Chapter 1358: Nightmare

As his consciousness revived, everything that had happened in the Star God Realm replayed quickly and became increasingly clear in his mind. Jasmine, Caizhi, Hong’er… The final moments of his life were frozen there, after which all went dark.

Is it true that consciousness remains after death?

Where exactly is this? And where is Jasmine? Could she be by my side? In this world of the dead, will I encounter those former enemies and friends?

Yet the soreness and heaviness in his body were so clear, as if he were still alive.

Finally, as light pierced through again, his eyes, which had been closed for a long time, slowly and with great difficulty opened.

A low, old wooden ceiling, yet spotless. He turned his head, struggling to shift his gaze… It was a very small wooden house, simple and neat, but for some reason, it brought him a sense of familiarity that wasn't distant.

The footsteps of the young girl, who had not gone far, quickly approached again. Soon, the wooden door was pushed open, revealing a girl. She looked around twenty years old, dressed in red, with bright eyes and white teeth. A faintly flickering phoenix mark between her eyebrows added a touch of sacredness to her. She came to the bedside and, seeing Yun Che's open eyes, was overcome with such joy and excitement that her eyes welled up with tears. "Benefactor brother, you've finally woken up… This is wonderful… Boo hoo… This is wonderful…"

The girl spoke excitedly, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Yun Che stared at her blankly. Gradually, the image of a pretty young girl emerged in his mind, overlapping with the girl before his eyes. A name spilled from his lips: "Xian…'er?"

The girl froze, surprised and overjoyed that he still remembered her. Then she nodded vigorously. "It's me, I'm Xian'er, I'm Xian'er… sob… sob sob…"

The wooden door was pushed open forcefully again, and several figures hurried in, quickly coming to the couch where he lay. Seeing him awake, deep excitement showed on every face.

"Yun Che," the middle-aged man at the front called out his name. "You're finally awake. Phew… It's good that you're okay, it's good."

"Phoenix… Senior?" Yun Che uttered with difficulty. The girl had grown up and changed a lot, but the middle-aged man before him looked almost unchanged. His name immediately surfaced in Yun Che's mind.

Feng Baichuan!

The clan leader of the Phoenix Remnant Clan, hidden in the heart of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range!

"Benefactor brother, you're finally awake." Beside Feng Baichuan, a tall, valiant young man exclaimed excitedly, a hint of mist in his eyes as well.

"Zu…'er?" Yun Che murmured in a daze again, his heart filled with confusion.

His memories flashed back to thirteen years ago.

That year, he was sixteen. It was the first year he met Jasmine, and they were mutually disgusted with each other.

That year, he and Cang Yue, who used the alias Lan Xueruo, were being hunted by a branch of the Xiao Sect. They fell from a great height into the heart of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, where they stumbled upon the Phoenix Remnant Clan, who were forced to hide there due to a bloodline curse. He saved Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er, and passed the Phoenix trial, obtaining the Phoenix bloodline inheritance and the fifth and sixth levels of the Phoenix God's Eulogy.

Afterwards, he used the acquired Phoenix divine power to save the Phoenix Remnant Clan from their predicament and lift their bloodline curse.

At that time, Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er were only eight years old.

Five years ago, before he went to the God Realm, he intended to take Feng Xue'er to visit the Phoenix Remnant Clan. However, he found that the Phoenix Remnant Clan was already protected by a powerful barrier. He secretly intervened to save the siblings Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er, who had left the barrier and encountered danger, and left them with the complete first six levels of the Phoenix God's Eulogy, as well as a box of Overlord Pills.

Afterwards, he chose not to disturb them and quietly left with Feng Xue'er.

In this "dead world," he actually saw them again.

Had they also died?

Or…

His arm slowly lifted inch by inch, but halfway up, it lost all strength and fell back to his side. He felt the clear sensation of his hand touching his own body. He looked at Feng Baichuan, who was as refined and calm as in his memories, and the siblings Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er, their eyes brimming with tears. He murmured like in a dream: "Am I… still alive?"

"Hehe," Feng Baichuan smiled, not at all surprised by Yun Che's reaction. "Of course you're still alive. The dead can't ask such questions."

Yun Che's mouth was slightly agape. His consciousness, which had just become clear, now plunged into deeper confusion.

Everything that happened in the Star God Realm replayed in his mind again. He had activated Nirvana Devil, resolved to die. Countless amounts of blood had surged before his eyes, and lives had fallen one after another. But his life was draining away, and his soul was burning… until it was completely consumed.

With his last shred of consciousness, he could feel his body being torn into pieces, turning into scattered fragments…

How could he… still be alive!?

And where exactly… was this…?

"Here… where is this?" The thought in his heart unconsciously slipped from his lips.

"This is our home," Feng Xian'er said gently, wiping away her tears with joy. "It's where we met Benefactor Brother and Sister Xueruo all those years ago. It was… it was the Phoenix God who sent you here. You've been unconscious for many days, and finally… you've woken up."

Yun Che's gaze remained blank and hazy.

This is… the Phoenix Remnant Clan?

I returned to the Sky Profound Continent?

The Phoenix God… sent me here?

What's going on? What exactly happened?

Could it be… I really didn't die?

But…

If I didn't die, then everything that happened in the Star God Realm… everything in the God Realm, was it all just a dream?

Seeing Yun Che's face full of confusion, as if he had fallen into an illusion, Feng Baichuan said, "Yun Che, you must have countless questions in your mind. But you've just woken up, and your body is weak, so don't think too much for now. First, rest well for a while. Once you've recovered enough, you can go see the Phoenix God. The Phoenix God will surely resolve all your doubts."

Yun Che did not respond.

"Zu'er, quickly go inform your mother and the other clan members that Yun Che has woken up, so they can rest assured. Xian'er, you stay here and look after him."

"Okay!"

Feng Zu'er quickly agreed and hurried away. Feng Xian'er stayed, standing gracefully by the bed, quietly watching Yun Che, who was still lost in confusion. Her hands unconsciously twisted the corner of her clothes, her joy seemingly mixed with a hint of nervousness.

Yun Che did not speak for a long time. After a while, his heart finally calmed down a little, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Patriarch Feng was right. Although he didn't know why he was still alive, in his current state, he couldn't even lift his arm. At the very least, he needed to restore his body enough to move normally.

He closed his eyes and calmed his mind, then silently circulated the Great Way of the Buddha.

His thoughts stirred, and the profound art circulated… But immediately, he suddenly opened his eyes again.

As the Great Way of the Buddha circulated, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth… surprisingly showed no reaction!

He quickly concentrated again and restarted the circulation. Time passed breath by breath, until Yun Che's mind began to grow agitated. Yet the omnipresent spiritual energy of heaven and earth still showed no reaction, not a single wisp flowing towards his body.

What's going on?

The Great Way of the Buddha was an ancient God art that didn't rely on profound energy. As it progressed, the body would become increasingly attuned to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Even without consciously circulating it, the body would absorb and integrate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth every moment. The higher the level of the Great Way of the Buddha, the higher the level of spiritual energy it could absorb.

Normally, even if Yun Che was critically injured or on the verge of death, and his profound energy was exhausted, as long as he still had a breath, his body would automatically repair itself due to the Great Way of the Buddha. Once his consciousness awakened and he actively circulated it, his recovery speed would be unimaginable to ordinary people.

But at this moment, the Great Way of the Buddha circulated again and again, yet all he received was dead silence.

Could it be that I'm too severely injured…? he murmured to himself. But even when he was more severely injured in the past, this had never happened.

The God art was still there, but his body seemed to have completely lost its affinity with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

This thought flashed through his mind, but he immediately crushed it. He tried to mobilize profound energy… but he couldn't even feel the existence of his profound veins.

Could it be… I really am too severely injured…?

Thinking this, he closed his eyes again, wanting to examine his internal body condition. But his concentration lasted only a few moments before he opened his eyes again, his gaze clouded.

Self-introspection, a profound practitioner's most basic spiritual perception ability, could be achieved even by those in the Elementary Profound Realm, who had just entered the profound way. Even "Xiao Che," whose profound veins were crippled back then and could only remain at the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm, could do it.

But when he tried to introspect just now, he found that his spiritual perception could no longer penetrate his body.

More accurately, he no longer had the "spiritual perception" of the profound way at all!

No… this shouldn't be happening! Even if I were injured to my last breath, it shouldn't be like this!

Something must be wrong! Could it be that my profound energy is too depleted?

That's right! The Sky Poison Pearl has the Sacred Spiritual Liquid given by Shen Xi, which can help me recover immediately!

He struggled to lift his left hand, but immediately found that his consciousness couldn't even enter the Sky Poison Pearl!

He couldn't even feel the existence of the Sky Poison Pearl at all.

Yun Che's eyes trembled. His mind completely thrown into chaos, he cried out in panic: "Hong'er… Hong'er!"

"Huh!?" His sudden outburst startled Feng Xian'er. She quickly stepped forward: "Benefactor Brother, you… what did you say?"

Yun Che seemed not to hear her voice. His body struggled, but he couldn't sit up at all, his voice becoming increasingly panicked: "He Ling… Hong'er… He Ling…"

No matter how he called, he received no response.

"Benefactor Brother, you… what's wrong? Don't scare me." His unusually violent reaction made Feng Xian'er panic.

Fortunately, Yun Che suddenly quieted down at that moment. He stopped calling out, stopped struggling, and stared blankly at the ceiling, motionless for a long time.

"Benefactor Brother, you need to rest well and not think about anything. You'll get better, you definitely will," Feng Xian'er gently comforted him.

"Xian'er," Yun Che said faintly, "Do me a favor."

"Huh?"

"Take me to see the Phoenix God," Yun Che said slowly, hearing how hoarse and weak his own voice was.

"Now? No!" Feng Xian'er shook her head. "You're too weak to move around."

"Take me. I must see it now." His gaze shifted to the side, looking somewhat blankly at the flustered phoenix girl. "Xian'er, please… will you help me?"

Neither his gaze nor his words left Feng Xian'er any room to refuse.