Chapter 1736: Falling Moon (4)

The Moon God Realm, one of the Four King Realms of the Eastern Region, possessed a power and a level far beyond that of ordinary planets and star realms. Destroying a King Realm in mere seconds was, by all conventional understanding, an utterly impossible feat. Even the Heretic Infant, whose power surpassed all limits during a long, fierce battle with the God Emperors, only managed to shatter the Star God Realm, never completely obliterating it to this extent.

Amidst the annihilation of the Moon God Realm, the vast roar and spatial collapse continued relentlessly, accompanied by a cosmic storm that engulfed a massive star region and swept across countless innocent planets, persisting for a long time. For it was the demise of a King Realm!

The Moon God Realm, once resplendent with moonlight, dissolved into scattered dust, then transformed into dull ashes. In Xia Qingyue's vision, it faded like a fleeting dream, taking with it the crystalline, profound purple light that once shone in her eyes.

Whoosh—

The cosmic storm surged, causing their long hair and robes to whip wildly. In the distance, numerous stars veered off their trajectories, and several fragile small planets disintegrated, turning into scattered dust alongside the Moon God Realm.

The amount of power required to obliterate the Moon God Realm in such a manner was something no one in this world understood better than the Moon God Emperor herself. Yet, absolutely no one would believe such power could truly exist. Given the power that had directly destroyed even the Moon God Realm, there was virtually no chance of survival for anyone within it, aside from the Moon Gods themselves. And if one were at the very epicenter of such power, even a Moon God would be reduced to ash.

“Is it… beautiful…?”

Yun Che’s whisper reached her ear.

Years ago, bathed in the lingering light of the Blue Pole Star's destruction, she had uttered those very words to Yun Che in a soft, ethereal voice. Today, he repaid her with an even more desolate and beautiful tableau of destruction, repeating those same three words. Yet, each word was as sinister as a demon’s murmur, spoken through gritted teeth, carrying a nearly unbridled, burgeoning delight.

Gently, Xia Qingyue closed her eyes. A deathly pallor spread from her cheeks to her snowy neck. Her slender fingers, gripping the Purple Pylon Divine Sword, trembled faintly, and from her lips escaped a soft, dream-like murmur: “Is destiny… truly… so irresistible…?”

“Destiny? Hahahaha…” Though it was merely a soft, self-muttering chuckle, Yun Che heard it clearly. He mocked her with a cold sneer: “No, this is retribution! You personally destroyed everything most important to me… How could I not… return you a grand gift of equal measure!”

Watching Xia Qingyue’s expression as she struggled to suppress her pain, Yun Che’s features twitched and trembled with excitement. For years, he had dreamt of this very moment. Finally, this day had come, allowing the extreme hatred for Xia Qingyue, deeply buried in his soul, to unleash itself with immense satisfaction.

“Do you know how much painstaking effort I expended, how great a sacrifice I made, to bestow upon you this magnificent gift?” Yun Che grinned sinisterly: “Those Devil Crystals, condensed from the corpse aura of ancient true devils, are precious treasures that can never be regenerated! Incredibly valuable, yet I bestowed every single one upon your Moon God Realm… Hehehehe, when you descend to the Nine Underworld Hell, make sure not to forget your gratitude!”

Black light shimmered simultaneously in his eyes and on his body. The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword materialized in Yun Che’s hand, and with the activation of “Yama Emperor,” a desperate killing intent, emanating from the Devil Master of the Northern Region, locked firmly onto Xia Qingyue. Qianye Ying’er’s golden eyes turned somber. Golden light flickered at her waist as the God Annihilating was unleashed. The dark aura emanating from her silently merged with Yun Che’s chaotic dark profound energy, together forming an even more oppressive dark pressure that bore down on Xia Qingyue.

It was the Eternal Darkness Devil Crystals from the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea that had annihilated the Moon God Realm. Eternal Darkness Devil Crystals were condensed from the Yin energy of ancient true devils’ corpses and bones, containing incredibly dense and high-level dark aura. However, they were also extremely volatile, erupting at the slightest external touch. Even beings as powerful as the Three Yama Ancestors dared not approach, let alone touch them. In this world, only Yun Che could perfectly control them, and only the Dustless Barrier could safely transport them. As they could only be condensed from the highest tier of ancient Yin energy, they were exceedingly rare and non-renewable. All the Eternal Darkness Devil Crystals Yun Che had gathered from the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea – a small portion given to Hong’er as food – the remainder… he had bestowed entirely upon the Moon God Realm!

Had these Eternal Darkness Devil Crystals been used individually, they could have yielded immeasurable benefits. But! The very moment he first touched an Eternal Darkness Devil Crystal in the Eternal Darkness Bone Sea, the vision of this day had already been frantically woven into his mind.

A faint trace of blood silently trickled from her pale lips. Xia Qingyue opened her eyes, revealing a gaze that was calmly chilling. The purple light reconverged within her pupils. She slowly raised her hand, and the divine radiance on the Purple Pylon Divine Sword ceased its trembling, becoming intensely quiet and concentrated.

“Let’s end this.” She whispered softly and thrust her sword forward. A simple thrust, yet purple light instantly filled the sky, momentarily even cleaving the wildly surging cosmic storm in two. The purple light radiating from her sword, at the moment it flared, caused the entire star region to suddenly dim.

Qianye Ying’er’s golden eyes narrowed slightly. With the power of the Moon God displayed in that single sword strike, Xia Qingyue’s strength was undeniably on par with Yue Wuya in his prime.

The instant the purple light flared, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword in Yun Che’s hand erupted. No dark condensation was needed; the moment the blade unleashed its power, darkness saturated the heavens, its formidable sword might like a devil god descending, imbued with boundless malevolence, directly engulfing Xia Qingyue. The space of the star region fractured down the middle, creating a clear demarcation between shimmering purple and profound darkness. But almost instantly, this sudden boundary was violently torn apart. The worlds of shimmering purple and profound darkness collapsed simultaneously as Purple Pylon divine power and dark devil light surged and clashed in chaotic frenzy.

Bang bang bang bang bang—

The impact of the Purple Pylon Divine Sword and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword threatened to shatter the heavens and rend the earth. From distant star realms, it appeared as if two planets, one black and one purple, were colliding in a cataclysmic frenzy. A battle of this caliber, between the Moon God Emperor and the Devil Master of the Northern Region, meant every single moment was a natural disaster. And in that very first instant, both had unleashed their full, world-destroying power.

The pervasive purple light was instantly devoured by darkness. Xia Qingyue’s long hair swept through the void, drifting far away, and a soft sigh escaped her lips: “Truly the successor of the Heretic God. At Divine Sovereign Realm Level Ten, yet already wielding the power of a God Emperor. Such progress and leap in the profound way are unmatched in this era.”

“Then allow this Devil Master to personally send you to your grave!” Yun Che raised his arm, and flames erupted from his sword, rapidly transforming from crimson to the Eternal Calamity Devil Flame, capable of incinerating all. Though it was fire, it emitted no light. Instead, it swiftly devoured all ambient illumination.

“Need help?” Qianye Ying’er asked abruptly. She was certain that without her assistance, Yun Che would find it nearly impossible to defeat Xia Qingyue, let alone kill her. In just four years, empowered by the Heretic God and Devil Emperor, Yun Che’s progress was indeed unparalleled. But Xia Qingyue… her advancement was also remarkably astounding. Only seven years had passed since she inherited the Purple Pylon divine power, yet her strength had clearly surpassed Yue Wuya in his prime! In the history of the Moon God Realm—indeed, in the history of all King Realms—no one had ever achieved such an extraordinary degree and speed of compatibility with inherited divine power.

The moment the words left her lips, her brow furrowed, and she violently swung the God Annihilating, trailing a torrent of darkness. A streak of purple light, as if traversing time and space, instantly pierced from tens of miles away, appearing before Qianye Ying’er. The moment it collided with the God Annihilating, countless spatial fragments erupted.

Following the purple light, Xia Qingyue’s form appeared through the void, directly assailing Qianye Ying’er. With each swing of her Purple Pylon Divine Sword, her movements were like the graceful dance of a celestial goddess, every flash of her figure leaving behind a brilliant purple moon.

Yun Che spun around sharply, his vision now filled with purple moons. His figure instantly flashed forward, and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword, carrying a hellish glow, swept out, directly obliterating the purple moons. The purple moon shattered, but then suddenly erupted into an all-encompassing purple light, bathing Yun Che’s vision and the surrounding space in a pure, deep violet. Within that purple-hued space, not only his vision but also his perception suddenly became distorted.

Under Yun Che’s attack, it wasn't just Yun Che who was ensnared in the Purple Moon Cage; Qianye Ying’er was also implicated. Her perception vanished instantly, and it seemed as if thousands of sword lights flickered before her. As she rapidly retreated, a purple sword beam obliquely pierced out from the violet world, striking directly into her back. This particular sword beam, seemingly faint and slow, nonetheless reduced space to dust wherever it touched. By the time Qianye Ying’er became aware, it was already upon her.

The Purple Moon Cage was one of Yue Wuya’s divine skills, which Qianye Fantian had mentioned to her numerous times—a technique capable of deluding both sight and mind through the Purple Pylon divine power. However, this was her first encounter with the Purple Moon Cage. Furthermore, the speed and method of its deployment by Xia Qingyue were vastly different from what Qianye Ying'er had understood, leading to her being directly struck!

Boom! Crack!

With a cracking sound, Yun Che’s Falling Wolf of Heaven brutally shattered the Purple Moon Cage, and the Eternal Calamity Devil Flame extinguished with it. His figure left a long, icy trail as he instantly appeared beside Qianye Ying’er. The Purple Pylon Divine Sword struck directly into Yun Che’s waist, purple light instantly spreading across half his body, sending blood droplets splattering. Simultaneously, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword heavily impacted Xia Qingyue’s sword-wielding arm.

Although the Eternal Calamity Devil Flame had extinguished when it broke through the Purple Moon Cage, Yun Che’s sword might was still terrifying. With a thunderous roar, Xia Qingyue’s form was sent hurtling backward. Her right sleeve was torn to shreds, and a shocking, deep bloodstain was diagonally imprinted upon her fair arm.

She did not glance at her own wounds, her gaze fixed instead on the bleeding gash at Yun Che’s ribs as she spoke in a low, ethereal voice: “Yun Che, do you still remember the oath you swore to me back then?”

“Hm?” Yun Che looked up. He likewise paid no heed to his own injuries; in his eyes, there was only raw killing intent. He could summon Yama One, Yama Two, and Yama Three at any moment. Together, they possessed countless ways to kill Xia Qingyue… but she had to die by his own hand! His homeland and dearest loved ones had all been annihilated by Xia Qingyue. How could he not… personally kill her to avenge them?

Xia Qingyue’s grip on her sword tightened slowly, not from pain, but as the words she had spoken to Yun Che years ago, after he had placed the slave imprint on Qianye Ying’er, echoed in her mind with utmost solemnity:

“Qianye Ying’er is now your slave. You may command her, exploit her, vent your hatred upon her, defile her, trample her… whatever you wish, it is yours to do. But there is one thing you must remember well! She is someone I must kill! My design to make her your slave was not because I didn’t want to kill her, but because I temporarily could not! Whatever transpires between you and her is of no concern to me. But… you must never develop any feelings for her! And you absolutely must not have children with her! Do you understand?!”

Yun Che blocking that sword for Qianye Ying’er was an almost instinctive reaction, one that had occurred too quickly for any thought or deliberation. And the way their auras had naturally linked just moments ago…

“So be it.” With a faint sigh, she raised her purple sword to the sky and made a soft, sweeping motion. Instantly, as if dawn had broken from the heavens, the star region abruptly shed its darkness. The darkness vanished, the stars disappeared, and all storms ceased. Only a colossal purple moon materialized behind Xia Qingyue, transforming the entire star region into a world of hazy purple.

Beneath the purple glow, the invisible space shimmered with an eerie, undulating luminescence.