Chapter 865: Mo Li's Message (Part 1)
"Take out that black jade you obtained from Slay Moon Demon Lord and show it to me." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit deliberately changed the subject, not wanting Yun Che to press further.
Black jade?
Yun Che was startled, suddenly remembering the mysterious black jade he had picked up beside the remains of Slay Moon Demon Lord, which he had almost forgotten. He quickly took it out.
A perfectly round black jade, the size of a palm. It felt cold and heavy in hand, entirely pitch-black and flawless, extremely smooth, and identical on both sides, with no marks or patterns on it. It didn't even have the slightest aura of profound force.
Just by appearance and aura, this could only be called an ordinary piece of stone, not even comparable to the lowest grade profound jade.
But the fact that it remained completely intact under the power that had destroyed Slay Moon Demon Lord proved it was definitely no ordinary object.
A beam of golden light shot down, and the mysterious black jade floated up from Yun Che's hand, suspended in the air, then enveloped by the golden light... but in an instant, all the golden light completely disappeared, and the mysterious black jade fell from the air, landing back in Yun Che's hand.
"What exactly is this?" Yun Che looked up and asked.
"I do not know."
"Even you don't know?" Yun Che asked in surprise. Since this black jade came from Slay Moon Demon Lord, it should be an item from the Age of Gods a million years ago. It was no surprise that Mo Li didn't know about things from that era, but the Golden Crow Soul Spirit was a fragment of the divine beast Golden Crow's soul, carrying some of the Golden Crow's ancient memories—how could it not recognize it either?
"Just like you, once my power probes into it, it vanishes without a trace. When this situation occurs, there are roughly two possibilities." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit stated slowly. "Either it contains an independent small world within, like this Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley that I created, or its law of power is so high that our power cannot touch its plane at all."
"It followed Slay Moon Demon Lord and remained completely intact for a full million years within the Evil God's seal. It is no ordinary object. It is very likely a 'demon jade' or 'demon artifact' at the level of demon gods. Perhaps only demonic power can awaken it."
Yun Che put the mysterious black jade away and said casually, "I was curious about it before. But now, what it is doesn't matter at all anymore."
"Golden Crow Soul Spirit, I should go back. If I stay too long, they'll worry." Yun Che lowered his head and bowed deeply to the Golden Crow Soul Spirit, saying sincerely, "When I first met you, I spoke harshly to you, even calling you selfish and overbearing, unworthy of being a god... Not only did you not punish me, but you gave me the grace of rebirth first, saved my life many times after, and greatly reduced your own lifespan. This great kindness, I truly don't know how to repay."
"...I gave you my last bloodline and soul power for my own selfish reasons. I do not need your gratitude or repayment." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit said lightly.
"...I am destined to disappoint you, though." Yun Che sighed softly, turned around, and walked away.
"You do not need to be so pessimistic." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit suddenly spoke. "Xuanyuan Wentian has fused the residual power of the Eternal Night Demon Clan. It is indeed beyond you to deal with him now. However, given his state, after awakening all the power of his demon blood and demon soul, his cultivation will forever stop. He will never make any further progress in his life, and even his lifespan will be greatly shortened. You are different. You have extraordinary talent and the power of the gods. In the future, you will surely have a day when you surpass him. Before that, you can use the Primordial Mystic Ark to escape to other spaces, making Xuanyuan Wentian unable to find you."
"I can indeed run away." Yun Che stopped in his tracks and said in a low voice. "But Caiyi definitely won't, and my parents definitely won't either."
"And now... do I really have a future anymore?"
"..." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit was silent. After a long pause, it let out a long sigh. "Go on."
A flash of golden light, and Yun Che was teleported out of Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley.
The golden eye's light dimmed, and as it closed, it murmured to itself: "When I probed his memories before, I thought he was blessed by fate and favored by the Heavenly Dao. With the power of the Dragon God and Evil God within him, I entrusted everything to him... Who would have thought he would encounter such a calamity now..."
"This is the will of heaven, impossible to defy."
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Teleported out of Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley, just as Yun Che had thought, Feng Xue'er and Xiao Yaohou were waiting there, never having left. Seeing Yun Che appear, their eyes lit up with the same brilliance, and they rushed over quickly.
"Brother Yun, you... how are you now?" Feng Xue'er asked timidly, still worried.
"It seems you are fine now." Xiao Yaohou scanned Yun Che's aura, her expression and eyes clearly relaxing.
"Haha, of course." Yun Che laughed lightly. "With the divine power of the Golden Crow Soul Spirit, naturally I am perfectly fine."
"That's wonderful." Feng Xue'er put down the heavy burden in her heart, but asked in confusion, "But what exactly happened? Why did Brother Yun suddenly..."
"You are both still injured and need to rest and heal immediately. Let's return to Yao Huang City first. They must be worried too." Yun Che changed the subject.
"..." Xiao Yaohou gave him a deep look and said calmly, "Let's return to the city."
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Although Xuanyuan Wentian had been driven back, the impact he caused was far from subsiding in a short time. Yao Huang City was in chaos. People who had fled the city earlier had already received news and were gradually returning.
The city defense barrier had been retracted, but the entire Yao Huang City felt as if it were under a huge cauldron, with an incredibly oppressive atmosphere. Although they had not suffered destruction..." Mu Yurou said urgently. Then she turned around, took Feng Xue'er's hand, and looked at her with gentle, kind eyes. "Xue'er, these past months, I have been hoping to see you. To have you by Che'er's side is truly a blessing he earned over several lifetimes... I don't even know how to thank you enough."
Mu Yurou's words made Feng Xue'er slightly flustered. "Auntie, I... I didn't do anything for Brother Yun... Your words overwhelm Xue'er..."
"Auntie?" Mu Yurou's gentle smile carried a hint of affection. "Let's go inside first. Che'er still needs to rest. Once we settle down, I have a lot to say to you. Consider this your home from now on."
"Thank you, Auntie," Feng Xue'er said softly.
"Xiao Yun, how are Grandfather and the others?" Yun Che asked Xiao Yun.
"Big Brother, rest assured. They are all well. The fairies of Bing Yun Fairy Palace have been placed in the guest courtyard, and no one is allowed near them normally... I'll go tell them that you are safe now, so Grandfather and the others can be at ease." Xiao Yun nodded.
"Mm..." Yun Che nodded slightly. "Apologize to Grandfather and Uncle-Master Murong on my behalf... My spirit is a bit heavy now. Once I feel a little better, I will definitely go and pay my respects."
"...I understand. Rest well, Big Brother." Xiao Yun's expression was slightly startled.
Yun Qinghong kept watching Yun Che—his expression, his eyes, every word and action. From the very beginning, he had sensed something off about Yun Che's condition, and now that feeling grew heavier. He furrowed his brow and finally spoke up, "Che'er, you..."
"Alright!" Mu Yurou waved her hand. "Che'er is injured and in low spirits. Let him rest well. We can talk about things tomorrow."
"..." Yun Qinghong had no choice but to shut his mouth, but his heart felt much heavier.
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Back in his courtyard, which he hadn't seen for months, he lay down on the soft bed, cutting off all the noise from outside. In the quiet, Yun Che didn't fall asleep immediately, nor did he calm down to heal his wounds. Instead, he stared blankly at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused.
Mo Li, what should I do now...
Without you by my side, even living has become so difficult.
When the Demon Source Pearl erupted, I felt death... Even when I fell off Jueyun Cliff back then, the feeling of death wasn't as clear.
Perhaps the next time it erupts will be the moment of my death.
After I die, what will happen to Caiyi, Xue'er, Yue'er, and the others... What about my parents... What about Grandfather and Lingxi... What about the Huan Yao Realm... What about Bing Yun Fairy Palace...
Is it truly destined that everything will be destroyed at Xuanyuan Wentian's hands?
Caiyi will surely choose to live and die with Yao Huang City. She would rather die than abandon the Huan Yao Realm and flee.
My parents will be the same...
Xue'er and Yue'er left the Fenghuang God Sect for me, abandoned the entire Cang Feng Kingdom, and followed me to this Huan Yao Realm, completely unfamiliar to them.
Gong Yuxian, with tears in her eyes as she lay dying, entrusted Bing Yun Fairy Palace to me...
Grandfather and Lingxi—I have sworn so many times to protect them, to keep them safe and peaceful for life, never to be bullied by anyone again.
But if I die...
"Hoo..."
Yun Che let out an extremely heavy breath. He feared death more and more, desperately so. But the Demon Source Pearl in his profound veins had shown him the day of his death, so near.
How can I survive...
If I am doomed to die, how can I destroy Xuanyuan Wentian before I die...
Mo Li, what should I do.
Without you, what can I still do...
Three months ago, the image of Mo Li resolutely leaving appeared before his eyes. Although three months had passed, it still made his chest feel suffocatingly heavy. He remembered every word, every sentence, every gaze, every expression from that time.
"This memory fragment contains some things I couldn't say to you face to face... Twelve hours later, the seal on this memory fragment will automatically unlock. Then you will know what I want to tell you."
"This morning, when I sensed Yu Luo's aura, I had already accepted this reality. So I entrusted something to Hong'er, and Hong'er brought it into the Heavenly Poison Pearl. After I leave, take it from Hong'er... Although it won't increase your cultivation much, it can at least extend your lifespan by several thousand years."
"..."
Yun Che instantly sat up from the bed as if electrocuted.
The memory fragment Mo Li left for me!!
Right after Mo Li left, he was ambushed by Yu Luo and remained unconscious, nearly dead, until he returned to the Huan Yao Realm. Later, he was "forced" to dual cultivate with Feng Xue'er and Xiao Yaohou for three months in the Golden Crow Thunder Flame Valley, never having the chance to read the memory fragment Mo Li left for him.