Chapter 1884: Father and Son
There was no definite news, and no one had personally seen Yun Che. Yet, the rumors of Yun Che's return spread rapidly across both the Tian Xuan Continent and the Huan Yao Realm. Within just two days, almost all the upper-level forces of the two continents had learned of it.
Because on that day, Shenhuang City trembled violently, the Cangfeng Empress abruptly left while receiving envoys from various nations, the winds and snow of the Ice Extreme Snow Domain suddenly fell into chaos, and above Yao Huang City, a long-lasting black scar was torn through the sky by the hurried figure of Xiao Yaohou…
All of this told everyone that Yun Che, who had been gone for five years, had indeed returned.
The speculations and rumors that he had perished in some higher realm naturally dissipated along with this.
However, the beings of Lan Ji Star could never imagine where in this vast universe the returning Yun Che now stood.
Because it was a height that even their most extreme fantasies could not reach.
Unlike their previous reunion, this reunion was not only a crossing of life and death and despair, but was also accompanied by the most painful loss and the most dreamlike miracle… It was far too precious.
Xiao Lie, Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou, Cang Yue, Xiao Lingxi, Su Linger, Chu Yuechan, Huan Caiyi, Yun Wuxin… These figures etched into his soul reappeared in his eyes one by one, and nothing could ever take them away from him again. The tribulations he had endured and the blood on his hands had all been worth it.
The last time he returned, he had described the vast God Realm to them but had hidden many of the dangers he had faced. Coupled with too many concerns, unknowns, and latent threats, there were many things he couldn't fully reveal.
This time, he poured out all his experiences and tribulations without reservation…
Including the Crimson Disaster; including the moment he and Mo Li quelled that calamity only to be wounded by the world in the next instant; including watching helplessly as Lan Ji Star was destroyed into dust mixed with blood mist and vengeful souls; including dragging his remnant life, saved by Mu Xuanyin, and fleeing to the dark Northern Domain…
Until he became the Dark Demon Lord, dyed three domains with blood, and ascended the heavens as Emperor.
However, it wasn't an entirely complete account. For instance, he never once mentioned the name "Xia Qingyue" throughout the entire story. There was only that evil Moon God Emperor who had cruelly destroyed Lan Ji Star and whom he ultimately personally forced to her death.
————
Tian Xuan Continent, Liu Yun City, Xiao Sect.
This place was bustling with a long-lost liveliness, and the air of Liu Yun City had become restless.
In the distant sky, figures of Mysterious Arks rapidly approached, slowing down as they neared Liu Yun City. They then, as if by common consent, descended slowly outside the city, respectfully observing from afar, not daring to enter the city recklessly.
They had learned through various channels that Yun Che had appeared in Liu Yun City, and knowing that today was the twentieth birthday of Yun Che's daughter, they had all come bearing heavy gifts.
In truth, they were well aware that Yun Che would almost certainly not meet them. However, although Yun Che would not receive them, they still could not afford not to come.
"Your daughter-in-law, Chi Wuyue, pays respects to Father and Mother."
Empress Chi Wuyue performed the courtesy of a junior from the Cang Feng Kingdom before Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou.
Although she had tried her utmost to restrain herself, even a trace of the ten-thousand-year majesty of a Demon Empress was far too overwhelming for the beings of this realm. From the moment she appeared and spoke, everyone involuntarily held their breath, unable to speak.
Yun Che cast a somewhat helpless glance from the corner of his eye, then with a flicker of his mind, he isolated Chi Wuyue's overflowing soul pressure, allowing everyone's eyes to quickly clear.
"You are the… Empress that Che'er spoke of?"
As she spoke, Mu Yurou had unconsciously stood up, her gaze seemingly glued to Chi Wuyue, unable to look away for a long time.
The women by Yun Che's side were all the most exceptional in this world. But the black-clad woman before her seemed, in every aspect, to be an existence that the very vocabulary of this world could not describe.
"Yes." Chi Wuyue responded with a smile, her demeanor always maintaining a respectful attitude towards her elders—even though her age and experience far surpassed theirs. "Wuyue married my husband two years ago, first as a Demon Empress, then as an Imperial Empress. At the time of our wedding, the countless beings of the Northern Domain bore witness, but due to the constraints of fate, we lacked the esteemed presence of my husband's parents. This was a great regret for both my husband and myself."
"Rise quickly."
Before she could continue, Mu Yurou stepped forward quickly, extended her hand to help her up. Before she could speak, her eyes were already hazy with tears: "Che'er said that if it weren't for you, he might have perished long ago… and there would be no today. You are Che'er's Empress, and even more so… a great benefactor to our entire family…"
"Mother, you flatter me." Chi Wuyue smiled. "My husband and I support and rely on each other; our bodies and hearts have long become one. There is never a need to speak of 'favor,' and I am even less worthy of such praise from Mother…"
"Tch!" Qianye Ying'er turned her face away directly. She couldn't bear to watch, much less endure, such a scene.
Unlike Chi Wuyue, she loved Yun Che, but she would not prostrate herself in reverence and worship of Yun Che's family… not even his birth parents.
She had come together with Chi Wuyue, but she merely stood by Yun Che's side, looking straight ahead without speaking a word. It was as if no one else was even within her line of sight, except for Yun Che.
Mu Yurou had always been an emotional person, but Yun Qinghong was different. His gaze shifted away from Chi Wuyue, and he silently exhaled a breath.
Although he had been mentally prepared, the moment the former Demon Empress of the Northern Domain, now the Imperial Empress of the God Realm, appeared, that unprecedented jolt to his soul told him in that very first glance: this woman was an existence that completely surpassed the boundaries of his understanding and imagination.
And yet, such a woman was willing to bow before them… because of Yun Che.
A hint of strange complexity flickered in the deepest part of Yun Qinghong's eyes, then quickly dissipated. A serene smile returned to his face.
"Wuxin, this is a meeting gift from me, and also a birthday gift."
Chi Wuyue lightly tapped her finger, and a wisp of black light drifted towards Yun Wuxin.
"Thank you, Auntie Chi."
Yun Wuxin respectfully reached out and took it. As the black light dissipated, what fell into her hand was a small Mysterious Shadow Stone.
Yun Wuxin was momentarily stunned.
"Mysterious Shadow Stone?" Yun Che looked at Chi Wuyue with a puzzled expression… and it was clearly an extraordinarily ordinary Mysterious Shadow Stone at that.
Ignoring Yun Che, Chi Wuyue smiled at Yun Wuxin: "Your father is now the Emperor above all heavens. Given his affection for you, whatever treasure in the world you desire, he will fetch it for you. So, after much thought, I found it difficult to think of a gift more suitable for you than this recording within this stone…"
"Brother! Brother!"
At that moment, a loud shout brimming with excitement came from afar. Following it, a figure descended from the air in obvious haste and chaos, rushing straight towards the hall amidst the shouting.
Yun Che's lips twitched. As he turned his gaze, Xiao Yun's figure appeared in his sight.
"Big… Brother!" Seeing Yun Che with his own eyes, Xiao Yun could no longer hold back. He choked out a cry, rushed over quickly, and wept for a long time, unable to speak.
"Xiao Yun, it's been a while." Yun Che patted his shoulder.
"Brother… as long as you're safe, that's all that matters."
Xiao Yun clenched his teeth fiercely, finally managing to stop his tears. He quickly reached back and pulled the young man who had followed him in a hurry: "Yong'an, why don't you hurry and…"
Before he could finish his words, the young man had already fallen to his knees with a "thump," knocking his head heavily on the ground: "Yong'an pays respects to Uncle Yun."
The young man before him was already of considerable stature, with a determined expression and eyes bright as stars. His profound energy was already approaching the Heavenly Xuan Realm, and his future achievements would surely not be inferior to his father's.
"Yong'an, you've grown up too." Yun Che reached out and helped him up, deeply moved.
Xiao Yong'an's eyes were filled with tears as he said sincerely, "I will never forget Uncle Yun's life-saving grace back then. Over the years, Yong'an and Father have always prayed together for Uncle Yun's safe return… and I firmly believe that no matter where Uncle Yun is, he will surely be blessed by the heavens."
"…Good child." Yun Che nodded gently.
"Big Brother Yun." Behind him, Tianxia Diqi walked over with a smile, holding the hand of a little girl who looked like a carved jade doll, seemingly only four or five years old.
Yun Che's heartstrings and gaze stirred simultaneously: "She is…"
"Yongning," Tianxia Diqi stopped and bent down, saying to the little girl, "This is Uncle Yun, whom your father and mother often mention to you."
Indeed… A smile curled at the corners of Yun Che's lips, his gaze becoming exceptionally warm. When he had left back then, Tianxia Diqi had just become pregnant, and Xiao Lie had named her "Yongning." In the blink of an eye, she had grown this big.
"Uncle Yun… hello."
The girl seemed a bit shy. She called out softly and timidly, then hid behind her mother, revealing only half of her tender, pink little face as she secretly peeked at Yun Che.
Yun Che responded quickly and gently. While rejoicing that Xiao Yun now had both a son and a daughter, he also hurriedly thought about what gift he should give to this little princess of the Xiao family.
"Hahahahaha!"
A loud laugh came, causing the entire Liu Yun City to tremble.
"Grandfather!" Yun Che turned and went out to greet him.
Mu Feiyan's loud laughter always arrived before he did. Facing Yun Che's hurried welcome, he "whooshed" right past him, leaving only a shout that made Yun Che's eardrums ring: "Little Wuxin, come see what gift your great-grandfather has brought you! A rare Purple Dragon Lizard, just caught from the Thunder Flame Valley, hahahaha…"
The air currents in Liu Yun City swirled, but not a speck of dust was raised.
Today was Yun Wuxin's twentieth birthday, and also a new beginning, a clean slate free of dust.
Xuanyuan Wentian… visitors from the God Realm… fallen Star Gods… the Crimson Disaster… the fall of Lan Ji Star… a heart full of hatred and demonic souls… the Dragon Emperor of the Western Region…
Everything, everything, had receded into the distant past, leaving only a peace that no one could ever harm again.
…………
The clamor gradually subsided, and stars adorned the night.
Yun Qinghong stood in a courtyard, looking up at the deep starry sky.
This was the former residence of Xiao Yun's father, Xiao Ying. He had been standing here silently for a long time, as if reminiscing about the past.
"Father."
Yun Che walked over and glanced around at the almost unchanged surroundings: "Still reminiscing about the past?"
Yun Qinghong snapped back to reality and smiled: "Yes and no."
"Oh?"
"There is something else that moves me more deeply. In fact, it seems even more incredible to me than the experiences you have recounted over these years." Yun Qinghong said slowly.
This genuinely piqued Yun Che's curiosity: "What is it?"
"Are you really… my son?"
"Hahaha!" The words that reached his ears made Yun Che burst out laughing: "Father rarely jokes, but when he does, it catches people off guard."
However, there was no responding laughter from his father. Yun Che turned his gaze and saw that Yun Qinghong was still looking up at the sky, not a trace of a smile on his face. His expression, too, carried a particularly complicated melancholy.
Yun Che's smile faded, and he said with a somewhat helpless, wry smile: "Father, you're not… actually thinking that way, are you?"
Yun Qinghong lowered his head and gave a faint smile: "We are father and son by blood. That is an undeniable and unchangeable fact, no matter how the world changes. It's just that…"
He paused, then continued: "Although I have never come into contact with that world called the 'God Realm,' the beings there could reduce the entire Lan Ji Star to dust with a wave of their hand… Without a doubt, that is an existence I simply cannot comprehend, a realm I could never touch in my entire lifetime."
"And you, from the first time you set out to go there, it's only been a little over ten years, and you have become an Emperor who has everything under his control." Yun Qinghong closed his eyes slightly: "This forces me to wonder… Can I, Yun Qinghong, really produce such a son?"
Yun Che said with a smile: "Isn't my current state precisely because you, Father, are sufficiently outstanding?"
"No." Yun Qinghong shook his head. "I am by no means a self-deprecating person. A certain arrogance still lingers in my nature. Back then, you saved the Yun family and the Demon Emperor Clan from danger, then defeated Xuanyuan Wentian, becoming the supreme existence of the Tian Xuan Continent and the Huan Yao Realm. I was endlessly delighted and proud, and I marveled countless times that you were indeed worthy of being my son."
"A person's fate, vision, and ceiling are often determined by their bloodline and birth. That is a cruel and undeniable fact. And you, Che'er, are now at a height that your father and the entire Yun clan cannot even begin to fathom by looking up. Honestly, in these past two days, the melancholy in my heart has outweighed the pride."
Having said this, Yun Qinghong laughed: "A son is too outstanding, so outstanding that it leaves his father at a loss. A father in my situation is probably quite rare in this world, hahaha."
"Alright, alright. Enough of this sentimental talk." Not waiting for Yun Che to respond, Yun Qinghong waved his hand and turned to look at his son: "Che'er, since you are now the Emperor of the God Realm, you must have countless matters to attend to. Are you going to leave again soon?"
"No," Yun Che said with a smile. "The title 'Yun Emperor' is more of a designation to me. I leave the ruling of the God Realm to Wuyue; she is far better at it than I am. Even if I completely let go and disappear for a thousand years, it wouldn't matter."
"Besides, here is my home."
"That's good." Yun Qinghong laughed heartily. "Spend more time with them, especially Wuxin. You've been away from her for far too long."
"…I understand." Yun Che nodded heavily. "I will definitely make up for the time I've lost over the years."
They talked for a long time, until the moon set and the stars grew sparse.
Seeing Yun Qinghong off, Yun Che sat alone on the rooftop, falling into a long melancholy, just like his father.
Xuanyuan Wentian, for the sake of achieving the path to godhood, had schemed and endured for a thousand years, only to obtain a half-crippled body on that path.
Long Bai, with Shen Xi's salvation and help, had taken nearly a hundred thousand years to become the proud Dragon Emperor who looked down upon the God Realm.
And as for himself…
He was still only half a Jiazi in age, yet he had trampled them all into the dust. All the heavens and myriad realms lay beneath his feet.
Before the age of sixteen, he had been a cripple.
The beginning of all change was the day he was poisoned to death on his wedding day with Xia Qingyue… his 'rebirth' to the Cang Yun Continent… and then another 'rebirth' from the Cang Yun Continent back to the day of his wedding with Xia Qingyue…
Afterwards, he met Mo Li, obtained the Evil God's inheritance, acquired the power of the Desolate God, encountered the Phoenix's soul, encountered the Dragon God's lingering soul, obtained Hong'er and the Primordial Mystic Ark, and then encountered the Golden Crow's soul in the Huan Yao Realm…
Facing Xuanyuan Wentian, who had achieved the path of godhood, he encountered You'er in his moment of despair.
In the God Realm, he met the Ice Phoenix deity that had survived to the present day… encountered another Phoenix soul in the Burial God Fire Prison… in the Reincarnation Forbidden Land, he received special treatment from Shen Xi… then the Demon Emperor returned to the world, and the world-shaking Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor bestowed upon him many gifts.
Seven Mystic Heaven Supreme Treasures: the Primordial Chaos Life-Death Seal, the Zhou Tian Pearl, the Heavenly Poison Pearl, and the Lunhui Jing were all on his person, and the Cosmic Thorn was also by his side.
Among these, any single gift was something that others could not hope to obtain even in ten thousand lifetimes.
And yet, from the age of sixteen to now, it had only been a little over twenty years.
Why…
Why had all these things been concentrated on him, and in such a short time?
This was a thought that had flickered through Yun Che's mind more than once over the years.
Yun Qinghong's words had completely brought these thoughts to the surface.
Was it really what they called 'fortune' or 'destiny'?
"I never used to believe in the so-called 'mandate of heaven.' But after meeting you, I am certain you absolutely have some great fortune on your side!"
This was also something Mo Li had said to him more than once in the past.
"Mo Li…"