The world fell into absolute silence as the Abyssal Monarch and Yun Che continued their conversation.
It was a silence not born of awe, but of tension—an unbearable stillness, as if all creation held its breath, waiting for the next word, the next revelation.
By now, Yun Che's identity had been fully exposed. He was no longer Meng Jianyuan—the beloved Divine Son, the prodigy of the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom.
He was the Fog Monarch.
And under such circumstances, the only logical course of action for someone in his position would've been to flee.
To escape before judgment came crashing down.
Yet… he remained.
Calm. Still. Unmoving.
He stood in full view of countless divine experts, of gods who now harbored nothing but hatred and betrayal in their hearts, and he made no attempt to run.
Which could only mean one thing—
The Well of Samsara meant everything to him.
It was not mere curiosity.
It was something so deeply rooted, so profoundly important, that he was willing to risk his life just to speak of it—to ask about it.
Though none of the onlookers knew what this "Well of Samsara" truly was, they could tell from Yun Che's resolve, and from the Monarch's measured words, that it was no ordinary place.
And so, despite the fury in their hearts…
Despite their desire to see the traitor punished…
They listened.
Because if their Monarch knew what the Well of Samsara was…
And if Yun Che—the Fog Monarch—was willing to gamble everything for it…
Then whatever it was…
It must be something that could shake the Abyss itself.
....
The Abyssal Monarch did not answer Yun Che's question directly.
Instead, he reached forward into the air, and the moment his hand moved, space itself trembled violently.
A low hum filled the Divine Kingdom—a sound that wasn't truly sound, but pressure. The point where Mo Su's fingers closed twisted unnaturally, as if reality was folding inward, pierced by something that should not exist within this world.
From that twisted space, a radiance surged forth—not one of light, but of danger.
A danger so sharp, so pure, that even the gods felt it.
"Ah—!" A few among them staggered back instinctively, clutching at their eyes.
The sensation was as if invisible blades had lanced through their vision, slicing past their defenses and threatening to cut into their very souls.
Those with weaker cultivation had no choice but to look away entirely, their bodies trembling just from being near that twisted space.
But Yun Che didn't avert his gaze.
Even as the stabbing pain surged through his eyes, even as the sense of impending death crawled over his skin like a thousand blades, he forced himself to watch.
To see what Mo Su had drawn upon.
And then… he saw it.
The Monarch's hand… had begun to bleed.
Tiny cuts opened along his fingers, delicate but deep, as droplets of divine blood slid down his skin.
Even for someone like Mo Su—the Abyssal Monarch, a Ancient True God—was unable to truly touch it.
Finally, Mo Su withdrew his hand. The twisted space began to settle, the sense of overwhelming sharpness dissipated, and the invisible blades receded. Slowly, the cuts on his hand began to mend, divine blood returning to his veins.
"Yun Che, do you know what this is?"
Mo Su's voice broke the silence, calm and deep, yet echoing with a weight that seemed to ripple through space itself.
Yun Che, still staring at the spot where space had twisted, felt an inexplicable sensation stirring within him. It wasn't fear, nor was it awe. It was something far more elusive—something that stirred instinct, memory, and intuition all at once.
And yet… he couldn't define it. So he slowly shook his head.
"It's a law. More precisely—
The Law of Piercing. Just a strand of it."
The Monarch's words echoed across the Sacred Platform.
Whispers rose among the gods and gathered elites, their faces filled with confusion. Even those who had walked the divine path for eons struggled to grasp the meaning behind what they'd just witnessed.
Yun Che, however, stood still—listening intently, eyes narrowed in thought. To be able to grab onto the Laws itself... The level Mo Su have reached... Internally, Yun Che suck in a cold breath.
Mo Su then said.
"We, the cultivators, were born because of the Ancestral Goddess. We are her subjects. We live by the laws she left behind, bound to the rules she etched into existence.
The Eternal Pure Land, the Abyss—all of it exists under her laws.
And we, who were born within, and live within, are all governed by them.
All of us—without exception."
His words sank like mountains into the hearts of everyone listening.
And then, slowly, Mo Su raised his eyes.
"But in the vast stretch of history, across millions upon millions of years... there were a few who could go beyond simply obeying those laws."
As Yun Che listen, a flicker of realization passed through his expression.
"The Creation Gods and the Devil Emperors," Yun Che murmured softly.
"Yes," Mo Su nodded.
"They were not merely blessed by the laws—they could wield them. Twist them. Manifest them."
"They were the only ones who could touch the strands of origin... and not be torn apart by it."
"They were beings born from the remnants of the Ancestral Goddess herself… fragments left behind when she destroyed her own body to give birth to all creation," Mo Su said quietly, his voice filled with depth. "In a way, they were the Ancestral Goddess… though only in part."
"My father… was one of them."
The air stilled further, as though even the breeze feared to interrupt.
"Because they were part of her, they were beings who could control the laws… command the very rules that bind this world."
Mo Su's voice was calm, but within that calm was a quiet struggle—a truth he had long accepted but never spoken aloud.
"As for us... no matter how gifted we are, no matter how high we climb… we can never truly do what they could."
"Even I—despite my power, despite all my comprehension—can never reach what my father once touched."
"Unless…" He paused briefly. "Unless we can ascend… and become the same as them."
"Only then can we stand not beside the laws, but above them. Only then can we touch origin, not just wield its echoes."
Yun Che stood silently, eyes narrowed, thoughts stirring as each word embedded itself into his heart. The path of power, of law, of truth—it all spiraled back to origin.
And then, Mo Su continued.
His voice grew heavier. Colder. The weight of it fell like a divine decree.
"The Well of Samsara… is a place filled with the purest form of the Law of Reincarnation."
That single sentence rippled across the Sacred Platform like a quake through the soul.
Eyes widened. Breaths stopped. Even the gods felt a tremor in their chests.
"It is the place where the dead… go to reincarnate."
"!!!!!!!!!!"
The air trembled beneath the weight of revelation.
Every eye widened, every breath caught. For most, this was the first time in their lives they had ever heard of such a place.
"Dead... like the soul of the dead enters that place?" Yun Che asked slowly, cautiously. His voice held no fear, only deepening curiosity, and a tightening of something far more fragile - hope.
Upon hearing the question, Mo Su shook his head, his expression growing solemn, and his voice sank into something deeper, colder.
"No. Not just the dead as in broken souls or fading spirits."
"I speak of death in its truest form."
"A death where the body cannot be resurrected by any means."
"A death where the soul is no longer tied to any realm of the living—where it cannot be summoned, bound, or touched by any law, any god, or any power."
His voice carried a quiet finality, like the echo of fate itself.
"Only one thing remains of such beings... a single thread that even time cannot erase—"
"Their Existence Essence."
The weight of that term fell upon everyone like a divine edict. To everyone here, they honestly, even some at the True Gods level, have no idea what's the Monarch is saying.
"That... and that alone… is what can pass into the Well of Samsara."
Yun Che's lips parted, a whisper slipping through them like breath on glass.
"Only… the Existence Essence…"
His eyes narrowed.
That term to Yun Che, although different—it wasn't unfamiliar.
Li Suo.
He remembered it now, faint and distant. On that day long ago, when her voice reached into the core of his soul on the day she talked about He Ling, she had spoken of something… something that seemed beyond divine, something untouched by the limits of life or death.
She hadn't used the same words, but the meaning was the same.
And now, hearing it again through Mo Su's voice, the pieces began to shift inside Yun Che's heart—clicking into place, one after another.
"Then why… why was I… a living being… pulled into that place?"
His gaze dimmed, thoughts swirling.
"Why… was I able to reach the place where Shen Xi is?"
He did not ask the question aloud. It remained locked in his heart. But the implications screamed through his veins.
Was it…
Because of her?
Because of the Ancestral Goddess's Void Body that now existed within him?
Was it that very body—untethered by fate, untouched by the limits of law—that allowed him to walk a path not meant for the living?
"Unfortunately," Mo Su's voice grew heavy, each word laced with profound sorrow, "with the Law of Reincarnation long since broken, all the dead who enter the Well of Samsara are trapped… unable to go anywhere."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
A place meant for rebirth… now a prison of endless stillness.
Where even the Existence Essence of the departed could do nothing but linger, waiting for a cycle that no longer turns.
"Where is the Well of Samsara right now?" Yun Che asked suddenly, his voice sharp, urgent—cutting through the tension like lightning through a storm.
Mo Su raised his gaze slightly as if peering into a memory carved deep within his soul.
"My father once told me…" he began slowly, his voice echoing with reverence and weight,
"That to ensure only the Existence Essence may enter the Well of Samsara… it must be placed in a land saturated with the Law of Destruction—
the purest form of it in all creation."
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A collective shock swept across the crowd as the words sank in.
And then—
Yun Che's body trembled violently.
A realization flashed through his mind like a divine bolt, and a single name spilled from his lips in a trembling murmur.
"The Endless Fog…"
Mo Su slowly nodded, confirming what no one else dared to imagine.
"Yes. The Endless Fog Sea.
More precisely, its deepest depths—
a place so suffocating with Destruction Law that even I… cannot enter."
"!!!!!!!!!!"
This time, the astonishment was universal.
Mouths feel open, eyes went wide. Even the gods stood frozen in disbelief.
The Endless Fog Sea.
The most feared, chaotic region in the entire Abyss. A place where the heavens themselves seemed to twist. A place that had swallowed entire legacies, gods, armies… and now, it was revealed—
It was the resting place of the Well of Samsara.
Hearing Mo Su's confirmation, Yun Che's entire mind shook as if thunder had exploded inside his skull.
He staggered a step backward, his chest rising and falling sharply.
"I… was so… close to it…" he murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
In the midst of his chaotic thoughts, a soft, pure radiance began to rise within his soul—like a sun piercing through a storm. His breath steadied, and the crashing waves of emotion began to smooth, as a single, blinding thought began to crystallize.
"Even though the Law of Reincarnation is broken," Mo Su continued, his deep gaze settling directly on Yun Che, "all Existence Essence is still pulled into the Well of Samsara the moment True Death occurs."
Yun Che's pupils shrank.
And then, as if plunging a blade into his soul, Mo Su spoke the forbidden truth—
"There is also a saying… that even if True Death has occurred, one can still be resurrected… if their Existence Essence is brought back from the Well of Samsara."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those words struck like lightning.
They tore through Yun Che's chest, shattering every wall within.
In that moment, everything aligned.
The Well of Samsara…
The Existence Essence…
Shen Xi.
If he could enter that place—no, he had already been pulled there once.
Then—
He could bring her back.
No.....!!!!
The Well contained all Existence Essence.
Everyone.
Everyone who had truly died…
His fingers trembled. His breathing turned ragged. At this moment, Yun Che have heard enough of what he wanted to know. There is no more reason for him to stay here!
And without waiting to hear a single word more—
A red glow exploded from Yun Che's palm, so bright and wild it blanketed his body in a violent, radiant blaze. It was the power of the spatial teleportation of the World Piercer.
Sure, the place was space-locked with the power of the Ancient True Gods, making normal spatial teleportation useless. But the World Piercer's power was different. It was forged from the purest form of spatial law itself. How could the Ancient True Gods' power possibly stop it?
As the red flash enveloped Yun Che's body, a sudden realization struck him. Through the brilliance of the flash, he saw Mo Su's odd, knowing smile.
Then....
Nothing happened.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Yun Che stood frozen, as if struck in the heart.
The teleportation… failed.
Once again, the red flash appeared and covered Yun Che's body, but once again, nothing happened!
"What....!!!"
Yun Che's mind was shaken as his teleportation failed. The teleportation, which contained the spatial power from World Piercer... had failed!
"It won't work, no matter how many times you try it. The entire place is space locked." Mo Su said, shaking his head.
"It's definitely not just a normal space lock. It's most likely the Devil Race's Heavenly Treasure at work," Li Suo's voice echoed within Yun Che's mind.
!!!!!!!!!!
"... I will think of a way," Li Suo said as Yun Che nodded internally.
Yun Che finally gave up his teleportation attempt as his eyes slowly turned toward Mo Su, a resigned expression settling on his face
"You're truly the Fog Monarch..." a soft murmur echoed.
From the side of the Owl Butterfly Divine Kingdom, Pan Buwang watched the scene unfold, his fist clenched tightly. The memories of the past flashed before his eyes, and with a heavy sigh, he realized the truth. It seemed today, he would have to repay his master's grace with his own life.
"It's just... there are still so many things... I'd like to ask you about..."
-----------
On top of the Sacred Platform, Mo Su looks at Yun Che who look defeated as he said.
"Back then, when I found out you, Yun Che, were the Fog Monarch, the one who could freely traverse the Endless Fog Sea... although what you did in the Pure Land was hurtful to many... I decided to let it go, out of respect for my Big Brother," Mo Su's gaze shifted briefly to Meng Kongchan, who appeared as though his very soul had been shattered, resting lifelessly in Meng Jianxi's arms. Mo Su's eyes then moved toward Hua Caili, nestled in Hua Qingying's embrace.
"The reason was simple. If you can traverse freely through a place even I cannot reach, then maybe, just maybe, you could find a way to the Well of Samsara."
"I cannot lie and say there's nothing that I, the ruler of this world doesn't desire, especially from such a place," Mo Su continued, his voice tinged with regret.
"But unfortunately, you crossed the line."
Everyone listened attentively to what the Monarch was saying, some appearing to grasp the meaning, while others remained confused, struggling to understand the many complexities of the situation. Only the Ancient True Gods fully comprehended what their lord sought, but in that moment, all present came to realize why the Abyssal Monarch had initially allowed Yun Che to go free; despite knowing he was the Fog Monarch.
The Abyssal Monarch desired something from the Well of Samsara! But what exactly that remained a mystery, known only to the Ancient True Gods.
"I've crossed the line... hahaha... hahahah!"
Suddenly, a maddening laugh rang out from Yun Che, echoing through the tense air. His laughter was wild, erratic, and sent a chill down the spines of those who heard it. It startled many, leaving them confused and uncertain.
"The line, huh... hahahaha!!!" His laughter grew louder, more frenzied, like a madman who had lost all sense of reason and restraint.
"You speak as if you're the righteous one! You speak as if you're the hero of the world when you're just like me! Hahahahaha!!!!!" His voice cracked as his roar of laughter reverberated across the world, filled with both bitterness and mocking disdain.
??????????
The crowd exchanged glances, their confusion growing. They were left staring at one another, unable to comprehend the meaning behind Yun Che's words.
The Abyssal Monarch... isn't he the hero here? After all, he had made countless sacrifices to transform the Abyss—a land once void of life, a deathly void—into a habitable place. There were countless records of him and the former gods sacrificing everything to shape Abyss into what it was today. So why would Yun Che laugh and speak as if he weren't the villain, when he himself, the Fog Monarch, had disturbed Abyss's peace?
"You villain! How dare you say that to His Majesty!" An angry roar rang out from the crowd, fingers pointed at Yun Che in accusation. How dare he slander the Abyssal Monarch?
"Hahaha!!!" Yun Che's laughter rang out, chilling and maddened, as he threw his head back in a crazed fit. "I'm the villain... that's right... I am! I, Yun Che, the Fog Monarch, am a villain through and through! Everything I've done has been evil and cruel! Hahahahaha!!!" His laughter echoed wildly, but strangely, to many, it seemed as if he was mocking himself—trapped in his own torment, his own regret, his own twisted truth.
Even Hua Caili and Meng Kongchan, who seemed to have lost all their strength, could feel Yun Che's bitter laughter gnawing at their very souls. Trembling, their eyes slowly shifted toward his direction.
"In the end, hero and villain... are just viewpoints from different sides..." Yun Che's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable weight of sorrow and bitterness. A gray flame burst from his hand, its cold destructive, corrosive light contrasting the tension in the air. His eyes turned icy as he locked his gaze on the Monarch and everyone around him.
"Then let us finish this hero and villain story here today..."