Chapter 1896: Unwilling to Enter the World (Part 1)

“She never married?” Yun Che asked. Given Situ Xuan’s age, he had assumed she would have been married by now. He hadn't expected her to still be at the City Lord's manor.

“Reporting... Reporting to Revered Yun,” Situ Nan said. “Xuan’er was born with a congenital injury, leaving a hidden ailment from birth. She was stable before the age of eighteen, but when she was about to marry City Lord Yuwen's son at eighteen, the illness suddenly flared up. Since then, she has been recuperating in the manor, never daring to neglect her treatment, until this very day.”

As Situ Nan spoke, Yun Che's divine sense had already swept over Situ Xuan more than a dozen times. A woman whose mother's womb was damaged, whose vital energy was severely depleted, and who wouldn't live long—other than that, there was nothing unusual.

He felt a mix of disappointment and profound relief.

Yun Che cast one last glance at Situ Xuan. “Hmph, so that's it.” With those words, his figure vanished into thin air.

Everyone in the City Lord's manor was left bewildered. Another full half-hour passed before Situ Nan finally trembled as he stood up from the ground. He stared at the spot where Yun Che had stood, momentarily unsure whether he was dreaming or truly awake.

“It's finally done!” As soon as Yun Che returned to the Xiao Sect, he heard an excited shout. Following that, a beam of white light shot skyward, tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible crimson. Within the light stood Shui Meiyin, graceful and poised.

Beneath her, a two-zhang-wide dimensional profound formation was quietly operating. Anyone seeing this rather small spatial profound formation would never have imagined or believed that its other end connected to the incredibly distant Southern Divine Region.

“Big Brother Yun Che, do you want to give it a try?” Sensing Yun Che's presence, Shui Meiyin swiftly moved to his side.

“It has indeed been a while since I've been back,” Yun Che replied, clearly tempted. With this dimensional profound formation, he could now travel between the Azure Cloud Continent and Emperor Yun City at any time, an unparalleled convenience. If he didn't return soon, his empresses would surely nag him to death.

“Is it finished? Is it finished?!” The strange spatial aura and divine light instantly drew Yun Wuxin as well. She stood on her father's other side, gazing at the radiating profound formation, her cheeks flushed with irrepressible excitement.

“Look!” Shui Meiyin told Yun Wuxin. “Just step into this dimensional array, and in seven breaths, you'll arrive at your daddy's Imperial City. That's currently the highest, most sacred, and supreme place in the God Realm.” She added, “But for our little Princess Wuxin, it will feel just like another home.”

“I want to see it!” Yun Wuxin tugged hard on her father's arm.

“Aren't you going to wait for your mother and the others?” Yun Che asked.

“I want to go now!” Yun Wuxin was already impatient. “Besides, my mother might not have forgiven you yet.”

“Uh...”

Under Yun Wuxin's persistent tugging, Yun Che was reluctantly pulled into the newly constructed profound formation, without even having time to inform Xiao Lingxi and the others.

Emperor Yun City, an airborne city spanning only three hundred li, was nevertheless the peerless Imperial City that no one in the God Realm dared not know about. Directly beneath it lay a vast and boundless star realm. Everyone knew its former name—the Southern Sea Divine Realm.

This former overlord of the Southern Divine Region, which had reigned for nearly a million years, now lay subservient beneath Emperor Yun City. The once nearly destroyed Southern Sea Royal City no longer showed ruins. Countless figures and profound boats moved about, and countless powers surged, gradually rebuilding this former premier royal realm of the Southern Region into another massive star realm.

Naturally, most of the resources used were those accumulated by the former Southern Sea Divine Realm. Moreover, this project was personally supervised by the two great Southern Region Royal Realms, Xuanyuan and Ziwei. The two Divine Emperors were eager to handle everything themselves, fearing any mishaps or oversights.

The dimensional profound formation's core was located in Emperor Yun City, directly behind the Cloud Emperor's Palace. Upon entering the God Realm, specifically Emperor Yun City, which was at the highest plane of the God Realm, the elements and spiritual energy, many times denser than on the Azure Cloud Continent, instantly caused Yun Wuxin to feel dizzy and suffocated. However, with Yun Che by her side, he effortlessly alleviated her discomfort.

“This Emperor Yun City isn't essentially a city, but rather a profound ark from ancient times, named 'Universe Dragon City',” Yun Che explained. “Its creation has a deep connection with the Universe Spike in Aunt Meiyin's hand. It originally belonged to the Dragon God Realm, and I took it after defeating Long Bai.”

Holding his daughter's small hand, Yun Che led her through every palace and corner of Emperor Yun City, recounting tales of the past and secrets of the God Realm. In the process, he also allowed her to gradually comprehend and adapt to the laws and aura of the God Realm.

“Look, this is Qiying Palace, your Aunt Qianying's private chambers here,” Yun Che said. “This is Caiyin Palace, belonging to your Aunt Meiyin... And this is Ice Phoenix Palace... This is Cai Xing Palace...”

“Then what about my mother, my master... and mine!” Yun Wuxin interjected.

“How could there not be?” Yun Che said with a smile. With a flicker of his figure, he brought Yun Wuxin to a palace adorned with various ice crystal corals, shimmering like a dream. “This is your mother's Mengchan Palace. These Ice Yicorals were all collected by me from the Netherfrost Heavenly Lake in the Snow Song Realm. Unless tempered by divine fire, they won't melt for ten thousand years. I hope she'll like them when she sees them.”

Yun Wuxin looked up with her clear eyes. In the dream-like icy radiance, she seemed to see her father meticulously, with his own hands, decorating the palace with one ice crystal coral after another, then clumsily piecing together the characters 'Mengchan'. A pure and flawless faint smile bloomed unconsciously on her lips. “Mother will definitely love it. Maybe... she'll forgive you because of this.”

“However!” Yun Wuxin's tone instantly shifted. “Even if Mother forgives you, that doesn't mean you can secretly bully Auntie anymore!”

Yun Che: “Cough, cough, cough, cough!”

“Hmph!” Yun Wuxin whispered, “Can't you just be more open about it? Do you really think my mother doesn't know...”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“Nothing!”

“Look over there.” Yun Che pointed to the phoenix shadow that dyed the sky above red. “That's your master's Fengxue Palace. And the palace between Mengchan Palace and Fengxue Palace, that's yours.”

Yun Wuxin turned her gaze, softly murmuring, “Eternal... Heart... Palace.” These three simple words radiated a powerful light that filled her heart with boundless warmth. She knew her father had personally engraved them with his own fingers and power.

“Why is it called that?” Yun Wuxin asked, looking at her father with expectant eyes.

Yun Che smiled faintly. He took his daughter's hand, gently pressed it to his chest, and slowly said, looking into her starry eyes, “Wuxin, I have never been a competent father. I lost you for so many years, made you worry for so many years, broke my promises to you again and again, and because of me, you forever lost your most important talent.”

“Many things, even now that I have become the most powerful person in this world, can never be recovered or compensated for. But, Wuxin... my daughter, I want you to remember that no matter what happens in the future, no matter how time and space change, no matter what I become—whether glorious at the peak or humbled to dust—you will always remain in the most important place in my heart.”

“This alone will never change.”

Yun Wuxin's gaze briefly froze. She looked tenderly into her father's eyes. One breath... two breaths... Her beautiful eyes trembled, then she burst into laughter.

“Uh...” Yun Che reached out and tapped his nose. “Was my emotional speech not good? I practiced it many times in my head.”

“It wasn't bad, it was just too corny!” Yun Wuxin covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes sparkling. “My father is the greatest emperor in the world. He should say something really... really... really impressive, very sophisticated, the kind of words ordinary people couldn't even think of!”

“Ne... next time for sure,” Yun Che said, his voice weakening, utterly lacking confidence.

“No need for a next time.” Yun Che felt himself soften as Yun Wuxin leaned against his shoulder, her starry eyes closed, her voice soft and warm. “It's already enough. Your words, Father, are enough for a lifetime.”

“Oh dear! It seems I've arrived at quite an inopportune moment, interrupting your tender father-daughter affection.”

Chi Wuyao slowly approached, with Jie Xin and Jie Ling following behind her. Upon seeing Yun Che, the natural, overflowing cold majesty in Jie Xin and Jie Ling's eyes instantly vanished. Then, they simultaneously lowered their heads, not daring to meet Yun Che's gaze.

Since the night Yun Che was crowned Emperor and the nine Devil Maidens served him, this was their first time seeing Yun Che again. As the twin Devil Maidens whose names now caused alarm across the four divine regions, even they felt shy and flustered at such a moment.

“Aunt Wuyao,” Yun Wuxin respectfully bowed. She still held great reverence for Chi Wuyao; after all, she was her father's primary empress and the person he relied on most.

Chi Wuyao smiled and nodded at Yun Wuxin, then turned her gaze to Yun Che. “My Emperor, if you don't return soon, I fear Emperor Yun City will forget its master's name.”

Yun Che said with a straight face, “With you here, my presence is superfluous. I might even get in the way.”

Chi Wuyao gave him a faint side glance, then said to Yun Wuxin, “Wuxin, do you see? When you choose a husband later, be sure to stay far away from irresponsible men who act self-righteously like him.”

Yun Wuxin suppressed a giggle... Though her experience was still shallow, she could clearly sense that while Chi Wuyao seemed to be complaining and criticizing her father, the emotion embedded in every word was so profound that it touched the souls of even outsiders. Her father was indeed the most enviable man in the world.

“Coincidentally, Cang Shitian is about to arrive to report on the recent rebellions in various regions and matters concerning the Order Maintenance Bureau. He'll be here shortly. Since Your Emperor is here, I won't need to overstep my bounds.”

Yun Che instinctively raised his hand to say “No need,” but immediately, his hand dropped back down. He nodded. “Yes, let Cang Shitian come see me.” His title of “Cloud Emperor” had been in place for almost half a year; it was about time he did something proper!

The sleeping quarters area of Emperor Yun City was off-limits to all outsiders. As they approached the main hall, a powerful, weighty, and bone-chillingly oppressive aura silently descended.

To be stationed in Emperor Yun City as a guardian under the Cloud Emperor, one had to be at least a Divine Sovereign. Furthermore, every ten thousand steps, a Divine Master stood guard. The sheer, natural suppressive aura emanating from these powerful individuals alone was enough to deter most beings in the God Realm from approaching Emperor Yun City by even half a step.

Yun Wuxin, with only Divine Origin Realm cultivation, felt as if countless mountains were pressing down on her when this oppressive aura enveloped them. Her steps halted, her teeth clenched, and her entire body trembled uncontrollably. The bone-deep chill and fear almost crushed her body and extinguished her will. Her knees, trembling, instinctively wanted to buckle and surrender, completely beyond her control.

Yun Che extended his hand, and profound energy surged from his fingertips. Instead of directly dispelling the immense pressure for Yun Wuxin, he used his profound energy to guide his thoughts into her soul, “fighting” alongside her. This was his Emperor Yun City, and it also belonged to his daughter. She had to adapt to and overcome it with her own body and will.

Yun Wuxin's teeth clenched tighter and tighter, and her delicate face continuously showed signs of pain. Yet, her soul remained uncrushed, and her slender body stood straight, never bending her knees from beginning to end.

Unbeknownst to her, Yun Che had already withdrawn his hand, silently watching her endure it alone. Half an hour... for Yun Wuxin, perhaps every breath felt incredibly long.

The trembling of her body completely ceased. She opened her eyes, and the resolve within them had surpassed her fear. “Father, it's alright now.”

“Truly our little princess,” Chi Wuyao smiled genuinely. To achieve such a feat in just half an hour was quite remarkable. Given this, in at most another six months, Yun Wuxin would be almost completely unaffected by the spiritual pressure here. This would be immensely beneficial when she faced powerful enemies in the future. For those on the divine path, starting from a lower realm versus starting from Emperor Yun City was a concept of heaven and earth difference.