Chapter 284: After the Calamity

Where... is this place...?

Am I... not dead yet?

Yun Che’s eyes struggled to open a narrow slit. It was a stuffy space filled with a putrid stench. Threads of light, seeping in from an unknown source, vaguely illuminated the surroundings in the darkness. His entire body felt heavy and was wracked with intense pain, especially his back, which throbbed with a bone-piercing ache.

This excruciating pain, surprisingly, brought him a surge of relief in his dazed state. Because the fact that he could still feel pain meant, at the very least, that those parts weren't completely ruined.

“You’re finally awake.”

Jasmine’s voice, filled with relief, reached him. Though Yun Che had just narrowly escaped death, her resentment immediately erupted: “Have you even counted how many times you’ve ‘died’ in less than two years? You’re always reckless, completely disregarding your life for your goals, and each time I have to pay an enormous price to save you! I thought if I sealed my powers, you wouldn’t be so reliant and would be careful with everything. But no, others don’t even need to harm you; you just throw yourself into danger! If you didn’t have the protection of the Great Way of the Buddha and the tempering of Dragon God’s Blood, you’d have been dead for good long ago!”

“Do you even know how to value your own life? I painstakingly reforged your profound veins, taught you divine arts, and repeatedly risked the consequences of my poison flaring up to save you, placing all my hopes on you! Is this how you treat your life? Is this how you repay me?!”

The more Jasmine spoke, the angrier she became. All the worry, fear, and resentment from the past few days surged forth with Yun Che’s awakening, scolding him mercilessly. Yun Che, who had just barely clawed his way back from the brink of death, didn’t dare utter a sound for a long time. Only after she had exhausted herself from scolding did he weakly say, “Jasmine, I was wrong. I know I shouldn’t have been impulsive, but when I saw Yuanba in trouble, I just couldn’t control myself… Hiss! It hurts so much… Huh… If it had been you in danger back then, even if I knew it would mean my death… I would have done… the same.”

“Hmph!” Jasmine coldly scoffed, “Half-dead, and you still don’t forget to use your flowery words to sweet-talk girls! Don’t speak another word. Hold your breath immediately, don’t activate any profound energy, and fully channel the Dragon God’s Blood and circulate the Great Way of the Buddha to heal your injuries! That demon knows you’re not dead yet, but he hasn’t attacked you these past few days; it seems he’s simply bored and wants to see if you can wake up. If he finds out you’re awake, he’ll very likely kill you… So, before he discovers you’re conscious, you must suppress the injuries on your back and accumulate enough power to unleash one Star God’s Broken Shadow!”

Yun Che understood Jasmine’s words instantly. He suppressed his breathing, his gaze flickering towards the barrier at the edge of the Heaven Punishing Soul Suppressing Array. If he could use Star God’s Broken Shadow just once to instantly escape beyond the barrier, then that demon wouldn’t be able to kill him, even if he wanted to.

Even a slight movement of profound energy could greatly worsen his severe injuries and directly alert the demon. However, the Great Way of the Buddha was activated by will, leaving no trace of aura, and the channeling of Dragon God’s Blood was even less detectable.

Yun Che closed his eyes again, his entire body motionless, his breathing suppressed to an extreme degree. Though he was in immense pain, it wasn't enough to make him utter a sound.

His initial injuries had indeed been extremely severe; even with the protection of the Great Way of the Buddha and the Dragon God’s Blood, he had been a hair’s breadth from death. For an ordinary person, five days of unconsciousness would have led to rapid deterioration of injuries, guaranteeing death in less than five hours, let alone five days. But thanks to the Great Way of the Buddha from the God of Desolation, Yun Che’s injuries not only hadn’t worsened during these five days but were slowly recovering. The presence of the Dragon God’s Blood also significantly accelerated the healing process.

Yun Che’s injuries now were no longer life-threatening but had regressed to the level of severe wounds. Even his fractured spine had quietly reconnected during the five days of recovery.

Upon Yun Che’s awakening, with his conscious activation, the Great Way of the Buddha naturally circulated more rapidly, silently accelerating the healing of both his internal and external injuries.

Since I’ve managed to snatch back another life… then… I must fight with all my might to live well… I absolutely cannot die!!

Time flowed slowly in silence. Apart from his own heartbeat, Yun Che heard no other sounds. There was no movement from the demon behind him, as if he were the only one in this dark space. Yet, despite his extreme weakness, he could vaguely feel the demon’s terrifying gaze occasionally sweeping over his body.

Finally, a hoarse voice broke the silence: “What a strange fellow. After injuries like that, he’s still not dead after five whole days! I’ll wait and see if he can finally wake up… But even if he does, he won’t survive!”

The demon’s soliloquy proved he hadn’t discovered Yun Che was awake. Yun Che’s mind relaxed slightly. He readjusted his breathing, focused his mind, and, driven by a strong will to survive, rapidly circulated the Great Way of the Buddha.

One day…

Two days…

By the third day, Yun Che’s injuries were still severe, but they had healed enough that a slight movement of profound energy wouldn’t cause them to rupture. His body no longer felt so heavy, and his profound veins had accumulated sufficient profound energy. He opened his eyes, saw the shimmering yellow barrier, and quietly clenched his fists.

“The time is almost right! Go!”

No sooner had Jasmine spoken than Yun Che took a deep breath. Star God’s Broken Shadow activated instantly, and after eight days of lying prone like a corpse, he shot forward like lightning. With a whoosh, he passed through the barrier and landed heavily outside it, then rolled quite a distance due to momentum before finally stopping. He lay on the ground, sometimes gasping for air, sometimes grimacing in pain.

Now, Yun Che was truly reborn after a catastrophe. Although he had been awake earlier, he remained under the demon’s shadow; if the demon had even slightly willed to kill him, he would have been doomed. But now, not only had his injuries improved, but he had also completely escaped the demon’s control.

The demon abruptly raised his head, his eyes flashing with terrifying brilliance in the darkness. Suddenly, he threw his head back and burst into laughter: “Hahahahaha! I didn’t expect to unintentionally bring such a strange boy in here. After such severe injuries, not only is he still alive after eight days, but he completely healed his wounds right under my nose and even pulled a fast one on me in the end! Besides those bastards from the Heaven Punishing Sword Domain, you’re the first one to trick me!”

A single use of Star God’s Broken Shadow had drained all of Yun Che’s strength. He gasped for air for a while before quietly saying, “Demon, I… I’m not that easy to kill!!”

“Hmph, you truly don’t know your place. Do you think you can rest easy now?” The demon tugged at his chains, growling in a terrifying voice: “This place is suppressed by the Heaven Punishing Sword, and it only opens once every twenty years! What good is it that you’ve regained consciousness? What if your injuries fully heal? There’s no food or water here. With your profound energy cultivation, are you naive enough to believe you can survive here for twenty years?”

“No! I don’t need to wait twenty years… There’s a way for me to get out!” Yun Che glared at the demon, gritting his teeth. “That is to kill you! The Heaven Punishing Sword suppresses your body and soul, and as soon as you die, the Heaven Punishing Sword will automatically release its suppression! Then I can get out of here!”

Of course, Yun Che didn’t figure this out himself; Jasmine told him. What truly trapped the demon wasn't the Starfall Chains. The Starfall Chains merely restricted his physical movements, but it was the Heaven Punishing Sword that pinned him there!

The demon was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter again: “Hahahahaha! What an interesting boy. You’re absolutely right, if you can kill me, you can get out of here. It’s just a pity that you’ll never live long enough to kill me.”

“I will… I will kill you!” Yun Che gritted his teeth, his voice filled with venom, his gaze at the demon burning with hatred. This demon, driven mad by Ling Kun’s provocation, had almost killed Xia Yuanba and nearly sent Yun Che himself into purgatory. Now, although not dead, Yun Che was trapped here, his life no longer his own. All of this was the demon’s doing; Yun Che hated him to the bone!

He could imagine that everyone outside must believe he was dead. The consequence would be sorrow for those who loved him and delight for his enemies! And this, too, was thanks to the demon!

“Then I’ll be waiting to see how you intend to kill me!” The demon roared with laughter. Beneath his graying hair, his withered face revealed a savage excitement. The sheer monotony of the darkness, the terrifying loneliness, was nothing short of purgatory. For Yun Che, this was a descent into an abyss, but for the demon, the presence of another person was like heaven in hell. At this point, if he could reach out and touch Yun Che, he might not even bear to kill him.

“You look like you hate me very much… And you’re right! How could you not hate me! So, hate to your heart’s content. Let me see if your hatred can kill me, let me see how long you can survive here! Hahahaha…”

The demon’s excited laughter held a hint of madness, and in this dark underground space, his voice sounded utterly sinister and terrifying. Yun Che stopped talking to him, gritted his teeth, and slowly sat up from the ground. His injuries were primarily concentrated on his back, and every slight movement brought an unbearable surge of pain. By the time he was fully seated cross-legged, his forehead was beaded with cold sweat. He closed his eyes, placed his hands on his knees, and in a short while, his mind was unified, his complexion and breathing becoming utterly calm.

His consciousness sank into the Sky Poison Pearl. Upon entering, he immediately met Jasmine’s gaze, filled with deep killing intent. He quickly offered an awkward smile, then made a host of promises before swiftly locating dozens of medicinal herbs. Finally, he gritted his teeth and took out the Purple Veined Heaven Crystal that Xia Qingyue had given him.

The Purple Veined Heaven Crystal could grant extremely potent regenerative abilities to injured areas, including skin, flesh, bones, and even internal organs. Absorbing its power could also directly enhance profound energy cultivation, making its value immeasurable by money. If Yun Che wanted to recover his injuries at the fastest possible rate, he had to use the Purple Veined Heaven Crystal.

Under the Sky Poison Pearl’s refinement, in less than half an hour, all the healing medicine Yun Che needed was prepared. Before his consciousness left the Sky Poison Pearl, something occurred to him. He quickly checked the pearl again, and his heart immediately sank to the bottom.

The food and water originally stored in the Sky Poison Pearl… were all gone! Not a single drop or crumb remained!

He had transferred them to the purple spatial ring he left for Su Ling’er, who was far away on the Azure Cloud Continent!