The same hall, the same seating arrangement, and even the drifting wisps of tea fragrance in the air were identical. However, for the two men sitting across from each other, their gazes and mindsets were destined to be different from before.
Standing nearby, Shangguan Helu’s hands unconsciously gripped the corners of her clothes, her internal nervousness leaking out. Hidden in the shadows, the aura cast by Meng Shouyuan was several times more cautious than usual, as if he feared the Senluo Divine Son might suddenly lose emotional control and strike at Yun Che within this Land of Dreamweaving.
However, Yun Che’s posture was just as it had been during their first meeting—his face bearing seven parts of a shallow smile and three parts of humility. On Dian Jiuzhi’s face, there was no detectable trace of negativity; his gaze was warm, and his demeanor was elegant and composed. No aura of enmity existed between them; instead, they appeared like a pair of old acquaintances.
“When Brother Dian visited, I happened to be in closed-door cultivation and failed to greet you personally. It was truly impolite of me. I offer my apologies and ask for Brother Dian’s indulgence,” Yun Che said, his phrasing perfectly appropriate and polite.
Dian Jiuzhi responded with a faint smile. “Divine Son Yuan, you overstate the matter. My visit this time was quite abrupt. I only recently learned that Divine Son Yuan was graced by Divine Official Ling Xian with the Vermilion Bird Divine Blood¹ and was at a critical moment of refining it in seclusion. To have disturbed you so, it is I who should apologize.”
His humility and politeness carried no impurities, but his form of address for Yun Che had changed. He no longer called him "Brother Yun," but "Divine Son Yuan."
Yun Che seemed not to notice the change in title, saying naturally, “I heard Brother Dian has stayed in Dreamweaving for ten days. May I ask what important matter brings you here?”
Dian Jiuzhi shook his head, a bitter smile touching his lips. “My Father God’s wrath has yet to subside. I share many disagreements with him regarding philosophy and perception. At first, we argued incessantly, but later, every time he saw me, his anger would peak. Thus, I could only take temporary refuge here, perhaps allowing his rage to gradually fade.”
Yun Che looked at him and said in a very flat tone, “The primary reason God Sovereign Jue Luo’s anger is hard to quench is, first, his inability to accept the heavy blows dealt by his two closest friends, and second... your refusal to fight or show anger.”
“So,” Yun Che leaned forward slightly, “why are you not angry?”
Facing this suddenly unfriendly question, Dian Jiuzhi showed no emotional turbulence. He replied calmly, “Perhaps for the vast majority of people, admitting one is inferior to another is a difficult thing. But for me, it is quite easy—even if I am the so-called ‘First Divine Son.’”
He looked at Yun Che, his gaze unwavering. “Divine spark, talent, will, shrewdness, looks... I am inferior to you in all of them. Divine Official Liu Xiao pleaded for your life, Divine Official Ling Xian gave you a gift, and I heard the Abyss Monarch even summoned you privately. Compared to you, I am not merely ‘inferior.’ Many things you possess are perhaps things I could not achieve in a lifetime.”
“Therefore, for Caili, you are undoubtedly the better choice. Even... setting aside my status as her former betrothed, I deeply believe that in this world, only you are worthy of her.”
“In that case, why should I fight or be angry? It would only highlight my unworthiness and needlessly increase her guilt and anxiety.” His words were so frank and direct that Shangguan Helu, standing to the side, could not help but turn her head, her eyes wide with shock.
Yun Che nodded slowly. “I thank Brother Dian for his honesty.”
Dian Jiuzhi narrowed his eyes slightly. “Your reaction is quite different from what I expected. I thought you would have at least a few moments of uncontrollable ridicule, or the disdain and contempt of a victor.”
Yun Che said seriously, “From the perspective of the Senluo God Kingdom, they are indeed entitled to blame you for not fighting. And men of the secular world would indeed whisper ridicules in the dark; after all, it is the nature of the weak to never miss an opportunity to mock the First Divine Son.”
“But regardless, true devotion should never be mocked. Because that is perhaps the rarest and most precious thing in this world.”
Dian Jiuzhi was visibly stunned. Then, he began to smile faintly, a smile more genuine than any moment prior. “You are truly a remarkable man. If I could be your friend, it would surely be a stroke of luck in life. But unfortunately... I ultimately cannot truly erase the rift in my heart.”
Yun Che returned the smile. “Even if you were willing, I would not be. Because I no longer believe in the existence of saints in this world. If one exists, they must be wearing a saint’s mask.”
“Hahahaha!”
Dian Jiuzhi laughed loudly. “Well said! Beautifully said! This past month, all my elders have been angry at my lack of ambition, scolding me for being pedantic, and some even laughed at me for being a spineless saint. But in the entire Senluo God Kingdom, not a single person truly understands me. No one understands that my lack of anger and struggle is, in fact, merely a selfish act to please myself and satisfy my own wishes.”
“A pity the only person who understands me is...” He shook his head with a smile and let out a long sigh. Then, he suddenly shifted his gaze, his eyes piercing straight into Yun Che’s pupils. “So, back then on the Pure Land, in front of the Divine Official’s residence—all of it was your deliberate design? Dian Sansi’s various moments of madness were all induced by your step-by-step provocations?”
“That’s right.”
Facing Dian Jiuzhi’s gaze, Yun Che admitted it with exceptional frankness. His returning gaze held not a shred of trepidation or guilt. “You are three centuries older than me; you surely understand the deep bond between the three God Sovereigns far better than I do. Therefore, the matter between Caili and me would have wounded their feelings regardless of the approach.”
“God Sovereign Huaxin and God Sovereign Wumeng have been trying every possible way to ease the situation, searching for a perfect solution. However, my life has taught me that one of the most dangerous things in the world is greed. Wanting to have it both ways often results in losing both. I, personally, believe in breaking things down to rebuild them—cutting the Gordian knot.”
“Furthermore, for Caili’s sake, I am willing to use any means necessary!”
That last sentence was the answer he had given the Abyss Monarch, and it was the answer most capable of touching the Monarch’s heart. It was the same for Dian Jiuzhi.
Dian Jiuzhi remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, “Sansi once told me that you have two faces. When the other face is revealed, you look like a demon ready to devour people.”
“My arrival in Dreamweaving this time was also with the intent to test you. How many faces you have or what your true face looks like has nothing to do with me. However, I could not help but care whether your feelings for Caili are genuine.”
“Your answer just now... I am willing to believe it is sincere, not a lie. After all, for Caili, you were willing to waste the gifts of two Divine Officials just to endure the Double Punishment of Abyssal Devouring² alone. After all, a woman as wonderful as Caili is indeed worth any man being willing to... use any means for her.”
He stood up. “So, I can rest completely easy now.”
Yun Che also rose. “How long do you plan to stay in Dreamweaving?”
“I shall leave now.” Dian Jiuzhi looked ahead. “God Sovereign Wumeng is extremely busy, and I have not had the honor of an audience. Please convey to him on my behalf that he should not attempt to approach my father for at least a month. My father is like a different person when he is angry.”
“I originally intended to visit the Zhetian God Kingdom to see God Sovereign Huaxin, but I fear it would cause pressure or trouble for Caili. I suppose...” He sighed softly with a bitter smile. “I will simply wander for a while and return once my father’s anger has mostly subsided.”
Yun Che did not ask him to stay. Instead, he said with some emotion, “Recalling our first meeting, Brother Dian was refined, elegant, and humble, lacking any of the arrogance the First Divine Son should have. At the time, I thought you were hiding your sharpness behind a facade of harmony; at the very least, I was unwilling to believe someone of your status could be a true gentleman.”
“Looking at it now, it was my vision that was narrow. Brother Dian truly deserves the title of a gentleman.”
Dian Jiuzhi’s smile was faint. “For a Divine Son of a God Kingdom, the word ‘gentleman’ is not exactly a compliment.”
“No,” Yun Che countered. “Precisely because you are a Divine Son, it is all the more precious.”
Dian Jiuzhi said nothing more. He reached out and placed a silver jade stone on the tea table beside him.
“This is a Sound Transmission Jade specially made for me by my Father God. It contains his Senluo Divine Power. As long as you are not within the Sea of Fog, you can use it to send a transmission to me from anywhere in this world. With the remaining divine power, it can probably be used six or seven more times.”
Yun Che picked it up, a faint silver glow reflecting in his eyes. He understood Dian Jiuzhi’s intent perfectly and did not decline. “Fine, I accept. If it concerns Caili, I will not hesitate to seek your help if necessary.”
Dian Jiuzhi smiled faintly. Meeting Yun Che’s gaze, he uttered words that were almost hard to believe: “Even if it requires me to give my life.”
Yun Che: “...”
Dian Jiuzhi departed. Yun Che watched him leave from a distance, granting him the highest level of courtesy. In his heart, however, he sighed quietly: Indeed, as a Divine Son of Senluo, how can one be a gentleman? A gentleman has far, far too many weaknesses and openings.
Not long after Dian Jiuzhi left, Meng Jianxi walked over quickly.
“Brother Yuan, how was the result?”
Yun Che raised his hand, and the Vermilion Bird Flame ignited at his fingertips. The divine flame, which should have been scorching, released a gentle warmth that soothed the soul.
Meng Jianxi immediately praised him, “As expected of Brother Yuan. In just a few dozen days, you can already successfully ignite Divine Official Ling Xian’s divine flame.” He joked half-seriously, “With this flame, even if you weren't the Divine Son of Dreamweaving, you would have enough to run rampant through the Abyssal World.”
Extinguishing the flame, Yun Che asked, “How has the Senior God Sovereign been lately?”
Meng Jianxi shook his head with a faint smile. “The various Dream Halls are arguing incessantly over how to allocate the slots for the Eternal Pure Land. Some elders who had already gone into seclusion have even reappeared to fight for their juniors. That is just one issue, and it’s already enough to give my father a massive headache.”
At this point, his tone shifted. “The Senluo Divine Son... he didn't say anything unpleasant just now, did he?”
Yun Che replied with a beaming smile, “What you really want to ask about is Long Jiang, right?”
“Haha, as expected, nothing can be hidden from Brother Yuan’s eyes.” Meng Jianxi laughed. “But looking at your expression, it shouldn't be anything bad. When I saw her mention you at the Realm Gate earlier, her tone was cold and her posture was forceful. I thought she might have some leverage over you from your time wandering the world.”
“After all, given your current fame, for her—a scarred dragon girl of the Dragon Race—to dare be so aggressive, I feared she had some backing. That’s why I moved to stabilize her immediately. Now it seems I was overthinking.”
Long Jiang’s identity as a member of the Dragon Race could not be hidden from Meng Jianxi’s eyes.
“No, your judgment and decision were not wrong at all.” Yun Che offered his praise but did not explain further. Instead, he took out a massive profound crystal of an odd shape, possessing an incredibly strange aura and light. “Divine Son Xi, do you recognize this Abyssal Crystal?”
This was the "Seven-Profound Panlong Crystal³" that Yun Che had condensed in the Sea of Fog, using the Heaven’s Revelation Divine Jade as a base and Dragon Abyss Crystals as supplements, powered by the Void Power that could manipulate Abyssal Dust.
Such a massive and bizarre crystal instantly captured Meng Jianxi’s attention. He stepped forward quickly, his divine sense slowly and carefully sweeping over it before he let out a gasp of wonder. “An aura of this magnitude... this is undoubtedly an Abyssal Crystal of the highest level. It contains a faint dragon breath, yet it is different from any Abyssal Dragon aura I know... Even this shape is unprecedented.”
His eyes shone brightly. “Brother Yuan, I know all the variant Abyssal Crystals recorded in the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets by heart, but I have never seen this one. It is highly likely a variant that has never appeared in the world before.”
The strange shape caused a flash of deja vu in his mind, but it was too blurry and vanished in an instant. “Brother Yuan, where did this crystal come from? Could it also be a gift from your master?”
“No,” Yun Che said without changing his expression. “When I wandered the world back then, Long Jiang and I shared mutual favors. She came this time to gift me this crystal to settle the karma of the past. With her personality, which is harder and colder than Abyssal Stone, the last thing she wants is to owe someone a favor.”
With that, he pushed the Seven-Profound Panlong Crystal directly toward Meng Jianxi. The latter hurriedly caught it, his expression solemn.
“If even Divine Son Xi doesn't know... you might as well record a profound image of it and inquire at the other God Kingdoms or the Pure Land. Otherwise, if we attempt to explore its effects ourselves, we might inevitably cause damage.”
“True.” Meng Jianxi deeply agreed. “I will send people to investigate immediately. If a variant Abyssal Crystal of this size can be fully utilized, it might release power that could be called a gift from heaven.”
When Meng Jianxi left, his footsteps carried an irrepressible excitement and urgency. After all, what he held in his hands was likely an abyssal treasure making its first appearance in the world—one that might shock the entire realm.
Yun Che slowly narrowed his eyes, silently watching this small "pebble" be tossed into the seemingly still lake. He would wait and see what kind of ripples Shen Wuanyi could stir with this stone.