Chapter 310: Mutated Xuangan

Azure Wind Imperial Palace, Emperor's bedchamber.

Cang Wanhe lay semi-reclined on the bed, his pale face tinged with a slight flush. Dongfang Xiu stood by his side, his face filled with anticipation.

"Are you sure we don't need the Soul-Burning Flower?" Cang Yue asked, still a little unsure.

"Yes," Yun Che nodded. "The Soul-Devouring Life-Bound Gu is connected to the host's life force. Directly destroying it would also cause the host to die. To remove the Gu without harming the host's life, we must first sever its connection to the host's life force. Only the Soul-Burning Flower, with its 'Soul Separation' ability, can achieve this. However, I recently acquired a special ability that can also do the same."

"Let's begin now... Your Majesty, please relax your body, calm your breathing, and stabilize your heart rate."

Cang Wanhe took a few deep breaths as instructed, and his breathing quickly became steady. Yun Che stood by the bed, extended his left hand, and as a crimson light flickered, his crimson Profound Handle appeared as a spherical glow. It then slowly floated to Cang Wanhe's chest.

"What is that?" Dongfang Xiu asked, looking at the Profound Handle in surprise. On the Profound Sky Continent, the Profound Handle was something only those of Sacred Land level knew about. Although Ling Kun had casually mentioned the Profound Handle to the Ten Great Sects at Heavenly Sword Villa that day, he had only spoken its name, and no one knew what it looked like.

Yun Che did not reply. He closed his eyes and rapidly concentrated his mind. Dongfang Xiu also quieted down, refraining from further questions, and frowned slightly as he observed the strange object before him, something beyond his comprehension.

A moment later, Yun Che opened his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, withdraw every trace of profound energy from your body. When you feel something entering your chest, do not attempt to resist it."

Cang Wanhe nodded slightly.

Yun Che took a shallow breath. Although he felt certain of success, this was his first time using the Profound Handle in this manner, and he couldn't help but feel a slight nervousness. To ensure absolute certainty, Yun Che directly activated his first and second profound gates... The moment "Burning Heart" was activated, the light before Yun Che suddenly changed. The originally crimson Profound Handle unexpectedly turned orange, and after maintaining that orange hue for a moment, it instantly became yellow.

The power aura of the Profound Handle also instantly tripled!

"This strange thing actually changes color!" Cang Yue exclaimed in astonishment. Meanwhile, Yun Che stood frozen in place.

What's going on?!

How did the Profound Handle's color turn yellow?!

Grandfather said that once the Profound Handle awakens, its color never changes throughout one's life! The Profound Handle I awakened was clearly the lowest-grade crimson Profound Handle... How could it suddenly change?!

And it wasn't just the color change; its strength had clearly transformed into that of a yellow Profound Handle!

Wait, could it be...

Yun Che suddenly thought of a possibility and quickly deactivated his second profound gate, maintaining the Evil Soul state.

Immediately, the Profound Handle's color changed from yellow to orange.

Yun Che then deactivated Evil Soul again, keeping all profound gates closed... The Profound Handle's color instantly reverted to crimson!

Yun Che then reactivated Burning Heart, and the Profound Handle's color instantly changed from red back to yellow.

Watching the strange profound energy glow constantly switch colors, and seeing Yun Che's solemn expression, Dongfang Xiu and Cang Yue both assumed he was performing some careful preparatory work. They held their breath, daring not to utter a sound.

Yun Canghai would never lie to him. This change in his Profound Handle was absolutely abnormal.

Could it be due to his unique profound veins?

The Profound Handle originates from both bloodline and profound veins. The weakest crimson Profound Handle he awakened was likely due to his original profound veins being destroyed and new ones emerging when he was sixteen. The Evil God's Profound Veins are no different from ordinary profound veins in their normal state, but each time a boundary gate is opened, the profound veins' power surges.

This means that with each opened boundary gate, the Evil God's Profound Veins experience a leap in power... The Profound Handle's power is related to the profound veins. Could the anomaly in his Profound Handle be due to the unique nature of his profound veins? A leap in profound vein power... leading to a qualitative change in the Profound Handle?

This was the only explanation.

The Profound Handle could be not only a power body but also a spiritual body, capable of instant conversion between the two. This property, which defied common sense, was Yun Che's reliance for removing the Gu poison from Cang Wanhe. He just hadn't expected such an unexpected development before he even began removing the poison... Oh, no! Rather than a mishap, it was an unexpected surprise. Although he had only recently awakened his Profound Handle and didn't have as strong a "bond" with it as other Yun clan members, it was, after all, an extremely powerful and unique ability. In the eyes of the Yun clan, it was a soul-like power. Every bit of increase in the Profound Handle's strength would lead to a significant boost in his overall power.

Crimson Profound Handle could only unleash ten percent of its inherent power.

Yellow, however, could unleash thirty percent of its inherent power.

Since opening a boundary gate could trigger a qualitative change in the Profound Handle, then activating "Purgatory" should transform it into a green Profound Handle, unleashing forty percent of its power!

In the future, activating "Heaven-Shattering" would make it a cyan Profound Handle, just like Yun Canghai's.

And if he were to activate the fifth realm, "King Yama," it would be a blue Profound Handle, unleashing sixty percent of its power, surpassing even Yun Canghai's. What a terrifying boost that would be!

At this thought, a hint of excitement stirred within Yun Che. He immediately suppressed these extraneous emotions and focused his mind... Soon, the yellow Profound Handle slowly vanished from Cang Wanhe's chest, transforming into a special spiritual entity detached from Yun Che's soul. Guided by Yun Che's consciousness, this spiritual entity became an invisible stream of light, flowing into Cang Wanhe's chest, directly reaching his heart meridian, then delving deeper until it finally located the Soul-Devouring Life-Bound Gu. Like a needle, it pierced directly into the Gu's body.

At this moment, the Soul-Devouring Life-Bound Gu was more than twice its previous size. Its predation on Cang Wanhe's life force had reached an extremely terrifying degree; if Cang Wanhe hadn't been an emperor, sustained by countless spiritual medicines, he simply wouldn't have been able to endure until now. Yun Che calmed his mind. The Profound Handle, now embedded within the Soul-Devouring Life-Bound Gu, tightly coiled around its life soul, then forcefully extracted it. It then swiftly departed, releasing it into Cang Wanhe's heart meridian.

With a soft "thump," a blood-red hole roughly half the size of a fist appeared on Cang Wanhe's chest. A huge, deathly pale Gu worm flew out from it, landing amidst Cang Yue's startled cry. After a few violent struggles, it became completely still, then rapidly dissolved into a pool of clear water, vanishing without a trace.

Cang Wanhe sat up abruptly as if waking from a nightmare, his face contorted in immense pain, sweat pouring down his forehead. Yun Che retracted the Profound Handle and swiftly used profound energy to seal Cang Wanhe's chest wound.

"Father Emperor, are you alright?" Cang Yue, startled, hurriedly supported Cang Wanhe.

Cang Wanhe watched with his own eyes as the terrifying Gu worm flew out from his body and dissolved into clear water. A look of immense relief instantly spread across his pale face. He took a long, gasping breath and said, "I... I'm alright. Yun Che... thank you. You have not only fulfilled my greatest wish in this life but now you've also saved my life. I... I don't know how I can ever repay you."

Yun Che had mentioned before that after being implanted, the Soul-Devouring Life-Bound Gu would attach itself to the host's life force, sharing a life-link with the host. If one died, the other would instantly perish. Now, the Soul-Devouring Life-Bound Gu had vanished, its demise exactly as Yun Che had described—dissolving into clear water. And though Cang Wanhe was momentarily in agony, he was alive... This meant Yun Che had succeeded!

Yun Che smiled faintly and said, "I'm glad I didn't fail you. The process was a bit easier than I expected; after all, it's just a Gu worm, its soul power too weak to withstand a blow... Next, Your Majesty only needs half a month of minor recuperation, then half a month of moderate recuperation, followed by half a month of significant recuperation... In less than two months, your body will be fully recovered, and you'll be as vigorous and energetic as before your illness."

"R-really?" Cang Yue and Dongfang Xiu exclaimed in unison. "You can really make a full recovery?"

"Hahahaha! Yun Che's words, I... absolutely believe them!" Though Cang Wanhe tried his best to maintain his imperial dignity, his voice clearly trembled with excitement. For someone who had been bedridden for years, teetering on the brink of death, and had completely given up hope, Yun Che's words were undoubtedly true music to his ears.

"Yes!" Yun Che nodded with certainty. "Your Majesty's weakness is merely due to too much of your vital energy being siphoned away. But vital energy is not essence blood; it can gradually be restored. Moreover, given the imperial family's resources, this process won't take too long. Not only can you fully recover, but with proper care and regular profound energy tempering, living another hundred years won't be an issue."

"This is wonderful... truly wonderful!"

Dongfang Xiu smiled in delighted surprise, and Cang Yue was so overjoyed she nearly fainted. She clutched Yun Che's arm, tears glistening in her eyes. "Junior Brother Yun, thank you, I... I..."

Amidst her boundless excitement and joy, she didn't know what to say. Cang Wanhe, on the other hand, burst into laughter. "Yue'er, why are you still thanking him? You've already given him your entire heart. Can you find anything more precious than that to thank him with? Hahahaha."

"Father Emperor..." Although they had already embraced tightly and confessed their feelings in front of everyone before, hearing Cang Wanhe state it so directly now still made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Yet, her jade-like hand grasping Yun Che's arm did not loosen.

Yun Che's face also showed a hint of awkwardness. He quickly said, "Uh... Senior Sister, your Father Emperor needs to rest now, so we should leave first. Palace Master Dongfang, I'll entrust His Majesty's chest wound and his safety to you. As for Gu Qiuhong, it's best not to let him approach His Majesty again. His insidious methods are very difficult for those unfamiliar with medicine to detect."

"Understood!" Dongfang Xiu nodded. "Don't worry, I won't let His Majesty suffer a second assassination attempt. As for Gu Qiuhong... Hmph! Though he cannot be touched rashly, if I ever get the chance, I'll ensure he has no burial ground."

Yun Che and Cang Yue bid farewell and left the bedchamber, then walked side by side until they arrived at Embracing Moon Palace.

By now, all the colorful ribbons and red lanterns in Embracing Moon Palace had been removed, leaving no trace behind. Seeing this, Cang Yue quietly breathed a sigh of relief, fearing Yun Che might feel uncomfortable if he saw them.

After their reunion, they finally had a chance to be alone. Cang Yue closed the palace gates, embraced Yun Che tightly, and nestled against him, closing her eyes, never wanting to let go again.

"Junior Brother Yun, it's so good... not to lose you," Cang Yue whispered softly.

"Same here... it's so good not to lose you," Yun Che replied softly.

"Pfft..." Cang Yue suddenly chuckled softly, then feigned exasperation. "It shouldn't be 'you,' but 'you all,' shouldn't it? You naughty man, always trying to be so brave and showing off. Sixteen months ago, you not only nearly lost your life but also exposed all your romantic escapades... Hmph!"

As she spoke, Cang Yue's nose and lips slightly upturned simultaneously, but there was no hint of anger in her expression. Having regained what she had lost, she was endlessly grateful to heaven; how could she bear to blame him or argue about anything now?

"Huh? Romantic... escapades?" Yun Che froze. "This..."

"I know you and Xia Qingyue are officially married. But I never imagined you would... you would actually be with Chu Yuechan... Hmph! You've practically become the public enemy of all men in the world!"

"...!?" Yun Che's eyes widened abruptly, and he stammered, "This, this, this... My situation with Little Fairy... ah, no, with Chu Yuechan... how could this have..."

"When she heard the news of your demise, she ran like a madwoman to the Sword Regulating Platform, intending to destroy the Heaven Punishing Sword... and then she vomited blood and fainted on the spot. Her feelings for you are truly profound, so much so that I couldn't even feel a trace of jealousy. It's just that no one would have imagined that the Ice Fairy Chu, with her icy appearance, icy soul, and icy heart—who countless top young talents had deeply yearned for but never even seen her face—would actually fall for you... Heh! This only proves that my Junior Brother Yun is too good, too outstanding. I believe that as long as Junior Brother Yun desires, there's no woman in this world you cannot win over."

As she said this, Cang Yue's face was still filled with pride.

Yun Che's mouth was slightly agape, momentarily stunned. At Heavenly Sword Villa, Chu Yuechan had repeatedly shown him absolute resolve and heartlessness. Their shared experiences were something Chu Yuechan couldn't possibly have told anyone, nor had he planned to tell anyone. He had originally thought it would remain a permanent secret unless Chu Yuechan wavered, but unexpectedly, it had become known to the entire world just like that.

Yun Che's scalp tingled... He could well imagine how much Ling Yuefeng, Xiao Juetian, and other transcendent figures must despise him! The Ice Fairy Chu, whom they could only fantasize about, had actually been "taken" by a junior!

"This matter, this matter... Ahem... Where's Yuanba? Oh, right, where is Yuanba now? Is he alright?" Yun Che had originally intended to change the subject, but at the mention of Xia Yuanba, his heart immediately tightened, fearing that Yuanba might do something rash after that day.

"Yuanba... I don't know," Cang Yue shook her head. "After you were suppressed by the Heaven Punishing Sword, I fainted and then had a very long nightmare, only waking up the next day... When I woke up, I heard from Palace Master Qin that Yuanba had left alone, forbidding anyone from stopping him or following him. No one knows where he went. During this time, I've sent people to look for him more than once, but there has been no news of him, as if he simply vanished from the Azure Wind Empire."

"However, I believe Yuanba must be alright. Because before he left, he told Palace Master Qin that his life was exchanged for yours, and no matter what, he wouldn't let himself die." Speaking of Xia Yuanba, Cang Yue also looked worried.

"Yuanba..." Yun Che murmured softly. After a brief moment of distraction, he whispered, "That's good too, Yuanba. I hope that when I find you, you will have truly grown up and can stand on your own... I think that's also why you insisted on leaving alone."

"Oh, right!" Cang Yue rose from Yun Che's chest and asked, "Junior Brother Yun, before you returned to the Imperial City, did you go see Chu Yuechan... and your child? Is your child a boy or a girl?"