# Chapter 1520: Darkness
"Yun Che," the Dragon God gazed at Yun Che, speaking calmly: "The Evil Infant Myriad Calamity Wheel is the ultimate weapon of evil. It once slaughtered even gods and demons, let alone the present world! Its existence has planted an extremely dangerous seed in this world, one that could unleash the most terrible calamity at any moment... As long as the Evil Infant exists, no one can guarantee that this will not happen! Even if the Evil Infant truly serves the Tiansha Xingshen as its master!"
"The annihilated age of the gods is a bloody lesson from the past!"
"What Zhou Tian Shen Di destroyed was not only the Evil Infant, but also erased the greatest hidden danger of the present age. He deserves the gratitude of all living beings, and even I, Long, cannot help but respect him."
"Yet you associating with the Evil Infant is already wrong. And now, because of the most evil Evil Infant, you seek to kill Zhou Tian Shen Di, who has bestowed grace upon the entire world... This is truly disheartening and disappointing!"
With Jie Tian Mo Di gone from this world, and the Evil Infant gone, the Dragon God had once again become the true supreme ruler of the world.
Every word he spoke carried the heaviest weight in the present age.
In the space that had just survived a calamity, a strange atmosphere began to spread. Xia Qingyue frowned deeply, letting out a quiet sigh inwardly.
Yun Che's greatest reliance had never been the halo of salvation, but Jie Tian Mo Di and the Evil Infant. Additionally, there was herself and Zhou Tian Shen Di.
After Jie Tian Mo Di departed, with the Evil Infant by his side, Yun Che remained the uncrowned king that no one dared to offend.
But now, an unexpected turn of events that no one could have foreseen had caused not only Jie Tian Mo Di to leave forever, but even the Evil Infant to be cast into the utterly lifeless Outer Chaos.
And Zhou Tian Shen Di, who had been closest to him, had suddenly become the person he hated most...
Hearing the Dragon God's words, Yun Che laughed—a laugh of extreme bitterness and coldness: "When I promised on behalf of Mo Li to return to the lower realms forever, why did none of you... ever rebuke me for associating with the Evil Infant?!"
"The Evil Infant Myriad Calamity Wheel was indeed on her, but... the Evil Infant whom you call the most evil—she saved you all! She saved you all! Other than that, tell me, what unforgivable crime has she committed? What irreversible disaster has she caused?!"
The Dragon God's gaze was utterly cold. He did not even look at Yun Che, his majestic dragon face seemingly filled with disappointment: "It seems you are truly stubbornly misguided. Just for defaming Zhou Tian Shen Di on behalf of the most evil Evil Infant, that alone is an unforgivable crime. But considering your meritorious service in saving the world, I will give you a chance—let you see the will of the people for yourself, and let them tell you what is right and what is wrong!"
"Everyone," the Dragon God's voice was heavy, each word shaking souls: "Those who believe Zhou Tian Shen Di should die and the Evil Infant should not, stand by Yun Che's side; those who believe the Evil Infant should die and Zhou Tian Shen Di should not, stand by Zhou Tian Shen Di's side. Let everyone choose according to your own understanding and will."
"Hahahaha," a particularly frivolous laugh rang out just as the Dragon God finished speaking: "One person's death for eternal peace—what is right and wrong, what is correct and mistaken, does that even need deliberation?"
Nanming Shen Di stepped forward, unhurriedly moving to stand between the Dragon God and Qianye Fantian. When his gaze turned to Yun Che, he also glanced subtly at Qianye Ying'er not far behind him, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Your meritorious service in saving the world is undeniable, otherwise, as a junior from the lower realms, you would not have the qualifications to speak with us. But this title of 'Divine Son of Salvation' does not mean you can act outrageously!"
"Yun Che, Yun Shenzi..." Nanming Shen Di seemed to smile: "Don't forget that your identity as the 'Divine Son of Salvation' is only known to us now. You'd better know your place, or you might lose even the title of 'Divine Son of Salvation'!"
The space fell into dead silence. Everyone remained quiet, their expressions constantly shifting.
The atmosphere had completely changed. From the moment Qianye Fantian stepped forward, it had changed entirely.
Qianye Fantian—the first Divine Emperor of the Eastern Divine Region, representing the highest authority of the Eastern Divine Region;
Nan Wansheng—the first Divine Emperor of the Southern Divine Region, representing the highest authority of the Southern Divine Region;
And the Dragon God—not only the first Divine Emperor of the Western Divine Region but also the supreme ruler of the present age, representing the highest authority of the entire Divine Realm.
The figures who controlled the highest authority of the three Divine Regions all stood opposite Yun Che.
Who among those present were ordinary? How could they not sense an abnormal atmosphere?
It was because of Yun Che that Jie Tian Mo Di was willing to leave the Chaos and personally stopped the demon god who was on the verge of returning. The Evil Infant's promise not to invade the Divine Realm was also facilitated by him, and he had dispelled the shadow of fear they all held toward the Evil Infant...
He was the well-deserved Divine Son of Salvation, the pride of the Eastern Divine Region. The gratitude and recognition these Realm Kings held for him were mostly genuine.
And the Divine Emperors... they had been warm and courteous to Yun Che, treating him almost as an equal—including the three first Divine Emperors: the Dragon God, Qianye Fantian, and Nan Wansheng.
Especially Zhou Tian Shen Di, who had always spoken highly of Yun Che.
Just a quarter of an hour ago, it was still so.
But now, with Jie Yuan's departure and the Evil Infant being ambushed by Zhou Tian Shen Di... everything suddenly changed.
And it changed so drastically, so eerily!
With the Evil Infant gone from the world, Yun Che no longer possessed the deterrent that even Divine Emperors dared not touch. That Fantian Shen Di would suddenly attack was not surprising... after all, the fact that Fandi Shennü had been planted with a slave mark by Yun Che was undoubtedly the greatest shame of the Fantian Divine Realm in recent years.
That Nanming Shen Di would attack was also acceptable—after all, he was infatuated with Fandi Shennü to the point of madness, and hatred and jealousy could drive him to do anything.
But why the Dragon God!?
None of them were fools—how could they not see that they were by no means simply defending Zhou Tian Shen Di?
"One Evil Infant dies for the peace of the world!" Luo Shangchen, the Saint Universe Realm King, stepped forward, loudly repeating Qianye Fantian's words: "I do not see where Zhou Tian Shen Di was wrong! Yun Che, you are far too reckless!"
"Exactly!" Another Realm King immediately followed, standing beside Zhou Tian Shen Di: "Because of the most evil Evil Infant, you seek to kill Zhou Tian Shen Di, who is most respected by the world and did not hesitate to sacrifice his own reputation to eliminate the greatest hidden danger of the present age—this is truly too much!"
"Even if you are the Divine Son of Salvation, I, this king, can never accept this!" A third Realm King came forward.
The three first Divine Emperors—their stance was sufficient to determine everything.
Other Divine Emperors and Realm Kings began to shift positions. Half of them denounced Yun Che, even glaring at him with anger, no longer showing the gratitude and even humble bows they had offered the "Divine Son of Salvation" just moments before.
The other half remained silent but also stood beside Zhou Tian Shen Di and the three first Divine Emperors.
"Let's go." The Qilin Emperor said to the Azure Dragon Emperor beside him. He could sense that the Azure Dragon Emperor's mind was unsettled.
The Azure Dragon Emperor did not move.
"This has nothing to do with right or wrong," the Qilin Emperor said slowly. "Our choice is not merely our personal choice; it concerns the Royal Realm we belong to."
The Azure Dragon Emperor let out a soft sigh and, together with the Qilin Emperor, stood by the Dragon God's side.
Who would stand opposite three first Divine Emperors for the sake of a junior who had lost his deterrent power?
Divine Son of Salvation?
When the Demon Emperor was still in the Chaos and the demon god could return at any moment, Yun Che was the Divine Son of Salvation on whom all their hopes rested... Whatever Yun Che said was right, because he could indeed decide their fate.
The Demon Emperor returned, and Yun Che had the Evil Infant by his side. The Evil Infant possessed the most terrifying power in the present age—no one dared to offend her, and no one dared to offend Yun Che... And no one would question his halo of salvation.
But now that he had completed his salvation and the crisis was resolved, before everything was made public, the Evil Infant had also been "accidentally" buried in the Outer Chaos... Then, his halo of salvation would no longer truly belong to him, but would be determined by those with the greatest strength and the highest voice.
Because he could no longer decide their fate.
And the three first Divine Emperors standing opposite Yun Che could!
From this moment on, the halo of salvation on his body would no longer shine with his achievements, but with human nature!
Before long, except for Xia Qingyue, who had not moved, the entire crowd had taken Zhou Tian Shen Di's side... every single one.
On Yun Che's side, there was no one!
This scene caused many standing beside Zhou Tian Shen Di to feel deep irony.
"Now, do you see?" the Dragon God said coldly. His dragon eyes, faintly icy, seemed to look down upon a pathetic ant... And just a quarter of an hour ago, he was still the universally praised Divine Son of Salvation.
The Zhou Tian guardians were also taken aback by this situation, somewhat at a loss.
"Apologize to Zhou Tian Shen Di—that you must do." Qianye Fantian said indifferently, each word like a divine decree of judgment.
"Heh... hehe... hehehe..." Yun Che laughed, a cold, mocking laugh that made many involuntarily look away: "Tell me—who gave you the ability to stand here unscathed right now?!"
"Was it me and Mo Li, or that old dog Zhou Tian?!"
No one answered.
"You keep saying Mo Li is the most evil Evil Infant, but what evil has she done all these years? Even when she killed the Moon God Emperor back then... it was because the Moon God Emperor first killed her mother! And even her willingness to become the master of the Evil Infant was to prevent it from falling into the hands of others and wreaking havoc on the world!"
"And it was the Evil Infant you call most evil who saved your lives... Every one of you, your clans, your descendants—all owe her a life!"
"And that old dog Zhou Tian, using the most despicable means to kill the one who saved you, yet you honor him as a 'sage'?!"
"Your eyes may be blind, you may be ungrateful—but have you even lost the most basic conscience and shame, devoured by dogs?!"
"Yun Che!" Xia Qingyue spoke before anyone else, her figure flashing to Yun Che's side as she reached for his arm: "You are too agitated. Leave here with me first, and think about other things once you've calmed down."
Yun Che threw off her arm fiercely, shaking off Xia Qingyue's hand. He stared at the figures blurring before his eyes, his voice low like a demon's curse: "You deserve to die... All of you... d...e...s...e...r...v...e... t...o... d...i...e!"
Calm down?
How could he calm down?
How could he possibly calm down!?
In the eyes of others, they might all be puzzled, surprised, and unable to understand why Yun Che would be so furious and irrational over the most evil Evil Infant. Even if the Evil Infant had indeed saved them, it should not have driven him to madness.
In their eyes, she was the Evil Infant—even if she saved them, she was still the most evil, the most intolerable Evil Infant.
They did not know the bond between the Evil Infant and Yun Che, nor did they know that she was Mo Li—the one Yun Che could not bear to lose most in his life! The most untouchable reverse scale!
So deeply etched—
Days and nights spent together;
The heart-wrenching, reluctant separation;
The persistent pursuit;
The sorrowful, despairing loss;
The joyful, unexpected reunion;
The warm, melting embrace;
The satisfying, hopeful return to the Blue Pole Star together...
But why did it have to end like this!
If she were a demon controlled by the Evil Infant, if she had committed unforgivable heinous crimes... Yun Che would have been pained, but could not have harbored resentment.
But she was no demon—she had saved everyone! She had only just saved everyone!
And including himself—he had saved these people from Jie Yuan's hands, yet at this very moment, just after Jie Yuan's departure, they stood beside Zhou Tian Shen Di, who had killed Mo Li!
"Shadow... Slave..."
His voice trembled uncontrollably... Calm down? To hell with calm! He only had rage, only hatred: "K...i...l...l... t...h...e...m... Kill them all!"
Qianye Ying'er received the order. Her shadow moved like flowing light; the golden silk sword at her waist sliced through the void, sweeping forward.
Xia Qingyue frowned, hastily intervening, blocking in front of Yun Che.
The Fandi Shennü's attack—how terrifying was its might? But...
Long Bai, Qianye Fantian, and Nan Wansheng stepped forward simultaneously, their arms thrusting out together.
BOOM!!
Three first Divine Emperors—the three strongest in the present age!
In an instant, space collapsed, golden light scattered, Qianye Ying'er's figure stalled in midair before being thrown far back, landing a hundred miles away.
The residual shockwave swept over, causing Xia Qingyue's hastily erected barrier to tremble violently before shattering. Yun Che let out a muffled grunt, falling to one knee as blood sprayed from his mouth—every drop ice-cold.
But the hatred in his eyes only grew more chaotic and fierce.
"Yun Shenzi, it seems you have truly gone mad." Qianye Fantian said flatly, as if with a hint of regret.
"To want to kill us for the sake of an Evil Infant that should not exist in this world... Ha, how ridiculous."
"Yun Che," came Nanming Shen Di's voice: "The title 'Yun Shenzi' is an honor bestowed upon you, even a grace! Do you truly think you are some kind of divine son?"
...
...
...
The voices around him gradually faded until he could no longer hear them at all.
His vision also blurred bit by bit. The world seemed to be shrouded in a layer of black mist... growing thicker, heavier—yet he did not want to dispel it, did not want to break free...
Deep in his soul, a voice from just nine days ago resounded:
"Yun Che, answer me one question... Tell me—is this world... worth it for me?"
"Worth it!" His answering voice had been so earnest, so firm: "Compared to the world that once had gods and demons, the current Chaotic Space is humble. And this world, without gods or demons, after so many years of evolution, has also developed a new stable order and mature survival laws, with its own settled planes and spaces. Though it has many base and dark corners, and sometimes even brings despair, there is still more goodwill and beauty—at least... it is worth my all to protect."
...
"If this world always remains as you say—worth your all to protect—then this seed will never awaken... But if one day, you suddenly become utterly disappointed and resentful toward this world, then this seed will awaken."
Jie Yuan had planted a dark seed within his body. He did not know what it was, but he clearly remembered his answer at the time:
"I have had many losses, yet I have regained them time and again. I have experienced despair many times, but what ultimately arrives is always the light of hope. I have suffered much malice, but goodwill has always outweighed malice."
"Those at the highest planes of this world have always silently balanced the order of the Divine Realm. Especially beings like Zhou Tian Divine Realm, who judge taboos and sins, keeping the Chaos in a peaceful and stable state."
"So I do believe that such a day will never come... I think you, Senior, believe the same, which is why you made this decision."
...
...
"Haha... hahahaha... hahahahahaha!"
Yun Che suddenly burst into wild laughter—mad, insane, heart-wrenching, despairing, and sorrowful...
The space suddenly darkened. A terrible oppressiveness and suffocation, source unknown, weighed upon everyone's souls... Frowning deeply, they were about to search for the origin of this aura when, in the same instant, their pupils constricted sharply.
Yun Che's chest burst open with a pitch-black profound formation. It shimmered silently, but it caused the dark profound energy within Yun Che to erupt like a roused demon god—violently surging and wildly releasing.
Yun Che's hair flew up, his pupils blazing with dark light like an endless abyss. Dense black miasmas coiled around him in a fierce, jagged dance... stabbing painfully into everyone's eyes.
"Dark... Profound Force!!"