Yun Che was teleported to the northeastern outskirts of the Fog Sea.
He didn't waste time wandering aimlessly. Instead, he directly summoned an Abyss Beast and began scanning for the other participants' locations.
"Are you going to tell me your plan now?" Li Suo's voice was soft, tinged with curiosity.
"It's not so much a plan," Yun Che replied with a smile, "as it is a trap—one designed to make Emperor Yuan walk into it himself. You'll understand when the time comes. Right now, I need to confirm Long Xi's location and ensure she's safe."
"Emperor Yuan fancies himself the chessmaster in this grand game... but he doesn't realize he's already a piece on my board. In the Fog Sea, there's only one emperor—and it's me."
As the sovereign of the Mist Sea, collecting Abyss Cores would be effortless for Yun Che. But his ambitions went far beyond that.
"Mo Su is far more cunning than you think," Li Suo warned. "You're still too weak right now. Don't be overconfident. Against true power, all schemes are meaningless. In the face of absolute strength, effort becomes hollow, strategy becomes futile—an ant shaking a tree."
Yun Che snorted, "Little Li Suo, I'm the emperor of this sea. Mo Su? He's not even qualified to challenge me here."
But the very next second, he sighed and dropped the bravado.
"Alright, alright. No need to pretend. You're right. There's a massive gap between us. Mo Su could probably kill me with a flick of his finger."
He paused for a moment, his voice somber. "But I don't have time to sit around and grow stronger. If I don't take risks, I'll never get a single opportunity. The divine realm has no way to resist a true god. If I do nothing, I'll only live to regret it. I'll face Mo Su first... then decide what to do."
Yun Che sighed deeply. He carried the Void Saint Body, the Heretic God's legacy, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's inheritance, and fragments of many ancient True Gods' powers. Given enough time, he could rival even the Creation Gods. But time... was the one thing he lacked.
Li Suo was briefly stunned by his sudden shift in tone. It was clear now—anyone could be driven to the edge by pressure like this. His behavior defied conventional understanding.
"I think I've pieced together some of your reasoning," Li Suo said gently. "You're planning to exploit the gap in time and information. When Mo Su was cast into the abyss, the Evil God was still alive, and Ni Xuan was still the Elemental Creator God. He doesn't know what happened to the Divine Realm after he fell."
"And now, you hold the legacy of the Elemental Creator God—a fact that defies everything he expects. That gives you a chance. He's unaware of the shifts that occurred in the time he was gone. You can use that to your advantage."
Li Suo had been contemplating this for the past three days and finally shared her analysis.
Yun Che blinked, clearly surprised. He hadn't expected Li Suo to reach that conclusion.
"Little Li Suo, you're getting smarter by the day. As expected from an ancient spirit of creation, your ability to learn is astounding."
"I'm just analyzing it from your perspective," she replied, her tone warm. "All my thoughts stem from your actions and intentions."
Yun Che nodded. "You're right. Mo Su must be wondering why the power of the Elemental Creator God resides within me. One reason he hasn't approached me yet is that he suspects I'm the rumored Mist Emperor. The other reason? He's testing me. He wants to see if I'm worthy of wielding the power he reveres."
"The timing of my emergence aligns too closely with that of the Mist Emperor. No one else might suspect, but Mo Su knows the Creator God held the Qiankun Thorn... which means no matter how perfect my cover is, I can't erase that connection."
"In his heart, the Elemental Creator God was unique—his teacher, his friend, someone he respected second only to the Heavenly God Emperor. He won't allow that legacy to fall into unworthy hands."
"That's why I need to prove myself. I want him to come to me... and I hope he won't disappoint."
A mischievous smile appeared on Yun Che's lips as he sensed movement through the Abyss Beast network. It had locked onto Dian Liushi of the Senluo Divine Kingdom.
"First-level Divine Destruction Realm? Perfect. I'll use you as my whetstone. Don't disappoint me."
Dian Liushi, though also a divine son of Jueluo, was never particularly favored. His talent was mediocre compared to others and constantly overshadowed by Dian Jiuzhi.
Now, stationed in the outer edges of the Fog Sea, Dian Liushi was excited. He had no ambition beyond avoiding being a burden to Jiuzhi. The outer ring had only God Lord-level Abyss Beasts, posing little threat to him.
"If not for the cultivation restrictions, I wouldn't even be here," he murmured smugly. "Nine-Knowledge Divine Son has already reached the eighth level of Divine Destruction. I just need to ride his coattails."
Just as he defeated a God Lord-level beast, Dian Liushi sensed someone approaching—and was ecstatic to recognize Yun Che.
"Hah! Meng Jianyuan of the Dreamweaver Kingdom! The heavens favor me!"
He grinned ear to ear. In his eyes, Yun Che was one of the few 'soft persimmons' he could squeeze.
"The Dreamweaver Kingdom must've lost their minds. They sent a mere fourth-level God Lord to compete. Even with perfect godhood, he's nothing but a lamb to slaughter."
"If I kick him out now, I'll make history. My name will stand beside Dian Jiuzhi's as the heroes of this generation!"
Dian Liushi's daydreams came crashing down the moment he laid eyes on Yun Che up close.
Yun Che didn't retreat—in fact, he approached calmly and directly. Dian Liushi responded by unleashing the full might of his Divine Destruction Realm level one cultivation, aiming to end the battle quickly.
But as his fist neared Yun Che, his pupils shrank violently.
Too late to regret.
In a flash, Yun Che's aura exploded, utterly suppressing him. With a simple motion, Yun Che grabbed his arm and crushed it, then slammed him into the ground like a ragdoll.
The whole exchange took barely a breath of time.
Before Dian Liushi could react, or even crush his emergency teleportation ring, he had already lost all combat capability. Yun Che now held him like a limp bird.
"Killing an unimportant prince... that shouldn't be too big a deal, right?" Yun Che smiled gently.
But to Dian Liushi, that smile was more terrifying than a devil's grin.
"Please! Son of Yuan God, spare me! I beg you! The Senluo Divine Kingdom will be forever grateful!"
"What a shame," Yun Che sighed. "If you were from any other kingdom, I might have spared you. But unfortunately... I have a long-standing grudge with Dian Jiuzhi."
"You'll remain here... forever."
With those words, a streak of crimson light slashed through the air.
Dian Liushi—the so-called "favored of the goddess of luck"—died instantly, his dreams silenced by the scarlet edge of Yun Che's blade.
(End of Chapter)