It was true — undeniably true — that in the God Realm, people were far more cunning, more calculating, more vicious in their methods.
After all, the structure of the God Realm itself was built upon a single unchanging law: the strong reign above all.
But it was never just strength alone that decided one's place at the peak.
Strength was necessary.
But without the mind to match it — without the ability to scheme, to manipulate, to control those beneath and beside you — true supremacy was impossible.
Even during the era when Long Bai reigned supreme as the so-called Dragon Monarch — the undisputed strongest being in the God Realm — he was never truly a sovereign ruler in the absolute sense. He did not command all with divine authority. The God Realm was fractured — the Eastern Divine Region, the Western Divine Region, the Southern Divine Region — each ruled independently by their own Kings, Sects, and Emperors.
Long Bai ruled only because no one could challenge his strength.
But unity? True unity?
That never existed.
Not until Yun Che came along.
Yun Che, whose arrival shattered the fragile balance. Whose presence forced all regions, all powers, either to kneel beneath him… or be destroyed.
The God Realm was a world where to stand at the top, one needed not just strength, but schemes layered upon schemes. Trust was rare. Alliances were fragile. Betrayal was as common as breathing.
But here…
Here in the Abyss…
It was different.
Or at least, it seemed to be.
The Abyssal Monarch was the absolute ruler.
A true sovereign.
A being whose command none dared to question — whose rule spread across the entire Abyss, binding all beneath him into a singular harmony.
Because of that, it was true that many who lived directly beneath the Monarch's shadow — especially those closest to the top — were far more straightforward, far more simple-minded. They had no need for schemes when the one above them was absolute.
But for those at the bottom…
For those who struggled in the Abyss Dust-filled wastelands…
For those scraping to survive amidst the harsh cruelty of a world that devoured the weak…
Schemes were not a luxury.
Schemes were survival.
Deception was their only weapon.
To live in the dark corners of the Abyss — where the Monarch's eyes rarely reached — the weak had to become cunning. They had to steal, to betray, to lie, to kill… or be killed.
Perhaps the higher one climbed in the Abyss, the simpler life became.
But at the bottom — in the filth, in the dust, in the lawless shadows — the rules of the God Realm still thrived.
Maybe even worse.
And right now… within this quiet little home in the forgotten corners of the Abyss, Master Chen, a man who once clawed his way to the peak, who had once commanded legions as the Abyssal Knight Commander, had naturally seen through Qianye Ying'er's true nature with a single glance.
Schemes?
Ambition?
A heart that never trusted, never rested, always calculating?
Master Chen had seen it countless times before — from enemies, from allies, from rulers, from servants — and frankly, he didn't dislike it in the slightest.
In fact… to him, that was a virtue.
In the Abyss, in life, in war — the ability to scheme was not a flaw. It was survival.
If anything, he admired people like Qianye Ying'er more than the so-called righteous and naive fools who threw away their lives for empty ideals.
If only…
If only this disciple of his — Dian Xiang — hadn't become what he was now… a man crippled not in body, but in heart… perhaps they might've actually made a good couple.
Two wolves walking the same bloody path.
Unfortunately…
Maybe because Dian Xiang's heart had already long since let go of everything, already half cut off from desire, from ambition, from worldly attachment — aside from a faint connection to the Divine Kingdom still lingering within him — he hadn't shown the slightest ripple of interest toward Qianye Ying'er at all.
Not even the barest flicker.
When everyone had first laid eyes on Qianye Ying'er — with her beauty that could topple kingdoms, a face so perfect it could start wars — naturally, there had been a moment of shock.
But then…
One was an ordinary woman — Yixin — whose first thought was concern for her injuries, not jealousy or comparison.
One was an old man — Master Chen — whose path of romance had long since crumbled into dust, far behind him on a road he never intended to walk again.
And the last…
Was the one who had brought her back.
Dian Xiang.
Who, after glancing at her once, had only casually said:
"She has the eyes of someone who doesn't give up easily."
That was it.
No lust. No heated gaze. No foolish admiration.
If things were meant to be — so be it.
If not — fuck it.
This disciple of his…
Master Chen could only sigh inwardly.
This bastard could decide his own fate.
--------
"It's been a full week now, hasn't it?"
Hua Qingying's calm voice rang out, carrying a faint trace of helplessness as her gaze turned away from the Divine Son Palace, her expression unreadable, yet the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her inner thoughts.
Meanwhile — not far from her — an explosive burst of hearty, almost uncontrollable laughter erupted.
"Hahahahahahaha!!! COUGH— COUGH COUGH!!! AGHHH—!!"
It was none other than Meng Kongchan, laughing so hard that tears were practically coming out of his eyes, only for his wild laughter to be cut short when a powerful arm suddenly hooked around his neck from the side.
Hua Fuchen — face dark, his expression grim — wordlessly tightened his grip, locking Meng Kongchan in a chokehold.
The grand and mighty God of the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom…
Currently being strangled like a street thug.
"What… hah… we'll… be family anyway…"
With his face already turning red from lack of air, Meng Kongchan still stubbornly squeezed out those words between choking gasps, his voice filled with absolutely no shame.
And only after he was this close to passing out completely… did Hua Fuchen finally snort coldly and release him.
Meng Kongchan dropped to the ground with a loud thud, gasping heavily, greedily pulling air back into his lungs — but even as he coughed and struggled to breathe, the grin on his face never disappeared.
No.
In fact, his laughter only grew louder.
Because no matter how much he was choked, no matter how sore his throat became, there was one fact that made him happier than anything else in the world right now—
His son.
His own son.
Meng Jianyuan.
Had lasted an entire week — one full week — locked away with Hua Caili in the Divine Son Palace.
Hahahahahaha!!!
His son is the best!!!
This is MY son alright!
Beside the two mighty Gods, everyone from the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom was present — elders, protectors, disciples — all gathered with eager anticipation. Even the emissaries from the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom had remained, unable to look away from the spectacle unfolding before them.
But of all those present…
It was the Dreamweaver Divine Regent, Meng Kongchan, whose utter shamelessness had reached new heights.
His excitement knew no bounds.
His laughter echoed too often.
His pride in his son's "performance" over the past week oozed from his every word and expression.
And because of that…
Everyone — from powerful elders to young disciples — found themselves suffering from the same thing:
Second-hand embarrassment.
Every time Meng Kongchan opened his mouth, faces turned red.
Every time he so much as chuckled, people averted their eyes.
Even Hua Qingying had to massage her temples on more than one occasion.
And yet… no one stopped him.
Because for all his shamelessness, no one could deny that he was simply a father overwhelmed with joy and pride.
Eventually, after three more days passed in anticipation, the doors of the Divine Son Palace finally opened.
And from within… the figures of Yun Che and Hua Caili slowly emerged.
Yun Che looked visibly pale, his steps a touch slower, his face calm — though slightly strained.
Beside him, Hua Caili walked with an unmistakable glow. Her face radiant, her beauty made even more breathtaking by the undeniable sense of fulfillment and joy radiating from her every step.
The two stood together.
And everyone's eyes — everyone's attention — locked onto them.
During this entire period, the gods, the elders, even the guards hadn't simply waited idly.
They had poured everything into protecting the Divine Son Palace, sealing off the skies, forming layers upon layers of divine barriers, their divine senses monitoring every corner of the surroundings.
All because none of them could afford to let anything go wrong.
Eventually, after what felt like a dreamlike eternity, Hua Qingying finally stepped forward, her calm yet undeniable presence descending like a gentle curtain between Yun Che and Hua Caili.
Her time... was up.
No matter how reluctant she was, no matter how unwilling her heart might be, Hua Caili knew — this reunion wasn't hers alone.
Because standing before her was not just her beloved Yun Che… but Meng Jianyuan — the long-lost son of Meng Kongchan.
A son who had been missing for over a hundred years.
A son lost once, recovered, only to be lost again just a few years later.
And now… returned once more, pulled back from the clutches of death by the hands of the gods themselves.
There was no doubt — father and son… had far too many things to speak of.
Far too much that could not be delayed.
And so, with a heart full of bitterness and longing, Hua Caili could only gently let go of Yun Che's sleeve, her fingers lingering just a breath longer than they should have, before she reluctantly turned away and followed after her aunt.
But of course — this was Hua Caili.
How could she possibly walk away without taking something for herself?
Before she left, her beautiful eyes glared playfully — and a little threateningly — at her father, Hua Fuchen, who was standing idly to the side, pretending to stay uninvolved.
Without giving him a chance to react, she reached out, grabbed his arm like a spoiled daughter, and dragged him along with her.
After all…
She too had plenty to say.
Plenty of things to share.
And plenty of things, to request for.
-------
Yun Che walked silently, his figure trailing behind the tall and broad back of Meng Kongchan, the God of the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom.
Neither of them spoke.
Their footsteps echoed quietly as they slowly made their way across the vast land, their path leading them further and further away from the bustling Divine Son Palace, away from the watchful eyes of others, into a world of quiet solitude.
Before long, they arrived at a field…
A field of gray flowers, swaying gently under the faint, cold breeze of the Abyss.
Even under the divine power of a God — even with the boundaries of the Divine Kingdom shielding this place from the ever-present Abyssal Dust — the world here still could not fully escape its influence.
This was not the vibrant, colorful world of the Pure Land.
This was the Abyss.
The trees surrounding them, though untouched by corrosion, bore their own natural shades of gray — colors that belonged to this world, born and shaped by its cruel reality. No matter how untouched by dust, no matter how clean the air might seem within the Divine Kingdom's protection… the dullness of the Abyss could never be erased.
This was the Abyss' truth.
A world where even life itself carried the color of ash.
And in the very center of that lonely field of gray flowers…
A single stone tablet stood upright — solemn, silent, carrying a weight far beyond its simple appearance.
Seated quietly beside the stone tablet, a figure waited — calm and composed.
It was none other than the former Divine Son of the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom — Meng Jianxi.
Upon seeing his father approaching with Yun Che beside him, Meng Jianxi immediately stood up, his figure straight and respectful.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and bowed deeply to both of them — one to his father, the man he had always respected beyond words… and one to Yun Che, the brother whose existence once cast a long shadow over his heart… and yet, now, stood alive before him once more.
Silently… he waited.
For this meeting — this long-overdue moment between father, sons… and family.
Soon, Meng Kongchan silently walked forward, his towering figure approaching the lone stone tablet standing amidst the sea of gray flowers.
He stood there without a word, his deep gaze resting quietly upon the simple, weathered surface of the stone. No grand carvings. No ornate designs. Just a name — and the weight of memories that words could never capture.
Then, with a faint breath, Meng Kongchan lifted his hand.
Divine power — gentle, yet immeasurably vast — spread outward from his palm.
Slowly, the oppressive dullness of the Abyss — the colorless grayness that clung to all things in this world — was pushed away. It receded like mist before the rising sun.
And in its place —
Color returned.
The once gray flowers beneath their feet bloomed into a brilliant red, their petals swaying like flames in the wind. The dull, lifeless trees around them gradually shifted into vibrant shades of green, their leaves trembling as though awakened from a long, suffocating dream.
The world, dead and cold just moments ago, now felt alive.
Alive… if only within this small, sacred space carved out by a father's godly will.
Meng Kongchan's eyes stayed fixed on the stone tablet before him — the name carved into it far heavier than any title, heavier than any burden the world had ever placed on his shoulders.
He sat there in silence for a long while…
And then — slowly, heavily — he began to speak.
His voice didn't carry the power of a God.
It carried the weight of a father.
"You know…"
He exhaled slowly.
"For most of my life… I thought I understood myself."
His rough hand brushed across his knee, the callouses on his palm a quiet reminder of how long he had carried the weight of this kingdom, this family, this world.
"I thought I was a man who only cared about duty."
"About strength. About legacy. About the things a Divine Regent must care about."
A faint, bitter smile tugged at his lips.
"And then you were born, Yuan'er."
His gaze — deep, distant — shifted slightly toward Yun Che, the son who sat beside him in silence.
"You were my first son to be awaken with enough Divine Essence to inherit my power."
"My pride. My light."
His voice softened — not with weakness — but with a warmth that could only belong to a father.
"From the moment I first held you in my arms… I thought to myself: 'This child… will be my everything.'"
Meng Kongchan shook his head slowly, a trace of helplessness in his aged eyes.
"And without realizing it… I built my world around you."
"Every hope. Every dream. Every prayer I ever had for the future…"
"All of it rested on your shoulders."
Meng Jianxi — sitting quietly beside them — slowly lowered his gaze.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't bitter.
This was the truth of their family. A truth they had all known… but never said aloud.
Meng Kongchan continued.
His voice grew heavier — raw.
"And when I lost you for the first time, Yuan'er…"
His hands curled tightly.
"My world… truly shattered."
His throat tightened.
"I prayed like a fool. Cursed the heavens. Begged… just to have my son back."
He took another long, steady breath — but it quivered at the end.
"And then… the heavens answered."
A faint, fragile smile tugged at his lips.
"You came back to me, Yuan'er."
"Stronger than ever. Wiser. Brighter."
"I thought then… truly… I need nothing else in this world."
He paused.
And his smile… slowly faded.
"Then again, I lost you once more. I lost you again when your brilliant light shone over the Abyss," Meng Kongchan said quietly. "But that time... the fear, the pain I felt... it was far worse than when I lost you the first time."
"And yet... not long after you were taken away from me, I lost Jianze." Meng Kongchan's tear slowly fell. "My chest tightened... and my heart felt like it was being ripped apart."
"I realized something that day... I realized that it's true I love and care for you, Yuan'er... but I also have a heart for my other children. I may seem cold and uncaring at first glance, and it may have looked like I only cared about you, Yuan'er... but deep down, I care for all of my children."
"And Jianze's death... solidified that truth in my heart."
"I am not a cold-hearted father... I love my children... and I am afraid of losing them..."
Yun Che and Meng Jianxi sat there silently, listening.
"With everything that happened... it made me realize just how weak I am." Meng Kongchan's voice was low, carrying the weight of bitter self-mockery. "I am a God… yet when the moment truly came… when my family, my children, my kingdom were in danger… all I could do… was ask others for help."
His hands curled into fists, trembling slightly.
"And in return for their help… all I gave them was death..."
Meng Kongchan slowly lifted his head, his gaze rising toward the endless gray sky above — a sky that seemed to mirror the heaviness in his heart.
"Brother Rahu is gone... Lord Ling Xian is gone... and it's all because of me... because of my weakness."
His voice carried regret deeper than words could describe.
Meng Jianxi clenched his fists tightly, unable to stay silent.
"Father… it's not your fault. How could you blame yourself for that? They chose to fight. They chose to help. That was never your fault!" Meng Jianxi said firmly.
"That's right, Father..." Yun Che added quietly, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of emotion. "I was the one who was kidnapped… I was the one who caused Senior Rahu and Lord Ling Xian's deaths. If there is anyone to blame... it should be me, not you."
Of course, Yun Che's words carried a double meaning — because in truth, it was his fault. Not only had their deaths happened because of him... he was the one who had personally sent them to their ends.
But Meng Kongchan only shook his head slowly.
"No..." His voice was filled with quiet sorrow. "At the end of the day... their deaths… were because of me. Because of my weakness. Both as a father… and as a God."
He turned back slowly, his tired eyes landing on his two sons — the most important pieces of his heart.
"I should have known... I should have known when to quit… when to retreat... when to let go of what truly mattered while I still had the chance. But I was stubborn… I was foolish… and I paid the price."
Then... Meng Kongchan's gaze landed directly on Yun Che.
Deep. Long. Heavy.
It was a father's gaze — one filled with complicated emotions that no outsider could ever understand.
Yun Che, feeling that gaze lock onto him, instinctively tensed up. Even with all the masks he wore, even with all his experiences, that gaze... made his heart feel heavier than any weapon.
And then… Meng Kongchan spoke again.
Softly… but with determination that could shake the heavens.
"Yuan'er..."
He called his name like it carried his entire life's meaning.
"You are different from me."
Meng Kongchan's gaze did not waver.
"Your talent... your will... your Perfect Divine Essence... everything about you… is better than me. Far better..."
He took a deep, slow breath — steadying the emotions within his heart.
And then — with the dignity of a father, and the resolve of a God — he spoke the words that would change everything.
"I have made up my mind. Yuan'er... from this moment onward, you shall inherit my power. You shall become the next Dreamweaver Divine Regent."
"You shall lead our Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom... and carry our future forward!"