Chapter 1622: Savage Growth
Northern Divine Region, Border.
Returning to the Northern Divine Region, though not much time had passed since his first arrival, Yun Che's strength had undergone earth-shattering changes. Another major difference was the presence of Qianye Ying'er by his side.
When he had lost everything, with no remaining ties and only thoughts of revenge, his obsession with power had grown to an almost pathological degree, and his own unique qualities were continuously being unearthed by him, often without conscious effort.
The progress of Dark Eternal Calamity was so astonishing that it would cause even Jie Tian Mo Di to be shocked and wide-eyed.
The once completely unsolvable Void Law was also continuously revealing increasingly terrifying might.
Coupled with Qianye Ying'er, an incomparably useful cultivation furnace, in less than three short years, the magnitude of his power leap was enough to shatter the understanding of all powerhouses and all living beings in the Divine Realm's history... and even the established laws of the Profound Dao.
Qianye Ying'er witnessed all of this... She was very eager to see what kind of reaction Zhou Tian Shen Di would have when he learned that Tai Yin Zunzhe was killed by Yun Che.
His current progress clearly would not allow Yun Che even a shred of satisfaction. On the contrary... in the coming period, aided by their experiences in Tai Chu Divine Realm, both his and Qianye Ying'er's strength would once again undergo a massive leap forward.
"Using the Primeval Divine Marrow and the Tai Chu Divine Fruit, I will refine two Primordial World Pills together."
In Yun Che's hand, a point of silver-red light shimmered.
Qianye Ying'er's gaze briefly lingered on Yun Che's palm, but she couldn't see the shape of the Primordial World Pill clearly, because even with her eyesight, she couldn't penetrate this light, which was neither glaring nor blinding, yet was profoundly deep to the extreme.
"Although it's only half, its medicinal power is definitely far superior to the one obtained by the Zhou Tian Ancestor back then." Yun Che said slowly. "With the Demon Emperor's blood as the foundation, half a year should be enough to completely refine it."
Qianye Ying'er reached out and unceremoniously grabbed the Primordial World Pill between her fingers, feeling the divine essence that instantly flooded her entire body. Her lips curled slightly: "Back then, before the Zhou Tian Ancestor had fully acknowledged the Zhou Tian Pearl as its master, and before he had received the complete inheritance of Zhou Tian Divine Power, relying on a single Primordial World Pill, he crossed from Divine Lord Realm Level 5 directly to Divine Lord Realm Level 7 in one year."
"In just one year, crossing two small realms of the Divine Lord Realm was unprecedented not only in that era but also in later generations. The entire realm was shaken, and the Primordial World Pill was thereafter hailed as a 'miracle' of the Profound Dao."
"I wonder what kind of miracle it will manifest in me... Hmph, it's something to look forward to."
Qianye Ying'er slowly closed her hand. When she was still the Fandi Shennü, her pursuit was to break through the limits of the Profound Dao. For more power, even the slightest possibility, she would spare no expense.
But even back then, she had never truly dared to hope for a Primordial World Pill. Because the Tai Chu Divine Fruit was far too rare. The Zhou Tian God Realm possessed the Zhou Tian Pearl, which could sense its aura, along with immensely powerful spatial divine power, giving them a chance to obtain it. For other powers as strong as the King Realms, obtaining even one was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
As for Primeval Divine Marrow... in ancient times, there were already rumors that it had vanished from the Chaos.
Now, with a Primordial World Pill in her hand, Qianye Ying'er wasn't overly excited.
Perhaps it was because this Primordial World Pill had come too easily, or perhaps because her mindset, pursuits, and even her destiny were now completely different from back then.
"Are you going to refine the other half when you reach the mid-stage Divine Lord Realm in the future?" Qianye Ying'er asked, seemingly casually.
"No," Yun Che said indifferently. "As long as I enter the Divine Lord Realm, that will be enough."
As the highest-grade pill ever recorded in the history of the Divine Realm, its medicinal power was considered a miracle, but it also required at least the cultivation of a mid-stage Divine Lord to be swallowed and refined.
But Yun Che was clearly an exception.
He was confident that when he stepped into the Divine Lord Realm in the future, he could directly refine the other Primordial World Pill in his hand.
This place was the world of the Primordial Mystic Ark.
The world of the Primordial Mystic Ark was vast and boundless, but its energy level was very low, only slightly better than the Lan Ji Star. It was an extremely unsuitable place for cultivation.
But returning to the Northern Divine Region, this was undoubtedly the safest place.
Moreover, for the coming period, Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er would not be cultivating. Qianye Ying'er would refine the Primordial World Pill, while Yun Che, using the Void Law, would focus on absorbing and fusing the ferocious beast profound pills that Cai Zhi had given him... each one more terrifying than the last.
During its peak, the Star God Realm, including the Star Gods and elders, had a total of fifty-one Divine Lords. Among the ferocious beast profound pills Cai Zhi had thrown at him, thirty emitted Divine Lord auras, meaning that during her time in the Tai Chu Divine Realm, she had hunted and killed over thirty Tai Chu ferocious beasts at the Divine Lord Realm.
That number exceeded half of the total Divine Lords during the Star God Realm's heyday.
Yun Che found it hard to imagine how she had managed it... and even harder to imagine what kind of cultivation hell she had set for herself in the Tai Chu Divine Realm with her petite, lithe, and graceful figure.
Inside the Primordial Mystic Ark, Qianye Ying'er had already swallowed the Primordial World Pill. As star radiance covered a hundred miles and spiritual energy scattered, she began to focus on refining it.
Yun Che also released the first Divine Lord ferocious beast profound pill.
His cultivation advancement was far more difficult than for cultivators of the same level, but with the Void Law, these ferocious beast profound pills were definitely enough to cause a significant increase in his profound strength.
Three small realms... Divine Sovereign Realm Level 7 would definitely be enough!
If he could achieve Level 7 Divine Sovereign, combined with Qianye Ying'er's power after refining the Primordial World Pill, it would surely be sufficient to stand at the highest point of the Northern Divine Region.
He could also... take the true first step!
...
...
What exactly is the Void Law?
In the world of consciousness, the root power within the ferocious beast profound pills was gradually transformed into "nothingness," and from that "nothingness," his own power gradually derived within his profound veins.
It could not be explained by the common knowledge of the Profound Dao, nor did it conform to any principles of the mundane world.
All things return to nothing, and all things begin from nothing.
Does nothingness truly exist?
If it does not, how can it give rise to all things? If it does, why call it "nothingness"?
All things in the world can return to nothing. Then, besides visible objects, what of space? What of time? What of thoughts, or even fate...
Fate?
Why did I think of fate?
...
In the world of consciousness, the passage of time was imperceptible. At some unknown moment, his consciousness suddenly wavered and sank into an illusory dream.
Lan Ji Star, Cang Feng Kingdom, Liu Yun City, Xiao Sect.
"Grandfather, how exactly did Father die? You once said that when I turn ten, you would tell me."
Beside Xiao Lie's knee sat Xiao Che, who had just turned ten. Next to him, pressing close, was Xiao Lingxi, who had just turned nine, playing with a lotus leaf she had just picked. Upon hearing Xiao Che's words, her starry eyes turned and fixed unblinkingly on Xiao Lie, waiting for his answer.
"Heh heh," Xiao Lie shook his head somewhat helplessly. Though he let out a gentle laugh, his eyes, looking into the distance, held a deep sorrow he didn't want the two children to see. "Although I never told you all, over the years you must have heard some rumors. After all, Che'er's father, Xi'er's elder brother, my son... he was the brightest star in our Liu Yun City back then."
"I know." Xiao Che nodded. "Yuanba also told me that Father was the most remarkable person in Liu Yun City... Uncle Xia told him. Was he really killed by bad people?"
"I heard it was to save the City Lord's daughter, so..." Xiao Lingxi said very softly.
"Yeah." Xiao Lie nodded slightly. "Back then, not long after you were born, the City Lord Situ's daughter was born. But because the City Lord's wife was unwell, the child was born with only a faint breath, on the verge of death."
"To save her life, one needed at least the Spirit Xuan Realm cultivation to have a slim chance. Those who had reached the Spirit Xuan Realm in Liu Yun City were few and far between, and every single one of them was of extraordinary status. To administer aid would damage their own foundation. So, despite the City Lord's desperate pleas, none of them were moved."
"Only Ying'er, he risked severely damaging himself, exhausting almost all of his profound strength, to stabilize the vitality of that poor child, and thus she survived."
At this point, Xiao Lie glanced at Xiao Che and smiled: "Che'er, the marriage contract with the City Lord's daughter was sealed right then. City Lord Situ was so grateful to Ying'er for saving his daughter's life that he immediately swore brotherhood with Ying'er. In front of everyone, he declared that his daughter would only ever marry Xiao Ying's son, to repay the heavenly grace for the rest of her life."
"Hmph!" Xiao Lingxi wrinkled her nose and said very softly: "I don't like that Situ Xuan at all. She never pays attention to anyone... even when she sees Little Che."
"I don't like her either," Xiao Che agreed. "And I feel like she really dislikes me."
Xiao Lie smiled, neither confirming nor denying, and continued, "Because of that rescue, Ying'er's profound energy was greatly depleted and his vitality was severely damaged. But during this time, he suddenly encountered some villains... and was murdered by them."
"Villains? Who exactly were the villains who killed Father?" Xiao Che asked.
"I don't know," Xiao Lie shook his head. Then he looked into the distance, his gaze gradually hardening, his voice growing hoarse: "We will find them. We will definitely find them."
Although Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi were young, they could still hear the heavy pain in his words. For a time, they obediently said nothing.
...
Yun Che's eyes snapped open.
Not far away, Qianye Ying'er was still bathed in the silver-red light, her surrounding spiritual energy sometimes as calm as mist, sometimes as violent as a hurricane.
Yun Che frowned slightly... That dream again.
Counting them, it was already the third time.
These three dreams had each occurred at inopportune moments, suddenly pulling him under. The dream world was always in Liu Yun City, always during his youth, but subtly different from his own past.
He clearly remembered that in the last such dream, the person he was to marry at sixteen was named Situ Xuan, not Xia Qingyue.
Strangely, this time, the name "Situ Xuan" appeared again. The person Xiao Ying had exhausted himself to save back then was also not Xia Qingyue, but Liu Yun City Lord's daughter, Situ Xuan... This quite perfectly connected the cause and effect from those several dreams.
Although he was puzzled as to why he occasionally had these strange dreams in recent years, dreams were ultimately illusory bubbles. He paid them no mind, closed his eyes, and soon re-entered the state of channeling nothingness.
"Alas..."
In the world of "nothingness," there was a very soft sigh, one that no one could hear.
"He has touched 'nothingness,' and has finally begun to gradually touch the 'truth' beneath 'nothingness.'"
"Fortunately, after all, he is not 'her.' Although besides 'her,' he is the [only one] who can touch nothingness, he can only touch its fringes, and can never touch its core. He is also destined to only see the 'dreams' that appear and disappear intermittently, and can never see the complete 'truth.'"
"Fate is the thing in this world that must not be interfered with."
"I interfered with [her] fate, and that was the most regretful decision of my life. Now, even if I wanted to interfere with [his] fate, I cannot."
"[His] fate will rest entirely in his own hands. Whatever he faces in the future, he must live well, so as not to betray her sacrifice, and her... [wish]."
The voice of nothingness faded, not a single sound heard by anyone, as if it had never appeared or existed.
In the world of the Primordial Mystic Ark, neither Yun Che nor Qianye Ying'er were in a state of cultivation, yet both of their auras were continuously skyrocketing at an astonishing rate.