Chapter 2036: Reunion

To find someone in the vast sea of fog would be extremely difficult, even with a demigod's spiritual perception.

Unless one could attach their divine sense to the Abyss Dust, like Yun Che.

Arriving at the spot in Dream Isle where he had "encountered" Hua Cairi a few days prior, Yun Che's divine sense, relying on the Abyss Dust, slowly spread outwards like ripples.

Concealed by the Abyss Dust, Yun Che's method of divine sense searching was hard to detect. However, the one secretly guarding Hua Cairi was Sword Immortal Hua Qingying.

The peak of the Divine Master Realm was a level Yun Che had never experienced and was beyond his comprehension, so he had to be exceedingly careful and cautious.

To provide complete protection, one must always maintain overall control, and the optimal position was undoubtedly high above. Thus, the Abyss Dust attached to Yun Che's divine sense floated at a low altitude, within one *zhang*, and moved exceptionally slowly.

One day...

Two days...

Three days...

Finally, on the fifth day, a particle of Abyss Dust touched the woman's aura, which he had only encountered once but had firmly etched into his heart.

Yun Che's eyes opened, emitting an eerie glow that inspired dread.

He was like a recently awakened demon who had found the prey it desperately wished to devour!

A sword light, like a rainbow, swept through the dim sea of fog, creating a dazzling display of power.

Then, this sword light exploded like stars, carving dozens of sword marks in the space ahead and instantly shattering four profound beasts that lunged from the darkness into hundreds of pieces.

The sword shadow flew back behind the young girl; its blade was like jade, and her white robes were like snow, unstained by a single drop of blood.

"Forty-three swords..."

The young girl murmured. In a single moment, her sword intent had created forty-three sword marks—a feat astonishing enough to amaze all realms, yet her lips were filled with disappointment.

Six months ago, she could transform a wisp of sword intent into thirty-nine sword marks. Hua Qingying was delighted by such progress in half a year, but the girl herself remained unsatisfied.

Her profound cultivation still remained at the Half-step Divine Extinction Realm.

Her time spent training in the sea of fog, countless dangerous encounters, and firsthand experiences of various aspects of human nature had subtly brought about significant changes in her aura and gaze.

Yet, the remarkably firm barrier to the Divine Extinction Realm showed no signs of loosening.

Although her father often said that even a genius would need hundreds or even thousands of years to break through the Divine Extinction bottleneck, and that it was entirely normal for Divine Sons and Daughters with divine cores to be held back by a bottleneck for a century.

However, as the only one among the current four Divine Sons and two Divine Daughters with a perfect divine core, she was also the only one who had not yet entered the Divine Extinction Realm.

If she were merely nineteen years old, she naturally wouldn't be anxious. But...

"Aunt, I think I can go a bit deeper."

Hua Cairi murmured; though calling out "Aunt," she was actually talking to herself.

Ever since she entered the sea of fog, Hua Qingying had never responded to her.

Even when she was besieged by berserk Abyss Beasts multiple times, leaving her covered in wounds, or when she was ambushed by others multiple times, Hua Qingying never appeared.

It was as if Hua Qingying had already left her side, leaving her alone to face the vast sea of fog. As a Divine Daughter of the God Realm, who had grown up pampered, she undoubtedly found it hard to adapt to solitude. But, also as a Divine Daughter of the God Realm, she possessed an innate nobility and pride. Many people wished to accompany her on her journey through the sea of fog, but she kept them all at a distance.

In her solitude, she would speak all her thoughts—her joys, her disappointments, her next goals, or any sudden whims—to her aunt. She knew that she was right beside her, listening to every word she said.

She moved towards the deeper parts of the sea of fog.

Completely unaware... she had been targeted by a devil destined to bring chaos to this world.

The Abyss Dust gradually thickened, and the light grew dimmer. The omnipresent danger meant one's spirit barely dared to relax for a moment. Therefore, no one could stay in the sea of fog for too long; no matter how resilient one's spirit, there would always be a point of collapse.

Similarly, the tempering of one's spirit in the sea of fog often far surpassed the advancement of one's profound cultivation.

Hua Cairi's steps were silent, and her breathing was light. Although her aura and the Glass Cloud Sword had not yet achieved perfect fusion, they were far more harmonious than before she entered the sea of fog.

High above in the distant sky, where layers of Abyss Dust accumulated, Hua Qingying's gaze suddenly shifted.

A figure was slowly approaching, heading directly towards Hua Cairi.

Slightly surprised, the person's name then appeared in her mind...

That one from Lin Yuan Realm... Yun Che?

The sight of Yun Che, a Divine Sovereign, dominating a group of Divine Masters was so astonishing that even Hua Qingying, with all her power, couldn't help but be deeply impressed by him.

And this person, whom she had only accidentally glimpsed and expected no further interaction with, had actually entered the sea of fog, and such a deep part of it.

His cultivation... Divine Master Realm Stage Two, and nearing a breakthrough?

Hua Qingying's eyebrows twitched slightly.

It seemed only half a year had passed, yet he had unexpectedly crossed an entire major realm and nearly two minor realms?

Except for special inheritances or forceful external catalysts, such rapid progress in such a short time was almost impossible even in the God Realm.

However... she didn't know that because Yun Che's profound veins were on too high a level, his breakthrough to the Divine Sovereign Realm was comparable to others' breakthroughs to the Divine Master Realm, and his breakthrough to the Divine Master Realm was comparable to others' breakthroughs to the Divine Extinction Realm. Otherwise, even as a Sword Immortal, she absolutely could not have remained calm.

In her line of sight, Yun Che's posture was similar to Hua Cairi's: light steps and a fully restrained aura, a perfectly normal state of vigilance in the sea of fog.

As her attention retracted from him, Hua Qingying's cold eyes suddenly narrowed.

In Hua Cairi's vicinity, the wandering Abyss Beasts all, without exception, began to approach her location, as if drawn by some aura.

She swept her divine sense and found nearly thirty of them!

Moreover, their destructive auras were all late-stage or even peak Divine Master Realm.

Abyss Beasts possessed no consciousness beyond destruction; this was a fundamental truth of the Abyss. The direction these Abyss Beasts wandered in could only be a dangerous coincidence.

As they continued to wander, one by one... they gradually began to approach the danger zone.

Hua Cairi could easily handle any one of them.

But at such a close distance, if Hua Cairi startled any one of them, the ensuing battle would surely draw all the other Abyss Beasts to her, and then...

Hua Qingying did not warn Hua Cairi, nor did she make any move.

If it truly came to that, it would be a veritable death trap for Hua Cairi!

She wanted to observe precisely how far Hua Cairi could struggle when facing a death trap.

This coincidence might be the most painful and profound lesson of her journey through the sea of fog!

Hua Cairi clearly sensed the approaching danger, stopped, and the Glass Cloud Sword silently moved into her palm.

Suddenly, she thrust out her sword, a sword beam tearing through the darkness and shooting a hundred *zhang* away, piercing through a lurking Abyss Beast.

Roar!

The Abyss Beast let out an angry shriek, and a dark shadow burst forth, covered in dark blood, lunging towards Hua Cairi.

Hua Cairi focused to counter it, but as her sword stance began, over a dozen shrieks from different Abyss Beasts simultaneously rang out around her.

The profound energy she released startled all the nearby Abyss Beasts.

Driven by destructive desire, over a dozen berserk auras also lunged towards her simultaneously.

Hua Cairi's eyes instantly narrowed. Her rationality prompted her to immediately retract her sword stance, preparing to escape the area with all her might.

But the directions from which these dozen-plus Abyss Beasts lunged perfectly sealed off all her escape routes.

The young girl no longer retreated. The Glass Cloud Sword swept lightly, carving a lingering sword mark in front... then instantly bursting into sword light like scorching stars in the night sky.

Whoosh! The body of the Abyss Beast closest to her was once again pierced by sword light. Its body paused slightly, but its movements became even more berserk, charging directly into the layers of sword light like a star curtain. Its powerful body was severed layer by layer, finally losing all signs of life when it was within three *zhang* of her.

It also extinguished thirty percent of Hua Cairi's sword light.

At this moment, Abyss Beast auras simultaneously rushed closer from behind, left, right, side... and even above.

Surrounded by so many Abyss Beasts of similar cultivation levels, Hua Cairi's white robes were already stained with blood in the very first instant. She remained calm and composed, her body dancing with the Glass Cloud Sword, and in an instant, she unleashed seven layers of sword curtain, enveloping the seven approaching Abyss Beasts.

The Glass Cloud Sword was slender and elegant, yet possessed terrifyingly sharp edges. Its jade-like sword light instantly brought forth splatters of dark blood across the sky.

If these were merely early-stage Divine Master Realm Abyss Beasts, they would certainly be shattered by the sword curtain. But amidst the splattering dark blood and sword light, the Abyss Beasts that were sent flying were covered in shocking gashes, yet their bodies could not be severed.

When battling Abyss Beasts in the sea of fog, one was inherently at a disadvantage, suppressed by the Abyss Dust. To heavily wound and send flying seven peak Divine Master Realm Abyss Beasts with one sword... This scene was astonishing enough to dazzle the world.

But from behind, new Abyss Beasts had lunged again, preventing her from delivering a sufficiently fatal follow-up attack. Her sword stance changed with the situation, and the sword shadows circling her body bloomed into an exceptionally magnificent white jade sword lotus.

The heads of three Abyss Beasts were forcefully twisted off, and dark blood stained the young girl's body.

Abyss Beasts, knowing no fear, surged forward wildly. Their ferocious destructive power destroyed the sword lotus, whose sword intent had greatly weakened, and four residual powers simultaneously crashed onto Hua Cairi's body.

Hua Cairi's face turned slightly pale. Forcibly leveraging the impact, she retreated like lightning, her sword angled away.

But just as she narrowly escaped, the seven Abyss Beasts she had previously sent flying with a single sword attack had all lunged back. Seven lines of savage, cold-soul destructive power pressed down firmly upon her alone. The thought of desperately escaping was finally completely extinguished at this moment. The Abyss Beasts' desire for destruction followed their instincts completely; they would fight to the death. When one's speed could not provide a significant enough advantage, a forceful escape was an impossible delusion; it would instead attract more Abyss Beasts.

Hua Cairi's gaze turned cold, her sword intent condensed in her heart, and her five senses instantly became perfectly clear. It was as if only the Glass Cloud Sword existed in the world.

The Glass Cloud Sword emerged, its light no longer hesitant, but cold and resolute.

High in the distant sky, Hua Qingying silently watched the changes in Hua Cairi's mental state and sword momentum, watching her white robes slowly become completely stained with blood.

The sound of sword light tearing through the air became exceptionally sharp. An Abyss Beast, covered in sword marks, was finally severed by a single sword strike, exploding into a rain of blood across the sky.

At the same time, three streams of destructive power simultaneously struck Hua Cairi's back.

Hua Cairi's body shuddered violently, but as she twisted, she remained graceful like a white butterfly. The Glass Cloud Sword cut a thick white beam through the air.

Slash!!

The throat bones of three Abyss Beasts were simultaneously cut in half, and the remaining sword might forcefully bent their heads.

Yun Che was approaching unhurriedly.

Each of the Abyss Beasts besieging Hua Cairi had a fragment of his consciousness residing in its Abyss Core. Although he wasn't physically present, the entire battle was completely displayed in his soul sea.

What powerful sword techniques and sword intent! Beautiful and elegant, yet containing such astonishing sword might. Truly worthy of the Heavenfolding God Realm, which specializes in sword cultivation.

That jade sword in her hand... was it the "Glass Cloud Sword" from the Pure Land that Meng Jingzhe had told him about in his Dream Isle memories?

Glass... Cloud...

One Abyss Beast after another was extinguished by the Glass Cloud Sword. On the dim space and ground, lingering white sword marks were etched one after another.

Dark blood covered the ground. Under the continuously flashing sword light, it reflected the shattered bodies and severed limbs of twenty-one Abyss Beasts.

Her sword intent was clearly in disarray, and even her star-and-moon-like eyes had a slight unfocused look. Blood splattered from both Hua Cairi and the Abyss Beasts in front of her simultaneously.

The Abyss Beast was severed at the waist. The young girl's body plummeted downwards, and the color rapidly drained from her face as she fell.

"The twenty-second one..." she murmured silently to herself. Her arm lifted horizontally, and the hand tightly clutching the Glass Cloud Sword trembled slightly.

From her right and behind, three more berserk Abyss Beasts charged directly towards her.

This time, Hua Cairi's reaction was noticeably several beats slower. She simply ignored them, and the Glass Cloud Sword let out a desolate sword cry.

Hua Cairi's protective profound energy was instantly torn open as three streams of destructive power simultaneously slammed into her body. At the same time, the Glass Cloud Sword's might also erupted onto the bodies of the three Abyss Beasts.

Hua Cairi's consciousness went blank for an instant as she was sent flying far away. The Glass Cloud Sword also flew out of her hand, falling far into the distance.

Her body crashed heavily onto a large rock, but she couldn't immediately stand up.

Intense pain surged throughout her body. She struggled to regain consciousness. In her blurred vision, the three Abyss Beasts, bearing terrifying wounds, were already lunging towards her with grotesque roars, carrying the rapidly approaching aura of death.

She raised her hand, and without any conscious thought, the Glass Cloud Sword had already returned to her hand on its own.

Sensing the presence of the Glass Cloud Sword, Hua Cairi's chaotic soul sea suddenly caught a wisp of vague sword intent.

She did not get up, but the arm holding the sword traced a strangely profound sword arc... In an instant, endless sword intent, like a sudden raging tide, permeated heaven and earth.

Hua Qingying, who was about to intervene, paused.

Heavenfolding...

The First Sword...!

No sword light, no sword marks.

The three Abyss Beasts were strangely severed in mid-air.

Even the destructive power they carried did not cause any calamitous explosions; instead, it dissipated almost silently.

Yun Che's steps paused for a moment.

Hua Cairi's arm slowly fell. Although she had lost all strength in her body, the Glass Cloud Sword remained firmly clutched in her hand.

"She succeeded..." Her lips curved upwards, revealing the most satisfied and joyful smile she had worn since entering the sea of fog. Although her smile was stained with dark blood and paleness, it was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Hua Qingying looked at her, her green eyes overflowing with emotions too rarely seen.

"Cairi, you are indeed the most perfect divine successor in the history of the Heavenfolding God Realm. It took me seventy-seven years to comprehend the Heavenfolding Sword Intent, your father god took four hundred years, and you... only took nine years."

"Your future will surely... far surpass mine."

The young girl's joy was quickly interrupted by the roars of Abyss Beasts.

In front of her, the grey shadows of two more Abyss Beasts appeared.

She held her Glass Cloud Sword horizontally, but could no longer gather enough profound energy. Biting her lip, the pain that covered her entire body finally made tears of grievance well up in her beautiful eyes: "Aunt... please save me, wuwu... I really... have no way left..."

As she murmured, two Abyss Beasts, their destructive desire ignited, already roared and lunged.

A wisp of invisible sword light gathered at Hua Qingying's fingertips, but it did not shoot down... because a hurried aura was charging directly towards them at extreme speed.

Boom!!

A burst of violent air current shot out, directly hitting the two Abyss Beasts lunging towards Hua Cairi. The suddenly erupting profound energy sent them tumbling in mid-air, flying sideways with miserable shrieks. A massive sword emitting a strange vermilion glow appeared in his hand. In an instant, he teleported. The vermilion greatsword fiercely slammed onto the Abyss Beast's body... With a loud bang, the Abyss Beast's body—which even her Glass Cloud Sword would need to use all its strength to sever—shattered in mid-air, its internal organs bursting into scattered fragments across the sky.

His figure flickered again, appearing beside the other Abyss Beast, and a sword slammed down.

With another thunderous roar, its body was directly smashed into four pieces, flying off in different directions.

Quickly dispatching the two Abyss Beasts, Yun Che let out a soft breath, completely retracting his profound energy, then lightly landed in front of Hua Cairi.

"Are you alright... hm?"

He looked at Hua Cairi, Hua Cairi looked at him, and both spoke at the same time: "It's you?" Her aunt had not appeared, as if she truly wasn't by her side. Having escaped danger, Hua Cairi's spirit relaxed. The immense fatigue and weakness prevented her from getting up, but she still offered a faint, grateful smile: "You're actually in the sea of fog too... Thank you for saving me."

"No need," Yun Che shook his head. "If it's you, then I suppose I've meddled again."

"Eh?" Hua Cairi showed obvious surprise.

Yun Che looked around, saying, "With such a large commotion, all the Abyss Beasts in the surrounding area must have been drawn over. So, this place should be temporarily safe. You can heal relatively safely now. Goodbye."

After speaking, Yun Che directly turned and left.

"Ah?" Yun Che's actions were clearly too far from Hua Cairi's expectations. She almost instinctively blurted out: "Wait! You..."

Yun Che, however, paid no heed and soon disappeared into the sea of fog.

Hua Cairi was slightly dazed, then murmured softly: "What a strange person."

"I actually met him again, and his aura just now..."

Yun Che's steps were without hesitation or pause, growing faster and faster, until he was very, very far away... far enough to be beyond Hua Qingying's spiritual perception.

"You went to so much trouble, using such unsavory methods to save her, why did you then leave so hastily?" Lisha asked, puzzled.

"Because what I want isn't to 'save her'," Yun Che said unhurriedly, "but for her to 'save me'."

"...What do you mean?" Lisha asked, once again unable to understand his words.

Yun Che did not explain: "You'll know soon enough."

He turned and raised his eyes, looking at the grey, misty sky.

What forced him to expend the most effort was not Hua Cairi, but Hua Qingying.

The height at which she stood and the scenery she had witnessed throughout her life were beyond his imagination. He hoped that everything he was about to do would successfully deceive her eyes, and... her perception.