A Cockroach's note: [诛天, 诛 (zhu) = to punish, execute, or destroy. 天 (tian) = Heaven, sky. In Chinese, it is read Punishing Heaven.]
...
"Perhaps," Yun Wuji replied, still deep in thought. He felt that whatever Ni Jie wanted to say carried great importance. "Punishing... Heaven Punishing."
"Heaven Punishing? Was she referring to Mo E, or perhaps Mo Su?" Li Suo frowned. None of it made sense. Did Ni Jie somehow sense Mo Su's aura even though he was in the Abyss? That couldn't be right.
"Are you dumb? Of course not!" Hei Xiaolian shot Li Suo a glare from between Yun Wuji's arms that were embracing her and spoke with disdain. "In this world, there are only four who bear the name 'Heaven Punishing'."
"The Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor, the Heaven Punishing Crown Prince, and finally the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword! Though if you include the Heaven Punishing Sword's Spirit, that makes four."
"We can exclude Mo E, and given the circumstances Ni Jie was in, she certainly didn't mean Mo Su either." Perhaps it was due to spending so much time with Yun Wuji, or maybe it had always been her natural talent, but Hei Xiaolian was sharp and perceptive. Resting her chin on Yun Wuji's shoulder, she looked at Li Suo and spoke while thinking deeply.
"That only leaves the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword and the Heaven Punishing Sword's Spirit," Hei Xiaolian added. The more she spoke, the deeper her frown became. "We can also exclude the Heaven Punishing Sword, since it was with Mo E at that time."
Li Suo tilted her head in confusion. "Are you saying that what Ni Jie meant was the Heaven Punishing Sword's Spirit? That can't be right. The Heaven Punishing Sword's Spirit destroyed itself long ago."
From the memory fragments, Mo E had told Ni Xuan that the Heaven Punishing Sword's Spirit had chosen to self-destruct because it could not bear the responsibility placed upon it.
Of course, Li Suo did not believe this solely because of Mo E's words, but because the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword truly did not have a spirit. Otherwise, Shen Xi would not have become its spirit. After all, how could a Heavenly Profound Artifact that already had a spirit possess another? Furthermore, even if that were possible, why had Shen Xi not sensed it?
Given all these reasons, Li Suo never considered the possibility that the Heaven Punishing Sword's Spirit was still alive. That idea was impossible because it contradicted all sense and logic.
"Sigh! Why are all the Creation Gods so freaking dumb?" Hei Xiaolian murmured, licking Yun Wuji's neck before casting Li Suo a look that could only be described as pitying someone hopelessly mentally challenged.
"What's with that look?!" For the first time, Li Suo felt offended. She instinctively took a step back and asked.
"This is a classic plot twist. You see it in all the third-rate novels, the good guy turning into a bad guy," Hei Xiaolian said with a lighthearted tone. She had read all of Yun Wuji's books and seen countless stupid and ridiculous plots. Because of that, the possibility that the Heaven Punishing Sword's Spirit was actually alive never slipped her mind.
Her perspective was completely different from Li Suo and the others.
"..." Li Suo's face went blank. What the fuck was this woman saying? Was she treating the world like some stupid novel posted on a shitty website?
"I bet that if what Ni Jie said is true, then that old hypocrite bastard is plotting something big, right, Wuji?" Hei Xiaolian ignored Li Suo and turned to the strangely silent Yun Wuji. Even after she asked, she received no reply.
She took a step back and stared at Yun Wuji, whose eyes were closed and expression calm. A look of realization crossed Hei Xiaolian's face as she said, "Oh, he actually cut off his senses with this body. He must be worried about his other lover."
"Hopefully this is just a false alarm," Li Suo whispered, glancing at Yun Wuji. She truly hoped that everything was merely a misunderstanding on Ni Jie's part, or that she meant something entirely different, because the implications would be huge!
...
Primal Chaos, Northern Divine Region, the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness.
A figure shot out from the terrifying hole that resembled a beast's jaws and landed on the ground. The moment he appeared, the guards nearby immediately dropped to their knees, lowering their heads.
"Your Majesty!"
Yun Wuji didn't bother looking at them, much less answering. His figure blurred and vanished from sight. After he left, the guards slowly rose and exchanged uneasy glances.
"What's wrong with His Majesty?"
"For His Majesty to be in such a hurry, something big must have happened."
"I hope nothing bad occurs. We finally have peace, I don't want to see it destroyed."
"What could possibly be important enough to demand His Majesty's attention? I bet he just found out one of the Imperial Concubines got pregnant."
"You're really optimistic, hehe... but still, I hope that's the case. We might get some bonuses out of it."
"Yeah, considering how much His Majesty loves his children, it wouldn't be strange if he gave everyone ten times their salary as a celebration."
"Hahaha! Then His Majesty better work harder in that department. If he manages one child a month, we'll be rich forever!"
"Tsk, keep dreaming."
After Yun Wuji's departure, the guards finally relaxed and started chatting. Their laughter echoed through the eerie depths of that dark place.
...
Because of the black tides, although less than a year had passed in the Abyss, barely a month had gone by in the Primal Chaos. Due to the difference in time between the two universes, Yun Wuji usually left his Devil Body in the Bone Sea, cutting off his senses from it. The time disparity often left him feeling disoriented.
Perceiving two worlds at once, one moving ten times slower than the other, required Yun Wuji to expend over ten times the mental energy when using different bodies. To avoid the resulting headache, he usually refrained from using his Devil Body, unless someone came to see him, like his daughter or one of his women.
"Your Majesty!" His figure suddenly appeared within the teleportation formation leading to the Soul Stealing Realm. The guards stationed there immediately dropped to their knees, greeting him with utmost respect.
"Activate the formation." Standing within it, he gave the order. He had no time to deal with anyone else right now. His priority was reaching Shen Xi as quickly as possible.
All the King Realms in each Divine Region were linked by teleportation formations, and the Soul Stealing Realm housed the largest formation in the Northern Divine Region, capable of reaching any other Divine Region.
Sensing Yun Wuji's mood, the guards dared not waste a moment. They immediately activated the formation, and in an instant, Yun Wuji teleported from the Yama Realm to the Soul Stealing Realm.
"Father!"
The moment he appeared, a sweet voice called out, followed by his daughter diving straight into his arms. "I was just on my way to see you! Did your fatherly instincts tingle, and you sensed that your cutest, sweetest, most beautiful, and most obedient daughter was coming?"
"Wuxin," Yun Wuji paused, reaching out to pat her head. He was in a hurry, but he knew he couldn't shake off his clingy daughter. "Come with me. Let's go see your aunt Shen Xi."
"Her again?! Did you miss your youngest daughter again?" Yun Wuxin pouted. She suspected the real reason he wanted to see Shen Xi was to check on the unborn child, Yun Xi.
Yun Wuxin was the oldest, Yun Xi the youngest, and poor Yun Gu, stuck in the middle, he was destined to suffer as the middle child.
"Let's talk about that later," Yun Wuji said, not in the mood to play with his daughter this time. He grabbed her by the waist, and in a flash, they appeared before the gigantic formation at the core of the Soul Stealing Realm. Without waiting for the witches, who had sensed his aura and were approaching, he ordered the guards to activate the formation.
Once he reached the Western Divine Region, he tore open the space and stepped inside with Yun Wuxin. The girl sensed her father's urgency and fell silent.
The moment Yun Wuji entered the Forbidden Land of Samsara, he released Yun Wuxin and rushed toward Shen Xi. "Shen Xi!"
"Wuji? What's wrong?" Shen Xi asked, rising from the chair where she had been comfortably watching He Ling tend to the flowers and herbs.
"I came here to check something," Yun Wuji said, grabbing her shoulders and channeling his profound energy. He inspected her body first, then her soul. Shen Xi was confused by his actions, but her trust in him was extraordinary. She did not resist and allowed him to do as he wished, even without knowing the reason.
He Ling and Yun Wuxin watched with growing concern.
"...I can't sense anything," Yun Wuji muttered, releasing Shen Xi as a deep frown formed on his face.
"What's the matter?" Shen Xi asked.
"Tell me, Shen Xi, when you became the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword's spirit, did you sense anything? Even the slightest thing?" Yun Wuji shook his head, not answering her question directly, but asked with a serious tone.
"This is an extremely important matter. It concerns your safety!"
Shen Xi was shocked, but quickly regained her composure. She focused seriously, recalling her time as the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword's spirit, from the moment her father had thrown her and the sword into the Well of Samsara until now. However, nothing that could be considered 'strange' or 'concerning' had occurred.
"No, I never sensed anything. Can you tell me what's going on? Perhaps I can help you find what you seek."
...
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