Chapter 2011: The Last Seed of the Evil God

"But, young human, you lack one crucial thing." The Qilin God's tone sharply shifted: "Caution! Since you are from an outer world, you must know that once exposed here, you will inevitably draw attention. And if your heritage from the Creation God becomes known to outsiders, you will be coveted by all beings. At that point, you'll find it more than just difficult to move forward. Yet, you have revealed all of this to me. Aren't you afraid that I will disclose everything about you to the world?"

Yun Che calmly replied, "Yes, I'm very afraid. If it were any other being, I would be exceedingly cautious. My origin and my mission here would be the greatest secrets I'd strive to conceal. Only to you, senior, do I dare to be sincere. And only by being sincere can I be worthy of your sincere treatment. Because," Yun Che smiled, "I believe even more that as the last Qilin of the Abyss, you would never allow the last glimmer of Qilin light shining upon you to be stained in the slightest."

He was the last Qilin, destined to protect the last glory and nobility of his race. But, before him was the Qilin God!

"Hahahaha, what a glib tongue." How could the Qilin God, such a being, not discern the hidden "implication" in his words? "Yet you seem to have forgotten that this place is called the 'Qilin God Realm', specially created for me by the Abyss Emperor. The Abyss Emperor's benevolence towards me is known to all. Matters of such importance concerning the future of the Abyss, I can conceal from others, but I have no reason to hide them from the Abyss Emperor. Are you not afraid of that?"

The smile on Yun Che's face did not diminish: "Senior Qilin God, there's no need to test or tease me anymore. I know that your relationship with the Abyss Emperor isn't as the world perceives. On the contrary, I boldly speculate... that between you and the Abyss Emperor, there must be a considerable rift regarding a certain matter, or perhaps several matters."

"..." The divine light in the Qilin God's eyes suddenly ceased to flow.

He did not refute, but was instead astonished at how Yun Che could have known.

Yun Che said, "To be frank, senior, I've only been in the Abyss for a short month and know very little about this world. It's even more impossible for me to have had any contact with the Abyss Emperor, who holds the highest position. The reason I believe this is actually quite simple." His gaze swept around; everywhere he looked was yellow sand: "The legend I've heard about the Qilin God Realm is that the Abyss Emperor and you, Senior Qilin God, were old acquaintances from ancient times, and the Abyss Emperor specifically opened this realm to protect you. Throughout the Qilin Abyss Realm, everyone reveres and praises the Abyss Emperor for this act. All firmly believe that the exceedingly dense Earth element power in this secret realm was bestowed by the Abyss Emperor, an unparalleled gift born of his tireless effort. It is also this gift that preserved the last Qilin bloodline to this day.

"But! When I learned that the elemental seed I was searching for was likely with you, senior, I knew that what sustained your existence to this day was the elemental seed of the Creation God of Elements, not the 'Abyss Emperor's benevolence.' Therefore, when the 'most superficial understanding' proves to be greatly erroneous, what I ponder naturally differs fundamentally from what others consider." He gazed into the Qilin God's eyes, perceiving every subtle shift in the light within them: "So, if one disregards the 'Abyss Emperor's benevolence,' a moment's thought reveals: if you, Senior Qilin God, and the Abyss Emperor truly shared a profound relationship, and if the Abyss Emperor genuinely wished to preserve the last Qilin, why wouldn't he place you in a pure land free of Abyssal Dust?"

Qilin God: "..."

"If the Pure Land, as the supreme existence, cannot make exceptions to house others, then why didn't the Abyss Emperor place you in one of the six Divine Nations, which can largely isolate Abyssal Dust? Not only are you, Senior Qilin God, exceptionally powerful, but you are also known throughout the world as a benevolent and auspicious beast, and indeed, the last Qilin. Any Divine Nation that had you would consider it an honor and would have no reason to reject you. Yet the result is that you, Senior Qilin God, are not in the Pure Land, not in a Divine Nation, nor even near one. Instead, you are in this remote place far from all Divine Nations. Upon closer consideration, this seems more like a form of... exile. If it's exile, then the existence of the Qilin God Realm is not protection, but a 'confinement.' The Qilin God Realm opens once every hundred cycles, and each time, an Abyssal Knight must be specially dispatched to open it and supervise the entire process. Everyone who enters must also strictly adhere to the rules personally set by the Abyss Emperor back then. Why would such effort be expended on a remote place? Why periodically dispatch an Abyssal Knight all the way from the Pure Land? Unless it's for..."

"Surveillance!"

Yun Che's voice paused, but he waited a long time without receiving any denial or refutation from the Qilin God. Yun Che continued, "I tried to put myself in the Abyss Emperor's position and deduce the reason for his actions. The conclusion I reached is that the relationship between you and the Abyss Emperor fractured due to a sufficiently large disagreement, and the most probable cause of this disagreement... is that you uncovered a certain secret concerning the Abyss Emperor."

As his voice fell, he clearly saw countless fine cracks erupt in the Qilin God's pupils for an instant.

"Astonishing." The Qilin God's voice carried deep surprise and a sigh of admiration: "Such a young life aura, yet able to see through so much... absolutely spot on. Truly worthy of being his successor, truly worthy of being the human with the qualification to inherit the Creation God's power." The same praise, yet it contained far more admiration than before.

Yun Che said, "Senior Qilin God, you truly overestimate me. Anyone who knew that the eternal Earth divine power here didn't come from the Abyss Emperor's benevolence would easily realize this."

"Heh heh, there's no need to be modest. Over the years, countless humans at the Divine Master's extreme realm have come here, yet none dared approach even half a step. Yet you, with a Divine Sovereign body, stand proudly and without humility before me. By this alone, you are already outstanding among your kind."

Yun Che: "..."

"So now, Senior Qilin God, have you permitted me to reclaim the elemental seed?" Yun Che composed himself, all expressions gone, and calmly met the Qilin God's gaze.

The Qilin God said, "Why don't you first ask me what that secret of the Abyss Emperor truly is?"

"I certainly want to know," Yun Che slowly shook his head, "but if I were to ask that question, it would undoubtedly be an insult to you, senior."

"Hahahahaha!" The Qilin God burst into laughter. As his aura ceased to be heavy and condensed, the surrounding world was stirred by his laughter, kicking up chaotic, scattering sandstorms: "A good answer, an excellent answer..."

The words "excellent answer" made Yun Che slightly frown. The reasons, intentions, temperament, and objectives behind every response were indeed "too perfect," without any flaws or openings. It was as if they had been rehearsed countless times. Having no flaws was, in itself, a flaw.

However, the Qilin God seemed oblivious to this "flaw." After his hearty laugh, his voice became completely gentle: "Young human, do you know which of your words I liked the most?"

Yun Che thought for a moment and said, "Could it be... 'It is no accident that this elemental seed, fallen into the Abyss, is in your hands, Senior Qilin God. Only a Qilin is worthy of receiving this protection from the Creation God'?"

"No," the Qilin God gave him a negative answer, "'My arrival is the greatest surprise in your long years.' That sentence resonated through my hundreds of thousands of years of soul."

"..." Yun Che's heart and soul trembled violently.

Just as he was about to speak, a sudden yellow light enveloped his vision... and an incredibly strong tremor abruptly surged through his Evil God Profound Veins. Yun Che instinctively looked up... a yellow star of light was descending from the sky, slowly falling towards him. With each increment it drew closer to Yun Che, its light deepened, and the tremor in Yun Che's profound veins intensified. Yun Che no longer had any mind for words. He extended his palm, eagerly yet carefully cupping the yellow star of light... In an instant, all the Evil God seeds in his profound veins released their respective divine glows, and a deep sense of satisfaction and elation surged within him, spreading to every corner of his body. He closed his hand, tightly clasping this last Evil God seed.

"Heh heh." Sensing Yun Che's irrepressible excitement, the Qilin God let out an exceptionally peaceful laugh: "Actually, the first reason alone would have been entirely sufficient. My life has been preserved to this day solely thanks to this gift from the Creation God of Elements. I thought it would be difficult to ever repay, yet you appeared before me. Your arrival is a godsend, a surprise. Because I can finally repay the great favor of the Creation God of Elements... and depart in peace. As for saving the Abyss... the collapse of the Abyss is irreversible. You cannot save the Abyss, and no one can save the Abyss."

"...!?" Yun Che abruptly looked up: "Senior Qilin God, what do you mean by that?"

"Unspeakable," the Qilin God replied. "Successor of the Creation God of Elements, whether your words about wanting to save the Abyss are true or false, I hope you can leave the Abyss as soon as possible and return to the world you came from."

Just as Yun Che was about to ask, his heart suddenly twitched violently. Unspeakable? Could it be... related to the Abyss Emperor's secret that he must guard so fiercely? The Abyss is destined to collapse? The Abyss Emperor's secret??

"No need to ask further," the Qilin God's voice overlaid Yun Che's unspoken words. "You only need to remember that the Abyss is destined to collapse. His obsession is the most terrifying thing in this world; no one can reverse it. I have merely lingered until now, unwillingly and helplessly awaiting that day."

The Abyss is destined to collapse... His obsession? He... refers to the Abyss Emperor? Abyss Emperor... obsession... collapsing the Abyss... No, that's not right! The world of the Abyss was built by the Abyss Emperor, and its current relative stability is entirely due to his life's efforts. The Abyssal Knights under his command exist to maintain order in the Abyss. The Qilin God's words surely shouldn't be interpreted this way. What could it possibly be...?

This was clearly not the time for excessive deliberation. Yun Che, wisely, did not press further, quietly exhaled, and solemnly bowed, saying, "Understood. Thank you for your advice, senior, and for fulfilling my purpose."

"The power of the Creation God of Elements inherently belongs to you; there's no need for thanks or talk of fulfillment."

In just that brief sentence, the divine light flowing from the Qilin God's eyes visibly dimmed considerably. "This elemental seed has been within me for many years. While preserving my life, it has also long since connected with my life source. What covers it is my primal divine power. Do not rush to merge with the elemental seed; instead, as you merge, slowly refine my primal divine power. This will greatly aid your progress." When Yun Che touched the Evil God Earth Seed, he had already sensed the incredibly dense Qilin essence. The Qilin God could have simply stripped the Evil God seed from his life source. Without the Evil God seed, his remaining life force would have sustained him for many more years. By doing this, he would undoubtedly cause his remaining life energy to rapidly dissipate. Solely to fulfill Yun Che's purpose, and to repay the Evil God's favor.

"Good..." Without any pretense or further words, Yun Che nodded heavily: "I will begin refining immediately, and I will not waste even a single bit of your painstaking efforts, senior."

"No, this is not the place for refinement." Not only his gaze, but even his voice was noticeably weaker: "Because this realm is connected to my life energy. After I pass away, this Qilin God Realm will collapse within three hours. And the time I have left is no more than a hundred breaths."

"...!?" Yun Che's gaze suddenly froze. He wanted to say that with the Qilin's power, even abandoning its primal energy, it wouldn't perish so quickly. But before he could speak, two lustrous yellow stars of light suddenly descended before him, glowing with a Qilin light so rich it filled his entire vision. "My body has long been largely corroded by Abyssal Dust. Were it not for that elemental seed, I would have long since turned into an Abyssal Beast, like my ancestor, the Qilin God... And these are my last pure source blood and pure source marrow. The 'Qilin Sacred Hall', the strongest guardian of my Qilin race, is also inscribed within them. This is my... only repayment to the Creation God of Elements. May they prove to be a powerful aid in your future life."

"..." Yun Che's mouth opened, unable to reach out, unable to speak.

"Leave this realm as soon as possible and find a peaceful place... The reborn Creation God of Elements, the reborn Evil God, heh heh heh, how much there is to look forward to." His laughter was exceptionally weak now, like the last breath of an evening breeze. But there was no hint of resentment or unwillingness, only peace and contentment.

Yun Che's gaze lowered slightly, and he said softly, "Your kindness, senior... I have no way to repay it." Half of what he had told the Qilin God was true, half false. His sole purpose had been to retrieve the Earth Seed without bloodshed. Yet the Qilin God... despite clearly seeing through the half-truths and half-lies in his words, did not expose them. Not only did he return the seed, but he also gave everything to repay. This was... the God of Qilin.

"My Qilin light was meant to vanish with me forever. Yet now, it can shine again upon the inheritor of the Creation God of Elements... I am only happy and have no regrets."