Chapter 2061: Sword Heart Unclouded
"In the earliest days of the Abyss, the 'Living Lands' had not yet taken shape. Everywhere was far more terrifying Abyss Dust than there is now, causing even many True Gods to gradually fall."
"Later, Uncle Abyss Emperor used a powerful profound artifact to create the Abyss's first 'Living Land,' allowing more and more gods to survive. Then, for long-term continuation, they began gradual reproduction and expansion of the 'Living Lands.'"
"But, probably due to the influence of Abyss Dust, the descendants of gods found it extremely difficult to cultivate to True God, causing the number of True Gods to dwindle more and more. If this continued, as each True God passed away, the power of True Gods might one day vanish completely from the Abyss."
"So, Uncle Abyss Emperor chose the seven most suitable True Gods. Before they fell, he extracted their True God Divine Origins, and then, through seven special profound artifacts, created seven Divine Cores."
"These seven Divine Cores became the foundation that established the six Divine Kingdoms that have continued to this day."
Yun Che listened carefully to Hua Caili's account, then interjected: "If I understand correctly, after each generation of a Divine Kingdom's Divine Venerable abdicates, the inherited True God Divine Origin can be directly passed down to the next Divine Venerable through the Divine Core?"
"Exactly! Brother Yun is so clever." Hua Caili praised.
Yun Che slightly curled the corner of his mouth... This inheritance model was essentially the same in nature as that of the King Realms. But then again, the inheritance methods of the King Realms truly did originate from the ancient divine races.
However, one was the power of Divine Lords, the other was the power of True Gods. Though the methods were similar, the levels and difficulties involved were as different as heaven and earth.
"But, of course, this inheritance isn't casual." Hua Caili hugged Yun Che's arm, half-leaning her body against him as she continued: "Not only must the bloodline be close and the profound arts compatible, but there's also the most important thing... the 'Divine Rank.'"
"I've heard of 'Divine Rank' before, but I don't really understand it. What exactly is it?"
Yun Che had first learned of the term "Divine Rank" not in the Abyss, but from Chi Wuyue's telling. But his knowledge was very shallow; he only knew that to bear the power of a True God, one needed to possess at least eight points of Divine Rank.
Hua Caili thought for a moment, then explained: "Everyone has fifty-four profound passes. As one's cultivation level increases, they all open up. After all profound passes are open, subtle changes occur within the profound vein, as if some independent 'small worlds' appear, thereby altering one's ability to control and bear profound force."
"And the number of these 'small worlds' is the Divine Rank."
"Oh, I see." Yun Che looked thoughtful.
"Most profound practitioners have three to five points of Divine Rank. Those exceeding five points are already extremely rare. And to become a 'Divine Successor' of a Divine Kingdom, one must have at least eight points of Divine Rank. If someone with insufficient Divine Rank forcibly bears True God power, it will fail because the profound vein cannot withstand it, and the consequences of failure are often very, very tragic — possibly total destruction of the profound vein, or even direct death."
"But there are exceptions. The Wuming Divine Venerable of the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom forcibly bore the Divine Origin with a body of only seven points of Divine Rank, and miraculously succeeded in the end. But there was a price. Her divine title is 'Wuming' [No Light], and she renamed the kingdom 'Eternal Night,' because she permanently lost her sight as a result."
Speaking of this, Hua Caili suddenly grew somewhat emotional: "I've heard that in that world called the 'Eternal Pure Land,' the lifespans of True Gods are very, very long — longer than the history of the Abyss. But... True Gods who become so by bearing a Divine Origin actually have shorter lifespans."
"Throughout the generations of Divine Kingdom Divine Venerables, none have lived beyond fifty thousand years."
"Mm?" Yun Che looked at her sideways, half-jokingly: "This sudden sentiment of yours — are you afraid that if you inherit divine power in the future, you might not live as long as I do?"
"Yes." Hua Caili nodded directly in admission: "I want to inherit Father God's divine power earlier, so I can protect you forever. And yet I'm afraid that because of this my lifespan will shorten, and after I'm gone, there will be no one to protect you anymore..."
She looked at him, her tone exceptionally serious.
"Don't think about such strange things." Yun Che shook his head with a smile: "Do I really look like someone who can be easily bullied?"
"But I just want to stay with you longer." Hua Caili shook Yun Che's arm, then mumbled softly: "If only I had a Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body."
"..." Yun Che's footsteps froze for an instant, then he asked casually: "Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body... what is it?"
"It's a very miraculous talent that only appears in women." Hua Caili said with some longing: "Calling Divine Rank 'small worlds' in the profound vein isn't entirely accurate. But a person with a Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body truly has a small world within her profound vein called the 'Exquisite World.'"
"Because of this 'Exquisite World's' existence, her capacity to bear and control profound force far exceeds others. It's said that someone with a Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body, even without a compatible profound vein or having cultivated matching profound arts, only needs to reach the Divine Annihilation Realm to directly bear any kind of True God Divine Origin."
"And moreover, their lifespan won't be shortened by bearing True God power — instead, it will be greatly extended."
Yun Che showed appropriate surprise: "There is such a miraculous heaven-gifted constitution in the world? Truly astonishing. Then... does anyone with a Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body exist in the current era?"
Hua Caili gently shook her head: "It's said that in ancient times, one would appear every tens of thousands of years. But since hundreds of thousands of years ago, they have vanished completely, never to appear again... Of course, it's also possible that they are hiding with all their might, afraid to let anyone know."
"Why?" Yun Che asked, though he already knew.
"Because... because..." Hua Caili found it somewhat shameful to say, but she still tried: "It's said that women with Nine-Xuan Exquisite Bodies make the best... dual cultivation cauldrons. In history, women who possessed Nine-Xuan Exquisite Bodies would be captured by the Divine Kingdoms... their fates were mostly very unfortunate."
"Those with Nine-Xuan Exquisite Bodies release a very special Nine-Turn Profound Qi during the initial stages of cultivation, making them especially easy to identify. But once they cultivate to the Divine Origin Realm, this special aura can be completely concealed. So, given the lessons of history, those gifted with this heaven-sent talent, unless born in a Divine Kingdom, would instead hide it with all their might, afraid to reveal it."
"Indeed." Yun Che's gaze was deep: "The weak possessing a treasure — guiltless, yet guilty."
"Ah!" Hua Caili's eyes suddenly sparkled: "Brother Yun, do you want to check how many points of Divine Rank you have? I'll tell you the method. It's very simple."
"Better not." Yun Che said indifferently: "I'm not a person of the Divine Kingdoms, and there's no way I could become a Divine Successor."
After his Evil God Profound Vein had been completed, it had become an endless starry sky.
Having said this, before Hua Caili could insist, he pointed ahead: "Look, there's a small city ahead. We can go there and find a place to cultivate."
They had walked out of the Mist Sea for over ten days and entered the Living Lands of the Abyss.
But Living Lands also had their hierarchy. The closer to a Divine Kingdom, the weaker the Abyss Dust, the higher the status and level, and naturally, the more powerful practitioners would gather.
Arriving in the city, Yun Che used ten small Abyss Crystals to rent a resting place for three hundred hours.
This kind of resting place was actually an independent small space that could block out most of the Abyss Dust. It was rented to practitioners who needed to rest or heal, and was widely distributed in various Living Lands.
For Yun Che and Hua Caili, it was a relatively quiet place to cultivate.
The two did not release their profound force, nor did they use weapons. Hua Caili used her finger as a sword, and the sword aura she summoned was still as chaotic as a starry sky.
Yun Che only defended and did not attack, using his fingers to counter moves and his strength to transform into swords. The two fought for several hours, testing countless variations.
Although they had left the Mist Sea and Hua Caili had achieved a major realm breakthrough, Yun Che did not slacken her training. After all, she was still in the midst of the training period agreed upon with her father and aunt.
With Hua Qingying nearby, he definitely could not let Hua Caili sink only into the pleasures of men and women, or he would surely incur her displeasure.
At that moment, a divine light flashed in Hua Caili's pupils. Her snow-white hand reached out, and Liuyun Sword flew into her fingers as she thrust it lightly.
There was no sword cry, no sword aura. What appeared in Yun Che's perception were only traces of a faint, almost imperceptible chill that caused the soul to contract slightly.
He moved his steps back, but stopped halfway in midair.
Because around his body, nine sword beams had materialized out of thin air, all clinging tightly to his form, sealing all his movements.
At this scene, Hua Qingying's gaze fixed tightly, and did not move away for a long time.
With a soft cry, all the sword aura dissipated into nothingness. A profound joy appeared on Hua Caili's face. She looked at the Liuyun Sword in her hand, then suddenly pounced on Yun Che, embracing him tightly: "Brother Yun, I... I can finally perfectly control the first move of Heaven-Breaking Sword! Wonderful, wonderful!"
Hua Qingying murmured softly: "How... could it be... so fast..."
The shock she felt at this moment was even greater than when Hua Caili had broken through her major realm.
Every move of the Heaven-Breaking Sword was extremely difficult to comprehend, extremely difficult to control, and even more difficult to advance... She knew this better than anyone.
And from the time Hua Caili had comprehended the first move of Heaven-Breaking until now, it had been less than three months.
Thinking back to her training during this period... Ever since she met Yun Che, her sword momentum and sword intent had become so light and pure, as if her sword heart was a piece of clear glass.
Sword Heart Unclouded...
Hua Qingying suddenly felt something.
It seemed that she had truly found a reason to wield the sword.
Yun Che... please, never... betray her.
She had not yet realized that this thought of hers was actually a form of recognition for Yun Che. At least... between Yun Che and Dian Jiuzhi, she had unknowingly leaned towards Yun Che.
"As expected of my Caili." Yun Che praised with a smile: "When your Father God sees you, he will probably be excited for a very, very long time."
"Speaking of which... here's a reward for you."
He raised his hand, and in his palm was a small, cute snow rabbit, emitting the fragrance of rice cakes.
"So adorable." Hua Caili took it, countless colors shimmering in her eyes: "What is this little beast called?"
"Snow Rabbit." Yun Che said: "A type of rabbit. Beasts of this race feed only on ordinary grasses and trees, and have no aggression at all."
"It really is adorable..." She examined it seriously: "So adorable... it must taste delicious."
As she spoke, her jade teeth bit down, and a fragrance that intoxicated the soul immediately filled the air.
After leaving the Mist Sea, Yun Che gave her a new, always novel surprise every day. The food he made from the ordinary materials of the Living Lands was in no way inferior to the rare treasures of the Pure Land.
"Absolutely delicious." As Hua Caili spoke softly, she suddenly stood on tiptoe and stuffed the remaining half into Yun Che's mouth: "Here's the butt."
"Mmph..." Yun Che was caught off guard, his mouth stuffed full. He swallowed it down in a gulp.
He turned his body, and amidst Hua Caili's startled cry, he directly pushed her to the ground, his gaze carrying undisguised aggression: "Right now, I want to eat you more."
"No... you can't." Hua Caili's cheeks were dyed pink, her voice timid: "Auntie... might peek."
Yun Che was about to speak, but Hua Caili quietly raised her hand, instantly casting a sword array around them to block all prying. Her jade-like arms tightly entwined around Yun Che's neck.
"Like this, Auntie can't see. Brother Yun is mine; no one can watch."
Pink clouds gradually spread, dyeing her snowy neck. Her beautiful eyes dared not meet Yun Che's, but her legs had already quietly wrapped around his waist, feeling the seamless contact between them.
"..." Hua Qingying retreated far away, her expression complex and uncertain, before she slowly let out a breath.
The calamity of the Abyss Qilin God had made her dare not relax her vigilance over Hua Caili's safety even slightly; naturally, she would not go too far away.
After a long time, she thought the two had finished. Her divine sense swept down, pierced through the sword array, but touched upon Hua Caili's soft, boneless, voluptuous sounds... Her divine sense withdrew like an electric shock, and her sword heart was flustered for several breaths.
Even now, she could not imagine what Hua Fuchen's reaction would be if he learned that Caili had already lost her virginity to Yun Che...
...
"Pay attention. This man is called Little Shuai, this woman is called Little Mei. Little Shuai's father saved Little Mei's life, and Little Mei's father made Little Mei promise to marry Little Shuai when she grew up to repay the life-saving grace."
Yun Che fiddled with two small wooden figures on the ground, telling Hua Caili a strange story.
"But, Little Shuai was born with a crippled profound vein, while Little Mei was exceptionally talented. If the two married, in flattering terms it would be like a reed leaning against a jade tree, but in harsh terms, it would be a delusional fantasy."
"So, did the two call off the engagement?" Hua Caili asked.
"No. Little Mei still married Little Shuai, but she clearly told him it was only to repay a debt of gratitude, to preserve his dignity, and that there would be no feelings involved. Moreover, the two separated soon after marriage."
"But Little Shuai was proud and ambitious. He found a way to repair his profound vein, trained diligently, encountered countless opportunities, and one day finally met Little Mei again. He defeated her, proving to her that he was worthy of her, and that it was not merely her repayment of a debt or pity."
Having said this, Yun Che put the two small wooden figures together, indicating the story was finished.
"Today's story was so boring." Hua Caili propped her chin on her hand, then softly collapsed onto Yun Che's lap: "There would never be anything like a reed leaning against a jade tree or a delusional fantasy between us. I only want you in this life, and you can only be my Brother Yun alone."
"Mm, it really was a bit boring." Yun Che sighed to himself: "Who would have thought that such a boring beginning... hid so much karma."