Chapter 783: Xiao Yun Disappears

"So, you're saying I was able to defeat Fen Juechen back then because of Hong'er?" Yun Che asked, surprised.

"Hmph, what else?"

...Yun Che immediately felt utterly depressed. After defeating Fen Juechen, he had always believed his strength was comparable to a sixth-level Monarch Profound Realm practitioner. It turned out it was all because of Hong'er!

No wonder. When he fought Fen Juechen that day, Fen Juechen's aura was incredibly terrifying, yet Yun Che found that the dark profound energy was far less powerful than what the aura suggested. He had felt extremely strange at the time but never considered Hong'er. He had simply assumed Fen Juechen couldn't fully control the external dark profound energy.

Under the crimson light emitted by the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, which had previously been only chaotic darkness, became incredibly clear. Even small pebbles in the corners were visible. He could naturally see the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's full appearance: he was nearly fifteen feet tall, his body shrouded in black light, and his exposed skin was dark gray. His hair, however, was stark white and hung down to his feet.

At first glance, apart from his immense size and dark gray skin, his appearance was remarkably similar to a human's. After a million years of torment from the seal and ten thousand years without seeing daylight, Yun Che had expected him to look incredibly hideous and ancient, like a ghost. Surprisingly, although his expression was currently distorted by pain, his face, by human aesthetic standards, was exceptionally handsome. He appeared to be only in his thirties.

"No... impossible... it can't be the Devil Slayer Sword!"

The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign finally stood up, but his upper body was hunched, and his gray hand, clutching the wound on his chest, trembled. The crimson light shone brightly through his fingers, showing no signs of dimming.

"The Sword Spirit God Race... was the first god race to be annihilated... The Devil Slayer Sword cannot possibly still exist in this world!" The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's voice was still filled with agony. In this world, perhaps nothing other than the Devil Slayer Sword could inflict such prolonged torment on a true devil's body through a mere half-foot-long wound.

"The sword light..." The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's eyes widened, and he roared, "The Devil Slayer Sword's light is white... That's not the Devil Slayer Sword!! What kind of sword is in your hand! Where did it come from?"

Jasmine: "..."

"Hmph, it's none of your business where my sword comes from. You just need to know that you'll die by this sword... and that's enough!" Yun Che held the Heaven Smiting Sword horizontally in front of him. His face no longer showed any of the previous apprehension or fear. Instead, it was filled with utter confidence, a sneer that suggested victory was already within his grasp.

Jasmine naturally perceived Yun Che's psychological change clearly. She suddenly said, "Aren't you a bit overconfident? The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's previous attack used at most half his strength. Your ability to wound him was only because he was caught off guard. Although Hong'er's power strongly restrains his, it absolutely doesn't mean you can definitely defeat him! His immense power far surpasses yours! It's fully enough to compensate for Hong'er's restraint on him."

"I know." Yun Che gripped the Heaven Smiting Sword tightly with both hands, a hint of excitement in his voice. "I can roughly sense his power. What he brought me before was a terrifying, unconquerable feeling. But for some reason, after I summoned Hong'er, that feeling completely vanished. Now, not only do I feel no fear whatsoever, but I'm... even more relaxed and excited than when I faced Fen Juechen."

Jasmine: "...?"

Strange. Sacred power and demonic power naturally fear and restrain each other. Yun Che himself does not possess a sacred spirit body or sacred spirit power. Therefore, Hong'er's presence unilaterally restrains the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's demonic body and power.

But only his demonic body and power! It shouldn't affect his soul!

Whether on the life force level, soul level, or power level, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign comprehensively outranks Yun Che. So, not to mention his power far exceeding Yun Che's, even if their powers were equal, Yun Che would inevitably be suppressed, especially at the soul level. The previously unconquerable fear was a perfectly normal reaction.

But why has Yun Che's fear vanished completely, replaced by an imposing aura? And the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign... if a god of the same level held the Devil Slayer Sword, he might feel fear. But facing Yun Che, whose strength is far inferior to his, why is his fear so intense?

Records and memories of the Devil Slayer Sword never mentioned its ability to suppress devils at the soul level. Right, Hong'er isn't merely the Devil Slayer Sword! The form and light of the sword she transforms into are completely different from the legendary Devil Slayer Sword.

Yet, something that can produce such a profound, almost transcendent, soul suppression against devils... shouldn't exist in this world at all! In all records and inherited memories of the ancient era, there has never been anything like it. At the level of gods and devils, it should be impossible.

Unless... it's a higher-tier devil or god suppressing a lower-tier devil or god... a pure hierarchical suppression!

...Yun Che's drastically unusual emotional state caused Jasmine to fall into deep thought.

"Very well!" The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's face twisted in rage. He slowly straightened his body and approached Yun Che. "What that sword is doesn't matter to this Sovereign! Because the outcome will be the same! A mere low-level creature actually made this Sovereign feel pain... unforgivable!"

"This Sovereign will first turn all your bones to dust!!"

As his voice fell, dark energy surged from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's entire body. He was now only a hundred paces away from Yun Che. He had expected that his gradual approach would be like death itself closing in on Yun Che, making Yun Che tremble with fear, his heart ready to burst, and then turn and flee as he had before. But this time, all he saw was Yun Che's sneering face. As he drew closer, Yun Che's face showed no fear; instead, his eyes became more excited, and his profound energy aura remained perfectly stable.

It was he, on the other hand, who felt his mind and soul grow heavier with each step, as if a giant rock were pressing down on them. The light emitted by the sword in Yun Che's hand, in particular, made him uncomfortable all over, and he couldn't directly look at it. He had initially considered this an aversion to light due to the severe damage to his life and soul sources, until he suddenly focused his gaze on Yun Che, and at the same time, fully took in the crimson greatsword's light and appearance...

In that instant, his footsteps halted, and his pupils dilated so rapidly they seemed on the verge of bursting.

"Heav... Heaven Smiting Demon God Sword!!"

Jasmine: "...!!!?"

Thud...

The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's body trembled, his legs gave way, and he suddenly dropped to one knee. His entire body shook violently, like a sieve, as if he had witnessed the most terrifying and unbelievable sight in the world. All these anomalies were a hundred times more intense than when he had shouted "Devil Slayer Sword" earlier!

"What's going on now?" Yun Che had already prepared to launch a full-force attack. Unexpectedly, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign suddenly seemed to have been scared out of his wits. He furrowed his brows, looking at the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign with a bewildered expression. Could this guy really have gone insane from too much prolonged stillness?

"He just shouted... Heaven Smiting Demon God Sword? Hmm?" Yun Che suddenly said, "That's right! Besides 'Devil Slayer,' the sword Hong'er transforms into also has 'Heaven Smiting' inscribed on it. He shouted 'Devil Slayer Sword' just now, and now 'Heaven Smiting Demon God Sword.' Together, it matches the sword Hong'er transforms into perfectly. Does he know Hong'er's origin? After all, he, like Hong'er, comes from the ancient era!"

"...There's no need to worry about that now!" Jasmine's voice was unusual, but she didn't answer Yun Che's question. "Remember what I said before: don't hold back any power, don't spare any cost or trump card, you must kill the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign! Now, his demonic body and power are both suppressed by Hong'er. Furthermore, he lost his weapon on the Profound Sky Continent. Thus, you have a distinct advantage in terms of weaponry... Fight with all your might! There's definitely a chance to kill him!"

"Alright!" Yun Che quickly composed himself. Flames erupted all over his body, and his killing intent was chilling.

"No... impossible! Impossible! Impossible!!" The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign roared frantically, seemingly talking to himself. "The appearance... identical... and this demonic might... No! Impossible... absolutely impossible! The color is different... Even if it truly is... how could it possess the aura of the Devil Slayer Sword..."

At this moment, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign abruptly looked up and roared at Yun Che, "What is that sword... where did it come from!!" He had just declared that the sword's origin was unimportant. Now, however, he was yelling the same words at Yun Che again, only with even greater fury.

"You talk too much!" Yun Che replied coldly, then his figure flickered, and he proactively charged towards the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. "Go ask the King of Hell after you die!!"

Yun Che's words made the demonic light in the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's eyes flare brightly. That he had shown fear and a disheveled state in front of a mere human caused his rage to explode. "Once this Sovereign cripples you, I will then search your soul!!" He had changed his mind and would temporarily not kill Yun Che. Clearly, he desperately wanted to know what Yun Che's crimson greatsword was.

The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's entire body surged with demonic energy. Dark gray demonic runes lit up on his back. In an instant, swirling dark demonic energy coalesced behind him into a colossal black phantom. This phantom was dozens of zhang tall, split into nine writhing strands, resembling the legendary nine-headed hydra!

Streams of tyrannical, painful, and maddening aura emanated from it, causing the atmosphere within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest to completely surge. Then, they transformed into nine streams of dark energy that shot directly towards Yun Che.

"This is the Nine Desolations of Everlasting Night from the Everlasting Night Illusionary Devil Tome! It carries nine extreme negative divine thoughts; it destroys the mind before harming the enemy!" Jasmine quickly warned.

Yun Che stood fearless, a cold sneer on his lips. His joints audibly cracked. He swung the Heaven Smiting Sword, weighing nearly a million pounds. The heavy sword's power, sweeping with Golden Crow flames, instantly transformed into an overwhelming storm of flames that collided with the nine streams of dark demonic energy.

The dark demonic energy was swallowed by the flame storm. Instantly, space shattered, and the world changed color. Deafening explosions and ear-splitting devouring sounds echoed endlessly, a truly horrific sight.

Considering the power levels of Yun Che and the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, despite its extreme resilience as a battlefield, was simply too small. Under the clash of their powers, the entire world trembled. Yun Che's clothes ripped and billowed. His pupils glowed with a deep red light. The Heaven Smiting Sword struck out again and again, each blow causing the heavens and earth to resound.

Boom, boom, boom...

Yun Che struck over a dozen times consecutively, blocking the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's nine streams of demonic energy ten zhang away, preventing any from reaching him. Seeing that an attack using nearly seventy percent of his power was on the verge of being completely dispersed, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's figure shot forward. A pair of black hands, as if from the abyss, suffused with extremely profound dark demonic energy, shot out to grab Yun Che's throat.

Boom!!

Sword and claw met, and crimson flames and pitch-black demonic aura erupted simultaneously. Yun Che's body trembled, his upper body bent, and he felt a slight shock. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had actually used a palm enveloped in dark power to block his Heaven Smiting Sword! Based on this alone, had he not possessed the Heaven Smiting Sword, he definitely wouldn't have been a match for the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign.

Meanwhile, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was a hundred times more shocked than Yun Che! He was shocked that his power, as a noble devil, was actually blocked by a mere low-level human! He was even more shocked that... his power, upon striking the crimson greatsword, suddenly weakened! As if something had inexplicably dissipated it!

Crackle, crackle, crackle...

Yun Che's entire skeleton seemed to pop and crackle. His already faintly crimson eyes filled with savage killing intent. The residual power from the previous clash had not yet fully dispersed. He suddenly spun around and unleashed a sword strike towards the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign.

"Despicable human... do you actually presume to contend with this Sovereign!!"

The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign roared in extreme fury, thrusting both claws forward. The pitch-black demonic light instantly surged to dozens of zhang, threatening to shatter the Heaven Smiting Sword into fragments and devour it into nothingness.

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

Flames burst, and dark light raged. Within a few breaths, the flames and demonic light had clashed a hundred times. This confined space instantly erupted into a cataclysmic disaster. Had it not been the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, even an island a thousand li across would have been obliterated into nothingness by now.

***

In the Divine Wind Empire, Divine Wind Imperial City, main palace hall.

On a phoenix-shaped chair, Cang Yue had a faint, serene smile, her demeanor calm and peaceful. She was holding and perusing a jade slip.

At that moment, a faint profound energy fluctuation emanated from a sound transmission jade.

Cang Yue put down the jade slip and took the sound transmission jade in her hand. The voice coming from it was Xiao Lingxi's... her voice rushed and faintly tinged with a sob.

"...What!" After hearing Xiao Lingxi's message, Cang Yue abruptly stood up, her moon-like brows tightly furrowed.

After quickly pondering for a moment, she picked up the sound transmission jade and sent a message to Xiao Lingxi. "Lingxi, don't worry. First, do your best to calm Seventh Sister's emotions; she absolutely cannot affect her pregnancy! I'll immediately find a way to send a message to my husband."

Putting down the sound transmission jade, Cang Yue's tightly furrowed phoenix brows remained unrelaxed for a long time. She whispered, "My husband is currently at the Supreme Ocean Palace, three hundred thousand li away. Even the highest-grade sound transmission talisman can only transmit messages up to one hundred thousand li..."

"Only the Frozen Cloud Asgard! Perhaps they have a way to send a message to my husband!"

"Guards! Quickly summon Mansion Master Dongfang and Mansion Master Qin!!" Cang Yue urgently shouted.

The highest-grade sound transmission talismans could transmit up to one hundred thousand li and were incredibly expensive. But it was absolutely impossible to transmit a message to the Supreme Ocean Palace, which was three hundred thousand li away. The Frozen Cloud Asgard was the only hope she could think of. Yet, unfortunately, the only ones in the Frozen Cloud Asgard with whom she had left sound transmission imprints were Yun Che, Feng Xue'er, and Xia Qingyue, and none of them were currently in the Frozen Cloud Asgard.

In a moment, Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang arrived swiftly.

"Mansion Master Qin!" Cang Yue quickly went to meet him, without bothering with greetings, and directly stated, "Immediately send a message to all major profound palaces in Divine Wind, ordering them to drop all other matters for the next three days and fully search for Xiao Yun's whereabouts in their respective regions!"

"Xiao Yun?" Qin Wushang and Dongfang Xiu were both startled. "What happened!?"

"Xiao Yun disappeared four hours ago," Cang Yue said solemnly. "It's not strange for others to be gone for four hours, but Xiao Yun rarely leaves his wife's side normally, so his sudden disappearance is far from ordinary! Mansion Master Qin, time is urgent, there's no time for lengthy explanations or speculation. You know Xiao Yun's age and appearance; he was wearing a plain white long robe with a white sash around his waist before he disappeared. Go quickly and notify all major profound palaces! But remember, instruct all profound palaces to search discreetly; absolutely do not make a public announcement! If any trace is found, report it via sound transmission immediately!"

"Yes!" Qin Wushang, deeply aware of the gravity of the situation, said no more and quickly departed after receiving the order.

"Should we send additional personnel to Floating Cloud City?" Dongfang Xiu asked.

Cang Yue slowly shook her head. "Even in Heavenly Sword Villa, no one could rival the profound strength of Xiao Yun and his wife. Yet, the opponent was able to abduct Xiao Yun without a sound. If they intend to target others, no amount of additional personnel would be of any help."

"Mansion Master Dongfang, my husb... Yun Che is currently at the Supreme Ocean Palace. Only the Frozen Cloud Asgard might be able to contact him! I need you to depart immediately, travel day and night, and by all means, reach the Frozen Cloud Asgard within twenty-four hours to inform them of this matter! They will naturally know what to do."

Dongfang Xiu nodded slightly. Then, he soared into the air, vanishing from the main hall, heading directly north.