Chapter 2053: Nightmare Linshen

The abyssal dust of the Mist Sea obstructs everything: perception, sight, and sound. Yet, a voice from the black mist, like a great bell from the netherworld, reverberated across the entire landscape. All profound practitioners within a hundred *li* stopped in astonishment, turning towards the source of the sound.

"What... what is that?"

"Mist Emperor? What Mist Emperor?" One by one, profound practitioners stared at the dim sky in bewilderment, their hearts filled with an inexplicable unease. The Abyss had only one Emperor: the Abyss Emperor, who resided above the Pure Land. Beyond the Abyss Emperor, no one had ever dared to claim the title of "Emperor." Meanwhile, groups of profound practitioners rapidly drew closer, eager to witness the source of this strange phenomenon for themselves.

Rolling before them was dense abyssal dust, typically found only in the deepest regions, but it didn't pose an immediate threat to Hua Qingying. Yet, her crescent-shaped brows remained furrowed, a sign of subtle unease. What disquieted her even more was her inability to pinpoint the source of this feeling.

"Auntie?" Hua Caiyu asked, "He said... 'Mist Emperor Inspecting the Sea'? What does that mean?" Her voice still held only surprise, no fear.

"Mist Emperor... Emperor of the Mist Sea?" Hua Qingying murmured softly. In this world, the only beings capable of threatening her, apart from the Abyss Emperor, were the Seven Gods of the Six Nations and the Four Divine Officials of the Pure Land, all of whom she knew intimately. And even they would never dare to claim the title of "Emperor." Yet, as Hua Qingying spoke the words, her eyes remained cold, utterly devoid of sarcasm. This was because abyssal dust could not be controlled. Even true gods, powerful as they were, could use their immense divine power to almost completely dispel and isolate abyssal dust, but it was utterly impossible for them to make it gather so docilely, especially at this density and scale. Not even the Supreme Abyss Emperor was known to possess such an ability.

"Caiyu, let's go." She seized Hua Caiyu's hand and turned to depart. If she had been alone, she would certainly have investigated. But with Hua Caiyu beside her, the subtle unease and the phenomena defying her understanding made her choose to retreat without hesitation. Based on her knowledge, she had never heard of a "Mist Emperor." There was a ninety-nine percent chance that someone was merely playing a trick. But if it could evoke even a trace of unease in her, she would absolutely not allow Hua Caiyu to be in danger.

"Huh?" Hua Caiyu paused, clearly startled. Only then did she notice her aunt's expression, and she immediately began to retreat with her. However, ignorance breeds fearlessness, and fearlessness breeds courage. More and more profound practitioners were drawn to the scene, and soon, increasingly loud sounds of ridicule and mockery filled the air.

"Mist Emperor? Who dares to call themselves Emperor beneath the Abyss Emperor? Don't think you can act recklessly just because you're in the Mist Sea!"

"Heh, heh! Creating a blob of thick mist and pretending it's abyssal dust? I stopped bothering with such childish tricks when I was thirty! Are you gathering an audience just to make a fool of yourself and be laughed at?"

"Playing tricks? Hah... claiming the title of Emperor is practically digging your own grave!"

Amidst the sharp cries, someone suddenly acted. A bolt of lightning shot directly into the dense mist. Purple lightning rent the dark sky, its whistling sound terrifying to the soul, and as it neared, it expanded into a thousand-zhang purple bolt, striking straight down. Such dominating might belonged to a Half-Step God-Slaying realm practitioner, startling the profound practitioners present and leaving them speechless.

CRACK! The lightning exploded, casting a purple glow across the sky. The profound practitioners, who had been expecting to see a clown dare to impersonate a divine being under the name "Mist Emperor," suddenly froze in collective astonishment. Where the lightning struck, the dense mist, which should have been instantly annihilated, merely fractured and dispersed slightly at the point of impact. Then, it slowly reformed, returning to its original state within a few breaths, its color and shape completely unchanged. It was as if that thunderous strike had been nothing more than a concentrated purple light, utterly devoid of power. The profound practitioner who had launched the attack possessed the dignified air of an immortal, and with dozens of disciples following him, he was clearly a sect master or elder. At this moment, his arm hung suspended in mid-air, his expression frozen as if he simply could not believe his own eyes.

Under the sudden, pervasive silence, the black mist visible to them suddenly twisted. At its very peak, a pair of dull gray eyes slowly appeared. These eyes, formed from the mist, constantly twisted and shifted, seeming to be mere illusions. Yet, every person nearby inexplicably felt an incredibly real sensation of being stared at, causing their breathing to seize and their soul seas to convulse. A bone-chilling coldness snaked up their spines, and an unspeakable sense of dread rapidly spread through their entire beings.

"What... what... what on earth is that...?"

"It's not mist? Could it... really be... abyssal dust?"

"How is that possible...? Even true gods can only dispel it... How could anyone control abyssal dust...?"

The unknown is the greatest fear, particularly when it manifests so vividly before one's eyes. Before they could even react appropriately to this sudden surge of terror, the terrifying voice spoke again:

"I am the Emperor who reigns over the Mist Sea, and I have never desired proximity to mere mortals. You lowly beings, you dare to offend my imperial might? Your sin is unforgivable; you shall be granted death!"

Its anger was not overwhelming, yet every word shattered their courage and chilled their souls. As the last word fell, the colossal black mist suddenly dissipated, scattering rapidly in all directions. A black shadow, completely enshrouded by abyssal dust and imperceptible to anyone, silently vanished into the darkness with the dispersing dust.

At that instant, Hua Qingying, who was flying away with Hua Caiyu, felt her pupils contract sharply, and she abruptly turned her head. That aura... The previous mass of abyssal dust had been so immense and dense that even her divine sense couldn't fully penetrate it for a time. But now, as the abyssal dust dissipated, an aura emanating from the concealed ground beneath it pierced her senses like an icy thorn.

BOOM!! The earth shattered as a colossal black shadow burst forth, its furious roar shaking the heavens. Hua Qingying's gaze met it precisely at the moment it tore through the earth. Its body resembled a stag, its tail a dragon, and its head a lion, with a colossal single horn seemingly capable of tearing through the sky and rending the firmament... A Primordial... Kirin... God!

Hua Qingying was intimately familiar with this Primordial Kirin God—or rather, Abyssal Kirin God. It was an abyssal beast, formed after a Primordial Kirin God had been completely corrupted by abyssal dust. Its existence was known to all six God Nations. Hua Qingying, who frequently ventured deep into the Mist Sea, had encountered it several times and even used it for sword practice. Neither could prevail over the other. But encountering this Primordial Kirin God again at this moment, a wave of immense shock crashed through her heart. How... how could it be here?! How could it possibly appear in this place?! If she were alone, even facing ten Primordial Kirin Gods at once, she would not be flustered in the slightest. But accompanying her was Hua Caiyu! And at this moment, they were a mere thirty *li* away from the Primordial Kirin God.

Hua Qingying could no longer spare a thought for anything else. Her sleeves billowed, her long hair whipped around, and her profound energy erupted without reservation. BOOM— The might of the God-Extreme Realm's pinnacle was terrifying. The shockwave from her burst repelled a hundred-li hurricane, shattering the vital organs of countless abyssal beasts and profound practitioners. Carrying Hua Caiyu, her figure transformed into a rapidly flashing streak of light, piercing through the dense Mist Sea as she fled far away.

RUMBLE! The Abyssal Kirin God crashed heavily to the ground, creating thousands of radiating cracks. And almost the instant it landed, its massive kirin claw lifted and slammed directly into the ground of the Mist Sea. BOOM———— The world-annihilating roar swallowed countless desperate screams and howls. The assembled profound practitioners, far from being able to resist, had no chance to even flee. They were instantly slammed down like tiny insects, then pulverised by the furious destructive power, buried beneath the churning Mist Sea earth, and silenced forever.

Hua Qingying turned back with cold eyes. Hundreds of sword shadows instantly formed a defensive sword array around them, while all her remaining usable profound energy was poured into Hua Caiyu.

"Auntie!" Hua Caiyu cried out in alarm. Her ears immediately buzzed amidst the world-devouring destructive sound wave, and her vision instantly went blank. In an instant, blood gushed from Hua Caiyu's seven orifices, and her face became ashen, like white paper. Blood droplets splattered onto Hua Qingying's hand and collar. Her fingers tightened, and her sword heart felt a flicker of disarray. She was a sword fanatic, an immortal of the sword. However... what she was least skilled in was protective power. She had never bothered to carry life-saving profound artifacts. She was acutely aware of the terror of this Primordial Kirin God. She was the pinnacle of the God-Extreme among humans, and it was the pinnacle of the God-Extreme among abyssal beasts. Although Hua Caiyu possessed the cultivation of a Half-Step God-Slaying practitioner, under the Kirin God's might, even at this distance, a touch would mean certain death. A mere claw strike just now, even with her protective power, had still inflicted significant injury. If they couldn't escape quickly and endured a few more of its attacks...

As her heart raced, a roar erupted once more from behind them. And the Kirin God's pressure that bore down from behind was clearly far more formidable than before. Perhaps drawn by the aura of Hua Qingying's full power burst, the Abyssal Kirin God's aura was now firmly locked onto her. Its twin claws slammed into the ground, unleashing incredibly violent Kirin God power that tore through space and ripped open the earth, like a merciless world-destroying hammer, directly engulfing the space occupied by Hua Qingying and Hua Caiyu.

Hua Qingying's figure spun, and her Peerless Immortal Sword emerged, unleashing ten thousand dazzling sword glints. In an instant, the power unleashed by the Abyssal Kirin God was torn, pulverized, and rendered invisible, as if it were mere cloth. The divine subtlety of this sword belonged only to Hua Qingying. However, while the Sword Immortal's blade could easily dismantle an opponent's momentum, it was utterly impossible to truly annihilate an incoming attack. The vibration of space was accompanied by the sound of blood frothing and splattering. A long stream of blood gushed from Hua Caiyu's lips, hot and scalding as it landed on Hua Qingying's arm, instantly burning a void in her heart and soul. Her jade hand covered the girl's back, quickly using profound energy to soothe her injuries, yet her fingers trembled slightly... After ten thousand years, it was the first time her sword heart had truly been in such disarray. The sin from that year could no longer be redeemed. On that day, she had secretly vowed that her sword and the remainder of her life would be dedicated to protecting her daughter. How could she fail...?

"Au... Auntie... don't be afraid..." The girl's voice was faint, barely a whisper. Yet, she still managed to move her hand, gently clasping Hua Qingying's unusually cold palm. "I... I'm fine..."

"..." Hua Qingying let out a long breath. Her speed, at this moment, suddenly slowed. "Caiyu," she whispered into the girl's ear, "Run... don't look back, and don't stop." As she finished speaking, she delivered a powerful palm strike to Hua Caiyu's back shoulder. Hua Caiyu immediately shot away like a streaking sword-light, soaring rapidly into the distance. Meanwhile, Hua Qingying had instantly spun around, her Peerless Immortal Sword unleashing a thousand-foot sword aura as she charged directly towards the Abyssal Kirin God. Her palm strike just now would undoubtedly worsen Hua Caiyu's injuries. But it was her only option after weighing the circumstances. To protect Hua Caiyu, she had to get her out of the Abyssal Kirin God's range of power. And she, in turn, had to use her aura and sword glints to lure it in the opposite direction as quickly as possible.

The Peerless Immortal Sword emerged, its thousand-foot sword aura instantly piercing dozens of *li* of space, like a sky-cleaving meteor, shooting directly into the Abyssal Kirin God's eyes. A deafening, soul-shattering metallic clang rang out. The sword aura shattered, and the dark glow in the Abyssal Kirin God's right eye extinguished. Its roar grew even more frenzied. Its hundred-zhang colossal kirin body leaped into the air, lunging directly at the swiftly approaching Hua Qingying.

RUMBLE! The already battered earth once again buckled. The Abyssal Kirin God's attack missed, striking only a rapidly fading sword shadow. Hua Qingying, meanwhile, had already appeared behind the Abyssal Kirin God, hundreds of sword shadows piercing its back, further fueling its rage. Yet, her movement did not cease; she continued to dart rapidly in the direction opposite to Hua Caiyu. Abyssal beasts possessed no self-awareness, only the instinct for destruction. Therefore, power and aura could easily lure them.

ROAR———— The Abyssal Kirin God roared in fury, its kirin claw raising once more, but... To Hua Qingying's eyes, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks, it did not turn to unleash the terrifying power of that claw towards her. Instead... It struck directly at Hua Caiyu, whom Hua Qingying had just pushed far away with all her might.