Due to their unique powers of "Dream Falling" and "Dream Weaving," the Dream Weaving God Kingdom's intelligence capabilities were unquestionably far superior to the other five God Kingdoms. Even the Valley of Sunken Dreams was one of their most important sources of information. Once a person chose to sink into a dream, their life's memories became like an unlocked coffer, free for the Dream Weaving profound practitioners to plunder.
As the intelligence core of the Dream Weaving God Kingdom, the Xuanji Hall¹ was protected by no less than nine different barriers. Each one descended like a celestial curtain, emanating a subtle yet majestic soul might. The hidden Dream Weaving guards were even more numerous.
Meng Jianxi led Yun Che unimpeded, straight into the most secret inner hall. "Previously, only four people were qualified to enter this inner hall: Father God, Grandfather, Uncle, and myself. Now, of course, that includes you, Younger Brother Yuan."
Yun Che gave his surroundings a simple glance and got straight to the point. "I need to review all information on the Eternal Night God Kingdom from the last thirty years."
With Meng Jianxi, he didn't need to give any special instructions; the word "all" was sufficient.
"Alright." Meng Jianxi asked no questions. He reached out to his side, and a small, hidden space instantly materialized. A massive quantity of jade slips, stone carvings, silk cloths, and paper scrolls moved out in neat order. Following this, a silver profound formation flared to life before them. Within the formation floated thousands of profound image stones and soul profound crystals, each one emitting a soul aura of varying intensity, carrying secrets unknown to the world.
Meng Jianxi lowered his arm and double-checked to ensure nothing was missed before saying, "Due to its unique nature, information on the Eternal Night God Kingdom is the most difficult to obtain. The quantity is far less than that of the other God Kingdoms, but it will still take a considerable amount of time to review all the information from the past thirty years."
"Additionally, even the information recorded in the soul profound crystals may not be true, for what the eye sees can also be an illusion. However, I trust that Younger Brother Yuan will be able to discern accurately."
"Mm, you don't need to stay with me."
After Meng Jianxi left, Yun Che sat down on the floor and extended his spiritual sense forward. Information concerning the Eternal Night God Kingdom from the last thirty years began pouring into his soul sea at an astonishing speed. He meticulously examined everything, regardless of its significance or authenticity, even including some anecdotes compiled by others.
It was difficult to plant spies in the Eternal Night God Kingdom. Its major events over the last three decades were all public knowledge... The former Eternal Night Goddess, Shen Wuqing, committed a grave error and was punished with imprisonment by the Wuming God-Emperor. Afterward, the Eternal Night God Kingdom devoted all its efforts to finding a new divine successor... until, more than twenty years ago, they announced Shen Wuyi as the new Eternal Night Goddess.
Yun Che remained in the same position, and several days passed without him noticing. While this task wasn't quite like finding a needle in a haystack, it was by no means something that could be completed in a short time.
Until a line of text engraved in a profound crystal suddenly imprinted itself upon the depths of his soul.
"...several feet long, shaped like a coiling dragon, its color like ink, its body inlaid with seven apertures..."
Yun Che's mind snapped into focus. With a flick of his hand, the profound crystal landed in his palm, and the information it contained was re-imprinted into his soul sea with even greater detail:
"...It can be confirmed that Eternal Night is currently searching for certain types of variant Abyssal Crystals. Although they are deliberately trying to be covert, the number of people dispatched and the breadth of their search are unprecedented during Shen Wuyanye's reign as God-Emperor. In the past year, over six hundred traces have been found, covering all major God Kingdoms and living lands, with tracks even in remote territories."
"This indicates that the object of their search is of paramount importance to the Eternal Night God Kingdom, but the reason remains unknown."
"Compiling all information, Eternal Night is searching for a total of five types of variant Abyssal Crystals. Three of them are the Glazed Brilliance Heart-Tempering Jade, the Nether Soul Stone, and the Black Obsidian Evil-Purging Crystal, all of which are rare crystals that occasionally appear in the Sea of Fog and are extremely scarce."
"As for the other two, they have no names, only descriptions of their forms."
"First: Nearly a full inch long, shaped like a withered vine. Its aura at times resembles scorching fire, at others crackling lightning. Its core trembles like the heart of a mortal spirit. It is a variant crystal condensed from the heart of a human who has transformed into an Abyssal Ghost, a one-in-a-million occurrence."
"Second: Several feet long, shaped like a coiling dragon, its color like ink, its body inlaid with seven apertures from which an un-dissipated dragon's breath coils. It is a variant crystal formed from the marrow of an Abyssalized dragon, but it is a one-in-ten-thousand occurrence."
Yun Che's gaze froze. After a moment of thought, he looked at the text engraved after this:
"The Glazed Brilliance Heart-Tempering Jade may have been found. The name is no longer among the Abyssal Crystals being sought."
"The Nether Soul Stone may have been found..."
The text that followed bore a clear soul aura, evidently engraved in recent years: "The Black Obsidian Evil-Purging Crystal may have been found. Eternal Night is no longer searching for it."
"In the borderland Realm of Calamity's End, we risked pursuing the residual soul auras of two Grand Night Patrollers and vaguely captured the items they discussed ten breaths prior... one was 'Abyssal Heart Vine,' the other 'Coiling Dragon Seven-Aperture Crystal.' However, the names of these two Abyssal Crystals have never appeared in any records, which is exceedingly strange and difficult to comprehend."
Yun Che closed his eyes, and the world fell into a long silence. Ten breaths... a hundred breaths... Suddenly, a voice surfaced in his soul sea.
"Xueyan, I have already used the 'Secret Codex' to restore my appearance and voice..."
Yun Che's eyes flew open, reflecting a strange, profound light.
Bang!
The profound crystal in his hand was crushed to dust, scattering into fine motes. This piece of intelligence regarding the Eternal Night God Kingdom was thus erased from the Xuanji Hall.
Before the Gate of the Pure Land, the dream Shen Wuyanye had fallen into was not woven by Meng Kongchan, but a reflection of her own heart's desires, magnified countless times. Therefore, she longed for Shen Wuxueyan's forgiveness, longed for none of it to have ever happened, longed to restore her appearance and voice, and longed for... the "Secret Codex" she had spoken of.
"So that's how it is." As he murmured, a knowing smile unconsciously bloomed on Yun Che's lips. Qingyue, you truly are one of a kind... As expected of you. How could you not utilize the unique means at your disposal to their absolute fullest?
Judging by the timeline of this intelligence, from the very beginning of your tenure as the Eternal Night Goddess, you were already weaving a destiny for yourself and others... Truth and falsehood intertwined, each step carefully planned. Unknowingly, everyone has already stepped onto your chessboard.
Without looking at any other information, Yun Che rose and slowly walked out of the Xuanji Hall.
The Eternal Night God Kingdom was surely searching for more than just five types of variant Abyssal Crystals. Several of them were likely relatively easy to obtain—necessary decoys. The Glazed Brilliance Heart-Tempering Jade, the Nether Soul Stone, and the Black Obsidian Evil-Purging Crystal... although extremely hard to find, these real Abyssal Crystals were also decoys.
As for the "Abyssal Heart Vine" and the "Coiling Dragon Seven-Aperture Crystal"... the reason they had no records in the Abyss was because they never existed in the first place.
No, it would be more accurate to say they had "existed" in Shen Wuyi's hands all along.
And now, her "giving" him the Coiling Dragon Seven-Aperture Crystal meant only one thing... she was accelerating her plans. And with this sudden acceleration, the Coiling Dragon Seven-Aperture Crystal could not be obtained by her.
The reason she would take such a risk... Yun Che tilted his head back slightly and let out a long breath, the light in his eyes shining brilliantly.
"You seem... very happy?" Li Suo said softly.
"Mm." A genuine smile that he had no intention of hiding spread across Yun Che's lips. "I... am finally no longer fighting alone."
...
Upon returning to the Divine Son's Palace, before Meng Zhiyuan, who had been waiting for him for a long time, could approach, he had already plunged into his cultivation space. "Zhiyuan, inform Shou Yuan and the others that I need to focus on refining the Vermilion Bird Divine Blood gifted by the Lixian Divine Official. No one is to disturb me until I emerge of my own accord."
Far from wanting to keep the Vermilion Bird source blood from the Lixian Divine Official a secret, Yun Che seemed to be intentionally publicizing it.
Using a Spatial Divine Stone to activate the dimensional profound formation, a red light flashed, and he returned to the Sea of Fog.
"In such a hurry?" Li Suo sounded surprised. "The divine power contained within the nine drops of Vermilion Bird source blood from the Lixian Divine Official is extremely vast. If you were to fully refine it, even with your Heretic God's Profound Veins as your power base, it would be enough to raise your cultivation to the eighth level of the Divine Master Realm... or higher."
"So..." she once again asked the question that had remained unanswered, "why have you been forcefully suppressing your cultivation?"
But Yun Che replied, "It's not time yet. I will indeed refine the Vermilion Bird Divine Blood now, but only a small amount, probably just enough to be able to burn the Vermilion Bird Flame. This degree of refinement also best fits with common understanding."
He still did not explain to Li Suo why he was suppressing his cultivation.
"But for now, let's finish the most important thing first." With a flip of his hand, over a hundred pure Abyssal Crystals and a dozen variant Abyssal Crystals fell before him, releasing a brilliant and dangerous light in the dim Sea of Fog.
His gaze swept over one Abyssal Crystal after another, and he murmured to himself in thought, "If it were her, how would she create a 'special' Abyssal Crystal that has never existed before, yet leaves no flaws..."
After pondering for a long time, he smiled. "When it comes to ingenious thinking, I am certainly no match for her. But in the control of Abyssal Dust, I should be superior. In that case... I'll just act as I please according to its characteristics."
He made a grasping motion in the air, and seven Abyssal Crystals from dragon-type Abyssal Beasts floated up. Then, as his five fingers closed, they exploded in mid-air, scattering into countless crystal fragments along with chaotic, dissipating abyssal energy and a faint dragon's breath.
Next, he picked up a piece of Apocalypse Divine Jade. The profound energy around him surged, and with a sharp crack, this variant Abyssal Crystal, considered a divine object even in the eyes of a God Kingdom, shattered between Yun Che's fingers. Under the subsequent impact of his power, it rapidly broke down into even finer fragments.
The shattered Apocalypse Divine Jade released a terrifying amount of power, whipping up a violent vortex of energy around Yun Che.
Yun Che did not leave the chaotic vortex. Instead, he stared at it silently for a long, long time... Finally, with another clench of his five fingers, billowing Abyssal Dust gathered from all around, pouring into the vortex like a tide. It then drew in the dragon crystal fragments and the dust of the Apocalypse Divine Jade, until they gradually mixed, fused, and took shape.
When the storm of power subsided, the fragments from before had been fused by the Abyssal Dust into a strangely shaped Abyssal Crystal with a bizarre, mixed aura. Lightning sparked from Yun Che's fingertip as he bored seven holes of varying sizes into it. Then, Abyssal Dust gathered once more, coiling around the newborn crystal for a long time, devouring any traces that shouldn't exist.
Several hours later, the Abyssal Dust slowly dissipated, revealing a massive Abyssal Crystal, a full two feet long, before Yun Che's eyes. Its entire body was the pitch-black of abyssal corrosion, its surface displaying the gnarled patterns of a coiling dragon. A faint, ethereal dragon's breath lingered within its seven apertures, giving it a mysterious and profound air.
Rumble—
Space trembled and the earth churned. Behind Yun Che, the long-slumbering Abyssal Qilin God slowly opened its eyes, then opened its terrifyingly colossal abyssal maw.
Yun Che grabbed the newborn crystal and tossed it into its mouth from afar. The Abyssal Qilin God swallowed it, closed its great mouth, shut its eyes, and returned to stillness.
"Seven dragon Abyssal Crystals from four different species of dragons, plus the unique aura of the Apocalypse Divine Jade, concealed and interfered with by Abyssal Dust, and then left to steep in the Qilin God's belly for a month or two..."
Yun Che lowered his gaze and smiled. "I guarantee its aura will be more mysterious and bizarre than anything ever seen before."
Unless it was crushed... but faced with this long-desired object that had never before appeared in the world, as if a gift from the heavens, the other party would likely be the last person on earth to allow it to suffer the slightest damage.
"What... are you doing?" Li Suo, who had been witnessing Yun Che's strange actions, finally asked.
"Bait." Yun Che's reply was concise.
"...Then why did you lie to Hua Caili, claiming the 'Yunli Sword' was accidentally lost in the Abyss of Death?"
"Hmm... that's also bait, I suppose?"
"..."
Yun Che's gaze shifted, looking out into the deep Sea of Fog. "It's time to see my disciple. He should be back around now."
Abyssal Dust gathered, transforming into a dense, sky-filling abyssal fog that completely enveloped his body, turning him into the self-proclaimed Fog Monarch.
The Abyssal Dust transmitted a soul voice. Without making Yun Che wait long, Pan Buwang's figure arrived swiftly, prostrating himself in the distance.
"Disciple Pan Buwang pays his respects to Master! The trip to the Pure Land went exactly as Master predicted. Disciple did not fail his mission and successfully shocked the masses and made a name for himself, moving the entire Soaring Butterfly God Kingdom. Even the Abyssal Monarch took notice."
"Very good." The Fog Monarch's deep voice of approval came from within the abyssal fog. "Next, remember every word I am about to say!"
"Yes!" Pan Buwang bowed his head, listening respectfully. The journey to the Pure Land had increased his reverence and awe for his master more than severalfold. Now, no matter how incredible or paradigm-shifting his master's words were, he would treat them as a divine decree.
"After a brief period of silence, the Soaring Butterfly God Kingdom will surely begin to actively search for you. In the next three months, you must be found by them four times."
"The first time, you must sorrowfully and tactfully refuse to return."
"The second time, you must refuse outright and flee into the Sea of Fog."
"The third and fourth times, you must intentionally let them barely sense your aura, then flee with all your might. Do not meet them, only display an attitude of desperate avoidance."
Pan Buwang listened quietly, engraving every word deep into his heart. To others, the Fog Monarch's voice was like the demonic shriek of a soul-tearing fiend, but to him, it was no longer terrifying; instead, his soul gradually felt an affinity for it.
"Do this, and after three months, Pan Yusheng will very likely come to find you personally and bring you back. If he does not appear after three months, then continue to avoid them with all your might... The Abyssal Monarch's notice, the darkness affinity you displayed, and Pan Yuan Duanye, combined with the slight guilt he feels for you, all dictate that he must bring you back no matter what."
"And the condition you will give him for your return is to rebuild your mother's grave... This condition only, say nothing else."
Return to the God Kingdom... Mother... Pan Buwang's heart pounded violently. He raised his gaze and said in a low voice, "Master, what should I do after I return?"
The Fog Monarch's voice was deep and slow: "Have no desires, ask for nothing."
Pan Buwang furrowed his brow in thought, then bowed deeply. "I ask for Master's clear guidance."
"Follow all of Pan Yusheng's arrangements. Banquets, clan meetings, training expeditions... obey everything Pan Yusheng says without a single thought of defiance. If he wants to take your blood to investigate your darkness affinity, you will let him without hesitation. If he wants 'Pan Yuan Duanye,' you will give it to him in its entirety. You can even hand over the 'Pan Yuan Eternal Prayer Art' that I modified for you."
"Not only must you be obedient, you must also respect him. And do so in your mother's name!"
"..." Pan Buwang was shocked and confused, but he did not question it, committing everything to memory with utmost seriousness.
"Aside from these things, in your own time, you are not to cultivate, not to get close to others, and not to seek any external objects. Instead, you will spend all your time with your mother, praying for her and holding vigil!"
"Can you remember all of this!?"
Although his heart was filled with a thousand doubts, Pan Buwang nodded heavily, his eyes as firm as the abyss. "Disciple has committed everything to memory."
"Very good." The abyssal fog swirled, carrying the Fog Monarch's silhouette slowly into the distance, gradually merging into the boundless Sea of Fog. "Three years from now, a voice will tell you which path to take. Go!"
"Remember all my words, and remember your hatred even more. Remember why you are still alive!"
Only after the Fog Monarch's presence had completely vanished from his sight and senses did Pan Buwang slowly rise. He turned, his gaze already fixed on the direction of the Soaring Butterfly God Kingdom. The reverence and respect he showed the Fog Monarch instantly vanished from his eyes, replaced by a lightless, bottomless abyss of hatred, dark enough to devour everything.