Chapter 576: The Demon Emperor's Seal (Part 1)

Yun Che's words showed not a shred of deference or respect expected from a junior towards an elder, or even a clan head of a Guardian Family. Instead, they were filled with deep contempt, loathing, and even hatred, his curses utterly vicious. Lin Guiyan, who had lived for nearly two hundred years, was being verbally abused so disgracefully for the first time in his life. His lips turned purple, his body trembled, and consumed by rage, he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yun Che sneered, disdainfully shifting his gaze from Lin Guiyan to fix directly on Bai Yi, the head of the Bai Clan. "Bai Yi! A hundred years ago, when the former Demon Emperor was in peril, what exactly was your Bai Clan doing?! Why didn't you commit your entire clan to rescue him?! And by what right did you suppress my Yun Clan afterwards?! Give my Yun Clan, the Demon Emperor's lineage, and the Illusory Demon Realm a convincing reason!"

Yun Che's gaze turned towards him, causing Bai Yi's heart to tremble uncontrollably. Gritting his teeth, he managed to compose himself and said, "Yun Che! You keep desperately exaggerating the Yun Clan's loyalty, yet you don't mention a single word about your clan's transgressions! If your Yun Clan hadn't lost the Demon Emperor Seal, how else would the Young Demon Emperor, in despair, have ventured alone to the Profound Sky Continent on his wedding night, leading to the end of the Demon Emperor's bloodline?! This is all thanks to your Yun Clan..."

"Hahahahaha!!" Yun Che burst into uninhibited laughter as if he had heard the greatest joke. As his laughter subsided, his eyes instantly turned ice-cold. "Thanks to the Yun Clan? Bai Yi, I can't believe you have the audacity to say that! A hundred years ago, the Young Demon Emperor was indeed despairing... but was it over the lost Demon Emperor Seal?! According to my father, though the Young Demon Emperor was a man of strong emotions, he was by no means impulsive. And at such a young age, he already possessed the bearing of an emperor. How could he possibly 'despair to his death' merely because he lost the Demon Emperor Seal? If a Demon Emperor had such a temperament, how could the Illusory Demon Realm have prospered under the guidance of the Demon Emperor's lineage until today!"

"What truly drove the Young Demon Emperor to despair were you so-called Guardian Families!" Yun Che roared, his voice sharp. "When the former Demon Emperor fell into the Profound Sky Continent and was on the verge of death, as the sole heir to the Demon Emperor's bloodline, even if he was eager to save his father, he absolutely could not risk his own life. Nor did he need to... because the Demon Emperor's lineage had the formidable Guardian Families! They were supposed to save him at all costs. Yet... among the Guardian Families, who existed to fulfill this protective mission, only my Yun Clan made a full effort to rescue him! You, on the other hand, were unwilling to risk danger for the Demon Emperor, fabricating numerous excuses! You even asserted that the former Demon Emperor was beyond saving before his body was even seen, and you were eager to push the Young Demon Emperor to ascend the throne... all while secretly colluding to suppress my Yun Clan, which had lost its pillar!"

"The very Guardian Families, who were most trusted, revealed such shameful, selfish, and despicable behavior! How could the Young Demon Emperor not be disappointed to the point of despair? Why did the Young Demon Emperor have to go to the Profound Sky Continent alone... because not a single one of you Guardian Families went to rescue the former Demon Emperor! In his sorrow and despair, he had no choice but to go himself! Because that was his father!"

Yun Che bit down slightly, his gaze like daggers. "Who truly drove the Young Demon Emperor to despair? Who forced him to go save his father alone...? Who severed the last bloodline of the Demon Emperor?! If you had united with my Yun Clan then and gone together to the Profound Sky Continent, even if we ultimately couldn't save the former Demon Emperor, would the Young Demon Emperor have fallen into such utter despondency?! Bai Yi, as one of the chief culprits, how dare you utter those words just now? How dare you accuse my Yun Clan?! My Yun Clan is worthy of heaven, worthy of earth, and worthy of the Demon Emperor! Even if my Yun Clan has been weakened by your vile suppression over the past century, our clan members have clear consciences, and our backs stand as straight as mountains! As for your Bai Clan... even you, Bai Yi, the head of your clan, are not worthy of a direct glance from a Yun Clan disciple!"

The Little Demon Empress's gaze flickered, unrestrained for a long time. The atmosphere in the grand hall constantly shifted, and everyone's expressions and eyes were quietly changing... For the past century, it was common knowledge in the Illusory Demon Realm that the Yun Clan had rashly gone to the Profound Sky Continent to rescue the Demon Emperor, despite news of his death. Not only did they fail to save him, but they all perished in the Profound Sky Continent and lost the Demon Emperor Seal... It was believed that due to the loss of the Demon Emperor Seal, the Young Demon Emperor, consumed by grief and despair, impulsively ventured to the Profound Sky Continent in a drunken stupor on his wedding night...

This was the version known to everyone in the Illusory Demon Realm, and the Yun Clan, in the minds of all, had always been a family of grave transgressions... unforgivable for severing the Demon Emperor's bloodline.

However, Yun Che's words, his curses, and his seemingly impulsive yet utterly clear and incisive remarks, quietly initiated a profound shift in the long-held perception of the "Yun Clan's crimes" that everyone had known for a century.

Those permitted into the Demon Emperor Grand Hall were all regional overlords, not commoners who blindly followed trends without thinking. For a century, fueled by the narrative propagated by the seven united clans, the world's eyes were like a clear lake clouded by turbid oil. Yun Che's voice, however, was like a giant stone dropped into that lake, gradually allowing them to see and comprehend the truth and the rights and wrongs that, with careful examination, were not so difficult to discern.

"And you, Chiyang Bieli and Nangong Zhi!" Yun Che disdained to look at Bai Yi again, turning his gaze to Chiyang Bieli and Nangong Zhi. "Ten thousand years ago, when your Chiyang Clan and Nangong Clan were on the verge of collapse, who saved your entire clans?! Who allowed your families to exist to this day, and to attain such status and prosperity?!"

"The Demon Emperor's lineage not only bestowed upon you the grace of saving and rebuilding your clans but also consistently held you in high regard. Your Chiyang Clan's Blazing Sun Whip was granted by the Demon Emperor! Your Nangong Clan's Sky-Severing Sword was also granted by the Demon Emperor! Chiyang Bieli, one hundred and sixty years ago, while you were on an outdoor training excursion, you were poisoned by primordial thunder venom and were at death's door. Do you still remember who saved your life? Heh... it was my grandfather! To save you, he not only lost the ability to use profound energy for ten years but also sacrificed a Thunder Spirit he had painstakingly cultivated!"

"Nangong Zhi, in your youth, you were impetuous and secretly ventured outside the city to the outskirts, where you encountered a fierce beast. Who rescued you from its claws? It was also my grandfather, Yun Canghai!"

Yun Che's face slightly contorted, his every word thundering with rage. "Both of your lives were saved by my grandfather, saved by my Yun Clan! My Yun Clan has only shown great kindness to you; have we ever owed you anything or held any grievance against you? Yet, after my grandfather's death, how did you treat my Yun Clan, and how did you show your loyalty to the Demon Emperor?!"

Chiyang Bieli and Nangong Zhi opened their mouths. Then, in unison, they lowered their heads, unable to utter a single word.

"Think of the immense grace the Demon Emperor bestowed upon you! Think of the Guardian mission you have upheld for ten thousand years! Think of the first clan rule in your ancestral records... And then think about what you have done, what you have plotted, and what you have pursued now! Are you worthy of the Demon Emperor?! Are you worthy of your title as Guardian Families?! Are you worthy of your clan's ancestors?!"

"Think about whether you'll have the face to meet your ancestors and the past Demon Emperors in the afterlife when you die!"

Nangong Zhi and Chiyang Bieli simultaneously swayed, their faces ashen, hands and feet growing cold.

"And you... Helian Kuang!!" Yun Che turned his gaze to Helian Kuang... the clan head who had poisoned and secretly harmed Xiao Yun. According to Yun Qinghong, he was also the first to pledge allegiance to Prince Huai, his ambition clear.

"Brat from the Yun Clan, shut your mouth!!"

As Yun Che's gaze shifted, Helian Kuang's heart lurched. Xiaoxi Feng, Jiufang Kui, Lin Guiyan, Bai Yi, Chiyang Bieli, and Nangong Zhi had been drenched in Yun Che's furious tirade like buckets of filth... and were powerless to resist or retaliate. How could he not be afraid? So, before Yun Che could even begin to curse him, Helian Kuang preemptively shouted, "No matter how eloquent your tongue, no matter how many excuses you make, don't think you can cover up the fact that you lost the Demon Emperor Seal! This grave crime is an unforgivable offense! Even if your Yun Clan were a thousand times more loyal, even if your entire clan perished, it could not atone for this! It is only right and proper that we let the world know of your Yun Clan's crime and have the Little Demon Empress punish it!"

"A grave crime?" Yun Che scoffed, a cold smile on his face. "What is a crime? Your disregard for the former Demon Emperor's safety out of selfish motives—that is the crime! Your forcing the Young Demon Emperor into despair and a suicidal mission—that is the crime! Some of you harboring malicious intentions—that is an even greater crime! Because these were not accidental acts; they were caused by your own depravity! If, back then, it hadn't just been my Yun Clan venturing to the Profound Sky Continent, but all twelve families had united with one heart and gone to the Profound Sky Continent together, what would there have been to fear from the Four Sacred Grounds?! Perhaps the Demon Emperor could have been safely rescued, the Demon Emperor Seal wouldn't have been lost, and the Young Demon Emperor wouldn't have died... The Demon Emperor's lineage wouldn't have withered to this extent!"

"Who is truly responsible for all of this? Who committed the true grave crime?!"

"The Demon Emperor Seal was indeed lost by my Yun Clan, but my grandfather went to the Profound Sky Continent to save the former Demon Emperor! Losing the Demon Emperor Seal was absolutely not his desire! He wouldn't have wished to see the Demon Emperor Seal lost; on the contrary, he would have risked his life to protect it... This was not a crime; it was merely a mistake! Moreover, it was a mistake born of helplessness! You... are the ones who committed the crime!"

"No!" Yun Che's voice suddenly paused. He slowly lifted his head, his voice low. "My grandfather... didn't even make a mistake at all!!"

As his voice fell, Yun Che abruptly extended his hand, and a gentle ball of white profound light appeared in his palm. "Helian Kuang... open your dog eyes wide and take a good look at this!"