Chapter 2063: Sword Heart Illuminated

In the beginning of the Abyss, before the 'life-zones' had taken shape, Abyss Dust permeated everywhere and was far more terrifying than it is today, causing many True Gods to gradually perish.

Later, Uncle Abyss Emperor used a powerful profound artifact to create the Abyss's first 'life-zone', which allowed more and more gods to survive. For their long-term perpetuation, they then began to gradually proliferate and expand these 'life-zones'.

However, likely influenced by the Abyss Dust, it became very difficult for the descendants of gods to cultivate into True Gods, leading to a dwindling number of True Gods. If this trend continued, with each True God's demise, the power of True Gods might one day disappear completely from the Abyss.

Therefore, Uncle Abyss Emperor selected seven of the most suitable True Gods. Before their demise, he extracted their True God Divine Origins and then, using seven special profound artifacts, created seven Divine Cores.

These seven Divine Cores gave rise to the six Divine Nations that exist to this day.

Yun Che listened intently to Hua Caili's narration and interjected, "If I understand correctly, after each generation's Divine Nation God Venerable abdicates, the True God Divine Origin they bear can be directly inherited by the next God Venerable through the Divine Core?"

"That's right! Big Brother Yun is so smart," Hua Caili praised.

Yun Che slightly curled his lips. This inheritance model was essentially identical to that of the God Realm. But then again, the inheritance methods of the God Realm had indeed originated from the ancient God Race.

However, one involved the power of a God Master, and the other the power of a True God. While the methods were similar, the levels and difficulty involved were vastly different.

"However, this inheritance isn't just random, of course." Hua Caili hugged Yun Che's arm, leaning her entire body halfway onto him, and continued, "Not only does it require a close bloodline and compatible profound arts, but also, most importantly... Divine Essence."

"'Divine Essence' I've heard of, but I don't understand what it actually is."

Yun Che had first learned of the term "Divine Essence" not in the Abyss, but from Chi Wuyao. However, he knew very little, only that one needed at least eight points of Divine Essence to bear the power of a True God.

Hua Caili thought for a moment and explained, "Everyone has fifty-four profound apertures, which open as their cultivation improves. After all apertures are open, subtle changes occur within the profound veins, as if some independent 'small worlds' appear, thereby altering one's ability to control and bear profound energy."

"And the number of these 'small worlds' is the Divine Essence."

"Oh, I see," Yun Che mused.

"Most profound practitioners have three to five points of Divine Essence, and those with more than five points are extremely rare. To become a 'Divine Inheritor' of a Divine Nation, one must possess at least eight points of Divine Essence. If one attempts to forcefully bear the power of a True God with insufficient Divine Essence, it will lead to failure because the profound veins cannot withstand it. The consequences of such failure are often very dire, likely resulting in crippled profound veins or even immediate death."

"But there are exceptions. Wuming God Venerable of the Evernight Divine Nation forcefully bore the Divine Origin with only seven points of Divine Essence and miraculously succeeded in the end, but not without a price. Her divine title is 'Wuming' (meaning 'No Light' or 'Blindness'), and she renamed her nation 'Evernight' because she permanently lost her sight as a result."

At this point, Hua Caili suddenly said with a touch of melancholy, "I've heard that in that world called 'Eternal Heaven Realm', True Gods have very, very long lifespans, even longer than the history of the Abyss itself. But... True Gods who bear Divine Origin actually have shortened lifespans."

"The longest-lived Divine Nation God Venerables in history have not exceeded fifty thousand years."

"Hmm?" Yun Che turned his gaze and half-jokingly said, "Are you expressing this sentiment because you're afraid that if you inherit divine power in the future, you won't live as long as I do?"

"That's right." Hua Caili directly nodded in admission, "I want to inherit Father God's divine power sooner so I can protect you always. But I'm also afraid that my lifespan might be shortened because of it, and what if there's no one to protect you after I'm gone...?"

She looked at Yun Che, her tone exceptionally serious.

"Don't think such strange things." Yun Che shook his head with a smile, "Do I look like someone who can be easily bullied?"

"But I just want to be with you longer." Hua Caili shook Yun Che's arm, then mumbled softly, "If only I had the Nine Profound Exquisite Body."

Yun Che's steps paused for a moment, then he very naturally asked, "The Nine Profound Exquisite Body... what is that?"

"A very miraculous talent that only appears in women," Hua Caili said with a hint of longing. "Calling Divine Essence 'small worlds' within profound veins isn't entirely accurate. However, for someone with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, there truly exists a small world called the 'Exquisite World' within their profound veins."

"Because of the existence of this 'Exquisite World', their ability to bear and control profound energy far surpasses others. It is said that individuals with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, even without a compatible profound vein or having cultivated suitable profound arts, merely need to reach the Divine Extinction Realm in cultivation to directly bear any True God Divine Origin."

"Furthermore, they won't suffer a life-devouring backlash from bearing True God power, and their lifespan will instead be greatly extended."

Yun Che showed appropriate surprise, "It's truly astonishing that such a miraculous heavenly bestowed physique exists in this world. So... does anyone with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body exist in this era?"

Hua Caili gently shook her head, "It's said that in ancient times, one would appear every few tens of thousands of years. But they have been extinct for hundreds of thousands of years now, and none have appeared to this day... Of course, it's also possible they are fully concealed, not daring to let anyone know."

"Why?" Yun Che asked, feigning ignorance.

"Because... because..." Hua Caili was a bit shy, but still tried to explain, "It's said that people with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body make the best... dual cultivation cauldrons. Women with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body who appeared in history were all plundered by people from the Divine Nations, and their fates were usually very tragic."

"Those with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body release a very special Nine-Revolution Profound Qi during the initial stages of profound cultivation, making them very easy to identify. However, once they cultivate to the Divine Origin Realm, this special aura can be completely concealed. Therefore, given historical precedents, those with this god-given talent must go to great lengths to hide it and dare not reveal it, unless they are born into a Divine Nation."

"Indeed." Yun Che's gaze deepened, "For the weak, possessing a treasure is a crime, even if innocent."

"Oh, right!" Hua Caili's eyes suddenly sparkled. "Big Brother Yun, do you want to check how many points of Divine Essence you have? I can tell you how; it's very simple."

"No, thanks," Yun Che said indifferently. "I'm not from a Divine Nation, nor is it possible for me to become a Divine Inheritor."

After his Evil God Profound Veins became complete, they had already transformed into an boundless starry sky.

After speaking, without waiting for Hua Caili to insist, he quickly pointed ahead, "Look, there's a small city over there. We can go there to find a place to cultivate."

They had already been out of the Mist Sea for over ten days, entering the Abyss's life-zones.

But life-zones also varied in quality. The closer one was to a Divine Nation, the weaker the Abyss Dust became, the higher the status and level of the zone, and naturally, the more powerful individuals gathered there.

Arriving in the city, Yun Che used ten small Abyss Crystals to rent a resting place for three hundred hours.

This kind of resting place was actually an independent small space that could block out most of the Abyss Dust. It was widely available throughout various life-zones for profound practitioners who needed to rest or heal.

For Yun Che and Hua Caili, it served as a relatively quiet place for cultivation.

Neither of them released profound energy nor used weapons. Hua Caili used her fingers as a sword, her sword qi still as dazzling as scattered stars.

Yun Che only defended, not attacking, using his fingers to dismantle moves and his power to transform into a sword. The two fought continuously for several hours, probing countless variations.

Although they had left the Mist Sea and Hua Caili had achieved a major realm breakthrough, Yun Che did not slacken her training. After all, she was still in the midst of the trial agreed upon with her father and aunt.

With Hua Qingying by their side, he absolutely could not allow Hua Caili to indulge solely in romantic desires, as it would surely incur her displeasure.

At this moment, a divine light suddenly flashed in Hua Caili's eyes. She extended her fair hand, the Glazed Cloud Sword flew between her fingers, and she lightly thrust it forth.

There was no sword clang, no sword qi. What appeared in Yun Che's perception were only faint, seemingly non-existent traces of chilling intent that caused his soul to subtly shrink.

He stepped back, but his steps halted mid-retreat.

Around his body, nine sword lights appeared out of nowhere at that moment, all pressing close to his body, sealing off all his movements.

This scene caused Hua Qingying's gaze to fix intently, and she did not look away for a long time.

With a soft hum, all the sword qi dissipated into thin air. Deep delight appeared on Hua Caili's face. She looked at the Glazed Cloud Sword in her hand, then suddenly pounced towards Yun Che, hugging him tightly. "Big Brother Yun, I... I can finally perfectly wield the First Sword of Heaven-Folding! This is great, this is great!"

Hua Qingying softly mumbled to herself, "How can it be... so fast...?"

The shock she felt at this moment surpassed even what she felt during her own major realm breakthrough.

Each sword of the Heaven-Folding Sword was extremely difficult to comprehend, extremely difficult to control, and even more difficult to master. She knew this better than anyone.

And it had been less than three months since Hua Caili comprehended the First Sword of Heaven-Folding.

Recalling her cultivation during this period, ever since meeting Yun Che, her sword momentum and sword intent had become so light and pure, and her sword heart seemed completely illuminated.

An illuminated sword heart...

Hua Qingying suddenly felt something.

It seemed she had truly found a reason to wield the sword.

Yun Che, you must... not betray her.

She had not yet realized that her thoughts were actually a form of approval for Yun Che. At least, regarding the choice between Yun Che and Dian Jiuzhi, she had unconsciously leaned towards Yun Che.

"As expected of my Caili." Yun Che praised with a smile, "When your Father God sees you, he'll probably be ecstatic for a very long time."

"Perfect... I have a reward for you."

He raised his hand, and in his palm was a small snow rabbit, emitting the fresh scent of rice cakes.

"So cute." Hua Caili took it, her eyes sparkling with myriad colors. "What's this little beast called?"

"Snow Rabbit," Yun Che said. "A type of rabbit. Beasts of this species feed on ordinary grass and wood and are completely non-aggressive."

"It's really so cute..." She examined it very seriously. "So cute, it must be delicious, right?"

As her words fell, her jade-like teeth bit down, and immediately a pure fragrance filled her soul.

After leaving the Mist Sea, Yun Che would create a novel surprise for her every day. Especially the food he made from ordinary materials in the life-zones was surprisingly no less delicious than the rare delicacies of the Eternal Heaven Realm.

"It really is super delicious." Amidst Hua Caili's sweet voice, she suddenly stood on her tiptoes, stuffing the remaining half into Yun Che's mouth. "Here, have the butt."

"Mmmph..." Yun Che was caught off guard, his cheeks stuffed, and he swallowed it whole.

He spun around, and amidst Hua Caili's startled cry, immediately tackled her to the ground, his gaze carrying unconcealed aggression. "Now I want to eat you even more."

"No... you can't." Hua Caili's cheeks flushed pink, her voice timid. "Auntie... will peek."

Just as Yun Che was about to speak, Hua Caili quietly raised her hand, instantly setting up an isolating sword formation around them, and her jade-like arms were already tightly wrapped around Yun Che's neck.

"This way, Auntie won't see. Big Brother Yun is mine, no one is allowed to watch."

A flush of pink gradually spread, coloring her fair neck. Her beautiful eyes dared not meet Yun Che's gaze, but her legs had already quietly wrapped around his waist, feeling the intimate contact with him.

Hua Qingying retreated some distance, and after a complex shift in her expression, she slowly exhaled.

The Calamity of the Abyss Qilin God made her no longer dare to be lax about Hua Caili's safety in the slightest, so she naturally wouldn't go too far.

After a long while, she thought the two had finished. Her divine sense extended, passing through the sword formation, but instead encountered Hua Caili's soft, soul-melting sounds of pleasure... Her divine sense instantly retracted as if zapped by electricity, and her sword heart was flustered for a full few breaths.

To this day, she still couldn't imagine what Hua Fuchen's reaction would be if he knew Caili had lost her virginity to Yun Che.

"Pay attention: this man is called Xiao Shuai, and this woman is called Xiao Mei. Xiao Shuai's father saved Xiao Mei's life, so Xiao Mei's father had Xiao Mei marry Xiao Shuai when she grew up to repay the life-saving kindness."

"However, Xiao Shuai was born with crippled profound veins, but Xiao Mei had extraordinary talent. If the two were to marry, a pleasant way to describe it would be 'reeds leaning on jade' (a beauty supporting a less impressive person), while an unpleasant way would be 'daydreaming with a foolish heart' (delusional desire)."

"So, did the two of them cancel the engagement?" Hua Caili asked.

"No, they didn't. Xiao Mei still married Xiao Shuai, but she clearly told him it was only to repay kindness, to save his face, and without any romantic involvement. And after their marriage, they soon separated."

"But Xiao Shuai was proud and arrogant. He found a way to repair his profound veins, diligently cultivated, and had countless fortuitous encounters. Finally, one day he met Xiao Mei again and defeated her, proving to her that he was worthy of her, rather than merely relying on her gratitude and pity."

Having said this, Yun Che put the two small wooden figures together, indicating that he had finished the story.

"Today's story is so boring." Hua Caili propped her chin, then softly leaned back onto Yun Che's lap. "There won't be any 'reeds leaning on jade' or 'delusional desires' between us. In this life, I only want you, and you can only be my Big Brother Yun."

"Yes, it is a bit boring." Yun Che sighed to himself inwardly, "Who would have thought that such a boring beginning... would hide so many karmic connections."