Chapter 1431: Crimson Origin

Having the entire world as your enemy. That was Jasmine's current situation.

Furthermore, because she had become the embodiment of the "Evil Infant", this situation would never ever change... and it would be like this until her death!

When he'd suddenly heard that Jasmine was alive, Yun Che had undoubtedly become so emotional and ecstatic that he had thought that he was dreaming. But those few short words that Mu Xuanyin just uttered had instantly covered up the enormous joy and surprise that he felt in his heart with an extremely gloomy shadow.

His joy and surprise died down little by little and Yun Che exhaled deeply after that. When he finally spoke, it sounded like he was muttering to himself as he asked, "Jasmine, she... How did she become the Evil Infant... How did it..."

"Were you truly completely unaware that she possessed the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations?" Mu Xuanyin asked.

Yun Che shook his head... He had been completely unaware. In fact, he did not have the slightest clue. He said, "Master, you previously said... that it was because of me?"

"Yes," Mu Xuanyin said as her eyebrows slightly scrunched up. Besides the people from the Star God Realm, she was the only person in the universe who knew the exact reason for the birth of the "Evil Infant".

The Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations was the artifact that possessed the most extreme and dreadful negative energies in the universe. Thus, anyone would be able to surmise that in order for it to be awoken, there needed to be a negative energy that had been amplified by several magnitudes.

Initially, even though she and Caizhi were both going to become sacrifices, the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations had not even stirred... So the situation only changed dramatically after Yun Che's death.

Even though she had not personally borne witness to it, the moment Mu Xuanyin heard the news, she almost immediately understood the reason for the Evil Infant's re-emergence.

"It's obvious that the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations had long ago fallen into her possession," Mu Xuanyin said in a measured voice, "but not a single trace of the Evil Infant or its aura had been leaked to the outside world. That is also to say that the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations had originally been in a state of complete dormancy... But after you died, the power of the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations awoke and she also transformed into the Evil Infant. Why do you think... that happened?"

"..." Yun Che stood frozen in place. He once again looked as if his soul had left his body and he remained in that state for a long period of time... After that, he closed his eyes, his entire body was trembling faintly as he tightly clenched his hands.

"Since she destroyed the Star God Realm back then, the Evil Infant has yet to appear again. All of the king realms in the three divine regions completely mobilized and they even rallied countless star realms to aid in their search, yet they were ultimately unable to find any clear traces of her... So do you think that you, with your powers, can find her?" Mu Xuanyin said in an ice-cold voice. "Even if you can find her, the current her has already become the Evil Infant and she is now a devil god that is more terrifying than any devil! If you managed to get close to her, do you know what the consequences will be? At that time, there will be no place under heaven that will even give you a foot to stand on."

Yun Che, "..."

"The people of the Star God Realm did not expose the relationship that you and she had to anyone else, but that was because they did not dare to! That sacrificial ceremony was something that went against the laws of heaven and the precepts of society in the first place. If anyone were to discover that they were the ones who had forced the Evil Infant to emerge, they would become sinners denounced by the entire universe and the other king realms would definitely salivate at the chance to break their bones and scatter their ashes. So, if you are asked about the reason you went to the Star God Realm back then, you definitely must not mention that it had anything to do with her. The current you definitely won't be able to find her and the further you are from her, the better it is!"

"Furthermore, if her soul has not been completely hijacked and the will of the Heavenly Slaughter Star God still remains, she herself will surely not allow you to find her!"

Mu Xuanyin had said many things and given him many warnings... This was because she understood Yun Che far too well and she understood even better that Yun Che could abandon everything for the sake of Jasmine. She had no choice but to warn him again and again.

Yun Che opened his eyes before speaking in a slow but resolute voice, "I will definitely find her... I definitely will!"

"..." Mu Xuanyin's eyebrows tightly knit together.

"However, it won't be now. The current me has no right to look for her," Yun Che continued. He seemed to have calmed down and at the very least, his gaze was not trembling so violently anymore. He said, "She's still alive and to me, that is already an enormous blessing. As for the rest... no matter if she is the Evil Infant, no matter if the entire world becomes my enemy, no matter how much resistance I face... At the very least, I will still be able to see her."

"..." Mu Xuanyin could hear the resoluteness in his voice, and she could also hear the bleakness in his voice.

Reuniting with Jasmine had always been such a monumentally difficult task. They were separated by planes... separated by life and death... and even after they had stepped across it all, the greatest obstructing force in the universe had been shoved between them.

Mu Xuanyin was already unable to say anything else. As she faced a Yun Che who could resolutely choose to die together with Jasmine, she knew that any and all advice regarding this matter was useless. He would ultimately march to the beat of his own drum. She turned around and said, "I've said everything that needed to be said. As for what you should do in the future... Regarding the matter of the Glazed Light Realm's little princess and the matter of the Heavenly Slaughter Star God, give it some proper thought."

"The Heavenly Netherfrost Lake has already been opened. If you want to enter it, you can do so at any time."

"Yes... This disciple will take his leave first."

Yun Che turned around and he left on swift footsteps... But the moment he stepped out of the Sacred Hall, he stopped again and asked, "Master, Caizhi... The Heavenly Wolf Star God, is she..."

"She is also still alive, and we can confirm that she is in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning," Mu Xuanyin said with an expressionless face.

As he walked out of the Sacred Hall and stood in the midst of the snowstorm, Yun Che's heart was filled with boundless indecision.

He had been determined when he had returned to the God Realm, but today was only the second day... and all the things that had happened so suddenly and all at once made him to feel as if the entire world had changed.

Luo Guxie, Huo Poyun, and even the crimson calamity... At this moment, all of these things were flung to the back of his head and the only thing that filled his heart and soul was the image of Jasmine.

She's still alive...

Evil Infant...

Evil Infant...

Because of me... she became the Evil Infant...

No, you're still alive and that's the most wonderful thing in the world. What devil, what Evil Infant, none of it is important!

Initially, you had promised me that if there was a next life, we would surely meet again... But now, our lives have not ended yet, so there is no need for a next life. I will find you no matter what!

......

After bathing in the cold wind for a long period of time, Yun Che's emotions gradually grew steadier and more rational. He knew that Jasmine must be aware that he was still alive, because Jasmine had known from a very long time ago that the Phoenix Spirit had bestowed the Flames of Nirvana upon him. Even if she had not remembered it back then, it surely would have occurred to her at some point of time.

There was also Caizhi. He was unable to imagine just how dramatically changed and distorted her heart, soul, and personality had become after she went through all of that, especially since Jasmine had already told him that she originally had a "deep abyss in her heart" in the first place...

Yun Che shook his head as he gazed towards the north... where the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was located.

Right now, he needed power... No matter what the method or the means of obtaining it!

Since he had already set his mind to it, he took to the air and flew to where the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was located.

Upon arriving at the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, the barrier surrounding it directly opened up after a slight push of his mind.

During the years he had spent in the Snow Song Realm, he had spent the most time in the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake and the person who he had spent the most time with was Mu Xuanyin. When he entered the area around the Heavenly Lake again, he saw icy lights gleaming in the air as ice spirits danced and frolicked. Everything was exactly the same as he remembered.

Yun Che first pushed down all of the thoughts that were raging inside his head before he took in a small and slow breath, and jumped into the Heavenly Lake, diving straight to the bottom.

Compared to his unhurried and cautious approach the first few times, he swam straight to the bottom at full speed, diving to the bottom of the lake. His feet soon came into contact with powdery sand but he felt like he had stepped onto a layer of crystal. That bright arc of deep blue light had also appeared in his vision.

This was the third time he had arrived at the bottom of the lake.

As he followed that arc of blue light, Yun Che quickly strode forward. The rhombus-shaped ice crystal that sparkled with a pure and translucent light then quickly appeared in this azure world.

The dream-like figure of a young girl lay curled up inside that ice crystal. Her jade arms hugged her knees as she buried her delicate head between her legs. Her body was completely bare, her long and limber snowy legs shining with a white luster. Her jade feet were as small and delicate as lotuses, the snowy skin on her body looked as smooth as jade and cream as it glowed with a brilliance that resembled the radiance of the moon and the stars.

Icy hair streaked with light blue highlights glowed with a white luster as it softly scattered down over her body, covering her face and also covering the most forbidden parts of the girl's body.

"Yun Che, you've finally come."

A young girl's voice rang in his heart, sounding as soft and gentle as water, as ephemeral as a dream.

Yun Che strode forward and stopped only a few steps away from the girl, where he could see every corner of her jade-like and snowy body. He said, "Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit, it's been a long time. Back then, you told me that 'when the world is engulfed in that crimson-colored despair', I definitely needed to come here and find you... At that time, I was completely clueless as to what you were saying. But today, the current situation the Eastern Divine Region is extremely similar to the 'crimson-colored despair' that you spoke of. That is why I'm here."

"Does this mean that you've already gained enough understanding?" she said softly.

"Yes." Yun Che said as he slowly nodded his head, "Since I have returned to the God Realm and arrived in this place, I have already made sufficient preparations and gained enough understanding of the situation. The 'duty' that you spoke of back then, I will no longer question its validity or try to flee from it any longer."

"Good... then I will tell you the truth behind this crimson calamity and I will also tell you about that sliver of hope that has been entrusted to you... The speed at which this calamity is bearing down on us is simply far too quick, it is pressing in so quickly that even I have been caught unawares. So no matter whether you are prepared or not, it has come to a point where I need to tell you regardless."

"I am so thankful that you've come here before it's too late."

Yun Che sucked in a small breath, his expression solemn as he said, "I want to confirm something once more. The crimson-colored despair that you spoke of, is it referring to that crack in the easternmost part of the Primal Chaos?"

"Yes," the Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit replied.

"..." Yun Che's eyebrows twitched as he said, "Right now, the entire Eastern Divine Region is gathering up its power and they are preparing to deal with the crimson calamity that might erupt at any moment. Given the power of the Eastern Divine Region, is there any possibility that it can withstand this calamity?"

The Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit gave a gloomy sigh as it said, "Back then, I mentioned more than once that you were the only hope... and when I said 'only', I absolutely meant only. Only you, the person who has inherited the Evil God divine power, has any chance of resolving this calamity. Given the current strength of the divine region, even if they were ten times stronger than they are today, they still wouldn't stand the slightest chance."

"This is also the reason why the Evil God was willing to leave behind this glimmer of hope all those years ago, even at the cost of shortening his own life."

The only hope... and it really was "only", for all intents and purposes.

A calamity that the Eastern Divine Region would not be able to deal with even if they were ten times stronger!?

The heaviness that abruptly appeared in his heart swiftly dissolved into nothingness. Yun Che nodded his head and said, "Alright, I understand. Please tell me exactly what this calamity is? And what exactly my role is in all of this?"

Every millimeter of space at the bottom of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was extremely cold. The Ice Phoenix girl... the only ancient divine spirit that remained in this world slowly began to narrate her story.

"At the beginning of the Primal Chaos, before the Ancestral God dissipated, she left behind an 'Ancestral Divine Art' and split it into three before scattering the three parts into the universe. One of those parts ended up in the hands of one of the four Devil Emperors of the devil race, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor."

"And in the Ancient Era of the Gods, the beginning of that calamity... Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E used another part of the Ancestral Divine Art as bait to lure the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor to him, using the pretext of comprehending the Ancestral Divine Art together. Following that, he used the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword to split open the Wall of Primal Chaos, throwing that devil emperor and all of the devil gods that accompanied her outside of the Primal Chaos."

Yun Che quietly listened to her tale... He had long been aware of what she was telling him and even some of the ancient books and records left behind from the Era of the Gods had recorded the event as well. It was something widely known to even the current God Realm.

The first to tell him about this was the Golden Crow Spirit that had dwelled in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. At that time, the Golden Crow Spirit had told him that Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E, who was incredibly upright and had an extreme hatred for evil, thought that the devils who used negative profound energy were evil and sinful existences. Furthermore, the fragments of the Ancestral Divine Art had been left behind by the Ancestral God at the beginning of the Primal Chaos and they definitely couldn't fall into the hands of the devil race. Which was why he used this method to take it away by force.

But after he had met the Ice Phoenix girl, she had told him another truth... and that was a truth that very few people knew even back in the Ancient Era of the Gods:

Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E had not hesitated to use the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword, had not even hesitated to use a despicable scheme, just for the sake of killing the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor. And the main reason for this was absolutely not for the sake of obtaining another fragment of the Ancestral Divine Arts, the main reason was... that the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had secretly fallen in love with each other and had become husband and wife.

And an even greater reason for his actions was the fact that they had had a forbidden child together.

The upright Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E, who hated evil and could not co-exist with the devil race at all, would certainly be unable to tolerate a god... and it was a Creation God who had actually fallen in love with a Devil Emperor at that, and they'd even had a child together! In his eyes, this was definitely the greatest shame of the god race and this shame could only truly be expunged if the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor disappeared forever.

This was the actual truth behind why he had used the Ancestral Sword to split open the Wall of Primal Chaos, banishing the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor and her retinue of devil gods outside the Primal Chaos Realm.

According to the words the Ice Phoenix girl had previously said, this was a secret that could not be made known to the world, and amongst the ancient god race, only the four great Creation Gods knew of this secret. It was only because the Ice Phoenix girl had personally attended to the Creation Goddess of Life that she had coincidentally stumbled upon part of the truth.

"This matter is the origin of this current crimson calamity. At that time, Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E would never have imagined that the sword stroke he had used to banish the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor and nine hundred devil gods, the act he had accomplished by breaking open the Wall of Primal Chaos, would end up leaving such a ticking time bomb for future generations."

"..." Those words struck Yun Che dumb.

The Heaven Punishing God Emperor had banished the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor... and that was the origin of the... crimson calamity!?

He racked his brains over this, using all of the knowledge and imagination he had accrued over two lifetimes, but he was still unable to understand the meaning of those words.