Chapter 1850: No-Blood Oath

Emerging from the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che was not met with the refreshing aura of the Azure Sea, but with thick smoke and the stench of blood.

Yun Che raised his eyes and looked around. Beside him, Shui Meiyin let out a trembling gasp.

As Yun Che's figure appeared before him, Long Bai's dragon eyes widened intensely. A torrent of emotions—resentment, exhilaration, excitement, and madness—too complex for him to untangle, surged within him.

He had always dreamt of slicing Yun Che into a thousand pieces, wishing he could inflict every conceivable torture upon him with extreme cruelty. Today, his desire to unleash his hatred on Yun Che far exceeded his ambition to eradicate the Devil Race.

Yet, with Yun Che so close, he did not strike. Instead, he pulled back and roared, "Stop!"

Under this imperial decree, the bloody and tragic battlefield instantly transformed. It was the Dragon Emperor's command, each word piercing deep into the soul, inspiring no hint of defiance.

Instantly, all Western Region profound practitioners swiftly withdrew their power, and the highest-level battle in the world was forcibly brought to a halt in an incredibly short time.

Before anyone could grasp his intent, the Dragon Emperor issued his second command, again just two words: "Pull back."

The tragic state of the Northern Region profound practitioners was pitiful, even to the Western Region God Emperors. As the Northern Region’s casualties mounted, the Western Region’s already significant advantage widened. In this situation, it wouldn’t be long before they could completely crush their opponents.

Retreating now would undoubtedly grant their opponents a chance to recover.

Yet, no one dared to defy the Dragon Emperor’s command.

All the Western Region God Emperors immediately retreated westward, not forgetting to retrieve the bodies of their comrades or clansmen.

Before long, the two sides, who had been locked in a bloody battle, had each withdrawn, now facing each other from a distance.

In the distance, the Withering Dragon Venerables, the Qilin Emperor, the Azure Dragon Emperor, and others also ceased fighting under the Dragon Emperor’s command. Chi Wuyao and Mu Xuanyin, without hesitation, flew swiftly down toward Yun Che…

The Dragon Emperor gave no command, so Long Si and Long Wu did not intervene.

"Devil Master!""Devil…Master…""Devil Master!!"

Calls reached Yun Che’s ears, calls that once echoed with fervent excitement and bold pride. Now, half were tinged with blood and tears, the other half hoarse and weak.

And too many familiar voices, familiar auras, were now missing.

Yan Yi and Yan Er, ignoring even a moment to catch their breath, rushed to Yun Che’s side with the utmost speed. Their gaunt, withered bodies, once stained only with the blood of others, were now covered in wounds.

Their arms, in particular, were almost completely shattered, flesh and blood ripped away, leaving bones exposed. Even the exposed bones were riddled with fractures.

It was impossible to imagine the terrifying battle they had just endured or the immense pressure they had been under.

With painful gasps, Yan San practically rolled and crawled back. He knelt on one knee, blood dripping from his limbs, gasping for breath as if on the verge of death, yet he still stood defiantly before Yun Che like a fierce god.

"How… how could this be…?" Shui Meiyin gazed around, murmuring absently. Her eyes caught sight of the distant floating city, and she whispered, "Qiankun… Dragon City?"

As the master of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor’s Qiankun Needle, and possessing fragments of its memories, how could she not recognize the Qiankun Dragon City, forged by its very power?

This profound ark, gifted by the Elemental Creation Gods to the Dragon God Race, which should have vanished in the ancient wars, had inexplicably appeared in this era, in this very place. This instantly revealed to Shui Meiyin the cause of the sudden calamity.

Immediately afterward, her spiritual perception registered Shui Yingyue’s aura.

"Sister!" she cried out in alarm, abandoning all other concerns as she instantly appeared by Shui Yingyue's side.

Shui Yingyue propped herself up with her sword, her blue robes half-stained with murky blood. She looked at the tear-filled eyes of Shui Meiyin, a faint smile gracing her pale, snow-white face as she softly said, "Meiyin, you're safe… that’s all that matters…"

As the heavy burden lifted, Shui Yingyue’s body instantly went limp. Unable to support herself further, she collapsed into Shui Meiyin’s arms.

Long Bai's gaze remained fixed on Yun Che, but Yun Che’s own eyes did not linger on Long Bai for a single moment.

His divine sense drifted, cold and chaotic… The Azure Sea Divine Realm was gone, replaced by ruins so utterly devastated they could not be more so.

He found Caizhi’s aura; she was protected by the Primordial Dragon Emperor and had fallen unconscious. Around her, there were no Six Star Gods, only six faint, distinct Star God auras lingering in the air… each wisp as weak as a dying breeze, perhaps to dissipate completely into the world in mere moments.

Qianye Ying’er was utterly depleted of power, her life aura so faint it was barely perceptible, teetering on the edge of death. The dormant Devil Emperor blood confirmed her most desperate choice… Had it not been for Qianye Wugu’s full-power life essence transfer, she would no longer exist in his life.

He sensed Mu Xuanyin’s aura and saw her figure. Their eyes met, and he should have been overjoyed… But not a flicker of happiness stirred within him, for something too heavy weighed down all his emotions and thoughts.

Only four Yama Devils and Moon Eaters remained. All nine Devil Maidens, including Jie Xin and Jie Ling, were severely wounded. Only three Brahma Kings who followed Qianye Ying’er survived. Nearly half of the Primordial Dragons were lost, and over sixty percent of the Northern Region Realm Kings had fallen in battle.

In the blink of an eye, the world had been turned upside down.

In the Western Region’s camp, all six realms were still present. Seven of the eight Dragon Gods remained, and five additional ancient Dragon God auras, exceptionally powerful and previously unrecorded, had emerged.

"Are you despairing?" Long Bai asked, his tone light. He surveyed Yun Che with the arrogant gaze of a celestial emperor, looking down upon a wretched mortal already crushed beneath his heel, ready to be utterly obliterated at any moment.

He yearned to see terror, disarray, pallor, pain, fear, and despair etched across Yun Che’s face… leading to tears, roars, madness, collapse, and complete loss of control.

But as time slowly passed, he grew increasingly disappointed.

For, amidst the pools of dark blood that carpeted the ground around them, Yun Che’s face remained utterly cold and indifferent from beginning to end… unnervingly calm.

Only from his tightly clenched fists did silent drops of blood fall.

"Where is Tianxiao?" Yun Che asked softly, not looking at Long Bai, as if he hadn't heard his words at all.

His answer came from the grinding teeth of the Yama Devils and Yama Ghosts. After a long silence, Yan Wu’s whisper broke through: "Father King is tired… he has gone to rest."

A cold wind swept through as Chi Wuyao and Mu Xuanyin landed beside Yun Che.

Seeing Yun Che emerge from the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm earlier than expected, like a wish come true, Chi Wuyao's first reaction was a dream-like surge of surprise… but her spirit quickly dimmed.

This was because Yun Che’s profound energy aura was still at Level Ten of the Divine Sovereign Realm.

She had always believed that in three years within the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, Yun Che would surely achieve a breakthrough to the Divine Master Realm. And his Divine Master power, she hoped, would be enough to transcend the world’s limits, crush all powerful enemies, and rescue them from even the most desperate predicaments.

But after three years in the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, he had made no breakthrough!?

"Yun Che," Chi Wuyao whispered telepathically, "Prepare to leave this place."

Mu Xuanyin suddenly reached out and seized Yun Che’s arm.

Yun Che didn't respond. Instead, he slowly raised his hand and pushed Mu Xuanyin's arm away, his face utterly expressionless.

"Now is not the time for your stubbornness!" Mu Xuanyin stated coldly.

Chi Wuyao whispered, "Long Bai returned to the Dragon God Realm early. With an incredibly tyrannical imperial decree, he mobilized all the Divine Masters of the Western Region Royal Realms and awakened five Withering Dragon Venerables who had been in seclusion. That Qiankun Dragon City then allowed them to descend from the Dragon God Realm directly here in just two hours."

Yun Che: "…"

"I learned all this early from Zhou Xuzi. They all had a chance to escape, yet not one of them chose to leave. They fought to the death, determined to protect you until you safely emerged from the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm… until this very moment!"

Yun Che: "…………"

"If you live, the Northern Divine Region retains infinite hope. If you die… they will all have died in vain!!"

Chi Wuyao’s voice sharpened, and her hand gripped Yun Che’s cold wrist… yet he slowly but resolutely pushed her away.

Qianye Wugu descended from the sky with Qianye Ying’er. His aura was unusually faint, his face as pale as paper, yet he stood proudly like a pine tree, his aged face serene and unruffled.

Under Qianye Wugu’s profound energy, Qianye Ying’er finally recovered a fraction of her strength. She struggled to stand, but instead of rushing to Yun Che, she clenched her teeth, her eyes gleaming with fierce determination, and spoke with resolute words: "Go… go now!"

"Devil Master… leave quickly!" Fen Daoqi gritted out.

"Devil Master… go…" Yan Wu struggled to stand from the ground. "Don't… don't let my Father King and the others… die in vain…"

"Devil Master…""Devil Master… go!"

Their previously impassioned calls now turned into frantic urgings. Amidst the hurried shouts, one by one, they abandoned their brief respite, struggling to stand and desperately trying to squeeze every last drop of power from their bodies.

They had personally witnessed the terror of the Western Divine Region. The Devil Master, now returned, still had the profound energy aura of a Divine Sovereign… He had finally returned safely thanks to their steadfast defense, yet he did not bring the glimmer of hope they had desperately sought.

Therefore, their last resort was to use their remaining lives and strength to ensure his safe escape.

"Leave? Ha, as if you can!" the White Rainbow Dragon God sneered. "At this point, you're still clinging to such naive pipe dreams?"

While they no longer attacked under the Dragon Emperor's command, a vast aura of power firmly enveloped the entire Azure Sea Divine Realm. As long as they wished, no one would leave this area alive.

Yun Che still showed no reaction. His eyes were slowly, almost imperceptibly, sinking, his expression terrifyingly calm.

"Devil… Master…"

A voice, far fainter than a mosquito's hum, drifted on the wind. Had it not been for Yun Che’s acute spiritual perception, it would have been utterly inaudible.

Yun Che finally moved. He took a step forward, arriving before Tian Guhu.

He bent down, stretched out his arm, and pressed his five fingers to Tian Guhu’s chest. A pure white light slowly enveloped Tian Guhu’s entire body.

Watching the divine light power emanating from Yun Che’s hand, Long Bai almost instantly crushed his own fingers. His features twisted with dark fury, and it was a long while before they slowly smoothed out.

Lost arms, a broken body, a disfigured face… Yun Che could barely bear to look. The white light in his hand could not save Tian Guhu, but it could alleviate his suffering.

That he had clung to his last breath until this moment was a miracle that, even for Yun Che, was deeply moving.

"Guhu, tell me what you want to say. I'm listening," Yun Che asked gently.

Tian Guhu’s lips parted slowly and with great difficulty. After a long pause, he emitted a voice as faint as mist: "We… people of the Northern Region… born in darkness… burdened by darkness…"

"But we… are not born sinners… We just want… to be able… to live freely… under the light of day…"

The world fell into profound silence. Though his voice was barely a whisper, it resonated in everyone’s heart. Even many God Masters in the Western Divine Region had a complex, unreadable glint in their eyes.

"Devil Master… I beg you… escape from here… I beg you… for the sake of the Northern Divine Region… live…"

Tears streamed down Tian Guhu’s mangled, bloody face: "This must be… the most selfish and unreasonable request… in the world… but… only the Devil Master… only the Devil Master can…"

Tian Guhu’s words, laden with despair and pleas, violently resonated with every deep-seated fiber of the Northern Region profound practitioners’ souls.

A million years of unending darkness, a million years of being branded as criminals, a million years of cruel fate… Successive generations of Royal Realm God Emperors had completely abandoned resistance, and the ascendant Devil Queen had remained dormant for ten thousand years after a single probe, unable to act on her own.

Only Devil Master Yun Che had brought them an opportunity, leading them to truly grasp and possess hope over the past few months.

As long as the Devil Master lived, hope would endure. If the Devil Master perished, the Northern Divine Region, its core extinguished, would never see the light again.

Thus, Tian Guhu, with his last breath and last tear, made the "most selfish and unreasonable" plea in the world to Yun Che.

"Say no more." Yun Che turned his palm, and a denser surge of light profound energy slowly descended… In his spiritual perception, there was no longer any aura of the Sovereign Heaven lineage left in this disaster-ridden land. From the Sovereign Heaven Divine Monarch to the Sovereign Heaven Realm King Tian Muyi, all had met their demise.

"Tian Guhu, listen," Yun Che said, his gaze direct and his expression indifferent. "I guarantee you, in the name of Yun Che, and in the name of the Northern Region Devil Master…"

"From this day forward, all people of the Northern Region shall stand tall under the light of day. No one will dare to look down upon them or bully them without cause, nor will anyone dare to falsely accuse dark profound energy or dark profound practitioners."

"You and your clansmen will not have died in vain; not a single drop of your blood will have been shed in vain. Future generations of the Northern Region will forever remember whose sacrifices brought about their new beginning. As long as I exist, the Sovereign Heaven lineage shall be eternally glorified!"

His words were uttered softly, devoid of sorrow, joy, grief, or anger. Yet, every single word resonated clearly in the ears and hearts of all present.

The expressions of the Northern Region profound practitioners froze, their eyes silently blurring. This was not merely a promise Yun Che made to Tian Guhu, but a solemn vow to all of them… Even if the future he described felt like a fragile, illusory dream that could shatter at a touch, they desperately clung to that belief and envisioned it, if only for a few fleeting moments.

Qianye Ying’er, Chi Wuyao, and Mu Xuanyin stood frozen, staring at Yun Che… He was unlike anyone they had ever seen before.

Tian Guhu’s lips trembled violently, and tears instantly welled up like a spring.

"Thank… Devil… Master…"

Using every last ounce of his strength, shouting those three words as loudly as he possibly could, his eyes, which he had stubbornly refused to close, slowly shut.

Qing'er… I’m coming… to join you…

"…" The white light on Yun Che’s hand vanished.

His hand gently withdrew from Tian Guhu’s body, leaving a faint, warm trace of blood on his fingertips.

Tian Guhu’s Yama Devil power had been forcefully integrated into him by Yun Che using the Eternal Calamity of Darkness, at the cost of a drastically shortened lifespan.

He was a tool for revenge, forged by Yun Che through ruthless and vicious means. At that time, Yun Che had felt no hesitation or compunction.

From the very first day he entered the Northern Divine Region, he had resolved to use its power to exact his revenge.

On the day of the Northern Region’s coronation, every profound practitioner who knelt before him, shouting "Devil Master," was, in his eyes, a successfully "tamed" tool for his vengeance.

In the battle of the Eastern Region, countless Northern Region profound practitioners suffered casualties, yet it had not stirred even a flicker of emotion or heartache within him… for that was the purpose and fate of tools.

Before he learned that the Blue Pole Star still existed, he had already resolved to use the bodies of these tools to pave the path to the final act of his revenge in the Western Divine Region.

But at this moment…

Why did his heart ache so intensely?

And why was his rage… on the verge of spiraling out of control?

"No Realm King or God Emperor has ever received such reverence… Big Brother Yun Che, I increasingly believe that their will to fight is no longer solely for the Northern Divine Region. Perhaps they would equally willingly, without regret, and even without fear of death, fight for you."

The words Shui Meiyin had spoken before he left for the Seven Star Realm echoed in his heart once more.

At the time, he had immediately refuted her, unwilling to acknowledge it.

"That was quite a dream you just had," Long Bai remarked faintly, gazing at Yun Che. In his dragon eyes, only Yun Che’s figure existed. "Yun Che, Devil Master of the Northern Region… it’s been a long time."

"Heh… heh-heh… heh-heh-heh-heh…"

Yun Che finally showed a change in expression. It wasn’t anger or fear, but a low, chilling laugh that sent shivers down one’s spine.

"Long Bai," his words slipped from his lips, his tone slow and eerie, "Very good, you truly are very good."

"For the past three years in the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, I meditated and cultivated my soul, gradually拂去 the demonic malevolence within it. I was transforming myself from a seventy percent fiend and thirty percent human back into a thirty percent fiend and seventy percent human."

"But you, at the very first moment of my return," Yun Che slowly raised his hand, his drooping fingertips coalescing with a faint, almost imperceptible black glow, "successfully unleashed all the fiends I had so painstakingly suppressed within my heart."

"Tell me… how… should I… repay you!"