Chapter 2160: Life and Death Encounter Part 1

"Father, what is that? Is it edible?"

A young boy's curious voice rang out as he pointed toward a strange-looking fruit before him.

His eyes shimmered with childlike wonder, his small hands twitching slightly, as if resisting the urge to grab it.

—

"Hahaha!"

Meng Kongchan laughed heartily, placing a firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"That, Yuan'er, is the famous Abyss's Fruit of Life!"

—

The boy blinked, his curiosity only growing.

"Fruit of Life…?"

—

"Not only is it edible—it's incredibly rare!" Meng Kongchan explained, a proud smile stretching across his face.

"Father had to trade a Jade Stone of Revelation just to obtain this!"

—

Hearing this, the young Meng Jianyuan stared at the fruit with even more confusion.

His father, the great Divine Regent, had traded something as valuable as a Jade Stone of Revelation just for this…?

Was it really that special?

—

As if reading his son's thoughts, Meng Kongchan chuckled.

"Legend has it, those who eat this fruit will be granted another life if they were to die."

—

"Another life…?"

The boy frowned slightly.

"But why would I need that? My life is already fine."

To him, the thought of losing his life was something too far away to comprehend.

Why would his father give him something like this?

—

Meng Kongchan's smile softened.

He patted his son's head, ruffling his hair slightly.

"Well… it's just an old legend, Yuan'er. But still, it's better for you to eat it."

—

The young Meng Jianyuan hesitated for only a moment before bringing the small fruit to his lips.

The moment he bit into it—

His entire face twisted in disgust.

—

"Ugh… it's so bitter…!"

—

"Hahaha!"

Meng Kongchan burst into laughter, his booming voice echoing through the hall.

"Godly fruits never taste good anyway, hahaha!"

—

Behind them, the gathered elders, Divine Princes, and Divine Princesses stood silently, watching the scene unfold.

Some wore gentle smiles.

But many others—

Their gazes burned with envy.

The legend of the Fruit of Life was completely made up by who knows which fool—

And yet, to secure just one fruit, the Dreamless Divine Regent had used three out of the four Jade Stones of Revelation owned by the Kingdom to trade for it!

—

What a bloody rip-off!

—

The one who scammed their Lord was a hideous old woman, one foot already in the grave.

The moment she handed over the fruit, she vanished into thin air, never to be found again.

No one knew where she went.

No one knew who she really was.

All they knew was—

She had taken three priceless treasures… for a fruit.

—

Their Divine Kingdom had lost three legendary artifacts, all for a worthless, made-up myth!

—

And yet—

The Dreamless Divine Regent didn't care in the slightest.

—

For a made-up legend.

For the love of his beloved son.

He had happily traded away priceless treasures.

Happily.

It was ridiculous!

—

Everyone present could see the truth—

That so-called "Fruit of Life" was nothing more than a normal fruit, one that grew freely in the forests of their own Kingdom!

The only rare thing about it was that it was free from the corrosion of the Abyss Dust—a rare trait, yes, but nothing more!

At the end of the day—

It was just a fruit.

—

Among the gathered figures, one particular prince clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.

His nails dug into his palms, shaking with uncontrolled envy.

—

He couldn't take it anymore.

The feeling of resentment that had been festering in his heart—

He could no longer suppress it!

-----------

"Divine Regent... I know you love your son, but... to spend almost all of our Jade Stones of Revelation for just a fruit..."

Meng Cangji's voice carried a heavy weight of concern.

—

Everyone understood the love their Lord had for his son.

But this—

This was simply too much!

—

Meng Kongchan, however, remained completely unbothered.

"It's fine, it's fine..."

He waved his hand casually, as if he hadn't just squandered three priceless artifacts for a fruit even mortals could pluck off a tree.

—

"How is that fine?!"

Meng Chaoyang, standing at the side, nearly lost his mind.

He had to physically restrain himself from walking over and kicking their Lord off his throne.

His fists trembled with suppressed frustration.

—

Meng Kongchan, still grinning ear to ear, spoke up once more.

"I know you're all worried about that, but don't worry! My knights recently sent me a transmission saying they secured another Jade Stone of Revelation in the Endless Fog! It's all good! Hahahaha!"

—

At that moment—

Everyone in the room felt their vision blur with rage.

—

"GOOD YOUR MOTHER!!!"

—

They all cursed inwardly, their chests tight with frustration.

"You used up three and only got one back! That's still a loss, you bastard!"

They wanted to scream.

They wanted to flip the table.

But at the end of the day—

They were his subordinates.

They could only grit their teeth and endure.

------------

In the vast independent space within one of the main halls of the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom, a young boy sat quietly, engrossed in a book.

Meng Jianyuan.

The beloved son of the Dreamless Divine Regent.

—

His life had been easy.

Everyone doted on him.

At the tender age of ten, he had never known hardship, never faced struggle, never experienced danger.

His world was peaceful, comfortable, untouched by the cruel reality beyond the kingdom's borders.

Suddenly—

A knock echoed against his door.

Meng Jianyuan raised his head, blinking in curiosity.

"Who is it?"

A voice called out, filled with warmth and familiarity.

"It's me, Little Bro!"

The young boy's eyes lit up.

"Brother Jianzhou!"

Excitement surged through him as he rushed toward the door, his small hands flinging it open without hesitation.

At that moment—

His fate changed forever.

His kingdom's fate changed forever.

______

In a place far beyond reach—

Where not even the Abyssal Monarch nor the Gods could extend their will—

Deep inside the Abyss's Endless Fog Sea, where even the strongest beings feared to tread.

Where the corrosion was so absolute that even a True God would be reduced to nothing within mere moments.

There, a figure emerged.

Old—ancient beyond measure.

A being whose very presence dripped with the aura of death itself.

She sighed, her voice carrying the weight of eternity.

"In this life… I cannot do it.

Not without destroying this world... "

"But it doesn't matter.

In my final rebirth, I will accomplish it… with no issue."

Because of her love for all creation, she had restrained herself.

Even though her strength surpassed all existence, she had chosen to hold back.

To abandon what she had once planned to do.

"Fate… truly is a strange thing."

Her voice softened, as if recounting a memory lost in the tides of time.

She could feel it—

The existence of fate, weaving through all things like a great spiderweb.

A vast, intricate tapestry that connected past and future, merging them into one endless flow.

And in her withered hand, she held something beyond comprehension.

It was not a soul.

It was not life.

It was—

The very essence of existence itself.

A fragment of being that could never be destroyed.

Looking down at the precious little fragment in her grasp, her ancient lips curled into a soft smile.

"In this life, this is as far as our fate will take us."

"But with my power… in the next life… the fate that entwines you and I—"

"We will meet again."

And with those final words—

Her form dissolved into nothing as if the Endless Fog have swallowed her whole.

CRACK!!!

A black lightning bolt ripped through the void, erasing all traces of her existence.

Then—

Even the abyss itself fell silent.

As if she had never been there at all.

----------

"UGHHHHH!!!"

Yun Che jerked awake, his breath heavy, his mind disoriented.

The moment he woke, the remnants of a dream flickered in his consciousness.

But as he tried to grasp onto it, most of it slipped away, leaving behind only scattered fragments.

Still—

There was one thing he was certain of.

Once again—

He had dreamed of Meng Jianyuan.

—

"Why… am I… still dreaming of him?"

His voice was low, almost to himself.

—

Sitting up, Yun Che ran a hand through his hair, his brows furrowing in deep thought.

Moments later, he extended his spiritual senses, sweeping toward the distance—

Toward where his daughter resided.

He sensed her presence—calm and steady.

She was well-behaved, as usual.

Only then did he relax slightly.

—

"Qingyue, how long was I asleep?"

He asked aloud, expecting a soft, familiar voice to respond.

But—

Silence.

—

"Blah, you've been sleeping for like three days!"

A voice rang out from afar—Yun Xi's.

—

"Three days…?"

He murmured, his expression flickering with slight surprise.

He had been asleep for that long?

His spiritual sense swept outward again, this time searching for Xia Qingyue.

Yet—

She was nowhere to be found.

—

A small tension settled in his chest, but Yun Che forced himself to remain calm.

Instead of panicking, he rose to his feet, stepped forward, and exited the world within the Profound Ark.

—

The moment he emerged, the vast gray-yellow world of the Endless Fog Sea greeted him.

The Abyss Dust was so dense that even peak Divine Extinction Realm cultivators would be limited to a range of just a hundred meters with their Divine Sense.

Even Divine Limited Realm beings would find themselves significantly restricted.

Only True Gods could scan hundreds of kilometers in range.

—

But Yun Che was different.

—

As someone who could control the Abyss Dust itself, his Divine Sense was completely unrestrained.

The moment he extended it—

The entire area of millions of kilometers fell within his perception.

This was the peak of his power.

As someone on the verge of breaking into Level Ten, his Divine Sense within the Fog Sea was limitless.

—

But the moment he realized what he wasn't sensing—

His face turned pale.

Xia Qingyue…

She wasn't anywhere near him.

—

His entire body froze.

For the first time in years—

A sudden, suffocating panic clawed at his chest.

She was gone.

Yun Che's heart clenched.

Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed his Divine Sense to its absolute limit, scanning every inch of the Endless Fog Sea.

And finally—

He found her.

—

Near the outer region of the Inner Area of the Endless Fog Sea, a bloodied figure lay motionless.

Surrounded by dragons.

Captured.

Xia Qingyue had been taken.

—

Meanwhile—

Deep within the fog-shrouded lands, where even the Abyssal Dust seemed to stir beneath their might, a commanding voice rang out.

—

"Dragon Lord, we have delivered your instructions to the nearest Divine Regent. The Boundless Divine Kingdom's forces are already on their way."

A kneeling elder dragon spoke with deep reverence, his head bowed.

—

The Dragon Lord—a towering figure of absolute power—narrowed his eyes.

"Finally..."

His voice rumbled like rolling thunder, his claws tapping against the cracked earth.

"We will finally have some clue on where mas—"

He stopped himself.

"Where Meng Jianyuan is."

—

He refused to call Yun Che 'Master' in front of his subordinates.

Even though he had submitted, even though the Slave Seal bound his every command to Yun Che's will, his pride as the Dragon Lord—the strongest existence of the Ancestral Dragon Clan—still ran deep.

His will might have been chained, but his dignity was not yet broken.

—

His eyes flickered with amusement as he turned toward their new captive.

"To think we'd run into you... Hahaha!"

—

Xia Qingyue, bloodied and trembling, barely lifted her head.

Her once ethereal presence now looked fragile, her injuries evidence of a relentless struggle.

She had been fleeing for days, trying to piece together her thoughts, trying to process everything after the return of her lost memories.

And yet—

Before she could even escape the Endless Fog Sea—

She had walked straight into the Ancestral Dragons.

—

Her lips parted, but no words came.

Her fingers curled into weak fists, but there was nothing she could do.

—

She had left Yun Che because she loved him.

Because she feared him.

—

In the Blue Pole Star, they had met and parted.

In the God Realm, they had met and parted.

And now—

In the Abyss, they had met again.

—

And soon—

She had wanted to part from him once more.

—

Because she understood.

Her fate was Sorrowful Fate.

An existence doomed to tragedy.

And because she loved Yun Che so deeply, she could not allow him to be entangled in that fate.

—

That was why she left him.

—

But fate was merciless.

Before she could even take her first true step away—

She had been caught.

"You're probably wondering why we didn't escort you nicely, aren't you, Fairy Wuyi?"

The Dragon Lord's voice was laced with amusement, but his golden eyes gleamed with something darker.

His towering presence loomed over the bloodied woman before him.

His lips curled into a mocking smirk.

"Oh no, no, no—my mistake. You're not Fairy Wuyi, are you?"

His smile widened, his voice dripping with mockery and menace.

"You're Fairy Qingyue, aren't you?"

—

Despite his taunting words, there was a flicker of hesitation in his gaze.

As a dragon, he naturally admired beauty, and Xia Qingyue's ethereal presence was beyond mortal comprehension—

A woman like her, even injured and bloodied, still looked like a celestial fairy untouched by the world.

Hurting someone like her—

It left an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.

—

But orders were orders.

—

The Abyssal Monarch had already declared to the world that Meng Jianyuan and Shen Wuyi had been kidnapped by the Fog Monarch.

But that was only half the truth.

The real truth was buried much deeper.

—

The Abyssal Monarch suspected that the invasion of the Fog Monarch had something to do with Shen Wuyi herself.

And why wouldn't it?

She could control Abyssal Dust.

—

Such an ability wasn't natural.

And that meant only one thing.

She was involved.

Perhaps—

She was even one of them.

—

Thus, the Abyssal Monarch's secret decree was given.

"Bring Meng Jianyuan back safely.

As for Shen Wuyi—if you find her, bring her back too.

But there is no need to be gentle."

—

The Dragon Lord obeyed.

With the slave seal binding him to Yun Che, his master's safety was always his top priority.

But since the Abyssal Monarch's command didn't contradict his duty to Yun Che—

He had no reason to resist.

—

And so, when they found Xia Qingyue, she had fought.

She had resisted.

She should have surrendered quietly.

She should have let them take her without a fight.

—

But she didn't.

And so—

They beat her into submission.

"Luckily, we didn't have to venture any further."

One of the dragon elders sighed, relief evident in his voice.

They had already delved deep into the Endless Fog Sea—

Yet, this was only the outer region of the vast Inner Area.

And even here—

The energy suppression was already intense beyond reason.

—

The deeper they went, the more the Abyssal Dust thickened, gnawing away at even their Divine Limited Realm cultivations.

Venturing any further…

Even for them, it would have been far too dangerous.

—

For now, they chose to hold their position.

They would not make any rash moves.

—

If Shen Wuyi was truly part of the Fog Monarch's forces, then attempting anything too aggressive might alert the true enemy lurking within the depths.

—

For now—

They would wait for the Boundless Divine Kingdom's forces to arrive.

—

They had already sent messages to the other Divine Kingdoms as well, but those were further away—

And it would take time before they could arrive.

Until then—

They would stand watch over their captive.

Waiting for what came next.

Thirty minutes passed.

The once silent and tense battlefield was soon disturbed by a powerful presence.

A force of countless figures descended upon the area, their aura surging like a great tide.

—

Each one radiated power on par with the dragons—

No—

Many of them were even stronger.

—

At the forefront of the group stood a man whose mere presence was enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who had encountered him before.

If they had met anywhere else, many would have quivered before his might.

But here—

He was assurance.

A symbol of order.

The Boundless End Divine Regent—Dian Rahu.

—

Beside him stood his son, Divine Son Dian Jiuzhi, along with the elders of the Boundless Divine Kingdom.

—

They had set out under the Abyssal Monarch's decree—

Joining forces with all other Divine Kingdoms in their pursuit of the Fog Monarch.

—

However—

They had only recently begun their expedition.

Because in truth—

The life and death of Meng Jianyuan and Shen Wuyi meant nothing to them.

They were not their concern.

—

And yet—

By sheer luck—

The Dragon Clan had contacted them directly.

—

The request?

To escort Shen Wuyi.

She had been found.

—

What a fortunate turn of events.

—

As the powerful force landed, the dragons immediately lowered their heads in respect.

—

"We greet the Boundless End Divine Regent!"

The Dragon Lord and his elders bowed deeply.

—

Dian Rahu's eyes swept over them, his gaze sharp, but calm.

He gave a small nod in greeting.

—

"You did well to contact us."

His voice was deep, steady, carrying an undeniable weight.

—

But his attention did not linger on the dragons for long.

Instead—

His gaze shifted.

—

There, on the ground, bloodied and weakened, was Shen Wuyi.

Or rather—

Xia Qingyue.

—

Her profound energy was suppressed, her movements limited.

Yet, even in such a pitiful state, her beauty remained untouchable, her presence undiminished.

—

Dian Rahu took a step forward, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

—

"Fairy Qingyue…"

His voice was calm, yet it bore an undeniable force.

—

"Where is Meng Jianyuan?"

—

Xia Qingyue's heart trembled.

The weight of a god's presence bore down on her like an inescapable force.

In the far distance, hidden within the thick Abyssal Dust, Yun Che moved with absolute silence—his entire presence concealed.

—

Every step he took was swift yet careful, his movements flawless, ensuring that not even a ripple of his aura would be detected.

He had been closing the distance as fast as possible—

Because from the moment he realized Xia Qingyue was missing, a terrible premonition had gripped his chest.

And now—

His worst fear had come true.

—

The moment his Divine Sense locked onto the scene ahead,

His heart froze.

—

He saw everything.

The dragons.

The Boundless Divine Kingdom.

Dian Rahu standing over Xia Qingyue.

—

A suffocating pressure pressed against his chest, his fists clenching tightly.

His mind roared.