Chapter 1636: Demonic Sounds and Shadows

After flying out of the Huangtian Que, Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er did not immediately depart the Huangtian Realm but remained at its border.

"Forcibly killing Yan Sanqian will undoubtedly enrage the entire Yama Devil Realm. Their hunt for us has probably already begun," Qianye Ying’er remarked nonchalantly. Although her cultivation was still far from its peak after refining half of the Primordial World Pill, reaching this level in such a short time was a luxury she had never even dared to dream of during her despair.

"That's for the best," Yun Che said.

"With the Yama Devil Realm enraged, the Burning Moon Realm must have also received the news. Coupled with a terrified Devil Maiden, the Devil Queen certainly won't be able to sit idly by," Qianye Ying’er said, glancing at Yun Che. "This is indeed the best method, but also the riskiest."

"There's no risk," Yun Che stated. "After all, she's the one who can locate us the 'fastest'."

"Oh my," Qianye Ying’er breathed softly. "If you had possessed this decisiveness and ruthlessness earlier, you wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament."

Yun Che shot her a cold glance, his voice deepening. "Don't always try to provoke my wrath."

"I actually wish I could occasionally see you angered." Facing Yun Che's chilling gaze, Qianye Ying’er chuckled faintly. "If one day you lose even your anger, then that would be..." She left the latter half of the sentence unsaid, naturally averting Yun Che's gaze to look into the distance.

"I'm curious," Qianye Ying’er continued, "what do you intend to do with Tian Guhu?"

"If he's useful, why not use him?" Yun Che replied.

"...Very well," Qianye Ying’er replied, asking no further questions.

In the half-year she spent refining the Primordial World Pill, Yun Che seemed to have pondered many things.

The Huangtian Realm, and indeed most of the Northern Divine Realm, was now experiencing increasingly violent upheavals. A grand Heavenly Monarch gathering, which had garnered the attention of all profound practitioners in the Northern Region, was interrupted in an earth-shattering manner. Tian Guhu suffered a crushing defeat within his realm, the Yama Devil Ghost King perished, and the Fourth Devil Maiden was routed and fled.

Although the Northern Divine Realm was constantly in turmoil, it had been countless years since such a world-shaking event had occurred.

A great number of King Realm individuals began rushing to the Huangtian Realm at full speed. As the foremost star realm beneath the King Realms, it was the first time the Huangtian Realm had been so "favored" by them. Even the lowest-level profound practitioners there clearly sensed an extraordinary atmosphere.

Yet, the instigators of all this were, conversely, the calmest and most indifferent. The two of them were not flying fast, and the scenery below them changed continuously. Unconsciously, a rather large bamboo forest appeared before them.

The spiritual bamboo's aura made Yun Che's gaze unconsciously fall, remaining fixed for a long time.

Ling'er...

In the past, every time he saw a bamboo forest, he would think of Su Ling’er, for it had been the most painful mark in his heart. Only when she was lost and then found again did that mark finally vanish.

To gain and then lose again was even more heartbreaking.

Qianye Ying’er's phoenix eyes slightly tilted. "It's quite rare to find green bamboo growing in the Northern Region."

Her slender fingers casually hooked Yun Che's sleeve adornment. "Let's go, let's go down and take a look."

The two then descended, standing within the bamboo forest.

At the border of the Huangtian Realm, the dark aura was considerably lighter. The spiritual bamboo here was quite dark in hue, yet its aura still retained a rare freshness and purity.

This was the first time Yun Che had seen a bamboo forest in the Northern Divine Realm.

Perhaps because its aura was relatively "too" pure, no dark profound beasts could be sensed here; it was like a pure land temporarily forgotten by the dark world.

"Back then, after my mother passed away, I buried her in a bamboo forest," Qianye Ying’er said slowly. "Although she was an Imperial Consort, she never liked disputes. Perhaps even that status was forced upon her."

Given that she could bear the Brahma Emperor Goddess, it was conceivable that her mother, when alive, must have possessed a beauty that could topple nations.

"Letting her rest peacefully in the bamboo forest, I hoped she could forever bathe in the clear breeze, never again needing to be mired in strife and defilement." Qianye Ying’er's eyes briefly blurred, and her voice dimmed slightly. "Every time I returned to the realm, I would first go to pay respects and visit her. Only this time, it has been a little too long."

Yun Che looked forward, saying nothing.

In his previous life on the Azure Cloud Continent, when Su Ling’er died in his arms, he was shocked to realize that hatred had consumed his heart. Yet, no matter how much he regretted or loathed himself, it was already irreversible.

It was for this reason that after awakening on the Profound Sky Continent, he vowed to protect his loved ones by his side at all costs, refusing to let himself repeat the same mistakes.

"Hatred is a devil; it will blind your eyes, consume your reason and soul, and bury all hope and light in your life." These were the words he had once used to admonish Fen Juechen.

Yet now, he was once again plunged into the abyss of hatred. And this time, he allowed himself to be utterly consumed by it, willing to stop at nothing and sacrifice everything.

It was like a sorrowful, cruel, and destined cycle.

He took a step, slowly walking forward. After a few paces, the haziness in his pupils dissipated, and cold indifference returned.

The bamboo forest was vast, and after they had walked through it for a long time, a small figure appeared in their sight.

A girl, seemingly only thirteen or fourteen, was leaning against a dark green spiritual bamboo. She was thin, covered in grime, with disheveled hair, and faint scars visible on her face.

The girl hugged her knees, half-slumped against the bamboo trunk, her entire body exuding a piteous weakness. Her half-open eyes stared blankly ahead; her normally vibrant eyes were now only dim.

Not until Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er were a dozen steps away did she suddenly startle, then, like a startled bird, frantically tried to flee. But perhaps due to her extreme weakness, she had not fully stood up before she stumbled violently, collapsing heavily to the ground.

The girl trembled all over. She cowered and turned, and after clearly seeing Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er, the fear in her eyes finally dissipated considerably. However, the exhaustion following her fright left her body sore and weak, unable to stand for a long time.

Such scenes, they had seen too many times.

Even the highly talented young, due to insufficient cultivation time, would commonly perish young in the Northern Divine Realm's harsh environment without the protection of elders or powerful factions.

This lone girl before them had clearly lost all protection. And here, in the Huangtian Realm, where powerful individuals were countless, if she couldn't find a sufficiently strong patron, her future survival would be exceedingly difficult.

"Two... Seniors." Looking at Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er, the girl's eyes welled up, and she pleaded with all her courage, "Can... can you give me a Profound Restoration Pill... Food would also be fine, please. In the future, I will definitely repay your kindness."

Yun Che was expressionless, but he stepped forward to the girl, extending his hand. In his palm was a snow-white pill emitting a cold aura.

Qianye Ying’er felt confused but showed no hint of it.

This was a Snow Charm Pill from the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace. Given the girl's age, her cultivation was clearly far below the Divine Dao. This Snow Charm Pill would provide her immense help: "It will quickly restore your profound energy and greatly benefit your cultivation. Take it." Placing it in the girl's hand, Yun Che immediately turned away.

"Ah..." The girl stared in a daze, then, like a famished cat that couldn't be choosy, she didn't care if it was poison or a potent pill she couldn't refine, and swallowed the Snow Charm Pill directly.

When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears. "Thank you for your generosity, Seniors. You... you are truly good people. In the future, I will definitely repay your kindness."

"I'll remember those words," Yun Che seemed to smile faintly.

A soft, melodious giggle suddenly drifted from the quiet bamboo forest. The laughter was lazy yet wanton, seemingly distant yet also close at hand.

The moment the laughter entered his ears, Yun Che's entire body suddenly went numb. Even after the laughter ceased, that ineffable tingling sensation did not dissipate but spread throughout his body, making even his bones feel somewhat pliable.

"What a kind child; this servant is almost moved to tears."

Yun Che had heard countless celestial sounds in his life: Feng Xue’er's ethereal voice, the Little Demon Empress's stern coldness, Shen Xi's otherworldly quality, Mu Xuanyin's icy chill... Even in the Northern Divine Realm, he had encountered Nanhuang Chanyi, who possessed an exceptionally soft and gentle voice.

His emotions had plummeted into an abyss, his soul sea filled only with hatred. With Qianye Ying’er by his side, it was already virtually impossible for him to be swayed by beauty or sound.

Yet the voice resounding in his ears at this moment, with just a laugh and a word, caused every blood vessel in Yun Che's body to dilate and every strand of hair to tremble slightly.

Moreover, this voice... carried no profound energy or soul power!

Yun Che's brow furrowed slightly. Beside him, Qianye Ying’er's expression had also clearly changed.

Back then, she had heard Qianye Fantian say that in the Northern Divine Realm, there existed a terrifying voice capable of effortlessly penetrating one's bones and seizing one's soul. At the time, deeply revering her father, she would not question Qianye Fantian's words, and after returning to the Northern Region, she had recalled that statement several times.

But the voice in her ear still deeply astonished her, despite her prior mental preparation.

Allure... an incredibly soft yet terrifying allure. "Soul-devouring, bone-penetrating" was wholly inadequate to describe it.

Qianye Ying’er was familiar with countless so-called enchanting sounds and charm techniques designed to bewitch hearts and souls, and she had always scoffed at them.

Yet the voice in her ear completely transcended the level of "alluring sounds," bearing no trace of any charm technique. A brief utterance, it utterly bypassed Yun Che's and Qianye Ying’er's mental defenses, thrilling every fiber of their beings.

It was like a bewitching demonic sound, alien to known perception, or perhaps one that simply should not exist in this world.

Yun Che's chest visibly heaved, slowly settling after a few breaths. He glanced at the stunned girl and said, "Go, the further the better."

His words jolted the girl from her daze. She quickly got up and hurried away, not daring to utter another word.

No sooner had the girl left than a black figure slowly emerged from the bamboo forest ahead.

The appearance of this black figure had no precursor, yet it did not seem abrupt in the slightest. It was as if she had always been there.

Her entire body was enveloped in a constantly swirling, seemingly living black mist. Her steps were light and slow, as if she were emerging from an unknown dark abyss. With each step, the light dimmed slightly, and with each step, the surrounding spiritual bamboo turned into drifting black dust.

Black smoke obscured her face and figure, yet anyone who saw her would be absolutely certain it was a woman. For even with the black mist swirling and the clearly voluminous black robes, as she stepped, the naturally prominent curves of her body were breathtaking in every single moment.

Yun Che... Even Qianye Ying’er's gaze was fixed for a long moment.

Such was the effect of merely a blurry glimpse. They couldn't imagine what kind of devilish physique would be revealed if the black mist dispersed.

Neither in Yun Che's life nor in Qianye Ying’er's had anyone's voice or physique ever instilled in them such an incredibly clear sense of "dread."

"I guessed we would meet soon," Qianye Ying’er said, her fingers silently clenching. The woman in the black mist released no profound energy and showed no hint of intimidation, yet she evoked an unprecedented sense of alarm in Qianye Ying’er. "I didn't expect it to be this soon. Your patience is far worse than I imagined."

Qianye Ying’er slowly stepped forward, her jade lips moving lightly, slowly uttering the name: "Northern Region Devil Queen, Chi Wuyao!"