Chapter 636: Purple Vein Divine Crystal

Yun Qinghong reined in his aura, lightened his footsteps, and prepared to leave the secret room. As he approached the exit, a dazzling purple light suddenly flashed, accompanied by a sharp, ear-piercing shriek.

Yun Qinghong instinctively turned back and was shocked to see more than a dozen distorted, flickering purple lightning bolts appearing around Yun Che's body. These lightning bolts increased rapidly, soon reaching hundreds, then thousands, engulfing Yun Che entirely in a chaotic surge of lightning.

At that moment, Yun Che slowly extended his hand, palm facing upwards. A spherical ball of lightning rapidly formed and grew in his palm, reaching the size of a fist. It was a deep, profound purple, and the aura it exuded was both violent and nimble. Yet, it didn't feel like a pure energy construct, but rather like a vibrant, living being.

"Lightning... Spirit!?" Yun Qinghong gasped in astonishment.

A Lightning Spirit is an elemental spirit of lightning that can only be formed when one's profound veins achieve an extremely high affinity with the lightning element. The ability to manifest a Lightning Spirit signifies that one's mastery of lightning profound energy has reached a completely new realm. The speed of concentration and release, as well as the power of lightning profound energy, become incomparable. It is an extremely significant watershed in the mastery of lightning profound energy.

It took Yun Qinghong a full thirty years of cultivating the Purple Cloud Arts to successfully cultivate his first Lightning Spirit with his profound energy, a feat that shocked the entire Yun family and even the Demon Imperial City. Throughout the history of the Yun family, achieving this in thirty years was an unprecedented miracle.

Yet Yun Che had only just begun practicing the Purple Cloud Arts today. Forget thirty years—it hadn't even been three *kèchén* (45 minutes)!

This was no longer a miracle; it was utterly preposterous!

Could it be that he had cultivated other lightning-element profound arts before, thus giving his profound veins an extremely high affinity for the lightning element? But... the profound energy he used when fighting others clearly had no trace of lightning. He himself had also stated that he had never cultivated any lightning-element profound arts. Furthermore, his primary profound energy attribute was fire, which inherently repels lightning due to their opposing nature. Even if he had cultivated it, even if he had started cultivating from birth, he would still only be just over twenty years old...

Yun Qinghong's heart pounded wildly. He stood there stunned for a long time before regaining his senses, then left the secret room and set up a barrier at its entrance that allowed exit but prevented entry.

With the downfall of the Duke Huai's Mansion, the bloody turmoil in Demon Imperial City finally subsided. The city walls were plastered with countless blood oaths, each signed by figures who were once renowned, even famous throughout the Illusory Demon Realm. The Guardian Families and Ducal Palaces punished by the Little Demon Empress all became compliant, especially those family heads and dukes who had been branded with the slave seal by her. Their complete loyalty to the Little Demon Empress and the Demon Imperial Clan became their sole purpose for the rest of their lives.

Demon Imperial City settled into peace. Under the Little Demon Empress's command, all major powers and city regions in the Illusory Demon Realm began searching for the whereabouts of Prince Ming. During the day, Yun Che regularly treated Yun Qinghong's body, and at night, he meditated on the Purple Cloud Arts in the secret room. Besides this, one thing he did unfailingly every day was to "provoke" the Little Demon Empress. Although he was expelled in various ways each time, he never missed a day, come rain or shine.

One day, when Yun Che emerged from the secret room, the sun was already high in the sky. As soon as he stepped out, he suddenly sensed an extremely high-level and incredibly rich spiritual energy. Merely by coming into contact with this aura, his slight fatigue instantly vanished, his five senses became exceptionally clear, and even the profound energy in his profound veins awakened from its stillness, becoming agitated.

"It's the aura of Purple Veined Divine Crystals," Jasmine said. "And a very large quantity of them."

A very large quantity... Purple Veined Divine Crystals!?

Yun Che had visited the Medicine Pavilion several times but had never found any Purple Veined Divine Crystals there. After all, for the past century, the Yun family's high-grade profound crystals had been insufficient to meet their needs. Yet today, such an intensely rich divine crystal aura suddenly appeared. Could it be...

Following the aura, Yun Che arrived at the Family Meeting Hall. He saw Yun Qinghong and a group of elders gathered there. In the center of the hall, more than a dozen black profound jade boxes were neatly arranged. Even the finest black profound jade could not completely block the intensely concentrated power emanating from them.

"Che'er, you've come at a good time," Yun Qinghong said with a smile. "These are the Purple Veined Divine Crystals sent by those seven families, five *jin* from each, totaling exactly thirty-five *jin*. Additionally, a full twenty-five *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals were found in Duke Huai's secret room, and the Little Demon Empress awarded all of them to our Yun family. In total, we have sixty *jin*."

"Sixty *jin*... those are Purple Veined Divine Crystals!" an elder of the Yun family exclaimed, agitated. "Even if our Yun family only took them in without using them, it would take hundreds, even nearly a thousand years to accumulate this much!"

"It's like a dream," an elder standing closer murmured, his hands trembling.

Everyone in the hall had flushed faces, their excitement unable to subside for a long time. They belonged to the highest-tier families in the Illusory Demon Realm, the most elevated existences, yet even they had never seen so many Purple Veined Divine Crystals in their entire lives.

Sixty *jin* isn't a particularly large weight, but when applied to "Purple Veined Divine Crystals," it was an astronomical figure, exaggerated to the extreme, capable of astonishing even a profound practitioner into unconsciousness! In the entire Illusory Demon Realm, for over ninety-nine percent of profound practitioners, Purple Veined Divine Crystals were mythical objects that existed only in legends; even seeing them once in a lifetime was a luxury.

This was also Yun Che's first time seeing these legendary Purple Veined Divine Crystals. Black Profound Jade had extremely strong isolating properties, capable of preventing even a trace of aura from Purple Veined Heavenly Crystals from leaking out. Yet, with Purple Veined Divine Crystals inside, such an intense spiritual aura still overflowed, hinting at the immense and concentrated power they contained. Especially now that he was close, the aura was so dense it felt as if he were immersed in an ocean of spiritual energy. He had no doubt that this aura had completely enveloped the entire Yun family.

And these were Purple Veined Divine Crystals sealed within black profound jade!

"Those seven families have been delaying for months; not making them pay interest is already fair to them. However... with so many Purple Veined Divine Crystals, why aren't they immediately placed in the Medicine Pavilion? Leaving them here, with spiritual energy overflowing, is quite a waste," Yun Che said.

"Hehehe," Yun Duanshui chuckled softly. "Young Master, our Yun family's sudden acquisition of so many divine crystals is all thanks to you. If not for you, our family might not even exist in Demon Imperial City today, let alone have divine crystals. Therefore, all of us, including the Patriarch, believe that only you are truly qualified to decide what happens to these Purple Veined Divine Crystals. If you haven't spoken, none of us have the right to act rashly."

"Exactly," the other elders all nodded in agreement, displaying expressions of profound approval.

Yun Che's initial wager of Purple Veined Divine Crystals was not made on a whim, as he genuinely needed a large quantity of them. He took a step forward and said, "In that case, I won't be modest. I do indeed require a large amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystals for a significant reason. So... of these sixty *jin*, I would like to take thirty *jin*, and the remaining thirty *jin* will go to the family. May I have your approval?"

"Hahahaha!" Yun Waitian burst into laughter. "Young Master, what are you saying? Even if you took all sixty *jin*, it would be perfectly natural and entirely deserved. Not a single person in our entire clan would object. For you to take only thirty *jin* and leave a full half for the family... this is an immense blessing to the entire clan. How could we possibly disapprove?"

"The Grand Elder speaks our minds," the other elders chimed in with smiles. To them, Yun Waitian was absolutely right; even if Yun Che took all of it, it would be justifiable. Leaving a full half, however, demonstrated an unparalleled magnanimity that commanded their admiration.

"Then I shall accept with gratitude," Yun Che said, stepping forward directly and taking exactly thirty *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals. To prevent Hong'er from secretly consuming them, he first placed these thirty *jin* into his spatial ring, and then into the Sky Poison Pearl.

"Additionally, regarding these thirty *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, I have another proposal," Yun Che said, addressing everyone. "Take twenty *jin* of it and divide it into four portions of five *jin* each, then send them separately to the Mu family, the Tianxia family, the Su family, and the Yan family."

"Huh? This..." Yun Che's suggestion stunned the elders, and expressions of difficulty appeared on their faces. The Fourth Elder spoke tactfully, "Young Master, we are not qualified to interfere with how you dispose of these Purple Veined Divine Crystals, but to simply give away a full twenty *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to others for free... that is truly a bit too..."

"I agree with Che'er's proposal." Unlike the astonished elders, Yun Qinghong smiled after a brief moment of thought. "On the day we battled Duke Huai's forces, the Mu family, Tianxia family, Su family, and Yan family all stood on the same front as us, and each sent their most outstanding young generation members to participate. That battle concerned the honor and survival of our Yun family, so in a way, they fought for us. These Purple Veined Divine Crystals were the wager for that battle, so while it was agreed at the time that the losing side would forfeit to the Yun family, sharing some with them can be considered justifiable."

"And of course, this is not the main reason," Yun Qinghong continued. "After this period of turmoil, in the eyes of the world, our Yun family's current prestige far surpasses that of other Guardian Families; no one can compare. Especially now that we've obtained sixty *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, I believe the entire Demon Imperial City is currently discussing this matter. With these Divine Crystals, coupled with the Little Demon Empress's favoritism, anyone can foresee that it won't be long before our Yun family's prestige, strength, and status far exceed those of other Guardian Families. However, being overly exceptional could, paradoxically, create a rift and an invisible barrier between us and the families who once stood with us."

The elders suddenly seemed to understand. "Does the Patriarch and Young Master mean..."

"Precisely. Purple Veined Divine Crystals are the highest-grade divine treasures in existence; anyone who obtains them would value them as their life. By sharing them with these families, we can sufficiently demonstrate that while our Yun family has returned to glory, we are not arrogant or conceited, and we still cherish our friendships with them. At the same time, these five *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals are too precious. Out of gratitude for our family's gesture, they will surely refuse to accept them, and ultimately, they will return to our Yun family."

Yun Qinghong smiled faintly. "This way, we won't lose any Purple Veined Divine Crystals, but we will have sufficiently conveyed our stance to them. It's more than just a few trips; it's extremely important for the future development of our Yun family."

Yun Che nodded slightly, and the father and son exchanged a knowing smile.

Yun Qinghong's words made all the elders' eyes light up in sudden realization. Yun Waitian said, completely convinced, "The Patriarch and Young Master's foresight is truly comprehensive. This matter is indeed crucial; we shall go personally right now."

Since Purple Veined Divine Crystals were involved, they naturally wouldn't entrust someone else with the delivery.

Four elders immediately set out, each carrying five *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, heading to the Tianxia, Yan, Su, and Mu families respectively. As Yun Che had anticipated, the Tianxia, Su, and Yan families, while grateful and moved, all refused to accept them. However, an unexpected turn occurred at the Mu family...

"Hahahaha!" Mu Feiyan laughed heartily, his eyebrows dancing with delight. "Since it's from my son-in-law and grandson, of course I can't refuse!" He then waved a hand. "Third Brother, take the gift and bring it to my courtyard. Five *jin* of Purple Veined Divine Crystals—this is the greatest gift I've received in my life! I'll hold onto it for a bit before putting it in the Medicine Pavilion... It wasn't in vain that I married my daughter into the Yun family; she even bore them a young master that they wouldn't have been able to find in eight hundred lifetimes! Hahahaha!"

Mu Feiyan accepted the gift cleanly and decisively, leaving Yun Duanshui, the Second Elder of the Yun family who had gone to "deliver the gift," completely dumbfounded on the spot.