Chapter 2173: Dragon Daughter Seeks Father
The misty sea stretched endlessly. Yun Che sat cross-legged on a piece of abyss stone, surrounded by rolling gray abyss mist. From afar, the roars of abyssal beasts drifted over, but as they drew near, the terrifying might of the Abyss Qilin drove them far away.
Yun Che's eyes were closed. Within his consciousness, a drop of Vermilion Bird origin blood, as red as carnelian, floated silently. Inside the blood bead, a tiny Vermilion Bird divine shadow seemed to spread its wings and cry out, causing ripples in his blood that would not settle for a long time.
With his Primordial Saint Body and Evil God's Mysterious Vein, even the nine drops of root essence blood from the Vermilion Bird True God could be fully refined within a month, and perfectly so without any flaw.
But at this moment, what Yun Che needed to refine was only one-seventh of a drop—enough for him to ignite the Vermilion Bird Flame carrying a trace of Vermilion Bird divine aura.
Buzz—
A soft hum echoed in his consciousness. As his profound energy gently enveloped the Vermilion Bird divine blood, several strands of crimson flowing light slowly seeped out, surging into Yun Che's bloodline, meridians, and mysterious veins... Though only a few faint strands, they exploded within his body like a fiery force that could scorch the heavens and boil the seas.
For anyone else, merely enduring such bone-scorching pain would be excruciating, compounded by various risks that could erupt at any moment. But for Yun Che, it felt as warm and gentle as bathing in a soothing spring. He only needed to concentrate on merging with the Vermilion Bird divine power contained within.
No one knew how much time had passed when a crimson flame light suddenly blazed in the dim world.
A faint crimson light screen rose around Yun Che's body. Within the screen, feather-like patterns slowly swirled. His outer robes fluttered without wind, his hair was lifted by the scorching waves, and between his brows, a gradually deepening Vermilion Bird imprint shone.
Another hour passed, and a cluster of crimson flame suddenly ignited in Yun Che's palm. This flame was completely different from the divine flames he had burned before. It burned silently, gently, and even stained the surrounding eerie and terrifying misty sea space with a warmth that brushed directly against the soul.
...
Near the ground of the Misty Sea.
Qianlang Domain was an ownerless domain, yet it always had a considerable flow of people. Because it was near the Misty Sea, it had originally been a place for cultivators to rest and heal, which naturally gave rise to a trading hub for supplies.
Over time, the scope of trade expanded, and in the ever-extending years, it became one of the largest trading grounds near the Misty Sea. Later, even Abyss Knights frequently glanced over and stopped here, maintaining basic order.
A figure clad in gray-white robes, wrapped tightly, moved through the crowd. Even the head was covered by a heavy hood, making it impossible to see their true face.
Stopping in front of an old man, they directly issued a hoarse voice: "Have there been any news of Primordial Flame Crystal recently?"
The old man glanced at them, raised an eyebrow, and said with a helpless expression: "It's you again. I've told you so many times. The last time Primordial Flame Crystal appeared, my great-great-grandfather wasn't even born yet. And this kind of exotic crystal is a miraculous gift that occasionally appears in the Misty Sea. It can never appear again. Stop looking, stop thinking."
The hood concealed their expression. Without saying a word, they turned to head for the next target. Just then, a lazy, mocking voice rang out: "Indeed, the people of this remote land have such narrow knowledge that it's laughable."
The old man glared angrily, but when he saw the other's attire, his expression instantly changed. A nearly fawning smile appeared on his aged face: "So it's a distinguished guest from a Divine Kingdom. This old man is indeed shallow in knowledge. Please forgive my ignorance."
The speaker was a man in black robes with narrow eyes and an unabashed arrogance on his face. He held his head high, looking down with a sidelong glance, as if a superior gazing upon despicable lowly beings: "Primordial Flame Crystal has reappeared less than a month ago. Tch... but people of this lowly land are indeed not worthy of knowing."
The gray-robed figure suddenly turned, their gaze locked firmly onto the black-robed man. Even through the hood, he felt as if a sharp, condensed gaze had stabbed directly into his eyes: "Where did the Primordial Flame Crystal appear?!"
Despite the immense excitement in their heart, the voice remained sufficiently calm.
The abrupt gaze and harsh tone made the black-robed man squint slightly. Then he sneered: "Asking me? What the hell are you?!"
The gray-robed figure stepped forward... but their left sleeve was gently tugged by the old man. The old man slowly shook his head at them and said in a low voice: "He's from the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom. Don't provoke him."
The gray-robed figure said nothing more, turned, and left. Their figure quickly disappeared into the crowd, completely ignoring the "tsk" sound the Xiaodie profound practitioner made behind them.
An hour later, that Xiaodie profound practitioner had already left Qianlang Domain and stepped into the border of the Misty Sea. Just as his figure passed through a low black stone forest, a chill struck his back, and a heavy pressure slammed directly into his rear heart.
He quickly twisted his body, but before his Dark Profound Force could be released, it was forcibly suppressed by a sudden burst of terrifying power. His body was also pinned firmly against the black stone behind him by a huge claw shadow, unable to move no matter how he struggled.
"Divine Annihilation Realm..." His pupils constricted, and he exclaimed in shock. At that moment, the figure of the gray-robed person appeared in his sight.
"It's you..." The Xiaodie profound practitioner's gaze darkened, but he showed no fear. Instead, he let out a sinister sneer: "My name is Pan Yexun. I am a shadow guard serving the Ninth Imperial Son of the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom. I am following my master, Venerable Qiheng, to accompany His Highness the Imperial Son in searching for our former Xiaodie Divine Son, Pan Buwang. How dare you touch someone from the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom..."
The word "Divine Kingdom" was enough to make almost all profound practitioners below that level tremble in fear, but the gray-robed figure remained unmoved and said coldly: "Tell me, where did the Primordial Flame Crystal appear!"
Pan Yexun sneered again: "Fool. It seems you still haven't realized your situation. So what if you're Divine Annihilation Realm? You dare... uwaaah!"
A extremely brutal scream suddenly exploded in the sky above the Misty Sea border. The pale claw shadow cruelly pierced his body, instantly tearing through his internal organs, even stabbing into his heart meridian, causing a permanent wound that would never heal.
In his ear, the gray-robed person's voice sounded, utterly cold: "You have one last chance... Where is that Primordial Flame Crystal now?!"
A fear he had never known before, accompanied by piercing bone-chilling cold, surged through Pan Yexun's entire body. His pupils dilated to the point of almost bursting. All his previous certainty and arrogance had now turned into extreme terror.
He could never have dreamed that after he invoked the name of the "Xiaodie Divine Kingdom," the other party not only showed no hint of hesitation but instead pushed him directly to the brink of death.
He no longer dared to rely on his Divine Kingdom background, nor even dared to beg for mercy. His voice trembled: "It's... it's the Pure Land. The Abyss Divine Son of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom... presented a Primordial Flame Crystal to the Lingxian Divine Official..."
The gray-robed person, who had been extremely indifferent and seemingly emotionless, suddenly had their aura violently stir upon hearing the words "Abyss Divine Son." Their figure closed in, and the claw shadow pressing down on Pan Yexun flickered with a slightly uncontrolled white light, causing another scream from him: "You mean the Abyss Divine Son of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, that... Yun Che?!"
"Yes, yes!" Pan Yexun hurriedly responded: "The Abyss Divine Son's name is Meng Jianyuan, also called Yun Che. This matter was learned by His Highness the Imperial Son during a meeting in the Pure Land. Everyone from the Divine Kingdoms present knew it... It's absolutely true! There is no concealment!"
The gray-robed person seemed to freeze there, silent and motionless for a long time.
"I... I've told you everything... Could you... first let me go? I promise... I promise I won't tell anyone about you... I don't even know what you look like..."
The corners of his mouth twisted into a fawning, harmless smile, but the next moment...
Bang!
The claw shadow exploded, revealing itself to be a pale dragon claw.
No hesitation, no mercy... Under the ruthlessly exploding Divine Annihilation power, Pan Yexun's body was instantly shattered by the dragon claw shadow, not even allowing a final dying scream.
Without looking back, she turned around coldly and walked away. Her gray, lonely figure quickly vanished into the vast abyss mist... heading in the direction of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom.
...
Middle section of the Misty Sea.
Yun Che waved his hand, the crimson flame in his palm soft like flowing twilight. Guided by his profound energy and divine soul, the flame trembled slightly, emitting a long and sometimes fragmented hum. Strands of crimson sound waves slowly spread within the flame.
At first, the melody was low and distant, like an ancient wind sweeping across a silent land, carrying a trace of desolation. Gradually, the tune became gentle, like warm sunlight spilling down, melting ice and snow. Wherever the sound waves reached, the surrounding abyss mist seemed to shed its chill and take on a warm color.
Yun Che turned his palm over. The tone abruptly changed. A clear phoenix cry merged into the melody, and the tune suddenly rose. But it was not sharp or soul-piercing; instead, it carried a compassion that embraced all things, as if it could transform all the pain and resentment in the world into curling smoke, carried away by a warm breeze.
Li Suo let out a soft murmur: "The Heavenly Compassion Music of the Auspicious Bird... The Vermilion Bird's sound as I remember it. The sacred sound played by the holy flame, burning away all filth in enemies and driving away all pain in oneself."
She listened quietly, her soul at rare ease. Faintly, those vanished, blank, and fragmented fragments of memory stirred slight soul ripples under the moistening Vermilion Bird sound.
Yun Che's mind was fully immersed in the Vermilion Bird music he was playing. The Vermilion Bird flame at his fingertips rose and fell with the melody, forming shapes of feathers. Imperceptibly, they had already covered a large area around him. The fiery feathers gathered into tiny Vermilion Bird shadows. Sound waves and flame power intertwined, weaving a warm, dreamlike realm around him.
Countless thoughts reverberated in his sea of consciousness, but every wave of hesitation, heaviness, and hostility was gradually smoothed away by the Vermilion Bird sound.
When he opened his eyes, the world around him was filled with feathers and flying Vermilion Bird shadows. He extinguished the Vermilion Bird flame in his palm and smiled faintly: "If I completely refine the nine drops of Vermilion Bird source blood, the concentration of my Vermilion Bird bloodline will definitely surpass my Phoenix and Golden Crow blood. But this Vermilion Bird flame has the least dependence on bloodline; what it needs most is a strong and compassionate divine soul."
"Perhaps I should consider merging it with Light Profound Force."
Li Suo said: "Vermilion Bird flame and Light Profound Force do indeed have many similarities. For example, both are nemeses of Dark Profound Force. You bear the Dark Eternal Calamity, yet you can burn Vermilion Bird flame... The Primordial Saint Body bestowed by the Primordial Divine God is indeed beyond common sense."
"If you have free time in the future, you may play the Vermilion Bird Soul-Soothing Music for me more often."
"Oh?" Yun Che showed surprise. Li Suo actually made a request voluntarily—that was far too rare.
"The Vermilion Bird sound seems to help awaken my dormant memories... Or perhaps it's just an illusion under the soothing effect."
"I see..." Yun Che's heart stirred. As the former Life Creation God, if Li Suo's memories could be restored, the help she could give him would be immeasurable.
This time, he had dwelled in the Misty Sea for a month and a half. By common understanding, that was enough time for a preliminary refinement of some Vermilion Bird divine blood.
Stepping back onto the hub of the spatial array, a red flash later, he had left the Misty Sea and returned to the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom.
The moment he stepped out of the cultivation space's barrier, he heard Dream Paper Kite's voice, half delighted, half anxious: "Young Master, you're finally out. During this time, several people have been looking for you."
"Hmm? Looking for me?" Yun Che showed surprise. Dreamkong Chan and Meng Jianxi both knew about his refining of Vermilion Bird divine blood. Logically, no one should have disturbed him.
Dream Paper Kite said: "There were three people in total. First, the Senluo Divine Son, Dian Jiuzhi."
Yun Che: "Hmm?"
"Second, a strange person who covered their face and claimed to be your elder brother. They appeared like a ghost, and when they learned you were in closed-door cultivation, they suddenly vanished... Even stranger, none of the guards noticed, and even Dream Shouyuan remained completely unaware."
Yun Che: "Hmm... Hmm?!"
"The third person was even more special." Somewhat curious about the change in Yun Che's expression, Dream Paper Kite continued: "She couldn't enter the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom at first, but after being repeatedly expelled, she still refused to leave the boundary gate, stubbornly wanting to see you."
"The boundary gate guards wanted to arrest her, but they were encountered by Divine Son Xi, who seemed to sense something unusual about her identity. So he sent word, asking me to inform you as soon as you came out."
Yun Che frowned deeply, quickly organizing his thoughts: "And who is this person?"
"Divine Son Xi said she calls herself Long Jiang."
"...!" Yun Che's head shot up, and his pupils shook violently.
—End—