Chapter 1656: Soul Collapse

Zhou Xuzi knelt there, motionless. His mouth was open, but no sound escaped. Facing the eerie darkness, his eyes held a terrifying paleness.

Never had there been blood more beautiful, nor despair more complete.

True despair had no color, no sound.

Just as Yun Che had experienced when he witnessed the destruction of the Azure Cloud Continent.

But more despairing than despair itself was the despair that followed hope.

"Heh... heh heh..."

A sinister laugh, like a devil's chant, escaped Yun Che. He swung his arm, shaking off the blood, and looked at Zhou Xuzi, who was kneeling limply on the ground, his soul seemingly departed. Amidst the hatred that filled his entire being, a bone-deep exhilaration ignited for the first time. "Old dog of the Heaven Profound Realm... how does it taste?"

"Watching your most important, most innocent loved one die tragically before your eyes... isn't it exhilarating? Exhilarating to your very bones!"

"I am the fiend you speak of, bloodthirsty, brutal, sinful, inhuman, one who should not exist, utterly intolerable to the world! Yet you believed the words of a fiend!"

"You foolish old dog actually believed the words of a fiend!!"

"Ha... haha... hahahaha..."

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

He laughed maniacally, his black hair flying wildly, but each burst of laughter carried a heart-wrenching, soul-shattering blend of blood and pain.

"..." Zhou Xuzi finally moved. His head slowly turned; the body of a Divine Emperor moved stiffly and slowly, like a crude puppet manipulated by strings. From his mouth, a faint, mosquito-like sound finally emerged:

"You... all of you..."

"The Profound God Marrow is good stuff," Chi Wuyao said indifferently. "However, it's not I whom you should have come to see today, but Yun Che."

"How does it feel to personally experience the pain and despair Yun Che endured back then? Oh no, no..." Chi Wuyao shook her head. "You're still far from it. After all, you still have your homeland, legions of subordinates, family, and descendants."

"What you owe him..." Chi Wuyao slowly extended a slender, jade-white little finger. "You've only repaid this tiny bit."

"But there's no need to rush. One day, you will repay every single bit... tenfold, a hundredfold!"

Although it was Yun Che's hatred, Chi Wuyao's gaze was eerily cold.

"..." Zhou Xuzi's body began to tremble... and then tremble more violently. Suddenly, his pale eyes filled with blood, and thin trickles of blood seeped from his ears, nose, and mouth.

"Aaaahhh!"

Zhou Xuzi... the most gentle and peaceful Divine Emperor in the God Realm, let out a beast-like shriek. The profound energy around him erupted chaotically, like shattering stars, instantly causing the sky to collapse, the earth to split, and the very air to churn.

The power of a despairing Divine Emperor was terrifying beyond measure!

Chi Wuyao had already prepared. She struck Yun Che's chest with a palm, sending him flying far away, then swept her dark silk ribbon directly towards Zhou Xuzi with her left hand.

As the powers of the two Emperors simultaneously erupted, the vast Dark Zone instantly transformed, becoming riddled with holes.

Zhou Xuzi had completely lost his mind, uttering strange, unprecedented cries as his berserk Divine Emperor power was unleashed in a frenzy.

Boom!!

An abnormal explosion echoed within the destructive space created by the two Emperors' powers. Yun Che, who had been sent flying by Chi Wuyao's palm, was covered in blood-red profound energy. With a roar even more hoarse and maniacal than Zhou Xuzi's, he brought his crimson greatsword down directly onto Zhou Xuzi's head.

"Old dog of the Heaven Profound Realm... die... die!!"

In his Yama Devil Emperor state, Yun Che's ultimate combat power was comparable to a Level Seven Divine Master. If a lucid Zhou Xuzi had witnessed this, he would undoubtedly have been greatly astonished.

But... sensing Yun Che's approaching aura, Zhou Xuzi, like a despairing wolf scenting blood, completely disregarded Chi Wuyao's power and lunged madly straight at Yun Che.

Boom!

The earth overturned, and mountains collapsed. Chi Wuyao's long ribbon carved a bloody gash into Zhou Xuzi's ribs, and his power slammed violently into the Heaven Smiting Sword.

That was the berserk power of a Divine Emperor; even with Yun Che's heaven-defying progress, it was absolutely impossible for him to truly contend with it.

As if struck by a star, a thunderous boom ripped through the sky. Yun Che spewed blood, flung horizontally like withered wood swept by a storm... But immediately, he twisted his body in mid-air, swallowing the blood in his mouth. Even with fractured hand bones, he didn't release the Heaven Smiting Sword, which re-ignited with a bloody gleam of hatred, and he lunged at Zhou Xuzi once more.

Chi Wuyao sighed inwardly; she had long anticipated this situation.

This was also the main reason she had brought Jie Xin and Jie Ling along.

She floated into the air, forming a demonic seal with her hands. In an instant, the dark energy in the surrounding space rapidly converged, pressing down on Zhou Xuzi. Simultaneously, a black light flashed in her eyes as the Nirvana Devil Soul pierced through the darkness, directly assaulting Zhou Xuzi's soul.

The Devil Queen's soul, which had left him with a ten-thousand-year shadow, assaulted him again, causing Zhou Xuzi's soul to shudder. This forced his body and power to retreat layer by layer under the dark suppression. Yet, his murderous intent remained sky-high, extreme hatred filling the air, and he relentlessly charged towards Yun Che's location.

A barrier appeared out of thin air, violently throwing back Yun Che, who was desperately charging towards Zhou Xuzi. Two white figures swiftly darted out from the darkness, one on his left and one on his right, firmly restraining Yun Che.

Jie Xin and Jie Ling.

The two Level Ten Divine Masters combined their efforts, completely controlling Yun Che's entire body. Not only could he not lunge at Zhou Xuzi, but he couldn't even move a finger.

"Ugh, aahhh... I'll kill him... kill him! Aaaahhh!!"

Yun Che struggled wildly, roaring desperately. Each roar brought forth sprays of bloody foam.

Jie Xin and Jie Ling remained expressionless, holding Yun Che firm; this was their sole task for the day.

This was Chi Wuyao's domain of darkness. Under his desperate madness, Zhou Xuzi's soul was easily ravaged by Chi Wuyao's devil soul, and his roars grew increasingly painful and shrill. Yet, he seemed utterly insane, still lunging in the direction of Yun Che's aura, the light of hatred in his eyes as blood-red as Yun Che's.

At this moment, another powerful aura rapidly approached from afar, and soon the figure of Honored Elder Taiyu appeared within the black mist.

Although Zhou Xuzi had not transmitted a message, the immense commotion of two Emperors clashing could not possibly have failed to alarm him.

The frantic Zhou Xuzi, with no sign or aura of Zhou Qingchen...

Honored Elder Taiyu instantly understood what had happened. Only the death of Zhou Qingchen could drive the Heaven Profound Divine Emperor to madness.

But this was the Dark Zone. The Devil Queen of the Northern Region was present, along with two demonesses whose dark auras were so powerful they instantly unnerved him. And the aura of another Level Eight Divine Master was approaching even faster...

"Master, leave!"

Honored Elder Taiyu tore through layers of darkness, rushed to Zhou Xuzi's side, and grabbed his arm. "Leave! Quickly!!"

His arm, along with his body, was violently shaken off by Zhou Xuzi.

Honored Elder Taiyu flashed forward again, blocking Zhou Xuzi's path. His widened eyes fixed on Zhou Xuzi's chaotic, distorted ones. "Master! Do you want Qingchen to die in vain... Leave! Return to the Realm! Avenge him!"

The three words "Zhou Qingchen" pierced directly into his soul. Zhou Xuzi's entire body shuddered, and a flicker of clarity finally returned to his pupils.

Within the dark storm that devoured all, a faint glow suddenly swirled in. Despite such terrifying power, it had only been nearly ninety percent obliterated. The remaining portion still emitted a flawless white light, reflecting deeply in Zhou Xuzi's eyes.

He froze for a moment, then tremblingly reached out, cradling the shattered jade in his hands, gripping it firmly as if fearing it would be harmed even a jot more.

It was the Longevity Jade he had personally crafted for Zhou Qingchen on the day of his birth.

It had never left his side, his entire life.

His madness dissipated, and old tears streamed down his face. He turned and flew away alongside Honored Elder Taiyu, his retreating figure as desolate as the lingering twilight.

"Yun Che... Chi Wuyao..."

Zhou Xuzi's voice echoed from afar, each word filled with boundless sorrow and hatred: "I will pour out the Heaven Profound... the Eastern Divine Region... the power of all three Divine Regions... to utterly crush the Northern Divine Region... and grind you to dust!"

"Ugh... aah!"

The sky suddenly darkened. The dark profound energy applied by Jie Xin and Jie Ling was subtly distorted by Yun Che using the Eternal Night Devastation. Caught off guard, Yun Che suddenly broke free and lunged straight at Zhou Xuzi.

A tearing sound cut through the air as a golden shadow shot forth. The moment it touched Yun Che's body, it coiled around him like a spiritual serpent, forcibly sealing his movements.

A dark figure flashed, and Qianye Ying'er stood before Yun Che. She gripped his shoulders with both hands and said gravely, "You can't kill him. Save your strength!"

In the distance, Zhou Xuzi and Honored Elder Taiyu's figures had completely vanished, their auras disappearing from spiritual perception.

Yun Che's pupils constricted, and his whole body swayed. A large spray of blood mist erupted from his mouth, and his eyes became hollow. He seemed to have been drained of all essence and soul, slowly collapsing.

His consciousness scattered, and he fell unconscious.

He had killed Zhou Qingchen in front of Zhou Xuzi, which, while satisfying his anger, was merely an outlet for his rage.

Watching Zhou Xuzi before him, yet being powerless, his hatred for himself was the deepest pain and torment.

Chi Wuyao walked over, glanced at the hate-filled, unconscious Yun Che, and sighed. "He has clearly become a demon, yet he still acts like a child."

Qianye Ying'er picked him up and said in a very soft voice, "Perhaps everyone has forgotten that he is only half a cycle old... he is, after all, just a child."

Chi Wuyao: "..."

Qianye Ying'er began to walk towards the location of the Dark Profound Ark. Her steps were light and slow; it was a long while before their figures disappeared into the darkness.

"Alas," Chi Wuyao gently shook her head and murmured, "I wonder if this is right or wrong."

"Huajin," she called softly.

A faint colorful light shimmered, and Huajin appeared silently before Chi Wuyao, kneeling.

"How is it?" she asked.

Huajin reached out and held up a jet-black devil bead. "Everything Master desired is within," she said. "We also have the Heaven Profound Divine Emperor to thank for his cooperation."

Chi Wuyao reached out and took it, her divine sense lightly sweeping over it. Her lips curved slightly. "Very good."

Suddenly, her expression changed sharply, and her figure instantly blurred, vanishing from before Huajin.

"...!?" Huajin instinctively opened her mouth, then immediately suppressed the sound that almost escaped her. Her aura completely vanished, and she disappeared from the spot like a ghost.

Chi Wuyao shot directly through the dark space, and the moment her figure reappeared, her vast spiritual perception was unleashed at full power, instantly spreading across tens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of miles...

But immediately, her brows furrowed slightly.

"Get out here!" she bellowed softly, and the surrounding space rippled with long-lasting tremors.

There was no aura, no trace, and no response.

Her spiritual perception retracted, Chi Wuyao stood still, murmuring to herself, "Was it a delusion?"

With a soft breath, she turned and vanished from the spot.

One breath... two breaths... three breaths!

The space suddenly tore open, and Chi Wuyao's figure reappeared, her spiritual perception spreading out at its fastest speed.

How could she ever believe in something like a delusion?

But this time, she still found nothing.

That fleeting, faint aura seemed to have, in an extremely brief moment, escaped beyond the range of her spiritual perception, leaving her nowhere to search.

But such a person could not possibly exist in this current world.

Who could it have been...?