Chapter 2103: Chaotic Hearts
Li Suo murmured softly, "But after today, divine officials will surely come here."
"More than just divine officials." Yun Che let out a low, meaningful laugh. "It wouldn't be surprising if Abyss Emperor himself came in person. After all... he will soon see, through the wildly spreading projections, things beyond his comprehension!"
"So..." Li Suo said, "what you want is to disrupt the hearts of the Pure Land?"
"No," Yun Che said, his face pale from exhaustion yet still exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers through the heart. "What I want to disrupt is the hearts of the people throughout this entire Abyss Realm."
Yun Che looked up, softly recalling the words Chi Wuyue had spoken to him back when the Demon descended upon the Eastern Divine Region: "To destroy a domain, first disrupt its hearts. To disrupt its hearts, first shatter its beliefs."
And the Abyss Emperor was unquestionably the highest faith of this world.
"After today, the 'Mist Emperor' will not appear easily again in the short term, and my cultivation in the Mist Sea must be handled with extreme caution."
"For now, it's best to quietly observe how the world changes."
The "Abyss Core" had not only been planted into the souls of the Abyss Knights but was also spreading through the hands of Abyss cultivators into the hearts of countless beings throughout the Abyss.
What evil flower this "Abyss Core" would bloom in the Abyss today, Yun Che could not predict, but he looked forward to it immensely.
...
Weichi Nanxing struggled to regain consciousness.
The excruciating pain spreading throughout his body, along with his gradually awakening consciousness, cruelly told him that everything before had not been a nightmare.
"Nanxing, you're finally awake."
Bai Yu's figure emerged in his gradually clearing vision. He appeared to be heavily injured as well, covered in dishevelment, but far less severe than Weichi Nanxing's miserable state. He had woken up much earlier and still had the strength to set up a healing profound formation beneath him.
But the awakened Weichi Nanxing just stared blankly at the sky above, remaining silent for a long time.
In his eyes was a kind of ashen despair that Bai Yu had never seen before. He understood too well the blow today's events had dealt to Weichi Nanxing... Ever since becoming one of the thirty-six commanders of the Abyss Knights, he had hardly even suffered minor injuries, let alone such a severe wound. But what was millions of times more terrifying than the physical trauma was the violent impact of the Mist Emperor's words on his beliefs.
"The Mist Emperor didn't kill us," Bai Yu said. "Perhaps... he didn't dare."
But even he knew how flimsy this reasoning was.
Weichi Nanxing turned his gaze and found this place to be a barren wasteland, surrounded by cultivators in various states of distress. However, the auras of these cultivators were extremely disorderly, and there were even many weak women and young children who should have been protected within barriers, never exposed to the Abyss Dust.
Their eyes were hollow, their expressions bleak, staring lifelessly into an unknown distance.
"Where... is this?" he finally spoke.
Bai Yu's expression was complicated. "East of Xuanmo Realm. The original Xuanmo Realm has already... been swallowed by the Mist Sea."
The brief five words "been swallowed by the Mist Sea" took Weichi Nanxing a very long time to process. In the end, he let out a spiritless murmur: "How... could this be..."
"Yes, how could this be!"
The same four words, yet spoken with a trembling voice... and an indignation that should never have been directed at an Abyss Knight. Mo Xifeng walked over; despite having the cultivation of a first-level Divine Annihilation Realm, his steps were now heavy and unsteady: "I implore the Knight Lord, for us who have lost our homeland and become wanderers, to arrange another place where we can take shelter."
"Otherwise, in a little while, those with weak cultivation will surely perish from the Abyss Dust."
Mo Xifeng's voice and demeanor no longer held the previous deference, and he was clearly making a great effort to restrain his emotions. Bai Yu's brows furrowed sharply, and he said coldly, "Are you commanding me? The one who destroyed Xuanmo Realm is that Mist Emperor of the Mist Sea!"
Mo Xifeng let out a bitter laugh: "Before today, the Mist Emperor had bestowed only great blessings upon my Xuanmo Realm. Under the Mist Emperor's grace, even without isolation barriers, the Abyss Dust was thin enough for women and children to endure briefly. In this way, it wouldn't be long before Xuanmo Realm would become a place where countless training cultivators would vie to set foot, and its prosperity would far surpass the past."
"And the ones who destroyed all of this... are you!" Mo Xifeng seemed to have completely given up all restraint, directly pointing at Bai Yu and Weichi Nanxing, his face contorted with uncontrolled hatred and fury: "You were the ones who forced him! You made the Mist Emperor take back his grace and inflict divine punishment!"
"How dare you!" Bai Yu was enraged, the majesty of the Pure Land releasing instantly with his fury.
"Father King!" Mo Qianyou rushed over frantically, desperately grabbing Mo Xifeng's arm, then bowed to Bai Yu in fearful obeisance: "Knight Lord, please calm your anger. My father dedicated his entire life to Xuanmo Realm. Now that Xuanmo Realm has been devoured by the Mist Sea, his grief has cut him to the core, and his words are reckless. I beg the Knight Lord to forgive him!"
Bang!
Mo Xifeng violently shook his hand, sending Mo Qianyou flying heavily.
"Xuanmo Realm is gone, our roots are gone, what fear do we still have of Abyss Knights!" Mo Xifeng raised his hand, pointing at Bai Yu again: "Qianyou, you look carefully, remember well, they are Abyss Knights, but they are also the enemies and criminals who destroyed Xuanmo Realm and our generations-old foundation!"
"Heh!" Bai Yu laughed in extreme anger: "So then, Xuanmo Realm King, what do you intend to do?"
"Hehehe!" Mo Xifeng responded with an even more desolate cold laugh: "What do I intend to do? Facing a noble Abyss Knight, what can I, a mere lord of a small land, possibly do?"
"Then, as a noble Abyss Knight, you caused an entire land to lose the grace that could have blessed it for a hundred generations, and you made everyone homeless and displaced. What should you... do to uphold the justice and honor that symbolize the Pure Land!"
"Or is it that everything you uphold, just like the name 'Abyss Emperor', is nothing but a lie to deceive the world!"
The first half was still just resentful words spoken in extreme anger, perhaps forgivable. But the latter sentence undoubtedly touched the bottom line of what any Abyss Knight could tolerate.
A murderous intent suddenly rose within Bai Yu's fury. He slowly raised his head, his voice as cold as the abyss: "You're... asking for death!"
Ding!
Frost condensed, and his pale sword flashed into his hand... but for a long time, it did not point at Mo Xifeng.
Even the murderous intent that had just surged suddenly froze.
As he raised his head, he met pairs upon pairs of eyes. The looks they gave him held fear, confusion, indifference... and more deeply concealed resentment.
But the familiar fervor, worship, longing, and reverence were all gone.
The surging murderous intent suddenly transformed into a never-before-felt sense of powerlessness, and even his vision began to blur intermittently.
"Bai Yu," Weichi Nanxing said weakly, "let's go."
The frost and the sword blade vanished from Bai Yu's hand. He lifted the heavily injured Weichi Nanxing and silently flew away.
Suddenly, he stopped. After his chest heaved violently, he flung his hand backward. A piece of pure white jade stone flew down and landed with a crash in front of Mo Xifeng.
"This is my Knight Token. Head northeast and find a land called Baiji Realm. That is my homeland. With this token, Baiji Realm will take you in and settle you... How many survive will depend on your own fortunes."
"Once I finish my duties in the Pure Land, I will... personally return to Baiji Realm to make arrangements for you."
Having said this, he no longer lingered, carrying Weichi Nanxing away.
His speed was very fast, as if he could no longer bear to endure their gaze.
...
The light of the Qiankun Profound Array flashed within the cultivation space, and Yun Che quickly walked out.
He removed the Inverse Abyss Stone from his body, and within a few short breaths, his external aura returned to normal, returning to the Yun Che that others perceived.
Taking a few deep breaths to suppress his weakness and fatigue, he walked out of the cultivation space, then strolled leisurely into the pavilion in the courtyard. He had Zhangyi and Helu present tea and snacks, and one tidied his hair, appearing quite comfortable and relaxed.
Before long, a familiar aura rapidly approached the Divine Son Palace. Meng Zhiyuan also quickly reported: "Young Master, Xi Divine Son requests an audience."
"Let him in."
Meng Jianxi arrived with hurried steps and a solemn expression. Seeing him like this, Yun Che immediately straightened his back and sat up formally: "Has something major happened?"
"It is indeed a major event, but it is not directly related to our Weaving Dream." Meng Jianxi said directly: "An hour ago, an unusual incident occurred in the Mist Sea."
"An hour ago?" Yun Che's brows deeply furrowed, and his expression instantly became several times more serious: "In just one short hour, news has already spread from the Mist Sea to here? It seems this matter is truly extraordinary. Tell me in detail."
Meng Jianxi said, "Does Abyss Brother know of the 'Mist Emperor'?"
"Of course." Yun Che showed a puzzled expression: "You speak of this... Could it be that this matter is related to the 'Mist Emperor'? But according to information from Xuanji Hall, this so-called Mist Emperor is a farce created by some people who defy the Pure Land in the Mist Sea. Has he stirred up some new commotion?"
Meng Jianxi let out a long sigh and said, "In the past year, various rumors about the Mist Emperor have come one after another, becoming increasingly exaggerated. Until today, Xi Brother and I held the exact same view on the name 'Mist Emperor'. I always believed that only the most foolish people would actually believe those absurd rumors about the Mist Emperor."
"However, the complexity of the world sometimes far exceeds what imagination can touch."
Meng Jianxi took out a Mysterious Shadow Stone: "The details are difficult for me to describe in words. Abyss Brother will understand after watching."
"There's no need to withdraw." Meng Jianxi said to Liu Zhangyi and Shangguan Helu, who were about to take their leave at the appropriate time: "There were no less than several hundred thousand witnesses to this event, all cultivators from different lands. The spread is unstoppable, and soon the entire world will know."
The Mysterious Shadow Stone projected an image, showing the Abyss Knights facing the Mist Emperor.
The Mist Emperor, the Primordial Qilin God, the trampled Abyss Knights, the rolling Abyss Mist, the swarming Abyss Beasts... All the elements the Mist Emperor wanted to present were complete. Although the distance was quite far, every moment of the image, every word from the Mist Emperor's Abyss Chant, was enough to shake the soul and overturn understanding.
The end of the projection was the voice of the Mist Emperor's punishment, followed by the abruptly expanding Mist Sea like a divine judgment, and the Xuanmo Realm gradually being submerged by the Mist Sea.
The projection extinguished. Yun Che still stared fixedly ahead, as if in a daze.
Watching it again, Meng Jianxi's heart was still surging with waves. He did not speak, letting Yun Che quietly digest everything he had seen.
After a few breaths, Yun Che shifted his gaze: "Xi Divine Son, what do you think of this matter?"
Meng Jianxi shook his head: "It involves the Abyss Emperor, so I dare not speak rashly."
"Not daring to speak rashly means you dare not fully believe it, yet you haven't completely disbelieved it either." Yun Che's voice was very calm.
Meng Jianxi let out a profound sigh and said something meaningful: "The Mist Emperor can truly control the Abyss Dust, and can truly control the Abyss Beasts. If everything he said is true... then the very beginning of this Abyss Realm would become a great lie."
If the beginning was a lie, then everything that followed would undoubtedly be shrouded in lies.
Yun Che closed his eyes in thought, then after a long time said, "If even you think this way, how much more so the common people."
"But this is something the Pure Land should worry about. It's best not to discuss it too much, whether with outsiders or close ones." Yun Che gave the most rational response as a member of a Divine Kingdom. Then he said, "Speaking of which, could this 'Mist Emperor' be... a person disguised as such?"
"Absolutely impossible." Meng Jianxi shook his head without any hesitation.
"Why are you so certain?"
"Who is the pinnacle of humanity in this world?" Meng Jianxi asked in return.
"The Abyss Emperor." Yun Che gave the only answer.
"Exactly." Meng Jianxi said calmly: "No one in this world surpasses the Abyss Emperor in power. Even someone as strong as the Abyss Emperor absolutely cannot control the Abyss Dust and Abyss Beasts. But the Mist Emperor can. He should be, as he said, a destruction spirit condensed and mutated from the Abyss Dust, far surpassing the level of Abyss Beasts, and absolutely cannot be human."
Yun Che pondered for a long time, then said, "This matter should be left to the Pure Land. Have there been any recent changes among the Divine Sons and Divine Maidens of the various nations?"
Seeing that Yun Che was unwilling to discuss the Abyss Emperor, Meng Jianxi also followed along and responded: "Dian Jiuzhi, the Divine Son of Senluo, suddenly announced seclusion three days ago, likely wanting to attempt a breakthrough to the eighth level of the Divine Annihilation Realm before the pure land audience."
"Hua Caili, the Divine Maiden of Zhetian, is diligently cultivating the Seven Star Zhetian Array. The progress of breaking through the array is unknown... Shen Wuyi, the Divine Maiden of Eternal Night, has no news at all and should never have set foot outside the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom."
"Pan Buzhuo, the Divine Son of Xiaodie, recently achieved a major breakthrough in his dark profound arts, greatly pleasing Qiheng Divine Venerable. Additionally, someone caught a glimpse of Pan Buwang, the former Divine Son of Xiaodie, in the Mist Sea. After Xiaodie Divine Kingdom learned of this, they stopped sending people to search for him, seemingly having completely abandoned him, letting him be whether alive or dead."
"The twin Divine Sons of the Star Moon Divine Kingdom have been stuck at the peak of the third level of Divine Annihilation Realm for a long time. To complete a breakthrough before the Pure Land audience, they have prepared to venture deep into the Mist Sea for a realm-breaking training journey. I don't know if today's events in the Mist Sea will affect this decision."
Yun Che's heart stirred violently, and he said casually, "It seems that all the major Divine Kingdoms are extremely concerned about how the Divine Successors perform before the Abyss Emperor."
"That is only natural." Meng Jianxi said reassuringly: "But Abyss Brother needs no pressure at all. You are still young..."
"Of course I have no pressure." Yun Che said with a smile: "After all, you are the Divine Son of our Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom. Even if I accompany you and the Divine Venerable to pay respects to the Abyss Emperor, I am merely an ordinary attendant."
"..." Meng Jianxi shook his head helplessly and gave an awkward laugh. How could he not see that Yun Che was letting him bear the name of the Divine Son of Weaving Dream both internally and externally, while he himself grew peacefully without any disturbances, untouched by affairs.
Meng Jianxi left. Yun Che stood in the pavilion, silent for a very, very long time.
The Star Moon Twins...
It seems there is more work to be done.