# Chapter 1618: Cai Zhi and Qianye (Part 1)
Qianye Ying'er understood very well how difficult it was to obtain a Primordial Divine Fruit.
The Zhou Tian God Realm had the special resonance of the Zhou Tian Pearl, as well as the Void Cauldron and guardians who wielded powerful space divine power, so their chances of obtaining a Primordial Divine Fruit were far greater than others. Aside from Zhou Tian, even the Fan Di God Realm, whose overall strength far surpassed Zhou Tian, and even the Dragon God Realm, never held much hope.
The Burning Moon King Realm had gone to great lengths to conceal the Primeval Divine Marrow for so long, and should have been the one most desiring a Primordial Divine Fruit. Unfortunately, after ten thousand years, they hadn't even touched a shadow.
Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er had come to the Tai Chu Divine Realm primarily to completely escape the inevitable pursuit from the Jiehun Realm and Burning Moon King Realm. As for the Primordial Divine Fruit... although it was also one of the reasons, it was clear that the two of them had more of just a longing for it. In their year in the Tai Chu Divine Realm, they had never even ventured half a step deeper, let alone searched for the divine fruit.
Suddenly encountering people from the Zhou Tian God Realm and learning the news of the Primordial Divine Fruit was undoubtedly a huge surprise and blessing. Yun Che used Qianye Ying'er to lure Zhou Qingchen to approach, hoping that if the two guardians successfully obtained the divine fruit, they could use Zhou Qingchen to probe for flaws in the divine fruit, or even take him hostage to forcefully seize the Primordial Divine Fruit.
Both of these options undoubtedly came with great risks... because at that time, they would be facing two guardians!
But what happened next completely exceeded their expectations. Zhuliu Venerable died, and Taiyin Venerable successfully returned with the Primordial Divine Fruit... but was severely injured, nearly on the verge of death.
Yun Che took the opportunity to kill Taiyin and forcefully seize the divine fruit. Although it involved some risk, compared to the value of the divine fruit and the risks that should have been involved, it could be said to have been effortless.
"Indeed, it was too easy." Yun Che wasn't surprised by Qianye Ying'er's words. "What are you thinking?"
Not only had they obtained the Primordial Divine Fruit, but they had also eliminated a Zhou Tian guardian! The former should have been a high-risk endeavor, and the latter should have been an impossible feat, yet they had accomplished both with almost no effort.
"Taiyin and Zhuliu were extremely skilled in space profound energy, and they had brought along the Void Cauldron. Even if they encountered the Primordial Dragon Emperor while infiltrating the territory of the Primordial Dragon Clan, they should have been able to retreat safely. Unless..." Qianye Ying'er frowned slightly. "The Primordial Dragon Emperor foresaw their arrival, was already prepared, and struck them with a surprise attack, cutting off their chance to escape unharmed."
"But," Qianye Ying'er continued, "for the Primordial Dragon Clan, the importance of the Primordial Divine Fruit far outweighs eliminating invaders. If the Primordial Dragon Clan was truly prepared, most of their strength would have been focused on protecting the Primordial Divine Fruit."
"And yet, Zhuliu died, Taiyin was severely wounded, yet he still brought back the Primordial Divine Fruit. No matter how you think about it, it seems rather unlikely."
Qianye Ying'er's five fingers slightly spread, the indescribably thick divine aura within... there was nothing else it could be but the Primordial Divine Fruit.
Taiyin was truly dead, and the Primordial Divine Fruit was no fake.
"It seems we've hit the jackpot," Qianye Ying'er said. "The Primeval Divine Marrow, the Primordial Divine Fruit... and now even the heavens, which have never shown us favor, are siding with us two demons?"
Yun Che said nothing, his brows slightly furrowed.
Something he couldn't find fell into his hands easily; someone he couldn't kill died before his eyes...
This scene, why did it feel familiar?
At that moment, he suddenly recalled the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar power aura that had fleetingly passed over the wounds all over Taiyin's body.
A flash of dark light burst in his mind. He abruptly looked up and shouted, "Cai Zhi, is it you?"
"?" Qianye Ying'er turned her eyes, and at that very instant, the sky suddenly darkened.
An overbearing and unparalleled pressure descended, like a vast starry river overturning from the sky, freezing her entire figure, even the blood in her veins. A colorful shadow swooped down with freezing aura, a small, fair hand like snow-jade yet carrying the might to destroy heaven and earth, aimed solely at Qianye.
Qianye Ying'er, whose strength had recovered to the middle stage of the Divine Lord realm, was suppressed by this oppressive aura so much she could barely breathe. Only the "Oracle" at her waist barely flew out.
*Ding!*
The tender fingers that seemed too delicate to touch collided with the Oracle, a sword capable of severing stars. A soul-shredding light chime rang out, and the Oracle instantly became like a dead snake, its divine aura exhausted, flying away weakly. Qianye Ying'er's figure rapidly retreated, a thin trail of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
The Primordial Divine Fruit that had been tightly gripped in her hand flew out and was instantly snatched into the colorful figure's grasp.
"Cai Zhi!"
Seeing the girl's back, Yun Che cried out sharply. His long-cold soul suddenly burst forth with exceedingly complex emotions, especially... a glimmer of joy that should have long been dead.
If there was one person in this world he could still call family, it was Cai Zhi.
But in response to his call, Cai Zhi showed no reaction at all. The colorful figure flickered and shot straight for Qianye Ying'er. The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword materialized in her hand, releasing divine might and killing intent that made heaven and earth tremble.
Seven years ago, Cai Zhi had fought against Qianye Ying'er. But back then, even joined by Mo Li, they couldn't harm Qianye Ying'er in the slightest. Instead, both were wounded and ultimately had to rely on Mo Li's abilities to escape.
Now, in just one exchange, she had wounded her, shattered the Oracle, and seized the divine fruit.
It wasn't just that Qianye Ying'er's cultivation was far less than in previous years; it was also because Cai Zhi now was no longer the Cai Zhi of those years.
"Cai Zhi!!"
Yun Che's expression changed. He used Star God Remnant Shadow interspersed with Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick, flashing in front of Cai Zhi in an instant, forcibly halting her momentum... The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword, far larger than her own body, stopped in mid-air, barely half a foot from Yun Che's chest.
Several feet behind him was Qianye Ying'er.
The oppressive aura condensed, but the killing intent did not diminish in the slightest. After years apart, Yun Che's gaze finally met Cai Zhi's again, but between their bodies lay a massive azure sword.
"Don't kill her!" Yun Che said urgently.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, looking at Cai Zhi so close, he suddenly felt suffocated.
Years had passed, and Cai Zhi's appearance hadn't changed at all. Even her clothes were still the same colorful dress that exuded a naive girl's aura, as if it were their first meeting.
But her eyes had completely changed.
Those eyes that once seemed inlaid with countless colorful stars were now as gloomy as a bottomless abyss. No more radiant spirit or charming smiles, only coldness and darkness.
Her aura had also changed. As the person most sensitive to dark aura in the current world, Yun Che could clearly perceive that Cai Zhi's Celestial Wolf divine power had become alienated... No, it was no longer the Celestial Wolf divine power recognized by the divine realm, but a world-hating demon wolf born from extreme distortion!
He thought that besides memories, nothing in this world could cause his heart pain anymore. But looking into Cai Zhi's eyes, Yun Che felt as if a poisonous needle had stabbed his soul.
In his mind echoed the words Mo Li had said after forcing him and Cai Zhi to bow as husband and wife:
"Yun Che, I know you must find all of this absurd and ridiculous... There is an abyss in her heart. I did this in the hope that one day you might save her. Only you can save her."
"If in the future, for some reason, I am no longer by her side, at least she will still have you in her world, so she won't fall into the abyss forever..."
Back then, Mo Li knew she would soon become a sacrifice. She had forcibly bound Yun Che and Cai Zhi as husband and wife in a simple, almost absurd way, so that after she left, Cai Zhi's world would still have this glimmer of light called Yun Che, preventing her from sinking forever into darkness.
But the thing Mo Li feared most had finally come to pass.
The Cai Zhi before him had become what Mo Li feared most, what she least wanted to see... No, the dark demonic aura was so thick it even startled Yun Che. She had fallen into a deeper abyss than the one Mo Li had worried about.
"Cai... Zhi..." Yun Che called out again, his voice now very soft.
"You... want... to... protect... her?" Cai Zhi's voice was no longer ethereal, but dark and chilling.
Before the sacrifice ceremony of the Star God Realm began, the two people Cai Zhi hated most were Yue Wuyai and Qianye Ying'er. The first had driven her foster mother to death, and the latter had killed her brother.
Now, Qianye Ying'er was no longer what she once was, while Cai Zhi far surpassed her former self. She could finally avenge her brother Xi Su with her own hands.
Yun Che reached out, his five fingers grasping the blade of the Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword... A faint blue sword light flickered on the blade, yet it didn't harm him at all. "Cai Zhi, she does deserve to die. But now is not the time for her to die."
His fingers tightened on the blade, and he looked into Cai Zhi's eyes, speaking softly: "Before the Calamity Demon Emperor left, she gave me her source blood and demon art. And she is the best cultivation cauldron."
"Back then, she was our enemy. But now, she and I share a similar goal. For the rest of my life, I will seek revenge at all costs—for my family, for Mo Li, for my master, for myself... And she is a sharp blade, the best tool. Without her, this path of revenge would be much, much longer."
Qianye Ying'er: "..."
But Yun Che's words didn't stir even a trace of emotion in Cai Zhi. The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword suddenly erupted with sword light, shattering Yun Che's tiger's mouth, sending blood droplets flying, and blasting him far away.
A wolf howl shook heaven and earth. The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword overflowed with killing intent, aimed straight at Qianye Ying'er.
Yun Che's figure twisted mid-air, using Star God Remnant Shadow to forcibly flash and block before the Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword again, even as the Evil God Barrier spread open in an instant.
*Boom!!*
The Evil God Barrier shattered instantly. The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword directly touched Yun Che's chest this time... then just barely stopped.
"Cai Zhi," Yun Che blocked once more between Mo Li and Qianye Ying'er, his face calm, speaking softly. "Her life no longer belongs to her now. It is entirely under my control. Spare her life for now. Once I achieve my goal in the future, if you still want to kill her, I won't stop you."
Cai Zhi remained unmoved. Her reply was only four words: "She... must... die!"
At that moment, Qianye Ying'er slowly walked out from behind Yun Che and stood at his side. Her snow-like face showed no fear at all, but instead bore an elusive faint smile.
"In just a few short years, the little wolf cub has grown to such an extent, far beyond even Xi Su, who once amazed all realms. Xing Juekong had such an amazing daughter, yet thought to sacrifice her—truly stupid to the point of absurdity."
Qianye Ying'er had deliberately mentioned the name "Xi Su." Cai Zhi's gloomy eyes instantly froze with boundless cold, and a pair of deep blue wolf eyes suddenly opened on the Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword.
"Celestial Wolf Xi Su indeed died because of me. But... are you sure you can kill me?" Facing the demon wolf Cai Zhi, who was absolutely capable of killing her, she gently pursed her lips, her beautiful eyes placid, her voice as soft as dust, speaking the words she should least have said.
[...Slightly recovering my state. Next updates might possibly be more normal?]
[Tomorrow, I'll release Qianye Ying'er's character design (*^▽^*)]