Chapter 1676: Yanma Imperial Domain

The barrier lifted, and Yun Che stepped out of the hall, immediately seeing Chi Wuyao walking towards him.

Seeing Yun Che, Chi Wuyao’s steps paused slightly, and her eyes flickered. She then clearly perceived the enormous change in Yun Che’s aura.

She pursed her lips and smiled as she spoke, "Not only have you recovered completely, but your cultivation has also made such a significant breakthrough. Truly worthy of being the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's successor; indeed, you are always beyond ordinary comprehension."

"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Young Master Yun," said Devil Maiden Qianying, who was standing beside Chi Wuyao, with a nod.

Yun Che also smiled and said, "Compared to the Devil Queen effortlessly subjugating the vast Burning Moon Realm, what is this small breakthrough of mine?"

Chi Wuyao walked slowly closer, her gaze lowered as she looked at him. "Bringing Burning Moon under control, the credit is yours, not mine."

"But you are the one who took control of it, not me," Yun Che said.

Chi Wuyao said, "Our goals are the same. The power I possess, you can command at will. This applies to the Devil Maidens, and also to the Moon Eaters. So, what difference does it make?"

"It sounds like there's indeed no difference," Yun Che said, expressionless.

"A very important reason why the Moon Eaters submitted so easily is your identity as the Devil Emperor's successor. Your cultivation is still at the Divine Sovereign Realm, and you have yet to be crowned Emperor, yet they proactively address you as 'Divine Emperor Yun'. Such a thing has never happened in the history of the Northern Divine Region."

"For the powerful and proud Moon Eaters to act this way, you should understand what you carry means in the eyes of the profound practitioners of the Northern Region."

Chi Wuyao continued, "The power of the Divine Realm... a single sword strike annihilated a Divine Emperor and shattered the lifelong beliefs of the Moon Eaters. Now that the news has spread, all realms are shaken. And after the shock, what will arise is... a hope never before seen, growing ever more fervent."

"And this hope will gradually, completely ignite countless long-dormant dark souls."

"Therefore, in this matter, taking control of the Burning Moon Realm was not the greatest gain. The world-shaking impact from the Devil Emperor's successor and the hope it ignited — *that* is the greatest gain. In these past few days, my greatest efforts were not focused on Burning Moon, but on fanning the flames."

"Does that also include... my upcoming enthronement as Emperor in the Soul Stealing Realm?" Yun Che asked.

Devil Maiden Qianying's steps halted; she did not follow closely behind Chi Wuyao. She subtly sensed that there seemed to be a subtle difference between Yun Che and Chi Wuyao... compared to before.

"Yes," Chi Wuyao said. "Your influence as the Devil Emperor's inheritor is the most crucial factor. Originally, just your title alone would have required considerable effort to spread your influence. But now, with a single sword strike, you killed a Divine Emperor and subjugated Burning Moon in a day. Thus, no other methods are needed. When you are enthroned as Emperor, your rallying power will undoubtedly surpass all others."

Yun Che smiled, his gaze turning to the side. "As expected of the Devil Queen, you can effortlessly use a 'sudden' incident to pave a grand path."

"Since things are already this way, there's no reason not to go with the flow," Chi Wuyao said.

"'Go with the flow'?" Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly. "It seems the Devil Queen put a lot of thought into this 'going with the flow'."

Devil Maiden Qianying frowned slightly. She took a step forward and finally couldn't help but say, "Young Master Yun, are you misunderst—"

Chi Wuyao, however, suddenly raised a hand, stopping Qianying's words. Her face still held a faint smile. "Even if I had ten thousand times more cunning, I could not have predicted that such power existed in this world, capable of instantly slaying the Burning Moon Divine Emperor. Speaking of which..."

Her tone suddenly shifted. "Is Yun Qianying refining the second Primal Chaos World Pill?"

Yun Che's eyebrow twitched sharply.

"It seems so." Yun Che's change in expression gave her the answer. "Her figure is gone, and there's no aura; she must have entered an independent space undetectable by the outside world."

Yun Che's eyes turned cold. He looked at her and slowly said, "How do you know... there's a second Primal Chaos World Pill?"

"It's quite simple," Chi Wuyao said leisurely. "After you took the Primal Chaos Divine Marrow, you fled to the Beginning God Realm. Upon your return, Yun Qianying's cultivation showed an abnormal increase. The greatest possibility is that she consumed a Primal Chaos World Pill."

"At that time, things between you and her were 'unclear'. How could you possibly use such a precious Primal Chaos World Pill solely on her? I presume you used the Heaven Smiting Pearl's ultimate refining power to melt it into more than one Primal Chaos World Pill. One was given to Yun Qianying, and the rest you saved for yourself to consume at an opportune moment... presumably, after achieving the Divine Master Realm."

"And now, you've lost your trump card, a sense of unease will naturally arise. Thus, you will be eager to elevate your power in the shortest possible time, to avoid being at a disadvantage in front of me."

"Speaking of rapid power enhancement, what in this world can compare to the Primal Chaos World Pill? Moreover..." Chi Wuyao's eyes seemed to twinkle slightly. "Now that you've used the last Primal Chaos World Pill on her, do you feel... less reluctant about it?"

Yun Che's brows gradually turned cold and sharp.

"Women who can read a man's mind too easily are often annoying." Chi Wuyao smiled faintly. "Are you, by any chance, heading to the Yama Realm now?"

Yun Che's face remained impassive.

"Fen Daojun has just died, and your prestige is currently at its peak, while the Yama Emperor is at his most terrified and anxious. Going directly to him now is indeed the best possible timing. Therefore..."

She stood beside Yun Che, completely unbothered by the cold aura emanating from him. "Are you planning to go alone, or shall I accompany you?"

Yun Che narrowed his eyes and said, "The Devil Queen needs to control the recently subjugated Burning Moon and 'fan the flames'. How dare I trouble you with such a small matter?"

Chi Wuyao seemed to completely miss the sarcasm in his words. She shook her head and said, "This concerns Yama, so how can it be a small matter? Moreover, you should be very clear about the extent of the risks involved."

"However, since your Yun Qianying isn't here, and you wouldn't listen to my dissuasion anyway, there's no need for me to waste more breath."

Chi Wuyao gently tapped her finger, and a wisp of soul fragment condensed and flew towards Yun Che. "This contains the location of the Yama Realm, as well as some information about the Yama Emperor, the Yama Devils, and the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea. Before your return, besides managing Burning Moon and your influence, I will also prepare your enthronement ceremony."

"Don't die there and make all my efforts in vain."

Yun Che did not reply a single word. He cast a deep glance at Chi Wuyao, shrouded in black mist, then stepped forward, soaring into the air, and was gone in an instant.

Qianying watched in astonishment as Yun Che vanished from sight. The direction he took was indeed towards the Yama Realm. She rushed forward and said, "Master, he actually went to the Yama Realm just like that?"

"He has his own plans," Chi Wuyao said.

"But... but that's the Yama Realm!" Qianying was both confused and worried. "Master, you said the power he used to kill Fen Daojun cannot be reproduced. It's far too dangerous for him to enter the Yama Realm alone."

"He has his own plans," Chi Wuyao repeated. "I hope he succeeds."

"Even if he doesn't succeed, he should... he must have a way to retreat safely," Chi Wuyao said calmly. "His ability to escape and conceal himself is sufficient to handle any potential danger."

"But... what can he possibly do alone?" Qianying asked again.

Among the three King Realms of the Northern Region, the Yama Realm is publicly acknowledged as the strongest in overall power. And beneath the Yama Realm's stronghold, in the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea hidden deep within the Northern Region's core, three incomparably powerful Yama Ancestors are concealed. The mere existence of these three Yama Ancestors is enough to make the Yama Realm the most unshakeable dark land in the Northern Divine Region.

"Qianying," Chi Wuyao said, lifting her head slightly and looking in the direction Yun Che had gone. "The Burning Moon incident was a big surprise. As for the Yama side, you don't need to worry too much. Although his cultivation is still low, with the Eternal Calamity of Darkness within him, he is the true and only Dark Monarch in the Northern Divine Region, in this era."

"The Yama will be the first to... fully and completely experience this."

Devil Maiden Qianying parted her lips slightly.

"However, your concern is not unfounded." Chi Wuyao slowly closed her eyes. "Send a sound transmission to Huajin, telling her to immediately go to Yama and conceal herself within the Imperial Region. If anything changes, report back immediately."

"Yes," Qianying acknowledged the command and swiftly departed.

"Wait."

Just as Qianying turned around, Chi Wuyao called out to her.

Beneath the black mist, a faintly visible, alluring curve showed a slight, agitated rise and fall. She sighed softly and said, "There's no need to send a sound transmission to Huajin anymore... For this period, I will not be in the realm. As for Burning Moon, tell Jie Xin and Jie Ling not to slack off."

"...Yes," Qianying acknowledged the command, her gaze a mix of complexity and bewilderment.

The three King Realms of the Northern Region are all located in the central area of the Northern Divine Region. They are very close to each other, and at Yun Che's speed, he could reach them in a few hours.

Like the Soul Stealing Realm, the Yama Realm's territory is small. Its location is precisely at the core of the Northern Divine Region.

The core strength of the Yama Realm consists of the Ten Yama Devils under the Yama Emperor, and the Thirty-Six Yama Ghosts. However, only thirty-five Ghosts remain, because the strongest Yama Ghost King was killed by Yun Che with a single sword strike.

If they hadn't entered the Soul Stealing Realm, Yun Che and Qianye Ying'er would certainly be facing a full-scale pursuit from the Yama Realm right now.

Yun Che did not use a profound ark; he traveled alone through layers of dark star regions. One reason he urged Qianye Ying'er to refine the second Primal Chaos World Pill so eagerly was precisely so he could go to the Yama Realm alone like this. Otherwise, even if he managed to persuade her not to go... she would likely follow him secretly.

The closer he got to the Yama Realm, the fainter the already sparse light became.

Four hours later, Yun Che's figure finally entered the Yama Star Region.

The dark aura here was noticeably denser than that of the Soul Stealing Realm. This alone meant that the dark profound practitioners of the Yama Realm had superior inherent conditions for cultivation compared to the other two King Realms.

Concealing his aura, he slowed down. Yun Che silently traversed the Yama Realm, sweeping past one dark land after another... At this point, the aura ahead suddenly underwent a subtle change.

Yun Che descended from the air and slowly walked forward.

It was incredibly quiet and incredibly oppressive here. No figures were seen, no sounds were heard. If anyone were to step in, a profound sense of fear would quickly well up in their heart, intensifying with each step forward.

Yun Che narrowed his eyes slightly. He felt that the world ahead seemed to be enveloped in an invisible mist. As he focused his gaze, his spiritual perception extended to every inch of the ground beside him, where wisps of dark gray smoke were rising.

Ahead was the central royal city of the Yama Realm—the "Yama Imperial Region," known to all in the Northern Region.

Directly beneath the Yama Imperial Region lay the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea.

Tap... tap... tap...

Yun Che's light footsteps were exceptionally clear in the dim, deathly silence. As he continued to step forward, a cold, obscure voice drifted from afar, "Trespassers in the Imperial Region... die!"

Amidst a harsh, soul-piercing clang, a long black spear, condensed from darkness, tore through the air, carrying an incomparably dense dark death aura.