Chapter 1818: Close yet far apart

"Eh? Ice Cloud Immortal Palace? This... how are we back?"Staring blankly at the familiar Ice Cloud Snow Region ahead, Xia Yuanba then glared at Shui Meiyin."This little girl is so powerful!""Wait a minute! I've been struggling for over four months! I was in the God Realm for less than three days total... how could she send me back already!"

After a moment of silent grumbling, Xia Yuanba immediately turned to Yun Che and exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, look! This is the Ice Cloud Snow Region. The entire Azure Cloud Continent is fine, much more peaceful than in previous years. Why would you suddenly say the Azure Cloud Continent was... was..."

"..." Yun Che remained unresponsive, his gaze distant, as if his soul had left his body.

"Palace Master Murong and Fairy Yuechan should be in the Immortal Palace right now, and Wuxin often comes here too... Oh! That's right!" Xia Yuanba eagerly tugged Yun Che's arm, saying excitedly, "Quick! Come with me to see them so they won't have to worry anymo—"

Before he could finish, a spiritual light flashed in Shui Meiyin's eyes behind him. Xia Yuanba's voice abruptly cut off, and he froze in place, unable to move or speak. Only his wide, darting eyes showed that his consciousness remained clear.

"Brother Yun Che," Shui Meiyin moved closer to Yun Che, sensing the turmoil in his soul. "There's no need to doubt. This is the Azure Cloud Continent, the one you were born on and cherish. It's not a mere resemblance, an illusion, or a dream."

"Your family, your loved ones, your closest friends, your confidantes, your daughter... they are all here... all of them, they've always been here."

"...Click..." Yun Che's fingers, held within Shui Meiyin's palm, trembled. His teeth chattered audibly.

Shui Meiyin continued, "Because back then, the Moon God Emperor didn't destroy the Azure Cloud Continent at all. It was a planet called Heavenly Water Star, similar in size and a similar shade of blue... especially difficult to distinguish from a distance in the void."

"At that time, Heavenly Water Star was located in this very position."

"But just before that destruction, the Azure Cloud Continent and Heavenly Water Star swapped places. The Azure Cloud Continent moved to the south of the Southern Divine Region, and Heavenly Water Star went to the east of the Eastern Divine Region."

"...??" Xia Yuanba's eyes nearly popped out, as if he were hearing a fantastical tale.

Shui Meiyin raised the World Piercer in her hand and said softly, "Moving stars and changing moons—that sounds like a miraculous power only ancient True Gods could possess."

"But in the present world, there is one item that can achieve this... This miracle might never be replicated. However, it was likely the only time, and it unfolded perfectly for Brother Yun Che."

The voice in his ears gently echoed through Yun Che's soul space, over and over again.

Yun Che's fingers twitched slightly. His arm slowly, painstakingly, lifted, his fingers extending forward, reaching out to touch the world before him...

This world he had believed to be forever lost from his life.

That trembling motion was not guided by conscious thought, but sprang from the profound stirrings and yearning deep within his soul.

His divine sense also spread out at that moment, searching for those... the people he had lost, and the souls that had been lost along with them.

Shui Meiyin was startled and was about to speak up to stop him when Yun Che suddenly trembled as if struck by lightning. His newly released spiritual perception retracted in a panic, then was firmly reined in. He even held his breath tightly.

"Yun Che... Brother." Shui Meiyin's nose stung, and she gently embraced him.

Yun Che's body continued to tremble without a moment's pause, and his teeth remained tightly clenched. From beginning to end, he uttered not a single word, nor made any sound.

As Shui Meiyin spoke softly, a tear silently fell from his eye, descending into the boundless snow region below, blending with the swirling snowflakes.

Ten breaths... twenty breaths...

The only sounds were the quiet of the wind and snow, and Yun Che's occasional choked gasp.

"Brother Yun Che." Shui Meiyin gently tugged his sleeve.

The silence didn't last. Yun Che slowly turned around.

He kept his eyes closed, striving desperately to control his expression, his emotions, and his breathing... but he couldn't control the chaotic twitching of every muscle in his face.

"Yuanba," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and ethereal. "Go back. Don't tell anyone... that you saw me."

Lost... then found...

Yet unable to appear, unable to meet them...

His life, his soul, felt like a lone boat adrift on a vast, turbulent ocean.

Shui Meiyin's soul restraint was released, and Xia Yuanba shuddered, regaining control of his body and senses.

He looked at Yun Che's profile, his heart suddenly crushed as if by a massive weight, making it hard to breathe.

He had so many questions, so many things he wanted to ask Yun Che. But the current Xia Yuanba was no longer the innocent, naive youth he once was. He knew this was absolutely not the right time.

He simply asked softly, "Then, Brother-in-law... when will you return?"

A brief silence.

"Kill... all... who deserve to die." Yun Che uttered the most sinister words in a light, trembling voice.

"Okay." Xia Yuanba nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "Brother-in-law, back then, you risked your life to save me. Later, you saved Cangfeng, the Illusory Demon Realm, the Profound Sky Continent, and the entire Azure Cloud Continent..."

"Even though I haven't truly seen the wider world yet, in my heart, you'll always be the greatest hero. I know that this time, you're shouldering something I can't understand, something heavier than anything before. But no matter what, you must come back safely."

"So many people are waiting for you, so many are worried about you. Your importance in their lives is greater than you can imagine. So... you must come back safely!"

"..." Yun Che didn't respond or turn around. Only his tightly clenched knuckles turned white.

Finally tearing his gaze from Yun Che, Xia Yuanba relaxed his breathing and was about to descend to the snowy region below... Suddenly, his eyes fixed, and he cried out, "Wuxin!?"

Yun Che's body abruptly stopped trembling, rigidly frozen in place.

One breath... two breaths...

His teetering sanity was shattered by an overwhelming surge of yearning. He abruptly turned around... Shui Meiyin gripped his hand, not stopping him.

Within his sight, a female figure slowly approached, treading on the ice and snow.

The vast snow region, with its swirling flakes, was a magnificent sight on its own, but at this moment, it suddenly became a mere backdrop in a painting. All the light in the entire world seemed to converge and shine upon the woman's form.

When Yun Che left back then, Yun Wuxin was not yet fifteen years old.

Now, she was nearing twenty.

This was a girl's most beautiful age, where each year of growth brought a unique and exquisite transformation.

The current Yun Wuxin had shed her childishness and the innocent carefree nature she always displayed before him. She had matured into a peerless immortal beauty, transcendent and untouched by worldly dust, just like her mother.

Her steps were light and slow, leaving no trace in the snow, as if unwilling to disturb the quiet world eternally covered in ice and snow.

Her hair now reached her hips, flowing with her snow-white dress and dancing in the falling flakes. Her eyes were like misty stars from the heavens... but the mist that veiled them was woven from a heartbreaking melancholy.

As she walked upon the ice and snow, she seemed to be cloaked in an inviolable, sacred radiance. She was ethereal in her beauty, yet so utterly pure and clean, like the most flawless masterpiece bestowed upon the mortal world by the heavens, enough to make anyone who saw her fall into a daze.

This was his daughter.

His heart violently convulsed with warmth, and the blood throughout his body felt as if it were solidifying from the heat... Yun Che clutched Shui Meiyin's hand tightly, afraid he might suddenly lose control and rush forward to embrace her.

She had grown up... his own daughter had grown up...

Yet, every day, every year, every bit of miraculous growth, he had missed...

And it was an eternal miss.

"Brother Yun Che, we should go now."

Like a dream, Shui Meiyin's soft call echoed.

With a brutal force of will, he tore his gaze from Yun Wuxin, then closed his eyes, not opening them again.

"Yuanba," he said softly, "I promise you, I will return completely unharmed... not just unharmed, but very soon... very soon!"

Xia Yuanba stood stunned for a moment.

He had seen Yun Wuxin with his own eyes, yet he dared not approach. He couldn't imagine the immense burden Yun Che was carrying at this moment.

In response to Yun Che's promise, he nodded heavily, thumped his chest firmly, and said, "Alright, Brother-in-law, I'll wait! Until you return, unless I die, no one will dare touch an inch of our Azure Cloud Continent!"

With that, Xia Yuanba lingered no longer and slowly descended.

"Wait." Yun Che called out again, "Help me ask Wuxin... one question."

Xia Yuanba turned back, listening intently.

"Does she... hate me?" As he spoke these words, his eyes remained tightly shut, not daring to open for even a moment.

"Uh..." Xia Yuanba looked troubled, but in this situation, he couldn't refuse Yun Che. He could only nod. "Okay."

"Actually, there's also something I want to ask you right now, Brother-in-law." Xia Yuanba used the opportunity to ask, "My sister... is she doing well now?"

Shui Meiyin: "..."

"..." With little reaction, Yun Che maintained his low, slow tone: "When I return, I will tell you everything in detail."

Though he didn't get a precise answer, Xia Yuanba didn't press further. He nodded heavily again. "Okay! Brother-in-law, don't forget your promise... when you come back, not a single hair better be missing!"

"And my sister too! You must bring her back completely unharmed. I'm really looking forward to you two having children, heh heh!"

With a bright laugh, Xia Yuanba reined in his aura, and his body descended, dropping towards the distant snow region below.

Yun Che remained motionless, as if turned to stone. Shui Meiyin stayed by his side in silence, not speaking, not rushing him, indulging his willfulness just as he had indulged hers.

After descending a sufficient distance, Xia Yuanba unleashed his profound energy, his speed sharply increasing, and landed directly in front of Yun Wuxin.

Yun Wuxin stopped, looking at Xia Yuanba, surprised for a moment. "Uncle Xia, you... you're back?"

"Uh..." Xia Yuanba scratched his head, a look of shame on his face. "When I got close to the God Realm, I ran into several spatial turbulences, so I had to come back empty-handed. But don't worry, I'll prepare for a while longer, and I'll definitely succeed next time."

No disappointment showed on her jade-like face, brighter than the snow. Her beautiful lips curved into a faint smile. "Thank you, Uncle Xia. Traveling to that world must be very difficult. Please rest well for a while, Uncle Xia."

With that, she gave a slight nod, swept past Xia Yuanba, and continued her walk through the snow towards the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace not far away.

Her demeanor had also become as serene and aloof as her mother's.

"Wuxin," Xia Yuanba quickly called out, "Um... I have a question I want to ask you."

Yun Wuxin stopped, turning her gaze slightly. "Please ask, Uncle Xia."

Xia Yuanba's heart inexplicably sped up. He knew Yun Che must still be watching them from high above.

"Do you... do you, even a little, hate your father?"

Xia Yuanba asked, his voice still a bit strained despite his effort to control it.