Chapter 1791: Legacy of the Demon Emperor

Southern Sea Royal City had completely transformed into desolate ruins, with no trace of its former grandeur or splendor.

Looking around, countless bloodied bones and corpses lay scattered. The lingering dark profound energy continued to corrode everything in its vicinity. From a distance, the sounds of despair and wailing echoed as Southern Sea profound practitioners fled, like smoke shrouding the Southern Sea ruins, its dissipation date unknown.

Perhaps some had imagined that the Southern Sea Divine Realm, which dominated the Southern Divine Region, would one day decline, but no one had ever conceived that it would collapse entirely within a single day.

Yun Che himself hadn't anticipated this.

Gazing at the endless dust, Yun Che's eyes remained icy and soul-piercing. Neither his face nor his heart displayed much satisfaction.

After all, no matter how complete or devastating the revenge, it could not reclaim what was lost, nor could it erase the resentment he held for his own past naivety and powerlessness.

A black flash, and Qianye Ying'er was back beside Yun Che. His gaze, however, remained fixed on Cai Zhi in the distance, who stood proudly in the air, treading upon the Dragon Monarch.

"The ancient Dragon Clan, which has always remained aloof from worldly affairs, not only broke through their boundary today but also willingly became blood-stained sin dragons. What do you seek? Please speak directly," Qianye Ying'er said. "With the assistance you've rendered today, our Devil Master will not be stingy with any request."

The Primal Dragon Monarch raised its head, its regal voice carrying ancient majesty. "Our actions today are all in obedience to our Master's command."

These words were not directed at Qianye Ying'er. The majestic dragon eyes fixated on Yun Che. "O Devil Master who brings calamity, we have aided tyranny today and have no path back. Yet, we ultimately hope that, no matter what the future holds, you will be kind to the innocent common people."

The phrase "aided tyranny" coming from the Primal Dragon Monarch indicated that neither leaving the Primal God Realm nor spilling blood was their true desire, but rather an act they could not disobey their Master's command.

All eyes fell upon Cai Zhi. Not only others, but the three God Emperors—Shitian, Xuanyuan, and Ziwei—all trembled inwardly. They couldn't fathom how the devilized Heavenly Wolf Star God had managed to subjugate the immensely powerful Primal Dragon Clan to this extent!

Cai Zhi raised her hand. A faint red light flickered from the tip of the Heavenly Wolf Devil Sword, and the strange spatial dimension reappeared.

Instantly, a storm surged, and dragon shadows danced. The Primal Dragons flew back into the spatial dimension in sequence. Within a few breaths, including the Primal Dragon Monarch, no Primal Dragon shadows remained in the world, and even their auras rapidly dissipated.

The immense oppressive feeling vanished, and everyone felt as if a great burden had been lifted, breathing a sigh of relief. Qianye Ying'er looked at Cai Zhi and whispered, "So, you broke the Illusory Sea Revolving Array early and had someone wait at another formation core to kill Nan Wansheng?"

The Heavenly Wolf Devil Sword retracted. Cai Zhi, with cold eyes, turned and departed instantly without a word.

"Cai Zhi!" Yun Che's gaze trembled, and his body, almost ahead of his will, pursued her at the fastest possible speed.

Shitian, Xuanyuan, and Ziwei remained still... For the first time, the three God Emperors were completely ignored. Their expressions varied, but none attempted to flee.

Without Yun Che's command, the Three Yama Ancestors did not make a move, but their auras were firmly locked onto the three God Emperors.

Feeling Yun Che's approaching aura, Cai Zhi didn't slow down. Instead, she accelerated again, trying desperately to escape.

"Cai Zhi!"

Yun Che's heart tightened. He instantly activated "Yama Emperor," and his speed sharply increased.

Although Cai Zhi's progress over the years had been astounding, her speed was ultimately no match for Yun Che in his extreme state. A black flash swept past, and her small hand was already clasped tightly by Yun Che. With a turn of his body, he held her delicate, soft form tightly against his chest.

"...Let go!" Her body was firmly enveloped by Yun Che, warm and domineering, but Cai Zhi's dark eyes remained indifferent. She struggled fiercely but couldn't break free.

"No!" Yun Che lightly closed his eyes, his chin brushing against her black hair, which now reached her hips. The strength in his arms was careful yet resolute. This time, he would absolutely not let go of the girl in his embrace.

Cai Zhi frowned slightly. A dark light abruptly flashed in her eyes, and the power of Heavenly Wolf erupted violently from her body.

*Boom-rumble—*

The power of Heavenly Wolf was inherently tyrannical, and Cai Zhi's current depth was unfathomable. Under this sky-shattering force, the surrounding space shattered. Yun Che's chest sank drastically, and a jarring sound of bones dislocating came from his arms... yet he still clung desperately to her slender waist, unwilling to release even an inch.

"You!" A hint of panic finally flickered in her starry eyes, and the power and aura that had just surged forth dissipated in alarm.

His entire body was in severe pain, and his arms felt as if they were broken, yet a smile appeared on Yun Che's lips. His voice carried a gentleness he had long lost. "Cai Zhi, no matter what, I won't let you escape this time."

"Let go," she said the same words, but dared not struggle with as much force. Biting her lip slightly, her eyes regained their cold resolve. "Yun Che, you've walked out of the Devil Abyss and returned here. You know better than anyone what you endured. If you don't want to fall back into the Devil Abyss, then..."

"Because you're a Lone Star of Misfortune?" Yun Che smiled.

"..." Her breathing hitched slightly. Cai Zhi whispered, "Mother, aunt, sister... and you. Everyone close to me, everyone who treated me well, met with ill fortune. Since you know that... why won't you let go!"

"Why would I let go?" Yun Che smiled. "Now, I am the most ominous evil star in this world. If you truly are a Lone Star of Misfortune, then you are destined to be my unique lone star."

Cai Zhi: "..."

"Never forget, you are my wife, my last remaining family in this world. We bowed to heaven and earth, we bowed to our ancestors, Jasmine was our witness, we exchanged tokens... Our marital bond is something you can never escape in this lifetime."

"Besides, do you truly wish to escape?" Yun Che's arms tightened slightly again, and his lips gently brushed against her neck, eliciting a faint shiver from the girl's body. "If you truly wanted to sever ties, why would you have come to the Southern Divine Region so early, all for me?"

"Don't... presume." The warm breath on her delicate neck sent a tingling sensation of powerlessness through her entire body. She gradually lost the will to struggle, but this reluctance made her even more flustered. Clenching her teeth again, she said with effort, "Yun Che, I will do my utmost to help you with your revenge, and my own. But I told you back in the Primal God Realm that I wouldn't stay by your side. You don't need to try to..."

"Oh my!" A sweet voice, quite untimely, rang out. Qianye Ying'er's figure gracefully appeared. She narrowed her eyes and said, "If it's because of me, it's no big deal; wherever you appear in the future, I'll just stay far away."

Cai Zhi's gaze instantly turned cold. She struggled violently, but still couldn't escape Yun Che's embrace.

"Qianye—" Cai Zhi's voice was frigid. "Considering you're somewhat useful to him, I've tolerated not acting against you. You'd best... stop trying to provoke me!"

"For a terrifying Heavenly Wolf capable of controlling the Primal Dragon Clan, taking my life would certainly be effortless." Qianye Ying'er, however, slowly walked closer, her golden eyes meeting Cai Zhi's without flinching. "It's just surprising that such a formidable individual would actually believe in the talk of a Lone Star of Misfortune. Indeed, you're still just a little girl, whose heart hasn't matured, often lost in her own fantasies."

"You're—seeking death!" Cai Zhi's killing intent erupted.

Qianye Ying'er, however, turned away and slowly said, "Little Heavenly Wolf, if you don't even dare to temporarily coexist with your enemy, where do you get the confidence to seek revenge on me? Furthermore..."

Her tone shifted slightly. "When Yun Che came to Southern Sea this time, he didn't allow Chi Wuyao to accompany him, nor did he inform me. I secretly followed him. The reason for this should be quite clear to you by now."

Cai Zhi's killing intent froze.

"Chi Wuyao plans before acting; he doesn't," Qianye Ying'er continued, unsure whether she was speaking to Cai Zhi or Yun Che. "He surely wasn't absolutely certain that the Evil God's power could repel the might of the Sea God Cannon. The consequences of failure, even with those three old Yama Devils present, would have been near certain death."

"Even if he had successfully used the Sea God Cannon to heavily damage Southern Sea, considering Southern Sea's foundation, the three Southern Region God Emperors present, and Nan Guizhong, who had been secluded for years, the outcome today would still have been unknown."

"Every step of this Southern Sea trip, he was gambling," Qianye Ying'er said, her back still turned, as if she didn't want Yun Che to see her expression. "Back in the Northern Divine Region, his heart was full of hatred, and beneath that hatred was a will to die... Almost all his actions told me that after his revenge, he would surely choose to end his own life."

"Later, his death wish was finally erased. But now, as you've seen, when truly facing those he loathed to the bone, he can gamble his life without hesitation."

"Enough," Yun Che said. "There's no such thing as a perfect plan in this world. Against an existence like the Southern Sea Divine Realm, catching them by surprise is far superior to planning every move. I have my own confidence and judgment."

"I wasn't talking to you," Qianye Ying'er retorted, glaring fiercely at Yun Che before turning to Cai Zhi. "Little Heavenly Wolf, you've seen it. Chi Wuyao and I can't control him at all. But if you're by his side, perhaps he'll be a little more sensible. After all..."

Qianye Ying'er turned away again. "You two are a couple who bowed to heaven and earth, bowed to ancestors, with Jasmine as witness, and exchanged tokens!"

With a barely audible huff, Qianye Ying'er glided away, soon disappearing into the distance.

"Cai Zhi, don't take her words too seriously," Yun Che said. "I cherish my life now, but against an opponent like Southern Sea, there's no such thing as a risk-free strategy. I was indeed gambling, and I did have a great deal of confidence."

After a considerably long silence, Cai Zhi gently placed her hand on Yun Che's chest. This time, she finally moved slowly away from his embrace.

"Alright, I'll stay," she whispered, unsure which of Yun Che's or Qianye Ying'er's words had touched her. "I can also temporarily tolerate Qianye's presence."

She suddenly lifted her head, her eyes, like the endless dark night, looking at him. "Revenge is everything to you, and everything to me. For our shared goal, I can accept everything else."

Yun Che, however, gently shook his head. "Revenge is something I must accomplish, but it's not everything to me. My 'everything' also includes you."

"Hmph!" A remark that could stir one's heart was met with a cold snort from Cai Zhi. "I am no longer the Cai Zhi of the past, but the Heavenly Wolf who fell into devilry, filled with hatred. You should have said these words more often to my sister back then!"

"..." Yun Che paused, then his voice softened as he said gently, "It's precisely because I've learned how painful and hateful loss can be that I... will absolutely not allow myself to lose you again."

As he spoke, Cai Zhi's small hand was again held tightly by Yun Che, very, very firmly, as if he feared she would turn and leave.

For a fleeting moment, Cai Zhi's eyes shimmered like trembling stars.

Was he afraid of losing her because of her sister's entrustment, or... did he truly see her as his wife...?

"Let's go."

Yun Che pulled her into the air, flying towards the direction they had come from. There were still too many matters to resolve back at Southern Sea Royal City.

"Aren't you going to ask me about the Primal Dragon Clan?" Cai Zhi asked.

Yun Che smiled. "I recognize it; that's the power of the Void Dagger. As expected, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor did find you back then, and you must have spent a considerable amount of time together."

When the Heavenly Wolf Devil Sword released a red glow from its tip, it opened an extraordinarily strange spatial dimension, from which the Primal Dragon Clan, inhabitants of the Primal God Realm since ancient times, flew out. That piercing red light, and the bizarre space that defied conventional understanding of dimensions, were clearly powers originating from the Void Dagger.

Furthermore, Cai Zhi's extremely high degree of devilization and rapid power advancement in just a few short years could most reasonably, or perhaps solely, be explained by the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's intervention.

"That's right." Cai Zhi looked ahead, her small hand seemingly having forgotten to pull away from Yun Che's palm. "After the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor returned to the world, she found me in the Primal God Realm quite early. At that time, due to your death and my sister's devilization, my power underwent a mutation, and as a Devil Emperor, it was too easy for her to sense my mutated power."

"However, at that time, she merely glanced at me from afar and paid me no mind. Until... one day she suddenly appeared before me, telling me she had decided to leave the current world and return beyond Chaos."

"..." Yun Che remained silent, listening to her continue. At that time, he would have been on the Azure Cloud Continent.

"She said she believed your words, and was more willing to trust and comply with the Evil God's choices and aspirations. But... she couldn't trust human nature."

"Therefore, before leaving, she wanted to leave a few hidden pieces for you, to prevent you from falling into potential eternal doom. And I am one of them."

Cai Zhi's eyes deepened a few shades. The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's worries had completely come true... and it happened at the very first moment after she left Chaos.

"She imprinted the entire Primal Dragon Clan with a devil mark and implanted a special devil source within me. Should the day she feared arrive, my release of the devil source would accelerate the devilization and fusion of my Heavenly Wolf power, and simultaneously allow me to freely command the Primal Dragon Clan."

"After that, she carved a small amount of the Void Dagger's spatial power onto my sword, allowing me to easily carry the Primal Dragon Clan by my side."

Cai Zhi summoned the devilized Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword. A faint red light appeared on the wolf's head at the sword's tip.

As the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had very little of the Void Dagger's power remaining, the power imprinted on the Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword was naturally exceptionally faint, but it should be sufficient to last a long time.

"As expected... it was her again," Yun Che murmured, an endless melancholy in his heart.

He clearly remembered the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor telling him with utmost seriousness that before she left Chaos, she would not personally eliminate any enemies or hidden dangers for him. Whatever happened in the future, he would have to face it with his own power, so as not to betray the Evil God's recognition or the dignity of the Evil God's power.

She truly did not overtly clear any potential dangers for him, yet in secret, she left him many, many things...

Perhaps even more.

Just like an elder who appeared stern and strict on the surface, but secretly harbored much concern.

"Are all women so contradictory?" Yun Che muttered unconsciously. As he spoke to himself, Xia Qingyue's figure inexplicably flashed in his mind.

But in that instant, he firmly erased it.

Because that figure, that name, no longer had the right to even appear in his memories.

"Contradictory?" Cai Zhi glanced at him, seemingly puzzled. She put away the Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword and said, "She is a Devil Emperor, yet far less terrifying and heartless than imagined or portrayed. On the contrary... it seems there was indeed deep affection between her and the Evil God, otherwise she wouldn't treat you this way simply because you bear his power."

"Mm," Yun Che nodded. However, he knew clearly that compared to him, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor cared more about, and wanted to protect more, Hong'er and You'er.