Chapter 2104: Eternal Night Awaits Dawn
Eternal Night Divine Kingdom.
Seven layers of profound formations interweaved and operated, with abyss crystals of various colors releasing intense, dazzling profound light within the formations. The sheer quantity and level of these abyss crystals were enough to leave any profound practitioner stunned, as if trapped in a dream.
Four women stood at different directions of the formations; swirling in their hands was the terrifying power of the Divine Extreme Realm.
These seven profound formations were activated by the rotation of these four extremely powerful Divine Extreme forces. The power within the abyss crystals was drawn out almost madly, releasing spiritual energy that could only be described as violent… violent enough to easily destroy a profound practitioner who had just entered the Divine Annihilation Realm and possessed a demigod body.
Yet, within such a terrifying formation sat the figure of a woman.
Her long hair and outer garments were wildly swept up. Her exquisitely beautiful features trembled constantly—an instinctive reaction to enduring extreme pain—yet her expression remained so calm, stubbornly refusing to show any trace of suffering.
Gradually, her jade-like skin began to lose its color, becoming an abnormally pale white… After an unknown period, a trail of bright red blood slowly slid from between her lips.
Shenwu Youluan's aura faltered slightly. Her eyes struggled, and finally, she spoke in a low voice: "Your Excellency, at this intensity, even a late-stage Divine Annihilation Realm cultivator would be unable to bear it long ago. Even though Wu Yi possesses the Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body, she must have already surpassed her limits by now. If this continues…"
"Shut up!"
A harsh, hoarse voice devoid of any warmth tore through Shenwu Youluan's plea: "When it's time to stop, I will act myself!"
Shenwu Youluan dared not speak further, only continuing to maintain the seven profound formations and drive the spiritual energy from the abyss crystals.
Shenwu Yi's current cultivation was at Level 5 of the Divine Annihilation Realm. If any other profound practitioner of the same realm were placed in the spiritual energy storm of these seven formations, their profound veins would burst within a hundred breaths, with dire consequences.
Yet she had been within it for a full quarter hour.
Because she possessed the Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body, known to all but unseen for far too long. As her inner exquisite world gradually awakened, her profound veins and body's ability to withstand power and laws far surpassed that of ordinary profound practitioners.
Over these twenty years, her cultivation had grown from the peak of the Divine Lord Realm to Level 5 of the Divine Annihilation Realm. The terrifying speed of her advancement was such that even the other divine kingdoms, upon vaguely learning of this news, refused to believe it.
And no one knew the cruel methods by which such progress had been forced.
Shenwu Yanye had heaped all of the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom's most top-level resources onto Shenwu Yi. In the same amount of time, she consumed more abyss crystals than all the other divine sons and daughters combined, but the process was also something no other divine son or daughter could replicate or endure.
Shenwu Yanye was a complete madman, in every aspect. Every divine kingdom knew this well, and the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom knew it most deeply.
Another full quarter hour passed. Shenwu Yi's face had lost all trace of color, and every part of her body twitched more violently at irregular intervals… only her expression remained as calm as ever, as if she felt no pain, no fear.
Shenwu Youluan had long since closed her eyes, unable to bear looking at her any longer.
Then, Shenwu Yi's body finally began to shake violently. Several long blood slits opened at her waist and heart, and her aura completely collapsed at that moment.
Pfft!
She lost consciousness, spat a mist of blood, and slowly fell backward.
A withered hand grabbed out from the black curtain. In an instant, the light of the seven profound formations died completely, and all the spiritual energy was suppressed and vanished without a trace.
"Wu Yi!"
Shenwu Youluan flashed forward and caught Shenwu Yi in her arms. After a long moment, she saw Shenwu Yi's pupils regain focus.
"Hmph, useless thing!" Shenwu Yanye's icy, piercing voice rang out: "So much for the Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body!"
"Wu Yi, listen. Before you go to the Pure Land, you must step into Level 6 of the Divine Annihilation Realm. Otherwise, I will not forgive you lightly."
Shenwu Youluan turned her gaze; she wanted to say something, but felt Shenwu Yi gently squeeze her hand, stopping the words that were about to leave her mouth.
Shenwu Yi struggled up from Shenwu Youluan's arms, her voice weak but still respectful and resolute: "Mother Goddess has poured all her resources and heart into me. If I fail to live up to that, I cannot forgive myself either."
"Good that you understand." Shenwu Yanye said coldly: "Scram down to recover! Return here in seven days!"
But Shenwu Yi said softly: "Rest assured, Mother Goddess. Five days will be enough."
She lifted her eyes, her weak voice carrying an obsession that seemed to come from the depths of her soul: "Mother Goddess does not wish for women in this world to be beneath men. At the Pure Land, I will surely defeat all the divine sons and make the divine sons of all kingdoms prostrate beneath Eternal Night. Only then will I live up to Mother Goddess's wish and repay a fraction of Mother Goddess's grace."
"So, Mother Goddess need not worry about my injuries… This body may fall, but Mother Goddess's wish… cannot be betrayed."
As her words fell, her body swayed, and blood once again trickled from the corner of her mouth. She collapsed unconscious against Shenwu Youluan.
Dead silence… After several breaths, Shenwu Yanye's voice came out dark and cold: "Youluan, take her back."
"Yes." Shenwu Youluan quickly responded, carrying the unconscious Shenwu Yi away in haste.
"All of you, get out!"
With her terrifying voice falling, the Eternal Night Divine Hall was empty of others, returning to a suffocating cold stillness.
A withered hand groped in the darkness, flipping open a secret tome… Just now, after months, another layer of abyss dust had been painstakingly removed, allowing another page of the secret tome to be turned.
Withered fingers gently touched the page, four senses sharpened to the extreme identifying the old characters engraved upon it, still covered in a thin layer of abyss dust.
Ice… Snow… Glass… Bead… Heart…
This page recorded the Glass Bead Heart.
Ice Snow Glass Bead Heart… at the beginning of chaos, condensed from the purest primordial qi… the purest heart and soul in the world… legends say it receives the blessing of the Heavenly Dao… truth unknown…
It can see the essence of heaven and earth… sense the heart and soul of all things… its heart is as pure as the purest ice and snow, as clean as glass, allowing no defilement… thus, its emotions, its will, its heart, its thoughts, its loyalty… once engraved, unyielding until death, never betraying…
The withered fingers began to tremble… she let out an almost shrill laugh: "Its emotions, its loyalty… unyielding until death… never betraying… haha… hahahaha…"
"What true emotion exists in this world! What true loyalty exists! Fake… ridiculous… all fake… hahahaha… hahahahahaha…"
She laughed, cackled wildly, her laughter like that of a heartless evil ghost, but tears—not turbid—clearly fell from her withered, bark-like cheeks.
Shenwu Youluan brought Shenwu Yi back to her bedchamber. Without pausing, she frantically took out several healing pills and quickly set up a healing profound formation.
Gentle profound light enveloped them. Looking at Shenwu Yi's pale, paper-like complexion, Shenwu Youluan slowly closed her eyes, desperately suppressing the overwhelming wetness.
"I'm sorry… Wu Yi." She murmured: "If I had known this would happen, I would never have…"
"Aunt, you never need to say those three words to me."
The sudden sound at her ear made Shenwu Youluan's eyes snap open, a momentary panic flickering in them before she steadied herself: "Wu Yi, you… you're awake?"
"I've been awake all along." Shenwu Yi said softly: "I've made Aunt worry."
Shenwu Youluan was clearly startled for a moment, then said very naturally: "Being awake can speed up injury recovery, that's best. What I just said… it was just some rambling, you don't need to mind it."
"I know." Shenwu Yi said gently.
Shenwu Youluan had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Shenwu Yi continue: "I've always known. The one who saved me back then was Aunt Youluan."
As if struck by thunder, Shenwu Youluan abruptly stood up, and in her panic, she still remembered to raise her hand to set up a soundproof barrier.
But Shenwu Yi seemed to have anticipated this; as she raised her hand, she gently pressed down on Shenwu Youluan's arm… She was too weak, causing Shenwu Youluan to quickly stop her movement.
"If you set up a soundproof barrier, she will detect it. Right now, she should be perusing the secret tome. Aunt, please rest assured."
"…" Shenwu Youluan's eyes widened as she stared blankly at Shenwu Yi, as if seeing her for the first time. Then she lowered her voice to barely a whisper: "Wu Yi, words like that… must not be spoken recklessly!"
She left the healing formation, took a step back: "Heal yourself well. I'll pretend I didn't hear anything you just said. You must not utter another word."
With that, she fled as if escaping.
Just as she was about to step out of the hall, she heard Shenwu Yi's soft, gentle chant from behind her: "There has never been true eternal night in this world. No matter how deep the darkness, there will always be a dawn."
Shenwu Youluan abruptly halted.
"Aunt, you are the gray luan hidden in the shadows."
"And your 'phoenix,' though subjected to endless humiliation, did not flee the darkness alone."
"When eternal night breaks at dawn, the luan and phoenix will surely sing together again."
"…" Shenwu Youluan's body trembled. She gritted her teeth, but still could not stop the shaking.
She turned her neck, but stopped halfway—because at that moment, she suddenly dared not meet Shenwu Yi's gaze.
After an unknown time, she finally managed to turn back… She saw Shenwu Yi gently raise a finger to her lips, telling her: There is no need to say anything.
Shenwu Youluan nodded slightly, and suddenly tears streamed down like a spring.
…
The words "Mist Emperor" swept through every living land of the Abyss like a storm. And this time, it was tens of thousands of times more intense than all previous times combined.
Moreover, when abyss profound practitioners uttered the words "Mist Emperor," there was no longer the previous doubt, debate, or mockery, but unprecedented fear, shock… and a suspicion they could not voice aloud.
Even every particle of abyss dust seemed to be abnormally agitated.
Only the Pure Land remained as quiet as before, with none of the unusual movements that Yun Che—and everyone else—had anticipated.
At the shallow part of the Mist Sea.
Yun Che had changed his appearance and clothing, and his aura was muddy under the Reverse Abyss Stone. Even if Hua Caili passed by him now, she would not recognize him by appearance or aura.
He had maintained the same posture for eight or nine consecutive hours, and he had been doing the same thing for over ten days.
Finally, he opened his eyes, let out a long breath, and heavily leaned back against the black stone behind him.
A white figure appeared, a jade hand glowing with divine light reaching toward Yun Che's forehead, bestowing the most sacred profound light in the world.
"Twelve days." She said softly: "What exactly are you searching for? Every day like this, even for you, your soul cannot bear it."
Yun Che closed his eyes and remained silent for a long moment; only then did the deep exhaustion ease somewhat. But instead of answering Li Suo's question, he said with a half-smile: "Twelve days, and I haven't seen you scold me yet. I'm even more curious than you are."
"Scold?" Li Suo was confused: "Why?"
Yun Che twisted the corner of his mouth and said: "To demonstrate the power of the Mist Emperor's control over the Mist Sea, I caused a living land to lose its homeland forever. I don't know how many people will die from abyss erosion because of it. With your sacred heart, you must find that unacceptable. You should have given me a piece of your mind long ago."
"…" Li Suo was silent for a long time.
Until Yun Che closed his eyes again, ready for a brief nap, when Li Suo's voice came to his ear, light and ethereal as a cloud: "You are too lonely."
"…Huh?" Yun Che looked at the vague figure before him, whose face he could hardly discern: "Not at all. Don't you always accompany me?"
Li Suo said softly: "I am not He Ling. I cannot, like her, forever know your heart, follow your wishes, and soothe your soul."
"Moreover, I cannot manifest a physical body like He Ling to appear and comfort you when I sense your melancholy and loneliness. So, faced with your irresolvable loneliness and soul wounds, I can only feel ashamed, not scold you."
"Uh…" Yun Che reached out and unconsciously rubbed the tip of his nose, his voice quite weak: "When you say 'comfort,' it's not the kind I'm thinking of, is it?"
Li Suo: "…?"