Chapter 1945: Nightmare Demigod

The star realms, space, heavenly laws, principles, living beings, and inanimate objects—everything in the world seemed to tremble and surge under Yun Che's terrifying aura. At this moment, no one would doubt that Yun Che was an ancient devil god who had just emerged from a bloodied hell.

Chi Wuyao and Qianye Ying'er had both sensed and witnessed Yun Che in the God Ash state from afar before. Now that God Ash had reappeared, they were immediately convinced that Yun Che was even more formidable than he had been back then! He was more terrifying, yet also more stable. After all, compared to back then, he not only possessed a more powerful body and strength but had also fully cultivated the World-Defying Heaven Manual. The elusive Void Laws had always influenced Yun Che in a way that was imperceptible.

“Wh…what’s happening?” Nan Zhaoguang stammered, his facial features and even his fingers twitching uncontrollably. “How…how can there be a demigod in this world…?”

The Abyss's understanding of the present world was that it was a godless realm, one where divine power could not originate. A godless world—this was the Abyss's most fundamental perception of this realm. Yet the power unleashed by the person before them was unequivocally the pervasive divine might of a Demigod! Even more incomprehensible was that, despite being the pressure of a Demigod, it originated from profound energy at the Divine Sovereign Realm!

“It can’t be real,” Nan Zhaoming muttered, still unable to believe it despite being so close. “This must just be… a deceptive, soul-bewitching aura. How could a mere Divine Sovereign possibly…?”

Before his low murmur finished, the space before them suddenly churned, and a storm tore through the air. Within their sight, Yun Che’s body, wreathed in strange devilish patterns, rapidly approached. At that moment, it felt as if the entire star realm, the storm of the entire cosmos, was pressing down on their heads.

“Retreat!”

Nan Zhaoguang roared, and his suddenly released aura violently pushed the four attendant knights away. Power surged from him, unfurling a tempestuous deep-blue domain that surged towards Yun Che. At the same time, he bellowed at Nan Zhaoming, “Give it your all!”

Though his soul was still filled with shock and apprehension, Nan Zhaoming quickly made his move, his immense dark power stirring layers of space. But as his power slammed towards Yun Che, his body suddenly stiffened. As Yun Che’s power enveloped him, a bizarre chill suddenly crept into his soul—an inexplicable, yet deep-seated fear stemming from its very depths, rapidly sprouted and spread quickly, causing his body and power to shrink back violently. He instinctively recoiled, and his dark power, which was supposedly fully unleashed, amounted to less than forty percent of its original strength when released.

“You?!” Nan Zhaoguang instantly noticed Nan Zhaoming's unusual state, but before he could utter a second word, Yun Che's figure, wreathed in darkness and crimson light, had already filled their eyes, extinguishing all light within them.

BOOM—

Nan Zhaoguang’s upper body bent grotesquely. His immense power was instantly shattered into countless fragments, and even his consciousness largely dispersed. Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose, and dozens of bloody gashes erupted on both his arms. Nan Zhaoming, however, fared far worse. With a terrified shriek, his left arm shattered mid-air, and he plummeted, raining blood.

“Zhaoming!”

Nan Zhaoguang's eyes were splitting with rage and shock, and any hope they harbored was utterly annihilated by Yun Che's single sword strike. Nothing was an illusion. What was inflicted upon them was genuine Demigod power that absolutely should not exist in this world. In fact, it was almost on par with Mo Beichen, the Abyssal Knight who had led them here! How could this humble, godless world produce power on the level of an Abyssal Knight!?

There was no time to investigate Nan Zhaoming's anomaly at the critical moment. Terror pierced his reason, informing Nan Zhaoguang that under such Demigod power, which likely rivaled Mo Beichen's, he and Nan Zhaoming, even if they used all their might, stood no chance of resisting. As for the four attendant knights, they would only be cannon fodder.

“Quickly, retreat!!”

This was almost the most desperate roar of his life. He instinctively felt that Yun Che's power couldn't last much longer, and a full retreat was their best option. But with the God Ash state forcibly activated by destroying divine origins, incurring such a tremendous cost, how could Yun Che allow them to escape?

In a world dyed crimson, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword struck out a second time, smashing heavily towards the terrified Nan Zhaoguang.

BOOM!!

A deafening roar, like ten thousand thunders shaking the world, erupted. This time, without Nan Zhaoming's power, Nan Zhaoguang, facing the Demigod power alone, felt his chest violently cave in. More than a dozen streams of blood shot from between his clenched teeth.

“You… you…!” Desperately resisting Yun Che’s power, Nan Zhaoguang struggled to speak, but every word he uttered was accompanied by surging foamy blood. His gaze pierced through layers of blood mist to behold the darkest eyes he had ever seen in his life. He received no response, only a dark sword shadow that tore through his already crumbling protective energy and slammed directly into his chest.

BUZZ—

Nan Zhaoguang's world lost sound and color. His chest caved in violently, his sternum and internal organs rupturing simultaneously. His body flew out violently like a ruptured blood bag, accompanied by blood and fragments of organs spraying everywhere.

Three sword strikes. These two Abyssal Knights, who had pushed Mu Xuanyin and the Qianye faction to the brink of despair, now had one utterly demoralized and the other gravely wounded. A storm raged around Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu, yet they remained motionless for a long time, as if petrified. Their entire lives, they had pursued power beyond known limits, even defying the Heavenly Dao for it, enduring the torment of ages to extend their lives until today. Now, they had personally witnessed a divine miracle that they, and all their ancestors, had spent their entire lives unable to even touch.

“Long Bai’s defeat… was more than justified,” Qianye Wugu murmured.

“In this life, there are truly no regrets,” Qianye Bingzhu slowly said.

With a sharp wail, a Southern Sea Divine Origin on Yun Che’s back forever extinguished. Back then, four Star God divine powers had sustained Yun Che for less than three breaths of time. Now, four breaths had passed, yet only a single Southern Sea Divine Origin had collapsed.

In the distance, the four attendant knights were terrified out of their wits. The residual power alone was almost enough to crush their bodies. The attendant knights' will urged them to advance and fight together, but under such an insurmountable disparity in power levels, even if they exerted their full strength, they could not approach by half a step.

Nan Zhaoguang, who was spewing blood as he flew, was firmly grasped by an arm. Nan Zhaoming, with his left arm severed, used his right arm to pull up the gravely injured Nan Zhaoguang and tried desperately to escape. The dark profound light surging from his body was still deeply fearful, trembling incessantly, as if it could lose control at any moment.

“Quickly… transmit… to the Knights… ugh!”

Nan Zhaoguang struggled to speak, but before he could finish, his throat felt as if it was being tightly constricted by an invisible hand, rendering him unable to utter another sound. In the depths of their soul seas, two points of dark demonic light suddenly appeared, like the abyssal devil eyes of an ancient devil god suddenly opening.

Both men looked up in alarm… Behind Yun Che, a ten-thousand-foot wolf shadow slowly stepped forward, its mouth like a pool of blood, its eyes like abyssal demons. Its horrifying devilish might and malevolent aura seemed to release the sinister malevolence and resentment of a thousand layers of hell.

“Dark… Heaven Wolf,” Cai Zhi murmured, raising her gaze.

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword slowly rose into the sky, and across the firmament, countless dark sword shadows appeared. The God Ash state was destined to last only a short time. Unleashing the incredibly powerful Sixth Sword of the Heaven Wolf in this state would undoubtedly result in a tremendous backlash. But having harmed Mu Xuanyin, he would not allow them to escape with their lives, not even a single bone or hair!

“Die.”

His low murmur was deep and chilling. As the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword swung down, the dark devil wolf let out a roar from the ancient abyss and lunged at the six people, whose pupils had already split from terror. Endless dark sword shadows descended, creating a purgatory of infinite despair.

***

Western Divine Region, Qilin Realm.

“I have granted you benevolence, and I have granted you trust.” Mo Beichen looked down from above, his gaze slanted. “Remember, you have a maximum of five years.”

“If, within five years, this so-called Divine Realm has not become as docile as I wish, then the patience I show now will be matched by my wrath then.”

Though no chill radiated from his eyes, all the Qilins felt a sudden chill, as if plunged into an icy hell. “You truly wouldn’t want to see my wrath.”

Qi Tianli took a deep breath and solemnly vowed, “Venerable One, rest assured. Yun Che has only ruled the Divine Realm for a short time; it is not yet a stable era. The myriad realms and spirits fear Yun Che far more than they are loyal to him. This old man guarantees with the future of my entire clan that not five years, but three… within three years, Venerable One will surely see the most satisfactory results.”

After the destruction of the Three Yama Ancestors, Long Bai, and the Nine Dragon Gods, Qi Tianli was the most senior figure of the current era. He was far more familiar and clearer about the current state of affairs in the Divine Realm than anyone else.

“Very well.” Mo Beichen spoke indifferently. These two simple words were the highest praise he could bestow upon someone from this lowly world. And these two words allowed the perpetually tense Qilin Emperor to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

His lips twitched. After a brief struggle, he raised a hand and said, “For my Qilin lineage, peaceful existence is our foremost desire. Having received the Venerable One’s promise, my entire Qilin clan will surely serve the Venerable One, and the Supreme Abyssal Emperor, with utmost devotion. It’s just… this old man dares to ask the Venerable One for one more favor.”

“Speak.” Mo Beichen replied indifferently. The weak had no right to make demands. Qi Tianli’s words were uttered with extremely faint hope.

Mo Beichen’s direct response immediately stirred deep excitement within him. He bowed his head deeply and said with trepidation, “My Western Region Azure Dragon clan shares a similar will with my Qilin clan, and thus we have been allies for generations. The current Azure Dragon Emperor and this old man share a profound friendship; I have always regarded her as my own daughter.”

“With just a word from this old man, the Azure Dragon Emperor and the Azure Dragon clan will surely comply with the Venerable One and with the Abyss, without any second thoughts.”

“It’s just… back then, to seek peace under Yun Che’s rule, the Azure Dragon Emperor had no choice but to become Yun Che’s imperial concubine. However, this old man guarantees with his life that this was merely a measure of last resort. The relationship between the Azure Dragon Emperor and Yun Che was only in name; there was never any actual intimacy between them! This matter is an open secret throughout the Divine Realm.”

“Therefore, I implore the Venerable One…”

“You want me to spare this imperial concubine clan?” Mo Beichen said coldly.

“Yes!” Qi Tianli said, every word earnest. “I beg the Venerable One…”

“Hmph!” A cold snort interrupted Qi Tianli’s words. Mo Beichen said chillingly, “Those loyal shall remain; those rebellious shall be destroyed. All in this world are ants. What difference is an imperial concubine from a mere chicken or dog?!”

These incredibly harsh words, however, filled Qi Tianli with overwhelming joy. He bowed deeply again, “Qi Tianli… thanks the Venerable One for this immense grace.” His initial extreme dread of Mo Beichen had now undergone a subtle shift. Mo Beichen disdained everything in this world, yet he did not show deep contempt. Rather, it was more a kind of tolerance and benevolence that transcended the disparity in their levels. Abyssal Knights were supposed to uphold a noble soul throughout their lives. Qi Tianli now deeply felt that Mo Beichen’s previous words might not have been false.

The Abyss… The Abyssal Emperor… Perhaps the future was not so terrifying after all.

“Now,” Mo Beichen began, “first, take me to…”

His voice suddenly cut off. He abruptly turned, his eyes, previously still as a cold pond, suddenly darted eastward. The sudden release of pressure made all the Qilins feel as if a colossal weight had descended upon them, instantly suffocating them.

“Ven… Venerable One?” Qi Tianli looked up in surprise and doubt.

“…” Mo Beichen did not speak. His expression grew increasingly grim. “This aura…” His divine sense burst forth at that moment, spreading towards the distant star realms. This divine sense was terrifyingly powerful, vast as an ocean spanning the world, radiating to an immeasurable distance.

Suddenly, his pupils sharply contracted.

“Dem… demigod!?” The two words slipped from his lips, each one chilling to the soul.

BOOM!!

His figure shot up, streaking directly eastward. The terrifying blast of air sent the Qilins flying far away. But in the next instant, Mo Beichen's figure flickered and reappeared before Qi Tianli, and a cold hand grasped his shoulder.

“Tell me the fastest way to the East.”

Qi Tianli, still shaken, immediately replied, pointing to the side, “There’s a large formation in the city that leads directly to the center of the Eastern Divine Region.”

“Go quickly!”

The chilling voice resonated. Qi Tianli was already grasped by Mo Beichen, and they surged towards the direction he had just pointed, at a speed completely beyond his comprehension.

This great teleportation formation was constructed by Shui Meiyin using the power of the Universe Needle, connecting the distant Eastern Divine Region with the Western Divine Region. The Western Divine Region now centered around the Qilin Realm, so the Western Region's formation location naturally fell within the Qilin Realm. However, at this moment, it became a nightmare formation.