Stepping out of the barrier, Yun Che’s expression had already returned to a rippleless calm, devoid of any trace of joy or anger.

Seeing him emerge so quickly, Long Qianxin was not particularly surprised. He said with a chuckle, "Does the Abyssal Son have other areas of interest? Or perhaps you would like to return to the Ancestral Dragon Temple with me? The Dragon Sovereign has personally arranged a grand feast and awaits the Abyssal Son’s company."

"No need."

Yun Che did not look at him. Instead, he gazed into the distant sky. "Please inform the Dragon Sovereign that I have suddenly remembered an urgent matter that remains unresolved. I shall take my leave for now; there is no need to see me off."

As the words fell, before Long Qianxin could react, Yun Che had already soared into the air. He vanished into the distance in an instant, his speed incredibly fast and without a hint of hesitation.

"Ah? This... Abyssal Son!?"

Long Qianxin stood there stunned, unable even to utter a word of inquiry or entreaty. He could only stretch out his arm, watching helplessly as Yun Che and Meng Chaoyang disappeared into the far horizon, completely unaware of what had transpired.

Screee—

Profound energy tore through the air, creating a piercing whistle.

Yun Che’s speed grew faster and faster, and before long, he had breached the Ancestral Dragon Barrier.

The endless dust and mist of the Abyss swept toward him, making his vision blurry and indistinct. Yun Che’s speed did not slacken in the slightest, yet the direction he headed was not back toward the Kingdom of Weaver’s Dream.

It was more as if he had chosen a direction at random, streaking through the sky as a form of catharsis. Behind him, Meng Chaoyang followed at a distance. Though surprised, he maintained his boundaries and did not approach to question him.

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Che’s body suddenly swayed violently, and he plummeted from the sky.

Boom!

A low mountain was snapped in half, rocks flying in all directions. Amidst the surging dust and sand, Yun Che knelt on one knee, his fingers clawing desperately at his chest as he began to retch in agony.

Sharp gravel sliced through his skin and clothes, carving trails of blood, yet he was entirely oblivious. His spine shuddered violently, his long hair fell disheveled over his face, and his jaw was clamped shut. Wave after wave of violent tremors surged through his throat; his internal organs felt as if they were being twisted into knots, forcing out one hoarse dry heave after another.

"Your Highness!"

Meng Chaoyang could no longer heed the instruction to "only protect from afar." He shifted instantaneously to Yun Che’s side, placing a palm glowing with a gentle profound light onto Yun Che’s back. His eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and worry.

His body trembling uncontrollably, Yun Che forced his head up and let out a raspy voice: "I... am fine... gulp... URGH!!" His spine suddenly curled under Meng Chaoyang’s palm, his retching heart-wrenching and prolonged, yet nothing came out.

Only his five fingers remained embedded deep into the flesh over his heart. Droplets of blood dripped from his strained knuckles, yet he could not perceive even a shred of the pain.

Meng Chaoyang’s brows furrowed tightly. He flipped his palm, releasing a profound light several times stronger than before, and his eyes took on a peaceful yet profound silver glow.

Under his vast, sea-like soul power, Yun Che’s state finally eased. The trembling of his body gradually ceased, and then, as if completely drained of strength, he slumped to the ground like a soul-less pile of mud.

Meng Chaoyang withdrew the silver light from his eyes, his expression complex and unreadable.

"Do not worry, I am fine." Yun Che kept his head lowered, his expression hidden. His voice was still thick, but much clearer than before.

"It is likely that the Dragon Might of the Ancestral Dragon Temple was too heavy. I forced myself to endure it then, and I am suffering the backlash now."

He offered a reason that was barely plausible.

The biting mountain wind howled past, exceptionally cold, yet it did not compare to a ten-thousandth of the icy hell within his soul.

"I must trouble Hall Master Chaoyang to provide me with a barrier. I need to focus my breath for a while... and then I will be well."

Though Meng Chaoyang’s heart was filled with a thousand doubts, he could only nod. "Very well. Your Highness, do not force yourself. I am at your command at any time."

He rose and flew away, and a silver barrier identical to the previous one descended, temporarily isolating Yun Che from the surrounding world.

In the deathly silent space, Yun Che sat slumped on the ground for a long time, motionless.

The stray hairs on his forehead were stuck messily to his sweat-drenched temples. Every vein in his neck throbbed and spasmed. Within those eyes hidden by his chaotic hair, a mist of blood-colored moisture had gathered.

Li Suo’s phantom appeared silently. She slowly knelt before him but did not speak. She simply watched him quietly, accompanying him, sensing the agonizing pain that saturated every fiber of his soul.

Time flowed with great difficulty amidst the extreme gloom.

Finally, Yun Che moved. He slowly raised his blood-stained right hand...

And slapped himself violently across the face.

Slap!

The sound of his cheekbone cracking was sharp and ear-piercing; the finger marks on his face were a vivid, bloody crimson.

Li Suo raised her hand, but her slender fingers, shimmering with a pure white light, could only pass through his body. She could not truly touch him. "Yun... Che..."

Yun Che raised his hand again, his fingers gripping his face with a death grip, tightening inch by inch, until his knuckles cracked and turned a ghastly white.

"I... should have realized... I should have realized long ago..." he murmured, every word a note of pain, every sound hoarse.

"Heh... hehe... What 'Emperor Yun'... what 'hope of saving the world'... I am truly a fool... a piece of trash... trash! Hehe... Hahahaha..."

The raspy laughter was exceptionally tragic, like poisoned ice blades stabbing and twisting repeatedly in his throat.

"This is not your fault," Li Suo spoke softly. Her voice, already as ethereal as a dream, was even more tender than usual. "You already carry too much on your shoulders. Your heart and soul have long been stretched to the breaking point... No matter how strong you are, there is always a limit. It is enough to feel the pain; do not punish or reproach yourself further."

"Moreover, that was also her choice."

"Choice..." He gave a tragic laugh. "Was that so-called 'Five Spirit Treasure'¹ also a choice...?"

"..." Li Suo let out a faint sigh.

That was a complete and utter lie.

Long Wangchu’s rapid growth came from the essence blood sacrificed by Yun Xi time and time again, year after year.

That was an irreversible, permanent wound—it was cutting away at her own lifeblood, stroke by stroke.

In order to keep her there for the long term, to ensure she would continuously sacrifice her essence blood to that mediocre fool who supposedly determined the future of the Ancestral Dragon lineage, Long Zhiming had fabricated a despicable lie. He gave her a distant, hazy hope—one that seemed reachable if she gave her everything...

What Five Spirit Treasure, what Heavenly Spiritual Rhythm, what Ancient Dragon Array... they were all absurd, laughable, ugly, and filthy lies!

"I do not quite understand," Li Suo said softly. "Back then in the Qilin God Realm, she not only saw through your identity early on but also used your strength to obtain the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid. She even exposed your purpose for appearing in this world with a single word."

"Her intelligence far exceeds that of ordinary people. How could she... be deceived by such a lie? Was it because the Ancestral Dragon lineage’s long history and the Dragon Sovereign’s high prestige made her—"

At this point, her voice paused as she suddenly thought of something.

"I see..." Her voice grew even softer. "You once said that a drowning person will grasp at a sudden piece of floating duckweed at any cost."

"She didn't necessarily believe the Dragon Sovereign. On the contrary, she likely knew better than anyone that it was most likely a massive lie. But... she did not allow herself to reject it. She did not allow herself to personally extinguish the last glimmer of hope she could find in this world."

Trails of blood leaked from between Yun Che’s tightly clenched teeth.

"Why did you not expose this lie for Yun Xi? And why did you hide the Primordial Flame Crystal² that you found with such difficulty?"

Yun Che shook his head in agony, moaning, "I cannot expose it..."

"Do you remember what she said then...? She said that saving her mother is the only reason she still lives in this world."

"If the lie is shattered, what breaks is not just an illusory bubble, but potentially... her will to live."

The will to die... that was a cruel nightmare that even the Abyssal Monarch Mo Su could do nothing about.

Bursts of chaotic, strange sounds leaked from Yun Che’s teeth, yet they could not truly vent the endless pain and guilt within his soul... Li Suo gently raised her hand, her slender fingers touching the corner of his eye, lingering there for a long time.

As a child, she witnessed her mother’s disappearance... What remained was hatred, pain, and lonely cold... A world of grey... Coveted by others... Disfiguring her own face... Trading blood for peace... Lies... Self-deception... Risking her life... ... This was her life until now. The life of his and Shen Xi’s daughter. ... ... "Li... Suo..."

He suddenly called her name softly.

"I am here," she replied gently.

"I... cannot wait any longer."

His voice was trembling and weak. Clearly a Devil God sworn to bring calamity to the world, at this moment he seemed like a lost, helpless child.

"I want to take Xi'er home... sooner."

"I..."

The suffering she had endured was simply too much. Even one more day was more than he could bear...

Li Suo looked at him and nodded gently. "Fine. Then let us begin earlier, end it earlier, and take her home earlier."

"Even if the road is not paved so thickly, it can still be a smooth path." Yun Che’s palm slowly lowered from his face. When he raised his eyes, they were still a crimson red, like those of a desperate wolf.

He looked forward. His gaze shifted from hazy to clear, then slowly lost focus, finally settling into a deep, murky darkness.

One breath... ten breaths... a hundred breaths...

His silence this time lasted for a very, very long time.

No one knew what he was thinking.

When he stood up, he turned his body... but he did not face the way back to the Kingdom of Weaver’s Dream. He faced the territory of the Dragon Race.

Li Suo’s phantom moved into his line of sight to dissuade him. "Do not be impulsive."

Yun Che murmured lowly, "The Dragon Race of the Western Divine Region harmed Shen Xi. The Dragon Race of the Abyss has harmed my and Shen Xi’s daughter like this."

"The Dragon... Race..."

Hatred seeped into his bones, gouging his heart and eroding his marrow.

"I understand your hatred and guilt," Li Suo soothed him with an extremely gentle voice. "But Long Zhiming is, after all, an Ancestral Dragon who has lived for a million years. Even if Meng Chaoyang, who follows you, is willing to give his all, he cannot be his match—let alone the entire Dragon Race under his command."

"Now is not the time... for your own sake, and for your daughter’s."

Yun Che’s gaze did not shift, still staring fixedly in the direction of the Dragon Race.

"Rest assured. No matter how much I hate them, I will not act now, nor will I put Xi'er in danger."

"To let them die, to let their race be exterminated... how could that vent the hatred in my heart! How could I let them off so easily!!"

Every word was filled with hate, every syllable stained with blood.

"I want them to wish they were dead... I want them to regret... to suffer... to wail... to despair... yet never find release!"

"I will squeeze dry every inch of their lowly bones!! Every shred of their flesh and blood!!"

BOOM—

The earth cracked, space wailed, and even every wisp of Abyssal Dust seemed to tremble faintly.

As Meng Chaoyang looked over, Yun Che walked slowly out of the barrier.

He appeared normal again, with a faint, indiscernible smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

"In the end, my cultivation is insufficient; I have worried Hall Master Chaoyang."

As he spoke, Yun Che soared into the air. "The Dragon Sovereign was most hospitable. To leave without saying goodbye would be truly rude and would damage the reputation of my Weaver’s Dream. Upon reflection, I should enter the Dragon Race again to make up for my lapse."

Having finished, he released his profound energy and headed toward the Ancestral Dragon Mountains once more.

Yet it was destined that no one would know that within a single day, having approached the Dragon Race twice, his state of mind had undergone a world-shaking transformation.