Chapter 1086: Strange Invitation

The emerald green light that had been flickering around him finally dissipated. Yun Che felt that his entire physical state had changed. This feeling was indescribable, like an unprecedented sense of vigor.

The life force he had lost from forcibly using "Moon Reflection, Star Return" was completely gone. How could He Lin deceive him? Fifty thousand years of lifespan... For high-level beasts like true dragons, this was not uncommon, but for humans, it was a miracle only possible for a Divine Master.

He raised his right hand, and with a slight thought, a green light immediately appeared in his palm. Unlike the eerie green glow of the Sky Poison Pearl, this was an emerald green, like newly sprouted tender grass.

As this light emerged, the surrounding flowers and plants suddenly danced without wind, then gathered towards him, radiating joyful vitality.

Yun Che tentatively lowered his palm, pointing it at the flowers and plants in front of him. Enveloped by the green light, these plants immediately grew at an astonishing, unnatural speed. In just a few breaths, they had grown over a foot taller.

Yun Che clenched his hand, and the green light receded. The growth of the plants stopped as well.

Accelerating the growth of flora... he actually possessed the unique magical ability of a Wood Spirit.

The power of nature!

Not only that, but many new things appeared in his mind.

These were not He Lin's memories, but information about countless flowers, plants, and spirit woods.

On the Azure Cloud Continent, under the tutelage of Cloud Valley, Yun Che was familiar with various medicinal and poisonous herbs. He could even identify their components and age just by smelling them from afar, without needing to see them. However, the God Realm was a completely different world from the Azure Cloud Continent. Top-grade herbs on the Azure Cloud Continent were commonplace here, and he knew almost nothing about the exotic plants and spirit flowers of the God Realm.

Now, however, an immense amount of information was imprinted in his memory. From the most common plants to rare flowers unseen for ages, including their names and aliases, potential geographical environments, growing conditions, growth cycles, appearance and aura at different growth stages, medicinal properties, spiritual nature, toxicity... and so on! It was incredibly detailed.

Yun Che had no doubt that this information covered all vegetation in the vast God Realm!

This information did not come from a soul bestowal or inheritance; it seemed to be inherently present within the Wood Spirit Orb—no! If that were the case, it could only exist in a Royal Wood Spirit Orb. These insights, seemingly a gift from nature, were priceless treasures coveted even by King Realms.

Gaining fifty thousand years of lifespan, the knowledge of all spirits, affinity with plants, and Wood Spirit energy... perhaps there were many other abilities he had yet to discover. Ordinarily, acquiring even one of these would have filled him with ecstasy, but now, he felt not a trace of joy.

Yun Che's previous desire to leave Blackya City as soon as possible and find a way to reach the Heaven's Secret Realm had completely vanished.

If he hadn't stayed in the Wood Spirit Secret Realm for that period, if He Lin hadn't decided to sacrifice herself to avoid being a burden to him, and had given him her Wood Spirit Orb... even if he deeply blamed himself for indirectly causing their deaths, he wouldn't be so foolish as to intentionally provoke the Black Soul Divine Sect, which wielded overwhelming power in the Blackya Realm.

But at this moment, violent killing intent surged throughout his entire body.

After a long time spent calming his mind, he turned and departed. His destination, astonishingly, was still Blackya City.

Not long after, a dangerous aura rapidly approached from ahead. He paused, and his figure slowly vanished from sight.

Soon, dozens of dark figures appeared ahead.

"Hall Master, all seventeen people are dead. I've thoroughly investigated, and there are no obvious traces of Lightning Serpent power. It's highly likely they were slaughtered with almost no resistance, and the methods were extremely brutal."

The black-clothed man, addressed as "Hall Master," had a stiff expression and exuded an aura that Yun Che found extremely dangerous.

"Hall Master, could the perpetrator be 'Ling Yun,' the one who gravely wounded Branch Master Lei Ya yesterday?"

"It couldn't be anyone else," the Black Soul Hall Master said coldly. "It's not surprising that someone who could severely wound Lei Ya to that extent and kill all of them. It seems this brat named Ling Yun... is extraordinarily daring!"

The Black Soul Hall Master's chest heaved, his face dark. "That brat is from the Pure Moon Realm, and the dimensional station in Blackya City has been sealed. According to information from the Black Feather Merchant Guild, he has already fled far from Blackya City. Immediately send a message to the Black Feather Merchant Guild, instructing them to activate the intelligence networks in all major cities in the Blackya Realm and spare no effort to track Ling Yun's whereabouts. Also, inform the Chief Hall Master to report to the Sect Master immediately. Send people to the Pure Moon Realm to investigate all of Ling Yun's background. If it's easy, arrest everyone connected to him! If it's troublesome, then invoke the name of the Divine Martial Realm!"

Yun Che: The Pure Moon Realm again? What's going on?

"This... to mobilize such resources just for one audacious outsider profound practitioner, I fear the Chief Hall Master might..."

"You know nothing!" the Black Soul Hall Master said in a deep voice. "That Ling Yun is just an impatient idiot looking for death. The key is that little Wood Spirit! They had previously sent a message that they captured the little Wood Spirit alive, but now they are all dead, and the little Wood Spirit is gone. If Ling Yun did this, then the little Wood Spirit must be in his hands."

"If we can't capture that little Wood Spirit within the deadline..." The Black Soul Hall Master slowly gritted his teeth, "I guarantee none of us will see the sun tomorrow!"

The Black Soul disciple shivered all over and said nervously, "Yes... your disciple will go immediately."

The Black Soul Hall Master scanned his surroundings and walked forward with a grim face, completely unaware that less than a hundred feet to his right, a cold, murderous gaze was fixed on him.

Yun Che, hidden in the shadows, let his killing intent leak out at times, then conceal it deeply. Judging by the oppressive aura, the Black Soul Hall Master's profound energy was likely in the mid to late stages of the Divine Tribulation Realm. It would be almost impossible for him to win... not to mention the dozens of Divine Soul Realm Black Soul disciples nearby.

Killing intent boiled in his heart, along with a furious resentment eager to be unleashed. However, he managed to maintain his rationality. Eventually, he slowly retreated, moving northwards. Once at a safe distance, he deactivated his stealth ability and flew directly towards Blackya City.

The Nine Star Buddha God Jade, Imperial Immortal Grass, and Heaven's Secret Realm were no longer important!

While it was impossible to truly destroy the Black Soul Divine Sect, which dominated a vast star realm, he would make the Soul Sect pay a bloody price, even if it cost him his life!

Since the Soul Sect believed he was no longer in Blackya City, Blackya City had ironically become the safest place for him. The reason he returned was to discover the location of the Soul Sect!

Returning to Blackya City, the sky had already darkened, but the city remained bustling. Standing at the city gate, a lingering malevolence swirled deep within Yun Che's otherwise calm eyes.

As the dominant sect of the Blackya Realm, the location of the Black Soul Divine Sect should be common knowledge, making it easy to inquire about.

His gaze swept around, and he casually chose a small merchant guild in his line of sight, walking slowly towards it.

Just then, his sound transmission jade suddenly emitted a profound energy fluctuation.

Yun Che's steps came to an abrupt halt.

Ordinary sound transmissions via sound transmission jade could not cross star realms.

In the Blackya Realm, the only ones who possessed his transmission imprint were... the Black Feather Merchant Guild!

Yun Che's brows furrowed as he slowly picked up the sound transmission jade. The voice from the jade was not Mr. Ji's, but a woman's.

"Young Master Ling Yun, I am Ji Ruyan of the Black Feather Merchant Guild. I have something to ask of you. In two hours, Ruyan will wait alone for you in the eastern part of Blackya City. Please grant me the favor of your presence... Please believe Ruyan. Ruyan is your friend, definitely not your enemy, and has not informed the Soul Sect of anything regarding you."

After the voice, there was also a location message.

Ji Ruyan!?

Yun Che: "..."

Yun Che's first reaction: this was a trap to lure him in.

But if it was a trap, it was a bit too amateurish. Also, why would Ji Ruyan think he was still in Blackya City? Hadn't the Black Feather Merchant Guild informed the Soul Sect that he had already fled Blackya City?

Recalling the two sound transmissions Ji Ruyan sent him during the trade fair last night, and how everyone from the Soul Sect believed he was from a place called "Pure Moon Realm" without mentioning the Flame God Realm, he felt that the relationship between the Black Feather Merchant Guild and the Soul Sect might not be as simple as it appeared.

However, aside from wanting to ambush him, Yun Che couldn't think of any reason Ji Ruyan would want to see him.

"Alright! Then I'll see what tricks you want to play!" Yun Che muttered.

With the Lunar Shadow in his possession, he feared ambushes the least.

Yun Che changed direction and headed straight for the eastern part of the city.

Dusk slowly descended, and before he knew it, the night was so dark he couldn't see his own hand.

Compared to the glittering ice light of the Snow Song Realm, the night in the Blackya Realm was exceptionally deep.

Although Ji Ruyan's chosen meeting place was still within Blackya City, it was a vast, desolate area. On thousands of feet of barren ground, there were only a few dilapidated huts, and beyond that, just an open expanse visible at a glance, covered in dry grass.

There wasn't even a suitable place to hide, let alone set a trap.

Yun Che arrived early and circled the area several times in stealth mode. There were no unusual auras, not even a single passing figure.

However, Yun Che did not lower his guard, maintaining his stealth. With less than a quarter of an hour left until the appointed time, a Divine Soul Realm aura rapidly approached. Yun Che looked up, and a graceful white figure flew in from the west high in the sky.

She was alone.

Ji Ruyan wore a simple, plain long white dress, and her expression was calm, entirely different from the deliberate charm she exuded last night.

Directly in front of Yun Che, she landed lightly, deliberately making a distinct thud as her feet touched the ground.

Yun Che did not reveal himself, watching her coldly.

Ji Ruyan looked around, then stood there, quietly waiting. Time passed quickly in the dark silence, but no other aura approached from afar.

"Young Master Ling Yun, Ruyan knows you are already here. Please show yourself so we may meet."

Ji Ruyan suddenly spoke in a soft voice.

Yun Che showed no reaction.

"Young Master Ling Yun, please believe Ruyan. Ruyan would never harm you, nor does she have any reason to. My sudden request for a meeting today is because I have something to ask of you. I beg Young Master Ling Yun to grant my request."

Her voice was sincere, even pleading, and uniquely, Yun Che detected no falsehood in it.

Yun Che's brows twitched, and he finally spoke, "I'm behind you!"

As he spoke, his stealth ability was deactivated.

Ji Ruyan suddenly turned around. Seeing Yun Che's cold face, her own expression was one of pleasant surprise: "Young Master Ling Yun..."

"How did you know I was already here?" Yun Che asked.

"Intuition," Ji Ruyan smiled. "A woman's intuition is always very accurate."

"Intuition?" Yun Che sneered. "Then use your intuition to guess if you'll live to see tomorrow!"

As his voice fell, Yun Che shot forward, closing the distance to Ji Ruyan in an instant. His hand, like a terrifying eagle's claw, ruthlessly clamped down on her slender, pale neck. The immense force he unleashed instantly nearly snapped her neck.

Ji Ruyan's profound cultivation was the same as Yun Che's, but their actual combat strength was poles apart. The intense suffocation and pain instantly made her face turn pale, yet she couldn't muster even a flicker of resistance.

Her eyes filled with pain, but there was no panic, nor did she beg. She whispered softly, "Ruyan... indeed... deserves to die... if I die... by Young Master's hand... then so be it..."

Having spoken, she gently closed her eyes.

"..." From Ji Ruyan's voice, Yun Che clearly sensed a feeling of release.