Chapter 1585: Heaven Pities the Yun Clan
The Thunder Domain stretched for a hundred miles. It was both the defensive barrier of the "Criminal Yun Clan" and, in a sense, the cage that imprisoned them.
After all, this region was what outsiders called the "Criminal Domain."
Just as they passed through the Thunder Domain, a booming roar descended from above: "Who dares trespass into my Tiangang Cloud Clan!"
As a Criminal Yun Clan, they were extremely sensitive to unfamiliar auras. This shout was like a thunderclap, shaking the ears with its roar. Yun Shang's eyes lit up with surprise, and she cried out, "Brother Xiang!"
At this call, the approaching aura visibly paused, then pressed forward even more urgently. Soon, two figures, a man and a woman, came into view. The man was tall and imposing, with eyes like a fierce tiger; the woman was three parts delicate but seven parts heroic.
In particular, the power of their auras was so formidable that even Yun Che couldn't help but take notice.
"An eighth-level Divine Sovereign and a fifth-level Divine Sovereign; their lifespans should both be under one hundred Jiazi." Qianye Ying'er transmitted to Yun Che. "Probably two of the strongest people here."
The man approaching was undoubtedly the strongest they had encountered in the Northern Divine Region, aside from the mysterious Nanhuang Chanyi—but she merely gave him a cursory glance before lowering her head, radiating an icy aloofness that kept all at a distance.
"Shang... Er!"
Seeing Yun Shang from afar, the two cried out in overwhelming excitement. They practically rushed forward, their faces unable to contain their ecstatic joy as they gazed at the girl so close before them.
"Sister Xiang, Sister Lu, it feels like I haven't seen you in so long." Yun Shang said with a smile.
"Shang'er, you..." The tall man—an eighth-level Divine Sovereign—was so excited he couldn't speak for a moment.
"You... are you alright? Didn't the people from Jiuyao Heavenly Palace capture you?" The woman stepped forward and grasped the girl's shoulder. She bore no injuries, her aura was not weak, and there was even no trace of having been frightened.
Yun Shang explained, "Half a year ago, I was indeed caught by the villains of Jiuyao Heavenly Palace, but Senior Yun rescued me right away. During these six months, I've been with Senior Yun and Sister Qianying."
"Half a year ago?" The two exchanged glances, and the man said in a low voice, "Was Jiuyao Heavenly Palace tricking us!?"
They turned their gazes to Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er behind them. "Are they...?"
"Yun Che," Yun Che said simply. "From the Dongxu Realm."
"His maid, Yun Qianying." Though she called herself a maid, her tone was far more arrogant and cold than Yun Che's.
The tall man stepped forward and cupped his hands. "I am Yun Xiang, and this is my wife, Yun Lu. You saved Shang'er and took care of her for half a year. Our Tiangang Cloud Clan will remember this grace and kindness. We were unaware of our benefactors' arrival earlier and showed discourtesy. Please forgive us."
"Brother Xiang is too polite." Yun Che nodded slightly. "I have a certain affinity with Shang'er. Being able to save her by chance is also a fortunate thing for me."
Qianye Ying'er shot him a sidelong glance.
"Haha, brother also bears the surname Yun; we must be fated." Yun Xiang gave a hearty laugh. "But you may not realize how great a kindness you have done us by saving Shang'er."
"The clan leader and all the elders are praying in the Ancestral Temple. Seeing Shang'er return safely will surely bring them immense joy," Yun Lu said.
"Yes! We must inform the clan leader at once." Yun Xiang was immensely relieved that he had been the one patrolling the Thunder Domain today. "Please, honored guests, come in. I believe the clan leader will also want to express his gratitude in person."
In these days, the Tiangang Cloud Clan was extremely cautious about everything, especially outsiders. Yun Xiang and Yun Lu knew nothing of Yun Che's origins, yet they showed full warmth—first, because he had saved Yun Shang; second, because two tenth-level Divine Kings posed no threat even if they harbored ill intentions.
Although Yun Shang was only sixteen, because of her purple Arcane Firmament...
Her status in the Tiangang Cloud Clan was indeed terrifyingly high.
Her safe return, unscathed, immediately stirred the entire Tiangang Cloud Clan, causing the usually lifeless "Criminal Domain" to erupt with an excitement and vitality that had not been seen in a long time.
Today was the Tiangang Cloud Clan's centennial prayer ceremony. This sacred ritual was abruptly interrupted by Yun Shang's return. Upon receiving the news, clan leader Yun Ting was even the first to disregard the ceremony and rush out of the Ancestral Temple, with all the elders following closely.
"Grandpa Clan Leader!"
Yun Ting, the current clan leader of the Tiangang Cloud Clan, had experienced the clan's peak and decline, from leading a Realm King family to this desperate plight as a pitied criminal clan.
His hair and beard were snow-white, his face and hands withered like dead wood. Especially his murky eyes—even an ordinary person who did not cultivate profound energy could see the signs of a setting sun.
From extreme prosperity to extreme decline, Yun Ting, who had weathered countless storms, had long possessed a heart as firm as a divine mountain. Yet, seeing Yun Shang's lively figure approach, a moistness he had not felt in many years welled up in his aged eyes.
Because this girl was far too important to the clan in its current desperate situation.
She was a heaven-sent pearl, and also hope.
"Shang'er, it's good that you're safe... good that you're safe." Yun Ting crouched down, so excited that he had lost all dignity as clan leader. The elders behind him were also overwhelmingly moved.
As Yun Xiang had said earlier, regarding Yun Che who had saved Yun Shang, Yun Ting personally expressed his gratitude in his capacity as clan leader—even if the other party was just an unknown young Divine King.
"This little girl's status here is actually this high." To Qianye Ying'er, who did not understand the concept of purple Arcane Firmament, the scene before her was rather astonishing.
"Hmph, Jiuyao Heavenly Palace actually tricked us by claiming Shang'er was in their hands. Outrageous." Yun Xiang furrowed his brow, every word filled with anger.
"If Shang'er had returned a few days later, we might have already fallen for their scheme," an elder of the Yun Clan said in a deep voice.
"In other words, Jiuyao Heavenly Palace claimed they had captured Yun Shang alive and forced you to exchange something?" Yun Che suddenly interjected.
Given how precious Yun Shang was to the Tiangang Cloud Clan, even if they hadn't actually seen her, even if they knew it was likely a lie, they would probably have still complied.
"Exactly." Yun Xiang said. "The Chief Palace Master of Jiuyao Heavenly Palace wanted our Yun Clan's... to help his youngest son break through to the Divine Lord realm..."
"That matter has passed. Since Shang'er is safe, there's no need to pay any attention to Jiuyao Heavenly Palace's tricks. When they come the day after tomorrow, we'll simply chase them away." Clan leader Yun Ting interrupted Yun Xiang's words, speaking with a chuckle.
But no sooner had he finished speaking than his aged face suddenly changed dramatically. His withered right hand grabbed Yun Shang's slender shoulder, his face full of disbelief. "Shang'er, you... have actually reached... Divine Tribulation Realm!"
"What!?"
At Yun Ting's words, everyone was shocked. When they focused their divine senses on Yun Shang, they all showed looks of astonishment.
They had all been too busy being thrilled at Yun Shang's safe return. Only now did they suddenly realize that her profound energy aura was clearly at the Divine Tribulation Realm!
A sixteen-year-old at the Divine Tribulation Realm—this had occurred before in the history of the Tiangang Cloud Clan. After all, they had once been a Realm King family. With abundant resources, every generation could stack up a few prodigies.
But half a year ago, Yun Shang's cultivation was only at the mid-stage Divine Soul Realm!
In just half a year... she was already at the Divine Tribulation Realm!?
"Shang'er, have you... perhaps taken some kind of Xuan Dao Divine Pill?" Yun Ting's voice became urgent. Such progress, in his understanding, could only be forced by external forces... but then again, such astonishing medicinal power—could Yun Shang really have endured it?
Unexpectedly, Yun Shang shook her head. She glanced secretly at Yun Che and said, "During this time, I met a very powerful senior outside. He used an amazing ability to transform my body, and after that, cultivating profound energy suddenly became very easy."
Yun Ting was stunned. Everyone was stunned. Yun Shang's eyes were as pure as diamonds; no one would believe she was lying. But... not forced by medicinal power, but naturally cultivated after a transformation of the body!? How could such a thing be possible!
Yun Ting changed his hand gesture, and a wisp of profound energy directly penetrated Yun Shang's profound veins... In an instant, he was struck by lightning. His murky eyes, which had long seemed unable to open fully, widened to their maximum. He stared blankly at the girl before him, for a long time without any movement or words.
The clan leader's reaction was too strange. The Yun Clan elders, as well as Yun Xiang and Yun Lu on the side, exchanged glances. Without prior agreement, they also released their profound energy to probe Yun Shang's profound veins... In a moment, the expressions on their faces were even more exaggerated than Yun Ting's.
Yun Che stood silently to the side. Such a scene did not surprise him in the least.
Dark Eternal Calamity combined with Dragon Creek Jade Liquid—Yun Shang's profound energy had become extremely pure to the utmost. Her body's affinity and control over profound energy had reached a level that even Yun Ting, who had once stepped into the Divine Lord Realm, could not believe or even comprehend.
Her cultivation speed had more than doubled compared to before.
"That senior..." Yun Ting, at twenty thousand years old, uttered the word "senior" with deep reverence. "May I ask what kind of supreme being they are?"
The change in Yun Shang could only be described as a miracle. To create such a miracle, he could not even imagine what kind of supreme existence that would be.
Yun Shang smiled lightly. "That senior told me not to say."
Yun Ting nodded, his excitement still uncontrollable. "Right, you cannot say, cannot say. Since it is the senior's instruction, not a single word must be spoken."
"Oh, right." Yun Shang turned her body, extended her hand, and deep purple lightning swirled around her fingers. "The senior also taught me a changed version of the 'Tiangang Thunder Cloud Art.' Grandpa Clan Leader, look."
As her voice fell, she rotated her wrist and executed the Tiangang Thunder Cloud Art in a continuous chain. The space around them instantly filled with thunder like dragons... When she struck the first form, everyone was dumbfounded. By the second, third, and fourth forms... all the Yun Clan members present were completely dazed, as if seeing ghosts. No matter what, they could not believe their eyes and senses.
The thunder that Yun Shang wielded was indeed the Tiangang Thunder Cloud Art, but each form had very subtle changes. And these seemingly minor subtle changes made every bolt of lightning weave a much more profound and mysterious lightning law, with power far surpassing the original!
The core profound arts of a family or sect undergo constant evolution and improvement, but this is an extremely difficult and lengthy process.
The "Tiangang Thunder Cloud Art" displayed before their eyes—even if they gave the Tiangang Cloud Clan another hundred thousand years, they could not evolve it to such a degree.
"This is also... what that senior taught you?" Every word Yun Ting spoke seemed to float in the air.
"Yes." Yun Shang nodded emphatically. "The senior also said that I am allowed to teach it to my clan members."
"..." Yun Ting stood up, but his legs were trembling. He could not remember how many years it had been since he was this shocked, this excited. He looked back at the Ancestral Temple, then gazed up at the sky, and let out a trembling roar: "A gift from heaven... It must be a gift from heaven! Heaven indeed pities my Yun Clan!"
"Heh!" Qianye Ying'er curled her jade lips slightly.
Although Yun Shang was saved by Yun Che and clearly stated that he and Qianye Ying'er had taken care of her for six months, neither Yun Ting nor any of the Yun Clan members even remotely considered that these gifts might have come from Yun Che or Qianye Ying'er... After all, such a world-transcending supreme being, far beyond their understanding, how could it possibly be two young Divine Kings like them!