40: Chapter 40 A Passionate Life

Recently, the situation in Huanmeng Divine City, and even the entire Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, had been quietly changing.

On one hand, some wealthy families and important factions, through their respective special channels, had keenly sensed that the powerful Senluo Divine Kingdom was about to invade Zhimeng Divine Kingdom.

They had already begun to secretly pack their valuable assets, actively searching for a way out, and preparing to leave this place that was about to be plunged into the flames of war at any moment. The entire Huanmeng Divine City was shrouded in a mysterious and tense shadow.

On the other hand, the news that the Senluo Divine Son Dian Jiuzhi had come to challenge with great fanfare only to be easily crushed continued to spread wildly. The name "Meng Jianyuan" was in the ascendant, becoming the hottest and most explosive topic.

Yun Che spent most of his time residing in the Peacock Garden, while the Peacock Divine Concubine had moved to the Dreamless Divine Palace. Visitors came in an endless stream; among them were other princes, aristocratic nobles, and even envoys from other small and medium-sized divine kingdoms.

They all had their own agendas, mostly coming to curry favor in hopes of establishing a connection. Some were hired by other factions to gather intelligence; others were purely out of curiosity, wanting to see the "splendor" of "Meng Jianyuan" with their own eyes.

To these visitors with various hidden agendas, whether they were royal relatives, nobles, or old acquaintances, Yun Che refused to see any of them.

However, this evening, the Peacock Garden had a special, uninvited guest.

The visitor was young, yet he was already in the Divine Extinction Realm. He wore a white brocade robe, as luxurious and fastidious as always.

"Go away, our Prince is not seeing guests!"

A humanoid peacock guarding the door scolded impatiently.

There were six male peacocks guarding the Peacock Garden. Because of their master, each was more arrogant than the last, and they spoke in such a pompous manner that those who didn't know better might have thought they were the ones who had defeated the Senluo Divine Son.

In these depths of the abyss, the harm of abyssal dust to animals was far worse than to humans; even the mighty Qilin had been wiped out. While the Dragon race had powerful resources to support their barriers, they were also becoming less capable with each generation, their bloodlines withering.

The Peacock race, due to their gifted appearance—the males being extremely handsome and the females being stunningly beautiful—were scrambled to be kept as male concubines and female attendants, thus surviving. But they were merely toys and pets of the divine nobility, with no status to speak of.

It was only because this generation of Zhimeng Divine Kingdom had produced the stunning and peerless Peacock Divine Concubine, who was deeply favored by Meng Kongchan, that the status of the entire Peacock race had undergone a significant change.

The young man did not leave like the other visitors, but instead said in a clear voice:

"Please convey to your Prince that a 'drinking buddy' is here to see him!"

His voice was crisp and high-pitched, intended not only for the guard peacocks but also to carry directly into the courtyard, reaching Yun Che.

Upon hearing "drinking buddy," Yun Che guessed who the other party was and couldn't help but be secretly shocked. He believed his disguise technique was superb enough that even his "biological parents," the Peacock Divine Concubine and Meng Kongchan, could not see through it, yet he hadn't expected to be identified by an outsider.

The guard peacocks couldn't help but burst into laughter; to be a "drinking buddy" was hardly an honorable thing. Yet, the person before them seemed unbothered, even deliberately showing it off.

"Let him in!"

However, before the peacocks could recover, Yun Che's voice came from the depths of the Peacock Garden.

As the man in the luxurious white robe entered the courtyard, Yun Che sensed that familiar aura from afar. This was the third time; the previous two were at the Dragon Domain's "Yinlong Pavilion" and outside the northern border of Zhimeng Divine Kingdom.

The visitor was none other than Pan Zhusheng!

Unlike the previous two times, although Pan Zhusheng still used some method to mask his aura, this time Yun Che finally identified it—it was a dark aura unique to the Demon race!

Yun Che was shocked. This was the first time he had encountered someone with a dark aura in the Abyssal World. Could Pan Zhusheng be from the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom?

But he did not reveal it. Instead, he waved his hand, and a barrier appeared, enveloping the two of them.

Then, pretending to be nonchalant, he greeted him:

"It seems Brother Pan Zhusheng has been thinking about my wine, but I'm afraid I don't have any good wine to treat you with this time."

Upon hearing this, Pan Zhusheng couldn't help but recall the past when he was easily made drunk by Yun Che at the Yinlong Pavilion and made a fool of himself, his face full of embarrassment. It took a while for him to recover, and he bowed politely:

"Pan Zhusheng, under the tutelage of Third Elder Meng Youyi, comes to pay respects to the Prince!"

Someone like Pan Zhusheng, who had broken through to the Divine Extinction Realm at such a young age, was a target for recruitment by various factions in any divine kingdom.

From the moment he appeared at the northern border of Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, the faction of Meng Jianxi had taken note of him, but he wisely chose to join under Third Elder Meng Youyi, not choosing to stand on the opposite side of "Meng Jianyuan."

Yun Che looked at Pan Zhusheng with vigilant eyes and said:

"Brother Pan, what is the purpose of your visit?"

Yun Che's current identity, "Meng Jianyuan," was extremely sensitive, and he did not want any accidents to happen.

Pan Zhusheng looked at Yun Che with a calm expression and said indifferently:

"Brother Yun, you don't need to be so vigilant. If I were an enemy, I would have already informed Divine Venerable Wumeng, Meng Kongchan, or the Divine Son Meng Jianxi about your deeds of slaughtering gods and violently butchering dragons in the Dragon Domain!"

Confirming that the other party had no malicious intent, Yun Che lowered his guard slightly and asked curiously:

"How did you find me?"

Pan Zhusheng's expression suddenly became serious, as if he were facing an elder rather than Yun Che.

"The dark aura on you guided me to you!"

Yun Che had cultivated the "Dark Eternal Calamity" and dark profound arts left by the Demon Emperor of Calamity Heaven, so there was naturally a dark aura within his body. But Yun Che had always tried his best to hide it, and when he was in the God Realm, it had never been exposed or discovered by anyone.

Yun Che couldn't help but recall Pan Zhusheng taking the initiative to drink with him at the Yinlong Pavilion, and he smiled with relief:

"You didn't detect the dark aura on me back at the Yinlong Pavilion, did you?"

Pan Zhusheng replied with a serious expression:

"Yes. The first time I saw you, I clearly felt a powerful suppression originating from the depths of my bloodline."

"I have never had this feeling before, but according to my clan's ancient records, a similar situation only occurred when our ancestors faced the Demon Emperor Jie Yuan."

"Therefore, I believe you must have a great connection with the Demon Emperor Jie Yuan, and you are very likely the person who can lead our clan out of our predicament and return to the Eternal Pure Land."

They were merely passing acquaintances, having met only a few times, yet he held such high hopes for Yun Che. Yun Che couldn't help but feel it was abrupt—was it just because of the aura suppression?

More and more questions filled Yun Che's mind, and he stared straight at Pan Zhusheng. But he saw that his eyes were dark, and strands of black light danced ethereally in his bottomless pupils.

Pan Zhusheng really seemed to be of the Demon race, and not the kind that cultivated it later in life, but one born with Demon bloodline, not repelling the dark aura in the slightest.

Yun Che asked curiously:

"Can you tell me who you really are?"

Pan Zhusheng did not answer his question directly, but sighed and changed the subject:

"Brother Yun, I presume you also know that I did not come to Zhimeng Divine Kingdom alone this time."

Yun Che nodded. He had seen Pan Zhusheng for the second time outside the northern city gate of Zhimeng Divine Kingdom. At that time, he was about to pass through the inspection entrance to enter Zhimeng Divine Kingdom, while Pan Zhusheng was queuing with dozens of people for inspection, preparing to enter Zhimeng Divine Kingdom.

Pan Zhusheng said with sadness:

"Actually, my surname is not Pan, but it is Pan; my name is Zhusheng! Those who came to Zhimeng Divine Kingdom with me are all clansmen of Sister Wuqing. She was implicated because of me, and her family was tragically expelled. The only thing I can do now is to protect her family so that she can rest in peace."

Once he said this, Yun Che naturally knew who he was, and he couldn't help but feel moved, asking with concern:

"But your own situation is not looking good either! Can you help them?"

Pan Zhusheng's expression became grave:

"They are already considered my family—in the past, present, and future!"

"If the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom cannot accommodate them, I will bring them to Zhimeng Divine Kingdom. If Zhimeng Divine Kingdom still cannot accommodate us, then I will take them to the Xingyue Divine Kingdom... No matter how difficult the road ahead is, no matter how many twists and turns we have to endure... because this can make me feel a little less guilty!"

As he spoke slowly, his voice was steady and powerful, as if every word carried heavy weight. While speaking, his eyes were always firmly fixed on the distant mountains that were as massive as prehistoric beasts, his gaze revealing a kind of perseverance and fearlessness.

Unexpectedly, Pan Zhusheng was such a man who valued love and righteousness. A sense of goodwill arose in Yun Che's heart, and the distance they felt when they first met vanished.

"Surname Pan? So you are from the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom!" Yun Che continued to ask.

Pan Zhusheng nodded, but he seemed not to have recovered from the previous emotion, or perhaps he was missing Shen Wuqing!

Yun Che continued to ask:

"You still haven't told me the purpose of your visit. Is it just to see me and chat?"

Pan Zhusheng fell into deep thought. He did indeed have something to ask Yun Che, but he couldn't figure out how to bring it up.

Yun Che pressed:

"You're not asking me to help you kill Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye, are you? Then you are overestimating me!"

At the mention of Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye, the emotions on Pan Zhusheng's face changed abruptly, and he said indignantly:

"Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye... that pitiful and hateful woman... she is just a perverted and resentful woman who couldn't get what she wanted, was rejected by a man, and turned love into hate... I will kill her with my own hands; I won't trouble Brother Yun to do it."

Yun Che understood his anger towards Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye very well. Back then, he had been much crazier than Pan Zhusheng. Because Fen Juecheng tried to forcefully marry Princess Cang Yue and kidnapped his Little Aunt, he slaughtered the entire Fen Tian Sect.

For Jasmine, he had resolutely opened the Asura of the Other Shore, broke through to the Divine Sovereign Realm, slaughtered one thousand five hundred Divine Sovereign star guards and one Divine Master elder, and finally, exhausted and unable to fight, was burned to ashes by the crowd.

For Imperial Consort Mu Xuanyin and Shen Xi, he did not hesitate to slaughter the entire Long Bai clan...

Yun Che could not bear to provoke him, so he did not ask about Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye. Instead, he turned to ask:

"Does Brother Pan know about the Yongming Divine Kingdom?"

Pan Zhusheng's heart surged, and he said with some excitement:

"Yongming Divine Kingdom, that is a country that is extremely repelled by men. Except for peddlers and foot soldiers, the entire divine kingdom cannot accommodate any males."

Yun Che was curious; this sounded like a kingdom of women. He just didn't know if it had always been like this or if it started from Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye, so he asked:

"Was this divine kingdom like this before?"

Pan Zhusheng shook his head and said:

"I am not clear about this, but it has been like this ever since Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye inherited the Divine Source and changed the country's name to [Yongming]."

Yun Che steadied his mind and asked:

"You seem to still haven't told me why you came to find me?"

Pan Zhusheng finally gathered his courage and requested solemnly:

"Brother Yun, I want to ask you to do two things. The first thing is to defeat Shen Wuyi at the Pure Land Assembly!"

Shen Wuyi! The outside world rumored that Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye had deposed Shen Wuqing precisely because she had obtained Shen Wuyi. Yun Che also wanted to know what kind of opponent this was.

Pan Zhusheng continued:

"About twenty years ago, Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye saved a woman on the edge of the Mist Sea. She had no memory, no past, and was extremely young, less than sixty years old, yet her aptitude and talent were extremely high."

"When Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye first obtained her, she was only at the peak of the Divine Master Realm, but in just twenty years, it is said that she is now at the fifth level of the Divine Extinction Realm!"

Yun Che felt a sense of emotion, thinking to himself that twenty years ago in the Abyssal World, calculated, would be two years ago in the God Realm, which was exactly the time Xia Qingyue jumped into the abyss.

He couldn't help but be shocked, his expression changing slightly, but he quickly returned to normal. Perhaps it was just his overthinking.

Yun Che continued to ask:

"Is the woman you mentioned Shen Wuyi?"

Pan Zhusheng seemed to fall into a certain depression, sighing:

"Yes. Ever since there was Shen Wuyi, the status of the original Divine Maiden, Shen Wuqing, plummeted, and she was finally ordered to be executed by Divine Venerable Shen Wuyanye, and her clansmen were expelled."

Yun Che didn't know how to comfort him. His beloved was executed, and his own status as a Divine Son was deposed; such a life was truly too tragic.

Pan Zhusheng didn't seem to need Yun Che's comfort, and his expression soon improved, saying:

"Brother Yun, you are the only one of the five Great Divine Sons I have ever seen who can defeat Shen Wuyi."

"I witnessed your duel with the Senluo Divine Son Dian Jiuzhi, and it was truly very uninteresting. Dian Jiuzhi, a existence at the second level of the Divine Extinction Realm, had no power to resist in front of you at all. I admit my strength is not even as good as Dian Jiuzhi's, and in your eyes, I must be even more vulnerable."

"Also, I know that the Dragon race's Fifth Elder, Grand Elder, Zhimeng Divine Kingdom's Meng Duanli, Meng Haitian... these high-level Divine Extreme Realm figures all died at your hands; you are truly too unfathomable!"

Pan Zhusheng looked at Yun Che, his eyes revealing a light bordering on worship.

Yun Che sighed and said:

"Brother Pan, I'm afraid I will disappoint you, because I haven't decided whether to participate in the Pure Land Assembly!"

"So, even if it is not difficult for me to defeat Shen Wuyi, I cannot agree to your request!"

Pan Zhusheng's expression shook, but he quickly recovered, his face showing disappointment:

"I can trade with you using a secret about Emperor Yuan!"

He paused and added:

"That is a major secret about the underworld mirror, and you will definitely be interested in it."

Yun Che was indeed tempted, but he was unwilling to participate in a Pure Land Assembly that was irrelevant to him for this reason. He had participated in many such assemblies in his life, but every time it was because he had a reason that he had to go.

Back then, he participated in the Cangfeng Ranking Tournament for Lan Ruoxue, helping her fulfill the wish of Emperor Cang Wan gully of the Cangyue Empire. Later, he participated in the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament of the Sky Profound Continent, also for the Cangyue Empire, and at the same time to vindicate his Phoenix bloodline. Later, after arriving in the God Realm, he participated in the Profound God Assembly, which was for his promise to Jasmine...

So, even if Pan Zhusheng offered to trade with a secret about the underworld mirror, he would refuse, although he really wanted to know this secret.

Yun Che's refusal surprised Pan Zhusheng, and he couldn't help but look dejected, unable to hide his disappointment.

Yun Che wanted to comfort him and asked again:

"Brother Pan, what is your second request? Maybe I can agree to that?"

Pan Zhusheng shook his head and did not continue. Only he himself knew how arduous his second goal was, it was simply an impossible goal to achieve.

The two did not say anything else, and Pan Zhusheng immediately bid farewell and left!