Chapter 593: The Little Demon Queen's Crisis

The night grew increasingly deep. Tonight was exceptionally dark; no stars were visible in the sky. A dark cloud drifted over, obscuring the crescent moon, and in an instant, the entire world turned pitch black, making it impossible to see one's hand. Even the air became extraordinarily oppressive… as if this boundless darkness portended something.

"Tonight is truly too dark," Yun Che murmured to himself. He looked up at the sky; the clouds weren't low, and there were no signs of a coming storm.

After a long while, the dark cloud that had covered the moon slowly drifted away. Faint moonlight shone down, vaguely revealing the images of two majestic mountain peaks before Yun Che. Under the dark night, they appeared like two towering giants standing together.

The entrance to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was located where these two mountains met. For a hundred miles around, there was no sign of human habitation, and even profound beasts were scarce.

"Almost there!" Yun Che whispered, beginning to descend. His speed, however, slowed, and his aura retracted significantly. His brows furrowed slightly.

According to the information Yun Qinghong had sent to his mind, the entrance to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was sealed by a profound formation personally set by the Golden Crow Soul. This profound formation was ten zhang high and continuously emitted golden profound light and a scorching aura.

Yet, under such a pitch-black night, even from over ten miles away, the golden glow of the profound formation should have been exceptionally conspicuous. But as far as Yun Che could see, there was only darkness between the two mountain peaks, with no trace of the golden profound formation.

This meant… the profound formation sealing the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley had indeed been opened!

"It seems my suspicions were correct. The Little Demon Empress truly came to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley… and she did have a way to forcibly open its seal," Yun Che murmured.

Furthermore, it was clear that the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley's seal, once forcibly opened, would not immediately restore itself. Subsequent arrivals could also enter freely.

Yun Che took out his sound transmission jade, preparing to inform Yun Qinghong that the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley's seal had been opened. However, just as he was about to speak, he suddenly put the jade away, muttering, "It's better to confirm once I'm closer."

The distance of several miles quickly closed. The entrance to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was now close at hand, and Yun Che could distinctly feel the surrounding air becoming increasingly scorching. When he was just three miles from the entrance, the heat had reached an unbearable level for ordinary people. At this moment, Jasmine suddenly whispered, "Descend immediately. There's someone at the entrance."

Hearing this, Yun Che quickly descended from the air and then slowly walked forward. Under the Flowing Light Thunder Concealment, he moved silently. Even the Little Demon Empress had been completely unaware of his presence at close range back then, let alone anyone else.

Each advancement in the Great Way of the Buddha allowed Yun Che's five senses to improve significantly. He stopped behind a large rock two miles away, his gaze piercing through the layers of night. Indeed, at the entrance to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, he saw a clear human figure.

Although he couldn't discern the person's face, this individual wasn't deliberately concealing their aura. Their profound energy gave Yun Che a vague sense of familiarity.

This aura, along with the slight pressure it exerted, was not unfamiliar. This person was…

After a brief moment of thought, Yun Che's heart suddenly stirred—

Hui Ran!!

The Duke Huai's eldest son, leader of the Seven Illusionary Demons… Hui Ran, whom he had unexpectedly defeated and sent flying with a single sword strike during the grand ceremony!!

Why was he here…?

Yun Che pondered for a moment, and his heart sank sharply… The only explanation for Hui Ran's presence here was that people from Duke Huai's manor, just as Yun Che had feared, knew of the Little Demon Empress's movements and had entered the opened Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley after her!

Their purpose, naturally, was to kill the Little Demon Empress in this prime location within the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!

To accomplish this, not a single whisper could be leaked, nor a trace left behind. Thus, those acting must be the people Duke Huai trusted most… and naturally, his direct family members would be at the forefront!

Father or son!

To ensure the Little Demon Empress's demise, Duke Huai's own power would certainly be insufficient. Therefore, the person Duke Huai would most likely bring was his father, the one who had disappeared for a long time but was very possibly hidden behind the scenes, a person whose profound strength had reached its peak… the Ming King!

And Hui Ran's presence here was clearly to stand guard! He was preventing anyone from approaching and discovering that the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley's seal had been opened… If he could win, he would kill them to silence witnesses. Even if he couldn't win, he would still know clearly who had approached this place.

Yun Che concealed himself, took out his sound transmission jade, and sent a serious message to Yun Qinghong: "All my suspicions have unfortunately come true… The Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley's seal has been opened, and Hui Ran of Duke Huai's manor is guarding the entrance."

After speaking, Yun Che put away the sound transmission jade… He believed that Yun Qinghong, upon hearing these words, would certainly arrive here at the first possible moment.

"What are you going to do?" Jasmine asked.

Yun Che thought for a moment and said, "For now, I'll guard this place. Forget the Ming King and Duke Huai; I'm not even a match for Hui Ran. The only thing I can do now is wait and see, until my father and grandfather arrive."

"However, my grandfather was right earlier; the Little Demon Empress is definitely not someone who takes things lightly. After leaving the Demon Emperor Palace, she must have immediately rushed to the Golden Crow Ancestral Land at the end of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. By the time people from Duke Huai's manor react, it'll be virtually impossible to catch up. The Little Demon Empress will certainly be safe within the Golden Crow Ancestral Land, and after awakening her bloodline there, even if the Ming King himself were to act, he wouldn't be able to kill her."

As he spoke these words, Yun Che's brows did not relax; instead, they furrowed even tighter.

"Oh? Is that so?" Jasmine scoffed faintly. "Having said all that, don't you yourself feel something is amiss? How cunning are Duke Huai and that Ming King behind the scenes? What your grandfather can think of, how could they not? They were able to guess the Little Demon Empress's movements and pursue her here, clearly having already grasped many secrets of the Demon Emperor clan, just as you feared. They know far more than you or your grandfather! If what you just said were true, why would they waste their energy coming here, knowing they couldn't catch up… and even specifically leave someone guarding the entrance?"

Jasmine's words were precisely what Yun Che was pondering. Jasmine paused, then suddenly changed her tone, a faint cold smile on her lips, "Regarding the Golden Crow bloodline, I've suddenly recalled something interesting."

"Something interesting? What?" Yun Che was startled.

"In the world I came from, there is a star realm called 'Flame God Realm'. It is a world of fire, and the powers and bloodlines inherited by its inhabitants all originate from ancient fire-element divine beasts. There are Fire Qilins, Cyan Phoenixes, Zhurongs, Nine-tailed Divine Foxes, Crimson Martens… almost all legacies of ancient flame divine beasts are concentrated in the Flame God Realm. And among them, the leading and strongest three flame powers are naturally the Vermilion Bird, Phoenix, and Golden Crow clans, who inherited the divine power and bloodlines of the three supreme flame deities!"

Yun Che: "..."

"I once told you that among the three supreme flame deities, although the Golden Crow ranks last, in terms of the might of its flames alone, the Golden Crow is supreme. Yet, in the Flame God Realm, the overall strength of the Golden Crow clan is far inferior to that of the Vermilion Bird and Phoenix, not even half of theirs! Do you know why?"

"...Is it because the Golden Crow's flames are too intense, not only difficult to control but also self-damaging?" Yun Che pondered briefly before answering. Jasmine had mentioned something similar to him before. Moreover, in the Illusory Demon Realm, successive Demon Emperors with the purest Golden Crow lineage had very short lifespans, living only just over a thousand years after awakening their bloodline. As for successive Demon Empresses, none had ever lived beyond a thousand years.

"Hmph, that's correct," Jasmine murmured. "In the Flame God Realm, men who cultivate the Golden Crow flames have their lifespans cut in half compared to those who cultivate Vermilion Bird or Phoenix flames! And women who cultivate Golden Crow flames have lifespans that are not only shorter than men's by double or even several times, but they also frequently suffer the agony of their hearts being scorched by flames!!"

"That's because Golden Crow flames are the ultimate Yang fire, tolerating not the slightest trace of Yin energy! The purer the Golden Crow bloodline, the more this holds true! And a woman's primordial energy is inherently Yin. If she carries the Golden Crow bloodline and cultivates Golden Crow power, how could her primordial energy not be consumed by the Golden Crow flames?"

Yun Che sharply lifted his head: "Jasmine, what are you trying to say by telling me all this…?"

Jasmine chuckled faintly, "I'm saying, if women in the Flame God Realm are already like that, then the Little Demon Empress, being merely a mortal, would suffer endless pain just from inheriting the Golden Crow bloodline. And their so-called bloodline awakening seems to refer to receiving pure Golden Crow blood bestowed by the Golden Crow Soul. Heh, she's a woman; if pure Golden Crow Ancestral Blood truly surged within her, then no matter how hard she struggled, resisted, or tried to control it, her primordial energy would certainly be consumed within a year!"

"And if she is still a virgin, with her primordial Yin still within her, she might not even survive a month!"

"What!!" Jasmine's words utterly stunned Yun Che, and a low growl almost escaped his throat.

Jasmine softly continued, "But then again, if the Golden Crow Soul has any sense, it wouldn't be so foolish as to waste precious Golden Crow blood on a woman! My guess is that even if the Little Demon Empress meets the Golden Crow Soul, she'll be immediately driven away."

Yun Che: "!!"

Yun Che's heart jolted… Jasmine's words were never false! And if these were indeed facts, then the Little Demon Empress's desire to awaken her bloodline would ultimately be in vain! Even if she reached the Golden Crow Ancestral Land, the only outcome would be to be driven out by the Golden Crow Soul… because he also absolutely did not believe that the Golden Crow Soul, inheriting the will of a divine beast, would choose to waste the Golden Crow bloodline on someone who would soon die from its inheritance.

Therefore, while she was unable to awaken her bloodline in the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, what she would encounter next was Duke Huai, who would soon enter after her…

Yun Che abruptly stood up, making no attempt to conceal his sudden, violent movement. He unleashed his profound energy without restraint, instantly conjuring a gale that swept him straight towards the entrance of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.

"Who's there!!" Yun Che's action undoubtedly startled Hui Ran, who was guarding the entrance. He shot to his feet, releasing a terrifying surge of aura that instantly congealed the air within a hundred-zhang radius.

"What are you doing!" Jasmine said gravely.

"Charge in, of course!" Yun Che gritted his teeth. "If all this is true… the Little Demon Empress is in extreme danger. I can't wait for my father and grandfather to arrive! The Little Demon Empress absolutely cannot die, otherwise, the entire Yun family will be finished!"

"With your current strength, what can you possibly do by charging in? Against those who can kill the Little Demon Empress, you don't even have the ability to delay them for a single breath."

"...If I can find her, and if she's still alive, I naturally have a way! Hong'er, come out!"

Yun Che let out a low roar, and a red light flashed in his hand. With the Heaven Smiting Sword in hand, he wasted no time on pleasantries and directly unleashed a sword strike towards the approaching Hui Ran.