The Southern Divine Region, the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm.
The Deep Sea Divine Region had sustained such severe damage that it would take generations to restore it to its former glory.
Fortunately for them, the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm had been acc.u.mulating resources and treasures for hundreds of thousands of years, so it was indeed something that they could achieve. Presently, the core of the Deep Sea Realm had been moved to the southeast, to a place right outside the Deep Sea Divine Region that had suffered the least damage. The surviving Sea G.o.ds and Deep Sea Divine Envoys were currently recovering from their wounds while the Deep Sea profound pract.i.tioners who had returned home were scurrying about like a bunch of frantic worker ants.
Even though this huge disaster had fallen upon their realms, their hearts were filled with joy and thanksgiving. After all, their Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm had made the wisest decision in that terrible battle between the Northern Divine Region and the Western Divine Region. They had even contributed greatly to the battle, and their status would actually rise in the future world ruled by the Devil Master.
Now that a month had pa.s.sed, Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er had returned to the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm once more. Every single place their eyes touched still retained the scars of that terrible battle.
However, even though the Deep Sea Divine Region had been reduced to cinders and ruins, it was clear that Cang s.h.i.+tian did not want to abandon his ancestral land. Countless Deep Sea profound pract.i.tioners were doing their best to clean up the battlefield. The new imperial city of the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm would still be rebuilt in the old heart of the realm.
The Three Yama Ancestors trailed Yun Che in the distance. Even though there was nothing that could still threaten him in this world, Chi Wuyao still did not allow Yun Che to leave the protection of the Three Yama Ancestors.
Rumble!
Cang s.h.i.+tian suddenly swooped down like a phoenix, his still-moving body already folding into a deep bow. “The Deep Sea Realm’s Cang s.h.i.+tian welcomes the Devil Master and G.o.ddess. The Devil Master’s divine might fills the heavens and will reign over the world forever…”
“Cut the c.r.a.p.” Yun Che glared at him with cold eyes. “Bring me to see Cang Shuhe now.”
Qianye Ying’er’s eyes subtly swept over the area around her. All of the Deep Sea profound pract.i.tioners had already kneeled down and bowed their heads to them, no matter their distance. All of their muscles were tensed and none of them dared to move even an inch.
Long Bai had died and the Dragon G.o.d Realm had effectively been destroyed. The G.o.d Realm was also about to welcome its first true ruler in its entire history… Even though not much time had pa.s.sed since that terrible battle, this fact had been greatly impressed on the rest of the G.o.d Realm through various means, sinking straight into the hearts and souls of all of its profound pract.i.tioners.
The other propaganda that was being spread was the fact that Yun Che had once saved the world, his might in slaying the Dragon Monarch, and… the “boundless” darkness and sin of the dragon G.o.d race they had unearthed when they cleaned up the Dragon G.o.d Realm.
Every realm that successfully became a king realm possessed some darkness and a wicked side, and the Dragon G.o.d Realm was no exception. They would magnify this darkness and wickedness to the greatest extent before broadcasting it to the rest of the world. As a result of this, the Dragon G.o.d Realm would not only lose its core, it would also lose the glory and honor that had shrouded it for the last million years.
This was ever the fate of the loser.
Furthermore, with Chi Wuyao handling everything behind the scenes, it was all going smoothly.
With Cang s.h.i.+tian as their guide, Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er were led to a profound ark that had been hidden underground.
They were immediately a.s.saulted by a cold energy the moment they entered the interior of the profound ark, which glowed with the unique azure divine light that radiated from Deep Sea Divine Jade.
The interior of the profound ark was not big, but it was extremely luxurious. Moreover, this luxuriousness was not due to any lavish fittings or extravagant furniture… Instead, it was because nearly every inch of the interior was inlaid with various divine jade and divine crystals. Furthermore, the auras and brightness of these precious gems were a clear indicator of their extreme quality.
Every single gemstone was priceless and even a king realm wouldn’t be able to get their hands on it easily.
The existence of these divine gemstones also made the spirit energy in the area extremely dense and rich.
Meanwhile, the cold air wreathing the area was coming from blocks of either transparent or azure unmelting profound ice.
There was an ice bed built from divine jade and profound ice and a small three meter profound formation was currently rotating on its surface. The azure light radiating from the profound formation was both dense and gentle, and one could faintly glimpse the lone slender figure of a woman seated atop the bed.
A blue-robed girl quietly stood at the side of the profound formation. Her features were exceedingly beautiful and her waist was as slim and delicate as a willow’s branch. She had a cold and detached look on her face and even though she resembled a frail and refined maiden, her profound energy aura was, surprisingly enough, in the middle stages of the Divine Master Realm.
When she saw Cang s.h.i.+tian and Yun Che, the blue-robed girl immediately knelt down and said, “Rui Yi greets Your Magnificence, His Majesty, and the Brahma Heaven G.o.d Emperor.”
“Hmph!” Qianye Ying’er shot a frosty glance at the blue-robed maiden. “To think that a Deep Sea Divine Envoy was actually hidden in this place. Cang s.h.i.+tian, you really are biased toward this sister of yours!”
It was no wonder that Chi Wuyao had discovered the existence of Cang Shuhe in such a short period of time. Given her dreadful devil soul, how could the existence of a Deep Sea Divine Envoy escape her notice, no matter how deeply she had been hidden.
Cang s.h.i.+tian was just about to explain when the blue-robed maiden raised her head and said, “Reporting to the Brahma Heaven G.o.d Emperor. Even though I have already advanced to the Divine Master Realm, I was not fortunate enough to become a Deep Sea Divine Envoy. Rather, protecting Miss is my lifelong duty and responsibility. As a result, I was not able to aid the Northern Divine Region in battle.”
“If the Devil Master and the Brahma Heaven G.o.d Emperor want to lay the blame on someone, Rui Yi is willing to accept any punishment.”
Her voice was bright and clear, and even though she was facing Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er, her eyes were like tranquil pools of water which showed neither fear nor defiance.
Yun Che’s eyes brushed over her and fell on the rotating profound formation which radiated an azure light.
Cang s.h.i.+tian hurriedly explained, “My sister Shuhe’s lifeforce has been badly damaged since birth, and she needs to use the spiritual essence of nature every fortnight to sustain her life. Today just so happens to be…”
After he said those words, he c.o.c.ked his head to the side and asked, “Rui Yi, how much longer do we need?”
“Reporting to His Majesty, it will still take about an hour more,” the blue-robed maiden replied.
Cang s.h.i.+tian turned back to Yun Che and said, “Since that’s the case, how about Your Magnificence and the G.o.ddess take a short rest in the city? I will personally…”
“Ask her to come out.” Yun Che’s voice was cold and flat, and it brooked no argument.
Cang s.h.i.+tian’s face froze a brief instant, but after that, he turned around and said, “Rui Yi, help her out of the profound formation.”
“We mustn’t!” The blue-robed maiden rejected that order without a single moment of hesitation. Her eyebrows started to knit together as she said, “Miss’s vitality is deteriorating every day. She is entirely reliant on the Great Swirling Waters Reversal Formation to sustain her life. If we stop it midway, it will definitely cause her irreversible harm… and Your Majesty is most keenly aware of this fact.”
“You are not to disobey.” Cang s.h.i.+tian’s voice started to turn cold.
Rui Yi still did not move, the resolute determination in her eyes not wavering one bit. She was just about to say something when a voice that was as soft and ephemeral as a dream softly rang in the air, “Rui Yi, come help me up.”
A delicate and exquisite hand slowly emerged from the profound light.
“…” Yun Che’s eyes started to tremble uncontrollably at the sight of that hand.
It was such a soft and supple hand… White, her hand was so white that it wasn’t even marred by a speck of any other color. It seemed to be constructed out of pure snow, unstained by any of the dust of this world.
This was clearly an unnatural pallor that was brought about by severe illness. However, that hand was so l.u.s.trously white that it seemed as if it had been lacquered with perfect and flawless white jade. Those fingers were long and slender, the fingernails like drops of crystalline jade… This hand unconsciously radiated a nearly fatal beauty, unwittingly seizing the gazes of all who laid their eyes upon it.
“Miss! You…” Rui Yi let out a cry of alarm, but it was too late for her to stop Cang Shuhe. She hurriedly got to her feet and carefully grasped the l.u.s.trous white hand that had emerged from that profound formation.
Ding…
The profound formation dispersed with a light ring and Yun Che’s eyes instantly met a pair of eyes so frail and delicate that they instantly caused one’s heart to shatter.
“Don’t you worry. How could I ever let any ordinary woman near my lord Devil Master? You will definitely fall for her the moment you see her. After all, she was the most beautiful woman in the Southern Divine Region back then.”
When Yun Che finally came face to face with Cang Shuhe, Chi Wuyao’s seductive and charming voice, and the words that she had said regarding Cang Shuhe rang in his head.
The Southern Sea G.o.d Emperor Nan Wansheng had shamelessly chased after only two women in his entire life. One of them was Qianye Ying’er, and the other was this Cang Shuhe.
She was dressed in a plain white robe and she wore no makeup. Her face was just as startlingly white as her hands, but this pallor was completely unable to lessen the shock brought about by her exquisite beauty. Just as Chi Wuyao had said, she was definitely beautiful enough to shatter hearts and topple countries.
Furthermore, her eyes, eyebrows, and lips… were filled with a graceful and lovely frailty. She looked like a beautiful flower petal that could easily be torn apart by a strong gust of wind, lovely enough to cause even the coldest heart in the world to want to hold and protect her.
“…” It was a full three breaths before Yun Che could finally look away
A woman who was not only beautiful in appearance but also filled with an extremely graceful and captivating frailty…. Anyone who saw Cang Shuhe would find it hard to ever forget her.
“Shuhe,” Cang s.h.i.+tian said. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and greet the Devil Master.”
Cang Shuhe slowly walked forward with Rui Yi’s a.s.sistance who then helped her kneel down… It was hard to imagine that anyone in the G.o.d Realm, much less the sister of a G.o.d emperor, would need anyone’s a.s.sistance to complete such simple movements.
“…” Cang Shuhe’s eyes remained fixed on Yun Che. Those frail and elegant eyes, which looked like they were covered in a light mist, actually forced Yun Che to look away first.
“Cang Shuhe respectfully greets my lord Devil Master… my body is unwell, so I was unable to greet you before this. I seek your forgiveness in this.”
Her voice was very soft and gentle and it seemed to brush past Yun Che’s ears like a gentle gust of wind. Yet it was so ephemerally beautiful that it made him instinctively want to chase after that sound so as not to miss a single note.
“Hmph, you truly do live up to your reputation as the woman of Deep Sea who appeared on just a single occasion but left with the t.i.tle of the most beautiful woman in the Southern Divine Region,” Qianye Ying’er said in a dry voice. “You’re so ill that you’re on your deathbed, but you’re still so alluringly beautiful.”
Yun Che, “…”
Cang Shuhe replied in a soft voice, “I am nothing more than dust underneath the moon in the presence of the G.o.ddess. I am not worthy of such praise from you.”
It was almost as if she had not heard the cutting edge in Qianye Ying’er’s voice.
This ill-will had clearly come from Yun Che’s reaction to Cang Shuhe. Even though it hadn’t been obvious, there was no way it would escape her notice.
“There’s no need for you to be so self-effacing.” Qianye Ying’er pouted. “At the very least, you just pa.s.s muster as a toy for the Devil Master.”
Rui Yi quietly clenched her jade teeth. Rage flashed in her eyes, but she wasn’t able to do anything about it.
It seemed as if Cang Shuhe’s illness flared up as she gently pressed her snowy jade-like hand against her chest. Her furrowed brow contained a lovely frailty that caused one’s heart to ache as she said, “Being able to be of help to His Magnificence is my honor and fortune. However, my life has nearly withered away, so I don’t know if I… can… cough… cough cough…”
She pressed her hand against her chest as she started coughing uncontrollably. This exertion caused a red blush to appear on her face, heightening her sickly beauty.
“Miss!” Rui Yi exclaimed in shock. She hurriedly knelt down, but the only thing she could do was carefully support her with her arms, because Cang Shuhe’s body was so frail that even the tiniest thread of her profound energy would cause it to collapse.
Yun Che gave Cang Shuhe a deep look before he coldly said, “Given her present condition, her being able to survive until this day is already a minor miracle. The amount of resources you spent on keeping her alive all these years could have easily nurtured several Divine Masters. Cang s.h.i.+tian, you really are one wilful G.o.d emperor.”
Cang s.h.i.+tian slowly exhaled before he suddenly fell heavily to his knees. He said, “Your Magnificence, Shuhe’s condition has been steadily deteriorating over the last few years. I have already done all that I can do, but she won’t be able to last much longer. Right now, you are the only person who can save her in this universe… The Devil Queen said that you would definitely be able to save her!”
“If Your Magnificence can save Shuhe, I, Cang s.h.i.+tian, will forever be… your… most loyal and faithful dog!”
“Elder… Brother…” Cang Shuhe whispered as she gently turned her head to face him.
“Hmph!” Yun Che merely snorted at the vicious vow that Cang s.h.i.+tian had just made. The current him would no longer so easily believe such words. The only thing that he would truly believe was his inexorable power over people.
He stepped forward and stretched out a hand to Cang Shuhe. After that, he brusquely barked out the words, “Give me your hand.”
“Yes.”
Cang Shuhe seemed to jump to obey the Devil Master’s command. She laid her hand upon Rui Yi’s, and as Rui Yi looked on with complex eyes, she gently stretched out her arm and proceeded to gently rest her hand on Yun Che’s.
Yun Che immediately felt as if a piece of limp and silky soft jade had fallen into his palm. In fact, he unconsciously retracted a bit of both his profound energy and his strength the moment she laid her hand on his.
Throughout the entire process, Cang Shuhe’s beautiful eyes were calmly staring into his own. They contained a faint curiosity and bewilderment.
“…Why do you keep staring at me?” Yun Che suddenly asked.
Her l.u.s.trous lips parted slightly, and it was as if she was shocked that the man in front of her had asked a question that was unbefitting his status. After that, her lips curved into a very small smile as she continued to stare into Yun Che’s eyes. “I had always believed that my lord Devil Master’s eyes would be very cold and frightening, so I never imagined that they would… actually be so… beautiful.”
Yun Che, “…”
“…” Qianye Ying’er’s golden eyes fiercely narrowed when she heard those words.
