Chapter 2019: Paining Through the Soul

Yun Che flew out of the Qilin Divine Realm with Yun Xi. Once he confirmed they were outside Ximen Boyun's spiritual perception range, his speed drastically increased. He passed through desert after desert and countless cities until he flew into a sandstorm.

Compared to when Yun Che first arrived, the sandstorm here had significantly subsided.

As they left the sandstorm area, the light, instead of becoming clearer, abruptly grew darker.

As far as the eye could see, the world ahead was a hazy grey. It seemed cloaked in an eternal, thick mist, making it impossible to distinguish the earth from the sky, and the seemingly non-existent horizon remained out of reach.

The words "Mist Sea" appeared in Yun Che's mind.

The "mist" of the Mist Sea was actually an excessively dense Abyss Dust. It occupied over ninety percent of the Abyssal space and was known to all Abyssal beings as a place of death. The deeper one ventured, the denser the Abyss Dust became, the more terrifying the Abyssal Beasts, and the closer one approached death.

The Qilin Abyss Realm was close to the Mist Sea; he had known this since his first day there.

Having escaped the Qilin Abyss Realm, Yun Che's tightly strung nerves finally relaxed a fraction. Weakness and intense pain assailed him furiously, as if a thousand mountains were pressing down on every part of his body.

His disordered aura and noticeably unsteady flight path made Yun Xi aware of his unusual state. She spoke coldly, "Put me down."

The borderlands were inherently sparsely populated. Being close to the Mist Sea, there was no sign of human habitation as far as his spiritual perception reached.

Every time he had activated the Divine Ember in the past, he would inevitably faint for a long time due to the backlash. This time, he had endured for an incredibly long duration, and not only was his body on the verge of collapse, but his consciousness had also become noticeably hazy.

Without resisting, Yun Che slowly descended. The moment his feet touched the ground, the sensation of exhaustion and the urge to collapse onto his knees were overwhelmingly strong, but he forced himself to stand upright, doing his utmost to maintain his balance.

He had to heal Yun Xi's injuries first... He had to.

At the very least... he could not collapse in front of her.

His consciousness struggled to regain clarity from its momentary haze. Only then did he realize that Yun Xi had already separated from him, moving to stand ten paces away.

Her wounds had already sealed, and her aura was exceptionally calm, definitely without the dying, miserable state she had been in inside the Qilin Divine Realm. The same injuries would indeed be extremely severe on a human, but she was, after all, a Dragon God.

Even though Yun Che's consciousness was somewhat muddled now, he still understood that Yun Xi's previous state had been feigned. Perhaps it was to lower the guard of Ximen Borong and his group, or perhaps... it was simply to anger him.

His throat moved, and he uttered with considerable difficulty the name that, even now, felt like a distant dream: "Yun... Xi..."

"My name is Long Xi!" she said, her back to him, her voice utterly cold: "'Long' is my mother's surname, and 'Xi' was given by my mother. Don't call me by the wrong name again!"

A faint but incredibly pure and sacred white profound light shimmered around her, silently healing her injuries. That was the Life Divine Miracle in operation... She had indeed inherited her mother's light profound energy and had even cultivated the Life Divine Miracle.

Yun Che took a step forward and said softly: "I know... I owe you both too much, too much. I'm not worthy of being a father, and it's right that you hate me..."

"No, I don't hate you. Not at all."

Yun Xi's words remained incredibly calm: "My mother's calamity was rooted in her choice back then; it has nothing to do with you. She had no regrets or resentment. As her daughter, I should share everything with her, and likewise, I hold no resentment or hatred."

Yun Che: "..."

"You are indeed my biological father. But..." She finally turned around, looking directly into Yun Che's eyes, yet her gaze was even colder than her voice: "I no longer need a father, and I don't need you."

"Had I not needed to use you to escape this time, I would never have let you know of my existence."

Indeed, everything about her revealed not a trace of resentment, only extreme coldness and aloofness.

But for Yun Che, this was far more piercing to his heart and soul than any hatred.

Earlier, she had meticulously concealed her aura and appearance. She had been extremely repulsed by his proximity, even threatening him with death.

She had recognized him long ago, yet she had no desire to acknowledge him.

His eldest daughter, Yun Wuxin... he had also failed to witness her birth and missed out on her growth, but when they met, she was so happy and cheerful, like an unblemished sprite.

That was because, though she had no father by her side, she had always had her mother's companionship.

But Yun Xi... what exactly...

The severe injuries and the sharp pain in his heart and soul blurred his vision. When his vision cleared again, the crisscrossing black marks on her face stung his eyes.

He blurted out, "The scars on your face... who..."

"Heh." Yun Xi smiled, but without a trace of emotion: "Of course, it was me."

Yun Che: "...!?"

Yun Xi said coldly, "My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world, and I was very fortunate, yet also very unfortunate, to have inherited her appearance."

"When I was fifteen, I began to notice the strange looks people gave me, and more and more spiritual perceptions lingered on me excessively."

"So, I stole an Abyss Core from an Abyssal Beast of the Mist Sea, gouged open my own face, and released the Abyss Dust from the core, allowing it to corrode... until no one dared to look at me more than once again."

"...!!!" Yun Che's body trembled violently, finally unable to support himself any longer. His knees hit the ground heavily, his entire body shaking, unable to stand up. The pain and cruelty were like ten thousand arrows piercing Yun Che's heart, but as Yun Xi spoke, she was as indifferent as if describing a trivial matter concerning someone else: "This was caused by the corrosion of Abyss Dust, and over the decades, it has completely fused with my body. Even the Life Divine Miracle cannot remove it."

"..." Yun Che clenched his teeth, trying several times to stand up, but in his utter emotional collapse, he couldn't muster even a shred of strength.

"You... why would you..."

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he sharply lifted his head, his pupils constricting: "Where is your mother? Was she... not with you?"

"Of course my mother is with me!" Yun Xi's tone suddenly grew heavier, and she immediately turned her head away, not letting him see the tragic grief welling in her eyes. A slightly dazed whisper escaped her lips: "She's always here... Mother would never abandon me... never..."

Yun Che's heartstrings did not relax in the slightest; that unconscious whisper only increased the unease in his heart: "What happened to Shen Xi? What exactly happened to her? Tell me!"

"What happened to my mother is none of your business!"

The cold words carried a sharp, desolate edge, piercing fiercely into Yun Che's heart, making him freeze in place.

Yun Xi turned her gaze away again and slowly exhaled... She thought, it would be better just to ignore him, to stay away, so why was her composure still slipping?

She said coldly, "When my mother was in the most pain, the most despair, you weren't there. She endured it all alone, and even to save me... *hic*..."

"When I was most lonely, most in darkness, most sad, most desperate, most wanting to die, most in need... even of just a little support, you were never there."

She took a deep breath, and her voice gradually returned to calmness: "But it's okay. I've endured everything, and Mother is also so strong, still 'existing'."

"..." Yun Che closed his eyes, blood pouring from the corners of his mouth, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Her self-destroyed face, the coldness radiating from her very bones... He couldn't imagine, dared not imagine, how she had spent her years in the Abyss.

"Now, I am strong enough. I can already protect myself, and I've found a way to make Mother 'awaken'... I no longer need support, nor do I crave it, yet you 'opportunely' appeared!"

"And as soon as you appeared..." Yun Xi clenched her teeth slightly: "...you almost destroyed my only hope of saving Mother!"

"...?" Yun Che mumbled in bewilderment: "You took the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid for... Shen Xi?"

"That's right." Yun Xi said slowly: "Originally, by concealing my aura and quietly approaching the Qilin God, I could have easily obtained the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid." "Because my grandfather... the Primeval Azure Dragon, bestowed great kindness upon the Qilin God race in ancient times. The Qilin God is the most grateful race, and unrequited kindness is passed down through generations. The Qilin God in the Qilin Divine Realm would surely recognize my aura. As long as I spoke, it would be desperate to give me all the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchids."

"I could have obtained it safely and left quietly."

"But you..." Yun Xi's chest rose and fell: "Do you dare say that the Qilin God's sudden demise has nothing to do with you!?"

"..." His heart and soul received another immensely heavy blow. Yun Che's palms, propping him up on the ground, trembled for a long time.

Grandfather... Primeval Azure Dragon...

Shen Xi was indeed the daughter of the Primeval Azure Dragon...

But at this moment, his mind was filled with nothing but pain; he had no strength left to think.

"So, don't think that just because you saved me, I have to be grateful to you. That's what you owe me, and you even left me with new injuries!"

Yun Che's consciousness felt as if it had fallen into a lightless deep sea, filled with guilt, bitterness, pain, and self-loathing...

In the God Realm, he was hailed as Emperor; all living beings feared him and bowed before him, what immense prestige he wielded.

Yet, unbeknownst to him, in another world, his daughter was carrying her mother, walking alone through the dark Abyss.

"Yun... Xi..." he whispered, all words in the world seemed so pale at this moment: "I'm sorry... I didn't know... I... truly didn't know..."

"I didn't even know you existed... Back then... I left your mother... there were circumstances beyond my control... Afterward... I could never find her again..."

She coldly interrupted Yun Che's words: "I know you have many difficulties, many circumstances beyond your control, many other wives and children to protect, so what?"

"Must I accept it? Must I forgive? Must I forgive on my mother's behalf? And then, when you appear, respectfully call you 'Father'?"

"..." Yun Che lowered his head, speechless. After a long time, he said painfully, "At least, give me a chance to make amends..."

"No need!" Yun Xi turned away, refusing without the slightest hesitation: "I've already clearly stated that I no longer need a father, nor do I need your so-called 'amends'."

"I don't hate you. In the future, if I save Mother and she wishes to reunite with you, I will not stop her. But before that, please do not interfere with my and Mother's current situation! Because what you bring... might only be disaster!"

"Consider it my plea."

Having said that, she soared into the sky, resolutely moving away.

"Wait!"

An unknown strength surged through his already collapsing body, propelling him forward to appear directly in front of Yun Xi.

Yun Xi was forced to stop.

"Tell me... Shen Xi... what exactly happened to your mother... where is she..." Yun Che's gaze was full of pleading.

Yun Xi's eyes were cold: "And after I tell you? What can you do? Save her? Protect her?"

Yun Che: "..."

"Killed a few small fry from the Qilin Abyss Realm, and now you feel all-powerful?" Yun Xi sneered: "Do you know that before the true powerhouses of this Abyss, you are nothing but a slightly larger ant! Are you fit to protect my mother? What a joke!"

Without waiting for Yun Che's reply, her tone suddenly shifted: "That Abyssal Knight called Mo Beichen, you killed him, didn't you?"

Yun Che's words, about to escape his lips, instantly turned into a gasp of shock. "Hmph, just as I thought." Yun Xi showed a fleeting, strange expression: "Given the power you used to kill those Qilin Abyss nobodies, combined with the Sky Profound Treasure on you, it is indeed possible. So, your presence in this Abyss is indeed to find an opportunity to stop the Abyss from corroding your world."

"..." Yun Che stared at her, speechless.

With a flicker, she bypassed Yun Che, appearing behind him, and vanished into the distance in an instant: "If you don't want me to reveal your existence, then stay as far away from me as possible. Otherwise..."

Her voice rapidly faded until it disappeared into the dim horizon.

Yun Che pressed his hand to his chest and slowly closed his eyes.

So clever...

Terrifyingly clever...

Truly worthy of being...

My daughter...

His consciousness snapped, and he plummeted from the air, completely falling into unconsciousness.