Chapter 2007: Shock

Ximen Boyun continued, "In the Abyssal Kylin Realm, there has probably never been a precedent for the Bone Measuring Stele to determine the age of dragon bones. Therefore, it's difficult to ascertain the margin of error or reach a definitive conclusion.宗主 Lie, can you accept this result? Or do you have a method for determining the age of dragon bones?"

Lie Qianhong, of course, would not "push his luck" as Yun Che had done earlier. He quickly bowed his head and said, "My Blazing Sand Sect has a deep connection with the Kylin Alliance, and I have the utmost admiration for Alliance Master Ximen's character, especially with the Knight Lord presiding... I have never truly doubted the Kylin Alliance from beginning to end. The only person I doubted was Yun Che."

When things were clearly beyond his control, a well-phrased statement was naturally the best option.

Ximen Boyun sneered inwardly, his expression calm and indifferent. "In that case... Yun Che, please come forward and prove your innocence, as well as that of the Helian Royal Family."

Yun Che raised an eyebrow slightly and exhaled silently.

He knew exactly what was coming.

He stood up and entered the arena, facing gazes that were either expectant, apprehensive, or waiting to see a good show. With a look of helplessness, he placed his palm on the Bone Measuring Stele. The stele glowed, and a faint light spread upwards... However, under everyone's instantly focused gaze, the light only extended for half a jiazi before suddenly slowing down. Then, it stopped completely when it was still a third short of a full jiazi.

A profound silence descended upon the Kylin Divine Realm, as if a large pot had covered it. It was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

The shock brought by Long Jiang had just begun to subside, only to erupt several times over in that instant, rattling eyeballs, hearts, and skulls.

"Half... half... half... half a jiazi!?"

The mystical light settled at approximately two-thirds of a jiazi... an age generally categorized as 'half a jiazi'.

This scene, this result, made everyone feel dizzy and their minds reel.

The usually composed Ximen Boyun's eyes suddenly widened, his profound energy became chaotic, and he nearly tumbled from the sky.

Lie Qianhong, who had been waiting for a glimmer of hope, felt his vision go black, as if he had fallen into an absurd illusion.

"Half... a jiazi?"

"Half half half... Hiss!"

"Half a jiazi... this, this, this..."

The same words tumbled out of countless mouths in a chaotic stammer, breaking into incoherent fragments.

Helian Lingzhu covered her mouth with both hands, gasping in shock, while Mo Cangying leaned against Ku Xuan, seemingly unaware.

A peak Divine Sovereign at half a jiazi was already astonishing. But to display the power of an Upper God Lord at that age... what kind of concept was that?

"…?" High in the sky, Hua Qingying gazed deeply at Yun Che.

"His age is actually so young, much younger than my youngest royal brother."

Hua Caili, who had achieved the Half-step Divine Extinction Realm at seventeen, didn't fully grasp the significance of the scene before her.

"The profound stele hasn't been used for a long time; it must be damaged."

Amidst the chaos and exclamations, Lie Qianhong roared, pushing Lie Zhuoyang forward. "Yang'er, you go!"

They could convince themselves about Long Jiang's bone age by citing the difficulty of measuring "dragon bones." But Yun Che... the only reason, or rather, the only explanation they could think of, was that the Bone Measuring Stele was broken.

"Exactly, the Bone Measuring Stele must be broken. Long Jiang's anomaly was probably due to this as well."

"Indeed, half a jiazi, that's utterly impossible."

"No wonder, I remember this Bone Measuring Stele hasn't been used for several centuries. It really should be broken by now."

Voices of agreement arose from all directions. No one believed Yun Che was only half a jiazi old... even Helian Lingzhu and Mo Cangying found it more plausible that the Bone Measuring Stele was damaged.

Lie Zhuoyang, having been pushed forward, stood beside Yun Che, directly extending his arm to press it against the Bone Measuring Stele.

The mystical light flared and swiftly settled at the eight-jiazi mark, coming to a steady halt.

"This..." Lie Zhuoyang froze, and Lie Qianhong stood dumbfounded.

"No, impossible."

Lie Qianhong would not give up. He lunged down, directly pushed his son aside, stretched out his five fingers, and personally gripped the Bone Measuring Stele.

Instantly, the mystical light erupted, surging straight up, breaking past the seventy-jiazi mark before rapidly settling.

The entire scene fell silent... All profound practitioners in the Abyssal Kylin Realm knew that just seven months prior,宗主 Lie of the Blazing Sand Sect had grandly celebrated his seventy-jiazi birthday.

The Bone Measuring Stele was accurate to the dot!

Lie Qianhong's hand recoiled from the stele as if shocked by electricity. His pupils remained dilated, and he shook his head wildly. "No, I don't believe it, I don't believe it!!"

He suddenly turned, grabbed Yun Che's arm, and pressed it back onto the stele.

The mystical light glowed faintly, still stopping at two-thirds of a jiazi, precisely as before.

"..." Lie Qianhong's body swayed, his eyes unfocused. "No... no... impossible. How could such a thing happen... how could this be!"

What he found even more unbearable, he wasn't sure if it was the shattering of his last hope, or Yun Che's age, which had completely pulverized his understanding.

Everyone was stunned and at a loss once again. This time, they had lost even the last reason they could use to persuade or comfort themselves. Especially the disciples of the Profound Rock Sect and the Myriad Blades Sect, their faces were blank, as if they had lost their souls... As the top geniuses of this generation in the Abyssal Kylin Realm, they had been so thoroughly dominated by a junior who was only half a jiazi old. How could they believe this, how could they accept it?

"Lingzhu," Ku Xuan, in his distraught state, directly addressed the princess by name. "You've brought back... a true monster."

"..." Helian Lingzhu's fingers remained clamped over her lips; she was utterly speechless.

Yun Che flung Lie Qianhong's hand away and turned, saying, "This should be enough to prove my innocence, shouldn't it?"

"Knight Lord, you should announce the result of this battle now. Or... I wouldn't mind if everyone was brought up to be tested as well."

Yun Che's words pierced directly into his ears, and Ximen Boyun suddenly snapped back to his senses, realizing how much he had lost his composure. He quickly regained his expression and demeanor, and the aura of an Abyssal Knight once again spread out. "According to the profound stele's measurements, both Long Jiang and Yun Che are within ten jiazi of age. Neither the Kylin Alliance nor the Helian Royal Family has violated the rules set by the Abyssal Emperor.宗主 Lie, do you have anything else to say?"

"..." Lie Qianhong closed his eyes, shook his head weakly, and said nothing further.

Ximen Boyun lifted his head and announced, "In the second round of the Kylin Divine Assembly, the Kylin Alliance and the Helian Royal Family have drawn, sharing the top position. Both may select three hundred and fifty people to enter the Kylin Divine Realm."

As the announcement fell, no one cheered.

Only gazes, bundled into beams, remained fixed on Yun Che, swaying as if immersed in a dream of absurdity, unable to awaken from their daze for a long time.

High in the sky, Hua Qingying withdrew her gaze and divine sense. "Caili, the spectacle is over. It's time to go."

"Ah? Go? But..." Hua Caili's first reaction was to refuse, as she still wanted to continue observing the spectacle that continuously brought new surprises and delights.

In particular, she really wanted to see what Yun Che would do next, as all the novelty and excitement in this event had been brought about by him.

"Restraining curiosity is a form of spiritual cultivation," Hua Qingying said, seeing through her thoughts. "The Kylin Divine Realm cannot be entered without permission. This place offers no benefit to your cultivation, and you've stayed too long. You should leave."

"But, but..." "Whether to stay or leave is up to you. I am merely offering advice; I will not interfere." Hua Qingying's voice held no hint of forcefulness; instead, it became increasingly ethereal, as if she were rapidly moving away. "My presence by your side has been too distinct lately, and that is by no means a good thing."

"From today onwards, unless absolutely necessary, I will no longer respond to your words or offer you any more advice. I only hope... that you do not squander the first trial of your life."

Hua Caili's expression became serious. She thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, I'll listen to Aunt."

This time, no one responded to her.

Her clear eyes cast one last glance downwards before she turned and flew away into the distance without hesitation.

A rather amusing "hero saves the beauty" scenario and a "novel and surprising" Kylin Divine Assembly undoubtedly etched Yun Che's name firmly into Hua Caili's memory.

Turning away at that moment, she had initially thought that everything would fade and dissipate into the dust behind her, just as her previous experiences had.

But...

Some encounters, some entanglements, some loves and hatreds... are destined by fate, inescapable.

It was also impossible to predict whether the destination would be a vibrant sea of flowers or a desolate abyss of sorrow.

News of the Helian Royal Family securing the top position in the Kylin Divine Battle rapidly spread back to the Helian Imperial City.

Helian, on his deathbed, abruptly sat up, and his booming laughter shook a new hole into the palace roof that had just been half-repaired.

No longer feigning severe injury, Helian immediately ordered a profound ark to be prepared. He then hastily selected a group of younger imperial family members and headed straight for the Kylin Divine Realm.

The final battle of the Kylin Divine Assembly was a confrontation between the Profound Rock, Myriad Blades, and Blazing Sand Sects. However, it was scheduled for twelve hours later, and the outcome was already obvious.

Yun Che, naturally uninterested, had already left the arena. Finding an opportunity, he pulled Helian Lingzhu aside and subtly inquired about the abyssal beast race.

"The Dragon Clan truly is as powerful as ever," Yun Che remarked solemnly. "That Long Jiang, there's something eerie about him. Speaking of the Dragon Clan..."

His steps halted along with his words. He then raised a hand to his forehead, a pained expression on his face.

"Ah? You... what's wrong? Were you injured just now?" Helian Lingzhu asked anxiously, her fingers instinctively reaching for Yun Che's forehead.

Yun Che naturally lowered his arm and straightened up, neatly avoiding Helian Lingzhu's fingers. He reassured her, "Of course not. It's just that the severe injury from a month ago seems to have caused gaps not only in my memory but also in my understanding."

"Regarding the Dragon Clan... and other beast races, when I try to recall, there's only a blank."

"It's alright," Helian Lingzhu said with a comforting smile. "Your injuries healed so quickly, so your soul's trauma will definitely recover slowly too."

"Yes, it will definitely recover." Yun Che nodded, then casually added, "Just now, when I thought about beast races... apart from the blankness and confusion, I vaguely remember that it seemed all beast races except the Dragon Clan have become extinct."

"Of course," Helian Lingzhu replied. "Besides the Dragon Clan, there's also the last Kylin. All other beast races have been corrupted into Abyssal Beasts."

"Right... Abyssal Beasts." Yun Che slowed his speech, his brows furrowed, putting on an appearance of deep thought and recollection.

"Once, I read an ancient text, though I don't know where it came from," Helian Lingzhu said softly. "It stated that many beast races were actually more powerful than humans. The Dragon Clan, in particular, was far superior to humanity."

"However, the Abyssal Dust's erosion of beast races was far more severe than on humans, which led to the gradual extinction of beast races, leaving only the Dragon Clan. The ancient text suggested that if there were no Abyssal Dust in the world, perhaps the Dragon Clan would be its dominators."

The ancient text was not wrong... Before Yun Che's dominion, the God Realm was indeed dominated by the Dragon Clan, unshakable for millions of years.

The phrase "the Abyssal Dust's erosion of beast races was far more severe than on humans"... this sentence was undoubtedly the answer to everything.

Indeed, the concept of "Abyssal Beasts" existed within Mo Beichen's remnant soul.

They roamed the Mist Sea, completely corrupted by the Abyssal Annihilation energy, naturally possessing only instincts of destruction.

"A month ago, at the edge of the Mist Sea, I encountered an Abyssal Beast that had been corrupted," Helian Lingzhu continued. "It was indeed far more terrifying than the Abyssal Beasts formed from Abyssal Dust. If not for Ninth Senior Brother's sudden appearance, I might have..."

Her voice held a hint of lingering fear, but she immediately looked at Yun Che, her bright eyes curving into a smile. "However, it was precisely because I ventured into the Mist Sea on that occasion that I was able to meet Young Master Yun Che. That truly was the best decision of my life."

Her gaze was like one looking up at a deity.

Yun Che smiled, but in his mind, he firmly noted another piece of information: some of the Abyssal Beasts in the Mist Sea were ancient beast races that had been completely corrupted, while others... were materialized from excessively dense Abyssal Dust!