Chapter 1830: Absolute Desperation in the Vast Waves

In the Royal Hall of the Azure Sea Divine Realm, the light from the Heaven Profound Pearl had noticeably dimmed compared to previous days, yet it remained gentle and pure. The Three Yama Ancestors stood guard, unmoving, their minds completely focused.

Outside the Royal Hall, a dense crowd had already gathered, and many more figures and presences were rapidly arriving. This was due to an extremely urgent command issued by the Devil Queen. Soon, all core members of the Devil Race had arrived, along with the Divine Emperors and Sea Gods of the Azure Sea Realm.

The Devil Queen arrived then, and all eyes turned to her. Given the gravity of the situation, whatever she was about to announce was clearly of immense importance.

"Everyone! For some time now, you have all diligently followed the Devil Master's orders, preparing with all your might for the assault on the Dragon God Realm."

Chi Wuyao lifted her gaze and spoke. Within her devil soul, images of the activated Universe Dragon City, rapidly closing in, were appearing. It could barely be called "speed," as with every passing instant, space itself seemed to tear and shift, crushing any lingering hope or chance.

Even so, her expression and tone remained perfectly calm and serene, though with slightly less of the soul-piercing, demonic allure that typically made people avert their gaze.

"However..." she sighed, "The situation has dramatically shifted."

These words caused everyone to hold their breath simultaneously.

"For millions of years, my Northern Region Devil Race has suffered oppression from the three Divine Regions, forced to cower perpetually in the shadows. But you have shattered these ancient shackles, truly re-establishing the will of the Devil Race across the world."

"You are the pride of the Northern Divine Region, the pride of the Dark Devil Race. You are a generation destined to be remembered and celebrated in the history of the Northern Region. In the future, no matter how profound the darkness our Northern Divine Region may fall into, you will remain an inextinguishable light in their hearts and souls."

"But our advance will halt here."

Chi Wuyao's words praised their breakthroughs and great accomplishments for the Northern Divine Region. Yet, no one felt a surge of excitement or pride; the more they listened, the more unsettling her words became.

"Devil Queen," Fen Daoqi was the first to speak. "What exactly has happened? Please tell us clearly. We have followed the Devil Master and Devil Queen this far, and we will not fear anything we are about to face."

Chi Wuyao glanced at him, her demonic eyes lifting again. "This has nothing to do with fear. This is my great mistake. I completely misjudged the Dragon God Realm, and underestimated the true power of the Western Divine Region."

A soft murmur rippled through the crowd, quickly subsiding as Chi Wuyao continued speaking.

"Even if you don't know every detail, you must have heard about the Dragon God Realm's movements in recent days. Long Bai returned to his realm unexpectedly early, and despite being the Dragon Emperor, he showed no habitual contempt for my Devil Race. Instead, he issued an extremely overbearing imperial decree."

"This decree rendered all our psychological offensives against the Western Divine Region entirely futile."

"The Dragon Emperor not only forcibly mobilized all Divine Masters from the five King Realms of the Western Region, but also recalled all Dragon Emperors, Dragon Monarchs, and Head Dragons from the Dragon God Realm itself. He assembled every Divine Master from all Western Divine Region King Realms—a force of over eight hundred Divine Masters. This is a power we simply cannot confront directly."

"Furthermore, five reclusive beings, no weaker than the Scarlet Annihilation Dragon God, have emerged within the Dragon God Realm. The appearance of these five reclusive Dragon Gods has left me, despite all my deliberations, unable to find even a sliver of a chance for victory."

Qianye Ying'er frowned, barely managing to restrain herself from interrupting Chi Wuyao. At a time when she should have been calming everyone's hearts, Chi Wuyao had revealed everything, actively and deliberately spreading despair!?

The expressions of all the devils changed. The fighting spirit that had burned within them for days was ruthlessly doused by Chi Wuyao's words, chilling them to the bone.

Yan Tianxiao, too, was caught unprepared. He spoke in a deep voice, "Devil Queen, do you mean...?"

"Retreat!" Chi Wuyao's demonic eyes were sharp, her voice utterly cold. "All realms, prepare for immediate departure at maximum speed. Within two quarters of an hour at most, board different profound ships, scatter in various directions, and return to the Northern Divine Region at full speed!"

A wave of uproar swept through the hall. At Chi Wuyao's emphatic command, the devils erupted into bewildered confusion. Even the Yama Devils, Devil Girls, and Moon Eaters were stunned, unable to believe what they were hearing.

"Wait!" No one dared defy the Devil Queen's orders, but Emperor Yan clearly possessed the authority to do so. He frowned deeply, his voice sinking further. "If we must retreat, why the extreme haste?"

Chi Wuyao replied, "Because in just one more hour, over eight hundred Divine Masters from the Western Divine Region will have descended upon Azure Sea!"

Chi Wuyao's tone remained unchanged, but her brief words struck like world-shattering thunder.

One hour... the Western Region descending?

Everyone's immediate reaction was that it was impossible. But before they could voice their doubts, Chi Wuyao waved her arm, and a projection from the soul of Zhou Xuzi materialized before her.

The projection displayed half of a floating city. Within it, terrifying figures were densely concentrated, particularly the gray or white shadows at the center of the view. Even as a mere projection, they exuded a crushing, suffocating sense of oppression.

What was most terrifying was how space around the floating city shifted with every instant. It wasn't flying; it was constantly traversing dimensions, seemingly leaping across the vast starfield.

As they watched the image, a completely unfamiliar term simultaneously flashed in their minds: Space Jump!

"What... is this!?" Yan Tianxiao exclaimed in shock.

"This is a real-time projection from the Western Divine Region; what you see now is their current state," Chi Wuyao explained. "The vessel they are on is called the 'Universe Dragon City,' a reclusive profound warship from the Dragon God Realm, a relic of the ancient Dragon God clan. It possesses the power of the ultimate treasure, the Universe Spike... My estimate of one hour is absolutely no exaggeration or falsehood!"

"We intended to catch the Dragon God Realm off guard, but they had the same idea... and they are proving more ruthless, insidious, and sudden than we could have imagined!"

Undoubtedly, shock and dismay erupted completely at that moment.

The Sea Gods and Divine Envoys of the Azure Sea Realm all turned their sharp gazes towards Cang Shitian. His brows were tightly furrowed, his expression dark and grim, but he offered no words.

All King Realms of the Western Divine Region had assembled, even dispatching the reclusive Dragon Gods of the Dragon God Realm... And their target was none other than the Ten Directions Azure Sea Realm! If this place were truly to become a battlefield, the Ten Directions Azure Sea Realm beneath their feet would surely be annihilated!

*Boom!* A resounding hum. Yan Tianxiao raised a hand, and a muffled boom reverberated, ringing in the ears of all the devils and silencing the chaotic uproar. He asked in a deep voice, "Is this also the Devil Master's will?"

The Devil Queen shook her head, then slowly nodded. "At this juncture, I no longer need to hide anything." She turned aside, revealing the main entrance of the Azure Sea Main Hall, where seven energy barriers pulsed with different profound lights. "Previously, I announced that the Devil Master had suddenly encountered a breakthrough opportunity and entered temporary seclusion. In truth, the Devil Master discovered how to control the Heaven Profound Pearl and, using its residual divine power, opened the Heaven Profound Divine Realm. He is currently cultivating within it."

The fact that the Heaven Profound Pearl of the Heaven Profound Realm had fallen into Yun Che's hands was already common knowledge.

"...!?" Qianye Ying'er looked at Chi Wuyao. Why was she revealing even this? In a desperate situation, honesty would be met with honesty. In terms of ruthless and varied tactics, Qianye Ying'er was second to none. Yet, when it came to manipulating hearts and minds, she ultimately lagged far behind Chi Wuyao.

"Could it be that the Heaven Profound Divine Realm cannot be freely entered or exited?" Yan Tianxiao inquired.

Chi Wuyao shook her head. "The Heaven Profound Divine Realm is a world with independent laws, completely isolated from our reality. The Devil Master, while inside, cannot perceive external events, nor can any information be conveyed to him from outside."

"Furthermore, while the Heaven Profound Divine Realm is active, the Heaven Profound Pearl cannot be disturbed by external forces. Doing so could cause the Divine Realm to collapse... and in severe cases, it might lead to the Devil Master's demise."

Yan Tianxiao's face tensed. "Then how much longer will the Devil Master remain inside?"

"Two days," Chi Wuyao said softly. "The Devil Master is the Reincarnated Devil Emperor. With him present, even the direst situation might still yield a miracle. But this time... fate is not on our side, and we have no choice but to retreat."

"This..." Fen Daoqi quietly drew a breath. "If we retreat, what about the Devil Master? The Heaven Profound Pearl cannot be disturbed by external forces, so can it... be gently transferred onto a profound ship?"

Chi Wuyao was silent for a moment, then said, "I will personally guard the Devil Master. What you must do is prepare to leave immediately, without further delay."

Chi Wuyao's words were crystal clear, causing the clamor to instantly cease.

"Are you saying we retreat, but the Devil Master cannot? Then... wouldn't that mean..."

Chi Wuyao said, "Though it's regrettable, this is our only viable option. Without the Devil Master, facing the Western Divine Region would inevitably lead to our annihilation. By leaving now, we can still preserve hope and our future." Her gaze swept over them, her alluring eyes suddenly hardening. "What are you still standing here for!? This final hour allows not a moment of delay! Go quickly and prepare to retreat!"

"No, this won't do!" A young voice suddenly rang out. Tian Guhu's features were trembling, his face contorted. "How can we possibly abandon the Devil Master!"

Chi Wuyao cast a sharp glance at him. "Are you planning to stay here and die in vain?! You have already made history; you possess more than enough glory! This retreat is the most rational and only choice! Fleeing back to the Northern Divine Region means endless hope for as long as you live! This is not the time for impulsive actions!"

"Without the Devil Master, we wouldn't even have the right to set foot here, let alone create history! There would be no brief era belonging to our Northern Region Devil Race!" Tian Guhu's face was flushed, his voice trembling. "Even if we fail, at least we... we, who were once 'caged beasts' in the Northern Divine Region, mere dark creatures in the eyes of the world, can finally hold our heads high and gaze down upon their trembling fear. This is a long-chercherished dream that generations of our ancestors could never fulfill!"

"The one who truly created this era, this miracle, is not us, but the Devil Master! We merely basked in the dark afterglow he forged for us. Now, to have us retreat safely, leaving the Devil Master alone to fall into the hands of the Western Region—I cannot do it!"

"This is an order!" Chi Wuyao's voice suddenly grew stern.

"Then forgive Guhu for his defiance!" Tian Guhu dropped heavily to his knees, his expression utterly resolute. "If I manage to survive this, I will accept any punishment the Devil Queen deems fit. But... unless you execute me now, I will not retreat a single step until the Devil Master is out of danger!"

"..." Chi Wuyao's brow furrowed, her voice softening slightly as she patiently reasoned. "Tian Guhu, I know your loyalty. But the Devil Master and I are husband and wife, destined to share life and death. You are different. Your strength, your life, should be dedicated to fighting and existing for the Northern Divine Region, not to be sacrificed in vain for the Devil Master alone."

"No!" Without a trace of hesitation, Tian Guhu declared firmly, "From this moment forth, Tian Guhu will fight for the Devil Master with the entirety of his life's strength and his very blood!"

Every word resonated with deafening clarity, shaking souls to their core.

"My son, Guhu, speaks well!!"

With a furious roar, Huangtian Realm King Tian Muyi rose, standing beside Tian Guhu, his voice echoing across the land. "To allow us to set foot on this soil, to stand proudly under the sun—the Devil Master's grace is impossible to repay in a lifetime! How can we abandon him and flee?!"

"If the path to overturning the heavens must end here, then the next era shall be left to future generations. I, Huangtian Realm King Tian Muyi, pledge my remaining life and strength to fight for the Devil Master!"

He spun around, roaring, "Men of Huangtian, listen to my command! The coming battle will be a near-certain death! This fight is not for the Northern Region, nor for our clans, but solely for the Devil Master!"

"Those who wish to leave, depart quickly on the Huangtian ships. Those who successfully return to the Northern Divine Region will become the hope and guides for future generations; no one will stop you, nor will anyone look down on you!"

"And those who are willing to fight for the Devil Master with their lives right now, stand behind me!"

Under King Tian Muyi's command, a scene unfolded that astonished everyone in the Azure Sea Realm, including Qianye Ying'er. Every profound practitioner from the Huangtian Realm moved, in perfect unison, to stand behind King Tian Muyi and his son, Tian Guhu... Not a single one of them retreated!