# Chapter 1356: Nightmare
As his consciousness slowly awakened, everything that had happened in the Star God Realm rapidly replayed in his mind, growing clearer and clearer. Mo Li, Cai Zhi, Hong'er... the final images of their lives were frozen here, after which everything fell into darkness.
So after death, one still has consciousness after all...
Where is this? And where is Mo Li? Could she be by my side? In this world of the dead, would I have met those former enemies and friends...
But the soreness and heaviness in his body were so vivid, as clear as if he were still alive.
Finally, as light stabbed into his eyes once more, his long-closed eyes slowly, painfully, began to open.
A wooden ceiling, low and old, yet spotlessly clean. He turned his head, straining to shift his gaze... It was a very small wooden house, simple and tidy, but for some reason it carried a faint sense of familiarity that was not too distant in time.
The sound of a young girl's retreating footsteps suddenly hurried back, and soon, the pushed-open wooden door revealed the figure of a girl. Around twenty years old, dressed in red, with bright teeth and sparkling eyes. The faintly flickering phoenix mark between her brows added a touch of sacredness to her appearance. She came to the bedside, looking at Yun Che's opened eyes, her excitement so great that her eyes misted over with tears: "Benefactor brother, you're finally awake... that's wonderful... wuwu... that's wonderful..."
The girl spoke emotionally, then tears streamed down her cheeks.
"..." Yun Che stared blankly at her. Gradually, the image of a charming young girl surfaced in his mind, overlapping with the girl before him. A name slipped from his lips: "Xian... er?"
The girl was stunned, overjoyed that he still remembered her, then nodded with tremendous force: "It's me, I'm Xian'er, I'm Xian'er... sob... sob sob..."
Bang!
The wooden door was pushed open again with force, and several figures hurried in, quickly coming to the bedside where he lay. Seeing him awake, deep excitement appeared on every face.
"Yun Che," the middle-aged man at the front called out his name. "You're finally awake. Hoo... it's good that you're alright, good that you're alright."
"Feng... senior?" Yun Che said with a hoarse voice. The girl had grown up, greatly changed from those years ago, but the middle-aged man before him was almost exactly the same as back then. A name instantly surfaced in his mind.
Feng Baichuan!
The patriarch of the Phoenix Remnant Clan hidden within the depths of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range!
"Benefactor brother, you've finally woken up." Beside Feng Baichuan, a tall and heroic young man exclaimed with emotion, a faint mist also in his eyes.
"Zu... er?" Yun Che muttered another dazed whisper, his heart filled with confusion.
His memories returned to thirteen years ago.
That year, he was sixteen, the year he first met Mo Li, when they were still annoyed with each other.
That year, he and Cang Yue, who was using the alias Lan Xueruo, were pursued by a branch sect of the Xiao Sect. They fell from the sky into the heart of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, where they encountered the Phoenix Remnant Clan, forced to hide there due to their bloodline curse. He saved Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er, passed the Phoenix Trial, and obtained the Phoenix blood inheritance and the fifth and sixth layers of the Phoenix Ode Scripture.
Afterwards, he used his newfound Phoenix divine power to save the endangered Phoenix Remnant Clan and lift their bloodline curse.
At that time, Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er were only eight years old.
Five years ago, before heading to the Divine Realm, he wanted to bring Feng Xue'er to visit the Phoenix Remnant Clan, only to discover that a powerful protective barrier had been cast over them. He secretly intervened to save Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er, who had left the barrier and encountered danger, leaving them the complete first six layers of the Phoenix Ode Scripture and a box of Overlord Pills.
After that, choosing not to disturb them, he and Feng Xue'er quietly departed.
...
In this "world of the dead," he had seen them again.
Had they died too?
Or...
He slowly lifted his arm, but it only rose halfway before losing all strength and falling back to his side, his hand clearly feeling his own body. He looked at Feng Baichuan, as gentle and calm as in his memories, and at the tearful Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er, and murmured like someone dreaming: "Could it be that I... am still alive?"
"Hehe," Feng Baichuan smiled. He was not at all surprised by Yun Che's reaction. "Of course you are still alive. The dead cannot ask such questions."
"..." Yun Che's mouth opened slightly. His once-clear consciousness now sank into even deeper confusion.
Everything that had happened in the Star God Realm replayed in his mind once more. He had opened the Other Shore Asura with the determination to die, seeing countless sprays of blood before him, one life after another falling, while his own life drained away, his soul burning... until it was completely consumed.
In that final shred of consciousness, he could feel his body being torn apart, turning into scattered fragments in the air...
How could he... still be alive!?
And where... is this...
"Where... is this?" The thought in his heart unconsciously left his mouth.
"This is our home." Feng Xian'er wiped away her tears, speaking with tender joy. "It's the place where we met benefactor brother and Sister Xueruo back then. It was... it was Lord Phoenix God who sent you here. You've been unconscious for many days, and finally... you've awakened."
"..." Yun Che's gaze remained dazed and hazy.
This is... the Phoenix Remnant Clan?
I've returned to the Tian Xuan Continent?
Lord Phoenix God... sent me here?
What happened? What exactly happened?
Could it be that I... really didn't die?
But...
If I didn't die, then everything that happened in the Star God Realm... everything in the Divine Realm... was it all just a dream?
Seeing Yun Che's bewildered expression, as if trapped in an illusion, Feng Baichuan said, "Yun Che, you must have countless questions. But you have just awakened and are weak. Don't think too much for now. Rest and recuperate first. When you have recovered enough, you can go see Lord Phoenix God. Lord Phoenix God will surely be able to resolve all your doubts."
"..." Yun Che did not respond.
"Zu'er, go quickly and inform your mother and the others that Yun Che has awakened, so they can rest easy. Xian'er, stay and look after him."
"Yes!"
Feng Zu'er quickly acknowledged and hurried away. Feng Xian'er stayed behind, standing gracefully by the bedside, quietly watching Yun Che, who was still lost in confusion. Her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, her joy seeming tinged with a hint of nervousness.
Yun Che did not speak for a long time. After a while, he finally calmed down a little and slowly closed his eyes.
The clan chief was right. Although he didn't know why he was still alive... at this moment, he couldn't even lift his arm. At the very least, he needed to recover enough to move normally.
He closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and silently began to circulate the Great Dao Pagoda Art.
As his thoughts turned and the divine art activated... but then he immediately opened his eyes.
Under the circulation of the Great Dao Pagoda Art, the world's spiritual energy... had no reaction at all!
He quickly concentrated again and reactivated the art. Second by second passed, until Yun Che's mind began to grow agitated. The world's spiritual energy, which was everywhere, showed not a single response, not a single breath flowing toward his body.
What's happening?
The Great Dao Pagoda Art was a Desolate God divine art that did not rely on profound energy. With its advancement, his body should become more attuned to the world's spiritual energy. Even without deliberate activation, his body would be absorbing and merging with the world's spiritual energy at every moment. The higher the level of the Great Dao Pagoda Art, the higher the level of spiritual energy it could absorb.
Normally, even if Yun Che was severely wounded and on the verge of death, his profound energy depleted, as long as he still had a breath left, his body would automatically repair itself through the Great Dao Pagoda Art. Once his consciousness awakened and he actively activated it, his recovery speed would be unimaginably fast to ordinary people.
But now, no matter how many times he activated the Great Dao Pagoda Art, all he got was utter stillness.
Could it be that I am too seriously injured... he thought to himself. But in the past, no matter how severe the injury, this had never happened.
The divine art was still there, but his body seemed to have completely lost its affinity for the world's spiritual energy.
This thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately suppressed it fiercely. He tried to mobilize his profound energy... but he could no longer even sense the existence of his profound veins.
I really am... too seriously injured...
Thinking this, he closed his eyes again and tried to examine his own body's condition. But his concentration lasted only a few moments before he opened his eyes once more, his gaze murky.
Examining one's own body—the most basic spiritual perception ability of a profound practitioner, something even a beginner at the Initial Xuan Realm could do. Even back when his profound veins were crippled and he could only stay at Level 1 of the Initial Xuan Realm, that "Xiao Che" could do it.
But his attempt just now revealed that his spiritual perception could no longer penetrate his own body.
More precisely, he had completely lost the "spiritual perception" of the profound way!
No... it shouldn't be like this! Even if I were injured to the point of having only a breath left, I shouldn't be like this!
Something must be wrong! Could it be that my profound energy is too depleted?
Right! Inside the Heavenly Poison Pearl, there is the sacred spiritual liquid given by Shen Xi, which can help me recover immediately!
He struggled to lift his left hand, but then immediately realized that his consciousness could no longer enter the Heavenly Poison Pearl!
In fact, he could no longer sense the Heavenly Poison Pearl's existence at all.
"..." Yun Che's gaze trembled. His mind was in complete chaos. A panicked cry came from his mouth: "Hong'er... Hong'er!"
"Ah!?" His sudden outburst startled Feng Xian'er. She quickly stepped forward: "Benefactor brother, what... what did you say?"
Yun Che seemed not to hear her voice. His body struggled but could not sit up. His voice grew even more alarmed: "He Ling... Hong'er... He Ling..."
No matter how he called out, he received no response.
"Benefactor brother, what... what's wrong with you? Don't scare me." His intense, unusual reaction made Feng Xian'er panic.
But fortunately, at that moment, Yun Che suddenly grew quiet. He stopped calling out, stopped struggling, staring blankly at the ceiling, motionless for a long time.
"Benefactor brother, you need to rest well. Don't think about anything. You will get better, you definitely will." Feng Xian'er comforted him softly.
"Xian'er," Yun Che said faintly. "Do me a favor."
"Ah?"
"Take me... to see Lord Phoenix God." Yun Che spoke slowly. He could hear how hoarse and weak his own voice sounded.
"Now? No!" Feng Xian'er shook her head. "You are too weak right now. You must not move."
"Take me. I need to see it right now." He turned his gaze, somewhat listlessly looking at the panicked Phoenix girl. "Xian'er, help me... okay?"
Whether it was his gaze or his words, Feng Xian'er found herself utterly unable to refuse.