Chapter 791: Hazy Dream
Where... is this?
Before Yun Che's eyes was a world of pure white.
"Husband..." Cang Yue's voice drifted by his ear. Her figure, draped in a phoenix robe, appeared before him. On her stunningly beautiful face was a gentleness she only ever showed him: "Take good care of yourself. I will always be waiting for you in the imperial city... When you have fulfilled all your wishes, wherever you wish to go, I will go with you. I need nothing else."
"Senior Sister Xueruo... Yue'er..." Yun Che reached out his hand with effort, trying to grasp her soft hand: "Rest assured, I won't keep you waiting too long. In this life, I have wronged you far too much. But I will never... ever forsake you."
Yet his palm only touched an illusion.
"Xiao Che, are you injured again?"
Xiao Lingxi's sobbing voice sounded in his ear: "It was so hard for us to be reunited. You absolutely cannot let anything happen again. Otherwise, I truly don't know how I would go on living. Xiao Che... wuwuwu..."
"Little Aunt, don't worry. I'll be fine... After I leave this place, I will immediately return to Flowing Cloud City."
"And what about me? When will you come back to see me?"
An angry voice came from behind him. He turned his gaze. Xiao Yaohou's petite and frail figure, yet exuding a daunting pressure, was right next to him: "You said you would come back soon. But you've been gone for half a year without any news, not even a word of whether you were alive or dead! Do you still remember my existence in your heart!"
Yun Che said urgently: "Caiyi, how could I possibly forget you? Every day since I left the Huan Yao Realm, I have thought of you. But too many unexpected things have happened over here. Once everything is settled on this side, I will definitely return as soon as possible, and I will bring many people with me."
Behind Xiao Yaohou, the figures of Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou appeared. Yun Qinghong's expression was calm with a faint smile, as if he was always this carefree: "Che'er, you are a true man. You are the greatest pride of your father's life, and also the pride of our Yun family. Go, my child. Do not have too many restraints or worries. Do what you believe is right. Do what you believe must be done!"
"No, don't listen to your father!" Mu Yurou's eyes were brimming with tears: "Che'er, come home quickly. Your mother thinks of you and worries about you day and night... I don't ask for great achievements from you. Even if you live a mediocre life, I only ask that you be safe forever and never suffer any more pain..."
"Father, Mother..." Yun Che called out softly, reaching out his hand. But before he could touch them, their figures had completely dissipated.
"Yun Che, I have gone to a place very, very far away. Perhaps in this life, we will never see each other again. Take good care of yourself."
The voice was soft and gentle, but almost devoid of emotion. Yun Che jerked his head up and saw Xia Qingyue in a blue dress standing on a cloud. Her entire person was fantastically hazy, like a celestial maiden. Her beautiful eyes glanced lightly at Yun Che, then she turned and drifted away with the cloud.
"Qingyue! Where are you... Don't leave! Tell me where you are now!"
No matter how he called, Xia Qingyue still drifted hazily away, completely vanishing from his world.
"Hey, brother-in-law! Although big sister doesn't know where she went, I'm already very strong now! Even stronger than her!"
Xia Yuanba appeared before him, waving his arms and clashing his fists, which seemed forged from refined steel: "Before, it was brother-in-law who protected me. From now on, let me protect brother-in-law! Whoever dares to bully brother-in-law, even if I can't defeat them, I'll fight them to the death!!"
"So brother-in-law, before you find big sister, never ever let anything happen to you... Ah, forget it! I mean, may brother-in-law and big sister always be well and never encounter any danger again!"
"Yuanba..."
"Brother Yun, I beg you... please return safely. Xue'er will wait for you here. If you don't return for ten years, Xue'er will wait for you for ten years... If you never return, Xue'er will stay here forever with you..."
Feng Xue'er knelt there, her hands clasped together, crystal teardrops on her cheeks, her cherry lips whispering in prayer. Her body exuded an aura that could break one's heart.
Yun Che rushed over: "Xue'er, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine right now. I'll be out soon so you can see me. Xue'er... Xue'er!"
But Feng Xue'er could not hear his voice. No matter how he called, she continued to pray with tears, infinitely sorrowful.
"Yun Che, without realizing it, we have been separated for many years... I am waiting for you in a peaceful place, and I have given birth to a lovely daughter for you. Why haven't you found us yet..."
At the end of his vision, a snow-white figure was faintly visible. Though it was only a back view, it was as beautiful as a dream. Yun Che's heart and soul were lost in excitement. He desperately tried to move forward to get closer, roaring with all his might: "Xiao Xiannü! Is that you... Where are you! Tell me where you are! Answer me!!"
He received no reply. His vision only blurred slightly, and that back had completely disappeared.
And right in front of him, two figures appeared simultaneously. Looking at them, Yun Che stood completely stunned: "Ling... 'er..."
On the left was Su Ling'er. She stood gracefully, dressed in simple clothes, her expression mournful, with a sadness that seemed never to dissipate etched between her brows. On the right was also Su Ling'er. She was young, only about ten years old, her tender face already hinting at the splendor she would have as an adult.
She said softly: "Yun Che, although you wronged me in this life, I have no regrets. Do you know? The moment before my death was the happiest moment in my life, because I felt that tear you shed that fell on my face."
"If there is a next life, even if the outcome were the same, I would still be willing to be the moth that flies into the flame..."
"Ling'er..." Yun Che fell to his knees, his chest filled with endless guilt, bitterness, hatred, regret...
"Brother Yun Che." The young Ling'er's eyes shone with the purest, most spotless longing: "You promised you would come back and marry Ling'er. Ling'er waits every day... every single day. But many years have passed, and Ling'er has grown up. Why... hasn't brother Yun Che come yet..."
"Ling'er... I am the one who wronged you! But I will soon find a way to go to the Cang Yun Continent. Wait for me just a little longer... a very short time! In this life, I will never hurt you or forsake you again, never..."
Bang!!
The pale world suddenly shattered at that moment, replaced by an endless darkness.
"Ah..."
A dry groan escaped Yun Che's lips. He opened his eyes with difficulty. Before him was still an endless darkness.
"Mo Li... I should... still be alive, right?" Yun Che grinned slightly.
"Hmph! Hurry up and heal!" Mo Li said angrily: "Your old injuries haven't healed, yet you used 'Heaven-Shattering' again! If you hadn't gambled everything and burned your Phoenix Blood and Golden Crow Blood, you would already be a pile of minced flesh!"
"Heh..." Yun Che let out a proud laugh: "I told you long ago... I definitely... could do it!"
Mo Li: "..."
"But this time... the injuries are indeed quite severe." Yun Che muttered softly. Then, with all his strength, he took a long, deep breath. He focused his mind, calmed his Qi and blood, and slowly entered a state of recovery.
His freakishly extreme recovery ability had always been his greatest reliance for daring to fight desperately.
Yun Che opened his eyes again several hours later.
With old injuries unhealed and new severe wounds added, even with both the Desolate God's power and the Dragon God's body, Yun Che couldn't fully recover in a short time. But after a few hours of rest, his injuries had stabilized. However, due to excessive blood loss, his entire body felt a severe sense of weakness.
The recovery of his power also faced great obstacles.
"About forty percent of my power has recovered, but full recovery will take quite a long time." Yun Che muttered to himself. But at least, the level of power recovery was better than the recovery of his injuries.
"Using 'Heaven-Shattering' twice in a row caused severe depletion in your profound veins! Being able to barely recover to forty percent of your power is already a blessing! Even for the Evil God's Mysterious Vein, recovering to a complete state will take at least half a month!" Mo Li said irritably. "On top of that, you burned your Phoenix Source Blood and Golden Crow Source Blood... Although you didn't forcibly burn them completely like last time a few years ago, the loss is still severe! For the next half month, the power of your Phoenix Flame will be weakened by more than half, and the power of your Golden Crow Flame will also drop by about thirty percent!"
"The cost this time..." Mo Li's voice paused, her emotions too complex for her to continue.
Yun Che straightened his body and stood up. The wounds all over his body pulled and ached, making him grimace. He raised his arm, and firelight ignited in his palm... Although it was still Golden Crow Flame, the aura of destruction had indeed weakened greatly.
"It's fine. It's not like it won't recover forever. It's only half a month." Extinguishing the flame, Yun Che instead showed a relaxed smile: "Compared to the result, this small price is nothing."
Before he fell unconscious, he had felt the power of the Heavenly Poison Pearl pluck four Netherworld Brahma Flower petals... Otherwise, he wouldn't have been willing to pass out just like that.
"A small price? Is that a 'small price'!" Mo Li grew angry: "Do you not understand what you endured! You were a hair's breadth away from having both your body and soul annihilated! And now... now you act as if it's nothing!?"
"The result isn't perfect, but at least I obtained four petals. Why bother about the process!" Yun Che still wore a big smile, seemingly unhaunted by the shadows of the Netherworld Brahma Flower: "Mo Li, have you suddenly realized that I'm far more capable than you imagined? I successfully did something you thought was absolutely impossible!"
"You... you're just stupid, the biggest idiot... Idiot!" Mo Li scolded in fury, sounding like she wished she could come out and beat him to a pulp.
Yun Che closed his eyes, preparing to let his consciousness enter the Heavenly Poison Pearl... Suddenly, he opened his eyes again and looked around in confusion.
To resist the terrifying soul-separating power of the Netherworld Brahma Flower, he had used the Dragon God's Soul and forced out both the Phoenix Soul and the Golden Crow Soul. By the very end, they were completely exhausted. Upon waking now, not only should his body and power be weak, but his spirit should be especially heavy and sluggish.
Yet now, his spirit was not hazy at all. On the contrary, it was full, clear, and bright! What was even stranger was... deep within this Slay Moon Demon Cave, his spiritual sense had been suppressed to a range of only a dozen steps. But now, he could clearly sense the flow of Qi within a full range of over ten zhang!
What's going on? Why has my spiritual power instead...
However, his attention was currently focused on the Netherworld Brahma Flower petals. He didn't dwell on it further and directly concentrated his consciousness, entering the Heavenly Poison Pearl.