The chill Yun Che sent crawling over their skins was in no way less than Chi Wuyao’s, but Shui Yingyue and Lu Zhou knew that it was still one of the better outcomes.

In the end, they were the denizens and the realm kings of the Eastern Divine Region.

Yun Che was the one who had saved the Eastern Divine Region, and the Eastern Divine Region was the one who betrayed him. Taking the fate of the world into consideration, Yun Che had every right to enact whatever revenge he wanted on his betrayers... however, it was also a fact that most of the people living in the Eastern Divine Region were innocent.

Trapped by the “cage” and rules enacted by their own rulers, they never really knew what happened until it was too late.

The Glazed Light Realm and Shrouding Sky Realm were some of the few realms who were safe from the devilish calamity, but the Eternal Heaven Realm was massacred, the Moon God Realm was annihilated, the Star God Realm was holed up in their auxiliary star realm and the Brahma Monarch Realm had closed its own borders... their king realms were either annihilated or useless, so it was up to them to improve things for the Eastern Divine Region if even a little.

Otherwise, it was unknown what kind of hell the Eastern Divine Region would turn into if those terrifying and fearless devil people were allowed to vent their infinite hatred to their heart’s content.

Lu Lengchuan bowed and thanked Yun Che sincerely, “Thank you for granting the Eastern Divine Region another chance, Devil Master. When we return to our realms, we will immediately declare in the name of the Glazed Light Realm and Shrouding Sky Realm that those who submit to you will receive your pardon, and those who don’t... will be treated as your enemies!”

They knew full well that they would be accused as treason.

Since they hadn’t been affected by the war, and because their judgment wasn’t clouded by the haze of loss, they knew better than anyone that there was no chance the Eastern Divine Region could resist the Northern Divine Region, not after the Eternal Heaven Realm and Moon God Realm were gone, and the truth was announced to the world.

This was the best, no, the only choice they had if they wished to retain as much of the Eastern Divine Region as possible.

“Heh! There is no need!”

Yun Che smiled and summoned the Primordial Profound Ark all of a sudden. Then, he dragged someone out of the vessel.

Bang!

The ice encasing the person fell apart as they crashed heavily against the ground and rolled into the distance. But instead of getting back on their feet, they chose to curl into a ball and shiver uncontrollably.

Everyone was surprised when they saw the person’s face. Then, Lu Zhou and Shui Qianheng shouted in unison, “Star God Emperor!?”

The middle-aged man on the ground turned around blankly and saw Lu Zhou and Shui Qianheng looking back at him... then, he let out a strange cry, buried his face against the floor and wrapped his arms around his head. He writhed like a despairing worm as he said, “No... no... I’m not the Star God Emperor... I’m not... you got the wrong person... I’m not... I’m not...”

Once upon a time, he was a powerful and dignified god emperor that even the likes of Shui Qianheng and Lu Zhou, powerful higher realm kings in their own right, had to bow to in respect.

Today, his shameful appearance was exposed before countless eyes and even a couple of acquaintances. He would rather be frozen forever than to be seen like this.

That way, the people would’ve remembered him as the vanished Star God Emperor, the god emperor who once commanded Star Gods and wielded great power, not the sniveling mess he was now.

“What... what the...” Lu Zhou and Lu Lengchuan exchanged a look of utter shock.

The Star God Emperor had suddenly disappeared when the Star God Realm was turned to rubble by the Evil Infant. After that, no matter how hard the surviving Star God Realm profound practitioners looked, scouring nearly every inch of the Eastern Divine Region, they weren’t able to find a trace of their god emperor.

The people had countless rumors and guesses regarding the vanished Star God Emperor.

No one—least of all them—was expecting him to show up like this at this time and place.

Right now, Xing Juekong looked nothing like the Star God Emperor he used to be. They could barely sense any profound aura from his body at all, much less imperial might or spiritual pressure.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

After being crippled and encased in ice for years, his willpower had long since been ground to dust and some more. There was only brokenness and despair in his eyes. Even the lowliest mortal would feel deep disdain and pity for him if they saw him.

It took time to break the Star God Emperor to this extent, meaning that his torture had probably begun the very day he disappeared without warning... but of course, they dared not ask Yun Che about it.

Yun Che hadn’t killed Xing Juekong even though he hated him to the bone. In fact, he had been keeping him alive since the day he found him. He didn’t think that his unintentional act of “charity” would prove useful one day.

He glanced at Xing Juekong from the corner of his eyes before tossing the Star God Wheel in front of the latter.

Although Xing Kuekong was just a normal person now, he had had the Star God Wheel for ten thousand years at least. He could practically sniff out the wheel if they were put in the same room.

The weak old man abruptly looked up for his spot and stared at the Star God Wheel for a second. Somehow, he found the strength to leap into the air like a flea and hug the Star God Wheel tightly in his chest. Tears poured down his cheeks like a pair of waterfalls.

Luo Zhou, Shui Qianheng and everyone watched while indescribable emotions surged inside their hearts.

“Heh.” Yun Che’s eyebrows sank as he said deeply, “Xing Juekong, I will grant you one more chance to become the Star God Emperor... savor it well!”

Xing Juekong didn’t respond. It was almost as if he couldn’t hear him at all. The old man was clutching the Star God Wheel with all his power, and for a moment he almost felt like the almighty Star God Emperor again.

Yun Che let out a sneer before walking toward the front. He ordered, “Daoqi, turn on the formation!”

The projection formation that had proven itself to be incredibly useful again and again came active once more.

Although it took an incredible amount of energy to sustain it, they were expending the Eternal Heaven Realm’s resources. There was no reason to be distressed about the cost at all.

The great projection formation quickly came to life, and Yun Che’s dark features and devilish power quickly enveloped the entire Eastern Divine Region once more.

Every devil person in the Eastern Divine Region—the god emperors all the way down to the lowest devil soldiers—dropped to their knees in unison... their near insane display of faith causing the Eastern Divine Region profound practitioners to quake in their boots.

This time though, they couldn’t help but see Yun Che in a different light.

He was a devil, there was no denying that... but it was the rulers of the Eastern Divine Region, no, the entire God Realm who made him what he was.

He was supposed to be the God Child Messiah. He was supposed to be their biggest pride in the history of the Eastern Divine Region.

“Children of darkness,” Yun Che said slowly in a low tone, “please cool the heat in your blood for a moment, for I have an important announcement to share with the pitiful worms of the Eastern Divine Region. Pitiful worms, please listen carefully and do not miss a word. You will regret it otherwise.”

Only gulps could be heard amidst the oppressive silence.

Yun Che slowly raised his hand and stretched his fingers as if he had the entire Eastern Divine Region in his palm. “The Eternal Heaven God Realm and Moon God Realm are gone, and the Brahma Monarch God Realm and Star God Realm are shaking inside their turtle shells.”

“Do not think for a second that you’ve been abandoned, because you don’t even have the qualification to be abandoned in the face of the true calamity. Oh no, you are just pitiful worms that can be twisted into any shape and form by them.”

Yun Che’s speech was full of sarcasm... it was especially biting now that they all knew the truth.

“But I owe the Snow Song Realm a great debt, and the representatives of the Glazed Light Realm and Shrouding Sky Realm have come personally to plead on your behalf. The Glazed Light Realm hid me, and the Shrouding Sky Realm defended me in my direst moment, so I will grant you one, and only one chance to save yourselves!”

Shui Qianheng was still calm, but the Lu father and son could barely control their emotions.

If the Eastern Divine Region really was saved, if Yun Che really became the next master of the God Realm... then everything he said today would increase their already sterling reputation and status to a whole new level.

Who would’ve thought that a brutal man like him would value kindness and relationships to such an extent?

Joy wasn’t the only emotion they felt, of course. They also felt sorrow... if the Eastern Divine Region had chosen to protect him instead of betraying him, their king realms wouldn’t have crumbled, and their people wouldn’t be slaughtered like dogs. They would’ve had unshakeable peace and protection.

That being said, if Yun Che was still his old self, if all he wanted was to live together with the Evil Infant in the lower realms, he would never have grown so much so quickly.

Yun Che withdrew his fingers slightly, and countless Eastern Region profound practitioners felt that their lives and souls were caught in his grasp. “In seven days, all upper star realms are required to send their realm kings before me. They will kneel and swear their undying loyalty to me, or... they can vanish forever in darkness!”

The Devil Master’s words caused countless eyeballs and hearts to beat wildly.

“Remember, you only have seven days, seven days! This is the first and last chance I’ll grant the likes of you!”

“If your realm king insists on dragging you all to darkness, you can follow them to your deaths, or you can kill them and appoint a new realm king.”

“Will you join us in darkness, or will you turn into black dust? I very much look forward to your decision!”

“Hehehehe!”

Yun Che turned away and left after leaving behind a devilish ultimatum and a cold chuckle. Countless seeds of darkness were buried in the wavering souls of the Eastern Region profound practitioners there and then.

“We obey the Devil Master’s order. Withdraw!”

The devil army was already backing away as one while the Eastern Region profound practitioners were still in a daze. Even the armies who were one step away from hitting the core of the enemy’s base had withdrawn without any hesitation whatsoever.

If it wasn’t for Yun Che, they wouldn’t even have the power to step out of the Northern Divine Region, much less vent their hatred to their heart’s content! Yun Che’s order had become their highest faith since a while ago.

So the devil people went away like tide water, leaving behind the Eastern Region profound practitioners and the dark ultimatum of the Devil Master...

The terrible disaster that dyed even the sky red had finally come to a pause, but no one could tell if a blessing or an even darker hell was awaiting them at the front.

“No! We mustn’t fall for the devil people’s trick!” An Eastern Region profound practitioner shouted. “They are clearly trying to divide our strength and enslave us!”

If this was two days ago, most of them would’ve fought to the death to defend their last bit of pride and honor. They would’ve died before they submitted to darkness.

After learning the cruel truth and losing their faith, the offer looked more like hope and a chance to survive.

The Devil Emperor sacrificed herself to save the world. The Devil Master saved the world only to be betrayed by it. If the very idea that darkness couldn’t be allowed to exist in this world was wrong, then their million-year-long oppression and slaughtering of the devil people was a sin as well...

Knowing that, was it really that unacceptable to live with darkness; to submit to the man who once saved the world?

At the very least, they would be able to save themselves and their family. At the very least, this calamity would end here and now, and...

...they would have the opportunity to atone for their sins, and correct their misguided perception.

“I... don’t want to fight the devil people anymore,” a profound practitioner said weakly as he collapsed to his knees.

The pale, lifeless statement was shared by countless other Eastern Region profound practitioners.

“Great Realm King, let’s surrender already. The devil people are too powerful, and we are no match for them at all. Besides... Yun Che was a member of the Eastern Divine Region.”

“Sect Master, why are we even still struggling after knowing the truth?... I don’t want to fight anymore, I really don’t.”

“They are devil people! Did you already forget how many of your brothers and kin were killed by them!? Are you just going to watch and do nothing while the Eastern Divine Region turns into a devil region!?” A higher realm king roared on top of his lungs.

“Heh.” He was cut off by a miserable laugh. It came from their most talented profound practitioner. “Sect Master, that future will only come true if we are all dead. I would rather live and see what a devil person is really like.”

“Great Realm King, you absolutely cannot submit to the devil people! How are we supposed to face our ancestors if they knew what we’ve done? And don’t forget, there is still the Brahma Monarch God Realm! There’s no way they are ‘turtling’ as the Devil Master says. They may even be plotting with the Southern Divine Region and the Western Divine Region in secret to deal a decisive blow... if we surrender now, it’ll become an irremovable stain in our history forever!”

Countless voices filled the Eastern Divine Region for a time.

It was because the final fate of their star realms would be decided in just seven days.

————

Author’s Note:

Wu Guike: Yay! I showed up again!

————

alyschu note:

His name is a homophone of turtle shell in Chinese (Mandarin).