Within the profound ark's cabin, Yun Che closed his eyes and quieted his mind, carefully recalling and sorting through everything he had experienced in the Pure Land.

Li Suo's voice echoed in his soul sea. "It's rare for your spirit to be so relaxed. It seems your trip to the Pure Land yielded a harvest beyond your expectations?"

"Not exactly."

Yun Che spoke unhurriedly, "I must recover my soul force as soon as possible to determine whether that intermittent sense of being watched was truly an illusion."

Li Suo said, "Meng Kongchan has already given you the answer. There is no reason he would be completely unaware of a prying gaze that you can perceive."

Yun Che said slowly, "I only trust myself."

Li Suo pondered for a long while before saying softly, "You seem quite concerned about this strange sensation, which is very likely an illusion. Yet... I don't sense any worry from you about it. Why is that?"

"Good question."

Yun Che's brow twitched, as if he himself were somewhat perplexed. "I just have this inexplicable feeling that the other party bears no malice. On the contrary..."

For a moment, he couldn't find the right words to describe that subtle feeling. Finally, he said, "I'm also more inclined to believe it's a strange sensation born from my soul injuries. But what if it isn't..."

"This person can spy on me while evading Meng Kongchan's perception, yet I can somehow sense them. I traveled between the Pure Land and the God-Burying Forbidden Domain via the Void-Shattering Grand Array, yet they could follow me from the Forbidden Domain to the Pure Land... If such an existence truly exists in this world and has inexplicably taken an interest in me, that would be truly terrifying."

"It couldn't possibly be the legendary Lord of the Abyss, could it?"

Yun Che said in a jesting tone, "Could it be that he woke up early, found out I dared to impersonate him, and so... Oh, that's not right either. Mo Su said he cannot appear in places where the Abyssal Dust is thin, let alone the Pure Land."

Li Suo mulled over Yun Che's words, then said gradually, "Indeed. When all possibilities are ruled out, the only one remaining is that it's a strange sensation from your soul injuries. You withstood two hundred breaths of the Desolate Gnawing punishment, which left over three thousand wounds on your soul. Half of them have yet to heal. Don't overthink it. It would be best to quiet your mind and rest your spirit as much as possible for the next month."

Yun Che thought for a moment and agreed. "Alright, alright. No matter how I think about it... for me to be able to sense something Meng Kongchan can't, for someone to be able to follow me seamlessly from the God-Burying Forbidden Domain to the Pure Land... it truly defies all logic. It can't be that I'm spying on my own..."

His voice stopped abruptly, and the strings of his soul suddenly tensed.

"!?" Li Suo's voice was instantly urgent. "What happened?"

"..." Yun Che opened his eyes slightly, the taut strings of his soul gradually relaxing. A natural smile bloomed on his lips as he said in a very relaxed manner, "It's nothing. Probably just my soul injuries acting up, giving me a sharp pang of pain. It really is better not to overthink things."

Li Suo was, after all, attached to Yun Che's soul. She could sense his insincerity, but since he put it that way, she didn't press further. Instead, she proactively changed the subject. "What was your greatest impression from the trip to the Pure Land?"

Yun Che's reply was just two simple words: "Fractured."

"Frac... tured??" Li Suo murmured the word. "What do you mean?"

Yun Che slowed his voice. "The Eternal Pure Land is a legendary place in the Abyssal World, like a paradise from a distant realm. Now that it's within reach, the God Kingdoms' excitement is palpable. But the Four God Officials..."

"The Grand God Official's emotions are unreadable, so I can't say for sure. As for the other three... the Six Smiles God Official is engrossed in the culinary arts, having severed all other thoughts; the Myriad Paths God Official claims to savor all paths and seems to be a man of extreme indulgence; the Spirit Immortal God Official sees all thoughts as illusions, her will to die greater than her will to live. At least in my close contact with them, I couldn't sense the slightest bit of longing or excitement for the Eternal Pure Land."

"Then... what about the Abyss Monarch?"

Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone grew heavier. "What the Qilin God said back then had already given me high expectations for the weight of his 'obsession,' but... when he spoke so indifferently about the life and death of this world, I still couldn't help but feel suffocated for several breaths. Moreover..."

"The 'miracle of life' I had planned in my heart was met with his indifference. As such, to ensure he won't intervene when the hidden thunder detonates, I will have to prepare other methods."

Li Suo said, "But... the Abyss Monarch never intervenes in the affairs of the God Kingdoms. Is it not highly likely that this preparation of yours is redundant?"

Yun Che's voice, however, was endlessly resolute. "What I want is for him to 'absolutely' not intervene. No matter what, I cannot leave the initiative to his own will. And to ensure he remains indifferent to everything, it must be a matter concerning... the Pan Xiao Butterfly¹!"

Rumble—

A vast aura rapidly approached, accompanied by an increasingly loud spatial hum. Yun Che stood up. Before he could even step out, an ethereal girlish voice came from afar, "Big Brother Yun!!"

The two great profound arks of Heaven Breaker and Weaver Dream slowly drew near. Before they connected, Hua Caili's figure had already darted across, swiftly approaching Yun Che's aura... with a helpless-looking Hua Fuchen trailing behind her.

Yun Che went forward to greet them, calling out "Senior" from a distance, but was immediately grabbed by the arm by Hua Caili. Her eyes held a hint of shyness and a great deal of anticipation as she chirped, "Big Brother Yun, I want to go with you to the Weaver Dream God Kingdom to see the place where you were born and where you live."

Hua Fuchen, who was just about to greet Meng Kongchan, was stunned by her words. His eyes widened as he shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting! Absolutely not!"

Hua Caili, however, was not the least bit afraid. Standing close to Yun Che, she said with a grin, "I've already decided anyway. It's useless even if Father God objects."

"Nonsense!" Hua Fuchen reached out, intending to pull her back, but retracted his hand halfway. His tone, however, did not soften in the slightest. "Although the obstacle between you and Yun Che is gone, it doesn't mean you can act so willfully!"

Meng Kongchan waved his hand with a smile. "Brother Fuchen, calm down. Caili is still young and inexperienced. Just talk to her properly."

"Why?" Hua Caili's face was full of reluctance and confusion. "For the past three years, you forbade me from seeing Big Brother Yun. Now everyone knows about us, and even Uncle Abyss Monarch has canceled the previous engagement. Why can't I even go to Big Brother Yun's place??"

Hua Caili made no effort to lower her voice, so one could imagine that everyone on both the Heaven Breaker and Weaver Dream arks heard her loud and clear.

A muscle in Hua Fuchen's brow twitched. He had no choice but to speak plainly. "You are a young woman, and the Divine Maiden of the Heaven Breaker God Kingdom at that, chasing after a man to his home... What would people say? This is utterly improper!"

"Eh?" Hua Caili blinked, glanced at Yun Che beside her, then back at her father, clearly not understanding the scruples. "Why not? Auntie said that back then, for Father God's sake, Mother crossed half the Abyssal World to travel alone to the Heaven Breaker God Kingdom."

"..." Hua Fuchen's gaze froze, and he was speechless for a long time.

"Caili," Yun Che said softly, "Although I, like you, wish we could be together day and night, right now, it is indeed not suitable for you to return with me to the Weaver Dream God Kingdom."

"Ah?" A look of deep disappointment instantly clouded Hua Caili's jade-like face. "Why?"

Yun Che explained in a gentle tone, "First, although there are no more obstacles between us... our fates are, after all, connected to a great extent with the Heaven Breaker and Weaver Dream God Kingdoms. We have not yet been formally engaged, let alone exchanged betrothal gifts. You are the esteemed Divine Maiden of Heaven Breaker. If you were to take the initiative to stay in Weaver Dream for a long time, it would surely invite gossip from the world about the Heaven Breaker God Kingdom."

Though her expression was dejected, Hua Caili listened obediently, a stark contrast to her subconscious retorts to Hua Fuchen earlier. The sight made the Heart Spirit God Sovereign sigh inwardly.

"Second, although the Abyss Monarch has dissolved your engagement with Dian Jiuzhi, the Absolute Beginning God Sovereign has been thoroughly enraged. For the two Senior God Sovereigns, this will be a tremendous emotional blow that is almost incomprehensible to us. Therefore, to allow the two seniors to resolve this matter, we must avoid doing anything that might provoke the Absolute Beginning God Kingdom for the time being."

Hua Fuchen and Meng Kongchan exchanged a glance, both feeling greatly comforted.

"Third..." Yun Che lowered his voice slightly. "Actually, when the Spirit Immortal God Official summoned me earlier, she bestowed upon me nine drops of Vermilion Bird's source blood."

At these words, not only did Hua Caili's cherry lips part slightly, but Hua Fuchen also showed a look of astonishment. "Such a thing happened?"

"Mm." Meng Kongchan nodded slightly, feigning a casual tone. "But it wasn't to thank him for the Primordial Flame Crystal. Rather, after the Spirit Immortal God Official met Yuan'er, she felt deeply that there could be no more outstanding successor to the Vermilion Bird in the entire world, so she forced Yuan'er to accept this gift... Mm, that's how it was."

"..." Hua Fuchen averted his gaze, offering no response.

"Granny Spirit Immortal actually..." After her surprise came an excitement several times greater. "I understand now. Big Brother Yun needs time to refine the Vermilion Bird's source blood. I really shouldn't disturb you at a time like this."

"Having Caili by my side could never be a disturbance," Yun Che quickly corrected. "It's just that I do need to refine the first drop of source blood immediately, and I'll have no time to attend to my Caili. But I promise, in three months at most, I will go to the Heaven Breaker God Kingdom to be with you."

"Okay." She reached out and grasped his fingers, smiling faintly. "You said it, three months at most. No going back on your word. Otherwise, I'll have Auntie take me to the Weaver Dream God Kingdom to personally drag you back."

The profound arks separated, each heading into the distance. Yun Che's figure quickly receded in Hua Caili's vision until he became a blurry speck of light, yet her gaze remained firmly fixed upon him. Even after that faint speck of light vanished over the horizon, Hua Caili maintained her distant gaze, like a jade statue frosted over, unmoving for a long, long time.

A breeze carrying a hint of the Pure Land's air brushed past the ends of her hair. A few stray strands clung to her creamy cheeks, carrying a cool dampness. At some point, crystalline tears had silently rolled down from between her long lashes, glinting with a fine, hazy light, refracting an unscattered longing and melancholy.

Hua Fuchen, who was about to approach, stopped in his tracks. His emotions were complex; for a moment, he didn't know whether to feel heartache or to scold her. She was the dignified Divine Maiden of Heaven Breaker, a miraculous prodigy who had touched upon the fourth Heaven Breaker Sword in less than half a sixty-year cycle²... yet she was shedding tears over a brief separation of a mere three months.

The Radiance Sword Sovereign walked over and said with a smile, "The emotions of youth are just so sincere and ardent. It makes one sigh with emotion, and even more so, with envy. But Yun Che of the Weaver Dream God Kingdom is indeed worthy of Caili's affection."

These words managed to dispel the sour feeling in Hua Fuchen's heart. He followed with a faint smile. "Yes, they are young after all. She was born ten thousand years ago, so I often forget that her actual age is just over twenty."

"So be it." He turned away, not wanting to disturb Hua Caili's sorrow. "Let her be disappointing if she must. After all, that Yun boy... he is indeed worth it. Hahahaha... Sigh."

...

Upon returning to the Weaver Dream God Kingdom, Meng Kongchan gave himself no time to rest. He immediately gathered the masters of the major Dream Halls and began preparations for the Eternal Pure Land. It was conceivable that for a long time to come, the entire God Kingdom would be extremely busy, its atmosphere changing abruptly.

"Brother Yuan, Father God has already instructed that you are to rest and recuperate for the coming period. Focus on refining the Vermilion Bird's divine blood bestowed by the Spirit Immortal God Official, and pay no mind to external affairs. If anything major happens, I will personally inform you at the first opportunity."

Yun Che didn't respond directly, instead saying, "Before that, I need to make a trip to the Heavenly Jade Hall."

Meng Jianxi was taken aback but didn't ask further, nodding. "Alright, I'll go with you."

When they were leaving the Pure Land, Shen Wuyi had made a gesture of pointing a single finger to her ear... The most likely meaning Yun Che could think of was that she wanted him to carefully investigate information about the Eternal Night God Kingdom. And the "seven orifices³" she had mentioned afterward might be the key hidden within.