Chapter 1687: Yama's Dirge

The scolding of the three Yama Ancestors echoed through the sky above the Yama Emperor Realm. Besides that, there was no other sound.

Everyone was in a state of extreme shock and bewilderment, unable to speak, not even daring to make a sound.

Yan Tianxiao once again fell into a prolonged stupor. His own confusion and earnest pleas had been met with the three ancestors' furious rebuke.

Yet, a single indignant remark he made to Yun Che, which barely qualified as a scolding, was met with a relentless barrage of furious words from the three ancestors, who even declared they would "cleanse the house."

His face turned ashen. His hands slowly clenched into fists.

The three Yama Ancestors' terrifyingly bizarre behavior truly made it seem as if Yun Che had planted a slave seal on them. But this possibility, as soon as it flashed through his mind, was quickly dismissed.

Because they were the supreme, invincible three Yama Ancestors, how could they possibly allow anyone to plant a slave seal on them? He would rather believe that the Northern Divine Region would collapse in the next instant than believe something so utterly absurd.

It wasn't that Yan Tianxiao was naive; any person would have found this possibility unbelievable.

Of course, they could never have imagined the terrifying hell — and temptation — the three Yama Ancestors had endured under Yun Che in recent days.

Human nature has two sides. Even in the heart of the kindest person, a devil lurks.

And when the devil in Yun Che's heart was forced out, it proved even more ruthless and terrifying than any villain he had ever encountered in his life.

The esteemed First Divine Emperor of the Northern Region was utterly humiliated and scolded, yet none of the surrounding Yama Devils, Yama Ghosts, Imperial Sons, or Imperial Daughters dared to utter a sound, because those were the three ancestors!

The higher one's status in the Yama Devil Realm, the more they knew about the true nature of the three Yama Ancestors.

Was the Yama Devil Realm unshakeable? Indeed.

But if it involved the three Yama Ancestors, that was a different matter entirely.

Yan Tianxiao was the feared First Divine Emperor of the Northern Region, yet before the three Yama Ancestors, he was not even considered a great-grandchild.

They had immersed themselves in the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea for hundreds of thousands of years, and their cultivation had long since reached the extreme of darkness.

Most importantly, the Yama Devil Realm's Devil Source Artifact, which was also the lifeblood of its legacy — the Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron — had always been in the hands of the three Yama Ancestors.

Therefore, their will truly had the power to completely alter the destiny of the Yama Devil Realm!

Pair after pair of eyes tremblingly turned towards Yan Tianxiao.

Even the Yama Devils and Yama Ghosts of the Northern Divine Region, who possessed extremely high power and status, simply had no right to speak to the Yama Ancestors.

Yan Tianxiao's hands clenched tightly... clenching even tighter, blood was already seeping from between his fingers and his gritted teeth.

When he looked up again, the confusion on his dark-shrouded face had lessened, replaced by a certain resolve. "May I ask, three ancestors, the reason for such a decision?" he demanded.

He wanted a reason... even if it was just a slight reason to waver.

Yan Yi said solemnly: "The three of us were trapped in the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea for eight hundred thousand years. Though we gained prolonged life, we could not leave even half a step. It was our master who granted us new life, allowing us to see the light of day again and roam the world from now on. This is a great kindness that is impossible to repay even over a hundred lifetimes!"

Yan Er said gravely: "Our master possesses the power of the Heretic God and the Devil Emperor's legacy. Despite being only an eighth-level Divine Sovereign, he made the three of us willingly bow in submission. The dignity of his person and power is unmatched in this world! To be able to serve him as master, this is a unique great fortune in the world!"

Yan San declared proudly: "Although the Yama Devil is mighty, it has been content with its own stagnation for hundreds of thousands of years. As the First King Realm of the Northern Region, it has willingly remained confined within a cage. But our master harbors grand ambitions, aiming for the vast Divine Realm! Once the three King Realms are unified under our master's command, our master will lead the Northern Region to break free from its cage, defy the destiny of the Northern Region, and achieve unprecedented feats! This is a righteous cause that will be revered for countless generations!"

The words of the three Yama Ancestors were impassioned and resounding, each word shaking the heavens.

Everyone in the Yama Devil, from top to bottom, gaped in astonishment, dumbfounded.

Yan Tianxiao slowly exhaled.

He wanted reasons, and the three Yama Ancestors gave them, speaking with righteous indignation and firm words... clearly imbued with an abnormal piety.

However, even if these reasons were magnified ten or a hundredfold, they still shouldn't justify simply handing over the Yama Devil Realm, which had stood in the Northern Region for eight hundred thousand years, to an outsider.

It was too absurd, too ridiculous.

Instead of obeying the ancestors' command, Yan Tianxiao slowly stood up.

With a dull clang, the Yama Devil Spear appeared before Yan Tianxiao. Black light shimmered around him, and his long hair billowed.

The face of this First Emperor of the Northern Region was etched with pain and tragic heroism.

He had never imagined that one day he would have to face the three founding ancestors, whom he normally revered and regarded as the guardian deities of the Yama Devil.

"Three ancestors," Yan Tianxiao's voice became slow and deep. "As descendants of the Yama Devil, we should obey any of your commands. But the vast Yama Devil carries the dignity, effort, and glory of all Yama Devil descendants for hundreds of thousands of years!"

"No matter what... even if it's an ancestor's command, we cannot simply hand it over!"

Yan Tianxiao shook his head, his eyes pleading, attempting a final plea: "Three ancestors, this Yama Devil Realm was created by your own hands. You watched it grow to what it is today. How could you possibly allow such a thing to happen? I beg you, clear your minds and do not be swayed by the Devil Emperor's power inherited by Yun Che!"

The three Yama Ancestors had tirelessly pursued the extreme of darkness for hundreds of thousands of years. The Devil Emperor's power on Yun Che, apparently, could be seen as a power beyond that extreme, which made them willingly become pious.

Though incredibly far-fetched, he truly could not think of any other possibility besides that.

Yan Tianxiao's actions and words clearly expressed his stance and decision.

Alongside him, Yan Jie and Yan Wu, after a very brief hesitation, also stood up.

Subsequently, the Yama Devil masses who had been prostrating themselves, their minds wavering, from the highest Yama Devils to the lowest Yama Soldiers, stood up one after another. Profound energy surged around them, and the air throughout the Yama Emperor Realm surged wildly, as if sweeping through countless storms.

After all, Yan Tianxiao was the Divine Emperor!

After all, none of them were willing to accept the Yama Devil Realm changing hands to an outsider... not even at the command of the three Yama Ancestors.

However, they were all exceptionally clear about how terrifying the three Yama Ancestors were. It was said that the power of each Yama Ancestor surpassed that of a Yama Emperor.

And here, this was the Eternal Darkness Devil Palace, the core of the Yama Devil Realm! If a fierce battle were to erupt here as the battlefield, even if they ultimately won, the situation would undoubtedly be tragic.

The three Yama Ancestors... when on their side, they were like stabilizing divine needles. But when they became enemies, they were undoubtedly the greatest nightmare — a nightmare no one had ever conceived.

The gazes of the three Yama Ancestors suddenly turned cold.

"So, you all intend to defy the will of your ancestors?" Yan Yi said in a deep voice.

Having made his decision, Yan Tianxiao's expression instead became calm. "As the Emperor of the Yama Devil, I must defend the Yama Devil with my life! For this, we must defy the three ancestors... But three ancestors, what you are defying is the Yama Devil that you yourselves created!"

"Good, very good!" All three Yama Ancestors raged. Yan Er scanned the entire scene and said, "I'd like to see how many rebels there will be today; we'll cleanse the house of them all!"

"Ancestors," Yan Wu's expression and eyes were as cold as an ice prison. "If you wish to harm my Yama Devil, even if it is you... you are also our mortal enemies!"

"That's right!" Yan Jie stood beside Yan Wu, black energy rising around him, his voice sharp as a blade. "If the three ancestors insist on this, for the glory of the Yama Devil, we will have no choice but to... rebel against our superiors!"

"Hahahaha." Yun Che, who had been silently watching the spectacle, chuckled softly, then leisurely said, "Yan Tianxiao, before you resist, take a good look at what this is."

With a wave of his arm, a dark, enormous cauldron appeared in his hand.

At that instant, the eyes of the Yama Devil multitude bulged simultaneously, as if struck by a heavy object.

"The Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron!"

Startled shouts burst forth.

That was their Yama Devil's Devil Source Artifact, their legacy's lifeblood!

Yan Tianxiao's body swayed violently.

His greatest fear, the thing he dared not even contemplate, had finally come to pass... No, it was far worse than he had ever feared.

Because it wasn't the three Yama Ancestors holding the Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron and threatening the Yama Devil, but Yun Che!

The three Yama Ancestors had actually given him the very lifeblood of the Yama Devil's legacy!

As Yan Tianxiao's body swayed, his vision even spun around.

What exactly did they gain from this? What did they gain!?

"Father, this... this..." Yan Jie was clearly panicking.

As the Yama Devil Crown Prince, he knew more secrets about the Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron.

The Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron was not only a vessel for the Yama Devil's source energy; it also possessed an overbearing characteristic that neither the Burning Moon nor Soul Stealing King Realms' Devil Source Artifacts had:

It could forcibly strip and reclaim inherited Yama Devil power!

In this regard, it was similar to the Brahma Soul Bell of the Brahma Monarch God Realm in the Eastern Divine Region.

Back then, at the edge of chaos, Qianye Ying'er's Brahma God power had been forcibly stripped by the Brahma Soul Bell... incidentally allowing her to break free from the slave seal Yun Che had planted on her.

"This dark cauldron, I believe you, Yama Emperor, are well acquainted with it." Yun Che held the cauldron in one hand and said proudly, "Not only does it pertain to the Yama Devil Realm's legacy, but it also seems... to be able to forcibly reclaim inherited Yama Devil power. Are you sure you still want to resist?"

"Yun Che!" Yan Tianxiao gnashed his teeth. He began to dimly perceive that ten days ago, he might have fallen into Yun Che's trap... But given the current situation, none of that mattered anymore. He said grimly, "The Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron can indeed forcibly reclaim legacies, but it also requires time. That time will be enough for this King to tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

"Audacious wretch!" The three Yama Ancestors roared in anger... But as soon as Yun Che raised a hand, they immediately quieted down obediently. He smiled faintly, "So, Yama Emperor, you are determined to defy the ancestral command?"

"No," although he had just issued a harsh threat, Yan Tianxiao powerlessly closed his eyes, and even the aura around him slowly subsided at that moment. With a twisted expression, he said, "With the Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron in your hands, and this being the Eternal Darkness Devil Palace, if we truly fight the three ancestors, our foundation will surely be destroyed. Though I am utterly unwilling, this King must consider the countless lives of my Yama Devil."

"Wu'er, Jie'er." As Yan Tianxiao spoke aloud, he sent an incredibly calm soul transmission: "After three breaths, I will forcefully obstruct the power of the three ancestors while they are caught off guard. You two combine your strength... and at all costs, kill Yun Che!"

"If you can't kill him, then seize the Yama Devil Crossing-the-Underworld Cauldron!"

Yan Jie and Yan Wu understood instantly, and profound energy quietly surged within their profound veins, ready to erupt.

"Answer this King one question." Yan Tianxiao's eyes glittered like cold stars. "If your answer can satisfy this King, perhaps this King can..."

While his voice still lingered in the air, everyone held their breath, listening to Yan Tianxiao's words that could very well determine the Yama Devil's future. Yet, the speaker had abruptly pierced through space, and the aura originally locked onto Yun Che suddenly shifted at that instant, heading straight for the three Yama Ancestors.

Everyone was greatly alarmed... and a sudden explosion ripped through the air.

As the First Divine Emperor of the Northern Region, Yan Tianxiao's imperial might was immense, especially with his sudden attack, completely unexpected by everyone.

But just as his imperial might erupted, before it had fully spread, three overwhelming devil auras suddenly pressed down.

These three devil auras were not only incomparably powerful, but despite striking after Yan Tianxiao, they erupted before his imperial devil power, like three sky-piercing hammers, forcibly scattering Yan Tianxiao's Divine Emperor power, with their subsequent force pressing directly down...

Yan Tianxiao let out a muffled grunt, falling headfirst.

With a heavy thud, his feet stood firmly on the ground like magnets, but an abnormal pallor flashed across his face, and his heart felt as if struck by ten thousand bolts of lightning, utterly overturned.

"My Lord!"

"Father!"

Yan Wu and Yan Jie, who were already poised to attack, had their pupils contract, and their entire bodies turned cold.

Those who witnessed this all turned pale, their souls trembling.

"Hmph!" Yan Yi's sparse hair stood on end, a murderous aura soaring. "To ambush our master right before the three of us, it seems we'll have no choice but to cripple you, you rebellious, defiant brat!"

Looking at the three Yama Ancestors in the air now, every pore on the bodies of the Yama Devil multitude silently constricted.

The strength of the Yama Ancestors was naturally known to all in the Yama Devil, but it was mostly hearsay; hardly anyone had ever seen a Yama Ancestor unleash their full power.

Yet just now, their Yama Devil Emperor, the widely acknowledged strongest profound practitioner in the Northern Divine Region, had his Divine Emperor power suppressed in an instant by the three Yama Ancestors... even though they attacked after him.

Any one of the three Yama Ancestors had power surpassing that of the Yama Emperor... This used to be merely a rumor. But now, how could they dare to harbor even a shred of doubt?

"Yan Tianxiao," Yun Che's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and deep. "Originally, no one needed to die, and this core area could have been preserved. But you... you insist on not shedding tears until you see the coffin!"

Yan Tianxiao's face was ashen, his long hair billowed, and imperial might filled the sky. "Today, even if this King perishes by the hands of the ancestors, I will surely drag you down with me first!"

"Oh?" Yun Che smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping around. "Do all of you think so too?"

Boom!!

The moment Yun Che's words fell, a sudden explosion erupted.

Yan Jie's long-prepared power ruthlessly struck Yan Wu's back.

Yan Tianxiao whirled around, his eyes nearly splitting open... Yan Wu flew backward, spitting blood, and crashed heavily ten miles away.

Yan Jie and Yan Wu were only two steps apart. After receiving Yan Tianxiao's soul transmission, both had been secretly accumulating power. However, Yan Wu's attention was entirely focused on Yun Che; how could she have any guard against Yan Jie?

In terms of cultivation, Yan Wu was far superior to Yan Jie. But at such close range, completely unprepared, facing Yan Jie's long-accumulated power... this strike was enough to severely wound Yan Wu on the spot.