Chapter 2100: 引渊

The Xuanmo Realm is a small region quite close to the Misty Ocean. The entire realm is barely two hundred miles in size, and its closest point to the edge of the Misty Ocean is less than three hundred miles away.

Because of its proximity to the Misty Ocean, this place became a spot for many profound practitioners to prepare, recuperate, and seek refuge. Later, it gradually developed into a trading hub. As a result, Xuanmo Realm did not decline; instead, it showed signs of prosperity.

Almost every day, varying numbers of profound practitioners perished in Xuanmo Realm. These individuals had escaped from the Misty Ocean, afflicted with Abyssal Corrosion, and died in Xuanmo before they could return to their homelands. This kind of misfortune finally befell the son of the Xuanmo Realm King a month ago.

Moxifeng, the current Realm King of Xuanmo, governed a small realm. However, he knew many people and had extensive connections across the world. To be able to sustain this realm in such a perilous place, his cultivation was naturally extraordinary. A thousand years ago, he had already achieved the Divine Extinction Realm. Although he could not advance further within the Divine Extinction Realm, it was enough to command deterrence.

His most talented son, Mo Qianyou, successfully broke through to the Divine Master Realm. With his father's permission, he entered the Misty Ocean for the first time. However, in the outermost reaches of the Misty Ocean, he encountered a Divine Master Abyssal Beast. Despite having a guardian by his side, he was severely wounded. Abyssal Dust invaded his body, and Abyssal Corrosion entered his heart, leaving him no chance of survival.

Upon receiving the transmission, Moxifeng was struck like lightning from a clear sky. He frantically rushed towards the Misty Ocean. At the edge of the Misty Ocean, he saw his beloved son enveloped in gray mist. The Abyssal Corrosion had not only entered his heart but had also afflicted his profound veins and meridians. This was, to his knowledge, a completely incurable and fatal predicament.

As he cried out in pain and despair, completely devoid of the dignity of a Realm King, he saw a pair of gray eyes hidden within the thick Abyssal Mist. He received a gift, like a dream.

A month later, Moxifeng entered the Misty Ocean again, bringing Mo Qianyou, who showed almost no visible wounds, only a slight weakness in his profound energy.

The outer region of the Misty Ocean, close to the conveniently located Xuanmo Realm, saw many profound practitioners entering and exiting. However, Moxifeng completely disregarded this. He pulled Mo Qianyou, and they both knelt heavily on the ground. He loudly declared towards the misty expanse ahead: "Moxifeng, Realm King of Xuanmo, accompanied by my unworthy son, Mo Qianyou, has come specifically to express our gratitude to the Misty Emperor for the life-saving grace!"

His voice was loud, every word sincere, and it drew the attention of all the profound practitioners in the surrounding area.

"The Misty Emperor governs the Misty Ocean, with boundless divine might. I, a king of a small realm, truly do not know how to repay the Misty Emperor's immense grace. I can only offer my heart here. If, in the future, there is any occasion where the Misty Emperor might need me, Moxifeng, I am willing to sacrifice my life!"

Xuanmo Realm saw countless profound practitioners from all corners of the world passing through each year. In such an environment, Moxifeng always treated people with integrity and kept his promises.

"Qianyou, quickly thank the Misty Emperor for this life-renewing grace."

Only after Mo Qianyou respectfully kowtowed towards the misty ocean ahead in gratitude did the father and son stand up.

Strange gazes continuously shot towards them from all directions. Moxifeng naturally understood the meaning of these looks. Recent rumors claimed that the Misty Emperor had saved many people, allowing them to be reborn from certain death, and they were all overjoyed. However, no one had ever returned to express gratitude after such a miraculous recovery.

Because openly thanking the "Misty Emperor" was undoubtedly a sign of disrespect towards the only Emperor in this world.

Just as Moxifeng and his son were about to leave, a sudden change occurred.

The roars of the Abyssal Beasts ceased instantly. The entire Misty Ocean seemed to plunge into absolute silence.

The sky abruptly darkened. A colossal, virtually boundless mass of Abyssal Mist surged upwards, spreading directly across the firmament.

"This... this is..."

"Could it be..."

Moxifeng and Mo Qianyou abruptly turned around. They stared blankly upwards, their gaze fixed intently on a pair of distorted gray eyes.

"Misty... Emperor!"

Moxifeng's throat moved, uttering a sound that was a mix of awe and terror.

The Misty Ocean was immensely vast, and the Misty Emperor's appearances were always fleeting, like a short-lived flower. He had never imagined his expression of gratitude would receive a response from the Misty Emperor.

The profound practitioners in the surrounding area stood frozen on the spot, their minds tense, gazing in a daze at the legendary phenomenon.

"Moxifeng..." The Misty Emperor's voice emanated from the Abyssal Mist. That terrifying sound penetrated their ears and hearts, giving them the chilling sensation of their souls being dragged into a bottomless dark abyss: "I have bestowed countless favors, and you are the first to come and express gratitude."

"It seems this sullied world is not entirely composed of sullied people."

Moxifeng quickly pulled Mo Qianyou to kneel again: "Life-saving grace is greater than the heavens. My son and I will not dare to forget even a fraction of the Misty Emperor's grace throughout our lives; we only regret... that we do not know how to repay it."

"How to repay?" The Misty Emperor's voice suddenly turned cold and piercing, each word like a chilling blade tearing at their souls: "This entire Abyssal World was saved by me. How have you ever repaid me, and how can you repay me?"

"...Huh?" Moxifeng froze. All the profound practitioners who heard the voice froze, completely bewildered.

The entire Abyssal World... saved by the Misty Emperor?

What kind of absurd statement was this?

"Moxifeng, considering your actions today, I shall bestow another favor upon you." The Abyssal Mist surged, and a black streak of light flew towards Moxifeng.

Moxifeng quickly reached out and took it, discovering it was an ordinary Abyssal Stone, from which a faint mist emanated.

"If you encounter an insurmountable predicament, crush this stone within the Misty Ocean, and I will grant you one audience."

"From today onwards, the Abyssal Dust of the Misty Ocean will no longer disperse towards Xuanmo Realm. Even if the isolating barrier is removed, the Abyssal Dust in Xuanmo Realm will be far weaker than before. You may leave now."

The Abyssal Mist rolled and, in an instant, merged into the boundless Misty Ocean, leaving no trace. The Misty Emperor's voice dissipated into the sky, leaving Moxifeng and his son stunned on the spot, as if in a dream.

Only when the long-stilled roars of the Abyssal Beasts resumed did the profound practitioners, who seemed to have lost their souls, awaken as if from a dream. However, they no longer had any thought of further training; their hearts were filled with excitement and shock from encountering the legendary Misty Emperor.

When Moxifeng and his son returned to Xuanmo Realm, they found that a group of core elders were hovering outside the realm. Their positions suggested they were inspecting the barrier that isolated the Abyssal Dust.

"What happened?" Moxifeng quickly stepped forward.

"Realm King, something very strange has occurred." Several elders gathered around him, their expressions showing strong excitement and even stronger bewilderment: "Just now, the concentration of Abyssal Dust in the city suddenly plummeted. We thought you, Realm King, had somehow strengthened the isolating barrier, but upon arriving here, we discovered that the Abyssal Dust outside the realm had also weakened to this extent."

"..." Moxifeng and Mo Qianyou exchanged glances, both speechless for a long time.

"Realm King? Could it be... something truly significant has happened?" Their strange expressions drew the attention of all the elders.

Moxifeng's hand tightly clutched the seemingly ordinary Abyssal Stone. He did not answer the elders' questions; instead, his eyes were wide, and he repeatedly mumbled in a dazed, lost manner: "It's actually true... it's actually true..."

"That... really was... the Emperor... of the Misty Ocean..."

Deep within the Misty Ocean, Yun Che slowly walked out from the swirling Abyssal Dust. As soon as he stood still, Li Sa's voice suddenly rang out:

"What are you doing?"

Mo Qianyou had Divine Master Realm cultivation and a guardian by his side. In the outermost reaches of the Misty Ocean, as long as he didn't deliberately seek death, he shouldn't have encountered any significant danger. Yet, precisely there, in the Misty Ocean's periphery, which should have been filled with only low-level Abyssal Beasts, he encountered a mid-Divine Master Abyssal Beast.

That was because it was controlled by Yun Che.

"Just scattering bait as usual," Yun Che said casually. "See? Someone finally 'took the bait' today."

"That's not what I meant," Li Sa said. "Although your control over Abyssal Dust is growing daily, to prevent the outer Abyssal Dust from spreading towards Xuanmo Realm, you still need to expend enormous mental effort. Moreover, you'll need to spend several hours every day to maintain it. Are you... really going to keep this up...?"

"You'd know it's impossible even if you thought about it with your toes," Yun Che said, sitting cross-legged. As his eyes closed, the surrounding Abyssal Dust swirled around him: "It won't be maintained for too long. This is just another bait, and the most important thing is actually the stone I threw to Moxifeng."

"What happened today, along with the news of the sudden drop in Abyssal Dust in Xuanmo Realm, will surely spread. Rumors not witnessed firsthand will always remain just rumors, but the change in Xuanmo Realm's Abyssal Dust is a fact that anyone can perceive. Thus... the Pure Land should also make a move."

His voice was cold and calm. Even Li Sa, whose soul was intertwined with his, could not sense the slightest ripple of emotion.

In this short year, Yun Che's control over Abyssal Dust had become increasingly terrifying. Alternatively, his body was becoming more and more attuned to the Abyssal Dust, which everyone in this world feared.

A year ago, when he first appeared as the "Misty Emperor," to gather enough Abyssal Dust to conceal the aura of the Abyssal Qilin God, he not only spent an extremely long time but also nearly lost half his life.

Now, with just a slight shift of his will, the swirling Abyssal Mist he summoned could blot out the sky and cover the sun.

Li Sa had a faint feeling... rather than Yun Che actively trying to make his body and power compatible with Abyssal Dust, it seemed more like he was rapidly recovering an inherent, seamless affinity with it.

While his control over Abyssal Dust advanced by leaps and bounds, his profound cultivation... remained completely stagnant.

"How long do you intend to suppress your cultivation?" she asked aloud.

Nine months ago, he could have broken through to the Divine Master Realm Level 4, but he had continuously suppressed it.

"Oh..." Yun Che opened his eyes: "You remind me. Meng Kongchan is now piling all resources onto me, and with a perfect divine essence by my side, it would indeed be abnormal if I didn't break through."

"Then I'll break through in a bit."

He spoke as if it were a trivial matter he was reluctantly forced to do.

"That's not what I meant." She asked again a question she had posed several times before: "Your previous deliberate suppression was to break through in front of Hua Caili and Hua Qingying. Now, why are you forcefully suppressing your cultivation again? Given your current situation, I can't think of a reason."

"It would be strange if you could," Yun Che said with an arrogant, confident air: "You just need to know that this is very important. As for the reason..."

He still did not give her a precise answer. However, at the corner of his lips, a rather eerie smile appeared... so eerie it sent chills down one's spine: "No need to rush, you'll find out."

Without lingering, he stood up. With just that simple act of rising, the surrounding Abyssal Dust instantly converged, completely engulfing him in the Abyssal Mist. Subsequently, a pair of distorted gray eyes slowly materialized in the mist above.

"Time to go see my convenient disciple."

"I hope he can endure today's brutal training."

The Misty Emperor's voice was chillingly cold, every word: "If it's not cruel enough, not painful enough, how can one truly remember the difficulty of obtaining such power, and the difficulty of this revenge!"

The Abyss, Pure Land.

Under a white sky, there was barely a trace of gray, only faint, shimmering golden light.

This was the purest, most lavish, and most sacred sky in the entire Abyssal World.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The clanking of armor, symbolizing the solemn steps of a knight. As the sounds abruptly ceased, Abyssal Knight Bai Yu was already prostrating on the ground: "Abyssal Knight Bai Yu presents himself to receive orders, summoned by Commander Yuchi."

The tall man in front of him slowly turned around. Dressed in heavy white armor, he reflected a divine radiance like starlight.

He was Yuchi Nanxing, the twenty-fourth Abyssal Knight and one of the thirty-six Abyssal Commanders.

"Bai Yu," he said, lowering his gaze. Every word and gesture carried the grave authority of an Abyssal Knight: "That so-called 'Misty Emperor' has appeared again. This time, I want you to take all your accompanying knights, go there yourself, and apprehend him."

Bai Yu did not immediately accept the order. Instead, he said, "The Misty Ocean is vast and boundless; he is nowhere to be found. If we wait for him to appear voluntarily, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

"This time is different," Yuchi Nanxing said. "There is a way to lure him out. However, everything about him is enigmatic, and he possesses countless oddities. Remember to be cautious in all matters and do not underestimate him. If you cannot apprehend him, you must at least glimpse his true form and discern his aura."

"Yes," Bai Yu replied firmly: "To claim the title of Emperor is an unforgivable offense, punishable by ten thousand deaths! Once the Abyssal Knights are dispatched, there will be no place for him to hide in this world."

He stood up but did not leave immediately. Instead, he asked with an air of equality, "Commander, the rumors of the 'Misty Emperor' have intensified over this past year, gradually spiraling out of control. Have the Abyssal Emperor and the Divine Official given any clear instructions regarding this?"

Yuchi Nanxing's eyes turned cold. "Such a petty rogue is not worthy of the Abyssal Emperor or the Divine Official's attention. Furthermore, the Abyssal Emperor has been in the Paradise Lost recently and has no mind for other matters."

"Understood." Bai Yu nodded.

"Depart immediately," Yuchi Nanxing said, his voice growing colder as he looked south. "Go to the place called Xuanmo Realm."

As soon as Yun Che stepped out of his cultivation space, he sensed something unusual about the aura of the Divine Son Palace.

Indeed, Meng Kongchan was standing in the courtyard, and everyone in the Divine Son Palace was waiting respectfully. As Yun Che stepped out, Meng Kongchan turned with a smile: "Yuan'er, I hear you've spent eighty percent of your time cultivating this past year. You truly don't need to be so harsh on yourself; as my son, it's fitting for you to indulge in luxury and pleasure."

As he spoke, his eyes suddenly flickered, and then an uncontrollable look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face: "Yuan'er, you... you've broken through!"

The aura emanating from Yun Che at that moment was clearly that of a Divine Master Realm Level 4.

"Yes, I just completed the breakthrough," Yun Che said, with a look of contentment on his face.

"Hahahahaha!" Meng Kongchan let out a hearty laugh that shook half of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom: "Divine Venerable Huaxin once said you only completed your Divine Master Realm Level 3 breakthrough last year, and now, in just a short year, you've advanced once more! Truly my Yuan'er, truly my Yuan'er! Hahahahaha!"