Yun Che immediately brought Su Ling’er and Yun Gu into the Primordial Profound Ark. They returned to the Grandwake Clan to retrieve the items Su Ling’er’s mother left behind. After staying in the Azure Cloud Continent for some time, the Primordial Profound Ark was reactivated and entered its second million kilometer spatial travel.
Su Ling’er was now by his side. His master was also by his side. There was nothing that he missed any more in the Azure Cloud Continent.
When he came to the Azure Cloud Continent, he had already known that he was facing certain death and only hoped to accomplish one last wish, which was meeting Su Ling’er again. He did not expect that, not only had he found Su Ling’er, he had also found his master. Even the Sky Poison Pearl that was unknowingly incomplete had been completely reformed.
Furthermore, the devil origin orb that originally would have definitely taken his life was no longer a threat and instead became something of his own. Not only did he no longer have to die, even his profound strength had surged to an exaggerated level that was unheard of.
He had also vaguely encountered an exceptionally frightening secret.
On this trip to Azure Cloud, not only did he achieve all that he wanted to achieve, his entire person had seemingly been reborn and underwent complete change. Unbeknownst to him, even his temperament had slightly changed.
Chapter 896 – Hope (1)
Illusory Demon Realm, Demon Imperial City, Yun household.
After Yun Che was sent into Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, it had been nearly a month since there was any contact. The Yun household was enveloped with an incomparably suppressive atmosphere this entire time. The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er would make a visit to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley every single day but forget about obtaining information, they couldn’t even enter it.
As time elapsed, the tense atmosphere that filled Demon Imperial City grew even heavier. The various great patriarchs and dukes were anxious and nervous. All of their forces were kept in a nervous state where they could be dispatched for war at any moment if needed, all day long.
Because with every passing day, it would be a day nearer to the date Xuanyuan Wentian was going to make his reappearance.
Maintaining this heavy burden on the body and mind for several days was still manageable. However, this situation continued for such a long time and before Xuanyuan Wentian had even arrived, Demon Imperial City was already crumbling. Even the wills of the profound practitioners who had sworn to protect the city to their deaths, were quickly wearing away as well.
In the sky right above the Yun residence, following after a few spatial ripples, the Primordial Profound Ark, which had crossed more than four million kilometers, quietly appeared.
“Senior, Ling’er, this is the imperial city of the Illusory Demon Realm and right below us is my home.” Yun Che introduced the place to Su Ling’er and Yun Gu, while the waves in his heart endlessly surged.
He stayed in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley for more than half a month and he had even made a stop at the Azure Cloud Continent for about a dozen days. They had to be worried to death by now.
Furthermore, they definitely would not be able to guess just what he had experienced in these few days.
“Such a huge city, its ends can’t even be seen with a single glance.” Su Ling’er sighed out of curiosity, yet anxiety was what filled her heart the most. Because she was immediately about to meet Yun Che’s biological parents and…
“The aura of this place is greatly different from the Azure Cloud Continent. I never expected that while I was still alive, I would be fortunate enough to visit a new land.”
Since he had already arrived, Yun Gu accepted everything with incomparable calm as well.
“Senior, Ling’er, trust me. You two will definitely come to like this place really quickly,” Yun Che said with a smile. Then, he took in some air and a roar that came from the depths of his lungs resounded far and wide,“Grandfather! Father! Mother! Little Aunt! Xiao Yun! Caiyi! Yue’er! Xue’er… I’m back!!”
Yun Che’s loud roar instantly stirred a thousand layers of waves within the Yun residence, which had been cast with low spirits for a long while.
The noises of doors being fiercely pushed open, clashed with one another.
“Little Che!!”
“Husband!!”
Cang Yue and Xiao Lingxi who were in the hall charged out and they saw Yun Che who was presently descending from the skies. Yun Che looked at the two of them and with widespread arms, he said with a large smile, “Lingxi, Yue’er, why are you two still standing there? Hurry and throw yourselves into my arms.”
Cang Yue and Lingxi, with each on the left and right, pounced towards Yun Che’s chest. Xiao Lingxi’s emotions burst out from all the yearning, worry, and fear in this period of time, causing her to cry like the rustling of a storm. Even Cang Yue, who had long cultivated sufficient fortitude was twitching as she choked immensely, unable to utter a single word.
“…” Su Ling’er’s lips opened, as she quietly looked at the silhouette of Yun Che’s back, her emotions were indescribably complicated. However, as a fellow woman, she was able to sense the blazing emotions the two girls, who had recklessly pounced into Yun Che’s arms, had for him.
“Big Brother… Big Brother!” Bringing Xiao Lie with him, Xiao Yun ran over with hurried steps. Following close behind him was Number Seven Under Heaven who was tightly hugging onto Yongan. In this period of time, this married couple had stayed in the Yun residence the entire time.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, this period of time when you guys took care of Grandfather must have been tough\,” Yun Che said with a slight smile.
“Big Brother, you… as long as you’re fine.” Xiao Yun’s eyes stirred and his voice choked. During the days while Yun Che was not here, he was similarly in a state of extreme fear. After all, on the day Yun Che was sent to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he was truly in a frightening condition and after that, there was no news of him for a long period of time. He and Number Seven Under Heaven had consoled Xiao Lie in various ways, saying how his life was more tenacious than anyone else’s and he would definitely be fine, however, even they themselves were worried day and night.
“Young Master! Young Master!”
“Asgard Master!!”
Everyone in the Yun household and also the crowd of Frozen Cloud girls residing in the outer residences, had all gathered. Every single one of their faces carried incomparably deep excitement.
Before their arrival, Yun Che had lightly mentioned to Yun Gu and Su Ling’er that he was the young master of the Yun Family of the Illusory Demon Realm but looking at the scene before their eyes, to the entire Yun Family, to these people, how could he possibly be just an ordinary young master? He was surrounded by layers upon layers of people and every single one of them was unable to suppress his or her excitement from seeing his safe return… He was clearly just a youth of about twenty years old but he was like the irreplaceable core of an entire world.
“Che’er! Che’er!!”
Mu Yurou flew over with teary eyes and next to her was Yun Qinghong who was doing his best to suppress his excitement. Yun Che hurriedly moved to them and then, immediately knelt with his two knees on the ground. Filled with guilt, he said. “Father, Mother, this child is unfilial. During this period of time… I have worried you two again.”
“Che’er, quick, quick, stand up.” Mu Yurou could not be bothered with the tears on her face, as she hurriedly held Yun Che up and looked at him over and over again. “You’re finally back. If you had taken any longer, Mother would have… Che’er, are you completely healed? Are you completely fine now? The Golden Crow Divine God has cure you completely this time, right?”
Mu Yurou’s every single word carried concern that was as deep as the ocean. Yun Che looked her in the eyes and nodded with incomparable strength. “Mother, this time, I’m completely healed and I can’t feel any better than I am now. The incidents that happened before will never happen again.”
“Rea… Really?” Mu Yurou was excited to the point of being incoherent. “Then that’s good, that’s good… That’s really good to hear…”
“Father, I was a disappointment some time ago. My will actually diminished in the face of a strong enemy which must have worried and disappointed father. This child guarantees that it will not happen a second time,” Yun Che said as he looked at Yun Qinghong.
At first glance he saw Yun Che today, Yun Qinghong could already sense an incomparably huge change in his demeanor… To the point of being comparable to a metamorphosis.
He no longer had any bleakness, any heavy-heartedness, nor even the least bit of gloom. What replaced them, were instead brightness and excellence far surpassing what he had before. Compared to the condition he was in before he was brought to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, it was as if he had been reborn.
Yun Qinghong smiled with incomparable joy and comfort. He reached out his hand and patted strongly on Yun Che’s shoulder. “A true man can feel depressed for a short while but he will definitely not feel depressed for a lifetime…”
The hand he patted Yun Che’s shoulder with suddenly jerked, his face revealed a deep astonishment… Because flowing with Yun Che’s body, was actually profound energy at the Monarch level!
“Che’er, your profound strength…” Yun Qinghong raised his head, looking at him in utter disbelief.
“Father, later on, you can inform Grandfather Mu and them to temporarily withdraw the Great City Barrier Formation. As for the enforcement of martial law, it can be completely removed as well.” Yun Che revealed a confident, yet unarrogant light smile. “Right now, I’m eager to have Xuanyuan Wentian come over, it would save me the trouble of going over to the Profound Sky Continent to look for him myself.”
“…” The hand Yun Qinghong placed on Yun Che instantly stiffened, his eyes slightly widened. He was actually speechless from how agitated he was.
“Xue’er isn’t at home?” Yun Che could not spot Feng Xue’er’s figure.
“She and the Little Demon Empress have gone over to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley,” Mu Yurou said. “During this period, they have been making these visits everyday but they should be back around now.”
“Big Brother Yun!!”
The moment Mu Yurou’s voice fell, an anxious call sounded from afar. Feng Xue’er, dressed in a red dress, could not be bothered with the masses of people present and heavily leapt into Yun Che’s arms. The Little Demon Empress arrived right after her and she quietly landed next to Yun Che. She still had the same expressionless look and even spoke with the same cold tone. “Yun Che, just what happened to you in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley? Why have you come out only after such a long time, letting all these people worry about you?”
Looking away, she then lightly added, “How’s your present condition?”
“Heh, of course I’m fine now. You should know right after looking at me,” Yun Che laughed.
“Oh right, I forgot to introduce everyone.” Yun Che arrived next to Su Ling’er and Yun Gu and first pulled over Su Ling’er’s small hand. “This is Ling’er, Su Ling’er. She came back with me from the Azure Cloud Continent. Ling’er, this is my father and mother.”
“Ling’er greets Uncle and Auntie.” Su Ling’er stepped forward and lightly bowed.
“What did you say? Azure Cloud Continent?” The Little Demon Empress suddenly turned back. Although few people knew the existence of Azure Cloud Continent, there were indeed distant records of the Azure Cloud Continent in the Illusory Demon Realm and the Little Demon Empress was one of the few people who knew about it… However, it was still just superficial knowledge.
“Mn.” Yun Che nodded. “Actually, during this short period of time, I was not in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley but travelled to the Azure Cloud Continent with the profound ark… As for the reasons behind this, I will tell everyone about it in detail later.”
“…” Deep astonishment surfaced between the Little Demon Empress’s brows. However, she did not press for an answer amidst the crowd.
On the other hand, Mu Yurou’s focus was not on that whatever Azure Cloud Continent, the eyes Yun Che and Su Ling’er looked at each other with were all seen by her and how could she possibly not see through them? She was definitely in the process of getting another daughter-in-law. In an instant, wearing a grin on her face, she took the initiative to pull Su Ling’er’s hand and gently said, “Ling’er, though this auntie isn’t aware where the Azure Cloud Continent is, since you were willing to accompany Yun Che here, in the future, this will be your home. If you need anything, please feel free to let auntie know.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Ripples of warmth surged within Su Ling’er’s heart.
“Che’er, this senior is?” Yun Qinghong’s gaze turned towards Yun Gu. This white-haired elderly man had a sage-like demeanor and he carried an aura that could deeply impress people. Furthermore, he had noticed that the eyes Yun Che was looking at him with, carried deep respect… And when it came to people whom he would display such a respectful attitude to, other than his elders, there was seemingly no one else.
Yun Che hurriedly said, “This person is Senior Medical Saint and similarly carries the surname Yun. His medical techniques can be said to be the best in both ancient and modern times and from now on, he will be residing in our Illusory Demon Realm.”
Yun Qinghong’s heart shook immensely. Yun Che’s medical techniques were already at the miraculous level, yet the words “best in both ancient and modern times” were personally spoken by him. How could this possibly be a small matter!?
He hurriedly bowed and said, “So it’s Senior Medical Saint! To have a miracle man such as Senior Medical Saint here, it’s truly a blessing for our Illusory Demon Realm.”
“This old man is just a regular doctor, I’m definitely not worthy of such praise from Patriarch Yun.” Yun Gu hurriedly returned his greetings but his gaze had instead landed on the Little Demon Empress after that. Then, he immediately spoke. “I wonder how I should address this little lady?”
The Little Demon Empress’s brows slightly twitched as she turned around. Yun Che hurriedly introduced. “Senior Medical Saint, this is the Little Demon Empress, the ruler of the continent of the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“I see.” Yun Gu lightly nodded and there were not any huge changes to the emotions on his face. As a doctor, he had seemingly never been moved by the identities of his patients. He continued to inspect the Little Demon Empress and when he thought of the crowd present at the sides, in the end, he kept his words to himself.
Yun Che’s heart fiercely shook. When it came to the Little Demon Empress’s condition, other than Yun Qinghong who had sensed it, only he and the Little Demon Empress knew about it. Furthermore, the Little Demon Empress’s condition was not evidently exposed. If he had not known about it beforehand, even with his own judgment, he definitely would not have realized that she had any anomalies.
However, looking at Yun Gu’s expression… He had clearly seen through it at first glance!
Yun Che’s heart began to tremble from excitement… How could I have missed such an important detail? I’m unable to save Caiyi but Master might have a way… Because he’s my master who has surpassed all in the way of the medicine, be it in the present or ancient times!
“Father! I have to trouble you to prepare a quiet place!” Yun Che suddenly said and then pulled the Little Demon Empress. “Senior Medical Saint, mind if I trouble you to first… check on the Little Demon Empress’s pulse?”
Little Demon Empress: “…?”
Yun Gu lightly nodded, “This old man shall do his best.”
Only then did Yun Qinghong react and hurriedly said, “Free up the main hall quickly. Everyone must withdraw a kilometer away from the main hall and unless personally permitted by this patriarch. No one is allowed to approach!”
Chapter 897 – Hope (2)
The central area of the Yun household was completely quiet. Because of Yun Qinghong’s worry, he had even erected an enormous isolation barrier, as if the entire Yun Family was about to face a strong enemy.
The Little Demon Empress, Yun Che, and Yun Gu were the only ones in the main hall.
“Senior Medical Saint, she…”
“No need for words.” Yun Gu however smiled, preventing Yun Che from explaining the Little Demon Empress’s condition as he stretched out his pair of slightly pale arms. “Allow this old one to first check her pulse. Little Demon Empress, please be at ease. This old one has always examined a woman’s pulse through the air, all you need to do is calm your breathing.”
“I will have to trouble you,” The Little Demon Empress glanced at Yun Che and said quietly. Looking at her expression, evidently, she did not harbor even the slightest bit of hope. Because, the issue of her having only three years of life left was personally spoken by the Golden Crow Spirit.
How could the consequences, which even the Golden Crow Spirit said were impossible to heal or suspend, possibly be averted by a mere mortal?
Yun Gu did not speak any further. Gently closing his old eyes, he kneaded his fingers into a strange gesture and a warm profound energy instantly flowed into the Little Demon Empress’ channels.
Yun Che held his breath at the side. His entire body was still, as if it was nailed into the ground, afraid of making even the slightest of noise.
Unexpectedly, the pulse examination was considerably short. In just a short few dozens of breaths, Yun Gu’s eyes slowly opened and his hands were put down right after.
“Senior… How is she?” Yun Che hurriedly asked.
“…” Yun Gu was silent for a moment, before he slowly spoke. “After persistently chasing after immense power which her profound veins could not possibly endure, she was left with no choice but to integrate her life vein as a joint vessel. Presently, nearly half of her lifeline has already withered and if this situation persists, in two years, it will definitely wither completely.”
“…” Yun Gu’s words had finally stirred the light in the Little Demon Empress’s eyes because this was a secret which only she and Yun Che knew of. Furthermore, this was a secret that encroached on the secrets of the power of the divine way. This elderly man with only the physique of a mortal was actually able to see through it without the slightest discrepancy in just a few short breaths of pulse examination.
“That’s right, that’s exactly the case.” Yun Che hurriedly nodded. “Because of special reasons, during that period of time, in order to quickly obtain powerful profound energy, she forcefully took in power that her profound veins could not endure. The consequence for that, was her lifespan being reduced to just three years or so… Senior Medical Saint, do you have any way to save her?”
“If we compare the life’s vitality left of the lifeline to a candle, then a regular person’s candle will slowly melt as the wick burns. Her candle, however, due to forcefully integrating her lifeline as a vessel of energy, is as if it had been thrown into a sea of fire, her life’s vitality quickly being burned away. It concerns her lifeline and also concerns her life’s vitality as well… Difficult, it’s really difficult.” Yun Gu heavily sighed.
“…Could it be that even Senior has no way either?” Yun Che said with a heavy heart.
Yun Gu shook his head and instead revealed a light smile. “This old one simply said it was difficult but I did not say it was incurable.”
Yun Gu’s words were undoubtedly celestial music of the heavens in Yun Che’s ears. He instantly fell onto his knees in front of Yun Gu and said with great excitement. “Senior, you… you’re saying… you’re saying you can save her?”
The Little Demon Empress who had been sitting quietly slowly stood up as well. Though she was still wearing a domineering look on her tender face, there was clearly something stirring in the depths of her eyes.
Yun Gu’s expression was solemn. He stood up and slowly walked a few steps, presenting a state of deep thought. Yun Che who was like an extremely evil god in front of others, was presently like an obedient child, pacing behind Yun Gu and listening to his explanation. “Using one’s life as price to greatly raise one’s profound strength is not something rare. Though the methods are different, the logic behind them is greatly similar. Some heavily damage their profound veins as price, some heavily damage their blood essence. There are even some who speed up the consumption of their life’s vitality as the price through altering the energy connection and mechanism between their profound veins and life vein, allowing their lifeline and profound veins to act as one vessel to hold power that their profound veins alone could not withstand.”
Yun Che nodded continuously, the Little Demon Empress belonged to the third group. Though she knew of the consequences, in order to exact revenge and in order to retrieve the authority and respect of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, she had not hesitated in the slightest.
“However, the Little Demon Empress’s condition is countless times more extreme than any case this old one has seen in his lifetime,” Yun Gu sighed.
“Though the lifeline and profound veins have always been connected in the first place, they are merely connected in form and they have their respective energy mechanisms. However, the respective energy mechanisms of the Little Demon Empress’s lifeline and profound veins, have actually merged completely into one entity. It seems like the power she forced herself to hold back then must have been immense. If it was just a small connection, it’s possible to save one’s life through the crippling of one’s profound strength. However, her lifeline and profound veins have completely merged into one entity. Even if all her profound energy was crippled, she would simply live for a few months more.”
Yun Che nodded again. If crippling her profound strength could have stopped the Little Demon Empress’s life’s vitality from flowing away, how could Yun Che have worried over it until now? With him around, so what if the Little Demon Empress were to become a cripple?
Yun Gu looked at Yun Che and smiled. “Little brother, it seems like you have long known about everything this old one has just said.”
Yun Che nodded and said. “This junior is a little proficient in medical knowledge as well and this junior has always understood her condition better than anyone else. In this junior’s humble opinion, in order to save her, the only way I can think of is to desperately increase her lifespan. However, no matter how hard we try, even if we expend all the usable resources in the Illusory Demon Realm, it would merely be a drop in the bucket.”
When he asked Jasmine back then, Jasmine informed him of two methods. One, he could forcefully increase the Little Demon Empress’s lifespan after reaching sufficient heights in the Great Way of the Buddha. Two, he could search for the Primordial Seal of Life and Death and allow the Little Demon Empress to possess a limitless, inexhaustible lifespan. These were all within Yun Che’s scope.
Yun Gu’s footsteps then stopped and he said with a smile. “Then have you thought of another way? And that is to first guide out all of her profound energy and then re-separate the energy mechanisms of her lifeline and profound veins.”
Yun Che was stunned for a moment and then replied. “If the energy mechanisms of the lifeline and profound veins can be re-separated, then it will naturally be the most perfect method to solving this problem but… but that’s basically impossible. The entirety of her lifeline and profound veins have connected and they have even connected completely into a single entity. If we were to try to forcefully separate the energy mechanisms a strand at a time, not only would it be as hard as stepping into the heavens, if even the slightest of mistake is made, it will mess up the energy mechanisms greatly… and she will instantly lose her life.”
“Could it be…” Yun Che’s spirit suddenly shook. “Senior, you know of a way to re-separate the lifeline and profound veins?”
Yun Gu did not nod and neither did he shake his head either. Instead, he continued, “The physique of a human can be seen as a unique and complete small world. Since it is complete and unique, then there’s no logic behind it being impossible to escape from the cycle of karma. If it is a smooth flow, then it can definitely be bent. If they can be merged, then they can definitely be separated. This is the foundation behind the medicine scripture this old one studies.”
This was also the same exact basics of medical knowledge which Yun Che learned from Yun Gu. As it described, there were no illness in the world that could not be treated and even if there was, it would only mean that the method to cure it had still yet to be found.
“If it was a few months ago, this old one would definitely be unable to forcefully separate the merged energy mechanisms between the lifeline and profound veins as well. Just three months ago, this old one had finally comprehended a scripture which this old one had doubts about for several dozens of years…”
Yun Gu seemed to have already been absorbed in his own explanation of medical knowledge, as he unconsciously recited. “The beginning of life, void led by circulation, regulation of the seal, the paradox of life and death, are of yin and yang, of yang and yin…”
“Unique since the beginning, cluster leads to prosperity, the breath of humans surpasses the heavenly circulation…” As he listened to Yun Gu’s soft recitation, Yun Che’s consciousness gradually turned hazy and the scene of his master teaching him to recite the 《Heavenly Medicine Manual》 gradually surfaced before his eyes. Unconsciously, he began to recite softly with him.
When Yun Gu had stopped, Yun Che was still absentmindedly continuing with his recitation. “Blossom and tranquility, chaos and turbidity, the birth of yin and the richness of yang…”
When he finally regained his senses, Yun Gu’s face had already completely lost its calm, as he looked at Yun Che shockingly. “Little brother, you… How do you know of the Heavenly Medicine Manual?”
“…” Yun Che opened his mouth and had no choice but to force out an explanation. “When this junior… was practicing the medicinal arts back then, what I studied was the Heavenly Medicine Manual. Could it be that Senior studies the Heavenly Medicine Manual as well? Then that truly is a coincidence, as expected, this junior shares a deep fate with Senior. It seems like there isn’t only a single Heavenly Medicine Manual in this world. However, this junior has shallow cultivation in the way of medicine. Though this junior is familiar with the Heavenly Medicine Manual, there are many scriptures which this junior fails to comprehend. The set of scriptures which senior has recited just now, is something this junior is even more so unable to understand at all. Could it be that Senior has already attained mastery of it?”
Not just him, even his Master Yun Gu was unable to understand this set of scriptures either. Even till his passing, he was never able to comprehend it.
Could it be that in this lifetime, he had actually comprehended it?
“I see.” Though Yun Gu was still shocked, he did not continue to probe and instead continued, “These set of scriptures contain the logic behind the source of countless energies within a human body. This old one has studied it for half a lifetime and had only just comprehended the key behind it. The key actually lies behind ‘of yin and yang, of yang and yin’. If the logic behind it is understood, then, separating the energy mechanisms between the lifeline and profound veins, though the process may be long and arduous, is definitely not something unachievable.”
Though he completely could not understand the true medical logic behind that set of scriptures, since Yun Gu was able to say such words, then it proved that the Little Demon Empress could truly be saved.
Yun Che looked over with great joy and excitedly said, “I request for Senior to put his skills save the Little Demon Empress.”
Yun Gu however slightly shook his head. “This old one is after all, a man. Though I understand the logic, I am unable to apply it. I can merely impart this knowledge to someone.”
Yun Che hurriedly knelt on a single knee and bowed, as he heavily spoke his every word. “Junior Yun Che is willing to have Senior as master, I hope Senior can fulfill this request.”
“This… Hohoho.” Yun Gu however said with a light smile. “Little brother, stand up for now. When this old one mentioned that I am unable to apply my knowledge, it is not because of the relationship between a man of a woman but because of another reason. In regards to taking me as your master, that absolutely cannot do. Your eyes are clear and your heart contains no evil will but your body carries a heavily fierce and bloody aura. In the future, you may become a hero of a lifetime but you’re definitely not suitable in cultivating in the way of the medicine.”
“…” Yun Che stood up with a dejected look and shame filled his heart. That’s right. He was no longer able to return to the state of mind which he had back then when he was traveling the world with his master… He was no longer able to return to it for all eternity.
Back then, Yun Che wholeheartedly pursued the way of medicine and his biggest wish was to surpass his master with his medical techniques, to be praised by his master, and to save even more people… Compared to the present Yun Che, they were two people that belonged to completely different worlds.
The him now, indeed could not expect that Yun Gu would once again take him as his disciple.
___________
Author’s Note:
【Faints,I merely wanted to randomly throw some twisted logic in but I ended up with a full chapter already?】
【Nevermind, let’s leave it like this then…】
Chapter 898 – Ling’er Pays Respects to Her Master
“The matter regarding the Little Demon Empress can no longer be delayed. This old one already has an inkling of an idea and I will definitely put in my best effort, it’s just that… everything will be up to destiny after this.”
Yun Gu said a spiel of things that Yun Che did not really understand before suddenly speaking, “Little brother, could I trouble you regarding one thing?”
Yun Che hurriedly replied, “Just let me know what you need Senior. Oh… this junior requests that Senior just calls me Yun Che from now on.”
“Hoho, that is fine as well,” Yun Gu said with a faint smile as he nodded his head. “Yun Che, can you call Miss Ling’er to this place.”
“Ling’er? Okay!”
Yun Che did not ask for the details; he immediately rushed out of the hall and flew back with Su Ling’er in his arms a short while after he left.
“Senior Medical Saint?” Su Ling’er asked with an apprehensive and puzzled expression on her face, “Is there something you need to instruct Ling’er to do?”
Yun Gu gave a light shake of his head. He measured Su Ling’er up and down with his eyes and his gaze lingered on her eyes for an especially long time. After that, he nodded his head repeatedly, his expression becoming rather excited, “From ten years ago, this old one had begun the task of looking for the person who could inherit the medical skills that I have refined all my life. But for the entire ten years, my search has borne no fruit. After all is said and done, this world is one that is ruled by profound strength. Everyone chases after profound strength. Everyone chases after power and influence. They are people who belong to this vulgar world, so how many of them can be expected to be unsullied by the vulgar desires that move this world and truly bury their hearts into the way of medicine?”
“In the past few years, this old one was nearly prepared to give up my search entirely and I was going to nurture a disciple from infancy, so that I could cleanse his thoughts and spirit and prepare him to inherit this old one’s legacy. But I was also afraid that I would waste decades of effort and nurturing, because the innate nature of a person is hard to determine.”
Yun Che, “…”
“Until… this old one met you, Miss Ling’er,” Yun Gu said emotionally as he looked at Su Ling’er.
“Ah? Me?” Su Ling’er said. Yun Gu’s words had stunned her briefly.
“Miss Ling’er, this old one has known countless people in his life. But this old one has only ever seen one person whose eyes and heart are as clean and spotless as yours. I wonder…” After Yun Gu had reached this point, a nervous expression actually appeared on his face, “I wonder if you have any interest in the way of medicine?”
Once Yun Gu had said this much, how could Yun Che not realize his intent. He shouted in an extremely shocked and elated tone, “Ling’er, hurry… Hurry up and pay respects to your master!”
With a “thud,” Ling’er landed heavily on her knees. “Junior Su Ling’er… requests that Senior accept Ling’er as his disciple. Henceforth, Ling’er will devote her entire soul to following Master and the study of medicine. I will also be very obedient to Master’s words…”
Yun Gu’s appearance was even more emotional than Su Ling’er herself. The rims of eyes grew faintly damp as he said, “Miss Ling’er, you… Are you truly willing to learn the way of medicine from this old one?”
Su Ling’er replied sincerely, “To be able to get Senior Medical Saint to be my master is Ling’er’s fortune and it has also been Ling’er’s desire all this while. It’s just that Ling’er is stupid, so from now on… I request that Master gives me much instruction.”
Yun Che pressed a hand to his chest, an incredibly joyous smile spreading across his face. Only he knew that the words Ling’er had just said, “it has also been Ling’er’s desire all this while,” was definitely not some empty pledge. All those years ago, she had wanted to be like Yun Che and learn the way of medicine from Yun Gu. Yun Gu had also been exceedingly pleased with her but it was just that he could only pass on his legacy to one disciple in his lifetime. The exceptionally moderate and gentle Yun Gu was only extremely steadfast when it came to this one thing. In everything else, he was willing to compromise. Because of that, even though Su Ling’er had accompanied Yun Gu and Yun Che for many years, in the end, she had never become his disciple.
But who would have thought that her desires would be fulfilled at this time?
“Good, very good, this is too good to be true,” Yun Gu said. He nodded his head repeatedly as his emotions almost overwhelmed him. Because to Yun Gu, this was truly the greatest wish of his life. He slowly walked towards Su Ling’er. After that, he removed the bronze ring on his finger and personally slipped it onto Su Ling’er’s left thumb, “Su Ling’er, from now on, you are my, Yun Gu’s, only personal disciple; the one who will inherit my legacy. Your master belongs to no sect or clan and he has no power or authority, so I cannot give you any kind of glory or power. The only thing I can give you are the truths that I have comprehended from the way of medicine and the heart of one who pursues the way of medicine.”
The ring that had been on Yun Che’s thumb all those years ago was now on her own. It was a marvellous twist of fate and it was as if they had truly come full circle. Su Ling’er gave a deep bow. “Disciple Su Ling’er greets Master…”
Yun Che, who was a bystander to these events, was so excited that a toothy grin had been permanently pasted on his face. Even though he was no longer worthy to become Yun Gu’s disciple, Ling’er had become his disciple and his master’s long-held wish had finally come to fruition… it was simply a conclusion that allowed him to have the best of both worlds.
No, in fact, it left him even more satisfied than that.
“Caiyi, you can be saved… you truly can be saved!” Yun Che grabbed the Little Demon Empress’ hand as he emotionally yelled into her ears.
“Just… who exactly is this person?” The Little Demon Empress asked with knitted brows. She had never seen Yun Che behave in such a respectful and reverential manner to anybody in the past but in front of Yun Gu, he was completely reverent and respectful and he practically jumped at every word that proceeded from Yun Gu’s mouth.
He was far more well-behaved in front Yun Gu than he was in front her!!!!
This was definitely not simply someone that he had brought from the outside. If there was not sufficient cause and their relationship was not deep enough, given Yun Che’s arrogance which seeped into his very bones, how could it be possible for him to be so obedient in front of another?
“He…” Yun Che thought about it for a moment before he spoke with much emotion in his voice, “My medical skills and all the knowledge I have regarding medicine and poisons were learned from him. The debt that I owe him is higher than the heavens, it’s just that he himself does not remember any of that anymore.”
“…!?” A deep astonishment flashed through the Little Demon Empress’ beautiful eyes.
“It is very hard to explain all of these things right now. I will slowly explain all of it to the rest of you in the future,” Yun Che said with a faint smile. “All of you think that my medical skills are really great but they pale in comparison to his medical skills. Since he has personally said that there is a way to save you… then there definitely is a way to save you!!”
Even though even the Golden Crow Spirit and Jasmine had said that it was impossible to save the Little Demon Empress, this was merely what they knew from their knowledge of the profound way.
But when it came to the way of medicine, it was Yun Gu who was the absolute authority. As someone who could truly snatch fate away from the heavens, if he said it was possible, then it was definitely possible!
Yun Gu and Su Ling’er had finished a simple ceremony recognizing them as master and disciple. When Yun Che had come of age all those years ago, Yun Gu had also held an extremely simple ceremony to confirm his official apprenticeship. Yun Gu turned around and faintly smiled as he said, “Little Demon Empress, even though this old one knows how to cure your illness, now that it involves the energy of your lifeline, it can only be treated by a woman because she also possesses yin energy. Within half a year, this old one will first instruct Ling’er on the principles behind energy. After that, we can attempt to rid you of this illness. Even though Ling’er is a novice in the way of medicine, given her pure and unblemished heart, she will definitely be able to do this in half a year’s time.”
The Little Demon Empress bowed deeply to Yun Gu as she nodded her head and said, “I’ll be in your care then.”
Su Ling’er, who stood at Yun Gu’s side, winked at Yun Che as she smiled merrily.
A person who followed the way of medicine was required to be extremely cautious. As a result, Yun Gu was a person who never spoke in absolutes. If he was confident enough to make such a statement, that meant that he definitely had adequate confidence that he could deal with this issue and it was definitely not equivalent to what he described as an “attempt.”
However, Yun Che did not sense any feelings of joy from the Little Demon Empress. Naturally, Yun Che also knew the reason behind this… Because of Xuanyuan Wentian who could appear at any moment, the Little Demon Empress had become resolved to perish together with Demon Imperial City so she had long resigned herself to not living past the next six months.
Yun Che had also not yet told her that she first needed to vent out all of her profound energy before she could resolve her hopeless situation… While she was facing a great enemy, she definitely would not allow that to happen.
It seems like the only way he could get the Little Demon Empress to accept her treatment in peace was to first get rid of the great danger that was Xuanyuan Wentian.
After that, even if the Little Demon Empress lost all of her profound strength, as long as he was around, as long as the Yun Family was around and as long as all those Guardian Families and great Duke Palaces who were either loyal to her or were compelled to even greater obedience because of the slave imprint were around, she would still be the Little Demon Empress who reigned supreme over the Illusory Demon Realm.
Furthermore, given her Golden Crow bloodline and the knowledge she had regarding the laws and principles of profound energy, she would grow immensely once she started recultivating her profound strength.
When Yun Che, the Little Demon Empress and the rest of them exited the hall, Yun Qinghong quickly walked over by himself and asked in a soft but anxious voice, “So what was the conclusion?”
Yun Che did not reply. Instead, he flashed a faint but serene smile at his father.
Wild joy appeared on Yun Qinghong’s face as he deeply bowed towards Yun Gu before saying, “Senior Medical Saint, if you are able to save the Little Demon Empress, you will be the great benefactor of our entire Illusory Demon Realm.”
“Patriarch Yun’s words are too heavy, this old one is merely doing something that a doctor ought to do… Furthermore, I don’t have complete confidence that I can accomplish this task, so we will still have to rely on the kindness of the heavens.”
Yun Gu’s words and behaviour was the same as always; he was still as calm and tranquil as still water. He was not the least bit ruffled even though his patient was the Little Demon Empress. Admiration blossomed in Yun Qinghong’s heart as he said, “Senior Medical Saint has come to the Illusory Demon Realm for the first time so you ought not have any place to stay yet. Would staying in the household of our Yun Family suit you?”
Yun Gu thought about it briefly before he accepted the offer, “Since that is the case, then I will have to trouble you.”
“The courtyard has been prepared. Che’er, bring Senior Medical Saint to his abode so that he can rest.”
“Alright.”
Yun Gu had made consecutive jumps across space to travel from the Azure Cloud Continent to the Illusory Demon Realm, so he was indeed rather tired. While they were walking towards the courtyard Yun Che finally could not resist the urge to ask, “Senior, just what method are you going to use the treat the Little Demon Empress? This junior truly cannot think of anything, nor can I understand what you just said.”
“Hohohoho,” Yun Gu gave a small chuckle. It was clear that he was in a rather good mood after taking Su Ling’er as a disciple, so he generously explained, “Because it involves both the profound veins and the lifeline, the process of treating her will be extremely long and arduous but there is only one principle behind this. The energy circulation of her profound veins and life vein are completely abnormal, so it naturally violates the laws which govern energy mechanisms within the human body. So if you use a normal person’s energy mechanism to gradually guide and regulate that abnormal energy mechanism and correct those abnormal principles of energy mechanism, as time passes, everything will fix itself.”
“This…” Yun Che, who had always believed that he had a deep knowledge of the principles behind medicine, was completely baffled by this explanation, “Using another person’s energy mechanism to regulate and correct? This… how are you going to go about doing this? Could it be that you will be using a medical principle that was expounded upon in that medical manual?”
“That’s right,” Yun Gu said as he gave a faint nod of his head. “The Little Demon Empress is a woman and her energy is yin energy, so she requires the yin energy of another female to regulate and correct her energy mechanism. The medical manual that this old one has been trying to comprehend for most of his life has talked about one principle in particular. That principle states that yin energy follows yin energy while yang energy follows yang energy. This allowed this old one to view a whole new vast and broad horizon.”
“…” Yun Che still had a baffled look on his face.
“This old one will first teach Ling’er about the principles behind energy circulation. Once she has comprehended and mastered this principle and the related skills that she needs to know, she and the Little Demon Empress will touch their secret gardens together, this will connect their yin energies together as well. From there on, we will separate the forcibly fused life vein and profound veins of the Little Demon Empress. If we continue this for a few months and no major accidents occur, we should be able to see outstanding results. However, the success and the length of this treatment will depend entirely on Ling’er’s innate talent and her powers of comprehension.”
“……”
“~！@#￥%……！！！”
It was as if someone had struck the back of Yun Che’s head with a heavy stick and he even felt his vision grow rather dim.
He had been completely mystified by the rest of Yun Gu’s words but he definitely understood the meaning of the words “touch their secret gardens together!!”
Touch their secret gardens together…
Ling’er and… the Little Demon Empress!?
Damn, this…
That scene… is simply…
Moreover, given the Little Demon Empress’ temperament, she definitely would not be able to accept it! She would rather die than undergo that kind of treatment. Besides himself, she had not allowed anyone else to even touch her fingers and that included other women.
…Hmmm? Wait a minute, if we are talking about her behavior when she is in bed, the Little Demon Empress was actually especially obedient during those times and she was practically even more docile and meek than Yue’er.
If he could ensure that the Little Demon Empress and Ling’er established a good relationship… Perhaps, it would still be a possibility.
It looked like he needed to work hard to establish a good relationship between the Little Demon Empress and Ling’er during the time Ling’er was comprehending and mastering the medical principles behind energy circulation…
Ah, it looks like even though he did not not to be directly involved, his task was still extremely arduous!
As Yun Che slowly sank into silence beside him, Yun Gu thought that he had descended into deep and profound thought. But little did he know that Yun Che’s mind was actually filled with thousands of wild, depraved thoughts.
________________
Author’s Note:
【I am going to emphasize this one last time, the mysterious black jade left behind by the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign is not the Primordial Seal of Life and Death! It definitely isn’t! If any of you ask again, please kill yourselves.】
Chapter 899 – Dark Clouds in Profound Sky
Following after Yun Che’s arrival, the Yun household was several times more lively than before and the atmosphere of the entire Demon Imperial City had undergone a large change as well.
Due to Yun Qinghong’s trust towards Yun Che, he sent a sound transmission to the various great families and duke palaces, instructing them to temporarily stop their preparations for war. However, the shadow which Xuanyuan Wentian brought to Demon Imperial City was too heavy and the tense and grayish atmosphere enveloping Demon Imperial City did not weaken because of this.
Without even needing to think, on the other side, the Profound Sky Continent was definitely enveloped within Xuanyuan Wentian’s shadow as well. Xia Yuanba who was seen by Xuanyuan Wentian as a potential threat that had to be eliminated, the Blue Wind Empire which Cang Yue was concerned about, and the Divine Phoenix Sect which Xue’er was concerned about, all of their situations were unknown.
On the third day he returned, Su Hengshan finally woke up and Su Ling’er began to wholeheartedly accompany Yun Gu in the studies of the way of medicine. On the fourth day, Yun Che had decided to head to the Profound Sky Continent alone.
If he were to delay eliminating Xuanyuan Wentian, who could predict what kind of terrifying thing he would do next.
“Yun Che, are you truly confident of defeating Xuanyuan Wentian now?” the Little Demon Empress worriedly asked.
In the past few days, Yun Che had given everyone a brief description of his experiences in the Azure Cloud Continent. Although Yun Che’s profound strength had risen explosively, the combined strength of him, the Little Demon Empress, and Feng Xue’er could not even defeat Xuanyuan the last time they faced him. Presently, merely a short single month had passed. Could the present Yun Che truly step directly across the previous immense difference in strength?
“Though I am not hundred percent confident and am unable to predict just how much improvement Xuanyuan Wentian has made in this one month, at the very least, I can probe him. Even if I end up defeated, I can still safely escape.”
Though Yun Che put it this way, his eyes were clearly exuding prideful confidence.
“Big Brother Yun, let me accompany you. I have been worried about how royal father and the rest are doing,” Feng Xue’er gently said.
“Don’t worry,” Yun Che consoled. “Last time, Xuanyuan Wentian was injured heavily, so he wouldn’t be able to heal completely without half a month or so. Furthermore, after the previous time, he will definitely become more impatient in unleashing the power within his devil blood, so he wouldn’t have the thoughts and time to care about other matters.”
“If you insist on going, then bring Xue’er along as well,” the Little Demon Empress said with a cold look. “Adding Xue’er’s strength, your chances will increase as well. With someone by your side, you will at least know how to cherish your own life!”
Yun Che, “…”
Yun Che’s gaze looked towards the far north… That was the direction of the Profound Sky Continent. Unknowingly, it had already been several months since he left there.
Right now, it was finally time to return.
Xuanyuan Wentian, all the debts, it is also time to end them all!
Profound Sky Continent, Divine Phoenix Empire, Phoenix City.
The Phoenix City which was destroyed by Jasmine a few months ago still carried the same tattered look and from the looks of it, only simple repairs had been done on the exterior. The Phoenix City, which was usually filled with a searing hot atmosphere, was presently cast with lifelessness. Looking from the sky above, it was even near impossible to see any moving figures.
“How can this be… Where did all the people of Phoenix City go?”
Because Feng Xue’er was worried about the situation of Divine Phoenix Sect, the coordinates which Yun Che and Xue’er jumped to, were exactly the sky above Phoenix City. However, what they saw was utter desolateness.
“Don’t be anxious. Compared to a few months ago, there isn’t a large increase in traces of destruction in Phoenix City, maybe… Let’s first head down to ask around.”
Yun Che pulled Feng Xue’er’s small hand which was tightly clenched due to anxiety and brought her straight down, landing in front of the elderly man who had the strongest profound aura remaining in Phoenix City.
That elderly man seemed to be in a daze because of some matters and he quickly took a few steps back out of shock due to Yun Che’s and Xue’er’s sudden appearance. The moment he saw Feng Xue’er, he shockingly widened his old eyes. “Prin… Prin… Princess Snow? It’s… It’s really you? I’m not… dreaming, right?”
Then, he suddenly saw Yun Che next to Feng Xue’er and his pair of eyes had almost popped out of their eye sockets. “You…”
The people of the Profound Sky Continent had all believed that Yun Che was already dead.
“Thirty-third Elder, it’s me! Where’s royal father? Quickly tell me where have royal father and the rest gone to?” Feng Xue’er anxiously asked and her body lightly shrank from fear, afraid of hearing the answer which she was terrified to think about.
“Sect Master, he… He…” Thirty-third Elder took a deep breath. “He, along with Grand Sect Master and the rest, have gone to Supreme Ocean Palace.”
“…” Feng Xue’er’s body instantly softened, her entire body leaned against Yun Che’s chest, as she finally heaved a long sigh of relief between her lips.
Yun Che really wanted to step up and send thirty-three ruthless slaps to this Thirty-third Elder. If they have gone to Supreme Ocean Palace, then say they have gone to the Supreme Ocean Palace. It’s not like they have gone down to the netherworld, why the hell did he take in such a big breath for!? Look at how you frightened my Xue’er.
“Supreme Ocean Palace?” Yun Che’s brows twitched. “Why did they go there?”
The Thirty-third Elder was still a little shocked when facing the “resurrected” Yun Che and he only replied a few moments later. “It’s the Heavenly Sovereign Conference… Xuanyuan Wentian’s Heavenly Sovereign Conference. Xuanyuan Wentian will be conferring himself as the Profound Sky Supreme Lord in the Heavenly Sovereign Conference… All of those who do not accept the invitations will be seen as going against the Heavenly Sovereign and have their sects and families massacred.”
“Heavenly Sovereign Conference… Conferring himself as a Heavenly Sovereign, that sure is a great show of arrogance,” Yun Che coldly laughed and said, “When will this Heavenly Sovereign Conference begin?”
“It’s today. Sect Master and the rest have already gone there several days ago.” This Thirty-third Elder had still yet to completely regain his senses.
Today!?
“Royal father, grandfather, great grandfather and the rest… Are they all alright?” Feng Xue’er still asked with slight worry. “During the time I wasn’t here, did Xuanyuan Wentian come here?”
“No… However, the people of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region have visited several times and every single time, they would bring back a large amount of profound crystals, medicine and pellets. We have no choice but to comply with them.” Fear emitted out of the Thirty-third Elder’s eyes. “Somehow, that Xuanyuan Wentian had basically become even more terrifying than the ghost god of legends. I heard that previously, when the other three Sacred Masters, who held the same status as him, combined their strengths, they were still miserably defeated by him alone.”
“Even his personality, according to rumors, has become exceptionally cruel and violent. Anyone or any sect that had the slightest thoughts of not submitting to him, was massacred by Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Even several people belonging to Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace and Sun Moon Divine Hall have died at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands. I’m afraid that it’s not much longer until the three Sacred Grounds will have no choice but to shrink back and submit under Xuanyuan Wentian as well… Aah, from today on, there will no longer be four Sacred Masters in the Profound Sky Continent. After Xuanyuan Wentian becomes the Heavenly Sovereign, it will be hard to predict just what will happen to the Profound Sky Continent and it will be hard to predict just what will happen to our Divine Phoenix Sect as well.”
The Four Great Sacred Grounds had initially coexisted while mutually restraining each other. It was hard for one to dominate over the other and no one dared to act too recklessly. Now that Xuanyuan Wentian has turned into a devil god, far surpassing the other three Sacred Masters, the balance being broken was just a secondary matter. Xuanyuan Wentian’s personality was becoming even more twisted under the influence of the dark profound energy, turning even more violent and brutal. To the Profound Sky Continent, his power was an incomparably terrifying disaster and it was becoming even more terrifying with each passing day.
“Xue’er, we’re going to Supreme Ocean Palace!”
Yun Che pulled on Feng Xue’er and instantly disappeared within the dimensional rift, leaving behind a completely stunned Phoenix Elder.
The Primordial Profound Ark once again leapt, instantly arriving above the ocean region of Supreme Ocean Palace from Phoenix City.
Directly south from their lines of sight, they could see a floating island enveloped by a shallow blue glow at first glance. However, compared to when Yun Che first visited Supreme Ocean Palace, the blue light surrounding the floating island evidently showed slight hints of chaos.
Beneath their feet was a small circular island and a spatial profound formation was flashing at the center of the small island. Yun Che recalled that this island was named “Ocean Eye Isle” and when he first visited Supreme Ocean Palace, he was first sent to this small island, before flying towards the floating island on his own.
“It’s Supreme Ocean Palace,” Feng Xue’er lightly muttered, as she looked at it with startled eyes. It was unclear if she was worried about Feng Hengkong and the rest or if she had recalled the scene when they first came here.
“It has been less than a year and I never expected that I would actually come back here again,” Yun Che said. The first time he met Xuanyuan Wentian was in Supreme Ocean Palace as well.
“Xuanyuan Wentian… is indeed a terrifying figure. Ambition, talent, schemes, ruthlessness, patience and opportunities… He should have possessed all the things he needed by now. However, unfortunately, on his very last step, he turned into a madman who has lost both his body and mind…” Yun Che seemed to be muttering to himself.
The Heavenly Sovereign Conference today was the moment where he would enjoy his fruits of labour to the fullest.
“Big Brother Yun, are we going head over directly?” Feng Xue’er asked.
Yun Che pondered for a moment and said. “Let’s still conceal our presence and approach carefully. Let’s first investigate the situation in the ocean palace. Xue’er, let’s head up.”
Just as Yun Che and Feng Xue’er were about to rise into the air, the spatial profound formation on the Ocean Eye Isle beneath them suddenly flashed with white light and two figures walked out one after the other.
“Hahahaha.” The white-robed youth walking at the front, suddenly raised his head and laughed out loud the moment he stepped out of the profound formation. “Look at this broad ocean region. This young master has finally understood why father has chosen this place. With the vastness of this blue ocean, there’s truly nowhere one could escape to.”
“Hoho.” The elderly following behind the youth laughed as well. “But with Lord Sword Master’s present divine might, if he doesn’t wish for anyone to flee, who can truly escape from the hands of Lord Sword Master?”
Yun Che’s and Feng Xue’er’s figures stopped at the same time, as their gazes landed at the two people below them. The youth had the profound strength of a late-stage Overlord, while the elderly was a level seven Monarch. Their two bodies were surging with sword aura.
“Xuanyuan Wendao!” Yun Che recited in a low tone, his eyes instantly darkened.
The male youth walking at the front, was actually Xuanyuan Wentian’s son… his only son—Xuanyuan Wendao!!
Though the former Xuanyuan Wendao carried a lofty look, he had basically stayed passive aggressive. While in the presence of other people, he was still considered to be cautious and would occasionally display a meek side as well.
However, the present Xuanyuan Wendao was suffused with arrogance and majesty. His eyes, his tone, not one of them was not madly arrogant in the least. He was basically like an emperor who was pointing at his country and dominating over the world. Not a single thing in the world could enter his eyes.
And this change, naturally came from Xuanyuan Wentian’s world-enveloping might.
“Hmph, that’s natural. However, there are still several disobedient people. These laughable idiots are still daydreaming about resisting father. Today, Father will let them know what true power is. Those disobedient idiots will know what despair is and their blood, will most likely dye this blue ocean palace in fresh red.”
“Lord Sword Master… Oh, that’s not it. How could mere mortals possibly go against the might of the Heavenly Sovereign? Once Lord Sword Master truly becomes the first Heavenly Sovereign of the Profound Sky Continent today, then, Young Master will become the first Young Sovereign Master of the Profound Sky Continent. In the future, this entire world will belong to Young Sovereign Master as well,” the elderly flattered with a face filled with smiles.
“Hahahahaha!” Xuanyuan Wendao laughed out arrogantly. “Not just the Profound Sky Continent! Once the Heavenly Sovereign Conference is completed and once those disobedient people have found out the consequences, father will immediately rebuild the profound formation and head over to the Illusory Demon Realm. Once that time comes, the Illusory Demon Realm will kneel down and submit or be destroyed!”
“Heh heh, the beautiful dream you father and son share, is truly a heartfelt one.”
Amidst Xuanyuan Wentian’s wild laughter, an ice-cold voice that carried deep ridicule suddenly rang in his ears, causing the hair in his entire body to instantly stand on ends. “Who is it!?”
Boom!!!
Amidst the sudden explosive loud noise, the elderly man who was following behind Xuanyuan Wendao, a powerful level seven Monarch, was sent flying away like a tattered cabbage without being able to let out a single scream in time, landing in the ocean several kilometers away. As for Xuanyuan Wendao who turned around, he finally saw the faces of Yun Che and Feng Xue’er clearly.
His eyes instantly widened out of fear. “You… You two… Urgh!”
Before Xuanyuan Wendao could roar out in time, Yun Che’s hand had already locked tightly onto his neck, preventing him from making a sound. Even the slightest groan could not be heard.
“Young Master Xuanyuan, it has truly been a long time.” Yun Che coldly smiled as he raised Xuanyuan Wendao up. “I was just contemplating what welcome gift I should bring for Xuanyuan Wentian when you just happened to obediently send yourself to my doorstep.”
Chapter 900 – Heavenly Sovereign Conference
“Don’t show such a terrified expression, I didn’t say I am going to kill you,” Yun Che said with a grin. “If I were to let you die so easily…”
Yun Che’s eyes instantly turned cold and his voice sounded like a bone-piercing sharp blade, piercing into Xuanyuan Wendao’s soul. “How will I be able to face Uncle Xiao up in the heavens!?”
Crack! Bang!!
Yun Che gripped his right hand and a large bone in Xuanyuan Wendao’s throat was instantly shattered, while his left hand had also fiercely smashed onto his chest. With a dull sound, Xuanyuan Wendao’s body severely shook as an insidious profound energy heartlessly infiltrated his profound veins. In the blink of an eye, his profound veins were completely destroyed with all the profound energy stored within completely annihilated; not a single strand of it escaped.
Ever since he grasped darkness profound energy, he had gotten more efficient with his ability to cripple one’s profound veins.
Furthermore, the several people he had crippled recently all had both their profound strength and profound veins crippled, preventing them from even cultivating all the way from the beginning again.
…Most probably, these actions more or less carried his resentment of having crippled profound veins back then.
The fear in Xuanyuan Wendao’s eyes turned into deep despair the moment his profound veins were crippled… Just a moment before, he was still having a far-off dream of becoming the lord of the world. However, in just a few breaths of time, this beautiful dream that had yet to be fulfilled had completely turned into a nightmare.
Yun Che’s grip loosened and Xuanyuan Wendao fell limply to the ground like a dead dog. Not killing him, was not because Yun Che wanted to use him to threaten Xuanyuan Wentian… nor was there such a need.
He was the person who killed Xiao Ying back then and also the main culprit who caused the tragedy in the Xiao Family. His life, should be judged by the Xiao Family!
After kicking Xuanyuan Wendao into the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che, along with Feng Xue’er, rose into the air, continuing to soar until they were three kilometers higher than Supreme Ocean Palace before heading southward.
The ocean region of the southern ocean was not calm today. Waves were rising all around on the ocean surface and a large part of the sky was covered by thick clouds. Yun Che and Feng Xue’er quickly arrived above the ocean palace and as Yun Che had expected, that thick and chaotic profound energy came from the center of the Sea God Arena of the ocean palace… Just like the Devil Sword Conference back then, Xuanyuan Wentian decided to choose the same location to host the Heavenly Sovereign Conference this time.
Yun Che and Feng Xue’er shortened their distance from the Sea God Arena to ten kilometers before finally stopping. The two of them hid themselves above the layers of clouds. Though they were separated by ten kilometers, with their eyesight, it was enough to clearly see the scenes occurring in the Sea God Arena.
“Let’s settle down here then. If we approach any further, it will be easy for Xuanyuan Wentian to notice.”
While Yun Che said that, his arm wrapped around Feng Xue’er’s gentle waist as he activated Hidden Flowing Lightning, quickly concealing their auras.
“It’s royal father and the others!” Feng Xue’er lightly called out in excitement, her eyes landing on the southern side of the Sea God Arena. Over there, she saw Feng Zukui, Feng Tianwei and Feng Hengkong’s figure and behind them was almost the entire line-up of Elder-level figures of Divine Phoenix Sect.
However, Feng Ximing was not among them.
Seeing that they were safe and sound with her own eyes, Feng Xue’er’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally calmed down.
Yun Che swept his eyes quickly around the Sea God Arena. The Devil Sword Conference back then gathered almost all the top-notch experts in the Profound Sky Continent and could be said to be the biggest event in the history of the Profound Sky Continent. However, the scale of this so-called Heavenly Sovereign Conference, had actually even surpassed the Devil Sword Conference. The large half of the Sea God Arena which was left empty back then, was already filled to the brim when the Heavenly Sovereign Conference had even yet to begin.
The sects which were invited to the Devil Sword Conference were basically all present. On the other hand, those which did not participate in the Devil Sword Conference but were all prominent powers in their own respective regions, made up a larger number. Other than the forces in the profound realm, Yun Che had clearly spotted the powers belonging to the royal families of various nations, along with various large economic powers!
The royal family powers representing the seven nations of the Profound Sky Continent were all present! And this included Blue Wind Empire, which was made up of several dozen people led by Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang.
Thirty or so merchant guilds were present and every single one of them was well-known in the continent.
Very evidently, for this so-called “Heavenly Sovereign Conference,” not only did Xuanyuan Wentian want to confer on himself the title of Heavenly Sovereign in the profound way… he clearly wanted to become the “Heavenly Sovereign” of the entire continent!
The atmosphere of this Heavenly Sovereign Conference was also worlds apart from the Devil Sword Conference. Back then, no one had realized that he or she would actually be reduced to mere tools for Xuanyuan Wentian to release the seal on the devil sword and they attended the conference in order to “participate” and “watch.” Back then, though they were tense, at the same time, they were excited and filled with expectations. This time, however, the entire Sea God Arena felt like it had been covered in a large cauldron, enveloped by a layer of incomparably heavy atmosphere.
The powers, royal families, and merchant guilds from the seven nations were all neatly and tensely seated with fearful expressions, not even daring to take in a huge breath.
The Four Great Sacred Grounds—Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace, Sun Moon Divine Hall, and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, were already present. Huangji Wuyu, Qu Fengyi and Ye Meixie were all seated in front of their respective Sacred Grounds. Though all of them carried different expressions, they no longer possessed the pride and might they once had, as every single one of their auras was filled with different degrees of haziness.
Ye Meixie was missing an arm, becoming a single-armed Heavenly Monarch. Though Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi did not look different on the surface, from their auras, Yun Che immediately sensed that the two of them had clearly suffered considerably heavy injuries… Furthermore, their injuries were inflicted not too long ago.
Ye Meixie’s arm had been crippled by the Little Demon Empress and there was only a single person in the Profound Sky Continent who could injure Huangyi Wuyu and Qu Fengyi.
As for the people from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, they were not seated in the seats at the sides of the Sea God Arena. Instead, they were separated into several square formations and all of them were standing in the central region of the Sea God Arena.
Back then, the three sword attendants and a bunch of Elders of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region were were killed by Jasmine as if she was cutting vegetables and their most important Northern Region was even destroyed. Their overall strength could be considered to have plummeted and it could be said that they had even fallen off the level of a “Sacred Ground.”
However, the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region today, from the Elders at the top, to the regular disciples at the bottom, every single one of them carried proud expressions with their heads held high. Putting aside the powers from the seven nations, even when they were looking at the other three Sacred Grounds, their gazes evidently carried belittling glints.
It was as if they had stepped onto another level of this world where all the other existences, including the other three Sacred Grounds which held the same status as them, were reduced to mere servants.
“Hmph, this scene sure is spectacular,” Yun Che said with a low voice. “Putting aside Xuayuan Wentian’s personality being influenced by the darkness profound energy, even the entire Mighty Heavenly Sword Region could not wait to expose the ugliest side of human nature.”
“The looks of father and the rest are really scary,” Feng Xue’er worriedly said. “Big Brother Yun, what should we do later?”
Killing Xuanyuan Wentian was their goal in being here but they had not actually expected to encounter such a huge spectacle.
“Xuanyuan Wentian isn’t here yet, I do want to see what kind of performance he has prepared… Mn?”
At the seats in the southeastern corner, Yun Che suddenly saw some familiar faces.
Ling Yuefeng, Xuanyuan Yufeng, Ling Yun…
Heavenly Sword Villa!?
Why were they here? Though Heavenly Sword Villa had immense fame in the Blue Wind Empire, they were still not worthy of being invited here.
However, immediately after, Yun Che saw Xuanyuan Jue who was seated at the very front and instantly let out a cold laugh. “This truly demonstrates what is meant by ‘when a man attains the way, his hen and dog ascend to the heavens as well’.”
And what made Yun Che feel at ease was, among the seats taken up Heavenly Sword Villa, he did not see Ling Jie’s figure.
“He’s here!” Yun Che suddenly said.
Booooom…
The moment Yun Che’s voice fell, dull thunder suddenly resounded from the east and following after, the sky in the east gradually darkened. The thick clouds that were initially bluish white, were quickly dyed in black and even the entire space had begun to dim. The atmosphere that was suppressive in the first place, instantly turned even heavier, as every single person present felt as if their chest was being pressed down by fifteen tons of profound metal.
The looks on everyone in the Sea God Arena, including the three great Sacred Masters and the many Elders of the Sacred Grounds, changed one after the other. Because even at the level of strength they possessed, they could still clearly sense a terrifying pressure that could shake their souls. This pressure was completely different from the regular suppression with the use of profound auras. It was as if there was a dark, colossal devil standing above their heads with its pitch-black mouth wide open and it could swallow them into the abyss of death at any moment.
“Saint Emperor, has Xuanyuan Wentian truly become as powerful as… you have described?”
Behind Huangji Wuyu, Spiritual Master Bitter Agony, the leader of the twelve Spiritual Masters, said with a low voice. Even before Xuanyuan Wentian had made his appearance, this pressure coming from the far distance was already able to stir his heart.
“Hss…” Huangji Wuyu slightly gritted his teeth. “What’s going on? Xuanyuan Wentian’s aura, has actually grown so much stronger than before… Just what is going on with his strength!?”
“Wh… What?” Spiritual Master Bitter Agony’s entire body shook.
“Sovereign of the Seas…” The face of Zi Ji, who was standing next to the Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi, had completely lost its calm as well. Just as he was about to speak, Qu Fengyi hurriedly raised her hand, stopping him from continuing. Her expression, which was sunken in the first place, had turned even darker than before.
“Xuanyuan Wentian!” Feng Xue’er reached out her hand to cover her lips, as endless shock filled her eyes. “His aura, has truly gotten… even more terrifying than last time!”
“And his strength did not just increase by a little.” Yun Che’s brows sank as he slightly clenched his fists.
This monster which was the fusion of the powers of three people—Ye Mufeng from a thousand years ago, Fen Juechen who had experienced a strange rebirth, and Xuanyuan Wentian… was truly terrifying to the extreme. He was already a monster that could not be explained or understood with common sense!!
With Xuanyuan Wentian’s present condition, even if Yun Che did not take the initiative to look for him, he would have soon broken into the Illusory Demon Realm anyway.
Black clouds were moving amidst the dull thunder, all the way to the skies right above the Sea God Arena. Then, with a loud explosive sound, a pitch-black figure, carrying a dark aura that could suffocate people, descended upon the Sea God Arena from the sky.
“We welcome the Heavenly Sovereign!”
The people of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region who had waited in formation at the center of the Sea God Arena, knelt down together and shouted out in unison. When Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, a force which clearly had their powers weakened by a great extent, shouted the words “we welcome the Heavenly Sovereign”, it was actually several times louder and more resounding compared to the time they shouted “we welcome the Sword Master” during the Devil Sword Conference.
Xuanyuan Wentian slowly descended and stopped right before touching the ground as he stood at the very center of the Sea God Arena. Dressed entirely in black with large sleeves, his black hair extended to his waist. His face carried a grayish color and his eyes were covered with an occasional black glow.
He raised his head and swept his eyes towards the front, the corners of his lips stretched into a slight smile… However, it was not the usual relaxed and composed smile but an indescribable low smile that made people feel extremely uncomfortable.
The smile of a devil!
Xuanyuan Wentian’s arrival had caused the temperature of the Sea God Arena, which was enveloped in an incomparably oppressive atmosphere, to suddenly fall. The various forces of the seven nations tremblingly stood up in a hurried manner, however, all of their heads were lowered, not daring to even glance at this terrifying devil god.
If Xuanyuan Wentian was merely logic-defyingly powerful, the masses would not be terrified to such an extent… After all, to them, the past Xuanyuan Wentian was similarly a god-like existence who was standing at a height they could not possibly reach.
However, in just a short few months, nearly a hundred sects had already been annihilated under the hands of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and among them, some were even personally dealt with by Xuanyuan Wentian himself. According to rumors, several thousand experts belonging to the three Great Sacred Grounds were even massacred by Xuanyuan Wentian one after another… And in the end, the other three Sacred Grounds could only endure this humiliation and suppress their indignation.
The current Xuanyuan Wentian not only possessed unmatched strength, he even held the highest authority of determining the lives and deaths in the Profound Sky Continent. If he wanted someone to die, that person definitely would not be able to see the sun on the second day.
In the past, the other three Sacred Grounds could restrain Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.
But in the current Profound Sky Continent, there was no longer any power that could restrain Xuanyuan Wentian!!
“This is that small world that the Golden Crow Divine Spirit created?” Feng Xue’er asked. She had heard Yun Che speak of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley before but its true appearance still far surpassed what she had imagined.
“Mnnn,” the Little Demon Empress replied in affirmation, her brows faintly raised. This was because she could clearly sense that the fire aura in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was much weaker than it had been the last time they had been here.
After passing through countless flame seas, a mountain rampart finally appeared. In front of the mountain rampart, a profound formation that was burning with golden flames was slowly revolving in place.
“There it is!”
They landed in front of the fire profound formation, the Little Demon Empress gently shrugged off Feng Xue’er’s supporting arm before slowly kneeling to the ground:
“The Twelfth Emperor of the Illusory Demon Imperial Family, the eleventh successor of the Golden Crow bloodline, Huan Caiyi, begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God.”
Feng Xue’er also hurriedly knelt down as she held Yun Che in her arms. In front of the only hope they had of saving Yun Che, she would not hesitate in the slightest even if she was required to adopt the humble posture of a lowly ant.
The Little Demon Empress’ voice was quickly swallowed up by the sound of the roaring flames that resounded in the Golden Crow Lighting Flame Valley. But even after waiting a long time, they received no response.
Bewilderment and uneasiness welled in the Little Demon Empress’ heart. This was the independent world that the Golden Crow Spirit had created, so its spirit perception should cover every corner of this world. Anything that happened in this place would not be able to escape it’s spirit perception. It should have sensed their presence from the moment they had entered Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
Especially since it had expressed such regard for Yun Che the last time around…
So why had it not made an appearance and met them yet?
“The Illusory Demon Imperial Family’s Huan Caiyi begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God.”
The Little Demon Empress called out again but she still did not receive the Golden Crow Spirit’s response, even after a long time had passed.
“Little Demon Empress sis, the Golden Crow Spirit… Is it not present in this place?” Feng Xue’er asked in a worried voice.
Just as her voice fell, an ear-splitting and soul-shaking girlish voice abruptly rang out from all corners of the place, “Huan Caiyi, why did you suddenly come to this place and disturb this noble one’s slumber!?”
This voice was even more intense and violent than lava and it also contained a simmering rage.
“Ah!” Feng Xue’er cried out in alarm. The Little Demon Empress raised her head and looked upwards as she spoke in an extremely respectful and reverential tone, “For inadvertently disturbing the Golden Crow Divine God’s slumber, Huan Caiyi is willing to accept all punishment. But… Yun Che has sustained heavy injuries and he teeters on the edge of death. The only one in the world that can save him now is the Golden Crow Divine God, so I beg that you present your golden body and save his life. Huan Caiyi is willing to pay any price. Even if you want my life in exchange, I am willing to give it.”
Feng Xue’er’s mouth dropped open and she stared dazedly at the Little Demon Empress. The Little Demon Empress had uttered the words “even if you want my life in exchange, I am willing to give it” in such a calm and matter-of-fact manner.
She may have appeared cold to the point where it seemed like she did not have any emotions but the Little Demon Empress’ feelings for Yun Che did not lose to anyone else in this world… Even as the noble and supreme monarch who ruled over the entire Illusory Demon Realm, the Little Demon Empress regarded Yun Che as more important to her than even her own life.
“Him? Heavily injured and on the brink of death? Hahahahaha…”
The Golden Crow Spirit did not materialise and the Little Demon Empress’ words only provoked a loud laugh of disdain from it, “Idiot! Yun Che possesses the bloodline of the Dragon God and has the protection of the power of the Rage God. So no matter how heavy his injuries are, even if he is lingering on his very last breath, as long as he isn’t dead, he will definitely recover. But the both of you want this noble one to save him? This is simply ridiculous!”
“No, that isn’t the case this time around,” the Little Demon Empress pleaded in a loud voice. “It was not just any power that harmed him this time. He has already been tottering on the edge of life and death for an entire ten days. He has only woken up once during these past ten days and he might die at any time. In this world, it is truly only you that can save him now.”
“…Ten days?” The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was clearly laced with suspicion. Because Yun Che had the body of the Dragon God and the powers of the Rage God, so on this plane, there should not be any power that would cause him to lie at death’s door for ten days without any signs of recovery.
Clang!
At this moment, a pair of scarlet-golden eyes suddenly opened up in the dull-golden sky as scorching rays of light that seemed like fire descended from above. It seemed as if a blazing sun had risen in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley as the place grew even brighter and hotter.
The Golden Crow Spirit finally appeared and the Little Demon Empress bowed deeply in it’s presence. Feng Xue’er also hurriedly knelt down but after that she gently placed Yun Che in front of her body as she plead, “Great and magnanimous Golden Crow Divine Spirit, I beg that you definitely save Big Brother Yun. I, Feng Xue’er, am willing to use everything that I have and everything that I am to repay this favor.”
The light released by those scarlet-golden eyes first fell on Feng Xue’er’s body as it lingered on her for a very long time… Because her body was releasing a Phoenix aura that was far too dense, dense to the point where it was abnormal.
But it did not ask her anything. Instead those golden eyes swept across the Little Demon Empress before stopping there for a short moment. After that, the Golden Crow Spirit asked in a severe voice, “You actually ignited your origin blood? Hmph, given the power that this noble one has bestowed upon you, to think that there is actually someone on this plane that can push you to this extent!?”
“Even though Caiyi was forced to ignite her origin blood, my body was not harmed. I will recover within the month. I beg that the Golden Crow Divine God definitely save Yun Che,” the Little Demon Empress plead once again.
Facing the Golden Crow Spirit, every single word she said was regarding saving Yun Che’s life.
“Hmph, then let this noble one see just what kind of wound can render a person, who possesses both the body of the Dragon God and the powers of the Rage God, unconscious for ten days!”
A beam of golden light fell from the sky before morphing into layers of weak flame which covered Yun Che’s body.
In a single instant, all the flames that had just touched Yun Che’s body fiercely jumped before dispersing like flashing lightning. The golden eyes which hung in midair also released a strange light as the Golden Crow Spirit said, “This is…”
The Golden Crow Spirit’s tone underwent a fierce change, “Why did he get harmed by this kind of power? Just what did all of you encounter?”
“We don’t know either.” Feng Xue’er as she shook her head, “At that time, I was at Big Brother Yun’s side but I did not even see who harmed him. I could not even sense a single trace of any strange or abnormal energy auras around him. Big Brother Yun just suddenly… became like this.”
“…” The Golden Crow Spirit suddenly grew silent and it did not speak for a very long time.
The aura in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley also suddenly became stifling.
The Golden Crow Spirit’s silence caused a thick sense of uneasiness to arise in the hearts of the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er. Feng Xue’er was finally unable to endure this stifling aura. She raised her delicate head and spoke in a pleading voice, “You are the great and magnanimous Golden Crow Divine Spirit, so you definitely have a method to save him. I beg that you bestow your great mercy upon us, no matter what…”
“There is no need to speak any further.”
The Golden Crow Spirit suddenly spoke, interrupting Feng Xue’er’s words. It continued in a cold voice, “Are any of you aware just what kind of power he was harmed by?”
“…” Both the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er shook their heads at the same time.
“The person who harmed him used the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God!” The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was like a raging fire, “However, on this plane, there shouldn’t be any person who has heard of the name ‘Heavenly Poison Star God’”.
“Then… how can we save him exactly?” Who the Heavenly Poison Star God was and why that person wanted to kill Yun Che was not their main concern right now. The only thing that they wanted to know was how to rescue Yun Che.
“Save him?” The Golden Crow Spirit said with a heavy snort, “You don’t even know what kind of existence the Heavenly Poison Star God is, so it’s natural that neither of you can even imagine how terrifying she is. This is an incomparably strong divine power and it is far more malicious than it is strong, reaching the very pinnacle of maliciousness!”
“The power which has harmed Yun Che is enough to reduce any other living creature on this plane to dust. But Yun Che possesses the Dragon God’s marrow and his bones are as strong and resilient as star steel, so that is why he did not disintegrate completely.”
“The Heavenly Poison Star God’s power also definitely contains a virulent poison. The only reason why Yun Che wasn’t poisoned instantly by this virulent poison was because he has the Sky Poison Pearl on his person.”
“After the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power has harmed someone, the lingering energy left after the attack does not dissipate. Instead, it will burrow into the body like a maggot and even if the person does not die immediately, it will continue to rend the soul and devour that person’s life. Only a power on the same level as it can force it to dissipate. This is also the reason Yun Che has not yet recovered his strength or recovered from his wounds yet. But in the end, he still has the protection bestowed upon him by the body of the Dragon God and the power of the Rage God, so that is why he has forcefully endured until now without succumbing to death.”
“The fact that he can forcefully survive under the influence of the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power is a miracle in and of itself. If the same power had been inflicted on either of you, both of you would have already died ten thousand times over! But even though he still lives, it is only the last gasps of a dying man! And if you truly want to save him… that is no more than a fool’s wishful thinking!”
The four words “a fool’s wishful thinking” felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads. Feng Xue’er’s tears immediately started to gush out. She tried her best to hold back her tears as she spoke, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit… is it true that even you… can’t think of anything?”
“Yun Che’s innate talent is special and unique and not only is he the one who inherited this noble one’s bloodline, he is also the one that this noble one has placed all of my hopes in. If I can save him, this noble one will not spare any effort. But even if this noble one’s power was a hundred times what it is right now, it would still be far from that Heavenly Poison Star God who harmed him.”
“It would be easy for this noble one to rouse him temporarily but even if I expended all my strength and effort, it would be impossible for me to save him.”
Even though the Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was still as fiery and explosive as fire it was now laced with a deep somberness and helplessness.
Feng Xue’er immediately melted to the ground, hugging Yun Che as she sobbed and wept. Their last ray of hope had been mercilessly destroyed. If even the Golden Crow Spirit was unable to save Yun Che, then there truly existed no method in this world that could save him…
“Speaking of which, there was originally someone that could save him but since the Heavenly Poison Star God appeared, then it is natural that this person would definitely not be able to continue to stay in this place,” the Golden Crow Spirit said, its voice and the gleam in its eyes had dulled by several degrees.
The person it was referring to was naturally Jasmine. But right now, it could no longer sense the presence of Jasmine’s soul in Yun Che’s body. In the next instant, it deduced that seeking out the Heavenly Slaughter Star God was the only reason the Heavenly Poison Star God would even appear in this world. It was also for this reason that she would make a move to kill Yun Che.
Feng Xue’er knew that the person the Golden Crow Spirit was speaking of was that dreadfully powerful girl in the red dress. But… she had already left and she would never ever be able to return. Even if Feng Xue’er wanted to go look for her, she would not be able to find her.
“You should leave,” the Golden Crow Spirit said in a somber voice. “He is dead and that is indeed extremely regrettable. But such is fate. Given his tenaciousness, he should still be able to struggle on for around another ten days… In this life, he has already experienced good fortune that a normal person would not be able to even hope for in ten lives. Even though he was born with an unfortunate fate, it could be said that he has not lived his life in vain at all.”
The Little Demon Empress stood up, her eyes bleak and lifeless. She gloomily said, “Xue’er, let us depart. He hasn’t seen his father or mother… for a very long time now.”
Feng Xue’er’s mind was a swath of grayish white, her vision completely blurred by her tears. She gently hugged Yun Che as she listlessly stepped forward in a disoriented fashion but she did not even know which direction she was headed.
“Wait a moment!!”
The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice suddenly rang through the air like an unexpected peal of thunder, stopping the footsteps of Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress.
Two golden lights fell on Feng Xue’er’s body as the Golden Crow Spirit stared her fixedly. The light that it’s pair of golden eyes was releasing at this moment was far more thick and intense than it had been at any other moment.
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit?” Feng Xue’er muttered lifelessly.
“Feng Xue’er, answer one question for this noble one.” The Golden Crow Spirit’s dull voice suddenly regained the explosiveness of a volcano, “Are you still a virgin?”
Chapter 852 – Repeating the Same Old Trick
“Ah…” Feng Xue’er was stunned by that question and she did not even know how to begin to respond to it.
“Answer this noble one’s question, are you still a virgin?” The Golden Crow Spirit repeated in a grave voice, “The answer to this question is directly related to whether or not Yun Che can be saved.”
To the two girls who had already given up their last bit of hope, these last words uttered by the Golden Crow Spirit were without a doubt completely earth-shattering. The Little Demon Empress instantly turned around and the confused Feng Xue’er was also shocked back into sensibility. She opened her tender lips while frantically nodding her head in embarrassment, “I… I… am…”
Even though Feng Xue’er was practically like a sheet of unspotted white paper when it came to relations between men and women, she still clearly understood the meaning of the word “virgin”.
“Hahahahaha…” Feng Xue’er’s reply caused the Golden Crow Spirit to abruptly start laughing loudly. Moreover, this loud laughter began to surge fiercely, sweeping away the previous heavy and stifling atmosphere, “Yun Che has the Dragon God’s bloodline. Combined with the Golden Crow’s flame, this means that the yang energy in his body is incomparably rich and vigorous. Furthermore, you possess surpassing beauty and it seems like your feelings for him are deeply rooted as well. To think that he hasn’t even touched you yet, this is truly an extremely rare occurrence!”
The Little Demon Empress, “…”
“I…” A red blush stained Feng Xue’er’s cheek as she began to hem and haw, “The power within my bloodline still hasn’t… still hasn’t fully awakened… So I can’t… Big Brother Yun has always cherished and treasured me…So… So…”
“Hmph, this is simply absurd!” The Golden Crow Spirit said in a huffy voice, “If you had lost your phoenix vital yin to any other male, it would indeed have seriously stifled the awakening of the power within your bloodline. But how can Yun Che’s constitution be compared with that of a normal male’s!? Just by the virtue of his Dragon God bloodline, not only can he cause your physique to fundamentally change, he can even greatly aid the awakening of the power of your Phoenix bloodline.”
“Right now, you have awoken roughly forty percent of the power of your Phoenix bloodline. If you maintain your present state, you will need at least fifteen more years to fully awaken your power. But if you practice Dragon Phoenix Dual Cultivation with him, you will be able to awaken ninety percent of your power in no more than three months! Within half a year, you will be able to fully awaken your power. At that time, your strength will far surpass Huan Caiyi and the Phoenix Spirit who bestowed this bloodline upon you. Three years later, you will be able to step into the way of the divine and reach a new horizon!”
“You desire for the power of your bloodline to be fully awakened, yet you are not even aware that such a top-class male incubator is right by your side. Instead, you reject what is near at hand and seek something that is far away. It is simply far too laughable.”
“Ah…?” The strange and unreasonable outburst from the Golden Crow Spirit stunned Feng Xue’er in place, leaving her at a complete loss.
“Golden Crow Divine God, you just mentioned that there was a method to save Yun Che. Is that true?” the Little Demon Empress asked in an anxious voice.
“Hmph, I guess this kiddo is pretty fortunate after all.” The Golden Crow Spirit said indifferently, “If he had touched that Phoenix girl in the past, then he would undoubtedly be destined for death right now. Not only was this Phoenix girl deeply in love with him, she also possessed enough beauty to overthrow a country. As someone who carried such heavy yang energy, with someone like her by his side, being able to control himself was indeed not an easy feat. But since this is the case, he has also gained a new life for himself.”
The scarlet-golden eyes hovering in midair opened wide as thick and dense firelight spilled out, “Right now, there is indeed a method that can save him. Furthermore, it is a method that will not only allow him to fully recover but it will also cause his cultivation to explosively increase within a short period of time.”
“What method!?” Both Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress yelled at the same time. The elation of rising to heaven from the depths of hell caused all of the blood in their bodies to roil about agitatedly.
“This noble one has already said so much but the both of you still do not understand? Of course it’s your phoenix vital yin!” The Golden Crow Spirit thundered as it stared at Feng Xue’er, “When it comes to destructive power, the Phoenix flames are far inferior to the Golden Crow flames. But the Phoenix flames have a special cleansing ability. Yun Che is unable to recover from his heavy injuries because the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power is still running rampant inside his body. Given your Phoenix flames, it would undoubtedly be a fool’s errand to attempt to cleanse a power that far exceeds the level of your own. However, your phoenix vital yin is able to ignite the Phoenix’s ‘primal flame” one time in his body.”
“It’s other name is—the Flame of Nirvana!”
“The Flames of Nirvana… I have heard Lord Phoenix God mention this before,” Feng Xue’er said dazedly.
“The Flame of Nirvana is a divine flame unique to the Phoenix and it possesses the ultimate cleansing power in this entire universe. Furthermore, even the Phoenix itself can only ignite these flames twice in its life. The first time is when it is born, the second time is when it experiences rebirth. Furthermore, if it forcibly ignites those flames before its rebirth, then when it loses its life, it will not be able to undergo a nirvanic rebirth.”
“The Flames of Nirvana is impossible for a normal person to ignite but you are different.” Even though the Golden Crow Spirit was repulsed by the Phoenix flames, it possessed a deep interest and astonishment towards Feng Xue’er, “Because you did not merely inherit the bloodline of the Phoenix, you also inherited the entirety of a Phoenix Spirit! So your phoenix vital yin is completely sufficient to ignite a faint and weak Flame of Nirvana one time.”
“Even though it is faint and weak and should only last for an instant, it is enough to disperse the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God that is running through his body!” The Golden Crow Spirit’s tone changed abruptly after that, “However, if this is the case, then if you perish in the future, you will be unable to undergo a nirvanic rebirth as well. You, who should have had the body of the Phoenix which possesses two lives, will only be left with one life just like everyone else.”
“Then… then what should I do? What can I do to save Big Brother Yun?” Feng Xue’er completely disregarded whatever she was going to lose. If she was able to save Yun Che, she would not hesitate no matter the cost. Even though she had vaguely been able to guess at something but her understanding of relations between a man and a woman was completely limited to the intimate actions that Yun Che normally displayed with her. She did not even have the foggiest idea regarding the rest of it and she did not know what she had to do.
“Right now, it is fine if you don’t know what to do. Don’t you have a person beside you that can teach you whatever you need to know!?” The Golden Crow Spirit declared, relishing every word that it spoke.
“Ah?” Feng Xue’er gave a low cry while the Little Demon Empress was in a mild shock.
“You are inexperienced in the ways of the world, so it is natural that you don’t know what to do. But Huan Caiyi, at that time you were without a teacher, yet you took the initiative and learned by yourself. And after you married Yun Che, you did it day and night, so you have long ago become well-versed in such matters. It will be up to you to guide Feng Xue’er in what she needs to do… What’s more, the person that she wants to save is your man as well!”
“ “~！@#￥%…” The Little Demon Empress’ mouth faintly opened. A panicked and flustered expression that even Yun Che had never seen before was now clearly pasted on that normally cold and practically emotionless face.
The gloomy and stifling atmosphere shared by both girls suddenly became extremely subtle. The Golden Crow Spirit’s eyes flashed before it gave a heavy snort, “Hmph, how troublesome!”
Whoosh!!
A ring-shaped cluster of flames suddenly sprang up around the three of them, placing them squarely in the center. After that the flames suddenly surged, forming a gigantic flame barrier which contained all three of them within it.
Moreover, it was not the first time that the Little Demon Empress had seen this flame barrier… The Golden Crow Spirit had used this method to seal Yun Che and her the last time… While telling her that she had a time limit of two months to obtain his vital yang at least five hundred times before they would be allowed out.
“Huan Caiyi, you better listen up and listen good.” The Golden Crow Spirit’s grave and serious voice resounded in her ears, “If you merely want to save Yun Che, then you can simply rely on the ‘Flame of Nirvana’ that will be ignited by Feng Xue’er’s phoenix vital yin to disperse the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God that is coursing through his body. After that, Yun Che’s extremely strong self-healing ability will allow him to make a full recovery within days. But Feng Xue’er is definitely not any normal inheritor of the Phoenix bloodline and her body can nearly be called the actual ‘body of the Phoenix God’. Because of this, her phoenix vital yin is incomparably precious, so even if the slightest bit of it is lost, it will still be a huge, incalculable loss which can never be recovered.
“If Yun Che can perfectly obtain her phoenix vital yin, then it will definitely cause his profound strength to soar within a short period of time. At that time, it might be possible that he could even surpass you.”
“The enemy that you encountered was able to force you to ignite your origin blood. Given Yun Che’s current strength, even if he does make a full recovery, the moment he clashes with that enemy, he will undoubtedly die. If you don’t want him to suffer a miserable death after he barely manages to snatch it back in the first place, then you should assist him in perfectly obtaining Feng Xue’er’s phoenix vital yin. At the same time, it will also help Feng Xue’er by speeding up the awakening of the power of her bloodline.”
“This barrier will last for three months. Given Feng Xue’er’s body of the Phoenix God, she will completely use up her phoenix vital yin after these three months. As for how to allow Yun Che to perfectly obtain her phoenix vital yin… Heh, you should be far more experienced regarding that than this noble one. The results that all of you obtain after three months will be entirely dependent on you. So you definitely must not disappoint this noble one.”
“Hahahahaha…” The Golden Crow Spirit let out a loud laugh, as if it had done something delightful. After that, those eyes flashed with a golden light and the barrier below was instantly sealed away completely, securely trapping those three people within its confines.
It had initially forcefully trapped the Little Demon Empress and Yun Che within that barrier and it would not let them out before they achieved the target it had set for them.
Not more than two years later, it was once again doing the same thing. The only thing that was different this time around was that it had forcefully confined three people and the limit was not the “amount of times”, it was time itself.
What was even more different was its state of mind.
After bestowing the last of its Golden Crow origin blood and its own soul origin to Yun Che, the Golden Crow Spirit had gradually started to recede from existence. Before this, it would often release its own spiritual perception to observe the Illusory Demon Realm but during this period, it had spent most of the time sleeping so as to reduce the rate at which it was disappearing.
Even though this was the case, it will still vanish forever before ten years pass… Along with the Sea of Death and the entire Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
“Ah.”
After sealing those three people into the barrier, the Golden Crow Spirit did not immediately return to its slumber. It lingered on silently for a very long period of time before letting out a heavy sigh.
“As a spirit fragment left behind by the Phoenix itself, even if it was on its last legs, it actually disregarded the dignity of the divine beasts and gave all of itself to a lowly human being. How utterly absurd. As a fellow spirit, even though my spirit is about to be scattered to the four winds, I would definitely not be able to do such a thing…”
“But it looks like it had also definitely sensed that dreadful aura, so it ultimately chose to do this. Devoting all of its strength to give this world the ability to resist what is to come, giving this world a faint and weak hope that isn’t even equivalent to a grain of sand…”
“The cracked Wall of Primal Chaos… What exactly is stirring behind it…”
Chapter 853 – The Yun Family Receives Guests
Xiao Yun and Number One Under Heaven led the people who had come to the Illusory Demon Realm for the first time to Demon Imperial City before directly heading towards the Yun Family household.
The Yun Family had already received a sound transmission beforehand, so Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou were already at the main gate waiting to receive them.
After Xiao Yun spied the anxiously waiting figures of Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou, he galloped towards them before heavily bowing to the ground, “Father, Mother, your child has returned.”
Number One Under Heaven was hot on his heels as he bowed as well, “Patriarch Yun, Madam Yun, it has been a long time.”
Yun Qinghong gave a faint smile as he nodded his head. He extended a hand to lift Xiao Yun up, his warm gaze extending to the unfamiliar faces behind him, including the gaggle of Frozen Cloud girls who were so beautiful that they caused one’s head to spin. Just as he was about to ask, he suddenly heard Mu Yurou speak in an anxious voice, “Yun’er, where is Che’er? He didn’t come back with the rest of you? And the Little Demon Empress… Has she already returned to the palace?”
“Father, Mother, concerning Big Brother and the Little Demon Empress…” Even though Xiao Yun had already thought about what to say while he was on the way here, now that he saw Mu Yurou’s extremely worried eyes, he still felt his heart panicking. He silently swallowed a mouthful of saliva before forcing himself to speak in a relaxed voice, “Actually, Big Brother sustained some injuries before he returned. So the moment we returned, the Little Demon Empress brought him to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley in order to get the Golden Crow Divine God to heal Big Brother’s wounds.”
“Ah!!” Mu Yurou gave a cry of alarm as the look of joy and anticipation on her face instantly turned into a look of fear and dread. She grabbed Xiao Yun’s arm, gripping it so hard that the joints of her fingers turned white, “Yun Che, he… how did he get hurt… Are his injuries serious… Who was it that hurt him… Just what exactly is his condition right now…”
“I… Big Brother, he…” Xiao Yun was a person who was extremely bad at lying. Besides, right now, he was in front of the mother he was closest to and loved and respected the most. So in this moment, he was at a complete loss as to what to do, stumbling over his words and unable to form a coherent sentence.
“Yurou, there’s no need to worry.” Yun Qinghong said as he gave a relaxed smile and patted Mu Yurou’s shoulder, “Your concern has truly left you frazzled this time. Could it be that you’ve forgotten that Che’er not only has extremely great medical skills, he also possesses a constitution that far exceeds that of a normal person? Even extremely serious injuries can be quickly recovered from in his case so even if his injuries are particularly heavy this time around, hasn’t the Little Demon Empress already personally brought him to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley? Given the divine power of the Golden Crow Divine God, no matter how serious his injuries are, he will definitely be able to safely recover from them.”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” Xiao Yun hurriedly said as he followed along and nodded his head, “Even though Big Brother was wounded this time… and it was just slightly on the serious side the moment he meets the Golden Crow Divine God, he will definitely be better in no time. So Mother doesn’t need to be worried at all. For all we know, Big Brother might safely return tomorrow.”
Yun Qinghong’s words had managed to somewhat assuage the panic that had seized Mu Yurou’s heart, “That’s right… The Golden Crow Divine Spirit regards Che’er so highly, so it definitely won’t be stingy with its divine power. Che’er will definitely return safe and sound.”
“Heh heh, of course,” Yun Qinghong laughed as he nodded his head. But at the same time, a somber heaviness flashed in the depths of his eyes.
He was very clear regarding Yun Che’s abnormal recovery ability… but this time, he was so badly wounded that they had not even brought him back home first. They had instead directly gone to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
The injuries he sustained this time were definitely extremely vicious…
What exactly had happened over in the Profound Sky Continent?
“Right! Father, Mother, I found Grandfather when I went to the Profound Sky Continent.”
Xiao Yun quickly strode towards Xiao Lie’s side and supported him over before speaking to Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou once more, “This is my grandfather by blood. It was also Grandfather who raised Big Brother up into a man. Grandfather, these are my parents in the Illusory Demon Realm, they have raised me for more than twenty years and they have treated me as their very own. In my heart, I have always regarded them as my real parents.”
Xiao Lie measured the couple before making a light bow, “At the risk of being presumptuous, I must say that I, Xiao Lie, will never be able to return the favor you have done me by raising Yun’er.”
Xiao Lie did not receive a reply for a long time after he spoke. From the moment Xiao Yun introduced him, Yun Qinghong’s body had shaken before he stood there completely petrified. His eyes dazedly stared at Xiao Lie as they trembled and his body was so tense that it kept trembling.
“Father?” Xiao Yun gazed questioningly at the Yun Qinghong who suddenly seemed to lose all his vigor.
Thump!!
Yun Qinghong fell to his knees with a heavy thump as he knelt in front of Xiao Lie.
“Father!!” Xiao Yun cried out as in great shock.
“Ah! Pat… Patriarch!!” The gathered elders and disciples of the Yun Family cried as they all went white with shock.
Xiao Lie was so shocked that he had instinctively retreated half a step. But after that, he hurriedly sprang forward and extended a hand to help him off the ground, “This… What you are doing… this is not something that you should be doing!”
But even though he used all of his strength, Yun Qinghong’s knees were rooted to the ground and he did not move in the slightest. Beside him, Mu Yurou had also knelt down, her eyes shining with tears.
“Senior Xiao…” Yun Qinghong but his tiger eyes were already streaming with tears, “I, Yun Qinghong, have wronged you… It was I who caused Brother Xiao Ying to meet such a calamity during his heroic years. It was I who caused your family to break down, separating all of you for more than twenty years… But not only did you not hold any resentment or hatred towards us, you even treated Che’er as your own flesh and blood, personally raising him for more than ten years, allowing my family to finally be reunited…”
“Even if I have lived past ten lives, I, Yun Qinghong, will still be unable to repay the debt of guilt I owe you. I will still have not repaid the great favor you have done for us…”
When Yun Qinghong had personally heard from Yun Che that Xiao Ying had died more than twenty years ago, he was in such agony and grief that he wished that he was dead. The boundless gratitude and guilt he felt towards Xiao Ying had left an extremely deep knot in his heart. So when he saw Xiao Lie today, all of the emotions that had piled up in his heart exploded forth like rushing river. This Yun Family patriarch, who was deeply respected and admired by far too many people, was crying like a child in front of this weak and fragile-looking old man.
Mu Yurou was crying along with him because she was very clear on just how much pain he bore in his heart. Now that Xiao Ying’s father was in front of them, he was finally able to vent that pain out.
The rims of Xiao Lie’s eyes had also grown wet. He was face to face with the patriarch of the most exalted family in the Illusory Demon Realm, a family whose status was comparable with the unparalleled Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent. But such a person was actually kneeling down before him, an old man who could not be any more ordinary, in front of everyone… This sentiment was as heavy as a mountain. He now finally and completely understood why his son Xiao Ying would be willing to go to such an extent for this man all those years ago.
“Please rise… Please quickly rise.” Xiao Lie tried to pull the couple off the ground time and again. He said tearfully, “What happened all those years ago was never your fault, so how could you owe us? My son Xiao Ying died for the sake of friendship and he died with no regrets or complaints and I have never borne even a shred of hatred or resentment towards the both of you either. Today, Yun’er and Che’er have all grown into men who have achieved remarkable things so everything in the past have turned into so much fog and smoke. Why should we still allow them to weigh down on our hearts?”
Xiao Lie not only did not blame or resent them in the least. He instead strove to encourage them to not torment themselves over such a thing. A multitude of emotions surged in Yun Qinghong’s heart and for a time, he wept without being able to make a sound. Afterwards, he kowtowed heavily towards Xiao Lie.
The gathered members of the Yun Family, who were gathered behind, could finally figure out that the person Xiao Yun was kneeling to was actually the person who had raised Yun Che in the Profound Sky Continent. In the next moment, all of them stopped kicking up a ruckus as every one of them felt a deep respect for Xiao Lie.
“Senior Xiao.” Yun Qinghong’s every word resounded like the clang of metal, “Xiao Ying and I are brothers, so Xiao Ying’s father is also my father. My blood father was harmed by villains and he also passed on to the west so I am unable to perform my filial duties towards him. But from now on, you will be my father and I, Yun Qinghong, will be your son… If I am ever unfilial to you, may it not be tolerated by the heavens or the earth!”
“Most respected father, please accept this kowtow from your children.” Yun Qinghong’s attitude was extremely serious as he kowtowed along with Mu Yurou.
Even though Yun Qinghong was far older than Xiao Lie when it came to age, this scene was not the least bit inappropriate and everyone present all felt the rims of theirs eyes grow wet.
Tears coursed from Xiao Lie’s aged eyes. He did not reject Yun Qinghong’s gesture and accepted the kowtow from the couple. After that, he extended a hand to help both of them off the ground, “Good, good children, hurry up and rise…”
This time, Yun Qinghong was finally willing to be helped off the ground.
“This is simply splendid!” Xiao Yun said as he felt his nose crinkle with emotion. “The spirit of Father in heaven will definitely be very joyful and appreciative of this… Ah, right, besides Grandfather, I also have a little aunt.”
“Father, Mother, this is my little aunt, her name is Xiao Lingxi.” Xiao Yun pointed towards Xiao Lingxi as he introduced her.
“Oh you, how can you be so impudent and actually address a senior by her name.” Yun Qinghong rebuked Xiao Yun with a smile as he wiped away the tears on his face. After that, he spoke to Xiao Lingxi in a peaceable manner, “Miss Xiao, I have often heard Che’er mention you. I am truly unable to express the gratitude in my heart for the abundant care and concern that you have shown towards him while the two of you were growing up. From today onwards, you are my, Yun Qinghong’s, own sister. So if anything ever happens, you must definitely not be too polite with your big brother over here.”
When Xiao Lingxi had first seen Yun Che’s real parents, she was filled with a nervous apprehension. Just as she had thought of how to greet and address them, Yun Qinghong’s “from today onwards, you will be my own sister,” completely stunned her. Her beautiful eyes widened as her heart was thrown into turmoil. To acknowledge those words would be bad but to not acknowledge those words would not be good either. So she stood in place, stumbling over words that she could not utter.
The senses that only women possessed allowed Mu Yurou to vaguely figure out the reason for Xiao Lingxi’s appearance. She gave a faint smile as she strode forward and clasped Xiao Lingxi’s hands intimately. After that, she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at Yun Qinghong, “Look at you, she is still a small and little girl but the old man that you are wants to immediately make her your sister. You’re making this little girl feel old.”
As she looked at Xiao Lingxi, Mu Yurou’s expression immediately turned warm and genial, “Lingxi, you don’t need to bother with him. From now on, you can treat this place as your own home as well. If you need anything, feel free to let me know about it, you definitely mustn’t be too considerate towards me. As for how to address me, if you want to call me sister, then call me sister. If you want to call me aunt, then call me aunt. You don’t need to follow what these men have decided on their own.”
Yun Qinghong was utterly baffled by Mu Yurou’s glare so he had no choice but to shut up and not speak any further.
“Yes… Au… Aunt.” After her hands had been clasped by Yun Che’s mother, Xiao Lingxi turned even more nervous and she confusedly addressed her as aunt.
This greeting caused Mu Yurou to beam on the inside. At this moment, her gaze was suddenly drawn to one particular girl. She stood quietly in her spot, the profound strength surrounding her body was faint and weak but she exuded a gentle refinement and nobility that was hard to describe. Furthermore, this air of nobility was definitely not something an ordinary family could cultivate and from all the girls that she had met in her lifetime, only the Little Demon Empress had made her feel this way.
As they had just arrived in a strange world and had just arrived at the Yun Family, most of the newcomers were apprehensive and reserved. Only she was unperturbed and tranquil, looking as picturesque as an elegant painting.
“And whom might this lady be?” Mu Yurou had been captivated for a brief moment before asking that straightforward question.
“Hehe.” Number Seven Under Heaven giggled as she said in a happy and bubbly tone, “Father, Mother, didn’t the both of you keep talking about that princess daughter-in-law that you hadn’t met yet? She is standing right in front of you right now.”
“Ah… Could it be that she is…” Mu Yurou said with a startled little cry. Yun Qinghong’s gaze also settled on Cang Yue as surprise flashed in his eyes.
Cang Yue strode forward and made a deep bow, “Daughter-in-law Cang Yue greets Father and Mother.”
Now that Mu Yurou had finally seen the daughter-in-law that she had pined for day and night, she hurriedly strode forward to help Cang Yue up. She measured Cang Yue at a glance and she was so excited that she was at a loss for what to do, “Good child… Ah look at this mother over here, I even forgot to prepare a greeting present for you…”
“You just need to prepare another greeting present then. Mother, I have another secret to tell you,” Number Seven Under Heaven said with a lovable smile. “Sister-in-law isn’t a princess anymore. She is the current empress of Blue Wind Nation and she is renowned throughout the entire Profound Sky Continent. She is simply too awesome.”
“Hahahaha!” Yun Qinghong let out a great laugh as he sighed in a heartfelt manner, “You are indeed a girl that has caught Che’er’s eye. Che’er is truly a lucky man.”
“As father and mother, we were unable to be present on the day of your wedding… Child, we have truly wronged you,” Mu Yurou said in an affectionate voice as she looked at Cang Yue. The more she looked at her, the more she felt like Cang Yue was truly a rare specimen and that even the heavens would have very few of her ilk.
Cang Yue gently shook her head, “Being able to become Husband’s wife is Cang Yue’s greatest fortune in life, so why would I feel even the least bit aggrieved? Today, I have finally managed to meet Father and Mother, thus resolving a great wish of mine. From today onwards, I will wait on you and show my filial piety towards you along with Husband.”
“Ah, such a good child.” Mu Yurou was so overjoyed that hot tears touched her eyes but she did not forget that there were other guests as well. She looked towards the gathered ladies of Frozen Cloud Asgard who were standing in the back and despite her extensive life experience, she had never once seen so many rare beauties with outstanding temperaments gathered together in her life. Just a single glance already threatened to completely dazzle her. After that, she asked in a hesitant and unsure voice, “These ladies, they wouldn’t happen to be… Che’er’s concubines, right?”
Even though the number was rather exaggerated, given the fact that his formal wife was an empress, finding several thousand concubines did not seem to be too far-fetched. Was there not a saying that went something like “the imperial harem is filled with three thousand beauties…”
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Author’s Note:
Wha? What’d I write in this chapter? Why do I not remember it at all?
Chapter 854 – Tortuous Wait
Just as Xiao Yun was about to introduce Frozen Cloud Asgard to Yun Qinghong and his wife, he suddenly heard Mu Yurou’s words and he was so shocked that he felt his legs go weak, his knees almost hitting the ground.
The jade faces of the gathered Frozen Cloud girls had turned a faint shade of pink as they stood there completely flabbergasted.
Murong Qianxue stepped forward and spoke in a respectful manner, “Patriarch Yun, Madam Yun, we are the disciples of the Profound Sky Continent’s Frozen Cloud Asgard. Yun Che is our Asgard Master. Half a year ago, Asgard Master Yun saved our sect from calamity and he was the one who granted us salvation. He brought us here in order to preserve the lives of everyone here. Forgive us for imposing on your hospitality but we were overwhelmed by fear for our lives.”
“Oh?” Yun Qinghong said with a puzzled expression on his face as he nodded his head. “So that is how it is. I have heard Che’er mention the name Frozen Cloud Asgard before. But when Che’er spoke about your noble sect, he mentioned that you have traditionally only taken in female disciples, so how did Che’er become your Asgard Master?”
“How this all came to pass… is a long story,” Murong Qianxue said solemnly. “If not for Asgard Master Yun, Frozen Cloud Asgard would have long ago disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“Father,” Xiao Yun said. “I will give you a detailed account of the reasons for why this happened later. Frozen Cloud Asgard has around two thousand disciples altogether, this is the first time they have come to the Illusory Demon Realm and they have basically nowhere else to go. Before Big Brother returns, I request that Father arrange a place for them to stay in the meantime.”
“Mn, of course we will.” Yun Qinghong nodded his head without hesitating in the slightest. Since Yun Che specially brought all of them to the Illusory Demon Realm, it spoke of his regard for Frozen Cloud Asgard. He thought about it for a moment before speaking to Murong Qianxue, “If you don’t mind, how does it sound if all of you fairies stayed in the residences of our Yun Family until Che’er returns? I also want to reassure all the fairies gathered here, I heard from Che’er that Frozen Cloud Asgard is cold and distant from the rest of the world and that your sect has never been willing to taint yourselves with the affairs of the outside world. So I will also give an order that no one is to be allowed near the residences where all of you will be staying so as to not disturb your peace and quiet. And there will definitely be no one outside the Yun Family who would dare to intrude upon any of you.”
Murong Qianxue bowed deeply in gratitude before speaking, “Since this is so, Murong Qianxue thanks Patriarch Yun and Madam Yun on behalf of all of the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
Bang!!
A huge boom resounded through the air as the main gates of the Yun Family were roughly thrown wide. A loud and boorish yell immediately followed after, “Seventh Treasure, Seventh Treasure!!”
“Father!?” Number Seven Under Heaven crowed in delight as she turned around to see Greatest Ambition Under Heaven bustle towards her.
“Father,” Number One Under Heaven said as he hurriedly strode forwards to greet Greatest Ambition Under Heaven.
But Greatest Ambition Under Heaven practically ignored Number One Under Heaven as he swept past him and rushed towards Number Seven Under Heaven and roared with delight, “My Seventh Treasure, you’ve finally returned. From the time you were little until now, you’ve never left your father’s side for more than three days but this time you were gone for half a year. You made me miss you so much!!”
Number Seven Under Heaven’s mouth gaped open and her body retreated with a ‘whoosh’ as she hid behind Xiao Yun’s back, causing Greatest Ambition Under Heaven to hug the empty air in front of him. Both his arms embraced the air in front of him as he stared in disbelief at the Number Seven Under Heaven who was hiding behind Xiao Yun. He spoke in an incredibly wounded voice, “It’s only been half a year but… but you’re not close to your father anymore…”
“Cough, Father-in-law.” Xiao Yun hurriedly and carefully explained, “Actually… Actually Seventh Sister is currently already six months pregnant, so…”
“WHAT!?” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven roared as he jumped. His roar was so loud that it caused Xiao Yun’s ears to buzz and ring.
“This… Is this true?” Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou asked with looks of delighted surprise on their faces.
“Of course it’s true,” Number One Under Heaven said helplessly. “Father, if Old Seven hadn’t dodged your embrace just now, you might just have inadvertently hurt your yet-to-be-born grandson.”
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven shoved Xiao Yun aside with one hand while he grabbed Number Seven Under Heaven’s arm, “Let’s go! Seventh Treasure, hurry up and return home with Father. Right now you are pregnant, so you definitely must not be gallivanting about.”
“Go home? I don’t want to.” Number Seven Under Heaven said as she retreated backwards, “I want to stay with Brother Yun.”
“This…How can this punk know how to take care of you? Right now, you are pregnant with my grandson, if by any chance… if by any chance some mishap occurs…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he was overcome by a fit of anxiety.
“That’s enough, Brother Under Heaven,” Yun Qinghong said as he hurriedly stepped forward. “You’ve truly let your emotions get the better of you. There is no reason to force your married daughter to return to her previous home. Besides, Number Seven is currently a royal princess whose title was personally bestowed by the Little Demon Empress.”
Bang!!
Another loud boom rang through the air as the main gates of the Yun Family, which had just been closed, were blasted open once again. The sound of loud and carefree laugh that was filled with excitement practically resonated throughout the entire Yun Family household, “Hahahaha, Che’er, Grandfather has come to see you.”
Mu Feiyan had brought along his three sons Mu Yubai, Mu Yuqing and Mu Yukong as he grandly strode through the gates. After that, he was immediately startled by the formation in front of him. Mu Feiyan’s eyes swept the area several times but he did not see Yun Che’s figure. So he immediately spat out a few words while glowering at everyone, “How about Che’er? Where is Che’er right now? Could it be that he didn’t return with you all?”
“Father, you need to calm down first,” Mu Yurou said in a soft voice. “Che’er did return but he was injured, so he is receiving treatment from the Golden Crow Divine God right now. He should return fairly quickly…”
“WHAT!?!” Mu Feiyan’s hair and beard immediately stood on end as he soared into the air in explosive rage, “Who was it!? Who was the bastard that harmed Che’er!? Speak, who was it!? Let’s see if this old man doesn’t tear him to pieces and pound him into mincemeat.”
“That’s about enough Father,” Mu Yubai said wryly, the corners of his mouth hooking upwards. “With the Little Demon Empress around, the bastard who harmed Che’er has definitely been burned to the point where there wasn’t even ashes left. What makes you think that you’ll even get a chance?”
“…” Xiao Yun opened his mouth before speaking in a very soft voice, “Actually… Actually, the Little Demon Empress wasn’t able to beat that person either and she ended up wounded as well. She was even forced to ignite her origin blood… In fact, all of us nearly died there.”
Those few words of Xiao Yun caused Mu Feiyan and the rest of them to be completely stunned, their faces rapidly losing color. Yun Qinghong grabbed Xiao Yun anxiously as he stared straight at him, “You said… that the Little Demon Empress was wounded as well? And that she was also forced to ignite her origin blood?”
“How… How can that be possible?” Mu Yukong said with a shocked and frightened expression on his face. “How can there still be anyone who can rival the Little Demon Empress in this world… How can that be possible!?”
“Xiao Yun’s words were not the least bit exaggerated,” Number One Under Heaven said with a heavy sigh.
Mu Feiyan, Greatest Ambition Under Heaven and Yun Qinghong glanced at each other with dismay. They were scarcely able to believe their own ears. Yun Qinghong relaxed his grip on Xiao Yun as his brows furrowed tightly together and he spoke in solemn tone, “Yun’er, give us a detailed account of everything that happened after all of you left for the Profound Sky Continent.”
“I think it’d be better if I told this story,” Number One Under Heaven said as he took a step forward.
Immediately after he said that, Number One Under Heaven gave them a long and detailed account of what had happened in the Profound Sky Continent. He especially focused on the details regarding Xuanyuan Wentian, from the time he had kidnapped Xiao Yun to the time when he had forced everyone into a desperate situation. He gave a thorough and detailed explanation of every single detail to the best of his ability.
Once Number One Under Heaven had finally gotten to the part of the story where they had returned to the Illusory Demon Realm, Yun Qinghong and the rest of them had lapsed into a deep state of profound shock and they did not regain their senses for a long period of time.
“Duke Ming was actually… only a pawn… He was actually only a pawn…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven kept muttering to himself as he shook his head.
“Just where did Xuanyuan Wentian’s power come from? How did it come to pass that even the Little Demon Empress was not able to fight him?” The shock that was present on Mu Feiyan’s face refused to recede as he asked that question.
“I have already told you all that I know,” Number One Under Heaven said in a heavy voice. “However, I spent the majority of the time in Floating Cloud City, so Brother Yun and Princess Snow definitely have more information and know more secrets than I do. They may even know the reason behind Xuanyuan Wentian’s bizarre change.”
“If all of this is really true, then Xuanyuan Wentian is at least ten times more dreadful than Duke Ming,” Yun Qinghong said as he closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven suddenly thought of something and his expression faintly changed. He spoke in a heavy voice, “Since Xuanyuan Wentian’s current power is so dreadful and his obsession for the Mirror of Samsara is so fierce, then once he fully recovers from his injuries, he will definitely attack our Illusory Demon Realm… During those years, they could already forcefully construct a dimensional profound formation that could link both of our continents, so there is no reason that they would not be able to do it now. This won’t do! I need to inform all the cities and the various regions who hem our borders. From today onwards, we need to be on our guard constantly.”
“Hold on for a moment, Brother Under Heaven,” Yun Qinghong said to restrain him. “It is not advisable to make this matter public at this present time. The absolute authority that the Little Demon Empress currently possesses is entirely built upon the reality of her absolute power. If the news that the Little Demon Empress was defeated gets spread around, it will definitely incite fear and panic. We should keep this matter to ourselves for now and wait for the Little Demon Empress to return from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley first before deferring this decision to her.”
“Mn, Qinghong’s reasoning is sound,” Mu Feiyan said with a faint nod of his head. “We should refrain from disclosing this news for now. Since Xuanyuan Wentian’s injuries are so serious, he definitely won’t make any rash moves for now. Let’s wait for the Little Demon Empress to return first before we make a decision on anything.”
“Ah, we had just quelled the chaos incited by Duke Huai too. The Little Demon Empress presided over the land with power and prestige and I thought that the chaos and disorder that afflicted the Illusory Demon Realms was finally over, but who would have thought…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he let out a long sigh. “These are truly troubled times that we live in.”
So Xiao Lie, Xiao Lingxi, Cang Yue and all the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard were moved into the Yun Family household.
Yun Qinghong regarded Xiao Lie as his own father and he would go and pay his respects every morning and night. He also personally attended to every matter that concerned Xiao Lie. He also took extremely good care of Xiao Lingxi, his only fear being that she suffered even the smallest indignity.
As the wife of the Young Patriarch, Cang Yue was accorded remarkable status the moment she entered the Yun Family. Mu Yurou grew more and more delighted with this daughter-in-law of hers as the days passed and she would spend entire days dragging Cang Yue along with her and asking her various things about her relationship with Yun Che.
Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven did not return to their King Palace. Instead, they stayed with the Yun Family to accompany Xiao Lie and spent every day joyfully awaiting the arrival of that little life.
Yun Qinghong had also personally arranged for the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard to be housed in the Yun Family residences.
Even if one was to randomly choose one girl from amongst the girls of Frozen Cloud Asgard, she would be breathtaking enough to stun everyone around her, let alone when so many of them appeared at one time. During the thousand year history of Frozen Cloud Asgard, there was never a time when they completely mobilized and showed themselves to the world. So one could well imagine the sort of commotion they incited after they had all entered the Yun Family. Whether they were old or young, every single one of the Yun Family disciples were left completely dumbstruck by their beauty. It was as if all of them had entered some dreamland. But the stern prohibition of Yun Qinghong that swiftly followed firmly put a damper on all of their fantasies. So the only thing the male disciples of the Yun Family could do was stare at those distant courtyard walls with a burning desire. Because even drawing close to those walls was wishful thinking.
The Mu Family had dispatched many people to guard the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley but even after a day and night had passed, the profound formation at the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley remained shut and no one had emerged from within.
Seven days…
Ten days…
Fifteen days…
One month…
An entire month had passed by but the Little Demon Empress and Yun Che had still not emerged from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. At this point, even Yun Qinghong could no longer maintain his previous cool. For the next few days, he would travel by himself to the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley before the sun even kissed the sky and observe the sealing profound formation to see if it had undergone any changes.
The only thing he could console himself with was the certainty that Yun Che was definitely alright. If not, the Little Demon Empress and the girl who was known as Princess Snow would have long ago departed from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
They must have a very important reason for staying in there for such a long time.
It was amidst this self-consolation and increasingly anxious and frantic waiting that an entire three months slowly passed. The wait was akin to a long and drawn-out painful torture.
However, while they were still unaware, a dark cloud was slowly creeping towards the Illusory Demon Realm.
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Author’s Note:
The title of this volume is: “Cloud’s End Mirage”. These four words are the key. The rest are just to make up for the word count.
A friendly reminder: Su Ling’er is now sixteen years old.
Chapter 855 – Illusory Demon Crisis
Five Way Region was located northwest of the Illusory Demon Realm. There were no cities present in the region and it was simply a piece of wasteland. However, a large army was safeguarding the region day and night, all year round. That year, this place was the starting point of Profound Sky Continent’s infiltration into Illusory Demon Realm. Back then, the Four Great Sacred Grounds paid a great price to construct a spatial profound formation and its exit was right here.
At the same time, this place could be considered the end point of the infiltration that year. Though the Four Great Sacred Grounds were strong, the number of people that could be transferred was limited. With Demon Imperial City as their home ground, the battle eventually pushed the people from the Four Great Sacred Grounds back here and the final ferocious battle unfolded in this Five Way Region.
Even till today, traces of disasters left behind by that ferocious battle a hundred years ago were still present here.
Not too long after the disappearance of the Little Demon Emperor, the exit of that spatial profound formation disappeared. However, Demon Illusory Realm was still unable to ascertain whether the Four Great Sacred Grounds had completely closed off the spatial passageway for good. In order to prevent the other party from re-opening the exit, a large elite army would always be keeping watch, day and night. Among them, there were even several disciples from the Guardian Families.
A hundred years had passed and not a single anomaly had appeared. Forget about the profound formation making a reappearance, even the slightest of irregular spatial ripples was never sighted at all.
Following after the calm of Duke Huai’s upheaval, the Little Demon Empress regained her authority and even obtained astonishing strength. The pressure on the guards here had thus plummeted as well. In the past, this was a dangerous land that concerned the safety of Demon Imperial City but now, it would often be filled with laughter and sounds of happy guards. There was no longer even the slightest bit of heavy or suppressive atmosphere.
In the early hours, the sky had just turned bright. If it was a year ago, it was most likely the time for a change in shift as per schedule. Presently, however, the various powerful guardian districts of Five Way Region were filled with snores and those guards who were on night duties were in a mess as well. It was seemingly impossible to find a person who still maintained his clarity and alertness. Even the leaders coming from the Guardian Families were all sound asleep.
Right at this moment, in the skies above the center district of Five Way Region, space severely distorted all of a sudden. An abnormal profound light weakly flashed and then, in the span of a few short breaths, it released an eye-piercing profound radiance, drawing out a small sized profound formation that was merely a meter in length.
A spatial profound formation that only allowed a single person to pass through once!!
In the instant the spatial profound formation was formed, a black figure gently descended from within.
A suppressive aura that felt as though it had originated from purgatory enveloped the entire Five Way Region, waking up all the soundly sleeping guards in thick, trembling fear.
Demon Imperial City, Yun Family.
It had been exactly three months and there had yet to be any news of Yun Che and the Little Demon Empress since they had entered Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Though Yun Qinghong was still consoling Mu Yurou especially calmly and peacefully like before, he had actually long been blazing with anxiety.
Today, he had once again gone another night without sleep, as he silently stood in the courtyard, staring blankly until the sky brightened. Finally, he was no longer able to restrain himself and was preparing to head over to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley again like yesterday.
At this moment, an incomparably intense energy ripple was suddenly released from his sound transmission jade.
With a heavy heart, he quickly picked up the sound transmission jade. Glancing at the sound transmission imprint, he realized it was actually coming from Yun Zheng, a disciple from Yun Family who was stationed at Five Way Region!
Yun Qinghong’s brows fiercely twitched. The number of disciples stationed at Five Way Region was not many but every single one of them was a leader of either a small or large group of soldiers. As for Yun Zheng, he was the leader among all the Yun Family disciples stationed in Five Way Region. Usually, he would send a routine sound transmission at the end of each month to report on the situation among the guards and there had never been a situation where he would send a sound transmission at any other times.
“Patriarch… Save… us…”
The voice transmitted by the sound transmission jade contained an agonized and hoarse voice, as though it was uttered by someone who would soon meet his death, carrying deep fear and despair.
Yun Qinghong was shocked, growling. “Yun Zheng, what happened over there!?”
“Hehehehe…” What replied him was the sound of sunken laughter.
Though it was merely the sound of laughter and did not carry the slightest bit of the other party’s aura, it still fiercely pressed down on Yun Qinghong’s chest and even his breathing had suddenly turned abnormally rapid.
“Who are you?” Yun Qinghong said with a sunken voice.
“Regarding this sovereign’s identity, why don’t you make a guess… Yun Qinghong.” Behind the sinister voice was Yun Zheng’s bitter and frail groans.
Yun Qinghong’s hair stood on end and his pair of hands trembled, as though at any moment, he could shatter the sound transmission jade due to the loss of control of his strength. The heavy name which had been binding his heart in this few days, surfaced within his mind…
“Xuanyuan… Wentian!?”
“Well done.” The voice on the other side softly praised and then continued with an amused tone. “Yun Qinghong, inform the Little Demon Empress that within the next hour, this sovereign shall grandly descend upon Demon Imperial City. Furthermore, it will just be this sovereign alone. Have her bring the Mirror of Samsara and personally welcome this sovereign’s. This sovereign might even consider pardoning Demon Imperial City then. Otherwise, this sovereign will have all of you witness what true fear is.”
“WUARGHH—”
The final sound that reverberated was Yun Zheng’s scream and following after was the sound of the sound transmission jade shattering.
“!!!”
Bang!!
The sound transmission jade in Yun Qinghong’s hand was also immediately shattered by the squeeze of his hand due losing control of his profound energy. His back was ice-cold and his heart felt as though it was being pressed down by a hundred and fifty ton gigantic boulder, incomparably heavy.
If it was three months ago, suddenly hearing news of Xuanyuan Wentian… forget about Xuanyuan Wentian, even if he received the sudden report of the Four Great Sacred Grounds making another infiltration, he would still remain incomparably calm. However this time, the arrogance that was carried within that voice, as though he was a deliverer of judgement, had informed Yun Qinghong that only he alone had arrived. It made his hands shiver intensely and he only managed to calm himself down after taking in a few dozen breaths.
Because, the present Xuanyuan Wentian was not the Xuanyuan Wentian of a hundred years ago but someone who could defeat Little Demon Empress!!
The strength that Little Demon Empress possessed after she awakened her bloodline was powerful beyond compare and had even broken the record in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm. Duke Ming, who was supposed to be undefeatable in the Illusory Demon Realm, merely had the power to flee when facing her. During this period, the Illusory Demon Realm had seemingly regarded the Little Demon Empress as a divine spirit. The Twelve Families and the countless Duke Palaces were all behaving obediently as well and none dared to carry the slightest bit of treacherous intention or disobedience.
After the situation in the Illusory Demon Realm had completely settled down, taking revenge on the Profound Sky Continent would no longer be a mere dream but a matter that was within reach.
But to be capable of defeating the Little Demon Empress… That immense power was something Yun Qinghong and even the entire Illusory Demon Realm, was unable to imagine or comprehend!
Furthermore, the Little Demon Empress was still inside Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. If Xuanyuan Wentian were to break into Demon Imperial City, the consequences would be completely unimaginable!
Yun Qinghong’s expression immensely changed. Then, he fiercely gnashed his teeth, as he had finally made a heavy decision. His arm suddenly struck towards the sky and an astonishing lightning bolt exploded apart in the sky above the Yun Family residence, releasing out a lightning light that had seemingly filled the skies of Illusory Demon Realm with a purple glow.
“Purple… Purple Cloud Tribulation Order!!”
To the Yun Family, this purple lightning bolt was no less important than lightning from the Ninth Heaven. From the highest echelons of Grand Elders to the most regular of Yun Family disciples, all leapt up as though they had been struck by lightning and they madly charged towards Yun Qinghong’s position.
The Purple Cloud Tribulation Order was Yun Family’s summoning order used for extreme emergencies. Even during the chaos brought upon them by the Profound Sky Continent a hundred years ago, the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order was never used. Because the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order would only be used at the moment when the Yun Family was standing at the border of life and death!
The sudden appearance of the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order had not only startled the Yun Family but also the entire Demon Imperial City, the Twelve Families and especially the countless Duke Palaces. When they saw the purple lightning that filled the skies above the Yun Family, none of them failed to pale from astonishment. The various Patriarchs, Elders and Dukes basically did not spare any time to think, as they put down all of the matters they had on hand and charged towards the Yun Family household at their fastest speeds.
The Yun Family was in a complete mess and the skies above the Illusory Demon Realm were instantly filled with human figures flying towards the Yun Family household, like locusts swarming through.
“Patriarch! What happened!?” All of the Yun Family Elders charged over hectically and they said with unstable emotions. The moment they saw Yun Qinghong’s expression, their hearts had even skipped a beat because Yun Qinghong’s face was enveloped with a layer of gloom that they had never seen before.
“Father!!” Xiao Yun flew over while holding Number Seven Under Heaven by her arm. Number Seven Under Heaven’s abdomen was already heavily bloated, as the infant in her belly was already sufficiently nourished and she could give birth at any moment.
“…” Yun Qinghong however did not speak up for a long while. In his surroundings, even more Yun Family disciples had arrived while panting.
It had only been a short few dozen breaths since the Purple Cloud Tribulation Order was released and all of the Yun Family disciples had already gathered in one area, without a single exception. All of them looked straight at Yun Qinghong, their faces carried unease and panic. Even after all the Yun Family disciples had gathered, Yun Qinghong still remained silent.
For a moment, the oppressing atmosphere made it hard for people to breathe.
“Patriarch Yun!!”
Several loud roars sounded from all directions. The various Patriarchs, Elders and Dukes had all arrived in flaming anxiety and then, they surrounded Yun Qinghong. Looking at the formation encompassed by the Yun Family, their hearts started beating wildly as well. With their understanding of Yun Qinghong, if not because of a heaven-bending matter, he definitely would not have done such a thing.
“Qinghong, just what in the world happened?” Mu Feiyan said with a stern expression.
“Could something have… happened to the Little Demon Empress?” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said anxiously.
Yun Qinghong swept a glance at his surroundings. Most of those who should be here had arrived. He took in a heavy breath. “It seems like none of you received the report from Five Way Region?”
“Five Way Region?” Everyone present looked at each other. “What happened in Five Way Region!?”
“…” Yin Qinghong was now absolutely certain that the troops in Five Way Region had all lost their lives at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands. Furthermore, it was in a such an extremely short timespan that they did not even have the slightest bit of opportunity to transmit a message outside. As for Yun Zheng, he was purposefully left alive.
Yun Qinghong said in a sunken voice. “Xuanyuan Wentian has already infiltrated Five Way Region… In less than an hour, he will make his way here to Demon Imperial City!”
“Wh… What!!?”
All of them were utterly astonished, while Greatest Ambition Under Heaven and Mu Feiyan who knew of the internal circumstances had both roared out loud, their faces had instantly lost all color.
“Brother Yun, how many people have Xuanyuan Wentian brought this time? Does is it comprised of merely Mighty Heavenly Sword Region or have all Four Great Sacred Grounds came?” Su Xiangnan anxiously said.
“…Only him alone.” Yun Qinghong said.
The moment he said this, the crowd let out long sighs of relief. Su Xiangnan’s expression soothed and then he said with a sharp voice. “Alone? Hmph, is he here to send himself to death!?”
“But, why is he coming alone? Could a problem have occurred with the spatial profound formation?” Yan Zijing said skeptically.
“No, this matter is not as simple as you people think. Although he is alone… That person is Xuanyuan Wentian!!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said agitatedly, cold sweat had already drenched his entire forehead.
“This… Why is that?” The entire crowd was filled with doubtful looks.
“Since things have come down to this, there’s no longer a need to conceal it any further,” Mu Feiyan sighed heavily. They had wanted to wait for the Little Demon Empress’s return and have her make the final decision on this entire matter. They never expected that after three months had passed, there would still be no movement from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. He clenched his fists tightly and he said with an incomparably heavy voice. “The present Xuanyuan Wentian can basically no longer be treated as the same Xuanyuan Wentian of a hundred years ago. Does anyone know why the Little Demon Empress has been staying in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley for the past three months?”
“Wasn’t it said that the Little Demon Empress had brought Young Patriarch Yun to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley to heal his injuries? … Could it be, there’s still other hidden reasons behind it?”
“That’s right!” Greatest Ambition Under Heavenly fiercely gnashed his teeth. “The one injured is not limited to Young Patriarch Yun… Even the Little Demon Empress suffered heavy injuries, to the extent… to the extent where she was forced to ignite her origin blood. And, the person who forced her to such an extreme, was exactly Xuanyuan Wentian!”
“In other words, the present Xuanyuan Wentian, is someone even Little Demon Empress… is unable to defeat!”
This declaration was as though thunder had blasted right next to everyone’s ears. Among the various Patriarchs and Dukes up above and the crowd of Yun Family disciples at the bottom, none of them was not astonished with gravely twisted expressions, as though they had heard a clap of thunder.
“That… That’s impossible! How is that possible…” Su Xiangnan said with a trembling voice. “Though Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength is incredible and might have even surpassed the former Demon Emperor’s but… but how could he possibly be the Little Demon Empress’s match?! In just a short hundred years, even if he had a heavenly fortunate encounter, his strength couldn’t possibly rise by such a degree.”
“This is true.” Number One Under Heaven said with a stern voice. “That was something which Xiao Yun and I, along with Little Seventh, personally witnessed in the Profound Sky Continent! We can’t figure out what kind of demonic technique Xuanyuan Wentian used but he actually managed to possess someone else’s body and his strength has grown to an incomprehensible degree. Even after igniting her Golden Crow origin blood, the Little Demon Empress was still defeated… Furthermore, she almost lost her life at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands.”
Xiao Yun and his wife quickly nodded as well.
“If Xuanyuan Wentian has really come, it means that his injuries have completely healed… This is disastrous.” Number One Under Heaven’s tightly clenched fists trembled. Because he had seen Xuanyuan Wentian’s terror first-hand and had personally experienced the fear brought about by him…
“…” Immense astonishment and disbelief surfaced on everyone’s faces. The sky was filled with the sounds of people taking in cold breaths.
After the Little Demon Empress awakened her bloodline, her strength had grown to an incomprehensible extent and just by releasing her might was enough to shake the bodies and souls of these Monarchs, drowning them in chilling silence. They had firmly believed that the Little Demon Empress’s strength was bestowed by the Golden Crow Divine Spirit. Not a single person in the history of Illusory Demon Realm could match her and even among the countless experts that resided in the Illusory Demon Realm, it was impossible for anyone to be the Little Demon Empress’s opponent.
The countless citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm had even begun to revere the Little Demon Empress as a divine spirit.
They never expected that…
If the incident of the Little Demon Empress’s defeat were to spread, it would definitely ignite an uproar on an extremely large scale.
“No matter the case, if he truly is alone, how can we possibly be afraid of him?” a duke said but his tone carried a degree of frailty, with no backing to his words whatsoever.
Yun Qinghong slowly shook his head and calmly said, “Back then, when Duke Huai almost succeeded in taking the throne, in the end, whose power turned the tide? It wasn’t us but the Little Demon Empress herself!”
“Duke Huai Palace had patiently prepared for so many years and had won over countless forces and experts. Back then, even if the former Demon Emperor were to return alive, there was hardly a possibility to turn the tide. But, the Little Demon Empress was able to. It was not because her prestige had surpassed the former Demon Empress but because her absolute strength made the crowd of experts under Duke Huai Palace lose all ability to retaliate. It was as though they were children, she defeated them in the blink of an eye!”
“Anyone should know that after having her bloodline awakened, the degree of strength that the Little Demon Empress possessed had already surpassed the realm of ‘Monarchs’ and there’s an extremely high possibility that it reached the legendary divine way. This plane-surpassing absolute strength can no longer be dealt with by just numbers. Otherwise, the power that Duke Huai Palace had accumulated for several hundred years would not have fallen apart in the blink of an eye with just the power of the Little Demon Empress alone.”
“And since Xuanyuan Wentian could defeat the Little Demon Empress, needless to say, his strength has definitely reached that level as well… Furthermore, his strength is even a step higher than the Little Demon Empress’. He’s basically not an enemy that the collaborative strength of people of our level can possibly deal with!”
Yun Qinghong’s tone were very calm but every single word of his was incomparably heavy, as they pressed down heavily on the hearts of everyone present.
“Qinghong, have you already thought of a countermeasure?” Su Feiyan said.
“There’s only one final resort.” Yun Qinghong lightly sighed.
Chapter 856 – Great City Barrier Formation
“What final resort!?”
Yun Qinghong gazed afar, his sunken expression carried deep helplessness. “Do you people still recall the thing left behind for Demon Imperial City by the fourth generation Demon Emperor, which he used half of his entire lifetime worth of sweat and blood to build?”
“Patriarch, are you referring to… the Great City Barrier Formation?” Great Elder Yun Waitian immediately said.
Beneath Demon Imperial City was a Great City Barrier Formation and presently, seemingly not many people still knew of this matter. It was not some secret that could not be made known to outsiders, rather, it had long been gradually forgotten due to the passage of time.
However among the Twelve Guardian Families, the people who knew of its existence still made a decent number.
“In the history of our Illusory Demon Realm which spans thousands of years, there are indeed records of the fourth generation Demon Emperor spending several hundred years of sweat and blood to construct an enormous protection profound formation beneath Demon Imperial City in order to guard against a tribulation that might descend one day. However…” Mu Feiyan shook his head. “This Great City Barrier Formation has completely sunk into silence ever since the fifth generation Demon Emperor took the throne and it has never been activated in the next several thousand years. The energy within the formation must have long been scattered away and presently, it’s already a dead formation with neither head nor tail… Qinghong, you should be aware of this point as well.”
“That’s right, the Great City Barrier Formation is indeed already a dead formation,” Yun Qinghong sternly said. “However, though the formation is dead, the foundation of the formation still exists and it is even completely intact. About this point, the Little Demon Empress and I specially confirmed it half a year ago… Back then, I merely headed there under orders and I never expected that we would actually be forced into such a situation all of a sudden.”
“Patriarch Yun, what you’re meaning to say is… we’re going to forcefully awaken the Great City Barrier Formation and resist Xuanyuan Wentian?” A duke had his mouth wide agape, as he said with utter disbelief. Similarly, everyone else was looking on with widened eyes… And if Yun Qinghong were to nod in response, they would definitely believe that he had already gone crazy.
“That’s indeed the case!” Yun Qinghong did not have the slightest hesitation. His tone suddenly grew heavier and his eyes turned incomparably sharp. “Everyone, the immense amount of energy needed to awaken this Great City Barrier Formation, I believe you people have a rough estimate in your minds. Furthermore, the amount of time we have is merely less than an hour! In this hour, we must bring out all of the energy that can be possibly used… All of it! Including all of our disciples and all of our profound crystal resources! Not the least bit must be left hidden away!”
The word “all” was emphasized incomparably heavily.
Everyone present looked at Yun Qinghong with astonished expressions and the Yun Family disciples below were all in dazed states as well… They basically could not believe their own ears.
“Patriarch Yun, bringing out all of our energy… All of our accumulated strength to forcefully awaken the Great City Barrier Formation… This… This…” A duke shook his head, he was unable to comprehend this at all. This was more than just exaggeration, it was simply the biggest ludicrosity in the world.
If this had not been said by Yun Qinghong himself, they would have just treated this as the most absurd joke that they had ever heard in their lives.
“I’m not joking.” Yun Qinghong heavily sighed, his eyes firmly locked onto everyone present. “Xuanyuan Wentian is worth us doing such a thing… And we have no choice but to do it in this manner! You people carefully recall how powerful the Little Demon Empress’s profound strength was. Xuanyuan Wentian is someone who can defeat the Little Demon Empress!”
“On the other hand, though he is merely a single person, what’s he bringing over can be said to be the biggest crisis Demon Imperial City has ever faced in history! The chaos brought about by Duke Huai, if he had gotten his way, would merely lead to a change in royal authority. However, if Xuanyuan Wentian breaks into the city, the consequences would be a city dyed in blood! Perhaps, by this time tomorrow, Demon Imperial City will have been turned into ruins and wiped from existence!”
“Do you people wish to be bathed in blood or choose to put everything on the line for this resistance that is the only possible way to extend the short amount of time of us living in this world?”
Yun Qinghong’s words were like the chimes of a morning bell, causing their expressions to fiercely change… Probably only at this moment did they truly realize just how terrifying this tribulation actually was.
Even though he was alone… he possessed power that surpassed the Little Demon Empress!!
It was a power that was completely sufficient in decimating the entire Demon Imperial City!!
“Brother Yun, I understand now.” Su Xiangnan nodded heavily. “If I am not mistaken, there are a total of eight formation regions in this Great City Barrier Formation and every formation region has its own six formation points. As to how we’re going to go about doing it, let’s have you issue the orders!”
“That’s right, presently, we still do not have any response from Little Demon Empress and Patriarch Yun is the most suitable in managing this entire situation. Patriarch Yun, please be at ease. This matter concerns the existence of Demon Imperial City, not a least bit of the powers of my Duke Zheng Palace will not go undeployed. The profound crystals we have accumulated will also be taken out, not sparing a single one!”
“Patriarch Yun, your orders please!!”
None of the various Guardian Family Patriarchs, Elders and Dukes present had a single hesitation, some were even trembling due to their anxiety.
“If Xuanyuan Wentian is unable to break through from a single spot, he will definitely shift to another position. So all eight formation regions must be protected! It’s best we distribute our powers evenly, not leaving a single weak area. Otherwise, once a breach opens up, it will lead to the annihilation of Demon Imperial City. As to how we’re going to distribute our powers, I will inform everyone through voice transmission in a moment. Everyone, please return hastily back to your clans. Gather all your disciples and bring all of your profound crystals, as well as deploying all possible profound practitioners in the city… All preparations must be completed in the shortest time possible and then prepare to activate the Great City Barrier Formation.”
After saying that, without waiting for them to make any response, Yun Qinghong suddenly turned around and sharply said, “All Yun Family disciples heed my order, I shall give you two hundred breaths of time to make preparations. After two hundred breaths, gather in this place once again. Yun Ye, Yun Qiuyue, Yun Yanzhi, Yun Fanjian, make haste to the Medicine Pavilion and bring all the profound crystals and medicinal pellets, not the least bit must be left behind!!”
Yun Qinghong gave the most tragic patriarchal order ever since he became the Yun Family Patriarch. The rest of the guardian families and dukes had also retreated at their fastest speeds. With a crisis approaching, the entire Demon Imperial City was already thrown into a storm.
“Seventh Treasure… Hurry! Leave to the south of Demon Imperial City immediately! The further you run, the better! Do not turn back!”
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, the only person who did not leave, charged towards Number Seven Under Heaven and said with burning anxiety. If not because he had taken her nine months pregnancy into consideration, he would have immediately sent her flying with a push of his palm.
“Don’t want to…” Number Seven Under Heaven however stubbornly shook her head. “I want to be together with Big Brother Yun.”
“Then you two husband and wife leave together!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven grabbed onto Xiao Yun and growled. “Hurry and leave with my daughter! Even if it’s not for my daughter’s sake, you must do it for your wife and your soon-to-be born child… If you don’t leave now, it will be too late.”
“I…” Xiao Yun was in a fluster. He glanced at Number Seven Under Heaven for a moment and then firmly shook his head. “In a time like this, how can I possibly selfishly flee… If I manage to live in such a way, I won’t have the face to welcome my child’s birth. Seventh Sister, you…”
“Brother Yun, no need to speak any further.” Number Seven Under Heaven lightly leaned on him and said with a smile. “Be it life or death, our family shall be together and none of us will be left alone.”
“Y-y-y-you… You two…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven stomped his feet out of anger.
“Brother Under Heaven, be at ease.” Yun Qinghong said with a smile. “I won’t allow them to die before my eyes. Furthermore, with a Great City Barrier Formation activated with all of our powers, no matter how strong that Xuanyuan Wentian is, he best not think of breaking through it that easily.”
“Haah!!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven sighed heavily. Rising into the air, he flew in the direction of his clan like a madman.
The airflow within Demon Imperial City instantly began to stir, while a huge wave had hit the entirety of the Yun Family. Only Yun Qinghong was still quietly floating in that same spot. Raising his head to look at the sky, he closed his eyes and lightly sighed. This plan was undoubtedly quenching one’s thirst with poison. Even if they managed to temporarily stop Xuanyuan Wentian, it would severely expend Demon Imperial City’s power and resources. Not to mention, they definitely would not be able to resist a second time.
However, Xuanyuan Wentian would arrive in just another hour. Other than this method, there were no other choices to make.
Or maybe, a miracle was all that was left to hope for.
The news of an approaching crisis had spread throughout the entire Demon Imperial City. All of the citizens received the news very quickly and the atmosphere was filled with heavy fear and chaos. Countless people squeezed into the streets. Among them were mortals and profound practitioners and they were all desperately running out of the city. However, there was still close to half of the population staying behind.
With the Yun Family taking the lead and with the Twelve Guardian Families and the various Duke Palaces as the core, they quickly arranged and integrated the strengths of all of the large and small families, sects, clans and forces of the city. Very quickly, the distribution of power among the eight formation regions had been completed and the energy released by countless profound practitioners merged into profound energy tornadoes, where each and every single one of them was enough to shake the entire world. The energy radiance emitted by the profound crystals that were stacked into mountains had even caused the sky to shine in a purple color.
A scene like this was never before seen even in the ancient history of Illusory Demon Realm. As Yun Qinghong had predicted, under such incredible power, the Great City Barrier Formation that had silently slept for several thousand years was being awakened at a quick pace.
Rays of profound light pierced through the skies from underneath Demon Imperial City and enormous translucent light curtains slowly began to form and link with one another in the sky. Then, the curtains enveloped the entire Demon Imperial City.
Following after the completion of the Great City Barrier Formation, the northern skies suddenly dimmed at this moment as well.
“That darkness… It’s Xuanyuan Wentian!!” Number One Under Heaven cried out!
Yun Family and Under Heaven Family were guarding north of the Great City Barrier Formation. Dozens of Elders and twenty thousand disciples of the Yun Family were present, while not a single person out of the sixteen thousand elves of Under Heaven Family was missing either. If one were to return to the Yun Family and Under Heaven Family households now, they would realize that the two enormous residences were actually completely empty.
They were truly in desperate straits!!
The rest of the Guardian Families were the same as well.
With two great Guardian Families taking the lead, there were still a total of three hundred thousand profound practitioners who belonged to regular sects and clans. Though their power levels were far lower than that of Guardian Families, the strength of three hundred thousand profound practitioners still should not be underestimated.
The other seven formation regions were all stationed with protection forces of similar degree as well.
Thick darkness quickly spread from the northern direction of Demon Imperial City and this gloom was completely different than regular dark clouds. With just a single glance, chills would run down one’s entire body and his heart would thump wildly, as though he had fallen into an ice-cold abyss. Several of those weaker profound practitioners at the back were even drenched in cold sweat, their bodies trembling.
“So this is what you people spoke of… Xuanyuan Wentian’s extremely strange black profound energy?”
Even someone as powerful as Yun Qinghong, while the dark aura was still quite a distance away, was feeling extremely uncomfortable all around his body.
The fast approaching dark aura was far, far more terrifying than predicted. Standing at the very front, the expression of Greatest Ambition Under Heaven grew heavier as he watched the darkening northern skies. At this moment, he unquestionably understood that Yun Qinghong’s words were not the least bit exaggerated at all.
Because, that was a pressure that was even heavier and more terrifying than the Little Demon Empress’!
“All Under Heaven disciples heed my order… Prepare to battle! If you don’t want to die, then release all of your power!!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven roared out explosively.
“One can leave the Great City Barrier Formation but not enter it. Absolutely remember not to mistakenly leave the great formation,” Yun Qinghong said in a sunken voice. Raising his two hands, purple lightning exploded forth from his palms and his body was encircled by dozens of lightning spirits.
“I never expected that Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength would actually be powerful to such an extent. He’s nearly twice as strong as the Little Demon Empress!” Yun Qinghong’s chest felt like it was being ripped apart by the terrifying aura coming from the northern direction and his expression grew much heavier than before.
“Ah? That… That shouldn’t be the case.” The profound energy in Xiao Yun’s entire body surged and he was trembling a little from the anxiety. “Though Xuanyuan Wentian defeated the Little Demon Empress back then, he ended up very fatigued as well, not to mention he suffered from very severe injuries, to the point where he could barely stand. Even if he surpassed the Little Demon Empress, he shouldn’t have surpassed her by that much.”
Yun Qinghong, “…”
“No.” Number One Under Heaven however shook his head. “Xuanyuan Wentian’s aura has changed. It has become much more powerful than that time in the Profound Sky Continent three months ago. Just by this aura alone, being nearly twice as strong as the Little Demon Empress is definitely not an exaggeration!”
“Wh… What!?” Xiao Yun paled from shock. He hurriedly focused and sensed the aura in the northern direction and his expression gradually paled even more. Cold sweat wildly dripped from his forehead. “How… How can this be…”
Chapter 857 – Resilient Defense
“What is with this eerie and evil aura?” Great Elder Yun Waitian gritted his teeth and said, “Duke Huai’s Fallen Flame Devil Art’s evil aura was suffocating but this aura is… on an entirely different level.”
“With how things are, there’s no point thinking about it. We better prepare well to defend the city with our full strength. Only after we survive today will there be a chance for us to think about other matters. If we fail… we will no longer have a tomorrow!” Yun Qinghong sternly said.
Yun Qinghong rarely spoke with pessimism and this was the first time he ever said something so depressing. Yun Family’s Second Elder Yun Duanshui shook his head as he spoke, still unable to believe it, “Is the current Xuanyuan Wentian really frightening to this extent?”
Yun Qinghong did not answer as he merely looked forward and said coldly, “Xuanyuan Wentian, just come out. Acting sneakily will only invite ridicule!”
“Heheheheh… Hahahaha!!”
In the distance, the dark clouds rumbled and a deep laughter that seemed like thunder echoed in the skies. Suddenly, the dark clouds seemed to spread instantly from the distance and covered over half of Demon Imperial City. This caused the city to instantly become dim, especially the region where the Yun Family and the Under Heaven Family were located. It became so dark that it was as though night had fallen and the laughter that came from the skies suddenly turned into a careless and hysterical laughter.
“Yun Qinghong, it’s you instead that came to receive this sovereign. Could it be that your Little Demon Empress has escaped with her tail between her legs?”
Beneath the dark clouds, the figure of a person slowly descended. He was surrounded by a black aura and his eyes gave off a creepy black glow. Following his appearance, an unexplainable cold aura could be felt and it caused everyone to tremble uncontrollably.
Although he was still at the northern part of Demon Imperial City, the cold aura and his voice spread throughout the entire city.
Almost everyone within Demon Imperial City doubted whether Xuanyuan Wentian was as frighteningly strong as Yun Qinghong had imagined and they all also felt that their actions were simply too much of an exaggeration. However, following the descent of this aura, even those as strong as monarchs could not help but tremble uncontrollably
Now they finally really understood how frightening the opponent they were going to face was.
The figure that appeared from within the darkness caused Yun Qinghong to squint his eyes… because although this person’s exterior was indeed the Xuanyuan Wentian that he knew, their auras were completely different.
“There’s… actually such a thing as bodily possession!?” Great Ambition Under Heaven had not only seen Xuanyuan Wentian before, he had also fought with him for a short while hundreds of years ago. He could recognize Xuanyuan Wentian’s voice, but the person who appeared before him was a completely fresh face.
“You want to meet the Little Demon Empress? We must first see whether you have the qualifications!” Yun Qinghong stretched out his hand and pressed on the Great City Barrier Formation now that Xuanyuan Wentian was right before him. He relied on Number One Under Heaven and Xiao Yun’s descriptions to try and predict Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength with the utmost accuracy and he dared not underestimate him at all. Eventually, he made such a decision now… Now that Xuanyuan Wentian was in front of him, he was shocked that his abilities were far beyond what he had imagined.
And they had surpassed it by a large extent.
Also, Xiao Yun and Number One Under Heaven’s words from earlier obviously meant that three months ago, Xuanyuan Wentian was only barely able to defeat the Little Demon Empress and was not as overbearingly strong as he was now.
He could not imagine just how Xuanyuan Wentian had obtained strength that exceeded the Little Demon Empress in these hundred years.
“Heh heh heh,” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed with contempt. Other than Yun Qinghong, tens of thousands of other profound practitioners stood in front of him but his eyes still showed signs of pity, “Yun Qinghong, looks like you’re still completely unaware of the situation. Duke Ming, that dumb pig, still continuously praised you and once saw you as his biggest stepping stone. This sovereign had thought that you were exceptionally clever but it turns out that you were just another pathetic and stupid worm. You actually dream of putting up an useless struggle. Hehehehe, could it be that you want this sovereign to have a little more fun?”
Yun Qinghong had never heard such an arrogant voice in his life before. However, this arrogance was not intentional. Instead, it was borne from possessing absolute strength that caused him to looked down on the entire world and all living beings.
“Xuanyaun Wentian, just what are… your intentions!?” Great Ambition Under Heaven roared.
“My intentions?” Xuanyuan Wentian eyes shut slightly, “Of course to kill and take what I want to take. All along, all this sovereign wanted has been the Mirror of Samsara and was never interested in your Illusory Demon Realm. It’s a pity that not only did your Little Demon Empress refuse to heed my words, she even damaged this sovereign’s devil body. It took this sovereign an entire month before he fully recovered. This is a sin that cannot be forgiven.”
Xuanyuan Wentian slowly stretched out his hand, his palm facing downwards and his eyes grim like a ghost, “Not only do I want to tear her apart today, this sovereign is also going to turn your Demon Imperial City into eternal ashes! Let that foolish woman know the consequences of angering this sovereign! After all of you go to hell, never forget that it was that foolish woman who sent you all to your deaths!”
“Don’t bother to talk to him!” Yun Qinghong said in a low voice. Even though the situation had turned out this way, he was actually not one bit afraid. “He has already turned into a mad man… no, he has always been a mad man! Let’s bet our lives and defend Demon Imperial City!”
“With just you lot? With just your pathetic barrier? Hahahaha…” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed hysterically. “Tsk tsk, you pathetic people. You’ll forever remain pathetic worms that think that a mere Monarch is already the pinnacle. You’ll never be able to comprehend what true strength really is. Pity. Such a pity. Regardless of whether it’s your so-called powerhouses of Illusory Demon Realm or whether it’s the barrier that you all think is so strong. In front of this sovereign, it is all a bunch of garbage!”
“Take a clear look at what true strength is!”
Black light surged from Xuanyuan Wentian’s body. A pitch black sword beam descended from the skies and shot straight at Yun Qinghong, accompanied by the sounds of space being torn apart.
Crack!!
The pitch black sword beam collided with the Great City Barrier Formation. The translucent barrier instantly exploded with thick black beam. At the position the sword beam struck, thousands of tiny cracks appeared and started to quickly spread. However, it did not break apart and following the black sword beam dispersing under the impact of the recoil, the cracks on the formation began to slowly mend.
“Oh?” Xuanyuan Wentian’s eyes slanted as he was obviously surprised.
Yun Qinghong and the others were also exceptionally shocked.
This Great City Barrier Formation that the entire Illusory Demon Realm had activated without considering the cost had actually been cracked by Xuanyuan Wentian with a sword beam that had been casually struck.
“Patriarch…” Behind Yun Qinghong, the voices of a few elders started to tremble.
“Prepare yourselves,” Yun Qinghong coldly said. “Remove all doubts from yourself. He is just that strong. We either defend to our deaths or we die!”
“Let me remind you once again, the Great City Barrier Formation can only be exited and not entered. Don’t rush outside of the formation by mistake!”
“A mere barrier and you hope to stop this sovereign?” Although Xuanyuan Wentian’s sword beam was casually struck, it still possessed the strength of a half-step Profound God. The fact that it did not destroy the barrier in one blow had obviously damaged his self esteem slightly. All the negative aura on his body surged and his voice became so low that it was suffocating.
“You all are going to find out how laughable your struggle is going to be!”
Xuanyuan Wentian howled and black fog rose from his body. A black figure then flashed past and a right hand that had been infused with darkness profound energy grabbed onto the barrier.
“Protect the barrier!!!”
With a loud roar from Yun Qinghong, the Yun Family disciples who had been waiting shot into the skies like a flock of majestic eagles. They released all their profound energies without restraint and turned into lightning that completely filled the skies as they struck the formation while screaming loudly with all their might.
The energies that struck the barrier all turned into the barrier’s defense in an instant. This caused the barrier to instantly glow purple, as though it was a purple gem.
Bang!!!
Xuanyuan Wentian’s right hand struck the formation and a ball of black light instantly exploded. The formation slightly caved but did not break apart. There were not even any cracks on the formation. Then, a strong recoil that exceeded Xuanyuan Wentian’s imagination struck back at him, causing him to be sent flying three hundred meters away in an instant.
“We… succeeded!” Xiao Yun shouted in agitation.
“Heh…” Xuanyuan Wentian who was sent flying looked up strongly, his eyes which were filled with the black light stared fixedly at the barrier that he did not think much about before, “A defensive formation that could gather profound energy from within. The tiny Illusory Demon Realm actually has such a thing!”
“Hmph! This was the product of our Illusory Demon Ancestors’ wit and strength. Now, it also contains all our strength and willpower,” Yun Qinghong coldly said. “It’s not something a maniac who lost his mind can break through.”
“Hoh, is it?” Xuanyuan Wentian revealed an extremely dangerous cold laugh, “This sovereign’s power has long since exceeded the limits of this world. There is nothing in this world capable of stopping this sovereign. Let alone a mere barrier!!”
Both of Xuanyuan Wentian’s arms waved and black aura rumbled behind him. Then, it ferociously turned into ten black tentacles, concentrated and struck at the barrier in front of Yun Qinghong.
Yun Qinghong’s Purple Cloud Art was already activated to its limits. Both his palms were deep purple and they directly held onto the part of the formation where Xuanyuan Wentian’s dark energy was going to strike. All the Yun Family elders and disciples followed Yun Qinghong’s actions and screamed loudly and struck their energy onto the barrier.
The most special part about Demon Imperial City’s Great City Barrier Formation was that it could absorb the profound energy of those within the formation and turn it into its own defensive power. The Great City Barrier Formation was split into eight parts. Any energy from within that struck onto it would turn into the formation’s defensive power and the efficiency of this was exceptionally high.
This Great City Barrier Formation had already existed for thousands of years but this was the first time it was actually used. Its power brought about surprise and hope for everyone.
Bang bang bang bang bang…
As thought a meteor had crashed, the noise was deafening. Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength was exceptionally frightening but the formation that had turned purple stood on steadily and there was no sign of it breaking. Although a crack might appear occasionally, it would disappear immediately as well.
Although the Yun Family was strong, against Xuanyuan Wentian, who was half-step into the divine way, even if all the Yun Family elders and disciples ganged up on him, the outcome would still only be their complete destruction.
However, a defensive power made up of all the gathered profound energy from everyone in the Yun Family was not something that even Xuanyuan Wentian he could easily break!
Looking at the formation that remained undamaged under his strength, the black glow within Xuanyuan Wentian’s eyes started to turn hideous. He stared widely and roared as thousands of black sword beams filled the skies.
“Pointless struggle… All of you can die now!!!”
Thousands of sword beams shot down as though it was an apocalyptic rain.
“Defend with all your might!!!” Yun Qinghong’s Purple Cloud Art that had already been activated to its pinnacle had been forcefully raised by another level. At the same time, he shouted, “Brother Under Heaven!!!”
Screeeeeeee…
The pitch black sword light stabbed ferociously at the purple barrier like a blade from hell. Although they were separated by the barrier, all the Yun Family disciples were experiencing a deadly pressure that they had never experienced before. Their eyes turned bloodshot and they all struck with the Purple Cloud Art like mad men as they used up all their strength to support this barrier that would decide the fate of the entire Demon Imperial City.
Cra-crack…
Under the impact of the black sword beam, the purple glow on the barrier began to dissipate bit by bit. It gave off an ear piercing screech and cracks started to form and spread.
At this time, following a roar from Great Ambition Under Heaven, everyone from the Under Heaven Family who had not acted since the start leapt into the air and thousands of pale green profound lights shone gently.
Clanggg!
The purple barrier that protected the city started to give off a jade green glow. Under the combination of the deep purple and jade green colors, the cracks on the barrier disappeared quickly. The black sword beam continued to descend ferociously but it was no longer able to damage the barrier at all.
Chapter 858 – Miserable
The Great City Barrier Formation was still in perfect condition, while Xuanyuan Wentian’s expression had finally turned ugly.
Three months ago, his strength rose explosively and he had believed that there was no longer anyone that could go against him. However, he was heavily injured by the Little Demon Empress and he only managed to turn the tide by relying on the Eternal Night Devil Sword. Within these three months, sixty percent of his devil blood had already awakened and he believed that even if there were three Little Demon Empresses, it was definitely impossible for them to be his match. However, before he could even encounter the Little Demon Empress, he was being slapped in the face by this Great City Barrier Formation.
A droplet of water was not enough to form a stream but by gathering countless droplets, it could bring about a large wave that could cover the skies!
The dark clouds in the sky were tumbling. With a face that had twisted into that of a ferocious devil’s, the black aura on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body reached an extreme level of density. An enormous black vortex revolved behind him, as though it was the first terrifying black hole made in primordial space.
An indescribable pressure enveloped Demon Imperial City and it even enveloped the entire sky and earth. Xuanyuan Wentian had actually elevated his darkness profound energy to his absolute limits!
Before arriving here, he had actually believed that with present strength, he could sweep across the Illusory Demon Realm with a wave of his hand. He had definitely not expected that he would actually have to unleash his full power to deal with a mere barrier!
“Heh… Heh… Heh… This sure is done pretty well.” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed in a sullen manner. However, his expression was no longer covered completely with scorn but now with a hint of fury and irritation. “However, no matter how ants struggle, they will still be merely a bunch of lowly ants!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian pounced towards the barrier with a dark aura that filled the entire sky and a huge pitch-black hand stretched out of the dark vortex behind him, violently smashing onto the barrier which was flashing with purple and green lights.
This was strength nearing the divine way, a terrifying power that had never appeared in this plane. Wherever the gigantic pitch-black claw reached, the fragile space would immediately break down into dust and before it even closed in, the barrier was already twisted to a significant degree.
“Brothers, let’s bet on the life and honor of every single one of us… We must hold on!!”
After the intense roar, the Yun Clan, Under Heaven Clan and all the Illusory Demon profound practitioners behind them let out roars that filled the sky as they blocked Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks one after another. The roars allowed them to suppress their initial fear with even more confidence as several hundred thousand profound lights instantly shone, merging into a radiance above the barrier that was comparable to the sun…
Boom——
The entire barrier, along with the entire Demon Imperial City, shook intensely. The sky suddenly darkened as the gigantic dark hand struck the barrier. A black vortex of more than three kilometers in diameter exploded forth as it wildly struck and devoured the barrier which was imbued with the profound energy from hundreds of thousands of profound practitioners.
The barrier was like an air balloon being pressed down by a gigantic force and was displaying a shocking distortion under the black vortex. However, due to the agglomerated energy within, it stubbornly remained unharmed.
“You bunch of detestable trash!”
The dark strike which he unleashed with his full power still ended up being blocked. Xuanyuan Wentian roared as he was shrouded by the dark aura. Like a hurricane, he smashed towards the barrier with both hands, bringing about terrifying explosive roars.
Traces of cracks spread on the barrier, however, they would heal speedily, albeit with difficulty.
“This sovereign shall see how long you bunch of trash can hold on!!” As Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks continued, his heart grew even more enraged and irritated, dark profound energy was being smashed out like crazy.
The profound energy of the Illusory Demon profound practitioners were being expended quickly, however, as they continued to hold on, their confidence was constantly rising as well, allowing them to unleash endless energy from their bodies which were being heavily suppressed by the darkness, as they resisted the almighty Xuanyuan Wentian with brute force.
The strength of the Illusory Demon profound practitioners was quickly diminishing and they had long since lost their calm, while the strength Xuanyuan Wentian, who was anxiously smashing onto the barrier, was similarly diminishing quickly as well. As the power of his devil blood awakened even more, the calmness in his personality would continue to diminish, converting into its opposite—irritation.
The sky had already completely darkened and for over fifteen minutes, Xuanyuan Wentian had consecutively thrown out millions of smashes. The energy exuded outwards had turned the surrounding area of fifty kilometers into nothingness, yet he was still unable to break through even an inch of the barrier.
“Patriarch, over half of our profound strength has already been depleted, if this keeps up… we will lose all the energy to hold on!” Yun Waitian said with a painful expression. “Let us just call the people from the rest of the domains to provide aid.”
“That’s right… Xuanyuan Wentian has been attacking our side the entire time and basically does not carry any trace of wanting to attack anywhere else,” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven followed up.
“We can’t!!” Yun Qinghong however shook his head decisively. “Don’t forget, Xuanyuan Wentian is someone who is even more cunning and treacherous than Duke Ming! With his realm of cultivation, he will be able to see through the intricacies of the Great City Barrier Formation with a glance. If we mobilize the power from the rest of the domains, there’s an extremely high possibility that he will switch to that domain… Once an opening is opened, all of our earlier efforts will be wasted!”
After saying that, Yun Qinghong roared out with a raised head, his voice instantly transferred to every corner of Demon Imperial City. “All of you, do not move. We can hold on!”
Though they had only held on for a short fifteen minutes, to them, the consumption of their profound strength was far more intense than having undergone a battle of life and death. Yun Qinghong’s breathing had turned coarse and at the same time; he could feel Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks were constantly weakening at a slow rate.
At this moment, the dark smashes that could shake the skies suddenly stopped. Xuanyuan Wentian had stopped his actions. Before the Illusory Demon profound practitioners could take this opportunity to catch their breaths, a sinister smile suddenly rose at the corners of his mouth. A black glow flashed in his hand and he then grasped the pitch-black Eternal Night Devil Sword.
And at the same time, an aura that was far more sinister than before suddenly enveloped downward, causing everyone to feel a stifling sensation in their chests, making it hard to breathe.
“It’s that Heavenly Sin Divine Sword… Watch out!!” Xiao Yun roared out in shock. Three months ago, in the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, it was this exact sword Xuanyuan Wentian used to reverse the tide against the Little Demon Empress.
“A bunch of trash actually forced this sovereign to use the devil sword, this sure is a humiliation!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s laughter was no longer the same as his former wild laughter but a sunken one. “It seems, this sovereign has no choice but to turn this place… into the cruelest purgatory!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian’s body… Fen Juechen’s body to be more exact, was definitely not the true physique of a devil and merely carried an extremely thin amount of a Devil God’s bloodline. Similarly, the devil soul in the Eternal Night Devil Sword merely had a thin strand as well. Adding that the power of the devil blood had yet to fully awaken, the two were basically unable to attain perfect compatibility.
Though the darkness profound energy unleashed by the devil blood could expand to its limits by using the Eternal Night Devil Sword, at the same time, it would increase the rate of consumption. Furthermore, it would cause him to endure immense pain for the next several days. That was why, unless it was the last resort, he would not make use of the the devil sword’s power.
He came to the Illusory Demon Realm on this day in order to, one, seize the Mirror of Samsara and two, kill the Little Demon Empress. However, he never expected that he would have to make use of the Eternal Night Devil Sword.
To him, this was indeed a great humiliation!
“All of you, die!!”
The Eternal Night Devil Sword, engulfed in a black aura, struck down amidst Xuanyuan Wentian’s roar, along with an indescribable ice-cold pressure which descended mercilessly from the skies above.
Crack!!!!
The barrier that had lasted long against Xuanyuan Wentian’s darkness profound energy emitted an ear-piercing screech under this sword strike and a crack of several meters in length instantly extended on the surface of the barrier. Wisps of dark profound energy seeped through the crack, bringing sinister winds which felt like they had originated from hell into Demon Imperial City.
“UUAAAAHH——”
Though it was merely an extremely frail amount of dark profound energy, it was still undoubtedly a terrifying nightmarish power to those Illusory Demon profound practitioners with weaker cultivations. Several thousand profound practitioners instantly tumbled over and their bodies felt as though they were falling into a cave of ice as they huddled their bodies in pain. They were unable to release even the least bit of energy.
The crack on the barrier was still expanding and even more darkness profound energy were seeping through. If it continued to expand, the barrier would definitely collapse.
“Father, what… what do we do?” Xiao Yun asked with trembling lips. He was releasing the Purple Cloud Art through both of his hands with all his might and leaning closely behind his back, was Number Seven Under Heaven, who had been his source of reliance and faith, like how he was to her.
Under the Eternal Night Devil Sword, the pressure on the Illusory Demon profound practitioners rose steeply. Yun Qinghong’s expression was calm as he watched the quickly spreading crack in the sky above. His hand gesture quickly changed and his body began to flash with lightning sparks. Even his pair of eyes had turned amethyst purple in color.
“Purple Cloud Domain!!”
An enormous lightning domain expanded, paving onto the barrier. This action of his was immediately followed up by a coordinated movement of all the Yun Family elders and Yun Family disciples above the Emperor Profound Realm as they released the profound energy in their bodies to their absolute limits and expanded several thousand Purple Cloud Domains. They overlapped and turned into an incomparably immense sea of purple clouds, enveloping the barrier.
The eyes of Greatest Ambition Under Heaven flashed, roaring out, “Castle of Elves!!”
The rumbling sea of purple clouds had also ignited the heavily suppressed resolve of the elven clan, as all of them expanded out their Elven Domains, pouring another mass of immense domain energy onto the barrier… Instantly, the crack on the barrier stopped spreading and then, it began to heal at a slow pace.
However, before they could even celebrate, an incomparably terrifying black radiance had exploded forth from Xuanyuan Wentian’s body. A pair of ferocious eyes opened sharply from the Eternal Night Devil Sword, as the pitch-black blade wildly smashed towards the barrier that protected the city.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom…
Under the terrifying power of the Eternal Night Devil Sword, the defenses molded by the domain power of the two great Guardian Families were collapsing layer by layer. Streaks of cracks wildly blasted open on the barrier and in the blink of an eye, the barrier which was initially in a seemingly perfect condition, was filled with spiderweb-like cracks. Its restoration speed was far from its speed of collapse.
“This… This is bad!” The faces of the Illusory Demon practitioners turned incomparably pale. Deep fear and despair emerged coldly on their faces.
“Not good… We can’t… We can’t hold on any longer!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven had both of his arms facing the sky, desperately squeezing out all of the energy in his body as he roared out his unwillingness.
Yun Qinghong’s expression turned incomparably cold. He slightly gnashed his teeth and his fists were tightly clenched. When a streak of cracks suddenly stretched all the way to the part of the barrier where he was facing, the light in his eyes instantly turned determined. Suddenly, he retracted the Purple Cloud Domain and charged out of the barrier.
However, just as he was about to move, his arm was already tightly grasped by a hand. When he turned around, he saw Mu Yurou’s face which carried a teary smile and she lightly said, “Husband, are you really willing to leave me behind… If you’re going, we husband and wife should be going together.”
Yun Qinghong’s eyes instantly turned misty and then, he gave a slight smile as he held tightly onto Mu Yurou’s hand. They raised their heads together and looked towards the sky above, their expressions turned bone-piercing cold at the same time. Then, they flew up arm-in-arm and charged straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Father… Mother!! You two…” Xiao Yun was stunned for a short moment and then he understood their intentions right after. With a frightful roar, he desperately pounced towards the two of them. However, how could he possibly catch up to Yun Qinghong and his wife with his speed?
“Patriarch, allow us!!”
Just as Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou were about to charge out of the barrier, an elderly roar resounded. An immense, formless energy assaulted them from behind, ruthlessly pushing them back. At the same time, three elderly figures, with purple light enveloping their entire bodies, flew out of the barrier and charged straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Gra… Grand Elders!!” Yun Qinghong was hurled back into the city. Seeing the three figures who flew out, his pupils intensely shrank, as he let out a loud blood-weeping roar.
The three of them, were actually the only three surviving Grand Elders of the Yun Family—Yun He, Yun Xi and Yun Jiang.
“Patriarch, you must properly live on. As long as you’re still alive, the Yun Family will never fall!”
“Old Patriarch, we’re coming to accompany you now!!”
Their voices were vigorous and they even carried intents of joy. The profound light on their bodies had already been unleashed to the absolute limits and like three purple bolts of lightning, they smashed onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.
Caught off guard, Xuanyuan Wentian fiercely staggered from the full power attack of the three Yun Family Grand Elders; even the black aura on his body had slightly scattered. He fiercely raised his eyes, the irritation that he had been holding in his stomach had finally found something to vent on. With the Eternal Night Devil Sword, a pitch-black arc was sliced out.
They were powerful level six Monarchs whom people looked up to, however, the moment they made contact with Xuanyuan Wentian’s dark sword light, their protective profound auras were instantly torn apart like blisters. Like countless ice-cold claws, the dark profound energy brutally rushed into their bodies.
“Die… You three undead farts!!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian’s devil sword once again smashed out, completely engulfing the three Grand Elders in abysmal darkness. Then, with a dull explosive sound, they turned into three masses of black powder.
The pause in Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks had allowed the jeopardizing cracks on the barrier to quickly heal. In the instant the three Grand Elders fell, all of the cracks had completely disappeared and the barrier which protected the city was once again restored to perfect condition.
Chapter 859 – Return
The crisis was temporarily dispelled. The price, however, was the lives of three Grand Elders of the Yun Family. The entire Yun Family was filled with sad cries, while the Under Heaven Family and the crowd of Illusory Demon profound practitioners were misty-eyed as well… Carrying revered statuses of Grand Elders of a Guardian Family, not only were they unable to pass away in bed due to old age, their deaths were so tragic, where even their corpses were not left behind.
“Xuanyuan… Wen… Tian!!” Yun Qinghong shivered intensely, his face had turned even more ferocious than the enraged Xuanyuan Wentian. He shouted out Xuanyuan Wentian’s name, yet these short two words carried resentment that could envelop the entire sky.
“Don’t be anxious,” Xuanyuan Wentian sinisterly said. “You all will soon follow them down to hell!”
A pitch-black sword beam rose out of the Eternal Night Devil Sword and under Xuanyuan Wentian’s wild laughter, it bombarded the surface of the barrier. A ray of black light charged towards the sky and on the barrier, dozens of fine cracks were instantly blasted open.
“Brothers… No matter what, we must hold on!! Especially our sons and daughters of Yun Family… You definitely mustn’t let the lives of our three Grand Elders go to waste!!”
Yun Qinghong roared out hoarsely. A seemingly wild energy once again poured into his initially half-expended body as he desperately bombarded the barrier. Under their sorrows and pain, all the Illusory Demon profound practitioners unleashed their powers as well. Using their increasingly depleted bodies, they released powers that resisted the Eternal Night Devil Sword.
Facing Xuanyuan Wentian whom even the Little Demon Empress was unable to defeat, them being able to resist this long was already an incomparably difficult feat. However, Xuanyuan Wentian, who was now wielding the Eternal Night Devil Sword, was too frightening. The deaths of the three Grand Elders of Yun Family had won them an opportunity to take a short breather. In the face of profound strength that far surpassed theirs and power at an unimaginable realm, they bitterly held on for less than one hundred breaths, yet the barrier which had endured countless tribulations, was once again facing the danger of shattering.
As the Eternal Night Devil Sword continuously bombarded down, the number and length of the cracks increased. Its restoration speed was far behind the speed of the spreading cracks. Xuanyuan Wentian looked at the barrier which had already formed spiderweb shapes from the cracks. He did not feel the least bit of joy, merely intense rage and humiliation.
“Detestable trash!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian charged into the skies. An enormous devil shadow appeared in the air and a black sword light of several dozen meters in length suddenly stretched above the Endless Night Devil Sword. Then, carrying an apocalyptic aura, it pierced straight towards the barrier that was nearing its collapse.
Cra!!
The barrier that was covered in damage in the first place once again shattered open several thousands cracks yet it still did not collapse completely; the sword beam was firmly obstructed. Xuanyuan Wentian glared with widened eyes. With a growl, the pitch-black sword beam once again grew explosively.
Crack!!
The tip of the dark sword light ruthlessly pierced into the barrier. A dark tornado that felt as though it had descended from purgatory itself, instantly swirled up a large half of the formation region.
A large sea of terrified screams reverberated within the barrier. A large amount of Illusory Demon profound practitioners were swept into the darkness and nearly a thousand profound practitioners were instantly killed. Their bodies instantly turned into pitch-black withered bones and amidst the screaming, even more profound practitioners had fainted. Their lives and deaths were uncertain.
This unprecedentedly terrifying strength had left all the profound practitioners, who had witnessed everything that transpired, shaken, as though they had fallen into a cave of ice.
“Hahahahaha…” Xuanyuan Wentian’s arrogant wild laughter came from the sky above. “With such trash like you, how can you possibly resist this sovereign who has already become a Devil God! All of you… Go to hell!!”
Even though they put everything into resistance, in the end, the city barrier was still penetrated through. Perhaps, in another few more breaths, it would completely collapse. Yun Qinghong looked at the sword beam which had pierced through the barrier and did not feel the slightest bit of anxiety or fear. With a solemnly cold expression, an incomparably heavy sigh rang in his heart.
Against such a terrifying Xuanyuan Wentian, for them to be capable of holding him off until now could already be considered a miracle.
Now, they had truly reached the absolute limit.
Every single breath was spent on defending with all his might. As a level five Monarch, more than seventy percent of his profound strength had already been expended, let alone the others.
Initially, he had thought that rely on this mythical formation left by the former Demon Emperor would make it possible to block Xuanyuan Wentian out of Demon Imperial City. However, Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength was too frightening. Even after expending all of Illusory Demon Realm’s trump cards and powers, they could only resist until now.
“Patriarch, what do we do?” Yun Waitian roared out as he heavily panted.
“…” Yun Qinghong lightly breathed in and slowly said. “Inform the people in the rest of the formation regions, prepare to engage.”
The way he said the three words “prepare to engage” sounded exceptionally calm and indifferent, however, every single one of them could hear the determined dying will carried within.
Crack!!
Yet another ear-trembling crackle. The biggest crack so far appeared on the barrier, as the pitch black sword beam fiercely pierced even deeper. The protection barrier shook… It was completely at the very verge of collapse.
Yun Qinghong retracted his energy at this moment as well. Holding onto the Sudden Lightning Sword in his right hand, a crimson lightning glow began to encircle the sword’s blade.
Right at this moment, a clear and bright light suddenly shone down from above the dark sky. Everyone present instinctively raised their heads to look… In the northern direction, a ray of golden light, like a meteor from space, sliced apart the tumbling dark clouds above Demon Imperial City and amidst a long, sky-piercing cry, descended with a bang.
“That’s… the Golden Crow’s flames!!” Number One Under Heaven shouted out in pleasant surprise.
Boom!!!
Like a falling boulder, the golden flames smashed earth-shakingly onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s pitch-black sword beam. The pitch-black sword beam that had pierced into the protection barrier was instantly burnt to smithereens while Xuanyuan Wentian was pushed far back as well. He let out a roar and then screamed out. “Ah!! Little Demon Empress, you finally dare to show yourself!!”
The barrier escaped its fate of collapse at the very last moment. Under the immense profound energy of the Illusory Demon profound practitioners, it began to quickly mend the countless lines of cracks.
The dark clouds in the sky quickly scattered apart, revealing a petite figure dressed in a fluttering rainbow dress. Her eyes were like cold stars as they coldly gazed at Xuanyuan Wentian. In her hands, a cluster of golden flames was blazing intensely.
“Little Demon Empress… It’s the Little Demon Empress!!” Looking at the figure that had suddenly appeared in the sky, earth trembling cries exploded from within Demon Imperial City. Because this person, was the Little Demon Empress who had been out of contact for three full months.
“It’s the Little Demon Empress… the Little Demon Empress has returned!” Xiao Yun shouted excitedly.
At the moment of impending despair, the Little Demon Empress had suddenly returned. Undoubtedly, it brought huge excitement and hope to all the people of Demon Imperial City. The solemn and tense atmosphere was sunk beneath the world encompassing cries of joy and that was the case even at the northern formation region which was directly facing Xuanyuan Wentian. However, Yun Qinghong still carried a heavy expression.
Because with such a terrifying Xuanyuan Wentian, it was basically impossible for the Little Demon Empress to be his match either. Furthermore, the place she appeared at was outside the barrier, making it impossible for her to rely on the protection of the barrier!
“Hahahaha.” Looking at the Little Demon Empress who had made her appearance, Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out wildly. “This sovereign had even thought that you had already fled with your tail between your legs. It seems you still have a little bit of backbone. Are you prepared to obediently hand over the Mirror of Samsara and then kill yourself or do you want this sovereign to personally turn you into pitch-black ash!?”
“Tch, trash that would even throw away his own face and shamelessly steal the strength of someone else actually dares to act this wildly and arrogantly. It sure is laughable!”
Amidst the scornful ridiculing laughter, the dark clouds behind the Little Demon Empress were also quickly being scattered apart by a blazing fiery light. Yun Che and Feng Xue’er walked out from it side by side, arriving next to the Little Demon Empress.
“Big… Big Brother!!” Xiao Yun was excited to the point of leaping up straight up.
“Che’er… Che’er!” Mu Yurou shouted out twice and she was this close to fainting from excitement.
“Asgard Master!” The girls of Frozen Cloud Asgard were even more exhilarated than ever.
Standing side by side with the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er, Yun Che carried a light smile which they could not be more familiar with. His eyes were as deep as the abyss and from head to toe, not the least bit of injury or frailty could be seen.
“Brother Yun, he… He seems to have completely recovered!” Number One Under Heaven shouted out.
“But of course! I already said so… With the Golden Crow Divine God’s divine power, Big Brother will definitely make a full recovery.” As Xiao Yun spoke, his nose could not help but turn sour and tears were this close to falling from his eyes. In these silent three months, he had been passing every day in a nervous manner.
“Yun Che?” Xuanyuan Wentian’s eyes flashed with a dark light. “You’re actually still alive!?”
Yun Che coldly laughed. “Even someone as shameless as you is still alive, how can I possibly have the nerve to die!?”
“Heh… You’re still alive.” Xuanyuan Wentian’s face revealed an incomparably terrifying savageness. “Then that’s truly great! I can finally return to you the humiliation I have suffered under that red-clothed demoness a million-fold!”
Though he already knew of Xuanyuan Wentian’s mutation, looking at “Fen Juechen” in front of him, Yun Che still let out a sigh in his heart.
“Though I don’t really like Fen Juechen,” Yun Che lightly said, “a dirty soul like yours isn’t worthy of his body! This face of yours is truly the biggest humiliation to Fen Juechen in his entire life!”
“No, it’s the biggest honor in his entire life!” Xuanyuan Wentian twisted his face, while he slowly raised the Eternal Night Devil Sword. “Yun Che, even in your dreams, you definitely can’t even fathom just how strong this sovereign has become now! Even this sovereign can’t believe that I could actually be this powerful!”
“Because this is the physique of a Devil God, the power of a Devil God. You mortals will never be able to understand such power in your entire lifetimes. However, out of good fortune, you get to taste the fear and death it brings!”
“Especially you, Yun Che!! This sovereign will bestow you a death that will have you sink into endless fear even after hundreds and thousands of reincarnations!!”
“Big Brother Yun, he… has become really terrifying.” Feng Xue’er tightly held onto Yun Che’s sleeves.
“The degree of strength of his aura has nearly doubled since the last time we exchanged blows.” The Little Demon Empress’s eyes were filled with bone-piercing hatred yet her milky white face still showed complete calm. “But, with how he was trying to take down the protection barrier in such a forceful manner, he has expended quite a bit of energy. With the powers of us three, victory is not impossible. Xue’er, this empress needs to borrow your strength.”
“Mn!” Feng Xue’er nodded strongly.
“Talking anymore is unnecessary.” The Little Demon Empress raised her hand. The golden blazing image of the Golden Crow appeared from her body as she raised the Golden Crow flame energy to the absolute limits right from the very start. “Xuanyuan Wentian… Die!!”
The Little Demon Empress pushed out her small hand and the surrounding area of fifty kilometers instantly turned scarlet-gold. Though there was an extremely strong barrier isolating them, the Illusory Demon profound practitioners below still felt an extremely searing heat wave blowing towards them, causing them to condense their energy to put up defenses in a flustered manner.
“What should we do!? Che’er… Che’er is still outside!!” Mu Yurou tightly held onto Yun Qinghong’s arm, she was anxious to the point of being helpless.
Their utterly bitter resistance earlier had allowed them to witness the terrifying strength comparable to the Devil God of legends that Xuanyuan Wentian possessed. Not only were Yun Che and the Little Demon Empress both outside the barrier, they were even facing Xuanyuan Wentian head on. She felt that her entire heart was suspended above a mountain of blades.
“…” Yun Qinghong did not speak. His two fists were tightly clenched.
“Brother Yun’s aura…” Number One Under Heaven looked skeptically at Yun Che up in the sky and expression suddenly changed as he exclaimed. “Tyrant Profound Realm… level six!?”
“What?” Xiao Yun was thrown into shock. “You’re talking about… Big Brother?”
“That’s right. His profound aura is indeed already at the sixth level of Tyrant Profound Realm.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven sighed in astonishment. “It truly is an astonishing aptitude. I never expected that in just a single year, he would actually gain such a huge rise in power.”
“No.” Number One Under Heaven shook his head. “Three months ago, when Brother Yun was heavily injured, his profound strength was merely at the middle levels of the Emperor Profound Realm. This time… Not only has he recovered from his injuries, his profound strength has actually… has actually risen directly by an entire huge realm!!”
“Could it be that the reason why he had stayed in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley for the past three months was because he was training under the divine guidance of the Golden Crow Divine Spirit?”
It was impossible for Number One Under Heaven to stay unagitated. As a level eight Overlord, a level six Overlord was still below him. However, he knew without a doubt that Yun Che’s strength basically could not be estimated using the conventional profound strength levels. When his profound strength was at the middle levels of the Emperor Profound Realm, he could already defeat Fen Juechen, who was at the middle stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
Now that he had made a reappearance, his profound strength had actually miraculously surged to the sixth level of Tyrant Profound Realm… Just how powerful could his actual strength be now!?
Boom!!
Sounds of exploding flames intensely shook space within a fifty kilometer radius. Especially right in front of Xuanyuan Wentian; space had already distorted into an irregular swirl by the searing heat of the Golden Crow flames. Though this was her first attack, she was already unleashing her power to the utmost limits without holding anything back.
Because in front of her was Xuanyuan Wentian!
Not only were these the Little Demon Empress’ strongest flames, they were also flames standing at the peak of this plane. Facing flames like this, Xuanyuan Wentian however, did not give the slightest sign of retreat. Instead, he quietly laughed and took the flames on with a smash of his sword.
Amidst the dull sounding explosion, a sunken roar was mixed within, as though it was the wailing of an evil ghost. The Golden Crow flames which carried the might of the burning heavens themselves, was scattered from a single collision and they splashed onto the surroundings. A few scattered sparks of flames landed on his body, however, they were immediately extinguished by the black aura. Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out loud. “Little Demon Empress, three months ago, if I have not relied on the power of the devil sword, this sovereign was indeed not your match. However, if this sovereign wants to kill you now, it is basically an easy feat!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian instantly crossed a distance of three kilometers and stabbed his sword towards the Little Demon Empress. The sound of a sword slicing through air should have been an ear-piercing screech or the devil sword wielded by Xuanyuan Wentian should have brought about an incomparably sullen explosive sound which would cause one’s hair to stand on end. Furthermore, at the same instant, the black aura in the surrounding space intensely poured in, suppressing the light of the Golden Crow flames in the blink of an eye.
Screee!!
With a long cry, the blazing image of a Golden Crow broke through the skies and flew straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian, clashing intensely with the pitch-black devil sword in an instant.
Space ferociously tore and the cries of the Golden Crow blazing image began to distort as well. The stalemate between the flames and devil sword had merely lasted for a short moment when the Golden Crow blazing image let out a miserable cry. It furious struggled but half of its body was immediately engulfed by the black fog.
“See this? This is this sovereign’s current power!” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out arrogantly, streaks of dark red blood faintly filled his face, making his face look extremely ferocious and terrifying.
“Perish!!” Xuanyuan Wentian roared out, suppressing the Golden Crow blazing image even more intensely than before, causing it to collapse at any moment. Right at this moment, a scarlet red fire came blasting over from his right.
Xuanyuan Wentian had a look of disdain and he did not even bother batting an eye. But, when the flames approached his body, he was suddenly thrown into shock, as he hurriedly retracted the Eternal Night Devil Sword. Then, with a thunder-like explosive cry, he swept out the sword and clashed against the two divine flames.
Boom!!
As though boulders had fallen onto the ground, the ground surface deeply caved in. Within the sky enveloping flames, Xuanyuan Wentian was instantly pushed three thousand kilometers back. Grabbing onto the devil sword in his hand, he glared deeply at Feng Xue’er with eyes filled with skepticism and menace.
“That red-clothed girl… Is the Feng Xue’er you people spoke of?” Yun Qinghong said dazedly.
“That’s right! She’s Little Sister Xue’er.” Xiao Yun nodded.
“She’s actually…” Yun Qinghong took in a deep breath. “Her aura, is actually not any weaker than the Little Demon Empress’!!”
“…Haah!?” Xiao Yun went blank for a moment and then his jaw almost fell onto the ground from astonishment.
“This… is simply unbelievable.” Number One Under Heaven, who was aware of Feng Xue’er’s former strength was also dumbfounded. Feng Xue’er was definitely someone who had the most terrifying aptitude he had seen in his life. At the mere age of twenty, she was already a level eight Monarch. No matter if it was in the Profound Sky Continent or Illusory Demon Realm, it was unheard of since the beginning of time.
But a level eight Monarch and the Little Demon Empress who had power nearing a god, was still an incomparably huge difference.
However, after merely three months of disappearance, not only had Yun Che’s strength risen explosively, Feng Xue’er’s strength had actually reached a realm comparable to the Little Demon Empress!?
He was simply unable to imagine just what had actually transpired in the three months they were in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!
“Feng Xue’er, you sure gave this sovereign a considerably pleasant surprise,” Xuanyuan Wentian said sinisterly. “In just three months, the little phoenix has actually grown to such an extent. But unfortunately… you’re still too soft!”
Three months ago, Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength could easily suppress Feng Xue’er.
But the threat brought by the Phoenix flames that Feng Xue’er smashed him with earlier was actually not the least bit weaker than Little Demon Empress’s Golden Crow flames!
And it had merely been three short months!
Feng Xue’er’s change had greatly shaken his heart. At the same time, the intensity of his killing intent towards Feng Xue’er had grown several fold.
Feng Xue’er quietly stood next to the Little Demon Empress with a thin layer of scarlet red flames wrapped around her body. On her delicate face with dream-like beauty, a slight degree of tenderness and doubt had faded away. What replaced them were the extraordinary aptitude and grandeur of a celestial maiden… as well as a very faint might that was sufficient to shake one’s soul.
“The Phoenix flames are the divine flames of a divine spirit, I bear the gift of the Phoenix God and I have never used it to eliminate a single living being,” Feng Xue’er lightly said. “But for you alone, I will definitely not hold back!”
Feng Xue’er lightly flipped her palm and dancing Phoenix flames began to fill the sky. Golden flames that could set the sky ablaze also burned within Little Demon Empress’ hand. Two masses of divine flames smashed out at the same time and collided against each other. However, they did not obliterate each other. Instead, they blended together without the slightest bit of rejection, forming an enormous fiery serpent that was several dozen meters wide. It slithered towards Xuanyuan Wentian and everywhere it went, space were blazingly torn through.
Three months ago, the two people were mere strangers. However, in these three months, they resided in the same place and did not separate even for a moment. Subtly, the energies of these two people could already easily merge. Though the Phoenix and Golden Crow discriminated against each other, the flames of the Phoenix and Golden Crow were divine flames of the same attribute and plane!
Chapter 860 – Battling the Devil God with Combined Strength
Xuanyuan Wentian carried a ferocious smile as he stretched out his hand. Following after this movement, a gigantic pitch-black palm stretched out from the space in front of him, grabbing towards the merged flames brought out by the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er head on.
Bang!!
With a dull reverberation, the divine flames that had blazingly crossed through three kilometers in space were firmly grasped within his palm. The annihilation energy within the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames exploded forth at the same time. Fiery light charged into the skies, yet the flames were never able to escape from the control of the pitch-black hand. As the pitch-black hand tightened, the struggling Golden Crow flames and Phoenix flames quickly extinguished. In a short several breaths of time, they had already been completely engulfed by the black aura.
Looking at this scene, the expressions carried by Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress changed at the same time. The Illusory Demon profound practitioners below had even more so stared with their eyes opened wide.
“Little Demon Empress’s Golden Crow flames, were actually… actually…”
“Divine flames are just nothing more than that in the face of this sovereign’s present strength.” Xuanyuan Wentian coldly laughed, filled with arrogant pride. He slowly raised the Eternal Night Devil Sword and the surrounding tumbling black fog began to gather towards the blade like raging tides. An ice-cold yet dangerous aura enveloped the surrounding space of several hundreds of kilometers. “Why don’t you people tremble… as you welcome the deaths personally bestowed by this sovereign!?”
The black aura on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body exploded forth as he pierced his sword straight towards the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er. While he approached them, the streaks of light suddenly dimmed. The fiery light that was initially scorching to the eyes was quickly being suppressed into dimness. At the same time, the two of them felt that space had suddenly turned sticky, as though their bodies were stuck on a spider web, making it especially hard for them to move.
They were basically unable to evade as well and they were left with no choice but to take Xuanyuan Wentian’s sword strike head on.
The pressure exuded by Xuanyuan Wentian was far more terrifying than three months ago. The Little Demon Empress’s eyes shone with an ice-cold glint and not the slightest bit of fear could be seen on her face. Golden Crow flames that had a color close to that of pure gold were smashed straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian’s chest. Feng Xue’er made a move right after, as scarlet red flames blazed into the skies.
Out of the two women’s flames, one was like a scorching fiery sun, while the other was as sacred as a rainbow.
Boom!!
The overly intense clash of profound energy swirled up tornadoes that had enveloped the entire sky. The Golden Crow flames and Phoenix flames that blended together had even set the horizon ablaze. The dark sword beam was engulfed by the flames, however, like an enraged dark gigantic beast, it suddenly expanded, ruthlessly suppressing the Golden Crow flames and Phoenix flames. Following after the ghost cry-like whistling of a sword image, the flames were ruthlessly torn apart.
The faces of the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er paled at the same time and their bodies were quickly thrown back by the impact. However, a blast was suddenly heard from behind them as a third ball of flames passed between the two of them, straight toward Xuanyuan Wentian.
Xuanyuan Wentian groaned as his body tumbled several dozen times to the back. When he stopped his body, the hair covering his forehead had already been completely burnt to a crisp. He reached out his hand to rub his forehead but instead of being furious, he let out a grim laugh. His pitch-black eyes locked firmly onto Yun Che. “Heh, Yun Che. Your every appearance would always bring a different surprise to this sovereign and this time it’s no exception. It has only been three short months but your strength has actually elevated several times and it has seemingly surpassed this sovereign when I had yet to cultivate my devil physique. What astonishing aptitude.”
“But… So what!?”
The swirling black aura was still endlessly pouring into the Eternal Night Devil Sword. While Xuanyuan Wentian’s low voice was still echoing, his body had already shuttled off like a ghost. The Eternal Night Devil Sword slashed down and its pitch-black blade sliced open a dark curtain of light that was several dozen meters in length in the sky, wantonly twisting space itself.
“Big Brother Yun, watch out!!”
The exchange of blows earlier had already allowed Feng Xue’er to truly experience Xuanyuan Wentian’s terror… That was power that she could not hope to match against with her present strength. Furthermore, she had an uncomfortable feeling that even if she worked together with the Little Demon Empress, it would still be seemingly impossible to defeat Xuanyuan Wentian. And though Yun Che’s profound strength had risen explosively in the three months they were in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he was still far weaker than the two of them.
After Feng Xue’er yelled out, the blazing image of a Phoenix immediately flew out of her body. Within the twisted space, it ignited a mass of Phoenix flames that burned to the absolute limits. As though their hearts were in resonance, the Golden Crow blazing image on the Little Demon Empress’s body flew out at seemingly the same time, releasing an extremely sonorous mighty cry under Xuanyuan Wentian’s sword curtain.
Among the three of them, Yun Che’s strength was comparatively the weakest. However, facing Xuanyuan Wentian who was like a nightmare itself, how could he possibly allow two women to face him while he alone retreated? Golden Crow flames ignited in his two hands and with Falling Moon Sinking Star activated, he struck towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
Boom!!
Four terrifying energies clashed against each other, forming incredibly terrifying energy tornadoes. The surrounding space completely collapsed in an instant and that terrifying profound energy tornado was imprisoned right after as it shrank into the collapsed space. The tornado wildly twisted and then, like a balloon being popped, it suddenly exploded.
This time, space in the surrounding several hundred meters broke apart and spatial fragments scattered haphazardly all around like countless metal needles. Under the force of the impact that radiated out, Xuanyuan Wentian was pushed back several dozen steps, while Feng Xue’er, Little Demon Empress and Yun Che, as though they smashed away by a gigantic mountain, felt intense pain in their organs and were sent flying back in three directions like broken leaves.
Even after the three people had combined their strengths, they were still defeated in the exchange!
“Hahahaha…” Xuanyuan Wentian laughed out loud. Sweeping up his body, he had already charged right towards Yun Che who was still flying backwards. The Eternal Night Devil Sword flashed with an ominous black glint. “Then let’s first begin with you!!”
“Ah!! Big Brother Yun!” Feng Xue’er’s beautiful face paled from Xuanyuan Wentian’s actions. She could no longer afford to care about the mess within her body as she desperately circulated the Phoenix flame energy. A pair of Phoenix flame wings spread open behind her and a gigantic image of a Phoenix surfaced on her body as well. Her entire being looked as though it had materialized into an actual Phoenix.
Using the Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix Wing, she forcefully reversed her posture and with a force that could destroy the sky and decimate the earth, she charged towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
However, Xuanyuan Wentian’s speed was too quick. Even if Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix Wing could temporarily allow Feng Xue’er’s speed to break through her limits, it was basically still far from being enough. The pitch-black devil sword was now merely a meter away from Yun Che.
Yun Che gritted his teeth, however, he did not use Star God’s Broken Shadow to escape. A red light flashed in his hands, then he grabbed onto the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword and smashed it straight at Xuanyuan Wentian.
Xuanyuan Wentian revealed an extremely belittling smile after seeing Yun Che’s action. He suddenly retracted the Eternal Night Devil Sword and grasped towards Yun Che’s gigantic vermilion sword with his empty left hand. “Your sword still isn’t worthy of being received by this sovereign’s own sword!”
Clang!!
With a loud clang, Xuanyuan Wentian’s hand had already grabbed onto the blade of Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, releasing out a deafening noise akin to divine metals clashing against each other. People were unable to believe that it was actually a noise made by a clash between a physical body and a sword.
Yun Che’s arms trembled and under the intense numbness. He instantly lost his sense of touch, his organs were even more so in a state comparable to rivers and seas being overturned. It was not that his heavy sword had never been directly held by anyone else… just that no one had ever once grabbed it bare-handedly.
However, Xuanyuan Wentian merely used a single hand and his Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword was firmly fixated in the air. The entire surging force of the heavy sword rebounded back onto his own body. If not because the strength of his body had long surpassed the realm of mortals, his hands and even his arms, would have already been shattered.
But…
Before Xuanyuan Wentian, who held onto Yun Che’s heavy sword, could even leak out an arrogant laugh, his expression suddenly changed. Following after, he even retracted his hand as though he had been electrocuted and accompanying his action was a scream that could not be completely described as mournful.
The sudden scream would naturally lead to a short loss of focus and the Phoenix image materialized by Feng Xue’er broke through the skies at this moment, heavily smashing onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.
Xuanyuan Wentian’s body was instantly ignited with Phoenix flames and he was ruthlessly sent flying away. The direction he flew to was coincidentally where the Little Demon Empress was. By then, the Little Demon Empress had already stabilized her body. Waving out her palm, with Xuanyuan Wentian’s body as the medium, an intense mass of Golden Crow flames ferociously exploded, adding a layer of Golden Crow flames to his body which was already burning with Phoenix flames.
Bang!!
Xuanyuan Wentian heavily smashed onto the ground, smashing out a humongous, deep crater on the surface of the ground. In the next moment, a ray of black light exploded out from the deep crater, instantly extinguishing the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames which enveloped his body.
Within the black light, Xuanyuan Wentian slowly floated into the air. His outer garments had already been burned to a crisp and his body was also filled with burn injuries. However, he did not seem to be batting an eye at these injuries. His two eyes firmly glared at the left hand he raised and his entire left arm was trembling intensely.
A vermilion scar was engraved on the palm of his left hand and it was still emitting a frail vermilion glow. Within the scar, pearls of crimson black blood dripped downward.
With his level of cultivation and “devil physique”, even if it was an injury ten times heavier than this one, the casual guidance of his profound energy would have immediately stopped the blood from flowing.
However, even after pouring his profound energy towards this scar which was emitting out a vermilion glow several times, when approaching the wound, the profound energy would suddenly dissipate away, basically preventing him from stopping the flow of blood, let alone healing it. What was more frightening was that this wound which was clearly just two inches long felt as though there were millions of poisonous claws constantly stabbing into his palm, causing him unbearable pain.
“What’s going on… What exactly is going on?” Xuanyuan Wentian furiously growled.
“This is… a devil slayer sword!?”
The Eternal Night Devil Sword suddenly transmitted a fearful voice and even the pair of opened eyes at the hilt of the sword had suddenly shrunk.
“Devil slayer sword? What is that?” Xuanyuan Wentian roared out.
“No… That’s not a devil slayer sword. Its appearance, aura and profound light are all different, so it’s impossible for it to be a devil slayer sword! The existence of devil slayer swords had long disappeared from this world!”
“Kill him and then destroy that sword completely! Though that is definitely not a devil slayer sword, since it’s actually capable of dealing such harm to you, along with that aura that makes me feel extremely uncomfortable… It might be something similar to a devil slayer sword!”
“Fortunately, his strength is far weaker than yours so this sword doesn’t provide the slightest of threats to you while in his hands. But if someday, it lands in the hands of someone who possesses strength comparable to yours, then it will be huge trouble!” The devil soul in the sword said in a dark voice.
The voice of the devil soul in the sword clearly carried fear… It was more than just “huge trouble”, it was basically the object it feared the most in its entire life.
Xuanyuan Wentian fiercely clenched his left hand. The intensified pain caused his face to twist into something akin to a vile ghost and at the same time, it wildly ignited the irritation and anger in his chest. He had clearly become a Devil God, possessing peerless power that could overwhelm everything, yet he still ended up suffering such torturous pain.
“Yun… Che!!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s killing intent exploded forth from his entire body, causing the black aura in his surroundings to begin surging in a chaotic manner. He had planned on torturing Yun Che to death but now… He wanted Yun Che to die as quickly as possible! Preventing him from even breathing for a single second, a single moment more in this world!
Chapter 861 – World Scorching Fire Lotus
The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er were puzzled at Xuanyuan Wentian’s anomaly for a short moment but immediately after, they suddenly sensed Xuanyuan Wentian’s killing intent rise explosively. Furthermore, the killing intent was locked onto Yun Che… and him alone.
The two girls’ hearts skipped a beat at the same time and Xuanyuan Wentian simultaneously let out a furious roar as well. His entire being was like a dormant wild beast. Carrying a black aura that filled the sky, he charged over.
Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress met his charge at lightning speed. Like the eruption of volcanoes, two masses of divine flames engulfed Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Scram!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian smashed out his sword, slicing a pitch-black sword arc within the sea of flames. In an instant, tens of thousands of sword beams exploded forth from the Eternal Night Devil Sword and every sword beam was pitch-black and distorted, as though they were millions of ghosts originating from the crevices of hell. Even the spatial tearing sounds were ghastly like the dark howls from the netherworld.
“Chachacha…”
The pitch-black sword beams pierced through the sea of flames that shrouded the sky. The sounds of the mix between burning and tearing were even more ear-piercing and heart-stabbing than the sounds of space being torn. However, Xuanyuan Wentian’s power far surpassed Feng Xue’er’s and the Little Demon Empress’. Though half the pitch-black sword beams was burnt away, the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames were utterly tattered by the slash. When Xuanyuan Wentian smashed out his second sword strike, the black light erupted fiercely amidst the collapsing sea of flames.
Feng Xue’er and the the Little Demon Empress groaned at the same time and they were ruthlessly blown away by the immense darkness energy, their protective profound auras barely a step away from being shattered. Before they could even regain their senses, their surroundings suddenly flashed with black light and space was speedily being locked amidst its distortion. Two curtains of black light gathered right after, tightly entangling their two bodies, instantly extinguishing the flames on their bodies.
Darkness Prisons!!
However, Xuanyuan Wentian did not take this opportunity to continue attacking. Not spare them another moment’s concern, he charged straight towards Yun Che with surging killing intent.
“Big Brother Yun!!” Feng Xue’er paled from shock. She and the Little Demon Empress were both basically unable to block Xuanyuan Wentian’s attacks, let alone Yun Che himself.
Little Demon Empress, “!!”
The Little Demon Empress struggled in the Darkness Prison with all her might. On her forehead, the Golden Crow imprint shone, releasing an eye-piercing golden radiance. The extinguished Golden Crow flames on her body fiercely ignited and after a loud “bang,” she forcefully shook off the dark cage.
Having escaped from the cage, the Little Demon Empress gathered the flames on her entire body into her two hands. A gigantic sword made out of golden flames stretched out into the empty sky as it fiercely slashed towards Xuanyuan Wentian’s back.
“Golden Annihilation” possessed absolute annihilation energy; even someone as strong as Xuanyuan Wentian would definitely be injured if he was directly struck with it. The Little Demon Empress did not expect that this would heavily injure Xuanyuan Wentian in the least, rather, she wanted to force him to turn around and defend or evade it.
However, as though he did not sense it in the slightest, Xuanyuan Wentian did not have any intention to dodge it or turn around to defend himself as he continued to charge straight towards Yun Che. Black aura surged from the Eternal Night Devil Sword and then it swiftly stabbed forward. “ Yun Che… Die!!”
A gigantic pitch-black sword beam was shot out of the sword tip, ripping open a dark spatial passageway as it shot towards Yun Che while carrying an annihilative might.
The moment this sword beam shot out, even the crowd that was separated by a layer of the protection barrier several dozen kilometers away was able to feel the extremely terrifying hell-like winds and the presence of death.
Xiao Yun and the rest widened their eyes as they let out terrified roars. Even Yun Qinghong’s pupils had shrunk.
“Big Brother Yun!!” Amidst an explosive noise, Feng Xue’er also forcefully shook out of the Darkness Prison. However, she was basically unable to stop it in time. She helplessly watched as the dark sword beam approached Yun Che’s chest.
The extremely thick, dark pressure and presence of death made Yun Che feel as if his body had fallen into a cave of ice. He retreated with all his strength and the profound energy in his entire body was even being unleashed in a crazed manner.
“Sealing Cloud Locking Sun!”
The Evil God barrier expanded but that presence of death still closed in with incomparable clarity.
Not enough…
Yun Che’s eyes sharpened. A beam from the cyan colored profound handle shot out from his arm and met with the pitch-black sword beam. At the same time, the flames on his body instantly turned into blue light. As he quickly retreated, several dozens of Trees of Frozen End quickly grew beneath his feet and in between them, there were even thick ice walls, numbering in the high hundreds.
When it came to destructive power, the Frozen End Divine Arts were far weaker than the Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames. However, if it was pure defense, the Frozen End Divine Arts carried an enormous advantage.
Boom!!!
With a loud reverberation, the beams from the profound handle and dark sword ruthlessly collided against each other, causing the profound handle to directly scattered apart in an instant. The dark sword beam, carrying the nether howls of death, continued to speed forward as it blasted apart all of the Trees of Frozen End and ice walls amidst consecutive shattering noises.
After piercing through all of the layers of ice, the dark sword beam had already been reduced to half of its former size, yet it was still releasing an incomparably terrifying pressure as it ruthlessly smashed onto Yun Che’s body.
An extremely shrill screeching sounded. Countless cracks surfaced on the Evil God barrier before it directly shattered. The dark sword light beam had also collapsed immediately after but the shockwave of its energy had still swept onto Yun Che’s body, blasting him far away.
Though the dark sword beam had broken apart, its immortal sword intent enveloped Yun Che within, instantly slicing hundreds of scars on Yun Che’s body. Yun Che speedily ignited the Phoenix flames, extinguishing all of these terrifying sword intents… And at the same time, the Little Demon Empress’ “Golden Annihilation” had ruthlessly smashed onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s back.
Under the golden flames, the ferocious and terrifying darkness devil aura on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body was easily sliced apart. The golden beam wildly expanded, annihilating all of his defensive capabilities as it fiercely exploded on Xuanyuan Wentian’s back.
Xuanyuan Wentian let out a scream. Blood spattered from his back and the crimson black blood that flew out was completely annihilated by the Golden Crow flames. A pungent burnt smell quickly suffused into the air and his entire body was ruthlessly sent flying like a cannonball.
However, the Eternal Night Devil Sword in Xuanyuan Wentian’s hand suddenly slipped off and flew out, shooting out a sword beam that carried a rumbling black aura which pierced towards the Little Demon Empress.
The remnants of the golden flames were unable to block the Eternal Night Devil Sword’s terrifying sword light beam and the veil of fire was instantly penetrated through. Though the Little Demon Empress had dodged, the dark sword beam still pierced into her left arm. The Little Demon Empress instantly let out a painful groan and her body retreated several tens of meters, stains of bright red blood flowing down her left arm and lips.
However, she paid her injuries no mind and had even fiercely unleashed all of her profound energy, ignoring the consequences of intensely worsening her injuries. A gigantic fire lotus of pure gold bloomed explosively underneath, releasing a golden light comparable to the sun as it drew towards the descending Xuanyuan Wentian.
On the other side, Feng Xue’er’s Phoenix flame energy had also fully exploded forth. Above the dome of flames, a crimson red lotus proudly bloomed, stacking a thousand layers of petals that filled the space of several kilometers in the blink of an eye. Carrying might that could scorch the sky and raze the ground, it then started to envelope Xuanyuan Wentian and in the moment of its approach, all of the flaming petals instantly drawing in.
Two divine flame lotuses that were at the absolute limits of this world—the Purgatory Fire Lotus of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World below and the Star Scorching Demon Lotus of the World Ode of the Phoenix above—converged together amidst the dazzling flaming light, heartlessly burying Xuanyuan Wentian within.
Boom———
Two extremely gorgeous flaming lotuses exploded forth an indescribable terrifyingly catastrophic power at the same time and the energy tornadoes that were birthed ruthlessly blew away Yun Che, who had just managed to gather his breath after being attacked by Xuanyuan Wentian.
The explosive sounds of the flaming lotuses shook the earth. The inside of Demon Imperial City however, was dead silent. Everyone had their mouths wide open, their eyes staring unblinkingly straight, as they suspected if they were dreaming. Other than the endless fiery radiance, nothing else could be seen in their line of sight.
Buried by these two most terrifying flaming lotuses in the world, even if it was a peerless expert as strong as Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi, he or she would be completely burnt into nothingness in a short span of time, without the least bit of logic of survival. However, the Little Demon Empress’ and Feng Xue’er’s expressions did not relax in the slightest. The flames on their bodies intensely burned and their open hands were maintaining the power of the flame lotuses with all their might.
Because at the center of the two flaming lotuses, the terrifying darkness aura did not burn to death but was struggling wildly… and his struggle was growing even more vigorous.
Bang!!
A ray of black light suddenly pierced through the fire lotuses, shooting out like a laser. Following after were two… five… dozens. The Little Demon Empress’s and Feng Xue’er’s expressions sank. The flames on their bodies once again surged as they suppressed those dozens streaks of black light with great difficulty.
The darkness aura that had once again been suppressed by the divine might of the two world scorching fire lotuses had seemingly reached its limits; its struggle suddenly began to weaken and slowly turned silent. However, before the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er could heave short sighs of relief, a thunder-like roar rang through the empty air and also within their souls.
Like an awakened primordial vile beast which had stayed dormant for ten thousand years, a streak of black light fiercely exploded forth with the two converged flaming lotuses as the center. Darkness instantly overwhelmed the eye-scorching flaming light, spreading across the entire sky and earth. The two world scorching flaming lotus shattered into millions of fiery fragments at the same time, scattering onto the surrounding crater-filled land.
As though they were smashed by a mace originating from the depths of purgatory, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress suffered grave injuries throughout their bodies and were sent flying back like residual leaves amidst the dark tornadoes.The flawless rainbow dress and the fiery red phoenix dress were instantly dyed red in blood.
Xuanyuan Wentian, who had smashed apart the two divine flaming lotuses, was charred black throughout his entire body but the darkness aura on his body was still as terrifying as a Devil God’s. He let out a loud arrogant laugh. “To actually think of killing this sovereign with just you lot… What a foolish dream! Hahahaha…”
At that instant he broke away from the flaming lotuses, Yun Che’s figure had penetrated through layers of dark tornadoes like a meteor, arriving behind him. With all of his strength gathered onto the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, he smashed towards Xuanyuan Wentian.
“Destroying Sky Decimating Earth!!!”
Boom——
Xuanyuan Wentian’s loud laughter ground to a halt. Before the roars of the dark tornadoes had even scattered, another loud reverberation akin to profound thunder from the Ninth Heaven resounded when the Heaven Smiting Devil Sword solidly smashed onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s back… Xuanyuan Wentian’s body fiercely sank. No matter how strong his abilities were, he had just forcefully broken out of the burial of two great flaming lotuses and his darkness profound energy was emptied for a short moment. He was unable to completely block against the sword strike which carried Yun Che’s full might.
The sword directly smashed into Xuanyuan Wentian’s body and the vermilion blade embedded a full inch into his back.
“Guaaaaaah!!”
Like a wild beast in despair, Xuanyuan Wentian released a roar from the pain brought by the damage caused the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword. His eyes suddenly released a terrifying black glow and the muscles on his back bulged up layer upon layer, fiercely exploding right after. Several dozen streaks of blood shot up to thirty meters and the incomparably large and terrifying darkness energy shook onto the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword and Yun Che’s body.
Yun Che let out a groan and the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword had even almost slipped out of his hands. His entire being was like a kite which had its string snapped off; he was sent flying far away while trailing a long stream of blood behind him.
“This sovereign… will shatter your corpse into a thousand pieces!!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s back was mashed with blood and flesh; a long crimson red glow was deeply printed onto his back. The torturous pain stimulated his rage and madness and like a wild beast with all its instincts ignited. He charged towards Yun Che amidst his screaming.
“!!!” The Little Demon Empress had just stopped her body when she saw this scene that tremendously shook her body and heart. She no longer bothered with her injuries as she rose into the skies with all her might, blocking Xuanyuan Wentian’s path. Several dozen Golden Crow flames hurriedly ignited, meeting Xuanyuan Wentian’s charge.
Not only was the Little Demon Empress injured both internally and externally, the backlash from the shattered flaming lotus had even messed up the profound energy in her entire body. The might of the Golden Crow flames she smashed out was far weaker than before, so how could she possibly block against Xuanyuan Wentian, whose strength was merely weakened by an insignificant amount, albeit having taken damage?
Xuanyuan Wentian swept his hand which was wrapped in black aura and a large pitch-black hand stretched out from empty air, instantly engulfing all of the Golden Crow flames. The Little Demon Empress’ eyes turned ice-cold as she pushed herself to condense Golden Annihilation in her two hands and slashed onto that pitch-black palm.
“Pfft.”
With a dull sound, the golden flames were directly scattered. The Little Demon Empress’ expression paled as she spat out a streak of blood. Her consciousness instantly fell apart and her petite and frail body powerlessly fell to the bottom.
Chapter 862 – Despaired Soul
“Since you want to be the first to die… This sovereign shall grant your wish!!”
Yun Che’s physique was exceptionally strong. Although his current strength was far below the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er, in terms of the toughness of his body alone, even if the two ladies combined together, they would not be able to rival his. Although Xuanyuan Wentian’s attack that was struck with rage was frightening, it was still insufficient to cause any severe injuries.
When the Little Demon Empress blocked in front of Xuanyuan Wentian, he had already regained his mobility in the air. The Little Demon Empress was severely injured by Xuanyuan Wentian and fell downward. Yun Che suddenly realized that Xuanyuan Wentian did not continue to rush towards him. Instead, he suddenly descended and grabbed at the temporarily unconscious the Little Demon Empress.
This scene caused Yun Che to be greatly shocked, “Hold it!!”
As he shouted, Yun Che used Extreme Mirage Lightning and rushed crazily towards Xuanyuan Wentian without considering whether this was part of his devious plan.
But how could his speed be enough to catch up to Xuanyuan Wentian?
“Tch!!” Yun Che gritted his teeth as his eyes turned bloodshot from rage. A blue glow then flashed past his eyes.
“Dragon… Soul… Domain!!”
Aooo!!!
The silhouette of an azure dragon appeared in the skies and it gave off the immense pressure of the dragon god that shook the heavens and earth.
Under the effects of a mental domain that was boosted by the might of a primordial dragon god, Xuanyuan Wentian’s entire body trembled and the black aura that surrounded his body disappeared by half while his speed was also greatly slowed. Then, the silhouette of a sky wolf that had been ignited with phoenix flames appeared from behind and violently struck his back.
Bang!!
With a loud noise, another huge chunk of bloody flesh on Xuanyuan Wentian’s back was struck off and his slightly darkening backbone was also visible now. He was sent crashing downward like a cannonball, heavily hitting the ground.
Yun Che inhaled slightly and relied on the Star God’s Broken Shadow to swiftly move and catch the falling Little Demon Empress, holding her firmly in his arms.
“Ahhhhhh!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian shot up from the ground as roars of extreme rage escaped madly from his mouth. Though the injuries on his body were already startling, the black devil aura released by his body did not weaken one bit. It still remained so dense that it was suffocating.
In contrast, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress had both used up a large amount of their profound strength and they also suffered from severe internal injuries. Especially the Little Demon Empress whose profound aura in her body was so chaotic that it was almost completely out of control.
“Brother Yun, are you alright?” Feng Xue’er hurried flew over, blocking in front of him and the Little Demon Empress. However, the phoenix flames ignited on her body were obviously rather weak as well.
“I’m alright.” Yun Che softly replied. Then a palm pressed onto his chest and gently pushed him away.
The Little Demon Empress has regained her consciousness and struggled as she left Yun Che’s grasp. Her petite blood stained hands reignited with the glorious golden flame once again.
Xuanyuan Wentian rose into the skies and that devil-like face once again appeared right in front of their eyes. The eerie and dense darkness and killing intent shrouded over them, “You all actually… harmed this sovereign’s devil body once again! This time… this sovereign will definitely… send you all to your graves forever!”
Yun Che’s eyebrows sunk as he held the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword so tightly that the knuckles on both his hands turned white. Three months ago, Xuanyuan Wentian was already exceptionally frightening and within these three months, he and Feng Xue’er’s profound strength had both increased. He had thought that this would be enough to face the mutated Xuanyuan Wentian.
Unexpectedly, in these three months, Xuanyuan Wentian had become far stronger than he was three months ago. Even if the three of them combined their strength, they would not be his match.
No… Given their current condition, there was not the slightest chance that they could defeat him. If this were to continue, the only outcome would be dying at his hands and Demon Imperial City facing the fate of obliteration!
Just what should be done… what to do!?!
“Die!!” Xuanyuan Wentian’s body began to glow with a black light that covered the skies. Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress’ profound strength had been greatly weakened already. A full strength blow by him could never be received by the two of them now.
At this time, Yun Che suddenly turned forward and shouted loudly, “Fen Juechen, what the hell are you doing? Are you just going to let him manipulate your body and power like this!?”
His words caused Xuanyuan Wentian to be shocked before he started laughing hysterically again, “Hahahaha… Yun Che, in the face of death, you actually dream of that pathetic soul saving you all like three months ago!”
“This sovereign had not realized that I had not completely wiped away that pathetic soul three months ago and as a result this sovereign’s plans were foiled! Now, do you naively believe that he would still remain until today?”
“We don’t even have to say his consciousness, even the dregs of his soul have already been completely wiped away by this sovereign. There is not one single strand of residue remaining!”
However, Yun Che did not care about Xuanyuan Wentian’s words and coldly continued, “Fen Juechen, in order to obtain great strength, you suffered pain and torture that people who had lived a hundred lives cannot even imagine. Would a person like you fall so easily to such a hideous devil!?”
“You pursued strength for the sole reason of revenge and the person you wanted to kill the most is Xuanyuan Wentian. Because not only does he carry the sin of eradicating your clan, he was also the culprit who landed you into such a miserable fate! However, even today, you still have not gotten revenge. Instead, you allowed your body and the strength that you suffered tremendously to obtain to be used by the person you wanted to kill the most, giving him the power for his wild ambitions… This is such a huge hatred and disgrace!
“You have pride and arrogance that is above others. Could you actually be willing to let this hatred and shame disappear forever!? Could you actually be a weakling that is so easily killed?!”
“Tsktsk, such a weak and foolish struggle,” Xuanyuan Wentian stretched out his palm and said with disdain, “You’d be better off kneeling down and begging for forgiveness from this sovereign. Who knows, this sovereign might leave one or two bones intact when he crushes you later.
“It’s a pity that you no longer have the chance!”
The black aura surged and Xuanyuan Wentian’s claw struck and the surrounding space immediately froze.
“Be careful!!” The flames on Feng Xue’er’s body surged as she stood against Xuanyuan Wentian even before the Little Demon Empress had a chance.
Xuanyuan Wentian looked ferocious as his palm swept past the flames and struck straight at Feng Xue’er’s chest, “Die…”
His shout had not even been completed before it abruptly cut off. It seemed as though someone had suddenly choked him and his face was suddenly frozen; even the black palm that he struck deviated in direction.
With a deafening “boom”, the phoenix flames that were originally harmless to Xuanyuan Wentian had gone through the black aura that had suddenly lost control and struck firmly onto his face. Xuanyuan Wentian let out a miserable cry as he was sent flying and his entire body was rapidly engulfed in the scarlet flames.
Sending Xuanyuan Wentian flying in one blow caused Feng Xue’er to be stunned.
“Ahh… What… what happened?” Xuanyuan Wentian extinguished the phoenix flames on him in a hurry and looked at his hand in disbelief. He had an expression of extreme disbelief; it was as though he had seen a ghost just now.
Yun Che instantly had an expression of pleasant surprise.
“Im… Impossible… this is impossible!!” Xuanyuan Wentian shouted in rage and his eyes let out a ferocious gaze yet again. He grabbed onto the Eternal Night Devil Sword and swung it at Yun Che.
However, just as he rose into the air, his entire body trembled and he fell back down stiffly. His entire body shook and trembled uncontrollably, “Impossible… This sovereign had obviously… completely… impossible…”
“Fen Juechen… it’s Fen Juechen!” Yun Che shouted in surprise. Previously, when he called for Fen Juechen, it was only an attempt that was made due to a lack of plans. In his heart, he did not hold too much hope for it. Because three months ago, when Xuanyuan Wentian figured out that Fen Juechen’s residual soul still remained, he would have definitely tried to completely eradicate it with all his might.
However, Fen Juechen’s consciousness still did not get completely eradicated. Even more so, the power that come out of that unwilling and unrelenting soul was obviously affecting Xuanyuan Wentian to a large extent.
This was hope and a chance of survival that Fen Juechen had risked his remaining consciousness to obtain for them! Yun Che instantly rushed forward like lightning and struck the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.
Xuanyuan Wentian’s body that had lost control did not even make an attempt at defense as he was swept up by the great sword and flung several kilometers away. Before he could manage to get up, Yun Che had rushed forward once again, gathering all the strength within him and the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword that ignited with golden crow flames struck onto Xuanyuan Wentian’s body yet again.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM…
Although his strength was not at the level of Xuanyuan Wentian, the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword was like a bane to devil profound energy. With each swing, Yun Che would cause Xuanyuan Wentian to scream miserably and the ground beneath would break under the impact.
“Ahhhhhh!!”
Xuanyuan Wentian cried miserably and the black aura on him suddenly surged and violently knocked Yun Che away. His body swayed and he breathed heavily before charging hysterically towards Yun Che.
Bang!
The Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword collided directly with Xuanyuan Wentian’s black palm. Yun Che’s entire body trembled and both his arms were in pain as he was flung hundreds of meters away, the blood and energy in his body churning within his chest. He looked up firmly and shouted, “Fen Juechen, given the way that you are now, you cannot possibly obtain revenge personally in this life! However… if I can live past today, I will personally kill Xuanyuan Wentian one day!!”
This shout by Yun Che seemed to stab several thousand poisonous needles into Xuanyuan Wentian’s soul. The residual soul that had just been suppressed by him was now filled with unimaginable strength and it violently struck his consciousness and intertwined…
“Arghhhhhhh!”
Xuanyuan Wentian cried miserably. His body that was about to get up suddenly knelt down and his hands held onto his head strongly while his body spasmed in pain, “AHHHHHHH… Wh… why… why haven’t… you been… destroyed… ahhhhhh!!”
“Because he is Fen Juechen!!”
Yun Che roared angrily, gathered all his strength and smashed the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword at Xuanyuan Wentian… Due to Xuanyuan Wentian’s mental breakdown, he had lost a large amount of control of his body and strength and was violent slashed by Yun Che on the head.
Boom!!
Xuanyuan Wentian’s brain seemed as though it was filled with millions of flies that buzzed constantly. His bloodied body was sent flying like a bundle of straw.
“You… you…” Xuanyuan Wentian laid on the ground as his entire body spasmed. Despite several struggles, he could not stand up. He turned around, his eyes that were giving out a black glow stared firmly at Yun Che. His face contorted and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly saw that the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er had caught up and were standing beside Yun Che.
At the same time these words were said, Xuanyuan Wentian cracked five of the teeth in his mouth. The Eternal Night Devil Sword swiftly flew over, picked him up and carried him towards the north like a flash of black lightning.
Chapter 863 – Devil Curse Relapse
“Don’t even think about escaping!!”
Seeing Xuanyuan Wentian suddenly escaping far away, the Little Demon Empress put aside her injuries and forcefully condensed her profound energy, chasing after him with her fastest speed.
“Caiyi, don’t chase him!” Yun Che shouted loudly.
However, the Little Demon Empress turned a deaf ear, a bone-piercing hatred flashing within her ice-cold eyes.
“Not good!” Yun Che gnashed his teeth. He could no longer afford to care about anything else, as he chased after the Little Demon Empress with all his strength. Feng Xue’er hurriedly followed closely behind as well.
A change that could be termed “inexplicable” had suddenly occurred in their battle. Xuanyuan Wentian, who initially possessed overwhelming power, seemed to have suddenly lost all of his strength. He was defeated by Yun Che single-handedly and was actually fleeing with all his might.
Though it was unclear what had happened, to the people in Demon Imperial City, this change had undoubtedly pulled up their hearts instantly from the depths of the abyss. They openly watched on as Xuanyuan Wentian fled northwest with astonishing speed driven by the pitch-black longsword, while the three including Yun Che who were following close behind, very quickly disappeared from their sight as well.
“What happened?” Yun Waitian asked, startled.
Yun Qinghong twitched his brows and suddenly said, “Brother Under Heaven, let us follow after them and take a look!”
“Alright!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven nodded without any hesitation.
The two great patriarchs charged out of the barrier at the same time, flying straight in the northwestern direction.
The power that Xuanyuan Wentian possessed was definitely sufficient to achieve complete victory against his three opponents, however, Fen Juechen’s unbending soul had once again awakened. What was most frightening about this was, the place which this unbending soul had awakened in was not outside his own soul but within his own soul realm!
Under the intense charges from Fen Juechen’s soul, even though he had the formidable “devil physique” and incredible power, he was basically unable to control them with his own will. If he did not flee, there would definitely be a possibility where he would be killed by his three opponents.
The portion of dark profound energy he could forcefully make use of, was presently poured entirely into his escape.
“Bastard… Why… Why are you still not thoroughly dead yet… You are but one of this sovereign’s pitiful chess pieces… A pitiful worm who had a fragmented soul since birth… How is this possible… How can you possibly still remain alive to this day under this sovereign’s power… Uaaahhh…”
Xuanyuan Wentian’s expression was in utter pain. His voice was coarse and his vision was blurred. His mind was suffering from a splitting headache and his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
Behind him, the Little Demon Empress was chasing closely. However, the speed of the devil sword was simply too fast. Even when she was using all her strength, she was unable to catch up the entire time.
The land of the Illusory Demon Realm was moving backwards under their feet at high speeds. After more than an hour, the devil sword, carrying Xuanyuan Wentian, charged into Five Way Region.
The center of Five Way Region was the place where he descended when he came here.
The Five Way Region which had been guarded by an army of several tens of thousands of troops throughout the year, was presently dead silent. Gazing from afar, one could see streams of strange fog swirling above the destroyed land, yet not a single human figure could be seen. The brown ground was scattered with a huge amount of dark scars, as though they were pitch-black ashes that were left behind after being burnt.
Yun Che’s expression darkened upon seeing the state of Five Way Region… the swirling black fog beneath him was clearly emitting the dark energy of a devil! Very evidently, the former guardian troops here had all lost their lives at the hands of Xuanyuan Wentian.
At the same time, it also meant that there was an extreme possibility that this was the place where Xuanyuan Wentian came from.
While carrying Xuanyuan Wentian, the devil sword flew straight towards the center of Five Way Region. There, a small sized profound formation was presently revolving very slowly, emitting a soft white profound glow.
Xuanyuan Wentian stopped next to the profound formation. He turned around and looked at the three people who had chased him all the way here, his voice carried two-fifths agony and three-fifths hatred. “This sovereign… shall once again allow you people to live… for several more months… The same situation… will definitely happen a third time…”
“Three months from now, this sovereign’s devil blood… will completely awaken… When that time comes… you people… had best… be waiting for me!!”
After completing his speech, Xuanyuan Wentian roared and pounced into the spatial profound formation, instantly disappearing without a trace.
“Even if you fall into purgatory itself… this empress will tear your bones and scatter your ashes!!”
Even after Xuanyuan Wentian had already disappeared into the spatial profound formation, the Little Demon Empress did not stop her flight even for a moment as she charged straight towards the profound formation.
“Caiyi… Don’t go over there!!” Yun Che paled from shock. “Xue’er, stop her!”
The Little Demon Empress was definitely not a person who acted on impulse. On the contrary, she was terrifyingly calm at almost every single moment.
However, only when facing Xuanyuan Wentian himself… The grudge from killing her father, the resentment for the chaos he incited, the hatred from exterminating her clan, these sentences were far from being reconcilable!
“Little Demon Empress sis, don’t!” Feng Xue’er anxiously cried out, as she released several dozen Phoenix arrows and smashed them towards the front of the Little Demon Empress in a fluster. The shockwave caused by the blast of released flaming energy slowed down the Little Demon Empress’s figure and Yun Che pounced over from behind her, firmly hugging onto her.
The Little Demon Empress struggled intensely, her watering eyes stared straight at the spatial profound formation that was right before her. However, Yun Che’s arms were firmly locked onto her like an iron clamp… A long while later, the Little Demon Empress’s struggles finally began to gradually weaken. When the confusion in her eyes had scattered away, her entire body went limp and she gently fell into Yun Che’s embrace.
On her small, milky white face, two clear streaks of tears silently slid down.
“Caiyi, don’t worry.” Yun Che softly embraced her. “Your hatred is my hatred. We aren’t able to kill him today but as long as we, husband and wife, combine our hearts, there will come a day when we will have him pay his debt in blood.”
“…” The Little Demon Empress did not reply, as she gently closed her eyes in Yun Che’s embrace.
“Xue’er, destroy that profound formation,” Yun Che turned his head around and said. There was an extremely huge distance between the Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm and to construct a spatial profound formation that could link the two continents would definitely require a large amount of resources and time. By destroying the profound formation, even if Xuanyuan Wentian were to fully recover the next day, it would be impossible for him to infiltrate the Illusory Demon Realm again in a short span of time.
Feng Xue’er nodded. Her small hand lightly danced and a stream of Phoenix flames slammed into the profound formation. With a loud boom, the profound formation had already fallen apart and its white glow scattered in all four directions.
“Little Demon Empress, Che’er… Are you three alright?”
Yun Qinghong and Greatest Ambition Under Heaven hurriedly flew over. Seeing that the three people seemed to be safe and sound, they heaved huge sighs of relief.
“Father!” Yun Che hurriedly held Little Demon Empress up. “And Patriarch Under Heaven. Don’t worry, we’re all fine. Xuanyuan Wentian has just fled back to the Profound Sky Continent and the spatial profound formation he used has already been destroyed as well. For a short span of time, he shouldn’t be able to infiltrate again.”
“That’s good to hear.” Yun Qinghong slightly nodded. He looked at his surroundings and let out a heavy sigh. “I initially believed that the Illusory Demon Realm had finally distanced itself from disaster and attained stability, never did I expect that a great crisis would fall from the heavens… The guardian army of three hundred and thirty thousand troops here has to be taken pity upon as well.”
“Haah.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven heavily sighed as well. “Xuanyuan Wentian… He’s actually such a terrifying individual.”
Yun Qinghong turned his face around and looked towards Feng Xue’er. The light in his eyes instantly turned especially warm. “Che’er, you have yet to introduce this girl to your father.”
Feng Xue’er stepped forward and gave a proper bow. “Junior Feng Xue’er greets Uncle Yun and Uncle Under Heaven.”
“Uh… Ah… I dare not receive this, I dare not receive this.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven hurriedly waved his hands and his body had also shrunk back for a moment out of slight fear. In Demon Imperial City, he had personally witnessed the terrifying strength Feng Xue’er possessed which was comparable to the Little Demon Empress’, how could he possibly dare receive such a gesture from her?
Yun Qinghong however calmly received it and said with a smile. “I have often heard Yun’er and the rest speak of you, that you have several times risked your own life in order to protect Che’er. These past few months, we husband and wife have been hoping day and night to personally meet you and now, our wish has finally been fulfilled. When your aunt sees you, she will definitely be extremely joyous as well.”
Facing Yun Che’s biological father, like all regular young maidens, a strange anxiety stirred in Feng Xue’er’s heart. “Protecting Big Brother Yun… is Xue’er’s duty.”
Yun Qinghong chuckled. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw the Little Demon Empress, who was lying in Yun Che’s embrace, suddenly open her eyes and stand up. He hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Little Demon Empress, how are your injuries? This Qinghong is ashamed…”
“This empress’s injuries do not require any worry,” the Little Demon Empress said indifferently. “Yun Qinghong, fortunately you have decisively awakened the Great City Barrier Formation this time, which prevented Demon Imperial City from facing a disaster. Otherwise, terrifying and irreversible consequences would have occurred. You have made great contributions to the incident today.”
However, Yun Qinghong shook his head with a bitter smile. “If the Little Demon Empress had not rushed back, all these would have been nothing but futile actions. These aren’t worthy of such praise from the Little Demon Empress.”
“Not only have you protected Demon Imperial City from an unprecedented crisis, the Great City Barrier Formation greatly drained Xuanyuan Wentian’s energy as well. Otherwise, the conclusion right now might not have happened. Though…” the Little Demon Empress raised her head. “This is but a temporary breather. The terror of Xuanyuan Wentian is something you people have personally witnessed today. With his greed, not too far long in the future, he will definitely descend once more. When that time comes, the fate of my Illusory Demon Realm…”
The Little Demon Empress’ had not finished her sentence yet an incomparably heavy pressure and shadow loomed over every single one of their souls.
“In any case, let’s first return to Demon Imperial City. By seeing the Little Demon Empress safe and sound, everyone would then truly feel at ease.” Yun Qinghong revealed a relaxed expression.
“Che’er, let us go… Che’er??”
They had all prepared to return to Demon Imperial City, however, they realized that Yun Che was actually still standing there unmoving and not speaking a single word. His expression was stiff and his pair of eyes was staring blankly in the air, not having the slightest of response to Yun Qinghong’s words.
It was as though he had suddenly lost his soul.
Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress hurriedly looked at Yun Che and only then did they suddenly realize his abnormal condition… He was standing there blankly, his stiff complexion was slowly being dyed with a layer of darkness and an abnormal black glow was even faintly seeping from his pupils.
“Big Brother Yun… Big Brother Yun, what happened to you?” Feng Xue’er anxiously said.
Under Feng Xue’er’s call, Yun Che suddenly groaned as he instantly knelt onto the ground. Like a sieve, his entire body was shaking intensely and his face constantly twisted and distorted, as though he was enduring an immense pain.
“Yun Che!!”
“Che’er!”
The Little Demon Empress and Yun Qinghong had both paled from shock as well, as they hurriedly arrived next to Yun Che. Yun Qinghong said with a solemn voice. “Could the injuries he received from his exchange with Xuanyuan Wentian have suddenly relapsed? Ah… Brother Under Heaven, if you please!”
“Allow me.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven hurriedly stepped forward and within the palm he quickly stretched out, a jade-green glow was condensed. The unique nature energy which their elven race possessed had extremely powerful healing and calming effects, and this was nature energy belonging to the realm of a Monarch.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s palm flipped and while carrying a jade-green profound glow that emitted a pure, natural aura, it slammed towards Yun Che’s chest.
Right at the moment his palm made contact with Yun Che’s body, as though it had been devoured, the thick jade-green glow instantly disappeared. Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s palm trembled and then, he hurriedly retracted it as though he was electrocuted.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven staggered back as he let out a painful moan. His entire arm was trembling intensely and his face revealed deep agony and fear.
“Brother Under Heaven!?” Yun Qinghong charged over like lightning and grabbed onto Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s hand. He shockingly realized his palm had already turned charred black and a frail black energy was still faintly rising from it.
“This… What is going on?”
Chapter 864 – Gloom
“Big Brother Yun, what happened to you?” Startled, Feng Xue’er worriedly said. At this moment, she suddenly saw a layer of black aura slowly surging from Yun Che’s body.
This layer of black aura was very thin in the beginning but it was gradually becoming thicker and it clearly carried an extremely ominous presence.
“Caiyi… Xue’er…” Yun Che’s palm was tightly clutching his own chest, as he painfully said. “Hurry and bring me back… to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley…”
The space in front of Yun Che speedily distorted, revealing the Primordial Profound Ark. Evidently, Yun Che knew for certain that with his present condition, forcing himself to make his way back to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was impossible and there was a need to use the Primordial Profound Ark.
“Hurry and go!” The Little Demon Empress hurriedly reached out her hands to grab Yun Che and Feng Xue’er, entering the Primordial Profound Ark in a flash of white light. Then, they disappeared along with the Primordial Profound Ark.
“Sss…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s palm was in bone-piercing pain and this form of pain was different from all the injuries he had ever suffered in his entire lifetime. It was an extremely strange… ice-cold scorching sensation.
Even with his powerful cultivation of a mid-level Monarch and the protection formed by nature energy, he could only slightly suppress that pain after a few dozen breaths.
“What in the world… Just what in the world is…” Cold sweat constantly dripped down from Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s forehead. He took in a long breath and glanced at Yun Qinghong. After hesitating for a short moment he said, “The black aura earlier… seems to slightly resemble the one on Xuanyuan Wentian’s body.”
“…” Yun Qinghong did not speak for a long while and then, he lightly sighed. As if he was speaking to himself, he said, “We can ask Che’er about it after he gets back.”
The Primordial Profound Ark instantly transferred to the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Carrying Yun Che, the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er quickly flew into Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley… From the time they left until their return, the difference was not even two hours.
Passing through the land of tumbling flames, they once again arrived at the end of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Before they even stopped their bodies, Feng Xue’er had already anxiously shouted out, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, please save Big Brother Yun!”
Seemingly at the instant Feng Xue’er’s voice fell, that pair of golden eyes that carried boundless flames and might, had already appeared high in the sky, shooting a searing golden light upon the entire Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
“You three came back at the right time. This noble one has something to ask of you three.” The voice of the Golden Crow’s soul carried a deep sense of heaviness. “The individual who fought the three of you earlier, just who is he? And what’s with the profound arts he’s using?”
The Little Demon Empress anxiously said, “Regarding the Golden Crow Divine God’s questions, we will definitely inform you everything we know. However, I plead for the Golden Crow Divine God to first heal Yun Che, he’s currently…”
Yun Che curled up on the ground, the black aura entangling his body was occasionally thin and sometimes thick. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat and his facial features were all cramming together. Evidently, he was suffering immense pain but he was enduring with all his might, unwilling to leak out a sound.
“Save him?” The Golden Crow Soul’s voice sounded quite disdainful. “Could he have once again been injured by the Heavenly Poison Star God… Hmm?”
Before she even finished her words, the Golden Crow Soul’s tone suddenly changed. “This aura…”
Clang!!
A ray of golden light shot down from its mouth, enveloping Yun Che.
When the golden light came into contact with Yun Che’s body, it stopped for a short while… Immediately after, the streak of light in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley fiercely changed, the golden eyes in the sky suddenly widened. Behind them, the several hundred kilometers of sea of flames and volcanoes were as if they had encountered a disaster, as they billowed with overflowing flames.
“Golden Crow Divine God!?” Little Demon Empress raised her head in shock. She was unable to imagine just what reason could make it lose control in such a manner… As the almighty divine spirit of Illusory Demon Realm, it actually looked as if it had suddenly suffered some sort of immense shock.
“Leave Yun Che here, you two immediately leave this place,” Golden Crow’s Soul commanded. “For twenty four hours, no one is allowed to enter this place, including you two!”
It’s voice was especially heavy and sullen, it did not have the slightest intention to explain, nor did it pursue the matter regarding Xuanyuan Wentian either. Seeing its reaction, the Little Demon Empress’ and Feng Xue’er’s hearts raced. Feng Xue’er anxiously said, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, Big Brother Yun, he… Just what…”
“No need for further words, go on then!”
The golden eyes shone with a bright light and two rays of golden flames descended from the skies. They landed on the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er, instantly expelling them out of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
Sensing that the two girls had left, Yun Che slowly raised his head and said with difficulty. “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, please… With my individual strength alone… I’m basically unable to suppress…”
“There’s no need to talk! There will come a time for you to explain!” Golden Crow’s soul coldly said. When she spoke, a golden halo of flames had already gathered in Yun Che’s surroundings and then, she muttered to itself, “It seems like this noble one wanting to continue existing in this world for ten years, is already an impossible task.”
“…” Yun Che gratefully and agonizingly forced out a smile. Then, he closed his eyes as he focused on taking in the energy coming from the Golden Crow’s soul.
Four months ago, the devil origin orb which Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign shot into his profound veins right before perishing had become a devil’s nightmare that was buried in his body. Even with Jasmine’s strength, she was unable to drive it out. It would one day relapse and this was a point which Yun Che was clearly aware of.
However, he never expected that it would come this quickly.
And never did he actually expect that the relapse would be this intense.
Back then, Jasmine’s power was what sealed the devil origin orb. Because she was afraid that it would harm his profound veins, Jasmine merely dared to use a measly amount of energy to seal the devil origin orb. However, she had clearly said that it would be sealed for at least six months.
Furthermore, before she left, she had said that even if the energy she used to seal the devil origin orb disappeared, Yun Che could still use his own energy to seal it.
Not to mention that Yun Che’s strength back then was a far cry from now.
However, presently not only did the relapse happen way earlier than expected, the devil aura being emitted out was enormous to the point where he was basically unable to suppress it. If we were to compare the former devil origin orb as just a devil seed that was planted in his body, then now… it was as if a violent devil god had suddenly awakened.
After the Golden Crow’s soul bestowed its soul origin to Yun Che, its own power had declined by a huge extent. However, it was after all, a soul fragment of the primordial divine beast, the Golden Crow. When Yun Che was immersed in the blazing golden flames, surging energy poured into his body like huge waves and they charged right into his profound veins.
In an instant, the black aura on Yun Che’s body slowly receded and his complexion looked much better than before. He took an upright sitting posture and focused his mind. The Great Way of the Buddha revolved with all its might, as it suppressed the rampaging devil origin orb along with the energy from the Golden Crow’s soul.
Under the immense divine energy of the Golden Crow’s soul, the energy of the devil origin orb finally began to be suppressed little by little. Streams of golden light swirled towards the pitch-black devil origin pearl and wrapped around it layer by layer, gradually sealing its energy completely, until not a single strand of dark devil energy was being emitted out.
Yun Che opened his eyes and his complexion had already been completely restored to normal.
A total of six hours had passed.
Had he not possessed the physique of a Dragon God along with the Great Way of the Buddha, like anyone else he would have been devoured by the dark devil aura that filled his body, long before the six hours passed and devil origin pearl could be completely sealed.
“Thank you, Golden Crow Divine Spirit, you saved me again. The various graces you have given me, can never be repaid in this lifetime of mine,” Yun Che said from the depths of his heart.
“No need for the unnecessary empty pleasantries.”
The voice of the Golden Crow’s soul was evidently several times frailer than usual and even the golden glow in its eyes dimmed. Without its soul origin, its energy could no longer be restored and every bit of energy used would be energy lost. In these six hours it used to aid Yun Che in sealing the devil origin orb, the remaining ten years of existence it initially had, had been shortened by exactly two years.
“Now, you should give this noble one a proper explanation,” The eyes of the Golden Crow’s Soul fiercely widened. “Why do you have the devil origin orb in your body!?”
“That is clearly something that should have long since been annihilated from this world!”
“Explaining this matter, might be a little troublesome,” Yun Che said. There was no need for him to conceal anything in the face of the Golden Crow’s soul. Not to mention that it had even saved his life.
“In that case, how about you let this noble one investigate your memories?”
Anyone, no matter if he was the most normal of mortals, would definitely be unwilling to have his memories looked through by someone else. This time, however, Yun Che actually nodded without the least bit of hesitation. “Alright.”
The Golden Crow’s soul was evidently caught off guard by his straightforwardness. It no longer spoke further as a golden light spilled down and penetrated into Yun Che’s unresisting soul. In an instant, the memories from the time he left Illusory Demon Realm poured into the mind of the Golden Crow’s soul like a flood.
Reading around a year’s worth of memories was a considerably short process. However, after the Golden Crow’s soul retracted the golden light, it sank into a long period of silence.
Its constantly flashing golden eyes, highlighted the immense shock it had in its mind.
After a long while, the Golden Crow’s Soul finally said, “Regarding the person called Xuanyuan Wentian who exchanged blows with you three today, this noble one was able to sense a very faint devil aura from his body, along with the aura of the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night. This noble one had suspected it was just my imagination, because devils have long been extinct.”
“Never did I expect that it was truly the aura of the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night!”
“This noble one inherited the will of the Golden Crow and has existed in this world for such a long time, yet I have never sensed it this entire time. In the faraway continent in the north, there actually hid a True Devil that had survived since the Primordial Era!”
It had looked into Yun Che’s memories, so naturally, it knew about the existence of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign.
“Fortunately, he was unintentionally discovered by you and has been exterminated, otherwise, if his soul imprint recovered, with his instincts as a devil along with the hatred accumulated from being sealed for millions of years, this world definitely would have faced an incomparably terrifying tribulation. It is a feat comparable to saving this seemingly peaceful world with just your strength alone.”
Yun Che lightly smiled as he shook his head. “I killed him simply to protect my own life. Because if he did not die, I would die instead. That’s all there is to it. As for saving the world, I don’t think I have such determination nor that kind of saintly heart. Furthermore, so what if I have killed the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign? Compared to him, Xuanyuan Wentian is a hundred times more terrifying.”
“You’re wrong. How can there possibly be a comparison to speak of between a devil god and a mortal? Though Xuanyuan Wentian of today seems to far surpass the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign you exterminated, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was a True Devil. The moment it truly recovered, its strength would basically be something you are incapable of imagining. Even with the physique of a dragon god, if it wished to destroy you, it would just take the time it takes to form a thought.
“As for Xuanyuan Wentian, he had but just received a thin amount of devil blood and a slightly frail devil soul. Even if he’s capable of achieving perfect compatibility with all of his power, it would be impossible for him to truly step into the divine way.”
“But though my strength has improved by leaps and bounds in these three months, I’m still far from being Xuanyuan Wentian’s match. Today, if not because there were still remnants of Fen Juechen’s soul that had yet to be destroyed, I would have already lost my life.
“Furthermore, Xuanyuan Wentian personally told me today that his devil blood has yet to awaken completely. Three months from now, it will reach the state of perfection. When that time comes, his strength will definitely far surpass the strength he had today. Haah… I really can’t figure out how I’m supposed to go against him.”
Yun Che raised his head and muttered to himself with a low voice. “If only Jasmine was here. Even if she was still unable to make use of her own power like before, she’d still able to teach me what I should do.”
“…” From Yun Che’s body, the Golden Crow’s Soul could sense a heavy gloom.
About a year ago, when they first met, Yun Che respected yet did not fear it; even when facing its pressure, he still carried a brilliant demeanor. When it wanted to forcefully strip away his Phoenix bloodline, he stubbornly rejected it and even lashed out at it with furious curses.
Back then, when facing his curses, not only was it not angered, it instead felt that he was even more pleasing to the eye. Because as the soul of the Golden Crow, its personality was extremely prideful and violent in the first place.
But today, it sensed gloom coming from Yun Che’s body.
It was uncertain if the reason behind this gloom was because of the despair brought about by Xuanyuan Wentian’s strength or Jasmine’s departure.
Perhaps it was the latter.
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit, with your power, are you able to defeat Xuanyuan Wentian?” Yun Che asked. However, from his tone, he evidently did not carry much hope.
“If it was a year ago, I might be able to do it,” Golden Crow’s Soul bluntly said. “But now, even if I go against the will of the Golden Crow and forcefully leave this place, I’m definitely unable to exterminate Xuanyuan Wentian.”
“…” Yun Che closed his eyes, his two hands slightly clenched.
Jasmine’s departure, Moonflower’s scheme, the mutated Xuanyuan Wentian and the devil origin orb break-out… While he was still submerged in loss due to Jasmine’s departure and had yet to regain his senses from it, everything suddenly came flooding in.
In the past, no matter how terrifying of a crisis he faced, his willpower had never dimmed. However, now that Jasmine was not by his side, he felt that half of his soul had been forcefully sliced away, depressed and powerless.
After losing her, he then truly understood his reliance on Jasmine had far surpassed his imagination.
“Don’t you want to know why the devil origin orb in your profound veins suddenly escaped from its seal and acted up?” Golden Crow’s Soul suddenly said.
“I have doubts about this problem as well.” The light in Yun Che’s eyes stirred. “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, could it be that you know the answer?”
“That devil origin orb that came from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign initially possessed a very weak power. If not because you were heavily injured after the horrendous battle with the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, you could have even sealed it yourself.” The Golden Crow’s Soul slowly explained, its voice still carried an evident frailty. “It merged into your profound veins, so it will naturally absorb the profound energy in your profound meridians.”
“It is like a darkness seed which should have been close to death. Though it relies on your profound energy to awaken, it’s still something that belongs to the realm of the devil gods. The power it gradually gives birth to, will one day far surpass your own degree and realm of strength. If you wish to live, either you destroy your own profound veins or constantly seal it completely, preventing its ever-increasing devil aura from leaking out.”
“Initially, the awakened power of this devil origin orb would have required quite a considerable amount of time before it could reach the extent of harming your life. With the profound strength you had three months ago, you could have sealed it over and over again by relying on your own strength for at least several dozens of years.”
“However, in these three months, due to your dragon phoenix dual cultivation with Feng Xue’er, your vitality and profound energy were both in extremely active states in every single moment. The realm of your profound strength has even risen explosively within these three short months… However, due to a terrible coincidence, the sustained active and stimulated states sped up the growth of the devil origin orb’s power, finally leading to it breaking out of the seal your master placed and releasing a dark devil aura that you’re unable to endure.”
Yun Che: “…”
“This is negligence on this noble one’s part. If this noble one had discovered the existence of the devil origin orb in your body three months ago, it would not have led to the result today.” The Golden Crow’s Soul let out a short sigh… It did not reveal just how terrifying the devil origin orb in Yun Che’s body had become in a straightforward manner. Though it was sealed with great difficulty…
Yun Che instead laughed and shook his head. “This is not your mistake. If you have not guided Xue’er to conduct dual cultivation with me, I would have been dead three months ago.”
“The devil origin orb is within my profound veins so I have long had the expectation that it would end this way… Though, it has arrived a little too soon.” Yun Che’s voice paused for a moment, before he suddenly said, “Regarding the devil origin orb, I have a very heavy doubt. Why was it able to merge with my profound veins so easily? The profound veins of a profound practitioner are the locations where profound energy is condensed in and they will expel all foreign substances, let alone the fact that my profound veins are even the profound veins of a profound god. Why did they directly merge with the devil origin orb that belonged to a devil, without the slightest rejection?”
“This noble one is similarly unable to comprehend this matter either,” the Golden Crow’s Soul slowly said. “The devil origin orb is the orb of origin energy of a devil god. The birth of a devil god begins with the devil origin orb itself. It bears the origin energy of a devil god and is the core of a devil’s profound veins. The moment a devil loses it or its devil origin orb is destroyed, the devil will lose all of its powers and might even die there and then.”
“If the devil origin orb of a devil god is destroyed, the devil god can take over another devil god’s devil origin orb and then assimilate it into its own profound veins through a certain unique method, regaining its power from then on… Though it sounds bizarre and its possibility is unproven, in the Era of Gods, there were indeed such related rumors. However, with the profound veins of a true god or a mortal, wanting to merge them with a devil god’s orb of origin energy is basically an impossible matter. Unless…”
“…”
The Golden Crow’s Soul evidently had thought of something but its voice had suddenly ground to a halt. Even its golden eyes had shrunk several times over.
“Unless what?” Yun Che urged.
“… This noble one can’t answer you, because this is merely an extremely ludicrous conjecture. There’s no need to ask any further.”
Yun Che could hear the abnormal change in the tone of the Golden Crow’s soul. It must have thought of something, yet was unwilling to tell him… Furthermore, it was unwilling to speak about it in an extremely firm manner.
Chapter 865 – Jasmine’s Message (1)
“Let this noble one see that black jade you obtained from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign.” The Golden Crow’s soul intentionally diverted away from the topic, not wanting Yun Che to ask about it any further.
Black jade?
Yun Che was startled for a moment and then instantly recalled that mysterious black jade he picked up next to the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s remains, which he was seemingly about to forget about. He hurriedly took it out.
The perfectly round black jade was the size of a palm and it felt ice-cold and heavy when held. Its entire body was flawlessly pitch-black and extremely glossy, with its opposite side completely similar. There was not a single mark or pattern on it, nor was there even the least bit presence of profound energy.
Just from looking at its exterior and aura alone, this could be nothing more than a normal jade stone. It could not even be considered a profound jade of the lowest grade.
However, just by the fact that it could stay perfectly unharmed under the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s strength, it was definitely not a regular object.
A ray of golden light shot down and the mysterious black jade fluttered up from Yun Che’s hand, floating in the air. Then, it was enveloped by the golden light… However, an instant later, all of the golden light completely disappeared and the mysterious black jade fell from the air, returning back onto Yun Che’s hand.
“Just what in the world is this?” Yun Che raised his head and asked.
“Don’t know.”
“Even you don’t know?” Yun Che’s face was filled with astonishment. Since this black jade came from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, it was definitely something that originated from the Era of Gods millions of years ago. It was not unexpected for Jasmine to be unaware of the matter of that era, however, the Golden Crow’s soul was a soul fragment of the Golden Crow Divine Beast and it carried a portion of the Golden Crow’s primordial memories. It actually did not recognize it either?
“Just like you two, the moment this noble one’s energy dwelled within, it disappeared without a trace. For this situation to occur, there’s more or less two possibilities,” the Golden Crow’s soul slowly described. “Either within it dwells an independent small world like this Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley which this noble one created or the principles of power within are extremely profound, a plane which our powers are unable to make contact with.”
“Together with the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, it was able to stay perfectly unharmed in the Evil God’s seal for millions of years, it’s definitely not a normal object. Most likely, it’s a ‘devil jade’ or ‘devil artifact’ belonging to the realm of the devil gods. Another possibility is that it can only be awakened by the power of the devil way.”
Yun Che put away the mysterious black jade and casually said, “I have been curious about it this entire time. But now, what it is, is basically no longer of any importance.”
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit, it’s time I return. If I stay for too long, they will be worried.” Yun Che lowered his head as he deeply bowed towards the Golden Crow’s soul and sincerely said, “Back then when we first met, I once scoffed at you, made you out as selfish and arrogant and that you were not worthy of being a god… Not only did you not punish me, you instead bestowed me a new lease on life and have several times saved my life, even at the expense of greatly damaging your own lifespan. For this huge grace, Yun Che truly does not know how to repay you.”
“…This noble one naturally has my own selfishness for bestowing you my final bloodline and soul energy, there’s no need for your gratitude or repayment,” the Golden Crow’s soul lightly said.
“…However, I’m destined to disappoint you.” Yun Che lowly sighed as he turned around and left.
“You don’t have to be this pessimistic,” the Golden Crow’s Soul suddenly said. “As someone merged with the remnant power of the Eternal Night Devil Clan, Xuanyuan Wentian is indeed not someone you can deal with right now. However, with the state he is in, after awakening all the power of the devil blood and devil soul, his cultivation will forever be halted, not being able to make the slightest of improvements in the rest of his life. Even his lifespan will be greatly shorten as well. However, you’re different. Not only do you carry extraordinary talent, you possess the powers of various gods as well. In the future, there will definitely come a day where you surpass him. Before that, you can borrow the use of the Primordial Profound Ark to flee to other dimensions where Xuanyuan Wentian can’t find you.”
“I can indeed flee,” Yun Che stopped his feet and spoke with a low voice. “But Caiyi definitely would not. My father and mother definitely would not either.”
“Furthermore… Does the current me, really have a future?”
“…” The Golden Crow’s soul no longer spoke. After a long period of silence, it let out a long sigh. “Go on then.”
A golden light flashed and Yun Che had already been sent out of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
The light from the golden eyes retracted and as its eyes closed, it slowly muttered to itself. “Back then when I investigated his memories, I had thought that he was bestowed with great luck and was favored by the heavens. Along with the powers of the dragon god and Evil God he already possessed, I bestowed everything to him… Never did I expect that he would end up in such a crisis…”
“This is fate. All are powerless to go against it.”
——————————
After being sent out of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, just as Yun Che had expected, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress were waiting there, staying there the entire time. Seeing Yun Che’s appearance, their eyes shone with a similar luster, as they hurriedly charged over.
“Big Brother Yun, you… how are you right now?” Feng Xue’er said with the same worried tone.
“It looks like you’re already fine.” After the Little Demon Empress swept her eyes at Yun Che’s aura, her expression and eyes had evidently relaxed.
“Haha but of course,” Yun Che said with a relaxed expression. “With the divine power of the Golden Crow Divine Spirit, I’m naturally safe and sound.”
“That’s great,” Feng Xue’er happily placed down the heavy burden in her heart and said, puzzled. ”But, just what happened? Why did Big Brother Yun suddenly…”
“You both still have injuries on your bodies and require immediate rest and attention. Let’s go back to Demon Imperial City first. They must definitely be worried to the point of breaking down.”
“…” The Little Demon Empress looked at him deeply and said with a quiet voice. “Let us return.”
————————————
Though Xuanyuan Wentian was fought back, the influence he brought definitely could not be calmed down in just a short span of time. Demon Imperial City was presently in a state of chaos. The people who had fled out of the city beforehand had already received the news and were beginning to return one after another.
The Great City Barrier Formation had already been retracted but the entire Demon Imperial City felt as though it had been enclosed in a large wok; the atmosphere was incomparably stifling. Though they did not suffer the crisis of being annihilated, they had all personally witnessed Xuanyuan Wentian’s terror… Furthermore, he had simply fled today and was not killed. There would come a day… Or to be exact, not long later, he would definitely return.
This terrifying truth was like a nightmare pressing down on every single one of their hearts.
Under the guidance of the Guardian Families and the various Duke Palaces, the work on the aftermath in Demon Imperial City was being undergone. The entire Yun Family was also filled with the sunken atmosphere. Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou had been standing outside the main gate, their eyes facing the northern direction as they hoped for Yun Che to safely return. Xiao Yun and his wife had also been standing at the side to accompany them, constantly consoling them.
Until they saw, with their own eyes, Yun Che, Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress safely return and land right before them. Mu Yurou did not care about the crowd that was present as she leapt forward with tears spilling from her eyes, hugging tightly onto her own son and beginning to cry out loud like a child.
“Mother, this child is not filial, always making you worry and spill tears,” Yun Che said guiltily.
Yun Qinghong’s eyes were slightly watery. He felt that though Yun Che’s aura was a little frail and messy, he no longer had the anomaly from before. His heart and mind instantly loosened, as he bowed towards the Little Demon Empress and said, “Little Demon Empress, your body has injuries, please tend to them as soon as possible. You must not neglect your divine body.”
The Little Demon Empress slightly shook her head. “This empress’ injuries are not severe, though that’s not the same for Yun Che. Though his injuries on the surface are light, his internal injuries are considerably heavy and it seems like his mental strength has been completely drained. It’s best to hurry and prepare a place for him to tend to his injuries. As for the other matters, we can talk tomorrow.”
“Ah?” Before Mu Yurou could even wipe off her tears, she hurriedly grabbed onto Yun Che’s sleeves. “Che’er, are your injuries… really that severe?”
“It’s not of concern.” Yun Che shook his head with a slight smile and consoled her. “My body’s self-recovery ability is extraordinary, injuries of this extent are not much… Though I am indeed a little fatigued and I wish to find a place to sleep for a while.”
Little Demon Empress, “…”
“Alright, alright… Mother has already tidied your room. Hurry and get some rest, if you need anything, let Mother know,” Mu Yurou anxiously said. After saying that, she turned around and pulled Feng Xue’er’s hand as she looked at her with a gentle gaze. “Xue’er, in these few months, I have always hoped to see you. Che’er having you by his side is truly a blessing that he had cultivated several lifetimes for… Even I don’t know how I should thank you.”
Mu Yurou’s words threw Feng Xue’er into a slight panic. “Auntie, I… I did not do anything much for Big Brother Yun… These words of yours are pushing pressure onto Xue’er…”
“Auntie?” Mu Yurou’s gentle smile carried a slight degree of warmth. “Let’s first head in, Che’er still needs rest. After I settle him down, I have many things I wish to speak with you about. Over here, you can just treat it as your own home.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Feng Xue’er gently said.
“Xiao Yun, are Grandfather and the rest alright?” Yun Che asked Xiao Yun.
“Don’t worry Big Brother. They are all safe and sound. The fairies of Frozen Cloud Asgard are all settled in the outer residences and usually, no one is allowed to approach there… After this, I will head over to inform them that you’re already safe and sound and have Grandfather and the rest put down their worries,” Xiao Yun nodded and said.
“Mn…” Yun Che lightly nodded. “Help me apologize to Grandfather, Senior Master Murong and the rest in my stead… My present mental strength is a little heavy, once I feel better, I will definitely head over immediately to show that I’m in good health.”
“…I understand. Big Brother, have a good rest.” Xiao Yun’s expression was a little astonished.
Yun Qinghong had been looking at Yun Che, his expression, his eyes, his every word and movement. From the very beginning, he had felt that Yun Che’s condition was a little amiss and now, that feeling had turned even heavier. His brows furrowed and finally, could not help but voice out. “Che’er, you…”
“Enough!” Mu Yurou however waved her hand. “Che’er is injured and his mental strength is not in a good state, let him first have a good rest. If there’s any matters, we can talk to him about them tomorrow.”
“…” Yun Qinghong had no choice but to close his mouth; his emotions, however were much heavier than before.
————————————
Returning to the mansion he had left for several months, he softly lay on the bed. All the noise outside were isolated by the door. Under this serenity, Yun Che did not immediately head to sleep, nor did he calm his heart and tend to his injuries either. Instead, he blankly looked up into the air, not a hint of focus could be seen from his eyes.
Jasmine, what in the world should the current me do…
Without you by my side, even living itself has actually become so difficult.
When the devil origin orb broke out, I sensed death… The feeling of death never felt so clear even back when I fell down Cloud End’s Cliff.
Perhaps, when it breaks out again next time, it will be the time of my death.
After I die, Caiyu, Xue’er, and Yue’er, what will happen to them… What will happen to Father and Mother… What will happen to Grandfather and Lingxi… What will happen to Illusory Demon Realm… What will happen to Frozen Cloud Asgard…
Could it be that they are all destined to die at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands…
Caiyi will definitely choose to die along with the destruction of Demon Imperial City. She will definitely be more willing to die than to choose abandoning the Illusory Demon Realm and flee.
Father and Mother are the same as well…
For me, Xue’er has left Divine Phoenix Sect and Yue’er has abandoned the entire Blue Wind Empire, all to accompany me to this Illusory Demon Realm which is completely foreign to them.
Right before her death, with tears in her eyes, Gong Yuxian entrusted Frozen Cloud Asgard to me…
Grandfather and Lingxi, I have so many times sworn to definitely protect them well and have them live safely and peacefully, never again allowing them to be bullied by anyone else.
However, if I die…
Yun Che let out an extremely heavy sigh. He began to grow fearful of death, incomparably fearful of it. However, the devil origin orb that existed in his profound veins, had already allowed him to see his approaching day of death.
What exactly should I do to live…
If I’m destined to die, then how should I exterminate Xuanyuan Wentian right before my death…
Jasmine, just what should I do?
After leaving you, what else am I capable of doing…
Three months ago, the scene of when Jasmine decisively left surfaced before his eyes. Though it had already been three months, it was still causing his chest to feel heavy and stifling. He had clearly remembered her every word, every tone, every gaze, and every expression she had back then.
“Within this memory fragment are all the words that I am unable to say to you right now.” Jasmine’s delicate face was still cold and detached but her eyes faintly shimmered for an instant, “Twenty four hours from now, the seal on this memory fragment will automatically undo itself. At that time, you will know what I want to tell you.”
This morning, I had resolved myself for this moment to come the moment I had sensed Moonflower’s aura. So, I handed something to Hong’er and she carried it back with her into the Sky Poison Pearl. After I have left, you can take it from her… Even though it will not be able to increase your cultivation by too much, it will at least be able to increase your lifespan by several thousand years
“…”
Yun Che instantly flipped up from the bed as if he had been electrocuted.
The memory fragment Jasmine left him!!
The moment Jasmine left, he suffered from Moonflower’s scheme. Even when he returned to Illusory Demon Realm, he had been unconscious and close to death the entire time. After that, in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he was “forced” to undergo three months of dual cultivation with Feng Xue’er and the Little Demon Empress and the entire time so he did not have the opportunity to read the memory fragment Jasmine left him.
Chapter 866 – Jasmine’s Message (2)
Yun Che quickly gathered his concentration, found the memory fragment Jasmine left behind in his sea of consciousness, and gently touched it. Instantly, a voice rang from deep within his heart.
“Yun Che…”
Just two short words that were completely emotionless, yet they caused Yun Che’s entire body to feel numb and his eyes instantly became warm. His soul that was now hollow was also instantly filled up by something warm—because that was Jasmine’s voice.
During the past seven years, this was the voice that he had heard the most everyday. In this lifetime… and perhaps even including his previous life, the voice that he had heard the most was definitely Jasmine’s voice. Now, although it had only been three short months, hearing Jasmine’s voice again caused his soul to tremble violently; it was as though it had been centuries since then.
“…After our separation this time, we will not reunite again. In our fate of seven years you have saved my life and I’ve sculpted your life. Following this separation, our debts are cleared and our relationship shall end. From today onwards, I will no longer be your master. You don’t have to miss me, just treat it as if I had never appeared before… I will do the same.”
Jasmine’s voice was ice cold and heartless, just like what she personally said when she left him that day.
“The only reason why left behind this memory fragment is because I only want to say some stuff that I couldn’t say to you face to face… There are two matters in which I’ve lied to you.”
“Firstly, what I told you, was really not my actual name. I am the eldest princess of the Star God Realm. ‘Jasmine,’ is not my name but my title.”
Yun Che, “…”
“Jasmine” was just her princess title and not her name. But hat was all that she said; she did not reveal her real name.
However, this wasn’t important to Yun Che. Because, no matter what her real name was, she would still be Jasmine.
“Secondly…”
Jasmine’s voice paused for a very long moment as though even using this method, it was difficult for her to say what she wanted to say.
“…is regarding Chu Yuechan.”
Yun Che’s heart suddenly clenched.
“That day, after completely getting rid of the devilish poison, I proceeded with my promise and searched for Chu Yuechan within the Profound Sky Continent.”
“There is much life on the Profound Sky Continent and even with my powers, it is not possible for me to search through all the life. However, it could still search the auras of those above the Emperor Profound Realm… however, among them, Chu Yuechan’s wasn’t present.
Jasmine voice was very calm but the speed of her talking was obviously slower than usual.
As for Yun Che, his heart sank ferociously and an ice cold feeling spread across his chest, suffocating him.
That day, what Jasmine said to him was… although her devilish poison had been cleansed, the strength of her soul was still insufficient for her to search for Chu Yuechan at a place like the Profound Sky Continent and she needed to wait until her body was reconstructed.
“Chu Yuechan is your heart’s greatest worry and pain. After much consideration, I chose to lie to you.
“When I reconstructed my body, although I did not hold much hope, I searched for Chu Yuechan’s aura once again. This time, the aura I searched was not just those above the Emperor Profound Realm, I also searched those in the Sky and Earth Profound Realm as well. However, I still could not find her aura.
“Although Chu Yuechan’s profound arts were self crippled then, her Emperor Profound power should still remain. Even if her profound strength did not improve and deteriorated instead, her profound strength should not have fallen by more than one realm… unless she had been crippled by someone else.
“Therefore, she’s either dead or her profound strength has been crippled. Given her looks, if it were the latter, the consequences would be worse than death. With Chu Yuechan’s temperament, she would undoubtedly end her own life.”
Yun Che, “!!!!!”
“When you know this, you’d be devastated. However, remember, this isn’t your fault. Beside you are people who share the same bloodline as you, friends who would die for you… and a huge herd of women. Do not let the passing of one affect all of this. I’ll give you three days to grieve but after three days, you have to forget everything. Treat it as though there was no Chu Yuechan and no me in your life.”
“…”
In the fragment, all the voices of the memory were released and Jasmine’s voice finally stopped.
Bang!!!
All of Yun Che’s strength left his body and he slumped down weakly, the back of head knocking violently against the wall.
He closed his eyes, his face trembling with pain. His arm twisted and his palm grabbed firmly onto his chest. Within the sounds of meat tearing, his fingers dug deep into his flesh leaving behind streaks of blood.
However, he could not feel the pain at all as his consciousness and soul had long since been consumed by immeasurable grief.
“This isn’t… real… isn’t real…”
His body trembled until it spasmed and all the aura within him was a mess, relapsing the already calm internal injury within him. His body collapsed and he fell off the bed…
Knock! Knock knock…
Outside, gentle knocking noises entered the room which was followed by Cang Yue’s voice, “Husband, may I enter?”
Cang Yue stood quietly in front of the door and held a bowl of dessert that she had just made. After knocking and not getting a response, she lifted up her hand again but stopped in midair this time. After some hesitation, she chose to put down her hand, turn around, and prepared to leave.
However, after just taking two steps, her heart suddenly felt an inexplicable strong feeling of unease. She swiftly turned around and pushed open the room door… The scene before her eyes caused her to be dumbstruck.
Streaks of blood spread from the bed all the way to the wall. Yun Che shrunk to the corner, his head between his knees and his right hand clutching his chest. All five fingers were deep in his flesh, dripping with blood.
His entire body gave off a dark aura of despair.
“Hus… husband!!”
Cang Yue lost her composure, the dessert smashing to the ground as she ran towards Yun Che while screaming in shock and hugged him tightly. The moment she opened her mouth, she had already started crying, “Husband… Husband, what happened… don’t scare me… husband…”
Cang Yue’s voice seemed to have awakened the soul of Yun Che who was trapped in an abyss of despair. He slowly looked up… The corners of his mouth, his nose, his eyes and his ears… there were trails of blood from all these orifices.
“Yue’er…” His mouth cramped as a raspy voice was filled with immense pain.
“Husband… What… has happened to you…” Cang Yue was so frightened that she was almost going to sob loudly, “I… I… I’ll go call for Father and Mother…”
A hand held onto Cang Yue as Yun Che gradually shook his head, “I’m alright… Just let me hug you for a while… and I’ll be fine…”
He embraced Cang Yue and laid his head on her chest. Initially, his grip was light. However, it soon became tighter and tighter unconsciously, as though he was a baby that has lost its sense of safety.
Feeling the chaotic aura within Yun Che starting to slowly calm down, Cang Yue’s panicking heart started to calm down as well. She stuck her soft body even closer to him and placed her petite hand on his back, softly holding him.
Their numerous embraces had always been her lying on his chest and that had always been when her life felt the most safe and most satisfied. This was the first time Yun Che laid on her chest looking weak like an injured child.
“Husband, no matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side,” Cang Yue muttered. “Even if you lose everything, you’ll never lose me.”
“…” Yun Che hugged Cang Yue even more tightly.
Yun Family Great Hall. Mu Yurou was talking to Feng Xue’er.
In terms of appearance, Mu Yurou had always firmly believed that the Little Demon Empress was the most perfect woman in the world and that there could never be a woman that could be placed on a similar level. However, now that she met Feng Xue’er, even as a woman, she felt as though she was in a trance from meeting a deity. Not only that, even her profound cultivation did not pale in comparison to the Little Demon Empress. Most importantly, she was extremely devoted to Yun Che.
Although this was only their first meeting, she felt an unexplainable liking for Feng Xue’er. She held her hand and had not let go ever since.
Following an icy cold aura, Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli entered and paid respects to Mu Yurou, “Madam Yun, we heard that Asgard Master has returned. We wonder if he’s well… We sisters would like to go pay our respects.”
Senior Master Murong, Senior Master Chu, you all don’t have to worry. Big Brother Yun is fine already and is resting now. His body should fully recover in a few days,” Feng Xue’er smiled as she consoled.
“That’s good.” Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli heaved a sigh of relief. The worry on their icy faces finally seemed to alleviate slightly.
Mu Yurong looked at them and smiled gently, “You all tire yourselves for Che’er, abandoned your ancestral grounds and came to this foreign land. Yet, you still show such care towards him. For Che’er to receive such treatment from you all is his fortune.”
Mu Yurou’s words caused to two of them to be slightly afraid, “Madam Yun, please don’t say that. Asgard Master has once saved our Frozen Cloud Asgard. If it weren’t for him, our Asgard would have long since ceased to exist.”
“That’s right.” Murong Qianxue nodded slightly in agreement, “Asgard Master has saved us numerous times from the perils of extinction and we are in his debt for still existing today. If it weren’t for Asgard Master, we sisters and the other disciples would have already passed away in the Profound Sky Continent. Furthermore, back then… we did not protect our senior sister, nor did we protect the child of Asgard Master and our senior sister. However, Asgard Master did not blame us and treated us kindly. Not only did he save us numerous times, he never viewed us as burdens and even when his life was threatened, he never gave up on us. The debt we owe Asgard Master is something that we cannot repay in this life…”
Murong Qianxue’s voice gradually softened. Because she saw that Mu Yurou’s smiling face had suddenly stiffened and her expression remained fixed there.
Mu Yurou held onto the chair for support and slowly stood up. Her eyes looked listless as she looked at Murong Qianxue, “What… what did you just say… Che’er’s… child?”
Mu Yurou’s reaction caused both Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli to be stunned at the same time, “Madam Yun, regarding this matter… could it be that Asgard Master has never mentioned it before?”
“Is it… is it really Che’er’s child? Che’er has a child?” Mu Yurou became agitated as she grabbed Murong Qianxue’s arm and worriedly said, “Why hasn’t Che’er mentioned it before? What does didn’t protect properly mean? Who is your senior sister… Just what happened?”
“…” Murong Qianxue’s mouth remained half agape. She realized that she had gotten into trouble and said something that shouldn’t be said. However, since she had already mentioned it, she couldn’t just stop there in front Mu Yurou’s earnest expression. She could only bite the bullet and slowly recount the matters concerning Chu Yuechan back then to Mu Yurou.
Mu Yurou slowly sat back down, her expression stunned and she could not focus for some time.
“Madam Yun, don’t worry. Even though senior sister has lost her profound arts, within Blue Wind Nation, there still isn’t anyone that could possibly bully her. A good person like her is undoubted safe and she’s definitely leading a safe life now and isn’t bothered by anyone. There won’t be any problems,” Murng Qianxue consoled.
Chu Yueli bit her lips, her expression slightly dreamy.
“Six years ago…” Mu Yurou muttered while lost in thoughts, “Six whole years… The child is already five… Che’er’s child…”
“Auntie, don’t worry,” Feng Xue’er consoled softly, “Big Brother Yun will definitely find… ahhh, Big Brother Yun.”
Yun Che walked in from the entrance and by his side, was Cang Yue holding his arm.
“Asgard Master.” Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli hurried forward. Murong Qianxue said with unease, “Asgard Master, I…”
“Senior Master, no worries.” Yun Che looked pale but he still smiled gently, “Just now when I was outside, I already heard a little. Regarding this matter, I never knew how to break it to my parents. Now that Senior Master has said it, that’s one thing off my mind.”
“Che’er!!” Mu Yurou stood up and walked to his side, her eyes looked teary. She said to him seriously, “Even though mother has never seen this Chu Yuechan girl before, she was willing to cripple her profound arts, get kicked out of her sect and ruin her good name to exchange for half a life of misery… you must definitely find her and never mistreat her for your entire life!”
“…” Yun Che looked up, millions of emotions flooded his heart. Just as he was about to answer, hurried footsteps were suddenly heard coming from the outside.
Bang!!
“Mother!!!” Xiao Yun rushed in panickedly. He tripped and even before he managed to stand up steadily, he shouted in panic, “Mother… Hurry… Seventh Sister… Seventh Sister, she…”
Chapter 867 – Xiao Yun’s Son (1)
“What about Number Seven?”
“She… It seems like she’s…” Xiao Yun said as he gasped for breath, “It seems like she’s about to give birth!”
“Ah!” Mu Yurou let out a startled cry as she shoved Xiao Yun aside and rushed out of there like the wind.
Xiao Yun also hurriedly followed behind her; he did not even have time to greet Yun Che or Cang Yue.
“Husband, let’s go check on them as well,” Cang Yue said in a gentle voice.
She consoled Yun Che in his grief, then changed into new clothes. Even though he looked as if he had returned to normal, she could still clearly sense the extreme heaviness which weighed down on Yun Che’s heart. All of them had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xiao Yun’s and Number Seven Under Heaven’s child, so she hoped that the birth of this small life would help to dissipate some of the heavy gloom that shrouded Yun Che’s heart.
The already ultra-busy Yun Family immediately started to get even more frenetic. Yun Qinghong, who was outside the house, returned at a blazing speed. When Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, who was just about to go to the northern part of the city to oversee the great barrier which protected the entire city, received the news, it was as if a fire had been lit under his backside as he abandoned everyone and wildly sprinted towards the Yun Family household.
When Yun Che, Cang Yue and Feng Xue’er had arrived, the courtyard where Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven stayed was filled with people bustling about. Tense and nervous voices could constantly be heard coming from behind the tightly-secured door and at times Number Seven Under Heaven’s cries of pain could be heard as well.
“Big Brother!” Once he saw that Yun Che had arrived, Xiao Yun, who had been waiting outside, hurried over to him. His face was flushed completely red and he was nervous, tense and completely bewildered.
“Congratulations Xiao Yun, you’re about to become a father,” Cang Yue said with a faint smile.
“Hee, I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl,” Feng Xue’er said in a voice filled with anticipation.
“Heh… Heh heh.” Xiao Yun was both excited and nervous at the same time.
Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie hurriedly strode through the gates of the courtyard. When she saw Yun Che, Xiao Lingxi gave a low cry as she ran towards Yun Che, “Little Che, You… Are you alright?”
“Of course I’m alright. Do I look like I’m not alright to you?” Yun Che said with a relaxed smile on his face. He arrived at Xiao Lie’s side and spoke in a concerned manner, “Grandfather, I have yet greeted you since I’ve returned. Have you grown used to staying in this place yet?”
“It’s been well. I’ve had an excellent time here,” Xiao Lie said with a faint nod of his head. When he saw that Yun Che seemed fine and did not seem to be greatly affected by anything, it was as if a boulder had rolled off his shoulders, relieving him greatly. He gave a sigh of lament before speaking, “In the Profound Sky Continent, I have heard rumours regarding the Illusory Demon Realm many times. The Illusory Demon Realm that I heard about was a land filled with completely inhumane, fiendish brutal demons. Sigh, but when it comes to the affairs of this world, it seems like one must truly witness something before they can finally believe it. There are simply far too many people who are living a lie that has been forced on them by those with ulterior motives.”
“AHHHH———”
The cries of pain that were emanating from the room suddenly turned into shrill screams of agony. The voices of the doctors within also grew more hurried.
“It seems like… it’s really painful,” Xiao Lingxi said in a nervous and trembling voice.
“Seventh Sister. You definitely need to be alright…” Xiao Yun said with a pained expression on his face. He could not stand still and both his eyes were anxiously fixed on the door as he continuously muttered under his breath.
“Grandfather, you’re only just over sixty years of age but you’re about to become a great grandfather,” Cang Yue said with a faint smile. Just as she finished speaking, Yun Che suddenly chimed in mischievously, “We also need to congratulate Little Aunt, she’s about to become a grand aunt.”
“[email protected]#￥%…” Xiao Lingxi’s petal-like lips parted before she started getting mad, “I… I… I don’t want to be a grand aunt, I’m still a girl who hasn’t even gotten married yet… I don’t want to be a grand aunt… I don’t want this!”
“Hahahaha!” Xiao Lie let out a loud and unrestrained laugh. He gave Xiao Lingxi a deep look before speaking in a voice that was filled with implied meaning, “Lingxi, you’re not young anymore, it’s about time you started to thinking about your big day.”
“I…” Xiao Lingxi’s heart was completely flustered and she subtly shot a sidelong glance at Yun Che, “I don’t want to.”
Boooom…
Following the blast of wind which sounded like a thunderclap, they saw Greatest Ambition Under Heaven rush into the courtyard in a frenzied manner. Yun Qinghong was right beside him while the other six Under Heaven brothers trailed behind them, their bodies matted in sweat.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven landed on the ground while roaring testily, “Seventh Treasure… How is Seventh Treasure doing right now?”
Yun Qinghong patted his shoulder, “Brother Under Heaven, you don’t need to worry. Number Seven is no ordinary girl, so it will definitely go smoothly. Your time will be better spent thinking of what kind of gift you want to prepare for your grandson or granddaughter.”
“Right, that’s a good point, that’s a good point indeed,” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he gave a quick, herky-jerky nod of his head. His hands jerked in the air before he rushed towards that tightly shut door and hollered, “Seventh Treasure, Father is right outside. Just give birth to a big grandchild for your father and I will give you whatever you want.”
“AH!!!!”
The only response he got was a long and miserable wail of pain from Number Seven Under Heaven and the moment everyone heard it, their hearts tensed up.
“Senior Under Heaven, it would be best to not speak to her for the moment, so as to not divert her attention to other things,” Yun Che said.
“Ah… alright.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven immediately quieted down. But after that, he did not forget to cautiously warn his six sons, “Did you hear that? All of you better shut your mouths. No one is allowed to make any loud noises.”
“…” Yun Che’s brows twitched. He looked towards the door, his expression growing faintly serious.
“Husband, what’s wrong?” Cang Yue asked in a soft voice after she noticed the change in Yun Che’s expression.
Yun Che shook his head lightly, “There’s nothing wrong… It’s probably just me worrying too much. Seventh Sister is a princess of the elf clan, so she has the protection of nature energy. It should definitely be an extremely smooth procedure.”
Time slowed to a trickle as they waited with anxious excitement. The activity taking place in the room continued to grow more frenzied and Number Seven Under Heaven’s wails continued to ring out. Moreover… it seemed like each wail was more shrill than the last.
“Number Seven. Don’t be anxious, relax your body… Use your strength carefully.” That was Mu Yurou’s voice.
“Mother… I… I’m in so much pain… so much pain…” Number Seven Under Heaven was laced with a deep pain. This elven princess who had grown up smothered in love had never experienced such painful torment in her entire life before.
“It’s alright, it will get better soon…” Mu Yurou continuously consoled her but her voice had also started to tremble as well.
One hour went by…
An entire two hours went by!
Number Seven Under Heaven’s miserable wails continued to ring out but her voice had now become completely hoarse. They could also clearly hear the heavy breathing of the imperial physicians inside the room… and it was clear that their breathing was laced with panic as well.
During the wait of over two hours, the initial anticipation, excitement and joy had long ago turned into anxiety and worry. Xiao Yun paced back and forth, his hands snatching at his scalp or his chest every now and then. His entire body was drenched in sweat and he haphazardly muttered under his breath, “It will be fine… It will definitely be fine…”
The complexion of both Yun Qinghong and Greatest Under Ambition Under Heaven had turned rather grim… They did their utmost to keep in check the ominous thoughts that ran through their heads but that feeling of uneasiness had long ago spread through their chests, causing their hearts to seize up rigidly.
“Husband?” Seeing Yun Che’s extremely grim expression, Cang Yue could not help but softly call out to him.
“…” Yun Che sucked in a deep breath of air before speaking, “Something is wrong… Something has gone horribly wrong.”
If it was a normal girl, it would be very normal for their labor and childbirth to take two hours or more. But Number Seven Under Heaven was definitely no ordinary girl. She had reached the Tyrant Profound Realm and the profound energy that she cultivated was the most pure and unsullied nature energy. She also had a constitution that far exceeded that of a normal person. So the entire process of her labor should have been exceedingly simple and smooth. Furthermore, as long as she was willing, she would not even need to endure any pain.
But an entire two hours had already gone by and she had been letting out miserable wails of pain throughout.
Towards the end, those wails of pain sounded even more shrill than those of a normal girl.
Yun Che had wanted to personally confirm the condition of Number Seven Under Heaven many times but he had held himself back each and every time. But right now, he finally could take it no longer. He grabbed hold of Xiao Yun and said, “Xiao Yun! You need to go inside immediately and cover Seventh Sister with a quilt. It seems like there is something abnormal with her condition, I need to go in and personally check on her myself!”
The panicked and bewildered Xiao Yun quivered and he did not even have time to respond. He just hurriedly nodded his head as he stumbled and staggered towards the door… But just as he had just started to run, Number Seven Under Heaven let out a loud wail and Mu Yurou’s joyous voice rang out immediately after that, “The baby has come out… the baby has come out!”
Xiao Yun came to a complete halt. This was music to the ears of the tense and nervous audience. This was especially true for Xiao Lie and Greatest Ambition Under Heaven. Hot tears spilled from their eyes in that instant of emotion and they unwittingly moved forward towards the door.
Their pleasant surprise did not last for long as their expressions grew completely rigid.
There was no wailing of a newborn babe which should be ringing out from that room. In fact, the entire room had gone completely silent and there were no cries of joy nor of celebration either.
“My child… Let me look at my child…” Number Seven Under Heaven cried in a weak and worried voice.
“Madam Yun, Young Madam…” This was the voice of an imperial physician and her voice was trembling, “This is… is… is a stillborn child.”
That shivering voice mercilessly exploded in everyone’s ears like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Xiao Yun was rooted in place, his pupils slackening and his body swaying. He suddenly let out a great shout and crazily dove forward, violently smashing the room doors aside, “This isn’t possible… It isn’t possible!!”
The sound of the doors being smashed startled the already terrified physicians who were inside the room. Xiao Yun, who had rushed inside, saw Mu Yurou hugging a tiny infant to her chest, the long and uncut umbilical cord still attached to his body… But Mu Yurou’s face was streaming with tears.
Xiao Yun staggered forward as he roughly snatched the infant into his own embrace. The baby’s soft body entered his embrace and his movements instantly grew light and gentle… The baby that was in his arms did not move, it did not cry and it did not breathe. It did not even have any body heat, the only feeling it imparted to Xiao Yun was the icy cold feeling that a person felt when he was being plunged into the icy abyss of despair.
Thud…
Xiao Yun’s knees hit the ground as his body trembled in pain.
Number Seven Under Heaven was laying on the bed and her face was so pale that it seemed like she had just weathered a great illness. However, her eyes were dreadfully empty; it was as if someone had yanked out her soul. The sound of Xiao Yun’s knees hitting the ground shook her from her nightmare. She scrambled off the bed as she let out a heart-wrenching sob, “This isn’t real… This isn’t real… My baby… Give me back my baby… give me back my baby.”
“Seventh Treasure!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven yelled as he rushed inside and hugged her firmly in his arms. Pain lanced through his heart like a knife as he said, “It’s alright… It’s alright… You and Xiao Yun are still so young, you can have another baby… As long as the both of you are willing, you can have many many more…”
“No… You’re all lying to me…” Number Seven Under Heaven voice cracked and it seemed like she was weeping blood. This usually incomparably strong and optimistic girl. This little elf girl who had insisted on being with Xiao Yun despite the objections of her family and the mockery of the entire world had now completely collapsed, “My baby… You’re all lying to me… Give my baby back to me… Give my baby back… Ah…:”
Mu Yurou turned her face aside, collapsing onto Yun Qinghong’s shoulders as she sobbed soundlessly. Yun Qinghong raised his head and gave a heavy and deep sigh, his hands tightly clenched into fists.
“…” Xiao Lie’s body swayed violently. If not for Xiao Lingxi’s support, he would have long ago collapsed to the ground.
“Why did this… happen…” Feng Xue’er murmured through tightly closed lips as she wept softly. Cang Yue leaned on Yun Che’s chest, her shoulders heaving incessantly.
Everyone had looked forward to the joy and the newborn life but what welcomed them instead was a dark and gloomy nightmare. Xiao Yun knelt on the ground, his soul seemingly rent from his body. Number Seven Under Heaven wept in the most heart-wrenching manner, causing everyone to feel as if their insides had been pierced by myriad arrows. It was so painful that it was stifling.
Yun Che’s expression was dark and overcast but he still maintained enough rationality. He arrived at Xiao Yun’s side, stretching a hand towards the cold and lifeless infant in his arms.
Even if it was a stillborn child, Number Seven Under Heaven should not have gone through such a long and painful labor… He had to know what exactly had gone wrong.
Yun Che’s finger lightly pressed against the infant’s cold and delicate arm… After an instant, his entire arm shot back as if he had been electrocuted.
This was…
Devil energy!!
Why would there be devil energy!?
Chapter 868 – Xiao Yun’s Son (2)
“Xiao Yun, you need to calm down first!”
Yun Che shoved Xiao Yun’s shoulder but he did not respond.
Yun Che’s eyebrows twitched as he fiercely raised his energy and gave a loud roar, “Xiao Yun! Seventh Sister! Stop crying and calm down first… The child isn’t dead, he still has life in him! But if you don’t calm down now, he really will die!”
Yun Che’s loud roar caused all the weeping to instantly stop. Number Seven Under Heaven was completely dumbstruck while Xiao Yun had vigorously leapt off the floor. He hugged the ice-cold baby as he spoke through trembling lips, “Big Brother… what did you say? Is what you’re saying… really true?”
All eyes focused on Yun Che as Mu Yurou agitatedly strode forward and asked in an excited voice, “Che’er, is what you’re saying… really true? But that child is already… already…”
His body was icy-cold and lifeless… He was only an infant, so how was it possible that he was still alive?
“He does indeed still have some life left in him,” Yun Che said in a solemn voice. “It’s just that his life is currently ensnared by a tendril of devilish energy. This is also the reason why his entire body is icy-cold.”
“Devil… Devilish energy? What is going on here?” Yun Qinghong asked in an astonished voice.
“The only person under the heavens that could release such devil energy is Xuanyuan Wentian. Seventh Sister, you need to to recall something for me. During the time when all of you fought off Xuanyuan Wentian, were you ever directly harmed by his profound energy?” Yun Che asked.
“She wasn’t, she definitely wasn’t!” Xiao Yun said as he gasped for breath, “I always stood in front of Seventh Sister. Even though Xuanyuan Wentian’s profound energy had breached the barrier a few times it had not spread to where Seventh Sister and I was standing at.”
“…Hand the child over to me,” Yun Che said as he extended an arm towards Xiao Yun.
“Big Brother…” Xiao Yun said between choked sobs as he handed over the ice-cold baby to Yun Che, “He… Is it truly still possible to save him…”
Yun Che did not reply. Instead, he closed his eyes and slowly infused his profound energy into the body of the baby amidst the deathly silence… In an instant, he opened his eyes and said, “This tendril of devilish energy has already merged with his life vein, so it indeed should not have been something that infiltrated the body only recently. This was something that happened at least two to three months ago.”
Two or three months ago…” Xiao Yun mumbled under his breath before he suddenly leaped up, “Yes… It was three months ago… Seventh Sister and I had been trapped by Xuanyuan Wentian’s dark energy. Could it be… could it be that…”
Three months ago, they had been ensnared by Xuanyuan Wentian’s Darkness Prison at the Snow Region of Extreme Ice. In the end, they had only been saved because Fen Juechen’s spirit had suddenly awakened.
“That is extremely likely!” Yun Che said with a grave nod of his head, “Even though Seventh Sister dispelled the devilish energy in her body on that day an extremely small amount must have entered the body of her baby. This small amount would be extremely hard for the mother to detect and even if she did manage to detect it, it would be extremely hard to get rid of it as well.”
The reason why Yun Che’s profound veins had been crippled was because when he had been struck by the cold poison of Sun Moon Divine Hall while he was still in his mother’s womb. So the situation of the baby in his arms was quite similar to his own all those years ago.
It was just that he had been stricken by poison all those years ago but this child had been stricken by devil energy——Even though it was a very faint and weak tendril of devilish energy, it was still ten million times more dreadful than just poison.
“Che’er.” Yun Qinghong asked in a hopeful voice as he fought to keep cool, “Is there truly a way for this child to be saved?”
“…” Yun Che’s lips moved but no sound came from his mouth.
“Big Brother Yun!!” Number Seven Under Heaven struggled to kneel down on top of the bed as she cried out in a tearful voice, “I beg you, please save my baby… You are the greatest genius doctor in the entire world… So you definitely have a way to…”
“Little Che…” Xiao Lingxi said, looking at him through her tear-filled eyes as she supported Xiao Lie.
“Young Patriarch Yun, as long as you can save this child, I will do anything for you. I won’t blink or flinch even if you ask me to be your ox or horse!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said with great emotion in his voice.
Yun Che shook his head, “All of you needn’t behave in this manner. This child is the son of Xiao Yun and Seventh Sister. He is the grandson of my parents and the great grandson of my Grandfather. So he is like half a son to me. As long as the faintest ray of hope still exists, I will definitely do all that I can to save him.”
After saying that, he hugged the child and grabbed Feng Xue’er’s hand, “Xue’er come with me. If we are to save this child, I will definitely need to borrow your power.”
Yun Che pulled Feng Xue’er into the courtyard as the rest of them anxiously followed behind. Once he stood in the middle of the courtyard, Yun Che spoke in a solemn voice, “This tendril of devilish energy has been in his body for a long time. If it was any other child, that child would have died a long time ago. But thankfully Seventh Sister possesses a constitution that far surpasses that of a normal person, so even though it looks like he has passed on, there is still a trace of life left in his life vein. If I am able to dispel the devilish energy and resuscitate his life vein… then there is a possibility that we can save him.”
But this was only a possibility.
Whether it was Xiao Yun, Number Seven Under Heaven or the rest of them, everyone here had a clear understanding of just how difficult it would be to dispel devil energy that had infiltrated one’s body… Furthermore, because he was still a baby, he would definitely not be able to endure anything but the gentlest of profound energies. The moment the the profound energy used grew too strong or the moment the slightest deviation occurred during this process… Even the slightest error would be fatal to the already extremely frail baby.
Even though Yun Qinghong and Greatest Ambition Under Heaven were both Monarchs, they knew that they would definitely not be able to perform such a procedure.
“If it was just poison or another type of profound energy, I would be very confident. But devil energy is different…” Yun Che said as he sucked in a quick breath, “Right now, it is hibernating within this child’s body. But the moment it is touched by an external energy, it will thrash about like a startled venomous snake. Therefore, the risk that comes with trying to expel it is extremely high… So the only option we have left is to cleanse it away!”
Feng Xue’er immediately reacted to those words, “By using the Phoenix flames?”
“Right!” Yun Che said as he nodded his head, “Xue’er, your Phoenix flames are many times purer than my own. If we use your Phoenix flames, it will increase the chances of our success.”
As he spoke, Yun Che had already sat down on the ground. He placed the baby in his lap, “Father, could I trouble you to help me erect a light and sound isolating barrier?”
“Alright!” Yun Qinghong said as he stepped forward, his hand flashing with lightning. He was very clear that the procedure Yun Che had just detailed would be something that required the utmost precision and carefulness. So Yun Che definitely could not be distracted by anything during this procedure
“I’ll help as well,” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he hurriedly stepped forward.
A isolation barrier that was more than three meters in width was quickly erected by the combined powers of the two Monarchs.
“Big Brother, I will leave… everything to you,” Xiao Yun said in a trembling voice, extending his hand as if he was grasping at the very last straws of hope.
Ding!
With a gentle ring, the isolation barrier had been completely erected. Everyone’s hearts were firmly stuck in their throats… But at least the atmosphere was no longer as sorrowful or gloomy as it had been before, because now a faint ray of hope had appeared.
“Xiao Ying, my son, your spirit in heaven definitely needs to protect this child,” Xiao Lie muttered as he raised his head to the heavens, tears coursing from his old eyes.
The world inside the barrier was filled with a white profound light. Feng Xue’er sat by Yun Che’s side as she spoke in an apprehensive but sincere voice, “Big Brother Yun, what should I do?”
“Xue’er, I will need a drop of your blood,” Yun Che said softly.
“Mn!” Feng Xue’er did not hesitate to extend a finger. A drop of blood appeared on the tip of that finger before dropping onto the tip of Yun Che’s finger under Yun Che’s careful guidance.
“Phew…” Yun Che’s chest rose and fell. His forehead was already matted in sweat before he had even begun the procedure. Because the outcome of this endeavor concerned the life and death of a newborn baby… Furthermore, this also concerned the future happiness of Xiao Yun and his wife and Grandfather’s lifelong wish.
He was not confident of his chances of success… But no matter what, he needed to be the one to shoulder this immense burden.
“Child, you have a kind and gentle father, a grandfather whose righteousness touches the sky and you have a compassionate great grandfather. You are the continuation of their lives… So, you need to be strong and you definitely mustn’t be beaten by a lousy tendril of devilish energy!”
As he muttered to himself, his finger swiftly descended as he pressed that droplet of Feng Xue’er’s blood against the baby’s chest. After a few moments, the droplet of blood had slowly sunk into his tiny body like quicksilver sinking into the ground.
Under the guidance of Yun Che’s profound energy, the droplet of blood slowly spread throughout the baby’s entire body.
The Sky Poison Pearl and the Phoenix flames both possessed extremely strong purifying abilities but there were differences between the two types of purification. The Sky Poison Pearl could cleanse poison, impurities and foreign matter but the Phoenix flames cleansed negative energy.
If one were to compare the strength of their purifying power, the Sky Poison Pearl was far stronger than Phoenix flames that were not one hundred percent pure… It was just that it was unable to cleanse away devilish energy.
The Phoenix flames were a divine power. The destructive power of these flames were so dreadful that even the tiniest cluster of flames would be something far beyond what a newborn baby would be able to endure. So, when Yun Che ignited that purifying flame in the places where the devilish energy lingered, he had to carefully use the energy generated by the Great Way of the Buddha to isolate it.
Yun Che was extremely familiar with the composition of the human body. So he very clearly knew where the human body was weak, where it could be fatally wounded, in which parts the devilish energy would most likely hide and which parts could not be touched by profound energy… Swiftly, he confirmed that all of the lingering devilish energy in the infant’s body originated from one corner. So he started at that point and used the Phoenix flames to purify the devilish energy bit by bit.
A tendril of Phoenix blood came into contact with the devilish energy as a faint and tiny Phoenix flame instantly used that devilish energy as its medium and started burning weakly.
This procedure was exceedingly slow and difficult, so it would definitely take a lot of time. Even if he did not make a single mistake, it was still possible for this extremely frail baby to die at any moment.
Yun Che had thought of infusing the infant with the essence of nature in order to strengthen his life force… But he was deeply afraid that it would instantly cause the devil energy in his body to go berserk, which would cause instant death, so he could only hope that this child’s remaining life force would be strong enough to endure this current procedure.
This procedure used very little of Yun Che’s profound energy but it was an extremely mentally-taxing task. He had not yet fully recovered from his previous injuries and his heart and soul had been acutely wounded by Jasmine’s revelation. But in front of this tiny life that only he could save, his heart and soul swiftly became a sea of tranquility.
Feng Xue’er silently gazed at him. She had initially been fraught with nervousness and tension but her gaze gradually grew entranced. At this moment, that expression of single-minded concentration was deeply engraved into her heart and memories forever.
——————————
Outside the barrier, everyone’s heart was on edge as they held their breath and waited in an extreme state of anxiety. Before long, the Little Demon Empress had also arrived after receiving news of the current situation and she waited along with them.
Two hours passed.
Four hours passed.
Six hours passed…
The sky began to gradually grow darker and even though the wait grew more tortuous with every passing breath, no one had left at any point of time. Number Seven Under Heaven had struggled out of bed and she stared at the isolation barrier with unblinking eyes as Xiao Yun supported her.
Ding…
The soft ring that emanated from the barrier fiercely jarred everyone’s nerves.
Bang!
A crack spread across the surface of the barrier. Following that, the entire barrier completely shattered from within and dissolved into scattered fragments of profound light… However, before the fragments of profound light had completely disappeared, the high-pitched wail of an infant rang in their ears.
Yun Che strode out from within the profound light. There was a faint smile on his face as he hugged the loudly bawling infant in his arms. The cries of the child rang out bright and clear as day, they were completely devoid of any weakness. Furthermore, one could see four tiny and seemingly mischievous limbs moving in a lively manner within Yun Che’s embrace.
“…” All of the people present were stunned in place, it was as if they had heard a voice that had come from the very heavens themselves.
Xiao Yun’s mouth gaped open as he extended both of his trembling arms. But his feet felt like they had been nailed to the floor and his vision had gone completely blurry… It was as if he had been abruptly thrust into an illusory dreamscape.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister…” Yun Che said as a gentle and happy smile appeared on his exhausted face, “I got lucky.”
Number Seven Under Heaven was roused from her stupor. She swiftly moved forward, her trembling hands carefully picking up the child in Yun Che’s arms. She looked at her child, who was bawling loudly, as his limbs flailed about and before she could even speak, her tears had already started to pour down like a dam that had been burst. She tightly hugged her son, who had been snatched back from the very jaws of death and she could not think about anything else as she started sobbing loudly.
“Seventh Sister…” Xiao Yun stood by Number Seven Under Heaven’s side. As he looked at his wife and child, his entire being was suddenly suffused by something that was warm and fuzzy, leaving him with a contentment that he was unable to describe. He turned around and looked at Yun Che, his voice trembling, “Big Brother…”
“If you want to thank me, there is no need,” Yun Che said with a smile. “We’re brothers after all. Your son is my son. So you could say that I saved my own son. It was a natural thing to do.”
“Mn…” Xiao Yun bit his lips as he strove not to cry. After that, he nodded his head with extreme vigor as he said, “Mn!!”
“Hahahahahaha…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven turned around and let out a booming laugh. The gloom that had been in his heart and the heavy pressure and burden that had been caused by Xuanyuan Wentian had completely melted away in this moment as his heart was filled with boundless contentment and joy.
Mu Yurou was so elated that she shed tears of joy. Yun Qinghong wore a faint smile, tears gleaming in his eyes as he looked at his two sons who stood side by side. Once again, he was struck by a profound feeling that the heavens had truly not been unkind to him.
Cang Yue’s beautiful eyes were fixated on Yun Che and her lips slowly curved into an extremely lovely smile. She sensed that the smile currently on Yun Che’s face was not the same forced smile that it had been previously. She could tell that most of the gloom and darkness that clouded Yun Che’s heart had been lifted.
It could be said that he had redeemed his soul the same time he had saved this child’s life.
Chapter 869 – The Little Demon Empress’ Determination
Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven presented to their child to Xiao Lie, “Grandfather, how about you decide on a name for this child?”
Xiao Lie extended his hands and touched the infant’s tiny hands but he did not take him… He was afraid of accidently startling this little life which had just escaped a nightmarish fate. He held back his tears while he spoke in an unhurried manner, “All those years ago, I named your father Xiao Ying in hope that he would soar in the blue dome of the heavens like a majestic eagle, radiating power and majesty. But I never thought that he would be separated from us forever at such a young age.”
“After going through many ups and downs and experiencing the many vicissitudes of life, my vision is finally clear and I have gained great insight on many things. This child… My hope is not that he achieves great success and fame in life, my hope is that he simply lives a peaceful life that is free of calamity or strife. So I will name him… Yongan.”
“Yongan…” Xiao Yun murmured softly before nodding his head with great vigor, “Good, let his name be Yongan then.”
“My child, did you hear that? Your name is Yongan,” Number Seven Under Heaven whispered as she hugged her baby tightly. Even though she had stopped weeping, tears still streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.
“Xiao Yongan, that is a good name,” Yun Qinghong said with a faint smile on his face. “There is a saying that good fortune will surely follow a person who manages to survive a calamity. Yongan met with a great crisis the moment he was born but he tenaciously soldiered on. So he will definitely be graced by fortune beyond measure from today onwards.”
“That’s right. He is indeed hardy and tenacious,” Yun Che said as he nodded his head cheerfully. “The quantity of devil energy that had invaded his body was more than I expected. During the entire time that I spent cleansing the devilish energy away, my greatest fear was that he would be unable to endure until the devil energy had been completely cleansed. But he was extremely outstanding… The procedure took six hours for me to complete, that was more than twice the length than I had initially anticipated. But he managed to endure the entire thing with incredible tenacity.”
These wholehearted words of praise had come from Yun Che himself. Xiao Yun was so emotional that hot tears scalded his eyes. A profound sense of pride appeared on Number Seven Under Heaven’s tear-stained face. She hugged her child tightly, unwilling to relax her grip for even a single breath.
“Hahahaha…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s booming laugh filled the air, “At first I had been scared completely witless by Xuanyuan Wentian and just thinking of him would fill me with dread. But… even a newborn babe was able to defeat his power, so this old man has no reason to fear him either! The next time he dares to come, even if this old man has to sacrifice his own life, I will not let him return from whence he came!”
“Hahaha, that was well said Brother Under Heaven!” Yun Qinghong said as he joined in his laughter, “Yongan has set an outstanding example for us all. What is there to fear from that Xuanyuan Wentian!? Brother Under Heaven, you should stay behind today. Both our families should drink their fill today. As for the preparations for battle, we’ll discuss those things tomorrow!”
“Alright!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven replied in a merry voice.
Xiao Yongan’s miraculous revival after he had been struck by calamity had swept clean the heavy oppressiveness that had shrouded the Yun Family. This oppressiveness had now been changed into a vibrant joy which filled the air as it veritably bubbled over. Even the heavy shadow left behind by Xuanyuan Wentian had practically vanished into thin air.
As the leader of the Twelve Guardian Families, the change in atmosphere that occurred in the Yun Family subtly helped to dispel much of the haze that had enshrouded Demon Imperial City.
However, after the initial enthusiasm had worn off and they had all calmed down, they would still have to face the enormous fear wrought by Xuanyuan Wentian… and the complete annihilation that threatened to rain down on them at any moment.
————————————————
After more than ten days had passed, Yun Che had completely recovered from his wounds and the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er had largely recovered from their own as well. The work they had to do for Demon Imperial City in the wake of Xuanyuan Wentian’s attack was basically done. Under the guidance of the Twelve Guardian Families, Demon Imperial City was prepared to deploy against the disaster that could strike at any time… The terrifying shadow left behind by Xuanyuan Wentian on that day kept them all on their toes and the entire city was in a state of high alert and constant vigilance.
Powerful individuals from the other parts of the Illusory Demon Realm had either responded to the summons or had come to Demon Imperial City of their own accord as all of them prepared to defend against Xuanyuan Wentian together. After all, if Demon Imperial City were to be destroyed, the entire Illusory Demon Realm would implode on itself and fracture apart.
The funerals of Yun He, Yun Jiang and Yun Xi, the three Grand Elders of the Yun Family who had sacrificed their lives during the battle against Xuanyuan Wentian, had been concluded. As a result, the Yun Family disciples’ daily training had increased in both intensity and length. After the joy that had been brought about by the birth of Xiao Yongan had receded, the Yun Family and the entire Demon Imperial City had been engulfed by a nervous and tense atmosphere which grew heavier with each passing day.
This was because Demon Imperial City was currently facing the greatest and most dreadful crisis in its history. Even the chaos caused by Duke Huai paled in comparison to this imminent threat. If they were not able to resist the coming darkness, then there would no longer be a Demon Imperial City in this world… and that sentiment was not the least bit exaggerated.
Yun Qinghong left the house every day as he met with the other patriarchs and dukes to discuss the various strategies and tactics they could use against Xuanyuan Wentian. Yun Che did not even need to ask him about the result of those meetings; just one look at the expression on Yun Qinghong’s face told him that they had been unable to find a strategy that would be truly effective in countering Xuanyuan Wentian. After all, Xuanyuan Wentian’s power was simply far too dreadful and in front of this excessively overbearing strength, all strategies, profound tools and numbers were were rendered completely futile and meaningless.
Furthermore, as the person who had directly clashed against Xuanyuan Wentian, he had an even clearer understanding of just how terrifying and dreadful Xuanyuan Wentian actually was.
Yun Che sat on top of the highest roof in the entire Yun Family household. His eyes were calm and tranquil as he silently gazed off into the distance. He had maintained this posture for most of the late morning. At this moment, rainbow robes fluttered at his side as the Little Demon Empress quietly arrived at his side. Her face was an icy mask as she spoke, “When do you intend to return to Demon Imperial Palace?”
Yun Che turned his face to the side, a cheeky smile appearing on his face as he spoke, “Ah, Caiyi, could it be that if I’m out of your sight for more than two hours, you’ll miss me so much that you will lose all your appetite and become unable to sleep well?”
“Hmph!” The Little Demon Empress gave a cold snort, “Don’t forget, right now you’re a member of my Demon Imperial Family. Since you are back, it’s only natural that you reside in Demon Imperial Palace.”
“I know.” Yun Che said with a helpless expression on his face, “But my mother is unwilling to see me go.”
“You’re just afraid that Xue’er or that empress wife of yours will get jealous, right!?” After saying those words, the Little Demon Empress subconsciously averted her gaze, refusing to meet his eyes with hers.
“Uhh…” Yun Che said as he grabbed the Little Demon Empress’ hand and gently pulled her over, sending her soft, delicate and exquisite body spinning into his embrace, “I don’t know if Yue’er and Xue’er are the type to get jealous but my wife Caiyi is definitely jealous right now.”
“You…” Panic flashed through the Little Demon Empress’s eyes before she stubbornly turned her face aside, yet she did not expend too much energy trying to struggle free from Yun Che’s embrace.
“Okay, I understand. From tomorrow onwards, I will be at the Yun Family residence during the day but at night, I will return to Demon Imperial Palace to accompany my dear wife Caiyi.”
Yun Che’s soft and gentle words caused the Little Demon Empress’ delicate body to melt into his embrace as she spoke in tiny voice, “You don’t need… to force yourself…”
The Little Demon Empress’ voice suddenly trembled because she realized that Yun Che’s palm had abruptly moved to her chest as he gave it a light squeeze.
“…” The Little Demon Empress unconsciously struggled against him but she immediately melted back into his chest, allowing him to run amok. It was just that her breathing had become hurried as a coquettish red blush stained her cheeks.
With a deft move of his arm, Yun Che’s palm skillfully plunged into the depths of the Little Demon Empress’ rainbow robes. He unrestrainedly enjoyed feeling the shape and softness of the snowy bosom which filled his palm. He let out a contented sigh in his heart. Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Heavenly Jade Dew was indeed super effective, to think that it would actually fill his entire palm now!
The Little Demon Empress’ gentle meekness only encouraged Yun Che to push his luck even further. He nimbly and gracefully undid the belt of her rainbow robes from behind and with a slight tug of his fingers, he pulled down her robe, leaving her bare to the waist, immediately exposing her delicate, lustrous and white bosom and snowy shoulders to the air completely.
If this was Demon Imperial Palace, she would allow Yun Che’s desires to run rampant but they were in the Yun Family household! As a slight chill ran through the snowy flesh of her jade body, she immediately pushed Yun Che aside as if she had been struck by lightning. She hurriedly adjusted her clothing and at this moment, the majesty she normally radiated as the Little Demon Empress had vanished into thin air.
“You… It seems like you’ve already sat there for a good long while. What are you thinking about?” The Little Demon Empress said as she bit down on her lower lip. She was scared that her actions had harmed Yun Che’s self-esteem.
“…I was thinking of the problem that everyone has been dwelling on. Thinking about exactly what we should if Xuanyuan Wentian comes again.
Yun Che spat out a shallow breath as he spoke in a rather melancholic voice, “During these past three months, my profound strength has soared dramatically thanks to Xue’er. The degree to which my strength has increased was far greater than any previous time. I felt as if my entire body has been remoulded and reborn, reaching a level that I have never even dreamed about. In fact, I even have the feeling that I have reached the stage where no one could match me.
“However… even though my strength has clearly grown by leaps and bounds, we still could not beat Xuanyuan Wentian even when I joined hands with you and Xue’er.”
Yun Che’s words caused the Little Demon Empress’ faintly blushing face to grow solemn and grave. She abruptly said, “Yun Che, you must promise me one thing.”
Yun Che gave a bland laugh, “Are you thinking of saying something along these lines? If Xuanyuan Wentian returns to the Illusory Demon Realm, you want me to use the Primordial Profound Ark to take everyone and run away, leaving you behind to face him alone?”
“…That’s right!” The Little Demon Empress said with a heavy nod of her head, “On that day, Xuanyuan Wentian had already exhausted a large amount of his power so that he could forcefully break apart the Great City Barrier Formation. But even in that situation, we were still not his match even when the three of us combined our strength. Even though he looked very heavily wounded we had yet to touch his foundation.”
“Furthermore, he had clearly said this before he had left. In another three months, his devil blood will completely awaken. At that time, his power will reach the so-called ‘perfect’ state. At that time, it did not seem like he was making idle threats either. If all of this is really true, then the Xuanyuan Wentian who will appear before us once more will be even more dreadful than the Xuanyuan Wentian we previously faced.”
“Over the past few days, I have also been trying to think of a method to deal with Xuanyuan Wentian but I could not come up with anything. If we were to stay behind and attempt to forcefully resist him… we would merely be vainly throwing our lives away! There is no shame in running away! In fact, that is the wisest and most sensible decision! Xuanyuan Wentian’s power is far too abnormal, there will definitely be a bottleneck to that power and tremendous negative side effects to it… So if you and Xue’er manage to escape for now, there will definitely be a day when the both of you can defeat him!”
“Since that is the most sensible choice, then you definitely have to come along as well!” Yun Che said with furrowed brows.
“I can’t leave!” The Little Demon Empress said as she gave a resolute shake of her head, “Don’t forget who I am. I am the empress of the Illusory Demon Realm, the inheritor of the ten thousand year will of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. If I run away, not only will I be abandoning Demon Imperial City and the Illusory Demon Realm, I will also be besmirching the dignity of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, betraying the glory and the ten thousand year will left behind my ancestors!”
“Everyone should abandon this place as early as possible instead of pointlessly waiting for death. But for me, there will be no escape, what awaits is a glorious death in battle.”
“Fine,” Yun Che said with a faint smile as he nodded his head. “Since that’s the case, then I definitely need to stay behind with you.”
“Foolish!” The Little Demon Empress rebuked him with a cold look, “If you die, then who will protect and take care of your family members and women. Who will defeat Xuanyuan Wentian and rescue the Illusory Demon Realm from disaster!?”
“…” The Little Demon Empress softened her tone before continuing in a soft voice, “Don’t forget, I am already someone who is destined for death. Even if there was no Xuanyuan Wentian, I have less than two years left to live.”
She turned around before continuing to speak in that soft voice, “Yun Che, the fact that I was able to become your wife near the end of my life already leaves me with boundless satisfaction and contentment. Instead of quietly waiting for death to take me, I would rather carry on the will of all the Demon Emperors who have come before me and die a glorious death in battle. To me, that would be an even better conclusion to my ending.”
“As long as you are willing to promise me this one thing… Before the day comes, I will be willing to do whatever it is you wish me to do.”
After she finished speaking, the Little Demon Empress took to the air and flew far away. After her figure had completely vanished from Yun Che’s vision, a soft voice mumbled in his ear, “When you return to Demon Imperial Palace, I allow you to bring your empress wife and Xue’er along with you.”
Yun Che, “…”
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Author’s Note:
*Faints*… I just realized that I left out a chapter yesterday by mistake!! The Azure Cloud chapter is about to begin, Yun Che is about to undergo an extreme evolution!! But it’s just that the way he’ll evolve is a bit…
Chapter 870 – Star God Blood
“Haah…” Yun Che collapsed on top of the roof as he stared at the sky and softly muttered, “I’ve already lost my Little Fairy… How can I be expected to simply watch if I’m to lose you as well?”
“But, just what can I do…”
“An’er, we are going to visit your great grandfather. Be good, okay.”
Number Seven Under Heaven’s voice, which was as gentle as the wind, rang out from somewhere not far below him. She was hugging a baby that was swaddled in cloth and there was a gentle smile on her face. Her steps were light and relaxed as she teased her son every now and then, the ever-present Xiao Yun walking beside her.
The arrival of Yongan caused the relationship between the already tightly-bonded couple to become even more happy and warm. Even the shadow cast by the impending calamity which would destroy the entire city did nothing to dampen their happiness.
“Brother Yun, who do you think An’er will resemble more when he grows up?”
“Of course he’ll look more like you. If he looks more like you, he’ll definitely be even more handsome.”
“Heehee… An’er, did you hear that, you need to look at your mother more every single day. If you do that, you’ll grow to become a handsome man in the future. Also, when you grow up, you need to be dutifully filial towards your great grandfather and your Uncle Yun Che. If not for Uncle Yun Che, your mother and father would not ever be able to see you again.”
“Speaking of Big Brother, I haven’t seen him around these past few days. I also don’t know where he is right now…” Xiao Yun said as he gave a light sigh, “I just have this feeling that he hasn’t been his usual self lately.”
Yun Che, “…”
“I also felt the same way,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a dim voice. “In the past, whenever I saw Big Brother Yun, I always felt that he radiated a very powerful aura, an aura which gave people an incredible sense of security. But ever since he returned from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, every time I see him, I always feel that he… is being weighed down by many heavy worries.”
“I can roughly guess the reason behind that,” Xiao Yun said worriedly. “Big Brother Yun used all of his strength to save our son but his own child… should be five years right now but he has never even seen his child before and he doesn’t even know whether that child is dead or alive…”
“This has always been the thing that caused his heart to ache the most. So in this current situation where he has saved our child but is unable to find his own, even if it’s Big Brother, he is definitely being tormented by pain and self-recrimination that he is unable to let go of. I’m awkward, not good with words, and I also don’t know how to comfort and encourage him… I can only hope that Big Brother can walk out from under this dark cloud that is hanging over his head sooner rather later.”
“If it’s Big Brother Yun we’re talking about, then it definitely won’t be a problem,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a voice that was brimming with confidence.
As he silently watched the couple walk into the distance, Yun Che silently sighed under his breath: So it turns out that I have already caused many people to worry about me. It looks like I really need to properly adjust my emotions and mental state.
He also did not know how Yuanba was doing right now. Xuanyuan Wentian only viewed a few people as potential threats and Xia Yuanba was one of them. Given Xuanyuan Wentian’s clearly distorted temperament, the Xia Yuanba who was still in the Profound Sky Continent would definitely be struck by his devilish claws… Right now, Yun Che could only hope that he could somehow escape that calamity.
Yun Che closed his eyes as his consciousness sank into the world of the Sky Poison Pearl.
The dark green world was a sea of calm, so the sounds that Hong’er made in her sleep were exceptionally clear.
“Hong’er, it’s time to wake up!” Yun Che said as he arrived at the foot of the bed and smacked Hong’er’s small bottom. This jade bed was originally where Jasmine rested but ever since Hong’er arrived, it had been completely taken over by her.
After all, she basically did nothing else but sleep and eat. Even when she was summoned out, she was normally sound asleep inside the sword and even if he battled for an entire hour, there was no guarantee that she would actually wake up.
“Uuuu…” Hong’er had been woken up by that gentle smack on her butt. She opened her eyes and said in a sleepy and silly voice, “Master, I was just having a very tasty dream, where did you suddenly wake me up.”
Very… tasty… dream!?
“…Hong’er, did your Big Sister Jasmine leave you anything to pass to me? She would have passed it to you just as she was just about to leave,” Yun Che asked as he carried her small body.
“Hmm?” Hong’er blinked her sleep-crusted eyes as her small hand tugged at her vermillion hair. But all of the sudden, she said with an aggrieved pout on her face, “I don’t know. I’m very hungry right now, so I can’t think of anything.”
“~！@#￥%…” Yun Che extended a hand and grabbed two sparkling and translucent long swords which released the aura of the Emperor Profound Realm, “There you go, eat up.”
“Waaa! Thanks Master!!”
Hong’er’s sleepiness had faded away completely as her eyes started to sparkle. She grabbed both Emperor Profound Swords and opened her mouth wide. Following an explosive cracking sound, a bite-shaped gap appeared on the sword which was even tougher and more durable than profound steel.
Even though he had long ago gotten accustomed to the “terror” that was Hong’er’s teeth every time he saw her in action, it still sent chills down his spine.
As Hong’er ravenously wolfed down her meal, those two Emperor Profound swords had been devoured completely in the blink of an eye, not even a fragment remained. She patted her tiny, unchanged tummy in contentment before she suddenly squealed excitedly, “I remember now! Big Sister Jasmine wanted me to give Master this!”
Hong’er raised her tiny hand and a dot of glittering white light shone in it.
Yun Che’s lips faintly moved before he extended a hand and gently took hold of that white light.
Immediately, Jasmine’s voice rang out from that bright light as it resounded in the depths of his heart.
“Yun Che, on the day that I reconstituted my body, I borrowed three drops of blood essence from you. As a recompense, I promised that I would give you one drop of Star God Blood in return. Right now, I am fulfilling that promise and giving that drop of Star God Blood to you.”
“The power of the Star Gods can only be refined by using an extremely special method. Given your current ability, you won’t be able to refine any divine power from it but it will grant you many times the lifespan that you lost when you gave away those three drops of blood essence.”
“If I am no longer able to remain at your side, then this drop of Star God Blood will be my final gift to you.”
“…”
Yun Che dazedly stared at the white light in his hand… Star God Blood, that was the blood essence that came from Jasmine…
While his consciousness was still hazy, the Star God Blood that was encircled by white light suddenly flew up from the palm of his hand and directly shot towards the space between his eyebrows. After that, it forcefully entered his head and melted into his body.
Yun Che’s consciousness instantly left the world of the Sky Poison Pearl. During the same instant, a bizarre sensation that felt both warm and cold at the same time swiftly spread from the space between his brows to the rest of his body. He hurriedly sat up straight, focusing his mind as he began to absorb the Star God Blood.
After the brief period of discomfort had passed, the Star God Blood had gradually completely merged with his body. His five senses had begun to grow sharper as his entire body swelled with surging vitality. He could faintly sense that his body had grown stronger in a way but apart from this, his profound strength had barely changed.
Just as Jasmine’s voice had said, it had greatly increased Yun Che’s lifespan but it barely had any effect on his profound strength,
After the Star God Blood had completely merged with his body, Yun Che opened his eyes. A profound warmth was now swelling within both his heart and his body. He raised his head, looking into the distance as he softly muttered to himself, “Jasmine, did you truly leave behind this drop of Star God Blood just for the sake of paying me back…”
As he spoke, the corners of his mouth faintly curled up into a small smile.
Azure Cloud Continent, Supwake Country’s Rivereast Region, below Grandwake Mountain.
A large bamboo forest extended from the foot of Grandwake Mountain to the distant northern gate of the Grandwake Clan. The bamboo forest was lush and dense and if someone viewed it from a distance, a dense emerald green expanse would fill his vision.
Normally, an extremely refreshing cool breeze would gently blow among the swaying bamboo leaves in this place, relaxing and gladdening the hearts of the people who came here. It was as if even their spirits were being gently cleansed.
But today, the breeze that blew in this bamboo forest carried the acrid odor of fresh blood
Snap!!!
Following a vicious flash of a knife’s edge, blood spurted onto the arrow and a tall and mighty figure heavily tumbled to the ground. A mountain of corpses lay littered around the area where he fell.
“Old Seven!!”
Su Hengshan rushed forward and grabbed the man’s body, blood tears filling his widened eyes. The last among those that had stayed loyal to him had fallen. The ground underneath his feet and the surrounding bamboo leaves had all been dyed red with fresh blood as bodies filled his vision. Furthermore, these corpses belonged to the people who had used their lives to protect him, the people who had upheld the final dignity of the Grandwake Clan…
Right now, other than himself, all of them had fallen.
“Clan Master… Hurry up… and leave…” The tall man mumbled in agony before he closed his eyes and completely expired, the last bit of life leaving his body.
“Old Seven!!!!” Su Hengshan gave howl that tore at one’s heart, his entire body shaking fiercely due to pain and resentment.
“Hehehe, my beloved father, you have truly disappointed me.”
A formidable array of people had completely surrounded Su Hengshan. Some of them wore the attire of the Grandwake Clan while others were all dressed in black—it was astonishingly the attire of Black Wood Stronghold. Moreover, the one who stood at the very forefront of this contingent was Su Hengshan’s only son—Su Haoran.
“You were the one who promised as that as long as we allowed Ling’er to run far away, you would behave yourself and hand over the treasure key to us quietly. But in the end, you reneged on your word and obstinately struggled against us, heedless of the consequences, causing so many people to die in vain… Tsk tsk, in any case, you are a senior from the same clan, so this is truly intolerable.”
As the one who controlled the current proceedings, Su Haoran wore a bland and arrogant smile on his face. Yet there was also a trace of unwillingness on his face.
Third Elder Su Hengyue and Grand Elder Su Wangji were both present along with the Black Wood Stronghold’s Heimu Qingya. They all wore cold smiles on their faces yet they were standing… behind Su Haoran.
Arrayed behind them were people from Black Wood Cliff and… a whole eighty percent of the disciples from the Grandwake Clan!
Only a pitiful twenty percent of the Grandwake Clan’s disciples had chosen to follow Su Hengshan… and right now, all of them lay dead on the ground.
“You… You beast!!!” Su Hengshan shouted as he turned around and pointed a trembling finger at Su Haoran. His bloodshot eyes were filled with boundless grief and sorrow.
“All these years, I… have remained constantly vigilant against Su Hengyue and Black Wood Stronghold… But I never would have thought… it would be a beast like you… Cough, cough cough…” Su Hengshan’s body swayed as he coughed out a large mouthful of fresh blood.
“Heh heh,” Su Hengyue said with a cold laugh. “Haoran is someone who is far stronger than a stubborn and conservative piece of trash such as yourself. After hopping on board the giant ship that is the Seven Star Divine Palace, our Grandwake Clan will instantly become ascendant, rising into the sky like a blazing sun and no one in the Country of Supwake will dare to bully us. Furthermore, if Haoran is accepted as a disciple of the Seven Star Divine Palace, tsk, it won’t merely be so simple as bringing glory to our ancestors.”
“Heh heh heh.” Heimu Qingya shot Su Hengshan a look that was filled with mingled joy and pity. After that, he bowed his head to Su Haoran before speaking, “Young Sect Master, when you enter the Seven Star Divine Palace in the future, I hope that you will generously support us.”
“Hahahaha,” Su Haoran gave a loud and arrogant laugh. He was thoroughly pleased with himself, “That’s natural. If not for the Black Wood Hold Master, how would this young master even have the chance to obtain the favor of the Seven Star Divine Palace.”
“Su Hengshan,” Su Haoran said, directly addressing Su Hengshan by his name. “All of the stubborn and ignorant people have already died, so to save yourself from even more pain, it would be better for you to cooperate with us as soon as possible and obediently hand over the treasure key. After all, the act of torturing my own father is something that will cause me to die young.”
“You evil creature, you bunch of animals… Even if I die, all of you can forget about ever obtaining the treasure key!!” Su Hengshan fiercely spat. He tightly gripped the blood-drenched sword in his hand as a startling malevolent aura radiated from every pore of his body, “There will come a day… where all of you will suffer retribution!!”
“Retribution?” Su Haoran said as his eyes narrowed. After that, he began to laugh wildly, “Hahahahaha, could it be that this retribution that you are referring to is that man Yun Che? Tsk tsk, ah, it is truly woeful that you have yet to wake up to reality despite six years of dreaming. Now that I mention it, I had even specifically asked the people of Seven Star Divine Palace about Yun Che and Xia Qingyue but in the end, no one at that level even knew those two names. That is also to say that even the names that they gave you all those years ago were fake but to think you’re actually still dreaming that he will truly come back and marry Ling’er… Aiyah, it has truly been hard on my pitiful sister who has been stupidly waiting for six years now.”
“The Divine Palace Envoy has arrived.”
At this moment, a low and deep shout rang out from behind. Those short six words caused the expressions of every single person present to dramatically change. At the same time, a figure appeared like a ghost at Su Haoran’s side. His face was cold and stern and dressed in black clothes. A mark that looked like seven stars intertwining was embroidered on his breast.
Upon seeing this person, everyone felt as if a true god had descended from the heavens as they panickedly knelt down and said, “We greet the Divine Palace Envoy.”
“Hn.” A noise limply came from the Divine Palace Envoy’s nose and that counted as his acknowledgement.
“Divine Palace Envoy, Haoran was not aware that you would abruptly honor us with your presence. Excuse me for not going out to meet you, I beg for your forgiveness.” Facing this black-clothed man, Su Haoran’s previous brash insolence had completely disappeared. What replaced it was an expression filled with fear and unease.
“Hmph,” the Divine Palace Envoy gave a cold snort as his gaze swept across Su Hengshan, “He is that Su Hengshan?”
“Yes, yes, yes. As expected, the Divine Palace Envoy truly has keen-sighted eyes,” Su Haoran said as he swiftly attempted to curry favor with the Divine Palace Envoy.
“Heh, you are even able to so vicious towards your real father, you are truly someone who can achieve great things in life.” The Divine Palace Envoy gave a lukewarm chuckle and no one was able to tell whether it was mockery or praise.
“I tha.. I thank the Divine Palace Envoy for his praise. To be able to serve the Divine Palace is the greatest fortune that Haoran will ever encounter in his life,” Su Haoran said in a careful tone. Behind him, Su Hengyue, Mu Qingya and the rest of them had all deeply bowed their heads, they did not even dare to breathe too loudly.
“And the item?” The Divine Palace Envoy asked coldly.
“Eh…” Su Haoran started to panic on the inside as he spoke while his forehead was matted in cold sweat, “We have search the entire Grandwake Clan but we were not able to find it. The only person who would know the whereabouts of the treasure key… is him.”
“Hmph!” The Divine Palace Envoy’s eyes went cold, “You have already captured the person in front of you. Yet you were unable to force him to surrender that object despite your numbers. All of you are truly a bunch of trash.”
Su Haoran fiercely gulped before he hurriedly spoke, “He… he had originally promised to give us the treasure key as long as we allowed his daughter to escape. But we never expected him to suddenly go back on his word. However, I want to assure the Divine Palace Envoy of one thing. Now that he has fallen into our hands, forcing the treasure key out of him will only be a matter of time.”
“His daughter?” The Divine Palace Envoy said with narrowed eyes, “Since he cares so much about his daughter, then go and capture his daughter and see whether he will still continue to be so stubborn at that time.”
Su Haoran’s eyes gleamed and immediately echoed what he had heard, “The Divine Palace Envoy is truly wise! Haoran will immediately dispatch people to capture Su Ling’er…”
When the heavily wounded Su Hengshan heard those words, he immediately howled in fury like a despairing and enrage wolf, “You bunch of wretched animals… If you dare to harm Ling’er… I won’t let you off even after I die!!”
“Wait a minute!!” The Divine Palace Envoy said as his head suddenly jerked upwards. His gaze abruptly turned cold and dangerous as he said, “That treasure key… It is extremely likely that it is in his daughter’s possession!!”
“Ah!” The Divine Palace Envoy’s words caused everyone to be startled. Su Hengshan’s expression also fiercely changed upon hearing that… and that change in expression had been clearly seen by the Divine Palace Envoy. His face turned dark as he growled in a deep and low voice, “Did you really let that Ling’er escape? Wasn’t anyone sent to secretly keep an eye on her?”
“This… this…” Su Haoran was completely flustered as he struggled to stammer out an explanation, “Su Ling’er is only… is only a witless young girl… I truly did not think that Su Hengshan would entrust such an important thing… I… I will immediately dispatch people to…”
“Hmph, there is no need for that! All of you are truly a bunch of worthless trash!!” The Divine Palace Envoy spat as he turned around and spoke to the empty bamboo forest, “Mobilize all of our people and coerce all of the sects in the Country of Supwake along with the Supwake Imperial Family to seal the entire Country of Supwake. I want Su Ling’er to brought before me, even if you have to dig up the ground to accomplish that task!”
“If she is alive, I want to meet her! If she is dead, I want to see her corpse!”
“Yes.” a low and deep reply rang out from the depths of the empty bamboo forest.
————————————
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Author’s Note:
The Star God Blood is pretty useless right now, but it will be very useful later on… it will be useful indeed, hohoho.
Chapter 871 – Resolute (1)
One whole month had passed since Xuanyuan Wentian had invaded Demon Imperial City but the gloomy and tense atmosphere which shrouded Demon Imperial City had yet to fade away. During this period, many experts from all parts of the Illusory Demon Realm had surged into the capital. At the same time, most of the citizens and sects had quietly fled the city… But the Little Demon Empress gave an order to not interfere with or obstruct anyone who chose to run away.
During the wee hours of the morning, Yun Che was returning to the Yun Family household from the Demon Imperial Palace. Just as he reached the gates of his house, he met Yun Qinghong, who was just about to return home as well.
“Father, were you preparing the Great City Barrier Formation together with Grandfather and the rest?”
Both father and son had stopped in the air above the family gates.
Yun Qinghong nodded his head, “The Great City Barrier Formation left behind by the first Demon Emperor is incredibly profound. When we hurriedly activated it the last time, it was even able to hold back Xuanyuan Wentian for a large amount of time. So before Xuanyuan Wentian returns, we are putting in all our effort to ensure that the Great City Barrier Formation will be able to perform to its fullest… As for the rest, that is up to the will of heaven.”
“…Father, forgive me for being direct. But if it’s merely a protection barrier which won’t allow Xuanyuan Wentian to enter Demon Imperial City, even if it can hold him off for more than a year, what’s the point of it all?” Yun Che said as he shook his head, “It will only result in us delaying our deaths for a while more. Furthermore, Xuanyuan Wentian can very well just ignore Demon Imperial City for the moment while he goes to ravage other parts of the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“Ah, how could I not be aware of this?” Yun Qinghong said with a long sigh. “But it’s not just the Little Demon Empress who isn’t his opponent, even the Golden Crow Divine God won’t be able to match him. So other than this, what else can we do? Struggling until our last breath is still a better option than helplessly waiting for death to come.”
“Father, if we have the option to flee the Illusory Demon Realm and guarantee that Xuanyuan Wentian won’t be able to find us… Would you and Mother be amenable to that?” Yun Che asked solemnly.
Yun Qinghong gave him a deep look before speaking, “Would the Little Demon Empress be willing to flee the Illusory Demon Realm together with you?”
“…” Yun Che was at a loss for words.
“Given my understanding of the Little Demon Empress, she definitely would not do so and I share the same sentiments as well.”
While he said this, a faint smile appeared on Yun Qinghong’s face and it was not the least bit forced or discontent, “In this world, there are many things that are far more important than one’s own life. That goes for me and the Little Demon Empress as well. If you forcefully take her away, this would be far worse than death for her… Your mother and I feel the same way.”
“We have all personally witnessed the terror of Xuanyuan Wentian and now we are still working hard to resist him and think of a plan to deal with him. But we have never once thought of fleeing.”
“But Che’er, it’s not the same for you!” Yun Qinghong said as his eyes grew stern, “You have to go. We are not choosing to stay because we are stupid or stubborn but it is because we have something that we need to protect. But in your case, if you choose not to leave, it will not only be an irrational decision, it will also be a very stupid one… I believe that the Little Demon Empress has already spoken to you about this and you should be very clear about it as well.”
“…” Yun Che remained silent for a very long time.
“Tomorrow, we will be holding holding a feast to celebrate Yongan’s first month,” Yun Qinghong said with a faint smile. “As his grandfather, it’s only natural that I arrange everything personally. So for the next two days, let’s set aside these important matters for now. Che’er, come over and help us out later.”
“Alright…” Yun Che said rather despondently.
Yun Qinghong left but Yun Che stayed standing in that spot for a very long time. Gradually, his eyes started to grow colder and colder and he quietly clenched both his hands.
“It looks like… I need to kill Xuanyuan Wentian… no matter what!!”
Need…
Yun Che sucked in a long breath as a blurry decision formed in his heart. He looked at the Yun Family household and just as he was about to land in the courtyard, he suddenly felt his entire body shake fiercely as a dark and sinister aura suddenly exploded within his profound veins. This caused an indescribable pain to instantly spread throughout his entire body…
Could… Could it be…
Xiao Lingxi strode out from the courtyard. Once she saw Yun Che, who was hovering in the air above her, her beautiful eyes twinkled as she crowed in delight, “Little Che, you’re back!”
“What about Sister Cang Yue and Xue’er? How come they didn’t come back with you?” Xiao Lingxi said as she scampered towards Yun Che. As she spoke, her nose turned up slightly as an adorable pout formed on her lips, displaying the jealousy in her heart.
But after she had finished speaking, she realized that Yun Che had not responded to her at all. Xiao Lingxi let out a soft cry but just as she was about to ask a question, she saw Yun Che suddenly tumble from the sky and hit the ground fiercely. He remained curled up on the ground, his entire body shivering as his face contorted in incredible agony.
“Li-Little Che!” Color drained from Xiao Lingxi’s pretty face as she threw aside the thing she was holding in her hand and panickedly ran over to Yun Che, “Little Che… You… what happened to you?”
As the voice of Xiao Lingxi grew ever closer, Yun Che’s remaining clarity allowed him to stretch out a quivering hand. After that, a soft and gentle profound energy pushed Xiao Lingxi far away as he croaked out in pain, “Do not… come over here… Ah!!”
Black energy that he was unable to suppress streamed out of Yun Che’s body before slowly rising into the air, causing Yun Che to experience even more pain.
“Little Che… Little Che!!” Xiao Lingxi had been scared completely witless and she shouted in a teary voice, “Somebody come quick… Somebody come quick… Come and save Little Che!!”
The entire Yun Family was instantly alerted to this commotion as the nearby Xiao Yun rushed over like a blustering gale. After he took one look at Yun Che’s state, his expression immediately and violently changed, “Big Brother, what’s happening to you!?!”
“Don’t touch him!”
Just as Xiao Yun was about to approach Yun Che, Yun Qinghong’s stern shout rang out from behind him, causing Xiao Yun to immediately freeze in place.
Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou had rushed over and many of the Yun Family elders and most of the Yun Family disciples hurried along behind them after they had heard the news. They took one look at Yun Che’s condition and the black energy that was gushing out of his body, all of them being shocked in place.
With a single glance, Yun Qinghong could tell that Yun Che’s current condition was exactly the same as one month ago. After Yun Che had returned from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he had not yet explained to him the reason behind this and Yun Qinghong had not pursued the matter either, he even believed that Yun Che had completely recovered from it. But he had never thought that Yun Che would suddenly find himself in the exact same situation again.
“Che’er… What’s wrong with Che’er?” Mu Yurou’s face had gone completely pale. If not for the fact that Yun Qinghong was holding her arm tightly, she would already have thrown caution to the wind and rushed to his side.
“No one is allowed to touch him… Yun’er, immediately go and inform the Little Demon Empress of the present situation!!” Yun Qinghong’s expression was rigid as he forced himself to speak calmly.
Just as his voice had finished, an energy explosion that sounded like thunder suddenly rang out in the air above them. The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er had brought along Cang Yue as they approached at an alarming speed… They had taken their time at first but then they suddenly sensed a terrifying devilish energy—Furthermore, this devilish energy did not originate from Xuanyuan Wentian. Instead, it was exactly the same as the devilish energy Yun Che had released a month ago so they had hurried over at the greatest speed while shock and fear shook their hearts.
“Big Brother Yun!” Feng Xue’er was seized by panic as she rushed towards Yun Che side, supporting his body, which was entwined by black energy, off the ground.
The Little Demon Empress set Cang Yue down and spoke in a serious tone, “Yun Che, quickly focus your thoughts and summon out the Primordial Profound Ark… We will immediately head to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!”
No one would be able to understand the kind of terrifying circumstance that Yun Che found himself in right now. Just having devil energy invade one’s body was already incredibly terrifying but this devil energy was erupting from within Yun Che’s body. If it was someone else, they would not even have the opportunity to struggle in agony, they would have lost their lives in practically one instant.
“…” Yun Che could barely make out any intelligible words but with his strong will, he managed to successfully summon forth the Primordial Profound Ark while correctly setting the coordinates to travel to the entrance of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
After it had instantly jumped through space, the Little Demon Empress picked up Yun Che and carried him into Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley once more.
The last time around, even though Yun Che did not explain, they had all naturally assumed that his condition had been due to the sudden flaring up of the devil energy that had infiltrated Yun Che’s body after his fight with Xuanyuan Wentian. So they definitely had not thought of the fact that this devilish energy was actually coming from inside Yun Che’s body… This time however, the both of them were struck by a profound feeling that something was not right.
After they entered Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley again after one month, the both of them clearly sensed that the fire aura in this place had once again weakened by a great amount. The volcanos in the original Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley were initially in a state of constant and violent eruption and one could see roiling lava and seas of fire everywhere. But today, nearly half of those volcanoes had gone dormant and the lava and the seas of fire seemed far more sluggish than before.
But right now, none of them were in the correct frame of mind to bother about these continuing bizarre changes. They brought Yun Che towards the end of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley at the fastest speed possible.
“The Empress of the Illusory Demon Realm Huan Caiyi… begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God!” The Little Demon Empress cried towards the scarlet sky
“I beg that the Golden Crow Divine God appear before us!”
The Little Demon Empress continued to cry out but the only thing that answered her was heavy silence. It was only after she had cried out more than ten times that the sky finally rang with the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s voice.
“Huan Caiyi, why do you disturb this noble one’s rest yet again!”
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit!” Feng Xue’er said anxiously, “It’s Big Brother Yun… the same devil energy that appeared on his body the last time has reappeared yet again, so I beg that you save him!
The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er clearly could sense the space around them suddenly tightening up.
Clang!!
The eyes of the Golden Crow finally opened up in the air above, the dazzling light that came from its eyes caused the scarlet sky to turn a dull gold. The golden light that radiated from its eyes quickly fell upon Yun Che’s body and after a brief period of silence, a long and drawn-out sigh rang through Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
“The both of you may leave. Within ten days, no one is allowed to take a step into this place.”
“Ten days?” The Little Demon Empress said with an alarmed expression on her face, “Golden Crow Divine God, just what is wrong with Yun Che…”
Before her voice had even finished falling, a golden light had already enshrouded her before kicking both her and Feng Xue’er out of the world of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
SCREEEEE——！
A long cry filled the air as those scarlet-golden eyes abruptly grew wide and scarlet golden fire fell from the sky like a storm of meteors, engulfing Yun Che in a sea of golden flames.
The black energy was slowly suppressed by the violent Golden Crow flames. The pressure on Yun Che’s body lessened as he managed to sit up straight with much difficulty and focus his mind. He started to absorb and guide the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s boundless power into his body and gradually the black color on his face began to recede and his complexion returned to normal. His breathing also began growing steady.
“It has just been a short month, so how did the devil origin orb break out of its seal so quickly and flare up again?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s voice rang in Yun Che’s ears.
Yun Che, “…”
“Hmph, this noble one has already found the cause,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit said gravely, “There is another heavy emotional issue that plagues your heart, causing you to block up your heart and be in a state of sorrow all this time, while also accelerating the growth of the devil origin orb’s power!”
“…Even sorrow will influence the devil origin orb?” Yun Che asked in a low voice.
“Sorrow is the same thing as rage, greed and resentment. All of them are negative emotions. Furthermore, strong negative emotions will agitate and accelerate the revival of the devil origin orb’s power. Hmph, this noble one had never thought that such a gigantic emotional knot could form in your heart given your experiences and temperament.”
“…” Yun Che could only smile bitterly in response.
“It looks like you have already seen the memory fragment that your master left for you.” When the Golden Crow Divine Spirit had scanned Yun Che’s memories three months ago, it had also read the memory fragment that Jasmine had left for him. So it knew about the message Jasmine left for Yun Che before Yun Che himself found out about it.
Yun Che was not surprised at all, he merely muttered in a soft voice, “The reason human beings are humans beings is because all of their emotions and desires are fully intact. My mind knows that I should not be wallowing in sorrow but I am simply unable to accept that I’ve lost my Little Fairy… and our child as well… I also don’t know how long I will need before I am able to truly accept everything.”
“Hmph, this is precisely the aspect of humanity that is most ridiculous and feeble! If it was someone else, this noble one could forcefully seal away this memory. But given your present soul strength, even this noble one is unable to forcefully interfere with your memories anymore. That’s fine… The devil origin orb in your body not only broke its seal but it also behaved even more violently than it did the last time. Given this noble one’s remaining power, I can just barely suppress it by force. But if I want to seal it again, not only will I need a lot of time, I will also need to rely on the Sea of Death.”
“For the next ten days, you will need to remain inside the Sea of Death at all times. You’re not allowed to leave it for even an instant.”
A golden light fell from the sky and picked Yun Che up before instantly depositing him into the boundless Sea of Death.
“Since it has come to this, we regrettably have no other choice… So let’s give it our best shot,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit said with a low sigh as it infused the last of its divine power into the Sea of Death.
Chapter 872 – Resolute (2)
Ten days was only the time the Golden Crow Divine Spirit predicted.
However, the scariness of the current state of the devil origin orb far surpassed the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s prediction.
Yun Che’s body has long surpassed that of any normal human. From head to toe, he was a true monster. His body actually perfectly combined the Evil God’s Profound Veins, the Phoenix’s blood, the Dragon God’s blood, the Golden Crow’s blood, the strength of the Rage God, as well as the Sirius’ power and there had not be any rejections—Needless to say, the Golden Crow Divine Spirit or even if the actual Golden Crow Divine Beast was present, it would not be able to comprehend the existence of this “monster”.
This was also the main reason why the Golden Crow Divine Spirit gifted everything to him without hesitation after reading his memories.
And within this “monster’s” body, the speed at which the devil origin orb grew was illogical as well. This was the second time the Golden Crow Divine Spirit used all its strength to help him seal the devil origin orb but its spirit was still continuously shocked.
Finally, after sixteen long days, the devil origin orb was once again sealed with difficulty within Yun Che’s body.
Within the Sea of Death, Yun Che opened his eyes and sensed that his body was no longer invaded by the devilish aura. He inhaled and flew out, escaping from the Sea of Death and landing on the scarlet grounds near the Sea of Death.
Just as he was about to give his thanks to the Golden Crow Divine Spirit, he was suddenly shocked.
The Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley that was usually constantly filled will the sounds of the raging sea of flames was now unusually quiet. At one glance, all the volcanoes within vision actually laid dormant. There was not one that was erupting. The lava was flowing slowly and the sea of flames that originally scorched the skies could now no longer be described as “a sea of flames”. The flames were dull and they burned slowly and weakly.
Turning back and looking towards the Sea of Death, the boundless flames rumbled but the colors had turned completely dark as though it was a fierce beast at the end of its life.
Yun Che lifted up his head and high up in the sky, the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s golden eyes was staring at him. However, the divine pressure that originated from it was greatly inferior to before.
“Golden Crow Divine Spirit,” Yun Che was feeling complicated, “I thank you for saving me once again.”
“This noble one has mentioned before, there’s no need for such useless words,” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly replied. “Whatever this noble one wants to do, no one can stop. Whatever this noble one does not want to do, no one can force either.”
“Since you’re fine now, hurry up and leave. This noble one already does not have much time left. If she still does not go into slumber, this world might collapse at any time. However, remember, you must let go of the knot in your heart quickly, otherwise, the devil origin orb in your body might break free at any time.”
“…” Yun Che still did not leave immediately. Instead, he calmly asked, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, can you straightforwardly answer one of my questions?”
Golden Crow Divine Spirit, “?”
“How… long do I have left?” Yun Che’s tone and expression seemed exceptionally calm.
“…” The air suddenly became dense and the golden eye that was in the air remained silent for a long time before slowly replying, “To know your own death date is a thing that is more fearsome than death. Are you really sure you want to know?”
“I have to know.” Yun Che’s expression still remained calm.
“One month,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit replied straightforwardly.
“…” Yun Che’s eyelids slowly closed and he exhaled one long breath, “One month… that’s not much different from what I predicted. The next time the devil origin orb’s energy overflows will be the day of my death.”
He laughed self-mockingly, “I never expected that I, Yun Che, would die in the end because of an inanimate object… Heh, there’s a part of me that can’t accept this.”
“This is the last time this noble one is able to help you. The devil origin orb within your body is constantly growing. The next time it goes out of control, even if this noble one were to have regained her full strength and was not in this current state, it would still be nearly impossible to reseal it. This noble one using up all her strength to seal it now would only allow it to remain for about a month.
“That’s why you had better leave this place quickly and think carefully what you want to do in this last month!”
Yun Che remained silent for some time before suddenly asking, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit, since you know that there’s a devil origin orb within me and I’m unable to be saved and destined to die, why are you still willing to use up a large amount of your last remaining strength to save me?”
“Because this noble one is willing, that is all!” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly replied.
Yun Che, “…”
“When this noble one read your memories back then, I was shocked by your physique and experience. I knew for certain that your talent was oddly strong. Along with your exceptional talent, you’d be the perfect successor. That was why this noble one bestowed upon you everything and hoped that the flame of the Golden Crow left in this world would burn brightly within you.
“However, unexpectedly, you seemed have used up all your luck in the first half of your life. In just the span of two years, you encountered such calamity that even this noble one is unable to save you. On this plane, there is nothing that can save you either.
“However, you are, after all, the person that this noble one has chosen. Even if it was the wrong choice, it still has to be followed through to the end.”
This was the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s explanation. Each word was uttered with deep arrogance and stubbornness..
“…I still have one question and this question is of utmost importance to me,” Yun Che continued to ask. His eyes slightly narrowed and his gaze became dull, “If i forcefully open the fifth realm of the Evil God, 【Hades】, is there any possibility of me killing Xuanyuan Wentian!?”
The Golden Crow Divine Spirit was stunned for a moment before she suddenly laughed heartily, “Hahahaha! Good question, this should be what you’re like!”
Yun Che also laughed, “Looks like you can probably give me a clear enough answer. After all, you inherited some of the Golden Crow’s memories and when the Golden Crow was alive, it had a close relationship with the Evil God. You should have a rough gauge of the Evil God’s strength.”
“No, this noble one actually does not know the Evil God’s strength much better than you,” the Golden Crow said in a low voice. “However, based on the strength you possessed when you forcefully activated 【Rumbling Heaven】 against the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, if you were to open your 【Hades】, you might indeed be able to forcefully kill Xuanyuan Wentian!”
Yun Che, “!!!”
“However, it is only a possibility. However, if you were to forcefully open Hades, the consequences wouldn’t be possible death… but certain death! Even if it’s just for one or two moments!”
“When you battled the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign initially, although you managed to forcefully open the Rumbling Heaven to forcefully exterminate him, I hope that you have not forgotten the miserable state that you ended up in. Back then, if your master had not forcefully closed the Evil God’s realm for you, you would have died on the spot then. Now, your strength far exceeds the time when you battled the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, your physique has also changed greatly. However, you can at most maintain the powers of Rumbling Heavens for one moment. If you were to forcefully open the Hades, the moment your strength was released, your body would also be smashed into smithereens with no chance of survival.”
“Alright!” Yun Che gradually nodded. Both his hands clenched tightly but his face did not reveal any disappointment, fear or unwillingness to resign. Instead, there was a slight smile that had a hint of ferocity, “Since you said it’s possible, then there’s definitely a possibility!”
“Judging from what you said, are you prepared to bet your life?”
“Heh, since I’m going to die, why shouldn’t I bet?!” Yun Che laughed lowly.
“Hahahaha,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit laughed heartily once again. “As a person that is about to die, you aren’t thinking about how miserable your life is but instead how to die even more miserably! As expected, this noble one did not choose the wrong person and also did not save the wrong person. Your blazing integrity and resolve is worthy enough of the Golden Crow’s blood and Golden Crow’s soul in your body!
“This noble one is not going to stop you since you have already decided. You should hurry to return to the Profound Sky Continent then. You should know that the devilish blood within Xuanyuan Wentian’s body is awakening every day and his strength is also increasing by the day. The longer you day this, the greater the certainty of your death! If you really can exterminate Xuanyuan Wentian, the entire Illusory Demon Realm will be saved because of you and your death would be worth it!”
“I understand,” Yun Che muttered under his breath. “But, I still need some time… perhaps two or three days.”
“Hmph, is all this for your final farewell?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit said without care.
“…Other than that, there’s one more thing.” Yun Che turned around, looked into the distance as his gaze gradually became hazy. Two hazy figures appeared in his heart and gradually became more and more clear. Also, gradually… they bonded together and became one figure…
“I want to return to Azure Cloud Continent to see Ling’er… I want to know whether what I witnessed and experienced six years ago was a dream or not,” Yun Che’s voice softened as though he was recalling his dream.
“Since you’re determined to die, what’s the point in meeting her?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly said. After reading Yun Che’s memories, she knew who “Ling’er” was and also knew what “dream” he referred to. However, as the spirit of a divine beast, it knew nothing of the love between humans.
“I’m okay with a look from afar.” Yun Che faintly smiled, “If that wasn’t a dream and it was really Ling’er, even if I were to die, I can die feeling a little more satisfied.”
“Then when are you preparing to go? The Azure Cloud Continent is millions of kilometers away rom the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“Right now!” Yun Che said without hesitation.
He did not prepare to say his farewells with the Little Demon Empress or his parents because this would undoubtedly increase their worries. Furthermore, he had absolutely no way of explaining everything.
If the Azure Cloud Continent’s Ling’er was actually a dream, he would completely give up hope as well. If that were really Ling’er… he would fulfill his wish before returning to spend his remaining time with them.
After that, he would use his life… to bring Xuanyuan Wentian with him to hell!!
Chapter 873 – Finally Returned to Azure Cloud
The Azure Cloud Continent was about five million kilometers away from the Profound Sky Continent. The distance between the Illusory Demon Realm and the Azure Cloud Continent was about that far as well. Jasmine had once told him that with the remaining power left in the Primordial Profound Ark, it could at most make one round trip to the Azure Cloud Continent.
However, given Yun Che’s current state, once was already enough.
After leaving Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, Yun Che did not return to Demon Imperial City but instead immediately activated the Primordial Profound Ark. Jasmine had already left behind the location of the Azure Cloud Continent in his memory.
The consequences of going to the Azure Cloud Continent were something he could not predict. However, if he did not go, it would remain a massive regret in his life.
The spatial transfer of millions of kilometers similarly only required one moment.
Leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che’s emotions were suddenly in a turmoil… Because, the ground that he stepped on, was the already familiar yet exceptionally distant Azure Cloud Continent.
“Azure Cloud Continent…” He muttered under his breath. His master, his Ling’er, all that happened within this world. Countless memories and images flooded his mind like surging waves and rumbled violently. No one could understand his experiences of two lifetimes and similarly, no one could understand how he was feeling right now.
A gentle mountain breeze blew, calming Yun Che’s heart. He finally looked at his surroundings. In front of his eyes was a mountain that meandered upwards. It’s highest peaks were above the clouds and turning around, five hundred kilometers of scenery could be seen… He was obviously standing on the side of a tall mountain.
Yun Che quietly looked at his surroundings and quickly, a name flashed past his mind.
This was…
Grandwake Mountain!!
His heart was greatly shocked… The position that Jasmine had imprinted in his soul was not just the general location of the Azure Cloud Continent but it accurately pinpointed the location of the Grandwake Mountain that stood nearby!!
As for the Grandwake Clan Su Ling’er belonged to, it lay at the foot of this Grandwake Mountain!
His heart fluttered and he was unable to calm down. Yun Che was not in the mood to admire the scenery of Grandwake Mountain. He immediately descended and before long, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.
A huge jade green forest stretched at the foot of Granwake Mountain. Entering the forest, Yun Che slowed down his footsteps and walked ever more and more slowly. Six years ago, within the dreamlike world, this place was also a large forest. Then, Su Ling’er excitedly brought him to the forest while jumping and hopping… because, this was her favorite place.
This place, was also a forest.
If…
If everything was real, the other end of the forest, would be the Grandwake Clan she resided in.
Yun Che’s footsteps became lighter as though he was afraid that his movement might disrupt the gentle breeze here. He especially desired to meet Su Ling’er but was also afraid that everything from start to end had been just a dream…
The forest was exceptionally quiet except for the sound of the wind blowing and the branches rustling. There was no other movement nor were there any figures of people or beasts. Rather than quiet, it would be more accurate to describe it as eerily lonely.
Yun Che continued moving and after walking for some time, he suddenly stopped.
In the midst of the dense forest, there was a small plot of empty land. In the middle of the empty land, there was a bamboo house that lay quietly there.
The bamboo house was small and simple and even looked rather old. All the bamboo was now yellowish in color.
Looking at the small bamboo house, Yun Che’s eyes blurred. He hurried forward and opened the unlatched bamboo door.
Inside the bamboo house, there was a small bed and table made of bamboo. Yun Che stretched out his trembling hand and gently pressed onto the bamboo bed. The bed was simple yet sturdy. Following his palm, coming into contact with it, it made a soft “squeaking” noise… there was not one speck of dust on the bed either.
Looking up, at the top of the bamboo house, there was a round hole. At night, the bright moonlight would shine through from above and illuminate the entire interior of the house.
For six whole years, other than the bamboo turning yellow, nothing about the bamboo house had changed… It was as though it was a baby that had been carefully loved and cared for in one’s arms. For six whole years, there was no damage at all.
“Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s really Ling’er…”
Yun Che’s mind crashed. His vision became completely blurred, his emotions a complete mess, his soul trembling furiously. Every ounce of blood within him boiled with intensity… Although Jasmine had repeatedly told him with complete confidence that the “illusion” from six years ago was definitely not an illusion, he still bore a sense of disbelief… He dared not believe that there was a truth in this world that was so perfect that it was like a dream. He dared not hoped that he could still hug the Ling’er that he had already lost for eternity.
However, this forest and the small bamboo house that he built for Su Ling’er within the forest proved that whatever happened six years ago was not a dream but actually reality. It was a truth that he dared not even imagine in his dreams.
“Ling’er… Ling’er… Ling’er!!!”
The warm feeling that engulfed his entire body was not going to his head. Yun Che rushed out of the house, continuously calling Su Ling’er’s name and rushed like a madman in the direction of the Grandwake Clan in his memory.
Countless green bamboos were knocked down by him but he could not be bothered about it and continuously sped up.
Just when he was about to leap into the sky, a blowing wind from in front brought an abnormal pungent smell along.
This was a smell Yun Che was exceptionally familiar with… this was obviously the smell of a rotting corpse!!
As though a pail of cold water had just been poured onto him, Yun Che’s senses seemed to swiftly recover from his vigorous agitation to a clear mind. This was clearly very close to Grandwake Clan… why was there such a strong smell of a rotting corpse?
Yun Che sped up as he moved forward, the smell in the air becoming stronger and stronger. Gradually, the forest in front was no longer intact and there was a large amount of damage. The ground and the body of the bamboo were all filled with stains of blood that had already dried up long ago.
“…” Yun Che eyebrows sunk and a corpse also appeared in his sight then.
Within a forest like this, the speed at which a corpse decayed would not be too quick. Judging from the condition of the rotting corpse in front, it had already been dead for half a month. However, what caused Yun Che’s heart to grip tightly was the bloodstained clothes that the corpse wore…
That was obviously the clothing of someone from the Grandwake Clan!
Furthermore, there was not just that corpse. As Yun Che continued forward, the front part of the forest had been completely destroyed. Dried up stains of blood covered the entire floor and broken bamboos. The further forward he proceeded, the more corpses there were. In the end, all the corpses were stacked up together and the scene was startling. The pungent smell of rotting corpses completely covered the fresh air coming from the bamboo forest.
Along the way, he saw close to a thousand corpses altogether. The time which they died was fairly close to one another and judging from their clothes, they all belonged to the Grandwake Clan!
Yun Che’s expression became worse and worse, his previous agitation and mad joy was replaced by a bone piercing coldness… Let alone thousands of corpses, even if ten thousand or a hundred thousand laid in front of Yun Che, his expression would not change. However, this was near the Grandwake Clan and for half a month, no one bothered with the corpses of these members of Grandwake Clan!
This undoubtedly proved that something terrible had happened to the Grandwake Clan!!
Then, Ling’er…
An icy cold aura spread from Yun Che’s spine to the top of his head. His fists clenched tightly, his scalp numb and he rushed forward towards the Grandwake Clan like lightning.
Just what had happened to the Grandwake Clan?
Ling’er… you must be fine… I pray for your safety!!!
Yun Che activated the Extreme Mirage Lightning at full strength and very quickly, the Grandwake Clan from six years ago appeared before his eyes.
Staring at the southern door of the Grandwake Clan from afar, although Yun Che was extremely worried, he did not immediately barge in. Instead, he stopped, hid his aura with the hidden flowing lightning before he proceeded silently towards the Grandwake Clan.
Within the Grandwake Clan, several figures were moving about. It did not seem like they were in any peril nor was there any extremely cautious aura. Everything looked as though it was normal. Sneaking into the Grandwake Clan, Yun Che soon realized that there were several unusually strong auras among them.
Thirty two Thrones, two level two Overlords, and even one level eight Overlord!!
Yun Che’s gaze instantly became cold.
The Grandwake Clan and Blackwood Stronghold reigned within the region of the Country of Supwake and the Grandwake Clan was slightly stronger than the Blackwood Stronghold. Here, the Sky Profound Realm was already a pinnacle existence. If a Throne were to appear, he was sufficient to reign over the entire Rivereast. Even the two hegemons of the Grandwake Clan and Blackwood Stronghold were not at the level of Thrones either.
However, right now, there were thirty two Thrones and three Overlords who suddenly appeared with the Grandwake Clan!
And their profound auras were obviously not those of the members of the Grandwake Clan.
Yun Che gritted his teeth slightly, his heart was expanding with unease. He could only constantly pray for Su Ling’er’s safety in his heart and that nothing had happened to her… Otherwise, he would not be able to predict what kind of crazy things he would do!!!
Inhaling deeply, Yun Che hurriedly sneaked into the Grandwake Clan and directly went to the positions of those Overlords. Then, as he passed by two disciples of Grandwake Clan, he heard their conversation.
“…Back then, if the clan master wasn’t kind enough to adopt me, I would have lost my life already. I wouldn’t even need to compare with what I have now… However, I’ve betrayed the clan master… Sigh, sometimes, when I think about it, I’m really inhumane.”
“Your choice was not wrong. You have already seen that those who were stubborn and maintained their loyalty are all dead. After all, they were the Seven Star Divine Hall. Only idiots would be foolish enough to go against them.”
Seven Star Divine Hall!?
This name caused Yun Che’s eyes to shrink slightly.
“Sigh, why must clan master be so stubborn. Follow Young Clan Master’s plan and leech off Seven Star Divine Hall. This is something other sects could never even dream about…”
“I heard that even though the clan master has already been trapped for so long, he still refuses to say anything. No one knows why he’s persevering this hard. He would give up a rare opportunity and seek death. No idea if we should call him righteous or stubborn…”
The conversation between the two suddenly stopped and two ice cold palms suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gripped their throats firmly.
The eyes of the two Grandwake Clan disciples expanded and their faces revealed shock. It was as though they had just seen a ghost.
“The clan master you all are referring to, is he Su Hengshan?
The two of them nodded in fear, unable to utter any sound.
“Tell me, where is he being kept?” Yun Che’s voice was bone chillingly ice cold. However, once he found out that Su Hengshan had not died, he felt slightly more relieved.
The hand that gripped the guy on the right gradually loosened, allowing him to utter in a difficult voice, “He’s in… the cell… the inner most one…”
“Then what about Su Ling’er?” As Yun Che asked this question, his chest expanded greatly once again.
The two of their eyes widened and drifted away as they both shook their heads.
“Heh…” Yun Che laughed unusually creepily, “Remember, in your next lives, don’t be ungrateful beasts!”
With a soft crack, the bones in both throats were instantly and mercilessly destroyed by the enraged Yun Che.
Chapter 874 – Extreme Fury
Yun Che had a very clear impression of the Grandwake Clan’s dungeon. Back then, when Su Ling’er led him around to observe the Grandwake Clan, she had once mentioned that the dungeon was at the extreme east and it was also a place that she had never approached.
Yun Che concealed his presence but he was still incomparably quick as he speedily moved to the most inner portion of the Grandwake Clan. In just a few moments, he had already flashed past not even three meters in front of a Grandwake Clan disciple. However, the other party did not have any reaction at all. He basically did not even catch a glimpse of a shadow flashing past at all.
Based on the location in his memories, the entrance to the prison of the Grandwake Clan should soon appear before Yun Che’s eyes. The turbid air that was suffusing toward him was the best proof.
In front of the dungeon, six people kept guard. Among them, four wore the uniform of the Grandwake Clan, evidently the disciples of the Grandwake Clan. However, the other two people were dressed in black and on the front of their chests, they were marked with a faint yellow constellation intersected vertically and horizontally by seven stars.
Yun Che’s brows fiercely furrowed… This seven-star mark was the proof of being a disciple of Seven Stars Divine Palace! In the Azure Cloud Continent, not a single person dared to impersonate one!
Seven Stars Divine Palace was one of the biggest sects in the Azure Cloud Continent. Along with Heaven Thwarting Sect and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, they were the three great overlords of Azure Cloud Continent. The three powers could be said to be the pillars of the continent and their positions in Azure Cloud Continent, were not any less than the Four Great Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent!
Just what was going on? Seven Stars Divine Palace and the Grandwake Clan were clearly existences from two completely different planes, how did the small Grandwake Clan offend Seven Stars Divine Palace?
Just what in the world happened!?
Ling’er… Where’s Ling’er… What happened to her!?
Four Grandwake Clan disciples were earnestly guarding the entrance of the dungeon. Every single one of them was standing straight and upright and the weapons in their hands were gripped firmly. They did not even dare to glance at the two Seven Stars Divine Palace disciples in front of them. Their cautious and fearful looks were as if they were shivering ants facing a devil god.
The two Divine Palace disciples crookedly sat on the ground, their faces filled with irritation. The corners of their eyes would occasionally glance at the four Grandwake Clan disciples behind them, filled with looks of extreme disdain. The one on the right leisurely said, “I really wonder what Hall Chief is thinking. He’s actually staying in a place like this in the middle of nowhere for so many days. In a small place like this where even I can poke everyone to death with a single finger, how can there be any decent treasure?”
The other Divine Palace disciple scanned his surroundings with narrowed eyes and suddenly said with a suppressed voice, “I heard from rumors that Hall Chief bringing us out this time… was actually the Palace Chief’s intention.”
“Wh… What? That… That can’t be, right? This place… With a status like that of the Palace Chief, how could there possibly be anything that’d interest him?”
“Now that isn’t something I know about and it’s something impossible for us little figures to know about either. We just have to earnestly listen and obey orders. It’s best if we don’t inquire about it too much.”
While hearing these two terrifying experts, who donned the seven stars and had profound strength at the Emperor Profound Realm, actually referring to themselves as “little figures”, the four Grandwake Clan disciples gulped down their saliva one after another. They looked even more terrified than before.
“But, from what I’ve heard from the Hall Chief, he seemed to have already ascertained that the item is in Su Ling’er’s hands. As long as that Su Ling’er is found, the mission this time will be completed. However, half a month has already passed and that little brat has yet to be found.”
“It is reported that her profound strength is merely at the Spirit Profound Realm. She can’t even fly, so where can she escape to? She is probably hiding in the deep mountains or in old forests that very few people go to. Hmph, the entire Country of Supwake is currently sealed by us and the Supwake Imperial Family. All of the sects are undergoing the search according to our orders as well, so even an ant shouldn’t even think of flying out of our grasp. I guess that at most in another three days, we can capture her and bring her back here.”
Yun Che clearly heard Su Ling’er’s name from these two Divine Palace disciples’ conversation!
She was actually being hunted by Seven Stars Divine Palace!
From their conversation, Su Ling’er had yet to be found. This was a huge relief.
However, she, who was just a sixteen-year-old girl with profound strength at the Spirit Profound Realm, was actually being hunted by the powerful Seven Stars Divine Palace and was also being pursued all around the country by all of the sects of the Country of Supwake and the Supwake Imperial Family. Furthermore, they had even unhesitatingly sealed the entire Country of Supwake in order to capture her… Not to mention, this had continued for around half a month!!
In this half a month, every breath must have been an unimaginable terror and nightmare for Su Ling’er…
Extremely thick anger, killing intent and hatred wildly grew and surged within Yun Che’s chest. He instantly broke out of the seal of his Hidden Flowing Lightning and flew into the sky. From his tightly clenched hands, a seemingly ear-trembling bone-grinding noise had even rung out.
“Who is it!?”
The two Divine Palace disciples were instantly startled into action. However, the moment they spoke out, before they could even stand up, a pair of crimson red eyes that looked as though they were dyed in blood had already appeared before them.
Bang bang!!
Fiery light exploded. The two Divine Palace disciples had instantly turned into ash and they did not even have the time to let out screams. Furthermore, even right to their deaths, they did not clearly see just who sent them to the pits of hell.
The four Grandwake Clan disciples who were guarding the entrance of the dungeon were all standing blankly, their expressions dumbfounded. Their eyeballs were protruding out, as though their horrified souls had already scattered into the air. They wanted to scream out loud but their throats felt as if they were being stuffed by something so they could only let out dry groaning noises under their intense fear.
“As members of the Grandwake Clan, you people actually harmed the family of your own Clan Master and become dogs… Do you people still have the face to live!?”
Yun Che’s body trembled. Under his extreme anger, his Phoenix flames and Golden Crow flames were both at the brink of losing control as they violently burnt around his body. With a wave of his palm, the four Grandwake Clan disciples instantly sank into the sea of flames, turning to ash.
At the same time, the dungeon gate which was constructed with profound metals directly melted as well. Whilst carrying a terrifying heat wave and surging fury, Yun Che charged into the dungeon.
The loud sounds and irregular aura had undoubtedly and immediately startled the entire Grandwake Clan… Especially the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace. In an instant, a roar sounded in all directions within the Grandwake Clan and seemingly everyone had charged straight towards the direction of the dungeon.
“Who is it!? Who dares to break into the dungeon… Ah!!!”
There were three waves of guards in the dark dungeon. The moment they realized an anomaly, they had already been heartlessly smashed into pieces by Yun Che. Fresh blood and tattered corpses rained down on the rancid smelling dungeon floor.
The alarm bells were already sounding loudly outside but Yun Che did not care in the least. All the obstructions and doors within the dungeon were brutally smashed apart by him. Rather than saying he was moving hastily through the dungeon, it would be more accurate to say that the entire dungeon was being brutally chiselled through.
Very quickly, Yun Che charged into the extreme depths of the dungeon without pause. This was the darkest place in the entire dungeon. There were no lights and one could not see his fingers of his stretched hand due to how pitch-black it was. However, Yun Che could clearly sense an extremely frail aura.
Yun Che swung out his palm and a ball of scarlet red flames lighted up at the side of the wall. The flames instantly brightened the entire dungeon.
At the end of the dungeon was a jet black wall forged by profound metals and a person was being tightly pinned to the wall with several dozen chains. His robe was ragged and his entire body was drenched in blood. His aura was weak, seemingly on his last breath. Evidently, he had endured immense torture. A large half of his face was covered by his dishevelled hair, while the remaining half of his face was blurred with streaks of dried bloodstains.
However, Yun Che was still able to recognize on first glance that this person was actually the Clan Master of the Grandwake Clan, father of Su Ling’er—Su Hengshan!!
A violent emotion charged right into Yun Che’s head, however, it was then immediately fiercely suppressed. Yun Che took in a heavy breath and hurriedly charged forward. “Clan Master Su!”
Bang bang bang bang…
Several masses of flames shot out from Yun Che’s hand, burning and breaking all of the chains on Su Hengshan’s body.
The shattered chains rattled as they felt onto the ground. Su Hengshan’s body shook and then limply fell towards the ground, however, he was then immediately caught and held tightly by Yun Che.
Su Hengshan was not unconscious. He slowly raised his head, his blurry vision passed through his dishevelled hair and looked at the youth who had suddenly appeared before his eyes. “You… are…”
His voice was dry and coarse but after just speaking those two words, he suddenly paused. Even his pair of initially dimly lit eyes had instantly widened, emitting out a trembling glow…
They had not met for more than six years. Yun Che had grown about half a foot and even his expression and demeanor were greatly different than before. However, his appearance did not undergo an overly obvious transformation. Adding that while Su Ling’er had been obsessed with him in these few years, looking forward to see him every single day, Su Hengshan was concerned about Su Ling’er so it was natural that he would not forget Yun Che’s appearance.
“You… are… you are Yun Che!?”
“It’s me!” Yun Che strongly nodded, his eyes grew slightly warm.
“It’s really… you?” Su Hengshan tremblingly stretched out his hand, not daring to believe his own eyes.
“It’s really me…” Yun Che pressed his palm against Su Hengshan’s chest, inserting the pure energy of heaven and earth into his body. “Clan Master Su, I’m Yun Che. I’ve returned!”
Under Yun Che’s nature energy, Su Hengshan could feel a clear and cooling sensation spreading through his entire body. In just a short span of a few breaths, vitality was actually quickly being birthed from his initially weak and powerless body. His messed up senses quickly regained their clarity and even his withered profound energy was recovering at an astonishing speed.
“Yun Che… You…” Su Hengshan’s excitement was now accompanied by shock and disbelief. For a moment, he felt as though he was living in a dream. However, as his spirits gradually regained clarity, he suddenly realized something and anxiously said. “No… Hurry and leave… Leave now!!”
Boom!!
A loud reverberation came from behind as the entrance of the dungeon was violently blasted apart by an immense strength.
Yun Che slowly turned around. The killing intent and anger he had been desperately holding in was rumbling in his chest, about to burst apart. He sensed twenty-six auras charging into the dungeon, while the other auras were surrounding the outside of the dungeon.
Among these twenty-six auras, there were three Overlords that belonged to Seven Stars Divine Palace… At the very front, there was even a level eight Overlord, who should be the one commanding all of the Divine Palace disciples here!
“This is bad… There’s no time left!”
The quickly approaching auras and reverberations turned all of Su Hengshan’s excitement into fear. He stood up in a struggling manner, wanting to stand in front of Yun Che. “Yun Che, being able to see you again right before my death and having you risk your life to save me has already cleared a large part of my regrets. At the very least… At the very least, Ling’er’s six years of obsessive anticipation were not for nothing. However, the people at the other side are very terrifying… They are more terrifying than you imagine… If you have the opportunity later, please escape… You don’t need to worry about me…”
Yun Che pushed out his palm, blocking Su Hengshan behind him and slowly shook his head.
If Su Hengshan could see Yun Che’s eyes right now, he would definitely be shocked to the point of being speechless.
That was a pair of eyes belonging to a crazed fiend covered in blood.
The palm he used to press towards Su Hengshan’s chest turned into a grab, as he rose into the air while carrying Su Hengshan along.
Boom!!
With a loud sound, the roof of the dungeon was immediately blasted apart and eye-piercing rays of light rained down. When Yun Che descended again, he was already standing outside the dungeon along with Su Hengshan, their feet already stepping on the ground of the eastern courtyard of Grandwake Clan.
Chapter 875 – Living Hell
Carrying Su Hengshan, the moment Yun Che landed on the ground, he was instantly surrounded by a large group of people.
Undoubtedly, the people who surrounded them were all disciples of the Grandwake Clan. When they saw Sun Hengshan covered in bloodstains and his dishevelled hair, though some had complicated and cramped expressions for a moment, there was not the least bit of hesitation in surrounding them. Rows of sparkling weapons were pointed straight at them.
“You still wish to run… Let me see where you’re going to run off to!”
An overbearing voice resounded from the collapsed dungeon. Hearing this voice, the name “Su Haoran” flashed past Yun Che’s mind.
Su Hengshan’s only son, Su Ling’er’s brother from a different mother… Someone who he had already been extremely disgusted with in the “dreamscape” six years ago.
The crowd split open and the twenty-six people Yun Che sensed earlier leisurely walked over.
Walking at the very front was a middle-aged man dressed entirely in black robe. His appearance was on the thin side with a slight hint of paleness and the most conspicuous part of his body, was the constellation of seven stars marked on the black robe on the front of his chest. The constellation was deep green, highlighting that he had a considerable status in Seven Stars Divine Palace. As he walked, his entire body emitted out a lofty aura of someone in a high position, as though he was the king overlooking everything in this piece of land, while the rest were merely ants.
The profound aura emitting from his body, was to the extent of the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.
Behind him were two middle-aged men who were similarly dressed in black robes and had light green constellations marked on the front of their chests. They were precisely the other two Overlords Yun Che sensed… But they were both early stage Overlords.
Further behind, were a few familiar faces.
Su Haoran, who shouted out earlier!!
Su Hengyue, who collaborated with Blackwood Stronghold and wanted to force Su Hengshan to hand over the key to the treasure!
Su Wangji—the Grand Elder with the highest seniority in the Grandwake Clan!!
Even Heimu Qingya, the Blackwood Stronghold Master who was scared off by Xia Qingyue back then, was in the formation as well!
Furthermore, from the way these people walked in, it seemed Su Haoran was taking the lead.
And these people were like a bunch of pugs walking behind the three Overlords of Seven Stars Divine Palace. Their bodies were slightly arched, taking up respectful postures, as though merely walking with them was like an extremely fearful matter.
When they saw Yun Che, they were stunned at the same time as well. Following after, Su Haoran was the first to recall him and exclaimed. “It’s… It’s you!!”
The black-robed man at the very front had been sizing up Yun Che with cold eyes the entire time. Hearing Su Haoran’s shout, he lightly said. “It seems you recognize this person?”
“Ah… Yes.” As the black-robed man suddenly questioned him, Su Haoran’s waist hurriedly bent down a little more. “We met a few years ago but he’s just a little figure and doesn’t bear mentioning. He isn’t worth being mentioned to Lord Divine Envoy.”
“Little figure?” The black-robed man who was referred to as “Lord Divine Envoy” coldly snorted. “A young level six Overlord can actually be a little figure?”
When these words fell, no matter if they were people of the Grandwake Clan or Seven Stars Divine Palace, all of them were shocked on the spot. The people who had met Yun Che six years ago were even standing there blankly, while even Su Hengshan who was blocked behind Yun Che was greatly astonished.
Su Haoran’s eyes widened and then, he stammered. “Sixth… sixth level Ov… Overlord!? Th-th-that’s… That’s impossible. Six years ago… He was only at the Spirit Profound Realm… How could he…”
“What? Could it be that this great one’s sensing abilities are inferior to yours!?” The black-robed divine envoy’s voice suddenly turned cold.
Su Haoran instantly trembled, as he said fearfully. “No no no, this little one has misspoken. Even if this little one had ten thousand more guts, I wouldn’t dare to suspect Lord Divine Envoy. I beg Lord Divine Envoy for your forgiveness.”
Watching his own son groveling like a pug, Su Hengshan’s expression was indifferent, seemingly not a single hint of pain could be seen on his face… because he had long been numbed by the immense pain and grief.
“Young man, I sense that your age should not be over thirty, yet you already possess such cultivation,” the black-robed divine envoy lightly said. “Even in our Seven Stars Divine Palace, a talent of this level is still of the highest caliber. You shouldn’t be someone nameless but from your appearance, it’s not likely that you hail from Heaven Thwarting Sect or Soaring Celestial Sword Sect either. What is your name? Which sect do you hail from? Who is your master?” His expression fiercely sank. “And who gave you the guts to provoke our Seven Stars Divine Palace!?”
A level six Overlord whose age had yet to reach thirty. Though the black-robed divine envoy was not afraid, he was unable to stay calm in his heart. That was why he did not immediately make a move and instead wanted to pull out his background. However, no matter what background he had, it was impossible for them to fear him… Because they were Seven Stars Divine Palace!
Even if this person was truly from Heaven Thwarting Sect or Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, at the very most, he could only stand at the same level as them.
Under the energy of heaven and earth that came from Yun Che, Su Hengshan had already recovered a great amount of his vitality. He struggled to step forward, strongly pushing Yun Che away and roared out. “Old thief, this young man has simply mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know him at all! If you have the guts, then come and kill him right now!”
He fiercely turned his head towards Yun Che and with an even louder voice, roared out. “Look clearly, I’m Su Hengshan, not Ling Datong. This place is the Grandwake Clan, not the Second Profound Clan that you’re looking for! The matters of my Grandwake Clan, the life and death of I, Su Hengshan, are not matters that you, an outrageous outsider, can meddle in! Why have you not left yet!? Scram!!”
Yun Che: “…”
He understood Su Hengshan’s intentions. He was telling him that the people in front of them were not people he could possibly deal with. He wanted him to immediately leave and then look for Ling’er.
Looking at the situation in front of his eyes, the groveling Su Haoran and his men and those corpses dressed in the the Grandwake Clan’s robes found in the bamboo forest… By putting together these details, Yun Che had already more or less understood what happened in the Grandwake Clan. He held back the impulse to massacre everyone here, took a step forward and spoke with an incomparably calm tone. “Have you people located any traces of the places Su Ling’er has been to? If you have, then speak now so I can let you people die a little more pleasantly.”
Su Hengshan was instantly stunned, his stretched out palms had powerlessly drooped down. The eyes of the black-robed divine envoy fiercely narrowed and laughter resounded in the surroundings. The disciples of Seven Stars Divine Palace especially, were seemingly laughing in concert, the initial cautiousness they had when looking at Yun Che had turned into incomparable ridicule… and even pity.
“Heh.” The black-robed divine envoy let out a light cold laugh and leisurely said, “It seems like though your talent is pretty good, your brain isn’t that bright… Oh, I’m mistaken, it’s pure idiocy.”
Su Haoran’s face was filled with gloating and he arrogantly roared out. “Yun Che, never did I expect that after six years, you’re actually seeking death the moment you return! Do you know who this great figure standing front of you is!? He’s a dignified Divine Palace Envoy of Seven Stars Divine Palace! If you immediately kneel and kowtow now, you might still have a chance. Lord Divine Envoy is magnanimous, he might be able to grant you a full corpse.”
Yun Che’s eyes did not even bat Su Haoran a glance, as his eyes slowly narrowed. “I will say it again, tell me all of the information concerning Su Ling’er and I can let you people die a little more pleasantly!”
“Heh,” the black-robed divine envoy let out a low laugh. “It seems like, you’re intentionally seeking death!”
Yun Che did not move his body. With only his finger, he lightly tapped towards that Divine Palace disciple on the right of the black-robed divine envoy.
Bang!!
A slight explosive noise sounded and it was instantly accompanied by an extremely miserable scream. That Divine Palace disciple tumbled onto the ground, as his chest had exploded apart. Violent Golden Crow flames, with his chest as the starting point, spread towards his entire body.
“WAAAAHHH….”
Even a Monarch could barely endure the incinerating heat of the Golden Crow flames, let alone an early stage Overlord… Furthermore, this mass of Golden Crow flames was ignited from within his body! He desperately screamed, desperately rolled about and desperately used his profound energy to resist, however, how could Yun Che’s Golden Crow flames be influenced by his strength!?
This terrifying scene which happened all of a sudden, had made everyone pale in shock and the complexion of the black-robed divine envoy had similarly changed as well. The Divine Palace disciple on his left hurriedly charged forward, wanting to extinguish the “profound flames” on his body. However, the moment his hands made contact with the flames, he suddenly screamed out, as both of his hands had already turned into thick white bones… Following after, the white bones were completely burnt away from the searing flames, while the devil-like flames slowly burnt along his arms, causing him to fall onto the ground amidst intense pain and fear. Like the first Divine Palace disciple, he desperately rolled and screamed out.
The burning of the Golden Crow flames was especially slow as they leisurely devoured their bodies. This process was accompanied by pain that was even crueler than the purgatory in their imaginations. The screams of the two Divine Palace disciples were shrilling like the cries of vile ghosts in hell. Their bodies madly rolled about and spasmed, their eyeballs looked as if they were about to protrude out of their eye sockets from pain and the blue veins on their foreheads were clearly fleshed out like earthworms!
“Kill me… Kill me… I beg you all… Kill me… AAAAHHH!!!”
The voices of despair that they desperately mustered out… were actually their wishes for death.
Bang!!
Following after the change in Yun Che’s expression, the most violent flames in the world suddenly exploded and in an instant, the bodies of the two Divine Palace disciples, like shattered rags, broke into pieces, scattering countless fiery fragments. Before these fragments could even land on the ground, they had already been burnt into nothingness… Forget about tattered corpses, not a single wisp of smoke was left behind. The fiery sparks that splashed onto the ground instantly burnt up thousands of holes like bubbles.
Everyone was completely speechless. Every single one of them stared with widened eyes, their complexions were as pale as paper. The sudden inflation of astonishment and fear made their eyes look as if they were about to explode.
Su Haoran’s face had already been drained of all colours, as he retreated in panic and tremblingly said. “Demonic… Demonic art… It’s a demonic art!!”
The face of the black-robed divine envoy had already distorted completely, no longer carrying the slightest hint of calmness and loftiness. The paleness of his face highlighted the fast surging fear in his inner heart. He stepped backwards and suddenly roared out. “Everyone move… Kill him!!”
When his order fell, the crowd of frightened Divine Palace disciples trembled, as they charged towards Yun Che on conditioned reflex.
Yun Che’s face was ice-cold and he did not even bat his surroundings an eye. The flaming light in his hand turned into blue light and it suddenly flashed.
In an instant, several dozen Trees of Frozen End rose, encasing all the charging Divine Palace disciples within. Countless ice branches that were bone-piercingly cold stretched out, ruthlessly piercing and stabbing through their bodies… However, under the cold air, before their blood could even flow out, they had already been frozen. Even the draining of their lives, had turned especially slow under this cold air.
In thea short span of a single instant, all the Divine Palace disciples had already been buried within the Trees of Frozen End. Every single one of their bodies was penetrated by several dozens of ice branches, like grasshoppers pierced through by poison. However, they did not have any flow of blood, they did not struggle and they could not even die immediately, only their mouths were letting out fearful and shrilling miserable cries.
When overlapping these screams of despair together, it was like a funeral for the dead that originated from the lowest depths of hell!
Chapter 876 – Ling’er’s Whereabouts
Among the disciples of Seven Stars Divine Palace that came here, the weakest was still a Throne, not to mention that there were two early stage Overlords. Any one of them was a powerful god-like existence to the Grandwake Clan disciples and even to all the profound practitioners of the entire Rivereast Region. However, in a blink of an eye, they were annihilated by flames and penetrated by cold ice.
Not a single one of them made contact with Yun Che’s sleeves, nor was there even a single moment of struggle. They were just a living bunch of worms that charged forward and ended up tyrannically mowed down with a step of his foot.
The sickly pale face of the black-robed divine envoy had already turned miserably white from fear. As level eight Overlord, he had initially felt absolutely assured in his victory over Yun Che, whose profound aura was merely at the sixth level of the Tyrant Realm. However, even if he was an idiot, by now, he should have understood that Yun Che’s strength was definitely not as simple as being in the ranks of a level six Overlord.
The most terrifying thing was that the other party basically did not care about their Seven Stars Divine Palace background in the slightest. During the two times he attacked, they were all fatal blows that were completely relentless with nothing held back!
The feet of the black-robed divine envoy retreated amidst his shock and fear. Then, he fiercely pushed away from the crowd, squeezing out his fastest speed.
However, how could Yun Che possibly let him escape? Reaching out his hand and grasping it, a blue light softly flashed and an ice wall was instantly condensed right in front of the black-robed divine envoy.
Caught by surprise, the black-robed divine envoy, who was desperately squeezing out and escaping, ruthlessly crashed onto the ice wall. Following after, an irresistible immense energy could be felt from behind, pulling him towards Yun Che’s direction at extreme speed.
The black-robed divine envoy desperately struggled. However, even after using all his strength, he was unable to escape from Yun Che’s power in the slightest. Under immense fear, vile intentions sprouted amidst his fright. He no longer struggled but had instead suddenly turned around. Letting out a wild roar, the profound energy in his entire body gathered in his arm and then struck towards Yun Che head-on while carrying an astonishing profound energy vortex.
Boom!
There was neither an ear-trembling blast nor sounds of air explosions but merely a light ring that sounded especially dull. In a casual manner, Yun Che’s hand had already grabbed onto the black-robed divine envoy’s fist, which was infused with all of the divine envoy’s profound energy. In an instant, the profound energy vortex disappeared without a trace, while the profound energy that the black-robed divine envoy condensed had completely scattered as well. His entire body was thus fixated in midair, his eyes widened due to extreme fear and were on the verge of exploding.
Crack!
Yun Che’s face was ice-cold as his hand slightly squeezed. A clear bone shattering sound instantly resounded.
The black-robed divine envoy screamed miserably and he instantly knelt on the ground. His left hand was tightly clasping his right wrist, yet he was unable to free himself in the slightest. The intense pain drained his entire body of its color and his forehead was raining with sweat.
“You… just who in the world… are… you…”
The black-robed divine envoy trembled, his voice was coarse. His strength as an level eight Overlord was actually this weak in the face of the person in front of him. To be capable of accomplishing a feat of this extent, one definitely had to possess strength at the level of a Monarch.
Even in his dreams he would never have expected that the foreign young man who suddenly appeared in front of him was actually a Monarch!
As for the surrounding Grandwake Clan disciples, their souls had already scattered from astonishment. The faces of Su Haoran, Su Hengyue, and the rest had long lost all of their color. They wanted to retreat but their legs had gone incomparably limp due to their intense trembling. Forget about escaping, they would soon be incapable of even standing stably.
Their current postures were not just because of their astonishment and fear… Yun Che’s aura had long enveloped all of their bodies; it was as though an enormous mountain was heavily pressing them down.
Facing the black-robed divine envoy’s question, Yun Che simply smiled with incomparable coldness.
Crack crack crack…
Like several hundreds of beans exploding at the same time, the bones of the entire right arm of the black-robed divine envoy were heartlessly shattered in a blink of an eye. The black-robed divine envoy let out the miserable squeal of pigs being slaughtered and his entire body spasmed like a worm that was about to die. Large beads of sweat wildly poured down from all over his body.
“Spare my life… Hero… Spare… my… spare my life…”
His instincts to plead for his life caused the black-robed divine envoy to let out cries for mercy, his distorted face was filled with a lowly, pleading look. Yun Che was still grabbing onto his bone-shattered right hand without loosening his grip and he coldly said, “I shall ask one last time, tell me all the news you have received about Su Ling’er, otherwise…”
“I will say it… I will say it!” The black-robed divine envoy desperately nodded as he hissed out under intense pain. “Six… Six hours ago… I received news… that someone in the Mythical Abode Mountain Range… saw a person who was most likely Su Ling’er… This is all I know… Presently, this is all the news concerning Su Ling’er… Spare my life… I’m someone from Seven Stars Divine Palace… Spare my life…”
Hearing the black-robed divine envoy’s words, Yun Che’s body trembled, his eyes revealed an incomparably agitated glow.
Mythical Abode Mountain Range?
Located south of the Country of Supwake, separating Country of Supwake and Southern Sky Country was the Mythical Abode Mountain Range!
The Cloud’s End Cliff which he fell into back then, was exactly within the Mythical Abode Mountain Range.
Yun Che calmed his breathing and continued. “If that’s the case, according to the news received, I assume all the people of your Seven Stars Divine Palace are currently gathered at the Mythical Abode Mountain Range to capture Su Ling’er?”
“Yes…” The black-robed divine envoy nodded tremblingly.
“Good…” Yun Che’s eyes revealed a fierce light. “Right now, you shall do something for me. Immediately send a sound transmission to your people and have them stop chasing after Su Ling’er this instant!”
“Ah…” The black-robed divine envoy’s eyes widened. “Hero… There’s something you’re unaware of… The people chasing after Su Ling’er… are all under the instructions of an elder in our Divine Palace… I am but a mere Hall seat… and I’m only staying here to interrogate… Su Hengshan… I’m basically… unable to give them orders… Ugh…”
Yun Che’s expression sank and no longer wasted any more of his breath on him. His other hand suddenly stretched out and his profound handle charged straight into the black-robed divine envoy’s soul.
The black-robed divine envoy’s will had long crumbled under the fear and pain and his soul was basically devoid of any retaliating forces. In an instant, the consciousness of his soul was infiltrated by the profound handle.
Yun Che began to quickly retrieve his recent month’s’ worth of memories. The causes and consequences behind all the Grandwake Clan’s changes gradually surfaced in his mind.
The history of the Grandwake Clan was not considered long and until now, with everything calculated in, it had only amounted to about nine hundred years. On the six hundredth year, when an ancestor of Grandwake Clan headed towards the southern territory, he coincidentally saved someone who had been miserably hunted down and was at his dying breath. However, that person still ended up losing his life in the end and right before he died, he handed a pitch-black box to him.
Stored inside was something called the 【Coiling Dragon Feeler】.
The Coiling Dragon Feeler was similar to the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus which Xia Qingyue ate back then, it was something comparable to a “sacred object” that could be hardly seen in several hundred years. When Xia Qinyue took the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus after being refined by the Sky Poison Pearl six years ago, she broke through into the Emperor Profound Realm from the Earth Profound Realm in just a single day. On the other hand, the medicinal effects of the Coiling Dragon Feeler were much fiercer than the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus. Profound practitioners with strength below the Sky Profound Realm would immediately die from self-imploding when taking it, making it only usable for profound practitioners with strength comparable to and above the Sky Profound Realm.
If a Sky Profound Realm profound practitioner took in a refined Coiling Dragon Feeler, that profound practitioner would immediately break through a large realm, achieving the level of a Throne.
Furthermore, Seven Stars Divine Palace also possessed a divine pellet that was ranked at the apex of the Azure Cloud Continent and was famous throughout the world—the “Seven Stars Heaven Crossing Pellet”. Its effects were to allow someone at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm to immediately breakthrough that bottleneck, achieving the level of a Overlord, similar to the Overlord Pellet of the Illusory Demon Realm.
And, the material for the “Seven Stars Heaven Crossing Pellet” that was the most important and also the hardest to find, was exactly the Coiling Dragon Feeler. Even with the forces of Seven Stars Divine Palace, they could only find one an average of once every two hundred years. Once traces of a Coiling Dragon Feeler could be sniffed, they would obtain it no matter the price… Even if they had to annihilate an entire clan to seize it.
That person who was saved by the ancestor of the Grandwake Clan, was precisely being hunted down by Seven Stars Divine Palace. Their reason was naturally to seize the Coiling Dragon Feeler from his hands.
The ancestor of the Grandwake Clan brought the Coiling Dragon Feeler back to the Grandwake Clan from the southern territory. He was deeply aware that this Coiling Dragon Feeler was enough to allow their Grandwake Clan to ascend to the skies and was even more so aware that if this was exposed, a crisis of the annihilation of their clan would probably be brought upon them. He had hesitated for a long time over keeping it and personally handing it to Seven Stars Divine Palace and in the end, he chose the former. He sealed the Coiling Dragon Feeler in an absolutely secret place and left behind an unique key, which was then passed down to every generation of Clan Master. Only when a genius with an upright conduct had broken through the Sky Profound Realm under the age of thirty-five appeared in the clan could it be retrieved with the key, allowing that disciple to take in the Coiling Dragon Feeler and achieve the level of a powerful Throne. That person would then inherit the position as the new Clan Master, leading the Grandwake Clan to even greater and more prosperous heights.
All these were recorded in the secret codex left behind by that ancestor of the Grandwake Clan and this secret codex could only be read by each generation of Grandwake Clan Masters. Thus, other than every generation of Clan Masters, no one else was aware just what this “treasure” being passed down through the generations of Grandwake Clan was. They only knew that only when a peerless genius were to appear in the clan, could the “treasure” finally be retrieved.
In these few years, Su Haoran had been harboring ulterior motives and had deliberately wanted to pry into the secrets of the clan treasure. Then, one time, he took the opportunity while Su Hengshan was not in the clan to overturn his inner chamber and accidentally activated a hidden profound formation. He discovered that secret codex and from then on, found out about the origin and secret behind the clan treasure.
After finding out that one had to be at least in the Sky Profound Realm to take in the Coiling Dragon Feeler and without sufficient profound strength, forcefully taking it in would be undoubtedly an act of suicide, Su Haoran was disappointed and resentful that even if he obtained it, there was nothing he could do with it. However, his foolishness and madness had led him to forming the thought of dedicating it to Seven Stars Divine Palace to curry their favor.
But he did not speak of this to Su Hengshan nor anyone else. Rather, he secretly came up with countless schemes and at all costs, searched for opportunities to speak with people from Seven Stars Divine Palace face-to-face… After all, this was a “huge merit” belonging to him, he definitely could not make use of others to pass on the message.
After two years worth of “hard work,” he finally obtained an opportunity and informed a “divine envoy” of Seven Stars Divine Palace the news of a “Coiling Dragon Feeler” being hidden within the Grandwake Clan face-to-face.
From then on, after Su Haoran, who had received Seven Stars Divine Palace’s “commendation,” returned to the Grandwake Clan, he speedily collaborated with Su Hengyue, Su Wangji and Black Wood Stronghold, to force Su Hengshan to hand over the key to the treasure. With the terrifying “Seven Stars Divine Palace” as their backing, members of the Grandwake Clan fearfully defected to Su Haoran’s side one after another.
As for all those who were not obedient, other than Su Hengshan, they were heartlessly massacred and their corpses were abandoned in the bamboo forest in the rear mountains.
Yun Che’s hand slowly loosened from the black-robed divine envoy’s head, the peripheral light in the corner of his eyes swept towards the trembling Su Haoran. With his head lowered, he slowly said. “It seems you did not lie. In that case, I shall keep my promise and grant you a pleasant death!”
“Uugh…” Deep fear and despair surfaced on the black-robed divine envoy’s face.
Yun Che withdrew his hand, flinging the black-robed divine envoy onto the ground and then, stomped his foot.
Spurt!!!
Yun Che’s right foot instantly stomped through the black-robed divine envoy’s chest, heavily landing onto the ground’s surface. A mashed bloody hole appeared in his chest from the stomp and a large amount of scarlet blood, broken bones and organs fiercely scattered, sprinkling the surrounding area of about a dozen meters with stains of blood.
The four limbs of the black-robed divine envoy spasmed before he completely went silent, no longer making a single breathing sound.
Yun Che raised his leg, yet his leg was not stained even with the slight trace of blood. He kicked away the black-robed divine envoy’s tattered corpse in disgust and then his fingers gently moved.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang…
The Trees of Frozen End that buried all of the Divine Palace disciples heartlessly exploded. The Divine Palace disciples who endured the long ice hell torture let out their final screams of despair as their bodies fragmented and shattered amidst the fluttering snowflakes that filled the sky.
Looking at the scattered ice crystals and broken corpses, the large number of Grandwake Clan disciples in the surroundings toppled onto the ground. Amidst their screams, as though they had awoken from their dreams, all of them dropped the weapons in their hands and fled in a haphazard manner.
“Heh, still thinking of fleeing!?” The corner of Yun Che’s lips revealed a cruel cold smile. His palm slowly opened and flames were ignited. The sky above the Grandwake Clan was suddenly covered entirely in red.
Chapter 877 – A Will That Hovered Between Life and Death
The aura of death hurtled down from below and blanketed the area. The fleeing disciples of the Grandwake Clan screamed in pain and terror as they felt like they had suddenly been thrown into a blazing furnace.
Just as a raging Yun Che was about to burn them all to ashes, Su Hengshan’s hurried shout rang out behind him, “Yun Che! Don’t hurt them!”
Yun Che’s movements stopped for a moment but he only stopped for just that moment. After that, he immediately flipped his palms as the flames that were hovering in the sky mercilessly exploded downwards.
“Stop… STOP!!!”
Those loud yells nearly tore Su Hengshan’s throat… In an instant, the flames which filled the sky stopped in place while Yun Che’s expression fluctuated. Amid the stifling fear which had seized everyone’s heart, he finally took in a deep breath and withdrew his palms.
The flames in the air had all been extinguished as well, immediately allowing the gathered members of the Grandwake Clan to escape that terrifying and hellish furnace. After that, all of them sank to the ground limply, their bodies shaking in fear.
Su Hengshan’s lips trembled before he spoke in an agonised voice, “Spare them. Seven Stars Divine Palace. These four words are far too terrifying, so they had no choice but to go along. It was not even for their own lives but for the lives of all of their family members… Their sin is not worthy of death.”
“Their sin isn’t worthy of death?” Yun Che asked in a deep voice, “Then could it be that you committed a sin that was worthy of death? Or could it be that those other clan members, whose bodies litter the bamboo forest, deserved death?”
“The ones who were truly loyal to the Grandwake Clan have all died a terrible death but these vile things who have betrayed their clan, renounced their ancestors, harmed their fellow clan members and clan master and willingly became someone else’s lapdog deserve to live instead?”
As he thought of his fellow clan members who had thrown their bodies in front of him and collapsed one by one in their own blood, Su Hengshan’s heart was filled with agony. Tears streamed from his eyes as he spoke, “The result of today’s events is mainly due to the uselessness of this clan master and my incompetence in educating my own children. They meant to do me harm but I am unable to watch them suffer injustice. Too many people from the Grandwake Clan have died already… Let them go…”
Yun Che’s words caused all the disciples of the Grandwake Clan to bow their heads in shame but Su Hengshan’s words caused all of them to tremble violently. They felt so ashamed that they wished for death and they were unable to lift their heads.
Since Yun Che had already withdrawn his Golden Crow flames, he was not planning on wiping all of them out anymore. His eyes coldly swept across the surrounding area as his spoke in an incredibly dark and grave tone, “Sincerely kowtow ten times to Clan Master Su. After that is done, all of you are to disappear from my sight immediately! Also, you are never to call yourselves members of the Grandwake Clan ever again!”
Yun Che’s words were undoubtedly a special pardon for all of them. The gathered disciples of the Grandwake Clan collapsed to their knees in panic as they heavily banged their heads against the ground as they faced Su Hengshan… Their kowtows were especially deep and heavy and it was not only due to their desire to live, it was also because of the gratitude and shame that burned in their hearts.
“Clan Master, it is we who have wronged you. We are not even worthy to be called dogs or pigs. We will never have the face to ever see you again, we wish you… all the best!”
“Clan Master, in our next lives, we will definitely work like cows and horses for you in order to repay your great magnanimity…”
Tears streamed down the faces of some of the Grandwake Clan disciples who had finished performing their kowtows. There were others who kowtowed tens of times, smashing their heads against the ground until their heads bled and there were still others who bid farewell to Su Hengshan while kowtowing; they were too ashamed to look him in the eye.
They made their retreat swiftly, before all of them finally dispersed. Yun Che observed their flight coldly but he did not block their retreat.
Su Haoran, Su Hengyue, and Su Wangji were huddled together. All of them were planning on quiety creeping away but a heavy, icy-cold aura suddenly pressed down on them, causing all of them to freeze in place.
“Did I say the three of you could leave?” Yun Che’s bone-piercingly dark voice rang out from behind them.
All of three men trembled as they turned around. Their legs had grown weak and they were on the verge of sinking to their knees. Their lips moved continuously but not a single sound came from their throats.
“Su Hengyue, Su Wangji,” Yun Che said, his dark and tyrannical gaze piercing the two pale-faced men, “Six years ago, the both of you teamed up together with Black Wood Stronghold in order to intimidate and threaten Clan Master Su. Those actions were already equivalent to betraying your clan and even if the both of you had been killed on the spot, it would not have been unjustified. But on account of your relationship with the clan, Clan Master Su not only did not seize the opportunity to severely punish you, he even directly overlooked your actions, deciding not to pursue the matter any further. But the two of you were not only not grateful towards him in the slightest, you actually even conspired to commit such an ungrateful and ugly act!”
“And as for you, Su Haoran,” Yun Che said as he gritted his teeth lightly. “As the Young Clan Master of the Grandwake Clan, you terribly harmed your own clan members and your own father for the sake of personal gain! You destroyed the foundation that the Grandwake Clan had built up for hundreds of years in a single day! You are simply completely devoid of conscience, not even worthy to be called a dog or a pig, a person who deserves to be struck by lightning! So are you shameless enough to still think you deserve to live!!?”
Su Haoran’s entire body trembled uncontrollably before he suddenly knelt to the ground and started kowtowing towards Su Hengshan without stopping, “Father, I was wrong… I’m truly repentant, save me… Save me please… Father!!”
“You still have the face to call him father?” Yun Che said as he slowly advanced towards them, his mind flashing with the most terrible and cruel ways to ensure that they died in great agony. “The fact that Clan Master Su has a son like you and the fact that Ling’er has a elder brother like you is truly the greatest shame of their entire lives.”
“All of you can go as well,” Su Hengshan’s disappointed voice rang out from behind Yun Che, causing their bodies to jump.
“Never ever appear before me again… I have no desire to see any of you again.” Su Hengshan’s eyes were downcast, his voice drifting, it was as if he was talking to himself.
“…” Yun Che’s feet ground to a halt, his face a cold and frigid mask.
Su Haoran and the other two people could barely believe their own ears after they had heard Su Hengshan’s words. All three of them widened their eyes as they climbed to their feet while shaking in fear. They tried to see if they could retreat a few steps… and after that, they practically bowled themselves over as they scrambled to flee like three dogs that had their tails snipped off.
Yun Che stood at his original spot and did not pursue them. It was only after a long period of time that he finally turned around and arrived in front of Su Hengshan.
Su Hengshan sank to the ground limply, his head drooping low amidst his unkempt hair. He muttered to himself, “Yun Che, my present state is definitely something that you despise… Heh heh heh…” He gave a miserable laugh before continuing, “If it was any other clan master, they would have long ago leaped at the chance to personally tear them to shreds but I… I was not able to do so…”
“These past few years, I have always remembered our relationship as a clan and a family. As a result, I kept compromising and giving way to them, thinking that this would definitely be able to correct everything. But in the end, I… am simply not fit to be a clan master. If not for my indecisiveness, compassion and soft-hearted ways, the Grandwake Clan would not have walked this path under my supervision…”
Su Hengshan’s shoulders were heaving as hot tears flowed down his face.
“…” Yun Che did not deny Su Hengshan’s words because six years ago, he had already seen Su Hengshan’s soft-heartedness and compassion.
“Clan Master Su, perhaps you were indeed unfit to be the leader of a clan but at the very least, you are someone worthy of respect and everything you have done in your lifetime has been done with a clear conscience and is above all reproach,” Yun Che said sincerely.
Su Hengshan’s shoulders stopped heaving at those words. He raised his head and steadily looked at Yun Che, “Yun Che, did you come this time for Ling’er? Does the current you still… still remember the words you said six years ago? Are you still willing… to take care of Ling’er?”
The Yun Che six years ago had given him a far too distant and hollow feeling. The current Yun Che had grown strong to the point where Su Hengshan believed that he would never be able to fathom his strength. During these six long years, he had never truly dared to believe that this kind of person would still be willing to marry his ordinary daughter.
“I remember, of course I remember.” Yun Che nodded with incredible vigor, “All of these years, I was not able to return because… because of circumstances that I could not control. But during the past six years, Ling’er has always been on my mind. Don’t worry, I will immediately go and find Ling’er. I will definitely bring Ling’er back safe and sound, no matter what, even if I have to bet my own life.”
“Good… Good!” Su Hengshan’s eyes once again flowed with tears. He could sense the pure sincerity and concern in Yun Che’s voice and eyes… From the moment Yun Che had killed all of the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace for his and Ling’er’s sake, he had no reason to not believe him.
Su Hengshan stretched out a hand and retrieved a small and exquisite crystal. It was shaped like a rhombus and radiated a weak purple light.
“This is?” Yun Che unconsciously spoke.
“This is Ling’er’s soul crystal,” Su Hengshan said softly. After that, he carefully and gently placed it in Yun Che’s hand. Su Hengshan’s solemn and dignified attitude made it seem like he was entrusting his entire world to Yun Che, “As long as this soul crystal does not shatter, it means that Ling’er is still alive. If Ling’er is in the vicinity, its light will grow stronger… I beg you please, definitely find Ling’er.”
Ling’er’s… soul crystal!
Yun Che held it softly in his hand before gravely nodding his head, “Alright. Don’t you worry, I will definitely bring Ling’er back safely.”
“Good, good.” Su Hengshan said with a light nod of his head, a small and relieved smile finally showing on his face, “Then I will entrust… Ling’er to your care.”
Just as he was about to agree, he suddenly sensed that there was something wrong with Su Hengshan’s words.
Just as he had sensed this, Su Hengshan’s entire body shook before his eyes lost their luster. His body slowly toppled to the side, a bright stream of blood running down the side of his mouth.
“Clan Master Su!!”
Yun Che was so startled that the color drained from his face. He rushed to Su Hengshan’s side at lightning speed, extending a hand to catch his body. But he discovered that his life force was swiftly flowing away like a stream of flowing water.
This was… the severing of one’s own life veins!
Yun Che instantly understood what was happening. Su Hengshan wanted him to be able to rescue Su Ling’er without anything distracting him and he was afraid that if he still lived, he would only become a burden on Yun Che which would cause him to delay his rescue of Su Ling’er.
Besides that, he let off those disciples of the Grandwake Clan while feeling like he had let down those fellow clan members who had died for him and acknowledging that today’s result had all been his responsibility.
Therefore, he chose to commit suicide by severing his own life veins once he had entrusted Su Ling’er’s safety to Yun Che.
“Clan Master Su… Clan Master Su!!”
Yun Che continued to shout but Su Hengshan gave no response. This caused Yun Che to immediately recall what had happened all those years ago under the Heavenly Sword Villa’s Sword Management Terrace. His grandfather Yun Canghai had chosen to sever his own lifeline so that Yun Che could see the light of day again…
Yun Canghai had done it for him.
Su Hengshan had done it for Su Ling’er.
He was indeed not qualified as a clan master but he definitely was a great father.
He could not save his grandfather all those years ago, the only thing he could do was kneel on the ground and weep…
Today, while facing another such situation, how could he sit back and allow the same sequence of events to play out right before his eyes!!?
Yun Che firmly gritted his teeth as he activated the Great Way of the Buddha with all of his strength. Instantly, a golden pagoda appeared over his head. Yun Che pressed one hand to Su Hengshan’s brow and the other hand to his heart as he started to pour pure energy of heaven and earth into his body. He firmly sealed the last bit of life force Su Hengshan had as he tried to slowly repair his severed life veins.
“Clan Master Su… Don’t die! Ling’er is still waiting for you! Don’t die!” Yun Che yelled in a low voice as sweat cascaded down his forehead.
The eyes of the Ling’er who had zealously defended him during their past lives was forever clouded by melancholy that could not be dispelled.
So how could he allow the Ling’er who had miraculously been given back to him to return to that previous condition!
Fifteen minutes passed and under the miraculous power of the Rage God, Su Hengshan’s life force stopped slipping away and even started to slowly recover. Su Hengshan’s eyes cracked open, his dull pupils slowly regaining focus. His lips trembled as he croaked in a hoarse voice, “Don’t… bother with me.. Go save Ling’er… Go and save Ling’er quickly…”
“I will definitely find Ling’er and bring her back!” Yun Che yelled loudly as his brows sunk, “But you definitely can’t die either! If you die, then what will Ling’er do!? Do you want her to be parentless from now on!? Do you want her to live a cold and lonely existence with no one that she can rely on!!?”
“I…” Su Hengshan muttered with a face filled with pain.
Yun Che was already someone destined for death so he would not be able to take care of Ling’er for life… Yun Che knew this well but Su Hengshan did not. If Su Hengshan died as well, then Su Ling’er would truly be alone and without support.
“Clan Master Su, if you really mean well for Ling’er, then you must live properly as well! Do you think that you are being very magnanimous if you do such a thing!? Bullshit! Could it be that you want to deprive Ling’er of her father at such a young age? Could it be that you want her to live a pain-filled life, suffering under the dark shadow left behind by the fact that her own father severed his own life veins because of her? You’re just being selfish right now! It’s utterly foolish!”
“Even if you don’t want to be reunited with your daughter, Ling’er definitely… she definitely wants to be reunited with you!!”
Yun Che’s roars caused the pupils of Su Hengshan’s eyes to continuously contract. As they contracted, his eyes gradually grew hazy and after that his eyes closed as he fell unconscious once more.
But Yun Che could clearly sense that the will to die had completely vanished from his body. What replaced it was an incredibly fierce will to survive.
Chapter 878 – Mythical Abode Mountain Range
Based on anyone’s knowledge, the result of self-severing of one’s own life vein was inevitable death. In this plane of existence, only Yun Che’s Rage God powers were able to allow someone who had self-severed the life vein to come back to life.
Su Hengshan’s aura still remained exceptionally weak but luckily, it had stabilized. Furthermore, his desire for death had already disappeared. If there were no accidents, his life was no longer in danger.
Yun Che removed his hands from Su Hengshan’s body before feeding him three of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Snow-colored Pellets. Only after that did he let out a long sigh of relief. However, repairing the life vein was not something that could be done quickly. Even with Yun Che’s power of the Rage God, it still required several months of time.
He shifted Su Hengshan into the Primordial Profound Ark, stood up and muttered, “Ling’er, wait for me!”
The Mythical Abode Mountain Range lay far south. Yun Che knew the approximate position and distance, however, he did not immediately enter the Primordial Profound Ark to undergo spatial transfer nor did he head towards the south. Instead, he flew the opposite way, towards the north.d
Su Haoran, Su Hengyue, and Su Wangji who had all just escaped from death rushed towards the north like a bunch of homeless animals after they left the Grandwake Clan. As they were escaping, they did not even dare to stop for a short rest as they were afraid Yun Che would suddenly change his mind and chase them… He even dared to kill members of Seven Stars Divine Palace without hesitation, to kill them would be no different from trampling three ants to death.
Escaping with all their lives, they could not tell how far they had already run. Only when they were completely out of strength did they collapse on the ground and breathe heavily. Their faces were pale white and their souls unsettled.
“Should be… should be safe already,” Grand Elder Su Wangji muttered. When he looked behind them, Grandwake Mountain was already more than fifty kilometers away.
“Young Master, what should we… do now?” Su Hengyue asked while breathing heavily.
“Huff… huff…” Escaping just now, Su Haoran nearly burst his lungs. He lay on the ground, relaxing for a long time before he gritted his teeth and complained half in shock and half begrudgingly while his entire body trembled, “Let’s go to Seven Stars Divine Palace… Yun Che killed their people, Seven Stars Divine Palace won’t let him off so easily!”
“Yes, Young Clan Master is right,” Su Wangji voiced his agreement. After all, Su Haoran was someone who obtained the “agreement” of the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace. Even though things had developed in such a way, they still had to treat Su Haoran as their core. “That Yun Che must have eaten a bear’s gall to be so daring and actually kill someone from the Seven Stars Divine Palace. An existence like Seven Stars Divine Palace, if they found out, even if Yun Che could dive underground, his only outcome would be death. Then…”
“Hehe, very good idea. I pray that you all succeed.”
A voice with an ice cold tone of ridicule sounded from above, causing the three of them to be extremely shocked. Su Haoran sat onto the ground, his entire body trembled and he nearly peed his pants in fear, “Yun… Yun Che!”
Yun Che slowly descended from the sky and stood in front of the three of them. They all trembled vigorously, they stared wide eyed as though they had seen a death god descending.
“It’s… It’s them who said it… I didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything… Even if I were ten thousand times braver, I also… also wouldn’t dare to disrespect you.” Su Hengyue’s teeth chattered as he shook his head repeatedly.
“Su Hengyue, you… you…”
“…Oooo… Ahhhh… Sss…” Su Haoran’s entire face trembled as though the flesh on his face was rotten, he had wanted to open his mouth to beg for forgiveness but due to the intense shock he was in, he could not utter a single word.
“Heh,” Yun Che coldly laughed. “ You all don’t have to be so afraid, I didn’t say I’m going to kill you all. Since I’ve already let you all leave in front of Clan Master Su, I’ve no desire take your lives anymore.”
Hearing Yun Che’s words, the three of them who were frightened to death were all stunned before becoming overjoyed. Su Hengyue could not believe what he had said, “Really… really? Is what you said for real?”
“Of course.” Yun Che narrowed his eyes, “Of the three of you, one can be considered Clan Master Su’s elder, one is an elder brother of the Clan Master Su with the last being the Clan Master Su’s own son. If I were to kill you privately after already promising to follow his wishes, I would not be able to answer to him. You all have to be grateful to Clan Master Su for being able to keep your lives.”
Su Haoran and the three of them finally believed that they were not dreaming, Su Hengyue panickedly replied, “Yes… yes, we have done our Clan Master wrong. In our next life… in our next life, we’ll definitely do everything and anything and show our utmost gratitude until death.”
Su Hengyue and Su Wangji pulled up Su Haoran whose strength had left his body and said fearfully, “Go… let’s go.”
They had just walked a few steps when Yun Che’s eerie voice sounded yet again from behind them, “Hold it.”
The three of their bodies trembled, they turned around cautiously and Su Wangji asked in a trembling voice, “Young… young hero Yun, what other instructions do you have? Didn’t you personally just say that… you would definitely not harm our lives?”
“Of course, I said that I was not going after your lives.” Yun Che’s gaze instantly turned ice cold, “But I did not say I was going to let you off!!”
Frightening killing intent was emitted from Yun Che’s body caused the three of them to freeze in their tracks. Su Haoran who was already weak to begin with, collapsed yet again, crying with all his might, “Let me off… I’m Su Hengshan’s son, Ling’er’s blood related brother… Let me off… I… I definitely won’t go to Seven Stars Divine Palace… I won’t tell anyone the fact that you killed people from Seven Stars Divine Palace… I won’t say a single word… Let me off please… I’m willing to do anything…”
“You still have the face to claim you’re Ling’er’s brother!”
Su Haoran’s words undoubtedly angered Yun Che even more. The Grandwake Clan was now finished. Su Hengshan had undergone intense torture for the past few days and only barely escaped death just now. Su Ling’er’s fate was still uncertain too… and the culprit of all of this had been Su Haoran who was devoid of any humanity!
As Yun Che stretched out his hand and grabbed, he had already sucked Su Haoran ferociously in front of him and a splatter of blood burst out from his abdomen area. Instantly, his profound veins were all severed and his profound aura that he had been cultivating for several dozens of years quickly dispersed like a balloon that had been burst… In his currently lifetime, he would be a complete and utter cripple from now on.
Su Haoran let out cries of despair as he hugged his abdomen and rolled on the floor in pain. However, how would simply crippling his cultivation be sufficient to calm Yun Che’s rage? Yun Che stepped forward and stepped onto Su Haoran’s right arm.
“Crack.” With a crunching noise, Su Haoran’s right arm had been stomped and broken into two pieces. Blood splurted out of the wounded area like a fountain.
Su Haoran’s miserable cries instantly became several times more pathetic. Seeing Su Haoran’s body curl up like a prawn while rolling around in pain, Yun Che’s face did not show any signs of sympathy or empathy. He stretched out his fingers and two icicles shot out and mercilessly into Su Haoran’s eyes.
“Ughhhhahhhhhhhh——”
Both of Su Haoran’s eyeballs had been destroyed and Su Haoran, who had been sent into eternal darkness, let out miserable ghastly cries. Yun Che gave a cold glance at Su Haoran’s miserable state and muttered like a devil, “Su Haoran, you’re not fit to be a human. Even being an incomplete human and an incomplete ghost is too light a punishment for you!!”
Puuuu!
Yun Che kicked a rock that was on the ground and the rock shot like a meteor towards Su Haoran. It entered from his left face and exited from the right, producing two bloody holes on his face while at the same time, neatly severed his tongue.
“Uwaghaghhhh…”
Su Haoran’s cries instantly became even more miserable and despairing than the wailling of a ghost… His profound veins completely crippled, his right arm severed, his eyesight lost, his face disfigured, and his tongue also cut off. Willing to sacrifices the lives of his loved ones and his clansman, willing to send the entire Grandwake Clan to their graves. Su Haoran, who dreamt of hugging Seven Stars Divine Palace’s feet had now not only become a cripple, he would no longer be able to see or speak and could no longer hold any dreams about his future. All that was left for him was endless nightmares.
The color of the faces of Su Hengyue and Su Wangji who were behind were completely drained. When Yun Che’s gaze shifted towards them, they let out similarly miserable cries, half rolling half crawling and tried to escape.
Yun Che stretched out his hands slowly towards the direction they escaped in.
Puuuu!!
With a soft noise, the profound veins of Su Hengyue and Su Wangji were destroyed simultaneously. They fell to the ground and their entire bodies twitched. They had faces of horror and despair.
Yun Che turned around, unwilling to take another look. He floated into the skies and said extremely coldly, “The three of you better pray that Ling’er is fine. If… Ling’er were to meet with any mishap, I… would… ensure… you… all… live… the… remainder… of… your… lives… as… though… you… were… in… hell!”
The last of Yun Che’s words were uttered with extremely dense malice; it was as though they were the most vicious curses of a devil.
Yun Che swiftly flew towards the south and after flying for several kilometers, he swiftly called out the Primordial Profound Ark. While thinking about the location of the Abode Mythical Mountain Range in his heart, he swiftly proceeded toward the Abode Mythical Mountain Region from his memories.
Hundreds of kilometers passed by instantly. When Yun Che left the Primordial Profound Ark, the view before him was not an endless and massive mountain range.
The Mythical Abode Mountain Range was situated between the borders of the Azure Cloud Continent’s Supwake Country and Southern Sky Country. The north was Supwake while the south was Southern Sky. Although it was not the Azure Cloud Continent’s largest mountain region, it possessed Azure Cloud Continent’s highest peak.
Standing at the borders of Mythical Abode Mountain Range, at once glance, one could see that beneath the surrounding hills, a massive mountain shot straight into the sky, surpassing the cloud layer and dominated the area.
However, people from the the Azure Cloud Continent knew that although it looked like it was a single mountain from far, it was actually two separate mountains. They lay at the core of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range. They were close in proximity and had similar heights. What was the weirdest was the fact that at the opposite ends of the mountains, the slopes were exceptionally steep and the ends between the mountains were practically like a vertical line upwards, from top to bottom, as though it had been cut!
If viewed from the east or west side, it looked as though a mountain had been cut neatly into half by a sword from the heaven, forming two weirdly shaped mountains.
The cliff formed by these two weirdly shaped mountains had been named by the people of the Azure Cloud Continent as 【Cloud’s End Cliff】. It was the most forbidden location within the Azure Cloud Continent and the place where Yun Che ended his Azure Cloud Continent life.
It was also the place Jasmine forced him to swear to never to approach and explore.
Upon coming here, Yun Che did not have time to recall anything. He took out the soul crystal that Su Hengshan had given him. He maximized his speed and shot straight into the Mythical Abode Mountain Range like a flash of lightning while screaming in his heart, “Ling’er, please be safe!”
The Mythical Abode Mountain Range possessed numerous profound beasts and vast resources. Often, there were profound practitioners from the Country of Supwake who came here to train or search for treasures. However, immediately after Yun Che entered the region, he realized that the atmosphere was rather odd. It was overly quiet. As Yun Che proceeded swiftly, he also maximized his spiritual sense to detect any possible aura as well as constantly looking at the soul crystal in his hand… This was a soul crystal that belonged to Ling’er and if she was near, the crystal would become even brighter.
Then, Yun Che’s spiritual sense suddenly detected a group of profound practitioners. Their auras were in close proximity and it seemed like they belonged to the same clan. The strongest was only in the Sky Profound Realm with the weakest in the Spirit Profound Realm. There were a total of seventy to eighty people. Yun Che did not slow but instead swiftly approached them before stopping at a mountain path nearby.
This mountain path was one of the main paths of Mythical Abode Mountain Range. At this time, there was a group of people wearing the same clan’s profound robe standing there. Their expressions were nervous and cautious and they constantly looked around at their surroundings.
Judging from the formation they put up, it seemed as though they were sealing the path.
Chapter 879 – Dire News Concerning Ling’er
The young profound practitioner dressed in luxurious clothes who stood at the forefront of all of the other profound practitioners spoke to the stern-faced middle-aged man in front of him, “Father, who exactly is that Su Ling’er? I heard that she is some girl from a sect in the Rivereast Region in her teens. So just why is Seven Stars Divine Palace trying to hunt her down?”
Yun Che, who was just about to go forward and ask a question, immediately came to a halt.
Yun Che observed this middle-aged man’s attitude and the thick and dense profound energy aura radiating from his body before concluding that this person should either be the leader of this group of people or their sect master. He faintly shook his head, “I doesn’t know either. It would also be wise if you refrained from inquiring about the affairs of Seven Stars Divine Palace.”
The young profound practitioner’s neck contracted as he spoke in a low whisper, his voice unconsciously dropping a few octaves, “No matter who she is, since she has been targeted by the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace, then all her fleeing will be in vain.”
“Ah.” The middle-aged man gave a heavy sigh before speaking in an extremely soft voice, “Seven Stars Divine Palace will be Seven Stars Divine Palace. Even though only twenty of them have arrived, the various mayors and sect masters would have no choice but to bow their heads and obey if they issue so much as a single order. Right now, all the sects belonging to the northern region of this mountain have been gathered here, so even if that Su Ling’er had the ability to traverse the heavens, she can forget about escaping us today. Furthermore, she is only a little girl.
Yun Che’s teeth fiercely ground together… It was just as he had expected, these people belonged to one of the sects in the Country of Supwake who had been forced to search for Su Ling’er by Seven Stars Divine Palace.
Yun Che’s heart palpitated and he felt the urge to rush forward and grab that person so that he could perform a Profound Handle Soul Search on him. At that moment, the middle-aged man suddenly snatched up his Sound Transmission Jade as profound energy ripples rapidly vibrated on its surface.
The middle-aged man swiftly read the Sound Transmission Jade and after that, his face had clearly grown relieved. He turned around and spoke to his men, “Everyone, we can relax and stand down now. Let’s make preparations to leave.”
The young profound practitioner promptly asked, “Father? What’s the situation? Could it be that this Su Ling’er person has already been captured by Seven Stars Divine Palace?”
Yun Che, “…!”
“I don’t know.” The middle-aged man said calmly, “According to the traces she left behind, it has already been confirmed that she fled towards Cloud’s End Peak. At first, she could still use the interference that came from the auras of profound beasts and the complicated terrain of this place to hide but once she climbs up Cloud’s End Peak, there will be no way out for her. After Seven Stars Divine Palace confirmed that Su Ling’er had fled towards Cloud’s End Peak a while ago, twelve of their seniors personally started to ascend Cloud’s End Peak as well. So we can assume that this matter has already reached its conclusion.”
“The reason for why Seven Stars Divine Palace wants to capture this girl and what they will do after they capture her are things that are impossible for us to know… Let’s all prepare to leave. Don’t ask too much about anything else. If you don’t want to die too young, then the less you know the better.”
BANG!!!
An energy explosion that sounded like a clap of sudden thunder rang out as Yun Che exploded into the depths of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range like galloping lightning. The hurricane that was stirred up in an instant sent all of the profound practitioners who were preparing to leave flying. They instantly flew into a great panic, their faces filled with shock and fear as they thought they were being assaulted by a powerful profound beast.
Yun Che used all of the profound strength in his body as he circulated Extreme Mirage Lightning to its limit. His speed was so fast that it would leave even a Monarch wide-eyed and tongue-tied…
No, this would not do… this method is still too slow!
Relying on his memories of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range, there were still roughly around two hundred kilometers between his current location and Cloud’s End Peak. Given his current speed, he would close this distance in a very short time but right now, he could not afford to waste even half a breath.
He quickly summoned the Primordial Profound Ark as he was running and he instantly jumped across the space of two hundred kilometers, arriving at the foot of Cloud’s End Peak.
As he raised his head to look up at it, the gigantic mountain rose into the heavens. It climbed into the clouds, its peak hidden from sight. The moment Yun Che appeared, he did not even bother trying to find any mountain paths. He simply rushed up the side of the mountain, his body surging with incredibly violent profound energy.
“LING’ER!!” Yun Che let out a great shout, “Ling’er, where are you? It’s me, Yun Che… Ling’er, where are you!!?”
His shouts which were laced with profound energy shook the surrounding area, startling the countless profound beasts that lived in Cloud’s End Peak and causing them to flee in all directions.
The body of Cloud’s End Cliff was enormous and even Yun Che’s spiritual perception was not able to fully cover it in its entirety. Coupled with the fact that there were many profound beasts that lived in this area whose auras would interfere with his search, this meant that it would be very hard to find Su Ling’er quickly even though he had already confirmed that she was on Cloud’s End Peak… If those from Seven Stars Divine Palace managed to find Su Ling’er before him, the result would be unthinkable.
As Yun Che’s mind whirled, he once again summoned the Primordial Profound Ark. After estimating the location of the mountain peak, he forcefully jumped through space again.
It would naturally be easier to locate his target from above.
After the Primordial Profound Ark jumped through space, Yun Che directly arrived at the summit of Cloud’s End Peak. He glanced downwards and to his shock, he saw a steep cliff that hung across the clouds. Below that steep cliff, a boundless abyss that resembled the great maw of a devil devoured all light, releasing a terrifying aura that caused one’s heart to palpitate.
The summit of Cloud’s End Peak… Cloud’s End Cliff!!
Even though fate had returned him to the Profound Sky Continent, this location in the Azure Cloud Continent… the place which terminated his fate with the Azure Cloud Continent was a location that he would never forget.
Just a few months ago, he had promised Jasmine that he would definitely never approach Cloud’s End Cliff. But who would have thought that he would come face to face with it again right after he had returned to the Azure Cloud Continent.
But right now, he was not the least bit melancholic. His eyes directly skipped over Cloud’s End Cliff as it quickly surveyed the area below him. After that, he also started to swiftly descend as well… Just as he was about to call out Su Ling’er again, he suddenly discovered that there were more than ten human figures gathered near the borders of Cloud’s End Cliff.
Yun Che’s eyes immediately focused and zoomed in on them. Twelve people stood in front of Cloud’s End Cliff. The auras radiating from their bodies were rather powerful, there were six Thrones, five Overlords… and astonishingly one Monarch!
From what Yun Che could determine from his aura, that person was a level three Monarch.
All twelve people were dressed in similar attire. Eleven of them were dressed in black, the green-colored seven star mark embroidered on their breast. However, the old man who was radiating the aura of a Monarch was dressed in silver clothes, the same seven star mark was also embroidered on his breast… However, his mark was not the same dull green color as the others, instead it was a rather dazzling bright blue color.
Yun Che’s heart fiercely seized up… The sect that had guarded that mountain path had mentioned that the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace had personally climbed up the mountain to look for her after they had confirmed that Ling’er had entered Cloud’s End Peak. The party of people that was mentioned also numbered twelve in all.
These twelve people were astonishingly the twelve people who belonged to Seven Stars Divine Palace, not a single person was missing!
They had actually already reached the summit!
Wait a minute… then what about Ling’er??
He was the one who had been forced into Cloud’s End Peak all those years ago, so he clearly knew that only one side of Cloud’s End Peak was a mountain, the other side was the dreaded Cloud’s End Cliff. The moment someone was forced into Cloud’s End Peak, unless he could forcefully break through the forces encircling him and flee, he would definitely be forced down the dead end that lead to Cloud’s End Cliff. There would definitely be no mountain waiting on the other side that he could flee down.
Furthermore, given Su Ling’er’s profound strength, there was basically no way she could have forced her way through these twelve people. Moreover, since these people had already chased her to this location, why did he still not see Su Ling’er?
Yun Che’s heart violently sank. He could not be bothered to care about anything else as he boldly rushed down… At the same time as he was making swift descent, the people from Seven Stars Divine Palace had already discovered his presence. The old man that was leading them shouted in a stern voice, “Who goes there!?”
Bang!!
Yun Che landed heavily in front of them, his gaze dark and dreadful. A malevolent aura poured from every pore on his body as he roared in a crazed and enraged voice, “Where is Ling’er? Where is Su Ling’er? Where have you hidden Su Ling’er!!?”
“Heh, a punk like you actually dares to make rude demands our Seven Stars Divine Palace. Have you grown tired of living?” One of the Divine Palace disciples said with a look of contempt plastered over his face.
The old man who stood at their head sharply raised his hand to stop everyone from acting blindly without thinking. Because he could clearly sense a dangerous aura radiating from yun Che’s body. He slowly strode forward and said in an indifferent voice, “Who are you? You’re looking for Su Ling’er? Could it be that you are prepared to fight our Seven Stars Divine Palace over this person…”
Before his voice had even finished falling, the figure in front of him suddenly blurred. Before he could even react, a peerless and dreadful aura enveloped his entire body. A hand that felt like cold steel firmly wrapped around his throat and carried him off the ground.
“You…” The old man from the Divine Palace croaked as his eyes bulged outwards, he was in a state of complete shock and terror. He was a dignified elder of Seven Stars Divine Palace, a level three Monarch who could arrogantly look down on the entire Azure Cloud Continent! However, it had only taken an instant for him to be seized by the throat like an infant. His shock and fear had caused him to attempt to struggle against this hold but to his horror, he found that his profound strength was being suppressed by an enormous power that he was not able to resist. He could barely even move at all and despite being a Divine Palace elder, he could only allow himself to be limply suspended in the air like some dead dog.
“Elder Duoxing!!”
The remaining divine palace disciples were all utterly shocked but after that, they rushed forward together.
“Speak! Where is Su Ling’er… SPEAK!!!”
The hand which Yun Che used to grab the Divine Palace elder was shaking and he lost control of the power he was exerting with his hand, his fingers jabbing deeply into the old man’s flesh. Every single word that he roared sounded like a clap of sudden thunder and the onrushing Divine Palace disciples were blasted aside by this roar as if they had been hit by a heavy mallet. As they flew threw the air while they screamed, the six Thrones felt their internal organs rupture. When they landed on the ground, they vomited a large mouthful of blood and they were unable to stand up for a long time.
The bulging eyes of the Divine Palace elder nearly burst under the extreme terror he was experiencing. The pair of eyes glaring at him were the most dreadful eyes he had ever seen in his entire life, they were so bloodshot that it seemed like they had just been soaked in fresh blood.
“Quickly speak! SPEAK!!!”
“She… She…” The great terror and icy-cold despair that gripped the divine palace elder caused him to let out a voice filled with unbearable agony, “She… just… jumped down… Cloud’s… End… Cliff…”
Zzzing————
It was as if countless bolts of profound lightning had exploded in Yun Che’s brain simultaneously as his blood-stained pupils nearly instantly turned ashen.
After he had appeared at the summit, the moment he had seen the people belonging to Seven Stars Divine Palace but not Su Ling’er, this dreadful idea had flashed through his head… Ending my own life is far preferable to falling into the hands of wicked men.
But this thought was fiercely extinguished by him nearly instantly, because he could not believe nor was he able to accept that anything had happened to Su Ling’er.
So when those ice-cold words had been blurted out by the Divine Palace elder he was grabbing, Yun Che felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
“No… No… it’s not possible…” Yun Che’s face and lips had lost all color as his entire body swayed, “It’s not possible… it can’t end up like this… it’s not possible…”
Suddenly, both his hands firmly grasped the divine palace elder’s neck at the same time as he yelled wildly in a crazed voice, “You’re lying to me! You’re definitely lying to me!! Tell me… Where is Su Ling’er!! You must have hidden here somewhere… Where is she, where did you hide my Ling’er!!”
“Uuug…” The divine palace elder’s neck bones snapped and his entire body twitched. A dry and hoarse groan came from his throat as his skin slowly started to turn grayish-white, the same color as a corpse.
All of the Divine Palace disciples present knew just how powerful this old man. So once they saw that he was not able to struggle or resist as Yun Che held him aloft like a little bird in his hands, none of them dared to move forward anymore. One of the Divine Palace disciples said in a trembling voice, “Se… Senior, Elder Duoxing isn’t lying to you, Su Ling’er, she… she really jumped down that cliff.”
“~！@#￥%…” The malevolent aura that radiated from Yun Che’s body seemed to come from a blood-drenched despairing beast caused all the Divine Palace disciples to shake in their boots.
“Thi… This has nothing to do with us, we didn’t want this to happen either.” Another divine palace disciple said in a flustered tone, “We only wanted something that she had in her possession. We had no plans to harm or kill her. But who would have guessed… who would have guessed that she would suddenly jump off the cliff the moment she saw us.”
“Right, right, right… We didn’t even touch her. Before we were even given the opportunity to speak to her, she suddenly… jumped down…” The Divine Palace disciple who spoke panickedly took out an item, “This is the token that dropped from her body… when she jumped off the cliff… Senior, please… look at it.”
The wooden token in his hand was dainty and delicate and an unusual “Su” word had been engraved on its surface.
As his last rays of hope were completely obliterated, Yun Che’s vision spun.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”
All of the blood in his body rushed to his head in nearly an instant. After that, Yun Che’s body became as sinister as a devil’s. He let out a shrill howl that overflowed with grief as he slammed his fist into the head of the old man in his hand.
Bang!!
With an explosive pop, the Divine Palace elder’s entire head was instantly turned into blood and pulp which sprayed into the air.
“AAAAAAHHHH——AAAAAAHHHH!!!!”
Boom!!
Yun Che had gone completely insane as he smashed the body that had just lost its head fiercely into the ground, pounding it into parts that could not be described.
This bloody and horrifying scene had scared the Divine Palace disciples completely witless. They made weird noises which they themselves had never heard before as they raced down the side of the mountain like mad men. But mere moments after they had fled, they heard a howl that seemed to come from a devil growing closer and closer to them.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
Bang!
Bang!!
BANG!!!
Given their speed, how could they possibly escape from the palm of Yun Che’s hands? The Yun Che who had nearly lost all coherent thought and rationality hunted them down one by one. He did not use his sword nor did he use fire. This time, he simply struck them fiercely with his fists. Every time a fist thundered forward, the body of one of the Divine Palace disciples mercilessly exploded into ground meat.
Chapter 880 – Descending into the Abyss
Amidst the dreadful sounds of bodies being ruptured, the bodies of the ten Divine Palace disciples were cruelly smashed into pieces within a few breaths by the berserking Yun Che. Just as his blood-drenched fist was about to explode against the body of the last Divine Palace disciple, he suddenly stopped moving and just stood in place.
The Divine Palace disciple who had sunk limply to the ground had long ago been drained of all color. The Divine Palace disciple had originally given up all hope but when he saw that Yun Che’s movements had suddenly stopped, he saw his one chance for survival. His body trembled as he scrambled backwards, “Don’t kill me… don’t kill me… Ah!!”
He gave a miserable shout as his entire body was sucked towards Yun Che. Yun Che’s hand grabbed his skull, his left arm flashed with light as his profound handle flew out and instantly buried itself into his soul.
The Divine Palace disciple immediately grew dazed as his memories over the past hour swiftly flooded into Yun Che’s brain… Within his memories, Yun Che clearly saw the scene where Su Ling’er jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff.
“UWAA… AAAAAAHHHH!!!” Yun Che’s face warped as he let out a furious roar, his teeth chattering as he fiercely flung the Divine Palace disciple in his hand away. Before the Divine Palace disciple had even hit the ground, he had already been shattered into many pieces.
Bright red blood splattered the mountain stones, the twelve members of Seven Stars Divine Palace had instantly been turned into broken bloody corpses littering the ground but it had not done anything to lessen the fury and pain in Yun Che’s heart. He closed his eyes and howled wildly like a berserking vicious beast…
Bang…
He fell to his knees with a heavy thump, his blood-drenched fist fiercely exploding downwards.
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!!
A huge explosion blanketed most of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range as countless boulders rained down from the Cloud’s End Peak.
Yun Che’s arm streamed with blood but he could no longer feel even the slightest hint of pain. He knelt to the ground, both his hands rigidly clawing the ground. Rough and heavy gasps escaped his throat as his whole body was shaking in an incomparably violent manner.
Why…
Why had it turned out like this…
Yun Che felt as if his soul had been pierced by ten thousand arrows… Losing Ling’er had always been the greatest point of pain and regret in his life.
After he was allowed to be reunited with Ling’er once more, he had always believed that this was definitely the greatest boon that heaven had ever bestowed upon him. When he found out that he was destined to die, the last and greatest desire of his life was to see Ling’er once more… Even if he could only gaze at her from a distance.
He used the Primordial Profound Ark, taking his one and only chance to come to the Azure Cloud Continent. After he confirmed that everything that had happened here six years ago was not a dream, he was simply ecstatic. However, before he was even able to see Su Ling’er, he received such tragic news instead. This kind of ending was…
In his past life, he had allowed revenge to consume his eyes and soul. Su Ling’er had given her everything to him, giving him enough tears to last a lifetime but he had not even made a single promise to her…
In this life, when he had met Su Ling’er again in that “dreamscape,” he had made all those promises to her but before he could make those words a reality, those words had caused her to wait vainly for six years… before he lost her once more.
“Ling… er… Just what sin did she commit…” The pain of his soul being torn apart caused Yun Che to be unable to feel the existence of his body or his five sense. Icy-cold tears dripped down to fall on the ground besides his hands, “Why did heaven… have to treat her this way!!”
“No… It’s my fault… It’s all my fault…” Yun Che said as his entire body trembled. He had gritted his teeth so hard that he had nearly shattered them, “Why did I waste so much time… to deal with Su Haoran and those other bastards… If I had come just a bit earlier, things wouldn’t have turned out this way… and Ling’er would have been fine…”
“It’s all my fault!!”
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Yun Che’s pupils went red as he raised his left arm and heavily smashed it against his own chest.
Pfft!
His chest sank under the weight of this blow as a long arrow of blood was fiercely expelled from his body. But the pain his body felt was not even ten-thousandth of the agony his heart was under.
Ding…
Under his blow, a small and delicate precious stone that he had kept inside the clothes around his chest was jolted high into the sky, striking the mountain stone in front of him. It let out a clear and crisp sound as it the stone before it rebounded back towards Yun Che while it quiet shone with a dull purple light.
The weak purple light that was flashing in his eyes caused Yun Che to freeze the arm that was just about to smash his chest again. In the next instant. He sprung forward as fast as lightning, picking it up in his hand.
The small rhombus-shaped precious stone was releasing a warm purple light. This precious stone was no ordinary profound jade, it was the soul crystal that Su Hengshan had given him!
Su Ling’er’s soul crystal!!
A soul crystal was bonded with its owner’s soul; once the soul of the owner was extinguished, the soul crystal would instantly shatter. In those sects that were slightly bigger, important members of the sect would leave soul crystals within the sect. So if they died while abroad, their sect would be the first to know.
But the soul crystal of Su Ling’er which he held in his hand… had not shattered and it still glowed with the light of her soul!!
Ling’er was not dead!!
It was as if a cold spring had rushed into Yun Che’s body, causing his chaotic heart to become incomparably cold and sober. He tightly gripped the soul crystal as he hurried over to the side of Cloud’s End Cliff.
The foggy cliff was so deep that Yun Che could not see the bottom. Cloud’s End Cliff was also known to the world as the Death God’s Graveyard. Over the entire history of the Azure Cloud Continent, countless people had either been thrown off Cloud’s End Cliff or had tried to climb down Cloud’s End Cliff but not a single person had ever returned alive—This included the incomparably formidable existences that were akin to gods for most people, Monarchs!
Furthermore, this was not something that was hidden, it was something that was common knowledge in the Azure Cloud Continent!
The twelve people from Seven Stars Divine Palace could lie to him but those memories were not able to lie to him. Su Ling’er had indeed jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff.
However, the warm and unbroken soul crystal that lay in his hand would also not lie to him.
Yun Che stepped onto the very edge of Cloud’s End Cliff while he sucked in a deep breath of air, striving his best to calm his wildly beating heart. He could not stop himself from muttering in a flustered voice, “Ling’er is still alive… Ling’er isn’t dead… Ling’er isn’t dead…”
He suddenly took the air and hovered right above Cloud’s End Cliff. After that he used all of his strength to shout into the boundless abyss below him:
“Ling’er!! Ling’er!! This is Yun Che… Ling’er, where are you… Ling’er!!”
His voice was enhanced by profound energy, so it could be heard from as far as fifty kilometers away. But it had been completely swallowed up by the jet-black abyss below him. He did not hear even the tiniest response, even after a long time had passed… and more importantly, he did not hear Su Ling’er’s response.
Above him was the boundless blue dome of heaven, below him was an endless abyss. At this moment, it seemed as if he was standing on the border between heaven and hell and the only sounds left in this world were the sound of his breathing and the sound of his beating heart.
He slowly raised his hand, the soul crystal that was bonded with Su Ling’er’s soul glowing with a warm light. This warm light told him that Su Ling’er was still alive in this world, waiting to be reunited with him. He steadily stared at the soul crystal and Su Ling’er’s figure slowly appeared before his eyes…
First was the Su Ling’er from his previous life, the girl who seemed like a melancholic fairy, the girl who had wept countless tears over him…
Next was the Su Ling’er from six years ago, the girl who had the smile of an angel, the girl who cried as she told him that he must definitely come back…
Yun Che softly gripped the soul crystal in his hand as he stopped shouting. The chaos had suddenly vanished from his eyes, becoming incredibly clear as his body slowly descended. After that he began to quickly pick up speed as he plunged downwards towards the boundless abyss below him like a falling meteor.
【Yun Che, I want you to promise me… When you go to the Azure Cloud Continent, regardless of whether that happens sooner or later, you’re not allowed to approach Cloud’s End Cliff ever again! Even if your strength becomes a hundred times stronger than it currently is and you grow strong enough to sweep across the entire continent and easily defeat someone like Xuanyuan Wentian, you must never attempt to investigate the bottom of Cloud’s End Cliff… I can’t tell you what is hiding at the bottom of Cloud’s End Cliff. Its dreadfulness is far beyond what you can imagine!】
【I understand! I won’t ever go near Cloud’s End Cliff from now on. Even if I do end up at Cloud’s End Cliff due to special circumstances, I will definitely not attempt to investigate what is hidden at the bottom… This is something that I’ve promised you Jasmine, so I definitely won’t ever break this promise.】
The warning that Jasmine had issued to him in the sternest of tones echoed in his ear. The vow that he made in front of Jasmine also clearly rang in his mind as well.
Jasmine, I am sorry, I am going to break the vow I made to you back then…
During my life in the Azure Cloud Continent, I had thought that the most important thing in my life was vengeance.
But the moment that Ling’er died in my arms, I suddenly felt as if my entire world had become hollow and empty and that pain and remorse doggedly followed me for the rest of my life… I was tortured by pain and remorse every single moment I was awake. In my dreams, I dreamt countless times that all of it was a lie and that Ling’er was still by my side. I dreamt that I was willing to set aside everything else for her sake, to give her all of me…
Moreover, those dreams and hopes have miraculously become a reality… So how can I lose her again!?!
“Ling’er…” Yun Che softly whispered as he descended into the abyss, “Even if I am buried forever with you in the Death God’s Graveyard, I will definitely not let go of you again!”
Yun Che descended without any hesitation or fear. Instead, he grew faster and faster as he tightly grasped Su Ling’er’s soul crystal in his hand. He fervently prayed in his heart for it definitely not to shatter… for it to never ever shatter.
In the blank of an eye, he had already descended a full three thousand meters and his surroundings had become a sea of pitch-black darkness. He raised his head and discovered that he could no longer see even a hint of light in the space above him.
Ling’er, where are you… Where exactly are you!
I know that you are definitely safe and sound… I am going to find you soon!!
Darkness instinctively causes fear in human beings, let alone the absolute darkness found in a deep abyss. But the speed of Yun Che’s descent did not slow in the slightest, instead, it was growing even more rapid with every passing moment.
The soul crystal in his hand told him that Su Ling’er was definitely waiting for him in the world beneath the abyss.
Previously, his tardiness had resulted in and led to a terrible result where Su Ling’er had chosen to jump down Cloud’s End Cliff. So how could he tolerate the slightest bit of hesitation and sluggishness at this moment?
Whoosh!
The scarlet phoenix flames ignited in Yun Che’s hands, illuminating the pitch-black world of the abyss. But under the light that was radiating from the Phoenix flames, he still only saw a swathe of darkness and he saw no end to the abyss that stretched below him.
Yun Che simply extinguished the ignited Phoenix flames and continued his descent at full speed… In the history of the Azure Cloud Continent, the countless profound practitioners who had attempted to descend Cloud’s End Cliff had done so in an exceedingly slow and cautious manner. Even Jasmine had remained vigilant and careful when she descended the Cloud End’s Cliff several months ago.
So Yun Che was definitely the first person to ever crazily rush down this cliff that was the most dreadful abyss in the entire Azure Cloud Continent… or even the rest of the world.
The wind whistled in his ears as the air slowly grew dark and colder. Yun Che’s wildly beating heart had not regulated itself from the start to the end. He imagined that the world below the abyss was a vasty body of water… or perhaps it was a pitch-black forest… But just what would allow a person who fell down here to survive while making it hard for them to escape…
So, Ling’er was definitely safe! As long as he fell into the world below him, he would definitely be able to find her!
Jasmine had clearly told him that the world beneath Cloud’s End Cliff was incomparably dreadful, that it possessed a dreadfulness he would not even be to imagine… But right now, he exerted all his effort to cling onto those thoughts, used all his might to continue believing.
Amidst the dark and howling wind, he continuously descended several thousand feet. At this time, he had finally begun to sense the weird aura that Jasmine had sensed at that time.
This aura was…
Darkness devil energy!?
Chapter 881 – The Girl in the Abyss (1)
Why would there be devil energy here?
If it were someone else, they would only treat this as a yin aura that naturally occurred at the bottom of the deep abyss. However, Yun Che had fought Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian, as well as interacted with an actual devil within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest before. In one instant, he could tell that this aura was the same type of aura as the devil aura on the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign!
However, this devilish aura was exceptionally weak… at least based on Yun Che’s senses, if one was not paying attention, there was a possibility that it would not be detected.
As Yun Che was feeling extremely anxious, although he wondered for a short moment, he did not take it to heart too much and continued descending at maximum speed.
Usually, he was an exceptionally cautious person. When searching an extremely dangerous region, he would definitely take each step with caution. However, today, facing Azure Cloud Continent’s most frightening “Death God’s Graveyard,” he had instead “rushed to his death” without a care.
The sound of wind became ever more eerie. He had already descended for quite some time. Based on his estimate, he had already fallen for more than thirty thousand kilometers yet there were no signs of it coming to an end. His heart contracted more and more tightly. Su Ling’er’s profound strength was only in the Spirit Profound Realm so there was no need to talk about flying as even her ability to float in the air was exceptionally weak.
Falling from three kilometers would be certain death, let alone thirty kilometers.
However, the soul crystal he held in his hand remained whole and warm all the while.
Both of Yun Che’s hands clenched slightly tighter as he tried to rid his brain of all other useless thoughts. To him right now, just knowing that Su Ling’er was still alive would be sufficient… No matter what was below, no matter what happened to Su Ling’er, this time, this lifetime, he would definitely not let go again!
Not just an unknown deep and dark abyss, even if he knew it was hell, he would jump down without any hesitation.
When he jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff for the first time, he had lost his consciousness in the progress while he descended. He did not know where he landed or how long he fell. Only this time did he know how frightening the deep abyss below Cloud’s End Cliff was.
After falling for another several kilometers, he still had not reached the bottom of the abyss. However, Yun Che’s body had unknowingly passed through a “checkpoint” at this time and entered into a different world.
Instantly, Yun Che’s body felt extremely cold. A strong and extremely dense cold aura started attacking from the surroundings, attacking his entire body and his profound veins. At the same time, he felt a strong attraction force coming from below. It was as though there were countless unseen hands of darkness pulling him violently.
He instantly gathered his strength and tried to resist but the strength of the pulling force was too extreme. His profound strength seemed like a speck of dust in front of this force and he could not even gather one bit of resistance as he was violently swung downward.
“Ugh!!”
Bangg!!
With a painful cry, like a stone that had been thrown with great strength, Yun Che fell head first and descended for some thousands of kilometers before eventually smashing heavily into an exceptionally tough object. Pain shot through his entire body turning it numb as he collapsed down there. After some time, he finally managed to struggle and sit up.
Yun Che pressed one hand onto his head while the other hand pressed onto the floor. Finally, he reacted. Below him was hard ground, which meant that this was the bottom of the abyss!!
The surface that the palm came in contact with was cold yet tough… the feeling it gave him was that this was even tougher than the toughest profound steel that he had ever seen within the Profound Sky Continent.
Just as Yun Che wanted to stand up, when his arm tried to support his body, he sat down heavily once again. His mouth opened widely and he nearly had to use all of his strength before he managed to breathe once. He felt suffocated, as though an extremely heavy steel plate was compressing his chest. His brain felt dizzy and his mind was so fuzzy that he felt as though his spirit was leaving him.
The remaining clear-headedness in his brain told him that this was the devouring power which originated from a dark devil aura!
Devouring one’s life force and soul!!
When he initially entered the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, he had already felt this type of feeling. Now, his profound strength was far superior to that time but it was several dozen times more times unbearable. Only several breaths of time and he felt as though he had lost half his life.
Because the dark devilish aura was even more dense than the frightening one at the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest… and it was numerous times stronger!
Furthermore, this type of dark devilish aura not only devoured the life force and soul, it also suppressed profound energy. If not for his Evil God’s Profound Veins that were not suppressed, he wouldn’t have the chance to come up with any resistance at all.
“Devil energy… why… is there… such a frightening… devil energy…”
Yun Che let out a groan but he nearly could not hear his own voice. He shook his head with strength and struggled to maintain consciousness before he wriggled himself into an upright sitting position. He quickly calmed his mind and used the Great Way of the Buddha. It started slowly before turning faster and faster. Fifty four profound entrances and all the pores in his body were opened and strands of heaven and earth’s energy entered his body like a refreshing stream, turning into his strength and life force.
Above Yun Che’s head, a pale golden mini pagoda appeared hazily and began to spin slowly.
In this world of darkness that was frightening beyond imagination, his life force and soul were being devoured quickly. However, at the same time, the Great Way of the Buddha was also swiftly replenishing his life force and soul by taking the denser than normal heaven and earth’s energy from the extremely dense dark world… Gradually, as the mini golden pagoda spun noiselessly, the devouring and recovery finally reached an unique equilibrium.
Just like that time within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, except that it took much longer this time.
“Huff…”
Yun Che opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air. His gaze and consciousness finally returned to normal but he did not feel one bit of joy within him. Instead, his heart sank even more.
Darkness devil aura that was at least ten times more dense than the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest… This was a world so frightening that no normal person could imagine what it was like. Not just normal people, even those as strong as the Little Demon Empress or Feng Xue’er, if they were to fall into this world, they would undoubtedly lose their lives within fifteen minutes.
He possessed the Evil God’s profound veins and Rage God’s strength. The former resisted the suppression of profound strength while the later maintained his vitality and soul force. That was the only reason why he could stay in this world for so long… and it was only him that could do such a thing in this world.
If Su Ling’er were to fall into this world, even if she did not fall to her death, she would definitely not be able to survive in such a world.
Being only in the Spirit Profound Realm would be instant death in such a world.
However, why…
Yun Che opened his palm, the soul crystal that had been held firmly by him all this while was still shining with a faint purple glow.
The soul crystal has not shattered, which meant that its owner was still alive.
However, Su Ling’er had jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff before him and would have descended into the same world. With her physique and profound strength, there was no chance of her survival…
Just what had happened?
Could it be… that this was not Su Ling’er soul crystal?
It couldn’t! It definitely couldn’t… Yun Che shook his head hard to reject the idea… This was handed to him personally by Su Hengshan and he had held it tightly with him for dozens of days when he was in jail. It could not be wrong!
It definitely couldn’t be!
Ling’er must be safe, it’s just that I haven’t found her yet.
Yun Che stood up, the Golden Crow flames on his body burned strongly but barely illuminated a fifteen meters radius around Yun Che in the extreme darkness.
Beneath his feet, the floor was flat with an occasional bump here and there. The entire area was black and did not contain any other color. Not far away, at the sides, the mountain side along which he descended could be seen. He tilted his head and looked down, recalling the attractive force which he could not resist. His heart tightened and he jumped up with all his strength, flying into the air.
He continued flying for several hundred meters but there was still no change.
However, just as he was about three kilometers off the ground, the extremely frightening attractive force suddenly gripped him from thin air. Yun Che was prepared and immediately opened the Purgatory gate. The surge in profound energy brought his body up with full strength…
However, the strength of his full power seemed like a piece of leaf within a huge wave, under the effects of the attractive force and instantly… Simply instantly, he was flung violently down to the ground just like before.
Bang!!
With a loud noise, Yun Che was smashed to the ground and even somersaulted a few times. His entire body nearly fell apart and the flames on his body extinguished. However, the ground remained perfectly fine and there was not one bit of damage on it.
“Hsss…”
Yun Che grimaced in pain. As he looked up into the dark sky, his heart heavily sank.
Now, Yun Che already understood why if someone fell down Cloud’s End Cliff, there would be no return. It was certain death. This exceptionally frightening darkness devil aura was something that the profound practitioners of this world could not resist. Even if they were so strong that they could resist it temporarily, with such a frightening attractive force, there was essentially no escape.
This also meant that anyone who came into contact with the dark world within the deep abyss would instantly be attracted in. There was no chance of any struggle, let alone escaping.
This was also why… Jasmine warned him to never ever try and explore the world below Cloud’s End Cliff.
Yun Che did not attempt to challenge that frightening attractive force because no matter how hard a leaf struggled, it would never be able to overcome the huge wave. He lifted up his hand and looked sternly at the soul crystal that was shining purple… In such a world, how could Ling’er possibly be alive… Once she came into contact with this world, in less than a breath of time, she would be completely devoured by the darkness leaving no trace behind…
How could she still be alive…
Could it be that Su Hengshan really had mixed up the soul crystals?
That’s not right… I cannot think this way… How could I possible think this way… Yun Che shook his head miserably, closed his palm and held the soul crystal tightly… I need to believe this soul crystal, I need to believe in Ling’er… and I need to believe in miracles! Ling’er, whom I have already lost once, could appear yet again in my life… What reason do I have to not believe that she could be safely alive still!?
With his head filled with thoughts that Su Ling’er must still be alive, Yun Che stood up once again and ignited his Golden Crow flames. He took each step slowly, searching in the darkness of this creepy world. Even after walking for sometime, the scene that he saw remained the same… Eerie, dark, empty and lonely.
This was simply like an empty world of death. Other than darkness and exceptionally strong devil aura, there was nothing else.
“Ling’er! Ling… Er!!!”
Yun Che started to shout loudly, hoping for the appearance of a miracle. His shouts did not transmit too far in the deep darkness. As he carefully went forward hoping to find something, he started to focus his profound energy on shouting.
“Ling’er!!”
“It’s Yun Che! Where are you… I know you’re here!!”
He proceeded forward step by step and shouted continuously. In the extreme darkness of the world, the light from the flames on his body seemed exceptionally eye catching.
In the darkness, he did not know how far he had walked. He had already shouted more than a thousand times but each time, the reply he got was still darkness and silence.
Finally, Yun Che stopped… subconsciously, he already knew that Su Ling’er could not survive in this world. Within this entire plane, other than him, there was no one nor any living being that could survive in this world.
However, he dared not and was unwilling to accept this cruel truth. He struggled internally to believe that this was definitely Su Ling’er’s soul crystal and struggled to chase after the slim chance of a miracle occuring…
He looked up. All he could see was just pure darkness. His heart sank so much that he felt like his chest was exploding. His entire body shuddered as he sucked in a huge breath of air and let out a scream with all his might:
The air vibrated and the shout passed through the darkness, travelling a long distance.
“ROARR!!”
At this time, a long distance away, there was suddenly a dull roar.
This roar came from extremely far away, possibly thousands of kilometers away. However, Yun Che’s body was stunned, he temporarily lost his hearing, his chest felt as though it had been smashed by a huge hammer, his organs trembled and a mouthful of blood back flowed through his throat.
This… this was?!
Yun Che retreated several steps before he managed to stabilize himself as his heart was completely shocked… this sound was obviously the cry of a beast!
In this place… there were actually living profound beasts?
In such a world, there were actually living profound beasts?!
Simply having living beings surviving here was enough to shock Yun Che but what shocked him the most was that just the roar of a profound beast from such a distance away was enough to cause him to suffer internal injuries.
It was as though a level eight Monarch had struck him on the chest while he was defenseless.
What kind of frightening strength and what kind of frightening being was that!?
Chapter 882 – The Girl in the Abyss (2)
“HSSS—”
“AOOUU!!”
“ROOAR!”
………………
After that terrifying roar, large numbers of roars resounded from much further away, one after another. In an instant, the previously dead silent, dark world began to slightly tremble and even space itself was faintly shaking. Yun Che quickly channeled his profound energy to resist but his entire body was still numbed by the shock wave from the overbearingly horrifying roar, sending his mind into a daze.
There were living creatures in this place and not only was there more than one, they existed in large numbers!?
After the heaven-shaking roars, Yun Che began to feel the earth trembling. The dark ferocious beasts faraway were evidently quickly approaching… And their speed was incomparably fast.
Though Yun Che really wished to personally witness just what kind of monster could actually survive in this dark world, the strength of a monster that could injure him with just the shockwave from its faraway roar was basically not something that he could retaliate against… No, it had already completely surpassed his range of knowledge and imagination by countless times.
It was possible that it might not be that much weaker than Jasmine herself.
With a monster like that, if he entered its attack range, he basically would not have any possibility of surviving… With his strength, in the face of such a monster, he might not even be able to struggle for a mere instant.
Yun Che hurriedly calmed his energy and blood. Not hesitating any further, he fled in the opposite direction at his fastest speed.
The Extreme Mirage Lightning Yun Che executed with all his might, could be said to be speed at the extreme limits of this plane. However, the beast roars behind him were clearly getting closer and their immensely loud footsteps, that were capable of moving mountains, were becoming even more startling to the ears as well.
The monster behind him not only possessed power, its speed was something he had never seen before either.
Just what in the world is that thing!?
What is going on with the world in this deep abyss?
Why does such a place exist in the Azure Cloud Continent!?
Yun Che’s inner heart was filled with the same doubts as Jasmine had back then.
Presently, he was beginning to understand why Jasmine had warned him with an especially stern tone, to never investigate the world beneath Cloud’s End Cliff.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The sounds of the footsteps of the monster behind him drew closer and finally, every step it took was as if it was stepping on his heart itself, greatly messing up the rhythm of his heartbeat, making his entire body feel incomparably uncomfortable.
It was extremely rare for foreign bodies to enter the world within this deep abyss and since Yun Che was found to be a completely foreign entity, naturally, he would attract the dark ferocious beasts here and be wildly chased by them.
The pressure coming from behind continued to grow and accompanying it was an unprecedented sense of danger. Though Yun Che had been resisting it with all his might, streaks of blood still began to trickle down from the corner of his lips.
Yun Che glanced behind him. What entered his eyes was still plain darkness and not even the monster’s huge silhouette could be seen.
Yun Che forcefully wiped the corner of his lips, his complexion gradually darkened… This can’t do. If this keeps up, it will be certain death. Just what should I do?
Turning back was just seeking death, he would be immediately caught by moving forward and going up was even more impossible…
It seemed like he had to first leave this place immediately. No matter how, it was impossible for Ling’er to be in this place.
Yun Che did not hesitate any further. He immediately summoned the Primordial Profound Ark and directly jumped a vertical distance of forty-five kilometers.
Although he was unable to resist against the strange attractive force of this dark world, he could still directly escape by jumping through space with the Primordial Profound Ark. Going up a height of forty-five kilometers was the distance he estimated that could allow him to return to the edge of Cloud’s End Cliff.
The Primordial Profound Ark appeared and then disappeared amidst the ripples in space… However, the layers of spatial ripples were a little frail and they disappeared immediately after.
The Primordial Profound Ark’s jump was complete. Yun Che left the Primordial Profound Ark and arrived at the outside world… Then, he instantly blanked.
The place he was in, was still the incomparably dark world and his surroundings were filled with an extremely dense amount of dark devil energy. Beneath his feet, it was still that incomprehensibly firm dark ground.
“What’s going on?” Yun Che repeatedly confirmed his surroundings, the haze in his heart instantly grew several times heavier.
The approaching terrifying roars had disappeared and his surroundings were dead silent. This proved that he had indeed left the place he was previously at, as he was completely unable to hear the roars of those dark monsters. At the very least, he had traveled several hundred or even several thousand kilometers. However, he had clearly steered the Primordial Profound Ark to jump upwards and it was not even a distance of sixty kilometers. However, his vertical position evidently had not undergone any change!
“…” Yun Che heavily frowned. Not giving up, he once again summoned the Primordial Profound Ark. This time however, the jump coordinates he directed, was a vertical jump of exactly sixty kilometers.
The Primordial Profound Ark appeared and disappeared, completing its second spatial jump.
Leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che’s feet directly stepped onto the cold hard ground and the terrifying dark devil energy, like the breath of a fiend, blew straight towards his face.
The two consecutive vertical spatial jumps, both ended in failure! Furthermore, there was not a single change in his vertical position during these two times, though an uncertain degree of offset had appeared in his horizontal coordinates.
Yun Che’s mood quickly sank… He suddenly recalled Jasmine had once described to him the spatial laws. The spaces in different worlds and different planes were different and like other elements, they were ranked from high to low. The realm of the spatial laws in the Profound Sky Continent was very low, enabling one to tear through it and undergo spatial jumps rather easily. However, in a world which possessed a high realm of spatial laws, tearing space and undergoing spatial jumps were much more difficult.
Jasmine had also once mentioned that the realm of power of the Primordial Profound Ark itself was extremely high, however, with only the Jade of the Nine Suns as its sole energy source, it was basically impossible to unleash its full strength. It could make whimsical jumps in a world like the Profound Sky Continent but within a high level space, the trajectory of the jump could be really easily twisted, which might even make short distance jumps impossible.
These two completely failed spatial jumps had undoubtedly proven to Yun Che that the spatial laws of this dark world were far from being comparable to the world outside.
Very evidently, the jump trajectory of the Primordial Profound Ark was being severely twisted in this world!
However, if he was unable to rely on the Primordial Profound Ark to leave this place, then… would that not mean that he had no choice but to be trapped here for all eternity!?
Yun Che’s expression changed. He opened his hand and on his palm, was still that complete soul crystal, emitting a warm purple glow.
No, I must find a way to leave this place!
I have not gotten to see Ling’er and I have yet to pull Xuanyuan Wentian down to purgatory along with me!
I can die but I can’t die for naught!
Though I can no longer leave by going up, there might be other exits somewhere.
Yun Che knew in his heart that this possibility was basically close to non-existent, however, since he was still alive, there was no reason for him not to search and try.
Presently, he was completely unaware of where he was in this dark world and he was unable to discern the direction he was facing either. He could only randomly choose a direction and walk forward with heavy steps.
Though this place was covered in absolute darkness, with Yun Che’s eyesight that transcended the realm of humans, he could still caught a few blurry silhouettes in the darkness after gradually adapting to it. After walking for a good while, he ignited the Golden Crow flames, brightening up the surrounding space.
“Whoosh~”
Not too long after the Golden Crow flames started burning, a heavy breathing sound suddenly came from behind Yun Che… And after this breathing sound, was a sudden explosive roar.
“Aoouu!!!”
This roar was different from the ferocious beast that was chasing after him earlier, however, it was similarly terrifying beyond compare. Yun Che’s body trembled immensely, his vision instantly darkened and he was so close to spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The previously silent and dark world, was suddenly enveloped by an evil air that could shroud the heavens and the roaring dark ferocious beast stood up from its silence. Amidst the loud resounding roar that could shake the sky and earth, it pounced towards Yun Che’s location.
“!!!” Yun Che did not even think, as he fiercely raised his energy and fled forward with his fastest speed.
“Aoouu!! Ouu!!”
With a devil god-like imposing aura and an extremely terrifying roar, the ferocious beast behind him seemed to have gone completely enraged, as if it wanted to annihilate Yun Che at all costs.
Yun Che gnashed his teeth as he constantly looked back. Every time he looked back, he could sense that it had gotten closer to him by a certain extent. Though its speed was inferior compared to the one that had chased him previously, it was still at a level where he could not escape from it with his speed alone.
Could it be that all the monsters here do not have the least bit of reason and only know how to desperately kill all outsiders?
Wait a minute! Could it be… the flames!?
To be capable of living in this dark world, the monsters within it must possess a similar attribute. Jasmine had long mentioned before, that bodies which carried darkness profound energy would averse to or even hate flames. They would even be suppressed by fire profound energy to a certain degree. Especially the flames of the Vermilion Bird… Followed by the Phoenix flames and then the Golden Crow flames.
The purer the dark profound energy, the more it was so.
The dark monster behind him was suddenly alerted right after he ignited the Golden Crow flames as well.
Realizing this point, Yun Che hurriedly extinguished the Golden Crow flames from his entire body, allowing the surrounding world to once again return to complete darkness.
“A… Ouuu!!”
However, the roars behind him persisted and there was not the slightest bit of slowing down or hesitation in its pursuit. The extremely terrifying sense of danger continued to approach from behind.
“Hss… Is it already too late?” Yun Che gritted his teeth in the dark… It seemed like he had to once again rely on the Primordial Profound Ark to forcefully flee.
Though the Primordial Profound Ark was unable to bring him out of this world, at the same time the two former attempts failed, he was still brought to different places… Especially the first time, where he successfully escaped from the dark monster’s pursuit.
Yun Che’s speed slowed down slightly and he turned his body around in the air. The flames that he had extinguished earlier once again burned… However, they were no longer the Golden Crow flames but the Phoenix flames.
Since a dark monster like you hates and fears flames, then before escaping this place, let me give you a big present!!
The profound energy in Yun Che’s entire body poured out and the flaming light from his body exploded forth. A gigantic Phoenix Flaming Lotus speedily bloomed, growing several hundred meters wide in the blink of an eye. Then, it was pushed towards his back with all his might.
The gigantic flaming lotus flew out amidst a sonorous phoenix cry and when it landed on the ground, a stream of crimson flaming light blazed through the darkness, charging straight up into the skies and reaching several hundred meters in height. It released what might be the most intense heat and light in the history of this dark world.
Initially, Yun Che smashed out this flaming lotus with the pure intention of disgusting the dark monster that was relentlessly pursuing him.
However, he was unaware that this action of his had ruthlessly stabbed the hornet’s nest of this dark world.
“Aoouuuu!!!”
“Scree~”
…………
The previously considerably silent dark world, was suddenly blasted with countless thunderous beast roars. Some came from afar, some came from up close and these roars evidently carried incomparably intense ferocity and anger.
Boooooom…
The earth and space wildly trembled. Those were the sounds of countless dark ferocious beasts sprinting at the same time. In the sky faraway, extremely shrilling space-tearing sounds could also be heard. Evidently, a large number of flying ferocious beasts were approaching with peerless speed.
One dark monster was already incomparably terrifying, let alone a herd of this size. Their overlapping roars constantly shook Yun Che’s body and there were several times where he had almost collapsed. Never did he expect that a causal release of his flames had actually brought about such a terrifying situation. He no longer dared to stay any further, as he charged forward with all his might. At the same time, he quickly summoned the Primordial Profound Ark and set his coordinates, which was still a vertical jump of sixty kilometers.
Where it was going to bring him was not important, as long as it could allow him to escape from the noses of these dark monsters.
The Primordial Profound Ark appeared and under Yun Che’s will, its spatial jumping ability activated. Layers of ripples swayed in the surrounding space… However, these ripples were incomparably frail, several times weaker than the previous two times. They could not even be compared to the water ripples caused by a gentle breeze.
Following after, these ripples immediately appeared, while the Primordial Profound Ark stayed at its original position, not having moved in the slightest.
“!!!” Yun Che was shocked in his heart. Though there were situations in the past where he was unable to jump out of independent small worlds, there had never been a case where he could not even undergo a jump within the same world.
Could it be that the spatial laws in this place were far stronger than his previous location, preventing the Primordial Profound Ark from even undergoing a spatial jump?
Not giving up, Yun Che consecutively tried several times but the results were all the same. The Primordial Profound Ark would only bring about frail spatial ripples and would not move in the slightest.
“[email protected]#$%…”
The roars behind him grew even closer and the numbers were increasing as well. Yun Che’s hair stood on end. He put away the Primordial Profound Ark and once again raised his speed to the absolute limits, charging towards the darkness in front of him.
Under this immense crisis, his will surpassed his concentration and he ended up not noticing something that was obviously strange. A large number of dark ferocious beasts were startled into moving by his flames but the auras and roars of these ferocious beasts, were all coming from the world behind him.
In the direction he was fleeing to, it had been completely silent from beginning to end, as though no dark ferocious beasts existed there. Not even a single one.
Chapter 883 – The Girl in the Abyss (3)
Yun Che did not know the direction in which he was traveling nor did he know what was ahead of him. The only thing he could do was fly forward with all of his strength. Death would bear down on him the moment he stopped.
The oppressive might that was bearing down on him from behind was growing more and more dreadful, the sound of pursuit growing ever so closer. However, it was at this time that a penetrating cry pierced the air above him. That shrill cry directly covered the darkness monster that had started pursuing him first. A dangerous aura that was even closer and more terrifying than the previous one spread out from above and it swiftly drew near to him using a dreadfully peerless speed.
What was that? What a terrifying speed!
Yun Che was greatly shocked and alarmed because the darkness monster, which was rushing in from above, was at least two to three times faster than the previous monster!
If Jasmine was here, she would instantly be able to tell that this was clearly the primordial devil beast known as the Bane Glass Bird! When she had come here previously, she had also been attacked by a Bane Glass Bird.
This kind of speed was undoubtedly a terrifying nightmare to Yun Che.
With the Bane Glass Bird’s dreadful speed, the considerable distance between the two of them had swiftly dwindled in a short period of just over ten breaths.
“SCREEEEE!!!”
The shrill cry behind him abruptly turned incredibly sharp, the sound causing Yun Che’s entire body to fiercely shiver… Because judging from that sense, the darkness monster that was pursuing him from above was astonishingly only a few kilometers away from him!
Furthermore, when this bird cry sounded, the dangerous aura behind him instantly turned into an aura of death which sent chills running through Yun Che’s entire body.
The Bane Glass Bird who had already come within seven kilometers of Yun Che gathered its wings before it violently flung them out wide. In a split second, a howling darkness gale was formed and it hurtled forward with an earth-shaking screech. Wherever this storm of darkness hit, it instantly warped the dark space, which even the Primordial Profound Ark could not jump through, into twisting vortexes.
The instant the storm of darkness arrived, Yun Che felt as if he had been thrown into an abyss of death… He was acutely aware that if he came into contact with this storm of darkness, even if it merely brushed him, he would instantly be wrung into dark powder.
Yun Che’s gaze grew dark and heavy as he desperately raised his speed to its very limit. Even though his speed was already peerlessly quick and fierce, the storm of death that bore on from behind grew ever closer…
This would not do… If he maintained his current speed, he would definitely die!
Ssssss!!
Yun Che fiercely gritted his teeth, his eyes glowing with a tyrannical light. After that, he let out a low roar as he forcefully opened the 【Rumbling Heaven】 gate.
Bang!!
A profound energy storm violently exploded outwards from Yun Che’s body. His profound energy immediately turned scarlet red. As his profound strength explosively increased by several times, his speed also abruptly increased as he frantically tore through the darkness at a frantic rate…
BHOOOOM
The storm of death smashed against the ground behind Yun Che, reducing the dark ground which was countless times stronger than profound steel into countless motes of dust. The intervening space immediately became riddled with holes.
After that peerlessly dreadful destructive power erupted, the remaining power spread out in waves that buffeted the surrounding space that was tens of kilometers wide…
Before Yun Che, who had forcefully opened the 【Rumbling Heaven】 gate to escape certain death, even had time to catch his breath, the extremely dangerous aura hurtled in from behind once again. His pupils contracted and he did not have enough time to even turn around but he nearly instinctively activated the Evil God Barrier.
Bang!!
Yun Che’s back was buffeted by a backlash wave that had been emitted by the storm of death.
It was merely a backlash wave that had yet to dissipate and its strength could only be described as weak compared to the center of that storm. But for Yun Che, this “weak” backlash wave was still akin to an incredibly dreadful disaster.
With an explosive ring, his Evil God Barrier instantly collapsed and fractured and his entire body shot out at a speed that was even faster than his fastest speed. He flew for an entire thirty five kilometer before fiercely smashing against the ground.
“Cough… cough, cough… cough…”
Yun Che planted his palms on the ground as he gingerly lifted himself off the ground before coughing out more than ten mouthfuls of bright red blood.
After he had perfectly obtained Feng Xue’er’s Phoenix vital yin, his strength had risen explosively and he had reached the pinnacle of strength in this world. Besides Xuanyuan Wentian, the Little Demon Empress, and Feng Xue’er, there was no one else who could rival him/.
But within this dreadful dark abyss, he was like a young and tender child who had mistakenly crawled into a demon’s den, he was so weak that even a touch could consign him to death.
It was just a backlash wave that had been dispersed from far away but it practically took away half his life… and this was when he had even activated the Evil God Barrier.
Right now, Yun Che did not have time to even consider what kind of crazy place this was. He stood up and staggered forward… Forcefully opening up Rumbling Heaven had already done an enormous amount of damage to his body and before he even had time to catch his breath, he had sustained such a dreadful amount of damage yet again. But he had to stand up, because the moment he stopped, he would die.
“Cough… cough, cough…”
Yun Che pressed a hand against his chest and the fierce pain that he felt from his internal organs told him that most of his vital organs had ruptured. It felt exceptionally difficult to even walk and if there was light in this place, one would be able to see a long trail of blood dripped along the ground that he had traversed.
I… still cannot die yet…
His steps were heavy and his wounds were so serious that he was unable to take to the air. Even his consciousness was starting to grow blurry. After he had taken more than ten steps, he finally sensed that something was amiss and he slowly turned around.
Those terrifying bestial roars and earth-shaking footsteps that had rung out behind him had completely disappeared.
The dangerous aura that had engulfed him had also completely dissipated.
What was going on?
Has my consciousness become muddled to such a great extent?
However, all of this was not Yun Che’s misperception. Tens of kilometers away, those profound beasts that had been chasing after Yun Che had completely stopped their pursuit. Even the sounds of their howls and roars had completely died down and they did not dare to advance even a step further.
It was as if the region in front of them was a forbidden ground that they absolutely could not enter.
Yun Che did not know what had happened behind him. He trudged forward in the darkness and he did not even know how long he had been walking for. At the moment when he was just about to collapse, he suddenly fell against a hard and solid wall.
After he had run around in this unknown and vast world for such a long period of time, he had finally touched something other than the ground.
Yun Che, who had finally found something to support him, leaned against the wall for a while as he gasped for breath. Now that he had arrived at this point, he was able to confirm one thing, his feeling that those profound beasts had abruptly stopped their pursuit was not due to his senses growing blurry.
Before he could even consider the reason for this, he had to regulate his energy and blood first. So he sat down and started to treat his injuries. At this time, he suddenly saw a gleam of purple light out of the corner of his eye.
Yun Che’s heart was shaken and he swiftly turned his head around as he focused his vision on that spot… He had not been mistaken, there was indeed a gleam of purple-colored light coming from a spot that was somewhere in front of him.
This gleam of light was extremely faint and weak but in this world that only contained endless darkness, the existence of this light was undoubtedly extremely unusual.
“Light…!”
Yun Che subconsciously muttered to himself
Yun Che gave up on healing himself. He leaned against the wall and dragged his heavily wounded body towards the purple light, his leaden feet dragging against the ground. He was not being motivated by his curiosity. He was moving to the light because this gleam of light in this incomparably dreadful world of darkness was undoubtedly a dazzling ray of hope!
As he moved forward, the purple light grew increasingly closer and increasingly brighter in his vision. Gradually, Yun Che could sense a strangely familiar feeling from this purple light.
This purple light… I have definitely seen it somewhere before!
What could it be?
Yun Che gasped roughly as he strove to pick up speed. After he had walked a very far distance and seemed to be very near to that purple light, he abruptly reached a bend in the wall that he had been using to support himself.
After he turned the corner, he stood in a complete daze for a while.
What appeared in front of his eyes was a world that was filled by a bewitching purple light.
There were countless stalks of fantastical flowers swaying amidst this purple light. Scores of bewitching flowers bloomed proudly upon deep purple stalks. Every single petal of these flowers seemed to be like gleaming purple jade, they released a bright purple light and a faint and indistinct dull purple fog that seemed to come from the depths of the netherworld floated around them.
The purple light that filled this space had all come from these bewitching purple flowers.
Within this incomparably dreadful world of darkness, Yun Che’s flames could only illuminate an area that was not even ten feet wide but these bewitching flowers could clearly illuminate a very large area and the light that was being radiated was incredibly clear. It seemed to be near at hand and it was not dimmed by the darkness at all.
Yun Che dumbly stood in place and it seemed as if his entire body had been petrified.
These bewitching purple flowers were clearly Netherworld Udumbara Flowers!!
Before this, he and Jasmine had spent an entire seven years just to find the traces of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. Jasmine had also said that it was likely that the flower they had found in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest was the only one that could be found on this plane.
However right now, tens of thousands of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers swayed before him in full bloom, forming a gigantic sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.
It was as if he had been thrust from a dark world of death into a purple-colored netherworld dimension.
However, the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was not only incomparably bewitching, its most unique trait, which was also its most dreadful trait… was its ability to steal one’s soul!!
Even though Yun Che was still rather far away from this sea of flowers, he was heavily injured and was being bathed by the purple light that radiated from tens of thousands of netherworld Udumbara Flowers. So in a short amount of time, the vision of those eyes which stared at the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers grew increasingly blurry as his pupils swiftly expanded without him noticing.
Yun Che rapidly tried to raise his guard but it was already too late. He wanted to retreat but he could barely even feel the existence of his body, and his vision and consciousness very swiftly grew blurry.
When he had gone to the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, Yun Che had personally experienced the dreadfulness of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower and he was even more acutely aware that the dreadful result of having one’s soul stolen was no different from death.
He fiercely bit down on the tip of his tongue as he regained some clarity of mind but his body, which had slipped out of his control, swiftly sank to the ground.
This could not happen… He definitely could not faint here.
Yun Che fiercely gritted his teeth but his wounds were too severe and his complexion was exceptionally pale. At this moment, he suddenly saw a silver-colored figure slowly drift out of the sea of purple flowers through his blurry eyes.
“Ah…” Yun Che’s body had completely collapsed to the ground. He desperately tried to widen his eyes and look towards that silver-colored figure…
It seemed to be the figure of a human and it was very tiny and delicate, it was just as small as Hong’er. The silver that gleamed in his eyes came from the light that gleamed on her long hair and her body was covered by a layer of lustrous white light.
She slowly floated over, her feet not touching the ground but her silver-colored hair was long enough to reach the ground.
His consciousness grew more and more blurry and his blurred vision could no longer clearly distinguish outlines or colors. Yun Che’s eyes closed many times but he forcefully opened them each and every time. And every time he regained his vision, he discovered that the figure that floated over from the sea of flowers had grown closer by several degrees.
After he barely managed to open his eyes for the last time, he saw an unfathomably beautiful pair of eyes that was right in front of him.
A pair… of eyes that seemed to glitter with all the colors of the rainbow.
“Who… are… you…”
Yun Che let out an extremely weak and faint voice as his vision turned white before everything turned black and his consciousness completely faded away.
Chapter 884 – Hong’er?
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Yun Che gradually regained his consciousness. His surroundings were a completely white world, where he could not see anything nor feel his own presence.
Where… is this place?
Am I still alive…
“Big Brother Yun Che…”
Within the pale white world, the soft calls of a girl could be heard. This voice caused Yun Che’s consciousness to throb intensely as he let out a panicky shout, “Ling’er? Ling’er, is that you… Where are you?”
He searched diligently, looking all around and yet, he could not find Ling’er’s figure at all. There was only her dream-like voice that rung quietly beside his ear, “Big Brother Yun Che, all these years, I kept waiting for you. Even though they said that you wouldn’t return, I believed that Big Brother Yun Che wouldn’t lie to me… I’m already sixteen… But, where are you Big Brother Yun Che… Why didn’t I manage to wait for you… Will I really… never get to see Big Brother Yun again…”
Her soft muttering was still filled with deep longing and sadness.
“Ling’er, I’m already here. I’m sure you’re safe and sound and must still be waiting for me… Where are you? Quick, tell me where you are…”
Yun Che shouted with all his might as his desperately searched for Su Ling’er’s figure in the completely white world. Finally, in front of him, a moon white silhouette of a fairy gradually appeared. Looking at that figure in front of him, Yun Che muttered in shock, “Qing… yue?”
Xia Qingyue who appeared before him was still beautiful and flawless. However, her temperament was far too different from the Xia Qingyue in his heart. She was his legitimate wedded wife but now when she appeared before him, he felt ashamed as though he was admiring a fairy that was on the moon.
“Yun Che…” Xia Qingyue muttered softly, “I found what I’ve always desired but why is everything different from what I imagined… What I’ve always pursued and wished for have all deviated from my prediction. Instead, I was trapped in a cage that seemed to be beautiful…”
“Yun Che, was I wrong… What should I do…”
Xia Qingyue continued muttering words that Yun Che could not understand and her silhouette became more and more hazy. Just as Yun Che subconsciously stretched out his hand and tried to touch it, he suddenly saw that at the end of the pale white world, the shadow of someone else wearing a fluttering snow robe appeared.
“Little… Little Fairy…” Yun Che muttered with a trembling voice.
“Yun Che,” Chu Yuechan’s back was facing him and her ice cold voice was warm and gentle, “Our daughter is already six. She’s like you and like me, cuter than any single star in the vast night sky. However, she has never been able to see her father…”
Bang…
The pale white world suddenly collapsed and disappeared.
“Little Fairy!!!”
Yn Che cried hurriedly as he sat up furiously.
It was a dream…
He had experienced a weird dream like this before… that time, it was due to the Netherworld Udumbara Flower’s soul stealing.
Wait, I’m currently at…
The pain that spread throughout his body caused him to regain his consciousness swiftly. Yun Che opened his eyes swiftly. Before him, was the same world as the one before his lost consciousness. The dark world was filled with an demonic purplish glow. He immediately realized the origin of the purple glow and swiftly lowered his head yet again.
Previously, an incomplete Netherworld Udumbara Flower almost took my life. But why is it that even though there were millions of flowers here, even though I am severely injured, I could still regain consciousness?
Furthermore, the injuries had actually recovered by more than half… With my body’s natural healing rate, could I have been unconscious for several days already?
Although Yun Che did not look at the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers with his eyes, his entire body was still being basked in the purple light. What Yun Che did not understand was that the feeling of the soul stealing was exceptionally weak.
What’s wrong?
Yun Che tried lifting up his head, looking in the direction of the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers and his expression instantly became stunned.
The massive sea of flowers filled his eyes and he could not see the end of it. However, at this time, all the petals of the purple devilish flowers were closed and it turned into its budding state. Although the purple light was still bright, the power of the soul stealing had be weakened by several dozen times.
At the same time, what was different from the other Netherworld Udumbara Flower that Yun Che saw that time was that in such a massive sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers, there was not a hint of the ghostly crying noise. They swayed silently within the purple light as though they were afraid of disturbing something present.
What’s wrong? How long have I been unconscious? Why did I manage to wake up? Why are there such weird changes to the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers… Sssss… That figure?!
Yun Che suddenly remembered that before he lost consciousness, he vaguely saw that figure walking out from the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.
Yun Che finally detected something at this time and turned around swiftly. His gaze suddenly met with a pair of eyes that were emitting an enchanting glow.
“…” Yun Che was stunned.
On his right, barely two steps away, there was a petite little girl silently floating there. Her galactic bright silver hair clung to her delicate body and hung all the way down. A long section of it dragged on the ice cold floor. The hair in front of her forehead danced even though there was no wind, complementing her white jade-like tender looks.
Her body was covered with a white glow and beneath the glow, it seemed as though she was not wearing any garments. Her delicate white legs, however, were not covered by the white glow and were completely exposed. Her tender feet that resembled ice lotuses hung in the air and each snow white toe of hers glistened as though she were carved from jade.
Other than her long silver hair, her entire person seemed like a jade doll, flawlessly carved from white jade.
But the strangest thing was her eyes… those were a pair of enchanting eyes that Yun Che had never seen before.
The top half of her right eye was pale yellow in color while the bottom half gradually turned a faint green.
As for her left eye, the top half was a pale blue color while the bottom half gradually became deep purple.
A pair of eyes, giving off the glows of four different colors.
The colorful glow that he had managed to capture before his sleep had not been an illusion!
Yun Che had seen numerous abnormally colored eyes, before when he was practicing medicine with his master in the Azure Cloud Continent. In medical terms, abnormal colored eyes were being labelled “iris heterochromia.” However, he had never seen or heard of someone who actually possessed four different eye colors.
Yun Che looked at the young girl in shock while the girl looked back at him quietly. Her entire person was quiet; she made no sound and had no expression. There wasn’t even any aura coming off from her. If Yun Che closed his eyes now, he would not be able to detect her presence at all.
Beneath the deep abyss, in the world of darkness, the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers, four colored eyes…
This girl who was in front of Yun Che right now was giving off a deep deep feeling of mystery and illusory… no, magical color.
“You are…” Yun Che finally used an exceptionally gentle tone and asked but just as he opened his mouth, his voice was suddenly stuck and he became stunned once again. After that, he could not control himself and uttered, “Hong’er!?”
Mysterious young girl, “…”
Yun Che realized in surprise that other than the color of her hair and eyes, the face, facial features and even the figure of the mysterious girl before him were exactly the same as Hong’er!!
It’s only… a coincidence. Yun Che immediately said to himself. After all, similar appearances were a common thing… though she was overbearingly similar to Hong’er.
Furthermore, their demeanors were completely different. Hong’er was full of expression and loved to cry, laugh and make noise. There was nearly never a time when she was silent. Even in her sleep, she would say all sorts of weird things. However, the girl in front of him was too silent and it seemed as though she did not possess any emotions.
Although the girl gave off intense feelings of mystery and magic, at least Yun Che could not detect any sense of danger from her.
“Who… who are you?” Yun Che looked at her and quietly asked, “Was is you that saved me?”
The young girl’s lips separated slightly before gently closing yet again. Then, they separated and closed yet again… She seemed as though she was trying to say something but could not make any noise.
“You… can’t speak?” Yun Che asked probingly.
“…” The girl looked quietly at him and lightly nodded her head
“Then, you… understand what I’m saying?” Yun Che asked again.
The girl nodded once again, the four colored glow in her eyes was firmly fixed on Yun Che’s face.
One of Yun Che’s more exceptional abilities was that he could decipher a person’s intention from the look in their eyes. However, within the girl’s colorful gaze, there were many things but Yun Che could not understand any of them.
Yun Che stood up from the ground. The girl could understand what he was saying but could not speak. This meant that he would not be able to ask her where this place was and who she was. But at least she had no ill intentions towards him and did not seem to reject him. To Yun Che, this was already an exceptionally bright light in a world of darkness.
That he could wake up in front of the massive sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers, this mysterious girl… must be the only reason?!
Surviving in this dark and deep abyss, this girl who was floating among the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers… just what kind of an existence was she? Was she a person or…
Looking at the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers in the distance, he suddenly had a weird thought in his heart and directly blurted, “Those purple flowers, was it you that closed them?”
The girl nodded slightly, her gaze still remained fixed on him and had not left him from the start.
“…” Yun Che was stunned and after some hesitation, he asked rather boldly, “Since you can control those purple flowers, then… could you give one of them to me? I really need it. Just one is fine. Can you?”
He did not forget that currently, whatever was supporting Jasmine’s soul was only residual netherworld powers and it could last for at most twenty to thirty years. If she wanted her soul and body to fuse perfectly, she needed a complete Netherworld Udumbara Flower.
The young girl completely understood his words. She turned her body and stretched out her small hands, gently pointing towards the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.
Instantly, in the front of the sea of flowers, a completely closed Netherworld Udumbara Flower blossomed beautifully, giving off even more dreamlike purple glow. And immediately, all the petals along with the flower completely broke off from its stem. Then, while being engulfed by an eerie light, they flew towards the young girl.
“…” Yun Che looked at this sight with a dumbfounded expression.
Even though the complete Netherworld Udumbara Flower was just a small distance away, it was being engulfed within an mysterious and eerie light and its soul stealing powers could not be felt at all. The girl held up the flower that seemed huge to her and brought it in front of Yun Che. The four colors of her eyes remained beautiful and flawless.
The shock and throbbing in Yun Che’s heart was so strong that it could not increase any further. He carefully stretched out his hand and said with gratitude, “Thank you. Not only have you saved me, you have given me such a precious present.”
With both hands, he received the complete Netherworld Udumbara Flower and while receiving it, he touched the young girl’s hands… but he did not feel any warmth nor was there any feeling of contact. His eyes subconsciously shifted downward and he clearly saw his finger passing through her small hand.
“This… is your soul body?” Yun Che asked in shock.
“…” The young girl looked at him silently and after some time, she finally nodded lightly.
Yun Che was shocked yet again. The young girl in front of him was actually the same as Jasmine who had just lost her body. It was just her soul body.
What made him even more shocked was that Jasmine has once told him before, the devouring powers of high levels of darkness energy was exceptionally frightening to the soul body and it was nearly irrecoverable. Even someone as strong as Jasmine did not dare to appear within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest with her soul body.
However, this girl who was similarly in her soul body was existing in this dark world where the dark devilish aura was many times stronger than within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest… and from what it felt like, it seemed as though she had already been here for an exceptionally long time
Chapter 885 – Evil God’s Seed—Darkness (1)
“You…”
Yun Che opened his mouth, but for a long moment, he didn’t know what to say. The mysterious feeling she gave off was much stronger than when he met Jasmine in the past, as well as when he encountered a genuine primordial devil within Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.
The four colored glow coming from the girl’s eyes was mysterious yet quiet as she continued to look at Yun Che. There wasn’t a glint of curiosity, and no matter how hard Yun Che tried, he could not decipher what hid behind that glow.
“Have you been here for a long time?” Yun Che asked.
Just like before, the girl just nodded slightly.
As for how long “long” was, perhaps even the girl herself did not know.
“Then you…” Yun Che hesitated for quite awhile before finally asking the question he cared about the most. “Do you know how to leave this place?”
The girl’s lips parted a tiny bit… but she didn’t nod or shake her head. In the end, the shine in her eyes changed slightly.
She did not shake her head… Could it be that she knew?
However, the girl didn’t know how to speak. Therefore, even if she did know, she had no way to tell him.
This girl was simply too mysterious. Although Yun Che really wanted to know who she was and why she was there, there was no doubt that the most important thing to him was leaving this place.
Yun Che quietly took out the soul crystal. Although he did not know how long he had been unconscious, the soul crystal was still intact and its glow hadn’t diminished at all. He firmly believed that it wasn’t possible for Su Ling’er to be here. However, he was also more willing to believe that the soul crystal definitely belonged to Su Ling’er. This crystal had been given to Yun Che by Su Hengshan who was already determined to die, which meant that he had entrusted Su Ling’er’s life and future to him. How could he possibly be wrong!
Intense pain constantly spread through every part of his body. Yun Che was eventually able to bear it after standing for some time. He put away the Netherworld Udumbara Flower that the girl gave to him and softly said, “Before anything else, I need a while to treat my wounds. I’ll talk to you afterwards, okay?”
The girl did not react and instead continued to silently watch him. Her silence was like that of being under a starry night sky.
Yun Che sat down cross-legged and swiftly calmed himself as he concentrated on recuperating. In the past, whenever he treated his injuries, he would devote thirty percent of his senses to in case danger were afoot no matter how safe the location was. Here, however, he concentrated entirely on healing and left no defenses.
Although this girl was so mysterious that she could have been a dream, Yun Che was absolutely certain of one thing—that she wouldn’t harm him. On the contrary, she gave him a mysterious sense of security. She had helped him gather the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, and she was definitely the reason why the dark beasts didn’t dare to enter this area.
Yun Che stabilized his aura, his profound energy and the Rage God’s strength channelled together. After his breathing became consistent and light, his entire body quickly entered a state of trance. His profound energy and the Rage God’s strength operated even faster, quickly healing the injuries on his body.
The girl didn’t disturb him, and from start to finish, she just stayed there levitating like a carved silver doll. Her eyes didn’t leave him either, and her gaze gradually became calm. She looked at the small golden pagoda above his head and the color that started returning to his pale face.
A long time passed in silence, and the girl’s stance and gaze did not shift in the slightest. Eventually, once Yun Che’s internal injuries had recovered more than halfway, his profound aura began to radiate from him even more. It gradually grew into a strong, quickly spinning profound aura spiral that surrounded Yun Che’s entire body.
The second that this profound aura spiral that was used to treat external injuries appeared around Yun Che’s body, the colorful glow in the girl’s eyes began trembled and continued to do so for quite awhile… It was as though she had seen something of utmost importance.
It was a field of purple silence; the flow of time almost couldn’t be felt. After what seemed like forever, the aura on Yun Che’s body started to relax. His internal injuries had already completely healed and his external injuries were mostly recovered as well. Given a few more days, they would be entirely healed.
Yun Che exhaled softly, opened his eyes, and immediately he saw the petite figure of the girl beside him. He smiled at her and moved to stand up… but suddenly felt that his heart was beating furiously.
Yun Che was stunned and the expression on his face changed completely…
This… this was…
Could it be…
An eerie bone-piercing feeling spread from the depths of Yun Che’s profound veins. Immense pain flooded his body like a plague. Yun Che’s pupils shrank, and his body, which he’d just treated, fell to the ground yet again, his palm pressed tightly against his chest.
A weak black aura gradually appeared from where Yun Che’s palm was pressing against his chest and started getting thicker. Soon enough, Yun Che’s body and face were shrouded by an increasingly dense black aura.
Yun Che’s entire body spasmed and his face twisted with pain. His entire body broke out in a cold sweat…
The devil origin orb…!
Why was this happening…? Why so soon!?
The devil origin orb had just been sealed by the Golden Crow Divine Spirit! Even though it would undoubtedly relapse eventually, it should have remained sealed for another month or two. Why was it happening now…?
In the midst of his pain, Yun Che’s pupils grew significantly larger… in sudden realization. Could this deep dark abyss be the reason why his devil origin orb was relapsing prematurely?!
This was a world that was filled with dark devil energy. Furthermore, that energy was frighteningly dense! It was highly likely that staying in such an environment had spurred the recovery and growth of the devil origin orb.
“Ughhhhh… Ahhhhh…”
Yun Che cried out in pain. Not only had the devil origin orb unexpectedly broken from its seal, it was relapsing with a strength that was far greater than last time. In a few breaths of time, the darkness profound aura that came from the devil origin orb had easily broken his profound energy defenses apart. It surged through his entire body, attacking every part of it as though he had been sent to hell.
Yun Che almost didn’t have time to struggle, and his entire body was immersed in the deep darkness abyss. His profound aura was quickly and completely dispersed under the influence of the dark devilish aura. He could not even stand up, let alone muster up any defense.
Looks like… I really won’t make it this time…
Yun Che had a grim expression on his face. His vision slowly grew blurry due to the increasingly dense dark aura. He gave up his struggle, lacking the consciousness to do so.
He quickly lost his grip on his senses, and the only thing he had that he could focus on was to try and forcefully stay conscious.
I originally thought that I’d prepared how I was going to die… I didn’t expect that I would die in a place like this…
I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Father… Mother… Xue’er and the rest…
I didn’t get the chance to see Ling’er again…
I feel… so unsatisfied…
But… it’s not that bad… I can finally… see Little Fairy sooner…
The relapse of the devil origin orb was so sudden and far more intense than before. No one could help him this time. Even if the Golden Crow Divine Spirit were present, she still wouldn’t be able to help him reseal it.
The black aura that shrouded Yun Che became thicker and thicker, swiftly devouring Yun Che’s body as well as his life force. Yun Che gave up on struggling and just stared blankly at whatever he could still see… He could barely see the girl in front of him approaching, lifting up her small hands, and quietly manipulating a small orb of black light.
That orb of light was so pitch black that it defied common sense. It looked as if it were the black hole that legends told of, the one that appeared at the center of the universe. Yun Che’s vision and consciousness had already become hazy, but that shine of that orb of black light seemed to be exceptionally clear in the core of his soul.
Looking at this orb of black light, Yun Che’s body, which was already immersed in darkness, started to ferociously throb all of a sudden. This throbbing came from the depths of his profound veins, and his profound veins, which were originally enveloped in the dark aura, started to flash with a scarlet, blue, and purple profound glow. It seemed to gradually oppose the darkness and become stronger and stronger…
This feeling…
Could… could it be…!?
The girl’s figure eventually stooped down to Yun Che, and she shifted the orb of black light in her hands so that it was next to his mouth. Her small hands then flipped upside down, and under the influence of a gentle force, the orb flew into his mouth and ended up inside of his body.
Boom!
The exceptionally dense dark aura that surrounded and permeated Yun Che’s body suddenly surged. All of the darkness profound aura resembled a fierce beast that had just been rudely awakened and was now angrily screaming as it circulated through his body.
Booom!
A noise that seemed as though it had come from the depths of hell rang out, and the black aura on Yun Che’s body exploded, completely dispersing. Only a flawless black light remained. This black light attached itself to the surface of Yun Che’s body, and even his eyes shone with it.
All the pain in Yun Che’s body disappeared, and he swiftly regained consciousness. In the depths of his profound veins, the devil origin orb that was embedded there was still releasing a strong black light and an aura of darkness. It had initially been like a frightening foreign object to Yun Che, the source of his terrifying doom. Now, however, not only did Yun Che clearly feel its presence, it no longer felt foreign to him at all. He could even clearly sense that it was just another part of his body, closely interconnected to it, his profound veins and his soul. It had become peculiarly gentle, and he could freely control freely.
It was just like how he could control his own limbs.
Even the darkness aura that had previously almost destroyed him was completely fused with his profound aura and circulated as he wanted.
This… this is… What happened?
Just what in the world happened?
The enormous changes that occurred in his body had been completed in just a few breaths of time. It happened so fast that Yun Che had been unable to react or even think about it. However, the bizarre changes did not stop there… they had only just begun.
Boom… Boom… Boom…!
The black light that had entered Yun Che’s profound veins all started to shatter, and the darkness had, beyond all comprehension, fractured into countless slivers of darkness. When each one came into contact with his profound veins, they immediately fused with it like mercury touching the ground—not one bit had been lost.
It was as though they were one entity to begin with.
At the same time, after every sliver of darkness fused with Yun Che’s profound veins, massive tidal waves of energy surged within those very profound veins… This energy was foreign, yet unbelievably strong. Yun Che opened his eyes, but his expression was one of complete astonishment. He had clearly felt the orb of black light fuse with his profound veins, and was definitely experiencing his own profound strength increase at an alarming rate…
Seventh level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Ninth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Tenth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm…
Bang!!
Following the strange noise that resounded within Yun Che’s soul, the bottleneck that numerous overlord spent their entire lives trying to break through was shattered in one push. The profound aura within Yun Che’s body subsided and his profound veins became silent. A dense profound aura began to calmly circulate within them as though they were layers of nebula.
On this plane of existence, this was the strongest of profound auras.
—The first level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
The orb of black light that came from the girl finally finished fusing with Yun Che’s profound veins. All the weird changes stopped, and Yun Che’s entire body became calm. He inspected his own profound veins… the profound veins that had originally been scarlet, blue, and purple now had an additional region within them that was black.
The black region was at the center of the profound veins and nearly took up half of the space within them. In the space around the black region, the three colors of scarlet, blue, and purple coexisted as though they were stars surrounded the moon that was the black region.
At the core of the black region was the devil origin orb that had become unusually tranquil.
Yun Che didn’t know when he stood up, but his entire person was in a state of shock. He was unable to focus for quite some time.
With her colorful eyes, the girl silently watched him. Ever since he had appeared, her gaze had not left him. It was not the gaze of a person that seemed to be observing a stranger. It was a gaze that seemed as though the girl was looking at someone that meant the entire world to her.
Chapter 886 – Evil God’s Seed—Darkness (2)
Yun Che dazedly raised his arm and silently observed that layer of pure black light. His will shifted slightly and in an instant, all of the black light that was flowing over his body disappeared without a trace. He concentrated his will slightly and a tiny profound energy vortex started to quietly circulate in the palm of his hand.
With a twitch of his lips, Yun Che’s will changed yet again.
Instantly, the colorless profound energy vortex turned into a pitch-black vortex of energy which violently rotated on his palm.
Darkness profound energy…
Which also meant that it was devil energy!
This was the dark devil energy that both Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian possessed!
As the darkness profound energy revolved, Yun Che immediately felt an irascible violence swell up in his heart and soul. Even though it was not intense and it should not be hard for him to control it,it left a clear and indelible mark on his emotional state.
Jasmine had said before that darkness profound energy was a form of negative profound energy. It would agitate its user’s negative emotions and state of mind and it could even warp one’s personality… Moreover, all of these side-effects had been clearly seen from Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian.
However, right now, this kind of power had actually appeared within his body…
The icy-cold sinister feeling that had emanated from his surroundings had disappeared completely as well. This originally incomparably dreadful dark abyss now gave him an incredibly cozy feeling. It was as if his entire body was happily relaxing in a hot spring.
He raised his head and his vision directly pierced through the layers of darkness. Right now his vision could perceive the tiniest grain of sand with perfect clarity. The darkness not only did not seal away his vision, it had actually become another kind of “light” for him.
Yun Che, “…”
He had originally stepped into an abyss of death but in the blink of an eye, he had not only escaped this death but his profound strength had also grown explosively and even the devil origin orb had become a source of power for him. His profound veins and body had also undergone enormous bizarre changes.
All of these changes stemmed from the young girl feeding that black-colored ball of light to him.
The moment the orb of black light had entered his body, it had caused his profound veins to throb. This coupled with the huge change to his profound veins clearly told him that this orb of black light was…
It was clearly one of the Evil God’s Seeds!
An Evil God’s Seed of the darkness element!!
But when Jasmine had previously told him about the Evil God’s Seeds, she had told him that there existed a total of five Evil God’s Seeds in the universe and their powers were divided into fire, water, lightning, wind, and earth respectively. She had never once mentioned a darkness element Evil God’s Seed before.
Furthermore, during the Primordial Era, darkness profound energy was a power that belong to the devil gods and it directly went against the divine power that the gods used. It had been a negative profound energy that had opposed the gods. As a primordial True God situated in the highest tiers of power among the gods during the Primordial Era, why did the Evil God possess darkness profound energy?
What was even more bizarre was the fact that the power contained within this Evil God’s Darkness Seed far surpassed the power that had been contained within the Evil God’s Fire, Water and Lightning Seeds.
When Yun Che had obtained those three Evil God’s Seeds, the change in his profound veins had only been accompanied by a small rise in profound strength. However, when this darkness seed had fused with his profound veins, it caused his profound strength to rise explosively. Coupled with the power that had come from the devil origin orb, it directly caused him to breakthrough the limits of the Tyrant Profound Realm and allowed him to step into the Sovereign Profound Realm in a miraculous fashion!
The amount of energy space it had occupied in the Evil God’s Profound Veins was far greater than what the other three kinds of power had occupied.
It felt as if… it was darkness profound energy that was the Evil God’s primary power.
When this thought flashed across Yun Che’s mind, it frightened him greatly. He hurriedly denied this possibility. It definitely was not possible, the Evil God was a god and he was divine being that resided in the highest echelons of power during the Primordial Era, a divine being who was respected and admired by all the gods…
So how could darkness profound energy be his primary power… Would that not make him a devil god instead?
…But now that he had suddenly attained the ability to control darkness profound energy. Wasn’t the current him just like Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian… Hadn’t he fallen to the way of the devils…
He had been reborn after escaping calamity and his power had exploded as well, so this was undoubtedly a fantastically joyous surprise. At the same time, the darkness energy that was now produced by his profound veins caused him to be dazed and at a loss for a long period of time. However, this state did not continue forever. Yun Che dispelled the black-colored profound energy in his hand as his eyes started to focus.
Clearly, it was this power that had saved my life and helped me to escape the nightmarish grasp of the devil origin orb, so what do I have to worry about?
Not only do I not need to die but my current strength… Yun Che raised his head to look towards the sky… If I can get out of this place, it should be… completely sufficient to take down Xuanyuan Wentian!
Yun Che had recovered from his stupor and he looked at the girl with rainbow eyes who had been constantly by his side. She had actually had the darkness element Evil God’s Seed in her possession… and the existence of the Evil God’s Darkness Seed was something that even Jasmine had not been aware of.
Moreover, she was also the one who had proactively merged the Darkness Seed into his body when he had been approaching death after the devil origin orb inside his body had flared up.
She knew that the Evil God’s Darkness Seed could save his life…
Or could it be that she was aware of the existence of the Evil God’s Profound Veins within his body!?
This bizarre girl whom he had a chance encounter with in this dark abyss, just who was she…
“Thank you for saving me.” There were countless questions he wanted to ask in his head but now that he faced the girl who had saved him two times consecutively after they had just met, he could not bring himself to pursue those questions in an overly hasty and unseemly manner.
“…” The girl remained as she had been in every previous instance as she continued to silently stare at him.
“You… Did you perhaps recognize the power inside of my body?” Yun Che asked using the warmest tone and words possible.
“…” The young girl did not respond. She suddenly floated forward and arrived in front of Yun Che, extending a hand that glowed with the white luster of a diamond as she slowly approached Yun Che’s left hand.
He did not feel the sensation of being touched as the girl’s fingers directly passed through his palm. Just as Yun Che was about to ask, he suddenly discovered the back of his hand was glowing with a vermillion light.
The mark of the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword.
He had not summoned it but it actually started to flicker all by itself.
Following that, a red light flashed as Hong’er appeared in front of him.
Yun Che, “…”
“Mwah.” Hong’er let out a long yawn before asking in an extremely lovable voice, “Master, why’d you suddenly disturb my sleep again. Are we gonna fight again… Oh… Ah??”
Hong’er discovered the existence of the girl with rainbow eyes and she started to size her up with a look of curiosity on her face. At the same time, Yun Che had been stunned silly… He was very sure that he had definitely —definitely— not been the one to summon Hong’er!
The sudden flickering of the Heaven Smiting Sword’s mark and the sudden appearance of Hong’er. All of this had happened because the girl had touched his left hand.
This sort of thing had never happened before. Even when it was Jasmine, who had not only shared a body and lifeline with him but was also millions of times more powerful than him, even she could not go against his will and forcefully summon out Hong’er.
“Ah…” The girl with rainbow eyes looked at Hong’er while Hong’er also looked at her. Hong’er’s mouth was half open and her ruby eyes were stunned, it was as if she had suddenly frozen in place.
One girl had long and gorgeous vermillion hair, the other had long hair that sparkled with the light of stars. One pair of eyes were vermillion red, the other pair of eyes were a fantastical four colors. The two girls stared intently at one another, not moving an inch. It was as if the other person’s eyes had suddenly stolen away their souls.
“….” Yun Che stared at the both of them in amazement. The strange atmosphere that had abruptly formed between the two of them rendered him utterly silent for the moment.
The girl with rainbow eyes had always been as mysterious as the starry sky and as quiet as a dark night. But he understood Hong’er better than anybody else; as long as you summoned her, there would definitely not even be a moment of peace.
It was even less plausible that she would quietly stare at someone for such a long period of time.
As the two girls looked at each other in dazed silence, they extended their hands at nearly exactly the same time and touched each other. The girl’s hand lightly caressed Hong’er’s face while Hong’er’s hand touched the girl’s face at the same time…
At this time, Yun Che’s eyeballs nearly jumped out of their sockets because he had clearly seen the part where each girl had touched the other’s delicate face being pushed in slightly…
Hong’er could touch her!?
But she was clearly a soul body! He could previously only treat her as an Illusionary existence but Hong’er could actually touch her!
Yun Che immediately thought of Jasmine. Only he could touch Jasmine’s soul body but that was because Jasmine and him had shared a body and a life in order to prevent Jasmine’s soul body from dissipating. Then Hong’er and this girl…
Besides the color of their hair and their eyes, they looked exactly the same, could it be… No, it could not be such a coincidence.
They did really share some mysterious connection?
“Ngh… sniff… sniff…” Hong’er’s lips suddenly started to pout and her shoulder started to heave as she let out a sob. Yun Che stared at her dazedly but he discovered that Hong’er’s vermillion eyes were shining with tears. After that, those tears started to drip down with pattering sound.
Yun Che, “…”
“Uuu… uuuuuu… UUUUUWAAAAAAHHHH!!”
Hong’er suddenly rushed into Yun Che’s body as she hugged him and bawled her eyes out, her tears flowed out like a burst dam as they quickly soaked his outer shirt. Yun Che was greatly shocked as he panickedly asked, “Hong’er… what happened to you?”
“I don’t know… don’t know!!” Hong’er shouted as she bawled her eyes out, “I suddenly became really really sad and I suddenly felt like crying… Uuu.. uuuuuuuu… I’m so sad… My entire body feels so sad… Have I become broken… Uuuuuu… Uuuwaaaaahhhhhh…”
“…” Hong’er was weeping up a storm. Yun Che raised his head to look at the girl with colorful eyes, only to discover that the two long trails of tears slowly flowing down her face were the color of white jade…
The girl stretched out her hand towards Yun Che’s left hand once again. The moment she came into contact with his hand, the vermillion-colored sword mark appeared yet again and the weeping Hong’er transformed into a beam of red light before returning to the Sky Poison Pearl.
She had not only bypassed his will to summon out Hong’er, she could actually send her back as well.
She… did not want to see Hong’er cry?
“You recognize her? You’ve seen Hong’er before?” Yun Che was unable to stop himself from hurriedly asking that question.
Hong’er’s bizarre behavior, the two of them sharing the same appearance and the two of them weeping tears at the same time. All of these undoubtedly proved that there was definitely some sort of relationship between her and Hong’er… and it definitely was no ordinary relationship at that.
Hong’er had come from the Primordial Era. So this girl who clearly recognized Hong’er, could it be that she had existed from the Primordial Era until today?
But Yun Che did not expect this girl to actually slowly shake her head.
Yun Che, “…”
Chapter 887 – A Sword That Should Not Exist
She shook her head?
“Then do you know who she is?” Yun Che asked again.
“…” The girl continued to shake her head mutely.
Yun Che, “…”
She has never seen Hong’er before?
And she also does not know who Hong’er is…
Then why did she…
After recalling Hong’er’s reaction, it was clear that she had never seen this girl before either.
Then the entire sequence of events where the girl summoned Hong’er which led to Hong’er bawling her eyes out after she saw her and the two of them shedding tears when they looked at each other… could it be have been an instinctual reaction that came from their bodies or souls?
And if they did not have an extremely special connection, why did such an instinctual reaction occur?
Yun Che, who was currently filled with extreme suspicion, caused his consciousness to sink into the Sky Poison Pearl. He saw Hong’er sitting down with her legs curled up to her body, her tiny hand vigorously rubbing away the tears in her eyes. Even though she was no longer sobbing, she had wept until her eyes and her nose had turned red.
“Hong’er,” Yun Che asked as he moved forward. “What exactly happened just now? The girl that you just saw… Have you seen her before?”
“Of course I haven’t.” Hong’er stuck out her tiny reddened nose, “I already said that I can’t remember anything from my past, so how could it be possible that I’ve seen her before? Master is really stupid.”
“Then why did you suddenly start crying buckets?”
“I already said that I don’t know alright!?” Hong’er pouted as she shook her head, “I just suddenly felt really sad and felt like crying. However…” Hong’er’s lips suddenly curved into a bow as a sweet and happy smile appeared on her face, “After I finished crying, I feel really good. It’s true. Master, why don’t you cry once for me to see?”
“…” Yun Che retreated in defeat.
Countless enigmas nagged at Yun Che’s mind.
The Darkness Seed that had fused with his profound veins had proven that the ancient Evil God did not only have perfect control over the five elemental profound energies of water, fire, wind, lightning and earth, he also clearly possessed darkness profound energy. As a god belonging to the god race, he would definitely not have allowed the other gods to know that he possessed the darkness element when he was still alive in the Primordial Era. Because the gods did not tolerate any negative profound energy and none of the legends that he had heard from Jasmine regarding the Evil God had mentioned him possessing darkness profound energy.
Even the ancient memories of the Evil God that Jasmine had obtained from the Evil God’s blood had only told her that there were five seeds of power that comprised of the five elements.
Clearly, the Evil God had probably never exposed his darkness profound energy during the Primordial Era. Furthermore, he had buried this information exceptionally well. At the same time, one could clearly tell from the legacy and memories that he had left behind that the Evil God did not want the future generations to know of his secret.
Then how did this Darkness Seed end up in that girl’s possession?
And this mysterious, terrifying and extremely bizarre world of darkness…
Could it also be something that the Evil God left behind?
Why did he want to leave behind such a world of darkness?
Why was this girl in a place like this? What connection did she have with the Primordial Evil God?
And what kind of connection did she have with Hong’er…
And that Hong’er… Who exactly was she?
“~！#￥%…” Yun Che’s brain was a complete mess right now. He had been plunged into this thick and tangled web of mysteries at the same time he had obtained this enormous power. Before this, every time he had obtained an Evil God Seed, besides feeling joy, he would also feel as if he was fulfilling some sort of destiny. But after he had obtained this Darkness Seed, he had been left at a complete loss.
Furthermore…
He had this indistinct feeling that he had come into contact with a secret that even the ancient divine beings were not aware of…
However, he had merely faintly touched the surface of this mystery. The whole truth behind all of this, including the girl with rainbow eyes and Hong’er’s true identity, should probably have become an eternal mystery following the end of the era of gods and devils.
At the present moment, the most important thing to him was how to leave this place.
Yun Che raised his head to look above him. If he flew straight up, he should be able to fly out of this abyss but that peerlessly dreadful suction power was able to securely seal away everything that dwelled within this dark abyss.
Even though Yun Che’s profound strength had grown immensely after he had obtained the Darkness Seed, he was very sure that the terrifying suction force above him was something that he could not resist.
All of the darkness monsters in this place were unfathomably strong and any one of them could instantly destroy the Yun Che who had obtained the Darkness Seed. It would not be possible for this bottomless abyss to imprison these kind of existences but not a single one of them had ever appeared in the outside world.
The reason for this was because even these darkness monsters could not resist that suction force, so they were forcefully sealed away in this world of darkness.
So how exactly could he leave this place…
Yun Che looked at the space above him as he lapsed into deep thought. After a long period of time, he gritted his teeth and suddenly launched himself into the air as he flew upwards with all his might.
Even though he did not know whether he could struggle free, he wanted to experience just how strong that suction force was once more.
Would it end up in complete despair or would he be able to see a ray of hope?
Yun Che’s flying speed was extremely fast. At the same time, all of the profound strength in his body swelled up as he swiftly reached the height of three thousand meters. The surrounding darkness energy started to boil as it swept towards Yun Che. Yun Che, who had made sufficient preparation for this, let out a low yell as his entire body released an incomparably dense jet-black profound light.
BOOM
The profound light that shone on Yun Che’s body exploded outwards with an incredibly loud ring but the moment the surrounding rampaging darkness energy came into contact with his body, it suddenly recoiled at lightning speed. Regardless of whether it was Yun Che’s body or the profound energy that had erupted out of his body, neither of them had been obstructed at all.
RIIIIP….
At the checkpoint between both worlds, Yun Che’s body immediately rang with the incomparably sharp sound of space tearing apart. Before he had even realized it, he had already escaped the world of darkness below him.
“…” Yun Che slowly came to a stop as he was dazed for a brief period of time.
I came out…!?
I actually managed to come out!!
That dreadful suction force that had previously appeared and was impossible for him to resist had not appeared this time.
No, it had appeared… But it instantly disappeared after that!
Yun Che suspiciously looked at the black light surrounding his body. He was stumped for a good long while before he muttered to himself, “Could it be because of… the Evil God’s Darkness Seed?”
Could it be that the Evil God’s darkness profound energy was the power that was sealing away this world of darkness, so it would not obstruct him because he had obtained the Evil God’s darkness profound power?
……
Could it be this reason?
After he stood there indefinitely in a bewildered state, Yun Che’s brows finally twitched before suddenly sinking again. After that, he began to descend once more.
With a soft ring, Yun Che traveled through the boundary between the two worlds yet again. This time, he did not circulate any profound energy, instead he focused on observing the changes that occurred around him.
As soon as he entered the world of darkness, the surrounding dark energy instantly changed and gathered around him. The moment the gathered darkness touched his body, it recoiled, not tearing at Yun Che at all.
So that was indeed the case!!
He forcefully descended into this dark abyss for the sake of Su Ling’er and when the devil origin orb had flared up inside his body, he had thought that certain death awaited him. But he never imagined that in the blink of an eye, not only did his strength explosively increase, he had even completely escaped the nightmarish grasp of the devil origin orb and right now, he once again discovered that he could freely leave and enter this world of darkness.
This complete reversal of fortune had been entirely due to the Evil God’s Darkness Seed.
It was all because of the chance encounter he had with that strange girl in the abyss.
Yun Che descended at an extremely quick speed. He followed that hellish purple light and soon landed at that girl’s side. He did not know who she was and why she was here. It was even possible that he would never ever know the answers to those questions but she was his savior… and she had done far more than simply saving him.
But right now, it was time for them to bid each other farewell.
“It’s about time for me to go. I still have many things I need to do on the outside, so I need to leave this place,” Yun Che said in a soft voice. “However, I will forever remember you. After all, the life I have right now is something that you’ve given me.”
“…” The girl’s lips opened as she looked at him with a steady gaze, it was as if she wanted to say something.
“You are all alone in this place, so you must definitely feel very lonely,” Yun Che said with a faint smile. “After I have finished what I need to do, I will come and visit you often.”
“…” The luster in the girl’s eyes seemed to faintly billow.
“Then… I’m off.”
He stretched out a hand to lightly caress that girl’s ethereal hair as he gave her one last long look… Whoever saw those four-colored eyes would never be able to forget them for the rest of their lives. After that, he stopped hesitating as he took to the air and rushed toward the borders of this dark world.
The girl’s eyes silently chased after his figure until he had completely vanished from her vision… Gradually, the light in her eyes slowly grew dull and she turned around and flew back into the midst of the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers. In an instant, all of the Netherworld Udumbara Flowers bloomed at the same time, forming a sea of purple flowers that was more wondrous and fantastical than any dream.
The girl hugged herself and curled up like a helpless little kitten amidst the sea of flowers. In this eternally lonely world of darkness, these living Netherworld Udumbara Flowers were her only companions.
Yun Che left the confines of the world of darkness and shot straight up. Even though his heart was filled with urgency, his speed was not fast and it even grew slower and slower.
On that day, he had clearly seen the scene of Su Ling’er jumping down the Cloud’s End Cliff in the memory of the remaining Seven Stars Divine Palace disciple. Furthermore, Su Ling’er’s soul crystal was still intact as well. But in his panic, he did not even give this much thought as he lost all composure and directly jumped off Cloud’s End Cliff.
However, during the time he had spent immersed in that world of darkness, he had regained his calm and he realized that he had left out one possibility… and it was a very big possibility at that.
That was the possibility that Su Ling’er did indeed jump off Cloud’s End Cliff… but she did not drop into the dark abyss below!
Instead, she had been caught by something as she was falling!
If that purple-colored soul crystal truly belonged to Su Ling’er, then this could be said to be the likeliest reason! Given how terrifying the world of darkness was, if Su Ling’er had fallen into it, she would definitely have died in an instant.
With this thought in mind, Yun Che chose to ascend at a slow speed while releasing his spiritual perception to its maximum range as he searched for any possible auras that he could detect.
He believed that the intact soul crystal definitely belonged to Su Ling’er! Fate had been cruel to Su Ling’er once, so for what reason would it be cruel to her again!?
As he strictly restrained his speed, Yun Che had only risen by around fifteen kilometers after a full fifteen minutes had passed. But his heart had also begun to sink over this period of time.
Even though the world of darkness below him was an independent existence, there was still some darkness energy that had been dispelled from it… The faint aura of darkness devil energy that Yun Che had sensed while he descended into that world of darkness was the best proof of this.
It was also because of the existence of this darkness devil energy that a tall cliff like Cloud’s End Cliff was completely devoid of life. Not even a single blade of grass grew there, much less any tall and thick trees, so there would not be anything that could stop someone who fell in this place.
Furthermore, even if those trees truly existed… and even if it was a thick tree which stretched out very far, if someone fell down ten thousand meters, the accompanying force would be sufficient to instantly snap that tree apart. Expecting it to catch a person was something that was basically impossible.
Even though his heart was growing heavier and heavier, Yun Che refused to give up any hope. He slowed his ascent even further as his spiritual perception desperately swept across every spot that it could touch… But he did not find anything other than the silent and dead stone.
He could not even sense the life force of even a single reptile.
Yun Che kept his composure as he continued to advance. When he was still about fifteen kilometers from the top of the cliff, a strange aura suddenly pricked Yun Che’s spiritual perception.
Furthermore, this was clearly a familiar aura that was not too far away.
Yun Che’s eyes instantly zoomed in on the source of that aura. His vision pierced through the darkness and his whole body unconsciously burned with Phoenix flames.
This place was not the dark abyss that lay below him, so the scarlet-red Phoenix flames instantly illuminated the entire space around him. Astonishingly, a gloomy green glow flashed in the direction that this strange aura was coming from.
Yun Che’s heart fiercely jumped as that familiarity instantly multiplied countless times over. He quickly rushed over.
The dark gray mountain wall had been deeply pierced by a long and thin sword. Even though, it had been there for an indeterminate amount of time there was not a single speck of rust on its body and the entire sword lowed with a gloomy green light.
As well as an extremely discomfiting aura
Yun Che stretched out his hand and lightly touched that gloomy green sword, his fingers faintly trembling.
“Sky… Poison… Sword…” He softly whispered as his vision swayed.
Chapter 888 – Ling’er, Ling’er (1)
Initially, it was just a normal sword. It was the one and only sword which his master gave him when he was accompanying his master and practicing his medicinal arts in the Azure Cloud Continent. He had always used it for self-defense and had only used it to kill profound beasts. Never had he used it to kill people.
Later on, his master was forced to death and under his hatred, he crazily unleashed the venomous poison of the Sky Poison Pearl, killing countless people… While the sword, because it was infected by the Sky Poison Pearl’s venomous poison, turned into a poisonous sword.
Its name, was thus changed by Yun Che to Sky Poison Sword.
When he leapt off Cloud’s End Cliff back then, he had done it together with this Sky Poison Sword. He still vaguely remembered that when he leapt off, the final thing he did before his consciousness completely disappeared, was to fling out this Sky Poison Sword with all the remaining strength left in his entire body.
This Sky Poison Sword was the one and only in this world and it was definitely impossible for a second one to exist.
Yun Che gently pinched onto the blade and with a slight use of force, he had already completely pulled it out from the mountain wall with a light clanging sound. Its blade, tip, hilt, color and aura, were completely the same as the Sky Poison Sword, which he was familiar with as if it was part of his body and had accompanied him for a few dozen years.
However, hadn’t the cause and effect of this world been altered by the Mirror of Samsara at the same time he reincarnated? “He” no longer existed in this world and the Sky Poison Pearl no longer existed in this world either. So why did the Sky Poison Sword, which had come into existence because of him here?
Furthermore, the most exaggerated consequence brought about by the Mirror of Samsara reincarnating him was the shift in time axis of Azure Cloud Continent. Everything had returned back to a few dozen years ago and according to the present time in the Azure Cloud Continent, even if this world still had another “him,” everything would have gone abiding to all the events that happened back then. During this time, he basically had yet to jump off Cloud’s End Cliff.
Furthermore, the Sky Poison Sword would not have even been born yet and it would have only been his first encounter with Su Ling’er.
Could it be that the shift in time axis brought about by the Mirror of Samsara’s reincarnation, was not just purely a reversal of time but had to a certain degree or due to some unique circumstances, maintained the things that existed and the incidents that happened in the “future”?
Yun Che carefully raised the Sky Poison Sword as he felt surging waves in his heart. The reason why it existed was hard to explain but it was not that important. To Yun Che, being able to wield it once more was a pleasant surprise bestowed by the heavens. Though its might was far from being able to compare to the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword materialized by Hong’er, nor was it a weapon suitable for use, it was something given to him by his master.
By regaining possession of this Sky Poison Sword, he finally had a keepsake left behind by his master.
His fingers lightly slid through the blade and then to the hilt. Just as he was preparing to keep it, at the ends of the hilt, his fingers suddenly touched a few strands of something that were firm yet a little soft at the same time.
Yun Che put some force behind his fingers before he was able to pluck them out from the sword.
At first glance, the things on his hand were a few strands of torn metal flakes which had considerably shining metallic surfaces. However, looking at the degree of their distortion and adhesion, these properties were clearly not something regular metals would have. The aura they were emitting was completely different from metals as well.
Yun Che looked at them with focused eyes for a short while and suddenly recognized them…
These are… dragon scales!?
Why were torn dragon scales hanging on the hilt of the Sky Poison Sword?
Just as this question flashed past Yun Che’s mind, his body suddenly shook as though he was struck by lightning.
These dragon scales…
Wait a minute… Could it be…
Yun Che’s memories, hazily returned to the Ranking Tournament hosted by Heavenly Sword Villa… returned to what felt like a dreamscape, where he once again encountered Su Ling’er…
These dragon scales…
Dragonscale Armor!!
The first prize of Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, that Dragonscale Armor!
The Dragonscale Armor which he gave to Su Ling’er back then!
These torn dragon scales, were clearly the same dragon scales from the Dragonscale Armor!
The same color and the same aura!
Could it… Could it be…
There seemed to be something rumbling within Yun Che’s chest, exploding out. He tightly held onto the torn dragon scales in his hands. His heart throbbed intensely and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. “Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s definitely Ling’er…”
He hurriedly turned around, panting roughly. Within this abyss of death, he let out an agitated loud roar. “Ling’er!! Ling’er!! Where are you!? Ling’er!”
His voice heavily echoed within the abyss, shaking the tumbling sand and stones. Yun Che shouted loudly. As he was too excited, only after shouting out a few dozen times, it felt as though he had emptied all of his strength, as he was no longer able to shout again.
“Big Brother Yun Che… Is that you?”
A dreamy clear voice, like the breeze in an empty valley, lightly reverberated next to Yun Che.
Yun Che’s body suddenly stiffened straight, as he stood completely rooted to the ground, as though he had suddenly fallen into a dream, unable to believe the world he was currently being exposed to. He raised his head, his action was so stiff and slow, it felt as though he was a wooden doll being raised up by a string.
On the mountain wall high above, a dark round rock protruding outwards. At the side of the round rock was a jade-green beautiful figure. She had an impressively elegant appearance and eyes that could cause the stars to lose their color.
Droplets of water silently fell off her two beautiful eyes, drawing long glittering traces of water in the sky, falling all the way down to the unreturnable abyssal depths.
Under the radiance of the Phoenix flames, their two pairs of eyes made contact while separated by a long empty space. The scene froze for a long while and even the entire world had sunken into silence, until everything was broken by Yun Che’s breathing.
“Ling… er…” Yun Che forcefully stretched out his hand. Everything before his eyes was much more perfect than a dream and he dared not to even approach and make contact for a moment, afraid that everything was merely just a dreamscape that would shatter with the slightest touch.
The Ling’er in his line of sight was much slenderer than six years ago and was more youthful and tender than his past life. However, that was his Ling’er. He definitely would not mistake her as it was impossible for him to do so.
“Big Brother Yun Che…” Su Ling’er called out, feeling as if she was talking in her dream. Her two hands and body, were as though they were being pushed by an invisible force, unconsciously approaching Yun Che… Then, she felt a sense of weightlessness beneath her feet as she slipped off the round rock, falling towards Yun Che.
However, she did not scream because of this sudden accident, nor was she even the slightest bit afraid. Present within her eyes was just an extremely beautiful calm.
“Ling’er!!”
Yun Che quickly called out, finally awakening from the haziness. He rose into the air and tightly caught Su Ling’er who was descending towards him. When he was truly holding onto her soft and tender body, the endless warmth and sense of satisfaction spread through Yun Che’s body.
Because at this moment, he was finally completely certain that all this was not an illusory dreamscape.
He hugged Su Ling’er tightly and from the bottom of the cliff, charged towards the skies. Su Ling’er quietly leaned into his chest, a light smile surfaced on her lips and tears welled in her beautiful eyes. In her heart, she no longer carried the slightest fear or anxiety but merely endless bliss, sense of security and satisfaction.
Su Ling’er was alive, safe and sound. After that loss back then, the “dreamscape” six years ago and once again another “loss”, he was finally able to embrace her tightly.
Everything was like a dream.
At this moment, he already knew that after Su Ling’er had jumped off Cloud’s End Cliff, the Sky Poison Sword and Dragonscale Armor had saved her life.
In the process of falling, the Dragonscale Armor on her body coincidentally hung onto the hilt of the Sky Poison Sword.
If it was anything else, like a branch or even a protruding rock, it could not have possibly stopped Su Ling’er. However, the Sky Poison Sword was swung towards the cliff with all of Yun Che’s strength while he was carrying the heart of certain death, deeply stabbing into it. Due to the poison power that originated from the Sky Poison Pearl, it was incomparably sturdy and even the force of a fall that accumulated for several kilometers would not possibly break it.
And, if it was regular clothing which ended up stopped by the Sky Poison Sword, under the intense force generated by the fall, the only result was the clothing being torn. It would have been impossible for it to hang onto the sword. However, the Dragonscale Armor Yun Che gave Su Ling’er was a Sky Profound Armor, constructed by actual dragon scales. Just by being worn, it could even block the power of even a Sky Profound Realm profound practitioner by an extremely large degree. The force generated by a fall of several kilometers was basically insufficient in completely tearing the Dragonscale Armor apart.
Just like that, the Sky Poison Sword he unintentionally flung out in his past life, which should not still exist in the first place…
The Dragonscale Armor which he gave her in what he thought was a “dreamscape” that did not exist in this life…
Had actually miraculously saved Su Ling’er’s life together.
As though their two hearts were in consonance, neither of them spoke. Clearly, their inner hearts were like surging ocean waves but when they were embracing each other tightly, their hearts had turned especially silent. Even the initially shrilling howls of the wind felt incomparably gentle.
Unknowingly, bright rays of light began to shine down on them from above and the air no longer felt oppressive. Yun Che’s arms slightly tightened as he circled in the air, escaping from the world of the abyssal depths. Hugging Su Ling’er, he gently landed on the side of Cloud’s End Cliff.
The mountain breeze was cooling and it did not carry the light scent of blood which Yun Che expected. Even the bloody scars that filled the ground earlier had disappeared without a trace as well. Probably, they were cleared away by the sects and clans of the Country of Supwake due to fear or they might have been cleaned by the disciples of Seven Stars Divine Palace later on.
However, at the very least, they were presently the only two people on Cloud’s End Cliff and it turned into a world that solely belonged to the two of them.
Gently holding onto Su Ling’er’s cheek, Yun Che silently focused his eyes and gently said. “Ling’er… You have grown up. These few years…”
Yun Che’s voice choked, as he did not know what explanation he should give that had to make her bitterly wait for six years. In the end, he said with a pale look. “…It’s my fault. I made you wait for such a long time.”
Su Ling’er gently shook her head, tears welled in her beautiful eyes. She gave a slight smile before hugging him once more, quietly leaning onto his chest, as she let out a dream-like voice. “Big Brother Yun Che, I’m definitely not dreaming, right…”
“This really might be a dream but it is a dream that we will never ever wake up from.” Yun Che lightly smiled as well.
The Ling’er of six years ago was like a lively and innocent little fairy. She would giggle out loud and wail out loud. But in a considerably short six years, she had turned especially quiet… quiet like a drifting orchid.
Rather, she was more like… the Su Ling’er whom he had painfully lost back then.
And back then, other than being quiet like a drifting orchid, it felt as if that Su Ling’er was filled with sadness and pain that could never disappear.
The two people immersed themselves in the mountain breeze for a very, very long time and from beginning till end, they were tightly embracing each other, as though they wanted to knead their own bodies into the other’s.
Only when the mountain breeze had quietly changed in direction, did the two figures finally, gently separate.
“Ling’er, are you not going to ask me… why I did not return to look for you this entire time in these few years?” Yun Che said guiltily.
However, Su Ling’er lightly shook her head, as she looked at him with misty eyes. “Because I know that Big Brother Yun Che definitely had no other choice and it isn’t because you don’t want Ling’er and have forgotten Ling’er.”
“…” Yun Che’s eyes swelled, as he was moved beyond words.
In his past life, she had given him endless accommodation, endless affection and endless sacrifices…
In this life, she was still the same as well…
This was his Ling’er.
“When I leapt off Cloud’s End Cliff, I had thought that I would no longer be able to see you again in this lifetime.” Su Ling’er stretched out her hand and gently caressed Yun Che’s cheek, her eyes were covered in foggy mist. “I never thought that, Big Brother Yun Che’s Sky Poison Sword and the Dragonscale Armor Big Brother Yun Che gave me would save me… I believe that it’s definitely because Big Brother Yun Che had always been thinking and worrying about me, that brought about such a miracle, allowing me to once again see Big Brother Yun Che.”
Yun Che lightly shook his head, his heart still carried the deep fear from earlier. “Ling’er, you’re so silly. Why did you have to jump? When I found out that you…”
Yun Che’s voice suddenly stopped halfway through, as he looked blankly at Su Ling’er. His voice turned especially stiff. “Ling’er… You… You… How did you know about… the Sky Poison Sword?”
Chapter 889 – Ling’er, Ling’er (2)
Facing Yun Che’s surprise, Su Ling’er placed her own small hand on Yun Che’s palm and her forehead gently leaned on his chest. “I fainted right after being stopped by the Sky Poison Sword. When I woke up, I was still hanging on the Sky Poison Sword. I recovered a bit of strength soon after and with the support of the rock at the side, I crawled up to a place that was considerably less dangerous.”
“You… How do you know about the Sky Poison Sword?” Yun Che was still in a daze.
The Sky Poison Sword was something from his past life, so why was Ling’er able to shout out its name?
The name of the sword was definitely not engraved on the Sky Poison Sword’s blade.
Su Ling’er continued to speak gently. “That place was very dark and very cold. I was really afraid, afraid to the point where I had several times wanted to leap directly down… After that, I unconsciously fell asleep and even dreamed…”
“It was a very long, long dream.”
Su Ling’er raised her face and looked at him with her beautiful affectionate eyes. Yun Che’s heart intensely skipped a beat from her eyes, because this was the expression Su Ling’er from his past life used to look at him with… Melancholic, spoiled, affectionate…
“Ling’er… You… You…”
“In the dream, there was a clear, small river, an emerald green bamboo forest, a small self-built cottage and Big Brother Yun Che.” It was as though Su Ling’er’s voice was coming from a dream. “In the dream, Big Brother Yun Che was always bearing so many injuries and was always flowing with so much blood. Every wound and every trickl of blood, would always make my heart ache, to point where it was hard to breathe… He was so gentle in the beginning but he became really terrifying, as though he had gone crazy. But, I still loved him and was infatuated with him… Every day, I would be staying in the small bamboo cottage, desperately praying for him to return alive, yet every day, I would be awoken by these nightmares, unable to stop the tears in my eyes…”
“…” Yun Che’s mind was ringing out loud. “Ling’er, you… you… How did you…”
“At the end of the dream, I died. I died in his embrace. He was desperately crying out loud while hugging onto me, crying in such a disheartening manner. After crying out all his tears, in the end, all that flowed down from his eyes was blood… At the center of the bamboo forest, he dug a place for me to lay in rest with his bare hands, to the point where his own hands were dyed completely in blood… With his blood-filled hands, he engraved on the tombstone… Written on the tombstone was… my beloved wife Su Ling’er…”
Su Ling’er’s voice, trembling in the beginning, choked at the end. Each of her final words was accompanied by a single tear. “At first, I thought that, to him, vengeance meant everything in his life, while I was just someone he didn’t need to have… However, that dream had let me know that, in the heart of the Yun Che I loved, my existence had always been there. I gave him all the tears of my lifetime and what I received in return, was all the tears of his lifetime. It seems, I had always… been blissful… I had always had in my hands, the thing that I wished for the most…”
Boom!
Yun Che’s mind once again rang out, his eyes and even his entire body, were beginning to tremble.
“Big Brother Yun Che,” Su Ling’er’s pair of slender arms circled around Yun Che’s neck and she said in an indulgent manner. “We… won’t ever separate again, right?”
“Ling’er… Ling’er!!” His two calls carried feelings that transcended time and space. He hugged Su Ling’er tightly in return and with a trembling voice, he said stutteringly. “Yes… We will never separate again, never again!”
That was not a dream. That was the memories of her past life, no, it was her past lifetime.
The Su Ling’er in his embrace, was both Su Ling’er of this lifetime and also Su Ling’er of his past lifetime… She was Su Ling’er in her entirety.
He did not know why it would turn out like this. Probably, this was the heaven’s way of making up for the fate of his and Su Ling’er’s past life…
However, no matter the reason, it was no longer that important. Not only had he once again held onto Su Ling’er,it was even Su Ling’er in her entirety. This was already a result that was far more than perfect.
And actually, what brought about this entire chain of events, was a miraculous accident.
Back then, when Yun Che leapt off Cloud’s End Cliff, in the very last moments of his life, probably because he subconsciously did not wish for the Sky Poison Sword to be buried in the abyss of Cloud’s End Cliff alongside him and used up all his strength to fling it away, seemingly at the same time, the Mirror of Samsara which had been worn in front of his chest all this while, activated the reincarnation ability after foreseeing Yun Che’s certain death.
The reincarnation ability that was a violation of the Heavenly Way was used on Yun Che and the Sky Poison Pearl and there was a small amount of energy which seeped into the Sky Poison Sword as well. This prevented the Sky Poison Sword from disappearing due to the shift in time axis and amendment of the karmic effect in the Azure Cloud Continent and it also allowed Su Ling’er, who made contact with the Sky Poison Sword, to awaken the memories of her “past life.”
This was an extremely profound coincidence and maybe, it was really an arrangement made by destiny.
The two people stayed on Cloud’s End Cliff for a very, very long time. After submerging themselves in their overly beautiful world of two for a long time, they began to face the reality that had already happened.
Though Su Ling’er did not question him, Yun Che knew that she definitely wanted to know just what had happened to her and what happened to the Azure Cloud Continent. Regarding all of this, he would honestly tell her everything and he was even eager to tell her everything. Because after Jasmine had left, Ling’er, who similarly carried memories of “two lifetimes,” was the only person left he could talk to about them.
She was also the only person who truly knew of his past.
However right now, what Su Ling’er was most concerned with, would definitely be the matters regarding the Grandwake Clan. He told Su Ling’er in detail the things that happened after he returned to the Grandwake Clan, while Su Ling’er quietly leaned on him. Her reactions were calm and her heart was similarly beating calmly as well. After awakening to the memories of her “past life,” like Yun Che, she had become someone who possessed “two lifetimes.” She had already become very indifferent to the fate of the Grandwake Clan and the consequences Su Haoran would face. Because she had already obtained everything she wanted, obtained the entrustment of her devotion and soul of two lifetimes. As long as she was with him, everything else was no longer important.
Finally, when Yun Che spoke of Su Hengshan suddenly severing his own life vein after passing him the soul crystal, Su Ling’er was instantly startled up and her two hands tightly grabbed onto Yun Che’s arms as she said in a panic. “Father… Father, he…”
Yun Che hurriedly said. “Ling’er, don’t worry, your father is fine. Although he severed his own life vein, he was immediately saved by me. Right now, he’s already completely fine and he won’t ever do the same silly thing again.”
From the intense panic shown on Su Ling’er’s expression, Yun Che felt incomparably fortunate that he chose to save Su Hengshan’s life with all his strength at that time. Otherwise, if Su Hengshan had really lost his life then, he was unable to imagine just how depressed Ling’er, whom he had managed to regain, would have been.
“Father, he… Is he really alright?” Su Ling’er initially flustered eyes, once again soothened up.
“Of course. Have you forgotten? Back then, master has often criticized me but in front of you, he had many times secretly praised my medicinal arts and he had even said that once I’m over a hundred years old, my medicinal arts might even surpass his… These were all things that Ling’er secretly told me. If I can’t even save Ling’er’s father, how can I possibly live up to my master’s kindness?”
“Mn!” Su Ling’er lightly smiled, the anxiety on her face vanished like smoke in the air.
“I can bring you over to look at Uncle Su right now.” Yun Che stood up.
“Ah? Now?”
“I will bring you to a place.” Yun Che summoned the Primordial Profound Ark with a mysterious look and then, carrying Su Ling’er along, they entered the inner world of the Primordial Profound Ark.
The sudden switch in space left Su Ling’er’s lips open for a long while. “This place is…”
“This is the world of the Primordial Profound Ark,” Yun Che said with a smile. “It can directly cross through large distances in space and instantly move to places I want to go. The reason why I was able to return to the Azure Cloud Continent this time was because of it. Regarding the matters of the Primordial Profound Ark, I will tell you about them in the future.”
“Mn.” Su Ling’er gently nodded. Following after, the light in her eyes stirred and she hurriedly rushed towards the person who was lying on the stone slabs in front of them.
“Ah… Father!”
Su Hengshan was quietly lying there and was still in a state of deep unconsciousness. However, his complexion was already quite ruddy and his breathing was calm and stable. Only his aura still remained a little frail.
Yun Che arrived next to Su Hengshan and reached out his hand to check the health condition of his life vein. Following after, the light in his eyes fiercely stirred… The extent of recovery of Su Hengshan’s life vein had actually reached nearly thirty percent.
Reaching such an extent should have required at least ten days.
In other words, after his soul was being stolen by the Netherworld Udumbara Flower in the dark abyss, he did not wake up very quickly but had stayed unconscious for nearly ten days!
Then Su Ling’er had similarly stayed in the darkness for ten days… Or maybe, in these ten days, she had been experiencing that long “dream”.
Sensing Su Hengshan’s frail, yet especially stable presence of life, Su Ling’er’s final worry had completely dispersed as well. With sparkling eyes, she said. “Big Brother Yun Che, thank you.”
Yun Che immediately shook his head. “Compared to the sacrifices you made for me and the debts I owe you, something like this can’t even be considered a piece of hair off of the bodies of a hundred cows. Furthermore, he is my father-in-law. Protecting my own father-in-law is a natural thing to do.”
“Heh…” Su Ling’er cheerfully laughed and said a little playfully, “Big Brother Yun Che, you have become even better at making girls happy, hehe.”
“Uh…” Yun Che’s eyes floated away. Then he hurriedly changed the subject and said decisively. “Ling’er, don’t worry. I won’t let the danger and wrongs you endured go for naught. I will also definitely make Seven Stars Divine Palace pay for all their debts towards Uncle Su and the Grandwake Clan!”
“Ah…” Su Ling’er lightly moaned. Her initially playful eyes were instantly dyed with panic. “Don’t… I managed to find Big Brother Yun Che and Father will immediately get better as well, so I did not suffer from any wrongs. The me now feels even more blissful than ever before. I don’t hate anyone, nor do I resent anyone. I don’t want you to take revenge, I really don’t…”
Seeing the worry and even fear pouring out of Su Ling’er’s eyes, Yun Che instantly wished he could ruthlessly slap himself in the face. In his past life, it was exactly because he was fixated on vengeance which made her life bitter and had burdened her for her entire life. Back then, she wondered how many times she had plead in tears for him to stop seeking revenge, yet he had never listened to her. Every day, like a crazed dog which had lost its heart, he headed out to bite the people he hated…
He reincarnated and had endured countless hardships to finally reunite with Ling’er, so how could he once again step onto the mistaken path he once took and make her sad and afraid again?
He grabbed onto Su Ling’er’s hands, looked straight in her eyes and said with incomparably seriousness and calm. “Alright, I will listen to Ling’er’s words. Who cares if they are the divine palace or ghost palace, even there’s ten thousand of them added up together, they will never be as important as a single strand of Ling’er’s hair. Right now, I can’t even wait to hug my Ling’er, why would I have the spare time to care about them?”
“Pfft…” Su Ling’er laughed. She leaned onto Yun Che’s chest and lightly drew circles on his chest with her finger as she sweetly said. “Big Brother Yun Che, you sure have a slippery tongue now. In these few years I wasn’t next to you, could you have already tricked many girls into your arms behind my back?”
Chapter 890 – The Other Sky Poison Pearl (1)
Upon leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che and Su Ling’er sat against each other for an entire night at the side of Cloud End’s Cliff. They talked about what happened all these years or perhaps more accurately, what happened in this lifetime.
In regards to the pitch black abyss below them, they were not the least bit anxious at all. Both of them had jumped down Cloud’s End Cliff before and their fates had completely changed because of it. It was obviously the “Death God’s Graveyard” that everyone in the Azure Cloud Continent talked about and yet, it did not devour their lives. Instead, it had completely mended their severed fates.
After that, Su Ling’er fell asleep smoothly in Yun Che’s grasp and when she woke up, it was already noon the next day.
“Big Brother Yun Che, after we go to the place called Illusory Demon Realm, are we really unable to return anymore?” Su Ling’er asked as she watched Yun Che with a tender expression, but her voice did not show much unwillingness.
“At least, in the short term, we would probably not be able to return. The amount of energy within the Primordial Profound Ark was only sufficient to travel to and from from the Illusory Demon Realm to the Azure Cloud Continent once. But if Ling’er wants to come back, I can think of something,” Yun Che said seriously.
However, Su Ling’er smiled lightly and shook her head, “With you and Father here, anywhere is fine.”
As she spoke, she took out a profound crystal that was intertwined with a yellow glow from her shirt. Judging by its aura, the profound crystal seemed to hiding some sort of unique profound formation.
Immediately, Yun Che deduced that it had to be the “precious treasure key” Su Hengshan gave her. It was because this “precious treasure key” attracted many eyes of avarice that there was an internal conflict within the Grandwake Clan. In the end, it even attracted the attention of Seven Stars Divine Palace, resulting in the disbandment of the Grandwake Clan.
Gripping the profound crystal in her hand, Su Ling’er forcibly threw it towards the Cloud’s End abyss.
They watched the orange-yellow arc into the endless world of the abyss alone and eternally be buried within; the so-called supreme treasure of the sect would now no longer attract greed and disaster ever again. Su Ling’er’s face did not show any heartache or unwillingness but only a short moment of anxiety and sadness… before revealing a relaxed smile.
“Big Brother Yun Che, I want to return to the Grandwake Clan first. There are still some things from my mother there that I cannot bear to part with.”
“Okay,” Yun Che naturally expressed his complete consent, “Let’s return to the Primordial Profound Ark. If I use the Primordial Profound Ark, it would only take an instant to return from here to the Grandwake Clan.”
However, Su Ling’er shook her head and smiled cheekily, “I refuse! I want Big Brother Yun to carry me and fly there. Last time, it was always me that carried you. Now, I want you to repay everything back.”
“…Alright!” Yun Che’s emotions were riled and his eyes were slightly warm. That’s right, in the past, she had always carried him… when he was covered in blood. However, he had not even hugged her warmly more than a few times. Other than enjoying her tireless care and her tears filled with concern, he was the one who roughly released his beastly desires onto her.
Putting away the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che wrapped his arms around Su Ling’er’s waist and leapt into the air. Accompanied by her dreamlike laughter, Yun Che moved by stepping on the air.
Yun Che moved at slow speeds and it took nearly two hours before they flew out of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range’s borders and returned to the borders of the Country of Supwake. In the process of flying out of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range, he detected numerous energy waves. He counted that there were a total of thirty seven different auras of Seven Stars Divine Palace disciples.
Obviously, they were trying to find who was it that killed their people. After all, an elder of Seven Stars Divine Palace being brutally murdered was an earth shattering event within the entire Azure Cloud Continent.
If it were before, when his remaining hatred had not been quelled, he would make all the divine palace disciples that had come to Mythical Abode Mountain Range die there and cause Seven Stars Divine Palace to be even more enraged. Now however, he couldn’t be bothered to even give them another glance.
Looking at the Country of Supwake’s territory from afar, Yun Che’s gaze gradually became dreamy.
“Big Brother Yun Che, is something on your mind?” Su Ling’er who had been listening to the sounds of the wind and the heartbeat sounds of Yun Che asked in concern.
“I’m thinking… where would Master be right now? Should I go and find him?” Yun Che heaved a faint sigh, “In the Azure Cloud Continent now, Master must still be safe. however, what’s different is that he does not have me by his side and has never possessed the Sky Poison Pearl before.”
“It’s just that…” Yun Che laughed self mockingly, “he brought me up, imparted me medicinal skills and taught me how to be kind and benevolent. However, after his ‘passing,’ the amount of people I killed were several million times more than the amount of people I saved. Do I even have the face to see him?”
“No,” Su Ling’er softly consoled, “Master was such an amazing person. How would he not be able to differentiate whether Big Brother Yun Che was a good or bad person? He loved you so much back then. If he were to see you again, even if he did not recognize you, he would surely like you like before. Because my Big Brother Yun Che possess such charm.”
“Hahaha…” Su Ling’er’s words that were filled with infatuation made Yun Che laugh. However, in his heart, he was still hesitating about whether or not he should go and search for his master. He desired to see him again but was also afraid of meeting him. He was even more afraid that his appearance might disturb his peaceful life.
The current Azure Cloud Continent did not have the existence of the Sky Poison Pearl which meant that his master would no longer meet with a disaster due to the possession of a treasure. Instead, he would be widely respected. As for him, no matter where he went so far, bloodshed would follow. He was afraid that his appearance might destroy his master’s peaceful life.
After leaving the Mythical Abode Mountain Range, the two of them continued flying north, in the direction of the Country of Supwake. After traveling another fifty kilometers, Yun Che’s eyebrows suddenly twitched… because an exceptionally strong profound aura came not far ahead of him.
The aura of more than forty people who were in the Sovereign Profound Realm!!
Among them, the strongest three were already in the ninth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
Other than the sovereign profound aura, there were more than two hundred Tyrant Profound auras present as well.
Among the three continents on Blue Pole Star, the combined profound cultivation of the Profound Sky Continent was the strongest and the Illusory Demon Realm was weaker than the Profound Sky Continent. As for Yun Che’s understanding of the Azure Cloud Continent, the combined profound cultivation on the Azure Cloud Continent was to some degree, weaker than the Illusory Demon Realm.
The three strongest sects within the Azure Cloud Continent were the Heaven Thwarting Sect, Seven Stars Divine Palace, and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect. Each one of them possessed strength that was similar to a middle class guardian family within the Illusory Demon Realm.
Ninth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm was essentially the pinnacle of strength within the Azure Cloud Continent. As for the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, they currently existed within the Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm, but for the Azure Cloud Continent, it seemed as though there were only records of their appearances before.
Therefore, the appearance of forty odd Sovereign Profound Realm auras… was an extremely exaggerated figure in the Azure Cloud Continent.
Then, the three who were in the ninth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm were essentially the same as the gathering of the Four Sacred Masters in the Profound Sky Continent.
Furthermore, all the profound auras will obviously split into three sections and each of their combined strengths was largely similar.
To be able to pull off something like that, there was no other possibility in the Azure Cloud Continent.
Heaven Thwarting Sect! Seven Stars Divine Palace! Soaring Celestial Sword Sect!
The three most pinnacle sects of Azure Cloud Continent were actually gathered in the Country of Supwake and they had brought such an outrageous lineup… It was highly likely that even their three sect masters were present. Just what was going on?
What was so worth it within the tiny Country of Supwake that the three supreme sects would take such huge actions?
“Big Brother Yun Che, what’s wrong? Is something happening in front?” Seeing Yun Che’s eyebrows slightly knitted together, Su Ling’er asked curiously.
Yun Che’s eyes turned back and he laughed, “There seems to be a bunch of people causing trouble in front. I guess we had better move away from them? Or should we just fly past above their heads?”
Su Ling’er laughed at his strange question.
If it had been Yun Che alone, he would have definitely gone forward to investigate. However, he had Su Ling’er in his grasp now so she was obviously the one that mattered the most. He did not hesitate much as he greatly changed directions and lowered his high speed.
As he approached this exaggerated aura closer and closer, Yun Che used Hidden Flowing Lightning to hide the aura of both him and Su Ling’er. He had not wished to frighten Su Ling’er again because of some outsiders.
However, when he passed by, he was still driven by curiosity and released his spiritual sense to listen to the commotion nearby.
“Sect Master Zuo, you have indeed still come.” The voice came from a middle aged man and each word he uttered was filled with exceptionally dense profound energy. He was one of the three level nine Monarchs present.
“Hohoho,” The one who was called “Sect Master Zuo” let out a long laugh and said with some contempt, “That’s natural. I heard that this object that would harm the world has appeared and it is a duty of our clan to exterminate it. As for Sect Master Mu, have you specifically come to exterminate it as well?”
“That’s natural, however, it seems that I am very ‘uncoincidentally’ handling the same matter as Sect Master Zuo. In order to get rid of that trouble, Sect Master Zuo has personally come, even sacrificing by prematurely coming out of seclusion, wasting a heaven sent chance to breakthrough for nothing. This is really the ultimate self sacrifice.”
Sect Master Mu’s words sounded like compliments but as long as one was not an idiot, one could hear the mocking behind each and every word.
“Heheh, same here. Speaking of which…” Sect Master Zuo attempted to shift the conversation onto the other person, “Palace Chief Duan, I heard that an elder and several dozen disciples of your palace were murdered sometime back. For Palace Chief Duan to appear in this tiny Country of Supwake so suddenly, could you be personally handling the investigations?”
“Hoho,” the one who had been called “Palace Chief Duan” laughed. “My palace’s elder was killed outside. Such a matter has not happened for more than a thousand years. This was not just simply the lives of one elder and several dozen disciples, it’s also a big shame that my divine palace has suffered for the first time in a thousand years. Of course this palace chief has to personally handle this! Instead, coincidentally meeting Sect Master Mu and Sect Master Zuo who also personally appeared, now that is such a strange coincidence.”
“Who says it isn’t , hahahaha……”
The three of them began laughing and within each of their laughters, obvious coldness could be felt.
Their auras, language and greetings for one another immediately allowed Yun Che to confirm their identities.
Heaven Thwarting Sect’s Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo!
Seven Stars Divine Palace’s Palace Chief Duan Heisha!
Soaring Celestial Sword Sect’s Sect Master Mu Yingchan!
The three of them had actually came in person.
Furthermore, they obviously had the same motive!
For this same motive, they had all not descended and collided strongly against one another.
Just that it was uncertain why they took such strong measures.
Yun Che brought Su Ling’er and quickly passed the region of the three great sects. The further Yun Che went, the words and voices that he could hear gradually became weaker.
Just as Yun Che was prepared to retract his spiritual sense, he heard one of them say, “Very good… since we have the same goal, should we force the ‘trouble’ out before deciding who should handle it?”
“Sect Master Mu is right,” Duan Heisha happily agreed before his voice suddenly turned cold and he let out a deep pressurising howl. “Yun Gu, since you already know who we are, don’t choose the hard way out. Immediately hand us the Sky Poison Pearl!”
Yun Che, who had already flown a long distance away, seeme to have been struck by lightning as he came to an abrupt halt.
Chapter 891 – The Other Sky Poison Pearl (2)
“Ah,” Su Ling’er, who was bathing in the wind, exclaimed out when Yun Che suddenly stopped and she hurriedly asked, “Big Brother Yun Che, what’s wrong?”
“Master…” Yun Che muttered out absentmindedly. Then, he forcefully turned his body. He was about to wildly charge over regardless of the costs. However, the moment he gathered his profound energy, his reason took over and suppressed the impulse.
The “Yun Gu” which Duan Heisha shouted out earlier, was his master’s name!
The name of the “Medical Saint” whom everyone in the Azure Cloud Continent knew and respected!
He never expected that just as he was thinking about his master, hesitating over whether he should look for him, look at him from afar or even head over and have a simple conversation with him… he would be caught by surprise and suddenly hear the name of his master.
Nor would he ever expect that Heaven Thwarting Sect, Seven Stars Divine Palace, and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect would move together. The three great hegemons personally coming to this scene could be said to be an enormous parade in the Azure Cloud Continent that one might not be possible to witness even in a hundred years. And it was actually for his master and…
The Sky Poison Pearl…
Sky Poison Pearl!!??
“Master? Are you talking about Master?” Su Ling’er was also tightly grabbing onto Yun Che’s arms in excitement. “Is it true? Where is he? Where is Master?”
Yun Che carried incomparable respect towards Yun Gu and though he had always addressed him as “Master”, during that lifetime when he was in the Azure Cloud Continent, that person was his only father!
And why wouldn’t Su Ling’er carry deep respect and feelings towards Yun Gu as well?
Yun Che’s eyes flickered. He did not immediately reply, as a doubt floated in his heart… What was going on with the “Sky Poison Pearl” Duan Heisha spoke of? These words of his clearly expressed that the three great sects were here in order to snatch the Sky Poison Pearl off the hands of his master, Yun Gu.
However, the Sky Poison Pearl was clearly in his possession and it had even merged with his body, accompanying him back to the Profound Sky Continent. So how could another one possibly appear?
Furthermore, Jasmine once mentioned that the reincarnation brought about by the Mirror of Samsara was accompanied by the amendment to karmic effect but it was definitely impossible to bend the laws of causality. Though time had shifted in the Azure Cloud Continent, another him would no longer appear and another Sky Poison Pearl would not appear either.
Not to mention, the Sky Poison Pearl was not just an ordinary object but a Heavenly Profound Treasure similar to the Mirror of Samsara!
How could something like this possibly be “duplicated!?”
There was another thing he couldn’t figure out… Though his master was forced to death because of the Sky Poison Pearl, the sects and clans that forced him to death were just a few first-rate sects and clans of the Azure Cloud Continent. At the very most, they had only ruled over certain countries or certain territories in the Azure Cloud Continent; none of them was a sect at the sacred ground-level like Heaven Thwarting Sect.
Later on, with intent for vengeance, he madly released the poison power of the Sky Poison Pearl, allowing the common people to witness the terror of the Sky Poison Pearl. This thus attracted the greed of sects like Heaven Thwarting Sect… and the pursuit of the entire continent.
Yun Che had thought that because he did not possess the Sky Poison Pearl in this lifetime, with his kindness and medicinal techniques, his master Yun Gu would definitely be able to live his life peacefully amidst the respect garnered by the people. He never expected that his master Yun Gu would still end up suffering such a plight…
However, based on the present time, it had been brought forward compared to his past lifetime and it was even more terrifying than his past lifetime… Coercion by three sects at the sacred ground level!
Just what in the world was going on?
However, no matter what and no matter who it was… How could he possibly allow his master to suffer the same disastrous fate again!?
“Ling’er, the person those people were surrounding earlier, was Master,” Yun Che had already calmed down and he said with a low voice. “Back then, I did not have the abilities to save master. This time, even if it’s the heavenly king himself, he shouldn’t even think about touching a strand of Master’s hair again!!”
“Ah…” Su Ling’er’s eyes turned towards the back and her expression instantly tensed up. She was anxious about Yun Gu but she was even more anxious about Yun Che.
“Ling’er, let’s head over quietly… Don’t worry, we won’t be discovered by them.”
Yun Che tightly hugged Su Ling’er again and with Hidden Flowing Lightning activated, he perfectly concealed both their auras before quietly approaching them… He wanted to figure out what exactly was going on. He wanted to know if the “Sky Poison Pearl” he heard earlier could actually be the Sky Poison Pearl.
After approaching within a distance of three kilometers, with his gaze passing through layers of trees and the human crowd, Yun Che saw the old man who was being surrounded by the three great sects with a single glance. Yun Che’s heart fiercely trembled and his eyes, which had several times lost control after reuniting with Su Ling’er, once again swelled up.
He had a long white beard, long white brows, and long white hair, yet his face was not the least bit covered with wrinkles and his eyes were as clear as water. His entire figure looked as if he was a celestial walking out from the clouds as his body exuded an extraordinary and dustless brilliance.
Even though the three great hegemon sects were surrounding him, even though he was directly facing the might of the three great sect masters who had reached the apex, he still carried a calm look. Only his eyes carried a deep tiredness, as though he was sighing at human greed and its filth.
“Master…” Yun Che agitatedly muttered and it seemed as if his profound energy was about to leak out due to his loss of control. “I finally… I finally get to see you again…”
“Yun Gu, you’re not trying to say that the Sky Poison Pearl isn’t in your hands, right?” Heaven Thwarting Sect’ Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo took several steps forward with leisurely eyes, giving a faint smile. “Seven months ago, the number one sect of Southern Sky Country, Fleeting Villa, suffered the disaster brought upon by the Sky Poison Pearl as they tried to hide the Sky Poison Pearl for themselves. A total of two hundred and seventy thousand people in the villa melted into venomous liquid and the entire villa turned into a ruin of death. It was unspeakably miserable and even the people that entered the villa after that, all lost their lives.”
“After the poison scattered, there were actually no traces of the Sky Poison Pearl in Fleeting Villa and there has been no news of the Sky Poison Pearl since that day. However, just recently, we confirmed a single matter… Before the poison in Fleeting Villa scattered, there was a single person who came out alive after walking in and that person was you, Yun Gu! Are you going to deny this matter?”
“Haah,” Yun Gu let out a long sigh.
“Sect Master, why the need to waste time speaking with this old man? Let’s just take him down.” An elder of Heaven Thwarting Sect was about to step forward.
“Ah, don’t be impolite.” Zuo Hanshuo however lightly raised his hand. “Yun Gu is the Medical Saint of this world. Having saved countless lives and being revered by the people of the world, how could he possibly be an idiot who does not know where he stands and does not care about the peace and stability of the entire continent?”
Naturally, these words were not out of respect towards Yun Gu. If there was only a single sect present here, they would have long made use of all possible methods to take it away. However, with the three great sects gathered together, though they looked harmonious on the surface, whoever was to make the first move would definitely suffer from a combined assault.
“Sky Poison Pearl is indeed in the hands of this old one,” Yun Gu slowly said. His voice was rich, without the slightest sense of having aged.
Yun Che: “…” (Yun Gu actually directly admitted to it.)
“Hahahaha.” Seven Stars Divine Palace Chief Duan Heisha laughed out loud. “As expected of the Medical Saint, you’re truly a smart individual who knows your place. In that case, are you going to obediently hand it over or do you want us to personally take it away from you?”
“Why do you people wish to obtain the Sky Poison Pearl?” Yun Gu raised his head to look at the sky and asked a question that he already knew the answer to.
“Hmph, is there even a need to ask?” Mu Yingchan, the Sect Master of Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, slowly stepped forward and righteously said. “Ever since the Sky Poison Pearl appeared in this world four years ago, countless people of our Azure Cloud Continent have died under its intense poison. In the beginning its poison merely killed several dozen people. However, with every subsequent appearance, it would bring upon an even more terrifying poisonous disaster. From a few dozen people, to killing several hundred people at a time and then to a thousand people… several thousand… several tens of thousands…”
“And, the last time it appeared, it had poisoned and killed a total of two hundred and seventy thousand people in Fleeting Villa. All of their corpses no longer exist and the entire villa has turned into a wasteland. Furthermore, the intense poison had only scattered after an entire month. An item of such disastrous level will definitely bring a gargantuan crisis to the Azure Cloud Continent if given even more time. The reason our Soaring Celestial Sword Sect had bitterly search for the Sky Poison Pearl the entire time, was in order to seal it forever and to prevent it from harming the world ever again.”
“And looking at the entire the Azure Cloud Continent, the only ones with the abilities capable of sealing the Sky Poison Pearl, are our Soaring Celestial Sword Sect.”
Yun Gu: “…”
“Hohohoho, Sect Master Mu, are you not afraid that your tongue will get bitten by the large winds?” Duan Heisha said in a ridiculing tone. “If it’s the way of the sword, our Seven Stars Divine Palace is indeed unable to compare but when it comes to the ways of medicine and poison, I’m afraid your esteemed sect is not even at the level of our toes. If the Sky Poison Pearl is truly handed to your esteemed sect, heh… Sect Master Mu, are you not afraid that your Soaring Celestial Sword Sect would step on the trail of Fleeting Villa due to its lack of abilities?”
Mu Yingchan was not angry either, as he said smilingly. “Now this isn’t something Palace Chief Duan has to worry about. If our Soaring Celestial Sword Sect is really unable to contain the Sky Poison Pearl, the ten thousand years we have stood on the Azure Cloud Continent for, would have been for nothing. Though when it comes to Palace Chief Duan, an elder and a bunch of disciples from your esteemed palace seem to have just been killed by someone, yet even now, you still do not have any leads. With a foreign danger not yet dispelled, you still forcefully ran over here to intervene in the matters of the Sky Poison Pearl. This sect master was merely worried that your esteemed palace would be overwhelmed and accidentally step onto the trail of Fleeting Villa. Now that would really be ugly to see.”
Duan Heisha coldly laughed. “Compared to the peace and stability of the Azure Cloud Continent, what’s there to care about a mere foreign danger?”
Their words fell into Yun Che’s ears without a single word missing, causing him to feel even more surprised.
The “Sky Poison Pearl” they spoke of appeared four years ago and it was able to release an incomparably terrifying poison.
The Sky Poison Pearl that merged with him possessed complete purifying and refining powers. However, even after so many years had passed, the poison powers that it once had were never restored… Not even the least bit of it was restored.
Back then, his master Yun Gu was forced to death. The reason why they wanted to snatch away the Sky Poison Pearl, was all for the purifying and refining powers displayed by the Sky Poison Pearl when Yun Gu was giving treatment to people.
Yun Gu used the Sky Poison Pearl to save people, yet the ones who were saved exposed the powers of the Sky Poison Pearl. Through the entire the Azure Cloud Continent, they spread the fact that the Sky Poison Pearl could understand the countless poisons under the heavens and that it could refine countless objects under the heavens. With the Sky Poison Pearl, they no longer needed to be afraid of any form of poison and there would no longer be medicine that they could not refine.
In the end, under the greed of countless sects and clans, Yun Gu killed himself. The reason he killed himself, was in order to protect Yun Che. However, Yun Che had instead…
As for the poison powers of the Sky Poison Pearl, the people of the world only found out about the most terrifying part of the Sky Poison Pearl, its annihilative poison powers, only after the vengeful Yun Che had released them to kill those who had forced Yun Gu to die without regard for any consequences.
And now, the reason why these three hegemons wanted to snatch away the “Sky Poison Pearl,” was clearly because of its poison powers. In their words, they had never brought up that it carried purifying and refining powers.
The “Sky Poison Pearl” they were trying to snatch right now, just what in the world was it?
Yun Gu swept his eyes at his surroundings and lightly sighed. “If you people are truly here to seal the powers of the Sky Poison Pearl and prevent it from bringing a crisis of poison to the Azure Cloud Continent, then all of you can leave now.”
“What do you mean by that?” Heaven Thwarting Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo leisurely asked.
“The poison of the Sky Poison Pearl is not your regular poison. Presently, its poison powers have only just awakened by a small amount, yet it is already displaying such a level of terror. Controlling and sealing its poison powers is definitely not as easy as using a profound energy formation. This old one has dwelled deep into the ways of the medicine and poison for so many years and furthermore, when it comes to the way of poison, I have a slightly unique disposition for it, which allowed me to barely control the Sky Poison Pearl. If it is handed to you people, the moment its poison powers lose control and go berserk, yet another calamitous crisis that can never be restored will happen once again.”
“Heh heh heh, hahahahaha…” Heaven Thwarting Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo laughed out arrogantly and Duan Heisha and Mu Yingchan were similarly laughing out loud. With a ridiculing tone, Zuo Hanshuo said, “And here I was wondering just what kind of individual this Medical Saint is. I had thought he was a saint who truly cared about the safety of countless lives but in the end, he’s nothing more than a vulgarian who covets the Sky Poison Pearl.”
“Such laughable words. You’re the only one capable of controlling the Sky Poison Pearl and we can’t? In other words, our three sects, which have prospered for ten thousand years in the Azure Cloud Continent, cannot hold a candle to an old man who practices medicine? Hahahahaha, this is simply the most idiotic joke this palace chief has heard in his entire life.” Duan Heisha laughed arrogantly.
“Old fogey Yun.” Mu Yingchan dropped his pretense. His address towards Yun Gu had already turned incomparably belittling as he reached his hand out towards Yun Gu. “Hand over the Sky Poison Pearl obediently. This is all for the countless lives under the heavens.”
“What you people want, is but the poison powers of the Sky Poison Pearl.” Grief was clearly carried within Yun Gu’s eyes and his voice was still as light as the wind. “The real disaster and mistake, will be handing it over to you all.”
“Heh.” Mu Yingchan’s eyes darkened, as an ice-cold and pale hand stretched out, grabbing onto Yun Gu’s left shoulder. “You sure are unexpectedly stubborn. In order to monopolize the Sky Poison Pearl, you would even throw away your life. I really wonder, if you were to lose an arm, would your answers remain the same?”
The moment Mu Yingchan’s voice fell, an ice-cold, bone-piercing voice rang behind him.
“Take your dirty hand off him!”
Chapter 892 – Debts of Past and Present
It was as if someone had suddenly poured a bucket of cold water over Mu Yingchan’s head as his entire body went completely rigid.
This sound seemed to come from the empty space that had abruptly ruptured as it echoed in his ears. As the Sect Master of Soaring Celestial Sword Sect, one of the three most powerful people in the Azure Cloud Continent, he actually had not detected the aura of the owner of that voice before it had appeared.
What was even more terrifying was the fact that even though that voice was very soft, it contained a coldness and killing intent that seeped into his very soul, causing every hair on his body to stand on end.
He had never ever experienced this sensation before in his long life.
“Who is it!?” Mu Yingchan yelled out in a low voice as he turned around as swift as lightning. After that he unwittingly looked above him as everyone’s shocked gazes simultaneously focused on the space above Mu Yingchan’s head.
They saw a young man dressed in white hovering in the air with a green-clad girl who did not look a day over sixteen in his arms. The girl was beautiful enough to cause the fall of cities and countries and she clung tightly to the man by her side. There was some fear reflected in her eyes but it was overshadowed by a sense of security and safety.
The place they were in was only thirty meters above them but not a single person who was present knew when exactly they had appeared in that place.
Those were two overly-youthful and completely unknown faces. The girl’s profound energy aura was only at the third level of the Spirit Profound Realm but the young man’s aura was at the initial stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm.
The three great sect masters all felt profound shock in their hearts… There were already very few Monarchs in the Azure Cloud Continent and the three of them were extremely familiar with all of them. Moreover, only a peerless genius could have reached the Sovereign Profound Realm at such a young age but the three of them had never seen this young man before.
“Who are you?” Mu Yingchan said as his eyes narrowed into slits, “Were you the one who spoke to this sect master just now?”
“Sect Master, it’s merely some reckless young punk who doesn’t value his own life. Do we chase him away or…” a person standing behind Zuo Hanshuo said in a voice that was filled with disdain.
“Young punk?” Zuo Hanshuo said with a low chuckle, “From the aura given off by his lifeforce, he should not be more than thirty years old, yet his profound strength has already reached the initial stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm. This young fellow surely must have an incredible background.”
“Oh?” Zuo Hanshuo’s words caused everyone besides the three great sect masters to gasp in shock. But their shock was merely at the level of surprise, so that person immediately replied, “No wonder he dares to display such an arrogant attitude, he indeed has the goods to back it up. However, it is truly a pity that he has chosen the wrong people to target today.”
“Young man, you called this sect master’s hand dirty. That is truly a strange thing to say,” Mu Yingchan said in an amused manner as he shook his own hand. “This sect master has lived for seventeen hundred years but it is the first time I’ve heard anyone use the word ‘dirty’ to describe this sect master. Do you want to try and say it again?”
Yun Che did not say anything and his expression did not change either. Both him and Su Ling’er were still looking intently at Yun Gu and it was as if neither of them had even heard what Mu Yingchan had just said.
Yun Che’s figure blurred and in an instant, he had already flashed by Mu Yingchan with Su Ling’er in tow, both of them arriving at Yun Gu’s side. Mu Yingchan did not stretch a hand out to stop them. Instead, he turned around in a calm and composed manner. From his behavior, it was clear that he was extremely interested in Yun Che’s identity. He was also naturally mistaken about why Yun Che had rushed to Yun Gu’s side. He gave a cold smile as he said, “Ah, you are also here for the Sky Poison Pearl after all.”
Master…
As he looked at Yun Gu, who was right in front of him, Yun Che cried out loudly in his heart. His mood, the complete change in his nature and temperament, and the greatest frenzy he had ever fallen into in both of his lives had both been because of this old man in front of him. The debt Yun Che owed this man for raising him and nurturing his talent was higher than the heavens and deeper than the ocean. He had originally thought that he would forever be separated from him. He also never expected to actually be able to meet him once more.
His appearance had not changed in the slightest and his aura was still as warm as a gentle breeze. The clear and fresh smell of medicine wafted from his body and his eyes looked deep enough to hold the entire world in them.
In this world, there were many people who were called magnanimous men or saints but in Yun Che’s eyes, if there could only be one true saint in this entire world, then it would definitely be Yun Gu, who had been both a father and a teacher to him.
Yun Gu was also gazing at Yun Che. Yun Che’s eyes alternated between clear and cloudy and it was as if his emotions had been so stirred up that he could barely control himself. However, Yun Gu could not see the slightest trace of greed in Yun Che’s eyes… So, at the very least, Yun Gu could tell that he was definitely not here for the Sky Poison Pearl.
He was sure that he had never seen this person before but he hazily felt a strange and old sense of familiarity with him.
“Little brother, even though I do not know why you rushed towards this old one but you are definitely not after the Sky Poison Pearl in this old one’s possession. Or perhaps, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. This place is far more dangerous than you can imagine, I would advise that you leave as quickly as possible,” Yun Gu advised.
“…” Yun Che calmed the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He squeezed Su Ling’er’s small hand and said in a low voice, “Ling’er, return to the profound ark with Master first… I will forcibly send Master there.”
Su Ling’er hands tensed as she gazed at Yun Che for a good long while before she finally gave a light nod of her head, “Big Brother Yun, you must be careful.”
A spatial ripple surged from around Yun Che and before any of the people present had a chance to react, Su Ling’er and Yun Gu had both vanished from that place.
Mu Yingchan, Duan Heisha and Zuo Hanshuo were briefly stunned but after that, their expressions changed as all three of them rushed towards where Yun Gu had been standing at practically the same time. But whether it was his figure or his aura, Yun Gu had completely vanished and he had not left even a single trace behind.
“It… it was a dimensional escape!” Zuo Hanshuo said with a low yell as he swiveled towards Yun Che. He stared at Yun Che furiously, his aura firmly locking onto him as well, “There is some kind of spatial profound artifact hidden on his person.”
“To think we fell for this young punk’s trick,” Mu Yingchan said as his expression turned completely dark. The three great sect masters and the entirety of their three supreme sects had been gathered in this place and no one in the Azure Cloud Continent could disobey or resist such a force. The power gathered here could rule over all of existence but all of them could only watch as their prey disappeared right before their eyes.
“Hohoho, it seems like Sect Master Zuo and Sect Master Mu truly have not made much progress these last few years. It is merely a small accident, yet it so easily caused the two of you to lose your composure.”
On the other hand, Duan Heisha was completely calm and composed. He stared at Yun Che, his amused smile deep and long, “Even if that Yun Gu flees, where else can he flee to? Moreover, don’t the both of you think that another big present has delivered itself to our doorstep?”
“Oh? What does Palace Chief Duan mean?” Mu Yingchan and Zuo Hanshuo’s gazes grew more intense as they reacted to those words.
“Heh.” Duan Heisha slowly walked towards Yun Che, “Kid, this palace chief really has to commend your guts. Of course, the reason you have such courage is because you still do not know who we are. Before this palace chief personally reveals this to you, you still have one last chance… Right now, this palace chief is extremely interested in the spatial profound artifact that you just used. If you are willing to obediently hand over, perhaps this palace chief will disregard your previous behavior. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Yun Che said as the corners of his mouth hooked up into a cold smile, “Duan Heisha, I heard that Seven Stars Divine Palace dispatched an elder and a group of disciples to shamelessly harm an innocent sect in the Country of Supwake. All for the sake of a stalk of Coiling Dragon Feelers. But in the end, they received their just desserts and all of them died a miserable death… I don’t know who it was who sent them all to hell but I wonder if your Seven Stars Divine Palace has found that person already?”
Duan Heisha’s face gradually grew rigid but a divine palace elder who stood behind him already started to roar in fury, “Ah, so the one who killed the Nineteenth Elder and his party was you!!”
“Preposterous.” Duan Heisha smiled despite his rage. He had originally believed that the reason Yun Che had dared to act so boldly and presumptuously in front of them was because he did not know who they were… If not, he would have been scared shitless a long time ago.
But right now, Yun Che had addressed him by his name and had accurately identified the Seven Stars Divine Palace behind him.
He actually even took the initiative to tell them in a tone filled with contempt that he was the person who had cruelly killed all of those people from Seven Stars Divine Palace ten days ago!
If they had originally believed that the reason for his lack of fear was sheer ignorance, then right now… the other party not only knew who they were, he had also clearly and arrogantly treated his Seven Stars Divine Palace with contempt while boldly taunting them.
“Sect Master Zuo, Sect Master Mu… Will there be any objections if my Seven Stars Divine Palace takes down this kid?” Duan Heisha’s face had turned a faint green and it was clear that he was truly enraged.
“You can subdue him but you need to guarantee his survival,” Zuo Hanshuo said, the schadenfreude evident in his voice. “Whether it is the Sky Poison Pearl or the spatial profound artifact, once we reach an agreement on these two things, you can deal with him in whatever manner you please.”
“Forget it, I’ll leave this matter to Palace Chief Duan. This sect master will just treat the matter where this kid just called this sect master’s hands dirty as forgotten,” Mu Yingchan said indifferently as his lips curled up but his hot and venomous gaze was still locked onto Yun Che’s body.
After seeing that the other two sect masters consented to his proposal, an elder that was standing behind Duan Heisha strode forward and spoke aggressively. “Palace Chief, let me teach this arrogant and ignorant punk a lesson! He has merely reached the first level of the Sovereign Profound Realm but he behaves as if he is unrivaled under heaven and actually dares to kill members of our Seven Stars Divine Palace.”
“Let him keep his life but break his arms and his legs first!” Duan Heisha said in a dark voice. As the Seven Stars Palace Chief, it was only natural that he would not stoop to dealing with this matter personally.
The divine palace elder took a step forward before fiercely rushing towards Yun Che. The boundless and majestic energy field of a Monarch instantly expanded outwards, causing squalls to spring up in the surrounding area which was tens of kilometers wide.
“Kid, give your granddaddy a good kneel first!” As he shouted those furious words, his extended palm was no more than three feet away from Yun Che’s head.
Yun Che did not move an inch. His eyes were tranquil and his expression was cold and indifferent, not wavering in the slightest. He only blandly murmured in his heart: The old debts of the previous years and the new debts of the present, I’ll settle them all today!
RIIIIP!!!
The divine palace elder’s palm grabbed Yun Che’s head but in the instant that his profound energy expanded outwards, he suddenly discovered that his palm was grabbing empty air and the profound energy that he released had only torn a long black gash in the air.
Wha… What!?
Where was he… Where was he!?
The divine palace elder felt an unexpected shock bloom in his heart; he could barely believe his own eyes. But before he could recover from his shocked daze, an extremely dull and heavy sound suddenly rang out behind him.
Zzng
This sound was not particularly resonant. It also could not be described as intense, but it was so dull and heavy that it caused extreme discomfort to everyone’s eardrums and body. It was as if something had suddenly exploded against their heart.
The Yun Che who had “disappeared” had materialized in front of Seven Stars Palace Chief Duan Heisha like a ghost. His right elbow struck Duan Heisha’s chest… At that moment, Duan Heisha’s expression was still dark and heavy and he did not even have time to be startled before this happened.
That dull and heavy noise was the sound of Yun Che’s elbow striking Duan Heisha’s chest.
After everyone had shifted their incredulous gazes to Yun Che’s new position, he was in the midst of moving his elbow away from Duan Heisha’s chest in a simple and unexaggerated manner.
Duan Heisha’s body did not move an inch and even the place that was struck did not sink in or bend. In fact, there was not even the slightest change in Duan Heisha’s expression.
Yun Che’s speed was so fast that it was as if they had seen a ghost. However, after they saw that his “sneak attack” had clearly not hurt Duan Heisha and they had recovered from their shock, the surrounding divine palace elders and disciples were about to open their mouths to laugh out loudly to mock Yun Che’s overconfidence… But before their laughter could make it out of their throats, they suddenly saw Duan Heisha’s face turn ghastly pale at an astonishing speed and then his face then started to turn into a purplish-black color… After that, his entire body fell backwards like a block of wood that had been blown on by a light wind.
Bang!
Duan Heisha’s body smashed against the ground, his eyes set in a wide and unblinking stare. A large amount of red-stained foam leaked out of his mouth as blood wildly gushed from his nose.
“Pala… Palace Chief!!”
The scene shocked all the gathered divine palace disciples. In fact, it shocked everyone present and the shock was so great that it seemed to cause everyone’s souls to leave their bodies. The divine palace elders scrambled forward but before they could even draw near to him, Duan Heisha’s body abruptly trembled.
Whooooosh.
Duan Heisha’s profound veins and dantian resembled a punctured balloon. The profound energy that he had cultivated for his entire life was turning into countless streams of agitated energy as they flowed out from every part of his body… until it ran dry.
Chapter 893 – Crippling Three Monarchs
After all of his profound energy had leaked out of his body, Duan Heisha’s entire body became soaked in cold sweat and he resembled a drowning dog that had just been fished out of the water. His constantly twitching limbs and face showed that he was still alive.
After receiving just a single blow from Yun Che, Seven Stars Divine Palace’s Palace Chief Duan Heisha’s profound veins had become completely crippled and all of his profound energy had been reduced to nothing.
“Pa… Pal… Pala… Palace Chief…”
Those elders who were rushing over to Duan Heisha’s side all dumbly stood in place. Their eyeballs shook in their sockets as their legs went limp. There were even some who sank to their knees and did not come back to their senses for a long while.
Besides the members of Seven Stars Divine Palace, the gathered members of Heaven Thwarting Sect and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect had all been so shocked that their faces had turned white as a sheet while the pupils of their eyes completely dilated. Even Heaven Thwarting Sect’s Sect Master Zuo Hanshuo and the Soaring Celestial Sword Sect’s Sect Master Mu Yingchan had gone pale with shock; when Duan Heisha’s profound energy started wildly leaking into the air, Mu Yingchan was so shocked that he had actually taken a step back.
They had just witnessed with their own two eyes the crippling of Duan Heisha, a level nine Monarch; Palace Chief of Seven Stars Divine Palace; one of the three strongest people in the Azure Cloud Continent!!
Furthermore, this had been done a single blow… he was crippled in just a single blow!!
“Palace Chief… Palace Chief!!”
The great divine palace elders who were the nearest to Duan Heisha had all scrambled to his side. They stretched out trembling hands to probe Duan Heisha’s aura but they discovered that Duan Heisha’s body had become extremely soft. There was not even the slightest trace of profound energy remaining and even his profound veins had been reduced to paste.
He had not merely been crippled, he had been so thoroughly and completely crippled that he would not be able to restart his cultivation from the Elementary Profound Realm even if he wanted to.
Duan Heisha was not dead and he even still possessed some awareness but his eyes were gray and dark, empty holes that were no different from that of a dead man’s. All of the skin and muscles on his body could visibly be seen withering up too.
He had fallen from the pinnacle of the known world to a complete cripple in a matter of seconds. For a peerless profound practitioner, this was a fate that was millions of times crueler than dying in battle. Furthermore, this cruel series of events happened all too quickly and suddenly and perhaps Duan Heisha himself thought that he was currently in the middle of a nightmare.
“Duan Heisha, you must thank my master,” Yun Che coldly said as he turned his back to Duan Heisha. “If not for the presence of my master, I would not even leave an intact corpse behind, much less that useless life of yours!”
Yun Gu was a medical practitioner and he was a medical practitioner that was far too pure at that. That was also the reason he was able to become the “Medical Saint” who possessed medical skills which could snatch fate away from the heavens. Yun Che’s medical skills originated from Yun Gu and whether it was the Profound Sky Continent or the Illusory Demon Realm, they were unparalleled. Even if that was the case, Yun Che was aware that his medical skills were roughly only fifty to sixty percent of Yun Gu’s medical skills.
If one were to say that Yun Che’s medical skills could save lives then Yun Gu’s medical skills could be said to truly be able to “snatch fate away from the heavens.”
Furthermore, it was also because of his pureness of intent towards “saving lives,” that he had never killed and he had never been able to accept killing. Even the death of someone wicked would elicit a sigh of lament from him.
“You… you…” The divine palace elder that knelt by Duan Heisha’s side jerked his head upwards. Baleful energy swelled up in his body as he spoke but it faded away as swiftly as it had risen. After that, he spoke in a voice that clearly contained deep shock and fear, “You… Who exactly are you…”
Yun Che did not reply, his icy gaze piercing Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan. Both of them had completely different expressions on their faces at this moment. Yun Che said, “Now on to the both of you. Will the both of you do the deed yourselves or do I have to personally take action!?”
Under Yun Che’s gaze, both Mu Yingchan and Zuo Hanshuo instantly felt an icy coldness surge through every fiber of their beings. The feat of completely crippling Duan Heisha in one strike, this was a power that they could barely believe and they could not fathom. They had striven to rationalize this event using the explanation that Duan Heisha was caught unprepared. But if you gave this sort of explanation to an idiot, even that idiot would not believe you.
As the current hegemons of the Azure Cloud Continent, they were even more clear on the fact that completely crippling a level nine Monarch was ten times harder than actually killing him!
Much less crippling him in a single strike.
“You… Who exactly are… you!?” One could clearly hear the trembling in Mu Yingchan’s voice as he said these words.
“We have no grievances or resentments between us…Why are subjecting us to such a harsh judgement?” Zuo Hanshuo asked hurriedly. His words and the tone of his voice had clearly become much softer due to fear.
“No grievances or resentments against each other? This time, all of you people gathered together in the Country of Supwake so that you could steal something from my master. If I had not arrived, given my master’s nature, he would have once again been… he would definitely have been forced to his death by you lot! But right now, you’re trying to tell me that there are no grievances or resentments between us?”
Yun Che lightly ground his teeth together as the boundless hatred and enmity from all those years ago was faintly aroused once again.
“You are a disciple of the Medical Saintr Yun Gu?” Zuo Hanshuo said as he shook his head, “That’s not possible! None of us has ever heard of Yun Gu accepting any disciples! You… You are clearly thinking of obtaining the Sky Poison Pearl for yourself!”
Yun Che’s eyes faintly narrowed as he muttered words that only he could hear, “The debt that you owe my master, the debt that you owe Ling’er, and the debt that you owe me… Master does not approve of killing and Ling’er’s is soft-hearted and compassionate, so I’ll simply get some interest back from them…”
He extended three fingers towards Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan as he spoke in an incredibly apathetic and unsympathetic tone, “I will give the two of you three breaths. Don’t worry, I don’t want your lives either. So in the span of these three breaths, you will either cripple your own profound strength or I will personally cripple your entire bodies!”
“You…” Zuo Hanshuou and Mu Yingchan’s pupils contracted at the same time.
“One!” Yun Che folded the first finger.
“Two!” Yun Che folded the second finger and his aura, which was originally as tranquil as still water, started to fiercely rise.
Before the events of this day, if anyone had said that there was a time where both Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan were scared witless, there would be no one in the continent that would believe them and the person who said such things would become a huge joke himself. But right now, Duan Heisha, the only other person who could be grouped together with them a mere hundred breaths ago, was now a cripple who was lying on the ground like a dead dog. So when they faced Yun Che’s outstretched fingers, they were seized by a profound and heart-wrenching sense of terror.
“Three!”
Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan took to the skies at the same time as they soared backwards and roared loudly in unison, “Kill! Kill him! Everyone advance… kill him now!!”
The gathered elders and disciples of the three great sects could hear the palpable fear in Zuo Hanshuo’s and Mu Yingchan’s voices. But they were also seized by the same terror. A person that was able to instantly cripple a character like Duan Heisha; they could well imagine how terrifying a character they were facing right now. But the orders of the sect masters could not be defied, so the moment the two sect masters fled in panic, they had no choice but to summon up their courage and charge forward to attack Yun Che.
However, nearly half of them… especially the disciples who belong to Seven Stars Divine Palace, also turned around and fled like the two sect masters.
Yun Che eyed the direction where Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan were fleeing in but he did not give chase immediately. Instead, his body flashed as he instantly shifted to a spot that was more than three hundred meters above his previous location. After that, a blue light descended from above.
Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack…
The blue light spread amidst the sounds of ice congealing as it instantly sealed away tens of kilometers of space in ice. When the sound of ice congealing had stopped, the entire world seemed to have gone quiet in an instance as all of the sounds of people shouting had completely disappeared.
Besides the fleeing Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan, forty Monarchs and hundreds of disciples had all been solidly frozen inside thick layers of ice.
The surpassingly-strange noise caused Zuo Hanshuo and Mu Yingchan, both of whom had been fleeing with all their might, to subconsciously turn their heads back. After seeing the scene that had unfolded in front of them, both of them were so shocked that their souls had practically flown out of their bodies. But as their eyes swept the surrounding area, they did not catch a single trace of Yun Che’s figure.
Zuo Hanshuo’s heart became even more uneasy. He fiercely gritted his teeth as he raised his speed to the point where he nearly broke through his own limits. But the instant he turned around, he suddenly saw Yun Che standing in front of him in complete silence.
This startled Zuo Hanshuo so badly that his soul really threatened to leave his body and fly to heaven. Right now, he was rushing forward at full speed, so he did not even have the time to come to a halt, much less reverse directions and flee backwards. The terrified and shocked Zuo Hanshuo, who had been left with no path of escape, could only let out a wild roar as both of his arms thrust outwards and he desperately summoned forth all of the profound energy in his body. A bluish-purple profound formation swiftly formed in the space between his two hands as his palms exploded towards Yun Che’s chest.
Even though the profound formation that formed between Zuo Hanshuo’s hands was small, it was the top profound formation that anyone in the Azure Cloud Continent was aware of, the Heaven Thwarting Formation! It had enough might to sunder the heavens and the earth, yet Yun Che did not even pay any attention to it. He had an expressionless face as he simply sent a fist flying against the wind, smashing it toward Zuo Hanshuo’s chest.
BAAAANGG!!!!!
The resulting explosion sent vibrations through the air as Yun Che’s fist smashed through the Heaven Thwarting Formation that Zuo Hanshuo had formed with all his power. The huge force of the backlash neatly snapped the bones in Zuo Hanshuo’s arms but Yun Che’s fist still contained all of its original force as it exploded against Zuo Hanshuo’s chest. Amidst an explosive wail, a beam of fire violently burst out from Zuo Hanshuo’s back.
“Wu…” Zuo Hanshuo’s eyes bulged outwards. He had never ever dreamed that his power, a power that had not been rivalled during his lifetime, was actually so insignificant and inadequate in front of this person.
In that instant, he could no longer feel the existence of his own profound veins any longer.
“Just… who…exactly.. are… you…”
Zuo Hanshuo gasped out those words with much difficulty. His entire body had become just like Duan Heisha’s, it resembled a balloon that had been pierced by a million needles as the foundation of all of his profound strength leaked out into the air.
Similarly, Yun Che had spared his life… Even though death would have been considered a blessed release for a continental hegemon such as Zuo Hanshuo.
Yun Che flicked his arm, throwing Zuo Hanshuo tens of kilometers away. He just so happened to land at Duan Heisha’s side. After that, the fire light on Yun Che’s body flashed as he took off in hot pursuit of Mu Yingchan, who had fled in the other direction.
As Mu Yingchan was wildly fleeing, he sensed that Zuo Hanshuo had released the aura of the Heaven Thwarting Formation behind him. He breathed a small sigh of relief in his shocked and terrified heart at the same time. Because he and Zuo Hanshuo had fled in opposite directions, so if he pursued Zuo Hanshuo, he would not have the chance to chase after him.
But after a brief moment, he suddenly sensed that the aura of the Heaven Thwarting Formation had disappeared completely and following that, even Zuo Hanshuo’s aura began to rapidly weaken. Mu Yingchan unwittingly turned his head back and to his utter shock, he saw that Yun Che’s figure was not even five kilometers away.
“Wha… What!?”
Mu Yingchan’s body sank as his shocked face was instantly drained of all blood. He frantically raised his energy as he desperately surged forward. When he turned his head back once more, he discovered that Yun Che was actually less than one and a half kilometers behind him.
This time, Mu Yingchan was so shocked that his gall bladder nearly ruptured. He was moving at the full speed that a proper level nine Monarch could muster but in front of Yun Che, he was practically sitting still.
As he realized that continuing to flee would be absolutely meaningless, Mu Yingchan fiercely gritted his teeth before he abruptly wheeled about, a seven and a half foot long lustrous white longsword grasped in his hand. In an instant, a violently surging sword energy caused the surrounding space to fiercely tighten.
If Xuanyuan Wentian could be said to be the number one swordsman in the entire Profound Sky Continent, then Mu Yingchan was the emperor of the way of the sword in the Azure Cloud Continent. The 【White Jade Imperial Dragon Sword】 in his hand was the sword that reigned supreme over all the other swords in the Azure Cloud Continent. When profound energy was poured into it, a gentle sweep of its blade would produce dragon roars which would shake the heavens.
“HAAH!! Soaring Celestial Sword Formation!”
The White Jade Imperial Dragon Sword danced prettily in the air as a giant circle-shaped sword formation swiftly formed in the air. It was just as Mu Yingchan had performed three hundred and sixty consecutive sword strokes and was only left with six strokes to complete the Soaring Celestial Sword Formation that Yun Che, who was rushing right at him, suddenly disappeared.
The sword in Mu Yingchan’s hand also disappeared at the same time.
Mu Yingchan’s entire body froze in place as his mind went completely blank. It was still reasonable that he could not sense how Yun Che had suddenly disappeared. But he had no idea how the sword that was practically one with his body had suddenly disappeared from his hand as well.
It was as if it had been swallowed up by the empty air.
“This is truly a waste of time.”
A detached and apathetic voice coldly rang out from behind him. At the same time that voice fell, an enormous power that was too great to describe smashed into his back.
PUU!!
Blood streamed from Mu Yingchan’s seven orifices as his profound veins and consciousness collapsed at the same time and he was sent tumbling downwards.
__________
Author’s Note:
【Zuo Hanshuo + Duan Heisha + Mu Yingchan】The names Huangji Wuyu, Xuanyuan Wentian, Qu Fengyi, Ye Meixie of Profound Sky Continent all sound tyrannical, possess great disposition, and are not easily forgotten! Why do our names sound as if they were given on the spot, even though we’re similarly overlords of a continent!
【Mars】: Because they’re overlords of the main storyline, and have lived for several hundred chapters, while you three are but mere regular mobs found in dungeons that will only live for no more than three chapters! I spent an entire day and night to think of those four names, while I settled your three names in just ten seconds. What wishful thinking you guys have… I don’t even know what’s the meaning of the word ‘Ying(郢)’, how is it supposed to be read? It’s so troublesome to type it every single time.
Chapter 894 – Sky Poison Fusion
“Hong’er has something delicious to eat again. This sword… even I feel like eating it when I see it.”
When he stroked the White Jade Imperial Dragon Sword he obtained from Mu Yingchan, the shiny whiteness of the sword’s blade seemed like a young girl’s skin and even gafe off an extremely concentrated aura of a true dragon. Yun Che muttered a few words, placed the sword into the Sky Poison Pearl, and then descended.
Ice that was several kilometers thick sealed all the members of the three sects within. The weakest were Thrones while the strongest were Monarchs. None of them could escape and there wasn’t even anyone that could make any noise. If it were the usual Yun Che, these people would have long turned into a sea of corpses and it would only be a question of whether they would still have complete corpses. Now, however, all of these people were simply sealed in ice and not one of them lost their lives.
Zuo Hanshuo, Duan Heisha and Mu Yingchan were stacked on top of one another. The three of them were still in almost the same state; their eyes were listless, their mouths foamed, and their entire bodies seemed as though they were a pile of boneless slime. It was just that their limbs spasmed occasionally.
They were similarly still alive but the profound strength that once stood on top of the Azure Cloud Continent had been completely crippled.
Which also meant that after all the commotion Yun Che caused today, not one person had died.
If the perished souls of the Burning Heaven Clan were to know of this, they would definitely jump out from the depths of hell at all costs and loudly scream, “WHY!?”
They were some of the culprits that forced Yun Che to his death back then. If he had not come not come today, Yun Gu would have definitely lost his life. Among them, Seven Stars Divine Palace even harmed the entire Grandwake Clan and nearly caused Yun Che and Su Ling’er to be separated yet again, but he actually did not kill anyone.
All of this was because of Yun Gu.
Not just because Yun Gu was unable to accept the murder of living beings; even if he had killed all of them, Yun Che believed that his master Yun Gu would definitely blame himself for the deaths of all these people. The guilt and responsibility might haunt him for the rest of his life.
Since he could not kill them, he might as well let his master Yun Gu pardon them… perhaps, this could be considered something that he had done for him.
Calling out the Primordial Profound Ark, Su Ling’er and Yun Gu walked in together and the sights within caused them to be greatly shocked.
“This…” Yun Gu looked at the surroundings, his face revealing several emotions.
“Big Brother Yun Che, are you alright?” Su Ling’er hurried over and examined him worriedly. Only when she did not find any drops of blood on him that she heavily heave a sigh of relief.
“Of course I’m fine, they are the ones that are in trouble.” Yun Che’s face was completely relaxed as he held Su Ling’er’s hand and walked in front of Yun Gu, “Senior, don’t worry, all these people are just simply sealed by ice profound energy, they aren’t dead. As for the leaders, I only crippled their profound cultivations, preventing them from causing any more trouble. As for how they should be handled… since they came for Senior, how they shall be treated should be decided by Senior.”
Yun Gu looked at Yun Che for quite a while, his gaze filled with doubts and complexity. Following which, he shifted his gaze away, glanced at the three people by his feet, sighed lightly and closed his eyes, “Let them go.”
A reply that was completely expected, Yun Che did not immediately release the ice seal but added, “Release all of them? Senior, you should know that there are massive powerhouses behind them. You magnanimously let them off but they might not let you off. In no time, they will definitely come trouble you again. They might pay you back with a fiercer vengeance. Even so, are you still intent on letting them go?”
“As long as you give me consent, I can immediately kill of them here and now, letting them receive the retribution they deserve. No traces would be left behind. In the future, there would not be anyone that could point the blame to you. Perhaps, even the secret of the Sky Poison Pearl on you might not be known.”
Although the people within the ice seal could not move or make any noise, they could clearly hear what was happening on the outside. Yun Gu’s words caused them to be overjoyed but Yun Che’s words that followed caused their hearts to sink. Their gazes showed feared and despair.
“Ahh,” Yun Gu sighed longingly, “This old one has made his mission in life saving others. How can I let so many lives be lost because of this old one? They are only driven by greed and do not deserve death. Now, it can be said that they have already been punished. Just let them go.”
Do not deserve death? Then, does Master deserve death?
Furthermore, how would these people be “not deserving of death?!” Heaven Thwarting Sect, Seven Stars Divine Palace, and Soaring Celestial Sword Sect; they were all the top of the food chain within the Azure Cloud Continent, the makers of law and order within the entire continent. They had lived for hundreds to thousands of years. Which one of them does not have hands that are stained with large amounts of blood of the innocent.
To let go any of them go, allowing them to live for several hundred more years, who knows how many hundreds or even more innocent lives would die at their hands… this was equivalent to harming several hundred lives.
In reverse, killing them would be equivalent to saving several hundred lives.
Such logic, if it were any other benevolent person, he would undoubtedly preach this. However, he was unable to do it before Yun Gu.
Furthermore, with Yun Gu’s experience and intelligence, how would he not have thought about all of this…
“Since that’s the case, we shall follow your wishes.” Yun Che smiled and his finger waved. Instantly, the profound ice instantly melted, releasing the elders and disciples who had been trapped within for a long while. When they regained their freedom, they all collapsed to the ground weakly. They were holding onto each other’s shoulders and trembling with cold and fear, unwilling to believe that they would actually be spared.
Yun Che swept his eyes across them and coldly said, “I had originally wanted to kill all of you but Senior Medical Saint chose to repay your evil acts with kindness and forgave all of you. Since this is the instruction of Senior Medical Saint, I shall let you off temporarily for today!”
All the trembling people raised their heads and finally believed that they were really going to leave the place alive.
“We thank Senior Medical Saint for his kindness… Thank both seniors for the kindness…”
They dragged the slime-like bodies of their three sect masters in fear and sprinted frantically in three different directions. Their bodies gradually warmed as their speeds became even faster; they feared that the fiend behind them would change his mind.
“Little brother, thanks for saving me today. This old one has no means of repayment but will definitely remember this for all his life,” Yun Gu said in gratitude, greatly paying his respects towards Yun Che and Su Ling’er.
Yun Che brought Su Ling’er and retreated at lightning speed, causing Yun Gu’s action to land on thin air. Cold sweat broke out in the back of Yun Che’s forehead and he stammered, “Master… Nononono, Senior, you can’t. Junior can’t… how can I receive such great courtesy? Senior is a medical saint of this era. Being of help to Senior is this junior’s honor.
“This…” Yun Che’s strange actions caused Yun Gu to be slightly stunned before he sighed, “Little brother, you have such shocking profound strength but your temperament is so pleasant. This is indeed a joy to the world. Today, you have not only saved the life of this old one. If the Sky Poison Pearl were to fall into the hands of those evildoers, who knows how many innocent lives would suffer from the calamity of the Sky Poison.”
Yun Che’s heart was moved and followed on, “Senior Medical Saint, what are you going to do with the Sky Poison Pearl?”
Seeing the deep doubt in Yun Che’s eyes, Yun Gu said, “Looks like little brother really does not know about it. This Sky Poison Pearl appeared approximately four years ago. It was said to be found by a merchant of True Vermillion Country’s Miragecatcher City…”
When Yun Gu said “True Vermillion Country’s Miragecatcher City,” Yun Che’s entire body tightened and Su Ling’er’s hands also grabbed onto Yun Che’s arm tightly.
True Vermillion Country’s Miragecatcher City… This was one of the cities he exterminated using the Sky Poison Pearl previously. An entire town of one million seven hundred thousand people and all the other living beings within had died due to the Sky Poison!
Only because Miragecatcher City possessed two of the huge sects he hated to the core, yet was unable to go against due to their size
That was one of the biggest debts in his two lifetimes.
And it was also that time, when the Sky Poison Pearl’s poison powers were completely used up and could not release its poison powers anymore from then onward.
“The family that picked it up only put it at home as they thought it was a pretty looking pearl but after several days, the family was bathed in green light and when they were found, the entire family of several dozens had all passed away from a vicious poison that had never been seen before.”
“From then on, whenever the Sky Poison Pearl appeared, it would cause a poisonous disaster and each time, the poisonous disaster would become more and more frightening. Also, because of that, its poison powers started to be sought after by some who hoped to use its poison for their own benefits. Southern Sky Country’s Fleeting Villa obtained the Sky Poison Pearl out of pure chance and had the intention of causing a huge disaster. But such a huge sect… Sigh.”
“Big Brother Yun Che, that Sky Poison Pearl, could it be…” Su Ling’er whispered.
Yun Che, “…”
Yun Gu did not notice Yun Che and Su Ling’er’s weird expressions and continued, “This old one personally obtained the Sky Poison Pearl from Fleeting Mountain Villa several months back and learned that its true might was far more frightening than the rumors. This old one felt that its poison powers were still just awakening and if its poison powers were to completely recover, I wonder…”
Yun Gu’s voice suddenly stopped and his expression darkened.
Yun Che was shocked, “Senior Medical Saint?!”
“This… why is this? It’s obvious already…” Yun Gu suddenly raised his head and shouted loudly, “Hurry and leave! You guys hurry up and leave!!”
“Senior… just what has happened?” How would Yun Che possibly leave? Instead, he took a step forward.
“It’s the Sky Poison Pearl! Its poisonous powers are suddenly showing signs of losing control… You guys hurry up and leave! If you don’t, you won’t make it!” Yun Gu urged with even more anxiety.
Yun Che swiftly pushed Su Ling’er behind him and rushed forward to the front of Yun Gu and said seriously, “Senior, hurry and take out the Sky Poison Pearl! It’s lucky that this junior has some special properties that can cure poison, perhaps they can help senior control the vicious poison… Quick! Believe me!
With Yun Gu’s temperament, how would he risk the lives of innocents? Just as he was about persuade them once again, he thought about Yun Che’s heaven-shakingly powerful profound strength, gritted his teeth and took out the Sky Poison Pearl.
A pale green round pearl appeared before Yun Che and emitted a slightly aggressive green light.
This pale green poisonous light shone into Yun Che’s eyes and a sensation that felt like connected souls was quickly borne in his heart.
This feeling…
Could it be…
“This old one has thought that he already had it under control and it would not lose control within a year. Unexpectedly…” The aggressive green light caused Yun Gu’s heart to be completely anxious, “Looks like, this old one has overestimated himself… Oh!?”
In Yun Gu’s shock, the Sky Poison Pearl suddenly flew out of his hand by itself and shot straight towards Yun Che. Yun Che did not dodge and looked stunned as it approached, flying all the way to his chest.
“Little brother!” Yun Gu stretched out his hand subconsciously and wanted to remind Yun Che when he suddenly realized that with a flash of light from the Sky Poison Pearl, it had fused into Yun Che’s body like a stone that has dropped into water and completely disappeared.
A pale green light instantly flashed on Yun Che’s entire body but in an instant, Yun Che gradually lifted both his arms.
His left hand, was the familiar jade green light of purification.
And his right hand also flashed with a pale green light.
The light of vicious poison!!
Chapter 895 – The Conclusion of Azure Cloud
Previously, when he heard Duan Heisha and the others talk about the “Sky Poison Pearl,” he had thought that it was only just a coincidence in name because the actual Sky Poison Pearl was already on him and there could never possibly be two Sky Poison Pearls existing in this world.
However, when Yun Gu took out the “Sky Poison Pearl,” a feeling of spiritual connection reverberated clearly within his heart. The Sky Poison Pearl within his body appeared to sense it strongly and in his mind, the three words “Sky Poison Pearl” appeared.
The Sky Poison Pearl within his body was real, but the Sky Poison Pearl that Yun Gu held was real as well!
However, these were two completely different Sky Poison Pearls.
The Sky Poison Pearl that fused with Yun Che had strong purifying and refining abilities but did not possess any poison powers. However, poisonous powers were the Sky Poison Pearl’s main powers, but even after so many years had passed, there were no signs of the poison powers of the Sky Poison Pearl recovering even slightly. Although Yun Che had never mentioned this matter to Jasmine before, he still wondered about it frequently.
However, the Sky Poison Pearl on Yun Gu possessed pure poison powers!
When this “second” Sky Poison Pearl fused with his body, the memory seal on it finally solved the doubts in Yun Che’s mind…
Back then in Azure Cloud Continent, when Yun Gu handed the Sky Poison Pearl to Yun Che, he warned him never to release the vicious poison within the Sky Poison Pearl. After Yun Gu died, Yun Che lost his mind and furiously released the Sky Poison that Yun Gu had tirelessly sealed, exterminating numerous people and clans with the poison. The final time he released the poison, he completely used up all the poison powers within the Sky Poison pearl and even the poison origin had at the same time been released following the release of the last bit of Sky Poison.
Originally, when the poison origin had recovered, it would return to the Sky Poison Pearl on its own. However, due to the interference of the Mirror of Samsara, not only had the Sky Poison Pearl that had lost its poisonous origin oddly fused with Yun Che’s body, it had also passed through reincarnation and arrived in a different world. There was even a mismatch of time. Although the poisonous origin that remained on the Azure Cloud Continent did not disappear due to the powers of the Mirror of Samsara, after it recovered, it did not manage to return to the Sky Poison Pearl and formed its own body, producing the second Sky Poison Pearl.
Now, as Yun Che approached, the two Sky Poison Pearls detected the existence of one another and fused together once again.
Only today, Yun Che finally learned that the Sky Poison Pearl that he possessed had always been incomplete. It was a Sky Poison Pearl that had lost its poison origin, which was also why it never possessed any poison powers.
The pearl that Yun Gu possessed was a Sky Poison Pearl that possessed poisonous powers.
Now, the time and space mismatch between the two finally reverted to normal once again, becoming complete within Yun Che.
“Little brother, this… this…” Yun Gu revealed a rare expression of shock.
With a simple thought in Yun Che’s mind, the green light on his palm extinguished instantly and all the poisonous aura disappeared without a trace. Compared to himself back then who could only barely manipulate the Sky Poison Pearl, fusing with the Sky Poison Pearl had allowed him to gain complete knowledge of the item. With the return of the poison origin of the Sky Poison Pearl, the Sky Poison was slowly recovering. The awakened Sky Poison was already nearly ten percent of what it was back then.
If it were completely released, it would be sufficient to turn a small town into a prison of poison.
“Senior Medical Saint,” Yun Che did not know how to explain so he could only sincerely say, “This Sky Poison Pearl has already recognized junior as its owner and can be controlled at junior’s will. Therefore, there should no longer be any signs of the poison powers losing control. Senior does not have to worry.”
Yun Gu was, after all, no ordinary person. After being shocked temporarily, he smiled gently, “Then that couldn’t be even better. This old one can now be at ease.”
He did not question the reason behind this nor did he question Yun Che’s intentions but the gentle smile on his face had come from the bottom of his heart. From what he saw, Yun Che’s gaze was clear as water and he said each word with sincerity. Although he was obviously exceptionally strong, he did not show any arrogance or carelessness.
Furthermore, with strength that could even casually suppress the three major sects, he definitely would not covet a Sky Poison Pearl that one could not decide if it was a blessing or a curse.
“Even after having my life saved and having a matter that was weighing on my heart settled, this old one still does not know little brother’s name,” Yun Gu gently said.
“Senior Medical Saint does not have to be so courteous.” Yun Che frantically paid respects and said after a slight pause, “Junior’s surname is Yun, with a single word Che. This is junior’s childhood sweetheart, Su Ling’er.”
Yun Che… this name, was also given to me by you.
“Yun… Che…” Yun Gu muttered before smiling slightly and sighed, “As leisurely as clouds, as clear as water.. Such a good name. Not only do you have the same surname as this old one, your heart of medicine is so compatible. It seems like we really have been brought together by fate.
Zzzz
There was a faint buzzing noise in Yun Che’s mind, his lips moved but he could not say anything.
As leisurely as clouds, as clear as water… This was the meaning and desire of the name that Yun Gu had when he named him “Yun Che” back then.
“To able to meet someone like little brother is definitely a blessing upon this old one’s life. Little brother’s profound strength is earthshaking and your temperament is exceptional. You must have some important matters to attend to coming here. This old one shall not nag anymore. If there are any matters where this old one can help, please let this old one know and he shall definitely assist you with all his strength.”
“Senior, hold on!”
Even before Yun Gu managed to move, Yun Che frantically shouted for him and asked panickedly, “Where is Senior heading to now?”
Yun Gu laughed and shook his head, “A person who practices medicine has no fixed home. Where he goes shall be where he stays. However, this old one’s life also has an end. It’s time this old one finds a successor to which he can pass on his skills and the heart of medicine. However, the world is tainted, people meet by fate and it cannot be sought. This old one is uncertain when his wish can possibly come true.”
The heart of medicine…
Yun Che’s hands clenched tightly, as he dared not look into Yun Gu’s eyes in guilt. He bore all of Yun Gu’s hopes but in the end, he did not succeed the heart of medicine and instead walked to the other end of the extreme…
“Senior Medical Saint,” Yun Che said. “Those that were pardoned by Senior previously and escaped all know that the Sky Poison Pearl is on senior. In no time, the message will swiftly spread and the entire world will know. Even if you told those people that it was no longer on you, no one would actually believe you. At that time, Senior would undoubtedly encounter unavoidable trouble. Has senior thought about all of this?”
“Whether it’s a blessing or a curse is to be determined by the heavens.” Yun Gu shook his head slightly, “With the lesson little brother has taught them, they might not have the guts to do anything to this old one due to fear.”
“Fear is limited but greed is limitless!” Yun Che stood in front of Yun Gu, his tone slightly agitated. He was certain that if Yun Gu chose to stay within the Azure Cloud Continent, he would meet with the same fate as today in no time, “Senior Medical Saint, regarding this matter, junior has a solution. Junior is not from the Azure Cloud Continent but came from a place called the Illusory Demon Realm. I hope senior can follow junior to the Illusory Demon Realm. At that place, junior can guarantee that no one will cause trouble for Senior nor will anyone disrespect Senior.”
“…” Yun Gu turned and stared at Yun Che for quite a while, shaking his head, “This old one had already guessed previously that little brother had come from elsewhere and it looks like I was right. This old one is extremely grateful for little brother’s sincere heart. However, this old one’s roots are after all firmly buried here and this old one’s medical path is also set on this land…”
“No, that’s not right! What Senior has said is wrong.” Yun Che suddenly interrupted and denied Yun Gu’s words and said exceptionally firmly, “Senior Medical Saint has a heart of medicine that is revered by many and the heart of medicine is what Senior has pursued all his life. If it were just the heart of medicine, it would be curing more illness and saving more people, regardless kindness or evil, race, status, and location!”
Yun Gu’s entire body trembled slightly.
“Since your entire life has been dedicated to the medical path and you’ve lived by the heart of medicine, then, what difference is there whether you practice medicine within the Azure Cloud Continent or the Illusory Demon Realm? Furthermore the territory of the Illusory Demon Realm is larger than that of the Azure Cloud Continent. There’s more living beings and more races that need people like Senior.
“In the Illusory Demon Realm, Senior can continue saving the masses and I believe that in a few years, Senior’s name would resound around the entire Illusory Demon Realm. If Senior were to remain adamant about staying in the Azure Cloud Continent, if Senior were to encounter any accident, all that you have learned and all that you desired would turn into nothing. If you take the first option, your life would be fulfilling and it would benefit many. However, if you chose the latter… perhaps you might save millions fewer people and would not even find a successor, leading to the suffering of future generations.”
“…” Yun Che’s words caused Yun Gu to remain silent for a long while as his gaze began to shift.
“Senior Medical Saint, Big Brother Yun Che is right. Please follow us to the Illusory Demon Realm. It’s too dangerous for you to stay here,” Su Ling’er pleaded softly.
“Senior…” Yun Che held his breath as he looked nervous at Yun Gu.
“Hohohoho,” Yun Gu suddenly turned around and smiled gently, “That’s right, since my whole life has been dedicated to medicine, where I practice makes no difference. Only when I leave, can I help more people and save even more lives. Little brother, it is you who has enlightened this old one. It seems like this old one’s heart of medicine is still lacking.”
“Does that mean… Senior, you… have agreed?” Yun Che asked in joy.
“Hoho,” Yun Gu smiled once again, “Then, I’ll have to trouble little brother and little miss here to bring this old fogey along.”
“That’s great!!” Yun Che and Su Ling’er exclaimed together in joy. At the same time, their eyes were watery due to agitation.
Upon seeing the joyful faces of the two youths, Yun Gu also began to laugh. However, he did not know why but his eyes also began to water uncontrollably.
Yun Che immediately brought Su Ling’er and Yun Gu into the Primordial Profound Ark. They returned to the Grandwake Clan to retrieve the items Su Ling’er’s mother left behind. After staying in the Azure Cloud Continent for some time, the Primordial Profound Ark was reactivated and entered its second million kilometer spatial travel.
Su Ling’er was now by his side. His master was also by his side. There was nothing that he missed any more in the Azure Cloud Continent.
When he came to the Azure Cloud Continent, he had already known that he was facing certain death and only hoped to accomplish one last wish, which was meeting Su Ling’er again. He did not expect that, not only had he found Su Ling’er, he had also found his master. Even the Sky Poison Pearl that was unknowingly incomplete had been completely reformed.
Furthermore, the devil origin orb that originally would have definitely taken his life was no longer a threat and instead became something of his own. Not only did he no longer have to die, even his profound strength had surged to an exaggerated level that was unheard of.
He had also vaguely encountered an exceptionally frightening secret.
On this trip to Azure Cloud, not only did he achieve all that he wanted to achieve, his entire person had seemingly been reborn and underwent complete change. Unbeknownst to him, even his temperament had slightly changed.
Chapter 896 – Hope (1)
Illusory Demon Realm, Demon Imperial City, Yun household.
After Yun Che was sent into Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, it had been nearly a month since there was any contact. The Yun household was enveloped with an incomparably suppressive atmosphere this entire time. The Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er would make a visit to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley every single day but forget about obtaining information, they couldn’t even enter it.
As time elapsed, the tense atmosphere that filled Demon Imperial City grew even heavier. The various great patriarchs and dukes were anxious and nervous. All of their forces were kept in a nervous state where they could be dispatched for war at any moment if needed, all day long.
Because with every passing day, it would be a day nearer to the date Xuanyuan Wentian was going to make his reappearance.
Maintaining this heavy burden on the body and mind for several days was still manageable. However, this situation continued for such a long time and before Xuanyuan Wentian had even arrived, Demon Imperial City was already crumbling. Even the wills of the profound practitioners who had sworn to protect the city to their deaths, were quickly wearing away as well.
In the sky right above the Yun residence, following after a few spatial ripples, the Primordial Profound Ark, which had crossed more than four million kilometers, quietly appeared.
“Senior, Ling’er, this is the imperial city of the Illusory Demon Realm and right below us is my home.” Yun Che introduced the place to Su Ling’er and Yun Gu, while the waves in his heart endlessly surged.
He stayed in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley for more than half a month and he had even made a stop at the Azure Cloud Continent for about a dozen days. They had to be worried to death by now.
Furthermore, they definitely would not be able to guess just what he had experienced in these few days.
“Such a huge city, its ends can’t even be seen with a single glance.” Su Ling’er sighed out of curiosity, yet anxiety was what filled her heart the most. Because she was immediately about to meet Yun Che’s biological parents and…
“The aura of this place is greatly different from the Azure Cloud Continent. I never expected that while I was still alive, I would be fortunate enough to visit a new land.”
Since he had already arrived, Yun Gu accepted everything with incomparable calm as well.
“Senior, Ling’er, trust me. You two will definitely come to like this place really quickly,” Yun Che said with a smile. Then, he took in some air and a roar that came from the depths of his lungs resounded far and wide,“Grandfather! Father! Mother! Little Aunt! Xiao Yun! Caiyi! Yue’er! Xue’er… I’m back!!”
Yun Che’s loud roar instantly stirred a thousand layers of waves within the Yun residence, which had been cast with low spirits for a long while.
The noises of doors being fiercely pushed open, clashed with one another.
“Little Che!!”
“Husband!!”
Cang Yue and Xiao Lingxi who were in the hall charged out and they saw Yun Che who was presently descending from the skies. Yun Che looked at the two of them and with widespread arms, he said with a large smile, “Lingxi, Yue’er, why are you two still standing there? Hurry and throw yourselves into my arms.”
Cang Yue and Lingxi, with each on the left and right, pounced towards Yun Che’s chest. Xiao Lingxi’s emotions burst out from all the yearning, worry, and fear in this period of time, causing her to cry like the rustling of a storm. Even Cang Yue, who had long cultivated sufficient fortitude was twitching as she choked immensely, unable to utter a single word.
“…” Su Ling’er’s lips opened, as she quietly looked at the silhouette of Yun Che’s back, her emotions were indescribably complicated. However, as a fellow woman, she was able to sense the blazing emotions the two girls, who had recklessly pounced into Yun Che’s arms, had for him.
“Big Brother… Big Brother!” Bringing Xiao Lie with him, Xiao Yun ran over with hurried steps. Following close behind him was Number Seven Under Heaven who was tightly hugging onto Yongan. In this period of time, this married couple had stayed in the Yun residence the entire time.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, this period of time when you guys took care of Grandfather must have been tough\,” Yun Che said with a slight smile.
“Big Brother, you… as long as you’re fine.” Xiao Yun’s eyes stirred and his voice choked. During the days while Yun Che was not here, he was similarly in a state of extreme fear. After all, on the day Yun Che was sent to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he was truly in a frightening condition and after that, there was no news of him for a long period of time. He and Number Seven Under Heaven had consoled Xiao Lie in various ways, saying how his life was more tenacious than anyone else’s and he would definitely be fine, however, even they themselves were worried day and night.
“Young Master! Young Master!”
“Asgard Master!!”
Everyone in the Yun household and also the crowd of Frozen Cloud girls residing in the outer residences, had all gathered. Every single one of their faces carried incomparably deep excitement.
Before their arrival, Yun Che had lightly mentioned to Yun Gu and Su Ling’er that he was the young master of the Yun Family of the Illusory Demon Realm but looking at the scene before their eyes, to the entire Yun Family, to these people, how could he possibly be just an ordinary young master? He was surrounded by layers upon layers of people and every single one of them was unable to suppress his or her excitement from seeing his safe return… He was clearly just a youth of about twenty years old but he was like the irreplaceable core of an entire world.
“Che’er! Che’er!!”
Mu Yurou flew over with teary eyes and next to her was Yun Qinghong who was doing his best to suppress his excitement. Yun Che hurriedly moved to them and then, immediately knelt with his two knees on the ground. Filled with guilt, he said. “Father, Mother, this child is unfilial. During this period of time… I have worried you two again.”
“Che’er, quick, quick, stand up.” Mu Yurou could not be bothered with the tears on her face, as she hurriedly held Yun Che up and looked at him over and over again. “You’re finally back. If you had taken any longer, Mother would have… Che’er, are you completely healed? Are you completely fine now? The Golden Crow Divine God has cure you completely this time, right?”
Mu Yurou’s every single word carried concern that was as deep as the ocean. Yun Che looked her in the eyes and nodded with incomparable strength. “Mother, this time, I’m completely healed and I can’t feel any better than I am now. The incidents that happened before will never happen again.”
“Rea… Really?” Mu Yurou was excited to the point of being incoherent. “Then that’s good, that’s good… That’s really good to hear…”
“Father, I was a disappointment some time ago. My will actually diminished in the face of a strong enemy which must have worried and disappointed father. This child guarantees that it will not happen a second time,” Yun Che said as he looked at Yun Qinghong.
At first glance he saw Yun Che today, Yun Qinghong could already sense an incomparably huge change in his demeanor… To the point of being comparable to a metamorphosis.
He no longer had any bleakness, any heavy-heartedness, nor even the least bit of gloom. What replaced them, were instead brightness and excellence far surpassing what he had before. Compared to the condition he was in before he was brought to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, it was as if he had been reborn.
Yun Qinghong smiled with incomparable joy and comfort. He reached out his hand and patted strongly on Yun Che’s shoulder. “A true man can feel depressed for a short while but he will definitely not feel depressed for a lifetime…”
The hand he patted Yun Che’s shoulder with suddenly jerked, his face revealed a deep astonishment… Because flowing with Yun Che’s body, was actually profound energy at the Monarch level!
“Che’er, your profound strength…” Yun Qinghong raised his head, looking at him in utter disbelief.
“Father, later on, you can inform Grandfather Mu and them to temporarily withdraw the Great City Barrier Formation. As for the enforcement of martial law, it can be completely removed as well.” Yun Che revealed a confident, yet unarrogant light smile. “Right now, I’m eager to have Xuanyuan Wentian come over, it would save me the trouble of going over to the Profound Sky Continent to look for him myself.”
“…” The hand Yun Qinghong placed on Yun Che instantly stiffened, his eyes slightly widened. He was actually speechless from how agitated he was.
“Xue’er isn’t at home?” Yun Che could not spot Feng Xue’er’s figure.
“She and the Little Demon Empress have gone over to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley,” Mu Yurou said. “During this period, they have been making these visits everyday but they should be back around now.”
“Big Brother Yun!!”
The moment Mu Yurou’s voice fell, an anxious call sounded from afar. Feng Xue’er, dressed in a red dress, could not be bothered with the masses of people present and heavily leapt into Yun Che’s arms. The Little Demon Empress arrived right after her and she quietly landed next to Yun Che. She still had the same expressionless look and even spoke with the same cold tone. “Yun Che, just what happened to you in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley? Why have you come out only after such a long time, letting all these people worry about you?”
Looking away, she then lightly added, “How’s your present condition?”
“Heh, of course I’m fine now. You should know right after looking at me,” Yun Che laughed.
“Oh right, I forgot to introduce everyone.” Yun Che arrived next to Su Ling’er and Yun Gu and first pulled over Su Ling’er’s small hand. “This is Ling’er, Su Ling’er. She came back with me from the Azure Cloud Continent. Ling’er, this is my father and mother.”
“Ling’er greets Uncle and Auntie.” Su Ling’er stepped forward and lightly bowed.
“What did you say? Azure Cloud Continent?” The Little Demon Empress suddenly turned back. Although few people knew the existence of Azure Cloud Continent, there were indeed distant records of the Azure Cloud Continent in the Illusory Demon Realm and the Little Demon Empress was one of the few people who knew about it… However, it was still just superficial knowledge.
“Mn.” Yun Che nodded. “Actually, during this short period of time, I was not in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley but travelled to the Azure Cloud Continent with the profound ark… As for the reasons behind this, I will tell everyone about it in detail later.”
“…” Deep astonishment surfaced between the Little Demon Empress’s brows. However, she did not press for an answer amidst the crowd.
On the other hand, Mu Yurou’s focus was not on that whatever Azure Cloud Continent, the eyes Yun Che and Su Ling’er looked at each other with were all seen by her and how could she possibly not see through them? She was definitely in the process of getting another daughter-in-law. In an instant, wearing a grin on her face, she took the initiative to pull Su Ling’er’s hand and gently said, “Ling’er, though this auntie isn’t aware where the Azure Cloud Continent is, since you were willing to accompany Yun Che here, in the future, this will be your home. If you need anything, please feel free to let auntie know.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Ripples of warmth surged within Su Ling’er’s heart.
“Che’er, this senior is?” Yun Qinghong’s gaze turned towards Yun Gu. This white-haired elderly man had a sage-like demeanor and he carried an aura that could deeply impress people. Furthermore, he had noticed that the eyes Yun Che was looking at him with, carried deep respect… And when it came to people whom he would display such a respectful attitude to, other than his elders, there was seemingly no one else.
Yun Che hurriedly said, “This person is Senior Medical Saint and similarly carries the surname Yun. His medical techniques can be said to be the best in both ancient and modern times and from now on, he will be residing in our Illusory Demon Realm.”
Yun Qinghong’s heart shook immensely. Yun Che’s medical techniques were already at the miraculous level, yet the words “best in both ancient and modern times” were personally spoken by him. How could this possibly be a small matter!?
He hurriedly bowed and said, “So it’s Senior Medical Saint! To have a miracle man such as Senior Medical Saint here, it’s truly a blessing for our Illusory Demon Realm.”
“This old man is just a regular doctor, I’m definitely not worthy of such praise from Patriarch Yun.” Yun Gu hurriedly returned his greetings but his gaze had instead landed on the Little Demon Empress after that. Then, he immediately spoke. “I wonder how I should address this little lady?”
The Little Demon Empress’s brows slightly twitched as she turned around. Yun Che hurriedly introduced. “Senior Medical Saint, this is the Little Demon Empress, the ruler of the continent of the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“I see.” Yun Gu lightly nodded and there were not any huge changes to the emotions on his face. As a doctor, he had seemingly never been moved by the identities of his patients. He continued to inspect the Little Demon Empress and when he thought of the crowd present at the sides, in the end, he kept his words to himself.
Yun Che’s heart fiercely shook. When it came to the Little Demon Empress’s condition, other than Yun Qinghong who had sensed it, only he and the Little Demon Empress knew about it. Furthermore, the Little Demon Empress’s condition was not evidently exposed. If he had not known about it beforehand, even with his own judgment, he definitely would not have realized that she had any anomalies.
However, looking at Yun Gu’s expression… He had clearly seen through it at first glance!
Yun Che’s heart began to tremble from excitement… How could I have missed such an important detail? I’m unable to save Caiyi but Master might have a way… Because he’s my master who has surpassed all in the way of the medicine, be it in the present or ancient times!
“Father! I have to trouble you to prepare a quiet place!” Yun Che suddenly said and then pulled the Little Demon Empress. “Senior Medical Saint, mind if I trouble you to first… check on the Little Demon Empress’s pulse?”
Little Demon Empress: “…?”
Yun Gu lightly nodded, “This old man shall do his best.”
Only then did Yun Qinghong react and hurriedly said, “Free up the main hall quickly. Everyone must withdraw a kilometer away from the main hall and unless personally permitted by this patriarch. No one is allowed to approach!”
Chapter 897 – Hope (2)
The central area of the Yun household was completely quiet. Because of Yun Qinghong’s worry, he had even erected an enormous isolation barrier, as if the entire Yun Family was about to face a strong enemy.
The Little Demon Empress, Yun Che, and Yun Gu were the only ones in the main hall.
“Senior Medical Saint, she…”
“No need for words.” Yun Gu however smiled, preventing Yun Che from explaining the Little Demon Empress’s condition as he stretched out his pair of slightly pale arms. “Allow this old one to first check her pulse. Little Demon Empress, please be at ease. This old one has always examined a woman’s pulse through the air, all you need to do is calm your breathing.”
“I will have to trouble you,” The Little Demon Empress glanced at Yun Che and said quietly. Looking at her expression, evidently, she did not harbor even the slightest bit of hope. Because, the issue of her having only three years of life left was personally spoken by the Golden Crow Spirit.
How could the consequences, which even the Golden Crow Spirit said were impossible to heal or suspend, possibly be averted by a mere mortal?
Yun Gu did not speak any further. Gently closing his old eyes, he kneaded his fingers into a strange gesture and a warm profound energy instantly flowed into the Little Demon Empress’ channels.
Yun Che held his breath at the side. His entire body was still, as if it was nailed into the ground, afraid of making even the slightest of noise.
Unexpectedly, the pulse examination was considerably short. In just a short few dozens of breaths, Yun Gu’s eyes slowly opened and his hands were put down right after.
“Senior… How is she?” Yun Che hurriedly asked.
“…” Yun Gu was silent for a moment, before he slowly spoke. “After persistently chasing after immense power which her profound veins could not possibly endure, she was left with no choice but to integrate her life vein as a joint vessel. Presently, nearly half of her lifeline has already withered and if this situation persists, in two years, it will definitely wither completely.”
“…” Yun Gu’s words had finally stirred the light in the Little Demon Empress’s eyes because this was a secret which only she and Yun Che knew of. Furthermore, this was a secret that encroached on the secrets of the power of the divine way. This elderly man with only the physique of a mortal was actually able to see through it without the slightest discrepancy in just a few short breaths of pulse examination.
“That’s right, that’s exactly the case.” Yun Che hurriedly nodded. “Because of special reasons, during that period of time, in order to quickly obtain powerful profound energy, she forcefully took in power that her profound veins could not endure. The consequence for that, was her lifespan being reduced to just three years or so… Senior Medical Saint, do you have any way to save her?”
“If we compare the life’s vitality left of the lifeline to a candle, then a regular person’s candle will slowly melt as the wick burns. Her candle, however, due to forcefully integrating her lifeline as a vessel of energy, is as if it had been thrown into a sea of fire, her life’s vitality quickly being burned away. It concerns her lifeline and also concerns her life’s vitality as well… Difficult, it’s really difficult.” Yun Gu heavily sighed.
“…Could it be that even Senior has no way either?” Yun Che said with a heavy heart.
Yun Gu shook his head and instead revealed a light smile. “This old one simply said it was difficult but I did not say it was incurable.”
Yun Gu’s words were undoubtedly celestial music of the heavens in Yun Che’s ears. He instantly fell onto his knees in front of Yun Gu and said with great excitement. “Senior, you… you’re saying… you’re saying you can save her?”
The Little Demon Empress who had been sitting quietly slowly stood up as well. Though she was still wearing a domineering look on her tender face, there was clearly something stirring in the depths of her eyes.
Yun Gu’s expression was solemn. He stood up and slowly walked a few steps, presenting a state of deep thought. Yun Che who was like an extremely evil god in front of others, was presently like an obedient child, pacing behind Yun Gu and listening to his explanation. “Using one’s life as price to greatly raise one’s profound strength is not something rare. Though the methods are different, the logic behind them is greatly similar. Some heavily damage their profound veins as price, some heavily damage their blood essence. There are even some who speed up the consumption of their life’s vitality as the price through altering the energy connection and mechanism between their profound veins and life vein, allowing their lifeline and profound veins to act as one vessel to hold power that their profound veins alone could not withstand.”
Yun Che nodded continuously, the Little Demon Empress belonged to the third group. Though she knew of the consequences, in order to exact revenge and in order to retrieve the authority and respect of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, she had not hesitated in the slightest.
“However, the Little Demon Empress’s condition is countless times more extreme than any case this old one has seen in his lifetime,” Yun Gu sighed.
“Though the lifeline and profound veins have always been connected in the first place, they are merely connected in form and they have their respective energy mechanisms. However, the respective energy mechanisms of the Little Demon Empress’s lifeline and profound veins, have actually merged completely into one entity. It seems like the power she forced herself to hold back then must have been immense. If it was just a small connection, it’s possible to save one’s life through the crippling of one’s profound strength. However, her lifeline and profound veins have completely merged into one entity. Even if all her profound energy was crippled, she would simply live for a few months more.”
Yun Che nodded again. If crippling her profound strength could have stopped the Little Demon Empress’s life’s vitality from flowing away, how could Yun Che have worried over it until now? With him around, so what if the Little Demon Empress were to become a cripple?
Yun Gu looked at Yun Che and smiled. “Little brother, it seems like you have long known about everything this old one has just said.”
Yun Che nodded and said. “This junior is a little proficient in medical knowledge as well and this junior has always understood her condition better than anyone else. In this junior’s humble opinion, in order to save her, the only way I can think of is to desperately increase her lifespan. However, no matter how hard we try, even if we expend all the usable resources in the Illusory Demon Realm, it would merely be a drop in the bucket.”
When he asked Jasmine back then, Jasmine informed him of two methods. One, he could forcefully increase the Little Demon Empress’s lifespan after reaching sufficient heights in the Great Way of the Buddha. Two, he could search for the Primordial Seal of Life and Death and allow the Little Demon Empress to possess a limitless, inexhaustible lifespan. These were all within Yun Che’s scope.
Yun Gu’s footsteps then stopped and he said with a smile. “Then have you thought of another way? And that is to first guide out all of her profound energy and then re-separate the energy mechanisms of her lifeline and profound veins.”
Yun Che was stunned for a moment and then replied. “If the energy mechanisms of the lifeline and profound veins can be re-separated, then it will naturally be the most perfect method to solving this problem but… but that’s basically impossible. The entirety of her lifeline and profound veins have connected and they have even connected completely into a single entity. If we were to try to forcefully separate the energy mechanisms a strand at a time, not only would it be as hard as stepping into the heavens, if even the slightest of mistake is made, it will mess up the energy mechanisms greatly… and she will instantly lose her life.”
“Could it be…” Yun Che’s spirit suddenly shook. “Senior, you know of a way to re-separate the lifeline and profound veins?”
Yun Gu did not nod and neither did he shake his head either. Instead, he continued, “The physique of a human can be seen as a unique and complete small world. Since it is complete and unique, then there’s no logic behind it being impossible to escape from the cycle of karma. If it is a smooth flow, then it can definitely be bent. If they can be merged, then they can definitely be separated. This is the foundation behind the medicine scripture this old one studies.”
This was also the same exact basics of medical knowledge which Yun Che learned from Yun Gu. As it described, there were no illness in the world that could not be treated and even if there was, it would only mean that the method to cure it had still yet to be found.
“If it was a few months ago, this old one would definitely be unable to forcefully separate the merged energy mechanisms between the lifeline and profound veins as well. Just three months ago, this old one had finally comprehended a scripture which this old one had doubts about for several dozens of years…”
Yun Gu seemed to have already been absorbed in his own explanation of medical knowledge, as he unconsciously recited. “The beginning of life, void led by circulation, regulation of the seal, the paradox of life and death, are of yin and yang, of yang and yin…”
“Unique since the beginning, cluster leads to prosperity, the breath of humans surpasses the heavenly circulation…” As he listened to Yun Gu’s soft recitation, Yun Che’s consciousness gradually turned hazy and the scene of his master teaching him to recite the 《Heavenly Medicine Manual》 gradually surfaced before his eyes. Unconsciously, he began to recite softly with him.
When Yun Gu had stopped, Yun Che was still absentmindedly continuing with his recitation. “Blossom and tranquility, chaos and turbidity, the birth of yin and the richness of yang…”
When he finally regained his senses, Yun Gu’s face had already completely lost its calm, as he looked at Yun Che shockingly. “Little brother, you… How do you know of the Heavenly Medicine Manual?”
“…” Yun Che opened his mouth and had no choice but to force out an explanation. “When this junior… was practicing the medicinal arts back then, what I studied was the Heavenly Medicine Manual. Could it be that Senior studies the Heavenly Medicine Manual as well? Then that truly is a coincidence, as expected, this junior shares a deep fate with Senior. It seems like there isn’t only a single Heavenly Medicine Manual in this world. However, this junior has shallow cultivation in the way of medicine. Though this junior is familiar with the Heavenly Medicine Manual, there are many scriptures which this junior fails to comprehend. The set of scriptures which senior has recited just now, is something this junior is even more so unable to understand at all. Could it be that Senior has already attained mastery of it?”
Not just him, even his Master Yun Gu was unable to understand this set of scriptures either. Even till his passing, he was never able to comprehend it.
Could it be that in this lifetime, he had actually comprehended it?
“I see.” Though Yun Gu was still shocked, he did not continue to probe and instead continued, “These set of scriptures contain the logic behind the source of countless energies within a human body. This old one has studied it for half a lifetime and had only just comprehended the key behind it. The key actually lies behind ‘of yin and yang, of yang and yin’. If the logic behind it is understood, then, separating the energy mechanisms between the lifeline and profound veins, though the process may be long and arduous, is definitely not something unachievable.”
Though he completely could not understand the true medical logic behind that set of scriptures, since Yun Gu was able to say such words, then it proved that the Little Demon Empress could truly be saved.
Yun Che looked over with great joy and excitedly said, “I request for Senior to put his skills save the Little Demon Empress.”
Yun Gu however slightly shook his head. “This old one is after all, a man. Though I understand the logic, I am unable to apply it. I can merely impart this knowledge to someone.”
Yun Che hurriedly knelt on a single knee and bowed, as he heavily spoke his every word. “Junior Yun Che is willing to have Senior as master, I hope Senior can fulfill this request.”
“This… Hohoho.” Yun Gu however said with a light smile. “Little brother, stand up for now. When this old one mentioned that I am unable to apply my knowledge, it is not because of the relationship between a man of a woman but because of another reason. In regards to taking me as your master, that absolutely cannot do. Your eyes are clear and your heart contains no evil will but your body carries a heavily fierce and bloody aura. In the future, you may become a hero of a lifetime but you’re definitely not suitable in cultivating in the way of the medicine.”
“…” Yun Che stood up with a dejected look and shame filled his heart. That’s right. He was no longer able to return to the state of mind which he had back then when he was traveling the world with his master… He was no longer able to return to it for all eternity.
Back then, Yun Che wholeheartedly pursued the way of medicine and his biggest wish was to surpass his master with his medical techniques, to be praised by his master, and to save even more people… Compared to the present Yun Che, they were two people that belonged to completely different worlds.
The him now, indeed could not expect that Yun Gu would once again take him as his disciple.
___________
Author’s Note:
【Faints,I merely wanted to randomly throw some twisted logic in but I ended up with a full chapter already?】
【Nevermind, let’s leave it like this then…】
Chapter 898 – Ling’er Pays Respects to Her Master
“The matter regarding the Little Demon Empress can no longer be delayed. This old one already has an inkling of an idea and I will definitely put in my best effort, it’s just that… everything will be up to destiny after this.”
Yun Gu said a spiel of things that Yun Che did not really understand before suddenly speaking, “Little brother, could I trouble you regarding one thing?”
Yun Che hurriedly replied, “Just let me know what you need Senior. Oh… this junior requests that Senior just calls me Yun Che from now on.”
“Hoho, that is fine as well,” Yun Gu said with a faint smile as he nodded his head. “Yun Che, can you call Miss Ling’er to this place.”
“Ling’er? Okay!”
Yun Che did not ask for the details; he immediately rushed out of the hall and flew back with Su Ling’er in his arms a short while after he left.
“Senior Medical Saint?” Su Ling’er asked with an apprehensive and puzzled expression on her face, “Is there something you need to instruct Ling’er to do?”
Yun Gu gave a light shake of his head. He measured Su Ling’er up and down with his eyes and his gaze lingered on her eyes for an especially long time. After that, he nodded his head repeatedly, his expression becoming rather excited, “From ten years ago, this old one had begun the task of looking for the person who could inherit the medical skills that I have refined all my life. But for the entire ten years, my search has borne no fruit. After all is said and done, this world is one that is ruled by profound strength. Everyone chases after profound strength. Everyone chases after power and influence. They are people who belong to this vulgar world, so how many of them can be expected to be unsullied by the vulgar desires that move this world and truly bury their hearts into the way of medicine?”
“In the past few years, this old one was nearly prepared to give up my search entirely and I was going to nurture a disciple from infancy, so that I could cleanse his thoughts and spirit and prepare him to inherit this old one’s legacy. But I was also afraid that I would waste decades of effort and nurturing, because the innate nature of a person is hard to determine.”
Yun Che, “…”
“Until… this old one met you, Miss Ling’er,” Yun Gu said emotionally as he looked at Su Ling’er.
“Ah? Me?” Su Ling’er said. Yun Gu’s words had stunned her briefly.
“Miss Ling’er, this old one has known countless people in his life. But this old one has only ever seen one person whose eyes and heart are as clean and spotless as yours. I wonder…” After Yun Gu had reached this point, a nervous expression actually appeared on his face, “I wonder if you have any interest in the way of medicine?”
Once Yun Gu had said this much, how could Yun Che not realize his intent. He shouted in an extremely shocked and elated tone, “Ling’er, hurry… Hurry up and pay respects to your master!”
With a “thud,” Ling’er landed heavily on her knees. “Junior Su Ling’er… requests that Senior accept Ling’er as his disciple. Henceforth, Ling’er will devote her entire soul to following Master and the study of medicine. I will also be very obedient to Master’s words…”
Yun Gu’s appearance was even more emotional than Su Ling’er herself. The rims of eyes grew faintly damp as he said, “Miss Ling’er, you… Are you truly willing to learn the way of medicine from this old one?”
Su Ling’er replied sincerely, “To be able to get Senior Medical Saint to be my master is Ling’er’s fortune and it has also been Ling’er’s desire all this while. It’s just that Ling’er is stupid, so from now on… I request that Master gives me much instruction.”
Yun Che pressed a hand to his chest, an incredibly joyous smile spreading across his face. Only he knew that the words Ling’er had just said, “it has also been Ling’er’s desire all this while,” was definitely not some empty pledge. All those years ago, she had wanted to be like Yun Che and learn the way of medicine from Yun Gu. Yun Gu had also been exceedingly pleased with her but it was just that he could only pass on his legacy to one disciple in his lifetime. The exceptionally moderate and gentle Yun Gu was only extremely steadfast when it came to this one thing. In everything else, he was willing to compromise. Because of that, even though Su Ling’er had accompanied Yun Gu and Yun Che for many years, in the end, she had never become his disciple.
But who would have thought that her desires would be fulfilled at this time?
“Good, very good, this is too good to be true,” Yun Gu said. He nodded his head repeatedly as his emotions almost overwhelmed him. Because to Yun Gu, this was truly the greatest wish of his life. He slowly walked towards Su Ling’er. After that, he removed the bronze ring on his finger and personally slipped it onto Su Ling’er’s left thumb, “Su Ling’er, from now on, you are my, Yun Gu’s, only personal disciple; the one who will inherit my legacy. Your master belongs to no sect or clan and he has no power or authority, so I cannot give you any kind of glory or power. The only thing I can give you are the truths that I have comprehended from the way of medicine and the heart of one who pursues the way of medicine.”
The ring that had been on Yun Che’s thumb all those years ago was now on her own. It was a marvellous twist of fate and it was as if they had truly come full circle. Su Ling’er gave a deep bow. “Disciple Su Ling’er greets Master…”
Yun Che, who was a bystander to these events, was so excited that a toothy grin had been permanently pasted on his face. Even though he was no longer worthy to become Yun Gu’s disciple, Ling’er had become his disciple and his master’s long-held wish had finally come to fruition… it was simply a conclusion that allowed him to have the best of both worlds.
No, in fact, it left him even more satisfied than that.
“Caiyi, you can be saved… you truly can be saved!” Yun Che grabbed the Little Demon Empress’ hand as he emotionally yelled into her ears.
“Just… who exactly is this person?” The Little Demon Empress asked with knitted brows. She had never seen Yun Che behave in such a respectful and reverential manner to anybody in the past but in front of Yun Gu, he was completely reverent and respectful and he practically jumped at every word that proceeded from Yun Gu’s mouth.
He was far more well-behaved in front Yun Gu than he was in front her!!!!
This was definitely not simply someone that he had brought from the outside. If there was not sufficient cause and their relationship was not deep enough, given Yun Che’s arrogance which seeped into his very bones, how could it be possible for him to be so obedient in front of another?
“He…” Yun Che thought about it for a moment before he spoke with much emotion in his voice, “My medical skills and all the knowledge I have regarding medicine and poisons were learned from him. The debt that I owe him is higher than the heavens, it’s just that he himself does not remember any of that anymore.”
“…!?” A deep astonishment flashed through the Little Demon Empress’ beautiful eyes.
“It is very hard to explain all of these things right now. I will slowly explain all of it to the rest of you in the future,” Yun Che said with a faint smile. “All of you think that my medical skills are really great but they pale in comparison to his medical skills. Since he has personally said that there is a way to save you… then there definitely is a way to save you!!”
Even though even the Golden Crow Spirit and Jasmine had said that it was impossible to save the Little Demon Empress, this was merely what they knew from their knowledge of the profound way.
But when it came to the way of medicine, it was Yun Gu who was the absolute authority. As someone who could truly snatch fate away from the heavens, if he said it was possible, then it was definitely possible!
Yun Gu and Su Ling’er had finished a simple ceremony recognizing them as master and disciple. When Yun Che had come of age all those years ago, Yun Gu had also held an extremely simple ceremony to confirm his official apprenticeship. Yun Gu turned around and faintly smiled as he said, “Little Demon Empress, even though this old one knows how to cure your illness, now that it involves the energy of your lifeline, it can only be treated by a woman because she also possesses yin energy. Within half a year, this old one will first instruct Ling’er on the principles behind energy. After that, we can attempt to rid you of this illness. Even though Ling’er is a novice in the way of medicine, given her pure and unblemished heart, she will definitely be able to do this in half a year’s time.”
The Little Demon Empress bowed deeply to Yun Gu as she nodded her head and said, “I’ll be in your care then.”
Su Ling’er, who stood at Yun Gu’s side, winked at Yun Che as she smiled merrily.
A person who followed the way of medicine was required to be extremely cautious. As a result, Yun Gu was a person who never spoke in absolutes. If he was confident enough to make such a statement, that meant that he definitely had adequate confidence that he could deal with this issue and it was definitely not equivalent to what he described as an “attempt.”
However, Yun Che did not sense any feelings of joy from the Little Demon Empress. Naturally, Yun Che also knew the reason behind this… Because of Xuanyuan Wentian who could appear at any moment, the Little Demon Empress had become resolved to perish together with Demon Imperial City so she had long resigned herself to not living past the next six months.
Yun Che had also not yet told her that she first needed to vent out all of her profound energy before she could resolve her hopeless situation… While she was facing a great enemy, she definitely would not allow that to happen.
It seems like the only way he could get the Little Demon Empress to accept her treatment in peace was to first get rid of the great danger that was Xuanyuan Wentian.
After that, even if the Little Demon Empress lost all of her profound strength, as long as he was around, as long as the Yun Family was around and as long as all those Guardian Families and great Duke Palaces who were either loyal to her or were compelled to even greater obedience because of the slave imprint were around, she would still be the Little Demon Empress who reigned supreme over the Illusory Demon Realm.
Furthermore, given her Golden Crow bloodline and the knowledge she had regarding the laws and principles of profound energy, she would grow immensely once she started recultivating her profound strength.
When Yun Che, the Little Demon Empress and the rest of them exited the hall, Yun Qinghong quickly walked over by himself and asked in a soft but anxious voice, “So what was the conclusion?”
Yun Che did not reply. Instead, he flashed a faint but serene smile at his father.
Wild joy appeared on Yun Qinghong’s face as he deeply bowed towards Yun Gu before saying, “Senior Medical Saint, if you are able to save the Little Demon Empress, you will be the great benefactor of our entire Illusory Demon Realm.”
“Patriarch Yun’s words are too heavy, this old one is merely doing something that a doctor ought to do… Furthermore, I don’t have complete confidence that I can accomplish this task, so we will still have to rely on the kindness of the heavens.”
Yun Gu’s words and behaviour was the same as always; he was still as calm and tranquil as still water. He was not the least bit ruffled even though his patient was the Little Demon Empress. Admiration blossomed in Yun Qinghong’s heart as he said, “Senior Medical Saint has come to the Illusory Demon Realm for the first time so you ought not have any place to stay yet. Would staying in the household of our Yun Family suit you?”
Yun Gu thought about it briefly before he accepted the offer, “Since that is the case, then I will have to trouble you.”
“The courtyard has been prepared. Che’er, bring Senior Medical Saint to his abode so that he can rest.”
“Alright.”
Yun Gu had made consecutive jumps across space to travel from the Azure Cloud Continent to the Illusory Demon Realm, so he was indeed rather tired. While they were walking towards the courtyard Yun Che finally could not resist the urge to ask, “Senior, just what method are you going to use the treat the Little Demon Empress? This junior truly cannot think of anything, nor can I understand what you just said.”
“Hohohoho,” Yun Gu gave a small chuckle. It was clear that he was in a rather good mood after taking Su Ling’er as a disciple, so he generously explained, “Because it involves both the profound veins and the lifeline, the process of treating her will be extremely long and arduous but there is only one principle behind this. The energy circulation of her profound veins and life vein are completely abnormal, so it naturally violates the laws which govern energy mechanisms within the human body. So if you use a normal person’s energy mechanism to gradually guide and regulate that abnormal energy mechanism and correct those abnormal principles of energy mechanism, as time passes, everything will fix itself.”
“This…” Yun Che, who had always believed that he had a deep knowledge of the principles behind medicine, was completely baffled by this explanation, “Using another person’s energy mechanism to regulate and correct? This… how are you going to go about doing this? Could it be that you will be using a medical principle that was expounded upon in that medical manual?”
“That’s right,” Yun Gu said as he gave a faint nod of his head. “The Little Demon Empress is a woman and her energy is yin energy, so she requires the yin energy of another female to regulate and correct her energy mechanism. The medical manual that this old one has been trying to comprehend for most of his life has talked about one principle in particular. That principle states that yin energy follows yin energy while yang energy follows yang energy. This allowed this old one to view a whole new vast and broad horizon.”
“…” Yun Che still had a baffled look on his face.
“This old one will first teach Ling’er about the principles behind energy circulation. Once she has comprehended and mastered this principle and the related skills that she needs to know, she and the Little Demon Empress will touch their secret gardens together, this will connect their yin energies together as well. From there on, we will separate the forcibly fused life vein and profound veins of the Little Demon Empress. If we continue this for a few months and no major accidents occur, we should be able to see outstanding results. However, the success and the length of this treatment will depend entirely on Ling’er’s innate talent and her powers of comprehension.”
“……”
“~！@#￥%……！！！”
It was as if someone had struck the back of Yun Che’s head with a heavy stick and he even felt his vision grow rather dim.
He had been completely mystified by the rest of Yun Gu’s words but he definitely understood the meaning of the words “touch their secret gardens together!!”
Touch their secret gardens together…
Ling’er and… the Little Demon Empress!?
Damn, this…
That scene… is simply…
Moreover, given the Little Demon Empress’ temperament, she definitely would not be able to accept it! She would rather die than undergo that kind of treatment. Besides himself, she had not allowed anyone else to even touch her fingers and that included other women.
…Hmmm? Wait a minute, if we are talking about her behavior when she is in bed, the Little Demon Empress was actually especially obedient during those times and she was practically even more docile and meek than Yue’er.
If he could ensure that the Little Demon Empress and Ling’er established a good relationship… Perhaps, it would still be a possibility.
It looked like he needed to work hard to establish a good relationship between the Little Demon Empress and Ling’er during the time Ling’er was comprehending and mastering the medical principles behind energy circulation…
Ah, it looks like even though he did not not to be directly involved, his task was still extremely arduous!
As Yun Che slowly sank into silence beside him, Yun Gu thought that he had descended into deep and profound thought. But little did he know that Yun Che’s mind was actually filled with thousands of wild, depraved thoughts.
________________
Author’s Note:
【I am going to emphasize this one last time, the mysterious black jade left behind by the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign is not the Primordial Seal of Life and Death! It definitely isn’t! If any of you ask again, please kill yourselves.】
Chapter 899 – Dark Clouds in Profound Sky
Following after Yun Che’s arrival, the Yun household was several times more lively than before and the atmosphere of the entire Demon Imperial City had undergone a large change as well.
Due to Yun Qinghong’s trust towards Yun Che, he sent a sound transmission to the various great families and duke palaces, instructing them to temporarily stop their preparations for war. However, the shadow which Xuanyuan Wentian brought to Demon Imperial City was too heavy and the tense and grayish atmosphere enveloping Demon Imperial City did not weaken because of this.
Without even needing to think, on the other side, the Profound Sky Continent was definitely enveloped within Xuanyuan Wentian’s shadow as well. Xia Yuanba who was seen by Xuanyuan Wentian as a potential threat that had to be eliminated, the Blue Wind Empire which Cang Yue was concerned about, and the Divine Phoenix Sect which Xue’er was concerned about, all of their situations were unknown.
On the third day he returned, Su Hengshan finally woke up and Su Ling’er began to wholeheartedly accompany Yun Gu in the studies of the way of medicine. On the fourth day, Yun Che had decided to head to the Profound Sky Continent alone.
If he were to delay eliminating Xuanyuan Wentian, who could predict what kind of terrifying thing he would do next.
“Yun Che, are you truly confident of defeating Xuanyuan Wentian now?” the Little Demon Empress worriedly asked.
In the past few days, Yun Che had given everyone a brief description of his experiences in the Azure Cloud Continent. Although Yun Che’s profound strength had risen explosively, the combined strength of him, the Little Demon Empress, and Feng Xue’er could not even defeat Xuanyuan the last time they faced him. Presently, merely a short single month had passed. Could the present Yun Che truly step directly across the previous immense difference in strength?
“Though I am not hundred percent confident and am unable to predict just how much improvement Xuanyuan Wentian has made in this one month, at the very least, I can probe him. Even if I end up defeated, I can still safely escape.”
Though Yun Che put it this way, his eyes were clearly exuding prideful confidence.
“Big Brother Yun, let me accompany you. I have been worried about how royal father and the rest are doing,” Feng Xue’er gently said.
“Don’t worry,” Yun Che consoled. “Last time, Xuanyuan Wentian was injured heavily, so he wouldn’t be able to heal completely without half a month or so. Furthermore, after the previous time, he will definitely become more impatient in unleashing the power within his devil blood, so he wouldn’t have the thoughts and time to care about other matters.”
“If you insist on going, then bring Xue’er along as well,” the Little Demon Empress said with a cold look. “Adding Xue’er’s strength, your chances will increase as well. With someone by your side, you will at least know how to cherish your own life!”
Yun Che, “…”
Yun Che’s gaze looked towards the far north… That was the direction of the Profound Sky Continent. Unknowingly, it had already been several months since he left there.
Right now, it was finally time to return.
Xuanyuan Wentian, all the debts, it is also time to end them all!
Profound Sky Continent, Divine Phoenix Empire, Phoenix City.
The Phoenix City which was destroyed by Jasmine a few months ago still carried the same tattered look and from the looks of it, only simple repairs had been done on the exterior. The Phoenix City, which was usually filled with a searing hot atmosphere, was presently cast with lifelessness. Looking from the sky above, it was even near impossible to see any moving figures.
“How can this be… Where did all the people of Phoenix City go?”
Because Feng Xue’er was worried about the situation of Divine Phoenix Sect, the coordinates which Yun Che and Xue’er jumped to, were exactly the sky above Phoenix City. However, what they saw was utter desolateness.
“Don’t be anxious. Compared to a few months ago, there isn’t a large increase in traces of destruction in Phoenix City, maybe… Let’s first head down to ask around.”
Yun Che pulled Feng Xue’er’s small hand which was tightly clenched due to anxiety and brought her straight down, landing in front of the elderly man who had the strongest profound aura remaining in Phoenix City.
That elderly man seemed to be in a daze because of some matters and he quickly took a few steps back out of shock due to Yun Che’s and Xue’er’s sudden appearance. The moment he saw Feng Xue’er, he shockingly widened his old eyes. “Prin… Prin… Princess Snow? It’s… It’s really you? I’m not… dreaming, right?”
Then, he suddenly saw Yun Che next to Feng Xue’er and his pair of eyes had almost popped out of their eye sockets. “You…”
The people of the Profound Sky Continent had all believed that Yun Che was already dead.
“Thirty-third Elder, it’s me! Where’s royal father? Quickly tell me where have royal father and the rest gone to?” Feng Xue’er anxiously asked and her body lightly shrank from fear, afraid of hearing the answer which she was terrified to think about.
“Sect Master, he… He…” Thirty-third Elder took a deep breath. “He, along with Grand Sect Master and the rest, have gone to Supreme Ocean Palace.”
“…” Feng Xue’er’s body instantly softened, her entire body leaned against Yun Che’s chest, as she finally heaved a long sigh of relief between her lips.
Yun Che really wanted to step up and send thirty-three ruthless slaps to this Thirty-third Elder. If they have gone to Supreme Ocean Palace, then say they have gone to the Supreme Ocean Palace. It’s not like they have gone down to the netherworld, why the hell did he take in such a big breath for!? Look at how you frightened my Xue’er.
“Supreme Ocean Palace?” Yun Che’s brows twitched. “Why did they go there?”
The Thirty-third Elder was still a little shocked when facing the “resurrected” Yun Che and he only replied a few moments later. “It’s the Heavenly Sovereign Conference… Xuanyuan Wentian’s Heavenly Sovereign Conference. Xuanyuan Wentian will be conferring himself as the Profound Sky Supreme Lord in the Heavenly Sovereign Conference… All of those who do not accept the invitations will be seen as going against the Heavenly Sovereign and have their sects and families massacred.”
“Heavenly Sovereign Conference… Conferring himself as a Heavenly Sovereign, that sure is a great show of arrogance,” Yun Che coldly laughed and said, “When will this Heavenly Sovereign Conference begin?”
“It’s today. Sect Master and the rest have already gone there several days ago.” This Thirty-third Elder had still yet to completely regain his senses.
Today!?
“Royal father, grandfather, great grandfather and the rest… Are they all alright?” Feng Xue’er still asked with slight worry. “During the time I wasn’t here, did Xuanyuan Wentian come here?”
“No… However, the people of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region have visited several times and every single time, they would bring back a large amount of profound crystals, medicine and pellets. We have no choice but to comply with them.” Fear emitted out of the Thirty-third Elder’s eyes. “Somehow, that Xuanyuan Wentian had basically become even more terrifying than the ghost god of legends. I heard that previously, when the other three Sacred Masters, who held the same status as him, combined their strengths, they were still miserably defeated by him alone.”
“Even his personality, according to rumors, has become exceptionally cruel and violent. Anyone or any sect that had the slightest thoughts of not submitting to him, was massacred by Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Even several people belonging to Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace and Sun Moon Divine Hall have died at Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands. I’m afraid that it’s not much longer until the three Sacred Grounds will have no choice but to shrink back and submit under Xuanyuan Wentian as well… Aah, from today on, there will no longer be four Sacred Masters in the Profound Sky Continent. After Xuanyuan Wentian becomes the Heavenly Sovereign, it will be hard to predict just what will happen to the Profound Sky Continent and it will be hard to predict just what will happen to our Divine Phoenix Sect as well.”
The Four Great Sacred Grounds had initially coexisted while mutually restraining each other. It was hard for one to dominate over the other and no one dared to act too recklessly. Now that Xuanyuan Wentian has turned into a devil god, far surpassing the other three Sacred Masters, the balance being broken was just a secondary matter. Xuanyuan Wentian’s personality was becoming even more twisted under the influence of the dark profound energy, turning even more violent and brutal. To the Profound Sky Continent, his power was an incomparably terrifying disaster and it was becoming even more terrifying with each passing day.
“Xue’er, we’re going to Supreme Ocean Palace!”
Yun Che pulled on Feng Xue’er and instantly disappeared within the dimensional rift, leaving behind a completely stunned Phoenix Elder.
The Primordial Profound Ark once again leapt, instantly arriving above the ocean region of Supreme Ocean Palace from Phoenix City.
Directly south from their lines of sight, they could see a floating island enveloped by a shallow blue glow at first glance. However, compared to when Yun Che first visited Supreme Ocean Palace, the blue light surrounding the floating island evidently showed slight hints of chaos.
Beneath their feet was a small circular island and a spatial profound formation was flashing at the center of the small island. Yun Che recalled that this island was named “Ocean Eye Isle” and when he first visited Supreme Ocean Palace, he was first sent to this small island, before flying towards the floating island on his own.
“It’s Supreme Ocean Palace,” Feng Xue’er lightly muttered, as she looked at it with startled eyes. It was unclear if she was worried about Feng Hengkong and the rest or if she had recalled the scene when they first came here.
“It has been less than a year and I never expected that I would actually come back here again,” Yun Che said. The first time he met Xuanyuan Wentian was in Supreme Ocean Palace as well.
“Xuanyuan Wentian… is indeed a terrifying figure. Ambition, talent, schemes, ruthlessness, patience and opportunities… He should have possessed all the things he needed by now. However, unfortunately, on his very last step, he turned into a madman who has lost both his body and mind…” Yun Che seemed to be muttering to himself.
The Heavenly Sovereign Conference today was the moment where he would enjoy his fruits of labour to the fullest.
“Big Brother Yun, are we going head over directly?” Feng Xue’er asked.
Yun Che pondered for a moment and said. “Let’s still conceal our presence and approach carefully. Let’s first investigate the situation in the ocean palace. Xue’er, let’s head up.”
Just as Yun Che and Feng Xue’er were about to rise into the air, the spatial profound formation on the Ocean Eye Isle beneath them suddenly flashed with white light and two figures walked out one after the other.
“Hahahaha.” The white-robed youth walking at the front, suddenly raised his head and laughed out loud the moment he stepped out of the profound formation. “Look at this broad ocean region. This young master has finally understood why father has chosen this place. With the vastness of this blue ocean, there’s truly nowhere one could escape to.”
“Hoho.” The elderly following behind the youth laughed as well. “But with Lord Sword Master’s present divine might, if he doesn’t wish for anyone to flee, who can truly escape from the hands of Lord Sword Master?”
Yun Che’s and Feng Xue’er’s figures stopped at the same time, as their gazes landed at the two people below them. The youth had the profound strength of a late-stage Overlord, while the elderly was a level seven Monarch. Their two bodies were surging with sword aura.
“Xuanyuan Wendao!” Yun Che recited in a low tone, his eyes instantly darkened.
The male youth walking at the front, was actually Xuanyuan Wentian’s son… his only son—Xuanyuan Wendao!!
Though the former Xuanyuan Wendao carried a lofty look, he had basically stayed passive aggressive. While in the presence of other people, he was still considered to be cautious and would occasionally display a meek side as well.
However, the present Xuanyuan Wendao was suffused with arrogance and majesty. His eyes, his tone, not one of them was not madly arrogant in the least. He was basically like an emperor who was pointing at his country and dominating over the world. Not a single thing in the world could enter his eyes.
And this change, naturally came from Xuanyuan Wentian’s world-enveloping might.
“Hmph, that’s natural. However, there are still several disobedient people. These laughable idiots are still daydreaming about resisting father. Today, Father will let them know what true power is. Those disobedient idiots will know what despair is and their blood, will most likely dye this blue ocean palace in fresh red.”
“Lord Sword Master… Oh, that’s not it. How could mere mortals possibly go against the might of the Heavenly Sovereign? Once Lord Sword Master truly becomes the first Heavenly Sovereign of the Profound Sky Continent today, then, Young Master will become the first Young Sovereign Master of the Profound Sky Continent. In the future, this entire world will belong to Young Sovereign Master as well,” the elderly flattered with a face filled with smiles.
“Hahahahaha!” Xuanyuan Wendao laughed out arrogantly. “Not just the Profound Sky Continent! Once the Heavenly Sovereign Conference is completed and once those disobedient people have found out the consequences, father will immediately rebuild the profound formation and head over to the Illusory Demon Realm. Once that time comes, the Illusory Demon Realm will kneel down and submit or be destroyed!”
“Heh heh, the beautiful dream you father and son share, is truly a heartfelt one.”
Amidst Xuanyuan Wentian’s wild laughter, an ice-cold voice that carried deep ridicule suddenly rang in his ears, causing the hair in his entire body to instantly stand on ends. “Who is it!?”
Boom!!!
Amidst the sudden explosive loud noise, the elderly man who was following behind Xuanyuan Wendao, a powerful level seven Monarch, was sent flying away like a tattered cabbage without being able to let out a single scream in time, landing in the ocean several kilometers away. As for Xuanyuan Wendao who turned around, he finally saw the faces of Yun Che and Feng Xue’er clearly.
His eyes instantly widened out of fear. “You… You two… Urgh!”
Before Xuanyuan Wendao could roar out in time, Yun Che’s hand had already locked tightly onto his neck, preventing him from making a sound. Even the slightest groan could not be heard.
“Young Master Xuanyuan, it has truly been a long time.” Yun Che coldly smiled as he raised Xuanyuan Wendao up. “I was just contemplating what welcome gift I should bring for Xuanyuan Wentian when you just happened to obediently send yourself to my doorstep.”
Chapter 900 – Heavenly Sovereign Conference
“Don’t show such a terrified expression, I didn’t say I am going to kill you,” Yun Che said with a grin. “If I were to let you die so easily…”
Yun Che’s eyes instantly turned cold and his voice sounded like a bone-piercing sharp blade, piercing into Xuanyuan Wendao’s soul. “How will I be able to face Uncle Xiao up in the heavens!?”
Crack! Bang!!
Yun Che gripped his right hand and a large bone in Xuanyuan Wendao’s throat was instantly shattered, while his left hand had also fiercely smashed onto his chest. With a dull sound, Xuanyuan Wendao’s body severely shook as an insidious profound energy heartlessly infiltrated his profound veins. In the blink of an eye, his profound veins were completely destroyed with all the profound energy stored within completely annihilated; not a single strand of it escaped.
Ever since he grasped darkness profound energy, he had gotten more efficient with his ability to cripple one’s profound veins.
Furthermore, the several people he had crippled recently all had both their profound strength and profound veins crippled, preventing them from even cultivating all the way from the beginning again.
…Most probably, these actions more or less carried his resentment of having crippled profound veins back then.
The fear in Xuanyuan Wendao’s eyes turned into deep despair the moment his profound veins were crippled… Just a moment before, he was still having a far-off dream of becoming the lord of the world. However, in just a few breaths of time, this beautiful dream that had yet to be fulfilled had completely turned into a nightmare.
Yun Che’s grip loosened and Xuanyuan Wendao fell limply to the ground like a dead dog. Not killing him, was not because Yun Che wanted to use him to threaten Xuanyuan Wentian… nor was there such a need.
He was the person who killed Xiao Ying back then and also the main culprit who caused the tragedy in the Xiao Family. His life, should be judged by the Xiao Family!
After kicking Xuanyuan Wendao into the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che, along with Feng Xue’er, rose into the air, continuing to soar until they were three kilometers higher than Supreme Ocean Palace before heading southward.
The ocean region of the southern ocean was not calm today. Waves were rising all around on the ocean surface and a large part of the sky was covered by thick clouds. Yun Che and Feng Xue’er quickly arrived above the ocean palace and as Yun Che had expected, that thick and chaotic profound energy came from the center of the Sea God Arena of the ocean palace… Just like the Devil Sword Conference back then, Xuanyuan Wentian decided to choose the same location to host the Heavenly Sovereign Conference this time.
Yun Che and Feng Xue’er shortened their distance from the Sea God Arena to ten kilometers before finally stopping. The two of them hid themselves above the layers of clouds. Though they were separated by ten kilometers, with their eyesight, it was enough to clearly see the scenes occurring in the Sea God Arena.
“Let’s settle down here then. If we approach any further, it will be easy for Xuanyuan Wentian to notice.”
While Yun Che said that, his arm wrapped around Feng Xue’er’s gentle waist as he activated Hidden Flowing Lightning, quickly concealing their auras.
“It’s royal father and the others!” Feng Xue’er lightly called out in excitement, her eyes landing on the southern side of the Sea God Arena. Over there, she saw Feng Zukui, Feng Tianwei and Feng Hengkong’s figure and behind them was almost the entire line-up of Elder-level figures of Divine Phoenix Sect.
However, Feng Ximing was not among them.
Seeing that they were safe and sound with her own eyes, Feng Xue’er’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally calmed down.
Yun Che swept his eyes quickly around the Sea God Arena. The Devil Sword Conference back then gathered almost all the top-notch experts in the Profound Sky Continent and could be said to be the biggest event in the history of the Profound Sky Continent. However, the scale of this so-called Heavenly Sovereign Conference, had actually even surpassed the Devil Sword Conference. The large half of the Sea God Arena which was left empty back then, was already filled to the brim when the Heavenly Sovereign Conference had even yet to begin.
The sects which were invited to the Devil Sword Conference were basically all present. On the other hand, those which did not participate in the Devil Sword Conference but were all prominent powers in their own respective regions, made up a larger number. Other than the forces in the profound realm, Yun Che had clearly spotted the powers belonging to the royal families of various nations, along with various large economic powers!
The royal family powers representing the seven nations of the Profound Sky Continent were all present! And this included Blue Wind Empire, which was made up of several dozen people led by Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang.
Thirty or so merchant guilds were present and every single one of them was well-known in the continent.
Very evidently, for this so-called “Heavenly Sovereign Conference,” not only did Xuanyuan Wentian want to confer on himself the title of Heavenly Sovereign in the profound way… he clearly wanted to become the “Heavenly Sovereign” of the entire continent!
The atmosphere of this Heavenly Sovereign Conference was also worlds apart from the Devil Sword Conference. Back then, no one had realized that he or she would actually be reduced to mere tools for Xuanyuan Wentian to release the seal on the devil sword and they attended the conference in order to “participate” and “watch.” Back then, though they were tense, at the same time, they were excited and filled with expectations. This time, however, the entire Sea God Arena felt like it had been covered in a large cauldron, enveloped by a layer of incomparably heavy atmosphere.
The powers, royal families, and merchant guilds from the seven nations were all neatly and tensely seated with fearful expressions, not even daring to take in a huge breath.
The Four Great Sacred Grounds—Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace, Sun Moon Divine Hall, and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, were already present. Huangji Wuyu, Qu Fengyi and Ye Meixie were all seated in front of their respective Sacred Grounds. Though all of them carried different expressions, they no longer possessed the pride and might they once had, as every single one of their auras was filled with different degrees of haziness.
Ye Meixie was missing an arm, becoming a single-armed Heavenly Monarch. Though Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi did not look different on the surface, from their auras, Yun Che immediately sensed that the two of them had clearly suffered considerably heavy injuries… Furthermore, their injuries were inflicted not too long ago.
Ye Meixie’s arm had been crippled by the Little Demon Empress and there was only a single person in the Profound Sky Continent who could injure Huangyi Wuyu and Qu Fengyi.
As for the people from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, they were not seated in the seats at the sides of the Sea God Arena. Instead, they were separated into several square formations and all of them were standing in the central region of the Sea God Arena.
Back then, the three sword attendants and a bunch of Elders of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region were were killed by Jasmine as if she was cutting vegetables and their most important Northern Region was even destroyed. Their overall strength could be considered to have plummeted and it could be said that they had even fallen off the level of a “Sacred Ground.”
However, the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region today, from the Elders at the top, to the regular disciples at the bottom, every single one of them carried proud expressions with their heads held high. Putting aside the powers from the seven nations, even when they were looking at the other three Sacred Grounds, their gazes evidently carried belittling glints.
It was as if they had stepped onto another level of this world where all the other existences, including the other three Sacred Grounds which held the same status as them, were reduced to mere servants.
“Hmph, this scene sure is spectacular,” Yun Che said with a low voice. “Putting aside Xuayuan Wentian’s personality being influenced by the darkness profound energy, even the entire Mighty Heavenly Sword Region could not wait to expose the ugliest side of human nature.”
“The looks of father and the rest are really scary,” Feng Xue’er worriedly said. “Big Brother Yun, what should we do later?”
Killing Xuanyuan Wentian was their goal in being here but they had not actually expected to encounter such a huge spectacle.
“Xuanyuan Wentian isn’t here yet, I do want to see what kind of performance he has prepared… Mn?”
At the seats in the southeastern corner, Yun Che suddenly saw some familiar faces.
Ling Yuefeng, Xuanyuan Yufeng, Ling Yun…
Heavenly Sword Villa!?
Why were they here? Though Heavenly Sword Villa had immense fame in the Blue Wind Empire, they were still not worthy of being invited here.
However, immediately after, Yun Che saw Xuanyuan Jue who was seated at the very front and instantly let out a cold laugh. “This truly demonstrates what is meant by ‘when a man attains the way, his hen and dog ascend to the heavens as well’.”
And what made Yun Che feel at ease was, among the seats taken up Heavenly Sword Villa, he did not see Ling Jie’s figure.
“He’s here!” Yun Che suddenly said.
Booooom…
The moment Yun Che’s voice fell, dull thunder suddenly resounded from the east and following after, the sky in the east gradually darkened. The thick clouds that were initially bluish white, were quickly dyed in black and even the entire space had begun to dim. The atmosphere that was suppressive in the first place, instantly turned even heavier, as every single person present felt as if their chest was being pressed down by fifteen tons of profound metal.
The looks on everyone in the Sea God Arena, including the three great Sacred Masters and the many Elders of the Sacred Grounds, changed one after the other. Because even at the level of strength they possessed, they could still clearly sense a terrifying pressure that could shake their souls. This pressure was completely different from the regular suppression with the use of profound auras. It was as if there was a dark, colossal devil standing above their heads with its pitch-black mouth wide open and it could swallow them into the abyss of death at any moment.
“Saint Emperor, has Xuanyuan Wentian truly become as powerful as… you have described?”
Behind Huangji Wuyu, Spiritual Master Bitter Agony, the leader of the twelve Spiritual Masters, said with a low voice. Even before Xuanyuan Wentian had made his appearance, this pressure coming from the far distance was already able to stir his heart.
“Hss…” Huangji Wuyu slightly gritted his teeth. “What’s going on? Xuanyuan Wentian’s aura, has actually grown so much stronger than before… Just what is going on with his strength!?”
“Wh… What?” Spiritual Master Bitter Agony’s entire body shook.
“Sovereign of the Seas…” The face of Zi Ji, who was standing next to the Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi, had completely lost its calm as well. Just as he was about to speak, Qu Fengyi hurriedly raised her hand, stopping him from continuing. Her expression, which was sunken in the first place, had turned even darker than before.
“Xuanyuan Wentian!” Feng Xue’er reached out her hand to cover her lips, as endless shock filled her eyes. “His aura, has truly gotten… even more terrifying than last time!”
“And his strength did not just increase by a little.” Yun Che’s brows sank as he slightly clenched his fists.
This monster which was the fusion of the powers of three people—Ye Mufeng from a thousand years ago, Fen Juechen who had experienced a strange rebirth, and Xuanyuan Wentian… was truly terrifying to the extreme. He was already a monster that could not be explained or understood with common sense!!
With Xuanyuan Wentian’s present condition, even if Yun Che did not take the initiative to look for him, he would have soon broken into the Illusory Demon Realm anyway.
Black clouds were moving amidst the dull thunder, all the way to the skies right above the Sea God Arena. Then, with a loud explosive sound, a pitch-black figure, carrying a dark aura that could suffocate people, descended upon the Sea God Arena from the sky.
“We welcome the Heavenly Sovereign!”
The people of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region who had waited in formation at the center of the Sea God Arena, knelt down together and shouted out in unison. When Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, a force which clearly had their powers weakened by a great extent, shouted the words “we welcome the Heavenly Sovereign”, it was actually several times louder and more resounding compared to the time they shouted “we welcome the Sword Master” during the Devil Sword Conference.
Xuanyuan Wentian slowly descended and stopped right before touching the ground as he stood at the very center of the Sea God Arena. Dressed entirely in black with large sleeves, his black hair extended to his waist. His face carried a grayish color and his eyes were covered with an occasional black glow.
He raised his head and swept his eyes towards the front, the corners of his lips stretched into a slight smile… However, it was not the usual relaxed and composed smile but an indescribable low smile that made people feel extremely uncomfortable.
The smile of a devil!
Xuanyuan Wentian’s arrival had caused the temperature of the Sea God Arena, which was enveloped in an incomparably oppressive atmosphere, to suddenly fall. The various forces of the seven nations tremblingly stood up in a hurried manner, however, all of their heads were lowered, not daring to even glance at this terrifying devil god.
If Xuanyuan Wentian was merely logic-defyingly powerful, the masses would not be terrified to such an extent… After all, to them, the past Xuanyuan Wentian was similarly a god-like existence who was standing at a height they could not possibly reach.
However, in just a short few months, nearly a hundred sects had already been annihilated under the hands of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and among them, some were even personally dealt with by Xuanyuan Wentian himself. According to rumors, several thousand experts belonging to the three Great Sacred Grounds were even massacred by Xuanyuan Wentian one after another… And in the end, the other three Sacred Grounds could only endure this humiliation and suppress their indignation.
The current Xuanyuan Wentian not only possessed unmatched strength, he even held the highest authority of determining the lives and deaths in the Profound Sky Continent. If he wanted someone to die, that person definitely would not be able to see the sun on the second day.
In the past, the other three Sacred Grounds could restrain Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.
But in the current Profound Sky Continent, there was no longer any power that could restrain Xuanyuan Wentian!!
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