Chapter 2049: Brilliant Dream

Hua Cairi's obviously unusual reaction made Yun Che look sideways, asking in confusion, "Is there something wrong with that name...?"

"No... nothing," Hua Cairi stammered, shaking her head. "It's just that for such a heavy sword, the name... seems so strange."

"It's not that strange," Yun Che said, seemingly unaffected. He caressed the sword, his gaze distant, as if lost in memory. "My master never told me its original name. When he named me Yun Che, he gave this sword, which would accompany me throughout my life, the surname 'Yun'."

The sword body emanated a faint, unusual vermilion light, like some mysterious vermilion glaze. The words "Heaven Smiting" and "Devil Vanishing" that were originally etched upon it had been hidden by him ever since he entered the Abyssal World.

"Its blade glow is unique, like glass, so Master took the character 'Li' (璃) and renamed it the Yunli Sword. At the same time, the two characters 'Yun Li' also conveyed Master's wish for me to have 'ambition as distant as the clouds, and a heart as clear as glass'."

"..." Lisha remained stunned for a long time deep within Yun Che's soul sea.

If she hadn't already known it was the Heaven Smiting Devil Vanishing Sword in Hong'er's form and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword in You'er's form, even she would have believed him.

"...I see," Hua Cairi said, her smile a little flustered. "Hearing Young Master Yun say that, the name suddenly feels very fitting for it."

Yun Che raised his gaze and asked naturally in return, "Sister Qu's sword is entirely white jade, like divine jade from the heavens. Its aura is as gentle as water, yet its might chills the soul. I'm sure its name is renowned throughout the world."

"I... won't tell you yet."

Hua Cairi turned quickly and fled deeper into the mist ahead, as if escaping.

His sword is called Yunli Sword... My sword is called Liyun Sword... Yun Che... Cai Li... A million fawns seemed to collide within her mind, making even her footsteps uncontrollably erratic.

"What's the meaning of this?" Lisha couldn't hold back and asked aloud.

"Hint," Yun Che replied curtly with two words.

"A hint?" Lisha was confused.

"Yes, it's very useful for young men and women new to the world," Yun Che explained simply. "But it's definitely useless for you. No matter how detailed I make it, you probably won't truly understand."

"..." Lisha didn't press further, instead saying, "Aren't you afraid Hong'er and You'er will be angry with you for this?"

"Don't worry," Yun Che said nonchalantly. "As long as Hong'er is full, she'll do anything. You'er is the most obedient; she wouldn't even know how to be angry with me."

Lisha sighed softly, exclaiming, "Your methods are truly endless. Aren't you afraid of overdoing it? After all, if one flaw is exposed, then everything becomes flawed."

"..." Yun Che paused slightly in his steps. "You're not entirely wrong about that."

"I am indeed racking my brain, intensely using every method I can think of... There's no other way; the time left for me is simply too short."

"But rest assured," Yun Che said, his expression regaining its certainty after a faint sigh. "If you think carefully about everything between her and me, it's actually 'she' who has been proactive. So, when it comes to exposing flaws, she's actually more worried. And these past few days, not only has she been unable to harbor any suspicion towards me, but she's also been accumulating guilt over 'various deceptions' and 'deliberate approaches' towards me."

Lisha: "..."

Looking at Hua Cairi's retreating back, he softly said, "The minor tactics are almost enough. Next come the two most crucial steps."

"...I look forward to your success," Lisha could only say.

Yun Che closed his eyes slightly. "You won't be looking forward to it."

Lisha: "??"

"Young Master Yun, do you know about 'Eternal Pure Land'?"

"Hmm, of course I've heard of it."

"I've heard it's a world without Abyssal Dust. I've heard that our ancestors and even Lord Abyssal Emperor came from that world."

"I've heard... that even the most ordinary corners of that world are as pure as a pure land; the sky there isn't grey, but a clean light blue, with clouds so white they are flawless; there are vast bodies of water stretching for millions of miles, countless races, and an unimaginable variety of strange herbs and wondrous flowers in myriad shapes and colors..."

Every Abyssal practitioner yearned endlessly for the legendary "Eternal Pure Land," and Hua Cairi was no exception.

However, for ordinary practitioners, the "Eternal Pure Land" was more like a myth. But for those from the Divine Realm, they knew it was a real world.

"None of these are legends," Yun Che said calmly. "That world is indeed like that."

"Ah?" The girl turned her head, playfully asking, "Could it be that Young Master Yun has actually been to the Eternal Pure Land?"

"Of course not," Yun Che chuckled. "It's just that my master, it's very likely he came from there."

"!!" Hua Qingying's gaze instantly sharpened.

Hua Cairi immediately spun around, intense astonishment almost spilling from her beautiful eyes.

Yun Che continued, "My master often told me about that world. At first, I was ignorant, not really caring or believing. Later, he began to transmit many images into my soul sea, and only then did I realize that such a world truly existed."

"Ah..." A gasp of astonishment escaped Hua Cairi's unconsciously parted lips. Immediately, she spoke with immense excitement and wonder, "Are they truly... images of the 'Eternal Pure Land'? Then... then have you seen its landscapes, its scenery, its white clouds, its pure snow, and all sorts of flowers, plants, and spirit beasts...?"

"Hahaha," Yun Che laughed. "At that time, I was just like you, constantly begging Master to show me all sorts of things I wanted to see, and Master would always satisfy me. It wasn't until Master passed away and I entered the world myself that I gradually understood how astonishing the scenes Master had shown me truly were."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, sweeping through the void.

Icy light shimmered, and instantly, snow fell across the sky.

There was no snow in the Abyss. Even practitioners who cultivated water profound energy only excelled at manipulating water into ice, because they couldn't imagine the form of snow. Even if they tried to simulate it based on records, it would only be a scattering of fine crushed ice.

Therefore, this sight, which was utterly commonplace in Yun Che's world, was an impossible luxury for most Abyssal beings to witness in their lifetime.

"Wow!"

The girl exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with starlight. She cupped her hands towards the sky, watching the snowflakes dance on her fingertips before turning into a soul-chilling coolness in her palm.

It wasn't that she had never seen snow; the Spirit Immortal Divine Officials, skilled in elemental profound energy, had conjured falling snow before her eyes more than once. Each time, she would cheer with excitement.

Yet this time, the falling snow seemed to enter her heart with joy, surpassing even the surprise of her first encounter.

The same falling snow, different people.

Yun Che smiled, then gently lowered his palm.

A streak of pure white appeared beneath their feet, then rapidly spread, covering the grey-black ground, submerging strange rocks and dark wood, extending to the farthest reaches of sight, into the immeasurably deep mist.

Before Hua Cairi's eyes, within her entire world, a pure white snowfield unfolded, unique to her.

Her soft gasp caught in her throat. The girl stood there dumbfounded, seemingly unable to believe her own eyes, unable to believe such a world.

"These are snowfields that exist in many places in that world," Yun Che said softly. "They can span thousands, even millions of miles. Some places are covered in white snow for eternity, never melting. Snow remains beneath snow, becoming an unchanging color of that world."

His gaze grew slightly hazy, then abruptly cleared.

He missed the Snow Song Realm, he missed the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace.

But as long as he remained in the Abyss, longing was a luxury, and an unforgivable sin.

"Like a dream..." she murmured, her beautiful eyes fixed on the snowy landscape without blinking. Despite such a singular color, it inexplicably brought a misty sheen to her eyes.

She loved pure white things; everyone in the Heaven Folding Divine Kingdom knew this.

Her outer robe, her favorite Colorful Cloud Branch, her beloved Liyun Sword...

Yun Che stood by her side, pointing a finger at her palm, which was even more lustrous than white snow. Immediately, the falling snow converged, and a tiny snow ferret was sculpted into existence in her palm.

"This is a snow ferret; it always blends in with the ice and snow," Yun Che introduced with a smile. "Master said that even though it's a common beast with no power, its appearance often makes even the most evil-hearted people unwilling to hunt it."

"So cute!" Hua Cairi carefully held it, stars seemingly melting in her beautiful eyes. "Is this a real animal...?"

She gently touched it, then hesitated to touch it again. "Such a cute little spirit beast, even if it were a fierce beast, no one would ever have the heart to harm it."

Yun Che pointed a finger; flames flickered, and a fiery butterfly appeared in his palm, then flew to Hua Cairi's fingertip.

"This is a butterfly. Master said that in that world, there are hundreds of thousands of species of butterflies. From many types of ordinary butterflies only the size of a finger, to many types of demonic butterflies that can transform into human form."

"This is the Ice Feather Spirit Flower. It grows in extremely cold places but releases spiritual energy that can nourish the soul."

It was also the flower of profound affection between him and Mu Xuanyin.

"This is the Nether Brahma Flower. I can only barely simulate its form and cannot fully reveal its true appearance. Master said it's the most eerie flower in that world, capable of making people fall into an eternal nightmare... yet it can also create the most incredible miracles."

"This is the Raging Sea Shark. Don't let its small size in my palm fool you; it's actually a giant sea beast from that world, thousands of miles long..."

"This is the Prayer Spirit Sacred Flower, which can only grow by bathing in light profound energy..."

"These are the Phoenix and the Ice Phoenix..."

Yun Che unreservedly displayed the wondrous sights of the 'other world' he had 'obtained from his master' to Hua Cairi. Each time, each sight, brought a different shimmering of starlight in the girl's eyes.

Even Hua Qingying was caught in continuous amazement.

"Sister Qu, is there anything else you particularly want to see?" His gaze was as soft as a warm breeze, as if telling the girl that whatever she asked for, he would grant it.

"So much, so much!" she replied joyfully, but there was so much that for a moment she didn't know how to choose.

At that moment, her starry eyes suddenly lit up. "Young Master Yun, do you know about meteor showers?"

"Meteor showers?" This answer rather surprised Yun Che.

The girl looked up at the sky, illuminated by the snow. "I once asked a very... powerful uncle what the most beautiful sight in the world looked like."

"My uncle thought for a long time, then told me that the world called Eternal Pure Land wasn't a desolate land like the Abyss, but one with countless planets and star realms."

"As time evolved, whether due to the collapse of spatial laws, collisions, or natural and man-made disasters, one or more planets would occasionally fall and shatter, forming a phenomenon called a meteor shower."

"My uncle said it was the most magnificent catastrophe in the world, and anyone who witnessed it would remember it for a lifetime."

"..." Yun Che's breathing paused for an extremely brief moment.

He knew the splendor of planetary annihilation better than anyone, and also its cruelty.

Yun Che thought for a moment, then took the girl's jade wrist. "Sit down."

The girl was surprised, then obediently sat down as told.

Just then, the grey sky suddenly brightened.

It was a distant star, emitting endlessly bright luminescence, tearing through the gloom of the mist sea and casting a dazzling starlight that shouldn't belong to this world.

It wasn't difficult for Yun Che to simulate this "meteor." Its form was an icy star, imbued with the sacred radiance of light profound energy.

The star fell, trailing a long streak of light, as if tearing apart the entire sky of the mist sea.

The streak of light swept across the girl's eyes and soul. Before she could even gasp, the distant star suddenly exploded, spreading countless scattered light-stars and weaving myriad intersecting light trails.

Abyssal Beasts roared from various locations, and countless practitioners stopped and looked up, staring dumbfounded at the distant, destructive starlight, more illusory than any dream.

Hua Cairi tilted her head back, staring blankly, every trace of the stars reflected in her eyes.

The dangerous mist sea they were in, the constant roars of Abyssal Beasts... all became insignificant. Because at this moment, her world was filled with such warmth and beauty, something she had never experienced, never imagined.

Was it because of this annihilating meteor shower...?

No matter how magnificent, it was ultimately just scenery.

As if instinctively following an inner guidance, her gaze shifted from this luxurious, annihilating beauty to Yun Che beside her, looking at his face illuminated by the starlight.

She suddenly became mesmerized.

At this moment, despite her usual ignorance of everything, she understood with incredible clarity...

It wasn't because of the scenery, but because of the person.

Noticing her gaze, Yun Che lowered his eyes to meet hers. "Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?"

Without averting her gaze, she continued to stare at his face, murmuring dreamily, "A young master should only behold paintings; in this, I alone know the way."

"Uh?" Yun Che was startled.

The girl's lips curved into a charming smile. She lowered her gaze and softly said, "These were words my master, who taught me to read, once taught me. Only today do I understand that the 'young master' in them refers to Young Master Yun."

"..." Yun Che opened his mouth, but no words came out.

At this moment, he subtly perceived that beneath the girl's naive and gentle exterior... her heart might be far more ardent than he had imagined.

The man's presence beside her was exceptionally warm, carrying a strange allure. She didn't resist this pull, slowly drawing closer, and unconsciously, her head touched his warm shoulder...

She closed her eyes, and her entire world seemed to become warm and quiet, making her feel, for the first time in her life... such an intense desire to simply sink into it.

So this was what the most beautiful state of the world felt like.

There was no need to think about anything, no need to do anything; she just needed him by her side.

Time seemed to stand still, with only the starlight in the sky gradually dimming.

Hua Qingying's crescent brows were tightly furrowed. She had tried to transmit a message to Hua Cairi several times... Just as the last star trace vanished and she hesitated once more, she saw Yun Che raise his hand and gently yet firmly push away the girl leaning on his shoulder.

Hua Cairi was startled awake from her immersion. She looked up at Yun Che... His action of pushing her away, and his gaze at that moment, made her heart suddenly seize up, leaving her speechless and stunned.

His eyes were as clear as before, yet also as rational as they were at the very beginning... rational to the point of indifference.

"Sister Qu," he began, still smiling, "we've traveled together for over a month, and your injuries have healed. Thus, it's time for us to part ways."

It was as if a beautiful dream had suddenly been shattered by icy rain. The girl's eyes trembled violently, and she blurted out, "W-why...?"

Yun Che looked at her, his voice flat and slow. "Actually, your surname isn't Qu. And Qu Yixin isn't your name, is it?"