“Master, where are you going?” He Ling asked worriedly.

“The Burning Moon Realm,” Yun Che replied.

“But…”

He Ling looked up. A faint, black color had dyed the pocket world inside the Sky Poison Pearl, so she gave up and stopped talking.

He Ling probably knew Yun Che better than even Qianye Ying’er and Chi Wuyao.

Her life was connected to Yun Che’s, so not only did she experience everything he did, she could feel his soul at all times.

The Burning Moon Realm was a king realm in the Northern Divine Region, and Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor Fen Daojun was one of the three strongest profound pract.i.tioners in the Northern Divine Region. Yun Che was no match for him even if he possessed the Eternal Calamity of Darkness.

But she also knew that there was nothing that could change Yun Che’s mind or stop him from what he was planning to do right now.

Yun Che pa.s.sed through many black star regions and dark stars. Soon, the Burning Moon Realm appeared before him once more.

The dark light in his eyes stabilized as he slowed down a little. However, the darkness hidden behind the back of his pupils grew even colder.

He landed in front of Burning Moon Royal City after entering the Burning Moon Realm.

The capital’s barrier had been sealed up again, but there was no barrier of darkness that could stop him.

“The capital is not open to the public. Anyone who comes close without permission will die!”

An imposing voice reached him the moment he landed on the ground. The aura of the owner of the voice was cold and scary.

Yun Che replied indifferently while staring toward the front, “Please inform the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor that Yun Che is here to pay a visit.”

A short silence later, the voice exclaimed in shock. “Yun… Yun Che!?”

The spars that took place at the Burning Moon Main Hall earlier were the spars of Divine Masters, so practically everyone in Burning Moon’s capital had felt the commotion caused by them. That was why the arrival of the Devil Queen and especially the name Yun Che had spread throughout the entire capital in no time.

Moreover, the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor just sent an order and recalled all the Moon Eaters and Burning Moon Divine Envoys who were away. Even the most insensitive person in the capital had noticed that something deeply unusual was going on.

“I thought Yun Che just left with the Devil Queen…”

“Maybe he’s a fake?”

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s a fake or not… send word to the commander so he may speak of this with the G.o.d Emperor!”

…………

The air in the Burning Moon Main Hall was unusually dreary.

The Witches of the Soul Stealing Realm only served Chi Wuyao, but the Moon Eaters of the Burning Moon Realm had their own star regions to govern. It was rare enough for them to be summoned on urgent notice, much less an emergency summon that required them to drop everything immediately.

Every Moon Eater and Burning Moon Divine Envoy had returned to the Burning Moon Capital in less than two hours. Some of them even activated the profound dimensional formation they hadn’t used in years just to return home in the shortest amount of time possible.

Inside the hall, the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor was sitting at his throne with a calm expression on his face. However, there was no mistaking the invisible but frightening aura that was constantly rolling off his body.

Below him, the Moon Eaters, the Burning Moon Divine Envoys, and dozens of princes and princesses were waiting in silence.

“Is the situation really that bad, my king?” a Moon Eater that just returned from outside asked.

It was Fen Zhuo, the second strongest Moon Eater who was second only to Fen Daozang.

The Burning Moon Realm didn’t have any level ten Divine Master beside the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor. However, their numbers were greater compared to the ten Yama Devils of the Yama Realm or the Nine Witches of the Soul Stealing Realm.

They had a total of twelve high level Divine Masters.

Fen Daozang shot him a glance before saying in a voice so low it sounded like it came from the abyss. “You wouldn’t ask that if you had witnessed it with your own eyes.”

In Fen Daozang’s case, not only had he witnessed the impossible with his own eyes, he had personally experienced how it felt to be suppressed by two level eight Divine Masters. He was full of anger and shame at the time, but after he got smacked face first by thunderous words such as “Calamity and Misfortune”, “Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor”, and “Eternal Calamity of Darkness”, the memory no longer seemed as unbearable as before.

Instead, it now sat in his heart like a weight that refused to be removed.

Fen Zhuo looked around him. He quickly discovered that the Moon Eaters who were here before him were all wearing faces of unprecedented heaviness.

“Have we recalled all the spies we sent to Soul Stealing Realm?” the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor asked.

“We have recalled everyone, my king.”

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor slowly let out a sigh of relief.

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor didn’t particularly enjoy conflict, and after the Soul Stealing Realm rose to power and replaced the Clear Sky G.o.d Realm, he never once provoked them without very good reason.

However, he had never feared them as much as he did now.

A prince asked, “Does Yun Che really wield the power of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor? Have we not considered the possibility that the Devil Queen was just playing a trick on us? Also, maybe the Eternal Calamity of Darkness isn’t as powerful as it seems, at least not on us mortals. For example, that Brahma Monarch G.o.ddess couldn’t even withstand a single blow from royal father.”

“Naive,” the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor said coldly. “This emperor isn’t so blind that he would misjudge the power of a devil emperor! Not only do I suspect that the power affecting the two Witches was just the tip of the iceberg that was the Eternal Calamity of Darkness, its true power will be greater than even your wildest imagination. Do not forget that what you saw was just the show of the two weakest Witches of the Soul Stealing Realm and one Eternal Calamity formation.”

“According to the ancient records, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor was the first ever devil created by the Ancestral G.o.d. It was why her power was called the ‘First Darkness’. Therefore, I’m certain that perfect control over darkness was just the tip of what the Witches can do.”

Everyone in the hall felt suffocated.

As a G.o.d emperor of the Northern Divine Region, the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor knew the devil emperors of the ancient times better than most.

“As for the Brahma Monarch G.o.ddess…” The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor frowned slightly. “Something was wrong with her at the time. Her true strength is nothing like what you saw earlier.”

“What should we do then, my king?” Fen Zhuo asked, “If the Eternal Calamity of Darkness really is as scary as they say, if the Witches, the Soul Spirits, and Soul Attendants have all been fully transformed by it… and if the Devil Queen plots to invade the Burning Moon Realm with her newfound strength, how are we going to… defend against it?”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was just being polite.

If the two weakest Witches could already suppress their strongest Moon Eater using “Calamity and Misfortune”, they couldn’t imagine how much power it would take for them to deal with the First Witch. They probably couldn’t win even if they were to combine their strength and attack them together...

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor looked at the man sitting next to Fen Daozang. He had black hair, but no facial hair. He looked to be around thirty to forty years old, and he wore a set of white clothes and a flat hat. His skin was far whiter than any of the Moon Eaters, and he was completely lacking in imposingness, the perfect image of an elegant and refined gentleman.

He looked nothing like a Moon Eater of the Burning Moon Realm, but he was.

“What is your opinion, master?” the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor asked.

Fen Daoqi was the seventh strongest Moon Eater if he was judged by cultivation level alone.

However, he wasn’t just a Moon Eater.

He was also the emperor’s advisor and the brain of the Burning Moon Realm!

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor respected him deeply. He referred to him as master even though he was a G.o.d emperor.

Fen Daoqi stood up and said, “Daoqi wasn’t present at the time, but if what my king said is as grave as it sounds, then we must avoid making contact with the Soul Stealing Realm at all costs. We cannot even spy on them in case the Devil Queen is looking for an excuse to attack us. This is our short-term plan.”

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor nodded slowly. “And what about the long term?”

“There are only two ways.” Fen Daoqi paused for a second before saying in a heavy tone. “The first way is that we kill Yun Che.”

“That won’t be easy,” the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor said. In fact, he was understating the risks ma.s.sively. They just agreed that avoiding all contact with the Soul Stealing Realm would be the wisest choice for now, not to mention the Devil Queen would surely protect Yun Che with everything she got. “What is the second way?”

“I’m sure you already know it, my king.” Fen Daoqi smiled before saying one word, “Persuade.”

Everyone exchanged glances with each other before falling into deep thought.

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor slowly rose to his feet and said, “Whoever gets Yun Che will get the Northern Divine Region as well. Besides that, having perfect compatibility with darkness profound energy most likely means that we could retain our power even if we move away from the Northern Divine Region.”

“Do you understand what this means? It means that we may be able to escape our prison and fight against the other three divine regions.”

The looks on everyone’s faces said everything that needed to be said about their feelings.

“Recruiting him would be even more difficult than killing him though,” Fen Daozang said. “Let’s not forget that even the Clear Sky G.o.d Emperor died to the Devil Queen. I doubt there is any man or woman in the world who is better at dealing with men. Yun Che didn’t say a word or even move a muscle throughout the banquet earlier, so he might’ve lost even his soul to the Devil Queen. How in the world are we going to sway a puppet?”

“He is his own person.” The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor shook his head. “It is true that the Devil Queen can steal any soul in the world, but not Yun Che. Yun Che has the power of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor in him, so it is simply impossible.”

He was very certain about this.

“Master, do you think there is a way to make Yun Che join us?” the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor asked again.

“That is almost impossible. But if we’re just persuading him to help us, we can try…” Fen Daoqi smiled again and said, “s.e.x.”

Everyone frowned except the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor.

“That sounds like the worst way possible to change Yun Che’s mind.” Fen Daozang shot Fen Daoqi a look of astonishment. He wasn’t expecting someone as wise as him to make a blunder like this. “Is there anyone in the Northern Divine Region who’s more skilful than the Devil Queen at seducing men? I’m sure that young man is enjoying the time of his life every hour of the day!”

“And let’s not forget he’s accompanied by the Brahma Monarch G.o.ddess… it is said that she and the Dragon Queen of the Western Divine Region are the most beautiful women in the world!”

He sounded like he was ridiculing Yun Che’s lack of self-restraint, but everyone could hear the deep jealousy and frustration in his heart.

But Fen Daoqi shook his head slightly and said, “It is true that there is nothing we can provide that the Soul Stealing Realm can’t match. But s.e.x can be a million things.”

“He probably joined the Soul Stealing Realm because he was drawn by the Devil Queen’s s.e.x appeal. This means that he isn’t immune to s.e.x.”

“It is true that no daughters of the Burning Moon are a match for the Devil Queen or the Lady G.o.ddess,” Fen Daoqi said objectively. “But sometimes, ‘freshness’ and ‘quant.i.ty’ can be more powerful than ‘quality’.”

“Also, it is said that Yun Che is less than sixty years old. If that is true, he is at the age where he is barely capable of resisting l.u.s.tful impulses, and where a fresh face is more appealing than a lasting one.”

Fen Daozang seemed to realize something. “Are you saying…?”

“The Devil Queen is a brutal and overbearing woman. Even if she is sincere in her desire to make Yun Che her emperor, she will never allow him to have more power than her.”

“She’ll keep Yun Che on a tight leash… especially when they’re doing their business. If we can use this advantage and persuade him to grace us with his favor…”

Fen Daoqi shook his head while sighing. “I know it sounds stupid and vulgar, but it may be the only effective method we have.”

“There is next to no chance he’ll betray the Soul Stealing Realm and join us because of this, but… it’ll be good enough if he keeps us in mind. We can discuss what to do afterward.”

Frankly, the moment Yun Che fell into the Devil Queen’s hands, the chances of them luring Yun Che to their side was next to zero. Therefore, the only thing they could do was make sure that he was at least partially invested in their existence… the more invested he was, the safer the Burning Moon Realm would become.

They glanced at the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor for his opinion, but it was unnecessary. His face alone showed that this was his plan from the start.

Still… to think that the only plan they, the core of the Burning Moon Realm and the greatest existences in the Northern Divine Region could come up with… was seduction by numbers!

To call this a f.u.c.king joke would be a...

“Fen Zhuo,” the Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor said suddenly.

Fen Zhuo stood up and bowed to him. “Please give me your orders, my king.”

“You will travel to the Soul Stealing Realm and deliver Yun Che a gift in seven days.”

“Yes.” Fen Zhuo answered. “And the gift is…”

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor closed his eyes before saying heavily, “Hehuang.”

“Wh… what!?” Fen Zhuo looked up in shock. Everyone else was surprised as well.

Fen Hehuang was a Burning Moon Princess everyone in the Northern Divine Region had heard about. She was said to be as flawless as jade and as beautiful as a G.o.ddess. She was the treasure of the Burning Moon Realm and the G.o.d emperor’s most favored daughter.

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor was unmoved despite his people’s shock. He continued. “Remember to avoid the Devil Queen as much as you can. If Yun Che accepts her, then all is well. If he doesn’t accept her, try to leave her behind. Even if the Soul Stealing Realm sends her back later on, as long as Yun Che sees her, then it is an acceptable outcome.”

A man knew another man the best. Yun Che might be flanked by the Devil Queen and the Lady G.o.ddess themselves, but that was no reason for him to turn down another high cla.s.s beauty… plus, he was certain that there was no man in the world who was immune to Fen Hehuang’s looks.

“But… but…”

“There are no buts.” The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor turned his back on Fen Zhuo. “She is my daughter. She should have the resolve to sacrifice herself for the good of the Burning Moon Realm.”

Fen Zhuo’s lips were trembling slightly. A closer look would reveal that his fingers were shaking as well. In the end, he closed his eyes, bowed his head and said, “I will obey… my king’s order.”

It was at this moment an aura approached swiftly from the distance. An urgent-sounding voice reached them before the person himself showed up. “Commander of the Burning Moon Guards, Fen Zhou, would like to request a meeting with our king… there is something urgent I need to report.”

The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor was feeling very unhappy, but he didn’t take it out on his commander. “Speak.”

A person appeared in front of the hall and knelt on his knees. He said, “Yun Che… is requesting a meeting with you in front of the gates.”

The name “Yun Che” caused everyone to look at him. The Burning Moon G.o.d Emperor also turned around in shock. “What did you say!?”

______________