Chapter 1688: Eternal Darkness and Despair

The Three Yama Ancestors, possessed by devils, sought to usurp control of the Yama Realm. When Yan Tianxiao resolved to fight back against his ancestors, he likely never imagined that the first to betray him would be his own son, whom he valued most and had even designated as the "Yama Crown Prince."

"Crown Prince, you... you're insane!" roared Yan Tu, the Ninth Yama Devil.

Yan Tianxiao soared to Yan Wu's side, his Divine Emperor power surging to quickly suppress her injuries. Only then did he slowly turn his head. His eyes held not anger, but a deeply hidden disappointment and sorrow, and he remained silent.

Yan Wu slowly rose, her face pale and her entire body trembling. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and her beautiful eyes seemed to ignite with flames.

"Yan... Jie!"

It was the first time she had called her brother by his given name: "You... animal!"

Yan Jie's expression quickly changed as he declared in a deep voice, "An ancestor's command is destiny! Without the Ancestors, there would be no Yama Devils! Without the Ancestors, where would we, their descendants, be? Defying an ancestor and rebelling—*that* is what makes one an animal!"

If Yan Jie had been full of panic after making his move, by the time he roared these words, he had become incredibly calm—a calmness he had never experienced in his life.

He even suddenly felt that this might be the boldest, most ruthless, and most astute choice he had ever made in his life!

A man who desires to achieve great things cannot be hesitant or soft-hearted! When opportunity arises, he must be ruthless for his own sake!

"Rebel... son!" Yan Tianxiao murmured softly, then let out a long sigh.

He understood why Yan Jie acted this way.

Yan Jie had received the Yama Devil legacy, and his own talent was exceptionally impressive. He had been chosen as Crown Prince without dispute, his brilliance shining for all to see, destined to logically succeed as Divine Emperor in the future.

However, when Yan Wu was born and grew up, she received the Yama Devil legacy at a young age. She later achieved the rank of a Level Ten Divine Master at the age of three thousand, and her brilliance far surpassed his.

This undoubtedly caused Yan Jie, as the Crown Prince, to feel uneasy and insecure.

In Yan Tianxiao's view, this was both immense pressure and also motivation and a test for Yan Jie.

If he could uphold his integrity and strive under the pressure from Yan Wu, he would certainly become a more excellent Yama Crown Prince.

Therefore, for years, Yan Tianxiao had intentionally shown admiration and favoritism towards Yan Wu in front of Yan Jie. He even deliberately allowed rumors to circulate about potentially deposing the Crown Prince and establishing Yan Wu as Crown Princess.

In recent years, based on Yan Jie's performance, Yan Tianxiao had begun to feel he might have overestimated Yan Jie's ambition and resilience, but he still held great hope.

But...

To end up with such a result today, how tragic.

"Very good, excellent," Yun Che said approvingly, his eyes narrowing into menacing slits. "Truly worthy of being the Yama Crown Prince."

Yan Jie quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for the praise, Emperor Yun. As a descendant, obeying the ancestors' will is the righteous path and heavenly principle! And Emperor Yun, as the current Devil Emperor, is the supreme blessing of the Heavenly Way to the Northern Region. Assisting Emperor Yun is also in accordance with the Heavenly Way!"

After speaking, he turned to face Yan Tianxiao and the other Yama Devil clan members, saying, "Father, and all my brothers and clansmen, the Ancestors' will cannot be defied, and the Heavenly Way's will is even more undeniable! Do not remain stubbornly deluded!"

His demeanor and words became several times more rigid than before.

For years, he had been firmly suppressed by Yan Wu's brilliance. Though he was the designated Yama Crown Prince, in everyone's eyes, he was far inferior to Yan Wu in all aspects... Even he himself felt a deep sense of shame when facing Yan Wu.

But now, the chance to break free from all of it had arrived!

The powerful and invincible Three Yama Ancestors had pledged allegiance to Yun Che, and the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron had also fallen into Yun Che's hands.

And behind Yun Che were the Soul Stealing Realm and the Burning Moon Realm, which had just been conquered.

Although he also couldn't fully comprehend why the Three Yama Ancestors had acted this way, with just a little consideration, on one side were the Three Yama Ancestors, the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron, the Soul Stealing Realm, and the Burning Moon Realm, while on the other was the Yama Realm, which had lost its guardian gods and the lifeline of its legacy...

The superiority and inferiority were immediately clear!

After the Three Yama Ancestors instantly suppressed Yan Tianxiao and displayed their unparalleled might, Yan Jie's last trace of hesitation completely vanished.

Being the first to pledge allegiance would undoubtedly earn the most favor.

He also knew deeply that the best way to pledge allegiance was to offer a significant "token of loyalty."

So he unleashed a full-powered palm strike towards the strongest Yama Devil... This strike was not merely to offer a token of loyalty, but also contained the resentment and jealousy he had accumulated for years.

"You traitorous dog!" Yan Tianxiao cursed furiously, then let out a profound sigh. "I prided myself on my unparalleled ability to command people, but... I was blinded by an eagle."

With that sigh, the Yama Devil Spear in his hand was raised. Its tip was pointed not at Yun Che, but at Yan Jie.

"Heh, Yan Tianxiao, your son is much more pragmatic than you," Yun Che scoffed, his voice suddenly deepening. "Cripple him."

Facing Yan Tianxiao's furious gaze, the lingering might of his father still tensed Yan Jie's nerves, but his eyes became even more ruthless.

When Yun Che uttered the words "Cripple him," Yan Jie thought it was an order for the Three Yama Ancestors to attack Yan Tianxiao. But suddenly, he felt three enormous pressures bearing down from behind him.

He was greatly alarmed and quickly channeled his power to resist. However, the three immense dark forces were like sky-supporting mountains. Before his Yama Devil power could even be released, it was forcefully pressed back into his profound veins. Consequently, his limbs and entire body were firmly suppressed, rendering him utterly immobile.

As a Yama Devil, Yan Jie's power at Level Nine of the Divine Master Realm was undeniably formidable.

But the ones who attacked him were the Three Yama Ancestors!

Being suppressed by the combined might of the Three Yama Ancestors, even Yan Tianxiao would find it hard to break free, let alone Yan Jie.

"Emperor Yun, what... what is the meaning of this!" Yan Jie gritted his teeth and struggled. But the surrounding space seemed to have completely solidified, preventing him from moving even a single finger, no matter how hard he tried.

Not only Yan Jie, but all the Yama Devil members were stunned.

"Heh," Yun Che sneered, without even glancing at him, and said indifferently, "In a time of clan crisis, it's one thing if you don't fight desperately. But as the Crown Prince, you were the first to betray, and you gravely injured your own sister."

"Do you, a dog like you, even deserve to serve me!?"

Yan Jie's face twisted. He was about to argue when his pupils suddenly dilated, and the words about to leave his mouth turned into a terrified roar: "You... what are you going to do!"

Yun Che single-handedly grabbed the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron. Profound energy surged, and a stream of black energy emerged from the cauldron, coiling around Yan Jie's body. This amplified his terror immeasurably in an instant.

"Stop... stop... stop!" Yan Jie's pupils dilated to the point of tearing, his face ashen. His entire body trembled with fear. He struggled even more desperately, but could not break free from the Three Yama Ancestors' restraint.

"Emperor Yun... I betrayed my clan to pledge allegiance to you... I was the first to swear loyalty to you! You can't do this to me... Emperor Yun! Emperor Yun... you can't do this to me!"

"Aargh!!"

His fear and pleas transformed into a desperate shriek the moment the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron released its black light.

Under the black light, a stream of dark energy surged rapidly from Yan Jie's body like a torrent, returning to the black cauldron.

This was the Yama Devil Origin Power inherited by Yan Jie. Now, it was being forcibly reclaimed by the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron under Yun Che's control.

"Aargh... aahhh!" Yan Jie's continuous screams gradually weakened, but his cries became increasingly shrill: "Yun Che... may you die a terrible death... Father, save me... save me... aahhh..."

No one responded to his screams and wails, neither Yun Che, nor the Yama Ancestors, nor any of the Yama Devil clan members.

The Yama Ancestors were jointly restraining Yan Jie, and Yun Che was forcibly stripping Yan Jie of his Yama Devil power using the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron. At this moment, it was the best opportunity for the Yama Realm to act.

But Yan Tianxiao remained motionless.

In his sight was Yan Jie's painfully twisted face, and in his ears were Yan Jie's miserable, desperate screams. Yan Tianxiao felt not a shred of satisfaction, only profound pain and sorrow... After all, this was the son he had loved for ten thousand years and placed his greatest hopes in.

At the same time, another layer of shock deeply surged within him.

The Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron could indeed forcibly reclaim the Yama Devil legacy. But... to wield the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron, one must possess Yama Devil bloodline themselves.

Like all Divine Origin and Devil Origin artifacts, the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron should have been a useless relic if it fell into someone else's hands.

Yet, before his eyes, Yun Che was clearly personally using the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron to strip Yan Jie of his Yama Devil legacy!

Yan Jie's screams grew weaker and weaker, finally turning into desperate whimpers.

The dark tide gradually ceased. As the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron's light completely receded, Yan Jie's Yama Devil power had been completely stripped away.

For a Yama Devil, this was undoubtedly the most cruel nightmare in the world.

Within the Yama Devil Soul-Extinguishing Cauldron's internal space, a dense, pitch-black light cluster appeared, like a quietly burning black flame.

Yan Jie's dark aura had plummeted to the Divine Sovereign Realm, which was his original power. His eyes were dim, his face ashen, and he no longer screamed or struggled.

With a wave of Yun Che's hand, the Three Yama Ancestors immediately shoved Yan Jie, throwing him down to land before Yan Tianxiao and Yan Wu.

"It's better if Emperor Yan handles this fellow himself," Yun Che said, casting a sidelong glance. "I don't want to dirty my hands with this kind of dog."

Yan Jie lay sprawled there like a dead dog. He did not get up, nor did he beg for mercy. He knew what fate awaited him. Begging for mercy... would only strip him of his last pitiful shred of dignity.

Even more tragically, he lay sprawled for a long time, and no one approached him. There was even no one to seize him and drag him away.

Was his choice wrong?

Perhaps not.

At least he wasn't entirely impulsive. Instead, he considered his position and future, and made sufficient calculations.

He simply didn't know that the thing Yun Che hated most was betrayal.

From the Yama Devil's perspective, his betrayal in a crisis and his insidious act of gravely injuring Yan Wu, the Yama Devil's core strength, were equally unforgivable.

"Ruthless enough," Yan Tianxiao said, his gaze briefly sweeping over Yan Jie before completely turning away. "But also foolish enough!"

"Oh?" Yun Che quirked an eyebrow.

"Hmph!" Yan Tianxiao said, "In this world, the most vicious biters are dogs that betray their masters! In the current situation, this dog... you abandoned him too early!"

Just ten breaths ago, Yan Jie was his most valued son. Now, he was referred to as a "dog" by his own father.

"Hahahahahaha," Yun Che laughed heartily, looking down with arrogance. "Yan Tianxiao, it seems you haven't fully grasped your situation. If I want to crush those who defy me, why would I need a dog that betrays its master!"

As his voice fell, dark light suddenly shone on his body, and his black hair danced in the sky. A storm brewed behind him, directly reaching the heavens.

Within the storm, at the entrance to the Sea of Eternal Darkness and Bones, countless dark storms—one, then ten, a thousand, ten thousand, like submerged dragons rising to the sky—roared across the world, instantly pervading the Eternal Darkness Devil Palace and even the entire Yama Devil Imperial Domain's sky.

Eternal darkness obscured the sky, and there was no light in heaven or earth.

The vast Yama Devil Imperial Domain—every living being, every piece of land, every inch of space—was instantly and harshly submerged under the crushing pressure of darkness, death, and despair.

It was like a sudden prelude to world destruction.

"Ah... ah... aahh..." Yan Tianxiao stumbled backward, his head thrown back, his pupils dilated. The man who had been radiating imperial might just a moment ago was now utterly pale with immense terror, and involuntary groans of fright escaped his throat from the depths of his soul.

"Th-th-this... this... this this this... aahh!"

Cries of terror, even despair, echoed through the space.

Because what filled the sky was undoubtedly a power... capable of instantly destroying the Yama Devil Imperial Domain, destroying everything!

The familiar dark aura, clearly the ancient dark yin energy from the Sea of Eternal Darkness and Bones... had, with a mere wave of Yun Che's arm, swept over the Yama Devil Imperial Domain like a surging sea!

Under such power, let alone the beings of the Yama Devils, even the Three Yama Ancestors felt profoundly suffocated, bowing in awe.