章 21: Dead End?!!!

"BOOOM!"

With a thunderous crash, the venerable Gu Zhu appeared beside Qianye Ying'er.

"Miss, are you unharmed?" he inquired urgently, scanning her for injuries. Although the Yama God Emperor's presence had alarmed him, it seemed the Emperor was holding back, which puzzled him.

"I'm fine, Uncle Gu," Qianye Ying'er responded, her voice betraying no emotion. Her composure was intact despite the looming threat.

Relieved, Gu Zhu sighed softly. Her aloofness did not deter him; he was just relieved to see she was safe. His gaze then shifted warily to the Yama God Emperor and Yama Goddess Yan Wu.

Suddenly, two Brahma Kings plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground with a heavy boom.

"BOOM!' "BOOM!"

"CURSE THAT WITCH!" bellowed one of the kings as he emerged from the dirt, furious.

"I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" raged the other, leaping to his feet and directing his fury towards his assailant.

"Silence," commanded Qianye Ying'er coolly.

Instantly, the Brahma Kings quieted down, cowed by their mistress's authority.

Jing Ling and Jie Xin drops down from the sky in silence and stand next to Yan Wu.

"What do you want?" Qianye Ying'er asked calmly, her eyes sharp. She wasn't naive; something was amiss from the start. She had observed Yan Wu deliberately avoiding her vital areas, and the two Great Witches' attacks on Gu Zhu and the 'Brahma dogs' were conspicuously restrained for a fight to the death. Their injuries were superficial at best, which was highly unusual. Clearly, they sought something else.

But what could it be?

"Actually, we don't desire anything from you; rather, we bring a gift," Yan Tianxiao clarified, materializing a luminous crystal in his hand.

"A memory crystal?" Qianye Ying'er's voice carried a mix of recognition and intrigue. She, along with those around her, knew of such artifacts. Cultivators of a certain level could imprint their experiences and visions into these crystals for others to witness. Naturally, more invasive methods like transferring memories directly or forcefully extracting them could harm one's soul, but the identity of the object was unmistakable.

"Indeed, it contains memories from our Lord," Yan Tianxiao affirmed. Yan Wu and the Great Witches looked on, interest piqued, their gaze shimmering with anticipation.

The contents of the memory crystal were a mystery to them, yet the very secrecy surrounding it suggested it held some divine secret, something beyond even their grand status as Divine Masters to be privy to.

Their briefings on Yun Che's objectives in the Eternal Heaven were cursory at best. Although they had known the man but a scant few days, their leaders' absolute trust in Yun Che was evident, his influence profound and puzzling in its depth.

"Who might your master be?" Qianye Ying'er questioned, her confusion palpable. Whoever could command such formidable forces from the Northern Divine Region and even challenge the Dragon Monarch was no ordinary entity.

"You've met him; it's Lord Yun," Yan Tianxiao disclosed with an air of respect.

The name struck them like a thunderclap.

"Yun... as in Yun Che?" one of the Brahma Kings blurted out in disbelief.

"It couldn't be, could it?" the other questioned, skepticism lacing his voice.

While they were aware that the current upheaval had been spurred by Yun Che, the revelation that he might be the sovereign of such dread powers was staggering.

Qianye Ying'er fell silent, her thoughts whirring before she finally spoke, "So, this belongs to Yun Che's memories?"

"That is correct, Goddess," Yan Tianxiao affirmed with a bow. "There are no deceptions or traps within," he reassured, propelling the crystal towards Qianye Ying'er with a gentle wave of power.

The followers of the Brahma God remained on high alert, yet as promised by Yan Tianxiao, the crystal was innocuous—a simple repository of memories.

After thoroughly examining the crystal and finding no malice, Qianye Ying'er took hold of it.

"Memories of Yun Che, you say... Let's see what you're truly planning to do," she murmured, crushing the crystal, allowing the stored memories to cascade into her consciousness.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Suddenly, as if a tempest of memories had been unleashed, Yun Che's life experiences flooded into her, one after another. A solitary tear, crystal clear, traced a path down Qianye Ying'er's face, hidden beneath her mask. Her complexion turned ashen, her posture wobbled, and she nearly toppled over.

"MISS!" Gu Zhu was swift to catch her, breaking her fall. Under normal circumstances, Qianye Ying'er would not permit anyone to come into contact with her, no matter the situation. But now, her defenses had crumbled; her spirit felt fractured, her aura wild and untamed, making her oblivious to the pallor of death on her face.

"What have you done to our mistress?!" The two Brahma Kings bellowed in unison, their anger palpable, yet they held back from any rash actions.

"Miss?" Gu Zhu's world narrowed to the woman before him, oblivious to the chaos surrounding them. No anomalies had been detected from the memory crystal, implying only one possibility: the contents were so harrowing that they had nearly brought his mistress to her knees.

"I'm... okay... Uncle Gu," Qianye Ying'er eventually uttered, her voice a faint whisper compared to its usual commanding tone. Yet even this frail assurance was a lifeline for Gu Zhu.

"Is he going to be okay?" Qianye Ying'er's voice took on an uncharacteristic edge of concern as she directed her gaze toward Yan Tianxiao.

"He will be more than fine. My lord has confidence in his abilities," Yan Tianxiao affirmed, a note of pride resonating in his voice. His own journey to acceptance had been a lengthy one.

"Hmm," Qianye Ying'er responded softly, pulling herself to her feet. Her eyes were drawn to a distant point, where a formidable aura, an amalgamation of shadowy and golden energies, was clashing with ferocious intensity.

"BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!"

A colossal explosion ripped through the air just as a battered figure, covered in wounds and trailing blood for miles, hurtled toward them.

"BOOM!"

The figure crashed into a nearby structure, the impact resounding with a thunderous crash.

"Argh....."

Groaning in agony, he emerged from the debris, his pain audibles.

The two Brahma Kings were taken aback. "God Emperor!" they bellowed, and with explosive urgency, they dashed to his aid.

Qianye Fantian's surprise was palpable upon seeing his two subordinates racing toward him.

"Stand back....UGH!" Qianye Fantian's bellow was a blend of pain and fury, a command issued through clenched teeth. His intentions were clear; he sought to retreat, to reassemble the tatters of his defense, but realization struck him like a bolt of lightning — his adversary was already upon him.

"ZIEHAHAHA!"

The air was split by a ghastly, triumphant cackle. Yan One's laugh was a sound made for nightmares, a stark contrast to the bruised and bloodied visage of Qianye Fantian. Whereas the Brahma God Emperor was a portrait of suffering and defeat, Yan One stood virtually unscathed. The disparity between them was glaring; both were titans in the realm of Divine Masters, yet Yan One was in a league of his own. From the outset, he had taken their confrontation to heart, granting no quarter, allowing no chance for Qianye Fantian to rally his strength.

"Today, I'll send you back to your mama you damn bug!" Yan One jeered with a look of disdain, assured of his victory. Yet, in a fleeting moment, his eyes locked with those of the Yama God Emperor and his entourage, who stood as silent spectators to the unfolding drama.

"...."

"..."

An awkward silence descended, palpable and heavy.

"..." The Yama God Emperor and his followers exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them.

"...Ahem!!" Yan One, suddenly self-conscious, cleared his throat and ventured, "Did you... get what you needed?"

"Yes," came the Yama Emperor's reply, his hand covering his face in a rare display of exasperation.

Confusion clouded Qianye Fantian's features. The presence of the Yama God Emperor and the other devils terrified him. They outnumbered his own forces, with five Rank 10 Divine Masters against his three, yet no further attacks came. It was a pause in the battle that raised more questions than answers.

"!!!!"

"Ying'er" Qianye Fantian's eyes shot towards his daughter, Qianye Ying'er, who seemed to lean heavily on Gu Zhu for support. Despite his own injuries, he swiftly closed the distance between them, his concern etched on every feature.

"Have you been harmed?!" His gaze swept over her meticulously, searching for any sign of injury. Her flawless skin bore no marks, yet Gu Zhu's support suggested some hidden damage. This was not the time for inaction, especially when it came to a father's duty to protect his child.

"Who dared to harm my precious daughter?!!!" His bellow thundered across to Yan Tianxiao and his company, demanding accountability. The lack of immediate response only heightened the tension.

"????"

"Qianye Fantian... please, stop." Qianye Ying'er's voice, weak but firm, cut through the clamor, addressing the towering figure before her not with the tenderness of kinship, but with a cold formality.

"?????... Ying'er?" Confusion rippled through Qianye Fantian. His daughter, his Ying'er, had she just forsaken the warmth of familial titles for the starkness of his given name?

"ENOUGH, I SAID!" Her command roared out, an echo of her father's authority, yet laced with a chilling finality.

"Miss?" Gu Zhu's voice laced with confusion as Qianye Ying'er's response to her father veered from their usual dynamic. She, who had always reserved a sliver of warmth for her father amidst her cool demeanor, now rebuked him with such intensity. This was unprecedented, and it unsettled Gu Zhu deeply.

"...?"

"Ying'er, my dear, what has troubled you?" Qianye Fantian, his countenance etched with worry and affection, gazed at his daughter, trying to decipher the storm behind her eyes.

Then, the silence was shattered by a gruesome "schlick" – the unmistakable sound of steel slicing through flesh. The Divine Oracle's blade had flashed out, extending tens of meters in an instant before retracting. And it was Qianye Ying'er, the Brahma Goddess herself, who had turned her weapon against her own father.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Ying...er?" Bewilderment and shock contorted Qianye Fantian's features as he registered the source of the attack. Even as a Divine Master Rank Ten, the pinnacle of power, his current injuries left him defenseless against her assault.

And in truth, even at the height of his strength, the closeness of their proximity would have given him little chance to react against an enemy, let alone his daughter, whom he never expected to strike him.

"God Emperor!" Gu Zhu, along with the two Brahma Kings, could hardly believe their eyes. The scene before them was beyond comprehension, too sudden for any of them to intervene.

"BOOMMMM!!!" A thunderous explosion echoed as a surge of profound energy blasted Qianye Fantian back, his body crashing through structures with a resounding "boom!"

---------------------

"BOOOMMMM!!"

The fabric of the surrounding tens of thousands of kilometers seemed to fracture as Yun Che's blade clashed repeatedly with Long Bai's claws, each impact sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

"BOOM!!! BOOMMM!!! BOOMMM!!!"

With each strike, Long Bai's eyes widened in shock. The force of the blade reverberated through his draconic hand, numbing it to the core. Suddenly, darkness clouded his vision momentarily, and he experienced an eerie weakness in his soul, as if it had been lacerated by a demonic blade.

"Soul attack!" The realization hit Long Bai instantly, his eyes darting towards the distance where Chi Wuyao was. He knew he had to counterattack with his own Dragon Soul. However, just as he prepared to unleash his power, Yun Che's voice thundered in the air.

"Where are you looking at?!!! ARGHHHHHH!!!!" With a roar, Yun Che's body erupted in black flames. Seizing the fleeting moment when Long Bai's focus shifted, Yun Che unleashed a surge of power, his blade piercing through Long Bai's defenses and sinking into his flesh.

"Crack!!!!" The blade was halted by the tough draconic bone, yet the audible crack signaled that even Long Bai's formidable defenses were not impervious. The sound of the impact reverberated ominously.

"ARGH!!!!" With a roar, Long Bai was sent reeling, thrust away by the sheer force of the attack.

"Well played, Devil Queen," Yun Che commended, his gaze laden with respect as he turned to Chi Wuyao. Their synergy in combat, especially considering it was their first time fighting side by side in this life, was impeccable. Chi Wuyao had timed the use of her Nirvana Devil Emperor Soul with precision, a clear testament to her unrivaled strategic acumen in warfare.

"....How... How is this possible?" Long Bai's voice was laced with disbelief as he examined his bleeding hand. He had infused his body with numerous drops of the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning, enhancing his physique to surpass all his predecessors from the Dragon God Realm. And yet, Yun Che's blade had sliced through his defenses.

"Who exactly are you?!!!" Long Bai's frustration was palpable as he gritted his teeth. The person before him could not be the same Yun Che who had been a mere participant in the Profound God Conference just days earlier.

"Heh, I am indeed Yun Che," came the calm reply, a slight smirk playing on Yun Che's lips as he answered the question with a hint of mockery.

"Nonsense!" Long Bai bellowed, unable to accept this reality. The Yun Che standing before him exhibited a might that almost rivaled his own—the pinnacle of strength across the Primal Chaos, despite only being at the level of a Divine Sovereign Rank 10. The consistency of Yun Che's aura at Rank 10 Divine Sovereign was beyond question, yet the power he wielded was inconceivable, defying all logic and understanding.

"...Though I do not know who you really are, do you genuinely believe you can kill me?" Long Bai regained his composure, his gaze growing dark with menace. While Yun Che's strikes had the force to breach his skin, that was the extent of their effect.

Dragons are venerated as the most formidable creatures because of their nearly impervious Draconic Bodies. It was apparent to Long Bai that Yun Che had exerted his utmost effort, especially when Chi Wuyao unleashed her soul attack, yet all they had achieved was to draw his blood without severing a limb.

"Heh, so you think causing me to bleed means you can claim victory?"

"Your full power can only draw couple drops of blood at most" Long Bai said, dismissing the throbbing pain in his fingers as he focused his piercing gaze.

"Full power, is it? You're the same." Yun Che retorted, his eyes glinting with a taunting light as if to say, "What of it if we're both at full strength? You're the one who's been wounded despite also using full power!"

A grin suddenly unfurled across Long Bai's features.

"Indeed, I have unleashed my full strength, and yet the likelihood of annihilating you all at once remains slender..." The grin on his face broadened at this realization.

"However, that's merely the extent of my power while I'm in my human form!"

In an instant, a mighty draconic presence engulfed the skies as Long Bai's stature began to swell massively. His human form morphed into that of a colossal white dragon whose sheer size seemed to blanket the heavens themselves!

"ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Long Bai might have increased many times over as he reveals his true dragon form!

"Crap!!!" Both Yun Che and Chi Wuyao were struck with alarm. It appeared they had miscalculated, failing to consider Long Bai's dragon form.

"RUN!!!!" Yun Che roared out to Chi Wuyao, hastening her to retreat swiftly. They appeared utterly terror-stricken at that moment. Long Bai's draconic might and presence soared beyond his previous constraints as he unveiled his true form, its formidable force rippling through the entire Eternal Heaven God Realm and beyond.

Yun Che made a desperate attempt to flee as well, but escape seemed futile. He's too closed to Long Bai!

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!!!!!!!" Long Bai's roared resounded as an immense dragon claw plummeted towards Yun Che. The force it carried had the devastating potential to eradicate entire star realms, and it seemed Yun Che had no way to escape!