Chapter 1547: Stepping Stone

“Ah!” Yun Che’s words violently shook Oriental Hanwei’s heart. She lowered her head, biting her lip, her delicate body trembling, unsure if it was fear or sorrow.

Was this moment finally upon her?

She knew her own beauty, and she also knew that if Yun Che were to make such a demand, she would absolutely have no ability or right to refuse. Furthermore, as long as he was willing to save the East Han Nation, she would be willing to give anything… This was the promise she had personally made.

Her countenance drastically changed, but she showed no resistance, either in words or actions. She softly replied, “Yes,” stood up, and her slightly trembling fingers reached for her sash.

As the sash loosened, her light purple palace gown slipped from her shoulders… She bit her lips harder and harder. Finally, her inner garments and undergarments also slowly unfastened under her jade-like fingers. Her exquisite, unblemished jade-like body, coveted by countless men but never before seen by anyone, was now revealed without a trace of concealment before Yun Che.

A cold sensation washed over her as she instinctively hugged her arms tightly to her chest, closing her eyes tightly, awaiting her fate. Yet, after a long while, no movement came.

She opened her eyes in confusion and looked at Yun Che, only to find that he was closing his eyes and not looking at her at all.

“Senior… Yun?” she asked, puzzled.

“…I told you to take off your upper garments, why did you undress completely?” Yun Che said. He had kept his eyes closed, but how could Oriental Hanwei’s movements escape his spiritual perception?

“…” Oriental Hanwei froze, completely at a loss.

“Never mind, just sit down,” Yun Che said with his eyes still closed.

“Yes.” Oriental Hanwei could only obey, her hands still firmly covering her chest.

No sooner had she sat down than Yun Che’s finger suddenly extended. Her arms, which she had clasped to her chest, were directly shaken open. Yun Che’s finger, unimpeded, touched her heart, and a dark profound light flashed, instantly entering her profound veins.

Oriental Hanwei’s entire body trembled. Immediately after, she suddenly felt countless unfamiliar currents of energy overflowing from her profound veins, instantly spreading throughout her body. The surface of her radiant, jade-like body also shimmered with a faint layer of black profound light.

These black profound lights lasted for only a few breaths before quickly dissipating. Yun Che’s finger also moved away from her heart at this moment, the dark profound energy at his fingertip vanished without a trace, and his entire being returned to calmness.

Across from him, Oriental Hanwei’s lips parted wide. She felt the strange changes in her profound veins and her entire body, and she remained lost in thought for a long time, as if in a dream.

After a long while, she raised her palm, and as her dark profound energy circulated, a ball of black profound light glowed in her hand… It was incredibly quiet, incredibly peaceful, and as pure as translucent black crystal.

“Senior…” She looked up at Yun Che, her gaze trembling violently, as if she couldn’t awaken from a prolonged dream.

“From now on, when you cultivate dark profound energy, you will never have to worry about self-backlash. Your cultivation speed and the maximum level you can reach will also far surpass your previous abilities,” Yun Che slowly stated.

What he had done to Oriental Hanwei was very simple… he corrected her dark profound energy! More accurately, he altered her “demonic body” and the dark laws it harbored.

And what accomplished this “correction” was the Eternal Calamity of Darkness!

Before coming to the God Realm, Yun Che had already encountered dark profound energy. First, with Fen Juechen, and then with Xuanyuan Wentian. After obtaining dark profound energy, they both became far stronger than before, but at the same time, they paid an extremely heavy price.

At that time, Yun Che’s impression of dark profound energy was that its cultivation required the sacrifice of one’s life and humanity.

Later, upon arriving in the God Realm, his understanding of dark profound energy became increasingly thorough. Among the common knowledge, or the most basic point, was that “demonic practitioners” who cultivated dark profound energy would become more irritable and bloodthirsty, their humanity twisted, and their lifespans far shorter than “normal” profound practitioners of the same level.

This seemed to suggest a dual backlash of dark profound energy on the practitioner’s life and spirit.

However, with the complete awakening of Yun Che’s dark profound energy and its uninhibited release, along with his comprehension of the “Eternal Calamity of Darkness,” he suddenly discovered a strange problem.

That was… the dark profound energy in this world seemed to be distorted!

The dark profound energy flowing within Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian from the Blue Pole Star, and everyone he encountered in the Northern Divine Realm, was significantly different from the most primal and pure dark profound energy he had inherited from the Heretic God.

He initially wondered if there had been some kind of mutation in dark profound energy during its long inheritance, but he then dismissed this idea because it wouldn’t explain the extreme distortion of dark profound energy in Fen Juechen and Xuanyuan Wentian.

Therefore, the most probable reason might not be dark profound energy itself, but rather… that this power, which in ancient times belonged only to devil gods and devil beasts, could not easily achieve perfect compatibility with a mortal body.

If this were the case, then… the dark profound energy cultivated and borne by beings who entered the Northern Divine Realm to practice the power of ancient devil gods, or who spontaneously generated dark profound energy due to drastic changes in their destiny, was, from the very beginning, a power unsuited for them.

The primary attribute of dark profound energy is “devouring,” and when this power is not perfectly compatible with one’s self, it will, without a doubt, continuously devour oneself… including one’s life and soul.

The more severe this “incompatibility,” the heavier the self-devouring will be.

And this incompatibility, from the very beginning of cultivation, from its root and essence, was already predetermined. Later, as one’s profound energy and control abilities increased, it might be suppressed to a minimum, but it could not be completely eliminated. It was even considered common knowledge and the norm for dark profound energy by “demonic practitioners,” who would never find it strange.

However, the Eternal Calamity of Darkness, this dark power belonging to the Devil Emperor, possessed unique and strange laws. Yun Che had only scratched the surface of it, yet he could directly interfere with another’s “demonic body” state, correcting it to perfectly match their dark profound energy, so it would no longer backfire on them.

And with perfect compatibility, cultivation naturally became far smoother and easier than before. Yun Che’s statement that Oriental Hanwei’s future cultivation speed and maximum level would far surpass her previous abilities was absolutely not an exaggeration.

This was an absolutely terrifying ability that completely transcended current understanding and was incomprehensible to anyone.

Oriental Hanwei was stunned. She said nothing more, bowed deeply, stepped back a few paces, and turned to leave.

As she pushed open the door and was about to step out, Oriental Hanwei paused, then suddenly turned back, lowering her head to ask softly, “Senior Yun, Hanwei wishes to ask… that day, why were you willing to agree to Hanwei’s plea?”

At that time, she thought Yun Che was just an ordinary Divine King, a straw to grasp that could save her parents’ lives. But he had easily crushed the Divine Kings of the Nine Great Sects and transformed her from the inside out in just a few breaths… All of this told her that Yun Che was absolutely a terrifying figure far beyond her and everyone else’s imagination.

For such a person, the East Han Nation might be as insignificant as dust in his eyes. Why would he be willing to come to the East Han Nation with her?

She knew she shouldn’t ask, and she also knew Yun Che likely wouldn’t answer her, but she had an inexplicable desire to know the answer.

Unexpectedly, Yun Che gave her an answer: “Because I need a stepping stone, understand?”

“…” She looked at Yun Che for a long, long time. She didn’t know what answer she was hoping for, but she clearly knew that she and he were from two different worlds.

“I apologize for disturbing you, Senior. Hanwei will take her leave.”

Closing the door and sealing the barrier, free from pressure, she should have sighed in relief and celebrated the immense opportunity she had received. But for some reason, her heart suddenly felt empty, an unprecedented emptiness she couldn’t interpret.

After Oriental Hanwei left, Yun Che picked up the jade plate filled with palace desserts, a gentle smile appearing on his face: “You’er, there’s something delicious.”

The girl with colorful pupils appeared. She held a rose-colored dessert in her small hand, eating it with great joy and satisfaction.

“How strange, why does You’er like to eat such awful things?” Hong’er tilted her head, resting her chin in her hand, her face full of bewilderment.

Unlike Hong’er, what You’er liked most to eat after gradually regaining her physical form and taste was sweet things… This wasn’t the first time Hong’er had complained about it.

Yun Che gave Hong’er a sidelong glance… *You’re the strange one, alright?!*

“Master, is this really alright? Aren’t you being a bit too hasty?”

He Ling’s voice came from within Yun Che’s mind. She knew best what he intended to do.

“No,” Yun Che’s eyes flashed with an extremely dark cold light: “To achieve the fastest possible advancement, the assistance of vast resources is indispensable. The initial resources will come from these ‘Ghostly Ruins Five Realms’!”

“I don’t want to wait… even a single day!”

These past few days had been the most restless period in the Eastern Domain of the East Ruins in many years.

In just three days, countless profound practitioners arrived after hearing the news. The East Han Nation, which had a mediocre standing among the thirty-six nations, also experienced its busiest days. Countless gazes were fixed on Coldbloom Peak on the border of the East Han Nation. They speculated about Yun Che’s origins and purpose, and wondered if the people from the Nine Great Sects would arrive.

At the same time, a vague premonition arose in many people’s hearts… that the power structure of this domain might be about to change.

And on this day… the day Yun Che had “ordered” the Nine Great Sects to arrive at Coldbloom Peak, finally came.

At the foot of Coldbloom Peak, countless sects and profound practitioners stared at the peak. They all wanted to witness with their own eyes who this person was, the one who had killed the Vice Palace Master and Grand Protector of the Taiyin Divine Palace, and Young Master Ming Peng and his Grand Elder… and whether the power structure of this domain would undergo some kind of change today.