# Chapter 1689: The Demon Empress Sighs
Jiehun Realm, Jiehun Sacred Domain.
Chi Wuyue's figure slowly drifted down, landing lightly. As her toes touched the ground, her black dress naturally settled in the floating motion, inadvertently outlining a moment of bewitchingly enticing curves that could captivate the soul.
"Master!"
No sooner had she appeared than a voice came from afar.
Soon, a young girl materialized from nothingness, appearing before Chi Wuyue. Her face was like fine jade, skin like solidified cream, her delicate lips naturally red without any coloring. Her bright eyes in particular held a clear purity while faintly shimmering with ripples of exotic luster, seeming both innocent and alluring.
A flowing, colorful dress outlined her slender waist, while the gorgeous multicolored light radiating from her clearly revealed her identity.
The Seventh Demoness of Jiehun—Hua Jin!
"What is it?" Chi Wuyue asked.
"Reporting to Master, a major incident has occurred in the Yanmo Realm. The Yanmo Barrier inexplicably cracked apart, and the Three Yan Mo Ancestors broke free from the Eternal Dark Bone Sea, publicly declaring that they have accepted Yun Che as their master. Afterwards, the Eternal Dark Bone Sea trembled and black fog filled the skies... Everything seems to be related to Yun Che."
Chi Wuyue: "..."
"The subsequent events are not entirely clear, but it is very likely that the Yama Emperor conceded to something from Yun Che."
"I already know all of this," Chi Wuyue replied.
Hua Jin's voice carried urgency, but Chi Wuyue was exceptionally calm in contrast, showing not the slightest ripple.
"Before going to the Fenyue Realm, he already planned to visit the Yanmo Realm. He said at the time that with the power of Dark Eternal Calamity, he might be able to control the dark yin energy of the Eternal Dark Bone Sea, which could be used to deal with the Three Yan Mo Ancestors and coerce the Yanmo Realm."
"It seems he succeeded, and far beyond what was expected. Those immensely powerful Three Yan Mo Ancestors actually consented to honor him as master. He has accomplished yet another thing that others wouldn't even dare to imagine."
Chi Wuyue seemed to let out a very soft laugh: "He was holding back back then, as expected."
Observing the change in Chi Wuyue's expression, Hua Jin finally couldn't restrain herself and said: "Master, are you not worried at all?"
"Worried about what?" Chi Wuyue asked softly in return.
Hua Jin said with some anxiety: "The Three Yan Mo Ancestors acknowledging Yun Che as master is absolutely true. Moreover, the Three Yan Mo Ancestors personally stated that with Yun Che's help, they can now freely leave the Eternal Dark Bone Sea. This should be the reason they are willing to accept Yun Che as their master."
"And the subsequent developments clearly indicate the Yanmo Realm ultimately compromised. If Yun Che can now mobilize the power of the Yanmo Realm..."
"Are you worried that Yun Che will use this to suppress my Jiehun Realm?" Chi Wuyue said. In her words, there was still no obvious fluctuation.
"Yes," Hua Jin nodded. "Previously, Yun Che and Yun Qianying were isolated and without support in the Northern Domain, yet the Master was willing to treat them as equals. Now, if he can control the power of the Yanmo Realm, plus the terrifying Three Yan Mo Ancestors, I fear..."
"Don't worry, he won't," Chi Wuyue said with a faint smile. "Merging the Three King Realms into one has always been my common goal with him. He is merely accomplishing this matter with his own strength."
"Master doesn't know this," Hua Jin said. "The Yanmo Realm quickly sealed off information after that. Our informants were forced to stay away, making it difficult to obtain any further intelligence in the short term. It has already been over a dozen hours, and Yun Che shows no sign of returning, nor has he sent back any messages."
Chi Wuyue said: "With such a huge commotion, the core truth cannot be hidden. This excessively forceful information blockade is likely something Yun Che deliberately let me see."
"..." Hua Jin looked up in shock: "Master, since you know this, why aren't you... showing the slightest sign of worry?"
Chi Wuyue smiled, extended her jade hand, and gently brushed the girl's cherry-colored lips: "Rest assured, he will not be our enemy... never will be."
Hua Jin's lips parted unconsciously. She didn't understand where Chi Wuyue's confidence came from, but when it came to her master's words, all she needed to do was obey without question.
"No need to continue investigating matters from the Yanmo Realm side," Chi Wuyue continued. "What you need to do now is only one thing."
"Deliver something to the Yanmo Realm."
"...What is it?" Hua Jin asked.
"An invitation letter."
"..."
Hua Jin departed with a heart full of doubts. Chi Wuyue lightly turned her figure, her gaze looking towards the direction of the Yanmo Realm as she softly exhaled.
"After all, man's calculations cannot surpass heaven's designs. Everything is far too early."
"But then again, this is also fine..."
"From beginning to end, I... am also my own chess piece."
——————
When Yun Che emerged from the Eternal Dark Bone Sea, it was already several days later.
Yan Wu had been personally guarding the entrance to the Eternal Dark Bone Sea the entire time. The moment she saw Yun Che, she immediately bowed deeply: "Yan Wu pays respects to my master, pays respects to the ancestors."
Compared to before, when her face was stiff as a board and her eyes hid daggers within ice, Yan Wu's bearing had undergone a complete transformation.
"Where is the person I requested?" Yun Che asked indifferently.
"Reporting to my master, he was brought here six hours ago. No traces were left along the way. Only Realm King Huang Tian and a few others are aware of this," Yan Wu reported in detail.
"Very good." Yun Che's gaze lightly swept past her, then headed straight for the Imperial Hall.
Tian Guhu was brought to the Yanmo Realm in utter bewilderment. When Yan E found him, news of the upheaval in the Yanmo Realm hadn't even had time to reach him.
Back during the grand assembly of Heavenly Lords, Tian Guhu had suffered a crushing defeat at Yun Che's hands before the many Heavenly Lords and assembled heroes of the Northern Domain. However, that incident did not deal a severe psychological blow to Tian Guhu. Instead, it was the words Yun Che spoke when leaving that caused an immensely tremendous shake to the self-confident beliefs he had always held.
By decree of the Yama Emperor, and with a Yan Mo personally coming to fetch him, Tian Muyi, the Realm King of Huangtian, was filled with anxiety and trepidation, yet did not dare to forcefully defy the order. However, he insisted on accompanying him. In the end, Tian Guhu persuaded his father to stay and followed Yan E to the Yanmo Realm alone.
Although Tian Guhu was the number one figure among the younger generation of the Northern Divine Region and held immense prestige among his peers, all of this existed at a level below the King Realms.
The Huangtian Realm and the Yanmo Realm had been on friendly terms for generations, but beneath this facade of "friendship," there was undoubtedly an insurmountable gap in hierarchy. Given Tian Guhu's status, it was already extremely rare for him to be able to meet even Yan San, the head of the Yan Ghosts, let alone the Yan Mo Ancestors or the Yama Emperor.
Therefore, when Tian Guhu was brought into the Imperial Hall and personally witnessed one legendary Yan Mo after another, one could imagine the shock and turmoil in his heart.
When his gaze, filled with reverence and apprehension, turned to the center of the Imperial Hall, his footsteps abruptly stopped. His eyes widened to their utmost limits, and he absolutely could not believe his own eyes.
The Yama Emperor of the Yanmo Realm, Yan Tianxiao—Tian Guhu had once had the honor of seeing him once with his father when he first entered the Northern Domain's Heavenly Lord Ranking.
And this supreme Divine Emperor in his eyes was actually standing to the side of the hall!
As for the person lounging sideways on the throne...
Yun Che!?
"Tian Guhu," Yun Che said indifferently. "It's been a few months. Do you still remember me?"
"Yun... Che!" Tian Guhu cried out in shock. He repeatedly confirmed his vision, but simply could not believe the scene before him.
During this period, the entire Northern Divine Region had been in constant turmoil because of the name "Yun Che."
Bearing the Demon Emperor's inheritance, unleashing true divine power in the Fenyue Realm to slay the Burning Moon God Emperor, terrifying the many Moon Devourers into submission without a fight... and then there were rumors that he was about to be crowned emperor in the Jiehun Realm!
Each rumor was more shocking than the last, each more unbelievable than the previous... but the facts of Fen Daojun's death and the Fenyue Realm falling under Jiehun Realm's control followed one after another. When those rumors were heard again, every word made one hold their breath.
These same rumors caused the words Yun Che had spoken to Tian Guhu back then to churn more and more violently within his soul.
In just a few short days, he had felt the urge to go to the Jiehun Realm to seek an audience with Yun Che no fewer than ten times.
But he could never have dreamed that he would see Yun Che in the Yanmo Realm, seated upon a throne that only the Yama Emperor could touch!
This was a scene that anyone who saw it would be utterly stupefied and unable to comprehend.
"Tian Guhu," Yun Che narrowed his eyes, his gaze growing exceptionally sharp. "Just a small scene like this, yet you perform so disgracefully. Is your so-called pride and lofty ambition only to this extent?"
Yun Che's words struck like a heavy hammer to the heart. Tian Guhu's soul trembled. Secretly biting the tip of his tongue, the sharp pain restored some clarity to his mind.
He took a slow breath and offered a solemn bow: "Tian Guhu of the Huangtian Realm specially comes to pay respects to the Yanmo Realm. To have the fortune of seeing Senior Yun, the Yama Emperor, and all the Yan Mo seniors is truly my greatest fortune."
Yun Che did not respond. Instead, he rose slowly and paced towards him.
As he rose, the Three Yan Mo Ancestors followed closely behind him step by step.
Tian Guhu had never seen the three hunched, ugly old men behind Yun Che. But the moment his gaze met theirs—merely meeting their gazes—his soul would suddenly convulse and tremble silently, as if gripped by an invisible claw. In an instant, it could bury him forever in the abyss of death, without the slightest hope of struggle.
A similar feeling existed in his memory only from the time he had accompanied his father to pay respects to the Yama Emperor years ago.
His current cultivation, his state of mind, were far superior to that time. Yet each of the three old men behind Yun Che gave him this terrifying feeling.
The unparalleled shock caused Tian Guhu's entire body to tremble slightly, uncontrollably. But he stood straight, his gaze maintaining a stubborn calm and pride... He understood very well that a weakling who collapsed under another's aura would never be respected.
"It is said that the name Tian Guhu was one you changed for yourself."
Yun Che walked before him, stopping only a few steps away as he spoke: "You resent those around you for willingly imprisoning themselves in a cage, either living in a drunken stupor or slaughtering each other. Not only do they lack the will to defy fate, they are even digging their own graves, which are already as deep as an abyss."
Tian Guhu's heart shook violently. He slowly nodded: "Yes."
"But... what use is having high aspirations? I, Tian Guhu, am not only alone in form and solitary in ambition; beneath the fate of the Northern Domain, I am nothing more than a worthless piece of trash that can't even stir up a ripple."
"You are quite self-aware," Yun Che said flatly. "No matter how noble your aspirations, without sufficient power, they are nothing but empty, laughable jokes."
"..." Tian Guhu's jaw tightened slightly.
"Then, I will give you the chance," Yun Che said, looking at him. "If I were to grant you power surpassing that of your father, on the condition that you become the spear that breaks through the Northern Domain's cage and pierces into the Three Divine Regions—a spear that might snap at any moment—would you dare to accept it?"
Tian Guhu froze, momentarily doubting what he had heard: "You said... what?"
"You don't need to question it, nor do you need to worry about whether I can do it. You only need to answer 'I dare' or 'I dare not.'"
With the Yan Mo Ancestors by his side, and the Yama Emperor and Yan Mo all around, every word Yun Che spoke carried a spiritual pressure no less than imperial might, leaving no room for doubt.
"..." Tian Guhu's mind was in chaos, but his will and convictions were struck with incomparable force. His words came almost before his thoughts could respond: "This is the dream and pursuit of my entire life. Why... would... I... not... dare!"
"Very good." Yun Che gave a cold commendation, then suddenly darkened his brow: "Subdue him."
At his command, the Three Yan Mo Ancestors instantly shifted positions, surrounding Tian Guhu. The power of the three ancestors was released simultaneously, forcing Tian Guhu to his knees and completely sealing his power, preventing him from using even the slightest bit.
Tian Guhu was a cultivator at the seventh level of the Divine Sovereign Realm with the combat strength to fight tenth-level Divine Sovereigns. But before the Yan Mo Ancestors, he was no different from a lowly crawling insect.