Chapter 1899: Journey (Part One)

"Why oppose the Order Keepers? Emperor Yun is a hero who saved the world, and the Order Keepers are directly under his command, capable of maintaining order and peace in our realm!"

"You are all deluded, brainwashed people! Emperor Yun is clearly the most evil fiend, and always has been! He killed so many; entire star realms were drenched in blood, countless clans annihilated because of him. The so-called Order Keepers are just a means to control us! Yet you still defend him!"

"Those calamities were Emperor Yun's revenge after being betrayed! Can't you see how ugly the truth behind those fallen king realms was? And it's an undeniable fact that Emperor Yun once saved the world!"

"So, for revenge, he can bring disaster upon the innocent? Just because he once saved the world, he can now arbitrarily unleash calamities and devastate lives?"

"Which of those star realms that initially strongly opposed the Order Keepers didn't end up revering them after their arrival? You're the stubborn, unyielding one! Do you dare say what you just said to an Order Keeper's face?!"

"I... I may not dare, but no matter how powerful Emperor Yun is, he won't twist my beliefs! As the saying goes, the Wheel of Heaven turns; one day, a hero will surely slay Emperor Yun, this fiend lord, and free the Three Divine Regions from darkness and defilement! When that day comes, you followers will all be sinners!"

This heated debate between two disciples from the same sect was taking place in a middle-tier star realm on the fringes of the Southern Region.

Yun Wuxin had witnessed similar scenes many times during her journey. Regarding her father, there were admirers, reverent followers, and those who praised him, but also many who harbored hostility and hatred.

This time, Yun Wuxin was instantly enraged. She gritted her teeth slightly and angrily declared, "This villain, daring to curse my father! Despicable!"

Yun Che, however, merely smiled and asked, "Wuxin, based on what you've seen and learned recently, do you think your father is a good person or an evil one for this world?"

Yun Wuxin replied without hesitation, "Father is naturally a good person! Without him, this world would have long turned into a living hell. Those who call him a devil are just hypocrites who judge others by strict standards while exempting themselves! If they had endured everything Father has, they'd realize how benevolent and merciful he truly is, hmph!"

She glared at the person below who had cursed her father to be slain by a "hero," her anger undiminished. "Someone like that, I… I… I just want to shove his head into the dirt and scrub it clean, preferably for ten days and ten nights!"

"Hahahaha!" Yun Wuxin's attempt to sound fierce, yet utterly failing, made him burst into hearty laughter.

"Aren't you angry at all?" Yun Wuxin asked, her cheeks slightly puffed out as she looked at her father.

"Angry? At him?" Yun Che shook his head and chuckled. "If I were to appear before him right now, his so-called bravado and conviction would instantly crumble. He'd probably be scared to the point of his internal organs rupturing. If I wanted him dead, I wouldn't even need to lift a finger, or utter a single word. Even if he were the sect master's son, his sect would not hesitate to kill him and go to great lengths to apologize to me."

"If such a person could provoke even a hint of emotion in me, then I, as Emperor Yun, would be truly pathetic."

Listening to her father's words, Yun Wuxin's anger gradually subsided, and she became thoughtful.

"Speech is free, but judgment requires qualification," Yun Che said with a smile. "In this world, there is actually no absolute good or evil. Such concepts are mostly defined."

"And in this current era, only one person can truly define my good, bad, kind, or evil."

Yun Wuxin was captivated by her father's words and listened attentively, filled with curiosity.

"That is myself."

Yun Che spoke calmly and frankly, a smile playing on his lips.

"So, if Father says he's a good person, he is a good person? And if he says he's an evil person, he is an evil person?" Yun Wuxin asked, half-understanding.

"Precisely!" Yun Che nodded gently.

"Because..." Yun Wuxin thought for a moment, seemingly grasping it. "Father is the supreme authority, the ultimate victor who defeated all?"

"Yes," Yun Che nodded again. "Back when the Dragon God Realm was supreme, the Dragon Emperor's decree was a divine oracle from heaven, and the Dragon God Realm's will was the very course of destiny. All profound practitioners in the God Realm revered, yearned for, worshipped, and praised them."

"But now, the Dragon God Realm has become the Sinful Dragon Realm. Under your Aunt Wufou's direction, the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Gods, once supremely sacred, are reviled and scorned. Even the remaining crippled lineage of Dragon Gods is now only met with cold indifference and pity from the world."

Yun Che raised his right hand. It had been some time since this hand had been stained with blood; it was clean, fair, and spotless.

"In this world, no one but myself is qualified to define my good or evil. But I, however, can arbitrarily define anyone in the current era."

"The strong are revered, while the weak have no right to decide their own fate. This isn't some profound principle of world governance; it's simply the most fundamental law of survival in any world, on any plane."

Her father's words resonated deeply within her. Looking at the person below who had dared to speak ill of her father, she no longer felt any anger.

"Father, do you want me to work harder and become someone whose good or evil isn't defined by others, someone who controls their own destiny?" Yun Wuxin asked.

"No," Yun Che shook his head again. He raised his hand and gently placed it on Yun Wuxin's shoulder. "You don't need to, because you are my daughter."

"If you strive to become a powerful person, I will be pleased and provide any help you desire. But if you don't wish to, even if you choose to live an ordinary life, I will still smile and watch you live that ordinary life."

Yun Wuxin was speechless.

"I've endured enough pain, loss, flight, helplessness, and being manipulated... I struggled so hard to reach this point, taking on an imperial title I don't even like, all because I wished for those I deeply love to be free to choose and peacefully enjoy the life they desire. As long as they don't want to, aren't willing to, or don't like something, no one can force them."

Yun Wuxin's lips parted slightly. After a long moment, tears welled in her eyes, and she softly said, "Father, if you keep being like this, I'll be spoiled rotten someday."

"Hahahaha, if you truly want to learn how to be 'bad,' you might want to ask your Aunt Qianying for advice," Yun Che said, laughing heartily in jest.

This was another middle-tier star realm, where the excessively dense lightning elements in the air indicated that most of its profound practitioners cultivated lightning-attribute profound arts.

Beneath several unstable thunderclouds, a few unsettling dark energies stirred.

"Friends from the Northern Region, don't go too far! This mine, though small, has belonged to my Purple Profound Sect for three hundred years! All sects and profound practitioners in this vast Thunder Region can bear witness!"

The purple-robed elder's face was contorted with fury, yet his words were heavily restrained. Behind him stood over a hundred fellow profound practitioners, similarly clad in purple.

In front of them were thirteen figures cloaked in black, each exuding astonishing dark mist.

Although the group identifying themselves as the "Purple Profound Sect" held a significant numerical advantage, all thirteen dark profound practitioners possessed Divine King cultivation—a force they simply could not contend with.

"Considering you are friends from the distant Northern Region, and to adhere to Emperor Yun's will to be close to Northern Region profound practitioners, we made an exception and allowed you in. Yet, you are greedy and aim to usurp our territory! Aren't you afraid..."

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" The leading dark profound practitioner sneered, cutting off the purple-robed elder's angry words. He raised his arm, admiring the dark misty light rising freely from his palm. "Have you forgotten? Emperor Yun was once our great Devil Master of the Northern Region's devil race! His protection over us will be as eternal as darkness itself."

"And you? You are nothing more than losers beneath the feet of us dark profound practitioners!"

"We were bullied by you for millions of years, and now that you've become the defeated, you dream of peaceful coexistence? Where in this world is there such a cheap deal?!"

"If you don't want to give up this mine, that's fine too," the dark profound practitioner on the right said arrogantly. "After we thirteen brothers establish our sect here, your Purple Profound Sect will deliver three thousand tons of purple crystal ore annually."

"This is your last retreat. If you don't want your Purple Profound Sect erased from existence, don't be ungrateful!"

"You!" The purple-robed elder grew even angrier, his facial muscles trembling and contorting as if to tear apart. Yet, the insurmountable gap in strength prevented him from daring to truly confront them.

Emperor Yun was the Devil Master. He rose in the Northern Divine Region and led the Northern Divine Region to conquer the three other regions—these were undeniable facts.

That he would shield and favor the Northern Region and dark profound practitioners seemed perfectly normal and reasonable to everyone.

Taking a deep breath, the purple-robed elder forcefully suppressed his surging rage. "Don't forget, the various sects and factions in this Great Barren Thunder Region are united. If you dare to oppress us, our allied sects will certainly not stand by idly!"

"Oh really? Then you are welcome to try," the dark profound practitioners scoffed in unison as if they had heard a joke. "Do you think everyone in this Great Barren Thunder Region is as foolish and ignorant of their place as your Purple Profound Sect?!"

"You..."

Before the purple-robed elder could say anything more, a middle-aged man behind him sighed and painfully remarked, "Uncle-master, it's over. Let's just accept our fate. This mine, if we abandon it, then so be it. Preserving the sect is what truly matters."

"Emperor Yun, after all, brought the devil race to power and is himself a devil. He can only protect devils, alas."

"Master," a young man whispered, "The sect has already reported everything to the newly established Order Keeper Department. The Order Keepers might intervene."

"It's useless," the middle-aged man shook his head. "The head of the Order Keepers here is also a dark profound practitioner from the Northern Region... If they didn't have this backing, how would these devils dare to be so brazen?"

No sooner had he spoken than a thunderous roar suddenly descended from the distant sky:

"Who dares to run rampant in defiance of order within the jurisdiction of my Order Keeper Department!"

The booming shout carried the might of a Divine Sovereign, making everyone's hearts pound violently and their eardrums nearly burst.

Everyone looked up. As a storm swept through, a dozen figures rapidly approached. The leader, clad in black, had a chiseled face and fierce eyes, and the dark light emanating from him directly signified his identity as a dark profound practitioner.

This was Sikong Hanzhao, the Chief Commander of the Order Keeper Department overseeing this star realm, a dark Divine Sovereign from a high-tier star realm in the Northern Divine Region.