# Chapter 1634: Demonic Voice, Demonic Shadow
After flying out of Huangtian Que, Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er did not immediately leave the Huangtian Realm, but instead stopped at its border.
"Having killed Yan Sangeng by force, the Yan Mo Realm will be absolutely furious. Their pursuit of us has probably already begun by now."
Qianye Ying'er spoke leisurely. Although after refining half a Primordial World Pill, her cultivation was still far from what it once was, being able to recover to this extent in such a short time was a luxury she had never dared to dream of, not even the slightest bit, back when she was in despair.
"Even better," Yun Che said.
"The Yan Mo Realm is enraged, and the Fenyue Realm has surely received the news as well. Add to that a Demon Girl whose courage has been shattered, and the Demon Empress won't be able to sit still no matter what." Qianye Ying'er glanced at Yun Che. "This is indeed the best method, but also the most risky."
"There is no risk," Yun Che said. "After all, she is the one who can find our location the 'fastest'."
"Ah," Qianye Ying'er let out a soft breath. "If you had this kind of decisiveness and ruthlessness before, you wouldn't have ended up in such a situation."
Yun Che gave her a cold look, his voice deepening. "Don't always try to provoke my anger."
"I wish I could occasionally see you angry," Qianye Ying'er said with a faint smile, despite Yun Che's chilling gaze. "If the day comes when you no longer even feel anger, then that would be..."
She didn't finish the second half of her sentence, and naturally averted her gaze from him, looking into the distance.
"I'm curious," Qianye Ying'er continued. "What do you plan to do with Tian Guhu?"
"If he's useful, why not use him?" Yun Che said.
"...Very well." Qianye Ying'er replied, not asking further.
During the half year she had been refining the Primordial World Pill, Yun Che seemed to have pondered many things.
The Huangtian Realm, and indeed most of the Northern Divine Region, had begun to experience increasingly violent upheaval.
A Heavenly Lord Grand Assembly, which had drawn the attention of the entire Northern Domain's profound way, had been interrupted in a shocking manner. Tian Guhu had suffered a crushing defeat on equal ground, Yan the Ghost King was dead, and the Fourth Demon Girl had fled in utter defeat.
Though the Northern Divine Region experienced turmoil every moment, it had been countless years since something so earth-shattering had occurred.
A large number of people from the King Realms were rushing to the Huangtian Realm at full speed. As the number one star realm below the King Realms, this was the first time the Huangtian Realm had received such "favor" from the King Realms. Even the lowest-level profound practitioners in the Huangtian Realm could clearly sense the extraordinary atmosphere.
And yet, the instigator of all this was the calmest and most indifferent person. The two flew at a moderate speed, the scenery below constantly shifting. Before they knew it, a fairly large bamboo grove appeared ahead.
The scent of the spirit bamboos made Yun Che unconsciously look down, his gaze lingering for a long time without shifting.
Ling'er...
Once upon a time, every time he saw a bamboo grove, he would think of Su Ling'er. Because that had once been the most painful mark in his heart.
It was only after he had lost and then regained her that the mark disappeared.
Losing again after regaining made the pain even more piercing.
Qianye Ying'er tilted her phoenix eyes slightly and said, "To think that green bamboos actually grow in the Northern Domain. That's quite rare."
Her slender finger casually hooked onto Yun Che's sleeve ornament. "Come on, let's go down and take a look."
The two descended and landed amidst the bamboo grove.
On the border of the Huangtian Realm, the dark aura was much fainter. The color of the spirit bamboos here was rather dark, but their aura still retained a hint of rare freshness and purity.
This was the first time Yun Che had seen a bamboo grove in the Northern Divine Region.
Perhaps it was precisely because the aura was relatively "too" pure that no dark profound beasts could be sensed here. It was like a piece of pure land temporarily forgotten by the dark world.
"Back then, after Mother passed away, I buried her in a bamboo grove," Qianye Ying'er said slowly. "Though she was an Imperial Consort, she never liked conflict. Perhaps even that identity of hers was forced upon her." A woman who could give birth to the Fandi Shennü must have possessed a beauty that could topple nations.
"Letting her rest in the bamboo grove, I hoped she could forever bathe in the clear breeze, no longer needing to sink into the filth and turmoil." Qianye Ying'er's eyes briefly grew distant, her voice darkening slightly. "Every time I return to the realm, I go to pay my respects and visit her first. It's just that this time, it's been a little too long."
Yun Che stared ahead, not saying a word.
In that life on the Cang Yun Continent, when Su Ling'er died in his arms, he realized that he had been consumed by hatred. But no matter how much he regretted and hated himself, he could not turn back.
That was why, after awakening in the Tian Xuan Continent, he swore to do everything in his power to protect those he held dear, never allowing himself to repeat the same mistake.
"Hatred is a demon. It blinds your eyes, devours your reason and soul, and buries all hope and light in your life."
These were the words he had once used to admonish Fen Juechen.
But now, he had fallen into the abyss of hatred once again. And this time, he let himself be completely swallowed by hatred, willing to sacrifice everything, to offer up everything for it.
Like a bitter, cruel, and fated cycle.
He took a step, walking forward slowly. After a few steps, the hazy mist in his eyes had already dissipated, returning to cold indifference.
The bamboo grove was large. The two strolled through it for a long time before a small figure appeared in their line of sight.
A girl who looked only thirteen or fourteen years old was leaning against a dark green spirit bamboo. She was thin, covered in dirt, her hair disheveled, and there were visible scars on her face.
She hugged her knees, half-collapsed against the bamboo trunk, her entire body exuding a heartbreaking fragility. Her half-open eyes stared blankly ahead, their originally lively gaze now filled only with darkness.
It wasn't until Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er were just over ten steps away from her that she suddenly noticed them. Then, like a startled bird, she tried to flee in panic. But perhaps because her body was too weak, before she could even fully stand, her feet stumbled and she crashed heavily to the ground.
The girl trembled all over. She shrank back, and after seeing Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er clearly, the terror in her eyes finally dissipated considerably. But the exhaustion after the shock left her limbs weak, and she couldn't get up for a long time.
Such scenes were all too familiar to the two of them.
For the young, no matter how high their talent, their cultivation time was ultimately too short. Without an elder or the protection of a faction, premature death was an all-too-common occurrence in the living environment of the Northern Divine Region.
The girl before them, now completely alone, had clearly lost all protection. And here, in the Huangtian Realm with its countless powerful figures, if she couldn't find a sufficiently strong backing, surviving in the future would be far too difficult.
"Two... seniors," the girl looked at Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er, her eyes shimmering as she mustered all her courage to plead. "Can you... can you give me a Profound Restoration Pill... or even some food, I beg you. In the future, I will definitely repay your kindness."
Yun Che's expression was impassive, but he stepped forward to stand before the girl. He reached out, and in his palm was a snow-white pill radiating a cold aura.
"?" Qianye Ying'er was inwardly puzzled but showed nothing on her face.
This was a Snow Beauty Pill from the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. Given the girl's age, her cultivation was clearly far from the Divine Way. This Snow Beauty Pill would be of tremendous help to her. "It will quickly restore your profound energy and greatly benefit your cultivation. Eat it."
Placing it in the girl's hand, Yun Che turned around directly.
"Ah..." The girl froze for a moment, then, like a starving cat, not caring whether it was poison or a potent pill she couldn't refine, she swallowed the Snow Beauty Pill directly.
When she looked up again, her eyes were brimming with tears of gratitude. "Thank you, seniors, for your gift. You... you are truly good people. In the future, I will definitely repay you."
"I'll remember those words," Yun Che said with a seemingly faint smile.
"Giggle, giggle, giggle, giggle..."
In the silent bamboo grove, a woman's silvery laughter suddenly drifted in. The laughter was lazy yet wanton, as if far away yet also right next to them.
The moment the laughter entered his ears, Yun Che's entire body tingled sharply. Even after the laughter subsided, that indescribable tingling sensation didn't dissipate, but spread through his entire body, making even his bones feel soft.
"What a kind child. You've moved me so much I'm almost in tears."
In his life, Yun Che had heard countless heavenly sounds: the ethereal voice of Feng Xue'er, the cold majesty of Xiao Yaohou, the transcendent tone of Shen Xi, the icy chill of Mu Xuanyin... Even in the Northern Divine Region, he had encountered the exceptionally gentle and soft voice of Nanhuang Chanyi.
His emotions had fallen into an abyss, his soul sea filled only with hatred, and with Qianye Ying'er by his side, he had long become almost completely immune to beauty or enchanting voices.
But the voice that now rang in his ears—just a laugh, just a word—caused every blood vessel in his body to relax, every hair to tremble slightly.
And this voice carried... no profound energy or soul power at all!
Yun Che's brow furrowed slightly. Beside him, Qianye Ying'er's expression had also clearly changed.
Back then, she had heard Qianye Fantian say that in the Northern Divine Region, there existed a very terrifying voice. It could easily enter a person's bones and seize their soul. At the time, she highly respected her father and did not doubt his words. After returning to the Northern Domain, she had recalled that statement many times.
But the voice she now heard, despite her mental preparation, still left her deeply shocked.
Enchantment... a kind of incredibly soft, yet incredibly terrifying enchantment. Even to say it seizes the soul and penetrates the bones was utterly insufficient to describe it.
Qianye Ying'er had known countless enchanting voices and enchanting techniques that could beguile the soul, and had seen countless examples. She had always scoffed at them.
But the voice in her ears completely transcended the level of "enchanting sound." There was no trace of any enchanting technique. Just a single, brief word, yet it completely ignored the soul defenses of Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er, stirring every string of their souls.
It seemed to be a kind of demonic sound that did not exist in common knowledge, or rather, should not exist in this world at all.
Yun Che's chest heaved visibly, taking several breaths before slowly settling. He glanced at the dazed girl and said, "You should go. As far away as possible."
His words snapped the girl out of her stupor. She quickly got up and hurried far away, not daring to say another word.
The moment the girl left, a black shadow slowly emerged from the bamboo grove ahead.
The appearance of this black shadow had no warning, yet it didn't seem abrupt at all. It was as if it had always been there.
Her entire body was shrouded in a layer of constantly flowing black mist that seemed to possess life. Her steps were light and slow, as if she were walking out of an unknown dark abyss. With each step, the light dimmed a little, and with each step, the surrounding spirit bamboos turned into flying black dust.
The black smoke veiled her face and figure, but anyone who saw her at first glance would be absolutely certain this was a woman. Because even with the swirling black mist, even though she was clearly wearing a loose black robe, with every step, the naturally protruding curves of her body were breathtakingly stunning in every single instant.
Yun Che... even Qianye Ying'er's gaze froze for a long time.
Just a blurry glimpse was enough. They could not imagine what kind of demonic body would be revealed if the black mist dispersed.
Neither in Yun Che's life, nor in Qianye Ying'er's life, had there ever been a person whose voice and body gave them such a distinct feeling of "fear."
"I guessed we would meet again soon," Qianye Ying'er said, her hands silently clenching. The woman in the black mist before her had released no profound aura, displayed no majesty, yet had made her feel an unprecedented vigilance. "But I didn't expect it to be so soon. Your patience is far worse than I imagined."
Qianye Ying'er stepped forward slowly, her jade lips moving gently as she slowly uttered the name. "Northern Domain Demon Empress, Chi Wuyue!"