Chapter 1690: Ling's Rhythm
With the strength of a Yan Ancestor, personally restraining a Divine Sovereign was far too beneath their status, let alone three acting together... but this was Yun Che's command.
Tian Guhu knelt heavily, his entire body as if weighed down by ten thousand mountains, only his eyeballs able to move. He did not attempt to struggle. The power pressing down on him—any single strand could instantly annihilate his existence. Resist? It was an utter joke.
*Boom!*
A massive black cauldron was taken out by Yun Che and slammed heavily onto the ground before Tian Guhu. It was unmistakably the Demon Source Vessel of the Yanmo Realm—the Yanmo Du Ming Cauldron.
The appearance of the Yanmo Du Ming Cauldron caused the eyes of all the Yanmo present in the hall to violently tremble.
Is he planning to... Yan Tianxiao instantly thought of something, a chill surging through his heart, his feet unconsciously stepping forward.
But immediately, the step he had taken and the words about to leave his mouth were forcefully withdrawn. He held back and remained silent.
Yun Che's palm slowly swept across the Yanmo Du Ming Cauldron. As his hand rose, a flame-like darkness rose from the cauldron and paused between his fingers.
The moment that wisp of black light appeared, it instantly devoured all the brightness in the entire imperial hall. The ultimate Yanmo aura also penetrated through the pupils, imprinting into every corner of everyone's souls... because that was the Demon Source Power of the Yanmo, the very origin of the ancient true demons!
As the source power of a true demon, it could be inherited by a chosen one, but it was impossible to forcibly control. Even the Yanmo Emperor of each generation was absolutely incapable of interfering with it.
Yet at this moment, it obeyed Yun Che's guidance without any resistance.
Even though they had already deeply witnessed and experienced Yun Che's various terrifying abilities that transcended understanding, the scene before them still caused the hearts of all Yanmo to tremble for a long time.
"This is the Demon Source Power of the Yanmo." Yun Che spoke slowly, the source power right before him, but the dark light in his eyes remained the same as before, unaffected by even a trace of erosion. "It will grant you, in the span of a single day, the power that others would not dare to dream of for ten thousand lifetimes. I hope that when the time comes, you will live up to your name 'Gu Hu' (Lonely Swan)!"
As his voice fell, before Tian Guhu could offer any response, the black light in his hand, following the tip of his finger, heavily struck Tian Guhu's forehead.
*Wooom—*
A deep, muffled roar. The Yanmo aura spread madly, instantly swallowing the heavens and devouring the sun. Tian Guhu's figure was completely submerged in the black light of the Yanmo.
"Ugh—ah!"
A miserable scream seeped out from the black light, but it was immediately suppressed with great force. Then, the sound of teeth shattering rang out repeatedly, but not a single further scream escaped.
For the Yanmo and Yan ghosts, the Demon Source Power inspired a bone-deep reverence.
The Yanmo inheritance could be forcibly reclaimed by the Yanmo Du Ming Cauldron, but correspondingly, the inheritance of Yanmo power had a special restriction—it could only be passed on to those with Yanmo bloodline.
Tian Guhu had neither Yanmo bloodline nor any possibility of receiving the acknowledgment of the Demon Source Power. Was it truly possible for him to forcibly bear it under Yun Che's hand?
"Master..." In the darkness, Yan E transmitted his voice to Yan Tianxiao. "Since ancient times, the Yanmo power has belonged only to our Yanmo clan. If it truly succeeds... that would be the outflow of Demon Source Power!"
"Say no more!" Yan Tianxiao rebuked.
Half an hour passed, an hour passed...
*Boom!*
With a massive explosive sound, the black light and air currents in the imperial hall dispersed completely.
The condensed black light of the Demon Source Power had vanished. Before Yun Che, Tian Guhu lay collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, his entire body drenched in sweat. A faint layer of black light slowly circulated over his body, and his aura had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation.
Under the varied gazes of the Yanmo, Tian Guhu slowly raised his head. The moment his eyes opened, a profound black light flashed in his pupils.
"..." Yan Tianxiao's hands silently clenched, his hair bristling with intense shock.
If even he was like this, what of the other Yanmo?
At this moment, Tian Guhu appeared exceptionally weak, yet the aura he released was clearly that of the Eighth-level Divine Lord realm!
For a normal Yanmo inheritance, from the infusion of source power to complete integration, the shortest time required several days.
But Tian Guhu—without acknowledgment from the source power, without Yanmo bloodline, under Yun Che's hand—had taken only a short single hour!
Although it was still somewhat unstable, the Yanmo aura emanating from Tian Guhu's body was exceptionally complete, with no signs of chaos or rejection.
The shock in the hearts of the Yanmo was beyond words.
*Boom!*
Before Yun Che, Tian Guhu's knees struck the ground heavily. His body, which had just straightened, and his head, which had just lifted, both drooped deeply. "From today onward, Tian Guhu's life and existence belong entirely to Senior Yun!"
"No, you're wrong." Yun Che glanced down from the corner of his eye. "Your life belongs only to yourself. You don't need to betray the Sovereign Heaven Realm you came from, nor do you need to force yourself to pledge loyalty to the Yanmo Realm."
"You are still Tian Guhu, not a Yanmo! What I want is not your life, but your 'resolve'!"
Tian Guhu raised his eyes, every word carving into his soul: "My resolve requires your guidance and fulfillment, Senior. And only you can guide and fulfill it!"
"In that case," Yun Che turned his back, "for the time being, remain in the Eternal Dark Bone Sea. When you have adapted to the power you now bear, return to your Sovereign Heaven Realm."
"After that..." Yun Che paused briefly, then spoke slowly, "The most valuable thing about you is not the Yanmo power you have inherited, but your influence—especially among Divine Sovereigns, among the younger generation. Do you understand what I mean?"
Tian Guhu committed every word of Yun Che to memory. The blood in his body was boiling, because he could clearly feel that the dreams he once dared not even hope for were now within reach.
"Gu Hu understands... I will not let Senior down." Tian Guhu suppressed the intense excitement within him, speaking with unwavering determination.
"Go to the Eternal Dark Bone Sea now. Yan Er, during this time, assist him in integrating the Yanmo power."
"Your old servant obeys Master's command." Yan Er quickly responded.
Having said that, Yun Che's tone grew heavier. "And... do not call me 'Senior'!"
"..." Tian Guhu was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed his head: "Yes."
During this time, rumors about Yun Che had been rampant throughout the Northern Domain. How could Tian Guhu not know that Yun Che was only thirty years old?
But the feeling of "looking up to a mountain" in his presence made the word "Senior" flow naturally and respectfully from his lips.
Yan Er led Tian Guhu away.
With Yan Er's assistance, Tian Guhu would surely adapt and integrate the newly inherited Yanmo power at an extremely fast pace.
At the same time, another powerful force had been added to his ranks—one that would be loyal to him and would inevitably play a huge role.
"Master, please stay. There is one matter that requires your personal decision."
Just as Yun Che was about to leave, Yan Tianxiao called out to him, holding up a jade token wreathed in a faint black light.
Yun Che's gaze condensed. He recognized at a glance that the dark mist wreathed on it belonged to the darkness aura of the Soul Plunder Realm.
"A message sent by the Demon Empress?" Yun Che did not reach out to touch it, speaking coldly.
"This was a visiting card personally delivered by the Seventh Demoness the day before yesterday," Yan Tianxiao said.
"Visiting card?" Yun Che frowned slightly. "When?"
"Seven days from now," Yan Tianxiao said. "The Demon Empress will come in person, and the visiting card specifically states that she wishes to see you, Master, not me."
"Seven days?" Yun Che's frown deepened, then he sneered. "That's a rare occurrence. When she wants to see someone, she always breaks in directly, giving the other party no chance to react. This time, she actually sends a visiting card and gives such a long preparation period."
"I was actually looking forward to her descending from the sky with a group of Demonesses, giving me a huge surprise."
Yun Che's mouth curled slightly, his gaze emitting a terrifying chill.
Yan Tianxiao read his expression and began to sense that Yun Che's intentions toward the Soul Plunder Realm went beyond simply wanting to annex it. Between him and the Demon Empress, there seemed to be some... rather significant enmity.
"What is your intent, Master?" Yan Tianxiao asked.
Yun Che thought briefly, then said, "The most foolish approach to dealing with this woman is to play schemes and calculations with her."
"She wants seven days? Then I'll obediently wait for her seven days!"
"But not here."
Yan Tianxiao's eyes moved, and he asked, "Is Master planning to go to..."
He cut himself off mid-sentence, quickly withdrawing: "Tian Xiao misspoke. Please forgive me, Master."
"I will return in seven days," Yun Che said. "In the meantime, draft the invitations for the Emperor Enthronement Ceremony. Remember, they must cover all upper star realms, middle star realms, and the most core lower star realms. Weigh your wording yourself."
"Yes." Yan Tianxiao accepted the command, then asked, "Regarding the construction of a new imperial hall, does Master have any preferences?"
"No need." Yun Che's figure and voice were already fading into the distance. "I have no use for such useless things."
——————
This was a barren borderland of a subsidiary star realm of the Yanmo Realm, eternally gray and desolate, devoid of living beings.
The Wood Spirit girl sat with her knees bent beside Yun Che. The occasional chill wind gently lifted her emerald-green long hair, and her hair lightly brushed her jade-like face.
From time to time, she would secretly glance at Yun Che's profile. Her jade-green eyes shimmered like fleeting glazed glass.
Hong'er and You'er sat on either side of Yun Che's knees. One was ferociously chewing on the shiny black crystals Yun Che had given her, while the other was gently nibbling on a dessert that He Ling had just prepared.
"Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!" Hong'er shouted three times in a row, her cheeks bulging high, her crimson eyes sparkling with excitement.
You'er held the dessert very carefully in her small hands, her four-colored eyes constantly watching Hong'er's voracious chewing and gulping, as if she envied how she could eat with such relish.
*Gulp!*
Hong'er swallowed forcefully, and a flash of extremely strange black light flickered in her crimson eyes. Her upper body eagerly pounced onto Yun Che's leg: "I want more! There's actually something this delicious in the Northern Domain! Why didn't you bring it out earlier, Master?"
Yun Che reached out his hand, and in it were two black crystals the size of a longan fruit: "You can only have two more today."
He had to keep a considerable portion... to complete a great task that he dreamed of doing!
"Hmph, still so stingy."
Pouting her lips and muttering, Hong'er's movements were anything but slow. With a "whoosh," she snatched the crystals from Yun Che's hand, stuffed them into her mouth, and with a "crack," bit them apart. Then she squinted her crimson eyes and chewed with great relish, her face full of enjoyment.
In a distant corner, Yan Yi and Yan San stared wide-eyed as that red-haired girl stuffed the [Eternal Dark Demon Crystals]—which they wouldn't even dare to touch—into her mouth one by one like candy beans. Their bodies unconsciously shrank back, trembling all over.
"Wha-wha-wha-what kind of monster is that!?" Yan Yi stammered.
"I... don't know." Yan San shook his head, then his eyes widened, and he muttered in a low voice: "Pah! Are you out of your mind, old ghost? Master is the reincarnation of the Demon Emperor, equal to heaven, beyond all beings. For us to become Master's servants is already a blessing we've waited for eighty thousand years!"
"This young lady is someone close to Master, so of course she's beyond our understanding! Calling her a 'monster' is extremely rude!"
Yan Yi shuddered violently, nodding like a chicken pecking at rice: "Right, right, right... you're absolutely right."
"Master, why did you choose Tian Guhu?" He Ling asked softly.
She liked the way Yun Che looked at this moment. Only when facing Hong'er and You'er did he occasionally reveal the warm smile of the past.
Yun Che said, "The more firm a person's conviction, the harder it is to twist them, but at the same time, the easier they are to guide. Fulfilling grand ambitions they could not attain before will naturally earn their loyalty... and their life."
"Moreover, compared to me, a latecomer, Tian Guhu's personal prestige and influence in the Northern Domain is a sharp tool with immeasurable value!"
"So, you mean," He Ling asked, her gaze slightly unusual, "that by doing this, you don't actually appreciate him, but rather... are using him as a tool?"
"Of course," Yun Che said, looking up ahead. "Everything in the Northern Domain is a usable tool."
"Then..." He Ling lowered her head, her shimmering emerald eyes hidden beneath her hair. "Am I also... a tool?"
Ever since that day, when Yun Che had so abruptly proposed dual cultivation with her, her heartstrings had never been at peace. Unbeknownst to her, many emotions had crept in—confusion, bewilderment, panic, uncertainty...
She didn't know why... Clearly, when she decided to incarnate as a Poison Spirit for the sake of revenge, she already knew that the rest of her life would become Yun Che's possession. But as that moment approached, she grew more and more anxious and unsettled day by day.
Her slightly clenched small hand was suddenly grasped by Yun Che, and then she was pulled up. A warm voice sounded in her ear: "Come with me."