Chapter 1438: Close-Range Demon Emperor

Yun Che's words made the Ice Phoenix God Spirit fall silent for a moment, then she slowly said, "The current world belongs to mortal beings. The state and laws of chaos are completely different from my era... This is a world that doesn't need gods and shouldn't have gods."

"Therefore, a long time ago, I thought about bestowing my remaining power upon a mortal in this star realm who could inherit it... and the one I chose was your master."

Yun Che was speechless.

"As an Ice Phoenix, I was one of the three ancient water-element supreme beings, a high-ranking god with the privilege of being near the Creation Gods. However, since I belong to the demon race, my power doesn't perfectly align with humans, making it difficult for those who inherit my bloodline and profound arts to reach the ultimate realm... the Divine Master Realm. Yet, your master is the first Divine Master in the history of the Snow Song Realm. Do you know why?"

Yun Che thought for a moment and said, "I once heard Palace Master Bingyun, who brought me to the God Realm, say that my master possesses a special 'Ice Phoenix Divine Soul'... Was that bestowed by you?"

"Precisely," the Ice Phoenix maiden replied. "I chose her when she was still a young girl, secretly giving her a portion of my divine soul. As she grew and cultivated, the power within the soul slowly merged with her, gradually helping her break through to the Divine Master Realm and become the first Divine Master Realm King of the Snow Song Realm."

"...So that's how it is," Yun Che murmured.

"Although my divine soul wouldn't harm her, its level was too high for her. Merging the divine power within it would be incredibly difficult and lengthy. For ten thousand years, she had only managed to integrate about twenty percent of the divine power. Originally, it would have taken at least another thirty thousand years to fully merge."

"However, you greatly accelerated this process."

"Huh?" Just as Yun Che was about to ask a question, he suddenly realized something. His voice faltered, and his expression became awkward and strange. "This... well, about this matter... I actually don't know anything..."

"Your Evil God's aura, as well as your Dragon God's aura, both surpass my divine soul in terms of level. Your yin-yang union with her imbued her body with a trace of the Evil God's aura, removing virtually all obstacles to her body's fusion with the divine soul I bestowed. This also allowed her power to grow rapidly in a short period."

Yun Che clearly wanted to stop the conversation about this topic, but the Ice Phoenix maiden ignored his awkward expression and spoke directly. Fortunately, her tone was exceptionally calm and unruffled, which at least prevented Yun Che from looking overly flustered.

"I was also forced... I didn't mean to," Yun Che said, feeling more awkward the more he tried to explain. He quickly changed the subject. "So, Master knew about your existence a long time ago?"

"She did know of my existence, but she never saw me," the Ice Phoenix maiden replied. "You are the only human who has seen me."

"I had originally planned to dissipate after gradually bestowing my power upon her. However, at that very moment, I suddenly had an unsettling premonition. So, I allowed myself to continue existing... until I sensed that terrifying aura, and your arrival."

"At that time, the Evil God's aura on you astonished me, and your memories allowed me to see many secrets unknown even in ancient times. Perhaps my continued existence was also Heaven's arrangement."

Indeed, most of the truths she spoke to Yun Che had, in fact, originated from Yun Che himself.

Yun Che's memories, combined with her own knowledge, allowed her to see one terrifying or astonishing ancient secret after another.

"This... is this the secret you mentioned about my master?" Yun Che asked, his face showing suspicion.

The last time the Ice Phoenix maiden had brought it up, she had hesitated, almost speaking but then holding back. What she had just stated—that Mu Xuanyin possessed the Ice Phoenix Divine Soul—Mu Bingyun had actually told him many years ago, and of her own accord.

If it was considered a secret, it was a very tenuous one.

The Ice Phoenix maiden's demeanor the previous time clearly indicated something she found difficult to articulate, ultimately leading her to choose silence.

The Ice Phoenix maiden fell silent, not responding immediately. After a long while, she finally spoke softly, "Never mind. After much consideration, it's better not to tell you about this. The relationship between you and her is currently in its best state; telling you would be of no benefit and would only create unnecessary 'obstacles'."

Yun Che frowned. The Ice Phoenix maiden's words were exceptionally cryptic, and because it concerned Mu Xuanyin, he was particularly eager to know. He pressed her, "What do you mean? Is there something important Master is deliberately hiding from me?"

"No, it's something she doesn't know about, nor is it something she can control," the Ice Phoenix maiden said. She sensed Yun Che's urgency—an exceptionally strong urgency—and she had a faint inkling of what that urgency implied.

With a slight shift in her icy aura, she murmured, "This is a secret that, if revealed, would only cause negative psychological effects. It's better you don't know... and there's simply no need for you to know."

"No," Yun Che still shook his head. "If it concerns Master, I must know!"

The Ice Phoenix maiden sighed softly. "Alright. However, I will give you time to think and be rational. After you face the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, if you still insist on knowing this secret, I will tell you everything before I dissipate."

Yun Che was about to say something more, but he heard the Ice Phoenix maiden continue, "You won't have to wait long, because that day is very, very near."

"Very near!?" Yun Che's attention was immediately diverted, and he asked in a deep voice, "How near is 'very near'? Since you can clearly sense the aura of the 'Universe Piercer,' can you estimate the approximate time when the Wall of Primordial Chaos will be completely broken?"

After a few breaths of chilling silence, the Ice Phoenix maiden gave her answer: "Within a month."

"!!" Those five short words made Yun Che's eyes tremble violently.

Within a month...!

This was a terrifyingly short amount of time.

"Within a month? How could it be... so fast?" Yun Che gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Unless the power of the Universe Piercer suddenly wanes significantly, the Wall of Primordial Chaos will inevitably collapse within a month. Your return is quite timely."

Yun Che was speechless.

"That star realm named the Eternal Heaven Realm will also surely take action soon."

The Ice Phoenix maiden's words startled Yun Che, and he immediately said, "Right! I just met the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor. The Eternal Heaven Realm has already opened a dimensional formation leading to the eastern extremity of Primordial Chaos and will soon convene the Eternal Heaven Grand Assembly to respond to the Crimson Calamity, forcing all Divine Masters in the Eastern Divine Region to participate."

All Divine Masters...

Hearing this earlier, he had been deeply shocked.

But thinking that they were to face the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor... let alone all the Divine Masters of the Eastern Divine Region, even all the Divine Masters of the entire God Realm combined would be nothing more than a swarm of grasshoppers that could be casually crushed by a Devil Emperor.

But what else could they do?

It was no wonder that when speaking of "the truth," a figure like the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor would reveal such pessimism and despair... almost hopelessness.

Wait a minute!? How would the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor know the truth?

That's right! It's the Eternal Heaven Pearl!

The Ice Phoenix God Spirit had said that only she and the Four Creation Gods knew the secret that the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor were husband and wife... naturally, this included the Creation God of Order, Xi Ke.

The Eternal Heaven Pearl's owner in ancient times was Xi Ke, so it was only logical that its artifact spirit would know!

And since the Ice Phoenix God Spirit could sense the aura of the Universe Piercer, there was no reason the Eternal Heaven Pearl couldn't.

The aura of the Universe Piercer, combined with the secret that the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor were husband and wife, naturally led to the terrifying truth: "The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor survived in the outer chaos because of the Evil God's Universe Piercer and will return!"

Thinking of the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor's colorless gaze when he mentioned the "Eternal Heaven Grand Assembly," Yun Che let out a deep breath... Facing a Devil Emperor returned to the world, even the highest existing beings in this era could only feel powerless.

This Eternal Heaven Grand Assembly felt more like a desperate, dying struggle from those unwilling to simply wait for their demise... a struggle born of extreme powerlessness.

"I just received the qualification to go to the Eternal Heaven Realm from the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor," Yun Che said, his brows furrowed. "I will go to the Eternal Heaven Realm with Master as soon as possible. I will stay there until the Wall of Primordial Chaos breaks open."

"Everything is entrusted to you. May you become the eternal glory of the human race, and may the great will of the Evil God radiate divine light that saves the world."

Carrying the Ice Phoenix God Spirit's hopes, and the mission and burden of "saving the world," Yun Che bid farewell to the Ice Phoenix and rose to the surface of the water.

His body emerged from the pond, but Yun Che did not leave immediately. He stood within the frigid air at the center of the Heavenly Pond, closing his eyes and remaining silent for a long time.

Everything he had learned from the Ice Phoenix was simply too overwhelming for him.

"He Ling," he said softly, "My life is still very short, yet it's been 'exciting' to an excessive degree."

"Master, please don't worry too much," He Ling gently comforted him. "Just as you said yourself, even if you fail, you can still protect yourself and those around you."

"...What about Hong'er?"

"She secretly ate a lot of purple crystals just now and is currently sleeping," He Ling replied softly.

"She secretly ate again!" Yun Che's eyes widened, but then he thought of her identity... the daughter of the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor. His mouth twitched violently. "Never mind, it's just purple crystals. Tell her she doesn't have to sneak around anymore; she can eat them freely! And the swords too, no need to hide them; let her eat as much as she wants."

"In short, try to keep her happy recently, phew..."

Yun Che used to think Hong'er was a demanding little ancestor because she would throw tantrums if things didn't go her way and required constant pampering.

Now he realized she was more than just a demanding little ancestor... she was practically a super-grand ancestor! The daughter of a Creation God and a Devil Emperor!

Using the daughter of a Creation God and a Devil Emperor as a sword spirit... he wondered if the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor would slap him into dust on the spot if she found out.

Uh... probably not, after all, their lives were still linked.

"Hong'er is always carefree; as long as she's full and well-rested, she's happy at any time," He Ling said. "But Master, I feel your heart is very heavy. Are you worried... that things won't go as you wish?"

Yun Che's mouth twitched, but he found it truly difficult to smile. He quietly said, "Even if everything unfolds in the best possible way and yields the best outcome... what then?"

He Ling: "Huh?"

"The Ice Phoenix God Spirit repeatedly mentioned that the current Primordial Chaos is a world that doesn't need gods and shouldn't have them," Yun Che said, gazing into the distance with a heavy heart. "Under the existing state and laws of Primordial Chaos, if a Devil Emperor suddenly appears, even if she doesn't bring disaster to the world, will the world truly be at peace?"

"In ancient times, the sudden appearance of a Devil Emperor's aura certainly wouldn't have caused chaos in the world. But... you've seen the current state of the Azure Cloud Continent and the Snow Song Realm, and that was merely due to a slight overflow of the Devil Emperor's aura, which could affect the current world to such an extent."

"It's conceivable that the current Primordial Chaos simply cannot withstand an aura at the Devil Emperor's level. The very existence of a Devil Emperor is already a disaster. Given enough time, the existing order and laws might even collapse... In other words, even the best outcome would still be an unpredictable disaster."

"Master..." He Ling murmured softly. "But at least, Master can minimize the disaster. If you succeed, you will still be the savior of the world."

Yun Che shook his head and said, "I haven't truly faced the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor yet, so it's not time to think about what comes after. My greatest hope now is that the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, who was so deeply loved by the Evil God, will be a 'devil' with a truly benevolent nature."

Flying out of the Heavenly Pond, Yun Che prepared to leave. But as he turned, a peculiar glimmer suddenly flashed in the corner of his eye.

Yun Che paused, instinctively turning his gaze to a corner of the Profound Cold Heavenly Pond. "What is that?"