Chapter 1637: The Demon Emperor's Words
Back then, when Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er escaped Nanhuang Chanyi, they also ambushed her in passing. Both the escape and the ambush were exceptionally easy.
Moreover, given their strength at the time, when confronting Nanhuang Chanyi, who was a Demon Girl, they had never felt any obvious danger or pressure. After escaping and ambushing her, it was inevitable that they would somewhat develop the thought, "The Demon Girl is nothing special."
However, the Demon Girls—those who could become shadows of the Demon Queen and stand at the pinnacle of the Northern Divine Region—were all existences of extreme terror. This was evident from the reverence shown toward the Demon Girl Yaodie by the various Realm Kings, and even Yan San and the Fenyue Imperial Prince, at the Huangtian Que today.
To be chosen by Chi Wuyue as a Demon Girl meant that strength and talent were not the only criteria; temperament and appearance were also selected from ten thousand miles. Nanhuang Chanyi, as a Demon Girl, was by no means an easy person to deal with as her exterior suggested. Upon careful reflection of her words and actions back then, the only possibility was that Chi Wuyue had given her an extremely specific implicit instruction.
However, none of this mattered now. Yun Che said in a heavy voice, "What did Jie Tian Mo Di say to you!"
Jie Tian Mo Di... If she were to learn that her own sacrifices and those of her people had led to such an outcome, what would her reaction be? Shock? Heartache? Regret... Or perhaps this was one of the endings she had already foreseen.
"That is this empress's business. This empress has no obligation to tell you." Chi Wuyue said with a soft smile.
Chi Wuyue's words had already tacitly admitted that she had indeed met Jie Tian Mo Di.
No one would find it strange that Jie Tian Mo Di would come to the Northern Divine Region. After all, she was the Demon Emperor of demons. And the place of the Northern Divine Region was her homeland, which she had left a million years ago—how could she not set foot here?
Moreover, she would have a long stay and memory.
"Jie Tian Mo Di would specifically meet you; it must be because of the special demon soul you possess," said Qianye Ying'er.
Her words made Yun Che's gaze sharpen.
With Jie Tian Mo Di's power, all living beings in the world were as ants. A mortal who had never cultivated any profound force, and a Divine Emperor standing at the pinnacle of the profound path, were no different in her eyes. During the time she appeared, she had not even glanced at the Dragon Emperor, who had the strongest aura and the highest strength.
Why would she appear to meet this Chi Wuyue?
"Back then, the Jingtian Divine Emperor died suddenly, causing shock not only in the Northern Divine Region but also among the royal realms of the Eastern, Southern, and Western Divine Regions. Later, after a brief skirmish with you, Qianye Fantian no longer dared to forget the name 'Chi Wuyue.' According to him, in terms of pure profound force cultivation, you were inferior to him back then, but your soul power was inexplicably bizarre. Afterward, he searched through all the memories and records of the Brahma Emperor and Zhou Tian, but found nothing."
"For the Jingtian God Realm to become a royal realm, it must have an Imperishable Legacy. And as the foundation upon which a royal realm stands proudly, the Imperishable Legacy is invariably left behind by True Gods, the most powerful source force in the world. It is passed down from generation to generation, like an eternal flame that never extinguishes, but it can never be interfered with."
"However, the Imperishable Legacy of the Jingtian God Realm was transformed in your hands into another kind of Imperishable Legacy—the power of the Demon Girls we see today." Qianye Ying'er's voice slowed down. "In the history of the God Realm, it seems that only you, Chi Wuyue, have ever accomplished such a thing."
"I am very curious. I think all the emperors of the royal realms would very much like to know: What exactly is the power that you, Chi Wuyue, bear within yourself?"
A strange glint seemed to flash in Chi Wuyue's eyes, but she said with a smiling tone, "Before asking about someone else's secret, shouldn't you first offer one of your own as an exchange?"
Qianye Ying'er frowned slightly. She hadn't expected to get an answer. Secrets—if they could be asked outright, they wouldn't be called secrets.
"Perhaps the Lord Demon Emperor appeared to meet me because this empress might be her clan member who has barely survived to this day, hmm?" Chi Wuyue's demonic voice was soft as mist, playful and seductive.
"Hmph," Qianye Ying'er snorted coldly.
At that moment, Chi Wuyue's smile suddenly vanished completely. The black mist around her stopped drifting. When her voice rang out, it became exceptionally cold and flat:
"The disappearance of the Chaos Yin Energy has been ongoing, [and even I cannot find the true reason]. This last demon domain will continue to shrink along with it. Without a turning point, one day it will completely vanish. And even if you have the will, facing the other three divine regions, you would be utterly powerless."
"Unless one day, a person named Yun Che steps into this final demon domain with darkness and hatred."
Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er both frowned deeply, watching Chi Wuyue, whose aura had suddenly changed.
As her words fell, the black mist around Chi Wuyue seemed to come to life again, slowly undulating. Her voice returned to being soft and soul-melting: "These were the words the Lord Demon Emperor said back then. Very interesting, aren't they?"
"..." Yun Che stood frozen, his hands slowly clenching.
"The words of the Lord Demon Emperor—this empress will not misremember a single character. When the Lord Demon Emperor spoke these words, she clearly did not wish for this possibility to come true. This empress never truly expected it either."
"Unexpectedly, not only have you come, but you have come so quickly, and you have come with hatred and darkness together. Hehehehe."
Clearly, when Jie Tian Mo Di decided to leave, she had already foreseen this possibility. She understood human nature too well—no, she was too pessimistic about such things. After all, even she, the Demon Emperor herself, had been heavily ambushed back then by Mo E, the Heaven-Slaying God Emperor, who was seen by the world as the most upright and most disdainful of underhanded tactics.
"The previous words were all tests," Chi Wuyue said. "After all, this empress has had no prior contact with the two of you. As it appears now, the two of you are far more interesting than the rumors suggest."
"Interesting?" Qianye Ying'er replied coldly. She greatly disliked that word being used on her.
"Of course," Chi Wuyue said, her gaze roaming over them, grinning. "The Yun Che of the Eastern Region that this empress has heard of is a well-behaved, kind-hearted good child. To save the God Realm, he didn't hesitate to stand before the Demon Emperor with his frail body. Just hearing about such a good child makes one feel pity and sympathy."
"But the Yun Che I see has knives stained with blood in his eyes. When mentioning the God Realm, his gaze is terrifying... He can't wait to go and slaughter everything that is alive."
"The legendary Fandi Shennü is said to have a beauty that topples the world and a pride that scorns the world. She has always been dismissive of men. But the Fandi Shennü I see clings to a man's side and even seems proud to be a man's plaything... Is all this not interesting?"
Qianye Ying'er narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Indeed interesting. The Northern Divine Region will become more and more interesting from now on."
"The Northern Domain has three emperors, and you directly chose this empress. At least in terms of eyesight, this empress appreciates it." Chi Wuyue extended her hand, her fingertips seeming to lightly brush through her scattered hair. "You will not regret your choice. As for this empress, although I know very little about you, as a demon, how could I doubt the words of the Lord Demon Emperor? I look forward to how you will cooperate from now on."
"You won't be disappointed," Yun Che said coldly. "Tell us where the Jiehun Realm is, and we will go there on our own."
"Oh?" Chi Wuyue turned her gaze, then her lips parted and she spoke in a soft, spine-tingling demonic voice, "So that's it. By the side of the Fandi Shennü, every moment must be bone-eroding and soul-dissolving. Having this old demoness around would indeed ruin the mood, hehehe."
She extended a finger, and a point of demonic light imprinted with the location of the Jiehun Realm touched Yun Che's brow.
"Let's go." Yun Che said no more, turned, and flew into the air.
But immediately, he stopped again, his back to Chi Wuyue, and said coldly, "Chi Wuyue, our cooperation is for our own benefit. We are neither enemies nor friends. I know very little about you, but I have heard that your art of controlling men is unmatched under heaven—even a Divine Emperor was willing to die under your skirt. Truly... ad~mir~able."
"However, a word of advice." Yun Che slowly turned his head, the corner of his eye reflecting half a black demonic shadow. "Do not ever try to seize my heart and soul. Otherwise, the consequences might be far more terrifying than you imagine."
"It's best not even to test. Because testing is also very dangerous."
Before Chi Wuyue could respond, Yun Che had already flown up and gone far away.
"The art of controlling men is unmatched under heaven..." Chi Wuyue softly repeated these words and smiled quietly. Then she muttered to herself, "Those words coming out of your mouth really make me 'too ashamed to accept' them."
Ding...
A very faint sound, like raindrops falling on a green leaf. A flash of colorful light appeared behind Chi Wuyue, and as if conjured, a woman's figure shimmering with colorful light materialized.
"Master," the appearing woman knelt down in reverence. The colorful light still wrapped around her figure, not dispersing.
If Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er were still here, they would have instantly recognized her. This woman was none other than the Seventh Demon Girl—Hua Jin—who had appeared in the Thousand Wilds Divine Cult back when they acquired the Primeval Divine Marrow.
"What do you think of them?" Chi Wuyue extended her hand, gently and slowly resting it on Hua Jin's shoulder to help her up.
"Reporting to Master..." Hua Jin hesitated for a moment but still frowned and said, "No one has ever dared to be so rude to Master! Hua Jin... cannot understand Master's intent."
"After you return to the realm, you will understand," Chi Wuyue said softly. "Do you still remember the 'Dark Eternal Calamity' that this empress mentioned to you back then?"
Hua Jin thought briefly, then said, "Does Master mean that Yun Che has cultivated the Dark Eternal Calamity? But Master once said that the Dark Eternal Calamity was a unique demonic art of Jie Tian Mo Di, and even other Demon Emperors had almost no chance of cultivating it. How could Yun Che possibly..."
"Others, indeed, cannot. But Yun Che cannot be judged by common sense." Chi Wuyue's lips moved very subtly, but she changed the subject. "All of Qianye Ying'er's lifelong cultivation was the Fan God Force of the Fan Di God Realm. After being crippled, she used less than three years to master the Dark Profound Force to a level not inferior to Yaodie. The only possibility is that she obtained and successfully refined the Demon Emperor's blood left by Jie Tian Mo Di."
"And the abnormality that Yaodie described makes me think of the Dark Eternal Calamity." The demonic light in Chi Wuyue's eyes flickered. "It seems that before leaving, Jie Tian Mo Di left a back path for Yun Che, so that even if he was pushed to the darkest despair, he could manipulate this darkness to counterattack."
"Having fallen to such a miserable state, yet still making people envious."
Hua Jin raised her eyes and looked seriously at Chi Wuyue's expression. The Demon Girls were closest to the Demon Queen and knew her best. It was the first time she had seen her master show such an attitude toward a person. She tentatively asked, "Master, do you believe Yun Che's words just now?"
"I do," Chi Wuyue said.
Hua Jin showed deep confusion. "Although there are many rumors about Yun Che, today is the first time Master has truly met Yun Che. Not to mention his rudeness, his words were mostly shocking, even against common sense. And if he truly had such power, how could he have fallen to this point?"
Hua Jin shook her head and said with certainty, "Master greatly respects Jie Tian Mo Di. But... Hua Jin was born from Master and has accompanied Master for many years. I know deeply that even if it were Jie Tian Mo Di, Master could not trust another person to such an extent based on just a few words."
Chi Wuyue glanced at Hua Jin, her lips seeming to purse very lightly. "How do you know that this is the first time I have met him?"
Hua Jin was startled, then said with some realization, "Could it be that during their time in the Northern Divine Region, Master had already been secretly observing them?"
Chi Wuyue neither confirmed nor denied, but said lightly, "My understanding of him is far greater than you think... Perhaps even more than that Qianye Ying'er."
"..." Hua Jin was stunned, not understanding, but still said, "Hua Jin dares not presumptuously guess Master's intent, nor dare to question Master's words. But regarding Yun Che and Qianye, please, Master, be extremely cautious. Just now, Master had already made a miscalculation."
"Oh?" Chi Wuyue turned back, as if remembering something.
"Hua Jin's power of disguise and concealment can only be seen through by Master in this world. And Master said that Yun Che would surely see through it. But just now, Hua Jin was right next to him, yet he was completely unaware. On this point alone, Master... perhaps has overestimated him somewhat."
Among the nine Demon Girls, Hua Jin ranked seventh. But the special Demon Girl power she carried granted her a level of disguise and concealment unmatched in the Northern Domain. Not only appearance and voice, but even her aura could be concealed flawlessly. It was said that apart from Chi Wuyue, who granted her this Demon Girl power, no one in the Northern Divine Region could see through it.
Chi Wuyue furrowed her brow slightly, and then suddenly the words Yun Che had said before leaving echoed in her mind: "Testing is also very dangerous."
"Hua Jin," Chi Wuyue suddenly spoke, "the pill he gave you—have you spat it out?"
"Of course not," Hua Jin said. "It was a very low-grade body-tempering pill. If I spat it out, the aura would leak, and he would immediately notice. Why would I need to..."
Her voice suddenly cut off, and her entire body went rigid. Her pupils, which had been flowing with colorful light, dilated in an instant, reflecting two extremely deep, emerald-green eerie glows.