Chapter 780 - Xiao Yun’s Disappearance
“So you’re saying that the reason why I was able to defeat Fen Juechen so easily was also due to Hong’er?” Yun Che asked in astonishment.
“Hmph, what do you think?”
“...” Yun Che immediately grew depressed. Since he had beaten Fen Juechen, he had always thought that his strength had reached the stage where he could go toe to toe with a practitioner of the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. But to think that it was actually because of Hong’er!
It was no wonder why the darkness profound energy that Fen Juechen had used during their duel was far weaker than the exceedingly terrifying aura that had radiated from his body... At that time, he had already found it exceedingly strange but he had not thought of Hong’er at all. Instead, he guessed that it was because Feng Juechen was unable to obtain complete mastery over the darkness profound energy which had come from an external source.
Under the vermillion light emanating from the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, the originally inky dark interior of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest became incredibly clear and Yun Che could even see the small pebbles at the corners of the nest. He naturally could also see the full appearance of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign... He was nearly five meters tall, black light radiating from his body. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s skin was a deep gray color while his hair was bone-white, trailing all the way to his feet.
At first glance, besides the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s enormous build and the dusky hue of his skin, his appearance was basically no different from a human’s. Having been tortured by a seal for a million years and having to hide from the light of day for another ten thousand years, Yun Che had thought that the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign would be exceedingly ugly and look as old as a ghost. To his surprise, the Moon Devil Sovereign’s features, while warped in pain, were exceptionally handsome, from a human’s perspective. Furthermore, he did not look much older than a thirty year old man.
“It… it can’t be… it can’t be a devil slayer sword!”
The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign finally stood up, but he remained in a hunched posture and the gray hand that he held to the wound on his chest continued to tremble. Yun Che could still see that vermillion light leaking out from between the gaps of his fingers and it did not seem to be weakening in the slightest.
“The Sword Spirit God Clan… were the first clan of gods to be wiped out... So it isn’t possible that a devil slayer sword still exists in this world!” The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign exclaimed in a voice that was still filled with pain. Besides a devil slayer sword, nothing else in this world could inflict a wound that would torment a true devil body for such a long period of time, despite only being only half a foot long.
“The sword light...” The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s eyes widened as he let out a sudden howl, “Devil slayer swords emit a white-colored sword light... That isn’t a devil slayer sword!! Just what sword are you holding in your hands!? Where exactly did you get such a sword!?”
Jasmine, “...”
“Hmph, you don’t need to concern yourself with where my sword came from. The only thing you need to know is that you will die at the hands of this sword… and that is enough!” Yun Che hefted the Heaven Smiting Sword, his expression no longer containing the slightest bit of fear or desire to flee. Instead, he looked supremely confident at the moment and his lips curled into a cold smile that spoke of his impending victory.
Jasmine could naturally feel the change in Yun Che’s attitude and she spoke out abruptly, “Aren’t you getting a bit too overconfident right now? The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign only used half his power at most when he launched that attack at you. Furthermore, the only reason you were able to wound him at all was because you caught him off guard. Even though Hong’er’s power is able to heavily restrict his own power, it definitely doesn’t mean that your victory is assured! His powers are far more robust and stronger than your own! And it is absolutely sufficient to overcome the disadvantage that Hong’er has put him at.”
“I know.” Yun Che said as he gripped the Heaven Smiting Sword tightly but his voice still contained more than a hint of excitement, “I can roughly gauge his strength right now. The first thing I felt when I faced him was an overwhelming dread that I wasn’t able to overcome at all. But after I summoned out Hong’er, for some inexplicable reason, that feeling completely disappeared. And right now, I don’t feel the slightest bit of fear. Rather… I feel even more relaxed and excited than when I faced off against Fen Juechen.”
Jasmine, “...?”
This was indeed strange. It was true that holy power and devil power mutually repulsed and restricted each other but Yun Che did not have a holy body and he did not possess any holy powers either. Furthermore, it was Hong’er’s presence alone that was restricting the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s devil body and devil powers.
But that was only his devil body and devil powers! It would not affect his soul!
No matter whether it was strength, spirit or species, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was far above Yun Che. So without even discussing the Yun Che who was currently far inferior to the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, even if both of them were equal in terms of power, Yun Che would definitely still be suppressed, especially when it came to the suppression of his soul... The overwhelming terror that Yun Che could not shake was the most ordinary and expected outcome.
So why had Yun Che’s fear completely disappeared and why was he able to radiate such a fierce and aggressive aura? On the other hand, it was the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign who... If it was a god who was on the same level as him holding a devil slayer sword, then perhaps he might feel fear. But right now he was facing a Yun Che whose power was far inferior to his, so why was he feeling such an intense dread?
From all the records of the devil slayer swords and from all his memories of them, it had never once been mentioned that they could also suppress a devil’s soul.
Oh right, Hong’er was not simply a normal devil slayer sword! The light she radiated when she transformed into sword was completely different from the light that the fabled devil slayer swords emitted...
But being able to create such a huge suppressive effect on a devil’s soul that practically transcended levels... Such an item should not even exist in this world! Whether it was the records of the Primordial Era or any inheritance of memories, there was no mention of such an item... given the level that the gods and devils existed on, it was not possible for such a thing to exist.
Unless… it was a higher order devil or god who was facing a lower level devil or god... But that was purely a suppression based on the order of things!
“...” The abnormally fierce and exuberant expression displayed on Yun Che’s face caused Jasmine to go into deep thought.
“Very good!” The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s face was warped by fury. He slowly straightened up and began striding towards Yun Che, “It is indeed not important for this king to concern myself with that sword! Because the conclusion will be the same regardless! To think that a lowly and inferior creature such as yourself could actually inflict such pain on this king... Unforgivable!!”
“This king will grind all your bones into dust!!”
As his voice fell, all of the dark energy surrounding the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign began to surge and roil. He was only about one hundred steps away from Yun Che as well. He had originally believed that every step he took towards Yun Che would be like the footfalls of death itself as it pressed on in this lowly human, causing his entire body to tremble with fear, his courage to completely melt away and ultimately ending with Yun Che turning tail to flee... But right now, the only thing he saw was the cold smile that played across Yun Che’s face and even as he pressed in, no fear appeared on Yun Che’s face. Instead his gaze grew more fevered and excited and even his profound energy aura grew incredibly frenzied.
On the contrary, it was the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign who felt like his heart was being weighed down by one crushing boulder after another with every step he took. Furthermore, the light radiating from Yun Che’s sword was especially unbearable, it caused him immense discomfort and he did not even dare to look at it directly. This natural repulsion he felt towards the light that he recognized as a great threat to his own life and soul origin continued until he suddenly focused his gaze on the sword. At the same time, the full appearance of that vermillion greatsword and the light that it emitted was completely absorbed into his mind...
At that instant, his feet completely froze and his pupils widened so much that it seemed like they would rupture.
“Heaven… Heaven Smiting Devil God Sword!!”
Jasmine, “...!!!?”
Thump...
The moment the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign started to shiver in fear, it seemed as if all of his strength had slipped away as he sank to his knees, his body trembling violently like a sieve. It was as if he had witnessed the most terrifying and unbelievable scene in this world!
This bizarre behavior and reaction was one hundred times more intense than when he had shouted out the three words “devil slayer sword”!
“What’s going on now?” Yun Che had already been prepared to launch an all-out assault. But he had never expected the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign to suddenly become scared witless. His brows twitched as he stared at the dazed Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign... Could it be that this fellow’s wits had been completely scrambled because he had been alone for too long?
“He just yelled out a name… Heaven Smiting Devil God Sword? Yes?” Yun Che suddenly exclaimed, “Oh right! Besides the two words ‘devil slayer’ that is inscribed on the sword that Hong’er transforms into, there are also two other words, ‘heaven smiting.’ At first, he called it a ‘devil slayer sword,’ then he called it the ‘Heaven Smiting Devil God Sword.’ When you put those two names together, it really fits the sword that Hong’er transforms into. Could it be that he knows about Hong’er’s origins? After all, like Hong’er, he also hails from the Primordial Era!
“...Now is not the time to worry about these things!” Jasmine shouted in a rather strange voice but she did not address Yun Che’s doubts, “Remember what I said just now, do not hold anything back, use all your trump cards and pay whatever price you have to because you definitely need to kill this Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign!” Right now, his devil body and powers are being restricted by Hong’er. Furthermore, he threw his own weapon into the Profound Sky Continent, so when it comes to weaponry, you have the absolute advantage... Put everything you have on the line! It is definitely possible for you to kill him!”
“Alright!” Yun Che swiftly cast all other thoughts aside as his killing intent surged and flames ignited all over his body.
“Im… Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!!” The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign howled hysterically but it was almost as if he was talking to himself at the same time, “Appearance… exactly the same… and this devilish might... No! It isn’t possible… it definitely isn’t possible! The color isn’t the same… and even if it is… then how come it is also able to exude the aura of a devil slayer sword...”
At this moment, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s head suddenly jerked up as he roared at Yun Che, “That sword… just what kind of sword is it, where did it come from!!?”
He had just yelled that the origins and history of that sword was not important... But at this moment, he repeated the words that he had shouted at Yun Che initially and this time, his voice was even more frenzied.
“You talk way too much!” Yun Che replied coldly. After that, his body blurred as he rushed towards the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, “Why don’t you just ask King Yama when you see him in hell!?”
Yun Che’s words caused the devilish light in the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s eyes to burn brightly. To think that he showed such a pathetic and cowardly face to a human being, just thinking about it caused his temper to boil over. “This king will cripple you first, then search your soul!!”
He had changed his mind and decided not to kill Yun Che... It was clear that he simply had to figure out what was going on with the vermillion greatsword that Yun Che held in his hands!
All of the devil energy in his body swelled up as deep gray devilish markings lit up on his back. In an instant, the roiling dark devil energy formed into a enormous black shadow behind him. This black shadow was tens of meters tall and it had nine sinuous heads which twisted about, as if it was the legendary monster, the Nine-headed Hydra!
A brutal and frenzied aura which promised pain leaked out from that shadow, causing all of the energy in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest to grow frenzied as well. After that, the black shadow dissolved into nine beams of dark energy which sizzled towards Yun Che.
“That is the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night’s Nine Deaths of Eternal Night! It carries nine different kinds of extremely negative concepts and it will destroy your mind before even hurting your body!”
Yun Che remained fearless and resolute, a corner of his mouth hooked into a cold smile. All the joints of his body creaked as he swung the Heaven Smiting Sword which weighed nearly five hundred thousand kilograms. Golden Crow flames ran along the body of the heavy sword as it instantly generated a rampaging, all-consuming firestorm which smashed heavily against the nine beams of dark devil energy.
The beams of dark devil energy were completely swallowed by the onrushing firestorm and in that instant, the space in that area completely shattered. The color of the wind changed as deafening energy explosions and the extremely terrible shrill sound of something being devoured rang in the air for a long time.
For the levels of power being shown by Yun Che and the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, while being immensely sturdy, was far too small a battlefield to contain their fight. Both of their powers clashed fiercely and it seemed like the entire earth was shaking. The clothes on Yun Che’s body had been ripped to shreds but the pupils of his eyes released a deep red light. He lashed out with the Heaven Smiting Sword again and again and each slash was accompanied by an earth-shattering boom.
Boom! Boom! Boooom...
Yun Che had made more than ten continuous slashes, forcing those nine beams of devil energy more than thirty meters into the distance, not allowing a single one to approach his body. The attack which had used about seventy percent of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s power had been completely blown away. After that, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s body shot out like a rocket and two black hands which seemed to emerge from the deepest abyss, streaming with the extremely dense dark devil energy, tore at Yun Che’s throat.
Boom!!
Sword and claw met as the scarlet red flames surged against pitch-black devil energy. Yun Che’s body shook and his upper body bent, causing a faint shock to shoot through his heart... This Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had actually used a hand that had been wrapped in darkness energy to clash directly with his Heaven Smiting Sword!
Just based on this point alone, Yun Che was absolutely convinced that if not for the Heaven Smiting Sword in his hand, he would definitely not be the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign's opponent.
But the alarm and astonishment that shot through the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was one hundred times more intense! He was shocked that the power of a noble and superior devil such as himself had been blocked by this inferior human being!
What alarmed him even more was that… the moment his power came into contact with that vermillion greatsword, it suddenly weakened drastically! It was as if something had mysteriously siphoned that power away!
Pop! Pop! Pop...
All the bones in Yun Che’s body made small popping sounds and his originally dull red eyes became filled with frenzy and killing intent. Before the aftershock of the previous attack had completely dispersed, he suddenly somersaulted through the air as he smashed his sword toward the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign.
“Pathetic human being… if it’s just you alone, you can stop dreaming of matching blows with this king!!”
The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign gave a roar of extreme fury as both his claws shot out. At the same time, the pitch-black devilish light suddenly expanded and swelled by tens of meters. The darkness energy swept forward, intending to smash the Heaven Smiting Sword into pieces, reducing it to nothingness.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boooom...
Flames exploded violently and darkness energy wreaked havoc all over the place. Within the space of a few breaths, the flames and the devilish light had clashed against each other one hundred times as the small battlefield seemed to be engulfed in an apocalyptic calamity... If this was not the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, then even if it was an island that was five hundred kilometers wide, it would have been completely obliterated by now.
Blue Wind Nation. Blue Wind Imperial City. The main hall of the Imperial Palace.
Cang Yue lounged on a phoenix chair, a faint smile played across her fair face. Her heart was calm and peaceful as she casually perused a jade scroll.
At this moment, she felt a faint ripple of profound energy course through her Sound Transmission Jade.
Cang Yue put down her jade scroll and grasped the Sound Transmission Jade in her hand. The voice that came from the it was Xiao Lingxi’s voice… and Cang Yue could hear the anxiousness in her voice as well as faint traces of weeping.
“...What!” After she had finished listening to the Xiao Lingxi’s sound transmission, she shot to her feet, her crescent brows knitted together fiercely.
After she pondered the matter briefly, she grasped the Sound Transmission Jade once more as she sent a sound transmission back to Xiao Lingxi, “Lingxi, don’t be anxious. You need to devote all your energy into ensuring that Seventh Sister’s emotions remain stable, we definitely mustn’t allow anything to happen to the baby! I will immediately think of a way to transmit a message to my husband.”
Even after she put down the Sound Transmission Jade, Cang Yue’s phoenix brows remained furrowed for a long time. She whispered to herself, “Husband is currently at Supreme Ocean Palace, which is one hundred and fifty thousand kilometers distant. The highest grade Sound Transmission Talisman can only send a message over a distance of fifty thousand kilometers...”
“Only Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace is left! Perhaps they will have a way to send a sound transmission to my husband!”
“Men! Summon Palace Chief Dongfang and Palace Chief Qin!” Cang Yue shouted in an anxious voice.
The highest grade Sound Transmission Talisman was only able to transmit over a distance of fifty thousand kilometers. Furthermore, it was also exceedingly expensive. Even so, it would still not be able to reach Supreme Ocean Palace, which laid one hundred and fifty thousand kilometers away. Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace was their only remaining hope… but it just so happened that the only sound transmission imprints she had belonging to Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace was those of Yun Che, Feng Xue’er and Xia Qingyue. But right now, none of them were not in the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.
After a very short period of time, Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang had finally hurried over.
“Palace Chief Qin!” Cang Yue yelled, dispensing with all formalities as she rushed over to speak to them, “You need to immediately send a sound transmission to all the Profound Palaces within the Blue Wind Nation and order them to cease all other activities within the next three days as I want them to devote all their efforts into searching for traces of Xiao Yun!”
“Xiao Yun?” Qin Wushang and Dongfang Xie were both taken aback, “What has happened!?”
“Xiao Yun disappeared four hours ago.” Cang Yue said solemnly, “If someone else had disappeared for four hours, it wouldn’t be anything strange. But Xiao Yun normally doesn’t even stray half a step away from his wife. So for him to suddenly up and vanish is a very strange thing indeed! Palace Chief Qin, time is of the essence and we don’t have any of it left to explain things or second guess ourselves! You already know Xiao Yun’s age and appearance and before he disappeared, he was wearing plain white clothes and he had a white cloth wrapped around his waist… So go and inform all the Profound Palaces! But remember this, all the Profound Palaces must conduct their investigations covertly! We definitely must not disclose anything to the public! The moment anyone discovers a trace of Xiao Yun, he must make a report back with the fastest speed possible!”
“Understood!” Qin Wushang yelled. He knew that this matter was deadly serious and he did not speak any further. Instead, he turned around to carry out his orders.
“Do we need to dispatch anybody to Floating Cloud City?” Dongfang Xiu asked.
Cang Yue gently shook her head, “The profound strength of Xiao Yun and his wife are unrivaled in Blue Wind Nation. Even if you put them in the Heavenly Sword Villa, the other party was able to kidnap Xiao Yun without raising a single alarm. So if they wanted to take action against the others, no matter how many people we send, it won’t be of any use.”
“Palace Chief Dongfang, my hus… Yun Che is currently staying at Supreme Ocean Palace and only the disciples of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace will be able to contact him! I want you to depart for Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace right away! Even if you have to travel day and night, you have to reach Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace within the next twenty four hours, no matter what! Inform them of what has transpired! They will naturally know what to do after that.”
Dongfang Xiu gave a brief nod before he took the air and disappeared from the great hall as he rushed towards the north.