Chapter 2111: The Eve
After leaving Pan Buwang's area, Yun Che did not disperse the Abyss Dust covering his body, instead continuing to move forward.
Ahead lay the deeper parts of the Mist Sea.
"Where are you going?" Li Suo suddenly spoke, her voice carrying undisguised vigilance.
Yun Che gazed ahead at the deepening Abyss Dust, his steps not faltering: "It's time to go see deeper."
Li Suo was silent for a moment, then said uncertainly, "Could it be that you're thinking..."
"That's right, exactly what you're thinking." Yun Che raised his hand, a smile on his face, his demeanor as calm as if he were recounting the most ordinary of matters: "It's time to try and control a Divine Extreme Realm Abyss Beast."
In recent years, the limits of Yun Che's control over Abyss Beasts had continuously progressed from the early stages of the Divine Annihilation Realm to the late stages of the Divine Annihilation Realm, taking less than four years in total—a terrifyingly rapid growth.
But it had always been confined to the Divine Annihilation Realm. As for the Abyss Qilin God, that was entirely an accident born from the residual Qilin will that had not been completely extinguished.
"You've been deliberately suppressing your cultivation level. In your current state, encountering any Divine Extreme Realm Abyss Beast would be too dangerous." Li Suo tried to dissuade him... although her dissuasion had never worked on Yun Che.
"Dangerous, hardly." Yun Che said lightly, "Although I don't have much confidence in controlling a Divine Extreme Realm Abyss Beast, I have enough assurance that they won't release their destruction instinct toward me. After all, I am the Emperor of the Mist Sea."
Li Suo still wasn't reassured: "That's a self-proclaimed title. The Abyss Beasts of the Mist Sea haven't acknowledged it, so you absolutely must not take it lightly."
"...It doesn't matter!" Yun Che seemed stung by Li Suo's words, his gaze turning somewhat darker. "A mere Life Creation God dares to question this Emperor's might! Just wait—soon this Emperor will show you how a Divine Extreme Realm Abyss Beast bows its head and submits before me!"
Li Suo: "..."
Six hours later... Yun Che stumbled out of the Abyss Mist, disheveled and covered in dust, then sat on the ground gasping for breath. It took him a long time to barely recover.
If he could successfully control a Divine Extreme Realm Abyss Beast, the boost to Yun Che's power would undoubtedly be immense.
But his body was ultimately too fragile when facing the power of the Divine Extreme Realm. Even the slightest loss of control could, for him now, spell utter disaster.
Li Suo appeared, and the purest divine light power in the world cascaded down, making Yun Che feel as if bathed in a holy spring. His wounds healed at a visible rate, and even his broken hair grew back.
"If you insist on trying again, it would be better to bring the Ancestral Qilin God along," Li Suo advised.
These words fell into the Mist Emperor's ears like a mockery of his "infinite might" and previous arrogant boasts. His eyes grew icy, and he said indifferently, "I simply miscalculated slightly earlier. Within at most a month, before setting foot in the Pure Land, I will definitely succeed in controlling at least..."
He paused for a few breaths, his voice undiminished in momentum: "One Divine Extreme Realm Abyss Beast!"
Li Suo thought for a moment and chose to offer comfort: "Mm, it will succeed."
Very wisely, she did not continue on this topic. Yun Che sat upright, and as a crimson sword light appeared, the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword materialized before him.
With the covering of his other hand, another "Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword" emerged, tightly fitting against the first, their sword lights merging, their auras blending.
Identical wide sword bodies, from the tip to the hilt and the orb on the pommel, were completely identical. They released nearly indiscernible crimson sword lights, carrying with them faint traces of sacred aura.
At least in appearance and sword aura, they were already difficult to distinguish.
Of course, Yun Che could identify them in an instant. When the sword's might erupted, the difference between the two was heaven and earth.
Staring coldly at the two "Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Swords" for a long time, Yun Che suddenly shifted his brow, grabbed the sword on his right, and violently struck it against the other "Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword."
Amid the explosive roar of power came a heart-shaking sound of breaking. Under the Heaven-Defying Sword, the crimson sword body snapped in the middle, spreading fine cracks in midair. By the time it hit the ground, it had scattered into countless crimson fragments.
The sword aura of the Heaven-Defying Sword and the holy light aura sealed within it completely dissipated.
Li Suo looked askance, greatly surprised by Yun Che's action: "To forge this sword, you expended immense effort searching for Crimson Abyss Crystals, then soaked and sealed it with the Heaven-Defying Sword's aura for two full years. You also infused it with divine light power hundreds of times before finally achieving today's result. Why would you suddenly destroy it?"
Yun Che said, "I expended great effort to simulate a sword that perfectly resembles the Heaven-Defying Sword in appearance and aura, all to leave no flaws. But after repeatedly considering this... its existence might instead become another, larger flaw."
"After weighing the options, I believe I should choose another method."
Putting away the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword and clearing away the scattered crimson fragments on the ground, he said quietly to Li Suo, "I plan to 'abandon' it at an opportune moment."
Li Suo sighed softly... He is endlessly consumed by such thoughts every day—does he never feel the fatigue that might overwhelm him...
...
Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom, Seven-Star Zhe Tian Formation.
The star formation blazed, swirling with endless sword lights.
Every one of these sword lights came from Hua Qingying, and each was a brutal trial. If one could not comprehend its sword intent or merge with its sword might, even missing a single one meant they could never break out of the formation.
Now, the sword lights released by this massive formation were no less than ten thousand stars shining together, casting a faint light across the entire sky of the Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom.
Finally, the last sword light also blazed up suddenly, leaving not a single dark gap in the vast formation.
The next instant, ten thousand swords sang in unison. The entire massive formation inverted and soared upward, then circled and spiraled, like stars surrounding the moon, revealing a young girl's figure at its center.
The girl raised her eyes, and in that instant, her radiant grace dimmed the countless sword lights.
The jade sword in her hand also shone with a divine light far brighter than before. The tip of the sword pointed, and all the sword lights in the formation tilted evenly, flying straight toward Hua Qingying in the distant sky.
Hua Qingying's form did not move; her jade hand gently brushed. The sword lights obediently halted before her, then slowly faded like melting snow until they completely dissipated, as if they had never truly existed—a fleeting dream.
"Aunt!"
The girl's figure had already rushed over, throwing herself into Hua Qingying's arms like a fluttering jade butterfly: "I missed you so much."
Hua Qingying gently embraced the girl's jade-like back, her heart stirred as she murmured, "You have actually cultivated the third sword of Zhe Tian. This time, even the Abyss Emperor will surely be amazed by you."
The girl lifted her eyes from her aunt's embrace, not rejoicing at the praise, but asking with unusual urgency: "How is Brother Yun? Has he suffered any setbacks or bullying in the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom?"
This was only her second sentence after breaking the formation, and she was already so impatient.
Hua Qingying had thought that three years of formation training would have made her sword heart tougher and more condensed, gradually distancing her from myriad thoughts and emotions.
But clearly, that was not the case.
"He's doing very well, better than you can imagine. Moreover, he has also discovered his own origins and home."
Hua Qingying's first words dispelled most of the worry in her eyes, while the second half brought doubt: "Brother Yun's... origins?"
"Your father god's accidental discovery, or perhaps guided by fate," Hua Qingying said. "After Yun Che arrived at the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, he discovered that his true identity is actually the lost Weaving Dream Divine Son, Meng Jian Yuan."
"Huh? Ah?" Hua Caili was clearly stunned, unable to collect herself for a moment.
"Though this sounds extremely bizarre at first, it has been personally confirmed by Dreamless Divine Venerable and is beyond doubt," Hua Qingying said calmly. "Moreover, during his divine rank test, he displayed a perfect divine rank like yours, which shook the six divine kingdoms."
"In the three years you have been immersed in the formation, his name has resounded throughout this world, known to all. In the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, far from suffering any bullying, he can bully anyone he wishes. So you can let go of all your worries."
Hua Qingying's description was brief and direct, but it took Hua Caili a while to react. She said somewhat dazedly, "So that means... Brother Yun is now... the Weaving Dream Divine Son?"
Hua Qingying remarked with emotion, "You know he has no memories before the age of ten, so he cannot remember being Meng Jian Yuan. Moreover, he places great importance on his master-student relationship. Even before Dreamless Divine Venerable, he uncompromisingly declared that until he recovers his memories, he will never abandon the name 'Yun Che,' nor is he willing to become the Weaving Dream Divine Son."
These words of Hua Qingying did not surprise Hua Caili in the slightest. Instead, she smiled, her beautiful eyes shimmering with hazy mist: "Brother Yun has always been like this—the most sentimental, the most intelligent yet the most foolish. The title of Divine Son, something others could only dream of, cannot shake his sincere heart in the slightest."
"However, although he is not the Weaving Dream Divine Son now, with the perfect divine rank he possesses and Dreamless Divine Venerable's undisguised favoritism toward him, he is one in the eyes of the world even if he isn't. Additionally, I don't know what method Yun Che used, but according to the information I have, Meng Jianxi, who was originally very wary and hostile toward Yun Che, is now quite docile toward him, even stating more than once to his maternal clan that he is willing to become a future support for Yun Che."
The girl's eyes had become a magnificent boundless star sea. Joyful blazing stars, proud brilliant stars, excited tearful stars... filled her entire heart and soul, yet each one reflected the name of Yun Che.
"Aunt... so... between Brother Yun and me..."
"Mm." Hua Qingying gently patted the girl's shoulder. She felt her boundless joy, yet this joy somehow made her heart ache: "The barrier of status between you no longer exists. If not for the marriage contract personally bestowed by the Abyss Emperor, as children of Divine Venerables both with perfect divine ranks, your union would not invite any questioning or criticism."
"The greatest obstacle still exists, but it is already far better than three years ago. Your father god's acceptance of Yun Che is also far greater than before. Over these three years, he has been constantly following news of Yun Che from the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom and even made a special trip to visit him in person."
Hua Caili's delicate brows curved upward: "Father has always been like this, always saying very harsh words, but in truth, his heart is the softest."
Gently laughing, she had already flown down: "I'll go see Father first. It's been so long since I last saw him—I really miss him."
Hua Qingying did not follow her. She silently watched Hua Caili's receding figure, momentarily lost in thought.
She had always believed that the sword heart must not be tarnished, and to achieve the ultimate in the sword path, one must eliminate all desires and unnecessary emotions.
Her progress on the sword path was faster than Hua Fuchen, faster than generation after generation of ancestors, until she reached the pinnacle of the present age, earning the admiration of divine officials... This made her all the more convinced and steadfast in her "emotionless" sword path.
In Hua Qingying's eyes, Hua Caili was a true anomaly. Every one of her talents surpassed her own... including talent in the sword path.
And she perceived with crystal clarity that the complete transformation in her sword cultivation occurred after meeting Yun Che.
Hua Caili's originally dustless sword heart, which Hua Qingying had guided to isolate all distractions, was deeply engraved with Yun Che's shadow... Then, the Zhe Tian Sword techniques, which had not advanced a hair in a thousand years, she comprehended three swords in three years.
Therefore...
Was the emotionless sword path that rejected all desires and emotions...
Actually wrong...
"Hahaha! Congratulations to Cai Li for breaking the eighth great formation! It truly makes us all... Eh? Where's Cai Li?"
The seven Sword Venerables had all arrived, not one absent, yet they did not see Hua Caili.
They knew better than anyone what the eighth-tier formation personally set by Hua Qingying meant.
Hua Qingying said, "All return to the Sword Pavilion and await orders. The Divine Venerable should announce the upcoming journey to the Pure Land soon."
"Qing Ying," the Tian Shu Sword Venerable said, stroking his white beard with deep meaning, "Will you be accompanying us on this journey to the Pure Land?"
After several breaths, Hua Qingying replied indifferently, "Yes."
...
Star Moon Divine Kingdom.
"Brother Buwang? Is it really you!?"
Sha Xing quickly approached Pan Buwang, looking him up and down, his expression complex and hard to read.
Pan Buwang had not only lost his title as Divine Son but also suffered the death of his mother, the disdain of his father god, and even his beloved was abolished and killed.
From Xiao Die Divine Son to Xiao Die's abandoned son, the ups and downs of his fate clearly illustrated to the world what it meant to fall from heaven straight into hell.
The Pan Buwang before him now showed not a trace of his former pride and spirit. His entire presence was dark and gloomy.
Forget the dignity of a Divine Son; even his outer garments were tattered and stained with blood, as if he had just crawled out of a swamp of darkness and bloodshed.
His eyes were no longer the proud, world-dominating black stars of yesteryear but a turbid haze, difficult to discern any clear light.
Sha Xing sighed inwardly... Even having lost the title of Divine Son, his status should still be far above other imperial princes, yet he had fallen to such a state...
After learning that he had visited the Sinking Dream Valley and appeared in the Mist Sea, the Xiao Die Divine Kingdom had even publicly announced their abandonment of him, declaring that regardless of life or death, they would never seek him out.
The root cause was his refusal to bow to the new Divine Son and his unwillingness to let go of the matter of his mother... Such a temperament could be called foolish, or it could be praised as unbending. But looking at the result, it clearly tended toward the former.
Pan Buwang smiled: "I am now merely an abandoned man, far from qualified to sit on equal footing with the Star Divine Son. That the Star Divine Son is still willing to see me—Buwang is already immensely grateful."
"Brother Buwang, where are your words?" Sha Xing shook his head. "I have personally experienced the pain and helplessness of life's ups and downs. This was not your wish, nor your fault. No one should look down on you because of it, least of all yourself."
Pan Buwang was touched and said gratefully, "To have befriended the Star Divine Son in this life—what great fortune."
Having experienced the matter of Yuan Shi, Sha Xing's mindset had clearly undergone subtle changes. He said directly, "Brother Buwang, since you have come, you must have important matters. Speak frankly."
"Very well, then I will not stand on ceremony." Pan Buwang said, "I wish to accompany the Star Moon Divine Kingdom to the Pure Land to pay homage to the Abyss Emperor."
Sha Xing showed surprise, then frowned and shook his head: "I'm sorry, but I cannot help you with this. Brother Buwang, I believe you should be clear that this journey to the Pure Land has far greater significance than any previous one. Moreover, each divine kingdom can have at most a hundred attendants."
"The various star halls and moon cities have already organized several large-scale competitions to contend for these mere hundred spots. If I were to bring you along, it would be unfair to the Star Moon disciples who have fought for their positions. The Xiao Die Divine Kingdom would also inevitably take notice of this matter and engage in unpredictable speculations. If this were to create friction between our two kingdoms... even a slight friction, it would be a fault."
Sha Xing's reasoning was firm on all points. Pan Buwang slowly nodded, his face showing no disappointment, as if he had never harbored hope from the start: "What the Star Divine Son says is very true. I was too shallow in my thinking to make such an overstepping request."
"Unable to help, I truly apologize." Sha Xing said again apologetically. "If Brother Buwang insists on entering the Pure Land, you may seek other means. Or perhaps..."
He glanced at Pan Buwang and said, "Forgive my frankness, but this desire of yours does not seem so resolute either."
Pan Buwang gave a self-deprecating smile: "The Star Divine Son has keen eyes. Since things have come to this, I have nothing that cannot be said openly. This journey to the Pure Land is not my own wish, but to follow the will of the Mist Emperor."
Sha Xing's entire body stiffened, and only then did he speak in a tone of utter disbelief: "You said... the Mist Emperor?"
"Yes." Pan Buwang said frankly, "Three years ago, utterly disheartened, I considered abandoning my heart to seclude myself from the world, to sleep forever in the Sinking Dream Valley. But the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, perhaps out of concern for my identity, did not let me sink into dreams after I fell asleep but instead sent me out on a mysterious ark. When I awoke, I found myself in the Mist Sea."
He said emotionally, "To be honest with the Star Divine Son, my ability to break free from a dead heart and 'live again' in this world was all bestowed by the Mist Emperor. I have been hiding in the Mist Sea these past three years precisely to repay the Mist Emperor's grace."
"To truly break free from the abyss of the heart, one must face the abyss of the heart. My desire to go to the Pure Land this time is because of these words from the Mist Emperor."
Having said this, he stepped back: "Buwang will no longer disturb the Star Divine Son. I take my leave here."
As he turned, a voice several degrees colder came from behind him:
"Wait!"
Pan Buwang stopped, though he had never truly intended to take that step.
Sha Xing's face darkened: "You cannot be unaware of the opposition between the Mist Emperor and the Pure Land, yet you speak so freely of the 'Mist Emperor' before me. It seems you know that I once received the Mist Emperor's favor."
Pan Buwang's expression was subtle, neither confirming nor denying.
And silence was already an answer.
"Are you threatening me?" Sha Xing's voice suddenly turned icy.
"No," Pan Buwang smiled. "Revealing that you once received the Mist Emperor's favor might cause you trouble, but it would be of no benefit to me. I am helping you repay the Mist Emperor's kindness."
"I believe a proud man like you would have the word 'owing' always stuck in your heart. Especially when the debt is to such a person and of such magnitude."
Sha Xing's face was cold and still, long without speaking.
Pan Buwang's expression did not change, his voice still light: "Of course, how to decide this matter lies entirely with the Star Divine Son. Although I am no longer the Xiao Die Divine Son, I would not stoop to sullying an old friend. The Star Divine Son may rest assured."
Sha Xing stared straight at Pan Buwang and suddenly said, "You've changed."
Pan Buwang met his gaze: "Everyone changes. Not changing can only mean there is no need to change."
Sha Xing's lips trembled, and then he unexpectedly laughed: "I have suddenly become very curious. What exactly do you, a man who has been ruthlessly abandoned, wish to do in the Pure Land? Cry to the Abyss Emperor about the injustice you've suffered? Try to prove on the Pure Land that your father god was wrong about you? Or simply go to make your father god unhappy?"
Pan Buwang: "So..."
"So, I agree to take you with me to the Pure Land." Sha Xing said slowly. As one of the Star Moon Divine Sons, he certainly had such qualifications. "One phrase you said is absolutely correct—what I despise most is owing debts of gratitude!"
"But..."
"No need to remind me." Pan Buwang spoke before him. "We have never seen the Mist Emperor, nor do we have any connection."
He raised his eyes, looking toward the direction of the Pure Land.
The dark blood in his body churned violently, yet not a trace of dark aura leaked out.
...
Deep within the Mist Sea, Yun Che slowly rose. When he opened his eyes, a frighteningly strange light shot forth from them.
These days of meditation were not for a Ning Xuan breakthrough but the opposite—to forcibly suppress another restless, surging energy that wished to break through. And this time, the suppression was exceptionally ruthless. If it were another person, forcibly suppressing to such a degree would likely severely damage their energy meridians.
By now, Li Suo had grown tired of asking why he was so stubbornly suppressing his cultivation level.
In the three years at the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, Yun Che had grown from the third level of the Divine Lord Realm to the fourth level—an improvement of merely one small realm.
A perfect divine rank, coupled with the top resources of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom—this progress of "Meng Jian Yuan" was considered within the scope of a "Divine Son" in the eyes of the world but far inferior to Hua Caili of the Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom, who also possessed a perfect divine rank.
Nevertheless, it was still within a reasonable range.
But only Li Suo knew that he was Yun Che, an outlier who simply could not be judged by common sense.
"Finally, I am about to meet that person." Yun Che murmured to himself.
Li Suo said, "Ni Xuan specifically warned you not to approach him too early. He could easily recognize the Evil God inheritance on you."
"I haven't forgotten," Yun Che replied, then said something rather strange: "He is the most powerful existence in this world. If he wished to annihilate me as I am now, perhaps it would take only a flick of his finger."
"Yet, from a certain aspect, he might instead be... the easiest to deal with."
"..." Li Suo could not understand.
"This meeting with him will determine when I will detonate the storm of the Abyss." Yun Che let out a light breath. "I hope everything goes smoothly."
He hoped that everything about the Abyss Emperor would not deviate too far from his guesses and expectations... especially his personality, his obsessions.
He hoped that the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom, which he had never been able to contact or plant a "seed" in, would remain as stagnant as rumored, without ripples.
He hoped...