Chapter 1866: 魔主帝妃

In less than a day, Shui Meiyin had already unsealed all the palaces on the Dragon Ark. Some special defensive mechanisms, profound formations, and seals on the lower levels were much more complex, but they should all be unsealed within a month.

She greatly anticipated what the Dragon Ark would become after enough energy was injected, as this was, after all, a true ancient divine ark.

After a day of rest, Yun Che's soul power had recovered significantly. He stood atop the Dragon Ark, gazing at the leveled and blood-stained Azure Cloud God Realm below, remaining silent for a very long time.

The greatest obstacle had been cleared, and the final source of his hatred had been brutally eliminated. At this moment, he truly stood at the apex of the world. Yet, he found himself lost as to what to do next.

Should he immediately return to the Blue Pole Star to tell them he was safe, or...

After more than an hour, he finally moved, following Chi Wuyao's aura to her side.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, my Devil Master," Chi Wuyao said as she turned, smiling as she watched Yun Che approach.

She knew very well that with the end of this final arduous battle, Yun Che, who had suddenly lost his immediate goal, would inevitably fall into confusion. Becoming the Emperor of the World, for a man barely thirty years old, would likely leave him at a loss as to where to even begin.

"Hmph!" Yun Che sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "I've tried very hard not to rely on you, but it seems I still can't manage. Controlling the world is much harder than being invincible."

He was certain that Chi Wuyao already had a plan for what should be done next.

"First, answer me a question." Chi Wuyao approached him, looking into his eyes as she asked, "What do you most desire now? To plunge this world into a dark abyss, allowing yourself and the profound practitioners of the Northern Region, who endured a million years of imprisonment, to fully vent your frustrations? Or... to become a true emperor who governs and guides all realms, just as you governed and guided the Northern Divine Region?"

"...The latter," Yun Che replied.

"As expected," Chi Wuyao smiled. "For years, the resentment in your heart was like countless roaring, struggling devils. This was always my greatest concern, that your hatred would spiral out of control and completely consume you. But... since that day, you suddenly changed."

"The day you and Meiyin returned," Chi Wuyao continued, her expression growing solemn. "Can you tell me what truly happened that day?"

"Yes, it's time I told you," Yun Che said, turning his gaze southward. He pressed a finger to his brow, slowly condensing a ray of soul light. "For all these years, I've been so desperate to destroy everything. I even wished I could bathe in blood, personally slaughtering the beings of one star realm after another. Because I saved everything, yet I lost everything because of it."

"But that day, the reason I resented the world and was willing to become a devil, suddenly vanished."

"Vanished?" Chi Wuyao's slender eyebrows twitched sharply.

Yun Che extended his finger and gently pressed it against Chi Wuyao's brow. The memories of that day immediately flooded into Chi Wuyao's mind.

A long silence followed. The turmoil in Chi Wuyao's demonic eyes lasted for a very long time.

"Such a thing actually happened," Chi Wuyao murmured softly. In all her life experience, she had never witnessed such an exaggerated reversal of fortunes, such an astonishing turn of events.

The Heaven Punishing Ancestral Divine Tool...

Shui Meiyin...

Not only did she use the Illusionary Heart Glazed Jade to record everything before it happened, but she also deceived the world and protected the Blue Pole Star, and, moreover, brought about the current Yun Che.

She also indirectly saved the fate of the Northern Divine Region.

It was the first time Yun Che had seen Chi Wuyao so absent-minded and astonished for such an extended period. Undeniably, this was a reversal that completely surpassed everyone's imagination and understanding, because the destruction of the Blue Pole Star had been personally witnessed and attested to by numerous Divine Masters and Divine Emperors.

In her heart, it felt as if countless heavy mountains had vanished like a gentle breeze. It was a sense of relief and delight she had never imagined. A smile appeared on Chi Wuyao's lips: "So... that's how it is. This is wonderful... the most beautiful thing, the most magnificent miracle in the world, is none other than this."

"Xuan'yin, Caizhi, Qianying... and everyone in the Northern Region, they will surely be endlessly joyful when they learn this."

As she spoke softly, a faint mist appeared in Chi Wuyao's alluring eyes, but she quickly dispelled it. Although the memory fragments from Yun Che had concealed his own emotional changes, she knew that Yun Che must have wept profusely... tears that no will could stop.

"And Meiyin," she continued, "I truly underestimated her completely. I never expected her to have done so much for you so quietly. And even before we stepped out of the Northern Divine Region, she had already secretly paved many paths for us."

"Mm," Yun Che nodded, speaking softly. "Her love and kindness... I don't know how many lifetimes it will take to repay them."

"This life is enough; never let her down," Chi Wuyao said, smiling faintly and charmingly. Yun Che's transformation was, of course, an excellent change for her, but she had never imagined it could be this wonderful.

For him, waiting even one more day in his ferocity was an agony. Yet, he had suddenly been willing to enter the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm for three years... So that was it! After personally seeing his homeland and loved ones completely unharmed, for a better future, he would have willingly endured not just three years, but even thirty or three hundred years.

The Dragon God Realm was destroyed, Long Bai was dead, and the greatest threat no longer existed. "Then... is now the time for me to see them?" Yun Che asked, a hint of wistfulness in his voice.

"The fact that you're asking means you know in your heart that it's still not the time to see them," Chi Wuyao said. "I understand your urgency, and... your guilt."

"You have cleared the biggest obstacles, but your true dominion over this world has only just begun," Chi Wuyao said slowly. "In the Western Divine Region alone, although you annihilated all the Divine Masters of the four King Realms—Dragon God, Emperor Chi, Vile Dragon, and Myriad Manifestations—the Western Divine Region still has over four hundred Upper Star Realms and over two thousand Middle Star Realms, which absolutely cannot be underestimated."

"While this power won't threaten you or us, the Blue Pole Star, as a lower realm planet, is simply too fragile in the face of Divine Realm level power."

"Currently, countless star realms and profound practitioners in the God Realm harbor immense fear and resentment towards you. And the inherent perception of dark profound practitioners will certainly not change in a short period. If you expose the Blue Pole Star's existence too soon, before you have sufficiently taken control of the God Realm, then even with countless precautions, a single oversight..."

Chi Wuyao looked deeply at Yun Che.

Yun Che showed little reaction to Chi Wuyao's words but calmly asked, "When will be the best time?"

"After you are officially enthroned as emperor," Chi Wuyao said. "That won't be too long. Barring any major unforeseen circumstances, it will only take a year."

"How about half a year?" Yun Che's gaze drifted slightly. "In 199 days, it will be Wuxin's twentieth birthday. I... don't want to miss it again."

Chi Wuyao was about to speak, but then caught Yun Che's suddenly wistful eyes. She paused in silence for a moment, then pursed her lips slightly and said, "Half a year could barely work. However, my Devil Master will need to cooperate with me fully."

Yun Che turned, his expression serious. "Alright, tell me."

How to control, how to rule as emperor, and especially how to manage people's hearts—Chi Wuyao was undoubtedly far more skilled than him.

Chi Wuyao slowly paced, then stood to Yun Che's right and said leisurely, "To eliminate resistors, violent suppression is certainly the simplest and most thoughtless method. But it's not suitable now. Furthermore, in this war, our Northern Region's core strength suffered heavy losses, and we cannot afford any more damage in the short term."

"Moreover, violent suppression doesn't earn reverence; it only breeds greater fear."

"The best method is to, within the shortest possible time, create a grand trend where the world is already under your control. This will make rebellious star realms and profound practitioners outcasts before they even have a chance to form a significant force. Thus, as people's hearts continue to align, the rebels will likely collapse on their own before we even need to suppress them."

Yun Che furrowed his brow, and after a moment's thought, said, "That sounds much more difficult than violent suppression."

After speaking, he quietly listened for Chi Wuyao's response. He knew that since Chi Wuyao had brought it up, she must have a plan.

"It's difficult, yes, but..." She cast a fleeting glance at Yun Che, a slight smile playing on her lips. "If my Devil Master is willing to cooperate, then given the current situation, it's not that difficult at all."

"What exactly do you want me to cooperate with?" Yun Che asked.

"A method often used by royalty and nobles in any realm, a cliché, yet very effective." After a brief pause, Chi Wuyao's lips parted slightly: "Marriages of alliance."

Yun Che was stunned for a full three breaths. "Huh!?"

Chi Wuyao smiled faintly and continued, "Thanks to the images recorded by Meiyin, the fact that you once saved the world is undeniable to anyone in this era. And the fact that you were betrayed by the King Realms and Upper Star Realms is also widely known. This is an excellent foundation."

"Next, we will magnify both of these points. This is the first step in building momentum."

Her voice softened, becoming slightly lower: "History is never written by the just; it is written by the victors."

"Building on this," she said, looking at Yun Che, her demonic eyes alluring yet misty, "if the Divine Emperors of all four regions were to become your Imperial Consorts, what do you think would happen?"

Yun Che froze abruptly.

"The Northern Divine Region goes without saying; everyone knows I am your Imperial Empress."

A faint hint of resentment seemed to linger in her words.

"Among the Eastern Divine Region's four King Realms, some are destroyed, others crippled. The only one still relatively intact, the Brahma Monarch God Realm, has Qianying as its emperor. If you confer upon her the title of Imperial Consort, she will naturally have no objections."

"Although the Star God Realm exists in name only, the Heavenly Wolf Star God is still alive, and her divine relic is in your hands. You can help Caizhi rebuild the Star God Realm, making her its emperor and also your Imperial Consort."

"Furthermore, you can support the Snow Song Realm to become a new King Realm in the Eastern Region. Although the Snow Song Realm is generally weak, Mu Xuanyin's personal divine might and your history as an Ice Phoenix disciple are enough to uphold the name of a King Realm. With the influx of high-grade resources and your 'special' abilities, the Snow Song Realm's overall strength will also grow daily, and one day, it may truly live up to the name of a King Realm."

"Thus, the Divine Emperors of all three King Realms in the Eastern Region will be your Imperial Consorts!"

"For the Eastern Divine Region, this will create a grand momentum powerful enough to quell all dissent and unite all wills!"

Yun Che remained stunned for a long time.

And... this kind of... strategy!?

Chi Wuyao continued, "In the Western Divine Region, four of the six King Realms now exist in name only. Among the two intact King Realms, there is a perfectly suitable candidate."

"The Azure Dragon Emperor."

"!?" Yun Che's eyes widened. "You're not suggesting I..."

"In the current situation, she will have to agree, whether she wants to or not." Chi Wuyao ignored his interruption and continued, "However, even if she's utterly unwilling in her heart, she ultimately won't refuse, because for the Azure Dragon Realm, there is no greater life-preserving talisman than this."

"Once she becomes your Imperial Consort, even if only in name, her mindset will undergo a subtle change. When making decisions, she will subconsciously lean towards you."

"Furthermore, the Qilin Realm and the Azure Dragon Realm are closely connected. The Qilin Emperor looks at the Azure Dragon Emperor completely like a daughter. Therefore, having the Azure Dragon Emperor as an Imperial Consort can also influence the Qilin Realm to some extent."

"With an outsider who was just forced to submit now becoming an insider, many matters in the Western Divine Region will become much more convenient."

"As for the Southern Divine Region, during my time in the Azure Cloud Realm, I have already selected a suitable candidate for you..." She offered a half-smile, "You will surely be satisfied."

"Thus, as long as my Devil Master agrees, the Divine Emperors of the King Realms across all four Divine Regions will be your Imperial Consorts. Such a grand display has never been seen in the history of the God Realm. Through this, without expending a single soldier, we can establish an overwhelming momentum in this nascent God Realm that crushes all dissenting thoughts."

"But," Yun Che said, his expression serious, "the Azure Dragon Emperor and I have only met a few times; there's no affection between us whatsoever. Suddenly taking her as an Imperial Consort..."

"It's merely in name. Marriages of alliance never require any actual affection to exist," Chi Wuyao said. "Am I not your Imperial Empress in name only, yet you've never truly 'favored' me...? Isn't that something my Devil Master is very good at?"

Yun Che was speechless.

"Besides," Chi Wuyao continued, "the Azure Dragon Emperor is exceptionally beautiful, with skin like solidified water, and a figure of unparalleled grace and pride. She comes from the Azure Dragon Imperial Clan and has been an Emperor for tens of thousands of years. She originally intended to live a solitary life of self-pity, yet she is forced to become your Imperial Consort. I actually feel a bit wronged for her."

Yun Che merely looked on.

"Having one more Imperial Consort in name won't cause any loss and can make controlling the Western Divine Region many times easier. Or, whenever my Devil Master feels inclined, taking the Azure Dragon Emperor into your arms to 'play around' wouldn't be a bad thing either."

Chi Wuyao's words unconsciously brought to Yun Che's mind the Azure Dragon Emperor's stunningly long, porcelain-white legs, shimmering with a watery sheen beneath her blue dress. His heart immediately pounded.

He was actually... quite tempted!