Chapter 2075: Fierce Departure

Hua Fuchen said no more and left, leaving Hua Caili filled with dread.

"Brother Yun, are you... really going to the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams?" She looked at Yun Che, her eyes full of worry and fear, shaking her head as she spoke. "No, you can't. The Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams is an extremely dangerous place. Its people are highly skilled in soul power; they can easily trap others in illusions. You mustn't... you mustn't go there."

"I'll go find Aunt; there must be another way."

Just as Hua Caili was about to turn, Yun Che gently pulled her back. "Caili, I've already promised your father, so I cannot go back on my word."

"But..." Hua Caili's eyes glistened with unshed tears, like fragile mist.

She, who could play freely even in the Pure Land, would never have associated the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams with the word "terrifying" before.

But the thought of Yun Che having to go alone and establish himself there for five years suddenly cast a terrible shadow over all her knowledge of the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams.

Yun Che shook his head, showing no sign of worry on his face. "Honestly, this test your father gave me completely exceeded my expectations. Given his status, position, and stance, it would be entirely reasonable even if he gave me a test a hundred times harder than this."

"Caili, do you remember what I told you before?" Yun Che raised a hand and gently cupped the girl's face. "What your father must weigh and bear is far heavier than what we do. I have nothing and no one to rely on except your feelings for me. Yet your father can concede to this extent for us... For me, this is a grace I couldn't have even imagined before entering the Divine Realm of Heaven's Mandate."

"For five years, your father wants to test if our feelings will gradually cool over time when we're apart. He also wants to test if I can establish myself in a divine realm, or even carve out my own territory, without any external assistance."

"This kind of test, to me, is truly an act of immense kindness, because this is precisely the proof I must provide. Otherwise... if I don't even have this much ability, how could I be worthy of my Divine Maiden Caili?"

Hua Caili, however, shook her head. "I don't need any proof from you. As long as you're safe, I..."

"But I need it," Yun Che said softly. "I will never allow my Caili to be mocked by others because of me in the future."

Hua Caili blinked, seemingly to herself yet also confiding, "I knew... you would say that."

"Five years is both long and short, and it's quite subtle."

"Sub...tle?" Hua Caili murmured.

Yun Che smiled slightly. "You occasionally mentioned that in three years, the Six Divine Kingdoms and the Dragon Clan would go to the Pure Land to meet the Abyss Emperor. Your father wants us to be apart until then to avoid potential risks. After all, if we stay together for three years, no matter how well we conceal it, we'll eventually be discovered. At that time, pressure from the Pure Land, Senluo, and even within the Divine Realm of Heaven's Mandate will surge forth. No matter how powerful your father is, he'll find it difficult to cope, and the pressure he'd face at the Pure Land gathering would be unimaginable."

"My years in the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams will be both a test for us and a form of protection. I also believe that your father, who loves you more than his own life, needs these years to buffer, deliberate, weigh options, and prepare, so he can find the most foolproof solution."

"One more thing: you once said that Divine Venerable Wumeng and Divine Venerable Jueluo are your father's best friends. Perhaps your father intentionally sending me to the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams... is also part of his planning for our future."

Hua Caili gazed at him, captivated. The worry and unease in her heart, and the mist in her eyes, slowly melted away.

"Alright..." She stepped forward and hugged Yun Che tightly, her arms almost pouring all their strength into the embrace, as if she wished to meld herself into his body. "Five years... I'll wait for you. You must... no, you will complete this test ten or a hundred times over, just like before. You will be perfectly fine... you will become better... stronger... more... *sniffle*... *wuwuwu*..."

Her voice gradually dissolved into sobs until she could no longer utter a single word, only her shoulders trembling more violently.

The voices of the two fell, without missing a single sound, into the ears of the departing Hua Fuchen.

"This boy..." Hua Fuchen murmured softly, a momentary blur appearing in his divine-light-infused eyes.

"You're sending him to the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams so their people can subject him to 'Dreamfall'?"

Hua Qingying's voice abruptly rang out, followed by her figure slowly appearing.

"Yes," Hua Fuchen admitted frankly. "No matter what, I must confirm his sincerity towards Caili. Otherwise... how could he be worthy of such a concession from me?"

Hua Qingying frowned slightly. "I witnessed everything regarding his feelings for Caili. Do you think Yun Che could conceal deceit under my divine sense?"

"Qingying, you are the person I trust most in this world; how could I not believe you?" Hua Fuchen sighed softly. "However, I cannot fully trust a human heart."

Hua Qingying's expression remained unchanged. "I have no objection to you confirming his sincerity towards Caili. But once 'Dreamfall' is used, no secrets will be able to hide. His unusual aspects... especially the 'Master' he speaks of, could very likely be an existence capable of shaking the current world. If that were to happen..."

"Don't worry," Hua Fuchen smiled slightly. "Meng Kongchan will personally investigate; he won't leave it to others."

Hua Qingying's expression visibly relaxed, and she said nothing more.

Three days passed in a flash.

A small profound ark hovered before Yun Che, emitting a gentle aura.

"Father," Hua Caili tightly held Yun Che's hand, every finger intertwined with his. "At least... let me see Brother Yun off to the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams."

Her eyes glistened with tears, and her compliant demeanor held a plea. Hua Fuchen, however, turned his face away, his tone stiff: "No!"

In the Divine Realm of Heaven's Mandate, he could still maintain full control. But if they appeared together in the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams... there would be too great a chance of exposure.

"Father, Brother Yun has never been to the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams and doesn't know its exact location. This profound ark requires control by sword qi; Brother Yun would surely find it difficult to steer, and accidents could easily happen midway... Father, I promise to return immediately after dropping Brother Yun off at the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams, without a moment's delay, alright?"

Hua Fuchen still kept his face turned away, unwilling—or rather, unable—to meet his daughter's excessively pitiful gaze.

"What Caili says is not unreasonable," Hua Qingying spoke. "For this journey, I will accompany Yun Che."

Hua Caili was immediately overjoyed. She nodded vigorously. "Mm! Thank you, Aunt!"

"Hmph!" Hua Fuchen snorted through his nose, but he didn't voice any objection.

With Hua Qingying accompanying him, Hua Caili felt a slight sense of relief. She looked at Yun Che, his complete face reflected in her star-like eyes. Although everything about him was already deeply etched into her soul, she still gazed at him fondly, unwilling to let her eyes wander for even a moment:

"Brother Yun, remember what I've told you these past few days. After you arrive in the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams, don't get into any disputes with anyone, don't do anything dangerous, and you must, absolutely must, protect yourself well..."

"Things like 'carving out your own territory' truly aren't important at all. You must always remember that your safety outweighs everything else..."

"Don't go near Meng Jianxi, don't go near the place called 'Sunken Dream Valley,' and don't stare into those people's eyes for too long..."

"If possible, it would be best... best to find a cultivation barrier, cultivate within it for five years, not go anywhere, and not contact anyone..."

"And..."

"And..."

"Alright, alright, I've got it all," Yun Che said, listening intently to her repeated emphasis once more. "What I carry now is no longer just my own destiny, but the future of both of us, so I will certainly, absolutely, protect myself well. I promise you, when I return to your side in five years, not a single hair will be missing."

"..." Hua Fuchen raised a hand to cover his face. "It's just five years, but they're acting like it's a parting of life and death."

Hua Qingying said, "Five years is but an instant to us, but although Caili was born ten thousand years ago, her true time in existence is less than twenty years. Furthermore, her feelings for Yun Che are at their most fervent now, so five years will naturally feel incredibly long and difficult for her."

"Sigh," Hua Fuchen shook his head. "You'll spoil her rotten sooner or later."

In Yun Che's hand, a spherical pearl appeared. Within it, countless purple light-stars drifted, like purple butterflies freely floating in the dark night. "Five years, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days. Inside are one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five soul butterflies I've carved. Each one is imprinted with my words for you. When you miss me, just release a soul butterfly; it will carry my voice and my feelings, accompanying you in my stead."

He picked up the longevity pearl Hua Caili had given him, his fingers gently touching the soul light belonging to Hua Caili on its surface. "With it, I can touch your soul anytime, just as if you were by my side every moment. So, though five years is long, I will certainly not be lonely. If, at any moment, you feel a slight warmth in your soul, it must be me thinking of my Caili..."

"!" Hua Fuchen's fingers clenched; he wished he could claw off his own features. How could this boy utter such embarrassing words from that mouth! And to his daughter!

"It's time, hurry up and go!" Unable to bear it any longer, Hua Fuchen suddenly waved his hand, letting out a low roar, losing his composure.

Hua Qingying's figure flickered, and she was already on the profound ark. Then she raised her slender hand, and Yun Che was lifted by a gentle breeze, landing on the profound ark.

"Let's go."

With these two brief words, sword qi surged, and the profound ark took to the sky. Hua Qingying knew that if she wasn't decisive, Hua Caili might not release Yun Che's tightly clasped hand even by tomorrow.

"Brother Yun!!"

In a flash, the profound ark was far away, yet the girl's cries continued to drift back:

"Brother Yun... you must, absolutely must, protect yourself..."

"You mustn't forget to miss me... not for a single day..."

"I'll wait here obediently; I won't go anywhere..."

"I won't go near any other men... and I won't call anyone else 'Brother' ever again..."

"Brother Yun... remember your words... our future..."

The girl's voice grew fainter and fainter, farther and farther away, accompanied by increasingly uncontrollable sobs.

"..." The moment the voice completely vanished, Yun Che finally looked back.

But only for an instant, he forced his gaze forward again.

Hua Caili's body, while chasing, slammed heavily into the barrier. She fell to the ground but did not get up. Instead, she stared blankly as the small profound ark, bit by bit, completely disappeared from sight.

Her world suddenly felt empty.

Her fingers could no longer touch Yun Che's figure; her smiles and playful complaints no longer had those perpetually warm, bright eyes to meet.

After an unknown amount of time, she slowly rose, biting her lip tightly, trying not to let out a sob, but the mist in her eyes would not dissipate no matter what.

Hua Fuchen watched in silence, his heart filled with a myriad of complex emotions.

At that moment, Hua Caili turned around and faced him.

Her snowy face was streaked with tears, her eyes misty. Her grief was so profound it could shatter the hearts of all living beings.

Yet her beautiful eyes had suddenly lost too much of their color, as if the countless stars that once resided within them had departed with Yun Che's figure.

"Father," she spoke, her voice slightly hoarse. "I want to enter the Seven Star Heaven-Breaking Formation!"

That single, short sentence made Hua Fuchen's heart tremble violently.

Because he clearly felt a resolve in her that he had never seen in Hua Caili before.

Looking into his daughter's eyes, he slowly spoke. "Once you enter the Seven Star Heaven-Breaking Formation, if you cannot pass the trials of all seven Sword Venerables, you will never be able to leave... Have you truly considered this?"

The Seven Sword Venerables of Heaven's Mandate each upheld one of the seven ultimate sword arts.

Hua Caili's lips moved slightly, her voice like a sleepwalker's murmur. "Brother Yun is not a rootless duckweed; he is a brilliant light illuminating the world, free and extraordinary. Yet for me, he returned with me to the Divine Realm of Heaven's Mandate, and again for me, he travels alone to a completely unfamiliar and distant place."

"Our future should not be borne by him alone."

"..." Hua Fuchen nodded incredibly slowly. His lips parted slightly, uttering the sound that consented to this cruel decision: "Alright."

"He actually did as you said... sending you to the Divine Realm of Weaving Dreams."

Lisha murmured to herself.

When Hua Fuchen proposed the final test, Hua Caili had the strongest reaction, but it was primarily out of concern for Yun Che's safety and fear of separation. The most astonished, without a doubt, was Lisha.

"Could it be that you thought my earlier words were nonsense?" Yun Che asked.

Lisha whispered, "I am somewhat... rather surprised. I can't understand how you could have predicted Hua Fuchen's decision so precisely, so early on."

Yun Che narrowed his eyes and said, "To be honest, all of this has gone far more smoothly than I expected."

"Lisha, have you noticed something?" Yun Che mused. "Although people from the Divine Realms possess power far beyond those in the God Realm, they seem to be..." He pondered for a moment, then still used the slightly odd word: "Simple."

"Simple?" Lisha murmured, only confused.

"Let me put it another way," Yun Che said. "If Caili's father were someone like Xing Juekong or Qianye Fantian, how much more difficult do you think it would have been for me to execute my plan?"

"Oh!" As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Che realized. "When you 'fell' into my hands, Xing Juekong was already crippled and Qianye Fantian was dead. You truly aren't familiar with them."