Chapter 1633: Thousand Shadow Demon Butterfly

The atmosphere in the Imperial Heaven Pavilion had already turned exceptionally strange. While everyone was still reeling from Demoness Yaodie's attitude toward Yun Che and her invitation, Yun Che's response instantly sealed every inch of space and every wisp of air within the pavilion.

Yaodie's expression instantly darkened. Her previously gentle and non-hostile gaze instantly sharpened with a soul-piercing coldness.

Chi Wuyao... In the Northern Divine Region, no one was unaware that this was the name of the Devil Queen. However, no one had ever dared to utter this name directly. Especially for the Demonesses, the Devil Queen was the most supreme being in their lives. Yun Che directly calling her by name had touched upon their greatest taboo!

"How... dare you!" Tian Muhe, who had just stabilized his injuries, turned around in a rage and roared, "To dare call the Devil Queen by her name, today..."

A colossal force suddenly descended, forcibly cutting off his voice. Tian Muhe turned his head and saw Tian Muyi's solemn expression; the latter slowly shook his head at him.

Tian Muhe immediately fell silent, but his gaze, fixed on Yun Che, still trembled uncontrollably.

Although he had been injured by Yaodie, all his hatred and rage were directed at Yun Che. Tian Guhu had been injured by Yun Che on his own territory, and the damage to his reputation and spirit was far greater than any physical injury. He... and no one from the Imperial Heaven Realm would ever want to see Yun Che leave alive.

Originally, with Demoness Yaodie's overt protection, they wouldn't dare to act rashly. But now, facing the Demoness's invitation, Yun Che's response couldn't even be described as arrogant; he was simply digging his own grave!

A Demoness was not qualified to invite him? Even the supreme God Emperors of this age wouldn't utter such words!

And calling the Devil Queen by name... What was that if not seeking death!

After Yun Che defeated Tian Guhu and shocked everyone, he gained an immensely mysterious aura in everyone's eyes. But in the blink of an eye, he perfectly exemplified the phrases "biting the hand that feeds you" and "ignoring the path to heaven to barge into hell."

"Heh, interesting." Fen Jieran smiled and stroked his chin. He had originally planned to immediately investigate the origins of these two. Now, it seemed unnecessary. Just by openly calling out "Chi Wuyao's" name, he was already destined to die.

Yaodie's expression changed subtly, but everyone clearly felt a chilling intent that seemed to pierce their souls in an instant. Her voice also lost its previous softness. "If not for my master's instructions, your words just now would warrant ten thousand deaths!"

"Very well." Yaodie slowly raised her hand, her slender, jade-like fingers glowing faintly, fluttering like dancing sprites. "Compared to inviting you, I prefer to drag you back."

Yun Che's lips curved. It was clearly a smile, yet it strangely conveyed no warmth or mirth. "You still have time to obediently return to your Soul Stealing Realm right now, otherwise... you will regret it."

"Just you two?" Yaodie replied indifferently.

In everyone's ears, Yun Che's words were undoubtedly a colossal joke.

Yaodie, one of the Nine Demonesses under the Devil Queen, a Level Nine Divine Master, a terrifying existence surpassing all Upper Realm Kings. Moreover, she had equally powerful sisters, and behind her was the Northern Region Devil Queen, whose mere name could make souls tremble and hearts chill.

Yun Che's words were simply foolish beyond belief.

Yun Che glanced sideways at Qianye Ying'er, his voice still indifferent. "Don't blame me for not warning you, the woman beside me absolutely despises women with high status, powerful cultivation, and good looks. Are you sure... you want to fight us?"

"You talk too much nonsense," Qianye Ying'er said airily, twirling a strand of hair around her jade-like finger.

"Hmph." As a Demoness, Yaodie rarely became angry, but every one of Yun Che's indifferent words stung her anger. She said coldly, "I have never questioned my master's will, but this time, my master seems to have misjudged. After all, rumors are just rumors!"

*Buzz—*

Space expanded, and the air in a hundred-mile radius was instantly expelled. The sudden release of Divine Master prestige enveloped the entire Imperial Heaven Pavilion.

Indeed, from the very beginning, she had recognized Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er's identities due to a unique aura. Everything that happened afterward corroborated this. She also noticed that Yun Che seemed to have no qualms about letting her know his identity.

As a Demoness, she naturally knew that Yun Che had seized the Primordial Profound Veins, which had been hidden by the Burning Moon God Realm and sought by the Devil Queen for ten thousand years. But she had not reacted on the spot, had not exposed him, and had even continued to show goodwill towards Yun Che as a Demoness... because this was the Devil Queen's order.

She knew the Devil Queen had never met Yun Che, and from Demoness Chanyi, she had learned that Yun Che's cultivation was at the Divine King Realm. Therefore, she had always been unable to understand why the Devil Queen held this person in such high regard.

By now, she was certain that the Devil Queen had made a grave misjudgment. Regardless of the opponent's potential, two stray dogs who had fled from the Eastern Divine Region to be so arrogant and presumptuous when facing the Soul Stealing Realm's proactive goodwill — "ten thousand times foolish" wouldn't even begin to describe it!

If not for the Devil Queen's order, she wouldn't even bother to personally deal with such people.

A Demoness's aura was not to be underestimated. In an instant, the battleground in the Imperial Heaven Pavilion fell into complete chaos. The young Heaven Sovereigns had no ability to resist in the slightest and were instantly swept far away.

Yun Che's body trembled violently, his robes billowed, and he felt as if countless mountains pressed down on him. But to Yaodie's surprise, despite being enveloped by her aura at such close range, Yun Che's face showed no signs of pain, his calmness causing her to frown slightly.

"Qianying," Yun Che spoke softly. "Your first battle is against a Demoness—a very good start. You wouldn't... disappoint me after I gave you half a Primordial World Pill, would you?"

Qianye Ying'er gave a faint smile and said wistfully, "You just said you'd make her regret it. If I can't do that, wouldn't I be losing face for you...? How could I bear to do that?"

As her soft voice faded, the Inverse Abyss Stone's light completely dispersed. Black light burst forth from her, radiating a massive dark domain that directly tore through Demoness Yaodie's aura.

As their auras clashed, the Imperial Heaven Pavilion instantly erupted in a tempest.

Under the astonishing storm, Yun Che swiftly retreated. He retreated thirty miles away, his expression rigid and cold, watching from a distance with indifference.

"Huh!??""Ahhhh..."

Even the terrifying storm couldn't suppress the cries of alarm that instantly erupted. Every face looked as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, severely deformed and twisted.

Tian Muyi, Yan Sangan, Huo Tianxing... Even powerful figures like them felt their hair stand on end in that instant, utterly terrified. Their gazes were fixed on the woman standing before Demoness Yaodie. No matter what, they couldn't trust their own spiritual perception.

"Eight... Level Eight Divine Master!" Tian Muyi gasped in shock. Those few words nearly shattered countless hearts.

A Level Eight Divine Master was at the late stage of the Divine Master Realm. It was also the level where the Demonesses, Yama Devils, and Moon Eaters of the King Realms resided!

Tian Muyi, the First Realm King below the King Realms, was also a Level Eight Divine Master!

Tian Muyi had uttered this himself, and while the crowd couldn't believe it, they also couldn't disbelieve it.

"She... who is she?" Huo Tianxing stammered. "When did such a figure appear in the Northern Divine Region!"

At the level of a Level Eight Divine Master, anyone was known throughout the Northern Region, an existence like a celestial deity.

But this woman, whose face was obscured by a mask, with golden hair flowing and dark light eclipsing the sky, not a single person had the slightest impression of her, and even the dark aura she released felt incredibly unfamiliar.

When the profound energy of two late-stage Divine Masters was released in the same space, the sheer pressure alone was no less than a natural disaster. The pitch-black profound light illuminated pale faces. Especially the Heaven Net Realm, which had been the first to jump out and try to capture Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er—from the Heaven Net Realm King to the Luo siblings, every pore trembled violently, and their entire bodies felt as if drenched by a torrential downpour.

And they had been about to make a move against a Level Eight Divine Master!?

Back then, a single Primordial World Pill had allowed the Ancestor of Eternal Heaven to directly cross three minor realms within the Divine Master Realm. It was considered a miracle in the history of the profound way.

And Qianye Ying'er, with half a Primordial World Pill, had directly crossed four minor realms within the Divine Master Realm in just half a year!

As He Ling had said, the Primordial World Pill refined with the tempering power of the Sky Poison Pearl and her wood spirit energy was in no way comparable to the one the Ancestor of Eternal Heaven had obtained back then.

Yaodie's hair flew up, and she frowned deeply.

Qianye Ying'er, the Eastern Divine Region's Goddess who had fled to the Northern Divine Region with Yun Che. Yaodie had heard rumors of her cultivation being crippled long ago. Demoness Chanyi had even personally witnessed it back then... According to Chanyi, the Brahma Monarch Goddess she saw had her cultivation drop to the Divine Sovereign Realm.

But how could there be such an exaggerated difference in less than two years since then?

However, it was clear that she possessed a profound artifact capable of perfectly concealing her aura. Even Yaodie herself had been completely deceived just now, let alone Chanyi.

With this realization, two butterfly-shaped black glows slowly appeared in Demoness Yaodie's eyes. "So that's it. No wonder she dared to be so arrogant. What a pity..."

In the Divine Master Realm, every step was a chasm. How difficult it was to cross a minor realm, and how vast the gap a minor realm represented, was something incomprehensible to anyone below the Divine Master cultivation.

A Level Eight Divine Master facing a Level Nine Divine Master would be absolutely insurmountable and invincible.

Without further ado, Yaodie's expression was cold as she extended her hand and seized at the empty air.

Qianye Ying'er's hand also swung out in the next instant.

"Damn it... retreat quickly!!" Tian Muhe cried out in alarm, letting out a furious roar. This was the clash of two late-stage Divine Masters' domains; the aftermath at such close range was something even Divine Sovereigns couldn't withstand.

It would be one thing if the Imperial Heaven Pavilion were destroyed. But the Imperial Heaven Sect's most outstanding younger generation was gathered here; if they perished, it would be an unimaginable loss.

"It's too late," Tian Muyi forced himself to remain calm and let out a heaven-shaking roar: "Barrier!"

Two late-stage Divine Masters fighting in the Imperial Heaven Pavilion... As the First Realm King, he wished he could curse out loud.

With a mighty roar, Tian Muyi, Huo Tianxing, and Viper Saint Sovereign swiftly acted. They jointly erected an isolating barrier.

*Boom!*

Light was completely swallowed, and in a world devoid of light, nearly half of the Imperial Heaven Pavilion instantly collapsed. The barrier erected by the combined efforts of the three strongest Realm Kings sank significantly, but it ultimately protected the other half of the Imperial Heaven Pavilion and the horrified crowd within.

The other Upper Realm Kings also awoke as if from a dream. They quickly stepped forward and channeled their power into the barrier, but their gazes were all simultaneously turned towards the sky.

The clash between Demoness Yaodie and a Level Eight Divine Master. This was a natural disaster occurring right before their eyes, and an unparalleled peak battle of the profound way rarely seen in a lifetime.

The two dark domains collided, tearing and devouring each other, yet surprisingly, they were evenly matched. Yaodie's expression subtly changed once more.

In terms of cultivation, Qianye Ying'er was clearly inferior to her. However, when their dark profound energies clashed, she felt something that absolutely should not exist...

Level suppression!

As a Demoness affiliated with the Devil Queen, the dark profound art she cultivated was, without a doubt, at the pinnacle of the current era; there were hardly any even slightly superior to it. At least in her knowledge, the only one who could truly surpass her in terms of "level" was the Devil Queen, with her unique power.

Yet at this moment, not only did she feel level suppression from Qianye Ying'er, but she clearly felt... that this suppression was incredibly distinct and powerful!

Under this level suppression, Qianye Ying'er, whose profound strength was a full minor realm weaker than hers, actually completely withstood her Dark Yaodie power.

A soft hum escaped her lips. Yaodie's hands danced lightly, and her aura abruptly changed. The dark world suddenly revealed countless shadowy butterflies. Around Qianye Ying'er, ten thousand butterflies instantly fluttered, each trailing the abyssal gloom and aura of death.

Qianye Ying'er's graceful figure spun, and golden light tore through the air. The God's Oracle appeared in her hand. With a light sweep, the world of dark butterflies was instantly cut by dazzling golden streaks. Beneath the golden streaks, the dark butterflies, capable of devouring even the void, annihilated like wisps of smoke, not a single one able to approach Qianye Ying'er.

!

Yaodie's hands paused their dance, and her five fingers drew together. The ten thousand butterflies danced back, converging behind her, forming a hundred-zhang-tall butterfly shadow. With wings spread, she appeared like a phantom beside Qianye Ying'er. Her folded butterfly wings instantly transformed the space where Qianye Ying'er stood into a dark abyss that devoured all living things.

*Boom-buzz—**Pfft!!*

In the Northern Divine Region, no one had ever questioned the power of a Demoness. Above the Imperial Heaven Pavilion, every move Demoness Yaodie made brought about a darkening of the sky and earth, explaining to the countless experts present what the true form of a Demoness was.

Hearing and witnessing were two completely different concepts. Personally witnessing, and even feeling the Demoness's power at close range, the impact on their vision and souls was so immense it was indescribable, even for the Upper Realm Kings present. Their awe towards the Demonesses and the King Realms doubled.

But what shocked them even more was that such immense power, such a terrifying Demoness, had utterly failed to suppress the golden-haired woman opposite her!

The dark profound arts Qianye Ying'er cultivated all came from Yun Che. More precisely, they came from the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor.

Her profound cultivation talent and comprehension were originally extremely high, and her profound way knowledge was no less than anyone in the current era. Furthermore, with the Devil Emperor's blood integrated into her body, her mastery over dark profound arts could be said to be second only to Yun Che.

In these years of dual cultivation with Yun Che, the integration of the Devil Emperor's blood within her had progressed daily. Her comprehension and mastery of dark profound arts also became increasingly effortless. After cultivating the Eternal Night Devil Tome, which Yun Che initially gave her, to grand perfection, she chose several other dark profound arts left behind by the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, and though it was only a few short years, she easily cultivated all of them to the realm of grand perfection.

Although these dark profound arts could not compare in level to the Eternal Calamity of Darkness, they were absolutely no inferior to the Brahma Monarch Divine Art she had previously cultivated, which had taken her hundreds of years to reach grand perfection.

As heaven and earth trembled, nearly sixty percent of the Imperial Heaven Pavilion had already turned to dust in the darkness. Yaodie's attacks grew increasingly furious; every flap of her butterfly wings conjured world-devouring dark storms. Yet, from beginning to end, she was unable to suppress Qianye Ying'er.

Instead, that extremely heavy level suppression, like a looming, heaven-reaching mountain, caused her heart and soul to gradually grow uneasy.

*Boom!*

Dark light exploded, and a massive dark vortex bloomed in the void, lingering for a long time.

The two finally separated, standing at a distance. Yaodie did not attack again. She looked at Qianye Ying'er, her voice deepening profoundly. "Where did the profound art you cultivate come from?!"

Qianye Ying'er's golden eyes narrowed slightly. Beneath her mask, her enchanting and beautiful gaze was distinctly mixed with a hint of distortion. She said softly, "You should ask that question to your future master, and... it's best to ask it in bed."

"…?" Yaodie paused for a moment. Then she let out a soft breath and whispered, "My master said I couldn't kill him, but she didn't say I couldn't kill you."