Chapter 871: Resolute (Part 1)
A month had passed since Xuanyuan Wentian invaded Yaohuang City, but the shadow and tension that hung over Yaohuang City had never dissipated. During this month, a large number of experts from the Huan Yao Realm flooded into Yaohuang City, while at the same time, many citizens and sects quietly moved away... But Xiao Yaohou ordered that no one be stopped from leaving.
At dawn, Yun Che returned from the Yaohuang Palace to the Yun family home. Just as he reached the doorstep, he encountered Yun Qinghong, who was also returning home.
"Father, were you again preparing the city protection formation with Grandfather and the others?"
The father and son stopped in the air above the entrance.
Yun Qinghong nodded: "The city protection formation left by the ancestor Demon Emperor is incomparably profound. Last time, we awakened it in haste, and it still held off Xuanyuan Wentian for a long time. Before Xuanyuan Wentian arrives again, we will do our utmost to unleash the formation's power to its fullest... As for the rest, we have to leave it to the heavens."
"...Father, forgive my bluntness. If we merely rely on a barrier to block Xuanyuan Wentian from entering Yaohuang City, even if it holds him back for a year, what meaning would that have?" Yun Che shook his head. "It would only delay death a little. Moreover, Xuanyuan Wentian could simply ignore Yaohuang City for now and turn to attack other places in the Huan Yao Realm."
"Ah, don't you think I know that?" Yun Qinghong let out a long sigh. "Not even Xiao Yaohou, nor the Golden Crow Divine Saint, is a match for him. What else can we do besides this? A desperate struggle for survival is better than waiting to be slaughtered."
"Father, if it were possible to flee the Huan Yao Realm and ensure Xuanyuan Wentian could never find us... would you and Mother be willing to come with me?" Yun Che asked solemnly.
Yun Qinghong gave him a deep look and said, "Would Xiao Yaohou be willing to flee the Huan Yao Realm with you?"
"..." Yun Che fell silent.
"From my understanding of Xiao Yaohou, she absolutely would not. And I am the same."
When he said this, Yun Qinghong showed a smile, without the slightest reluctance or resentment: "In this world, there are many things far more important than life itself. That is true for me, and it is true for Xiao Yaohou. If you forcibly take her away, it would be a fate worse than death for her... And it is the same for your mother and me."
"We have all witnessed the terror of Xuanyuan Wentian with our own eyes. Now we struggle and respond with all our might, but we have never thought of fleeing."
"But you, Che'er, you are different!" Yun Qinghong's gaze sharpened. "You must leave. The reason we do not leave is not foolish stubbornness, but to hold fast to what must be defended. But you—if you do not leave, it is not only irrational, but foolish... I believe Xiao Yaohou has already said this to you, and you yourself should understand it in your heart."
"..." Yun Che was silent for a long time.
"Tomorrow is Yong'an's full moon banquet." Yun Qinghong smiled. "As his grandfather, I naturally have to prepare it myself. For the next two days, no matter how great the matters, we set them aside for now. Che'er, come and help later."
"...Alright." Yun Che answered somewhat absentmindedly.
Yun Qinghong left. Yun Che remained in place for a long time. Gradually, his eyes turned cold, and his hands silently clenched.
"It seems... no matter what... I must kill Xuanyuan Wentian!!"
Must...
Yun Che took a deep breath, and a still somewhat vague decision had formed in his heart. He glanced at the Yun family, and was just about to descend into the courtyard when his entire body suddenly trembled violently. A sinister aura exploded within his profound veins, spreading indescribable agony throughout his body in an instant...
Co...could it be...
Xiao Lingxi walked out of the courtyard and immediately spotted Yun Che in the air. Her beautiful eyes lit up, and she called out happily, "Xiao Che, you're back!"
"Sister Cang Yue and Xue'er? Why didn't they come back with you?" Xiao Lingxi trotted toward Yun Che, pouting slightly with her lips and nose as she spoke, expressing the jealousy in her heart.
But after she spoke, she received no response from Yun Che. Xiao Lingxi let out a soft "eh" and was about to ask again when she suddenly saw Yun Che plummet from the sky and crash heavily to the ground. He curled up on the floor, his whole body trembling, his face clearly twisted in extreme pain.
"Xiao... Xiao Che!" Xiao Lingxi's face turned pale. She dropped the things in her hands and ran toward him in panic: "Xiao Che... what... what's wrong with you?"
The sound of Xiao Lingxi's footsteps grew closer. With his last shred of clarity, Yun Che extended a trembling hand and gently pushed her far away with a soft profound energy: "Don't... come near... aaah!!"
Unsuppressible black aura seeped out from Yun Che's body and slowly rose, making him even more agonized.
"Xiao Che... Xiao Che!" Xiao Lingxi was so frightened she didn't know what to do, crying out, "Someone come... someone come quickly... save Xiao Che!!"
The entire Yun family was instantly alarmed. Xiao Yun, who was nearby, rushed over like a gale. The moment he saw Yun Che's state, his expression changed drastically: "Big Brother, what happened to you?!"
"Don't touch him!"
Just as Xiao Yun was about to approach, Yun Qinghong's fierce shout came from behind, freezing him in place.
Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou hurried over. Behind them, several Yun family elders and a large number of Yun family disciples also rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Yun Che's state and the black aura on his body, they all stood frozen in shock.
Yun Qinghong recognized at a glance that Yun Che's condition was exactly the same as a month ago. After he had returned from the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, he had never explained the cause, and Yun Qinghong had not pressed him, even assuming he had recovered. Unexpectedly, the same situation had suddenly reappeared on Yun Che.
"Che'er... what's wrong with Che'er?" Mu Yurou's face was pale. If not for her arm being firmly held by Yun Qinghong, she would have already rushed over regardless.
"No one touch him! Xiao Yun, immediately inform Xiao Yaohou!" Yun Qinghong's face was stiff, and he forced himself to stay calm.
But even as he spoke, a thunderous explosion sounded from above. Xiao Yaohou and Feng Xue'er arrived with Cang Yue at an astonishing speed... They had been moving slowly, but suddenly sensed a terrifying demonic aura—not from Xuanyuan Wentian, but exactly the same as the one Yun Che had released a month ago. Alarmed, they rushed over as fast as they could.
"Brother Yun!" Feng Xue'er panicked and rushed to Yun Che's side, lifting his black-aura-wreathed body from the ground.
Xiao Yaohou set down Cang Yue and said sternly, "Yun Che, concentrate your mind and summon the Primordial Mystic Ark immediately... We're going to the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley!"
No one could comprehend the terrifying situation Yun Che was in at that moment. Demonic energy invading the body was already horrifying, but this demonic energy was exploding from within Yun Che's own body. For anyone else, there would not even be a chance to struggle or writhe—death would come almost instantly.
"..." Yun Che could barely utter a clear sound, but with his powerful will, he still managed to summon the Primordial Mystic Ark and accurately pinpoint the entrance to the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley.
The spatial warp was completed in an instant. Xiao Yaohou and Feng Xue'er carried Yun Che and once again entered the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley.
The last time, Yun Che had not explained, but they had naturally assumed that when he fought Xuanyuan Wentian, his demonic energy had invaded his body and erupted—never suspecting that the demonic energy originated from within Yun Che himself. But this time, both of them keenly sensed something was wrong.
A month later, entering the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley again, they both clearly felt that the flame aura had weakened significantly compared to before. In the beginning, almost all the volcanoes in the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley were erupting violently, with boiling magma and seas of fire everywhere. Now, nearly half of the volcanoes were dormant, and the surging of magma and fire seas was far less intense than before.
But they had no mind to care about this ongoing strange change. They carried Yun Che at top speed to the deepest part of the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley.
"Huan Yao Emperor Huan Caiyi... requests an audience with the Golden Crow Divine Saint!" Xiao Yaohou called out to the crimson sky.
"I beg the Golden Crow Divine Saint to appear!"
Xiao Yaohou called out repeatedly, but only silence answered her. After she called out more than a dozen times, the Golden Crow Soul Spirit's voice finally sounded from the heavens.
"Huan Caiyi, why do you disturb my slumber again?"
"Golden Crow Soul Spirit!" Feng Xue'er said urgently, "It's Brother Yun... The same demonic aura as last time has appeared on his body. We beg you to save him!"
"...!"
Xiao Yaohou and Feng Xue'er clearly sensed the space suddenly tighten.
Zheng!!
The Golden Crow's eye finally opened in the sky, its dazzling light tinging the crimson firmament with a pale gold. Soon, the golden light locked onto Yun Che. After a brief silence, a long sigh echoed through the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley.
"Leave now. For ten days, no one is to set foot here again."
"Ten days?" Xiao Yaohou exclaimed in surprise, "Golden Crow Divine Saint, what exactly is happening to Yun Che..."
Before she could finish, a golden light enveloped them and expelled both her and Feng Xue'er from the world of the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley.
Chirp~~~~——!
With a long cry, the red-gold eye suddenly expanded. Red-gold flames fell like a meteor shower from the sky, drowning Yun Che in a sea of golden fire.
The black aura was slowly suppressed by the violent Golden Crow flame. The pressure on Yun Che eased, and he struggled to sit upright, gathering his mind to absorb and channel the Golden Crow Soul Spirit's vast power. Gradually, his blackened complexion began to normalize, and his breathing stabilized.
"Barely a month has passed. Why did the Demon Source Pearl break free from its seal so quickly and erupt again?" The Golden Crow Soul Spirit's voice sounded beside Yun Che's ear.
Yun Che: "..."
"Hmph, I have found the cause." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit said solemnly. "A heavy knot has formed in your heart, keeping you in a state of depression and sorrow during this time, accelerating the growth of the Demon Source Pearl's power!"
"...Even sorrow can affect the Demon Source Pearl?" Yun Che said softly.
"Sorrow, anger, greed, resentment—all are negative emotions. And strong negative emotions will stimulate and accelerate the Demon Source Pearl's power recovery. Hmph, I did not expect that someone with your experience and temperament would harbor such a great knot in your heart."
"..." Yun Che gave a bitter smile.
"It seems you have already seen the memory fragments your master left for you." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit had read Yun Che's memories three months ago, including the memories Jasmine had left for him. It had known Jasmine's words to him even before Yun Che did.
Yun Che was not surprised. He murmured softly, "What makes humans human is that they possess the full range of seven emotions and six desires. I know in my heart that I should not sink into this, but I cannot accept that I have lost Xiao Xiannü... and our child... I don't know how long it will take me to truly accept all this."
"Hmph, this is exactly the most ridiculous and weak aspect of you humans! If it were anyone else, I could forcibly seal that part of their memory. But with your current soul power, even I cannot forcefully interfere anymore. Enough... The Demon Source Pearl inside you has not only broken free from its seal but has become even more violent than last time. With my remaining power, forcibly suppressing it is already quite difficult. To seal it again, it will not only take a long time but must also rely on the Death Sea."
"Within these ten days, you must remain in the Death Sea at all times. Not a moment away!"
A beam of golden light fell from the sky, lifting Yun Che and instantly pulling him into the boundless Death Sea.
"Since it has come to this, there is no turning back... Then I shall use the last of my power." The Golden Crow Soul Spirit let out a soft sigh and infused its remaining divine power into the Death Sea.
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