Chapter 1308: The Secret of the Celestial Heaven (Part 1)

"Senior Shen Xi," Yun Che bowed, expressing his sincere gratitude. "Thank you for saving my life."

"There's no need to thank me. If you must, thank Ling'er."

Before meeting Shen Xi, Yun Che had never imagined a voice could be so exquisitely beautiful—gentle as a drifting cloud, melodious as a celestial song. It was like an immortal sound from beyond the heavens, seemingly out of place in the defiled mortal world.

As the ethereal sound lingered in his ears, a strange, soft sensation spread through Yun Che's entire body. After a brief moment of entrancement, he finally spoke: "This junior will never forget the kindness of Helin and Senior Shen Xi."

"You may rise," Shen Xi's voice grew even softer. "From now on, you need not thank me or bow. Mortal courtesies do not apply here."

Yun Che paused, then stood. "Yes, this junior understands."

"Extend your hand."

As she spoke gently, Shen Xi's right arm slowly extended.

The hand was exquisitely beautiful, more flawless than fresh snow and more lustrous than divine jade. It resembled the soft, delicate hand of a fairy reaching out from a dream, and the faint white glow surrounding it added to its ethereal, almost illusory quality.

Yun Che instinctively held his breath. A woman's hand could be beautiful enough to suffocate him. His own outstretched hand froze mid-air; he almost didn't dare approach, fearing he might desecrate it.

Shen Xi's wrist moved slightly. Her jade-like finger pointed, and a streak of white light flew towards Yun Che, touching the back of his hand.

Instantly, intricate golden patterns appeared on Yun Che's body, spreading over his entire form in the blink of an eye.

The Brahma Soul Death-seeking Mark!

The flashing golden patterns indicated a severe flare-up of the Brahma Soul Death-seeking Mark. However, despite his body being covered in them, Yun Che felt no pain whatsoever. He looked closely and discovered that each golden pattern was covered by a very thin, yet incredibly pure, pearly white profound light.

As Shen Xi's jade-like finger continued to move, the pearly white profound light subtly intensified.

What kind of power is this? Yun Che wondered. It wasn't any power he recognized, nor was it pure profound energy, yet it was so incredibly pure.

Her delicate hand retracted, and Shen Xi spoke softly: "The Brahma Soul Death-seeking Mark on your body has been suppressed, but it may still flare up within the next few months. However, the pain should be bearable. You should thank the Wood Spirit Orb you possess; without it, your body wouldn't be so receptive to my power. Suppressing it to this degree would have required more than ten times the effort."

The Wood Spirit Orb... receptive to her power?

"I will suppress it once every twelve hours. During this time, the Death-seeking Mark will dissipate very slowly. However, if it is not suppressed for more than twenty hours, it will re-embed itself deeply, rendering all previous efforts futile. You must remember this."

"Yes," Yun Che nodded. "Thank you for your efforts, Senior Shen Xi."

Shen Xi's words implied that he would be unable to leave this place until the Brahma Soul Death-seeking Mark completely dissipated. Otherwise, he would once again plunge into the abyss of desiring death but being unable to find it.

"Senior Shen Xi, may I ask... must this junior truly remain here for fifty years?" Yun Che asked, his heart heavy with mixed emotions.

Shen Xi did not answer directly. She said softly, "Even if you have countless concerns outside, you must remain here until the Brahma Soul Death-seeking Mark completely dissipates. No one can resolve this Mark except for me and the one who planted it."

"I understand." Yun Che nodded slightly.

Shen Xi turned away. Though she was clearly present and real, her presence somehow evoked an infinite sense of unreality in anyone who beheld her, including Yun Che. "The woman who brought you here left the Escape Moon Immortal Palace for you. It's just outside the barrier; go retrieve it."

Yun Che didn't need Shen Xi to remind him; after waking, he had already sensed a new spiritual connection—a connection with the Escape Moon Immortal Palace.

Xia Qingyue had departed, forcefully severing their emotional ties, yet she had left him the world's most supreme life-saving divine artifact—one capable of evading even the pursuit of God Emperors.

"She..." A single word escaped his lips, causing a slight pang in his heart. Yun Che took a deep, deliberate breath before continuing, "Did she say anything when she left?"

Sensing Yun Che's worry and inner turmoil, Shen Xi softly asked, "Are you afraid she returned to the Moon God Realm to face death?"

Clearly, Shen Xi had learned a great deal during Yun Che's unconscious days.

Although this was a secluded place, Yun Che was already renowned throughout the God Realm, and the commotion he and Xia Qingyue had created was widely known and rapidly spreading. It was, simply put, far too easy to gather information.

"Yes," Yun Che nodded. "This matter must have greatly enraged the Moon God Realm, and she feels extremely guilty towards her foster father and mother. Even if it means death, she would accept it without complaint or resistance."

The Moon God Emperor being Xia Qingyue's foster father was a secret known to very few. In his agitated and unguarded state, Yun Che unconsciously revealed it.

Love like thin ice... ties severed, affections broken...

As he recalled Xia Qingyue's words upon her departure, the bloodstains on her moon-colored robe, the tears she shed for him, her dignified plea, and the Escape Moon Immortal Palace she left behind, Yun Che sighed inwardly. *If our love was truly as fragile as thin ice, why would she have done all this? Was it to placate the Moon God Realm's anger towards me? Or were you afraid that if you died, I would seek revenge on them? If the latter, then you underestimated me. You only destroyed a pale marriage contract... merely a contract. Everything else remains whole, utterly impossible to erase.*

Shen Xi was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. "To protect your dignity, she placed herself in such a predicament. A woman capable of making such a choice is indeed rare."

Yun Che remained silent.

"But you can rest assured," Shen Xi's gentle voice, like a wisp of willow catkin, brushed against Yun Che's soul, seeming to comfort him. "When she left, she had no intention of dying. Instead, she seemed to have made a very important decision... Perhaps her experiences with you during those days caused a significant shift in her mindset."

"Or, I can put it in a way that is more fitting for her." Beneath the white glow, Shen Xi's eyes subtly lifted, and her gentle, ethereal voice seemed to carry a mysterious expectation: "Her Glazed Heart has begun to awaken."

"The Glazed Heart... awakening?" Yun Che was utterly bewildered by the meaning of these words. "Awakening... can it bring her a heavenly blessing?"

"No," Shen Xi shook her head, much to Yun Che's surprise. "The world widely claims that the 'Glazed Heart' is a remnant power of the Ancestral God, surpassing the Heavenly Way, and thus bestows heavenly blessing. But in reality, it's merely arrogant, baseless talk by mortals."

Yun Che's face registered surprise. Women possessing the Glazed Heart were known as Daughters of the Heavenly Way, blessed by heaven. This wasn't merely a legend believed by common folk; even God Sovereigns and God Emperors believed it implicitly.

"Then what exactly does the awakening of the Glazed Heart mean?" Yun Che asked.

"Once the Glazed Heart awakens, one's power, intellect, perspective, and soul will all undergo fundamental transformations. Their growth rate will become unimaginably fast for ordinary people. The changes in their intellect and perspective will ensure they are no longer content to live beneath anyone... At the very least, they will never again be weak, indecisive, or lost."

"The Grand Ancestor of the Eternal Heaven Realm was a prime example. She transformed from an ordinary woman into the first Eternal Heaven God Emperor, even compelling the Eternal Heaven Pearl to submit to her."

"The Glazed Heart is a 'miracle' in the truest sense. I had believed it was no longer possible for a Glazed Heart to appear in this world... Perhaps she is the very last miracle. In that respect, 'heavenly blessing' might not be entirely inaccurate."

Yun Che found Shen Xi's words difficult to fully grasp. No one had ever been able to clearly explain the true nature of the "Glazed Heart," so all legends surrounding it focused solely on the concept of "heavenly blessing." Yet, Shen Xi was offering a seemingly entirely different explanation.

"When Qianye Ying'er attacked you, she likely didn't realize she was forcing out a formidable opponent for herself." Shen Xi cast a side glance, seemingly a soft look at Yun Che. "Within fifty years, she will surely be able to threaten Qianye Ying'er. You must believe in the 'miracle' within her."

"Fifty years... Why fifty years?" Yun Che asked, bewildered.

"Because if she cannot contend with Qianye Ying'er within fifty years, then after you leave this place, you will forever live in Qianye's shadow... Her forcefully severing ties with you was also born of her fear of failure."

Shen Xi slowly stepped forward. With just a light, ethereal stride, her figure gradually became translucent, then vanished among the myriad flowers. Her ethereal voice, however, still echoed in his ears: "I hope this explanation can bring you some solace."

Yun Che stood still there, remaining for a long time.

Shen Xi's words did not ease his heart; instead, they made it heavier.

"Qingyue, what exactly are you planning?"

***

Eternal Heaven God Realm, the day the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm was set to open.

The chosen prodigies had gathered early, but even with the young profound practitioner who filled in for "Wei Hen," only nine hundred ninety-nine were present. Yun Che was nowhere to be seen.

The Eternal Heaven Divine Realm was close at hand, and while the chosen prodigies felt apprehensive about being separated from the world for three full millennia, they were all incredibly excited. Three thousand years of focused cultivation within the Eternal Heaven Pearl, while only three years passed in the outside world—this was a true leap to unparalleled heights.

Amidst the crowd, a snow-white figure stood centrally. A wide space surrounded him, as if no one dared to approach, or perhaps he preferred to keep his distance.

Luo Changsheng of the Sacred Universe Realm.

The injuries Yun Che had inflicted a month prior seemed to have healed—at least superficially. However, his entire demeanor had undergone a noticeable change. While he still appeared gentle as water, a terrifying grimness now lurked in the depths of his eyes.

In his first battle with Yun Che, although defeated, he had fully showcased his prowess and fought until his last shred of strength and conviction, which only enhanced his reputation.

However, in the second battle, while he achieved God King status, another aspect deep within his soul erupted due to his defeat by Yun Che. This resulted in him losing not only his profound energy but also his entire reputation and dignity.

Compared to before, his entire state had undergone a drastic transformation. At least, that's what everyone who saw him again felt.

Yet, even though he was defeated by Yun Che, and no matter how devastating that defeat was, he remained Luo Changsheng—a peerless genius wielding three divine powers and mastering three elements, the youngest God King in the history of the Eastern Divine Region.

No one dared to predict what heights he would reach three millennia later.

During the somewhat lengthy wait, an aged figure slowly approached.

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor.

He was personally overseeing the induction of these chosen prodigies, selected by the Profound God Convention, into the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm.