Chapter 1626: Stirring Up Trouble
Yun Che did not immediately step into Huangtian Que. Instead, he suddenly said, "Over the past few years, you’ve been using various methods, both overt and covert, all to push me into cooperation with that Demon Empress of the Northern Domain."
"It's not 'me,' it's 'us,'" Qianye Ying’er corrected.
"I’ll confirm one last time." Yun Che turned his head to look at Qianye Ying'er. "Is she really that 'useful'?"
"Whether she’s useful depends on how well you can control her." Qianye Ying'er raised her brow slightly. "The one thing I can be certain of is this: as long as you have enough skill, she will definitely not disappoint you."
Yun Che said no more. He stepped forward and walked toward Huangtian Que.
As the two approached, the Huangtian disciples guarding the entrance did not block them.
At every Heavenly Lord Gathering, attendance was not limited to invitees. Those who met the qualifications could enter freely. But that "qualification" was extremely strict—one's cultivation must at least be at the Divine King Realm.
Those below the Divine King Realm would be directly repelled by the invisible barrier of Huangtian Que.
Huangtian Que was not a vast place, and without sufficient cultivation, the sheer density of terrifying auras here would be unbearable.
Aside from the deceased Beihan Chu, all the Northern Domain Heavenly Lords on the list had already arrived. Their gazes, whether overtly or covertly, fell upon Tian Guhu. In their hearts, they were all painfully aware that although they were all Northern Domain Heavenly Lords, Tian Guhu existed in a realm far above theirs—in every aspect.
When Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er arrived, the auras of two seventh-level Divine Sovereigns immediately drew considerable attention. And since these were two completely unfamiliar faces and auras, many furrowed their brows in confusion... but that was all.
Since they were not invited, they could only stay at the periphery and watch from afar. At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out: "It's them!"
It was a woman’s voice, and it was clearly blurted out inadvertently. In this solemn gathering, it was jarringly loud and abrupt, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
The one who shouted was none other than Luo Yun of the Tian Luo Realm, who had just been rescued by Tian Guhu. She had just taken her seat when she caught sight of Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er entering, and the words slipped out.
Luo Ying's gaze shifted, and his brows sank.
The Tian Luo Realm King scolded, "In such an occasion, shouting like that—what kind of conduct is that!"
Luo Yun's shout also inevitably drew Tian Guhu's attention. He cast a glance at Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er, frowned slightly, and declared, "Have those two escorted out."
Tian Guhu's status was immense, and this was Huangtian Que. His words carried great weight. As soon as he spoke, all heads turned.
Given the direction of his gaze and the timing of his words, the "two" he referred to could only be the two seventh-level Divine Sovereigns who had just entered Huangtian Que.
Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er stopped in their tracks. Yun Che's face was expressionless, while deep in Qianye Ying'er's golden eyes, a hint of amusement flickered... There was no need for her to find ways to stir up trouble; they had barely entered the door when someone voluntarily offered themselves up.
The Northern Divine Region was truly an interesting place.
Tian Muyi rose and glanced at Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er, then asked, "Guhu, what's the matter? Do these two have a grievance with you?"
Tian Guhu replied, "Father King, I have never had any grudges or disputes with them, nor do I know them. Even if there were personal grievances, I would never disturb the Heavenly Lord Gathering over personal enmity."
"But..." Tian Guhu turned, facing Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er, who remained silent, "In my view, these two are unworthy of setting foot in our Huangtian Que!"
His tone was calm as still water, yet every word struck like thunder. More gazes fell upon the pair—half in surprise, half in pity. Clearly, these two individuals of unknown identity must have crossed Tian Guhu’s bottom line in some way.
And to incur the disdain of the esteemed Guhu himself—their future would surely invite pity from many.
"Nephew, what do you mean by that?" the Viper Saint Lord asked with a smile.
Tian Guhu remained as calm as a placid lake, his voice flat: "Just half a day ago, Brother Eagle and Sister Yun of the Tian Luo Realm encountered a calamity, hanging by a thread. These two passed by."
"The disaster Brother Eagle and Sister Yun faced was not a human conflict but a beast tribulation. With their cultivation at the seventh level of the Divine Sovereign Realm, a mere wave of their hands could have resolved it, saving two young Divine Kings with boundless futures and forging a bond of goodwill."
"But when faced with their cries for help, they paid no heed and coldly walked away." Tian Guhu slowly shook his head. "Such conduct is something I cannot overlook, nor can I tolerate."
"Is that so?" the Tian Luo Realm King said.
Luo Ying stood up and said, "Indeed. When Xiao Yun and I were in dire straits, we happened to sense them approaching. Filled with hope, we called out loudly for help. They were merely a thousand zhang away from us, but they ignored us completely, not even turning their heads for a moment."
Having said that, he glanced at Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er. Though his eyes seemed calm, a glint of satisfaction flashed through them.
"Enough." Tian Muyi waved his hand. "Not lending a hand to save them—though lacking merit, it is not a fault. There's no need to pursue this further."
To simply walk past when a life could be saved with minimal effort was indeed cold and heartless. But in the Northern Divine Region, turning a blind eye to death was perfectly normal. In some respects, not taking the opportunity to kick someone when they're down or loot them was already considered merciful.
Tian Guhu gave a soft sigh, turned back, and bowed, saying, "Father King’s words are naturally to be followed. But as a younger generation upon whom great hopes are placed, standing before the heroes of the world today, there are some things I must say."
"..." Tian Muyi said nothing. No one knew his son better than he did; he could roughly guess what Tian Guhu intended to say.
Tian Guhu faced the assembly, his brows slightly furrowed, his voice clear: "Our Northern Divine Region is one of the four divine regions of the God Realm. Yet it has been abandoned by the world, hated by the other three regions. Forced to remain here forever, we dare not take a single step beyond."
"How is this land beneath our feet, which bears the name of a divine region, any different from a giant cage?"
Huangtian Que fell silent. All eyes were fixed on Tian Guhu.
"The dark aura of chaos has been dispersing without cease. The territory of the Northern Divine Region shrinks with every moment. Every so often, star realms and star domains vanish eternally. One day, it will reach our very feet."
"Under such circumstances, the future of the Northern Domain rests upon those of us fortunate enough to tread the lofty peaks of the Xuan path. If we, who hold the lifeblood of the Northern Domain, do not work together with mutual support, bestowing grace upon the world, but instead vie for profit, devour each other, and let our hearts grow cold with indifference—then what future can the Northern Domain have? What right do we have to bear this heaven-granted power?"
Tian Guhu spun around sharply, facing Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er directly: "What I witnessed today sticks in my throat like a thorn. Had I not happened to pass by and act swiftly, two young Divine Kings who could shoulder the future of the Northern Domain might have already perished under the claws of wild beasts. If so, what difference is there between their indifference and personally sending them to their graves?"
"To know no compassion, to have no shred of humanity—what separates them from beasts!" Tian Guhu's voice deepened. "I dare not defy my father king's wishes, but I absolutely refuse to accept such individuals setting foot in Huangtian Que. To share the title of Divine Sovereign with them is a deep shame!"
As these heavy words fell, the expressions of those present varied—some nodded in approval, some sighed, some remained silent, some shook their heads.
Knowing Tian Guhu’s reputation, the world naturally understood why he had chosen the name "Guhu" for himself—a solitary swan. It was not just because his talent stood alone in its domain; his vision and aspirations were also far beyond those of his peers. He himself held no desire to be considered on equal footing with them.
To the ears of experienced elders, his words might sound somewhat naive, but they could not help but evoke respect and admiration. Moreover, they made people suddenly feel that the birth of a Tian Guhu in the Northern Divine Region was a great fortune bestowed by heaven.
"Heh heh," before anyone else could speak, Tian Muyi was the first to respond, smiling warmly, "Guhu, to have such a heart and such ambition, your father is deeply gratified. Today is a gathering for you young Heavenly Lords. There's no need to be distracted by such matters. The three overseers from the King Realms will soon arrive. Everyone, please wait patiently. I believe today’s gathering will certainly not disappoint your expectations."
The moment his words fell, before the crowd could respond en masse, a particularly melodious and serene woman’s voice drifted languidly: "I've seen plenty of fools in my life, but one this laughably stupid—this is a first. I hear this Tian Guhu is nearly ten cycles of sixty years old, with almost six hundred years of experience. Did he waste it all on a dog?"
The woman's voice was soft and captivating, like weeping or whispering, as if she were casually murmuring to herself. Yet every word was piercingly sharp, leaving the crowd utterly dumbfounded.
The impending wave of applause was abruptly smothered, as if a great cauldron had fallen from the sky. All eyes snapped to the woman who had spoken... It was none other than one of the two people Tian Guhu had condemned.
Qianye Ying'er lowered her head slightly. The ice-blue mask on her face rippled with a hazy cold air, obscuring her features. But anyone with eyes could catch the undisguised leisure in her half-exposed, exquisitely fair face.
As if she had merely uttered the simplest, most ordinary of remarks.
Tian Muyi was cautious by nature. Add to that the imminent arrival of honored guests from the three King Realms, and he wanted no further complications. Thus, he had directly brushed aside the matter.
In everyone's eyes, that Tian Muyi, after Tian Guhu’s stance, did not expel them—it was already an immense grace to Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er.
But what they could never have dreamed was that this fortunate Divine Sovereign, a woman at that, would openly insult Tian Guhu in front of everyone!
And this was at Huangtian Realm, Huangtian Que!
Qianye Ying'er's words had undoubtedly poked a colossal hornet’s nest. Tian Muyi’s previously mild expression darkened sharply. The entire Huangtian Sect glared at her with fury. The Huangtian Grand Elder, Tian Muhe, slammed the table and rose, the seat beneath him cracking on the spot. He pointed at Qianye Ying'er and bellowed, "You wretched thing, how dare you run wild in our Huangtian Que!"
"Oh?" Qianye Ying'er shot him a sidelong glance and drawled, "Now that's strange. When he called us beasts, you didn’t even fart. But when I called him a dog’s waste, you jumped up and started barking. Could it be that you are that dog?"
"You!!" Tian Muhe’s eyes sank like an abyss, his entire body beginning to tremble... Having lived for tens of thousands of years, he truly faced such a situation for the first time. As the Grand Elder of Huangtian, even those who dared to disrespect him barely existed. Who had ever dared speak to him like this!
Huangtian Que fell so silent that a pin drop could be heard. This was a scene they could never have imagined or understood—a seventh-level Divine Sovereign, here in Huangtian Que, publicly insulting Tian Guhu and the Huangtian Grand Elder!
And the insults were absolutely venomous! Even the most ordinary person could not bear such treatment, let alone Tian Guhu and Tian Muhe!
Tian Guhu turned around. His sword-like brows tilted slightly, but no anger showed on his face.
"Grand Elder, there is no need to be enraged." Tian Muyi slowly stood up. "These two pathetic lowlifes are not worth your anger."
Tian Muyi’s expression remained as calm as before, without any visible ripple. But the calamity star Huo Tianxing and the Viper Saint Lord beside him could clearly feel a bone-chilling coldness.
Tian Muhe had been insulted, and he could take it in stride. But Tian Guhu—everyone in Huangtian Realm knew he was the greatest pride of Tian Muyi's life, the one thing no one was allowed to touch.
With those few words just now, that woman and the man with her were already doomed to a fate worse than death.