Two sharp yells broke the silent darkness, yet only their own ears could hear them. Second prince and Hei Ying then looked around but beyond the eternal darkness there was only more black.
âHei Ying, can you fly out?â Second prince asked.
He shook his head, filled with dread, âNo, this cave is just weird, preventing me, a Profound Heaven expert, from flying. Yet weâre still falling. Just when will we reach the end?â
âWeâre finished! With such a deep cave, once we hit the ground, weâll be plastered! My life will return to the heavens!â Second prince wailed, filled with resentment.
He hadnât gotten revenge yet. How could he die just like that?
Hei Ying sighed, biting back the words that threatened to come out.
Though he would die having never fulfilled his revenge, it was a notch better to die for oneâs ideal. While telling him the truth would mean saying he was a pawn in the hand of a dead Crown Prince for years.
Now that would be even more devastating.
[Letting him go in peace is better. Heâs been bitter enough these past years alreadyâŠ]
Hei Ying sighed, âYour Highness, youâve spared no effort these years. Your Highness and Crown Prince know your devotion and will rest in the underworld.â
âHow can he rest? The nation isnât a nation, Yuwen clanâs lands are in the hands of another and I couldnât do anything. Imperial father, big brother, theyâll never know rest!â
Second prince started shedding tears, âItâs because Iâm too weak to get back the ancestorâs lands. Itâs I who failed in earning imperial father and big brotherâs deep love!â
Second prince sobbed, making Hei Ying shake his head as he waited to meet his doom.
This was the only way to repay his two masterâs careâŠ
Hum~
However, there was an odd sound and the two suddenly slowed down before finding themselves afloat in pitch-blackness.
The two were stunned and looked around.
âI am one of the ten ancient emperors, Emperor Yunâs remnant, sent by her to guard my clan. Are you the sons of my clan, coming to pay your respects?â
A deafening voice rocked their ears, threatening to blow their eardrums. A white image hundreds of meters wide appeared. He looked like an aged immortal, with power and wisdom.
He had silvery flowing hair, a white beard, and a deep and profound aura. The entire void was filled with glittering stars the next second, flowing in a mystical pattern.
The two stared agape at the display.
[Whoâs he? Heâs like a god walking on this world, holding everything in his palm. He canât just be a damn human!]
Skipping over Zhuo Fan, have they ever seen someone so awesome anywhere on this continent?
Even Danqing Shen couldnât hold a candle to this guy.
Yun clanâs ancestral home hid such an astonishing expert.
[I canât frickinâ believe it!]
Emperor Yun frowned, âIf you are my descendants, you may take refuge with me from any difficulty. If not, trespassers shall be forever buried in my clanâs forbidden land to atone for your crimes.â
âWhat?â The two cried out. Only Yun clansmen could come here, if they wanted to live.
The two were frantic, with the second prince having no shame as he said, âAncestor, Iâm from the Yun clan. Iâm Yun Yong.â
Hei Yingâs face twitched and he sighed.
[This guy changes tunes too fast. He even renounced his name. Then again, being chased for so many years, he lost his arrogance as a prince.]
[All he ever cares about is survival, even using a sharp tongue.]
âAncestor, Iâm also from the Yun clan. Iâm Yun Ying.â Hei Ying cupped his hands.
Emperor Yun mocked, âIt doesnât matter if you say you are. I will be the judge of that.â
Emperor Yunâs eyes shot prismatic lights as it scanned the two.
âHumph, my Yun clan have mystic eyes that can read the heavens. Yours are normal and you think you can pretend to be of my clan?â After the scan was over, Emperor Yun snorted, âCommon fools, die for trespassing in the Yun clanâs forbidden grounds!â
The pitch-black world began to burn, as stars started falling on the two. Thousands of city wide bright lights were coming down on them at full force.
With so many coming to plaster them, there was no way two puny Profound Heaven experts could take it, not when even Ethereal Stage experts would have a hard time.
The two panicked in fear.
Fortunately, the thick and impenetrable skin second prince grew over these torturous years in search for revenge was finally put to good use, âWait, we are just Yun clanâs average clansmen. Only the clan head has awakened those eyesâŠâ
âHumph, wrong. Not just the Yun Clan Head is able to awaken them. Only a Yun clansman who does is a true Yun clansman.â
Emperor Yun spat, âMy blood allows the awakening of a single person in every generation of my clan. That is my successor. Everyone else, even if from the Yun clan, is a stranger. Donât you know that only the Clan Head can come here? Even as Yun clansmen, you only came to your deaths!â
Emperor Yun finished just as the incoming starfall was about to pulverize the two home invaders.
Second prince gnashed his teeth and his eyes flashed. He took out Yun Xuanjiâs eye and said, âWeâve come out of Clan Headâs final wish. This is our proof!â
Whoosh!
The stars halted and soon vanished.
Hei Ying closed his eyes and shivered. Second princeâs hands shook as well, waiting to be erased from this world.
However, death did not come. He watched as a pair of eyes stared down at the orb in his hand. âItâs the mystic eye of my Yun clan. But since itâs just proof, I can only agree to one request.â
[One?]
Startled, the two were jubilant. They turned it all around. Emperor Yun switched from being their greatest enemy to their strongest backer. That was just too sudden. Didnât he doubt where this eye came from?
Though it worked in their favor.
[Why look for some Danqing Shen when we have this guy to raze the world!]
So the second prince bowed and whined, âAncestor, my empire has been taken by an evil spawn. I hope ancestor will set things right!â
âHelp you restore the nation?â
Emperor Yun quirked an eyebrow. Second prince bobbed his head and the emperor shook his, âDenied.â
âWhy? Didnât you say youâll agree to one request? With your power, this will be as easy as breathing.â Second prince complained.
Emperor Yun said, âI told you, I am Emperor Yunâs remnant left by her to protect our clan and show it the path forward. I cannot leave, thus, I cannot help you.â
âWhat can you do, then?â Second prince was annoyed and shouted.
Hei Ying jerked and hurriedly pulled his hand.
[Master, donât get carried away. He canât leave, but weâre here stuck with him. Heâs the boss and you better not anger him.]
[Itâll be so easy to kill us like squashing bugs.]
Second prince finally came to his senses and cupped his hands, âForgive me, ancestor, I got carried away. I just want to know how you could help us.â
âRead the heavens and show you the way! Ask your questions and I shall answer all I can!â Emperor Yunâs heavy words fellâŠ