Chapter 1768: Thousand Shadows × Charming Sound

Chi Wuyao approached slowly. She intended to inform Yun Che that Zhou Xuzi had arrived in the Dragon God Realm and that, through Zhou Xuzi, she had learned the Dragon Monarch seemed to have entered the God Realm of Absolute Beginning.

From a distance, she sensed Shui Meiyin's aura, smiled faintly, and turned to leave again.

"Big Brother Yun Che, is Big Sister Wuyao really your Empress?" Shui Meiyin asked.

"Yes," Yun Che nodded.

"But I always feel... it's a bit unlike her." Shui Meiyin looked at him, seemingly eager for his answer.

"You're asking something you already know," Yun Che said, reaching out to embrace the girl's slender, soft waist. He smiled and explained, "The reason I made her Empress and held a formal enthronement ceremony in the Northern Divine Realm was because her familiarity with the Northern Divine Realm far surpassed mine. The title of Empress also made it much easier for her to manage, strategize, and issue commands."

"Is that all?" Shui Meiyin bit her lip slightly, her voice softer. "Big Sister Wuyao is so alluring, you... *hee*, you didn't actually 'devour' her, did you?"

"Alright, stop teasing," Yun Che chuckled, then admitted candidly, "Ultimately, I have a very particular 'hang-up' regarding her. While I know I shouldn't, after all this time, I still haven't truly overcome it."

Shui Meiyin fell silent.

She knew what Yun Che's "hang-up" was. Mu Xuanyin. Regardless, Chi Wuyao had, with her unique devil soul, secretly interfered with Mu Xuanyin's life... for a full ten thousand years.

He suddenly reached out and gently pinched her soft, smooth cheek. "Besides, why do you like pushing your own man towards other women so much? Shouldn't you have at least a little feminine jealousy?"

"Hmph! If I'm in love with a bad man like you and don't keep my jealousy in check, I'd have died of bitterness long ago." She muttered softly, then suddenly smiled radiantly. "'My man' – I love that phrase, *hehehe*."

Yun Che turned his gaze, looking closely at her charming, smiling face. The arm around her waist unconsciously tightened a little, and he sighed softly, "You seem like you'll never grow up."

"I never did grow up," Shui Meiyin's lips curled slightly.

"Now, I am a great devil who has caused rivers of blood to flow in the Eastern Divine Realm. The blood debts on my hands are countless, and everyone trembles at the sight of me, except for you..." Yun Che smiled and shook his head, momentarily at a loss for words. Only in front of Shui Meiyin did he sometimes feel as though he were still his former self.

In the distance, the Three Yama Ancestors, whose hearing was still suppressed, constantly peered in their direction. They had firmly committed Shui Meiyin's appearance and aura to memory.

In front of others, the Devil Master always wore a ferocious expression, as if everyone owed him a hundred lives, and remained stern even when facing the Devil Empress and Qianying. Only in front of this young girl did he smile like a blooming flower. It was quite unsettling...

"My mother said, 'Marry a man, follow a man; marry a devil, follow a devil.' I may change, Big Brother Yun Che may change, but my feelings for Big Brother Yun Che will never change."

After saying this, she gave a strong wink. "This is also Mother's secret to being Father's favorite!"

"And there's one thing, Big Brother Yun Che, you must always remember." Her eyes glistened like mist, and her smile was flawless. "No matter how unfair or cruel destiny becomes, no matter what has happened, there will always be someone in this world who deeply loves you... deeper than you can imagine..."

Yun Che was speechless.

"So, no matter what the future holds, you must never give up on yourself." She gently poked Yun Che's chest with her finger and chided, "I heard from Big Sister Wuyao that when you were in the Northern Divine Realm, you always harbored a death wish and even deliberately held onto a power to perish with the Dragon Monarch at the very last moment."

Fortunately... that power was bestowed upon the Burning Moon God Emperor by him.

"In the future, you must not have such thoughts again, understood?!" She tried to adopt a warning posture, but it lacked any real deterrence.

"Mm," Yun Che met her gaze and agreed without hesitation. "I've thought it through clearly. Only by taking satisfying revenge and living a fulfilling life can I truly honor Master for saving my life, and truly honor... those who are silently watching over me from heaven."

Shui Meiyin smiled, her smile brighter and more flawless than ever before. Her heart felt as though a thousand flowers were blooming, dispelling her last vestiges of worry and apprehension.

"Oh, right," Yun Che said with a smile. "I have a way to restore your father's profound veins."

Shui Meiyin was startled, then her eyes sparkled like stars. "Really?"

"Of course, and it's quite simple," Yun Che said nonchalantly. Injuries to profound veins at Shui Qianheng's level were nearly incurable for others, but in the presence of life-bestowing miracles, as long as the foundation wasn't completely destroyed, recovery was easily achieved.

He had previously examined Shui Qianheng's profound vein injury, which was similar in nature to Qianye Ying'er's past injury but clearly much less severe.

Yun Che continued, "However, restoring them to their former peak state will likely take several years."

Shui Meiyin's lips parted unconsciously, filled with both surprise and excitement. Not only would his profound veins recover, but he could also return to his peak, and in just a few years... every aspect felt like a miracle.

She suddenly pounced on Yun Che, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face tightly against his chest like a cat. "Big Brother Yun Che, you're truly amazing! You're worthy of being the man I'm going to marry. Father and Big Sister will be absolutely thrilled when they find out."

"Once matters here in the Eastern Divine Region are settled, I'll make a trip to the Glazed Light Realm," Yun Che said. "Half of it is to restore your father's profound veins, and the other half... is to formally express my gratitude for the kindness shown back then."

"Then... how should I reward Big Brother Yun Che?" Her face still flushed with excitement, she pondered seriously.

Yun Che shook his head with a smile. "This is just a small effort for me, hardly worth mentioning compared to everything you've done for me."

"*Hee*, I said 'reward,' not 'thank you,' they're completely different." Her charming eyes flickered, and she suddenly thought of something. Her lips slowly neared Yun Che's ear, and as a soft rosy blush spread from her cheeks to her neck, she whispered something only she and Yun Che could hear.

As her whisper faded, her lips gently pressed together, and her eyes were hazy. Just then, an extremely ill-timed, cold voice rang out:

"Hmph! Still just a naive little girl, after all. Yun Che and I got tired of such tricks long ago."

The two instantly separated. Qianye Ying'er's figure appeared before them at that moment, her exquisitely beautiful golden eyes not glancing at Yun Che, but instead piercingly fixed on Shui Meiyin.

The whisper, spoken with almost all her courage, had been overheard. Shui Meiyin's heart was in turmoil, but she was not one to show weakness. She immediately raised an eyebrow and curved her lips slightly. "That's just Big Brother Yun Che getting tired of you, not me at all. Just now, Big Brother Yun Che's heartbeat was very loud."

Qianye Ying'er was momentarily stunned. She seemed to have utterly failed to anticipate that this "naive girl" would deliver such a fierce counterattack the moment she was "caught."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint, unreadable smile playing on her lips. "Then you truly don't know him at all. What this beast of a man likes is far beyond what a naive girl like you can imagine."

The Northern Realm Devil Master's backside hovered mid-air, unsure whether to stand up or sit back down. His old face uncontrollably flushed hot. Wh... what was going on?!

"Is that so?" The curve of Shui Meiyin's lips deepened slightly, and deep curiosity reflected in her beautiful eyes. "Then, what does Big Brother Yun Che like the most?"

"If I tell you, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it. Or..." Qianye Ying'er smiled faintly, "If you obediently beg me, I might consider teaching you myself."

"No," Shui Meiyin said with a playful smile. "I only want Big Brother Yun Che to teach me. Anything Big Brother Yun Che likes, I can do it."

Qianye Ying'er was speechless.

"Besides, I have a super beautiful older sister. With her help, I can do many things... things you'll never be able to do."

Qianye Ying'er: "!?#$..."

Yun Che clearly saw the space between Qianye Ying'er and Shui Meiyin subtly distorting under their clashing gazes.

He suddenly stood up, positioning himself between the two women. His expression was calm, and his face was filled with majesty. "How are the investigations proceeding?"

Qianye Ying'er immediately turned away.

"I'm going to find Big Sister Wuyao." Shui Meiyin playfully stuck out her tongue at Yun Che and left with a smile.

In front of Yun Che, Shui Meiyin truly was like a little girl who refused to grow up. But that was only in front of Yun Che. After all, she possessed the only Stainless Divine Soul in the current world; at the soul level, she genuinely disdained all beings. How could she concede or surrender to others in any aspect?

Qianye Ying'er extended her hand and made a simple gesture.

Instantly, two profound and vast aura fields, like the sky itself, descended from the air, standing to Qianye Ying'er's left and right. They were none other than Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu.

Their arrival immediately drew the dark gazes of the Three Yama Ancestors. When the two Qianye Ancestors arrived, their eyes also fell upon the Three Yama Ancestors, witnessing a legend they once deemed "absurd" unfold before their eyes... For them, it was truly a marvelous experience for the rest of their lives.

Yun Che glanced at them and said, "As expected of the Brahma Monarch's ancestors. To recover to this extent in just a few days is impressive."

Without waiting for their reply, Yun Che directly asked, "Without the Grandmist Mortal-Ending Seal, how much longer can they live?"

"A thousand years," Qianye Wugu replied, his voice and demeanor as calm as an ancient well, showing no emotional fluctuations. He seemed completely unconcerned that Qianye Ying'er had given the Grandmist Mortal-Ending Seal to Yun Che.

"For us, that's enough," Qianye Bingzhu said indifferently. "After all, we are beings who should have ceased to exist long ago."

And now, with the Brahma Monarch God Realm undergoing drastic changes, it was also the time they could least afford to leave. Therefore, after Qianye Fantian's death, both chose to stay by Qianye Ying'er's side. Like guardians, or detached observers, they would use the remainder of their lives to protect and watch over the Brahma Monarch God Realm's future... which could also be its ultimate destiny.

Qianye Ying'er finally turned her gaze to him and said indifferently, "Those from the Brahma Monarch are extremely honor-bound. If they committed something as defiling as hunting Wood Spirits, they would absolutely leave no trace. Yet, someone who should have never encountered the Brahma Monarch God Realm—or even if they had, wouldn't have understood it deeply—was able to identify their attackers as people from the Brahma Monarch God Realm before their death."

Qianye Ying'er immediately began to explain the results of her investigations over the past few days. Yun Che and He Ling listened attentively.

"I speculate that the most likely basis for his judgment was profound light," Qianye Ying'er said. "It's widely known that the profound light of the Brahma Monarch God Realm is golden."

"Therefore, the deceased Wood Spirit clan leader must have identified his attacker as someone from the Brahma Monarch God Realm based on the golden profound light they emitted."

Yun Che frowned and said, "As far as I know, among the Eastern Divine Region, the only ones whose profound energy appears golden are indeed those from the Brahma Monarch God Realm."

"Precisely," Qianye Ying'er said. "But... what about outside the Eastern Divine Region?"

Yun Che's gaze suddenly shifted.

Outside the Eastern Divine Region, the profound energy glow of the Southern Sea God Realm is also golden.

However, the Wood Spirit clan leader and his wife perished in the Eastern Divine Region back then, making it seem highly unlikely to connect them with the Southern Sea God Realm.

"There's something quite amusing about this," Qianye Ying'er said in a low voice. "The noble golden profound energy undoubtedly earns the respect and memory of the world. In the Eastern Divine Region, mentioning golden profound energy immediately brings to mind the Brahma Monarch God Realm, and mentioning the Brahma Monarch God Realm evokes images of its utterly magnificent golden profound light."

"However, this overly strong common perception has subtly obscured many things. Including you, it seems not many people know that unless one inherits the Brahma Monarch divine power—like the Brahma Gods or Brahma Kings—the profound energy displayed solely by the Brahma Monarch bloodline is very faint in color. Only upon reaching the Divine Sovereign Realm does it become clearly discernible."

"And facing a group of Wood Spirits whose highest cultivation was only at the Divine Spirit Realm, yet still allowing some to escape, only indicates that the assailants' cultivation was, at most, at the Divine King Realm."

"For a Brahma Monarch profound practitioner at the Divine King Realm, the golden hue in their profound energy is so faint it's practically impossible to discern."