22: Chapter 22 The Return of the Divine Child (Part 1)

Between heaven and earth, a young man dressed in luxurious white robes stood proudly. He was none other than "Meng Jianyuan," who had mysteriously disappeared over a decade ago without a trace of his corpse. To be precise, he was Yun Che.

Beneath his feet lay a vast, boundless wilderness. The entire landscape was a grim, grayish-brown, with massive, dead-cyan mountains looming in the distance. This was the due north of the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, only hundreds of thousands of li away. The abyssal dust was not particularly dense here, drifting through the air in sparse, scattered wisps.

Before Yun Che, a winding road led toward the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom. Occasionally passing by were groups of substandard beings with inadequate aptitude and cultivation, either harboring wishful thinking as they headed to the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom to seek shelter, or having been mercilessly abandoned and driven out by the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom.

Some among them had already been invaded and corroded by the abyssal dust, collapsing to the ground. No one stopped to support or help them; everyone was solely concerned with their own journey.

The piles of withered bones that occasionally appeared by the roadside stood as testaments to the futile struggles of various beings against their fate.

On this road, there was no justice, and the vast divine grace of Emperor Yuan was of no use; there was only the cruel law of survival.

Yun Che flew rapidly along the road, and soon he saw a Great Wall, like a giant dragon, towering in the distance. The Great Wall extended infinitely from west to east along this wilderness, seemingly endless at a single glance.

The towering city walls pierced the clouds, as if wanting to touch the horizon. Moreover, above the walls, as far as his divine sense could reach, all the way to the entire firmament, there was a sturdy and dense barrier blocking out the abyssal dust from the outside.

The road beneath his feet extended all the way to the foot of the Great Wall, facing a massive, black city gate that stood over a thousand zhang high.

Yun Che thought to himself, "This must be the Abyssal World, to actually build such a long wall and enclose the entire Divine Kingdom."

Along both sides of the road, dozens of li away from the city gate, there were simple shacks built from stones and mud everywhere. Looking out, there were at least millions of them.

These shacks were filled with all kinds of men, women, and children. These people were basically waiting for the day they might be allowed to enter the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, although such an opportunity was extremely slim.

But even if they were not allowed to enter the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, staying here long-term was still better than going elsewhere, because the abyssal dust here was significantly less than in other places.

Yun Che slowed his pace, walking forward one step at a time. As he walked, he observed the crowds by the roadside—ragged, haggard, their eyes sickly and devoid of light.

He was not admiring them, but experiencing the suffering of this world, understanding the lives of others; this, too, was a form of cultivation.

He had always stood at the pinnacle of the world, and those he interacted with were all Divine Masters, Immortal Venerables, World Lords, princes, and sect leaders. It was rare to have the opportunity to directly understand the most desperate people at the very bottom; this could be considered filling a void in his life.

As he approached the city gate, a huge plaza appeared before Yun Che's eyes. At least hundreds of thousands of people had gathered here, bustling and lively.

"What is going on here?" Yun Che asked softly to a middle-aged man nearby who looked relatively kind and was dressed decently.

Before the man could answer, a woman who looked to be in her thirties had already enthusiastically rushed over to greet Yun Che: "This little brother is new here, right?"

She appeared to be about three thousand years old, a Level 7 Divine Monarch Realm cultivator. She was dressed provocatively and wore revealing clothes. She was reasonably attractive, perhaps a six or seven out of ten, but her face was caked in cheap makeup, and her sleepy, hazy, shimmering eyes darted all over Yun Che. With her appearance, most men would immediately fantasize about rolling in the sheets with her.

As she walked over, one of her hands seemed about to rest on Yun Che's neck. But she quickly stopped, because she discovered that although Yun Che was only in his thirties, his cultivation realm was far higher than her own—at least the Half-step Divine Destruction Realm.

A large gap in realm meant they lived completely different lives; perhaps he was a taboo existence that could not be provoked, or perhaps she could build a rapport and follow him to enjoy a life of luxury.

"Haha! It seems Sister Hua has found a new target for dual cultivation!" A short, fat, and vulgar middle-aged man nearby shouted in a rough voice. He had a round, roly-poly figure, just like a hippopotamus that had just come ashore.

"This young man is handsome; Sister Hua's taste has greatly improved, ha!" This was a lanky, thin man who didn't look young either, slightly hunched over like a bow.

The woman called Sister Hua didn't even glance at these two men, but instead faced Yun Che, put away her provocative demeanor, and introduced things seriously.

"Only three types of people can enter the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom and become citizens of the Divine Kingdom: those at the Half-step Divine Destruction Realm or above, those under five thousand years old who have reached the Divine Master Realm, and those under one thousand years old who have reached the Divine Monarch Realm. Furthermore, both realm and age must meet the requirements; neither can be lacking."

"As long as one person meets the aforementioned standards, their spouse and direct relatives can also become citizens of the Divine Kingdom."

"Those tens of thousands of people ahead are all waiting in line to have their age tested."

Yun Che thought to himself that it was indeed a cruel yet interesting rule, and asked curiously: "Sister Hua, do the other Divine Kingdoms have similar thresholds?"

Seeing such an extraordinary, handsome, and high-cultivation young man actually asking her for advice, the woman called Sister Hua felt an indescribable sense of vanity and happiness, and couldn't help but laugh, "Heh—heh—heh." While laughing, she answered with great honor.

"Of course. Take the Senluo Divine Kingdom, which has the highest threshold among the Six Great Divine Kingdoms; it requires one to be under three thousand years old for the Divine Master Realm, and under six hundred years old for the Divine Monarch Realm. Similarly, the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom also requires one to be under four thousand years old, and under eight hundred years old for the Divine Monarch Realm... All in all, the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom has the lowest threshold."

"If one truly cannot meet the requirements, they can also go to some small dynasties or sects that are attached to the Six Great Divine Kingdoms, such as the Helian Dynasty of Linyuan World, the Murong Dynasty of Hanyu River, or the Gongsun Dynasty of the Yilan Mountains. Someone like me feels that joining these small kingdoms or sects is truly a waste of talent, which is why I have stayed here waiting for an opportunity."

Yun Che looked at her seriously. A Level 7 Divine Monarch Realm cultivator at over three thousand years old might really be someone in the God Realm, but in this Abyss of Nothingness, she was likely a dime a dozen, as numerous as dust. However, he didn't have the heart to expose her and just said tactfully: "But Miss, your age..."

At this moment, Sister Hua actually leaned close to Yun Che's ear and whispered via voice transmission: "As long as the realm is sufficient, there are ways to pass the age requirement. Last time, I tested at over two thousand years old. This time, I've made arrangements with a big shot in charge of the testing; maybe I'll be able to get in soon."

After speaking, she looked at Yun Che with a smug and triumphant expression. It was as if she were saying: "I don't envy your ability to join the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom; I have my own way to get in, too."

Yun Che smiled indifferently. He had already guessed that her method of "making arrangements" was nothing more than offering up this reasonably attractive body. This world was very realistic; it laughed at the poor but not at the promiscuous. Even if Sister Hua managed to sleep her way into the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, it was understandable.

Yun Che thanked Sister Hua and walked toward the inspection line. Although he was already in the Half-step Divine Destruction Realm and did not need to have his age tested, this was the only entrance leading to the city gate.

Suddenly, Yun Che sensed a familiar aura. He turned his head and saw Ban Sheng in the crowd. Just like last time at the Longyin Pavilion in Dragon City, he was using a special method to suppress his aura. Moreover, he didn't seem to be alone; he was with a group of people, about several dozen of them.

Yun Che couldn't help but feel curious. Why was he here? Did he also need to join the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom?

In the Abyssal World, a young Divine Extinction Realm expert like Ban Sheng was qualified enough to be selected as an Abyssal Knight. Why was he coming to seek refuge in a Divine Kingdom?

Moreover, that suppressed aura on Ban Sheng—he clearly felt it was familiar, yet he couldn't recall it. He just felt that such an aura should absolutely not appear in the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom.

After all, he was just a passerby he had met twice, a fleeting acquaintance. Yun Che didn't overthink it and walked through the crowd with leisurely, confident steps.

Someone like him, dressed luxuriously, graceful, and having reached the Half-step Divine Destruction Realm at such a young age, was destined to become the focus of everyone's attention the moment he appeared. Pairs of envious eyes were cast upon him, and exclamations of admiration could be heard from the crowd from time to time.

"This person looks extremely young, yet he has already stepped into the Half-step Divine Destruction Realm. Such a figure is absolutely a peerless talent. How fortunate the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom must be to be able to recruit such an outstanding talent."

"Could this be a Divine Son from some Divine Kingdom traveling incognito?"

"A Divine Son traveling incognito? That's too exaggerated. Currently, the five Divine Sons and two Divine Daughters have all broken through to the Divine Extinction Realm, and they are getting younger one after another."

Yun Che continued walking forward. Suddenly, a young woman walked toward him. Her appearance was definitely much better than that of Sister Hua from before, and she didn't look old either. With a smile on her lips and eyes blinking, she handed a slip of paper to Yun Che and said:

"This young master, our 'Rui Immortal Pill House' mainly deals in various medicinal herbs and immortal pills. You are welcome to visit often in the future. This is the information for our shop's location in the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom."

Yun Che smiled and took it. He glanced at it, memorized the information for the Rui Immortal Pill House, and then casually crushed the paper into nothingness. He had cultivated the Heavenly Dao Medical Scripture, so he was actually quite interested in such shops.

Next, another young woman approached. This time, the business card was for a restaurant called "Huaqing Restaurant." Yun Che accepted it with a smile and memorized it as well.

Then, the next woman who came was three points more attractive than the previous two and carried a hint of an enchanting aura. Her business card was for a brothel called "Qinghuo Courtyard." Yun Che waved his hands repeatedly, "Miss, absolutely not; I have no interest in this."

Finally, he was about to reach the testing platform. Yun Che paused and watched with great interest for a while.

On the platform, a row of over a dozen profound steles stood. Each stele had clearly been imbued with special divine power, and a stern-faced warrior clad in silver armor stood guard.

One by one, the examinees walked up to the platform and reached out to touch the profound steles.

"Seven thousand years old, Divine Master Realm, not qualified!"

"One thousand five hundred years old, Divine Monarch Realm, not qualified!"

"Four thousand two hundred years old, Divine Realm, passed!"

... As the warrior at the testing platform continuously announced the results in a loud voice, the fate of a person, or even a family or a clan, was decided just like that. Some were overjoyed, dragging their families across the gate behind the testing platform to enter the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, which countless people dreamed of and yearned for; others beat their chests and stamped their feet, leaving the scene in despair.

Just as Yun Che was about to step forward, a warrior clad in golden armor walked over and said respectfully: "This young master, for someone at the Half-step Divine Destruction Realm like you, there is no need for age testing. Please follow me."

Then, he led the way, guiding Yun Che through the gate behind the testing platform.

Passing behind the testing platform, there was a large courtyard about a li in circumference. There were already quite a few people inside; those who had passed the test, along with their families, numbered as many as over a thousand.

At the very back of the courtyard, several young men were registering the names of those who had passed the test. A middle-aged man at the Level 5 Divine Extinction Realm, dressed in long robes, stood to the side; he was likely the supervisor of these young men.

Yun Che found a line to queue in. Although there were many people in front, the speed was not slow at all, and soon it was his turn.

"This sir, may I ask your honorable name?" The young man at the registration desk raised his eyelids slightly and asked, looking at Yun Che.

"Meng Jianyuan!" Yun Che's lips parted slightly, and he answered indifferently.

His voice was not loud, but it was clear and distinguishable; everyone in the courtyard heard it clearly!

As soon as these three words were spoken, it was as if a heaven-shaking thunderbolt had suddenly descended from a sky where the sun was originally hanging high, instantly exploding in the soul sea of everyone in the courtyard.

Everyone stood there dumbfounded, their faces filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Their eyes were filled with shock and doubt, as if they could not believe the name they had just heard. The intense reaction made the air in the entire courtyard seem to freeze in that instant.

At this moment, only Yun Che appeared very calm, as if he were a unique existence independent of the noisy, mundane world.

Meng Jianyuan, a legendary prodigy.

Although not a legitimate son, he was born to the newly favored concubine of Divine Venerable Wumeng, Meng Kongchan.

At birth, he had innately awakened an eight-tenths divine soul.

At the age of ten, Meng Kongchan had impatiently conferred upon him the title of Zhimeng Divine Son.

But such a brilliant and peerless prodigy had vanished as quickly as a shooting star.

Everyone believed he had died, and there were even rumors that he had been harmed by his elder brother, Meng Jianzhou.

It was only because, all along, there was "neither sight of the living nor a corpse of the dead," which allowed everyone, including Meng Kongchan, to still hold onto a faint, ethereal hope.

But this was, after all, an unrealistic thought; no one had ever taken this hope seriously.

However, today, right outside the North Gate of the Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, a young man dressed in luxurious white robes had appeared!

Claiming to be "Meng—Jian—Yuan—"!