Chapter 1684: Faith Collapses

Yama Realm, Eternal Darkness Demon Palace.

“Father,” Yan Jie bowed respectfully behind Yama Emperor Yan Tianxiao.

Yan Tianxiao turned around and asked, “Have the three Old Ancestors made any moves?”

Yan Jie shook his head, “No, they haven’t.”

“Has the sealing profound array been attacked?” Yan Tianxiao asked again.

Yan Jie replied, “Your son has been personally guarding it these past few days. The grand array sealing the entrance to the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea has shown no signs of being struck by force.” He then stood up and continued, “However, this is only natural. Once he fell into the hands of the three Old Ancestors, he wouldn’t have any power to struggle. Even if the barrier were wide open, he wouldn’t have a chance to escape.”

Yan Tianxiao frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

“Father, should your son go in and investigate?” Yan Jie asked.

“No,” Yan Tianxiao raised a hand. “The fact that Yun Che possesses the Devil Emperor’s power is at least true. The three Old Ancestors have been trapped in the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea for a long time, and their greatest desire is to touch the dark domain beyond the boundary. After capturing Yun Che, they will certainly use every means to extract all secrets regarding the Devil Emperor’s legacy from him.” He added, “Perhaps there’s a slight chance they could forcibly seize the Devil Emperor’s legacy.” Although he knew this possibility was extremely slim, anyone in their position would undoubtedly try every means. “If they fail, or if they ultimately succeed, the Old Ancestors will come out on their own. The lack of any movement indicates they are fully engaged in this matter. Entering rashly, should we disturb them, would be a grave offense.”

Yan Jie’s body stiffened, and he hastily said, “Father is right, your son was reckless.”

“However…” Yan Tianxiao raised his gaze, looking into the distance. “Six days have passed, and there’s been no movement from the Soul Stealing Realm. Could they possibly think Yun Che has bluffed us all and is now occupying the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea to cultivate? Hmph, how ridiculous.” He commanded, “Send someone to keep a close watch on the Soul Stealing Realm. Report any unusual activity immediately.”

“Yes.”

Yan Jie accepted the order and departed.

Yan Tianxiao stood still, deep in thought for a long time, unable to find anything amiss. He even began to suspect that Yun Che might just be a pawn abandoned by Chi Wuyao. Given Chi Wuyao’s ruthless methods, she was certainly capable of such a thing. Yan Tianxiao mused. Only…

He could never have dreamed of the ordeal the three Old Ancestors of the Yama Realm had endured over the past six days…

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

Thunderous roars echoed continuously in the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea, but these earth-shattering power blasts were completely torn apart and swallowed by agonizing shrieks.

Yun Che glowed with pure white light. The Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword in his hand swung continuously, its formidable sword might, imbued with incredibly sacred yet utterly cruel profound light, repeatedly struck the three Yama Ancestors. Heavenly Wolf Slash, Wildfang, Heaven Star Lament, Instant Prison Tribulation, Azure Wolf Claw, Blood Moon Punishing Heaven Sword! The first six swords of the Heavenly Wolf Hell God Arts were unleashed by Yun Che again and again upon the three Yama Ancestors. As arguably the most dominant heavy sword technique in the current era, even the first sword of the Heavenly Wolf Hell God Arts, Heavenly Wolf Slash, was extremely draining. Normally, Yun Che would be half-exhausted after a single practice round. But here, they were unleashed recklessly as if they cost nothing. In just six days, his mastery over the Heavenly Wolf Hell God Arts had subtly improved.

The three Yama Ancestors had become his training sandbags—immortal sandbags! Even if they were occasionally smashed into two by overly violent sword might and the engulfing light, the light would recede, and they would quickly recover and regenerate in the darkness. This immortality, this inability to be destroyed, was originally the unprecedented, world-defying power of the three Yama Ancestors. But under Yun Che’s profound light energy, it had become the greatest nightmare of their lives. Their own powers and ghostly claws repeatedly struck their own bodies, twisting their throats or blasting their meridians and heart veins… They wished to die; their entire will and belief craved death desperately.

However, their life essence was connected to the entire Eternal Darkness Bone Sea. Unless they could leave, or destroy the entire Eternal Darkness Bone Sea, or Yun Che completely erased their existence with profound light energy, their desire to die, to commit suicide, was mere delusion. And how could Yun Che truly eliminate them, or give them a chance to leave? In this purgatory of light, all that remained for them was endless torment and despair. Occasionally, when Yun Che transformed light into flames, unleashing the Nine Suns’ Heavenly Wrath and Resplendent World Red Lotus—abilities he usually had to build up for a long time—to burn them, it felt like an immense blessing. They had endured this horrific torture repeatedly over these six days, their lives and souls being ravaged and restored again and again. Their torn throats would just heal, only to be torn open once more…

Yun Che retracted his sword, and the profound light radiating from him completely extinguished. In the darkness, the three Yama Ancestors lay prostrate, their bodies writhing as life and soul regeneration began anew. By now, they no longer attempted to escape, for it was useless… utterly useless. That devil-like person… no, a person a thousand times more terrifying and cruel than any devil, he truly was the master of darkness! All the dark energy here was under his control. The three of them had absolutely nowhere to escape.

“Kill me… please, kill me…”

Initially, they would curse and roar, and even when begging for death, they’d shout, “If you dare, then kill me!” But now, all they could do was plead, begging in the most abject humility. Death… in this purgatory of light, they could scarcely imagine anything more wonderful than death. Had it been anyone else, such torment would have long since driven them to complete collapse and madness. But what they could regenerate and restore was not just life, but also their souls. Even wishing to completely break down into living corpses was a luxury they couldn’t afford.

“Kill me… kill me… please…”

Such moans overflowed from the mouths of every Yama Ancestor. Their extreme despair and wretchedness made the very dark energy of the place desolate.

“Die?”

Yun Che narrowed his eyes and slowly said in a deep voice, “You three useful old devils, there are hardly any like you in the entire God Realm. If you were to die, wouldn’t that be a terrible waste?”

“You…” Yan Wanchu turned around. When Yun Che’s figure appeared in his pupils, he trembled in fear from his eyes to his entire body, and even his internal organs. “You… just what are you…?”

“Simple,” Yun Che said. “A slave imprint, or… we continue playing.”

“Hah… hah…” Yan Wanhuo gasped for breath, his body trembling, but his words still held a faint trace of ruthless determination: “The three of us… occupied the Bone Sea… founded Yama Demon… brought all spirits to submission…” He snarled, “Even if we fall into eternal damnation… we will never… never… become your dogs!” As Old Ancestors of Yama, supreme existences in the Northern Divine Region, if they were to be branded with a slave imprint, their lifetime of glory and dignity would be completely lost! The entire Yama Realm would be utterly disgraced because of it. Even their power would be used by another, and the first to be targeted would be the Yama Realm, to which they had dedicated their lives, and their countless descendants. Therefore, even when forced to such a point, they were still unwilling to submit.

“Dogs?” Yun Che chuckled. “For a mortal, being a dog is indeed a great humiliation. But you three old devils, you’ve been confined to darkness for hundreds of thousands of years, neither human nor ghost. How is your existence any better than a dog outside?” He added, “I could grab any guard dog outside, and I wouldn’t even deign to exchange it for you. Where do you get the face or qualifications to compare yourselves to dogs?”

The three Yama Ancestors gasped and moaned, unresponsive. Compared to the purgatory of light, this verbal humiliation was utterly negligible.

“Oh, right.” Yun Che said slowly, as if he had just remembered something. “I was having so much fun playing these past few days that I seemed to forget to tell you something.” He raised his palm… this movement caused the three Yama Ancestors to convulse violently, but then, what shone from Yun Che’s hand was not the nightmarish white glow, but dark profound light.

“The Eternal Calamity of Darkness that I possess grants me the most extreme control over darkness in this world, which naturally includes… freeing you completely from the dark shackles of this Eternal Darkness Bone Sea.”

Yun Che’s words made the three Yama Ancestors freeze. Then they slowly turned their heads. “You… what did you say?”

“Right now, you are barely even human. You are merely pathetic dark puppets of this Eternal Darkness Bone Sea. But I can free you from being ‘puppets’ and allow you to become human again.” He continued, “Your power will not be lost. You will also possess independent lives and souls, and enough to live for tens of thousands of years after leaving this place!”

Yan Wanguo twisted his body, his voice trembling, “You… what you said… is it true?” Independent lives and souls, able to leave here and live for tens of thousands of years!? What a luxurious dream!

“And the price is, you become my dogs.” Yun Che’s chilling words struck the souls of the three Yama Ancestors, incredibly cold and heavy.

“No… don’t fall for it!” Yan Wanchu hissed. “We’ve been here for over eight hundred thousand years. Such a thing… it’s impossible, impossible! He’s just toying with us… trying to trick us.”

“Heh, a joke.” Yun Che sneered. “If I can’t take you out, what use do I have for three useless dogs chained here? To kick around like sandbags?” He chuckled coldly, the darkness in his hand vanishing as he closed his fingers. “Being a dog is humiliating? That depends on whose dog you are. You should have heard by now, the Burning Moon Realm, which stood alongside Yama for hundreds of thousands of years, has fallen under my control. After that, it will be this Yama Realm.” He paused, “I believe by now, you won’t doubt that I can easily achieve it.”

The three Yama Ancestors’ bodies convulsed again.

“Once the darkness of the Northern Region is unified, I will point my sword at the three Divine Regions, unleashing darkness from its cage, spreading it across every corner of the three Divine Regions, and making darkness the new master of the God Realm!” He declared, “And I, not only the master of darkness. In the future, I will also be the master of this world!”

The heads of the three Yama Ancestors had all turned, listening blankly to Yun Che’s earth-shattering words and an ambition they had never conceived in over eight hundred thousand years.

“And you will be the loyal dogs who realize this grand dark vision for Yama and for the Northern Divine Region, the loyal dogs of the future master of heaven and earth!”

Yun Che’s words were low and slow, his eyes gleaming with a profound dark light that even the three Yama Ancestors could not penetrate. Undoubtedly, both the prospect of being able to help them leave this place and his grand dark vision held immense persuasive power for the three Yama Ancestors, who had been trapped in the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea for so long. And Yun Che, of course, had not simply forgotten to tell them earlier. Once a slave imprint was planted, they would, for their entire lives, completely become loyal dogs. Existences like the Yama Ancestors could never accept such a fate under normal circumstances. But… after enduring repeated horrific torments where death was an impossibility, and then suddenly having a blessing—one they had never even dared to dream of—laid out before them, along with a magnificent vision capable of igniting the blood and will of any dark profound practitioner… then even the most steadfast and unyielding beliefs would easily loosen and collapse.

Amidst the violently flickering gazes of the three Yama Ancestors, Yun Che slowly raised his hand, “Will you continue to be pests in the abyss, or loyal hounds of the future Master of Chaos!” He continued, “I am now giving you another chance to choose.” He then added, “Of course, you have every right to refuse. And I am far from finished playing; I have all the time in the world to accompany you.” His words were like an emperor’s divine decree, and yet like a demon’s mockery.

“Urgh!”

Yan Wanguo moved. He struggled to get up, then, with faltering steps, slowly walked towards Yun Che, and then… simply collapsed onto his knees before Yun Che.

“Old Devil, you… what are you doing!” Yan Wanchu roared, his eyes wide with fury.

“He’s right…” Yan Wanguo spoke with difficulty, each word almost costing him a tooth. “Rather than living a wretched existence here, neither human nor ghost, it’s better to be a dog that can live under the light of day!” He looked up at Yun Che, saying, “And… he has the power to make three old devils, who considered themselves invincible, unable to live or die… he is the Devil Emperor’s successor… he has the ambition to make darkness dominate the world… becoming his dog doesn’t seem so unbearable after all.” He then declared, “As for whether it’s true… I’ll try!”

Crack!!

Several teeth were simultaneously crushed in his mouth, black blood spattering out. He stared fixedly at Yun Che and uttered the most difficult and ruthless words of his life: “Plant… the imprint!”