Chapter 777: Half-Blossomed Pañcika (Part 2)

Yun Che spun around like lightning, startled to see Zi Ji, Xia Yuanba, and Feng Xue'er. All three, who had been gazing at the distant purple light, now had blank, dazed expressions, their pupils rapidly dilating and contracting as if they had lost their very souls.

Alarmed, Yun Che swiftly pulled Feng Xue'er into his embrace. At the same time, he unleashed a surge of energy with his left hand, blasting Xia Yuanba and Zi Ji far back, and roared, "Get back! Don't look at that purple light!"

The three shuddered simultaneously, as if waking from a dream. Feng Xue'er immediately clung to Yun Che, burying her head against his chest, no longer daring to look up. Yun Che could distinctly feel her heart beating several times faster than normal. Zi Ji and Xia Yuanba retreated even more quickly, their faces etched with profound terror.

"The Underworld Brahma Flower truly lives up to its terrifying reputation... No, it's far more dreadful than the legends suggest." Zi Ji pressed his hand to his chest, his face pale, his mind unable to find peace for a long time. That purple light was at least thirty zhang away, yet even from such a distance, it had so easily subjected him to such a nightmare.

"There's actually something so terrifying in this world!" Xia Yuanba exclaimed, still shaken. "Is it really just a flower?"

"What did you all feel just now? Or what did you see?" Yun Che asked, his brows furrowed. He had also been staring at the purple light, but other than a slight blurriness in his vision, he hadn't experienced any severe abnormalities.

"Don't worry about that for now!" Zi Ji said gravely, leaning against the wall behind him. He no longer dared to look at the Underworld Brahma Flower. Even so, he vaguely felt a pair of demonic eyes staring at him from somewhere, his heart pounding so wildly it threatened to burst. "Yun Che! We only have a hundred breaths of time, and almost half of it is gone! You're incredibly lucky to have found this terrifying Underworld Brahma Flower, and it's even blooming... Collect it as fast as possible! If we can't leave within a hundred breaths, we'll be trapped and surely perish here!"

"I understand!" Yun Che nodded, quickly pushing Feng Xue'er behind the wall. "Xue'er, Yuanba, lean against the wall and do not look back. I'll retrieve the Underworld Brahma Flower immediately!"

"Big Brother Yun... please be careful!" Feng Xue'er cried out, her voice filled with genuine concern. She had heard many legends about the Underworld Brahma Flower from Yun Che, but after only a brief glimpse, she now understood its horror far surpassed her imagination.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have come if I didn't have a foolproof plan!"

As Yun Che spoke, he rounded the wall and swiftly took a dozen steps toward the Underworld Brahma Flower's location. He then paused, just as he was about to call Jasmine to pluck the flower, when he heard her sharp voice: "Didn't you hear me? Leave this place immediately! Forget about the Underworld Brahma Flower!"

Yun Che froze. "But..."

"No 'buts'!" Jasmine's voice was unusually grave. "Didn't you notice that even though the Underworld Brahma Flower has opened, it's not fully bloomed?"

Yun Che stared, astonished, and looked up at the shimmering purple light.

In the profound darkness, the Underworld Brahma Flower was perfectly clear, as if it were just inches away. It stood about a zhang tall, with deep purple stems and leaves. Within its ethereal, bright purple glow, a single demonic flower bloomed. Each petal resembled a flowing stream of purple jade, yet the bud was still slightly closed and the petals somewhat curled. Though captivatingly beautiful, it had not fully unfurled.

The Slaying Moon Demon Cavern was utterly silent, without the slightest breeze. Yet, the half-bloomed demonic flower swayed slowly, releasing a faint purple mist that seemed to drift from the underworld. From time to time, it emitted eerie, soul-shattering sounds that resembled both weeping and laughter.

Indeed, just as Jasmine had said, it was not fully bloomed!

However, based on Yun Che's knowledge of flora, this Underworld Brahma Flower, though not fully bloomed, had opened over seventy percent. Perhaps in just a few days, or even a few hours, it would unfurl completely!

At that moment, the purple glow in Yun Che's vision suddenly flickered, and the scene before him blurred, transforming into an expanse of pure purple.

The boundless purple world was like stepping into a dreamlike fairyland, captivating his heart and soul. All tension, caution, and anxiety—all his emotions—completely vanished. He felt incredibly light, his body as weightless as a feather, making him instinctively want to float and soar deeper into the purple world until he merged completely with the fantastical realm.

The trance lasted only an instant. Yun Che jolted back to reality, and the purple world before him disintegrated, leaving only a faint, eerie purple glow in the otherwise pitch-black surroundings.

What terrifying soul erosion... Sweat beaded on Yun Che's forehead, and he was filled with dread. From nearly thirty zhang away, and from an Underworld Brahma Flower that hadn't even fully bloomed, it had briefly made him lose his wits, despite his Dragon God's Soul!

If he were to get any closer, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Jasmine had warned him that getting within ten zhang would cause immense suffering, and within five zhang would be certain death. He now knew she hadn't been exaggerating.

"Even though it hasn't fully bloomed, it's opened about seventy or eighty percent! Is the effect really that different from a full bloom?" Yun Che asked in a low voice, shifting his gaze.

"It's a world of difference!" Jasmine retorted sharply. "Only a fully bloomed Underworld Brahma Flower can allow my soul to perfectly merge with a reconstructed body. An un-fully opened flower doesn't possess enough power; even if you gathered ten thousand of them, a perfect fusion would be impossible. If we force it, I would suffer constant, agonizing pain from the rejection between my body, power, and soul, just like Feng Juechen, and my body would perish and soul would dissipate within a few short years!"

Yun Che was speechless.

"No..." Yun Che clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, his face a mask of unwillingness. "We finally tracked down the Underworld Brahma Flower... it's right in front of us, and it's so close to fully blooming..."

"If we miss this chance, we'll have to wait a full twenty-four years for it to bloom again. And this Slaying Moon Demon Cavern itself won't be accessible for another five hundred years..."

How could he possibly abandon the Underworld Brahma Flower he had spent seven years searching for, now that it was right before his eyes!

"Yun Che, listen to me very carefully!" Jasmine said, steadying her voice. "More than anyone, I want a fully bloomed Underworld Brahma Flower! But even if it were fully open, we wouldn't be able to obtain it. What you need to do now is leave this place as fast as you can!"

"...Why?" Yun Che asked, bewildered, his body showing no sign of moving. He sensed Jasmine's reluctance, mirroring his own.

"The horror of this place far exceeds your imagination! The dark aura here is weak in intensity, but its level is unprecedented, even for me. If I had my complete body and soul, this dark aura wouldn't affect me at all. However, I currently only exist as a soul, without a physical body to support me, leaving me utterly defenseless against the corrosive power of this dark energy. If I were to manifest my soul here, I would suffer severe damage in a short time, potentially harming my soul's very origin!"

Yun Che was speechless.

"My soul was corroded by demonic poison for years. Although I've completely shed the poison now, I'm still several times weaker than my complete state. Only after my body is reconstructed can I slowly recover. If my soul, in its current weakened state, were to be further corroded by dark power... the consequences would be irreversible. I might never recover completely, or I might even dissipate entirely!"

Every word Jasmine uttered was incredibly grave, leaving Yun Che utterly stunned.

"So, even if that were a fully bloomed Underworld Brahma Flower, I couldn't possibly manifest to pick it, and it's even more impossible for you," Jasmine's voice grew heavier. "Not a single word of what I'm saying is an exaggeration! For this place to continuously release such dark energy for ten thousand years, something terrifying, far beyond your comprehension, must be hidden within this Slaying Moon Demon Cavern! Even now, inside the Sky Poison Pearl, I feel a chilling sensation I've never experienced before. Even my spiritual senses are suppressed to only..."

Jasmine's voice abruptly ceased, making Yun Che's heart skip a beat. Then, she let out a sharp cry: "Run! Directly above the Underworld Brahma Flower, a living creature is hidden... Its gaze is on you. Leave immediately!"

"What?" Yun Che exclaimed, startled. He instinctively looked up at the cave ceiling directly above the Underworld Brahma Flower, but saw only utter darkness.

Just then, Zi Ji's roar echoed from behind him: "Yun Che! What are you doing? Less than thirty breaths remain! If you don't leave now, it will be too late!"

Yun Che had no time to hesitate. He quickly stood, turned back, and roared, "Let's go!"

"But, the Underworld Brahma Flower..." Xia Yuanba hesitated, as the purple light was still visible, meaning Yun Che hadn't managed to retrieve the flower.

"Don't worry about that now, just go!" Yun Che pushed Xia Yuanba far back with a palm, gripped Feng Xue'er's hand tightly, and using the light of the Phoenix flame, moved as quickly as possible toward the demon cavern's exit.

"Did that 'monster' follow us?" Yun Che urgently asked. Because they had only recently journeyed from the entrance to the depths, the path was still familiar, allowing them to retreat much faster than they had arrived.

"No," Jasmine replied.

Yun Che let out a small breath of relief, wondering: The living creature hidden in this Slaying Moon Demon Cavern... could it be the legendary Slaying Moon Demon Lord?

But wasn't the Slaying Moon Demon Lord already dead over six thousand years ago? No matter what, a Tyrannical Profound Beast couldn't have survived from ten thousand years ago until now!

Moreover, Jasmine's urgent tone indicated that this monster hidden in the darkness must be incredibly powerful, far beyond his ability to contend with. This further suggested it couldn't be the Slaying Moon Demon Lord, who was only at the Tyrannical Profound Realm.

What could it be!?

"What kind of monster was that? Did you detect its power level?" Yun Che asked.

"Its size is far greater than a human's. As for its strength... roughly at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm! That's assuming my spiritual senses weren't skewed due to being suppressed!" Jasmine replied, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Sovereign Profound Realm, sixth level... Yun Che accelerated, a complex glint in his eyes.

"Ten breaths left; don't worry, there's still plenty of time." Zi Ji's voice eased slightly, but he still felt waves of lingering fear. He had previously told the Sea Emperor that he would forcibly bring Yun Che out once fifty breaths had passed, yet they had risked staying until such a perilous moment. If they hadn't managed to leave within a hundred breaths, all four of them would have perished.

"It's just that Big Brother-in-law didn't manage to get the Underworld Brahma Flower," Xia Yuanba said dejectedly.

"That's to be expected," Zi Ji sighed. "Given the terror of the Underworld Brahma Flower, even if the Four Sacred Masters combined their power, they would never be able to retrieve it alive." Although Yun Che's main objective for this trip wasn't accomplished, the Sea Palace had fulfilled its promise to him.

With only a few breaths remaining before the barrier's opening closed, a faint light finally appeared before them.

"We're at the exit! Get out quickly!" Zi Ji, who was leading, whispered. His figure blurred, and he shot through the opening instantly.

"Big Brother-in-law, hurry!" Xia Yuanba followed closely behind Zi Ji. As he passed through the barrier's exit, he anxiously turned to look back, fearing Yun Che might be too slow.

The exit was right before them. Once they left, re-entry would not be possible for at least five hundred years.

Furthermore, even if they could return in five hundred years, there was no guarantee the Underworld Brahma Flower would be blooming as it was today.

Yun Che slowed his pace. He placed his hands on Feng Xue'er's shoulders and pushed forcefully, sending her far through the barrier's opening. He, however, stopped just short of the exit.

"Yun Che! What are you doing? Get out immediately!" Jasmine instantly guessed his intention, her small face paling with horror.

"Big Brother-in-law!"

"Big Brother Yun!"

A moment later, Yun Che still hadn't emerged from the barrier's opening. Both Xia Yuanba and Feng Xue'er realized something was wrong simultaneously. Xia Yuanba's face changed drastically, and Feng Xue'er's face turned ashen. They both rushed back toward the barrier's opening.

"Don't worry about me!" Yun Che roared, then thrust his fully charged arms toward the barrier's exit, instantly blasting the unsuspecting Xia Yuanba and Feng Xue'er, who had just approached, a hundred zhang away.

"I want to wait until the Underworld Brahma Flower fully blooms, so I must stay inside for a few days. Don't worry about me; remember, I have the Profound Ark!"

"Big Brother Yun... no!" From outside the barrier, Feng Xue'er's tearful cry reached him.

"Go! Now!" Jasmine's anxious, almost furious voice resonated, shaking Yun Che's very soul. "The spatial laws here have already been warped by the dark aura; even the Primordial Profound Ark..."

*Screech!*

With a thunderous screech, the barrier opening, which had been open for a hundred breaths, completely sealed shut in an instant. The entire barrier glowed with flowing blue light, a seamless whole with no trace of an opening, not even a minuscule crack. It utterly separated the interior from the exterior, creating two completely isolated worlds.