Chapter 2153 – Abyssal Monarch’s Summon
At the Pure Land, inside the courtyard of the Eternal Night Kingdom of God, a pitch-black palanquin was parked at the center, emanating a chilly fog far more biting and cold than usual. It caused the surrounding women of Eternal Night to quiver in fear and be afraid of voicing even a single word.
Flanked by Shenwu Youluan and Shenwu Mingque, Shenwu Yi slowly knelt down in front of the palanquin before greeting the Divine Regent with a cool, respectful voice that sounded like jade fragments striking against the ice. “Wu Yi greets you, Mother—”
Bang! A gust of icy wind abruptly flung open the palanquin and struck Shenwu Yi squarely in the solar plexus. Shenwu Yi did not attempt to dodge or defend against it. She allowed the attack to hit her and push her far, far away. A thin line of blood slowly slid down a corner of her mouth.
“How dare you, Wu Yi?!”
The Lightless Divine Regent’s cold, violent voice erupted from inside the palanquin, and each word felt like an icicle that pierced the bone. “I commanded you to demand the Nine Heart Divine Lotus from the Abyssal Monarch, but you dare disregard my words and request entry to the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods instead?!”
Shenwu Youluan hurriedly responded, “Please calm down, supreme one. Wu Yi is only doing this for your—”
“Silence!”
Another gust of yin wind surged out of the palanquin and struck Shenwu Youluan heavily. It sent her flying backward and slammed her against a pillar. “Did I give you permission to speak?”
It took Shenwu Youluan some effort to climb back to her feet with difficulty and assume a kneeling position once more. She bowed her head and kept silent.
Long eyelashes covering up her moon-like pupils, Shenwu Yi said calmly and lightly, “According to the ‘Secret Tome’, the ‘Abyssal Heart Vine’ only exists in an abyssal ghost of a higher plane. However, not only was Wu Yi unable to locate an abyssal ghost that fit the criteria, but there isn’t even a record of such an abyssal ghost existing in the Endless Fog.”
“On the other hand, the legendary Forbidden Zone of the Slumbering Gods contains countless abyssal ghosts, and some of them are transformed from ancient fallen gods. That is where Wu Yi’s biggest hope lies.”
“My self-improvement cannot possibly measure up to Mother’s safety. That is why…”
Shenwu Yi paused here and bowed her head. She added in a regretful tone, “No matter the reason, it is true that Wu Yi has disobeyed your order and committed an unforgivable crime. Wu Yi is willing to accept any punishment from you, Mother.”
If the Lightless Divine Regent were anyone else, she would have been touched by her junior’s heavy concern. However… the last thing the Lightless Divine Regent believed in, and the one thing she “loathed” above all else was sincerity!
She spoke in a tone cold enough to freeze the soul, “I have taught you many things over the years, but never have I taught you to be opinionated, have I?”
“This is the first time you openly went against my orders. When we return to Eternal Night, you will learn of the consequences of your disobedience. Now leave! Get out of my sight this instant!”
“At once.”
Shenwu Yi replied quietly before rising to her feet.
“Wait!”
Suddenly, the Lightless Divine Regent called out to Shenwu Yi once more. At the same time, the surrounding air transformed into dark, chaotic currents. It quickly formed a True God level isolation barrier.
Inside the isolation barrier, Shenwu Yanye’s voice seemed to echo directly inside her ears and heart. In fact, space itself had transformed into a bizarre and terrifying domain of sound as she declared, “I’m changing your order to cripple Yun Che! Instead, you will kill him!”
Countless people breathed faster inside the isolated domain of sound. Shenwu Youluan, Shenwu Mingque… and almost every woman of Eternal Night looked deeply stunned and puzzled by this command. Although Shenwu Yanye had never acted or behaved like a true Divine Regent or even a normal human being, this command of hers just seemed irrational and sudden to the extreme.
“As you command.”
Shenwu Yi replied obediently and without any hesitation whatsoever.
“Leave no traces behind!”
The Lightless Divine Regent’s voice was tinged with a kind of madness that struck fear in many people’s hearts. “If Yun Che dares to enter the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods, then there will be no better opportunity! It means that the heavens themselves want him dead; that they cannot tolerate the very existence of this filth whose hypocrisy knows no bounds!”
The Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods was something like an independently existing, special type of Endless Fog. It was almost entirely isolated from the outside world and restricted even the perception of True Gods. It was, without a doubt, the perfect place to kill someone without leaving a trace behind.
“As you command,” Shenwu Yi repeated.
“Now get out of my sight!”
Shenwu Yi stood up and lifted Shenwu Youluan to her feet. Then, the duo slowly left the area.
The isolation barrier hadn’t faded yet. Shenwu Mingque hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided to offer her opinion. “Supreme one, Yun Che of Dreamweaver, will be famous throughout the Abyss after today. Even the Abyssal Monarch and the Chief Priest will look at him differently. The Dreamless Divine Regent especially went so far as to abandon his pride to protect Yun Che. If we kill him, and if the truth is exposed, the consequences… would be unpredictable.”
That was the most tactful way she could put it.
“Besides, we don’t share grievances with Yun Che. We don’t even interact with the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God… In my shallow opinion, there is simply no need to waste any time or energy on that boy at all.”
Shenwu Mingque spoke every word carefully and tactfully. If not for the fact that Shenwu Yanye’s decision was beyond outlandish, she wouldn’t even bother to speak up at all.
“What do you know? What do you know?!”
Shenwu Yanye suddenly lost control of her emotions and let out a violent, howling scream, causing Shenwu Mingque to hold her breath. She had absolutely no idea what it was she said that triggered Shenwu Yanye.
“What most beautiful woman in the world! The way these men trick women is exactly the same! Every word they speak stinks so bad you can’t help but throw up!”
“What he will take twice the punishment of devouring rage alone… hehehe, hahahaha… hypocrite! Hypocrite! A man’s essence is hypocrisy! Filth! Shameless! Despicable! He’s just a better liar than Shenwu Xueyan, that’s all! He deserves to die more than Shenwu Xueyan! More!!”
Shenwu Mingque’s pupils contracted slightly when she heard the name “Shenwu Xueyan”… At that moment, she suddenly understood why Shenwu Yanye harbored such terrible bloodthirst toward a young man she had never known until today.
“Shenwu Xueyan… Shenwu Xueyan… Shenwu Xueyan!!”
The Lightless Divine Regent seemed to be triggered by her own words. Her aura began to unravel, and her voice slowly grew shrill and terrible, like a mindless ghoul.
“All men in this world are Shenwu Xueyan! They are all animals who know only betrayal! They all deserve to die!!”
At this point, Shenwu Mingque could only bow her head deeply and keep quiet. At the same time, she hid a sigh. Yun Che was truly unlucky. Who could have imagined that he would accidentally touch the one scar he must never touch?
“Are you alright, Wuyi?”
Shenwu Youluan supported Shenwu Yi and sat her on a chair. Then, she carefully checked her injuries while asking if she was alright.
“I’m fine.”
Shenwu Yi shook her head slightly. Her complexion was a bit pale, but she still looked every bit the stunning ice beauty she was. “Mother did not put much strength into the blow. I will recover before I enter the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods.”
Shenwu Youluan let out a small sigh. “You know what the consequences of going against her order are, so why did you…”
Shenwu Yi’s voice was gentle. Despite having suffered a terrible rebuke and physical punishment from Shenwu Yanye, there wasn’t a shred of regret in her voice whatsoever. “If I can collect the Abyssal Heart Vine for Mother, her divine body would have a real chance to recover. When the time comes, she will be able to clearly see Wuyi and the Eternal Night Kingdom of God she commands, and her lifespan will be extended several times what it is now. I’ll be able to keep her company for longer then.”
“That is why I must do this. Even if it is just a faint ray of hope, it is still far more important than my personal growth.”
As she spoke, her left eyelash trembled just a bit. It was so minor that anyone could have missed it, but Shenwu Youluan was close enough to see it clearly.
“Foolish girl.”
Shenwu Youluan hugged her gently and said painfully, “I know you feel aggrieved… this is the Pure Land, so the Divine Regent can’t extend her spiritual perception as she pleases. Just vent whatever grievances you harbor inside your heart. It will only do you harm if you keep it inside your heart.”
“I’m not aggrieved.”
Shenwu Yi gently pressed her head against Shenwu Youluan’s chest and curled her lips into a faint smile. “I’ve always known that Mother is being strict with me only for my own good. I could not have achieved what I’ve achieved in just twenty years otherwise. It’s just… she was once injured by sincerity, and so could no longer permit herself to believe that sincerity is real.”
She closed her eyes a little and let out a quiet sigh. “Sometimes, I even wish that Mother would implant the ‘Eternal Night Death Wishing Mark’ in me. That way, I’d be able to gain more of her trust.”
“You cannot think such a thing.”
Shenwu Youluan replied with evident distress in her voice, “Your talent is the Eternal Night Kingdom of God’s most valuable resource. The Eternal Night Death Wishing Mark must not damage it.”
“So…”
Shenwu Yi looked up, eyes glistening with overwhelming hope. “Mother ultimately loves me, right?”
“I don’t know.”
Shenwu Youluan answered, “No one can fathom the Divine Regent’s thoughts. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. However, everyone can tell and feel how pure and sincere your love for the Divine Regent is. I’m sure that, given enough time, the Divine Regent will believe in sincerity once more.”
A short silence later, Shenwu Yi actually shook her head. “No, I don’t need Mother to change herself for me. After all, her inability to trust anything and everything is itself a form of self-protection, isn’t it? I only wish that she could truly live as herself and be healthy, that’s all.”
“I will do everything in my power to find the Abyssal Heart Vine when I enter the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods. If I fail… then I will create more opportunities to enter the place. I have to succeed eventually.”
“Very well.”
Shenwu Youluan smiled. “It is stated that those with the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass not only possess the purest soul, but are also blessed by the heavenly law itself. I’m sure that your sincerity will touch even the heavenly law and convince them to lend you their blessing.”
It was at this moment that an invisible, soul aura disappeared without a trace[1].
Inside the pitch black palanquin, low, hoarse screams echoed again and again, “Sincerity cannot possibly exist in this filthy world… it cannot… it cannot…”
At the very end, the voice seemed to carry the faint hint of a sob.
……
“Remember this, Yun Che!”
“From the moment you set foot in the Abyss, every thought that passes through your mind, and every action that you choose to take, will directly affect the life and death of this world!”
“That is why every connection you might make in the Abyss—friendship, master-disciple relationship, romance, and even kindness—is only a tool to be exploited to your advantage. You must never allow your true feelings to spill over to these relationships, not even a little. Do you understand?”
“You know the kind of person you are. If you allow those relationships to become real, then you cannot help but guard those bonds with your life. But the price you’d have to pay to secure those bonds… might mean the end of yourself and this entire universe!”
“Any relationship made in the Abyss is no relationship!”
“Any relationship is no relationship!”
“Or else… it will be the end!”
“The end! The end! The end!!”
……
Inside a dark, gloomy world, Chi Wuyao’s voice was resounding endlessly. Every day, her voice and her advice would echo inside his soul, heaven knows how many times without stopping. Even in a deep coma, every string of his soul was shouting the warning without end.
The moment he regained a sliver of consciousness, his soul strings immediately tensed up, and he struggled with all his might to wake up.
I… cannot fall unconscious!
Here in the Abyss, even a second of complacency is an unforgivable sin! How can I possibly lose my consciousness?!
It was at this moment that he heard the voice of a girl saying, “Master is lying again. He keeps telling himself that he’s not hurt, even though he’s obviously in so much pain.”
It was Hong’er’s voice.
“It’s bad enough that master doesn’t allow us to go out and play; he’s become such a hopeless liar as well. In the past, sister Jasmine and sister He Ling both said that lying is something only a bad kid would do, that one should not lie no matter the occasion,” Hong’er continued.
“You mustn’t… speak… badly about… master.” This time, it was You’er who spoke up. Her voice was soft, sweet as honey, and faltering.
Li Suo’s sigh followed next. “Lying is bad, yes, but sometimes, people lie only because the burden they carry is too heavy; because they have no other choice. This type of lie especially hurts oneself first before it hurts anyone else.”
Li Suo noticed immediately that Yun Che’s soul sea was struggling and quaking unnaturally.
“He… is about to awaken.”
As he struggled, Yun Che’s eyes abruptly swung open, and blurry but painful light stabbed into his eyes.
“Ah!”
A young woman’s cry of surprise echoed beside his ears, followed by a shout of pure joy, “Big Brother Yun! You… You’re finally awake.”
The face of Hua Caili—one beautiful enough to suck out all the colors of the Pure Land—entered his vision. Her tears looked like star fragments, and her face was covered in tear stains. She looked so poignant that even a man with a heart of stone would crumble in an instant.
“How long… have I been asleep?” Yun Che asked while tentatively lifting his hand. He relaxed completely when he confirmed that the listlessness gripping his body wasn’t serious.
Hua Caili hurriedly reached out and grabbed his severely wounded palm. “Six hours. You should close your eyes and rest a while longer, big brother Yun. Don’t force yourself to stay up. I will be here the whole time.”
“Six hours…”
He whispered before curling his fingers and gripping Hua Caili’s fair but somewhat cold hand. He then looked into her eyes and let out a chuckle, “So, you’ve been crying non-stop for six whole hours? No wonder the books say that women are made of water.”
“You… I can’t believe you’re laughing at me!!”
Embarrassed, Hua Caili tightened her grip a little but ultimately could not bear to actually hurt Yun Che. She could only put on an annoyed expression and complain, “I’m really angry this time! Super angry!”
Suddenly, Yun Che clutched his solar plexus and wore a painful expression. “Ah ow ow ow ow… it hurts so bad!”
The girl was going to vent her annoyance and irritation at Yun Che, but his reaction instantly turned it all into panic as she stammered, “Wh… where are you hurt?? Is it an internal injury? This shouldn’t be, this shouldn’t be…”
Yun Che said with a grimace, “My heart hurts like hell the second my Caili gets angry! Oh, it’s worse than even the punishment of devouring rage!! Sssss… ah!”
“You—you!” For a time, Hua Caili didn’t know whether to giggle or get angry with him. In the end, she clenched her teeth and scratched him once on his solar plexus, eliciting an obviously exaggerated howl.
After the howl, though, the feigned look of pain faded completely, and Yun Che reached out to grab the girl’s hand with both hands. He said gently yet firmly, “But so long as my Caili is fine, then there is nothing in this world that can truly hurt me.”
“I’m hurt, though.” Three words, and the last word was tinged with a small sob.
She gently, very gently, laid her head on Yun Che’s chest and listened quietly to his heartbeat. “We promised that we would bear everything together, but you…”
“Ahemhem! Ahemhemhem!”
It was at this moment that a series of coughs came from the entrance. It was Meng Kongchan half-leaning against the door frame and masking his embarrassment with a straight expression. I think… I came at the wrong time.
Hua Caili abruptly shot to her feet and blushed pink. “Uncle Meng.”
“Mm.”
Meng Kongchan responded in a deadpan manner and nodded the way an elder would. After shooting Yun Che a look, he said, “Your recovery speed is stunning. It’s good. Caili should finally be able to rest easy now.”
He cast the girl a look before adding in a mirthful tone, “You would think that the famous Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter would be made of stronger stuff, but the river of tears she shed after you fell unconscious nearly drowned her father and me.”
The pink blush on her face instantly deepened into crimson, and the young woman bowed her head deeply to hide her embarrassment. She defended herself in a meek voice, “You… You exaggerate, Uncle Meng.”
“Hahahaha!”
Meng Kongchan couldn’t help but laugh boisterously at that.
“Senior,” Yun Che suddenly spoke up with a regretful expression, “I apologize for the huge trouble my thoughtless misconduct caused for you and the Heart Painter Divine Regent. I didn’t think…”
But Meng Kongchan waved his hand and stopped him from continuing, “You endured the punishment of great rage and survived. Your action won you most people’s approval, and even the Abyssal Monarch had officially annulled the engagement. This is the best possible outcome.”
“As for the other matter… leave it to us adults to handle. You have nothing to worry about.”
Meng Kongchan purposely turned away from Yun Che when he said this. He was afraid that the young man’s excessively sharp eyes would capture the dark gloominess in his eyes.
It was at this moment that an ancient voice came from outside. “This old one, Long Zhiming, will soon depart the Pure Land, so I have come to bid Divine Son Yuan goodbye. Has Divine Son Yuan awakened?”
Yun Che immediately perked up and said, “Senior, the dragon race and I share a connection. Since the Dragon Lord has purposely come to bid me goodbye, he must have something to say to me.”
Meng Kongchan nodded and stepped out of the room. A while later, the Dragon Lord came alone while shrouded by the thick, ancient aura of the Ancestral Dragons.
It looked like Yun Che was fine, so Meng Kongchan let out a sigh of relief. Despite this, his heart remained impossibly heavy. Dian Rahu’s roars and questions at Eden’s Crown were still echoing in his ears as if he were standing right next to him.
Yun Che had convinced everyone of the righteousness of his relationship with Hua Caili with his stunning willpower. The countless obstacles that originally stood in his and Hua Caili’s way were shattered just like that.
However… The fact that most people now viewed Yun Che and Hua Caili’s relationship positively rather than negatively only deepened the anger and humiliation of both Dian Rahu and the Boundless Kingdom of God.
Meng Kongchan knew very well that Dian Rahu was right… the two people he trusted the most had given him the greatest betrayal and humiliation of his life.
“Ai!!”
A heavy sigh escaped Meng Kongchan’s lips. It was at this moment that he caught a cyan figure out of the corner of his eyes.
“Qingying?” He was so pleasantly surprised to see her that he cried out subconsciously.
“Has Yun Che awakened?” Hua Qingying asked indifferently.
“He has.”
Meng Kongchan took a few steps forward and said with feigned calmness, “This boy is tougher than he looks—”
“That’s good.”
After saying that, the cyan figure disappeared into the distant sky just like that. She did not wait for the Dreamless Divine Regent to finish.
“Er…”
Meng Kongchan subconsciously lifted his hand, but in the end, he could only lower it and sigh again.
It was at this moment that another surprising presence approached him rapidly. Meng Kongchan straightened his expression and slowly turned to face an imposing man in armor with a stalwart face.
“Abyssal Knight Dugu Zhuyuan greets you, Dreamless Divine Regent. I have come to carry out the Abyssal Monarch’s order. He wishes for me to bring Yun Che to Eden’s Temple for a meeting.”
Meng Kongchan’s look of indifference and coldness immediately crumbled a little when he heard this. His eyebrows were scrunched up together as he asked, “What did you just say? Abyssal Monarch?!”
1. Everyone keeps saying XQY isn’t worthy of being Yun Che’s wife and yet who else can Oscar on his level? The Devil Queen? She lost that right the moment she fell for Yun Che lol. ☜