by Mars Gravity
“It’s the Divine Phoenix Army!”
“Divine Phoenix Army? Could someone be in a battle with the Divine Phoenix Army?” Xiao Yun immediately asked. His eyes and Number Seven Under Heaven’s eyes couldn’t compare to Yun Che’s as Yun Che possessed the power of the Rage God.
“No,” answered Yun Che as he shook his head. There was deep confusion in between his eyebrows. “From what it looks like, they seem to be blasting the ground in a controlled manner.”
“Blasting… the ground?” Xiao Yun’s eyes widened. “Why would they do that? Could it be for training soldiers?”
Yun Che pondered, shook his head, and said, “I don’t know. Let’s ignore them for now. Let’s go, we’re going to land.” He extended out his hand and pointed at the most familiar place in his life. “That is Xiao Family’s courtyard, and it is also the place that I grew up in for sixteen years. Grandfather and little aunt are there right now.”
Just as Yun Che’s body was about to land, Jasmine suddenly yelled deeply in his mind, “Wait!”
Yun Che’s body suddenly stopped. Whenever Jasmine suddenly used this tone, she must have noticed something that cannot be ignored. He immediately focused and said, “Jasmine, what’s wrong?”
“Where is this place?” Just as Jasmine finished speaking, she recognized the place herself. “Floating Cloud City?”
Apparently, Jasmine had just woken up from her sleep. Yun Che answered, “I just returned here, what did you find? Is there something wrong here?”
“…” Jasmine was silent for a good while, and then she said in an incredibly deep voice, “Why… why is there devilish energy here!”
“Devilish energy?” Yun Che was stunned. “What do you mean by devilish energy?”
“…” Jasmine continued to be silent for a while, and her voice became even deeper, “It indeed wasn’t an illusion. That is definitely devilish energy! Devilish energy… to explain it simply, is when one or more types of negative emotions reach a certain limit. The law becomes twisted, and profound energy will mutate! The devil profound energy that it creates is even stronger than profound energy of the same level, but it is also harder to control. Because devilish energy will only be created with extreme negative emotions, the ones who possess devilish energy… all have twisted minds and beliefs. They are evil creatures that should not exist in this world! Or they can be directly called a demon or devil!
Yun Che, “…”
“This plane is really getting interesting, there is actually devilish energy here!” Jasmine said in a low voice. Towards the “devil,” she had deep disgust and even hatred because she had been poisoned by the most fearsome devilish poison!
“This person is in Floating Cloud City?” asked Yun Che as he lowered his voice.
“That’s right, and… it is within Xiao Clan that you are about to return to!”
“What!?” Yun Che’s heart was shocked.
“Go down and check it out immediately. I’d like to know what kind of person could release devilish energy on such a low level plane!” Jasmine’s tone was especially unusual.
Chapter 679: Fen Juechen?!
“Big Brother, what’s wrong?” Both Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven instantly tensed up after seeing Yun Che suddenly stop accompanied with a change in his expression.
“Sigh, looks like there’s going to be a small problem here,” Yun Che said rather helplessly. “Let’s go down.”
As Floating Cloud City’s largest profound cultivating clan, Xiao Clan looked especially eye-catching within the city from up above. The place where Yun Che landed was not where the main entrance was located. Instead, he landed on Xiao Clan’s east side, almost subconsciously, on a certain courtyard close to the rear mountains.
This place was very quiet, the entire Xiao Clan was very quiet. The courtyard before them was very small and only had simple decorations and a simple house. An emerald-green grape arbor was at a corner of the courtyard, and it was packed with grapes that were almost ripe. Next to the grape arbor was a simple stone table and what appeared to be two small stools. The stool to the right was even covered with tons of long cracks.
As he stood in the center of the courtyard and looked at everything before him, the light in Yun Che’s eyes wavered as he stood, completely dazed for a moment.
“Big Brother, this place is?” Xiao Yun curiously asked when he saw Yun Che’s appearance.
“This place is a place that carries almost all of the memories of the first sixteen years of my life,” Yun Che softly answered.
“Ah? This is… Big Brother Yun’s home?” Number Seven Under Heaven asked in shock as she looked around. To ordinary citizens of Floating Cloud City, being able to possess a courtyard like this was considered to be lavish. But to someone born from a Guardian Family, especially to Number Seven Under Heaven, who was the Under Heaven Family’s only princess, this kind of home was just too simple and shabby… He was the Yun Family’s Young Patriarch, the Illusory Demon Realm’s Demon Lord, and even could be regarded as the fated person who had saved the entire Illusory Demon Realm… She never imagined that the place where Yun Che had grown up in would actually be this crude.
“Right, this is my home,” Yun Che smiled. “I’ve been living here from as long as I can remember. But at that time, this place wasn’t only mine, it belonged to my little aunt as well. At that time, we would spend every day together. Wherever I went, she would go, and wherever she went, I would follow as well. We were like each other’s shadows… until I turned ten, when Grandfather said that we weren’t allowed to live in the same courtyard and found a new courtyard for Little Aunt. Because of this, Little Aunt would cry for days, and I also used all my energy to protest against this. However, the grandfather that usually pampered and spoiled us in every possible way wouldn’t budge no matter what on this matter. “
“From then on, Little Aunt, who was now living in her new courtyard would usually secretly come over to sleep with me. But when she was discovered by Grandfather, she would get a fierce scolding… Later on, we gradually understood that it was improper for men and women to be that intimate, so Little Aunt no longer secretly came over.”
Yun Che softly recounted softly with a faint smile. His current smile came from his soul, without the least bit of impurity. In those years, even though he was regularly mocked by others, occasionally bullied, and always bore the contempt and pity filled eyes of others, because he had Little Aunt at that time, his happy times were far more than the sorrowful ones; even his feeling of inferiority was dim.
During these years, he was no longer that profound vein cripple who didn’t have a future. He only grew stronger and was now looked up to by more and more people, so much that some would fear him. His current level was much higher than the Xiao Sect that the Xiao Clan revered like gods, yet it also caused his world to be filled with trials and hardships, causing him to not be able to return back to the happy world where only Little Aunt existed.
More than six years had passed since the time he had come here, but everything here almost completely overlapped everything in his memories without any hint of change… Regardless of whether it was the gate, windows, stone table, or grape arbor… Even the lantern that was hung there on the day of his wedding with Xia Qingyue six years ago was still there, though it had already been deformed by the wind.
The entire courtyard looked incredibly tidy, without any of the ruined, messy appearance Yun Che had expected from a place that had been left six years ago. It was like everyone had come to sweep this place every day. Yun Che advanced forward and stood before the stone table. He lightly pressed a finger on the stone table, swiped, and then lifted it… There wasn’t even a trace of dust.
This place… had just been swept by someone…
Yun Che’s heart trembled. Could it… could it be…
“Little Che… is that you?”
In this world, there were very few sounds that would stir Yun Che’s rock-hard soul, but Xiao Lingxi’s voice w
as definitely among them. Yun Che’s mind shook, and he almost instantaneously turned around… At the entrance of the courtyard was Xiao Lingxi, clad in a light green dress. Her beautiful, starry eyes were filled with a layer of thick watery mist.
“Little Aunt…” Yun Che uttered softly. His arms unconsciously lifted forward, wanting to travel through space to touch the closest, most familiar, and most important girl in this life. I’m back…”
“Ah…” Xiao Yun couldn’t help but make a sound. He looked at Xiao Lingxi, and asked dazedly, “She’s… she’s…”
The “little aunt” Yun Che uttered confirmed this girl’s identity… This extremely beautiful girl with a delicate temperament who seemed to be even younger than he himself, was… his little aunt… was his own blood related… relative…
Xiao Lingxi’s little hand heavily pressed on her lips as sparkling tears fell like jade pearls. After time froze in that short instant, she cried softly and threw herself at Yun Che with her tears scattering. She heavily threw herself into his bosom, and both her arms tightly hugged him as her torrential tears quickly drenched a large area on his chest.
“Little Che… Little Che… Little Che…” she repeatedly called out, and soon, she couldn’t hold back her sobs.
“I’m sorry, Little Aunt… I promised you that I would come back in a month, yet… yet I’ve made you painfully wait for three years.” Yun Che formed a loop as he gently hugged the girl in his chest. Her waist was even more delicate than three years ago, and her body was even more fragile… Even her profound strength had declined instead of advancing. Within these three years, Yun Che had grown about a foot, causing the girl in his bosom to appear even more delicate and exquisite in front of him. And what pained Yun Che the most was her weeping… The Little Aunt he knew would laugh loudly and cry loudly. In front of him especially, she wouldn’t hold anything back and let herself loose.
But the Little Aunt before him, even though she was sobbing, she was actually trying her best to repress it, to not make any sobbing noises, and only her shoulders continued to violently spasm. She had less spirit than before, and what replaced that was actually a dense melancholy that almost broke Yun Che’s heart.
In these three years, news of his “death” and Blue Wind Nation’s huge calamity had carved out many cruel scars on her heart…
Yun Che’s hands silently tightened. He lifted his head as wisps of pain rippled in his eyes… When there was nothing good about me, when my profound veins were still crippled, what I saw the most every day was Little Aunt’s smiling face… Now that I’m getting stronger by the day, why is it that I’m always giving Little Aunt heartbreak and pain everything…
The power I was chasing… what exactly was I doing it for?!
Xiao Lingxi forcefully shook her head as she hugged him even tighter. The chest she was leaning on was even broader than before, and it was also the only place in the world where she truly felt stable and content in. While still sobbing, she softly said, “I know… that Little Che didn’t do it on purpose… It’s good that Little Che is back… I thought that I’d never see Little Che again… My Little Che’s… finally back…”
She mumbled, the pain of having lost someone and the joy of having regained them once more even after all hope had been lost clearly evident. Yun Che sucked in a long breath of air. He spoke lowly, with an incomparably firm voice, “ Little Aunt, I’ll promise you that I’ll never you…”
Yun Che’s voice suddenly halted as his entire body abruptly stiffened. His gaze that had instantly become ice-cold suddenly swept behind him as he quickly turned around, bringing Xiao Lingxi along with him.
Because in that instant, an extremely cold aura had locked onto him out of nowhere… He possessed the Water Spirit Evil Body, so he wasn’t afraid of the cold, but when that aura enveloped him, it caused him to instantly feel a frigid, heart-piercing sensation. All the hairs on his body shot up and stood on end. Two abyss-black, fiendish eyes had even been faintly projected in his mind. He suddenly felt like he was standing a thick and terrible pitch-black hell.
This kind of densely cold, extremely uncomfortable aura that I’ve never felt before… could this be the devilish energy Jasmine was talking about?
Who is it?!
In the instant he turned around, Yun Che’s gaze locked onto a black figure that floated in midair… Dressed in black from head to toe, he was shorter and thinner than Yun Che. His long hair was as black as night and reached the middle of his waist. His complexion was stiff and pale, and his eyes were lifeless without a hint of light in them. The aura emitted from his body carried a coldness which seeped into one’s bone marrow, yet Yun Che actually couldn’t find the slightest hint of life within it… It was as if what floated there was not a living person, but a dead corpse.
When he saw this black figure’s face, Yun Che’s brows fiercely moved as his revealed deep astonishment on his face.
“Fen Jue… chen?!” The moment he finished his sentence, Yun Che’s voice held a distinct hesitation.
His outer appearance and expression were exactly the same as the Fen Juechen in his memories. However, the Fen Juechen he knew never had this kind of aura. Not only that… he clearly felt a distinct, ice-cold danger from that black-robed person! With the realm Yun Che was currently in, those that made him feel danger at least had the power of early-stage Monarchs, and when he released Fen Juechen three and a half years ago, his profound strength was only at the Spirit Profound Realm. In a short, not even four years, there was no way he could possibly to reach a level that was strong enough to threaten him.
“Hm? It’s actually this guy.” Jasmine’s voice also held the same astonishment.
“Yun… Che!!” His face was still stiff, and when he spoke, whether it was his expression or dark eyes, there wasn’t the slightest bit of wavering, yet his voice carried an ice-cold, bone-piercing resentment. “You’re still alive… you’re actually still alive!!”
“…” The aura enveloping Yun Che instantly became colder many times over. The instant this black-robed person opened his mouth, Yun Che was now certain… that this person was truly Fen Juechen! Because this kind of voice, this kind of tone, and this kind of hatred was exactly the same as when he had released him that year!
“Did you know how much I hated and how much I suffered when I heard that you had died?! In these years, I’ve even wished that you would come back to life in my dreams so I could personally tear you to shreds!!”
Fen Juechen’s hands trembled as two balls of black energy which increasingly grew bigger floated around the palm of his hand. Yun Che glanced at the two balls of black energy… He merely glanced at them, yet it caused his entire body to feel extremely uncomfortable. He shifted his gaze back and looked straight at Fen Juechen without backing down. “Looks like your dream has already come true. However… Do you really think that the current you can kill me?”
Before Fen Juechen had even replied, Jasmine coldly laughed in Yun Che’s mind, “His currently profound strength level is at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. Added with the special attributes of his devil profound strength, if you were to fight him head-on, he would definitely be able to kill you!”
“~！#￥%…” The corner of Yun Che’s eyes twitched greatly. “You’re… kidding, right?!”
That year, when he had exterminated Burning Heaven Clan, the main reason why he had only spared Fen Juechen was because he had saved Xiao Lingxi, and Xiao Lingxi pleaded with him. The secondary reason was because he subconsciously believed that even if Fen Juechen were to live, he would never be able to become a threat. At that time, a thousand Fen Juechens weren’t even able to harm him. Moreover, with his unparalleled growth speed, even if Fen Juechen’s innate talent was ten times higher, the distance between them would still grow farther until he was reduced to a mere existence like an ant.
The bloodlines and divine power he possessed was an extravagance that ordinary people couldn’t even hope for even over hundreds of
generations! His master was also Jasmine, whose very existence transcended this plane. On the Profound Sky Continent, in regards to growth speed, there shouldn’t be anyone who would be able to surpass him.
Xia Yuanba’s astonishing growth speed was because he possessed the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins. It was also this heaven-defying talent that made him the precious treasure of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, the number one ranked Sacred Ground.
The Fen Juechen of that time who was only in the Spirit Profound Realm… How could he, in the short period of four years, have already become a mid-stage Monarch?!
“You think that I’m kidding?” Jasmine coldly replied. “However, you don’t need to be that surprised. His strength wasn’t actually achieved by cultivation. Even his devilish energy was not birthed from his own will. In fact, a devil origin was injected into his soul!”
Chapter 680: Arranging the Duel
“Devil origin? What’s that?”
“You had better focus on how to deal with the situation at hand first! This person has an exceedingly heavy desire to kill you! Hmph, when you don’t cut the grass and remove the roots, you leave behind a calamity for yourself! But I never thought that the misfortune that you would find would be so huge!” Jasmine criticized in a cold voice.
“Big Brother, this person is…”
“Do not follow me!” Yun Che fiercely thrust a hand out behind him, and a wave of energy rushed out and forcefully pushed the onrushing Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven back. At the same time, he used his other arm to grab Xiao Lingxi and thrust his body in front of hers.
“Do you think… that I am still that useless piece of crap that you left alive all those years ago?!” Fen Juechen’s eyes and tone were incomparably dark and sinister. He raised both his hands which were covered in swirling black energy and a cold, mournful aura. This shook the air, causing everyone’s hearts to race. Even the light began to dim gradually as he continued to speak, “Do not worry, I will not take your life straight away… I will first let you experience all of the pain and suffering that I have endured over the last few years!!”
