Shenwu Mingque had been silently and meticulously observing every subtle shift in Meng Jianxi’s aura and expression. She perceived his surprise and captured his intense interest.

However, when Meng Jianxi moved his gaze away from the Apotheosis Divine Jade¹, his face bore a light smile—forty percent humble, sixty percent composed. "The Apotheosis Divine Jade is indeed something this junior has dreamed of. But, since the 'Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal²' could compel a personage as noble as Senior to personally condescend to visit, it is clear that its value... at least its value to your kingdom, far exceeds a single Apotheosis Divine Jade."

Shenwu Mingque’s expression remained unchanged, but she sighed heavily in her heart. She was truly not surprised by Meng Jianxi's response.

As the de facto second-in-command of the Eternal Night God Realm, her personal arrival to request the item was equivalent to directly announcing the extreme extraordinary nature of the Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal and the immense importance Eternal Night placed upon it. But where the crystal was concerned, the Wuming God Sovereign³ would never allow it to be handled through the hands of a "servant."

From the very beginning, she had been at a disadvantage, yet she had no choice.

Without attempting to argue or exert pressure, and lacking the confidence to leave in a huff, Shenwu Mingque narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke without evasion: "God Child Jianxi speaks truly. If it were a common object, why would I need to come in person? If it were a common object, how could it be worthy of me offering such a perfect Apotheosis Divine Jade? However, its preciousness exists only within my Eternal Night God Realm. In the hands of God Child Jianxi, it truly is nothing more than a useless piece of scrap crystal."

"Of course, of course," Meng Jianxi immediately chimed in with a humble tone. "With Senior’s status, you would naturally not stoop to lying to a junior. I am indeed entirely ignorant of this crystal and have no way of even beginning to use it..."

He followed up with a series of sincere nods, then said in an even more earnest and modest tone: "However, since it is something Senior desires, shouldn't the price be set by this junior?"

"Fine." Shenwu Mingque’s heart relaxed slightly. What she feared most was not a high price, but the other party refusing to negotiate. Since he was willing to name a price, it basically meant the matter was settled. "I loathe hypocrisy and beating around the bush. Please speak plainly, God Child Jianxi. As long as it is not too excessive, I can agree to it."

"Then I shall not stand on ceremony." At this moment, Meng Jianxi looked up calmly, his gaze meeting Shenwu Mingque’s directly, candid and unfazed. "Though the Apotheosis Divine Jade is peerlessly precious, a single piece is hardly enough to honor the immense face of Senior’s personal visit."

He slowly extended his right hand, spreading his fingers one by one. "Five Apotheosis Divine Jades, and I shall respectfully offer the Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal to Senior."

Despite being prepared for Meng Jianxi to demand a king's ransom, when the staggering words "five Apotheosis Divine Jades" left his mouth, Shenwu Mingque’s eyes still constricted suddenly, and her chest heaved violently for a moment.

"Heh!" She let out a cold laugh. "Does God Child Jianxi know what he is saying?"

Meng Jianxi hurriedly said in a gentle voice: "If Senior did not hear clearly..."

"Audacious whelp!" Shenwu Mingque suddenly took a step forward. Although she did not release her profound energy, the terrifying majesty originating from the eighth level of the Divine Limit Realm⁴ was enough to make the soul of any expert in the Divine Extinction Realm⁵ shrink. "Five Apotheosis Divine Jades? Heh! You are the esteemed God Child of the Dreamweaving God Realm; you should know better than anyone what the Apotheosis Divine Jade means to the younger generation of a God Realm. A single jade can create a genius capable of becoming world-famous overnight. Even with your status as a God Child, you are only granted one in your entire life!!"

"I have long heard that the Dreamweaving God Child, though young, possesses deep calculation and knows when to advance or retreat. I never expected... Hmph!" She sneered, her voice full of mockery. "I am quite curious. How could such noble lips as the God Child's utter such delusional words as 'five Apotheosis Divine Jades'?"

Meng Jianxi naturally knew exactly what five Apotheosis Divine Jades represented. But since Yun Che had instructed him to "open his mouth wide," he naturally had to make the demand large enough—large enough that even he felt it was impossible to accept... As for what price they would eventually settle on, that would depend on their respective skills.

Facing Shenwu Mingque’s terrifying pressure, Meng Jianxi’s entire body had gone stiff, making it difficult to breathe. He took a deep breath, gave a faint bow, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Forgive my bluntness, but this confidence and this bargaining chip were given to me by Senior. If I asked for too little, it would be me who is ungrateful and ignorant, slighting Senior’s distinguished presence."

"..." This was the opening disadvantage that Shenwu Mingque could not refute. She could only narrow her eyes again, her voice cold: "While the Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal is quite important to my Eternal Night, it is far from being indispensable, and it is absolutely impossible for it to outweigh five whole Apotheosis Divine Jades."

"My personal arrival is proof of my sincerity. God Child Jianxi is willing to name a price, which shows a desire to facilitate a win-win situation. But this demand is simply the joke of the century. If you insist on this, then this situation, which should have benefited both parties, will likely become a widely circulated laughingstock, a testament to greed and ignorance!"

Enticing with profit and pressuring with reputation—this was indeed a heavy move. Just as Meng Jianxi was about to take a timely step back, his gaze suddenly shifted toward the door, and the words he was about to speak were swallowed back down.

Yun Che walked in leisurely. He glanced at Shenwu Mingque and spoke indifferently: "I heard a distinguished guest from the Eternal Night God Realm had arrived. To think it is a Senior Night Walker⁶ in person. My apologies for the lack of respect. May I ask what brings you here?"

He did not bow, nor did he show the slightest bit of reverence. His eyes and tone even carried an undisguised air of nonchalance.

Shenwu Mingque frowned slightly but did not lash out... Shenwu Yi had nearly killed Yun Che two months ago; how could he possibly show Eternal Night a good face?

Meng Jianxi quickly approached and said: "Brother Yuan, do you remember that dragon-shaped Abyssal Crystal I happened upon a while ago? Senior Shenwu has come specifically for that crystal."

"Oh?" Yun Che feigned shock, then let out a sneer. "The renowned Chief of the Eternal Night Night Walkers came all this way specifically to seek an Abyssal Crystal of unknown origin? So... what did God Child Jianxi say?"

Meng Jianxi cooperated, saying: "To have Senior Shenwu visit in person, the value of that Abyssal Crystal is naturally extraordinary. Therefore, I just proposed that if Eternal Night wishes to obtain this crystal, they must exchange it for five Apotheosis Divine Jades."

"..." Yun Che’s expression visibly froze for a moment. He slowly turned his head, staring at Meng Jianxi, his tone becoming somewhat stiff: "You said... five??"

The six words "five Apotheosis Divine Jades" were likely enough to make the God Sovereigns of every nation change color. Meng Jianxi clearly misunderstood, thinking his "big opening" was truly too large, and hurriedly said: "This price is indeed a bit..."

"A bit!?" Yun Che suddenly spoke, his voice rising sharply, and even his brows furrowed deeply. "God Child Jianxi, do you still remember... the trip to the Pure Land, the God-Slept Forbidden Region? I nearly died at the hands of the Eternal Night Divine Daughter, Shenwu Yi!"

"A grudge involving one's life is irreconcilable in this lifetime! And now, only two months have passed, yet you are allowing someone from Eternal Night to use a mere five Apotheosis Divine Jades to trade for a peerless Abyssal Crystal that our Dreamweaving only obtains once every million years?!"

He stared at Meng Jianxi, every word carrying cold anger: "God Child Jianxi, are you the God Child of Dreamweaving, or the God Child of Eternal Night!?"

Shenwu Mingque was stunned, and Meng Jianxi also stood there dazed, before immediately saying in a panicked voice: "Yuan... Brother Yuan, why would you say that? My life and soul both belong to Dreamweaving, how could I..."

"Save the nonsense!" Yun Che snapped his hand, clearly not wanting to hear more. He then abruptly turned around to face the frostily silent Shenwu Mingque. "Although that dragon-shaped Abyssal Crystal was found by the God Child, it belongs to Dreamweaving. He alone cannot decide its fate. If you want to take it, fine! But the price needs to be changed slightly."

Like Meng Jianxi before him, he slowly extended five fingers. "Apotheosis Divine Jades... fifty!"

The corner of Meng Jianxi’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. Only then did he realize that Yun Che had appeared not because his demand was too large, but because it was far too small.

Fifty Apotheosis Divine Jades... Forget a single Eternal Night God Realm; even if one turned all six God Realms upside down, they wouldn't be able to scrounge up that many.

Shenwu Mingque’s face turned completely cold. "God Child Yuan, your words... are you trying to bully others too far?"

"Bully?" Yun Che gave a disdainful sneer. "A voluntary transaction—if it succeeds, both win; if not, neither loses. How is this bullying? Could it be more 'bullying' than your Eternal Night God Realm trying to kill me for no reason at all?"

"..." With the moral failing on her side, Shenwu Mingque could not refute him.

Yun Che took a step forward, his voice turning several degrees colder: "The origin of that dragon-shaped Abyssal Crystal is still unknown, as is its use. If another nation needed it, it wouldn't be out of the question to gift it to them. But you, Eternal Night... fifty Apotheosis Divine Jades. Not half a jade less, or it's impossible!"

Shenwu Mingque stared at Yun Che. Although her gaze was deep and carried prestige, she felt nothing but a deep sense of powerlessness in her heart.

Furthermore, she clearly perceived that while standing so close to her and being completely enveloped in her pressure, Yun Che’s expression was stern, without a shred of trepidation or fear. He didn't even show the instinctive physical shrinking that should have been present.

A body in the Divine Sovereign Realm⁷ standing so tall against the direct pressure of the Divine Limit Realm... she had never seen its like in her life.

Seeing that Shenwu Mingque had fallen silent for a long time, Meng Jianxi stepped in at the right moment. "Brother Yuan, this matter... even if we added up all the existing Apotheosis Divine Jades in the entire Abyss right now, there probably wouldn't be fifty of them."

He remembered Yun Che’s previous instructions... while they were to "open their mouths wide," the original intent was still to make the deal happen.

Meng Jianxi took a step closer. Without trying to hide it from Shenwu Mingque, he spoke in a perfectly ordinary voice: "Brother Yuan, I know you have resentment in your heart, but the Father God⁸ has already personally stepped in to punish them, so the matter is considered even. Now that the Eternal Pure Land is approaching, the Father God has repeatedly instructed us not to cause trouble recently. No matter how precious an Abyssal Crystal is, it is ultimately a dead object. But Senior Shenwu’s personal visit is a major event. If we rebuff her face like this and provoke the anger of the Wuming God Sovereign... if Father God finds out, he might also..."

Yun Che’s brows were tightly knit, his indignation unextinguished, but he did not immediately speak to refute... It seemed the words "Father God" had calmed him down.

Shenwu Mingque also spoke at this time: "The Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal is indeed something the Exalted One⁹ requires. The High Priestess's words of warning are still in my ears, and my Eternal Night also has no wish to cause any unnecessary trouble near the period of the Eternal Pure Land. Therefore, as long as the price is not so excessive, I will not hesitate. But if God Child Yuan insists on causing trouble, then I... can... do... nothing!"

The last four words were as faint and rippleless as a deep pond.

After a deathly silence, Yun Che slowly looked up, a faint smile reappearing on his lips. "Fifty Apotheosis Divine Jades is indeed a bit too much. If I lose the grace of my Dreamweaving God Realm because of my personal grudge, it would indeed be a bad bargain. In that case, I shall change the price."

The corners of his mouth slowly widened—a slight movement that bloomed into a strangely dangerous curve in Shenwu Mingque’s eyes. "Don't worry, it is definitely a price your Eternal Night God Realm can afford, and one that is incredibly easy to achieve."

Shenwu Mingque looked at Yun Che, holding her breath, listening to him slowly utter the new price:

"Have your Eternal Night God Realm’s Divine Daughter, Shenwu Yi, come here and beg me in person."

Space suddenly froze, followed by a sudden wave of bone-chilling cold.

In the land of Dreamweaving, facing two juniors of the Dreamweaving God Realm, she actually lost control of her anger... simply because it involved Shenwu Yi.

Meng Jianxi’s brow darkened, and he instinctively stepped in front of Yun Che. Hundreds of auras instantly locked onto the location, and the space became so heavy it felt as if the sky were about to collapse.

Yun Che, however, seemed completely oblivious. Instead, he maintained a playful posture. "Whether to agree or not is entirely voluntary. And... there is no room for negotiation!"

Ignoring Shenwu Mingque’s rage and without waiting for her to respond, Yun Che turned away. "God Child Jianxi, the matter is settled. Considering that the Senior from Eternal Night has traveled from afar as a guest, we shall grant them three days."

"Within three days, if Shenwu Yi comes to beg in person, that dragon-shaped crystal will belong to the Eternal Night God Realm; I will not go back on my word. But once three days pass... God Child Jianxi, please completely destroy that Abyssal Crystal. Not a single speck of residue is allowed to remain!"

Shenwu Mingque’s aura surged again. "You..."

"Senior Shenwu had better mind her words." Yun Che interrupted her unceremoniously, his posture so arrogant it was as if he weren't facing a high-ranking elder. "I am young and lack seniority, so my heart is naturally very narrow. If I accidentally hear something I don't want to hear, I might just give the order to destroy the crystal immediately!"

"Senior might as well give it a try."

Anger, words, and unwillingness... mixed with the surging turbid breath, were all stuck firmly in her throat, unable to spill out another drop. Instead, waves of icy fear surged in her heart.

The Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal was the final Abyssal Crystal needed for Shenwu Yanye’s rebirth. If she failed... if she caused it to be permanently destroyed, the consequences were simply unimaginable.

After a long silence and a moment of daze, Shenwu Mingque’s slightly out-of-control aura gradually dissipated. She said nothing more and simply turned to leave.

"Show the guest out!" Yun Che shouted, but his feet didn't move, and he didn't even cast a glance in her direction.

Meng Jianxi had no choice but to pull back his step. He waited until Shenwu Mingque’s aura was far away before saying with a face full of wonder and inquiry: "Brother Yuan, this move... surely it wasn't just to vent your anger?"

"Personal grudges are indeed a small matter." Yun Che’s expression was relaxed. "But since the world calls me the Abyssal God Child, this grudge is no longer limited to the individual; it concerns the face of the God Realm. So, rather than a God Sovereign Senior stepping in, isn't it much more satisfying for me to collect the debt myself?"

Meng Jianxi thought for a moment and did not offer any words of persuasion. Instead, he said: "Putting those things aside, I am suddenly curious if the Eternal Night God Realm will agree to this condition. And if they truly do, I’m afraid I’ll be even more curious... what divine use this Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal has that would make them willing to back down to this extent."

Yun Che smiled but said nothing, a bottomless, icy pool hidden deep within his eyes.

Returning to the gloomy and continuous territory of the Eternal Night God Realm, Shenwu Mingque’s suppressed emotions did not relax at all; instead, they became heavier.

Her pace gradually slowed, getting slower and slower, until later, every step seemed to become exceptionally difficult. She didn't know how to describe this situation, let alone what kind of punishment awaited her.

"Auntie Mingque."

A familiar light call interrupted her thoughts. In her mental turmoil, she hadn't even noticed the other person’s approach.

Shenwu Yi was a silhouette in black, her eyes like faint stars. She seemed to have perceived the other's agitation and unease, as her gaze carried a hint of concern. "Auntie is travel-worn and seems to have something on her mind. Did something happen?"

Facing the only, and exceptionally bright, light of the Eternal Night God Realm, Shenwu Mingque felt the haze in her heart dissipate significantly. Then, she suddenly thought that perhaps what she should do most was to ask and listen to her wishes. After all, she was so peerlessly intelligent.

Forcing a smile, she said softly: "The whereabouts of the Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal have been found."

Shenwu Yi’s eyes lit up with an extraordinary light, and her voice carried an irrepressible joy. "We just got the Abyssal Heart Vine, and now we have news of the Seven Profound Crystal so soon? It seems Heaven is protecting Mother God! But... with Auntie’s expression, could it be that things did not go smoothly?"

With a soft sigh, Shenwu Mingque said: "The ones who obtained the Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal are the Dreamweaving God Realm."

The excitement slowly cooled, and Shenwu Yi murmured: "I see. We just had a great falling out with Dreamweaving. Auntie’s trip must have been exceptionally difficult, and you were unable to get what you wanted."

Shenwu Mingque spoke plainly: "The Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal is useless to them. But because we are Eternal Night, they proposed an extremely excessive condition."

At this point, her voice paused, and she avoided Shenwu Yi’s gaze.

Shenwu Yi immediately understood something. "Dreamweaving’s condition involves me?"

"..." Shenwu Mingque’s voice became strained. "Dreamweaving’s condition is... for you, within three days, to personally beg Meng Jianyuan for it."

The air instantly froze... but only for a single breath. Shenwu Yi slowly nodded, her eyes calm as a still pond. "Fine, I will go."

"Wuyi!" Shenwu Mingque’s gaze snapped back, and she said urgently: "You know that Meng Jianyuan’s move is intended to publicly humiliate you! This matter must first be reported to the Exalted One; there will surely be room for maneuver."

"No," Shenwu Yi shook her head firmly. Her voice was low, and her gaze was filled with absolute determination. "This matter must absolutely not be known by Mother God. The humiliation given by Dreamweaving has already left Mother God’s anger unextinguished. If we report this, it will only add to her fury."

"Mother God needs peace of mind right now, not distraction... and she must not be put in a difficult position because of me."

Shenwu Mingque’s eyes were full of heartache and pity. "But..."

Shenwu Yi raised a slender finger, lightly touching the air in front of Shenwu Mingque’s lips. "If a shred of dignity can be traded for the object Mother God has always prayed for, there is nothing in this world more worthwhile or more joyful to me than that."

She smiled, turning around to comfort the elder. "Besides, that is the Dreamweaving God Realm, and I am the Divine Daughter of Eternal Night. His humiliation will not dare to cross certain lines. Auntie can rest assured... Have you forgotten? You once said that the Glazed Heart¹⁰ I possess is a miracle granted by the heavens, and that I would be favored and protected by fate. Surely the world-renowned Dreamweaving God Realm cannot be more dangerous than the grey, deep Sea of Mist?"

"Wuyi..." Shenwu Mingque murmured, momentarily unsure of what to say.

"Let’s go. I’ll trouble Auntie to take me to the Dreamweaving God Realm now."

She had already lightly taken Shenwu Mingque’s arm. "The Dragon-Coiled Seven Profound Crystal has no record in the entire history of the Abyss. For it to appear now must be the heavens pitying Mother God. Every breath it remains in the hands of others is another breath of unpredictable risk. No matter what, it must be obtained as soon as possible... I will accept Mother God’s punishment afterward."

Shenwu Mingque was still hesitating, but she was already being led by Shenwu Yi, so she followed her, flying once more toward the Dreamweaving God Realm.

No one knew that as their figures disappeared into the dark sky, deep within the Eternal Night Divine Hall, behind the pitch-black curtains, bursts of chaotic and obscure hissing sounds echoed. Finally, they turned into several hoarse, intermittent sobs...