Chapter 2022: Mist Sea Welcomes the Emperor

“No need to be surprised,” the voice, carrying a divine aura, gently soothed Yun Che's suddenly agitated emotions. “When she was about to dissipate, I knew I could save her. It was an instinctive recognition etched into my soul source, unrelated to memory. Perhaps it's because... I am the Creator God of Life.”

At this moment, Yun Che believed with such intensity that she was indeed the Creator God of Life.

“Then Hualing... where is she now?” Yun Che slowly straightened up. “Our lives are connected, so why can I not feel her at all?”

Lisha gently replied, “With her life source and soul source dispersed, her life connection to you, and her soul connection to the Heaven Smiting Pearl, naturally broke.”

These words sent a chill through Yun Che's heart. He murmured, “Her life source and soul source dispersed... can she truly... still be alive?”

“By your understanding, by the understanding of the common world, no, she cannot,” Lisha said. “But I am the Creator God of Life, and Hualing's life source happens to be akin to mine. I rescued her last vestige of existence, safeguarding it within the Primordial Seal of Life and Death. When the time is right, I can restore her to completeness... both her life and her soul.”

In the calmest and gentlest voice, she uttered the most incredible words in the world.

“The time? What time?” Yun Che urgently pressed.

Right, she was the Creator God of Life! Things he couldn't do, things beyond his comprehension... she could certainly accomplish!

“When my Creator God power has sufficiently recovered. And the person who determines this timing is you, not me.”

Lisha's answer was unexpected, yet it did not surprise him.

Yun Che didn't immediately press for more. Instead, he calmed himself, and after a brief moment of thought, suddenly said, “So, your Creator God power must rely on me to recover?”

“Not only that,” Lisha whispered, “my very existence also depends on the Ancestor God's aura within you.”

Whether it was because the Creator God of Life's divine heart was inherently pure and sacred, unstained and flawless, or because her awakening was akin to a rebirth, with extremely shallow understanding and experience beyond the fragments... she completely laid bare her situation, or rather, her ultimate vulnerability, before Yun Che.

A Creator God who once stood at the pinnacle, overlooking all beings in all worlds, now personally admitted... that she must rely on him to exist!?

“...” A moment of astonishment, and Yun Che's eyebrows involuntarily narrowed.

Endless absurdity and incredulity... yet, Yun Che was the only one in this world who could rationalize it.

Because Yun Che truly possessed an existence on a level higher than a Creator God... the Void Sacred Body!

The “Ancestor God's aura” Lisha spoke of was undoubtedly the life essence naturally released by the Void Sacred Body. Given the difference in planar levels, the “Ancestor God's aura” should have been imperceptible even to a Creator God, just as Jie Yuan, when she returned to the world back then, never detected any traces of an Ancestor God on Yun Che, and was instead greatly astonished by his coexistence of light and darkness... it was rather Xia Qingyue's life essence and memories that made her surprisingly realize the existence of the Ancestor God's Will. Lisha herself initially thought it was Hualing's life essence that had awakened her. It was only after witnessing Yun Che's conversation with the Ancestor God's Will that she understood the existence of the “Ancestor God's aura” on Yun Che.

What Yun Che had been endowed with was the Ancestor God power restored by the Ancestor God's Will sacrificing six hundred cycles of reincarnation. Compared to a true Ancestor God, it was like a grain of sand beneath a vast starry sky. Yet it was already enough to defy the heavens and rebel against the natural order. This was the terrifying power of different planar levels.

“I see,” Yun Che slowly nodded. “I understand. As long as I am strong enough, and my life essence is sufficiently robust, your life, divine soul, and Creator God power will also recover. Once they've recovered enough, Hualing can be revived?”

If it were anyone else, Yun Che would surely suspect this was a ploy, using Hualing's revival as leverage to force him to grow stronger quickly, thereby completing her own recovery and freedom.

But she was the Creator God of Life, possessing a sacred soul and sacred heart. Even in her weakest state, she was unwilling to harm Hualing's life essence, so how could she harbor such a manipulative thought?

“That is correct,” Lisha's voice responded, devoid of joy or sorrow, like a dream or mist. “I cannot determine if your progress dictates the upper limit of my recovery. However, the higher your planar level, the faster my recovery will undoubtedly be, and the closer it will be to Hualing's revival.”

Struggling to suppress the excitement and elation in his soul, Yun Che hesitated for a moment but couldn't resist asking, “Then now... can I see her?”

“You can, but I do not recommend it,” Lisha replied. “This world is permeated with Abyssal Dust. If the Primordial Seal of Life and Death were opened and Abyssal Dust infiltrated, it could lead to unpredictable consequences. Furthermore, she must remain in slumber now; even if you saw her, you couldn't communicate with her. Forcibly waking her... the outcome would be hard to predict.”

Yun Che immediately dropped the thought, hastily saying, “I understand, I was too anxious.”

She's still here...

So wonderful... truly wonderful...

Ten years... a hundred years... a thousand, ten thousand years... as long as he could see her whole and unharmed again, any wait was fine.

The Abyss is dangerous and fraught with sin at every step. It's better for you to sleep peacefully, no longer needing to worry about me, no longer having to bear this sin with me.

Recalling his previous conversation with Hong'er, who said “White Big Sister” would fall into a long slumber after healing him... evidently, her current state, despite performing astonishing life miracles, severely harms her.

His external injuries had healed, and though his internal injuries were severe... based on past experience, all his injuries would recover when he integrated the Heretic God seed.

It was as if every return of a Heretic God seed marked a complete rejuvenation for him.

“Lisha...” Yun Che hesitated, then tentatively asked, “Should I still call you... Creator God-sama?”

Lisha's reply was as serene as a secluded spring: “All my former memories and understanding are shattered and fragmented. I no longer know what the demeanor of a Creator God should be. How you address me is entirely up to you.”

“I see,” Yun Che mused. “So, can I understand this as your past memories and understanding gradually recovering, but becoming unlike your own due to being 'shattered and fragmented'? And the understanding that truly belongs to 'you' is only what you've gained in these few years since your awakening?”

“Yes.” Yun Che had indeed accurately interpreted Lisha's feelings.

“In that case, it's been barely five years, at most, since I obtained the Primordial Seal of Life and Death. From that perspective, you are Lisha, but not entirely the Lisha of the past, but rather a reborn Lisha...”

His gaze fixed on Lisha's face, which was covered in white light, and he tried to sense the changes in her emotions and aura. “Then perhaps I should call you... Little Lisha?”

“That is also acceptable.”

“...” Lisha's response momentarily stunned Yun Che.

Truly a Creator God! And truly the woman even the two Creator Gods couldn't handle! To be so utterly serene in the face of such a blatant and deliberate affront!

“Actually...” Yun Che found himself at a loss. “I was just joking.”

Lisha: “?”

Yun Che had no choice but to change the subject. “Your current existence is still very weak. Try not to use your power unless absolutely necessary. My internal injuries can be ignored for now.”

How terrifying was the backlash from Divine Ash? He appeared to have no external injuries, but in reality, his meridians were half-severed, his five vital organs shattered, and his entire body was filled with constantly spiraling and uncontrolled profound energy.

Lisha softly said, “Since you have recovered consciousness, you naturally don't need my power. For now, you should find a quiet place and integrate the Heretic God seed you just obtained.”

“Right.” Yun Che gazed into the distance... The sandstorm encircling the Qilin Abyss Realm was visible on the horizon, and he couldn't entirely rule out the possibility of Ximen Boyun discovering the anomaly and pursuing him out of the Qilin Abyss Realm.

He quickly determined his destination: “We'll go to the Mist Sea.”

He had already confirmed in the Qilin Abyss Realm that Abyssal Dust greatly limited spiritual perception.

The Abyssal Dust in the Mist Sea was far denser than outside, naturally imposing greater restrictions on spiritual perception. However, his spiritual perception was gradually no longer affected by Abyssal Dust... so, when in the Mist Sea, he would have a significant advantage, at least in terms of perception.

At the same time, he also wanted to know to what extent he could interfere with Abyssal Dust.

Lisha no longer spoke to him. The white light faded, disappearing from Yun Che's sight like ethereal clouds dispersed by a gentle breeze.

“Ah! White Big Sister, you haven't answered me yet... you can't run away!”

Hong'er also immediately transformed into a red light and returned to the Heaven Smiting Pearl, directly pursuing Lisha's aura.

She was always carefree and never took anything to heart, but for some reason, deep in her subconscious, she always felt that the name “Bowl Pot” was very important to her.

Yun Xi, Hualing, news of Shen Xi, and Lisha's current state... In just one day, Yun Che's soul sea had been turned upside down.

He flew low, heading straight towards the gray world that swallowed the heavens and earth.

Yun Xi... my daughter, you were right. With my current strength, even if I were to force my way close to you and Shen Xi, I couldn't possibly protect you... all I might bring is disaster.

Wait for me a while...

Your father... he has the Ancestor God's favor, the inheritances of the Heretic God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, and there are even those who sacrificed themselves to change his fate... Now, even a Creator God is compelled to become his helper...

He also possesses a determination to stop at nothing...

So, even in the Abyss, given enough time, he will surely grow strong enough to fear nothing... Whatever you have endured before, when you meet again, he will shoulder everything for you from then on.

The Mist Sea grew closer, and Yun Che's gaze unconsciously darted towards the direction Yun Xi had taken.

Dragon Race...

My daughter, my Shen Xi, if you grant them shelter, in the future, I will show you leniency. Any kindness extended, I will repay a hundredfold!

But...

If my daughter, my Shen Xi, suffers any harm...

Then your entire race... shall vanish forever in this Abyss!

The moment he touched the edge of the Mist Sea, his figure was as if suddenly swallowed whole by a gray maw, completely vanishing into the vast rolling gray mist.

Beneath the highest peak of the Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range.

The dragon prestige of the entire Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range seemed to converge here. Even without a barrier, the invisible, vast pressure alone would fill all beings with dread, making them fear to approach.

Because this was where the Ancestral Dragon Divine Hall was located.

At this moment, a slowly approaching sound of footsteps echoed within the utterly silent Ancestral Dragon Divine Hall.

“Chixin, you've arrived.”

The aged voice, imbued with a mighty dominance capable of sealing heaven and earth, also seemed to carry a faint weariness.

The middle-aged man bowed before the hall: “Chixin respectfully greets the Dragon Lord.”

“Rise and speak,” the Dragon Lord's voice came from within the hall.

Long Chixin stood up, his upper body still slightly bowed. “Long Xi went to a remote region called the Qilin Abyss Realm. She used a local power called the Qilin Worshipping Alliance to enter the Qilin God Realm. However, on the very first day of her entry, the Qilin God Realm suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, she managed to escape in time. The injuries she sustained should have been caused by the spatial turbulence during the collapse of the mystic realm.”

“Qilin Abyss Realm... Qilin God Realm.” The aged voice murmured lowly, then asked, “You visited her just now. How did she respond?”

Long Chixin said, “She said she has obtained the Earth Spirit Treasure, named the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid.”

“...” The Dragon Lord remained silent for a long time.

Seeing the Dragon Lord's prolonged silence, Long Chixin couldn't help but ask, “Dragon Lord, why are you... so concerned about this matter?”

A long sigh echoed within the hall.

“Although the Qilin Abyss Realm is a remote place, it is the most active place for earth elements in this world. The so-called Earth Spirit Treasure could only appear there. So, based on the records of the Qilin Abyss Realm, I gave it the name 'Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid'.”

“And this 'Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid' was merely an ephemeral occurrence in the history of the Qilin Abyss Realm. I had thought it would never appear again, but I didn't expect...”

“Could it truly be the will of heaven?”

Long Chixin raised his eyes in astonishment. “Dragon Lord, what do you mean by these words...? Could it be that the 'Five Spirit Supreme Treasures' you spoke of earlier...”

“That's right. The Five Spirit Supreme Treasures were merely a fabrication of mine.” The Dragon Lord finally revealed the truth he had kept hidden in his heart.

“What...?” Long Chixin's face showed shock.

The Dragon Lord slowly said, “Abyssal Dust is not only devouring the lives of our Dragon Race but also consuming our talents. The decline of each generation is clearly visible, and by Wangchu's time... alas.”

A sigh, revealing how disappointed he once was with Long Wangchu.

“And Long Xi's appearance was like a divine miracle and hope. Over the years, I've considered more than once, what if I were to choose her as my successor...”

“Absolutely not!” Before the Dragon Lord finished speaking, Long Chixin cried out in alarm. “No matter how high Long Xi's talent is, she is still an outer dragon, not a descendant of the Dragon Lord. Moreover, she is half-human, half-dragon, and doesn't even have the ability to transform into a dragon body... How can our Dragon Race revere a half-human, half-dragon in the future?”

“I naturally understand what you're saying,” the Dragon Lord said. “Therefore, nourishing Wangchu with her essence blood is the best choice. And Wangchu's progress over these years, as well as the changes in his dragon aura, are clear for all to see, truly like a miracle.”

“However, everyone is perfectly aware of her temperament.”

“Her coldness and indifference seem to be etched into her bones. Regardless of gender or age, she doesn't get close to anyone, nor does she speak an extra word to anyone... Even her transaction with me emphasized it as a fair exchange, with no debts owed to each other.”

Long Chixin naturally knew Long Xi's personality... The word most people heard from Long Xi was simply, “Scram.”

She didn't want any association with anyone from the Dragon Race. Behind her extreme coldness... it was as if she had suffered some deep trauma.

“She exchanged her essence blood for protection. Yet, even with her essence blood constantly depleting, she still grew too fast, too fast. The Divine Annihilation Realm, which others might never reach in a lifetime, was within her grasp even as she diminished her essence blood...”

“And when she becomes powerful enough, she will no longer need protection, and naturally, she will stop providing essence blood to Wangchu. Since there are no emotional ties and the exchange is fair, I would have no reason to keep her then... If I were to force her to stay, given her personality, she would surely choose to perish together.”

“Therefore, once I learned of her sole obsession, I fabricated the existence of the 'Five Spirit Supreme Treasures.' I told her that by obtaining all Five Spirit Supreme Treasures, and with the aid of my dragon power, she could awaken the soul within 'that sword'.”

“And the condition for me to sacrifice my dragon power for her then was that she must remain with the Dragon Race and not interrupt her 'offering' to Wangchu until she had found all Five Spirit Supreme Treasures.”

The Dragon Lord's voice gradually weakened... Without a doubt, this was the most despicable thing he had ever done in his life.

But for the future of the Dragon Race, he had no choice.

“To make her believe, I ensured that the 'Five Spirit Supreme Treasures' were all divine objects that had indeed appeared in records, not mere fabrications. However, the 'Five Spirit Supreme Treasures' I selected had all only made fleeting appearances, making it incredibly difficult to obtain even one. Yet... in just a few decades, she has already found four of them.”

This was why he had to lament, “the will of heaven.”

No ancient texts in the Abyss contained records of the “Five Spirit Supreme Treasures.” However, the Dragon Lord's lifespan was nearly a million years, and his knowledge alone transcended countless records.

Moreover, as the Supreme Dragon Lord, whose status was second only to the Pure Lands and the Six Nations and Seven Gods, how could he utter such a despicable lie to a junior...

So, not only Long Xi, but all dragons aware of the matter believed it implicitly.

Long Chixin bowed his head deeply, his lips trembling.

He couldn't believe... and was even somewhat unable to accept that the Supreme Dragon Lord would actually...

But thinking of Long Wangchu's original talent and progress, and the future of the Ancestral Dragon lineage... he could only let out a long sigh.

“Dragon Lord, are you telling me all this today because...”

“That's right.” The Dragon Lord's voice was slow and solemn. “At least until Wangchu achieves the Divine Annihilation Realm, the last spirit treasure absolutely... cannot be allowed to be found by her.”

Things had come to this; there was no second choice.

Long Chixin nodded heavily. “I understand, please rest assured, Dragon Lord.”

After a brief hesitation, he still asked, “Dragon Lord, Chixin has a question, purely out of curiosity.”

“That sword Long Xi has been obsessed with... is there truly no way to awaken the sword spirit within it?”

After a long silence, the Dragon Lord still responded, “I have probed that barrier with my consciousness more than once, but each time the result was exactly the same.”

“It is a sword with an ancient aura, yet utterly ordinary... a dead sword.”

“There is no sword spirit. Such an ordinary sword could not possibly give birth to a sword spirit.”

Long Chixin: “But...”

“Her obsession might be because she refuses to believe, or perhaps... there truly is a dormant soul within that sword, but only she can perceive it.”

“But no matter what, that is her sole obsession, and I can even clearly sense that it is her only reason for living... If that obsession is broken, then there will be nothing left in this world that can keep her.”

Long Chixin nodded. “I understand, thank you for informing me, Dragon Lord. What was spoken today will absolutely not be known by a third person.”

“Go then... Although this matter is difficult to speak of, you should understand its importance.”

“Yes!” Long Chixin bowed deeply and turned to leave... but then he suddenly stopped and said, “Dragon Lord, given Long Xi's astuteness and her nature of never trusting anyone, could she have suspected from the very beginning that the 'Five Spirit Supreme Treasures' were a lie?”

The Dragon Lord's voice replied, “A drowning man will clutch at a straw.”

“I have used her obsession, but... I must absolutely not trigger the worst possible outcome.”

“...Rest assured, Dragon Lord.” Long Chixin bowed once more and slowly departed.

The breathtaking silence returned to the front of the Ancestral Dragon Great Hall.

A long while later, a wisp of heavy wind carried the Dragon Lord's sigh:

“Long Xi... if only you were my descendant, I would have no regrets even if I died a thousand times, alas.”

Indeed, he had more than once suggested that Long Xi acknowledge him as her father... Each time, he was unequivocally rejected, without even a moment's hesitation.