Chapter 1977: Remote Ancient Demon Sound

During this period, Chi Wuyao had been trying her utmost to ascertain the true nature of the spatial profound artifact from Mo Beichen's memories. The repeated abnormal agitation and stinging of the Nirvanic Devil Soul made her absolutely certain that the spatial profound artifact was an exceptionally powerful and extraordinary existence, even from a Devil Emperor's perspective. It also suggested that it was very likely related to the ancient devil race. However, before Yun Che departed for the Abyss, she no longer had time to obtain the most accurate answer and could only give him a warning.

"Alright." Seeing Yun Che agree with utmost solemnity, Chi Wuyao nodded slightly. She then slowly stated the last thing he had to agree to: "The third matter..." Her snow-white hand gently lifted, taking Yun Che's wrist. Under his slightly astonished gaze, she placed his finger against her glabella. "I want you to completely read all the memories of my entire life!"

Yun Che's gaze suddenly narrowed. He then abruptly pulled his hand back, saying without any hesitation, "No! Absolutely not!"

Human nature is complex, volatile, and unpredictable. Even the most noble and great person has a dark side to their humanity. Their memories also hide secrets and sordid details that are unknown to others, and which they would prefer remain so. No one, not even when facing their closest and most trusted lifelong companion, would ever be willing to let that person fully scrutinize all of their memories without exception.

Yun Che's hand, which he had instinctively flung away, was grasped by Chi Wuyao again in the next instant. She was not surprised by Yun Che's reaction. She looked at Yun Che with her devil eyes, her gaze as calm as the eternally still void. "I hope the one who agrees to these three matters is not Yun Che, but Emperor Yun!"

"Emperor Yun, whose decisions will determine the fate of the entire current world!"

"An emperor's resolve must be free from all personal biases and emotions!"

"..." Yun Che stood frozen, his hand powerless to pull away again. Chi Wuyao said softly, "Growth doesn't happen overnight. Even world-overseeing God Emperors like Zhou Xuzi, Nan Wansheng, and Qi Tianli, who have endured tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years of changes, have their limitations and flaws. And you, though an emperor of this era and having experienced countless ups and downs in your life, ultimately possess only three decades of experience."

"Yet you must go alone, to confront an Abyss a thousand times more perilous than the current world."

"As the Empress of this world, I have an inescapable duty to make you grow in the shortest possible time, even if it requires the most extreme methods." Chi Wuyao's voice suddenly softened at this point: "Everyone in the Northern Divine Region knows that I was born into an ordinary family, growing up in the lowest reaches of the Northern Divine Region, in dark swamps where even dark profound beasts are too lazy to hunt."

"Yet, step by step, I eventually became one of the three Emperors who commanded the Northern Divine Region. And now, I am the Empress who holds sway over the entire God Realm."

"Among women in this world, there is no one above me." Chi Wuyao's gaze slowly dropped, no longer meeting Yun Che's eyes: "Commensurate with that, the experiences of my life are beyond what any other woman could imagine or compare to."

"Within them, there are countless predicaments, dangers, and desperate situations, numerous dilemmas and heart-wrenching choices, and what I most want you to see... the tactics I employed when facing various people and circumstances." Chi Wuyao continued, "Many of these tactics are so brutal, cruel, and sordid that they would surpass the limits of your imagination. Especially... you are, at your core, a person who values emotions greatly, whereas I am the one most skilled at manipulating emotions. Even benefactors who saved my life, or mentors who taught me, would be unhesitatingly used as stepping stones by me."

Yun Che: "..."

Her devil eyes slightly closed, her voice soft and flowing: "After experiencing my life's journey, you might feel revulsion towards me, but no matter what..."

"No." Yun Che interrupted her, shaking his head without any hesitation. "You are the Empress of all realms, and moreover, you are my Wuyao. You and I have long been inextricably linked. Your past life has also become a part of my own life. How could I possibly 'dislike' it?"

Chi Wuyao raised her eyes and smiled faintly: "If that's the case, then you have even less reason to refuse." As she spoke, she twisted her snow-white wrist, gently guiding Yun Che's palm to cover her glabella. From her devil eyes, an endless, pure, and profound dark soul light suddenly burst forth.

Yun Che's fingers instinctively twitched, but only for a moment. He then ceased trying to resist, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, focusing his mind. He allowed his consciousness to be drawn into Chi Wuyao's soul sea, which she had completely opened to him.

Chi Wuyao's life, filled with endless trials and tribulations, poured unreservedly into his world.

Just as she had said, growth doesn't happen overnight. Although Yun Che was now Emperor Yun, his experience was still too shallow. In the current world, she had been the one actually in control. In the other world, he would have no one by his side. How could he, alone, face the vast Abyss? Her life's experiences were, she believed, the most direct way to violently spur his growth.

She could not predict how effective this method would be. This forced growth might not even be true growth at all. But at least, when he faced different situations in the future, he might be able to draw upon her experiences for appropriate countermeasures. When to feign weakness to an enemy... when to be ruthless and heartless... when to be cunning... when to be "sincere"... when to advance, when to retreat... when to turn a companion, who just moments ago shared life and death, into a human shield... As for her greatest strengths – discerning and manipulating hearts – these were by no means easily "transferable" skills. In such haste, if Yun Che could truly grasp even one percent of them, it would already meet Chi Wuyao's expectations.

Three days passed. But for Yun Che, it felt as if he had lived an incredibly long lifetime. Finally, at a certain moment, he opened his eyes. He then stared blankly at Chi Wuyao, motionless for a long time, even forgetting to remove his hand from her glabella.

No matter how detailed and intricate historical records or others' descriptions might be, they were far inferior to seeing and experiencing it firsthand. Chi Wuyao, from the humblest origins and in the most hostile era of the Northern Divine Region, step by step became the Devil Empress whose might shook the world. Her experiences were so vast that a thousand collapsing mountains and ten thousand terrifying waves could not describe even a fraction of them. What most deeply astonished Yun Che for a long time were her myriad stratagems and countless methods. It was as if countless black devil threads were always present on her, silently entwining every living being that appeared in her world. None could escape. He realized more clearly than ever that if Chi Wuyao, standing before him, had not chosen to become his Devil Empress back then, but had merely used him as a pawn... She was his Devil Empress, so there was no "if."

"The time is about what I estimated." Chi Wuyao slowly opened her eyes and looked at Yun Che, who was still in a daze. "For the next few days, digest as much as possible of what might be useful to you. I will give orders not to let anyone disturb you." After speaking, her gaze averted, she silently turned and prepared to leave.

Her voice was calm and tranquil, but in truth, the turmoil within her heart far exceeded her expectations. Her unscrupulous methods from those years truly surpassed the limits of what an ordinary person could imagine. Anyone who witnessed even a tiny fraction of them would develop immense fear towards her. Before doing all this, she had already prepared for Yun Che to feel aversion and fear towards her. But at this moment, all her previous mental preparations completely crumbled. Her request for Yun Che to quietly digest was, in fact, her desperate attempt to escape. The current Chi Wuyao was no longer the unassailable Devil Empress of the Northern Region. She had a weakness, and it was a massive one.

But just as she took a step, her slender waist was gently embraced by an arm. Yun Che hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear: "There's no need for thanks between us, but your sacrifices for me have been far too many... Everything I now possess will be my greatest support in the Abyss."

A faint mist flickered in her eyes, and the corners of Chi Wuyao's lips moved slightly. These words alone were enough.

Leaving Yun Che to digest the memories alone, Chi Wuyao walked out of the Imperial Palace. As a cold wind brushed her face, her vision blurred momentarily. Voluntarily pouring the memories of one's entire long life into another was something no ordinary person could do. And naturally, the experience was far from pleasant. During this process, her soul sea felt as if it had been violently stirred and scrubbed. Even Chi Wuyao herself could not expect to fully recover quickly.

However, her memories were not entirely without reservation. For instance... the child named "Yun Xi," who had vanished with Shen Xi and died at Long Bai's hand before ever seeing the light of day.

Spatial ripples shimmered beside Chi Wuyao, and a graceful, ethereal female figure appeared. "Master, your complexion... has something happened?" Hua Jin had been with Chi Wuyao for many years and knew well that for the Empress, whose composure was as deep as the night abyss, to show such an unusual expression, something extraordinary must have occurred. This made her unable to refrain from appearing to inquire.

Chi Wuyao, however, smiled and shook her head: "Don't worry, it's just my soul sea churning too violently, making it difficult to calm down for a while. It's not an external intrusion... Hiss!" A look of pain suddenly appeared on Chi Wuyao's face, and her body swayed, abruptly leaning forward.

"Master!?" Hua Jin gasped in alarm and hurried forward to support her.

Chi Wuyao's face was pale, and her soul sea felt as if it were being frantically pierced by countless steel needles. From the depths of her soul sea, churning with immense pain, a roar suddenly erupted from ancient times: "If not for the loss of the Netherworld Mirror and the Devil Pearl, how could it have come to this..."

"How could it have come to this!"

"How could it have come to this!"

The roars were incredibly blurred and distant, carrying an endless devil might capable of shattering eons. Yet every sound was filled with sorrow, every word with despair. Chi Wuyao abruptly looked up at this moment. She straightened herself and said in a deep voice: "Hua Jin, quickly send an order to the Qilin Realm to immediately activate the dimensional profound array leading to the Dragon God Realm."

"I must... re-read the ancient Dragon God texts!"