Chapter 1432: The Whole World Is Hostile

Arriving at the Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall, Yun Che did not immediately seek out Mu Xuanyin. He stood amidst the swirling snow, gazing up at the sky, his heart weighed down as if by a thousand tons, struggling to breathe for a long time.

Gone was the calm composure he had shown when facing Huo Poyun.

His life on the Azure Cloud Continent profoundly influenced his character. The tragic death of Su Ling'er made him willing to cherish and protect, at all costs, any woman who treated him kindly. Likewise, having been an enemy to the world for an entire lifetime, he rarely truly accepted or trusted anyone, and consequently, had very few friends.

In the lower realm, the only true friends he had were Xia Yuanba and Ling Jie.

In the God Realm, it was only Huo Poyun.

His initial fondness for Huo Poyun stemmed from the latter's Golden Crow lineage. The Golden Crow Soul had bestowed great favors upon him multiple times, and he had no way to repay them before its dispersal. Furthermore, if Huo Poyun's character had been immoral, he certainly wouldn't have received the complete legacy of the God Realm's Golden Crow Soul.

Therefore, Huo Poyun was the only person Yun Che encountered in the God Realm whom he didn't immediately put his guard up against.

They met through battle, and from the Snow Song Realm to the Flame God Realm, they developed a mutual admiration and appreciation for each other. Later, they entered the Eternal Heaven together, and after that...

Yun Che shook his head repeatedly, forcing himself to stop thinking about these matters.

He could sense Huo Poyun's regret, and he had personally witnessed Huo Poyun instinctively shield him when facing Luo Guxie's power. He also believed that although Huo Poyun had changed significantly, his true nature remained unaltered. However, what was done was done; it could not be undone or changed.

Whether he had broken down or lost his mind, at least when he transmitted the message to Luo Changsheng, Huo Poyun had wanted him dead.

This was a rift that could never be erased.

Yun Che's reaction to all this seemed subdued, but the impact on him was far greater than it appeared on the surface.

Mu Feixue approached silently. Seeing Yun Che's somewhat lost demeanor, her lips parted slightly, but she ultimately said nothing, instead stating calmly, "Senior Brother Yun, Master is waiting for you."

"...Ah, I understand." Yun Che came back to his senses, nodding slightly. He took two steps, then suddenly stopped, turning to Mu Feixue and saying, "Junior Sister Feixue, you..."

Mu Feixue paused, a question in her eyes.

Yun Che stopped speaking, his expression shifting before he shook his head and smiled. "Never mind. I'll go see Master now."

Mu Feixue stood rooted to the spot, silently watching his retreating figure disappear from sight. As her gaze unfocused, her mind once again recalled the words Mu Bingyun had spoken to her.

Exhaling a turbulent breath, Yun Che suppressed his emotions and entered the Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall, arriving before Mu Xuanyin. "Master," he said.

Mu Xuanyin's mind was clear as a mirror. Without inquiring about Huo Poyun, she stated directly, "You just asked why Xia Qingyue became the Moon God Emperor. Before I tell you the complete answer, you'd best prepare yourself mentally. Don't let me see too unsightly a reaction."

Mu Xuanyin's words made Yun Che's heart clench. "What exactly happened?" he asked.

"The former Moon God Emperor, Yue Wuya, died three years ago," Mu Xuanyin stated plainly, revealing a fact known throughout the God Realm.

"Dead...?" Although he had a vague premonition, hearing Mu Xuanyin say it personally still greatly shocked Yun Che. "How did he die? Does a power truly exist in this world that can kill a God Emperor?"

Back then, Xia Qingyue had told him in the Escaping Moon Immortal Palace that Yue Wuya had received a divine prophecy predicting his death within five years. That grand wedding, which deceived the world, was one of the posthumous arrangements and last wishes he had prepared. Although Yue Wuya deeply believed in this prophecy, Yun Che had scoffed at it.

But he had actually died!

"Not only Yue Wuya," Mu Xuanyin continued, "but on the same day, several Star Gods, Moon Gods, Guardians, and Brahma Kings successively perished. The Star God Emperor, Eternal Heaven God Emperor, and Brahma Heaven God Emperor were all severely wounded. The Eternal Heaven God Emperor's torment by devilish energy is due to this."

Yun Che was dumbfounded.

"The Star God Realm suffered the most horrific devastation, with almost its entire domain destroyed. The surviving Star Gods and elders are currently residing in subordinate star realms. In other words, the Star God Realm now exists in name only."

"Is there... truly such power in the world?" Every word he heard profoundly shocked Yun Che. Had Mu Xuanyin not spoken them herself, he would have utterly refused to believe them. "Could it be related to the Crimson Disaster?" he wondered.

"No, it has nothing to do with the Crimson Disaster," Mu Xuanyin said, looking directly at him. "It has to do with you."

"...Me?" Yun Che pointed at himself, utterly bewildered.

Even with a hundred more brains, he couldn't have imagined how this unbelievable event could be connected to him in the slightest.

"Do you know who destroyed the Star God Realm, killed the Moon God Emperor, severely wounded the other three God Emperors, and slew a multitude of Star Gods and Moon Gods?"

"The Eternal Heaven God Emperor seemed to mention that the devilish energy on him came from... the 'Evil Infant'?" Yun Che mused.

"Then do you know who the 'Evil Infant' is?"

Yun Che shook his head. "Such terrifying power, and it uses dark profound energy. Did an extremely formidable devil suddenly appear in the Northern God Realm?"

"No, it has nothing to do with the Northern God Realm." Mu Xuanyin's voice lowered. "When I say 'Evil Infant,' what comes to your mind?"

Evil Infant... Yun Che frowned. A terrifying name suddenly flashed through his mind, and he blurted out, "Evil Infant's Annihilation of the World?!"

No matter how limited his knowledge was, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the name of the Demon Wheel of Annihilation.

"You're correct." Mu Xuanyin narrowed her eyes slightly, as if trying to discern something from his expression. "It was the power of the Evil Infant's Annihilation of the World that killed the Moon God Emperor, destroyed the Star God Realm, and cast a terrible shadow over the Eastern Divine Region. And the person wielding the Evil Infant's Annihilation of the World naturally became the embodiment of the 'Evil Infant.' However, judging by your reaction, you truly seem to be completely unaware of this."

Yun Che shook his head blankly. He was undoubtedly the person who had spent the longest and been closest to Jasmine, but he truly had no knowledge that the Evil Infant's Annihilation of the World was on her.

Jasmine had never told him, nor had she ever intended for anyone to know.

"Since that's the case, I'll tell you directly." Mu Xuanyin no longer elaborated, stating, "The one wielding the Evil Infant's Annihilation of the World, the 'Evil Infant' that the Eternal Heaven God Emperor spoke of, is none other than the Star God of Heavenly Slaughter!"

These four earth-shattering words struck Yun Che like a heavy blow to the face. His pupils instantly dilated, and he remained stunned for two full breaths before asking a question that would sound ridiculous to others: "Which... Star God of Heavenly Slaughter?"

"You don't need to deny or doubt yourself. It's the one who just popped into your mind, the one you believed to be long dead."

Yun Che was speechless.

Seeing Yun Che's face suddenly lose all expression, Mu Xuanyin knew exactly what he was thinking without needing to guess. She continued, "Three years ago, she did not die. Instead, after your death, she awakened the Evil Infant's Annihilation of the World within her, transforming into the Evil Infant and, in turn, burying the Star God Realm—which sought to take her life—into a hell of destruction!"

Yun Che stood there blankly, his mind feeling as if thousands of great bells and bolts of thunder were reverberating simultaneously, leaving him almost incapable of thought. After a long while, a full dozen breaths later, he finally managed to utter with great difficulty, "Jasmine... she... she... is... still... alive?"

He spoke these words with immense difficulty, his eyes unfocused and distant, as if his voice was coming from a dream.

Evil Infant, Star God Realm—none of it mattered. Only one piece of information wildly churned in his mind: Jasmine was not dead.

When he first went to the God Realm with Mu Bingyun, everyone around him knew he was going to find Jasmine. But after returning to the lower realm for three years, he had never once mentioned Jasmine, except when he reunited with Chu Yuechan.

Because it was a name he no longer dared to touch.

It was like a thorn embedded deep within his soul; the slightest touch would cause unbearable pain.

Yet, it was also a thorn he would never wish to remove, even if the pain intensified tenfold or a hundredfold.

Although he had died before Jasmine and had not witnessed the "sacrificial ceremony" or the moment Jasmine and Caizhi perished, in his understanding, their deaths were a foregone conclusion. A barrier and ritual infused with all the top-tier power of the Star God Realm could not possibly be altered by any force.

There wouldn't be even the slightest possibility.

"She's alive... She's alive... She's alive..." His pupils trembled, his lips quivered. One moment he was lost in thought, the next his breathing became ragged, and he roared, "Jasmine is really alive?!"

Faced with his undignified reaction, Mu Xuanyin frowned, about to reprimand him. But before the words left her mouth, a strange pang of pain struck her heart. She ultimately did not scold him, instead softening her voice slightly. "Yes, she's alive."

Clearly hearing Mu Xuanyin's confirmation, Yun Che's body swayed, staggering backward and nearly falling to the ground. He raised his hand and fiercely clutched his head, the tightening grip of his fingers conveying pain, assuring him he wasn't dreaming.

"Jasmine is alive... Jasmine... ha... haha... ah... haha... Hahahaha..." He muttered, shaking his head and chuckling foolishly. "Yes... she must be alive... Heaven couldn't be so cruel to her... Even someone like me, who should be in hell, didn't die... I should have known she had to be alive..."

Just by observing Yun Che's reaction at that moment, it was clear what the Star God of Heavenly Slaughter meant in his life. She said coldly, "Now that you know she's alive, what do you plan to do?"

Yun Che slowly lifted his head, steadying his chaotic breathing and emotions, trying to calm himself. Yet, the blood throughout his body still surged with immense frenzy. "Master, where is she... now?"

"No one knows her whereabouts," Mu Xuanyin replied. "However, there are rumors that she is most likely in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning."

"God Realm of Absolute Beginning..." Yun Che murmured the name softly. It was a place that had left a deep shadow in his memory; it was there that Qianye Ying'er had planted the Brahma Soul Death-Wanting Mark on him.

"Even if you knew her location, what then? Are you planning to go find her?" Mu Xuanyin's voice turned cold, and an invisible chill enveloped Yun Che, instantly stilling his restless aura and clearing his mind significantly. "While you acknowledge she's alive, you also need to use your head and think carefully about her current situation!"

Yun Che's gaze froze, then he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. For me, the fact that she's alive is already the best news in the world. Everything else is fine..."

"Naïve!" Mu Xuanyin scoffed. "In the eyes of the world, she is no longer the Star God of Heavenly Slaughter, but the Evil Infant!"

"The Evil Infant's Annihilation of the World is the Demon Wheel of Annihilation, and the Evil Infant is the most terrifying world-destroying devil spirit, responsible for the end of the Age of Gods! On the very first day the 'Evil Infant' appeared, it killed a God Emperor and annihilated a King Realm. Can you possibly imagine the terrifying shadow this cast over the God Realm?!"

Yun Che was silent.

"The God Realm most vehemently rejects dark profound energy, and the power of the Evil Infant is the pinnacle of dark profound energy. Coupled with the terrible shadow her appearance brought, as long as she remains undestroyed, the various God Regions will never truly feel at peace. For these past three years, all the King Realms from the three Divine Regions have been mobilized, even summoning upper, middle, and lower star realms to search different star regions, extending their search even to the lower realms! All for the purpose of finding traces of the Evil Infant, and once found, they will launch a full-scale siege."

"In other words, she is now an enemy to the entire world! Do you understand the meaning of those four words?"