Chapter 1544: Command!
The two kingdom lords of Donghan and Tianwu had completely abandoned their dignity and any regard for cost in their efforts to win Yun Che's favor.
However, no one found this excessive, nor did anyone think it ridiculous. A terrifying figure who could crush several Divine Kings with a casual wave of his hand was something they had likely never seen in their entire lives... Such a person was like a legendary, fearsome Demon God descending upon the world.
For a person like this, it was utterly impossible for a small kingdom to keep him. But if they could gain even a shred of his goodwill, even the tiniest bit, it would become a protective talisman of immeasurable value.
"Heh, how ugly," Yun Che murmured, seeming to sneer, yet there was not a trace of mockery on his face. Those words seemed aimed at the Tianwu Kingdom Lord, or perhaps at both him and the Donghan Kingdom Lord.
"Get lost."
The Tianwu Kingdom Lord froze, momentarily unable to believe his ears. After a dazed moment, he rose tremblingly, then scurried backward almost crawling—not daring to utter even a word of thanks.
The five thousand battle soldiers accompanying him also withdrew, but unlike their spirited arrival, their retreat was utterly chaotic and without formation... Even after they had fled far away and left the borders of the Donghan Kingdom, their heartstrings remained tense, and they could hardly believe they had returned alive to the Tianwu Kingdom.
That terrifying figure named Yun Che had actually spared them! Could it be that he wasn't from Donghan at all, or perhaps he simply couldn't be bothered to kill them?
Indeed! Killing a king was like slaughtering a chicken to him—killing them would only dirty his hands!
Before the Donghan Royal City, Yun Che walked slowly toward Ming Xiao.
The world was utterly silent. No one dared to speak, and almost no one dared to breathe.
All eyes were fixed on Yun Che, and the looks they gave him were unlike any they had ever worn before. Especially those cultivators who had been in the same hall as Yun Che earlier—their souls had never stopped trembling. They had never dreamed that they had once shared a feast with such a terrifying figure.
The Golden Crow Flame on Ming Xiao finally extinguished. He collapsed to the ground, his entire body covered in horrifying burns. Even with his strength as a Level Seven Divine King and the abundant resources of the Mingpeng Clan, it would take a considerable amount of time to fully recover.
He did not flee, because he knew that Yun Che had deliberately spared his life. Otherwise, that nightmare-inducing flame could have claimed his life long ago.
Feeling the footsteps approach, he raised his head shakily and looked at the young man in black before him... The arrogance and ferocity in his eyes were gone, replaced by nothing but fear.
"..." He opened his mouth with difficulty, wanting to ask who this person was. But just as the words were about to leave his throat, he forced them back down. He knew he had no right to ask, even though he was the awe-inspiring Patriarch of the Mingpeng Clan.
"Do you know why you're still alive?" Yun Che asked, his voice low and cold, like the judgment of a demon.
Ming Xiao lifted his head as best he could, making his eyes show submission and supplication. Having lived for several thousand years, he had long known when to bend and when to stand tall. As for the grudge of his son's death, it was utterly insignificant compared to his own life and safety: "I will be... someone useful to you, Master..."
"Good." Yun Che uttered a word of approval, then cast a sidelong glance. "Northwest direction, that tallest peak in sight—what's its name?"
"Reporting to you, Master..." Even with countless people from the Donghan Kingdom watching, Ming Xiao made his posture as humble as possible: "It is Han Tan Peak."
Han Tan Peak was located at the border of the Donghan Kingdom. It was not only the tallest peak visible but also the highest point in the entire Donghan Kingdom.
"I hear that in this region, the Nine Great Sects reign supreme," Yun Che said. "After you crawl back, send word to the other eight sects. In three days, at this exact hour, I will be waiting for them at the summit of Han Tan Peak. Tell them that in three days, even if they have to crawl, they will crawl to the top of Han Tan Peak! If any of the Nine Great Sects dares not to come..."
"I will slaughter their entire clan!"
The last four words were slow and icy, sending a violent shudder through Ming Xiao and every cultivator of the Donghan Kingdom.
Not come... slaughter their entire clan!?
Those were the Nine Great Sects!
But looking at Ming Xiao's miserable state, along with the tragic death of Zixuan Fairy and the three Divine Kings whose bodies hadn't even been left behind, not a single person dared to doubt Yun Che's words.
Ming Xiao's expression shifted again. Even the mighty Great Realm King who presided over the entire Eastern Wasteland Realm would never dare utter such ruthless words to them.
"May I ask you, Master..." He narrowed his eyes fearfully, but still forced himself to ask: "What grievance... exactly do you have with our Nine Great Sects of the Eastern Region?"
What grievance?
Those words tugged at Yun Che's heart and the corners of his mouth, causing a fleeting, bitter grimace to flash across his face.
Once, he had often asked: What grievance exactly do we have between us?
But now, he understood completely—that was the most naive and foolish question in the world!
In this life... no, in two lives, he had never bullied others with his strength, had never been willing to harm innocent beings deliberately, and had never done things that greatly benefited himself at the heavy expense of others.
Only after losing everything did he realize, in the midst of coldness and despair, that these thoughts of kindness and reluctance—the passive growth and passive revenge he had always engaged in—were all so laughable.
Just as Qianye Ying'er had planted the extremely cruel "Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal" on him without ever considering whether there was any grievance between them!
And now, he suddenly began to think that Ming Xiao's question was truly ridiculous... Ridiculous!
He suddenly stomped his foot down on Ming Xiao's head. Amidst the man's pained groans, he said in a low voice: "You have no right to ask questions. Take my command and crawl back!"
In his entire life, this was the first time Ming Xiao had had his head trampled under someone's foot. An icy pressure spread through his entire body. He dared not show any anger, nor did he dare to struggle. Trembling, he said: "Yes... Your... command... I will convey it immediately... Thank you, Master, for sparing my worthless life."
Bang!
Yun Che kicked out, and Ming Xiao let out another scream as he flew several miles away. Struggling to his feet, he fled in disgrace, covered in burns, without daring to look back.
The crisis of annihilation for the Donghan Royal City had thus been resolved. But what had not been resolved was the terror in everyone's hearts. They stared at Yun Che's back, their hearts convulsing and shrinking. And when Yun Che turned around, everyone, without exception, held their breath in the same instant.
The Divine Kings, who were untouchable and as mighty as gods in their eyes, had been casually crushed by him. Ming Xiao, who had dominated the entire Eastern Region, had fled like a beaten dog. Scene after scene—the shock they brought was far too immense.
Yun Che walked back slowly. No one dared to move, no one dared to speak. And one person trembled more violently than the rest. As Yun Che approached, his Divine King body, whether from weakness or fear, slowly knelt down.
"Ma... Master," Fang Zhou's lips quivered. He strained with all his might, forcing a smile uglier than tears onto his face: "Master's great kindness in saving the Donghan Royal City... Fang Zhou will never forget it... From now on, I wish to follow behind you, Master... at your... your disposal."
Though his words were interrupted several times by the violent chattering of his teeth, he managed to finish them relatively clearly. As he spoke his last sentence, a stiff, fawning smile appeared on his face.
Yun Che stopped beside him, not looking at him. Under the gaze of the crowd, his palm slowly pressed down and landed on Fang Zhou's head.
"..." Fang Zhou dared not move.
Boom!!
A blaze of light erupted on Fang Zhou's head, instantly engulfing his entire body. A piercing scream tore through the air, but vanished in an instant. And Fang Zhou... along with the burst and extinguished flames, turned into a puff of rapidly dissipating ash.
Fang Zhou—who had guarded the Donghan Kingdom for nearly a thousand years and had tyrannized it for just as long, the revered National Guardian who was feared by all in the Donghan Kingdom—had been reduced to ashes in an instant. This man, the number one figure whom no one in Donghan dared to defy, had been dealt with by Yun Che like a broken blade of grass.
Even as Fang Zhou was burned to ashes, Yun Che's gaze never once glanced in his direction.
The Donghan Kingdom Lord raised his hand and bowed. He wanted to say something, but dared not utter a single word without permission. And what Yun Che had said to Ming Xiao was heard clearly by everyone present.
In just three short days, he would face the Nine Great Sects alone—and he had "commanded" that they must come!
Yun Che spoke first, addressing Dongfang Hanwei: "Prepare a quiet place for me."
"Ah..." Dongfang Hanwei's face was still deathly pale. Yun Che's words made her delicate body tremble slightly, and she quickly nodded: "Yes... I will prepare it immediately, Senior."
The Donghan Kingdom Lord also snapped out of his daze and said tremblingly: "Quickly... quickly lead Venerable Yun to the Donghan Palace... No, no, this king will personally... Venerable Yun, please... please."
——
At the Donghan Imperial Palace, in the core cultivation room exclusive to the royal family, it was not only quiet but also contained a fairly vast small world.
Yun Che sat cross-legged inside, quietly closing his eyes. There was no circulation of profound energy on his body, and even his life aura quickly became faint—just like the state he had been in before meeting Dongfang Hanwei, that prolonged state resembling suspended animation.
In the silence, the Demon Emperor's Source Blood left by Jie Yuan quietly merged with his body. One was the blood of a Demon Emperor, the other the body of a mortal, yet there was no rejection at all.
In his soul and his profound vein world, a turbid darkness swirled.
Dark Eternal Calamity.
Eternal Dark Calamity.
The words left by Jie Yuan told him that if he could perfectly comprehend and master the Dark Eternal Calamity, he could easily control all the demons of the present world.
Among all her words, this had shaken him the most.
If it could truly be realized, then the entire Northern Divine Region could become a tool for his revenge!
During those days of silence, he had been slowly stepping into the world of "Dark Eternal Calamity." Although he had been interrupted midway by the mess involving Ming Yang and Dongfang Hanwei, it was still easy for him to sink back into that world—after all, his greatest strength was his absurdly abnormal comprehension of the profound way.
But this time, his silence lasted less than twelve hours before he suddenly opened his eyes.
From that turbid darkness, he had suddenly understood something—though it was only a very tiny fragment—yet it made him feel as if he had seen an entirely different world of darkness.
Just then, outside the training room, a presence approached cautiously. It stood before the door, hesitating for a long time, still too timid to make a sound.
Yun Che glanced to the side and said in a relatively gentle tone: "Come in."
The figure outside the door stiffened. After a brief pause, she finally pushed the door open, lowered her head, and stepped in lightly—holding a rather luxurious jade plate in her hands. On the plate were several delicately shaped pastries, exuding a sweet fragrance.
"Senior," Dongfang Hanwei knelt on one knee, placing the jade plate before Yun Che: "These are the finest jade pastries in the palace. If you don't mind, Senior, you may try a few. I... I will be waiting outside. If you have any orders, Senior, just call for me at any time."
At that time, she had never imagined that in her desperation to seek any cure, she had brought back such a terrifying figure.
And now, as news spread, the entire Eastern Region had been thrown into an uproar... The Donghan royal family had secretly probed the Nine Great Sects for information and learned that all of them were in a thunderous rage.
In two days, at the summit of Han Tan Peak... what exactly would happen...
Countless eyes were already fixed on the summit of Han Tan Peak. Besides the Nine Great Sects, countless sects and cultivators from the Eastern Region were also rushing to the scene upon hearing the news. The Deputy Palace Master and Grand Guardian of the Taiyin Divine Mansion had been killed, the Grand Elder of the Mingpeng Clan was dead, and Ming Xiao was severely injured... This region had not seen such a major incident in who knows how many years.
Yun Che looked up at Dongfang Hanwei... Her arrival was just right. That flash of insight he had just gained could perhaps be verified on her.
"Take off your top," he said in a low voice.