Chapter 803: All Secrets Revealed
"What is your name?" Xuanyuan Wentian began his personal interrogation.
"Xiao... Yun." Xiao Yun answered woodenly.
"Did you formerly bear the surname Yun?"
"Yes..."
"Then what is your father's name?"
"Xiao... Ying."
"No, no, no," Xuanyuan Wentian said with a faint smile. "What I'm asking is, who is the father who raised you for over twenty years from childhood to adulthood?"
"Yun... Qinghong." With his consciousness completely lost, Xiao Yun answered truthfully.
"Ah..." The name Yun Qinghong caused a stir among the people of the Four Sacred Grounds.
"Oh? Which Yun Qinghong? Is it Yun Qinghong, the current head of the Yun Clan among the Twelve Guardian Clans of the Illusion Demon Realm?" Xuanyuan Wentian continued to ask.
Xiao Yun still replied dully, "Yes."
"He really is the son of that demon Yun Qinghong!" The Star-Chasing Divine Envoy of the Sun Moon Divine Palace exclaimed in shock. Judging by his expression, he had clearly participated in the war against the Illusion Demon Realm back then, and might even have been involved in the pursuit of Yun Qinghong and his wife.
"This old man is a bit confused." Zi Ji spoke up, his voice slow. "Sword Master Xuanyuan said earlier that Yun Qinghong and his wife left their son in the Tian Xuan Continent before returning to the Illusion Demon Realm. But just now when he questioned this child, it was Yun Qinghong who raised him for over twenty years—these two statements contradict each other. Moreover, when Sword Master Xuanyuan first asked him about his father, his answer was not Yun Qinghong. It seems this child indeed comes from the Illusion Demon Realm, but he is not Yun Qinghong's biological son... rather, an adopted son?"
"Hehehe, as expected of Master Zi, your words are absolutely correct. This person is indeed not Yun Qinghong's son, but he is an adopted son that Yun Qinghong and his wife raised from childhood and treated as their own. As for Yun Qinghong and his wife's biological son..." Xuanyuan Wentian turned back to Xiao Yun. "He knows the whole story clearly."
"Damn it..." Xia Yuanba's tightly clenched hands were already oozing blood. "We can't let him keep questioning him, otherwise..."
But Yun Che gently patted him. "Let him ask. In the current situation, nothing can be changed. Fortunately, Xuanyuan Wentian, in order to use Xiao Yun, brought the Ghost Fiend Poison Immortal. He didn't use soul search or inflict serious injuries on him. If we can rescue him, I can help him recover quickly. That's at least some consolation."
Although Xia Yuanba's eyes were bloodshot, he didn't actually plan to act rashly, because he knew very well that even though his power had skyrocketed, standing beside Xiao Yun was Xuanyuan Wentian! And all around were gathered all the experts of the Four Sacred Grounds. Even ten of him couldn't change anything.
On the Fenghuang God Sect's side, Feng Xue'er tightly gripped her dress sash, her bitten lips pale.
"Xue'er, what's wrong?" Sensing her chaotic and restless aura, Feng Zu Kui looked sideways.
Feng Xue'er didn't answer... She had already received several sound transmissions from Yun Che, telling her never to step forward on his behalf, but to resolutely draw a clear line. The reason was the same as what he had told Xia Yuanba.
"Speaking of it, his identity is quite extraordinary. Even I was quite surprised when I first learned all this." Xuanyuan Wentian said slowly. "Twenty-three years ago, our Sword Domain, in order to capture Yun Qinghong and his wife, pursued them to the eastern part of the Cang Feng Empire. At that time, they were already poisoned and gravely wounded, and were holding a newborn baby. Moreover, they were unfamiliar with the terrain of the Cang Feng Empire, so they were at their wit's end. Yet for some reason, they then disappeared without a trace, defying all search efforts."
"Later, we happened to learn that Yun Qinghong and his wife had contacted a man named Xiao Ying in Flowcloud City. When we questioned him, he flatly denied it and refused to reveal anything. In our fury, we struck him dead." Xuanyuan Wentian sighed regretfully. "But at that time, we didn't know that this man named Xiao Ying was actually a close friend Yun Qinghong had made during his three years in the Tian Xuan Continent, and that they had even sworn brotherhood! The reason Yun Qinghong and his wife suddenly disappeared was because, under his guidance, they had hidden inside an extremely secret mountain cave north of Flowcloud City, unknown to outsiders! Furthermore, fearing that Yun Qinghong's family might be killed and leave no descendants, he secretly swapped his own child with Yun Qinghong and his wife's child!!"
"S-such a thing?"
"Afterward, the spatial forbidden artifact used by Yun Qinghong and his wife recovered some power, allowing them to escape back to the Illusion Demon Realm... naturally taking Xiao Ying's biological son with them. As for Yun Qinghong and his wife's biological son, he naturally stayed in Flowcloud City with Xiao Ying and took the surname Xiao!"
"Hmph! Unfortunately, the people of our Sword Domain at the time thought he was just an ungrateful stubborn fool, so they killed him. Who would have thought that he, a citizen of the Tian Xuan Continent, would go to such lengths to save a demon from the Illusion Demon Realm! If not for him, those two demons, Yun Qinghong and his wife, would have already fallen into our hands. This Xiao Ying is utterly hateful and guilty of heinous crimes, unforgivable by the Tian Xuan Continent! Had we known, we should have exterminated his entire family back then." Xuanyuan Wentian said coldly.
By this point in Xuanyuan Wentian's narration, even the dullest person would understand that this restrained Xiao Yun was the true son of Xiao Ying, who had fled back to the Illusion Demon Realm with Yun Qinghong and his wife! And the child Yun Qinghong had left behind in Flowcloud City was none other than...
"Sword Master Xuanyuan, the descendant of that demon who was swapped by Xiao Ying and thus remained in Flowcloud City, could it be..." Ye Mei Xie's gaze subtly shifted toward Yun Che, who had been silent all along.
"Heh," Xuanyuan Wentian smiled faintly and turned to Xiao Yun. "Xiao Yun, is everything I just said true?"
"..." Xiao Yun nodded woodenly.
"Then, tell me and all the Xuan practitioners of the Tian Xuan present here, what is the name of the biological son of your adoptive parents, Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou?" Xuanyuan Wentian asked slowly. His expression clearly showed that he was thoroughly enjoying the process of exposing all this.
Xiao Yun murmured, "Yun... Che..."
Boom——
Although everyone had already guessed in their hearts, hearing the name from Xiao Yun's mouth still caused an uproar throughout the venue. All eyes instantly converged on Yun Che.
"Everyone, please calm down." Xuanyuan Wentian raised his hand with a faint smile. "I know that words alone are unconvincing. Although Xiao Yun is under the Soul-Stealing Gu and cannot lie, based only on his and my words, I believe many people still dare not—or are unwilling to—believe that Yun Che, who has shaken the Tian Xuan Continent in recent years and is known as one of the three great prodigies of the younger generation, is actually a descendant of demons. Moreover, those who know about the Yun Clan of the Illusion Demon Realm are aware that the Yun Clan possesses a special bloodline profound art called 'Xuan Gang.' This 'Xuan Gang' is unique to the Yun Clan and can only be passed down from father to son—absolutely unique and impossible to counterfeit. Friends from the Sacred Grounds all know this, and I'm sure many friends from the Seven Kingdoms also know it."
Over seventy percent of those present nodded in agreement.
"Therefore, as long as we can prove that Yun Che possesses the power of Xuan Gang, it will fully confirm that he is a member of the Yun Clan of the Illusion Demon Realm—more conclusive than any evidence!" Xuanyuan Wentian's tone changed. "Gu Xing, go restrain his left arm and force out his Xuan Gang!"
"Yes!" Xuanyuan Gu Xing answered, sneered at Yun Che, and was about to rush out.
"No need." Yun Che said calmly, then slowly stood up and walked forward. Xia Yuanba instinctively wanted to reach out and grab him, but his arm stopped halfway and he forcefully withdrew it, his entire body cracking loudly.
Yun Che floated down and landed in the center of the Sea God Platform, standing twenty steps away from Xuanyuan Wentian. He extended his left arm and, expressionless, activated his Xuan Gang.
Instantly, an orange light flashed on Yun Che's left arm. The orange Xuan Gang shot out, then retracted in an instant.
"Xu... Xuan Gang!!" From the Four Sacred Grounds and the Fenghuang God Sect, many people cried out in shock.
"That's right, that's Xuan Gang—unique in the world! Yun Che truly is a member of the Yun Clan of the Illusion Demon Realm!"
"H-how can this be? Yun Che, he..." The others were merely shocked, but Feng Hengkong, besides shock, also felt deep confusion. He looked at Feng Xue'er's expression and said tremblingly, "Xue'er, this matter... did you already know about it?"
"..." Feng Xue'er still bit her lips tightly, saying nothing.
"Oh?" Xuanyuan Wentian wore a playful expression. "He admitted it himself. That's even better—saves this Sword Master a lot of trouble."
"Why wouldn't I admit it?" Yun Che looked coldly at Xuanyuan Wentian. "Although I grew up in the Tian Xuan Continent, my roots are in the Yun Clan of the Illusion Demon Realm! Yun Qinghong is my biological father, and Mu Yurou is my biological mother! Sword Master Xuanyuan, what do you intend to do?"
"A demon from the Illusion Demon Realm, and the son of Yun Qinghong at that. On the soil of our Tian Xuan Continent, how can we tolerate you!" Xuanyuan Gu Xing said harshly. "Our Tian Xuan Continent and the Illusion Demon Realm are irreconcilable enemies! If we hadn't known your origin, that would be one thing. But now that we do, our Tian Wei Sword Domain will not tolerate you, and the Tian Xuan Continent will not tolerate you!"
From the moment Yun Che's identity was revealed, everyone knew he was doomed to be rejected by the Tian Xuan Continent! Because to the Tian Xuan Continent, the Illusion Demon Realm was a land of demons! How could the Tian Xuan Continent tolerate a demon from the Illusion Demon Realm?
Moreover, Yun Che had already become famous throughout the Tian Xuan Continent over the years, and his identity was not just any ordinary demon—he was the son of the head of the Yun Clan in the Illusion Demon Realm!
At this moment, Gu Cang Zhenren stepped forward and sighed, "Yun Che's identity is indeed shocking and lamentable, but regarding this matter, this old man still has something to say."
"Oh? Gu Cang Zhenren, please speak." Xuanyuan Wentian smiled.
Gu Cang Zhenren said slowly, "Alas, that Yun Che is the son of Yun Qinghong of the Illusion Demon Realm—this old man is also extremely shocked. However, although Yun Che is the son of the Yun Clan, he was born in the Tian Xuan Continent, grew up in the Tian Xuan Continent, and even now stands on the soil of our Tian Xuan. Thus, although he has the blood of the Illusion Demon Realm, he is actually a person of our Tian Xuan Continent."
"This old man has met Yun Che a few times. In my view, Yun Che has a upright temperament. Although he is sometimes extreme, he has no evil intentions. Overall, he is a fairly good person. Back then, when my disciple Yuan Ba was facing a life-and-death crisis, Yun Che risked his life to save him. When the Snow Princess of the Shenhuang Empire was in danger on the Primordial Mystic Ark, Yun Che also risked his life to save her. When the Cang Feng Empire in the eastern part of the continent faced a national calamity, Yun Che single-handedly turned the tide and protected his motherland—this is a feat worthy of eternal praise. I believe everyone present knows this."
"The meaning of Gu Cang Zhenren's words is?" Xuanyuan Wentian still wore a full smile.
"This old man's intention is: Although Yun Che is a person of the Illusion Demon Realm, he is not evil or vicious. He has never done anything to harm the safety of our Tian Xuan Continent. On the contrary, he has accumulated many merits and holds great prestige among the younger generation. Even in his very bones, he should be called a person of the Tian Xuan Continent. Therefore, regarding his Illusion Demon bloodline, we should naturally treat it with tolerance. Otherwise, wouldn't it make us, the esteemed Sacred Grounds, seem narrow-minded and unable to distinguish right from wrong?"
Yun Che gave Gu Cang Zhenren a grateful look. Even after revealing his identity as Yun Qinghong's son, he still spoke for him—Gu Cang Zhenren had gone above and beyond... Of course, Gu Cang Zhenren did this not for Yun Che, but for Xia Yuanba.
"Hehehe, Gu Cang Zhenren has always been kind-hearted, which is admirable." Xuanyuan Wentian smiled faintly. "I wholeheartedly agree with your words. However, the secrets on this child Yun Che are far more than just being Yun Qinghong's son. Otherwise, why would this Sword Master personally and openly expose his background before all the heroes of the world?"
"Oh?" Gu Cang Zhenren's brow twitched, and he sighed inwardly. Just as Xuanyuan Wentian himself said, if it were only that simple, why would the Sword Master himself go to such great lengths...
Xuanyuan Wentian stepped forward, slowly approaching Yun Che. "Gu Cang Zhenren, and all of you present, you must never have dreamed what status this young man holds in the Illusion Demon Realm."
"The current emperor of the Illusion Demon Realm is a woman, known by the title Xiao Yaohou (Little Demon Empress)." Xuanyuan Wentian stood in front of Yun Che, looking at him sideways. "Because the previous Xiao Yaohuang (Little Demon Emperor) died a hundred years ago, the Xiao Yaohou has ruled the Illusion Demon Realm as emperor, becoming the last person with the bloodline of the Illusion Demon Realm's royal family. However, just over seven months ago, the Xiao Yaohou, after a hundred years of widowhood for the Little Demon Emperor, found a new husband and married him in the Demon Emperor City. This event shook the entire Illusion Demon Realm and became the greatest event in the realm in a century."
"Since then, besides the Xiao Yaohou, there has been a second demon emperor who shares equal status with her and also rules the Illusion Demon Realm. And this person is the one standing before you now... Yun Che!!"
"Wh... what!!!?"
Xuanyuan Wentian's words were like a thunderclap exploding above the Supreme Sea Palace. This time, even the people of the Seven Kingdoms of Tian Xuan, the Four Sacred Grounds, and even the three great sect masters, Huangji Wuyu, Qu Fengyi, and Ye Mei Xie, were all shocked beyond measure.
Xia Yuanba and Feng Xue'er were also stunned... because even they did not know about this matter.