# Chapter 1698: Subtle Changes
Yun Che was in front, Qianye behind, moving unhurriedly toward the Eternal Dark Bone Sea.
Qianye Ying'er did not speak again, seemingly engrossed in digesting the soul information Yun Che had given her.
"Why aren't you asking about the Soul Plunder Realm?" Yun Che suddenly spoke out of the blue.
Qianye Ying'er lifted her eyes and countered, "Why should I ask?"
Looking at Qianye Ying'er's expression, Yun Che frowned: "So you're saying you don't think... or rather, you're certain that what happened in the Fenyue Realm wasn't Chi Wuyue's scheme?"
"Of course," Qianye Ying'er answered briefly and directly.
Yun Che was silent for a moment, then said, "Why do you think that, and why are you so certain? Everything that happened that day, especially the timely appearance of the Soul Heaven Ship, pointed to it all being her calculated scheme."
That day in the Fenyue Realm, he had forcefully killed Fen Daojun, and then Chi Wuyue and the Soul Heaven Ship appeared. He coldly mocked Chi Wuyue once before collapsing into unconsciousness... When he woke up, filled with great vigilance and resentment, he immediately had Qianye Ying'er enter the Primordial Mystic Ark to refine the second Primordial World Pill, while he himself directly entered the Yanmo Realm.
What had transpired and been exchanged between Chi Wuyue and Qianye Ying'er during his unconsciousness, he naturally had no idea about.
"I have my own methods of judgment," Qianye Ying'er said.
"...If you have a basis, why not tell me?" Yun Che's tone was stiff.
"I don't have a basis, just intuition and judgment based on some small actions of Chi Wuyue."
At the very least, before she fainted in the Fenyue Realm, the momentary shock and trembling of Chi Wuyue's aura when she held her could not be faked.
Coupled with the words Chi Wuyue said to her afterward, which left her unable to calm her heart for a long time...
"Besides, if Chi Wuyue couldn't even dispel your doubts and make you obediently trust her, then she wouldn't be worthy of being the Demon Empress," Qianye Ying'er said unhurriedly, watching Yun Che's reaction with interest.
"..." Yun Che was speechless.
"See," Qianye Ying'er's jade lips curled slightly: "Without me around, you're utterly helpless against Chi Wuyue. You'd probably be eaten up clean without even knowing it."
"Heh," Yun Che retorted sarcastically: "If you're so remarkable, aren't you still at my mercy to be toyed with and manipulated."
In the past, when Yun Che verbally suppressed her like this, she would always respond with a cold glare. But this time, she showed no anger at all. Instead, her brows curved upward, her golden eyes half-lidded, and her voice soft and coquettish: "Are you sure you can still casually toy with and manipulate me now?"
Yun Che's black eyes also narrowed: "Yun Qianying, you're becoming more and more disobedient. You don't actually think that because your cultivation has returned to the Tenth-rank Divine Lord, you can escape my grasp, do you?"
"I do indeed have the ability and qualification to be disobedient now. The ability was given by you, but the qualification is not," Qianye Ying'er said with a half-smile. She moved forward, level with Yun Che, and looked ahead: "When I first arrived in the Northern Domain, revenge was the only reason I lived. For that goal, I could unhesitatingly become your slave."
"But people really do change. For me now, revenge is still important, but it doesn't seem as important anymore." Qianye Ying'er smiled lightly: "So, when the master no longer has the value that must be relied upon, the tool will also run away."
"Heh, your wings have hardened, and indeed your words carry more weight," Yun Che said coldly.
Qianye Ying'er turned her jade face, her bright eyes rippling: "Are you starting to regret not planting a slave mark on me back then?"
"No, not at all," Yun Che's brow tilted down, a faint demonic smile on his lips: "A divine maiden who struggles and resists is more interesting to toy with, isn't she!"
He could feel that a subtle change had occurred in Qianye Ying'er.
This change was probably not due to the explosive increase in her strength after refining the second Primordial World Pill, but rather... after the unexpected incident in Fenyue.
On the Dark Mysterious Ark, the image of her curled up, silently weeping, was still before his eyes, unforgettable.
Not only Qianye Ying'er, but his own mindset had also undergone a strange change that day... making him suddenly feel that after his revenge, he should perhaps continue living.
Because besides revenge, there seemed to be things that needed... and that he was willing to accomplish.
Facing his humiliating sarcasm, Qianye Ying'er slightly pursed her lips, too lazy to retaliate, and suddenly said, "While you were unconscious, I decided something for you."
Yun Che: "?"
"If you become emperor in the future, make Chi Wuyue your empress," Qianye Ying'er said with extreme naturalness.
Yun Che was startled, then sneered: "Such matters are not for you to decide."
"Don't you want to hear the reason first?" Qianye Ying'er said, but without waiting for Yun Che's response, she continued directly: "In the short term, if you become the emperor of the Northern Domain, the coronation ceremony is just the simplest beginning. How to quickly coordinate, deploy, and command the power of the Northern Divine Region in an extremely short time... Chi Wuyue is far more suitable than you, than anyone."
"In terms of understanding the Northern Divine Region, in terms of methods of controlling people, in terms of the demonic prestige she has accumulated in the Northern Divine Region, she surpasses you by too much."
"In the coming period, you need to rapidly improve your cultivation, and also use Dark Eternal Calamity to perform dark alignment for countless dark profound practitioners. After becoming emperor, how to quickly consolidate the hearts of the Northern Domain, gather the power of the Northern Domain, balance the influence of the Three King Realms submitting to the sole master of the Northern Domain..."
"You have set such a short time limit for your revenge against the Three Divine Regions. Simply improving your strength and performing dark alignment will take up all your time. For everything else, the most suitable person is Chi Wuyue!"
"The identity of empress can make all of this much more convenient and direct."
"As for the long term," not giving Yun Che a chance to interject, Qianye Ying'er continued: "If you succeed in trampling the Three Divine Regions in the future and become the master of the divine realm above Long Huang, the master of chaos, how to control and calm the divine realm that will surely be in chaos and fear for a time... forgive my frankness, you are completely incapable."
Yun Che: ""
"But Chi Wuyue certainly can," Qianye Ying'er's gaze condensed: "This has always been the direction of her ambition. She will do far better than you imagine, and you only need to sit back and enjoy the results."
Yun Che stared at Qianye Ying'er for a good while, then said in a low voice, "You and her... seem to have had quite a few in-depth exchanges?"
"Is that not allowed?" Qianye Ying'er didn't deny it at all, then suddenly raised an eyebrow and said, "What happened between you and her during my time in the Primordial Mystic Ark?"
Yun Che's gaze flickered unnaturally: "Why do you ask?"
The momentary strangeness made Qianye Ying'er even more certain of her judgment. She said slowly, "Because when you mention her, it's very different from before."
Yun Che avoided Qianye Ying'er's gaze, looked toward the entrance of the Eternal Dark Bone Sea, and said coldly, "I don't need any empress. So-called 'becoming emperor' is just for convenience."
"You will need one," Qianye Ying'er said faintly. "Besides, it's just a title for greater 'convenience.' Even I can accept it, so why would you..."
Halfway through her words, Qianye Ying'er's voice abruptly stopped, and her gaze slightly wavered.
Sure enough, Yun Che turned his gaze and gave a faint cold smile: "Even you can accept it? Sounds like you're making a bigger sacrifice than I am. As a tool, you wouldn't happen to have misplaced your position, would you?"
Qianye Ying'er ignored his words and said stiffly, "This matter, you must listen to me!"
"Ridiculous," Yun Che snorted coldly.
"There's still enough time," Qianye Ying'er's voice softened, her gaze becoming serene: "I have plenty of ways to make you obedient."
Behind them, Yan Yi and Yan San listened to the conversation while trembling inside... wondering if they would be silenced.
"Regarding Chi Wuyue, I have a secret that you might find very interesting," Qianye Ying'er's lips curled slightly, her eyes showing a hint of mysterious haze.
Yun Che: "Speak."
"Her primordial yin is still intact."
Yun Che: ""
"Sounds incredible. But... hmm?" Looking at Yun Che's completely unsurprised expression, her beautiful eyes flashed: "You already knew?"
"How did you find out?" Yun Che asked back.
"That's what I should be asking you." Qianye Ying'er turned her body, leaned her head forward, and stared into Yun Che's eyes: "No wonder... Could it be that you've already gotten into her?"
*Thump!*
Yan San banged his head against the back of Yan Yi's head.
"No," Qianye Ying'er immediately corrected herself: "While I was away, Chi Wuyue got into you?"
"~!@#$%^..." The corner of Yun Che's mouth twitched.
At this moment, two figures suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Eternal Dark Bone Sea.
Yan Er and Tian Guhu.
Compared to when he had just completed the forced inheritance, after staying in the Eternal Dark Bone Sea and with Yan Er's assistance in integration, Tian Guhu's Yanmo aura had become quite stable, and the light in his eyes was already the dark profound light belonging to the Yanmo.
He was the first person in the history of the Northern Divine Region to complete the Yanmo inheritance without bloodline. But as Yun Che himself had said, though he inherited the Yanmo's power, he was not a Yanmo, did not need to be bound by the Yanmo, and even less needed to serve the Yanmo.
Seeing Yun Che, Tian Guhu stopped his figure and immediately knelt: "Tian Guhu pays respects to my master."
"Looks like the integration is going well," Yun Che nodded with satisfaction. Tian Guhu's dark profound energy had stabilized at the Eighth-rank Divine Lord realm. It was impossible to integrate the Yanmo's power to reach the Ninth-rank Divine Lord realm before attacking the Three Divine Regions. But compared to his previous Seventh-rank Divine Sovereign, it was a world of difference.
"Thank you, my master and Senior Yan, for your grace," Tian Guhu bowed his head.
Yun Che noticed that as Tian Guhu walked out of the Eternal Dark Bone Sea, his expression and gaze no longer held the previous confusion, but were as firm as a sword.
"Tian Guhu, answer me one question," Yun Che said. "What is the reason for your conviction?"
He was somewhat curious.
Occupying a high position with a glorious halo, yet he called himself "Guhu," and in his blood was nothing but the conviction to change the current state of the Northern Domain.
"Because of hatred," Tian Guhu replied. He looked up at Yun Che and said slowly, "The woman I loved most in my life died in the endless strife and plunder between the star realms of the Northern Domain. And all of this... unless the Northern Domain sheds its fate as a prison, it will never change."
"I see." Yun Che smiled: "No wonder when I first saw you, I sensed a smell similar to mine from you."
Tian Guhu's eyes moved violently.
"Return to the Huangtian Realm," Yun Che said. "The day you long for is not far off; it's already right at hand. In this time, don't waste the influence you've accumulated over the years."
Tian Guhu took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Guhu understands."
Tian Guhu left, and Yan Er returned to his position.
"Forced inheritance... Dark Eternal Calamity has such an ability?" Qianye Ying'er glanced at the departing Tian Guhu.
"It's not entirely Dark Eternal Calamity," Yun Che said.
"I want to know, what are the side effects?" Qianye Ying'er slanted her eyes. If there were no side effects, Yun Che would have given it to her first, not "wasted" it on someone else.
"Reduces lifespan by seventy percent," Yun Che said indifferently. "And after his death, the source power will dissipate and will not return."
"Oh?" Qianye Ying'er showed surprise in her eyes: "He actually didn't resist?"
"That's also why I chose him." Yun Che said in a low voice: "I know very well how terrifying obsession can be. Not only will he not resist, it will strengthen his obsession. After all, with power obtained at such great cost, how could he not fully expend it in the place he 'longs for'!"
"..." Qianye Ying'er silently glanced at Yun Che, her gaze momentarily hazy, then she said, "Those two demon sources in the Fenyue Realm should be kept well. Controlled in hand, passed down from generation to generation according to its laws, they can be an inextinguishable power. Forced inheritance that then dissipates forever would be too much of a pity."
Yun Che said, "I'm afraid we won't find a second Tian Guhu in the Northern Divine Region."
"Let's go!"
He grabbed Qianye Ying'er's hand and directly leaped into the Eternal Dark Bone Sea.
The Three Yan Ancestors were about to follow when a voice blasted them back: "You all stay outside and guard. Seal the barrier, and no one is allowed in!"