Chapter 1202: Heart Demon

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Lengchuan, I will be careful," Yun Che nodded, but his heart remained calm.

He had personally witnessed Shui Meiyin and Meng Duanxi's battle. Her spiritual power was indeed astonishing; even someone as strong as Meng Duanxi was almost powerless against it. If Shui Meiyin hadn't held back, Meng Duanxi probably wouldn't have realized he had already fallen prey to her spiritual attack until his defeat.

Naturally, such a Shui Meiyin could not be underestimated. However, with four divine souls, he possessed fundamental confidence. He certainly wouldn't lose to this young girl in terms of spiritual power.

As for profound energy, Shui Meiyin was undoubtedly the weakest among all participants. As long as her spiritual attacks were suppressed, the rest would be no different from fighting a three-year-old child.

Glancing at Yun Che's expression, Lu Lengchuan said, "It seems you are quite confident about tomorrow's battle. That's excellent... Although I don't believe you can defeat Jun Xilei right now, I am greatly looking forward to witnessing your fight with her."

As he finished speaking, Lu Lengchuan reached out and three glowing objects flew towards Yun Che.

Yun Che reached out and caught them; they were three Time Wheel Pearls.

"These are useless to me now, but for you... a few months could perhaps create a miracle," Lu Lengchuan said with a slight smile.

Yun Che didn't decline. He gripped them tightly and put them away, saying gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Lengchuan, I truly need these right now."

"No need," Lu Lengchuan turned around and suddenly whispered, "Brother Yun, thank you."

"Thank... me?" Yun Che's eyes showed confusion.

"For two reasons," Lu Lengchuan's voice was filled with emotion. "First, when you unleashed the Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath, in the very last moments... you deliberately dispersed the power of the blazing sun, didn't you?"

Yun Che paused, saying nothing, nor did he shake his head in denial.

When he unleashed the Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath, as the dual suns fell upon the world, he ultimately, with a single thought, separated the overlapping suns, thereby weakening their core power. He had exhausted his profound energy and would have no further control after the dual suns descended, making it highly possible that he would kill Lu Lengchuan.Lu Lengchuan had slapped Lu Shenyuan for him yesterday, and his subsequent words made Yun Che, in that final moment, make a move he absolutely should not have made given his objectives.

"Indeed," Lu Lengchuan smiled. "You clearly have a deep desire for victory, yet you're unwilling to be ruthless or resort to any means to achieve it. And you never mentioned this, which was clearly for my self-respect... To possess unparalleled strength and talent, yet also such a character, the Eastern Divine Region is fortunate to have a prodigy like you."

Yun Che shook his head. "Brother Lengchuan, you flatter me too much. Even if I hadn't done that, I believe you still would have blocked it. Furthermore, I don't believe my character deserves such praise from you; I've done many unscrupulous things. As for the Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath... if I had to do it again, I'm afraid I wouldn't make the same choice."

Lu Lengchuan chuckled, neither confirming nor denying. "The second thing I want to thank you for is... in a few years, I will reach sixty years of age and will no longer be considered part of the younger generation. To have fought against you in my final years as a youth, my life has become perfect, with no more regrets."

As he spoke, Lu Lengchuan gradually walked away. "If you ever have free time in the future, you are welcome to visit the Heaven Covering Realm as my guest. My Royal Father speaks highly of you; he would be overjoyed if you could come."

How many people in the entire Eastern Divine Region could earn such effusive praise from the Heaven Covering Realm King?

Yun Che didn't leave immediately; instead, he remained rooted to the spot, silent for a long time.

"Far from enough..." Yun Che sighed inwardly, thinking of Lu Lengchuan's words.

Jun Xilei, whom Lu Lengchuan himself admitted was "far superior," was currently an opponent Yun Che could not possibly defeat.

The only hope, if there was any, lay in the six Time Wheel Pearls he possessed, which could grant him a maximum of six months of variable time.

"It seems I must do everything I can to increase my strength within these two days," Yun Che muttered to himself, glancing at his left hand. "And Hong'er... Hong'er's sword might no longer keep up with my power. It seems there's still a small portion of the swords I got from Ji Ruyan last time that haven't been consumed... but after all, they are swords from a lower star realm. Even consuming all of them wouldn't bring a qualitative improvement. I can only try to find other methods."

He looked up at the sky, his gaze distant, and whispered, "Jasmine, did you see me today?"

The Heaven Profound Realm was as quiet as ever today. As Yun Che returned to his courtyard, he immediately saw Huo Rulie and his disciple Huo Poyun, who were clearly waiting for him.

"Brother Yun!" Huo Poyun quickly rushed forward, his face full of excitement. "Now the entire Eastern Divine Region knows you defeated Lu Lengchuan, and I... I didn't get to witness it myself, I'm practically dying of regret. Uh... your injuries, are you alright?"

"Haha, it's nothing, just minor injuries," Yun Che said casually. Seeing Huo Poyun's significantly improved mental state, he felt a sense of relief.

"Young Yun," Huo Rulie walked over, chuckling. "Your opponents will only grow stronger from now on. Each of them is among the absolute top of the younger generation in the Eastern Divine Region. Although your current achievements are already world-shattering, everyone, I believe, hopes to see you reach even greater heights. So, for the upcoming matches, you must give it your all... As for other matters, we can discuss them after the Profound God Convention concludes."

Yun Che nodded. "Sect Master Huo, rest assured, I will do my utmost... including for Brother Poyun."

"Brother Yun..." Huo Poyun looked at Yun Che, his gaze trembling. "While you defeated Lu Lengchuan this time, you also greatly elevated the prestige of our Golden Crow Sect's flame power. This should have been my responsibility... yet I proved to be so disappointing."

"Hahaha, Yun'er, do you understand now? Our Golden Crow Flame is not only not weak, but extraordinarily powerful, absolutely worthy of the title 'Strongest Divine Flame.' Especially young Yun's final Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath, it stunned all those from the upper star realms for a good while, hahahaha."

Thinking of the scene where the Golden Flame illuminated the world, Huo Rulie couldn't contain his pride and fervent excitement, bursting into laughter.

This was undoubtedly the most glorious moment the Golden Crow Flame had ever experienced in the Eastern Divine Region during his lifetime.

"Yes!" Huo Poyun nodded emphatically. "Brother Yun defeated Lu Lengchuan, one of the Four God Children of the Eastern Region, with the Golden Crow Flame. The entire Eastern Divine Region witnessed the power of the Golden Crow Flame. I finally understand that my crushing defeat to Jun Xilei was not because the Golden Crow Flame was weak, but simply because my cultivation was far from sufficient... I actually fell into such a ridiculous mental block... Master, your disciple must have deeply disappointed you."

"Hahahahaha," Huo Rulie laughed, waving his hand. "No, no. Yun'er, young Yun was right that day; you are still a young child, and such confusion is perfectly normal. That you could escape that mental block so quickly only makes me happy for you and proud of you. Where would disappointment come from?"

"Well, hehe... If it weren't for Brother Yun, I don't know how long I would have remained in that state. I used to think I could stand on my own, even believing I could shoulder the future of the Blazing Heaven Realm. It seems I was still too immature and naive. From now on, I must cultivate even harder... not only diligently practice the Golden Crow Flame but also temper my character."

Huo Poyun extended his hand, producing a Time Wheel Pearl. "Brother Yun, this is the last Time Wheel Pearl I have left, though it's... only a meager contribution."

Yun Che took it, looking at him and stating firmly, "Brother Poyun, just you wait. I will settle that score with Jun Xilei for you... and I'll do it with the Golden Crow Flame."

Huo Poyun's eyes flickered, and he nodded heavily.

Including the three from Lu Lengchuan and the one from Huo Poyun, Yun Che now held a total of seven Time Wheel Pearls, which could convert seven hours into seven months.

Huo Rulie and his disciple departed. Neither Huo Rulie nor Huo Poyun questioned Yun Che about his Golden Crow bloodline. As Huo Rulie had said, he wanted Yun Che to focus solely on the upcoming duels... other matters could be discussed later.

Holding the Time Wheel Pearl given by Huo Poyun, Yun Che stood still, frowning several times.

Huo Poyun had clearly shed his despondency and regained his usual spirit, yet for some reason, Yun Che vaguely felt that something was amiss with him.

He couldn't pinpoint or articulate what felt wrong, just an inexplicable feeling.

Perhaps... he hadn't truly let go yet. After such a heavy blow, even if today's battle dispelled his doubts about the Golden Crow Flame, it would still take time for him to fully recover.

As night fell, upon returning to their residence, Huo Rulie noticed Huo Poyun still had his head bowed, remaining silent for a long time.

Huo Rulie furrowed his brow. "Yun'er?"

Huo Poyun gave a slight start before looking up. "Huh?"

"What are you thinking about? Are you still regretting not witnessing young Yun's battle with Lu Lengchuan?" Huo Rulie asked with a smile. "It's alright. Someone will surely record that battle with a Profound Image Stone. If you want to see it, there are plenty of ways."

Huo Poyun bit his lip slightly, then suddenly asked, "Master, did you bestow Brother Yun with the Golden Crow bloodline and Golden Crow Divine Soul?"

This wasn't the first time he'd been asked this question today. Huo Rulie shook his head directly. "Of course not. Yun'er, do you remember that the Golden Crow Divine Spirit once mentioned that another Golden Crow lineage existed somewhere outside the God Realm?"

Huo Poyun was startled, saying in surprise, "Master, are you saying..."

Huo Rulie nodded. "To be able to unleash such pure Golden Crow Flame, the Golden Crow bloodline he possesses is definitely not an ordinary inheritance. It's only possible that, like yours, it's the Golden Crow Origin Blood."

Huo Poyun was speechless.

"The Golden Crow Divine Spirit bestowed its last Golden Crow Origin Blood and Golden Crow Divine Soul upon you. In this world, there should have been no more Golden Crow Origin Blood or Golden Crow Divine Soul left. Therefore, his Golden Crow bloodline and Divine Soul can only have come from that 'other Golden Crow lineage'."

Huo Rulie looked up, his eyes filled with excitement, and remarked emotionally, "This, perhaps, is also the guidance of the Golden Crow Divine Spirit. Although he is not a disciple of our Golden Crow Sect, he is the one who made the Golden Crow Flame shine so brilliantly in the Eastern Divine Region for the very first time. Now, I'm afraid all our Golden Crow Sect disciples hold him in immense admiration, and the various elders and pavilion masters speak nothing but praise. As for why he possesses the Golden Crow bloodline, it has become irrelevant, hahahahaha..."

Huo Rulie laughed heartily. Huo Poyun's crushing defeat and his emotional wounds had genuinely stifled Huo Rulie, but Yun Che's battle today had opened all his pores, providing an ineffable sense of relief. He didn't even know how many times he had burst into laughter throughout the day.

Huo Rulie didn't notice that while he was laughing, Huo Poyun wasn't; instead, he had lowered his gaze.

"Master," Huo Poyun said, "Brother Yun's profound energy cultivation is only at the eighth level of the Divine Tribulation Realm... yet he defeated Lu Lengchuan, who is at the tenth level of the Divine Spirit Realm, using the Golden Crow Flame. His Golden Crow bloodline... must be much, much purer than mine, right?"

"No, no," Huo Rulie shook his head, saying earnestly, "The Golden Crow Divine Spirit said that after its demise, you would be the new Golden Crow Divine Spirit. In this world, there absolutely cannot be anyone with a denser Golden Crow bloodline than yours. Yun Che, he..."

Huo Rulie paused, then continued, "Yun'er, do you still remember three years ago in the Snow Song Realm, when Yun Che directly withstood your 'Golden Rupture' and emerged unscathed even from your Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath?"

Huo Poyun was silent.

"After that, I'd actually been wondering, with his profound energy at the time, no matter how strong his ice profound energy control was, he absolutely shouldn't have been able to completely and so easily withstand your Golden Crow Flame. But today, I finally understood... His ability to withstand your power unscathed that day was not just due to exceptionally high ice power; his control over flames was also extremely high... definitely far surpassing yours."

"Add to that the fact that he actually possesses the Golden Crow bloodline, and yes, he could perfectly withstand your Golden Crow Flame."

Huo Poyun remained silent for a long time.

"I also finally understand why Mu Xuanyin wanted me to wager the 'Golden Crow Burning World Record' that day. So that's it..." Huo Rulie shook his head, chuckling involuntarily.

If he had known then, he would have been furious. But considering today's outcome... thinking that a large part of it was due to his loss to Mu Xuanyin back then, he felt immensely fortunate and pleased, completely devoid of any resentment for being tricked by Mu Xuanyin.

"I see," Huo Poyun murmured, then slowly continued, "The Snow Song Realm King won the Golden Crow Burning World Record from Master to give to Brother Yun. This means that although Brother Yun already had the Golden Crow bloodline then, he probably hadn't cultivated the Golden Crow Burning World Record yet. If that's the case, he's only been cultivating the Golden Crow Burning World Record for at most three years... yet he can unleash the Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath..."

Huo Poyun's words made Huo Rulie freeze. He stood there, his gaze distant and stunned for a long time. "Now that you mention it... this kid... he truly is... a monster..."

He had cultivated for nearly ten thousand years and was the Golden Crow Sect Master, yet he hadn't managed to master the Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath. Yun Che... only three years!! Three years!

If he weren't so fond of Yun Che now, he might have been angered to death.

"Yes," Huo Poyun said. "Brother Yun is truly extraordinary. Only today have I truly realized that in every aspect, I am far inferior to him... I should say, I'm not even qualified to be compared to him. It's laughable that I once thought I was..."

"Hahaha, Yun'er, you don't need to be so self-deprecating. Yun Che is absolutely a genuine little monster, astonishing even the Divine Emperors. In this God Conferred Battle, he will surely become famous throughout the world, and any praise he receives would not be excessive. Such a little monster might not appear even once in eighty or one hundred thousand years. You don't need to compare yourself to him. You just need to know that you will always be your master's greatest pride."

Huo Poyun took a deep breath. "Master, please rest assured, your disciple will never disappoint you again."

"Good! Your words bring great comfort to my heart. And as for young Yun, although he is not a disciple of our Golden Crow Sect, it's a fact that he possesses the Golden Crow bloodline, and now the entire Eastern Divine Region knows it. He's also a close friend of yours, and I've always found him extremely agreeable. If I had to say, he's practically half a Golden Crow Sect member. With the two of you appearing in this generation of the Golden Crow Sect, even if I were to drop dead right now, I could laugh as I meet my ancestors, hahahahahahaha..."

Huo Rulie's laughter echoed as he strode away. Any fool could see that he was in an exceptionally good mood.

Huo Poyun watched Huo Rulie leave, and an inexplicable sense of irritation suddenly surged in his heart.

He turned and walked out of the courtyard, his mind heavy with thoughts. He didn't know how long he walked or where he was going until he nearly collided with an ancient tree, which made him stop.

"Sigh," Huo Poyun suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile, shook his head, and with a look of shame on his face, he looked up and muttered to himself, "Master's praise, my fellow disciples' admiration, fame throughout the Eastern Divine Region... all of this is what Brother Yun deserves. He even burned the Golden Crow Flame on the God Conferred Stage in my place..."

"I should be happy for him, grateful for him, and proud of him. He still considers me a friend. When I was trapped in my mental block, he was the first to comfort and guide me. And when he defeated Lu Lengchuan with the Golden Crow Flame today, it was surely with the intention of helping me regain my confidence."

"Brother Yun, such a favored son of heaven, is never arrogant or conceited, and he has always treated me with sincere honesty. To be friends with him is the fortune of my lifetime... yet just now, I actually felt a terrible jealousy towards him."

He let out a long breath. "It seems I've been too focused on the profound way all these years, and my character cultivation is far, far too lacking. In this state, I'm probably not even worthy of calling him 'brother'."

After breathing the outside air for a long time, Huo Poyun's lips curved into a smile, and his mood felt much lighter and smoother.

Yun Che's Golden Crow Flame, which had astonished the Eastern Divine Region, the ceaseless praise from Huo Rulie, Yan Juehai, and others, and the uncontrollable reverence and admiration from the disciples of the three Blazing Flame Sects when discussing Yun Che, indeed caused an uncontrollable surge of jealousy within him.

If Yun Che had achieved all this with other powers, Huo Poyun would likely have simply been happy for him and cheered him on.

But it was precisely the Golden Crow Flame...

The one who bore the purest and densest Golden Crow bloodline and Divine Soul, the one who carried the hope and future of the Blazing Heaven Realm, the one who could ignite the most dazzling Golden Crow Flame, should have been him... and he had always believed it could only be him...

This suffocating oppression and jealousy in his heart were feelings he had never experienced before, making him feel fear, shame, and guilt.

It also made him realize the shortcomings in his character cultivation.

Just as his despondency eased and he prepared to return, two white figures approached from a distance. Both were clad in Ice Phoenix snow robes, clearly Ice Phoenix disciples, and they were talking excitedly as they walked.

"Everyone's talking about Senior Brother Yun now. Senior Brother Yun actually defeated Lu Lengchuan, hiss... It still feels like a dream."

"Just now, those people from the upper star realms looked at our robes, and their eyes were completely different. It's more than a dream; we couldn't even dream of this before."

"Haha, speaking of which, when the Sect Master previously accepted Senior Brother Yun as a direct disciple and even granted him Junior Sister Feixue as a dual cultivation partner, I once felt it was unfair to Mu Hanyi and a pity for Junior Sister Feixue. Now that I think about it, tsk, I was actually foolish enough to question the Sect Master's judgment."

"Exactly, what kind of person is our Sect Master?"

"..." Huo Poyun suddenly stiffened as if struck by lightning, his body trembling, and his steps came to an abrupt halt...

After a long pause, he resumed walking, silently moving away, but his steps seemed to have become somewhat erratic...