Chapter 1534: Wan Nian Becomes a Demon

The hunt order for Yun Che spread widely across the Eastern Divine Region once again, then quickly extended to the Western Divine Region and Southern Divine Region.

By now, everyone in the three divine regions knew that Yun Che had become a demon and committed unforgivable, heinous sins. Furthermore, because he possessed the power of the Evil God, it was believed that if he were not eliminated soon, he would pose a grave threat in the future.

Suddenly, the overwhelming commotion effectively told everyone in the God Realm that eliminating the demon Yun Che was now the top priority, superseding all else.

As for what kind of monstrous sins he had actually committed... no King Realm seemed to mention it.

Moreover, not a single word was spread about the Devil Emperor's return or Yun Che saving the world... not a single word.

Not only the King Realms, but after clearly seeing the attitude of the various King Realms, the Upper Star Realms who knew the truth did not need to be reminded; all of them honestly chose silence.

Because what could now decide fate was no longer Jie Yuan and Yun Che, but the King Realms!

Among the King Realms, the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm exerted the greatest effort in the pursuit. In just one day, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor personally issued the Eternal Heaven's Voice six times. He had heavily depleted his vital blood when destroying the Crimson Ravine, lost half an arm when fighting Mu Xuanyin, and was then severely injured by Yun Che with Moon Slaughter Star God. Yet, he showed no intention of recuperating. Not only did he personally issue orders and make arrangements, but he also personally rushed to the scene upon hearing the slightest clue, seemingly unable to truly rest until he witnessed Yun Che's demise with his own eyes.

The rewards he offered were also extraordinarily exaggerated: those who provided clues would receive a large amount of divine crystals, and anyone who assisted in or personally captured or killed Yun Che would permanently become a disciple of the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm.

Even someone of the most common origin and lowest status could become a person of the King Realm overnight if they helped capture or eliminate Yun Che.

This temptation was undoubtedly as vast as the heavens, driving countless profound practitioners into a frenzy, especially those from the Lower and Middle Star Realms, who frantically searched everywhere, dreaming of stepping into a King Realm overnight.

It seemed they had completely forgotten that Yun Che, who had achieved the top rank in the Profound God Convention's Conferred God Battle, was once the pride of all Lower and Middle Star Realms.

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor's actions and determination to kill Yun Che were so resolute that they astonished everyone.

However, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor never revealed that terrifying prophecy to anyone, nor did he allow the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery to disclose it.

Eliminate Yun Che... for a very, very long time to come, these four words would be the most frequently heard across the lands of the God Realm.

Far to the east, on a barren and desolate lower realm planet, life was almost nonexistent.

A man sat curled on the dry ground, his white robes stained with crimson blood that had long since dried, yet he seemed oblivious. In his arms, he held a woman in snow-white robes. However, the Ice Phoenix crest on her snow-white attire, which symbolized the highest status in the Snow Song Realm, had been completely dyed red with blood.

He held the woman tightly, his eyes hollow and unmoving, like a lifeless statue, like a painting of sorrow and desolation.

This world was barren and quiet; no one would disturb them. Time flowed silently, and it was unknown how long had passed—perhaps a few hours, perhaps a few days, perhaps a few years.

Until, a dry wind began to blow, spreading layers of dust across this bleak and sorrowful tableau.

He Ling appeared. She gently knelt beside Yun Che, extending her hand, but slowly withdrew it just as she was about to touch the corner of his robe.

She had clearly witnessed everything that had happened in these past days: how he went from a world-saving hero, a Divine Son praised by all, only to have everything stripped away overnight after accomplishing salvation, becoming a demon hunted by the entire realm.

How ironic, how tragic.

She was the closest to Yun Che's soul; that pain, that desolation, that despair... merely touching a fraction of it caused her soul to ache as if tearing apart.

In the world of the Wood Spirits, this world had always been cruel.

Especially for He Ling... her parents and kin had all died due to the greed of other races. Even her last family member, He Lin, her last glimmer of hope, had left forever, and she hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye.

She had thought there could be nothing more cruel, more despairing in the world than that. But...

“Master,” she said softly, “let Mu Xuanyin rest in peace.”

“...” Yun Che remained unresponsive.

He Ling said nothing more, quietly accompanying him.

Back then, Shen Xi had told her more than once that Yun Che was a very special person. If other profound practitioners possessed Yun Che's talent and opportunities, they would undoubtedly develop increasingly powerful desires and ambitions. But he was different; during his time in the Forbidden Land of Samsara, what she felt most strongly from him was his concern for others.

His regard for affection and loyalty far surpassed his pursuit of profound power, indeed, it vastly outweighed it.

Even when he gained fame in the God Realm, he showed not the slightest inclination to abandon the lower realms, rejecting all olive branches extended by the King Realms, because his home was in the lower realms, and he would not stay.

And even his arrival in the God Realm was not for the pursuit of higher realms, but merely to find the person he deeply cared for.

Yes, even as the Divine Son who saved the world, even interacting with the various God Emperors as equals, what mattered most to him remained his family, his wife and daughter, his confidantes.

It was also for this reason that the Heaven Smiting Star God was willing to transform into an Evil Infant for him, willing to return to the lower realms with him forever; Mu Xuanyin was willing to abandon the Snow Song Realm for him, willing to sacrifice herself for him.

But this was not the reward he sought.

In the years He Ling had been connected to Yun Che's life, the Yun Che she saw was precisely the person Shen Xi had described.

But now, everything that was most important to him in his life was gone.

All of it.

Drip...

A cold droplet of water fell, landing on He Ling's cheek, causing her to look up at the sky, which had darkened imperceptibly.

More droplets fell, and this perpetually barren world suddenly began to rain, steadily growing heavier until it poured down in torrents.

The torrential rain soaked the woman's snow-white robes, drenching her long hair that no longer held any icy gleam. The man remained motionless, like a husk completely devoid of soul and sensation.

“Master,” He Ling's choked voice rose from amidst the rain, “Mu Xuanyin was always someone who cared deeply about her appearance, never wanting a single strand of her hair to be out of place... especially in front of you, so... so...”

“...” Yun Che's dim eyes trembled slightly, and the hands tightly embracing Mu Xuanyin quivered silently. Slowly, Mu Xuanyin's figure appeared in his long-faded gaze.

Even without any life aura, she was still as beautiful as an unsullied goddess from a painting, a sight that would forever engrave itself in anyone's memory, never to be forgotten.

Master...

No, she wasn't just his Master...

Not the Snow Song Realm King...

She was the one who expelled him from her sect, sacrificed her life and the Snow Song Realm for him... completely and entirely, without any interference from others' wills, she was his Mu Xuanyin.

Yet, why was this beautiful possession so fleeting? Like a bubble that burst forth with vibrant colors only to vanish in an instant.

He propped up his upper body, his movements incredibly slow and stiff, like a puppet with cut strings.

A faint profound light flickered, and a crystal coffin emitting a weak glow appeared before him: the Eternal Pivot where Hong’er had once slumbered.

The raindrops grew fiercer and more chaotic, his wet hair plastered to his face, obscuring his vision, yet he felt no sensation of the rain's temperature. He knelt, gently and slowly placing Mu Xuanyin's body into the Eternal Pivot.

His hands trembled as he pressed down, releasing a pale profound light of purity, cleansing all the bloodstains and impurities from her body, removing all traces of rain and dampness.

His arm lifted again, and with a soft click, the Eternal Pivot slowly closed... mirroring Yun Che's sealed heart and soul.

“For the Heaven Smiting Star God, you knew you would die, you knew you couldn't save her at all, yet you went alone to the Star God Realm, exchanging your death for power to bury you with them—how majestic, how profoundly moving!”

“Hah! You died a swift and tragic death, died with deep devotion, worthy of your Heaven Smiting Star God! But... do you know how many people poured their hearts and souls, risked immense danger, and even nearly sacrificed the future of their entire Star Realm to give you a chance to survive in the Dragon God Realm, only for you to knowingly walk towards death... Are you worthy of them?! Are you worthy of yourself?! Are you worthy of your wives, concubines, and family waiting for your return in the lower realms?!”

“Besides the Heaven Smiting Star God, who else are you worthy of?!”

“Don't call me Master... I took you as my disciple, allowed you to use the Frozen Cloud Asgard, gave you the best resources in the entire realm, personally guided your cultivation day and night, forsaking everything in the sect to help you reach the Divine Tribulation Realm as quickly as possible... Is this your repayment to me, to the Snow Song Realm?!”

“I, Mu Xuanyin, do not have such a foolish disciple as you!”

That was the harshest Mu Xuanyin had ever scolded him. He dared not forget her gaze, her fury, and every single reprimand from that day.

But why... why did you...?

As a Master, you committed the same... no, an even more foolish, more grievous mistake than your disciple...

Another flash of profound light, and he brought the Eternal Pivot into the Primordial Profound Ark. He knew that Mu Xuanyin loved blue the most; in the world of the Primordial Profound Ark, she could face the boundless azure sky... instead of the eternal dark green within the Sky Poison Pearl's world.

With Mu Xuanyin's presence gone from his eyes, in that instant, his pupils, his entire world, suddenly became utterly hollow.

He shifted his feet, walking forward into the torrential rain, his steps stiff and slow like an old man in his twilight years, his eyes dim, unable to perceive a single ray of light. He didn't know where he was, where he should go, where he could go, or where his future lay.

He only knew that he couldn't die, because his life had been exchanged for by Mu Xuanyin's own, because this was her last wish.

But why was living so agonizing... so despairing...?

“Master... Master!”

He Ling followed closely behind him, calling out repeatedly, but he showed not the slightest reaction.

With a soft thud, a protruding stone tripped his toe, sending him heavily stumbling to the ground.

His arm slammed onto the ground in a twisted posture, hitting a hard stone that had swung from his neck... the Sound-Transmitting Stone he always wore around his neck and never dared to remove.

“Daddy, Wuxin misses you.”

Through the chaotic, icy curtain of rain, the sweet, soft voice of a young girl echoed.

Yun Che's prostrate body suddenly froze there, his dim eyes and rigid frame trembling wildly... convulsing...

“Ah... urgh...” He sounded as if his throat was being tightly squeezed, emitting an incredibly painful and hoarse sound.

“Urgh... urgh ah... ahhh... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

Like a fiend whose soul had shattered and completely collapsed, he wailed, screaming in despair... He slammed his head frantically against the ground, his arms wildly pounding his skull...

“Urgh ahhhhh!”

“Ahhh... ahhh...”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—”

Each wail was more piercing than the last, his throat seemingly completely torn. It was impossible to imagine what kind of pain could make a person cry out more miserably than a fiend. Large patches of blood spread from beneath his head and arms, yet he felt no pain whatsoever, desperately smashing against the ground, pounding his skull...

Tears he thought had long run dry streamed out wildly, the pouring rain and splashing blood unable to wash them away fast enough...

He Ling did not move forward, did not intervene. She closed her eyes, tears silently falling.

After an unknown period, his wailing finally ceased. His body lay prostrate on the ground for a long time... unmoving.

The torrential rain continued to pour from the sky, washing away the bloodstains on Yun Che's body.

A long time passed again, yet he remained motionless.

His homeland, family, kin, wife, daughter, confidantes, sect, friends, reputation, status, glory...

Everything he had cherished most, everything most important in his life... all gone.

And with it, all his concern, warmth, hope, and affection were taken away...

“Ma...ster?” He Ling called out softly, unable to hold back any longer, hastily trying to move forward.

But as she took a step, she suddenly froze... then, her feet involuntarily recoiled, an inexpressible coldness, suppression, and fear assailing her soul.

“Heh heh... heh heh heh...”

An incredibly deep, hoarse laugh echoed, as if from the deepest depths of a distant purgatory... From the pool of blood, the long-motionless body slowly rose, accompanied by a gradually spreading... then wildly surging surge of dense black energy.

“Heh heh... heh heh heh... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...”

His contorted fingers clenched tightly onto his face, and even through his palms, one could seemingly see how terrifyingly distorted his features were beneath. Black energy swirled chaotically around him, like countless bloodthirsty fiends dancing madly.

“No... I am not utterly devoid of everything...”

He uttered an incredibly deep and dark voice. Though it came from the most familiar person, it brought He Ling only a sense of strangeness and heart-pounding fear: “I still have my life... I... still... have... HATRED!!”

“Heh heh heh... ah... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

CRACK!!

A bolt of lightning struck without warning, and a dark shadow rose behind Yun Che in the brilliant purple light... The lightning flashed and vanished, but the dark shadow did not disappear. Instead, it twisted hideously with Yun Che's maniacal laughter, like a violent demon god long imprisoned, finally set free.

“...” He Ling stared fixedly for a long time... She then walked forward and gently embraced Yun Che, leaning her body and head fully against him, allowing her emerald eyes to be tainted by the surging black radiance on his body, deepening into profound darkness.