Chapter 1962: Colorful Clouds and Glazed Glass

A faint crimson light flickered, and Shui Meiyin, Mu Xuanyin, Qianye Ying'er, Jie Xin, Jie Ling, Yan Wu, Fen Daoqi, and others were all instantly teleported to Yun Che's side.

An Ice Barrier instantly solidified, isolating everyone nearby, including the bewildered Azure Dragon that had rushed over.

“Step back, all of you! Any who approach without permission will be killed without mercy!”

Yan Wu, holding the Yama Devil Spear, stood guard outside the barrier with the other Yama Devils and Moon Eaters, radiating intense killing intent. They had to guard against those who had previously betrayed the Devil Master taking advantage of the situation.

However, their fears did not materialize. The ferocity of the battle stood in stark contrast to the weakness of those who had knelt. Their minds were utterly consumed, with no room for other thoughts, only endless turmoil.

At the center of the battlefield, the golden flames and demigod aura were gradually dissipating. There was no trace of Cang Shitian, nor of Huo Poyun.

At the heart of the devastated area, a dark green, mutilated body twitched and writhed.

He didn't know if the rock spear he released had killed Yun Che. The poison's ravaging effect, a result of forcibly unleashing power in that state, had plunged him into an abyss of toxicity the instant after. His life, soul, and power were being devoured frantically. The venomous snakes within him had transformed into fiends a thousand times more terrifying, dragging him swiftly towards the most despairing nightmare amidst immense agony.

When Chi Wuyao arrived above Mo Beichen, his eyes were already hollow and dark green, and even his hair resembled a tangled mass of withered, ghostly green aquatic plants. His body was so twisted that it no longer resembled a human form, and not a trace remained of the power and aura that had previously pushed the entire God Realm to the brink of despair. His mutilated body occasionally twitched and writhed like a dying insect, yet he couldn't even let out a shriek.

Back then, the completely unleashed Heaven Poison had driven the vast Brahma Monarch God Realm to the brink of despair. Yet, even so, Chi Wuyao had never imagined that the Heaven Poison Pearl's venom could be so terrifying. It was terrifying to a degree that vastly contradicted her prior understanding. In the past, after a long struggle under the Heaven Poison, the Brahma Kings were dragged by Qianye Fantian to kneel before Yun Che, begging him to spare the Brahma Monarch in exchange for their own lives. And Mo Beichen's demigod body and power were terrifying beyond measure... yet within mere seconds, he had been ravaged by the poison into such a wretched state.

Chi Wuyao's senses were exceptionally keen, making this immense discrepancy even more striking. However, at this moment, she had no time to consider anything else; her wounded devil soul struggled to coalesce.

Behind her, Caizhi had also arrived with a whistle, the Heaven Wolf Devil Sword descending with immense hatred.

“Don't kill him,” Chi Wuyao murmured.

The Heaven Wolf Devil Sword halted abruptly in mid-air, but the sweeping storm it generated could not be fully contained, carrying Mo Beichen's mutilated body far, far away.

“Gurgle…”

A strained gurgle escaped Mo Beichen's throat. As if in a final flicker of life, a faint, weak light reappeared in his hollow, ghostly green eyes. His fingers, exposing putrefied green bones, struggled to twitch, scraping up scattered dust.

“Pure… Land…”

Another sound escaped his throat; this time, it was remarkably clear.

“The eternal… Pure Land…”

Perceiving Mo Beichen's dying soul aura, Chi Wuyao's heart felt a flicker of complexity.

“Zhen'er… Long'er…” His mangled fingers strained forward, trying to touch more of the dust: “I can finally… come to be with you…”

“Bringing… the eternal… Pure… Land…”

His voice faded, and his soul dissipated like mist. Beside his ghostly green eye socket, a single tear slowly fell. It was crystal clear, untainted by poison.

Chi Wuyao's Samsara Devil Soul now fully unleashed, gathered Mo Beichen's dissipating divine soul. She needed to learn more about the Abyss, even if forcibly unleashing her devil soul at this moment had a high probability of causing irreversible severe damage.

An unknown space.An unknown time.

“Heh heh, Brother Luohou, it's truly not easy to have you visit in person.” A hearty yet gentle laugh reached their ears, naturally conjuring the image of an elegant and amiable man. He wore a plain white robe, his long hair simply tied back. His face was fair and refined, and his eyes resembled serene, ripple-less lakes, or perhaps a tranquil starry sky, calming the soul and soothing the mind upon gaze. He possessed the elegance of a middle-aged man combined with the warmth of youth, making it impossible to ascertain his age at a glance. Yet anyone who saw him would assume him to be a frail noble young master, averse to profound arts, untouched by hardship, and raised under careful protection. Furthermore, no one would believe that he bore a name that commanded reverence across all heavens:

Huan Fuchen.

“Hahahahaha!” This boisterous laugh was wild and unrestrained, like raging flames, as if there was nothing under heaven that he feared or held in awe. The laughing man was exceptionally tall, with a broad and robust physique. His exposed muscles faintly shimmered with a cold gleam, like finely tempered steel. His angry hair stood like swords, his grizzled beard like halberds, and his eyes commanded authority without even needing to frown, resembling a lion that would erupt into a monstrous rage if merely touched.

“Who in this world doesn't know that my in-law prefers tranquility? If it weren't for a matter of immense importance, how would I dare intrude upon your home?” His voice, devoid of divine aura, nonetheless caused the entire hall to faintly tremble. The guards outside the hall felt their blood surge. They quickly concentrated their minds and souls to slowly suppress this terrifying tremor.

“I presume, Brother Luohou, that your personal visit this time concerns matters of the outer world,” the elegant man said with a smile. The name of this man, resembling an enraged lion, resonated in this world like ten thousand peals of thunder with every syllable:

Dian Luohou.

“Bah!” He waved a large hand. “That's merely a trivial matter; the Pure Land will handle it. My true purpose in coming is that my son has been plagued by lovesickness day after day, constantly distracted even during his secluded cultivation. I simply had to drag him along to somewhat ease the boy's longing.” He heavily slapped the young man who accompanied him on the side. “Look at this good-for-nothing, acting just like I did when I was a greenhorn myself, hahahaha.”

BOOM! The slap on the young man's shoulder produced a colossal sound like a mountain collapsing, almost causing the guards outside the hall to vomit blood from the shockwaves. Yet the young man remained perfectly still, not a flicker in his eyes. He took a step forward and bowed respectfully. “This junior, Jiuzhi, greets Divine Venerable Huanxin. It has been a long time since we last met; please forgive my negligence, Senior.”

Standing beside Dian Luohou, the young man's physique could only be described as “frail” in comparison. In truth, he was quite tall and slender, his face stern yet refined, his gaze sharp but not piercing. His long brows extended to his temples, and his features were exquisitely sculpted as if carved by a blade. Though he maintained a respectful posture, an undeniable aura of proud aloofness emanated from his entire being—from his eyes to his brows, from his body to his hair. This was no ordinary nobility of royalty or esteemed heirs, but a pride rooted in his very bones, as if he were born to stand above the nine heavens, looking down upon all beings in every realm. His name was Dian Jiuzhi, son of Dian Luohou. Even when facing a Divine Venerable, his words and demeanor remained respectful yet not subservient, reserved yet not arrogant.

“Hey!” Dian Luohou slapped his shoulder again. “Why call him 'Senior'? Just call him 'Father-in-law'!”

Dian Jiuzhi retracted his bow and said, “Though your child and Cai Li have long been betrothed, I would not dare show any disrespect to Senior before our marriage is complete.”

Huan Fuchen's gaze lingered on Dian Jiuzhi for a moment, then he smiled faintly. “Last month, I heard rumors of a major breakthrough by Jiuzhi, causing changes in celestial phenomena. Seeing it now, your progress is even greater than anticipated. Truly worthy of being Brother Luohou's son.” His words were full of praise and admiration. He had always been immensely pleased with and fond of this future son-in-law. Despite their differing temperaments, he and Dian Luohou were close friends, like brothers. Dian Jiuzhi had once been like a half-son to him, and after the engagement to his daughter, his bond with Dian Luohou undoubtedly grew even closer.

“Hahahahaha, rather, one should say, truly worthy of being your son-in-law, Huan Fuchen!” Accepting Huan Fuchen's praise without false modesty, Dian Luohou waved his hand at Dian Jiuzhi amidst his laughter. “Little brat, your father-in-law and I have matters to discuss. You're not needed here, go off and play by yourself.”

Huan Fuchen's bright eyes turned. “Jiuzhi, Cai Li is currently in the Pure Heart Garden, admiring the Cloud-Patterned Branches freshly brought from the Pure Land. She'll surely be overjoyed to see you.”

“Yes, this junior will go visit younger sister Cai Li now.” No sooner had he spoken than Dian Luohou kicked him in the rear, sending him flying directly out of the main hall.

Accompanied by his thunderous voice: “Why use 'visit' for your own woman? Don't be so prim and proper like a girl.”

“Heh heh heh!” Huan Fuchen shook his head and laughed. “Let the young ones handle their own affairs. Good wine has already been prepared; it's been years since I had a good drink with Brother Luohou.”

Cloud-Patterned Branches are a wondrous flower that only grows in the Pure Land. Their petals are fluffy and pure white, but under heavenly light, they refract faint, multicolored rays. When they form a sea of flowers, they connect into patches of ethereal clouds, as if mistakenly fallen to the mortal world, creating a breathtaking sight. They are as soft and light as colorful clouds, scattering with a single gust of wind. Thus, they require extreme care.

Dian Jiuzhi's steps paused at the edge of the cloud-like sea of Cloud-Patterned Branches; for a moment, he was utterly captivated. In a world where Abyss Dust permeated everywhere, ordinary people would struggle to catch even a glimpse of such a wondrous Pure Land flower like the Cloud-Patterned Branch in their lifetime, let alone an entire sea of them. It must be that the owner here adored these Cloud-Patterned Branches, and her doting father spared no expense to transplant this dreamlike flower sea for her from the Pure Land.

However, what utterly captivated Dian Jiuzhi was not the sea of Cloud-Patterned Flowers, but the faintly visible silhouette of a young girl half-hidden within it. If the flower sea was a dream, then she was the most enchanting dream within it. Radiant eyes and pearly teeth, unparalleled grace, a beauty that shamed the moon and made flowers blush, enough to captivate kingdoms, with a delicate softness like jade and the tenderness of a blossom, possessing the splendid countenance of an immortal. Countless adjectives swirled confusedly through his mind, yet in the end, only emptiness remained. For even the most exquisite and grandiloquent words in the myriad worlds could not capture even a fraction of the divine charm in his sight.

Her countenance was so exquisitely beautiful that it seemed to have coalesced all the painstaking efforts of the heavens, yet her eyes were graced with the most luminous stars and moon of the world. The sea of Cloud-Patterned Flowers was spectacularly beautiful. Her delicate hand lightly brushed a petal; each of her jade-like fingers, seemingly favored by heavenly light, was subtly covered in a faint, glowing, jade-like sheen. They were fairer than snow and more lustrous than jade, so much so that they made the Cloud-Patterned flower petals themselves appear dull in comparison. Fate's favoritism towards women was interpreted to its utmost extent in her. She disliked extravagance, wearing a simple white dress. Yet on her, it appeared like an immortal's gown from a celestial palace; every flutter of her skirt seemed to gently ripple with illusory mist and immortal breeze, drawing countless colorful butterflies to circle and dance around her, reluctant to leave.

Finally noticing his long-held, dazed gaze, she gently raised her head, then her jade-like lips slowly curved, revealing a joyful smile. Instantly, the world and the flower sea in Dian Jiuzhi's eyes faded into insignificance, and ripples of emotion surged in his heart, refusing to subside for a long time.

The young girl's figure lightly shifted, appearing before him, startling the colorful butterflies, which scattered and flew away, seemingly with reluctance. Her figure, so delicate it seemed boneless to the touch, and her sleeves fluttered in the breeze as if playing with the dancing butterflies… The poetic lines that flitted through Dian Jiuzhi's mind seemed to have been born just for her.

“Big Head Brother, you really came!”

The girl's voice, like immortal music lingering in a moon palace, caused the startled butterflies to pause in mid-air.

When Dian Jiuzhi was young, his physique was frail, but his head was notably large. Coupled with his mediocre aptitude, he was often looked down upon and bullied among Dian Luohou's numerous direct descendants. At that time, “Big Head” was the appellation used by his siblings and even other peers and disciples. When the girl first met him, the first thing she knew was his name “Big Head”… In fact, at that time, people had almost forgotten his real name. Afterward, the girl consistently addressed him as “Big Head Brother.” It was also the first time he felt no repulsion or dislike towards this appellation… because when she called out to him, her eyes, containing stars and the moon, held not a trace of impurity, beautiful enough to make him feel as if he were within an unreal, distant dream.

Later, he became a Divine Son, and his father bestowed upon him the name “Jiuzhi.” The name “Big Head” became one of his greatest taboos; no one dared to call him by it or even mention it again.

Except for her.

When she changed her address to “Jiuzhi Brother” years later, he instead felt a deep sense of loss. Consequently, he asked her to continue calling him “Big Head Brother” thereafter… even when others were present. Because as he grew powerful enough, “Big Head” was no longer a mark of shame, but rather something solely etched into the memory of his incredibly beautiful encounter with her.