“...” Yan Tianxiao stared dazedly at the sky. In a world where all light had been devoured, his face still looked startlingly white.

“All of this struggling that you have already schemed up is nothing more than a sad and pathetic joke to me.”

Beneath that devilish might that could burn everything to ash, Yun Che’s words cut into their souls like a hot knife through b.u.t.ter. Yan Tianxiao turned his head towards him with much difficulty, but he still held the Yama Devil Spear in a deathgrip. “We descendants of the Yama Realm will die before we surrender! If you want to take over our Yama Realm… you’ll have to step over this king’s cold dead body first!

“Take over your Yama Realm?” Yun Che let out an extremely contemptuous laugh. “Yan Tianxiao, you’re not only naive, but it seems like your ears aren’t working too well either. Your three ancestors told all of you to submit to me as your ruler. When did I ever say I wanted to take over your Yama Realm!?”

“...” Yan Tianxiao was stunned by those words, “What do you mean?”

“Heh!” Yun Che looked down at him and said words that shook him to his very core. “I want to be the emperor of the Northern Region, not just the emperor of this measly Yama Realm!”

Yan Tianxiao: “...!?”

“The Yama Realm will still remain the Yama Realm. You, the current Yama Emperor, will still remain the Yama Emperor. However, I will reign supreme in this dark Northern Divine Region!”

Yun Che slowly lowered one of his raised hands and pointed it toward Yan Tianxiao. “So tell me right now. Are you going to embrace the dark ruler who will change the destiny of the entire Northern Divine Region? Or are you going to let this Yama Realm… be thrown into an eternal abyss of darkness!”

Yan Tianxiao and the denizens of the Yama Realm stood there with blank expressions on their face.

He had first forced them into a corner and driven them to the brink of despair. But now he had suddenly shown them a way out, he had given them a new hope… Yun Che had done this to Three Yama Ancestors, and he was now doing the same thing to the Yama Realm.

If they chose to submit… it would mean that the Yama Realm would no longer be the most exalted existence in the world. It would mean that there would be someone who could control them and use them as he saw fit.

But the Three Yama Ancestors had been willing to bow to this person, and with a wave of his hand, he had brought the Yama Realm to the brink of utter destruction… When they considered those things, they realized that he really was qualified to rule over them.

Furthermore, the owner of the Yama Realm was not going to change. The Yama Devils would remain the Yama Devils, the Yama Ghosts would still be the Yama Ghosts, and even the Yama Emperor would remain the Yama Emperor.

If that was really true, then there was no need for all of them to die in this pointless struggle, no need for the collapse of the Yama Realm.

Many gazes began settling on Yan Tianxiao’s body and they no longer contained any determination or will to fight. Instead, they seemed to be pleading with him soundlessly to submit.

“Royal father…” Yan Wu muttered. Even she, the coldest and most obstinate one among them, felt most of the tension bleed out of her heart when she heard Yun Che’s words.

If they had at least a ten percent chance of winning this battle, more than half of the Yama Devils might have chosen to fight to the death.

However, if they ended up dying for nothing, destroying their home for nothing...

Furthermore, submission seemed to be a far better option than it had been before...

Yan Tianxiao’s chest heaved violently as his eyes wavered. All the other sounds in the world gradually grew silent and he could soon only hear the sound of his own ragged breathing.

The three ancestors, the Yama Devil Nether Crossing Cauldron, the inheritance of the Devil Emperor, the fact that Yun Che could instantly summon the power of the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness, the choice to die in vain defiance, the survival of the Yama Realm...

Finally, he breathed out a long sigh as his brows knitted together. When he spoke, his voice was as deep as the ocean. “Yun Che, please answer the one question that this king has.”

“Who is the p.a.w.n? You or the Devil Queen?”

Yan Tianxiao asked a question so sharp that everyone stopped breathing once they heard it.

It was a question that was extremely provocative.

“Heh, that’s a good question.” Yun Che chuckled. “In her eyes, I am a unique and irreplaceable p.a.w.n. However…”

A black light flashed in his hand and a pitch-black magatama shaped like a crescent moon appeared.

“The Burning Moon Exquisite Devil Jade!” Yan Tianxiao suddenly took a step forward when he saw that object appear in Yun Che’s hand.

When the Burning Moon had fallen, it had ended up under the Soul Stealing Realm’s control so Yan Tianxiao had always figured that the Burning Moon Exquisite Devil Jade had fallen into the Devil Queen Chi Wuyao’s hands. He had never imagined that Yun Che would have it in his possession.

He had the Yama Devil Nether Crossing Cauldron on one side and the Burning Moon Exquisite Devil Jade on the other and the two different gloomy black lights that emanated from these two objects soundlessly mixed together in front of Yun Che. It was a scene that was deeply etched into everyone’s eyes.

“Today, the lifelines of both the Yama Realm and the Burning Moon Realm have fallen into my hands.” Yun Che’s lips slowly curved into a calm and sinister smile. “So why don’t you take a guess… at who you think the p.a.w.n really is?”

A long and deathly silence immediately descended upon the room as the very air around them turned solid. n.o.body dared to breathe.

Clang——

The Yama Devil Spear slipped from Yan Tianxiao’s hand and fell to the ground with a loud clatter. The sound of metal striking stone reverberated through the hearts of all who heard it.

Their very last bit of determination had finally collapsed.

Yan Tianxiao’s face had gone ashen and his body slowly slumped to the ground as he fell to his knees.

But this time, he was not only bowing toward the Three Yama Ancestors. As the emperor of the Yama Realm… he was kneeling at Yun Che’s feet, beneath that contemptuous gaze of his.

“I, the emperor of the Yama Realm, Yan Tianxiao, am willing to obey the will of my ancestors. I will take… Emperor Yun as my master and I will use all of the power of the Yama Realm to ensure that Emperor Yun becomes the Emperor of the North!”

He gave one last look at the dark power that was spread across the sky, the dark power that could completely obliterate the Yama Imperial District in the blink of an eye. His head slowly lowered as he said, “May the heavens strike me if I go back on my words!”

Blood trickled from his mouth as he roared those words, but the words of a G.o.d emperor were as heavy as a mountain.

Besides, his ancestors were in front of him, his Yama Devils were flanking him and his Yama Ghosts were standing by his side. All of the living beings within the Yama Imperial District had heard him loud and clear.

The Yama Realm which had proudly stood at the top of the Northern Divine Region for the last eight hundred thousand odd years was about to have its destiny completely transformed today.

However, no one among the denizens of the Yama Realm reacted was greatly shocked. Because they had all personally witnessed what Yan Tianxiao had faced and endured.

In such a situation, they had been left with no other option.

When the Three Yama Ancestors and the Yama Emperor had chosen to bow their heads toward Yun Che, there was no longer any reason for the rest of the Yama Realm to continue to struggle against him.

The Yama Devils and the Yama Ghosts started withdrawing their profound energy along with their already dissipated fighting intent as they sank to their knees beside Yan Tianxiao.

After that, every living being in the Devil Palace of Eternal Darkness, in the entire Yama Imperial District, fell to their knees. They stared at their new ruler from a distance… Their new ruler who reigned above the Yama Emperor.

Yun Che chuckled coldly as he surveyed the land below him. After that, he gently pushed an arm towards the sky.

Immediately, half of the yin energy that filled the sky rushed back into the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness while the other half surged toward the badly-cracked Great Yama Formation.

Ruuummbleee...

Earth-shaking thunderclaps filled the sky as the cracks swiftly disappeared from the surface of the Great Yama Formation. In the short span of ten breaths, it was as good as new and the remaining dark yin energy flowed back into the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness. He had not lost control or wasted any of the dark yin energy throughout this entire process.

His control over the darkness was so perfect that it caused everyone’s blood to run cold.

Yan Jie, who lay limp on the ground, raised his head with much difficulty. When he saw his father and the other Yama Devils kneeling on the ground, his eyes turned lifeless and gray.

The moment he had chosen to betray the Yama Realm, he had already lost the right to submit.

Yun Che lowered both of his arms and everything became calm again. He looked at the people who cowered below him before turning his eyes toward the vast and boundless Yama Realm. A cold black light glinted in the depths of his eyes as he surveyed the spoils of war.

His control of the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness’ power had caused everyone in the Yama Realm to collapse from despair. At the same time, it had also become the Yama Realm’s strongest defense as long as he was around.

As long as both Yun Che and the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness existed, everyone could forget about attacking the Yama Realm.

The moment an attacking army even approached the Yama Realm’s capital, Yun Che could simply summon the power of the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness to bury them forever! No matter who it was!

And this included Chi Wuyao and the Soul Stealing Realm!

Back in the Burning Moon Realm, Chi Wuyao had presumptuously told Fen Daojun that Yun Che would become the emperor of the Soul Stealing Realm, and she would be the empress.

Before he left the Soul Stealing Realm this time, Chi Wuyao had emphasized the fact that she would prepare his coronation ceremony before he returned.

Heh… Yun Che raised his head towards the sky, but only coldness flooded his heart.

Chi Wuyao had pushed the idea that Yun Che was “the inheritor of the Devil Emperor’s will” unstintingly. Of course, that was to borrow his influence to capture the hearts and the minds of the profound pract.i.tioners of the Northern Divine Region. And once he was crowned emperor, all of her plans would proceed as planned.

How ridiculous! As if he’d let Chi Wuyao do as she pleased any longer! Even though he had kept up his guard against Chi Wuyao, he had also given her a fair bit of trust. He had also spared no efforts in “transforming” and training her Witches.

His trust in Chi Wuyao had also increased exponentially after he killed Zhou Qingchen. He had even told her a fair bit about his plans to conquer the Yama Realm.

However, he discovered that he had still been far too naive.

Compared to Fen Daojun, she was truly… the main culprit behind Qianye Ying’er’s miscarriage!

She was someone who deserved to die far more than Fen Daojun!

Just like the rumors had said, she was willing to do anything in order to achieve her own goals, no matter how wicked or cruel those actions were!

Crowning him emperor?

That was a very good idea. In fact, it was something he had to do.

But he would not be crowned emperor in the Soul Stealing Realm! He would be crowned emperor in this Yama Realm!

And after he had been crowned emperor, his next target would be the Soul Stealing Realm!

The next person he was going to kill was Chi Wuyao!

He would lure her into the Yama Imperial District before using the power of the Three Yama Ancestors and the Bone Sea of the Eternal Darkness… Given the power he currently had at his disposal, killing her would not be too hard a thing to accomplish.

——————

The Imperial Hall of Eternal Darkness.

Right now, Yun Che was currently plopped in the G.o.d emperor throne reserved for the Yama Emperor alone. It was a seat that the other denizens of the Yama Realm could not approach, but Yun Che was currently occupying its seat.

His new bodyguards, Yan One, Yan Two, and Yan Three, stood behind him

Yan Tianxiao and all of the other Yama Devils were standing beneath the throne. Even though all of their heads were bent low, each of them wore different expressions on their face.

“Why? Are you looking for an opportunity to get rid of me? Yun Che looked at them as he spoke in a cold and contemptuous voice. An evil energy rolled off his body

“My lord is worrying needlessly,” Yan Tianxiao said in a grave voice. “No matter whether we are willing or not, this king… I mean I have already knelt before you in submission. Since I already did that, I won’t go back on my words. The orders of my lord are my command.”

A casual wave of Yun Che’s hand had caused the energy contained within the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness to loom over the skies of the Yama Realm… Even recalling that scene sent shudders down the spines of all who were present.

Unless they could find a perfect opportunity, one which would guarantee his death, they naturally would not dare to anger the person who held their Yama Devil Nether Crossing Cauldron, the malefic star who could easily obliterate their Yama Realm with a twitch of his fingers.

Speaking of which, the Yama Realm had been born because of the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness, and it had also been the source of the Yama Realm’s strength, the reason why it was the number one king realm in the Northern Divine Region. But they had never imagined that it would become the source of a calamity which could destroy the Yama Realm at any moment.

“Hmph, I bet you brats wouldn’t dare to do it in the first place.” Yan One said with a cold snort.

“If it wasn’t for Master’s magnanimity and mercy, your daddy here would have killed all of you a long time ago just because of the great disrespect you showed him!” Yan Two said in a grave voice.

“That’s enough.”

Yun Che’s two calmly-spoken words cut Yan Three off just as he started to speak. Yan Three had to hurriedly swallow the words that nearly spilled out from his mouth. He obediently bowed his head and he did not even dare to breathe too loudly after that.

Two people had been responsible for subduing the Burning Moon Realm. Half of the credit had to be given to Yun Che, because his “divine might” had left them overwhelmed with fear. But the other half had to be given to Chi Wuyao, whose devilish voice seduced them.

But Yun Che had subdued the Yama Realm solely based on the “divine might” he had displayed using the Eternal Calamity of Darkness. The terror he had instilled in the inhabitants of the Yama Realm had been enough to cow them.

As for which of the two methods were more reliable? That was hard to say.

Yan Tianxiao let out a silent sigh. It was very hard for him, a G.o.d emperor, to quickly become accustomed to serving another. He asked, “As for my lord’s coronation and your imperial t.i.tle…”

“There’s no need to rush. There are still many things that need to be done before we can concern ourselves with that matter.” Yun Che interrupted him, a cold light flickering in his eyes. After that, he turned around and said, “Yan Wu, come here.”

“...” Yan Wu’s body tensed up and her brows knitted together. But she remained motionless.