Chapter 1606: Fleeing the Northern Domain
"This person... who?" Qianye Ying'er's brows slightly furrowed. She had appeared in the projection without any sound, like a ghostly figure materializing from the void.
The Qianhuang Sect Master and the Burning Moon Divine Envoy were both powerful Divine Lords, and their reactions all confirmed that this person's strength was extremely terrifying. Especially... being able to approach the Burning Moon Divine Envoy, a mid-stage Divine Lord, to such a close distance without him detecting anything—that would require a gap of nearly half a major realm to achieve.
Moreover, the words she spoke... seemed to indicate she knew the name Yun Che.
The woman was clad in an extremely bizarre multicolored garment. It was more like a heap of countless vibrant colors than clothing, and even her long hair was of myriad colors. Her surroundings were also enveloped by a changing halo of extraordinary light.
However, although her body was rippling with colored light, it showed no sign of disorder—only a rather dreamlike aesthetic.
Furthermore, these multicolored lights were far from ordinary radiance; they seemed capable of isolating auras to a great extent. Even though she was so close and within their line of sight, both the Burning Moon Divine Envoy and the Qianhuang Sect Master could barely sense her presence—as if she were merely a phantom colored shadow that would dissipate at the slightest touch.
"You... you are..." Although the colored light obscured his view, preventing the Burning Moon Divine Envoy from seeing her figure and face clearly, the light that could isolate auras suddenly brought a name to his mind—a name that made his soul instantly tremble.
At that moment, from within the black profound formation came Burning Moon Divine Emperor's low voice: "Seventh Demoness, your appearance here is hardly a coincidence, is it?"
Seventh Demoness... The four words spoken by Burning Moon Divine Emperor sent the Qianhuang Sect Master into a state of extreme shock.
The woman before them, surrounded by multicolored light, was actually one of the Nine Demonesses under the Demon Empress!
A being existing at the highest level of the Northern Domain!
"Unfortunately, there are that many coincidences in this world." The Seventh Demoness spoke in a deep, ethereal tone. "I just happened to pass by here when I received an order from my master—a 'sacred object' lost by my Soul Plunder Realm for ten thousand years had triggered a response in this area."
"Rather, Burning Moon Divine Emperor, you wouldn't tell me that your projection and envoy appearing here is also a coincidence, would you!?" The Seventh Demoness's voice clearly dropped, even though she was addressing Burning Moon Divine Emperor.
She had not only seen the Burning Moon Divine Envoy and Burning Moon Divine Emperor's projection but had also heard everything they said.
"Heh," Burning Moon Divine Emperor forced down his anger and let out a faint laugh. "Since it has already returned to its rightful owner, what importance do other trivial matters hold?"
"Returned to its rightful owner?" The Seventh Demoness let out a cold sneer. "If we had truly taken it, all our strength would have been used to protect it on its way back to my master. Why would I have appeared here!"
Burning Moon Divine Emperor: "..."
"The reason my master sensed something was because of a special mark left on that 'sacred object' by the Pure Heaven Divine Emperor back then. Previously, the Dustless Barrier separated it, making it impossible to detect. But the instant of perception just now proved that not only had it been taken, but even the Dustless Barrier had been opened!"
"What...!?" Burning Moon Divine Emperor's voice suddenly turned deep and dark.
Forcing open the Dustless Barrier was extremely difficult. Otherwise, someone as powerful as Burning Moon Divine Emperor would not have schemed for an entire ten thousand years to imprint it on the Qianhuang Divine Sect.
And if the Dustless Barrier had indeed been opened, it undoubtedly meant that the other party could use the Primordial World Marrow inside at any time! Once that happened, there would be no chance of recovery.
Then his ten thousand years of painstaking scheming would completely turn to bubbles—he would have made a wedding dress for someone else. And it would inevitably incur the Demon Empress's wrath.
"Over these years, my master has never stopped searching for traces of the 'sacred object.' Ten thousand years of time have also accumulated ten thousand years of fury. Burning Heaven Divine Emperor, if my master becomes truly enraged, the consequences will be as terrifying as anyone could imagine—as you know better than anyone else."
"..." Burning Moon Divine Emperor did not speak. Although he was only a shadow, it still made everyone feel an indescribably terrifying gloom.
"So, you had better pray that my master can recover the sacred object. Otherwise... I really can't imagine what kind of explanation you, Burning Moon Divine Emperor, could offer to quell my master's anger."
With those words, the Seventh Demoness extended her arm. The colored shadows on her body suddenly swept out like thousands of multicolored ribbons, wrapping around the Qianhuang Sect Master... This powerful upper Realm King only had time to let out a cry of alarm before he was completely sealed within a myriad-colored barrier, almost without any ability to resist.
The Burning Moon Divine Envoy's pupils constricted, and he quickly retreated.
"This incompetent dog, I'll take him off your hands. I trust you, Burning Moon Divine Emperor, won't have any objections, right?" The Seventh Demoness said coldly. The name "Yun Che" had been spoken by the Qianhuang Sect Master; he clearly knew many useful things.
"Hmph, convey my regards to the Demon Empress." Burning Moon Divine Emperor gave a cold snort, and the profound formation suddenly collapsed and vanished at that moment.
"W-Welcome... our king."
The Burning Moon Divine Envoy struggled to compose himself, but facing a "Demoness," the terror rooted in his knowledge and soul could not be fully suppressed: "Now... now the urgent matter is to recover the sacred object. That thief certainly hasn't gone far. With your abilities, Demoness, capturing him would be effortless. I am willing... to assist you, Demoness, with all my strength."
The woman before him was known as the "Myriad-Colored Phantom Enchantress," the Seventh Demoness of the Soul Plunder Realm, Hua Jin. It was rumored she had a thousand faces and ten thousand methods, and it was said that aside from the Demon Empress herself, no one had ever seen her true face.
Each of the Nine Demonesses under the Demon Empress had their own specialties. The Seventh Demoness's greatest strength was her illusionary transformations, unrivaled in the Northern Domain. Her disguise of appearance, voice, form, and aura was said to be undetectable.
"I have already deployed an inescapable net over this Qianhuang Realm." The Demoness Hua Jin turned around. "While I'm in the mood not to dirty my hands... get lost!"
"..." The Burning Moon Divine Envoy had been stepping backward. Upon hearing these words, his first reaction was not shame or anger, but relief. He dared not say another word and fled in panic.
...
"Another Demoness!" Yun Che muttered. He had encountered Nanhuang Chanyi not long ago, and after finally stabilizing things, he ran into another one!
"You should ask yourself why!" Qianye Ying'er said irritably. "In the Northern Domain, figures like Demonesses are something ordinary people might not see even once in a lifetime. You've been in the Northern Domain for only a year, yet you've encountered two in a row! It's as if they're being drawn to you by your calamity-attracting constitution!"
Yun Che: "..."
Qianye Ying'er suddenly reached out and grabbed Yun Che: "Let's go! Leave here immediately."
"Where to?"
"Tai Chu Divine Realm!" Qianye Ying'er said slowly and deeply.
"There's no need." Yun Che said. "They won't find us."
He could disguise himself and change his dark aura. Qianye Ying'er had the Inverse Abyss Stone, so the two of them could achieve maximum concealment. As for the Primordial World Marrow, although it had a traceable mark on it, as long as it was placed within the Heavenly Poison Pearl, no matter how powerful the mark, it couldn't be sensed.
"No, the severity of this matter has far exceeded our previous expectations." Qianye Ying'er said in a low voice. "I originally thought we had at most provoked the Burning Moon King Realm, but now... we've dragged in the Soul Plunder Realm too!"
"Do you think our current concealment abilities are foolproof? Ha... underestimating a King Realm will get you killed horribly, let alone two King Realms!" Qianye Ying'er's voice gradually deepened. "There has never been a true 'foolproof' method in this world. You haven't forgotten the lesson from Nanhuang Chanyi so quickly, have you? With our current strength, encountering either of the two King Realms would mean nine chances of death to one of survival."
"Furthermore, the problem is no longer just that we obtained the Primordial World Marrow." Qianye Ying'er continued. "The Northern Domain Demon Empress, through Nanhuang Chanyi's words, used the term 'cooperation' with us before, and we barely managed to slow things down with the 'three hundred year' agreement. Now, the Northern Domain Demon Empress will soon know that we took the Primordial World Marrow, and then your growth rate will also be exposed."
"When we first encountered Nanhuang Chanyi, defeating a mid-stage Divine Sovereign was our limit. But now, we've destroyed a rather large Qianhuang Divine Sect and even opened the Dustless Barrier that even Burning Moon Divine Emperor was helpless against—and only a year has passed!"
"Such a growth rate is enough to shock the Demon Empress and immediately realize that the previous 'three hundred year' agreement was just a ruse to deceive her."
"She wants to recruit you into the Soul Plunder Realm, valuing your potential, your 'True God Prophecy,' and your hatred for the Eastern Domain. But precisely because of this, she will never allow you to grow to a level she cannot control before she has you completely under her thumb."
"Previously, based on common sense, in just three hundred years, no matter how you grew, you couldn't possibly reach a level beyond her control. But after today, she will never think that way! Nor will she truly abide by the previous three hundred year agreement... The leverage we hold over Nanhuang Chanyi can at most influence Nanhuang Chanyi herself, but it certainly cannot interfere with the Demon Empress!"
Qianye Ying'er's eyes shifted, fixing on Yun Che: "Do you know why the Soul Plunder Realm is called 'Soul Plunder'? If you fall into the hands of the Northern Domain Demon Empress now, the rest of your life might be spent as her puppet!"
"Never doubt whether she can do it! I consider myself intelligent, yet I was toyed with by that old scoundrel Qianye Fantian my entire life. But the Northern Domain Demon Empress, Chi Wuyue—she is someone who left a lifelong shadow on that old scoundrel. You have no qualifications to contend with her now... Do you understand!?"
"And?" Yun Che said.
"The Primordial World Marrow should have been an extinct thing," a strange light flickered deep in Qianye Ying'er's eyes. "The one that fell into our hands is likely the only one in the current world, even in future generations! If we use it directly, it would be far too wasteful."
"If, in the Tai Chu Divine Realm, we can find a legendary Tai Chu Primordial Fruit and refine it together with this into a 'Primordial World Pill'... our path of revenge would not just take a huge step forward! Perhaps by then, with the power of Dark Eternal Calamity, you would truly have the qualifications to cooperate with the Northern Domain Demon Empress!"
Yun Che: "..."
"Rest assured, Chi Wuyue is an extremely intelligent and highly ambitious person." Qianye Ying'er said in a low voice. "After learning that the Primordial World Marrow has been used and cannot be recovered, even if she is furious, she will cut her losses and cooperate with you. After all, there will never be a second Primordial World Marrow in this world, nor a second you."
I suspect the latter is your true goal... Yun Che gave Qianye Ying'er a deep look, but didn't say it out loud. Instead, he said, "Well said. Let's go."
"Are you sure about leaving now? Not worried about the people of the Tiangang Cloud Clan?" Qianye Ying'er said. "Both the Soul Plunder Realm and the Burning Moon King Realm will surely trace things back there."
"Not worried," Yun Che said. "If that Demon Empress is as smart as you say, she won't touch the people of the Tiangang Cloud Clan. At the very least... she'll protect Yunshang well."
"Let's go!"
Perhaps Yun Che truly had a calamity attached to him. Under pursuit from the three divine regions, he had been forced to flee into the Northern Domain. Just one year later, after being identified by a Demoness and unintentionally obtaining a Primordial World Marrow involving two King Realms, even the Northern Domain had become a dangerous place where it was hard to find refuge.
The Tai Chu Divine Realm seemed to have become his final destination.