Chapter 2125: Malice
Dian Sansi's hands suddenly clenched, the emotions he had just calmed down like a raging fire suddenly ignited, surging straight to his head.
A gentle, warm profound energy timely covered his body and soul sea, slowly pressing down his rising anger: "I don't want to see him now. Help me deal with it."
Dian Sansi looked up: "I..."
"Knowing to reflect and awaken is just the beginning of a person's growth. To truly mature and be able to stand on one's own, one must learn to control one's words and emotions. One must not show joy or anger on the face, must have a heart burning with hellfire yet a face like a still lake, must hate to the bone yet laugh and talk as if nothing is wrong."
Dian Jiuzhi's demeanor was calm, his eyes without any blemish. Like an elder brother at an appropriate moment, gently and patiently teaching his yet-to-be-grown younger brother.
"I believe you can do it."
Dian Sansi shook his head, quickly calmed his mind, and nodded heavily: "Brother Jiuzhi, rest assured, I will never let you down."
......
Yun Che's arrival immediately attracted the gaze of all the experts of the Senluo Divine Kingdom.
This was Yun Che's first time seeing the legendary number one Divine Venerable of the Six Divine Kingdoms. His eyes were like torches, his beard like a lion's mane, his thick arms reflecting an unusual steely luster. Anyone would suspect that they must contain the power to tear the sky and shatter the dome.
When his gaze fell upon him, it felt as if an incomparably tall giant mountain was collapsing upon him. Even though Yun Che had long prepared himself mentally, his breath still stagnated for two moments.
After sizing up Yun Che, Dian Luohou also showed no sign of the might of the number one Divine Venerable. Instead, he laughed loudly and personally strode forward: "So it's that kid from the old Dream family. Lately, I've heard your name so much my ears are about to grow calluses."
His voice was like a great bell, every word shaking the soul. With each step he took, it seemed as if the entire world was trembling along.
Yun Che quickly performed a standard junior's salute, his tone three parts humble, seven parts composed: "Junior Yun Che pays respects to Divine Venerable Jueluo. When I was traveling outside, your name, Divine Venerable Jueluo, was as thunderous in my ears. After returning to the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, Dreamless Divine Venerable has often mentioned you. Today, I am finally fortunate to meet you. I am both excited and awed."
"Hmm..." Dian Luohou's gaze wandered over Yun Che for several rounds, then he burst into laughter: "Hahahaha! Named 'Yun Che', yet calling yourself 'Dreamless Divine Venerable'? Kid, you really are as stubborn as old Dream said. But then again, it's no wonder he can't help but praise you to the skies every time. Not to mention your perfect divine rank, just your appearance alone is far superior to that worthless father of yours back in the day."
"I remember holding you back then; you weighed only eight catties, all wrinkled like a little monkey. Now look at you, you've certainly brought a lot of face to old Dream, hahahaha!"
The laughter was ear-splitting, but there was no condescending or looking-down posture towards a junior. Only appreciation for the son of a close friend.
Yun Che smiled: "Divine Venerable is too kind. Divine Venerable is as awe-inspiringly mighty as the legends say, making one both respectful and fearful. May I ask if the Senluo Divine Son is here? This junior once had the chance to speak with Brother Dian and we had a very pleasant conversation. Having come to the Pure Land this time, I couldn't wait to visit."
Dian Sansi walked out from the barrier and said loudly: "Abyss Divine Son's timing is unfortunate. Brother Jiuzhi, having bathed in the divine aura of the Pure Land, was suddenly struck with inspiration and is currently in a barrier, concentrating on enlightenment. I have been guarding him on the side."
"Oh?" Dian Luohou raised an eyebrow, not doubting it, and his eyes showed satisfaction: "Is that so? Good! Very good!"
"I see." Yun Che smiled. "As expected of Brother Dian, he can touch upon opportunities so casually. Truly admirable and enviable."
He turned his gaze to Dian Sansi, thought for a moment, and said: "Is this Brother Sansi?"
Dian Sansi had never met Yun Che face to face, yet the other party called him by name. Startled, he then said: "I am Dian Sansi, but the title 'Brother Sansi' is absolutely unacceptable. The Abyss Divine Son is noble as the Weaving Dream Divine Son; calling me Sansi is sufficient."
Yun Che, with a harmless, refined smile, said: "The Weaving Dream Divine Son is Meng Jianxi, and I am merely a newly returned wanderer, unworthy of the title 'Divine Son.' Brother Sansi is sixty years older than me, and your fame is like thunder in my ears. Addressing you as 'brother' is perfectly appropriate."
"Hahahaha!" Dian Luohou laughed again. "Kid, you sure have a way with words. This prim and proper, long-winded attitude of yours is quite similar to your father back in the day."
Yun Che nodded amiably at Dian Sansi, then bowed to Dian Luohou: "Although it's a slight pity, this is undoubtedly a great thing for Brother Dian. In that case, I won't disturb any longer. I'll catch up with Brother Dian later."
"Mm. Matters of friendship and loyalty lie in endurance and constancy; there's never a need to be constrained by a single moment." Dian Luohou didn't try to keep him. "Sansi, see the Abyss Divine Son off."
Obviously, he was taking this opportunity to facilitate a connection between Dian Sansi and Yun Che.
Whether Yun Che was willing to acknowledge the identity of Meng Jian Yuan or whether he was currently the Weaving Dream Divine Son was completely unimportant. His perfect divine rank was known to the world, and a shock to the world. Dream Kongchan's guilt and affection for Yun Che were as clear as day to him.
Unless he met an unfortunate early death, the future Weaving Dream Divine Venerable could only be Meng Jian Yuan (Yun Che).
Inside the barrier, sensing Yun Che's departure, Dian Jiuzhi, the one who had been hurt and wronged, let out a long sigh of relief.
With no one else around, his dejection and pain flowed out clearly. The twitching of his features could not stop for a long time.
"When the wutong tree grows tall, the phoenix will surely come; when the flowers are fragrant, the butterflies will naturally arrive... So, you were the brilliant flower, and I, on the other hand, was not the tall wutong."
"..."
"The phoenix once bestowed its radiance, igniting my withered life... What resentment do I have... What grudge..."
Drip...
The back of his hand felt cool. In a daze, he saw a slowly sliding wet mark. Crystal clear, yet the reflected light was dazzling and piercing.
Closing his eyes, he muttered to himself: "To meet someone you are willing to give everything for—that is the greatest fortune in life... Very well, Cai Li. If he is the one destined for you in your life, the one for whom you, who never oversteps, willingly do this..."
"I... will never become your obstacle."
"I will only help you."
...
Dian Sansi escorted Yun Che a long distance away. Yun Che repeatedly asked him various well-known things about the Senluo Divine Kingdom, never letting him stop to turn back.
Dian Sansi had no choice but to patiently respond. Before they knew it, they had walked very far.
Then, Yun Che suddenly changed the subject, saying out of the blue: "In front of the Spirit Immortal Divine Residence, you and Dian Jiuzhi saw it, didn't you?"
Dian Sansi's footsteps abruptly stopped.
Staring at the faint smile at the corner of Yun Che's mouth, he gradually understood something, and his eyes quickly shifted from shock to icy coldness: "You... did it on purpose?"
"Of course," Yun Che's smile slowly widened, gradually taking on an undisguised mockery. "If I hadn't sensed Dian Jiuzhi's approaching aura, I wouldn't have been so bold in this Pure Land."
"You!!"
Dian Sansi, who had been trying his best to remain calm and composed in front of Yun Che, now had cracks forming on his face and in his heart.
He had never imagined that Yun Che, who, though not the Weaving Dream Divine Son, was even more so, would suddenly reveal such a face... so sudden, so naked!
Forcing down his anger, he sneered: "Are you provoking my Brother Jiuzhi, provoking my Senluo Divine Kingdom!?"
"No, no, no. I am just a junior of the Weaving Dream; I don't have the audacity or ability to provoke the vast Senluo Divine Kingdom. I am simply..."
His words seemed to be backing down, but then his smile suddenly turned vicious: "Looking down on Dian Jiuzhi."
"After all, the so-called number one Divine Son of the Six Divine Kingdoms is, at heart, nothing but a pitiful, pathetic coward!"
Boom!
Dian Sansi's aura went out of control, and the air around him burst with ear-splitting explosions.
A deep anger... even mixed with a hint of killing intent, surged from the uncontrolled aura.
"Oh?" Yun Che crossed his arms, looking at Dian Sansi with interest. "Brother Sansi is angry? Have I said something wrong?"
"In front of the Spirit Immortal Divine Residence, Dian Jiuzhi was probably thousands of times more furious than you are now. Any normal man, even one with just a little backbone and blood, would have risen in anger and confronted him head-on."
"But unfortunately... oh no, I should say, as expected of the Senluo Divine Son. Even when angered to the point of wanting to shatter his own skull, insulted to the point of splitting his own liver and gallbladder, he still chooses to obediently tuck his head back into his shell, and then drag you along in humiliating flight."
"What's even funnier is that even a bereaved dog knows how to bark a few times. But the noble number one Divine Son, when fleeing in disgrace, didn't even dare make a sound, let alone shout. Tsk, tsk, tsk, hahahaha!"
Crack! Crack! Creak!!
Yun Che laughed, and the sound of Dian Sansi grinding his teeth and cracking his bones mixed in.
Dian Sansi used almost all his willpower to suppress the urge to punch Yun Che. His once fair face gradually darkened, until it was as red as if stained with blood.
"Hm? What's that sound?" Yun Che still looked at him leisurely. "Brother Sansi is angry? Planning to vent your hatred on me on behalf of your Brother Jiuzhi?"
"I've heard that Brother Sansi, though only three hundred years old, has already reached the third level of the Divine Annihilation Realm, unmatched among his peers in the Senluo Divine Kingdom. And I am merely a lowly Divine Lord Realm cultivator. I'd probably be shattered to pieces under Brother Sansi's wrath. That is truly terrifying."
He said this, but his eyes were full of mockery and amusement, without a trace of fear.
Dian Jiuzhi's warning, and the promise he had made to Dian Jiuzhi, were still ringing in his ears. They helped his reason carve a clear path through the anger.
The anger around him did not increase but instead subsided. Dian Sansi forcibly squeezed a cold smile from the corner of his mouth.
Just as he was about to retort, he saw Yun Che suddenly put on an overly exaggerated look of sudden realization.
"Oh~~ I understand. You don't dare. Your Brother Jiuzhi must have repeatedly instructed you to keep your mouth shut and pretend not to know. The reasons, of course, are nothing more than considering the big picture of the Divine Kingdom, maintaining the dignity of the Divine Son, and then dealing with it slowly after leaving the Pure Land, and so on and so forth."
The sarcasm Dian Sansi was about to utter seemed to be smashed back into his throat by a blunt club. The flush that had barely faded from his face instantly turned into a terrifying purple-black.
Yun Che said with a beaming smile: "Your face suddenly looks so bad? Looks like I hit the mark. It's not surprising. What waste are best at is weaving all sorts of reasons and excuses."
"Yun... Che!" The murderous glint in Dian Sansi's eyes was practically tangible. "Even if you are the Weaving Dream Divine Son, to insult my Brother Jiuzhi and my Senluo Divine Kingdom like this... you will pay a price that will make you regret it for the rest of your life!"
His low growl was followed immediately by Yun Che's unhurried words: "The second thing waste are best at is making tough-guy talk. After all, they are waste; they can only make tough-guy talk."
"..." Dian Sansi nearly bit his teeth to pieces.
He could only replay Dian Jiuzhi's words over and over in his mind, especially the humbly made request... only then, time and time again, did he barely suppress the almost-out-of-control rage.
"Make me regret it for the rest of my life? It's very simple. Tell your father god about what happened today. I believe Divine Venerable Jueluo's wrath can easily incinerate me. Or..."
He lightly pointed a finger at the side of his own head: "You just punch me right in the head."
"Although the price for making a move in the Pure Land is extremely high, and no matter what identity one has, it's hard to be forgiven lightly. But as a man, dignity and blood should be above all else. What does Brother Sansi think?"
As he spoke, he stepped forward, actively moving two steps closer to Dian Sansi, letting the boiling, tangible anger be right in front of him.
Yet he still had a faint smile, not a trace of fear.
Dian Sansi's hands clenched tighter and tighter, blood beads already seeping out from between his fingers: "You are... intentionally provoking me!"
"Yes." Yun Che admitted generously. "Because I want to see with my own eyes just how useless the two most outstanding people of this generation of the Senluo Divine Kingdom can be."
"The facts prove that you, and that pathetic Senluo Divine Son, are both out-and-out, pure cowards!"
Accompanying his words was the fullness of mockery and malice on his face.
With a cold laugh, Yun Che turned around leisurely, walking away with confident steps under Dian Sansi's gaze that wished to devour his marrow: "And a piece of trash like you dares to covet my Cai Li? What a huge joke. Go back and tell Dian Jiuzhi that a toad should forever stay in the mud. Even if it hops high, it can never change its dirty, pitiful, lowly nature."
Creak!
Several drops of blood burst from between Dian Sansi's teeth.
But he still held back, not making a move, until Yun Che's figure completely disappeared from his red-tainted sight.
After completely leaving Dian Sansi's sight and perception, Yun Che's expression completely faded, returning to absolute calm.
"You... angering him like that, aren't you afraid he might lose control in a rage and suddenly strike?" Li Suo asked with some worry.
Yun Che replied: "Relax, I know what I'm doing."
Perceiving changes in emotions and even thoughts was the Demon Empress's area of expertise. Among these, determining whether a person's anger has reached the brink of complete loss of control is the most basic and simple.
Li Suo said: "You are certain that no one dares to make a move in the Pure Land?"
"No," Yun Che shook his head. "That is only the smallest reason. What I am really using is Dian Jiuzhi's infatuation with Hua Caili."
The rarest and most precious thing in the world is infatuation.
The easiest thing to exploit is also infatuation.
Then, the most despicable, vile, and heinous thing in the world... is to exploit that infatuation.
These words were clearly present in the understanding of the Demon Empress, Chi Wuyue.
Li Suo couldn't understand: "How can you be so sure that Dian Jiuzhi's infatuation with Hua Caili can make him go to such lengths?"
Yun Che didn't try to be mysterious, and said directly: "Before, I had only heard of his reputation for being infatuated with Cai Li. But during the talk in the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom... everything about him shone with the proud radiance of the number one Divine Son. But when he suddenly asked how to win more favor and affection from the one his heart desires, beneath the most dazzling halo, there appeared a deep-seated, marrow-deep sense of inferiority and shame."
As he said these words, there was no hint of sarcasm in the depths of his eyes. Instead, there was a layer of obscure gloom.
Yun Che's explanation only made Li Suo even more confused. But she didn't press further, because she knew that in matters of love between men and women, her understanding was too thin.
And the journey from blankness to thinness had all come from Yun Che's portrayals.
Yun Che raised his hand, his five fingers forming a grasping motion: "Dian Sansi by now is probably pushed to the brink. This violently suppressed anger and humiliation, forced to be held in, cannot be dissolved in a short time."
"Then, at the moment I judge most appropriate, just a little more prodding, and it will..."
"Bam!"
Yun Che's fingers snapped open, the sound of air bursting between them, a grim smile appearing on his face.
Li Suo was silent for a long while, then spoke softly: "Your expression... is a bit frightening."
"Mm." Yun Che admitted frankly. "More and more like the standard demon's face, right?"
"Perhaps," Li Suo replied. After a moment, she added softly: "Still, you must be as careful as possible. This, after all, is the highest plane of the Abyss. The slightest mishap, and it could be utter calamity."
Since setting foot in the Pure Land, Li Suo's limited words had repeatedly and tirelessly warned and cautioned him to be more and more careful.
Perhaps it was because her extremely thin Creation God soul had touched upon some unsettling aura in this space of the Pure Land.
"Mm, you can rest assured." Yun Che assured and promised again. "For me, the Pure Land is actually the safest place in the entire Abyss World."
Yun Che's footsteps were not fast. Whether deliberately slowed or lost in silent contemplation.
Suddenly, he spoke up for no apparent reason, asking a question that Li Suo certainly could not answer:
"Tell me, a person who exploits genuine feelings... no matter what their reasons, do they deserve forgiveness?"
Unsurprisingly, Li Suo did not respond for a long time.
She could not answer.
But she very clearly sensed that when Yun Che said those words so lightly, his soul experienced a momentary spasm.
Though it was very brief, and very slight, almost erased by Yun Che the moment it appeared... it caused Li Suo's divine soul to inexplicably feel a strange, unfamiliar pang of pain.
This pang of pain seemed to pierce straight through her entire soul.
Like a silent... crack originating from the depths of her soul.
Yun Che's footsteps continued. Having received no answer, he remained silent for a long time.
Until, at a certain moment, Li Suo suddenly noticed his spirit became extremely tense, not relaxing for several full breaths.
He did not stop walking, but his steps became noticeably lighter. The aura he released also became very faint, as if he was deliberately reducing his presence.
The world of the Pure Land was pure and quiet, amplifying the sound of Yun Che's heart beating.
Ahead, a tall figure slowly approached.
This figure was nearly three meters tall, and the majesty he carried would make even a towering ten-thousand-zhang mountain seem insignificant.
Such a terrifying oppressive feeling was even greater than that of the Jueluo Divine Venerable!
The Jueluo Divine Venerable's body seemed like refined steel, but the person in his line of sight had exposed skin that looked like bronze tempered through endless ages and eras, releasing an ultimate divine pressure from the ancient times, surpassing all things.
Yun Che's path shifted, choosing a direction where they would not cross paths.
But then, that figure's footsteps suddenly stopped.
A terrifying gaze suddenly shot over, landing directly on Yun Che.
Accompanying it was a pressure that almost instantly shattered bones and souls.
Since he could no longer avoid it, Yun Che turned sideways and bowed respectfully towards the figure's direction: "Yun Che of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom pays respects to the High Priest."
Such an appearance, such pressure... his identity could only be one person.
The head of the Four Priests of the Pure Land, the High Priest. The one below the one above, above all living beings in the Abyss World.
And the person Hua Caili truly feared in the Pure Land.
Yun Che's self-introduction did not cause the slightest change in the gaze cast upon him. It was a kind of... terrifying scrutiny, nearly piercing through his flesh, blood, and marrow.
He spoke, each word like a divine hammer striking the soul:
"Where did you obtain the power of the Pagoda?!"
"...!" Yun Che's brow twitched suddenly.
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