# Chapter 1635: Divine Maiden and Demon Empress
The Demon Empress of the Northern Domain — a title that resounds even among the strong of the Eastern, Western, and Southern Divine Regions — yet her true name is known to very few. And in the Northern Divine Region, even in private, no one dares to speak it aloud.
Chi Wuyue!
Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er had never seen her before, never had any contact whatsoever. But the moment she appeared within the black mist... no, the instant her voice reached them, both Yun Che and Qianye — indeed, anyone in the Northern Divine Region — would be absolutely certain in that very first instant: it was the Demon Empress of the Northern Domain descending upon them!
One step, two steps, three steps... Yun Che's gaze fixed on the silhouette of the woman slowly approaching.
There was not the slightest pressure, not even a hint of oppressive force.
At her level of cultivation, even intangible auras had faded away. She simply existed there, and the entire world would take her as its master and core. Humility and submission would override will and conviction, rapidly taking root in the deepest recesses of the soul, unceasingly.
If not for Qianye Ying'er possessing the blood of a Demon Emperor, even she — now restored to the power of an Eighth-rank Divine Lord — would have been significantly affected.
"Daring to call this Empress by her name — you truly have no small amount of nerve, hmm~"
Her voice came again, and in an instant, it made Yun Che's forcibly chilled blood surge once more.
The voice of the most fearsome woman from the Northern Divine Region should have carried a soul-shaking pressure, yet it came like the plaintive sigh of a young wife in her inner chamber, or like a maiden's gentle whisper right by the ear. Yun Che's hands clenched slightly. When he shifted his gaze, his pupils were still dark and deep: "You may also call me by my name."
"Oh?" When the black-clad woman halted, she was barely three paces away from Yun Che. She seemed somewhat surprised by their reactions, but then she chuckled lightly: "Yun Che. This Empress has heard your name many years ago. What a handsome child you are."
Yun Che: "...?"
"As for you, Qianye Ying'er." Beneath the black mist, a pair of dark gray eyes slowly and wantonly roamed over Qianye Ying'er's entire body. The already enchanting voice became soft and languid: "No wonder you are the Fandi Shennü desired by every man in the world. Such a face and figure — even this Empress is quite envious~"
Under Chi Wuyue's gaze, Qianye Ying'er felt as though she had been stripped naked and wantonly caressed — and the sensation was terrifyingly clear.
Even though she wore a veil, it was as if it didn't exist under that stare.
"My name is Yun Qianying." Qianye Ying'er's voice was cold and imperious, her gaze never wavering. "Chi Wuyue, we finally meet. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time."
Chi Wuyue let out a soft "oh," then lightly took another step forward, her voice like a murmur or a reproach: "You took this Empress's Primeval Divine Marrow, bullied this Empress's Demon Girls, and now you repeatedly show disrespect toward this Empress. Do you want this Empress to kill you so badly?"
A mere two steps' distance — a gap no one would dare imagine. Both Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er could feel her warm, soft breath.
She made one feel no danger at all, as if she possessed not even a shred of oppressive or aggressive intent. Yet her enchanting, fairy-like demonic voice was enough to instantly shatter any man's will...
But Qianye Ying'er could never forget that Chi Wuyue was the woman who had cast a dark shadow over the two strongest Divine Emperors of the Eastern Divine Region, and the person Qianye Fantian considered the most terrifying being in the world.
That light step nearly made Qianye Ying'er retreat one step in the very first instant — but she forcibly restrained herself the next moment, saying: "With your abilities, Chi Wuyue, killing us would certainly not be a difficult task. But the reason you have appeared here so ~hur~ried~ly — we all understand it clearly in our hearts. Why bother with all this useless nonsense?"
Chi Wuyue gave a faint, ambiguous smile, then suddenly reached out her arm. Her finger gently hooked toward Yun Che.
With a soft sound, without any warning or fluctuation of profound energy, the space ring on Yun Che's finger instantly appeared between Chi Wuyue's fingers.
Yun Che had no reaction at all.
Chi Wuyue glanced at it indifferently, then opened her palm.
*Bang!*
The space ring shattered directly. The collapsing internal space formed a small spatial vortex. In Chi Wuyue's palm appeared a faint but exceptionally pure starlight.
At the same time, an incredibly pure and rich aura rapidly spread out, purifying everything in the surrounding space.
The aura of the Primeval Divine Marrow!
It was a very tiny piece, only half the size of a pinky fingernail. Chi Wuyue's seductive eyes narrowed: "Using such petty tricks to lure this Empress here — how very wicked~"
When refining the Primordial World Pill back then, Yun Che had deliberately asked He Ling to keep a very small piece of Primeval Divine Marrow.
The Primeval Divine Marrow bore the special soul imprint left by the Pure Sky God Emperor back then. It could be blocked by a Dustless Barrier, but apparently could not be blocked by a spatial container — otherwise, the Burning Moon God Emperor, who feared the Demon Empress, would not have been so cautious.
With the level of the Heavenly Poison Pearl, placing the Primeval Divine Marrow inside it should have been able to perfectly isolate everything, preventing the Demon Empress from tracking the soul imprint. But Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er couldn't be entirely certain of that.
Given their strength and situation at the time, they had no qualification to face the Demon Empress as equals. Even a tiny possibility could not be taken lightly, so they immediately chose to temporarily leave the Northern Divine Region and flee into the Tai Chu Divine Realm.
Now, however, Yun Che used this very fact against her. He deliberately kept a small piece of Primeval Divine Marrow in an ordinary space ring — not enough to expose its aura, but not enough to block the soul imprint. The purpose was to lure the Demon Empress Chi Wuyue to lock onto their location as early as possible and appear before them.
And once the Demon Empress detected it, given her status, she would certainly not come in person. But since it involved the Primeval Divine Marrow, she wouldn't send ordinary people either. The most likely scenario would be one of the Demon Girls.
Defeating a Demon Girl would then serve as a message to the Demon Empress: their equal cooperation could begin.
And the timely Celestial Lord Assembly, along with the unexpected arrival of the Fourth Demon Girl, Yaodie, had greatly simplified this process.
"But you still took the bait." Yun Che's gaze pierced through the drifting black mist, vaguely seeing a pair of dark gray eyes.
Them seeking out Chi Wuyue, and Chi Wuyue actively appearing to find them — these were two entirely different concepts.
"Aiya~" Chi Wuyue gave a soft chiding sound. "You really are a child who says unpleasant things~"
She lightly bent her fingers, playing with that tiny piece of Primeval Divine Marrow. "Where is the rest of the Primeval Divine Marrow?"
"Used," Yun Che said flatly.
Chi Wuyue closed all five fingers at once: "You stole this Empress's Primeval Divine Marrow and yet you speak with such righteous indignation. Are you truly so certain... that this Empress won't kill you?"
Her words still sounded like a teasing reproach, without a trace of anger. But the surrounding space, the dark aura, and even all the elemental forces had come to a complete halt at that very moment.
"You're welcome to try," Yun Che said, his expression and voice only hard and icy.
And the person standing before him was the Demon Empress of the Northern Domain — the one whose very name made every living being in the Northern Divine Region tremble with fear!
A hand reached over and pushed Yun Che aside. Qianye Ying'er stood directly in front of Chi Wuyue, saying: "Leave the negotiation to me. Especially with Chi Wuyue — I've been very interested in her for a long time."
"Negotiation?" Chi Wuyue pursed her lips in a light smile, her enchanting voice like a dream: "This Empress is far more interested in... copulation~"
"Cooperate with us." Qianye Ying'er met Chi Wuyue's gaze, ignoring her demonic seduction. "These two words, years ago through Nanhuang Chanyi, first came from you. I believe this is also the purpose behind your appearance before us today."
"That was years ago." Chi Wuyue spoke slowly and leisurely. "Though you didn't refuse back then. But bullying this Empress's Demon Girl, stealing this Empress's Primeval Divine Marrow, and now showing such disrespect toward this Empress — any one of these is an unforgivable capital crime~"
Qianye Ying'er replied: "Back then in the Middle Wasteland Realm, we did Nanhuang Chanyi a great favor. Taking a little compensation and some leverage for self-preservation was entirely reasonable."
"As for the Primeval Divine Marrow, we obtained it from the Thousand Wilds Divine Cult, which seems to have an extraordinary connection with the Burning Moon Realm. If you trace it to its source, at most, it was taken from the Burning Moon Realm, not from your Soul Plunder Realm. If you want to pursue it, you should go to the Burning Moon Realm."
"As for disrespect toward you..." Qianye Ying'er gave a cold smile. "Chi Wuyue, although you are the renowned Demon Empress, you do not have the qualification to make us bow and scrape in fear. I think you wouldn't think highly of, nor would you want, such a cooperative partner."
"Hehehehehe..." Chi Wuyue let out an unrestrained, seductive laugh at Qianye Ying'er's words. "This Empress has seen many people with big mouths. But two homeless dogs fleeing from the Eastern Divine Region, yet still daring to speak with such arrogance — truly an eye-opener for this Empress."
"Heh," Qianye Ying'er laughed coldly in return, her voice deep as an abyss: "Homeless dogs can still bite. And they bite harder, more ferociously."
Chi Wuyue's laughter gradually ceased. Her eyes narrowed into two slits: "As expected of the Fandi Shennü. Your words are far more pleasant to hear than this annoying child's."
"Chi Wuyue." Qianye Ying'er's eyes also narrowed, silently resisting the soul turbulence caused by Chi Wuyue's demonic voice. "What you want may be to escape this cage called the Northern Divine Region, or perhaps to change the fate of the entire Northern Divine Region. What Yun Che and I want is to make those three Divine Regions... fall into the eternal abyss!"
"Our desires are different, yet we share the same enemies. In other words, our cooperation would combine our strengths, and in the end, there would be no conflict or dispute over the distribution of benefits. Why not?"
"Well said. Very well said." Chi Wuyue seemed to be praising her, but in the next moment, her tone shifted subtly. "Yun Qianying, you and I have always existed in different worlds, never meeting before. And yet you speak as if you know this Empress so well — that truly makes this Empress quite curious~"
"Know you? Ha, a joke." Qianye Ying'er's gaze was cold and desolate. "The most difficult, the most impossible, and the most ridiculous thing in this world is to truly know a person. I don't know you. But there is one thing of which I am absolutely certain."
"Oh?" Chi Wuyue seemed to blink.
"You have immense ambition. Whether for yourself or for the Northern Divine Region, your probing ten thousand years ago proved everything." Qianye Ying'er spoke slowly. "However, the current state of the Northern Divine Region and the strength of the three Divine Regions forced you to lie dormant for ten thousand years. But your ambition has never diminished by even a fraction."
Chi Wuyue raised her hand, tapping her chin. "What gives you such confidence?"
"Hmph. The woman Qianye Fantian, that old dog, mentioned the most to me was you. That old dog's descriptions have also unconsciously influenced my temperament." Qianye Ying'er spoke words that would leave anyone stunned. "You and I are the same kind of extremes. We pursue what others dare not pursue."
"And to achieve that goal, we would stop at nothing and sacrifice everything. And we are the ones who can help you achieve it... the only ones who can make it all possible for you."
"The fact that you arrived so quickly is nothing more than your fear that the Yanmo Realm and the Burning Moon Realm would find us before you. Since that's the case, why pretend to be coy?"
The two women "negotiated" while Yun Che indeed did not speak again. His gaze turned westward, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly... as if forming a mocking curve.
"This Empress commands nine Demon Girls, twenty-seven Demon Spirits, and three thousand six hundred Soul Attendants. I can summon trillions of dark spirits with a flick of my finger and turn this Northern Divine Region upside down. What can you bring this Empress? Just the fact that you defeated Yaodie?"
"Just the two of us alone, in this vast world, would naturally not stir up much of a storm. But..." Qianye Ying'er slowed her voice, each word startling: "With us, for you, Chi Wuyue, to swallow the other two King Realms..."
"As — easy — as — turning — over — your — hand!"
"Swallowing two King Realms" and "as easy as turning over your hand" — in anyone's understanding, such words could never appear together in the same context. They would only evoke snorts, mockery, and roaring laughter.
But Chi Wuyue did not mock, nor did she laugh. Her answer was two words that briefly stunned even Qianye Ying'er:
"Very well."
It seemed she had been waiting for such words... words that anyone who heard them would think were utterly absurd.
"If that is the bargaining chip you offer, then it is indeed enough." She spoke slowly and languidly, but then her tone shifted slightly again. "Since you desire an equal 'cooperation,' shouldn't the debt be settled first? With a debt hanging over you, how can there be equality?"
"Debt?" Qianye Ying'er's gaze sharpened.
"Pri~me~val~Di~vine~Mar~row~" Chi Wuyue spoke softly, like weeping or whispering. "Fandi Shennü, you surely don't truly believe that this Empress would, just because of your words, go to the Burning Moon God Emperor to demand restitution?"
Qianye Ying'er: "..."
"When you met Chanyi back then, your cultivation was merely at the Divine Sovereign Realm. In just two short years, you have reached the late stage of Divine Lord. It seems this Empress's Primeval Divine Marrow was used on you. Truly worthy of the Primordial World Pill refined by the Heavenly Poison Pearl — such fortune makes even this Empress envious."
"And when a woman becomes envious..." Chi Wuyue's lips gently pursed. "She can become quite terrifying, you know~"
Both Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er furrowed their brows.
The Primordial World Pill required not only the Primeval Divine Marrow, but also the Tai Chu Divine Fruit. The latter was something that could only be encountered, never sought. Yet Chi Wuyue's words showed complete certainty that they had obtained the Primordial World Pill.
Additionally, it wasn't strange that she knew Yun Che possessed the Heavenly Poison Pearl, but how did she know about the Heavenly Poison Pearl's refining ability?!
"Fine." Qianye Ying'er said coldly. "The Primeval Divine Marrow has already transformed into the Primordial World Pill. It cannot be recovered. If this irredeemable matter ruins our goodwill, that would be far too great a loss. Therefore, consider this Primeval Divine Marrow as a generous gift from you, Chi Wuyue, to demonstrate sincerity for cooperation."
"And we, of course, should give you a return gift of equal value. And that return gift... I suspect you have already received it."
"...?" Yun Che was stunned.
"Oh?" Chi Wuyue waited silently for her to continue.
"What?" Qianye Ying'er smiled mysteriously. "Has Zhou Xuzi not yet transmitted a sound message to you?"