Chapter 1729: Zhou Tian Changes Ownership
At the Demon Lord’s command, the entire Zhou Tian realm—along with all the demons—were stunned for a moment.
Then Yan San let out a shrill, soul-tearing shriek. He pounced down violently, both claws extended, tearing apart several miles of space in an instant and shattering countless dazed Zhou Tian disciples in their ignorance.
As a Yan Ancestor, an existence so supreme that even the First Emperor of the Northern Domain had to kneel and call him ancestor, fighting against Xuan adepts below the Divine Lord level was already a condescension. Slaughtering the remaining beings of Zhou Tian was like slicing vegetables.
But for the three Yan Ancestors of the present, Yun Che’s words were a heavenly decree that could not be violated. Dignity meant nothing.
Boom rumble rumble rumble…
The world, which had barely quieted down for a moment, instantly erupted with countless dark storms.
Blood mist, screams, carnage, wailing… They mercilessly pushed the Zhou Tian realm, which had thought it could finally catch its breath, into an even deeper abyss of destruction.
The long-awaited rescue never came. When the Guardians, the Zhou Tian Elders, and the Arbiters and Divine Sovereigns were all but extinguished, the entire Zhou Tian realm could no longer see a single ray of light. Under the terrifyingly extreme darkness, even escape became an unattainable luxury.
On the Burning Moon side, the Burning Moon Divine Envoy and Burning Moon Guards had suffered losses, but the core Moon Devourers—thanks to the empowerment of the Calamity Demon’s Heaven’s Scourge and the existence of the three Yan Ancestors, who were as strong as heretics—basically had no serious injuries except for Ji Daopian, who was severely wounded.
The spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl clearly sensed that half of its will space was being occupied. In the next instant, it watched helplessly as the Zhou Tian realm once again descended into a living hell. Its illusory figure trembled violently, as if caught in a storm.
“Yun Che, you!?”
“Hahaha… Hahahahaha!”
In response came Yun Che’s utterly unrestrained, wild laughter. As he laughed, there was no trace of guilt in his eyes for breaking his promise in front of everyone. Instead, there was a fierce, almost violent pleasure and mockery: “What about me!?”
“I am the Demon Lord of the Northern Domain, the ruler of all demons! The vile, malicious, inhuman demon you all regard with contempt and hatred! And you so easily believed a demon’s promise!”
“I thought the spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl would be astute, but it turns out you’re just as full of shit as that old dog Zhou Xuzi! Hahahahaha!”
The illusory figure trembled more and more violently. Perhaps it had never imagined that, having become the spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl, it could still experience such emotional turmoil.
Even in its “life,” it had never been this furious.
“Yun Che,” its voice was no longer ethereal but low like dead water: “You still had a way out before. Now, not only have you stained your hands with sinful bloodshed, but you have also broken your promise and ruined your reputation before all the beings of the Eastern Domain. Are you… truly going to force yourself into a position where heaven and earth cannot tolerate you?”
“Oh?” Yun Che squinted and grinned: “That’s strange. I’m just treating you the way the Zhou Tian realm treated me back then. Why are you angry?”
“Why is it that heaven and earth cannot tolerate me?”
The flow of pale mist within the Zhou Tian Pearl became violent and chaotic. The illusory figure was only a projection; its “true form” within the Zhou Tian Pearl was clearly enraged to the extreme.
“Yun Che,” its voice grew even lower, carrying a compassionate sigh: “This spirit trusted you earlier because I believed that beneath your darkness, your nature still remained the same… as the ‘Divine Son’ of that time.”
Whether intentionally or not, it omitted the word “savior” before “Divine Son.”
Back then, the title “Savior Divine Son” was bestowed upon Yun Che by Zhou Xuzi, who also used it the most and most enthusiastically.
And now…
“In just a few short years, has the kindness in your heart truly been worn away to this extent?”
“Kindness?” Yun Che seemed to hear the biggest joke in the world, laughing so hard his cheeks trembled: “You dare to speak those two words to me? You, the Zhou Tian realm, dare to speak them to me!?”
The Zhou Tian Pearl spirit: “…”
“Kindness? I had far too much of that back then, so much it was laughable,” Yun Che sneered coldly. “It was you, under the banner of righteousness, who used the most despicable, ugliest means to erase it from me bit by bit, completely!”
“Now that you’ve forced me into a demon, you ask me where my kindness has gone?” Yun Che’s dark pupils widened: “I want to know too—where did it go? Where!?”
“…Words are useless! And you are far too arrogant too soon!”
The illusory figure of the Zhou Tian Pearl spirit slowly faded, and its voice now carried a hint of faint mockery: “Do you truly think this spirit would believe every word you said so easily?”
“If you had retreated now, this spirit would have kept its promise. But since your conscience is extinguished and you break your word, do not blame… this spirit for being ruthless!”
As the voice fell, its consciousness quickly returned. Within the Zhou Tian Pearl, white mist billowed wildly… The will of the Zhou Tian Pearl spirit abruptly transformed into a terrifying soul storm, surging toward the soul that had just occupied the other half of the will space.
The Zhou Tian Pearl spirit had existed for hundreds of thousands of years. Even with all the beings of the Eastern Domain as witnesses, how could it truly fully trust Yun Che without leaving a backup plan? Especially regarding something as important as the Zhou Tian Pearl.
One of the main reasons it had agreed so quickly was that Yun Che’s “condition” actually played right into its hands!
Because the Zhou Tian Pearl was its “home ground.” It had existed within the Zhou Tian Pearl for hundreds of thousands of years.
Even if the other half of the will space was occupied, with its powerful soul power and the harmony it had formed with the Zhou Tian Pearl over the years, it had absolute confidence that it could forcefully expel and devour any foreign will at any time.
It could even use this to invade the opponent’s main will… thereby severely wounding or even completely destroying Yun Che’s soul.
But when its will fiercely rushed toward the other half of the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space, it suddenly discovered that it was not Yun Che’s soul at all.
Instead, it was a pure, pristine, utterly incredible strange soul that felt no trace of impurity or filth.
Earlier, when it appeared face to face with Yun Che, its consciousness had been wandering outside the Zhou Tian Pearl. Although it could sense that the other half of the will space it had vacated was being occupied by another soul, with its consciousness wandering, it could not perceive what kind of soul it was, nor was there any need to.
Because only Yun Che was near the Zhou Tian Pearl. And with such a supreme divine object, he would certainly want to possess it extremely, so how could he possibly borrow another’s soul?
After a moment of surprise, an even deeper shock followed.
This soul had only just entered the vacant will space of the Zhou Tian Pearl, yet it had already fully integrated with the Pearl’s will space, forming a… or rather, half of a soul space so stable that it was almost unbelievable.
Because it had existed in the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space for hundreds of thousands of years, yet it had never achieved such harmony and stability.
“Wood Spirit soul…” After a low murmur came a more trembling exclamation: “Royal Wood Spirit!?”
With its vast knowledge, it immediately recognized that the soul occupying the other half of the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space was actually a Royal Wood Spirit soul, which should have been extinct!
A soul recorded as extremely rare in the ancient texts, carrying the life and soul aura of the Life Creation God Li Suo, the purest life and purest soul that was in harmony with all things in the world!
Its soul collided with a will space that was terrifyingly stable. The immensely fierce soul impact could not penetrate even a single inch.
At that moment, it suddenly realized that it might have made the most foolish decision of its life!
It had actually led a Royal Wood Spirit soul into the will space of the Zhou Tian Pearl!
It suddenly remembered the strange light that had flashed faintly in Yun Che’s eyes when his palm touched the Zhou Tian Pearl.
It thought it had schemed against Yun Che through his greed.
But behind his brazen demand lay a deeper scheme.
And He Ling’s counterattack followed immediately!
Her soul plunged directly into the other half of the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space. In terms of soul strength, she was far inferior to the Zhou Tian Pearl spirit. But she did not confront the Zhou Tian Pearl spirit’s soul at all. Instead, like countless fine trickling streams, she slowly and continuously flowed and spread into the other half of the will space.
Compared to her pure soul, the powerful soul of the Zhou Tian Pearl spirit was as filthy as mud. When it touched He Ling’s soul, the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space, like wood parched by long drought, almost without hesitation abandoned the soul it had originally attached to and greedily began to merge and harmonize with He Ling’s soul.
As He Ling had determined earlier, it was not the original source spirit of the Zhou Tian Pearl!
And yet, by sheer bad luck, it had introduced a soul that was almost perfect for the Zhou Tian Pearl… and the only perfect one in the present world!
Its will space was gradually being occupied. Slowly, but utterly irresistible.
Its soul was being abandoned, squeezed, repelled bit by bit… Finally, within the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space, its roar echoed: “Who are you! As the purest Wood Spirit King, why… why do you help the most evil of demons?”
He Ling gave no response. In just a hundred breaths, her soul had already occupied nearly seventy percent of the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space.
The remaining thirty percent, upon sensing He Ling’s soul approach, also stirred with instinctive agitation.
The source spirit had already been destroyed. To regain a complete and perfect soul spirit, the Pearl could truly be reborn and recover its power more quickly.
As a Creation God within an artifact, this desire was undoubtedly the strongest instinct.
“As the Wood Spirit King, the successor of the Life Creation God, why do you help a demon… why do you help a demon!” It shouted in confusion, questioning with grief, time and again.
Eighty percent… ninety percent…
Finally, He Ling sent out a soul sound: “I have long been utterly disappointed in this world. Whether it is destruction or rebirth… as long as it is my master’s will, I will help him accomplish it!”
Her soul sound echoed within the Zhou Tian Pearl’s will space, while the original Zhou Tian Pearl spirit… its soul had been completely expelled from the Zhou Tian Pearl.
The entire process took only a short quarter of an hour.
Yun Che reached out his hand, and the Zhou Tian Pearl flew toward him on its own, gently and slowly landing in his palm.
White mist swirled within the Pearl, and the figure of He Ling gradually reflected. Her face was flushed with excitement: “Master, I… I succeeded.”
“Very good.” Yun Che smiled, slowly raising his arm to display and declare to the despairing Zhou Tian disciples and all the Eastern Domain Xuan adepts that the Zhou Tian Pearl now belonged to him, Yun Che.
It had belonged to the Zhou Tian realm for hundreds of thousands of years. But from the Zhou Tian realm to Yun Che’s ownership took only a fleeting quarter of an hour.
What was despair within despair… Those Zhou Tian disciples who had fought and struggled until now, their pale, lifeless gazes clearly illustrated that phrase.
When the Zhou Tian realm lost the Zhou Tian Pearl, the very name “Zhou Tian” that they had prided themselves on instantly became a joke.
“Careful!” Qianye Ying’er suddenly turned and stood beside Yun Che.
Boom——
A sky-shattering, earth-splitting roar came from above.
The thirty-thousand-li Zhou Tian Tower shook and trembled, as if the entire sky was quaking violently.
Suddenly, a crack exploded from the tower’s base, shooting upward like lightning, piercing through the entire Zhou Tian Tower in an instant.
With a sky-shaking explosion, the Zhou Tian Tower—the highest tower in the God Realm—split from the middle and collapsed to both sides. As it fell, it scattered debris across the sky.
From the crumbling Zhou Tian Tower, a white light soared into the sky. Within the white light was an old figure in white robes and white hair, bathed in a strange divine radiance.
Although the face was extremely aged, one could still discern that it was a woman.
And when the Zhou Tian disciples and the various Eastern Domain Realm Kings saw the face beneath the white light, they stood frozen in shock on the spot.
Because this figure, this face, was deeply engraved in the ancestral records of the Zhou Tian God Realm and in countless records of the God Realm.
Alongside it, every inscribed character carried an invisible majesty that inspired reverence and worship.
The Zhou Tian Ancestor!