Chapter 851: Annihilation
"Is this the small world created by the Golden Crow Divine Spirit?" Feng Xue'er asked. She had heard Yun Che describe the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley before, but the actual scene still far exceeded her imagination.
"Yes," Xiao Yaohou replied softly, her brow slightly furrowed. She could clearly sense that the flame aura of the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley had weakened considerably compared to the last time.
Passing through countless seas of fire, a mountain wall finally appeared in their line of sight. Before the wall, a profound formation burning with golden flames rotated slowly.
"There it is!"
Landing before the flame profound formation, Xiao Yaohou gently pushed aside Feng Xue'er's supporting hand, then slowly knelt down:
"Illusion Demon Royal Clan, twelfth generation emperor, eleventh generation Golden Crow bloodline inheritor, Huan Caiyi, request an audience with the Golden Crow Sacred Spirit."
Feng Xue'er quickly knelt down as well, holding Yun Che. Before the only hope that could save Yun Che, she would bow without hesitation even if it meant lowering herself to the level of an ant.
Xiao Yaohou's voice was soon swallowed by the explosive flames of the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley. But a long time passed without any response.
Doubt and unease welled up in Xiao Yaohou's heart. This was an independent world created by the Golden Crow Soul Spirit. Its spiritual sense covered every corner of this world; nothing that happened here could escape its perception. From the moment they entered the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, it should have sensed them.
Especially since it had shown such high regard for Yun Che before...
Why didn't it appear to meet them?
"Illusion Demon Royal Clan Huan Caiyi, requests an audience with the Golden Crow Sacred Spirit."
Xiao Yaohou called out again, but still, after a long while, there was no response from the Golden Crow Soul Spirit.
"Sister Xiao Yaohou, is the Golden Crow Soul Spirit... not here?" Feng Xue'er asked worriedly.
The moment she finished speaking, a female voice that shook the ears and trembled the soul suddenly came from all directions: "Huan Caiyi, why have you suddenly come here to disturb my slumber!"
The voice was even more violent than lava, with a hint of anger mixed in.
"Ah!" Feng Xue'er cried out in surprise. Xiao Yaohou looked up and said with utmost reverence: "Huan Caiyi has no intention of disturbing the Golden Crow Sacred Spirit's slumber and is willing to accept punishment. But... Yun Che is severely injured and on the verge of death. In this world, only the Golden Crow Sacred Spirit can save him. I beg you to show your golden form and save his life. Huan Caiyi is willing to pay any price, even if it means exchanging her own life."
Feng Xue'er's lips parted slightly as she stared blankly at Xiao Yaohou. The words "even if it means exchanging her own life" were spoken so calmly and simply.
She who seemed so cold as to be almost emotionless—her feelings for Yun Che were no less than anyone else's in this world... As the supreme emperor of the entire Illusion Demon Realm, Yun Che's place in her heart was even more important than her own life.
"Him? Severely injured, on the verge of death? Hahahahaha..."
The Golden Crow Soul Spirit did not appear. Instead, it responded with a disdainful laugh: "Foolish! Yun Che possesses the Dragon God's bloodline and is guarded by the Desolate God's power. No matter how severe the injury, as long as he isn't dead—even if only a single breath remains—he will surely recover quickly. And you ask me to save him? Ridiculous!"
"No, this time is different." Xiao Yaohou pleaded loudly: "The power that hurt him is no ordinary force. He has been on the verge of death for ten whole days. In those ten days, he has only awakened once. He could die at any moment. In this world, only you can truly save him."
"...Ten days?" The Golden Crow Soul Spirit's voice was clearly tinged with doubt. With Yun Che's Dragon God body and Desolate God power, there shouldn't be any force in this plane that could leave him dying for ten days without recovery.
*Clang!*
In the pale golden sky, a pair of crimson-gold eyes suddenly opened, casting down a fiery, blazing light like flames. The entire Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley seemed to have a new sun rising, becoming brighter and hotter.
The Golden Crow Soul Spirit finally appeared. Xiao Yaohou bowed deeply. Feng Xue'er also quickly bowed, then gently placed Yun Che down in front of her and begged: "Great Golden Crow Divine Spirit, I beseech you to save Brother Yun. I, Feng Xue'er, am willing to repay you with everything I have."
The light radiating from the crimson-gold eyes first fell upon Feng Xue'er—and lingered for a very, very long time... because her body carried an incredibly intense phoenix aura, so intense it was abnormal.
But it didn't ask anything. The golden gaze swept over Xiao Yaohou, paused briefly, then suddenly said sternly: "You actually burned your source blood? Hmph! With the power I bestowed upon you, there should be no one in this plane capable of forcing you to such an extent!"
"Caiyi was forced to burn her source blood, but my body is unharmed and will recover within a month. I beg the Golden Crow Sacred Spirit to save Yun Che," Xiao Yaohou pleaded again.
Every time she spoke before the Golden Crow Soul Spirit, it was to beg for Yun Che.
"Hmph! Then let me see what kind of injury can keep someone with a Dragon God body and Desolate God power unconscious for ten days!"
A golden light fell from above, turning into a thin layer of flame that covered Yun Che's body.
In an instant, the flame that had just touched Yun Che leaped violently, then scattered like lightning. The golden eyes in the sky also emitted an unusual gleam: "This is..."
The Golden Crow Soul Spirit's tone changed dramatically: "Why was he injured by such a power? What did you encounter?"
"We don't know either," Feng Xue'er shook her head. "I was right beside Brother Yun at the time, but I never saw who hurt him. I didn't even sense any abnormal power aura. He suddenly... became like this."
"..." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit fell silent for a long time, making no sound.
The atmosphere in the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley suddenly became somewhat oppressive.
The Golden Crow Soul Spirit's silence filled Xiao Yaohou and Feng Xue'er with deep unease. Feng Xue'er could no longer bear the pressure. She raised her head and pleaded: "You are the great Golden Crow Divine Spirit; surely you have a way to save him. I beg you to have mercy—"
"Enough!"
The Golden Crow Soul Spirit suddenly spoke, cutting off Feng Xue'er. It said coldly: "Do you know what kind of power injured him?"
"..." Both Xiao Yaohou and Feng Xue'er shook their heads.
"The one who hurt him used the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God!" the Golden Crow Soul Spirit said, its voice like raging fire. "But in this plane, no one should have heard the name 'Heavenly Poison Star God.'"
"Then... how can we save him?" Who the Heavenly Poison Star God was and why they wanted to kill Yun Che were not their concern right now. They only wanted to know how to bring him back.
"Save him?" The Golden Crow Soul Spirit snorted heavily. "You have no idea what kind of existence the Heavenly Poison Star God is, so you cannot even begin to imagine her horror. It is an incredibly powerful divine path force, and besides being powerful, its venom is also supreme!"
"The force that injured Yun Che is enough to turn any living being in this plane into dust. Yun Che has the Dragon God's marrow, and his bones are as hard as star steel, so he wasn't shattered to pieces."
"The power of the Heavenly Poison Star God is inevitably laced with poison. Yun Che has the Heavenly Poison Pearl with him, so he wasn't instantly poisoned to death."
"After the Heavenly Poison Star God's power wounds someone, the residual force does not dissipate; instead, it clings to the body like parasitic maggots, continuously devouring the soul and life. It can only be dispelled by a force of the same level. That's why Yun Che's injuries and power cannot recover. But thanks to the Dragon God body and Desolate God power protecting him, he has managed to hold on till now without dying."
"That he can still barely survive under the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God is already a miracle. If the same force had fallen on you two, you would have died ten thousand times over! But even though he lives, it is merely a lingering existence! To think of saving him... is nothing but a pipe dream!"
The words "pipe dream" were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads. Feng Xue'er's tears suddenly burst forth. She choked back her sobs and asked: "Golden Crow Divine Spirit... is it that even you... have no way?"
"Yun Che has exceptional talent. Not only is he the inheritor of my bloodline, but I have placed all my hopes on him. If I could save him, I would spare no effort. But even if my power were a hundred times what it is now, it would be far inferior to that Heavenly Poison Star God who harmed him."
"It is easy for me to wake him temporarily, but to save him—even if I exhaust all my power—it is utterly impossible."
The Golden Crow Soul Spirit's voice was still as fierce as flames, but deep within it was a profound heaviness and helplessness.
Feng Xue'er collapsed to the ground, hugging Yun Che and weeping softly. The last glimmer of hope was cruelly extinguished. If even the Golden Crow Soul Spirit could not save Yun Che, then there was truly no way left in this world...
"Speaking of which, there was originally someone who could save him, but since the Heavenly Poison Star God has appeared, that person naturally could not possibly remain here any longer." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit's voice and gaze both dimmed slightly.
The person it referred to was naturally Mo Li. And now, from Yun Che's body, it could no longer sense the presence of Mo Li's soul. It could instantly guess that the Heavenly Poison Star God's appearance in this world was solely to search for the Tiansha Star God. Her attempt to kill Yun Che was for the same reason.
Feng Xue'er knew that the person the Golden Crow Soul Spirit spoke of was that terrifyingly powerful girl in the red dress. But... she had already left and would never return. Even if she wanted to go looking, there was nowhere to find her.
"Leave now," the Golden Crow Soul Spirit said heavily. "His death is indeed a thousand pities, but such is fate. With his tenacity, he should be able to hold on for about ten more days... In this life, he has enjoyed blessings that ordinary people could not dream of in ten lifetimes. Though his life is short, he can be said to have no regrets."
Xiao Yaohou stood up, her eyes bleak and lifeless. She murmured faintly: "Xue'er, let's go. He hasn't... seen his parents for a long time."
Feng Xue'er's mind went blank, her vision completely blurred by tears. She gently picked up Yun Che and stumbled forward, not knowing where she was heading.
"Wait!"
The Golden Crow Soul Spirit's voice suddenly rang out like a thunderclap, freezing Feng Xue'er and Xiao Yaohou in their tracks.
Two beams of golden light fell upon Feng Xue'er. The Golden Crow Soul Spirit was staring fixedly at her, its golden pupils radiating a light more intense than ever before.
"Golden Crow Divine Spirit?" Feng Xue'er muttered weakly.
"Feng Xue'er, answer me one question," the Golden Crow Soul Spirit said, its previously dimmed voice suddenly regaining its volcano-like intensity. "Are you still a virgin?"