Chapter 1653: Shallow Touch

Clap, clap, clap.

Chi Wuyao slowly clapped her hands. "As expected of the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor. My children truly cannot escape your eyes."

Chi Wuyao was not surprised that the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor could detect Jie Xin and Jie Ling, as they were very close and had not deliberately hidden themselves. However, their quick detection was still somewhat beyond her expectation. After all, Jie Xin and Jie Ling were no longer as they once were; they had completed their dark alignment, and their concealment abilities far surpassed their previous ones, especially in this dark environment.

"If it weren't for the fear of revealing our whereabouts and being targeted by others who would try to snatch a piece of the pie, I would have loved to bring half of the Soul Stealing Realm here. After all, facing the foremost saint of the three Divine Regions, I, the Emperor of all evil devils, am so scared my heart is about to burst."

Faced with Chi Wuyao's sarcasm, Zhou Xuzi remained unmoving, his face as imposing as a mountain piercing the clouds. "If Burning Moon and Yama Devils were to follow, I fear, Demon Empress, you would not be able to enjoy the item in my hand alone. Since the Demon Empress is aware of this, why bother with empty words?" As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Yun Che, who lay at Chi Wuyao's feet. Yun Che was pressed to the ground by black mist, but he struggled with all his might, occasionally revealing glints of light in his eyes as he desperately tried to lift his head—each glint seemingly wishing to transform into a thousand blood blades to tear Zhou Xuzi's body into ten thousand pieces.

"Very well." Seeming to agree with the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor's words, Chi Wuyao's smile receded, and her calm voice now carried the supreme majesty of a Divine Emperor. "I have brought the person you desire. Where is what I want?"

Zhou Xuzi's expression grew solemn. He extended his arm, and as his palm opened, a streak of purple light gleamed, reflecting in everyone's eyes. This purple light was not intense, yet it was more crystalline and pure than the brightest starlight. The moment it shone forth, it pierced directly through the dense darkness, tinging the surrounding space and even the distant sky with a faint, luminous purple. Interspersed within the purple glow was an ancient and vast, supreme aura, as if it could encompass the entire world.

Primordial Chaos Aura!

If Qianye Ying'er had been present, she would have been greatly astonished. For what Zhou Xuzi held in his hand was, shockingly…

Primal Chaos Divine Marrow!

In the records of the Eastern Divine Region, Primal Chaos Divine Marrow was a divine object that had long since vanished. Even Qianye Ying'er was greatly surprised when she unexpectedly obtained Primal Chaos Divine Marrow in the Northern Divine Region. If even she, once the Brahma Heaven Goddess, reacted this way, it was imaginable that no one in the Eastern Divine Region, or even the three Divine Regions, knew that the Eternal Heaven God Realm possessed a piece of Primal Chaos Divine Marrow.

However, it goes without saying that having such a divine object as the Primal Chaos Divine Marrow, the Eternal Heaven God Realm would undoubtedly hide it to the utmost, never revealing the slightest trace.

Chi Wuyao's gaze was fixed on the purple light, not moving an inch for a long time. Even with the black mist separating them, one could sense the almost overflowing excitement and greed emanating from her.

"What a marvelous light; even the most beautiful darkness appears so dim before it," Chi Wuyao sighed, her eyes seemingly merging with the purple glow, unwilling to part from it.

Suddenly, the purple light vanished entirely, and the Primal Chaos Divine Marrow disappeared from Zhou Xuzi's hand. The most enticing bait is one that is within reach, yet constantly appearing and disappearing. Zhou Xuzi was well-versed in this art. Ten months ago, he secretly dispatched his two great guardians, Tai Yin and Zhu Liu, with the Kunxu Cauldron to the God Realm of Absolute Beginning to retrieve the Absolute Beginning Divine Fruit. His purpose was to combine it with this piece of Primal Chaos Divine Marrow, hidden for many years, to forge another Primal Chaos World Pellet.

He had truly poured everything into Zhou Qingchen.

Tai Yin and Zhu Liu failed to retrieve the Absolute Beginning Divine Fruit and even perished in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, losing the Kunxu Cauldron in the process. According to Venerable Qu Hui, it had fallen into Yun Che's hands. This piece of Primal Chaos Divine Marrow had also lost its most important value.

Yet, it was the best bargaining chip to save Zhou Qingchen.

In this world, no one could resist the allure of the Primal Chaos Divine Marrow, absolutely no one. Not to mention, this was very likely the last piece of Primal Chaos Divine Marrow in the current Chaos.

"Yun Che can remove the dark energy from my son's body; this is a promise made by the Demon Empress herself," Zhou Xuzi said. Had he not received Chi Wuyao's assurance, he would not have taken such a huge risk to come here. "I hope, Demon Empress… you are not playing a trick on this old man."

"Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor, you personally experienced my Soul Stealing power back then. Your words underestimate me too much."

As Chi Wuyao finished speaking, her palm suddenly descended and rested on Yun Che's head. A terrifying black aura spread downwards from his crown. In just an instant, Yun Che's struggles and screams ceased completely. Chi Wuyao gripped her hand, and Yun Che was lifted entirely. He slowly stood upright, but his hands hung limply. The black aura on his head quickly dissipated, but his eyes showed no pupils, nor any trace of color. "Yun Che, tell me," Chi Wuyao said calmly, "who is the most deserving of death in this world?" Yun Che's body was rigid, his gaze vacant, and his lips opened and closed mechanically: "E-ternal… Hea-ven… Old… Dog…"

Zhou Xuzi's face remained impassive, but his fingers subtly tightened.

"Was it your doing that Zhou Qingchen became a devil?" Chi Wuyao asked again."Yes," Yun Che replied."Since you planted the darkness, you surely have a way to remove it, don't you?""Yes."

A single, hoarse, difficult word, devoid of emotion, yet it was the answer Zhou Xuzi had dreamed of. In contrast, Zhou Qingchen, who stood beside him and should have been the most excited, showed little reaction, as if he had not yet fully awakened from the Demon Empress's soul-bewitching words.

The last of his apprehension finally vanished. Zhou Xuzi felt as if an enormous burden had been lifted, and a slight tremor ran through every pore of his body.

Yun Che's entire body, including his eyes, exuded Chi Wuyao's soul aura. There was no doubt that he was completely and utterly under Chi Wuyao's "Soul Stealing" control. In this state, any words he spoke could not be false. Both he and Qianye Fantian had personally experienced Chi Wuyao's Soul Stealing power ten thousand years ago; the word "terrifying" was far from sufficient to describe it. Yun Che possessed a powerful Dragon Soul, which was widely known. Yet, he had still fallen victim to Qianye Ying'er's "Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark" back then, only to be slowly purified by Shen Xi's fortunate encounter. And Qianye Fantian himself had stated that Chi Wuyao's soul power far surpassed his own, imbued with an inexplicable eeriness. Ten thousand years ago, even a figure like the Pure Heaven Divine Emperor had "suddenly died" at her hands. Controlling Yun Che would be effortless for this terrifying Demon Empress.

"Well, was that clear enough for you?" Chi Wuyao asked, turning her gaze.

Yun Che was indeed under Chi Wuyao's Soul Stealing control at this moment, without any falsehood. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to deceive someone like Zhou Xuzi.

However… the initiative to break the Soul Stealing control was not solely in Chi Wuyao's hands. Ninety-nine percent of Yun Che's soul had been stolen by Chi Wuyao. But the last trace that held firm could shatter everything in an instant. Because… that was the power of the Darkness Eternal Calamity! How could the dark vessels that the Darkness Eternal Calamity could control not include a dark devil soul! But how could Zhou Xuzi possibly discern such an existence, which transcended even the understanding of true gods?

The Primal Chaos Divine Marrow reappeared in Zhou Xuzi's hand, its mysterious, luminous purple light once again shining into the darkness. Zhou Xuzi said solemnly, "Command Yun Che to purify the darkness from my son's body. Once it is done, the last Primal Chaos Divine Marrow in this world will belong to you, Demon Empress!"

Chi Wuyao's demonic eyes narrowed, and she let out a long, charming laugh. "Hehehehe, Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor, do you take me for a naive, childish three-year-old? If I help you resolve it first, will I still get my hands on this Primal Chaos Divine Marrow?!"

The Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor's gaze was calm, his words heavy and resonant, leaving no room for doubt: "As the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor, every word I speak is a divine decree! No matter who I face, even if you are the Demon Empress of the Northern Region, my promises are as heavy as nine cauldrons, Heaven can attest!"

Indeed, in the Eastern, Western, and Southern Divine Regions, the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor's promises were regarded as divine decrees that no one would doubt.

However, upon hearing this, Chi Wuyao glanced at him and suddenly burst into laughter—not a seductive giggle or a quiet chuckle, but an unrestrained, boisterous laugh, as if she had heard a ridiculous joke. "As heavy as nine cauldrons? Hahahaha… Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor, are you worthy of those words?" "Look closely at Yun Che by my side, and tell me, are you worthy of those words?"

"..." Zhou Xuzi felt as if a vital point had been struck. His expression, previously filled with righteousness, certainty, arrogance, and unquestionable authority, instantly crumbled. For a moment, he was speechless. With Yun Che in Chi Wuyao's hands, under her Soul Stealing power, all of Yun Che's secrets would undoubtedly have been stripped bare. And his betrayal of Yun Che, which led to everything that followed, was undoubtedly etched into the deepest, most hateful parts of Yun Che's heart and soul. How could Chi Wuyao not know? His great reputation as the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor, revered by the world… especially his promises, which were as weighty as Heaven, had, in Chi Wuyao's eyes, become nothing but a joke.

"What? Nothing to say?" Chi Wuyao sneered, then continued, "Back then, Yun Che saved all of you—not just your lives. Without Yun Che, I fear you wouldn't even have a root left." "Yet, in the blink of an eye, because he exposed his dark profound energy, you instantly turned against him. It was as if his act of saving your lives never happened; you've probably kept it more tightly concealed than your own crotches these past few years. Afterward, you, the Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor, even spearheaded the full encirclement and pursuit by the three Divine Regions, destroying even the planet of his origin until not a single scrap remained."

The Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor's face repeatedly changed… It was not surprising that Chi Wuyao, who had seized Yun Che's soul, would know all of this with such clarity and detail.

"And your son, who also possesses dark profound energy—you, the foremost saint of the Eastern Region, who hates devils as much as he hates enemies, not only did not eliminate evil and purge your own house, but instead hid him away tightly. Then, you took the Eastern Divine Region's only piece of Primal Chaos Divine Marrow and ran to this Northern Region to beg me, the Emperor of all devils… Oh dear, oh dear." "One is a savior who saved your lives and even the fate of the God Realm; the other is a parasitic divine son who devoured countless resources without contributing a single bit. Yet, the difference in treatment is so vast it's laughable, simply because he's your son… Hahahaha, Eternal Heaven Divine Emperor, in my eyes, you don't even deserve the words 'hypocritical and shameless,' let alone for me to believe your so-called 'promises'?" "A Divine Emperor reeking of foulness, yet he is the foremost saint revered by the Eastern Divine Region. It seems this Eastern Divine Region is nothing more than a reeking, unbearable place."

Although Zhou Xuzi knew that Chi Wuyao's heart-piercing words were meant to force him into a passive position, his heartstrings still convulsed. It took several breaths for him to finally calm down somewhat, then he slowly uttered six words: "Demon Empress, what do you intend?"

He did not want any further entanglement in this matter, not even bothering to offer a defense; he wished to neither hear nor speak another word.

"It's quite simple," Chi Wuyao said. "Although this is the Northern Region, I will not bully you. You and I shall each place the desired item into a barrier, then the barriers will merge, and we will simultaneously withdraw our power, each taking what we need." "This way, if one party harbors ill intentions and does not withdraw their power in time, the barrier will not open, and neither of us will be able to retrieve the other's item. It's quite fair."

"No… impossible!" Zhou Xuzi flatly refused, saying gravely, "The Primal Chaos Divine Marrow is an inanimate object, while Yun Che is a living being! Once the Primal Chaos Divine Marrow is in your hands, it becomes yours. But even if Yun Che enters my hands, he will still be under your control!"

"Heh, what a joke," Chi Wuyao scoffed faintly. "If I release my Soul Stealing control, do you think he would save your handsome son? I'm afraid he would rather commit suicide ten thousand times than comply."

"Then if you refuse to give the command, wouldn't I be left with nothing? Where is the fairness in that?" Zhou Xuzi said. "You may not trust this old man, and I likewise have no reason to trust you."

"Then let's just wait it out," Chi Wuyao said, showing not the slightest bit of impatience. Instead, she leisurely turned her body to look at the quiet, lifeless Yun Che beside her, the corners of her lips curving slightly.

Beneath the black mist, a jade-white hand extended, its fingertips touching Yun Che's face, then stroking it with a light, teasing gesture.

"Such a good child," she murmured softly, smiling, her eyes seeming to overflow with watery affection. "Just the Evil God's divine power on him, if it could be stripped away one day, would be worth tens of millions of Primal Chaos Divine Marrows." "I was still worried that after handing you over to that old man from Eternal Heaven, what if he suddenly crippled or killed you with a single palm strike? How pained and heartbroken would I be then?"

She exhaled softly, her voice growing softer and slower. Then, she leaned her head forward, her lips slightly parted, a hint of her pink tongue exposed like a jade bead, carrying a soul-intoxicating fragrance, and gently tapped Yun Che's neck.