Chapter 532: Terrifying Little Demon Queen

“My two masters changed my fate; without them, I might not even be alive today,” Yun Che said, deeply moved. After his emotional reflection, he suddenly remembered the most important thing he needed to tell his parents and quickly added, “Father, Mother, you just asked where my clan leader token came from, didn’t you? …I met Grandpa on the Azure Cloud Continent!”

Yun Qinghong started at Yun Che’s words and exclaimed, “Grandpa? Which grandpa… Which grandpa?!”

“My biological grandfather, Father’s father, the Demon Emperor of the Illusory Demon Realm… Yun Canghai!”

“The clan leader token was given to me by Grandpa so I could bring it back to the Yun Family someday.”

“Ah!” Mu Yurou gasped, her hands flying to cover her lips.

Whoosh! A gust of wind surged in front of Yun Che as Yun Qinghong instantly teleported to him, gripping Yun Che’s arms tightly. In his excitement, he completely forgot to control his strength, nearly crushing Yun Che’s arm bones. “You… you really saw your grandpa… Where did you see him… Where is he… Where is he now… Is he alright…?”

The news of Xiao Ying’s death had already deeply unsettled him, and now, hearing about his father so suddenly, Yun Qinghong’s heart and soul had never experienced such a tumultuous surge of emotions in his entire life. For a full century, he hadn’t seen his father, or even known if he was alive or dead.

Yun Che understood that Yun Qinghong must have dreamed of knowing his father’s whereabouts and safety. Thinking of those sixteen months beneath the Sword Imperial Stage at Heavenly Sword Villa, a bitter pang went through his heart. He slowly began to recount, “Not long after my profound veins were reborn and I started cultivating profound energy, I joined the Profound Sky Academy of the Blue Wind Nation. Then, representing the Blue Wind Imperial Family, I participated in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament for various major powers. The location of this tournament was Heavenly Sword Villa.”

Heavenly Sword Villa—that was a place Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou would never forget, even in death. Years ago, after enduring great hardships, they had used Profound Handle Soul Capture to extract information from a Divine Sword Villa member, learning that Yun Canghai was not dead but imprisoned. The place of his captivity was in the Blue Wind Nation… Heavenly Sword Villa!

Yun Che then recounted the entire story: how he participated in the ranking tournament, how after it ended, Ling Kun of Divine Sword Villa led him on a “tour” of the “Demon Person” sealing ritual, how the “Demon Person” went mad under Ling Kun’s taunts, endangering Xia Yuanba, and how, in an effort to save Xia Yuanba, he was sealed along with the “Demon Person” beneath the Sword Imperial Stage.

“At that time, I never could have imagined that the ‘demon person’ would be my grandfather. Grandpa’s body was bound by the Starfall Chains, and his profound energy was suppressed by the Heavenly Might Soul Suppressing Array… His power was suppressed to the point where he could only release strength at the Sovereign Profound Realm. Then, he was further suppressed by the Heavenly Punishment Sword into a dark, sunless underground prison…”

“…Grandpa beat me half to death. After my injuries healed, I desperately cultivated, aiming to kill Grandpa so I could get out… until one day, the Samsara Mirror I took out was recognized by Grandpa. Then, he forced out my Profound Handle Seal, and finally, recognized me through a blood fusion… Only then did I realize that he was my grandfather.”

Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou remained lost in thought for a long time. Over twenty years ago, although they had learned Yun Canghai’s whereabouts, they had nearly lost their lives and couldn’t even get close, let alone meet him. They couldn’t imagine how Yun Che had managed to find him… Now, as they heard the answer, the entire process was so bizarre, so unbelievable.

“Heaven’s will, it must be Heaven’s will! Heaven truly has eyes, arranging for you and your grandfather to meet in a distant, different world!” Yun Qinghong’s eyes welled up with tears of excitement. One was a son exiled to the Azure Cloud Continent, and the other, a father imprisoned on the Azure Cloud Continent. They had no idea of each other’s existence, yet they had met by such a bizarre and incredible coincidence. Heaven’s will… it truly was Heaven’s will!

Yun Che continued, “After Grandpa and I recognized each other, he told me my birth parents’ names and shared many stories about the Illusory Demon Realm. In the time that followed, he guided my cultivation, sparring with me day and night using his Profound Handle. Finally, he even expended a great deal of his power to awaken my Profound Handle, then entrusted me with something he had preserved with his life over those hundred years, asking me to bring it back to the Illusory Demon Realm…”

“What happened next? Since you were able to get out of there, did your grandfather come out with you? Where is he now?” Yun Qinghong asked with extreme urgency.

Yun Che’s expression darkened. He lowered his head and softly said, “The place where Grandpa and I were sealed was suppressed by the Heavenly Punishment Sword from above. With my power at the time, I couldn’t break it open at all. The Starfall Chains that bound Grandpa, and the profound array on the Heavenly Punishment Sword that suppressed him, were all connected to his life force… Grandpa, to let me out, after entrusting me with what he had desperately protected… severed his own… life-heart…”

Yun Qinghong looked as if he’d been struck by lightning, stumbling back several steps.

Mu Yurou closed her eyes, covering her mouth, as tears silently streamed down her face.

“It’s good… it’s good…” Yun Qinghong murmured, distraught. “Imprisoned in a sunless place for a full century… he suffered too much… It’s good… that way, he won’t have to suffer anymore; he can be free… he can finally rest well… Before his death, he found someone to entrust his legacy to, he saw his own grandson, and he used his life to save his child’s life… Father must have been smiling… when he passed…”

“Yes,” Yun Che nodded. “Grandpa passed with a smile.”

“Mm…” Yun Qinghong closed his eyes, two lines of clear tears silently tracing paths down his cheeks. Passing with a smile… that was the only solace amidst the heart-wrenching grief.

“I brought Grandpa’s remains back.”

Yun Che took two steps back. As the Sky Poison Pearl glowed, the Eternal Heaven Core appeared before him. After acquiring this Eternal Heaven Core, where Hong’er had slept for an unknown number of years, he had placed Yun Canghai’s remains inside. Because anything resting within the Eternal Heaven Core would suffer no damage or change, even after millions of years, it was as if time inside had frozen the moment it was closed.

Standing beside the Eternal Heaven Core, Yun Qinghong remained in a daze for a long time. His hand rested on the core’s unfeeling surface as his body slowly slumped, until he finally knelt heavily on the ground.

The father he remembered, the Demon Emperor who shook the Illusory Demon Realm, had been so vibrant, so full of youthful spirit and dazzling brilliance. There were never any traces of age on him, and he always preferred to maintain his youngest appearance. When father and son stood together, they looked like brothers of similar age.

But inside the Eternal Heaven Core lay an old man… an old man who seemed on the verge of death…

He was emaciated, his face withered, his hair, beard, and eyebrows a tangled mess of white. He looked like a terrifying, malevolent ghost. If not for the outline he could never mistake, he would not have believed this was his father… He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much torment his father had endured to become this way.

“Fa… Father…” Yun Qinghong trembled all over, the word “Father” he uttered so painfully it seemed to drip with blood. Yun Che looked up and softly said, “Returning to his homeland must have been one of Grandpa’s wishes… However, please allow your son to be willful and delay Grandpa’s burial a little longer. I cannot let Grandpa have died in vain… nor can I let him bear a ‘crime’ after his death!”

Yun Qinghong lowered his head, his whole body cowering, the sound of his teeth gritting together so clear it was painful to hear.

“Huu…” Yun Che’s chest rose and fell heavily. “Father, if you want to cry, just cry. Here, you only have your family. You are Father to Yun Xiao and me, but you are also… Grandpa’s son…”

Yun Che’s words instantly shattered Yun Qinghong’s carefully maintained composure. The Yun Family Head’s cries of anguish echoed, seemingly shaking heaven and earth… From birth until now, it was the first time he had cried so unrestrainedly.

Yun Che led Yun Xiao outside. From entering to leaving, there was a distinct feeling of having passed through an entire lifetime.

“Are you feeling a bit unsettled?” Yun Che asked, looking at him.

Yun Xiao, however, shook his head. “I knew this day would come eventually. I always thought I’d be completely lost when it did… But strangely, I feel more at peace now.”

“Me too,” Yun Che smiled. “The reason is simple. Although we both had homes before, our hearts were like rootless duckweed. But now, I’ve found my true homeland, and you’ve learned your true identity. And you haven’t lost your parents, who have been with you for over twenty years. Of course, we feel more at peace.”

“I just didn’t expect things to be this complicated. It feels like listening to an unbelievable story,” Yun Xiao remarked with emotion.

“Life, many times, is far stranger and more spectacular than any fabricated story,” Yun Che said, glancing at him. He then added suddenly, “Yun Xiao, since you now know your true origins, your name should change too. Let’s call you… Xiao Yun!”

“Ah?” Yun Xiao was momentarily startled, then nodded immediately. “Okay! From now on, I’ll be Xiao Yun! Even in front of outsiders, I’ll call myself Xiao Yun! Otherwise, my parents watching from heaven will curse me for being an unfilial son.”

“Hahahahaha!” Yun Che burst out laughing. After this day’s twist of fate and emotional impact, he truly felt that Yun Xiao had matured significantly. Perhaps, after learning his true identity, he was freed from the long-standing pressure, apprehension, and confusion, and found a clear and definite life goal.

The two stood at the courtyard entrance, preventing anyone from approaching and disturbing Yun Qinghong. After a moment of shared silence, Yun Che suddenly asked, “Yun… um, Xiao Yun, have you met the Little Demon Empress?”

“Yes, I have,” Xiao Yun nodded. “Actually, over the years, the Little Demon Empress has visited Father many times. Each time, she came quietly by herself, and no one else knew.”

“It seems the Little Demon Empress still trusts and values Father greatly. And Father has always been completely loyal to the Little Demon Empress, or rather, to the Demon Emperor Clan,” Yun Che mused. “What kind of person is the Little Demon Empress, exactly?”

“Well… how should I put it…” Xiao Yun thought seriously for a moment, then said with some hesitation, “Honestly, I haven’t seen the Little Demon Empress many times, and I’ve rarely dared to look her directly in the eye. Because every time I face her, I feel… a bit scared.”

“Scared?” Yun Che raised an eyebrow.

“The Little Demon Empress’s aura is very frightening,” Xiao Yun described. “Even when I’m far from her, I feel like I can’t breathe. Her gaze is even more terrifying; I’ve never dared to meet her eyes. Even if she just glances at me, I feel chills all over… And her expression, too; it’s as if no one has ever seen her smile. Her whole face is like… completely frozen.”

“Oh… that scary?” Yun Che’s eyes widened.

Xiao Yun tried to recall more information about the Little Demon Empress and continued, “The Little Demon Empress always wears grey clothes… not light grey, but a very dark, dull ‘dead grey.’ And… also… oh! When Father and I talked about the Little Demon Empress, he said she’s an extremely ruthless person. After she ascended to power a century ago, because she was a woman, she faced a lot of opposition. She killed many, many of those opponents, and a considerable number of them were killed by her own hand. After that, almost everyone trembled in fear when they saw her, and no one dared to show dissatisfaction again.”

“…She certainly is ruthless enough,” Yun Che said, eyes slightly wide. In his mind, following Xiao Yun’s description, he began to picture the Little Demon Empress: someone with a gaze like a knife, a frightening appearance… possibly even ugly, with a stiff and harsh expression, an aura that was bone-chillingly cold, dressed in dead-grey robes… a middle-aged woman.

After completing the image, Yun Che involuntarily shivered… because he was reminded of the legendary Yin Corpse Evil Ghost, grey all over. The resemblance was almost ninety percent!