Hua Fuchen's feelings toward Yun Wuji were somewhat complicated.
On one hand, he was relieved that his sister had found a man she truly loved, even though he had found it inconceivable at first that she would ever fall in love. On the other hand, he was grateful to him for helping her step into the True God Realm and for providing the pills that healed him from the repercussions of burning his own flesh, soul, and divine power to save Hua Caili.
With how excessively he had pushed his strength and injured himself, he had already estimated that his remaining lifespan would be no more than a few hundred years. If he passed down his Divine Power early, it might extend his life by a few more centuries at best. So he could not deny his gratitude. The pill Yun Wuji had given him restored him completely, returning him to his peak condition as if the damage had never existed.
On the other hand, he felt conflicted about the fact that Yun Wuji had killed Mo Su and the other High Priests. Even if he did not possess the blind loyalty a subject ought to have toward his lord, Hua Fuchen was still grateful to Mo Su for agreeing to keep Hua Caili in the Cradle, which had practically saved her life.
Yun Wuji had also plundered the Divine Power of his two closest friends. That alone planted a trace of resentment in his heart.
Beyond that, his feelings grew even more complicated when it came to his daughter's attitude toward Yun Wuji. She was his daughter. He knew her better than anyone else, aside from Hua Qingying. How could he fail to notice the way she looked at Yun Wuji?
Truth be told, even Hua Fuchen had been caught off guard by Yun Wuji's appearance and temperament. A man capable of moving Hua Qingying's heart… it was no wonder he could "seduce" Hua Caili as well.
"I heard from Qingying that you have devoured the Divine Powers of the other Divine Regents," Hua Fuchen said in a calm tone. He still could not understand how anyone could accomplish something so outrageously inconceivable, but he chose to accept it. Compared to devouring Divine Power, eradicating the entirety of the Abyssal Dust was far more absurd.
He placed a hand over his chest and continued, "The Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom already has Qingying. So I came to offer you my power as well."
If anyone from the Kingdom, no, anyone from the entire Abyss heard those words, they would first doubt their own ears before assuming he had gone mad. How could someone willingly give up the power of a Divine Regent?
Of course, Hua Fuchen never cared for approval or opinions. In truth, he had never wanted to become a Divine Regent. If not for his father's schemes that forced the mantle upon him, he would have chosen a quiet life with Hua Caili's mother, traveling the world freely.
He also had his own considerations. The world was no longer what it once was. The Divine Kingdoms had lost their former importance as the only places, aside from the Pure Land, untouched by Abyssal Dust.
The power structure had been completely reshaped. Yun Wuji stood at the very peak, and before him, a mere Divine Regent was insignificant, especially when surrounded by thousands of women who were all True Gods.
Hua Fuchen also wished to relinquish his Divine Power to prolong his lifespan and watch his daughter grow for many more years.
With Hua Qingying present, and Hua Caili as well, the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom would never fall into crisis or face extinction.
There was another reason. Now that his two closest friends had lost their power, it would be difficult to remain as before if he alone retained his. Even if he did nothing, the gap between them would persist, and over time, it would drive them apart. This was a world where strength reigned above all else.
"Father!" Hua Caili's eyes widened in shock, her voice rising sharply. "Why are you doing this?!"
"Caili, I have already made up my mind." Her father gave her a calm glance before turning his gaze back to Yun Wuji, waiting for his response. He had long since made peace with this decision. No one had forced him or had suggested it.
Yun Wuji did not reply. He simply lifted a finger and pointed at him. A golden beam shot forth and entered Hua Fuchen's body. A small golden formation lit up beneath his feet and enveloped him completely. Yun Wuji lowered his hand and said, "Don't overthink it. Stay inside this formation for a few days. It will extend your lifespan. As for your Divine Power, bring one of your sons to me. I will alter their Divine Essence, and you can pass it down to them."
Before entering the Eternal Heaven Pearl, Yun Wuji would have accepted Hua Fuchen's offer and devoured his power without hesitation. Now, he had no need for it. Given enough time, he could create True Gods with ease. All he needed to do was move his waist and release his seed. Those True Gods would surpass Divine Regents, who stood at the lowest tier among them.
"...Thank you." Hua Fuchen felt the dense life energy flowing from the formation into his body. His gaze turned complicated. In the end, he spoke slowly before sitting down cross-legged and closing his eyes.
"Don't disturb your father. Let's go." Yun Wuji casually erected a barrier around him and spoke to Hua Caili before turning to leave.
"Hmm!" Hua Caili nodded vigorously. She gave her father one last look before following Yun Wuji. Her eyes remained fixed on his back, the way she looked at him growing deeper and more intense.
...
Most of the time inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl, Hua Caili familiarized herself with all the women there, as well as Yun Wuji's children. It was the largest group of people she had ever grown close to or spoken with since birth.
Of course, most of her time was spent either with her aunt or with Yun Wuji. As days passed, she found herself liking him more and more, something painfully obvious to anyone paying attention. He showed her countless things she had never experienced before, along with emotions she had never known.
Her feelings slowly evolved from curiosity to admiration, from admiration to adoration, and now they hovered at the edge of worship. In her eyes, Yun Wuji was someone who knew everything and could accomplish anything.
The two of them walked through the Divine Temple at an unhurried pace when the space around them suddenly blurred. In the next instant, they appeared somewhere entirely different.
The surroundings were empty. No trace of life existed. The ground was black and lifeless. This was a region that had once been part of the Endless Fog.
Hua Caili had never visited the Endless Fog in her life. In truth, she had never stepped outside the Divine Kingdoms or the Pure Land before.
She looked around, but the usual spark of curiosity in her eyes was absent. Instead, there was a trace of distraction, as if she were lost in thought.
"Why are you making that face? Is something on your mind?" Yun Wuji patted her head and asked gently. As he spoke, he circulated his profound energy, and snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
Atmosphere and mood were always essential. Women appreciated that sort of thing.
"N-nothing." Hua Caili snapped back to her senses and shook her head quickly before smiling. "Snow… so beautiful! From now on, this world will also have all kinds of beautiful landscapes and natural phenomena, all thanks to you, Uncle Wuji."
Without the Abyssal Dust, the Abyss would gradually transform for the better. The process would be even faster if its citizens actively worked toward change as well.
"That's only natural. After all, I am me." Yun Wuji looked ahead with a smug smile and gave a casual shrug.
"Yeah, Uncle Wuji is amazing," Hua Caili nodded in agreement. By now, she was accustomed to his narcissism.
She held the hem of her white skirt and sat down on the dark ground, hugging her knees as she watched the snowflakes descend one by one, slowly covering the black earth with a thick white blanket.
Yun Wuji stood beside her for a long time. After a while, he felt her lean closer, her head and shoulder resting lightly against his knee. He reached down with one hand and silently patted her head. In response, she rubbed her cheek gently against his palm.
The snow continued to fall. The air grew colder, and the snow thickened, slowly transforming the land into a world of pure whiteness. Not a single snowflake touched either of them. A soft, cold wind began to blow, brushing through their hair. The world felt completely silent, save for the faint sound of their breathing.
"Uncle Wuji," she spoke suddenly without looking up, her fingers clutching the hem of her skirt. "Can I… can I call you by your name?"
Compared to others, the gap in age between her and Yun Wuji did not feel that great. Their original ages were both young. Both had entered time-altering artifacts. In her heart, the years spent inside those spaces should not count.
If those years were excluded, then they were close in age.
More than that, she no longer wanted to keep calling him "Uncle Wuji." She even regretted starting in the first place. Every time she said it, it widened the distance between them.
She could not bring this up back in the Eternal Heaven Pearl because of Hua Qingying and the others. More importantly, she had not felt the urgency to push things forward. She had believed their relationship would progress naturally. One day, she would make him fall for her. She never felt pressure to claim him because he was always by her side.
But after leaving the Eternal Heaven Pearl and returning to the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom for a few weeks, that sense of certainty began to crack. With him no longer beside her, a hollow space appeared in her heart. It had only been a few weeks, yet to her, it felt longer than all the time she had spent with him inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl.
...
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