Chapter 2072: Three Tests

For several days after that, Hua Cairi could not see Hua Fuchen; he was clearly avoiding her.

However, Hua Fuchen had not ordered Yun Che's expulsion.

When Hua Cairi asked Hua Qingying, she replied coolly, "Your father god needs time."

Then, in a slightly stern tone, she added, "You and Yun Che had better restrain yourselves. Don't think I don't know your intentions; you want to get pregnant quickly to force your father god's hand."

"Oh? Hehehe... Indeed, nothing escapes Auntie. Well then... I'll be going now, and Auntie mustn't peek secretly."

Hua Qingying could only sigh helplessly.

It wasn't until the seventh day, when Hua Cairi entered the Remembrance Sword Pavilion, that she finally saw Hua Fuchen.

"Father God!" she called out eagerly, approaching him with a playful, coaxing expression.

"Sit down," Hua Fuchen instructed, gesturing to the side with an air of solemnity.

Hua Cairi obediently sat down, then asked cautiously and timidly, "Father God, are you... still angry with me?"

"Hmph!" Hua Fuchen snorted coldly, "These past few days, you've ignored everyone, gone nowhere, and stuck to that boy like glue, openly trying to force my hand. If I were truly angry... you would have exasperated me to death by now."

"Hehe," Hua Cairi chuckled charmingly, her voice sweet, "Father God, I just can't bear to be apart from Brother Yun."

She hopped off her seat and knelt before her father, gently shaking his knee with her small hands. "Father God, please, please let Brother Yun and I be together. I promise I'll listen to everything you say from now on..."

"Alright, alright," Hua Fuchen said, raising a hand to his forehead. He found his daughter's pestering irresistible. He sighed, "These past few days, I've been at your mother's grave."

Hua Cairi parted her lips but said nothing.

"I spoke a lot with your mother and thought a lot, but I still can't truly overcome the obstacle in my heart," his voice carried an unresolved struggle, eventually settling into deep helplessness. "But I also cannot ignore what your aunt said..."

"Your heart and soul are now inextricably bound to that boy. If I were to forcibly separate you two, you would be heartbroken and utterly devastated. Regardless of the original intention or reason, it would cause you immense pain."

Hua Fuchen's words made Hua Cairi's starry eyes brighten, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Father God, you... you mean you're willing to accept...?"

"I didn't say that," Hua Fuchen interrupted sternly, then changed his tone. "However, I can give that boy a chance."

"Wow!" A thousand stars instantly lit up in Hua Cairi's eyes. She cheered, "Father God, you really are the best! I knew you would..."

"Listen to me first," Hua Fuchen said, his voice quelling his daughter's uncontrollable excitement. "I haven't accepted your relationship yet. I'm merely giving him an opportunity, and whether he can seize it is up to him."

"Next, I will give him three trials. If he passes all three of them, then..."

The immense pressure in his heart caused his voice to pause slightly before he continued, "No matter what obstacles or costs lie ahead, I will grant your wish."

These words seemed to be for Hua Cairi, but in reality, they were a solemn commitment to himself.

If Yun Che was indeed trustworthy, then for Hua Cairi's sake, he would bear all consequences—be it his dignity, his future, or even his life.

But if he was not... even if Hua Cairi were heartbroken, he would have to sever their ties immediately.

Hua Cairi's joy immediately cooled several degrees. "Three trials... Father God, you're not going to deliberately make things difficult for Brother Yun and then use that as an excuse, are you?"

Hua Fuchen reached out and poked his daughter's head, annoyed. "Would I, the esteemed Hua Xin God, stoop to using such methods to deliberately make things hard for a junior? Hmph, I see it now: ever since Yun Che came along, your father god has completely become the bad guy in your eyes."

"No, no!" Hua Cairi quickly pleaded. "Father God is the best father god in the world. So... Father God, can you secretly tell me what those three trials are? I promise I won't tell Brother Yun."

Hua Fuchen squinted at her. "You told that boy all the secrets of the Pure Lands without reservation. Do you think I'd trust you?"

"Let's go," he said, standing up. "Come with me to see that boy."

"You don't seem to be in a hurry at all," Lishuo said, a hint of concern in her voice.

"There's nothing to rush," Yun Che replied, leaning back comfortably in a jade chair in the courtyard, as if relaxing at home. "Besides, I should be leaving here in a few days."

"You mean... Hua Fuchen will still choose to expel you?" Lishuo asked, puzzled. "That contradicts what you said earlier."

"Of course not," Yun Che chuckled. "They say emperors are ruthless, but to Hua Fuchen, Cairi is far too important. So, after his initial fury and inability to accept it, he will ultimately make a significant compromise for Cairi's sake."

"However, this compromise requires an absolutely insurmountable prerequisite."

"Prerequisite?"

"Soon," Yun Che murmured. "Probably in the next day or two. I just wonder what method or excuse he'll use."

"If it were me, I'd probably call it a 'trial'."

As he pondered, Hua Lianzhi's clearly hurried voice reached his ears: "Young Master Yun, Eldest Sister and Father God have returned together!"

Yun Che's body instantly tensed like a spring.

They're here... he silently took a breath.

He stood up and saw Hua Fuchen and Hua Cairi stepping into the barrier. He quickly moved forward, bowing slightly. "Junior Yun Che respectfully greets the Hua Xin God."

"Brother Yun!" Hua Cairi, who had been walking intimately alongside Hua Fuchen, immediately latched onto Yun Che the moment she saw him, clutching his arm tightly with both hands, pressing close to him without any gap.

"..." Hua Fuchen's temper flared up instantly, then he fiercely suppressed it.

Ah, a grown daughter cannot be held back.

"Boy," Hua Fuchen said, his gaze sharp as a cold sword, fully displaying his divine presence. "I have some things I need to discuss with you alone."

After speaking, he walked directly to the pavilion on the right side of the courtyard, standing with his back to them without a word.

Hua Cairi secretly squeezed Yun Che's palm, then added uneasily, "Father God, please... speak nicely to Brother Yun. Don't be fierce with him. I... I've never even been fierce with him."

"..." Hua Fuchen didn't respond, but he felt a faint twinge in his liver.

Yun Che gave her a reassuring glance and slowly walked behind Hua Fuchen.

Without Hua Fuchen seeming to make any move, an isolation barrier formed around them, completely cutting off all external auras.

Hua Fuchen finally turned around. He looked at Yun Che, his gaze imposing but not overbearing. Yet, the invisible pressure of a supreme being was enough to make almost all souls in this world tremble.

"Yun Che," he began calmly, his expression placid, "Several days have passed. Has your mind changed?"

Yun Che respectfully replied, "My affection for Cairi has transcended life and death. Heaven and Earth can bear witness that it will never waver in this lifetime."

"Hmph!" Hua Fuchen's voice carried a hint of coldness. "Coincidentally, my stance hasn't changed either. Under no circumstances will I allow you two to be together!"

Yun Che abruptly looked up and said urgently, "Senior, I..."

"Don't be so quick to prove your so-called 'sincerity'," Hua Fuchen interrupted him. "Listen to what I have to say next, then re-examine your 'sincerity' yourself."

Yun Che stopped speaking and replied, "Very well, Junior will listen intently."

Hua Fuchen turned to the side, hands clasped behind his back, and slowly said, "For me, severing your connection with Cairi is exceedingly simple. A single thought, a single flick of my finger, is all it would take to erase you from this world."

"However, you did save Cairi's life, and I cannot bring myself to do something so ruthless. But..." his voice suddenly grew stern, "Just because I won't do it, doesn't mean others won't."

"The Shen Luo God Son, Dian Jiuzhi, not only has a formal engagement with Cairi, but he has also waited patiently for her for many years. His affection for her may even surpass yours. For a man, the most intolerable grievances in this life are nothing other than the hatred of a murdered father and the resentment of a stolen wife."

"Do you think the Shen Luo God Son will let you off? Will the Shen Luo Divine Kingdom let you off?"

"With your current abilities, it's as simple for him to kill you as it is for me!"

Yun Che said without fear, "When I decided to stay with Cairi for this lifetime in the Sea of Mist, I had already considered these things. The wrath of a Divine Kingdom's God Son is indeed terrifying, but since Junior has made my choice, I will not regret or fear it."

"No fear?" Hua Fuchen scoffed faintly. "What gives you the right to be fearless!?"

He sharply turned his gaze. "I ask you, who saved your life? Who taught you all your abilities?"

Yun Che paused, then stated frankly, "My Master. When I was about ten years old, she awoke me from a severe injury and coma, where I had lost my past. All my abilities were also bestowed by my Master."

"It's good that you know," Hua Fuchen said. "Cairi's aunt mentioned that you possess many unusual traits, and many of your abilities might be unique to you in the entire Abyssal world."

"Your Master must be an incredibly powerful ancient divine soul. She gave you new life and made you the inheritor of her power and a living testament to her existence. Yet you, still young and with unformed wings, before you can even make your Master's divine glory shine a fraction in this world, are willing to stake your life for an utterly irrational romantic affair!?"

"If so, have you considered whether you are worthy of your Master, who bestowed everything upon you!?"

Just as Yun Che was about to speak, Hua Fuchen continued, "Furthermore, if you truly care for Cairi's well-being, you should leave her as soon as possible. I've already explained the reasons to you, but I didn't expect that after so many days, you'd show no inclination to move. This makes me doubt whether your feelings for Cairi are more genuine sincerity or selfish desire!"

Yun Che didn't refute him. Instead, he said, "The sincerity of wishing to stay with someone is also a form of satisfying one's own desires; these two are not in conflict."

"Heh, no need for such nonsense," Hua Fuchen scoffed faintly. "You only need to know one thing: under no circumstances will I marry Cairi to you. Your twisted entanglement will end completely today. My allowing you to remain in the Divine Kingdom until now has been out of great tolerance and grace, considering you saved Cairi's life."

As he finished speaking, he gently slapped his hand downwards, and a jade box, about seven feet long and surrounded by profound energy, appeared on the stone table.

"My Heaven Smiting Divine Kingdom never owes favors. Inside this box is one of the strongest divine swords forged by the Sword Forging Pavilion, named 'Nine Star Flowing Radiance.' Its power is no less than that of the Seven Sword Venerables' swords. With this sword, not only will your sword's might be unparalleled, but you can also walk unhindered under the name of my Heaven Smiting Divine Kingdom, fearing no one."

"Additionally, there are three Soul Tempering Pills and three Body Tempering Pills. Their profound essence is so potent that even demigod profound practitioners would go mad for them. I am bestowing six of them upon you at once! This is a treatment that even the most talented juniors in my Divine Kingdom wouldn't dare to dream of."

Hua Fuchen turned around, his finger tapping the stone table, and looked at Yun Che with eyes that held divine might. "Take it, bid farewell to Cairi, and then leave the Heaven Smiting Divine Kingdom on your own."

"Of course, you can also make another choice. That is to stubbornly cling to your so-called 'fearlessness,' be swept out of the Heaven Smiting Divine Kingdom, then continue to live in foolish delusion, keep trying to stop a chariot with your arms, and ruin what should have been a brilliant life, along with all your Master's hopes."

After Hua Fuchen's speech, he believed Yun Che should at least have been shaken... But, in his sight, Yun Che's gaze and expression showed not even a hint of wavering, let alone being moved, from beginning to end.

Yun Che's gaze merely swept over the jade box without lingering, and even after hearing the names 'Nine Star Flowing Radiance' and the pills, he didn't look back for a single moment.

Maintaining his respectful demeanor towards an elder, Yun Che's tone was as neither humble nor arrogant as before. "My Master's kindness to me has never been for any ulterior motive, nor has she placed any shackles on me. On the contrary, her greatest expectation for me is that I live the life I desire, more freely and without restraint."

"The Shen Luo God Son's resentment is indeed formidable, but it was long anticipated and entirely reasonable. The bond between Cairi and me has already transcended life and death; now, what threat should we fear?"

He raised his head, meeting Hua Fuchen's gaze with defiance. "If Senior God wants to expel this junior, I am powerless to resist. But... Junior's words remain the same: as long as Cairi does not abandon me, I will never abandon her. Let Heaven and Earth bear witness to this vow; it will not perish, even in death!"

Hua Fuchen stared at him for several breaths, then his divine aura receded, and he sighed profoundly, "You boy, you're truly stubborn."

With a casual wave of his arm, the barrier instantly dissipated.

"Brother Yun!"

Hua Cairi immediately rushed over, clinging tightly to Yun Che, smiling radiantly. "Father God, see? I told you Brother Yun's feelings for me wouldn't be so wavering."

"Huh?" Yun Che looked surprised at her words.

"Actually, that was just Father God's first trial for you," Hua Cairi immediately revealed. "That barrier wasn't a two-way isolation; Auntie and I could see and hear you very clearly from outside."

"A trial?" Yun Che's expression grew even more surprised. "What kind of trial?"

"It's... Father God said he'd give you three trials, and if Brother Yun passes all of them, he'll agree to cancel the engagement with the Shen Luo Divine Kingdom and let us be together."

Yun Che had passed this first trial without any difficulty. Hua Cairi was undoubtedly in a much better mood, and even her worries about the subsequent trials had greatly diminished.

The surprise on Yun Che's face quickly turned to joy. He said with suppressed excitement, "So that's how it is. Senior God, thank you for graciously granting this junior a chance. No matter the trial, Junior will do my utmost to prove my heart for Cairi to you."

"Hmph!" Hua Fuchen huffed exasperatedly, "That was just the first trial. You're celebrating too early."

After speaking, he soared into the air, instantly appearing outside the courtyard. "Yun boy, come with me. Cairi, you are not to follow."

Hua Cairi followed halfway into the air but had to stop. Hua Fuchen had finally relented, and she dared not disobey, so she could only stomp her foot in frustration.

At that moment, Hua Qingying appeared beside her. "Your father god took him to the Sword Bending Platform. I can take you there, but you can only observe from afar; you must not make a sound."

"Okay!" Hua Cairi quickly nodded. "Auntie is the best."

The Hundred-Li Sword Bending Platform was surrounded by thousands of swords, their sword qi surging like waves.

Hua Fuchen brought Yun Che directly to the center of the Sword Bending Platform, where a massive barrier simultaneously activated, isolating the platform from its surroundings.

Clearly, even at this point, he didn't want too many people to know about Yun Che's presence.

Yun Che surveyed his surroundings and asked, "Senior God, are you perhaps testing junior's sword cultivation?"

Hua Fuchen stood with his hands behind his back, not responding.

Yun Che also stopped speaking.

After a long silence, a gap slowly appeared in the barrier, and three figures entered side by side, accompanied by three sounds of sword cries.

The three landed neatly, then immediately bowed respectfully to Hua Fuchen in greeting:

"Your sons, Hua Wanxiao, Hua Mengyu, and Hua Guiyuan, greet Father God."

Hua Wanxiao, the eldest, bowed and asked, "May I ask, Father God, what is your command for summoning us?"

Hua Fuchen didn't answer them. Instead, he turned to Yun Che and said, "I've heard that with the power of a Level Three Divine Master, you can contend with an early-stage Divine Extinction Realm practitioner. While it's common for geniuses to defeat opponents beyond their minor realm, such a degree is utterly preposterous. If Cairi's aunt hadn't said it herself, I wouldn't believe a single word."

The three imperial sons' gazes also turned to Yun Che at this moment. Upon hearing the claim "with the power of a Level Three Divine Master, he can contend with an early-stage Divine Extinction Realm practitioner," their expressions undoubtedly became strange. If not for Hua Fuchen's presence, they probably would have burst out laughing.

"Therefore, I have come today to witness it myself."

He turned his gaze to the three. "These are my three sons. All of them completed their breakthrough to the Divine Extinction Realm within the last thousand years, and they have all solidified their foundations at the first level of the Divine Extinction Realm."

"You may choose one of them to spar with. If you can win... or rather, if you simply do not lose, then you will have passed this trial. But if you lose, it will mean you used some trickery to deceive Cairi and her aunt, and it will also prove your malicious intentions. You will know the consequences!"

"This..." Hua Guiyuan blurted out, then immediately stopped himself the next instant.

Having achieved demigod status, they were undoubtedly among the most outstanding of all the imperial sons.

Yet they were to be made to spar with someone of unknown origin whose profound energy aura was merely that of a Level Three Divine Master?

The three imperial sons exchanged glances, their expressions grim. If this wasn't Hua Fuchen's command, coming from anyone else, it would be tantamount to a provocation and an insult to them.

Glancing at his three sons, Hua Fuchen continued, "As imperial sons of my Heaven Smiting Divine Kingdom, cultivating the sword is naturally our primary focus. However, the profound arts and sword arts they practice differ greatly. Which opponent you should choose will test your own perceptive abilities."

"No need."

Hua Fuchen's words had barely faded when Yun Che calmly spoke, "Since the three Imperial Highnesses have come specifically for this, how can they return without having done anything?"

He extended his hand, palm facing the three. "I choose... all three Imperial Sons, together."