Chapter 790: Strong Seizure of the Netherworld

"Is he dead...?" Yun Che asked haltingly.

"He's dead! His demon soul has scattered, and it won't be long before his body is incinerated by the Golden Crow Flames." Jasmine sighed silently in his mind. "Don't get distracted by anything now. Focus entirely on healing! Your injuries are far too severe this time. Even for you, waiting much longer could be fatal at any moment!"

Yun Che stopped speaking, painstakingly adjusted himself to a more stable posture, and then quickly cleared his mind to concentrate on cultivating the Great Way of the Buddha. He knew Jasmine's words were not an exaggeration. Even when he was on the Primordial Profound Ark, his injuries had never been so severe that he couldn't feel pain. This time, both his internal and external injuries were exceptionally grave. Across the entire Profound Sky Continent, Yun Che was likely the only one who could survive such extensive damage. Furthermore, his profound energy was severely depleted, meaning a complete recovery would take a considerable amount of time. Under such severe injuries, Yun Che's concentration was greatly affected. Only after a full quarter-hour did the faint golden Buddha Pagoda slowly emerge, and the essence of heaven and earth flowing into Yun Che's body began to intensify.

At the far end of the Demon Moon Cavern, the shattered remains of the Demon Moon Sovereign had been almost completely consumed by the Golden Crow Flames. Without the power of a demon god, his demonic body could not escape its fate of being reduced to ash. Yet, beneath layers of black ash, a faint, unusual black light subtly emanated. Behind him was the very end wall of the Demon Moon Cavern. The sword strike Yun Che unleashed after activating "Heaven Smiting" had hit the Demon Moon Sovereign, but even more power had impacted this pitch-black wall. However, despite the force that had obliterated the Demon Moon Sovereign, the wall remained unbroken. It had merely developed a dozen or so thin, yet only minor, cracks. Through these cracks, tendrils of unnatural black energy quietly seeped in from beyond the stone wall. Yet, in the absolute darkness, they were completely imperceptible to the naked eye.

Wailing, gurgling, and eerie laughter still echoed through the Demon Moon Cavern. The Netherworld Udumbara Flower continued to sway without wind, but with only four petals remaining, both its wailing cries and its faint purple glow had significantly weakened.

Meanwhile, in the Extreme Ice Snow Region of the Blue Wind Nation.

Dongfang Xiu traveled north day and night, barely pausing. Despite being only at the nascent stage of the Sovereign Profound Realm, he managed to reach the Frozen Cloud Asgard from the Blue Wind Imperial City in less than ten hours. Upon arriving at the Frozen Cloud Asgard and explaining his purpose, Dongfang Xiu's profound energy was completely depleted. He collapsed into the snow, taking a long time to partially recover.

"Rest assured, Manor Master Dongfang," a disciple said. "The Palace Master has the Ice Cloud Immortal Soul. Even if he's three hundred thousand miles away, he can still receive our transmissions at any time."

The news of Xiao Yun's disappearance also deeply shocked everyone at the Frozen Cloud Asgard. Yun Che himself had stated that Xiao Yun was his sworn brother, and only a few months prior, he had brought Xiao Yun to the Frozen Cloud Asgard, helping to repel the Sun Moon Divine Hall. Mu Lingxue and the others didn't have time to settle Dongfang Xiu. Combining the power of all six of them, they quickly constructed a profound sound-transmission array unique to the Frozen Cloud Asgard. With this array, Yun Che, possessing the Ice Cloud Immortal Soul, would surely receive their message as long as he remained on the Profound Sky Continent.

Once the sound-transmission array was complete, Mu Lingxue stood within it, concentrating on sending a message. But immediately, she opened her eyes, her face showing surprise.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong?" Mu Lan asked worriedly.

"It's not working, I can't transmit the message," Mu Lingxue said, her moon-like brows furrowed as she shook her head gravely.

"How can that be?" Feng Hanxue asked nervously. "The Palace Master has the Ice Cloud Immortal Soul. How could he not receive the message? This has never happened before. Unless... unless the Palace Master has removed the Ice Cloud Immortal Soul from his body."

"Ah!" Feng Hanxue exclaimed, her beautiful eyes clouded with immediate anxiety. "Could it be... could it be that the Palace Master doesn't want us anymore...?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Jun Lianqie immediately reprimanded. "The Palace Master is the most devoted and righteous person in this world. There's no way he would suddenly abandon our Frozen Cloud Asgard. If he had truly removed the Ice Cloud Immortal Soul, the six of us should have sensed it. My guess is that the Supreme Ocean Palace is located three thousand miles south, on the ocean, which places it outside the Profound Sky Continent's range, so he can't receive our messages. It's also possible... since it's a sacred ground, there might be a powerful protective barrier that blocks transmissions."

"Another possibility is that the Palace Master is currently inside the 'Demon Moon Cavern' that he mentioned several times before," Chu Yuechan interjected. "The Palace Master said twice that his primary purpose in going to the Supreme Ocean Palace was to enter the 'Demon Moon Cavern' to find something. Since the 'Demon Moon Cavern' is the Supreme Ocean Palace's greatest forbidden area, it must have extremely powerful barrier isolation, making it perfectly normal for transmissions to be blocked."

"In any case, let's not make wild guesses for now," Mu Lingxue said as she stepped out of the profound array. She then turned to Dongfang Xiu, "Manor Master Dongfang, please rest here for now and inform Empress Cang Yue of this matter. There must be a reason why the Palace Master can't receive our messages, but there's no need to worry excessively. Afterward, we will try to transmit a message once every hour. I believe the Palace Master will respond soon."

"Very well... I'm much obliged, esteemed ladies," Dongfang Xiu replied weakly.

As Mu Lingxue and the others had stated, they rebuilt the sound-transmission array every hour to attempt transmission, consciously enhancing the profound energy used each time. However, two full days passed without any response. This time, everyone at the Frozen Cloud Asgard began to panic. Although none of them spoke it aloud, everyone had a faint feeling in their hearts that not only Xiao Yun, but Yun Che, too, seemed to be in trouble.

In the dim world, Yun Che, who had been meditating for an unknown period, suddenly opened his eyes and asked, his voice urgent, "How long was I in meditation for just now!?"

"Over twenty hours," Jasmine replied indifferently.

"What!?" Yun Che exclaimed, jumping to his feet. The sudden movement pulled at his injuries, making his face twitch and eliciting a painful groan. For ordinary injuries, even what laypeople would consider severe, he could have fully recovered in nearly two days. But this time was different; he had sustained both internal and external injuries, damaging his very foundation. Thus, despite over twenty hours of quiet healing, his injuries had only recovered by less than half, and his profound energy was only about fifty percent restored.

"What? Are you afraid you'll miss the Demon Sword Convention?" Jasmine snorted. "Hmph, you should fully recover from your injuries first, and then figure out how to get out of here! As for the Demon Sword Convention, that's not something you need to consider right now."

"No!" Yun Che denied, then quickly turned around. A hundred zhang away, four points of faint purple light from the Netherworld slowly swayed. As Yun Che looked, an eerie, soul-piercing wailing sound softly drifted over. Apart from its missing petals, the Netherworld Udumbara Flower looked exactly as Yun Che had first seen it. Even its remaining four petals still shimmered with purple light, showing no signs of wilting or decay. Even from a hundred zhang away, Yun Che clearly felt a sensation of his soul being stirred when his gaze fell upon it.

"Excellent," Yun Che breathed a long sigh of relief. "My Master once said that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower only blooms for three days, after which it instantly withers. Although only two days have passed since it bloomed, five of its petals were damaged, greatly weakening its power. Based on my knowledge of rare herbs and spiritual medicines, it should wither much sooner! The fact that the remaining four petals are still intact is truly a stroke of great fortune!"

A wave of lingering fear washed over Yun Che. To focus on healing, he had sealed his six senses. However, during meditation, he couldn't perceive the passage of time, so he had forcibly kept a sliver of consciousness to prevent himself from meditating for too long. But his previous injuries were too severe, and his consciousness was already extremely weak, so that forcibly retained sliver quickly dispersed. The moment he woke up, he instantly thought of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower's blooming period, startling him and almost making him break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the Netherworld Udumbara Flower's last four petals were still there. But he also knew with absolute certainty that if the Netherworld Udumbara Flower had been complete, it would still have a full day before wilting. However, with only four petals remaining, the blooming period of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower must be shortened; it definitely wouldn't last three days! Now, with another two days having passed... it could very likely wither suddenly at any moment!

"You intend to forcibly pluck the Netherworld Udumbara Flower?" Jasmine said, her delicate brow furrowing in a scold. "Are you mad?! Have you forgotten how terrifying the Netherworld Udumbara Flower is so quickly? Moreover, you're riddled with injuries, and your profound energy is only half-recovered. Forget plucking it; even getting within thirty zhang would be as difficult as ascending to heaven! Forcing your way closer could very likely lead to your soul being consumed by the netherworld, turning you into a living corpse!"

Yun Che took a deep breath, his words firm as iron. "I know how terrifying the Netherworld Udumbara Flower is! But don't forget why I'm forcing myself to stay here! And I inexplicably encountered the Demon Moon Sovereign and almost died here! What Demon Moon Sovereign, what ancient devil, what world catastrophe... I have no interest in any of that! I only want to obtain the Netherworld Udumbara Flower! I expended so much effort, took such a great risk, and nearly lost my life just to finally preserve these last four Netherworld Udumbara petals! How could I possibly be content to leave without them?!" By the end, Yun Che was slightly gritting his teeth. His experiences since entering the Demon Moon Cavern had truly surpassed his expectations by countless times. Given his personality, having come this far, he would absolutely not allow himself to leave empty-handed, even knowing the immense difficulties and extreme risks involved.

Jasmine said heavily, "Hmph, I know you love to push yourself to the limit. But you should have at least some self-awareness! Two days ago, you personally experienced the power of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower — and that was from such a distance! Have you forgotten the pain already, even before your wounds have healed?!"

"Jasmine, tell me," Yun Che's voice was very calm. "If it's just four petals, not a complete Netherworld Udumbara Flower, can it help you regain new life?"

"...No! Of course not!" After a brief pause, Jasmine flatly denied. "A partial Netherworld Udumbara Flower and a complete one are fundamentally two entirely different concepts! For my body and soul to unite after reconstruction, I need a completely intact Netherworld Udumbara Flower! Forget about missing five petals; even if it's missing just one, it will be utterly useless! Even if you risk your life and actually manage to get close and pluck them, it would be in vain! Besides, you couldn't possibly survive doing it!"

Jasmine's words didn't faze Yun Che. Instead, his gaze towards the Netherworld Udumbara Flower became even more resolute. "You're lying!"

"...Lying!?" Jasmine's tone turned cold. "Do you not even believe my words anymore?"

"No," Yun Che gently shook his head. "Jasmine, you are the person I trust most in this world. Anything you say, no matter how unbelievable, I would believe without hesitation. Except for... what you just said."

Jasmine: "You..."

"Jasmine..." Yun Che's voice softened considerably. "The year we met, I was sixteen and you were thirteen. You reforged my profound veins, made me your disciple, and even stepped on my head to force me to kowtow to you... Since then, we've been together day and night, every single moment. We could even clearly sense each other's presence with every breath. As of today, it's been over seven years."

"You... what are you trying to say?" Yun Che's words made Jasmine's voice sound somewhat different.

"I want to say that for seven years, we've been inseparable day and night. I've spent more time with you than your parents, your most important brother, or anyone else in this world. Therefore, I understand you better than anyone — just as you understand me better than anyone in this world."

Jasmine: "..."

"So now, I can tell immediately if you're lying. What's more, you don't even like to lie, and you're terrible at it. Usually, when you want to hide something from me, you'll simply keep quiet and deliberately make me feel that you don't want to tell me. Except for the 'self-sealing profound energy' incident, you've never fabricated a lie to deceive me! That's also why your 'self-sealing profound energy' could be kept from me for so long. Because that was your only lie! And just now, it was the second time! But I'm not the same person I was five years ago. This time, I won't fall for it again. No matter what..."

"No matter what, you're determined to forcibly pluck those four petals?!" Jasmine's tone shifted slightly, imbued with complex emotions. "Fine... I did lie just now, but it wasn't a complete lie! Only four Netherworld petals, while they can help my body and soul unite, cannot achieve perfect fusion! At most, it would only last twenty to thirty years!"

"...What happens after twenty or thirty years?" Yun Che was startled.

"There's a high probability that my body and soul will repel each other, forcing me to revert to my current state! Hmph, I'm not foolish enough to endure the kind of pain Fen Juechen experienced."

"So that's it!" Yun Che nodded heavily. "In other words, it can at least grant you twenty years of independent existence and absolute freedom. Afterward, the worst-case scenario is merely reverting to your current state. Then these four Netherworld petals simply must be obtained!!"

"You!!" Jasmine was instantly choked with anger, her teeth clenched within the Sky Poison Pearl. Annoyed, she said, "You really won't give up until you face the consequences! Very well, then go! Let me see where you get the confidence to pluck those four Netherworld petals!"