Chapter 2089: Divine Son Bu Wang
Li Suo let out a sigh: "You have increasingly become what the Demon Empress expected you to be. No matter who you look at, your first thought is what kind of tool they can become."
These words were not praise, because her essence remained that of the Life Creation God, who loved all life.
"People always have to grow up," Yun Che said, his expression seemingly carefree, yet he couldn't help but softly add to himself: "Even if forced."
Sensing Yun Che's state of mind, Li Suo asked another question: "Dian Jiuzhi's visit this time was clearly meant to call on you. If he had truly urgent matters, why would he specifically choose this moment to come here?"
"Just an excuse," Yun Che said with a faint smile. "He came to probe me, perhaps thinking he could easily gauge my background, temperament, and the like. But by the time he realized it, he found that I was the one leading the conversation. The most terrifying thing for him was that his long-held, steadfast state of mind had been shaken."
"'Jiuzhi' is his name as a Divine Son, almost embodying his life credo as the Divine Son of Senluo Divine Kingdom. Even a slight shake would surely alarm his soul and make him instinctively flee."
As he spoke, Yun Che had already returned to his bedchamber and instructed: "Zhiyuan, I need to rest for a while. Wake me three hours after the ceremony ends. During this time, no matter who comes, refuse them all."
He collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes to rest.
"How do you plan to deal with Meng Jianxi?" Li Suo asked.
"Deal with him?" The corner of Yun Che's mouth twitched. "A man who has lived his whole life in favorable circumstances is not even qualified to be my opponent."
Li Suo's voice was slow and calm: "He is... the Dreamweaving Divine Son after all, and Hua Qingying specifically warned you to be careful of him."
Yun Che said indifferently: "That's because in her eyes, I'm just a naive junior who has just returned to his homeland. Unfortunately, I am not. My goal, my opponent, is the entire Abyss. A mere Meng Jianxi—if I even give him a serious look, that would be beneath me."
"...Still, it's better to be cautious."
Yun Che closed his eyes and spoke softly: "Actions can be cautious, but the heart cannot. If I were timid and overcautious, how could I speak of destroying the heavens and overthrowing the Abyss?"
Li Suo said no more. Yun Che's breathing gradually steadied, as if he had truly fallen asleep.
...
The atmosphere in the Divine Empress Palace was oppressive to the point of suffocation.
Meng Xuanjue sat there, silent for a long time, her face darker than ever before. Those around her stood on edge, not daring to breathe loudly.
Meng Jianze spoke to Meng Jianxi with shame: "Your Highness, it was my incompetence. I never expected that brat to... For this fault, I am confined for half a year. Within these six months, I will surely find a way to deal with that brat."
But Meng Jianxi shook his head: "It's not your fault."
He let out a light sigh and said: "At first, his utter recklessness and disregard for consequences made me think he was arrogantly foolish. With the Perfect Divine Rank emerging... hah."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Even if he were ten times more arrogant, he would still be qualified."
"Mother," Meng Jianxi bowed slightly, "please rest well for a while and don't let today's matters trouble your heart. Your son takes his leave."
"Wait."
Meng Xuanjue finally spoke, her voice hoarse and grating, unconsciously sending chills through the soul.
"Jianxi, if Meng Jianyuan recovers his memory, do you have any idea what fate will befall me!"
"...!?" Meng Jianze immediately lowered his head, making no reaction.
"Of course, your son has not forgotten." Meng Jianxi let out a long, heavy breath, each word spoken with immense gravity.
"Good." Meng Xuanjue's tone turned sinister: "He could suffer an early death once, so naturally he can suffer an early death a second—"
With a frantic movement of a figure, Meng Xuanjue's mouth and voice were tightly sealed by a hand. Mother and son locked eyes barely half a foot apart—one filled with venomous malice, the other with a twisted, cracking fury.
Meng Jianze's body trembled slightly. He didn't know whether to leave or stay.
"Mother," Meng Jianxi gritted his teeth, "do you have any idea what a Perfect Divine Rank means? Enough... Mother, remember this: I never thought of admitting defeat. He has a Perfect Divine Rank, and I have a powerful maternal clan. I am not without a chance of victory. But... now is absolutely not the time!"
He released his hand, then turned abruptly, refusing to meet his mother's gaze, and left only a cold remark: "Mother, don't make things difficult for me!"
With that, he walked away without looking back.
Meng Jianze quickly stepped back two paces: "May the Divine Empress be at peace. Jianze takes his leave."
"Jianze," Meng Xuanjue stopped him. Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, and her voice lacked the earlier gloom: "Jianxi is afraid... You are his closest and most trusted elder brother. Now is the time when only you can help him."
"This..." Meng Jianze's heart clenched. He said cautiously: "I wonder... how should I assist His Highness the Divine Son?"
Meng Xuanjue dismissed those around her, stood up, and paced slowly: "Jianxi has always believed that Meng Jianyuan has just returned and is currently the apple of the Divine Venerable's eye, so he cannot be touched. But in truth, aside from the Divine Venerable's favor, Meng Jianyuan has nothing. And that boy's ambition and methods are surely far more terrifying than what he has shown today. Once he gains power in the future, Jianxi will likely have even less of a chance."
Meng Jianze vaguely felt there was some truth to this, but dared not respond.
"Since Jianxi is afraid, it is up to you to tell him that Meng Jianyuan is not so terrifying—that he has many flaws and weaknesses."
"Me?" Meng Jianze looked up, his face full of confusion.
"Help me do one thing." Meng Xuanjue approached him, her voice lowering to become even more sinister: "Rest assured, this matter poses no risk to you or anyone else, because I am not asking you to harm Meng Jianyuan, but rather..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone gradually slowing: "In this world, nothing is more susceptible to testing and temptation than human nature. What you need to do is tempt and amplify his greed, making him take the initiative to leave an indelible stain... There is no scheming, no framing, no false accusation, and naturally no risk or leverage. Understand?"
Meng Jianze shook his head.
Meng Xuanjue raised her hand. Instantly, a strange silver-white light illuminated the entire palace, like moonlight sweeping the sky, divine radiance shining everywhere.
Meng Jianze looked up and exclaimed in shock: "Tianqi Divine Jade!"
Meng Xuanjue said: "This is a supreme Abyss Crystal personally bestowed by the Divine Venerable to Jianxi when he was established as Divine Son a hundred years ago. It allows one to break through bottlenecks below the fifth level of the Divine Annihilation Realm without any impediment. In the entire Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, there is only this one."
"Jianxi has always kept it with me, intending to use it when he charges toward the fifth level of the Divine Annihilation Realm in the future."
"And now, it has another use."
With those low words, Meng Xuanjue placed this extremely rare Abyss Crystal into Meng Jianze's hand.
"You know what to do." Meng Xuanjue urged in a deep voice: "Remember, you must make him take it into his own hands."
"Jianze... understands." Meng Jianze's voice trembled slightly, but he did not refuse. He put away the Tianqi Divine Jade and said cautiously: "However, with all due respect, Meng Jianyuan does not seem to be a simple-minded or guileless person. This move is likely to be easily seen through by him. Moreover... he has a Perfect Divine Rank and enjoys the special favor of the Divine Father. If he wants any resource, he probably won't need to take such risks."
"Everything you said, do you think I don't know?" Meng Xuanjue sneered. "That Meng Jianyuan has been adrift outside for a hundred years, seeing only lowly things. If he suddenly sees this divine jade, the attraction he feels will be far greater than that of others."
"And precisely because he is riding high at this moment, he might even think the entire Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom will eventually fall into his hands... With enough audacity stacked on top of enough greed, he is more likely to make a move than anyone."
"Under intense excitement and greed, people have very little rationality left. There's nothing strange about what they might do. And after he comes to his senses, even if he regrets it, it will already be too late."
"Then..." Meng Jianze said, "what if he remains completely unmoved?"
"Doesn't matter," Meng Xuanjue said. "I have many similar means. There will always be something he cannot resist... As long as it happens once, that's enough. Even sacrificing Jianxi's Divine Son Consort is not out of the question."
Meng Jianze's heart turned cold, but he could only agree.
...
After being woken by Meng Zhiyuan, Yun Che swayed unsteadily to the kitchen hall. When he came out, he was holding a jade box. He gave a few instructions and walked straight out of the Divine Son Palace.
Behind him, Shangguan Helu watched his retreating figure with a dazed, infatuated gaze, as if gazing at a god in a dream.
Yun Che made his way without obstruction to the Dreamless Pavilion where Meng Kongchan resided.
"Yuan'er, you've come?" Before Yun Che even saw Meng Kongchan, his voice reached Yun Che's ears.
Yun Che quickened his steps, arrived before Meng Kongchan, and bowed respectfully: "Junior Yun Che... has come specifically to apologize to the Divine Venerable."
"Apologize for what?" Meng Kongchan looked at him, half-smiling.
Yun Che's face showed shame: "The Divine Venerable went to the trouble of summoning all the core forces of the kingdom for this ceremony. I have been hesitant for days, until the ceremony itself... I refused the Divine Venerable's gift to my face, and betrayed the Divine Venerable's intentions."
"Hehe," Meng Kongchan laughed. "You sly boy, you knew full well that I wouldn't blame you for this. But this Perfect Divine Rank of yours—you've hidden it for so long, just to surprise me today?"
"Uh, I suppose so," Yun Che said. He stepped forward and placed the jade box before Meng Kongchan: "Senior, I... feel guilty in my heart, but I don't know how to make amends for now. So I made a bowl of soup. Not to calm the senior's frustrations, but to slightly ease the guilt in my heart."
"Soup? You?" Meng Kongchan's expression was odd, clearly very surprised. He opened the jade box, and the escaping aroma made him visibly startle. Then he couldn't help but take a small sip.
Immediately, his gaze froze. After a long moment, he looked at Yun Che with great astonishment: "This... did you really make this yourself?"
"Yes," Yun Che said. "This was also taught by my master. My master often said that as one of the six human desires, the desire for taste is no weaker than any other desire. It's just that fewer and fewer people in the world are willing to devote themselves to the culinary path, causing this path to decline for a long time."
Meng Kongchan lifted the jade box and took another sip. Then he slowly closed his eyes, savored it for a few breaths, and murmured: "I have cultivated my soul for ten thousand years and considered my soul to be as firm as a rock. I never expected a small bowl of soup to give me such a clear sensation of my soul escaping."
He opened his eyes and gave Yun Che a deep look: "Yuan'er, the surprises you bring your father are far too many."
Yun Che quickly said: "If the Divine Venerable likes it, I will make it often for the Divine Venerable."
Meng Kongchan smiled warmly, raised the jade box with both hands, and drank it all very slowly. When he set it down, there was not a single drop left in the box.
After a moment, he said with a smile: "Now your father understands why that girl Caili was tricked by you. If you truly want to make me happy, just call me 'Divine Father'—that would be better than anything."
Yun Che opened his mouth, but slowly lowered his head: "At the very beginning of my memories in this life, there were no parents. Because of that, my longing for parental love is far greater than others'. To me, the words 'father' and 'mother' are too sacred. If I were to say them now... to call you 'Divine Father' without the cognition of Meng Jianyuan would be a desecration of those two words, and also unfair to you, senior Divine Venerable."
Meng Kongchan waved his hand, but showed no disappointment: "Enough, enough. You're right. You haven't recalled the past yet. If you forced yourself to comply, perhaps... I wouldn't be happy either."
He walked over to Yun Che, reached out, and gently grasped his arm: "Yuan'er, your father is waiting for you to recover your memories, waiting for the day when my Yuan'er returns whole."
As he spoke, silver light suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he grabbed Yun Che's left hand and lifted it.
A streak of silver light flowed down from Meng Kongchan's body and slowly transferred onto Yun Che's body... Yun Che's heart trembled slightly. He could clearly feel that Meng Kongchan was separating his own soul.
"Senior Divine Venerable, this is..."
Meng Kongchan did not respond. Soon, the silver light finally flowed to Yun Che's left hand and slowly coiled around his little finger, forming a small silver soul ring.
Then the light scattered, and the soul ring disappeared from Yun Che's finger without a trace.
Meng Kongchan let out a light breath: "Remember, if you encounter danger, immediately shatter this ring with your energy. No matter where you are, your father will rush to you as quickly as possible."
Yun Che clenched his left hand, his gaze trembling: "Such a soul split will damage the soul's source. You are the Dreamless Divine Venerable—how can you..."
Such a sensing soul ring was similar in nature to a death-sensing soul imprint, yet vastly different. Both require splitting the soul, but the former is a hundred times more demanding than the latter.
Meng Kongchan patted him on the shoulder to stop his words, and said solemnly: "For others, I wouldn't be willing. But for Yuan'er, I am willing to give anything. Your father promises you that what happened back then will never happen again."
"..." Yun Che suppressed his gratitude and nodded lightly: "Alright... In the coming days, I will focus on cultivation, so that my strength can match the senior's gift and Caili's feelings as soon as possible. I will also strive... to become the complete Meng Jianyuan as soon as possible."
Leaving the Dreamless Pavilion, Yun Che did not immediately return to the Divine Son Palace. Instead, he chose a random direction and strolled slowly.
Since entering the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, he had never taken a careful look around this kingdom of soul cultivation.
Wherever he went, there were exclamations of surprise. He seldom responded, his gaze always looking into the distance, memorizing the layout, listening to the sounds.
He didn't know how far he had walked when his gaze suddenly shifted, because he sensed a trace of dark aura.
In the Abyss World, only the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom among the six divine kingdoms cultivated Dark Profound Force.
As he approached, the figure of a man in black robes appeared in his sight.
His long hair covered his face, disheveled. Although he exuded the powerful aura of the Divine Annihilation Realm, his steps were heavy as lead, his legs moving forward with extreme stiffness.
He showed no reaction to the gazes and voices around him.
As his long hair swayed, Yun Che caught a glimpse of his eyes through the gaps in his hair, and his heart and soul trembled violently.
The violent stirring in Yun Che's heart immediately alarmed Li Suo: "What did you discover?"
"Nothing," the stirring lasted only a moment. He looked away and said, "I was just reminded of myself in the past."
Li Suo: "The past... you?"
Yun Che's tone was somewhat heavy: "That person's eyes were exactly like mine when I fled like a homeless dog into the Northern Domain—despair, darkness like a dead abyss, without any light left, completely devoid of any desire to live."
"But there was a difference. I still had the obsession of revenge. For me at that time, if someone could give me the power to take revenge, I would have paid any price, even my life or all my dignity, without any hesitation. As for him... he likely has no hope of redemption or revenge, only utter grayness."
With that, he turned and walked away. After all, he wasn't so willing to touch upon that too painful and dark period of his past.
Just then, the voices of the guarding disciples reached his ears:
"That person... isn't that Pan Buwang, the former Divine Son of the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom? How... did he become like this?"
"Alas, his title of Divine Son was revoked, and he was ostracized and suppressed in the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom. His mother, the Divine Empress, was first deposed and then soon died of an unexplained illness. It is said that the Qiheng Divine Venerable has completely given up on him. Such a fall—who could accept it? There are also rumors that he had an illicit relationship with Shen Wuqing, the former Divine Maiden of the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom, but that Shen Wuqing..."
"Shh! Matters of the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom are best not discussed. But look at this Pan Buwang... Hmm? The direction he's heading—could it be the Sinking Dream Valley? Is he planning to..."
Yun Che's footsteps halted, and a strange light suddenly flickered in his eyes.