Chapter 890: Another Heavenly Poison Pearl (Part 1)
After leaving the Primordial Mystic Ark, Yun Che and Su Linger sat together at the edge of Jueyun Cliff, leaning against one another for the entire night, recounting their experiences over the years—or rather, the entirety of their lives.
Facing the pitch-black abyss below their feet, they felt not the slightest tremor in their hearts. Both of them had once jumped from Jueyun Cliff, and their fates had been overturned because of it. This place, known throughout the Cang Yun Continent as the "Graveyard of the Death God," a name that made everyone pale, had not devoured their lives. Instead, it had reconnected their long-broken destinies into a complete whole.
Later, Su Linger fell asleep peacefully in Yun Che's arms. When she awoke, it was already noon the next day.
"Brother Yun Che, once we reach that place called the Huan Yao Realm, will we really never be able to come back?" Su Linger gazed at him tenderly, but there was no great reluctance in her words.
"At least not for a short while. The power of the Primordial Mystic Ark is only sufficient for one round trip between the Huan Yao Realm and the Cang Yun Continent. But if you ever want to return in the future, Linger, I'll do my best to find a way." Yun Che said seriously.
Su Linger shook her head with a light smile. "With you and Father, it doesn't matter where I am."
As she spoke, she took from her clothes a piece of profound crystal wrapped in a yellow glow. From the aura emanating from it, there was clearly a special profound formation hidden within the crystal.
Yun Che immediately guessed—it was surely the "treasure key" that Su Hengshan had given her. That key had attracted countless greedy eyes, triggered internal strife within the Tai Su Sect, and ultimately brought the Seven Star Divine Mansion upon them, leading to the sect's collapse.
Grasping the profound crystal in her hand, Su Linger threw it with force toward the Jueyun Abyss.
Watching it fall along an orange-yellow arc into the endless abyss, forever burying the so-called sect treasure together with it, never again to invite greed and calamity, Su Linger's face showed no sign of reluctance. Instead, there was a fleeting moment of hesitation and sorrow... then she revealed a relaxed, light smile.
"Brother Yun Che, I want to go back to the Tai Su Sect first. There are a few belongings left by my mother there. I can't bear to part with them."
"Alright," Yun Che agreed immediately. "We'll return to the Primordial Mystic Ark. It can take us from here to the Tai Su Sect in an instant."
But Su Linger shook her head, smiling brilliantly. "No! I want Brother Yun to carry me and fly back. Before, I was always the one carrying you. Now, I want you to make up for all of that."
"...Alright!" Yun Che's heart stirred, and his eyes grew slightly warm. Yes, back then, she had always been the one carrying him—covered in blood—while he had hardly even held her in a warm embrace. Besides habitually enjoying her meticulous, tearful care, he had only vented his beastly desires on her without a hint of pity.
Putting away the Primordial Mystic Ark, Yun Che wrapped his arm around Su Linger's waist and rose into the air. Amidst her dreamlike, ethereal laughter, they rode the wind away.
Yun Che flew slowly. It took nearly an hour to leave the Langhuan Mountain Range and re-enter the borders of the Fusu Kingdom. During their flight through the mountain range, he sensed over thirty auras—all disciples of the Seven Star Divine Mansion, in several groups.
Obviously, they were searching as thoroughly as possible for whoever had killed their people. After all, the murder of a Seven Star Divine Mansion elder was an earth-shattering event across the entire Cang Yun Continent.
In the past, if his lingering hatred had not subsided, he would have made sure that every disciple of the divine mansion who came would die in the Langhuan Mountain Range, further enraging the Seven Star Divine Mansion. But now, he couldn't even be bothered to glance at them.
Gazing into the distance at the territory of the Fusu Kingdom, Yun Che's eyes gradually grew distant.
"Brother Yun Che, is something on your mind?" Su Linger, who had been listening to the wind and his heartbeat, asked with concern.
"I'm thinking... where Master might be now? Whether I should go find him." Yun Che let out a faint sigh. "At this point in time on the Cang Yun Continent, Master must still be alive. But the difference is that I was never by his side in this life, nor was the Heavenly Poison Pearl."
"But..." Yun Che gave a self-deprecating laugh. "He raised me, dedicated himself to teaching me medicine, and instructed me to be kind and benefit the world. Yet after he 'passed away,' I killed thousands and tens of thousands more people than I saved. What face do I have to see him again?"
"No, that's not true," Su Linger comforted softly. "A person as extraordinary as your master could surely tell whether Brother Yun Che is good or evil. He loved you so dearly back then. If he could see you again—even if he didn't recognize you—he would surely come to like you just as before. Because my Brother Yun Che has that kind of charm."
"Hahaha..." Su Linger's infatuated words made Yun Che laugh. But still, he wavered internally—whether to go find his master. He craved seeing him again, yet also feared it. He was even more afraid that his appearance might disturb his master's peaceful life.
In this era of the Cang Yun Continent, the Heavenly Poison Pearl did not exist. His master would no longer suffer calamities for possessing a treasure; instead, he would be respected by the world throughout his life. Yun Che, on the other hand, left blood wherever he went. He was afraid that his appearance might affect his master's tranquility in this life.
Leaving the Langhuan Mountain Range, they flew north toward the Fusu Kingdom. After just a hundred li, Yun Che's brows suddenly twitched—because not far ahead, an abnormally large number of powerful profound energy auras suddenly appeared.
Over forty auras at the Sovereign Xuan Realm!
Among them, the three strongest had actually reached the ninth level of the Sovereign Xuan Realm!
Beyond the Sovereign Xuan auras, there were also over two hundred at the Overlord Xuan Realm.
On the three continents of Lan Ji Star, the Tian Xuan Continent had the strongest overall profound strength, with the Huan Yao Realm weaker than the Tian Xuan Continent. Based on Yun Che's understanding of the Cang Yun Continent, its profound strength was considerably weaker than that of the Huan Yao Realm.
The three strongest sects of the Cang Yun Continent—the Zhe Tian Sect, the Seven Star Divine Mansion, and the Flying Immortal Sword Sect—each had roughly the same strength as a middle-ranked Guardian Clan of the Huan Yao Realm.
The ninth level of the Sovereign Xuan Realm was essentially the very peak of power in the Cang Yun Continent. As for the tenth level of the Sovereign Xuan Realm, beings existed in the Tian Xuan Continent and the Huan Yao Realm, but on the Cang Yun Continent, it seemed to appear only in records.
Thus, over forty Sovereign Xuan auras... was an astonishingly exaggerated number for the Cang Yun Continent.
And three at the ninth level of Sovereign Xuan were practically equivalent to the gathering of the Four Sacred Masters of the Tian Xuan Continent.
Moreover, these auras were clearly divided into three groups, each of roughly equal overall strength.
There was no other possibility on the Cang Yun Continent for such a formation.
The Zhe Tian Sect! The Seven Star Divine Mansion! The Flying Immortal Sword Sect!
These three top-tier sects of the Cang Yun Continent had all gathered in the Fusu Kingdom, mobilizing an extremely extravagant lineup... It was very likely that all three sect masters had come personally. What could be the reason?
What could such a small kingdom as the Fusu Kingdom possibly possess to warrant such a massive mobilization from these three hegemon sects?
"Brother Yun Che, what's wrong? Is something happening ahead?" Seeing his brows slightly furrowed, Su Linger asked curiously.
Yun Che's eyes shifted, and he smiled. "There seems to be a group of people making trouble ahead. I was wondering—should we go around them, or just fly right over their heads?"
Su Linger laughed at his strange question.
If Yun Che were alone, he would definitely go investigate. But with Su Linger in his arms, she was his top priority. Without much hesitation, he veered his flight path significantly and also lowered his speed.
As they drew closer to the area where those exaggerated auras were gathered, Yun Che decided to use Flowing Light Thunder Concealment to hide both his and Su Linger's auras. He didn't want any external matters to frighten his Linger.
Still, driven by curiosity as they passed by, he released his spiritual sense to eavesdrop on the commotion over there.
"Zuo Sect Master, you really did come." It was a middle-aged man's voice, each word carrying an overwhelming profundity of profound energy. He was unmistakably one of the three ninth-rank Emperor Lords.
"Heh heh," the person addressed as "Zuo Sect Master" let out a long laugh, not without sarcasm. "Naturally. Upon hearing about the appearance of such a calamitous object, our sect has the duty to eliminate it. But Sect Master Mu, have you also come specially to rid the world of this scourge?"
"Naturally. But it seems 'unfortunately' that we've stumbled upon the same matter. Zuo Sect Master, for the sake of personally eliminating this disaster, you even forced an early exit from seclusion, forfeiting a possible breakthrough opportunity. Truly self-sacrificing for the world."
Though Sect Master Mu's words seemed like praise, anyone who wasn't a fool could hear the mockery in every syllable.
"Heh, the feeling is mutual. Speaking of which..." Zuo Sect Master seemed to turn the conversation toward a third person: "Mansion Master Duan, I heard that recently, an elder and dozens of disciples from your mansion were cruelly murdered. That you, Mansion Master Duan, have come to this small Fusu Kingdom—could it be to personally investigate the matter?"
"Heh," the person called "Mansion Master Duan" gave a light laugh. "An elder of my divine mansion killed outside—that hasn't happened in over a thousand years. This is not merely a matter of one elder and dozens of disciples' lives; it's a thousand-year disgrace to my mansion. Of course, I, the mansion master, must personally look into it! And to run into Sect Master Mu and Zuo Sect Master both leaving your mountains in person—what a coincidence. Truly extraordinary."
"Who says it isn't? Hahaha..."
The three laughed together, each laugh clearly carrying a chill.
Their auras, words, and titles convinced Yun Che of their identities.
Zuo Hanshuo, the sect master of the Zhe Tian Sect!
Duan Heisha, the chief mansion master of the Seven Star Divine Mansion!
Mu Yecheng, the head sect master of the Flying Immortal Sword Sect!
It really was the three of them in person.
And clearly, they were all there for the same purpose!
For that same purpose, none of them had missed out, and they had clashed head-on.
Yun Che wondered what they could be making such a big fuss about.
With Su Linger in his arms, he quickly passed over the area of the three sects, drawing farther and farther away. The sounds he could hear weakened with distance.
Just as Yun Che was about to withdraw his spiritual sense, he heard one of them say, "Very well... Since our goals are the same, shouldn't we first force that 'calamity' out together, and then decide who gets to handle it?"
"Sect Master Mu speaks wisely." Duan Heisha readily agreed, then his voice suddenly turned cold as he issued a low roar laden with heavy pressure: "Yun Gu, since you already know who we are, don't spurn the toast only to drink the forfeit. Hand over the Heavenly Poison Pearl immediately!"
Yun Che, who had already flown far away, suddenly stopped midair as if struck by lightning.
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[Thoughts: (Manual black question mark face)]