Chapter 1962: Farewell, Awakening
Within the space of the Heavenly Poison Pearl, a world of emerald green.
You Er curled up like a kitten on the soft bed, her nose gently fluttering with each breath.
It was not only Yun Che's body that bore the power of Divine Ashes, but also the Heaven-Defying Sword.
During the battle against Mo Beichen, Yun Che had been using the Demon Emperor Sword form the entire time. As Yun Che fell into a deep coma, You Er seemed to have fallen asleep as well from bearing the power of Divine Ashes for so long. Hong'er shook her for a long time but could not wake her.
"Master is so badly hurt, he's definitely going to sleep for a very, very long time again."
Hong'er's small hand kept scratching at You Er's palm as she murmured softly, "Even You Er looks so tired."
"Master is so strong, he'll definitely be fine."
He Ling walked over slowly. With a gentle push of her hand, over a dozen swords of various lights fell before Hong'er: "Hong'er, you must be hungry. Hurry and eat."
"Wow! So many!"
He Ling usually kept fairly strict control over her "diet" to prevent the Heaven-Defying Sword's growth from exceeding Yun Che's growth too rapidly.
Such a feast had not been seen in many years.
Hong'er's eyes sparkled like stars. With a soft cry, she pounced forward, directly grabbing two swords. Her glittering teeth bit left and right as she devoured them with relish, no longer needing to chew slowly and reluctantly like usual.
He Ling propped her cheek on her hand, gazing tenderly at the happily eating Hong'er and the quietly sleeping You Er.
Before long, five swords had completely disappeared between Hong'er's tender lips, accompanied by crunching sounds that would make any Xuan adept's heart tremble.
She wiped the drool from her lips with her hand, picked up the sixth sword, and said with a mouthful, "He Ling sister... today... it's very strange."
"Where is it strange?" He Ling looked at her. Her voice had always been so gentle, but at this moment, it seemed even softer than usual by several degrees.
"It's just strange." Hong'er chewed as she spoke, her vermilion eyes turning upward toward the emerald green space above. "I feel like everything is different somehow."
"..." He Ling's gaze rippled. It seemed to be a flash of sorrow, but it was immediately hidden beneath a gentle smile. She subconsciously reached out, wanting to touch Hong'er's cheek, but suddenly her fingers withdrew in panic and were tightly pressed against her chest.
"The world changes every day." She smiled. "But no matter how the world changes, you and You Er and Master must all become better and better, okay?"
Drip...
A crystal-clear droplet of water fell along with her soft words, bringing a mournful sound of dripping to this quiet emerald world.
"Ah?" Hong'er's lips parted. "He Ling sister, why are you crying?"
She thought for a moment, then immediately grinned mischievously: "I know, you must be worried about Master. Don't worry, Sister Mo Li often used to say that Master is an unkillable big worm. Although the injury looks scary, as long as he doesn't die, he'll get better very quickly. Don't cry, don't cry~~"
Having long been accustomed to Yun Che suffering various half-dead serious injuries, Hong'er truly wasn't worried at all.
She tried her best to comfort He Ling while reaching out to wipe away her tears.
Her fingers reached He Ling's cheek, but instead of the familiar smooth jade-like touch, they passed right through...
"...Eh?"
Hong'er's finger froze in midair, and the light in her vermilion pupils also stopped there.
Clang...
The greatsword she had been holding in her arms, already half-eaten, fell limply. But she seemed completely unaware, just staring blankly at He Ling.
He Ling quickly turned her head away, evading Hong'er's small hand, unwilling to let Hong'er see the mist in her emerald eyes.
She wanted to say something more to Hong'er, but for a long time, words failed her.
And time, mercilessly, was slipping away... She suddenly stood up, hurriedly and flusteredly walking away.
"He Ling sister, where... are you going?" Hong'er looked at her back. Her nose suddenly felt sour, and a sadness from she knew not where heavily weighed upon her heart.
"I'm going to see Master," she replied softly, her voice like the thinning mist at dawn. "I want... to look at him a little longer..."
...
...
True Gods...
That level, which in cognition had clearly vanished eternally, had always existed in some world outside this world.
The Abyss...
Even in ancient cognition, the Abyss of Nothingness, which had always been considered nonexistent, had, at some unknown time, evolved into another world.
Yun Che was in a deep coma, but his consciousness was in turmoil.
It was not a sign of waking, but rather his soul bearing too heavy a burden. Even in unconsciousness, it was difficult for him to find peace.
Mo Beichen...
He was a demigod.
To give birth to such a brief and fleeting demigod power in this world, Cang Shitian had to pay the price of permanently severing the Canglan Realm, and Huo Poyun had burned up everything he had, along with the future of the Yan Shen Realm.
Even his own Divine Ashes power came at the cost of destroying his divine source.
And Mo Beichen was merely a sacrificial pioneer sent by the Abyss.
Among the Abyss Knights, he ranked seven hundred and seventy-ninth.
If the Abyss Knights were ranked by strength, then there were at least seven hundred and seventy-eight more powerful than he was.
How ridiculous...
And the Abyss Knights themselves were merely servants.
Dealing with a single demigod had already cost this much.
If the day truly came when the True Gods of the Abyss descended, how could they possibly respond...
Was there even a possibility of dealing with them... even a tiny bit...
Creak... creak...
In his hazy consciousness, he could vaguely hear the sound of his bones tightening while still in his coma.
I had already become the emperor of this world.
Why, in the blink of an eye... have I become so humble and powerless again...
...
"Master, wake up..."
In the heavy and misty world, a soft, weak woman's voice sounded.
It was He Ling's voice, one he knew all too well.
But it was exceptionally faint and distant, as if coming from a dream within a dream.
"Master, please wake up. I want to talk with you for a little while... Just a little while, okay?"
In his blurriness, his weakened consciousness responded: "So tired... let me sleep a bit longer..."
"...Okay." That voice that always obeyed him gave the gentlest and most obedient response: "Then Master, rest well. I'm going to go find my parents and Lin'er. I'll tell them so many things about you."
"Mm... go ahead." His consciousness responded habitually.
Lin'er... It sounded familiar, but he couldn't clearly remember who it was.
"Master, to me, this is the best ending. So, you absolutely must not grieve for me, okay..."
The last voice was hazy and indistinct, as if separated by a thousand layers of mist.
Then, his consciousness sank into a dark silence.
...
...
Consciousness awakened, followed by gradually sharpening pain.
Yun Che slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a familiar scene.
Di Yun City, his bedchamber.
"So you're awake after all."
Chi Wuyue's voice came from afar, quickly drawing closer. She had sensed the turmoil in Yun Che's soul the moment it happened and swiftly moved to his side.
The pain was quite clear. Yun Che moved his fingers, then successfully raised his right hand.
The degree of recovery after waking far exceeded his expectations.
"How long did I sleep?" Yun Che asked. He sensed the meridians in his spine, finding them equally intact and clear.
"Six days." Chi Wuyue gave him the answer.
"...?" Yun Che was startled. "Six days?"
Last time, when he was severely wounded by Mo Beichen, he had been unconscious for sixteen days and was still half-dead upon waking, only gradually recovering in the Zhou Tian Divine Realm.
But this time, in the battle with Mo Beichen, he had endured the Divine Ashes state for over thirty breaths, and in the end, had suffered Mo Beichen's life-risking strike. The severity of the injuries was even greater than last time... greater than any he had ever suffered in his life.
And he had only been unconscious for... six days?
Moreover, the degree of recovery in his bones and meridians was clearly much better than when he had woken up last time.
And in this world, there was no healing method faster than his body's self-healing.
"Your waking up so quickly surprised me as well." Chi Wuyue sat down beside him. She reached out, and a gentle demonic aura carefully flowed through Yun Che's body. Her demonic eyes showed even more surprise.
"Could it be that enduring demigod-level power for so long caused some kind of mutation in your body?" Chi Wuyue said half-jokingly. "At any rate, it's a good thing."
Now was not the time to ponder why he had woken so quickly. Yun Che tried to move, and slowly, he managed to sit up on his own.
"..." Chi Wuyue's lips parted slightly.
Comparing the recovery speed of Yun Che's previous severe injuries, this time... it was abnormally fast.
"Is Mo Beichen dead?" Yun Che asked.
He was still alive, so Mo Beichen must be dead. But he had to hear the exact answer with his own ears.
"Dead. Poison devoured him down to not even a trace of marrow." Chi Wuyue answered.
"And Wu Xin?" Yun Che asked urgently.
"Completely unharmed. She's in her own bedchamber right now." Chi Wuyue said. "These days, she has stayed by your side without leaving for even a moment. Half an hour ago, I finally managed to persuade her to go back and rest."
Yun Che shook his head, trying to clear his still-cloudy thoughts: "Cang Shitian, and Huo Poyun..."
He paused, then forced out three bitter words: "How are they?"
Chi Wuyue replied: "Cang Shitian's body and bones were utterly destroyed. We only found a small fragment of the Canglan Divine Pearl, stained with some of his blood. Shuhe took it back to the Canglan Realm for burial."
"As for Huo Poyun," Chi Wuyue shook her head slightly, "Everything he had returned to the flames, leaving no trace behind. Or perhaps... that chasm scorched into existence by the flames is his only trace."
"Is... that so..." Yun Che stared blankly ahead.
"Cang Shitian could be so ruthless and resolute—it was beyond my expectations as well. Perhaps, from beginning to end, besides Cang Shuhe, no one ever truly saw him clearly." Chi Wuyue said with some emotion. "As for Huo Poyun, his doing this doesn't surprise me in the least."
"These days, I've often wondered whether Huo Poyun did it more to uphold the dignity of the present world or to prove himself to you."
"..."
Yun Che was stunned for a long time. After a while, he asked, "During the time I was unconscious, did any unrest break out?"
Chi Wuyue knew what he was referring to and shook her head: "No. However, news of the Abyss's terror and its imminent descent upon the present world has already spread throughout the entire God Realm. So now, all realms are in a state of panic and anxiety."
"No movement from the Qilin Realm either?" Yun Che frowned.
Everyone understood that once he woke, he would definitely not let the Qilin Realm off.
Because the Qilin Realm was the first to kneel to Mo Beichen, and in order to pledge allegiance, had betrayed him completely.
Now, the three Yan Mo Ancestors were dead, the two Brahma Ancestors were dead, and Cang Shitian, the commander of the Arbiter, was dead... Most of his vital arms had been lost, and he himself was severely wounded and unconscious.
If the Qilin Realm did not take this opportunity to rally the fearful realms and strike while he was down, they would never have another chance.
Chi Wuyue's eyes became subtle: "Qi Tianli is currently in Di Yun City. He has bound his own profound energy and has been kneeling outside the main hall for four days and four nights."
"...?" Yun Che's face showed doubt, then turned into deep gloom. "He had the guts to be a traitor, but not the guts to fight back? The backbone of the Qilin lineage is truly softer than maggots!"
"Does this old thing actually think I'll let them off just because of this?"
"You will let him off." Chi Wuyue let out a soft sigh.
"...??" Yun Che frowned, looking at Chi Wuyue with great confusion.
Chi Wuyue was one of the people who understood his temperament best. Hearing these words from her mouth made it impossible for him not to be astonished.
"Qi Tianli and Zhou Xuzi are fundamentally different after all." Chi Wuyue said slowly. "Zhou Xuzi regards himself as a paragon of righteousness and sacredness. For the sake of his so-called righteousness, he breaks faith and sacrifices others without scruple, all while using guilt and atonement to fulfill his own 'sacred heart.' Truly pitiful, laughable, and nauseating."
"As for Qi Tianli, the most important thing in his life and faith has always been the survival and continuation of the Qilin lineage. He does not seek fame, never interferes with others, and has never feared death... If dying could ensure the safety of the Qilin lineage, he would do it without hesitation."
"Put yourself in his shoes. Back then, when Mo Beichen approached the Qilin Realm, if Qi Tianli had made a different choice, what would the consequences have been for him and the Qilin lineage? Without a doubt, they would have died without a burial place. So, Qi Tianli actually had no second choice..."
"Enough." Yun Che frowned and interrupted her. "None of these are excuses."
"And regardless of the reason, he is a traitor, and a thorough one at that!"
His eyes, though still somewhat hazy, condensed with a piercing coldness: "If betrayal goes unpunished, then loyalty becomes nothing but a joke."
"Don't you want to hear the most important reason?" Chi Wuyue said with a faint smile.
"No, I don't." Yun Che averted his gaze. "I know you'll be able to convince me anyway. So it's better not to hear it."
Chi Wuyue smiled softly at that, and said lightly, "The one who wants you to let Qi Tianli off isn't me. Rather..."
"It's the Azure Dragon Emperor."
"..."
"..."
"...!?"
The scenes and murmurs before his coma replayed chaotically in his mind. Yun Che slowly turned his gaze back, stunned, and asked, "She... didn't die?"
Although his consciousness had been extremely blurry at the time,
But the Azure Dragon Emperor's body had been pressed against his, their blood mingling. The rapid collapse of her life force had been so clear...
There was absolutely no way she could have survived.
Unless it was a full-strength Life Miracle performed while he was at his peak.
"Mn, she didn't die. She's been awake for a while." A hint of doubt flickered in Chi Wuyue's heart at Yun Che's reaction, but she continued, "It was the Light Profound Force you left within her body at the last moment that saved her."
"...??"
Yun Che's face showed not relief, but deeper confusion: "Light Profound Force? From me?"
"At that time, my power was so exhausted that I couldn't even lift my hand. How could I have had any strength left to give her Light Profound Force!"