Chapter 1895: "Babble"

"Ah!" A woman's soft cry rang out as she noticed his movement. "Husband, you're awake!"

Yun Che opened his eyes to see Su Ling'er's beautiful face close by. Cai Zhi and the Little Demon Empress were also there, clearly having stood guard for a long time, unwilling to leave his side.

Everything from his dream was still vividly clear, leaving him momentarily uncertain if he had truly awakened.

"What happened?" Cai Zhi asked. "Why did you suddenly shut off your senses for so long?"

"It's nothing, just a unique state of enlightenment," Yun Che replied, gazing forward, a slight disorientation still present in his mind. "By the way, how long was I asleep this time?"

"Seven days," Su Ling'er answered.

Compared to his last enlightenment of the World-Defying Heaven Manual, which had caused him to "sleep" for half a month, this duration was much shorter.

"Husband, you must go see Sister Lingxi quickly," Su Ling'er added, her voice tinged with panic.

"Lingxi?" Su Ling'er's tone startled Yun Che, and he abruptly stood. "What's wrong with her?"

"When you shut off your senses, she also fainted. No matter what I tried, I couldn't wake her up... She still hasn't regained consciousness."

Before Su Ling'er could finish speaking, Yun Che had already vanished from the spot.

Xiao Lingxi lay quietly on the bed, breathing evenly. Her face was slightly pale, but not alarmingly so.

Yet, even in her unconscious state, her delicate brows remained slightly furrowed, as if invisible threads were constantly tugging at her heartstrings.

Yun Che extended both hands. He held her right wrist with one hand and gently pressed a finger to her chest, allowing a vast amount of profound energy to flow into her in the most gentle manner.

After his examination, Yun Che's furrowed brows relaxed slightly, though a new sense of confusion emerged.

Xiao Lingxi's vital energy and soul sea were both exceptionally calm and normal, and there were no signs of internal or external injuries. If it had been anyone else, he would have immediately concluded they were feigning unconsciousness, but Xiao Lingxi would never do that.

"How is she?" Su Ling'er asked, her voice filled with tension.

Yun Che stood up, pondered for a moment, and said, "It's nothing serious; she should wake up soon."

Noticing the unusual shift in Yun Che's expression and words, Su Ling'er hesitated before revealing, "Actually, Sister Lingxi used to have periods when she would inexplicably fall unconscious, but this time it's lasted so long—seven days, and she still hasn't woken up."

"Before?" Yun Che's gaze sharpened. "When was this?"

"It was just when you first departed for the God Realm," Su Ling'er explained. "The very day you left with Senior Mu Bingyun, she suddenly collapsed."

Yun Che remained silent.

"That time, she quickly regained consciousness. But her pulse and heartbeat became extremely rapid, perhaps more than ten times that of a normal person."

"What!?" Yun Che's heart jolted with alarm.

At that time, Xiao Lingxi had very low profound cultivation. Such an abnormal pulse and heart rate were simply impossible for a living person!

Su Ling'er continued, "However, she fully recovered not long after. So, I didn't think much of it, attributing it to her being overly nervous, worried, and reluctant to see you go."

"But after that, she would inexplicably fall unconscious every now and then, and each time, the duration of her coma would lengthen. I could never ascertain the cause... until after the thirty-third occurrence, she never suddenly fell unconscious again."

"And now, it's suddenly happened again..."

Su Ling'er nervously clasped her hands together.

"Why wasn't I told about this sooner?" A strong sense of unease welled up within Yun Che.

Su Ling'er explained, "You were gone for so many years, and when you returned, your profound strength was gone, and your body was weak. We were only filled with joy and heartache, so how could we tell you anything that would cause you more worry?"

"Besides, at that time, Sister Lingxi was completely fine. She also specifically instructed all of us not to tell you, so as not to cause you unnecessary concern."

Xiao Lingxi had never wanted to cause him any trouble or worry—it had always been this way since childhood.

A wave of heaviness and frustration washed over Yun Che. What exactly had happened to Xiao Lingxi?

But whatever it was, he desperately hoped she wouldn't have to endure any harm.

No, nothing would happen.

I am the Emperor of the God Realm, with everything in the world at my fingertips, and I possess the Divine Miracle of Life... There is absolutely nothing I cannot resolve!

Taking a deep breath, Yun Che forced himself to remain as calm and clear-headed as possible. He slowly asked, "During that period, besides suddenly falling unconscious, were there any other unusual symptoms with her?"

Su Ling'er thought for a moment. "A few times, after she woke from her unconsciousness, she would say some very strange things."

"What did she say?" Yun Che pressed, his voice urgent.

"For instance, one time she said... on the day she watched you depart for the God Realm, she vaguely saw you turn into ashes amidst a burst of starlight and flames."

Yun Che's expression remained impassive, but his heart trembled with immense shock.

The ultimate end of his first journey to the God Realm had been his demise in the Star God Realm.

The starlight of the Star God Realm...

The final Nirvana flames...

An illusion?

A coincidence?

A prophecy...

"Little... Che..."

A soft voice called his name. Yun Che, momentarily lost in thought, snapped his gaze towards the bed and saw Xiao Lingxi slowly opening her eyes.

"Lingxi!"

Yun Che quickly moved forward, and as Xiao Lingxi tried to sit up, he gently settled her slender shoulders against his embrace.

"Sister Lingxi, are you alright? Do you feel unwell anywhere?" Su Ling'er asked, a mix of concern and unease in her voice.

Xiao Lingxi shook her head. "I'm fine, it's just... I suddenly had so many dreams."

"...Dreams?" Yun Che's expression subtly changed; he, too, had just emerged from a "dream."

"So many, so long... so many and so long that they're indescribable," Xiao Lingxi murmured, her voice laced with deep fatigue. "Yet, after waking up, I can't recall any of them."

"What exactly... happened to me?"

"It's just a dream; it's perfectly normal not to remember them, and there's no need to, or even to worry about it," Yun Che said with a gentle smile. "If you're still tired, just sleep a little longer."

"Little Che," Xiao Lingxi said, raising her slender hand to tightly grasp Yun Che's palm. "If one day you discover I've done something to hurt you, will you... will you forgive me?"

Her fingers trembled slightly, feeling cool to the touch.

"Why would you say that?" Yun Che gently squeezed her hand. "My Lingxi would never be capable of hurting me."

As he spoke those words, his vision momentarily blurred.

He had once spoken similar words to someone else.

Yet, that person had become the one who hurt him most deeply and whom he hated the most.

"I don't know," Xiao Lingxi said, her eyes veiled with a heartbreaking melancholy. "It seems... there's always been a voice telling me... that I once acted impulsively and did something very wrong... leading to a cruel... irreversible consequence..."

"How could that be?" Yun Che said with a smile, gently shaking her delicate wrist. "You're not taking your dreams seriously, are you? Just sleep a little more. Once you're fully awake, these strange thoughts will disappear."

"A dream..." Xiao Lingxi murmured. "It's clearly a dream, yet why do I always... involuntarily believe it?"

Yun Che said nothing more, simply holding her quietly, refraining from any further questions.

Yes, it was all just a dream.

There was nothing else, and there should never be anything else.

After Xiao Lingxi awoke from her unconsciousness and the initial haze faded, she completely returned to normal, showing no unusual symptoms whatsoever.

However, when she was alone, a perplexing sense of bewilderment would linger on her brow, as if she were desperately trying to recall what she had seen in her dreams.

The three World-Defying Heaven Manuals were now clearly and completely imprinted within Yun Che's mind.

Just like the previous two times, he seemed to have entered a peculiar state of enlightenment, yet he had no idea what he had comprehended.

The complete World-Defying Heaven Manual, the complete Ancestral God Art... these were the legacy of the Ancestral God, the primordial divine art that, according to ancient records, was the very origin of the profound way, an existence transcending even Creation Gods and Devil Emperors!

Even though Yun Che was already invincible, he couldn't help but feel an intense curiosity about them.

Yet, he could perceive no changes in his body or soul.

Perhaps, as before, the power of "nothingness"—a force that completely transcended common understanding—would naturally manifest at some future point.

At this moment, he found himself in a place he had never expected to intentionally visit.

Flowing Cloud City, the City Lord's Mansion.

"I-I-I am Situ Nan, g-g-greetings to True Master Yun!"

When Yun Che suddenly appeared above his residence, Situ Nan was stunned for three full breaths before startling awake as if from a dream.

He trembled with every word of the short sentence, barely managing to finish it, seemingly using every ounce of his strength and willpower.

Only after uttering the last word did he remember he had forgotten to bow, and he hastily dropped to his knees.

As his body trembled, a cascade of cold sweat splattered onto the ground.

Around him, many others knelt, heads bowed, silent and trembling with fear.

As the City Lord of Flowing Cloud City, Situ Nan naturally held power. Though he couldn't comprehend Yun Che's true realm of existence, he knew very well that the other party could crush him without even exhaling.

Despite being in Flowing Cloud City, he had never dared to dream of being worthy of meeting Yun Che. Now that Yun Che had appeared before him, he was unsure whether to feel honored or terrified.

"City Lord Situ," Yun Che said, looking down. "It has been quite a few years since we last met."

Situ Nan quickly responded, "That True Master Yun still remembers this humble one is a fortune accumulated over a hundred lifetimes. The glory of Flowing Cloud City and the peace of the world are all bestowed by True Master Yun. This humble one worships True Master Yun's divine presence day and night, never... never missing a single day."

"Where is your daughter, Situ Xuan?" Yun Che suddenly asked.

This sudden, blunt question stunned Situ Nan. After another three full breaths, he frantically turned and roared, "Quick! Go call Xuan'er! Quickly!"

Yun Che remained silent.

"Ah... yes, yes!" A servant from the City Lord's Mansion scrambled away.

Situ Nan lowered his head again, not daring to speak or question, his mind swirling with thoughts.

Who was Yun Che, to personally come here... to see his daughter!?

Could it be... No! Impossible!

Although it was rumored that Yun Che had a strong liking for women, the women around him were incredibly powerful and beautiful! Their backgrounds and appearances surpassed Situ Xuan's by countless magnitudes.

Though his daughter Situ Xuan possessed some charm, there was no way she could possibly catch his eye.

Had Situ Xuan offended him?

Even less likely!

Not only was it impossible for Situ Xuan to have the standing or ability to offend him, but even if she had, he would only need to utter a single word, and countless people would rush to tear her to pieces. Why would he personally descend?

Soon, the servant hurried back. Beside him, a maid was assisting a frail-figured woman from the inner chambers.

"This humble daughter, Situ Xuan, greets True Master Yun."

She wore a relatively luxurious outer garment. In her thirties or forties, her body was thin, and her life and profound energies were exceptionally weak. Because of this, she appeared much older than women her age.

Her voice was quite weak as she spoke. In Yun Che's estimation, even with the extensive resources of the City Lord's Mansion prolonging her life, she wouldn't live beyond a hundred years.

Yun Che's gaze lingered on her briefly.

Although she was visibly aged, her face still retained the contours of her younger self.

This was precisely the Situ Xuan who had appeared repeatedly in his dreams.