Yun Che called out to Qianye Yingâer and told her to cut open space itself after he exited Floating Cloud City. A moment later, he appeared beside the Azure Cloud Continentâs Cloudâs End Cliff almost instantly.
After leaving behind some quick instructions to Qianye Yingâer, Yun Che jumped off the cliff and disappeared into the darkness very quickly.
Qianye Yingâer frowned slightly as she stared at the abyss of darkness below her. She was surprised that her gaze was unable to penetrate its veil and perceive the presences below it.
She knew that the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor was below the abyss, and she herself was curious about this place. Had her personality been intact she wouldâve set out on an exploration, but since the slave mark imprint was in her, all she did was obey her orders and wait patiently for Yun Che to return.
Yun Che zipped down Cloudâs End Cliff as quickly as he could. The world of darkness was unusually quiet during this time. He immediately saw Jie Yuan the moment he arrived at the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.
Jie Yuan was sitting next to Youâer and explaining something to her in a soft tone. Youâer listened to her obediently and quietly until Yun Che appeared, and a familiar light entered her colorful eyes. She leaned toward Yun Che almost subconsciously, and she refused to look away from him.
Jie Yuan turned around and shot him a glance. She asked, âWhy are you in such a hurry?â
Not sensing any anger or dissatisfaction in Jie Yuanâs eyes, Yun Che let out a secret sigh of relief before answering in a hurry, âI entered a state of enlightenment half a month ago, and as a result I nearly missed the time of our meeting. Thatâs why Iâd rushed over in a hurry. I hope I havenât made you wait too long, Senior.â
As he said this, he moved his hand closer toward Youâer to touch her cheeks. Although he couldnât really touch her, he still successfully drew what looked like a small smile to Youâerâs face. Youâer moved even closer to him after that.
Noticing that Youâer was far closer to Yun Che than she was to her, Jie Yuan turned away with complex emotions and said indifferently, âNo, youâre right on time. Itâs almost time for âthatâ to happen.â
âThat?â
âThe return of my clansmen.â
Yun Che tensed up for a second.
âRelax,â said Jie Yuan while staring into the darkness ahead of her. No one except herself knew what she was thinking. âI have visited many places besides accompanying Youâer during this period, so I suppose I have a basic understanding of the Primal Chaos now. That also means Iâm ready to give you the âanswerâ you seek.â
Yun Che held his breath and waited. It wouldnât be an exaggeration to say that Jie Yuanâs next words would decide the future of the Primal Chaos.
âRight now, the only people who know about me are those so-called highest level existences in the God Realm. I suppose I should give them credit for not spreading news of my return as ordered. I also know that they view you as their one and only savior, and that they are placing all their hopes on you. You yourself care about this more than anyone else in the world.â
âYouâre still the decider of everything, Senior,â Yun Che said. âJunior understands that no one has any right to demand any action from you, but as someone who lives in the Primal Chaos, itâs still my duty to try no matter how unworthy I am...â
âHmph, save that pointless talk for someone else.â Jie Yuan snorted before continuing, âPromise me one thing, and I can guarantee that my clansmen will not wreak havoc in the Primal Chaos!â
Jie Yuanâs words caused Yun Che to blank out for two breaths straight. When he finally came back to the world, He looked up abruptly and asked, âWh... what did you say, Senior!?â
âWhatâs wrong? Canât believe your own ears?â
â...â She was right that Yun Che couldnât believe his own ears at this moment. In fact, anyone in his place wouldâve thought that they were experiencing an auditory hallucination as well.
The fact that Jie Yuan hadnât become a scourge on the world after returning was the blessing of the heavens already. But the true danger was the return of almost a hundred hate-filled devil gods when even one of them could bring infinite calamity to the Primal Chaos.
Yun Che, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, and everyone else who knew the truth wanted Jie Yuan to control the devil gods and protect the God Realm. They were willing to serve her as their master if she could do that. As for the rest of the world, they simply werenât in a position to care at all.
Having the devil gods rule over them instead of destroying them all... was the absolute best result they could hope for. Anything else beyond that was just a pipe dream.
But Jie Yuan was saying... that she could stop her clansmen from bringing any mayhem to the Primal Chaos!?
Although the words had come out of Jie Yuanâs own mouth... Yun Che simply couldnât find it in himself to believe her until some time later.
âSenior, did you just say... that you would stop your clansmen from wreaking havoc in the Primal Chaos?â Yun Che repeated everything Jie Yuan just said word by word.
âHmph, lying to the likes of you is beneath me,â Jie Yuan said coldly. âHowever, you must promise me one thing for me to do this! Itâs something only you can and must do!â
â...Alright!â Yun Che adjusted his breathing before nodding slowly. âPlease speak.â
âListen well.â Jie Yuan finally turned around to stare at him with her black, abyssal eyes. âI want you to take good care of my daughters, Hongâer and Youâer for the rest of your life. You are not allowed to hurt them or abandon them no matter what happens in the future!â
â...â Yun Che stood where he was, stunned beyond words.
Yun Che had avoided thinking about the future after the devil godsâ return, or speaking about this bleak future to anyone on the Blue Pole Star after hearing about them.
It was because their return wasnât only probable, but inevitable. Moreover, even if they managed to land on the best case scenario, the future was still bleak and cruel.
No one in this world could imagine how terrifying almost a hundred hate-filled true devils were.
But right now, Jie Yuan promised personally that she would stop her clansmen from wreaking havoc in the Primal Chaos... was this even possible?
If it was, then the condition that came with it must be equally difficult.
It was why he felt his heart clenching when he heard that Jie Yuan wanted something from him... but what he heard made him doubt the functionality of his ears again.
Take care of Hongâer and Youâer, donât hurt them, and donât abandon them.
Wait... thatâs it?
âI donât sense any sorrow in Hongâerâs eyes. There is only happiness and her need for you,â Jie Yuan said slowly while Yun Che was still in a daze. âThat is why I believe that youâve treated her well, and that you wonât abandon her no matter what. Not that itâs likely considering that your lives are connected to each other.â
Of course he wasnât going to abandon Hongâer. Even if he were to pretend that they hadnât known each other for years, Hongâer was still the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, the partner he relied on like his own life.
âAs for Youâer, she had been alone and trapped in darkness for countless years. She doesnât even know what the outside world looks like. I want someone to bring her out of this world of darkness and stay by her side. I want to dispel her loneliness and make her as happy and carefree as Hongâer.â
âAnd the person Iâve chosen to be with her, is you.â
There were several reasons why Youâer was unusually intimate with Yun Che: the Heretic Godâs presence in him, Hongâer, or the fact that Yun Che was the first person to visit her and keep her company in her infinite loneliness... If there was one thing Jie Yuan was sure about, it was that Youâer would be happiest if she stayed with Yun Che.
Yun Che listened carefully before asking, âRight now, Youâer is just a broken devil soul. She would suffer great damage or even perish if she were to enter any place that isnât covered in pure darkness... Are you planning to complete her soul and make her a new body, Senior?â
âNo.â Jie Yuan shook her head before explaining, âYouâerâs soul is very special. She may be the devil part of her original soul, but she is also the child between Ni Xuan and I, meaning that her soul is unlike any other in the entire world. Besides, would Youâer still be Youâer if I use another personâs soul to mend the hole in her soul? Would the new Youâer still be my daughter after another soul is mixed into hers?â
â...â Yun Che couldnât answer her. The taboo offspring between Ni Xuan and Jie Yuanâthe Creation God of the Elements and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperorâwas without a doubt the most unusual and unique existence in the entire world.
The only true way to return Hongâer and Youâer to normal was to combine their souls once more and recreate âNi Jieâ, but...
âAt first, I wanted to combine their souls back into one and remake their body. This way, our child would truly return in full. But you convinced me to change my mind... Hongâer and Youâer have already formed their own experience, memories, and consciousness. They are both my daughters. How can I wipe out their existences just to regain the âNi Jieâ in my memories?â
Yun Che thought for a moment before asking, âYou mustâve thought of another way, am I right?â
âDonât you realize yet? The answer lies in you,â said Jie Yuan.
Yun Che, â??â
Jie Yuan continued, âYou told me that Hongâerâs soul was complete probably because the patriarch of the Sword Spirit God Clan had given up his own soul to remake her soul, then remade her body after her soul was complete. To tell you the truth, I knew that was impossible the moment I heard it.â
Yun Che, âHuh?â
âOur daughter possess the most unique soul in the entire world. Itâs impossible for her soul to fuse with anyone elseâs soul, not even if the soul is that of a Creation God or a Devil Emperor. Moreover, Ni Xuan would never allow another person to mix their soul into our daughterâs soul. Heâs even less tolerant than me in that regard.â
âTherefore... Ni Xuan mustâve created a sword soul himself to complete Hongâerâs soul!â
The Heretic God... had created a sword soul himself?
âNeither Hongâer nor Youâerâs soul can combine with any personâs soul, so the only choice left was to use an artifact soul. Hongâerâs sword soul contained the core of Ni Xuanâs soul aura, so it could only be him who forged the sword soul. After the process was complete, Hongâer became a half-sword, half-human with the soul of a person and a sword.â
âThe âlight energyâ inside her sword soul mustâve been added to keep Hongâer safe within the Sword Spirit God Clan after the fact. It was probably inserted by the hands of the Sword Spirit God Clanâs patriarch, or that woman Li Suo.â
âHe personally engraved the name âHeaven Smiting Devil Slayer Swordâ into Hongâerâs sword soul. âDevil Slayerâ was engraved to secure her identity in the Sword Spirit God Clan, whereas âHeaven Smitingâ...â Jie Yuan closed her eyes as her voice trembled for just an instant. âHe put it there probably because there were some things he just couldnât let go of.â
The Heaven Smiting Devil Clan was a clan that could transform into swords. Hongâerâs mother was the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, so naturally her soul was uniquely compatible with swords as well. It was why the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword Hongâer transformed into possessed the light attribute of the Devil Slayer Sword and the devilish might of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor at the same time.
As for Hongâerâs ability to consume swords, it was something not even Jie Yuan understood.
Yun Cheâs heart trembled violently at the revelation.
When the Ice Phoenix divine being had talked to him, she had speculated that Hongâerâs soul was completed by the Sword Spirit God Patriarch. That was why she was able to transform into the divine Devil Slayer Sword. She had sounded quite certain of her theory even though it was just speculation at the time... She was wrong, however. The Heretic God had been the one who completed her soul himself.
The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperorâs explanation did sound like it was closer to the truth. Ni Xuan was the proud Heretic God, and Hongâer was his and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperorâs child. There was no way he wouldâve allowed his daughterâs soul to become mixed with another personâs... She wouldnât be completely his daughter even if she was made whole that way.
If Jie Yuan hadnât returned, no one would have ever known who it was that had completed Hongâerâs soul... After all, the Heretic God never found a chance to meet Hongâer again after that, and so he had no way of letting the world or Hongâer herself know that she was his daughter.
After Hongâerâs soul was complete, she eventually became another personâs daughter... Everyone in the world thought that Hongâer was the daughter of the Sword Spirit God Patriarch.
As the father of a daughter himself, he couldnât imagine how helpless, bitter, or sad the Heretic God felt when he left.
âAre you... going to make a sword soul for Youâer just like Hongâer?â Yun Che was finally starting to understand Jie Yuanâs intentions.
âNo.â But Jie Yuan shook her head again before explaining, âDid you think that itâd be easy to make a complete soul for Hongâer and Youâer? Ni Xuan needed at least thousands of Celestial Spirit Divine Swords at the minimum before he could start creating Hongâerâs divine soul. He mustâve paid a huge price during the fusion process as well.â
âEven in the old Primal Chaos, it was probably a feat that couldnât be replicated a second time, or he wouldâve created a sword soul for Youâer too. Today, you couldnât find even a single sword thatâs at the divine level, so itâs impossible to make a sword soul for Youâer.â
Yun Che only half understood Jie Yuanâs explanation, but it was only natural. How could he hope to understand something at the level of the Creation Gods?
âMy plan is for Youâer... to share Hongâerâs sword soul!â Jie Yuan declared.