Chapter 1503: Reentering the Void

The God Realm was indeed not suitable for Xia Yuanba at this time. Moreover, with the impending return of the Devil God, the God Realm faced too many uncertainties, and he would not allow Xia Yuanba to go there now.

Two years... that would be a temporary arrangement.

Soon after Xia Yuanba departed, another individual approached him, calling out from a distance, “Brother Yun, it’s been a long time! It’s truly hard to get an audience with you.”

The newcomer possessed a heroic aura, a resolute and handsome face, and an extraordinary demeanor. It was none other than Su Zhizhan, the young master of the Su family, one of the Twelve Guardian Families of the Illusory Demon Realm. Back then, he had fought alongside Yun Che against Duke Huai’s forces, and was the person Yun Che was closest to among the younger generation of the Twelve Guardian Families.

“Brother Zhizhan, I can’t believe even you came,” Yun Che said, a mix of amusement and exasperation in his tone.

“Haha,” Su Zhizhan descended from the air with a hearty laugh. “If it weren’t for Senior Xiao, there would be no Brother Yun as we knew him back then. Senior Xiao is a great benefactor to our entire Illusory Demon Realm, and as a guardian of the Illusory Demon Royal Family, how could I not come?”

Yun Che eyed him from head to toe. “Judging by your appearance, you must have something else in mind besides congratulating my grandfather on his birthday, right?”

“Nothing escapes you, Brother Yun,” Su Zhizhan said, his smile becoming a touch more reserved. “I hear your esteemed daughter will be fifteen in a few months, which means she’ll be of marriageable age in just over a year.”

“My son, Hanlou, just turned eighteen. His talent among the younger generation in the Illusory Demon Realm is unparalleled, and he is destined to become the head of the Su family. Our family places immense importance on his marriage, and suitable candidates are hard to find. However, both my grandfather and father hold your esteemed daughter in the highest regard. If she could…”

“The Su family wants to form a marriage alliance with my Yun family and marry my daughter?” Yun Che asked calmly, his expression unreadable.

“Precisely,” Su Zhizhan nodded. He and Yun Che were kindred spirits, and the Yun and Su families were closely intertwined, a perfect match in status. Others might lack the confidence to propose to Yun Che, but the Su family was undoubtedly the most suitable.

“Hmm…” Yun Che nodded, then slowly raised his arm, pointing behind Su Zhizhan. “Get… the… hell… out of here!”

“This…” Su Zhizhan had anticipated a polite refusal from Yun Che, but this was an entirely different response. He was about to say more when he suddenly felt a chilling… killing intent emanating from Yun Che!

Yun Che’s killing intent was far from ordinary. Su Zhizhan, who had always been arrogant and fearless, instinctively recoiled, his voice trembling: “S-since that’s the case, then we can discuss this matter later.”

“Discuss it with your grandmother! Now get out!” Yun Che growled.

“…I’ll go pay my respects to Senior Xiao first.”

Su Zhizhan took a step back, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“Wait,” Yun Che suddenly called out, stopping him. Su Zhizhan thought there might be a change of heart, but then he heard Yun Che slowly say: “Brother Zhizhan, please do me a favor and spread a message in Demon Imperial City: from now on, anyone who dares to come here to propose marriage, I will personally break their legs!”

Su Zhizhan fled in disarray.

A soft giggle…

With a soft giggle, Xiao Lingxi walked over to Yun Che. “You and Young Master Su have such a good relationship,” she said with a smile, “He was only here to propose. Why are you so angry?”

“Hmph! How dare he set his sights on my daughter! I’m only sparing his legs out of respect for our friendship,” Yun Che gritted his teeth, as if his most sensitive spot had been touched.

“In Demon Imperial City, the Yun family and the Su family are considered the most well-matched,” Xiao Lingxi said. Indeed, on the Blue Pole Star, the Su family was one of the very few that could be considered a suitable match for Yun Wuxin.

“Match in status, my foot! That little brat from the Su family wants to marry my daughter? Dream on!” Yun Che scoffed.

Wuxin had only returned to his side a few years ago, and now someone wanted to marry her off? Even though it hadn’t actually happened, the mere thought of it filled him with irrational anger.

Seeing Yun Che gritting his teeth, Xiao Lingxi once again covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“Not just me, but Yuechan, and my parents would never agree either,” Yun Che muttered sullenly. He looked at Xiao Lingxi, his gaze suddenly sharpening. He then subtly transmitted a message: “Ying’er, retreat five hundred *li* away and do not perceive any aura within the Xiao Sect’s vicinity.”

Qianye Ying’er’s aura instantly vanished into the distance.

“Lingxi, I want to show you something.”

He took Xiao Lingxi’s hand, led her into the room, swiftly set up an isolation barrier, and then retrieved the stone tablet he had acquired from Qianye Ying’er.

The stone tablet inscribed with the World-Defying Heaven Manual!

The moment the stone tablet was produced, even before Yun Che had infused any profound energy into it, a silver light suddenly shimmered from its surface. It was several times brighter and more intense than the light Qianye Ying’er had previously elicited by infusing her profound energy.

While Yun Che was momentarily stunned, the silver light detached itself from the stone tablet and floated into the air, then drifted about, rapidly forming a strange set of characters.

Yun Che remained silent for a long moment, his heart pounding violently.

Years ago, the mysterious black jade from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had shown no reaction despite all his attempts to probe it. Yet, when Xiao Lingxi approached, it suddenly reacted violently, releasing a peculiar light that then coalesced into strange, floating characters.

This stone tablet was no different!

What was going on!?

Xiao Lingxi’s gaze was captivated by the floating alien script, and she didn’t notice Yun Che’s reaction. Her lips parted as she murmured, “It’s that script again… Little Che, do you know what these characters are now?”

“Yes,” Yun Che nodded. “This script is called Primordial God Text. Does that name ring a bell?”

“Primordial God Text?” Xiao Lingxi shook her head, quite certain. “No, it sounds like a very ancient script.”

Her beautiful eyes turned back to him, and she asked expectantly, “Little Che, since you know the name of this script, do you also know why I can recognize it?”

“It’s very simple,” Yun Che said with a faint smile. “Just as I told you last time, this script is called ‘God Text’ because it possesses its own spiritual nature, and it only allows those with whom it shares a fated connection to interpret it. The fact that you can recognize it, Lingxi, means you’ve gained its recognition.”

“So that’s really how it is,” Xiao Lingxi murmured, her confusion dissipating. Yun Che had been to the God Realm and seen the wider world, so he naturally knew many things she didn’t. Though the explanation of ‘script possessing spiritual nature’ was profound, coming from Yun Che, she had not a shred of doubt.

While Yun Che’s gaze was calm and a smile played on his lips as he explained, in truth, his heart was pounding uncontrollably.

The Primordial God Text, which inscribed the Ancestral God Art, the “World-Defying Heaven Manual,” was known only to the Four Creation Gods and Four Devil Emperors. This was not merely a record from the God Realm, but a statement from Jie Yuan herself—spoken with absolute certainty, brooking no doubt. Even a paramount figure in the God Realm like Qianye Ying’er, who commanded the vast Brahma Heaven God Realm, was utterly unable to decipher the stone tablet inscribed with the World-Defying Heaven Manual when she obtained it.

Why, then, could Xiao Lingxi recognize the Primordial God Text!?

Could she be the reincarnation of a Creation God or a Devil Emperor!?

However, all records from the God Realm concerning the ancient era stated that all gods and devils had perished, body and soul, making reincarnation impossible. There had never been any mention of the reincarnation of true gods or devils in the God Realm. Jie Yuan had also never attempted to find the reincarnation of the Evil God, indicating that even in the Devil Emperor’s understanding, such a concept simply did not exist. Even if reincarnation truly existed, there was no reason for one to retain past knowledge.

Yun Che’s explanation to Xiao Lingxi was to prevent her from feeling unnecessary doubt or unease. Yet, it was also, in a way, him forcefully trying to reassure himself.

Perhaps… it truly was just that the Primordial God Text and Lingxi shared a fated connection… it had to be like that…

“Little Che, would you like me to read it to you?” Xiao Lingxi’s voice broke through Yun Che’s chaotic thoughts.

“Ah… yes,” Yun Che nodded.

As an Ancestral God Art that even Creation Gods and Devil Emperors could not grasp, it would be an outright lie to say Yun Che wasn't interested. Furthermore, the “void” state he had suddenly entered during the period when he was reborn with a crippled body had always remained a profound mystery to him.

Xiao Lingxi softly acknowledged, then looked upwards. Her lips moved slightly as she slowly began to read aloud: “Kun has no stillness, Qian gives birth to thought, meaning seizes what is vital, emotions are deeply troubled, dreams are not dreams, yet dreams they are, faintly there is your illusion…”

As Xiao Lingxi slowly read, Yun Che listened in silence. He utterly failed to recognize the floating Primordial God Text, and though Xiao Lingxi was interpreting it, he still couldn’t comprehend its meaning at all, just like before. But, imperceptibly, in Yun Che’s subconscious, Xiao Lingxi’s soft voice seemed to drift farther and farther away, growing more lingering and ethereal…

He involuntarily closed his eyes. The voice in his ears remained utterly incomprehensible, yet before his eyes and all around him, a strange world silently unfolded.

This world was utterly empty, devoid of any tangible existence, no sound, no light, no aura… He couldn’t even perceive his own existence. It was a profound and simultaneously illusory sense of “nothingness.”

This eerie void world was not his first encounter. During the period when his body was crippled, his consciousness had suddenly sunk into this world… It seemed like a peculiar state of enlightenment that occurred without profound energy, yet he hadn't grasped anything from it. Neither his mind nor his body showed any change. At least, that was his own perception.

Within the world of nothingness, a ethereal figure now appeared. It was a female figure, dreamlike and ethereal, the very same peculiar figure that had appeared in this strange world last time. She seemed to be gazing at Yun Che, and her voice resonated within Yun Che’s mental world:

“To enter this world once more, it seems you have touched upon a deeper level of the Law of Nothingness.”

Yun Che found himself unable to utter a sound.

“What is illusion, what is reality? Sometimes, illusion is illusion, and reality is reality. Other times, illusion is reality, and reality is merely an illusion. Having touched upon the Law of Nothingness, perhaps you can now perceive more ‘truth’.”

“It is merely a pity…”

The voice abruptly faded, and the empty world dissipated without a trace.

Yun Che opened his eyes, his gaze clouded with confusion.

“Ah?” Xiao Lingxi’s surprised exclamation reached his ears. She rushed to his side. “Little Che, you’re finally awake.”

“Oh,” Yun Che quickly regained his composure. “I think I suddenly entered a state of enlightenment just now.”

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed another person present. Turning his head, he saw Su Ling’er standing nearby, smiling at him. He blinked in surprise. “Ling’er, when did you get here?” he asked.

“Hehe, it’s all because Sister Lingxi was so worried about you, she kept dragging me along to stay by your side,” Su Ling’er said as she approached, asking casually, “What did you comprehend this time?”

Yun Che furrowed his brow and shook his head. “Nothing at all,” he replied.

A state of enlightenment is something one encounters by chance, not by seeking. When a profound practitioner enters such a state, they are bound to gain deeper understanding and progress in their profound energy or profound arts. However, during Yun Che’s two experiences with enlightenment, he didn’t feel he had comprehended anything at all… he only vaguely recalled the empty world and the ethereal, strange female voice.

That voice said he had taken another step closer to the “Law of Nothingness.”

But why did he feel no sense of comprehension whatsoever? He didn’t even know what the Law of Nothingness truly was. Could it be that the Law of Nothingness itself was nothingness?

It was then that Yun Che suddenly noticed something. Before asking Xiao Lingxi to interpret the stone tablet inscribed with the World-Defying Heaven Manual, he had specifically set up an isolation barrier. With his profound energy, it was impossible for anyone on this planet to break it, and without his command, Qianye Ying’er would certainly not interfere with a barrier he had personally erected.

Yet Su Ling’er was here.

Unless the barrier had naturally dispersed after seven days.

Yun Che suddenly jolted and urgently asked, “How long was I in this state?”

“It’s already been over half a month,” Su Ling’er replied.

“What!?” Yun Che exclaimed, leaping to his feet in shock.

It was common for profound practitioners to remain in enlightenment for several years; at the God Realm level, a single enlightenment lasting decades or even centuries was not unusual. While it was difficult to precisely perceive the flow of time in a state of enlightenment, one could usually get a rough estimate. Yet, Yun Che, who had plunged into the “void world,” distinctly felt that no more than ten breaths had passed!

The last time he saw Jie Yuan, she had told him to find her in a month, and she would reveal an “answer” to him. The time he had spent on the Blue Pole Star, combined with this sudden, inexplicable enlightenment of over half a month, had already exceeded roughly one month! This was a deadline set by Jie Yuan, and it concerned the fate of the entire Primal Chaos. If he was late, the consequences would be dire!

Yun Che felt as if his backside were on fire. He urgently said, “I must go to the Azure Cloud Continent immediately. I don’t know what will happen after that, and I might not be able to return for a while… Please say goodbye to my grandfather and Wuxin for me.”

With that, he disregarded everything else, transformed into a swift shadow, and disappeared into the distance.

“Ah, Little Che!” Xiao Lingxi called out softly, but Yun Che was already instantly gone.

“It seems there truly is something urgent,” Su Ling’er murmured. “I’ll go inform the other sisters.”

As her words fell, she received no reply from Xiao Lingxi. Su Ling’er turned her beautiful eyes and found Xiao Lingxi staring blankly in the direction Yun Che had departed, appearing utterly lost.

The world before her eyes suddenly dissolved into darkness. A terrifyingly deep, boundless, and utterly pure darkness. More than a world of darkness, it resembled a bottomless, black abyss. Yun Che’s figure gradually receded into the gloom, as if falling into an abyss… growing farther and deeper… until his entire form was completely swallowed by the darkness.

“Sister Lingxi!?”

“Ah?” The shout right by her ear jolted Xiao Lingxi back to reality.

“Are you… alright?” Su Ling’er asked, looking at her with concern.

The world in her vision had returned to normal, the inexplicable dark abyss seemingly just a fleeting hallucination. Xiao Lingxi shook her head, smiling, “It’s nothing, my eyes just seemed to blur for a moment.”

“Hehe, honestly,” Su Ling’er chuckled. “Every time Brother Yun Che leaves, you get so distracted. You might as well just stick to him.”

Xiao Lingxi lowered her head and pressed her lips together, but she didn’t laugh. For some reason, her heartbeat had become erratic, and an inexplicable sense of unease surged through her entire body.