Chapter 1978: Farewell

The God Realm was in turmoil, and people’s hearts were filled with dread. The arduous, high-cost elimination of Mo Beichen brought no relief or comfort. Instead, the word "Abyss" swept through every corner of the God Realm like an uncontrollable plague, accompanied by immense panic and terror. This fear intensified with each passing day and moment. The divine light in the God Realm grew steadily dim, with dark clouds obscuring the sky everywhere. Even the Heavenly Way, which upheld the world’s fundamental order in accordance with the Ancestral Laws, trembled in fear. The muffled thunderclaps seemed like desperate sobs for the future fate of this world.

During this period, aside from Emperor Yun’s awakening and Qi Tianli’s life being spared through soul-snatching due to the Azure Dragon Emperor’s plea, no other news emerged from Imperial Cloud City. All star realms contemplated the possibility of resisting the Abyss, but the undeniable conclusion was utter despair. After all, a mere Abyss Knight—a vanguard, or more accurately, a pawn discarded by the Abyss—had effortlessly trampled the entire God Realm underfoot. What ultimately led to his demise was not the collective power of the God Realm, but a fleeting divine miracle born from the convergence of profound faith and rays of wonder—a miracle that could never be replicated. Let alone...

On the Blue Pole Star, in the Illusory Demon Realm, at the Yun family compound. Yun Che knelt on the ground, offering tea to Xiao Lie, Mu Feiyan, Yun Qinghong, and Mu Yurou one by one.

"Grandpa, Grandpa Mu, Father, Mother..." Yun Che looked up, then lowered his gaze. His voice held none of the domineering majesty of an emperor; only profound remorse poured from his heart: "Your child has endured a turbulent life, believing peace was finally within reach. Yet, before I could repay even a fraction of your nurturing and parental kindness, I must again venture out, causing you worry and heartache. Your child is unfilial."

"Che'er..." Mu Yurou gently shook her head. She had tried hard to maintain a calm smile, not wanting to add to Yun Che’s worries, but his words pierced her heart, instantly blurring her vision. Her soft, involuntary whisper nearly dissolved into uncontrolled sobs.

Yun Qinghong gently squeezed her hand. Once Yun Che had finished offering tea, he stepped forward and smiled, "Che'er, get up." He helped Yun Che to his feet, his gentle gaze meeting his son's eyes. "What you are about to do is a monumental task: saving the entire world. No one has done it before, and no one will ever do it again." He looked into the distance. "Therefore, from the moment you take this step, we will possess a glory, because of you, that will resonate for thousands of generations."

"Xiao Ying, who died young trying to save you, and your grandfather, who sacrificed his life to protect you... they will truly smile without regret in the other world."

"Indeed," Mu Feiyan nodded emphatically, patting Yun Che heavily on the shoulder. "Che'er, you will face immense difficulties in that other world, while we will be safe and sound here. Always prioritize your own safety; you don't need to worry about anything else."

Xiao Lie spoke, a serene smile slowly spreading across his face. "In the past, you sometimes returned late, but you always came home safely. This time will be no different."

"Of course, I will," Yun Che smiled and nodded. "No matter how high a wanderer climbs or how far they travel, what their heart yearns for most is always returning home."

"Big Brother, you absolutely... you absolutely must return safe and sound." Xiao Yun stepped forward, his clenched hands trembling slightly. "I will take care of Grandpa, Father, and Mother with all my might. You don't need to worry about anything."

"Yes, with you here, I'm certainly at ease," Yun Che smiled. "When I return, Yong'an might even be married already."

Xiao Yong'an said earnestly, "My life was saved by Uncle Yun. If Uncle Yun isn't there to witness my marriage, it will be a lifelong regret. So, I will eagerly wait for Uncle Yun to return, along with Father, Mother, and Yongning."

"Haha, good," Yun Che chuckled. "It seems that to put your parents' minds at ease sooner, I can't linger outside for too long either."

"Speaking of which," he shifted his gaze, "how about during this time, Uncle, you settle down and get married, so I don't have to come back and see Grandpa grumbling every day?"

Mu Yubai twisted his mouth and glanced sideways, muttering, "Nosy. Just make sure you take care of your own life!"

Goodbyes were too difficult, especially this one, with an uncertain fate and return date. Someone had to gently push him along.

Chi Wuyao stepped forward and said softly, "It's time to go." Mu Yurou's body trembled, but the fingers tightly gripping Yun Che's wrist slowly loosened until her fingertips completely separated from his sleeve.

"Go, my child," Mu Yurou whispered. In the eyes of the world, he was the supreme emperor, the sole hope. But in her eyes, he was merely a wanderer about to step into terrifying danger: "Since you've made your choice, don't hesitate, don't look back." Feng Xian'er gently supported her from the side, feeling her tremble uncontrollably despite her best efforts.

No one spoke or tried to hold him back anymore. Only gazes, fixed unblinkingly, fell upon him. Cang Yue, Xiao Lingxi, Chu Yuechan, Feng Xue'er, Su Ling'er, Huan Caiyi, Mu Xuanyin, Caizhi, Qianye Ying'er, Yun Wuxin... Yun Che's gaze passed over each of them.

The news of his impending solo journey to the Abyss had not been made public; otherwise, the already turbulent God Realm would undoubtedly be thrown into even greater chaos. Not even the Northern Divine Region had been informed, or the scale of today's farewell would have been unimaginable.

"I'm leaving. I'll be back soon." Turning around, Yun Che raised a hand but said nothing more. His toes silently lifted from the ground, and his body slowly ascended. When he would set foot on his homeland again, no one knew.

"Father..." Yun Wuxin's voice finally broke free, brushing against her father's ear. "You *must* remember what you promised me," her star-like eyes welled with tears. "If you break your word again this time, I... I truly... truly won't forgive you."

"...Mm." Without turning back, Yun Che gave a calm yet firm reply. Carried by a gentle breeze, he swiftly vanished from their sight, until he reached the edge of the sky.

But immediately, a black light followed, reaching his side in an instant. "I'll take you there."

Once in the Abyss, fate was unpredictable. As he was about to descend, Yun Che only wished to shed all lingering attachments, to be alone in mind and body. However, he turned his head and met Chi Wuyao's strikingly deep gaze, swallowing the refusal he was about to utter. Instead, he said, "You've already managed to cram all sorts of instructions into my mind. What else do you have to tell me this time?"

"I've made some new discoveries. No, I should say conjectures," Chi Wuyao replied.

"About... the Abyss?" Yun Che's gaze sharpened. "Did you extract more memories and knowledge from Mo Beichen's remnant soul?"

"It has nothing to do with Mo Beichen," Chi Wuyao said slowly. "Considering all your knowledge of the ancient God-Devil War, is there anything that strikes you as particularly incongruous?"

A statement seemingly unrelated to the current situation momentarily stunned Yun Che. "What aspect are you referring to?"

Chi Wuyao said, "The cause, the process, the outcome."

Numerous ancient records, the narratives of the Golden Crow remnant spirit, the Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit, and Jie Yuan, along with various ancient memories, had given Yun Che a far deeper and broader understanding of the ancient God-Devil War than anyone else. Chi Wuyao's sudden mention of it now clearly indicated a connection to the Abyss. Yun Che furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Just tell me directly."

The two figures had already left the Blue Pole Star, traveling towards the distant God Realm of Absolute Beginning.

"The Ancestral God divided Chaos into two worlds—'Life' and 'Destruction'—as a form of balance. She also created the God and Devil races as masters of the world of life, which was likewise a balance," Chi Wuyao's words were slow and drawn out, as if guiding Yun Che's thoughts to the distant past. "Since it was a balance, the combined strength of the God and Devil races should have been similar."

"Even if differences gradually emerged during their respective continuations, with a 'foundation' of balance, the disparity shouldn't have been significant."

"In ancient times, the God and Devil races were always in opposition. The Heaven Punishing God Emperor, Mo E, especially detested the Devil Race, wishing to eternally erase them from existence."

"But even so, before the devastating war that brought about their end, they maintained a long period of peaceful coexistence. This means that during those ancient years, a balance of power was clearly a mutual understanding between the two races; truly going to war would only result in mutual destruction."

Yun Che's brow twitched sharply. He suddenly realized what Chi Wuyao meant by "incongruity." Under "balance," why did the Devil Race ultimately suffer such a crushing defeat? Not just a defeat, but a *crushing* defeat!

Chi Wuyao continued, "Later, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, Jie Yuan, was ambushed by the Heaven Punishing God Emperor, Mo E, and cast into the Outer Chaos. The Devil Race suffered the loss of a Devil Emperor."

"Soon after, the Elemental Creation God, after a battle with Mo E, suddenly abandoned the title of Creation God, called himself the Heretic God, and went into seclusion."

"Then, Mo E died prematurely."

"Within a short period, two of the four Creation Gods perished or went into seclusion, leaving only the Order Creation God, Xi Ke, and the Life Creation God, Li Sa."

"After losing the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, the Devil Race still had the three Devil Emperors: Pan Ming, Jiu Sha, and Nie Lun, holding their ground."

"It was also after Mo E's premature death and the Heretic God's seclusion that the Devil Race suddenly launched an offensive. The long-prepared Jiu Sha Devil Emperor broke through dimensions, causing the Life Divine Palace to descend from the sky, and used his Nine Fiend Devil Poison to kill the Life Creation God, Li Sa."

"In other words, after the full-scale outbreak of the devastating war, the Devil Race was led by three Devil Emperors, while the God Race only had the Order Creation God, Xi Ke, remaining."

"The disparity in power at the highest level was almost insurmountable. The Devil Race should have had a crushing advantage. Yet, in the end, it was the Devil Race that was routed, and in their despair, they unsealed the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, leading to the end of the God-Devil era."

Recalling the ancient Dragon God records he had read in the Dragon God Realm, Yun Che's heart stirred once more. When he first read those ancient accounts, every word seemed astonishing and soul-stirring. But now, with Chi Wuyao re-examining them through the lens of "balance," inconsistencies truly appeared everywhere.

Chi Wuyao's gaze shifted. "You and Qianying once looked through the ancient Dragon God records in the Dragon God Palace. Do you remember what was key to the Devil Race's swift defeat?"

Yun Che replied directly, "At the beginning of the devastating war between the two races, the Order Creation God, Xi Ke, used herself as bait, sealing herself and the three Devil Emperors—Pan Ming, Jiu Sha, and Nie Lun—within the Heaven's Secret Thousandfold Realm of the Heaven's Secret Pearl."

The Heaven's Secret Thousandfold Realm had a time flow one thousand times faster. It wasn't until the end of the devastating war, when the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations hijacked the Sky Poison Pearl and released Myriad Tribulations of Annihilation, that the Heaven's Secret Pearl's divine realm collapsed and its divine power dissipated. Three Devil Emperors against one Creation God should have been a crushing victory. However, being sealed for the entire duration caused the Devil Race's absolute advantage to vanish. Furthermore, because many powerful Devil Gods of the Heaven Smiting Devil Race were exiled along with Jie Yuan, the top-tier combat power below the Devil Emperors was vastly inferior to that of the God Race, leading to their step-by-step defeat. By the time the three Devil Emperors finally broke free, they had all been buried in the Abyss of Myriad Tribulations and Annihilation, with no hope of survival.

"Exactly," Chi Wuyao slowly nodded. "And this is the even greater incongruity."