Chapter 1944: Nightmare's Claw
The Eastern Divine Region continued to tremble, the howling Celestial Wolf carrying black sword silhouettes that pierced and ravaged the vast starry domain. From countless star realms, the distant starfield seemed to have gained a black star struggling on the edge of annihilation.
*Swish—boom!*
The first attendant knight was cut in half at the waist by a sword silhouette, then thoroughly shredded, leaving only scattered blood droplets drifting away.
In the next instant, the second and third attendant knights couldn't even let out a scream before being cruelly severed into several pieces. Their shattered blood and bones tumbled chaotically in the calamitous storm, eventually turning into dust-like fragments.
The last attendant knight was swallowed into the Celestial Wolf's maw, buried by ten thousand swords. Where the sword shadows passed, no trace of his existence could be found any longer.
Four attendant knights, extinguished in two breaths. Carrying the supreme glory they had believed would be etched into their lives forever, they perished eternally in this world that was not their own.
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
The second and third Nanming Divine Sources shattered simultaneously.
The Heaven-Destroying Immortal Slaughter Sword Array was immensely powerful, but it also brought an equally massive burden and backlash.
Yun Che's body began to sway, the blood-red tint in his vision becoming several times denser and blurrier. Only the yin-killing aura, enough to make all souls in the world tremble, showed no sign of weakening.
At this moment, the Dark Celestial Wolf gradually faded, slowly vanishing along with the nightmare sword shadows. But throughout the vast starry domain, countless spatial fractures and black holes continued to tear and twist, refusing to close for a long time.
The fragile space of this world could not withstand power at the demigod level.
"Ugh... ugh... gurgle..."
The pained groans sounded especially weak and pitiful, drowned out by the wailing of space.
Even though they came from two quasi-knights who had stepped out of the Abyss.
Their overly powerful bodies allowed them to survive the Heaven-Destroying Immortal Slaughter Sword Array. But their condition was far more miserable than death.
Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang's bodies were riddled with holes, their heads, torsos, and limbs all withered and broken, like two cloth puppets that had been torn apart.
The remaining dark force continued to gnaw at their mangled bodies, like billions of bone-eating demon insects frantically biting.
Their remaining consciousness and senses became the most terrifying nightmare in this world.
In their blurred vision, they saw those dark eyes.
Even though their awareness was mostly scattered, those eyes remained piercingly clear, striking their souls.
The Heaven's Calamity Demon Emperor Sword disappeared in front of Yun Che. He grabbed with both hands, left and right, clutching the hearts of Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang.
The arrogance they had shown before was now matched by their wretchedness.
But as quasi-knights of the Abyss, how could they bow to those they viewed as inferior beings in this world?
A flicker of cold light gathered in Nan Zhaoguang's eyes. His lips moved slightly, and he forced out a hoarse, harsh sound: "When the Abyss... descends... you will... ugh... waaaaaaaah!"
His voice abruptly turned into a piercing scream that tore his throat.
At the same time, two clusters of black flame ignited on the hearts of Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang.
The black flame shot from their hearts straight into their bodies, rapidly spreading through their meridians and blood vessels, cruelly burning their internal organs and blood bones.
That was Yun Che's exclusive Eternal Calamity Demon Flame. Its burning was the most cruel and ruthless torment in the current era, a punishment that even the ancient True Gods could not endure.
Blooming directly on their internal organs, in just the first instant, it plunged Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang into an abyss of hell that even their most terrifying nightmares could never conceive.
The black flame spread silently, and the overlapping screams in their ears came from only two people, yet they sounded as tragic as ten thousand evil ghosts wailing under the extreme torture of hell.
Yun Che's expression remained unchanged, not a trace of emotion or pity on his face.
He had said that he would make them regret this day, regret setting foot in this world, for eternity.
"You... ahhhhh!"
"Aaaaaah—"
The black demon flame slowly seeped out from their seven orifices, silently burning their ears, noses, broken teeth, and eyes, destroying their sight, hearing, smell, taste... yet making their touch sharper and their souls more despairing.
"Ugh... ugh... ah..."
The screams from Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang grew even drier and more horrifying. Their broken bodies twisted violently under Yun Che's palms, like dying larvae nailed to thorns.
They had passed layer upon layer of strict tests and assessments, becoming quasi-knights at the feet of the Abyss Emperor. Just one step—just breaking through the final bottleneck—and they could become true Abyss Knights.
Successfully setting foot in this world, they became pioneers of the Abyss. In their eyes, the future held supreme glory and achievements that would be forever recorded in history.
This should have been the most glorious day of their lives, yet in less than half an evening, they had fallen into a hell beneath hell.
"Die..." Nan Zhaoming's lips and teeth had been burned away. From his throat came a miserable groan that was utterly inhuman.
This was the sound he released with almost all his remaining will, but it was the most pitiful plea for death: "Let... me... die... die..."
His hearing had been completely destroyed, and he could never hear the response to his plea.
In the entire history of the Abyss world, no Abyss Knight had ever suffered such torture.
Yet in this world they looked down upon with contempt, they had fallen to this most pitiful state.
So pitiful that every shred of belief in their souls frantically craved death.
On Yun Che's body, the last of the Nanming Divine Light began to flicker urgently.
The immense burden and backlash from forcibly activating the Divine Ember created countless cracks on his body, blood pouring out.
His meridians and bones had also shattered by forty percent, but his expression remained terrifyingly dark and cold, as if he felt no pain at all.
The Eternal Calamity Demon Flame in his palms burned steadily, not in a hurry to burn them to demon dust, but to keep them buried in a nightmare that would cause fear and trembling even after a thousand reincarnations.
It had been a long time since he had been this furious.
After going through countless cruel or desperate twists of fate, and stepping on Xia Qingyue's fate and blood and bones, he had finally become the supreme emperor of this world...
Yet still, someone dared to hurt the most important people in his life.
The trembling of space and the wailing of the Heavenly Dao gradually weakened, and the pressure finally eased. Everything indicated that Yun Che's current power was about to dissipate.
"So this is the power of the divine realm," Qianye Wugu sighed deeply.
He was already one of the highest existences in the world, yet even with the combined efforts of Qianye Bingzhu, Qianye Ying'er, and Mu Xuanyin, they could not defeat a single Nan Zhaoming.
But Nan Zhaoming, under the terrifying power unleashed by Yun Che, was crushed and tormented with almost no resistance.
The gap was far greater than any known realm disparity.
"No," Chi Wuyue said. "The power Yun Che wields now is not truly the divine realm. Or rather... far beyond the divine realm."
"It can only be called a half-step into the human realm, half-step into the divine realm—a demigod."
The Nirvana Wheel Demon Soul that Chi Wuyue bore retained some ancient memories, giving her a basic outline of the divine realm.
"De... demigod?"
Beyond shock, the souls of Qianye, the Yan Ancestors, and others were filled more with dread.
If a demigod's power was already like this, then how terrifying would a true god who had fully stepped into the divine realm be?
Did the place called "Abyss" truly have real gods?
Now was not the time for idle talk. Chi Wuyue's demon eyes glanced at the Nanming Divine Light on Yun Che's body that was about to extinguish, and she said solemnly, "Meiyin, prepare to teleport. This battle might have alarmed Mo Beichen, who is currently in the Western Divine Region. We must leave immediately."
She, Shui Meiyin, and Cai Zhi had all witnessed Mo Beichen through Jun Xilei's memories. That person's terror far surpassed Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang.
Given the extreme respect and fear Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang showed him, it was very likely that he was a terrifying existence with demigod-level power.
The worst-case scenario... might not be weaker than Yun Che in his Divine Ember state.
And Yun Che's demigod power not only required the permanent destruction of his divine sources but also bore heavy backlash, with an extremely short duration.
No matter what, they absolutely could not encounter Mo Beichen.
If not for saving Mu Xuanyin and Qianye Ying'er, she would not have let Yun Che expose himself to Nan Zhaoming and Nan Zhaoguang.
"Alright!" Shui Meiyin nodded, the Cosmic Thorn held horizontally before her chest, emitting a faint crimson divine light.
"Yun Che," Chi Wuyue called to him, "they are already nine-tenths dead. We should lea—
*Rumble rumble rumble rumble—*
Before she could finish, her soul suddenly spasmed inexplicably.
That was a danger warning from the Nirvana Wheel Demon Soul!
Accompanied by a faint but deep rumbling sound... as if coming from far beyond the heavens, or as if echoing in the deepest part of the soul.
A moment of shock, and Chi Wuyue's face changed drastically. She urgently said, "Meiyin, teleport now!"
Shui Meiyin's small hand trembled violently. Everyone turned their heads in shock.
No one had ever seen the Demon Empress lose her composure... even back when Long Bai led the Western Region to the gates of Canglan, she had remained calm throughout.
But at this moment, she was so panicked.
After a brief shock, Shui Meiyin quickly acted. The Cosmic Thorn's originally gentle crimson divine light became somewhat violent, instantly enveloping the Demon Empress, Mu Xuanyin, the three Qianye, and the three Yan Ancestors beside her.
*Boom boom boom boom!*
The rumbling that had been faint a moment ago suddenly became deafening, like a world-destroying thunderbolt exploding right next to their ears.
Accompanied by a terrifying storm that violently rolled up space.
"Ah!!"
Several overlapping startled cries pierced the air. Under this storm—appearing as if tearing through space, so fast that they couldn't even react—the powerful three Yan Ancestors and two Brahma Ancestors were forcibly blasted back ten miles.
Mu Xuanyin, heavily wounded, let out a muffled groan. She was violently thrown back before Cai Zhi firmly grabbed her, barely stopping her.
And Shui Meiyin, who had been focusing on activating her spatial divine power, was caught off guard. She was fiercely tossed aside, nearly losing her grip on the Cosmic Thorn.
In her ear came Chi Wuyue's urgent demon voice, penetrating straight to her soul: "Meiyin!"
But Shui Meiyin, bearing the Stainless Divine Soul, steadied herself. Even before regaining her posture, her sea of consciousness was already clear. The spatial divine power of the Cosmic Thorn was released again, enveloping Yun Che in the distance...
But the moment the spatial divine power was released, she suddenly froze there. All the color drained from her face in an instant, turning deathly pale.
Chi Wuyue's demon eyes also sank, her whole body turning ice-cold.
Before Yun Che, a figure had appeared from nowhere.
He was clad in silver armor, tall and imposing. Even just his back seemed to stand at the center of the entire world, drawing the fear and submission of heaven and earth.
And one of his hands was locked around Yun Che's neck, his sinister fingers deeply embedded in his throat bones. With the movement of his arm, he lifted the emperor of this world into the air.
*Clang!*
The last of the Nanming Divine Light shattered, but the struggling force that erupted could not push the figure before him back by even a hair.
Yun Che's pupils rapidly turned from black to grayish-white, his dilated eyes staring fixedly at the face so close to his.
In Jun Xilei's memories, the terrifying person known as the "Abyss Knight"...
Mo Beichen!
With all four divine sources extinguished, the dissipation of Divine Ember power, and the full eruption of burden and backlash on Yun Che's body, at such a moment, he fell into the true... nightmare's claw.
A chill that had never been felt before shot from Chi Wuyue's spine straight into her demon soul.
Everything had happened too fast, too suddenly.
Demigod perception, demigod speed... Their understanding of demigod power was still far too shallow.
But for Chi Wuyue, even more terrifying than Mo Beichen's strength was his style of action.
Facing beings of this world whose power levels were far below his, he did not adopt an arrogant posture upon arrival, did not show contempt, did not utter disparaging words, and did not even bother with the dying Nan Zhaoguang and Nan Zhaoming.
Instead, he struck like thunder, directly targeting Yun Che.
Without giving them even the slightest moment to react.
Clearly, the power aura Yun Che had released earlier had put him on alert.
Under this vigilance, the Abyss Knight's decisiveness was enough to make one despair and shudder.