Chapter 1608: Escape from the Northern Territory

"Who... is this person?" Qianye Ying'er's brows furrowed slightly. She had appeared suddenly in the projection without a sound, like a phantom materializing from thin air.

The Thousand Desolation Sect Master and the Burning Moon Divine Envoy were both powerful Divine Masters, and their reactions unequivocally confirmed the terrifying strength of this individual. Especially considering that the Burning Moon Divine Envoy, a mid-stage Divine Master, was completely unaware of her presence even at such close proximity – that feat would typically require a gap of nearly half a major realm.

Moreover, her words... seemed to indicate she knew the name Yun Che.

The woman wore an exceptionally strange colorful robe—or rather, it looked more like countless vibrant colors stacked together. Even her long hair was a myriad of hues, surrounded by an ever-shifting halo of brilliant light.

Despite the undulating colorful light around her, she appeared anything but messy, exuding only a rather dreamlike beauty.

Furthermore, these colorful lights were far from ordinary; they seemed to effectively block out aura. Even though she was so close and within plain sight, neither the Burning Moon Divine Envoy nor the Thousand Desolation Sect Master could detect her presence, as if she were merely an illusory, colorful shadow that would dissipate with the slightest touch.

"You... you are..." Although the colorful light obscured her figure and face, the aura-blocking brilliance before him suddenly brought a name to the Burning Moon Divine Envoy's mind—a name that instantly sent shivers down his soul.

At that moment, a deep voice emanated from within the black profound formation: "Seventh Devil Maiden, your presence here can hardly be a coincidence."

"Seventh Devil Maiden..." The four words spoken by the Burning Moon Divine Emperor made the Thousand Desolation Sect Master blanch in terror.

This woman, enveloped in colorful light, was actually one of the Nine Devil Maidens under the Devil Queen!

An existence standing at the pinnacle of the Northern Divine Region!

"Unfortunately, there are indeed many coincidences in this world," the Seventh Devil Maiden said faintly. "I was merely passing by when I suddenly received an order from my master. Our Soul Stealing Realm's 'Divine Object,' lost for ten thousand years, has registered a presence here."

"As for you, Burning Moon Divine Emperor, you wouldn't tell me that the appearance of your projection and divine envoy here is also a coincidence, would you!?" The Seventh Devil Maiden's voice clearly deepened, even when addressing the Burning Moon Divine Emperor.

She had not only seen the Burning Moon Divine Envoy and the Burning Moon Divine Emperor's projection but had also heard their conversation.

"Heh heh," the Burning Moon Divine Emperor suppressed his anger and chuckled lightly. "Now that the item has been returned to its owner, what do other minor matters signify?"

"Returned to its owner?" The Seventh Devil Maiden sneered. "If we had truly taken it, all our power would have been used to protect its return to my master. Why would I appear here then?"

The Burning Moon Divine Emperor fell silent.

"The reason my master sensed it is because the 'Divine Object' bears a special mark left by the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor of old. Previously, the Dustless Barrier prevented any detection. But the momentary sensation just now proves that it was not only taken but also that the Dustless Barrier itself has been opened!"

"What...!?" The Burning Moon Divine Emperor's voice abruptly sank.

Forcibly opening the Dustless Barrier was incredibly difficult; otherwise, even someone as powerful as the Burning Moon Divine Emperor wouldn't have spent ten millennia meticulously hiding it within the Thousand Desolation Divine Sect.

If the Dustless Barrier had indeed been opened, it undoubtedly meant the other party could use the Primeval Profound Marrow within it at any time! At that point, there would be no possibility of retrieving it.

His ten thousand years of meticulous planning would then vanish into thin air, having entirely benefited someone else... and inevitably incurring the Devil Queen's wrath.

"All these years, my master has never ceased searching for the 'Divine Object.' Ten millennia have passed, accumulating ten millennia of rage. Burning Heaven Divine Emperor, I believe you know better than anyone the terrifying consequences if my master's true anger is unleashed."

The Burning Moon Divine Emperor remained silent. Though merely a shadow, his presence still exuded an incredibly terrifying gloom that everyone could feel.

"Therefore, you had better pray my master can retrieve the Divine Object. Otherwise... I genuinely can't imagine what kind of explanation you, Burning Moon Divine Emperor, could offer to appease my master's wrath."

As the Seventh Devil Maiden's voice faded, she extended her arm, and the colorful shadows around her suddenly unfurled like thousands of rainbow ribbons, coiling around the Thousand Desolation Sect Master. This powerful Upper Realm King only managed to let out a cry of alarm before being completely sealed within a myriad-hued barrier, utterly unable to struggle.

The Burning Moon Divine Envoy's pupils contracted, and he rapidly retreated.

"I'll take this incompetent dog off your hands for you. I trust you, Burning Moon Divine Emperor, have no objections?" the Seventh Devil Maiden said coldly. The name "Yun Che" had been uttered by the Thousand Desolation Sect Master, who clearly knew many useful things.

"Hmph, extend this King's regards to the Devil Queen," the Burning Moon Divine Emperor snorted coldly. At that moment, the profound formation suddenly disintegrated and vanished.

"Farewell... farewell, my King."

The Burning Moon Divine Envoy forced himself to remain calm, but the fear stemming from his knowledge and soul in the presence of a "Devil Maiden" simply couldn't be fully suppressed. "Currently... the most pressing matter now is to retrieve the Divine Object. That thief surely hasn't gone far. With Your Highness Devil Maiden's power, apprehending them would be as easy as flipping a hand. I... am willing to assist Your Highness Devil Maiden."

The woman before him was Hua Jin, the Seventh Devil Maiden of the Soul Stealing Realm, also known as the "Myriad-Colored Illusion Princess." Rumor had it she possessed a thousand faces and countless abilities, and apart from the Devil Queen, no one had ever seen her true appearance.

Each of the Nine Devil Maidens under the Devil Queen had her own unique specialty. The Seventh Devil Maiden's greatest strength lay in her illusions, unparalleled in the Northern Region. Her abilities to change appearance, voice, form, and aura were said to be undetectable by anyone.

"I have already dispatched people to set up an inescapable net across this Thousand Desolation Realm," Devil Maiden Hua Jin said, turning away. "While I don't wish to dirty my hands right now... scram!"

The Burning Moon Divine Envoy had been backing away, and upon hearing her words, his first reaction was not shame or anger but rather immense relief, as if granted a great pardon. He dared not utter another word and fled in panic.

"Another Devil Maiden!" Yun Che murmured. He had only recently encountered Nanhuang Chanyue and barely managed to stabilize the situation, only to run into another one!

"You should really ask yourself why!" Qianye Ying'er retorted irritably. "In the Northern Divine Region, figures like the Devil Maidens are rarely seen by ordinary people in an entire lifetime. You've only been in the Northern Divine Region for a year, and you've already encountered two consecutively! It's almost as if your jinx-like constitution attracts them!"

Yun Che was speechless.

Qianye Ying'er suddenly reached out and grabbed Yun Che. "Go! Leave here immediately."

"Where to?"

"The God Realm of Absolute Beginning!" Qianye Ying'er said slowly and deeply.

"There's no need," Yun Che replied. "They won't find us."

He could alter his appearance and transform his dark aura. Qianye Ying'er, with her Heaven Winding Stone, allowed them to achieve maximum concealment. As for the Primeval Profound Marrow, although it bore a traceable mark, placing it within the Sky Poison Pearl would render even the most powerful mark undetectable.

"No, the gravity of this situation has far exceeded our previous imagination," Qianye Ying'er said gravely. "We originally thought we might have only provoked the Burning Moon Realm, but now... the Soul Stealing Realm has also been dragged into it!"

"Do you think our current concealment abilities make us foolproof? Heh... Underestimate a Royal Realm, and you'll suffer a miserable death, let alone two Royal Realms!" Qianye Ying'er's voice gradually deepened. "There is no such thing as truly 'foolproof' in this world. You haven't forgotten the lesson from Nanhuang Chanyue so quickly, have you? With our current strength, encountering either of these two Royal Realms would mean a near-certain death."

"Furthermore, the issue now isn't simply that we possess the Primeval Profound Marrow," Qianye Ying'er continued. "The Northern Region Devil Queen, through Nanhuang Chanyue, previously offered us 'cooperation,' which we reluctantly stalled with a 'three-hundred-year' agreement. Now, the Northern Region Devil Queen will soon discover that we took the Primeval Profound Marrow, and at that point, your growth rate will also be exposed."

"When we first met Nanhuang Chanyue, defeating a mid-stage Divine Sovereign was already our limit. Yet now, you've destroyed a rather large Thousand Desolation Divine Sect and even opened the Dustless Barrier that left the Burning Moon Divine Emperor helpless—all within less than a year!"

"Such a growth rate will not only shock the Devil Queen but also immediately make her realize that the previous 'three-hundred-year' agreement was merely a deceptive facade."

"She will want to recruit you into the Soul Stealing Realm, valuing your potential, your 'true god prophecy,' and your hatred for the Eastern Divine Region. However, precisely for these reasons, she will never allow you to grow to a level beyond her control before she has fully subdued you."

"Previously, by normal reasoning, it would have been impossible for you to grow beyond her control within a mere three hundred years. But after today, she will certainly no longer believe that! It's even less likely she'll genuinely abide by the previous three-hundred-year agreement... The leverage we hold over Nanhuang Chanyue can at most influence her, but it definitely cannot interfere with the Devil Queen herself!"

Qianye Ying'er's eyes shifted, fixing on Yun Che. "Do you know why the Soul Stealing Realm is called the 'Soul Stealing' Realm? If your current self falls into the Northern Region Devil Queen's hands, the rest of your life might become hers to puppet!"

"Never doubt her ability to do it! I consider myself clever, yet I was manipulated by that old thief Qianye Fantian my entire life. But the Northern Region Devil Queen, Chi Wuyao, is the one who left that old thief with a lifelong shadow. You currently have no right to contend with her... Do you understand!?"

"Anything else?" Yun Che asked.

"The Primeval Profound Marrow should have been an extinct item," a strange glint flickered deep within Qianye Ying'er's eyes. "The one that fell into our hands is very likely the only one existing in this era, or even in future generations! It would be too great a pity to use it directly."

"If we could find a legendary Primordial God Fruit in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning and refine it with the marrow into a 'Primeval World Pill'... our path to revenge wouldn't just take a giant leap forward! Perhaps then, with the power of the Eternal Calamity of Darkness, you would truly qualify to cooperate with the Northern Region Devil Queen!"

Yun Che was silent.

"Don't worry, Chi Wuyao is an extremely intelligent and ambitious person," Qianye Ying'er said quietly. "After realizing the Primeval Profound Marrow has been used and is irrecoverable, even if she's furious, she will cut her losses and cooperate with you. After all, there won't be a second Primeval Profound Marrow in this world, nor a second you."

Yun Che gave Qianye Ying'er a deep look but didn't voice his thought, saying instead, "Well said. Let's go."

"Are you sure you want to leave now? Aren't you worried about the people of the Heavenly Armament Yun Clan?" Qianye Ying'er asked. "Both the Soul Stealing Realm and the Burning Moon Realm will definitely trace the trail there."

"No, I'm not worried," Yun Che replied. "If that Devil Queen is truly as intelligent as you claim, she won't touch the Heavenly Armament Yun Clan. At the very least... she'll protect Yun Shang well."

"Let's go!"

Perhaps Yun Che truly was a magnet for trouble. He had been forced to flee into the Northern Divine Region under pursuit from the three divine regions. Now, barely a year later, his identity had been exposed by a Devil Maiden, and he had unintentionally acquired the Primeval Profound Marrow, involving two Royal Realms. Even the Northern Divine Region had become a dangerous place where he could no longer find refuge.

The God Realm of Absolute Beginning seemed to be their last recourse.