Chapter 1820: Truth

"However," Shui Meiyin slowly explained, "after the Devil Emperor senior used the Ancestral Sword to cleave open the Crimson Rift, the Ancestral Sword's power was almost entirely spent, depleted to the point where it could only perform a few short-distance teleports, like the one we just witnessed."

Yun Che was not surprised by this. The Crimson Rift had existed for several years, and it took the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor several years to cut open the Wall of Primal Chaos. During these years, the Ancestral Sword's power had undoubtedly been cycling through release, depletion, and recovery.

When the Wall of Primal Chaos was finally broken, the Ancestral Sword was naturally in a state of exhaustion, even overdrawn.

And in the current Primal Chaos, the Ancestral Sword's power would undoubtedly recover extremely slowly, just like the Sky Poison Pearl and the Everlasting Heaven Pearl.

"Not only that, but its artifact spirit was also dying from years of power release and depletion. After the Wall of Primal Chaos was broken, the artifact spirit fell into a deep slumber."

"The Devil Emperor senior said that the aura of the current Primal Chaos is too turbid and thin. In such an environment, the artifact spirit might never awaken again and could very likely die completely in its sleep someday."

Yun Che's thoughts immediately turned to the deceased poison spirit of the Sky Poison Pearl.

Back then, although the Sky Poison Pearl had recovered its poison source and become complete again in the Azure Cloud Continent, its spirit had died, causing the pearl's poison power to recover so slowly it was almost negligible.

It wasn't until He Ling became the new poison spirit that the Sky Poison Pearl's power gradually recovered, eventually unleashing the "Heavenly Wound Severing Thoughts" several years later, which pushed the entire Brahma Monarch God Realm to the brink of despair.

If the Ancestral Sword's spirit truly fell into slumber and died, then the Ancestral Sword's power would undoubtedly also fall silent.

He wondered if He Ling's soul could be compatible with the Ancestral Sword...

The thought flashed through his mind, but he immediately dismissed it.

No, absolutely not! He Ling's wood spirit soul could perfectly control the Sky Poison Pearl, but adding the Everlasting Heaven Pearl had already significantly increased her soul's burden. Furthermore, she would often try, with great difficulty, to bond with the Grandmist Indestructible Seal.

Given her self-sacrificing nature for his sake, adding another Ancestral Sword...

Oh, wait! The sword spirit is merely asleep, not dead yet... He was overthinking.

"But before she departed, the Devil Emperor senior didn't want the Ancestral Sword to leave the Primal Chaos with her forever, so she entrusted it to me."

"Because of your Immaculate Divine Soul?" Yun Che asked. This was Shui Meiyin's unique, heaven-bestowed gift.

"Yes." Shui Meiyin nodded. "The Ancestral Sword was born from the core of the Grandmist. In this era, only my Immaculate Divine Soul, nurtured by Grandmist energy, can soothe and temporarily awaken its slumbering sword spirit."

"And by using my Immaculate Divine Soul as a conduit, and with the help of the temporarily awakened sword spirit, I can forcefully activate the Ancestral Sword's dimensional divine power using my own strength."

Yun Che's expression shifted, and he said, "So, that 'shifting stars and changing moons' feat was accomplished this way?"

Using her Immaculate Divine Soul to temporarily awaken the sword spirit, and then through the connection between her Immaculate Divine Soul and the sword spirit, forcefully activating the Ancestral Sword's dimensional divine power with her own strength to complete a vast spatial transfer.

Completely relocating two planets across star regions versus completely destroying two planets—the difficulty of these two tasks was vastly different.

This would undoubtedly consume a tremendous amount of Shui Meiyin's spiritual and profound energy. However, the greater burden would fall on the already weakened sword spirit.

No wonder Shui Meiyin said that might be the only miracle... Unless the sword spirit could recover sufficiently, forcing it to act again might lead to its complete destruction even before success.

And given the current state of the Primal Chaos, not only could the sword spirit perish at any moment, but even if it could fully recover under the soothing influence of Shui Meiyin's Immaculate Divine Soul, there was no telling when that would happen.

Shui Meiyin said, "'Shifting stars and changing moons'—this was the ultimate power the Devil Emperor senior told me the Ancestral Sword could achieve in this era after she entrusted it to me. At that time, I never imagined that a day for such an act would actually come... and so quickly."

Yun Che looked at Shui Meiyin, his heart and soul stirred beyond words.

"Did you start looking for a planet to replace the Azure Cloud Continent very early on?" Yun Che asked, just as... before anything had even happened, Shui Meiyin had already secretly recorded the truth of that year with the Phantasm Heart Glazed Jade. She had said it was because her Immaculate Divine Soul could, to some extent, foresee danger.

"The Devil Emperor senior once told me something that I remember every word of to this day," Shui Meiyin slowly recounted: "'True devils are never dark fiends; they reside deep within the soul of every living being. Therefore, never hope to exchange your kindness for others' kindness, and never overestimate the depths of human nature.'"

Yun Che now fully understood those words.

Back then, he had reunited with Chu Yuechan and his daughter, recovered his strength, his parents were well, his beloved companions were by his side, and he had even found Jasmine upon returning to the God Realm. They had decided to retreat to the Azure Cloud Continent forever, never to leave. The Everlasting Heaven God Emperor, whom he most respected, had personally and in the most public manner, promised that no one would disturb them.

Everything was so beautiful and flawless. What he possessed then, and was deeply grateful for, was the favor and kindness of fate.

Then, in that very innocence, he was plunged into an abyss.

"Initially, I thought the Devil Emperor senior, having suffered so many years in the Outer Chaos, naturally viewed everything with the darkest, most pessimistic outlook. Later, watching Brother Yun Che gradually become the revered Divine Son of Salvation, admired by all, I was incredibly happy, yet I inexplicably felt increasingly uneasy..."

"At that time, I didn't believe, nor did I ever wish for a bad outcome, but the unease in my heart still made me start to consider the worst possible scenarios."

"So, I more carefully and secretly recorded images of Brother Yun Che saving the world with the Phantasm Heart Glazed Jade. At the same time, I also began searching for planets similar to the Azure Cloud Continent... because, in the worst outcomes I could envision, the planet where Brother Yun Che was born was his greatest concern and vulnerability, and also..."

Shui Meiyin hesitated, not finishing her sentence, but Yun Che understood what she meant.

"Speaking of which," Yun Che said, following her train of thought, "how did you know the location of the Azure Cloud Continent? I don't recall ever taking you there."

Shui Meiyin lowered her head slightly, then immediately raised it again, smiling faintly. "Of course, the Devil Emperor senior told me. I also know that the Azure Cloud Continent was a planet created by the Devil Emperor senior and the Evil God senior together in ancient times."

Yun Che sighed softly. Recalling the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's emotional turmoil upon seeing the Azure Cloud Continent again, it was hard to imagine her reaction if she knew everything that had happened now.

In ancient times, the Azure Cloud Continent, co-created by the Evil God and Jie Yuan, was located in the north of Primal Chaos, near what is now the Northern Divine Region.

Later, during the Great Battle of Gods and Devils, the Evil God moved the Azure Cloud Continent to the east of Primal Chaos to protect it. At the same time, the Azure Cloud Continent suffered heavy damage in the process; most of its continents collapsed, leaving only three parts, while the other ninety-seven parts turned into vast seas.

By the present day, it had once again crossed star regions and arrived in the south of Primal Chaos.

No one in the world, including all beings on the Azure Cloud Continent, would ever imagine that this planet, as ordinary as a speck of dust in the Primal Chaos, had actually traversed three different areas of the Primal Chaos.

"Finding similar planets must have been very difficult, right?" Yun Che asked softly.

"No," Shui Meiyin shook her head. "Because of the Azure Cloud Continent's unique characteristics, it was, on the contrary, the easiest task."

"Oh?" Yun Che looked into her eyes, his face showing surprise.

Shui Meiyin explained, "Most planets are primarily composed of land and mountains. When viewed from afar in the void, they have complex, even unique, geographical outlines. It's difficult to find even similar ones in a short time, and finding identical ones is almost impossible."

"But the Azure Cloud Continent's composition is very unique: three parts land, ninety-seven parts water. From afar in the void, it appears as a purely azure planet; its only three parts of land are completely obscured by the glistening ocean. Therefore, I only needed to find a star similar in size and also mostly covered by ocean."

"Furthermore, the Azure Cloud Continent is not within the Divine Realm's domain. On the plane, it's just an ordinary lower realm planet with a faint, turbid aura and balanced elements. Not only does this make it easier to find similar planets, but under the constant disturbances of cosmic energy, it would be difficult for even familiar individuals to distinguish it unless they were very close."

Shui Meiyin's starry eyes curved slightly. "Aren't these two aspects also fate's protection for the Azure Cloud Continent?"

Yun Che stared blankly at Shui Meiyin... Back then, he could never have imagined that while he was doing well and looking forward to the future, there was someone quietly thinking, doing, and sacrificing so much for him.

"So, when did you complete the exchange between the Azure Cloud Continent and the Heavenly Water Star?" Yun Che's voice softened a little more, and his vision involuntarily blurred.

Looking directly into Yun Che's emotionally stirred eyes, Shui Meiyin softly said, "It was right after the Devil Emperor senior departed, and you were injured and betrayed by everyone in front of the Wall of Primal Chaos, which then ignited your dark profound energy."

"Just before we were about to depart for the Wall of Primal Chaos to see off the Devil Emperor senior, my Immaculate Divine Soul sensed an extremely deep fear... So that time, my father, elder sister, and I didn't go; we stayed in the Glazed Light Realm."

"Soon after, news arrived that you had become a devil, ordered to be executed by all the King Realms."

"The worst outcome I had envisioned truly occurred, and so quickly. After receiving the news, I secretly used the Ancestral Sword to travel to the Eastern Divine Region, without telling my father or sister."

"Even though my Immaculate Divine Soul successfully awakened the weakened Ancestral Sword spirit, I still couldn't believe I could accomplish a miracle like 'shifting stars and changing moons' at that time. But... it must have been fate quietly protecting Brother Yun Che; I succeeded. And the position after the exchange was only off by a tiny, imperceptible amount."

"No," Yun Che smiled faintly. "It was your heart that moved even the most capricious of fates, preventing it from letting you down."

Her starry eyes grew slightly misty, and Shui Meiyin continued, "Shortly after I returned to the Glazed Light Realm, someone brought you, unconscious, to my elder sister. As for what happened next..."

Yun Che knew what happened next... He awoke to news that the Azure Cloud Continent had been publicly exposed by the Everlasting Heaven Realm, and a great number of Divine Emperors and Realm Kings surged towards it... He recklessly rushed towards the Azure Cloud Continent with the Moon Slaughter Devil Palace... and then witnessed the "Azure Cloud Continent" being obliterated by the Moon God Emperor's single sword strike...

"Brother Yun Che," Shui Meiyin moved forward, weakly taking Yun Che's hand. Her eyes were clouded with tears. "At that time, I couldn't stop you from going, nor could I tell you that it wasn't the real Azure Cloud Continent..."

"I understand, I understand completely," Yun Che replied, grasping her hand in return.

"No," Shui Meiyin shook her head. "What I mean to say is, at that time, I knew you had an Illusionary Empty Stone on you, so no matter how dangerous it got, you would definitely be able to escape. The most important thing is, I... I at that time... hoped you could... witness the destruction of the Azure Cloud Continent with your own eyes..."

"I know this was the cruelest... the most brutal thing in the world for you, but... but..."

Yun Che vigorously shook his head and tightly embraced the trembling girl. He closed his eyes, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and softly said, "No, you didn't do anything wrong; you did nothing wrong at all. You saved the Azure Cloud Continent, you saved my homeland, my family... you saved everything for me."

If Shui Meiyin had told him earlier that the destroyed planet wasn't the Azure Cloud Continent, then while he wouldn't have despaired or suffered, even if he had still fled to the Northern Divine Region, his heart would forever carry worry, concern, and fear, making it difficult for him to grow rapidly.

Because his homeland, his loved ones, his beloved companions... he could never truly bring himself to abandon them completely.

Only by letting him taste utter despair, letting him lose all his attachments and vulnerabilities, extinguishing all weakness and hesitation, eradicating all mercy and kindness towards his enemies, and furiously pursuing power in the abyss of hatred, could he be reborn and rise to the pinnacle of this world sooner.

This also ensured that after recovering what he had lost, there would be no one left to threaten him, and he would no longer have to fear losing anything.

What Shui Meiyin gave him was far more than just salvation... it was true rebirth, and a future without darkness.

"Meiyin," his arms tightened, his voice soft, every word stemming from the depths of his soul. "How can I... how can I ever... repay all of this..."

It turned out that in this world, there truly existed a debt of love that could not be repaid even in ten or a hundred lifetimes.

Shui Meiyin shook her head within his embrace, shaking it very hard.

She seemed to want to speak, but what escaped her was a series of uncontrollable sobs.

Perhaps it was self-reproach and heartache for having made Yun Che endure such pain and despair, or perhaps it was Yun Che's utterly gentle words; her delicate shoulders trembled, and tears streamed out, one after another, quickly soaking Yun Che's tunic layer by layer...

Yet, she still couldn't stop.