Chapter 2184: Rage of the Shattered Soul
Meng Chaoyang, who had been silently standing behind Yun Che, suddenly lifted his gaze, looking at Yun Che's back. Between his brows, surprise and doubt gradually condensed.
Long Zhiming, who had awkwardly averted his gaze, also naturally detected the anomaly. His old eyes turned back as well. At that moment, Yun Che closed his eyes. His expression did not change; only his chest gently rose and fell for an instant, only to be forcibly suppressed again, returning to complete calm.
With Yun Che's eyes closed, Long Wangchu's body trembled violently, as if awakened from a bone-eroding nightmare. He staggered backward heavily, his entire body drenched in cold sweat, his face drained of color.
"Uh... this?" Long Zhiming stood up and said hesitantly, "Abyss Divine Son, is there... something wrong?"
He had interacted with Yun Che several times in the Pure Land and deeply felt he was a man of extremely strong will, yet humble and righteous on the inside. He would surely disdain to get angry over Long Wangchu's rudeness.
Yun Che opened his eyes, which no longer held any darkness. A warm and gentle smile spread at the corners of his mouth: "Brother Wangchu's Ancestral Dragon bloodline is exceptionally pure. When he drew near, it even stirred the bloodline within me."
"Though we have never met or known each other, to have such resonance is truly a subtle kind of fate."
The curve of his mouth slowly widened, his smile seeming increasingly gentle: "Thus, this junior could not help but be moved. I released a sliver of my dragon soul to seek resonance in soul power, but it was too rash and instead startled Brother Wangchu. I hope the Dragon Lord and Brother Wangchu will not take offense."
Long Wangchu opened his mouth but could not utter a sound, clearly still shaken.
"I see." Long Zhiming slowly sat back down, the doubt on his face completely gone. He sighed lightly: "Ah, I'm not afraid to tell the Abyss Divine Son and Hall Master Chaoyang, this unfilial son of mine, though his bloodline is pure, is mediocre in talent and even worse in character..."
He shook his head, too ashamed to continue: "Although the Abyss Divine Son is of the human race, when I sensed it that day, the Ancestral Dragon bloodline and Ancestral Dragon soul you possess are probably more ancient and pure than my own. How could this unfilial son compare to you?"
"The Abyss Divine Son testing him with a dragon soul truly overestimates him."
Clearly, although the Dragon Lord was utterly preoccupied with Long Wangchu's future, under the layers upon layers of endless disappointment, his scolding and berating of him never held back.
Only now did Long Wangchu manage to regain his wits. He instinctively wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and suddenly heard Long Zhiming's words, "the Ancestral Dragon bloodline and Ancestral Dragon soul are probably more ancient and pure than my own." He immediately gaped, eyes wide.
All his emotions were completely out of control on his face—where was the composure and dignity befitting a young master of the dragon clan? It made Long Zhiming wish he could kick him hard in front of the honored guests.
"Dragon Lord, please do not say that," Yun Che advised. "For the Ancestral Dragon, Brother Wangchu is still young. As they say, 'slow accumulation leads to sudden burst.' Perhaps one day, Brother Wangchu's dragon apertures will suddenly open wide, soaring to the nine heavens, achieving even more than you, Elder Dragon Lord."
"Yes... right, right!" The overly pleasant words directly drove away the lingering fear in Long Wangchu. He said with great excitement, "My peers in the clan also say I am a case of slow accumulation and late bloom."
"Far more than that," Yun Che said with a smile. "When we go to the Eternal Pure Land not long from now, free from the erosion and constraints of the Abyss Dust, the dragon clan will surely soar to the skies, ascend to the heavens, and once again radiate the glory that towers over all living beings. At that time, Brother Wangchu will be the founder and leader of the dragon clan's new destiny and era, and his name will surely be eternal in dragon clan history."
Long Wangchu's face instantly flushed, and his hands and feet shook with excitement... He was used to Long Zhiming's disappointment and scolding; when had he ever heard such lavish praise and flattery?
Moreover, these words were not spoken by his peers within the clan who needed to flatter him, but by the legendary Abyss Divine Son of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, who possessed a perfect divine rank and the most renowned reputation among the six divine kingdoms.
The fear and shock from before had completely dissipated. He looked at Yun Che with excited eyes, experiencing for the first time in his life what it meant to regret not having met sooner, and what it meant to meet a kindred spirit.
Long Zhiming smiled and shook his head. He knew these were polite words from Yun Che, but in truth, he found them quite pleasing. After all, no matter how worthless Long Wangchu was now, he was his only son, the sole choice and hope of the Ancestral Dragon lineage.
"Abyss Divine Son, these words will all be etched in Wangchu's heart. In the future... when I become the Dragon Lord and lead the dragon clan back to the pinnacle, the Abyss Divine Son will be my, Long Wangchu's, and the dragon clan's best friend."
His face was flushed, already drifting and unable to choose his words carefully. It was as if he could already see himself in the future, majestic and dominating all beings in the Eternal Pure Land.
"Alright, alright, shut your mouth. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? Now that you've met the Abyss Divine Son, withdraw."
Even Long Zhiming, with his face weathered by countless years, could no longer bear to listen. But his purpose in summoning Long Wangchu to meet Yun Che had been achieved. Yun Che's attitude toward Long Wangchu pleasantly surprised him.
When Long Wangchu left, he was quite reluctant.
"Ah, unfortunate for the clan. You two honored guests have witnessed our embarrassment," Long Zhiming sighed again.
"Dragon Lord, you flatter," Yun Che said, lowering his eyes slightly, a smile on his lips, but a dark glint in his eyes of unclear meaning. "I think Brother Wangchu is... very good."
After saying this, Yun Che suddenly stood up: "Senior, may I go pay my respects to Long Jiang... that is, Long Xi first?"
They had only just entered the main hall, and now he wanted to leave again. Although surprised, Long Zhiming had no reason to refuse: "Heh, the Abyss Divine Son is truly a man of deep sentiment and righteousness, so eager. Very well, this old man will personally guide you there."
"This is merely some personal grievances of this junior. How could I trouble you, Elder Dragon Lord, to accompany me?" Yun Che declined humbly. "Moreover, with you present, Long Xi might lose her ease. Sending a guard to guide me will suffice."
Long Zhiming thought briefly and then nodded faintly: "Very well... then so be it."
He looked outward, his dragon roar shaking the heavens: "Qianxin, personally lead the Abyss Divine Son to the forbidden area where Long Xi resides. Accompany him from a distance; do not disturb them closely."
"Yes." A distant dragon roar responded.
Stepping out of the Ancestral Dragon Temple, Yun Che followed Long Qianxin, passing through layers of mountain bodies, approaching Long Xi's location.
His expression was calm, his eyes as still as stagnant water. He remained silent the entire way, not once even casting a glance downward to observe the various aspects of the dragon clan below.
"What... is wrong with you?" Li Suo's voice carried deep worry. "To be... so furious to this extreme."
Fury to its utmost, yet forcibly suppressed without release, it had torn thousands of fine cracks through Yun Che's liver, gallbladder, and soul sea.
Even now, it had not subsided in the slightest.
Yun Che gave no response.
On the surface, he was abnormally calm, but only Li Suo knew that within his soul, an abyss of rage churned as if ten thousand demons were howling... Such a stark contrast made Li Suo, for the first time since awakening, feel something close to "palpitations."
She did not dare to ask again.
The only thing certain was that this sudden eruption of anger had occurred when he faced Long Wangchu... More precisely, even before Long Wangchu appeared, when his aura drew near, Yun Che's heartstrings had suddenly tightened.
Long Qianxin ahead stopped.
Low mountains surrounded a barren, withered domain.
Exposed rocks lay bare, desolate and bleak. The encircling mountains trapped endless solitude tightly within this lifeless, isolated land.
Only the wind howled through the mountain walls, mournful and desolate, bitterly cold and piercing.
"Abyss Divine Son, Long Xi resides here permanently. This is a mountain domain personally bestowed upon her by the Dragon Lord, declared a forbidden area of the dragon clan. Even the barrier was personally set by the Dragon Lord. Without Long Xi's permission, no one may enter without authorization, including the Dragon Lord himself."
Yun Che looked ahead, his eyes reflecting the bleak desolation. His face showed no discernible emotion as he said faintly, "The Dragon Lord treats her with exceptional favor indeed."
"Indeed so," Long Qianxin replied. "But that said, Long Xi truly deserves such treatment from the Dragon Lord."
Without further elaboration, Long Qianxin stepped aside: "Long Xi has been within the domain recently, but her personality is extremely reclusive and strange. Even the Dragon Lord finds it difficult to meet her. So... everything depends on the Abyss Divine Son himself."
His tone carried helplessness, implying that even if he were the Dreamweaving Divine Son, if Long Xi did not wish to see him, no one could force it.
As soon as he spoke, a gap just large enough for one person to pass through suddenly opened on the quiet barrier.
Long Qianxin immediately showed a smile: "It seems the bond between the Abyss Divine Son and Long Xi is indeed deep. Please. If you need anything, feel free to instruct."
Yun Che stepped forward. Just before entering the barrier, he suddenly stopped and said faintly, "Hall Master Chaoyang, please seal another barrier. No one... is allowed to spy."
A little surprised, Meng Chaoyang said nothing. His palm pressed down, and a barrier flowing with faint silver light enveloped the entire mountain domain. If anyone touched it, whether body or perception, their soul would be devoured, and it would certainly alarm those within.
Everything was isolated from the outside. Yun Che could no longer maintain his calm expression. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, his hands clenched tightly, every knuckle twisting and trembling violently until they split and bled.
"Hoo..."
He took several long breaths, barely steadying his emotions. Then he lifted his steps and stepped into the desolate domain within the barrier.
Step...
Step...
His footsteps were exceptionally heavy, each step as if treading on his own heart.
His daughter's figure came into view. She was still dressed in a loose gray robe, exuding a cold gloom and solitude that kept all living beings at a distance... With his steps, it was sometimes blurry, sometimes clear.
She had her back to him, kneeling silently before a grave monument.
Here, everywhere was rubble and decay, only that monument stood upright, spotless.
The monument bore no name, nor any inscription.
Yun Che did not know when he stopped. He simply stood there, dazed, staring at her—at his daughter with Shen Xi. His throat was blocked by a thousand emotions... but for a long time, he could not utter a single word or make any sound.
Until at a certain moment, she slowly turned around.
The first things to enter his eyes were still those two terrifying, crisscrossing erosion marks.
She reached out her hand to Yun Che. Her wrist was snow-white, almost colorless. Her voice remained cold and distant, nearly biting:
"The thing I want... the Primordial Flame Crystal."
Yun Che finally spoke, but his voice came out hoarse: "Is this... the price you pay for staying here... what you call a place to settle?"
When he first met Long Xi, he had noticed an abnormal loss of her essence blood. The last time they met in the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom, it was still the same.
Long Xi never gave an answer, so he could only temporarily assume she was too obsessed, draining the pond to catch fish, causing severe damage to herself.
Until just now, he had detected the aura of her essence blood from Long Wangchu's body.
Though extremely faint, though it had long been refined... how could he not recognize it? How could he misrecognize it?
According to the records of the Xuanji Hall, the dragon clan's young master Long Wangchu was extremely dull in talent. Even with all the top resources of the dragon clan poured into him, he barely broke through to the Divine Lord realm at the age of six Jiazi (360 years).
Yet afterward, as if aided by the gods, within a few short decades he rose from the first level of Divine Lord to the current eighth level of Divine Lord, causing a slight stir even among the divine kingdoms. Some speculated that his talent had awakened later in life and that there might be hope for the future.
Now, Yun Che was horrified to realize what had happened to Long Xi, and what cruel price lay behind the dragon clan's special treatment of her.
Long Xi frowned slightly, then seemed to realize he must have seen Long Wangchu. But she was completely unmoved, as indifferent as ever: "A fair trade, both parties willing."
Hideous blood vessels spread in Yun Che's eyes. His voice had grown hoarse beyond recognition: "You are... my daughter..."
"So what?" Long Xi's icy voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "Are you going to tell me that my body and hair come from my parents, that even though you never raised me, never protected me, never witnessed even a single day of my growth, I still have no right to dispose of my own essence blood without your consent?"
"...!" Yun Che slowly closed his eyes, his chest aching to the point of suffocation.
Long Xi brought her outstretched palm closer: "If you truly care about me as much as you show on your face right now, then give me the Primordial Flame Crystal. If you do, not only will I call you father, but even if I had to kowtow to you a hundred times, I would not hesitate."
The cold wind blew, infinite desolation, infinite sorrow.
Yun Che opened his eyes with difficulty. Bloodshot veins had almost filled his entire eyeballs: "Tell me, why are you so desperate for the Primordial Flame Crystal, and the Qilin Bone Orchid you risked your life to obtain back then... what exactly are they to be used for?"
"If you do not explain clearly, even if I find them, I will not give them to you!"
His voice became clearer, but it carried a chill that seemed to seep into the marrow.
Long Xi looked at him for a long while before finally speaking slowly: "If I can obtain the five spirit treasures of Wind, Fire, Thunder, Water, and Earth, the Dragon Lord will mobilize the entire clan's power. Using the five spirit treasures as a guide, they will activate the Ancient Dragon Grand Array, gathering the most original and pure essence of heaven and earth's five spirits. Through the most primal pure essence, they will gradually restore the slumbering remnant soul of my mother, until both her life and body are fully complete again."
"This is also... the fair trade between us."
"And the only possibility, the only hope, to save my mother!"
Yun Che looked into her eyes. Beneath that cold gaze, there was too strong a desire and agitation... He stood still for a long time, not moving, not speaking a word.
"So..." Long Xi's voice grew heavier. "Have you found the Primordial Flame Crystal or not?"
"..." Yun Che's neck moved, his head shaking slowly and stiffly.
As if the countless stars of a dark night had been instantly extinguished, the light in Long Xi's eyes vanished in an instant, leaving only endless gloom and disappointment.
"Rest assured..." he said slowly, "Since I promised you, I will surely achieve it. As I said to you before, finding the Primordial Flame Crystal might be an extravagant hope for others, but for me... it is effortless."
With that, he suddenly turned around sharply, not letting Long Xi see his eyes.
"I came here, first to see you. Second... I have an additional condition."
"Before I deliver the Primordial Flame Crystal to you, you must not take half a step out of this Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range. Otherwise, even if I find it, I will not give it to you... For the sake of your mother, I believe you can certainly do it."
"...?" Looking at his back, Long Xi frowned deeply. She was about to speak, but saw that Yun Che had already lifted his foot and walked away, his figure receding.
She did not even have time to call out to stop him. His figure vanished from sight in an instant, all the way beyond the barrier.
Only her eyes imprinted a lonely back that lingered long, inexplicably piercing her soul.
————
The new season of the "Heaven-Defying Evil God" anime series has premiered on iQiyi! Starting April 16, new episodes are released every Thursday at 9:00 AM!