Back then, when Yun Che first received the Primordial Profound Ark, it was a pitiful shadow of its former glory. Its aura was weak, and its internal world was fragile; at best, even after consuming massive God Realm resources, it could barely sustain beings up to the Divine Extinction Realm.
Yet, now, after relentless reinforcement and refinement by Yun Che and the other True Gods, the Divine Artifact had returned to its primordial, glorious past. Its internal world was now capable of effortlessly housing even the True Gods themselves!
This was especially true now that the Primordial Profound Ark's internal world was overflowing with the very purest divine profound energy, drawn directly from the terrifying depths of the Endless Fog Sea!
Although the number of Abyss inhabitants reached into the millions, their total mass was ultimately no more than a drop in an ocean compared to the vast, newly restored lands available for them within the Divine Ark!
Yun Che was certain: with the Ark's current, ultimate power level, even if the grand journey somehow failed to reach the God Realm, not a single soul would complain about living forever in such a paradise!
The entire, monumental process of loading the populace took only a few short hours, executed with supreme efficiency by the dutiful Pure Land Guards and Abyssal Knights.
As the last Profound Ship and the last group of people vanished into the portal, Yun Che cast his silent, final gaze toward the remaining Gods below. Without a single word, the Gods understood their ultimate duty, each casting their strongest, purest protection before they, too, instantly departed into the portal.
Their role was to safeguard the Ark from the inside; the external threat was the responsibility of Emperor Yun, Abyssal Monarch Mo Su, and Lady Xiaodie. With their departure, the entire world fell into an absolute, chilling silence; even the wind ceased its mournful stirring, as if knowing that no matter how strongly it sang, not a single soul would ever hear it again.
"Was that truly necessary?" Out in the vast, echoing silence of the abandoned Abyss, Mo Su's voice rang out, breaking the stillness as he and Pan Xiaodie now standing next to Yun Che.
"I needed a guarantee," Yun Che replied, his eyes cold, instantly understanding the meaning of the Abyssal Monarch's question. Many may have missed it, but how could Mo Su not know that Yun Che had subtly employed an absolute Soul Technique to ensure every single soul would fully, unequivocally obey his final command?
But... was it truly necessary?
"You gravely underestimate their innate longing and their desperate dreams," Mo Su countered, his voice heavy with conviction.
"I have people I have to absolutely protect," Yun Che shot back, his tone just as firm.
"Who in this entire Abyss would dare to defy your order and mine combined?" Mo Su retorted stubbornly.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA" As the two titanic figures bickered back and forth, a melodic, delightful laughter rang out like a clear spring: Pan Xiaodie.
"You two get along quite well," she chuckled, causing the two men to instantly cease, shaking their heads in mutual resignation.
"What now?" Mo Su finally asked. Every necessary task was complete, all grudges were politically amended, and the realm was empty. Now, it was time for Yun Che to uphold his final, ultimate promise.
Under normal circumstances, opening the necessary tunnel to the God Realm required the combined, full profound power of Mo Su, all the other Gods, and the Devil's Heavenly Profound Artifacts—and even then, success was never guaranteed.
Though now, with the acquisition of the final spatial tunnel coordinates ensured their attempt would be successful, Yun Che had already stated he would not use that ancient method, proclaiming he had a superior, singular technique available.
Mo Su had placed his full trust in Emperor Yun Che; now, it was time for the Emperor to prove that trust was not misplaced.
"....."
"Could you both... turn your figures around, close your eyes, and completely seal off your divine sense for a moment?" Yun Che finally uttered, his voice surprisingly soft.
"Huh?" Mo Su and Pan Xiaodie both queried in perfect unison. Even with their terrifying, divine hearing, the request was so unbelievably absurd and soft that it barely seemed to register.
"....."
"I REPEAT! CAN YOU BOTH TURN YOUR FIGURES AROUND, CLOSED YOUR EYES, AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF YOUR DIVINE SENSE FOR THIS MOMENT?" Yun Che stated, his voice now ringing with the absolute, unquestionable authority.
A pregnant, cosmic silence followed.
"..."
"Is this matter related to... that Senior?" Pan Xiaodie suddenly asked, her voice hushed. Although her memories from her time as a Life Essence were blurred, she could piece together the lingering, terrifying aura—a feeling of being utterly in the hand of a being whose power eclipsed even her father, the Devil Emperor!
"Yes," Yun Che simply confirmed with a nod.
"Alright," the pair concurred, nodding in solemn realization. They immediately put a safe, necessary distance between themselves and Yun Che preparing to utterly seal off their divine sense and hearing.
"It seems they still don't completely blind-trust you, hahaha!" Inside Yun Che's mind, Li Suo's melodic, knowing voice rang out with amusement.
"..." Yun Che sighed inwardly. He knew the truth: even if he were in their shoes, he would not place absolute, blind trust in himself either.
Of course, the ultimate method Yun Che needed to shatter the Abyss barriers and return to the God Realm absolutely had to do with the power of "Senior Death," yet the true, hidden reason he needed everyone to seal their divine senses and look away was because of something else entirely—something that carried a far more personal and immediate risk.
"Are you certain you are not merely overthinking this?" Li Suo's voice rang out once more, but this time, it was laced with a chilling seriousness and genuine worry.
"Worst comes to worst, I will likely only be punished... a little," Yun Che replied, his eyes instantly sharpening with cold resolve.
"Be careful," Li Suo commanded. Inside Yun Che's soul and mind, a powerful, absolute tide of divine power belonging to the Goddess of Life instantly manifested, fortifying everything within him against the unknown repercussion.
------
Deep inside the Well of Samsara, within the primordial Plane of Death itself—a desolate realm where entire universes, planets, and lesser realms were utterly dominated by dense Death Laws, and where even a nascent soul would be instantly reduced to nothingness—a figure clad in absolute black moved with a terrifying speed that defied all known comprehension. Yet, to the figure, that hyper-speed was as slow as ever, his millions of thoughts flashing through his mind in a single second as his lifeless eyes observed all creation.
Everywhere his gaze fell, he concluded with a deep, cosmic sigh of utter detachment. Finally, he floated upward toward the desolate sky of his own domain; in his eyes, everything he had ever "crated" contained.
"...."
After what seemed to be a silent, profound eternity, he opened his eyes once more. Yet, this time, the previous detachment was violently shattered; his lifeless eyes suddenly erupted with a brilliant, primordial light! Then, the entity spoke!
"Brothers... sisters...."
"For millions upon millions of years, every fragment of your essence has been slowly, inexorably drawn into this plane...locking away your ever brilliant"
"I know you are angry... I know you are hurt... and I know you all harbor an eternal resentment toward me.... And I know with absolute certainty that there is nothing I can ever do to repair the monumental, broken trust between us all."
"But you all must also find it within your essence to understand my utterly desperate position in all of this...." As if speaking directly to a visible person, Death's voice rang out, trembling with the weight of primordial emotion and impossible necessity.
"The time will soon arrive when you all will once more shine with ultimate brightness—when you will finally be able to return to the living world!" Death's voice resonated throughout the entire plane. Though no life existed here—only dead planets and ruined realms—the entity did not care, continuing its address.
"You all... just as I myself... have listened to the ultimate will of the Lord Mother...."
"... I hope that when the final time comes... all of you... will be able to find it in your hearts to forgive me...." With this heavy, terrifying sentiment, Death instantly withdrew its brilliant sight. Its figure flashed, returning to its divine throne to calculate the remaining time.
"It should be soon...." Death murmured, settling into an ultimate, chilling silence... waiting for the necessary calling to commence the terrifying plan.
------
In the void of the Abyss, just as Mo Su and Pan Xiaodie prepared to seal away their divine senses, their titanic figures suddenly froze mid-motion. No—it was not just them. The entire world itself had abruptly stopped!
The trees stopped moving, the air too creased it movement, even the time wheel completely frozen!
A terrifying, absolute power, a force of primordial cosmic law, had silently descended and seized the world. Every single being was paralyzed, unaware of the reason for the halt... except for one figure: Emperor Yun Che!
"..." Yun Che took a deep, steadying breath, his gaze fixed upon the terrifying direction of the Endless Fog Sea.
RUMBLEEEEEE!!!!
As if greeting him, the vast sky above the Sea began to churn violently, the heavens themselves threatening to crumble into dust. Storm clouds, thick with dense Abyssal Dust, swirled and moved as if commanded by a conscious will, as deafening lightning and thunder echoed from the primordial depths of the Sea.
Seeing the cataclysmic response with his divine sense, Yun Che made a final peace with himself.
His figure standing resolute in the empty sky, he pulled out a small, profound note and, with a tone of utter, profound respect, he began the terrifying, necessary invocation:
"Oh, High and Mighty Senior Death! He who grasps the heavens with his bare hands and effortlessly unites the Divine Laws! May his power be eternally unrivaled, his absolute domination be unending, his supreme rule hold strong for uncounted eons, and his glorious memory last for evermore!"
Separated by the absolute barrier of divine laws and entire planes of existence, inside the primordial World of Death where Death itself resided, the supreme entity almost completely toppled from its divine throne when it heard Yun Che's utterly shameless, hyperbolic invocation.
Before Yun Che had departed from the World of Death, the supreme entity had explicitly told him to simply call out when he was ready to leave the Abyss. Yet, the brazen youth had called out with a ridiculous paean?! And it wasn't even bloody original!
Though Death could not leave its primordial domain, it could pierce the veil to the land of the living. The entity was absolutely certain: this was a shameless plagiarism of one of Chi Wuyao's—flattering paeans! Yun Che had merely substituted a few words!
"WERE YOU MOCKING ME?!!!!" Death voice rang out inside Yun Che's mind!
From the briefest moment of stunned disbelief, the entity's feeling instantly exploded into absolute, extreme rage as its divine voice almost shatter Yun Che's soul!
"Senior... I was only joking... merely jesting with a small paean to acknowledge your supreme power..." Yun Che nervously shook his neck, forcing a wary, placating smile. He then immediately pivoted his tone to one of a respectful junior: "How have you been, Senior? Have you been well since we last met?"
"...."
"...." Death, utterly baffled by Yun Che's shameless, sudden change of topic, actually lost the thread of its rage for a critical moment.
"Are you ready to depart...?" the entity's voice finally resonated in Yun Che's mind once more. "Yes, Senior," Yun Che replied, his voice firming up.
"Alright then...." Death responded, preparing to commence the cosmic act of inter-realm travel.
"Wait, Senior... can... you help answer this junior a very important question?" As the primordial power of Death was preparing to act, Yun Che suddenly interrupted. His voice, despite the cosmic distance, was now laced with an undeniable, profound nervousness.
"...."
"What is it?" Death's voice rang out, laden with strained, impatient curiosity.
"...."
Yun Che took a deep, steadying breath, finally calming his racing mind, and then he asked the question that had plagued his soul for too long. It was now or never; he chose to ask immediately, knowing this was his final chance.
"Senior... I know you helped me only because of my relationship with Lingxi—the Ancestral Goddess..." Yun Che's tone was heavy with dangerous speculation.
"But if that is truly the case... how did you know to preserve the soul and Life Essence of Pan Xiaodie for millions of years... even before I was ever born?"
"...." Death was completely, absolutely stunned. The entity could peer through the thoughts of all beings and see the fate of many worlds, yet this question was a complete, devastating surprise.
Yun Che's inquiry had crossed the ultimate boundary—it touched upon the unwritten, primordial will of its Lord Mother!
"Can you... help this junior understand that, Senior?" Yun Che asked once more. This single query, the higher he climbed, became the core, burning mystery of his entire existence.
Even with the summation of all his previous lives, Yun Che had not lived longer than a hundred years. Yet, Death had preserved Pan Xiaodie's soul for millions of years to resolve a conflict with the Abyssal Monarch who was an enemy of Yun Che—a man barely alive.
The protection of Shen Xi's body and soul, the selfless teachings... it was all far too massive a convenience to overlook.
"..." Sitting on its divine throne, Death remained silent for what felt like an eternity.
Just as Yun Che assumed he would receive no answer, Death's voice finally resonated.
"Whether I tell you the truth now or not, you will find it for yourself sooner or later," Death stated.
"The truth...?" Yun Che's mind was violently shaken by the reply. "Senior... what do you mean?" With confusion, Yun Che asked out.
"I once gave you the key, did I not?..." Death's voice rang out. "Fates can be defied, but destiny must be obeyed."
"Senior... I truly do not comprehend your meaning..." Yun Che confessed, his mind frantically scrambling to decode the cryptic law.
"But...if you must seek the truth..." Just as Yun Che was filled with questions, Death voice rang out once more.
"There is a certain brat with a very interesting book... what was his name again...? Ah, yes... Liu Xiao. That brat—you might want to seek him out if you wish to see the full truth..."
"This is the absolute most I can tell you... in ten breaths of time, I will break the worlds barriers for you... Farewell, Yun Che." Death's voice rang out, ending the conversation forever.
"Wait, Senior!" Yet, even as Yun Che's final, desperate word rang out, the power of Death was instantaneously withdrawn, and the cosmic Time Wheel of the World violently resumed its turning. Mo Su's voice, which had been frozen mid-question, immediately completed its thought.
"...How long would you need for us to have our divine senses shut off?" Mo Su's question rang out completely, but before the Abyssal Monarch could finish the inquiry, Yun Che cut him off, his eyes flashing with supreme power.
"No need," Yun Che stated.
????
Mo Su and Pan Xiaodie were utterly caught off guard and confused by the abrupt reply.
"Then... will you now contract that Senior?" Pan Xiaodie asked, her voice hushed with realization.
"He was here," Yun Che replied plainly, the weight of the past moments settled. "In about ten breaths of time... be utterly ready to leave this realm." Yun Che's command instantly shattered the pair's composure and before the pair can even say anything,
RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!
The world did not grant any of them a final moment to process their shock.
The entire Abyss violently rumbled as the gray clouds and dark skies began to shatter apart like glass! From the very depths of the Endless Fog Sea, a catastrophic explosion—the ultimate force—instantly detonated, the sheer shockwave tearing apart everything within its colossal radius!
BOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
Explosions in the Abyss due to the Abyss's volatile Time Wheel were not unheard off, yet, they were mere whispers compared to this primal fury. The force of this single, ultimate detonation was already comparable to a full-power attack from an Ancient True God—and the terrifying power was still increasing!
With each successive explosion, the shattering strength increased exponentially, utterly annihilating everything in its path!
By the time the catastrophic shockwave began to reach Yun Che and the pair, the force was beyond terrifying—it was absolute cosmic doom. Just as they felt the first, profound tremors of terror, the final escape route opened above them.
CRACKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
From the dark-gray, shattered sky above the Pure Land, a massive, primordial spatial tunnel violently tore open! Abandoning all final hesitation, Yun Che, Mo Su, and Pan Xiaodie seized the opportunity, becoming three blurs of light as they instantly rushed toward the sky and plunged into the unknown abyss of the spatial vortex!
------
In the divine throne, Death watched the climactic scene unfold for the final time, its last thoughts flashing through its mind before its eyes closed forever.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
As Death willfully let go of its "life," its titanic body dispersed into a black, primordial mist, exploding outward in all directions across the vast, infinite planes of its domain.
CRACK.....CRACK.... BOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
Across the entirety of the vast Death Plane, the countless dying realms, the barren lands, and the dead planets violently shook and instantly burst apart, converting their entire essence into torrents of spectral, brilliant light. In but an instant, all of them had left the Death Plane, leaving nothing behind outside of the primordial River of Reincarnation itself!
As the final trace of spectral light departed, an absolute, unending darkness enveloped the entire plane, just as it had been and should always be. Death's final, faint voice resonated once in the vast void: "Lord Mother... you must... keep your promise..."
In the Northern Divine Region's Soul Stealing Realm, a pervasive gloom and deep despair marked every face, for the looming deadline of their final, inevitable death was drawing near. Within one of the main, grand palaces, a young woman sat in silence, her gaze fixed upon the darkness-filled sky as she stares at the few clouds above, her thoughts completely lost in the surrounding desolation.
Unbeknownst to her, and unseen in the deepest shadows of the darkest night, her profound soul suddenly trembled, convulsing violently as if a powerful, ancient force had been abruptly awakened within her very being...