Dark Clouds

Bottom of the Heavenly Netherforst Lake

The depths of the Heavenly Netherforst Lake harbor the most frigid Ice Profound Energy throughout the entire Snow Song Realm, attributed to the presence of the Ice Vein that sustains the entire realm lying beneath.

Regrettably, the Ice Vein has already dried up, but it will take a considerable amount of time before the remaining cold energy dissipates completely. Nonetheless, this location remains a prime spot for Ice Profound practitioners to refine their skills. It is unfortunate, however, that not a single member of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect can venture into this perilous location, as the extreme cold would lead to their almost instantaneous death.

Mu Xuanyin's ability to descend to the bottom of the lake was due to her exceptional cultivation as a Divine Master Rank 10, with occasional assistance from Yun, who used his profound energy to protect her from the treacherous conditions. Yun Che's God of Elemental Vein grants him unmatched command over all elements, including Ice, Fire, Lightning, Wind, Earth, and Darkness. As a result, even without cultivation, he is immune to the extreme cold, shielded by the power bestowed upon him by the Creation God.

Beside her, Mu Xuanyin asked Yun Che, "Che'er, do you think the Divine Ice Phoenix would regret its decision if it knew what you plan to do?"

Yun Che replied, "It wouldn't have had a choice anyway, since it has already relinquished the rest of its divine power to me in the past, or rather, the future."

When the Ice Phoenix gave its remaining divine power to Mu Xuanyin, similar to Yun Che's past life, it ceased to exist, which was why Yun Che was willing to reveal his future to it. Furthermore, the Ice Phoenix itself was unable to leave the Netherforst Lake since it was only a mere remnant of its former self. Despite once being a divine creature possessing the strength of a True God, it had survived to this day only by relying on the Cold Vein.

Although the cold vein still existed within the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, the Ice Phoenix's divine presence was gone. Although the entire region was still brimming with high-level ice energy, it had lost some of its inexplicable divine aura.

Yun Che currently possessed nine Time Wheel Pearls, each of which was given to him by the Eternal Heaven Realm after winning matches to aid in his recovery from injuries. He had previously possessed more, but had utilized them along the way.

"Xuanyin, you don't have to do this. I'm sure there must be another way," Yun Che said, looking at Mu Xuanyin with love, concern, and care in his eyes.

"Che'er, this is the only way for me since you want to become as strong as possible in the shortest amount of time," Mu Xuanyin replied. "Moreover, I won't be able to accompany you if I'm not strong enough, will I?" Mu Xuanyin continued, "And besides, it's time for her to return as well."

Yun Che slowly appeared before Mu Xuanyin and put his arms around her body, leaning in to passionately kiss her tender lips. They remained locked in the embrace for a while before he finally pulled away. He looked at her flushed and intoxicated face before turning around and saying, "Then I will see you again soon, both of you." Unable to bear the pain, he turned around and closed his eyes.

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Yun Che ascended the lake, watching as the blue glimmering light faded away in the distance. Before he left, he activated four of his Time Wheel Pearls, causing time to accelerate around Mu Xuanyin.

If anyone were to check on Mu Xuanyin's soul crystal now, they would be shocked to find it broken.

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As he walked, Yun Che's mind was focused on his upcoming fight. He knew he had to make the most of the time he had left before the match.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was a place he had spent a considerable amount of time in, but he didn't have time for nostalgia. He made his way to the Sect's treasury. As a direct disciple of Mu Xuanyin, he was granted access to the vault.

Once inside, Yun Che wasted no time. He scanned the vast hall, filled with all manner of treasures - pills, swords, profound crystals, and more. He picked up everything he could get his hands on and stored it all in his dimensional pocket. To him, this was a matter of life and death, and he couldn't afford to leave anything behind.

After taking everything he needed, Yun Che bid farewell to the elders guarding the vault and rushed outside. He knew he had to prepare for his fight, and every second counted.

The old elder murmured, "What do you think Yun Che took from the treasury?"

Another elder responded, "Probably a few pills and treasures."

However, if they were to actually check the treasury, they would be shocked to find that it was completely empty and all of its contents were taken by Yun Che.

As Yun Che soared high in the Snow Song Realm's sky, he retrieved a small, unassuming ancient Ark from his dimensional pocket. Despite its seemingly ordinary appearance, this Ark's true identity was nothing short of astounding. Back in Yun Che's home world, it was known as a Primordial Profound Ark, a name he had also adopted for it. However, in just a few short years, Yun Che would come to understand just how terrifying the background of this particular Ark truly was.

Known as the Spirit World of Heaven and Earth, the Primordial Profound Ark may have looked small on the outside, but inside it housed a world no smaller than Yun Che's original home world. Furthermore, it possessed the ability to break through spatial limitations, allowing it to shrink the spatial distance traveled through the void. Essentially, it was capable of teleportation, as long as there were enough energy sources available to power it.

Dragon Monarch Long Bai, who is considered the most powerful being in the world, would require several days to travel between Divide Regions even when travelling at full speed. However, the Primordial Profound Ark is capable of completing the journey in a short period of time, perhaps even as quickly as brewing a cup of tea.

Yun Che willed it and the Primordial Profound Ark enlarged in size as he enter, willing to use everything at his disposal to become stronger in the shortest possible time. This is why he cleared out the Divide Ice Phoenix Sect's treasure vault and acquired numerous profound crystals, which he believes are sufficient to enable the Primordial Profound Ark to teleport multiple times.

As Xuanyin is currently at the Heavenly Netherforest Lake and Yun Che does not wish to disturb her, he chooses his destinations. With the Primordial Profound Ark's power, he is able to perform instant teleportation-like travel and arrives at his desired location.

First destination, Flame God Realm!

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Northern Divine Region, Yama God Realm,

Yan Tianxiao currently holds the position of ruler in the Yama God Realm, which is one of the three King Realms within the Northern Divine Region. He has also received public recognition as the preeminent God Emperor in the entire region.

Yan Tianxiao sat on his throne as his subordinates informed him that the Devil Queen had issued an order for all Witches, Soul-Spirits, and Soul-Attendants to return to the realm as soon as possible, regardless of their current location or activities. His subordinates emphasized that this order was made publicly and not in secrecy.

Yan Tianxiao, perplexed by this news, sat on his throne within the Yama Imperial City while his subordinates presented their findings. After listening intently, he dismissed his subordinates with a directive to leave him to his thoughts. Yan Tianxiao's eyes remained filled with confusion as he rose from his throne and made his way deeper into the heart of the city.

Flame God Realm, God Burying Inferno Prison.

The Flame God Realm is located adjacent to the Snow Song Realm, however, it differs significantly from the latter as Snow Song Realm has only one reigning Realm King, namely Mu Xuanyin. On the other hand, the governance of Flame God Realm is entrusted to a triumvirate of rulers comprising the sect master of the three great flame sects, the sect master of Phoenix Sect named Yan Juehai, the sect master of Golden Crow Sect known as Huo Rulie, and the sect master of Vermillion Bird titled Yan Wancang.

Despite the fact that the individual strength of each of the three sect masters of the Flame God Realm is below that of Mu Xuanyin, who is a Divine Master Realm practitioner, the collective strength of the Flame God Realm is higher than that of Snow Song Realm. This is due to the fact that the Flame God Realm has a greater number of highly skilled practitioners overall. Each of the three sect masters possesses an impressive level of strength, with each of them reaching the pinnacle of Divine Sovereign Level 10.

The Flame God Realm, in many ways, was both similar to and yet completely different from the Snow Song Realm. While it had existed as a scorching hot realm for countless ages, with an abundance of fire elements that were highly active and dense, it was a place that most ordinary people could not tolerate due to its intense heat. Nevertheless, it was considered a paradise for those who possessed fire attribute bloodlines, fire attribute profound beasts, and cultivators of fire attribute profound arts.

The Flame God Realm had come into being on account of an ancient fire vein, similar to how the Snow Song Realm had come to be. This vein had been present since the Era of Gods, and at the core of this vein, there lay an extensive sea of fire known as the God Burying Inferno Prison. This sea of fire spanned over an expanse of almost fifty thousand kilometers.

The inhabitants of the Flame God Realm revered the flame vein and the God Burying Inferno Prison above all else, and they had spent an immeasurable amount of time exploring the depths of the God Burying Inferno Prison. However, despite their best efforts, no one had ever managed to reach the bottom of this inferno.

In comparison to the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, the God Burying Inferno Prison was a far grander spectacle, and its sheer size could even be considered an ancient wonder. It was said that the inferno prison was so vast that no one had ever managed to explore all of its depths, and its fiery energy was constantly in flux.

Upon disembarking from the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che was immediately struck by a wave of searing heat that was in stark contrast to the calm and chilly atmosphere of the Snow Song Realm. The air of the Flame God Realm was hot and frenzied, as if they had stepped into the midst of a raging inferno.

Above him, the sky was an astonishing shade of deep crimson, reminiscent of a piece of red-hot iron. It was difficult to discern whether this was due to the God Burying Inferno Prison's proximity or if it was a natural feature of the Flame God Realm's sky.

As Yun Che gazed upon the boundless sea of flames beneath him, he let out a sigh, marveling at its unchanging beauty. It was only a matter of weeks since he last set foot in this place, yet it felt like a lifetime ago. "It's a shame, really," he muttered to himself. "After today, the Flame God Realm as we know it may cease to exist."

Regret and self-mockery filled his heart as he thought of his friend, Huo Poyun. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?" he mused silently.

Without further ado, Yun Che took a deep breath and dove headfirst into the fiery abyss below.

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Yun Che continued to plunge deeper into the depths of the sea of flames, his mind filled with memories of his previous visit to the God Burying Inferno Prison. It had been only a few weeks ago when he had descended to the bottom of the prison, seeking to increase his strength in preparation for his upcoming battle against Jun Xilei, another God Child.

It was there that he had encountered the Fire Phoenix's Spirit, which had offered to bestow upon him its remaining power in order to make him stronger. Like the Ice Phoenix, which had relied on the Cold Vein in Netherfrost Lake to survive, the Fire Phoenix's Spirit had survived by feeding on the Fire Vein within the Flame God Realm.

Through this encounter, Yun Che had not only gained the remaining divine blood and divine spirit of the Fire Phoenix, but he had also received the ultimate profound art of the Divine Phoenix itself, a complete version of the World Ode of the Phoenix. These gifts had made him significantly stronger, empowering him with the tools needed to face his upcoming challenges.

In addition to the incredible gifts he had received from the Fire Phoenix's Spirit, Yun Che's own sword, the Heaven Smithing Devil God Sword, had also undergone a transformation in the depths of the God Burying Inferno Prison.

During his encounter with the Fire Phoenix's Spirit, it had informed him about the Golden Crow's Spirit, which had also once resided in the inferno prison. Although the Golden Crow's Spirit had since perished, it had left behind a sword called the Golden Crow Sacred Sword, which it had instructed the Fire Phoenix's Spirit to give to someone worthy.

The Golden Crow Sacred Sword was an ancient artifact that had once belonged to the Golden Crow, a creature that had survived the death of both gods and devils. The sword had been stored at the bottom of the inferno prison, where it had remained for centuries. While much of its power had dissipated over time, it was still an incredibly potent weapon, one that could only be wielded by the most skilled and powerful warriors.

Yun Che was initially unable to lift the Golden Crow Sacred Sword, as he lacked the necessary qualifications and strength to wield it. However, in a stroke of unexpected luck, Hong'er, the spirit of Yun Che's sword, suddenly appeared and devoured the ancient artifact, consuming its power and imbuing it into the Heaven Smithing Devil God Sword.

The Fire Phoenix's Divine Spirit was left in shock by the unexpected turn of events, and it passed away shortly thereafter. With the added power of the Golden Crow Sacred Sword, Yun Che was able to defeat Jun Xilei in the Conferred God Battle Stage.

Yun Che arrived at the bottom of the God Burying Inferno Abyss and surveyed the vast sea of flames that lay before him. Towering before him was the enormous Flame Vein, which provided support for the entire Flame God Realm. Unlike the Cold Vein in the Snow Song Realm, which had long since dried up, the Flame Vein still contained an immense amount of power, although only a fraction of its original strength from the era of Gods and Devils. Even a small leak of its power could annihilate the King Realm and its powerful practitioners. This the ultimate secret of the Flame God Realm, a Middle Star Realm.

"I should be able to do it with the power of the Law of Nothingness and the God of Element," Yun Che murmured to himself.

He raised his head and gazed up into the fiery sky above him, pushing his cultivation aura to its absolute limit.

"Tribulation Lightning, come!" Yun Che roared towards the heavens above.