Chapter 1986: Invasion

Time flowed silently in the quiet, until a cautious figure appeared in Yun Che's line of sight.

He was a boy who looked to be just over ten years old. His face was thin, and his skin lacked the smoothness of youth, instead being rough and dull.

He saw Yun Che lying there, covered in wounds. He recoiled but didn't leave immediately. His gaze quickly swept around, and after a moment of hesitation, he mustered his courage and asked, "Brother... Senior, do you know where Senior Sister Lingzhu is? I heard she came back."

Yun Che turned his gaze and said gently, "She did return, but she's not here. She must have gone to see her 'Master,' as she calls him."

Disappointment immediately appeared on the boy's face, but he still politely said, "I see. Thank you for telling me, Senior."

From his cautious demeanor, he had clearly snuck out. With his hopes dashed, he turned away disheartened. But Yun Che called out to him, "However, she should be back soon. If you really want to see her, you might as well wait here for a while."

The boy's eyes immediately lit up. He nodded vigorously, "Okay! I'm willing to wait as long as it takes, as long as I can see Senior Sister Lingzhu."

Then he lowered his head again and added in a very small voice, "...If I don't get discovered."

After bidding farewell to Ku Xuan, Helian Lingzhu, who should have returned directly to the imperial court with Mo Cangying, finally decided to greet Yun Che before leaving. The stated reason was to uphold royal etiquette.

Mo Cangying could only reluctantly agree.

As they approached, they heard him conversing with a young boy.

"...In our Lin Yuan Realm, ninety-nine percent of people primarily cultivate Earth profound energy. Most of them also cultivate Wind profound energy as a secondary discipline."

"I primarily cultivate Earth with Wind as a secondary discipline, and I can already stir up large areas of sandstorms."

"My master says that our Lin Yuan Realm attracts and gathers all profound practitioners who cultivate Earth profound energy because this is where the Earth elemental power of the Abyss is most concentrated and active. But outside, very few people cultivate Earth profound energy. In fact... Master even said they look down on Earth profound energy, believing that cultivating such defense-focused power is an act of cowardice... That's not true at all!"

The boy's voice carried a hint of indignation: "There are many remarkable individuals who cultivate Earth profound energy! Right here among us, an Abyss Knight once appeared!"

As he mentioned the words "Abyss Knight," the admiration and reverence in the boy's eyes burned like flames: "I heard he was even chosen by the Abyss Emperor to be a pioneer in seeking the 'Eternal Pure Land'."

"His name is Mo Beichen, ranked seven hundred seventy-ninth among the Abyss Knights, titled 'Sealing Dust Guardian'. He's from our Lin Yuan Realm!"

Every word the boy spoke brimmed with overflowing pride.

Yun Che's smile remained, but his pupils contracted slightly for an instant.

Mo Beichen...

What a coincidence!

This terrifying figure who caused Qianye Ying'er to lose her grandfather and great-grandfather, caused him to lose the Three Yama Ancestors and He Ling, and truly pushed the entire God Realm to despair... how could he forget him even for a moment!

"Senior," the boy's gaze shifted, and his voice softened: "Do you think the 'Eternal Pure Land' truly exists in this world?"

"I heard it's a place where there's no Abyss Dust. Everywhere, you can see green grass, trees that grow incredibly tall, and things called 'flowers' that bloom in many different colors."

"I heard the sky there is blue, and children don't need to be 'protected' from birth. Even if they don't train hard, they won't be eroded, nor will they be abandoned for lack of talent. All children can grow up freely."

"Could such a place truly exist?"

What he described was an utterly common scene in Yun Che's perception—so common that in his world, no one would ever pay attention to it or mention it.

Yet, in the boy's eyes and words, he was describing a world that should only exist in beautiful fantasies and dreams, a world so beautiful that he, and all beings of the Abyss, dared not believe it could be real.

"Of course, it exists," Yun Che replied with certainty.

Outside the hall, Helian Lingzhu also involuntarily stopped in her tracks.

A strange light flickered in the boy's eyes, then immediately died out. Clearly, he didn't believe it. "Have you actually seen the 'Eternal Pure Land' with your own eyes?" he asked.

Yun Che smiled slightly, "It's not about whether I've seen it or not. It's about you believing in its existence."

"Believe?" The boy, who had lived his entire life 'protected' and had never truly experienced the world, looked bewildered.

"Because 'belief' is a remarkable power," Yun Che said, his expression gentle and serious. "If you need a miracle, it can only appear if you believe in it."

"If you yearn for the 'Eternal Pure Land,' then only by firmly believing in its existence and striving for it, will it perhaps truly appear in your life one day."

"Even if, in the end, you still can't find the 'Eternal Pure Land,' then this beautiful lifelong persistence and the efforts you put into it, wouldn't that also be cultivating an 'Eternal Pure Land' that forever belongs to you within your own soul?"

The boy's pupils shimmered as if stars were twinkling within them. This time, they did not dim for a long while.

Outside the hall, Helian Lingzhu was also momentarily stunned.

It wasn't until Mo Cangying stepped forward and pushed open the hall door.

The boy turned his head, saw Helian Lingzhu at a glance, and immediately cried out with immense surprise, "Senior Sister Lingzhu!"

He rushed forward, his face full of excitement, but Mo Cangying grabbed him. Mo Cangying frowned deeply: "Qichuan! Did you sneak out? Don't you know how dangerous it is for someone of your current cultivation level to leave the protective barrier of the underground palace!"

The boy regarded Mo Cangying with great awe: "I... I just really wanted to see Senior Sister Lingzhu."

"Hmph!" Mo Cangying's expression was stern: "Then you should cultivate diligently! Once you reach the Divine Soul Realm, you can leave the underground palace for half an hour every three days! With your current cultivation, you don't even qualify to leave the underground palace. Acting willfully for your own desires will only lead to utter disappointment!"

"Don't forget, if you can't reach the Divine Tribulation Realm within 15 years, you'll be discarded! At that time, not even your 'Senior Sister Lingzhu' will be able to protect you!"

Yun Che was deeply moved.

A Divine Tribulation Realm at fifteen years old, in any star realm of the God Realm, would be a genius capable of astounding an entire region.

Yet in this Abyss, it barely qualified one from being discarded.

Here, there was no mercy or tolerance for the young.

From birth, everyone faced the most brutal law of survival.

—Except for the chosen children of the Divine Kingdom.

Yun Che suddenly recalled that in the memories retrieved by Chi Wu from Mo Beichen, his two daughters had been "discarded" and perished under the erosion of Abyss Dust.

Therefore, he should harbor only hatred for this place.

"Alright," Helian Lingzhu walked over and reached out to shield the scolded boy. "Qichuan is still just a child after all. There's no need to speak so harshly to him."

Mo Cangying said, "Indulgence is what truly harms him. The useless have no right to survive, and idleness and willfulness are simply seeking death! This is the law they should remember from birth!"

"I... I know," the boy stammered, without resentment, only shame. "I just missed Senior Sister Lingzhu too much. She's like my deceased older sister, the only family I have in this world... I just wanted to see her, even for a moment... as if... my sister were still alive..."

"I promise I won't be willful at other times, and I'll cultivate with my utmost effort."

"And..." He tried to clear the mist of tears from his eyes, his voice gaining a touch of resolve: "Just now, I think I found a direction for my efforts."

Helian Lingzhu secretly glanced at Yun Che, then smiled and said, "That would be for the best, of course. Qichuan, you will surely become a remarkable person in the future. Being eroded by Abyss Dust in childhood can harm one's talent, so go back quickly. The next time I return to Tianfu, I will come to see you myself."

With that, she gently patted the boy's shoulder.

And it was this seemingly effortless pat that made the boy's arm suddenly retract, and a hiss escape his lips.

Helian Lingzhu was stunned. Mo Cangying's brow furrowed, and he suddenly stepped forward, grabbing the boy's right arm. He directly shattered the outer layer of clothing on his right arm.

The boy let out a rather miserable cry of pain, his features contorted in agony.

The moment they clearly saw the boy's right arm, Helian Lingzhu's face abruptly changed, and Mo Cangying's entire face darkened.

The skin on the boy's right arm was noticeably darkened, and several half-foot long black marks were clearly visible.

"Qichuan, you..." Helian Lingzhu's voice trembled slightly. She tried to reach out several times but didn't dare to touch the boy's arm, which was covered in black marks.

Yun Che's gaze lingered... Was this the erosion of Abyss Dust?

"When did this happen?" Mo Cangying asked coldly.

"I... I..." The boy's face was ashen, not from pain, but from the shock of being discovered. "I'm fine... I'll definitely be fine..."

His words were paler than his face. Mo Cangying slowly let out a breath and said in a deep voice, "With your right arm eroded to this extent, amputation is the only option!"

"Ah! No!" Helian Lingzhu rushed forward. "He's far from being able to reforge an arm now. If he loses his right arm, he might... be discarded very soon."

"There's no choice," Mo Cangying shook his head. "It's only his right arm for now. If we don't amputate, it will spread throughout his body, and that's a dead end."

"Master can cleanse him of the erosion," Helian Lingzhu said anxiously. "I'll go beg Master right away..."

"If you ask, Master certainly won't refuse." Mo Cangying looked at her, his expression calm and solemn. "But do you really want to set this precedent?"

Helian Lingzhu's steps immediately froze, unable to move again.

Mo Cangying slowly said, "Let alone the entire Lin Yuan Realm, just in this Helian Heavenly Palace alone, countless people are eroded by Abyss Dust every day."

"The erosion of Abyss Dust is silent and undefendable. As the eldest princess of the imperial dynasty, if you set this precedent for your own compassion, will Master have to cleanse it every time a junior is eroded?"

"His lifespan is truly running out."

"..." Helian Lingzhu slowly closed her eyes, unable to refute.

"Senior Sister Lingzhu," the boy reached out and gently tugged Helian Lingzhu's sleeve. "I will cherish your kindness forever. But this is my own failing. I cannot put you in a difficult position, nor can I let the Palace Master suffer because of me."

He lifted his face, tears in his eyes, but a smile on his lips: "Senior Brother Mo is just as they say; he looks stern, but he's actually a very, very good person. I was always afraid I'd be directly discarded if I were exposed, which is why... Senior Brother Mo amputating my arm is actually a way of saving me."

"It's best that you think this way," Mo Cangying nodded slightly, his gaze firm. "Losing an arm doesn't mean losing your life and future. If you can achieve the Divine Tribulation Realm with one arm before 15 years, not only will you not be discarded, but you will also be held up as an example by Helian Heavenly Palace."

"I... I will do it," the boy's voice still trembled slightly.

Amputation was an unbearable trauma for an adult man, let alone a boy whose mind was not yet fully developed.

The loss of an arm brought not only physical wounds, but undoubtedly heavier emotional ones. Under the Abyss's cruel law of survival, losing an arm at such a young age, no matter how eloquently one tried to console, the future... held only endless pessimism.

His throat worked, and he struggled to speak in a less strained voice: "Senior Brother Mo, please amputate my right arm."

"Very well!" Mo Cangying nodded.

The boy abruptly closed his eyes. Helian Lingzhu also sighed faintly and slowly turned away, closing her eyes.

"Wait a moment," Yun Che's voice, quite untimely, rang out: "Let me see."