Chapter 579: Heaven Pities the Yun Family

Yun Che’s furious scolding, like peals of thunder, shook everyone’s eardrums and souls.

Previously, the Helian, Jiufang, Nangong, Chiyang, Lin, Xiao, and Bai families, though verbally savaged and left speechless by Yun Che, still held the public perception that the Demon Emperor Seal had been lost due to Yun Canghai. This was like a shackle on the Yun Family, one that no amount of words, reasons, or loyalty could completely break free from.

Now, the Demon Emperor Seal was back, and Yun Canghai’s remains had also returned.

The Demon Emperor Seal was completely intact, but Yun Canghai’s body was like decaying withered wood. Inside the Demon Emperor Hall, even the most stone-hearted individuals could not help but tremble. For the Demon Emperor, he had not hesitated to lead the family’s strongest force to the Profound Sky Continent—even though he clearly knew this could severely weaken his family’s power overnight.

Over the past century, he had endured unimaginable torment and pain, persevering for a full hundred years, using his life, will, and all his beliefs to protect the Demon Emperor Seal entrusted to him by the previous Demon Emperor.

Every mark on his body deeply depicted what it meant to be "loyal" and "great."

They all searched their consciences, yet not a single person believed they could have done the same.

And for this century, while he dedicated everything to protecting the Demon Emperor Seal, the Yun Family bore the brunt of heavy blame and suffered combined oppression, even bullying, from the other Guardian Families. Even his title, with covert instigation, changed from "Demon King" to "sinner."

How could such a Yun Canghai be a sinner!

Such unwavering integrity and courageous loyalty would move even the heavens to lament and grieve. If only one person in the entire Illusory Demon Realm was innocent, it would undoubtedly be Yun Canghai.

Yun Canghai’s century of alleged sin, and the Yun Family’s hundred years of suffering, now clearly appeared to be the most tragic joke in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm.

In contrast, the actions and words of the seven families who consistently targeted the Yun Family, and who now admitted to ganging up on them a century ago, were utterly despicable. They constantly claimed to act for the Illusory Demon Realm, boasting of their righteousness and loyalty. Yet, at this moment, before Yun Canghai’s remains, they appeared incredibly petty and ridiculous. Every single word they had uttered before now became a resounding slap to their own faces.

"My grandfather’s will and loyalty are evident to the sun and moon, and proven by heaven and earth! He is worthy of the Illusory Demon Realm, worthy of the heavens, and worthy of the title 'Demon King'! Look closely at his remains with your own eyes... see how much he sacrificed for this Illusory Demon Realm! For the Demon Emperor, he descended into purgatory without a single complaint, even desperately guarding the Demon Emperor Seal entrusted to him by the former Demon Emperor. For the Demon Emperor Seal, he endured a hundred years worse than death, yet still had no trace of complaint... even until his last breath, he worried about the safety of the Demon Emperor’s lineage..."

"Helian Kuang, Jiufang Kui, Chiyang Bailie, Nangong Zhi, Xiao Xifeng, Lin Guiyan, Bai Yi... These are the 'unpardonable sinners' you speak of! These are the 'foolish people' you mock with your venomous words! When the Demon Emperor’s lineage faced catastrophe, your seven families lost not a single soldier or general, nor earned any merit. Instead, you conspired to slander my grandfather, suppress my Yun Family, and tirelessly spread and promote my family’s 'heinous crimes' throughout the Illusory Demon Realm. Even now, with my Yun Family completely in decline, you still conspire to expel us from the Guardian Families and hurl insults at my grandfather with every word!"

"Had it not been for Heaven's pity, allowing my grandfather and me to meet, his reputation would forever have been sullied by you wicked individuals! My entire Yun Family would never have been able to clear its name and be vindicated!"

"Where do you get the nerve, the gall, the right, the face to accuse my grandfather and judge my Yun Family!"

"You abandon your lord, are selfish, betray your ancestors, frame the loyal, and harbor malicious intent... Compared to my grandfather, how are any of you fit to be heads of Guardian Families!! Even beasts have a shred of conscience; you are not even worthy of being called beasts!!"

Yun Che’s eyes were quietly blurring. Yun Canghai had severed his own life meridians, sacrificing himself and dying with a smile, simply to allow Yun Che to escape. Today, Yun Che had finally done something for his grandfather—something a grandson ought to do.

The faces of the seven family heads were all extremely grim, some even flushed crimson with twisted features. Faced with Yun Che’s furious denunciations, not one of the seven formidable Guardian Family heads, revered throughout the realm, could utter a single word in rebuttal. They felt as though they had been stripped naked under the gaze of everyone, and those gazes were filled with utter contempt. Even those whom they usually disdained to look at were now staring at them with the most scornful expressions.

The declining but still proud Yun Family, the miraculously returned Demon Emperor Seal, and Yun Canghai’s remains bearing the marks of hell... What was loyalty and what was treachery was clear as day to anyone with eyes to see—more obvious than a thousand words or rumors.

Even the elders and disciples of the seven families lowered their heads deeply, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze. The feeling of shame made them feel as if they were sitting on pins and needles.

"Prince Huai... what should we do now?" Prince Zhong transmitted with a trembling voice.

The current situation was completely out of control; everything had entirely slipped from Prince Huai’s grasp and expectations. Before today, he had anticipated various contingencies, but he never dreamed things would escalate to this extent.

The Yun Family’s victory in the previous duel had already shocked him immensely, but he could still manage. Now, however, he felt as if his scalp was about to explode. He knew that his original plan for today was utterly impossible to achieve.

Listening to Prince Zhong’s transmission, Prince Huai took a deep breath, composed himself, and stepped forward, saying, "Demon King Yun Canghai’s loyalty is indeed enough to move heaven and earth... but there is one thing I don't understand! Since the Demon King was imprisoned by the Heavenly Sword Villa on the Profound Sky Continent, why were you able to meet him and bring his remains back?" His voice lowered a few shades: "Since you are a member of the Yun Family... why were you on the Profound Sky Continent? And how did you get here from the Profound Sky Continent?"

Prince Huai’s questions were also in everyone’s minds, but his low tone clearly implied a dark conspiracy on the part of the Yun Family.

Yun Che glanced sideways, just about to speak, when a cold, piercing young woman’s voice rang out: "I can answer that question!"

The Little Demon Empress slowly descended. The moment her voice sounded, it drew all eyes in the hall. Her gaze was like cold stars as she coldly stated, "Back then, both Father Emperor and the Demon King were trapped on the Profound Sky Continent. Although there was no further news, no bodies were ever found. Therefore, I never fully believed Father Emperor was gone, and Patriarch Yun never gave up trying to find information about the Demon King."

"A century ago, fragmented information continuously came from the Profound Sky Continent, claiming that the Demon King was not dead and proposing that our Illusory Demon Realm exchange the Samsara Mirror for his life. Although all the family heads and princes firmly believed it to be a Profound Sky Continent scheme, concerning the Demon King’s life, Patriarch Yun and I chose to believe it could be true. As is widely known, twenty-five years ago, Patriarch Yun and his wife secretly traveled to the Profound Sky Continent... and that journey was actually orchestrated by me! The Samsara Mirror that Patriarch Yun took with him was also my intention! Otherwise, given Patriarch Yun’s loyalty, he would never have privately carried the Samsara Mirror he was entrusted to guard. Although the Samsara Mirror is the supreme treasure of my Demon Emperor lineage, it is ultimately an inanimate object. If it truly could save the Demon King’s life, I would not hesitate for a moment to part with it."

The Yun Family members’ eyes were wet, and their expressions were agitated. Even they only now learned that everything from twenty-five years ago had been orchestrated by the Little Demon Empress, who had even been willing to let Yun Qinghong take the precious Samsara Mirror to gamble on that slim hope of saving the Demon King’s life. It turned out that, although she had been forced by pressure to condemn the Yun Family over the years, in her heart, she had never truly slighted them.

"And what happened afterward, you already know," the Little Demon Empress said, her cold gaze sweeping forward. "When Patriarch Yun and his wife returned three years later, they were severely injured, their profound energy crippled, and they brought back a son. When Patriarch Yun sought my forgiveness for losing the Samsara Mirror, he confessed everything to me. I then realized that Patriarch Yun and his wife did indeed have a child on the Profound Sky Continent, but it was not the Yun Xiao they brought back!"

Yun Xiao could not use profound energy, and rumors that he was not Yun Qinghong’s son had been widely known for over a decade. Even the Yun Family never truly acknowledged his status as young patriarch. So, when the Little Demon Empress stated that Yun Xiao was not the child of Yun Qinghong and his wife, although the onlookers’ eyes showed surprise, no one was truly astonished.

"Shortly after Patriarch Yun and his wife had their child on the Profound Sky Continent, they faced a prolonged pursuit. When they were at their wits' end, they met a friend they had made on the Profound Sky Continent. This friend showed them a path to escape. Fearing that his own child might perish during the escape and leave him without an heir, he quietly swapped his child with that of Patriarch Yun and his wife."

"Ah..."

Exclamations and murmurs filled the Demon Emperor Hall. The Little Demon Empress looked at Yun Che and said slowly, "Yun Che, you are the child Patriarch Yun left behind on the Profound Sky Continent, aren't you?"

Although she was asking Yun Che, her tone was affirmative, as there could be no other possibility. Yun Che nodded and said, "Yes. I grew up on the Profound Sky Continent and only returned to this Illusory Demon Realm three months ago."

"Then how exactly did you and the Demon King meet? Could you tell me?" the Little Demon Empress calmly asked.

Yun Che plainly stated, "On the Profound Sky Continent, when I was seventeen, I became the victor of a ranking battle and was invited to witness a low-ranking elder of the Heavenly Sword Villa perform a sealing ritual on a 'demon.' That 'demon' was my grandfather, but at the time, I didn't even know my own origins, let alone that he was my closest kin. During that process, due to a sudden accident, I was forced into the Heavenly Might Soul-Suppressing Array that was sealing my grandfather. I was severely wounded by my grandfather, and then sealed underground with him in the darkness. Later, my grandfather saw the Samsara Mirror on me and then used profound energy to force out my Profound Core mark. Only then did I realize he was my blood relative, and learned my true identity."

Although Yun Che’s words were brief, they painted clear yet bizarre pictures in the minds of the people. The Demon King of the Illusory Demon Realm, deeply imprisoned by his enemies, had actually met and recognized his own biological grandson on the Profound Sky Continent. This truly felt like Heaven’s arrangement, truly Heaven’s mercy on the Yun Family.

Yun Che extended his hand, and as his palm opened, the unadorned Samsara Mirror pendant hung down, swaying gently.

"Ah... it's really the Samsara Mirror!" many people around exclaimed in unison.

"This Samsara Mirror has been worn on me since I was a child. The grandfather who raised me told me it was my only proof for returning to my ancestors. It was also what allowed me to recognize my grandfather," Yun Che said, grasping the Samsara Mirror again and lowering his eyelids. "My grandfather entrusted the Demon Emperor Seal and the Yun Family Patriarch Seal to me, and then, to allow me to escape that place, he severed his own life meridians to break the seal that was connected to his life. That was only three years ago."