Chapter 866: 魔患爆发

"Don't even think about escaping!" Seeing Xuanyuan Wentian suddenly flee into the distance, the Little Demon Empress disregarded her injuries, forcefully concentrated her profound energy, and pursued him at top speed.

"Caiyi, don't follow him!" Yun Che yelled.

But the Little Demon Empress paid him no heed, her icy gaze burning with profound hatred.

"This is bad!" Yun Che gritted his teeth, abandoning all other concerns, and desperately pursued the Little Demon Empress. Feng Xue'er quickly followed suit.

The battle suddenly took an "unexplainable" turn. Xuanyuan Wentian, who had previously wielded overwhelming power, seemed to abruptly lose all his strength, was defeated by Yun Che alone, and then fled with everything he had. Though unaware of the cause, the people of Demon Imperial City found this sudden shift a profound relief, as if their hearts had been pulled from the abyss. They watched, wide-eyed, as Xuanyuan Wentian, propelled by his dark greatsword, fled with astonishing speed towards the northwest. Yun Che and the two others followed closely, quickly disappearing from view.

"What just happened?" Yun Waitian asked, bewildered.

Yun Qinghong's brows twitched, and he suddenly said, "Brother Tianxia, let's follow them and see!"

"Alright!" Tianxia Xiong Tu nodded without hesitation.

The two clan heads simultaneously broke through the barrier and flew towards the northwest.

Xuanyuan Wentian's power was certainly enough to overpower Yun Che and his two companions, but Fen Juechen's unyielding soul had awakened once more. The most terrifying aspect was that this indomitable remnant soul hadn't merely surfaced; it had reawakened within the very core of Xuanyuan Wentian's soul world! Under the fierce assault of Fen Juechen's remnant soul, Xuanyuan Wentian possessed a powerful "devil body" and immense strength, yet he was utterly unable to control himself. If he didn't flee, there was a genuine risk of being killed by Yun Che and his companions on the spot. The portion of dark profound energy he could still forcefully command was now entirely channeled into his escape.

"Damn you... why... why aren't you completely dead yet... You're nothing but a pathetic pawn in my hands... a wretched wretch born with a fragmented soul... How could it be... how could you have survived under my power until today... Ugh, ahhh..."

Xuanyuan Wentian's face was contorted in pain, his voice hoarse. His vision blurred, his head throbbed intensely, and cold sweat poured down his body.

Behind him, the Little Demon Empress pursued relentlessly, but the devil sword's speed was overwhelming. Despite using all her might, she couldn't close the distance.

The landscape of the Illusory Demon Realm rapidly receded beneath them. After more than half an hour, the devil sword carried Xuanyuan Wentian into the Five Element Domain.

The center of the Five Element Domain was the very place where he had first appeared upon his arrival.

The Five Element Domain, typically guarded by hundreds of thousands of elite troops, was now eerily silent. From a distance, strange wisps of smoke coiled over the desolate land, yet not a single human figure was visible. The brown ground was covered in countless black scorch marks, resembling dark ashes left after total incineration. The sight of the Five Element Domain caused Yun Che's expression to darken... The swirling black mist below distinctly emanated dark devil energy! It was clear that the entire original garrison here had perished at Xuanyuan Wentian's hands. This also strongly suggested that this was the very location where Xuanyuan Wentian had first arrived.

The devil sword carried Xuanyuan Wentian to the very center of the Five Element Domain. There, a small profound formation rotated slowly, emitting a subtle white profound light.

Xuanyuan Wentian stopped beside the profound formation. He turned to face the Little Demon Empress and her two relentless pursuers, his voice laced with four parts pain and six parts resentment: "This Venerable One... will let you live... for a few more months... The same mistake... will never happen a third time..."

"In three months, this Venerable One's devil blood... will fully awaken... When that time comes... just... you... wait for it!!"

With that, Xuanyuan Wentian let out a roar and plunged into the spatial profound formation, vanishing instantly.

"Even if it means descending into hell... this Empress will grind you to dust and scatter your ashes!!"

Even though Xuanyuan Wentian had disappeared into the spatial profound formation, the Little Demon Empress's pursuit didn't falter for an instant; instead, she charged directly towards the formation.

"Caiyi... don't go through!" Yun Che cried out in alarm. "Xue'er, stop her!"

The Little Demon Empress was far from impulsive; on the contrary, she was frighteningly calm at almost all times. But when it came to Xuanyuan Wentian... the vengeance for her father's murder, the resentment for the chaos he caused, and the hatred for the destruction of her clan were utterly irreconcilable!

"Little Demon Empress Sister, no!" Feng Xue'er cried out desperately. She frantically released a dozen Phoenix Arrows that exploded just ahead of the Little Demon Empress, the powerful aura from their release momentarily slowing her charge. Yun Che, having rushed up from behind, then firmly embraced her.

The Little Demon Empress struggled fiercely, her chaotic gaze fixed intently on the nearby spatial profound formation. But Yun Che's arms held her firmly, like iron bands... After a long while, her struggles finally weakened, growing progressively fainter. As the turmoil in her eyes faded, she became utterly depleted, slowly slumping into Yun Che's embrace.

On her milky-white face, two clear streaks of tears silently fell.

"Caiyi, it's alright," Yun Che murmured, gently holding her. "Your hatred is my hatred. We couldn't kill him today, but with us united as husband and wife, a day will come when we'll make him pay for his blood debts."

The Little Demon Empress remained silent, gently closing her eyes in Yun Che's arms.

"Xue'er, destroy that profound formation," Yun Che said, turning his head. The Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm are vastly distant; creating a spatial profound formation to link them would undoubtedly require enormous resources and time. Destroying this formation would ensure that even if Xuanyuan Wentian fully recovered tomorrow, he wouldn't be able to invade the Illusory Demon Realm again for a considerable period.

Feng Xue'er nodded. With a flick of her wrist, a Phoenix Flame shot into the profound formation. With a roar, the spatial profound formation crumbled, scattering white light in all directions.

"Little Demon Empress, Che'er... are you two alright?"

Yun Qinghong and Tianxia Xiong Tu swiftly flew over. Seeing that the three seemed unharmed, they let out a profound sigh of relief.

"Father!" Yun Che quickly helped the Little Demon Empress to her feet. "And Patriarch Tianxia, rest assured, we are all fine. Xuanyuan Wentian has just fled back to the Profound Sky Continent, and the spatial profound formation he used has been destroyed. He shouldn't be able to invade again for quite some time."

"That's good," Yun Qinghong murmured, nodding slightly. He surveyed their surroundings and sighed deeply. "I thought the Illusory Demon Realm would finally be free from chaos and settle into peace, but who would have thought such a great calamity would befall us... It's also a tragic fate for the 130,000 strong garrison here."

"Alas," Tianxia Xiong Tu also sighed heavily. "Xuanyuan Wentian... he truly is a terrifying individual."

Yun Qinghong turned to Feng Xue'er, his gaze immediately softening. "Che'er, you haven't introduced this young lady to your father yet, have you?"

Feng Xue'er stepped forward and bowed gracefully. "Junior Feng Xue'er greets Uncle Yun and Uncle Tianxia."

"Oh... ah... I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Tianxia Xiong Tu quickly waved his hands, his body instinctively shrinking back a little in apprehension. Having personally witnessed Feng Xue'er's terrifying strength, comparable to that of the Little Demon Empress, in Demon Imperial City, he certainly wouldn't dare accept her reverence.

Yun Qinghong, however, accepted the bow graciously and smiled. "I've often heard Yun'er and the others speak of how you selflessly risked yourself to protect him on multiple occasions. For the past few months, your aunt and I have eagerly anticipated meeting you in person, and now our wish has finally come true. Your aunt will surely be thrilled to meet you as well."

Facing Yun Che's birth father, Feng Xue'er felt an unfamiliar nervousness, just like any ordinary young woman. "Protecting Big Brother Yun... is simply what Xue'er ought to do."

Yun Qinghong laughed heartily. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly noticed the Little Demon Empress, who had been resting in Yun Che's arms, abruptly open her eyes and stand up. He quickly stepped forward, asking, "Little Demon Empress, how are your injuries? Qinghong is truly ashamed..."

"You needn't worry about this Empress's injuries," the Little Demon Empress stated indifferently. "Yun Qinghong, it was fortunate that you decisively activated the city protection great formation this time, saving Demon Imperial City from utter annihilation. Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire and irreversible. For today's outcome, your contribution is truly immense."

Yun Qinghong, however, shook his head with a bitter smile. "Had the Little Demon Empress not arrived, all these efforts would have been in vain. I don't deserve such high praise from you."

"You not only protected Demon Imperial City from ruin but also significantly weakened Xuanyuan Wentian's power with the city protection great formation. Otherwise, the outcome might not have been what it is now. However..." The Little Demon Empress looked up. "This is merely a temporary reprieve. You've all witnessed today how terrifying Xuanyuan Wentian truly is. Given his ambition, it won't be long before he descends upon us again. At that point, the fate of my Illusory Demon Realm..."

The Little Demon Empress left her last sentence unfinished, but an immensely heavy pressure and shadow settled over the hearts and minds of everyone present.

"In any case, let's return to Demon Imperial City first. Everyone will only truly be at ease once they see the Little Demon Empress is unharmed," Yun Qinghong said, adopting a more relaxed expression.

"Che'er, let's go... Che'er??"

They were all ready to leave for Demon Imperial City, but found Yun Che standing completely still, silent. His expression was rigid, his eyes stared blankly, and he showed no reaction to Yun Qinghong's words. It was as if he had suddenly lost his soul.

Feng Xue'er and the Little Demon Empress quickly looked at Yun Che, suddenly noticing his strange state... He stood there blankly, his rigid face faintly veiled in a layer of black, and even his pupils seemed to emanate an abnormal dark glow.

"Big Brother Yun... Big Brother Yun, what's wrong?" Feng Xue'er asked, her voice trembling with alarm.

At Feng Xue'er's alarmed cry, Yun Che suddenly let out a low groan and collapsed to his knees. His entire body trembled violently as if he were convulsing, and his face twitched and contorted, clearly enduring immense pain.

"Yun Che!"

"Che'er!"

The Little Demon Empress and Yun Qinghong both paled in shock, hurrying to Yun Che's side. Yun Qinghong said in a deep voice, "Could it be that the injuries from his battle with Xuanyuan Wentian have suddenly flared up? Phew... Brother Tianxia, I must ask for your assistance!"

"Allow me," Tianxia Xiong Tu said, stepping forward quickly. His outstretched palm rapidly condensed a streak of emerald green light. His elite clan's unique power of nature possessed incredibly strong healing and calming properties, and this was the power of nature at the Emperor level. Tianxia Xiong Tu rotated his palm, directing the emerald profound light, which emanated a pure natural aura, towards Yun Che's chest.

The instant his palm touched Yun Che's body, the vibrant emerald light vanished as if devoured. Tianxia Xiong Tu's hand trembled, then recoiled as if struck by lightning.

"Ugh!"

Tianxia Xiong Tu staggered backward, groaning in pain. His entire arm trembled violently, and his face contorted with profound agony and fear.

"Brother Tianxia!?" Yun Qinghong darted forward, grabbing Tianxia Xiong Tu's palm, and was shocked to see it was charred black, faintly emitting wisps of dark energy.

"This... what's happening?"