Chapter 2082: Fog Emperor Reappears

Meng Jianxi's body tensed little by little. He said with difficulty, "Mother, please... don't force me."

Meng Xuanjue said coldly, "I'm not forcing you; I'm saving you!"

"When Jianzhou died a desperate death, I felt four parts heartache and six parts relief. With him and Meng Jingzhe gone, there would never be any loose ends. I had originally intended for you never to know. But those two utterly useless fools actually allowed Meng Jianyuan to return alive!"

In fact, Meng Jianxi had long suspected that Meng Jianyuan's death was connected to Meng Jianzhou. As Meng Jianzhou's only full brother, he could deeply sense Meng Jianzhou's jealousy and hatred towards Meng Jianyuan.

This was why, after awakening his divine persona later and becoming the Divine Son of Weaving Dreams, he ruthlessly trampled Meng Jianzhou—who should have been his closest kin—into the mud, crushing all his courage and ambition.

But he had never imagined that this matter was connected to his own mother... She was already the Divine Empress of the God Realm, standing at the pinnacle of women in this era. There was no reason for her to take such an enormous risk, knowing that exposure would lead to severe consequences.

As for Meng Jianzhou... even until his death, he never knew that his success back then had actually been secretly orchestrated by his birth mother. He had always believed it was a flawless plan, known only to him and Meng Jingzhe.

"Back then, I was overly confident that my position as Divine Empress was unshakeable, but I was nearly threatened by that vile person! After that, I deeply realized that no opponent should be underestimated, and every threat must be crushed in its infancy!"

Meng Xuanjue suddenly reached out and pulled Meng Jianxi closer, making him look directly into her eyes: "What Meng Jianyuan is now is far more than just a 'bud'! His threat to you is practically in your face! How can you be so indifferent!"

"Your son is not indifferent," Meng Jianxi said, struggling to steady his emotions. "It's just that for now, I absolutely should not, and cannot, make a move against Meng Jianyuan."

"When did I tell you to act against Meng Jianyuan?" Meng Xuanjue said gravely. "Your Father God now regards him as precious as a pearl. Attacking him would be digging your own grave. Right now, what you must do... is to prevent him from becoming a Divine Son of Weaving Dreams, or at least, not allow him to so easily and naturally share the title of Divine Son with you!"

"Stop being so arrogant and indifferent!"

She pulled Meng Jianxi's arm, her fingers slowly tightening, nails almost digging into his flesh: "Remember, in the God Realm of Weaving Dreams, the Divine Lord ultimately calls the shots! Even if you had ten grandfathers and ten uncles, your influence would never surpass your Father God's! Only if you firmly secure your position as Divine Son, becoming the sole Divine Son in the eyes of your Father God and the God Realm of Weaving Dreams, then even if everything were truly exposed, your Father God, though furious, would never reveal it publicly, nor would he implicate you... because you would be the only choice!"

"Later, when you inherit your Father God's true divine power and become the Divine Lord of Weaving Dreams... then, even if your mother had ten times the sins, you could dismiss them with a single word! Ten thousand more Meng Jianyuan's would be nothing more than your subjects. Do you understand!"

Meng Jianxi closed his eyes and looked up, then spoke heavily, "Your son understands. Your son will certainly follow Mother's teachings, and even the smallest threat will be completely eradicated at its inception."

"Good," Meng Xuanjue's hand finally loosened slowly. "This is how my Xi'er should be. Now, go to your maternal grandfather's side. Six of the nine Great Dream Halls are now aligned with your wishes, bound to rise and fall with you. Your attitude will determine the outcome of the enthronement ceremony seven days from now."

Meng Jianxi walked out of the Divine Empress's palace, letting out a long breath.

Just then, Meng Jianze arrived, his expression anxious: "Your Highness! Did you receive the news? Father God is actually going to declare Meng Jianyuan the second Divine Son of Weaving Dreams, and it's happening in just seven days!"

"Yes, I know," Meng Jianxi responded somewhat distractedly.

Meng Jianze observed his expression, then said resentfully, "What on earth is Father God thinking? It's simply... inexplicable!"

"It truly is inexplicable," Meng Jianxi agreed, nodding. He looked ahead and pondered, "Just now, Mother asked me about this. To reassure her, I said that Father God's actions stemmed from joy, guilt, and a desire to compensate, which would be reasonable. In truth... I completely fail to understand what Father God is doing."

"If Father God's actions are out of favor and compensation, then this move actually harms him. After all, Meng Jianyuan disappeared for so many years and now has no foundation or popular support in this God Realm. To suddenly push him directly into the 'Divine Son' position... compared to superficial reverence, it will undoubtedly invite more doubt, cold stares, confusion, and unease."

"If I were Meng Jianyuan, I would only feel as if I were being roasted over magnificent coals. Father God is an extremely astute person; he cannot be unaware of this."

Meng Jianxi spoke slowly, but he still couldn't comprehend it.

Even if he were ten times more astute and had ten more heads, he would never have guessed that Yun Che's "backing" wasn't just Meng Kongchan, but also the Heaven-Folding God Realm.

While Meng Kongchan's action was indeed out of favor and a desire to compensate, it also served to give Yun Che an identity and to convey his attitude to Hua Fuchen.

"Regardless of the reason, Father God's action completely disregards Your Highness's feelings," Meng Jianze said in a lowered voice. "For the ceremony seven days from now, does Your Highness have any thoughts?"

Meng Jianxi stopped, slowly uttering two words: "Crush it!"

Meng Jianze also stopped, watching him intently.

"Although we cannot physically harm him, we must ensure that the day seven days from now becomes the most unforgettable day of humiliation in his life! His newly conferred title of 'Divine Son' must not only lack all glory but also become a mark of shame despised by everyone."

"Understood," Meng Jianze slowly nodded, a strange glint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

"I cannot personally intervene in this matter; in fact, I must support him throughout," Meng Jianxi's eyebrows slowly lowered. "You know what to do."

***

Heaven-Folding God Realm.

Hua Qingying descended from the profound ark, only to see Hua Fuchen already standing there, seemingly waiting for her return, his expression quite subtle.

"Where is Caili?" Hua Qingying asked. "Why can't I sense her presence?"

"She entered the Seven-Star Heaven-Folding Array," Hua Fuchen replied truthfully.

"What!?" Hua Qingying's moon-like eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

"She knew you would surely object, so she entered before your return," Hua Fuchen said calmly. "Now the seven stars shine, and all seven arrays are open. It's too late for you to stop her."

Hua Qingying gave him a cold stare, then turned and walked away.

"There's extremely good news for Caili's future."

As expected, as soon as Hua Caili was mentioned, Hua Qingying immediately stopped.

"Meng Kongchan just sent news, not about the 'Dreamfall' outcome, but..." Hua Fuchen paused slightly before slowly continuing, "He discovered that Yun Che's true identity is actually Meng Jianyuan, who disappeared a hundred years ago."

"..." Hua Qingying was visibly stunned for a moment before slowly turning her gaze. "Is that true?"

"Meng Kongchan said so himself," Hua Fuchen stated. "Furthermore, Yun Che coincidentally has no memories from before the age of ten, and his age is also two sixty-year cycles—you told me all this. Thinking back now, it perfectly matches the Meng Jianyuan who disappeared back then."

Hua Qingying murmured, "Such a thing actually exists..."

"The world is vast, full of wonders; it's truly bizarre beyond belief," Hua Fuchen sighed. "However, this makes matters concerning Caili and Yun Che much simpler. At least our Heaven-Folding God Realm won't have to face it alone."

"To show me his stance and to give Yun Che an identity as soon as possible, Meng Kongchan has already ordered Yun Che to be established as the second Divine Son of Weaving Dreams, with the enthronement ceremony taking place seven days from now."

Hua Qingying suddenly turned. "Won't this push Yun Che into the eye of the storm? Meng Jianxi's maternal clan has deep roots, and you yourself once described him as highly ambitious and cunning. Even if Yun Che is Meng Jianyuan, his return to this realm now still makes him an isolated individual who has long since severed all ties. You should be well aware of the reaction this forced establishment of Yun Che as another Divine Son of Weaving Dreams will provoke from Meng Jianxi and his maternal clan."

Hua Fuchen merely smiled. "For that boy, isn't this also a form of tempering and testing? Only such an environment can allow a person to grow most rapidly."

"Has the God Realm of Weaving Dreams widely distributed invitations?" Hua Qingying suddenly asked.

Hua Fuchen shook his head. "The news has surely spread, but Meng Kongchan has no intention of widely inviting the other five realms. However, at that time, I will have Kaiyang..."

"No need," Hua Qingying said coldly and unequivocally. "I will go myself."

"Uh...?"

"The man Caili chose cannot be allowed to be bullied!"

Even when addressing the Divine Venerable Huaxin, Hua Qingying's words were always declarations, never negotiations: "Seven days from now, I will personally attend the God Realm of Weaving Dreams. You do not need to concern yourself with this matter any further."

"It's been a long time since I last met that old fellow Meng Zangji."

"Qingying, this..." Hua Fuchen raised a hand, but could only watch helplessly as Hua Qingying drifted away, shaking his head in resignation.

***

The Abyss, Mist Sea.

A group of over ten people, all dressed similarly, clearly belonged to the same sect.

They were all wounded, some lightly, some severely. Around them lay the remains of abyss beasts, not yet dissipated into abyss dust, indicating they had just endured a fierce battle.

Half of them stood guard, while the other half gathered around the youngest man. The leading middle-aged man placed his palm on the young man. After a moment, he shook his head with a grave expression: "The abyss dust has already corroded his heart... there's no hope."

The words "corroded his heart" plunged everyone's faces into gloom. In their understanding, it was tantamount to death.

Abyss dust was uncontrollable, indestructible, and extremely difficult to dispel. Once it entered the heart, there was absolutely no chance of survival.

"No, it can't be..." The tall man closest to the young man had tears in his eyes, shaking his head in frantic disbelief. "Uncle-Master, you must be mistaken. Junior Brother Mu's injuries clearly weren't severe, how could... how could this be..."

The young man gripped his arm, forcing a smile onto his pale face. "Senior Brother Han, everyone has their fate; don't dwell on it. It's just a pity... that I won't be able to fulfill the promise I made back then."

The tall man lowered his head, clenching his teeth, choked with emotion and unable to speak.

"Senior Brother Han, I have one last request... I... don't want to die in the Mist Sea."

"Alright!" the tall man replied with difficulty. "I'll take you out of here right now! Even if you have to go, you should leave intact, not turn into dust in this Mist Sea."

No sooner had he spoken than startled cries erupted around them.

"What... what is that?"

Looking up, in the distance, thick mist and dust were rolling. Even the already gloomy sky seemed to darken further because of it.

Everyone stood rooted to the spot, until someone muttered in a daze, "This scene seems very much like the one in the legends..."

Suddenly, a deeply imposing roar, like a demonic chant, echoed in their ears:

"Mist Emperor surveys the sea, mortal spirits disperse!"

Every word shook their souls, seeming to resonate directly within their very beings, causing all their expressions to change drastically.

"Mist... Mist Emperor? The one from the legends..."

"Wasn't it said that was just a fabricated hoax?"

"Legend has it that when the Mist Emperor first appeared months ago, it summoned the Ancestral Qilin God from the depths of the Mist Sea, creating miles of calamity and burying countless bodies! Even if it's a fraud... it's someone we cannot afford to provoke."

The middle-aged man immediately roared in a deep voice, "Go, quickly!"

The voice within the grey mist suddenly carried a hint of anger: "Disperse... now!"

Boom!!

The ground trembled, and a storm suddenly surged from the grey mist, forcefully blasting the terrified group several miles away.

Only the young man, whose heart was corroded by abyss dust and who was destined to die, remained untouched by the storm, standing isolated in his original spot.

The middle-aged man scrambled to his feet, roaring, "Go! Don't look back!"

The tall man stood up and immediately saw the young man, left behind and growing closer to the rolling grey mist. His pupils constricted, and he cried out, "But Junior Brother Mu..."

"We can't help him!" the middle-aged man said. "He's already beyond saving. If we delay any longer, we'll all be dragged in."

The tall man gritted his teeth and suddenly pushed the middle-aged man. "Uncle-Master, you all go quickly; don't worry about me!"

As he roared, he lunged directly towards the young man's location... and also towards the rolling grey mist.

"Han Xu!" the middle-aged man roared, but could only clench his jaw and lead the other disciples in a full retreat.

The tall man stumbled and fell heavily to the ground. He rolled, scrambling to the young man, quickly picking him up... As he stood, he touched the grey mist, now alarmingly close.

His suddenly widened eyes met a pair of chaotic, distorted grey pupils that flickered in and out of sight within the mist.

"Insignificant mortal, how dare you approach my imperial might!"

A terrifying pressure almost crushed his soul. The middle-aged man trembled all over, yet he forced himself to shout: "I am but a humble mortal, how could I dare offend... Your Majesty the Mist Emperor. It's just... it's just that my junior brother's heart has been corroded by abyss dust, and his life force is extinguished. I only wished to bring him out of the Mist Sea, to die with dignity, with no intention of offense whatsoever. I beg Your Majesty the Mist Emperor for mercy and forgiveness... I, Han Xu, will be grateful for the rest of my life."

"Hahahaha!"

The Mist Emperor's loud laughter was his only reply.

"Loyal and righteous, unafraid of death, you deserve my imperial grace!"

Accompanying the Mist Emperor's voice was a sudden veil of grey mist.

The middle-aged man let out a low groan but dared not resist... However, the sensation of abyss dust corrosion did not come. The grey mist lingered on them for a few breaths, then quickly dissipated.

Simultaneously, the remarkably thick aura of decay on the young man also dispersed.

"Hahahaha!" The grey mist rolled away, accompanied by the Mist Emperor's laughter fading into the distance.

"Senior Brother Han," the young man struggled to stand up from the tall man's grasp. He raised his hands, looking at his palms in disbelief, then uttered in a dreamlike voice, "All the abyss corrosion on me... it's gone..."

"Wh-what?"

They returned to the middle-aged man's side. As the middle-aged man's profound energy circulated through the young man for a full cycle, he remained stunned for a long time, his eyes silently widening, as if he had suddenly entered the most absurd dream of his life.

"Uncle-Master?" the tall man tentatively asked. "Could it be... truly...?"

"This is impossible, this is impossible," the middle-aged man shook his head as if his soul had left his body. "The abyss corrosion, which was clearly incurable... not just his heart veins... everything... everything is gone..."

The surrounding group exchanged glances, as if they had heard a demonic sound from beyond the heavens.

One disciple murmured softly, "Didn't they say that once corroded by abyss dust, even the Supreme Abyss Emperor above the Pure Lands couldn't cleanse it...? How could this be..."

"Could it be that that truly was... the Emperor of the Mist Sea?"

The young man suddenly turned, heavily knelt in the direction the "Mist Emperor" had departed, and cried out tearfully, "Mu Cheng, a disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, thanks Your Majesty the Mist Emperor for this life-renewing grace! For the rest of my life, I vow to revere the Mist Emperor as my faith, never abandoning it, even unto death!"

No one responded, and the others remained silent, their hearts and minds in turmoil.

Not long after, rumors of the "Mist Emperor" reappearing and instantly cleansing abyss corrosion spread rapidly through the Mist Sea's periphery and radiated quickly into the deeper, living regions.

***

Yun Che walked out of the cultivation space and stretched with a long yawn.

Sensing his presence, a girl's figure hurried over, bringing with her a fragrant breeze. "Young Master, you've finally come out. The enthronement ceremony for the Divine Son is in just three hours; if you didn't come out soon..."

"If Young Master didn't come out soon, little sister Zhanyi would surely start crying," a charming female voice chimed in. Meng Zhiyuan stepped lightly, holding a set of silver ceremonial robes. "Young Master, please allow us to assist you with changing."

Yun Che reached out, "I'll do it myself."

"No," Meng Zhiyuan dodged away, pouting slightly and saying with a hint of grievance, "It's one thing that you don't let us attend to your bathing or sleeping arrangements, but if you don't even let us help you dress, we won't have the face to stay by your side anymore."

"Mhm, mhm!" Liu Zhanyi quickly nodded in agreement.

"Alright, alright," Yun Che responded helplessly, following them back to the bedchamber.

When he emerged, silver radiance flowed from him, and dream-light subtly enveloped him. With every step, he exuded a divine presence and nobility, leaving the two young maids wide-eyed and utterly captivated for a long time.

"It fits well enough, just a bit flashy," Yun Che seemed quite satisfied, then murmured, "Shouyuan."

The elder's figure descended from the air and knelt on the ground.

"It's still early. Tell me who will be attending the enthronement ceremony," Yun Che said with a very casual expression, as if merely asking a simple question without much concern.