Chapter 1971: This Journey Makes the Stars and Moon Uncertain (Part 1)

"My husband's eyes told me everything," Cang Shuhua said softly, but a ripple of unease silently spread in her clear eyes.

"The Abyss... the Abyssal Void!?" Ruiyi exclaimed in shock. "But there... there..."

In the perception of those in the God Realm, the Abyssal Void embodied absolute nothingness and death. The higher one's cultivation, the more profound this understanding.

Yun Che explained, "The Devil Queen extracted some of Mo Beichen's knowledge and memories. Beneath the Abyssal Void, there truly exists another world. Falling into the Abyssal Void does not necessarily mean death; rather, one falls into this world called the Abyss."

Yun Che's calm and brief explanation made both Cang Shuhua and Ruiyi profoundly understand that a truth so far beyond their comprehension often implied an equally terrifying reality.

"But... even if one could truly reach that world through the Abyssal Void. Mo Beichen alone was terrifying; if you go there, wouldn't you be..."

Ruiyi's voice trembled slightly. As she spoke, she realized her words were presumptuous due to her anxiety and quickly lowered her head, falling silent.

Cang Shuhua glanced sideways at Ruiyi and then said, "Since my husband has this idea, he must have already made thorough preparations."

Yun Che extended his hand, and the stone tablet left by the Heretic God appeared before Cang Shuhua's eyes:

"...My Heretic God Art was derived from forbidden methods and possesses forbidden power, outside the rules of the Heavenly Way, far beyond any ordinary profound art. If all elemental cores are obtained and one cultivates to become an 'Abyssal Master' in this mortal realm, though not a true God, one can unleash the power of a God Realm.

Both gods and devils perished, and the order of the world collapsed. Now, the dissipation of divine aura has slightly abated, and the nascent order is increasingly peaceful. Should the power of the God Realm be reborn, it would inevitably disturb the new order, bringing calamity to mortals and spirits. If wielded by a wicked mind, it would be a disaster for the world.

Therefore, the core of the earth was submerged in the Abyss, forever cut off from the world, eliminating future troubles.

"If all elemental cores are obtained... one can unleash the power of the God Realm." Cang Shuhua murmured these words, and a strange light flickered in her clear eyes. "Is this a message left by the ancient Heretic God?"

"That's right." Yun Che put away the stone tablet and said gravely, "The Heretic God's profound veins I currently possess are incomplete; they lack a power core. This power core was cast into the Abyssal Void by the Heretic God before his demise."

"This is also why I have been unable to break through to the Divine Master Realm."

"And if falling into the Abyssal Void doesn't mean death, but rather entering that world called the Abyss, perhaps I can find that power core there, making my Heretic God's profound veins complete. Thereby..."

Yun Che raised his hand, his eyes gathering a dark gleam. "Possess the power of a divine realm."

"I bear the dual inheritances of the Creation God and the Devil Emperor. My growth, my ultimate potential, must surpass any living being in this world, and even in the Abyss!"

Cang Shuhua looked at Yun Che and spoke softly, "Yes. My husband, in any world, you shall stand above all living beings."

Yun Che, however, shook his head slightly at this point, a self-deprecating smile on his face. "That may be true, but there are far too many uncertainties involved. So... Shuhua, I want to hear your advice."

After a long silence, Cang Shuhua softly asked, "When does my husband plan to depart?"

"Within ten days," Yun Che replied.

Yun Wuxin's eyes widened dramatically, her lips parting and closing several times. She finally bit down hard on her lip to prevent herself from speaking.

"There are only five years left until the Abyss opens another passage to this world," Yun Che slowly stated this extremely cruel truth, so harsh that it could not be revealed to the world.

There was no time for meticulous planning, not even for hesitation.

"I understand." Cang Shuhua's expression was as calm as water, showing no hint of alarm. Her voice remained as gentle as a faint ripple. "Does my husband remember what I said back then?"

Yun Che: "?"

"Compared to power, your eyes, which so easily stir curiosity and captivate others, are your best weapon." Cang Shuhua looked into Yun Che's eyes with the same entranced gaze as she had back then.

Yun Che indeed remembered those words profoundly. When Cang Shuhua spoke them back then, her eyes, like a vast ocean, shimmered with a hazy, exquisite mist, reflecting her endlessly mysterious and profound soul.

That was her only piece of advice.

"Upon first arriving in the Abyss, my husband, peerless in this world, will surely become isolated and weak," Cang Shuhua elaborated. "But I believe that the path to the Abyss will be somewhat challenging for my husband, though not impossible. For my husband's strength extends far beyond merely continuously growing power."

Yun Che and Yun Wuxin departed. Cang Shuhua watched Yun Che's retreating figure affectionately, observing him for a very long time.

"Miss," Ruiyi finally spoke, her voice anxious, "I... I... I'm a little scared."

Cang Shuhua smiled. "When my life was fading, you decided to accompany me without a trace of fear. When you were angry that my husband slighted me, you rebuked him fearlessly. Why are you afraid now?"

"How can then and now be the same?" Ruiyi said sadly. "You finally became safe, and your true life has just begun. Why must it be... so fraught with difficulties again?"

She looked in the direction Cang Shuhua was gazing. "Who will Emperor Yun go with on this journey? At least, the Devil Queen will surely be by his side; that would bring much more peace of mind."

Cang Shuhua shook her head. "He will definitely go alone."

"…!" Ruiyi gasped in shock and dismay.

"Ruiyi," Cang Shuhua turned around. "Come with me to a place."

"Where?" Ruiyi asked instinctively.

Cang Shuhua smiled gently. "To prepare some delicious and interesting things for him."

"Huh?" Ruiyi was stunned.

"We know almost nothing about the Abyss," Cang Shuhua said. "But the seven emotions and six desires are universal across all worlds, all planes, and for all living beings. There are many things that can help him make more friends and attract more girls while he grows."

Ruiyi's beautiful eyes widened as she stared blankly at Cang Shuhua's smiling face. "Miss, are you... truly not worried or scared at all?"

"His mind is made up, so what's the point of worrying or being scared?" Cang Shuhua replied, still smiling faintly. "For me, the greatest concern is whether he can safely reach that world called the Abyss after falling into the Abyssal Void."

"If he can arrive safely, I'm not so worried about what happens next."

"Why?" Ruiyi asked, confused. Mo Beichen, terrifying as he was, was merely a "Guardian Knight" in the Abyss. How terrifying and perilous must that world be?

"Because my husband, our Emperor Yun, is only half a jiazi old," Cang Shuhua's eyes blurred slightly. "Who would believe that someone half a jiazi old could become the greatest emperor in the God Realm's history in just a few short years? And what arrogant strong expert would truly be wary of a 'child' who is only half a jiazi old?"

"The Devil Queen will surely teach him to use this to his advantage."

Leaving the Ten Directions Azure Sea Realm, Yun Wuxin could no longer hold back. She tightly clutched her father's sleeve, her voice trembling with too much unease. "Father, are you... really going there?"

Yun Che looked into his daughter's eyes and said very calmly, "I have no other choice."

"..." Yun Wuxin's eyes trembled even more; she didn't know what to say.

He squeezed Yun Wuxin's hand. "Besides having no choice, I am also willing."

Yun Che tilted his head, his gaze turning to the dim sky. "Wuxin, I have you by my side; behind me are countless followers; and beneath my feet are innumerable subordinates and worshippers."

"But in truth, deep down, I've always felt alone."

"The inheritances of the Devil Emperor and the Creation God made me instinctively look down on everything on a cognitive level. Especially after I became Emperor Yun, standing alone at the peak, all else seemed insignificant."

"Father inherently possesses such qualifications, and everything you have is what you deserve," Yun Wuxin said.

Yun Che smiled faintly. "Perhaps that's how it appears to everyone. And the accompanying belief is... what others can do, I can do. If even I cannot do it, then no one in this world can."

"For example, facing this sudden calamity from the Abyss, I initially thought that if even I was so inadequate, then this world would have no hope left."

"I was wrong." Yun Che's gaze deepened as he looked at the boundless space beneath his feet. "This world has never been mine alone. Its fate has never been something I could decide by myself."

"Without Yan Yi, Yan Er, Yan San, and the two seniors from Qianye sacrificing themselves to save me, I would have already died by Mo Beichen's hand."

"Without Meiyin's divine spatial power, even escape would have been a luxury for me."

"Without Cang Shitian and Huo Poyun, with only my power, I would have faced the most desperate outcome."

"And even... without the Devil Queen, I, who bears the name Emperor Yun, would have no ability to control this world, only letting everything oscillate in prolonged chaos and unease."

"No, that's not true." Yun Wuxin gripped her father's hand and shook her head vigorously. "There are indeed too many things in this world that only Father can do, and only Father is most qualified to be an emperor. The core to resolving this calamity is also Father! You mustn't deny yourself like that."

"What are you thinking?" Yun Che reached out, ruffled his daughter's head, and said with a laugh, "When did I deny myself? Your father is peerless in this world; no one can deny that. I've merely come to understand some things I absolutely needed to understand."

Yun Wuxin quickly raised a hand to protect her black hair, which was about to be messed up, and mumbled, "I'm not a child anymore."

Yun Che continued, "And what moved me the most was Cang Shitian."

"In the eyes of the world, he was arrogant and unrestrained, the most despicable and unworthy Divine Emperor. Before the calamity, he would waver and be the first to surrender. In the years he served under me, the most common title people used for him was a spineless dog."

"Yet, he never used the power of Canglan to silence others, nor did he ever defend himself. That was because he disdained caring about what the world thought of him."

"But when faced with an invasion from an outer world, those who usually boasted of righteousness readily knelt without a fight. Meanwhile, the 'spineless' Cang Shitian, as they called him, used his life and the future of Canglan to uphold the most unyielding pride in this world."

"He also made countless self-proclaimed arrogant individuals ashamed to ever mention the name Cang Shitian again for the rest of their lives."

He reached out and placed his hand on his daughter's slender shoulder, his voice softening. "Cang Shitian was a minister to an emperor, and more so, a man of this world. If he could act with such resolve, then as the emperor of this world, I, your father, must all the more bear the responsibilities befitting an emperor."

"So, Wuxin, my daughter..." He smiled. "I am no longer worthy of being a good father, but at least I still have a chance to become a reasonably competent emperor, don't I?"

"..." Yun Wuxin's lips trembled. Soon, her eyes welled up, and tears streamed down her fair face.