Chapter 883: Falling into the Abyss

With terrifying sounds of flesh tearing, within moments, ten Divine Palace disciples were brutally pulverized by the emotionally unhinged Yun Che. Just as his blood-stained fist was about to strike the last disciple, it suddenly stopped dead.

The Divine Palace disciple, slumped on the ground, was already deathly pale. Seeing Yun Che’s sudden pause, he, who had been completely despairing, saw a flicker of hope. Trembling, he tried to scramble backward, pleading, “Don’t kill me… don’t kill me… Ah!!”

With a shriek, he was instantly pulled towards Yun Che. Yun Che’s palm gripped his head, and a glow emanated from his left arm as profound energy shot out, instantly invading the disciple’s mind.

The Divine Palace disciple immediately lost consciousness as his memories from the last half hour rapidly flooded Yun Che’s mind. Within those memories, Yun Che clearly saw the scene of Su Ling’er leaping off Absolute Cloud Cliff.

“Ugh… Aaaargh!” Yun Che’s face contorted, his teeth chattering. With a roar, he violently flung the Divine Palace disciple he was holding. Before hitting the ground, the disciple shattered into several pieces.

Scarlet blood stained the rocks, and the twelve Seven Star Divine Palace members instantly became a mess of mangled corpses and blood, yet this brought no relief to Yun Che’s rage and pain. He closed his eyes, roaring like a maddened beast.

Thud…

He fell heavily to his knees, his blood-stained arm smashing down with immense force.

BOOM!!!!

A deafening roar echoed through most of the Langhuan Mountain Range, and countless rocks on Absolute Cloud Peak collapsed and tumbled down.

Blood poured from Yun Che’s arm, but he felt no pain whatsoever. He remained on his knees, his hands tightly gripping the ground, breathing heavily as his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Why…

Why did this happen…

Yun Che’s soul felt as if it were pierced by a thousand arrows. He had lost Ling’er once before, and that had always been the greatest pain and regret of his life.

He had always believed that being reunited with Ling’er was Heaven’s greatest gift to him. When he learned he was fated to die, his greatest desire in his final moments was to see Ling’er again… even if only from afar.

He used his only, and last, opportunity to return to the Azure Cloud Continent via the Primordial Profound Ark. He was overjoyed to confirm that everything from six years ago was not a dream. Yet, before he could even see Su Ling’er, he received this devastating news, this terrible outcome…

In his previous life, he was blinded by hatred, his eyes and soul obscured. Su Ling’er had given him her everything, offering him nearly a lifetime of tears, yet he had never given her even a single promise…

In this life, upon seeing Su Ling’er again in the ‘illusion,’ he had given her every promise, but he hadn’t had time to fulfill them. All he had given her was six years of foolish waiting… before losing her again.

“Ling…’er… what did she ever do wrong…” The soul-tearing pain made Yun Che oblivious to his body and senses. Cold tears dripped onto the ground by his hands. “Why, Heaven… why do this to her?!”

“No… it’s my fault… all my fault…” Yun Che’s entire body trembled, his teeth nearly shattering. “Why did I waste time… dealing with those bastards like Su Haoran… If I had come earlier, this wouldn’t have happened… Ling’er would be safe…”

“It’s all my fault!!”

“Aaaaaargh!!!!”

Yun Che’s eyes were bloodshot. He swung his left arm, smashing a fierce punch into his own chest.

Under the impact of that punch, his chest caved in, and a long stream of blood erupted from his mouth. But the physical pain was nothing compared to a fraction of the agony in his heart.

Clink…

Under the force of his punch, a small jade stone he kept on his chest was flung high into the air. It struck a rock in front of him with a crisp sound, then bounced back to land before Yun Che, quietly shimmering with a faint purple light.

The faint purple light flickering in his pupils made Yun Che’s arm, which he was about to smash into himself again, suddenly freeze. The next instant, he felt as if struck by lightning, lunging forward to cup the stone in his hands.

It was a small, rhomboid jade stone, emitting a warm purple glow. This jade was no ordinary profound jade; it was the Soul Crystal that Su Hengshan had given him!

Su Ling’er’s Soul Crystal!!

A Soul Crystal is connected to its owner’s life soul; if the owner perishes and their soul is extinguished, the Soul Crystal shatters instantly. In larger sects, important figures have their Soul Crystals kept within the sect, allowing for immediate knowledge should they die outside.

And the Soul Crystal of Su Ling’er in his hand… was not shattered. It was still shimmering with the light of her soul!!

Ling’er isn’t dead!!

It was as if a cold spring suddenly surged through Yun Che’s entire body, instantly clearing his chaotic mind. Clutching the Soul Crystal tightly, he rushed to the edge of Absolute Cloud Cliff with hurried steps.

The misty precipice was bottomless. The world beneath Absolute Cloud Cliff was known as the Graveyard of Death, and throughout the Azure Cloud Continent’s countless years of history, countless people had fallen or deliberately ventured down, yet not a single one had ever emerged alive—including peerlessly powerful Emperor Monarchs, who were like gods among mortals!

This was no secret; it was common knowledge to everyone on the Azure Cloud Continent, from women to children!

The words of the twelve Seven Star Divine Palace members could deceive him, but memories could not. Su Ling’er had indeed jumped off Absolute Cloud Cliff.

Yet, the Soul Crystal in his hand, still intact and warm, likewise would not deceive him.

Yun Che stood on the very edge of Absolute Cloud Cliff, taking a deep breath and desperately trying to control his frantic heartbeat. He uncontrollably mumbled in a low, disordered voice, “Ling’er is still alive… Ling’er isn’t dead… Ling’er isn’t dead…”

He suddenly rose into the air, hovering directly above Absolute Cloud Cliff. With all his might, he shouted down into the endless abyss:

“Ling’er!! Ling’er!! It’s Yun Che… Ling’er, where are you… Ling’er!!”

Carried by profound energy, his voice was powerful enough to travel hundreds of miles, yet it was completely swallowed by the dark abyss below. A long time passed, but there was not the slightest echo… and certainly no response from Su Ling’er.

Above was the vast sky, below was the endless abyss. In that moment, he felt as if he stood at the junction of heaven and hell. The entire world was reduced to only his heartbeat and heavy breathing.

Slowly, he raised his palm. The Soul Crystal, connected to Su Ling’er’s soul, glowed warmly, assuring him that Su Ling’er still existed perfectly in this world, awaiting their reunion. He gazed steadily at the Soul Crystal, and gradually, Su Ling’er’s image began to emerge before his eyes…

Su Ling’er from his previous life, like a melancholic sprite, who had shed countless tears for him…

Su Ling’er from six years ago, who laughed like an angel and cried desperately, begging him to return…

Gently cupping the Soul Crystal in his hand, Yun Che stopped calling out. His eyes, suddenly devoid of their previous confusion, became perfectly clear. His body slowly descended, then abruptly accelerated, plunging like a meteor towards the endless abyss below.

“Yun Che, I want you to swear… whether now or in the future, as long as you are on the Azure Cloud Continent, you must never approach Absolute Cloud Cliff again! Even if your strength becomes a hundred times greater than it is now, allowing you to dominate the world and easily defeat people like Xuanyuan Wentian, never attempt to explore what lies beneath Absolute Cloud Cliff… I cannot tell you what is hidden there. But its terror is far beyond anything you can imagine!”

“I understand. From now on, no matter what, I will never go near Absolute Cloud Cliff. Even if I arrive at Absolute Cloud Cliff for a special reason, I will absolutely, absolutely not try to investigate the secrets below… I will keep my promise to Jasmine.”

Jasmine’s solemn warning to him echoed in his ears, and the promise he had made before her was equally clear in his mind.

“Jasmine, I’m sorry. I’m about to break the promise I made to you…”

“In my life on the Azure Cloud Continent, I believed the most important thing was revenge. But the moment Ling’er died in my arms, I suddenly found my world empty. That pain and regret haunted me for the rest of my life… Every day, every moment afterward, I was consumed by pain and remorse. In my dreams, I countless times wished that if it were all a lie, and Ling’er were still by my side, I would willingly abandon everything, give her my all…”

“And now, that former dream and fervent hope had miraculously become reality… How could I lose her again!!”

“Ling’er…” Yun Che whispered softly as he fell. “Even if it means being buried with you forever in the Graveyard of Death, I will never let you go again!”

Yun Che’s descent was without a hint of hesitation or fear. Instead, he plummeted faster and faster, tightly clutching Su Ling’er’s Soul Crystal in his hand, praying that it would never shatter… never shatter.

In the blink of an eye, he had fallen a full thousand zhang. The surroundings turned completely black. He looked up, only to find that even the sky above had lost all light.

Ling’er, where are you… Where exactly are you!

I know you must be safe and sound… I’ll find you right away!!

Darkness instills instinctive fear, let alone the absolute darkness of an abyss. Yet, Yun Che’s descent not only didn’t slow, but he actively hastened it.

The Soul Crystal in his palm told him that Su Ling’er was surely waiting for him in the world beneath the abyss.

His previous delay had resulted in the cruel outcome of Su Ling’er leaping off Absolute Cloud Cliff. How could he now allow himself even a moment of hesitation or slowness?

Crimson Phoenix flames ignited in Yun Che’s hand, illuminating the pitch-black world of the abyss for him. But beneath the light of the Phoenix flames, he still saw only hollow darkness, the abyss below seemingly without end.

Yun Che extinguished the Phoenix flames directly, maintaining his full-speed descent. Throughout the history of the Azure Cloud Continent, countless profound practitioners who attempted to explore the bottom of Absolute Cloud Cliff descended cautiously and incredibly slowly. Even Jasmine, when she investigated Absolute Cloud Cliff a few months prior, remained highly vigilant and prudent.

Yun Che, however, was undoubtedly the first person to plunge headlong, like a madman, into this most terrifying abyss in the Azure Cloud Continent… perhaps even in the entire world.

The wind howled past his ears, and the air grew increasingly chilling. Yun Che’s frantic heartbeat never calmed. He imagined the world beneath the abyss as a vast ocean… or a pitch-black forest… simply a place where those who fell in would find it hard to escape, but without their lives being endangered…

Therefore, Ling’er must be safe! As long as he reached the world below, he would surely find her!

Jasmine had clearly told him that the world beneath Absolute Cloud Cliff was terrifying beyond his wildest imagination… but at this moment, he thought this with all his might, believing it with every fiber of his being.

Amidst the howling, chilling winds, he had already fallen several thousand zhang. At this point, he finally began to sense the strange aura that Jasmine had detected earlier.

This aura… Dark demonic energy!?