# Chapter 1533: Determined Heart, Qianye
Rumble…
A dull rumbling sound rang out. People instinctively looked up, stunned to find that the sky, which had been clear and cloudless moments ago, was now accumulating layers of black clouds. The entire world rapidly darkened.
A heavy oppression silently descended from the heavens, causing an increasingly intense unease to uncontrollably grow in everyone's hearts. They simply didn't know what this unease was.
The black clouds came suddenly and departed just as quickly. After a mere dozen or so breaths, the black clouds had completely dispersed. Though somewhat strange, such a brief anomaly was soon forgotten… and no one would know that these black clouds hadn't appeared over a single sky or a single star realm, but had covered the entire God Realm!
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**Yue Shen Realm.**
Xia Qingyue gazed upward, witnessing the appearance and dissipation of the black clouds.
"Such strange clouds," Jinyue beside her couldn't help but say. "They look a bit like those clouds from four years ago… Ah!"
She let out a startled cry, then lowered her head and covered her lips: "This… this servant spoke out of turn."
The black clouds dispersed, and the sky returned to brightness. Xia Qingyue turned and walked slowly toward her bedchamber: "I need to go into seclusion for a time. Until I emerge, all matters great and small shall be decided by Yaoyue and Wuji. Unless it's something of utmost importance, do not disturb me."
"…Understood." Jinyue's lips parted in surprise, then she obediently acknowledged.
Watching Xia Qingyue's departing figure, Jinyue remained lost in thought for a long time. Whether it was an illusion or not, she felt that Xia Qingyue seemed incredibly exhausted.
---
**At the same time, Fan Di God Realm.**
Qianye Fantian withdrew his gaze from above. The sky-covering black clouds that had just appeared had made him frown for a long time. Then he turned, and with a flash of golden light, he had already arrived at the divine palace where Qianye Ying'er resided.
Qianye Ying'er's Fan Soul had shattered, and the Fan Emperor Divine Power she had inherited had scattered. Though several days had passed, neither her profound veins nor her spirit had fully recovered.
Sensing Qianye Fantian's approach, Qianye Ying'er opened her beautiful eyes… Her long hair was still a splendidly gorgeous golden color, but the golden light in her eyes had become extremely faint.
"Father," she didn't rise. Even in her own palace, she still wore a golden veil on her face. This had long become a habit for Qianye Ying'er… a habit she herself no longer even perceived.
"How is your recovery?" Qianye Fantian asked indifferently.
Once, Qianye Ying'er's aura had been so terrifying that even the Divine Emperors found it difficult to fully perceive. Now, her Fan Emperor Divine Power had completely scattered, and the aura about her was faint. But her cultivation level was still at the Divine Lord Realm!
And still a Fifth-level Divine Lord!
Although there was an unimaginable gap between this and her peak, the fact that she could retain mid-stage Divine Lord power after all her Fan Emperor Divine Power had dispersed showed just how terrifying her talent and achievements over the years had been.
And her lifespan was still less than a thousand years!
On the other hand, all the profound arts she had cultivated were based on Fan God Divine Power. Thus, with the complete dispersion of her Fan God Divine Power, all her profound arts had also been abolished. Now, she only possessed the most ordinary, purest profound energy. At the same cultivation level, she couldn't possibly be a match for anyone.
However, her previous insights from cultivation remained. After re-inheriting the Fan Emperor Divine Power, re-cultivating the Fan God system's profound arts would definitely be several times smoother than before.
"Sixty percent," Qianye Ying'er suddenly asked: "Is there any news of Yun Che?"
"No," Qianye Fantian said coldly: "Lan Ji Star was destroyed by Xia Qingyue. The Yinxue Realm King courted death on his own. Now, there's not even a handle to force him to reveal himself. However, given his strength, he won't be able to hide for long."
"Hmph!" A cold light flashed in Qianye Ying'er's eyes: "It's fine that he escaped. This way, I'll finally have the chance to tear him into a thousand pieces with my own hands!"
Standing up, Qianye Ying'er released her aura, sensing the state of her profound energy and soul force. She frowned and said: "Like this, in less than half a month, I should be able to recover to the point where I can re-inherit the Fan God Divine Power. If I was acknowledged once, I can naturally be acknowledged a second time. In at most a few hundred years, I'll definitely recover to my peak state."
"Mm." Qianye Fantian nodded: "If it were someone else, having their divine power and divine soul scatter, being acknowledged a second time would be as difficult as reaching the heavens. But for you, there's a very good chance. Let me see the state of your profound energy."
"Yes." Qianye Ying'er simultaneously restrained both her aura and thoughts.
Qianye Fantian approached, raising and opening his palm… But deep within his calm, water-like eyes, there suddenly flashed a strange golden light.
**CRACK!!**
In the tranquil palace, there suddenly blazed a golden light as dazzling as the blazing sun. Beneath this golden light was a startled cry from Qianye Ying'er.
Countless golden threads wrapped around Qianye Ying'er's entire body, like a dense golden net, tightly binding her form… Not only her body, but even her profound energy was as if suppressed by ten thousand mountains, unable to be released, let alone broken free from.
"Father, you…" Shock flashed across her face, but she calmed down again with the utmost speed: "Father, what are you doing?"
She stopped struggling, because she knew that in her current state, she couldn't possibly break free no matter what.
Qianye Fantian withdrew his hand, clasping it behind his back, and said faintly and calmly: "Don't bother thinking about re-inheriting the Fan Emperor Divine Power anymore. You're no longer worthy."
"…" Qianye Ying'er's gaze changed, and a chill suddenly filled her heart. This coldness came not only from his words but also from his tone, because Qianye Fantian had never spoken to her in such a tone before: "Father, are you… joking?"
"Your talent, stubbornness, and ambition in the profound way made me resolutely choose you as my successor back then. Later, I even made it clear to the world that you would be the future Fantian Shen Di." Qianye Fantian's eyes narrowed, and his voice turned cold: "I placed such great hopes in you, and yet you have disappointed me so much."
"Disappoint you? What great mistake… have I actually made?" Qianye Ying'er's golden brows sank. She didn't know in what way she had disappointed him or what mistake she had made… and even if she had truly made some great mistake, why would he use the Fan Soul Chain to bind her?
"All these years, how have I taught you?" Qianye Fantian's voice held no anger, not even a trace of regret—only a bone-chilling coldness: "As the future Fantian Shen Di, you must consider everything for your own benefit. As long as it serves your own interests, everything else can be sacrificed, schemed over, and plundered—even if by any means necessary."
"And you… actually sacrificed yourself to save another, willingly becoming another's slave! You have disappointed me greatly!"
Qianye Ying'er's eyes shot open. Even with her state of mind, her gaze faltered for several breaths: "I did it to… save you!"
"Hmph! Save me? Did I ever command you to save me, or force you to!?" Qianye Fantian questioned coldly: "I even gave you the Fan Soul Bell, yet you returned it and committed such a foolish act!"
Qianye Ying'er: "…"
"Furthermore," his voice grew even colder: "From the moment you became Yun Che's slave, you completely lost the qualification to inherit the position of Fantian Shen Di… no, you don't even have the qualification to inherit the Fan Emperor Divine Power anymore. Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to my Fan Di God Realm, and a stain that can never be erased!"
"…" Qianye Ying'er stood frozen there, her golden eyes beginning to tremble violently.
She couldn't believe it. Not a single word.
Becoming Yun Che's slave was undoubtedly the greatest sacrifice, the greatest disgrace of her life—a humiliation she would never have been willing to bear even in death.
But for Qianye Fantian's sake, she had thrown all her dignity at the feet of Yun Che and Xia Qingyue.
Qianye Fantian—her biological father, the only vulnerability in her heart, as Xia Qingyue had said.
Her world was cold, was ruthless. And precisely because of this, that single warmth and emotional refuge would be the most treasured thing in her life.
She could never have dreamed, nor could she believe, that such a sacrifice on her part would be met not with a gentler gaze from him, but with such coldness and such words.
Qianye Fantian had countless children and grandchildren, but he was always stern and unyielding. Only toward her, ever since her mother's passing, had he been extremely doting and gentle, granting her everything she asked for. He had long announced her as the future Divine Emperor, long given her power surpassing the Three Fan Gods. Many major affairs of the realm were directly decided by her. Even if she committed small or even great mistakes, he was never willing to punish her and would instead shield her to the end.
Over the years, Qianye Ying'er had directly or indirectly caused the deaths of many major figures related to the king realms. But even the king realms never dared to truly make a move against her, because everyone knew her position in the Fan Di God Realm. Touching her meant touching the entire Fan Di God Realm!
Qianye Fantian had treated her like this, and she had always regarded him as… the last and most important family bond in her life, a father who must never be let down. Just as she had recited at her mother's grave… her stubbornness and efforts over the years were, to a very large extent, to not disappoint her father's expectations.
But all of this, today… suddenly became incredibly unfamiliar and distant.
Qianye Ying'er closed her eyes. There was no anger, no questioning. She said softly: "Perhaps I was indeed wrong. So, Father, are you prepared to abandon me?"
"No," Qianye Fantian said: "Although you no longer have the qualifications to succeed to the Divine Emperor position or inherit the divine power, you still have another use."
"Use?" Qianye Ying'er let out a very light, very cold laugh: "You bound me for this 'use'? Afraid I might escape? It seems this isn't a very pleasant 'use.'"
"Nanming is on his way here," Qianye Fantian turned his eyes, his gaze still so faint and detached, with no trace of reluctance, nor any trace of guilt: "He'll arrive in less than half an hour. When he does, he will take you to the Nanming Divine Realm. In this way, you can fulfill your final value."
Qianye Ying'er, who had always remained coldly alert, suddenly changed color. Her pupils contracted, utterly unable to believe every word she heard: "You want to… give me to Nanming!?"
She could still understand Qianye Fantian's earlier words as true disappointment—as he had said, someone who had once been a demon's slave, if they succeeded to the Divine Emperor position, would indeed invite ridicule and mockery, even become a shame to the Fan Emperor.
He could strip away her inheritance qualifications, but how could he… give away her, the world-renowned Fandi Shennü, the daughter who had abandoned all dignity to save his life, like a piece of merchandise to Nanming!
"Why are you so surprised? Isn't this only natural?" Qianye Fantian spoke indifferently, as if narrating the most normal thing: "My Fan Di God Realm lost two Fan Kings because of the Evil Infant, and three Fan Gods because of Jie Tian Mo Di. Your divine power and divine soul have also collapsed. The losses are heavy, our deterrent power greatly diminished. We can't afford any more damage."
"The Nanming Shen Di has coveted you for a long time. In the past, no matter how bold he was, he wouldn't dare to act forcefully. After losing two Fan Kings and three Fan Gods, he has already shown threatening intentions. At that time, you hadn't yet made that foolish decision, so I would never let him succeed. But now…"
"Giving you to him is the greatest value you can bring to the Fan Di God Realm." Qianye Fantian smiled: "Even if I don't give you to him, with the current situation, given his temperament, he absolutely won't sit idly by. There's a big difference between him using schemes to seize you and me proactively giving you to him. The latter resolves hidden trouble, forms an alliance with Nanming, and makes him owe a huge favor… After all, to Nanming, women are more important than anything. And you, Ying'er—if he could obtain you, he wouldn't hesitate to pay any price."
"I'm very curious what kind of return gift he'll give me."
"…" Qianye Ying'er's lips trembled, but she couldn't form any words.
The father before her was so unfamiliar… No, at this moment, she suddenly realized that she might never have truly understood or seen through her father. Never!
"Before that, there's one more important matter to attend to." Qianye Fantian turned sideways and slowly approached Qianye Ying'er: "As the most outstanding of my many children, even without the Fan Emperor Divine Power, with your talent, you might still reach the pinnacle of the Divine Lord Realm in the future. If not for being forced, I really wouldn't bear to give you to Nanming."
"But such talent, if it were to belong to Nanming, would be far too wasteful. I also think Nanming wouldn't like it—after all, a woman who is too strong and too hard to control is hardly a pleasant thing."
"So…"
His finger suddenly pointed out. A beam of golden light shot straight toward Qianye Ying'er, blooming into a golden profound formation on the surface of her body.
The moment the formation formed, countless torrent-like surges of energy violently slammed into Qianye Ying'er's profound veins, causing the veins already damaged by the collapse of her Fan Emperor Divine Power to roar with thunder…
**PUH!**
Qianye Ying'er spat out three streams of blood in succession. Her jade-like face twisted in agony. She held back from crying out in pain, but her entire body trembled without respite. Her soul was as if trampled by a demon, violently convulsing and shrinking.
She was a person with an extremely ruthless heart. Back when she had planted the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal on Yun Che to seize the Evil God's power, she hadn't even furrowed her brow.
But now, facing a father who had suddenly become so heartless, so terrifying, she couldn't understand… She would rather believe that this was nothing more than an absurd and cruel nightmare.
Qianye Fantian lowered his hand, but the golden profound light still wrapped around Qianye Ying'er's body. He turned around, clasping his hands behind his back once more, and smiled: "Like this, from now on, your profound energy will gradually dissipate until you reach the Divine Sovereign Realm. And in this life, you will never achieve the Divine Lord Realm again."
"This way, it won't benefit Nanming too much, and it will also eliminate any thoughts you might have of killing your father."
"When you reach Nanming, if you perform well enough, the Nanming Shen Di might still be willing to make you his empress. With all the training I've given you over the years, I believe that as long as you're willing, you should be able to manage it… Don't waste your final value and opportunity."
Behind him, within the golden Fan Soul Chain, Qianye Ying'er's body slowly curled up in pain and trembling… Her profound veins had been destroyed by nearly half, and it was irreparable damage. Chaotic profound energy rapidly leaked and flowed away.