Chapter 597: The Culprit

“What… did you say?!” The Little Demon Empress’s voice was low and rigid, and her breathing became incredibly turbulent.

“Oh?” The Ming King raised his eyes slightly, looking at Yun Che with interest. “It seems I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”

“Heh heh!” Yun Che sneered, his gaze clearly showing contempt and mockery. “You, the Ming King, possess the ambition to usurp the world, invincible profound energy, unfathomable cunning, and a heart ten thousand times more malicious than vipers. I once thought you were a truly qualified overlord, but alas… seeing you today, you’re merely a coward who dares to do but not admit. Truly disappointing.”

“You’re asking for death!” The Huai King instantly flew into a rage, abruptly reaching out to grab Yun Che. In his entire life, this was the first time he had ever seen anyone insult his own father.

The Ming King, however, extended a hand, stopping the Huai King’s movement, and then threw his head back and laughed. “Hahahaha! As expected of the young man who completely defeated my son. Your tongue and cunning are indeed as sharp as knives. You’ve even cursed me to the point where I don’t know how to respond.”

The Ming King narrowed his eyes again, the light radiating from their slits more unsettling than a venomous snake’s. “I know you’re trying to buy time. However, there are very few things in this world that interest me enough to want answers. I shall grant you some time to live. Come, tell me, what else do you know?”

The Ming King’s words were undoubtedly an indirect admission, causing the Little Demon Empress’s aura to completely destabilize. The flames on her body suddenly surged, and what burned in her pupils was no longer just Golden Crow flames, but an overwhelming hatred as if from the Nine Nether Purgatory.

Yun Che coolly sneered, speaking unhurriedly, “Back then, the sudden invasion of the Illusory Demon Realm by the Profound Sky Continent was all because of you! You used some method to inform the Four Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent about the existence of the Demon Emperor’s ultimate treasure, the ‘Wheel of Myriad Tribulations,’ in the Illusory Demon Realm. You fabricated that the ‘Wheel of Myriad Tribulations’ possessed some heaven-defying ability, inciting their ambition and thus leading the Profound Sky Continent’s people to invade the Illusory Demon Realm at all costs, seeking to seize the Wheel of Myriad Tribulations… And the reason they succeeded in invading repeatedly and retreating unscathed was because you were acting as an inside accomplice!”

Yun Che pointed at the Huai King, stating coldly, “And your purpose in doing all this was to replace the Demon Emperor and become the Lord of Illusory Demons! The reason the former Demon Emperor personally pursued them to the Profound Sky Continent certainly wasn’t an impulse driven by rage… It must have been your scheme! The Little Demon Emperor’s death… was absolutely not due to a drunken impulse to forcibly enter the Profound Sky Continent, but rather… he died by your hand, Ming King!!”

“Will you deny these things?”

With almost every sentence Yun Che spoke, the Huai King’s expression changed, his eyes filled with shock. He had thought these matters were secrets known only to him and his father, with absolutely no possibility of a third person knowing… Even those from the Profound Sky Continent didn’t know who had relayed the information to them back then.

*Clap… clap… clap… clap…*

“Hahahaha!” The Ming King clapped his hands, laughing heartily, yet his eyes remained calm and unruffled. “Brilliant, truly marvelous. Yun Che, it seems my son, whom I’ve always been proud of, being utterly disgraced in front of you, is not wronged in the slightest. I will frankly admit it: everything you said is correct. The reason those Sacred Grounds from the Profound Sky Continent invaded the Illusory Demon Realm was indeed because of me. Back then, I merely told them that the Demon Emperor’s ultimate treasure, the Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, in the Illusory Demon Realm contained the secret of Divine Profound. If they could unravel its mystery, they could break through the limits of the Monarch Profound Realm, step into the Divine Profound Realm, and become the legendary ‘Profound Gods.’”

“Those fellows were even greedier and more foolish than I had anticipated. Not only did they believe me, but a year later, they began to impatiently prepare to enter the Illusory Demon Realm. I was naturally happy to help them construct a spatial channel and tell them what I wanted them to know… These people from the Profound Sky Continent truly didn’t disappoint me; they threw the Demon Imperial City into utter chaos and ensured the deaths of the Demon Emperor and Little Demon Emperor went even smoother than I expected!”

The Ming King burst into maniacal laughter. “Hahahaha! What Profound Sky Sacred Grounds? They were merely pawns used and manipulated by me. As for the Demon Emperor and Little Demon Emperor, in my hands, they were nothing more than two pathetic insects. With just a slight scheme, I easily lured the Demon Emperor to the location of the spatial channel. Of course, no matter how foolish he was, he wouldn’t impulsively chase into the spatial channel and go to his death on the Profound Sky Continent’s territory… It was I who appeared at the opportune moment and ‘helped’ him. Princess Caiyi, your poor father truly looked surprised and delighted when I appeared then. He didn’t have the slightest guard down even when I approached within two steps, and then I simply gave him a gentle kick, sending him into the spatial channel…”

The Little Demon Empress: “!!!!”

Yun Che: “…”

“On the other side of the spatial channel, the ‘Heavenly Might Soul Suppressing Formation’ was waiting for him. Once he entered that formation, even with his world-shaking profound energy, he couldn’t use it.” The Ming King smiled faintly, his expression boundless in its arrogance, as if everything in the world was under his control. “As for the Little Demon Emperor who had just ascended the throne, it was even simpler. On the night of your grand wedding, just like you today, he generously presented me with a perfect opportunity by going alone to pay respects to the former Demon Emperor… However, I didn’t kill him; I merely crippled him and then threw him into the spatial channel leading to the Profound Sky Continent. That way, not a single trace of my involvement would be left behind. I then helped him leave some random dying words… The next day, the entire Illusory Demon Realm knew that the newly enthroned Little Demon Emperor, on the night of his wedding with the Little Demon Empress, impulsively broke into the Profound Sky Continent while drunk… Compared to grieving the Little Demon Emperor’s death, more people were surely cursing his foolishness, hahahaha!”

“Ming… King!!!”

Flames around the Little Demon Empress flickered wildly, and her slender body trembled violently. Yun Che, who was closest to her, clearly felt her anger, hatred, and murderous intent so intense and chaotic that they almost ripped space apart. He glanced at the Little Demon Empress and saw that even though she was enveloped in flames, her face, reflected in the reddish-yellow firelight, was still as pale as white paper… And from the corner of her mouth, a trickle of crimson blood slowly flowed.

She had not been injured in her exchange with the Huai King; that trickle of blood… was an internal injury caused by her overwhelming anger and resentment.

And at that moment, a deep respect for the Little Demon Empress rose in Yun Che’s heart…

Only today did she learn that the culprit who killed her father and younger brother was not the Profound Sky Continent, but the Ming King standing before her! He had killed her two closest relatives, caused the Demon Emperor’s lineage to be severed, plunged the Demon Imperial City into chaos, and furthermore, harmed the entire Illusory Demon Realm. Yun Che could only imagine the intensity of that resentment and murderous intent…

Yet, despite all this, she managed to stubbornly maintain her rationality, not recklessly attacking the Ming King under the agonizing resentment. Because if she did, not only would she be unable to kill the terrifyingly powerful Ming King, but both she and Yun Che would only die faster… At this very moment, she had to seize every breath of life to have any chance of vengeance in the future!

The Ming King turned his gaze, narrowing his eyes as he savored the Little Demon Empress’s current expression… Yes, savored it. The hatred that wished to grind him to dust, the murderous intent that yearned to tear him to shreds, instead brought him enjoyment and delight. “To know these truths and still be able to restrain yourself from attacking me, you truly are Princess Caiyi. It’s no wonder I haven’t found a perfect opportunity to kill you for over a hundred years. You should properly thank me for allowing you to know whose hands destroyed your clan before your death… Oh, by the way, do you know how spectacular the Little Demon Emperor’s expression was when he clearly saw my face back then? Tsk tsk, it was so wonderful that even now, recalling it brings me endless pleasure.”

“Ming… King…”

The Little Demon Empress’s voice was hoarse and so low it barely sounded human. Those two brief words were as chilling as if from the Nine Nether Purgatory, yet they conveyed less than a fraction of the hatred in her heart. Although Yun Che’s expression remained calm, how could his hatred be less than the Little Demon Empress’s? For his grandfather Yun Canghai’s death was also because of the Ming King! The decline of his Yun family, the tragic fates of him and Xiao Yun… ultimately, all were due to this Ming King before them!

He took a deep breath and said coldly, “Ming King, your clan’s ability to be a royal clan was all bestowed by the Demon Emperor’s clan! Not only did you fail to return their kindness and loyalty, but you harbored wolfish ambitions and became utterly malicious! Are you not afraid of divine retribution?!”

“How childish,” the Ming King said with a faint smile. “The ruler of the world naturally belongs to the capable. From the moment of my birth, I was destined to be the one who would dominate the world. And anyone who stands in my way, no matter who they are, I will eliminate them by any means necessary. So-called loyalty, integrity, and benevolence—these laughable concepts only belong to laughable weaklings!”

“I have admitted everything you wanted me to admit. Now, tell me, where did you learn all these things about me?” The Ming King stared directly at Yun Che, his two gazes, sharp as blades, almost piercing his very soul. “I always believed that no matter what I did, I left no trace. For over a hundred years, no one in the entire Illusory Demon Realm has ever harbored any suspicion towards me. Yun Che, how exactly did you come to know? Did I perhaps leave some flaw behind?”

“It’s very simple.” Yun Che casually stepped back, standing beside the Little Demon Empress. “You should already know that although I am a son of the Yun family, I come from the Profound Sky Continent. And while I was on the Profound Sky Continent, I had contact with the Heavenly Might Sword Region, one of the Four Sacred Grounds… Naturally, I heard all this from the Heavenly Might Sword Region!”

“Heavenly Might Sword Region? Ha!” The Ming King was clearly not satisfied with this answer, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he chuckled faintly, his already extremely dangerous gaze suddenly turning even colder. “I’ll tentatively believe your answer. So, your purpose in delaying time has been achieved perfectly enough. Unfortunately, the reinforcements you’ve been waiting for haven’t appeared. Next, how do you intend to save yourself and Princess Caiyi in front of me? Hmm?”

Yun Che also gave a cold smile, saying, “Then, Ming King, do you think I rushed here, knowing you were present, just to offer myself up for nothing?”

“Then I’m very curious, what will you rely on to escape my grasp?” The Ming King said with a smile, his dangerous yet composed expression as if telling Yun Che that even with extraordinary methods, he could never escape his control. “Will it be that piece of Heavenly Absolute Frost Crystal you’ve been holding?”