Chapter 648: Return to the Mysterious Heaven

Three years had passed in a blink of an eye since he left the Profound Sky Continent. The scene of him smiling and bidding farewell to Cang Yue and Xiao Lingxi in the Azure Wind Imperial Palace was still vivid in his mind; he had even vowed to return within a month. Yet, the gears of fate had once again turned against his will.

The thought of soon returning to the Profound Sky Continent and seeing the people he missed day and night naturally made Yun Che's heart race with excitement, keeping him awake all night. In the early morning, as dawn broke, the Little Demon Empress pushed him off the bed, saying, "You should go now."

"Caiyi, my wife..." Yun Che turned around, gazing longingly at the beautiful figure behind the gauze curtain.

"If you're going, be decisive!" the Little Demon Empress said coldly.

"Don't you... really want to come with me to the Profound Sky Continent and see it?" Yun Che asked softly. "My profound ark is very special; it absolutely won't be detected by the people of the Four Sacred Grounds there."

"...The Demon Imperial City has only just calmed down; it's not the time for me to leave. King Ming has not yet been apprehended, so I cannot leave with peace of mind. Once King Ming is eliminated and all future troubles are gone..." The Little Demon Empress paused, then her voice softened slightly: "Perhaps I will accompany you to the Profound Sky Continent."

"Alright." Yun Che nodded, knowing very well that it was indeed too unrealistic for the Little Demon Empress to return to the Profound Sky Continent with him right now.

The closer the return date, the more eager he was to go home. Yun Che left the Demon Emperor's Palace, went to the Mu Family to bid farewell to Mu Feiyan, Mu Yubai, and others, then returned to the Yun Family to bid farewell to his parents. In front of Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou, he summoned his Primordial Profound Ark.

"Che'er, although your father desperately wishes to make another trip to the Profound Sky to pay respects to Brother Xiao Ying, alas... it will have to wait a while longer." Mentioning "Xiao Ying," deep sorrow appeared on Yun Qinghong's face. Meeting Xiao Ying had been both the fortune and the pain of his life. "On your father's behalf, please give my regards to your Grandpa Xiao. If he has no lingering attachments there, bring him back. As long as I, Yun Qinghong, live, I won't let him suffer any bullying."

"Yes, I remember," Yun Che nodded firmly.

"Che'er, the Heavenly Might Sword Region is very powerful, far surpassing our Yun Family. When you go to the Profound Sky, please don't think about avenging your grandfather. When the time is right, we will certainly make them pay their blood debt. There, you must take care of yourself, don't court any danger. Once you've handled things there, make sure to return early... and bring back your mother's daughter-in-law too." Mu Yurou said, her eyes already brimming with tears.

"Mother, don't worry," Yun Che said with a smile. "I've never met anyone tougher than me in my life." With a motion of his palm, the profound ark slowly floated up and gradually expanded to a zhang in size.

"Big Brother!!"

Just then, hurried footsteps approached. Xiao Yun, pulling Tianwei, rushed over. Before he could even stand still, Xiao Yun eagerly announced, "I've decided, I want to return to the Profound Sky Continent with Big Brother."

"Oh?" Yun Che smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Xiao Yun nodded with extreme seriousness. "Although I used to have a strong aversion to the Profound Sky Continent, it's different now. After all, it's my birthplace, and two of my family members are there. My parents are also buried there... I have no reason not to go back."

Yun Che had also considered bringing Xiao Yun back with him, but he hadn't mentioned it, as it depended on Xiao Yun's own wishes. Xiao Yun's decision made him feel much more at ease. Before his eyes, his grandfather's truly joyful smile seemed to appear. He nodded, then looked at Tianwei: "And... Seventh Sister?"

Tianwei wrapped her arm around Xiao Yun's: "Of course I'm going with Brother Yun! I'm Brother Yun's wife now, whether it's the Demon Imperial City or the Profound Sky Continent... wherever Brother Yun goes, I'll go!"

Judging by her expression, she was clearly quite excited.

Yun Che smiled knowingly and patted Xiao Yun's shoulder: "For Grandpa, his greatest desire is to reunite with you. I originally thought of bringing him here to reunite with you and live out his later years peacefully, but if you go back with me to see him, that would naturally be even better."

"Hehe, then let's go quickly," Tianwei said, her eyes sparkling. "I can't wait to see if Big Brother Yun's profound ark is as miraculous as Brother Yun says."

"Wait!!"

Another hurried voice came from afar. The owner of the voice, accompanied by a gust of wind, suddenly appeared before them. Seeing the newcomer, Tianwei's mouth dropped open: "Big Brother, why are you here?"

The person who arrived was none other than Tianxia Diyi. He cupped his hands toward Yun Qinghong and his wife, saying, "Patriarch Yun, Madam Yun, this junior was anxious and arrived without warning. I hope you'll forgive me... Seventh Sister, did you just send a sound transmission to Father saying you wanted to go to the Profound Sky Continent with Xiao Yun and the Demon Lord...? Is that true?"

"Of course it's true!" Tianwei said without hesitation. "Brother Yun's birth parents are buried there, and since I'm married to him, of course I should accompany him to pay respects to his parents."

Tianxia Diyi frowned and said, "The Profound Sky Continent is not the Demon Imperial City! To us, it's a land of enemies, and it's rumored that the people there demonize us, the people of the Demon Imperial City! If the people there find out you're from the Demon Imperial City, and especially that you belong to a Guardian Family, it's very likely to alarm the Four Sacred Grounds there. It would be too dangerous if we weren't by your side... This matter is no small thing; you absolutely cannot be reckless."

"Oh, for goodness sake! Big Brother, you're so long-winded! The Profound Sky Continent isn't as scary as you make it out to be. Besides, Big Brother Yun's profound ark is amazing; it can cross space directly and won't trigger the border barrier set up by the Four Sacred Grounds at all, so it won't alert anyone. Even if there's danger, Brother Yun and Big Brother Yun will protect me!"

"Big Brother, don't worry. I'm taking Seventh Sister to the Profound Sky Continent simply to acknowledge our ancestors and reunite with our close relatives. We'll be back very soon, and there won't be any other incidents... and I certainly won't let Seventh Sister encounter any danger. Even if there's real danger, I'll protect her with my life," Xiao Yun said resolutely.

"Brother Tianxia, rest assured," Yun Che said with a smile. "The place we're going to is the smallest country in the Profound Sky Continent, far from where the Four Sacred Grounds are located. The profound cultivation level there is very low; even the peak of the Monarch Profound Realm is considered top. Seventh Sister has already reached the Overlord Profound Realm, so she'll be practically invincible there. It would be hard for her to even encounter danger... as long as she doesn't bully others."

"Hmph, hmph, as a gentle, kind, and cute beautiful girl like me, I would never bully anyone," Tianwei said, sticking out her tongue at Yun Che.

"Sigh," seeing Tianwei's attitude, Tianxia Diyi knew he couldn't dissuade her. Moreover, after hearing Yun Che's description and given his trust in Yun Che, he began to feel that his worries might be unnecessary. However, he dared not forget Tianxia Xiongtu's orders. "Brother Yun, to be honest, upon hearing that Seventh Sister wanted to go to the Profound Sky Continent, my father became extremely worried and restless, ordering me to rush here to stop her. On the way here, my father sent a sound transmission instructing me that if I couldn't stop her, I must go along no matter what."

"Oh? Big Brother is coming too? Really, really?" Tianwei's eyes immediately lit up.

"If Big Brother comes along, that would truly be for the best," Xiao Yun quickly agreed. Tianxia Diyi was a powerful eighth-level Overlord Profound Realm practitioner, intelligent and steady. Having him along... meant an extra super bodyguard—though he probably wouldn't be needed at all.

Tianxia Diyi gave a slight wry smile. "This is my father's wish; otherwise, I fear he wouldn't be able to rest or eat in peace. This matter will be troublesome for Brother Yun."

"If Brother Tianxia comes along, it's clearly a pleasant surprise, not a bother at all," Yun Che said with a smile. "My profound ark has enormous space; let alone one more Brother Tianxia, it's big enough to bring the entire Tianxia clan. With Brother Tianxia by our side, I believe Father and Mother will be much more at ease."

Tianxia Diyi nodded, smiling slightly. However, deep down, he also harbored some curiosity about the Profound Sky Continent, so he had no real objection to going along.

"Che'er, the location I told you about is roughly in the central part of the Azure Wind Nation in the Profound Sky Continent. Although it might not be perfectly precise, it definitely won't be outside the Azure Wind Nation's borders. Although more than twenty years have passed since then, I've thought about it day and night all these years, so I certainly haven't forgotten it. Once you're there, the distance will be too great for us to transmit messages to each other. So, after you've handled things there, make sure to return early... After all, you are still the Demon Lord of the Demon Imperial City, and your home is also here."

Although Yun Qinghong had remained calm, deep in his eyes and in his words, a hint of worry was revealed. After all, the Profound Sky Continent was the place that had left the heaviest shadow on his life. Even with his family reunited, the very name "Profound Sky Continent" still brought a sense of danger, and even a slight palpitation.

"Haha, I'm just going back to my other home. It's not like twenty years ago when you went into a perilous land. Your worries are truly completely unnecessary," Yun Che said with a relaxed, yet helpless smile.

"In any case... make sure to return early, and absolutely don't do anything dangerous," Mu Yurou, her eyes misty with tears, admonished him once more.

"Alright, alright," Yun Che dutifully nodded in agreement.

A hazy, dark red light began to flicker on the Primordial Profound Ark. Yun Che focused his thoughts and said to Xiao Yun and the others, "This profound ark is controlled by my will; you don't need to enter through a door. When you sense the intention to enter shortly, just don't resist."

This method of entering the profound ark was unheard of to them. As Yun Che's will moved, a faint, dark red glow enveloped them, instantly making them vanish from their spot. The Primordial Profound Ark also slowly rose, then completely disappeared amidst intense spatial tremors.

Above the clouds in the distant sky, the Little Demon Empress withdrew her gaze, slowly turning around. She floated among the clouds, departing silently.

She had spent a full century, yet never fully accustomed herself to solitude. But in less than a month, she had grown accustomed to Yun Che's presence. Watching Yun Che leave, even though he was just returning to his other home and might be back soon, she still felt a sense of emptiness she had never experienced before.

She was the Little Demon Empress, but in essence, she was also a woman...