# Chapter 1771: Far Journey to Nanming
"Chan Yi," Yun Che suddenly spoke up. "Do you think I should have friends?"
"No." Nanhuang Chanyi answered, almost without any hesitation. After thinking for a moment, she added, "You are destined to be a king. So it's not a question of whether you should or shouldn't, but in my eyes, no one is worthy of being your friend."
"Is that so." Yun Che smiled. He glanced at his own palm and said softly, "That seems about right. In this world, who is truly worthy of being my friend?"
A statement of utter solitude and extreme arrogance, yet to Nanhuang Chanyi's ears, it didn't sound improper in the slightest.
"You continue to hold this place."
With that instruction, Yun Che prepared to leave. His purpose in coming here was to see Mu Xuanyin. Resolving Huo Poyun's matter was merely incidental. With the Nanming matter imminent and the Western Divine Region's movements ambiguous, he had no intention of staying long.
"Yes." Chanyi accepted the order, then asked, "Demon Lord, what's next? Shall we consolidate the Eastern Divine Region's forces?"
"No," Yun Che said. "We go settle Nanming."
"!?" Chanyi was clearly startled, her brow furrowing slightly. "Is this not too hasty? The depths of the Southern Divine Region remain unknown, and they are surely fully prepared by now. It might be better to swiftly consolidate the Eastern Divine Region's power, use Eastern Domain cultivators to probe, and let their corpses serve as paving stones."
But then, she immediately added, "The Demon Lord surely has his own plans. This one spoke redundantly."
Yun Che smiled in a strange manner. "You are absolutely correct. So Nanming Divine Realm will surely think the same, won't they?"
Chanyi was momentarily stunned.
"The flip side of thorough preparation is that delays breed complications. Since Nanming is in such a hurry to test my stance, how could I not oblige them?"
With a cold laugh, Yun Che's figure had already vanished into the wind and snow.
From the Northern Divine Region's standpoint, the ideal strategy would be to maximize gains and minimize losses in battle.
But his standpoint was ultimately different from that of the Northern Divine Region. Though not as extreme as in the beginning... everything in the Northern Divine Region was merely a tool to him, and that had never changed.
Becoming the Northern Domain Demon Lord was only to better wield this tool.
What he truly wanted, always, was revenge, not some emperor's grand enterprise!
His own hatred, He Ling's hatred... returning to the Yin Xue Realm had painfully resurrected those memories, and combined with the invitation from Nanming, how could he suppress his blazing fury?
---
On the way back to the Zhou Tian Realm, Yun Che suddenly asked Chi Wuyue a question: "Was Huo Poyun's life ruined because of me?"
Chi Wuyue gave him a slightly surprised look, then pursed her lips in a smile. "On the surface you seem so ruthless and heartless, but it turns out you do care somewhat."
"You're overthinking," Yun Che said coldly. "Only today did I learn that back then, if not for him, I would have died at Luo Changsheng's hands. Favors—I don't want to owe any at all."
"Spared his life today—doesn't that count as settling the score?" Chi Wuyue said with an enigmatic smile.
"...Perhaps," Yun Che said blandly.
"He made a name for himself at a young age and obtained the fortune of entering the Zhou Tian Divine Realm. Now he is the Flame God Realm King—his life can hardly be described as 'ruined' in any way." Chi Wuyue continued, "It's just that his life has been too smooth; he hasn't experienced the twists and turns and life-and-death struggles like you have. Three thousand years in the Zhou Tian Realm increased his cultivation, but he never faced true trials. His state of mind was never truly tempered, and at the most critical juncture of his life, he happened to encounter you."
Shaking her head, Chi Wuyue added with a faint smile, "But you don't need to worry about him. People always grow. In this world, there is no one like you to serve as a mirror. If he can completely overcome this 'calamity' in his heart, he will rarely encounter any major mental setbacks again."
"Speaking of which..." She suddenly changed the subject. "You didn't take Bing Yun with you."
"She refused." Yun Che's pupils flashed with cold light. "And besides, it's not really necessary."
Though it lasted only an instant, Chi Wuyue sensed that fleeting killing intent. Her brows twitched slightly, and she said, "Let me accompany you on this Nanming trip."
"No need." Yun Che refused without any hesitation. "The Dragon God's disappearance is too strange, and the entire Western Divine Region's silence is too suspicious. If you stay in the Eastern Divine Region, I can be free from all worries."
"Moreover..." He paused, a strange light gleaming in his eyes. "This time, the fewer people, the better."
Chi Wuyue thought for a moment, then smiled and replied with a single word: "Good."
---
Returning to the Zhou Tian Realm, Yun Che finally summoned the Six Star Gods.
During the few days Yun Che had been traveling back and forth to the Yin Xue Realm, they had waited outside the realm, not leaving even half a step. They dared not voice any complaints either—they knew all too well what had happened before, and they had long expected such treatment.
Led by Tianxuan Star God Zi Wan, the six Star Gods—Tianxuan, Tianyao, Tianyan, Tianmei, Tianyang, and Tianhun—knelt before Yun Che. As Star Gods, they would only need to bow even before Xing Juekong. But given the current situation, since they had come here, they understood what attitude they needed to present.
"You actually have the nerve to appear before me." Yun Che looked down at them, his voice utterly devoid of emotion. "Why didn't you just flee to the Western Divine Region like that old dog Zhou Tian and live as a pack of stray dogs?"
Zi Wan bowed her head and said, "The Star God Realm originated in the Eastern Divine Region. Whether in life or death, we will not abandon the Eastern Divine Region."
"So you've come to die?" Yun Che cast a cold glance.
Zi Wan took a light breath and said, "We are willing to dedicate all the power of the Star God Realm to serve under the Demon Lord. Though the Star God Realm has withered by more than half, no longer what it once was, it still retains considerable strength that can surely aid the Demon Lord. We beseech the Demon Lord to grant this."
A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even in its decline, the Star God Realm still possessed the six Star Gods and seventeen Divine Lord elders—a force no power could afford to underestimate. It was also their last remaining leverage.
Zi Wan did not say that they came on the orders of the Star God Divine Emperor. How Yun Che had died in the Star God Realm back then, how Mo Li had transformed into the Evil Infant—others might not know, but they knew it clearly.
Therefore, Yun Che's hatred for Xing Juekong was bone-deep, and he would never accept them out of goodwill. Xing Juekong's statement during the Zhou Tian projection could only have been made under duress.
Zi Wan also did not ask about Xing Juekong's whereabouts or fate. Since he was already in Yun Che's hands, his outcome was obvious.
"Sounds good, I suppose. After all, who wouldn't want a tool that delivers itself?" Yun Che's lips curled into a sneer, his words piercingly harsh. The Star Gods besides Zi Wan all showed subtle changes in expression, but none of them erupted.
Before making this decision, Zi Wan had already prepared them mentally.
"But before that," Yun Che changed his tone, "shouldn't you give me a reason... not to kill you?"
Before his voice even faded, a wave of killing intent swept over them, making their entire bodies turn cold.
Zi Wan said calmly, "As Star Gods, we must obey the Star God Divine Emperor's orders, regardless of right or wrong. Under the Demon Lord's command, it will be the same."
"Since you must obey your master's orders, then you must also bear your master's sins, correct?" Yun Che said askance.
"...Yes." Zi Wan said softly. "If the Demon Lord wants us dead, we have nothing to say and will not resist. But rather than dying to atone for our sins, we would rather preserve our lives and the Star God divine power within us to redeem ourselves."
"Not only for the Demon Lord, but also for Princess Mo Li and Princess Cai Zhi, whom we have failed too much. They surely do not wish to see the Star God lineage perish. We beg the Demon Lord to grant this."
Having spoken, Zi Wan slowly closed her eyes, seemingly awaiting the final judgment.
A terrible silence. Then Yun Che slowly spoke: "You were already dead long ago. Do you know who allowed you to live until now?"
"We know," Zi Wan replied. After the Northern Divine Region's invasion, the Zhou Tian, Moon God, and Fan Di realms all suffered catastrophic calamities—except for the most withered Star God Realm, the one Yun Che hated most, which never faced the demonic tribulation. Watching Qianye Fantian lead the Fan Kings in begging Yun Che for mercy, they finally understood that Cai Zhi's sword strike had saved them.
The one with the most right to resent them had instead saved them. This was what led Zi Wan to make today's decision.
Even if she died here today, she would bear no resentment.
"Your lives were spared by her. Live for her from now on. I hope you will never forget this for the rest of your days... Understood!"
These words ultimately spared their lives. Zi Wan showed neither excitement nor joy. She bowed heavily and said, "Thank you, Demon Lord, for granting this."
"Demon Empress," Yun Che said, "choose a suitable person to take over the Star God Realm."
"No need." Chi Wuyue shook her head. "Wait for her to return. She is the only one truly fit to be the master of the Star Gods."
"..." Yun Che lifted his head slightly, gazing into the distance. The image of his last meeting with Cai Zhi floated before his eyes: *Cai Zhi, where are you? Why, since you've already returned to the Eastern Divine Region, do you still refuse to come see me?*
*Have you still not forgiven me...*
By tacit agreement with Chi Wuyue's words, Yun Che turned around and suddenly said in a low voice, "Tianxiao, are you ready?"
Yan Tianxiao stepped forward and said solemnly, "Preparations have long been complete."
"Let's go." Yun Che pointed southward, his command extremely simple, decisive, even abrupt.
"Yes!" Yan Tianxiao responded just as decisively, a violent black light suddenly blazing in his eyes. He could feel his blood beginning to boil ahead of time.
A hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Yun Che's wrist. Fingers tightened gently, and Chi Wuyue's soft voice came to his ear: "I know I can't stop you, but you will return completely unharmed, won't you?"
"Of course," Yun Che said. "Long Bai and Zhou Xuzi are still alive. How could I bear to die!"
A pitch-black profound ark descended from the sky. With a shift of his body, Yun Che landed on the ark, followed closely by Yan Yi, Yan Er, and Yan San. With these Three Yan Mo Ancestors, even if Yun Che were a weakling, he could strut sideways across any region in the world.
Without informing Shui Meiyin or greeting Qianye Ying'er, Yun Che stepped onto the dark profound ark and vanished into the distance in an instant, heading straight for the faraway Southern Divine Region—a place he had never set foot on before.
Chi Wuyue watched as Yun Che departed for Nanming with such clean efficiency. She murmured softly, "Mu Xuanyin, you've had him to yourself for so long. Now it's finally your turn to accompany him. With you by his side, how could I not be at ease?"
"He's gone?" Qianye Ying'er's figure suddenly appeared at that moment, her brow deeply furrowed as she stared in the direction where Yun Che's aura had vanished... Her lips moved, but she did not chase after him.
"Mm," Chi Wuyue nodded. "He wouldn't let me follow. The Nanming grudge—perhaps he wants to settle it more thoroughly."
"..." A long silence. Qianye Ying'er's figure receded into the distance.
"Where are you going?" Chi Wuyue asked.
"Back to Fan Di." Qianye Ying'er answered absently, then hurried away with Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu.