Chapter 651 - Final Desperate Struggle!
Yellow sand filled the sky in front of Blue Wind Imperial City, and the earth trembled as blood flowed in rivers and corpses covered the field.
The ferocious battle that had been going on for a full day and night had resulted in Blue Wind Imperial City having their entire defensive line broken. The last line of defense was already pressed up against the city gates by the huge Divine Phoenix Army.
The Divine Phoenix Army was clad completely in red. Their scarlet armor and weapons, which emitted a scorching aura, had all been refined with phoenix flames by the Divine Phoenix Sect. Not only were their armor and weapons light, their offensive and defensive capabilities were incomparably strong. It was not something the heavy silver armor and weapons of the Blue Wind Army could compare with. Moreover, the average strength of the soldiers in the Divine Phoenix Army was far greater than those of the Blue Wind Army. To sum it up, it would not be exaggerated to say that one troop of Divine Phoenix soldiers could fight against ten troops of Blue Wind soldiers!
The earth had long ago been dyed red with blood, and the color of the ground was even redder than the scarlet armor of the Divine Phoenix Army. Countless corpses lay strewn across every inch of the ground in front of the Imperial City, yet this slaughter still continued. Seven hundred thousand Divine Phoenix Army soldiers majestically advanced forward. They spread as far as the horizon and seemed to be a blood-red tidal wave that came from the depths of hell to eternally engulf Blue Wind Nation.
There were less than one hundred thousand troops left of the million-soldier defensive unit that Blue Wind Imperial City had scrounged together with all of its might. Yet they still persisted in their desperate struggle, yelling until their voices went hoarse. However, these voices soon began to become weighed down by grief and despair.
Countless arrows frantically poured down in squalls from the city walls, becoming an enduring tempest of missiles. This slightly slowed down the advance of the Divine Phoenix Army which was approaching the city gates. In the middle of the city walls, the commander-in-chief of the Blue Wind Army, Feng Yunlie, steadily roared out commands. His voice had long ago gone hoarse, but every roar of his still shook the mountains and rivers.
Cang Yue quietly stood not far from his right. Today, she did not wear the phoenix coronet, and her pitch-black hair danced in the winds of war. She silently observed the carnage, but her expression contained no grimness or sorrow. Instead, it was blanketed with a calm akin to still water… because this day would have come regardless, it was not something that could have been avoided.
By her side stood Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang. As they looked at blood of their martyrs being splashed across the city gate and the gradually diminishing Blue Wind Army, they had long ago lost their composure, and their eyes kept darting to Cang Yue as they time and again stopped themselves from speaking.
The blistering squall of arrows which descended from the walls suddenly began to subside, and soon, it had dribbled into nothingness. With the greatest threat removed, the Divine Phoenix Army, which had already gained the advantage, fiercely pressed forward, and in the blink of an eye, they had pushed the Blue Wind Army’s last line of defense to the verge of collapse.
“General Feng, our arrows have been completely exhausted!!”
The hopeless news did not cause Feng Yunlie to move an inch. His eyes grew red and he let out a hoarse yell, “Open the city gates!!”
Amidst Feng Yunlie’s angry roar, the clanking sound of the great gates of Blue Wind Imperial City gradually opening could be heard. Feng Yunlie turned around and faced Empress Cang Yue, “Empress, allow Palace Chief Dongfang to escort you…”
“Speak no further.” Cang Yue’s voice contained an incomparable amount of calm and resolve, “We have vowed to live or perish together with Blue Wind Imperial City!”
“Bang.” A heavy sound rang out as Feng Yunlie fell to his knees and kowtowed deeply to Cang Yue. “To be able to be your majesty’s servant is the honor of this general Feng Yunlie’s life! And in the next life, this general will once again stake his life under your majesty’s command!”
“Clash!”
Feng Yunlie raised his long blade and bounded down the wall as his voice shook the earth, “Men of Blue Wind, follow me… Slaughter these wild dogs from the Divine Phoenix Empire!!”
The city gates swung open, and all of the archers had thrown away their steel bows and picked up sharp sword or spears. They yelled as they rushed out the city gates, welcoming the impending forces of the Divine Phoenix Army.
At this moment, everyone could practically see that the moment of Blue Wind Imperial City’s final capitulation was at hand. Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang glanced at each other before bitterly exchanging a faint nod. Dongfang Xiu silently advanced a step forward, but before he could even lift his hand, he heard Cang Yue say in a chilly voice, “Palace Chief Dongfang, if you dare to knock us unconscious and carry us away, we will immediately bite our tongue and commit suicide the moment we have awoken!”
Dongfang Xiu froze in place, and he helplessly let his hand drop to his side as he let out a long sigh.
The Divine Phoenix Army constantly surged forward, and there seemed to be no end to them. Meanwhile, Blue Wind Imperial City had entered its final struggle, and those archers who yelled as they charged out the city gates were the last dredges of the Blue Wind Army.
“Close the city gates… follow me to kill!!!”
Feng Yunlie’s roar rang in the air, and the city gates at their back began to slowly close with a low and deep rumbling sound. They had sealed the final defense of Blue Wind Imperial City, but at the same time, they had also sealed off their only path of retreat.
Cang Yue stood on top of the wall and heard the roars of the soldiers as she observed the blood-soaked battlefield. Her eyes could no longer maintain their calm, and they were now covered in a thick haze of tears. She raised both her hands and used all of her profound energy to shout, “Warriors of Blue Wind Nation, you have battled to this point, proving that you are already the greatest heroes of our Blue Wind Nation! Even though our homeland has been pillaged by these bandits, this land will forever remember your blood and your heroic souls! We, along with all the sons and daughters of Blue Wind, will forever remember your unyielding spirits!”
“We are right behind you right now! We will share the final glory of Blue Wind Nation along with you… and will live or die together with it!!”
Cang Yue’s voice resounded in the ears of every Blue Wind soldier. Their blood burned, and their faces twisted into expressions that were as sinister a demon’s. Their eyes also turned as scarlet as that of bloodthirsty wolves as the aura around their bodies began to surge crazily…
An earth-shaking roar rang out across the sky that had been dyed blood red. There was no path of retreat left, and death was right at their doorstep, yet they did not feel any terror. Instead, they brought forth all their power, battle intent, fury, and resentment as they barrelled towards the Divine Phoenix Army which had originally been a symbol of terror.
The air which carried the thick smell of blood suddenly became frenzied as the shouts across the battlefield grew louder by several times. The soldiers of Blue Wind who were already at death’s door did not know pain, terror, or death. Facing the assault of the Divine Phoenix Army, they abandoned all defense and retreat. They willingly thrust themselves upon the weapons of the enemy and then fiercely roared as they thrust their swords and spears at their enemy’s vitals.
There were some of them who had their bones broken simply by the impact of the armor of the Divine Phoenix Army, but these people used the bones of their jagged arms and thrust them towards the throats of their opponents. There were others who had their weapons shattered by the enemy, those who rushed forward despite their chests being impaled, and those whose skin between their fingers split apart in order to thrust their weapons into a chink of the enemies’ armor. There were some who were sent flying by the charging heavy cavalry, but they refused to allow themselves to faint and continued to thrust themselves back into the fray like hungry tigers, dragging down the riders from their mounts so as to allow their companions to pierce the enemy’s throats with their sharp weapons.
The smell of blood in the air thickened even further as the battle progressed. What was originally a one-sided battle that was nearing its end, suddenly underwent a terrible change. The strength and equipment of every soldier in the Divine Phoenix numbers was ten times better than that of a soldier in the Blue Wind Army, but during this final resistance of the Blue Wind Army, every soldier from the Blue Wind Army managed to drag at least one soldier of the Divine Phoenix Army down with them to the grave.
Amidst the howling, bloody wind, another fifty thousand soldiers from the Blue Wind Army died miserably while the Divine Phoenix Army… had actually lost more than fifty thousand troops as well. But there was no despair that showed on the faces of the remaining fifty thousand troops of the Divine Phoenix Army. Instead, their expressions twisted into the likeness of sinister demons… and their eyes, voices, and auras seemed to become like that of a vengeful demon from the depths of the abyss.
They were not doing this for victory, but to use their own lives to fight against fate!
Yet the clearly superior Divine Phoenix Army began to tremble. Because on the brink of their final victory, they were not facing opponents who had abandoned all hope and lost all morale… instead, they were facing battle spirits that were not afraid of death!
“Sss…” In the air above the Divine Phoenix Army, the face of Duan Qinghang, the second-in-command of the Divine Phoenix Army, turned green, and he could not help but exhale a cold breath. From these Blue Wind soldiers, not only could he see a fighting spirit that had been ignited to its limit, he even saw the fires of their very lives burning… Every single one of them had a power that was clearly miniscule, but at this time, it even caused him, a level six Throne, to feel a bone-piercing chill. “That Blue Wind Empress… just a few short words from her caused these Blue Wind soldiers to go completely berserk!”
“Phew!” Qi Zhencang, the commander of the Divine Phoenix Army, also let out a long breath and said, “She has only been on the throne for less than three years and she is only a little girl of twenty years of age. But she has already become the spiritual support of the Blue Wind Army! If not for her, we would not be in this situation where we are still struggling to completely conquer this Blue Wind Nation.”
“All these years, she wielded the frail military might of Blue Wind Nation masterfully, using all sorts terrains and formations to restrict and batter our army countless of times. We repeatedly entreated her to surrender, and we promised that, as long as she did so, not only would her life be spared, she would even be designated as the lord of the Blue Wind territories. Yet she completely rejected us! And now that our troops are breathing down her neck, while she has had countless opportunities to flee, she instead personally stood at the rear of her troops, vowing to live or die together with her troops and her country… With this kind of ruler, someone who is only a girl of twenty summers, as men, what reason would they have to not fight desperately to the end?!”
“Honestly speaking, I, Qi Zhencang, have never truly admired a woman in my life before… she is the first one!”
Duan Qinghang’s brows furrowed as he replied, “The aura of our army is weakening ,and there are even some who are cowering from battle… Tch!”
“So why aren’t the both of you taking any action?! What are you doing just standing there and staring!!”
A low voice rang out from behind them. The two swiftly turned around and bowed their heads in respect. “Nineteenth Elder, Forty-third Elder.”
Two middle-aged men dressed in scarlet robes had suddenly appeared behind them; they had eyes that carried firelight and beards like fire. The dull golden phoenixes embroidered on their red robes signified their exalted status—Elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect!
Among the three great commanders of the Divine Phoenix Army, only Feng Huwei was from the Divine Phoenix Sect. But within every army, there would be a “supervisor” from the Divine Phoenix Sect. And within the core army, there would be two elder-class individuals to supervise it. They would normally not take any action, however. As elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect and as powerful Overlords who looked down on everything under heaven, they were not suited to act in this kind of battle. Furthermore, they disdained to take such actions as well. Their duties were to observe the movements and developments of the army and to personally report back to Divine Phoenix Sect Master, Feng Hengkong.
And right now, in this battle to conquer Blue Wind Imperial City, they had already grown impatient.
“An entire three years have gone by, yet we are unable to completely conquer this tiny Blue Wind Nation! Sect Master has already been moved to anger many times! Blue Wind Imperial City is right now before our very eyes, yet a day and a night of fierce battle has not been able to break it yet! Furthermore, in just a short two hours, we actually lost tens of thousands of elite troops! This is simply preposterous!” The Nineteenth Elder Feng Feiheng roared furiously, “How am I supposed to report this to the Sect Master?!”
Qi Zhencang smiled bitterly and replied, “I pray that the two elders be appeased. The last dregs of the Blue Wind Army have consigned themselves to death and are trading their lives for one last fight. On the battlefield, the kind of troops who have their backs against the wall and are willing to fight to the end are the scariest. We cannot afford to be negligent in the face of such fighting spirit… At present, we might have to sacrifice tens of thousands of troops in order to completely destroy the remnants of the Blue Wind Army.”
“Hmph!” Feng Feiheng’s expression was flushed with anger. “Why should tens of thousands of our Divine Phoenix soldiers accompany these pitiful and inferior remnants to their deaths?! We had originally expected that there would be no more than a few tens of thousands of casualties in the taking of this small Blue Wind Imperial City, so we never had the intention to intervene. But it looks like that was a great mistake indeed! If things continue the way they have been going, even if we are able to conquer this Blue Wind Imperial City… we wouldn’t have any face to go back and see the Sect Master!”
“Feiying!” Feng Feiheng said as he looked to the side.
“Heh heh.” The Forty-third Elder, Feng Feiying, immediately responded. With a dull laugh, he rose into the air and flew towards the city gates of Blue Wind Imperial City. The indomitable aura belonging to an Overlord enveloped the area, instantly suppressing most of the screams emanating from the battlefield. He looked down below, observing the ants that were clustered together. His arm ignited with flames, and with a casual flick, he sent a ball of phoenix flames streaking towards the city gates.
Chapter 652 - Tempest of Rage
A stifling aura of suppression shot down from above, causing Dongfang Xiu to unwittingly raise his head. He saw the flaming ball flying right at them… it was only a tiny fireball, but it carried with it a suppressive force that caused his entire body to instantly convulse… because it was made of phoenix flames, and it was phoenix flames from an Overlord at that!
Dongfang Xiu’s entire body froze, and his face went pale due to alarm. He instantly used his body to shield Cang Yue, and he caused all the profound energy in his body to unreservedly surge forth, yelling in a loud voice, “Scram… Everyone get away from here!!”
Booom!!
Dongfang Xiu’s voice was swallowed up by the raging sounds of battle, and the phoenix flames mercilessly fell to the ground, causing an explosion which caused the heaven and earth to tremble. A pillar of violent flames rushed towards the sky in front of the gates of Blue Wind Imperial City. It was as if a slumbering volcano had suddenly erupted to life.
Over two thousand Blue Wind soldiers were engulfed within the firestorm as they were mercilessly incinerated by the phoenix flames, and the number of heavily injured people who were sent flying by the explosion was uncountable. Feng Yunlie was fiercely smashed against the city wall in the aftermath of that explosion. His whole body was covered in blood, and he was not able to stand for a long time. Behind him, the already ravaged city gates and wall had been devastated by the phoenix flames to the point where they were on the verge of collapse.
Even though he was on the edge of the blast, Dongfang Xiu still had to use all his strength to block the impact, managing to somehow come out of it unscathed while fully protecting Cang Yue. He glared furiously at the sky, but the phoenix robes and the golden embroidery on them caused his pupils to contract suddenly—because those were symbols that clearly marked this person as an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect!!
And to be qualified to become an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, one’s profound strength had to be at least at the fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm!
So that was to say that the red-robed man floating in the air… was at the very least a mid-stage Overlord! A terrifying existence that his Blue Wind Imperial City could definitely not resist! His phoenix flames could easily reduce all of Blue Wind Imperial City to cinders in the blink of an eye.
The veins on Dongfang Xiu’s forehead stood out as he furiously rebuked the man, “As a grand and glorious elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, how could you stoop so low as to take action against normal soldiers… Do you want to even abandon your pride as a profound practitioner of the Tyrant Profound Realm?!!”
“Palace Chief Dongfang, there is no need to get angry,” Cang Yue said in a chilly voice. “The Divine Phoenix Sect has long ago completely abandoned any semblance of conscience or virtue, so why would they still care about their sense of honor?!”
“Hehehe.” Feng Feiying was not the least bit infuriated as he gazed down from above… and it was a gaze which looked down from above in judgement while carrying the slightest trace of pity. “This elder is not interfering with the battles of mere mortals, I am merely granting you one final chance. Open the city, surrender to us, and obediently wait to captured. Then it might still be possible for you to be…”
“Old bandit of the Divine Phoenix Sect, you can stop your wishful thinking!” Cang Yue’s delicate brows drew themselves into cold crescent moons, and every word that proceeded from her mouth was filled with hate, “We would hate to be the ruler of a dead kingdom… so even if we were to die a thousand times, we would never became slaves from a vanquished nation!!”
A girl who was barely twenty years of age, with the aura of a True Profound Realm practitioner… yet the sharpness and coldness of her gaze caused him to look away. Feng Feiying gave a cold laugh, and his whole body starting burning with flames. “Then all of you can accompany this wretched and pitiful city to become ashes and scorched earth!!”
Whoosh!!!
The scarlet flames on Feng Feiying’ body instantly soared up tens of meters into the sky, and in a three thousand kilometer radius around him, the temperature sharply rose. All of Blue Wind Imperial City was engulfed in an oppressive heat, and a scarlet light blanketed the entire sky in the blink of an eye.
“Stop… Stop it!!” Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang’s line of sight had completely been flooded by the scarlet-red fire light, causing all color to drain from their face… if such a fearsome phoenix fire smashed against them, it would completely incinerate the northern part of Blue Wind Imperial City. Not only would it destroy the city wall and city gates, it would also consume countless soldiers. Moreover, even more innocent civilians who were not willing to flee would be buried in the aftershock.
Feng Feiying, who had lost his patience long ago, would definitely not stop. He looked down on the people and city wall below, and a brutal thrill ran through him. “All you inferior denizens of this fallen nation who vainly attempt to rebel against our Divine Phoenix Empire, go to hell!”
Amidst his brash laughter, the phoenix flames which hid the sky and covered the earth mercilessly rained down. It was as if a glorious sun had collapsed in the middle of the sky as the red light of death enshrouded the northern part of Blue Wind Imperial City.
“Protect her Majesty!!” Feng Yunlie extended a blood-stained arm as he let out cry that was choked up by blood.
Dongfang Xiu, Qin Wushang, and all the most powerful practitioners of the Blue Wind Profound Palace had long ago shielded Cang Yue. All the profound energy in their bodies began to frantically surge out as their faces were distorted with pain… because each and every one of them knew that this was the phoenix flame produced by a mid-stage Overlord. So even if they used all their strength or even if they were ten times stronger than they were at present, they still could not block this attack.
Cang Yue tilted her head upwards and looked at the flames of death which were growing closer and closer. But there was no alarm or terror on her face; instead, those beautiful eyes began to mist up…
Finally… is it going to be over…
Royal Father… Yue’er really cannot go on any longer… these three years… I have been so burdened… so afraid… and so tired…
“Your Majesty!!”
“Protect her majesty… Protect her majesty!”
The sounds around her gradually faded away, and very slowly, she began to close her eyes as two tears slid silently down her cheeks. Yet her mouth curved up to form a gentle and beautiful smile… Husband… I can finally… come and accompany you…
The all-encompassing crimson flames grew closer and closer and shone on faces that were filled with boundless hate and despair. Each person bitterly closed their eyes and awaited the arrival of death and destruction.
At this time, a deep and low explosion rang through the air as another cluster of flames that came out of nowhere collided with the first flaming ball. That cluster of flames was also scarlet in color, but it was a much deeper red, and it burned with even more intensity. In an instant, that ball of fire had already spread more than three kilometers wide, and even though it began its descent, it was not falling onto Blue Wind Imperial City. Instead, it was collapsing on the phoenix flames which were assaulting the city… and in a mere blink of an eye, the phoenix flames released by Feng Feiying had been completely swallowed up.
The phoenix flames which had been devoured stopped its descent and began to furiously struggle. But these terrifying flames which came from an all-powerful Overlord was like an earthworm that had fallen into the mouth of a python in front of these flames. Its pitiful struggles only lasted for a fraction of a second before it was completely extinguished, and besides a few small threads of smoke that wafted through the air, there was not a trace of its existence left… and there was nothing to left to stain even the smallest speck of land in Blue Wind Imperial City.
Feng Feiying’s eyes dramatically bulged out, and he looked as if he had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world. At this time, the cluster of flames which had completely extinguished his phoenix flames rushed towards him, and despite the hundreds of meters separating the two, the scorching aura seemed to plunge him into a purgatory of flames.
“Feiying… fall back now!!”
Feng Feiheng was extremely clear on just how much destructive power the phoenix flames that Feng Feiying had released just now possessed. To be able to extinguish that cluster of flames in an instant… the fearsomeness of those scarlet flames was unimaginable! As he saw those flames storm towards Feng Feiying, he desperately roared out those words.
Even though Feng Feiying was in a state of shock, his reaction speed was still extremely fast, and he circulated all the profound energy in his body to make a swift retreat… But after he had flown several kilometers, he was still caught by the edges of that scarlet fire.
“Uwaahhhhhh!!!!”
An extremely shrill and miserable cry pierced the skies above the blood-soaked battlefield. The very moment Feng Feiying was touched by that scarlet flame, his entire body was instantly transformed into that of a human torch. He unceremoniously fell from the sky and just happened to land in a location that was not to far away from Feng Feiheng. After that, he began rolling on the floor, howling in agony… But the scarlet flames on his body grew more and more intense, and they were accompanied by a pungent smell of roasting flesh.
“Feiying!!”
Feng Feiheng quickly rushed forward, but before he could come within five steps of Feng Feiying, he was assaulted by a scorching sensation that was hard to endure. It caused his expression to change dramatically as he retreated in a hurry. And by the time he had recovered from his shock, Feng Feiying’s screams had already stilled, and the flames on his body had been extinguished as well… The only thing that was left was a completely charred corpse, and the only thing that was recognizable was a clawed and charred hand which stretched towards the sky with all five fingers contorted in agony.
The Divine Phoenix Army commanders, Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghai, had become completely petrified. Even more so, when they looked at that charred corpse, their eyes were filled with boundless shock and horror.
The air was incomparably hot, and within his body, there flowed the Phoenix bloodline which glowed even hotter, yet Feng Feiheng clearly felt a piercing cold aura start up his spine and spread to the rest of his body…
Feng Feiying was ranked forty-third amongst all the elders in the Divine Phoenix Sect! Furthermore, he was a level five Overlord who could lord it over most of the world! Feng Feiying’s profound strength was only lower than his by two levels… yet he had only come into the briefest contact with those scarlet flames… and as a result, he had been burned into ashes in the space of a few breaths! He did not even have the opportunity to struggle or resist.
He was very sure that those scarlet flames were not phoenix flames because they did not have a trace of the aura given out by phoenix flames. But the power and the aura of these flames were sufficient to cause him, who possessed the strongest flames in the world—the Phoenix flames, to feel utter dread. He raised his head to look at the sky and roared in a trembling voice, “Who is it?! Who is it?!”
The flames in the sky had disappeared, and the red light and scorching heat that had obscured the sky had disappeared along with it. But the light was clearly much dimmer than it had been before, as if a storm of dark clouds had replaced the fire which blanketed the sky. At the same time, an extremely heavy and gloomy pressure soundlessly engulfed the entire area. And under this pressure, the raging battlefield immediately became desolate. Not a single person could utter a sound, nor could a single person even breath; even the blood flowing along the ground seemed to stop in its tracks, as if it had been completely and utterly frozen.
In addition, this pressure was not only heavy, it also contained a boundless rage… The rage was so violent that it seemed that it would burst open and explode at any moment.
Everyone unconsciously raised their heads to peer into the distant sky… where a figure stood wreathed in flames. The flames were so thick that they were unable to make anything out of it, resulting in them only being able to see an indistinct silhouette. The aura of rage that hung in the air was too fierce and terrifying, so it caused all who were present to be unable to differentiate whether what was burning on that person’s body was profound flames or flames of pure rage.
Furthermore, not far behind him stood another three figures, but all eyes were on the burning man, so no one took notice of them.
“Who… who is… who is that…” Looking at the burning figure in the skies above, Dongfang Xiu’s pupils dilated, and he could not suppress the shock and fear in his voice. Even though that person had used a strong and unfathomable power to extinguish the flames that were falling on Blue Wind Imperial City and had easily destroyed an invincible elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, he did not seem to be an enemy… but that person’s aura of power and rage was simply far too terrifying… As the Palace Chief of Blue Wind, he had never experienced this degree of dread in his life before… No! He had not even experienced one-tenth of the fear he was experiencing right now.
He had no doubts whatsoever that with such terrifying power, destroying the entire Blue Wind Imperial City… would be as easy and quick as flipping a hand.
Who was this person… and when did such a person exist in the Profound Sky Continent… and why would this person help Blue Wind…
“Uwah… It’s really… really scary…” Number Seven Under Heaven covered half of her eyes while relentlessly burrowing into Xiao Yun’s chest.
“This is indeed horrifying to the point where it cannot be described with mere words.” Number One Under Heaven observed the battlefield where rivers of blood ran and bodies were strewn everywhere. If even his heart palpitated at such a sight, then it was natural that Number Seven would do so as well. They had accompanied Yun Che and used the Primordial Profound Ark to transverse space from New Moon City, and they instantly arrived in this place… He had expected to arrive in the field of battle, but he did not expect to see such a horrific and miserable sight.
“No, it’s not that…” Number Seven Under Heaven said as her body curled up, “I am talking ab… I am talking about Big Brother Yun! He seems to be really scary right now…”
“Big Brother…” Xiao Yun cautiously made his way forward, but he was immediately held back by Number One Under Heaven. “Do not approach him!”
Beneath the Golden Crow flames, Yun Che’s body began to steadily tremble … That tempest of rage caused Number One Under Heaven to feel a deep and intense dread.
Chapter 653 - I’m Back…
“Who… who are you… Why are you attacking my Divine Phoenix Army…”
Qi Zhencang, the commander-in-chief of the Divine Phoenix Army, had experienced all kinds of grand scenes. Even when they were facing the lords of great nations like Navy Tide and Black Fiend, he would hold his head up high, and his roar would be so loud that it would shake the sky. But the sound that he roared out at this moment carried a tremor that couldn’t be suppressed, especially the last few words, and even he himself could hear the sound of his teeth shivering.
That aura of profound energy was incredibly scary, but what made him in even more afraid was the furious atmosphere that covered the sky and sun. Under this rage, the large battlefield was as if it was covered by a large, black pot… He was sure that even thousands or millions of desperate wolves wouldn’t be able to release such a horrifying aura… and it actually came from a single person!
It was also his appearance that made this large battlefield become as cold and still as the deep netherworld so suddenly.
Yun Che’s anger was boiling crazily, and he could feel that every single cell in his body was on the edge of exploding. He came here in a hurry with longing and joyous emotions, he thought that he could see the people that he had been missing day and night very soon, and reunite with them… But he never thought that what welcomed him would be a homeland violated and riddled with gaping wounds!
This was the second time that Yun Che had completely lost control of his temper in Profound Sky Continent… The first time was back when Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi were kidnapped by the Burning Heaven Clan, and this time, it was even more uncontrollable than before! His rage was mixed with flames and burned violently, and even the world that he saw was covered in a layer of scarlet.
Qi Zhencang’s voice came from afar. The flames on Yun Che’s body shook violently as he suddenly dropped from the sky onto the Divine Phoenix Army.
More than five kilometers of the nearby land shook violently. The flames on Yun Che were accompanied by an extremely forceful profound energy storm and it was released to his surroundings. Countless soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army were rolling on the ground while wailing in fear, and even the mounts of the cavalry screamed out of fear. When each of them stood up from the ground in distress, and looked at the shadow of a person who was falling from the sky, each of their pupils instantly enlarged until it almost exploded…
Because they saw the most terrifying scene in their whole life.
More than five kilometers of the ground collapsed severely, with Yun Che’s foot as the center. Countless cracks on the ground radiated outward, the longest crack spreading until it went as far as one could see, and it was three meters wide. And within the three thousand meters of area around him, the originally densely packed Divine Phoenix Army there all disappeared, even those densely piled corpses all disappeared without a trace… Following, pieces of armor and the remains of the corpses fell from the sky, becoming a true rain of blood!
“You… will… all… die!!”
Countless Divine Phoenix Army soldiers collapsed in extreme shock and horror. More than ten thousand companions couldn’t give them any sense of security. The sound ringing by their ears… it didn’t even seem to be the voice of a human, but the deadly curse of the reaper.
“This is… the power of a Monarch!”
Feng Feiheng said as his voice shivered. He couldn’t understand how a Monarch would appear in the territory of this Blue Wind Nation! His momentum and all of his actions obviously showed that he sided with Blue Wind Nation… The small Blue Wind Nation, the peak of their profound realm was only at Thrones, how was it possible for them to have a Monarch as an ally—in another way, Monarch, this type of aloof existence that looked down on the whole universe, why would an honorable being like him help a small Blue Wind Nation!
“What? Mo… monarch!?” Feng Feiheng’s words made Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang lose the color in their faces simultaneously out of fear. Even though the two of them were only Thrones, they knew clearly what the concept of “Monarch” meant! Their Divine Phoenix Nation, Divine Phoenix Sect’s Sect Master Feng Hengkong was also only at the peak of Overlord, and the fifty-six elders were all only mid-late stage Overlords… In the whole Divine Phoenix Sect, only among people like the Grand Sect Masters and Grand Elders, there existed a few limited, more than ten Monarchs, and these people, were the true foundation of Divine Phoenix Sect. They were an existence that surpassed the world. They almost never showed their faces normally, and even when Feng Hengkong met them, he would be very respectful towards them.
Millions of Divine Phoenix Army soldiers were enough to destroy Blue Wind Nation, but when facing a real Monarch, they were not much different from millions of ants.
“Commander Qi, what do we do… If he really is a Monarch…” Duan Qinghang said in a trembling voice. After having spent most of his lifetime on the battlefield, even when he faced enemies that ten times as many forces as his army, he wouldn’t panic at all, but if the person before his eyes was really a Monarch, then it was not something that could be fought with an “army!”
Because when one reached this high realm that could look down upon the sky… the so-called numbers, armaments, disposition of troops, morale, strategies… These all became useless jokes.
“It shouldn’t be like this… Absolutely shouldn’t be like this! How is it possible that a Monarch would aid the small Blue Wind Nation!” Feng Feiheng gnashed his teeth and said, “Let me go to him and…”
Feng Feiheng’s voice suddenly stopped at this moment, because as the flames on Yun Che’s body dispersed and the blood rain that was all over the sky stopped, he saw Yun Che’s face clearly… At that instant, his pupils shrank abruptly, he lost his voice as he yelled, “Yun… Yun Che!!”
Even though Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang have heard of Yun Che’s name many times, they had never seen him in person before. But for Feng Feiheng, as the elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, three years ago, he was naturally at the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament… Those who had experienced that Seven Nation Ranking Tournament personally would never forget Yun Che’s face for the rest of their lives.
When Feng Feiheng yelled Yun Che’s name, Cang Yue’s eyes that were watching Yun Che’s back were already dull. Her eyes were trembling and lips were shivering, but no sound came out between her lips. She was stunned while she reached out her arm towards the direction of Yun Che, and her feet tried to move towards him unconsciously, but her vision became more and more blurry, even the strength in her whole body was disappearing completely without a sound, making her body fall down slowly…
“Your majesty!” Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang wanted to hold her up in panic, but a golden shadow suddenly swung, and an incredibly fierce storm overwhelmed them, suddenly rendering them defenseless and knocking them backwards, almost falling on the ground. Cang Yue, who almost fell on the ground, was held in the arms of a man in golden clothing. They focused their eyes and looked at the person who was holding Cang Yue, and then their eyes widened immensely at the same time.
“Yun… Yun Che!?”
“It really is you!?”
Yun Che held Cang Yue in his arms, and the anger that was on the edge of being uncontrollable was surrounded by deep, gentle feeling and satisfaction, and he slowly calmed down. He had his back facing her earlier, but just as she started falling, it was as if there was a voice calling to him from the bottom on his heart, which made him turn around on instinct and rush towards her.
“Yue’er…” He held onto the body that was a lot weaker than it was three years ago. His heart was in extreme pain, and he didn’t know whether he should feel hatred or be glad. He hated that disaster was brought to Blue Wind Nation, and the pressure of the doom of the nation was carried heavily by her for a whole three years. He was glad that he could be back in time at this last moment, and still be able to hold her in his arms.
If he came back slightly later… The consequences, he couldn’t dare to think about it.
Cang Yue’s eyes were unfocused like fog, and she looked at Yun Che who was close to her openly. At this moment, she didn’t have any of the prestige or determination that she had normally; she was so weak that it made people’s hearts ache. Her lips moved slightly, and her voice was as if she was still dreaming, “Hus… band… Is it… really you…”
“It’s me! It’s me!” Yun Che nodded his head as hard as he could, “I’m back…”
“Am… I… dreaming…”
“Of course not!” Yun Che immediately held Cang Yue’s palm against his face to let her feel his body’s temperature, “I am right here. Here in one piece… Look at me closely, this is not a dream. I didn’t die… I didn’t die at all… My Yue’er is still waiting for me to return, how could I die…”
The warmth, body, and scent that she missed and yearned for in her dreams… Cang Yue’s tears flooded out of her eyes… At this moment, the Divine Phoenix, war, destruction of the nation, determination, hatred… nothing was important anymore. The figure of the person who had returned to her side like a dream had completely filled her heart and soul. She caressed Yun Che’s face clingingly; her vision was like a blur, and her voice was as if she were in a pipe dream, “My Junior Brother Yun… My husband didn’t die… That’s great… that’s… great…”
She spoke in a low voice while crying, her arms fell down slowly, and her eyes also slowly closed… Under the large shock to her heart and soul, she peacefully passed out in Yun Che’s arms, only there was still a tear falling silently from the corner of her eye.
Yue Che pressed his palm onto her chest and inserted the energy of heaven and earth into her body. Her inner vitality was incredibly weak; Yun Che could imagine that she probably hadn’t slept for many days and nights.
“Yue’er, rest well… I will take care of the rest.” Yun Che mumbled softly in a low voice. He held Cang Yue, stood up slowly, faced Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang’s fully red faces, bowed slightly and said, “Palace Chief Dongfang, Palace Chief Qin, thank you two for protecting my Yue’er… Thank you for your hard work all this time.”
“This is… part of our job.” When he looked at Yun Che, Dongfang Xiu’s emotions couldn’t be calmed. Three years ago, he was buried on the Primordial Profound Ark, there was no way he could have survived. Blue Wind Nation had lost its prince consort and lost its brightest pearl. But… he lived and came back! And his power increased “earth-shatteringly”!
He didn’t dare to guess Yun Che’s strength now, but killing a Divine Phoenix Sect’s Elder figure within a few breaths, the Yun Che before his eyes… This young man who had once moved the whole Blue Wind Profound Palace, his profound energy plane now was already so strong that he couldn’t even see it.
“It’s good that you’re back, good that you’re back,” Qin Wushang nodded hard, being extremely overwhelmed, he already didn’t know what to say.
Xiao Yun and the others landed from the sky, came behind Yun Che, and Yun Che put Cang Yue who was in his arms into Number Seven Under Heaven’s arms, “Seventh Sister, protect her for me. She is my wife.”
Number Seven Under Heaven nodded seriously, “Big Brother Yun, don’t worry. Unless I die, no one will dare to get near her.”
“Mn,” Yun Che nodded slightly, there was no joy or sadness in his expression, it was so calm that it made people feel fear in their heart. His eyes turned towards Xiao Yun and suddenly said, “Xiao Yun, have you ever killed someone?”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun stunned for a moment, and shook his head, “N… No.”
Yun Che turned around, watching the densely packed Divine Phoenix Army in the north, and anger and murderous intent boiled madly in his eyes once again, “If you want to become a true man, from today on, let your own hands be covered with the enemy’s fresh blood!!”
Once his voice ended, Yun Che’s body had already shot outwards, carrying endless hatred towards the Divine Phoenix Army that had drove the Blue Wind Nation into the depths of despair.
Xiao Yun stood there blankly, not knowing what to do.
“Even though the thing that our elven clan hates the most is killing and war,” Number One Under Heaven said, opening his mouth slowly, “today, if I were you, I will definitely make my whole body covered by these people’s fresh blood… Look closely at this land that was originally calm and peaceful. It is now being stormed over by enemies and soaked with its the blood of its people… This land was riddled with gaping wounds, buried with tens of thousands of people… Facing this kind of enemy that has committed a crime that cannot be forgiven, and who has lost their humanity, tolerance and mercy are not only cheap, but are stupidity!”
“Don’t forget, this is not only Yun Che’s homeland… it is also your homeland!”
Xiao Yun, “!!!!”
Chapter 654 - Bloody Massacre
“Yun Che? Which… which Yun Che?”
“The prince consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family… He personally challenged the Divine Phoenix Sect by himself all those years ago… What other Yun Che could there be?!!” Feng Feiheng yelled in a hoarse voice.
“But didn’t he die three years ago in the Primordial Profound Ark?!” Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang had dumbfounded looks on their faces. “Moreover, the Yun Che all those years ago only had a profound strength that was at the Earth Profound Realm while his actual strength was comparable to a late-stage Throne… But this person’s strength even caused the Forty-third Elder to…”
“I want to know the reason behind this even more than the both of you!” Feng Feiheng roared as he gnashed his teeth, his eyes dilating to the largest extent. “But he is that Yun Che… there can be no mistaking that!!”
“…Then what should we do right now? If he is really a Monarch…”
“Retreat!! Of course we retreat!!” Feng Feiheng yelled in a low voice, “Or could it be that you are naive enough to think that tens of thousands of soldiers can actually resist the might of someone at the Sovereign Profound Realm?!!”
At first he was prepared to gather all his nerve and use the fame of the Divine Phoenix Sect and his status as one of its elders to negotiate with this fearsome Monarch who appeared out of nowhere. But after finding out this person was actually Yun Che, all of these thoughts flew out of his head… Three years ago, he dared to come by himself to the territory of the Divine Phoenix Sect to take on the entire sect by himself. And even though he faced the Sect Master of the Divine Phoenix Sect and many other elders as well, he did not lose even a bit of his imposing aura.
His innate potential and strength was incomparably strong while his temperament was even more tyrannical and unyielding.
Yun Che had dared to take on the Divine Phoenix Sect all those years ago when he was only at the Earth Profound Realm, and the him at present… he would not be restrained by the fear ordinary men had of the Divine Phoenix Sect!
Moreover, right now, he was releasing an aura of hate that would cause even the heaven and earth to tremble!
Qi Zhencang’s face twitched, and without the slightest hint of hesitation, he took out his Sound Transmission Jade and yelled, “All forces retreat… start making a full retreat!!”
Qi Zhencang’s urgent order stunned a large number of commanders, and nearly all of them thought there was some problem with their ears. In response, many questions were transmitted back to Qi Zhencang along these lines, “Re… Retreat? Just because of this… one person?”
“You idiots!!” Qi Zhencang roared in fury, “He is not just one mere man… he is a Monarch! Monarch!! The Forty-third Elder just died at his hands without even being able to mount the slightest resistance, are you all blind?! Make a full retreat… hurry up and retreat as fast as you possibly can!!”
Before Qi Zhencang could put down his Sound Transmission Jade, he suddenly felt his entire body go cold. He unwittingly raised his head and saw that golden figure slowly fly down from the top of the wall… An aura thick with fury, resentment, and the promise of violence abruptly constricted his very soul, causing all the blood in his body to instantly stop flowing under that extreme oppression. Furthermore, throughout the entire battlefield, the six hundred thousand troops of the Divine Phoenix Army and the less than fifty thousand troops remaining of the Blue Wind Army all instantly froze as well… Even Number One Under Heaven had an expression of deep shock and fear on his face.
In the Profound Sky Continent, this was the first time Yun Che had… completely and unrestrainedly released his full killing intent without any reservation. It was so intense that it was nearly tangible, and it was violent enough that it caused everyone’s hair to stand on end and caused their bodies and souls to feel like they had been plunged into the depths of an icy lake.
“All of you… can go to hell!!”
A red light flashed in Yun Che’s hand, and the Heaven Smiting Sword appeared and swept forward.
Boom!!!
Yun Che had only swept his sword forward once, without using any fancy techniques or profound arts, and yet that one attack caused a huge explosion that seemed to rend the sky and cause the earth to collapse. The earth in front of Yun Che had completely buckled, and sand was flying everywhere while several thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers were immediately blown away by the incomparably strong profound energy storm. Before they could even utter a single wail of despair, they had been reduced to bright red blood flowers which swirled spectacularly in the air along with the remnants of their body, and very soon, the wide expanse of earth was stained red with the eye-piercing color of fresh blood.
Just one sweep of his sword had caused three thousand Divine Phoenix Soldiers… to die a terrible and miserable death!!
Qi Zhencang was situated in the middle of the army, so he was still very far away from the action, but this scene shocked him so much that it nearly caused his soul to fly away. He held the Sound Transmission Jade in a deathgrip and yelled with all his might, “All troops… Retreat… Ahhh!!”
After Qi Zhencang’s numerous shouts, which were filled with alarm, Yun Che’s figure had already approached with a speed that could not be comprehended by the naked eye. The gigantic scarlet sword in his hand released a crimson profound light and an aura so violent that it could not described as it exploded in the midst of the Divine Phoenix Army that had still not come back to its senses.
Booom!!!!
An earth-shattering explosion completely engulfed everyone’s hearing. Instantly, the light in the sky became exceptionally dim… and that was definitely not because the sky had suddenly become shrouded in dark clouds. It was because kilometers of land in the surrounding area had been sent into a great upheaval, carrying with it tens of thousands of soldiers from the Divine Phoenix Army. These soldiers were flung thousands of meters in the sky, and at that moment, the sky and earth seemed to have been completely overturned. Moreover, the entire sky was filled with pitch-black earth and Divine Phoenix soldiers who were wailing in terror. But these wails of terror only lasted for a few more moments as their bodies were shattered into pieces that were smaller than grains of sand by an extremely violent and berserk heavy sword storm.
Crash…
The pitch black earth that filled the sky heavily fell back to the ground, but not a single one of the tens of thousands of Divine Phoenix soldiers were able to land back on the ground… because the only thing that fluttered to the ground were shattered fragments of blood and bones. Furthermore, not even a single whole finger could be found amongst the remains, much less a whole body.
Once the earth that had been heaved into the sky landed back down, its color was no longer gray and yellow. It had instead become a shocking, dull-red color, and it was mixed with countless shattered fragments of red armor and weapons. Above the ground, the still undispersed energy of the heavy sword caused streaks of distorted air to hiss and crackle.
The huge battlefield had in an instant… and it was really only an instant, morphed into a purgatory filled with blood, terror, and anguished wails. People died without leaving a whole body behind ,and those who were still alive shivered, wailed, and felt their courage break apart… Numerous Divine Phoenix Soldiers who had not been affected by the attack dropped to the ground and curled up in fear, their pupils contracting. Additionally, the scene that had unfolded before them was so terrifying that their souls had practically left their bodies which resulted in them being to get back up.
The atmosphere was stifling. In fact, what everyone was feeling was the pinnacle of oppression. Every single person from the Blue Wind Army had their eyes widen into saucers, and not a single one of them did not suspect that they were dreaming. The Divine Phoenix Army that they had hated relentlessly had been smashed in an instant, so they should have been filled with joy instead… but the scene that had appeared before their very eyes caused them to endure a shock and fear that was almost as great as the Divine Phoenix Army itself. Even Feng Yunlie, who viewed death with equanimity, was unable to come back to his senses for a long period of a time as he just stood there, staring with eyes that had become as round as little moons.
Xiao Yun saw the blood which rained down from the sky, the endless amount of broken corpses, and the earth that had been dyed red in an instant. The great resolve that he had previously held was shaken badly. He fiercely swiveled around, and his palms covered his face that was as white as a sheet. “I can’t do it… I really can’t do it…”
Number Seven Under Heaven hurriedly hugged and comforted him, “It is alright… it’s completely alright. I like Brother Yun, a person so kind that he would not be willing to hurt a little animal. If you really become like Big Brother Yun, I… I will actually be afraid instead, so… it really is alright.”
Number One Under Heaven’s expression had also become extremely ugly. He turned his face away, and he did not even dare to look at the battlefield that had been dyed the color of blood while he mumbled in a low voice, “To think that there was actually such a dreadful killing intent… that exists in this world… huuu…”
As the commanders of the army, Duan Qinghang and Qi Zhencang had spent the majority of the time in a daze as they had never truly witnessed the might of a Monarch before. They personally witnessed one hundred thousand troops… an entire one hundred thousand men, under a single stroke of Yun Che’s sword… just one stroke, die violent and ugly deaths.
Not to mention the fact that they were not even given the slightest opportunity to resist or struggle… but they did not even die while leaving a corpse behind; there was nothing left to bury!!
The Divine Phoenix Army which could sweep the other six nations and all under heaven, the Divine Phoenix Army that possessed the best equipment and the highest aptitude, in front of this one man, they did not even amount to ants!!
What’s more was that even though they had been through many battles and their hearts were like stones, in that moment, their spirits had completely collapsed… Qi Zhencang stumbled backwards in shock and fear, landing on his buttocks with a thump. After that, he frantically yelled as if he had gone crazy, “Scatter… quickly scatter!!”
Qi Zhencang’s howls nearly rent his throat, and the Divine Phoenix Army ,which was still cowering in fear and shock, were jostled awake, as if they had been woken from a nightmare. They collectively let out a strangled cry and frantically scrambled backwards… their spirit had collapsed, and even their commanders were scared witless, so the tens of thousands of soldiers that composed the Divine Phoenix Army did not care about military discipline at all. Instead, they fled like headless chickens, and the only thing that they cared about was fleeing with the greatest speed away from that terrifying devil that had descended from the skies. In the blink of an eye, they had been utterly defeated, and numerous men had lost their lives under the trampling feet of their own compatriots.
But Yun Che, whose hatred filled the heavens and the earth and who had completely lost control of his desire to kill, would not stop just because they were fleeing. His eyes turned a crimson red, and he soared into the sky as the Golden Crow flames began to quickly accumulate. In an instant, it swelled into a conflagration that was tens of meters wide, and from a distance, it looked as if another crimson sun had appeared in the sky.
“Burning Sun Rupture!!”
The crimson “sun” exploded high in the sky and caused the fires of destruction to rain down. These were Golden Crow Flames, flames so destructive that even the slightest contact with them had consigned the Divine Phoenix elder Feng Feiying to death. So how could it be something that could be endured by the normal soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army. The crimson flames that covered the sky rained down, and any soldier of the Divine Phoenix Army that came into contact with these flames instantly ignited into human torches before collapsing into piles of ash… or in some cases, they had been obliterated into nothingness.
Screams, sobbing, roars, cries of terror, and the sound of burning… the atmosphere on this battlefield had horrifically morphed into a funeral dirge from hell.
As the Divine Phoenix Army who was “unrivalled under heaven,” was sweeping through Blue Wind, conquering its capital and taking control of it was supposed to be something so simple that it was like stealing candy from a baby. But never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that they would meet such a mighty and extremely cruel demon such as Yun Che. Feng Feiheng’s Phoenix profound strength was being frantically circulated, and his speed had been pushed to its utmost limit as the sounds that he heard all around him caused him to descend into a nightmare. At this time, he suddenly felt his entire body go cold, and he unconsciously turned his head back. To his shock and fear, he discovered that Yun Che was only tens of meters away from him.
Feng Feiheng’s pupils dilated, and he grit his teeth fiercely as he used “Phoenix Flames Burns the Heavens” as all the phoenix flames in his body exploded towards Yun Che.
Yun Che’s face was so dark that he looked like the life-reaping death god from hell itself. Facing Feng Feiheng’s attack, the Heaven Smiting Sword in his hand briefly danced in the air… and since Feng Feiheng’s mighty phoenix flames came into contact with the power of his heavy sword, it was instantly reduced to fire flowers which scattered in the air. However, the profound energy storm generated by the heavy sword was not the least bit affected, and amidst the howling of torn air, it fiercely smashed into Feng Feiheng’s chest.
Bang!!
Three arrows of blood consecutively shot out from Feng Feiheng’s mouth. He landed heavily on the ground, and before he could stand up again, Yun Che had lifted him up by the collar. With that, an icy sense of death pervaded his body from behind.
“I… I am Feng Feiheng… the Nineteenth Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect… you are not allowed to kill me…” Feng Feiheng said as his every muscle and nerve trembled violently. “If not… if not, the Divine Phoenix Sect will definitely not let you off… Arghhhh!!”
Boom!!!
As Feng Feiheng let out a desolate and miserable scream, a cluster of fire exploded out his back, causing this Divine Phoenix Elder, who had felt unparalleled in this world for most of his life, to become flaming ashes which scattered across the vast sky.
Chapter 655 - Yellow Springs Ashes
Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghai had never before witnessed the strength of a Monarch before today, but they were very clear on just what kind of existence an Overlord was. Even in the strongest nation amongst the Seven Nations, the Divine Phoenix Empire, an Overlord was a mighty existence that was akin to a god… But after Feng Feiying, they personally witnessed the late-stage Overlord Feng Feiheng get slaughtered by Yun Che within two passes.
The horror and the alarm in the hearts of these two people could not rise any further. They turned their heads, and to their astonishment, the Divine Phoenix Army that had been boundless as an ocean had already been reduced to nearly nothing. But the fires of catastrophe were still ceaselessly falling from the sky, consigning segments of the Divine Phoenix Army to a fiery hell.
Qi Zhencang used a trembling finger to press on the Sound Transmission Jade and yelled, “Everyone disperse… The vanguard, move towards the east! The rearguard scatter to the south! And the rest of you, flee to the west!!”
Under the orders of Qi Zhencang, the fleeing Divine Phoenix Army began to disperse in three different directions. Fleeing in one direction would only make it easier for the enemy to slaughter them, but fleeing in three directions would force Yun Che to choose between the three.
Facing the scattering Divine Phoenix Army, Yun Che stopped in midair and halted his pursuit, as if he was considering which direction he was going to take. Qi Zhencang, who was fleeing towards the east, observed the Yun Che who had stopped in one spot and fiercely breathed a sigh of relief. After that, he used all of his profound strength to flee away… this was the first time in his life he had ever fled in such a pathetic manner. Even during his worst defeats, he was never forced to flee in this manner… but right now, they were not fleeing from battle; instead, they were escaping a demon’s massacre.
Yun Che still had not given chase despite the fact that a long period of time had passed by. He just stood there, watching the three groups of the Divine Phoenix soldiers run away at the greatest speed that they could muster. But the blazing fires of resentment which crazily burned in his eyes and the killing intent that was boiling all over his body had not lessened in the slightest… At this time, he finally made his move, but instead of giving chase, he flew higher into the sky until he was thousands of meters above the ground.
As he floated high in the air above, he could see all of the the Divine Phoenix Army’s soldiers fleeing.
“You evil dogs of Divine Phoenix… all of you… must die!!”
Yun Che’s soft litany of hatred… even though it was soft, it was like a devil’s curse which pierced one’s heart, and it clearly resounded in everyone’s ears and soul.
His arm slowly rose in the air, and a column of crimson flames began to burn in front of him. This column of flames was not intense; instead, it shone with a strange light as it began to glow a burning red in the air… Facing these Divine Phoenix soldiers, all the flames he had used from the beginning were Golden Crow flames instead of the phoenix flames which were easier to control. Because only the Golden Crow flames’ ruthlessness and violence could vent the rage and resentment that was burning in his heart.
That terrifying “demon” halted at one spot and did not pursue them for a good long while, so the Divine Phoenix Army’s full-fledged flight gradually became more relaxed. This was because they thought they had escaped from that devil’s cruel reaping scythe. But at this time, they suddenly felt the temperature in the air rise sharply. It went from warm to hot to a scorching heat that caused them discomfort… and after the span of just a few short breaths, it seemed as if scorching bands of red-hot iron was being placed on their skin.
It was to the point where even the air that they breathed had become scalding hot, to the point which it scorched their internal organs and caused them to fiercely twist. Furthermore, this dreadful heat kept rising with every breath they took. They turned their heads back in shock and looked towards the figure in the sky above that was burning with scarlet flames… The air seemed to have morphed into shapeless flames which scorched them till their skin turned red. In addition, the crimson red armor which was tightly fitted to their bodies were like red-hot iron, and it caused more and more Divine Phoenix soldiers to wail in agonizing pain.
“What… what is going on?!” Qi Zhencang had the protection afforded by having the profound strength of a Throne, but he still felt as if he had been placed into a huge furnace, and his entire body burned with pain. His eyes widened and he rigidly held his breath because the air that flowed into his lungs were hotter than flames. Not only that, but below him, many of the Divine Phoenix Army’s soldiers had halted their retreat and were rolling on the floor in unspeakable agony instead as they frantically sought to strip their armor off their bodies. The armor had long ago become as hot as molten lava, and it tenaciously stuck onto skin, to the point where forcibly removing it would also rip away a good portion of scorched flesh and blood.
The plaintive and mournful wails which filled the air sounded like they were being given off by evil spirits receiving hellish punishment.
This purgatory of flames which slowly descended from above engulfed the area in a thirty-five kilometer radius around Yun Che. Without exception, the entire Divine Phoenix Army was encompassed in that area as well. Naturally, the northern part of Blue Wind Imperial City and the Blue Wind Army were unaffected by it. The only thing they noticed was that the air around them had turned rather hot. But they all witnessed the current state of the Divine Phoenix Army, and the innumerable screams of misery that rent the air only made it clearer for them.
“What’s happening?” Number Seven Under Heaven said in astonishment. All of a sudden, her mouth opened wide and she pointed in Yun Che’s direction, “That… that’s…”
A huge golden figure had appeared, superimposed over Yun Che. It was the figure of an extremely gorgeous and noble bird that had manifested with its wings spread wide as it circled in the air. The bird’s head was raised haughtily, and it looked like a head of a phoenix. Its feathers were the purest of gold, and it seemed as if each feather glowed with a golden colored flame. It had three feet, and its tail feathers were long and shared the same eye-catching golden color as the rest of its body.
But what accompanied this gorgeous and splendorous golden figure was an aura of destruction and an oppressive might which caused the earth and the sky to tremble.
“It’s the image of the Golden Crow!” Number One Under Heaven exclaimed in astonishment. It was not the first time he had seen the silhouette of the Golden Crow. Each time a Demon Emperor used the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World, the image of the Golden Crow would appear, whether it was for only an instant or a long period of time. But all of the images he had seen up till now were only faintly discernible and semi-transparent, and the golden color of those images was also much duller. But the burning image of the Burning Crow seemed almost tangible… as if the true Divine Spirit of the Golden Crow had descended on the material plane. That eye-catching golden glow was so brilliant that he nearly could not open his eyes, and the extremely tyrannical might and aura of destruction caused his soul to deeply tremble uncontrollably. Not to mention, that was despite the fact that he was far away from the image and wasn’t the target of the attack.
When all of the previous Demon Emperors had their bloodline awoken in the Golden Crow’s Ancestral Lands, they were only bestowed three drops of blood, and in terms of comprehending the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World, they were only given three months as well. The most powerful Demon Emperor in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm had only managed to reach the fourth level of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World.
However, in Yun Che’s case, he had been bestowed with nine drops of blood. Because of his special Evil God fire body and his extremely high aptitude in learning, within the span of three months, he had comprehended all seven levels of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World.
That was to say that Yun Che, this person who had been inducted into the clan of the Demon Emperor, had Golden Crow flames that exceeded every single Demon Emperor in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm… and even the first Demon Emperor would not be able to compare to him! At this time, even if all the previous Demon Emperors were to be present at this scene, they would be completely astounded by the Golden Crow aura being released by Yun Che, much less Number One Under Heaven.
Because what Yun Che was showing was something that the seventh level of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World that they had never come into contact with before and did not even dare dream about…
“All of you… can go to hell… now…” Yun Che chanted in a low voice, and when he heard the wails of pain that surrounded him, his eyes flashed with the ecstasy of catharsis. The seventh level of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World… Even given his current strength, he could still barely handle it, and even so, it would still require an extremely huge consumption of energy. But for these invaders who had committed unspeakable crimes against the Blue Wind Nation and for whom even ten thousand deaths would be insufficient to cleanse them of their sins… they had to die… All of them had to die!!
“Golden Crow’s Domain of Fiery Destruction… Yellow Springs Ashes!!”
The flames on Yun Che’s body and the Golden Crow’s image behind him ruptured with a low howl….
A roaring sound that seemed to signal the end of the world swallowed all the other sounds in the area. All of the people within Blue Wind Imperial City and on its walls witnessed their surroundings become instantly engulfed in crimson flames as their world turned into pure flames… the Divine Phoenix Army, the earth, the horizon and even the sky above became completely covered with flames. They could not see anything else besides fire, and it seemed as if the entire world had morphed into a hellish purgatory of flames.
All eyes had widened, and all mouths had gaped open to the greatest extent, but not a single person uttered a sound. Their ears had gone deaf, and their eyes were completely dazzled by the crimson flames.
Within the seemingly boundless and limitless flames, everything was mercilessly burned away. Every single person there witnessed the most shocking and terrifying scene of their lives. They were firmly convinced that even the eruption of the most fearsome volcano in the entire Profound Sky Continent would pale in comparison to this boundless flame which shook the heaven and the earth and seemed like it had the power to end the world. Number One Under Heaven, Number Seven Under Heaven, and Xiao Yun had grown up in the Guardian Families which were in the highest echelons of power within the Illusory Demon Realm, so their experiences were far richer than that of the common man, but facing this all-encompassing conflagration, they were also shocked to the point that their souls nearly left their bodies… so if it was like this for them, then one can imagine what it was like for everyone else.
The boundless sky had been completely colored crimson. This fire which obscured the heavens did not last for long, but for the weak and fragile soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army, this dreadful Golden Crow domain only needed an instant to do its work. After ten breaths, the air which had swelled up howled as the flames which filled the sky fell screaming to the earth…. But not a single dazed face turned away from this scene; instead, an expression of shock and horror appeared on their faces and in their eyes.
“Ah… ah… ah… ah….” As his hearing began to recover, Xiao Yun heard trembling sounds ceaselessly spill from his own throat.
The huge expanse of land in front of Blue Wind Imperial City had become terrifyingly empty. The entire thirty-five kilometer radius around Yun Che, everything within it had disappeared… the withered trees, the ruins of buildings, the rolling sand dunes, the fallen and broken stones, and the mountain of corpses and rivers of blood… All of it had disappeared!
The huge and majestic Divine Phoenix Army that had hundreds of thousands of troops and that seemed to swell up into a raging tsunami when it moved had completely and utterly vanished… They had not been swept away, they had vanished! Because within that empty space, there were no corpses, no broken armor, not even a trace of blood… all of it had completely vanished, and there was not a single trace of their existence left.
The surface of that entire area had been flattened as smooth and even as a mirror, and the surface was so white that it caused everyone’s heart to palpitate… Besides this white color, there was not any other color that the naked eye could discern. In the sky above, the crimson color had begun to retreat, but the clouds which had been floating in the sky had completely disappeared. Not even a small fragment of it remained.
This was not a massacre… it was not even destruction. Instead, it simply turned the earth in a thirty-five kilometer radius into a blank slate!
Yun Che had become the sole existence within this space.
In the middle of this silent world, Yun Che slowly lowered his hand. Following the extinguishing of those flames which covered the sky, the violence and ruthlessness in his eyes had gradually died down as well. Looking at the empty earth below him, his expression had become completely calm. Slowly, he turned his head towards the north-west… that was the direction in which the Divine Phoenix Empire lay in.
Destroying this Divine Phoenix Army… was only the beginning!
He was someone who definitely had to repay blood for blood… so if it came to the vengeance of an entire nation, his hatred would fill the heavens!!
Chapter 656 - Frozen Cloud’s Bad News (1)
“Sect Master… Sect Master, something huge has happened.”
Outside the Phoenix Main Hall, a person anxiously rushed over, and before he even appeared, his panicked voice preceded him. Feng Hengkong put down the map in his hand and said with sunken brows, “What matter could have caused such great alarm?”
That person quickly arrived before Feng Hengkong. He gasped for breath before proceeding in a frightened voice, “The Scarlet Life Crystals of Nineteenth Elder and Forty-third Elder… just shattered… They are already…”
“What?” Feng Hengkong’s expression abruptly changed, and his voice became dangerously low, “When did this happen?!”
“It just occurred. It has not been even thirty breaths since the crystals shattered. I hurriedly tried to use the Sound Transmission Jade to contact them, but I was unable to send out any transmission. It seems as if their Sound Transmission Jades have also been destroyed.”
Feng Hengkong’s brows knit tightly together. “Nineteenth Elder and Forty-third Elder were appointed the observers over the expedition that invaded Blue Wind. Yesterday, they even personally transmitted to me that their troops were already overlooking Blue Wind Imperial City and that they would break into it within a few days’ time… Blue Wind Imperial City, could there still be an expert living there that was strong enough to kill them?!”
“That is definitely impossible!” Feng Hengkong swiftly rejected this possibility; the Emperor Profound Realm was the highest level of cultivation in Blue Wind’s profound cultivating world, and even if all the Thrones in Blue Wind cooperated together, they would definitely not be able to defeat either Nineteenth or Forty-third Elder, so for them to be killed was even more nonsensical. “Swiftly send a sound transmission to commander Qi Zhencang and get him to report the exact situation right now!”
But before the Sound Transmission Talisman could be retrieved, an intense profound formation aura rose up from Feng Hengkong’s Sound Transmission Jade. This aura was astonishingly one that was emitted from a ten thousand mile transmission! Ten thousand mile transmissions required the consumption of an incomparably valuable Ten Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, so even if it was his Divine Phoenix Sect, unless the matter was truly urgent, they would not carelessly use a ten thousand mile transmission. Feng Hengkong promptly snatched up his Sound Transmission Jade, and a voice that radiated shock and terror immediately rang out from it, “Sect Master… It’s not good… not good at all… The main army … we can’t contact any of them right now…”
“Can’t contact any of them… what does that mean?!” Feng Hengkong’s expression turned dark and his voice carried undertones of violence.
“Commander Qi, Vice Commander Duan… all the commanders of ten thousand, thousand, hundred troop subdivisions, and even any person who had a Sound Transmission Imprint on them, we can’t contact even a single one of them… It isn’t that there is no reply… It’s that we are not even able to transmit anything in the first place… It seems like their Sound Transmission Jades have all been destroyed. And even their very existence seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.”
“Wha…. at?!!” Feng Hengkong’s hand fiercely trembled, and the person at his side was so shocked that his face had turned completely white.
Feng Hengkong sent a transmission with sunken brows, “How many more troops do you still have under your command? And how far are you from Blue Wind Imperial City?”
“This general currently has two hundred and seventy thousand troops under his command, and I am three hundred kilometers away from Blue Wind Imperial City… there is also Fifty-second Elder overseeing us as well.”
“Immediately activate all our flying profound beasts and bring with you a minimum of fifty thousand men and Fifty-second Elder as well. With the greatest possible speed, advance to Blue Wind Imperial City to verify what exactly happened! We do not care what method you use… but before the sky grows dark today, you must definitely arrive at your destination! No matter what you see, you must immediately report to us once you arrive!
“…This general obeys!”
Feng Hengkong silently kept his Profound Transmission Jade in his hand, and his expression was incomparably grim. Conquer the Blue Wind within three years; that was the time limit he had set for himself three years ago. Now, three years had already passed by, and yesterday, was when his troops had finally arrived at Blue Wind Imperial City and prepared to pierce the very heart of Blue Wind Nation… Yet somehow, at the final hurdle, a huge, unfathomably-bizarre change had occurred.
This caused an extremely ominous premonition to be birthed in his heart.
The smoke in front of Blue Wind Imperial City had completely subsided, and there was not even a need to tidy up the battlefield.
The remnants of the Blue Wind Army were dealing with their own injuries and dazed expressions would appear on their faces from time to time, as if they still whether they were awake or in some sort of dream…
They, who had already resolved to die, had ended up living, and not a single Divine Phoenix soldier stepped into Blue Wind Imperial City that they had fought desperately to protect… all of the soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army, hundreds of thousands of them had died!
At the hands of one man… in the blink of an eye, they had been reduced to miniscule ashes.
None of them would ever forget this scene for the rest of their lives. Not only that, but when that person slowly descended from the sky… their eyes, nerves, and blood all trembled fiercely… It was as if they were looking at a demon god of destruction who had come from the depths of hell.
It was the only prince consort of the Blue Wind Royal Family, the current Empress Cang Yue’s husband. Three years ago, he had shaken the Profound Sky with his might. Now, this person who had nearly become a myth had returned… No, the present him was no longer a “myth”… The power that he had shown was something only the gods of legend possessed!
Blue Wind Imperial City, which used to constantly bustle with noise and liveliness, had become exceptionally lonely and desolate today, and a bleak atmosphere had penetrated the place. Following the arrival of the Divine Phoenix Army, a large majority of its residents had already fled far away, and only a small remainder of the people who had stayed here for generations refused to follow suit, deciding to live or perish together with their capital. But in the end, the outcome was completely unexpected. The Divine Phoenix Army did not break into the city. Instead, all seven hundred thousand of them were completely obliterated, and the prince consort, who had fallen in the Divine Phoenix Empire three years ago, had come back alive… In a moment, countless cheers and tears filled the place which was the last bastion of the Blue Wind Nation’s honor and dignity.
The legend of obliterating hundreds of thousands of Divine Phoenix Soldiers in a single breath… this caused them to be able to see a fantastical hope emerge within their boundless shock.
The person who kept producing miracles for the Blue Wind Royal Family and Blue Wind Nation… he was not dead! And this time, would he once again bring about a miracle for the Blue Wind Nation which was on the verge of collapse…
Moon Embracing Palace.
This place was the residence of Empress Cang Yue when she was still a princess, but even though she ascended to the throne, this was still her resting place… because this was also where she and Yun Che became man and woman. For the past three years, it was the only place where she could find any rest and peace.
On her phoenix couch, Cang Yue had descended into a deep and undisturbed sleep. Perhaps it was because she was simply too exhausted, or perhaps it was because she was not willing to wake up from her dreams. Yun Che sat beside her, holding her small hand… From the moment he had carried her here, he had maintained a constant vigil by her bedside, not leaving even for a moment. His eyes also never left her once as his conscience was filled with boundless self-recrimination and grief… After they had married, he had only spent one month with her before leaving for Frozen Cloud Asgard, and he only returned to bid farewell to her as he once again had to leave for the Divine Phoenix Empire… and after that, the only thing that had come back was the cold and heartless news of his demise. Then came the pain of her father’s passing… and the calamity of impending doom and a heavy burden which would overturn the heavens…
These three years, when Cang Yue needed him the most, he was not by her side. He was not even here to face the calamity and pressures together with her, much less protect her.
Her figure had become much frailer and thinner than it was before, and her breathing had become exceptionally weak. She had never collapsed, solely relying on her willpower to doggedly hold on. If she did not recuperate, it would not be long before she fell very ill… it would be an illness that would in all likelihood endanger her life.
Yun Che took out a very small, jade-green medicinal pellet, put it into her mouth, and used his profound energy get her to swallow it. This emerald green pill was refined using the Overlord Pellet as a reference, and he carried a lot of them on his person. But given Cang Yue’s body, if she were to directly consume it, the only result would be death via ruptured profound veins. But with Yun Che around, this would definitely not occur. Yun Che used his own profound energy and slowly and painstakingly refined that pellet… Once this medicinal pellet was fully refined, it would renew Cang Yue’s body.
Her pale face gradually grew rosy while her crescent brows faintly quivered… Then, she slowly opened her eyes.
Her hazy and blurred vision slowly cleared up, and in it, appeared Yun Che’s face. Her entire body instantly froze up when she saw him.
She had been unconscious for the last four hours, and even though it had not been a long span of time, she had many dreams… which confused reality and fantasy, causing her to be unable to differentiate clearly between the two. She was most afraid that the Yun Che that had once again appeared in her world… was only an illusion created by her dreams.
“Yue’er… Xueruo… Senior Sister… princess wife… you have awoken.” Seeing Cang Yue’s glazed eyes which were filled with broken sorrow, Yun Che faintly smiled, and these four gentle greetings told her that all of this was real and not just a dream.
Cang Yue’s beautiful eyes quivered, and with a strangled cry, she dove into Yun Che’s embrace and started crying with broken sobs. This girl who had displayed her indomitable will to the world and had supported the Blue Wind Nation that had been struck by calamity for three whole years was now wholly and unreservedly revealing her weakness in his embrace… Those frail arms hugged him ever so tightly, as if she was afraid that, the moment she relaxed her embrace, he would disappear once again…
Outside, Number One Under Heaven, Number Seven Under Heaven, and Xiao Yun leaned against the wall. All of their expressions were rather troubled. Number One Under Heaven let out a light sigh and said, “No matter what, I never expected that the first thing we would encounter when we came to the Profound Sky Continent would be battle.”
“Yeah.” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a small voice, “It was supposed to be a joyous and happy reunion, but the moment we came here, his own homeland had been smashed into ruins… Big Brother Yun must be feeling awfully unhappy.”
Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushuang came as well. Facing these three people who were clearly very young, their expressions were filled with admiration and respect… because the profound energy aura which they occasionally emitted from their bodies caused them to tremble in fear.
“This is Blue Wind Profound Palace’s Palace Chief Dongfang Xiu, and beside me is the Vice Palace Chief Qin Wushuang. May I inquire as to…” Dongfang Xiu paused for a moment as he did not know whether he should call them “young friends” or “seniors.” Because given their profound strength, even if they were more than one hundred years old, their appearance would still remain youthful, so the only thing he could say was, “May I inquire as to how I may address… these noble guests?”
From Yun Che’s previous words and actions, they could see that he was very respectful to these two gentlemen, so the three of them did not dare be negligent and promptly replied. Just as Number One Under Heaven was about to open his mouth, Number Seven Under Heaven took the initiative and spoke, “Junior Number Seven Under Heaven greets the two Palace Chiefs. This is my husband Xiao Yun, and he is sworn brothers with Big Brother Yun Che. And this is my eldest brother, Number One Under Heaven… Oh no! You must definitely think that our names are very strange, it is all our stinky dad’s fault, so you are not allowed to laugh, even in your hearts!!!”
Number One Under Heaven’s expression twisted instantly… His little sister was still too inexperienced after all, and she actually directly spilled their names out in public. The surname “Under Heaven” was already extremely rare in the first place, and with names like “Number One Under Heaven” or “Number Seven Under Heaven’” that were hard for people to forget even if they wanted to, if this information was spread and it reached the ears of the Four Sacred Grounds, there was a risk that this news would be linked to the Under Heaven Family of the Illusory Demon Realm!
Moreover, what made him even more depressed was that… his own sister had actually introduced Xiao Yun before introducing him! Looks like it was true that once one has a man, she would forget her elder brother!
Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushuang were both silently shocked… They called them seniors and called Yun Che big brother, so it was clear that they were near Yun Che in age! Additionally, despite being so young, they had this level of profound strength cultivation, and there was no doubt that they were individuals that came from extremely exalted backgrounds.
“Ah, so that is how it is.” Dongfang Xiu calmed his heart and slowly replied, “Since you are good friends with Yun Che, that means you are the revered guests of our Blue Wind Nation… Yun Che, he truly is an extraordinary person that cannot be measured with common sense. Five years ago he was sealed into Heavenly Sword Villa’s Sword Management Terrace with a demon, so everyone in the world had assumed he was dead. Yet, he not only came out alive, but he even emerged with an even stronger profound strength than before. Three years ago, the entire Profound Sky Continent knew of his death in the Primordial Profound Ark, and there was definitely no way he would survive. Yet… he once again pulled through. Now, his profound strength has reached a level that I am no longer able to fathom.”
“Perhaps this time, there is truly… hope that our Blue Wind will be saved,” murmured Qin Wushang in an emotional voice.
“We also don’t know how that Empress… erm, I meant how my sister-in-law is. Her aura… seems to have weakened to the point where things have become very serious,” Xiao Yun said with a worried expression.
“Don’t worry, Big Brother Yun’s medical skills are so awesome, so nothing will happen,” Number Seven Under Heaven replied as she comforted him.
Chapter 657 - Frozen Cloud’s Bad News (2)
At this moment, the door to the resting chambers was pushed open. Yun Che and Cang Yue walked in side by side. Cang Yue’s eyes were red; obviously she had cried an overwhelming amount earlier. Her face was no longer pale; the slightly red glow on her face gave her some glamor in her noble look, and even her eyes were a much brighter color than before.
They quickly greeted her. Dongfang Xiu asked eagerly, “Your majesty, you’re awake… Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?”
Cang Yue smiled lightly, “I am fine now, there is no need to worry.”
She turned to Number One Under Heaven and the others and said their names correctly, “Big Brother Under Heaven, Xiao Yun, and Seventh Sister, welcome to Blue Wind Nation. You are my husband’s friend, so we should’ve given you the nation’s finest treatment, but instead we let you witness this chaotic scene, we feel deeply apologetic.”
Cang Yue’s temperament had become very different compared to three years ago. Her gestures no longer seemed sweet tempered and delicate, but instead carried an elegance that was authoritative and prestigious. Her emperor’s aura grew rapidly during the three years under heavy pressure and infinite iron-willed decisions, and it gave Number One Under Heaven and the other two an invisible, pressuring feeling. Xiao Yun immediately waved his hand and said, “Empress… uh, sis… sister-in-law, no need to stand on ceremony… If there is anything you need, please just ask us.”
Number Seven Under Heaven pinched Xiao Yun when she saw him this nervous, and then said liberally, “You are certainly Big Brother Yun’s wife, you are indeed very unusual. My husband is right; Sister-in-law doesn’t need to stand on ceremony with us. Blue Wind Nation is in danger right now, so if there is anything that we can help with, please ask us.”
“Brother Yun has done a huge favor for us three. If there are any requests, we will be ready to risk our lives to help,” Number One Under Heaven also said without any hesitation.
Cang Yue smiled slightly, “Thank you everyone… and thank you for taking care of my husband all this time.”
“Yue’er, your body is still weak now, you should rest more. Just leave the rest to me,” Yun Che said worriedly.
Cang Yue shook her head softly, “My body is completely fine. Even though the Divine Phoenix Army was demolished by husband’s martial prowess, the Imperial City’s disaster is still not solved. Divine Phoenix’s side must have been alerted, and within a day, an army will gather once again before the city gate. Our soldiers and citizens also need to be arranged and settled; it is not time for me to rest now.”
“Don’t make it too hard on yourself.”
“With you here, I am not afraid of anything,” Cang Yue said softly. There was no anxiety, darkness, or even any weight in between her eyebrows. All there was left was deep warmth and satisfaction. Because she didn’t lose him, because Yun Che was by her side, she already had the whole world, and she had nothing more to ask or complain anymore.
Cang Yue ordered for troops to be deployed, and Blue Wind Imperial City immediately prepared for war once again.
The sky started dimming slightly, and it was nearly sunset. During this time, Yun Che slowly understood more of the situation of Blue Wind Nation now from Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang… It could only be described with the words “suffered unspeakable misery.”
Over ninety percent of the main city was invaded and seized by the Divine Phoenix Nation, and a large area of it was burned and destroyed. Over fifty million of Blue Wind Nation’s citizens died in the war… and this was only a conservative estimate. To take down Blue Wind Nation the fastest way possible, Divine Phoenix Nation was cruel and vicious, its crimes were too numerous to record… Perhaps in the eyes of Divine Phoenix Nation, even though the people of Blue Wind Nation were also human, they were only an inferior form of life that was not worth mentioning.
There were even more people who were left wandering with no home to return to… The Blue Wind Nation that was once peaceful and calm was now on the edge of the abyss of destruction… even lingering on with its last breath of life was hard.
“Divine… Phoenix…” Yun Che said these two words in a low voice, traces of blood almost coming out from the gaps between his tightly gnashed teeth.
“Is there really no any response from Heavenly Sword Villa?” Yun Che asked.
“Sigh, no.” Dongfang Xiu sighed and shook his head, his expression showed sadness, “The previous emperor and her majesty both wrote letters personally nine times to ask Heavenly Sword Villa for assistance, but Heavenly Sword Villa ignored them all, and didn’t even give us an excuse. Divine Phoenix Empire was too powerful, so maybe it was slightly understandable that they were afraid of getting involved and face the doom of their nation themselves… but even to send a few strong practitioners to protect her majesty would be good…”
“Slightly understandable?” Yun Che scoffed, “This not only concerns thousands of years of trust between the Blue Wind Imperial Family and Heavenly Sword Villa… but the doom of a nation! Facing the doom of a nation, anyone who has some courage and uprightness would use everything they have, including their life to resist! Their Heavenly Sword Villa… as the prestigious Blue Wind Nation’s top profound cultivating force, the people who have the strongest resistance in the profound realm, actually gave up their family’s faith, ignored it while their nation is in danger… Every Blue Wind soldier who is guarding Blue Wind Imperial City, heading to the battlefield today, every one of them understood that they would die on the battlefield, but they still proceed without hesitation! Those so-called disciples of Heavenly Sword… could not even be compared to our Blue Wind Nation’s most common soldiers!!”
“Yeah… profound realm, if all gathered, they should’ve been the strongest resistance force, what a shame… what a shame…” Qin Wushang lifted his head, and his voice was desolated as well, “Shame that they have stronger power than normal people, and a longer lifespan… but they also fear death more than normal people. The places that the Divine Phoenix went, there were extremely few people who resisted among those forces and families who tyrannize locally, and they were usually the ones who surrendered first to the Divine Phoenix Army, or even took initiative and use a generous amount of money to bribe them… just for surviving and keeping their family estate. Even the Xiao Sect was like so… The Sect Master and elders of the Xiao Sect who could dominate with a single hand in Blue Wind Nation, when the Divine Phoenix Army arrived… forget resisting, they actually came out of their sect for twenty miles, greet them personally, and bowed and kneeled before the Divine Phoenix Army…”
A disaster of the nation made these forces that normally seemed to be high and noble reveal their disgraceful act. Indeed, they had profound strength stronger than that of normal people, enjoyed the wealth and glory that normal people wouldn’t dare to dream of, and had an even longer lifespan… but they had already lost the courage that should have been flowing in their bones.
“As the strongest sect of the nation, their actions were like this at the crucial times of the nation… It really makes people look down upon them.” Number Seven Under Heaven said in anger.
“Indeed, if that was our clan… even if we survived after the nation was doomed, even I would look down on our own family.” Number One Under Heaven said without any expression.
“Palace Chief Dongfang, is my grandfather and little aunt alright?” Yun Che calmed down and finally asked… this question. When he didn’t see Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi at Blue Wind Imperial City, he had been worrying about their well-being, but he didn’t dare to ask, because he was afraid that he would hear an answer that he didn’t want to hear.
Dongfang Xiu smiled casually and said, “Don’t worry. About two years ago, her majesty had already had Palace Chief Qin escort them to Floating Cloud City personally. Floating Cloud City is located in the most easternmost region and is poor and small. It shouldn’t be affected by the war, and it should’ve been the safest location… Only, what we didn’t expect was the Divine Phoenix Army actually sent more than two hundred thousand soldiers to take down Floating Cloud City.”
“What!” Yun Che stood up abruptly, and his expression immediately darkened.
“Hehe, don’t worry.” Yun Che’s reaction was completely within Dongfang Xiu’s expectation, “Floating Cloud City’s mayor followed her majesty’s orders, told their guards to retreat and surrendered themselves. Divine Phoenix Army didn’t kill anyone in Floating Cloud City, even their army didn’t enter the city, but instead was separated and guarded near Floating Cloud City. Her majesty would send a sound transmission every seven days, and they have been safe so far.”
As if a giant rock that weight ten thousand kilograms disappeared from on top of his heart, Yun Che sat down slowly with his whole body already soaked in cold sweat.
Xiao Yun’s expression changed, and he finally couldn’t help it and said, “Big Brother, the grandfather and little aunt that you mentioned just now, are they… they…”
Yun Che turned around and smiled slightly, “That’s right…” He stood up once again, “I will go pick them up to here now, and let your family unite… when your grandfather sees you, he will definitely be… very happy, very excited.”
“Ah… okay, okay…” Xiao Yun nodded blatantly, his hands were shaking nervously. Grandfather… Little Aunt… relatives… His real blood relatives…
Thinking he could see the Grandfather and Little Aunt that he had been missing day and night, and thinking that he could finally do one thing that could bring joy to Grandfather, Yun Che couldn’t control his eager emotions. Even though they were both safe and sound in Floating Cloud City, only with them by his side would he feel relief. He got up in preparation to leave, to find a place to use the Primordial Profound Ark, but when he had just started to move his steps, Dongfang Xiu suddenly called onto him, “Yun Che, there is something that I have been concerned about, and I think it would be better for me to tell you sooner. Or else… the consequences cannot be predicted.”
Dongfang Xiu’s serious tone made Yun Che stop his steps. He looked at Dongfang Xiu, and said discreetly, “Palace Chief Dongfang, please speak.”
“It’s about Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
“Frozen Cloud Asgard? What about Frozen Cloud Asgard? Were they also involved in the war?” Yun Che slightly locked his eyebrows. He didn’t forget that he was still the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Dongfang Xiu shook his head slowly and said, “During this three years, the Frozen Cloud Asgard has not sent anyone to fight the Divine Phoenix Army, but they gave us their resources that were accumulated for a thousand years like an unending stream, including spirit herbs, offensive profound artifacts, profound crystals, profound formations… they gave us an extremely strong assistance. The fact that we were able to hold the Divine Phoenix Army for three whole months at Heavenly Pass was reliant upon the thousands of profound crystals that contained magical profound formations given by Frozen Cloud Asgard. We couldn’t even dream that when we were suffering from national disaster, it was Frozen Cloud Asgard, which we were usually the least unaligned with, that did everything they could, used all of their resources, and even used their foundations to help us.”
“…What exactly happened there?” Yun Che asked. He indistinctly felt that the reason Frozen Cloud Asgard did their utmost to help was because of Xia Qingyue.
“Six month ago, Fairy of Frozen Moon Xia Qingyue sent a sound transmission to her majesty. It was only a few sentences, but the content of the sound transmission was that Frozen Cloud Asgard suddenly encountered a great calamity, they could not assist the Imperial Family anymore, and told her majesty to look out for herself…”
“What?” Yun Che’s heart tightened, he hurried forward, “What happened then? What exactly did the Frozen Cloud Asgard encounter!”
“No one knows.” Dongfang Xiu shook his head, “After that, no matter what method her majesty used, she couldn’t contact anyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard. On top of that, there was frequent emergency from the battlefield, Blue Wind Nation was in imminent danger, so her majesty didn’t have the time to worry about other things… We don’t know how Frozen Cloud Asgard is now at all.”
“Would it be that they suffered from the attack of Divine Phoenix Army?” Xiao Yun immediately said.
“No, impossible.” Yun Che shook his head right away, “Frozen Cloud Asgard’s location is in Snow Region of Extreme Ice. It is always in extremely cold, and it is covered with ice and snow, which makes it absolutely not suitable for an army to set foot in, especially the Divine Phoenix Army that fears the cold. Besides Frozen Cloud Asgard there, forget about a city, there aren’t any citizens, so the Divine Phoenix has no reason to attack there.”
Thousand Year Calamity?
Yun Che suddenly remembered the three words that Grand Asgard Mistress Feng Qianhui had told him back then, and these weren’t just merely three words, it was a thousand-year fortune which concerned Frozen Cloud Asgard’s survival. Feng Qianhui was also straightforward with him before when he entered Frozen Cloud Asgard as a male disciple, and it was completely to counter the fortune of “Thousand-Year Calamity.”
What happened to Frozen Cloud Asgard… Did the fortune of “Thousand Year Calamity” really happened?!
And six months had passed from when Xia Qingyue sent a sound transmission mentioning they “suddenly encountered a great calamity”… a full six months!
A thick layer of shadow covered Yun Che’s heart at this moment. Today was the first day that he had returned to Profound Sky Continent, but what he received wasn’t tearful reunions; instead it was news that was heavier than the previous.
“I must go to Frozen Cloud Asgard right away!” Yun Che locked his eyebrows and said. At least Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi would be safe in Floating Cloud City, but Frozen Cloud Asgard… if he didn’t go and see what happened right away, he wouldn’t feel settled at all.
“There will be Divine Phoenix Army arriving within today. When that happens, make sure to send sound transmission to me immediately. I have the profound ark with me, I will be able to return in an instant!”
“You can go without worrying. They have us here, nothing will happen.” Number One Under Heaven said as he lowered his brows while nodding.
Yun Che couldn’t wait any longer, and he immediately sent a profound energy sound transmission to Cang Yue, who was in the main hall, personally deploying the troops. He rushed out of the room, flashed high into the sky, and called out the Primordial Profound Ark. After pinpointing the estimate direction and distance towards Frozen Cloud Asgard, he then disappeared with the Primordial Profound Ark in the midst of space hissing.
Chapter 658 - Working in Vain
In the next moment, Yun Che appeared in the sky over the Snow Region of Extreme Ice. This time, he estimated the distance very accurately, appearing no more than ten kilometers away from Frozen Cloud Asgard. Up in the air, he could clearly see its silhouette above him.
Yun Che didn’t stop the slightest, putting all of his strength towards using Extreme Mirage Lightning and charging like a lightning bolt in the direction of Frozen Cloud Asgard. At this moment, he heard a peculiar sound coming from the direction of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Boom… Boom… Boom…
The sound was incomparably heavy. Even if it was ten kilometers away, it was still heavy and ear-splitting. This was the violent clashing sound of immense strength striking against an incredibly hard object. The closer he got, the heavier the sound became, making Yun Che increasingly sure that the sound was coming from Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Yun Che furrowed his brows and put his utmost effort into increasing his speed.
Qingyue… Please be alright…
Boom! Boom! Boom…
All of Frozen Cloud Asgard was violently shaking. Innumerable snowflakes streamed down. With the exception of the thousand year profound ice, the comparatively weaker layers of ice had already broken off, leaving countless cracks throughout the area.
Beneath Frozen Cloud Asgard, in front of Frozen End Divine Hall.
Ye Qingsheng was incomparably sullen and irritable. He had put all of his energy into frantically venting his emotions on the Heavenly Firm stone door. Six months ago, although he had encountered the obstruction of the Heavenly Firm Jade which should not have appeared, in order to avoid the ridicule of others and because the young master Ye Xinghan just happened to be in secluded cultivation, he had resolutely decided not to ask for help from the elders of the Divine Hall, hoping to use his own strength to force open the Heavenly Firm door.
He originally thought three or four months would definitely be enough time and that by the time he had brought Xia Qingyue back to the Sun Moon Divine Hall, the young master wouldn’t have come out yet.
But what he didn’t imagine was that the Heavenly Firm Door’s thickness would exceed his estimation. The twelve of them had bombarded the door, day and night for over five months, and had only just reached the door’s breaking point. Because of this dragging on for so long, he became extremely fretful… Moreover, his biggest concern had already occurred… Young Master Ye Xinghan had already come out from seclusion!
This mission had been personally given to him by Ye Xinghan six months ago. At that time, he had exclaimed that he would perfectly complete such a simple mission in the shortest period of time possible. Adding to the fact that Ye Xinghan originally planned to come in person, he obviously considered Xia Qingyue incredibly important. Having received such an important and easy mission, he originally felt proud of himself and excited from the bottom of his heart.
But now, six months later, the young master had already come out of seclusion, and in addition to having not captured Xia Qingyue, he hadn’t even touched the hem of her clothes.
Ye Xinghan’s sullen voice caused them all to shiver with fright. But luckily, when they were bombarding the Heavenly Firm door today, he felt it trembling… Today, they would definitely be able to blast it open.
“With the exception of Xia Qingyue… the other women all must die!” Ye Qingsheng ferociously struck the Heavenly Firm Jade in front of him with his fist, and the shaking rebound force shook his entire arm with an acute pain. Moreover, his two hands were a blood-like red a long time ago. He definitely wouldn’t hesitate to use weapons to attack the door… but all the weapons that he had brought a few months ago, in the process of attacking the Heavenly Firm Door, had broken one after another—including the Emperor Profound Weapons.
Ye Ziyi shook his head. “No! Right now, the young master is bound to be greatly displeased with us. In order to appease his anger, in addition to bringing back Xia Qingyue… since every Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple is a first class beauty, we must bring some back to make the young master happy!”
Boom!!!
Crack!!
Following the boom was the ear-piercing sound of something shattering as numerous cracks spread out from underneath Ye Qingsheng’s fist, quickly extending outward until the entire door was covered with them.
Ye Qingsheng’s eyes widened as he began laughing madly. Their months of attacking had finally caused the Heavenly Firm Jade to weaken and cracks to appear… These cracks appearing signified that the Heavenly Firm Jade door had finally been thoroughly broken down. A Heavenly Firm Jade which had begun to crumble, was no more than a wall of fine ice. Any low level profound practitioner could destroy it.
“Finally… Finally!!” Ye Qingsheng’s eyes opened as wide as they could, and his facial expression turned from excited to sinister. The pain in his arm had even become a strange kind of pleasure. Over five months of sullen and fretful worrying were finally over, and he could fully vent his emotions. “Out of my way!!”
Ye Qingsheng loudly roared, stuck out his arms, and condensed all of his profound strength, releasing it upon the Heavenly Firm Jade door before him. The tyrannical pressure of an Overlord caused the ten others who had followed him to feel completely suffocated… But he didn’t allow his excitement to cause him to lose reason, directing all of the power towards the Heavenly Firm Jade door and controlling the degree of strength in order to avoid any surplus force hurting Xia Qingyue, who was inside.
In that extremely oppressive explosion, the Heavenly Firm Jade door, which had endured the strikes of two Tyrants and ten Thrones for over five months, exploded, breaking into pale white powder. Behind the Heavenly Firm Jade door which had been destroyed, was a crowd of women wearing snow white clothing while huddling together… The Frozen End Divine Hall was so big that, even with two thousand Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples huddling together, it still seemed extremely spacious and empty.
A cold air pervaded the hall, and even colder still were the disciple’s expressions. They had known that the last line of defense would eventually break and had already prepared their hearts. Receiving an additional six months already exceeded their expectations. At this moment, they were already absent of worry and fear, their cold expressions full of resentment, determination, and unwillingness… and also a little gratification since, at the very least, Xia Qingyue had already safely left over six months ago and hadn’t fallen into the hands of these evil people at all.
“Hahahahaha!” Ye Qingsheng madly laughed, then his face darkened as he quickly said, “You hateful women unexpectedly delayed this great lord for such a long time… If you had been well-behaved and let yourself be captured, this great lord wouldn’t be willing to kill a single one of you and would have given all of you to the young master. Those that received the young master’s favor, their future position would be even higher than this great lord’s. But you all unfortunately refused to yield and now are being forced… If I didn’t kill a few hundred of you, I wouldn’t be able to resolve my hate.”
“Fiend! You… “ Gong Yuxian extended her trembling hand and pointed. “You’ll one day meet heaven’s wrath… cough… cough, cough…”
Gong Yuxian’s face was a pale white, like paper, and her vitality was as thin as a string. These short few words had already caused her to start coughig incessantly. Her hands were supported by Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie, and she had already lost all ability to stand… She painfully persisted, not willing to let her vitality disperse, only because of her unwillingness… her indomitable unwillingness…
Frozen Cloud Asgard, with its thousand year old foundation, abruptly encountered this all-encompassing calamity… They didn’t even know who their enemy was and what their goal was… so how could they be willing! How could they be willing!
“Oh?” Ye Qingsheng narrowed his eyes as he looked at the incomparably weak Gong Yuxian, laughing disdainfully. “Hehe, to have received this great lord’s profound energy, injuring your heart and veins, yet unexpectedly remain living, tsktsktsktsk, not easy at all. How pitiful, how pitiful, your profound strength seems to already have completely scattered. Even if the Great Firmament Golden Deity had appeared to save you, you’ve already become disabled. It’s pitiful enough to make this great lord want to reach out and kill you so that there is nothing left. How about this, these beautiful women, this great lord will kill them one by one. This great lord wants to see how many I have to kill before you die from anger… Hahahahaha!
“You…” Ye Qingsheng’s words caused Gong Yuxian’s whole body to tremble and caused her to abruptly cough up black blood. All of Frozen Clud Asgard’s females were pure of heart and devoid of earthly desires, and the Frozen Heart Arts caused their hearts to become cold as ice… But facing such an enormous disaster, even if they had cultivated the Frozen Heart Arts to completion, they wouldn’t be able to keep their hearts calm.
“Mistress!”
“Mistress!!” Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie hurriedly circulated their profound energy, working at all costs to protect Gong Yuxian’s heart and veins while tightly clinging on to the ice swords in their other hands… Six months of respite, but in the end they could not escape their desperate condition. Even if they pooled together the strength of everyone there, it still wouldn’t be enough to contend with the two Overlords in front of them… but no matter what, they would put their lives on the line to fight!
As Ye Qingsheng recklessly vented his feelings and egotistically howled, Ye Ziyi’s facial expression shifted… In all of Frozen Cloud Asgard, the one with the strongest profound energy was Xia Qingyue… a full half-step into the Tyrant Profound Realm! Therefore, she was extremely easy to recognize. After the Heavenly Firm Jade door was blasted open and they had entered the Frozen End Divine Hall, his gaze had swept over the area numerous times, but he didn’t see Xia Qingyue. He concentrated and realized… he couldn’t feel Xia Qingyue’s aura at all!
Confirming again and again, his face grew darker and darker. He snarled, “Xia Qingyue!! Where did you hide Xia Qingyue!”
“What?” Ye Ziyi’s words caused Ye Qingsheng to stare distractedly, causing him to go from madly laughing to being unable to move which caused his facial expression to change greatly… The entire Frozen End Divine Hall didn’t have a trace Xia Qingyue’s shadow, let alone the slightest bit of her outstanding aura!
All the other members of Frozen Cloud Asgard were there… only Xia Qingyue was missing!
“Stop!” Chu Yueli held her ice sword horizontally in front of her, her whole body prepared to spring into action. “Don’t even think of ever being able to find her… Only when she comes looking for you, will this blood debt be repaid!!”
Ye Qingsheng’s gaze rested on the stage to the right side of the Frozen End Divine Hall, and his aura suddenly turned violent as his face took on a sinister expression… At his current realm, he could already sense the presence of spatial energy. Although it had already been a few months, he could still sense tiny vestiges of spatial energy that had yet to disperse… It became clear that it once had contained a profound space formation!
A profound space formation was, without a doubt, the highest level of profound formations on the entire Profound Sky Continent. Even for the Four Great Sacred Grounds, creating a profound space formation was extremely difficult. That, and the enormous Heavenly Firm Jade door, absolutely should not have appeared at a place on the level of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
It was extremely clear, that during their unbearable, unceasing bombardment of the Heavenly Firm Jade door, Xia Qingyue had already escaped using the profound space formation!!
“Un… forgiveable!!” As if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, Ye Qingsheng’s unbridledness and arrogance transformed into wrath and fear, his entire body trembling violently as he yelled, “You… had the impertinence to play with me!!”
Compared to his anger at all of his efforts having come to nothing, he was even more afraid of the consequences of not being able to bring Xia Qingyue back. In his anger, his killing intent increased and he roared, “You all… all of you, die!”
“Wait!!” Ye Ziyi pulled him back, face also darkened as he furiously said, “Speak! Where does the profound space formation lead to! Where is Xia Qingyue now… you all better speak honestly. We can still give you a path at life, this is your last chance!”
“Give up!” Chu Yueli clenched her teeth and her expression went cold, completely without fear. “We are already corpses, ready to be buried here. We absolutely won’t tell you! Don’t even think of ever being able to find her!”
“Wretches… all of you… go die!!” Ye Qingsheng’s rage completely exploded. Six months of sullenness and days and nights without rest, all of his hopes and efforts came to nothing. The consequences would be incomparably serious, and Ye Qingsheng felt his head and heart being trampled. He snarled, and his entire profound strength exploded out, causing a tyrannical pressure to radiate all in all directions.
“Protect the Mistress!!”
Crying out in alarm, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue performed the Frozen Snow Dance Steps, simultaneously appearing in front of Gong Yuxian, causing resplendent ice spirits to dance throughout the sky. They had all already become Thrones, but the difference between a Throne and an Overlord was as big as the distance between the heaven and the earth. Even if it was just the profound energy released by an Overlord, they absolutely were unable to resist it.
The force of ten thousand mountains collided with them, inducing explosive pain within their chests and causing the ice spirits to rapidly disappear. They were only able to resist for two breaths of time before they were violently sent flying, resulting in their bodies heavily smashing against the Heavenly Firm Jade wall.
“Junior Masters!!”
“Master!!”
The Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples cried out in alarm… Yun Che had opened all of the profound entrances of the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies, and their cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, already completely entering the Emperor Profound Realm. From the perspective of the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples, the Emperor Profound Realm in the Profound Sky Continent was an unparalleled existence, but in front of the Tyrant Profound Realm, they were unexpectedly not even able to withstand one blow.
“Still resisting in vain?” Ye Qingsheng lifted up his arm, his expression fiendish. “If you don’t tell us where Xia Qingyue is… you all will die! Now then… let’s start with your so-called Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies!!”
Ye Qingsheng’s arm expanded, and a wave of profound energy surged throughout the entire Frozen End Divine Hall. A murderous air enveloped the Seven Fairies, ready to descend upon them in an instant when, all of a sudden, an enormous explosion came from behind, shaking the entire Frozen End Divine Hall.
Boom!!!
“Who is it!” Ye Ziyi said as he turned around. A golden figure flashed before his eyes… this golden figure had reached an incredible speed, making him unexpectedly unable to see the figure clearly even with his level five Tyrant Profound strength. Without a response, the figure swept past his line of sight towards the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples.
It arrived in a flash, having seemingly pierced through space!
Chapter 659 - Heartless Instant Kill
Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi frantically turned around, looking in shock at this ghostlike person who had suddenly appeared. Their hearts had also skipped a beat… such frightening speed, this person’s profound strength would definitely be much higher than theirs!
The person in front of them looked only a bit over twenty years old. Dressed in a robe filled with golden patterns, his calm expression seemed somewhat sinister. The two of them asked in unison, “Who exactly are you!!”
As they spoke, they had already measured his profound aura… their expressions turned dumbfounded at the same time and their earlier nervousness had instantly dissipated. Ye Qingsheng had also instantly spoke with contempt, “Hmph, it’s only an outrageous little brat.”
The other party’s profound aura was only in the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm. Although, for his age, such cultivation was already considered shocking, in front of them, it would even be able to withstand one blow. It was at a level that would not be able to cause scratch them or resist their attacks.
As for his speed… it was probably because he primarily trained in speed type profound arts or because he relied on some sort of profound artifact.
Yun Che had sprinted over, and when Ye Qingsheng was overcoming the Heavenly Firm Main Door, he was already above the Frozen End Divine Hall. Then, he also clearly heard everything that Ye Qingsheng had said and instantly understood the gist of things… The fact that the Frozen End Divine Hall was created using Heavenly Firm Jade was something he knew very well. The toughness of Heavenly Firm Jade was something he had once tested using Dragon Fault… A blow at full strength did not even cause a scratch. Obviously, Frozen Cloud Asgard had escaped into the Frozen End Divine Hall due to the unfortunate circumstance,s and these people had used a large amount of time to forcefully break apart the main door of the Frozen End Divine Hall.
As for himself, he had also fortunately arrived at the very last second.
Initially, he had considered the Frozen Cloud Ancestor’s use of the luxurious Heavenly Firm Jade for the entire underground grand hall to be outrageous… But now, it had saved nearly all the women of Frozen Cloud as well as everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Yun Che’s downcast gaze swept over the twelve people in front of him… All of them were unfamiliar faces, and all of them wore the same black clothing. Not only were there no emblems or signs on their clothing, their clothing didn’t even have any other colors. They obviously had intended to hide their identity. As for profound strength… two of them were in the middle stage Tyrant Profound Realm while the other ten were at least in the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm!
Yun Che’s gaze shifted away from them as his expression remained cold, and he did not reply to them. Instead, he turned and looked at Gong Yuxian, who was being supported by Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie.
The sudden appearance of this man had also caused everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard to be shocked. But, when he turned around, all the women who saw his face were instantly stunned, and their beautiful eyes revealed looks of disbelief despite the shock.
“Yun… Yun Che!?”
Scanning across the corner of Frozen Cloud Asgard, Yun Che could see the deceased Grand Asgard Mistress, Feng Qianhui, who still showed hatred on her face, within an ice coffin which had sparse ice spirits floating around it. He walked slowly and arrived in front of Gong Yuxian under everyone’s gaze. Gong Yuxian’s pale face was bluish as well, and her vitality was exceptionally weak. With one glance, he could tell that not only were her injuries severe, they had lasted for several months. If it were not for the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies extending her vitality with their profound strength and her strong determination to survive, she would already have breathed her last breath and died long ago… If her determination was to waver even slightly, she would probably die within a few breaths of time.
Also, her body no longer emitted any profound aura… Her profound energy had dissipated. Even if she were to recover, she would have to retrain her profound strength from scratch. He knew that to a person who arrogantly looked on the Blue Wind, who was the mistress of the Asgard, this was a fate that was crueler than death.
Yun Che let out a long breath, bent down, stretched out his arm, and injected some Heaven and Earth’s energy into Gong Yuxian body through the air while saying with guilt, “Asgard Mistress… I’m late.”
Gong Yuxian stretched out her palm with difficulty. Because of the extreme shock and agitation, her pale face showed an unusual tinge of red. “You… you… Yun Che… is that really you? Didn’t you… didn’t…”
“It’s me.” Yue Che strongly nodded as he opened his palm, and in the middle of it, a pocket sized Tree of Frozen End grew. “With the Frozen End Divine Arts as proof, unlike what many may have claimed, I did not die in the Primordial Profound Ark three years ago. I was only brought to another world by the Primordial Profound Ark and returned today.”
In this world, the only people who possessed the Frozen End Divine Arts were Yun Che and Xia Qingyue. Seeing the Tree of Frozen End on Yun Che’s palm, they no longer dared to doubt that the person in front of them was someone who only looked similar to Yun Che. Instead, they knew full well that this was indeed the Yun Che that everyone assumed had died.
Gong Yuxian’s lips trembled, and her eyes glinted with a weak and unusual glow. However, this unusual glow quickly faded away. “You are actually… still alive… such a… miracle… however… cough… cough, cough… Today… you shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have…”
Yun Che understood her meaning of “shouldn’t have”… Because the ones that caused Frozen Cloud Asgard to be in such a peril were two Overlords, his arrival… would only result in death.
“No.” Yun Che shook his head. “I’m a disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard. When the Asgard is in trouble… I should have returned earlier. Asgard mistress, please rest assured that now that I’m back… I will not allow anyone to trample over our Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
“Tsk, hahahahaha.” Behind Yun Che, conceited laughter erupted out. When Ye Qingsheng had heard Yun Che’s words just now, he felt that it was undoubtedly an extremely laughable joke. “You’re going to make me laugh my head off. This wild brat that nobody knows which hole in the ground he came from actually promised that he would protect Frozen Cloud Asgard? Hahahaha… Indeed, only poor laughingstocks are produced in such a pathetic and lowly place. The third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, although you can indeed walk against the law in a small nation like Blue Wind, it’s a pity that citizens from such a lousy place would forever be jokes in front of this great lord. Your movements skills are indeed not bad, and you have the ability to receive this great lord’s praise. However, if this great lord wants you to die in a breath of time, you would definitely not live for another breath.”
“Yun Che? That name is a little familiar,” Ye Ziyi said plainly.
“Heh, of course it sounds familiar.” Ye Qingsheng coldly laughed. “He’s the brat that slapped Divine Phoenix Nation on the face during the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament back then and even enraged our Young Master. Tsk, tsk, I heard that he had disappeared along with that whatever Primordial Profound Ark. I didn’t expect him to actually come back alive… For a very long period back then, whenever Yun Che’s name was mentioned, Young Master would grind his teeth in hatred. If he knew that this brat was actually alive… he would undoubtedly be delighted!”
Young Master? Primordial Profound Ark?
These two people caused Yun Che’s heart to sink as the name and face of someone he loathed appeared in his mind…
Sun Moon Divine Hall… Ye Xinghan!!
These people seemed to be from the Sun Moon Divine Hall and also seemed to be personally sent by Ye Xinghan!
Just what happened? Why would Sun Moon Divine Hall allow its people to attack Frozen Cloud Asgard? Sun Moon Divine Hall and Frozen Cloud Asgard… were obviously two different entities from two different worlds, and there was no reason why they needed to interact with one another!
With a face of playfulness and pity, Ye Qingsheng said, “It wasn’t easy for you to survive, and yet you’re rushing to your death now.”
His eyebrows sank as he waved his hand. “Capture that brat now! But don’t be too violent and kill him. Young Master will be very interested in finding ways to kill him!”
As he finished speaking, a man dressed in black who was behind him rushed forward like lightning and attempted to grab Yun Che… From the ten people, only he moved. Among the ten, the lowest in profound cultivation was still in the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm. To handle someone who was merely in the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, even one person would be overkill.
“Yun Che, be careful!” Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli shouted together in panic. At the same time, they grabbed their ice swords and wanted to move forward to defend against the attack with Yun Che. They had already personally felt these people’s strengths. Although the ten men dress in black were just followers, any one of them would be much stronger than anyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Facing the man in black that was rushing towards him, Yun Che’s cold expression did not change, nor did he move from his position one bit. He only stretched out his palm and made a slight wave with his hand.
Boom!!!
A thunderous, loud explosion suddenly rang out, and the man in black who was still ten meters away from Yun Che… had instantly disappeared from where he was in the midst of the noise and landed on a stone wall thirty meters away before falling heavily onto the ground. His body was dyed with blood and went soft . After that, he did not move at all as though he was a stray dog that had just been beaten up.
The entire area, at that instant, had violently shaken.
Frozen Cloud Divine Hall became dead silent. Ye Qingsheng, Ye Ziyi… as well as everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard was stunned right there… The man in black was in the ninth level of the Emperor Profound Realm, and even within the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies, not one of them were his match. When he rushed at Yun Che, the pressure emitted from his profound strength was exceptionally intense. Even someone in the fifth level of the Emperor Profound Realm would be taken down in an instant.
As for Yun Che… he merely… waved his hand a little!!
“Haokong!!!” After the men in black had regained their senses, they hastily rushed forward. The moment they touched the man in black’s body, their eyes trembled and revealed deep fear.
“All of his meridians are severed… his bones are broken… dead… already dead …” uttered a man in black, his voice trembling.
“Whaa… whatttt!!” Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi were extremely shocked as cold sweat ran down their backs.
A level nine Throne… died… all his meridians were severed and his bones shattered… His opponent was only a level three Throne, and he only casually waved his hand! It really was only one casual wave. Before then, they did not detect Yun Che attempt to gather any profound energy. There was not even a slight wave of profound energy… nor had he used any profound skill!
He even did it through the air… and was at least ten meters away!
Given their cultivation that was in the middle stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm, they naturally could also kill a level nine Throne in one move… However, that would use up to eighty percent of their strength, and they would definitely not be able to do it as casually as Yun Che had done… They also could not possibly rely only their profound aura to kill through the air! Needless to say, severing someone’s meridians and shattering their bones…
Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli, who were originally about to intervene, were stunned, and all the women from Frozen Cloud Asgard stared wide-eyed with their mouths agape. They dared not believe the scene that they had just witnessed. Gong Yuxian’s eyes trembled in an exceptionally vigorous fashion, and her breaths became much shallower… Yun Che did not die. She believed that with Yun Che unparalleled talent, within three years, his strength would definitely increase by leaps and bounds.
However, no matter how fast one’s speed of growth was, it was not possible to reach a level that could easily defeat an Overlord in the short span of three years… Therefore, Yun Che’s return brought her shock, joy… and eventually fear.
Furthermore, never in her wildest dreams would she imagine that… today’s Yun Che could causally kill a level Throne in a matter of seconds.
Although she has not interacted with anyone above the Emperor Profound Realm before, she clearly knew that in order to do so… one had to at least be in the latter stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm!!
Chapter 660 - Scared Witless
All of the contempt that Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi possessed morphed in stone cold fear. They were not idiots; even though the other party’s profound aura was only at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, they were very clear what level of profound strength was required to perform the feat that he had just displayed…
They had never paid any attention to the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament because, to the Sacred Grounds, the Seven Nations were inferior existences. If not for the might of the Phoenix Divine Spirit, they would not even pay any mind to the strongest nation, the Divine Phoenix Empire. So the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament was only a place where the strongest amongst the weak went to play. So they knew the name “Yun Che,” not only because he had caused the Divine Phoenix Empire to lose the first time in the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, but also because of the anger this name had caused Ye Xinghan after he had returned from the Divine Phoenix Empire.
And at this time, they began to vaguely remember… three years ago, Yun Che had beaten the ten strongest members of the youngest generation of the Divine Phoenix Empire, and his profound level had only been at the Earth Profound Realm. At that time, nearly everyone in Sun Moon Divine Hall expressed their disbelief and even treated it as a joke.
In addition, the ten Divine Phoenix disciples he had defeated were all in the mid-stage of the Emperor Profound Realm… and some of them were even late stage Thrones.
So if that rumor was true… and if the Yun Che at the Earth Profound Realm could defeat late stage Thrones, then the Yun Che who now had the profound power of the Emperor Profound Realm…
The impact that scene had on Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi was simply too great. Their hearts and souls were greatly shaken, completely unable to calm down. Facing this young man who only exuded an aura that was at the third level of the Emperor Profound, their hearts started to beat harder and harder in their chests.
Ye Qingsheng could no longer laugh. The only thing he could do was pray that what happened just now was only a coincidence that could not be duplicated. With that, he grit his teeth and gave a flourish of his hand. “All of you advance together… capture him!!”
As Ye Qingsheng’s command cut through the air, the profound energy of the nine, black-robed Thrones exploded outwards. They gave a low cry and rushed towards Yun Che from multiple directions. The eyes of every single one of them gleamed with viciousness, and they held nothing back. Nine strong profound auras caused ripples to criss-cross through the intervening space… their companion had been killed in an instant by this young man who was weaker than him by half a realm, and perhaps that could be written off as a unique coincidence, but if nine people advanced together, this kind of “coincidence”… could not appear no matter what happened!
Nine Thrones who were at the eighth level and above launched an all-out assault against a level three Throne. Before today, if they had heard of it, they would all definitely feel that such a situation would be extremely funny. But right now, while Yun Che’s profound strength was actually at the Emperor Profound Realm, his true strength had never been comparable to the level of his profound strength. So even though he was also at the Emperor Profound Realm, the strength of someone at the Emperor Profound Realm was to him… something that could only be described as “utterly weak.”
Despite facing the all-out assault of nine Thrones, Yun Che’s feet still remained rooted to the ground, and not a single ripple could be seen in his eyes. He only raised his arm as a blue light flashed in his palm. Following a flourish of his hand, nine ice spirits suddenly shot out… the speed of the ice spirits was extremely fast, and nine blue lines were traced through the air. Those nine Thrones didn’t even register the blue flashes of light before the ice spirits made contact with their chests.
Chink, chink, chink, chink, chink, chink…
The blue lights were as small the lights of fireflies, but the moment those nine Thrones came into contact with them, their entire bodies were bathed in blue light as they morphed into ice statues… They had been completely frozen from the inside out!
There were no wails nor horror. Not even an instance of resistance was displayed. There was only the heavy ring of nine objects solidifying into solid ice… and in the very next instant, nine ice statues fell from midair to smash against the ground.
Bang, bang, bang, bang…
Once the ice statues came into contact with the ground, they instantly shattered into pieces. Some of them shattered into tiny fragments while others broke into several big chunks. Even the least damaged statue had snapped at the waist as numerous cracks ran through his body. As for those who had flown the highest, their bodies had been shattered into dregs of ice… Moreover, along the floor that was filled with broken fragments, not a single trace of blood could be seen. That was because even their blood had been instantly and completely frozen in that one moment.
“Wha… wha… what?!!” Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi backed up a step simultaneously… the two mighty Overlords’ pupils shrank into pinpricks, and even their legs could be seen to be trembling.
Nine high level Thrones were frozen and sealed in an instant… and the most horrifying fact was that after their frozen bodies had naturally fallen from the air, they actually all shattered on the cold and hard ground as if they were all made of regular ice.
As high level Thrones, they had the profound strength of the Emperor Profound Realm protecting their body. Even if they fell to the bottom of an extremely deep ravine, there was no way their bodies would have shattered solely because of that. Additionally, even if they were sealed in ice, their protective profound energy should have still remained… Not only that, even if they had died in that instant, their profound energy should not have immediately and completely dissipated/disappeared.
But the scene that had just unfolded right before their very eyes was so horrifying that they could scarcely believe it… They had begun to suspect whether this was an illusion that simply did not exist in reality… or perhaps they were stuck in a nightmare.
Unless… unless in that instant, not only were their bodies sealed in ice, but even their profound energy was sealed in ice as well.
Furthermore, this level of strength, how could it appear on someone who was only around twenty years old and whose profound energy aura was only at that of the Emperor Profound Realm?!
“Ah…” Behind Yun Che, all the girls of Frozen Cloud Asgard cried out in astonishment and unwittingly raised their hands to their lips, and even Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies were completely dumbfounded… the scene they had just witnessed was a million times more shocking than when he had killed that level nine Throne in an instant.
This was a power that they had never seen before, one that even completely exceeded the bounds of their understanding!
To be able to kill a level nine Throne in an instant was something that Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi could do as well. But to simultaneously kill nine late-stage Thrones, even if the both of them cooperated together, it was something they definitely could not do… and when Yun Che made his move, not only were they unable to sense the slightest ripple of profound energy, during the entire process, he had only waved his hand in an extremely casual manner… it was as if he had only used the energy it would take to lift a finger.
Both of them had been rendered completely breathless as the cold sensation in their bodies instantly swelled up tens of times over. But at this point, Yun Che’s gaze fell on their bodies and they felt a thick and fierce killing intent lock in on them. “Now, it’s your turn.”
After being targeted by Yun Che’s killing intent, their bodies suddenly ran cold, as if there was a python twisting around their bodies only to set their venomous fangs against their throat.
A terror they had never felt before spread through their entire bodies. If they were previously unsure of the gap between their power and Yun Che’s, the moment Yun Che’s killing intent locked on to them… that indescribable, bone-piercing cold, caused their very hearts and souls to shiver so severely that they could not control themselves no matter what they did, and that very oppressive pressure also caused their profound strength to curl up and become sluggish. All of these things led them to discover, to their horror, that this young man not only had a profound strength that far surpassed the Emperor Profound Realm, he was also stronger than the two of them, both mid-stage Overlords, by nearly an entire realm as well!
They had only ever experienced such a strong might and pressure in the presences of a Monarch.
The Yun Che in front of them… just a flourish of his hand was enough to instantly kill nine late-stage Thrones… so he definitely had the ability to kill the both of them!”
Ye Qingsheng started to shuffle his feet backwards… That was a movement which indicated that he was prepared to flee at any moment. At this time, he already knew that he could definitely not behave arrogantly, no matter the circumstances. He forced his terror down and did not allow it to show on his face while giving a low shout, “Yun Che! You…. Do you know who we are…”
“I don’t know who the both of you are.” Yun Che’s every word was as heavy as a gigantic boulder smashing against their chests. “But I do know one thing… that the both of you are about to become dead men!”
RIIP!!
Before the sound of Yun Che’s voice had finished falling, his figure instantly blurred as his real body appeared in front of Ye Ziyi like a ghost… His speed was way too fast, it was so quick to the point that no one had any time to react at all, and even when he appeared before the two of them, both of these mighty Overlords were still focused on the still-present afterimage that he had left behind.
“Ah!!” The figure that abruptly appeared caused Ye Qingsheng, whose nerves were already tightly wound, to give a strangled cry in shock and fear as he shot backwards like an arrow. However, Yun Che’s hand already had formed a death grip around Ye Ziyi’s throat, and with a simple shrug of his shoulders, he completely lifted him off the ground.
Ye Ziyi’s eyes widened into saucers, and his eyeballs started bulging out as his entire face turned beet red… that hand around his throat was simply too fierce and tight, so much so that he was unable to even utter a groan of pain. Moreover, all of the profound energy in his body was completely suppressed by an extremely tyrannical strength. It completely sealed his every moment and did not even allow him resist even in the slightest. It was as if Yun Che was lifting a rigid corpse into the air.
Ye Qingsheng stumbled backwards in terror as the pretty faces of the women of Frozen Cloud Asgard completely went pale… Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi, both of them were incomparably powerful Overlords, and it was also the two of them that forced everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard into this desperate situation. To them, they were stronger and more terrifying than demons. They were existences that could not be resisted or defeated, no matter what they did.
Despite that, Yun Che had actually grabbed such a terrifying person by the throat, and that person could only twitch and convulse in that death grip without even being able to fight back… even both of his hands flopped uselessly at his side… he did not even have the strength to lift up both hands!
If he was not being completely suppressed by such an absolute power, how would it be possible for this mighty Overlord to not even be able to muster the slightest bit of resistance.
Ye Ziyi’s pupils slowly dilated, and it seemed like they were going to explode out of his eyes as they were filled with terror, despair, and pleading. But why would Yun Che show even the slightest bit of mercy? With a slight twitch of his fingers, the bones in Ye Ziyi’s throat were reduced to fine powder. Yun Che gave a low shout after that, “My Frozen Cloud Asgard had no quarrel or complaint with you, yet you have behaved against us in such an evil and vicious manner… even though you are only lapdogs… even if you died ten thousand times, it would not redeem your sins! Die!!!”
As the word “die” was spoken, a flame flashed in Yun Che’s eyes, and the red-hot Golden Crow flames ignited in his hand. It instantly spread to Ye Ziyi’s body and turned him into a human torch. Ye Ziyi, whose entire body was being baptised in the Golden Crow flames, was in such pain that even his pupils spasmed, and all of his fear and pleading was turned into extreme pain and despair…
The flames in Yun Che’s hands soared into the sky, and after a few breaths, they swiftly fell. Finally, after the flames died out and the last fire petal hit the ground, Ye Ziyi’s body had already completely disappeared… not even ashes remained.
The Frozen End Divine Hall had descended into an absolute silence. While the air had turned scorching hot, Ye Qingsheng’s entire body went cold, and he felt as if he had been plunged into a frozen hell. He could only helplessly look on as Ye Ziyi was, in the span of a few breaths, reduced to ashes by Yun Che without even the slightest opposition… His body went limp the moment he saw Ye Ziyi’s body completely disappear, and as Yun Che’s gaze slowly rotated over to him, he let out a shrill and strangled cry as he scrambled up the wall, attempting to desperately climb to freedom… It was as if he was a defeated dog who had been completely scared out of his mind.
Chapter 661 - New Asgard Master
However, even if Ye Qingsheng’s speed was ten times faster, it would still be impossible for him to escape from Yun Che’s palms. Yun Che stood still, reached out his arm, and an invisible cold air stabbed through the space, instantly shooting out further than three hundred kilometers. The body of Ye Qingsheng, who was desperately escaping, became stiff and fell onto the ground while he was screaming. Following that, his whole body was frozen under a layer of ice that was rapidly getting thicker.
“Keep… keep him alive!” exclaimed Gong Yuxian with a rapid voice.
Even without Gong Yuxian’s reminder, Yun Che wasn’t planning to kill Ye Qingsheng in the first place. He had already confirmed that these people were from the Sun Moon Divine Hall, but he still didn’t know why they would attack the Frozen Cloud Asgard… especially when these people were obviously under the command of Ye Xinghan himself!
At the very least, he must figure out the reason behind this… especially Ye Xinghan’s goal.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Qingsheng’s whole body was completely sealed with ice, and whether it was his body or profound energy, they were all sealed completely. He laid on the ground without moving. Yun Che opened his palm, and along with a chaotic airflow, Ye Qingsheng’s ice sealed body flew up from the ground, quickly flew backwards until it landed by Yun Che’s foot, and was heavily stamped on by Yun Che’s feet … The moment his feet landed, the ice layer that covered Ye Qingsheng’s whole body shattered in an instant.
Ye Qingsheng wasn’t unconscious. Without the ice layer on his body, his whole body was still shivering from the cold, and his face was covered with bruises, but his profound energy was completely suppressed and locked by a strength that was so strong he couldn’t even resist against it. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to use any of it.
Yun Che lifted his eyes and slowly moved his feet away from Ye Qingsheng’s back. Even without Yun Che stepping on him, that overbearing force of suppression still existed. On top of that, his body was completely frozen stiff. Not mentioning standing up, he couldn’t even lift his arms or turn his head. There was only weak, unclear moaning coming from his mouth.
Bang!
Yun Che kicked Ye Qingsheng into a corner of the Frozen End Divine Hall, didn’t give him another look, and hurried to Gong Yuxian’s front. Because he felt that Gong Yuxian’s breath was getting weaker by the moment, if it kept going on like this, her life would end at any moment.
“Asgard Mistress, you asked me to keep him alive, was it to question them where they are from?” Yun Che asked peacefully while facing Gong Yuxian as he started to circulate Great Way of the Buddha and gather the nature’s energy.
Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, Feng Hanxue… and all of the Frozen Cloud disciples looked straight at him with blank looks on their faces. All of their eyes were in a haze as if they were covered with ice mist and in a blur as if they were in a dream… Perhaps, they supposed, up until this very moment, they were still in the most fantastic dream.
A catastrophic calamity. During these six months, they were always in a desperate, hopeless situation… Their enemies included two Overlords and ten late-stage Thrones, and they could not fight against that power no matter what. For six months, they relied on the last breath of the Frozen End Divine Hall. Today, when the villains broke open the Frozen End Divine Hall, every one of them had prepared for death and had already stopped hoping for any miracle to appear… but, Yun Che, who had died three years ago on the Primordial Profound Ark… the only male disciple of their Frozen Cloud Asgard actually came back at the very last moment and appeared before them.
Not only did he miraculously come back alive, his strength had become so strong that it was both completely unbelievable and incomprehensible. Ten strong, high-level Thrones were all killed by him in two short seconds; Overlords that were considered as so strong that they were horrifying and exceeded the existence of legends to Blue Wind Nation could not resist in front of Yun Che at all; they were no different from newborn babes.
The danger that placed them in a desperate situation was solved in the blink of an eye because of Yun Che’s return. The eleven villains who they hated and feared were all dead with their bodies unwhole, and the only one that remained was paralyzed, effectively dead. But none of them cheered in joy because all of this was too unreal. At this moment, they couldn’t believe the Yun Che before their eyes was the Yun Che that they knew.
“Yes…” Gong Yuxian nodded slowly. “Our Frozen Cloud Asgard… cannot… not know… why we’re suffering from this disaster… cough… cough, cough…”
Gong Yuxian coughed severely, and a trace of black blood fell from the corner of her mouth.
“Mistress!” Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie exclaimed, and immediately, they started to transfer their own profound energy into her body in desperation. Yun Che also put his palm onto her chest right away and let the nature’s essence that he had just gathered flow into her lifeline. “Asgard Mistress, don’t worry. We will definitely be able to get to the bottom of this… The person behind this, no matter who it is, will have to pay a heavy price for this… Asgard Mistress, don’t speak now, close your eyes and calm yourself… There is no danger any longer, you just have to heal your wounds in peace and you will recover very soon!”
“No…” But Gong Yuxian shook her head and said, “There are somethings, that I must… say now…”
Gong Yuxian’s voice was trembling and weak, but at this moment, her eyes were not unfocused anymore. Instead, they were bright and clear; even the weak vitality in her body had suddenly stabilized… But Yun Che didn’t stop worrying at this change; rather, his heart immediately sunk…
This was… a moment of clarity right before death!
Gong Yuxian was using all of the remainder of her life force… in exchange for one last bit of short clarity.
“Asgard Mistress, you…”
“Don’t… say anything… Listen to me… listen to me…” Gong Yuxian’s lips were trembling, and her weak voice was filled with deep urgency, causing Yun Che to not dare to interrupt her anymore. “Yun Che… Can you tell me… what realm your strength is at now?”
Everyone’s focus gathered on Yun Che once again. They were all incredibly curious of what realm his strength was at now, but Yun Che knew that Gong Yuxian absolutely did not ask this question out of curiosity. He seriously responded, “My profound strength realm is at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, but if I use all of my strength, I might be able to battle against a Monarch that is under the third level.”
Battle… against a Monarch?
Indescribable shock and looks of disbelief revealed themselves on the Frozen Snow disciple’s beautiful faces as they all gasped uncontrollably. If Yun Che were to use all of his strength, he could battle against a Monarch… That meant, Yun Che’s strength now, was already at the legendary… Sovereign Profound Realm!!
This was the highest realm that could be reached by the profound practitioners not only in Blue Wind Nation, but the entire Profound Sky Continent! It was the peak plane in this world! Once one entered this realm, one would become a true Monarch among humans! A true legend of the profound way.
Gong Yuxian’s expression was very calm, but in her eyes, an instant of bright brilliance flashed. She said slowly, “Then do you… still admit… that you are a disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard?”
“If Asgard Mistress doesn’t expel me, I will always be the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard,” Yun Che claimed without hesitation. He reached out his palm, and a, ice-blue frost crystal slowly appeared in the center of his palm. “This Frozen Cloud Soul Crystal was personally given to me by Grand Asgard Mistress back then, and it is the proof of my identity as the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Even though I have left Frozen Cloud Asgard for three years, this has always been on this disciple and was never left behind.”
Looking at the Frozen Cloud Soul Crystal in Yun Che’s hand, Gong Yuxian’s eyes showed movement. She used all of her strength to slowly nod, and even her voice was accompanied with excitement, “Good… good… good… In a short six years… from no profound strength at all to being able to battle against a Monarch… Only six years… There has never been a case like this before in the Profound Sky Continent… Even though we are also a petty existence… you are still… willing to admit that you are my asgard’s disciple… You are indeed… a man who values relationships… No wonder… Yuechan was willing to abandon the Frozen Cloud for you… Qingyue wasn’t able to stop worrying because of you… Senior Master even broke the thousand year sect rule to let you become the first male disciple…”
Gong Yuxian said these many things in one go, but her face become rosy from pale. Yun Che knew that this wasn’t because her status was improving, but it was because she was another step closer to death. “Qingyue married you… Yuechan left the asgard because of you… I once thought that you were a misfortune to Frozen Cloud… When Senior Master accepted you as a male disciple, I also once couldn’t accept or understand it… But today, I just found out that you are not only not a misfortune to Frozen Cloud, you are the savior given to my Frozen Cloud Asgard by the heavens… If it wasn’t for you, Frozen Cloud Asgard wouldn’t exist after today… Senior Master was indeed insightful and wise…”
“Mistress, stop talking.” Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue were already so anxious that they were close to crying. “The danger has passed. We will take you to the Frozen Heart Hall immediately… When we get there, you will definitely recover very soon.”
“No…” Gong Yuxian weakly shook her head, and in determination said, “Don’t move me… Finish… finish listening to what I have to say… Yun Che… Since you admit your identity as the disciple of Frozen Cloud, then are you… willing to listen to my, this Asgard Mistress’, command?”
“…” Yun Che nodded. He didn’t try to convince Gong Yuxian because he knew that, to someone who was already filled with the will to die, even the strongest medical skills wouldn’t be able help. “I am the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Naturally, I will listen to the command of the Asgard Mistress.”
“Good…” Gong Yuxian’s voice trembled even harder, her tone was suddenly even more solemn and just. “Frozen Cloud’s disciple, Yun Che… kneel down and listen to my command!”
Yun Che was stunned slightly, but facing the current Gong Yuxian, he couldn’t refuse at all. He kneeled down on one knee in seriousness before her, and at this moment, he saw Gong Yuxian’s right palm slowly open. A small, exquisite, diamond-shaped icicle floated in the air above the back of her palm, and it released a strange, fantastic blue light.
Looking at this icicle, the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies were all severely moved, and as they lost their voices, stammered, “That… that is…”
“This icicle is called the ‘Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul,’ it carries all of the Frozen Cloud Asgard’s arts, secrets, and precious memories of the past Asgard Mistresses. With this, you can also unlock every restriction in the asgard… and this, is also the proof of identity of my Frozen Cloud Asgard for the Asgard Mistress…” Gong Yuxian reached out, her arms trembling, and placed the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul before Yun Che.
“I will now… give you this ‘Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul’… From now on, you will be my Frozen Cloud Asgard’s… New Asgard Master!”
Chapter 662 - Divine Phoenix Coming Again
Gong Yuxian’s words and shocking actions were obviously her dying will. Murong Qianxue heavily shook her head. “Asgard Mistress, don’t be like this… you’ll definitely be fine. Our Frozen Cloud Asgard needs you.”
“Asgard Mistress! We’ve already escaped from danger and you’ll be able to recover soon. Now… is not the time to pass on the position of Asgard Mistress.”
“Asgard Mistress…”
“Don’t try to persuade me…” Gong Yuxian smiled, “My profound strength has completely dispersed. Even if I fully recover, I would still only be a cripple and will only become a burden to Frozen Cloud Asgard… The only reason why I’ve forcefully willed myself to stay alive was because I was not yet satisfied. Now that Frozen Cloud Asgard has escaped danger and the most suitable person to become Asgard Master has appeared, I can finally… be at ease and accompany Senior Master…”
Originally, the next in line for Asgard Mistress was Xia Qingyue. However, over five months ago, under the crisis, Gong Yuxian forcefully ordered Xia Qingyue to flee using the profound escape formation, but due to the panic caused by her fright, she had forgotten to pass her the “Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul…” Currently, if Yun Che were able to become the Asgard Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard, then that would perhaps be an even better ending. Or perhaps that was also heaven’s will.
“Yun Che… I am well aware that me passing the position of Asgard Mistress to you… is quite tough on you… With your current cultivation, even if you entered one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, you would probably still be able to obtain a high position… But… even though the calamity has temporarily passed, the mastermind behind these villains is an enormous power that Frozen Cloud Asgard simply cannot contend against… Me… selfishly… handing over Frozen Cloud Asgard to you… is my command as Asgard Mistress… and also… my request… Please… you must… promise… promise me…”
Gong Yuxian focused all her energy into her hand to grab onto the front of Yun Che’s clothes. Her eyes were tearful and were completely filled with deep beseechment… Right, beseechment.
Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Mistress… was the “supreme” noble identity in Blue Wind Nation. The prestigious name was so prosperous that it even exceeded the name of the Blue Wind Emperor, and only the title of Heavenly Sword Villa Master could be compared with it. But now, she was begging a person deeply to succeed the position of Asgard Mistress… and that person was a man; it was unprecedented in the history of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
This was because Gong Yuxian knew clearly that the disaster of Frozen Cloud Asgard was not over yet, it was only the beginning. Those people that were demolished by Yun Che were only a few underlings, and there were only so many forces in Profound Sky Continent that could have Overlords as their underlings. She had even already vaguely surmised that the person behind all of this was possibly those who could undermine the entire Profound Sky Continent… one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds…
To save Frozen Cloud Asgard, she could only grab onto the last resort, which was the first, and also the only, male disciple in the history of Frozen Cloud Asgard… Yun Che, who was only at the mere age of twenty-two, yet with enough strength to have already stepped into the Sovereign Profound Realm.
The Frozen Cloud Asgard that was all female had a male as their Asgard Master; this would definitely attract the criticism of everyone under heaven. Yun Che knew, if they weren’t pushed into such a desperate situation, they would definitely not have made such a decision. Gong Yuxian didn’t want to see Frozen Cloud Asgard destroyed, and Yun Che was the same. How would he be willing to see that… Xia Qingyue belonged here, Chu Yuechan also belonged here, the Frozen Cloud Arts and Frozen End Divine Arts also came from this place… Frozen Cloud Asgard and himself were already linked in countless ways.
“…Alright!” Under Gong Yuxian’s imploring gaze , Yun Che took a deep breath, nodded slowly, reached out his right hand, and touched the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul with the back of his hand.
The Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul released a gentle blue light, automatically flew towards Yun Che, and then disappeared little by little above the back of his hand.
Yun Che held his own right hand, felt the existence of the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul, and said slowly with determination, “Asgard Mistress, don’t worry. Unless I die, I will absolutely not let anyone bully my Frozen Cloud Asgard!”
Watching silently as the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul disappeared into Yun Che’s right hand, Gong Yuxian’s saddened expression was immediately replaced with endless satisfaction. She calmly closed her eyes, and said in a soft voice, “Good… good… Thank you… With your words, even if I die… I… can… rest… in… peace…”
Gong Yuxian’s voice became softer with every word, and when the last word of hers had fallen, the last breath of her life faded away the same moment her voice… completely disappeared… After she passed on the Asgard Mistress’ position to Yun Che, she left in peace.
“Mistress…”
“Asgard Mistress!!”
The grief-imbued yell of the Frozen Cloud disciples sounded in this ice-cold space. they kneeled by Gong Yuxian’s body as their tears of pain fell… The record from thousands of years ‘till now of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, the past Asgard Mistresses all died of old age, but this generation suffered from such calamity. Gong Yuxian’s expression when she passed away was peaceful and calm, but her fingers were still clenched together, showing that she still had much hatred and unwillingness… she died with her hatred.
Yun Che stood up and gave a deep sigh. This calamity wasn’t solved because of his return. Even though Frozen Cloud Asgard was somewhat saved, its foundation and support… Grand Asgard Mistress Feng Qianhui and Asgard Mistress Gong Yuxian had died one after another. In addition, those who allowed the Frozen Cloud Asgard to suffer from this calamity was Sun Moon Divine Hall…
Under Gong Yuxian’s imploring, he did not expect to accept the position of the Asgard Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard… The Frozen Cloud Asgard now was under the incredibly terrifying shadow of Sun Moon Divine Hall, so the position of Asgard Master also became incredibly heavy.
But since he dared to accept it, he had the awareness that maybe, one day, he would have to face the Sun Moon Divine Hall head on… Even more so, him and that Ye Xinghan already shared a bitter hatred of the other.
“Let Asgard Mistress… rest in the ice coffin,” heavily said Yun Che as he looked at the Frozen Cloud disciples crying overwhelmingly in front of him.
Southeast of Blue Wind Imperial City, thirty-five kilometers away.
As one of the commanders of the Divine Phoenix Army, Han Xingzhao had already completed the mission of taking over of the west area of the Blue Wind Nation. Besides being told to ignore Heavenly Sword Villa, all of the west area of the Blue Wind Nation was already under his control. These days they were all paying attention to the progress of the main army… Taking over the Imperial City was something just around the corner, and soon enough, there would no longer be a Blue Wind Nation. Instead, there would be a “Divine Phoenix Empire’s Blue Wind Realm,” and they could return to their nation with honor very soon.
Yesterday, he had already known that the Divine Phoenix Army had arrived at Blue Wind Imperial City.
Today, he was originally prepared to send a sound transmission to ask about the results of the battle… however, whether it was the main army’s commander-in-chief, Qi Zhencang, or the vice commander, Duan Qinghang, none of them responded. Moreover, he and his subordinate then tried to send a sound transmission to almost everyone in the main army who had a sound transmission imprint… but none of them responded.
In shock, he immediately sent a ten thousand mile sound transmission to Feng Hengkong, and under the order of Feng Hengkong, he transferred all of the mounts and aerial pets, accompanied with fifty thousand soldiers of Divine Phoenix Army, and rushed to Blue Wind Imperial City with the troops moving faster than ever. On the whole way there, he was extremely anxious.
The supervisor who accompanied him… Feng Hengjiang, the fifty-second elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, his expression was also darkened the whole way there. If it was just one or two people that didn’t respond to the sound transmission, then maybe they were focused on the battle and didn’t have time to respond, but none of them responded… this was absolutely abnormal.
When the sky begun to get dark, they were finally thirty-five kilometers away from Blue Wind Imperial City, but the scene before them stunned them all for a very long time.
“What… what is going on!?”
There was no sound of battle or yelling at all. This place was so quiet that it was frightening. Not only that, but the land in front was actually sunken to an extreme degree, and it sunk in an incredibly smooth manner… Not mentioning the things that a battlefield should have, like traces of fighting, bodies, or blood… there wasn’t even a trace of it being stepped on.
This view extended as far as the eye could see.
Facing this extremely strange scene, everyone stopped moving forward. Feng Hengjiang flew down and landed. He stood on the land that had been sunk to a large degree and his expression changed… He felt an aura of a flame, and he had a feeling… that this strange, boundless area… was a area of destruction that seemed to be created by strong, unparalleled strength!
Still,, even with all of the supervisors from the Divine Phoenix Sect that came here together this time, they couldn’t have created such enormous area of destruction… and the Blue Wind Nation, it was even more impossible for a strength like this to appear from them.
The most crucial point was… where did the army of seven hundred thousand, Nineteenth Elder, and Forty-third Elder go? They were near Blue Wind Imperial City that they were invading just this morning, but not even a shadow was to be seen!
Could it be…
An extremely horrifying thought appeared in Feng Hengjiang’s head, but he immediately denied it in panic… Impossible, how could something like this be possible!
“Fifty-second Elder, can you tell what happened to this area? What should we do now?” Han Xingzhao tried to ask calmly.
Feng Hengjiang’s expression changed. He gnashed his teeth and ordered, “We will, of course, see what is going on ourselves at Blue Wind Imperial City… there are only a few kilometers left. Immediately report the situation to the Sect Master and move forward at full speed!!”
“…Yes!”
Blue Wind Imperial City.
The sky started the dim, and the whole city was tense because they were still in the process of preparing for war since the Divine Phoenix Army could show up anytime.
Yun Che hadn’t returned from the Frozen Cloud Asgard for a long time. Cang Yue and the others couldn’t help but start to worry. At this moment, a panicked voice came from outside the hall.
“Your majesty… bad news!!”
Cang Yue hastily stood up from her throne and, with her eyebrows lowered, said, “Did the Divine Phoenix Army arrive!?”
A soldier of the Blue Wind in silver armor rushed in and kneeled on the ground. Then he rapidly said, “A wave of the Divine Phoenix Army is flowing in from the northwest … They are currently less than fifteen kilometers from the Imperial City.”
“What?” Cang Yue’s eyebrows jumped, and the expression of the generals in the main hall all changed suddenly. Feng Yunlie stood up and roared, “Why did we only notice when the Divine Phoenix Army is this close… Are the sentries at the frontlines all dead!?”
“Your majesty, general, calm yourselves… This wave of Divine Phoenix Army soldiers is probably around fifty thousand. But the speed of their troops was extremely fast. Among them, around twenty thousand of them are riding the Fire War Horse of the Divine Phoenix Nation, and the rest of the thirty thousand soldiers were all riding different types of aerial profound beasts… Their speed is really too fast… May your majesty immediately order us to fight.”
Twenty thousand Fire War Horses… and thirty thousand aerial profound beasts that were carrying the Divine Phoenix Army… Everyone in the main hall gasped a breath of cold air.
Aside from the fifty thousand soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army, just this frightening number of Fire War Horses and aerial profound beasts wasn’t something that the Blue Wind Imperial City could defend against right now.
But none of them showed panic on their faces because their Blue Wind Imperial City had a guardian that was as strong as god… more than hundred thousand soldiers of the Divine Phoenix’s Main Army were demolished by him in an instant. There was no need to mention fifty thousand!!
“Looks like after the main army was demolished, the Divine Phoenix Army on the west noticed that something was not right, so they came over in a hurry to see what is going on,” Cang Yue said peacefully.
Chapter 663 - The Overlord Returns
Looking out from Blue Wind Imperial City, the south-western sky was completely black. There were nearly twenty thousand aerial profound beasts with at least one Divine Phoenix soldier on each one. These aerial profound beasts consisted mostly of spirit profound beasts, but there were a few earth profound beasts as well… And the ones in the lead clearly released the aura of the Sky Profound Realm.
Underneath them, the Fire War Horses’ speed was no less compared to the aerial profound beasts. These Fire War Horses were also spirit profound beasts. Not only were they extremely fast, they also possessed a great amount of stamina, and their collision force also terrified their enemies They were a nightmare-like existence on the battlefield.
“Such an astonishing array of profound beasts… Probably comparable to Blue Wind’s army of several hundred thousand!” Xiao Yun inhaled a cold breath.
“Clearly, the enemy wanted to test us at all costs through using the speed of these profound beasts. At the same time, with the power of tens of thousands of profound beasts, even if they were facing a large miscalculation, they would still be able to handle it,” Number One Under Heaven said sullenly.
The sound of hurrying footsteps rang out behind the them. Cang Yue came over quickly, and behind her were Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang… The two of them had extremely heavy expressions. Under them, the city gate opened wide, and the Blue Wind Army that had been waiting rushed out, quickly getting into their battle formation, and formed a heavy defense in front of the city… However, looking at the gigantic horde of aerial profound beasts, there wasn’t any soldier without shock and terror on their faces.
“Your Majesty, let’s try a few more times… Our Blue Wind military can’t possibly defend against fifty thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers. What’s more terrifying is the profound beast horde. If Yun Che can’t come back immediately… The consequences will be unthinkable,” anxiously worried Dongfang Xiu .
Hearing a sound, the three of them turned around. Xiao Yun immediately asked, “Did something occur?”
Cang Yue held the sound transmission jade in hand and slowly said, “I just tried to send a sound transmission to my husband. I’ve already tried several times, but all of them had failed.”
“Ah?” The three of them were shocked. Xiao Yun quickly said, “Sound transmission failure? How… How is this possible! Big Brother is so powerful, it’s impossible for something to occur to him.”
“No, a sound transmission failing does not necessarily mean their sound transmission jade was destroyed,” Number One Under Heaven said calmly. “If they are somewhere with a special barrier or an isolation energy, it could also prevent sound from being transmitted. It must be the latter. Brother Yun is somewhere where sound can’t be transmitted.”
“Then… Then what are we going to do?” Xiao Yun started panicking.
“Of course it’s up to us to hold them back!” Number One Under Heaven waved his arm, and the profound energy from his body swirled up. “Why must Brother Yun rush back? Do the three of us not have enough power to delay this Divine Phoenix Army that is merely in the tens of thousands?” Number One Under Heaven looked meaningfully at Xiao Yun, his voice also becoming sullen, “Xiao Yun! I can understand that you don’t want your hands to be stained with blood. However, after encountering something slightly more difficult, the first thing you thought of is not to deal with it with your own power, but to rely on Brother Yun! You’re married now, and the one you married is my cutest little sister! If you want to become a real man, you hands can remain unstained with blood, but at the very least you have to become reliable… rather than habitually relying on someone else!”
Number One Under Heaven’s words caused Xiao Yun’s body to tremble before clenching his teeth and forcefully nodded. “I… I understand.”
“Big Brother, don’t say that about Brother Yun! Brother Yun’s personality is inherently kind. I don’t want him to change,” said Number Seven Under Heaven with an expression of displeasure as she held onto Xiao Yun’s arm.
The corner of Number One Under Heaven’s eye twitched. He could only turn around with a face that was completely crestfallen. Yet, at this moment, the large Divine Phoenix profound beast swarm was already less than two and a half kilometers away. A heavy pressure also passed from afar, and a huge wave of terror once again covered Blue Wind Imperial City.
Number One Under Heaven quietly said, “Don’t be scared by this. Remember, this isn’t our Demon Imperial City! It is a place where the level of profound energy is lower. We’re just facing some weak Divine Phoenix Army and low leveled profound beasts. The two of you have already entered the Tyrant Profound Realm. As long as there are no opponents capable of suppressing us, even if there were twice as many of them, we can stop it if all three of us work together!”
As Number One Under Heaven finished speaking, a green longbow appeared in his hands, and when he held the bow horizontal and pulled the bow string, twelve green profound arrows appeared on it… Once this was shot, these twelve profound arrows would not just extinguish twelve lives, but would pierce twelve terrifying holes through the gigantic army in sight… piercing through the front of the army, all the way to the back.
At this moment, an unusual profound energy wave emitted from the south causing Number Seven Under Heaven’s to exclaim loudly in shock, “Ah!! Look! What… What is that?!”
In the southern sky, a tiny gold dot suddenly appeared… Although it was tiny, it was as bright as stars in the night. Furthermore, it was very fast. In the blink of an eye, that golden light grew ten times larger… then another ten times… In less than one breath’s of time, it had already turned from a tiny light to a huge figure… It was completely gold, more than three hundred meters long, several tens of meters wide, and complicated golden lines floated around it.
As it neared Blue Wind Imperial City, its speed suddenly slowed down. The golden profound light it emitted also diminished. At the same time, a violent surge of air, carrying a mysterious yet heavy pressure from the south, rushed past, which caused the Blue Wind citizens on the city wall that were caught off guard to be blown away.
“That is… a profound ark?” exclaimed Number One Under Heaven as he used his hand to block the incoming violent air. Its outline, as well as the profound energy it released while it was flying, proved that it was a unique profound ark. However, the speed that this profound ark had just shown had surprised him despite his vast knowledge… Because, in terms of speed alone, it had already far surpassed the strongest profound ark of their Under Heaven Family.
What shocked him the most was not the golden profound ark, but the person riding it! Someone who had such a shocking profound arc was definitely not a simple person! If it was an enemy, then it would be disastrous!
Wave after wave of gasps spread throughout Blue Wind Imperial City. Everyone dumbly looked at the golden color profound ark in the air. The people shocked by this profound ark were not just those in Blue Wind Imperial City. Everyone in the Divine Phoenix Army was also staring at this golden profound ark. The spiritual pressure that the profound ark released caused all of them to subconsciously slow down, until they came to a full stop.
“What is that?” Han Xingzhao said thoughtfully. “Could it be… a profound ark?”
As he said that, he looked at Feng Hengjiang’s expression and noticed that his eyes and the muscles on his face… were all relentlessly twitching and trembling. He felt a shock in his heart and quickly said, “Fifty-second Elder, what is it?!”
Feng Hengjiang’s stared straight at the golden profound ark and raised his hands. His lips moved and moved for a long time before he finally made a sound. “Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark!”
“Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark?” Han Xingzhao showed an expression of confusion. “What is that… Could it be something very scary?”
Feng Hengjiang fiercely inhaled a breath of air. “Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark… The exclusive ark of the Saint Emperor, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s highest ruler!”
“Wh-wh-what!!” Han Xingzhao nearly fell off his aerial profound beast in complete shock after hearing that. He had never heard of the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark, but who had not heard of the name of “Saint Emperor”! He was the leader of the Four Great Sacred Grounds—The ruler of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, the supreme existence that gazed down at the entire Profound Sky Continent from above! The true number one existence on the Profound Sky Continent!
He said in shock, “Fifty-second Elder, could… could you be mistaken?! How could someone like the Saint Emperor come to… this sort of place.”
“I’m not wrong! There’s only one Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark in this world! I was lucky enough to see it one time back in the day when I followed Sect Master to visit Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. I’m definitely not mistaken.” Feng Hengjiang’s body and voice were trembling. As an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, he was someone that could walk against the law in the Profound Sky Seven Nations. However, in front of the name of “Saint Emperor,” he could not stop his body from shuddering no matter what. “Furthermore, the Saint Emperor highly values the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark and has never lent it to anyone. Even his godsons have no right to drive it privately. So, once the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark appears… It will definitely be the Saint Emperor himself!!”
It was at that moment, the golden profound ark finally came to a complete stop. The light and profound energy fluctuations almost completely disappeared. The golden profound ark floated quietly in the air, and on the right, one of the ark doors slowly opened… Han Xingzhao and Feng Hengjiang held their breaths, but before they could clearly see the figure that walked out from the ark door, an extremely terrifying rampaging aura had already locked onto them… They didn’t dare to move a muscle as they felt like they were held down by a mountain that was tens of thousands of meters tall.
A tall and muscular figure walked out from the ark door and then slowly flew down. His eyes stared at the black Divine Phoenix Army and profound beast swarm in the southwest. He wore a gray shirt that couldn’t be even more plain. It was even a bit tattered, and his muscular body could even be described as “gigantic.” He was at least four or five times the size of a normal adult, and just by standing there, he was like a small mountain of meat.
Han Xingzhao and Feng Hengjiang opened their pupils wide. Their entire bodies trembled uncontrollably… What frightened them was not the person’s muscular and unusual body, but his rage and killing intent… The rage of the aura that had locked onto them was like the molten magma of hell. Just under this aura, they felt as if their bodies would be torn to shreds any moment now. And the aerial profound beasts under them, as well as the Fire War Horses underneath, were all trembling erratically… They were even whimpering in terror.
“That… That person’s… aura is so terrifying!” Number One Under Heaven exclaimed. He knew in an instant that this person’s aura far surpassed his, who was at the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… It was clearly the power of the Monarch realm!
And by the strength of the aura, it didn’t seen to be weaker than an enraged Yun Che!!
Who was this guy… Wasn’t Blue Wind Nation the weakest in terms of profound energy levels in the Profound Sky Continent. If so, why did a Monarch appear?!
However, despite his shock, Number One Under Heaven was relieved as this person’s rage that was powerful to the point of being terrifying was directed at the Divine Phoenix Army… not Blue Wind Imperial City.
“Such… Such a huge person… There is actually someone this huge,” said Number Seven Under Heaven with her eyes wide.
Cang Yue, had already covered her mouth tightly, and after a long while, she finally couldn’t help back and shouted, “Yuan… Yuanba! It’s Yuanba!!”
They hadn’t met for five years, and from her point of view, Xia Yuanba didn’t seem look very different, but his body was far taller and more muscular compared to what she remembered, and his gaze and aura had changed in an even more extreme manner. It caused her to be unable to link him with the old Xia Yuanba she knew. However, what made her scream out the name “Yuanba” was the slightly tattered gray shirt on his body.
Back when Yun Che first entered the Blue Wind Profound Palace, when she helped Yun Che sew his training uniform, in order to hide her feelings for Yun Che, she also made a set for Xia Yuanba… Xia Yuanba always treated it like a treasure, and enjoyed wearing it. Five years had passed, and he still had not discarded it. Although it was tattered in a lot of places and could not cover his body since it had grown, he still wore it…
“Yuanba… Which… Which Yuanba?” Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang all blanked. No matter what, they could not link this person who was emitting such a terrifying aura and driving the golden profound ark with Xia Yuanba, who had little to no talent in the past, was only of the Elementary Profound Realm, and suffered tons of bullying in the Blue Wind Profound Palace.
“…” Cang Yue did not say anything. She was just so worked up that tears were about to fall… Yun Che returned, and now, Xia Yuanba had also returned… Everyone is safe and sound, this was great… great…
“Who… Who are you!” Feng Hengjiang held his breath and asked… His chest felt like it was being pushed down by a metal plate. He couldn’t even breathe even though he wanted to. The person in front of him was not the Saint Emperor. Compared to the Saint Emperor’s might, the rage and killing intent released by the person in front of his eyes terrified him more… That golden profound ark was the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark without a doubt! Why was this person allowed to drive the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark that the Saint Emperor never let others touch!
“The person sending you to hell!!” Xia Yuanba slowly raised his head, and that demonic gaze locked onto the entire Divine Phoenix army and profound beast swarm in front.
Three years ago, he left the Divine Phoenix Empire to follow Spiritual Master Ancient Blue and went into seclusion with intense hatred the second day after returning to Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. As he grew, he could feel the incredulous power hidden in his profound vein more and more clearly… In order to get revenge for Yun Che, he forced the power in his profound veins out at all costs…
Three years passed by in the blink of an eye. Yet the day he came out of seclusion, what he heard was the misfortune of the Blue Wind Nation being trampled upon by the Divine Phoenix Empire… He drove the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark with shocking speed and raced straight to the Blue Wind Nation. After passing the border of the Blue Wind Nation, he saw the scarred lands, the kinsmen that scattered around to escape like headless flies, the invaded and even burnt cities, as well as corpses that could be seen everywhere…
Infinite rage and hatred almost made his chest explode.
His eyes turned as red as blood, and he had no intention of stopping as he furiously flew in the direction of Blue Wind Imperial City, in hopes that the core of Blue Wind Nation had not been broken through yet.
And now, he had finally arrived. In his eyes, Blue Wind Imperial City had no signs of being invaded, and the rage that had boiled on for several hours finally found somewhere to be unleashed… The people in front wore crimson armor, proving their identities as part of the Divine Phoenix Army. As he saw them, he was unable to control the rage that he had suppressed.
Bang!!
In the explosion that sounded like a bomb going off, Xia Yuanba’s arm inflated in size. The originally thick arm became slightly thicker than a normal person’s body, and the aura moving in the air also reflected how he had become several times more irascible. In front of this terrifying and tyrannical might, Feng Hengjiang, who had the power of an Overlord, had no intention of resisting. His voice trembled in fear, “Wa… Wait! Senior from Absolute Monarch Sanctuary… We are… people of the Divine… Divine Phoenix Sect… Is there… some sort of… misunderstanding…”
“The ones I’m killing… are you… you animals of the Divine Phoenix Sect!” Xia Yuanba’s opened his eyes wide, his teeth clenched, and each word contained enough hatred and rage to make the earth tremble. His arm that had inflated so much that it was about to explode was furiously swung forward.
“Wait… Wait… UWAAAA…”
That moment when he swung his arm, Xia Yuanba’s entire body became scorching gold. The golden profound light released from his arm instantly covered the entire Divine Phoenix Army, including all the aerial profound beasts and the Fire War Horses, until it covered the sun.
The earth trembled, the entire Blue Wind Imperial City shook. In the golden radiance, the space crazily collapsed, and tens of thousands of spatial cracks and spatial black holes appeared forth, tearing and devouring everything that could be destroyed.
That one moment when the power in Xia Yuanba’s body surged, all of the living things covered by the golden radiance were torn mercilessly to shreds. Even those as strong as Feng Hengjiang only had a single breath remaining, and they were only a single crack away from shattering… In the next breath, they had already been demolished into blood stains as small as dust.
Chapter 664 - Frozen Cloud Post-Calamity
The startling sound of thunder blanketed a fifty kilometer radius, but once it died out, all that remained was a deathly silence.
Following the dissipation of the golden light, the south-west side of Blue Wind Imperial City had become an empty void. Whether it was the Divine Phoenix soldier or the enormous herds of profound beasts, all of them had disappeared… there were no corpses, no traces of blood, no fragments of broken armor. There was not even a trace of their existence left on this continent. The only thing that remained in the wake of that light was countless pitch-black, spatial tears which distorted as they rapidly shrunk and disappeared.
This was the second wave of Divine Phoenix forces to arrive today, and the way they had met their end was actually… exactly the same as their first wave!
Hundreds of thousands of Divine Phoenix Soldiers had been reduced to ashes in mere seconds under Yun Che’s wrathful flames. A thirty-five kilometer radius had been burned into nothingness… that scene had evoked extreme alarm and astonishment, and all of those who had personally witnessed it could not calm their hearts down. This was because what they saw was power which could truly raze the heavens and the earth; it was akin to the power described in those legends.
And to think that this kind of power and this kind of scenario… was once again played out for them in the same day. Not only that, but this time, it was not Yun Che but someone else altogether. What was similar, however, was that the foes they eradicated were all dire enemies of Blue Wind Nation… his wrathful aura and his shouts of rage was not any weaker than the explosion of fury that Yun Che had previously displayed.
The huge, dark green bow in Number One Under Heaven’s hand had vanished, and his heart was filled with boundless shock, but he was no longer panicked… the strength of this “giant” was incomparably terrifying, and it seemed like he was not any weaker than Yun Che, but he definitely was not an enemy because the target of his wrath had been the Divine Phoenix Army, and when he had released his power along with the fires of his wrath, he had purposely controlled and restricted the energy so that it would not affect Blue Wind Imperial City behind him… If not, even the slightest backlash from that attack would have reduced the southern part of Blue Wind Imperial City to rubble.
Number One Under Heaven took in a deep breath and asked Cang Yue, “Just now you shouted ‘Yuanba,’ is it that person’s name? Could it be that you know this person?”
“His name is Xia Yuanba, and he is the junior brother of my husband and I… and even more than that, he is a relative of my husband,” Cang Yue replied in a voice filled with emotion.
“Ju… ju… jun… junior brother?” The eyes of Number One Under Heaven and Xiao Yun widened into saucers as they found it hard to believe what they just heard. “Could it be that he is actually… younger than Big Brother?
“Yes, he is more than one year younger than my husband,” Cang Yue replied softly
“！#￥%….” Number One Under Heaven and Xiao Yun could practically hear the sound of their jaws hitting the floor.
In the air, Xia Yuanba had fully vented his fury following the complete destruction of the Divine Phoenix Army, and he had regained a modicum of calm. He slowly turned around and looked towards Cang Yue and Qin Wushang, who stood beside her. When Yuanba saw them, he, who had awoken the heart of a Tyrant and had long ago ceased to be cowardly and weak, felt his eyes quiver as they moistened slightly.
“Senior Sister Xueruo… Palace Chief Qin…” he said in a low voice as he swiftly flew over. During the period where he lived in the Blue Wind Profound Palace, besides Yun Che, it had been Cang Yue who had treated him the kindness while Palace Chief Qin had always taken care of him. When he saw that both of them were safe and sound… there was nothing that comforted his heart more.
Ping!!
A faint shattering sound that seemed to resonate from the deepest depths of the soul caused a frazzled and frustrated Feng Hengkong to immediately open his eyes as confusion fogged his vision for a moment… he could only hope that what he sensed was only a misconception.
But immediately, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from outside. What followed it was a shout that was filled with bewilderment, “Sect Master, this isn’t good! Fifty-second Elder’s soul crystal… suddenly shattered just a moment ago!”
“We sent a sound transmission to Fifty-second Elder and Commander Han who was together with him, but we received no response whatsoever!”
Feng Hengkong slowly rose to his feet, a dark cloud covering his face. It had not even been an hour since Han Xingzhao had sent a sound transmission to him, reporting that there was a weird calm settling over Blue Wind Imperial City, and not only were there not traces of the Divine Phoenix Army, there were not even any traces of battle… and now, the situation that occurred with the main Divine Phoenix Army occurred once again, and they had become impossible to contact with no new messages coming in!
What exactly was happening… over at Blue Wind Imperial City!
Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Yun Che used the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul in his body to release a unique restriction. After that he, together with all the ladies of Frozen Cloud Asgard, entered the Frozen Cloud Secret Grounds and deposited the ice coffins, in which the bodies of Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian rested, at the room at the very end of the area.
Murong Qianxua, Jun Lianqie. Mu Lanyi, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue knelt in front of the ice coffin, and all of the Frozen Asgard disciples behind them followed suit. They knelt for nearly two hours until Yun Che finally let out a soft sigh and said, “Let us depart and allow Mistress Gong to sleep in peace. She labored for Frozen Cloud Asgard her entire life, so it’s about time she enjoyed her well-deserved rest.”
Once he brought the gathered Frozen Cloud disciples out of the secret grounds, the sky outside had already darkened. Even though Frozen Cloud Asgard had met with a great calamity, they had the protection of their special barrier, and after that barrier had vanished, they had all huddled inside the Frozen End Divine Hall. As a result, no terrible battles had taken place, and the better part of Frozen Cloud Asgard had been preserved from harm.
The canopy of night had dyed Frozen Cloud Asgard in some sort of illusory beauty, transforming it into a fantasy of ice and snow, one of glittering snowflakes and crystalline glass. Yun Che glanced at the sky… there had been no sound transmissions from Blue Wind Imperial City, so it looked like no other Divine Phoenix soldiers had attacked it.
However, what he did not know was that the Frozen Cloud Secret Ground’s special restrictions not only blocked auras from outside… it even blocked sound transmissions as well.
“We greet the Asgard Master!”
Just as Yun Che was about to turn around, all of the women of Frozen Cloud… including the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies, had all knelt down and bowed their heads as they solemnly paid their respects to him. He hurriedly said, “Get up, get up, you do not need to pay respect to me. Even though I am the temporary Asgard Master, you don’t need to behave with such decorum towards me.”
Murong Qianxue sincerely replied, “It was due to the Asgard Master’s actions that Frozen Cloud Asgard, along with all our lives as well, were saved. Moreover, you are also the person who was personally appointed by the previous Asgard Mistress as the new leader of our sect. So according to both our emotions and the law, we still want to kneel before you in respect. From today onwards, we sisters and disciples will follow the orders of the Asgard Master.”
Every single one of the ladies of Frozen Cloud were paramount beauties, but their hearts were like ice and snow, making it hard for people to approach them. This had previously caused his teeth to itch while he secretly raged that Frozen Cloud Asgard was a sinful place which greatly wasted its natural resources… and now he had become the leader of this very Frozen Cloud Asgard, and all these women of Frozen Cloud now knelt at his feet. This feeling was indescribably complex and subtle…
“… Fine, but all of you quickly get up, you can consider this my first command as Asgard Master,” Yun Che said as he strove to keep a straight face.
All the ladies of Frozen Cloud rose to their feet, and even though their eyes still contained the bleak pain of being plundered when they gazed at Yun Che, they did not contain too much rejection towards their new male leader. Three years ago, when he was the first male disciple to ever be accepted in the history of Frozen Cloud Asgard, it caused all of the Frozen Cloud disciples to become puzzled… and this even included Gong Yuxian. But after that, he helped Murong Qianxue and the other fairies open their Profound Entrances and helped six of them achieve the world-shocking Heavenly God’s Spiritual Veins. In addition, coupled with him being able to understand the Frozen End Divine Art even faster than Xia Qingyue, these actions caused the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard to not reject or question him. It even caused them to lower their guards against him… and after a few months, they basically became used to his existence.
And now, he had returned in their hour of need and basically single-handedly rescued them from their certain doom and demise. Furthermore, the power that he had displayed caused them to be incontrovertibly convinced… the calamity hanging over Frozen Cloud Asgard had not been completely removed, but having Yun Che, who had strength at the Sovereign Profound Realm was undoubtedly like having a powerful guardian which they did not even dare dream of before.
After going through these nightmarish six months, they had since formed a dependence on their male sect master that was so strong that they themselves had not realized it yet.
“My senior and junior masters and all the various senior and junior sisters,” Yun Che said in a gentle and sincere tone, “Three years ago, I entered Frozen Cloud Asgard as its first male disciple, breaking a thousand years of regulation. And now that I have become Asgard Master, I still feel that it is rather inappropriate and it will bring about a great deal of criticism for our sect. The previous Asgard Mistress transferred the position to me because she didn’t have any other choice, so I will only temporarily assume the position of Asgard Master. When Qingyue comes back, I will immediately transfer the position of Asgard Mistress back to her. But everyone, do not worry. In the end, I am still a disciple of Frozen Cloud, so I will definitely keep my promise to the previous Asgard Mistress… unless I die, I will definitely not allow anyone to bully or trod on our Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
Gong Yuxian had passed down the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul to him, and inside of it lay the important memories of all the previous Asgard Mistresses and a large portion of the hidden secrets regarding Frozen Cloud Asgard. According to the records within, the escape profound formation that Xia Qingyue had used was a random teleportation formation, so no one would be able to decipher where she was sent to. In fact, it was not even known what the greatest scope of this teleportation would be.”
He also knew that the reason Ye Qingsheng and his goons attacked Frozen Cloud Asgard… was astonishingly Xia Qingyue!
This was something that caused him to be extremely confused while putting him on high alert. Xia Qingyue had spent sixteen years in the Floating Cloud City, and she had hardly left her own room. Even Yun Che, who was her fiance, had only seen her a few times in those sixteen years. After that, she had basically remained at Frozen Cloud Asgard and very rarely went abroad… even during those rare occasions, she had never left Blue Wind Nation before.
So why would the Sun Moon Divine Hall suddenly want to aim for Xia Qingyue?
Could it be that Ye Xinghan took a fancy to Xia Qingyue’s beauty?
That could not be… because Ye Xinghan should have never even seen Xia Qingyue before!
“Asgard Master, what should we do next?” Murong Qianxue asked in a quiet voice as her icy eyes filled with deep sadness and worry. Even up till now, they still did not understand why Frozen Cloud Asgard, which had never involved itself in worldly affairs, would be struck with such a terrible calamity.
All of those beautiful eyes turned towards Yun Che. In the face of this dire calamity, this young man of not more than twenty-two years of age had quietly become their support. After all, wherever you went, it was the law of nature, the strong ruled supreme, and it was the same everywhere else.
Yun Che gave a faint but heavy sigh and said, “Let us first interrogate this wretch who deserves to die!!”
Yun Che extended his hand, and a cold wind blew, causing the black-robed man to cry out as he was dragged from far away before heavily landing at his feet.
Ye Qingsheng’s profound strength had already been crippled by Yun Che, and his meridians were also severed, so he could not even commit suicide if he wanted to, much less resisting or running away. In this frozen snowscape, he, who had no profound energy to protect him, was so cold that he kept trembling and shivering as the extremely bitter cold sent countless icy needles piercing into his body with each breath. resulting in untold pain. He looked at Yun Che and his eyes contained no more pleading, it only contained terror… but he was not even able to utter a single sound from his mouth.
Looking at him, the faces of all the ladies of Frozen Cloud were filled with fury and resentment. Yun Che strode forward a step, and not wanting to waste any words on him, he simply extended his hand and caused his Profound Handle to fly out and sink into his body as he instantly performed the Profound Handle Soul Search.
Ye Qingsheng’s entire body trembled while both of his eyes quickly lost their focus and became blank pools.
“What is your name?” Yun Che asked blandly as he removed his palm.
“Ye… Qing… Sheng…” Ye Qingsheng’s voice quavered due to the cold.
Ye?
Yun Che’s brows faintly quivered… it was Sun Moon Divine Hall after all! Even though Sun Moon Divine Hall was not a power that was tied together by a family, all of the people who entered Sun Moon Divine Hall had to change their surname to “Ye.” He urgently asked, “Is the sect that you belong to Sun Moon Divine Hall?”
“…Yes…” Ye Qingsheng replied robotically.
Shouts of surprise and alarm rang around Yun Che. The name “Sun Moon Divine Hall” caused the pretty faces of the girls of Frozen Cloud to go pale.
There were not many powers within the Profound Sky Continent which had the ability to dispatch Overlords. During the past six months, the words “Sacred Ground” had occasionally appeared in their minds, but they immediately dismissed those words. Because in regards to Frozen Cloud Asgard and even the entire Blue Wind Nation, the Four Sacred Grounds were akin to divine palaces that were high above the heavens, so they would never, ever have any interaction with their Frozen Cloud Asgard… and there was even less reason for them to act in such a vicious manner towards them.
But the name that they had heard at this moment was indeed a name that belonged to the mythical Four Great Sacred Grounds that they could only gaze at from the ground.
“Who sent you here?” Amidst the voices filled with shock, confusion, and fright, Yun Che looked directly at Ye Qingsheng as he continued his questioning.
“It was Young Master… Ye Xinghan…”
“And Ye Xinghan sent the lot of you to Frozen Cloud Asgard in order to capture Xia Qingyue?” Yun Che asked with sunken brows.
“Yes… we also had to guarantee that Xia Qingyue… was not harmed at all in the process…”
“Why did he send you to capture her? What scheme does Ye Xinghan have regarding Xia Qingyue?” Yun Che’s voice grew even deeper and more severe.
Ye Qingsheng’s hollow eyes turned blank, and it was a long time before he replied, “I do not know…”
No lies could be uttered while someone was under the influence of the Profound Handle Soul Search. So since his answer was that he did not know, it could be confirmed that it was so.
The question that caused the most questions in Yun Che’s mind was not able to be answered, so he heavily sucked in a breath and abruptly asked, “And where did Ye Xinghan see Xia Qingyue? Or was it that he found out about Xia Qingyue’s existence from another source?”
“Young Master… has never seen Xia Qingyue before… Young Master had heard… the name of Xia Qingyue… from an elder belonging to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region…”
“An elder from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region?” Yun Che’s brows knit together tightly as he replied, “Which elder?”
“I… do… not… know…”
Yun Che ran out of patience and planted one foot on Ye Qingsheng’s chest as he pressed both palms against his head. He released his Profound Handle and swiftly retrieved all of his memories… in the span of a few short breaths, he released Ye Qingsheng’s head while his expression had turned grave.
Chapter 665 - Frozen Cloud’s Way Out
Ye Qingsheng’s memories revealed that it was indeed Ye Xinghan who had ordered them to kidnap Xia Qingyue. Ye Qingsheng’s father, the Divine Hall Master, and Heavenly Monarch, Ye Meixie, didn’t know about it at all. On top of that, Ye Xinghan greatly valued Xia Qingyue. At first he wanted to come to Frozen Cloud Asgard himself, but because the profound art bottleneck had loosened all of a sudden, he had no choice but to send Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi instead.
Why did Ye Xinghan capture Xia Qingyue…
From Ye Qingsheng’s memories, it could be confirmed that Ye Xinghan indeed had never seen Xia Qingyue before! Half a year ago, the name “Xia Qingyue” wasn’t even mentioned.
Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s… elder?
Yun Che was silent for a good while, then a name suddenly flashed in his mind…
Ling Kun!!
“Jasmine…” Yun Che lowered his eyebrows and asked, “Back then, at the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, when you told me Xia Qingyue possessed the ‘Heart of Snow Glazed Glass’ and the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body,’ you mentioned that the ‘Heart of Snow Glazed Glass’ shouldn’t have appeared in this plane, so no one could identify it. But if there was a chance for someone to notice the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’…”
“So you think the reason Ye Xinghan kidnapped Xia Qingyue is because of her ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’?” Jasmine asked indifferently.
“That’s right.” Yun Che nodded and said, “Ye Xinghan found out about the existence of Xia Qingyue from an elder of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, yet… Frozen Cloud Asgard is basically isolated from the world throughout the year. The disciples rarely leave the asgard, and have no connection with the Four Great Sacred Grounds! But in the Four Great Sacred Grounds, there is indeed a person who had seen Xia Qingyue… and it was exactly someone from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region!
“It was at the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament held in Heavenly Sword Villa five years ago… Ling Kun from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region!
“In the memories of this person named Ye Qingsheng, the memories related to this ‘Ling Kun’ surmount to more than anyone else in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. In Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, only those who stepped into the Sovereign Profound Realm could be qualified to become an elder. Ling Kun’s profound strength is only at sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, but he was already appointed as an official elder in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. The reason is because, even though his profound strength is slightly lower, he is wise and full of stratagems… or incredibly cunning and extremely shrewd. He acts as the ‘think tank’ in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and is extremely trusted and valued by Sword Master Xuanyuan Wentian. Not only do the other elders of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region not look down upon him due him having an elder status with lower profound strength, they all deliberately make nice with him… Also, he is the person who stayed outside of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region for the longest, so he is very experienced and knowledgeable. Whenever there is some major event for which Mighty Heavenly Sword Region needs to send someone, most of the time it would be this Ling Kun!”
The information about Ling Kun in Ye Qingsheng’s memories made Yun Che’s heart run cold. He interacted with Ling Kun twice before… once was in Heavenly Sword Villa, and the other was in Divine Phoenix Empire. When he was in Heavenly Sword Villa, Ling Kun once spoke to him in front of everyone and invited him to join Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Back then, Yun Che’s profound strength was lower and he had no background or no reputation, but Ling Kun did this type of action that shocked and confused everyone. Now that Yun Che thought of it, that showed Ling Kun’s incredibly sinister judgement.
At the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament in Divine Phoenix Empire, the person who attended from Absolute Monarch Sanctuary was Spiritual Master Ancient Blue, who was in an extremely high position, from Sun Moon Divine Hall was their Young Master Ye Xinghan, and Supreme Ocean Palace sent Ji Qianrou, whom both Feng Hengkong and Ye Xinghan feared to some degree. Only Mighty Heavenly Sword Region sent a “low-level elder” like Ling Kun… Thinking about it now, that wasn’t because Mighty Heavenly Sword Region was not interested in the Primordial Profound Ark, but it was because Ling Kun had enough ability.
With a contained temperament, sinister eyes, deep shrewdness, and extensive knowledge… it was definitely possible for him to know of the existence of the “Nine Profound Exquisite Body.” Jasmine had said that the most distinctive characteristic of the “Nine Profound Exquisite Body” was that it ignored natural law… and when Xia Qingyue of the Earth Profound Realm was fighting against Ling Yun, facing Ling Yun’s Sword Spirit Doppelganger, she casted a Frozen Cloud Domain that could only be casted by one in the Emperor Profound Realm… Ling Kun, who was present, naturally witnessed it in its entirety!
If it was him who found out about Xia Qingyue’s “Nine Profound Exquisite Body,” then everything would be easy to explain.
Jasmine said lightly, “The Nine Profound Exquisite Body is a superb training incubator. If it really was Ling Kun who discovered Xia Qingyue’s Nine Profound Exquisite Body, why didn’t he take it and enjoy it himself or give it to someone from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region instead of leaking it to the people of Sun Moon Divine Hall?”
“Very simple.” Yun Che said in a low voice, “The Nine Profound Exquisite Body was difficult to find even once every ten thousand years. If he used it himself and was discovered, the upper echelon of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would definitely be unsatisfied or might even be angered! Furthermore, if he gave it to the top, strong practitioners of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, it would only be something that a subordinate ought to do to honor the superior. At most he could receive some ‘reward.’ But if he gave it to Ye Xinghan, it would be entirely different!
“Ye Xinghan was cultivating a type of dual cultivation heretic art. Almost everyone who knew about the Four Great Sacred Grounds knew about this. Every year he would secretly kidnap a large number of women to be training incubators. If he heard about the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body,’ he would definitely be overjoyed and would pursue it at any cost! So Ling Kun himself didn’t take action on Xia Qingyue and didn’t notify Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Instead, he told Ye Xinghan… The reason Ye Xinghan only knew about it six months ago was probably because Ling Kun only told him about the existence of ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body,’ but didn’t tell Ye Xinghan who the person who owned the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’ was and instead proposed an even higher wager. Until half a year ago, when Ye Xinghan finally finished gathering the wager, he found out about Xia Qingyue’s name and her location from Ling Kun!”
While Yun Che was speaking, his eyebrows also locked even tighter because the more he thought in this direction, the more he felt that was possible.
“Ling Kun…” Yun Che said this name in a low voice and marked it as danger in his mind.
Other than that, Yun Che also retrieved more information that surprised him from Ye Qingsheng’s memories… The Phoenix God of Divine Phoenix Sect didn’t actually die and appeared once again three years ago after the Primordial Profound Ark had disappeared. It released an overbearing pressure that covered the sky which shocked and frightened the people of the Four Sacred Grounds and punished Ye Xinghan.
What happened? Feng Xue’er said so herself that the Phoenix God had disappeared a long time ago. The Grand Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, Feng Feiyang, also colluded with Ye Xinghan because of the passing of the Phoenix God…
Could there still be more hidden secrets?
But… no matter what, even if the Phoenix God really was still alive, the Divine Phoenix Empire trampling on Blue Wind Nation… must still be paid back tenfold!
“Sun Moon Divine Hall… why is it Sun Moon Divine Hall.” Murong Qianxue’s face was a little pale. She was angry, confused, and panicking uncontrollably… but that was Sun Moon Divine Hall, one of Profound Sky Continent’s Four Sacred Grounds, the highest existences in all of Profound Sky Continent. Not mentioning fighting against them, just hearing their name would bring about an incredibly heavy pressure. “We never crossed Sun Moon Divine Hall and didn’t even have any contact with them, why did they attack us!?”
“Sun Moon Divine Hall… how could it be…” Chu Yueli’s eyes were still in a fog of confusion. Not only Frozen Cloud Asgard… this was a name that was enough to make almost all the forces in Profound Sky Continent feel desperate.
“The goal of Sun Moon Divine Hall is still not clear, but we will get to the bottom to this eventually.” Yun Che faced the disciples and said calmly, “Two Asgard Mistresses both passed away because of this calamity. You must hate Sun Moon Divine Hall to the bones now, and the people who were sent by Sun Moon Divine Hall were all killed by me… They didn’t achieve their goal and even suffered a loss. Sun Moon Divine Hall will also definitely not let it rest. Under these circumstances, if our Frozen Cloud Asgard wants to exist under the shadow of Sun Moon Divine Hall, there are only two ways.”
“May Asgard Master be explicit.” Listening to what Yun Che was saying, the expression in everyone’s eyes became imposing in a serious manner.
“First way, evacuate from Snow Region of Extreme Ice,” Yun Che said slowly. “Those twelve people all died here. With Ye Xinghan’s temper, he will definitely be furious. Not long after, more people from Sun Moon Divine Hall will come and put Frozen Cloud Asgard in greater danger. Therefore, this place is not suitable to stay in anymore.”
Leave the Snow Region of Extreme Ice…
Looking at the endless ice and snow within their vision and the familiar Frost Flower Snow Pond, their eyes were all quivering, speechless for a long period of time.
Murong Qianxue sighed softly and said, “Asgard Master, we all understand what you said. If we continued staying here, an even more severe calamity will befall us any moment. Facing Sun Moon Divine Hall, we cannot fight against them at all with our strength. But… the thousand year history of Frozen Cloud Asgard was all here for thousands of years. Resources, memories, arts, legacies, backgrounds, and even the bodies of our ancestors are all here. In addition, just based on the environment, there is probably no other place more suitable than here to cultivate the Frozen Cloud Arts and the Frozen End Divine Arts. If we all leave here, this place will definitely be completely destroyed by the raging Sun Moon Divine Hall… Even if we saved our own lives, our Frozen Cloud Asgard… would then only exist in name…”
“Asgard Master, then what is the second way that you mentioned?” Mu Lanyi asked with hope.
The Frozen Cloud disciple’s reactions were similar to what Yun Che had predicted. This place was a freezing place that was isolated from the world. Even without the dignity and foundation of their sect, they were already used to everything here. They were already used to the endless snow and cold. Their resistance to the people from the outside world was almost an instinct, and they rejected fitting into the outside world even more from the bottom of their hearts and souls. He answered with a serious expression, “The second way is simple. That is to directly face Sun Moon Divine Hall, use our own strength to guard this place… and one day, make Sun Moon Divine Hall pay for the debt of blood!”
Yun Che’s words once again caused their eyes to go blank and their mouths silent for a long time.
Because… that was Sun Moon Divine Hall.
In Blue Wind Nation, they were an lofty existence. Even if they faced Heavenly Sword Villa, they wouldn’t be frightened at all. But against Sun Moon Divine Hall… Even if their strength was ten times or even a hundred times stronger, it was a huge monster that was absolutely impossible for them to fight against.
Taking a survey of all the forces of the Profound Sky Continent, who would dare to oppose Sun Moon Divine Hall, who would dare to become enemies with them… and who would dare to say something like “make Sun Moon Divine Hall pay for the debt of blood.”
“But…” Feng Hanyue said timidly, and was immediately interrupted by Yun Che, “No ‘buts,’ the reason we’re still staying here is absolutely not waiting for death, and what I said just now was also absolutely not an idiotic fantasy!”
“The situation now is actually not that bad,” Yun Che stated seriously. “When the twelve people were attacking our Frozen Cloud Asgard, they were constantly and deliberately hiding their identities. They obviously didn’t want to be exposed. After all, Sun Moon Divine Hall is a ‘Sacred Ground.’ If news of them attacking Frozen Cloud Asgard without any reason got out, it would definitely hurt their reputation. Also, this attack was ordered by the Young Hall Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, Ye Xinghan. The Hall Master of the Divine Hall, Heavenly Monarch Ye Meixie, didn’t know about it at all. Therefore, Ye Xinghan’s actions later on shouldn’t be too important, and he would even try very hard to cover it up.”
“With your current strength, even if it is only a few underlings from Sun Moon Divine Hall, it would be hard for you to resist. But, if you believe my words…” The expression in Yun Che’s eyes became serious as he declared, “I have a way to make all of the senior sisters and junior sisters’ profound strength reach the Emperor Profound Realm in half a year!”
“Make the six junior masters and senior masters that are already Thrones… all become Overlords!”
Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue’s crystal-like eyes all widened as large as they could, even their mouths were opened wide… All of the Frozen Cloud disciples were all shocked still.
Because what Yun Che said now was a thousand times more preposterous than to “make Sun Moon Divine Hall pay for the debt of blood”…
Chapter 666 - Sudden Crisis
As the night deepened, the ladies of Frozen Cloud, who had gathered, finally dispersed and returned to their own ice rooms to recover their nerves which had been frazzled and frayed over the past six months. But even though they were exhausted beyond belief, they still would not be able to sleep that night… Yun Che’s words resonated in their ears… In a few months time, those who were below the Emperor Profound Realm would become Thrones, and those who were already Thrones would become Overlords. Even the leaders of the Four Great Sacred Grounds would think it was some kind of fairy tale and treat it as some nonsensical joke. However, they could not help but believe his words when they saw his unwavering gaze… even though Yun Che did not even explain what “method” he was going to use.
If he could really make it a reality, then even though Frozen Cloud Asgard only had two thousand disciples, they would still ascend to the highest echelons of power within the entire Profound Sky Continent and become a sect that would only lose to Divine Phoenix Sect and the Four Great Sacred Grounds.
The Sound Transmission Jade had still not rang with an impending sound transmission, so Yun Che was rather surprised… Once communication had been lost with the main Divine Phoenix Army, the other Divine Phoenix armies should have rushed over to investigate the situation at Blue Wind Imperial City… Could it be that the nearest Divine Phoenix Army was extremely far away, so perhaps they could not reach Blue Wind Imperial City within a day?
Without giving it any further thought, Yun Che let his gaze fall on Ye Qingsheng, who had already fainted from the cold and only barely held onto life itself. He gave a cold snort and flipped his hand as a Golden Crow flame that was as big as his fist flared to life… At his full power, Ye Qingsheng would not be able to withstand the Golden Crow flames for more than five breaths, but the Ye Qingsheng right now would be reduced to ashes in an instant by the Golden Crow flames.
“Wait!” Just as Yun Che was about to release those Golden Crow flames, he was interrupted by Jasmine’s shout. Yun Che hurriedly drew back his palm and asked, “What is it? Could it be that this person is still of some use?”
“While this person has already exceeded his usefulness, I must warn you of something before you dispose of him….” Jasmine said unhurriedly, “There was a soul imprint placed on these two people, so once they die, all of the memories they had right before death would be transmitted to the person who laid the soul imprint on them. Since the two of them are the lapdogs of Ye Xinghan, all the memories before their death will be transferred to him!”
“…” Yun Che just stood there with a blank expression on his face. After that, his expression swiftly changed… Ye Qingsheng was not dead, but Ye Ziyi had already been burned to cinders by him. So now that it had reached this stage… Ye Xinghan should already be cognizant of everything that had happened… not only did Ye Xinghan know that Yun Che still lived, he also would have a rough gauge of his current strength.
Yun Che smacked his hand against his forehead and said in an exasperated tone, ”You… Why didn’t you tell me this beforehand?!!”
“Hmph!” Jasmine sniffed disdainfully, “You were being reckless yet you want to blame me? You instantly killed that purple-clothed old man called Ye Ziyi, but that would at most alert Ye Xinghan to the fact that you still lived. But if you were to continue your reckless and foolish ways and kill Ye Qingsheng as you had just intended… then remember this, you just used the Profound Handle Soul Search on him just now, and if Ye Xinghan were to discover your possession of a Profound Handle, he would be able to persecute you as a demon under the guise of righteousness! At that time, the only option left would be to tamely flee back to the Illusory Demon Realm!”
Jasmine words caused shock to reverberate in Yun Che’s heart… Illusory Demon Realm was a place that was demonized by the Profound Sky Continent. If Ye Xinghan were to find out about his Profound Handle, this demonization would not be confined to himself alone… it would also include everything connected to him, encompassing the Blue Wind Imperial Family and Frozen Cloud Asgard where he was presently residing. Ye Xinghan would use the excuse that he was “exterminating a demon” and officially throw the might of Sun Moon Divine Hall in order to destroy him!
“Before killing him, use your Profound Handle to erase the soul imprint placed on him!” Jasmine said in a cold voice.
Yun Che extended his left hand and his Profound Handle shot out, instantly burying itself into Ye Qingsheng’s body and directly wiping out all of the imprints within his soul… Not only did he erase the soul imprint, he even wiped his memories clean. After that, he flipped his palm open as he released a cluster of Golden Crow flames and instantly reduced him to nothingness.
As he withdrew his Profound Handle, Yun Che’s expression grew grave… he had just told all the ladies of Frozen Cloud that their current circumstances were not too dire, that Sun Moon Divine Hall should not be paying them a visit anytime soon, but… if Ye Xinghan knew that he still lived, that changed things entirely!
Three years ago, he had destroyed the evil scheme that Ye Xinghan had plotted against Feng Xue’er on the Primordial Profound Ark, and he had also killed two of his women… Yue Ji and Mei Ji, and now, he had killed two of his protectorates and ten of his lapdogs…
As the Young Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, there were not many people who dared to speak half a word against him. On the other hand, Yun Che had done far more than merely that! Ye Xinghan must hate him to the bone, and now that he knew that reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated, he would definitely spare no effort in eliminating him… even to the point where he may lose his sense of rationality.
“It looks like there’s gonna be a lot of trouble headed right your way.” Jasmine said in a bland voice, “If you don’t want all the women here to be wiped out, I would advise you to immediately load them up into the Primordial Profound Ark and flee as far away as you possibly can.”
“Even though they know they are up against Sun Moon Divine Hall, they clearly do not want to flee… because they know that once they flee, this place will be utterly demolished, and that would mean that the root and the thousand year foundation of Frozen Cloud Asgard would be buried as well.” Yun Che said as he sighed, “Moreover, if Ye Xinghan cannot find me here, the next place he would think of would definitely be Blue Wind Imperial City… then, at that time, the city that my princess wife desperately fought to preserve will be ruined by Sun Moon Divine Hall instead of the Divine Phoenix Army….”
Not only did Ye Xinghan know that he was alive, he also knew his current level of strength. So when he finally came calling, the people that he would bring or send would definitely be at the Sovereign Profound Realm… and there might even be more than one of them! If they wanted to raze Blue Wind Imperial City, it would only be a matter of lifting a finger.
Running away… had never ever solved any problems.
“Hmph, what else do you expect? Given your current strength, you are not qualified to contend against Sun Moon Divine Hall by yourself! Unless you go back to the Illusory Demon Realm and bring your Little Demon Empress back. Because with the current strength of the Little Demon Empress, we do not even need to mention Sun Moon Divine Hall. Even if the Four Great Sacred Grounds joined hands together, they still will not be able to defeat her, and the most that they can hope for is to eke out a draw.”
“Definitely not!” Yun Che shook his head as he replied without hesitation, “Without even mentioning her status and the fact that the threat of Duke Ming still hangs over everyone’s head, she also hates the Four Great Sacred Grounds to the bone. In addition, given her temperament, if she were to really come here, she would definitely wreak such havoc that even the heavens would be overturned! Even I am unable to control her in such situations.”
“Furthermore, her strength was bought at the cost of her own life! If she were to really use that degree of her strength, then the three years of life that she originally had left to her would be reduced even further,” Yun Che said as his eyebrows knit together. Of course, the more important point was that… if he were to flee back to Illusory Demon Realm to hide behind the Little Demon Empress right after he had just returned to the Profound Sky Continent… as a real man, he simply could not bring himself to do such a thing!
Jasmine gave an even more disdainful sniff, “So what now? Are you prepared to personally witness their deaths? Or are you prepared to die with them?!”
“…I still have at least twelve hours to think of a plan,” Yun Che said as he sank into deep thought.
“Twelve hours?”
“Within Ye Qingsheng’s memories, the fastest profound ark Sun Moon Divine Hall possesses will only be able to reach this location in twelve hours!” Yun Che looked at the colour of the sky. “Even if Ye Xinghan exploded into action and scrambled to activate that profound ark, it will still be twelve hours before he arrived. If I am still not able to come up with a plan at that time, I will have to force everyone into the Primordial Profound Ark and leave this place.”
“Speaking of which, you just said you would help them all raise their profound strength… are you going to use the Overlord Pellets to achieve that?” Jasmine asked as she changed subjects. No one else in this world had a better measure of what Yun Che was made of than Jasmine herself.
“Yes.” Yun Che said as he nodded his head, “It is the only method that will allow them to swiftly raise their profound strength.”
“The potency of the Overlord Pellet is not something that they can handle. If they rashly consume it, they will only be looking for death. Are you prepared to use the power of the Great Way of the Buddha to help them refine it one by one?”
“Of course, that is the only method available to me,” Yun Che replied in a conspicuously helpless tone… Two thousand Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples, that was indeed a rather huge project. Because the Overlord Pellet was an extremely valuable treasure even within the highest levels of power of the Illusory Demon Realm, its medicinal strength would definitely not be small. And even given Yun Che’s current profound strength and the strength of his fourth stage Great Way of the Buddha, helping all of them refine this pellet within their bodies would definitely not be easy.
But to allow Frozen Cloud Asgard to rapidly ascend in power, to the point where they could at least preserve themselves in the face of Sun Moon Divine Hall’s power, this was the only method he could think of.
“Also, you only have thirty-seven Overlord Pellets on your person right now, but there are two thousand Frozen Cloud disciples here. So are you going to go back to the Illusory Demon Realm to gather more ingredients?”
“There is no need.” Yun Che said with confidence, “The ingredients required to refine the Overlord Pellet are Purgatory Stones, Flaming Devil Vines, Rakshasa Heart-destroying Fruit, and other ingredients which not only contain a high level of power, but are also extremely hard to control. Even the best apothecaries of this continent would find it extremely hard to refine even a single one of these ingredients, and to refine several tens of these at one time would be as hard as scaling the heavens. That was the reason why the Illusory Demon Royal Family was only able to at most produce two Overlord Pellets every century. Even though these ingredients are extremely high-grade, because of their volatility, they did not cost a lot. So I will be able to purchase more than enough of them from the Black Moon Merchant Guild… Yun Che’s voice deepened faintly as he continued, “Anyways, I will have to pay the Divine Phoenix Empire a visit in the near future!”
“Two thousand Overlord Pellets and you are willing to use the Great Way of the Buddha to refine its energy for them one by one. You truly have your heart set on this Frozen Cloud Asgard, don’t you,” Jasmine said as she gave a dull laugh.
“After all, I owe a favor to Frozen Cloud Asgard… Moreover, I accepted the Asgard Master position from Gong Yuxian right before she passed, so I should act more like a sect leader in any case,” Yun Che said earnestly.
“Tch….” Jasmine gave cold snort, “It’s clearly because of your guilt towards Chu Yuechan! The one thing in this world that can cause a great lecher like you to behave earnestly… is only that woman!”
“…” Jasmine’s words pierced directly into Yun Che’s soul causing his breathing to roughen.
Another three years has gone by… Little Fairy, just where have you gone….
I requested the Black Moon Merchant Guild to search for Chu Yuechan back then… now that three years have passed, I wonder if they have gotten any results.
All of Yun Che’s worries were justified.
The moment Ye Ziyi died, a reaction occurred in Ye Xinghan’s mind… at the same time, the memories he had of the events that occurred thirty breaths before his death were also transmitted into his mind!
“Yun… Che….” Ye Xinghan slowly stood up and raised both his hands, and his wide-spread fingers distorted while his expression had become dark and terrible.
The change in his aura caused the many protectorates that he had by his side to freeze up in shock… they had followed Ye Xinghan for so many years, yet they had never ever felt such a dreadful anger and killing intent emanating from his body before.
“My father went to Supreme Ocean Palace… what profound ark did he use?” Ye Xinghan asked slowly, his voice deepening to the point where it sounded like the growls of a demon.
Everyone did not know why Ye Xinghan asked such a question, but his head servant replied in a trembling voice, “He took… the Rainbow Sun Ark.”
“So that is to say that the Sun Moon Sacred Ark is still within the hall!” Ye Xinghan’s eyes abruptly focused as his old hatred surged back into life, and a fierce killing intent that he had never felt before in his entire life swelled to such an extent that it threatened to rupture his body. He knew that he had already lost all sense of rationality, but he did not allow himself to calm down. He turned around and said in an incomparably deep voice, “Immediately inform the Ninth Elder, the Eleventh Elder, the Fifteenth Elder, and the Seventeenth Elder to come and see me!”
“Also, I will give you an hour to quickly prepare the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, I want to… personally pay a visit to this lowly Blue Wind territory!”
Chapter 667 - Frozen Cloud Celestial Shadow
Even though Yun Che and Ye Xinghan had only met once, Ye Xinghan’s behavior at the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament and the Primordial Profound Ark had clearly revealed his nature to Yun Che. Once Ye Xinghan knew that he still lived, there was a great possibility that he would rush over as fast as he possibly could to kill him… and he would even come himself!
Right after he had solved the crises that Blue Wind Imperial City and Frozen Cloud Asgard were facing, an even greater one popped up. From the sky, he surveyed Frozen Cloud Asgard which had more or less calmed down and heaved a long sigh of relief before summoning the Primordial Profound Ark and returning to Blue Wind Imperial Capital.
However, what he did not notice was that in the sky far above him a pair of beautiful, crystalline eyes had been observing him silently. It was only until he left that those beautiful eyes finally withdrew their gaze as faint emotions bloomed on those features that were wrapped in cold mist; she was dressed all in white, as wispy as a fairy, and the ice spirits that floated all around her were even clearer and purer than the most perfect crystals in existence.
“Master, the conclusion of Frozen Cloud Asgard was completely different from what was expected,” the blue-clothed girl who stood by her side said. Her voice was laced with joy because she knew that even though the white-clad woman in front of her had sworn a vow of neutrality, she was still not able to completely let go. Because if that was the case, she would not have taken a risk today and venture here once more. “However, the sect master of Frozen Cloud Asgard has now actually become a man… even though he was the one who resolved the crisis and there was no other alternative, I still feel that it’s a bit… weird.”
“If he can truly help Frozen Cloud Asgard safely live through this crisis, whether he is a man or a woman is of no concern.” The white-clothed lady replied in a gentle tone, “Men are also able to cultivate the Frozen Cloud Art and the Frozen End Divine Art. The regulation that only allowed women to be accepted as disciples within Frozen Cloud Asgard was merely meant to protect it.”
“I just feel that it’s weird. Besides Senior Brother Han Yi, all of those men in our Snow Song Realm are so hateful.” The blue-clothed girl’s tender and pink fragrant lips pouted, but after that, she asked curiously, “Master, just now you kept looking at that person called Yun Che, was his body strange in any way?”
“…” The white-robed lady faintly looked to her side and replied, “He has the Frozen End Divine Art in his body, and he has already unlocked its sixth stage, but he can also ignite the Golden Crow flames. His body houses both fire and ice, and it is the extremely cold Frozen End energy and the extremely violent Golden Crow flames that are mixing together. However, the profound energy in his body is incomparably stable, and no disorder can be detected in his body… it is far too peculiar.”
The brows of the white-robed lady wrinkled slightly… as if she could not understand something. And at her level, there were not many things left that could cause her any confusion at all.
“Ah? So the flames he used to burn that purple-clothed man to ashes was truly the Golden Crow divine flames? I had thought I was mistaken.” The blue-clothed girl said in astonishment, “So that is to say that this continent actually contains one of the legacies left behind by the Golden Crow? Ooh… if the Flame God Realm’s Golden Crow Sect finds out about it, they will definitely send people to investigate immediately.”
“…” The white-robed lady remained silent.
“Master, is anything the matter? Why have you suddenly become so serious?” the blue-robed girl asked as she looked at her.
“…” The white-robed lady faintly closed her eyes and looked as if she was focusing her spirit to the greatest degree. “Have you sensed that… there is someone peering in at us from some other location?”
“Ah?” The mouth of the blue-robed girl widened but she immediately shook her head. “How can that be… how can any person on this plane discover our presence? I think Master must have been mistaken.”
“…” After a short while, the white-clothed lady’s eyes slowly opened and she softly replied, “Perhaps…”
At this time, the ice spirits around her suddenly fluttered chaotically and the celestial body underneath those icy mists shook violently as a mouthful of dark red blood suddenly spurted from her lips, dyeing her cloud-white robes in patches of red.
“Master!!” The blue-robed girl cried out in alarm as she hurriedly supported the body of the white-clothed lady while exclaiming in fright, “Why… why is it like this… didn’t you just have a relapse half a month ago… why did it happen again so quickly…”
With a light wave of a cloud-white sleeve, ice flowers appeared in the air and all of the bloodstains instantly faded away into nothingness, but the complexion of the person wrapped by the icy mists had turned even more white, and even the trajectory of those dancing ice spirits had become extremely disorderly. The white-robed woman moderated her aura, but her voice still remained as indifferent as mist, “My injuries have fatally wounded me, and there is no reprieve for this situation. To be able to linger on for the past thousand years is already the kindness of fate. I have no complaints.”
Her words signified that she had already began to feel her life coming to an end. The blue-robed girl’s eyes started gushing with tears. “No… Master cannot just yield to fate like this… the wounds master sustained a millennium ago were so severe. but Lord Realm King was still be able to deal with it… this time… Lord Realm King will definitely also have a way… or perhaps… I… I can go and plead with the Flame God Realm…”
“You are not allowed to speak foolishly!” the white-robed lady rebuked her in a soft voice. From the moment she vomited blood until now, in the span of slightly over ten breaths, her profound energy aura had already weakened by more than half. Eyeing the boundless icy world below her, she gave a light sigh and said, “Let us depart, the aura of this place is muddy, and it will merely accelerate and exacerbate my condition…”
“I had originally thought that I could part ways with it, but in the end… it is still like a child to me… and perhaps I will be unable to stop myself from coming here once again in the near future.”
She held onto the blue-robed girl’s arm and slowly floated upwards as they entered a profound formation which had silently appeared above them.
After the profound formation had disappeared, the figure of a girl with long, blood-red hair that fell to her waist and eyes which exuded a bewitching light slowly appeared where they had been standing.
“Snow Song Realm?” The girl gave an extremely low and cold snort, “Hmph! No wonder I had always felt that the Frozen End Divine Art felt somewhat familiar… Looks like it was the ‘Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon’ that does not contain the soul of the Ice Phoenix!”
“This is interesting indeed,” she said as she gave a low laugh, and following that, her body faded away and completely disappeared from that place.
The moment he appeared in the skies over Blue Wind Imperial City, the strange energy fluctuations caused Yun Che’s brows to furrow greatly as his gaze immediately swept towards the south… In the location where he had used the Yellow Springs Ashes to destroy the land, there was now astonishingly traces of an even greater destruction that took place. A deep crater that stretched several kilometers now existed in the ground that had already been levelled flat! And even though it seemed that a long period of time had passed since that cataclysmic event, there were still traces of an extremely powerful profound energy aura lingering within that crater.
That seemed… to be the aura exuded by someone in the Sovereign Profound Realm!
“Lord Prince Consort! You have returned!” On the wall, Feng Yunlie, who stood at the forefront despite his wounds, let out a joyous and emotional cry as he spotted Yun Che. The surrounding Blue Wind troops raised their heads as well, and strong emotions surged in their eyes… it was as if they were looking upon a deity.
Yun Che descended from the skies and asked, “General Feng, what exactly happened here? What events transpired while I was away?”
Feng Yunlie hurriedly replied, “About an hour after Lord Prince Consort had departed, there was yet another troop of Divine Phoenix soldiers which rapidly approached from the west, and there were also a large number of Fire War Horses and flying profound beasts with them as well…”
“What?” Yun Che’s brows sunk. “Why didn’t you send a sound transmission to me?!”
“At that time, her majesty tried sending a sound transmission many times to Lord Prince Consort, but every time she tried, it ended in failure,” Feng Yunlie replied. “At that time, Lord Under Heaven guessed that Lord Prince Consort may be in a location which contained an isolation barrier, so you would be unable to receive any sound transmissions…”
Sound transmission failure… isolation barrier? Yun Che was completely dumbfounded but then he remembered that he and the ladies of Frozen Cloud had been in the Frozen Cloud Secret Grounds which held the bodies of all the past Asgard Mistress of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Could it be…
“But Consort Yun does not need to be worried.” Feng Yunlie said in an excited voice, “When those Divine Phoenix soldiers were about to attack, an incomparably powerful… hero that seemed to be as strong as Lord Prince Consort himself appeared, and that hero was actually also…”
Bang!!
Following the sound of something being violently smashed aside, Yun Che heard a rough and heavy voice that he was all too familiar with. Not only that, but that voice also clearly contained the sound of sobbing as it rang out, “Bro… Brother-in-law… Brother-in-law!!”
This was Yuanba’s voice. and in this world, only Yuanba would call him “Brother-in-law.” Yun Che’s heart abruptly swelled in his chest and he swivelled around to look at the figure which was barrelling towards him… and before he could even begin to become emotional, he was instead given a huge shock.
Because the originally huge Xia Yuanba… had actually grown even larger with the passage of three years, and he had grown so huge that Yun Che’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock.
Boom!!
As Yun Che was still in a state of shock, he unconsciously side-stepped that rush and Xia Yuanba immediately flew into the air, and with a huge crash, he blew the corner of a wall into fragments. Xia Yuanba turned around and immediately began to bawl, “Brother-in-law! Looks like you really didn’t die… that’s just great… Senior Sister Xueruo said you had returned… I… I… I thought I would really never be able to see you again…”
“I am so hardy, so how would I die so easily,” Yun Che smiled as he looked at the huge Xia Yuanba. With that, he went over and patted his arm… When his hand came into contact with that arm, he realized that the muscles that he touched were so hard that it was practically like steel. “Yuanba, I haven’t seen you for three years and you have… grown once more. Alright, stop crying already. In the future, unless you see the body, don’t believe that I have died.“
“I… I… Mn!” Xia Yuanba vigorously wiped his eyes and energetically nodded his head as the corners of his mouth curved upwards and grinned with all of his might. “Right… I shouldn’t be crying! Brother-in-law is clearly doing great and nothing happened to him, so I should be laughing instead. Ah, I should have known this would happen in the end. Brother-in-law is the luckiest man in the world… so how would he die so easily.”
Cang Yue, Number One Under Heaven, Xiao Yun, and Number Seven Under Heaven had already come out. They looked at how Xia Yuanba, who had terrifying strength, exuded an overwhelming pressure, and had obliterated the Divine Phoenix Army in one punch, cried like a child in front of Yun Che and how just one word from Yun Che caused him to cry and smile at the same time. The discrepancy was simply too great, and it caused Xiao Yun’s group to be completely stunned.
Cang Yue looked at their dazed expressions, and she gently laughed, “My husband and Yuanba grew up together. They are the most important kinsman in each other’s lives. Their relationship is so good that it is admirable… and no matter how strong they become and how exalted their positions are, this is one thing that will never change.”
What was shocked Yun Che even more than the change in Xia Yuanba’s appearance was the change in his aura. The profound energy aura that was swirling around Xia Yuanba’s body was so thick that even Yun Che could scarcely believe it. He stared at Xia Yuanba and asked, “Yuanba, right now what level… is your profound strength at?”
“This…” Xia Yuanba smiled in a rather bashful manner, “If I say it, Brother-in-law might not even believe me, but right now, I seem to have already reached… the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm.” Right after he said this, he hurriedly added words for emphasis, “It’s true, I am definitely not lying to Brother-in-law!”
“He is really not tricking you.” Jasmine said immediately after, “His current profound strength is indeed at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!”
In Illusory Demon Realm’s Demon Imperial City, Yun Che had seen many Monarchs, so he was extremely clear on what the words “Sovereign Profound Realm” truly meant. He knew that even though the difference in strength between each level of the Tyrant Profound Realm was huge, the difference between each level of the Sovereign Profound Realm was also like heaven and earth. The Overlord Pellet, which would allow someone to break through the bottleneck of the Emperor Profound Realm and allow that person to become an Overlord, was already one of the most valuable treasures in Demon Imperial City. Breaking through the bottleneck of the Tyrant Profound Realm to enter the Sovereign Profound Realm was something that, to common folk, was as hard as scaling the heavens…
And Xia Yuanba had actually, in the short span of three years, jumped from the mid-stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm… to the mid-stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
The speed of this growth could not even be described with ten thousand “unimaginables,” and even if someone like the leader of a Sacred Ground were to find out, he would still be so jealous that he would vomit eight liters of blood.
Looking at Yun Che’s stupidly dazed expression, Xia Yuanba weakly said, “I never thought that my profound strength would rise so fast. Master said it is because of my Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins… and I also slowly came to realize that my Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins were actually so awesome.”
“…” The corner of Yun Che’s mouth twisted and he used his thoughts to ask, “Jasmine, you said before that the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins were the profound veins of the Ancient Era’s War God, right…”
Jasmine, “??”
“And you also said that the Evil God and the Rage God were transcendent existences even among the gods that existed during the Ancient Era… but, I have the profound veins of the Evil God, the divine art of the Rage God, and I even have the blood and marrow of the Dragon God, the bloodlines of the Phoenix, and the Golden Crow… and I even endured the extremely cruel spatial storms for all of those years while I absorbed a large amount of energy from the Sea of Death… so I always thought that my growth rate was already heaven-defying!!”
“Yet now, I realize that, in front of Yuanba’s Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, the Evil God and Rage God and everything else… seem to be as weak as trash!!” Yun Che snarled as he gnashed his teeth. Xia Yuanba’s frightening and peerless rate of growth… could not help but make even him jealous.
Chapter 668 - The Approaching Sun Moon Divine Hall
“Hmph, you really are naive!” Jasmine scoffed, “The most distinctive characteristic of the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins is its growth. But the distinctive feature of the power of the Evil God and the Rage God is Berserk and Sacred Body! Even though it’s only at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm now, but under the berserk profound energy, it can contend with an early stage monarch! Under the power of Rage God, your body will be so tough, it could also be compared to a Monarch’s! As you are now, it is indeed impossible for you to match up against Xia Yuanba, but if you are in the same realm as him, it would be impossible for even ten of him to match you!”
“But…” Jasmine’s voice lowered, “Even so, the degree of his growth was so great that it is indeed quite unusual. I have said before, once the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins awakens, the profound energy will immediately increase to the Emperor Profound or even the Tyrant Profound Realm, but this is at the status of the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins being fully awakened. Three years ago, his Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins was only at the early stage of awakening, but he has already managed to become an Overlord. Now, his Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins still haven’t fully awakened, but he is already a Monarch… At this plane, with such short amount of time, is impossible to reach this amount of growth through simple cultivation. The only possibility is that it came from the strength that had already been sleeping within the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins! But, in normal Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, it is impossible to have innate strength this strong to be sleeping within, much less at this lower level plane… Then, there is only one possibility…”
“What do you mean?” Yun Che continued to ask.
“That is… his birth father or birth mother is an extremely strong person, so in the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, besides the power of War God, it also carries a powerful innate gift and strength from the birth father or birth mother. Or else, it is impossible for him to grow at such speed with the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins still not completely awake,” Jasmine said with complete certainty.
“But, Yuanba’s father was a merchant his whole life, almost not cultivating any profound strength at all, and Yuanba’s mother… passed away when he was very young,” said Yun Che as he locked his eyebrows.
“Xia Yuanba and Xia Qingyue, one of them has an extremely strong Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, and the other has the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’ and the ‘Heart of Snow Glazed Glass.’ If their parents are just normal people… that is simply the biggest joke!” Jasmine scoffed, “I have actually seen their father. That person named Xia Hongyi is indeed a normal person. But for their birth mother, not only is it impossible for her to have been a normal person… she must be so strong and in such a realm that you cannot even comprehend as you are now!”
Yun Che, “…”
Nightfall, the Moon Embracing Palace was brightly lit.
Blue Wind Imperial City was very quiet, and the dark clouds covered the light from the moon which made the entire capital so dark that it could almost suffocate people. Yun Che, Cang Yue, Xia Yuanba, and the others were talking to each other about the encounters during these three years. Reuniting after being separated for so long should have been full of joy, but with their homeland being stomped over, becoming a scene of devastation wherever it meets the eye and with half of their homeland being taken over by the Divine Phoenix Empire, the atmosphere throughout was somewhat depressing.
“Yue’er, you should rest soon. Don’t worry. With me here, our imperial city will definitely be alright,” worried Yun Che with dear concern as held Cang Yue’s small hands.
But Cang Yue smiled, shook her head, and said, “Husband, after you left to Frozen Cloud Asgard, I sent a sound transmission to Grandfather and Lingxi and told them you are back… Lingxi responded with a sound transmission with a heavy tearful tone… They must be almost wearing out their eyes waiting in Floating Cloud City. Even though it is midnight now, they must still be awake. You should go there soon and reunite with them. Here in the capital, we have Yuanba, so there is nothing to be worried about.”
Yun Che unconsciously turned his head to look in the east and sighed softly, but then shook his head slightly. “ Frozen Cloud Asgard is in imminent danger now, and there is a possibility that it will affect here as well. I should finish dealing with the situation with Frozen Cloud Asgard before returning to Floating Cloud City in case they start worrying again right after we reunite.”
“What happened with Frozen Cloud Asgard? How is the situation now?” Cang Yue asked worriedly.
Yun Che was silent for a bit, and then, he briefly summarized Frozen Cloud Asgard’s encounters for the past six months and its current situation.
“What? Sun Moon Divine Hall!?” Xia Yuanba roared deeply and stood up all of a sudden in response. “Sun Moon Divine Hall again! Why did they attack my Big Sister… that Ye Xinghan…” The murderous intent in Xia Yuanba’s whole body boiled. “He almost killed brother-in-law three years ago, and now he actually attacked my big sister …”
Yun Che said calmly, “Ye Xinghan has an arrogant, conceited, sinister, and even somewhat extreme personality, but at the same time, he is definitely not a foolish person. After he finds out that I am still alive, have ruined his plan once again, and even killed his people, the most likely thing he will do is to put me to death in the shortest amount of time, allowing me no chance to escape or run away. There is even a possibility… that he will come himself this time.”
“Just how I like it!!” Xia Yuanba held both his fists tight. “Watch me smash his brain into mush with a single punch!”
Yun Che shook his head. “Yuanba, don’t be impulsive. My current level of strength has already been exposed to Ye Xinghan. If he wants to completely put me to death, the people that he brings will absolutely not be someone we can handle with just the two of us… In addition, you are representing Absolute Monarch Sanctuary now. If you show up, it could develop into a conflict between Sun Moon Divine Hall and Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. It will gain the attention of both sides and even all of the Sacred Grounds’ attention. To Frozen Cloud Asgard, not only is this not beneficial at all, it will, on the contrary, be an extremely horrible disaster.”
“Ah? Why?” Xia Yuanba asked in confusion, “I can protect Frozen Cloud Asgard as the representative of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. Then, there shouldn’t be anyone who will dare to bully Frozen Cloud Asgard, right? How is it a disaster?”
Yun Che shook his head, lowered his eyebrows, and explained, “The reason the Sun Moon Divine Hall attacked Frozen Cloud Asgard was because of one of Qingyue’s secrets, and at this moment, only Ye Xinghan and one person from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region knows about this secret. If this matter alerts the Four Great Sacred Grounds, then there will be a possibility for this secret to be known by more and more people… By then, Ye Xinghan wouldn’t be the only one with his eyes on Qingyue. Instead, it will be all of Sacred Grounds and even more powerful forces. Frozen Cloud Asgard would also be involved completely in this flood.”
Yun Che’s words had already shocked Xia Yuanba’s heart, and his brain quickly cooled down. He didn’t ask Yun Che what his Big Sister’s “secret” was, because he already realized. This “secret,” the less people who know about it, the better, including himself. If he really protected Frozen Cloud Asgard… then the situation would indeed escalate and include more and more parties—— He himself clearly knew that he was no longer a normal disciple of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary.
“Then what should we do now… Where is Big Sister now? Is she in danger?” Xia Yuanba asked anxiously.
The profound escape formation at Frozen Cloud Asgard is a random dimensional formation. No one knows where she was teleported to. We were not able to contact her even with the One Hundred Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, so she have been transported to somewhere very far away. But…” Yun Che smiled lightly and comforted, “Yuanba, you don’t have to be too worried. Six months ago, Qingyue was already half step into the Tyrant Profound Realm. Even in the whole continent, there are not a lot of people who could bully her. In addition, since she is that smart, you can rest assured that nothing will happen. Maybe she will come back after she finds out Frozen Cloud Asgard is safe and sound.”
Even though Yun Che was also concerned with where exactly Xia Qingyue went, he wasn’t too worried about her safeness in his unconscious mind. Her strength, gifts, and intelligence were just an extremely small portion of the reason why he wasn’t too concerned, but the main reason was that, besides her “Nine Profound Exquisite Body,” she also possessed the “Heart of Snow Glazed Glass” which, Jasmine had mentioned, shouldn’t have existed in this plane, and Jasmine had said that the people who possess the “Heart of Snow Glazed Glass” would be favored by the heavens… Even though he didn’t really understand the concept of being “favored by the heavens,” at the very least, she wouldn’t encounter bad luck, right?
“Mm… yeah!” Big Sister is that strong, she will definitely be safe.” Xia Yuanba strongly nodded his head, and then, he thought of something and took out a golden, strangely-shaped Sound Transmission Jade. He didn’t use a Sound Transmission Talisman; instead, he input his profound energy within, and the Sound Transmission Jade started flashing in a golden light. Xia Yuanba spoke into the Sound Transmission Jade and said, “Master, disciple is now in Blue Wind Imperial City. Can Master help investigate and see if there are any special movements from Sun Moon Divine Hall… Especially the movement of high level sacred arks.”
Number One Under Heaven and Number Seven Under Heaven listened quietly to their entire conversation and didn’t interrupt at all. Even though they were not from Profound Sky Continent, they knew the name Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and Sun Moon Divine Hall better than most people of the Profound Sky Continent. Because those were the villains who once invaded their Illusory Demon Realm and were one of the culprits that caused Demon Emperor’s death which put the Illusory Demon Realm into a hundred years of chaos.
Originally, the reason they followed Yun Che to Profound Sky Continent was to accompany Xiao Yun to reunite with his relatives, but they didn’t imagine that they would directly and indirectly come into contact with the two terrifying existences of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and Sun Moon Divine Hall in this nation which only had Emperor Profound as their highest realm.
The expression in Number One Under Heaven’s eyes was really complicated. He came to Profound Sky Continent to protect Number Seven Under Heaven, and he thought that he was too cautious and worried too much… But now, it was only the first day, and his mind was already unable to settle down.
Before Xia Yuanba could put away his Sound Transmission Jade, it suddenly shined again. He immediately picked it up and the soul voice of Spiritual Master Ancient Blue was immediately sent into his mind, causing his expression to subsequently change.
“What did your Master say?” immediately asked as Yun Che’s eyebrows moved. The reason Xia Yuanba’s master would give him a response so quickly was obviously because he had noticed something strange from Sun Moon Divine Hall already.
Xia Yuanba lifted his head and said in a deep voice, “Master said, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark had already flon out from Sun Moon Divine Hall four hours ago. It was moving extremely quickly, and the direction it was flying in, was where Blue Wind Nation is!”
“Sun Moon Sacred Ark!?” Yun Che’s eyebrows locked. According to Ye Qingsheng’s memory, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark is the best profound ark of Sun Moon Divine Hall. Even though it could not be compared with the Heavenly Sacred Divine Ark that Xia Yuanba used this time, the speed of it definitely surpassed common folk’s knowledge, and it also has very strong offensive capabilities.
“I heard Master mentioned that the Sun Moon Sacred Ark of Sun Moon Divine Hall can only be controlled by the Heavenly Monarch, Ye Meixie, and his son, Ye Xinghan. And Master said that Ye Meixie was still currently in Supreme Ocean Palace… that means Ye Xinghan must be in the Sun Moon Sacred Ark!” angrily exclaimed Xia Yuanba as he grit his teeth. During the secluded cultivation in the past three years, the reason his powers awakened and increased so fast was because of his desire to take revenge. The person he wanted to take revenge on was naturally Ye Xinghan. Even though he now saw that Yun Che was safe and sound, his hatred towards Ye Xinghan still only increased instead of decreasing because of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s calamity… If Ye Xinghan appeared before him now, even with Yun Che’s reminder earlier, he would definitely punch him in the head with all of his strength——Even if he was the Young Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, the only son of the Heavenly Monarch!
With the speed of the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, they will arrive in about eight more hours… at most nine hours! Brother-in-law, what should we do now?” Xia Yuanba was already unsettled and couldn’t sit still. He tightly clenched his fists, and the profound energy in his entire body was moving uncontrollably… Even though his profound strength was already so strong that it bordered upon terrifying, his almost instinctive trust and reliance on Yun Che had still not changed in the slightest.
Big Brother Yun, let’s send the people from Frozen Cloud Asgard away immediately with the profound ark. With Big Brother Yun’s profound ark, none of them would be hurt,” Number Seven Under Heaven shouted.
“No!” Yun Che said in a deep voice, “This time, Ye Xinghan even used the strongest profound ark of Sun Moon Divine Hall to rush here as fast as possible. He must want to kill me at all costs. If he was left empty-handed at Frozen Cloud Asgard, destroying the Frozen Cloud Asgard would still be secondary. He will instead definitely target Blue Wind Imperial City immediately to force me to appear… If he had investigated me during these three years, he might even turn to Floating Cloud City! After all, my identity is the prince consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family, and Floating Cloud City was my birthplace.”
“But, that is Sun Moon Divine Hall! Dad said that no matter which one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds it is, they are all stronger than any of the Guardian Families! It is impossible for us to fight against them with just us alone,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in panic.
“Old Seven is right.” Number One Under Heaven also said in a serious manner, “Brother Yun, you have that profound ark that can travel through space, so even if Sun Moon Divine Hall arrive, you can bring anyone you want to protect away safely. As for the other things… no matter what it is, nothing is more important than staying alive.”
Yun Che’s eyes turned slightly. Compared to other people’s nervous and slight panic, Yun Che’s expression was a lot calmer. “If we really reach that step, I will naturally take everyone and escape… but that will only happen if we have no other choice remaining.”
Beneath his feet was the last glory that Cang Yue used everything to protect under the disaster of Blue Wind Nation. How could he let this imperial city not be destroyed by the hands of Divine Phoenix, but be destroyed in the hands of Ye Xinghan because of him.
“Brother Yun, did you come up with some method? But the other side is Sun Moon Divine Hall, and their Young Master is coming in person, and you also said that the other party roughly knows the current level of your strength…” said Number One Under Heaven while frowning. He absolutely did not question Yun Che’s ability… because back then, even Duke Huai failed miserably before him. But now under the current situation, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a way to counter it.
Unless he returned to Illusory Demon Realm and brought the Little Demon Empress over… then no matter how many powerful practitioners came from Sun Moon Divine Hall, they would all be fodder.
“Basically… but I am not very certain, so we can only gamble on it.” Without waiting for them to ask, Yun Che stood up and said, “Yuanba, you stay here and protect the Imperial City. If the Divine Phoenix Empire dares to come again, kill them all! Brother Under Heaven, Seventh Sister, you two stay here and protect Yue’er… Xiao Yun, you come with me to Frozen Cloud Asgard, right now.”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun’s expression was stunned as he doubtfully pointed to himself. “Me?”
“Ah!?” Number Seven Under Heaven rushed over and used half of her body to block Xiao Yun while saying with a panicked expression, “Wh… why are you taking Brother Yun with you? Sun Moon Divine Hall is so dangerous, what if Brother Yun… what if…”
“Don’t worry, did you forget about my profound ark? He is more safe with me than with you guys.” Yun Che reached out, brushed Number Seven Under Heaven’s shoulders, and pulled Xiao Yun over. “I promise you that when you see him again, not a single hair on his head will be missing, or else, you can punish me however you like.”
“Seventh Sister, you don’t have to worry. With Big Brother here, I will definitely be safe,” Xiao Yun also immediately comforted.
Number Seven Under Heaven’s face blushed slightly because of the unconscious reaction just now. She immediately swung her arm and said, “Alright, alright. Brother Yun and I are not those cowardly people… But you promised me, he can’t even be missing a single hair!”
“Brother Yun, what are you going to do exactly?” Number One Under Heaven couldn’t help but to ask in curiosity.
“To put it simply, we are going to scare them back.” Yun Che smiled slightly, and his eyes shined slightly with a strange light. “The best way is to scare them so hard that they wouldn’t dare to bother us in the future.”
“Scare them back?” Number One Under Heaven was stunned, and everyone else was stunned too. If it was to frighten… with Yun Che’s strength now, it was enough to frighten a normal profound practitioner completely. But they were facing Sun Moon Divine Hall, the highest level of existence in the Profound Sky Continent, how could Yun Che scare them… or it could even be said that in the whole Profound Sky Continent, there was almost nothing that could be enough to scare them thoroughly enough.
Yun Che didn’t explain, simply calmly saying, “I don’t know if it will work, but if it works, at least they wouldn’t bother us for a short period of time. But if it fails… we can only escape.”
“Xiao Yun, let’s go.”
“Ah… yes!”
“Yue’er, don’t worry. Even though there is a possibility that it will fail, if I want to escape, there is really not a lot of people who can hold me back in this world. No matter what, I will not get into an accident again like three years ago. Before noon tomorrow, I will return safely for sure,” said Yun Che as he took Xiao Yun’s arms while looking into Cang Yue’s eyes. Then, he turned around and flew out of the main hall with Xiao Yun.
“Husband…” As his back figure disappeared from her line of sight, Cang Yue unconsciously stepped forward, looked at the night sky outside, and her eyes became blurry. This man she loved and married, his life seems to always be accompanied with troubles that others could not understand. This was the first day they had reunited after being separated by life and death… but he had to leave in a hurry, to use his own strength to face one of the highest existences in the Profound Sky Continent…
Chapter 669 - Four Great Elders
When a profound practitioner increased his profound strength, his speed would naturally increase as well. Especially for someone within the Sky Profound Realm who could utilize the Profound Floating Technique, he would be able to fly at an extremely frightening speed. However, it still could not be compared to the speed of a profound ark. When one had attained an even higher profound realm such as the Tyrant or Sovereign Profound Realm, although their speed could surpass a vast majority of profound ark, it still would not the match the speed of some of the higher quality profound arks.
Like Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s Heavenly Sacred Divine Ark or Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Sun Moon Sacred Ark.
However, when a profound ark was being operated, it would consume a large amount of high quality jades. The higher the quality of the profound ark, the faster it could fly. Accordingly, the quality of the jades required would be higher, and the consumption rate would also be faster. Therefore, even at the level of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, they would not employ high quality profound arks haphazardly unless they had an emergency.
At this time, several thousand meters in the air, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark was flying at breakneck speed. The ark was several hundred meters long, and its entire body was silver. On the left side of the ark, there were the imprints of a scorching sun, and on the right side, there was a crescent moon. The speed at which it was flying was far above any human’s comprehension, and the profound practitioners on the ground could only hear the piercing noise of air being ripped apart. When they had looked up, they could not even see the silhouette of the ark. All that they could see were pieces of clouds and empty space left behind when the ark had flown past.
Inside the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, Ye Xinghan’s face was still just like water, and his eyes were cold. At this point in time, his mind had already coldly sobered. He knew that his impulsive activation of the Sun Moon Sacred Ark due to Yun Che would cause him to be punished by his father, but he did not regret this impulsive action.
Aside from Ye Xinghan, there were nineteen other people aboard the Sun Moon Sacred Ark. Fifteen within them were Ye Xinghan’s personal protectorates. All of their profound strengths were in the Tyrant Profound Realm, with the strongest one at the ninth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm. As for the other four… they were each separated by Ye Xinghan’s side. Each of their faces showed not anger, but prestige. The aura they emitted was as heavy as a tall mountain. Not only were the profound strengths of those fifteen Overlords overbearing, as Ye Xinghan’s protectorates, they all held a high position in Sun Moon Divine Hall. However, when they looked at the four individuals, their eyes were all filled with deep reverence.
Because these four, were elders from Sun Moon Divine Hall!!
And to become an elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall, one requirement had to be met, which was to reach the realm of Monarchs!
Moreover, these four were not only elders from Sun Moon Divine Hall but were also ranked in the top twenty. One among them was even ranked in the top ten. They were respectively, Eleventh Elder Ye Juanyun�, Fifteenth Elder Ye Shi�, Seventeenth Elder Ye Shuran�, and the one whose profound strength was close to a late stage Monarch, Ninth Elder Ye Guying, was already at the seventh level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
“Just a mere Yun Che actually drove Young Master to fly into rage. Isn’t the young master overestimating him?” indifferently commented Fifteenth Elder Ye Shi after seeing that Ye Xinghan was calming down from his anger. It wasn’t that he had not heard of the name “Yun Che.” After all, single-handedly overturning ten great geniuses from Divine Phoenix Sect’s young generation had caused a great commotion three years ago. It was hard to not know of that matter… However, they had only heard of it and nothing more because Yun Che did not qualify to hold their interest due to the difference in levels. As for hearing that Yun Che had foiled Ye Xinghan on the Primordial Profound Ark and then died on it, they had only just laughed it off… because anyone who dared to offend their Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Young Master, even if he did not die in the Primordial Profound Ark, after coming out of it, he would die an even more miserable death.
After suddenly finding out that Yun Che was actually alive and had even killed two of his protectorates, Ye Xinghan was thoroughly enraged. He wanted to kill him immediately and didn’t hesitate to activate the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, and bring fifteen protectorates He even brought four of their elders! This was like bringing a knife that could butcher cows to kill chickens!
“Ye Shi is right.” Ye Shuran slightly nodded his head and said, “Even though that Yun Che has impressive talent, what status does Young Master have? How is he even worthy of such treatment from the young master? If Young Master wants him dead, why does he need to activate the Sacred Sun Moon Ark and come in person? Only I am needed to kill him without a proper burial.”
Ye Xinghan’s face was cold and dark as he quietly exclaimed, “Yun Che… has to die!!”
Ye Guying raised his head slightly, then said, “Young Master, this old one thinks that we should be a bit more cautious in going to Blue Wind to kill Yun Che at this time.”
“Why does Ninth Elder say that? With the four of us here, even if there are thousands Yun Ches, he would still die a certain death. That Yun Che was able to kill those two pieces of trash, Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi, is indeed unexpected, but how could he triumph over the four of us?” Ye Guying’s statement caused the faces of both Ye Shi and Ye Shuran to reveal puzzlement. As the Ninth Elder, Ye Guying’s profound strength cultivation had reached great heights. The position he held in Sun Moon Divine Hall was high, and although he was also an elder, while Ye Guying could call Ye Shi and Ye Shuran by name, Ye Shi and Ye Shuran still had to be slightly respectful and refer to him as Ninth Elder.
“No, we still have to be careful, not against Yun Che, but the one that is supporting him from the shadows, or to speak more precisely—his master!” Ye Guying solemnly replied, “Although Young Master is impulsive in his rage, he is not stupid. I believe that he had considered and thought it over before bringing us four along with him.”
“I also have to agree with what Ninth Elder had said,” Eleventh Elder Ye Juanyun spoke. “It is said that Yun Che’s profound veins were crippled when he was young and were miraculously healed later on. Three years ago, when he swept the Profound Sky Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, it had been said that he had not even been cultivating in the profound for four years! And now that such a short three years have passed, his profound strength has reached the realm where he could kill Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi in but an instant! This level of power could be described as being exaggerated to the extreme. Even if it’s our Four Great Sacred Grounds exhausting all our resources, it is still impossible for us to nurture a person to reach such a terrifying realm in such a short amount of time! It is truly hard to imagine what kind of expert could actually produce such a disciple!”
“Three years ago, there were rumors that there was a very strong and mysterious master behind him, but no one had ever seen his master.” Yue Guying indifferently continued, “That year, he faced the entire Divine Phoenix Sect in Divine Phoenix City alone without fear. At that time, he was not even twenty years of age, so it was impossible for him to be that calm and bold back then. It must be that he had something to rely on. That might be sufficient to explain that the master behind him was so strong that it allowed him to not fear the Divine Phoenix Sect. At that time, Divine Phoenix Sect should have thought about this many times, which was why they decided to announce that they had “reconciled” with Yun Che during the Profound Sky Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, yet allowed Feng Feiyan to kill him on the Primordial Profound Ark.
“What I concerns me the most is that how he actually fled out of the Primordial Profound Ark alive.” Ye Guying continued, “Our Four Great Sacred Grounds also had a few predecessors that have stayed on the Primordial Profound Ark, but the outcome was that not a bag of bones was found! Yet Yun Che actually came out alive…”
“That’s really easy to explain.” Ye Shi smiled and said, “Young Master had said before that three years ago, in the Primordial Profound Ark, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary Xia Yuanba, who possessed the Tyrannical Emperor�’s Divine Veins, exited the Primordial Profound Ark before it was about to close. Divine Phoenix Sect’s Princess Snow was initially sealed for death in a fortress alone with Yun Che by our Young Master, but that Princess Snow actually safely made it out… The reason that they could actually exit was with the help of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s spatial bracelet which was specially manufactured at great expense to prevent accidents in the Primordial Profound Ark. Xia Yuanba and Princess Snow had both escaped with the help of the spatial bracelet, so Yun Che naturally had as well! He obviously never got taken away by the Primordial Profound Ark three years ago and had escaped with the help of the spatial bracelet. Only, when he thought about him having offended the young master, he knew that leaving the Primordial Profound Ark could only result in death. Divine Phoenix Sect would also not let him off, so he quickly went into hiding after leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, resulting in the false image that he had been taken away by the Primordial Profound Ark which led everyone to think that he was already dead. In this way, he would not be hunted down by our Sun Moon Divine Hall and Divine Phoenix Sect. From then on, he was living in hiding… which was only exposed now.”
“Yes.” Ye Shuran nodded in approval, “This is the only explanation. That Yun Che is so cunning and could actually fool our Sun Moon Divine Hall and Divine Phoenix Sect for an entire three years… It’s no wonder why young master would be so furious!”
Yue Guying slightly moved his brows together, and then slowly nodded, “This is indeed the best explanation. But, I still have another point of concern… Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi both had the soul imprint that Young Master personally planted in their bodies. Both Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi’s soul crystals had shattered, which proves that both of them are dead. However, Young Master had only received Ye Ziyi’s death imprint. This could only mean that Ye Qingsheng soul imprint had been erased before his death! For someone who could erase a soul imprint, how could he not have detected the imprint! But he still directly killed Ye Ziyi, and it seems like he deliberately killed Ye Ziyi so that he could pass the death imprint to the young master…”
“Hahahaha,” Ye Shuran suddenly laughed. “Ninth Elder has always been calm and wise, thinking things through carefully which is a quality many admire. But this time, you have worried too much. Although there is a strong master behind Yun Che, no matter how strong his master is, how could his master be stronger than Ninth Elder? Our Sun Moon Divine Hall has existed in the Profound Sky Continent for ten thousand years, who does it actually fear? Being ‘noticed’ by our young master should be little Yun Che’s greatest glory. Even if his talent and strength were to be multiplied by ten, in the face of our Sun Moon Divine Hall, he is just a grasshopper that we can step on at anytime! If he is actually as Ninth Elder had said… how could he, just to live, actually make the effort three years ago to create the false image of being ‘dead’?”
“What Shuran has said also make sense.” Having heard that, Ye Juanyun nodded, “Every time those who have been implanted with a soul imprint breaks through, there is always the chance that the battering of profound energy would erase it. Ye Qingsheng’s soul imprint might have disappeared a long time ago without anyone knowing, and that happening is also very normal.”
“Heheh,” Ye Guying let out a laugh. “Perhaps I really am thinking too much into it.”
“Ninth Elder always thinks carefully and has never underestimated anyone. It is precisely why he is extremely valued by the Heavenly Monarch.” Ye Shi smiled and said, “This is also the reason why I have always admired Ninth Elder… Oh? It seems like we are approaching the border of Blue Wind Nation. I wonder if Yun Che is already aware of us and has already covered his face to scamper off like a rat.”
At the very north of Blue Wind Nation, Frozen Cloud Asgard.
It was now very late at night, but the skies of the Snow Region of Extreme Ice were an ashen white reflected by the boundless snow and ice. Upon arriving at Frozen Cloud Asgard, Yun Che and Xiao Yun did not exit the Primordial Profound Ark. He estimated how long it would take Sun Moon Divine Hall to arrive and took out two identical sets of outer clothing, belts, and shoes from the Sky Poison Pearl. “Xiao Yun, quick, change into these clothes!”
Xiao Yun and Yun Che’s body shapes were extremely similar, so Yun Che clothes naturally fit well on Xiao Yun’s body.
Chapter 670 - Calamity Strikes Again
When Yun Che and Xiao Yun changed into an identical set of clothes. If one did not compare their facial features, both their front and back were ninety percent the same. After Xiao Yun changed his clothes, he anxiously said, “Big Brother, what are you… going to do?”
Yun Che slowly gazed at Xiao Yun, sizing him up, then slightly nodded his head and replied, “Good, we both have a very similar body structure. Unless it is someone who knows us well, it would be very hard to differentiate us based on our figures alone.”
While talking, Yun Che took out a wooden box from the Sky Poison Pearl. “Sit down, I’ll help you put on a disguise so you will look like me.”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun was dumbfounded. His mouth gaping widely. “Dis… disguise?”
“Yes!” Yun Che nodded his head and knitted his brow tightly. ”Rest assured, I am using a special medicine for the disguise, not a profound energy disguise. Unless it is an expert, it would be impossible to see through it.”
The most skillful person in the art of disguise that Yun Che had ever met in the Profound Sky Continent was Hua Minghai. But even if it was Hua Minghai, he could not compare with Yun Che in the art of disguise. With just a single glance, he could see through Hua Minghai’s disguise, but as for his own, Hua Minghai could not see through it in a short amount of time.
“But, why should I disguise myself as big brother?” Xiao Yun asked with a puzzled face.
“Because after the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall arrive… if there is no accident, there would be a short period of time that you would need to use my identity and face them,” Yun Che solemnly answered.
“Ah?” Xiao Yun gaped, “I…”
“Are you scared?” Yun Che smiled faintly.
Xiao Yun became absent minded for a short moment, grit his teeth, and strongly shook his head, “Not… not scared! Big Brother, do not worry. Even if I have to put my life on the line, I would…”
“Forget about putting your life on the line,” Yun Che smiled and interrupted him. ”I have already assured Seventh Sister that I would bring you back and would ensure that you wouldn’t be missing a single hair. If you lose your life, your Seventh Sister would chase me down with a knife everyday. I wouldn’t be able to rest in peace for the rest of my life if that were to happen.”
As he spoke, Yun Che face became serious. ”However, this matter will still come at a great risk. Because Ye Xinghan wants me to die, he will surely bring at least three Monarchs with him! It’s possible that he might bring a mid-stage Monarch… or even one that is even higher than a mid-stage Monarch. If we ever fail, even though we could use the Primordial Profound Ark to escape, I believe you could envision how dire the consequences would be if that were to happen… After disguising yourself, I’ll tell you what you need to do in detail. After a while, you have to firmly remember every word I say… as this matter will also be a huge challenge for you.”
“Alright… I understand.” Xiao Yun took in a mouthful of air and seriously nodded his head.
After Yun Che left the Primordial Profound Ark, he shrunk the ark into its smallest possible state… which was approximately the size of his palm. Then, after arriving in front of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s main gates, he took the Primordial Profound Ark and placed it between two thick blocks of ice. To common knowledge, the way one entered and exited a profound ark was naturally going through its ark door. The Primordial Profound Ark could also be entered through the ark door, but it also had an additional special way of passage, which was also what Yun Che had always used since the start… that was space transfer!
This was also one of the things that Yun Che would rely on when he faced Sun Moon Divine Hall today… Of course, the prerequisite for this was for the opponent to not discover the existence of the Primordial Profound Ark. However, the Primordial Profound Ark’s energy medium was Hong’er and not its own body, so it wouldn’t release any profound energy fluctuations when stationary. Added to the fact that the Primordial Profound Ark could become big or small, even if one was a Monarch, it would still be hard to detect its existence. Even if they saw it, they would think that it was just a model of a profound ark.
It was late at night, and Frozen Cloud Asgard was very silent. There were still four more hours till dawn… In four hours, it was about time for Sun Moon Divine Hall to arrive. Yun Che used the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul to issue an Asgard Master Command… Soon enough, six streaks of snow-white celestial silhouettes flew over and landed before Yun Che. Only Xia Qingyue was missing within the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies.
“Asgard Master, is there any important matter happening?” Murong Qianxue asked with a frown. There must have been some sort of pressing matter for him to call them this late in the night.
Yun Che lowered his voice and calmly said, “It is indeed something important. People from Sun Moon Divine Hall are heading our way… They will arrive in about four hours. The one leading them is their Young Master Ye Xinghan, and he would be bringing at least three Monarchs!”
“What?!” Murong Qianxue paled in shock. Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master… Monarchs… To them, all these words were a thousand times scarier than their own nightmares!
Just two Overlords could already force Frozen Cloud Asgard into a dead end. If it weren’t for Yun Che’s timely arrival, Frozen Cloud Asgard would have already ceased to exist… At least three Monarchs, just these alone would practically have enough power to sweep across the seven nations. Wanting to destroy Frozen Cloud Asgard would just require a simple hand gesture!
“As for the reason, there is no time for me to explain it to you. You guys immediately inform all of the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples. Give them an hour to take their important belongings and another hour to gather here!”
“Has Asgard Master found a place for us to escape to?” Jun Lianqie nervously asked.
“No, I never said that we have to escape!” Yun Che calmly said, “Our opponents are from Sun Moon Divine Hall. You guys should know very well that even if we escape today, we still would spend our future running, forever under the shadow of Sun Moon Divine Hall. The reason why all of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s disciples are to be gathered together here is to face Sun Moon Divine Hall together.”
Yun Che’s words startled them. Chu Yueli let out a sigh and dejectedly said, ”We are, after all, talking about Sun Moon Divine Hall. It is something that we simply are not able to contend against. If they stayed, they would only just die in vain… Just let the six of us stay and face Sun Moon Divine Hall. As for them… there is still four hours remaining, there may still be time for them to escape. The more people that could escape from the demonic hands of Sun Moon Divine Hall, the more sparks of life Frozen Cloud Asgard will have.”
“No! I only said that we would face Sun Moon Divine Hall together. I never said that I want you guys to seek death!” Yun Che seriously said. “Even though Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master came this time, it does not mean that we are doomed to perish. if you all trust me… I can’t guarantee that I can protect Frozen Cloud Asgard, but I can definitely protect everyone’s lives! No matter if it’s Senior Master, Junior Master, Senior Sister, or Junior Sister, I can assure you that none of your lives will be lost!”
“However, if all goes smoothly as planned, even Frozen Cloud Asgard can be saved…” Yun Che slightly lifted his hand, and his gaze swept across their snow-colored faces and bright eyes, “then our Frozen Cloud Asgard will undergo a nirvanic rebirth. From then on, at least for a brief period of time, no one would dare to offend us… until we grow strong enough to oppose them!”
Under the night, with the quiet, snowy moon, Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue all stared dumbstruck at Yun Che and were silent for a long time… They weren’t able to imagine what he was relying on when he said such words against the “Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master” and “at least three Monarchs” that he had personally stated.
As it grew deeper into the night, the color of the sky turned from a gray-white into a darker gray. Chu Yueli was the first to speak up. “Alright… Since you are our Asgard Master, we will naturally believe your words.”
“We will go gather all the disciples now,” Murong Qianxue said while nodding. As she spoke, ice beads had already formed at the tips of her hair… Killing the two Overlords from Sun Moon Divine Hall had allowed Frozen Cloud Asgard to escape their destruction, but they all knew that it was not the end of their calamity. It was merely the beginning… However, they did not expect that an even bigger calamity would strike so soon.
“In addition, I will be in the Frozen End Divine Hall and will be setting up an isolation barrier. Before I come out on my own, unless those from Sun Moon Divine Hall have come early, do not let anyone go anywhere near it,” Yun Che suddenly stated. Then, without any further explanation, he floated up into the sky and flew in the direction of the Frozen End Divine Hall.
Five hundred kilometers of cold desolation. The night wind was ice-cold. Before anyone realized it, the sky went from dark gray to grayish-white to pale white… and then became brightly lit. Four hours had quietly passed just like that.
All the Frozen Clouds Asgard disciples had long gathered in front of the main gate. A nervous yet determined atmosphere had also enveloped all of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Murong Qianxue and the others were floating high above in the sky. All of their beautiful eyes looked southward and would occasionally turn to look in the direction of the Frozen End Divine Hall… After Yun Che entered the Frozen End Divine Hall, there were no other movements. It was now nearing the “four hour” time span Yun Che had spoken of. They could only continuously use Frozen Heart Arts to calm their minds.
At this time, from a distant location, an ear-piercing tearing sound could be heard from the southwestern sky. It was also quickly getting closer and closer… Then, in the direction of the tearing sound, a faint black spot could be see in the pale sky.
“What is that… AH!!”
Following the scream of the Frozen Cloud female, in but an instant… in just a short moment, the faint black spot which could be seen was becoming bigger at a terrifying speed, clearly appearing as a completely silver profound ark silhouette. Its terrifying speed far surpassed most of the Frozen Cloud ladies’ cognition, and then, the silver profound ark suddenly stopped… Just like that, it stopped at a distance of around three hundred meters in front of them.
The cold wind became chaotic and space was faintly fluctuating as an enormous, indescribable profound energy aura covered the entire Snow Region of Extreme Ice. This had even left Murong Qianxue, who was currently Frozen Cloud Asgard strongest, completely breathless. This level of profound strength could only be deemed “incomprehensible”… It was the people from Sun Moon Divine Hall… They had really arrived!!!
“This profound ark, is called the Sun Moon Sacred Ark. It is the highest quality profound ark in Sun Moon Divine Hall. It is very fast and they would have not activated lightly. However, in order to pay our Frozen Cloud Asgard a visit this time, they had actually activated it.”
A slight tone of mocking could be heard from the calm voice that came over. They all quickly turned their head back and exclaimed in surprise despite their fear, “Asgard Master!”
Yun Che arrived while stepping on wind. In the blink of an eye, he flew in front of Murong Qianxue. No one knew what he had been doing in the Frozen End Divine Hall within those four hours. However, they could vaguely feel that the heavy aura that was on Yun Che’s body was weaker than it had previously been. At this point, while facing against the approaching the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, there was only calm in his aura and brows… There was even a bit of proudness. The only thing lacking was fear and anxiety!
Yun Che stood at the very front with his gaze fixed on Sun Moon Sacred Ark’s ark door which had yet to open. There seemed to be a bit of a smile on his tranquil face. “Every Senior Master, Junior Master, Senior Sister, and Junior Sister, before us, is indeed a calamity we have never countered in our Frozen Cloud Asgard’s thousand years of history! However, since I am already Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Asgard Master, I, Yun Che, am willing to bet on my dignity… that I’ll never allow Frozen Cloud Asgard to fall into enemy hands! Nor will I allow anyone to suffer a tragic end. What you all have to do later on is that, no matter what happens next, don’t panic! Perhaps…”
He turned his head and lightly laughed at Frozen Cloud’s young ladies, “You would discover that Sun Moon Divine Hall isn’t as scary as you think.”
With the calamity before them, every single one of them smelled the odor of a stifling, ice-cold despair. However, Yun Che’s words and his smile, when facing against such a powerful adversary, was like a gust of wind that brushed away more than half their depression and fear. The slightly trembling gazes of all of Frozen Cloud’s young ladies fell upon the back figure of the one in front of them with a kind of dependence and trust. An indescribable, unfamiliar warmth unceasing grew in their hearts and expanded. This was a sensation they had never felt even for late Asgard Mistress Gong Yuxian.
Chu Yueli silently looked at Yun Che’s back figure as her beautiful eyes blurred into absent-mindedness for a while… Who knew that the young man who had been scorned and mocked by everyone in Floating Cloud City, who she had protected only because of Qingyue’s request, would, in but a few years, shake the entire Blue Wind Nation and shake the entire Profound Sky Continent… And now, he had become the only thing Frozen Cloud Asgard could rely on against its greatest calamity!
Following a heavy sound, Sun Moon Sacred Ark’s ark door opened at this time. Each figure that slowly came out all possessed a boundless profound energy fluctuation on their bodies. Yun Che crossed his chest as his eyes swept through everyone who had walked down the Sun Moon Sacred Ark. The corner of his mouth slowly curled into a sneer. “Ye Xinghan, you’ve finally arrived. And I had even wondered how awesome your Sun Moon Divine Hall’s profound ark was, but it was only like this. You’ve actually made me wait this long!”
Each person who came out from the Sun Moon Sacred Ark stopped in their tracks as their expressions slightly changed.
In his fit of rage, Ye Xinghan had brought along four Monarchs, fifteen Overlords, and drove the Sun Moon Sacred Ark over in order to kill Yun Che in the shortest time possible. It was for the purpose of not allowing Yun Che to be able to react or have any chance of escaping. On the way there, they had all envisioned all kinds of scenarios… When their Sun Moon Divine Hall unexpectedly arrived, they had expected Yun Che to be scared witless on the spot or perhaps flee while cowering like a rat; that within his fear, he would desperately run for his life… or perhaps, he would have detected it and would have escaped from the Frozen Cloud Asgard. Then, they would be able to destroy Frozen Cloud Asgard and attack Blue Wind Imperial City in order to see Yun Che’s look of despair.
However, even in their wildest imagination, they would never have expected to see such a scene when they arrived… Yun Che, who was calm and composed, appeared to have been waiting for their arrival. He had obviously known that they were coming… yet, not only did he not escape, he showed no signs of worry or fear. From his deafening voice, there were no signs of nervousness or fear. Furthermore, his slightly crooked lips and his eyes which looked at them with arrogance and mockery seemed as though he was viewing prey that had been captured!
As “hunters,” when they were faced with Yun Che’s gaze, they instantly felt like they had become the hunted.
Chapter 671 - False Bravado
“Yun… Che!” Looking at Yun Che’s coldly smiling face, unspeakable resentment and loathing erupted in Ye Xinghan’s heart. Back then, it was this small fry, who was not even significant enough to be counted as a worm when compared to his lofty status as the Young Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, who completely wrecked his plans in the Primordial Profound Ark! If not for Yun Che, he would have already obtained Feng Xue’er’s Divine Phoenix body, and his current strength would have broken through to the Sovereign Profound Realm while his rate of growth would be far greater than what it was today… All of his plans had been ruined because of this Yun Che!
When Yun Che had “died” in the Primordial Profound Ark all those years ago, he was still unable to get rid of the hatred in his heart.
And now that three years had passed, he discovered that Yun Che was not actually dead! He had even killed his men, once again wrecking his plans… and even his profound strength had grown by leaps and bounds… to the point where it had even exceeded his own!
When he received Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint, the anger, resentment, and killing intent that he felt in that instant… was so fierce that it felt as if his chest was going to explode!
If not for stone cold logic informing him that he might not be Yun Che’s match anymore, he would have rushed out like a crazed dog and used the cruelest method to brutally kill Yun Che. He stared at Yun Che, the coldness and hatred on his face giving way to a rotten and icy smile. “To think that you still lived… this truly gave this young master a huge surprise! All these years, this young master’s greatest regret was not being able to personally rip you to tiny pieces. To think that you would actually escape from the king of the Underworld and obediently deliver yourself into my hands.”
As he spoke, Ye Xinghan surveyed the background, and his gaze fell upon the ladies of the Frozen Cloud. Immediately, his eyes widened into saucers, and his gaze turned feverishly hot as the expression on his face went from gloomy and cold to one of undisguised, evil depravity. “Yun Che, this young master suddenly feels extremely grateful to you. If not for you, this young master would not have known that Frozen Cloud Asgard was actually such a wonderful place! Who would have thought that in a tiny country that is about to be scattered like ashes, there would actually be so many peerless beauties waiting to be enjoyed by this young master. Tsk…”
Ye Xinghan’s tongue extended out of his mouth as he slowly licked the corner of his lips, and a gulping sound could be heard coming from his throat. His excessively evil and wanton gaze and aura had grown so strong that even his anger and killing intent had been completely swallowed by it. This was definitely not something that Ye Xinghan was faking; he cultivated heretical arts and had his way with countless women, and while he had an insatiable appetite for beauty, his standards were exceedingly high. Regular beautiful women would not even catch his notice. However, the ladies of the Frozen Cloud all had ice-snow skin, features like a cold moon, and possessed a stately and ice-cold temperament. Every single one of them seemed like snow lotuses from Mount Heaven which blossomed amidst the wind and snow; they were like snow fairies who descended to the earth after being exiled from the heavens, haughtily surveying the world in their peerless beauty.
During these thousand years, the number one beauty of Blue Wind Nation had always come from Frozen Cloud Asgard without even a single exception!
Also, even if one and only picked a girl from Frozen Cloud Asgard… even if she was the plainest one of them all, she would still be a peerless beauty in the outside world, more beautiful than any other women for miles around her. Moreover, their cold and stately temperament was not something that a normal girl could compare to.
So even though Ye Xinghan had countless women at his disposal, he still stared at every single lady of the Frozen Cloud with the depravity of a hungry wolf… and he had an entire two thousand women of Frozen Cloud to stare at! It would not be the least bit exaggerated to say that every single nerve and cell within Ye Xinghan’s body was quivering with excitement. Two thousand women of Frozen Cloud, any single one of them would cause all the women that he kept back in Sun Moon Divine Hall to lose their luster. And those six ladies, who were standing at the forefront, who had the strongest profound energy auras of them all, especially caught his eye, making it almost impossible for him to stop himself from drooling at the mouth…
As for Frozen Cloud Asgard, he had once heard of them a very long time ago, but an all-women power from the tiny nation of Blue Wind was not even worthwhile for him to remember, much less catch his attention. If not for the name “Xia Qingyue” and the fact that she was part of Frozen Cloud Asgard, he probably would have never have considered to coming to this kind of place. But never in his wildest dreams did he think that this place was actually a “paradise on earth”!
Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master, who held beauty as dear to him as life itself, suddenly felt as if he had wasted most of his life. At this time, his attention had already completely switched from Yun Che to the Frozen Cloud ladies behind him…. Compared to these beautiful and bewitching snow fairies, Yun Che’s life was not even worth a damn!
Ye Xinghan’s notoriety for using women to cultivate his heretic arts was something that all the women of Frozen Cloud had heard of before. And what they saw today was far worse than any of the rumors that they had heard. Looking at his obscene and depraved expression, the faces of the ladies of Frozen Cloud were filled with a deep loathing. Murong Qianxue, Chu Yueli, and the rest of the Frozen Cloud Fairies all knitted their brows as the ice spirit around their bodies danced wildly and their hands tightened around the hilts of their ice swords… Today, even if they all had to perish together, they would definitely not allow themselves to be sullied by Ye Xinghan.
“Hahahaha!” After hearing Ye Xinghan’s words, Yun Che did not reveal the slightest bit of fear or anger; instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and let out a wild laugh. “Ye Xinghan, your death is at hand yet you still have the time to build castles in the air. This is simply too hilarious, hahahaha…”
“This young master’s death is at hand?” Ye Xinghan’s eyes slanted as he tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh as well, and it was even louder and more wanton than Yun Che’s laugh. “It looks like even though you have lived for three more years, you have become a pitiful idiot who can’t even tell whose death is actually at hand right now.”
“Young Master!” Ye Shi said as he took a step forward. “When this brat saw the Young Master, he was clearly so frightened that he had lost his wits. Hmph, given the Young Master’s status, there is no need to waste your breath on him. Let me go and capture him and leave his fate at the Young Master’s disposal!”
“I will have to trouble Fifteenth Elder then,” Ye Xinghan replied leisurely. “But Fifteenth Elder, remember to be gentle with him. I definitely do not want you to kill him by accident.”
“Just watch me break his legs first!” Ye Shi said with a cold laugh. He circulated all the profound energy in his body and prepared to advance before a figure suddenly flashed in front of him. He was blocked by Ye Guying who gave a low shout, “Wait! Do not take any action yet! Haven’t any of you realized that there is something wrong here?!”
“When we had arrived, they had already gathered here, and they even called out the name ‘Sun Moon Sacred Ark,’ so they clearly knew that we were coming far in advance. Also, not only did they not flee, but they actually purposely waited here!” Ye Guying said coldly, “If they did not have anything to rely on or some scheme lying in wait for us, why would they act in such a manner?! Especially that Yun Che… just look at him, he isn’t the least bit worried or afraid. Rather, he looks like victory has already been grasped in his hand as his prey is about to take the bait!”
This situation was definitely out of the ordinary. After they had arrived and had found Yun Che, the scenario they had been greeted with was completely different from the one they had expected. Ye Shi replied, “There is definitely something weird going on, but I had just used all of my power to survey our present surroundings, and I cannot feel the aura of any strong individual. The strongest aura I have detected is that of the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm, and this Yun Che only has a profound strength at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm! Even though I do not know why they would know of our arrival so far in advance, they did not flee because they clearly knew that even if they fled to the ends of the earth, it would not be enough to escape from our grasp. That Yun Che is simply faking his current attitude… it’s all false bluster and bravado!”
“You really think that he is faking it?” Ye Guying said with sunken brows, “We are all people that have lived for nearly a thousand years, and Yun Che is only slightly over twenty years of age. Do you actually think that any act put on by him could escape our eyes?”
Ye Shi’s eyelids briefly twitched as Ye Shuran and Ye Juanyun both furrowed their brows…. The Yun Che who had stood in front of them had not only taken the initiative to wait for them here, but even as he faced their Sun Moon Divine Hall, he was still calm and composed. They could not detect a hint of fear of anxiety from his expression, gaze, or posture. On the contrary, the only thing that was displayed was continuous arrogance and contempt… they were all old monsters who had lived for several hundred years, and some of them were even close a thousand years old, so they definitely did not believe that a young man of just over twenty years of age could “act” in front of them to such a degree.
In the depths of their heart, they had long ago confirmed that… there was definitely someone who had Yun Che’s back at this present moment!
“So what if there is?” Ye Shi persisted as he gave a contemptuous laugh, “Even if he really has some huge power backing him up… could it be stronger than our Sun Moon Divine Hall? In this Profound Sky Continent, other than the other three Sacred Grounds, is there really anything else that can cause our Sun Moon Divine Hall to tremble?”
Ye Shi’s words may have been arrogant beyond reason, but they were also unshakably true. As one of the premier powers in the Profound Sky Continent, other than the rest of the Sacred Grounds, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace, and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, there was nothing else in this world that they held as their equal. Even if Yun Che gathered all of the profound practitioners in Blue Wind Nation, it would not cause them to even bat an eyelid.
“He defeated the Divine Phoenix Sect by himself and managed to kill Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi despite cultivating for only six years, so I have no reason to believe that he is simply standing here and waiting for death!” Ye Guying said in an incomparably prudent manner, “Moreover, did you not hear what he just said… he said that our Young Master’s death was at hand! He could be bluffing, or if the one who is backing him up really has that kind of power, even if there is only a one in a billion chance of that happening… do you dare take such a risk?!! If anything really happens to the Young Master, not only will we die, but our entire families and even our descendants will all have to die with us!!”
Ye Guying’s words caused Ye Shi’s body to tremble and the complexion of Ye Shuran and Ye Juanyun faces to change. Looking at Yun Che’s extremely confident demeanor and attitude, these elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall, all mighty Monarchs who loomed over the earth, did not dare make any rash or impulsive moves. Instead, they focused all of their spirit as they attempted to search for any hidden profound energy auras in the surrounding area.
“His cheap life, how can it be compared with the safety of our Young Master. It is not that I am being overly cautious and prudent, but his current attitude… is definitely not normal, so he must be hiding some kind of scheme. With the Young Master here, we definitely cannot take such a risk.” Ye Guying calmly said as his eyes narrowed slightly, “Let me first get to the bottom of this! And after we have exposed all of his tricks and supporters and we have confirmed that he poses no threat, then we can kill him!”
“Oh? Why have you lot suddenly gone quiet? Weren’t you shouting about how you were going to capture me? Are you going to do it or what?!” Yun Che casually extended a hand and gestured them to come forward with his finger. This contemptuous action and sight would stoke the fires of rage in even the lowliest of profound practitioners, even moreso for elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall.
Yun Che’s expression was haughty and contemptuous, but the reality was that his back had long ago been drenched in cold sweat. Just now Jasmine had advised him on the strength of these four individuals. There was one who was at the third level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, two were at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, and the one who looked the youngest was actually at the seventh level of the Sovereign Profound Realm… He approached the latter stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm, and he was a monstrous existence that stood on equal ground with a grand elder of the Yun Family! He had predicted that Ye Xinghan would definitely bring along some strong individuals who were at the Monarch level, but the overall level of strength of his party far exceeded what he had expected.
Even Ye Xinghan himself had broken through to the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, and he was far stronger than he was three years ago.
If Ye Shi had really rushed at him like he intended to, his only choice would have been to whisk away all of the women in the Primordial Profound Ark and flee the scene… and all of the schemes that he had prepared would be rendered useless. But it was good that he had successfully caused the other party to become extremely cautious, allowing him to scrape through the first encounter without any mishap.
Ye Guying slowly strode forward and his body released an aura which was not intense but was as boundless as the sea, and in the span of a few breaths, it had engulfed the entire Snow Region of Extreme Ice. The strength and dread invoked by this aura caused all the women of Frozen Cloud to go pale with fear… because this was power that far exceeded what they knew and even what they could imagine.
“Yun Che.” Ye Guying said in a bland voice, “Even though your talent is not common, in the eyes of our Sun Moon Divine Hall, it is not even worth mentioning. If we want to kill you, it is only a matter of lifting our hands. It is just that before we proceed, I have a few questions I want to ask you, and if you honestly answer them, we can consider sparing the lives of the women behind you.”
These last words spoken by Ye Guying were completely farcical because even if they wanted to do anything to the women of Frozen Cloud, Ye Xinghan would definitely not allow them to. Yun Che eyed him coolly before tilting his head back and breaking out into a huge roaring laugh, “Hahahaha! Kill me? Just one level three Monarch, two level five Monarchs, and one level seven Monarch, and you want to kill me? Hahahaha, this is simply the best joke I’ve heard in ages! Could it be that your entire Sun Moon Divine Hall is made up of presumptuous idiots?!”
Yun Che’s words caused the expressions on the four great elders’ and Ye Xinghan’s face to greatly change… and it was not because of his arrogant and irritating insults, but it was because he had actually correctly stated the exact profound strength of Ye Shuran, Ye Shi, Ye Juanyun, and Ye Guying!
There was not a single mistake contained in his words!!
Chapter 672 - A Might Which Covers the Heavens
To be able to correctly ascertain a profound practitioner’s level of profound strength, one had to have a profound strength higher than the other! Yet Yun Che was able to accurately shout out the profound strength of these four Monarchs, including Ye Guying, who was a late stage Monarch!
Yun Che only had the profound strength aura that was at the Emperor Profound Realm, so he definitely would not be able to do this! The only possible explanation was that… there was someone here whose profound cultivation was extremely strong, and he might even be strong enough to surpass Ye Guying’s strength!
Before it was only a faint suspicion, but following what Yun Che said, this misgiving’s likelihood suddenly multiplied many times over… it reached the point where they could practically confirm that there was indeed a huge power that was backing Yun Che up. And the strength of this power far exceeded their previous expectations… because the other person was able to accurately ascertain their profound strength, whereas they could not even detect the presence of that person! To be able to conceal his profound strength so perfectly from them, that person had to have a profound strength that exceeded them, and it was highly possible that his strength was far above theirs!
Could it really… actually be someone who was in the late stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm?
That was not possible… besides the Four Sacred Grounds, it should not be possible for any other high level Monarchs to exist elsewhere in this world!
At this time, they looked at Yun Che’s face that was calm and devoid of fear, and he even had a provocative, cold smile plastered on his face. They were quickly disabused of the notion that all of this was just “false bluster and bravado.”
Ye Guying quickly suppressed the look of alarm that flashed across his face and gave a humorless laugh as he replied, “Let us first not talk about whether we are going to kill you today and move on to other matters instead… seeing your reaction, it seems as if you had already known about our impending visit for quite some time.”
“Haha.” Yun Che gave an extremely disdainful and cold laugh as contempt flashed in his eyes, and he looked at the powerful Ninth Elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall as if he were some kind of an idiot. “To think that words so stupid that it insults one’s intelligence would actually come out of the mouth of an elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall! When I killed Ye Ziyi, I was using Ye Ziyi’s death imprint to transmit the entire manner of his death to your young master, Ye Xinghan. My motive was to get Ye Xinghan to immediately rush over here with his people to try and kill me… You actually have doubts over how I knew about your arrival? Hahahaha! This is the level of intellect possessed by an elder from Sun Moon Divine Hall… it truly is too laughable!”
Yun Che’s words caused Ye Guying’s eyes to tremble in anger, but his expression did not change. Instead of flying into a rage, he merely gave a tepid laugh and said, “You mean when you killed Ye Ziyi, you had already known about the death imprint on his body, so you purposely used this death imprint to let our Young Master know that you were the one who killed him?”
“What else?” The corner of Yun Che’s mouth curled upwards as he mockingly replied, “Didn’t any of you actually stop to think about why even though both Ye Ziyi and Ye Qingsheng died… you did not receive Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint?”
The expressions of all the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall changed simultaneously… Before this, when they were still on the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, Ye Guying had gravely voiced his suspicion that it was possible that the other party had preserved Ye Ziyi’s death soul imprint to entice them to come here. Because if the other party could wipe away Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint, it was impossible that he would not have discovered the existence of a death imprint on Ye Ziyi’s body. But they could not bring themselves to believe this, and they explained it away by coming to the conclusion that Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint had faded away by itself, because there was no one who had the guts to provoke and “entrap” the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall… unless said person had a death wish!
However,, those exact words had come out of Yun Che’s mouth this very moment, causing all of them to be involuntarily alarmed as a feeling of uneasiness which should not exist was birthed in their hearts. But Ye Juanyun took a step forward and gave a laugh of contempt instead, “And so what if you did? Yun Che, you are only a pitiful frog in the well in our eyes, so what would you know about how high the sky is or how deep the earth is. You truly believe that just relying on that teacher behind you, you can challenge our Sun Moon Divine Hall? Hahahaha…” Ye Junyuan laughed wildly, “That is so incredibly naive! Our Sun Moon Divine Hall’s strength is something that you can never imagine and is something that you are not qualified to know as well! Your confidence and the backup that you think is infallible, in the eyes of our Sun Moon Divine Hall, it is only a huge joke!”
“Oh?” Yun Che’s eyebrows drooped slightly as he replied, “You actually know who my master is?”
“Tsk tsk, anyone who has dared to behave in such a brazen manner in front of our Sun Moon Divine Hall has always died a horrible death, and even if they managed to survive, their fates were even worse than death…” Ye Shi continued with a cold laugh as he put a hand on his chin, “Yun brat, don’t even talk about your master. Even if you had one hundred of those masters, you will definitely not be able to keep your life today!”
“Haha, what?” Yun Che gave a humorless laugh, and while his tone was arrogant, his voice began to deepen as well, “My master is normally within his own little world, so I normally will not dare to disturb his cultivation, and I am even less willing to borrow my master’s power.” Yun Che’s eyes instantly became dark and cold as he continued, “But Frozen Cloud Asgard has no quarrel or grievance with you, yet you acted so viciously towards them. Not only did you push them into a desperate situation, you even killed their two previous sect masters… this hatred and animosity has created an irreconcilable gulf between us! And if I cannot avenge this wrong, then I am not fit to be the new sect master of Frozen Cloud Asgard!!
“So today, I will borrow my master’s strength and will use Ye Xinghan’s… no, will use all of your blood to offer up a sacrifice to the souls of the previous two sect masters!” Yun Che raised his left hand. “You will soon know who exactly is the frog in the well! When my master condescends to appear before us, all of you better be ready for it… don’t become so frightened that you wet your pants and stain this pristine snowy land!!”
Yun Che’s tone was harsh, and his words were filled with animosity. As his words fell, Ye Xinghan’s face grew dark, and just as he was about to speak, he saw a light flash from Yun Che’s body. Following that flash… his entire person had disappeared from where he was standing! Whether it was his figure or his presence, all of it had completely disappeared!!
Ye Guying and the rest of his companions were fiercely shocked… they definitely did not believe that a profound practitioner who was below the Sovereign Profound Realm could disappear without them noticing. But despite their enormous power as Monarchs, they could not detect Yun Che’s presence even though their spiritual perception blanketed the entire area. It was in this manner that he had completely disappeared in an instant right before their very eyes!
“What… what is going on?” Ye Shi sputtered in a deep voice as his eyes swept the area. According to their own knowledge and experiences, this was something that should not be possible! Without even mentioning that Yun Che was a Throne, even if he was a Monarch as well, it should not be possible for him to disappear completely before their very eyes!
Ye Guying’s brows sank, and he suddenly remembered that Yun Che just said these words, “My master normally resides in his own little world, so I normally will not dare to disturb his cultivation…” His heart suddenly shook… his own little world? Could it be that his master was actually someone who could open his own little world, just like in the legends? And Yun Che’s complete disappearance was due to him entering his master’s “little world”?
Amidst their shock, a light suddenly shone out in front of them, and Yun Che’s figure appeared before them once more. But the Yun Che who had appeared once again was not facing them; instead, his head was bowed and he had his withdrawn his aura. His stance was completely devoid of the wild arrogance that he had displayed before. Rather, he assumed an attitude of solemn respect.
“Yun Che, where is your master?!” Ye Shi roared, “I definitely do not expect you to tell us that once your so-called master heard the four words ‘Sun Moon Divine Hall,’ he was so frightened that he ran away, haha…”
Ye Shi’s laughter abruptly came to a halt as his expression underwent a great change.
An aged voice let out a long and drawn-out sigh. This sigh carried with it an indescribable heaviness, and it seemed to come from an ancient age. Accompanying this sigh was a boundless and indescribably majestic presence and might. This might seemed to have welled up from the ends of the earth, and in that moment, it seem to fill the heavens and the earth.
In that instance, it seemed like the dome of heaven had completely collapsed! With it, the entire world descended into a deathly silence.
The four Monarchs of Sun Moon Divine Hall—Ye Shi, Ye Shuran, Ye Juanyun, and the mighty Ye Guying all felt their breath seize up in their chests as this might fell upon them. It was as if a mountain range was pressing down on their chests. Forget about breathing, even their hearts had nearly been completely stopped as their bodies went rigid while every cell in their bodies shuddered violently and uncontrollably… and they could not stop no matter what they did.
They raised their heads after much difficulty, and their pupils contracted as they looked at the figure that had suddenly appeared out of thin air… his voluminous black robe fluttered in the howling, cold wind. The black robe covered half of his face, so they were unable to make out his appearance… Under this incomparably dreadful pressure, even as mighty as they were, they still did not dare to meet the gaze of that man. Even the black robe on his body seemed to have the weightiness of a mountain.
In this world, the thing that was the hardest to fake was one’s aura. And this black-robed man’s aura was so strong that it was something they could not describe and could not even imagine. They were Monarchs which stood at the pinnacle of the world, so in this world, there should not exist any aura which would cause them to tremble… Moreover, under this aura, they felt that they were as small as grains of sand before the blue sea. They could barely bring themselves to believe that this was an aura that belonged to another human being… but was the might of a primordial god of legends which covered the heavens!
What was even scarier was that, while this aura was majestic and boundless, it was not fierce or violent. Instead, it was completely calm… so that was to say that this was merely the presence that this black-robed man normally displayed. It was not a deliberate show of force that would come about when one circulated all of his profound energy.
“Master!” Yun Che knelt to the ground and deeply bowed his head. The Yun Che who had been unreasonably arrogant in front of Sun Moon Divine Hall now spoke in a voice that was filled with a deep reverence… and there was even a hint of apprehension in that voice.
Ye Xinghan’s expression had turned incredibly ugly, and not one of the four elders could laugh in this situation. They all looked at each other and saw that the eyes of everyone else was filled with a deep shock and unease… an aura which could cause Monarchs such as them to tremble with fear. Just based on that alone, they could tell that this person’s strength definitely exceeded that of their own Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Heavenly Monarch.
This was… Yun Che’s mysterious master?
How could there be such a terrifying existence that was akin to a god or a devil on this earth?!!
Chapter 673 - Exposed?
“This… this is … Asgard Master’s teacher?” The ladies of Frozen Cloud said in a daze as they stared at the black-robed man in midair. The almighty power was one even the elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall could not endure which made its effects on them all the more obvious.
The fact that Yun Che had a mysterious master was something that everyone in Frozen Cloud Asgard knew. Because three years ago, when he entered Frozen Cloud Asgard, he had made it clear to Grand Asgard Mistress Feng Qianhui that he already had a master, so he would only be able to enter the sect, but he would not become anyone’s disciple. Furthermore, his terrifying rate at which his profound strength grew and his unbelievably heaven-defying medical skills had naturally come from his master as well. And today, they had finally witnessed the “true face” of Yun Che’s mysterious master, and the aura and might that emanated from him exceeded their imagination and understanding by leaps and bounds.
They had previously imagined that Yun Che’s master must be an extremely terrifying individual… but the reality of the situation had far exceeded their expectations!
No wonder he was so calm when he was facing Sun Moon Divine Hall… no wonder he dared to be so arrogant.
“So you are the people who seek to kill this old one’s disciple?”
The black-robed old man opened his mouth, and even though his voice was soft and his tone was even, every single one of his words weighed on the ears of the party from Sun Moon Divine Hall like enormous and heavy boulders.
Ye Guying silently sucked in a breath and suppressed the alarm and fear in his heart. He calmly cupped his hands and proceeded in a manner which was neither obsequious nor overbearing, “Ah, so it is this distinguished one who is Yun Che’s master. We are members of Sun Moon Divine Hall. Yesterday, your disciple attacked us for no reason at all, and he killed twelve people from our Sun Moon Divine Hall. Two of these victims were the personal servants of our young master. So our Sun Moon Divine Hall has naturally arrived to seek redress. But we did not expect a distinguished one such as yourself would be overseeing this place, so we have been remiss in failing to offer our respect to you. Even though we have inadvertently disturbed this distinguished one’s cultivation, our mission was to bring a murderer to justice as it is the right and proper thing to do… We believe that this distinguished one’s profound aura is unrivalled, so you are definitely not someone who is unable to distinguish right from wrong and cover up evil deeds.”
Ye Guying’s face was filled with righteousness, and his calm voice was laced with righteous anger as he sought to paint a scenario where Yun Che was the heinous sinner and Sun Moon Divine Hall was merely the party who was seeking “justice.” Moreover, he heavily emphasized the words “Sun Moon Divine Hall”… because in the Profound Sky Continent, there was no one who dared to offend Sun Moon Divine Hall.
“Haha,” the black-robed old man gave a polite laugh. “Anyone who has been killed by this old one’s disciple are definitely deserving of their deaths. On the contrary, it is your Sun Moon Divine Hall who assaulted these ladies’ territory for no rhyme or reason. If there was any crime that was committed here, this was it.”
“Hmph! This is a bunch of nonsense!” Ye Shi advanced as he raised his head and gave a cold retort, “There is definitely a special reason for our young master to take action against Frozen Cloud Asgard! And even if one wants to retaliate, that is also something that only concerns Frozen Cloud Asgard! This brat Yun Che is only an outsider. Our Sun Moon Divine Hall has never taken any action against him before, yet he killed twelve of our people. So we have come here to seek justice as it is the right and proper thing to do! But in order to protect your disciple, you actually changed chose to deliberately distort the truth…”
“That is enough Ye Shi, do not be disrespectful.” Ye Guying raised a hand and used his eyes to convey a message to Ye Shi. This was because the aura of this black-robed man was simply far too dreadful, and if they really angered him, the consequences would be too horrible to contemplate. He raised his head and said with a face filled with righteousness, “Our Sun Moon Divine Hall has existed for ten thousand years, and defending the Profound Sky Continent has always been our mission. Over this ten thousand year period, we have repelled those who sought to invade the Profound Sky Continent countless of times! Because of this, the people of the Profound Sky Continent have given us the title of ‘Sacred Ground,’ and our the ten thousand years of meritorious service rendered by Sun Moon Divine Hall is beyond reproach! We bear the name of a ‘Sacred Ground,’ and we also bear the burden of ensuring the safety of all that live within the Profound Sky Continent, so our actions have always been upright, candid, and completely beyond reproach! Perhaps because this distinguished one’s profound aura is unrivaled, you want to force us to bear the mark of a sinner, but even if we are not equal to this distinguished one, we will still definitely not allow you to do so!
“But if this distinguished one takes action and kills us for the sake of protecting your disciple…” Ye Guying continued with solemn eyes, “it just might be that all of the people in the world will not agree to it!”
Ye Guying’s words caused hatred and resentment to appear on the faces of all the gathered ladies of the Frozen Cloud. To them, these people were devils who behaved viciously for their own personal gain, yet right now, they unashamedly portrayed themselves as the guardian of the Profound Sky Continent, and they even dared to use the will of the people as a threat. It was simply far too despicable!
But what they could not refute was that the Four Sacred Grounds were truly regarded as “sacred” amongst all the people of the Profound Sky Continent. And common knowledge regarding the “Sacred Grounds” was that they constantly defended the borders of the Profound Sky Continent, keeping them safe from invasion and eliminating countless of calamities which threatened the Profound Sky Continent.
In the eyes of the common man, it was the existence of the Four Sacred Grounds that ensured the peace and prosperity of the Profound Sky Continent.
So Ye Guying’s “threat” was definitely not just a false alarm or pure bluster and bravado.
“Haha.” The black-robed old man gave yet another tepid laugh, and he did not show any fury, but this laugh contained a trace of mockery. “There is nothing that happens in this Profound Sky Continent that can escape this old man’s eyes. Perhaps you can trick the entire world, but this old man knows all of the ugly things that you have done over the years. Just based on how many women your so-called young master has harmed over the years, that alone is already a sin that cannot be tolerated by the heavens!”
“When we have returned, we will naturally convey the words of this distinguished ones to our Hall Master,” Ye Guying said without flinching. “Actually, this humble one has not left his Divine Hall for a very long time, so I have always been ignorant and ill-informed when it comes to worldly affairs, so I do not know where this distinguished one hails from. May I be so daring as to ask where this distinguished one is from.”
Ye Guying’s words clearly showed his intense desire to retreat… This was an individual with a terrifying profound aura, so the only thing he needed to do now was ensure that he could leave as quickly as possible with his young master in tow! Facing this dreadful aura, he knew that every second they remained here exponentially increased the danger that they faced.
“This old man’s name has long ago faded into dust…” the black-robed old man said with a slight pause. Following that, he raised his head slightly and suddenly let out a long and heavy sigh, “Ah, the world of mortals is vast and boundless, and their quarrels never end. I have already sworn to never again stain myself with the affairs of the mortal realm, and I definitely should not get involved in its quarrels… All of you should leave, this old man does not want to break his long tradition of not taking a life because of you.”
As the words of the black-robed old man fell, the initial response of the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall was not relief. Instead, they looked at each other with strange expressions on their faces, and they felt the pressure on their bodies and the anxiety that was plaguing their minds dissipate.
Even the faces of the ladies of the Frozen Cloud were colored with a clear disappointment… and anxiousness.
Yun Che’s master had appeared exuding an extremely alarming aura, but when the other party asked for his name, he did not reply, asking them to leave instead… anyone here would be able to see that this person was perhaps afraid of Sun Moon Divine Hall!!
He did not dare let the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall know his name, and he also did not dare extend a hand against Sun Moon Divine Hall!!
However, this was also something that was inevitable! In this Profound Sky Continent, no matter how powerful a person or a power was, they still would not dare act rashly in front of Sun Moon Divine Hall!! And if they dared to make a move against Sun Moon Divine Hall, they were courting their own destruction!!
“Leave?” Ye Juanyun took a step forward instead with a bland smile draped across his face. Whether it was his expression or his gaze, both had undergone a noticeable transformation… Even though the mysterious black-robed old man in front of them had a shocking aura, it began to increasingly look like… the aura that was emanating from his person was fake… it was almost as if it was being released by some kind of special profound artifact! Because this aura was simply too incredible, it was strong to the point where it was far too unusual and unreasonable. If there was really someone who had such an aura in this world, then why would Sun Moon Divine Hall not know of him?! Also, if he was really as strong as he seemed to be, why did he not have the courage to present his name? Furthermore, before they had even begun to talk, he seemed to be urgently trying to chase them away.
“We have come here just to seek justice for the dead servants of our young master. If we were to leave just because of a few words from this distinguished one, then how would we be able to face those two dead servants and our brothers from the Divine Hall?!”
Ye Shuran narrowed his eyes as he spoke up as well, “That is right, we did not even hesitate to use the Sun Moon Sacred Ark to travel thousands of kilometers, all just to come to this place. It was simply a fortunate coincidence that we found Yun Che. So if we let him go just like this, won’t we lose a lot of face? Also, if word of this spreads abroad, then our Sun Moon Divine Hall is going to be ridiculed throughout the lands.”
The black-robed old man did not move an inch, and his voice was still as calm as stagnant water, “So what are you intending to do? Will you definitely force this old man to kill once again?”
“Naturally we would not dare to do so. Every single one of us here cherishes his own life,” Ye Guying said slowly as his eyes were far more relaxed than they were just a moment ago. “This distinguished one’s profound aura is so strong that this is the first time in my life I have ever witnessed such a thing. And I truly believe that you can easily kill any single one of us. But, after all, we are still a Sacred Ground of this continent… All of us are members of Sun Moon Divine Hall. This time, our young master has personally ventured forth while being accompanied by four elders. If we were to retreat just because of the words of this distinguished one, then what dignity will our Sun Moon Divine Hall still have left?! As members of this Divine Hall, how can we act in such a way which will destroy the dignity of our sect?!
“However, we also acknowledge that we are not this distinguished one’s opponents, so the mission to kill Yun Che will more than likely end in failure. Yet we cannot leave just like this…” The depths of Ye Guying’s eyes shone with a deep craftiness as he continued, “But how does this proposal sound to you? Our Divine Hall’s Elder Ye Shi will spar with this distinguished one, and I believe that given the strength that this distinguished one has, that you can definitely easily defeat Elder Ye Shi. Since that is the case, we will know that our strength is inferior and we will retreat in defeat. But we will not leave just due to this distinguished one’s words, and this will allow us to return to our Divine Hall with our dignity intact.
“This way, no one will get hurt, and our relationship will not be affected either. What is even better is that we will not cause this distinguished one to break his vow to not kill. So I believe that this distinguished one will definitely not reject such a perfect plan.”
Following Ye Guying’s slow speech, Ye Xinghan, Ye Shuran, Ye Juanyun, and Ye Shi all laughed gleefully in their hearts… This was indeed the careful and meticulous Ninth Elder. What a wonderful plan he had devised! Because by forcing this black-robed old man to take action, there would be one of two conclusions. If he truly possessed a shocking power and was able to defeat Ye Shi, the restraint he had shown towards Sun Moon Divine Hall and his unwillingness to break his vow of not killing another would allow Ye Shi to survive this encounter and would allow them to retreat without losing a single member
And if his strength was simply inferior and this bizarrely strong aura was only artificially manufactured by some special means… then they could do whatever they wanted to all of the people present!
Of course, if he rejected this request… then it would completely confirm that he was all hot air!!
So without even waiting for the reply of the black-robed old man, Ye Shi had arrived in front of him in an instant. As he drew close to the old man, that peerless and dreadful aura caused all the nerves in his body to spasm uncontrollably, but he immediately suppressed those spasms with all of his might. He gave a smile that did not reach his eyes as he said, “This humble one is the fifteenth elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall, Ye Shi, and I have come specially to experience this distinguished one’s unrivaled profound strength. This distinguished one only needs to defeat me and we will immediately leave this place and will never appear before this distinguished one ever again… I hope that this distinguished one will show mercy to my humble self.”
“Hahaha.” The black-robed old man said as he gave a dull and emotionless laugh, “Since these are your intentions… then I will accept them.”
Chapter 674 - Absolute Deterrence
“However, we do not need to spar,” the black-robed old man said as he lifted his left arm and a pale and slender white hand appeared from amidst that voluminous black sleeve. The hand slowly flipped open, and a cluster of flames that was only the size of a fist soundlessly appeared and began to silently hover there as it burned.
This was a cluster of blue flames, and among the profound flames, blue profound fire was one of the lowest grades of profound flames. It was also a profound flame that belonged in the lower rungs of power. Above the Earth Profound Realm, all of the profound flames should be purple at least. So that was to say that blue profound fire could not even harm a Sky Profound Realm practitioner, much less these strong and mighty Monarchs.
But what differentiated this blue flame from normal profound flames was the bizarre ice-blue tint that these blue flames had… and its color was almost exactly the same as that of extremely dense ice energy. What was even more bizarre was that one could not feel any profound energy emanations coming from this icy-blue fire. It was as if it was not even profound fire, but instead was the most ordinary and most harmless natural flame which could only be used to burn normal things.
“You only need to be able to block this old man’s small cluster of starfire and this old man will leave immediately and never again meddle in the affairs of your Sun Moon Divine Hall. But if you cannot even handle this tiny bit of starfire… then all of you will have to leave immediately and never trespass in this place again!”
The icy-blue flames gently swayed on top of the black-robed old man’s palm. While that heavy voice was still calm, it carried along with it an incomparably huge pressure, and the way the words were phrased made it obvious that this was not a discussion; instead, it was an unquestionable order… Furthermore, there was one more thing that was left unspoken but was clearly spelled all for all to see: You are basically not even to exchange blows with this old man. So if you can fend off this tiny cluster of flames, it will be counted as your win!
Once someone becomes a Monarch, he would have reached the highest level of power in this world. So as an individual that could look down on the rest of the world, there was never a time when a Monarch had been so despised before. Ye Shi’s heart burned with anger and he gave a cold laugh, “Even the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Phoenix God who is at the Divine Profound Realm would not dare to look down on an elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall. So this distinguished one, to speak in such a manner, you must truly be unafraid that your own words will come back to haunt you!”
“Haha…” The black-robed old man gave an indifferent laugh and did not speak any further. He simply pushed his hand out slightly, and the icy-blue flames leisurely flew towards Ye Shi’s chest.
The stronger one’s profound energy was, the stronger one’s comprehension of the natural laws would be, so the released energy would naturally become strong and dense. And once one had reached the level of Monarch, even the amount of energy it would take to lift a finger was enough to cause the air around to twist and tremble… This icy-blue flame flew out without a single vibration of profound energy, and there was no rippling or distortion in the space around… In fact, without even needing to mention space, even the natural elements in the area were not disturbed in the slightest.
When it was still in the black-robed old man’s hand, they could still understand that this cluster of fire’s lack of aura was due to the old man using profound strength to suppress it, but now that it had flown out of his hand, it still did not have any energy aura to speak of… The only explanation was that this cluster of fire was not composed using any laws of fire, and it was merely the most ordinary of flames!!
Besides this explanation, there was definitely no other possibility!
Immediately, Ye Shi’s only remaining thread of anxiety vanished into thin air. At this moment, he could completely verify that the black-robed old man who had appeared out of nowhere was only bluffing, and that absurdly strong aura was definitely artificially created by some special method in order to scare others… that is right! In this world, besides the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Phoenix God, there existed no other person that could defeat the Saint Emperor, the Sovereign of the Seas, the Heavenly Monarch, or the Sword Master! To think they had almost been so scared that they were going to retreat!
Ye Shi’s expression immediately grew dark, and he gave a cold laugh. He did not even bother to circulate his profound energy and simply sent a palm towards the incoming cluster of icy-blue flames. When his hand came into contact with the fire, he did not even feel the slightest bit of heat at all. That fire completely vanished from his view without leaving even a single mark behind.
“Hahahaha!” Ye Shi began to laugh wildly, “And here I was, thinking that this was some noble individual that hailed from unknown parts, but it looks like it was only a mad clown who tried to use smoke and mirrors to trick us! Hahahaha, this is simply too hilarious!” As he continued to laugh, he turned towards Ye Xinghan. “Young Master, Ninth Elder, it looks like today we will…”
When he had spoken up to this point, his voice suddenly came to a sudden halt. This was because he had discovered that Ye Xinghan, Ye Guying, Ye Juanyun, and Ye Shuran all looked like they were looking at something extremely terrifying as their eyes had opened to their widest degree and their pupils had completely dilated. As for the fifteen protectorates behind them… their faces were filled with abject terror and all the muscles on their faces and their entire bodies were trembling greatly… and as that trembling grew more and more intense, they opened their mouths as if they wanted to say something, but in their extreme terror, they could not voice their words.
The entire world seemed to completely freeze at that point, and there was a momentary silence that was broken by Ye Guying’s desperate and hoarse roar, “Your hand!! Hand!!”
Ye Shi involuntarily turned to look at his own hand… In an instant, his pupils had widened by many times, and his face had turned deathly white due to his extreme shock and terror.
Because the arm that he lifted up… no longer had a hand attached to it!!
His right hand… had disappeared!!
And this cluster of icy-blue flames continued to silently burn on the arm that had lost a hand… No! His arm was not being burned. To be accurate, it was being devoured! And as the icy-blue flames spread, he witnessed his hand disappearing inch by inch… and in the blink of an eye, the flames had spread to near his shoulder and half of his arm had completely disappeared.
During this entire process, there was no aura or sound that he could sense. In fact, he could not even feel the slightest bit of pain! There was no hint of something being burned… no one could see even a speck of ash being produced!
It was as if his arm was being mercilessly devoured by an invisible and terrifying black hole!
And what was being devoured was the mighty body of a Monarch at that!!
This was something that all of them had never seen or heard of before. This was a terrifying scene that completely exceeded their knowledge. Ye Shi’s pupils had dilated to the point where it seemed like they were going to rupture as the greatest fear that he had ever felt in his life swelled up within him, causing him to let out a hoarse and distorted cry while he frantically focused all of his profound energy towards his right arm, as he was trying all means to suppress that dreadful “fire.” But the moment his profound energy came into contact with the icy-blue flame, it seemed to be swallowed up completely and disappeared in an instant. The blue flames did not even seem to be the least bit affected, much less suppressed, as it still unhurriedly continued to burn its way up slowly towards Ye Shi’s shoulder…
There was no pain… not even the slightest hint of pain, but as he witnessed his body slowly disappearing, Ye Shi experienced a fear that was several times worse than being plunged into hell. His whole body shook as shrill screams echoed from his mouth while his eyeballs practically protruded from his eyes in extreme fear and a web of blue veins could be seen scrawled across his forehead…
But no matter how he screamed and struggled, that cluster of beautiful, crystalline flames that was even scarier than a demon continued to silently burn…
“Save… Save me…”
Shing!!
Ye Shuran fetched a deep-purple longsword from his spatial ring, and as his body blurred, the purple sword made an arc through the air as it slashed down on Ye Shi’s right arm, fiercely cutting off the remains of the arm that had been infected by that icy-blue fire.
But before the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall could breathe a sigh of relief, they discovered, to their horror, that even though Ye Shi’s amputated arm had completely disappeared, the icy-blue flames still remained, and it hung there in midair without dissipating until it separated into several smaller clusters… which all fell on Ye Shi’s body.
In the blink of an eye, many holes appeared on Ye Shi’s remaining arm, his legs, his chest and his abdomen… and as the embers swifty spread and magnified, they whittled away at Ye Shi’s body as it began to be reduced to nothingness.
Ye Shi’s screams of shock and terror grew more and more shrill as his entire body began to spasm and warp. His remaining arm was frantically flapping as if he was trying to tear apart his own body… but the moment his left arm touched the icy-blue flames, it began to shrink into nothingness as well. His frantic struggles caused the icy-blue flames to spread even faster to the entirety of his body as it caused this mighty Monarch’s body to be covered with holes…
The weakest member of Sun Moon Divine Hall that was present was still an Overlord, and the strongest was a Monarch who had almost reached the late stage of the Sovereign Profound Realm. But every single one of them had expressions of deep shock and terror on their faces. The pretty faces of the ladies of the Frozen Cloud had paled in shock as well… because they were witnessing an event that was so dreadful that it was unfathomable! And at this time, Ye Guying hurriedly turned towards Ye Shuran and screamed, “Shuran, throw your sword away!!”
Ye Shuran gave him a blank stare before he involuntarily dipped his head and he was immediately frightened to the point where his spirit nearly left his body… The purple sword in his hand that he had used to sever Ye Shi’s arm had been contaminated by some of those icy-blue flames… and even though it was only a small amount, it had already caused the entire tip of the sword to disappear as it began to swiftly spread downwards.
Ye Shuran’s hand began to tremble as his soul flew out of his body, but he did not immediately throw the sword away. This was because this purple sword was Ye Shuran’s beloved sword since it had accompanied him for more than three hundred years, and normally, he held it to be as precious as his own life. But in this moment of hesitation, the icy-blue flames had already engulfed most of the sword and raced towards his hand.
Ye Guying suddenly dashed over and fiercely struck Ye Shuran’s hand. He had not held back at all and caused Ye Shuran’s hand to dislocate as the purple sword flew a great distance. Ye Guying stopped there and gave a low yell, “Do you want to die?!!”
Ye Shuran’s entire body was filled with cold sweat. If his hand had been afflicted by that icy-blue flame, he would undoubtedly share the same fate as Ye Shi! After the lingering fear had passed, he promptly replied, “I than… thank the Ninth Elder for saving my life.”
Ye Shi at this time, however, had already become unable to utter a single word. Most of his body at disappeared, and what remained was not recognizable as a human being. Even that was being swiftly consumed by those icy-blue flames. Those remains occasionally twitched, proving that the elder from Sun Moon Divine Hall who had the strength of a Monarch still had a trace of life left, but very soon, even the last vestiges of life soon completely faded away… and his entire body had completely faded away from existence!
There was not even a single trace of him left!
As they looked at the spot where Ye Shi had vanished from, the faces of all the people present were filled with a stunned horror. All of them remained rooted to the spot as if they had turned to stone. A cold wind blew, and their bodies trembled as a chill that was ten thousand times colder than the wind frantically washed through them… Their bodies had long ago become drenched in cold sweat.
The Sun Moon Young Master and the Sun Moon Elders… they were undoubtedly all peak existences on this earth, but at this moment, only fear existed in their hearts… Even their shock had been buried beneath a fear that was far too heavy. This black-robed old man had a peerlessly strong aura, so they had concluded that he might truly have an extremely terrifying strength, but they had never expected that his very first move would be so dreadful!
This small bit of starfire had actually caused a mighty Monarch to disappear from this world without even being able to put up a fight… The scene they had just witnessed was more than terrifying… it was a power that should not even exist in the mortal realm, something that should only belong within myths or legends!
This flame had not only been freely been created by the black-robed old man, but it did not even produce a hint of profound energy.
“Sigh…” the black-robed old man gave a soft sigh. “I had originally only wanted to give a stern warning, but who would have thought that an elder of a Sacred Ground would actually lose his life due to this small bit of starfire. To think that the profound level of this Profound Sky Continent has fallen to this extent…”
The black-robed old man had seemed disappointed and frustrated… his words indicated that he had only wanted to use this bit of fire to give Ye Shi a warning, but he had never expected a stately elder of a Sacred Ground like Ye Shi would die without even being able to resist…
In other words, what was being said was… I know that all of you are very weak, but I had not expected you to be quite this weak!
“Since I have broken my vow to not kill another… then all of you can stay here as well.” The black-robed old man gave another soft sigh as he extended his pale, white hand. Another cluster of identical icy-blue flames burned on top of his palm… and this cluster of icy-blue flames was more than two times larger than the previous one.
And it was still the same as before, he had easily ignited these flames without even giving any indication that he had circulated his profound energy! It was as if this process was far too simple for this black-robed old man, and it was something that he did not even need to concentrate to perform.
Looking at that cluster of icy-blue flames, all of the hair on the bodies of the remaining three Divine Moon Elders instantly stood on end. And Ye Xinghan had also hurriedly retreated several steps as his expression no longer contained any vestiges of his previous arrogance and brashness; what remained was only the deathly pale color of shock and fear.
Chapter 675 - Flee in Disorder
“Se… Senior, please wait!!” Ye Guying panicked and Ye Xinghan’s way. “We will obey Senior’s order to leave immediately, and will not disturb Senior anymore…”
Ye Guying’s expression and eyes lost the steady and calm he previously had., even his voice was noticeably trembling. He changed how he addressed the black-robed old man from “distinguished one” to Senior as well. Ye Shi�… the elder of their Sun Moon Divine Hall, a mid-stage Monarch who looked down upon the world, and even had a lofty position in Sun Moon Divine Hall, had managed to be casually burned into nothingness by a small flame that was set off by the black-robed old man. This strength was so terrifying and so incomparable…
His unbelievably overbearing aura was just an aura, but they clearly witnessed the process of turning Ye Shi� into nothingness as they were just within thirty meters! That was strength that completely exceeded their knowledge and imagination! To turn a mid-stage Monarch into nothingness with such ease, not mentioning the Saint Emperor, Sovereign of the Seas, Heavenly Monarch, or the Sword Master the four rulers of Four Great Sacred Grounds, even the one and only Phoenix Spirit, who was half-step Profound God back then, wouldn’t be able to do it!
Even if it was the phoenix flames released by the Phoenix Spirit’s strength with all its might that could cover the sky, a mid-stage Monarch would still be able to somewhat resist.
But this black-robed old man lit up icy-blue flames the size of his fists with just a wave of his hand.
The density and the power of this ball of icy-blue flames must be so strong l that it was on a level they cannot even imagine. The law that it involved was definitely more than one or two great realms from the limit that they could understand!
There was actually such a terrifying person that exists in this world!
Thinking on it now, the reason he let them leave just now was not because of fear towards Sun Moon Divine Hall… but it was clearly because he despised to even lay his hands on them!
“Hmph!” the black-robed old man scoffed lightly, the icy-blue flames in his palm swayed. “I let you leave just now, but you deliberately provoked me and made me break my ten thousand year vow to not kill. Now you want to leave? How can I let you off so easily!”
The black-robed old man’s voice was not calm like water like before anymore, but there was some anger in it now, and obviously, it was anger of breaking his vow! The “ten thousand year vow” that came from his mouth shocked everyone that was in his presence… This scary old man’s lifespan… was actually more than ten thousand years!!
To have a ten thousand year lifespan, how scary was this old man’s realm?!
That ball of icy-blue flames danced around a bit in the center of the black-robed old man’s palm, and from that, Ye Guying and the others’ hearts cramped up. The image of Ye Shi� miserably dying reappeared in their minds like a nightmare, and they were on the verge of dying in the same miserable way!
“Senior, calm your anger!” Ye Guying cupped his hands, kneeled down, and said in a humble and panicked manner, “No matter how overconfident we are, we would definitely not dare to offend Senior master. Just now it was really just for us to be able to give an explanation when we return to Sun Moon Divine Hall. That was why we suggested to compare our strength a little with Senior… The reason Elder Ye Shi� died in the hands of Senior was because he wasn’t good enough. It cannot be blamed on Senior at all. I, as the Ninth Elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall, promise that after Senior raises your hand high in mercy and let us go today, our Sun Moon Divine Hall will definitely not hold you accountable for what happened with Elder Ye Shi�, and the grudge with your disciple would also be done for once and for all…”
As one of the top ten elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall, Ye Guying hadn’t showed such a humble attitude for many years. But in front of this black-robed old man, how could he dare to display his usual attitude? He could not even wait to crawl onto the ground now because it would be as easy as waving his hand for him to kill them! And his murderous intent had already been incited! If he really attacks… Ye Shi� didn’t even have the ability to struggle, so they wouldn’t be able toeither! Not only would they all to die, they would have died for nothing!
This was the scariest person that they had encountered in their whole lives, and it was also the first time that they faced a real deadly threat, how could they dare to be rash! Even if it was the Elder of Sun Moon, under the shadow of true death, they could only beg for their lives with everything they had.
“Heh, not accountable?” The black-robed old man laughed softly in disdain. “You think I am afraid of being ‘held accountable’ by Sun Moon Divine Hall!? The Sacred Grounds that are too high to be reached, in my eyes… demolishing your Sun Moon Divine Hall is as simple as waving my hand!”
His voice was calm, but it shocked everyone’s hearts and souls tremendously. “To demolish your Sun Moon Divine Hall is as simple as waving my hand,” such presumptuous words, who else in this world would dare to say that? If they heard something like this before today, Ye Guying and the others would definitely treat it as the biggest joke in the world, but at this moment, what they felt wasn’t ridicule and contempt but was deep shock and fear… The terrifying image of Ye Shi� being casually burned into nothingness by a little spark t emerged before their eyes again and caused chills to run through their entire bodies.
Ye Guying said in panic, “Yes, yes… Senior is a master from another world. Sun Moon Divine Hall must not be worth mentioning in your eyes. But… if anything happened to Young Master today, even if it is Senior, my Sun Moon Divine Hall would not rest easily. Even though it is impossible to do anything to Senior, Senior is a master who has not been in contact with the mundane world for many years, I suppose you would not be willing to induce this type of ‘little trouble.’ Also…” Ye Guying came up with an idea in the spur of the moment, stayed calm, and said, “Senior is angry because you broke your vow to not kill unintentionally. But killing comes from the heart. If there isn’t really any intent to kill, it doesn’t count as breaking your vow. Senior didn’t kill Ye Shi intentionally, it was only because �Ye Shi wasn’t strong enough and was overconfident when catching Senior’s divine flames. That’s why his spirit perished… Ye Shi� died because of himself, not because of Senior, so Senior actually didn’t break your vow.”
“Now that Senior has murderous intent against us, if you kill us all, then you would really be breaking your vow! Senior is an unparalleled master in this world, and we are just commoners who are not worth mentioning. There is no need for Senior to break your vow because of insignificant us and taint your clear heart that has been closed off from the world.”
“Ninth Elder is extremely right!” Ye Juanyun immediately followed up, “Even though there is a misunderstanding between your disciple Yun Che and us, but… more than ten of us died by Yun Che’s hand, and we have never even hurt a single hair of your disciple! Senior has upheld his vow for many years, so you must have a big heart and your heart is like the master creator of the vault of heaven…”
“Say no more!”
A calm voice interrupted Ye Juanyun. The black-robed old man slowly retracted his palm, the ball of icy-blue flames also disappeared, and the murderous intent that slightly filled the air also dispersed, but that overbearing pressure that coverd the sky still existed and was heavily bearing down on their hearts and souls. “Even though you said what you said to live, it is also reasonable. Nevermind, you all can leave. After today, you can never come back here!”
Everyone from Sun Moon Divine Hall lifted their heads, as if they heard a voice from heaven. For the first time in their lives, they had the feeling of “escaping from death.” Ye Guying said in a trembling voice, “Thank you Senior for your mercy! My Sun Moon Divine Hall will remember Senior’s grace…” His voice stuttered, but he took a breath and then said, “Allow Junior to ask, may Senior grace us your great name! In the future, no matter where Senior goes, my Sun Moon Divine Hall will definitely retreat and keep our distance. And we will absolutely not offend anyone related to Senior.”
What Ye Guying had said was absolutely not to take revenge after finding out his name… Ye Shi� died miserably, but the strength of the black-robed old man completely exceeded their knowledge, so they didn’t even consider getting revenge. As for “retreat and keep their distance,” this was not false at all! This level of horrifying existence, they just hoped they never encountered it ever again in their lives.
“Great name?” The black-robed old man slowly said, “What can you do even if you know? In this world, my name has not existed for a long time. If it wasn’t because I accepted my last disciple under destiny, the rest of my life will no longer be in contact with the mundane world.
“My name is Duotian! Duotian is the name!”
“Heaven… Seizer…” Ye Guying said it in a low voice. This was indeed an unfamiliar name that he had never heard before, and it was also the wildest name that he had ever heard! How wild or how strong would a person be to dare to use “Duotian” as his name!
“Senior Duotian, we will leave right this moment! If you have time in the future, I wish you would descend and come be a guest at our Divine Hall. Our whole Divine Hall must greet you!” Ye Guying’s footsteps had already started backing off faster and faster while he was speaking. He could not wait to fly away from this place immediately. What he said was half to settle the black-robed old man’s emotions, and the other half was naturally to try to make nice with him. Because such a horrifying person, even if he cannot make friends with him, he absolutely cannot become enemies with him.
When they immediately turned around and prepared to fly towards the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, a voice suddenly sounded behind their backs,
“Wait!!”
Yun Che was the one who had spoken. It seemed like because of impatience and unwillingness that his voice was especially deep. Ye Guying and the others stopped their footsteps and chills were running down their backs… The black-robed old man let them go, but this didn’t mean Yun Che let them off the hook! If Yun Che strongly asked the black-robed old man to keep them all here…
“Che’er, no need to say much.”
Before Yun Che could say anything, the voice of the black-robed old man had already sounded calmly, “Master knows what you want to say. You really thought that master let them go because I despised laying my hands on them or am unwilling to break my vow? Wrong!”
His voice became a little harsher now, “Master taught you a long time ago, unless there is really a threat on your life, you cannot borrow master’s strength and cannot become reliant on it! Master knows that you hate these people to the bones because of the matter of Frozen Cloud Asgard,and impatiently want to put them to death, but it is to my limit to make them leave. If you want them dead, you can only use your own strength to do so!!”
“Six years ago when we met as master and disciple, you were only a cripple with crippled profound veins. Master repaired your profound veins, guided you for three years, and none of the younger generations of the Seven Nations could be a match to you! Three years ago, master broke the space and brought you back from the Primordial Profound Ark, and until now, with your strength, you can already battle a Monarch! Even though you can’t kill them now, if you cultivate with your heart under master, in three more years, you would be able to kill any one of them with just a wave of your hand! In three more years, the whole Sun Moon Divine Hall will be under your feet. There is no need to harm your cultivating heart yourself today just for today’s pleasure!”
These words were all said to Yun Che by the black-robed old man, but hearing this, every single person of Sun Moon Divine Hall trembled in fear.
In six years of time… from a cripple with crippled profound veins to having the strength to battle against a Monarch… It merely took six years!!
This was such a horrifying concept!!
And they all clearly knew that these words were definitely not false! Because according to their investigation of Yun Che over these past three years, six years ago, he was really just a cripple with crippled veins. The people from the city that he lived in for more than ten years all knew about him, and he was even the laughing stock of the entire city!!
At first, when he revealed his strengths at the Divine Phoenix Sect, he only cultivated profound strength for a short three years!
They finally found the answer to this terrifying fact today. It was because, behind him, there was such a horrifying master! It was a thousand times more horrifying than what they had once imagined!!
With six years, from a cripple to the strength of the level of a Monarch, even though their Four Great Sacred Grounds looked down to the whole world, they could never achieve that themselves.
There was also a sentence that every one of them heard clearly… The reason Yun Che was still alive, wasn’t because he wasn’t trapped in the Primordial Profound Ark like they had guessed but was because he was saved by the black-robed old man from the Primordial Profound Ark!!
Which means, he could actually travel through space between the Profound Sky Continent and the Primordial Profound Ark!!
An indescribable shock trembled in their hearts and souls. As the strongest Monarchs of the Profound Sky Continent, they couldn’t begin to understand the realm that the black-robed old man was in… Compared to it, it was like a completely different world.
Yun Che lowered his head and said, “Master is right, disciple will remember it.”
His voice was very soft and low. This arrogant, wild Yun Che who dared to face the Divine Phoenix Sect alone, and even had the guts to offend Sun Moon Divine Hall seemed to be especially respectful and toned down in front of his master.
Ye Guying grabbed Ye Xinghan’s arm, rushed into the sky as fast as he could, and did not dare to stay any longer… Six years and he was able to battle Monarchs… Three more years and he could kill any one of them… Three more years and he can step on all of Sun Moon Divine Hall as he pleased… These words were just like a curse that lingered within his heart and soul.
He started to feel like becoming enemies with this Yun Che, who they looked down upon before, seemed to be the biggest mistake that they had ever committed over these years!
alyschu: Duotian = Heaven Seizer, one who seizes the heavens, etc etc.
Chapter 676 - Casting off the Calamity
The nineteen members of Sun Moon Divine Hall fled, entering the Sun Moon Sacred Ark in less time than it would take to utter a breath, lest the frightening black-robed old man suddenly changed his mind. Following the shutting of the ark’s door, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark shot into the horizon in a flash, disappearing amongst the boundless snowfall which only left behind a slowly dissipating frigid current in its wake.
When they had arrived, they had twenty people altogether, including the Young Master, four great elders, and fifteen formidable protectorates. They originally believed this line-up to be completely overkill, like using a butcher’s knife to slaughter a chicken. But shortly after they had arrived, they hadn’t been able to harm Yun Che in the slightest. Instead, they had lost one of their great elders. Moreover, having to retreat in such a state… their hearts continued to tremble with fear as their entire bodies were drenched in cold sweat until the Sun Moon Sacred Ark had flown several hundred kilometers away.
“They’ve left… they’ve finally left…”
The overbearing aura of a Monarch that had caused all those who felt it to tremble disappeared without a trace, and the surroundings which had previously been saturated with the aura returned to normal. Following the Sun Moon Sacred Ark’s panicked flight, the women of Frozen Cloud Asgard should have felt relieved, but all of them stared in a daze at the black-robed old man who floated in the air. They looked at him as if they were looking at a deity.
Murong Qianxue took a step forward, and with the deference of a junior greeting a senior said, “Junior Murong Qianxue, on behalf of Frozen Cloud Asgard, thanks senior for his kindness!”
“Heh…” The black-robed old man weakly laughed, “Senior Master Murong… being called senior, I cannot… accept…”
The black-robed old man’s voice caused Murong Qianxue to be dumbfounded. In her astonishment she raised her head to look towards the black-clothed figure. All of the women from Frozen Cloud Asgard behind her were petrified… since this voice completely lacked its previous deepness, indifference, and age… it clearly was Yun Che’s voice!!
“Whew…”
Letting out a long breath, the black-robed old man’s body violently flashed, and he fell, landing heavily on the snowy ground.
“Ah! Big Brother!”
“Yun Che” cried out in alarm, hurrying to the black-robed old man’s side as he used his body to help him up. At this moment, the black-robed old man’s body lacked all of its previous earth-shattering pressure, instead appearing as weak as someone who was nearing death.
Murong Qianxue and the others looked at each other in dismay. Mu Lanyi quietly asked, “Asgard Master, how did this happen? Senior, he…”
“No… it’s not!” “Yun Che” waved his hand, and stuttered, “I’m not the Asgard Master, Big Brother is the Asgard Master… ah… he… he is big brother…”
The black-robed old man’s robes were peeled back which, astonishingly, revealed Yun Che’s face underneath… appearing exactly the same as the “Yun Che” currently helping him stand up!! The Yun Che which had removed his black robes had a face that was deathly pale, and his chest moved up and down violently, urgently and heavily breathing in and out. He laid there paralyzed, unable to get up for the longest time. He shut his eyes while his face revealed a satisfied expression as he laughed, “Very good… my Dragon Soul… was able to last long enough… whew…”
His voice was incredibly weak, but it was definitely Yun Che’s voice. On the other hand, the “Yun Che” who was helping him stand had the voice of a stranger. “Yun Che” was also hurriedly wiping away at his face, revealing his own face underneath as he anxiously said, “Big Brother, you have to be alright… your aura… how could it become so weak?”
“I’m alright,” Yun Che nodded his head. Laughing lightly he continued, “I merely overused my energy. I’m just tired, after resting for a bit I will be fine.”
The black-robed old man that had thoroughly frightened Sun Moon Divine Hall, causing them to retreat in fear, had become Yun Che. Moreover, “Yun Che” had become a stranger, causing the Frozen Cloud Asgard women to stare stupidly at them, gazing dimly at Yun Che and Xiao Yun. Chu Yueli said in bewilderment, “Asgard Master, this… how did this happen?”
“This is my sworn brother… Xiao Yun,” said Yun Che, whose profound aura had calmed down a bit, as he rose with difficulty while borrowing Xiao Yun’s shoulder. “Before, he was within the profound ark. I disguised him as me. Just now, when I suddenly disappeared and entered the profound ark, the ‘me’ who you all saw exit was him.”
“… Everyone… fairy sisters… ah, and senior sisters, I… I am called Xiao Yun,” Xiao Yun stuttered, not daring to lift his head as he spoke. Just facing one of these women who were just like snow immortals, his heartbeat would speed up and he wouldn’t be able to speak coherently, let alone facing so many all of a sudden.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he might not have been able to believe this world contained such an unexpected… wonderland?
“As for my so-called ‘master,’ from the beginning, it was me,” Yun Che laughingly said. In regards to Xiao Yun’s reaction, he wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“It was all a facade.” Yun Che understood that they were bewildered and smiled, saying, “I used special techniques in order to produce such an imposing aura. As for the starfire that killed Ye Shi, I prepared that a few hours beforehand in the Frozen End Divine Hall. As for everything else… I fabricated it all in order to intimidate them…”
The heaven-encompassing power that was able to intimidate Sun Moon Divine Hall was naturally from Yun Che’s Dragon Soul. He had used all of his might, doing his utmost to urge forth the Dragon God Soul to release the tremendous power of the Dragon Soul. Although Yun Che’s current power was far from sufficient to bring out all of the Dragon God Soul’s power, in the end, it was still from the Dragon God and was a power on the level of a “god.” Even if it was only a shallow bit of it, it was still enough to cause mighty Monarchs to tremble in fear.
Although the strength of this pressure couldn’t compare with the Dragon Soul Domain, which could defeat enemies’ minds in an instant, the amount of energy Yun Che expended to sustain this pressure was still exceedingly large. Before using it, he also did not know how long he would be able to keep it up for. Today was a gamble. Luckily… he had succeeded!
Exterminating Ye Shi caused Sun Moon Divine Hall to fly away in terror from the otherworldly ice-blue flame. That very flame was Yun Che’s fusion of Frozen End Divine Arts and the phoenix’s flames to create “Ice Flame.” Yun Che needed a long time to create Ice Flame; moreover, for the entire process he had to fully concentrate his heart and mind and not have any disturbances. It was simply unrealistic to use it during fights or when facing enemies.
The two clusters of Ice Flames which he had used against Sun Moon Divine Hall were created by him in the Frozen End Divine Hall before their arrival. But all energy, after being created, would naturally begin to dissipate. As soon as it had left the creator’s body, especially upon touching other objects, its strength would explode and begin to dissipate into nothingness.
In addition, the only person who was able to create and hold onto Ice Flame was naturally Yun Che. But even if Yun Che could make it in advance, he couldn’t simply take out the Ice Flame as soon as Sun Moon Divine Hall arrived. If he had done that, the deterrence factor would not be as strong, and he wouldn’t be able to create the image of an “absolutely strong and unprovokable master” by laying all his cards out on the table.
But Yun Che had an extremely special container for the Ice Flame… which was the Sky Poison Pearl!
This was because the Sky Poison Pearl had already assimilated into his body and could be considered a part of his body. Since the Ice Flame he created could only be held within his body, it could naturally be stored with the Sky Poison Pearl as well. As a result, when Yun Che had created the two batches of Ice Flame in the Frozen End Divine Hall, he had inserted it into the Sky Poison Pearl… Nevertheless, even if it was in the Sky Poison Pearl, the power of the Ice Flame would still dissipate a bit. The batch of Ice Flame which Yun Che had used to exterminate Ye Shi was the first batch he had made in the Frozen End Divine Hall, and as a result, it had dissipated more… compared to the latter batch, it was only half the size.
The Dragon God Soul’s pressure was enough to intimidate Sun Moon Divine Hall, but it wasn’t enough to scare them into fleeing. Today, from beginning to end, Yun Che had relied the most on the Ice Flame. At the time, when Yun Che was only at the Earth Profound Realm, the batch of Ice Flame he created was sufficient to destroy the Heavenly Profound Jade which had taken two Overlords an entire half year to destroy. At the Sky Profound Realm, the Ice Flame was enough to create a large hole in the ancient Primordial Era Profound Ark. Presently, having reached the Emperor Profound Realm, he believed that even if it was a Sovereign, they wouldn’t be able to completely resist the power of the Ice Flame.
It was just that, the terror of the Ice Flame, still far exceeded his expectations. He had originally expected that, in the face of the auraless Ice Flame, Sun Moon Divine Hall elders would certainly treat it with contempt, and as a result, they would get hurt and have to use their entire power to resist the Ice Flame… and even if they only lost a single hand, it would still be enough to cause great fear… after all, it was energy that his “master” casually threw out.
What he hadn’t imagined was that one of the four great elders, in the blink of an eye, would perish and burn into nothingness as a result of the Ice Flame without the slightest ability to resist! Moreover, this was Ice Flame that had already lost more than half of its power!
This was the Evil God’s power defying natural laws, combining ice and fire together which resulted in an absolutely terrifying degree of power!
In addition, the energy it created was naturally extremely strong. It caused the crowd of Sun Moon Divine Hall elders who would normally look down on the world to turn ashen-faced in fright and for their voices to tremble in fear. Finally, when they ran away, they frantically ran, not even daring to look back.
“So it was like this…” Chu Yueli mumbled softly. Her expression didn’t release any of its tension, growing even more astonished instead. This was all a facade… but they had no way of imagining what kind of techniques could create such a facade.
It was no wonder that when “Yun Che” emerged the second time his expression had none of its previous haughtiness, and instead, most of the time he lowered his head, speaking softly and a bit hoarsely… they had originally thought that he was being deferential in front of his master when in reality it was just a fake Yun Che.
“No matter how it happened, Sun Moon Divine Hall’s villains have all been scared into running, trembling as they fled.” Feng Hanyue said as she clasped her hands in front of her chest, facing Yun Che.
“Yes, Yes!” Feng Hanxue immediately followed, nodding her head, “Although it was fake, Asgard Master is too amazing, scaring all those powerful people into fleeing, scaring them so much that they probably… wouldn’t dare to come back, would they?”
“Yes… at the very least, until they discover the truth, they won’t have the guts to come back. After all, often the stronger a person is, the more they fear death… In the future, this place, not only will it not have danger, it could be said… it will be the most safe place… whew…” After speaking, Yun Che’s head felt a bit of dizziness. He let out a heavy breath of air and closed his eyes. Today’s harvests were great, having completely exceeded his expectations. In this way, not only would Sun Moon Divine Hall no longer dare to come back to the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, his own degree of safety had greatly increased since the news that he had an extremely strong master who could seize the heavens would be spread by Sun Moon Divine Hall. At that point, no matter who or what power wished to take his life, they would have to consider whether they could afford to provoke the “master” which had caused Sun Moon Divine Hall to piss their pants in fear!
Although the “master” was a facade that he had designed, the might of the world shocking flame that was able to burn Ye Shi to nothingness… this couldn’t be faked!
In this way, Frozen Cloud Asgard had thoroughly broken through its difficult circumstances. In addition, he would be able to be at ease and relax… and go to handle the problem of the Divine Phoenix Empire!
“Asgard Master…” Yun Che’s appearance caused Murong Qianxue to softly cry out, promptly moving forward to personally prop Yun Che’s body up. “Asgard Master is currently very weak, quickly take him to the Frozen Palace to rest… Sir Xiao, please come along too.”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun stared blankly then hurriedly waved his hand, saying with an ill-at-ease expression, “No, no… I won’t enter, I heard big brother say that Frozen Cloud Asgard doesn’t have… doesn’t have any males…”
Jun Lianqie relaxedly said, “Although our asgard seldom accepts male visitors, Sir Xiao is the Asgard Master’s sworn brother and also is our palace’s noble guest. In addition, Sir Xiao helped Asgard Master repel the powerful enemies and can be considered our Frozen Cloud Asgard’s benefactor. At the very least, let us extend our invitation of friendship, please.”
Xiao Yun looked to Yun Che, who was being held by Murong Qianxue, for help, only to discover that his eyes were lightly closed and his breathing was steady, as if he had already fallen into a meditative state. Having no other option, Xiao Yun scratched his forehead and said with an embarrassed expression, “Okay… then I will have to impose on you.”
After all, in this completely foreign land. Without Yun Che’s Primordial Profound Ark, he had no way to return to Blue Wind Imperial City.
Chapter 677 - The Shuddering Divine Hall
The speed of the Sun Moon Sacred Ark was extremely fast. Soon enough, the vast snow region was hundreds of miles behind them.
When they were out of Blue Wind Nation, the people from Sun Moon Divine Hall finally calmed down a bit. They wiped their foreheads which were still covered in cold sweat.
“I had no idea… that in this world, there is actually someone this terrifying!” said Ye Juanyun still fearful as he took a deep breath.
“Sigh, the territory of Profound Sky Continent is this vast, and there is nothing too strange in this boundless universe… Maybe, we really were looking at the sky from the bottom of a well,” Ye Guying sighed. Since he first entered Sun Moon Divine Hall several hundreds years ago, this was the first time he had been so frightened… Thinking back to the black-robed old man who was beyond horrifying, it was like he had visited the gates of hell.
“This is outrageous!” Ye Xinghan punched out brutally, causing a deafening sonic boom. He voice was filled with hatred, “Among the strongest practitioners in this world, besides the Phoenix God of the Divine Phoenix Sect, it is impossible for anyone to exceed my father’s level… How could someone like this suddenly appear out of nowhere!! Why was someone like this completely unknown before!!”
“Young Master, please calm down.” Ye Guying comforted in a soft voice, “When someone reaches a level like that, if he wants to be unknown, there is no one in the world at all who has the ability to discover his existence. Young Master, do you still remember how he appeared? There was originally no trace of his aura, but in an instant, it covered the sky and the sun, and his entire person also suddenly appeared in the middle of the air. Even when Yun Che went to call him out, his person and aura also completely disappeared, and then appeared again out of thin air. Young Master, do you know why that is?”
Ye Xinghan gritted his teeth hard, and said in a low voice, “Autonomous world!”
“That’s right!” Ye Guying’s face was full of shock… and admiration. “At the level of us Monarchs, we can create our own space for storage. Once someone reaches a certain supreme realm, they can control space as one pleases and create their own little world! This is absolutely not a false legend. It’s like the Supreme Ocean Palace’s ‘Divine Ocean Secret Realm,’ and the Primordial Profound Ark that Young Master was on three years ago. The worlds within are all independent small worlds created by strong practitioners using an unparalleled divine power during the Ancient Era. Sss… I thought the profound practitioners who are at this level in this world had already gone extinct and would never appear again. I did not expect, today… I actually saw someone like this myself!”
“His realm is so high that even we cannot comprehend it.” Ye Shuran shuddered violently when he thought about Ye Shi, a mid-stage Monarch just like him, being burned into nothing by the flames that were thrown out from the fingers of the black-robed old man so casually. He said in a trembling voice, “If he wants to kill us, it is simple as easy as turning his hand. Even when he held our Sun Moon Divine Hall in contempt… I feel like he wasn’t just bluffing. If it wasn’t because he wanted to use us as examples, it is impossible for us to still be alive.”
He looked at Ye Xinghan and said with a lingering fear, “If we die, we die, but if was Young Master… we really couldn’t redeem ourselves even if we died ten thousand times!”
“I feel like he simply felt disdain at the thought of attacking us, even killing Ye Shi� was just an accident.” Ye Guying sighed heavily and said, “Back then Yun Che dared to face the Divine Phoenix Sect alone. Now he even killed the people of Sun Moon Divine Hall and intentionally sent the death imprint to Young Master, so I had already thought that he must have someone supporting him… But I absolutely did not think the person behind him was someone this shocking and frightening.”
“Lord Heavenly Monarch will know about Ye Shi’s death immediately for sure. When we return… how should we answer him?” Ye Juanyun locked his eyebrows and said anxiously.
“What can we do? Of course report exactly of what happened in detail.” Ye Guying said, “We had never heard of this ‘Duotian’ before. But he mentioned ‘ten thousand years,’ which means that he is an old monster that has lived for at least ten thousand years. His name probably was once renowned in the world ten thousand years ago, so it is normal for us to have never heard of it. But Lord Heavenly Monarch has the memories that are passed down through the generations of the Sun Moon ancestors, so he might know the name.”
Ye Guying turned his head, looked in the direction of Blue Wind Nation and said in an incredibly serious manner, “Young Master, I know that you must be very unwilling, but… as the future owner of Sun Moon Divine Hall, you must learn to endure a moment… or even a lifetime of anger. With the strength of Yun Che’s backer, it is definitely not a wise decision to become enemies with him! With the protection of someone like this and with his shocking growing speed in strength… maybe it really isn’t empty words that three years later, he would be strong enough to stomp over all of Sun Moon Divine Hall by himself… Moreover, it was said by the person named ‘Duotian’ himself. So…”
“So, before we are certain that we can shake his backer, we must not become enemies with him.” Ye Juanyun’s expression was heavy, as he continued to say, “We also need to try our best to resolve the resentment from before… This matter really cannot be treated lightly.”
“We should return to the Divine Hall immediately and let Lord Heavenly Monarch decide how to handle this matter with Yun Che.”
Even though the amount of time Yun Che faced Sun Moon Divine Hall wasn’t long, under the activation of the Dragon Soul, each breath was accompanied with an extremely large consumption of his mental energy. With such consumption, if he was a normal profound practitioner, it would take at least a couple of days of rest to be at ease and more than half a month to recover, and it would develop a irreversible side effect. Yun Che has the Dragon God Origin Soul, so his rate of recovery of his mental energy cannot be compared to a regular person’s, but even so, he didn’t wake up from meditating until high noon.
“Ah! Asgard Master, you finally woke up… Senior Sisters, Asgard Master is awake!”
Right as Yun Che opened his eyes, he heard a young girl’s surprised yell by his ear. He woke up from the chilly bed and saw a beautiful young girl in white standing there. There was joy and a slight red glow on her cheeks that was finer than snow lotus, and her beautiful eyes were looking at him without blinking… Because of his heroic action of scaring Sun Moon Divine Hall off, the way she looked at him was obviously different than before.
Yun Che sat up, inspected his own mental status now, and asked the young girl, “Senior Sister Hanxue, what is the time now?”
“It’s already high noon.” Feng Hanxue answered in a clear and melodious voice, and her beautiful eyes showed surprise. “Eh? Asgard Master, how did you know that I am Hanxue? I am the same as my Big Sister from top to bottom. Even our disciples and senior sisters that are most familiar with us… even the previous Asgard Mistress couldn’t tell us apart, but Asgard Master called out my name immediately. You also seem to be very sure.”
“It’s actually very easy to tell.” Yun Che said while smiling, “Even though your appearance, voice… even expressions are almost the same, there is still a little difference in your body scent.”
“Body… scent?” Feng Hanxue was lost as her mouth gaped a little.
Yun Che said slowly, “To become a qualified medical practitioner, one must learn to identify hundreds of herbs. Many of the medicinal herbs looks the same, so to identify them, one must rely on their scent. That is why the nose of many medical practitioners are more sensitive than normal people’s. Senior Sister Hanxue and Senior Sister Hanyue’s body scent is very similar, but Senior Sister Hanxue’s body scent carries a scent that is slightly close to the smell of a Snow Fern Flower, and Senior Sister Hanyue has the smell of a Frosting Flower. Normal people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, but to me, it is something that can be easily identified.”
“Snow Fern Flower… what kind of flower is it? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.” Feng Hanxue blinked, and before Yun Che could say anything, she spoke herself, “But the name is very nice, so the smell must be very pleasant! Asgard Master, you are so impressive. I feel like there is nothing that you can’t do in this world. No wonder that even though you are a man, previous Asgard Mistress still insisted on passing the position of Asgard Master to you.”
“That is of course! There is still a lot more that I know. If Senior Sister Hanxue is willing, I can show it to Senior Sister Hanxue only.” Yun Che was not humble at all and said smilingly, but in his smile… there seemed to be a few… evil intentions?
“Ah? Yes! Asgard Master said it yourself, you are not allowed to go back on your words!” Feng Hanxue said happily, “But, I have said many times, it’s Junior Master, not Senior Sister!!”
“I understand. Oh right, Senior Sister Hanxue, where is Xiao Yun now?”
“He is in the Snow Cloud Hall. Asgard Master, are you and him really sworn brothers? But your personalities are completely different. Xiao Yun kept his head down the whole time and didn’t dare to talk with us. After we settled him in at the Snow Cloud Hall, he hasn’t come out for the entire morning,” Feng Hanxue said while laughing. Then, she suddenly noticed something and said while trying to keep a straight face, “It’s Junior Master, Junior Master, Junior Master! Not Senior Sister! Even if… even if you are the Asgard Master now, the seniority cannot be ignored!”
“I understand, Senior Sister.”
“…You never listened to Junior Master!!” Feng Hanxue stomped her foot, turned her face away, and seemed like she got upset.
At this moment, the snow curtain seal on the door was removed. Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, and Feng Hanyue, the five of them walked in quickly. When they saw Yun Che, their beautiful eyes all lightened up at the same time. “Asgard Master, you woke up.”
Whether it was their words or the look in their eyes, they were all accompanied with deep worrying and care. Three years ago in the Frozen Cloud Asgard, the voice that he heard was almost completely cold, chilly, and without emotion. At first, after he helped them open all of their profound entrances and achieve the Heavenly God’s Spiritual Veins that they couldn’t even dare to dream about, they gave him their approval and even some thanks. At least they stopped taking his profane intentions into account and opposing his joining Frozen Cloud Asgard, but that was merely it.
But as of today, it was completely different. He first solved Frozen Cloud’s calamity and then scared Sun Moon Divine Hall into retreating… that was Sun Moon Divine Hall, in all of Profound Sky Continent, there were only a handful of forces that could go head to head with Sun Moon Divine Hall! And what’s more was that he could have ignored them all, yet instead, he risked his life, directly faced Sun Moon Divine Hall, and resolved this disaster. Even if their hearts were ice cold, they deeply felt gratitude and warmth.
And there wasn’t any rejection towards his position as the Asgard Master.
“Mm, I worried you all.” Yun Che leaped up from the ice bed, his eyes turned towards outside the window. “Frozen Cloud Asgard suffered from these six months of calamity, so it will take a while to reform. During this period of time, I will need your hard work. I still have other important matters, so I cannot stay here long for now.”
“Asgard Master, you are leaving now?” Murong Qianxue stepped forward unconsciously. “But, you were just in a coma for such a long time, it would be better for you to rest more.”
“No need. I only wore out some of my mental strength before. Now I am completely fine.” Yun Che’s eyebrows lowered slightly, and he said in a low voice, “Blue Wind Nation was stomped by Divine Phoenix Empire into the way it is now… Forget about my status of Blue Wind’s prince consort, even if I am merely the most ordinary citizen of Blue Wind… I absolutely cannot forgive them!”
Chapter 678 - Floating Cloud City’s Devilish Energy
“Junior Master Yueli, during these three years, was there any… news of Yuechan?” After hesitating, Yun Che still asked the question. He knew in his heart that the possibility of him getting a certain answer was so minuscule that it might as well be zero.
Seeing how expectant he was, Chu Yueli’s expression dimmed as she shook her head.
“It’s okay…” Yun Che took a deep breath. “Three years ago, I once entrusted Black Moon Merchant Guild’s headquarters with obtaining any information they could on Yuechan. With Black Moon Merchant Guild’s ability and it having been three whole years, they have to have found something… Maybe, they have already found out where she is.”
“Mn!” Chu Yueli nodded slightly, and her beautiful eyes were sparkling rays of hope. “Asgard Master, when you head over to the Black Moon Merchant Guild, remember to ask them if they have obtained any information on Qingyue. Now that the crisis here has been dealt with, it is instead not safe for her to be out.”
“I will.” Yun Che nodded, “I should be in Divine Phoenix Empire for a period of time. Maybe my stay will be long or maybe it will be short. If there are any accidents, remember to send me a sound transmission immediately. I will have a way to get back here right away!”
Yun Che bade farewell to the Frozen Cloud disciples, retrieved the Primordial Profound Ark, traveled through space, and returned to Blue Wind Imperial City.
Compared to yesterday, Blue Wind Imperial City was a lot more peaceful today; at least, that heavy, dark, and desperate atmosphere was half gone. The return of Prince Consort Yun and the news of him demolishing the army of tens of thousands of Divine Phoenix Empire had already spread throughout Blue Wind Imperial City and its surroundings, lighting up the hope that was extinguished a long time ago.
“Husband, how did it go with Sun Moon Divine Hall?”
When Yun Che returned, Cang Yue quickly came out to welcome him. Under the phoenix crown, her tender face was covered with deep joy and tiredness that couldn’t be hidden. Apparently, because she was worrying, she stayed up all night again.
“Empress sister-in-law, Big Brother really was too… too… too impressive!” Before Yun Che could answer, Xiao Yun was unable to hold back his excitement and yelled, “The people from Sun Moon Divine Hall were all so strong. Not only did their Young Master come personally, there were also a few Monarchs. But Big Brother burned one to death, and the others were all scared off… he scared them so hard that they would absolutely not dare to come again. Ah… Seventh Sister, you don’t need to examine me, I am really not injured at all. I only stood there for a little while and didn’t fight with anyone, ah ow-ow-ow…”
Xiao Yun’s plain words naturally couldn’t illustrate the scene back then, and he didn’t know that under the surface of an incredible success, Yun Che’s every breath was as if he was walking on a steel wire above a thirty thousand meter deep abyss.
Cang Yue didn’t inquire any further, because just by looking at the assured expression in Yun Che’s eyes, she knew that the calamity of Frozen Cloud Asgard had been already resolved… even though their opponent was Sun Moon Divine Hall. She smiled and said, “As long as everything is fine. This time, you should go to Grandfather’s side.”
“Mn, I will take Xiao Yun there right away.” Thinking about Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi’s faces, warmth naturally flowed through Yun Che’s heart, and then, it became stronger and stronger, turning into excitement so strong that he almost lost control.
“Xiao Yun, the Floating Cloud City that we are going to now… is where you were born. When we get there, you will be able to see your real blood relatives,” said Yun Che as he picked up the Primordial Profound Ark once again and smiled.
Xiao Yun opened his mouth, paused for a good while, and then strongly nodded his head hard, “Yes!”
Finding his own blood relatives and meeting and reuniting with them was the main reason that he came to Profound Sky Continent with Yun Che!
“I want to go too,” said Number Seven Under Heaven as she hopped and grabbed onto Xiao Yun’s arm.
“You and Xiao Yun are family now. How could we meet family without you. You can’t not go!” Yun Che smiled and said, “Yue’er, I will bring Grandfather and Little Aunt back soon. Brother Under Heaven, Yuanba, I will leave the imperial city to you two.”
“Brother-in-law don’t worry, no matter how many people they send, they shouldn’t even think about coming near here!” Xia Yuanba raised his strong arms, held his fists together, and exaggeratedly cracked his knuckles.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, let’s go.”
“Ah? Just… just go like this? Should we prepare something, like… like…” Xiao Yun didn’t know what to do all of a sudden. For over twenty years in the Illusory Demon Realm, he was labeled as the “Profound Sky Bastard.” Even though he was twenty-two years old, he had never seen any of his blood relatives before.
“You don’t need anything, let’s go!!” said Yun Che as he grabbed onto Xiao Yun. Compared to Xiao Yun’s nervousness, he couldn’t wait any longer.
After entering the Primordial Profound Ark and setting the distance and direction, in only an instant, they were already in the air above Floating Cloud City.
Leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che took a deep breath of the air here… “I finally returned again, to the place that I grew up in…”
The air still held a familiar smell, but without the scent of the smoke of gunpowder this time.
From three thousand meters up in the sky, Yun Che silently looked down at his homeland that he was most familiar with. Blue Wind Nation was the smallest nation out of the seven nations of Profound Sky Continent, and Floating Cloud City was the smallest city of Blue Wind Nation. It was originally not noisy and lively compared to other large cities, but Floating Cloud City was currently even quieter than how Yun Che remembered it. Even though there were some people on the narrow streets, it was far less than usual.
As Cang Yue had said, even though Divine Phoenix Empire surprisingly sent a whole army of two hundred thousand to Floating Cloud City, they didn’t have any intention of attacking. Yun Che’s eyes swept over Floating Cloud City, and there didn’t seem to be any trace of battle… Not to mention large scale ones, there weren’t even small scale skirmishes. The streets were neat, there was no damage to the buildings, and the entire city wasn’t shrouded with an atmosphere of panic. Moreover… With Yun Che’s scouting, there was only one set of troops which should be the Divine Phoenix Army’s in the direction of the City Head’s Palace in Floating Cloud City, which only numbered around hundred.
Yun Che was relieved with this result, but at the same time, suspicion rose within his heart.
The citizens of Floating Cloud City were weak, the city was small, the land was poor, and the surrounding of the city was not abundant with resources. Even the profound beasts that existed there were ones of the lowest level, so there was no value in hunting them. On top of that, its location was at the most eastern side of Blue Wind Nation. The region was remote, and troops needed to travel a long distance, so taking it over would do more harm than good. If they had to take control of it, with the military force of the Divine Phoenix Army, a few thousand soldiers and mounts would be able to manage it… but the Divine Phoenix sent an army of two hundred thousand soldiers!
And this was before they sent their troops to Blue Wind Imperial City!
Just as Cang Yue had said, after the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army arrived here, they never left.
But before their very eyes was a scene like this in Floating Cloud City.
Everything had a strangeness to it that could not be explained with common sense.
What’s going on?
What is the Divine Phoenix Empire trying to do to Floating Cloud City?
BOOM~~
BOOM~~~
BOOM!!
Deep explosions came from the east, northeast, and southeast. Some of the explosions were far away, and some of them were relatively closer and even more concentrated. Yun Che quickly turned his head to look to the east, and when his eyes looked that way, he saw a bunch of red shadows that were either condensed or scattered at the uneven, abandoned mountain region on the east side of Floating Cloud City. His eyebrows scrunched up a bit as he squinted as much as possible and slowly noticed that the red shadows were part of the Divine Phoenix Army which were wearing scarlet-red light armor!
“What is that sound? Could a battle be taking place over there?” Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven looked to the east and asked in alarm.
“It’s the Divine Phoenix Army!”
“Divine Phoenix Army? Could someone be in a battle with the Divine Phoenix Army?” Xiao Yun immediately asked. His eyes and Number Seven Under Heaven’s eyes couldn’t compare to Yun Che’s as Yun Che possessed the power of the Rage God.
“No,” answered Yun Che as he shook his head. There was deep confusion in between his eyebrows. “From what it looks like, they seem to be blasting the ground in a controlled manner.”
“Blasting… the ground?” Xiao Yun’s eyes widened. “Why would they do that? Could it be for training soldiers?”
Yun Che pondered, shook his head, and said, “I don’t know. Let’s ignore them for now. Let’s go, we’re going to land.” He extended out his hand and pointed at the most familiar place in his life. “That is Xiao Family’s courtyard, and it is also the place that I grew up in for sixteen years. Grandfather and little aunt are there right now.”
Just as Yun Che’s body was about to land, Jasmine suddenly yelled deeply in his mind, “Wait!”
Yun Che’s body suddenly stopped. Whenever Jasmine suddenly used this tone, she must have noticed something that cannot be ignored. He immediately focused and said, “Jasmine, what’s wrong?”
“Where is this place?” Just as Jasmine finished speaking, she recognized the place herself. “Floating Cloud City?”
Apparently, Jasmine had just woken up from her sleep. Yun Che answered, “I just returned here, what did you find? Is there something wrong here?”
“…” Jasmine was silent for a good while, and then she said in an incredibly deep voice, “Why… why is there devilish energy here!”
“Devilish energy?” Yun Che was stunned. “What do you mean by devilish energy?”
“…” Jasmine continued to be silent for a while, and her voice became even deeper, “It indeed wasn’t an illusion. That is definitely devilish energy! Devilish energy… to explain it simply, is when one or more types of negative emotions reach a certain limit. The law becomes twisted, and profound energy will mutate! The devil profound energy that it creates is even stronger than profound energy of the same level, but it is also harder to control. Because devilish energy will only be created with extreme negative emotions, the ones who possess devilish energy… all have twisted minds and beliefs. They are evil creatures that should not exist in this world! Or they can be directly called a demon or devil!
Yun Che, “…”
“This plane is really getting interesting, there is actually devilish energy here!” Jasmine said in a low voice. Towards the “devil,” she had deep disgust and even hatred because she had been poisoned by the most fearsome devilish poison!
“This person is in Floating Cloud City?” asked Yun Che as he lowered his voice.
“That’s right, and… it is within Xiao Clan that you are about to return to!”
“What!?” Yun Che’s heart was shocked.
“Go down and check it out immediately. I’d like to know what kind of person could release devilish energy on such a low level plane!” Jasmine’s tone was especially unusual.
Chapter 679 - Fen Juechen?!
“Big Brother, what’s wrong?” Both Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven instantly tensed up after seeing Yun Che suddenly stop accompanied with a change in his expression.
“Sigh, looks like there’s going to be a small problem here,” Yun Che said rather helplessly. “Let’s go down.”
As Floating Cloud City’s largest profound cultivating clan, Xiao Clan looked especially eye-catching within the city from up above. The place where Yun Che landed was not where the main entrance was located. Instead, he landed on Xiao Clan’s east side, almost subconsciously, on a certain courtyard close to the rear mountains.
This place was very quiet, the entire Xiao Clan was very quiet. The courtyard before them was very small and only had simple decorations and a simple house. An emerald-green grape arbor was at a corner of the courtyard, and it was packed with grapes that were almost ripe. Next to the grape arbor was a simple stone table and what appeared to be two small stools. The stool to the right was even covered with tons of long cracks.
As he stood in the center of the courtyard and looked at everything before him, the light in Yun Che’s eyes wavered as he stood, completely dazed for a moment.
“Big Brother, this place is?” Xiao Yun curiously asked when he saw Yun Che’s appearance.
“This place is a place that carries almost all of the memories of the first sixteen years of my life,” Yun Che softly answered.
“Ah? This is… Big Brother Yun’s home?” Number Seven Under Heaven asked in shock as she looked around. To ordinary citizens of Floating Cloud City, being able to possess a courtyard like this was considered to be lavish. But to someone born from a Guardian Family, especially to Number Seven Under Heaven, who was the Under Heaven Family’s only princess, this kind of home was just too simple and shabby… He was the Yun Family’s Young Patriarch, the Illusory Demon Realm’s Demon Lord, and even could be regarded as the fated person who had saved the entire Illusory Demon Realm… She never imagined that the place where Yun Che had grown up in would actually be this crude.
“Right, this is my home,” Yun Che smiled. “I’ve been living here from as long as I can remember. But at that time, this place wasn’t only mine, it belonged to my little aunt as well. At that time, we would spend every day together. Wherever I went, she would go, and wherever she went, I would follow as well. We were like each other’s shadows… until I turned ten, when Grandfather said that we weren’t allowed to live in the same courtyard and found a new courtyard for Little Aunt. Because of this, Little Aunt would cry for days, and I also used all my energy to protest against this. However, the grandfather that usually pampered and spoiled us in every possible way wouldn’t budge no matter what on this matter. “
“From then on, Little Aunt, who was now living in her new courtyard would usually secretly come over to sleep with me. But when she was discovered by Grandfather, she would get a fierce scolding… Later on, we gradually understood that it was improper for men and women to be that intimate, so Little Aunt no longer secretly came over.”
Yun Che softly recounted softly with a faint smile. His current smile came from his soul, without the least bit of impurity. In those years, even though he was regularly mocked by others, occasionally bullied, and always bore the contempt and pity filled eyes of others, because he had Little Aunt at that time, his happy times were far more than the sorrowful ones; even his feeling of inferiority was dim.
During these years, he was no longer that profound vein cripple who didn’t have a future. He only grew stronger and was now looked up to by more and more people, so much that some would fear him. His current level was much higher than the Xiao Sect that the Xiao Clan revered like gods, yet it also caused his world to be filled with trials and hardships, causing him to not be able to return back to the happy world where only Little Aunt existed.
More than six years had passed since the time he had come here, but everything here almost completely overlapped everything in his memories without any hint of change… Regardless of whether it was the gate, windows, stone table, or grape arbor… Even the lantern that was hung there on the day of his wedding with Xia Qingyue six years ago was still there, though it had already been deformed by the wind.
The entire courtyard looked incredibly tidy, without any of the ruined, messy appearance Yun Che had expected from a place that had been left six years ago. It was like everyone had come to sweep this place every day. Yun Che advanced forward and stood before the stone table. He lightly pressed a finger on the stone table, swiped, and then lifted it… There wasn’t even a trace of dust.
This place… had just been swept by someone…
Yun Che’s heart trembled. Could it… could it be…
“Little Che… is that you?”
In this world, there were very few sounds that would stir Yun Che’s rock-hard soul, but Xiao Lingxi’s voice was definitely among them. Yun Che’s mind shook, and he almost instantaneously turned around… At the entrance of the courtyard was Xiao Lingxi, clad in a light green dress. Her beautiful, starry eyes were filled with a layer of thick watery mist.
“Little Aunt…” Yun Che uttered softly. His arms unconsciously lifted forward, wanting to travel through space to touch the closest, most familiar, and most important girl in this life. I’m back…”
“Ah…” Xiao Yun couldn’t help but make a sound. He looked at Xiao Lingxi, and asked dazedly, “She’s… she’s…”
The “little aunt” Yun Che uttered confirmed this girl’s identity… This extremely beautiful girl with a delicate temperament who seemed to be even younger than he himself, was… his little aunt… was his own blood related… relative…
Xiao Lingxi’s little hand heavily pressed on her lips as sparkling tears fell like jade pearls. After time froze in that short instant, she cried softly and threw herself at Yun Che with her tears scattering. She heavily threw herself into his bosom, and both her arms tightly hugged him as her torrential tears quickly drenched a large area on his chest.
“Little Che… Little Che… Little Che…” she repeatedly called out, and soon, she couldn’t hold back her sobs.
“I’m sorry, Little Aunt… I promised you that I would come back in a month, yet… yet I’ve made you painfully wait for three years.” Yun Che formed a loop as he gently hugged the girl in his chest. Her waist was even more delicate than three years ago, and her body was even more fragile… Even her profound strength had declined instead of advancing. Within these three years, Yun Che had grown about a foot, causing the girl in his bosom to appear even more delicate and exquisite in front of him. And what pained Yun Che the most was her weeping… The Little Aunt he knew would laugh loudly and cry loudly. In front of him especially, she wouldn’t hold anything back and let herself loose.
But the Little Aunt before him, even though she was sobbing, she was actually trying her best to repress it, to not make any sobbing noises, and only her shoulders continued to violently spasm. She had less spirit than before, and what replaced that was actually a dense melancholy that almost broke Yun Che’s heart.
In these three years, news of his “death” and Blue Wind Nation’s huge calamity had carved out many cruel scars on her heart…
Yun Che’s hands silently tightened. He lifted his head as wisps of pain rippled in his eyes… When there was nothing good about me, when my profound veins were still crippled, what I saw the most every day was Little Aunt’s smiling face… Now that I’m getting stronger by the day, why is it that I’m always giving Little Aunt heartbreak and pain everything…
The power I was chasing… what exactly was I doing it for?!
Xiao Lingxi forcefully shook her head as she hugged him even tighter. The chest she was leaning on was even broader than before, and it was also the only place in the world where she truly felt stable and content in. While still sobbing, she softly said, “I know… that Little Che didn’t do it on purpose… It’s good that Little Che is back… I thought that I’d never see Little Che again… My Little Che’s… finally back…”
She mumbled, the pain of having lost someone and the joy of having regained them once more even after all hope had been lost clearly evident. Yun Che sucked in a long breath of air. He spoke lowly, with an incomparably firm voice, “ Little Aunt, I’ll promise you that I’ll never you…”
Yun Che’s voice suddenly halted as his entire body abruptly stiffened. His gaze that had instantly become ice-cold suddenly swept behind him as he quickly turned around, bringing Xiao Lingxi along with him.
Because in that instant, an extremely cold aura had locked onto him out of nowhere… He possessed the Water Spirit Evil Body, so he wasn’t afraid of the cold, but when that aura enveloped him, it caused him to instantly feel a frigid, heart-piercing sensation. All the hairs on his body shot up and stood on end. Two abyss-black, fiendish eyes had even been faintly projected in his mind. He suddenly felt like he was standing a thick and terrible pitch-black hell.
This kind of densely cold, extremely uncomfortable aura that I’ve never felt before… could this be the devilish energy Jasmine was talking about?
Who is it?!
In the instant he turned around, Yun Che’s gaze locked onto a black figure that floated in midair… Dressed in black from head to toe, he was shorter and thinner than Yun Che. His long hair was as black as night and reached the middle of his waist. His complexion was stiff and pale, and his eyes were lifeless without a hint of light in them. The aura emitted from his body carried a coldness which seeped into one’s bone marrow, yet Yun Che actually couldn’t find the slightest hint of life within it… It was as if what floated there was not a living person, but a dead corpse.
When he saw this black figure’s face, Yun Che’s brows fiercely moved as his revealed deep astonishment on his face.
“Fen Jue… chen?!” The moment he finished his sentence, Yun Che’s voice held a distinct hesitation.
His outer appearance and expression were exactly the same as the Fen Juechen in his memories. However, the Fen Juechen he knew never had this kind of aura. Not only that… he clearly felt a distinct, ice-cold danger from that black-robed person! With the realm Yun Che was currently in, those that made him feel danger at least had the power of early-stage Monarchs, and when he released Fen Juechen three and a half years ago, his profound strength was only at the Spirit Profound Realm. In a short, not even four years, there was no way he could possibly to reach a level that was strong enough to threaten him.
“Hm? It’s actually this guy.” Jasmine’s voice also held the same astonishment.
“Yun… Che!!” His face was still stiff, and when he spoke, whether it was his expression or dark eyes, there wasn’t the slightest bit of wavering, yet his voice carried an ice-cold, bone-piercing resentment. “You’re still alive… you’re actually still alive!!”
“…” The aura enveloping Yun Che instantly became colder many times over. The instant this black-robed person opened his mouth, Yun Che was now certain… that this person was truly Fen Juechen! Because this kind of voice, this kind of tone, and this kind of hatred was exactly the same as when he had released him that year!
“Did you know how much I hated and how much I suffered when I heard that you had died?! In these years, I’ve even wished that you would come back to life in my dreams so I could personally tear you to shreds!!”
Fen Juechen’s hands trembled as two balls of black energy which increasingly grew bigger floated around the palm of his hand. Yun Che glanced at the two balls of black energy… He merely glanced at them, yet it caused his entire body to feel extremely uncomfortable. He shifted his gaze back and looked straight at Fen Juechen without backing down. “Looks like your dream has already come true. However… Do you really think that the current you can kill me?”
Before Fen Juechen had even replied, Jasmine coldly laughed in Yun Che’s mind, “His currently profound strength level is at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. Added with the special attributes of his devil profound strength, if you were to fight him head-on, he would definitely be able to kill you!”
“~！#￥%…” The corner of Yun Che’s eyes twitched greatly. “You’re… kidding, right?!”
That year, when he had exterminated Burning Heaven Clan, the main reason why he had only spared Fen Juechen was because he had saved Xiao Lingxi, and Xiao Lingxi pleaded with him. The secondary reason was because he subconsciously believed that even if Fen Juechen were to live, he would never be able to become a threat. At that time, a thousand Fen Juechens weren’t even able to harm him. Moreover, with his unparalleled growth speed, even if Fen Juechen’s innate talent was ten times higher, the distance between them would still grow farther until he was reduced to a mere existence like an ant.
The bloodlines and divine power he possessed was an extravagance that ordinary people couldn’t even hope for even over hundreds of generations! His master was also Jasmine, whose very existence transcended this plane. On the Profound Sky Continent, in regards to growth speed, there shouldn’t be anyone who would be able to surpass him.
Xia Yuanba’s astonishing growth speed was because he possessed the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins. It was also this heaven-defying talent that made him the precious treasure of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, the number one ranked Sacred Ground.
The Fen Juechen of that time who was only in the Spirit Profound Realm… How could he, in the short period of four years, have already become a mid-stage Monarch?!
“You think that I’m kidding?” Jasmine coldly replied. “However, you don’t need to be that surprised. His strength wasn’t actually achieved by cultivation. Even his devilish energy was not birthed from his own will. In fact, a devil origin was injected into his soul!”
Chapter 680 - Arranging the Duel
“Devil origin? What’s that?”
“You had better focus on how to deal with the situation at hand first! This person has an exceedingly heavy desire to kill you! Hmph, when you don’t cut the grass and remove the roots, you leave behind a calamity for yourself! But I never thought that the misfortune that you would find would be so huge!” Jasmine criticized in a cold voice.
“Big Brother, this person is…”
“Do not follow me!” Yun Che fiercely thrust a hand out behind him, and a wave of energy rushed out and forcefully pushed the onrushing Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven back. At the same time, he used his other arm to grab Xiao Lingxi and thrust his body in front of hers.
“Do you think… that I am still that useless piece of crap that you left alive all those years ago?!” Fen Juechen’s eyes and tone were incomparably dark and sinister. He raised both his hands which were covered in swirling black energy and a cold, mournful aura. This shook the air, causing everyone’s hearts to race. Even the light began to dim gradually as he continued to speak, “Do not worry, I will not take your life straight away… I will first let you experience all of the pain and suffering that I have endured over the last few years!!”
Fen Juechen’s eyes suddenly flashed with a black light, one that was even deeper than the blackest of nights. His arm thrust forward, and a wave of black energy rushed towards Yun Che’s throat.
The light around Yun Che rapidly dimmed, and before the cold and sinister energy had even drawn near, it had already seeped into his bones. Yun Che had never seen this kind of profound energy or aura before in either of his two lives. When he had exchanged blows with Hui Ye in the Illusory Demon Realm, his Fallen Devil Flames also radiated a sinister aura, but in terms of purity and density, it could not even be compared to the aura being radiated by the attack which sped towards him!
This Fen Juechen… what exactly happened to him in the past few years?!!
Yun Che’s arm swept up, and phoenix flames instantly ignited and rushed out to meet that sinister and black energy… But at this time, Xiao Lingxi suddenly rushed in front of him with an anxious cry and spread her arms wide open as she attempted to block the attack.
“!!” Xiao Lingxi’s sudden action had shocked Yun Che greatly, but he responded by extinguishing his phoenix flames and grabbing Xiao Lingxi. After that, his gathered profound energy changed to become completely focused on defense.
“Sealing Cloud Locking Sun!!”
But Yun Che was not the only one whose expression changed, Fen Juechen’s expression also suddenly changed and he hurriedly retracted his outstretched arm. A majority of the black profound energy that was rushing towards Yun Che was immediately and forcefully taken back by Fen Juechen while the remaining energy exploded on the Evil God Barrier that was in front of Yun Che.
Ssss!!
The colorless Evil God Barrier had become stained black, and after a second, the black energy had completely dissipated while multiple fist-sized holes had astonishingly appeared on the surface of the Evil God Barrier.
The scene caused alarm to flare in Yun Che’s heart. It was clear that the dark energy was
something that Fen Juechen had casually created, yet it had easily broken through his Sealing Cloud Locking Sun! Sealing Cloud Locking Sun was a defensive barrier that was formed using the Evil God’s power, and when it was not able to endure an attack, it would directly collapse. But this time, not only did Sealing Cloud Locking Sun not collapse, it had also been eroded away, and many holes were created in it.
That dark profound energy… contained such a terrifying corrosive power! Could this be one of the dreadful properties of devil profound energy that Jasmine was talking about!?
But the shock in Fen Juechen’s heart was definitely no less than Yun Che’s. He was the most clear on the kind of terrifying power that he wielded right now. The aura of the Emperor Profound Realm emanated from Yun Che, and even though his rapid increase in strength in these few short years was nothing short of shocking, a mere Throne was only a pitiful ant in Fen Juechen’s eyes right now. If he wanted to destroy one, it would be as easy as waving his hand!
But even an Overlord would have an extremely hard time blocking the power that he had released just now due to his loss of control. Yet this attack had been completely blocked by Yun Che… and it was clear that Yun Che had forcibly converted his attack into a defense.
But this shock only lasted for a mere moment, and his gaze was not locked on Yun Che but Xiao Lingxi. After making sure that she had suffered no wounds, his aura stabilized, but after that, it immediately became even colder and more severe.
“Little Aunt, are you alright?” Yun Che hurriedly pushed Xiao Lingxi behind him. Xiao Lingxi shook her head and grabbed him instead while saying in an extremely anxious tone, “I am alright… Little Che, hurry up and leave! Hurry! He isn’t the Fen Juechen of all those years ago. Right now he is really powerful, there is no way you can beat him… hurry up and leave! If not, he will… he will kill you. Leave! Quickly!!”
“Yun Che! You have finally fallen into my hands… so I will definitely ensure you die a dog’s death!!” After seeing how Xiao Lingxi had disregarded her own life to protect Yun Che, Fen Juechen’s eyes shone with the fires of hate, and the black energy surrounding his body abruptly erupted around him. In the blink of an eye, the sky and the earth grew dark. The air completely stopped flowing as the surroundings grew so dark and sinister that it was as if everyone had been plunged into a hellish purgatory.
“What… what is this?” Xiao Yun said in alarm as he tightly shielded Number Seven Under Heaven. The world in front of him had swiftly become dark and gray, it was as if all the light in the area had been swiftly devoured by something. This kind of bizarre scene was something that he had never seen before even though he had grown up in the Demon Imperial City which was the location of the highest echelons of power within the Illusory Demon Realm.
“Don’t!!” Xiao Lingxi swiftly cried out as she turned around and spread her arms once more, using her body to shield Yun Che. She looked at Fen Juechen whose entire body was covered in swirling black energy, and her trembling eyes contained an urgent plea, “Big Brother Fen, I’m begging you… I’m begging you, please don’t kill him!”
“I need to kill him!” Fen Juechen exclaimed with a low shout, “He had repeatedly stepped on my head and has ground my dignity into dust… He killed my father, killed my grandfather, and killed my master… He killed all of the people in my clan… All of them! My hate towards him soars to the heaven. and my grudge against him is great enough to fill the ocean, so how can I not take my revenge… I do not engage in wanton slaughter, but he… must die by my hand!”
“Big Brother Fen…” Xiao Lingxi gently shook her head while she continued pleading with him, “Even though everyone is afraid of you, I have always known that you are not a villain who revels in the slaughter of the innocents. You actually have an extremely kind heart… and you are an extremely good person. You not only saved me, but you also saved all of the people within Floating Cloud City. But why can’t you put down all of your hatred and spare yourself as well! You are always burdened by vengeance and hate, don’t you feel tired?! Doesn’t it hurt?!”
“Tiredness? Pain? What do… these things amount to…” Fen Juechen’s voice became cold and rough, “I am only the way I am today because of him! In order to obtain the power to kill him and take my revenge, I have endured pain that is beyond all of your imaginations!! Even now, I am still plagued by this enormous, unending pain! And with every breath, this pain reminds me to never ever forget this grudge!”
Yun Che, “…”
Fen Juechen slowly extended a hand, and within his palm lay a pitch-black vortex that was as dark as a black hole. “As I have said before, I will not reject any other requests that you make of me! As long as you desire it, I will not hesitate in the slightest, even if it costs me my life! But only my vengeance… cannot be stopped!”
The pitch-black vortex seemed to suck in the souls of everyone present, and if a strong profound practitioner were to just take a look at it, that person would feel a quaking that emanated from his very soul. Xiao Lingxi still remained rooted to the spot, shielding Yun Che with her body. The plea in her eyes slowly died, but it was replaced with a heavy determination instead. “Little Che killed your entire clan, but when it comes down to it, the reason he did it was me! So if you want to kill Little Che… kill me first instead.”
“…” Fen Juechen’s chest fiercely swelled, and the hand which he extended began to faintly tremble, “No… this has nothing to do with you, I won’t kill you… even if I kill myself, I still will definitely not harm you. I only beg that… you do not obstruct me from killing Yun Che! You should know that… with your power, you won’t be able to stop me.”
“I am indeed unable to stop you.” Xiao Lingxi’s gaze remained firm and decisive. “But if you really kill Little Che… I will hate you for all eternity! And I will never, ever forgive you!”
Fen Juechen froze over, and the dark and gloomy energy suddenly stagnated. Following that, his eyes, arms, and his entire body began to be wracked by faint quivering. That dark and gloomy energy began to resume its movement, but it began swirling around chaotically… and the hate in his eyes was replaced by a deep and profound pain.
No one could understand the fierce impact that Xiao Lingxi’s words had on his soul.
No one knew why Fen Juechen, who had come to Floating Cloud City for the sake of vengeance, would choose to remain at this place and not depart.
Nor did anyone know why Fen Juechen, who originally for the sake of vengeance was willing to endure endless agony to swiftly absorb the devil origin at all costs, began to continuously slow down the rate of his absorption of the devil origin after he arrived at Floating Cloud City.
Because in his world that was filled with darkness and gloom… she was his only source of warmth, his only source of light. And unconsciously… she perhaps became even more important than his bone-chilling vengeance… or at the very least, she was far more important than his own life.
“…Hm?” Yun Che had originally looked at Fen Juechen with a cold gaze, but now his gaze had wavered and his expression betrayed his astonishment. Because Fen Juechen’s originally extremely cold and sinister aura began to become chaotic, and his gaze and expression began to distort with exceptional pain. Even that ice-cold killing intent that originally locked onto him quickly dissipated amidst the chaos.
“Arghhh…” Fen Juechen’s face suddenly turned pale. Dark red blood spewed from his mouth, and a large cloud of dark-colored blood sprayed down on the floor.
“Ah!” Xiao Lingxi gave a cry of alarm as she was left at a complete loss.
“What is happening?” Yun Che’s brows furrowed as he asked Jasmine, “You just said that his devil profound energy was not something that could be derived from his own will… so is he suddenly losing control of that power?”
“No!” Jasmine said in a low voice, “His profound energy attacked his own heart. Hmph, it looks like his mind and soul was agitated by what just happened… and in his case, they were agitated to an extremely large extent.”
“Yun… Che!!” Fen Juechen fiercely raised his head and glared doggedly at Yun Che. His blood-smeared face was both pale white and malevolent. The two words that he yelled out contained a surging hate and killing intent that far exceeded what it was previously.
“…” Yun Che gently pushed Xiao Lingxi behind him and began to slowly walk towards Fen Juechen.
“Little Che!!” Xiao Lingxi anxiously pulled on Yun Che’s shoulder. “Do not go over! He…”
“Don’t worry.” Yun Che said as he held the hand that was tightly clasped around his shoulder and looked deeply in her eyes, “The grudge between him and I is not something that can be wiped away or something that he can be dissuaded from. As long as I am alive, it is not something that can be avoided. The only option left for me is to face it head on.”
“Little Aunt, do not worry. He is indeed not the Fen Juechen of all those years ago, but I am also not the same Yun Che either. If he wants to kill me, it will not be easy as he thinks.”
Yun Che’s voice fell, but he did not continue to advance towards Fen Juechen. He only looked up at Fen Juechen and said in a calm and tepid voice, “Fen Juechen, your desire to kill me is so fervent that you dream about it. I also wish to resolve the sudden nuisance that you have become as quickly as possible, so I do not need to waste long and sleepless nights worrying about you. However, today is not the time for such an encounter. Because there are far too many things for me to deal with at the moment, so I do not have any time to waste on you right now. And as for you…” Yun Che gave a long and calm laugh, “As long as my Little Aunt is here to protect me, it would be hard to kill me even if you wanted to.”
Fen Juechen’s eyes widened into saucers, and the black energy surrounding his body fiercely swelled up. But before he could open his mouth, Yun Che’s expression and voice instantly grew deeper as Yun Che extended his right hand and pointed to the east, “But the grievances between you and I are something that we have to settle, no matter what! And it can only be settled between the both of us! So three months from now, on the Eastern Sea that is one hundred and fifty kilometers from here, let us have a duel to death!!”
“At that time, I will come alone and will bring along no one else! And as for you…” Yun Che’s eyes faintly narrowed. “If you are scared that you will be buried forever in the Eastern Sea, then bring as much help as you want!”
Both their gazes collided in the cold air; one was filled with hatred, and the other was as still as stagnant water… Suddenly, Fen Juechen’s body erupted with an incomparably deep black light, and an absolute darkness appeared for a moment in front of everyone’s eyes. After the darkness had been dispelled, Fen Juechen’s body had disappeared from sight and even his aura had completely vanished from the place.
Yun Che’s arm slowly fell and he silently breathed a sigh of relief, but his brows were still knitted tight.
In the two days since he had returned from the Illusory Demon Realm, he had run into one problem after the other… and each problem was greater than the last. He had truly never thought that the Fen Juechen that he had spared that day and never spared a second thought to would actually appear before him again in such shocking fashion.
“Ah, it is indeed true that calamity ensues if you do not pull up the roots as well!” Yun Che scratched his forehead as those words resounded in his heart.
Chapter 681 - Reunion (1)
“Little Che, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Xiao Lingxi was relieved after Fen Juechen had finally left. She immediately grabbed Yun Che’s arm to make sure he wasn’t hurt by the attack just now. After all, she saw first hand how scary Fen Juechen was now.
“I’m alright, don’t worry, he didn’t even hurt a single hair of mine,” Yun Che smiled and comforted her.
“That’s good.” Xiao Lingxi was slightly settled, but her fine face was still covered with a layer of paleness from the excessive shock. She quickly said in an anxious voice, “Little Che, you must not confront him in three months. He has become very strong, far stronger than you can imagine. No matter what, don’t go, or else you really will be killed by him. Even the large army from the Divine Phoenix Empire doesn’t dare to offend him.”
“…Little Aunt, you mentioned earlier that he saved you and all of Floating Cloud City, what was that about?” Yun Che asked.
Xiao Lingxi tried her best to calm herself and said in a soft voice, “A year and a half ago, Big Brother Fen, he… he came here looking for you for revenge. He killed many from the Xiao Clan, but he stopped after I stopped him. After that, he had been staying here, and he hadn’t killed anyone else since… Then, after a year had passed, two hundred thousand soldiers from Divine Phoenix Empire’s army suddenly arrived. After their leader entered the city, I happened to run into him, and he suddenly ordered them to kidnap me…”
“Ordered them to kidnap you?” Yun Che’s expression suddenly darkened.
“Mn… Fortunately, Big Brother Fen showed up just in time to save me and killed a person who was with their leader. He hasn’t killed anyone since and warned the Divine Phoenix Army that they aren’t allowed to kill anyone from Floating Cloud City. Because of his deterrence, the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army didn’t kill anyone from Floating Cloud City anymore. They rarely even step foot into the city now. Or else, with how brutal the Divine Phoenix Army is, even if Floating Cloud City didn’t get slaughtered, in half a year, they definitely would have stepped all over it and destroyed it in its entirety.”
“…The reason he didn’t continue killing the people of Divine Phoenix Army must be because Little Aunt stopped him, right?” Yun Che said as his eyebrows slanted, and there was an inconspicuous hostility in his eyes. At this moment, he felt glad on top of the regret that he didn’t kill Fen Juechen back then… If it wasn’t for Fen Juechen… it was extremely possible that Little Aunt might be…
Leader of the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army… No matter who you are… Even if you are the Heavenly Emperor, you must die!!
“Mn, if he attacked the Divine Phoenix Army, the somewhat peaceful situation would lose control completely. Then, Floating Cloud City would very likely be involved in a large calamity, so I had to stop him… and he hasn’t killed any more people. Even though Big Brother Fen looks very cold-blooded and everyone is scared of him, he really isn’t a bad guy, I… have been grateful for what he has done this entire time. But… how did it become like this between you two…” Xiao Lingxi helplessly mumbled. Back then at Burning Heaven Clan, he stopped Fen Juecheng desperately for her; in Floating Cloud City, he saved her again, and protected all of Floating Cloud City for her.
But there was the hatred of extermination of an entire clan between him and Yun Che.
“Little Aunt,” Yun Che comforted her in a soft voice, “don’t you worry, I will handle the matter between me and him properly.”
“Big Brother,” Xiao Yun slowly brought Number Seven Under Heaven over. He peeked at Xiao Lingxi, turned away nervously, and said with worry, “Who was that person just now? Is he Big Brother’s enemy?”
“Mn, you could say that it is a blood feud,” Yun Che said very directly.
“That person’s aura is so scary.” Number Seven Under Heaven said with lingering fear, “Big Brother Yun, didn’t you say that the profound energy plane in the place that you grew up in is very very low? How come there is someone that strong… I have never felt an aura this terrifying before.”
Xiao Yun nodded his head strongly in agreement.
“It’s complicated,” Yun Che replied, half dismal and half helplessness. “Okay, don’t think about him now. His self-esteem is extremely high. Since I promised to fight with him three months later, he shouldn’t appear to find me again before that.”
“Little Che, you haven’t introduced me, they are…” Xiao Lingxi looked at Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven and revealed an amiable smile.
“I… I… I… I am Xiao Yun.” Facing Xiao Lingxi’s question and gaze, Xiao Yun was so nervous that he stuttered because he heard Yun Che calling her Little Aunt this whole time. In Illusory Demon Realm, he heard this reference too many times from Yun Che. Towards Yun Che, she was the most important person in his life. And towards himself, Xiao Yun… she was one of the two blood relatives that he had left in this world!
One was his grandfather, and the other was his little aunt who has seniority over him even though she was actually one year younger than him.
Number Seven Under Heaven roughly pinched Xiao Yun, who was incredibly nervous, and said openly, “I am Brother Xiao Yun’s wife, everyone calls me Seventh Sister. Big Brother Yun mentioned ‘Little Aunt’ a lot in front of us, and we finally met you today… Little Aunt is even prettier and more charming than imagined.”
“I welcome the both of you to Floating Cloud City. My apologies… you two must have been frightened even though you just got here,” Xiao Lingxi smiled and apologized. If she was complimented like that three years ago by someone Yun Che brought, she would be joyful without thinking twice. But she had greatly changed after these three years, and she was no longer that naive, childish young girl. Everything she said and the smile she gave all showed grace and subtleness on her that rarely appeared before.
“He’s Xiao Yun, my sworn brother, same age as me. This is Xiao Yun’s newly wedded wife, they just got married less than a month ago. Other than this, they have another… more important identity,” Yun Che said mysteriously.
“Another identity?” Xiao Lingxi was confused.
“You will find out soon.” He said softly without waiting for Xiao Lingxi to question, “Little Aunt, is grandfather home?”
“Mn, he is in his own courtyard.” Mentioning Xiao Lie, Xiao Lingxi’s expression became eager. She grabbed Yun Che’s hand. “After princess sis told us you returned, your grandfather has been waiting for you. I wonder how happy he’ll be after he sees you.”
“I also missed grandfather a lot… Let’s go right now!” Yun Che vigorously nodded his head, and started walking out of the courtyard with Xiao Lingxi.
“Hurry and catch up!!” Number Seven Under Heaven dragged Xiao Yun who was staring into space. Then, as if he had just woken up from a dream, he immediately followed behind Yun Che.
The interior of the Xiao Clan hadn’t changed much, and he didn’t forget where grandfather’s courtyard was located in the slightest. He could also remember all the names and faces of the people that he passed by… and when those people saw him, they would be stunned, yell in shock, or would turn aghast as if they had just seen a ghost.
He was getting closer to where Xiao Lie was step by step, and he ignored the exaggerated reactions of everyone in Xiao Clan. Yun Che asked very worriedly, “How has grandfather been these three years?”
Xiao Lingxi lightly bit her lip as soon as she heard him ask that. This unconscious action caused Yun Che’s heart tighten, and she answered faintly, “Three years ago, after we received news that you passed away, father was very calm. He had been trying his best to comfort me and the previous emperor, and he didn’t shed a single tear. But I know that it must have been very hard on him… it was harder on him than anyone else. When father was at the Blue Wind Profound Palace, he had a great appetite, but after that, he would only eat one meal at most each day… and he has been like this ever since.”
“After that, the previous emperor was killed. Father was helping princess sis handle the previous emperor’s funeral, and he suggested taking me back to Floating Cloud City. The day that we returned, dad was suddenly unconscious and had lapsed into a coma for a full day. After that, he was seriously ill for a long time. Even though he was cured from his illness later on, his body grew weaker every day, and he aged extremely quickly. Starting from a year ago, he couldn’t… couldn’t even walk on his own…”
“…” Yun Che held his fists tightly and took a deep breath. When he was in Illusory Demon Realm, the thing that he worried most about was Xiao Lie’s well-being. Three years ago, Xiao Lie had already once resolved himself to die because he had nothing left to live for. It was because Yun Che said in a firm tone and gave him the hope that his “biological grandson must still be alive and must have grown up safely into an adult.” Hearing that, he then no longer had the will to die.
And receiving the news of his death, there was no question that Xiao Lie would be affected heavily… He had received too many cruel shocks throughout his life, and this would be the one that extinguished his final flicker of hope and would cast him into the depths of despair. The reality was even worse than he had expected because accompanied with the news was the disaster of the Blue Wind… The thing that caused his body to become weaker was obviously his dark and heavy will to die.
“Grandfather will recover… he will recover!” Yun Che said loudly, and his eager footsteps became even more rapid.
Xiao Lie was still living in the same courtyard. The door of the courtyard had been taken down which should have been Xiao Lie’s idea. Standing at the entrance of the courtyard that he had once visited everyday but hadn’t stepped in for a whole six years, Yun Che saw the old man sitting in the middle of the courtyard on an old bamboo chair… His eyes were closed, and he was sunbathing under the sunlight that was somewhat warm. There was indifference on his calm face… that was an indifference that was often seen on the dead. His hair was completely white, without a trace of even a single black hair.
A sour feeling spread from Yun Che’s nose to his whole body, and there was deep heartache and guilt, directed at himself. Xiao Lie was only slightly over sixty years old now, and on top of that, his profound energy was close to Earth Profound Realm, so he shouldn’t show any trace of being old. He hadn’t seen him for three years, but he seemed like he aged thirty years. He was about sixty, but he looked like he was eighty or ninety.
They slowly walked in. Just as Xiao Lingxi was about to call out, Xiao Lie slowly opened his eyes, looked at Yun Che, and revealed a joyous smile on his face, “Che’er is back.”
Xiao Lie was very calm, there was the color of joy and gratefulness in his aged eyes, but there was even more of an extremely thick and heavy grayness. Yun Che walked up quickly and kneeled down heavily in front of Xiao Lie with his palms on his knees. “Grandfather, Che’er is unfilial and caused you to suffer.”
Xiao Lie shook his head, smiled lightly, and said, “Seeing that you are alive safe and sound, how would grandfather be suffering. Che’er is a lucky one, you could resolve danger every time. In the future you will definitely achieve great happiness. Heh heh, as long as you and Lingxi are safe, my life will be without regrets.”
Chapter 682 - Reunion (2)
“No!” Yun Che shook his head hard. He looked at Xiao Lie’s blurry eyes and eagerly said, “Grandfather, do you remember that I mentioned ‘Illusory Demon Realm ’after I saved you and Little Aunt from the Burning Heaven Clan?”
“I remember.” Xiao Lie closed his eyes lightly. “That is a very far… an incredibly far place.”
“Back then I told Grandfather that my biological parents are from Illusory Demon Realm. They didn’t get caught by those villains and returned safely back to Illusory Demon Realm in the end, so Grandfather’s biological grandson must have also returned there with them safely. I also promised Grandfather that one day I would find a way to go to Illusory Demon Realm and reunite Grandfather with your own biological grandson. Grandfather, do you know where the Primordial Profound Ark took me during the three years that I was out of contact?”
Xiao Lie, “…”
“It was the Illusory Demon Realm!” Yun Che said loudly, “This must be the arrangement of the heavens. Not long after I arrived there, I found my biological parents!”
As soon as Yun Che said that, Xiao Lie’s weak body shook in response, and his unfocused, blurry eyes immediately started trembling with strange light. “Che’er… what you said… what you just said… is that true?!!”
Back then, his grandson followed Yun Che’s biological parents! If Yun Che found his biological parents, then his child that was with them back then… his biological grandson…
“Ah!!” Xiao Lingxi exclaimed, and she covered her lips with her hands.
“It’s absolutely true! Even if there were ten thousand blades pointed at me, I would never lie to grandfather!” The expression in Yun Che’s eyes was incredibly firm as he said, “Not only did I find my parents, I also…”
Xiao Lie’s body trembled very violently at this moment, and his hands started shaking uncontrollably. His legs that could barely stand straight originally, started standing up little by little while shivering… Yun Che lifted his head in surprise and saw Xiao Lie’s eyes looking straight behind him.
Xiao Yun was at the entrance of the courtyard with Number Seven Under Heaven as he nervously hesitated, wondering whether or not to walk in.
“Father!!” Xiao Lingxi immediately walked up and supported Xiao Lie who suddenly stood up. Yun Che also supported him on his other side right away. He hadn’t said that he found Xiao Yun in Illusory Demon Realm yet, and he didn’t make it clear that he brought him with him, but the way Xiao Lie looked at Xiao Yun and his uncontrollable emotion all of a sudden… Could there really be something like “bloodline connection” that exists in this world?
“Child…” Xiao Lie lifted his arm slowly in Xiao Yun’s direction as Xiao Yun was staring blankly. His voice trembled, and his eyes were misty, “What… what is your name?”
“My…” Xiao Yun pointed at himself blankly. “My… my name is Xiao Yun.”
“Xiao Yun… Xiao… Yun…” Xiao Lie said the name in a trembling voice, and then he nodded slowly and heavily, “Good… good… Born by the Xiao Family, raised by the Yun Family, good name…”
“Father, what are you talking about?” Xiao Lingxi’s beautiful eyes that were gazing at Xiao Yun widened slowly, and her eyes started trembling even harder as she started to piece everything together. “Could he be… so he is…”
Xiao Lie took another difficult step forward with his quivering body. His husky voice was accompanied with deep sorrow and excitement, “You look exactly the same… as your father… when he was young…”
“Ah!” Xiao Lingxi gasped lightly, and was stunned on the spot. Yun Che immediately realized why grandfather would be so excited before he even introduced Xiao Yun and understood why his father said that his grandfather would definitely be able to recognize him the instant his grandfather saw Xiao Yun. The reason was because Xiao Yun actually looked just like his father when his father was young… After all, Xiao Ying and Xiao Yun were biologically father and son.
“You are… my grandfather?” Xiao Yun looked at the old man who was already in tears in front of him, and there was a sour feeling gathering uncontrollably from the tip of his nose to his heart, one that he couldn’t hold back.
The memory back then rose once again in his mind, and it made every word Xiao Lie said sorrowful. “Back then, before your father handed you to your foster father, your mother tattooed the character ‘An’ on your left arm so that they could one day find you again… After you were born, your mother named you Xiao An. That ‘An’ on your left arm is your name and resulted from the hope that you and your foster parents could escape danger safely and that they would be able to reunite with you in the future.”
Xiao Yun was stunned for a long time, and then slowly, he pulled up the sleeve of his left arm. On the forearm close to the top, the small, delicate character “An” was clearly printed there.
Looking just like Xiao Ying from back then, and the “An” on his arm… There was no need for Yun Che’s explanation, everything was already proven incredibly clearly.
“Grandfather,” Yun Che smiled and said, “I didn’t lie to you back then right? I knew that you two will one day reunite. Xiao Yun… he is your grandfather.”
Xiao Yun tried his best to suppress the uncontrollable emotion in his heart. He swiftly stepped forward and kneeled down heavily before Xiao Lie. “Grandson Xiao Yun greets grandfather… grandson is unfilial. I was born more than twenty years but still hadn’t been able to express my filial piety before grandfather, and allowed grandfather to suffer from pain and worry.”
Xiao Lie had been holding his tears back, but the moment he heard Xiao Yun’s words, he burst into tears… he had imagined countless of times what it would be like to reunite with his grandson. But back then, they had personally placed him in danger. Even if he was still alive, he wasn’t able carry out his responsibility of raising him all these years. In addition, even if they were to reunite one day… if his grandson knew what happened back then, it would be reasonable for his grandson to hate him, blame him, and ignore him.
However, not only did he not hate or blame him, on the contrary, he kneeled down in front of him and called himself “unfilial.” This was like the most luxurious gift in the world. He reached out and held onto Xiao Yun’s arms, coming into contact with the closest remaining family that he thought he lost forever and only dared to desire in his dreams. “Good child… how are you unfilial… You are still safe and sound, this is being filial. You are willing to come back, this is filial. Grandfather has wronged you for your entire life, but you are still willing to call me grandfather, this is nothing but filial! All this time, it should be grandfather who should be apologizing!”
“Grandfather, please don’t say that.” Xiao Yun’s eyes were filled with tears. “Big Brother told me everything about what happened back then. Father and Grandfather’s morality both are so high that it reaches the clouds, and you are both incredibly noble people. I am lucky and proud to have a father and grandfather like this. I have never blamed you two for anything. Also, for the more than twenty years in Illusory Demon Realm, my parents treat me like their own, and I have been living great life, better than anyone else, and I haven’t been wronged at all. But grandfather has suffered a lot.”
“To be able to see that you grew up safely into an adult, and so lovable and mature, even if grandfather needed to suffer hundred times or thousands times more, I will not complain. Good child… get up, get up, quick,” Xiao Lie help Xiao Yun up with his trembling arms, and his whole face was covered with tears from his excitement.
Yun Che’s eyes teared up a little as well because he finally accomplished grandfather’s wish. He said softly, “Grandfather, this time Xiao Yun didn’t come here alone. Before he came back, he had already built a family and gained accomplishments. Not only was he bestowed the title of King above tens of thousands of people in Illusory Demon Realm, he also married a princess from a top family.”
Before Yun Che’s voice fell, Number Seven Under Heaven already kneeled down by Xiao Yun’s side and said, “Granddaughter-in-law Little Seven greets grandfather.”
“Good… good…” Everything was too wonderful, one thing after another caught him by surprise. At this moment, the expression on his face and in his eyes possessed excitement, joy, infinite satisfaction, and numerous tears; there was no trace of grayness or deathly stillness anymore.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, hurry over and hold grandfather.” Yun Che smiled and said, “You all must have a lot of things you want to say to each other since your family just reunited. Grandfather’s body is weak now, and he cannot stand for long, so help him into the room.”
“Mn!” Xiao Yun wiped his tears immediately, grabbed onto Xiao Lie’s arms with Number Seven Under Heaven, and helped him slowly to the room with each on either side. Xiao Lie’s footsteps were slow and cautious, and there were tears and a smile on his face… That deep satisfaction and happiness came directly from his soul.
Yun Che and Xiao Lingxi didn’t follow them in. Xiao Lingxi grabbed onto Yun Che’s clothes tightly. Her eyes were filled with tears from the excitement, and she said softly, “That is really great… This is the first time I saw dad so excited and this joyful. It really is great… so great…”
“He is Father’s biological son and my biological nephew… Our family actually has a chance to reunite.” Xiao Lingxi mumbled in a low voice as if she was talking in her sleep, “Everything, is just like I am dreaming.”
“Yeah, Xiao Yun is the one who should follow the rules and call you Little Aunt.” Yun Che looked at Xiao Lingxi’s blushing cheeks and said seriously, “As for me, I am completely not related to you, and you are actually one year younger than me. Normally, I should call you Little Sister Lingxi, but I called you Little Aunt for so many years all for nothing, it is such a loss.”
“Little Sister… Lingxi?!” Xiao Lingxi immediately pinched her fingers onto Yun Che’s arm and said angrily in her delicate voice, “Is Little Sister Lingxi something you are allowed to call me!? I am your Little Aunt… and I will be forever! You actually dare to show no respect for your senior in front of Little Aunt.”
“Owowow…” Yun Che exaggeratedly yelled and said as if he was wronged, “You clearly knew that we were not related by blood… not even a little bit.”
“My dad is your grandfather, so I am still your senior! You said Xiao Yun is your sworn brother before, and I am Xiao Yun’s Little Aunt, so of course you must also call me Little Aunt as well!” Listing out sufficient reasons, Xiao Lingxi’s face revealed a proud smile. “So don’t think that just because my biological nephew is back you can show no respect for your senior in front of Little Aunt. And you want to call me Little Sister Lingxi? Hmph.”
“Well…” Yun Che stared at Xiao Lingxi in appreciation and smiled. The smile on his face was accompanied with a bit of ill intentions. “Did Little Aunt really forget? In front of Little Aunt, what I am best at is showing no respect for my senior!”
Yun Che had forcefully but gently grabbed hold of Xiao Lingxi’s tender body. Before she could react, Yun Che had already heavily kissed onto her supple lips. The tender cry that was just about to come out of her mouth were entirely drowned out by the scent of man.
“Ah…” Xiao Lingxi’s beautiful eyes widened and cried out a little with her arms subconsciously struggling against Yun Che’s chest . Before, when Yun Che tried to sneak a kiss with her, after he got what he wanted, he would always escape to somewhere far away. But this time, he didn’t escape, and he forced her to not be able to escape. While she was struggling, he was intoxicated by the sweetness between her lips.
Slowly, Xiao Lingxi’s struggling became weaker and weaker, and her arms that were against his chest lost strength, lowered slightly, and then lifted again quietly. She hugged him fearfully. Her thin, delicate neck also lifted up a bit. She started responding to him in a daze, seeming to have forgotten Xiao Lie and Xiao Yun were in the house fifteen meters away and could have see them the entire time. A red blush spread on her snowy face, slowly warmed up her body, and melted her young girl’s shyness.
After a long time, their lips finally separated. Xiao Lingxi leaned on Yun Che’s chest as she panted lightly. Her eyelashes were trembling slightly, her delicate face was red as cherry blossoms, and her eyes were unfocused like the mist, as if she hadn’t woken up from her dream just now. Yun Che’s eyes looked down and he called out to her softly, “Little Aunt…”
“Don’t talk…” Xiao Lingxi’s forehead leaned harder into his chest, and her arms held him even closer, “Just like this… hug me for a while…”
“Mm…” Yun Che stopped talking. The two of them leaned together quietly, feeling each other’s presence and existence and hoping that time could be paused at this moment forever.
crushanapple: The An (安) in Xiao An means safe and peace.
Chapter 683 - The “Old Man Duotian” of Legend
On the edge of Profound Sky Continent, in a place that was always peaceful.
“Everything you have said… it’s all true?”
WIthin a mysterious space that floated within the air, it was so quiet that it was as if everything was completely frozen. Underneath the gigantic Sun Moon Totem stood a tall person. He wore white clothes, and lacked any aura on his body; the light and darkness from the Sun Moon Totem shone onto his average face that lacked any unique features. He looked to be around thirty to forty years old, but his eyes contained incomprehensible deepness.
In front of him, the Sun Moon Divine Hall’s ninth elder, Ye Guying, had his head bowed low. He was trying his hardest to hold his aura, and even his breath in… Under the heavens, there was only one person that could make him act so subserviently.
The master of the Sun Moon Divine Hall… Ye Xinghan’s biological father… The person that was listed alongside the Saint Emperor, the Sovereign of the Seas, and the Sword Master as the current Four Hegemons… The one with the title of “Heavenly Monarch”—Ye Meixie!
Towards the doubt of the white-robed person, Ye Guying’s body subconsciously moved forward, and said respectfully, “In response to the Heavenly Monarch, there is not a single word of lie from what Guying just said! Creating a world, breaking the void, an aura that covers the heavens, creating a fire from nothingness… If Guying were to merely hear about them, he would never believe these levels of profound strength that can be considered myths. But Guying has seen all these! Young Master, Juanyun, and Shuran were all present; it’s not the least bit false. Even if Guying were a thousand times more courageous, he would never dare lie to Heavenly Monarch about these things.”
Ye Meixie had his back towards Ye Guying. His head was slightly raised as he looked up into the Sun Moon Totem that was high up in the clouds, releasing eternal light. “Guying, you have always been calm and prudent and your thoughts are always detailed. Since you saw it with your own eyes, and have said it yourself, I naturally will not doubt it. It’s just that I never thought that such an existence had hid itself in this world.”
“If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t dare to believe either.” The scenes in front of the Frozen Cloud Divine Hall surfaced in his mind, causing Ye Guying’s face to be unable to control the deep respect and fear on his face. “That Yun Che was useless six years ago, this point is definitely true, but three years ago, with the powers of the Earth Profound Realm, he single-handedly defeated ten of the Divine Phoenix Sect’s younger generation. All of them were powerful people of the Emperor Profound Realm as well. Only three years have elapsed, but he can now kill two mid-stage Overlords of our Sun Moon Divine Hall! When I found out about it, I was shocked and couldn’t comprehend how this was possible, but after seeing that terrifying master, I actually understood… Only with the guidance of such a master beyond this world could a freak that defied logic like Yun Che appear.”
Ye Meixie’s expression didn’t change. He slightly raised his head and said faintly, “Then did you manage to get that person’s name?”
“Yes!” Ye Guying nodded slowly, “I risked the danger of angering him and asked for his name. He didn’t avoid it at all and directly told me that his name was ‘Duotian’…”
The moment the words “Duotian” came out of his mouth, Ye Guying felt a sudden movement of profound energy on Ye Meixie’s body. Ye Meixie’s half-shut eyes suddenly opened as and he forcefully turned around. “What did you say? Duotian?! You’re sure it’s Duotian?!”
Ye Meixie’s reaction shocked Ye Guying. In a thousand years, he had never seen the Heavenly Monarch that looked down upon the world reveal such a violent reaction, so he quickly answered, “He said it himself. With his level, since he said it, then he would not use a false name.”
An unnatural movement appeared in Ye Meixie’s eyes. His aura was still scattered everywhere. “But did he say how long he has lived for?”
“He did not,” Ye Guying replied . “However, he mentioned the words ‘ten thousand years ago’ inadvertently… With his terrifying realm, it might be possible that he really has lived for more than ten thousand years. Heavenly Monarch, could it be that you have once heard of the name ‘Duotian.’”
Ye Meixie looked directly at Ye Guying. From the movement of his soul, he could be sure that, at the very least, Ye Guying did not lie at all. After quite a while, he turned around, his voice slow and distant, “In an era long ago, which is at least ten thousand years in the past, at the time, the name of Sun Moon Divine Hall was not yet known to the world.. The founder of our Divine Hall, Ye Qihun, was only a hundred years old, and his profound energy level was only just in the Monarch Profound Realm. At the time, whether they were commoners or people of the profound way, there was a single name that everyone knew…”
“Old Man Duotian!”
“Old Man… Duotian? Ten thousand years ago…” Ye Guying suddenly raised his head and exclaimed, “Could it be…”
“In the knowledge of the current profound practitioners, the Monarch Profound Realm is the peak of mankind. The Divine Profound Realm only exists in legends, a realm that could never be achieved. However, in the memories passed down by our ancestors, the name “Divine Profound Realm” did not appear after the Phoenix Spirit’s appearance five thousand years ago, even though it was passed down from ten thousand years ago. This was because, at the time, ‘Old Man Duotian’ was someone said to have surpassed the Monarch Profound Realm and was half-step into the Divine Profound Realm!”
“Divine Profound… Realm!” Ye Guying muttered.
“In that era, the cultivation of Old Man Duotian was at the peak and was on a miraculous level. Don’t talk about someone that could rival him, no one who could even pose him a threat existed.. It was even more impossible for someone to kill him.”
“Then what happened to this Old Man Duotian later? Since no one can kill him, then did he die of old age, or… or…” After the initial shock, Ye Guying’s heart had gradually come to a conclusion… Yun Che’s master proclaimed himself as “Duotian”, and had shocking powers. The person that the Heavenly Monarch called “Old Man Duotian,” the former has lived for at least ten thousand years, the latter’s name trembled the world ten thousand years ago…
“Duotian”, is the ‘Old Man Duotian’ from ten thousand years ago”!?
“No!” Ye Meixie shook his head lightly. “All traces of him just vanished into thin air one day. No one has ever saw him afterwards, nor did anyone know where he went either. it was as if he suddenly completely disappeared from the Profound Sky Continent. Not long after, a rumor spread through the Profound Sky Continent: The Heavenly Old Man had a sudden insight and formally stepped into the Divine Profound Realm from being just half a step in and became the first Profound God in the history of the Profound Sky Continent. Receiving unparalleled divine powers through understanding the highest laws, he broke through the void and rose into a higher-leveled world of the profound way.
“From then on, Old Man Duotian never appeared again, nor did a second ‘Old Man Duotian’ appear. The only thing that was half a step into the Divine Profound Realm, the Phoenix Spirit, is not human either. After ten thousand years, it’s enough for any traces to be long forgotten. The people from the age of ‘Old Man Duotian’ have long since scattered to ashes. Old Man Duotian was completely forgotten, and the legend of the Monarch Divine Realm being the limit of humans has become more and more firmly entrenched. If it wasn’t for the memories of the ancestors being passed along each generation to never be forgotten, including me, no one would know the name “Old Man Duotian’ in this world.”
Ye Meixie’s expression became more and more sullen. As someone who had thought himself as invincible, suddenly finding out about a hidden existence on a higher level in this world, his mood naturally would not be good. He said softly, “If they are both named “Duotian,” then the name might just be a coincidence, but with over ten thousand years of age and incomprehensible power, it definitely is so simple, that this Duotian, might very well be the ‘Old Man Duotian’ from our ancestor’s memories!”
Although he already thought this before, Ye Guying’s eyelids still jumped. A person that was invincible throughout the world ten thousand years ago, with half a step into the Divine Profound Realm, who might have even completely entered it… Then ten thousand years later, it was extremely hard to imagine how terrifying he was!
No wonder, with the flames he lit from his fingers, he was able to turn a powerful monarch into nothing.
“From your description, this guess has at least a seventy percent chance of being true, “Ye Meixie said with a frown. “Who would have thought that the Old Man Duotian ten thousand years ago did not rise to a higher-level world, but had never left the Profound Sky Continent! Perhaps, one day, he suddenly had a complete understanding. Thus, he erased all traces of himself and ignored the world… Until today, he still lives in this world. If he really reached the level in legends, then having a lifespan greater than ten thousand years is definitely not impossible!”
“It can’t be wrong. That is definitely a realm surpassing the Monarch Profound Realm!” Ye Guying, who has always been careful and never said absolute things, said with a tone beyond absolute certainty, “Guying has cultivated for thousands of years and is only a step away from the late stage of the Monarch Profound Realm. He assumed that he could look down on the entire Profound Sky Continent, but in front of that person’s aura, I felt like I was as tiny as a child. My body shuddered uncontrollably, and I could not even keep calm. If it wasn’t for the absolute suppression of realms, it would be impossible!”
“Absolute Monarch Sanctuary has ten odd people in the Monarch Profound Realm, and only with a lot of time and effort could they build up a spatial profound formation and seal it into the bracelet… But it could only be used once! Yet that person, he entered the Primordial Profound Ark with just his body and brought Yun Che back out without harm! This is clearly the power to shatter the void which is only possessed by the gods of legend!”
From what he had seen with his own eyes, heard with his own ears, in combination with the name “Old Man Duotian” that Ye Meixie described in person, the more Ye Guying thought about it, the more shocked he was. Cold sweat began to dribble down from his forehead… They actually pissed off such a character that they really were incredibly fortunate to be able to come back alive.
Ye Meixie remained in silent for a long time, then said calmly, “Tell the entire hall later, that no one, before I remove the order, is allowed to provoke Yun Che, including those he’s affiliated with.”
“Understood!” Ye Guying raised his head and listened to the orders. Right now, even if he was three times more daring, he would not dare to step into Frozen Cloud Divine Hall ever again. After a bit of hesitation, he said carefully, “Heavenly Monarch, do we need to loosen the relationship with Yun Che? After all, the Young Master and Yun Che already have deep rooted grudges. Yet the person behind Yun Che is that Old Man Duotian. If this grudge isn’t resolved, I fear…”
Ye Meixie turned his face over and looked with eyes like frozen swords, “You’re scared?”
Ye Guying laughed wryly and said, “In response to the Heavenly Monarch, Guying was fortunate in this life to become a person of the Divine Hall and stand at the peak of the world. I am now one thousand and three hundred years old and never knew what ‘fear’ was. However, that Old Man Duotian, truly made me afraid.”
He was already addressing Yun Che’s “master” directly as “Old Man Duotian,” so it was clear that he subconsciously believed it all already.
Chapter 684 - Devil Sword Conference?
“Guying has never felt fear before in his life because there was basically nothing in this world that could threaten our Sun Moon Divine Hall. But the strength of that Old Man Duotian has transcended the ordinary and entered into the realm of the divine, something that surpasses the ancient and illuminates the new. He personally said that destroying our Sun Moon Divine Hall would be as easy as flipping a single hand… and as an Elder of our Divine Hall, someone who is responsible for defending our ten thousand year legacy, it was something that I could not take lightly.
“Besides Old Man Duotian, that Yun Che also causes my blood to run cold. When I was waiting for the Heavenly Monarch to return, I took the time to collate and pore through all the information I could find on Yun Che. And what I found indicated that this person is possessed of an extremely arrogant and unyielding character. Moreover, he will avenge even the smallest of grievances, and his methods are both vicious and merciless. All of those who have offended him or made an enemy out of him, every single one of those people have met a miserable end. In the past, within the territory of the huge Divine Phoenix Sect, he dared to give them a fierce slap across the face despite having no backup at all. Given his temperament, if he ever gains sufficient strength, he will definitely come to take his revenge on the Young Master, and in doing so, he will implicate and bring calamity to our entire Sun Moon Divine Hall! Moreover… moreover…”
Ye Guying inhaled deeply before continuing, “Heavenly Monarch, I won’t lie to you. Him not wanting to break his vow to not kill was only one of the reasons why that Old Man Duotian let us go that day. The other reason… the more important reason, was actually that he was rebuking his own disciple and admonishing him to not rely on him but instead rely on his own strength to settle his own quarrels… and he even personally said that Yun Che only needed three more years to be unrivalled under the heavens and in six years, he would have enough strength to trample over our Sun Moon Divine Hall!”
Ye Meixie, “…”
“If this was only a potential threat, we could simply weed it out before it has a chance to blossom. But standing behind this threat is the Old Man Duotian, who we simply cannot afford to provoke. So we can only stand witness to his continuous growth. Given his unfathomably fast advancement in the profound, it might really not be mere fantasy to believe that he could actually be unrivalled under the heavens within the span of a few years! In addition, with his temperament and his previous conduct, the threat he poses to our Sun Moon Divine Hall… is definitely not something we can afford to take lightly!”
Ye Guying’s words caused Ye Meixie’s eyelids to faintly tremble and caused his brows to knit together even more tightly. After a short period of time, he suddenly asked in a calm tone of voice, “Han’er has mentioned this to me before. Three years ago, in the Primordial Profound Ark, Supreme Ocean Palace’s Jade-faced Demon Monarch, Ji Qianrou, had acted against him before in order to protect Yun Che. Did this actually happen?”
“Indeed, what you have said is true.” Ye Guying nodded his head. Regarding this matter, more than half of Sun Moon Divine Hall knew about it as well. and that was because when Ye Xinghan had returned from the Divine Phoenix Empire all those years ago, he remained in a state of constant rage for many days… and one of the people he cursed was that very Ji Qianrou.
“Hm.” Ye Meixie lapsed into a studied silence before he slowly said, “Before the sun sets today, use my name to make a sound transmission to Supreme Ocean Palace’s Grand Elder Mo Chenfeng, and request that he sends out one more invitation card to invite Yun Che to participate in the Devil Sword Conference that will take place in several month’s time! Since Ji Qianrou and Yun Che have some history together, he would be the most suitable person to relay this message.”
“Devil Sword Conference?” Ye Guying raised his head and his face was clouded with suspicion, but after a brief contemplation, he spoke, “Could it be that the reason why Heavenly Monarch paid a visit to Supreme Ocean Palace was due to matters concerning the Devil Sword Conference?”
“That’s right,” Ye Meixie said as he faintly nodded his head.
“That devil sword, could it be…”
“Naturally it is that Heavenly Sin Divine Sword!” Ye Meixie answered as he gave a cold snort.
“The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword that went missing for one thousand years, it was actually in the hands of Supreme Ocean Palace all along?” Ye Guying asked with a shocked expression on his face. “I had thought that…”
“No!” Ye Meixie said in a cold, emotionless voice, “Supreme Ocean Palace is merely organizing the Devil Sword Conference, but the ones who suggested holding this meeting in the first place was Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.”
“Ah, so it was as I thought! So Mighty Heavenly Sword Region is admitting that they stole away the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword all those years ago?”
“Humph!” Ye Meixie gave a cold laugh, “Did you actually expect that sly old fox Xuanyuan Wentian to admit to such a thing? According to his own words, they had only recently found this sword in some remote and desolate region. After recognizing that the sword was actually the Eternal Night Royal Family’s Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, they proclaimed that this divine sword should not be monopolized by their Mighty Heavenly Sword Region alone, but it was something that should be shared with all the heroes of the realm. Thus, he proactively suggested holding this Devil Sword Conference. And in order to make it clear that he didn’t have any selfish ambition or dark schemes involving the sword, he also proactively suggested that the Devil Sword Conference not be held in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and even directly passed the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword to Supreme Ocean Palace.”
“Mighty Heavenly Sword Region must take us all for fools!” Ye Guying said with sunken brows, “One thousand years ago, the Four Sacred Grounds joined hands to eradicate the Eternal Night Royal Family, but it was only after we had done the deed that we discovered we were all being used by Mighty Heavenly Sword Region! The Eternal Night Royal Family was consigned to oblivion while the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword disappeared as well. In all likelihood, it had long ago fallen into the hands of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region! So organizing this so-called ‘Devil Sword Conference’ clearly indicates that Mighty Heavenly Sword Region spent an entire millennium unsuccessfully trying to discover the secrets of the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, so now they have no choice but to borrow our strength as well.”
“It is indeed as you have said. But the gimmick behind this Devil Sword Conference is sufficient inducement to entice everyone.” Ye Meixie continued as his voice grew soft, “Xuanyuan Wentian personally said that it is extremely likely that the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword contains the secret of attaining divinity!”
“This…” Ye Guying lapsed into a short stupor before shaking his head resolutely. “Those are merely cheap words flung our way by Xuanyuan Wentian, it definitely isn’t possible! If not, how could the guardians of this sword, the Eternal Night Royal Family, have been purged!”
“The secret of attaining divinity. Even though it is clear that this is something cooked up by Xuanyuan Wentian to reel us in, for those of us who have lingered at the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm for hundreds of years without being able to advance even a step further, it is irresistibly enticing. Moreover…” Ye Meixie’s tone changed and his pupil’s grew dark as he continued, “It might not just be empty words.”
“The Heavenly Monarch’s meaning is…”
“One thousand years ago, the strength of the King of Eternal Night was the weakest amongst the rulers of the Five Sacred Grounds. But when he went berserk and devilized, it took fourteen hours of fierce battle and the combined might of the leaders of the other Sacred Grounds along with seventeen elders to defeat him! And even though his flesh was destroyed, his soul did not dissipate. Not only that, it was fully preserved and all the might we could muster was not enough to destroy it. In the end, we could only pay a huge price to seal him into a soul coffin and allow him to dissipate naturally.
“Till this day, the power displayed by the King of Eternal Night after he went berserk still causes my heart to tremble with fear. Death of the body but not the soul is a divine power that transcends the Sovereign Profound Realm. Every time I think of it, I have this profound feeling that this ability cannot be so easily dismissed as a byproduct of devilization… and if one was to say that this was the power of someone who had transcended the Sovereign Profound Realm and taken half a step into the Divine Profound Realm, it isn’t beyond the bounds of logic.”
“…” Ye Guying did not say anything. He had not been present at the fierce battle with the King of Eternal Night all those years ago, nor did he have the qualifications to be present. So he was unable to truly understand Ye Meixie’s words.
Ye Meixie turned around and continued, “Those invited to the Devil Sword Conference all possess the ability to attempt to decipher the secret behind the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. Only the strongest individuals and powers in the Profound Sky Continent will be present. Considering Yun Che’s ability to kill our Divine Hall’s protectorates, he possesses the qualifications to attend. Given his haughty nature, he should not reject attending a meeting of the strongest powers in the realm. And at that time…”
Ye Meixie did not continue to speak, and despite the glow of the Sun Moon Totem, his pupils were so dark they did not contain a hint of light. Ye Guying rose out of his chair and replied in a respectful tone, “I obey the will of the Heavenly Monarch.”
“You may go… Ask Han’er to attend to me after this.”
“Yes.” Ye Guying retreated two steps before soundlessly leaving.
At the same time: Blue Wind Nation, Floating Cloud City.
Even if one were to beat Yun Che to death, he would not have thought that the name he had casually thought of, “Duotian,” actually belonged to a real person! To think that it was the name of a mythical powerhouse who existed ten thousand years ago and had the strength to shake both the heavens and the earth.
Furthermore, not only did this not expose a flaw in his plan, it actually caused the deterrent he had created to multiply exponentially!
To the point where even Ye Meixie had given personal instructions to not interfere with him!
It had also created the opportunity for him to be invited to the Devil Sword Conference.
At this time, Yun Che, who was unaware of all that was happening, had just flown out and arrived in the area east of Floating Cloud City. He floated hundreds of meters above as he coldly eyed the ground below.
The two hundred thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers were spread across the rolling hills of the land below. They were split into units of ten, a hundred or a thousand. All the movement they were making caused the ground to rumble, producing the incessant sound of rumbling which came from every direction.
Xiao Lingxi had informed him that after the Divine Phoenix Army had arrived, they had never chosen to garrison themselves in Floating Cloud City. From the second day of their arrival, they had engaged in these actions… the concentrated and muffled sounds of explosions continued nearly unabated and had already continued for close to six months. The common consensus among the people of the Floating Cloud City was that the Divine Phoenix Army were training their troops.
But Yun Che was naturally not so naive as to believe that they were really training their troops… because it was impossible that the invincible Divine Phoenix Army was formed and moulded using such a ridiculous method.
But after observing them for a long period of time, he still could not puzzle together what this huge DIvine Phoenix Army was trying to accomplish…The broken and damaged ground had clearly been flipped over countless of times. The movements, range, and frequency of the actions of the Divine Phoenix Army were all uniform and it was clear that “training” for half a year had drilled these actions into their bones.
“Jasmine can you see what exactly they are doing?” Yun Che asked as his brows pinched together.
“Hmph, do you need to ask me when it comes to these kinds of things?” Jasmine replied huffily.
Yun Che’s mouth bent at a crooked angle and he activated “Hidden Flowing Lightning.” causing his presence to be completely concealed. After that, he silently descended and hid himself at the edge of the Divine Phoenix Army’s encampment.
Before too long, a soldier of the Divine Phoenix Army left his “training squad” and slowly shuffled his way towards where Yun Che was hiding, mumbling something incomprehensible under his breath while trying to loosen the armor around his waist. When he had reached a “convenient” spot that was behind a tall rock, a hand flashed out of thin air and locked onto his throat.
The soldier felt his neck was being held by iron clamps that were as heavy as thousands of kilograms as his eyes bulged out and some of his blood vessels exploded. He could not utter even a single sound despite his shock and horror. Yun Che coldly looked at him and profound light flashed on his arm. His Profound Handle instantly broke through the soldier’s mental defenses and embedded itself into his soul. Following that, memories flowed like water into Yun Che’s mind.
In a flash, Yun Che withdrew his Profound Handle, and with a casual flick of his hand, he threw the soldier to the ground. The soldier’s eyes were still stretched wide open, but he was no longer breathing.
After Yun Che had absorbed the soldier’s memories, not only were his doubts not cleared up, but his brows knit together even more tightly. That was because the information he had retrieved from the soldier indicated that his orders were to undergo special training in this location.
The content of this special training was to gather up all of one’s profound energy and smash it against the ground. The louder the better and the heavier the better… if anyone was caught slacking, they would be slapped with heavy punishments, and the punishments were severe to the point where soldiers could be executed on the spot.
However Yun Che did not come away completely empty handed. At the very least, he now knew one person’s name, likeness and the location he was normally at!
Feng Huwei—the great commander of these two hundred thousand Divine Phoenix Soldiers, the famed and brilliant Great General Huwei of the Divine Phoenix Empire. He was someone who possessed the bloodline of the Phoenix and also belonged to the Divine Phoenix Sect.
The most important thing, however… was that when the Divine Phoenix Army descended upon the Floating Cloud City, it was him who tried to seize Xiao Lingxi! If not for the aid of Fen Juechen, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Yun Che’s gaze shot towards the south-east… that was where Feng Huwei’s large tent was located! In an instant, he had morphed into an after-image that was hard to discern with the naked eye as he rushed towards that location. An icy-cold killing intent rippled in those calm eyes.
Chapter 685 - Then That Is Simply Too Wonderful!
In the middle of the Divine Phoenix Army’s encampment lay a large crimson tent that was shaped like a flame; it was especially eye-catching.
As Divine Phoenix Empire’s designated commander stationed at Floating Cloud City, Feng Huwei had been in a good mood all this while because he knew the importance of this “mission” that he was overseeing. Being entrusted with such a heavy responsibility clearly showed the trust and how highly the sect leader and the elders regarded him. Once this mission was over, it was extremely likely that his position in the Divine Phoenix Sect would rise.
However, for the past two days, the army which had launched the assault on Blue Wind Imperial City had suddenly ceased all communication, so he felt somewhat ill at ease.
“Is there still no news from the main army?”
There were only two people in the big tent. Feng Huwei was dressed in light clothes, and he sat slumped on a wooden chair, a cup of strong liquor in hand, as he listened to his vice commander’s report.
“It isn’t only the main army, the west army’s commander Han Xingzhao personally went with the Twenty-Fifth Elder to investigate the situation at Blue Wind Imperial City and we have also lost contact with them. They even brought along fifty thousand troops and thousands of Fire War Horses and aerial profound beasts, so it should have been no problem for them to advance and retreat as needed, but…” Feng Huwei’s number one deputy general, Tian Yi, said even as a look of profound fear creased his face. They had galloped from one battlefield to another for more than a hundred years, but they had never encountered such terrifying situation before. Those tens of thousands of troops seemed to have simply evaporated from the face of the earth in the space of a minute.
Feng Huwei furrowed his brows as he sunk into a contemplative silence. After a short while, he slowly began to speak, “To cause tens of thousands of troops and three elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect to disappear in such a short span of time that they did not even have the opportunity to send out a sound transmission, to be able do this… the only possibility is that a guardian who is at the Sovereign Profound Realm has appeared at Blue Wind Imperial City!”
“Sovereign Profound… A Monarch?!” Vice Commander Tian Yi’s head jerked up as he yelled in alarm, “How is that possible?! The Emperor Profound Realm has always been the limit in Blue Wind Nation, and in their thousand year history, not even a single Overlord has ever risen from there. So how could there suddenly be a Monarch?! Moreover, profound practitioners who have attained the power of the Sovereign Profound Realm are existences which are akin to absolute emperors within this continent, so why would they bother lifting a hand to aid a lowly nation such as Blue Wind Nation.”
“Besides this, there can be no other explanation. I also believe that the Sect Master and all the other Elders have definitely come to the same conclusion.” Feng Huwei said without the slightest hesitation, “If one were to say that Blue Wind Nation has no Monarchs… then how do you explain that terrifying black-clothed man in Floating Cloud City?!”
Tian Yi’s words died in his throat. As he remembered the horrifying scene that he had witnessed half a year ago and that aura which seemed to come from the very depths of hell, his heart still violently seized up in his chest.
“Therefore, I do believe that the Sect Master and all the Elders have also reached the same conclusion.” Feng Huwei threw the now-empty pot of liquor away as he continued to speak calmly, “However, even if there is a Monarch guarding Blue Wind Nation, he can only do so for so long! Our Divine Phoenix Sect has twelve such Monarchs! So that person is truly naive if he thinks that he can challenge our Divine Phoenix Empire just because he is a Monarch as well!!”
“My general’s words are absolutely right. Whoever dares to challenge our Divine Phoenix Empire, even if they are Monarchs, are only courting their own deaths in the end!” Tian Yi declared as he nodded his head, “The loss of seven hundred thousand troops and the blood debt that must be paid for the deaths of three of the Divine Phoenix Elders, I believe our Emperor will make him pay ten times the price!” He stopped for a moment and then cupped his hands respectfully before continuing, “This commander also has an important matter that the general needs to make a decision on.”
“Speak!”
“Yes!” Tian Yi strode forward two steps and spoke in a low and suppressed voice, “Just this afternoon alone, eleven soldiers have been killed, and their bodies were all found several kilometers away from the encampment…”
“Heh.” Feng Huwei was not even shocked, so he naturally did not get angry. That was because too many similar occurrences had happened within this half a year. After a period of time, soldiers would suddenly go missing, and when their corpses were found, they bore the traces of terrible torture, so it was clear that they had underwent interrogation. He gave a cold and disdainful laugh, “Do not worry about it. No matter what methods they use, they will not be able to get any useful information out of them.”
“No, this time the situation is rather different.” Tian Yi immediately replied, “This time, the bodies we found all had no external wounds, but every single one of the soldiers had stiff and dull expressions on their faces. So it is extremely likely that someone… invaded their souls!”
“Soul search?” Feng Huwei wondered as his brows furrowed together, but he followed that up with a cold snort, “To have the ability to use a soul search technique… it looks like after they had spent a long time groping around in the dark, they finally decided to send out some experts.”
“This commander believes that the general must pay even more attention to his own security from now on,” Tian Yi suggested.
“There is no need to worry,” Feng Huwei said with a dismissive wave of his hand, and he continued speaking in an unworried tone, “So what if they are from Four Great Sacred Grounds? Our Divine Phoenix Sect has the protection of the grand Phoenix God, so even if they have the guts to kill our troops, they will not have the guts to make a move against this general. This general has the bloodline of the Phoenix, so I am under the protection of the Lord Phoenix God himself!”
“Then this commander has worried too much about this,” Tian Yi said respectfully. Looking at Feng Huwei’s confident demeanor, he hesitated for a moment before finally gathering up his courage and speaking, “General, besides stationing our troops and keeping them prepared, why exactly are we ‘training’ our troops everyday? This commander does not dare to make any assumptions or conjectures, but in the past few months, all of our soldiers and officers have also…” When he spoke of this matter, he suddenly felt Feng Huwei’s gaze grow ice-cold and dense. His entire body stiffened, and he did not dare to continue speaking about this topic any further. He instead hurriedly said, “This commander has spoken out of turn, I beg the general for his forgiveness.”
“As long as you know you have spoken out of turn, then it’s fine!” Feng Huwei said with a loud harrumph. He turned his gaze away from Tian Yi before continuing to speak calmly, “Never ask this question ever again! All you need to know is that this was something personally ordered by the Sect Master himself! If we accomplish our mission, all of us will return to the country covered in glory! If we mess this up, then even this general will not be able to bear the consequences of our failure! So when it comes to questions that should not be asked, you should just be a good lad and keep your mouth shut! When you need to know about what is happening, it will naturally be revealed to you!”
“Understood!” Tian Yi replied hurriedly and he did not dare speak after that.
“Oh, is that so? Then it’s such a pity that all of you most likely won’t have the chance to make your triumphant return after all.”
A haughty and mocking voice suddenly rang through the air and seemed to come out of nowhere. Tian Yi vigorously bounded up from the ground with his longsword instantly coming out of its scabbard. “Who is it?!!”
This was the great general’s main tent, and it was heavily guarded by layers of defenses. And aside from all of this, Feng Huwei himself was a mighty early stage Overlord while Tian Yi was also a third stage Throne. But this voice still rang out as if that person was right beside them and they had not even noticed the presence of anyone before this. So even though their reactions were extremely swift, the hairs on their bodies instantly stood on end due to this great shock.
Tian Yi gripped his longsword tightly as he swiftly surveyed his surroundings, but he did not even catch the shadow of the one who spoke. He turned around and prepared to take his place beside Feng Huwei. But to his shock, he saw a young man clothed in golden robes silently standing not even a foot away from Feng Huwei’s back. That person wore an extremely cold smile on his face, and his eyes were as black as the pools of the underworld. Feng Huwei, who had the strength of an Overlord, was emitting profound energy from every pore of his skin as he glared furiously… yet he did not notice the young man who was standing right behind him!!
The longsword in Tian Yi’s hand fiercely shook as he yelled in alarm, “General, be… behind you!!”
Feng Huwei automatically turned his head, and his face came within inches of touching the face of another person. Instantly, his pupils shrank into pinpoints as he sprang backwards. When he had straightened up, his entire body was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. He extended a finger towards the young man, and just as he was about to say something, he realized that the face of this uninvited guest seemed vaguely familiar. But after that moment of bafflement had passed, his expression suddenly changed and he croaked out the words, “You… you are Yun Che!”
“Oh?” Yun Che crossed both hands over his chest and coldly smiled as he looked at him askance, “The Divine Phoenix Empire’s famed and brilliant Great General Feng Huwei actually recognizes me. Ah, this is a great honor indeed.”
“Yun… Yun Che?” Tian Yi turned his head to look at Feng Huwei. “That Yun Che? Didn’t he already… die three years ago?”
As a member of the Divine Phoenix Sect, not only did he have the status of a great general, his profound strength had also reached the Tyrant Profound Realm, so naturally he had the qualifications to compete in the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament. So this face which belonged to the person who had trampled all over the dignity of their Divine Phoenix Sect, how could he forget it.
“You’re actually still alive!” Feng Huwei said in a deep voice. If it was the Yun Che of three years ago, Feng Huwei would definitely not be scared. But just now, Yun Che was standing not even an inch behind him, but he did not notice a single thing! Even if he was a fool, he would recognize the level of power required to perform such a feat. Moreover, even though not a single ripple of profound energy emanated from Yun Che’s body, his mere gaze alone caused Feng Huwei’s heart to start beating rapidly in his chest. All of these things added together proved that Yun Che standing before him, who should have died a long time ago, had a strength that was far more terrifying than it was three years ago.
“And you… are about to die right now,” Yun Che said with a low, cold chuckle as a stream of icy-cold killing intent locked squarely onto Feng Huwei.
“Don’t even think of harming my general!!” Tian Yi gave a ferocious shot as he waved his sword to protect Feng Huwei. After that, he grit his teeth and thrust the sword towards Yun Che’s chest. But at the same time, he was growing more and more flustered because such a great commotion was occurring here, yet there was no reaction from any of the guards outside… Could it be that all the guards had already been taken care of by him? But there clearly had not been any movement outside at all!!
At the same time, all the guards stood at attention outside the big tent, their expressions cold and grave… while a colorless and shapeless “Frozen End Illusory Mirror” had engulfed the entire tent, and in this space which Yun Che controlled, no sound or aura could escape from within.
At tip of Tian Yi’s sword appeared an eye-startling vortex, and even though this sword stroke seemed simple and without flourish, it was an attack that used all of his power. But Yun Che did not even move an inch as he waited for Tian Yi’s sword to pierce his chest.
Seeing that Yun Che had no intention to dodge, a faint glimmer of joy appeared in Tian Yi’s eyes as all of the profound energy in his body surged forth and concentrated at the tip of the sword that was fiercely thrusting towards Yun Che’s heart…
A sword stroke which contained all of the power of a Throne could easily cut through fine steel, yet when this sword solidly came into contact with Yun Che’s chest, not a single sound rang out. Tian Yi felt as if his sword had suddenly slipped into a void and all the profound energy he had released had exploded inside this “void” as it disappeared without a single trace…
Tian Yi’s long sword pressed against Yun Che’s chest as he stood there, completely petrified and at a loss for words. In the next instant, the longsword in his hand shivered, and the body of the sword dispersed into a cloud of tiny dust particles which drifted to the floor. What was left was only the handle of the sword which he was still gripping.
Tian Yi had a dazed expression on his face; his eyes were not focused at all and his entire body stood there, unmoving. Following the destruction of his sword, he too collapsed like a block of wood on the floor. His eyes were wide open, but there was no movement in them… not a single wound could be seen on his body, nor was there any life in him either.
“Tian Yi!” Feng Huwei moved a step forward before immediately bounding backwards. He gazed at Yun Che and his expression was incomparably dark and heavy… he had not even been able to see the method by which Yun Che had used to kill Tian Yi.
“Great General Huwei.” Yun Che gave a cold laugh as he looked at Feng Huwei, and his killing intent was so strong that he caused Feng Huwei’s body to spasm; it seemed like he did not even dare move a muscle. Yun Che continued, “I heard that a few months ago, when you led your troops into Floating Cloud City, you gave orders to capture my little aunt?”
Yun Che’s voice abruptly grew dark and cold, “You have great courage indeed!!”
Yun Che’s words caused Feng Huwei’s eyelids to fiercely twitch. He was extremely clear on who Yun Che was talking about. Because when he had encountered Xiao Lingxi in Floating Cloud City, the two city lords politely introduced her as Yun Che’s little aunt, and that had caused him great excitement at that time. At the moment, he immediately knew why this Yun Che who “had come back from the dead” would suddenly come to pay him a visit and why Yun Che had such a strong desire to kill him… He had heard more than once that one of the strongest sects in Blue Wind Nation, a huge sect which had survived for a millennium, had been viciously wiped off the face of the earth for the crime of kidnapping his little aunt, and he did not even leave a trace of it behind!
Feng Huwei kept his cool and suppressed the fear that was welling up inside of him. A cold smile appeared on his face instead as he said, “You want to kill me? That will depend on whether you have the guts to or not.”
“Oh?” The corner of Yun Che’s eyes twitched.
“You may indeed have the power to kill me right now, but…” Feng Huwei extended a hand and pointed towards his own temple, “But there exists a soul imprint laid down by the Sect Master himself within my soul right now! If you dare to kill me, then the last thirty seconds of my memories before my death will be instantly transmitted to the Sect Master! Heh, if you dare to kill a member of the Divine Phoenix Sect, your ensuing death will be even more miserable, and all the people related to you will die miserably as well! So if you have the guts, then come and kill me!”
“Oh really?!” His expression did not change according to what Feng Huwei expected; rather, his gaze grew amused and he gave a cold laugh which carried contempt that was even more profound, “Then that is… simply too wonderful!!”
Chapter 686 - Profound Strength Endowment?
As Yun Che’s voice fell, his figure suddenly blurred. Feng Huwei, whose nerves were on edge, suddenly came to that realization, but before he had any time to react, a hand had already formed a death grip around his throat; the entire process had been so fast that his eyes were basically unable to follow Yun Che’s movements.
In fright, Feng Huwei attempted to swiftly circulate the profound energy in his entire body, but just as his profound energy was about to explode, a gigantic and earth-shattering power had already wildly surged into his body, and it instantly suppressed his profound strength and caused the profound energy wave that was about to explode to disappear without a trace.
Feng Huwei went pale with fright; Yun Che could appear soundlessly behind him without giving off any trace of his existence. He could also kill Tian Yi in a similar fashion as well. These two things alone were enough to tell him that it was extremely likely that Yun Che’s current strength had far surpassed his own, but he had never ever thought that the gulf between his strength and Yun Che’s strength was actually so incredibly vast. As the great general Huwei of the Divine Phoenix Empire, who had always been accorded the highest of status, he had always been proud of his own strength, but under Yun Che’s profound energy suppression, he could not even circulate his own profound energy, much less cause his profound energy to go wild!
“You…” Feng Huwei’s pupils grew so large they looked like they were about to pop. He had originally approximated that even if he could not beat Yun Che, he would still have a sixty percent chance of being able to flee to safety. But now that Yun Che’s hand was around his throat, he could not even muster any strength to resist him. Even making a single sound was an exceedingly difficult thing to accomplish.
“Are you still going to continue asking if I have the guts to kill you or not?” Yun Che gave a cold and contemptuous laugh, “You dare to call yourself the so-called great general Huwei, yet you are actually as naive as a dumb hog.”
Boom——
Following the merciless release of Yun Che’s energy into Feng Huwei’s body, a muffled explosion rang out from Feng Huwei’s body. His entire body spasmed severely, and blood flowed from all seven apertures; his awareness swiftly flew away, and in this instant, Yun Che’s Profound Handle swelled out and entered Feng Huwei’s soul as he quickly read all of his memories.
It was extremely normal for an ordinary Divine Phoenix soldier to not know what exactly the Divine Phoenix army was doing here, but it was impossible for their commander, Feng Huwei, to not know as well.
Feng Huwei’s memories were being processed at a rapid pace, but once he tried to access the memories concerning the “Floating Cloud City Mission,” an abnormal blankness suddenly appeared within Feng Huwei’s memories!
More accurately speaking, it was an obfuscating darkness!
This obfuscating darkness was clearly formed from an extremely strong mental profound energy, and whether it was its strength or its aura, it definitely did not originate from Feng Huwei. It had definitely been put there by another person. And what the obfuscating darkness blanketed just so happened to be all the key memories regarding the “Floating Cloud City Mission,” hence Yun Che could not obtain any of the information that he wanted.
“This is a Cage of Memories that has been set up by someone whose mental power is extremely high!” Jasmine said unhurriedly, “And even though the memories locked up in this cage belong to Feng Huwei, he knows very clearly that he is not allowed to use words, profound energy sound transmissions, writing… or any other method to tell other people. If he has any such intention or takes any actions that indicate he is about to do so, this mental energy will instantly trigger and destroy this portion of his memory. On the other hand, if others try to use any Soul Search techniques to obtain these memories, it will not be possible either! So likewise, your Profound Handle will not be effective in this scenario!”
Since Jasmine said that it was not possible, then it definitely would not be possible. Moreover, Yun Che could clearly feel that this obfuscating darkness was intertwined with this portion of Feng Huwei’s memories, and if he tried to use his Profound Handle to forcibly wipe away the obfuscating darkness, then the memories which are intertwined with it will also be wiped away, leaving him with nothing in the end.
After thinking about it for a while, Yun Che decided it was best to not force the issue, so he simply read all of Feng Huwei’s other memories and withdrew his Profound Handle once he was done.
“It looks like among the two hundred thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers here, only Feng Huwei can give me the answer that I desire.” Yun Che said with a deep sigh, “And it is clear that the reason the Divine Phoenix Sect set up this Cage of Memories within Feng Huwei’s mind is because they were worried that the Four Great Sacred Grounds would take action against Feng Huwei and forcibly use a Soul Search technique on him.”
After all, the only powers that could threaten the Divine Phoenix Sect within Profound Sky Continent were the Four Sacred Grounds.
When he had infiltrated this tent, he had also clearly heard Feng Huwei and his vice commander Tian Yi mention “the Four Great Sacred Grounds,” so they clearly knew that the Four Grest Sacred Grounds were behind the occasional abductions that had occurred every now and then.
“To be able to set up a Cage of Memories such as this one, not only does the creator need to have extremely strong mental strength, it also was accompanied with risks that cannot be controlled or calculated.” Jasmine said with a cold laugh, “This Divine Phoenix Sect seems to be hiding a huge secret indeed.”
“At least, it is a lot bigger than what I had originally anticipated…” Yun Che’s eyes flashed. “I have always had my suspicions on why the Divine Phoenix Empire would take action against Blue Wind Nation. Or perhaps swallowing Blue Wind Nation was just a pretext and this place… is where their real objective lies!!”
“I am suddenly rather curious about something right now.” Jasmine said with a peculiar interest, “When do you intend to depart for the Divine Phoenix Empire?”
The thing that women had most in abundance would forever be their curiosity… and Jasmine was no exception.
Yun Che replied without a hint of hesitation, “This very day!
“When it comes to things like settling debts, even a one day delay is too long.”
“Hmph.” Jasmine giggled through her nose which more or less conveyed her meaning, which was “so it’s going to be like this after all.”
Feng Huwei, who was still in Yun Che’s clutches, finally regained his consciousness at this time. He opened his eyes and looked at the cold smile draped across Yun Che’s face and immediately felt his body go cold. He almost demanded in a quavering voice, “You… what did you just do to me?!”
As soon as he spoke, he discovered that his own voice had become extremely weak.
Yun Che did not reply; instead, he directly disregarded him and looked straight ahead. When he spoke, the words that came out of his mouth were filled with icy-cold cruelty and killing intent, “Feng Hengkong, now that you know I am alive, do you feel very disappointed?!”
“I owed a debt of kindness to Feng Xue’er, but three years ago, because of the issue of bloodlines, you sought to persecute me and disturbed my peace. After that, on the Primordial Profound Ark, you ordered Feng Feiyan to find a suitable opportunity to kill me. For Xue’er’s sake, I was originally planning to forget about the whole thing and not pursue the matter any further…”
“But you have truly given me a nice surprise!!”
Yun Che’s voice was so sinister and cold that it caused the nearby Feng Huwei to shiver all over… he instantly understood that Yun Che was not just standing there talking to himself, but he was clearly using his death soul imprint… to send a message to the Emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire, the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Sect Master, Feng Hengkong!!
That also meant that once Yun Che was finished, it would be his turn to die!
Not only did the death soul imprint not pose any threat to Yun Che, it was actually utilized by Yun Che in the end!
“Right now you must be wondering just where those hundreds of thousands of troops went to… That is right, I did it. However, this is only just the beginning… Ah, no! It can’t even be counted as a prologue!”
“Killing my royal father, trampling over Blue Wind Nation’s territory, trampling over countless of my friends and countrymen, and turning my homeland into a hellhole filled with fear, despair, and suffering! All of these things are weighed against you and I want your Divine Phoenix Empire… to pay it back a hundred thousand fold! So wash your neck and wait!!”
Bang!!
With an explosion, Feng Huwei was fiercely thrown to the ground by Yun Che, and his body instantly ruptured as a large amount of blood and flesh was splattered against the ground… yet not a single drop of it had touched Yun Che’s body.
No one would have thought that the Divine Phoenix Empire’s famed general, Huwei, who caused the other six nations to tremble in fear, would die in such a miserable fashion. Forget about leaving a corpse behind, not even a whole finger was left… all because he touched Yun Che’s reverse scale!
So even though Yun Che had not obtained the answer he wanted, he had already killed the person that he had wanted to kill. Furthermore, Feng Huwei was an important member of the Divine Phoenix Sect, so his memories contained many things regarding the sect itself… including some of its secrets.
Yun Che withdrew his Frozen End Illusory Mirror and silently took his leave as he returned to Floating Cloud City. Meanwhile, outside of the large tent where he had just been in, the layers of guards stood at their posts, their expressions solemn, as not a single one of them knew that their grand commander Feng Huwei had died without even leaving a corpse behind.
“So the reason you chose to battle Fen Juechen three months later was so you could use this period of time to exact vengeance on the Divine Phoenix Empire?” Jasmine concluded in a voice filled with intention.
“Yes!” Yun Che was flying as fast as he could so the Floating Cloud City in his vision steadily grew nearer and nearer. “Three months is more than enough time for me to baptize the Divine Phoenix City! Even if I can’t baptize them in blood… I can at least flip the damn Divine Phoenix Sect upside down! If not, I won’t be able to get rid of the hate in my heart!”
“Other than that, the Divine Phoenix Sect is still strong after all, so I will not be able to directly confront them. This bloodbath will come with risks, both big and small, so it will definitely cause my profound strength to increase proportionately as well. And at that time, I should have the confidence to have a battle with Fen Juechen!” Yun Che claimed rather confidently.
“Hah! If that is what you truly think, then you are gravely mistaken!” Jasmine said coldly, “Within the three months specified by the arrangement of the duel, Fen Juechen’s growth will definitely far outstrip yours! Today, you are barely his opponent, but you can still try to force a battle. But if you wait for three more months… you won’t even have the strength to resist him anymore.”
“What?” Yun Che’s speed immediately dropped as he said, “Why?”
“As I told you before, his devilish profound strength is not manifested from his own will, it comes from someone else instead! Within his body… or more accurately speaking, within his soul and his profound veins, an extremely large devil origin has been infused! The reason why he has become as strong as he is today is completely due to him absorbing the power of that devil origin. But this is definitely not the power of completely absorbing the devil origin! If I am not wrong, he has only absorbed about thirty percent of the devil origin’s power!”
“Thirty percent?!!” Yun Che’s expression was filled with alarm because just thirty percent of the devil origin’s power had bestowed Fen Juechen with the might of a mid stage Monarch! So if he absorbed the whole thing… how terrifying would he become?!
“He hates you to your very bones. So because you have set a three month deadline, in order to guarantee that he will be able to kill you, he will definitely try his best to completely absorb the devil origin! No matter how you cultivate, you will definitely not be able to catch up to the speed of growth bestowed by this method.”
“…” Yun Che’s speed slowed down even more, and all of the sudden, his heart was weighed down by a heavy pressure. He furrowed his brows in silence for a while before starting in a low voice, “According to the legends and records, some kinds of profound arts possess a certain endowment technique that will allow one person to endow it upon another. But when it comes to something like profound strength, it has to be obtained through on one’s own painstaking training or from absorbing and refining some worldly treasure. Both of these methods take a long period of time and has to be done step by step, there definitely isn’t such a thing as someone being able to give his profound strength to another… this could be said to be a part of the fundamental knowledge of the profound way! If not, if profound strength could truly be endowed, then an expert who is nearing the end of his or her lifespan could directly give an entire lifetime’s worth of profound cultivation to an infant… or it could be even a case where many Overlords give their strength to one person and forcibly birthed a Monarch… if that was the case, then wouldn’t the entire profound world descend into chaos?!
“The devil origin that you speak of is clearly devil profound energy that has been cultivated by someone else! How can this kind of thing be directly transferred into someone else’s body to allow him to directly absorb its power?” Yun Che questioned in a flummoxed voice, “Could this perhaps be a special characteristic of devil profound energy?”
“Of course not!” Jasmine directly rebutted him, “If devil profound energy had this kind of unique characteristic, then the entire cosmos would have become the playground of devils!”
Jasmine’s next few words caused Yun Che’s heart to leap in alarm, “Also, in regards to the devil origin in Fen Juechen’s body, even I am… extremely puzzled by it.”
“It’s something even you do not know?” Yun Che stopped in midair and his brows knit together tightly. Something that even Jasmine could not make sense of… just what exactly had happened to Fen Juechen?
“The world you are able to see, is far smaller than what you imagine, while the limits of the profound way, are more so something the current you cannot imagine. Never be so naïve to think the so-called ‘fundamental knowledge’ is the truth! Profound Strength Endowment is indeed extremely difficult, but it is definitely not impossible… Do you know how my profound strength came to be?”
In a disinterested tone, Jasmine revealed something Yun Che had always wanted to ask, but had never dared to
alyschu: To anyone who forgot what a reverse scale is, it’s the scale you never touch on a dragon unless you want it to eat you alive!
Chapter 687 - Xiao Family’s Joy
“Could it be that, your strength… comes from endowment?” Yun Che asked in a low voice. When he had first met Jasmine, she personally said that she was thirteen years old. However, at that time, he was not truly cognizant of just how strong Jasmine really was. And as he scaled greater and greater heights, he became even clearer on just how terrifying Jasmine’s strength actually was. Even now, when he was strong enough to go toe to toe with a low level Monarch, he was still unable to fathom the limits of Jasmine’s power.
To have such terrifying power at the tender age of thirteen… if one were to tell him that it was done through personal cultivation, he really would not be able to accept that.
“That’s right, my strength does indeed come from endowment.” Jasmine replied in a manner that was totally out of Yun Che’s expectations. This was because this was a topic that she had never allowed Yun Che to ask about before, but right now, she replied in a very straightforward fashion, “But even though such a method as Profound Strength Endowment does exist, it is far more difficult than what you imagine it to be. In addition to its difficulty, the conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for this method to work are exceedingly harsh. Even in my own world, the Profound Strength Endowment method might not even succeed once despite thousands of years passing. Furthermore, even the most perfect Profound Strength Endowment method in this boundless universe will cause at least half of the profound strength being transferred to be lost during the endowment! The reason why I was able to successfully receive the endowment was…”
After she had said those words, Jasmine’s voice came to an abrupt halt. Clearly, she had noticed that she had almost said something that she should not have as she was relating her story. After a brief moment of silence, she gave a cold snort and continued speaking, “And in the Profound Sky Continent, which is among the lowest planes of existence within the boundless universe, an extremely high-level profound technique such as Profound Strength Endowment will definitely not appear here. So what happened to Fen Juechen should not be Profound Strength Endowment.”
“Not Profound Strength Endowment?” Yun Che asked in a shocked voice. “Then what is it? The devil origin that he had absorbed, isn’t that just devil profound energy that someone else had cultivated? Based on its characteristics, this is essentially allowing Fen Juechen to absorb its power bit by bit as he inherits someone else’s strength!”
“When we had first encountered Fen Juechen again, his extreme increase in power and the devil profound energy aura that he was emitting caused me to believe that his body had been taken over by a devilish soul. But after that, I realized that he still retained complete control over his own body. So I tried to probe the devil origin within his body, and I discovered that the spiritual aura of the devil origin and the spiritual aura of Fen Juechen was actually flawlessly compatible!” Jasmine said in a voice that was thick with suspicion, “This is the part that leaves me at a loss.
“If a devilish soul that possessed a source of power tried to forcibly enter a person’s body, there should only be three results: The destruction of the body, possession by the spirit, or the owner of the body using an even stronger profound or mental strength to repel the spirit and cause it to dissipate. But within Fen Juechen’s body, the devilish soul that entered his body is perfectly compatible with his own soul. Not only is there no sign of mutual destruction or an attempt to wrest control away, it actually seems like two fractured halves of a soul being slowly melded back together again!”
“~！@#￥%……” If Jasmine had concluded that it was indeed Profound Strength Endowment, then even though it was inconceivable, Yun Che would still be able to understand the situation instantly. But Jasmine’s current explanation caused Yun Che’s mind to swim. He shook his head and once again began flying towards Floating Cloud City. “The more I learn about it, the more complicated it becomes, forget it… I think it’s best if I ask Fen Juechen himself three months later.”
“Weren’t you listening to what I was just telling you?” Jasmine asked in an icy voice, “The you right now is already not his opponent, and three months later, you will be even less capable of fighting of him. So you’re prepared to go and die?”
Yun Che curled his lips rather calmly. “I have the Primordial Profound Ark, so even if I can’t beat him, I can still run away! Moreover…” The faint smile on his lips slowly vanished as his brows faintly knitted themselves together. “Moreover, even if I don’t run, I won’t let him kill me so easily! Because I will not allow myself… to lose to someone I’ve already defeated before!”
“…” Jasmine could not be bothered to respond anymore. She silently floated in the space within the Sky Poison Pearl as she guided the world’s richest purifying energy to purify the last bit of the devilish poison that still clung to her soul. After a few moments, she suddenly and faintly opened her eyes and murmured to herself in a soft voice, “Could it be some kind of forbidden reincarnation technique?”
After he had arrived back at the Xiao household, he found that Xiao Lie’s courtyard was still filled with the sound of joy and laughter. In the short span of a few hours, Xiao Lie seemed to have become a completely different person. The joy of having found something that was thought to be lost over twenty years ago caused his old eyes to be filled with tears of joy.
“Little Che!” Just as Yun Che landed on the ground, Xiao Lingxi ran over to welcome him back and tightly hugged his right arm as if she was afraid that he would fly away once more the moment she let him go. But she immediately remembered that Xiao Lie and Xiao Yun were still around, so she hurriedly loosened her grip as a charming blush stained her tiny cheeks… she was as intimate as she was before, but what was different now was her mentality towards him.
“Che’er, you’ve returned.” Looking at the Yun Che whom he had raised from a tiny infant return, Xiao Lie gave a satisfied and grateful smile.
“Big Brother, what’s the situation over there? Did you manage to figure out what exactly they were doing?” Xiao Yun asked. In comparison to before, there was now some anxiety that could be seen on his face. That was because before this, while Floating Cloud City did indeed have something to do with him, it was still a remote and alien existence to him. But now, having come back to the place where he was born and having met those who were related to him by blood, he had begun to develop a sense of belonging towards Floating Cloud City.
Yun Che shook his head. “The Divine Phoenix Army is indeed undertaking some kind of secret mission, but they have protected this secret far too well, and even when I used the Profound Handle Soul Search, I still could not find out anything.”
“Even the Profound Handle Soul Search didn’t work?” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a shocked voice. In Demon Imperial City, there was no one who did not know of the tyrannical power of the Profound Handle Soul Search. Even if the Profound Handle Soul Search did not work, that would mean that the matter at hand was highly unusual.
“Yes.” Yun Che nodded his head gravely, “So this matter is far more serious than what we had initially anticipated. But no matter what, we still need to get to the bottom of this.”
As Yun Che spoke, the gaze which he directed towards Number Seven Under Heaven grew strange. The change in his eyes caused her to look down at herself suspiciously and ask, “Big Brother Yun, is there anything… wrong with my body? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hold out your hand,” Yun Che said in a serious tone.
“Ah? Oh.” Yun Che’s expression caused Number Seven Under Heaven to tense up and she anxiously thrust her right hand forward. Xiao Yun, who was by her side, was even more anxious than her. “Big Brother, Seventh Sister… is anything the matter with her?”
Yun Che did not reply, instead he pressed a finger down on Number Seven Under Heaven’s arm and let it rest there for three breaths. After that, he withdrew his finger and slowly exhaled before speaking slowly, “Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, the both of you need to prepare your hearts… for what I am about to say.”
Yun Che’s expression, tone, and the way he had exhaled caused Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven to hold their breaths. Their hearts seized up in their chests, and they did not dare breathe. But after that, Xiao Yun finally managed to stutter out a reply, “Seventh Sister’s body, could it be… that there is some problem that has happened to it?”
They were sufficiently clear that Yun Che’s medical skills… were definitely not something to be laughed at.
“Yes, and it is very serious indeed.” Yun Che extended two fingers and pointed at the two of people whose hearts were about to stop out of fear. “Seventh Sister… is pregnant, which also means that the two of you are about to become parents!”
“…Ah!” Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven stood there with blank expressions on their faces before crying out in alarm at the same time.
“Rea… rea… rea… really?” Xiao Yun grabbed Number Seven Under Heaven with one hand and Yun Che with the other, and he was so excited that his face was flushed red.
“Oh… I… I…” Number Seven Under Heaven’s hand unconsciously strayed to her stomach. Her face was blushing, and she could not string together a coherent sentence as her shock and instinctive response of joy and fear rooted her to the spot.
“Of course, it’s true. I am a genius doctor after all, so do you think I’d get even something like this mixed up?” Yun Che asked as he looked towards them with bemused eyes. “Isn’t your efficiency a bit too high? I mean, just look at how long you’ve been married. You’ve actually made a baby! Could it be that before the both of you were even married…”
“No I didn’t, I definitely didn’t!” Xiao Yun said in a fluster.
“Good heavens!” Xiao Lingxi said in shock, “Father, did you hear that?! Little Seventh is pregnant! You’re going to be a great-grandfather!”
Yun Che’s voice was loud, so how could Xiao Lie not hear it. His arm was half-raised into the air, his entire body was faintly trembling, and he was so moved that he could barely speak. Yun Che quickly strode to his side and declared, “Grandfather, in a few months, you will ascend to the position of great-grandfather! Heh heh, look, Xiao Yun has not only come back safe and sound, he has also brought back such a wonderful daughter-in-law and even came back with children of his own.”
“Good… it’s truly good…” Xiao Lie said in a trembling voice as he dipped his head, tears of joy flashing in his eyes. At this time, a cool breeze blew, and Xiao Lie’s brows furrowed instantly as he exclaimed, “Yun’er, hurry up and bring Little Seventh back to her room. It’s cold out here and we don’t want to hurt the baby!”
“Haha!” Yun Che gave a great guffaw, “Grandfather, you don’t need to worry at all. Even though Seventh Sister is really young, her profound strength is already at the Tyrant Profound Realm. Even Heavenly Sword Villa’s Villa Master, Ling Yuefeng, would not be her match. Furthermore, the profound art that Seventh Sister cultivates is incomparably pure, so the baby in her stomach will be protected by an incredibly pure and powerful profound energy which means that even if you wanted something to go wrong, it would be tough.
“Ah, but Grandfather, look at yourself. I have only left for three years, but your health has deteriorated by this much. If you do not hurry up and treat yourself better, you might not even have the ability to carry your great-grandchild.”
“Hahahaha.” Xiao Lie gave a great laugh of his own and supported himself using the chair before slowly and resolutely standing up. “My old bones are still very tough, and it’ll be no problem for me to live a few more decades and see the little baby grow up and give birth to more little babies.”
“Father…” Looking at Xiao Lie’s aura and spirit grow much more vigorous than before caused heartfelt joy to well up in Xiao Lingxi’s heart. She believed that as long as he remained in this condition, Xiao Lie’s body would definitely recover in the shortest amount of time necessary.
The news of Number Seven Under Heaven’s pregnancy caused the family to be covered in a joy that practically boiled over. Once the rejoicing had finally died down a little, Yun Che finally found a chance to say something that he had been wanting to say, “Grandfather, Little Aunt, Xiao Yun, and Seventh Sister will stay in Floating Cloud City for a period of time, so you’ll have to take care of them. Even though I’ve only just returned… I need to go somewhere immediately after this, so I’ll have to leave the both of you for a while.”
“Where are you going to go?” Xiao Lingxi’s expression became anxious as she frantically grabbed Yun Che’s hand. “You’ve only just returned, but you want to leave again? Is it… is it to go and do something dangerous again?”
“I need to make a trip to the Divine Phoenix Empire, and I will be leaving before evening falls.” Yun Che held Xiao Lingxi’s hand and gave a light-hearted smile. “However, there will be no danger at all, and it won’t be long before I return. At that time, I’ll accompany my Little Aunt for as long as she wants me to.”
Chapter 688 - Sword Pointed at Divine Phoenix
“The Divine Phoenix Empire? Why are you going there!” Xiao Lingxi’s expression became panicked. Because towards all of the citizens of Blue Wind Nation now, this was a name like a nightmare. She held Yun Che’s hand tightly and said, “Three years ago, you were in an accident in Divine Phoenix Empire, how could you… how could you…”
“Don’t worry.” Yun Che said,full of confidence, “Three years ago, the Divine Phoenix Empire wasn’t what caused my accident. On the contrary, the Divine Phoenix Empire wasn’t able to do anything to me three years ago, and it is even more impossible for them now.”
“No… no matter what the answer is no! I absolutely do not want you to do anything dangerous anymore!” Xiao Lingxi shook her head in determination and looked to Xiao Lie for help. “Father, hurry and stop Little Che, he is going to do something dangerous again.”
Xiao Lie looked directly at Yun Che. Following with the change of attitude in his heart, his eyes had become a lot clearer than before. He said slowly, “Che’er, are you this eager to go to the Divine Phoenix Empire because you want to force them to retreat?”
“Yes!” Yun Che nodded, “At the least, I am a citizen of Blue Wind Nation, and more importantly, I am the prince consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family. My homeland was attacked, and Royal Father was murdered. I cannot be silent no matter what. Another day the Divine Phoenix Empire is in our Blue Wind Nation, another day our Blue Wind Nation suffers disaster, so I must go to the Divine Phoenix Empire as soon as possible. There is also a lot of peculiarities with the Divine Phoenix Army’s two hundred thousand soldiers on the east side of the city. If I cannot investigate it, I cannot settle down.”
Xiao Lie nodded his head slowly and said with a light smile, “No matter what, you need to make sure of your own safety. Even if it is for me and Lingxi… do not put yourself in a position of danger.”
“Mn!” Yun Che nodded his head hard and said, “I definitely will.”
Xiao Lingxi immediately started to panic. “Father, you…”
“Lingxi, we can’t stop him.” Xiao Lie chuckled and said with a sense of loss, “Che’er is completely grown up now. The world that he can be in contact with is larger than what we can see with our eyes. Moreover, this time it wasn’t for his own vengeance, but it was for Blue Wind Nation itself. If he could really save countless of people of the Blue Wind from suffering, we can only stand proud. What reason is there for us to stop him?”
“Father…” Xiao Lie’s words melted Xiao Lingxi’s determination into weakness. She lowered her head, bit softly on her lips, and uttered, “But, I am afraid… I am so afraid…”
Five years ago at Heavenly Sword Villa… Three years ago at Primordial Profound Ark… Behind the two times of losing and regaining was two feelings of devastation that also made her collapse. Her mindset changed many times over these years, and it revealed ever so clearly what was most important to her deep down. Now that she reunited with him once again, she only hoped that he would be safe, and would not be suffering from disasters. Everything else… was not that important.
“Little Aunt, don’t worry.” Yun Che comforted her softly, “Three years ago I already broke my promise to you and made you sad over me for that entire period of time. This time, I will definitely not break my promise to you again… At most I’ll be back within a month. Even though this time I am going to the Divine Phoenix Empire, there will not be any actual danger. If you don’t believe, you can ask Xiao Yun.”
“Yes yes yes yes!” Xiao Yun of course nodded his head immediately, “Big Brother is super strong right now, so no matter where he goes, it is very hard to be in danger even if he wanted to be. Also, Big Brother has a very magical Profound Ark, it can instantly soar through space. Even if he is really in danger, he can escape immediately, and no one will be able to catch up. So I don’t worry about Big Brother at all, and Little Aunt doesn’t need to worry about him either.”
Xiao Yun was not deliberately trying to comfort Xiao Lingxi for Yun Che; rather, it was worship and trust towards Yun Che from the bottom of his heart… After all, he was the one who fell the forces of Duke Ming that shrouded the entire Illusory Demon Realm and saved the Demon Emperor’s clan. Duke Ming’s devious mind, force, and ambition were so scary that he almost replaced the Demon Emperor’s clan and ruled the Illusory Demon Realm, but because of Yun Che, their plan was foiled and it ended with their clan being demolished. Also, Sun Moon Divine Hall, whose name was even known in Illusory Demon Realm, when they came with ill intent, they were tricked and played with by Yun Che, and they frantically ran away with their tails tucked between their legs…
On top of that, with the Primordial Profound Ark that can travel through space… Even though Yun Che’s strength was not at the peak, Xiao Yun believed that in this world, it was absolutely harder to take his life than to kill a peak level Monarch. On the contrary, it was those who he targets or who was enemies with him that needed to worry.
“…” Xiao Lingxi bit her lips even harder, her hand that was holding onto Yun Che unwilling to let go. After a good while, she lifted her head and looked at Yun Che with her clear eyes, “Then… can you leave tomorrow? You just came back, and I haven’t had to time to look at you closely… Right, Xiao Yun and Little Seventh are going to the mountains to pay respects to father tomorrow. You can bring them there, so don’t leave today, okay?”
With her soft begging words, how could Yun Che reject? He nodded slightly, “Okay, then I will leave tomorrow… Mn, I haven’t had meal made by Little Aunt in years.”
“Mn…” Xiao Lingxi smiled lightly. She looked quietly at the face that was almost within her reach. The expression in her eyes and her smile all became misty and lost.
Xiao Lie’s eyes were on Xiao Lingxi this whole time. Looking at Xiao Lingxi’s expression now and, the way that she looked at Yun Che, his eyebrows tightened a little. Then they relaxed immediately, and he revealed a light smile at the corner of his mouth.
Night had fallen, there was a fancy dinner on the table, and the atmosphere was joyous. Xiao Lie, who usually doesn’t have much appetite, ate three large bowls of rice. His face glowed brighter and brighter, and he had heartily laughed more today than in the past three years altogether. Maybe he never dreamed that he would be able to eat with his biological grandson at the same table.
After dinner, Yun Che called upon Xiao Yun, “Xiao Yun, come with me for a second, I have something that I need to tell you privately.”
Xiao Yun was dragged all the way out the courtyard by Yun Che. Looking at how serious Yun Che was, Xiao Yun asked somewhat nervously, “Big Brother, is there something very important?”
Yun Che lifted his hand to tap his chin. Then, he stepped closer and said in a low voice, “Actually, when I said that Seventh Sister is pregnant this afternoon… it was fake.”
Xiao Yun was stunned, and then his whole body jumped, “What! Fa… Fake!?”
“Shh!! Lower your voice!!” Yun Che placed his hand on Xiao Yun’s shoulders and said, “The reason I said that was of course not to lie for fun, it was for grandfather!”
“You saw how grandfather’s health situation is!” Yun Che’s expression became serious, “For a person who cultivated profound arts for half of his life, the only reason that he would become like this today was because of the death wish that emerged from his heart for all this time! I heard some people from the Xiao Clan said that, back then, grandfather and grandmother’s relationship was very deep. Not long after grandmother gave birth to Little Aunt, because of Uncle Xiao… which is your father’s death, she died of depression. If it wasn’t to raise me and Little Aunt, grandfather would have left with grandmother. As Little Aunt and I grow up, grandfather’s mental state obviously became worse and worse. During that time, I used revenge and the hope of you still being alive in this world to support him… but three years ago, when the news of my death hit him, it made grandfather birth the thought of death these three years. If it wasn’t for Little Aunt still being here, he might have killed himself already.”
“Now that you and I are back, grandfather is very happy and satisfied. But even so, it wouldn’t be that easy to get rid of his wish for death that he had for three years, and it has almost became a habit. After his wish of all these years is fulfilled, his will of wanting to end his life to accompany grandmother and his son might become stronger, so I had no choice but to make up the story of Seventh Sister being pregnant to give grandfather a larger surprise and something to look forward to.
Listening to Yun Che’s words, Xiao Yun calmed down very quickly. He thought for a while, nodded his head, and said worriedly, “Big Brother makes a lot of sense, but this kind of lie is very easy to see through. Also, lying to Seventh Sister and grandfather, it is… it is not very good no matter what. They are so happy, so if they know that it’s fake, they will definitely be… be very sad.”
“You don’t have to worry about this at all.” Yun Che smiled mysteriously, reached out his hand, and there were two pills the size of a fingernail, one white and one red. “Have these two pills. Take the red one yourself, and give the white one to Seventh Sister, and then… after tonight, Seventh Sister will be pregnant.”
“Ah? Re… really?” Xiao Yun’s mouth opened. He reached out, took the pills from Yun Che’s hand, looked at it with curiosity, and said wonderingly, “There is actually a pill so magical? Really… will it work guaranteed?”
“I can refine a bunch of Overlord Pellets easily, not to mention this type of simple pill for a husband and wife.” Yun Che said very casually, “As long as your Seventh Sister is not on her menstrual cycle today, there will not be a problem at all.”
“Hehe, I, of course wouldn’t doubt Big Brother’s medical skills at all, this is great.” Xiao Yun held the red and white pills in his hand tightly and carefully, and then he lifted his head and asked confusedly, “Big Brother, what did you mean by ‘menstrual cycle’ just now?”
“…” Yun Che immediately recalled Number Seven Under Heaven’s facial color and the pulse that he got casually and said, “This is a medical term, you don’t have to know it. You and Seventh Sister just have to take the pill and everything will work out.”
“Oh! I will go right away!” Xiao Yun nodded, but just as he lifted his leg, he withdrew them back and said somewhat embarrassedly, “But… but how should I tell Seventh Sister? If I tell her that the pregnancy is fake, she might be sad and angry, but if I don’t say it… I don’t know how to tell her about the pill… I’ve never lied to Seventh Sister before, this, this…”
Yun Che rolled his eyes, reached out, took the white pill from Xiao Yun’s hand, jumped up from the ground, and yelled, “Seventh Sister!”
Number Seven Under Heaven in the courtyard turned around and said, “Big Brother Yun, what is the matter?”
Yun Che flicked his fingers, and the white pill flew towards Number Seven Under Heaven. “You just came to Profound Sky Continent, so I’m afraid that the environment would affect the fetus in you, so I prescribed an anti-abortifacient pill for you, take it quickly.”
Number Seven Under Heaven reached out, caught it, took a look at it, and ate it without even thinking. She smiled and said, “Thank you Big Brother Yun.”
In Illusory Demon Realm, everyone knew that Yun Che was a genius doctor who could cure any sickness. His pill couldn’t be bought even with ten of thousands of gold. Even if she believed in ghosts, she wouldn’t suspect a thing about the pill Yun Che prescribed.
Yun Che landed as light as a feather and said to Xiao Yun, “Okay, it is solved.”
Xiao Yun smiled embarrassedly and then took the red pill right away.
Yun Che looked at Xiao Yun and said suddenly, “The leader of the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army at the east side of the city was killed by me. Now that they don’t have a leader, they won’t take action very easily. After I go to the Divine Phoenix Empire tomorrow, I cannot predict what will happen, and I cannot predict where the Divine Phoenix Army will go to, but I absolutely cannot rule out the possibility of them getting an order to attack Floating Cloud City… so during this period of time, Floating Cloud City will have to depend on you and Seventh Sister’s protection. If you are unwilling to stain your hands with blood, then take grandfather and Little Aunt, and leave safely right away… or send a sound transmission to me directly. With the Primordial Profound Ark, I can come back anytime.”
“Big Brother, don’t worry. No matter what, even if I put my life on the line, I would not let anything happen to grandfather, Little Aunt, or Seventh Sister,” Xiao Yun exclaimed in determination.
Yun Che turned around, looked to the south, and the expression in his eyes darkened. “Divine Phoenix Empire… Divine Phoenix Sect! Prepare to accept my fury!”
Chapter 689: Divine Phoenix’s Killing Intent
Divine Phoenix Nation, Divine Phoenix Sect.
The right side of Feng Ximing’s face was dark red, like blood, and it was swollen as well. After being slapped so heavily by an enraged Feng Hengkong, not even Feng Ximing, who had such strong profound strength, had been able to completely recover. He stood in front of Feng Hengkong, bowing respectfully as he said, “Royal Father, why have you summoned me?”
Both of Feng Hengkong’s hands were behind his back as he faintly said without turning around, “Feng Huwei has died.”
Feng Ximing’s brows suddenly furrowed. “Died?! It definitely seems like someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds must have finally been unable to hold back and thus made a ruthless strike! Then… then that secret, has it been leaked?”
“Feng Huwei’s body was enchanted with the Cage of Memories which was created by the collaboration a few grand elders. There is absolutely no way that the secret was leaked.” Feng Hengkong’s brows narrowed. “Furthermore, the one who killed Feng Huwei actually wasn’t someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds. I don’t believe that the Four Great Sacred Grounds would risk offending the Phoenix God to kill Feng Huwei just because they had some doubts.”
“It’s not someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds?” The surprise atop Feng Ximing’s face intensified as he said, “Although Feng Huwei is the general of the Divine Phoenix Army, his profound strength by no means weak. Other than someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds, who else has the power to and dares to kill Feng Huwei… Moreover! There is also the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army at Feng Huwei’s side!”
“It is someone you never would have thought of.” Feng Hengkong turned around. The expression on his face was incomparably heavy and ugly as he said, “It’s Yun… Che!!”
“What?” Feng Ximing suddenly raised his head, abruptly ripping open the wound on his face which caused the edge of his eye to twitch sporadically. “It’s that Yun Che?”
“Hmph, is there any other? It is indeed the Yun Che who should have been buried within the Primordial Profound Ark three years ago!” Feng Heng heavily continued, “Don’t bother asking how he is still alive, that is something that I want to know more than anyone else!”
“How could he have lived? Three years ago, he disappeared along with the Primordial Profound Ark. There was simply no possibility of survival! Could it be… that it is only someone who looks similiar? Or perhaps just a simple illusion to confuse us?”
“Hmph, I have not yet reached the point where I am unable to determine if someone is real or not!” snorted Feng Hengkong. The voice, expressions, glares… and the wild arrogance which emanated out from Yun Che’s body from within Feng Huwei’s death soul imprint, there was absolutely no one within the world who could possibly reenact it. “Not only is he alive, his profound strength has advanced even further these last three years. Beneath his hands, there was simply nothing Feng Huwei could do to resist.”
“Could it be that his current strength has already reached the middle stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm?” asked Feng Ximing in shock. Feng Huwei’s profound strength had been at the early stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm, so for Yun Che to be able to render him helpless, Yun Che had to at least have the power of a mid-stage Overlord. “It can’t be! There is absolutely no way! No matter how talented he is, it’s not possible to advance so much within such the short span of three years!”
“Wrong! His current strength is perhaps even greater than the middle stage of Tyrant Profound Realm.” Traces of coldness emerged within Feng Hengkong’s eyes as he solemnly said, “The strange disappearance of the seven hundred thousand soldier army, including the two supervisor elders, Fei Heng and Fei Ying, in Blue Wind Imperial City was all due to him… These were his own words! If they are true, then his strength is definitely greater than the middle stage of Tyrant Profound Realm. It is very possible… that he has already reached the late stage of Tyrant Profound Realm!”
“That’s even more impossible!” Feng Ximing shook his head without hesitation. “Back then, Yun Che had used all his strength and could only barely defeat Xiluo; his strength was probably only in the ninth level of the Emperor Profound Realm. In just three short years, even if he ate the Great Shifting Gold Pellet, it’s impossible that he could advance to the late stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm in such a short amount of time. If he used some special method or profound artifact, I could still accept it. However, if we said that he relied on his own strength to obliterate the seventy thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army and the two overseeing elders, I would never believe it no matter what.
“Furthermore, even if we consider the worst, even if Yun Che had really come back from the dead and now possesses the strength of a late-stage Overlord, he would only be a trifling thorn in our side. Also, knowing that the disappearance of the army had nothing to do with the Four Great Sacred Grounds, shouldn’t royal father feel reassured instead, why is your expression still so glum?”
“Hmph, even if there were another ten Yun Ches, he would not be able to conjure up much of a storm!” Feng Hengkong’s eyes knitted tightly. “But, did you forget for what reason Xue’er was unconscious for three years!”
Feng Ximing’s expression changed drastically. “Could royal father be afraid that Xue’er…”
“I’m not worried!” Feng Hengkong’s chest rose strongly, and his expression was so ugly that his face nearly contorted. “It’s something even more scary than what you imagined! Do you know what Xue’er told us before we were chased out? She wanted us… to treat Blue Wind Nation kindly!”
“… Was this the reason why royal father ordered everyone to not talk about sending troops to Blue Wind?” Feng Ximing started to realize the severity of the problem.
“How could we not agree to a request from Xue’er!” Feng Hengkong clenched his fists tightly. “Three years ago, Yun Che had indeed used his life to save Xue’er… and Xue’er had been unconscious for three years because of him and even cried in sadness for him! Before this… have you ever seen Xue’er cry?”
“We’ve long realized that her feelings towards Yun Che were not simply just pure gratitude!” Feng Hengkong’s body started to tremble as rage appeared in the depths of his eyes as well as a sense of anxiety. “Xue’er obtained an ice type aerial profound beast out of nowhere, and we learned that the ice type profound beast was known as the Snow Phoenix. It only exists in a region in Blue Wind Nation known as the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, and Yun Che had once flown on a Snow Phoenix.”
“Then… could it be…”
“Before Xue’er returned to Phoenix Perching Valley, she had suddenly requested to go to Blue Wind Nation’s Snow Region of Extreme Ice… and only one force exists at the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, which is Frozen Cloud Asgard! And Yun Che, was a member was of Frozen Cloud Asgard!”
Feng Hengkong’s words caused Feng Ximing’s expression to darken time and time again. “Does that mean that even before the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, Xue’er and Yun Che had already known each other?”
“We should have already known that with Yun Che’s temperament. How could he have been willing to save her using his own life only because Xue’er had helped him! Similarly, how could Xue’er have been that heart broken if it was only because of the gratitude of him saving her…” Feng Hengkong’s rage had started turning into hostility, and the temperature within the entire Divine Phoenix Main Hall had started to rise intensely.
Feng Xue’er… A precious gem bestowed by heaven upon the Divine Phoenix Sect, the future Phoenix God of the Divine Phoenix Sect! His biggest pride, the most precious thing in his entire world, much more than his life. A daughter that was much more important than the entire Divine Phoenix Sect combined. But she had shed her tears for an outsider, an enemy of the Divine Phoenix Sect…
He could never blame Feng Xue’er, but his hatred for Yun Che had already grown leaps and bounds! The fact that he possessed the Phoenix bloodline and insulted the pride of his entire sect was nothing in comparison.
Because Feng Xue’er’s suggestion of treating Blue Wind Nation kindly had already thrown him into utter confusion and caused him to order a ban within the entire city. Furthermore, Yun Che was still alive! If Xue’er were to learn that Yun Che was still alive… he could not imagine what would happen.
Feng Ximing said with some calmness, “However, Xue’er usually stays either at the Phoenix Realm or Phoenix Perching Valley. It would have been impossible in the Phoenix Realm, and as for Phoenix Perching Valley, there are enchantments on three of its boundaries. For the last one, there lies a Great Phoenix Formation. Only members of our sect would be able to enter. It is impossible for Yun Che to have come into contact with Xue’er!”
“The problem probably lies on the Great Phoenix Formation!” Feng Hengkong’s expression darkened even further. “The Great Phoenix Formation does not only allow our sect members to enter. Don’t forget, Yun Che also possesses the Phoenix bloodline and can enter without restraint as well! Three years ago, several days before the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament began, you once personally told us that Chen’er’s chief bodyguard had died tragically within the Great Phoenix Formation…”
Feng Ximing was shocked before his expression drastically changed. “Royal Father, do you mean that the person who killed Feng Chihuo back then was Yun Che?! And after that, he passed through the Great Phoenix Formation and met Xue’er in Phoenix Perching Valley?”
“Highly likely!” Feng Hengkong solemnly said, his clenched fist making cracking noises. Back then, when he had heard that Feng Chihuo had died, he treated it as if it was nothing because he was preparing for the Seven Nation Ranking tournament and the Primordial Profound Ark. He would not bother with a lowly bodyguard’s death. Furthermore, dying within the Great Phoenix Formation meant that it was likely a battle between sect members and he had lost due to inferior skills! However, when Feng Xue’er had awoken, all her actions had caused his mind to be in a mess, and he had unknowingly recalled the “small matter” that had happened three years ago.
“Xue’er is pure and innocent, her heart untainted. Yun Che possessed the aura of the Divine Phoenix, so even if he had barged into Phoenix Perching Valley, Xue’er would not be cautious against him. Also, he is very glib-tongued and silenced so many people during the ranking tournament… Xue’er would not be able to resist his bewitchment!” Feng Hengkong clenched his teeth together tightly. Although this was all speculation, the more he thought about it and the deeper he thought about it recently, the more likely he felt that this was true.
“What shall we do next?” On Feng Ximing, the same sense of hostility as the one on Feng Hengkong appeared.
“Of course it is to kill him within the shortest amount of time!” Feng Hengkong uttered each word with killing intent, “No matter what, we must not let Xue’er see Yun Che… No! We must not let Xue’er find out that he’s alive!
“Ming’er, go inform all the elders together in the Divine Phoenix Main Hall tomorrow afternoon to discuss matters! Furthermore… it looks like we must employ a grand elder to kill Yun Che! Although the possibility that Yun Che is in the late stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm is low… he needs to die!” As he finished speaking, only the sound of his grinding teeth could be heard.
In his entire life, he had never had such bone deep hatred for someone.
Allowing a cornerstone Grand Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect to kill a twenty odd year old youth, any member of the Divine Phoenix Sect hearing this would stare mouth agape in disbelief, but Feng Ximing did not appear to be shocked… because just as Feng Hengkong had said, Yun Che had to die! His life was worthless… but this concerned Feng Xue’er!!
“I understand.” Feng Ximing bowed solemnly.
Feng Hengkong’s chest rose and fell strongly before he eventually calmed down and seemingly muttered to himself, “Looks like before we can ensure that Yun Che and all worries are eliminated, we must try and delay Xue’er’s trip to Blue Wind Nation’s Snow Region of the Extreme Ice…”
He turned around and looked at the right side of Feng Ximing’s face, and his gaze immediately turned much gentler, “Ming’er, is your face still hurting… Royal Father could not control his emotions and apologizes.”
Feng Ximing immediately replied in shock, “What is royal father saying! I spoke out of line and made Xue’er sad. Royal father reprimanding me is only natural. I only feel ashamed and have no complaints. What royal father is saying now only makes me feel worse.”
“Heh heh,” Feng Hengkong reassuringly laughed slightly, before waving his hand. “You may leave. Only we need to know what has been said today.”
“Understood! Naturally, I won’t tell anyone anything that we discussed… I shall not disturb royal father anymore and will withdraw!”
Exiting from the Divine Phoenix Main Hall, Feng Ximing’s originally calm expression had sunk as well. He looked up, touched the swollen right side of his face, and his entire face contorted. His eyes stared widely, and within the depth of his eyes, there was a malicious, ice cold, killing intent … Gradually, traces of blood seeped through from between his teeth and gathered on his trembling lips.
“Yun… Che!!! You… actually… dare…”
“You… actually… dare!!!”
Chapter 690 - Sleeping in Each Other’s Embrace
Floating Cloud City gained its long awaited peace tonight. With the terrible death of Feng Huwei, the Divine Phoenix Army that had lost its general also stopped their “mission” and quieted down in a panic… Although they didn’t retreat, they didn’t disturb Floating Cloud City.
Here was the courtyard where Yun Che had lived for sixteen years. The room was organized like it has always been, with a minimal changes.. Its scent within was also extremely familiar. The only change was the person’s heart.
Yun Che laid on the soft bed. The bedding was bright red, and around it were red drapes. There was a split second of haziness as Yun Che felt like he had returned to the wedding night between him and Xia Qingyue…
Yet in this room was Xiao Lingxi’s hard work; she would come here at least once everyday… She did her best in order to preserve everything about Yun Che.
“Six years and seven months have already passed since the wedding with Xia Qingyue.” Yun Che carefully lifted the red drapes around him, then said with a smile, “Speaking of which, it was also on the wedding night that I met you, Jasmine… If I didn’t meet you, my life would probably be completely different, huh.”
Yun Che was muttering to himself, but Jasmine was not in deep sleep for once, so the moment he finished speaking, Jasmine said calmly, “Hmph, if you didn’t meet me, with your personality that likes to court death, you would have died already even if you possessed a hundred lives!”
“Aren’t you the same!” Yun Che retorted, then immediately asked, “Your sleeping time seemed to have gotten shorter recently, is the devilish poison nearly purified?”
“There’s about thirty percent left,” Jasmine said slowly. “As expected of the Sky Poison Pearl, the power of purification far exceeds my expectations. The devilish poison in my body would be feared even by True Gods. If it was completely released, it would be enough to turn the entire Sky Profound Continent into a deathly hell. Furthermore, after it destroyed my body, it was entrenched deep into my soul. It is thousands of times harder than purifying a normal bodily poison. I had thought that completely purifying it would take at least thirty years. Never would I have thought that it would have been purified to such degree in only a short seven years. The remaining thirty percent could be completely purified within a few more months.”
“That’s good,” Yun Che nodded. Then he said, “Oh… You told me to raise my profound strength to the Sovereign Profound Realm in thirty years back then. Was it because you thought that you needed at least thirty years to completely purify the devilish poison?”
“That’s one of the reasons,” Jasmine said faintly. “The other was to spur you on. However, from the looks of it, I had underestimated the Sky Poison Pearl and also underestimated your talent and luck.”
“Hehe!” Yun Che chuckled proudly. Then, he said in a “humble” manner, “However, I’m only at the Emperor Profound Realm. I’m still very far away from the true Sovereign Profound Realm. Perhaps… I really can’t become a Monarch in thirty years.”
“Right now, it does count as you having reached my estimated goal!” Jasmine continued calmly, “I need to reconstruct my body, need enough Purple Veined Divine Crystals, and at least the life’s vitality of a Monarch’s strength. Even though your profound strength is only at the Emperor Profound, in terms of strength, it is already at the early stage Sovereign Profound Realm. Because of the Dragon God’s bloodline and the Great Way of the Buddha, your life’s vitality is even better than that of a Monarch at his peak, so reconstructing a body with your current life’s vitality is much more perfect than what I had anticipated!”
Yun Che’s mind was shocked. “Really!? Then why didn’t you say so earlier! If I knew that, I would have quickened my pace of collecting Purple Veined Divine Crystals and the profound beast cores!”
Yun Che’s voice was filled with true joy and anxiousness, yet it only returned with Jasmine’s snort, “Hmph! So what if I said it earlier? Did you find the Netherworld Udumbara Flower? Without the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, the soul and the body cannot perfectly fuse… This way, what’s the use of merely reconstructing the body!”
“…Understood, I will try my hardest to find it. I’ll go and ask at the Black Moon Merchant Guild tomorrow, they might have some news.”
“Tomorrow?” Jasmine said lowly, “Originally, you said that you will go to the Divine Phoenix Nation today, yet just due to a single sentence from your little aunt, it turned into tomorrow. The principles you always talk about are always nothing in front of women. Hmph, it really suits your personality as a sex fiend!
“If you die terribly any day, it will definitely be because of a woman.”
The title Jasmine used the most for Yun Che was “sex fiend.” Over so many years, the number of times she used that was even greater than the number of times she had referred to him as “Yun Che.” This sort of thing that was used to mock Yun Che, Yun Che had already heard countless times… Yet after Jasmine had said this, the Mirror of Samsara on Yun Che’s neck suddenly shone out a dim silver light… The light faded with a flash.
However, neither Yun Che nor Jasmine noticed.
“Yes yes yes, it might be because of you. So you will continue meet me in your next life, then continue force me to repay my debt like in this life… Now that I think about it, it’s not that bad,” Yun Che put his hands behind his head and said smilingly.
“…Hmph,” Jasmine replied in contempt.
Yun Che laid down for a while, but he didn’t sleep. Instead, he silently felt the silence of the entire Xiao Clan. Fifteen minutes later, he opened his eyes, raised the corners of his lips, and revealed an evil smile as he muttered, “Hmm… Grandfather and the rest should be asleep now.”
He flipped over and walked out of the room door. His body jumped and silently flew up; then, with flash that wouldn’t be very noticeable to the naked eye, he arrived at the little courtyard where Xiao Lingxi was.
Xiao Lingxi wasn’t asleep yet; her room was still lit with a warm-colored light, and the faint light painted a scene as beautiful as a dream onto the window.
Seeing her figure, Yun Che subconsciously smiled. He raised his hand and lightly moved his wrist. With that, the window quickly opened without any sound, and he flew right in.
“Ah…”
Before Xiao Lingxi managed to scream, she was embraced by the waist, and her lips were forcefully kissed. All sound became helpless whimpers… She subconsciously struggled, but after smelling the smell that she was most familiar with in this life, her struggles became weaker and weaker until her entire body melted into Yun Che’s embrace as she closed her eyes and allowed the man that suddenly broke in to violate her lips.
The lights in the room were extinguished by a force of profound energy. As Xiao Lingxi was still in a loving confusion, her upper body was pushed down onto the bed by Yun Che. He shook one of his hands lightly, and the butterfly belt as well as the buttons on her clothes were all undone. His hand directly reached underneath her undergarments without any obstacles. Following her thin waist up, he grabbed a soft, full mound and started squeezing it lightly.
“Mmm…” Xiao Lingxi’s eyes jumped as she them widely and let out a long whimper. Her body also struggled subconsciously. Although she had been “bullied” by Yun Che in many ways, it was through the clothes every single time, yet this time, she was being violated by Yun Che without any barriers. However, no matter how she whimpered and struggled, she was still weak like a wounded little animal. Finally, in her franticness, she subconsciously bit onto Yun Che’s intruding tongue.
Yun Che’s actions stopped as he opened his eyes and looked at the young lady that whose lips his were wrapped around… Xiao Lingxi breathed heavily. Her breath came out lightly onto Yun Che’s face, and her thin brows trembled slightly in her nervousness.
Compared to Yun Che, Xiao Lingxi, who had no experience, was no different from a white sheet of paper. Afraid that his over the top actions would terrify her, Yun Che regretted it a little, then lightly lifted his hand from that soft peak…
Upon sensing his action, a softness suddenly pressed onto his hand, and all of a sudden, the snow-like mound once again filled up his hand.
“Hug me and sleep… No letting go… the entire night.” She laid her head down on Yun Che’s chest, and as her voice trembled in nervousness, her beautiful eyes were shut tight, afraid to meet his gaze.
Yun Che smiled lightly, he held Xiao Lingxi up, got onto the bed, and embraced her tightly… Then, they slept in each other’s arms like they did when they were younger.
“Little Che, you can… never leave me again,” she murmured faintly as if she were sleep talking.
“Mn…” Yun Che replied in an even lightly voice.
“…This huge sex fiend, he actually even made a move on his little aunt!” In Yun Che’s mind, Jasmine’s voice that carried a faint bit of killing intent rang out.
The next morning Yun Che, Xiao Yun, and Number Seven Under Heaven went to offer sacrifices to the Xiao Ying couple. Then, he unwillingly said his goodbyes to Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie before leaving Floating Cloud City and arriving at Blue Wind Imperial City.
Blue Wind Imperial City was still in a state of intense nervousness, but the terrified atmosphere was much fainter than two days ago.
After informing Cang Yue that he was about to go to the Divine Phoenix Empire and force the Divine Phoenix Army to retreat, Cang Yue remained silent for a long while as she leaned against Yun Che’s shoulders and looked at the painting of Cang Wanhe on the wall. She said softly, “Husband, I am royal father’s only daughter. The grudge of killing father was originally irreconcilable… But, I am the Empress of Blue Wind Nation. Inciting more conflict would only cause the people of Blue Wind Nation to get caught in a more terrifying spiral of war. If the Divine Phoenix Army could retreat, stop the war, and promised to never invade again…”
Cang Yue closed her eyes softly, “Then temporarily forget about getting revenge for royal father.”
“Yue’er, don’t worry, I know what to do,” Yun Che smiled and said. He knew that Cang Yue’s words were due to worrying about the future of Blue Wind Nation, and she was worrying about him even more… She knew that she couldn’t stop him and could only use words like this in hopes of minimizing the conflict between Yun Che and the Divine Phoenix Empire. Since, the smaller the conflict, the lower the risks he has to endure.
“Brother-in-law, I’ll go with you!!”
Xia Yuanba smashed his fists in front of his chest, letting out a loud sound which caused the entire palace to shake violently. “See if I smash the homes of those Divine Phoenix bastards into pieces with a punch!”
“No, Yuanba, you stay here,” Yun Che looked at Xia Yuanba and said. “I alone am enough for the Divine Phoenix Nation. You stay here, there’s a more important mission for you.”
“Blue Wind Imperial City is the last line of defense for Blue Wind Nation, it cannot be collapse! If I anger the Divine Phoenix Nation over there when they can’t catch me, they may very well vent their anger here. So someone must be here to protect this place… Yuanba, it’s because you are here that I can go to the Divine Phoenix Nation without worry.”
Yun Che’s final sentence caused Xiao Yuanba, who was already rubbing his fists, to not insist anymore. He nodded with a great amount of force, “Brother-in-law, don’t worry. With me here, no one from the Divine Phoenix Nation can think about getting near!”
“Brother Under Heaven, I’ll trouble you as well. Sigh… Originally, I brought you and Seventh Sister to come and play. I never thought that it would bring you guys so much trouble.”
“Heheh,” Number One Under Heaven smiled calmly. “Brother Yun, you don’t have to be so formal. I believe that with Brother Yun’s ability, merely a Divine Phoenix Nation… is not even worth mentioning.”
“Of course!” Yun Che laughed with arrogance thriving from his body. He hugged Cang Yue and looked at her eyes. “Yue’er, rest assured, I’ll be back. Just wait for me at home… I promise I will make the Divine Phoenix Nation give you an answer with utmost ‘sincerity.’”
Yun Che lightly kissed Cang Yue on her forehead, then flew up and summoned the Primordial Profound Ark. Then, by the next moment, he had already disappeared in a spatial whirlpool.
Chapter 691 - Meeting Zi Ji Once Again
The main branch of Divine Phoenix Sect was slightly west of the center of Divine Phoenix City, and the Black Moon Merchant Guild was at the very center.
The size of the Black Moon Merchant Guild was more than several dozen kilometers and could be comparable to a small town. Anyone would find it hard to believe that it was actually just a merchant guild’s station if they didn’t see it with their own eyes.
The Black Moon Merchant Guild had a total of eight floors. Although they were only eight floors, the height of each floor was incomparably shocking. Adding them together, the building actually shot through the blue skies. At the very top, a gigantic black-colored crescent moon exalted itself among the clouds. Seemingly, at any corner of this humongous Divine Phoenix City, it was clearly visible if one were to raise his head to take a look. The gigantic plaza at the front of the merchant guild was still filled with people like before, and every day, there would be countless profound practitioners trying to enter the place. However, not even one out of ten of them would turn out successful. And out of those who could enter, about eighty to ninety percent of them would only be able to enter the first two floors.
A youth in a long black robe with a solemn-looking and inconspicuous face, arrived at the center of the Black Moon Plaza where the seven-colored jade stage was. Raising his head, he looked at the large, cloud-piercing structure which was reflecting a pure jade luster. Although this was a merchant guild, every single one of its individual bricks and tiles was much extravagant than the ones used by the Blue Wind Imperial Family. Above the gigantic black moon at the top and under the shroud of extremely grand, imposing atmosphere, anyone who looked up towards it would seemingly have the impulse to worship it.
“Carrying a history even longer than Divine Phoenix Sect and possessing a tremendous to indiscernible background… Hopefully, it won’t disappoint me.” The youth softly muttered to himself, walking towards one of the profound arrays at the jade stage. As he approached it, a purple glow rose from his body, and then, under the attention of the incomparably surprised crowd around him, he immediately entered the profound array.
For the first six floors of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, whenever one wished to enter, he or she would have to always strike the jade stage once to obtain the qualifications to enter. However, the seventh floor was different from the first six. The moment one obtained the qualifications to enter it, the teleportation array would memorize the target’s essence, and the person could then enter it directly in the future… unless the Black Moon Merchant Guild decided to erase the target’s essence.
Because, compared to the first six floors, the seventh floor was a completely different world. To the Black Moon Merchant Guild, people who could enter the seventh floor and those who couldn’t were people of two different worlds.
When the profound light dispersed, Yun Che opened his eyes. What was revealed in front of him was what seemed to be a boundless garden at first glance. Adorned within the lush jade greens were various gorgeous, exotic flowers and herbs. Every single large tree was tall and erect, and within every single vertical stream, the endless trickling of flowing water could be heard. Such a sight would cause people to believe that they had suddenly walked into a divine realm instead of entering the interior of a merchant guild.
In front of him, three beautiful young girls wearing different dresses gracefully arrived and lightly bowed. “Welcome to Black Moon Merchant Guild Young Master Yun. Mister Zi is personally waiting for you, please follow this lowly one.”
Yun Che was currently in a disguise, yet when he heard how these three young girls addressed him, Yun Che was not fazed in the slightest. After all, that teleportation array had clearly memorized the entrant’s essence. Rubbing his face, he revealed his true look and smiled. “Then I will have to trouble you three little sisters.”
The three young girls gracefully smiled as they brought Yun Che through the jade-green garden and even through a small hill. Arriving at the same extravagant courtyard as before, seated under the same long pavilion was a purple-colored elder wearing a warm smile.
“You’re here.” Zi Ji slowly rose. His clearwater eyes sized up the youth before him, and gently nodded. His face revealed a meaningful smile. “It’s been three years since we last met, and your demeanor has surpassed your former by at least ten times… Haah, the younger generation will surpass the older as they say.”
“Junior Yun Che greets Senior Zi. Senior, you give me too much praise.” Yun Che took a step forward and bowed with cupped hands.
“Hoho, please sit.” Zi Ji stretched his hand forward, and then, sat at the same time as Yun Che. “Qing Chen, boil a new pot of tea. It has to be ‘Drunken Red Earth’ that has been freshly picked out this morning.”
“Yes.” The young girl in an azure dress politely bowed and floated away. The other two young girls split to Yun Che’s two sides beautifully and gracefully. Carrying light smiles on their lips and standing with respectful postures, they looked as though they could be freely dispatched by Yun Che.
“Senior Zi seems to have long predicted that this junior will come for a visit,” Yun Che smiled. Before he came here, he was absolutely sure that the Black Moon Merchant Guild was already aware of the news of him returning alive… If they hadn’t known, then he would have been disappointed.
“This old one has predicted that you would come, but I had never expected that it would be this soon,” Zi Ji lightly smiled. Compared to three years ago, his gaze on Yun Che seemed to have largely changed. “With the information this old one obtained, you were in Floating Cloud City two hours ago. But now, you have actually appeared in front of this old one.”
The information network belonging to the Black Moon Merchant Guild was impressive as expected. To actually have feelers stretching all the way to Floating Cloud City… Of course, the garrison set up by the Divine Phoenix Army over there might be related as well. The distance between Floating Cloud City and Divine Phoenix City was extremely far. Back then, when he set off from Blue Wind Imperial City which was much closer, even when he journeyed throughout day and night, it still took him several days. Yet now, with merely two hours, he had arrived at Divine Phoenix City from Floating Cloud City… This was indeed overly frightening. Even the strongest profound ark on Profound Sky Continent would definitely not be able to accomplish such a feat.
In regards to this point, Yun Che naturally couldn’t possibly not know of it, but he never thought of giving an explanation. Just as he was about to make a pass with a smile, he heard Zi Ji speak, using an admiring tone, “If it was someone else, this old one would have already been shocked beyond belief and would suspect that the person before me was a ghost or god. But your respected master is, after all, Old Man Duotian, who had once shaken the world ten thousand years ago. Crossing through the Primordial Profound Ark’s dimensional space was already a small feat for him, so with your respected master’s godly powers, the distance of a hundreds of kilometers between this place and Floating Cloud City is merely a flick of a finger.”
Old man… Duotian? Respected master?
The hell!?
A hint of astonishment flashed past the depths of Yun Che’s eyes, and to this astonishment, in Zi Ji’s eyes, was naturally misunderstood as something else. He chuckled, “There’s no need to be surprised. It’s not that my Black Moon Merchant Guild is powerful and large enough to know of your respected master’s existence, rather, Sun Moon Divine Hall did not keep the matter of encountering your respected master in Snow Region of Extreme Ice a secret. Currently, Absolute Sword Monarchy, Supreme Ocean Palace, and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region already knows of this matter.
“Although the name of ‘Old Man Duotian’ has long disappeared for ten thousand years, the Four Great Sacred Grounds were all established ten thousand years ago. The memories of their ancestors are inherited through generations and are never lost. This is why there are still people who knows of the name of your respected master. But, never would one expect that the unbeatable supreme being of the profound realm ten thousand years ago did not actually shatter void-space and ascend to a higher realm as the rumors had stated, but instead had been staying on Profound Sky Continent the entire time, overlooking the vast number of lives. I heard from rumors that your respected master had formed his own world and extinguished a Monarch with a speck of fire. I’m afraid that us so-called experts of this realm are merely ants in your respected master’s eyes.”
Zi Ji’s voice and expression did not carry any intentions to probe or falsehood. All they carried were deep respect, fear, and astonishment towards an expert. Yun Che listened with a calm expression, yet, his inner heart was completely stupefied…
What… is this situation?
Could it be… a person called “Duotian” really once existed? And he was even an ultimate boss-level figure in primordial times?
Seeing how Zi Ji looked… Not only did this unexpected “coincidence” not leave any flaws, it instead had cemented the existence of him having a “strong teacher” even further!?
“My mentor hadn’t meddled in mortal matters for many years and has never been willing to be spoken of by others. I hope Senior Zi understands.” Yun Che smiled very calmly, yet, in his heart, he was thinking: I have completely no idea of who this “Old Man Duotian” is. If we were to start conversing about him, I might accidentally reveal some flaws… It seems, there’s a need to find a way to understand this “Old Man Duotian” person of ten thousand years ago.
“This old one only has respect for your respected master and most definitely has no intentions to probe,” Zi Ji sincerely said.
That azure-dressed young girl named “Qing Chen” gently walked over, and held in her hands was a new pot of boiled tea. Before she even approached, a heart-intoxicating fragrance had already suffused into the air. Yun Che could not help but make a light sniff and spoke, “Speaking of which, in the two times this junior has visited, both were times when Senior Zi was fortunately free. With Black Moon Merchant Guild’s grand name, Senior Zi must be especially busy on normal days.”
“Hohoho,” Zi Ji smiled as he shook his head. “That’s not case. This old one has been here for more than a hundred years, but there was never a time I have been busy. There are countless capable people on Profound Sky Continent, but people who have the qualifications to enter the seventh floor are hardly one in a million. To give an estimate, there will be a guest here once every month while I’m free for the rest of the time.”
“A month?” Yun Che revealed a look of surprise, and then, continued, “The depths of Senior Zi’s profound strength cannot be measured. I’m afraid even the broadness of knowledge you possess cannot be compared to anyone else’s. Even in the Four Great Sacred Grounds, you will definitely carry an extremely high position. If it’s really as Senior Zi says… then in regards to Senior Zi’s abilities, isn’t it an extremely huge waste? And this seventh floor is clearly empty lodgings. With its expansiveness and boundlessness, with looks similar to that of a divine realm, with merely its construction costs, it mostly likely far surpasses any imperial city from the six countries with a simple estimate. Yet, it’s only used to receive a guest once every month?”
“That’s not merely the case,” Zi Ji lightly smiled. He received the teapot from the azure-dressed young girl’s hands and personally filled the cup of tea in front of Yun Che. “For the Black Moon Merchant Guild to be able to exist for thousands of years and flourish without end, it naturally stems from a matured survival plan. The number of customers in this seventh floor cannot be compared to even one ten thousandth of the customers in the lower six floors, but the construction costs and yearly maintenance fees of this floor are more than a hundred times of the previous six floors added together. That is because… people who are able to enter the first six floors, are our Black Moon Merchant Guild’s distinguished guests, while people who have the qualifications to enter this place… are my Black Moon Merchant Guild’s lifeline!”
“I believe with your wits, you should definitely understand this old one’s words,” Zi Ji said with calm smile.
Yun Che lightly closed his eyes. After a short moment of silence, he opened them and gently nodded. “I see. This junior has always believed that this junior’s knowledge and experience are considerably broad. But during my two visits here, with such celestial scenery and to have a supreme figure such as Senior Zi personally receive me, even I feel a little flattered. In that case, with every subsequent visit, affection will build. And, to build such close relationships with seemingly all of the experts and formidable powers on Profound Sky Continent, I believe your Black Moon Merchant Guild is the only one.”
“Hoho. Here, drink some tea.” Zi Ji raised his hand with a smile. Raising his teacup, he took a light sip, enjoying the aftertaste.
Yun Che raised his own cup of tea, though he drank it all in an instant. Shaking his teacup, he said with a smile, “Senior Zi’s tea sure is a worldly treasure. It’s just that this junior has always been ignorant in the tastes of tea, so it seems this junior has wasted a heavenly gift.”
“No matter how good tea is, as long as it goes into your hands, even if it’s spilled by you, it would still be a fortunate matter. How can it possibly be called a waste of a heavenly gift?” Zi Ji said with a laugh.
“This junior isn’t worthy of such praise from senior,” Yun Che said with a faint smile. He had initially arrived at Divine Phoenix City with a baleful aura, but, after reaching this place, in less than ten minutes, his inner heart was already clear and serene. The man in front of him, Zi Ji, had a calm, quaint, and encompassing presence… as though he was clear water that went untouched for ten thousand years in an ancient well.
“If you aren’t worthy, then I’m afraid there’s no one in this Profound Sky Continent who is.” Zi Ji’s tone was still the same as before, yet, he suddenly made an abrupt change in subject, and asked, “With your arrival here, what are your plans for Divine Phoenix Sect?”
Yun Che’s eyes narrowed, and a baleful aura instantly surged from his entire body. The killing intent gathered in his eyes was also revealed in front of Zi Ji without the slightest concealment. “Senior, what do you think this junior should do?”
The surrounding space instantly turned suffocating without any warning, causing the tender bodies of the three young girls at the sides to shudder at the same time. Zi Ji still carried the same calm and light smile; his expression did not have the slightest even in the face of Yun Che’s aura. “This old one only sees the results.”
“Then senior, what kind of results do you think it will be?”
Zi Ji gently shook his head. “Unpredictable. When this old one first met you three years ago, although I was shocked at your talent and the presence and shrewdness that surpasses your age, when you left, this old one had believed that if you were to head to Divine Phoenix Sect, there was more than a ninety-percent chance that you would have lost your life there, while the other ten percent was, even if you managed to keep your life intact, you wouldn’t have been able to obtain what you wished for. That was because I understood Divine Phoenix Sect more than I understood you.
“Ever since this old one has settled down here, not a single person I have seen in these hundred years weren’t outstanding individuals, and I had believed that my evaluation on people and various affairs would never go wrong. But, only when it comes to you, this old one had never guessed the ending in the slightest. A youth of not even twenty years old with profound strength at the Earth Profound Realm actually dealt a crushing blow to Divine Phoenix Sect, rendering them powerless on their own turf. In these years, you are the only one who has made me miscalculate completely.
“Divine Phoenix Sect had been established for five thousand years, and their roots are immensely deep. Even the Four Great Sacred Grounds find it hard to fathom their depths. Although your strength has greatly surpassed what it was three years ago, if you do not rely on the power of your respected master and head for a direct confrontation with only your own strength… If this was the first time we met, the only thing I can describe this situation as is ‘an egg hitting a stone.’ But now…” Zi Ji gently shook his head, as though he was deprecating himself. “I do not dare to jump to conclusions. Even though you’re only three feet away from me, it feels as though we’re separated by ten thousand miles. Hoho. I can’t see through you at all.”
The tender mouths of the young girls who were standing at Yun Che’s sides widened at the same time. They, who were exerting great effort to maintain their beautiful and tender smiles on their faces, were unable to conceal their deep surprise at all. They were extremely clear of the kind of position Mister Zi had. This was the first time they had heard such words… and it was even towards a person of such a young age.
“Hmph. The mere Divine Phoenix Sect still does not possess the qualifications to have my teacher make a move.” The corner of Yun Che’s brows rose, and a stern killing intent could be felt from his voice. “I won’t do much to them either. I merely want them… to pay at least ten times the debt they owe!”
“Speaking of which…” Yun Che suddenly switched the subject of the conversation. “I heard from rumors that three years ago, after the disappearance of the Primordial Profound Ark, the Divine Phoenix of Divine Phoenix Sect made an appearance?”
The appearance of the Divine Phoenix three years ago appeared in the memories of Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Ye Ziyi, and it similarly appeared in Feng Huwei’s memories as well… and he had even personally saw it! Not only did the Divine Phoenix appear, its overbearing strength and pressure had even coldly silenced the people of the Four Great Sacred Grounds and had even mercilessly punished Ye Xinghan in front of everyone.
But… The Divine Phoenix had clearly already disappeared!
“That’s right,” Zi Ji lightly nodded. “Three years ago, there had long been rumors about the Divine Phoenix’s depleted lifespan and its disappearance. We then found out, because of the Divine Phoenix’s disappearance, it would cause Divine Phoenix Sect to lose their strongest backing, and the moment this was exposed, there was a possibility of facing the crisis of extinction. Because of this, the Great Elder of Divine Phoenix Sect, Feng Feiyan, secretly surrendered to Sun Moon Divine Hall, and had even informed them of the disappearance of the Divine Phoenix. But, the descent of the Divine Phoenix three years ago, was personally witnessed by everyone in Divine Phoenix City, which clearly proved that its ‘disappearance’ was merely a test. What it was testing, was naturally people like Feng Feiyan who carried ulterior motives.”
“I see.” Yun Che slightly frowned; his heart was still filled with doubts. The Divine Phoenix had already passed on, this was what Feng Xue’er personally told him. With Feng Xue’er’s heart, she definitely couldn’t have lied. And Feng Xue’er had even succeeded all of the Divine Phoenix’s source of power, soul energy, and even memories… If that’s the case, how could the Divine Phoenix possibly still be alive!?
“There’s no need to doubt it, that Divine Phoenix spirit already died long ago,” Jasmine suddenly said with a cold tone.
Yun Che was startled for a moment. “Then the one that appeared three years ago…”
“Hmph. It’s merely a soul fragment which carried a little amount of power source,” Jasmine blandly said. “To leave behind a soul fragment which contains a bit of power is something a mortal isn’t capable of doing and isn’t something one would think of. But, the Divine Phoenix spirit is a cloned entity of the Phoenix’s soul, it’s an easy feat for it if it ever wants to do so! After it passed down all of its soul energy and origin power to Feng Xue’er, most likely, in order to guard against the appearance of people such as Feng Feiyan, it purposefully split a small part of itself and attached it within Feng Xue’er’s body. But, this detached soul fragment wouldn’t be able to exist for a long period of time, and by now, it should have completely dispersed. If it we are talking about it being alive… That’s absolutely impossible!”
“… Is that so.” Yun Che roughly got the gist of it.
“Mister Zi, in these three years, about Princess Snow of Divine Phoenix Sect… Do you have any news on her?” Yun Che asked.
Zi Ji deeply glanced at Yun Che; his eyes carried a certain profound meaning. A short while after, he lightly smiled and said, “Three years ago, after the departure of the Primordial Profound Ark and before the appearance of the Divine Phoenix, Princess Snow had fallen unconscious… Then after, she had been in deep slumber, and for three whole years, no matter what methods were used, she was unable to awaken.”
“What?” Yun Che’s expression greatly shook. “In deep slumber for three years? Three whole years?”
“That’s right. If the information I received was not mistaken, it was only yesterday when Princess Snow finally woke up.”
“…” For a moment, ripples surfaced in Yun Che’s heart. In Feng Huwei’s memories, he did not find any information regarding Feng Xue’er’s situation these three years. In these two days, he had been pondering and suspecting that, with Feng Xue’er’s heart and the pure feelings she had towards him, when the Divine Phoenix Empire invaded Blue Wind Empire, she should have definitely prevented it from happening! And Feng Hengkong had always extremely pampered her as well, complying with all her wishes… Blue Wind Empire shouldn’t have fallen into such dire straits.
So… She had actually been in deep slumber, for a whole three years.
Yun Che took a light breath and asked “Then Mister Zi, do you know why Princess Snow fell into deep slumber for such a long period of time? It shouldn’t be due to injuries, right?”
“In regards to this point, I only have conjectures as well.” Zi Ji slowly said, “After Princess Snow fell into deep slumber, her entire body was enveloped in scarlet flames, burning endlessly. Within three feet, not a single person could approach her. And the place where she had slept for three years, was brought about by the Divine Phoenix which appeared three years ago. Thus, the Divine Phoenix should be refining her physique with phoenix flames, or bestowing her with even stronger phoenix flame abilities, aiding her in stepping into the Sovereign Realm from half-step from the Sovereign Profound… That’s most likely the case. Currently, Princess Snow has already awoken. If you’re concerned, you can try asking her about it directly. Hohoho.”
Zi Ji smiled very meaningfully.
It’s no wonder either. The reason why Yun Che would “lose his life” in the Primordial Profound Ark was known to seemingly everyone in the Profound Sky Continent, so how couldn’t Zi Ji know of it… As the core figure in Black Moon Merchant Guild, he could only know much more than others.
Chapter 692 - Lost Control
Thinking about Feng Xue’er, Yun Che immediately became silent. It wasn’t that she didn’t stop them, but it was because she was in a coma and couldn’t stop them… this relieved a certain part of his heart. But when facing the Divine Phoenix Sect, how should he face the Feng Xue’er who had just woken up?
Zi Ji also didn’t speak. He smiled, looked at Yun Che, and the light in his eyes were so condensed and solid that it seemed to be piercing through Yun Che’s heart and soul. At this moment, Yun Che lifted his head; the expression on his face and his eyes had calmed down. “Senior Zi, this junior is visiting your noble Merchant Guild once again because of several matters. Does Senior Zi still remember the ‘Netherworld Udumbara Flower’ that this junior asked you about three years ago?”
“Oh? You are still looking for that item?” Zi Ji shook his head slowly. “These years, this old man has occasionally investigated whether or not the Netherworld Udumbara Flower still exists in this world. But unfortunately, there are already very few who knew about this flower, not to mention those who have seen it. These years, followed with more and more humans in the Profound Sky Continent, the yang energy in the continent has surpassed the yin. The Netherworld Udumbara Flower is an extremely yin, demonic, and evil item. It should have gone completely extinct on Profound Sky Continent thousands of years ago. Furthermore, with time moving forward, unless a calamity that destroys the world appears out of nowhere, the yang energy in Profound Sky Continent will only become stronger and stronger. In other words, the already extinct Netherworld Udumbara Flower will never appear ever again.
“At least that is how it is in Profound Sky Continent.”
Last time, Zi Ji’s answer was that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower had gone extinct and that it shouldn’t appear again. This time, the answer was the same… and he was even more sure of it. Yun Che showed disappointment on his face, but then asked immediately, “I remember that Senior Zi said last time that the last Netherworld Udumbara Flower sighting that was recorded in Profound Sky Continent was one thousand and three hundred years ago. Then… can Senior Zi tell me, where the last Netherworld Udumbara Flower was found back then?”
The reason that Yun Che asked this question was obviously because he wanted to go check out the place that the last recorded Netherworld Udumbara Flower was found. Since the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was able to grow there, that meant that the place must be extremely yin and evil. Even though more than a thousand of years have passed, there… was a possibility that the environment might not have changed too much.
Of course, the possibility of it was next to nothing. After all, with one thousand and three hundred years, this course of history was not a short one. Even the Blue Wind Imperial Family only had a thousand years of history. The reason he would ask was because he didn’t want to give up on even the most remote hope. But, what surprised him was that after he finished this sentence, he clearly saw that Zi Ji’s facial expression became stiff for a second, even the casual smile on his face disappeared.
“…I cannot tell you,” Zi Ji shook his head slightly and said slowly.
Zi Ji’s reaction caused Yun Che’s eyebrows to twitch. He placed his hand onto the stone table and said, “Very well! Then I will buy this information from Senior Zi! Senior Zi only needs to tell me the name of that place and where it is located! Name any price… as long as I can afford it!”
“No!” Zi Ji still shook his head. “On this matter, I cannot tell you the answer, and I cannot sell it to you as information.”
“Why? Could that place… have some exceptional hidden secret?” Yun Che asked aggressively.
Zi Ji shut his eyes slightly and said, “Because that place, is a ‘secret ground.’ Since it’s a ‘secret ground,’ not mentioning entering, even the people who know about it, in this world, are as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns… At least in the Profound Sky Seven Nations, including the Divine Phoenix Sect, no one knows about it. Also, in that ‘secret ground’ now, there are no longer any Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.”
Even the Divine Phoenix Sect didn’t know about it the “secret ground” Zi Ji was referring to, so it was naturally an absolutely unusual existence. Yun Che didn’t think that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower that he asked about with tiny hope would have him come across an incredibly mysterious… and even somewhat strange “secret ground.”
Seeing Zi Ji’s attitude, Yun Che knew that no matter how he asked, he wouldn’t be able to find out the answer to it. He locked his eyebrows tight, stopped wasting his breath, and nodded in an especially calm manner. “I see… since it is such a ‘secret ground’, then this junior should not look into it.”
But he kept what Zi Ji said before in his mind.
“Then, three years ago, this junior asked for help to find Chu Yuechan… does Senior Zi have any information on that matter?”
Yun Che spoke in a very calm manner, but when he was speaking, his fingers clenched uncontrollably, which revealed that his mind was definitely not as calm as he looked on the surface. Three years of time, searching for Chu Yuechan, who has very distinguishable traits… He believed that with Black Moon Merchant Guild’s information network that shrouds the Profound Sky, no matter what, there should be some news. Even if it was just traces of it.
“Sigh…” But just as Yun Che finished speaking, he heard Zi Ji sigh softly, and his heart sank immediately.
“Three years ago, not long after you asked my Black Moon to search for Chu Yuechan, you died on the Primordial Profound Ark. At that time, everyone thought you had no chance of surviving, so Black Moon didn’t continue to look for Chu Yuechan. Half a year later, Spiritual Master Ancient Blue, from Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, suddenly came and asked me to look for Chu Yuechan… Searching for Chu Yuechan was secondary, but there was an extreme possibility that your descendant is by her side. The heart of his disciple, Xia Yuanba, was filled with anger and hatred because of your death, and it was long lasting. Cultivating under this mindset would cause him to easily have a fiendish rebound. After Ancient Blue understood everything about your past, he hoped that he could find your descendant to resolve the hatred in Xia Yuanba’s heart. Because of this, I personally used Black Moon’s information network to find out Chu Yuechan’s whereabouts, and the search directly covered Profound Sky Seven Nations.”
“And? Did you find her?!” Yun Che held his breath and asked.
Zi Ji gave him a deep look and said, “Spiritual Master Ancient Blue and I have been friends for a few hundred years, and I received his help multiple times. This was the first time he personally asked me for something, so of course I did everything I could. But, using all of Black Moon’s information gathering power which covers the entire Profound Sky Seven Nations, including Divine Phoenix, for a whole ten months, we still didn’t find anything. Therefore, the most likely possibility… is that she is already dead.”
“What did you say?!!” Yun Che stood up suddenly, and following with a large exploding sound, a crack that was more than one feet long appeared on the stone table beneath his palm. His calm face turned ferocious, and his eyes were red like blood. “You’re saying that she… is dead?!”
“I know better than you how strong the information gathering ability of the Black Moon Merchant Guild is. Chu Yuechan should be extremely easy to find, but no matter what we did, we couldn’t find any trace of her… Sigh, this is indeed the worst, but also the most likely, or even the only possible conclusion,” Zi Ji sighed and said.
“You’re lying!!” Yun Che’s pupils dilated, he reached out suddenly, grabbed harshly onto Zi Ji’s collar and pulled him up from his stone chair, “You say she’s dead?! What evidence do you have to say she’s dead?! Do you know who Chu Yuechan is?! She is my, Yun Che’s, woman, the leader of the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies, the most beautiful fairy in Blue Wind Nation! Anyone who sees her wouldn’t be able to forget her for the rest of their lives! Even though she gave up her profound arts, her profound strength still exists. In Blue Wind Nation, there is no one who could kill her!! What do you mean that she’s dead!”
“Sir… Sir Master Yun!” Yun Che’s action surprised the three young girls in colorful clothes. Zi Ji’s position was so high that even when Feng Hengkong saw him, he would bow to him immediately. For anyone to dare to grab his collar so rude and violently… and even on Black Moon Merchant Guild’s territory.
Zi Ji had lived for close to a thousand years, but there weren’t many people who would speak loudly to him, and no one has ever dared to treat him like this. However, his expression was still calm, and he did not express anger at all. On the contrary, after momentary of surprise, he felt impressed deep down… Once a profound practitioner had reached a high level, they would be arrogant and cold to emotions, especially towards women. Not mentioning Overlords and Monarchs who looked down to the world, even Thrones who dominate a territory would see them as toys that they can have as much as they want. Even if they especially valued a certain woman, they could not be compared to the cultivation of profound way.
But the young man in front of him who was hard to read and had deep eyes that even he couldn’t see through up close lost control of his emotions like this because of the news of the woman’s death.
“With Chu Yuechan’s profound strength, it is indeed difficult for her to find an equal match in Blue Wind Nation. But, when Black Moon started searching for Chu Yuechan, Divine Phoenix’s invasion on Blue Wind had already been in progress for a few months. Blue Wind Nation was already a mess with disasters everywhere, and there were countless deceased. Each Divine Phoenix Army had at least a high level Throne or even an Overlord, so Chu Yuechan would not be a match for them. If she ran into the Divine Phoenix Army, it would be difficult for her to even escape. The only possibility that the branch could think of when Black Moon has searched for this long but wasn’t able to find anything was during those months…”
“Shut up!!”
BOOM!!
The stone table exploded, and Zi Ji was pushed back several steps. Yun Che held his fist tightly while his whole body was trembling;his eyes were red like a vicious, blood-thirsty wolf. He pointed at Zi Ji and roared, “What Black Moon Merchant Guild! The reason you couldn’t find my little fairy is because of your own incapability. You made empty promises and even curse that she’s already dead… I’ll tell you, even if all of the people from Black Moon Merchant Guild are dead, she wouldn’t even be missing a hair!!”
“Huu…” Yun Che breathed a heavy breath, and his voice suddenly lowered, “What kind of crappy Black Moon Merchant Guild is this, you’re just a bunch of incapable people. You dare say you have a heritage that spans thousands of years, yet you can’t even find a single person… this is absolutely a waste of my time and friendship!!”
Yun Che swung his hand while cursing and turned around to leave.
From when Black Moon Merchant Guild’s name became well-known in Profound Sky until now, it had been thousands of years. In these thousands of years, no one had ever dared to behave rudely on the territory of the Black Moon Merchant Guild. No one had even dared to be disrespectful to the people of the Black Moon Merchant Guild. On the contrary, the higher the plane of the person, the more they respect and fear the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
For Yun Che to act like this at the Black Moon Merchant Guild… its headquarters at that… and on the seventh floor of its headquarters, he was definitely the first one in history to yell at Zi Ji like this.
Zi Ji’s eyebrows moved, slightly tightened, and then relaxed. He was still not mad; on the contrary, he laughed bitterly and then said to the three young girls that were already frightened into not knowing what to do, “Sigh, go get him back.”
The three young girls were stunned all at once, and then they flew out one after the other to Yun Che’s side like three butterflies. One person blocked Yun Che’s path, and the other two each grabbed onto Yun Che’s arm. “Sir Yun, please calm down. Mister Zi was only reporting the result of the investigation, he definitely did not intend for it to be a curse… Maybe, it was indeed an oversight of the information network. We sisters apologize to Sir Yun for the Black Moon Merchant Guild, we only ask Sir Yun to calm your anger.”
One more step and Yun Che would be able to collapse directly onto the chest of the young girl in green. He stopped, lifted his head, closed his eyes, and his chest rose and fell severely. It was then when he finally started to slowly calm down… He raged in this Black Moon Merchant Guild, and his words were filled with insults. If it was someone else, just by humiliating the Black Moon Merchant Guild, even if the person had ten lives, the person would die here. But he got such “special treatment,” and he knew the main reason was his “mysterious master” who didn’t actually exist.
He turned around, faced Zi Ji, and his expression was calm again. “Senior Zi, this junior was not able to control my emotions for a moment, please forgive my rude words and actions.”
“You don’t need to take it to heart.” Zi Ji shook his head and smiled. He lifted his arm, and the shattered stone table that was broken by Yun Che in front of him disappeared and was replaced with an identical, complete stone table. “If you don’t mind, drink some more with this old man.”
Chapter 693 - The Culprit Who Was Discovered Too Late
Yun Che stopped talking and slowly walked back, returning to his seat in front of Zi Ji.
“The matter involving Chu Yuechan, this old man really feels that…”
“Let’s drop the matter.” Yun Che raised his hand to stop him. Although his face remained calm, his eyebrows were still tightly knit together. “Regarding my request for the Black Moon Merchant Guild to search for Chu Yuechan, just cancel it now! As for payment, there is no need for me to pay you. You also don’t have to tell me about the so-called ‘result’ that you’ve obtained!”
“As for the fact that I badmouthed your guild previously, I retract whatever I said… but there’s one thing that I must say again…” In a determined manner, Yun Che said, “The fact that your guild cannot find her can only mean that that is the limit of your guild’s ability! She isn’t dead… definitely not!!”
Little Fairy, you’re definitely okay. Our child… is already four now… You all must be living peacefully at a very secure and secretive location… If our child is a boy, he must have already started learning how to protect you… If our child is a girl, she is definitely as beautiful as you…
Before I find you… even if the Sky Emperor himself were to say that you all are no longer in the human world, I would not believe him either!
“Hoho, this old man can only wish that everything is as you hoped for.” Zi Ji laughed slightly, “For things to turn out this way, this old man is ashamed as well. In order to make up for it, let this old man offer you some free information that we obtained while searching for news of Chu Yuechan… and this matter concerns Chu Yuechan herself. I’m sure you’re interested.”
“Concerns her?” Expectedly, Yun Che immediately looked at him. “Senior Zi, please tell me.”
Zi Ji drank some tea and then replied softly, “Back then, after you had escaped from under Heavenly Sword Villa’s Sword Management Terrace and found out what happened to Chu Yuechan, did you ever wonder how matters spread to the entire world?”
Zi Ji’s words immediately caused Yun Che’s expression to change slightly as he replied in a deep voice, “Of course I wondered! With Senior Zi’s knowledge, you should know the prestige and respect Frozen Cloud Asgard commands within Blue Wind Empire. Females of Frozen Cloud Asgard are known to be eternally pure and untainted. As Chu Yuechan was the head of the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies, news of her pregnancy spreading would definitely tarnish Frozen Cloud Asgard’s reputation to a great extent. Therefore, Frozen Cloud Asgard would definitely try to cover up the matter as much as possible and not allow it to spread. Heavenly Sword Villa’s Villa Master, Ling Yuefeng, used to love Chu Yuechan deeply… Even if he didn’t, he would definitely understand the underlying impact of this and would immediately cover up matters, preventing more people from finding out such a thing. However, when I had awoken, everyone had already learnt the truth regarding this.”
“Although I had always wondered about this back then, I did not go out of my way to look into this matter. Even if the news had been immediately covered up, there were no guarantees… Senior Zi, about what you want to tell me…” Yun Che’s face gradually darkened, “could it be that someone had spread the news deliberately?”
From how Yun Che had reacted when Zi Ji told him the news regarding “Chu Yuechan’s death,” he had already guessed the consequences of telling him this piece of information. Zi Ji nodded slightly, “That’s right. This information being spread was not due to a lapse in the cover up. Instead, it had been spread deliberately… and the one who leaked it and fanned the flames was the wife of the Heavenly Sword Villa’s Villa Master, Ling Yuefeng, that you just mentioned… Xuanyuan Yufeng.”
Yun Che stood up vigorously, his narrowed eyes immediately emanated ice cold anger and killing intent.
Back then, it was basically due to the fact that everyone had heard the news of Chu Yuechan’s pregnancy that Gong Yuxian was forced to kick Chu Yuechan out of Frozen Cloud Asgard to protect its reputation… she could even have been put to death. However, if the news had not been spread so widely, when Chu Yuechan had returned to Frozen Cloud Asgard, she would have been chided and punished, but at the very least, she would not have been chased out of Frozen Cloud Asgard… Furthermore, if Chu Yuechan had insisted, she would have been able to keep her child and would not have had to wander outside alone with a child in her womb… with no news of her even now…
It turns out that there was actually a culprit behind all of this!
After a while, Yun Che finally sat down, and a near pitch black haze shrouded his half opened eyes.
After his malicious aura had been gradually suppressed, Zi Ji calmly asked, “From the looks of it, you don’t seem to be that surprised.”
“…Ling Yuefeng loved Chu Yuechan deeply, and this lasted for ten entire years. In order to see her face, he had even abandoned his pride, although his wish did not come true.” Yun Che seemed to have calmed down. “This was a fact that nearly everyone within the Blue Wind profound world knew. As his wife, there was no reason why Xuanyuan Yufeng wouldn’t know of it. Women are jealous creatures. The more powerful a woman’s strength and background was, the more accurate this statement would be. Towards Chu Yuechan, she held deep jealousy. It’s also likely that, back then, when Chu Yuechan came to Heavenly Sword Villa because of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, Ling Yuefeng did things that he should not have done which alerted Xuanyuan Yufeng that his heart had not given up yet, resulting in hatred borne from this matter. Therefore, after she found out that Chu Yuechan was pregnant…” Yun Che’s voice became filled with killing intent yet again, “she carried out such a backhanded move!”
“Hoho, the reason that I have discovered is no different from what you have guessed.” Zi Ji laughed plainly as he continued, “Judging by your past experience, I can see that you’re a man that repays kindness with kindness and seeks revenge for grievances. As for how you’re going to handle this, it is not right for me to ask… However, do you understand anything about Xuanyuan Yufeng?”
Yun Che calmly replied, “I’ve heard that she was originally from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region… Especially from her surname! ‘Xuanyuan’ is a surname that only exists within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.”
“The surname ‘Xuanyuan’ indeed only currently exists within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, but not everyone there has the surname ‘Xuanyuan,’” Zi Ji calmly corrected. Yun Che already knew what Zi Ji had said was true as he knew that Ling Kun did not have the surname ‘Xuanyuan.’ “Instead, the surname ‘Xuanyuan’ is very rare within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Including Xuanyuan Yufeng, there are only thirty people that held this surname.
“And Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s Sword Master, Xuanyuan Wentian… as well as all the previous Sword Masters, all possess the surname of Xuanyuan!
“The founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region… also had the surname Xuanyuan!”
“Do you mean that, those with the surname Xuanyuan… belong to the bloodline of the founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region?” Yun Che frowned as he asked.
“That’s right,” Zi Ji nodded, his expression becoming more serious as he warned Yun Che, “Xuanyuan Yufeng’s father is the ninth elder of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region—Xuanyuan Jue. Within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, the sword reigns supreme. If one has enough attainments with the sword, he would gain the right to enter Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. However, if one’s descendants lacked affinity with the sword, he would be chased out… this was what happened to the founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. However, the bloodline of ‘Xuanyuan’ is completely different. As the bloodline of the founding ancestor, they are held with the highest regard within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and are the most supreme existence there. Even if one were born as a cripple, he would never be chased out of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and would instead receive this best form of treatment and all its resources.”
Initially, when Yun Che had heard Qin Wushang mention that Xuanyuan Yufeng and the Sword Master of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, Xuanyuan Wentian, possessed the same surname, he already knew that she was not so simple, but he never thought that her background would be that extraordinary. Zi Ji’s words were undoubtedly telling him that if he touched Xuanyuan Yufeng… he would be offending the most core bloodline of the founding ancestor within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region!
“Because the founding ancestor of Heavenly Sword Villa also came from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, Heavenly Sword Villa has been trying to reestablish their relationship with Mighty Heavenly Sword Region for the past thousand years… No matter how small the connection may be, it would be like obtaining a huge backer. Although Heavenly Sword Villa is unrivalled within Blue Wind Nation, they were not even worth consideration for Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. However, in the end, in order to obtain a source of information about Blue Wind Nation, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region stopped rejecting the offerings that Heavenly Sword Villa had sent and even gave back occasionally. This naturally made Heavenly Sword Villa ecstatic, and from then onwards, they prepared gifts wholeheartedly each year without fail.
“Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s actions initially were only so that they could make use of Heavenly Sword Villa as their ‘informant’ in Blue Wind Nation. However, no one could have imagined that… thirty years back, when Ling Tianni brought along Ling Yuefeng to hand the offerings over, Xuanyuan Jue’s sole daughter, Xuanyuan Yufeng, would fall in love with Ling Yuefeng at first sight.
“Although Xuanyuan Jue was already a thousand and seven hundred years old, his daughter was not even in her twenties yet. At an age where her love was blooming and given the fact that the young Ling Yuefeng was handsome, gentlemanly, and charismatic, it was no surprise that Xuanyuan Yufeng would fall in love with him. However, as she was someone from the bloodline of the founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, she was of extremely high status, whereas Ling Yuefeng was the descendant of an expelled disciple. This meant that their status were far apart, and Xuanyuan Jue naturally would not agree to their relationship… However, Xuanyuan Yufeng’s personality was headstrong and steadfast. She first threatened him with her death and eventually crippled her profound arts and left Mighty Heavenly Sword Region forever.”
“Hah, she is indeed a passionate person.” Yun Che laughed coldly, “To catch the attention of a descendant of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s founding ancestor, Heavenly Sword Villa naturally would tightly grab onto this huge backing. Even if that Xuanyuan Yufeng were ugly like a sow, Ling Tianni and Ling Yuefeng would never reject it… But for Xuanyuan Yufeng to make such a headstrong decision, Ling Yufeng must have sweet-talked her to the moon and back!”
“Hohohoho,” Zi Ji laughed plainly, his expression obviously showed his agreement with what Yun Che said. “After that, Xuanyuan Jue announced that he would sever his father-daughter relationship with Xuanyuan Yuefeng out of rage and chased them out of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, swearing to never meet them again.”
“Heh, even though he is called Xuanyuan Jue, he was not completely cruel to his daughter. Otherwise, he would have already killed Ling Yuefeng,” Yun Che continued laughing coldly.
“After all, Xuanyuan Yufeng was his only daughter.” Zi Ji continued, “After some time passed, his rage faded. Furthermore, Xuanyuan Yufeng and Ling Yuefeng had brought two grandsons to him. Xuanyuan Jue had no choice but to accept Ling Yuefeng as his son-in-law. A few years ago, Xuanyuan Yufeng brought her two sons and Ling Yuefeng back to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region to visit… I heard that Xuanyuan Jue was very fond of Xuanyuan Yuefeng’s two children, particularly her younger son, Ling Jie, and even offered to teach him personally. Heavenly Sword Villa naturally became more assured of its backing because of this.”
“If you’re unable to let go of matters and still want to punish Xuanyuan Yufeng… please think carefully before you act.” Zi Ji’s gaze was distant and deep, and he possessed an elder’s bearing. He was obviously trying to peacefully persuade Yun Che, who was exceptionally concerned with this matter.
“…Yun Che’s palm that was on the stone table retracted slightly. Compared to Xuanyuan Yufeng’s identity, he was more concerned with… the fact that she was Ling Jie’s birth mother!
“Senior Zi, I already know most of what you wanted to let me know.” Yun Che said as he looked up at Zi Ji, so calm that he sounded indifferent, “Indeed, I’m a man who seeks revenge for grievances. This matter regarding Xuanyuan Yufeng, even though I only figured it out many years later, I definitely will not let it go so easily. The debts that need to be repaid must be repaid in full. As for the free information Senior Zi provided, I’m absolutely grateful. However, I would like to let Senior Zi know one thing…
“As a person, the thing I hate the most is being plotted against and being used… No matter who it is by!”
Yun Che’s gaze concentrated as though it had become two sharps arrows, and this caused Zi Ji’s breathing to stop for an instant.
SummerRain: When Zi Ji says “even though he is called Xuanyuan Jue”, he is referring to the fact that Jue means cruel/heartless (绝情 = jue qing).
Chapter 694 - We’re Gonna Be Rich
The sudden change in the tone caught Zi Ji off guard. Although he only looked like he was forty or fifty and there was not even a speck of white in his beard yet, his actual age had already surpassed the thousand mark. He possessed knowledge far beyond any normal human’s comprehension and had gone through a flow of time that a normal person would not be able to comprehend.
Hence, he was able to see through a person’s inner thoughts clearly which meant that it had been a long time since he had experienced any unexpected feelings… However, when facing this twenty-two year old youth who was standing in front of him, a youth who was several times younger than him, the intense gaze of this youth seemed to pierce through the depths of his heart.
Facing Yun Che’s gaze, he uttered with a bitter smile after a moment of short hesitation, “Such unbelievably astute observational skills… no, rather than calling it observational skills, it would be more fitting to call it… instincts?
“I admit, there was some personal agenda behind me telling you the information we had about Xuanyuan Yufeng. However, in what I’ve just said, there were no lies nor was there any ill intent directed at you. I only wished to do you a favor while simultaneously gifting Mighty Heavenly Sword Region an ‘unfathomable’ enemy.”
Yun Che laughed slightly, “I believe you. If I had really felt that you had ill intent, I wouldn’t be sitting in front of you so casually right now.”
Three years ago when he initially met Zi Ji, he only felt that his status was extraordinary, but now, the more he spoke with him, the more he felt that this person’s strength and status was probably unfathomable. He decided not to beat around the bush anymore as he took out his Profound Currency Card that was shining with a violet glow and slapped it in front of Zi Ji. “I have bothered Senior Zi for long enough today, let’s get to the main topic. I need forty five thousand kilograms of Purgatory Stone and a hundred fifty kilograms of Flaming Devil Vines that are at least ninety years old. If you do not have those that are ninety years or older, then those above sixty years will be fine as well, but I would require twice the amount. Also, I need six thousand Rakshasa Heart-destroying Fruits, twelve thousand Skull Seeds, six thousand blades of Soul Withering Grass…”
Without stopping, Yun Che eloquently listed forty-nine different types of ingredients. If there were only a few, Zi Ji would not have thought much about it; however, all forty-nine ingredients that Yun Che had mentioned were all violent and explosive! Each one of them possessed a great amount of concentrated energy which also meant that they were extremely dangerous objects… For example, the erosive power in a ten centimeter long Flaming Devil Vine was sufficient to completely destroy a Sky Profound practitioner in a matter of seconds.
The reason why Purple Veined Divine Crystals were so precious was because it not only possessed extremely concentrated energy, the energy was also very gentle; it could be easily controlled, guided, and changed into other forms to use for other purposes, and also because it could be absorbed directly. Although the things that Yun Che asked for possessed the same concentrated energy, they were on the other extreme as each one of them possessed different attributes and only had one common characteristic, which was that they were extremely violent and difficult to control.
However, due to the “violent” characteristics, several of the ingredients could occasionally be used to make pellets that were used to break through bottlenecks… However, the success rate was unbelievably low, and there were huge risks involved.
However, if it succeeded… a pellet that could break through bottlenecks would undoubtedly be a treasure that could be priced for an exorbitant amount!
Therefore, although the energy within these forty-nine ingredients was extremely concentrated, their demand was very low which meant that they naturally did not cost much… After all, among all the top pellet refining masters within the entire Profound Sky Continent, not one of them would dare to say that they were able to perfectly handle any one of the listed ingredients.
If it were controlling several of them at the same time… they probably wouldn’t succeed a single time even if they had decades.
Not only had Yun Che requested forty-nine items that were already frighteningly explosive on their own, the quantity that he had requested was absolutely shocking.
The three young girls behind him were dumbfounded by what they had heard.
Zi Ji closed his eyes as a small profound formation appeared on his slightly raised right hand. After a short while, the profound formation disappeared and he opened his eyes. As he breathed out, he said, “Black Moon has all of these forty-nine ingredients. However, our storage is insufficient for your needs. To collect everything would require a little time.”
“How long would it take?” Yun Che asked calmly. He knew full well that the quantity that he had requested for was massive and he would not be able to obtain the full quantity at any other shop. He knew that Black Moon Merchant Guild would not disappoint him… as long as he paid them a sufficient sum.
“Purgatory Stones need to be collected from the depths of lava. For forty-five thousand kilograms, it will take approximately fifteen days. As for the other ingredients, five days would be sufficient,” Zi Ji replied.
“Good!” Yun Che nodded. “Then I’ll come back and retrieve them in fifteen days. Senior Zi please name a price. In order to reassure you, I shall pay half the cost in advance.”
Although he spoke with calmness, Yun Che was feeling restless within… thinking to himself, “I only have nine million purple profound coins, sufficient to buy a small city. These ingredients aren’t that expensive but the quantity is a bit much… but, I should have enough right?
If I really cannot afford… I could consider obtaining some money from the Divine Phoenix Sect.
When talking about money, Zi Ji was not verbose with Yun Che as he nodded and replied, “That would be the best. Although these aren’t extremely precious goods, it still isn’t cheap. I estimate it to be around eight million… purple profound coins! The deposit shall be as you said, half of the total.”
Eight million purple profound coins was undoubtedly an astronomical amount. Even for the Black Moon Merchant Guild, it was a huge sum. However, Yun Che secretly heaved a sigh of relief as he cleanly handed Zi Ji his Profound Currency Card to pay the sum of four million.
After paying the deposit, the millions of purple profound coins that he had extorted from the Xiao Sect had almost been completely spent…
Yun Che cried in his heart… I originally thought that this huge sum could last me for several lifetimes, but I didn’t expect… Sigh! Now I’m going to be broke again.
After paying the deposit, Zi Ji had a short and deep internal struggle with himself before he asked, “Yun Che, Black Moon Merchant Guild never asks their customers why they are purchasing goods, but I’m truly curious. All forty-nine ingredients that you have requested for are extremely violent and explosive. The amount is massive as well. What are you using them for? Heheh, if it’s possible, I hope you can kindly enlighten me on this mystery. However, if it isn’t possible, you can just laugh it off. The old man won’t pursue nor would he investigate in secret.”
Yun Che laughed, flipping over his palm. He placed a dark red round pellet on the stone table. In an instant, the room was filled with a pungent medicinal smell that spread quickly, causing the face of the three girls to grimace.
“Can Senior Zi Ji please help junior inspect this? If this pellet were to be auctioned off by the Black Moon Merchant Guild, what kind of price can it command?”
“This is…” Zi Ji’s gaze immediately concentrated on the pellet, and just based off the aura of the pellet, he could already conclude that this was no simple pellet. Using two fingers, he grabbed it off the table and placed it in front of his eyes. The pellet was clear and transparent. Looking through it, Zi Ji could see Yun Che’s face clearly. What shocked Zi Ji the most, however, was the aura that the pellet emitted. After observing it for a short moment, Zi Ji started to gather his concentration and placed his profound energy into the pellet…
After just a very short moment, Zi Ji looked up strongly, uttering in a deeply surprised voice, “This is a pellet that allows one to break through high level bottlenecks!!
“And anyone below the Tyrant Profound Realm… could break through directly!
“Below the Tyrant Profound Realm, break through directly!” Zi Ji shouted these words out with immense shock. Not just normal profound practitioners, even the masters of the Four Great Sacred Grounds would be shocked to hear those words.
Because this meant that… with this pellet, there would not be anymore bottlenecks… below the Tyrant Profound Realm!
This pellet was the “Overlord Pellet” from Illusory Demon Realm that allowed a peak leveled Emperor Profound practitioner to break through the bottleneck and advance directly into the Tyrant Profound Realm. However, what was different was that the Overlord Pellet from Illusory Demon Realm used thirty six different types of ingredients to make, whereas the one Yun Che took out used forty nine different ingredients and looked completely perfect and flawless. In terms of medicinal properties, the one made by the Illusory Demon Royal Family could not even be compared to the one Yun Che had made.
“Senior Zi obviously has a keen eye.” Yun Che sincerely said in admiration. Such a simple test and he was already able to determine the effects of the Overlord Pellet. This was not something a normal person could do. “Senior Zi please let me know how much this pellet can be sold for?”
Zi Ji’s current attention was completely on the Overlord Pellet. The more in depth he examined using his profound energy, the more signs of shock appeared on his elderly and composed face. He remained silent for several breaths of time before putting the Overlord Pellet down. Then, he looked at Yun Che and shook his head. “This old man has handled numerous treasures and pellets over the years, and I can determine their authenticity and value immediately for most of them… However, for this pellet, its value is something this old man cannot truly gauge.
“Pellets that are used to break through bottlenecks need to have extremely violent medicinal properties. Therefore, not only is it difficult to produce, there are huge risks in consuming it too… The higher the level the breakthrough the pellet is used for, the harder it is to make and the more dangerous it is as well. A middle risk pellet that could aid one in breaking through to the Sky Profound Realm is already a priceless treasure even within the Four Great Sacred Grounds. They would only be used on the most core and youngest disciples. As for your pellet…”
As Zi Ji spoke, his agitated feelings could not be stopped. “The medicinal properties within the pellet is mysterious, complex, overbearing, and its aura contains several different types that combining them individually was already a tall order. What’s even more frightening is that when these overbearing medicinal properties are combined, its reactionary effect toward external forces is exceptionally gentle. It is exceptionally easy to handle, and it can be easily controlled using profound energy of the Tyrant Profound Realm. A profound practitioner in the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm who consumes this pellet would be able to break through to the Tyrant Profound Realm within a day or two. Unless there is interference from the outside, there is no chance of failure at all! Furthermore, there are no risks in the entire process, and there is no need to be afraid of any backlash.
“What’s even more surprising is that the medicinal energy is extremely pure and practically has no flaws. I tried several times previously to examine it, but I still could not find any contamination! A high grade pellet that is this pure is something that this old man has never seen before despite living for thousands of years.”
Zi Ji’s unrestrained praise and shock was nothing much to Yun Che. After all, he did produce this Overlord Pellet and was clearer than anyone about its medicinal strength and purity. However, he was shocked at how well versed Zi Ji was in pellets. Also, the three girls behind him stared widely with their mouths agape for a long time…
Because this was the first time they had heard such “exaggerated” praise coming out from Zi Ji’s mouth.
“Since this pellet received such praise from Senior Zi, if it were sold to the Four Great Sacred Grounds, could one pellet be exchanged for two hundred grams of Purple Veined Divine Crystals?” Yun Che asked seriously.
Within the entire Profound Sky Continent, only the Four Great Sacred Grounds with their thousands of years of accumulation could offer a large amount of a legendary item like the Purple Veined Divine Crystal. Most normal sects did not even know what Purple Veined Divine Crystals looked like.
“Hehe,” Zi Ji merely laughed and shook his head before slowly stretching out his hand and showing Yun Che one finger.
“Oh, only one hundred grams?” Yun Che slowly nodded. He was not completely disappointed. After all, Purple Veined Divine Crystals were too rare and precious. It was already exceptionally worth it if an Overlord Pellet that did not cost much to make could be traded for one hundred grams of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.
“No!” Zi Ji continued shaking his head, “It’s one kilogram!”
“Huh?” Yun Che was instantly stunned.
“You’re completely underestimating the value and how prized a pellet that could be used to break through bottlenecks is.” Zi Ji exclaimed, “Although Purple Veined Divine Crystals are exceptionally precious and can be used to massively increase a profound practitioner’s profound strength in a short amount of time, if that person was stuck at a bottleneck, any amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystals would be useless. At places like the Four Great Sacred Grounds, profound practitioners below the Emperor Profound Realm could rely on the strength of Monarchs to assist them in forcefully breaking through. However, if they were at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm, on the brink to the Tyrant Profound Realm, even the assistance of a Monarch would not be able to help them break through the bottleneck. Within the past ten thousands of years, many disciples within the Four Great Sacred Grounds had frantically searched for pellets that could help them break through while they were training in order to not fall behind others. Pellets that could help break through the bottleneck of the Emperor Profound Realm were a rarity in the world, and even if one managed to get hold of it, the pellet was usually left for the most core disciple of the sect… Also, these pellets usually brought along uncontrollable risks. Who knows how many disciples of high status and talent had consumed such pellets and suffered backlashes like meridians being damaged, severe injuries, or even the complete loss of profound cultivation. Also, there are many who dared to not rely on such pellets to break through and as a result remained in the bottleneck of the Emperor Profound Realm for several years. After tens of years of being unable to break through… when they finally advanced to the Tyrant Profound Realm, they were so far behind others that they could only be considered as mediocre.
“Not only can this pellet in my hand allow one to break through the bottleneck of Emperor Profound Realm, there are no risks involved either… furthermore, it is exceptionally beneficial in aiding one in their attempt to break through the bottleneck of the Tyrant Profound Realm in the future.”
Despite all the praises he had already given it, Zi Ji eyes still glinted with curiosity. “If the Four Great Sacred Grounds were to find out about this pellet, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar and they would expend a large amount of resources to get this. One kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystal is my safest estimate… after all, when one obtains this pellet, he would enable someone of the young generation to break through to the Tyrant Profound Realm in a short amount of time, letting them obtain another pillar for their sect.”
“Ohh…” Yun Che’s expression seemed to be uplifted… Oh baby, we’re gonna be rich!
“Yun Che, would you mind telling me the name of this pellet? And which master produced it?” Zi Ji asked earnestly. He was familiar with all the high leveled pellet masters within Profound Sky Continent. However, among all of them, not one of them should be able to produce such a pellet… otherwise, he would definitely know about it.
“Oh, this pellet was casually produced and does not have a name yet,” Yun Che replied indifferently. After all, he could not mention the name “Overlord Pellet.” If Profound Sky Continent had records about the “Overlord Pellet” from Illusory Demon Realm, it would be troublesome. Furthermore, the medicinal properties of this pellet was far stronger than the Overlord Pellet. Therefore, it did not have to be called Overlord Pellet.
“Heheh,” Zi Ji shook his head and laughed, “This old one definitely does not believe that such a prized pellet that can shake the world can be causally produced. If it’s not convenient to let this old one know, then this old one shall not pursue it.”
Yun Che looked at him, grinned, and waved it off with his left hand…
“Clack clack clack.” There was an extended noise as Yun Che threw more than thirty Overlord Pellets onto the stone table. He threw it casually as though he were throwing sweets away.
Chapter 695 - Moon Slaughter Devil Nest?
Suddenly, an extremely rich medicinal fragrance diffused into the air. Although this was merely aura of a spiritual medicine, it was violent and tyrannical, as though it was profound energy being released by a profound expert in full force. Black Moon Merchant Guild’s immensely large seventh floor, seemed to be completely filled in an instant by this aura.
An aura like this, was sufficient to let Zi Ji know just what these medicine pellets were. However, after his long state of astonishment, he still picked up one of them disbelievingly, placed it on his palm, picked up another one, placed it in his palm once again, and then, the third, fourth…
A total of thirty-three dark red medicinal pellets… Every single one of them was exactly the same as the first one Yun Che revealed!
And the quality of all these medicinal pellets had all achieved the most extreme hundred percent condition!
Effectiveness of this degree, medicinal pellets of this level, and they were even of perfect quality! Earlier, when he was chuckling while saying the words: “a single one of this medicinal pellet is enough to shock the entire world”, was definitely not the least bit exaggerated.
Yet Yun Che, actually threw out thirty or so of them… And Yun Che’s unmindful actions and expression looked so casual, it was as though he was throwing out a bunch of sweets!
Zi Ji was completely stunned; shockingly large ocean waves were surging within his heart.
In regards to knowledge of medicinal pellets, and the authority to judge them, it could be said not a single person could compare to Zi Ji in the entire Profound Sky Continent. However, looking at the thirty-three dark red pellets placed in front of him, he actually felt as though he was suddenly thrown into a dream. After a long while, he suddenly thought of someone, and immediately exclaimed. “Could it be, that these treasured pellets are all refined by your respected master?”
Yun Che gave a sidelong glance, and nodded without a single hesitation. “Of course.”
“I… see…” Zi Ji was finally able to feel a little relieved, his face was filled with deep reverence and surprise. “This old one was completely shocked… No wonder, it was refined by your revered master. In this world, only your revered master, a mighty existence who had transcended the mortal realm, could possibly possess such world-shocking ability.”
Rumors were after all, just rumors. But after personally witnessing such feats, and making contact with more than thirty of these treasured pellets, in this manner, he had personally experienced the level of strength which Yun Che’s “teacher” possessed.
“Oh, right.” Yun Che casually said. “Earlier, those ingredients which I entrusted your Black Moon Merchant Guild to gather, will all be handed over to teacher to refine medicine. Mn, that’s right, it for these types of pellets… I’m prepared to have teacher help me refine more than three thousand of them.”
“Three… Three… Three thousand!?” This old man who had stayed bland and calm for several hundred years, actually fiercely bit his own tongue.
“Mn.” Yun Che still nodded in a very calm manner, and leisurely said. “Currently, this junior is already the Asgard Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard, so naturally, I have to take responsibility of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Although not a single person in Blue Wind Nation dares to offend Frozen Cloud Asgard, in the range of the entire Profound Sky Continent, it is still too weak. Not only was it bullied all the way to its doorstep, Grand Asgard Mistress and the former Asgard Mistress both died under poisonous hands one after another. Hence, this junior has no choice but to use some extraordinary methods to raise the strength of all Frozen Cloud disciples, to prevent them from being bullied by despicable people.”
“But, because their profound levels are too low, and are unable to withstand the medicinal powers that were of too high a level, my mentor said that for the time being, he could only refine these low-level medicinal pellets to help raise their strength, allowing me to similarly eat them whenever I want, and also use them to exchange for profound coins or purple crystals… Oh, I never expected that I can actually exchange one for at least a kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystal, heheh!”
“Three thousand”… “Low-level medicine pellets”… “Eat them whenever I want”… The knowledge Zi Ji had adhered to for a thousand years was instantly shattered into smithereens, and every single of his nerves in his body was convulsing uncontrollably.
He had attentively inspected the medicinal power of the Overlord Pellet earlier. He was incomparably sure that, if it’s three thousand of them… No, forget about having three thousand of them, even if three hundred of these pellets were to flow into the Four Great Sacred Grounds, during the next generation, there would be an immense transformation to the structure of the Four Great Sacred Grounds! And if only one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds were to obtain them, then, the balance within the Four Great Sacred Grounds would be completely destroyed. The Sacred Ground which possess these treasured pellets, would be able to completely suppress the other three Sacred Grounds, becoming a peak extraordinary existence of the time!
And three thousand pellets…
This extremely terrifying amount, brought about an incomparable impact on Zi Ji.
And, from Yun Che’s description… As long as the ingredients were sufficient, that terrifying teacher of his was basically able to refine any number of them! And the treasured pellet which he claimed “one being sufficient to shock the entire world”, was merely a “low-level pellet” in the hands of that teacher of his!
Yun Che had been observing Zi Ji, and he was incomparably satisfied with his reaction. With a smile, he said. “But, Senior Zi, please be at ease. Although to me, these pellets are as normal as they can be, I’m not that naive to not understand what these pellets mean to profound practitioners… especially to large and strong sects such as the Four Great Sacred Grounds. That’s why, most of them will only be used for Frozen Cloud Asgard, while the rest will be used to exchange for Purple Veined Divine Crystals…”
Yun Che slowly raised out three fingers. “Only thirty of them! Not a single bit more! Because no matter how precious something is, if there’s too many of them, then it’s no fun.”
Zi Ji silently looked at the three fingers Yun Che raised. After a long while, he then let out a faint sigh, and gently nodded his head. “About the rumors of your respected master, although it came from Sun Moon Divine Hall, this old man still had only believed seventy percent of it, while thirty percent of suspicion still existed… But now, not a single bit of that suspicion is left. The realm attained by your respected master, I’m afraid it’s already the fortune from seizing the heavens and earth, and a profound mystery approaching the sun and moon. It’s no longer something a mortal like me can possibly understand… Frozen Cloud Asgard of Blue Wind Nation was initially a very small sect comprised of women, but its luck is as high as the heavens. With the aid of your respected master, I’m afraid before long, it will soon become the fifth Sacred Ground.”
“Senior Zi is taking this too seriously. My Frozen Cloud Asgard simply wishes for sufficient strength protect itself, and to not be bullied by others. We have never thought of becoming a Sacred Ground or whatever. And the two words ‘Sacred Ground’, heh…” Yun Che let out a mocking laugh. “They don’t seem to be that sacred. They might even be extremely dirty and unclean. It’s best that my Frozen Cloud Asgard stay forever untainted.”
“Haah…” Zi Ji unknowingly let out a short sigh, before he calmly said. “This old one was simply worried that a large amount of these treasured pellets would flow into the Profound Sky Continent earlier, afraid that it would cause an earthshaking shock and change to the profound world. If there’s only… thirty pellets, then that’s fine as well.”
An evident pause appeared in Zi Ji’s words. Because a treasured pellet of this level was sufficient enough to shake the Sacred Grounds, and no matter one looked at it, the word “only” shouldn’t be used to refer to thirty of such pellets.
“Alright.” Yun Che immediately nodded, and then, with a wave of his hand, he had already returned all of the thirty-three Overlord Pellets on the table into the Sky Poison Pearl. “When the suitable time comes, I will naturally come again to discuss with Senior Zi about the matters of auctioning them. As for the pellets outside of the original thirty… I hope Senior Zi will keep them a secret.”
“Hoho.” Zi Ji smiled. “You’re definitely not someone who speaks thoughtlessly, yet, you were actually completely frank in front of this old one… This old man has lived for more than a thousand years, naturally, I’m not someone who does not know what’s good for me.”
“Black Moon Merchant Guild has been established under the name of ‘trust’ for several thousand years, and Senior Zi is even the core pillar of Black Moon Merchant Guild, so this junior can be completely at ease when speaking ‘thoughtlessly’ in front of Senior Zi, and not be worried that this information would be leaked to others in the slightest. Oh right, I have yet to ask what’s the auctioning fee for Black Moon Merchant Guild?”
Just as Zi Ji was about to speak, he suddenly paused for a moment. After pondering for a while, he lightly smiled, and said. “The auctioning fee for Black Moon Merchant Guild is much higher than any regular merchant guild. But, if you’re willing to accept this old one’s request, then the fee for auctioning thirty of these treasured pellets can be waived under this old one’s authority.”
“Oh? What ‘request’ could Senior Zi be referring to?”
“It’s simple.” A scorching fire could be faintly felt from within his calm gaze. “Sell ten of these treasured pellets to my Black Moon Merchant Guild. The price shall follow what this old one has determined before. Ten treasured pellets, and this old one will immediately give you ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals!”
Purple Veined Divine Crystals… ten kilograms of them!!
This was definitely a heavenly number shocking enough that even a powerful profound practitioner could pass out from.
Even if it was the Four Great Sacred Grounds—Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace, Sun Moon Divine Hall and Heavenly Mighty Sword Region, it would still take them at least one or two hundred, or even three hundred years, to accumulate ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.
A single Overlord Pellet could be exchanged for a kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystals… this was an estimate given by Zi Ji. However, during an actual auction, there might be a possibility that it would be lower than a kilogram, or even higher than a kilogram… And with the extent of how precious Purple Veined Divine Crystals were, at the very least, Yun Che felt that the possibility of it being worth lower than a kilogram was higher. Yet, if the Black Moon Merchant Guild were to immediately exchange ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals for ten of these pellets, not only could his auctioning fee be waived, the price being suggested was definitely not a loss for him either… And in regards to Zi Ji’s words, he seemed to be giving him ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals right on the spot.
Waves slightly surged in Yun Che’s heart, however, his expression was calm. He did not immediately give a reply. After pondering for a moment, he lightly nodded. “Fine. But, Senior Zi must accept one of this junior’s requests as well.”
“Oh?” Zi Ji looked at him with lifted eyebrows.
“It’s simple…” Yun Che used the same tone as Zi Ji earlier. “Tell this junior… the location which the Netherworld Udumbara Flower appeared in a thousand and three hundred years ago.”
“This…” Zi Ji was dumbfounded, shaking his head immediately after. “It’s not that this old one isn’t willing. That place is no trivial matter. I’m simply unable to tell you.”
“Oh, in that case, then this junior will naturally not make it difficult for Senior Zi either.” Yun Che did not reveal a disappointed look. “Then there’s no need for Senior Zi to bring up the matter of waiving the fee either. Even if esteemed merchant guild wishes for up to twenty percent of the auctioned price’s fees, this junior will still be afford it.”
“…” Zi Ji was speechless. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to persuade Yun Che, however, looking at his calm expression and eyes that were as deep as a black hole, he swallowed the words which he had quickly thought of to persuade him, and in the end, turned them into a long sigh. “The Netherworld Udumbara Flower was extremely dark, sinister and evil, recorded as the most terrifying flower in existence. Simply by approaching this flower, one’s body would be invaded by a dark aura, damaging one’s soul. At best, they would fall into a long lasting coma. At worst, however, they would turn into the living dead. If one’s profound strength is low, then a life would be immediately lost. Other than this, from what this old one has seen and heard, I have never heard of any use of this flower. Why are you so persistent on searching for this flower?”
“This junior naturally has a use for it.” After a short pause, Yun Che added. “And it’s for an extremely important usage.. I must find a stalk of it at all costs! Even if I have to pay a huge price!”
“…” Zi Ji closed his eyes, and did not speak for a long while.
The seventh floor of Black Moon Merchant Guild momentarily turned silent.
“He’s sending profound energy sound transmissions.” Jasmine suddenly voiced out.
“Mn…” Yun Che lightly responded. “Could it be, he’s transmitting to that mysterious guild leader of Black Moon Merchant Guild…? Oh! He’s sending profound energy sound transmissions, instead of using sound transmission talismans. In that case, that Black Moon Merchant Guild leader… is close by?”
The silence continued for nearly a hundred breaths, and only then did Zi Ji slowly open his eyes. Yun Che did not speak up to break the silence, and instead, calmly looked at him just like that.
“That place is… much more terrifying that you can ever imagine.” Zi Ji slowly said. “It can only be entered once every five hundred years. And, even if it is a powerful Monarch, the amount of time one can stay there cannot surpass fifteen minutes, otherwise, that person will either die or become crippled!”
Zi Ji’s words, caused Yun Che to reveal a shocked expression. “Such a place still exists on Profound Sky Continent?”
“…To be precise, that place, is not located on Profound Sky Continent.” Zi Ji said.
“…?” Yun Che was even more confused.
“And, since you’re searching for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower with such vigor, you should know that it will only bloom once every twenty-four years, and it will then wither three days after. If you truly wish to enter that place, the time you can stay there, is incomparably short as well… A stalk of Netherworld Udumbara Flower truly exists in that place, and the possibility of it blooming at such a coincidental timing, is slim to the point of being close to none!”
“Then after, it can only be entered exactly after five hundred years.”
“Furthermore, an incomparably frightening existence lies in that place… With your current strength, if you were to enter that place, it’s completely no different from courting death.”
Zi Ji’s words, sounded more terrifying with every subsequent sentence, but Yun Che could discern that, there wasn’t a single bit of falsehood and exaggeration in his words. Zi Ji looked at Yun Che, revealing a persuasive gaze. “Even if that’s the case, will you still insist on finding out the location of that place?”
Yun Che, however, unhesitantly said. “Senior Zi, please tell me.”
Although he had guessed of this outcome, Zi Ji still let out a helpless, bitter laugh. He slightly raised his head, and with a fleeting tone, said. “That place, is named ‘Moon Slaughter Devil Nest’.”
“Moon… Slaughter… Devil… Nest…” Yun Che softly muttered… He flipped through his memories, and even Ye Ziyi, Feng Huwei’s memories, yet, he had never heard of this from anywhere, nor had he seen such a name.
Chapter 696 - Ocean Palace’s Secret
Zi Ji looked at Yun Che’s reaction and slowly continued, “It is completely normal that you have not heard of this name. Even if it is the other three Sacred Grounds aside from Supreme Ocean Palace, there are very few people who know about it.”
“Then where is it? Senior Zi mentioned just now that it is not located in Profound Sky Continent, what does that mean?” Yun Che tightened his eyebrows and asked.
Zi Ji extended his finger and pointed directly to the south, “It is located to the south of Profound Sky Continent, above the endless Southern Ocean.”
“Southern Ocean?” Yun Che looked surprised.
“Have you ever been to Supreme Ocean Palace?” asked Zi Ji.
“No,” Yun Che said. “”But I know that Supreme Ocean Palace is located one thousand five hundred kilometers south of the southern edge of Profound Sky Continent, above the Southern Ocean”. That was where the name ‘Ocean Palace’ came from. Could the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest that Senior Zi said be related to Supreme Ocean Palace?”
“That’s right,” Zi Ji nodded his head slightly. “Everyone spread the news and all knew that the Four Great Sacred Grounds each have their guardian responsibility. They guarded the safety of the Profound Sky Continent for tens of thousands of years, thus being bestowed with the divine name of ‘Sacred Grounds.’ However, out of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, only Supreme Ocean Palace have been upholding their guardian mission.”
“That place called ‘Moon Slaughter Devil Nest’ is the place that Supreme Ocean Palace has been guarding for generations?” Yun Che asked.
Zi Ji nodded his head once again. “Supreme Ocean Palace is one thousand five hundred kilometers away from the edge of the continent. Not only do they need to be prepared for oceanic disasters all the time, there are also a lot of inconveniences everyday. But Supreme Ocean Palace has existed for tens of thousands of years and have never moved onto land. The only reason behind that is the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.”
“What kind of existence is the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest exactly? Why would Supreme Ocean Palace do whatever it takes to stay at Southern Ocean and guard it? And this name…” As he listened to Zi Ji’s description, more and more questions piled up in Yun Che’s mind.
Zi Ji closed his eyes slightly, organized his thoughts, and continued to say, “I can only give you the simplest description about Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. About more than ten thousand years ago, when seven ancestors of Supreme Ocean Palace were touring Southern Ocean, they suddenly found a large area of ocean water that was dyed black. The pitch-black ocean region was very wide, and there were countless corpses of oceanic beasts of the same color. After that, they found the center of this pitch-black ocean region… which was an island that was completely dyed black.
“That island released an extremely thick yin energy, and it was the reason that a large ocean region such as that became a dead region. After that, the ancestors of Ocean Palace came to the pitch-black island and found a large cave on the island. That terrifying yin energy came from within that dark cave. When they entered the cave, the deeper they went, the heavier the yin energy became, causing even their profound strength to be greatly suppressed. In the deepest recesses of this cave, they encountered an incomparably terrifying dark profound beast.”
“Dark profound beast?” Yun Che felt more bizarre the more he heard about it.
“That dark profound beast called itself the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. It hates light and is especially afraid of the moonlight. Aside from that, nothing is known about it. The strength and aura of that dark profound beast isn’t very strong; it should be around the early stage Tyrant Profound Realm. The profound strength of all seven of Supreme Ocean Palace’s ancestors had reached great heights. Each of them were in the late stage Sovereign Profound Realm and stood at the summit. However, within that cavern’s depths, their profound strength had been suppressed down to the Emperor Profound Realm. In front of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, they could not retaliate at all. Out of the seven ancestors, only one escaped. The other six ancestors had all lost their lives in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.
“After the sole survivor escaped out of the cave, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign didn’t give chase. It was afraid of the daylight’s radiance and the night’s moonlight. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign would perhaps never leave its nest. However, the dark yin energy the nest released was endless, and when that Ocean Palace ancestor finally managed to get out, he personally heard the roars of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. It said, ‘The time the entire world is submerged in darkness is the day when it would come out.’”
“Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign… such a monster actually exists?” Yun Che grew more and more frightened. If it wasn’t Zi Ji telling him this personally, he would’ve just treated it as some story a random person fabricated. “After that, did the Ocean Palace ancestor use some kind of method to seal that nest to keep the dark yin energy from leaking?”
“Hehe, that is correct.” Zi Ji looked at Yun Che with admiration. “We don’t know whether that dark yin energy originated from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign or a terrifying unknown source that exists deep within the nest. However, if it continually spread without anything keeping it in check, there would be a day when it would reach the Profound Sky Continent, and the consequences would be unthinkable. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s roar also never allowed that Ocean Palace ancestor to be at ease. Thus, he combined the power of all the experts of the Ocean Palace and unhesitantly sacrificed more than a dozen of Ocean Palace’s strongest profound artifacts and a large amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to construct an enormous isolated barrier to seal the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, completely isolating the never ending leakage of dark yin energy.
“Because the barrier consumes a lot of energy, every three years they need at least a dozen Monarchs to input profound energy to maintain it. Because of this, the ancestors of the Ocean Palace moved their whole sect above the Southern Ocean and changed their name to the ‘Supreme Ocean Palace.’”
“…I see.”
Because of his hostility towards Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and how much he despised Sun Moon Divine Hall, Yun Che already didn’t have any good feelings towards the Four Great Sacred Grounds and even thought of them as the tainted grounds. But hearing Zi Ji’s description of Supreme Ocean Palace made him feel a decent amount of respect for them.
Compared to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and Sun Moon Divine Hall, a
Supreme Ocean Palace like this really didn’t tarnish the reputation of the “Sacred Grounds”
Thinking back to that Ji Qianrou from Supreme Ocean Palace, even though he was enchantingly demonic, his conduct was overall upright. In the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, he was the first person who had spoken up for him, a person he had never spoke to before. He ruthlessly mocked the Divine Phoenix Crown Prince, Feng Ximing, and because of a small favor, acted against Ye Xinghan in the Primordial Profound Ark. It could’ve even been said that he had saved his and Feng Xue’er’s lives.
“Senior Zi mentioned just now that that place can only be entered once every five hundred years. It was discovered one thousand three hundred years ago and could still be found there… Could it be that the barrier was deliberately left behind in a place where one could enter?” Yun Che asked.
“This was what I was about to say next,” Zi Ji smiled faintly. Since everything had been revealed, he didn’t really have any worries left. “The Ocean Palace ancestor guessed that the dark yin energy came from the very body of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, and no matter how powerful a profound beast, it would still one day reach the end of its lifespan. In that case, upon the death of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, the dark yin energy in the sealed Moon Slaughter Devil Nest would naturally disperse. The guardian mission would then thereby be accomplished, and Supreme Ocean Palace could break away from the Southern Ocean from then on.
“In order to easily confirm whether the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was dead or alive, the Ocean Palace ancestor left a gap on the barrier, but set it so that it would open once every five hundred years. Moreover, in order to prevent the leakage of the massive yin energy, he also restricted the time it could be opened: only a hundred breaths! Since then, every five hundred years, Supreme Ocean Palace would dispatch disciples of the worst aptitude to enter and confirm the life or death of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. Since the start of six thousand and five hundred years ago, the disciples that entered had all came out alive. In other words, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign is already dead now.”
“Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign is already dead, yet Supreme Ocean Palace is still standing guard… This means that although the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign has died, the dark yin energy is still spreading… The dark yin energy isn’t actually from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign?” Yun Che said with sunken brows.
“Correct,” Zi Ji heavily nodded. “If the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign leaves the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, that is merely a Tyrant Profound beast. It’s not that frightening. The true terror is the endless yin energy which is coming from an unknown source. Supreme Ocean Palace has no choice but to continue guarding that area and maintain that barrier once every three years. And to this day, it has already been a full ten thousand years.
“In the several thousand years after confirming that the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was already dead, Supreme Ocean Palace still makes disciples of the lowest aptitude enter once every five hundred years, so as to avoid an accident from happening. In the end, all of those disciples came out alive, thereby completely asserting the death of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. After that, the number of people entering had decreased, and no longer was it only disciples of the lowest aptitude entering. A few elders, and even the Sovereign of the Seas, would join and go exploring. However, the yin energy within was just too heavy. Even though they were exceptionally strong practitioners, they would at most stay for tens of breaths before immediately coming out and sealing the barrier.
“As for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower that you are interested in… it was one thousand three hundred years ago, when the barrier had reached a full five hundred years and could open, that a few newly promoted curious elders who had never entered went in. After they quickly arrived at the end, they suddenly heard the eerie sound of a ghost wailing.”
“Ghost wailing… right!” Yun Che’s mind shook. Even though he had never seen the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, his master had once mentioned the Netherworld Udumbara Flower to him and said that it would let out the sound of an evil spirit’s crying and laughter.
“Hehe, following the sounds of the ghost wailing, they saw a three meter tall demonic flower. Its stems and leaves were purple black but its blossomed flower was an alluring bright purple. Above its petals, a faintly purple mist that seemed as though it was from the Netherworld surrounded the flower. The mist danced around the flower even though there was no wind as it made the frightening noise that sounded like a devil’s cries and laughter.
“From what all the Ocean Palace elders described, when they saw the purple demonic flower, they felt as though their souls were instantly sucked away from their bodies… In their shock, they immediately retreated from that area and resealed the barrier. However, after that, all of them who were Monarchs became severely sick and only recovered after several months. They then investigated and found that was the legendary evil demonic flower… the Netherworld Udumbara Flower.
“Since then, it has already been a thousand and three hundred years since someone entered the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.”
Yun Che’s expression became slightly agitated as Zi Ji’s description of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was completely the same as what his master described to him back then in Azure Cloud Continent!
“Yes, that must be the Netherworld Udumbara Flower for sure!” Yun Che nodded, “The Netherworld Udumbara Flower grows in places of extremely harsh yin energy, and the yin energy there is harsh to the extreme. Therefore, it is the most suitable place for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower to grow. Furthermore, because the area is isolated by a barrier, not only does the yin energy not disperse, it only becomes even stronger. That means that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower from a thousand and three hundred years ago should still exist, and furthermore, the possibility of there being more flowers exists.”
Zi Ji shook his head and laughed bitterly, “Although what you said is true, this old one has already told you that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower only blossoms once every twenty four years and it will wither within three days. The Moon Slaughter Devil Nest only opens once every five hundred years, and the longest you can stay in it is a hundred breaths. The probability that you encounter a blossomed flower within these hundred breaths… is like searching for a needle in the ocean.”
“However, I will still have to give it a try. After all, this is the only news regarding the Netherworld Udumbara Flower I’ve received so far.” Yun Che replied without hesitation, “Also… my luck has always been pretty good! What if the flower just so happens to be blossoming at that time!”
Zi Ji shook his head once again. “The elders of Supreme Ocean Palace who were in the Sovereign Profound Realm had merely caught sight of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower and their souls were nearly stolen away. The consequences of approaching and touching it is unthinkable. Even if the flower blossomed when you entered, how are you going to pick it?”
“As for that… this junior has his own ideas,” Yun Che replied calmly and confidently. The reason for his confidence was naturally due to the Sky Poison Pearl.
Yun Che removed ten Overlord Pellets from the Sky Poison Pearl, placed them in front of Zi Ji and said sincerely, “I thank Senior Zi Ji for the detailed sharing. This matter is of utmost importance to this junior. According to the agreement, these ten pellets will be sold to your respected merchant guild at the price of ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals. At the same time, the amount of pellets I put up for auctioning will be reduced to twenty, not one pellet more.”
Zi Ji put away the ten Overlord pellets and looked thoughtfully at Yun Che. He knew that this youth was smart and shrewd and must have figured out something from their conversation just now. He did not talk about it and merely flipped his palm. A profound formation appeared and a deep purple spatial ring was pushed towards Yun Che. “Inside this is ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.”
Yun Che picked up the ring containing the purple crystals and scanned it quickly before depositing it into the Sky Poison Pearl. Then, he smiled at Zi Ji.
Ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals… Divine Crystal, you know! Obtaining it just like that… was just too easy!!
“Yun Che, after settling the matter with the Divine Phoenix Sect, are you going to pay a visit to Supreme Ocean Palace?” Zi Ji asked with thoughtful looking eyes.
“Indeed I am.” Yun Che nodded, “This junior also roughly knows where the general location of Supreme Ocean Palace is.”
“Actually, you don’t have to be hasty.” Zi Ji smiled slightly, “In five months time, Supreme Ocean Palace will be hosting a ‘Devil Sword Conference’ and you are among those being invited. The invitation regarding this will be handed over to you in two months time.”
“Oh? Devil Sword Conference? What’s that?” Yun Che asked in shock. “And why invite me?”
“Hoho, about this matter, without permission, it is inconvenient for this old man to reveal. But when the time comes, you can ask the person who delivers the invitation, maybe he will resolve your confusion.”
“Oh…” Yun Che nodded his head slightly. His heart was filled with confusion, but he didn’t continue to ask. “If so, then it would be inconvenient for Junior to continue this visit. I will wait for news from Supreme Ocean Palace quietly.”
Until now, even though he still had not found out any news regarding Chu Yuechan, all his other objectives had already been fulfilled. He had even surprisingly gained extra information regarding the “Netherworld Udumbara Flower” as well as confusing news with regards to the “Devil Sword Conference.” Yun Che stood up and cupped his fists together towards Zi Ji. “This junior has already troubled Senior Zi for long enough, it’s time for me to leave… Is my father-in-law Xia Hongyi… currently within the merchant guild?”
“Hoho…” Zi Ji seemed to have already known that he would ask about Xia Hongyi. He smiled lightly, flicked his fingers, and about six meters behind him, a yellow profound formation silently appeared there. “He’s at the first level of the Merchant Guild and has already been waiting for you for quite some time. You’ll be able to see him once you enter.”
“Thank you Senior Zi,” Yun Che nodded his head with some gratitude, gave the three young girls on the side a smile, and then turned around and walked into the profound formation.
A yellow light flashed, and Yun Che disappeared into the profound formation.
Zi Ji was slightly stunned for a good while before slowly sitting down. His face revealed a deeply complicated expression. After a while, he reached out his arm and carefully picked up an Overlord Pellet. His eyes expressed deep astonishment, and after he carefully examined it, he mumbled to himself in a low voice, “Such an overwhelming treasure of a pellet and yet it can be obtained so easily. This is indeed something earth-shattering… Furthermore, it has not even been named yet.
“This pellet emits six different type of auras, and each aura is different, varying in strength. The pellet helps one to become an Overlord, aids in the road to become a Monarch, and there are no underlying risks. It can be called the Emperor Pellet of this generation, so let’s call it…
“The Six Flavor Emperor Pellet.”
OverTheRanbow: The name of this pill is 六味帝皇丸, a reference to 六味地黄丸 (homophone) which is a cheap, common and widespread herbal medicine pill commonly advertised everywhere in china. This is an insider joke for Chinese readers.
Chapter 697 - At the Gates of Phoenix City
With a flash of profound light, Yun Che was teleported to the first level of the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
As the lowest level within the Black Moon Merchant Guild, the aura of this place was naturally not as thick or pervasive as it was on the seventh level. Yun Che took in his surroundings; this was a simple yet elegant single-room apartment, and it likely served as an ordinary guestroom. But he did not manage to get a good look at the room because his gaze was fixed to a certain spot.
A middle-aged man with a refined appearance slowly stood up from a dark-red wooden study and smiled at him gently, “Che’er, you’ve come.”
Yun Che’s mouth opened as he felt his nose crinkle up. He quickly strode forward before falling heavily on his knees, “Uncle Xia….” He immediately paused before changing his mode of address, “Father-in-law, I have finally been able to be reunited with you once more.”
“Haha, stand up please.” Xia Hongyi extended a hand and hoisted Yun Che up as he measured him with a warm gaze before cheerfully acknowledging him, “In a mere blink of an eye, more than six years have passed, and you have grown up as well. Even though your appearance remains unchanged, when you married Qingyue, you were only up to my forehead, but now you are already half a head taller than me.”
Indeed, since the day he had been kicked out of the Xiao Clan, he had not seen Xia Hongyi. Furthermore, when he had returned to Floating Cloud City and wanted to pay a visit to Xia Hongyi, he discovered that he had long ago left home and that his current whereabouts were unknown. Not only that, but when Yun Che had arrived at Phoenix City three years ago, he found out by chance that Xia Hongyi was actually residing with the Black Moon Merchant Guild, but at that time, he could not bring himself to face Xia Hongyi, so he did not meet him… and now, six years had passed since this meeting.
Yun Che did not detect any negative feelings such as gloominess or solitude from Xia Hongyi; instead, he seemed to be possessed of a certain simple and elegant calm. This cheered Yun Che up greatly, and he let out a laugh as he said, “If we are speaking of growing up, Yuanba is the one who has truly ‘grown up.’ If Father-in-law saw Yuanba right now, you might not be able to recognize him.”
“Oh? So that is to say that you’ve seen Yuanba recently?” Xia Hongyi asked as his smile became even warmer and his eyes shone with deep concern.
“Yes,” Yun Che nodded his head heavily. The Black Moon Merchant Guild had the most comprehensive information network in the Profound Sky Continent, so he was confident that Xia Hongyi had been kept abreast of the current state of affairs. “Yuanba has truly become a magnificent man. Right now he is keeping watch over our Blue Wind Nation’s final line of defence, and on his shoulders rests the heaviest and noblest burden of our Blue Wind Nation… As long as he is around, even if the Divine Phoenix Empire throws entire armies at him, they won’t even be able to take half a step into our Imperial City!”
“Good… that is truly good.” Xia Hongyi lightly nodded his head, and a deep sense of pride and contentment shone through his calm smile.
“Once our Blue Wind Nation has escaped this calamity and recovered its glory, the two of you can reunite once more… That day definitely isn’t far away.”
“Yuanba….” Xia Hongyi murmured softly and let out a hushed sigh that carried far too many complex emotions within. No one would have thought that… including Xia Hongyi, his very own father, that the Xia Yuanba whose gifts could only be called ordinary in Floating Cloud City and who had been the laughingstock of the Blue Wind Profound Palace had, within the span of a few short years, risen up like a phoenix, now stood at the very peak of the Profound Sky Continent, and had even caused the Four Sacred Grounds to go pale in shock and amazement.
Whereas others were shocked and left in disbelief at Xia Yuanba’s transformation, Xia Hongyi’s emotions seemed far more complex than that.
Both of them sat facing each other, and the two men were in high spirits; Yun Che had always held Xia Hongyi with the highest regard because, in the years he had lived in Floating Cloud City, he had only ever held two people of the older generation in regard… the first was his grandfather, Xiao Lie, and the other was Xia Hongyi.The main reason was, besides his closest relatives, Xia Hongyi was the only person that showed ‘genuine care and concern’ to this ‘cripple,’ and this perpetually gentle person had never, ever said a single word to oppose the marriage between his genius daughter and this ‘cripple.’ In fact, he had arranged the majority of the wedding by himself.
And having been through two lives worth of grievances, Yun Che was clearer than anyone on just how precious this kind of genuine warmth was in the face of universal ridicule and contempt.
When Xia Qingyue had entered Frozen Cloud Asgard and Xia Yuanba had gone missing… the blow dealt to Xia Hongyi at that time had been far too heavy. In order to track down Xia Yuanba, he had abandoned his family business, left Floating Cloud City, and had used the opportunity left behind by his ancestor to join the Black Moon Merchant Guild. Later, he had even seized a chance to enter the headquarters of the Black Moon Merchant Guild itself.
During the past few years in the Black Moon Merchant Guild, he would repeat the same routine every day. He would meet different people, and every other day he would try to find some news regarding his children and Yun Che, and this caused his heart to become more and more at peace.
“Father-in-law, I have a question that I am trying to find the answer to. But as a junior, I am really not sure if I should be asking this in the first place….” Facing Xia Hongyi, Yun Che really wanted to voice out the doubt that had been plaguing his heart for the longest time, but even though he had already decided that he was going to do it, he still hesitated when it came to actually asking the question… because, after all, it was extremely likely that it was the thing that Xia Hongyi was most sensitive about.
“You want to ask about… Yuanba and Qingyue’s mother, correct?” Xia Hongyi said gently as he looked at Yun Che
“….” A shocked expression appeared on Yun Che’s face.
“Haha, no matter who it is, they would definitely find it strange.” Xia Hongyi said as he gave a polite laugh, but after that, disappointment and frustration surfaced on his face as he continued, “Yuanba and Qingyue had clearly been born into a merchant family, and my Xia Family had been merchants for generations. My forefathers, my own departed father, and even myself, we had only dabbled in the profound way and held no interest towards it. However, Qingyue had possessed an extremely high aptitude towards the profound way from young, and Yuanba… in the past few years has displayed a talent that far outstrips that of mere mortals.”
Yun Che lapsed into a short silence before giving a light nod of his head. “Because I knew a bit more about the personal affairs of your family, I have always had more questions than other people.
“I already know that Yuanba possesses a special power that is known as the ‘Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins.’ I am not sure what meaning the ‘Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins’ hold, but what I do know is that the number one profound practitioner within the Profound Sky Continent—Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s Saint Emperor thinks extremely highly of Yuanba. And three years ago, when his existence was finally exposed, it caused shockwaves that swept through the other three Sacred Grounds. During these three years, many people have tried to either openly or discreetly dig up my background as well, investigating my history and my level of profound strength. But all of them returned empty-handed, haha….”
Xia Hongyi gave a faint shake of his head, and as he let out a dry chuckle, the expression on his face was not one of helplessness; it was instead a self-deprecatory expression that others would not understand.
Xia Hongyi’s various responses clearly showed that he was not shocked nor was he unable to accept the heaven-defying aptitude that had been shown by both his son Xia Yuanba and his daughter Xia Qingyue. Instead, the general feeling Yun Che got from him was that of a deep-seated melancholy. He finally opened his mouth and replied, “I actually only have a passing curiosity in regards to these things, so if Father-in-law does not want to talk about it, it’s really fine…”
“It happened during a cold winter twenty five years ago.” Before Yun Che’s voice could completely fall, Xia Hongyi’s rose up immediately. He raised his head to look at the green ceiling of the room, and his eyes swiftly grew hazy. “I had just secured a big deal outside the city, and it was already growing dark by the time I set off on my journey home. But it was then that I suddenly found myself in the middle of a blizzard. The bitter cold was hard to endure, and in order to make it back to Floating Cloud CIty before it got dark, I chose to take a shortcut and cut across some hills which were known to be inhabited by dangerous profound beasts. But we suddenly stopped in the middle of the journey, and my family servants reported to me that… they had discovered someone who had fainted in the snow in front of us.
“It was a young girl who looked to be about the same age as me. She was dressed all in white, but half of it had been stained red with blood. At that time, I was only just over twenty years of age, but being born into a merchant family, the principle that a merchant should never involve himself in the affairs of a profound practitioner had been deeply instilled into me since my childhood. Saving someone who was clearly being pursued by her enemies and whose background was completely unknown was an extremely big taboo for a merchant. But not only was that girl extremely beautiful, she also possessed a unique disposition that was impossible to describe. As she lay unconscious amidst the snow, her breathing was as light as gossamer and she looked so frail that it gave me an uncontrollable urge to protect her. In the end, I decided to rescue her and bring her back with me to Floating Cloud City… even though at that time I was already very clear that my actions were very likely to cause great tragedy to fall upon me.”
“….” Yun Che listened silently, and he knew then that the girl that Xia Hongyi had rescued was actually Xia Yuanba and Xia Qingyue’s mother.
To think that they had met in such dramatic fashion.
But just who was she and what status did she have?
“After I had brought her home, she did not awaken for a very long time and her lifeforce continued to weaken. So I searched all over for famous doctors, and I even made many trips to New Moon City to find doctors. But every single doctor that came said that ‘her lifeforce had been completely exhausted and they were unable to turn the desperate situation around.’ And after a whole seven days, when even I had begun to lose all hope, she suddenly managed to wake up… and after she had regained consciousness, not only was she extremely weak, but she had also lost all her memories.”
“Lost all her memories?” Yun Che said as his brows knit together fiercely.
“That is right, she did not know why she was wounded nor did she know where she was from or even her own identity. It could be because she had suffered a memory loss induced by a head wound. But after that, she remained with the Xia Family, and because her physical condition was extremely weak, she rarely left the house at all. It was I who personally took care of her,and in order to nurse her back to health, I spared no expense in getting my hands on any valuable medicine that I could find… but what was odd was that no matter what tonic she took, in the end, she was still extremely weak. Even a light walk would leave her completely breathless. But what was fortunate was that she did not exhibit signs of any other illness.”
Various tonics… and even major tonics, but she still remained weak? And at the same time, she did not show any signs of other illness?
The space between Yun Che’s brows tightened, and a puzzled grimace flashed across his face.
“And because I had met her amidst the snow of a cold winter night, I gave her the name Dongyue. It was just nice that the summer of my family name (Xia) corresponded with the winter in hers (Dong). I was with her all through the day, and we became the light of each other’s lives. Even though I never found out who she really was or where she really came from, I could not control my own feelings, and two years later, she and I became husband and wife. In addition, not long after that, she became pregnant, and because her body was too weak, those doctors advised her to abandon the child and that if she did not do so, the childbirth would be extremely dangerous. I also gave her the same advice, but she insisted on giving birth to the child… and in only seven months time, she suddenly went into early labor and gave birth to Qingyue.
“Perhaps it was because it was a premature birth and her mother’s weak constitution, but when Qingyue was born, she neither moved nor cried, and her entire body was icy and cold. But just as the midwives and the doctors were about to declare her stillborn, we were extremely fortunate that your father, Xiao Ying, had rushed down and discovered that Qingyue still clung on to a thread of life, so he poured all of his profound energy into Qingyue’s body, protecting her heart and her last chance at life. It was because Xiao Ying poured all his effort into saving her that Qinyue made a miraculous recovery two hours later and began to let out a wail….”
“….” Yun Che’s heart was deeply stirred; this story was very well-known amongst the residents of Floating Cloud City, and he had already heard of it from Xiao Lie when he was young. It was precisely because Xiao Ying saved Xia Qingyue’s life when she was young that Xia Hongyi, in the midst of boundless gratitude, had suggested that Xia Qingyue be married to Xiao Ying’s son in order to repay the debt of gratitude they owed to him.
Xia Hongyi briefly closed his eyes before continuing, “At first, we thought that Qingyue, who had been struck by calamity just as she was born, was going to be a very sickly child. But what was amazing was that Qingyue was healthy and hale ever since and she grew up without trouble. Moreover, she was incomparably intelligent, and she possessed a wisdom that far exceeded her peers in terms of maturity. Her mother also made a swift recovery after giving birth to her, and within a month’s time, she was as healthy as any other person, and she no longer suffered from a weak constitution. One year after that, she gave birth to Yuanba as well….”
When he had reached this point, Xia Hongyi suddenly came to an abrupt halt. His gaze was still fixed on the ceiling, and his eyes had completely misted over; his hands had began to steadily shake as well. Being able to walk hand in hand with the one he loved, having a son and a daughter, seeing his wife completely recover from her previous ailment, and seeing their children grow up safe and sound while residing in relative luxury… in anyone’s eyes, especially Xia Hongyi’s own, he already had the most perfect life a man could ever ask for.
Xia Hongyi lapsed into silence for a long while, as if he had completely lost himself in the happiness and contentment that had filled that period of bliss in his life. It was only after a long time that Yun Che finally broke the silence by saying, “And… what happened after that? Grandfather had told me that Yuanba and Qingyue’s mother had passed away due to illness… was that true?”
Before, he had never had any suspicions regarding the matter, because he had no reason to be suspicious.
But now that he had come to this conclusion, he no longer had any reason to not be suspicious anymore.
“When Qingyue was four years old and Yuanba was three, she… left,” Xia Hongyi said in a dazed voice.
“She… left?” Those two words contained many meanings.
“She flew away… she flew away like a celestial maiden.”
Yun Che, “?!”
“On the day that she left, she suddenly regained the memories that had been sleeping within her for many years, and at the same time, she recovered the powers that lay dormant within her as well…. She did not stay for a day, in fact, she did not even stay for an hour… she left just like that… and even though she was weeping, she was also determined and resolute… she said that the moment she regained her powers, her aura had already been discovered… and if she did not leave, she would bring a huge catastrophe down on me and our children as well… and before she left, she told me that… we would never ever see each other again in this lifetime… and she told me to never go looking for her as well… and to treat her as if she had already….”
Xia Hongyi’s voice was laced with immeasurable pain, and even though nearly twenty years had passed since then, his reaction proved that he had never been able to forget or find release from this agony. He had his enormous family holdings, and he was the head merchant of Floating Cloud City, but he had never married again nor did he take a concubine. So it could be imagined just how irreplaceable and important the girl that he had named “Dongxue” was to him and the special place that she had in his heart.
“Then, did she… mention … even briefly or fuzzily… the place that she was leaving to?” Yun Che asked in a small voice as he pondered deeply on how he would be able to console the present Xia Hongyi.
Xia Hongyi did not shake his head. He only let out a small sigh, and in a voice that was as fleeting as summer mist, he replied with five words that he had etched deeply into his heart.Five words that had not amounted to any new information or lead to anything else….
“The Realm of the Gods.”
“!!” When he heard those words, Yun Che received a huge shock and did not recover for a long period of time.
When Yun Che finally strode out of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, it had already begun to approach midday.
He looked at the bright, dazzling sky and gave a heavy sigh that was filled with emotion. “Who would have thought that the situation with Qingyue and Yuanba’s mother… was actually so complicated and bizarre. No wonder they had such frightening innate gifts. One possessed the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins while the other had the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass and the Nine Profound Exquisite Body…. To think that their mother hailed from such a place.
“The first time I heard the name ‘Realm of the Gods’ was from the Dragon God. And this time, I actually heard it from Uncle Xia’s own mouth,” Yun Che said as he let out a long sigh, his heart troubled by aftershock of the revelation.
“To be able to give birth to children who possess the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins and the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass, even if that woman is from the Realm of the Gods, she definitely has a very high status there,” Jasmine said blandly.
“There is no woman who would truly be willing to be part with her husband and her children forever… she definitely had her own difficulties that were hard to bring up.” Yun Che muttered to himself, “If there is a day that I am able to go to that place that is known as the ‘Realm of the Gods,’ then perhaps I can try to locate her whereabouts… even if it is just for Yuanba and Qingyue’s sake.”
Having felt Yun Che’s spirit ripple when he was muttering to himself, Jasmine, who was inside the Sky Poison Pearl, raised a delicate eyebrow before suddenly asking, “Do you really have plans to travel to the Realm of the Gods?”
“Of course.” Yun Che nodded his head forthrightly. “After all, I personally made a promise to the Dragon God all those years ago that I would do my best to find and reach the place known as the Realm of the Gods. The only reason why I can possess such a strong body bloodline, and soul is because he destroyed himself in order to bestow his blessings upon me. So I will definitely give my all in trying to accomplish what I promised him. However, if I use all my power… but I am unable to reach that level, then I will naturally be helpless to do anything.”
“I suggest that you rid yourself of such foolish notions right away,” Jasmine said in an icy and cold tone.
“Eh? Why is that so? Do you not want me to go there?” Yun Che asked in a rather stunned voice.
“Hmph, now is not the time for you to think of such things.” Jasmine forcefully changed the subject, “What you should be puzzling out is just what kind of relationship this Black Moon Merchant Guild has with Supreme Ocean Palace.”
“Ah, there is no real need to think about this.” Yun Che replied as he turned around and eyed the pitch-black crescent moon which soared into the clouds, “The power that is standing behind the Black Moon Merchant Guild is Supreme Ocean Palace… or perhaps you could say that the Black Moon Merchant Guild was originally the other half of Supreme Ocean Palace.
“The other three Sacred Grounds have their own enormous supply chains and their own resource domains while Supreme Ocean Palace is located in an ocean domain that is surrounded by water. Yet their position amongst the Four Sacred Grounds has never waned, and they have even surpassed Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and are only second to Absolute Monarch Sanctuary in terms of power. If they did not have a huge resource pool located on the main continent, how would they have been able to reach such a position. This enormous supply chain is naturally the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
“Zi Ji should have been able to guess that I would be able to deduce the relationship between the Black Moon Merchant Guild and Supreme Ocean Palace from his words. However, I do not think this is a secret when it comes to the Sacred Grounds. And in the end, Zi Ji forcefully bought ten Overlord Pellets from me and viciously scammed the other three Sacred Grounds.” Yun Che stroked his chin and continued, “At present, his Supreme Ocean Palace are the sole possessors of ten Overlord Pellets while the other three Sacred Grounds will have to vye for the remaining twenty pellets…. No! Supreme Ocean Palace will definitely come in for the twenty pellets that still remain, or else, it will arouse the suspicions of the other three Sacred Grounds. In this situation, every Sacred Ground should be able to secure five pellets, leaving Supreme Ocean Palace with fifteen of them….”
“Yes, and then my Frozen Cloud Asgard will have three thousand pellets!”
“And so, the Sacred Grounds only amount to this in the end, hahahaha!” As Yun Che continued his ruminations, his spirits rose immediately and he began to swagger towards the west… in the direction of the Divine Phoenix Sect.
“Hmph, you used a Heavenly Profound Treasure, the Sky Poison Pearl, to refine such things, yet you use it to look down on a bunch of inferior powers. You are practically profaning a sacred object! How dare you still be so conceited because of that!” Jasmine gave cold snort of extreme contempt.
“Now, just how should I go about settling my debt….” Yun Che looked in the direction of the Divine Phoenix Sect and his voice suddenly grew sinister.
Phoenix City was located at the north-western part of Divine Phoenix City, and it belonged to Divine Phoenix City and stood alone at the same time; it was a unique city within a city. Phoenix City was the same as the Divine Phoenix Imperial Palace, they were both core pillars of the Divine Phoenix Sect. The difference was that one represented the seat of their power while the other represented the seat of their authority. It could be said that both places had incomparable prestige and military power within the Divine Phoenix Empire, and even if one included the rest of the Profound Sky Seven Nations, these two places would still have no equal.
As Yun Che approached Phoenix City, a pressure which caused one’s heart to race and scorching air welcomed him.
This would be the second time Yun Che visited this place. But compared to three years ago, both his mission and his mood was drastically different this time around. As he looked at the phoenix sculpture which raised its head and spread its wings as it radiated a scorching hot brilliance, he no longer experienced the respect and awe that he had three years ago. Instead, what flashed in his mind was the desolated lands of Blue Wind Nation, the cities which had been reduced to rubble, the citizens of his nation who had lost everything, and the battlefield filled with blood and littered with bones… Cang Wanhe’s memorial tablet… Cang Yue’s tears… the cheers of the Blue Wind soldiers… Sikong Du’s wail of fury and despair….”
The fires of rage and hatred were lit in his chest, and they fiercely welled up… he could not forget the reason he had come to this place and the mission he had to accomplish, and he could definitely not forget the fifty million blood-drenched people… and the hatred of a nation that had nearly been consigned to the oblivion of history.
“Who is it?! This is Phoenix City, not a place that commoners like you should approach, hurry up and leave!”
In front of the gates of Phoenix City, a Divine Phoenix disciple who was guarding the gate strode forth as he yelled at Yun Che with an arrogant tone.
“Eh? Why does this person seem kind of familiar?” Another disciple who was on the right of the first disciple said as his mouth slanted.
Yun Che faintly narrowed his eyes faintly, and he gently said in the most even tone, “Go and report to your Sect Master, Feng Hengkong, that Yun Che has arrived to pay him a visit.”
Even though his tone was gentle and slow, every single word spoken contained a killing intent that was beginning to froth over.
Chapter 698 - Destroying the Phoenix God Sculpture
“Yun… Yun Che!?”
Even if it was the name of someone who had fallen three years ago, in the ears of the Divine Phoenix disciples, it resounded like a thunderclap. The disciple to the right instantly realized why the face in front of him seemed so familiar… Three years ago, during the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, he was one of the guards as well. In fact, he was on one side of the main gates during that event!
Even after the two disciples had gotten over their shock, the arrogance on their face did not decrease in the slightest… because this place was Divine Phoenix City, and they were Divine Phoenix disciples who possessed the bloodline of the Phoenix, the most noble existence within the Seven Nations. Not to mention one Yun Che, even if the emperors of the other six countries came, they might still not treat them with respect.
“Didn’t Yun Che die three years ago? Could this be an imposter?”
“Who cares if he’s an imposter, to think that he would have the audacity to request a meeting with our revered Sect Master the moment he arrived? Haha, how do you have the face to do such a thing?”
“Could it be that you have come to plead on behalf of the tiny Blue Wind Nation that is about to be extinguished? Hehe…” The two disciples who were guarding the gate looked at each other and simultaneously let out a huge roar of laughter together.
“Hehe.” Yun Che joined in as well before continuing, “Forget it, I don’t need you to convey my message anymore, This has truly been a waste of my time. I’ll call him out myself.”
While he was coldly laughing, Yun Che strode a step forward as his entire body burned with a crimson red flame that was tinged with dull gold. The wild laughter of the two disciples died the moment the Golden Crow Flames were ignited. Their phoenix robe began to suddenly smoulder as flames quickly spread to their entire body, causing them to frantically retreat while letting out wails of pain.
Boom!!
The Golden Crow Flames rushed forward and exploded with a loud bang as a pillar of fire shot hundreds of meters into the air; the sound reverberating throughout the entire Phoenix City was loud enough to shock the heavens. The emblem of the Divine Phoenix Sect’s might and prestige, the grand gate and the Phoenix God Sculpture, which had been standing for all five thousand years of Divine Phoenix City’s existence, came crashing to the ground as they shattered into little pieces…
——————————
Gathered within the Phoenix Main Hall were all the core members of the current generation of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Among the fifty-six elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect, besides the deceased original great elder, Feng Feiyan; the deceased Nineteenth elder, Feng Feiheng; the deceased Forty-Third elder, Feng Feiying; the deceased Fifty-Second elder, Feng Hengjiang; and the two other elders who were still supervising the invasion of Blue Wind Nation, the rest of the elders had taken their seats and not a single elder of them was missing.
Given the absolute power the Divine Phoenix Sect possessed over the rest of the seven nations, for the past few millennia, all their elders had died from old age rather than falling in a battle against others. Feng Feiyan richly deserved the miserable death he earned for himself, and it brooked no discussion. But today, within the span of a single day, the soul crystals of three elders had shattered; they had all fallen in Blue Wind Nation. In the history of the Divine Phoenix Empire, this kind of thing had never happened before, and no one would have ever thought that the elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect, all of whom were at least mid stage Overlords and were invincible existences to the other six nations, would end up falling in Blue Wind Nation when they had just gone there as supervisors.
The atmosphere of this grand meeting of the elders was oppressive right from the get go. But the surprising thing was that the main topic of discussion was not the death of three elders, but instead the return of one person from the dead…
Yun Che!!
The discussion ranged from the dramatic increase in Yun Che’s profound strength that allowed him to kill Feng Huwei, the words that he had conveyed using Feng Huwei’s death imprint the day before… and the suspicion that he was the main culprit behind the disappearance of that Divine Phoenix Army that was several hundred thousand strong.
The name of Yun Che was naturally known to all the gathered elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect. The fact that he came back alive from the Primordial Profound Ark, which had suddenly disappeared, was enough to stun them all. However, as they gradually realized that the main agenda for the elder meeting that Feng Hengkong had convened was to discuss how to deal with Yun Che, even suggested that they should invite one of the grand elders out of seclusion in order to personally make the journey towards Blue Wind Nation to kill Yun Che, the expressions of all the elders turned into ones of bewilderment and astonishment… Yun Che’s return from the dead was indeed bizarre, and the fact that his profound strength had advanced to such a degree, wherein he was able to kill Feng Huwei, was indeed alarming. Given the fact that he was the Prince Consort of Blue Wind Nation, his intention to avenge his country against the Divine Phoenix Empire was completely understandable… However, he was only a mere Yun Che; even if his present strength was ten times stronger than what was previously estimated, what threat did he possess to merit such a large-scale mobilization of the Divine Phoenix Empire… and what qualifications did he possess for them to consider requesting one of their grand elders to come out of seclusion to personally deal with him?
It was only when Feng Hengkong brought up the matter with Feng Xue’er… that they all suddenly came to a realization.
As Feng Xue’er was the future Phoenix God of the Divine Phoenix Sect, no matter how small the matter was, anything related to her would be a huge issue that the Divine Phoenix Sect could definitely not ignore! If she truly held Yun Che in such high regard… then given the fact that the die had already been cast in regards to the current situation between the Divine Phoenix Empire and Blue Wind Nation, in addition to the attitude Yun Che had displayed since his return, Yun Che had to be eliminated in the shortest amount of time possible at all costs!!
Since this was the case, in order to ensure that there would be no accidents, even if mobilizing a grand elder was akin to using a cleaver to kill a chicken, as long as the matter concerned Princess Snow, then it was something that had to be done.
At this time, a huge explosion rang out from outside, and it was as if a thunderbolt had descended from the heavens to strike the grand hall, causing the entire hall to tremble violently.
“What’s going on?!” Feng Hengkong and the gathered elders immediately shot to their feet. The light of fire shone on their faces as the Crown Prince of the Divine Phoenix Empire, Feng Ximing, rushed into the hall with blazing speed as he urgently yelled, “Father Emperor, we are under attack! The gate of Phoenix City and the Phoenix God Sculpture… have been destroyed by someone!!”
“What?!” Feng Hengkong’s complexion abruptly changed, and all the elders had also turned pale from shock. Even though the recent explosion had shaken the heavens, they still maintained their composure. Despite being caught off-guard, no one had panicked. They were the Divine Phoenix Sect, and no one would dare to act rashly against them when they were in the territory of the Divine Phoenix Sect. As such, it was most likely an accident, but even if someone was trying to pick a fight with them, that person would only be courting death… however, the city gate and the Phoenix God Sculpture, which represented the might of the Divine Phoenix had been destroyed… so this was no longer just simply a rash act of violence against them; this was an action that had completely stepped beyond the bottom line of what the Divine Phoenix Sect could endure!
Feng Hengkong took the lead as he immediately rushed out of the Phoenix Main Hall; all the elders followed closely behind him. As they looked in the direction of the city gate, their faces immediately turned dark and grim…
The Divine Phoenix City gate had stood for an entire five thousand years, and the Phoenix God Sculpture above it was the symbol of their Divine Phoenix Sect. It was customary for an elder of the sect to personally come and imbue the sculpture with Phoenix fire once every seven days, so every corner of Divine Phoenix City would be able to bask in the eternal glory and firelight of the Phoenix flames exuded by the Phoenix God Sculpture. It was not only a simple Phoenix God Sculpture; rather, it was a representation of the Divine Phoenix Sect’s five thousand years of pride and glory.
When normal people gazed at the Phoenix God Sculpture from afar, they would be overwhelmed by a sense of irresistible intimidation, and even their manner of walking would become more withdrawn and cautious. Even if members of the Four Sacred Grounds arrived, they would not dare to display a disrespectful attitude in front of the Phoenix God Sculpture…
But at this moment, all they saw was that the Phoenix God Sculpture, which had stood hundreds of meters tall, had been toppled from the sky… it fragmented into many pieces before falling to the ground with a loud boom. Then, it was burned into a crimson red pile of slag along with the city gate.
The collapse of the Phoenix God Sculpture could clearly be seen even from the outskirts of Divine Phoenix City, and it undoubtedly caused a great commotion throughout the entire city as nearly everyone either stood rooted in place or rushed out of the buildings as they all stared dazedly in the direction of Divine Phoenix City.
“Who… who was the person who did this!?” Feng Hengkong’s hair exploded outwards as every strand of his hair stood on end. Molten rage poured out from his body in a manner that was akin to a volcanic eruption. To think that the Phoenix God Sculpture would be destroyed during his reign… this was an intolerable insult! No matter who the culprit was, just based on this action alone, that person and everything related to that person would become the mortal enemies of the Divine Phoenix Sect… and as long as neither of them died, there would be no end to matters!
“To think that someone would dare to profane our sect’s Divine Spirit… and touch our sect’s reverse scale(refer to note at the end)! Unforgivable!” Feng Feiran, the Second Elder of the Divine Phoenix, said in a voice which trembled with anger.
“I will personally rip him to shreds!”
Boom!!
Feng Hengkong morphed into a beam of fire as he rushed towards the city gate. He had actually left a sonic boom in his wake as he shot out into the air; anyone could tell just how volatile the fury in his heart was.
All of the Divine Phoenix Sect elders followed suit. Fifty Divine Phoenix Sect elders mobilizing along with their Sect Master was something that had rarely ever been seen in the history of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Moreover, the destruction of the city gate and the Phoenix God Sculpture was akin to a thunderclap exploding within the Divine Phoenix Sect, and all of the princes, hall masters, palace masters, attendants, high-ranked disciples, and low-ranked disciples were all stunned into insensibility. No matter how important the affairs they were attending to at the moment, without caring for any possible repercussions, they immediately ceased work as all of them rushed towards the city gate as well.
In one brief moment, the entire Phoenix City had been thrown into disarray as it was enveloped in an aura which was both scorching and furious. People began to congregate in the air like a swarm of locusts.
Divine Phoenix City gate… oh, now, the gate did not exist anymore, and the only thing left was a tower of rubble. The Phoenix Flames within the Phoenix God Sculpture had also completely dissipated following the destruction of the sculpture. Although it had blazed out at first as a large conflagration of crimson red flames, it still quickly died out as well.
In front of the rubble lay the two lucky Divine Phoenix disciples who were responsible for guarding the gate. With their pupils dilated, they lay there paralyzed, their legs fiercely trembling and their faces completely white with shock. The stark terror on their faces made it seem like they had just woken up from a nightmare, and they had even completely forgotten the pain inflicted upon them by the Golden Crow Flames.
Fire and sand quickly fell to the earth, revealing a figure that was standing atop the rubble. Feng Hengkong left a windstorm in his wake as he cleaved through the air. Once he had taken a look at the person who was on top of the rubble, his eyes immediately widened as crackling flames washed over his entire body. “Yun Che… it’s… you!!!”
Even though Feng Hengkong was extremely furious, he did not lose his composure. In fact, during the time he had spent flying here, he had already made several guesses… but the only potential culprits he could think of were the Four Sacred Grounds! At the same time, he realized that there was a possibility that the death of the Phoenix God had already been completely exposed!
Because only the Four Sacred Grounds, under the condition that they had confirmed the death of the Phoenix God, would dare to attack the Divine Phoenix Sect in such a blatant manner!
However, he had not even given any thought that it would be Yun Che. He had one reason which was sufficient to rule him out completely… and that was the fact that when Yun Che had used Feng Huwei’s death soul imprint to communicate with him yesterday, he was still in Blue Wind Nation. Moreover, Floating Cloud City was fifty thousand kilometers away from Divine Phoenix City, and without the high grade Profound Ark that only the Sacred Grounds possessed, it would be impossible for him to reach this place within a day.
Yet the person who was standing atop the heap was indeed Yun Che.
And while Feng Hengkong was still shocked and furious, he also let out a huge sigh of relief at the same time. Unless it was the Four Sacred Grounds, the Divine Phoenix Sect would not feel the least bit intimidated. Furthermore, it was also clear that the death of the Phoenix God had not been exposed to the world, so the danger that had flashed through his mind did not materialize in reality.
In addition, the best part of it all was that, while they were busy discussing the matter of eliminating Yun Che, he had actually delivered himself to their doorstep… and he had done so when all the elders were gathered! He had even given them an extremely good reason to kill him… a reason so good that there would be no better reason in existence! Originally, due to the fact that he had rescued Princess Snow three years ago, if they had killed Yun Che and news of it got out, they would undoubtedly face a lot of criticism. But today, he had personally destroyed the Phoenix God Sculpture, so even killing him ten thousand times would not be unreasonable!
So, no matter what, Yun Che should not think… that he would be leaving this place alive today! With that, Feng Hengkong could settle a matter that had been gnawing at his heart.
“Humph, you sure picked a great time to come, all of the people behind Feng Hengkong are in the mid to late stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm, so they should all be elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect. To think that they would all be gathered together in one place, they must have been in the middle of a grand meeting,” Jasmine said as she gloated at Yun Che’s misfortune.
Yun Che crossed both of his arms over his chest as his mouth slanted and crooked into a brash and sinister cold smile. He was facing Feng Hengkong and all the gathered elders and disciples of the Divine Phoenix Sect, but his face was devoid of any fear. Instead, he faced them with that cold smile as he said, “Divine Phoenix Sect Master, we have not met in the past three years, so I hope that you are still in good health. Che, to think that all those years ago, Divine Phoenix Sect Master was fixated on getting rid of me, to the extent that you did not forget to arrange for someone to assassinate me when we were on the Primordial Profound Ark. Ah, but to think that in just the short span of three years you have become so courteous. I have just arrived, but not only did Divine Phoenix Sect Master come to personally greet me, you even brought all the elders and disciples in the sect to welcome me as well… Ah, this truly makes this humble one feel rather embarrassed.”
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Translator’s note: The term, reverse scale originates from a Chinese saying, “Anyone who touches the reverse scales of a dragon will definitely die.” Legend has it that there is a portion of the scales on the dragon’s neck that are grown in reverse. In this case, it means something that is extremely sensitive and anyone who dares touch it would invoke the wrath of the owner.
Chapter 699 - Rebuking Divine Phoenix
Even though Feng Hengkong inwardly sighed in relief while facing Yun Che’s mocking taunts, he still couldn’t suppress the fury that was welling up in his heart, causing his killing intent to multiply. He didn’t have the ability to change the fact that the Phoenix God Sculpture had been reduced to rubble, and this insult had already been thrown at his face. As the current Divine Phoenix Emperor, his humiliation would be recorded in the records of the Divine Phoenix Nation, and he would never be able to wipe it away.
“Yun Che… Good… you’re very good indeed!” Feng Hengkong could no longer be bothered with what method Yun Che used to travel from Floating Cloud City to Divine Phoenix City within the span of a day. Instead, he rasped out these words in a low voice, “Three years ago, you somehow managed to survive by the skin of your teeth… but I would have never expected that you will be so eager to throw your life away!!”
The elders and princes of the Divine Phoenix Sect had all assembled, and the addition of all the other Phoenix disciples who were also rushing towards their location at the fastest speed possible formed a giant crowd of enemies that firmly surrounded Yun Che.
This was the first time in the history of the Divine Phoenix Sect that the entire sect had been put on full alert. It was also the first time they had assembled in such an enormous battle formation.
“It’s actually you!” The Divine Phoenix Empire’s Crown Prince, Feng Ximing, stared at Yun Che in disbelief as his eyes glowed with an intense hatred that practically exploded outwards. He was one of the first people to find out that Yun Che was still alive. Because of what had happened with Feng Xue’er, his hatred for Yun Che even surpassed that of Feng Hengkong… however, the majority of this hatred had nothing to do with the Divine Phoenix Sect. Instead, it was born of an insane jealousy which had given birth to this boundless killing intent!
“You presumptuous and insolent cur! Three years ago, our sect let bygones be bygones and showed you mercy, but to think that you would actually dare to… actually dare to destroy our sect’s great gate and our Phoenix God Sculpture!” The new great elder, Feng Feilie, pointed a finger at Yun Che as his whole body trembled in anger, “Even if you were to die tens of thousands of times, you would never be able to redeem yourself of this sin!!”
“Hahahaha!” Yun Che tilted his head back as he roared in laughter, but subsequently, both his expression and his voice abruptly turned dark and cold, “You bunch of mangy old dogs from the Divine Phoenix Sect, do you still have any face to criticize me!? My Blue Wind Nation never had any quarrel with your Divine Phoenix Nation, and for a thousand years, we had also paid a tribute to your Divine Phoenix Nation We had never failed to do this even once, so what crime did we commit against you!? Yet in the last three years, without cause or reason, you have trampled over my Blue Wind Nation, destroying its cities, killing its people, and causing mountains of bodies and rivers of blood to appear in my nation. Countless of innocent people died in your hands, and even more of them were rendered homeless and destitute! Even the old, the women and the children were not spared. In three short years, you have turned a peaceful and harmonious nation into a hell that is filled with terror!
“Your actions are simply the ones which have infuriated both the gods and men, and your crimes are too innumerable to count!
“I have merely destroyed your decrepit old gate and your worn-down statue, yet even dying tens of thousands of times would not be enough to redeem myself? If that is so, then in order to make up for the crimes committed by you people which have infuriated both the gods and men, shouldn’t your entire clan, down to its very roots, have its bones scattered to the winds hundreds of thousands of times?”
“How dare you!” Feng Feiran roared in anger, “This basic law of survival in this world has always been the survival of the fittest! It is only just and proper for our Divine Phoenix Empire to swallow the weak and expand its territory! For five thousand years, our Divine Phoenix Empire has been under the protection of the Phoenix God. Since the time of our ancestor, our nation has been blessed by a divine spirit! It is not something your tiny and pitiful Blue Wind Nation can compare to! This Phoenix God Sculpture represented the prestige and the divine might of our ultimate ancestor, yet you dared to destroy it, profaning and trampling on the dignity of the divine spirit. Even if all the people in your tiny Blue Wind Nation died as compensation for this heinous crime, it would still not be enough!”
“Divine spirit? Hah!” Yun Che gave a low and cold chuckle, “To think that you would still have the face to mention the Phoenix Divine Spirit? History has indeed been established by the law of the survival of the fittest, but the wars of humanity have always been governed by one basic principle: innocents should never be harmed!. Yet you have burned Blue Wind Nation to cinders and wantonly slaughtered its innocent people. To top it all off, you even used the Phoenix flames bestowed upon you by the very same Phoenix Divine Spirit that you keep on talking about!
“The Phoenix is a sacred beast from the Primordial Era, and the Phoenix flames are a kind of profound fire that has been deemed ‘sacred flames’! Yet all of you, the inheritors of the Phoenix’s bloodline and power, have used the Phoenix flames to commit vicious acts of evil which even an animal would not stoop to! All of you have stained the originally pure and sacred flames of the divine spirit with the blood of countless innocents and your dirty deeds… So who exactly has profaned and trampled on the dignity of the divine spirit!?”
Feng Feilie roared, “You!”
“The Phoenix bloodline within my body came from the other Phoenix Divine Spirit!!” Yun Che’s cold gaze landed upon every single face he saw with a mixture of hate, fury and contempt, “And it had also existed for at least as long as your ancestor’s Phoenix God! But do you know why no other Phoenix Sect emerged as well? That is because… many years ago, when someone who had inherited the flames was fighting with his enemies, he let his Phoenix flames go out of control, burning down an entire city, and causing the deaths of many innocent people. In its fury, the other Phoenix Divine Spirit inflicted the other clan who had inherited the Phoenix bloodline with a terrible curse; a curse that restricted their profound strength to the Elementary Profound Realm forever! Furthermore, this curse was inherited from one generation to the next, never dying out!”
Yun Che’s words caused a huge change in the expressions of the disciples of the Divine Phoenix Sect who were present; some of them even displayed shock and fear on their faces.
“It was only that one incident in which the out of control Phoenix Flames burned down a city by mistake, yet that entire clan had to suffer a curse that lasted for a thousand years. That clan could only cower in a desolate corner of the land to repent for their sins for generations, without daring to show their faces again! And what about the lot of you!? The sins you have committed are ten thousand times worse than theirs! Yet you still have the nerve to talk about how you are protected by the Phoenix Divine Spirit! Pah!
“I destroyed this Phoenix God Sculpture, but the lot of you have already lost the right to be called a Phoenix clan! Allowing the sacred sculpture of the Phoenix to reside in your sin-stained and dirty lands will only tarnish the prestige and holiness of the Phoenix!”
Yun Che extended a finger and pointed at the sect master of the Divine Phoenix Sect, “Feng Hengkong! If the Phoenix Divine Spirit is truly still in this world and witnessed the vicious, evil and extremely dirty deeds that you have committed, it would personally exterminate your entire clan… if not, it is unworthy to be called a spirit of the Phoenix!”
“Silence!” Feng Hengkong roared furiously as blood rushed to his head. Three years prior, he had already experienced the might of Yun Che’s tongue, and today, nearly the entire Divine Phoenix Sect had mobilized and surrounded Yun Che, yet they were all still furiously rebuked by him; at this moment, they were losing the upper hand! Furthermore, Yun Che’s voice was as loud as thunder, and he could be clearly heard throughout the entire Divine Phoenix City; every word he spoke had viciously besmirched the prestige and glory of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Feng Hengkong continued to roar in fury, “Yun Che, you have destroyed our Divine Phoenix Sculpture without any justifiable reason and offended our ancestor and the Phoenix God, yet you still dare to label us as unrighteous?! Every action taken by my Divine Phoenix Sect has been done with the approval of our ancestor’s Phoenix God! Do not even try to slander our good name and demonize us in public…”
“Hahahahaha!” Before Feng Hengkong could finish speaking, he was immediately cut off by the wild laughter that spilled out of Yun Che’s mouth. At the same time, the look in Yun Che’s eyes grew even more contemptuous and disdainful, “Feng Hengkong, even though I have nothing but loathing for you, I had always thought that the reason you were able to become the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Sect Master was because you were solemn and upright. I thought you are at least someone who would not besmirch the reputation of the Phoenix. But I would have never thought that you, the one who represents the bloodline, power, status and five thousand years of glory bestowed by the Phoenix Divine Spirit, would not only be unrepentant for your crimes which soar to the heavens, you would even throw this dirty water that is stained with the blood of countless innocents onto the head of the Phoenix Divine Spirit as well!!”
“You…” Feng Hengkong said as his body violently trembled.
“How can you face the bloodline that burns within your body!? How can you face the Phoenix Divine Spirit?! Is there even a shred of humanity or conscience left within your soul?! And after you have passed on… where will you find the nerve to face your ancestors?!”
“Xue’er’s heart is as pure as driven snow, and she has the soul of an angel! Yet she has you, a vicious, evil and ungrateful person as a father, someone who is even lower than the lowest of animals! Not only are you unworthy to possess the bloodline of the Phoenix, you are not even worthy to be the Divine Phoenix Emperor, and you are even less worthy to be Xue’er’s father!!”
Yun Che’s every word caused Feng Hengkong to go completely berserk with anger, leaving his heart completely devoid of any feelings of mercy. Every single one of Yun Che’s words were needle-sharp and laced with venom as they directly struck at Feng Hengkong’s vulnerable spots. Every muscle in Feng Hengkong’s face twitched with fury, and due to his extreme rage, the profound energy in his body produced a backlash against him, causing blood to spurt out of his mouth.
“Even though your death is at hand, you still dare to slander us and speak so impudently!” At Feng Hengkong’s side, Feng Ximing furiously yelled in response, “Royal father, this little animal has destroyed our Divine Phoenix Sculpture, and afterwards, he has even slandered our Divine Phoenix Sect. Even if he had saved Xue’er’s life before, there is still no reason for us to forgive him! Let us just proceed to capture and execute him right here and now!!”
“That is right! Royal father and the gathered elders do not need to waste their time talking to him! Just kill him… and rip his body to shreds!!”
The one who spoke was the Fourteenth Prince, Feng Xiluo! The moment he had seen Yun Che, both his eyes widened, his teeth ground together, and his gaze became filled with hatred! Three years ago, he had fought a duel with Yun Che during the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, and because he could not accept the humiliation of defeat, he burned his own blood essence in an effort to beat Yun Che. But not only was he still miserably defeated, the loss of blood essence caused his profound strength to plummet from the eighth stage of the Emperor Profound Realm to the seventh stage of the Emperor Profound Realm. And what made it even worse was that his innate talent had been irreparably damaged due to his actions.
Despite three years having gone by with him using countless amounts of spirit medicine and purple crystals, he had only managed to barely force his way back into the initial stages of the eighth stage of the Emperor Profound Realm. Even then, he had not regained the strength that he had three years prior. Furthermore, his talent was no longer ranked as the best amongst the young generation, and he no longer had the exalted status that he had once held amongst the princes; his fall had been dramatic and sudden.
Throughout the entire process, not once had Feng Xiluo blamed his own impulsive stupidity, instead his mind had conspired to shift all of the blame to Yun Che, causing him to hate Yun Che to the very bone. Now that he saw that Yun Che was in the pink of health, he was filled with so much anger and hatred that he had nearly shattered a tooth in rage. If not for the fact that he knew that he was definitely no match for the current Yun Che, he would have rushed towards him like a rabid dog in a bid to rip him to pieces.
Feng Hengkong’s breath had grown hot as his chest rose and fell urgently and dramatically; anyone could well imagine the damage Yun Che’s scolding had inflicted on him. He extended a hand and said in a quavering voice, “Kill him at once!”
“Directly smash him to death… do not leave his corpse intact!!”
This was a direct order to kill personally given by Feng Hengkong in front the gates of Phoenix City! The words ‘do not leave his corpse intact’ evidently displayed the extreme wrath and murderous intent that swelled in his heart.
After the elimination order had been given, Yun Che’s front, back and sides were completely blocked off. One person shot out from each direction to confront Yun Che, and each and every single one of them was an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect! In the great assembly that had just been held, Feng Hengkong stated that Feng Huwei had died in Yun Che’s hands, so it clearly indicated that his power had already reached that of a mid stage Overlord… or perhaps even a late stage Overlord! As such, the four elders that confronted Yun Che did not let their guards down; they took action together in order to destroy Yun Che in an instant!
Behind them, there were still many elders and disciples of the Divine Phoenix Sect waiting in the wings…. No matter what happened today, even if Yun Che had ten thousand lives, he could forget about leaving this place alive today.
Chapter 700 - What Now?
Four Divine Phoenix Elders attacked at the same time. Due to the surging Phoenix flames, the air was instantly dyed scarlet and rumbled as though lava had just been spewed out from the depths of an erupting volcano.
A sneer still remained on Yun Che’s face and when the four Phoenix Elders charged over, he also mobilized, releasing a similar scarlet fire type profound aura as he charged at the Phoenix Elders, not just targeting one of them, but instead all of them!
The four Phoenix Elders all saw the figure of Yun Che approaching them with a violent and terrifying aura!
Upon witnessing this scene, nearly all the surrounding members of the Divine Phoenix Sect who were watching let out a small cry. As for the Phoenix Elders, they all had a calm expression, and some of them even snorted in disdain, “Hmph, playing with afterimages…”
During an intense and close battle, afterimages could cause an opponent to lose his concentration for an instant; as a result, the opponent would be forced to be passive, eventually losing the battle. However, as one’s profound realm increased and their experience became increasingly vast, one would have the capability to differentiate the location of the actual body by spiritual perception. Therefore, at a high level such as the Tyrant Profound Realm, unless one used a special profound afterimage technique or specialized in using afterimages, it would likely serve no help to the user… and it might even cause him harm.
But in the next moment, they simultaneously had a drastic change of facial expression…
Because when they used their spiritual perception, the aura emitted by the four Yun Ches… were exactly the same! And they were all extremely strong…
All of them seemed to be his real bodies!!
BOOM!!
The sounds of four Phoenix Flames explosions merged together, and the blinding light from the flames that surged into the air dyed the sky scarlet for a short moment. Some of the Divine Phoenix Sect disciples, who were relatively weaker in profound cultivation, hastily retreated. In the midst of the strong Phoenix flames, all four Yun Ches faded away… The four “Yun Ches” they had attacked were actually just afterimages!
At the same time the four Phoenix Elders attacked, another blinding light shot out from a peculiar blind spot, and the speed of which was as fast as stars shooting across the sky. When Feng Hengkong and the other Phoenix Elders had realized the existence of the fifth ‘afterimage’, it was already above their heads… It was so fast that they could not even react in time.
A miserable cry was followed by the eruption of Phoenix flames. Yun Che’s right hand was now tightly holding onto a person’s throat; as Yun Che raised his arm, that person was lifted off the ground.
“Fo… Fourteenth Prince!”
The person being choked by Yun Che… was the Fourteenth Prince of the Divine Phoenix Sect, Feng Xiluo!
From the moment the four Divine Phoenix Elders attacked, to the moment Feng Xiluo fell into Yun Che’s hands, there was only enough time for lightning to flash. When Yun Che had lifted Feng Xiluo off the ground, not even a tenth of a breath had passed since the four elders attacked with their Phoenix flames.
Feng Hengkong and the Phoenix Elders swiftly turned around and witnessed the sight of Yun Che clutching onto the throat of the Fourteenth Prince, Feng Xiluo, and lifting him off the ground. They were all stunned as their expressions turned extremely ugly. The pupils of the four elders who had just “exterminated” Yun Che dilated as they could not believe their own eyes.
This was the territory of Divine Phoenix Sect, and the Sect Master, Feng Hengkong, had even personally come. There were also fifty Phoenix Elders present in addition to countless Divine Phoenix Sect disciples of different levels. On the other side, there was only a twenty odd years old youth who was not even hurt when the four elders had attacked him at the same time; on the contrary, he had even gained a hostage.
And the person he held hostage was a prince of the Divine Phoenix Sect!
Furthermore, this Fourteenth Prince was hiding behind all the elders, and it could be said that he was hiding at the safest place within the entire Divine Phoenix Sect… or perhaps even within the entire Sky Profound Seven Nations!!
More than a slap on the face, this humiliation suffered by all the members of the Divine Phoenix Sect present was like being smacked in the face with feces.
This humiliation was at least a thousand worse than the one they suffered when Yun Che single-handedly defeated the geniuses of their younger generation three years back. If this news spread, the Divine Phoenix Sect would be the laughingstock for generations.
“Royal father… Save… me… Ugh…”
Feng Xiluo uttered with a hoarse voice filled with pain. However, Yun Che immediately tightened his grip, disabling Feng Xiluo from utter another word as his originally handsome looking face was now ashen and contorting in pain.
Three years back, he could still force Yun Che into a tough battle, but now, although he was still higher in terms of profound strength, in terms of actual battle capabilities, Feng Xiluo could not even be considered worthy to face him. While he was in Yun Che’s grasp, it was not that he did not want to struggle, but Yun Che’s strength was just too much for him to put up a struggle. He could not use one bit of his profound energy, and he could not even move his pinky one bit.
“Fourteenth Prince!!!”
“Release the Fourteenth Prince at once!!!”
“If you dare to hurt the Fourteenth Prince one bit… our Divine Phoenix Sect would ensure you that you won’t have a proper resting place when you die!!!” Crown Prince Feng Ximing roared in anger.
“Let go of him!” Feng Hengkong rushed to the front but dared not move another step. His expression was downcast while his heart was still shocked at the speed Yun Che had displayed just now. “Yun Che, you should know his identity! If you dare to harm him, not only will we not leave you with an intact corpse… we will also exterminate your entire bloodline!!”
“Oh? Is that so?” Yun Che smiled coldly. Not only had he not loosened his grip on Feng Xiluo, he had even tightened it.
Cr-ack! The sounds of bone being shattered rang clearly in the air.
“Fourteenth Prince!”
“Stop!”
“You!” Feng Hengkong was instantly enraged as he ferociously stepped forward; he was no longer able to maintain the composure he initially had. It was widely known within the Divine Phoenix Empire that among his fourteen sons, Feng Xiluo was the one Feng Hengkong doted on the most. However, he was now being strangled like a dead dog in front of him.
As the emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire, this was definitely something that had never occurred to him, even in his dreams.
“Hahaha…” Facing Feng Hengkong, whose expression turned ten times more ferocious than before, Yun Che didn’t show the slightest hint of fear as he looked at him straight into the eye; only a cold mocking smile appeared on his face as he said, “Feng Hengkong, your son is in my hands. As long as I will it, I can instantly extinguish his life… yet you still have the guts to threaten me. Should I praise you for your foolishness or should I pity this so-called prince whom in your eyes, is only an unimportant and worthless trash?”
Feng Hengkong’s chest rose with intensity; it looked like it could explode at any moment. He said with a sinister voice, “Yun Che! If you dare…”
CRRAACK!!
The sounds of bone shattering was once again emitted from the throat of the Fourteenth Prince, causing Feng Hengkong to fall into silence. Due to his extreme rage, Feng Hengkong’s bones also let out cracking sounds. All the other elders, princes as well as disciples were also shocked and angry.
“So what would happen if I dared?” Yun Che spoke as he narrowed his eyes into slits. Feng Xiluo, who was in his hands, was similar to a ghoul as his ashen face contorted under his fear and pain.
At this time, Great Elder Feng Feilie immediately sent a sound transmission to Feng Hengkong, “Sect Master, for Yun Che to come alone, he obviously does not plan to go back alive. A madman who has no regards for his life is capable of doing anything… Fourteenth Prince is currently in his hands, so we must not anger him! He’s only holding the Fourteenth Prince hostage and hasn’t committed a killing blow yet. It’s obvious that he has some motive… You need to pacify him and save the Fourteenth Prince before doing anything.”
Feng Hengkong took a deep breath as he tried his best to calm himself down, “Alright! Let him go, this emperor promises to let you go and no one is allowed to stop you.”
“Oh?” Yun Che smiled cheekily, “Divine Phoenix Sect Master could cause my Blue Wind Empire to turn into a river of blood at one command, and yet you’re suddenly acting so magnanimous now? You’re even going to pardon me of the ‘heinous crime’ of destroying your Phoenix God Sculpture?”
“Hmph!” Feng Hengkong snorted, “Our son’s life is much more valuable than yours! Before this emperor changes his mind, you’d better let him go and scram from here!”
Yun Che still had a sneer on his face; it was evident that he did not have any intention of letting Feng Xiluo go. In a leisurely manner, Yun Che said, “Feng Hengkong, it seems like not only is your personality far more disgusting than I have imagined, you seem to be an idiot as well. Just how did a person like you become the Sect Master of the Divine Phoenix Sect… it seems like everyone in this world has overestimated the might of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Use your pig brain and think it through. For me to come all the way here, do you think that I would leave empty-handed?!”
Yun Che’s words had undoubtedly caused all of the Phoenix disciples to nearly explode in rage; their sharp and vicious gaze could almost tear Yun Che into the smallest shreds. With each and every insult Yun Che threw at Feng Hengkong, the principles and values of the latter as a ruler seemed to shatter into pieces in front of all the Phoenix disciples. Feng Feilie frantically rushed forward and gave the enraged Feng Hengkong, who looked like he was going to explode at any moment, a look, before directly asking Yun Che, “Alright… Yun Che, since you’re holding our Fourteenth Prince hostage, our Divine Phoenix Sect will accede to your demands! Just list down whatever conditions you have!”
“Very good.” Yun Che nodded in satisfaction as he leisurely continued, “Based on the heinous crimes that your Divine Phoenix Sect has committed, I had originally wanted to exterminate all of you, only leaving Xue’er behind. However, it’s a pity that I’m still a consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family, and there are some matters that I have to consider for the sake of my empress. Also, because Xue’er had saved my life before, I shall not kill anyone and give your Divine Phoenix Sect a chance.”
A single person, standing in the territory of the Divine Phoenix Sect, saying that he wanted to exterminate the entire sect… was now giving them “a chance.” The entire Divine Phoenix Sect did not know whether to laugh or to cry. However, their Fourteenth Prince’s life was still in Yun Che’s hands. hence, they did not dare to make any noise…
In this world, was there anything that would be more indignant than this?
In the next moment, they were going to find out… that there actually was!!
“If you want me to let your Divine Phoenix Sect off, you just have to agree to three conditions.” Yun Che, who was surrounded by the Divine Phoenix Sect, had imbued his voice with profound energy and spoke in a voice that every corner of Divine Phoenix City could hear, “Firstly, within thirty days, the entire Divine Phoenix Army must get out of my Blue Wind Nation’s territory. Not one person or a strand of hair can be left behind!! Furthermore, you are not allowed to step foot into my Blue Wind Nation for the next hundred years!
“Secondly,” without waiting for the Divine Phoenix Sect’s reply, Yun Che had already continued, “You, Feng Hengkong, must personally pen a letter of apology towards my Blue Wind Nation! This must be announced to the world!!
“Thirdly, you must compensate my Blue Wind Nation ten billion purple profound coins!!”
Calling back the Divine Phoenix Sect troops was not a surprising condition. They had all guessed that this was probably the reason why Yun Che had come. However, they did not expect that this was only the first of his conditions. When Yun Che had finished saying his second condition, all the Phoenix Elders nearly exploded with rage… For them to apologize to the lowly Blue Wind Nation? This was undoubtedly an absolute joke.
When Yun Che had finished saying his third condition, even all of the disciples present nearly passed out in rage.
Compensation… Ten billion purple profound coins.
Exchanging it to yellow profound coins… that was a hundred trillion!
The first condition was to protect Blue Wind Nation, the second condition was to make the Divine Phoenix Nation lose all their face, and the third condition was to cause the Divine Phoenix Nation to suffer a huge loss… From Divine Phoenix Sect’s perspective, this was the biggest joke in the world! Though Feng Xiluo was indeed a Divine Phoenix Prince, even if Yun Che was holding Crown Prince Feng Ximing hostage, the Divine Phoenix Sect would never apologize to the lowly Blue Wind Nation, let alone talk about the third condition.
Did Yun Che think that he was holding the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Phoenix God hostage?!
Feng Hengkong’s rage turned into laughter, “Yun Che, did you think that just by holding our son hostage that we would not dare to do anything to you! This emperor has already given you a chance to live, but you are stubbornly seeking death…”
“No, no, no!” Yun Che interrupted while laughing coldly, “I am the one giving you all a chance! In my entire life, I have never offered such a magnanimous chance, yet you seem to be unwilling to accept it. Tch… On behalf of Xue’er, let me remind you one last time that you should take ahold of this chance. If you still fail to appreciate my kindness and choose to remain stubborn, I will not offer such ‘discounted’ terms anymore.”
When Yun Che said his last sentence, his face was as vicious as a cobra, and his laugh was as sinister as the devil’s.
“HAHAHAHA!” Feng Hengkong laughed loudly. However, the laughter was sinister and filled with anger. He swung his arms, stared at Yun Che like an eagle, and walked towards Yun Che step by step, “My Divine Phoenix Sect has reigned on top of Profound Sky for five thousand years, and we have never feared anyone, nor has anyone ever threatened us before! Those that dare to offend my Divine Phoenix, whether it be a person, clan, or nation can all be eliminated at the lift of my finger! This emperor really wants to see whether or not you have the guts to kill my son!”
BOOM!
The moment Feng Hengkong’s sonorous voice stopped, a ball of fire also erupted from Yun Che’s body.
Feng Hengkong stood rooted on the ground as his pupils contracted. His body first became stiff, then it trembled vigorously… several terrible shrieks that could nearly pierce the heavens rang beside his ears.
Within the flames, Feng Xiluo’s body turned into millions of pieces and dispersed. Before he died, he didn’t even have the chance to make a sound; even the pieces of his corpse were quickly burnt into ashes by the flame. Yun Che pulled his arm back and swung his right hand strongly in front of his body. With a cold smile and a sinister expression, he calmly asked, “What now?”
Yellow sand filled the sky in front of Blue Wind Imperial City, and the earth trembled as blood flowed in rivers and corpses covered the field.
The ferocious battle that had been going on for a full day and night had resulted in Blue Wind Imperial City having their entire defensive line broken. The last line of defense was already pressed up against the city gates by the huge Divine Phoenix Army.
The Divine Phoenix Army was clad completely in red. Their scarlet armor and weapons, which emitted a scorching aura, had all been refined with phoenix flames by the Divine Phoenix Sect. Not only were their armor and weapons light, their offensive and defensive capabilities were incomparably strong. It was not something the heavy silver armor and weapons of the Blue Wind Army could compare with. Moreover, the average strength of the soldiers in the Divine Phoenix Army was far greater than those of the Blue Wind Army. To sum it up, it would not be exaggerated to say that one troop of Divine Phoenix soldiers could fight against ten troops of Blue Wind soldiers!
The earth had long ago been dyed red with blood, and the color of the ground was even redder than the scarlet armor of the Divine Phoenix Army. Countless corpses lay strewn across every inch of the ground in front of the Imperial City, yet this slaughter still continued. Seven hundred thousand Divine Phoenix Army soldiers majestically advanced forward. They spread as far as the horizon and seemed to be a blood-red tidal wave that came from the depths of hell to eternally engulf Blue Wind Nation.
There were less than one hundred thousand troops left of the million-soldier defensive unit that Blue Wind Imperial City had scrounged together with all of its might. Yet they still persisted in their desperate struggle, yelling until their voices went hoarse. However, these voices soon began to become weighed down by grief and despair.
Countless arrows frantically poured down in squalls from the city walls, becoming an enduring tempest of missiles. This slightly slowed down the advance of the Divine Phoenix Army which was approaching the city gates. In the middle of the city walls, the commander-in-chief of the Blue Wind Army, Feng Yunlie, steadily roared out commands. His voice had long ago gone hoarse, but every roar of his still shook the mountains and rivers.
Cang Yue quietly stood not far from his right. Today, she did not wear the phoenix coronet, and her pitch-black hair danced in the winds of war. She silently observed the carnage, but her expression contained no grimness or sorrow. Instead, it was blanketed with a calm akin to still water… because this day would have come regardless, it was not something that could have been avoided.
By her side stood Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang. As they looked at blood of their martyrs being splashed across the city gate and the gradually diminishing Blue Wind Army, they had long ago lost their composure, and their eyes kept darting to Cang Yue as they time and again stopped themselves from speaking.
The blistering squall of arrows which descended from the walls suddenly began to subside, and soon, it had dribbled into nothingness. With the greatest threat removed, the Divine Phoenix Army, which had already gained the advantage, fiercely pressed forward, and in the blink of an eye, they had pushed the Blue Wind Army’s last line of defense to the verge of collapse.
“General Feng, our arrows have been completely exhausted!!”
The hopeless news did not cause Feng Yunlie to move an inch. His eyes grew red and he let out a hoarse yell, “Open the city gates!!”
Amidst Feng Yunlie’s angry roar, the clanking sound of the great gates of Blue Wind Imperial City gradually opening could be heard. Feng Yunlie turned around and faced Empress Cang Yue, “Empress, allow Palace Chief Dongfang to escort you…”
“Speak no further.” Cang Yue’s voice contained an incomparable amount of calm and resolve, “We have vowed to live or perish together with Blue Wind Imperial City!”
“Bang.” A heavy sound rang out as Feng Yunlie fell to his knees and kowtowed deeply to Cang Yue. “To be able to be your majesty’s servant is the honor of this general Feng Yunlie’s life! And in the next life, this general will once again stake his life under your majesty’s command!”
“Clash!”
Feng Yunlie raised his long blade and bounded down the wall as his voice shook the earth, “Men of Blue Wind, follow me… Slaughter these wild dogs from the Divine Phoenix Empire!!”
The city gates swung open, and all of the archers had thrown away their steel bows and picked up sharp sword or spears. They yelled as they rushed out the city gates, welcoming the impending forces of the Divine Phoenix Army.
At this moment, everyone could practically see that the moment of Blue Wind Imperial City’s final capitulation was at hand. Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang glanced at each other before bitterly exchanging a faint nod. Dongfang Xiu silently advanced a step forward, but before he could even lift his hand, he heard Cang Yue say in a chilly voice, “Palace Chief Dongfang, if you dare to knock us unconscious and carry us away, we will immediately bite our tongue and commit suicide the moment we have awoken!”
Dongfang Xiu froze in place, and he helplessly let his hand drop to his side as he let out a long sigh.
The Divine Phoenix Army constantly surged forward, and there seemed to be no end to them. Meanwhile, Blue Wind Imperial City had entered its final struggle, and those archers who yelled as they charged out the city gates were the last dredges of the Blue Wind Army.
“Close the city gates… follow me to kill!!!”
Feng Yunlie’s roar rang in the air, and the city gates at their back began to slowly close with a low and deep rumbling sound. They had sealed the final defense of Blue Wind Imperial City, but at the same time, they had also sealed off their only path of retreat.
Cang Yue stood on top of the wall and heard the roars of the soldiers as she observed the blood-soaked battlefield. Her eyes could no longer maintain their calm, and they were now covered in a thick haze of tears. She raised both her hands and used all of her profound energy to shout, “Warriors of Blue Wind Nation, you have battled to this point, proving that you are already the greatest heroes of our Blue Wind Nation! Even though our homeland has been pillaged by these bandits, this land will forever remember your blood and your heroic souls! We, along with all the sons and daughters of Blue Wind, will forever remember your unyielding spirits!”
“We are right behind you right now! We will share the final glory of Blue Wind Nation along with you… and will live or die together with it!!”
Cang Yue’s voice resounded in the ears of every Blue Wind soldier. Their blood burned, and their faces twisted into expressions that were as sinister a demon’s. Their eyes also turned as scarlet as that of bloodthirsty wolves as the aura around their bodies began to surge crazily…
An earth-shaking roar rang out across the sky that had been dyed blood red. There was no path of retreat left, and death was right at their doorstep, yet they did not feel any terror. Instead, they brought forth all their power, battle intent, fury, and resentment as they barrelled towards the Divine Phoenix Army which had originally been a symbol of terror.
The air which carried the thick smell of blood suddenly became frenzied as the shouts across the battlefield grew louder by several times. The soldiers of Blue Wind who were already at death’s door did not know pain, terror, or death. Facing the assault of the Divine Phoenix Army, they abandoned all defense and retreat. They willingly thrust themselves upon the weapons of the enemy and then fiercely roared as they thrust their swords and spears at their enemy’s vitals.
There were some of them who had their bones broken simply by the impact of the armor of the Divine Phoenix Army, but these people used the bones of their jagged arms and thrust them towards the throats of their opponents. There were others who had their weapons shattered by the enemy, those who rushed forward despite their chests being impaled, and those whose skin between their fingers split apart in order to thrust their weapons into a chink of the enemies’ armor. There were some who were sent flying by the charging heavy cavalry, but they refused to allow themselves to faint and continued to thrust themselves back into the fray like hungry tigers, dragging down the riders from their mounts so as to allow their companions to pierce the enemy’s throats with their sharp weapons.
The smell of blood in the air thickened even further as the battle progressed. What was originally a one-sided battle that was nearing its end, suddenly underwent a terrible change. The strength and equipment of every soldier in the Divine Phoenix numbers was ten times better than that of a soldier in the Blue Wind Army, but during this final resistance of the Blue Wind Army, every soldier from the Blue Wind Army managed to drag at least one soldier of the Divine Phoenix Army down with them to the grave.
Amidst the howling, bloody wind, another fifty thousand soldiers from the Blue Wind Army died miserably while the Divine Phoenix Army… had actually lost more than fifty thousand troops as well. But there was no despair that showed on the faces of the remaining fifty thousand troops of the Divine Phoenix Army. Instead, their expressions twisted into the likeness of sinister demons… and their eyes, voices, and auras seemed to become like that of a vengeful demon from the depths of the abyss.
They were not doing this for victory, but to use their own lives to fight against fate!
Yet the clearly superior Divine Phoenix Army began to tremble. Because on the brink of their final victory, they were not facing opponents who had abandoned all hope and lost all morale… instead, they were facing battle spirits that were not afraid of death!
“Sss…” In the air above the Divine Phoenix Army, the face of Duan Qinghang, the second-in-command of the Divine Phoenix Army, turned green, and he could not help but exhale a cold breath. From these Blue Wind soldiers, not only could he see a fighting spirit that had been ignited to its limit, he even saw the fires of their very lives burning… Every single one of them had a power that was clearly miniscule, but at this time, it even caused him, a level six Throne, to feel a bone-piercing chill. “That Blue Wind Empress… just a few short words from her caused these Blue Wind soldiers to go completely berserk!”
“Phew!” Qi Zhencang, the commander of the Divine Phoenix Army, also let out a long breath and said, “She has only been on the throne for less than three years and she is only a little girl of twenty years of age. But she has already become the spiritual support of the Blue Wind Army! If not for her, we would not be in this situation where we are still struggling to completely conquer this Blue Wind Nation.”
“All these years, she wielded the frail military might of Blue Wind Nation masterfully, using all sorts terrains and formations to restrict and batter our army countless of times. We repeatedly entreated her to surrender, and we promised that, as long as she did so, not only would her life be spared, she would even be designated as the lord of the Blue Wind territories. Yet she completely rejected us! And now that our troops are breathing down her neck, while she has had countless opportunities to flee, she instead personally stood at the rear of her troops, vowing to live or die together with her troops and her country… With this kind of ruler, someone who is only a girl of twenty summers, as men, what reason would they have to not fight desperately to the end?!”
“Honestly speaking, I, Qi Zhencang, have never truly admired a woman in my life before… she is the first one!”
Duan Qinghang’s brows furrowed as he replied, “The aura of our army is weakening ,and there are even some who are cowering from battle… Tch!”
“So why aren’t the both of you taking any action?! What are you doing just standing there and staring!!”
A low voice rang out from behind them. The two swiftly turned around and bowed their heads in respect. “Nineteenth Elder, Forty-third Elder.”
Two middle-aged men dressed in scarlet robes had suddenly appeared behind them; they had eyes that carried firelight and beards like fire. The dull golden phoenixes embroidered on their red robes signified their exalted status—Elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect!
Among the three great commanders of the Divine Phoenix Army, only Feng Huwei was from the Divine Phoenix Sect. But within every army, there would be a “supervisor” from the Divine Phoenix Sect. And within the core army, there would be two elder-class individuals to supervise it. They would normally not take any action, however. As elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect and as powerful Overlords who looked down on everything under heaven, they were not suited to act in this kind of battle. Furthermore, they disdained to take such actions as well. Their duties were to observe the movements and developments of the army and to personally report back to Divine Phoenix Sect Master, Feng Hengkong.
And right now, in this battle to conquer Blue Wind Imperial City, they had already grown impatient.
“An entire three years have gone by, yet we are unable to completely conquer this tiny Blue Wind Nation! Sect Master has already been moved to anger many times! Blue Wind Imperial City is right now before our very eyes, yet a day and a night of fierce battle has not been able to break it yet! Furthermore, in just a short two hours, we actually lost tens of thousands of elite troops! This is simply preposterous!” The Nineteenth Elder Feng Feiheng roared furiously, “How am I supposed to report this to the Sect Master?!”
Qi Zhencang smiled bitterly and replied, “I pray that the two elders be appeased. The last dregs of the Blue Wind Army have consigned themselves to death and are trading their lives for one last fight. On the battlefield, the kind of troops who have their backs against the wall and are willing to fight to the end are the scariest. We cannot afford to be negligent in the face of such fighting spirit… At present, we might have to sacrifice tens of thousands of troops in order to completely destroy the remnants of the Blue Wind Army.”
“Hmph!” Feng Feiheng’s expression was flushed with anger. “Why should tens of thousands of our Divine Phoenix soldiers accompany these pitiful and inferior remnants to their deaths?! We had originally expected that there would be no more than a few tens of thousands of casualties in the taking of this small Blue Wind Imperial City, so we never had the intention to intervene. But it looks like that was a great mistake indeed! If things continue the way they have been going, even if we are able to conquer this Blue Wind Imperial City… we wouldn’t have any face to go back and see the Sect Master!”
“Feiying!” Feng Feiheng said as he looked to the side.
“Heh heh.” The Forty-third Elder, Feng Feiying, immediately responded. With a dull laugh, he rose into the air and flew towards the city gates of Blue Wind Imperial City. The indomitable aura belonging to an Overlord enveloped the area, instantly suppressing most of the screams emanating from the battlefield. He looked down below, observing the ants that were clustered together. His arm ignited with flames, and with a casual flick, he sent a ball of phoenix flames streaking towards the city gates.
Chapter 652 - Tempest of Rage
A stifling aura of suppression shot down from above, causing Dongfang Xiu to unwittingly raise his head. He saw the flaming ball flying right at them… it was only a tiny fireball, but it carried with it a suppressive force that caused his entire body to instantly convulse… because it was made of phoenix flames, and it was phoenix flames from an Overlord at that!
Dongfang Xiu’s entire body froze, and his face went pale due to alarm. He instantly used his body to shield Cang Yue, and he caused all the profound energy in his body to unreservedly surge forth, yelling in a loud voice, “Scram… Everyone get away from here!!”
Booom!!
Dongfang Xiu’s voice was swallowed up by the raging sounds of battle, and the phoenix flames mercilessly fell to the ground, causing an explosion which caused the heaven and earth to tremble. A pillar of violent flames rushed towards the sky in front of the gates of Blue Wind Imperial City. It was as if a slumbering volcano had suddenly erupted to life.
Over two thousand Blue Wind soldiers were engulfed within the firestorm as they were mercilessly incinerated by the phoenix flames, and the number of heavily injured people who were sent flying by the explosion was uncountable. Feng Yunlie was fiercely smashed against the city wall in the aftermath of that explosion. His whole body was covered in blood, and he was not able to stand for a long time. Behind him, the already ravaged city gates and wall had been devastated by the phoenix flames to the point where they were on the verge of collapse.
Even though he was on the edge of the blast, Dongfang Xiu still had to use all his strength to block the impact, managing to somehow come out of it unscathed while fully protecting Cang Yue. He glared furiously at the sky, but the phoenix robes and the golden embroidery on them caused his pupils to contract suddenly—because those were symbols that clearly marked this person as an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect!!
And to be qualified to become an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, one’s profound strength had to be at least at the fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm!
So that was to say that the red-robed man floating in the air… was at the very least a mid-stage Overlord! A terrifying existence that his Blue Wind Imperial City could definitely not resist! His phoenix flames could easily reduce all of Blue Wind Imperial City to cinders in the blink of an eye.
The veins on Dongfang Xiu’s forehead stood out as he furiously rebuked the man, “As a grand and glorious elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, how could you stoop so low as to take action against normal soldiers… Do you want to even abandon your pride as a profound practitioner of the Tyrant Profound Realm?!!”
“Palace Chief Dongfang, there is no need to get angry,” Cang Yue said in a chilly voice. “The Divine Phoenix Sect has long ago completely abandoned any semblance of conscience or virtue, so why would they still care about their sense of honor?!”
“Hehehe.” Feng Feiying was not the least bit infuriated as he gazed down from above… and it was a gaze which looked down from above in judgement while carrying the slightest trace of pity. “This elder is not interfering with the battles of mere mortals, I am merely granting you one final chance. Open the city, surrender to us, and obediently wait to captured. Then it might still be possible for you to be…”
“Old bandit of the Divine Phoenix Sect, you can stop your wishful thinking!” Cang Yue’s delicate brows drew themselves into cold crescent moons, and every word that proceeded from her mouth was filled with hate, “We would hate to be the ruler of a dead kingdom… so even if we were to die a thousand times, we would never became slaves from a vanquished nation!!”
A girl who was barely twenty years of age, with the aura of a True Profound Realm practitioner… yet the sharpness and coldness of her gaze caused him to look away. Feng Feiying gave a cold laugh, and his whole body starting burning with flames. “Then all of you can accompany this wretched and pitiful city to become ashes and scorched earth!!”
Whoosh!!!
The scarlet flames on Feng Feiying’ body instantly soared up tens of meters into the sky, and in a three thousand kilometer radius around him, the temperature sharply rose. All of Blue Wind Imperial City was engulfed in an oppressive heat, and a scarlet light blanketed the entire sky in the blink of an eye.
“Stop… Stop it!!” Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang’s line of sight had completely been flooded by the scarlet-red fire light, causing all color to drain from their face… if such a fearsome phoenix fire smashed against them, it would completely incinerate the northern part of Blue Wind Imperial City. Not only would it destroy the city wall and city gates, it would also consume countless soldiers. Moreover, even more innocent civilians who were not willing to flee would be buried in the aftershock.
Feng Feiying, who had lost his patience long ago, would definitely not stop. He looked down on the people and city wall below, and a brutal thrill ran through him. “All you inferior denizens of this fallen nation who vainly attempt to rebel against our Divine Phoenix Empire, go to hell!”
Amidst his brash laughter, the phoenix flames which hid the sky and covered the earth mercilessly rained down. It was as if a glorious sun had collapsed in the middle of the sky as the red light of death enshrouded the northern part of Blue Wind Imperial City.
“Protect her Majesty!!” Feng Yunlie extended a blood-stained arm as he let out cry that was choked up by blood.
Dongfang Xiu, Qin Wushang, and all the most powerful practitioners of the Blue Wind Profound Palace had long ago shielded Cang Yue. All the profound energy in their bodies began to frantically surge out as their faces were distorted with pain… because each and every one of them knew that this was the phoenix flame produced by a mid-stage Overlord. So even if they used all their strength or even if they were ten times stronger than they were at present, they still could not block this attack.
Cang Yue tilted her head upwards and looked at the flames of death which were growing closer and closer. But there was no alarm or terror on her face; instead, those beautiful eyes began to mist up…
Finally… is it going to be over…
Royal Father… Yue’er really cannot go on any longer… these three years… I have been so burdened… so afraid… and so tired…
“Your Majesty!!”
“Protect her majesty… Protect her majesty!”
The sounds around her gradually faded away, and very slowly, she began to close her eyes as two tears slid silently down her cheeks. Yet her mouth curved up to form a gentle and beautiful smile… Husband… I can finally… come and accompany you…
The all-encompassing crimson flames grew closer and closer and shone on faces that were filled with boundless hate and despair. Each person bitterly closed their eyes and awaited the arrival of death and destruction.
At this time, a deep and low explosion rang through the air as another cluster of flames that came out of nowhere collided with the first flaming ball. That cluster of flames was also scarlet in color, but it was a much deeper red, and it burned with even more intensity. In an instant, that ball of fire had already spread more than three kilometers wide, and even though it began its descent, it was not falling onto Blue Wind Imperial City. Instead, it was collapsing on the phoenix flames which were assaulting the city… and in a mere blink of an eye, the phoenix flames released by Feng Feiying had been completely swallowed up.
The phoenix flames which had been devoured stopped its descent and began to furiously struggle. But these terrifying flames which came from an all-powerful Overlord was like an earthworm that had fallen into the mouth of a python in front of these flames. Its pitiful struggles only lasted for a fraction of a second before it was completely extinguished, and besides a few small threads of smoke that wafted through the air, there was not a trace of its existence left… and there was nothing to left to stain even the smallest speck of land in Blue Wind Imperial City.
Feng Feiying’s eyes dramatically bulged out, and he looked as if he had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world. At this time, the cluster of flames which had completely extinguished his phoenix flames rushed towards him, and despite the hundreds of meters separating the two, the scorching aura seemed to plunge him into a purgatory of flames.
“Feiying… fall back now!!”
Feng Feiheng was extremely clear on just how much destructive power the phoenix flames that Feng Feiying had released just now possessed. To be able to extinguish that cluster of flames in an instant… the fearsomeness of those scarlet flames was unimaginable! As he saw those flames storm towards Feng Feiying, he desperately roared out those words.
Even though Feng Feiying was in a state of shock, his reaction speed was still extremely fast, and he circulated all the profound energy in his body to make a swift retreat… But after he had flown several kilometers, he was still caught by the edges of that scarlet fire.
“Uwaahhhhhh!!!!”
An extremely shrill and miserable cry pierced the skies above the blood-soaked battlefield. The very moment Feng Feiying was touched by that scarlet flame, his entire body was instantly transformed into that of a human torch. He unceremoniously fell from the sky and just happened to land in a location that was not to far away from Feng Feiheng. After that, he began rolling on the floor, howling in agony… But the scarlet flames on his body grew more and more intense, and they were accompanied by a pungent smell of roasting flesh.
“Feiying!!”
Feng Feiheng quickly rushed forward, but before he could come within five steps of Feng Feiying, he was assaulted by a scorching sensation that was hard to endure. It caused his expression to change dramatically as he retreated in a hurry. And by the time he had recovered from his shock, Feng Feiying’s screams had already stilled, and the flames on his body had been extinguished as well… The only thing that was left was a completely charred corpse, and the only thing that was recognizable was a clawed and charred hand which stretched towards the sky with all five fingers contorted in agony.
The Divine Phoenix Army commanders, Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghai, had become completely petrified. Even more so, when they looked at that charred corpse, their eyes were filled with boundless shock and horror.
The air was incomparably hot, and within his body, there flowed the Phoenix bloodline which glowed even hotter, yet Feng Feiheng clearly felt a piercing cold aura start up his spine and spread to the rest of his body…
Feng Feiying was ranked forty-third amongst all the elders in the Divine Phoenix Sect! Furthermore, he was a level five Overlord who could lord it over most of the world! Feng Feiying’s profound strength was only lower than his by two levels… yet he had only come into the briefest contact with those scarlet flames… and as a result, he had been burned into ashes in the space of a few breaths! He did not even have the opportunity to struggle or resist.
He was very sure that those scarlet flames were not phoenix flames because they did not have a trace of the aura given out by phoenix flames. But the power and the aura of these flames were sufficient to cause him, who possessed the strongest flames in the world—the Phoenix flames, to feel utter dread. He raised his head to look at the sky and roared in a trembling voice, “Who is it?! Who is it?!”
The flames in the sky had disappeared, and the red light and scorching heat that had obscured the sky had disappeared along with it. But the light was clearly much dimmer than it had been before, as if a storm of dark clouds had replaced the fire which blanketed the sky. At the same time, an extremely heavy and gloomy pressure soundlessly engulfed the entire area. And under this pressure, the raging battlefield immediately became desolate. Not a single person could utter a sound, nor could a single person even breath; even the blood flowing along the ground seemed to stop in its tracks, as if it had been completely and utterly frozen.
In addition, this pressure was not only heavy, it also contained a boundless rage… The rage was so violent that it seemed that it would burst open and explode at any moment.
Everyone unconsciously raised their heads to peer into the distant sky… where a figure stood wreathed in flames. The flames were so thick that they were unable to make anything out of it, resulting in them only being able to see an indistinct silhouette. The aura of rage that hung in the air was too fierce and terrifying, so it caused all who were present to be unable to differentiate whether what was burning on that person’s body was profound flames or flames of pure rage.
Furthermore, not far behind him stood another three figures, but all eyes were on the burning man, so no one took notice of them.
“Who… who is… who is that…” Looking at the burning figure in the skies above, Dongfang Xiu’s pupils dilated, and he could not suppress the shock and fear in his voice. Even though that person had used a strong and unfathomable power to extinguish the flames that were falling on Blue Wind Imperial City and had easily destroyed an invincible elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, he did not seem to be an enemy… but that person’s aura of power and rage was simply far too terrifying… As the Palace Chief of Blue Wind, he had never experienced this degree of dread in his life before… No! He had not even experienced one-tenth of the fear he was experiencing right now.
He had no doubts whatsoever that with such terrifying power, destroying the entire Blue Wind Imperial City… would be as easy and quick as flipping a hand.
Who was this person… and when did such a person exist in the Profound Sky Continent… and why would this person help Blue Wind…
“Uwah… It’s really… really scary…” Number Seven Under Heaven covered half of her eyes while relentlessly burrowing into Xiao Yun’s chest.
“This is indeed horrifying to the point where it cannot be described with mere words.” Number One Under Heaven observed the battlefield where rivers of blood ran and bodies were strewn everywhere. If even his heart palpitated at such a sight, then it was natural that Number Seven would do so as well. They had accompanied Yun Che and used the Primordial Profound Ark to transverse space from New Moon City, and they instantly arrived in this place… He had expected to arrive in the field of battle, but he did not expect to see such a horrific and miserable sight.
“No, it’s not that…” Number Seven Under Heaven said as her body curled up, “I am talking ab… I am talking about Big Brother Yun! He seems to be really scary right now…”
“Big Brother…” Xiao Yun cautiously made his way forward, but he was immediately held back by Number One Under Heaven. “Do not approach him!”
Beneath the Golden Crow flames, Yun Che’s body began to steadily tremble … That tempest of rage caused Number One Under Heaven to feel a deep and intense dread.
Chapter 653 - I’m Back…
“Who… who are you… Why are you attacking my Divine Phoenix Army…”
Qi Zhencang, the commander-in-chief of the Divine Phoenix Army, had experienced all kinds of grand scenes. Even when they were facing the lords of great nations like Navy Tide and Black Fiend, he would hold his head up high, and his roar would be so loud that it would shake the sky. But the sound that he roared out at this moment carried a tremor that couldn’t be suppressed, especially the last few words, and even he himself could hear the sound of his teeth shivering.
That aura of profound energy was incredibly scary, but what made him in even more afraid was the furious atmosphere that covered the sky and sun. Under this rage, the large battlefield was as if it was covered by a large, black pot… He was sure that even thousands or millions of desperate wolves wouldn’t be able to release such a horrifying aura… and it actually came from a single person!
It was also his appearance that made this large battlefield become as cold and still as the deep netherworld so suddenly.
Yun Che’s anger was boiling crazily, and he could feel that every single cell in his body was on the edge of exploding. He came here in a hurry with longing and joyous emotions, he thought that he could see the people that he had been missing day and night very soon, and reunite with them… But he never thought that what welcomed him would be a homeland violated and riddled with gaping wounds!
This was the second time that Yun Che had completely lost control of his temper in Profound Sky Continent… The first time was back when Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi were kidnapped by the Burning Heaven Clan, and this time, it was even more uncontrollable than before! His rage was mixed with flames and burned violently, and even the world that he saw was covered in a layer of scarlet.
Qi Zhencang’s voice came from afar. The flames on Yun Che’s body shook violently as he suddenly dropped from the sky onto the Divine Phoenix Army.
More than five kilometers of the nearby land shook violently. The flames on Yun Che were accompanied by an extremely forceful profound energy storm and it was released to his surroundings. Countless soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army were rolling on the ground while wailing in fear, and even the mounts of the cavalry screamed out of fear. When each of them stood up from the ground in distress, and looked at the shadow of a person who was falling from the sky, each of their pupils instantly enlarged until it almost exploded…
Because they saw the most terrifying scene in their whole life.
More than five kilometers of the ground collapsed severely, with Yun Che’s foot as the center. Countless cracks on the ground radiated outward, the longest crack spreading until it went as far as one could see, and it was three meters wide. And within the three thousand meters of area around him, the originally densely packed Divine Phoenix Army there all disappeared, even those densely piled corpses all disappeared without a trace… Following, pieces of armor and the remains of the corpses fell from the sky, becoming a true rain of blood!
“You… will… all… die!!”
Countless Divine Phoenix Army soldiers collapsed in extreme shock and horror. More than ten thousand companions couldn’t give them any sense of security. The sound ringing by their ears… it didn’t even seem to be the voice of a human, but the deadly curse of the reaper.
“This is… the power of a Monarch!”
Feng Feiheng said as his voice shivered. He couldn’t understand how a Monarch would appear in the territory of this Blue Wind Nation! His momentum and all of his actions obviously showed that he sided with Blue Wind Nation… The small Blue Wind Nation, the peak of their profound realm was only at Thrones, how was it possible for them to have a Monarch as an ally—in another way, Monarch, this type of aloof existence that looked down on the whole universe, why would an honorable being like him help a small Blue Wind Nation!
“What? Mo… monarch!?” Feng Feiheng’s words made Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang lose the color in their faces simultaneously out of fear. Even though the two of them were only Thrones, they knew clearly what the concept of “Monarch” meant! Their Divine Phoenix Nation, Divine Phoenix Sect’s Sect Master Feng Hengkong was also only at the peak of Overlord, and the fifty-six elders were all only mid-late stage Overlords… In the whole Divine Phoenix Sect, only among people like the Grand Sect Masters and Grand Elders, there existed a few limited, more than ten Monarchs, and these people, were the true foundation of Divine Phoenix Sect. They were an existence that surpassed the world. They almost never showed their faces normally, and even when Feng Hengkong met them, he would be very respectful towards them.
Millions of Divine Phoenix Army soldiers were enough to destroy Blue Wind Nation, but when facing a real Monarch, they were not much different from millions of ants.
“Commander Qi, what do we do… If he really is a Monarch…” Duan Qinghang said in a trembling voice. After having spent most of his lifetime on the battlefield, even when he faced enemies that ten times as many forces as his army, he wouldn’t panic at all, but if the person before his eyes was really a Monarch, then it was not something that could be fought with an “army!”
Because when one reached this high realm that could look down upon the sky… the so-called numbers, armaments, disposition of troops, morale, strategies… These all became useless jokes.
“It shouldn’t be like this… Absolutely shouldn’t be like this! How is it possible that a Monarch would aid the small Blue Wind Nation!” Feng Feiheng gnashed his teeth and said, “Let me go to him and…”
Feng Feiheng’s voice suddenly stopped at this moment, because as the flames on Yun Che’s body dispersed and the blood rain that was all over the sky stopped, he saw Yun Che’s face clearly… At that instant, his pupils shrank abruptly, he lost his voice as he yelled, “Yun… Yun Che!!”
Even though Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang have heard of Yun Che’s name many times, they had never seen him in person before. But for Feng Feiheng, as the elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, three years ago, he was naturally at the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament… Those who had experienced that Seven Nation Ranking Tournament personally would never forget Yun Che’s face for the rest of their lives.
When Feng Feiheng yelled Yun Che’s name, Cang Yue’s eyes that were watching Yun Che’s back were already dull. Her eyes were trembling and lips were shivering, but no sound came out between her lips. She was stunned while she reached out her arm towards the direction of Yun Che, and her feet tried to move towards him unconsciously, but her vision became more and more blurry, even the strength in her whole body was disappearing completely without a sound, making her body fall down slowly…
“Your majesty!” Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang wanted to hold her up in panic, but a golden shadow suddenly swung, and an incredibly fierce storm overwhelmed them, suddenly rendering them defenseless and knocking them backwards, almost falling on the ground. Cang Yue, who almost fell on the ground, was held in the arms of a man in golden clothing. They focused their eyes and looked at the person who was holding Cang Yue, and then their eyes widened immensely at the same time.
“Yun… Yun Che!?”
“It really is you!?”
Yun Che held Cang Yue in his arms, and the anger that was on the edge of being uncontrollable was surrounded by deep, gentle feeling and satisfaction, and he slowly calmed down. He had his back facing her earlier, but just as she started falling, it was as if there was a voice calling to him from the bottom on his heart, which made him turn around on instinct and rush towards her.
“Yue’er…” He held onto the body that was a lot weaker than it was three years ago. His heart was in extreme pain, and he didn’t know whether he should feel hatred or be glad. He hated that disaster was brought to Blue Wind Nation, and the pressure of the doom of the nation was carried heavily by her for a whole three years. He was glad that he could be back in time at this last moment, and still be able to hold her in his arms.
If he came back slightly later… The consequences, he couldn’t dare to think about it.
Cang Yue’s eyes were unfocused like fog, and she looked at Yun Che who was close to her openly. At this moment, she didn’t have any of the prestige or determination that she had normally; she was so weak that it made people’s hearts ache. Her lips moved slightly, and her voice was as if she was still dreaming, “Hus… band… Is it… really you…”
“It’s me! It’s me!” Yun Che nodded his head as hard as he could, “I’m back…”
“Am… I… dreaming…”
“Of course not!” Yun Che immediately held Cang Yue’s palm against his face to let her feel his body’s temperature, “I am right here. Here in one piece… Look at me closely, this is not a dream. I didn’t die… I didn’t die at all… My Yue’er is still waiting for me to return, how could I die…”
The warmth, body, and scent that she missed and yearned for in her dreams… Cang Yue’s tears flooded out of her eyes… At this moment, the Divine Phoenix, war, destruction of the nation, determination, hatred… nothing was important anymore. The figure of the person who had returned to her side like a dream had completely filled her heart and soul. She caressed Yun Che’s face clingingly; her vision was like a blur, and her voice was as if she were in a pipe dream, “My Junior Brother Yun… My husband didn’t die… That’s great… that’s… great…”
She spoke in a low voice while crying, her arms fell down slowly, and her eyes also slowly closed… Under the large shock to her heart and soul, she peacefully passed out in Yun Che’s arms, only there was still a tear falling silently from the corner of her eye.
Yue Che pressed his palm onto her chest and inserted the energy of heaven and earth into her body. Her inner vitality was incredibly weak; Yun Che could imagine that she probably hadn’t slept for many days and nights.
“Yue’er, rest well… I will take care of the rest.” Yun Che mumbled softly in a low voice. He held Cang Yue, stood up slowly, faced Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang’s fully red faces, bowed slightly and said, “Palace Chief Dongfang, Palace Chief Qin, thank you two for protecting my Yue’er… Thank you for your hard work all this time.”
“This is… part of our job.” When he looked at Yun Che, Dongfang Xiu’s emotions couldn’t be calmed. Three years ago, he was buried on the Primordial Profound Ark, there was no way he could have survived. Blue Wind Nation had lost its prince consort and lost its brightest pearl. But… he lived and came back! And his power increased “earth-shatteringly”!
He didn’t dare to guess Yun Che’s strength now, but killing a Divine Phoenix Sect’s Elder figure within a few breaths, the Yun Che before his eyes… This young man who had once moved the whole Blue Wind Profound Palace, his profound energy plane now was already so strong that he couldn’t even see it.
“It’s good that you’re back, good that you’re back,” Qin Wushang nodded hard, being extremely overwhelmed, he already didn’t know what to say.
Xiao Yun and the others landed from the sky, came behind Yun Che, and Yun Che put Cang Yue who was in his arms into Number Seven Under Heaven’s arms, “Seventh Sister, protect her for me. She is my wife.”
Number Seven Under Heaven nodded seriously, “Big Brother Yun, don’t worry. Unless I die, no one will dare to get near her.”
“Mn,” Yun Che nodded slightly, there was no joy or sadness in his expression, it was so calm that it made people feel fear in their heart. His eyes turned towards Xiao Yun and suddenly said, “Xiao Yun, have you ever killed someone?”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun stunned for a moment, and shook his head, “N… No.”
Yun Che turned around, watching the densely packed Divine Phoenix Army in the north, and anger and murderous intent boiled madly in his eyes once again, “If you want to become a true man, from today on, let your own hands be covered with the enemy’s fresh blood!!”
Once his voice ended, Yun Che’s body had already shot outwards, carrying endless hatred towards the Divine Phoenix Army that had drove the Blue Wind Nation into the depths of despair.
Xiao Yun stood there blankly, not knowing what to do.
“Even though the thing that our elven clan hates the most is killing and war,” Number One Under Heaven said, opening his mouth slowly, “today, if I were you, I will definitely make my whole body covered by these people’s fresh blood… Look closely at this land that was originally calm and peaceful. It is now being stormed over by enemies and soaked with its the blood of its people… This land was riddled with gaping wounds, buried with tens of thousands of people… Facing this kind of enemy that has committed a crime that cannot be forgiven, and who has lost their humanity, tolerance and mercy are not only cheap, but are stupidity!”
“Don’t forget, this is not only Yun Che’s homeland… it is also your homeland!”
Xiao Yun, “!!!!”
Chapter 654 - Bloody Massacre
“Yun Che? Which… which Yun Che?”
“The prince consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family… He personally challenged the Divine Phoenix Sect by himself all those years ago… What other Yun Che could there be?!!” Feng Feiheng yelled in a hoarse voice.
“But didn’t he die three years ago in the Primordial Profound Ark?!” Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang had dumbfounded looks on their faces. “Moreover, the Yun Che all those years ago only had a profound strength that was at the Earth Profound Realm while his actual strength was comparable to a late-stage Throne… But this person’s strength even caused the Forty-third Elder to…”
“I want to know the reason behind this even more than the both of you!” Feng Feiheng roared as he gnashed his teeth, his eyes dilating to the largest extent. “But he is that Yun Che… there can be no mistaking that!!”
“…Then what should we do right now? If he is really a Monarch…”
“Retreat!! Of course we retreat!!” Feng Feiheng yelled in a low voice, “Or could it be that you are naive enough to think that tens of thousands of soldiers can actually resist the might of someone at the Sovereign Profound Realm?!!”
At first he was prepared to gather all his nerve and use the fame of the Divine Phoenix Sect and his status as one of its elders to negotiate with this fearsome Monarch who appeared out of nowhere. But after finding out this person was actually Yun Che, all of these thoughts flew out of his head… Three years ago, he dared to come by himself to the territory of the Divine Phoenix Sect to take on the entire sect by himself. And even though he faced the Sect Master of the Divine Phoenix Sect and many other elders as well, he did not lose even a bit of his imposing aura.
His innate potential and strength was incomparably strong while his temperament was even more tyrannical and unyielding.
Yun Che had dared to take on the Divine Phoenix Sect all those years ago when he was only at the Earth Profound Realm, and the him at present… he would not be restrained by the fear ordinary men had of the Divine Phoenix Sect!
Moreover, right now, he was releasing an aura of hate that would cause even the heaven and earth to tremble!
Qi Zhencang’s face twitched, and without the slightest hint of hesitation, he took out his Sound Transmission Jade and yelled, “All forces retreat… start making a full retreat!!”
Qi Zhencang’s urgent order stunned a large number of commanders, and nearly all of them thought there was some problem with their ears. In response, many questions were transmitted back to Qi Zhencang along these lines, “Re… Retreat? Just because of this… one person?”
“You idiots!!” Qi Zhencang roared in fury, “He is not just one mere man… he is a Monarch! Monarch!! The Forty-third Elder just died at his hands without even being able to mount the slightest resistance, are you all blind?! Make a full retreat… hurry up and retreat as fast as you possibly can!!”
Before Qi Zhencang could put down his Sound Transmission Jade, he suddenly felt his entire body go cold. He unwittingly raised his head and saw that golden figure slowly fly down from the top of the wall… An aura thick with fury, resentment, and the promise of violence abruptly constricted his very soul, causing all the blood in his body to instantly stop flowing under that extreme oppression. Furthermore, throughout the entire battlefield, the six hundred thousand troops of the Divine Phoenix Army and the less than fifty thousand troops remaining of the Blue Wind Army all instantly froze as well… Even Number One Under Heaven had an expression of deep shock and fear on his face.
In the Profound Sky Continent, this was the first time Yun Che had… completely and unrestrainedly released his full killing intent without any reservation. It was so intense that it was nearly tangible, and it was violent enough that it caused everyone’s hair to stand on end and caused their bodies and souls to feel like they had been plunged into the depths of an icy lake.
“All of you… can go to hell!!”
A red light flashed in Yun Che’s hand, and the Heaven Smiting Sword appeared and swept forward.
Boom!!!
Yun Che had only swept his sword forward once, without using any fancy techniques or profound arts, and yet that one attack caused a huge explosion that seemed to rend the sky and cause the earth to collapse. The earth in front of Yun Che had completely buckled, and sand was flying everywhere while several thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers were immediately blown away by the incomparably strong profound energy storm. Before they could even utter a single wail of despair, they had been reduced to bright red blood flowers which swirled spectacularly in the air along with the remnants of their body, and very soon, the wide expanse of earth was stained red with the eye-piercing color of fresh blood.
Just one sweep of his sword had caused three thousand Divine Phoenix Soldiers… to die a terrible and miserable death!!
Qi Zhencang was situated in the middle of the army, so he was still very far away from the action, but this scene shocked him so much that it nearly caused his soul to fly away. He held the Sound Transmission Jade in a deathgrip and yelled with all his might, “All troops… Retreat… Ahhh!!”
After Qi Zhencang’s numerous shouts, which were filled with alarm, Yun Che’s figure had already approached with a speed that could not be comprehended by the naked eye. The gigantic scarlet sword in his hand released a crimson profound light and an aura so violent that it could not described as it exploded in the midst of the Divine Phoenix Army that had still not come back to its senses.
Booom!!!!
An earth-shattering explosion completely engulfed everyone’s hearing. Instantly, the light in the sky became exceptionally dim… and that was definitely not because the sky had suddenly become shrouded in dark clouds. It was because kilometers of land in the surrounding area had been sent into a great upheaval, carrying with it tens of thousands of soldiers from the Divine Phoenix Army. These soldiers were flung thousands of meters in the sky, and at that moment, the sky and earth seemed to have been completely overturned. Moreover, the entire sky was filled with pitch-black earth and Divine Phoenix soldiers who were wailing in terror. But these wails of terror only lasted for a few more moments as their bodies were shattered into pieces that were smaller than grains of sand by an extremely violent and berserk heavy sword storm.
Crash…
The pitch black earth that filled the sky heavily fell back to the ground, but not a single one of the tens of thousands of Divine Phoenix soldiers were able to land back on the ground… because the only thing that fluttered to the ground were shattered fragments of blood and bones. Furthermore, not even a single whole finger could be found amongst the remains, much less a whole body.
Once the earth that had been heaved into the sky landed back down, its color was no longer gray and yellow. It had instead become a shocking, dull-red color, and it was mixed with countless shattered fragments of red armor and weapons. Above the ground, the still undispersed energy of the heavy sword caused streaks of distorted air to hiss and crackle.
The huge battlefield had in an instant… and it was really only an instant, morphed into a purgatory filled with blood, terror, and anguished wails. People died without leaving a whole body behind ,and those who were still alive shivered, wailed, and felt their courage break apart… Numerous Divine Phoenix Soldiers who had not been affected by the attack dropped to the ground and curled up in fear, their pupils contracting. Additionally, the scene that had unfolded before them was so terrifying that their souls had practically left their bodies which resulted in them being to get back up.
The atmosphere was stifling. In fact, what everyone was feeling was the pinnacle of oppression. Every single person from the Blue Wind Army had their eyes widen into saucers, and not a single one of them did not suspect that they were dreaming. The Divine Phoenix Army that they had hated relentlessly had been smashed in an instant, so they should have been filled with joy instead… but the scene that had appeared before their very eyes caused them to endure a shock and fear that was almost as great as the Divine Phoenix Army itself. Even Feng Yunlie, who viewed death with equanimity, was unable to come back to his senses for a long period of a time as he just stood there, staring with eyes that had become as round as little moons.
Xiao Yun saw the blood which rained down from the sky, the endless amount of broken corpses, and the earth that had been dyed red in an instant. The great resolve that he had previously held was shaken badly. He fiercely swiveled around, and his palms covered his face that was as white as a sheet. “I can’t do it… I really can’t do it…”
Number Seven Under Heaven hurriedly hugged and comforted him, “It is alright… it’s completely alright. I like Brother Yun, a person so kind that he would not be willing to hurt a little animal. If you really become like Big Brother Yun, I… I will actually be afraid instead, so… it really is alright.”
Number One Under Heaven’s expression had also become extremely ugly. He turned his face away, and he did not even dare to look at the battlefield that had been dyed the color of blood while he mumbled in a low voice, “To think that there was actually such a dreadful killing intent… that exists in this world… huuu…”
As the commanders of the army, Duan Qinghang and Qi Zhencang had spent the majority of the time in a daze as they had never truly witnessed the might of a Monarch before. They personally witnessed one hundred thousand troops… an entire one hundred thousand men, under a single stroke of Yun Che’s sword… just one stroke, die violent and ugly deaths.
Not to mention the fact that they were not even given the slightest opportunity to resist or struggle… but they did not even die while leaving a corpse behind; there was nothing left to bury!!
The Divine Phoenix Army which could sweep the other six nations and all under heaven, the Divine Phoenix Army that possessed the best equipment and the highest aptitude, in front of this one man, they did not even amount to ants!!
What’s more was that even though they had been through many battles and their hearts were like stones, in that moment, their spirits had completely collapsed… Qi Zhencang stumbled backwards in shock and fear, landing on his buttocks with a thump. After that, he frantically yelled as if he had gone crazy, “Scatter… quickly scatter!!”
Qi Zhencang’s howls nearly rent his throat, and the Divine Phoenix Army ,which was still cowering in fear and shock, were jostled awake, as if they had been woken from a nightmare. They collectively let out a strangled cry and frantically scrambled backwards… their spirit had collapsed, and even their commanders were scared witless, so the tens of thousands of soldiers that composed the Divine Phoenix Army did not care about military discipline at all. Instead, they fled like headless chickens, and the only thing that they cared about was fleeing with the greatest speed away from that terrifying devil that had descended from the skies. In the blink of an eye, they had been utterly defeated, and numerous men had lost their lives under the trampling feet of their own compatriots.
But Yun Che, whose hatred filled the heavens and the earth and who had completely lost control of his desire to kill, would not stop just because they were fleeing. His eyes turned a crimson red, and he soared into the sky as the Golden Crow flames began to quickly accumulate. In an instant, it swelled into a conflagration that was tens of meters wide, and from a distance, it looked as if another crimson sun had appeared in the sky.
“Burning Sun Rupture!!”
The crimson “sun” exploded high in the sky and caused the fires of destruction to rain down. These were Golden Crow Flames, flames so destructive that even the slightest contact with them had consigned the Divine Phoenix elder Feng Feiying to death. So how could it be something that could be endured by the normal soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army. The crimson flames that covered the sky rained down, and any soldier of the Divine Phoenix Army that came into contact with these flames instantly ignited into human torches before collapsing into piles of ash… or in some cases, they had been obliterated into nothingness.
Screams, sobbing, roars, cries of terror, and the sound of burning… the atmosphere on this battlefield had horrifically morphed into a funeral dirge from hell.
As the Divine Phoenix Army who was “unrivalled under heaven,” was sweeping through Blue Wind, conquering its capital and taking control of it was supposed to be something so simple that it was like stealing candy from a baby. But never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that they would meet such a mighty and extremely cruel demon such as Yun Che. Feng Feiheng’s Phoenix profound strength was being frantically circulated, and his speed had been pushed to its utmost limit as the sounds that he heard all around him caused him to descend into a nightmare. At this time, he suddenly felt his entire body go cold, and he unconsciously turned his head back. To his shock and fear, he discovered that Yun Che was only tens of meters away from him.
Feng Feiheng’s pupils dilated, and he grit his teeth fiercely as he used “Phoenix Flames Burns the Heavens” as all the phoenix flames in his body exploded towards Yun Che.
Yun Che’s face was so dark that he looked like the life-reaping death god from hell itself. Facing Feng Feiheng’s attack, the Heaven Smiting Sword in his hand briefly danced in the air… and since Feng Feiheng’s mighty phoenix flames came into contact with the power of his heavy sword, it was instantly reduced to fire flowers which scattered in the air. However, the profound energy storm generated by the heavy sword was not the least bit affected, and amidst the howling of torn air, it fiercely smashed into Feng Feiheng’s chest.
Bang!!
Three arrows of blood consecutively shot out from Feng Feiheng’s mouth. He landed heavily on the ground, and before he could stand up again, Yun Che had lifted him up by the collar. With that, an icy sense of death pervaded his body from behind.
“I… I am Feng Feiheng… the Nineteenth Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect… you are not allowed to kill me…” Feng Feiheng said as his every muscle and nerve trembled violently. “If not… if not, the Divine Phoenix Sect will definitely not let you off… Arghhhh!!”
Boom!!!
As Feng Feiheng let out a desolate and miserable scream, a cluster of fire exploded out his back, causing this Divine Phoenix Elder, who had felt unparalleled in this world for most of his life, to become flaming ashes which scattered across the vast sky.
Chapter 655 - Yellow Springs Ashes
Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghai had never before witnessed the strength of a Monarch before today, but they were very clear on just what kind of existence an Overlord was. Even in the strongest nation amongst the Seven Nations, the Divine Phoenix Empire, an Overlord was a mighty existence that was akin to a god… But after Feng Feiying, they personally witnessed the late-stage Overlord Feng Feiheng get slaughtered by Yun Che within two passes.
The horror and the alarm in the hearts of these two people could not rise any further. They turned their heads, and to their astonishment, the Divine Phoenix Army that had been boundless as an ocean had already been reduced to nearly nothing. But the fires of catastrophe were still ceaselessly falling from the sky, consigning segments of the Divine Phoenix Army to a fiery hell.
Qi Zhencang used a trembling finger to press on the Sound Transmission Jade and yelled, “Everyone disperse… The vanguard, move towards the east! The rearguard scatter to the south! And the rest of you, flee to the west!!”
Under the orders of Qi Zhencang, the fleeing Divine Phoenix Army began to disperse in three different directions. Fleeing in one direction would only make it easier for the enemy to slaughter them, but fleeing in three directions would force Yun Che to choose between the three.
Facing the scattering Divine Phoenix Army, Yun Che stopped in midair and halted his pursuit, as if he was considering which direction he was going to take. Qi Zhencang, who was fleeing towards the east, observed the Yun Che who had stopped in one spot and fiercely breathed a sigh of relief. After that, he used all of his profound strength to flee away… this was the first time in his life he had ever fled in such a pathetic manner. Even during his worst defeats, he was never forced to flee in this manner… but right now, they were not fleeing from battle; instead, they were escaping a demon’s massacre.
Yun Che still had not given chase despite the fact that a long period of time had passed by. He just stood there, watching the three groups of the Divine Phoenix soldiers run away at the greatest speed that they could muster. But the blazing fires of resentment which crazily burned in his eyes and the killing intent that was boiling all over his body had not lessened in the slightest… At this time, he finally made his move, but instead of giving chase, he flew higher into the sky until he was thousands of meters above the ground.
As he floated high in the air above, he could see all of the the Divine Phoenix Army’s soldiers fleeing.
“You evil dogs of Divine Phoenix… all of you… must die!!”
Yun Che’s soft litany of hatred… even though it was soft, it was like a devil’s curse which pierced one’s heart, and it clearly resounded in everyone’s ears and soul.
His arm slowly rose in the air, and a column of crimson flames began to burn in front of him. This column of flames was not intense; instead, it shone with a strange light as it began to glow a burning red in the air… Facing these Divine Phoenix soldiers, all the flames he had used from the beginning were Golden Crow flames instead of the phoenix flames which were easier to control. Because only the Golden Crow flames’ ruthlessness and violence could vent the rage and resentment that was burning in his heart.
That terrifying “demon” halted at one spot and did not pursue them for a good long while, so the Divine Phoenix Army’s full-fledged flight gradually became more relaxed. This was because they thought they had escaped from that devil’s cruel reaping scythe. But at this time, they suddenly felt the temperature in the air rise sharply. It went from warm to hot to a scorching heat that caused them discomfort… and after the span of just a few short breaths, it seemed as if scorching bands of red-hot iron was being placed on their skin.
It was to the point where even the air that they breathed had become scalding hot, to the point which it scorched their internal organs and caused them to fiercely twist. Furthermore, this dreadful heat kept rising with every breath they took. They turned their heads back in shock and looked towards the figure in the sky above that was burning with scarlet flames… The air seemed to have morphed into shapeless flames which scorched them till their skin turned red. In addition, the crimson red armor which was tightly fitted to their bodies were like red-hot iron, and it caused more and more Divine Phoenix soldiers to wail in agonizing pain.
“What… what is going on?!” Qi Zhencang had the protection afforded by having the profound strength of a Throne, but he still felt as if he had been placed into a huge furnace, and his entire body burned with pain. His eyes widened and he rigidly held his breath because the air that flowed into his lungs were hotter than flames. Not only that, but below him, many of the Divine Phoenix Army’s soldiers had halted their retreat and were rolling on the floor in unspeakable agony instead as they frantically sought to strip their armor off their bodies. The armor had long ago become as hot as molten lava, and it tenaciously stuck onto skin, to the point where forcibly removing it would also rip away a good portion of scorched flesh and blood.
The plaintive and mournful wails which filled the air sounded like they were being given off by evil spirits receiving hellish punishment.
This purgatory of flames which slowly descended from above engulfed the area in a thirty-five kilometer radius around Yun Che. Without exception, the entire Divine Phoenix Army was encompassed in that area as well. Naturally, the northern part of Blue Wind Imperial City and the Blue Wind Army were unaffected by it. The only thing they noticed was that the air around them had turned rather hot. But they all witnessed the current state of the Divine Phoenix Army, and the innumerable screams of misery that rent the air only made it clearer for them.
“What’s happening?” Number Seven Under Heaven said in astonishment. All of a sudden, her mouth opened wide and she pointed in Yun Che’s direction, “That… that’s…”
A huge golden figure had appeared, superimposed over Yun Che. It was the figure of an extremely gorgeous and noble bird that had manifested with its wings spread wide as it circled in the air. The bird’s head was raised haughtily, and it looked like a head of a phoenix. Its feathers were the purest of gold, and it seemed as if each feather glowed with a golden colored flame. It had three feet, and its tail feathers were long and shared the same eye-catching golden color as the rest of its body.
But what accompanied this gorgeous and splendorous golden figure was an aura of destruction and an oppressive might which caused the earth and the sky to tremble.
“It’s the image of the Golden Crow!” Number One Under Heaven exclaimed in astonishment. It was not the first time he had seen the silhouette of the Golden Crow. Each time a Demon Emperor used the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World, the image of the Golden Crow would appear, whether it was for only an instant or a long period of time. But all of the images he had seen up till now were only faintly discernible and semi-transparent, and the golden color of those images was also much duller. But the burning image of the Burning Crow seemed almost tangible… as if the true Divine Spirit of the Golden Crow had descended on the material plane. That eye-catching golden glow was so brilliant that he nearly could not open his eyes, and the extremely tyrannical might and aura of destruction caused his soul to deeply tremble uncontrollably. Not to mention, that was despite the fact that he was far away from the image and wasn’t the target of the attack.
When all of the previous Demon Emperors had their bloodline awoken in the Golden Crow’s Ancestral Lands, they were only bestowed three drops of blood, and in terms of comprehending the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World, they were only given three months as well. The most powerful Demon Emperor in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm had only managed to reach the fourth level of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World.
However, in Yun Che’s case, he had been bestowed with nine drops of blood. Because of his special Evil God fire body and his extremely high aptitude in learning, within the span of three months, he had comprehended all seven levels of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World.
That was to say that Yun Che, this person who had been inducted into the clan of the Demon Emperor, had Golden Crow flames that exceeded every single Demon Emperor in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm… and even the first Demon Emperor would not be able to compare to him! At this time, even if all the previous Demon Emperors were to be present at this scene, they would be completely astounded by the Golden Crow aura being released by Yun Che, much less Number One Under Heaven.
Because what Yun Che was showing was something that the seventh level of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World that they had never come into contact with before and did not even dare dream about…
“All of you… can go to hell… now…” Yun Che chanted in a low voice, and when he heard the wails of pain that surrounded him, his eyes flashed with the ecstasy of catharsis. The seventh level of the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World… Even given his current strength, he could still barely handle it, and even so, it would still require an extremely huge consumption of energy. But for these invaders who had committed unspeakable crimes against the Blue Wind Nation and for whom even ten thousand deaths would be insufficient to cleanse them of their sins… they had to die… All of them had to die!!
“Golden Crow’s Domain of Fiery Destruction… Yellow Springs Ashes!!”
The flames on Yun Che’s body and the Golden Crow’s image behind him ruptured with a low howl….
A roaring sound that seemed to signal the end of the world swallowed all the other sounds in the area. All of the people within Blue Wind Imperial City and on its walls witnessed their surroundings become instantly engulfed in crimson flames as their world turned into pure flames… the Divine Phoenix Army, the earth, the horizon and even the sky above became completely covered with flames. They could not see anything else besides fire, and it seemed as if the entire world had morphed into a hellish purgatory of flames.
All eyes had widened, and all mouths had gaped open to the greatest extent, but not a single person uttered a sound. Their ears had gone deaf, and their eyes were completely dazzled by the crimson flames.
Within the seemingly boundless and limitless flames, everything was mercilessly burned away. Every single person there witnessed the most shocking and terrifying scene of their lives. They were firmly convinced that even the eruption of the most fearsome volcano in the entire Profound Sky Continent would pale in comparison to this boundless flame which shook the heaven and the earth and seemed like it had the power to end the world. Number One Under Heaven, Number Seven Under Heaven, and Xiao Yun had grown up in the Guardian Families which were in the highest echelons of power within the Illusory Demon Realm, so their experiences were far richer than that of the common man, but facing this all-encompassing conflagration, they were also shocked to the point that their souls nearly left their bodies… so if it was like this for them, then one can imagine what it was like for everyone else.
The boundless sky had been completely colored crimson. This fire which obscured the heavens did not last for long, but for the weak and fragile soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army, this dreadful Golden Crow domain only needed an instant to do its work. After ten breaths, the air which had swelled up howled as the flames which filled the sky fell screaming to the earth…. But not a single dazed face turned away from this scene; instead, an expression of shock and horror appeared on their faces and in their eyes.
“Ah… ah… ah… ah….” As his hearing began to recover, Xiao Yun heard trembling sounds ceaselessly spill from his own throat.
The huge expanse of land in front of Blue Wind Imperial City had become terrifyingly empty. The entire thirty-five kilometer radius around Yun Che, everything within it had disappeared… the withered trees, the ruins of buildings, the rolling sand dunes, the fallen and broken stones, and the mountain of corpses and rivers of blood… All of it had disappeared!
The huge and majestic Divine Phoenix Army that had hundreds of thousands of troops and that seemed to swell up into a raging tsunami when it moved had completely and utterly vanished… They had not been swept away, they had vanished! Because within that empty space, there were no corpses, no broken armor, not even a trace of blood… all of it had completely vanished, and there was not a single trace of their existence left.
The surface of that entire area had been flattened as smooth and even as a mirror, and the surface was so white that it caused everyone’s heart to palpitate… Besides this white color, there was not any other color that the naked eye could discern. In the sky above, the crimson color had begun to retreat, but the clouds which had been floating in the sky had completely disappeared. Not even a small fragment of it remained.
This was not a massacre… it was not even destruction. Instead, it simply turned the earth in a thirty-five kilometer radius into a blank slate!
Yun Che had become the sole existence within this space.
In the middle of this silent world, Yun Che slowly lowered his hand. Following the extinguishing of those flames which covered the sky, the violence and ruthlessness in his eyes had gradually died down as well. Looking at the empty earth below him, his expression had become completely calm. Slowly, he turned his head towards the north-west… that was the direction in which the Divine Phoenix Empire lay in.
Destroying this Divine Phoenix Army… was only the beginning!
He was someone who definitely had to repay blood for blood… so if it came to the vengeance of an entire nation, his hatred would fill the heavens!!
Chapter 656 - Frozen Cloud’s Bad News (1)
“Sect Master… Sect Master, something huge has happened.”
Outside the Phoenix Main Hall, a person anxiously rushed over, and before he even appeared, his panicked voice preceded him. Feng Hengkong put down the map in his hand and said with sunken brows, “What matter could have caused such great alarm?”
That person quickly arrived before Feng Hengkong. He gasped for breath before proceeding in a frightened voice, “The Scarlet Life Crystals of Nineteenth Elder and Forty-third Elder… just shattered… They are already…”
“What?” Feng Hengkong’s expression abruptly changed, and his voice became dangerously low, “When did this happen?!”
“It just occurred. It has not been even thirty breaths since the crystals shattered. I hurriedly tried to use the Sound Transmission Jade to contact them, but I was unable to send out any transmission. It seems as if their Sound Transmission Jades have also been destroyed.”
Feng Hengkong’s brows knit tightly together. “Nineteenth Elder and Forty-third Elder were appointed the observers over the expedition that invaded Blue Wind. Yesterday, they even personally transmitted to me that their troops were already overlooking Blue Wind Imperial City and that they would break into it within a few days’ time… Blue Wind Imperial City, could there still be an expert living there that was strong enough to kill them?!”
“That is definitely impossible!” Feng Hengkong swiftly rejected this possibility; the Emperor Profound Realm was the highest level of cultivation in Blue Wind’s profound cultivating world, and even if all the Thrones in Blue Wind cooperated together, they would definitely not be able to defeat either Nineteenth or Forty-third Elder, so for them to be killed was even more nonsensical. “Swiftly send a sound transmission to commander Qi Zhencang and get him to report the exact situation right now!”
But before the Sound Transmission Talisman could be retrieved, an intense profound formation aura rose up from Feng Hengkong’s Sound Transmission Jade. This aura was astonishingly one that was emitted from a ten thousand mile transmission! Ten thousand mile transmissions required the consumption of an incomparably valuable Ten Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, so even if it was his Divine Phoenix Sect, unless the matter was truly urgent, they would not carelessly use a ten thousand mile transmission. Feng Hengkong promptly snatched up his Sound Transmission Jade, and a voice that radiated shock and terror immediately rang out from it, “Sect Master… It’s not good… not good at all… The main army … we can’t contact any of them right now…”
“Can’t contact any of them… what does that mean?!” Feng Hengkong’s expression turned dark and his voice carried undertones of violence.
“Commander Qi, Vice Commander Duan… all the commanders of ten thousand, thousand, hundred troop subdivisions, and even any person who had a Sound Transmission Imprint on them, we can’t contact even a single one of them… It isn’t that there is no reply… It’s that we are not even able to transmit anything in the first place… It seems like their Sound Transmission Jades have all been destroyed. And even their very existence seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.”
“Wha…. at?!!” Feng Hengkong’s hand fiercely trembled, and the person at his side was so shocked that his face had turned completely white.
Feng Hengkong sent a transmission with sunken brows, “How many more troops do you still have under your command? And how far are you from Blue Wind Imperial City?”
“This general currently has two hundred and seventy thousand troops under his command, and I am three hundred kilometers away from Blue Wind Imperial City… there is also Fifty-second Elder overseeing us as well.”
“Immediately activate all our flying profound beasts and bring with you a minimum of fifty thousand men and Fifty-second Elder as well. With the greatest possible speed, advance to Blue Wind Imperial City to verify what exactly happened! We do not care what method you use… but before the sky grows dark today, you must definitely arrive at your destination! No matter what you see, you must immediately report to us once you arrive!
“…This general obeys!”
Feng Hengkong silently kept his Profound Transmission Jade in his hand, and his expression was incomparably grim. Conquer the Blue Wind within three years; that was the time limit he had set for himself three years ago. Now, three years had already passed by, and yesterday, was when his troops had finally arrived at Blue Wind Imperial City and prepared to pierce the very heart of Blue Wind Nation… Yet somehow, at the final hurdle, a huge, unfathomably-bizarre change had occurred.
This caused an extremely ominous premonition to be birthed in his heart.
The smoke in front of Blue Wind Imperial City had completely subsided, and there was not even a need to tidy up the battlefield.
The remnants of the Blue Wind Army were dealing with their own injuries and dazed expressions would appear on their faces from time to time, as if they still whether they were awake or in some sort of dream…
They, who had already resolved to die, had ended up living, and not a single Divine Phoenix soldier stepped into Blue Wind Imperial City that they had fought desperately to protect… all of the soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army, hundreds of thousands of them had died!
At the hands of one man… in the blink of an eye, they had been reduced to miniscule ashes.
None of them would ever forget this scene for the rest of their lives. Not only that, but when that person slowly descended from the sky… their eyes, nerves, and blood all trembled fiercely… It was as if they were looking at a demon god of destruction who had come from the depths of hell.
It was the only prince consort of the Blue Wind Royal Family, the current Empress Cang Yue’s husband. Three years ago, he had shaken the Profound Sky with his might. Now, this person who had nearly become a myth had returned… No, the present him was no longer a “myth”… The power that he had shown was something only the gods of legend possessed!
Blue Wind Imperial City, which used to constantly bustle with noise and liveliness, had become exceptionally lonely and desolate today, and a bleak atmosphere had penetrated the place. Following the arrival of the Divine Phoenix Army, a large majority of its residents had already fled far away, and only a small remainder of the people who had stayed here for generations refused to follow suit, deciding to live or perish together with their capital. But in the end, the outcome was completely unexpected. The Divine Phoenix Army did not break into the city. Instead, all seven hundred thousand of them were completely obliterated, and the prince consort, who had fallen in the Divine Phoenix Empire three years ago, had come back alive… In a moment, countless cheers and tears filled the place which was the last bastion of the Blue Wind Nation’s honor and dignity.
The legend of obliterating hundreds of thousands of Divine Phoenix Soldiers in a single breath… this caused them to be able to see a fantastical hope emerge within their boundless shock.
The person who kept producing miracles for the Blue Wind Royal Family and Blue Wind Nation… he was not dead! And this time, would he once again bring about a miracle for the Blue Wind Nation which was on the verge of collapse…
Moon Embracing Palace.
This place was the residence of Empress Cang Yue when she was still a princess, but even though she ascended to the throne, this was still her resting place… because this was also where she and Yun Che became man and woman. For the past three years, it was the only place where she could find any rest and peace.
On her phoenix couch, Cang Yue had descended into a deep and undisturbed sleep. Perhaps it was because she was simply too exhausted, or perhaps it was because she was not willing to wake up from her dreams. Yun Che sat beside her, holding her small hand… From the moment he had carried her here, he had maintained a constant vigil by her bedside, not leaving even for a moment. His eyes also never left her once as his conscience was filled with boundless self-recrimination and grief… After they had married, he had only spent one month with her before leaving for Frozen Cloud Asgard, and he only returned to bid farewell to her as he once again had to leave for the Divine Phoenix Empire… and after that, the only thing that had come back was the cold and heartless news of his demise. Then came the pain of her father’s passing… and the calamity of impending doom and a heavy burden which would overturn the heavens…
These three years, when Cang Yue needed him the most, he was not by her side. He was not even here to face the calamity and pressures together with her, much less protect her.
Her figure had become much frailer and thinner than it was before, and her breathing had become exceptionally weak. She had never collapsed, solely relying on her willpower to doggedly hold on. If she did not recuperate, it would not be long before she fell very ill… it would be an illness that would in all likelihood endanger her life.
Yun Che took out a very small, jade-green medicinal pellet, put it into her mouth, and used his profound energy get her to swallow it. This emerald green pill was refined using the Overlord Pellet as a reference, and he carried a lot of them on his person. But given Cang Yue’s body, if she were to directly consume it, the only result would be death via ruptured profound veins. But with Yun Che around, this would definitely not occur. Yun Che used his own profound energy and slowly and painstakingly refined that pellet… Once this medicinal pellet was fully refined, it would renew Cang Yue’s body.
Her pale face gradually grew rosy while her crescent brows faintly quivered… Then, she slowly opened her eyes.
Her hazy and blurred vision slowly cleared up, and in it, appeared Yun Che’s face. Her entire body instantly froze up when she saw him.
She had been unconscious for the last four hours, and even though it had not been a long span of time, she had many dreams… which confused reality and fantasy, causing her to be unable to differentiate clearly between the two. She was most afraid that the Yun Che that had once again appeared in her world… was only an illusion created by her dreams.
“Yue’er… Xueruo… Senior Sister… princess wife… you have awoken.” Seeing Cang Yue’s glazed eyes which were filled with broken sorrow, Yun Che faintly smiled, and these four gentle greetings told her that all of this was real and not just a dream.
Cang Yue’s beautiful eyes quivered, and with a strangled cry, she dove into Yun Che’s embrace and started crying with broken sobs. This girl who had displayed her indomitable will to the world and had supported the Blue Wind Nation that had been struck by calamity for three whole years was now wholly and unreservedly revealing her weakness in his embrace… Those frail arms hugged him ever so tightly, as if she was afraid that, the moment she relaxed her embrace, he would disappear once again…
Outside, Number One Under Heaven, Number Seven Under Heaven, and Xiao Yun leaned against the wall. All of their expressions were rather troubled. Number One Under Heaven let out a light sigh and said, “No matter what, I never expected that the first thing we would encounter when we came to the Profound Sky Continent would be battle.”
“Yeah.” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a small voice, “It was supposed to be a joyous and happy reunion, but the moment we came here, his own homeland had been smashed into ruins… Big Brother Yun must be feeling awfully unhappy.”
Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushuang came as well. Facing these three people who were clearly very young, their expressions were filled with admiration and respect… because the profound energy aura which they occasionally emitted from their bodies caused them to tremble in fear.
“This is Blue Wind Profound Palace’s Palace Chief Dongfang Xiu, and beside me is the Vice Palace Chief Qin Wushuang. May I inquire as to…” Dongfang Xiu paused for a moment as he did not know whether he should call them “young friends” or “seniors.” Because given their profound strength, even if they were more than one hundred years old, their appearance would still remain youthful, so the only thing he could say was, “May I inquire as to how I may address… these noble guests?”
From Yun Che’s previous words and actions, they could see that he was very respectful to these two gentlemen, so the three of them did not dare be negligent and promptly replied. Just as Number One Under Heaven was about to open his mouth, Number Seven Under Heaven took the initiative and spoke, “Junior Number Seven Under Heaven greets the two Palace Chiefs. This is my husband Xiao Yun, and he is sworn brothers with Big Brother Yun Che. And this is my eldest brother, Number One Under Heaven… Oh no! You must definitely think that our names are very strange, it is all our stinky dad’s fault, so you are not allowed to laugh, even in your hearts!!!”
Number One Under Heaven’s expression twisted instantly… His little sister was still too inexperienced after all, and she actually directly spilled their names out in public. The surname “Under Heaven” was already extremely rare in the first place, and with names like “Number One Under Heaven” or “Number Seven Under Heaven’” that were hard for people to forget even if they wanted to, if this information was spread and it reached the ears of the Four Sacred Grounds, there was a risk that this news would be linked to the Under Heaven Family of the Illusory Demon Realm!
Moreover, what made him even more depressed was that… his own sister had actually introduced Xiao Yun before introducing him! Looks like it was true that once one has a man, she would forget her elder brother!
Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushuang were both silently shocked… They called them seniors and called Yun Che big brother, so it was clear that they were near Yun Che in age! Additionally, despite being so young, they had this level of profound strength cultivation, and there was no doubt that they were individuals that came from extremely exalted backgrounds.
“Ah, so that is how it is.” Dongfang Xiu calmed his heart and slowly replied, “Since you are good friends with Yun Che, that means you are the revered guests of our Blue Wind Nation… Yun Che, he truly is an extraordinary person that cannot be measured with common sense. Five years ago he was sealed into Heavenly Sword Villa’s Sword Management Terrace with a demon, so everyone in the world had assumed he was dead. Yet, he not only came out alive, but he even emerged with an even stronger profound strength than before. Three years ago, the entire Profound Sky Continent knew of his death in the Primordial Profound Ark, and there was definitely no way he would survive. Yet… he once again pulled through. Now, his profound strength has reached a level that I am no longer able to fathom.”
“Perhaps this time, there is truly… hope that our Blue Wind will be saved,” murmured Qin Wushang in an emotional voice.
“We also don’t know how that Empress… erm, I meant how my sister-in-law is. Her aura… seems to have weakened to the point where things have become very serious,” Xiao Yun said with a worried expression.
“Don’t worry, Big Brother Yun’s medical skills are so awesome, so nothing will happen,” Number Seven Under Heaven replied as she comforted him.
Chapter 657 - Frozen Cloud’s Bad News (2)
At this moment, the door to the resting chambers was pushed open. Yun Che and Cang Yue walked in side by side. Cang Yue’s eyes were red; obviously she had cried an overwhelming amount earlier. Her face was no longer pale; the slightly red glow on her face gave her some glamor in her noble look, and even her eyes were a much brighter color than before.
They quickly greeted her. Dongfang Xiu asked eagerly, “Your majesty, you’re awake… Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?”
Cang Yue smiled lightly, “I am fine now, there is no need to worry.”
She turned to Number One Under Heaven and the others and said their names correctly, “Big Brother Under Heaven, Xiao Yun, and Seventh Sister, welcome to Blue Wind Nation. You are my husband’s friend, so we should’ve given you the nation’s finest treatment, but instead we let you witness this chaotic scene, we feel deeply apologetic.”
Cang Yue’s temperament had become very different compared to three years ago. Her gestures no longer seemed sweet tempered and delicate, but instead carried an elegance that was authoritative and prestigious. Her emperor’s aura grew rapidly during the three years under heavy pressure and infinite iron-willed decisions, and it gave Number One Under Heaven and the other two an invisible, pressuring feeling. Xiao Yun immediately waved his hand and said, “Empress… uh, sis… sister-in-law, no need to stand on ceremony… If there is anything you need, please just ask us.”
Number Seven Under Heaven pinched Xiao Yun when she saw him this nervous, and then said liberally, “You are certainly Big Brother Yun’s wife, you are indeed very unusual. My husband is right; Sister-in-law doesn’t need to stand on ceremony with us. Blue Wind Nation is in danger right now, so if there is anything that we can help with, please ask us.”
“Brother Yun has done a huge favor for us three. If there are any requests, we will be ready to risk our lives to help,” Number One Under Heaven also said without any hesitation.
Cang Yue smiled slightly, “Thank you everyone… and thank you for taking care of my husband all this time.”
“Yue’er, your body is still weak now, you should rest more. Just leave the rest to me,” Yun Che said worriedly.
Cang Yue shook her head softly, “My body is completely fine. Even though the Divine Phoenix Army was demolished by husband’s martial prowess, the Imperial City’s disaster is still not solved. Divine Phoenix’s side must have been alerted, and within a day, an army will gather once again before the city gate. Our soldiers and citizens also need to be arranged and settled; it is not time for me to rest now.”
“Don’t make it too hard on yourself.”
“With you here, I am not afraid of anything,” Cang Yue said softly. There was no anxiety, darkness, or even any weight in between her eyebrows. All there was left was deep warmth and satisfaction. Because she didn’t lose him, because Yun Che was by her side, she already had the whole world, and she had nothing more to ask or complain anymore.
Cang Yue ordered for troops to be deployed, and Blue Wind Imperial City immediately prepared for war once again.
The sky started dimming slightly, and it was nearly sunset. During this time, Yun Che slowly understood more of the situation of Blue Wind Nation now from Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang… It could only be described with the words “suffered unspeakable misery.”
Over ninety percent of the main city was invaded and seized by the Divine Phoenix Nation, and a large area of it was burned and destroyed. Over fifty million of Blue Wind Nation’s citizens died in the war… and this was only a conservative estimate. To take down Blue Wind Nation the fastest way possible, Divine Phoenix Nation was cruel and vicious, its crimes were too numerous to record… Perhaps in the eyes of Divine Phoenix Nation, even though the people of Blue Wind Nation were also human, they were only an inferior form of life that was not worth mentioning.
There were even more people who were left wandering with no home to return to… The Blue Wind Nation that was once peaceful and calm was now on the edge of the abyss of destruction… even lingering on with its last breath of life was hard.
“Divine… Phoenix…” Yun Che said these two words in a low voice, traces of blood almost coming out from the gaps between his tightly gnashed teeth.
“Is there really no any response from Heavenly Sword Villa?” Yun Che asked.
“Sigh, no.” Dongfang Xiu sighed and shook his head, his expression showed sadness, “The previous emperor and her majesty both wrote letters personally nine times to ask Heavenly Sword Villa for assistance, but Heavenly Sword Villa ignored them all, and didn’t even give us an excuse. Divine Phoenix Empire was too powerful, so maybe it was slightly understandable that they were afraid of getting involved and face the doom of their nation themselves… but even to send a few strong practitioners to protect her majesty would be good…”
“Slightly understandable?” Yun Che scoffed, “This not only concerns thousands of years of trust between the Blue Wind Imperial Family and Heavenly Sword Villa… but the doom of a nation! Facing the doom of a nation, anyone who has some courage and uprightness would use everything they have, including their life to resist! Their Heavenly Sword Villa… as the prestigious Blue Wind Nation’s top profound cultivating force, the people who have the strongest resistance in the profound realm, actually gave up their family’s faith, ignored it while their nation is in danger… Every Blue Wind soldier who is guarding Blue Wind Imperial City, heading to the battlefield today, every one of them understood that they would die on the battlefield, but they still proceed without hesitation! Those so-called disciples of Heavenly Sword… could not even be compared to our Blue Wind Nation’s most common soldiers!!”
“Yeah… profound realm, if all gathered, they should’ve been the strongest resistance force, what a shame… what a shame…” Qin Wushang lifted his head, and his voice was desolated as well, “Shame that they have stronger power than normal people, and a longer lifespan… but they also fear death more than normal people. The places that the Divine Phoenix went, there were extremely few people who resisted among those forces and families who tyrannize locally, and they were usually the ones who surrendered first to the Divine Phoenix Army, or even took initiative and use a generous amount of money to bribe them… just for surviving and keeping their family estate. Even the Xiao Sect was like so… The Sect Master and elders of the Xiao Sect who could dominate with a single hand in Blue Wind Nation, when the Divine Phoenix Army arrived… forget resisting, they actually came out of their sect for twenty miles, greet them personally, and bowed and kneeled before the Divine Phoenix Army…”
A disaster of the nation made these forces that normally seemed to be high and noble reveal their disgraceful act. Indeed, they had profound strength stronger than that of normal people, enjoyed the wealth and glory that normal people wouldn’t dare to dream of, and had an even longer lifespan… but they had already lost the courage that should have been flowing in their bones.
“As the strongest sect of the nation, their actions were like this at the crucial times of the nation… It really makes people look down upon them.” Number Seven Under Heaven said in anger.
“Indeed, if that was our clan… even if we survived after the nation was doomed, even I would look down on our own family.” Number One Under Heaven said without any expression.
“Palace Chief Dongfang, is my grandfather and little aunt alright?” Yun Che calmed down and finally asked… this question. When he didn’t see Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi at Blue Wind Imperial City, he had been worrying about their well-being, but he didn’t dare to ask, because he was afraid that he would hear an answer that he didn’t want to hear.
Dongfang Xiu smiled casually and said, “Don’t worry. About two years ago, her majesty had already had Palace Chief Qin escort them to Floating Cloud City personally. Floating Cloud City is located in the most easternmost region and is poor and small. It shouldn’t be affected by the war, and it should’ve been the safest location… Only, what we didn’t expect was the Divine Phoenix Army actually sent more than two hundred thousand soldiers to take down Floating Cloud City.”
“What!” Yun Che stood up abruptly, and his expression immediately darkened.
“Hehe, don’t worry.” Yun Che’s reaction was completely within Dongfang Xiu’s expectation, “Floating Cloud City’s mayor followed her majesty’s orders, told their guards to retreat and surrendered themselves. Divine Phoenix Army didn’t kill anyone in Floating Cloud City, even their army didn’t enter the city, but instead was separated and guarded near Floating Cloud City. Her majesty would send a sound transmission every seven days, and they have been safe so far.”
As if a giant rock that weight ten thousand kilograms disappeared from on top of his heart, Yun Che sat down slowly with his whole body already soaked in cold sweat.
Xiao Yun’s expression changed, and he finally couldn’t help it and said, “Big Brother, the grandfather and little aunt that you mentioned just now, are they… they…”
Yun Che turned around and smiled slightly, “That’s right…” He stood up once again, “I will go pick them up to here now, and let your family unite… when your grandfather sees you, he will definitely be… very happy, very excited.”
“Ah… okay, okay…” Xiao Yun nodded blatantly, his hands were shaking nervously. Grandfather… Little Aunt… relatives… His real blood relatives…
Thinking he could see the Grandfather and Little Aunt that he had been missing day and night, and thinking that he could finally do one thing that could bring joy to Grandfather, Yun Che couldn’t control his eager emotions. Even though they were both safe and sound in Floating Cloud City, only with them by his side would he feel relief. He got up in preparation to leave, to find a place to use the Primordial Profound Ark, but when he had just started to move his steps, Dongfang Xiu suddenly called onto him, “Yun Che, there is something that I have been concerned about, and I think it would be better for me to tell you sooner. Or else… the consequences cannot be predicted.”
Dongfang Xiu’s serious tone made Yun Che stop his steps. He looked at Dongfang Xiu, and said discreetly, “Palace Chief Dongfang, please speak.”
“It’s about Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
“Frozen Cloud Asgard? What about Frozen Cloud Asgard? Were they also involved in the war?” Yun Che slightly locked his eyebrows. He didn’t forget that he was still the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Dongfang Xiu shook his head slowly and said, “During this three years, the Frozen Cloud Asgard has not sent anyone to fight the Divine Phoenix Army, but they gave us their resources that were accumulated for a thousand years like an unending stream, including spirit herbs, offensive profound artifacts, profound crystals, profound formations… they gave us an extremely strong assistance. The fact that we were able to hold the Divine Phoenix Army for three whole months at Heavenly Pass was reliant upon the thousands of profound crystals that contained magical profound formations given by Frozen Cloud Asgard. We couldn’t even dream that when we were suffering from national disaster, it was Frozen Cloud Asgard, which we were usually the least unaligned with, that did everything they could, used all of their resources, and even used their foundations to help us.”
“…What exactly happened there?” Yun Che asked. He indistinctly felt that the reason Frozen Cloud Asgard did their utmost to help was because of Xia Qingyue.
“Six month ago, Fairy of Frozen Moon Xia Qingyue sent a sound transmission to her majesty. It was only a few sentences, but the content of the sound transmission was that Frozen Cloud Asgard suddenly encountered a great calamity, they could not assist the Imperial Family anymore, and told her majesty to look out for herself…”
“What?” Yun Che’s heart tightened, he hurried forward, “What happened then? What exactly did the Frozen Cloud Asgard encounter!”
“No one knows.” Dongfang Xiu shook his head, “After that, no matter what method her majesty used, she couldn’t contact anyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard. On top of that, there was frequent emergency from the battlefield, Blue Wind Nation was in imminent danger, so her majesty didn’t have the time to worry about other things… We don’t know how Frozen Cloud Asgard is now at all.”
“Would it be that they suffered from the attack of Divine Phoenix Army?” Xiao Yun immediately said.
“No, impossible.” Yun Che shook his head right away, “Frozen Cloud Asgard’s location is in Snow Region of Extreme Ice. It is always in extremely cold, and it is covered with ice and snow, which makes it absolutely not suitable for an army to set foot in, especially the Divine Phoenix Army that fears the cold. Besides Frozen Cloud Asgard there, forget about a city, there aren’t any citizens, so the Divine Phoenix has no reason to attack there.”
Thousand Year Calamity?
Yun Che suddenly remembered the three words that Grand Asgard Mistress Feng Qianhui had told him back then, and these weren’t just merely three words, it was a thousand-year fortune which concerned Frozen Cloud Asgard’s survival. Feng Qianhui was also straightforward with him before when he entered Frozen Cloud Asgard as a male disciple, and it was completely to counter the fortune of “Thousand-Year Calamity.”
What happened to Frozen Cloud Asgard… Did the fortune of “Thousand Year Calamity” really happened?!
And six months had passed from when Xia Qingyue sent a sound transmission mentioning they “suddenly encountered a great calamity”… a full six months!
A thick layer of shadow covered Yun Che’s heart at this moment. Today was the first day that he had returned to Profound Sky Continent, but what he received wasn’t tearful reunions; instead it was news that was heavier than the previous.
“I must go to Frozen Cloud Asgard right away!” Yun Che locked his eyebrows and said. At least Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi would be safe in Floating Cloud City, but Frozen Cloud Asgard… if he didn’t go and see what happened right away, he wouldn’t feel settled at all.
“There will be Divine Phoenix Army arriving within today. When that happens, make sure to send sound transmission to me immediately. I have the profound ark with me, I will be able to return in an instant!”
“You can go without worrying. They have us here, nothing will happen.” Number One Under Heaven said as he lowered his brows while nodding.
Yun Che couldn’t wait any longer, and he immediately sent a profound energy sound transmission to Cang Yue, who was in the main hall, personally deploying the troops. He rushed out of the room, flashed high into the sky, and called out the Primordial Profound Ark. After pinpointing the estimate direction and distance towards Frozen Cloud Asgard, he then disappeared with the Primordial Profound Ark in the midst of space hissing.
Chapter 658 - Working in Vain
In the next moment, Yun Che appeared in the sky over the Snow Region of Extreme Ice. This time, he estimated the distance very accurately, appearing no more than ten kilometers away from Frozen Cloud Asgard. Up in the air, he could clearly see its silhouette above him.
Yun Che didn’t stop the slightest, putting all of his strength towards using Extreme Mirage Lightning and charging like a lightning bolt in the direction of Frozen Cloud Asgard. At this moment, he heard a peculiar sound coming from the direction of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Boom… Boom… Boom…
The sound was incomparably heavy. Even if it was ten kilometers away, it was still heavy and ear-splitting. This was the violent clashing sound of immense strength striking against an incredibly hard object. The closer he got, the heavier the sound became, making Yun Che increasingly sure that the sound was coming from Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Yun Che furrowed his brows and put his utmost effort into increasing his speed.
Qingyue… Please be alright…
Boom! Boom! Boom…
All of Frozen Cloud Asgard was violently shaking. Innumerable snowflakes streamed down. With the exception of the thousand year profound ice, the comparatively weaker layers of ice had already broken off, leaving countless cracks throughout the area.
Beneath Frozen Cloud Asgard, in front of Frozen End Divine Hall.
Ye Qingsheng was incomparably sullen and irritable. He had put all of his energy into frantically venting his emotions on the Heavenly Firm stone door. Six months ago, although he had encountered the obstruction of the Heavenly Firm Jade which should not have appeared, in order to avoid the ridicule of others and because the young master Ye Xinghan just happened to be in secluded cultivation, he had resolutely decided not to ask for help from the elders of the Divine Hall, hoping to use his own strength to force open the Heavenly Firm door.
He originally thought three or four months would definitely be enough time and that by the time he had brought Xia Qingyue back to the Sun Moon Divine Hall, the young master wouldn’t have come out yet.
But what he didn’t imagine was that the Heavenly Firm Door’s thickness would exceed his estimation. The twelve of them had bombarded the door, day and night for over five months, and had only just reached the door’s breaking point. Because of this dragging on for so long, he became extremely fretful… Moreover, his biggest concern had already occurred… Young Master Ye Xinghan had already come out from seclusion!
This mission had been personally given to him by Ye Xinghan six months ago. At that time, he had exclaimed that he would perfectly complete such a simple mission in the shortest period of time possible. Adding to the fact that Ye Xinghan originally planned to come in person, he obviously considered Xia Qingyue incredibly important. Having received such an important and easy mission, he originally felt proud of himself and excited from the bottom of his heart.
But now, six months later, the young master had already come out of seclusion, and in addition to having not captured Xia Qingyue, he hadn’t even touched the hem of her clothes.
Ye Xinghan’s sullen voice caused them all to shiver with fright. But luckily, when they were bombarding the Heavenly Firm door today, he felt it trembling… Today, they would definitely be able to blast it open.
“With the exception of Xia Qingyue… the other women all must die!” Ye Qingsheng ferociously struck the Heavenly Firm Jade in front of him with his fist, and the shaking rebound force shook his entire arm with an acute pain. Moreover, his two hands were a blood-like red a long time ago. He definitely wouldn’t hesitate to use weapons to attack the door… but all the weapons that he had brought a few months ago, in the process of attacking the Heavenly Firm Door, had broken one after another—including the Emperor Profound Weapons.
Ye Ziyi shook his head. “No! Right now, the young master is bound to be greatly displeased with us. In order to appease his anger, in addition to bringing back Xia Qingyue… since every Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple is a first class beauty, we must bring some back to make the young master happy!”
Boom!!!
Crack!!
Following the boom was the ear-piercing sound of something shattering as numerous cracks spread out from underneath Ye Qingsheng’s fist, quickly extending outward until the entire door was covered with them.
Ye Qingsheng’s eyes widened as he began laughing madly. Their months of attacking had finally caused the Heavenly Firm Jade to weaken and cracks to appear… These cracks appearing signified that the Heavenly Firm Jade door had finally been thoroughly broken down. A Heavenly Firm Jade which had begun to crumble, was no more than a wall of fine ice. Any low level profound practitioner could destroy it.
“Finally… Finally!!” Ye Qingsheng’s eyes opened as wide as they could, and his facial expression turned from excited to sinister. The pain in his arm had even become a strange kind of pleasure. Over five months of sullen and fretful worrying were finally over, and he could fully vent his emotions. “Out of my way!!”
Ye Qingsheng loudly roared, stuck out his arms, and condensed all of his profound strength, releasing it upon the Heavenly Firm Jade door before him. The tyrannical pressure of an Overlord caused the ten others who had followed him to feel completely suffocated… But he didn’t allow his excitement to cause him to lose reason, directing all of the power towards the Heavenly Firm Jade door and controlling the degree of strength in order to avoid any surplus force hurting Xia Qingyue, who was inside.
In that extremely oppressive explosion, the Heavenly Firm Jade door, which had endured the strikes of two Tyrants and ten Thrones for over five months, exploded, breaking into pale white powder. Behind the Heavenly Firm Jade door which had been destroyed, was a crowd of women wearing snow white clothing while huddling together… The Frozen End Divine Hall was so big that, even with two thousand Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples huddling together, it still seemed extremely spacious and empty.
A cold air pervaded the hall, and even colder still were the disciple’s expressions. They had known that the last line of defense would eventually break and had already prepared their hearts. Receiving an additional six months already exceeded their expectations. At this moment, they were already absent of worry and fear, their cold expressions full of resentment, determination, and unwillingness… and also a little gratification since, at the very least, Xia Qingyue had already safely left over six months ago and hadn’t fallen into the hands of these evil people at all.
“Hahahahaha!” Ye Qingsheng madly laughed, then his face darkened as he quickly said, “You hateful women unexpectedly delayed this great lord for such a long time… If you had been well-behaved and let yourself be captured, this great lord wouldn’t be willing to kill a single one of you and would have given all of you to the young master. Those that received the young master’s favor, their future position would be even higher than this great lord’s. But you all unfortunately refused to yield and now are being forced… If I didn’t kill a few hundred of you, I wouldn’t be able to resolve my hate.”
“Fiend! You… “ Gong Yuxian extended her trembling hand and pointed. “You’ll one day meet heaven’s wrath… cough… cough, cough…”
Gong Yuxian’s face was a pale white, like paper, and her vitality was as thin as a string. These short few words had already caused her to start coughig incessantly. Her hands were supported by Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie, and she had already lost all ability to stand… She painfully persisted, not willing to let her vitality disperse, only because of her unwillingness… her indomitable unwillingness…
Frozen Cloud Asgard, with its thousand year old foundation, abruptly encountered this all-encompassing calamity… They didn’t even know who their enemy was and what their goal was… so how could they be willing! How could they be willing!
“Oh?” Ye Qingsheng narrowed his eyes as he looked at the incomparably weak Gong Yuxian, laughing disdainfully. “Hehe, to have received this great lord’s profound energy, injuring your heart and veins, yet unexpectedly remain living, tsktsktsktsk, not easy at all. How pitiful, how pitiful, your profound strength seems to already have completely scattered. Even if the Great Firmament Golden Deity had appeared to save you, you’ve already become disabled. It’s pitiful enough to make this great lord want to reach out and kill you so that there is nothing left. How about this, these beautiful women, this great lord will kill them one by one. This great lord wants to see how many I have to kill before you die from anger… Hahahahaha!
“You…” Ye Qingsheng’s words caused Gong Yuxian’s whole body to tremble and caused her to abruptly cough up black blood. All of Frozen Clud Asgard’s females were pure of heart and devoid of earthly desires, and the Frozen Heart Arts caused their hearts to become cold as ice… But facing such an enormous disaster, even if they had cultivated the Frozen Heart Arts to completion, they wouldn’t be able to keep their hearts calm.
“Mistress!”
“Mistress!!” Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie hurriedly circulated their profound energy, working at all costs to protect Gong Yuxian’s heart and veins while tightly clinging on to the ice swords in their other hands… Six months of respite, but in the end they could not escape their desperate condition. Even if they pooled together the strength of everyone there, it still wouldn’t be enough to contend with the two Overlords in front of them… but no matter what, they would put their lives on the line to fight!
As Ye Qingsheng recklessly vented his feelings and egotistically howled, Ye Ziyi’s facial expression shifted… In all of Frozen Cloud Asgard, the one with the strongest profound energy was Xia Qingyue… a full half-step into the Tyrant Profound Realm! Therefore, she was extremely easy to recognize. After the Heavenly Firm Jade door was blasted open and they had entered the Frozen End Divine Hall, his gaze had swept over the area numerous times, but he didn’t see Xia Qingyue. He concentrated and realized… he couldn’t feel Xia Qingyue’s aura at all!
Confirming again and again, his face grew darker and darker. He snarled, “Xia Qingyue!! Where did you hide Xia Qingyue!”
“What?” Ye Ziyi’s words caused Ye Qingsheng to stare distractedly, causing him to go from madly laughing to being unable to move which caused his facial expression to change greatly… The entire Frozen End Divine Hall didn’t have a trace Xia Qingyue’s shadow, let alone the slightest bit of her outstanding aura!
All the other members of Frozen Cloud Asgard were there… only Xia Qingyue was missing!
“Stop!” Chu Yueli held her ice sword horizontally in front of her, her whole body prepared to spring into action. “Don’t even think of ever being able to find her… Only when she comes looking for you, will this blood debt be repaid!!”
Ye Qingsheng’s gaze rested on the stage to the right side of the Frozen End Divine Hall, and his aura suddenly turned violent as his face took on a sinister expression… At his current realm, he could already sense the presence of spatial energy. Although it had already been a few months, he could still sense tiny vestiges of spatial energy that had yet to disperse… It became clear that it once had contained a profound space formation!
A profound space formation was, without a doubt, the highest level of profound formations on the entire Profound Sky Continent. Even for the Four Great Sacred Grounds, creating a profound space formation was extremely difficult. That, and the enormous Heavenly Firm Jade door, absolutely should not have appeared at a place on the level of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
It was extremely clear, that during their unbearable, unceasing bombardment of the Heavenly Firm Jade door, Xia Qingyue had already escaped using the profound space formation!!
“Un… forgiveable!!” As if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, Ye Qingsheng’s unbridledness and arrogance transformed into wrath and fear, his entire body trembling violently as he yelled, “You… had the impertinence to play with me!!”
Compared to his anger at all of his efforts having come to nothing, he was even more afraid of the consequences of not being able to bring Xia Qingyue back. In his anger, his killing intent increased and he roared, “You all… all of you, die!”
“Wait!!” Ye Ziyi pulled him back, face also darkened as he furiously said, “Speak! Where does the profound space formation lead to! Where is Xia Qingyue now… you all better speak honestly. We can still give you a path at life, this is your last chance!”
“Give up!” Chu Yueli clenched her teeth and her expression went cold, completely without fear. “We are already corpses, ready to be buried here. We absolutely won’t tell you! Don’t even think of ever being able to find her!”
“Wretches… all of you… go die!!” Ye Qingsheng’s rage completely exploded. Six months of sullenness and days and nights without rest, all of his hopes and efforts came to nothing. The consequences would be incomparably serious, and Ye Qingsheng felt his head and heart being trampled. He snarled, and his entire profound strength exploded out, causing a tyrannical pressure to radiate all in all directions.
“Protect the Mistress!!”
Crying out in alarm, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue performed the Frozen Snow Dance Steps, simultaneously appearing in front of Gong Yuxian, causing resplendent ice spirits to dance throughout the sky. They had all already become Thrones, but the difference between a Throne and an Overlord was as big as the distance between the heaven and the earth. Even if it was just the profound energy released by an Overlord, they absolutely were unable to resist it.
The force of ten thousand mountains collided with them, inducing explosive pain within their chests and causing the ice spirits to rapidly disappear. They were only able to resist for two breaths of time before they were violently sent flying, resulting in their bodies heavily smashing against the Heavenly Firm Jade wall.
“Junior Masters!!”
“Master!!”
The Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples cried out in alarm… Yun Che had opened all of the profound entrances of the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies, and their cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, already completely entering the Emperor Profound Realm. From the perspective of the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples, the Emperor Profound Realm in the Profound Sky Continent was an unparalleled existence, but in front of the Tyrant Profound Realm, they were unexpectedly not even able to withstand one blow.
“Still resisting in vain?” Ye Qingsheng lifted up his arm, his expression fiendish. “If you don’t tell us where Xia Qingyue is… you all will die! Now then… let’s start with your so-called Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies!!”
Ye Qingsheng’s arm expanded, and a wave of profound energy surged throughout the entire Frozen End Divine Hall. A murderous air enveloped the Seven Fairies, ready to descend upon them in an instant when, all of a sudden, an enormous explosion came from behind, shaking the entire Frozen End Divine Hall.
Boom!!!
“Who is it!” Ye Ziyi said as he turned around. A golden figure flashed before his eyes… this golden figure had reached an incredible speed, making him unexpectedly unable to see the figure clearly even with his level five Tyrant Profound strength. Without a response, the figure swept past his line of sight towards the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples.
It arrived in a flash, having seemingly pierced through space!
Chapter 659 - Heartless Instant Kill
Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi frantically turned around, looking in shock at this ghostlike person who had suddenly appeared. Their hearts had also skipped a beat… such frightening speed, this person’s profound strength would definitely be much higher than theirs!
The person in front of them looked only a bit over twenty years old. Dressed in a robe filled with golden patterns, his calm expression seemed somewhat sinister. The two of them asked in unison, “Who exactly are you!!”
As they spoke, they had already measured his profound aura… their expressions turned dumbfounded at the same time and their earlier nervousness had instantly dissipated. Ye Qingsheng had also instantly spoke with contempt, “Hmph, it’s only an outrageous little brat.”
The other party’s profound aura was only in the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm. Although, for his age, such cultivation was already considered shocking, in front of them, it would even be able to withstand one blow. It was at a level that would not be able to cause scratch them or resist their attacks.
As for his speed… it was probably because he primarily trained in speed type profound arts or because he relied on some sort of profound artifact.
Yun Che had sprinted over, and when Ye Qingsheng was overcoming the Heavenly Firm Main Door, he was already above the Frozen End Divine Hall. Then, he also clearly heard everything that Ye Qingsheng had said and instantly understood the gist of things… The fact that the Frozen End Divine Hall was created using Heavenly Firm Jade was something he knew very well. The toughness of Heavenly Firm Jade was something he had once tested using Dragon Fault… A blow at full strength did not even cause a scratch. Obviously, Frozen Cloud Asgard had escaped into the Frozen End Divine Hall due to the unfortunate circumstance,s and these people had used a large amount of time to forcefully break apart the main door of the Frozen End Divine Hall.
As for himself, he had also fortunately arrived at the very last second.
Initially, he had considered the Frozen Cloud Ancestor’s use of the luxurious Heavenly Firm Jade for the entire underground grand hall to be outrageous… But now, it had saved nearly all the women of Frozen Cloud as well as everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Yun Che’s downcast gaze swept over the twelve people in front of him… All of them were unfamiliar faces, and all of them wore the same black clothing. Not only were there no emblems or signs on their clothing, their clothing didn’t even have any other colors. They obviously had intended to hide their identity. As for profound strength… two of them were in the middle stage Tyrant Profound Realm while the other ten were at least in the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm!
Yun Che’s gaze shifted away from them as his expression remained cold, and he did not reply to them. Instead, he turned and looked at Gong Yuxian, who was being supported by Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie.
The sudden appearance of this man had also caused everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard to be shocked. But, when he turned around, all the women who saw his face were instantly stunned, and their beautiful eyes revealed looks of disbelief despite the shock.
“Yun… Yun Che!?”
Scanning across the corner of Frozen Cloud Asgard, Yun Che could see the deceased Grand Asgard Mistress, Feng Qianhui, who still showed hatred on her face, within an ice coffin which had sparse ice spirits floating around it. He walked slowly and arrived in front of Gong Yuxian under everyone’s gaze. Gong Yuxian’s pale face was bluish as well, and her vitality was exceptionally weak. With one glance, he could tell that not only were her injuries severe, they had lasted for several months. If it were not for the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies extending her vitality with their profound strength and her strong determination to survive, she would already have breathed her last breath and died long ago… If her determination was to waver even slightly, she would probably die within a few breaths of time.
Also, her body no longer emitted any profound aura… Her profound energy had dissipated. Even if she were to recover, she would have to retrain her profound strength from scratch. He knew that to a person who arrogantly looked on the Blue Wind, who was the mistress of the Asgard, this was a fate that was crueler than death.
Yun Che let out a long breath, bent down, stretched out his arm, and injected some Heaven and Earth’s energy into Gong Yuxian body through the air while saying with guilt, “Asgard Mistress… I’m late.”
Gong Yuxian stretched out her palm with difficulty. Because of the extreme shock and agitation, her pale face showed an unusual tinge of red. “You… you… Yun Che… is that really you? Didn’t you… didn’t…”
“It’s me.” Yue Che strongly nodded as he opened his palm, and in the middle of it, a pocket sized Tree of Frozen End grew. “With the Frozen End Divine Arts as proof, unlike what many may have claimed, I did not die in the Primordial Profound Ark three years ago. I was only brought to another world by the Primordial Profound Ark and returned today.”
In this world, the only people who possessed the Frozen End Divine Arts were Yun Che and Xia Qingyue. Seeing the Tree of Frozen End on Yun Che’s palm, they no longer dared to doubt that the person in front of them was someone who only looked similar to Yun Che. Instead, they knew full well that this was indeed the Yun Che that everyone assumed had died.
Gong Yuxian’s lips trembled, and her eyes glinted with a weak and unusual glow. However, this unusual glow quickly faded away. “You are actually… still alive… such a… miracle… however… cough… cough, cough… Today… you shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have…”
Yun Che understood her meaning of “shouldn’t have”… Because the ones that caused Frozen Cloud Asgard to be in such a peril were two Overlords, his arrival… would only result in death.
“No.” Yun Che shook his head. “I’m a disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard. When the Asgard is in trouble… I should have returned earlier. Asgard mistress, please rest assured that now that I’m back… I will not allow anyone to trample over our Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
“Tsk, hahahahaha.” Behind Yun Che, conceited laughter erupted out. When Ye Qingsheng had heard Yun Che’s words just now, he felt that it was undoubtedly an extremely laughable joke. “You’re going to make me laugh my head off. This wild brat that nobody knows which hole in the ground he came from actually promised that he would protect Frozen Cloud Asgard? Hahahaha… Indeed, only poor laughingstocks are produced in such a pathetic and lowly place. The third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, although you can indeed walk against the law in a small nation like Blue Wind, it’s a pity that citizens from such a lousy place would forever be jokes in front of this great lord. Your movements skills are indeed not bad, and you have the ability to receive this great lord’s praise. However, if this great lord wants you to die in a breath of time, you would definitely not live for another breath.”
“Yun Che? That name is a little familiar,” Ye Ziyi said plainly.
“Heh, of course it sounds familiar.” Ye Qingsheng coldly laughed. “He’s the brat that slapped Divine Phoenix Nation on the face during the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament back then and even enraged our Young Master. Tsk, tsk, I heard that he had disappeared along with that whatever Primordial Profound Ark. I didn’t expect him to actually come back alive… For a very long period back then, whenever Yun Che’s name was mentioned, Young Master would grind his teeth in hatred. If he knew that this brat was actually alive… he would undoubtedly be delighted!”
Young Master? Primordial Profound Ark?
These two people caused Yun Che’s heart to sink as the name and face of someone he loathed appeared in his mind…
Sun Moon Divine Hall… Ye Xinghan!!
These people seemed to be from the Sun Moon Divine Hall and also seemed to be personally sent by Ye Xinghan!
Just what happened? Why would Sun Moon Divine Hall allow its people to attack Frozen Cloud Asgard? Sun Moon Divine Hall and Frozen Cloud Asgard… were obviously two different entities from two different worlds, and there was no reason why they needed to interact with one another!
With a face of playfulness and pity, Ye Qingsheng said, “It wasn’t easy for you to survive, and yet you’re rushing to your death now.”
His eyebrows sank as he waved his hand. “Capture that brat now! But don’t be too violent and kill him. Young Master will be very interested in finding ways to kill him!”
As he finished speaking, a man dressed in black who was behind him rushed forward like lightning and attempted to grab Yun Che… From the ten people, only he moved. Among the ten, the lowest in profound cultivation was still in the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm. To handle someone who was merely in the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, even one person would be overkill.
“Yun Che, be careful!” Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli shouted together in panic. At the same time, they grabbed their ice swords and wanted to move forward to defend against the attack with Yun Che. They had already personally felt these people’s strengths. Although the ten men dress in black were just followers, any one of them would be much stronger than anyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Facing the man in black that was rushing towards him, Yun Che’s cold expression did not change, nor did he move from his position one bit. He only stretched out his palm and made a slight wave with his hand.
Boom!!!
A thunderous, loud explosion suddenly rang out, and the man in black who was still ten meters away from Yun Che… had instantly disappeared from where he was in the midst of the noise and landed on a stone wall thirty meters away before falling heavily onto the ground. His body was dyed with blood and went soft . After that, he did not move at all as though he was a stray dog that had just been beaten up.
The entire area, at that instant, had violently shaken.
Frozen Cloud Divine Hall became dead silent. Ye Qingsheng, Ye Ziyi… as well as everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard was stunned right there… The man in black was in the ninth level of the Emperor Profound Realm, and even within the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies, not one of them were his match. When he rushed at Yun Che, the pressure emitted from his profound strength was exceptionally intense. Even someone in the fifth level of the Emperor Profound Realm would be taken down in an instant.
As for Yun Che… he merely… waved his hand a little!!
“Haokong!!!” After the men in black had regained their senses, they hastily rushed forward. The moment they touched the man in black’s body, their eyes trembled and revealed deep fear.
“All of his meridians are severed… his bones are broken… dead… already dead …” uttered a man in black, his voice trembling.
“Whaa… whatttt!!” Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi were extremely shocked as cold sweat ran down their backs.
A level nine Throne… died… all his meridians were severed and his bones shattered… His opponent was only a level three Throne, and he only casually waved his hand! It really was only one casual wave. Before then, they did not detect Yun Che attempt to gather any profound energy. There was not even a slight wave of profound energy… nor had he used any profound skill!
He even did it through the air… and was at least ten meters away!
Given their cultivation that was in the middle stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm, they naturally could also kill a level nine Throne in one move… However, that would use up to eighty percent of their strength, and they would definitely not be able to do it as casually as Yun Che had done… They also could not possibly rely only their profound aura to kill through the air! Needless to say, severing someone’s meridians and shattering their bones…
Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli, who were originally about to intervene, were stunned, and all the women from Frozen Cloud Asgard stared wide-eyed with their mouths agape. They dared not believe the scene that they had just witnessed. Gong Yuxian’s eyes trembled in an exceptionally vigorous fashion, and her breaths became much shallower… Yun Che did not die. She believed that with Yun Che unparalleled talent, within three years, his strength would definitely increase by leaps and bounds.
However, no matter how fast one’s speed of growth was, it was not possible to reach a level that could easily defeat an Overlord in the short span of three years… Therefore, Yun Che’s return brought her shock, joy… and eventually fear.
Furthermore, never in her wildest dreams would she imagine that… today’s Yun Che could causally kill a level Throne in a matter of seconds.
Although she has not interacted with anyone above the Emperor Profound Realm before, she clearly knew that in order to do so… one had to at least be in the latter stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm!!
Chapter 660 - Scared Witless
All of the contempt that Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi possessed morphed in stone cold fear. They were not idiots; even though the other party’s profound aura was only at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, they were very clear what level of profound strength was required to perform the feat that he had just displayed…
They had never paid any attention to the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament because, to the Sacred Grounds, the Seven Nations were inferior existences. If not for the might of the Phoenix Divine Spirit, they would not even pay any mind to the strongest nation, the Divine Phoenix Empire. So the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament was only a place where the strongest amongst the weak went to play. So they knew the name “Yun Che,” not only because he had caused the Divine Phoenix Empire to lose the first time in the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, but also because of the anger this name had caused Ye Xinghan after he had returned from the Divine Phoenix Empire.
And at this time, they began to vaguely remember… three years ago, Yun Che had beaten the ten strongest members of the youngest generation of the Divine Phoenix Empire, and his profound level had only been at the Earth Profound Realm. At that time, nearly everyone in Sun Moon Divine Hall expressed their disbelief and even treated it as a joke.
In addition, the ten Divine Phoenix disciples he had defeated were all in the mid-stage of the Emperor Profound Realm… and some of them were even late stage Thrones.
So if that rumor was true… and if the Yun Che at the Earth Profound Realm could defeat late stage Thrones, then the Yun Che who now had the profound power of the Emperor Profound Realm…
The impact that scene had on Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi was simply too great. Their hearts and souls were greatly shaken, completely unable to calm down. Facing this young man who only exuded an aura that was at the third level of the Emperor Profound, their hearts started to beat harder and harder in their chests.
Ye Qingsheng could no longer laugh. The only thing he could do was pray that what happened just now was only a coincidence that could not be duplicated. With that, he grit his teeth and gave a flourish of his hand. “All of you advance together… capture him!!”
As Ye Qingsheng’s command cut through the air, the profound energy of the nine, black-robed Thrones exploded outwards. They gave a low cry and rushed towards Yun Che from multiple directions. The eyes of every single one of them gleamed with viciousness, and they held nothing back. Nine strong profound auras caused ripples to criss-cross through the intervening space… their companion had been killed in an instant by this young man who was weaker than him by half a realm, and perhaps that could be written off as a unique coincidence, but if nine people advanced together, this kind of “coincidence”… could not appear no matter what happened!
Nine Thrones who were at the eighth level and above launched an all-out assault against a level three Throne. Before today, if they had heard of it, they would all definitely feel that such a situation would be extremely funny. But right now, while Yun Che’s profound strength was actually at the Emperor Profound Realm, his true strength had never been comparable to the level of his profound strength. So even though he was also at the Emperor Profound Realm, the strength of someone at the Emperor Profound Realm was to him… something that could only be described as “utterly weak.”
Despite facing the all-out assault of nine Thrones, Yun Che’s feet still remained rooted to the ground, and not a single ripple could be seen in his eyes. He only raised his arm as a blue light flashed in his palm. Following a flourish of his hand, nine ice spirits suddenly shot out… the speed of the ice spirits was extremely fast, and nine blue lines were traced through the air. Those nine Thrones didn’t even register the blue flashes of light before the ice spirits made contact with their chests.
Chink, chink, chink, chink, chink, chink…
The blue lights were as small the lights of fireflies, but the moment those nine Thrones came into contact with them, their entire bodies were bathed in blue light as they morphed into ice statues… They had been completely frozen from the inside out!
There were no wails nor horror. Not even an instance of resistance was displayed. There was only the heavy ring of nine objects solidifying into solid ice… and in the very next instant, nine ice statues fell from midair to smash against the ground.
Bang, bang, bang, bang…
Once the ice statues came into contact with the ground, they instantly shattered into pieces. Some of them shattered into tiny fragments while others broke into several big chunks. Even the least damaged statue had snapped at the waist as numerous cracks ran through his body. As for those who had flown the highest, their bodies had been shattered into dregs of ice… Moreover, along the floor that was filled with broken fragments, not a single trace of blood could be seen. That was because even their blood had been instantly and completely frozen in that one moment.
“Wha… wha… what?!!” Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi backed up a step simultaneously… the two mighty Overlords’ pupils shrank into pinpricks, and even their legs could be seen to be trembling.
Nine high level Thrones were frozen and sealed in an instant… and the most horrifying fact was that after their frozen bodies had naturally fallen from the air, they actually all shattered on the cold and hard ground as if they were all made of regular ice.
As high level Thrones, they had the profound strength of the Emperor Profound Realm protecting their body. Even if they fell to the bottom of an extremely deep ravine, there was no way their bodies would have shattered solely because of that. Additionally, even if they were sealed in ice, their protective profound energy should have still remained… Not only that, even if they had died in that instant, their profound energy should not have immediately and completely dissipated/disappeared.
But the scene that had just unfolded right before their very eyes was so horrifying that they could scarcely believe it… They had begun to suspect whether this was an illusion that simply did not exist in reality… or perhaps they were stuck in a nightmare.
Unless… unless in that instant, not only were their bodies sealed in ice, but even their profound energy was sealed in ice as well.
Furthermore, this level of strength, how could it appear on someone who was only around twenty years old and whose profound energy aura was only at that of the Emperor Profound Realm?!
“Ah…” Behind Yun Che, all the girls of Frozen Cloud Asgard cried out in astonishment and unwittingly raised their hands to their lips, and even Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies were completely dumbfounded… the scene they had just witnessed was a million times more shocking than when he had killed that level nine Throne in an instant.
This was a power that they had never seen before, one that even completely exceeded the bounds of their understanding!
To be able to kill a level nine Throne in an instant was something that Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi could do as well. But to simultaneously kill nine late-stage Thrones, even if the both of them cooperated together, it was something they definitely could not do… and when Yun Che made his move, not only were they unable to sense the slightest ripple of profound energy, during the entire process, he had only waved his hand in an extremely casual manner… it was as if he had only used the energy it would take to lift a finger.
Both of them had been rendered completely breathless as the cold sensation in their bodies instantly swelled up tens of times over. But at this point, Yun Che’s gaze fell on their bodies and they felt a thick and fierce killing intent lock in on them. “Now, it’s your turn.”
After being targeted by Yun Che’s killing intent, their bodies suddenly ran cold, as if there was a python twisting around their bodies only to set their venomous fangs against their throat.
A terror they had never felt before spread through their entire bodies. If they were previously unsure of the gap between their power and Yun Che’s, the moment Yun Che’s killing intent locked on to them… that indescribable, bone-piercing cold, caused their very hearts and souls to shiver so severely that they could not control themselves no matter what they did, and that very oppressive pressure also caused their profound strength to curl up and become sluggish. All of these things led them to discover, to their horror, that this young man not only had a profound strength that far surpassed the Emperor Profound Realm, he was also stronger than the two of them, both mid-stage Overlords, by nearly an entire realm as well!
They had only ever experienced such a strong might and pressure in the presences of a Monarch.
The Yun Che in front of them… just a flourish of his hand was enough to instantly kill nine late-stage Thrones… so he definitely had the ability to kill the both of them!”
Ye Qingsheng started to shuffle his feet backwards… That was a movement which indicated that he was prepared to flee at any moment. At this time, he already knew that he could definitely not behave arrogantly, no matter the circumstances. He forced his terror down and did not allow it to show on his face while giving a low shout, “Yun Che! You…. Do you know who we are…”
“I don’t know who the both of you are.” Yun Che’s every word was as heavy as a gigantic boulder smashing against their chests. “But I do know one thing… that the both of you are about to become dead men!”
RIIP!!
Before the sound of Yun Che’s voice had finished falling, his figure instantly blurred as his real body appeared in front of Ye Ziyi like a ghost… His speed was way too fast, it was so quick to the point that no one had any time to react at all, and even when he appeared before the two of them, both of these mighty Overlords were still focused on the still-present afterimage that he had left behind.
“Ah!!” The figure that abruptly appeared caused Ye Qingsheng, whose nerves were already tightly wound, to give a strangled cry in shock and fear as he shot backwards like an arrow. However, Yun Che’s hand already had formed a death grip around Ye Ziyi’s throat, and with a simple shrug of his shoulders, he completely lifted him off the ground.
Ye Ziyi’s eyes widened into saucers, and his eyeballs started bulging out as his entire face turned beet red… that hand around his throat was simply too fierce and tight, so much so that he was unable to even utter a groan of pain. Moreover, all of the profound energy in his body was completely suppressed by an extremely tyrannical strength. It completely sealed his every moment and did not even allow him resist even in the slightest. It was as if Yun Che was lifting a rigid corpse into the air.
Ye Qingsheng stumbled backwards in terror as the pretty faces of the women of Frozen Cloud Asgard completely went pale… Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi, both of them were incomparably powerful Overlords, and it was also the two of them that forced everyone from Frozen Cloud Asgard into this desperate situation. To them, they were stronger and more terrifying than demons. They were existences that could not be resisted or defeated, no matter what they did.
Despite that, Yun Che had actually grabbed such a terrifying person by the throat, and that person could only twitch and convulse in that death grip without even being able to fight back… even both of his hands flopped uselessly at his side… he did not even have the strength to lift up both hands!
If he was not being completely suppressed by such an absolute power, how would it be possible for this mighty Overlord to not even be able to muster the slightest bit of resistance.
Ye Ziyi’s pupils slowly dilated, and it seemed like they were going to explode out of his eyes as they were filled with terror, despair, and pleading. But why would Yun Che show even the slightest bit of mercy? With a slight twitch of his fingers, the bones in Ye Ziyi’s throat were reduced to fine powder. Yun Che gave a low shout after that, “My Frozen Cloud Asgard had no quarrel or complaint with you, yet you have behaved against us in such an evil and vicious manner… even though you are only lapdogs… even if you died ten thousand times, it would not redeem your sins! Die!!!”
As the word “die” was spoken, a flame flashed in Yun Che’s eyes, and the red-hot Golden Crow flames ignited in his hand. It instantly spread to Ye Ziyi’s body and turned him into a human torch. Ye Ziyi, whose entire body was being baptised in the Golden Crow flames, was in such pain that even his pupils spasmed, and all of his fear and pleading was turned into extreme pain and despair…
The flames in Yun Che’s hands soared into the sky, and after a few breaths, they swiftly fell. Finally, after the flames died out and the last fire petal hit the ground, Ye Ziyi’s body had already completely disappeared… not even ashes remained.
The Frozen End Divine Hall had descended into an absolute silence. While the air had turned scorching hot, Ye Qingsheng’s entire body went cold, and he felt as if he had been plunged into a frozen hell. He could only helplessly look on as Ye Ziyi was, in the span of a few breaths, reduced to ashes by Yun Che without even the slightest opposition… His body went limp the moment he saw Ye Ziyi’s body completely disappear, and as Yun Che’s gaze slowly rotated over to him, he let out a shrill and strangled cry as he scrambled up the wall, attempting to desperately climb to freedom… It was as if he was a defeated dog who had been completely scared out of his mind.
Chapter 661 - New Asgard Master
However, even if Ye Qingsheng’s speed was ten times faster, it would still be impossible for him to escape from Yun Che’s palms. Yun Che stood still, reached out his arm, and an invisible cold air stabbed through the space, instantly shooting out further than three hundred kilometers. The body of Ye Qingsheng, who was desperately escaping, became stiff and fell onto the ground while he was screaming. Following that, his whole body was frozen under a layer of ice that was rapidly getting thicker.
“Keep… keep him alive!” exclaimed Gong Yuxian with a rapid voice.
Even without Gong Yuxian’s reminder, Yun Che wasn’t planning to kill Ye Qingsheng in the first place. He had already confirmed that these people were from the Sun Moon Divine Hall, but he still didn’t know why they would attack the Frozen Cloud Asgard… especially when these people were obviously under the command of Ye Xinghan himself!
At the very least, he must figure out the reason behind this… especially Ye Xinghan’s goal.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Qingsheng’s whole body was completely sealed with ice, and whether it was his body or profound energy, they were all sealed completely. He laid on the ground without moving. Yun Che opened his palm, and along with a chaotic airflow, Ye Qingsheng’s ice sealed body flew up from the ground, quickly flew backwards until it landed by Yun Che’s foot, and was heavily stamped on by Yun Che’s feet … The moment his feet landed, the ice layer that covered Ye Qingsheng’s whole body shattered in an instant.
Ye Qingsheng wasn’t unconscious. Without the ice layer on his body, his whole body was still shivering from the cold, and his face was covered with bruises, but his profound energy was completely suppressed and locked by a strength that was so strong he couldn’t even resist against it. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to use any of it.
Yun Che lifted his eyes and slowly moved his feet away from Ye Qingsheng’s back. Even without Yun Che stepping on him, that overbearing force of suppression still existed. On top of that, his body was completely frozen stiff. Not mentioning standing up, he couldn’t even lift his arms or turn his head. There was only weak, unclear moaning coming from his mouth.
Bang!
Yun Che kicked Ye Qingsheng into a corner of the Frozen End Divine Hall, didn’t give him another look, and hurried to Gong Yuxian’s front. Because he felt that Gong Yuxian’s breath was getting weaker by the moment, if it kept going on like this, her life would end at any moment.
“Asgard Mistress, you asked me to keep him alive, was it to question them where they are from?” Yun Che asked peacefully while facing Gong Yuxian as he started to circulate Great Way of the Buddha and gather the nature’s energy.
Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, Feng Hanxue… and all of the Frozen Cloud disciples looked straight at him with blank looks on their faces. All of their eyes were in a haze as if they were covered with ice mist and in a blur as if they were in a dream… Perhaps, they supposed, up until this very moment, they were still in the most fantastic dream.
A catastrophic calamity. During these six months, they were always in a desperate, hopeless situation… Their enemies included two Overlords and ten late-stage Thrones, and they could not fight against that power no matter what. For six months, they relied on the last breath of the Frozen End Divine Hall. Today, when the villains broke open the Frozen End Divine Hall, every one of them had prepared for death and had already stopped hoping for any miracle to appear… but, Yun Che, who had died three years ago on the Primordial Profound Ark… the only male disciple of their Frozen Cloud Asgard actually came back at the very last moment and appeared before them.
Not only did he miraculously come back alive, his strength had become so strong that it was both completely unbelievable and incomprehensible. Ten strong, high-level Thrones were all killed by him in two short seconds; Overlords that were considered as so strong that they were horrifying and exceeded the existence of legends to Blue Wind Nation could not resist in front of Yun Che at all; they were no different from newborn babes.
The danger that placed them in a desperate situation was solved in the blink of an eye because of Yun Che’s return. The eleven villains who they hated and feared were all dead with their bodies unwhole, and the only one that remained was paralyzed, effectively dead. But none of them cheered in joy because all of this was too unreal. At this moment, they couldn’t believe the Yun Che before their eyes was the Yun Che that they knew.
“Yes…” Gong Yuxian nodded slowly. “Our Frozen Cloud Asgard… cannot… not know… why we’re suffering from this disaster… cough… cough, cough…”
Gong Yuxian coughed severely, and a trace of black blood fell from the corner of her mouth.
“Mistress!” Murong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie exclaimed, and immediately, they started to transfer their own profound energy into her body in desperation. Yun Che also put his palm onto her chest right away and let the nature’s essence that he had just gathered flow into her lifeline. “Asgard Mistress, don’t worry. We will definitely be able to get to the bottom of this… The person behind this, no matter who it is, will have to pay a heavy price for this… Asgard Mistress, don’t speak now, close your eyes and calm yourself… There is no danger any longer, you just have to heal your wounds in peace and you will recover very soon!”
“No…” But Gong Yuxian shook her head and said, “There are somethings, that I must… say now…”
Gong Yuxian’s voice was trembling and weak, but at this moment, her eyes were not unfocused anymore. Instead, they were bright and clear; even the weak vitality in her body had suddenly stabilized… But Yun Che didn’t stop worrying at this change; rather, his heart immediately sunk…
This was… a moment of clarity right before death!
Gong Yuxian was using all of the remainder of her life force… in exchange for one last bit of short clarity.
“Asgard Mistress, you…”
“Don’t… say anything… Listen to me… listen to me…” Gong Yuxian’s lips were trembling, and her weak voice was filled with deep urgency, causing Yun Che to not dare to interrupt her anymore. “Yun Che… Can you tell me… what realm your strength is at now?”
Everyone’s focus gathered on Yun Che once again. They were all incredibly curious of what realm his strength was at now, but Yun Che knew that Gong Yuxian absolutely did not ask this question out of curiosity. He seriously responded, “My profound strength realm is at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm, but if I use all of my strength, I might be able to battle against a Monarch that is under the third level.”
Battle… against a Monarch?
Indescribable shock and looks of disbelief revealed themselves on the Frozen Snow disciple’s beautiful faces as they all gasped uncontrollably. If Yun Che were to use all of his strength, he could battle against a Monarch… That meant, Yun Che’s strength now, was already at the legendary… Sovereign Profound Realm!!
This was the highest realm that could be reached by the profound practitioners not only in Blue Wind Nation, but the entire Profound Sky Continent! It was the peak plane in this world! Once one entered this realm, one would become a true Monarch among humans! A true legend of the profound way.
Gong Yuxian’s expression was very calm, but in her eyes, an instant of bright brilliance flashed. She said slowly, “Then do you… still admit… that you are a disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard?”
“If Asgard Mistress doesn’t expel me, I will always be the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard,” Yun Che claimed without hesitation. He reached out his palm, and a, ice-blue frost crystal slowly appeared in the center of his palm. “This Frozen Cloud Soul Crystal was personally given to me by Grand Asgard Mistress back then, and it is the proof of my identity as the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Even though I have left Frozen Cloud Asgard for three years, this has always been on this disciple and was never left behind.”
Looking at the Frozen Cloud Soul Crystal in Yun Che’s hand, Gong Yuxian’s eyes showed movement. She used all of her strength to slowly nod, and even her voice was accompanied with excitement, “Good… good… good… In a short six years… from no profound strength at all to being able to battle against a Monarch… Only six years… There has never been a case like this before in the Profound Sky Continent… Even though we are also a petty existence… you are still… willing to admit that you are my asgard’s disciple… You are indeed… a man who values relationships… No wonder… Yuechan was willing to abandon the Frozen Cloud for you… Qingyue wasn’t able to stop worrying because of you… Senior Master even broke the thousand year sect rule to let you become the first male disciple…”
Gong Yuxian said these many things in one go, but her face become rosy from pale. Yun Che knew that this wasn’t because her status was improving, but it was because she was another step closer to death. “Qingyue married you… Yuechan left the asgard because of you… I once thought that you were a misfortune to Frozen Cloud… When Senior Master accepted you as a male disciple, I also once couldn’t accept or understand it… But today, I just found out that you are not only not a misfortune to Frozen Cloud, you are the savior given to my Frozen Cloud Asgard by the heavens… If it wasn’t for you, Frozen Cloud Asgard wouldn’t exist after today… Senior Master was indeed insightful and wise…”
“Mistress, stop talking.” Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue were already so anxious that they were close to crying. “The danger has passed. We will take you to the Frozen Heart Hall immediately… When we get there, you will definitely recover very soon.”
“No…” Gong Yuxian weakly shook her head, and in determination said, “Don’t move me… Finish… finish listening to what I have to say… Yun Che… Since you admit your identity as the disciple of Frozen Cloud, then are you… willing to listen to my, this Asgard Mistress’, command?”
“…” Yun Che nodded. He didn’t try to convince Gong Yuxian because he knew that, to someone who was already filled with the will to die, even the strongest medical skills wouldn’t be able help. “I am the disciple of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Naturally, I will listen to the command of the Asgard Mistress.”
“Good…” Gong Yuxian’s voice trembled even harder, her tone was suddenly even more solemn and just. “Frozen Cloud’s disciple, Yun Che… kneel down and listen to my command!”
Yun Che was stunned slightly, but facing the current Gong Yuxian, he couldn’t refuse at all. He kneeled down on one knee in seriousness before her, and at this moment, he saw Gong Yuxian’s right palm slowly open. A small, exquisite, diamond-shaped icicle floated in the air above the back of her palm, and it released a strange, fantastic blue light.
Looking at this icicle, the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies were all severely moved, and as they lost their voices, stammered, “That… that is…”
“This icicle is called the ‘Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul,’ it carries all of the Frozen Cloud Asgard’s arts, secrets, and precious memories of the past Asgard Mistresses. With this, you can also unlock every restriction in the asgard… and this, is also the proof of identity of my Frozen Cloud Asgard for the Asgard Mistress…” Gong Yuxian reached out, her arms trembling, and placed the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul before Yun Che.
“I will now… give you this ‘Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul’… From now on, you will be my Frozen Cloud Asgard’s… New Asgard Master!”
Chapter 662 - Divine Phoenix Coming Again
Gong Yuxian’s words and shocking actions were obviously her dying will. Murong Qianxue heavily shook her head. “Asgard Mistress, don’t be like this… you’ll definitely be fine. Our Frozen Cloud Asgard needs you.”
“Asgard Mistress! We’ve already escaped from danger and you’ll be able to recover soon. Now… is not the time to pass on the position of Asgard Mistress.”
“Asgard Mistress…”
“Don’t try to persuade me…” Gong Yuxian smiled, “My profound strength has completely dispersed. Even if I fully recover, I would still only be a cripple and will only become a burden to Frozen Cloud Asgard… The only reason why I’ve forcefully willed myself to stay alive was because I was not yet satisfied. Now that Frozen Cloud Asgard has escaped danger and the most suitable person to become Asgard Master has appeared, I can finally… be at ease and accompany Senior Master…”
Originally, the next in line for Asgard Mistress was Xia Qingyue. However, over five months ago, under the crisis, Gong Yuxian forcefully ordered Xia Qingyue to flee using the profound escape formation, but due to the panic caused by her fright, she had forgotten to pass her the “Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul…” Currently, if Yun Che were able to become the Asgard Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard, then that would perhaps be an even better ending. Or perhaps that was also heaven’s will.
“Yun Che… I am well aware that me passing the position of Asgard Mistress to you… is quite tough on you… With your current cultivation, even if you entered one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, you would probably still be able to obtain a high position… But… even though the calamity has temporarily passed, the mastermind behind these villains is an enormous power that Frozen Cloud Asgard simply cannot contend against… Me… selfishly… handing over Frozen Cloud Asgard to you… is my command as Asgard Mistress… and also… my request… Please… you must… promise… promise me…”
Gong Yuxian focused all her energy into her hand to grab onto the front of Yun Che’s clothes. Her eyes were tearful and were completely filled with deep beseechment… Right, beseechment.
Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Mistress… was the “supreme” noble identity in Blue Wind Nation. The prestigious name was so prosperous that it even exceeded the name of the Blue Wind Emperor, and only the title of Heavenly Sword Villa Master could be compared with it. But now, she was begging a person deeply to succeed the position of Asgard Mistress… and that person was a man; it was unprecedented in the history of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
This was because Gong Yuxian knew clearly that the disaster of Frozen Cloud Asgard was not over yet, it was only the beginning. Those people that were demolished by Yun Che were only a few underlings, and there were only so many forces in Profound Sky Continent that could have Overlords as their underlings. She had even already vaguely surmised that the person behind all of this was possibly those who could undermine the entire Profound Sky Continent… one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds…
To save Frozen Cloud Asgard, she could only grab onto the last resort, which was the first, and also the only, male disciple in the history of Frozen Cloud Asgard… Yun Che, who was only at the mere age of twenty-two, yet with enough strength to have already stepped into the Sovereign Profound Realm.
The Frozen Cloud Asgard that was all female had a male as their Asgard Master; this would definitely attract the criticism of everyone under heaven. Yun Che knew, if they weren’t pushed into such a desperate situation, they would definitely not have made such a decision. Gong Yuxian didn’t want to see Frozen Cloud Asgard destroyed, and Yun Che was the same. How would he be willing to see that… Xia Qingyue belonged here, Chu Yuechan also belonged here, the Frozen Cloud Arts and Frozen End Divine Arts also came from this place… Frozen Cloud Asgard and himself were already linked in countless ways.
“…Alright!” Under Gong Yuxian’s imploring gaze , Yun Che took a deep breath, nodded slowly, reached out his right hand, and touched the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul with the back of his hand.
The Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul released a gentle blue light, automatically flew towards Yun Che, and then disappeared little by little above the back of his hand.
Yun Che held his own right hand, felt the existence of the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul, and said slowly with determination, “Asgard Mistress, don’t worry. Unless I die, I will absolutely not let anyone bully my Frozen Cloud Asgard!”
Watching silently as the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul disappeared into Yun Che’s right hand, Gong Yuxian’s saddened expression was immediately replaced with endless satisfaction. She calmly closed her eyes, and said in a soft voice, “Good… good… Thank you… With your words, even if I die… I… can… rest… in… peace…”
Gong Yuxian’s voice became softer with every word, and when the last word of hers had fallen, the last breath of her life faded away the same moment her voice… completely disappeared… After she passed on the Asgard Mistress’ position to Yun Che, she left in peace.
“Mistress…”
“Asgard Mistress!!”
The grief-imbued yell of the Frozen Cloud disciples sounded in this ice-cold space. they kneeled by Gong Yuxian’s body as their tears of pain fell… The record from thousands of years ‘till now of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, the past Asgard Mistresses all died of old age, but this generation suffered from such calamity. Gong Yuxian’s expression when she passed away was peaceful and calm, but her fingers were still clenched together, showing that she still had much hatred and unwillingness… she died with her hatred.
Yun Che stood up and gave a deep sigh. This calamity wasn’t solved because of his return. Even though Frozen Cloud Asgard was somewhat saved, its foundation and support… Grand Asgard Mistress Feng Qianhui and Asgard Mistress Gong Yuxian had died one after another. In addition, those who allowed the Frozen Cloud Asgard to suffer from this calamity was Sun Moon Divine Hall…
Under Gong Yuxian’s imploring, he did not expect to accept the position of the Asgard Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard… The Frozen Cloud Asgard now was under the incredibly terrifying shadow of Sun Moon Divine Hall, so the position of Asgard Master also became incredibly heavy.
But since he dared to accept it, he had the awareness that maybe, one day, he would have to face the Sun Moon Divine Hall head on… Even more so, him and that Ye Xinghan already shared a bitter hatred of the other.
“Let Asgard Mistress… rest in the ice coffin,” heavily said Yun Che as he looked at the Frozen Cloud disciples crying overwhelmingly in front of him.
Southeast of Blue Wind Imperial City, thirty-five kilometers away.
As one of the commanders of the Divine Phoenix Army, Han Xingzhao had already completed the mission of taking over of the west area of the Blue Wind Nation. Besides being told to ignore Heavenly Sword Villa, all of the west area of the Blue Wind Nation was already under his control. These days they were all paying attention to the progress of the main army… Taking over the Imperial City was something just around the corner, and soon enough, there would no longer be a Blue Wind Nation. Instead, there would be a “Divine Phoenix Empire’s Blue Wind Realm,” and they could return to their nation with honor very soon.
Yesterday, he had already known that the Divine Phoenix Army had arrived at Blue Wind Imperial City.
Today, he was originally prepared to send a sound transmission to ask about the results of the battle… however, whether it was the main army’s commander-in-chief, Qi Zhencang, or the vice commander, Duan Qinghang, none of them responded. Moreover, he and his subordinate then tried to send a sound transmission to almost everyone in the main army who had a sound transmission imprint… but none of them responded.
In shock, he immediately sent a ten thousand mile sound transmission to Feng Hengkong, and under the order of Feng Hengkong, he transferred all of the mounts and aerial pets, accompanied with fifty thousand soldiers of Divine Phoenix Army, and rushed to Blue Wind Imperial City with the troops moving faster than ever. On the whole way there, he was extremely anxious.
The supervisor who accompanied him… Feng Hengjiang, the fifty-second elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, his expression was also darkened the whole way there. If it was just one or two people that didn’t respond to the sound transmission, then maybe they were focused on the battle and didn’t have time to respond, but none of them responded… this was absolutely abnormal.
When the sky begun to get dark, they were finally thirty-five kilometers away from Blue Wind Imperial City, but the scene before them stunned them all for a very long time.
“What… what is going on!?”
There was no sound of battle or yelling at all. This place was so quiet that it was frightening. Not only that, but the land in front was actually sunken to an extreme degree, and it sunk in an incredibly smooth manner… Not mentioning the things that a battlefield should have, like traces of fighting, bodies, or blood… there wasn’t even a trace of it being stepped on.
This view extended as far as the eye could see.
Facing this extremely strange scene, everyone stopped moving forward. Feng Hengjiang flew down and landed. He stood on the land that had been sunk to a large degree and his expression changed… He felt an aura of a flame, and he had a feeling… that this strange, boundless area… was a area of destruction that seemed to be created by strong, unparalleled strength!
Still,, even with all of the supervisors from the Divine Phoenix Sect that came here together this time, they couldn’t have created such enormous area of destruction… and the Blue Wind Nation, it was even more impossible for a strength like this to appear from them.
The most crucial point was… where did the army of seven hundred thousand, Nineteenth Elder, and Forty-third Elder go? They were near Blue Wind Imperial City that they were invading just this morning, but not even a shadow was to be seen!
Could it be…
An extremely horrifying thought appeared in Feng Hengjiang’s head, but he immediately denied it in panic… Impossible, how could something like this be possible!
“Fifty-second Elder, can you tell what happened to this area? What should we do now?” Han Xingzhao tried to ask calmly.
Feng Hengjiang’s expression changed. He gnashed his teeth and ordered, “We will, of course, see what is going on ourselves at Blue Wind Imperial City… there are only a few kilometers left. Immediately report the situation to the Sect Master and move forward at full speed!!”
“…Yes!”
Blue Wind Imperial City.
The sky started the dim, and the whole city was tense because they were still in the process of preparing for war since the Divine Phoenix Army could show up anytime.
Yun Che hadn’t returned from the Frozen Cloud Asgard for a long time. Cang Yue and the others couldn’t help but start to worry. At this moment, a panicked voice came from outside the hall.
“Your majesty… bad news!!”
Cang Yue hastily stood up from her throne and, with her eyebrows lowered, said, “Did the Divine Phoenix Army arrive!?”
A soldier of the Blue Wind in silver armor rushed in and kneeled on the ground. Then he rapidly said, “A wave of the Divine Phoenix Army is flowing in from the northwest … They are currently less than fifteen kilometers from the Imperial City.”
“What?” Cang Yue’s eyebrows jumped, and the expression of the generals in the main hall all changed suddenly. Feng Yunlie stood up and roared, “Why did we only notice when the Divine Phoenix Army is this close… Are the sentries at the frontlines all dead!?”
“Your majesty, general, calm yourselves… This wave of Divine Phoenix Army soldiers is probably around fifty thousand. But the speed of their troops was extremely fast. Among them, around twenty thousand of them are riding the Fire War Horse of the Divine Phoenix Nation, and the rest of the thirty thousand soldiers were all riding different types of aerial profound beasts… Their speed is really too fast… May your majesty immediately order us to fight.”
Twenty thousand Fire War Horses… and thirty thousand aerial profound beasts that were carrying the Divine Phoenix Army… Everyone in the main hall gasped a breath of cold air.
Aside from the fifty thousand soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army, just this frightening number of Fire War Horses and aerial profound beasts wasn’t something that the Blue Wind Imperial City could defend against right now.
But none of them showed panic on their faces because their Blue Wind Imperial City had a guardian that was as strong as god… more than hundred thousand soldiers of the Divine Phoenix’s Main Army were demolished by him in an instant. There was no need to mention fifty thousand!!
“Looks like after the main army was demolished, the Divine Phoenix Army on the west noticed that something was not right, so they came over in a hurry to see what is going on,” Cang Yue said peacefully.
Chapter 663 - The Overlord Returns
Looking out from Blue Wind Imperial City, the south-western sky was completely black. There were nearly twenty thousand aerial profound beasts with at least one Divine Phoenix soldier on each one. These aerial profound beasts consisted mostly of spirit profound beasts, but there were a few earth profound beasts as well… And the ones in the lead clearly released the aura of the Sky Profound Realm.
Underneath them, the Fire War Horses’ speed was no less compared to the aerial profound beasts. These Fire War Horses were also spirit profound beasts. Not only were they extremely fast, they also possessed a great amount of stamina, and their collision force also terrified their enemies They were a nightmare-like existence on the battlefield.
“Such an astonishing array of profound beasts… Probably comparable to Blue Wind’s army of several hundred thousand!” Xiao Yun inhaled a cold breath.
“Clearly, the enemy wanted to test us at all costs through using the speed of these profound beasts. At the same time, with the power of tens of thousands of profound beasts, even if they were facing a large miscalculation, they would still be able to handle it,” Number One Under Heaven said sullenly.
The sound of hurrying footsteps rang out behind the them. Cang Yue came over quickly, and behind her were Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang… The two of them had extremely heavy expressions. Under them, the city gate opened wide, and the Blue Wind Army that had been waiting rushed out, quickly getting into their battle formation, and formed a heavy defense in front of the city… However, looking at the gigantic horde of aerial profound beasts, there wasn’t any soldier without shock and terror on their faces.
“Your Majesty, let’s try a few more times… Our Blue Wind military can’t possibly defend against fifty thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers. What’s more terrifying is the profound beast horde. If Yun Che can’t come back immediately… The consequences will be unthinkable,” anxiously worried Dongfang Xiu .
Hearing a sound, the three of them turned around. Xiao Yun immediately asked, “Did something occur?”
Cang Yue held the sound transmission jade in hand and slowly said, “I just tried to send a sound transmission to my husband. I’ve already tried several times, but all of them had failed.”
“Ah?” The three of them were shocked. Xiao Yun quickly said, “Sound transmission failure? How… How is this possible! Big Brother is so powerful, it’s impossible for something to occur to him.”
“No, a sound transmission failing does not necessarily mean their sound transmission jade was destroyed,” Number One Under Heaven said calmly. “If they are somewhere with a special barrier or an isolation energy, it could also prevent sound from being transmitted. It must be the latter. Brother Yun is somewhere where sound can’t be transmitted.”
“Then… Then what are we going to do?” Xiao Yun started panicking.
“Of course it’s up to us to hold them back!” Number One Under Heaven waved his arm, and the profound energy from his body swirled up. “Why must Brother Yun rush back? Do the three of us not have enough power to delay this Divine Phoenix Army that is merely in the tens of thousands?” Number One Under Heaven looked meaningfully at Xiao Yun, his voice also becoming sullen, “Xiao Yun! I can understand that you don’t want your hands to be stained with blood. However, after encountering something slightly more difficult, the first thing you thought of is not to deal with it with your own power, but to rely on Brother Yun! You’re married now, and the one you married is my cutest little sister! If you want to become a real man, you hands can remain unstained with blood, but at the very least you have to become reliable… rather than habitually relying on someone else!”
Number One Under Heaven’s words caused Xiao Yun’s body to tremble before clenching his teeth and forcefully nodded. “I… I understand.”
“Big Brother, don’t say that about Brother Yun! Brother Yun’s personality is inherently kind. I don’t want him to change,” said Number Seven Under Heaven with an expression of displeasure as she held onto Xiao Yun’s arm.
The corner of Number One Under Heaven’s eye twitched. He could only turn around with a face that was completely crestfallen. Yet, at this moment, the large Divine Phoenix profound beast swarm was already less than two and a half kilometers away. A heavy pressure also passed from afar, and a huge wave of terror once again covered Blue Wind Imperial City.
Number One Under Heaven quietly said, “Don’t be scared by this. Remember, this isn’t our Demon Imperial City! It is a place where the level of profound energy is lower. We’re just facing some weak Divine Phoenix Army and low leveled profound beasts. The two of you have already entered the Tyrant Profound Realm. As long as there are no opponents capable of suppressing us, even if there were twice as many of them, we can stop it if all three of us work together!”
As Number One Under Heaven finished speaking, a green longbow appeared in his hands, and when he held the bow horizontal and pulled the bow string, twelve green profound arrows appeared on it… Once this was shot, these twelve profound arrows would not just extinguish twelve lives, but would pierce twelve terrifying holes through the gigantic army in sight… piercing through the front of the army, all the way to the back.
At this moment, an unusual profound energy wave emitted from the south causing Number Seven Under Heaven’s to exclaim loudly in shock, “Ah!! Look! What… What is that?!”
In the southern sky, a tiny gold dot suddenly appeared… Although it was tiny, it was as bright as stars in the night. Furthermore, it was very fast. In the blink of an eye, that golden light grew ten times larger… then another ten times… In less than one breath’s of time, it had already turned from a tiny light to a huge figure… It was completely gold, more than three hundred meters long, several tens of meters wide, and complicated golden lines floated around it.
As it neared Blue Wind Imperial City, its speed suddenly slowed down. The golden profound light it emitted also diminished. At the same time, a violent surge of air, carrying a mysterious yet heavy pressure from the south, rushed past, which caused the Blue Wind citizens on the city wall that were caught off guard to be blown away.
“That is… a profound ark?” exclaimed Number One Under Heaven as he used his hand to block the incoming violent air. Its outline, as well as the profound energy it released while it was flying, proved that it was a unique profound ark. However, the speed that this profound ark had just shown had surprised him despite his vast knowledge… Because, in terms of speed alone, it had already far surpassed the strongest profound ark of their Under Heaven Family.
What shocked him the most was not the golden profound ark, but the person riding it! Someone who had such a shocking profound arc was definitely not a simple person! If it was an enemy, then it would be disastrous!
Wave after wave of gasps spread throughout Blue Wind Imperial City. Everyone dumbly looked at the golden color profound ark in the air. The people shocked by this profound ark were not just those in Blue Wind Imperial City. Everyone in the Divine Phoenix Army was also staring at this golden profound ark. The spiritual pressure that the profound ark released caused all of them to subconsciously slow down, until they came to a full stop.
“What is that?” Han Xingzhao said thoughtfully. “Could it be… a profound ark?”
As he said that, he looked at Feng Hengjiang’s expression and noticed that his eyes and the muscles on his face… were all relentlessly twitching and trembling. He felt a shock in his heart and quickly said, “Fifty-second Elder, what is it?!”
Feng Hengjiang’s stared straight at the golden profound ark and raised his hands. His lips moved and moved for a long time before he finally made a sound. “Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark!”
“Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark?” Han Xingzhao showed an expression of confusion. “What is that… Could it be something very scary?”
Feng Hengjiang fiercely inhaled a breath of air. “Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark… The exclusive ark of the Saint Emperor, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s highest ruler!”
“Wh-wh-what!!” Han Xingzhao nearly fell off his aerial profound beast in complete shock after hearing that. He had never heard of the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark, but who had not heard of the name of “Saint Emperor”! He was the leader of the Four Great Sacred Grounds—The ruler of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, the supreme existence that gazed down at the entire Profound Sky Continent from above! The true number one existence on the Profound Sky Continent!
He said in shock, “Fifty-second Elder, could… could you be mistaken?! How could someone like the Saint Emperor come to… this sort of place.”
“I’m not wrong! There’s only one Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark in this world! I was lucky enough to see it one time back in the day when I followed Sect Master to visit Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. I’m definitely not mistaken.” Feng Hengjiang’s body and voice were trembling. As an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, he was someone that could walk against the law in the Profound Sky Seven Nations. However, in front of the name of “Saint Emperor,” he could not stop his body from shuddering no matter what. “Furthermore, the Saint Emperor highly values the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark and has never lent it to anyone. Even his godsons have no right to drive it privately. So, once the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark appears… It will definitely be the Saint Emperor himself!!”
It was at that moment, the golden profound ark finally came to a complete stop. The light and profound energy fluctuations almost completely disappeared. The golden profound ark floated quietly in the air, and on the right, one of the ark doors slowly opened… Han Xingzhao and Feng Hengjiang held their breaths, but before they could clearly see the figure that walked out from the ark door, an extremely terrifying rampaging aura had already locked onto them… They didn’t dare to move a muscle as they felt like they were held down by a mountain that was tens of thousands of meters tall.
A tall and muscular figure walked out from the ark door and then slowly flew down. His eyes stared at the black Divine Phoenix Army and profound beast swarm in the southwest. He wore a gray shirt that couldn’t be even more plain. It was even a bit tattered, and his muscular body could even be described as “gigantic.” He was at least four or five times the size of a normal adult, and just by standing there, he was like a small mountain of meat.
Han Xingzhao and Feng Hengjiang opened their pupils wide. Their entire bodies trembled uncontrollably… What frightened them was not the person’s muscular and unusual body, but his rage and killing intent… The rage of the aura that had locked onto them was like the molten magma of hell. Just under this aura, they felt as if their bodies would be torn to shreds any moment now. And the aerial profound beasts under them, as well as the Fire War Horses underneath, were all trembling erratically… They were even whimpering in terror.
“That… That person’s… aura is so terrifying!” Number One Under Heaven exclaimed. He knew in an instant that this person’s aura far surpassed his, who was at the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… It was clearly the power of the Monarch realm!
And by the strength of the aura, it didn’t seen to be weaker than an enraged Yun Che!!
Who was this guy… Wasn’t Blue Wind Nation the weakest in terms of profound energy levels in the Profound Sky Continent. If so, why did a Monarch appear?!
However, despite his shock, Number One Under Heaven was relieved as this person’s rage that was powerful to the point of being terrifying was directed at the Divine Phoenix Army… not Blue Wind Imperial City.
“Such… Such a huge person… There is actually someone this huge,” said Number Seven Under Heaven with her eyes wide.
Cang Yue, had already covered her mouth tightly, and after a long while, she finally couldn’t help back and shouted, “Yuan… Yuanba! It’s Yuanba!!”
They hadn’t met for five years, and from her point of view, Xia Yuanba didn’t seem look very different, but his body was far taller and more muscular compared to what she remembered, and his gaze and aura had changed in an even more extreme manner. It caused her to be unable to link him with the old Xia Yuanba she knew. However, what made her scream out the name “Yuanba” was the slightly tattered gray shirt on his body.
Back when Yun Che first entered the Blue Wind Profound Palace, when she helped Yun Che sew his training uniform, in order to hide her feelings for Yun Che, she also made a set for Xia Yuanba… Xia Yuanba always treated it like a treasure, and enjoyed wearing it. Five years had passed, and he still had not discarded it. Although it was tattered in a lot of places and could not cover his body since it had grown, he still wore it…
“Yuanba… Which… Which Yuanba?” Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang all blanked. No matter what, they could not link this person who was emitting such a terrifying aura and driving the golden profound ark with Xia Yuanba, who had little to no talent in the past, was only of the Elementary Profound Realm, and suffered tons of bullying in the Blue Wind Profound Palace.
“…” Cang Yue did not say anything. She was just so worked up that tears were about to fall… Yun Che returned, and now, Xia Yuanba had also returned… Everyone is safe and sound, this was great… great…
“Who… Who are you!” Feng Hengjiang held his breath and asked… His chest felt like it was being pushed down by a metal plate. He couldn’t even breathe even though he wanted to. The person in front of him was not the Saint Emperor. Compared to the Saint Emperor’s might, the rage and killing intent released by the person in front of his eyes terrified him more… That golden profound ark was the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark without a doubt! Why was this person allowed to drive the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark that the Saint Emperor never let others touch!
“The person sending you to hell!!” Xia Yuanba slowly raised his head, and that demonic gaze locked onto the entire Divine Phoenix army and profound beast swarm in front.
Three years ago, he left the Divine Phoenix Empire to follow Spiritual Master Ancient Blue and went into seclusion with intense hatred the second day after returning to Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. As he grew, he could feel the incredulous power hidden in his profound vein more and more clearly… In order to get revenge for Yun Che, he forced the power in his profound veins out at all costs…
Three years passed by in the blink of an eye. Yet the day he came out of seclusion, what he heard was the misfortune of the Blue Wind Nation being trampled upon by the Divine Phoenix Empire… He drove the Heavenly Sacred Profound Ark with shocking speed and raced straight to the Blue Wind Nation. After passing the border of the Blue Wind Nation, he saw the scarred lands, the kinsmen that scattered around to escape like headless flies, the invaded and even burnt cities, as well as corpses that could be seen everywhere…
Infinite rage and hatred almost made his chest explode.
His eyes turned as red as blood, and he had no intention of stopping as he furiously flew in the direction of Blue Wind Imperial City, in hopes that the core of Blue Wind Nation had not been broken through yet.
And now, he had finally arrived. In his eyes, Blue Wind Imperial City had no signs of being invaded, and the rage that had boiled on for several hours finally found somewhere to be unleashed… The people in front wore crimson armor, proving their identities as part of the Divine Phoenix Army. As he saw them, he was unable to control the rage that he had suppressed.
Bang!!
In the explosion that sounded like a bomb going off, Xia Yuanba’s arm inflated in size. The originally thick arm became slightly thicker than a normal person’s body, and the aura moving in the air also reflected how he had become several times more irascible. In front of this terrifying and tyrannical might, Feng Hengjiang, who had the power of an Overlord, had no intention of resisting. His voice trembled in fear, “Wa… Wait! Senior from Absolute Monarch Sanctuary… We are… people of the Divine… Divine Phoenix Sect… Is there… some sort of… misunderstanding…”
“The ones I’m killing… are you… you animals of the Divine Phoenix Sect!” Xia Yuanba’s opened his eyes wide, his teeth clenched, and each word contained enough hatred and rage to make the earth tremble. His arm that had inflated so much that it was about to explode was furiously swung forward.
“Wait… Wait… UWAAAA…”
That moment when he swung his arm, Xia Yuanba’s entire body became scorching gold. The golden profound light released from his arm instantly covered the entire Divine Phoenix Army, including all the aerial profound beasts and the Fire War Horses, until it covered the sun.
The earth trembled, the entire Blue Wind Imperial City shook. In the golden radiance, the space crazily collapsed, and tens of thousands of spatial cracks and spatial black holes appeared forth, tearing and devouring everything that could be destroyed.
That one moment when the power in Xia Yuanba’s body surged, all of the living things covered by the golden radiance were torn mercilessly to shreds. Even those as strong as Feng Hengjiang only had a single breath remaining, and they were only a single crack away from shattering… In the next breath, they had already been demolished into blood stains as small as dust.
Chapter 664 - Frozen Cloud Post-Calamity
The startling sound of thunder blanketed a fifty kilometer radius, but once it died out, all that remained was a deathly silence.
Following the dissipation of the golden light, the south-west side of Blue Wind Imperial City had become an empty void. Whether it was the Divine Phoenix soldier or the enormous herds of profound beasts, all of them had disappeared… there were no corpses, no traces of blood, no fragments of broken armor. There was not even a trace of their existence left on this continent. The only thing that remained in the wake of that light was countless pitch-black, spatial tears which distorted as they rapidly shrunk and disappeared.
This was the second wave of Divine Phoenix forces to arrive today, and the way they had met their end was actually… exactly the same as their first wave!
Hundreds of thousands of Divine Phoenix Soldiers had been reduced to ashes in mere seconds under Yun Che’s wrathful flames. A thirty-five kilometer radius had been burned into nothingness… that scene had evoked extreme alarm and astonishment, and all of those who had personally witnessed it could not calm their hearts down. This was because what they saw was power which could truly raze the heavens and the earth; it was akin to the power described in those legends.
And to think that this kind of power and this kind of scenario… was once again played out for them in the same day. Not only that, but this time, it was not Yun Che but someone else altogether. What was similar, however, was that the foes they eradicated were all dire enemies of Blue Wind Nation… his wrathful aura and his shouts of rage was not any weaker than the explosion of fury that Yun Che had previously displayed.
The huge, dark green bow in Number One Under Heaven’s hand had vanished, and his heart was filled with boundless shock, but he was no longer panicked… the strength of this “giant” was incomparably terrifying, and it seemed like he was not any weaker than Yun Che, but he definitely was not an enemy because the target of his wrath had been the Divine Phoenix Army, and when he had released his power along with the fires of his wrath, he had purposely controlled and restricted the energy so that it would not affect Blue Wind Imperial City behind him… If not, even the slightest backlash from that attack would have reduced the southern part of Blue Wind Imperial City to rubble.
Number One Under Heaven took in a deep breath and asked Cang Yue, “Just now you shouted ‘Yuanba,’ is it that person’s name? Could it be that you know this person?”
“His name is Xia Yuanba, and he is the junior brother of my husband and I… and even more than that, he is a relative of my husband,” Cang Yue replied in a voice filled with emotion.
“Ju… ju… jun… junior brother?” The eyes of Number One Under Heaven and Xiao Yun widened into saucers as they found it hard to believe what they just heard. “Could it be that he is actually… younger than Big Brother?
“Yes, he is more than one year younger than my husband,” Cang Yue replied softly
“！#￥%….” Number One Under Heaven and Xiao Yun could practically hear the sound of their jaws hitting the floor.
In the air, Xia Yuanba had fully vented his fury following the complete destruction of the Divine Phoenix Army, and he had regained a modicum of calm. He slowly turned around and looked towards Cang Yue and Qin Wushang, who stood beside her. When Yuanba saw them, he, who had awoken the heart of a Tyrant and had long ago ceased to be cowardly and weak, felt his eyes quiver as they moistened slightly.
“Senior Sister Xueruo… Palace Chief Qin…” he said in a low voice as he swiftly flew over. During the period where he lived in the Blue Wind Profound Palace, besides Yun Che, it had been Cang Yue who had treated him the kindness while Palace Chief Qin had always taken care of him. When he saw that both of them were safe and sound… there was nothing that comforted his heart more.
Ping!!
A faint shattering sound that seemed to resonate from the deepest depths of the soul caused a frazzled and frustrated Feng Hengkong to immediately open his eyes as confusion fogged his vision for a moment… he could only hope that what he sensed was only a misconception.
But immediately, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from outside. What followed it was a shout that was filled with bewilderment, “Sect Master, this isn’t good! Fifty-second Elder’s soul crystal… suddenly shattered just a moment ago!”
“We sent a sound transmission to Fifty-second Elder and Commander Han who was together with him, but we received no response whatsoever!”
Feng Hengkong slowly rose to his feet, a dark cloud covering his face. It had not even been an hour since Han Xingzhao had sent a sound transmission to him, reporting that there was a weird calm settling over Blue Wind Imperial City, and not only were there not traces of the Divine Phoenix Army, there were not even any traces of battle… and now, the situation that occurred with the main Divine Phoenix Army occurred once again, and they had become impossible to contact with no new messages coming in!
What exactly was happening… over at Blue Wind Imperial City!
Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Yun Che used the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul in his body to release a unique restriction. After that he, together with all the ladies of Frozen Cloud Asgard, entered the Frozen Cloud Secret Grounds and deposited the ice coffins, in which the bodies of Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian rested, at the room at the very end of the area.
Murong Qianxua, Jun Lianqie. Mu Lanyi, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue knelt in front of the ice coffin, and all of the Frozen Asgard disciples behind them followed suit. They knelt for nearly two hours until Yun Che finally let out a soft sigh and said, “Let us depart and allow Mistress Gong to sleep in peace. She labored for Frozen Cloud Asgard her entire life, so it’s about time she enjoyed her well-deserved rest.”
Once he brought the gathered Frozen Cloud disciples out of the secret grounds, the sky outside had already darkened. Even though Frozen Cloud Asgard had met with a great calamity, they had the protection of their special barrier, and after that barrier had vanished, they had all huddled inside the Frozen End Divine Hall. As a result, no terrible battles had taken place, and the better part of Frozen Cloud Asgard had been preserved from harm.
The canopy of night had dyed Frozen Cloud Asgard in some sort of illusory beauty, transforming it into a fantasy of ice and snow, one of glittering snowflakes and crystalline glass. Yun Che glanced at the sky… there had been no sound transmissions from Blue Wind Imperial City, so it looked like no other Divine Phoenix soldiers had attacked it.
However, what he did not know was that the Frozen Cloud Secret Ground’s special restrictions not only blocked auras from outside… it even blocked sound transmissions as well.
“We greet the Asgard Master!”
Just as Yun Che was about to turn around, all of the women of Frozen Cloud… including the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies, had all knelt down and bowed their heads as they solemnly paid their respects to him. He hurriedly said, “Get up, get up, you do not need to pay respect to me. Even though I am the temporary Asgard Master, you don’t need to behave with such decorum towards me.”
Murong Qianxue sincerely replied, “It was due to the Asgard Master’s actions that Frozen Cloud Asgard, along with all our lives as well, were saved. Moreover, you are also the person who was personally appointed by the previous Asgard Mistress as the new leader of our sect. So according to both our emotions and the law, we still want to kneel before you in respect. From today onwards, we sisters and disciples will follow the orders of the Asgard Master.”
Every single one of the ladies of Frozen Cloud were paramount beauties, but their hearts were like ice and snow, making it hard for people to approach them. This had previously caused his teeth to itch while he secretly raged that Frozen Cloud Asgard was a sinful place which greatly wasted its natural resources… and now he had become the leader of this very Frozen Cloud Asgard, and all these women of Frozen Cloud now knelt at his feet. This feeling was indescribably complex and subtle…
“… Fine, but all of you quickly get up, you can consider this my first command as Asgard Master,” Yun Che said as he strove to keep a straight face.
All the ladies of Frozen Cloud rose to their feet, and even though their eyes still contained the bleak pain of being plundered when they gazed at Yun Che, they did not contain too much rejection towards their new male leader. Three years ago, when he was the first male disciple to ever be accepted in the history of Frozen Cloud Asgard, it caused all of the Frozen Cloud disciples to become puzzled… and this even included Gong Yuxian. But after that, he helped Murong Qianxue and the other fairies open their Profound Entrances and helped six of them achieve the world-shocking Heavenly God’s Spiritual Veins. In addition, coupled with him being able to understand the Frozen End Divine Art even faster than Xia Qingyue, these actions caused the disciples of Frozen Cloud Asgard to not reject or question him. It even caused them to lower their guards against him… and after a few months, they basically became used to his existence.
And now, he had returned in their hour of need and basically single-handedly rescued them from their certain doom and demise. Furthermore, the power that he had displayed caused them to be incontrovertibly convinced… the calamity hanging over Frozen Cloud Asgard had not been completely removed, but having Yun Che, who had strength at the Sovereign Profound Realm was undoubtedly like having a powerful guardian which they did not even dare dream of before.
After going through these nightmarish six months, they had since formed a dependence on their male sect master that was so strong that they themselves had not realized it yet.
“My senior and junior masters and all the various senior and junior sisters,” Yun Che said in a gentle and sincere tone, “Three years ago, I entered Frozen Cloud Asgard as its first male disciple, breaking a thousand years of regulation. And now that I have become Asgard Master, I still feel that it is rather inappropriate and it will bring about a great deal of criticism for our sect. The previous Asgard Mistress transferred the position to me because she didn’t have any other choice, so I will only temporarily assume the position of Asgard Master. When Qingyue comes back, I will immediately transfer the position of Asgard Mistress back to her. But everyone, do not worry. In the end, I am still a disciple of Frozen Cloud, so I will definitely keep my promise to the previous Asgard Mistress… unless I die, I will definitely not allow anyone to bully or trod on our Frozen Cloud Asgard.”
Gong Yuxian had passed down the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul to him, and inside of it lay the important memories of all the previous Asgard Mistresses and a large portion of the hidden secrets regarding Frozen Cloud Asgard. According to the records within, the escape profound formation that Xia Qingyue had used was a random teleportation formation, so no one would be able to decipher where she was sent to. In fact, it was not even known what the greatest scope of this teleportation would be.”
He also knew that the reason Ye Qingsheng and his goons attacked Frozen Cloud Asgard… was astonishingly Xia Qingyue!
This was something that caused him to be extremely confused while putting him on high alert. Xia Qingyue had spent sixteen years in the Floating Cloud City, and she had hardly left her own room. Even Yun Che, who was her fiance, had only seen her a few times in those sixteen years. After that, she had basically remained at Frozen Cloud Asgard and very rarely went abroad… even during those rare occasions, she had never left Blue Wind Nation before.
So why would the Sun Moon Divine Hall suddenly want to aim for Xia Qingyue?
Could it be that Ye Xinghan took a fancy to Xia Qingyue’s beauty?
That could not be… because Ye Xinghan should have never even seen Xia Qingyue before!
“Asgard Master, what should we do next?” Murong Qianxue asked in a quiet voice as her icy eyes filled with deep sadness and worry. Even up till now, they still did not understand why Frozen Cloud Asgard, which had never involved itself in worldly affairs, would be struck with such a terrible calamity.
All of those beautiful eyes turned towards Yun Che. In the face of this dire calamity, this young man of not more than twenty-two years of age had quietly become their support. After all, wherever you went, it was the law of nature, the strong ruled supreme, and it was the same everywhere else.
Yun Che gave a faint but heavy sigh and said, “Let us first interrogate this wretch who deserves to die!!”
Yun Che extended his hand, and a cold wind blew, causing the black-robed man to cry out as he was dragged from far away before heavily landing at his feet.
Ye Qingsheng’s profound strength had already been crippled by Yun Che, and his meridians were also severed, so he could not even commit suicide if he wanted to, much less resisting or running away. In this frozen snowscape, he, who had no profound energy to protect him, was so cold that he kept trembling and shivering as the extremely bitter cold sent countless icy needles piercing into his body with each breath. resulting in untold pain. He looked at Yun Che and his eyes contained no more pleading, it only contained terror… but he was not even able to utter a single sound from his mouth.
Looking at him, the faces of all the ladies of Frozen Cloud were filled with fury and resentment. Yun Che strode forward a step, and not wanting to waste any words on him, he simply extended his hand and caused his Profound Handle to fly out and sink into his body as he instantly performed the Profound Handle Soul Search.
Ye Qingsheng’s entire body trembled while both of his eyes quickly lost their focus and became blank pools.
“What is your name?” Yun Che asked blandly as he removed his palm.
“Ye… Qing… Sheng…” Ye Qingsheng’s voice quavered due to the cold.
Ye?
Yun Che’s brows faintly quivered… it was Sun Moon Divine Hall after all! Even though Sun Moon Divine Hall was not a power that was tied together by a family, all of the people who entered Sun Moon Divine Hall had to change their surname to “Ye.” He urgently asked, “Is the sect that you belong to Sun Moon Divine Hall?”
“…Yes…” Ye Qingsheng replied robotically.
Shouts of surprise and alarm rang around Yun Che. The name “Sun Moon Divine Hall” caused the pretty faces of the girls of Frozen Cloud to go pale.
There were not many powers within the Profound Sky Continent which had the ability to dispatch Overlords. During the past six months, the words “Sacred Ground” had occasionally appeared in their minds, but they immediately dismissed those words. Because in regards to Frozen Cloud Asgard and even the entire Blue Wind Nation, the Four Sacred Grounds were akin to divine palaces that were high above the heavens, so they would never, ever have any interaction with their Frozen Cloud Asgard… and there was even less reason for them to act in such a vicious manner towards them.
But the name that they had heard at this moment was indeed a name that belonged to the mythical Four Great Sacred Grounds that they could only gaze at from the ground.
“Who sent you here?” Amidst the voices filled with shock, confusion, and fright, Yun Che looked directly at Ye Qingsheng as he continued his questioning.
“It was Young Master… Ye Xinghan…”
“And Ye Xinghan sent the lot of you to Frozen Cloud Asgard in order to capture Xia Qingyue?” Yun Che asked with sunken brows.
“Yes… we also had to guarantee that Xia Qingyue… was not harmed at all in the process…”
“Why did he send you to capture her? What scheme does Ye Xinghan have regarding Xia Qingyue?” Yun Che’s voice grew even deeper and more severe.
Ye Qingsheng’s hollow eyes turned blank, and it was a long time before he replied, “I do not know…”
No lies could be uttered while someone was under the influence of the Profound Handle Soul Search. So since his answer was that he did not know, it could be confirmed that it was so.
The question that caused the most questions in Yun Che’s mind was not able to be answered, so he heavily sucked in a breath and abruptly asked, “And where did Ye Xinghan see Xia Qingyue? Or was it that he found out about Xia Qingyue’s existence from another source?”
“Young Master… has never seen Xia Qingyue before… Young Master had heard… the name of Xia Qingyue… from an elder belonging to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region…”
“An elder from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region?” Yun Che’s brows knit together tightly as he replied, “Which elder?”
“I… do… not… know…”
Yun Che ran out of patience and planted one foot on Ye Qingsheng’s chest as he pressed both palms against his head. He released his Profound Handle and swiftly retrieved all of his memories… in the span of a few short breaths, he released Ye Qingsheng’s head while his expression had turned grave.
Chapter 665 - Frozen Cloud’s Way Out
Ye Qingsheng’s memories revealed that it was indeed Ye Xinghan who had ordered them to kidnap Xia Qingyue. Ye Qingsheng’s father, the Divine Hall Master, and Heavenly Monarch, Ye Meixie, didn’t know about it at all. On top of that, Ye Xinghan greatly valued Xia Qingyue. At first he wanted to come to Frozen Cloud Asgard himself, but because the profound art bottleneck had loosened all of a sudden, he had no choice but to send Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi instead.
Why did Ye Xinghan capture Xia Qingyue…
From Ye Qingsheng’s memories, it could be confirmed that Ye Xinghan indeed had never seen Xia Qingyue before! Half a year ago, the name “Xia Qingyue” wasn’t even mentioned.
Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s… elder?
Yun Che was silent for a good while, then a name suddenly flashed in his mind…
Ling Kun!!
“Jasmine…” Yun Che lowered his eyebrows and asked, “Back then, at the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, when you told me Xia Qingyue possessed the ‘Heart of Snow Glazed Glass’ and the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body,’ you mentioned that the ‘Heart of Snow Glazed Glass’ shouldn’t have appeared in this plane, so no one could identify it. But if there was a chance for someone to notice the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’…”
“So you think the reason Ye Xinghan kidnapped Xia Qingyue is because of her ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’?” Jasmine asked indifferently.
“That’s right.” Yun Che nodded and said, “Ye Xinghan found out about the existence of Xia Qingyue from an elder of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, yet… Frozen Cloud Asgard is basically isolated from the world throughout the year. The disciples rarely leave the asgard, and have no connection with the Four Great Sacred Grounds! But in the Four Great Sacred Grounds, there is indeed a person who had seen Xia Qingyue… and it was exactly someone from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region!
“It was at the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament held in Heavenly Sword Villa five years ago… Ling Kun from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region!
“In the memories of this person named Ye Qingsheng, the memories related to this ‘Ling Kun’ surmount to more than anyone else in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. In Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, only those who stepped into the Sovereign Profound Realm could be qualified to become an elder. Ling Kun’s profound strength is only at sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, but he was already appointed as an official elder in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. The reason is because, even though his profound strength is slightly lower, he is wise and full of stratagems… or incredibly cunning and extremely shrewd. He acts as the ‘think tank’ in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and is extremely trusted and valued by Sword Master Xuanyuan Wentian. Not only do the other elders of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region not look down upon him due him having an elder status with lower profound strength, they all deliberately make nice with him… Also, he is the person who stayed outside of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region for the longest, so he is very experienced and knowledgeable. Whenever there is some major event for which Mighty Heavenly Sword Region needs to send someone, most of the time it would be this Ling Kun!”
The information about Ling Kun in Ye Qingsheng’s memories made Yun Che’s heart run cold. He interacted with Ling Kun twice before… once was in Heavenly Sword Villa, and the other was in Divine Phoenix Empire. When he was in Heavenly Sword Villa, Ling Kun once spoke to him in front of everyone and invited him to join Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Back then, Yun Che’s profound strength was lower and he had no background or no reputation, but Ling Kun did this type of action that shocked and confused everyone. Now that Yun Che thought of it, that showed Ling Kun’s incredibly sinister judgement.
At the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament in Divine Phoenix Empire, the person who attended from Absolute Monarch Sanctuary was Spiritual Master Ancient Blue, who was in an extremely high position, from Sun Moon Divine Hall was their Young Master Ye Xinghan, and Supreme Ocean Palace sent Ji Qianrou, whom both Feng Hengkong and Ye Xinghan feared to some degree. Only Mighty Heavenly Sword Region sent a “low-level elder” like Ling Kun… Thinking about it now, that wasn’t because Mighty Heavenly Sword Region was not interested in the Primordial Profound Ark, but it was because Ling Kun had enough ability.
With a contained temperament, sinister eyes, deep shrewdness, and extensive knowledge… it was definitely possible for him to know of the existence of the “Nine Profound Exquisite Body.” Jasmine had said that the most distinctive characteristic of the “Nine Profound Exquisite Body” was that it ignored natural law… and when Xia Qingyue of the Earth Profound Realm was fighting against Ling Yun, facing Ling Yun’s Sword Spirit Doppelganger, she casted a Frozen Cloud Domain that could only be casted by one in the Emperor Profound Realm… Ling Kun, who was present, naturally witnessed it in its entirety!
If it was him who found out about Xia Qingyue’s “Nine Profound Exquisite Body,” then everything would be easy to explain.
Jasmine said lightly, “The Nine Profound Exquisite Body is a superb training incubator. If it really was Ling Kun who discovered Xia Qingyue’s Nine Profound Exquisite Body, why didn’t he take it and enjoy it himself or give it to someone from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region instead of leaking it to the people of Sun Moon Divine Hall?”
“Very simple.” Yun Che said in a low voice, “The Nine Profound Exquisite Body was difficult to find even once every ten thousand years. If he used it himself and was discovered, the upper echelon of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would definitely be unsatisfied or might even be angered! Furthermore, if he gave it to the top, strong practitioners of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, it would only be something that a subordinate ought to do to honor the superior. At most he could receive some ‘reward.’ But if he gave it to Ye Xinghan, it would be entirely different!
“Ye Xinghan was cultivating a type of dual cultivation heretic art. Almost everyone who knew about the Four Great Sacred Grounds knew about this. Every year he would secretly kidnap a large number of women to be training incubators. If he heard about the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body,’ he would definitely be overjoyed and would pursue it at any cost! So Ling Kun himself didn’t take action on Xia Qingyue and didn’t notify Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Instead, he told Ye Xinghan… The reason Ye Xinghan only knew about it six months ago was probably because Ling Kun only told him about the existence of ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body,’ but didn’t tell Ye Xinghan who the person who owned the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’ was and instead proposed an even higher wager. Until half a year ago, when Ye Xinghan finally finished gathering the wager, he found out about Xia Qingyue’s name and her location from Ling Kun!”
While Yun Che was speaking, his eyebrows also locked even tighter because the more he thought in this direction, the more he felt that was possible.
“Ling Kun…” Yun Che said this name in a low voice and marked it as danger in his mind.
Other than that, Yun Che also retrieved more information that surprised him from Ye Qingsheng’s memories… The Phoenix God of Divine Phoenix Sect didn’t actually die and appeared once again three years ago after the Primordial Profound Ark had disappeared. It released an overbearing pressure that covered the sky which shocked and frightened the people of the Four Sacred Grounds and punished Ye Xinghan.
What happened? Feng Xue’er said so herself that the Phoenix God had disappeared a long time ago. The Grand Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, Feng Feiyang, also colluded with Ye Xinghan because of the passing of the Phoenix God…
Could there still be more hidden secrets?
But… no matter what, even if the Phoenix God really was still alive, the Divine Phoenix Empire trampling on Blue Wind Nation… must still be paid back tenfold!
“Sun Moon Divine Hall… why is it Sun Moon Divine Hall.” Murong Qianxue’s face was a little pale. She was angry, confused, and panicking uncontrollably… but that was Sun Moon Divine Hall, one of Profound Sky Continent’s Four Sacred Grounds, the highest existences in all of Profound Sky Continent. Not mentioning fighting against them, just hearing their name would bring about an incredibly heavy pressure. “We never crossed Sun Moon Divine Hall and didn’t even have any contact with them, why did they attack us!?”
“Sun Moon Divine Hall… how could it be…” Chu Yueli’s eyes were still in a fog of confusion. Not only Frozen Cloud Asgard… this was a name that was enough to make almost all the forces in Profound Sky Continent feel desperate.
“The goal of Sun Moon Divine Hall is still not clear, but we will get to the bottom to this eventually.” Yun Che faced the disciples and said calmly, “Two Asgard Mistresses both passed away because of this calamity. You must hate Sun Moon Divine Hall to the bones now, and the people who were sent by Sun Moon Divine Hall were all killed by me… They didn’t achieve their goal and even suffered a loss. Sun Moon Divine Hall will also definitely not let it rest. Under these circumstances, if our Frozen Cloud Asgard wants to exist under the shadow of Sun Moon Divine Hall, there are only two ways.”
“May Asgard Master be explicit.” Listening to what Yun Che was saying, the expression in everyone’s eyes became imposing in a serious manner.
“First way, evacuate from Snow Region of Extreme Ice,” Yun Che said slowly. “Those twelve people all died here. With Ye Xinghan’s temper, he will definitely be furious. Not long after, more people from Sun Moon Divine Hall will come and put Frozen Cloud Asgard in greater danger. Therefore, this place is not suitable to stay in anymore.”
Leave the Snow Region of Extreme Ice…
Looking at the endless ice and snow within their vision and the familiar Frost Flower Snow Pond, their eyes were all quivering, speechless for a long period of time.
Murong Qianxue sighed softly and said, “Asgard Master, we all understand what you said. If we continued staying here, an even more severe calamity will befall us any moment. Facing Sun Moon Divine Hall, we cannot fight against them at all with our strength. But… the thousand year history of Frozen Cloud Asgard was all here for thousands of years. Resources, memories, arts, legacies, backgrounds, and even the bodies of our ancestors are all here. In addition, just based on the environment, there is probably no other place more suitable than here to cultivate the Frozen Cloud Arts and the Frozen End Divine Arts. If we all leave here, this place will definitely be completely destroyed by the raging Sun Moon Divine Hall… Even if we saved our own lives, our Frozen Cloud Asgard… would then only exist in name…”
“Asgard Master, then what is the second way that you mentioned?” Mu Lanyi asked with hope.
The Frozen Cloud disciple’s reactions were similar to what Yun Che had predicted. This place was a freezing place that was isolated from the world. Even without the dignity and foundation of their sect, they were already used to everything here. They were already used to the endless snow and cold. Their resistance to the people from the outside world was almost an instinct, and they rejected fitting into the outside world even more from the bottom of their hearts and souls. He answered with a serious expression, “The second way is simple. That is to directly face Sun Moon Divine Hall, use our own strength to guard this place… and one day, make Sun Moon Divine Hall pay for the debt of blood!”
Yun Che’s words once again caused their eyes to go blank and their mouths silent for a long time.
Because… that was Sun Moon Divine Hall.
In Blue Wind Nation, they were an lofty existence. Even if they faced Heavenly Sword Villa, they wouldn’t be frightened at all. But against Sun Moon Divine Hall… Even if their strength was ten times or even a hundred times stronger, it was a huge monster that was absolutely impossible for them to fight against.
Taking a survey of all the forces of the Profound Sky Continent, who would dare to oppose Sun Moon Divine Hall, who would dare to become enemies with them… and who would dare to say something like “make Sun Moon Divine Hall pay for the debt of blood.”
“But…” Feng Hanyue said timidly, and was immediately interrupted by Yun Che, “No ‘buts,’ the reason we’re still staying here is absolutely not waiting for death, and what I said just now was also absolutely not an idiotic fantasy!”
“The situation now is actually not that bad,” Yun Che stated seriously. “When the twelve people were attacking our Frozen Cloud Asgard, they were constantly and deliberately hiding their identities. They obviously didn’t want to be exposed. After all, Sun Moon Divine Hall is a ‘Sacred Ground.’ If news of them attacking Frozen Cloud Asgard without any reason got out, it would definitely hurt their reputation. Also, this attack was ordered by the Young Hall Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, Ye Xinghan. The Hall Master of the Divine Hall, Heavenly Monarch Ye Meixie, didn’t know about it at all. Therefore, Ye Xinghan’s actions later on shouldn’t be too important, and he would even try very hard to cover it up.”
“With your current strength, even if it is only a few underlings from Sun Moon Divine Hall, it would be hard for you to resist. But, if you believe my words…” The expression in Yun Che’s eyes became serious as he declared, “I have a way to make all of the senior sisters and junior sisters’ profound strength reach the Emperor Profound Realm in half a year!”
“Make the six junior masters and senior masters that are already Thrones… all become Overlords!”
Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue’s crystal-like eyes all widened as large as they could, even their mouths were opened wide… All of the Frozen Cloud disciples were all shocked still.
Because what Yun Che said now was a thousand times more preposterous than to “make Sun Moon Divine Hall pay for the debt of blood”…
Chapter 666 - Sudden Crisis
As the night deepened, the ladies of Frozen Cloud, who had gathered, finally dispersed and returned to their own ice rooms to recover their nerves which had been frazzled and frayed over the past six months. But even though they were exhausted beyond belief, they still would not be able to sleep that night… Yun Che’s words resonated in their ears… In a few months time, those who were below the Emperor Profound Realm would become Thrones, and those who were already Thrones would become Overlords. Even the leaders of the Four Great Sacred Grounds would think it was some kind of fairy tale and treat it as some nonsensical joke. However, they could not help but believe his words when they saw his unwavering gaze… even though Yun Che did not even explain what “method” he was going to use.
If he could really make it a reality, then even though Frozen Cloud Asgard only had two thousand disciples, they would still ascend to the highest echelons of power within the entire Profound Sky Continent and become a sect that would only lose to Divine Phoenix Sect and the Four Great Sacred Grounds.
The Sound Transmission Jade had still not rang with an impending sound transmission, so Yun Che was rather surprised… Once communication had been lost with the main Divine Phoenix Army, the other Divine Phoenix armies should have rushed over to investigate the situation at Blue Wind Imperial City… Could it be that the nearest Divine Phoenix Army was extremely far away, so perhaps they could not reach Blue Wind Imperial City within a day?
Without giving it any further thought, Yun Che let his gaze fall on Ye Qingsheng, who had already fainted from the cold and only barely held onto life itself. He gave a cold snort and flipped his hand as a Golden Crow flame that was as big as his fist flared to life… At his full power, Ye Qingsheng would not be able to withstand the Golden Crow flames for more than five breaths, but the Ye Qingsheng right now would be reduced to ashes in an instant by the Golden Crow flames.
“Wait!” Just as Yun Che was about to release those Golden Crow flames, he was interrupted by Jasmine’s shout. Yun Che hurriedly drew back his palm and asked, “What is it? Could it be that this person is still of some use?”
“While this person has already exceeded his usefulness, I must warn you of something before you dispose of him….” Jasmine said unhurriedly, “There was a soul imprint placed on these two people, so once they die, all of the memories they had right before death would be transmitted to the person who laid the soul imprint on them. Since the two of them are the lapdogs of Ye Xinghan, all the memories before their death will be transferred to him!”
“…” Yun Che just stood there with a blank expression on his face. After that, his expression swiftly changed… Ye Qingsheng was not dead, but Ye Ziyi had already been burned to cinders by him. So now that it had reached this stage… Ye Xinghan should already be cognizant of everything that had happened… not only did Ye Xinghan know that Yun Che still lived, he also would have a rough gauge of his current strength.
Yun Che smacked his hand against his forehead and said in an exasperated tone, ”You… Why didn’t you tell me this beforehand?!!”
“Hmph!” Jasmine sniffed disdainfully, “You were being reckless yet you want to blame me? You instantly killed that purple-clothed old man called Ye Ziyi, but that would at most alert Ye Xinghan to the fact that you still lived. But if you were to continue your reckless and foolish ways and kill Ye Qingsheng as you had just intended… then remember this, you just used the Profound Handle Soul Search on him just now, and if Ye Xinghan were to discover your possession of a Profound Handle, he would be able to persecute you as a demon under the guise of righteousness! At that time, the only option left would be to tamely flee back to the Illusory Demon Realm!”
Jasmine words caused shock to reverberate in Yun Che’s heart… Illusory Demon Realm was a place that was demonized by the Profound Sky Continent. If Ye Xinghan were to find out about his Profound Handle, this demonization would not be confined to himself alone… it would also include everything connected to him, encompassing the Blue Wind Imperial Family and Frozen Cloud Asgard where he was presently residing. Ye Xinghan would use the excuse that he was “exterminating a demon” and officially throw the might of Sun Moon Divine Hall in order to destroy him!
“Before killing him, use your Profound Handle to erase the soul imprint placed on him!” Jasmine said in a cold voice.
Yun Che extended his left hand and his Profound Handle shot out, instantly burying itself into Ye Qingsheng’s body and directly wiping out all of the imprints within his soul… Not only did he erase the soul imprint, he even wiped his memories clean. After that, he flipped his palm open as he released a cluster of Golden Crow flames and instantly reduced him to nothingness.
As he withdrew his Profound Handle, Yun Che’s expression grew grave… he had just told all the ladies of Frozen Cloud that their current circumstances were not too dire, that Sun Moon Divine Hall should not be paying them a visit anytime soon, but… if Ye Xinghan knew that he still lived, that changed things entirely!
Three years ago, he had destroyed the evil scheme that Ye Xinghan had plotted against Feng Xue’er on the Primordial Profound Ark, and he had also killed two of his women… Yue Ji and Mei Ji, and now, he had killed two of his protectorates and ten of his lapdogs…
As the Young Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, there were not many people who dared to speak half a word against him. On the other hand, Yun Che had done far more than merely that! Ye Xinghan must hate him to the bone, and now that he knew that reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated, he would definitely spare no effort in eliminating him… even to the point where he may lose his sense of rationality.
“It looks like there’s gonna be a lot of trouble headed right your way.” Jasmine said in a bland voice, “If you don’t want all the women here to be wiped out, I would advise you to immediately load them up into the Primordial Profound Ark and flee as far away as you possibly can.”
“Even though they know they are up against Sun Moon Divine Hall, they clearly do not want to flee… because they know that once they flee, this place will be utterly demolished, and that would mean that the root and the thousand year foundation of Frozen Cloud Asgard would be buried as well.” Yun Che said as he sighed, “Moreover, if Ye Xinghan cannot find me here, the next place he would think of would definitely be Blue Wind Imperial City… then, at that time, the city that my princess wife desperately fought to preserve will be ruined by Sun Moon Divine Hall instead of the Divine Phoenix Army….”
Not only did Ye Xinghan know that he was alive, he also knew his current level of strength. So when he finally came calling, the people that he would bring or send would definitely be at the Sovereign Profound Realm… and there might even be more than one of them! If they wanted to raze Blue Wind Imperial City, it would only be a matter of lifting a finger.
Running away… had never ever solved any problems.
“Hmph, what else do you expect? Given your current strength, you are not qualified to contend against Sun Moon Divine Hall by yourself! Unless you go back to the Illusory Demon Realm and bring your Little Demon Empress back. Because with the current strength of the Little Demon Empress, we do not even need to mention Sun Moon Divine Hall. Even if the Four Great Sacred Grounds joined hands together, they still will not be able to defeat her, and the most that they can hope for is to eke out a draw.”
“Definitely not!” Yun Che shook his head as he replied without hesitation, “Without even mentioning her status and the fact that the threat of Duke Ming still hangs over everyone’s head, she also hates the Four Great Sacred Grounds to the bone. In addition, given her temperament, if she were to really come here, she would definitely wreak such havoc that even the heavens would be overturned! Even I am unable to control her in such situations.”
“Furthermore, her strength was bought at the cost of her own life! If she were to really use that degree of her strength, then the three years of life that she originally had left to her would be reduced even further,” Yun Che said as his eyebrows knit together. Of course, the more important point was that… if he were to flee back to Illusory Demon Realm to hide behind the Little Demon Empress right after he had just returned to the Profound Sky Continent… as a real man, he simply could not bring himself to do such a thing!
Jasmine gave an even more disdainful sniff, “So what now? Are you prepared to personally witness their deaths? Or are you prepared to die with them?!”
“…I still have at least twelve hours to think of a plan,” Yun Che said as he sank into deep thought.
“Twelve hours?”
“Within Ye Qingsheng’s memories, the fastest profound ark Sun Moon Divine Hall possesses will only be able to reach this location in twelve hours!” Yun Che looked at the colour of the sky. “Even if Ye Xinghan exploded into action and scrambled to activate that profound ark, it will still be twelve hours before he arrived. If I am still not able to come up with a plan at that time, I will have to force everyone into the Primordial Profound Ark and leave this place.”
“Speaking of which, you just said you would help them all raise their profound strength… are you going to use the Overlord Pellets to achieve that?” Jasmine asked as she changed subjects. No one else in this world had a better measure of what Yun Che was made of than Jasmine herself.
“Yes.” Yun Che said as he nodded his head, “It is the only method that will allow them to swiftly raise their profound strength.”
“The potency of the Overlord Pellet is not something that they can handle. If they rashly consume it, they will only be looking for death. Are you prepared to use the power of the Great Way of the Buddha to help them refine it one by one?”
“Of course, that is the only method available to me,” Yun Che replied in a conspicuously helpless tone… Two thousand Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples, that was indeed a rather huge project. Because the Overlord Pellet was an extremely valuable treasure even within the highest levels of power of the Illusory Demon Realm, its medicinal strength would definitely not be small. And even given Yun Che’s current profound strength and the strength of his fourth stage Great Way of the Buddha, helping all of them refine this pellet within their bodies would definitely not be easy.
But to allow Frozen Cloud Asgard to rapidly ascend in power, to the point where they could at least preserve themselves in the face of Sun Moon Divine Hall’s power, this was the only method he could think of.
“Also, you only have thirty-seven Overlord Pellets on your person right now, but there are two thousand Frozen Cloud disciples here. So are you going to go back to the Illusory Demon Realm to gather more ingredients?”
“There is no need.” Yun Che said with confidence, “The ingredients required to refine the Overlord Pellet are Purgatory Stones, Flaming Devil Vines, Rakshasa Heart-destroying Fruit, and other ingredients which not only contain a high level of power, but are also extremely hard to control. Even the best apothecaries of this continent would find it extremely hard to refine even a single one of these ingredients, and to refine several tens of these at one time would be as hard as scaling the heavens. That was the reason why the Illusory Demon Royal Family was only able to at most produce two Overlord Pellets every century. Even though these ingredients are extremely high-grade, because of their volatility, they did not cost a lot. So I will be able to purchase more than enough of them from the Black Moon Merchant Guild… Yun Che’s voice deepened faintly as he continued, “Anyways, I will have to pay the Divine Phoenix Empire a visit in the near future!”
“Two thousand Overlord Pellets and you are willing to use the Great Way of the Buddha to refine its energy for them one by one. You truly have your heart set on this Frozen Cloud Asgard, don’t you,” Jasmine said as she gave a dull laugh.
“After all, I owe a favor to Frozen Cloud Asgard… Moreover, I accepted the Asgard Master position from Gong Yuxian right before she passed, so I should act more like a sect leader in any case,” Yun Che said earnestly.
“Tch….” Jasmine gave cold snort, “It’s clearly because of your guilt towards Chu Yuechan! The one thing in this world that can cause a great lecher like you to behave earnestly… is only that woman!”
“…” Jasmine’s words pierced directly into Yun Che’s soul causing his breathing to roughen.
Another three years has gone by… Little Fairy, just where have you gone….
I requested the Black Moon Merchant Guild to search for Chu Yuechan back then… now that three years have passed, I wonder if they have gotten any results.
All of Yun Che’s worries were justified.
The moment Ye Ziyi died, a reaction occurred in Ye Xinghan’s mind… at the same time, the memories he had of the events that occurred thirty breaths before his death were also transmitted into his mind!
“Yun… Che….” Ye Xinghan slowly stood up and raised both his hands, and his wide-spread fingers distorted while his expression had become dark and terrible.
The change in his aura caused the many protectorates that he had by his side to freeze up in shock… they had followed Ye Xinghan for so many years, yet they had never ever felt such a dreadful anger and killing intent emanating from his body before.
“My father went to Supreme Ocean Palace… what profound ark did he use?” Ye Xinghan asked slowly, his voice deepening to the point where it sounded like the growls of a demon.
Everyone did not know why Ye Xinghan asked such a question, but his head servant replied in a trembling voice, “He took… the Rainbow Sun Ark.”
“So that is to say that the Sun Moon Sacred Ark is still within the hall!” Ye Xinghan’s eyes abruptly focused as his old hatred surged back into life, and a fierce killing intent that he had never felt before in his entire life swelled to such an extent that it threatened to rupture his body. He knew that he had already lost all sense of rationality, but he did not allow himself to calm down. He turned around and said in an incomparably deep voice, “Immediately inform the Ninth Elder, the Eleventh Elder, the Fifteenth Elder, and the Seventeenth Elder to come and see me!”
“Also, I will give you an hour to quickly prepare the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, I want to… personally pay a visit to this lowly Blue Wind territory!”
Chapter 667 - Frozen Cloud Celestial Shadow
Even though Yun Che and Ye Xinghan had only met once, Ye Xinghan’s behavior at the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament and the Primordial Profound Ark had clearly revealed his nature to Yun Che. Once Ye Xinghan knew that he still lived, there was a great possibility that he would rush over as fast as he possibly could to kill him… and he would even come himself!
Right after he had solved the crises that Blue Wind Imperial City and Frozen Cloud Asgard were facing, an even greater one popped up. From the sky, he surveyed Frozen Cloud Asgard which had more or less calmed down and heaved a long sigh of relief before summoning the Primordial Profound Ark and returning to Blue Wind Imperial Capital.
However, what he did not notice was that in the sky far above him a pair of beautiful, crystalline eyes had been observing him silently. It was only until he left that those beautiful eyes finally withdrew their gaze as faint emotions bloomed on those features that were wrapped in cold mist; she was dressed all in white, as wispy as a fairy, and the ice spirits that floated all around her were even clearer and purer than the most perfect crystals in existence.
“Master, the conclusion of Frozen Cloud Asgard was completely different from what was expected,” the blue-clothed girl who stood by her side said. Her voice was laced with joy because she knew that even though the white-clad woman in front of her had sworn a vow of neutrality, she was still not able to completely let go. Because if that was the case, she would not have taken a risk today and venture here once more. “However, the sect master of Frozen Cloud Asgard has now actually become a man… even though he was the one who resolved the crisis and there was no other alternative, I still feel that it’s a bit… weird.”
“If he can truly help Frozen Cloud Asgard safely live through this crisis, whether he is a man or a woman is of no concern.” The white-clothed lady replied in a gentle tone, “Men are also able to cultivate the Frozen Cloud Art and the Frozen End Divine Art. The regulation that only allowed women to be accepted as disciples within Frozen Cloud Asgard was merely meant to protect it.”
“I just feel that it’s weird. Besides Senior Brother Han Yi, all of those men in our Snow Song Realm are so hateful.” The blue-clothed girl’s tender and pink fragrant lips pouted, but after that, she asked curiously, “Master, just now you kept looking at that person called Yun Che, was his body strange in any way?”
“…” The white-robed lady faintly looked to her side and replied, “He has the Frozen End Divine Art in his body, and he has already unlocked its sixth stage, but he can also ignite the Golden Crow flames. His body houses both fire and ice, and it is the extremely cold Frozen End energy and the extremely violent Golden Crow flames that are mixing together. However, the profound energy in his body is incomparably stable, and no disorder can be detected in his body… it is far too peculiar.”
The brows of the white-robed lady wrinkled slightly… as if she could not understand something. And at her level, there were not many things left that could cause her any confusion at all.
“Ah? So the flames he used to burn that purple-clothed man to ashes was truly the Golden Crow divine flames? I had thought I was mistaken.” The blue-clothed girl said in astonishment, “So that is to say that this continent actually contains one of the legacies left behind by the Golden Crow? Ooh… if the Flame God Realm’s Golden Crow Sect finds out about it, they will definitely send people to investigate immediately.”
“…” The white-robed lady remained silent.
“Master, is anything the matter? Why have you suddenly become so serious?” the blue-robed girl asked as she looked at her.
“…” The white-robed lady faintly closed her eyes and looked as if she was focusing her spirit to the greatest degree. “Have you sensed that… there is someone peering in at us from some other location?”
“Ah?” The mouth of the blue-robed girl widened but she immediately shook her head. “How can that be… how can any person on this plane discover our presence? I think Master must have been mistaken.”
“…” After a short while, the white-clothed lady’s eyes slowly opened and she softly replied, “Perhaps…”
At this time, the ice spirits around her suddenly fluttered chaotically and the celestial body underneath those icy mists shook violently as a mouthful of dark red blood suddenly spurted from her lips, dyeing her cloud-white robes in patches of red.
“Master!!” The blue-robed girl cried out in alarm as she hurriedly supported the body of the white-clothed lady while exclaiming in fright, “Why… why is it like this… didn’t you just have a relapse half a month ago… why did it happen again so quickly…”
With a light wave of a cloud-white sleeve, ice flowers appeared in the air and all of the bloodstains instantly faded away into nothingness, but the complexion of the person wrapped by the icy mists had turned even more white, and even the trajectory of those dancing ice spirits had become extremely disorderly. The white-robed woman moderated her aura, but her voice still remained as indifferent as mist, “My injuries have fatally wounded me, and there is no reprieve for this situation. To be able to linger on for the past thousand years is already the kindness of fate. I have no complaints.”
Her words signified that she had already began to feel her life coming to an end. The blue-robed girl’s eyes started gushing with tears. “No… Master cannot just yield to fate like this… the wounds master sustained a millennium ago were so severe. but Lord Realm King was still be able to deal with it… this time… Lord Realm King will definitely also have a way… or perhaps… I… I can go and plead with the Flame God Realm…”
“You are not allowed to speak foolishly!” the white-robed lady rebuked her in a soft voice. From the moment she vomited blood until now, in the span of slightly over ten breaths, her profound energy aura had already weakened by more than half. Eyeing the boundless icy world below her, she gave a light sigh and said, “Let us depart, the aura of this place is muddy, and it will merely accelerate and exacerbate my condition…”
“I had originally thought that I could part ways with it, but in the end… it is still like a child to me… and perhaps I will be unable to stop myself from coming here once again in the near future.”
She held onto the blue-robed girl’s arm and slowly floated upwards as they entered a profound formation which had silently appeared above them.
After the profound formation had disappeared, the figure of a girl with long, blood-red hair that fell to her waist and eyes which exuded a bewitching light slowly appeared where they had been standing.
“Snow Song Realm?” The girl gave an extremely low and cold snort, “Hmph! No wonder I had always felt that the Frozen End Divine Art felt somewhat familiar… Looks like it was the ‘Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon’ that does not contain the soul of the Ice Phoenix!”
“This is interesting indeed,” she said as she gave a low laugh, and following that, her body faded away and completely disappeared from that place.
The moment he appeared in the skies over Blue Wind Imperial City, the strange energy fluctuations caused Yun Che’s brows to furrow greatly as his gaze immediately swept towards the south… In the location where he had used the Yellow Springs Ashes to destroy the land, there was now astonishingly traces of an even greater destruction that took place. A deep crater that stretched several kilometers now existed in the ground that had already been levelled flat! And even though it seemed that a long period of time had passed since that cataclysmic event, there were still traces of an extremely powerful profound energy aura lingering within that crater.
That seemed… to be the aura exuded by someone in the Sovereign Profound Realm!
“Lord Prince Consort! You have returned!” On the wall, Feng Yunlie, who stood at the forefront despite his wounds, let out a joyous and emotional cry as he spotted Yun Che. The surrounding Blue Wind troops raised their heads as well, and strong emotions surged in their eyes… it was as if they were looking upon a deity.
Yun Che descended from the skies and asked, “General Feng, what exactly happened here? What events transpired while I was away?”
Feng Yunlie hurriedly replied, “About an hour after Lord Prince Consort had departed, there was yet another troop of Divine Phoenix soldiers which rapidly approached from the west, and there were also a large number of Fire War Horses and flying profound beasts with them as well…”
“What?” Yun Che’s brows sunk. “Why didn’t you send a sound transmission to me?!”
“At that time, her majesty tried sending a sound transmission many times to Lord Prince Consort, but every time she tried, it ended in failure,” Feng Yunlie replied. “At that time, Lord Under Heaven guessed that Lord Prince Consort may be in a location which contained an isolation barrier, so you would be unable to receive any sound transmissions…”
Sound transmission failure… isolation barrier? Yun Che was completely dumbfounded but then he remembered that he and the ladies of Frozen Cloud had been in the Frozen Cloud Secret Grounds which held the bodies of all the past Asgard Mistress of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Could it be…
“But Consort Yun does not need to be worried.” Feng Yunlie said in an excited voice, “When those Divine Phoenix soldiers were about to attack, an incomparably powerful… hero that seemed to be as strong as Lord Prince Consort himself appeared, and that hero was actually also…”
Bang!!
Following the sound of something being violently smashed aside, Yun Che heard a rough and heavy voice that he was all too familiar with. Not only that, but that voice also clearly contained the sound of sobbing as it rang out, “Bro… Brother-in-law… Brother-in-law!!”
This was Yuanba’s voice. and in this world, only Yuanba would call him “Brother-in-law.” Yun Che’s heart abruptly swelled in his chest and he swivelled around to look at the figure which was barrelling towards him… and before he could even begin to become emotional, he was instead given a huge shock.
Because the originally huge Xia Yuanba… had actually grown even larger with the passage of three years, and he had grown so huge that Yun Che’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock.
Boom!!
As Yun Che was still in a state of shock, he unconsciously side-stepped that rush and Xia Yuanba immediately flew into the air, and with a huge crash, he blew the corner of a wall into fragments. Xia Yuanba turned around and immediately began to bawl, “Brother-in-law! Looks like you really didn’t die… that’s just great… Senior Sister Xueruo said you had returned… I… I… I thought I would really never be able to see you again…”
“I am so hardy, so how would I die so easily,” Yun Che smiled as he looked at the huge Xia Yuanba. With that, he went over and patted his arm… When his hand came into contact with that arm, he realized that the muscles that he touched were so hard that it was practically like steel. “Yuanba, I haven’t seen you for three years and you have… grown once more. Alright, stop crying already. In the future, unless you see the body, don’t believe that I have died.“
“I… I… Mn!” Xia Yuanba vigorously wiped his eyes and energetically nodded his head as the corners of his mouth curved upwards and grinned with all of his might. “Right… I shouldn’t be crying! Brother-in-law is clearly doing great and nothing happened to him, so I should be laughing instead. Ah, I should have known this would happen in the end. Brother-in-law is the luckiest man in the world… so how would he die so easily.”
Cang Yue, Number One Under Heaven, Xiao Yun, and Number Seven Under Heaven had already come out. They looked at how Xia Yuanba, who had terrifying strength, exuded an overwhelming pressure, and had obliterated the Divine Phoenix Army in one punch, cried like a child in front of Yun Che and how just one word from Yun Che caused him to cry and smile at the same time. The discrepancy was simply too great, and it caused Xiao Yun’s group to be completely stunned.
Cang Yue looked at their dazed expressions, and she gently laughed, “My husband and Yuanba grew up together. They are the most important kinsman in each other’s lives. Their relationship is so good that it is admirable… and no matter how strong they become and how exalted their positions are, this is one thing that will never change.”
What was shocked Yun Che even more than the change in Xia Yuanba’s appearance was the change in his aura. The profound energy aura that was swirling around Xia Yuanba’s body was so thick that even Yun Che could scarcely believe it. He stared at Xia Yuanba and asked, “Yuanba, right now what level… is your profound strength at?”
“This…” Xia Yuanba smiled in a rather bashful manner, “If I say it, Brother-in-law might not even believe me, but right now, I seem to have already reached… the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm.” Right after he said this, he hurriedly added words for emphasis, “It’s true, I am definitely not lying to Brother-in-law!”
“He is really not tricking you.” Jasmine said immediately after, “His current profound strength is indeed at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!”
In Illusory Demon Realm’s Demon Imperial City, Yun Che had seen many Monarchs, so he was extremely clear on what the words “Sovereign Profound Realm” truly meant. He knew that even though the difference in strength between each level of the Tyrant Profound Realm was huge, the difference between each level of the Sovereign Profound Realm was also like heaven and earth. The Overlord Pellet, which would allow someone to break through the bottleneck of the Emperor Profound Realm and allow that person to become an Overlord, was already one of the most valuable treasures in Demon Imperial City. Breaking through the bottleneck of the Tyrant Profound Realm to enter the Sovereign Profound Realm was something that, to common folk, was as hard as scaling the heavens…
And Xia Yuanba had actually, in the short span of three years, jumped from the mid-stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm… to the mid-stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
The speed of this growth could not even be described with ten thousand “unimaginables,” and even if someone like the leader of a Sacred Ground were to find out, he would still be so jealous that he would vomit eight liters of blood.
Looking at Yun Che’s stupidly dazed expression, Xia Yuanba weakly said, “I never thought that my profound strength would rise so fast. Master said it is because of my Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins… and I also slowly came to realize that my Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins were actually so awesome.”
“…” The corner of Yun Che’s mouth twisted and he used his thoughts to ask, “Jasmine, you said before that the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins were the profound veins of the Ancient Era’s War God, right…”
Jasmine, “??”
“And you also said that the Evil God and the Rage God were transcendent existences even among the gods that existed during the Ancient Era… but, I have the profound veins of the Evil God, the divine art of the Rage God, and I even have the blood and marrow of the Dragon God, the bloodlines of the Phoenix, and the Golden Crow… and I even endured the extremely cruel spatial storms for all of those years while I absorbed a large amount of energy from the Sea of Death… so I always thought that my growth rate was already heaven-defying!!”
“Yet now, I realize that, in front of Yuanba’s Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, the Evil God and Rage God and everything else… seem to be as weak as trash!!” Yun Che snarled as he gnashed his teeth. Xia Yuanba’s frightening and peerless rate of growth… could not help but make even him jealous.
Chapter 668 - The Approaching Sun Moon Divine Hall
“Hmph, you really are naive!” Jasmine scoffed, “The most distinctive characteristic of the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins is its growth. But the distinctive feature of the power of the Evil God and the Rage God is Berserk and Sacred Body! Even though it’s only at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm now, but under the berserk profound energy, it can contend with an early stage monarch! Under the power of Rage God, your body will be so tough, it could also be compared to a Monarch’s! As you are now, it is indeed impossible for you to match up against Xia Yuanba, but if you are in the same realm as him, it would be impossible for even ten of him to match you!”
“But…” Jasmine’s voice lowered, “Even so, the degree of his growth was so great that it is indeed quite unusual. I have said before, once the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins awakens, the profound energy will immediately increase to the Emperor Profound or even the Tyrant Profound Realm, but this is at the status of the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins being fully awakened. Three years ago, his Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins was only at the early stage of awakening, but he has already managed to become an Overlord. Now, his Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins still haven’t fully awakened, but he is already a Monarch… At this plane, with such short amount of time, is impossible to reach this amount of growth through simple cultivation. The only possibility is that it came from the strength that had already been sleeping within the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins! But, in normal Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, it is impossible to have innate strength this strong to be sleeping within, much less at this lower level plane… Then, there is only one possibility…”
“What do you mean?” Yun Che continued to ask.
“That is… his birth father or birth mother is an extremely strong person, so in the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, besides the power of War God, it also carries a powerful innate gift and strength from the birth father or birth mother. Or else, it is impossible for him to grow at such speed with the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins still not completely awake,” Jasmine said with complete certainty.
“But, Yuanba’s father was a merchant his whole life, almost not cultivating any profound strength at all, and Yuanba’s mother… passed away when he was very young,” said Yun Che as he locked his eyebrows.
“Xia Yuanba and Xia Qingyue, one of them has an extremely strong Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins, and the other has the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’ and the ‘Heart of Snow Glazed Glass.’ If their parents are just normal people… that is simply the biggest joke!” Jasmine scoffed, “I have actually seen their father. That person named Xia Hongyi is indeed a normal person. But for their birth mother, not only is it impossible for her to have been a normal person… she must be so strong and in such a realm that you cannot even comprehend as you are now!”
Yun Che, “…”
Nightfall, the Moon Embracing Palace was brightly lit.
Blue Wind Imperial City was very quiet, and the dark clouds covered the light from the moon which made the entire capital so dark that it could almost suffocate people. Yun Che, Cang Yue, Xia Yuanba, and the others were talking to each other about the encounters during these three years. Reuniting after being separated for so long should have been full of joy, but with their homeland being stomped over, becoming a scene of devastation wherever it meets the eye and with half of their homeland being taken over by the Divine Phoenix Empire, the atmosphere throughout was somewhat depressing.
“Yue’er, you should rest soon. Don’t worry. With me here, our imperial city will definitely be alright,” worried Yun Che with dear concern as held Cang Yue’s small hands.
But Cang Yue smiled, shook her head, and said, “Husband, after you left to Frozen Cloud Asgard, I sent a sound transmission to Grandfather and Lingxi and told them you are back… Lingxi responded with a sound transmission with a heavy tearful tone… They must be almost wearing out their eyes waiting in Floating Cloud City. Even though it is midnight now, they must still be awake. You should go there soon and reunite with them. Here in the capital, we have Yuanba, so there is nothing to be worried about.”
Yun Che unconsciously turned his head to look in the east and sighed softly, but then shook his head slightly. “ Frozen Cloud Asgard is in imminent danger now, and there is a possibility that it will affect here as well. I should finish dealing with the situation with Frozen Cloud Asgard before returning to Floating Cloud City in case they start worrying again right after we reunite.”
“What happened with Frozen Cloud Asgard? How is the situation now?” Cang Yue asked worriedly.
Yun Che was silent for a bit, and then, he briefly summarized Frozen Cloud Asgard’s encounters for the past six months and its current situation.
“What? Sun Moon Divine Hall!?” Xia Yuanba roared deeply and stood up all of a sudden in response. “Sun Moon Divine Hall again! Why did they attack my Big Sister… that Ye Xinghan…” The murderous intent in Xia Yuanba’s whole body boiled. “He almost killed brother-in-law three years ago, and now he actually attacked my big sister …”
Yun Che said calmly, “Ye Xinghan has an arrogant, conceited, sinister, and even somewhat extreme personality, but at the same time, he is definitely not a foolish person. After he finds out that I am still alive, have ruined his plan once again, and even killed his people, the most likely thing he will do is to put me to death in the shortest amount of time, allowing me no chance to escape or run away. There is even a possibility… that he will come himself this time.”
“Just how I like it!!” Xia Yuanba held both his fists tight. “Watch me smash his brain into mush with a single punch!”
Yun Che shook his head. “Yuanba, don’t be impulsive. My current level of strength has already been exposed to Ye Xinghan. If he wants to completely put me to death, the people that he brings will absolutely not be someone we can handle with just the two of us… In addition, you are representing Absolute Monarch Sanctuary now. If you show up, it could develop into a conflict between Sun Moon Divine Hall and Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. It will gain the attention of both sides and even all of the Sacred Grounds’ attention. To Frozen Cloud Asgard, not only is this not beneficial at all, it will, on the contrary, be an extremely horrible disaster.”
“Ah? Why?” Xia Yuanba asked in confusion, “I can protect Frozen Cloud Asgard as the representative of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. Then, there shouldn’t be anyone who will dare to bully Frozen Cloud Asgard, right? How is it a disaster?”
Yun Che shook his head, lowered his eyebrows, and explained, “The reason the Sun Moon Divine Hall attacked Frozen Cloud Asgard was because of one of Qingyue’s secrets, and at this moment, only Ye Xinghan and one person from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region knows about this secret. If this matter alerts the Four Great Sacred Grounds, then there will be a possibility for this secret to be known by more and more people… By then, Ye Xinghan wouldn’t be the only one with his eyes on Qingyue. Instead, it will be all of Sacred Grounds and even more powerful forces. Frozen Cloud Asgard would also be involved completely in this flood.”
Yun Che’s words had already shocked Xia Yuanba’s heart, and his brain quickly cooled down. He didn’t ask Yun Che what his Big Sister’s “secret” was, because he already realized. This “secret,” the less people who know about it, the better, including himself. If he really protected Frozen Cloud Asgard… then the situation would indeed escalate and include more and more parties—— He himself clearly knew that he was no longer a normal disciple of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary.
“Then what should we do now… Where is Big Sister now? Is she in danger?” Xia Yuanba asked anxiously.
The profound escape formation at Frozen Cloud Asgard is a random dimensional formation. No one knows where she was teleported to. We were not able to contact her even with the One Hundred Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, so she have been transported to somewhere very far away. But…” Yun Che smiled lightly and comforted, “Yuanba, you don’t have to be too worried. Six months ago, Qingyue was already half step into the Tyrant Profound Realm. Even in the whole continent, there are not a lot of people who could bully her. In addition, since she is that smart, you can rest assured that nothing will happen. Maybe she will come back after she finds out Frozen Cloud Asgard is safe and sound.”
Even though Yun Che was also concerned with where exactly Xia Qingyue went, he wasn’t too worried about her safeness in his unconscious mind. Her strength, gifts, and intelligence were just an extremely small portion of the reason why he wasn’t too concerned, but the main reason was that, besides her “Nine Profound Exquisite Body,” she also possessed the “Heart of Snow Glazed Glass” which, Jasmine had mentioned, shouldn’t have existed in this plane, and Jasmine had said that the people who possess the “Heart of Snow Glazed Glass” would be favored by the heavens… Even though he didn’t really understand the concept of being “favored by the heavens,” at the very least, she wouldn’t encounter bad luck, right?
“Mm… yeah!” Big Sister is that strong, she will definitely be safe.” Xia Yuanba strongly nodded his head, and then, he thought of something and took out a golden, strangely-shaped Sound Transmission Jade. He didn’t use a Sound Transmission Talisman; instead, he input his profound energy within, and the Sound Transmission Jade started flashing in a golden light. Xia Yuanba spoke into the Sound Transmission Jade and said, “Master, disciple is now in Blue Wind Imperial City. Can Master help investigate and see if there are any special movements from Sun Moon Divine Hall… Especially the movement of high level sacred arks.”
Number One Under Heaven and Number Seven Under Heaven listened quietly to their entire conversation and didn’t interrupt at all. Even though they were not from Profound Sky Continent, they knew the name Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and Sun Moon Divine Hall better than most people of the Profound Sky Continent. Because those were the villains who once invaded their Illusory Demon Realm and were one of the culprits that caused Demon Emperor’s death which put the Illusory Demon Realm into a hundred years of chaos.
Originally, the reason they followed Yun Che to Profound Sky Continent was to accompany Xiao Yun to reunite with his relatives, but they didn’t imagine that they would directly and indirectly come into contact with the two terrifying existences of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and Sun Moon Divine Hall in this nation which only had Emperor Profound as their highest realm.
The expression in Number One Under Heaven’s eyes was really complicated. He came to Profound Sky Continent to protect Number Seven Under Heaven, and he thought that he was too cautious and worried too much… But now, it was only the first day, and his mind was already unable to settle down.
Before Xia Yuanba could put away his Sound Transmission Jade, it suddenly shined again. He immediately picked it up and the soul voice of Spiritual Master Ancient Blue was immediately sent into his mind, causing his expression to subsequently change.
“What did your Master say?” immediately asked as Yun Che’s eyebrows moved. The reason Xia Yuanba’s master would give him a response so quickly was obviously because he had noticed something strange from Sun Moon Divine Hall already.
Xia Yuanba lifted his head and said in a deep voice, “Master said, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark had already flon out from Sun Moon Divine Hall four hours ago. It was moving extremely quickly, and the direction it was flying in, was where Blue Wind Nation is!”
“Sun Moon Sacred Ark!?” Yun Che’s eyebrows locked. According to Ye Qingsheng’s memory, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark is the best profound ark of Sun Moon Divine Hall. Even though it could not be compared with the Heavenly Sacred Divine Ark that Xia Yuanba used this time, the speed of it definitely surpassed common folk’s knowledge, and it also has very strong offensive capabilities.
“I heard Master mentioned that the Sun Moon Sacred Ark of Sun Moon Divine Hall can only be controlled by the Heavenly Monarch, Ye Meixie, and his son, Ye Xinghan. And Master said that Ye Meixie was still currently in Supreme Ocean Palace… that means Ye Xinghan must be in the Sun Moon Sacred Ark!” angrily exclaimed Xia Yuanba as he grit his teeth. During the secluded cultivation in the past three years, the reason his powers awakened and increased so fast was because of his desire to take revenge. The person he wanted to take revenge on was naturally Ye Xinghan. Even though he now saw that Yun Che was safe and sound, his hatred towards Ye Xinghan still only increased instead of decreasing because of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s calamity… If Ye Xinghan appeared before him now, even with Yun Che’s reminder earlier, he would definitely punch him in the head with all of his strength——Even if he was the Young Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, the only son of the Heavenly Monarch!
With the speed of the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, they will arrive in about eight more hours… at most nine hours! Brother-in-law, what should we do now?” Xia Yuanba was already unsettled and couldn’t sit still. He tightly clenched his fists, and the profound energy in his entire body was moving uncontrollably… Even though his profound strength was already so strong that it bordered upon terrifying, his almost instinctive trust and reliance on Yun Che had still not changed in the slightest.
Big Brother Yun, let’s send the people from Frozen Cloud Asgard away immediately with the profound ark. With Big Brother Yun’s profound ark, none of them would be hurt,” Number Seven Under Heaven shouted.
“No!” Yun Che said in a deep voice, “This time, Ye Xinghan even used the strongest profound ark of Sun Moon Divine Hall to rush here as fast as possible. He must want to kill me at all costs. If he was left empty-handed at Frozen Cloud Asgard, destroying the Frozen Cloud Asgard would still be secondary. He will instead definitely target Blue Wind Imperial City immediately to force me to appear… If he had investigated me during these three years, he might even turn to Floating Cloud City! After all, my identity is the prince consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family, and Floating Cloud City was my birthplace.”
“But, that is Sun Moon Divine Hall! Dad said that no matter which one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds it is, they are all stronger than any of the Guardian Families! It is impossible for us to fight against them with just us alone,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in panic.
“Old Seven is right.” Number One Under Heaven also said in a serious manner, “Brother Yun, you have that profound ark that can travel through space, so even if Sun Moon Divine Hall arrive, you can bring anyone you want to protect away safely. As for the other things… no matter what it is, nothing is more important than staying alive.”
Yun Che’s eyes turned slightly. Compared to other people’s nervous and slight panic, Yun Che’s expression was a lot calmer. “If we really reach that step, I will naturally take everyone and escape… but that will only happen if we have no other choice remaining.”
Beneath his feet was the last glory that Cang Yue used everything to protect under the disaster of Blue Wind Nation. How could he let this imperial city not be destroyed by the hands of Divine Phoenix, but be destroyed in the hands of Ye Xinghan because of him.
“Brother Yun, did you come up with some method? But the other side is Sun Moon Divine Hall, and their Young Master is coming in person, and you also said that the other party roughly knows the current level of your strength…” said Number One Under Heaven while frowning. He absolutely did not question Yun Che’s ability… because back then, even Duke Huai failed miserably before him. But now under the current situation, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a way to counter it.
Unless he returned to Illusory Demon Realm and brought the Little Demon Empress over… then no matter how many powerful practitioners came from Sun Moon Divine Hall, they would all be fodder.
“Basically… but I am not very certain, so we can only gamble on it.” Without waiting for them to ask, Yun Che stood up and said, “Yuanba, you stay here and protect the Imperial City. If the Divine Phoenix Empire dares to come again, kill them all! Brother Under Heaven, Seventh Sister, you two stay here and protect Yue’er… Xiao Yun, you come with me to Frozen Cloud Asgard, right now.”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun’s expression was stunned as he doubtfully pointed to himself. “Me?”
“Ah!?” Number Seven Under Heaven rushed over and used half of her body to block Xiao Yun while saying with a panicked expression, “Wh… why are you taking Brother Yun with you? Sun Moon Divine Hall is so dangerous, what if Brother Yun… what if…”
“Don’t worry, did you forget about my profound ark? He is more safe with me than with you guys.” Yun Che reached out, brushed Number Seven Under Heaven’s shoulders, and pulled Xiao Yun over. “I promise you that when you see him again, not a single hair on his head will be missing, or else, you can punish me however you like.”
“Seventh Sister, you don’t have to worry. With Big Brother here, I will definitely be safe,” Xiao Yun also immediately comforted.
Number Seven Under Heaven’s face blushed slightly because of the unconscious reaction just now. She immediately swung her arm and said, “Alright, alright. Brother Yun and I are not those cowardly people… But you promised me, he can’t even be missing a single hair!”
“Brother Yun, what are you going to do exactly?” Number One Under Heaven couldn’t help but to ask in curiosity.
“To put it simply, we are going to scare them back.” Yun Che smiled slightly, and his eyes shined slightly with a strange light. “The best way is to scare them so hard that they wouldn’t dare to bother us in the future.”
“Scare them back?” Number One Under Heaven was stunned, and everyone else was stunned too. If it was to frighten… with Yun Che’s strength now, it was enough to frighten a normal profound practitioner completely. But they were facing Sun Moon Divine Hall, the highest level of existence in the Profound Sky Continent, how could Yun Che scare them… or it could even be said that in the whole Profound Sky Continent, there was almost nothing that could be enough to scare them thoroughly enough.
Yun Che didn’t explain, simply calmly saying, “I don’t know if it will work, but if it works, at least they wouldn’t bother us for a short period of time. But if it fails… we can only escape.”
“Xiao Yun, let’s go.”
“Ah… yes!”
“Yue’er, don’t worry. Even though there is a possibility that it will fail, if I want to escape, there is really not a lot of people who can hold me back in this world. No matter what, I will not get into an accident again like three years ago. Before noon tomorrow, I will return safely for sure,” said Yun Che as he took Xiao Yun’s arms while looking into Cang Yue’s eyes. Then, he turned around and flew out of the main hall with Xiao Yun.
“Husband…” As his back figure disappeared from her line of sight, Cang Yue unconsciously stepped forward, looked at the night sky outside, and her eyes became blurry. This man she loved and married, his life seems to always be accompanied with troubles that others could not understand. This was the first day they had reunited after being separated by life and death… but he had to leave in a hurry, to use his own strength to face one of the highest existences in the Profound Sky Continent…
Chapter 669 - Four Great Elders
When a profound practitioner increased his profound strength, his speed would naturally increase as well. Especially for someone within the Sky Profound Realm who could utilize the Profound Floating Technique, he would be able to fly at an extremely frightening speed. However, it still could not be compared to the speed of a profound ark. When one had attained an even higher profound realm such as the Tyrant or Sovereign Profound Realm, although their speed could surpass a vast majority of profound ark, it still would not the match the speed of some of the higher quality profound arks.
Like Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s Heavenly Sacred Divine Ark or Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Sun Moon Sacred Ark.
However, when a profound ark was being operated, it would consume a large amount of high quality jades. The higher the quality of the profound ark, the faster it could fly. Accordingly, the quality of the jades required would be higher, and the consumption rate would also be faster. Therefore, even at the level of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, they would not employ high quality profound arks haphazardly unless they had an emergency.
At this time, several thousand meters in the air, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark was flying at breakneck speed. The ark was several hundred meters long, and its entire body was silver. On the left side of the ark, there were the imprints of a scorching sun, and on the right side, there was a crescent moon. The speed at which it was flying was far above any human’s comprehension, and the profound practitioners on the ground could only hear the piercing noise of air being ripped apart. When they had looked up, they could not even see the silhouette of the ark. All that they could see were pieces of clouds and empty space left behind when the ark had flown past.
Inside the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, Ye Xinghan’s face was still just like water, and his eyes were cold. At this point in time, his mind had already coldly sobered. He knew that his impulsive activation of the Sun Moon Sacred Ark due to Yun Che would cause him to be punished by his father, but he did not regret this impulsive action.
Aside from Ye Xinghan, there were nineteen other people aboard the Sun Moon Sacred Ark. Fifteen within them were Ye Xinghan’s personal protectorates. All of their profound strengths were in the Tyrant Profound Realm, with the strongest one at the ninth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm. As for the other four… they were each separated by Ye Xinghan’s side. Each of their faces showed not anger, but prestige. The aura they emitted was as heavy as a tall mountain. Not only were the profound strengths of those fifteen Overlords overbearing, as Ye Xinghan’s protectorates, they all held a high position in Sun Moon Divine Hall. However, when they looked at the four individuals, their eyes were all filled with deep reverence.
Because these four, were elders from Sun Moon Divine Hall!!
And to become an elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall, one requirement had to be met, which was to reach the realm of Monarchs!
Moreover, these four were not only elders from Sun Moon Divine Hall but were also ranked in the top twenty. One among them was even ranked in the top ten. They were respectively, Eleventh Elder Ye Juanyun�, Fifteenth Elder Ye Shi�, Seventeenth Elder Ye Shuran�, and the one whose profound strength was close to a late stage Monarch, Ninth Elder Ye Guying, was already at the seventh level of the Sovereign Profound Realm!
“Just a mere Yun Che actually drove Young Master to fly into rage. Isn’t the young master overestimating him?” indifferently commented Fifteenth Elder Ye Shi after seeing that Ye Xinghan was calming down from his anger. It wasn’t that he had not heard of the name “Yun Che.” After all, single-handedly overturning ten great geniuses from Divine Phoenix Sect’s young generation had caused a great commotion three years ago. It was hard to not know of that matter… However, they had only heard of it and nothing more because Yun Che did not qualify to hold their interest due to the difference in levels. As for hearing that Yun Che had foiled Ye Xinghan on the Primordial Profound Ark and then died on it, they had only just laughed it off… because anyone who dared to offend their Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Young Master, even if he did not die in the Primordial Profound Ark, after coming out of it, he would die an even more miserable death.
After suddenly finding out that Yun Che was actually alive and had even killed two of his protectorates, Ye Xinghan was thoroughly enraged. He wanted to kill him immediately and didn’t hesitate to activate the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, and bring fifteen protectorates He even brought four of their elders! This was like bringing a knife that could butcher cows to kill chickens!
“Ye Shi is right.” Ye Shuran slightly nodded his head and said, “Even though that Yun Che has impressive talent, what status does Young Master have? How is he even worthy of such treatment from the young master? If Young Master wants him dead, why does he need to activate the Sacred Sun Moon Ark and come in person? Only I am needed to kill him without a proper burial.”
Ye Xinghan’s face was cold and dark as he quietly exclaimed, “Yun Che… has to die!!”
Ye Guying raised his head slightly, then said, “Young Master, this old one thinks that we should be a bit more cautious in going to Blue Wind to kill Yun Che at this time.”
“Why does Ninth Elder say that? With the four of us here, even if there are thousands Yun Ches, he would still die a certain death. That Yun Che was able to kill those two pieces of trash, Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi, is indeed unexpected, but how could he triumph over the four of us?” Ye Guying’s statement caused the faces of both Ye Shi and Ye Shuran to reveal puzzlement. As the Ninth Elder, Ye Guying’s profound strength cultivation had reached great heights. The position he held in Sun Moon Divine Hall was high, and although he was also an elder, while Ye Guying could call Ye Shi and Ye Shuran by name, Ye Shi and Ye Shuran still had to be slightly respectful and refer to him as Ninth Elder.
“No, we still have to be careful, not against Yun Che, but the one that is supporting him from the shadows, or to speak more precisely—his master!” Ye Guying solemnly replied, “Although Young Master is impulsive in his rage, he is not stupid. I believe that he had considered and thought it over before bringing us four along with him.”
“I also have to agree with what Ninth Elder had said,” Eleventh Elder Ye Juanyun spoke. “It is said that Yun Che’s profound veins were crippled when he was young and were miraculously healed later on. Three years ago, when he swept the Profound Sky Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, it had been said that he had not even been cultivating in the profound for four years! And now that such a short three years have passed, his profound strength has reached the realm where he could kill Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi in but an instant! This level of power could be described as being exaggerated to the extreme. Even if it’s our Four Great Sacred Grounds exhausting all our resources, it is still impossible for us to nurture a person to reach such a terrifying realm in such a short amount of time! It is truly hard to imagine what kind of expert could actually produce such a disciple!”
“Three years ago, there were rumors that there was a very strong and mysterious master behind him, but no one had ever seen his master.” Yue Guying indifferently continued, “That year, he faced the entire Divine Phoenix Sect in Divine Phoenix City alone without fear. At that time, he was not even twenty years of age, so it was impossible for him to be that calm and bold back then. It must be that he had something to rely on. That might be sufficient to explain that the master behind him was so strong that it allowed him to not fear the Divine Phoenix Sect. At that time, Divine Phoenix Sect should have thought about this many times, which was why they decided to announce that they had “reconciled” with Yun Che during the Profound Sky Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, yet allowed Feng Feiyan to kill him on the Primordial Profound Ark.
“What I concerns me the most is that how he actually fled out of the Primordial Profound Ark alive.” Ye Guying continued, “Our Four Great Sacred Grounds also had a few predecessors that have stayed on the Primordial Profound Ark, but the outcome was that not a bag of bones was found! Yet Yun Che actually came out alive…”
“That’s really easy to explain.” Ye Shi smiled and said, “Young Master had said before that three years ago, in the Primordial Profound Ark, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary Xia Yuanba, who possessed the Tyrannical Emperor�’s Divine Veins, exited the Primordial Profound Ark before it was about to close. Divine Phoenix Sect’s Princess Snow was initially sealed for death in a fortress alone with Yun Che by our Young Master, but that Princess Snow actually safely made it out… The reason that they could actually exit was with the help of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s spatial bracelet which was specially manufactured at great expense to prevent accidents in the Primordial Profound Ark. Xia Yuanba and Princess Snow had both escaped with the help of the spatial bracelet, so Yun Che naturally had as well! He obviously never got taken away by the Primordial Profound Ark three years ago and had escaped with the help of the spatial bracelet. Only, when he thought about him having offended the young master, he knew that leaving the Primordial Profound Ark could only result in death. Divine Phoenix Sect would also not let him off, so he quickly went into hiding after leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, resulting in the false image that he had been taken away by the Primordial Profound Ark which led everyone to think that he was already dead. In this way, he would not be hunted down by our Sun Moon Divine Hall and Divine Phoenix Sect. From then on, he was living in hiding… which was only exposed now.”
“Yes.” Ye Shuran nodded in approval, “This is the only explanation. That Yun Che is so cunning and could actually fool our Sun Moon Divine Hall and Divine Phoenix Sect for an entire three years… It’s no wonder why young master would be so furious!”
Yue Guying slightly moved his brows together, and then slowly nodded, “This is indeed the best explanation. But, I still have another point of concern… Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi both had the soul imprint that Young Master personally planted in their bodies. Both Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi’s soul crystals had shattered, which proves that both of them are dead. However, Young Master had only received Ye Ziyi’s death imprint. This could only mean that Ye Qingsheng soul imprint had been erased before his death! For someone who could erase a soul imprint, how could he not have detected the imprint! But he still directly killed Ye Ziyi, and it seems like he deliberately killed Ye Ziyi so that he could pass the death imprint to the young master…”
“Hahahaha,” Ye Shuran suddenly laughed. “Ninth Elder has always been calm and wise, thinking things through carefully which is a quality many admire. But this time, you have worried too much. Although there is a strong master behind Yun Che, no matter how strong his master is, how could his master be stronger than Ninth Elder? Our Sun Moon Divine Hall has existed in the Profound Sky Continent for ten thousand years, who does it actually fear? Being ‘noticed’ by our young master should be little Yun Che’s greatest glory. Even if his talent and strength were to be multiplied by ten, in the face of our Sun Moon Divine Hall, he is just a grasshopper that we can step on at anytime! If he is actually as Ninth Elder had said… how could he, just to live, actually make the effort three years ago to create the false image of being ‘dead’?”
“What Shuran has said also make sense.” Having heard that, Ye Juanyun nodded, “Every time those who have been implanted with a soul imprint breaks through, there is always the chance that the battering of profound energy would erase it. Ye Qingsheng’s soul imprint might have disappeared a long time ago without anyone knowing, and that happening is also very normal.”
“Heheh,” Ye Guying let out a laugh. “Perhaps I really am thinking too much into it.”
“Ninth Elder always thinks carefully and has never underestimated anyone. It is precisely why he is extremely valued by the Heavenly Monarch.” Ye Shi smiled and said, “This is also the reason why I have always admired Ninth Elder… Oh? It seems like we are approaching the border of Blue Wind Nation. I wonder if Yun Che is already aware of us and has already covered his face to scamper off like a rat.”
At the very north of Blue Wind Nation, Frozen Cloud Asgard.
It was now very late at night, but the skies of the Snow Region of Extreme Ice were an ashen white reflected by the boundless snow and ice. Upon arriving at Frozen Cloud Asgard, Yun Che and Xiao Yun did not exit the Primordial Profound Ark. He estimated how long it would take Sun Moon Divine Hall to arrive and took out two identical sets of outer clothing, belts, and shoes from the Sky Poison Pearl. “Xiao Yun, quick, change into these clothes!”
Xiao Yun and Yun Che’s body shapes were extremely similar, so Yun Che clothes naturally fit well on Xiao Yun’s body.
Chapter 670 - Calamity Strikes Again
When Yun Che and Xiao Yun changed into an identical set of clothes. If one did not compare their facial features, both their front and back were ninety percent the same. After Xiao Yun changed his clothes, he anxiously said, “Big Brother, what are you… going to do?”
Yun Che slowly gazed at Xiao Yun, sizing him up, then slightly nodded his head and replied, “Good, we both have a very similar body structure. Unless it is someone who knows us well, it would be very hard to differentiate us based on our figures alone.”
While talking, Yun Che took out a wooden box from the Sky Poison Pearl. “Sit down, I’ll help you put on a disguise so you will look like me.”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun was dumbfounded. His mouth gaping widely. “Dis… disguise?”
“Yes!” Yun Che nodded his head and knitted his brow tightly. ”Rest assured, I am using a special medicine for the disguise, not a profound energy disguise. Unless it is an expert, it would be impossible to see through it.”
The most skillful person in the art of disguise that Yun Che had ever met in the Profound Sky Continent was Hua Minghai. But even if it was Hua Minghai, he could not compare with Yun Che in the art of disguise. With just a single glance, he could see through Hua Minghai’s disguise, but as for his own, Hua Minghai could not see through it in a short amount of time.
“But, why should I disguise myself as big brother?” Xiao Yun asked with a puzzled face.
“Because after the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall arrive… if there is no accident, there would be a short period of time that you would need to use my identity and face them,” Yun Che solemnly answered.
“Ah?” Xiao Yun gaped, “I…”
“Are you scared?” Yun Che smiled faintly.
Xiao Yun became absent minded for a short moment, grit his teeth, and strongly shook his head, “Not… not scared! Big Brother, do not worry. Even if I have to put my life on the line, I would…”
“Forget about putting your life on the line,” Yun Che smiled and interrupted him. ”I have already assured Seventh Sister that I would bring you back and would ensure that you wouldn’t be missing a single hair. If you lose your life, your Seventh Sister would chase me down with a knife everyday. I wouldn’t be able to rest in peace for the rest of my life if that were to happen.”
As he spoke, Yun Che face became serious. ”However, this matter will still come at a great risk. Because Ye Xinghan wants me to die, he will surely bring at least three Monarchs with him! It’s possible that he might bring a mid-stage Monarch… or even one that is even higher than a mid-stage Monarch. If we ever fail, even though we could use the Primordial Profound Ark to escape, I believe you could envision how dire the consequences would be if that were to happen… After disguising yourself, I’ll tell you what you need to do in detail. After a while, you have to firmly remember every word I say… as this matter will also be a huge challenge for you.”
“Alright… I understand.” Xiao Yun took in a mouthful of air and seriously nodded his head.
After Yun Che left the Primordial Profound Ark, he shrunk the ark into its smallest possible state… which was approximately the size of his palm. Then, after arriving in front of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s main gates, he took the Primordial Profound Ark and placed it between two thick blocks of ice. To common knowledge, the way one entered and exited a profound ark was naturally going through its ark door. The Primordial Profound Ark could also be entered through the ark door, but it also had an additional special way of passage, which was also what Yun Che had always used since the start… that was space transfer!
This was also one of the things that Yun Che would rely on when he faced Sun Moon Divine Hall today… Of course, the prerequisite for this was for the opponent to not discover the existence of the Primordial Profound Ark. However, the Primordial Profound Ark’s energy medium was Hong’er and not its own body, so it wouldn’t release any profound energy fluctuations when stationary. Added to the fact that the Primordial Profound Ark could become big or small, even if one was a Monarch, it would still be hard to detect its existence. Even if they saw it, they would think that it was just a model of a profound ark.
It was late at night, and Frozen Cloud Asgard was very silent. There were still four more hours till dawn… In four hours, it was about time for Sun Moon Divine Hall to arrive. Yun Che used the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul to issue an Asgard Master Command… Soon enough, six streaks of snow-white celestial silhouettes flew over and landed before Yun Che. Only Xia Qingyue was missing within the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies.
“Asgard Master, is there any important matter happening?” Murong Qianxue asked with a frown. There must have been some sort of pressing matter for him to call them this late in the night.
Yun Che lowered his voice and calmly said, “It is indeed something important. People from Sun Moon Divine Hall are heading our way… They will arrive in about four hours. The one leading them is their Young Master Ye Xinghan, and he would be bringing at least three Monarchs!”
“What?!” Murong Qianxue paled in shock. Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master… Monarchs… To them, all these words were a thousand times scarier than their own nightmares!
Just two Overlords could already force Frozen Cloud Asgard into a dead end. If it weren’t for Yun Che’s timely arrival, Frozen Cloud Asgard would have already ceased to exist… At least three Monarchs, just these alone would practically have enough power to sweep across the seven nations. Wanting to destroy Frozen Cloud Asgard would just require a simple hand gesture!
“As for the reason, there is no time for me to explain it to you. You guys immediately inform all of the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples. Give them an hour to take their important belongings and another hour to gather here!”
“Has Asgard Master found a place for us to escape to?” Jun Lianqie nervously asked.
“No, I never said that we have to escape!” Yun Che calmly said, “Our opponents are from Sun Moon Divine Hall. You guys should know very well that even if we escape today, we still would spend our future running, forever under the shadow of Sun Moon Divine Hall. The reason why all of Frozen Cloud Asgard’s disciples are to be gathered together here is to face Sun Moon Divine Hall together.”
Yun Che’s words startled them. Chu Yueli let out a sigh and dejectedly said, ”We are, after all, talking about Sun Moon Divine Hall. It is something that we simply are not able to contend against. If they stayed, they would only just die in vain… Just let the six of us stay and face Sun Moon Divine Hall. As for them… there is still four hours remaining, there may still be time for them to escape. The more people that could escape from the demonic hands of Sun Moon Divine Hall, the more sparks of life Frozen Cloud Asgard will have.”
“No! I only said that we would face Sun Moon Divine Hall together. I never said that I want you guys to seek death!” Yun Che seriously said. “Even though Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master came this time, it does not mean that we are doomed to perish. if you all trust me… I can’t guarantee that I can protect Frozen Cloud Asgard, but I can definitely protect everyone’s lives! No matter if it’s Senior Master, Junior Master, Senior Sister, or Junior Sister, I can assure you that none of your lives will be lost!”
“However, if all goes smoothly as planned, even Frozen Cloud Asgard can be saved…” Yun Che slightly lifted his hand, and his gaze swept across their snow-colored faces and bright eyes, “then our Frozen Cloud Asgard will undergo a nirvanic rebirth. From then on, at least for a brief period of time, no one would dare to offend us… until we grow strong enough to oppose them!”
Under the night, with the quiet, snowy moon, Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue all stared dumbstruck at Yun Che and were silent for a long time… They weren’t able to imagine what he was relying on when he said such words against the “Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master” and “at least three Monarchs” that he had personally stated.
As it grew deeper into the night, the color of the sky turned from a gray-white into a darker gray. Chu Yueli was the first to speak up. “Alright… Since you are our Asgard Master, we will naturally believe your words.”
“We will go gather all the disciples now,” Murong Qianxue said while nodding. As she spoke, ice beads had already formed at the tips of her hair… Killing the two Overlords from Sun Moon Divine Hall had allowed Frozen Cloud Asgard to escape their destruction, but they all knew that it was not the end of their calamity. It was merely the beginning… However, they did not expect that an even bigger calamity would strike so soon.
“In addition, I will be in the Frozen End Divine Hall and will be setting up an isolation barrier. Before I come out on my own, unless those from Sun Moon Divine Hall have come early, do not let anyone go anywhere near it,” Yun Che suddenly stated. Then, without any further explanation, he floated up into the sky and flew in the direction of the Frozen End Divine Hall.
Five hundred kilometers of cold desolation. The night wind was ice-cold. Before anyone realized it, the sky went from dark gray to grayish-white to pale white… and then became brightly lit. Four hours had quietly passed just like that.
All the Frozen Clouds Asgard disciples had long gathered in front of the main gate. A nervous yet determined atmosphere had also enveloped all of Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Murong Qianxue and the others were floating high above in the sky. All of their beautiful eyes looked southward and would occasionally turn to look in the direction of the Frozen End Divine Hall… After Yun Che entered the Frozen End Divine Hall, there were no other movements. It was now nearing the “four hour” time span Yun Che had spoken of. They could only continuously use Frozen Heart Arts to calm their minds.
At this time, from a distant location, an ear-piercing tearing sound could be heard from the southwestern sky. It was also quickly getting closer and closer… Then, in the direction of the tearing sound, a faint black spot could be see in the pale sky.
“What is that… AH!!”
Following the scream of the Frozen Cloud female, in but an instant… in just a short moment, the faint black spot which could be seen was becoming bigger at a terrifying speed, clearly appearing as a completely silver profound ark silhouette. Its terrifying speed far surpassed most of the Frozen Cloud ladies’ cognition, and then, the silver profound ark suddenly stopped… Just like that, it stopped at a distance of around three hundred meters in front of them.
The cold wind became chaotic and space was faintly fluctuating as an enormous, indescribable profound energy aura covered the entire Snow Region of Extreme Ice. This had even left Murong Qianxue, who was currently Frozen Cloud Asgard strongest, completely breathless. This level of profound strength could only be deemed “incomprehensible”… It was the people from Sun Moon Divine Hall… They had really arrived!!!
“This profound ark, is called the Sun Moon Sacred Ark. It is the highest quality profound ark in Sun Moon Divine Hall. It is very fast and they would have not activated lightly. However, in order to pay our Frozen Cloud Asgard a visit this time, they had actually activated it.”
A slight tone of mocking could be heard from the calm voice that came over. They all quickly turned their head back and exclaimed in surprise despite their fear, “Asgard Master!”
Yun Che arrived while stepping on wind. In the blink of an eye, he flew in front of Murong Qianxue. No one knew what he had been doing in the Frozen End Divine Hall within those four hours. However, they could vaguely feel that the heavy aura that was on Yun Che’s body was weaker than it had previously been. At this point, while facing against the approaching the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, there was only calm in his aura and brows… There was even a bit of proudness. The only thing lacking was fear and anxiety!
Yun Che stood at the very front with his gaze fixed on Sun Moon Sacred Ark’s ark door which had yet to open. There seemed to be a bit of a smile on his tranquil face. “Every Senior Master, Junior Master, Senior Sister, and Junior Sister, before us, is indeed a calamity we have never countered in our Frozen Cloud Asgard’s thousand years of history! However, since I am already Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Asgard Master, I, Yun Che, am willing to bet on my dignity… that I’ll never allow Frozen Cloud Asgard to fall into enemy hands! Nor will I allow anyone to suffer a tragic end. What you all have to do later on is that, no matter what happens next, don’t panic! Perhaps…”
He turned his head and lightly laughed at Frozen Cloud’s young ladies, “You would discover that Sun Moon Divine Hall isn’t as scary as you think.”
With the calamity before them, every single one of them smelled the odor of a stifling, ice-cold despair. However, Yun Che’s words and his smile, when facing against such a powerful adversary, was like a gust of wind that brushed away more than half their depression and fear. The slightly trembling gazes of all of Frozen Cloud’s young ladies fell upon the back figure of the one in front of them with a kind of dependence and trust. An indescribable, unfamiliar warmth unceasing grew in their hearts and expanded. This was a sensation they had never felt even for late Asgard Mistress Gong Yuxian.
Chu Yueli silently looked at Yun Che’s back figure as her beautiful eyes blurred into absent-mindedness for a while… Who knew that the young man who had been scorned and mocked by everyone in Floating Cloud City, who she had protected only because of Qingyue’s request, would, in but a few years, shake the entire Blue Wind Nation and shake the entire Profound Sky Continent… And now, he had become the only thing Frozen Cloud Asgard could rely on against its greatest calamity!
Following a heavy sound, Sun Moon Sacred Ark’s ark door opened at this time. Each figure that slowly came out all possessed a boundless profound energy fluctuation on their bodies. Yun Che crossed his chest as his eyes swept through everyone who had walked down the Sun Moon Sacred Ark. The corner of his mouth slowly curled into a sneer. “Ye Xinghan, you’ve finally arrived. And I had even wondered how awesome your Sun Moon Divine Hall’s profound ark was, but it was only like this. You’ve actually made me wait this long!”
Each person who came out from the Sun Moon Sacred Ark stopped in their tracks as their expressions slightly changed.
In his fit of rage, Ye Xinghan had brought along four Monarchs, fifteen Overlords, and drove the Sun Moon Sacred Ark over in order to kill Yun Che in the shortest time possible. It was for the purpose of not allowing Yun Che to be able to react or have any chance of escaping. On the way there, they had all envisioned all kinds of scenarios… When their Sun Moon Divine Hall unexpectedly arrived, they had expected Yun Che to be scared witless on the spot or perhaps flee while cowering like a rat; that within his fear, he would desperately run for his life… or perhaps, he would have detected it and would have escaped from the Frozen Cloud Asgard. Then, they would be able to destroy Frozen Cloud Asgard and attack Blue Wind Imperial City in order to see Yun Che’s look of despair.
However, even in their wildest imagination, they would never have expected to see such a scene when they arrived… Yun Che, who was calm and composed, appeared to have been waiting for their arrival. He had obviously known that they were coming… yet, not only did he not escape, he showed no signs of worry or fear. From his deafening voice, there were no signs of nervousness or fear. Furthermore, his slightly crooked lips and his eyes which looked at them with arrogance and mockery seemed as though he was viewing prey that had been captured!
As “hunters,” when they were faced with Yun Che’s gaze, they instantly felt like they had become the hunted.
Chapter 671 - False Bravado
“Yun… Che!” Looking at Yun Che’s coldly smiling face, unspeakable resentment and loathing erupted in Ye Xinghan’s heart. Back then, it was this small fry, who was not even significant enough to be counted as a worm when compared to his lofty status as the Young Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, who completely wrecked his plans in the Primordial Profound Ark! If not for Yun Che, he would have already obtained Feng Xue’er’s Divine Phoenix body, and his current strength would have broken through to the Sovereign Profound Realm while his rate of growth would be far greater than what it was today… All of his plans had been ruined because of this Yun Che!
When Yun Che had “died” in the Primordial Profound Ark all those years ago, he was still unable to get rid of the hatred in his heart.
And now that three years had passed, he discovered that Yun Che was not actually dead! He had even killed his men, once again wrecking his plans… and even his profound strength had grown by leaps and bounds… to the point where it had even exceeded his own!
When he received Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint, the anger, resentment, and killing intent that he felt in that instant… was so fierce that it felt as if his chest was going to explode!
If not for stone cold logic informing him that he might not be Yun Che’s match anymore, he would have rushed out like a crazed dog and used the cruelest method to brutally kill Yun Che. He stared at Yun Che, the coldness and hatred on his face giving way to a rotten and icy smile. “To think that you still lived… this truly gave this young master a huge surprise! All these years, this young master’s greatest regret was not being able to personally rip you to tiny pieces. To think that you would actually escape from the king of the Underworld and obediently deliver yourself into my hands.”
As he spoke, Ye Xinghan surveyed the background, and his gaze fell upon the ladies of the Frozen Cloud. Immediately, his eyes widened into saucers, and his gaze turned feverishly hot as the expression on his face went from gloomy and cold to one of undisguised, evil depravity. “Yun Che, this young master suddenly feels extremely grateful to you. If not for you, this young master would not have known that Frozen Cloud Asgard was actually such a wonderful place! Who would have thought that in a tiny country that is about to be scattered like ashes, there would actually be so many peerless beauties waiting to be enjoyed by this young master. Tsk…”
Ye Xinghan’s tongue extended out of his mouth as he slowly licked the corner of his lips, and a gulping sound could be heard coming from his throat. His excessively evil and wanton gaze and aura had grown so strong that even his anger and killing intent had been completely swallowed by it. This was definitely not something that Ye Xinghan was faking; he cultivated heretical arts and had his way with countless women, and while he had an insatiable appetite for beauty, his standards were exceedingly high. Regular beautiful women would not even catch his notice. However, the ladies of the Frozen Cloud all had ice-snow skin, features like a cold moon, and possessed a stately and ice-cold temperament. Every single one of them seemed like snow lotuses from Mount Heaven which blossomed amidst the wind and snow; they were like snow fairies who descended to the earth after being exiled from the heavens, haughtily surveying the world in their peerless beauty.
During these thousand years, the number one beauty of Blue Wind Nation had always come from Frozen Cloud Asgard without even a single exception!
Also, even if one and only picked a girl from Frozen Cloud Asgard… even if she was the plainest one of them all, she would still be a peerless beauty in the outside world, more beautiful than any other women for miles around her. Moreover, their cold and stately temperament was not something that a normal girl could compare to.
So even though Ye Xinghan had countless women at his disposal, he still stared at every single lady of the Frozen Cloud with the depravity of a hungry wolf… and he had an entire two thousand women of Frozen Cloud to stare at! It would not be the least bit exaggerated to say that every single nerve and cell within Ye Xinghan’s body was quivering with excitement. Two thousand women of Frozen Cloud, any single one of them would cause all the women that he kept back in Sun Moon Divine Hall to lose their luster. And those six ladies, who were standing at the forefront, who had the strongest profound energy auras of them all, especially caught his eye, making it almost impossible for him to stop himself from drooling at the mouth…
As for Frozen Cloud Asgard, he had once heard of them a very long time ago, but an all-women power from the tiny nation of Blue Wind was not even worthwhile for him to remember, much less catch his attention. If not for the name “Xia Qingyue” and the fact that she was part of Frozen Cloud Asgard, he probably would have never have considered to coming to this kind of place. But never in his wildest dreams did he think that this place was actually a “paradise on earth”!
Sun Moon Divine Hall’s young master, who held beauty as dear to him as life itself, suddenly felt as if he had wasted most of his life. At this time, his attention had already completely switched from Yun Che to the Frozen Cloud ladies behind him…. Compared to these beautiful and bewitching snow fairies, Yun Che’s life was not even worth a damn!
Ye Xinghan’s notoriety for using women to cultivate his heretic arts was something that all the women of Frozen Cloud had heard of before. And what they saw today was far worse than any of the rumors that they had heard. Looking at his obscene and depraved expression, the faces of the ladies of Frozen Cloud were filled with a deep loathing. Murong Qianxue, Chu Yueli, and the rest of the Frozen Cloud Fairies all knitted their brows as the ice spirit around their bodies danced wildly and their hands tightened around the hilts of their ice swords… Today, even if they all had to perish together, they would definitely not allow themselves to be sullied by Ye Xinghan.
“Hahahaha!” After hearing Ye Xinghan’s words, Yun Che did not reveal the slightest bit of fear or anger; instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and let out a wild laugh. “Ye Xinghan, your death is at hand yet you still have the time to build castles in the air. This is simply too hilarious, hahahaha…”
“This young master’s death is at hand?” Ye Xinghan’s eyes slanted as he tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh as well, and it was even louder and more wanton than Yun Che’s laugh. “It looks like even though you have lived for three more years, you have become a pitiful idiot who can’t even tell whose death is actually at hand right now.”
“Young Master!” Ye Shi said as he took a step forward. “When this brat saw the Young Master, he was clearly so frightened that he had lost his wits. Hmph, given the Young Master’s status, there is no need to waste your breath on him. Let me go and capture him and leave his fate at the Young Master’s disposal!”
“I will have to trouble Fifteenth Elder then,” Ye Xinghan replied leisurely. “But Fifteenth Elder, remember to be gentle with him. I definitely do not want you to kill him by accident.”
“Just watch me break his legs first!” Ye Shi said with a cold laugh. He circulated all the profound energy in his body and prepared to advance before a figure suddenly flashed in front of him. He was blocked by Ye Guying who gave a low shout, “Wait! Do not take any action yet! Haven’t any of you realized that there is something wrong here?!”
“When we had arrived, they had already gathered here, and they even called out the name ‘Sun Moon Sacred Ark,’ so they clearly knew that we were coming far in advance. Also, not only did they not flee, but they actually purposely waited here!” Ye Guying said coldly, “If they did not have anything to rely on or some scheme lying in wait for us, why would they act in such a manner?! Especially that Yun Che… just look at him, he isn’t the least bit worried or afraid. Rather, he looks like victory has already been grasped in his hand as his prey is about to take the bait!”
This situation was definitely out of the ordinary. After they had arrived and had found Yun Che, the scenario they had been greeted with was completely different from the one they had expected. Ye Shi replied, “There is definitely something weird going on, but I had just used all of my power to survey our present surroundings, and I cannot feel the aura of any strong individual. The strongest aura I have detected is that of the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm, and this Yun Che only has a profound strength at the third level of the Emperor Profound Realm! Even though I do not know why they would know of our arrival so far in advance, they did not flee because they clearly knew that even if they fled to the ends of the earth, it would not be enough to escape from our grasp. That Yun Che is simply faking his current attitude… it’s all false bluster and bravado!”
“You really think that he is faking it?” Ye Guying said with sunken brows, “We are all people that have lived for nearly a thousand years, and Yun Che is only slightly over twenty years of age. Do you actually think that any act put on by him could escape our eyes?”
Ye Shi’s eyelids briefly twitched as Ye Shuran and Ye Juanyun both furrowed their brows…. The Yun Che who had stood in front of them had not only taken the initiative to wait for them here, but even as he faced their Sun Moon Divine Hall, he was still calm and composed. They could not detect a hint of fear of anxiety from his expression, gaze, or posture. On the contrary, the only thing that was displayed was continuous arrogance and contempt… they were all old monsters who had lived for several hundred years, and some of them were even close a thousand years old, so they definitely did not believe that a young man of just over twenty years of age could “act” in front of them to such a degree.
In the depths of their heart, they had long ago confirmed that… there was definitely someone who had Yun Che’s back at this present moment!
“So what if there is?” Ye Shi persisted as he gave a contemptuous laugh, “Even if he really has some huge power backing him up… could it be stronger than our Sun Moon Divine Hall? In this Profound Sky Continent, other than the other three Sacred Grounds, is there really anything else that can cause our Sun Moon Divine Hall to tremble?”
Ye Shi’s words may have been arrogant beyond reason, but they were also unshakably true. As one of the premier powers in the Profound Sky Continent, other than the rest of the Sacred Grounds, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace, and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, there was nothing else in this world that they held as their equal. Even if Yun Che gathered all of the profound practitioners in Blue Wind Nation, it would not cause them to even bat an eyelid.
“He defeated the Divine Phoenix Sect by himself and managed to kill Ye Qingsheng and Ye Ziyi despite cultivating for only six years, so I have no reason to believe that he is simply standing here and waiting for death!” Ye Guying said in an incomparably prudent manner, “Moreover, did you not hear what he just said… he said that our Young Master’s death was at hand! He could be bluffing, or if the one who is backing him up really has that kind of power, even if there is only a one in a billion chance of that happening… do you dare take such a risk?!! If anything really happens to the Young Master, not only will we die, but our entire families and even our descendants will all have to die with us!!”
Ye Guying’s words caused Ye Shi’s body to tremble and the complexion of Ye Shuran and Ye Juanyun faces to change. Looking at Yun Che’s extremely confident demeanor and attitude, these elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall, all mighty Monarchs who loomed over the earth, did not dare make any rash or impulsive moves. Instead, they focused all of their spirit as they attempted to search for any hidden profound energy auras in the surrounding area.
“His cheap life, how can it be compared with the safety of our Young Master. It is not that I am being overly cautious and prudent, but his current attitude… is definitely not normal, so he must be hiding some kind of scheme. With the Young Master here, we definitely cannot take such a risk.” Ye Guying calmly said as his eyes narrowed slightly, “Let me first get to the bottom of this! And after we have exposed all of his tricks and supporters and we have confirmed that he poses no threat, then we can kill him!”
“Oh? Why have you lot suddenly gone quiet? Weren’t you shouting about how you were going to capture me? Are you going to do it or what?!” Yun Che casually extended a hand and gestured them to come forward with his finger. This contemptuous action and sight would stoke the fires of rage in even the lowliest of profound practitioners, even moreso for elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall.
Yun Che’s expression was haughty and contemptuous, but the reality was that his back had long ago been drenched in cold sweat. Just now Jasmine had advised him on the strength of these four individuals. There was one who was at the third level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, two were at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, and the one who looked the youngest was actually at the seventh level of the Sovereign Profound Realm… He approached the latter stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm, and he was a monstrous existence that stood on equal ground with a grand elder of the Yun Family! He had predicted that Ye Xinghan would definitely bring along some strong individuals who were at the Monarch level, but the overall level of strength of his party far exceeded what he had expected.
Even Ye Xinghan himself had broken through to the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, and he was far stronger than he was three years ago.
If Ye Shi had really rushed at him like he intended to, his only choice would have been to whisk away all of the women in the Primordial Profound Ark and flee the scene… and all of the schemes that he had prepared would be rendered useless. But it was good that he had successfully caused the other party to become extremely cautious, allowing him to scrape through the first encounter without any mishap.
Ye Guying slowly strode forward and his body released an aura which was not intense but was as boundless as the sea, and in the span of a few breaths, it had engulfed the entire Snow Region of Extreme Ice. The strength and dread invoked by this aura caused all the women of Frozen Cloud to go pale with fear… because this was power that far exceeded what they knew and even what they could imagine.
“Yun Che.” Ye Guying said in a bland voice, “Even though your talent is not common, in the eyes of our Sun Moon Divine Hall, it is not even worth mentioning. If we want to kill you, it is only a matter of lifting our hands. It is just that before we proceed, I have a few questions I want to ask you, and if you honestly answer them, we can consider sparing the lives of the women behind you.”
These last words spoken by Ye Guying were completely farcical because even if they wanted to do anything to the women of Frozen Cloud, Ye Xinghan would definitely not allow them to. Yun Che eyed him coolly before tilting his head back and breaking out into a huge roaring laugh, “Hahahaha! Kill me? Just one level three Monarch, two level five Monarchs, and one level seven Monarch, and you want to kill me? Hahahaha, this is simply the best joke I’ve heard in ages! Could it be that your entire Sun Moon Divine Hall is made up of presumptuous idiots?!”
Yun Che’s words caused the expressions on the four great elders’ and Ye Xinghan’s face to greatly change… and it was not because of his arrogant and irritating insults, but it was because he had actually correctly stated the exact profound strength of Ye Shuran, Ye Shi, Ye Juanyun, and Ye Guying!
There was not a single mistake contained in his words!!
Chapter 672 - A Might Which Covers the Heavens
To be able to correctly ascertain a profound practitioner’s level of profound strength, one had to have a profound strength higher than the other! Yet Yun Che was able to accurately shout out the profound strength of these four Monarchs, including Ye Guying, who was a late stage Monarch!
Yun Che only had the profound strength aura that was at the Emperor Profound Realm, so he definitely would not be able to do this! The only possible explanation was that… there was someone here whose profound cultivation was extremely strong, and he might even be strong enough to surpass Ye Guying’s strength!
Before it was only a faint suspicion, but following what Yun Che said, this misgiving’s likelihood suddenly multiplied many times over… it reached the point where they could practically confirm that there was indeed a huge power that was backing Yun Che up. And the strength of this power far exceeded their previous expectations… because the other person was able to accurately ascertain their profound strength, whereas they could not even detect the presence of that person! To be able to conceal his profound strength so perfectly from them, that person had to have a profound strength that exceeded them, and it was highly possible that his strength was far above theirs!
Could it really… actually be someone who was in the late stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm?
That was not possible… besides the Four Sacred Grounds, it should not be possible for any other high level Monarchs to exist elsewhere in this world!
At this time, they looked at Yun Che’s face that was calm and devoid of fear, and he even had a provocative, cold smile plastered on his face. They were quickly disabused of the notion that all of this was just “false bluster and bravado.”
Ye Guying quickly suppressed the look of alarm that flashed across his face and gave a humorless laugh as he replied, “Let us first not talk about whether we are going to kill you today and move on to other matters instead… seeing your reaction, it seems as if you had already known about our impending visit for quite some time.”
“Haha.” Yun Che gave an extremely disdainful and cold laugh as contempt flashed in his eyes, and he looked at the powerful Ninth Elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall as if he were some kind of an idiot. “To think that words so stupid that it insults one’s intelligence would actually come out of the mouth of an elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall! When I killed Ye Ziyi, I was using Ye Ziyi’s death imprint to transmit the entire manner of his death to your young master, Ye Xinghan. My motive was to get Ye Xinghan to immediately rush over here with his people to try and kill me… You actually have doubts over how I knew about your arrival? Hahahaha! This is the level of intellect possessed by an elder from Sun Moon Divine Hall… it truly is too laughable!”
Yun Che’s words caused Ye Guying’s eyes to tremble in anger, but his expression did not change. Instead of flying into a rage, he merely gave a tepid laugh and said, “You mean when you killed Ye Ziyi, you had already known about the death imprint on his body, so you purposely used this death imprint to let our Young Master know that you were the one who killed him?”
“What else?” The corner of Yun Che’s mouth curled upwards as he mockingly replied, “Didn’t any of you actually stop to think about why even though both Ye Ziyi and Ye Qingsheng died… you did not receive Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint?”
The expressions of all the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall changed simultaneously… Before this, when they were still on the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, Ye Guying had gravely voiced his suspicion that it was possible that the other party had preserved Ye Ziyi’s death soul imprint to entice them to come here. Because if the other party could wipe away Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint, it was impossible that he would not have discovered the existence of a death imprint on Ye Ziyi’s body. But they could not bring themselves to believe this, and they explained it away by coming to the conclusion that Ye Qingsheng’s death imprint had faded away by itself, because there was no one who had the guts to provoke and “entrap” the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall… unless said person had a death wish!
However,, those exact words had come out of Yun Che’s mouth this very moment, causing all of them to be involuntarily alarmed as a feeling of uneasiness which should not exist was birthed in their hearts. But Ye Juanyun took a step forward and gave a laugh of contempt instead, “And so what if you did? Yun Che, you are only a pitiful frog in the well in our eyes, so what would you know about how high the sky is or how deep the earth is. You truly believe that just relying on that teacher behind you, you can challenge our Sun Moon Divine Hall? Hahahaha…” Ye Junyuan laughed wildly, “That is so incredibly naive! Our Sun Moon Divine Hall’s strength is something that you can never imagine and is something that you are not qualified to know as well! Your confidence and the backup that you think is infallible, in the eyes of our Sun Moon Divine Hall, it is only a huge joke!”
“Oh?” Yun Che’s eyebrows drooped slightly as he replied, “You actually know who my master is?”
“Tsk tsk, anyone who has dared to behave in such a brazen manner in front of our Sun Moon Divine Hall has always died a horrible death, and even if they managed to survive, their fates were even worse than death…” Ye Shi continued with a cold laugh as he put a hand on his chin, “Yun brat, don’t even talk about your master. Even if you had one hundred of those masters, you will definitely not be able to keep your life today!”
“Haha, what?” Yun Che gave a humorless laugh, and while his tone was arrogant, his voice began to deepen as well, “My master is normally within his own little world, so I normally will not dare to disturb his cultivation, and I am even less willing to borrow my master’s power.” Yun Che’s eyes instantly became dark and cold as he continued, “But Frozen Cloud Asgard has no quarrel or grievance with you, yet you acted so viciously towards them. Not only did you push them into a desperate situation, you even killed their two previous sect masters… this hatred and animosity has created an irreconcilable gulf between us! And if I cannot avenge this wrong, then I am not fit to be the new sect master of Frozen Cloud Asgard!!
“So today, I will borrow my master’s strength and will use Ye Xinghan’s… no, will use all of your blood to offer up a sacrifice to the souls of the previous two sect masters!” Yun Che raised his left hand. “You will soon know who exactly is the frog in the well! When my master condescends to appear before us, all of you better be ready for it… don’t become so frightened that you wet your pants and stain this pristine snowy land!!”
Yun Che’s tone was harsh, and his words were filled with animosity. As his words fell, Ye Xinghan’s face grew dark, and just as he was about to speak, he saw a light flash from Yun Che’s body. Following that flash… his entire person had disappeared from where he was standing! Whether it was his figure or his presence, all of it had completely disappeared!!
Ye Guying and the rest of his companions were fiercely shocked… they definitely did not believe that a profound practitioner who was below the Sovereign Profound Realm could disappear without them noticing. But despite their enormous power as Monarchs, they could not detect Yun Che’s presence even though their spiritual perception blanketed the entire area. It was in this manner that he had completely disappeared in an instant right before their very eyes!
“What… what is going on?” Ye Shi sputtered in a deep voice as his eyes swept the area. According to their own knowledge and experiences, this was something that should not be possible! Without even mentioning that Yun Che was a Throne, even if he was a Monarch as well, it should not be possible for him to disappear completely before their very eyes!
Ye Guying’s brows sank, and he suddenly remembered that Yun Che just said these words, “My master normally resides in his own little world, so I normally will not dare to disturb his cultivation…” His heart suddenly shook… his own little world? Could it be that his master was actually someone who could open his own little world, just like in the legends? And Yun Che’s complete disappearance was due to him entering his master’s “little world”?
Amidst their shock, a light suddenly shone out in front of them, and Yun Che’s figure appeared before them once more. But the Yun Che who had appeared once again was not facing them; instead, his head was bowed and he had his withdrawn his aura. His stance was completely devoid of the wild arrogance that he had displayed before. Rather, he assumed an attitude of solemn respect.
“Yun Che, where is your master?!” Ye Shi roared, “I definitely do not expect you to tell us that once your so-called master heard the four words ‘Sun Moon Divine Hall,’ he was so frightened that he ran away, haha…”
Ye Shi’s laughter abruptly came to a halt as his expression underwent a great change.
An aged voice let out a long and drawn-out sigh. This sigh carried with it an indescribable heaviness, and it seemed to come from an ancient age. Accompanying this sigh was a boundless and indescribably majestic presence and might. This might seemed to have welled up from the ends of the earth, and in that moment, it seem to fill the heavens and the earth.
In that instance, it seemed like the dome of heaven had completely collapsed! With it, the entire world descended into a deathly silence.
The four Monarchs of Sun Moon Divine Hall—Ye Shi, Ye Shuran, Ye Juanyun, and the mighty Ye Guying all felt their breath seize up in their chests as this might fell upon them. It was as if a mountain range was pressing down on their chests. Forget about breathing, even their hearts had nearly been completely stopped as their bodies went rigid while every cell in their bodies shuddered violently and uncontrollably… and they could not stop no matter what they did.
They raised their heads after much difficulty, and their pupils contracted as they looked at the figure that had suddenly appeared out of thin air… his voluminous black robe fluttered in the howling, cold wind. The black robe covered half of his face, so they were unable to make out his appearance… Under this incomparably dreadful pressure, even as mighty as they were, they still did not dare to meet the gaze of that man. Even the black robe on his body seemed to have the weightiness of a mountain.
In this world, the thing that was the hardest to fake was one’s aura. And this black-robed man’s aura was so strong that it was something they could not describe and could not even imagine. They were Monarchs which stood at the pinnacle of the world, so in this world, there should not exist any aura which would cause them to tremble… Moreover, under this aura, they felt that they were as small as grains of sand before the blue sea. They could barely bring themselves to believe that this was an aura that belonged to another human being… but was the might of a primordial god of legends which covered the heavens!
What was even scarier was that, while this aura was majestic and boundless, it was not fierce or violent. Instead, it was completely calm… so that was to say that this was merely the presence that this black-robed man normally displayed. It was not a deliberate show of force that would come about when one circulated all of his profound energy.
“Master!” Yun Che knelt to the ground and deeply bowed his head. The Yun Che who had been unreasonably arrogant in front of Sun Moon Divine Hall now spoke in a voice that was filled with a deep reverence… and there was even a hint of apprehension in that voice.
Ye Xinghan’s expression had turned incredibly ugly, and not one of the four elders could laugh in this situation. They all looked at each other and saw that the eyes of everyone else was filled with a deep shock and unease… an aura which could cause Monarchs such as them to tremble with fear. Just based on that alone, they could tell that this person’s strength definitely exceeded that of their own Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Heavenly Monarch.
This was… Yun Che’s mysterious master?
How could there be such a terrifying existence that was akin to a god or a devil on this earth?!!
Chapter 673 - Exposed?
“This… this is … Asgard Master’s teacher?” The ladies of Frozen Cloud said in a daze as they stared at the black-robed man in midair. The almighty power was one even the elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall could not endure which made its effects on them all the more obvious.
The fact that Yun Che had a mysterious master was something that everyone in Frozen Cloud Asgard knew. Because three years ago, when he entered Frozen Cloud Asgard, he had made it clear to Grand Asgard Mistress Feng Qianhui that he already had a master, so he would only be able to enter the sect, but he would not become anyone’s disciple. Furthermore, his terrifying rate at which his profound strength grew and his unbelievably heaven-defying medical skills had naturally come from his master as well. And today, they had finally witnessed the “true face” of Yun Che’s mysterious master, and the aura and might that emanated from him exceeded their imagination and understanding by leaps and bounds.
They had previously imagined that Yun Che’s master must be an extremely terrifying individual… but the reality of the situation had far exceeded their expectations!
No wonder he was so calm when he was facing Sun Moon Divine Hall… no wonder he dared to be so arrogant.
“So you are the people who seek to kill this old one’s disciple?”
The black-robed old man opened his mouth, and even though his voice was soft and his tone was even, every single one of his words weighed on the ears of the party from Sun Moon Divine Hall like enormous and heavy boulders.
Ye Guying silently sucked in a breath and suppressed the alarm and fear in his heart. He calmly cupped his hands and proceeded in a manner which was neither obsequious nor overbearing, “Ah, so it is this distinguished one who is Yun Che’s master. We are members of Sun Moon Divine Hall. Yesterday, your disciple attacked us for no reason at all, and he killed twelve people from our Sun Moon Divine Hall. Two of these victims were the personal servants of our young master. So our Sun Moon Divine Hall has naturally arrived to seek redress. But we did not expect a distinguished one such as yourself would be overseeing this place, so we have been remiss in failing to offer our respect to you. Even though we have inadvertently disturbed this distinguished one’s cultivation, our mission was to bring a murderer to justice as it is the right and proper thing to do… We believe that this distinguished one’s profound aura is unrivalled, so you are definitely not someone who is unable to distinguish right from wrong and cover up evil deeds.”
Ye Guying’s face was filled with righteousness, and his calm voice was laced with righteous anger as he sought to paint a scenario where Yun Che was the heinous sinner and Sun Moon Divine Hall was merely the party who was seeking “justice.” Moreover, he heavily emphasized the words “Sun Moon Divine Hall”… because in the Profound Sky Continent, there was no one who dared to offend Sun Moon Divine Hall.
“Haha,” the black-robed old man gave a polite laugh. “Anyone who has been killed by this old one’s disciple are definitely deserving of their deaths. On the contrary, it is your Sun Moon Divine Hall who assaulted these ladies’ territory for no rhyme or reason. If there was any crime that was committed here, this was it.”
“Hmph! This is a bunch of nonsense!” Ye Shi advanced as he raised his head and gave a cold retort, “There is definitely a special reason for our young master to take action against Frozen Cloud Asgard! And even if one wants to retaliate, that is also something that only concerns Frozen Cloud Asgard! This brat Yun Che is only an outsider. Our Sun Moon Divine Hall has never taken any action against him before, yet he killed twelve of our people. So we have come here to seek justice as it is the right and proper thing to do! But in order to protect your disciple, you actually changed chose to deliberately distort the truth…”
“That is enough Ye Shi, do not be disrespectful.” Ye Guying raised a hand and used his eyes to convey a message to Ye Shi. This was because the aura of this black-robed man was simply far too dreadful, and if they really angered him, the consequences would be too horrible to contemplate. He raised his head and said with a face filled with righteousness, “Our Sun Moon Divine Hall has existed for ten thousand years, and defending the Profound Sky Continent has always been our mission. Over this ten thousand year period, we have repelled those who sought to invade the Profound Sky Continent countless of times! Because of this, the people of the Profound Sky Continent have given us the title of ‘Sacred Ground,’ and our the ten thousand years of meritorious service rendered by Sun Moon Divine Hall is beyond reproach! We bear the name of a ‘Sacred Ground,’ and we also bear the burden of ensuring the safety of all that live within the Profound Sky Continent, so our actions have always been upright, candid, and completely beyond reproach! Perhaps because this distinguished one’s profound aura is unrivaled, you want to force us to bear the mark of a sinner, but even if we are not equal to this distinguished one, we will still definitely not allow you to do so!
“But if this distinguished one takes action and kills us for the sake of protecting your disciple…” Ye Guying continued with solemn eyes, “it just might be that all of the people in the world will not agree to it!”
Ye Guying’s words caused hatred and resentment to appear on the faces of all the gathered ladies of the Frozen Cloud. To them, these people were devils who behaved viciously for their own personal gain, yet right now, they unashamedly portrayed themselves as the guardian of the Profound Sky Continent, and they even dared to use the will of the people as a threat. It was simply far too despicable!
But what they could not refute was that the Four Sacred Grounds were truly regarded as “sacred” amongst all the people of the Profound Sky Continent. And common knowledge regarding the “Sacred Grounds” was that they constantly defended the borders of the Profound Sky Continent, keeping them safe from invasion and eliminating countless of calamities which threatened the Profound Sky Continent.
In the eyes of the common man, it was the existence of the Four Sacred Grounds that ensured the peace and prosperity of the Profound Sky Continent.
So Ye Guying’s “threat” was definitely not just a false alarm or pure bluster and bravado.
“Haha.” The black-robed old man gave yet another tepid laugh, and he did not show any fury, but this laugh contained a trace of mockery. “There is nothing that happens in this Profound Sky Continent that can escape this old man’s eyes. Perhaps you can trick the entire world, but this old man knows all of the ugly things that you have done over the years. Just based on how many women your so-called young master has harmed over the years, that alone is already a sin that cannot be tolerated by the heavens!”
“When we have returned, we will naturally convey the words of this distinguished ones to our Hall Master,” Ye Guying said without flinching. “Actually, this humble one has not left his Divine Hall for a very long time, so I have always been ignorant and ill-informed when it comes to worldly affairs, so I do not know where this distinguished one hails from. May I be so daring as to ask where this distinguished one is from.”
Ye Guying’s words clearly showed his intense desire to retreat… This was an individual with a terrifying profound aura, so the only thing he needed to do now was ensure that he could leave as quickly as possible with his young master in tow! Facing this dreadful aura, he knew that every second they remained here exponentially increased the danger that they faced.
“This old man’s name has long ago faded into dust…” the black-robed old man said with a slight pause. Following that, he raised his head slightly and suddenly let out a long and heavy sigh, “Ah, the world of mortals is vast and boundless, and their quarrels never end. I have already sworn to never again stain myself with the affairs of the mortal realm, and I definitely should not get involved in its quarrels… All of you should leave, this old man does not want to break his long tradition of not taking a life because of you.”
As the words of the black-robed old man fell, the initial response of the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall was not relief. Instead, they looked at each other with strange expressions on their faces, and they felt the pressure on their bodies and the anxiety that was plaguing their minds dissipate.
Even the faces of the ladies of the Frozen Cloud were colored with a clear disappointment… and anxiousness.
Yun Che’s master had appeared exuding an extremely alarming aura, but when the other party asked for his name, he did not reply, asking them to leave instead… anyone here would be able to see that this person was perhaps afraid of Sun Moon Divine Hall!!
He did not dare let the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall know his name, and he also did not dare extend a hand against Sun Moon Divine Hall!!
However, this was also something that was inevitable! In this Profound Sky Continent, no matter how powerful a person or a power was, they still would not dare act rashly in front of Sun Moon Divine Hall!! And if they dared to make a move against Sun Moon Divine Hall, they were courting their own destruction!!
“Leave?” Ye Juanyun took a step forward instead with a bland smile draped across his face. Whether it was his expression or his gaze, both had undergone a noticeable transformation… Even though the mysterious black-robed old man in front of them had a shocking aura, it began to increasingly look like… the aura that was emanating from his person was fake… it was almost as if it was being released by some kind of special profound artifact! Because this aura was simply too incredible, it was strong to the point where it was far too unusual and unreasonable. If there was really someone who had such an aura in this world, then why would Sun Moon Divine Hall not know of him?! Also, if he was really as strong as he seemed to be, why did he not have the courage to present his name? Furthermore, before they had even begun to talk, he seemed to be urgently trying to chase them away.
“We have come here just to seek justice for the dead servants of our young master. If we were to leave just because of a few words from this distinguished one, then how would we be able to face those two dead servants and our brothers from the Divine Hall?!”
Ye Shuran narrowed his eyes as he spoke up as well, “That is right, we did not even hesitate to use the Sun Moon Sacred Ark to travel thousands of kilometers, all just to come to this place. It was simply a fortunate coincidence that we found Yun Che. So if we let him go just like this, won’t we lose a lot of face? Also, if word of this spreads abroad, then our Sun Moon Divine Hall is going to be ridiculed throughout the lands.”
The black-robed old man did not move an inch, and his voice was still as calm as stagnant water, “So what are you intending to do? Will you definitely force this old man to kill once again?”
“Naturally we would not dare to do so. Every single one of us here cherishes his own life,” Ye Guying said slowly as his eyes were far more relaxed than they were just a moment ago. “This distinguished one’s profound aura is so strong that this is the first time in my life I have ever witnessed such a thing. And I truly believe that you can easily kill any single one of us. But, after all, we are still a Sacred Ground of this continent… All of us are members of Sun Moon Divine Hall. This time, our young master has personally ventured forth while being accompanied by four elders. If we were to retreat just because of the words of this distinguished one, then what dignity will our Sun Moon Divine Hall still have left?! As members of this Divine Hall, how can we act in such a way which will destroy the dignity of our sect?!
“However, we also acknowledge that we are not this distinguished one’s opponents, so the mission to kill Yun Che will more than likely end in failure. Yet we cannot leave just like this…” The depths of Ye Guying’s eyes shone with a deep craftiness as he continued, “But how does this proposal sound to you? Our Divine Hall’s Elder Ye Shi will spar with this distinguished one, and I believe that given the strength that this distinguished one has, that you can definitely easily defeat Elder Ye Shi. Since that is the case, we will know that our strength is inferior and we will retreat in defeat. But we will not leave just due to this distinguished one’s words, and this will allow us to return to our Divine Hall with our dignity intact.
“This way, no one will get hurt, and our relationship will not be affected either. What is even better is that we will not cause this distinguished one to break his vow to not kill. So I believe that this distinguished one will definitely not reject such a perfect plan.”
Following Ye Guying’s slow speech, Ye Xinghan, Ye Shuran, Ye Juanyun, and Ye Shi all laughed gleefully in their hearts… This was indeed the careful and meticulous Ninth Elder. What a wonderful plan he had devised! Because by forcing this black-robed old man to take action, there would be one of two conclusions. If he truly possessed a shocking power and was able to defeat Ye Shi, the restraint he had shown towards Sun Moon Divine Hall and his unwillingness to break his vow of not killing another would allow Ye Shi to survive this encounter and would allow them to retreat without losing a single member
And if his strength was simply inferior and this bizarrely strong aura was only artificially manufactured by some special means… then they could do whatever they wanted to all of the people present!
Of course, if he rejected this request… then it would completely confirm that he was all hot air!!
So without even waiting for the reply of the black-robed old man, Ye Shi had arrived in front of him in an instant. As he drew close to the old man, that peerless and dreadful aura caused all the nerves in his body to spasm uncontrollably, but he immediately suppressed those spasms with all of his might. He gave a smile that did not reach his eyes as he said, “This humble one is the fifteenth elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall, Ye Shi, and I have come specially to experience this distinguished one’s unrivaled profound strength. This distinguished one only needs to defeat me and we will immediately leave this place and will never appear before this distinguished one ever again… I hope that this distinguished one will show mercy to my humble self.”
“Hahaha.” The black-robed old man said as he gave a dull and emotionless laugh, “Since these are your intentions… then I will accept them.”
Chapter 674 - Absolute Deterrence
“However, we do not need to spar,” the black-robed old man said as he lifted his left arm and a pale and slender white hand appeared from amidst that voluminous black sleeve. The hand slowly flipped open, and a cluster of flames that was only the size of a fist soundlessly appeared and began to silently hover there as it burned.
This was a cluster of blue flames, and among the profound flames, blue profound fire was one of the lowest grades of profound flames. It was also a profound flame that belonged in the lower rungs of power. Above the Earth Profound Realm, all of the profound flames should be purple at least. So that was to say that blue profound fire could not even harm a Sky Profound Realm practitioner, much less these strong and mighty Monarchs.
But what differentiated this blue flame from normal profound flames was the bizarre ice-blue tint that these blue flames had… and its color was almost exactly the same as that of extremely dense ice energy. What was even more bizarre was that one could not feel any profound energy emanations coming from this icy-blue fire. It was as if it was not even profound fire, but instead was the most ordinary and most harmless natural flame which could only be used to burn normal things.
“You only need to be able to block this old man’s small cluster of starfire and this old man will leave immediately and never again meddle in the affairs of your Sun Moon Divine Hall. But if you cannot even handle this tiny bit of starfire… then all of you will have to leave immediately and never trespass in this place again!”
The icy-blue flames gently swayed on top of the black-robed old man’s palm. While that heavy voice was still calm, it carried along with it an incomparably huge pressure, and the way the words were phrased made it obvious that this was not a discussion; instead, it was an unquestionable order… Furthermore, there was one more thing that was left unspoken but was clearly spelled all for all to see: You are basically not even to exchange blows with this old man. So if you can fend off this tiny cluster of flames, it will be counted as your win!
Once someone becomes a Monarch, he would have reached the highest level of power in this world. So as an individual that could look down on the rest of the world, there was never a time when a Monarch had been so despised before. Ye Shi’s heart burned with anger and he gave a cold laugh, “Even the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Phoenix God who is at the Divine Profound Realm would not dare to look down on an elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall. So this distinguished one, to speak in such a manner, you must truly be unafraid that your own words will come back to haunt you!”
“Haha…” The black-robed old man gave an indifferent laugh and did not speak any further. He simply pushed his hand out slightly, and the icy-blue flames leisurely flew towards Ye Shi’s chest.
The stronger one’s profound energy was, the stronger one’s comprehension of the natural laws would be, so the released energy would naturally become strong and dense. And once one had reached the level of Monarch, even the amount of energy it would take to lift a finger was enough to cause the air around to twist and tremble… This icy-blue flame flew out without a single vibration of profound energy, and there was no rippling or distortion in the space around… In fact, without even needing to mention space, even the natural elements in the area were not disturbed in the slightest.
When it was still in the black-robed old man’s hand, they could still understand that this cluster of fire’s lack of aura was due to the old man using profound strength to suppress it, but now that it had flown out of his hand, it still did not have any energy aura to speak of… The only explanation was that this cluster of fire was not composed using any laws of fire, and it was merely the most ordinary of flames!!
Besides this explanation, there was definitely no other possibility!
Immediately, Ye Shi’s only remaining thread of anxiety vanished into thin air. At this moment, he could completely verify that the black-robed old man who had appeared out of nowhere was only bluffing, and that absurdly strong aura was definitely artificially created by some special method in order to scare others… that is right! In this world, besides the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Phoenix God, there existed no other person that could defeat the Saint Emperor, the Sovereign of the Seas, the Heavenly Monarch, or the Sword Master! To think they had almost been so scared that they were going to retreat!
Ye Shi’s expression immediately grew dark, and he gave a cold laugh. He did not even bother to circulate his profound energy and simply sent a palm towards the incoming cluster of icy-blue flames. When his hand came into contact with the fire, he did not even feel the slightest bit of heat at all. That fire completely vanished from his view without leaving even a single mark behind.
“Hahahaha!” Ye Shi began to laugh wildly, “And here I was, thinking that this was some noble individual that hailed from unknown parts, but it looks like it was only a mad clown who tried to use smoke and mirrors to trick us! Hahahaha, this is simply too hilarious!” As he continued to laugh, he turned towards Ye Xinghan. “Young Master, Ninth Elder, it looks like today we will…”
When he had spoken up to this point, his voice suddenly came to a sudden halt. This was because he had discovered that Ye Xinghan, Ye Guying, Ye Juanyun, and Ye Shuran all looked like they were looking at something extremely terrifying as their eyes had opened to their widest degree and their pupils had completely dilated. As for the fifteen protectorates behind them… their faces were filled with abject terror and all the muscles on their faces and their entire bodies were trembling greatly… and as that trembling grew more and more intense, they opened their mouths as if they wanted to say something, but in their extreme terror, they could not voice their words.
The entire world seemed to completely freeze at that point, and there was a momentary silence that was broken by Ye Guying’s desperate and hoarse roar, “Your hand!! Hand!!”
Ye Shi involuntarily turned to look at his own hand… In an instant, his pupils had widened by many times, and his face had turned deathly white due to his extreme shock and terror.
Because the arm that he lifted up… no longer had a hand attached to it!!
His right hand… had disappeared!!
And this cluster of icy-blue flames continued to silently burn on the arm that had lost a hand… No! His arm was not being burned. To be accurate, it was being devoured! And as the icy-blue flames spread, he witnessed his hand disappearing inch by inch… and in the blink of an eye, the flames had spread to near his shoulder and half of his arm had completely disappeared.
During this entire process, there was no aura or sound that he could sense. In fact, he could not even feel the slightest bit of pain! There was no hint of something being burned… no one could see even a speck of ash being produced!
It was as if his arm was being mercilessly devoured by an invisible and terrifying black hole!
And what was being devoured was the mighty body of a Monarch at that!!
This was something that all of them had never seen or heard of before. This was a terrifying scene that completely exceeded their knowledge. Ye Shi’s pupils had dilated to the point where it seemed like they were going to rupture as the greatest fear that he had ever felt in his life swelled up within him, causing him to let out a hoarse and distorted cry while he frantically focused all of his profound energy towards his right arm, as he was trying all means to suppress that dreadful “fire.” But the moment his profound energy came into contact with the icy-blue flame, it seemed to be swallowed up completely and disappeared in an instant. The blue flames did not even seem to be the least bit affected, much less suppressed, as it still unhurriedly continued to burn its way up slowly towards Ye Shi’s shoulder…
There was no pain… not even the slightest hint of pain, but as he witnessed his body slowly disappearing, Ye Shi experienced a fear that was several times worse than being plunged into hell. His whole body shook as shrill screams echoed from his mouth while his eyeballs practically protruded from his eyes in extreme fear and a web of blue veins could be seen scrawled across his forehead…
But no matter how he screamed and struggled, that cluster of beautiful, crystalline flames that was even scarier than a demon continued to silently burn…
“Save… Save me…”
Shing!!
Ye Shuran fetched a deep-purple longsword from his spatial ring, and as his body blurred, the purple sword made an arc through the air as it slashed down on Ye Shi’s right arm, fiercely cutting off the remains of the arm that had been infected by that icy-blue fire.
But before the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall could breathe a sigh of relief, they discovered, to their horror, that even though Ye Shi’s amputated arm had completely disappeared, the icy-blue flames still remained, and it hung there in midair without dissipating until it separated into several smaller clusters… which all fell on Ye Shi’s body.
In the blink of an eye, many holes appeared on Ye Shi’s remaining arm, his legs, his chest and his abdomen… and as the embers swifty spread and magnified, they whittled away at Ye Shi’s body as it began to be reduced to nothingness.
Ye Shi’s screams of shock and terror grew more and more shrill as his entire body began to spasm and warp. His remaining arm was frantically flapping as if he was trying to tear apart his own body… but the moment his left arm touched the icy-blue flames, it began to shrink into nothingness as well. His frantic struggles caused the icy-blue flames to spread even faster to the entirety of his body as it caused this mighty Monarch’s body to be covered with holes…
The weakest member of Sun Moon Divine Hall that was present was still an Overlord, and the strongest was a Monarch who had almost reached the late stage of the Sovereign Profound Realm. But every single one of them had expressions of deep shock and terror on their faces. The pretty faces of the ladies of the Frozen Cloud had paled in shock as well… because they were witnessing an event that was so dreadful that it was unfathomable! And at this time, Ye Guying hurriedly turned towards Ye Shuran and screamed, “Shuran, throw your sword away!!”
Ye Shuran gave him a blank stare before he involuntarily dipped his head and he was immediately frightened to the point where his spirit nearly left his body… The purple sword in his hand that he had used to sever Ye Shi’s arm had been contaminated by some of those icy-blue flames… and even though it was only a small amount, it had already caused the entire tip of the sword to disappear as it began to swiftly spread downwards.
Ye Shuran’s hand began to tremble as his soul flew out of his body, but he did not immediately throw the sword away. This was because this purple sword was Ye Shuran’s beloved sword since it had accompanied him for more than three hundred years, and normally, he held it to be as precious as his own life. But in this moment of hesitation, the icy-blue flames had already engulfed most of the sword and raced towards his hand.
Ye Guying suddenly dashed over and fiercely struck Ye Shuran’s hand. He had not held back at all and caused Ye Shuran’s hand to dislocate as the purple sword flew a great distance. Ye Guying stopped there and gave a low yell, “Do you want to die?!!”
Ye Shuran’s entire body was filled with cold sweat. If his hand had been afflicted by that icy-blue flame, he would undoubtedly share the same fate as Ye Shi! After the lingering fear had passed, he promptly replied, “I than… thank the Ninth Elder for saving my life.”
Ye Shi at this time, however, had already become unable to utter a single word. Most of his body at disappeared, and what remained was not recognizable as a human being. Even that was being swiftly consumed by those icy-blue flames. Those remains occasionally twitched, proving that the elder from Sun Moon Divine Hall who had the strength of a Monarch still had a trace of life left, but very soon, even the last vestiges of life soon completely faded away… and his entire body had completely faded away from existence!
There was not even a single trace of him left!
As they looked at the spot where Ye Shi had vanished from, the faces of all the people present were filled with a stunned horror. All of them remained rooted to the spot as if they had turned to stone. A cold wind blew, and their bodies trembled as a chill that was ten thousand times colder than the wind frantically washed through them… Their bodies had long ago become drenched in cold sweat.
The Sun Moon Young Master and the Sun Moon Elders… they were undoubtedly all peak existences on this earth, but at this moment, only fear existed in their hearts… Even their shock had been buried beneath a fear that was far too heavy. This black-robed old man had a peerlessly strong aura, so they had concluded that he might truly have an extremely terrifying strength, but they had never expected that his very first move would be so dreadful!
This small bit of starfire had actually caused a mighty Monarch to disappear from this world without even being able to put up a fight… The scene they had just witnessed was more than terrifying… it was a power that should not even exist in the mortal realm, something that should only belong within myths or legends!
This flame had not only been freely been created by the black-robed old man, but it did not even produce a hint of profound energy.
“Sigh…” the black-robed old man gave a soft sigh. “I had originally only wanted to give a stern warning, but who would have thought that an elder of a Sacred Ground would actually lose his life due to this small bit of starfire. To think that the profound level of this Profound Sky Continent has fallen to this extent…”
The black-robed old man had seemed disappointed and frustrated… his words indicated that he had only wanted to use this bit of fire to give Ye Shi a warning, but he had never expected a stately elder of a Sacred Ground like Ye Shi would die without even being able to resist…
In other words, what was being said was… I know that all of you are very weak, but I had not expected you to be quite this weak!
“Since I have broken my vow to not kill another… then all of you can stay here as well.” The black-robed old man gave another soft sigh as he extended his pale, white hand. Another cluster of identical icy-blue flames burned on top of his palm… and this cluster of icy-blue flames was more than two times larger than the previous one.
And it was still the same as before, he had easily ignited these flames without even giving any indication that he had circulated his profound energy! It was as if this process was far too simple for this black-robed old man, and it was something that he did not even need to concentrate to perform.
Looking at that cluster of icy-blue flames, all of the hair on the bodies of the remaining three Divine Moon Elders instantly stood on end. And Ye Xinghan had also hurriedly retreated several steps as his expression no longer contained any vestiges of his previous arrogance and brashness; what remained was only the deathly pale color of shock and fear.
Chapter 675 - Flee in Disorder
“Se… Senior, please wait!!” Ye Guying panicked and Ye Xinghan’s way. “We will obey Senior’s order to leave immediately, and will not disturb Senior anymore…”
Ye Guying’s expression and eyes lost the steady and calm he previously had., even his voice was noticeably trembling. He changed how he addressed the black-robed old man from “distinguished one” to Senior as well. Ye Shi�… the elder of their Sun Moon Divine Hall, a mid-stage Monarch who looked down upon the world, and even had a lofty position in Sun Moon Divine Hall, had managed to be casually burned into nothingness by a small flame that was set off by the black-robed old man. This strength was so terrifying and so incomparable…
His unbelievably overbearing aura was just an aura, but they clearly witnessed the process of turning Ye Shi� into nothingness as they were just within thirty meters! That was strength that completely exceeded their knowledge and imagination! To turn a mid-stage Monarch into nothingness with such ease, not mentioning the Saint Emperor, Sovereign of the Seas, Heavenly Monarch, or the Sword Master the four rulers of Four Great Sacred Grounds, even the one and only Phoenix Spirit, who was half-step Profound God back then, wouldn’t be able to do it!
Even if it was the phoenix flames released by the Phoenix Spirit’s strength with all its might that could cover the sky, a mid-stage Monarch would still be able to somewhat resist.
But this black-robed old man lit up icy-blue flames the size of his fists with just a wave of his hand.
The density and the power of this ball of icy-blue flames must be so strong l that it was on a level they cannot even imagine. The law that it involved was definitely more than one or two great realms from the limit that they could understand!
There was actually such a terrifying person that exists in this world!
Thinking on it now, the reason he let them leave just now was not because of fear towards Sun Moon Divine Hall… but it was clearly because he despised to even lay his hands on them!
“Hmph!” the black-robed old man scoffed lightly, the icy-blue flames in his palm swayed. “I let you leave just now, but you deliberately provoked me and made me break my ten thousand year vow to not kill. Now you want to leave? How can I let you off so easily!”
The black-robed old man’s voice was not calm like water like before anymore, but there was some anger in it now, and obviously, it was anger of breaking his vow! The “ten thousand year vow” that came from his mouth shocked everyone that was in his presence… This scary old man’s lifespan… was actually more than ten thousand years!!
To have a ten thousand year lifespan, how scary was this old man’s realm?!
That ball of icy-blue flames danced around a bit in the center of the black-robed old man’s palm, and from that, Ye Guying and the others’ hearts cramped up. The image of Ye Shi� miserably dying reappeared in their minds like a nightmare, and they were on the verge of dying in the same miserable way!
“Senior, calm your anger!” Ye Guying cupped his hands, kneeled down, and said in a humble and panicked manner, “No matter how overconfident we are, we would definitely not dare to offend Senior master. Just now it was really just for us to be able to give an explanation when we return to Sun Moon Divine Hall. That was why we suggested to compare our strength a little with Senior… The reason Elder Ye Shi� died in the hands of Senior was because he wasn’t good enough. It cannot be blamed on Senior at all. I, as the Ninth Elder of Sun Moon Divine Hall, promise that after Senior raises your hand high in mercy and let us go today, our Sun Moon Divine Hall will definitely not hold you accountable for what happened with Elder Ye Shi�, and the grudge with your disciple would also be done for once and for all…”
As one of the top ten elders of Sun Moon Divine Hall, Ye Guying hadn’t showed such a humble attitude for many years. But in front of this black-robed old man, how could he dare to display his usual attitude? He could not even wait to crawl onto the ground now because it would be as easy as waving his hand for him to kill them! And his murderous intent had already been incited! If he really attacks… Ye Shi� didn’t even have the ability to struggle, so they wouldn’t be able toeither! Not only would they all to die, they would have died for nothing!
This was the scariest person that they had encountered in their whole lives, and it was also the first time that they faced a real deadly threat, how could they dare to be rash! Even if it was the Elder of Sun Moon, under the shadow of true death, they could only beg for their lives with everything they had.
“Heh, not accountable?” The black-robed old man laughed softly in disdain. “You think I am afraid of being ‘held accountable’ by Sun Moon Divine Hall!? The Sacred Grounds that are too high to be reached, in my eyes… demolishing your Sun Moon Divine Hall is as simple as waving my hand!”
His voice was calm, but it shocked everyone’s hearts and souls tremendously. “To demolish your Sun Moon Divine Hall is as simple as waving my hand,” such presumptuous words, who else in this world would dare to say that? If they heard something like this before today, Ye Guying and the others would definitely treat it as the biggest joke in the world, but at this moment, what they felt wasn’t ridicule and contempt but was deep shock and fear… The terrifying image of Ye Shi� being casually burned into nothingness by a little spark t emerged before their eyes again and caused chills to run through their entire bodies.
Ye Guying said in panic, “Yes, yes… Senior is a master from another world. Sun Moon Divine Hall must not be worth mentioning in your eyes. But… if anything happened to Young Master today, even if it is Senior, my Sun Moon Divine Hall would not rest easily. Even though it is impossible to do anything to Senior, Senior is a master who has not been in contact with the mundane world for many years, I suppose you would not be willing to induce this type of ‘little trouble.’ Also…” Ye Guying came up with an idea in the spur of the moment, stayed calm, and said, “Senior is angry because you broke your vow to not kill unintentionally. But killing comes from the heart. If there isn’t really any intent to kill, it doesn’t count as breaking your vow. Senior didn’t kill Ye Shi intentionally, it was only because �Ye Shi wasn’t strong enough and was overconfident when catching Senior’s divine flames. That’s why his spirit perished… Ye Shi� died because of himself, not because of Senior, so Senior actually didn’t break your vow.”
“Now that Senior has murderous intent against us, if you kill us all, then you would really be breaking your vow! Senior is an unparalleled master in this world, and we are just commoners who are not worth mentioning. There is no need for Senior to break your vow because of insignificant us and taint your clear heart that has been closed off from the world.”
“Ninth Elder is extremely right!” Ye Juanyun immediately followed up, “Even though there is a misunderstanding between your disciple Yun Che and us, but… more than ten of us died by Yun Che’s hand, and we have never even hurt a single hair of your disciple! Senior has upheld his vow for many years, so you must have a big heart and your heart is like the master creator of the vault of heaven…”
“Say no more!”
A calm voice interrupted Ye Juanyun. The black-robed old man slowly retracted his palm, the ball of icy-blue flames also disappeared, and the murderous intent that slightly filled the air also dispersed, but that overbearing pressure that coverd the sky still existed and was heavily bearing down on their hearts and souls. “Even though you said what you said to live, it is also reasonable. Nevermind, you all can leave. After today, you can never come back here!”
Everyone from Sun Moon Divine Hall lifted their heads, as if they heard a voice from heaven. For the first time in their lives, they had the feeling of “escaping from death.” Ye Guying said in a trembling voice, “Thank you Senior for your mercy! My Sun Moon Divine Hall will remember Senior’s grace…” His voice stuttered, but he took a breath and then said, “Allow Junior to ask, may Senior grace us your great name! In the future, no matter where Senior goes, my Sun Moon Divine Hall will definitely retreat and keep our distance. And we will absolutely not offend anyone related to Senior.”
What Ye Guying had said was absolutely not to take revenge after finding out his name… Ye Shi� died miserably, but the strength of the black-robed old man completely exceeded their knowledge, so they didn’t even consider getting revenge. As for “retreat and keep their distance,” this was not false at all! This level of horrifying existence, they just hoped they never encountered it ever again in their lives.
“Great name?” The black-robed old man slowly said, “What can you do even if you know? In this world, my name has not existed for a long time. If it wasn’t because I accepted my last disciple under destiny, the rest of my life will no longer be in contact with the mundane world.
“My name is Duotian! Duotian is the name!”
“Heaven… Seizer…” Ye Guying said it in a low voice. This was indeed an unfamiliar name that he had never heard before, and it was also the wildest name that he had ever heard! How wild or how strong would a person be to dare to use “Duotian” as his name!
“Senior Duotian, we will leave right this moment! If you have time in the future, I wish you would descend and come be a guest at our Divine Hall. Our whole Divine Hall must greet you!” Ye Guying’s footsteps had already started backing off faster and faster while he was speaking. He could not wait to fly away from this place immediately. What he said was half to settle the black-robed old man’s emotions, and the other half was naturally to try to make nice with him. Because such a horrifying person, even if he cannot make friends with him, he absolutely cannot become enemies with him.
When they immediately turned around and prepared to fly towards the Sun Moon Sacred Ark, a voice suddenly sounded behind their backs,
“Wait!!”
Yun Che was the one who had spoken. It seemed like because of impatience and unwillingness that his voice was especially deep. Ye Guying and the others stopped their footsteps and chills were running down their backs… The black-robed old man let them go, but this didn’t mean Yun Che let them off the hook! If Yun Che strongly asked the black-robed old man to keep them all here…
“Che’er, no need to say much.”
Before Yun Che could say anything, the voice of the black-robed old man had already sounded calmly, “Master knows what you want to say. You really thought that master let them go because I despised laying my hands on them or am unwilling to break my vow? Wrong!”
His voice became a little harsher now, “Master taught you a long time ago, unless there is really a threat on your life, you cannot borrow master’s strength and cannot become reliant on it! Master knows that you hate these people to the bones because of the matter of Frozen Cloud Asgard,and impatiently want to put them to death, but it is to my limit to make them leave. If you want them dead, you can only use your own strength to do so!!”
“Six years ago when we met as master and disciple, you were only a cripple with crippled profound veins. Master repaired your profound veins, guided you for three years, and none of the younger generations of the Seven Nations could be a match to you! Three years ago, master broke the space and brought you back from the Primordial Profound Ark, and until now, with your strength, you can already battle a Monarch! Even though you can’t kill them now, if you cultivate with your heart under master, in three more years, you would be able to kill any one of them with just a wave of your hand! In three more years, the whole Sun Moon Divine Hall will be under your feet. There is no need to harm your cultivating heart yourself today just for today’s pleasure!”
These words were all said to Yun Che by the black-robed old man, but hearing this, every single person of Sun Moon Divine Hall trembled in fear.
In six years of time… from a cripple with crippled profound veins to having the strength to battle against a Monarch… It merely took six years!!
This was such a horrifying concept!!
And they all clearly knew that these words were definitely not false! Because according to their investigation of Yun Che over these past three years, six years ago, he was really just a cripple with crippled veins. The people from the city that he lived in for more than ten years all knew about him, and he was even the laughing stock of the entire city!!
At first, when he revealed his strengths at the Divine Phoenix Sect, he only cultivated profound strength for a short three years!
They finally found the answer to this terrifying fact today. It was because, behind him, there was such a horrifying master! It was a thousand times more horrifying than what they had once imagined!!
With six years, from a cripple to the strength of the level of a Monarch, even though their Four Great Sacred Grounds looked down to the whole world, they could never achieve that themselves.
There was also a sentence that every one of them heard clearly… The reason Yun Che was still alive, wasn’t because he wasn’t trapped in the Primordial Profound Ark like they had guessed but was because he was saved by the black-robed old man from the Primordial Profound Ark!!
Which means, he could actually travel through space between the Profound Sky Continent and the Primordial Profound Ark!!
An indescribable shock trembled in their hearts and souls. As the strongest Monarchs of the Profound Sky Continent, they couldn’t begin to understand the realm that the black-robed old man was in… Compared to it, it was like a completely different world.
Yun Che lowered his head and said, “Master is right, disciple will remember it.”
His voice was very soft and low. This arrogant, wild Yun Che who dared to face the Divine Phoenix Sect alone, and even had the guts to offend Sun Moon Divine Hall seemed to be especially respectful and toned down in front of his master.
Ye Guying grabbed Ye Xinghan’s arm, rushed into the sky as fast as he could, and did not dare to stay any longer… Six years and he was able to battle Monarchs… Three more years and he could kill any one of them… Three more years and he can step on all of Sun Moon Divine Hall as he pleased… These words were just like a curse that lingered within his heart and soul.
He started to feel like becoming enemies with this Yun Che, who they looked down upon before, seemed to be the biggest mistake that they had ever committed over these years!
alyschu: Duotian = Heaven Seizer, one who seizes the heavens, etc etc.
Chapter 676 - Casting off the Calamity
The nineteen members of Sun Moon Divine Hall fled, entering the Sun Moon Sacred Ark in less time than it would take to utter a breath, lest the frightening black-robed old man suddenly changed his mind. Following the shutting of the ark’s door, the Sun Moon Sacred Ark shot into the horizon in a flash, disappearing amongst the boundless snowfall which only left behind a slowly dissipating frigid current in its wake.
When they had arrived, they had twenty people altogether, including the Young Master, four great elders, and fifteen formidable protectorates. They originally believed this line-up to be completely overkill, like using a butcher’s knife to slaughter a chicken. But shortly after they had arrived, they hadn’t been able to harm Yun Che in the slightest. Instead, they had lost one of their great elders. Moreover, having to retreat in such a state… their hearts continued to tremble with fear as their entire bodies were drenched in cold sweat until the Sun Moon Sacred Ark had flown several hundred kilometers away.
“They’ve left… they’ve finally left…”
The overbearing aura of a Monarch that had caused all those who felt it to tremble disappeared without a trace, and the surroundings which had previously been saturated with the aura returned to normal. Following the Sun Moon Sacred Ark’s panicked flight, the women of Frozen Cloud Asgard should have felt relieved, but all of them stared in a daze at the black-robed old man who floated in the air. They looked at him as if they were looking at a deity.
Murong Qianxue took a step forward, and with the deference of a junior greeting a senior said, “Junior Murong Qianxue, on behalf of Frozen Cloud Asgard, thanks senior for his kindness!”
“Heh…” The black-robed old man weakly laughed, “Senior Master Murong… being called senior, I cannot… accept…”
The black-robed old man’s voice caused Murong Qianxue to be dumbfounded. In her astonishment she raised her head to look towards the black-clothed figure. All of the women from Frozen Cloud Asgard behind her were petrified… since this voice completely lacked its previous deepness, indifference, and age… it clearly was Yun Che’s voice!!
“Whew…”
Letting out a long breath, the black-robed old man’s body violently flashed, and he fell, landing heavily on the snowy ground.
“Ah! Big Brother!”
“Yun Che” cried out in alarm, hurrying to the black-robed old man’s side as he used his body to help him up. At this moment, the black-robed old man’s body lacked all of its previous earth-shattering pressure, instead appearing as weak as someone who was nearing death.
Murong Qianxue and the others looked at each other in dismay. Mu Lanyi quietly asked, “Asgard Master, how did this happen? Senior, he…”
“No… it’s not!” “Yun Che” waved his hand, and stuttered, “I’m not the Asgard Master, Big Brother is the Asgard Master… ah… he… he is big brother…”
The black-robed old man’s robes were peeled back which, astonishingly, revealed Yun Che’s face underneath… appearing exactly the same as the “Yun Che” currently helping him stand up!! The Yun Che which had removed his black robes had a face that was deathly pale, and his chest moved up and down violently, urgently and heavily breathing in and out. He laid there paralyzed, unable to get up for the longest time. He shut his eyes while his face revealed a satisfied expression as he laughed, “Very good… my Dragon Soul… was able to last long enough… whew…”
His voice was incredibly weak, but it was definitely Yun Che’s voice. On the other hand, the “Yun Che” who was helping him stand had the voice of a stranger. “Yun Che” was also hurriedly wiping away at his face, revealing his own face underneath as he anxiously said, “Big Brother, you have to be alright… your aura… how could it become so weak?”
“I’m alright,” Yun Che nodded his head. Laughing lightly he continued, “I merely overused my energy. I’m just tired, after resting for a bit I will be fine.”
The black-robed old man that had thoroughly frightened Sun Moon Divine Hall, causing them to retreat in fear, had become Yun Che. Moreover, “Yun Che” had become a stranger, causing the Frozen Cloud Asgard women to stare stupidly at them, gazing dimly at Yun Che and Xiao Yun. Chu Yueli said in bewilderment, “Asgard Master, this… how did this happen?”
“This is my sworn brother… Xiao Yun,” said Yun Che, whose profound aura had calmed down a bit, as he rose with difficulty while borrowing Xiao Yun’s shoulder. “Before, he was within the profound ark. I disguised him as me. Just now, when I suddenly disappeared and entered the profound ark, the ‘me’ who you all saw exit was him.”
“… Everyone… fairy sisters… ah, and senior sisters, I… I am called Xiao Yun,” Xiao Yun stuttered, not daring to lift his head as he spoke. Just facing one of these women who were just like snow immortals, his heartbeat would speed up and he wouldn’t be able to speak coherently, let alone facing so many all of a sudden.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he might not have been able to believe this world contained such an unexpected… wonderland?
“As for my so-called ‘master,’ from the beginning, it was me,” Yun Che laughingly said. In regards to Xiao Yun’s reaction, he wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“It was all a facade.” Yun Che understood that they were bewildered and smiled, saying, “I used special techniques in order to produce such an imposing aura. As for the starfire that killed Ye Shi, I prepared that a few hours beforehand in the Frozen End Divine Hall. As for everything else… I fabricated it all in order to intimidate them…”
The heaven-encompassing power that was able to intimidate Sun Moon Divine Hall was naturally from Yun Che’s Dragon Soul. He had used all of his might, doing his utmost to urge forth the Dragon God Soul to release the tremendous power of the Dragon Soul. Although Yun Che’s current power was far from sufficient to bring out all of the Dragon God Soul’s power, in the end, it was still from the Dragon God and was a power on the level of a “god.” Even if it was only a shallow bit of it, it was still enough to cause mighty Monarchs to tremble in fear.
Although the strength of this pressure couldn’t compare with the Dragon Soul Domain, which could defeat enemies’ minds in an instant, the amount of energy Yun Che expended to sustain this pressure was still exceedingly large. Before using it, he also did not know how long he would be able to keep it up for. Today was a gamble. Luckily… he had succeeded!
Exterminating Ye Shi caused Sun Moon Divine Hall to fly away in terror from the otherworldly ice-blue flame. That very flame was Yun Che’s fusion of Frozen End Divine Arts and the phoenix’s flames to create “Ice Flame.” Yun Che needed a long time to create Ice Flame; moreover, for the entire process he had to fully concentrate his heart and mind and not have any disturbances. It was simply unrealistic to use it during fights or when facing enemies.
The two clusters of Ice Flames which he had used against Sun Moon Divine Hall were created by him in the Frozen End Divine Hall before their arrival. But all energy, after being created, would naturally begin to dissipate. As soon as it had left the creator’s body, especially upon touching other objects, its strength would explode and begin to dissipate into nothingness.
In addition, the only person who was able to create and hold onto Ice Flame was naturally Yun Che. But even if Yun Che could make it in advance, he couldn’t simply take out the Ice Flame as soon as Sun Moon Divine Hall arrived. If he had done that, the deterrence factor would not be as strong, and he wouldn’t be able to create the image of an “absolutely strong and unprovokable master” by laying all his cards out on the table.
But Yun Che had an extremely special container for the Ice Flame… which was the Sky Poison Pearl!
This was because the Sky Poison Pearl had already assimilated into his body and could be considered a part of his body. Since the Ice Flame he created could only be held within his body, it could naturally be stored with the Sky Poison Pearl as well. As a result, when Yun Che had created the two batches of Ice Flame in the Frozen End Divine Hall, he had inserted it into the Sky Poison Pearl… Nevertheless, even if it was in the Sky Poison Pearl, the power of the Ice Flame would still dissipate a bit. The batch of Ice Flame which Yun Che had used to exterminate Ye Shi was the first batch he had made in the Frozen End Divine Hall, and as a result, it had dissipated more… compared to the latter batch, it was only half the size.
The Dragon God Soul’s pressure was enough to intimidate Sun Moon Divine Hall, but it wasn’t enough to scare them into fleeing. Today, from beginning to end, Yun Che had relied the most on the Ice Flame. At the time, when Yun Che was only at the Earth Profound Realm, the batch of Ice Flame he created was sufficient to destroy the Heavenly Profound Jade which had taken two Overlords an entire half year to destroy. At the Sky Profound Realm, the Ice Flame was enough to create a large hole in the ancient Primordial Era Profound Ark. Presently, having reached the Emperor Profound Realm, he believed that even if it was a Sovereign, they wouldn’t be able to completely resist the power of the Ice Flame.
It was just that, the terror of the Ice Flame, still far exceeded his expectations. He had originally expected that, in the face of the auraless Ice Flame, Sun Moon Divine Hall elders would certainly treat it with contempt, and as a result, they would get hurt and have to use their entire power to resist the Ice Flame… and even if they only lost a single hand, it would still be enough to cause great fear… after all, it was energy that his “master” casually threw out.
What he hadn’t imagined was that one of the four great elders, in the blink of an eye, would perish and burn into nothingness as a result of the Ice Flame without the slightest ability to resist! Moreover, this was Ice Flame that had already lost more than half of its power!
This was the Evil God’s power defying natural laws, combining ice and fire together which resulted in an absolutely terrifying degree of power!
In addition, the energy it created was naturally extremely strong. It caused the crowd of Sun Moon Divine Hall elders who would normally look down on the world to turn ashen-faced in fright and for their voices to tremble in fear. Finally, when they ran away, they frantically ran, not even daring to look back.
“So it was like this…” Chu Yueli mumbled softly. Her expression didn’t release any of its tension, growing even more astonished instead. This was all a facade… but they had no way of imagining what kind of techniques could create such a facade.
It was no wonder that when “Yun Che” emerged the second time his expression had none of its previous haughtiness, and instead, most of the time he lowered his head, speaking softly and a bit hoarsely… they had originally thought that he was being deferential in front of his master when in reality it was just a fake Yun Che.
“No matter how it happened, Sun Moon Divine Hall’s villains have all been scared into running, trembling as they fled.” Feng Hanyue said as she clasped her hands in front of her chest, facing Yun Che.
“Yes, Yes!” Feng Hanxue immediately followed, nodding her head, “Although it was fake, Asgard Master is too amazing, scaring all those powerful people into fleeing, scaring them so much that they probably… wouldn’t dare to come back, would they?”
“Yes… at the very least, until they discover the truth, they won’t have the guts to come back. After all, often the stronger a person is, the more they fear death… In the future, this place, not only will it not have danger, it could be said… it will be the most safe place… whew…” After speaking, Yun Che’s head felt a bit of dizziness. He let out a heavy breath of air and closed his eyes. Today’s harvests were great, having completely exceeded his expectations. In this way, not only would Sun Moon Divine Hall no longer dare to come back to the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, his own degree of safety had greatly increased since the news that he had an extremely strong master who could seize the heavens would be spread by Sun Moon Divine Hall. At that point, no matter who or what power wished to take his life, they would have to consider whether they could afford to provoke the “master” which had caused Sun Moon Divine Hall to piss their pants in fear!
Although the “master” was a facade that he had designed, the might of the world shocking flame that was able to burn Ye Shi to nothingness… this couldn’t be faked!
In this way, Frozen Cloud Asgard had thoroughly broken through its difficult circumstances. In addition, he would be able to be at ease and relax… and go to handle the problem of the Divine Phoenix Empire!
“Asgard Master…” Yun Che’s appearance caused Murong Qianxue to softly cry out, promptly moving forward to personally prop Yun Che’s body up. “Asgard Master is currently very weak, quickly take him to the Frozen Palace to rest… Sir Xiao, please come along too.”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun stared blankly then hurriedly waved his hand, saying with an ill-at-ease expression, “No, no… I won’t enter, I heard big brother say that Frozen Cloud Asgard doesn’t have… doesn’t have any males…”
Jun Lianqie relaxedly said, “Although our asgard seldom accepts male visitors, Sir Xiao is the Asgard Master’s sworn brother and also is our palace’s noble guest. In addition, Sir Xiao helped Asgard Master repel the powerful enemies and can be considered our Frozen Cloud Asgard’s benefactor. At the very least, let us extend our invitation of friendship, please.”
Xiao Yun looked to Yun Che, who was being held by Murong Qianxue, for help, only to discover that his eyes were lightly closed and his breathing was steady, as if he had already fallen into a meditative state. Having no other option, Xiao Yun scratched his forehead and said with an embarrassed expression, “Okay… then I will have to impose on you.”
After all, in this completely foreign land. Without Yun Che’s Primordial Profound Ark, he had no way to return to Blue Wind Imperial City.
Chapter 677 - The Shuddering Divine Hall
The speed of the Sun Moon Sacred Ark was extremely fast. Soon enough, the vast snow region was hundreds of miles behind them.
When they were out of Blue Wind Nation, the people from Sun Moon Divine Hall finally calmed down a bit. They wiped their foreheads which were still covered in cold sweat.
“I had no idea… that in this world, there is actually someone this terrifying!” said Ye Juanyun still fearful as he took a deep breath.
“Sigh, the territory of Profound Sky Continent is this vast, and there is nothing too strange in this boundless universe… Maybe, we really were looking at the sky from the bottom of a well,” Ye Guying sighed. Since he first entered Sun Moon Divine Hall several hundreds years ago, this was the first time he had been so frightened… Thinking back to the black-robed old man who was beyond horrifying, it was like he had visited the gates of hell.
“This is outrageous!” Ye Xinghan punched out brutally, causing a deafening sonic boom. He voice was filled with hatred, “Among the strongest practitioners in this world, besides the Phoenix God of the Divine Phoenix Sect, it is impossible for anyone to exceed my father’s level… How could someone like this suddenly appear out of nowhere!! Why was someone like this completely unknown before!!”
“Young Master, please calm down.” Ye Guying comforted in a soft voice, “When someone reaches a level like that, if he wants to be unknown, there is no one in the world at all who has the ability to discover his existence. Young Master, do you still remember how he appeared? There was originally no trace of his aura, but in an instant, it covered the sky and the sun, and his entire person also suddenly appeared in the middle of the air. Even when Yun Che went to call him out, his person and aura also completely disappeared, and then appeared again out of thin air. Young Master, do you know why that is?”
Ye Xinghan gritted his teeth hard, and said in a low voice, “Autonomous world!”
“That’s right!” Ye Guying’s face was full of shock… and admiration. “At the level of us Monarchs, we can create our own space for storage. Once someone reaches a certain supreme realm, they can control space as one pleases and create their own little world! This is absolutely not a false legend. It’s like the Supreme Ocean Palace’s ‘Divine Ocean Secret Realm,’ and the Primordial Profound Ark that Young Master was on three years ago. The worlds within are all independent small worlds created by strong practitioners using an unparalleled divine power during the Ancient Era. Sss… I thought the profound practitioners who are at this level in this world had already gone extinct and would never appear again. I did not expect, today… I actually saw someone like this myself!”
“His realm is so high that even we cannot comprehend it.” Ye Shuran shuddered violently when he thought about Ye Shi, a mid-stage Monarch just like him, being burned into nothing by the flames that were thrown out from the fingers of the black-robed old man so casually. He said in a trembling voice, “If he wants to kill us, it is simple as easy as turning his hand. Even when he held our Sun Moon Divine Hall in contempt… I feel like he wasn’t just bluffing. If it wasn’t because he wanted to use us as examples, it is impossible for us to still be alive.”
He looked at Ye Xinghan and said with a lingering fear, “If we die, we die, but if was Young Master… we really couldn’t redeem ourselves even if we died ten thousand times!”
“I feel like he simply felt disdain at the thought of attacking us, even killing Ye Shi� was just an accident.” Ye Guying sighed heavily and said, “Back then Yun Che dared to face the Divine Phoenix Sect alone. Now he even killed the people of Sun Moon Divine Hall and intentionally sent the death imprint to Young Master, so I had already thought that he must have someone supporting him… But I absolutely did not think the person behind him was someone this shocking and frightening.”
“Lord Heavenly Monarch will know about Ye Shi’s death immediately for sure. When we return… how should we answer him?” Ye Juanyun locked his eyebrows and said anxiously.
“What can we do? Of course report exactly of what happened in detail.” Ye Guying said, “We had never heard of this ‘Duotian’ before. But he mentioned ‘ten thousand years,’ which means that he is an old monster that has lived for at least ten thousand years. His name probably was once renowned in the world ten thousand years ago, so it is normal for us to have never heard of it. But Lord Heavenly Monarch has the memories that are passed down through the generations of the Sun Moon ancestors, so he might know the name.”
Ye Guying turned his head, looked in the direction of Blue Wind Nation and said in an incredibly serious manner, “Young Master, I know that you must be very unwilling, but… as the future owner of Sun Moon Divine Hall, you must learn to endure a moment… or even a lifetime of anger. With the strength of Yun Che’s backer, it is definitely not a wise decision to become enemies with him! With the protection of someone like this and with his shocking growing speed in strength… maybe it really isn’t empty words that three years later, he would be strong enough to stomp over all of Sun Moon Divine Hall by himself… Moreover, it was said by the person named ‘Duotian’ himself. So…”
“So, before we are certain that we can shake his backer, we must not become enemies with him.” Ye Juanyun’s expression was heavy, as he continued to say, “We also need to try our best to resolve the resentment from before… This matter really cannot be treated lightly.”
“We should return to the Divine Hall immediately and let Lord Heavenly Monarch decide how to handle this matter with Yun Che.”
Even though the amount of time Yun Che faced Sun Moon Divine Hall wasn’t long, under the activation of the Dragon Soul, each breath was accompanied with an extremely large consumption of his mental energy. With such consumption, if he was a normal profound practitioner, it would take at least a couple of days of rest to be at ease and more than half a month to recover, and it would develop a irreversible side effect. Yun Che has the Dragon God Origin Soul, so his rate of recovery of his mental energy cannot be compared to a regular person’s, but even so, he didn’t wake up from meditating until high noon.
“Ah! Asgard Master, you finally woke up… Senior Sisters, Asgard Master is awake!”
Right as Yun Che opened his eyes, he heard a young girl’s surprised yell by his ear. He woke up from the chilly bed and saw a beautiful young girl in white standing there. There was joy and a slight red glow on her cheeks that was finer than snow lotus, and her beautiful eyes were looking at him without blinking… Because of his heroic action of scaring Sun Moon Divine Hall off, the way she looked at him was obviously different than before.
Yun Che sat up, inspected his own mental status now, and asked the young girl, “Senior Sister Hanxue, what is the time now?”
“It’s already high noon.” Feng Hanxue answered in a clear and melodious voice, and her beautiful eyes showed surprise. “Eh? Asgard Master, how did you know that I am Hanxue? I am the same as my Big Sister from top to bottom. Even our disciples and senior sisters that are most familiar with us… even the previous Asgard Mistress couldn’t tell us apart, but Asgard Master called out my name immediately. You also seem to be very sure.”
“It’s actually very easy to tell.” Yun Che said while smiling, “Even though your appearance, voice… even expressions are almost the same, there is still a little difference in your body scent.”
“Body… scent?” Feng Hanxue was lost as her mouth gaped a little.
Yun Che said slowly, “To become a qualified medical practitioner, one must learn to identify hundreds of herbs. Many of the medicinal herbs looks the same, so to identify them, one must rely on their scent. That is why the nose of many medical practitioners are more sensitive than normal people’s. Senior Sister Hanxue and Senior Sister Hanyue’s body scent is very similar, but Senior Sister Hanxue’s body scent carries a scent that is slightly close to the smell of a Snow Fern Flower, and Senior Sister Hanyue has the smell of a Frosting Flower. Normal people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, but to me, it is something that can be easily identified.”
“Snow Fern Flower… what kind of flower is it? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.” Feng Hanxue blinked, and before Yun Che could say anything, she spoke herself, “But the name is very nice, so the smell must be very pleasant! Asgard Master, you are so impressive. I feel like there is nothing that you can’t do in this world. No wonder that even though you are a man, previous Asgard Mistress still insisted on passing the position of Asgard Master to you.”
“That is of course! There is still a lot more that I know. If Senior Sister Hanxue is willing, I can show it to Senior Sister Hanxue only.” Yun Che was not humble at all and said smilingly, but in his smile… there seemed to be a few… evil intentions?
“Ah? Yes! Asgard Master said it yourself, you are not allowed to go back on your words!” Feng Hanxue said happily, “But, I have said many times, it’s Junior Master, not Senior Sister!!”
“I understand. Oh right, Senior Sister Hanxue, where is Xiao Yun now?”
“He is in the Snow Cloud Hall. Asgard Master, are you and him really sworn brothers? But your personalities are completely different. Xiao Yun kept his head down the whole time and didn’t dare to talk with us. After we settled him in at the Snow Cloud Hall, he hasn’t come out for the entire morning,” Feng Hanxue said while laughing. Then, she suddenly noticed something and said while trying to keep a straight face, “It’s Junior Master, Junior Master, Junior Master! Not Senior Sister! Even if… even if you are the Asgard Master now, the seniority cannot be ignored!”
“I understand, Senior Sister.”
“…You never listened to Junior Master!!” Feng Hanxue stomped her foot, turned her face away, and seemed like she got upset.
At this moment, the snow curtain seal on the door was removed. Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, and Feng Hanyue, the five of them walked in quickly. When they saw Yun Che, their beautiful eyes all lightened up at the same time. “Asgard Master, you woke up.”
Whether it was their words or the look in their eyes, they were all accompanied with deep worrying and care. Three years ago in the Frozen Cloud Asgard, the voice that he heard was almost completely cold, chilly, and without emotion. At first, after he helped them open all of their profound entrances and achieve the Heavenly God’s Spiritual Veins that they couldn’t even dare to dream about, they gave him their approval and even some thanks. At least they stopped taking his profane intentions into account and opposing his joining Frozen Cloud Asgard, but that was merely it.
But as of today, it was completely different. He first solved Frozen Cloud’s calamity and then scared Sun Moon Divine Hall into retreating… that was Sun Moon Divine Hall, in all of Profound Sky Continent, there were only a handful of forces that could go head to head with Sun Moon Divine Hall! And what’s more was that he could have ignored them all, yet instead, he risked his life, directly faced Sun Moon Divine Hall, and resolved this disaster. Even if their hearts were ice cold, they deeply felt gratitude and warmth.
And there wasn’t any rejection towards his position as the Asgard Master.
“Mm, I worried you all.” Yun Che leaped up from the ice bed, his eyes turned towards outside the window. “Frozen Cloud Asgard suffered from these six months of calamity, so it will take a while to reform. During this period of time, I will need your hard work. I still have other important matters, so I cannot stay here long for now.”
“Asgard Master, you are leaving now?” Murong Qianxue stepped forward unconsciously. “But, you were just in a coma for such a long time, it would be better for you to rest more.”
“No need. I only wore out some of my mental strength before. Now I am completely fine.” Yun Che’s eyebrows lowered slightly, and he said in a low voice, “Blue Wind Nation was stomped by Divine Phoenix Empire into the way it is now… Forget about my status of Blue Wind’s prince consort, even if I am merely the most ordinary citizen of Blue Wind… I absolutely cannot forgive them!”
Chapter 678 - Floating Cloud City’s Devilish Energy
“Junior Master Yueli, during these three years, was there any… news of Yuechan?” After hesitating, Yun Che still asked the question. He knew in his heart that the possibility of him getting a certain answer was so minuscule that it might as well be zero.
Seeing how expectant he was, Chu Yueli’s expression dimmed as she shook her head.
“It’s okay…” Yun Che took a deep breath. “Three years ago, I once entrusted Black Moon Merchant Guild’s headquarters with obtaining any information they could on Yuechan. With Black Moon Merchant Guild’s ability and it having been three whole years, they have to have found something… Maybe, they have already found out where she is.”
“Mn!” Chu Yueli nodded slightly, and her beautiful eyes were sparkling rays of hope. “Asgard Master, when you head over to the Black Moon Merchant Guild, remember to ask them if they have obtained any information on Qingyue. Now that the crisis here has been dealt with, it is instead not safe for her to be out.”
“I will.” Yun Che nodded, “I should be in Divine Phoenix Empire for a period of time. Maybe my stay will be long or maybe it will be short. If there are any accidents, remember to send me a sound transmission immediately. I will have a way to get back here right away!”
Yun Che bade farewell to the Frozen Cloud disciples, retrieved the Primordial Profound Ark, traveled through space, and returned to Blue Wind Imperial City.
Compared to yesterday, Blue Wind Imperial City was a lot more peaceful today; at least, that heavy, dark, and desperate atmosphere was half gone. The return of Prince Consort Yun and the news of him demolishing the army of tens of thousands of Divine Phoenix Empire had already spread throughout Blue Wind Imperial City and its surroundings, lighting up the hope that was extinguished a long time ago.
“Husband, how did it go with Sun Moon Divine Hall?”
When Yun Che returned, Cang Yue quickly came out to welcome him. Under the phoenix crown, her tender face was covered with deep joy and tiredness that couldn’t be hidden. Apparently, because she was worrying, she stayed up all night again.
“Empress sister-in-law, Big Brother really was too… too… too impressive!” Before Yun Che could answer, Xiao Yun was unable to hold back his excitement and yelled, “The people from Sun Moon Divine Hall were all so strong. Not only did their Young Master come personally, there were also a few Monarchs. But Big Brother burned one to death, and the others were all scared off… he scared them so hard that they would absolutely not dare to come again. Ah… Seventh Sister, you don’t need to examine me, I am really not injured at all. I only stood there for a little while and didn’t fight with anyone, ah ow-ow-ow…”
Xiao Yun’s plain words naturally couldn’t illustrate the scene back then, and he didn’t know that under the surface of an incredible success, Yun Che’s every breath was as if he was walking on a steel wire above a thirty thousand meter deep abyss.
Cang Yue didn’t inquire any further, because just by looking at the assured expression in Yun Che’s eyes, she knew that the calamity of Frozen Cloud Asgard had been already resolved… even though their opponent was Sun Moon Divine Hall. She smiled and said, “As long as everything is fine. This time, you should go to Grandfather’s side.”
“Mn, I will take Xiao Yun there right away.” Thinking about Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi’s faces, warmth naturally flowed through Yun Che’s heart, and then, it became stronger and stronger, turning into excitement so strong that he almost lost control.
“Xiao Yun, the Floating Cloud City that we are going to now… is where you were born. When we get there, you will be able to see your real blood relatives,” said Yun Che as he picked up the Primordial Profound Ark once again and smiled.
Xiao Yun opened his mouth, paused for a good while, and then strongly nodded his head hard, “Yes!”
Finding his own blood relatives and meeting and reuniting with them was the main reason that he came to Profound Sky Continent with Yun Che!
“I want to go too,” said Number Seven Under Heaven as she hopped and grabbed onto Xiao Yun’s arm.
“You and Xiao Yun are family now. How could we meet family without you. You can’t not go!” Yun Che smiled and said, “Yue’er, I will bring Grandfather and Little Aunt back soon. Brother Under Heaven, Yuanba, I will leave the imperial city to you two.”
“Brother-in-law don’t worry, no matter how many people they send, they shouldn’t even think about coming near here!” Xia Yuanba raised his strong arms, held his fists together, and exaggeratedly cracked his knuckles.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, let’s go.”
“Ah? Just… just go like this? Should we prepare something, like… like…” Xiao Yun didn’t know what to do all of a sudden. For over twenty years in the Illusory Demon Realm, he was labeled as the “Profound Sky Bastard.” Even though he was twenty-two years old, he had never seen any of his blood relatives before.
“You don’t need anything, let’s go!!” said Yun Che as he grabbed onto Xiao Yun. Compared to Xiao Yun’s nervousness, he couldn’t wait any longer.
After entering the Primordial Profound Ark and setting the distance and direction, in only an instant, they were already in the air above Floating Cloud City.
Leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che took a deep breath of the air here… “I finally returned again, to the place that I grew up in…”
The air still held a familiar smell, but without the scent of the smoke of gunpowder this time.
From three thousand meters up in the sky, Yun Che silently looked down at his homeland that he was most familiar with. Blue Wind Nation was the smallest nation out of the seven nations of Profound Sky Continent, and Floating Cloud City was the smallest city of Blue Wind Nation. It was originally not noisy and lively compared to other large cities, but Floating Cloud City was currently even quieter than how Yun Che remembered it. Even though there were some people on the narrow streets, it was far less than usual.
As Cang Yue had said, even though Divine Phoenix Empire surprisingly sent a whole army of two hundred thousand to Floating Cloud City, they didn’t have any intention of attacking. Yun Che’s eyes swept over Floating Cloud City, and there didn’t seem to be any trace of battle… Not to mention large scale ones, there weren’t even small scale skirmishes. The streets were neat, there was no damage to the buildings, and the entire city wasn’t shrouded with an atmosphere of panic. Moreover… With Yun Che’s scouting, there was only one set of troops which should be the Divine Phoenix Army’s in the direction of the City Head’s Palace in Floating Cloud City, which only numbered around hundred.
Yun Che was relieved with this result, but at the same time, suspicion rose within his heart.
The citizens of Floating Cloud City were weak, the city was small, the land was poor, and the surrounding of the city was not abundant with resources. Even the profound beasts that existed there were ones of the lowest level, so there was no value in hunting them. On top of that, its location was at the most eastern side of Blue Wind Nation. The region was remote, and troops needed to travel a long distance, so taking it over would do more harm than good. If they had to take control of it, with the military force of the Divine Phoenix Army, a few thousand soldiers and mounts would be able to manage it… but the Divine Phoenix sent an army of two hundred thousand soldiers!
And this was before they sent their troops to Blue Wind Imperial City!
Just as Cang Yue had said, after the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army arrived here, they never left.
But before their very eyes was a scene like this in Floating Cloud City.
Everything had a strangeness to it that could not be explained with common sense.
What’s going on?
What is the Divine Phoenix Empire trying to do to Floating Cloud City?
BOOM~~
BOOM~~~
BOOM!!
Deep explosions came from the east, northeast, and southeast. Some of the explosions were far away, and some of them were relatively closer and even more concentrated. Yun Che quickly turned his head to look to the east, and when his eyes looked that way, he saw a bunch of red shadows that were either condensed or scattered at the uneven, abandoned mountain region on the east side of Floating Cloud City. His eyebrows scrunched up a bit as he squinted as much as possible and slowly noticed that the red shadows were part of the Divine Phoenix Army which were wearing scarlet-red light armor!
“What is that sound? Could a battle be taking place over there?” Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven looked to the east and asked in alarm.
“It’s the Divine Phoenix Army!”
“Divine Phoenix Army? Could someone be in a battle with the Divine Phoenix Army?” Xiao Yun immediately asked. His eyes and Number Seven Under Heaven’s eyes couldn’t compare to Yun Che’s as Yun Che possessed the power of the Rage God.
“No,” answered Yun Che as he shook his head. There was deep confusion in between his eyebrows. “From what it looks like, they seem to be blasting the ground in a controlled manner.”
“Blasting… the ground?” Xiao Yun’s eyes widened. “Why would they do that? Could it be for training soldiers?”
Yun Che pondered, shook his head, and said, “I don’t know. Let’s ignore them for now. Let’s go, we’re going to land.” He extended out his hand and pointed at the most familiar place in his life. “That is Xiao Family’s courtyard, and it is also the place that I grew up in for sixteen years. Grandfather and little aunt are there right now.”
Just as Yun Che’s body was about to land, Jasmine suddenly yelled deeply in his mind, “Wait!”
Yun Che’s body suddenly stopped. Whenever Jasmine suddenly used this tone, she must have noticed something that cannot be ignored. He immediately focused and said, “Jasmine, what’s wrong?”
“Where is this place?” Just as Jasmine finished speaking, she recognized the place herself. “Floating Cloud City?”
Apparently, Jasmine had just woken up from her sleep. Yun Che answered, “I just returned here, what did you find? Is there something wrong here?”
“…” Jasmine was silent for a good while, and then she said in an incredibly deep voice, “Why… why is there devilish energy here!”
“Devilish energy?” Yun Che was stunned. “What do you mean by devilish energy?”
“…” Jasmine continued to be silent for a while, and her voice became even deeper, “It indeed wasn’t an illusion. That is definitely devilish energy! Devilish energy… to explain it simply, is when one or more types of negative emotions reach a certain limit. The law becomes twisted, and profound energy will mutate! The devil profound energy that it creates is even stronger than profound energy of the same level, but it is also harder to control. Because devilish energy will only be created with extreme negative emotions, the ones who possess devilish energy… all have twisted minds and beliefs. They are evil creatures that should not exist in this world! Or they can be directly called a demon or devil!
Yun Che, “…”
“This plane is really getting interesting, there is actually devilish energy here!” Jasmine said in a low voice. Towards the “devil,” she had deep disgust and even hatred because she had been poisoned by the most fearsome devilish poison!
“This person is in Floating Cloud City?” asked Yun Che as he lowered his voice.
“That’s right, and… it is within Xiao Clan that you are about to return to!”
“What!?” Yun Che’s heart was shocked.
“Go down and check it out immediately. I’d like to know what kind of person could release devilish energy on such a low level plane!” Jasmine’s tone was especially unusual.
Chapter 679 - Fen Juechen?!
“Big Brother, what’s wrong?” Both Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven instantly tensed up after seeing Yun Che suddenly stop accompanied with a change in his expression.
“Sigh, looks like there’s going to be a small problem here,” Yun Che said rather helplessly. “Let’s go down.”
As Floating Cloud City’s largest profound cultivating clan, Xiao Clan looked especially eye-catching within the city from up above. The place where Yun Che landed was not where the main entrance was located. Instead, he landed on Xiao Clan’s east side, almost subconsciously, on a certain courtyard close to the rear mountains.
This place was very quiet, the entire Xiao Clan was very quiet. The courtyard before them was very small and only had simple decorations and a simple house. An emerald-green grape arbor was at a corner of the courtyard, and it was packed with grapes that were almost ripe. Next to the grape arbor was a simple stone table and what appeared to be two small stools. The stool to the right was even covered with tons of long cracks.
As he stood in the center of the courtyard and looked at everything before him, the light in Yun Che’s eyes wavered as he stood, completely dazed for a moment.
“Big Brother, this place is?” Xiao Yun curiously asked when he saw Yun Che’s appearance.
“This place is a place that carries almost all of the memories of the first sixteen years of my life,” Yun Che softly answered.
“Ah? This is… Big Brother Yun’s home?” Number Seven Under Heaven asked in shock as she looked around. To ordinary citizens of Floating Cloud City, being able to possess a courtyard like this was considered to be lavish. But to someone born from a Guardian Family, especially to Number Seven Under Heaven, who was the Under Heaven Family’s only princess, this kind of home was just too simple and shabby… He was the Yun Family’s Young Patriarch, the Illusory Demon Realm’s Demon Lord, and even could be regarded as the fated person who had saved the entire Illusory Demon Realm… She never imagined that the place where Yun Che had grown up in would actually be this crude.
“Right, this is my home,” Yun Che smiled. “I’ve been living here from as long as I can remember. But at that time, this place wasn’t only mine, it belonged to my little aunt as well. At that time, we would spend every day together. Wherever I went, she would go, and wherever she went, I would follow as well. We were like each other’s shadows… until I turned ten, when Grandfather said that we weren’t allowed to live in the same courtyard and found a new courtyard for Little Aunt. Because of this, Little Aunt would cry for days, and I also used all my energy to protest against this. However, the grandfather that usually pampered and spoiled us in every possible way wouldn’t budge no matter what on this matter. “
“From then on, Little Aunt, who was now living in her new courtyard would usually secretly come over to sleep with me. But when she was discovered by Grandfather, she would get a fierce scolding… Later on, we gradually understood that it was improper for men and women to be that intimate, so Little Aunt no longer secretly came over.”
Yun Che softly recounted softly with a faint smile. His current smile came from his soul, without the least bit of impurity. In those years, even though he was regularly mocked by others, occasionally bullied, and always bore the contempt and pity filled eyes of others, because he had Little Aunt at that time, his happy times were far more than the sorrowful ones; even his feeling of inferiority was dim.
During these years, he was no longer that profound vein cripple who didn’t have a future. He only grew stronger and was now looked up to by more and more people, so much that some would fear him. His current level was much higher than the Xiao Sect that the Xiao Clan revered like gods, yet it also caused his world to be filled with trials and hardships, causing him to not be able to return back to the happy world where only Little Aunt existed.
More than six years had passed since the time he had come here, but everything here almost completely overlapped everything in his memories without any hint of change… Regardless of whether it was the gate, windows, stone table, or grape arbor… Even the lantern that was hung there on the day of his wedding with Xia Qingyue six years ago was still there, though it had already been deformed by the wind.
The entire courtyard looked incredibly tidy, without any of the ruined, messy appearance Yun Che had expected from a place that had been left six years ago. It was like everyone had come to sweep this place every day. Yun Che advanced forward and stood before the stone table. He lightly pressed a finger on the stone table, swiped, and then lifted it… There wasn’t even a trace of dust.
This place… had just been swept by someone…
Yun Che’s heart trembled. Could it… could it be…
“Little Che… is that you?”
In this world, there were very few sounds that would stir Yun Che’s rock-hard soul, but Xiao Lingxi’s voice was definitely among them. Yun Che’s mind shook, and he almost instantaneously turned around… At the entrance of the courtyard was Xiao Lingxi, clad in a light green dress. Her beautiful, starry eyes were filled with a layer of thick watery mist.
“Little Aunt…” Yun Che uttered softly. His arms unconsciously lifted forward, wanting to travel through space to touch the closest, most familiar, and most important girl in this life. I’m back…”
“Ah…” Xiao Yun couldn’t help but make a sound. He looked at Xiao Lingxi, and asked dazedly, “She’s… she’s…”
The “little aunt” Yun Che uttered confirmed this girl’s identity… This extremely beautiful girl with a delicate temperament who seemed to be even younger than he himself, was… his little aunt… was his own blood related… relative…
Xiao Lingxi’s little hand heavily pressed on her lips as sparkling tears fell like jade pearls. After time froze in that short instant, she cried softly and threw herself at Yun Che with her tears scattering. She heavily threw herself into his bosom, and both her arms tightly hugged him as her torrential tears quickly drenched a large area on his chest.
“Little Che… Little Che… Little Che…” she repeatedly called out, and soon, she couldn’t hold back her sobs.
“I’m sorry, Little Aunt… I promised you that I would come back in a month, yet… yet I’ve made you painfully wait for three years.” Yun Che formed a loop as he gently hugged the girl in his chest. Her waist was even more delicate than three years ago, and her body was even more fragile… Even her profound strength had declined instead of advancing. Within these three years, Yun Che had grown about a foot, causing the girl in his bosom to appear even more delicate and exquisite in front of him. And what pained Yun Che the most was her weeping… The Little Aunt he knew would laugh loudly and cry loudly. In front of him especially, she wouldn’t hold anything back and let herself loose.
But the Little Aunt before him, even though she was sobbing, she was actually trying her best to repress it, to not make any sobbing noises, and only her shoulders continued to violently spasm. She had less spirit than before, and what replaced that was actually a dense melancholy that almost broke Yun Che’s heart.
In these three years, news of his “death” and Blue Wind Nation’s huge calamity had carved out many cruel scars on her heart…
Yun Che’s hands silently tightened. He lifted his head as wisps of pain rippled in his eyes… When there was nothing good about me, when my profound veins were still crippled, what I saw the most every day was Little Aunt’s smiling face… Now that I’m getting stronger by the day, why is it that I’m always giving Little Aunt heartbreak and pain everything…
The power I was chasing… what exactly was I doing it for?!
Xiao Lingxi forcefully shook her head as she hugged him even tighter. The chest she was leaning on was even broader than before, and it was also the only place in the world where she truly felt stable and content in. While still sobbing, she softly said, “I know… that Little Che didn’t do it on purpose… It’s good that Little Che is back… I thought that I’d never see Little Che again… My Little Che’s… finally back…”
She mumbled, the pain of having lost someone and the joy of having regained them once more even after all hope had been lost clearly evident. Yun Che sucked in a long breath of air. He spoke lowly, with an incomparably firm voice, “ Little Aunt, I’ll promise you that I’ll never you…”
Yun Che’s voice suddenly halted as his entire body abruptly stiffened. His gaze that had instantly become ice-cold suddenly swept behind him as he quickly turned around, bringing Xiao Lingxi along with him.
Because in that instant, an extremely cold aura had locked onto him out of nowhere… He possessed the Water Spirit Evil Body, so he wasn’t afraid of the cold, but when that aura enveloped him, it caused him to instantly feel a frigid, heart-piercing sensation. All the hairs on his body shot up and stood on end. Two abyss-black, fiendish eyes had even been faintly projected in his mind. He suddenly felt like he was standing a thick and terrible pitch-black hell.
This kind of densely cold, extremely uncomfortable aura that I’ve never felt before… could this be the devilish energy Jasmine was talking about?
Who is it?!
In the instant he turned around, Yun Che’s gaze locked onto a black figure that floated in midair… Dressed in black from head to toe, he was shorter and thinner than Yun Che. His long hair was as black as night and reached the middle of his waist. His complexion was stiff and pale, and his eyes were lifeless without a hint of light in them. The aura emitted from his body carried a coldness which seeped into one’s bone marrow, yet Yun Che actually couldn’t find the slightest hint of life within it… It was as if what floated there was not a living person, but a dead corpse.
When he saw this black figure’s face, Yun Che’s brows fiercely moved as his revealed deep astonishment on his face.
“Fen Jue… chen?!” The moment he finished his sentence, Yun Che’s voice held a distinct hesitation.
His outer appearance and expression were exactly the same as the Fen Juechen in his memories. However, the Fen Juechen he knew never had this kind of aura. Not only that… he clearly felt a distinct, ice-cold danger from that black-robed person! With the realm Yun Che was currently in, those that made him feel danger at least had the power of early-stage Monarchs, and when he released Fen Juechen three and a half years ago, his profound strength was only at the Spirit Profound Realm. In a short, not even four years, there was no way he could possibly to reach a level that was strong enough to threaten him.
“Hm? It’s actually this guy.” Jasmine’s voice also held the same astonishment.
“Yun… Che!!” His face was still stiff, and when he spoke, whether it was his expression or dark eyes, there wasn’t the slightest bit of wavering, yet his voice carried an ice-cold, bone-piercing resentment. “You’re still alive… you’re actually still alive!!”
“…” The aura enveloping Yun Che instantly became colder many times over. The instant this black-robed person opened his mouth, Yun Che was now certain… that this person was truly Fen Juechen! Because this kind of voice, this kind of tone, and this kind of hatred was exactly the same as when he had released him that year!
“Did you know how much I hated and how much I suffered when I heard that you had died?! In these years, I’ve even wished that you would come back to life in my dreams so I could personally tear you to shreds!!”
Fen Juechen’s hands trembled as two balls of black energy which increasingly grew bigger floated around the palm of his hand. Yun Che glanced at the two balls of black energy… He merely glanced at them, yet it caused his entire body to feel extremely uncomfortable. He shifted his gaze back and looked straight at Fen Juechen without backing down. “Looks like your dream has already come true. However… Do you really think that the current you can kill me?”
Before Fen Juechen had even replied, Jasmine coldly laughed in Yun Che’s mind, “His currently profound strength level is at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. Added with the special attributes of his devil profound strength, if you were to fight him head-on, he would definitely be able to kill you!”
“~！#￥%…” The corner of Yun Che’s eyes twitched greatly. “You’re… kidding, right?!”
That year, when he had exterminated Burning Heaven Clan, the main reason why he had only spared Fen Juechen was because he had saved Xiao Lingxi, and Xiao Lingxi pleaded with him. The secondary reason was because he subconsciously believed that even if Fen Juechen were to live, he would never be able to become a threat. At that time, a thousand Fen Juechens weren’t even able to harm him. Moreover, with his unparalleled growth speed, even if Fen Juechen’s innate talent was ten times higher, the distance between them would still grow farther until he was reduced to a mere existence like an ant.
The bloodlines and divine power he possessed was an extravagance that ordinary people couldn’t even hope for even over hundreds of generations! His master was also Jasmine, whose very existence transcended this plane. On the Profound Sky Continent, in regards to growth speed, there shouldn’t be anyone who would be able to surpass him.
Xia Yuanba’s astonishing growth speed was because he possessed the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins. It was also this heaven-defying talent that made him the precious treasure of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, the number one ranked Sacred Ground.
The Fen Juechen of that time who was only in the Spirit Profound Realm… How could he, in the short period of four years, have already become a mid-stage Monarch?!
“You think that I’m kidding?” Jasmine coldly replied. “However, you don’t need to be that surprised. His strength wasn’t actually achieved by cultivation. Even his devilish energy was not birthed from his own will. In fact, a devil origin was injected into his soul!”
Chapter 680 - Arranging the Duel
“Devil origin? What’s that?”
“You had better focus on how to deal with the situation at hand first! This person has an exceedingly heavy desire to kill you! Hmph, when you don’t cut the grass and remove the roots, you leave behind a calamity for yourself! But I never thought that the misfortune that you would find would be so huge!” Jasmine criticized in a cold voice.
“Big Brother, this person is…”
“Do not follow me!” Yun Che fiercely thrust a hand out behind him, and a wave of energy rushed out and forcefully pushed the onrushing Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven back. At the same time, he used his other arm to grab Xiao Lingxi and thrust his body in front of hers.
“Do you think… that I am still that useless piece of crap that you left alive all those years ago?!” Fen Juechen’s eyes and tone were incomparably dark and sinister. He raised both his hands which were covered in swirling black energy and a cold, mournful aura. This shook the air, causing everyone’s hearts to race. Even the light began to dim gradually as he continued to speak, “Do not worry, I will not take your life straight away… I will first let you experience all of the pain and suffering that I have endured over the last few years!!”
Fen Juechen’s eyes suddenly flashed with a black light, one that was even deeper than the blackest of nights. His arm thrust forward, and a wave of black energy rushed towards Yun Che’s throat.
The light around Yun Che rapidly dimmed, and before the cold and sinister energy had even drawn near, it had already seeped into his bones. Yun Che had never seen this kind of profound energy or aura before in either of his two lives. When he had exchanged blows with Hui Ye in the Illusory Demon Realm, his Fallen Devil Flames also radiated a sinister aura, but in terms of purity and density, it could not even be compared to the aura being radiated by the attack which sped towards him!
This Fen Juechen… what exactly happened to him in the past few years?!!
Yun Che’s arm swept up, and phoenix flames instantly ignited and rushed out to meet that sinister and black energy… But at this time, Xiao Lingxi suddenly rushed in front of him with an anxious cry and spread her arms wide open as she attempted to block the attack.
“!!” Xiao Lingxi’s sudden action had shocked Yun Che greatly, but he responded by extinguishing his phoenix flames and grabbing Xiao Lingxi. After that, his gathered profound energy changed to become completely focused on defense.
“Sealing Cloud Locking Sun!!”
But Yun Che was not the only one whose expression changed, Fen Juechen’s expression also suddenly changed and he hurriedly retracted his outstretched arm. A majority of the black profound energy that was rushing towards Yun Che was immediately and forcefully taken back by Fen Juechen while the remaining energy exploded on the Evil God Barrier that was in front of Yun Che.
Ssss!!
The colorless Evil God Barrier had become stained black, and after a second, the black energy had completely dissipated while multiple fist-sized holes had astonishingly appeared on the surface of the Evil God Barrier.
The scene caused alarm to flare in Yun Che’s heart. It was clear that the dark energy was
something that Fen Juechen had casually created, yet it had easily broken through his Sealing Cloud Locking Sun! Sealing Cloud Locking Sun was a defensive barrier that was formed using the Evil God’s power, and when it was not able to endure an attack, it would directly collapse. But this time, not only did Sealing Cloud Locking Sun not collapse, it had also been eroded away, and many holes were created in it.
That dark profound energy… contained such a terrifying corrosive power! Could this be one of the dreadful properties of devil profound energy that Jasmine was talking about!?
But the shock in Fen Juechen’s heart was definitely no less than Yun Che’s. He was the most clear on the kind of terrifying power that he wielded right now. The aura of the Emperor Profound Realm emanated from Yun Che, and even though his rapid increase in strength in these few short years was nothing short of shocking, a mere Throne was only a pitiful ant in Fen Juechen’s eyes right now. If he wanted to destroy one, it would be as easy as waving his hand!
But even an Overlord would have an extremely hard time blocking the power that he had released just now due to his loss of control. Yet this attack had been completely blocked by Yun Che… and it was clear that Yun Che had forcibly converted his attack into a defense.
But this shock only lasted for a mere moment, and his gaze was not locked on Yun Che but Xiao Lingxi. After making sure that she had suffered no wounds, his aura stabilized, but after that, it immediately became even colder and more severe.
“Little Aunt, are you alright?” Yun Che hurriedly pushed Xiao Lingxi behind him. Xiao Lingxi shook her head and grabbed him instead while saying in an extremely anxious tone, “I am alright… Little Che, hurry up and leave! Hurry! He isn’t the Fen Juechen of all those years ago. Right now he is really powerful, there is no way you can beat him… hurry up and leave! If not, he will… he will kill you. Leave! Quickly!!”
“Yun Che! You have finally fallen into my hands… so I will definitely ensure you die a dog’s death!!” After seeing how Xiao Lingxi had disregarded her own life to protect Yun Che, Fen Juechen’s eyes shone with the fires of hate, and the black energy surrounding his body abruptly erupted around him. In the blink of an eye, the sky and the earth grew dark. The air completely stopped flowing as the surroundings grew so dark and sinister that it was as if everyone had been plunged into a hellish purgatory.
“What… what is this?” Xiao Yun said in alarm as he tightly shielded Number Seven Under Heaven. The world in front of him had swiftly become dark and gray, it was as if all the light in the area had been swiftly devoured by something. This kind of bizarre scene was something that he had never seen before even though he had grown up in the Demon Imperial City which was the location of the highest echelons of power within the Illusory Demon Realm.
“Don’t!!” Xiao Lingxi swiftly cried out as she turned around and spread her arms once more, using her body to shield Yun Che. She looked at Fen Juechen whose entire body was covered in swirling black energy, and her trembling eyes contained an urgent plea, “Big Brother Fen, I’m begging you… I’m begging you, please don’t kill him!”
“I need to kill him!” Fen Juechen exclaimed with a low shout, “He had repeatedly stepped on my head and has ground my dignity into dust… He killed my father, killed my grandfather, and killed my master… He killed all of the people in my clan… All of them! My hate towards him soars to the heaven. and my grudge against him is great enough to fill the ocean, so how can I not take my revenge… I do not engage in wanton slaughter, but he… must die by my hand!”
“Big Brother Fen…” Xiao Lingxi gently shook her head while she continued pleading with him, “Even though everyone is afraid of you, I have always known that you are not a villain who revels in the slaughter of the innocents. You actually have an extremely kind heart… and you are an extremely good person. You not only saved me, but you also saved all of the people within Floating Cloud City. But why can’t you put down all of your hatred and spare yourself as well! You are always burdened by vengeance and hate, don’t you feel tired?! Doesn’t it hurt?!”
“Tiredness? Pain? What do… these things amount to…” Fen Juechen’s voice became cold and rough, “I am only the way I am today because of him! In order to obtain the power to kill him and take my revenge, I have endured pain that is beyond all of your imaginations!! Even now, I am still plagued by this enormous, unending pain! And with every breath, this pain reminds me to never ever forget this grudge!”
Yun Che, “…”
Fen Juechen slowly extended a hand, and within his palm lay a pitch-black vortex that was as dark as a black hole. “As I have said before, I will not reject any other requests that you make of me! As long as you desire it, I will not hesitate in the slightest, even if it costs me my life! But only my vengeance… cannot be stopped!”
The pitch-black vortex seemed to suck in the souls of everyone present, and if a strong profound practitioner were to just take a look at it, that person would feel a quaking that emanated from his very soul. Xiao Lingxi still remained rooted to the spot, shielding Yun Che with her body. The plea in her eyes slowly died, but it was replaced with a heavy determination instead. “Little Che killed your entire clan, but when it comes down to it, the reason he did it was me! So if you want to kill Little Che… kill me first instead.”
“…” Fen Juechen’s chest fiercely swelled, and the hand which he extended began to faintly tremble, “No… this has nothing to do with you, I won’t kill you… even if I kill myself, I still will definitely not harm you. I only beg that… you do not obstruct me from killing Yun Che! You should know that… with your power, you won’t be able to stop me.”
“I am indeed unable to stop you.” Xiao Lingxi’s gaze remained firm and decisive. “But if you really kill Little Che… I will hate you for all eternity! And I will never, ever forgive you!”
Fen Juechen froze over, and the dark and gloomy energy suddenly stagnated. Following that, his eyes, arms, and his entire body began to be wracked by faint quivering. That dark and gloomy energy began to resume its movement, but it began swirling around chaotically… and the hate in his eyes was replaced by a deep and profound pain.
No one could understand the fierce impact that Xiao Lingxi’s words had on his soul.
No one knew why Fen Juechen, who had come to Floating Cloud City for the sake of vengeance, would choose to remain at this place and not depart.
Nor did anyone know why Fen Juechen, who originally for the sake of vengeance was willing to endure endless agony to swiftly absorb the devil origin at all costs, began to continuously slow down the rate of his absorption of the devil origin after he arrived at Floating Cloud City.
Because in his world that was filled with darkness and gloom… she was his only source of warmth, his only source of light. And unconsciously… she perhaps became even more important than his bone-chilling vengeance… or at the very least, she was far more important than his own life.
“…Hm?” Yun Che had originally looked at Fen Juechen with a cold gaze, but now his gaze had wavered and his expression betrayed his astonishment. Because Fen Juechen’s originally extremely cold and sinister aura began to become chaotic, and his gaze and expression began to distort with exceptional pain. Even that ice-cold killing intent that originally locked onto him quickly dissipated amidst the chaos.
“Arghhh…” Fen Juechen’s face suddenly turned pale. Dark red blood spewed from his mouth, and a large cloud of dark-colored blood sprayed down on the floor.
“Ah!” Xiao Lingxi gave a cry of alarm as she was left at a complete loss.
“What is happening?” Yun Che’s brows furrowed as he asked Jasmine, “You just said that his devil profound energy was not something that could be derived from his own will… so is he suddenly losing control of that power?”
“No!” Jasmine said in a low voice, “His profound energy attacked his own heart. Hmph, it looks like his mind and soul was agitated by what just happened… and in his case, they were agitated to an extremely large extent.”
“Yun… Che!!” Fen Juechen fiercely raised his head and glared doggedly at Yun Che. His blood-smeared face was both pale white and malevolent. The two words that he yelled out contained a surging hate and killing intent that far exceeded what it was previously.
“…” Yun Che gently pushed Xiao Lingxi behind him and began to slowly walk towards Fen Juechen.
“Little Che!!” Xiao Lingxi anxiously pulled on Yun Che’s shoulder. “Do not go over! He…”
“Don’t worry.” Yun Che said as he held the hand that was tightly clasped around his shoulder and looked deeply in her eyes, “The grudge between him and I is not something that can be wiped away or something that he can be dissuaded from. As long as I am alive, it is not something that can be avoided. The only option left for me is to face it head on.”
“Little Aunt, do not worry. He is indeed not the Fen Juechen of all those years ago, but I am also not the same Yun Che either. If he wants to kill me, it will not be easy as he thinks.”
Yun Che’s voice fell, but he did not continue to advance towards Fen Juechen. He only looked up at Fen Juechen and said in a calm and tepid voice, “Fen Juechen, your desire to kill me is so fervent that you dream about it. I also wish to resolve the sudden nuisance that you have become as quickly as possible, so I do not need to waste long and sleepless nights worrying about you. However, today is not the time for such an encounter. Because there are far too many things for me to deal with at the moment, so I do not have any time to waste on you right now. And as for you…” Yun Che gave a long and calm laugh, “As long as my Little Aunt is here to protect me, it would be hard to kill me even if you wanted to.”
Fen Juechen’s eyes widened into saucers, and the black energy surrounding his body fiercely swelled up. But before he could open his mouth, Yun Che’s expression and voice instantly grew deeper as Yun Che extended his right hand and pointed to the east, “But the grievances between you and I are something that we have to settle, no matter what! And it can only be settled between the both of us! So three months from now, on the Eastern Sea that is one hundred and fifty kilometers from here, let us have a duel to death!!”
“At that time, I will come alone and will bring along no one else! And as for you…” Yun Che’s eyes faintly narrowed. “If you are scared that you will be buried forever in the Eastern Sea, then bring as much help as you want!”
Both their gazes collided in the cold air; one was filled with hatred, and the other was as still as stagnant water… Suddenly, Fen Juechen’s body erupted with an incomparably deep black light, and an absolute darkness appeared for a moment in front of everyone’s eyes. After the darkness had been dispelled, Fen Juechen’s body had disappeared from sight and even his aura had completely vanished from the place.
Yun Che’s arm slowly fell and he silently breathed a sigh of relief, but his brows were still knitted tight.
In the two days since he had returned from the Illusory Demon Realm, he had run into one problem after the other… and each problem was greater than the last. He had truly never thought that the Fen Juechen that he had spared that day and never spared a second thought to would actually appear before him again in such shocking fashion.
“Ah, it is indeed true that calamity ensues if you do not pull up the roots as well!” Yun Che scratched his forehead as those words resounded in his heart.
Chapter 681 - Reunion (1)
“Little Che, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Xiao Lingxi was relieved after Fen Juechen had finally left. She immediately grabbed Yun Che’s arm to make sure he wasn’t hurt by the attack just now. After all, she saw first hand how scary Fen Juechen was now.
“I’m alright, don’t worry, he didn’t even hurt a single hair of mine,” Yun Che smiled and comforted her.
“That’s good.” Xiao Lingxi was slightly settled, but her fine face was still covered with a layer of paleness from the excessive shock. She quickly said in an anxious voice, “Little Che, you must not confront him in three months. He has become very strong, far stronger than you can imagine. No matter what, don’t go, or else you really will be killed by him. Even the large army from the Divine Phoenix Empire doesn’t dare to offend him.”
“…Little Aunt, you mentioned earlier that he saved you and all of Floating Cloud City, what was that about?” Yun Che asked.
Xiao Lingxi tried her best to calm herself and said in a soft voice, “A year and a half ago, Big Brother Fen, he… he came here looking for you for revenge. He killed many from the Xiao Clan, but he stopped after I stopped him. After that, he had been staying here, and he hadn’t killed anyone else since… Then, after a year had passed, two hundred thousand soldiers from Divine Phoenix Empire’s army suddenly arrived. After their leader entered the city, I happened to run into him, and he suddenly ordered them to kidnap me…”
“Ordered them to kidnap you?” Yun Che’s expression suddenly darkened.
“Mn… Fortunately, Big Brother Fen showed up just in time to save me and killed a person who was with their leader. He hasn’t killed anyone since and warned the Divine Phoenix Army that they aren’t allowed to kill anyone from Floating Cloud City. Because of his deterrence, the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army didn’t kill anyone from Floating Cloud City anymore. They rarely even step foot into the city now. Or else, with how brutal the Divine Phoenix Army is, even if Floating Cloud City didn’t get slaughtered, in half a year, they definitely would have stepped all over it and destroyed it in its entirety.”
“…The reason he didn’t continue killing the people of Divine Phoenix Army must be because Little Aunt stopped him, right?” Yun Che said as his eyebrows slanted, and there was an inconspicuous hostility in his eyes. At this moment, he felt glad on top of the regret that he didn’t kill Fen Juechen back then… If it wasn’t for Fen Juechen… it was extremely possible that Little Aunt might be…
Leader of the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army… No matter who you are… Even if you are the Heavenly Emperor, you must die!!
“Mn, if he attacked the Divine Phoenix Army, the somewhat peaceful situation would lose control completely. Then, Floating Cloud City would very likely be involved in a large calamity, so I had to stop him… and he hasn’t killed any more people. Even though Big Brother Fen looks very cold-blooded and everyone is scared of him, he really isn’t a bad guy, I… have been grateful for what he has done this entire time. But… how did it become like this between you two…” Xiao Lingxi helplessly mumbled. Back then at Burning Heaven Clan, he stopped Fen Juecheng desperately for her; in Floating Cloud City, he saved her again, and protected all of Floating Cloud City for her.
But there was the hatred of extermination of an entire clan between him and Yun Che.
“Little Aunt,” Yun Che comforted her in a soft voice, “don’t you worry, I will handle the matter between me and him properly.”
“Big Brother,” Xiao Yun slowly brought Number Seven Under Heaven over. He peeked at Xiao Lingxi, turned away nervously, and said with worry, “Who was that person just now? Is he Big Brother’s enemy?”
“Mn, you could say that it is a blood feud,” Yun Che said very directly.
“That person’s aura is so scary.” Number Seven Under Heaven said with lingering fear, “Big Brother Yun, didn’t you say that the profound energy plane in the place that you grew up in is very very low? How come there is someone that strong… I have never felt an aura this terrifying before.”
Xiao Yun nodded his head strongly in agreement.
“It’s complicated,” Yun Che replied, half dismal and half helplessness. “Okay, don’t think about him now. His self-esteem is extremely high. Since I promised to fight with him three months later, he shouldn’t appear to find me again before that.”
“Little Che, you haven’t introduced me, they are…” Xiao Lingxi looked at Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven and revealed an amiable smile.
“I… I… I… I am Xiao Yun.” Facing Xiao Lingxi’s question and gaze, Xiao Yun was so nervous that he stuttered because he heard Yun Che calling her Little Aunt this whole time. In Illusory Demon Realm, he heard this reference too many times from Yun Che. Towards Yun Che, she was the most important person in his life. And towards himself, Xiao Yun… she was one of the two blood relatives that he had left in this world!
One was his grandfather, and the other was his little aunt who has seniority over him even though she was actually one year younger than him.
Number Seven Under Heaven roughly pinched Xiao Yun, who was incredibly nervous, and said openly, “I am Brother Xiao Yun’s wife, everyone calls me Seventh Sister. Big Brother Yun mentioned ‘Little Aunt’ a lot in front of us, and we finally met you today… Little Aunt is even prettier and more charming than imagined.”
“I welcome the both of you to Floating Cloud City. My apologies… you two must have been frightened even though you just got here,” Xiao Lingxi smiled and apologized. If she was complimented like that three years ago by someone Yun Che brought, she would be joyful without thinking twice. But she had greatly changed after these three years, and she was no longer that naive, childish young girl. Everything she said and the smile she gave all showed grace and subtleness on her that rarely appeared before.
“He’s Xiao Yun, my sworn brother, same age as me. This is Xiao Yun’s newly wedded wife, they just got married less than a month ago. Other than this, they have another… more important identity,” Yun Che said mysteriously.
“Another identity?” Xiao Lingxi was confused.
“You will find out soon.” He said softly without waiting for Xiao Lingxi to question, “Little Aunt, is grandfather home?”
“Mn, he is in his own courtyard.” Mentioning Xiao Lie, Xiao Lingxi’s expression became eager. She grabbed Yun Che’s hand. “After princess sis told us you returned, your grandfather has been waiting for you. I wonder how happy he’ll be after he sees you.”
“I also missed grandfather a lot… Let’s go right now!” Yun Che vigorously nodded his head, and started walking out of the courtyard with Xiao Lingxi.
“Hurry and catch up!!” Number Seven Under Heaven dragged Xiao Yun who was staring into space. Then, as if he had just woken up from a dream, he immediately followed behind Yun Che.
The interior of the Xiao Clan hadn’t changed much, and he didn’t forget where grandfather’s courtyard was located in the slightest. He could also remember all the names and faces of the people that he passed by… and when those people saw him, they would be stunned, yell in shock, or would turn aghast as if they had just seen a ghost.
He was getting closer to where Xiao Lie was step by step, and he ignored the exaggerated reactions of everyone in Xiao Clan. Yun Che asked very worriedly, “How has grandfather been these three years?”
Xiao Lingxi lightly bit her lip as soon as she heard him ask that. This unconscious action caused Yun Che’s heart tighten, and she answered faintly, “Three years ago, after we received news that you passed away, father was very calm. He had been trying his best to comfort me and the previous emperor, and he didn’t shed a single tear. But I know that it must have been very hard on him… it was harder on him than anyone else. When father was at the Blue Wind Profound Palace, he had a great appetite, but after that, he would only eat one meal at most each day… and he has been like this ever since.”
“After that, the previous emperor was killed. Father was helping princess sis handle the previous emperor’s funeral, and he suggested taking me back to Floating Cloud City. The day that we returned, dad was suddenly unconscious and had lapsed into a coma for a full day. After that, he was seriously ill for a long time. Even though he was cured from his illness later on, his body grew weaker every day, and he aged extremely quickly. Starting from a year ago, he couldn’t… couldn’t even walk on his own…”
“…” Yun Che held his fists tightly and took a deep breath. When he was in Illusory Demon Realm, the thing that he worried most about was Xiao Lie’s well-being. Three years ago, Xiao Lie had already once resolved himself to die because he had nothing left to live for. It was because Yun Che said in a firm tone and gave him the hope that his “biological grandson must still be alive and must have grown up safely into an adult.” Hearing that, he then no longer had the will to die.
And receiving the news of his death, there was no question that Xiao Lie would be affected heavily… He had received too many cruel shocks throughout his life, and this would be the one that extinguished his final flicker of hope and would cast him into the depths of despair. The reality was even worse than he had expected because accompanied with the news was the disaster of the Blue Wind… The thing that caused his body to become weaker was obviously his dark and heavy will to die.
“Grandfather will recover… he will recover!” Yun Che said loudly, and his eager footsteps became even more rapid.
Xiao Lie was still living in the same courtyard. The door of the courtyard had been taken down which should have been Xiao Lie’s idea. Standing at the entrance of the courtyard that he had once visited everyday but hadn’t stepped in for a whole six years, Yun Che saw the old man sitting in the middle of the courtyard on an old bamboo chair… His eyes were closed, and he was sunbathing under the sunlight that was somewhat warm. There was indifference on his calm face… that was an indifference that was often seen on the dead. His hair was completely white, without a trace of even a single black hair.
A sour feeling spread from Yun Che’s nose to his whole body, and there was deep heartache and guilt, directed at himself. Xiao Lie was only slightly over sixty years old now, and on top of that, his profound energy was close to Earth Profound Realm, so he shouldn’t show any trace of being old. He hadn’t seen him for three years, but he seemed like he aged thirty years. He was about sixty, but he looked like he was eighty or ninety.
They slowly walked in. Just as Xiao Lingxi was about to call out, Xiao Lie slowly opened his eyes, looked at Yun Che, and revealed a joyous smile on his face, “Che’er is back.”
Xiao Lie was very calm, there was the color of joy and gratefulness in his aged eyes, but there was even more of an extremely thick and heavy grayness. Yun Che walked up quickly and kneeled down heavily in front of Xiao Lie with his palms on his knees. “Grandfather, Che’er is unfilial and caused you to suffer.”
Xiao Lie shook his head, smiled lightly, and said, “Seeing that you are alive safe and sound, how would grandfather be suffering. Che’er is a lucky one, you could resolve danger every time. In the future you will definitely achieve great happiness. Heh heh, as long as you and Lingxi are safe, my life will be without regrets.”
Chapter 682 - Reunion (2)
“No!” Yun Che shook his head hard. He looked at Xiao Lie’s blurry eyes and eagerly said, “Grandfather, do you remember that I mentioned ‘Illusory Demon Realm ’after I saved you and Little Aunt from the Burning Heaven Clan?”
“I remember.” Xiao Lie closed his eyes lightly. “That is a very far… an incredibly far place.”
“Back then I told Grandfather that my biological parents are from Illusory Demon Realm. They didn’t get caught by those villains and returned safely back to Illusory Demon Realm in the end, so Grandfather’s biological grandson must have also returned there with them safely. I also promised Grandfather that one day I would find a way to go to Illusory Demon Realm and reunite Grandfather with your own biological grandson. Grandfather, do you know where the Primordial Profound Ark took me during the three years that I was out of contact?”
Xiao Lie, “…”
“It was the Illusory Demon Realm!” Yun Che said loudly, “This must be the arrangement of the heavens. Not long after I arrived there, I found my biological parents!”
As soon as Yun Che said that, Xiao Lie’s weak body shook in response, and his unfocused, blurry eyes immediately started trembling with strange light. “Che’er… what you said… what you just said… is that true?!!”
Back then, his grandson followed Yun Che’s biological parents! If Yun Che found his biological parents, then his child that was with them back then… his biological grandson…
“Ah!!” Xiao Lingxi exclaimed, and she covered her lips with her hands.
“It’s absolutely true! Even if there were ten thousand blades pointed at me, I would never lie to grandfather!” The expression in Yun Che’s eyes was incredibly firm as he said, “Not only did I find my parents, I also…”
Xiao Lie’s body trembled very violently at this moment, and his hands started shaking uncontrollably. His legs that could barely stand straight originally, started standing up little by little while shivering… Yun Che lifted his head in surprise and saw Xiao Lie’s eyes looking straight behind him.
Xiao Yun was at the entrance of the courtyard with Number Seven Under Heaven as he nervously hesitated, wondering whether or not to walk in.
“Father!!” Xiao Lingxi immediately walked up and supported Xiao Lie who suddenly stood up. Yun Che also supported him on his other side right away. He hadn’t said that he found Xiao Yun in Illusory Demon Realm yet, and he didn’t make it clear that he brought him with him, but the way Xiao Lie looked at Xiao Yun and his uncontrollable emotion all of a sudden… Could there really be something like “bloodline connection” that exists in this world?
“Child…” Xiao Lie lifted his arm slowly in Xiao Yun’s direction as Xiao Yun was staring blankly. His voice trembled, and his eyes were misty, “What… what is your name?”
“My…” Xiao Yun pointed at himself blankly. “My… my name is Xiao Yun.”
“Xiao Yun… Xiao… Yun…” Xiao Lie said the name in a trembling voice, and then he nodded slowly and heavily, “Good… good… Born by the Xiao Family, raised by the Yun Family, good name…”
“Father, what are you talking about?” Xiao Lingxi’s beautiful eyes that were gazing at Xiao Yun widened slowly, and her eyes started trembling even harder as she started to piece everything together. “Could he be… so he is…”
Xiao Lie took another difficult step forward with his quivering body. His husky voice was accompanied with deep sorrow and excitement, “You look exactly the same… as your father… when he was young…”
“Ah!” Xiao Lingxi gasped lightly, and was stunned on the spot. Yun Che immediately realized why grandfather would be so excited before he even introduced Xiao Yun and understood why his father said that his grandfather would definitely be able to recognize him the instant his grandfather saw Xiao Yun. The reason was because Xiao Yun actually looked just like his father when his father was young… After all, Xiao Ying and Xiao Yun were biologically father and son.
“You are… my grandfather?” Xiao Yun looked at the old man who was already in tears in front of him, and there was a sour feeling gathering uncontrollably from the tip of his nose to his heart, one that he couldn’t hold back.
The memory back then rose once again in his mind, and it made every word Xiao Lie said sorrowful. “Back then, before your father handed you to your foster father, your mother tattooed the character ‘An’ on your left arm so that they could one day find you again… After you were born, your mother named you Xiao An. That ‘An’ on your left arm is your name and resulted from the hope that you and your foster parents could escape danger safely and that they would be able to reunite with you in the future.”
Xiao Yun was stunned for a long time, and then slowly, he pulled up the sleeve of his left arm. On the forearm close to the top, the small, delicate character “An” was clearly printed there.
Looking just like Xiao Ying from back then, and the “An” on his arm… There was no need for Yun Che’s explanation, everything was already proven incredibly clearly.
“Grandfather,” Yun Che smiled and said, “I didn’t lie to you back then right? I knew that you two will one day reunite. Xiao Yun… he is your grandfather.”
Xiao Yun tried his best to suppress the uncontrollable emotion in his heart. He swiftly stepped forward and kneeled down heavily before Xiao Lie. “Grandson Xiao Yun greets grandfather… grandson is unfilial. I was born more than twenty years but still hadn’t been able to express my filial piety before grandfather, and allowed grandfather to suffer from pain and worry.”
Xiao Lie had been holding his tears back, but the moment he heard Xiao Yun’s words, he burst into tears… he had imagined countless of times what it would be like to reunite with his grandson. But back then, they had personally placed him in danger. Even if he was still alive, he wasn’t able carry out his responsibility of raising him all these years. In addition, even if they were to reunite one day… if his grandson knew what happened back then, it would be reasonable for his grandson to hate him, blame him, and ignore him.
However, not only did he not hate or blame him, on the contrary, he kneeled down in front of him and called himself “unfilial.” This was like the most luxurious gift in the world. He reached out and held onto Xiao Yun’s arms, coming into contact with the closest remaining family that he thought he lost forever and only dared to desire in his dreams. “Good child… how are you unfilial… You are still safe and sound, this is being filial. You are willing to come back, this is filial. Grandfather has wronged you for your entire life, but you are still willing to call me grandfather, this is nothing but filial! All this time, it should be grandfather who should be apologizing!”
“Grandfather, please don’t say that.” Xiao Yun’s eyes were filled with tears. “Big Brother told me everything about what happened back then. Father and Grandfather’s morality both are so high that it reaches the clouds, and you are both incredibly noble people. I am lucky and proud to have a father and grandfather like this. I have never blamed you two for anything. Also, for the more than twenty years in Illusory Demon Realm, my parents treat me like their own, and I have been living great life, better than anyone else, and I haven’t been wronged at all. But grandfather has suffered a lot.”
“To be able to see that you grew up safely into an adult, and so lovable and mature, even if grandfather needed to suffer hundred times or thousands times more, I will not complain. Good child… get up, get up, quick,” Xiao Lie help Xiao Yun up with his trembling arms, and his whole face was covered with tears from his excitement.
Yun Che’s eyes teared up a little as well because he finally accomplished grandfather’s wish. He said softly, “Grandfather, this time Xiao Yun didn’t come here alone. Before he came back, he had already built a family and gained accomplishments. Not only was he bestowed the title of King above tens of thousands of people in Illusory Demon Realm, he also married a princess from a top family.”
Before Yun Che’s voice fell, Number Seven Under Heaven already kneeled down by Xiao Yun’s side and said, “Granddaughter-in-law Little Seven greets grandfather.”
“Good… good…” Everything was too wonderful, one thing after another caught him by surprise. At this moment, the expression on his face and in his eyes possessed excitement, joy, infinite satisfaction, and numerous tears; there was no trace of grayness or deathly stillness anymore.
“Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, hurry over and hold grandfather.” Yun Che smiled and said, “You all must have a lot of things you want to say to each other since your family just reunited. Grandfather’s body is weak now, and he cannot stand for long, so help him into the room.”
“Mn!” Xiao Yun wiped his tears immediately, grabbed onto Xiao Lie’s arms with Number Seven Under Heaven, and helped him slowly to the room with each on either side. Xiao Lie’s footsteps were slow and cautious, and there were tears and a smile on his face… That deep satisfaction and happiness came directly from his soul.
Yun Che and Xiao Lingxi didn’t follow them in. Xiao Lingxi grabbed onto Yun Che’s clothes tightly. Her eyes were filled with tears from the excitement, and she said softly, “That is really great… This is the first time I saw dad so excited and this joyful. It really is great… so great…”
“He is Father’s biological son and my biological nephew… Our family actually has a chance to reunite.” Xiao Lingxi mumbled in a low voice as if she was talking in her sleep, “Everything, is just like I am dreaming.”
“Yeah, Xiao Yun is the one who should follow the rules and call you Little Aunt.” Yun Che looked at Xiao Lingxi’s blushing cheeks and said seriously, “As for me, I am completely not related to you, and you are actually one year younger than me. Normally, I should call you Little Sister Lingxi, but I called you Little Aunt for so many years all for nothing, it is such a loss.”
“Little Sister… Lingxi?!” Xiao Lingxi immediately pinched her fingers onto Yun Che’s arm and said angrily in her delicate voice, “Is Little Sister Lingxi something you are allowed to call me!? I am your Little Aunt… and I will be forever! You actually dare to show no respect for your senior in front of Little Aunt.”
“Owowow…” Yun Che exaggeratedly yelled and said as if he was wronged, “You clearly knew that we were not related by blood… not even a little bit.”
“My dad is your grandfather, so I am still your senior! You said Xiao Yun is your sworn brother before, and I am Xiao Yun’s Little Aunt, so of course you must also call me Little Aunt as well!” Listing out sufficient reasons, Xiao Lingxi’s face revealed a proud smile. “So don’t think that just because my biological nephew is back you can show no respect for your senior in front of Little Aunt. And you want to call me Little Sister Lingxi? Hmph.”
“Well…” Yun Che stared at Xiao Lingxi in appreciation and smiled. The smile on his face was accompanied with a bit of ill intentions. “Did Little Aunt really forget? In front of Little Aunt, what I am best at is showing no respect for my senior!”
Yun Che had forcefully but gently grabbed hold of Xiao Lingxi’s tender body. Before she could react, Yun Che had already heavily kissed onto her supple lips. The tender cry that was just about to come out of her mouth were entirely drowned out by the scent of man.
“Ah…” Xiao Lingxi’s beautiful eyes widened and cried out a little with her arms subconsciously struggling against Yun Che’s chest . Before, when Yun Che tried to sneak a kiss with her, after he got what he wanted, he would always escape to somewhere far away. But this time, he didn’t escape, and he forced her to not be able to escape. While she was struggling, he was intoxicated by the sweetness between her lips.
Slowly, Xiao Lingxi’s struggling became weaker and weaker, and her arms that were against his chest lost strength, lowered slightly, and then lifted again quietly. She hugged him fearfully. Her thin, delicate neck also lifted up a bit. She started responding to him in a daze, seeming to have forgotten Xiao Lie and Xiao Yun were in the house fifteen meters away and could have see them the entire time. A red blush spread on her snowy face, slowly warmed up her body, and melted her young girl’s shyness.
After a long time, their lips finally separated. Xiao Lingxi leaned on Yun Che’s chest as she panted lightly. Her eyelashes were trembling slightly, her delicate face was red as cherry blossoms, and her eyes were unfocused like the mist, as if she hadn’t woken up from her dream just now. Yun Che’s eyes looked down and he called out to her softly, “Little Aunt…”
“Don’t talk…” Xiao Lingxi’s forehead leaned harder into his chest, and her arms held him even closer, “Just like this… hug me for a while…”
“Mm…” Yun Che stopped talking. The two of them leaned together quietly, feeling each other’s presence and existence and hoping that time could be paused at this moment forever.
crushanapple: The An (安) in Xiao An means safe and peace.
Chapter 683 - The “Old Man Duotian” of Legend
On the edge of Profound Sky Continent, in a place that was always peaceful.
“Everything you have said… it’s all true?”
WIthin a mysterious space that floated within the air, it was so quiet that it was as if everything was completely frozen. Underneath the gigantic Sun Moon Totem stood a tall person. He wore white clothes, and lacked any aura on his body; the light and darkness from the Sun Moon Totem shone onto his average face that lacked any unique features. He looked to be around thirty to forty years old, but his eyes contained incomprehensible deepness.
In front of him, the Sun Moon Divine Hall’s ninth elder, Ye Guying, had his head bowed low. He was trying his hardest to hold his aura, and even his breath in… Under the heavens, there was only one person that could make him act so subserviently.
The master of the Sun Moon Divine Hall… Ye Xinghan’s biological father… The person that was listed alongside the Saint Emperor, the Sovereign of the Seas, and the Sword Master as the current Four Hegemons… The one with the title of “Heavenly Monarch”—Ye Meixie!
Towards the doubt of the white-robed person, Ye Guying’s body subconsciously moved forward, and said respectfully, “In response to the Heavenly Monarch, there is not a single word of lie from what Guying just said! Creating a world, breaking the void, an aura that covers the heavens, creating a fire from nothingness… If Guying were to merely hear about them, he would never believe these levels of profound strength that can be considered myths. But Guying has seen all these! Young Master, Juanyun, and Shuran were all present; it’s not the least bit false. Even if Guying were a thousand times more courageous, he would never dare lie to Heavenly Monarch about these things.”
Ye Meixie had his back towards Ye Guying. His head was slightly raised as he looked up into the Sun Moon Totem that was high up in the clouds, releasing eternal light. “Guying, you have always been calm and prudent and your thoughts are always detailed. Since you saw it with your own eyes, and have said it yourself, I naturally will not doubt it. It’s just that I never thought that such an existence had hid itself in this world.”
“If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t dare to believe either.” The scenes in front of the Frozen Cloud Divine Hall surfaced in his mind, causing Ye Guying’s face to be unable to control the deep respect and fear on his face. “That Yun Che was useless six years ago, this point is definitely true, but three years ago, with the powers of the Earth Profound Realm, he single-handedly defeated ten of the Divine Phoenix Sect’s younger generation. All of them were powerful people of the Emperor Profound Realm as well. Only three years have elapsed, but he can now kill two mid-stage Overlords of our Sun Moon Divine Hall! When I found out about it, I was shocked and couldn’t comprehend how this was possible, but after seeing that terrifying master, I actually understood… Only with the guidance of such a master beyond this world could a freak that defied logic like Yun Che appear.”
Ye Meixie’s expression didn’t change. He slightly raised his head and said faintly, “Then did you manage to get that person’s name?”
“Yes!” Ye Guying nodded slowly, “I risked the danger of angering him and asked for his name. He didn’t avoid it at all and directly told me that his name was ‘Duotian’…”
The moment the words “Duotian” came out of his mouth, Ye Guying felt a sudden movement of profound energy on Ye Meixie’s body. Ye Meixie’s half-shut eyes suddenly opened as and he forcefully turned around. “What did you say? Duotian?! You’re sure it’s Duotian?!”
Ye Meixie’s reaction shocked Ye Guying. In a thousand years, he had never seen the Heavenly Monarch that looked down upon the world reveal such a violent reaction, so he quickly answered, “He said it himself. With his level, since he said it, then he would not use a false name.”
An unnatural movement appeared in Ye Meixie’s eyes. His aura was still scattered everywhere. “But did he say how long he has lived for?”
“He did not,” Ye Guying replied . “However, he mentioned the words ‘ten thousand years ago’ inadvertently… With his terrifying realm, it might be possible that he really has lived for more than ten thousand years. Heavenly Monarch, could it be that you have once heard of the name ‘Duotian.’”
Ye Meixie looked directly at Ye Guying. From the movement of his soul, he could be sure that, at the very least, Ye Guying did not lie at all. After quite a while, he turned around, his voice slow and distant, “In an era long ago, which is at least ten thousand years in the past, at the time, the name of Sun Moon Divine Hall was not yet known to the world.. The founder of our Divine Hall, Ye Qihun, was only a hundred years old, and his profound energy level was only just in the Monarch Profound Realm. At the time, whether they were commoners or people of the profound way, there was a single name that everyone knew…”
“Old Man Duotian!”
“Old Man… Duotian? Ten thousand years ago…” Ye Guying suddenly raised his head and exclaimed, “Could it be…”
“In the knowledge of the current profound practitioners, the Monarch Profound Realm is the peak of mankind. The Divine Profound Realm only exists in legends, a realm that could never be achieved. However, in the memories passed down by our ancestors, the name “Divine Profound Realm” did not appear after the Phoenix Spirit’s appearance five thousand years ago, even though it was passed down from ten thousand years ago. This was because, at the time, ‘Old Man Duotian’ was someone said to have surpassed the Monarch Profound Realm and was half-step into the Divine Profound Realm!”
“Divine Profound… Realm!” Ye Guying muttered.
“In that era, the cultivation of Old Man Duotian was at the peak and was on a miraculous level. Don’t talk about someone that could rival him, no one who could even pose him a threat existed.. It was even more impossible for someone to kill him.”
“Then what happened to this Old Man Duotian later? Since no one can kill him, then did he die of old age, or… or…” After the initial shock, Ye Guying’s heart had gradually come to a conclusion… Yun Che’s master proclaimed himself as “Duotian”, and had shocking powers. The person that the Heavenly Monarch called “Old Man Duotian,” the former has lived for at least ten thousand years, the latter’s name trembled the world ten thousand years ago…
“Duotian”, is the ‘Old Man Duotian’ from ten thousand years ago”!?
“No!” Ye Meixie shook his head lightly. “All traces of him just vanished into thin air one day. No one has ever saw him afterwards, nor did anyone know where he went either. it was as if he suddenly completely disappeared from the Profound Sky Continent. Not long after, a rumor spread through the Profound Sky Continent: The Heavenly Old Man had a sudden insight and formally stepped into the Divine Profound Realm from being just half a step in and became the first Profound God in the history of the Profound Sky Continent. Receiving unparalleled divine powers through understanding the highest laws, he broke through the void and rose into a higher-leveled world of the profound way.
“From then on, Old Man Duotian never appeared again, nor did a second ‘Old Man Duotian’ appear. The only thing that was half a step into the Divine Profound Realm, the Phoenix Spirit, is not human either. After ten thousand years, it’s enough for any traces to be long forgotten. The people from the age of ‘Old Man Duotian’ have long since scattered to ashes. Old Man Duotian was completely forgotten, and the legend of the Monarch Divine Realm being the limit of humans has become more and more firmly entrenched. If it wasn’t for the memories of the ancestors being passed along each generation to never be forgotten, including me, no one would know the name “Old Man Duotian’ in this world.”
Ye Meixie’s expression became more and more sullen. As someone who had thought himself as invincible, suddenly finding out about a hidden existence on a higher level in this world, his mood naturally would not be good. He said softly, “If they are both named “Duotian,” then the name might just be a coincidence, but with over ten thousand years of age and incomprehensible power, it definitely is so simple, that this Duotian, might very well be the ‘Old Man Duotian’ from our ancestor’s memories!”
Although he already thought this before, Ye Guying’s eyelids still jumped. A person that was invincible throughout the world ten thousand years ago, with half a step into the Divine Profound Realm, who might have even completely entered it… Then ten thousand years later, it was extremely hard to imagine how terrifying he was!
No wonder, with the flames he lit from his fingers, he was able to turn a powerful monarch into nothing.
“From your description, this guess has at least a seventy percent chance of being true, “Ye Meixie said with a frown. “Who would have thought that the Old Man Duotian ten thousand years ago did not rise to a higher-level world, but had never left the Profound Sky Continent! Perhaps, one day, he suddenly had a complete understanding. Thus, he erased all traces of himself and ignored the world… Until today, he still lives in this world. If he really reached the level in legends, then having a lifespan greater than ten thousand years is definitely not impossible!”
“It can’t be wrong. That is definitely a realm surpassing the Monarch Profound Realm!” Ye Guying, who has always been careful and never said absolute things, said with a tone beyond absolute certainty, “Guying has cultivated for thousands of years and is only a step away from the late stage of the Monarch Profound Realm. He assumed that he could look down on the entire Profound Sky Continent, but in front of that person’s aura, I felt like I was as tiny as a child. My body shuddered uncontrollably, and I could not even keep calm. If it wasn’t for the absolute suppression of realms, it would be impossible!”
“Absolute Monarch Sanctuary has ten odd people in the Monarch Profound Realm, and only with a lot of time and effort could they build up a spatial profound formation and seal it into the bracelet… But it could only be used once! Yet that person, he entered the Primordial Profound Ark with just his body and brought Yun Che back out without harm! This is clearly the power to shatter the void which is only possessed by the gods of legend!”
From what he had seen with his own eyes, heard with his own ears, in combination with the name “Old Man Duotian” that Ye Meixie described in person, the more Ye Guying thought about it, the more shocked he was. Cold sweat began to dribble down from his forehead… They actually pissed off such a character that they really were incredibly fortunate to be able to come back alive.
Ye Meixie remained in silent for a long time, then said calmly, “Tell the entire hall later, that no one, before I remove the order, is allowed to provoke Yun Che, including those he’s affiliated with.”
“Understood!” Ye Guying raised his head and listened to the orders. Right now, even if he was three times more daring, he would not dare to step into Frozen Cloud Divine Hall ever again. After a bit of hesitation, he said carefully, “Heavenly Monarch, do we need to loosen the relationship with Yun Che? After all, the Young Master and Yun Che already have deep rooted grudges. Yet the person behind Yun Che is that Old Man Duotian. If this grudge isn’t resolved, I fear…”
Ye Meixie turned his face over and looked with eyes like frozen swords, “You’re scared?”
Ye Guying laughed wryly and said, “In response to the Heavenly Monarch, Guying was fortunate in this life to become a person of the Divine Hall and stand at the peak of the world. I am now one thousand and three hundred years old and never knew what ‘fear’ was. However, that Old Man Duotian, truly made me afraid.”
He was already addressing Yun Che’s “master” directly as “Old Man Duotian,” so it was clear that he subconsciously believed it all already.
Chapter 684 - Devil Sword Conference?
“Guying has never felt fear before in his life because there was basically nothing in this world that could threaten our Sun Moon Divine Hall. But the strength of that Old Man Duotian has transcended the ordinary and entered into the realm of the divine, something that surpasses the ancient and illuminates the new. He personally said that destroying our Sun Moon Divine Hall would be as easy as flipping a single hand… and as an Elder of our Divine Hall, someone who is responsible for defending our ten thousand year legacy, it was something that I could not take lightly.
“Besides Old Man Duotian, that Yun Che also causes my blood to run cold. When I was waiting for the Heavenly Monarch to return, I took the time to collate and pore through all the information I could find on Yun Che. And what I found indicated that this person is possessed of an extremely arrogant and unyielding character. Moreover, he will avenge even the smallest of grievances, and his methods are both vicious and merciless. All of those who have offended him or made an enemy out of him, every single one of those people have met a miserable end. In the past, within the territory of the huge Divine Phoenix Sect, he dared to give them a fierce slap across the face despite having no backup at all. Given his temperament, if he ever gains sufficient strength, he will definitely come to take his revenge on the Young Master, and in doing so, he will implicate and bring calamity to our entire Sun Moon Divine Hall! Moreover… moreover…”
Ye Guying inhaled deeply before continuing, “Heavenly Monarch, I won’t lie to you. Him not wanting to break his vow to not kill was only one of the reasons why that Old Man Duotian let us go that day. The other reason… the more important reason, was actually that he was rebuking his own disciple and admonishing him to not rely on him but instead rely on his own strength to settle his own quarrels… and he even personally said that Yun Che only needed three more years to be unrivalled under the heavens and in six years, he would have enough strength to trample over our Sun Moon Divine Hall!”
Ye Meixie, “…”
“If this was only a potential threat, we could simply weed it out before it has a chance to blossom. But standing behind this threat is the Old Man Duotian, who we simply cannot afford to provoke. So we can only stand witness to his continuous growth. Given his unfathomably fast advancement in the profound, it might really not be mere fantasy to believe that he could actually be unrivalled under the heavens within the span of a few years! In addition, with his temperament and his previous conduct, the threat he poses to our Sun Moon Divine Hall… is definitely not something we can afford to take lightly!”
Ye Guying’s words caused Ye Meixie’s eyelids to faintly tremble and caused his brows to knit together even more tightly. After a short period of time, he suddenly asked in a calm tone of voice, “Han’er has mentioned this to me before. Three years ago, in the Primordial Profound Ark, Supreme Ocean Palace’s Jade-faced Demon Monarch, Ji Qianrou, had acted against him before in order to protect Yun Che. Did this actually happen?”
“Indeed, what you have said is true.” Ye Guying nodded his head. Regarding this matter, more than half of Sun Moon Divine Hall knew about it as well. and that was because when Ye Xinghan had returned from the Divine Phoenix Empire all those years ago, he remained in a state of constant rage for many days… and one of the people he cursed was that very Ji Qianrou.
“Hm.” Ye Meixie lapsed into a studied silence before he slowly said, “Before the sun sets today, use my name to make a sound transmission to Supreme Ocean Palace’s Grand Elder Mo Chenfeng, and request that he sends out one more invitation card to invite Yun Che to participate in the Devil Sword Conference that will take place in several month’s time! Since Ji Qianrou and Yun Che have some history together, he would be the most suitable person to relay this message.”
“Devil Sword Conference?” Ye Guying raised his head and his face was clouded with suspicion, but after a brief contemplation, he spoke, “Could it be that the reason why Heavenly Monarch paid a visit to Supreme Ocean Palace was due to matters concerning the Devil Sword Conference?”
“That’s right,” Ye Meixie said as he faintly nodded his head.
“That devil sword, could it be…”
“Naturally it is that Heavenly Sin Divine Sword!” Ye Meixie answered as he gave a cold snort.
“The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword that went missing for one thousand years, it was actually in the hands of Supreme Ocean Palace all along?” Ye Guying asked with a shocked expression on his face. “I had thought that…”
“No!” Ye Meixie said in a cold, emotionless voice, “Supreme Ocean Palace is merely organizing the Devil Sword Conference, but the ones who suggested holding this meeting in the first place was Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.”
“Ah, so it was as I thought! So Mighty Heavenly Sword Region is admitting that they stole away the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword all those years ago?”
“Humph!” Ye Meixie gave a cold laugh, “Did you actually expect that sly old fox Xuanyuan Wentian to admit to such a thing? According to his own words, they had only recently found this sword in some remote and desolate region. After recognizing that the sword was actually the Eternal Night Royal Family’s Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, they proclaimed that this divine sword should not be monopolized by their Mighty Heavenly Sword Region alone, but it was something that should be shared with all the heroes of the realm. Thus, he proactively suggested holding this Devil Sword Conference. And in order to make it clear that he didn’t have any selfish ambition or dark schemes involving the sword, he also proactively suggested that the Devil Sword Conference not be held in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and even directly passed the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword to Supreme Ocean Palace.”
“Mighty Heavenly Sword Region must take us all for fools!” Ye Guying said with sunken brows, “One thousand years ago, the Four Sacred Grounds joined hands to eradicate the Eternal Night Royal Family, but it was only after we had done the deed that we discovered we were all being used by Mighty Heavenly Sword Region! The Eternal Night Royal Family was consigned to oblivion while the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword disappeared as well. In all likelihood, it had long ago fallen into the hands of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region! So organizing this so-called ‘Devil Sword Conference’ clearly indicates that Mighty Heavenly Sword Region spent an entire millennium unsuccessfully trying to discover the secrets of the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, so now they have no choice but to borrow our strength as well.”
“It is indeed as you have said. But the gimmick behind this Devil Sword Conference is sufficient inducement to entice everyone.” Ye Meixie continued as his voice grew soft, “Xuanyuan Wentian personally said that it is extremely likely that the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword contains the secret of attaining divinity!”
“This…” Ye Guying lapsed into a short stupor before shaking his head resolutely. “Those are merely cheap words flung our way by Xuanyuan Wentian, it definitely isn’t possible! If not, how could the guardians of this sword, the Eternal Night Royal Family, have been purged!”
“The secret of attaining divinity. Even though it is clear that this is something cooked up by Xuanyuan Wentian to reel us in, for those of us who have lingered at the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm for hundreds of years without being able to advance even a step further, it is irresistibly enticing. Moreover…” Ye Meixie’s tone changed and his pupil’s grew dark as he continued, “It might not just be empty words.”
“The Heavenly Monarch’s meaning is…”
“One thousand years ago, the strength of the King of Eternal Night was the weakest amongst the rulers of the Five Sacred Grounds. But when he went berserk and devilized, it took fourteen hours of fierce battle and the combined might of the leaders of the other Sacred Grounds along with seventeen elders to defeat him! And even though his flesh was destroyed, his soul did not dissipate. Not only that, it was fully preserved and all the might we could muster was not enough to destroy it. In the end, we could only pay a huge price to seal him into a soul coffin and allow him to dissipate naturally.
“Till this day, the power displayed by the King of Eternal Night after he went berserk still causes my heart to tremble with fear. Death of the body but not the soul is a divine power that transcends the Sovereign Profound Realm. Every time I think of it, I have this profound feeling that this ability cannot be so easily dismissed as a byproduct of devilization… and if one was to say that this was the power of someone who had transcended the Sovereign Profound Realm and taken half a step into the Divine Profound Realm, it isn’t beyond the bounds of logic.”
“…” Ye Guying did not say anything. He had not been present at the fierce battle with the King of Eternal Night all those years ago, nor did he have the qualifications to be present. So he was unable to truly understand Ye Meixie’s words.
Ye Meixie turned around and continued, “Those invited to the Devil Sword Conference all possess the ability to attempt to decipher the secret behind the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. Only the strongest individuals and powers in the Profound Sky Continent will be present. Considering Yun Che’s ability to kill our Divine Hall’s protectorates, he possesses the qualifications to attend. Given his haughty nature, he should not reject attending a meeting of the strongest powers in the realm. And at that time…”
Ye Meixie did not continue to speak, and despite the glow of the Sun Moon Totem, his pupils were so dark they did not contain a hint of light. Ye Guying rose out of his chair and replied in a respectful tone, “I obey the will of the Heavenly Monarch.”
“You may go… Ask Han’er to attend to me after this.”
“Yes.” Ye Guying retreated two steps before soundlessly leaving.
At the same time: Blue Wind Nation, Floating Cloud City.
Even if one were to beat Yun Che to death, he would not have thought that the name he had casually thought of, “Duotian,” actually belonged to a real person! To think that it was the name of a mythical powerhouse who existed ten thousand years ago and had the strength to shake both the heavens and the earth.
Furthermore, not only did this not expose a flaw in his plan, it actually caused the deterrent he had created to multiply exponentially!
To the point where even Ye Meixie had given personal instructions to not interfere with him!
It had also created the opportunity for him to be invited to the Devil Sword Conference.
At this time, Yun Che, who was unaware of all that was happening, had just flown out and arrived in the area east of Floating Cloud City. He floated hundreds of meters above as he coldly eyed the ground below.
The two hundred thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers were spread across the rolling hills of the land below. They were split into units of ten, a hundred or a thousand. All the movement they were making caused the ground to rumble, producing the incessant sound of rumbling which came from every direction.
Xiao Lingxi had informed him that after the Divine Phoenix Army had arrived, they had never chosen to garrison themselves in Floating Cloud City. From the second day of their arrival, they had engaged in these actions… the concentrated and muffled sounds of explosions continued nearly unabated and had already continued for close to six months. The common consensus among the people of the Floating Cloud City was that the Divine Phoenix Army were training their troops.
But Yun Che was naturally not so naive as to believe that they were really training their troops… because it was impossible that the invincible Divine Phoenix Army was formed and moulded using such a ridiculous method.
But after observing them for a long period of time, he still could not puzzle together what this huge DIvine Phoenix Army was trying to accomplish…The broken and damaged ground had clearly been flipped over countless of times. The movements, range, and frequency of the actions of the Divine Phoenix Army were all uniform and it was clear that “training” for half a year had drilled these actions into their bones.
“Jasmine can you see what exactly they are doing?” Yun Che asked as his brows pinched together.
“Hmph, do you need to ask me when it comes to these kinds of things?” Jasmine replied huffily.
Yun Che’s mouth bent at a crooked angle and he activated “Hidden Flowing Lightning.” causing his presence to be completely concealed. After that, he silently descended and hid himself at the edge of the Divine Phoenix Army’s encampment.
Before too long, a soldier of the Divine Phoenix Army left his “training squad” and slowly shuffled his way towards where Yun Che was hiding, mumbling something incomprehensible under his breath while trying to loosen the armor around his waist. When he had reached a “convenient” spot that was behind a tall rock, a hand flashed out of thin air and locked onto his throat.
The soldier felt his neck was being held by iron clamps that were as heavy as thousands of kilograms as his eyes bulged out and some of his blood vessels exploded. He could not utter even a single sound despite his shock and horror. Yun Che coldly looked at him and profound light flashed on his arm. His Profound Handle instantly broke through the soldier’s mental defenses and embedded itself into his soul. Following that, memories flowed like water into Yun Che’s mind.
In a flash, Yun Che withdrew his Profound Handle, and with a casual flick of his hand, he threw the soldier to the ground. The soldier’s eyes were still stretched wide open, but he was no longer breathing.
After Yun Che had absorbed the soldier’s memories, not only were his doubts not cleared up, but his brows knit together even more tightly. That was because the information he had retrieved from the soldier indicated that his orders were to undergo special training in this location.
The content of this special training was to gather up all of one’s profound energy and smash it against the ground. The louder the better and the heavier the better… if anyone was caught slacking, they would be slapped with heavy punishments, and the punishments were severe to the point where soldiers could be executed on the spot.
However Yun Che did not come away completely empty handed. At the very least, he now knew one person’s name, likeness and the location he was normally at!
Feng Huwei—the great commander of these two hundred thousand Divine Phoenix Soldiers, the famed and brilliant Great General Huwei of the Divine Phoenix Empire. He was someone who possessed the bloodline of the Phoenix and also belonged to the Divine Phoenix Sect.
The most important thing, however… was that when the Divine Phoenix Army descended upon the Floating Cloud City, it was him who tried to seize Xiao Lingxi! If not for the aid of Fen Juechen, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Yun Che’s gaze shot towards the south-east… that was where Feng Huwei’s large tent was located! In an instant, he had morphed into an after-image that was hard to discern with the naked eye as he rushed towards that location. An icy-cold killing intent rippled in those calm eyes.
Chapter 685 - Then That Is Simply Too Wonderful!
In the middle of the Divine Phoenix Army’s encampment lay a large crimson tent that was shaped like a flame; it was especially eye-catching.
As Divine Phoenix Empire’s designated commander stationed at Floating Cloud City, Feng Huwei had been in a good mood all this while because he knew the importance of this “mission” that he was overseeing. Being entrusted with such a heavy responsibility clearly showed the trust and how highly the sect leader and the elders regarded him. Once this mission was over, it was extremely likely that his position in the Divine Phoenix Sect would rise.
However, for the past two days, the army which had launched the assault on Blue Wind Imperial City had suddenly ceased all communication, so he felt somewhat ill at ease.
“Is there still no news from the main army?”
There were only two people in the big tent. Feng Huwei was dressed in light clothes, and he sat slumped on a wooden chair, a cup of strong liquor in hand, as he listened to his vice commander’s report.
“It isn’t only the main army, the west army’s commander Han Xingzhao personally went with the Twenty-Fifth Elder to investigate the situation at Blue Wind Imperial City and we have also lost contact with them. They even brought along fifty thousand troops and thousands of Fire War Horses and aerial profound beasts, so it should have been no problem for them to advance and retreat as needed, but…” Feng Huwei’s number one deputy general, Tian Yi, said even as a look of profound fear creased his face. They had galloped from one battlefield to another for more than a hundred years, but they had never encountered such terrifying situation before. Those tens of thousands of troops seemed to have simply evaporated from the face of the earth in the space of a minute.
Feng Huwei furrowed his brows as he sunk into a contemplative silence. After a short while, he slowly began to speak, “To cause tens of thousands of troops and three elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect to disappear in such a short span of time that they did not even have the opportunity to send out a sound transmission, to be able do this… the only possibility is that a guardian who is at the Sovereign Profound Realm has appeared at Blue Wind Imperial City!”
“Sovereign Profound… A Monarch?!” Vice Commander Tian Yi’s head jerked up as he yelled in alarm, “How is that possible?! The Emperor Profound Realm has always been the limit in Blue Wind Nation, and in their thousand year history, not even a single Overlord has ever risen from there. So how could there suddenly be a Monarch?! Moreover, profound practitioners who have attained the power of the Sovereign Profound Realm are existences which are akin to absolute emperors within this continent, so why would they bother lifting a hand to aid a lowly nation such as Blue Wind Nation.”
“Besides this, there can be no other explanation. I also believe that the Sect Master and all the other Elders have definitely come to the same conclusion.” Feng Huwei said without the slightest hesitation, “If one were to say that Blue Wind Nation has no Monarchs… then how do you explain that terrifying black-clothed man in Floating Cloud City?!”
Tian Yi’s words died in his throat. As he remembered the horrifying scene that he had witnessed half a year ago and that aura which seemed to come from the very depths of hell, his heart still violently seized up in his chest.
“Therefore, I do believe that the Sect Master and all the Elders have also reached the same conclusion.” Feng Huwei threw the now-empty pot of liquor away as he continued to speak calmly, “However, even if there is a Monarch guarding Blue Wind Nation, he can only do so for so long! Our Divine Phoenix Sect has twelve such Monarchs! So that person is truly naive if he thinks that he can challenge our Divine Phoenix Empire just because he is a Monarch as well!!”
“My general’s words are absolutely right. Whoever dares to challenge our Divine Phoenix Empire, even if they are Monarchs, are only courting their own deaths in the end!” Tian Yi declared as he nodded his head, “The loss of seven hundred thousand troops and the blood debt that must be paid for the deaths of three of the Divine Phoenix Elders, I believe our Emperor will make him pay ten times the price!” He stopped for a moment and then cupped his hands respectfully before continuing, “This commander also has an important matter that the general needs to make a decision on.”
“Speak!”
“Yes!” Tian Yi strode forward two steps and spoke in a low and suppressed voice, “Just this afternoon alone, eleven soldiers have been killed, and their bodies were all found several kilometers away from the encampment…”
“Heh.” Feng Huwei was not even shocked, so he naturally did not get angry. That was because too many similar occurrences had happened within this half a year. After a period of time, soldiers would suddenly go missing, and when their corpses were found, they bore the traces of terrible torture, so it was clear that they had underwent interrogation. He gave a cold and disdainful laugh, “Do not worry about it. No matter what methods they use, they will not be able to get any useful information out of them.”
“No, this time the situation is rather different.” Tian Yi immediately replied, “This time, the bodies we found all had no external wounds, but every single one of the soldiers had stiff and dull expressions on their faces. So it is extremely likely that someone… invaded their souls!”
“Soul search?” Feng Huwei wondered as his brows furrowed together, but he followed that up with a cold snort, “To have the ability to use a soul search technique… it looks like after they had spent a long time groping around in the dark, they finally decided to send out some experts.”
“This commander believes that the general must pay even more attention to his own security from now on,” Tian Yi suggested.
“There is no need to worry,” Feng Huwei said with a dismissive wave of his hand, and he continued speaking in an unworried tone, “So what if they are from Four Great Sacred Grounds? Our Divine Phoenix Sect has the protection of the grand Phoenix God, so even if they have the guts to kill our troops, they will not have the guts to make a move against this general. This general has the bloodline of the Phoenix, so I am under the protection of the Lord Phoenix God himself!”
“Then this commander has worried too much about this,” Tian Yi said respectfully. Looking at Feng Huwei’s confident demeanor, he hesitated for a moment before finally gathering up his courage and speaking, “General, besides stationing our troops and keeping them prepared, why exactly are we ‘training’ our troops everyday? This commander does not dare to make any assumptions or conjectures, but in the past few months, all of our soldiers and officers have also…” When he spoke of this matter, he suddenly felt Feng Huwei’s gaze grow ice-cold and dense. His entire body stiffened, and he did not dare to continue speaking about this topic any further. He instead hurriedly said, “This commander has spoken out of turn, I beg the general for his forgiveness.”
“As long as you know you have spoken out of turn, then it’s fine!” Feng Huwei said with a loud harrumph. He turned his gaze away from Tian Yi before continuing to speak calmly, “Never ask this question ever again! All you need to know is that this was something personally ordered by the Sect Master himself! If we accomplish our mission, all of us will return to the country covered in glory! If we mess this up, then even this general will not be able to bear the consequences of our failure! So when it comes to questions that should not be asked, you should just be a good lad and keep your mouth shut! When you need to know about what is happening, it will naturally be revealed to you!”
“Understood!” Tian Yi replied hurriedly and he did not dare speak after that.
“Oh, is that so? Then it’s such a pity that all of you most likely won’t have the chance to make your triumphant return after all.”
A haughty and mocking voice suddenly rang through the air and seemed to come out of nowhere. Tian Yi vigorously bounded up from the ground with his longsword instantly coming out of its scabbard. “Who is it?!!”
This was the great general’s main tent, and it was heavily guarded by layers of defenses. And aside from all of this, Feng Huwei himself was a mighty early stage Overlord while Tian Yi was also a third stage Throne. But this voice still rang out as if that person was right beside them and they had not even noticed the presence of anyone before this. So even though their reactions were extremely swift, the hairs on their bodies instantly stood on end due to this great shock.
Tian Yi gripped his longsword tightly as he swiftly surveyed his surroundings, but he did not even catch the shadow of the one who spoke. He turned around and prepared to take his place beside Feng Huwei. But to his shock, he saw a young man clothed in golden robes silently standing not even a foot away from Feng Huwei’s back. That person wore an extremely cold smile on his face, and his eyes were as black as the pools of the underworld. Feng Huwei, who had the strength of an Overlord, was emitting profound energy from every pore of his skin as he glared furiously… yet he did not notice the young man who was standing right behind him!!
The longsword in Tian Yi’s hand fiercely shook as he yelled in alarm, “General, be… behind you!!”
Feng Huwei automatically turned his head, and his face came within inches of touching the face of another person. Instantly, his pupils shrank into pinpoints as he sprang backwards. When he had straightened up, his entire body was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. He extended a finger towards the young man, and just as he was about to say something, he realized that the face of this uninvited guest seemed vaguely familiar. But after that moment of bafflement had passed, his expression suddenly changed and he croaked out the words, “You… you are Yun Che!”
“Oh?” Yun Che crossed both hands over his chest and coldly smiled as he looked at him askance, “The Divine Phoenix Empire’s famed and brilliant Great General Feng Huwei actually recognizes me. Ah, this is a great honor indeed.”
“Yun… Yun Che?” Tian Yi turned his head to look at Feng Huwei. “That Yun Che? Didn’t he already… die three years ago?”
As a member of the Divine Phoenix Sect, not only did he have the status of a great general, his profound strength had also reached the Tyrant Profound Realm, so naturally he had the qualifications to compete in the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament. So this face which belonged to the person who had trampled all over the dignity of their Divine Phoenix Sect, how could he forget it.
“You’re actually still alive!” Feng Huwei said in a deep voice. If it was the Yun Che of three years ago, Feng Huwei would definitely not be scared. But just now, Yun Che was standing not even an inch behind him, but he did not notice a single thing! Even if he was a fool, he would recognize the level of power required to perform such a feat. Moreover, even though not a single ripple of profound energy emanated from Yun Che’s body, his mere gaze alone caused Feng Huwei’s heart to start beating rapidly in his chest. All of these things added together proved that Yun Che standing before him, who should have died a long time ago, had a strength that was far more terrifying than it was three years ago.
“And you… are about to die right now,” Yun Che said with a low, cold chuckle as a stream of icy-cold killing intent locked squarely onto Feng Huwei.
“Don’t even think of harming my general!!” Tian Yi gave a ferocious shot as he waved his sword to protect Feng Huwei. After that, he grit his teeth and thrust the sword towards Yun Che’s chest. But at the same time, he was growing more and more flustered because such a great commotion was occurring here, yet there was no reaction from any of the guards outside… Could it be that all the guards had already been taken care of by him? But there clearly had not been any movement outside at all!!
At the same time, all the guards stood at attention outside the big tent, their expressions cold and grave… while a colorless and shapeless “Frozen End Illusory Mirror” had engulfed the entire tent, and in this space which Yun Che controlled, no sound or aura could escape from within.
At tip of Tian Yi’s sword appeared an eye-startling vortex, and even though this sword stroke seemed simple and without flourish, it was an attack that used all of his power. But Yun Che did not even move an inch as he waited for Tian Yi’s sword to pierce his chest.
Seeing that Yun Che had no intention to dodge, a faint glimmer of joy appeared in Tian Yi’s eyes as all of the profound energy in his body surged forth and concentrated at the tip of the sword that was fiercely thrusting towards Yun Che’s heart…
A sword stroke which contained all of the power of a Throne could easily cut through fine steel, yet when this sword solidly came into contact with Yun Che’s chest, not a single sound rang out. Tian Yi felt as if his sword had suddenly slipped into a void and all the profound energy he had released had exploded inside this “void” as it disappeared without a single trace…
Tian Yi’s long sword pressed against Yun Che’s chest as he stood there, completely petrified and at a loss for words. In the next instant, the longsword in his hand shivered, and the body of the sword dispersed into a cloud of tiny dust particles which drifted to the floor. What was left was only the handle of the sword which he was still gripping.
Tian Yi had a dazed expression on his face; his eyes were not focused at all and his entire body stood there, unmoving. Following the destruction of his sword, he too collapsed like a block of wood on the floor. His eyes were wide open, but there was no movement in them… not a single wound could be seen on his body, nor was there any life in him either.
“Tian Yi!” Feng Huwei moved a step forward before immediately bounding backwards. He gazed at Yun Che and his expression was incomparably dark and heavy… he had not even been able to see the method by which Yun Che had used to kill Tian Yi.
“Great General Huwei.” Yun Che gave a cold laugh as he looked at Feng Huwei, and his killing intent was so strong that he caused Feng Huwei’s body to spasm; it seemed like he did not even dare move a muscle. Yun Che continued, “I heard that a few months ago, when you led your troops into Floating Cloud City, you gave orders to capture my little aunt?”
Yun Che’s voice abruptly grew dark and cold, “You have great courage indeed!!”
Yun Che’s words caused Feng Huwei’s eyelids to fiercely twitch. He was extremely clear on who Yun Che was talking about. Because when he had encountered Xiao Lingxi in Floating Cloud City, the two city lords politely introduced her as Yun Che’s little aunt, and that had caused him great excitement at that time. At the moment, he immediately knew why this Yun Che who “had come back from the dead” would suddenly come to pay him a visit and why Yun Che had such a strong desire to kill him… He had heard more than once that one of the strongest sects in Blue Wind Nation, a huge sect which had survived for a millennium, had been viciously wiped off the face of the earth for the crime of kidnapping his little aunt, and he did not even leave a trace of it behind!
Feng Huwei kept his cool and suppressed the fear that was welling up inside of him. A cold smile appeared on his face instead as he said, “You want to kill me? That will depend on whether you have the guts to or not.”
“Oh?” The corner of Yun Che’s eyes twitched.
“You may indeed have the power to kill me right now, but…” Feng Huwei extended a hand and pointed towards his own temple, “But there exists a soul imprint laid down by the Sect Master himself within my soul right now! If you dare to kill me, then the last thirty seconds of my memories before my death will be instantly transmitted to the Sect Master! Heh, if you dare to kill a member of the Divine Phoenix Sect, your ensuing death will be even more miserable, and all the people related to you will die miserably as well! So if you have the guts, then come and kill me!”
“Oh really?!” His expression did not change according to what Feng Huwei expected; rather, his gaze grew amused and he gave a cold laugh which carried contempt that was even more profound, “Then that is… simply too wonderful!!”
Chapter 686 - Profound Strength Endowment?
As Yun Che’s voice fell, his figure suddenly blurred. Feng Huwei, whose nerves were on edge, suddenly came to that realization, but before he had any time to react, a hand had already formed a death grip around his throat; the entire process had been so fast that his eyes were basically unable to follow Yun Che’s movements.
In fright, Feng Huwei attempted to swiftly circulate the profound energy in his entire body, but just as his profound energy was about to explode, a gigantic and earth-shattering power had already wildly surged into his body, and it instantly suppressed his profound strength and caused the profound energy wave that was about to explode to disappear without a trace.
Feng Huwei went pale with fright; Yun Che could appear soundlessly behind him without giving off any trace of his existence. He could also kill Tian Yi in a similar fashion as well. These two things alone were enough to tell him that it was extremely likely that Yun Che’s current strength had far surpassed his own, but he had never ever thought that the gulf between his strength and Yun Che’s strength was actually so incredibly vast. As the great general Huwei of the Divine Phoenix Empire, who had always been accorded the highest of status, he had always been proud of his own strength, but under Yun Che’s profound energy suppression, he could not even circulate his own profound energy, much less cause his profound energy to go wild!
“You…” Feng Huwei’s pupils grew so large they looked like they were about to pop. He had originally approximated that even if he could not beat Yun Che, he would still have a sixty percent chance of being able to flee to safety. But now that Yun Che’s hand was around his throat, he could not even muster any strength to resist him. Even making a single sound was an exceedingly difficult thing to accomplish.
“Are you still going to continue asking if I have the guts to kill you or not?” Yun Che gave a cold and contemptuous laugh, “You dare to call yourself the so-called great general Huwei, yet you are actually as naive as a dumb hog.”
Boom——
Following the merciless release of Yun Che’s energy into Feng Huwei’s body, a muffled explosion rang out from Feng Huwei’s body. His entire body spasmed severely, and blood flowed from all seven apertures; his awareness swiftly flew away, and in this instant, Yun Che’s Profound Handle swelled out and entered Feng Huwei’s soul as he quickly read all of his memories.
It was extremely normal for an ordinary Divine Phoenix soldier to not know what exactly the Divine Phoenix army was doing here, but it was impossible for their commander, Feng Huwei, to not know as well.
Feng Huwei’s memories were being processed at a rapid pace, but once he tried to access the memories concerning the “Floating Cloud City Mission,” an abnormal blankness suddenly appeared within Feng Huwei’s memories!
More accurately speaking, it was an obfuscating darkness!
This obfuscating darkness was clearly formed from an extremely strong mental profound energy, and whether it was its strength or its aura, it definitely did not originate from Feng Huwei. It had definitely been put there by another person. And what the obfuscating darkness blanketed just so happened to be all the key memories regarding the “Floating Cloud City Mission,” hence Yun Che could not obtain any of the information that he wanted.
“This is a Cage of Memories that has been set up by someone whose mental power is extremely high!” Jasmine said unhurriedly, “And even though the memories locked up in this cage belong to Feng Huwei, he knows very clearly that he is not allowed to use words, profound energy sound transmissions, writing… or any other method to tell other people. If he has any such intention or takes any actions that indicate he is about to do so, this mental energy will instantly trigger and destroy this portion of his memory. On the other hand, if others try to use any Soul Search techniques to obtain these memories, it will not be possible either! So likewise, your Profound Handle will not be effective in this scenario!”
Since Jasmine said that it was not possible, then it definitely would not be possible. Moreover, Yun Che could clearly feel that this obfuscating darkness was intertwined with this portion of Feng Huwei’s memories, and if he tried to use his Profound Handle to forcibly wipe away the obfuscating darkness, then the memories which are intertwined with it will also be wiped away, leaving him with nothing in the end.
After thinking about it for a while, Yun Che decided it was best to not force the issue, so he simply read all of Feng Huwei’s other memories and withdrew his Profound Handle once he was done.
“It looks like among the two hundred thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers here, only Feng Huwei can give me the answer that I desire.” Yun Che said with a deep sigh, “And it is clear that the reason the Divine Phoenix Sect set up this Cage of Memories within Feng Huwei’s mind is because they were worried that the Four Great Sacred Grounds would take action against Feng Huwei and forcibly use a Soul Search technique on him.”
After all, the only powers that could threaten the Divine Phoenix Sect within Profound Sky Continent were the Four Sacred Grounds.
When he had infiltrated this tent, he had also clearly heard Feng Huwei and his vice commander Tian Yi mention “the Four Great Sacred Grounds,” so they clearly knew that the Four Grest Sacred Grounds were behind the occasional abductions that had occurred every now and then.
“To be able to set up a Cage of Memories such as this one, not only does the creator need to have extremely strong mental strength, it also was accompanied with risks that cannot be controlled or calculated.” Jasmine said with a cold laugh, “This Divine Phoenix Sect seems to be hiding a huge secret indeed.”
“At least, it is a lot bigger than what I had originally anticipated…” Yun Che’s eyes flashed. “I have always had my suspicions on why the Divine Phoenix Empire would take action against Blue Wind Nation. Or perhaps swallowing Blue Wind Nation was just a pretext and this place… is where their real objective lies!!”
“I am suddenly rather curious about something right now.” Jasmine said with a peculiar interest, “When do you intend to depart for the Divine Phoenix Empire?”
The thing that women had most in abundance would forever be their curiosity… and Jasmine was no exception.
Yun Che replied without a hint of hesitation, “This very day!
“When it comes to things like settling debts, even a one day delay is too long.”
“Hmph.” Jasmine giggled through her nose which more or less conveyed her meaning, which was “so it’s going to be like this after all.”
Feng Huwei, who was still in Yun Che’s clutches, finally regained his consciousness at this time. He opened his eyes and looked at the cold smile draped across Yun Che’s face and immediately felt his body go cold. He almost demanded in a quavering voice, “You… what did you just do to me?!”
As soon as he spoke, he discovered that his own voice had become extremely weak.
Yun Che did not reply; instead, he directly disregarded him and looked straight ahead. When he spoke, the words that came out of his mouth were filled with icy-cold cruelty and killing intent, “Feng Hengkong, now that you know I am alive, do you feel very disappointed?!”
“I owed a debt of kindness to Feng Xue’er, but three years ago, because of the issue of bloodlines, you sought to persecute me and disturbed my peace. After that, on the Primordial Profound Ark, you ordered Feng Feiyan to find a suitable opportunity to kill me. For Xue’er’s sake, I was originally planning to forget about the whole thing and not pursue the matter any further…”
“But you have truly given me a nice surprise!!”
Yun Che’s voice was so sinister and cold that it caused the nearby Feng Huwei to shiver all over… he instantly understood that Yun Che was not just standing there talking to himself, but he was clearly using his death soul imprint… to send a message to the Emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire, the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Sect Master, Feng Hengkong!!
That also meant that once Yun Che was finished, it would be his turn to die!
Not only did the death soul imprint not pose any threat to Yun Che, it was actually utilized by Yun Che in the end!
“Right now you must be wondering just where those hundreds of thousands of troops went to… That is right, I did it. However, this is only just the beginning… Ah, no! It can’t even be counted as a prologue!”
“Killing my royal father, trampling over Blue Wind Nation’s territory, trampling over countless of my friends and countrymen, and turning my homeland into a hellhole filled with fear, despair, and suffering! All of these things are weighed against you and I want your Divine Phoenix Empire… to pay it back a hundred thousand fold! So wash your neck and wait!!”
Bang!!
With an explosion, Feng Huwei was fiercely thrown to the ground by Yun Che, and his body instantly ruptured as a large amount of blood and flesh was splattered against the ground… yet not a single drop of it had touched Yun Che’s body.
No one would have thought that the Divine Phoenix Empire’s famed general, Huwei, who caused the other six nations to tremble in fear, would die in such a miserable fashion. Forget about leaving a corpse behind, not even a whole finger was left… all because he touched Yun Che’s reverse scale!
So even though Yun Che had not obtained the answer he wanted, he had already killed the person that he had wanted to kill. Furthermore, Feng Huwei was an important member of the Divine Phoenix Sect, so his memories contained many things regarding the sect itself… including some of its secrets.
Yun Che withdrew his Frozen End Illusory Mirror and silently took his leave as he returned to Floating Cloud City. Meanwhile, outside of the large tent where he had just been in, the layers of guards stood at their posts, their expressions solemn, as not a single one of them knew that their grand commander Feng Huwei had died without even leaving a corpse behind.
“So the reason you chose to battle Fen Juechen three months later was so you could use this period of time to exact vengeance on the Divine Phoenix Empire?” Jasmine concluded in a voice filled with intention.
“Yes!” Yun Che was flying as fast as he could so the Floating Cloud City in his vision steadily grew nearer and nearer. “Three months is more than enough time for me to baptize the Divine Phoenix City! Even if I can’t baptize them in blood… I can at least flip the damn Divine Phoenix Sect upside down! If not, I won’t be able to get rid of the hate in my heart!”
“Other than that, the Divine Phoenix Sect is still strong after all, so I will not be able to directly confront them. This bloodbath will come with risks, both big and small, so it will definitely cause my profound strength to increase proportionately as well. And at that time, I should have the confidence to have a battle with Fen Juechen!” Yun Che claimed rather confidently.
“Hah! If that is what you truly think, then you are gravely mistaken!” Jasmine said coldly, “Within the three months specified by the arrangement of the duel, Fen Juechen’s growth will definitely far outstrip yours! Today, you are barely his opponent, but you can still try to force a battle. But if you wait for three more months… you won’t even have the strength to resist him anymore.”
“What?” Yun Che’s speed immediately dropped as he said, “Why?”
“As I told you before, his devilish profound strength is not manifested from his own will, it comes from someone else instead! Within his body… or more accurately speaking, within his soul and his profound veins, an extremely large devil origin has been infused! The reason why he has become as strong as he is today is completely due to him absorbing the power of that devil origin. But this is definitely not the power of completely absorbing the devil origin! If I am not wrong, he has only absorbed about thirty percent of the devil origin’s power!”
“Thirty percent?!!” Yun Che’s expression was filled with alarm because just thirty percent of the devil origin’s power had bestowed Fen Juechen with the might of a mid stage Monarch! So if he absorbed the whole thing… how terrifying would he become?!
“He hates you to your very bones. So because you have set a three month deadline, in order to guarantee that he will be able to kill you, he will definitely try his best to completely absorb the devil origin! No matter how you cultivate, you will definitely not be able to catch up to the speed of growth bestowed by this method.”
“…” Yun Che’s speed slowed down even more, and all of the sudden, his heart was weighed down by a heavy pressure. He furrowed his brows in silence for a while before starting in a low voice, “According to the legends and records, some kinds of profound arts possess a certain endowment technique that will allow one person to endow it upon another. But when it comes to something like profound strength, it has to be obtained through on one’s own painstaking training or from absorbing and refining some worldly treasure. Both of these methods take a long period of time and has to be done step by step, there definitely isn’t such a thing as someone being able to give his profound strength to another… this could be said to be a part of the fundamental knowledge of the profound way! If not, if profound strength could truly be endowed, then an expert who is nearing the end of his or her lifespan could directly give an entire lifetime’s worth of profound cultivation to an infant… or it could be even a case where many Overlords give their strength to one person and forcibly birthed a Monarch… if that was the case, then wouldn’t the entire profound world descend into chaos?!
“The devil origin that you speak of is clearly devil profound energy that has been cultivated by someone else! How can this kind of thing be directly transferred into someone else’s body to allow him to directly absorb its power?” Yun Che questioned in a flummoxed voice, “Could this perhaps be a special characteristic of devil profound energy?”
“Of course not!” Jasmine directly rebutted him, “If devil profound energy had this kind of unique characteristic, then the entire cosmos would have become the playground of devils!”
Jasmine’s next few words caused Yun Che’s heart to leap in alarm, “Also, in regards to the devil origin in Fen Juechen’s body, even I am… extremely puzzled by it.”
“It’s something even you do not know?” Yun Che stopped in midair and his brows knit together tightly. Something that even Jasmine could not make sense of… just what exactly had happened to Fen Juechen?
“The world you are able to see, is far smaller than what you imagine, while the limits of the profound way, are more so something the current you cannot imagine. Never be so naïve to think the so-called ‘fundamental knowledge’ is the truth! Profound Strength Endowment is indeed extremely difficult, but it is definitely not impossible… Do you know how my profound strength came to be?”
In a disinterested tone, Jasmine revealed something Yun Che had always wanted to ask, but had never dared to
alyschu: To anyone who forgot what a reverse scale is, it’s the scale you never touch on a dragon unless you want it to eat you alive!
Chapter 687 - Xiao Family’s Joy
“Could it be that, your strength… comes from endowment?” Yun Che asked in a low voice. When he had first met Jasmine, she personally said that she was thirteen years old. However, at that time, he was not truly cognizant of just how strong Jasmine really was. And as he scaled greater and greater heights, he became even clearer on just how terrifying Jasmine’s strength actually was. Even now, when he was strong enough to go toe to toe with a low level Monarch, he was still unable to fathom the limits of Jasmine’s power.
To have such terrifying power at the tender age of thirteen… if one were to tell him that it was done through personal cultivation, he really would not be able to accept that.
“That’s right, my strength does indeed come from endowment.” Jasmine replied in a manner that was totally out of Yun Che’s expectations. This was because this was a topic that she had never allowed Yun Che to ask about before, but right now, she replied in a very straightforward fashion, “But even though such a method as Profound Strength Endowment does exist, it is far more difficult than what you imagine it to be. In addition to its difficulty, the conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for this method to work are exceedingly harsh. Even in my own world, the Profound Strength Endowment method might not even succeed once despite thousands of years passing. Furthermore, even the most perfect Profound Strength Endowment method in this boundless universe will cause at least half of the profound strength being transferred to be lost during the endowment! The reason why I was able to successfully receive the endowment was…”
After she had said those words, Jasmine’s voice came to an abrupt halt. Clearly, she had noticed that she had almost said something that she should not have as she was relating her story. After a brief moment of silence, she gave a cold snort and continued speaking, “And in the Profound Sky Continent, which is among the lowest planes of existence within the boundless universe, an extremely high-level profound technique such as Profound Strength Endowment will definitely not appear here. So what happened to Fen Juechen should not be Profound Strength Endowment.”
“Not Profound Strength Endowment?” Yun Che asked in a shocked voice. “Then what is it? The devil origin that he had absorbed, isn’t that just devil profound energy that someone else had cultivated? Based on its characteristics, this is essentially allowing Fen Juechen to absorb its power bit by bit as he inherits someone else’s strength!”
“When we had first encountered Fen Juechen again, his extreme increase in power and the devil profound energy aura that he was emitting caused me to believe that his body had been taken over by a devilish soul. But after that, I realized that he still retained complete control over his own body. So I tried to probe the devil origin within his body, and I discovered that the spiritual aura of the devil origin and the spiritual aura of Fen Juechen was actually flawlessly compatible!” Jasmine said in a voice that was thick with suspicion, “This is the part that leaves me at a loss.
“If a devilish soul that possessed a source of power tried to forcibly enter a person’s body, there should only be three results: The destruction of the body, possession by the spirit, or the owner of the body using an even stronger profound or mental strength to repel the spirit and cause it to dissipate. But within Fen Juechen’s body, the devilish soul that entered his body is perfectly compatible with his own soul. Not only is there no sign of mutual destruction or an attempt to wrest control away, it actually seems like two fractured halves of a soul being slowly melded back together again!”
“~！@#￥%……” If Jasmine had concluded that it was indeed Profound Strength Endowment, then even though it was inconceivable, Yun Che would still be able to understand the situation instantly. But Jasmine’s current explanation caused Yun Che’s mind to swim. He shook his head and once again began flying towards Floating Cloud City. “The more I learn about it, the more complicated it becomes, forget it… I think it’s best if I ask Fen Juechen himself three months later.”
“Weren’t you listening to what I was just telling you?” Jasmine asked in an icy voice, “The you right now is already not his opponent, and three months later, you will be even less capable of fighting of him. So you’re prepared to go and die?”
Yun Che curled his lips rather calmly. “I have the Primordial Profound Ark, so even if I can’t beat him, I can still run away! Moreover…” The faint smile on his lips slowly vanished as his brows faintly knitted themselves together. “Moreover, even if I don’t run, I won’t let him kill me so easily! Because I will not allow myself… to lose to someone I’ve already defeated before!”
“…” Jasmine could not be bothered to respond anymore. She silently floated in the space within the Sky Poison Pearl as she guided the world’s richest purifying energy to purify the last bit of the devilish poison that still clung to her soul. After a few moments, she suddenly and faintly opened her eyes and murmured to herself in a soft voice, “Could it be some kind of forbidden reincarnation technique?”
After he had arrived back at the Xiao household, he found that Xiao Lie’s courtyard was still filled with the sound of joy and laughter. In the short span of a few hours, Xiao Lie seemed to have become a completely different person. The joy of having found something that was thought to be lost over twenty years ago caused his old eyes to be filled with tears of joy.
“Little Che!” Just as Yun Che landed on the ground, Xiao Lingxi ran over to welcome him back and tightly hugged his right arm as if she was afraid that he would fly away once more the moment she let him go. But she immediately remembered that Xiao Lie and Xiao Yun were still around, so she hurriedly loosened her grip as a charming blush stained her tiny cheeks… she was as intimate as she was before, but what was different now was her mentality towards him.
“Che’er, you’ve returned.” Looking at the Yun Che whom he had raised from a tiny infant return, Xiao Lie gave a satisfied and grateful smile.
“Big Brother, what’s the situation over there? Did you manage to figure out what exactly they were doing?” Xiao Yun asked. In comparison to before, there was now some anxiety that could be seen on his face. That was because before this, while Floating Cloud City did indeed have something to do with him, it was still a remote and alien existence to him. But now, having come back to the place where he was born and having met those who were related to him by blood, he had begun to develop a sense of belonging towards Floating Cloud City.
Yun Che shook his head. “The Divine Phoenix Army is indeed undertaking some kind of secret mission, but they have protected this secret far too well, and even when I used the Profound Handle Soul Search, I still could not find out anything.”
“Even the Profound Handle Soul Search didn’t work?” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a shocked voice. In Demon Imperial City, there was no one who did not know of the tyrannical power of the Profound Handle Soul Search. Even if the Profound Handle Soul Search did not work, that would mean that the matter at hand was highly unusual.
“Yes.” Yun Che nodded his head gravely, “So this matter is far more serious than what we had initially anticipated. But no matter what, we still need to get to the bottom of this.”
As Yun Che spoke, the gaze which he directed towards Number Seven Under Heaven grew strange. The change in his eyes caused her to look down at herself suspiciously and ask, “Big Brother Yun, is there anything… wrong with my body? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hold out your hand,” Yun Che said in a serious tone.
“Ah? Oh.” Yun Che’s expression caused Number Seven Under Heaven to tense up and she anxiously thrust her right hand forward. Xiao Yun, who was by her side, was even more anxious than her. “Big Brother, Seventh Sister… is anything the matter with her?”
Yun Che did not reply, instead he pressed a finger down on Number Seven Under Heaven’s arm and let it rest there for three breaths. After that, he withdrew his finger and slowly exhaled before speaking slowly, “Xiao Yun, Seventh Sister, the both of you need to prepare your hearts… for what I am about to say.”
Yun Che’s expression, tone, and the way he had exhaled caused Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven to hold their breaths. Their hearts seized up in their chests, and they did not dare breathe. But after that, Xiao Yun finally managed to stutter out a reply, “Seventh Sister’s body, could it be… that there is some problem that has happened to it?”
They were sufficiently clear that Yun Che’s medical skills… were definitely not something to be laughed at.
“Yes, and it is very serious indeed.” Yun Che extended two fingers and pointed at the two of people whose hearts were about to stop out of fear. “Seventh Sister… is pregnant, which also means that the two of you are about to become parents!”
“…Ah!” Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven stood there with blank expressions on their faces before crying out in alarm at the same time.
“Rea… rea… rea… really?” Xiao Yun grabbed Number Seven Under Heaven with one hand and Yun Che with the other, and he was so excited that his face was flushed red.
“Oh… I… I…” Number Seven Under Heaven’s hand unconsciously strayed to her stomach. Her face was blushing, and she could not string together a coherent sentence as her shock and instinctive response of joy and fear rooted her to the spot.
“Of course, it’s true. I am a genius doctor after all, so do you think I’d get even something like this mixed up?” Yun Che asked as he looked towards them with bemused eyes. “Isn’t your efficiency a bit too high? I mean, just look at how long you’ve been married. You’ve actually made a baby! Could it be that before the both of you were even married…”
“No I didn’t, I definitely didn’t!” Xiao Yun said in a fluster.
“Good heavens!” Xiao Lingxi said in shock, “Father, did you hear that?! Little Seventh is pregnant! You’re going to be a great-grandfather!”
Yun Che’s voice was loud, so how could Xiao Lie not hear it. His arm was half-raised into the air, his entire body was faintly trembling, and he was so moved that he could barely speak. Yun Che quickly strode to his side and declared, “Grandfather, in a few months, you will ascend to the position of great-grandfather! Heh heh, look, Xiao Yun has not only come back safe and sound, he has also brought back such a wonderful daughter-in-law and even came back with children of his own.”
“Good… it’s truly good…” Xiao Lie said in a trembling voice as he dipped his head, tears of joy flashing in his eyes. At this time, a cool breeze blew, and Xiao Lie’s brows furrowed instantly as he exclaimed, “Yun’er, hurry up and bring Little Seventh back to her room. It’s cold out here and we don’t want to hurt the baby!”
“Haha!” Yun Che gave a great guffaw, “Grandfather, you don’t need to worry at all. Even though Seventh Sister is really young, her profound strength is already at the Tyrant Profound Realm. Even Heavenly Sword Villa’s Villa Master, Ling Yuefeng, would not be her match. Furthermore, the profound art that Seventh Sister cultivates is incomparably pure, so the baby in her stomach will be protected by an incredibly pure and powerful profound energy which means that even if you wanted something to go wrong, it would be tough.
“Ah, but Grandfather, look at yourself. I have only left for three years, but your health has deteriorated by this much. If you do not hurry up and treat yourself better, you might not even have the ability to carry your great-grandchild.”
“Hahahaha.” Xiao Lie gave a great laugh of his own and supported himself using the chair before slowly and resolutely standing up. “My old bones are still very tough, and it’ll be no problem for me to live a few more decades and see the little baby grow up and give birth to more little babies.”
“Father…” Looking at Xiao Lie’s aura and spirit grow much more vigorous than before caused heartfelt joy to well up in Xiao Lingxi’s heart. She believed that as long as he remained in this condition, Xiao Lie’s body would definitely recover in the shortest amount of time necessary.
The news of Number Seven Under Heaven’s pregnancy caused the family to be covered in a joy that practically boiled over. Once the rejoicing had finally died down a little, Yun Che finally found a chance to say something that he had been wanting to say, “Grandfather, Little Aunt, Xiao Yun, and Seventh Sister will stay in Floating Cloud City for a period of time, so you’ll have to take care of them. Even though I’ve only just returned… I need to go somewhere immediately after this, so I’ll have to leave the both of you for a while.”
“Where are you going to go?” Xiao Lingxi’s expression became anxious as she frantically grabbed Yun Che’s hand. “You’ve only just returned, but you want to leave again? Is it… is it to go and do something dangerous again?”
“I need to make a trip to the Divine Phoenix Empire, and I will be leaving before evening falls.” Yun Che held Xiao Lingxi’s hand and gave a light-hearted smile. “However, there will be no danger at all, and it won’t be long before I return. At that time, I’ll accompany my Little Aunt for as long as she wants me to.”
Chapter 688 - Sword Pointed at Divine Phoenix
“The Divine Phoenix Empire? Why are you going there!” Xiao Lingxi’s expression became panicked. Because towards all of the citizens of Blue Wind Nation now, this was a name like a nightmare. She held Yun Che’s hand tightly and said, “Three years ago, you were in an accident in Divine Phoenix Empire, how could you… how could you…”
“Don’t worry.” Yun Che said,full of confidence, “Three years ago, the Divine Phoenix Empire wasn’t what caused my accident. On the contrary, the Divine Phoenix Empire wasn’t able to do anything to me three years ago, and it is even more impossible for them now.”
“No… no matter what the answer is no! I absolutely do not want you to do anything dangerous anymore!” Xiao Lingxi shook her head in determination and looked to Xiao Lie for help. “Father, hurry and stop Little Che, he is going to do something dangerous again.”
Xiao Lie looked directly at Yun Che. Following with the change of attitude in his heart, his eyes had become a lot clearer than before. He said slowly, “Che’er, are you this eager to go to the Divine Phoenix Empire because you want to force them to retreat?”
“Yes!” Yun Che nodded, “At the least, I am a citizen of Blue Wind Nation, and more importantly, I am the prince consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family. My homeland was attacked, and Royal Father was murdered. I cannot be silent no matter what. Another day the Divine Phoenix Empire is in our Blue Wind Nation, another day our Blue Wind Nation suffers disaster, so I must go to the Divine Phoenix Empire as soon as possible. There is also a lot of peculiarities with the Divine Phoenix Army’s two hundred thousand soldiers on the east side of the city. If I cannot investigate it, I cannot settle down.”
Xiao Lie nodded his head slowly and said with a light smile, “No matter what, you need to make sure of your own safety. Even if it is for me and Lingxi… do not put yourself in a position of danger.”
“Mn!” Yun Che nodded his head hard and said, “I definitely will.”
Xiao Lingxi immediately started to panic. “Father, you…”
“Lingxi, we can’t stop him.” Xiao Lie chuckled and said with a sense of loss, “Che’er is completely grown up now. The world that he can be in contact with is larger than what we can see with our eyes. Moreover, this time it wasn’t for his own vengeance, but it was for Blue Wind Nation itself. If he could really save countless of people of the Blue Wind from suffering, we can only stand proud. What reason is there for us to stop him?”
“Father…” Xiao Lie’s words melted Xiao Lingxi’s determination into weakness. She lowered her head, bit softly on her lips, and uttered, “But, I am afraid… I am so afraid…”
Five years ago at Heavenly Sword Villa… Three years ago at Primordial Profound Ark… Behind the two times of losing and regaining was two feelings of devastation that also made her collapse. Her mindset changed many times over these years, and it revealed ever so clearly what was most important to her deep down. Now that she reunited with him once again, she only hoped that he would be safe, and would not be suffering from disasters. Everything else… was not that important.
“Little Aunt, don’t worry.” Yun Che comforted her softly, “Three years ago I already broke my promise to you and made you sad over me for that entire period of time. This time, I will definitely not break my promise to you again… At most I’ll be back within a month. Even though this time I am going to the Divine Phoenix Empire, there will not be any actual danger. If you don’t believe, you can ask Xiao Yun.”
“Yes yes yes yes!” Xiao Yun of course nodded his head immediately, “Big Brother is super strong right now, so no matter where he goes, it is very hard to be in danger even if he wanted to be. Also, Big Brother has a very magical Profound Ark, it can instantly soar through space. Even if he is really in danger, he can escape immediately, and no one will be able to catch up. So I don’t worry about Big Brother at all, and Little Aunt doesn’t need to worry about him either.”
Xiao Yun was not deliberately trying to comfort Xiao Lingxi for Yun Che; rather, it was worship and trust towards Yun Che from the bottom of his heart… After all, he was the one who fell the forces of Duke Ming that shrouded the entire Illusory Demon Realm and saved the Demon Emperor’s clan. Duke Ming’s devious mind, force, and ambition were so scary that he almost replaced the Demon Emperor’s clan and ruled the Illusory Demon Realm, but because of Yun Che, their plan was foiled and it ended with their clan being demolished. Also, Sun Moon Divine Hall, whose name was even known in Illusory Demon Realm, when they came with ill intent, they were tricked and played with by Yun Che, and they frantically ran away with their tails tucked between their legs…
On top of that, with the Primordial Profound Ark that can travel through space… Even though Yun Che’s strength was not at the peak, Xiao Yun believed that in this world, it was absolutely harder to take his life than to kill a peak level Monarch. On the contrary, it was those who he targets or who was enemies with him that needed to worry.
“…” Xiao Lingxi bit her lips even harder, her hand that was holding onto Yun Che unwilling to let go. After a good while, she lifted her head and looked at Yun Che with her clear eyes, “Then… can you leave tomorrow? You just came back, and I haven’t had to time to look at you closely… Right, Xiao Yun and Little Seventh are going to the mountains to pay respects to father tomorrow. You can bring them there, so don’t leave today, okay?”
With her soft begging words, how could Yun Che reject? He nodded slightly, “Okay, then I will leave tomorrow… Mn, I haven’t had meal made by Little Aunt in years.”
“Mn…” Xiao Lingxi smiled lightly. She looked quietly at the face that was almost within her reach. The expression in her eyes and her smile all became misty and lost.
Xiao Lie’s eyes were on Xiao Lingxi this whole time. Looking at Xiao Lingxi’s expression now and, the way that she looked at Yun Che, his eyebrows tightened a little. Then they relaxed immediately, and he revealed a light smile at the corner of his mouth.
Night had fallen, there was a fancy dinner on the table, and the atmosphere was joyous. Xiao Lie, who usually doesn’t have much appetite, ate three large bowls of rice. His face glowed brighter and brighter, and he had heartily laughed more today than in the past three years altogether. Maybe he never dreamed that he would be able to eat with his biological grandson at the same table.
After dinner, Yun Che called upon Xiao Yun, “Xiao Yun, come with me for a second, I have something that I need to tell you privately.”
Xiao Yun was dragged all the way out the courtyard by Yun Che. Looking at how serious Yun Che was, Xiao Yun asked somewhat nervously, “Big Brother, is there something very important?”
Yun Che lifted his hand to tap his chin. Then, he stepped closer and said in a low voice, “Actually, when I said that Seventh Sister is pregnant this afternoon… it was fake.”
Xiao Yun was stunned, and then his whole body jumped, “What! Fa… Fake!?”
“Shh!! Lower your voice!!” Yun Che placed his hand on Xiao Yun’s shoulders and said, “The reason I said that was of course not to lie for fun, it was for grandfather!”
“You saw how grandfather’s health situation is!” Yun Che’s expression became serious, “For a person who cultivated profound arts for half of his life, the only reason that he would become like this today was because of the death wish that emerged from his heart for all this time! I heard some people from the Xiao Clan said that, back then, grandfather and grandmother’s relationship was very deep. Not long after grandmother gave birth to Little Aunt, because of Uncle Xiao… which is your father’s death, she died of depression. If it wasn’t to raise me and Little Aunt, grandfather would have left with grandmother. As Little Aunt and I grow up, grandfather’s mental state obviously became worse and worse. During that time, I used revenge and the hope of you still being alive in this world to support him… but three years ago, when the news of my death hit him, it made grandfather birth the thought of death these three years. If it wasn’t for Little Aunt still being here, he might have killed himself already.”
“Now that you and I are back, grandfather is very happy and satisfied. But even so, it wouldn’t be that easy to get rid of his wish for death that he had for three years, and it has almost became a habit. After his wish of all these years is fulfilled, his will of wanting to end his life to accompany grandmother and his son might become stronger, so I had no choice but to make up the story of Seventh Sister being pregnant to give grandfather a larger surprise and something to look forward to.
Listening to Yun Che’s words, Xiao Yun calmed down very quickly. He thought for a while, nodded his head, and said worriedly, “Big Brother makes a lot of sense, but this kind of lie is very easy to see through. Also, lying to Seventh Sister and grandfather, it is… it is not very good no matter what. They are so happy, so if they know that it’s fake, they will definitely be… be very sad.”
“You don’t have to worry about this at all.” Yun Che smiled mysteriously, reached out his hand, and there were two pills the size of a fingernail, one white and one red. “Have these two pills. Take the red one yourself, and give the white one to Seventh Sister, and then… after tonight, Seventh Sister will be pregnant.”
“Ah? Re… really?” Xiao Yun’s mouth opened. He reached out, took the pills from Yun Che’s hand, looked at it with curiosity, and said wonderingly, “There is actually a pill so magical? Really… will it work guaranteed?”
“I can refine a bunch of Overlord Pellets easily, not to mention this type of simple pill for a husband and wife.” Yun Che said very casually, “As long as your Seventh Sister is not on her menstrual cycle today, there will not be a problem at all.”
“Hehe, I, of course wouldn’t doubt Big Brother’s medical skills at all, this is great.” Xiao Yun held the red and white pills in his hand tightly and carefully, and then he lifted his head and asked confusedly, “Big Brother, what did you mean by ‘menstrual cycle’ just now?”
“…” Yun Che immediately recalled Number Seven Under Heaven’s facial color and the pulse that he got casually and said, “This is a medical term, you don’t have to know it. You and Seventh Sister just have to take the pill and everything will work out.”
“Oh! I will go right away!” Xiao Yun nodded, but just as he lifted his leg, he withdrew them back and said somewhat embarrassedly, “But… but how should I tell Seventh Sister? If I tell her that the pregnancy is fake, she might be sad and angry, but if I don’t say it… I don’t know how to tell her about the pill… I’ve never lied to Seventh Sister before, this, this…”
Yun Che rolled his eyes, reached out, took the white pill from Xiao Yun’s hand, jumped up from the ground, and yelled, “Seventh Sister!”
Number Seven Under Heaven in the courtyard turned around and said, “Big Brother Yun, what is the matter?”
Yun Che flicked his fingers, and the white pill flew towards Number Seven Under Heaven. “You just came to Profound Sky Continent, so I’m afraid that the environment would affect the fetus in you, so I prescribed an anti-abortifacient pill for you, take it quickly.”
Number Seven Under Heaven reached out, caught it, took a look at it, and ate it without even thinking. She smiled and said, “Thank you Big Brother Yun.”
In Illusory Demon Realm, everyone knew that Yun Che was a genius doctor who could cure any sickness. His pill couldn’t be bought even with ten of thousands of gold. Even if she believed in ghosts, she wouldn’t suspect a thing about the pill Yun Che prescribed.
Yun Che landed as light as a feather and said to Xiao Yun, “Okay, it is solved.”
Xiao Yun smiled embarrassedly and then took the red pill right away.
Yun Che looked at Xiao Yun and said suddenly, “The leader of the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army at the east side of the city was killed by me. Now that they don’t have a leader, they won’t take action very easily. After I go to the Divine Phoenix Empire tomorrow, I cannot predict what will happen, and I cannot predict where the Divine Phoenix Army will go to, but I absolutely cannot rule out the possibility of them getting an order to attack Floating Cloud City… so during this period of time, Floating Cloud City will have to depend on you and Seventh Sister’s protection. If you are unwilling to stain your hands with blood, then take grandfather and Little Aunt, and leave safely right away… or send a sound transmission to me directly. With the Primordial Profound Ark, I can come back anytime.”
“Big Brother, don’t worry. No matter what, even if I put my life on the line, I would not let anything happen to grandfather, Little Aunt, or Seventh Sister,” Xiao Yun exclaimed in determination.
Yun Che turned around, looked to the south, and the expression in his eyes darkened. “Divine Phoenix Empire… Divine Phoenix Sect! Prepare to accept my fury!”
Chapter 689: Divine Phoenix’s Killing Intent
Divine Phoenix Nation, Divine Phoenix Sect.
The right side of Feng Ximing’s face was dark red, like blood, and it was swollen as well. After being slapped so heavily by an enraged Feng Hengkong, not even Feng Ximing, who had such strong profound strength, had been able to completely recover. He stood in front of Feng Hengkong, bowing respectfully as he said, “Royal Father, why have you summoned me?”
Both of Feng Hengkong’s hands were behind his back as he faintly said without turning around, “Feng Huwei has died.”
Feng Ximing’s brows suddenly furrowed. “Died?! It definitely seems like someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds must have finally been unable to hold back and thus made a ruthless strike! Then… then that secret, has it been leaked?”
“Feng Huwei’s body was enchanted with the Cage of Memories which was created by the collaboration a few grand elders. There is absolutely no way that the secret was leaked.” Feng Hengkong’s brows narrowed. “Furthermore, the one who killed Feng Huwei actually wasn’t someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds. I don’t believe that the Four Great Sacred Grounds would risk offending the Phoenix God to kill Feng Huwei just because they had some doubts.”
“It’s not someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds?” The surprise atop Feng Ximing’s face intensified as he said, “Although Feng Huwei is the general of the Divine Phoenix Army, his profound strength by no means weak. Other than someone from the Four Great Sacred Grounds, who else has the power to and dares to kill Feng Huwei… Moreover! There is also the two hundred thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army at Feng Huwei’s side!”
“It is someone you never would have thought of.” Feng Hengkong turned around. The expression on his face was incomparably heavy and ugly as he said, “It’s Yun… Che!!”
“What?” Feng Ximing suddenly raised his head, abruptly ripping open the wound on his face which caused the edge of his eye to twitch sporadically. “It’s that Yun Che?”
“Hmph, is there any other? It is indeed the Yun Che who should have been buried within the Primordial Profound Ark three years ago!” Feng Heng heavily continued, “Don’t bother asking how he is still alive, that is something that I want to know more than anyone else!”
“How could he have lived? Three years ago, he disappeared along with the Primordial Profound Ark. There was simply no possibility of survival! Could it be… that it is only someone who looks similiar? Or perhaps just a simple illusion to confuse us?”
“Hmph, I have not yet reached the point where I am unable to determine if someone is real or not!” snorted Feng Hengkong. The voice, expressions, glares… and the wild arrogance which emanated out from Yun Che’s body from within Feng Huwei’s death soul imprint, there was absolutely no one within the world who could possibly reenact it. “Not only is he alive, his profound strength has advanced even further these last three years. Beneath his hands, there was simply nothing Feng Huwei could do to resist.”
“Could it be that his current strength has already reached the middle stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm?” asked Feng Ximing in shock. Feng Huwei’s profound strength had been at the early stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm, so for Yun Che to be able to render him helpless, Yun Che had to at least have the power of a mid-stage Overlord. “It can’t be! There is absolutely no way! No matter how talented he is, it’s not possible to advance so much within such the short span of three years!”
“Wrong! His current strength is perhaps even greater than the middle stage of Tyrant Profound Realm.” Traces of coldness emerged within Feng Hengkong’s eyes as he solemnly said, “The strange disappearance of the seven hundred thousand soldier army, including the two supervisor elders, Fei Heng and Fei Ying, in Blue Wind Imperial City was all due to him… These were his own words! If they are true, then his strength is definitely greater than the middle stage of Tyrant Profound Realm. It is very possible… that he has already reached the late stage of Tyrant Profound Realm!”
“That’s even more impossible!” Feng Ximing shook his head without hesitation. “Back then, Yun Che had used all his strength and could only barely defeat Xiluo; his strength was probably only in the ninth level of the Emperor Profound Realm. In just three short years, even if he ate the Great Shifting Gold Pellet, it’s impossible that he could advance to the late stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm in such a short amount of time. If he used some special method or profound artifact, I could still accept it. However, if we said that he relied on his own strength to obliterate the seventy thousand strong Divine Phoenix Army and the two overseeing elders, I would never believe it no matter what.
“Furthermore, even if we consider the worst, even if Yun Che had really come back from the dead and now possesses the strength of a late-stage Overlord, he would only be a trifling thorn in our side. Also, knowing that the disappearance of the army had nothing to do with the Four Great Sacred Grounds, shouldn’t royal father feel reassured instead, why is your expression still so glum?”
“Hmph, even if there were another ten Yun Ches, he would not be able to conjure up much of a storm!” Feng Hengkong’s eyes knitted tightly. “But, did you forget for what reason Xue’er was unconscious for three years!”
Feng Ximing’s expression changed drastically. “Could royal father be afraid that Xue’er…”
“I’m not worried!” Feng Hengkong’s chest rose strongly, and his expression was so ugly that his face nearly contorted. “It’s something even more scary than what you imagined! Do you know what Xue’er told us before we were chased out? She wanted us… to treat Blue Wind Nation kindly!”
“… Was this the reason why royal father ordered everyone to not talk about sending troops to Blue Wind?” Feng Ximing started to realize the severity of the problem.
“How could we not agree to a request from Xue’er!” Feng Hengkong clenched his fists tightly. “Three years ago, Yun Che had indeed used his life to save Xue’er… and Xue’er had been unconscious for three years because of him and even cried in sadness for him! Before this… have you ever seen Xue’er cry?”
“We’ve long realized that her feelings towards Yun Che were not simply just pure gratitude!” Feng Hengkong’s body started to tremble as rage appeared in the depths of his eyes as well as a sense of anxiety. “Xue’er obtained an ice type aerial profound beast out of nowhere, and we learned that the ice type profound beast was known as the Snow Phoenix. It only exists in a region in Blue Wind Nation known as the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, and Yun Che had once flown on a Snow Phoenix.”
“Then… could it be…”
“Before Xue’er returned to Phoenix Perching Valley, she had suddenly requested to go to Blue Wind Nation’s Snow Region of Extreme Ice… and only one force exists at the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, which is Frozen Cloud Asgard! And Yun Che, was a member was of Frozen Cloud Asgard!”
Feng Hengkong’s words caused Feng Ximing’s expression to darken time and time again. “Does that mean that even before the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, Xue’er and Yun Che had already known each other?”
“We should have already known that with Yun Che’s temperament. How could he have been willing to save her using his own life only because Xue’er had helped him! Similarly, how could Xue’er have been that heart broken if it was only because of the gratitude of him saving her…” Feng Hengkong’s rage had started turning into hostility, and the temperature within the entire Divine Phoenix Main Hall had started to rise intensely.
Feng Xue’er… A precious gem bestowed by heaven upon the Divine Phoenix Sect, the future Phoenix God of the Divine Phoenix Sect! His biggest pride, the most precious thing in his entire world, much more than his life. A daughter that was much more important than the entire Divine Phoenix Sect combined. But she had shed her tears for an outsider, an enemy of the Divine Phoenix Sect…
He could never blame Feng Xue’er, but his hatred for Yun Che had already grown leaps and bounds! The fact that he possessed the Phoenix bloodline and insulted the pride of his entire sect was nothing in comparison.
Because Feng Xue’er’s suggestion of treating Blue Wind Nation kindly had already thrown him into utter confusion and caused him to order a ban within the entire city. Furthermore, Yun Che was still alive! If Xue’er were to learn that Yun Che was still alive… he could not imagine what would happen.
Feng Ximing said with some calmness, “However, Xue’er usually stays either at the Phoenix Realm or Phoenix Perching Valley. It would have been impossible in the Phoenix Realm, and as for Phoenix Perching Valley, there are enchantments on three of its boundaries. For the last one, there lies a Great Phoenix Formation. Only members of our sect would be able to enter. It is impossible for Yun Che to have come into contact with Xue’er!”
“The problem probably lies on the Great Phoenix Formation!” Feng Hengkong’s expression darkened even further. “The Great Phoenix Formation does not only allow our sect members to enter. Don’t forget, Yun Che also possesses the Phoenix bloodline and can enter without restraint as well! Three years ago, several days before the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament began, you once personally told us that Chen’er’s chief bodyguard had died tragically within the Great Phoenix Formation…”
Feng Ximing was shocked before his expression drastically changed. “Royal Father, do you mean that the person who killed Feng Chihuo back then was Yun Che?! And after that, he passed through the Great Phoenix Formation and met Xue’er in Phoenix Perching Valley?”
“Highly likely!” Feng Hengkong solemnly said, his clenched fist making cracking noises. Back then, when he had heard that Feng Chihuo had died, he treated it as if it was nothing because he was preparing for the Seven Nation Ranking tournament and the Primordial Profound Ark. He would not bother with a lowly bodyguard’s death. Furthermore, dying within the Great Phoenix Formation meant that it was likely a battle between sect members and he had lost due to inferior skills! However, when Feng Xue’er had awoken, all her actions had caused his mind to be in a mess, and he had unknowingly recalled the “small matter” that had happened three years ago.
“Xue’er is pure and innocent, her heart untainted. Yun Che possessed the aura of the Divine Phoenix, so even if he had barged into Phoenix Perching Valley, Xue’er would not be cautious against him. Also, he is very glib-tongued and silenced so many people during the ranking tournament… Xue’er would not be able to resist his bewitchment!” Feng Hengkong clenched his teeth together tightly. Although this was all speculation, the more he thought about it and the deeper he thought about it recently, the more likely he felt that this was true.
“What shall we do next?” On Feng Ximing, the same sense of hostility as the one on Feng Hengkong appeared.
“Of course it is to kill him within the shortest amount of time!” Feng Hengkong uttered each word with killing intent, “No matter what, we must not let Xue’er see Yun Che… No! We must not let Xue’er find out that he’s alive!
“Ming’er, go inform all the elders together in the Divine Phoenix Main Hall tomorrow afternoon to discuss matters! Furthermore… it looks like we must employ a grand elder to kill Yun Che! Although the possibility that Yun Che is in the late stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm is low… he needs to die!” As he finished speaking, only the sound of his grinding teeth could be heard.
In his entire life, he had never had such bone deep hatred for someone.
Allowing a cornerstone Grand Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect to kill a twenty odd year old youth, any member of the Divine Phoenix Sect hearing this would stare mouth agape in disbelief, but Feng Ximing did not appear to be shocked… because just as Feng Hengkong had said, Yun Che had to die! His life was worthless… but this concerned Feng Xue’er!!
“I understand.” Feng Ximing bowed solemnly.
Feng Hengkong’s chest rose and fell strongly before he eventually calmed down and seemingly muttered to himself, “Looks like before we can ensure that Yun Che and all worries are eliminated, we must try and delay Xue’er’s trip to Blue Wind Nation’s Snow Region of the Extreme Ice…”
He turned around and looked at the right side of Feng Ximing’s face, and his gaze immediately turned much gentler, “Ming’er, is your face still hurting… Royal Father could not control his emotions and apologizes.”
Feng Ximing immediately replied in shock, “What is royal father saying! I spoke out of line and made Xue’er sad. Royal father reprimanding me is only natural. I only feel ashamed and have no complaints. What royal father is saying now only makes me feel worse.”
“Heh heh,” Feng Hengkong reassuringly laughed slightly, before waving his hand. “You may leave. Only we need to know what has been said today.”
“Understood! Naturally, I won’t tell anyone anything that we discussed… I shall not disturb royal father anymore and will withdraw!”
Exiting from the Divine Phoenix Main Hall, Feng Ximing’s originally calm expression had sunk as well. He looked up, touched the swollen right side of his face, and his entire face contorted. His eyes stared widely, and within the depth of his eyes, there was a malicious, ice cold, killing intent … Gradually, traces of blood seeped through from between his teeth and gathered on his trembling lips.
“Yun… Che!!! You… actually… dare…”
“You… actually… dare!!!”
Chapter 690 - Sleeping in Each Other’s Embrace
Floating Cloud City gained its long awaited peace tonight. With the terrible death of Feng Huwei, the Divine Phoenix Army that had lost its general also stopped their “mission” and quieted down in a panic… Although they didn’t retreat, they didn’t disturb Floating Cloud City.
Here was the courtyard where Yun Che had lived for sixteen years. The room was organized like it has always been, with a minimal changes.. Its scent within was also extremely familiar. The only change was the person’s heart.
Yun Che laid on the soft bed. The bedding was bright red, and around it were red drapes. There was a split second of haziness as Yun Che felt like he had returned to the wedding night between him and Xia Qingyue…
Yet in this room was Xiao Lingxi’s hard work; she would come here at least once everyday… She did her best in order to preserve everything about Yun Che.
“Six years and seven months have already passed since the wedding with Xia Qingyue.” Yun Che carefully lifted the red drapes around him, then said with a smile, “Speaking of which, it was also on the wedding night that I met you, Jasmine… If I didn’t meet you, my life would probably be completely different, huh.”
Yun Che was muttering to himself, but Jasmine was not in deep sleep for once, so the moment he finished speaking, Jasmine said calmly, “Hmph, if you didn’t meet me, with your personality that likes to court death, you would have died already even if you possessed a hundred lives!”
“Aren’t you the same!” Yun Che retorted, then immediately asked, “Your sleeping time seemed to have gotten shorter recently, is the devilish poison nearly purified?”
“There’s about thirty percent left,” Jasmine said slowly. “As expected of the Sky Poison Pearl, the power of purification far exceeds my expectations. The devilish poison in my body would be feared even by True Gods. If it was completely released, it would be enough to turn the entire Sky Profound Continent into a deathly hell. Furthermore, after it destroyed my body, it was entrenched deep into my soul. It is thousands of times harder than purifying a normal bodily poison. I had thought that completely purifying it would take at least thirty years. Never would I have thought that it would have been purified to such degree in only a short seven years. The remaining thirty percent could be completely purified within a few more months.”
“That’s good,” Yun Che nodded. Then he said, “Oh… You told me to raise my profound strength to the Sovereign Profound Realm in thirty years back then. Was it because you thought that you needed at least thirty years to completely purify the devilish poison?”
“That’s one of the reasons,” Jasmine said faintly. “The other was to spur you on. However, from the looks of it, I had underestimated the Sky Poison Pearl and also underestimated your talent and luck.”
“Hehe!” Yun Che chuckled proudly. Then, he said in a “humble” manner, “However, I’m only at the Emperor Profound Realm. I’m still very far away from the true Sovereign Profound Realm. Perhaps… I really can’t become a Monarch in thirty years.”
“Right now, it does count as you having reached my estimated goal!” Jasmine continued calmly, “I need to reconstruct my body, need enough Purple Veined Divine Crystals, and at least the life’s vitality of a Monarch’s strength. Even though your profound strength is only at the Emperor Profound, in terms of strength, it is already at the early stage Sovereign Profound Realm. Because of the Dragon God’s bloodline and the Great Way of the Buddha, your life’s vitality is even better than that of a Monarch at his peak, so reconstructing a body with your current life’s vitality is much more perfect than what I had anticipated!”
Yun Che’s mind was shocked. “Really!? Then why didn’t you say so earlier! If I knew that, I would have quickened my pace of collecting Purple Veined Divine Crystals and the profound beast cores!”
Yun Che’s voice was filled with true joy and anxiousness, yet it only returned with Jasmine’s snort, “Hmph! So what if I said it earlier? Did you find the Netherworld Udumbara Flower? Without the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, the soul and the body cannot perfectly fuse… This way, what’s the use of merely reconstructing the body!”
“…Understood, I will try my hardest to find it. I’ll go and ask at the Black Moon Merchant Guild tomorrow, they might have some news.”
“Tomorrow?” Jasmine said lowly, “Originally, you said that you will go to the Divine Phoenix Nation today, yet just due to a single sentence from your little aunt, it turned into tomorrow. The principles you always talk about are always nothing in front of women. Hmph, it really suits your personality as a sex fiend!
“If you die terribly any day, it will definitely be because of a woman.”
The title Jasmine used the most for Yun Che was “sex fiend.” Over so many years, the number of times she used that was even greater than the number of times she had referred to him as “Yun Che.” This sort of thing that was used to mock Yun Che, Yun Che had already heard countless times… Yet after Jasmine had said this, the Mirror of Samsara on Yun Che’s neck suddenly shone out a dim silver light… The light faded with a flash.
However, neither Yun Che nor Jasmine noticed.
“Yes yes yes, it might be because of you. So you will continue meet me in your next life, then continue force me to repay my debt like in this life… Now that I think about it, it’s not that bad,” Yun Che put his hands behind his head and said smilingly.
“…Hmph,” Jasmine replied in contempt.
Yun Che laid down for a while, but he didn’t sleep. Instead, he silently felt the silence of the entire Xiao Clan. Fifteen minutes later, he opened his eyes, raised the corners of his lips, and revealed an evil smile as he muttered, “Hmm… Grandfather and the rest should be asleep now.”
He flipped over and walked out of the room door. His body jumped and silently flew up; then, with flash that wouldn’t be very noticeable to the naked eye, he arrived at the little courtyard where Xiao Lingxi was.
Xiao Lingxi wasn’t asleep yet; her room was still lit with a warm-colored light, and the faint light painted a scene as beautiful as a dream onto the window.
Seeing her figure, Yun Che subconsciously smiled. He raised his hand and lightly moved his wrist. With that, the window quickly opened without any sound, and he flew right in.
“Ah…”
Before Xiao Lingxi managed to scream, she was embraced by the waist, and her lips were forcefully kissed. All sound became helpless whimpers… She subconsciously struggled, but after smelling the smell that she was most familiar with in this life, her struggles became weaker and weaker until her entire body melted into Yun Che’s embrace as she closed her eyes and allowed the man that suddenly broke in to violate her lips.
The lights in the room were extinguished by a force of profound energy. As Xiao Lingxi was still in a loving confusion, her upper body was pushed down onto the bed by Yun Che. He shook one of his hands lightly, and the butterfly belt as well as the buttons on her clothes were all undone. His hand directly reached underneath her undergarments without any obstacles. Following her thin waist up, he grabbed a soft, full mound and started squeezing it lightly.
“Mmm…” Xiao Lingxi’s eyes jumped as she them widely and let out a long whimper. Her body also struggled subconsciously. Although she had been “bullied” by Yun Che in many ways, it was through the clothes every single time, yet this time, she was being violated by Yun Che without any barriers. However, no matter how she whimpered and struggled, she was still weak like a wounded little animal. Finally, in her franticness, she subconsciously bit onto Yun Che’s intruding tongue.
Yun Che’s actions stopped as he opened his eyes and looked at the young lady that whose lips his were wrapped around… Xiao Lingxi breathed heavily. Her breath came out lightly onto Yun Che’s face, and her thin brows trembled slightly in her nervousness.
Compared to Yun Che, Xiao Lingxi, who had no experience, was no different from a white sheet of paper. Afraid that his over the top actions would terrify her, Yun Che regretted it a little, then lightly lifted his hand from that soft peak…
Upon sensing his action, a softness suddenly pressed onto his hand, and all of a sudden, the snow-like mound once again filled up his hand.
“Hug me and sleep… No letting go… the entire night.” She laid her head down on Yun Che’s chest, and as her voice trembled in nervousness, her beautiful eyes were shut tight, afraid to meet his gaze.
Yun Che smiled lightly, he held Xiao Lingxi up, got onto the bed, and embraced her tightly… Then, they slept in each other’s arms like they did when they were younger.
“Little Che, you can… never leave me again,” she murmured faintly as if she were sleep talking.
“Mn…” Yun Che replied in an even lightly voice.
“…This huge sex fiend, he actually even made a move on his little aunt!” In Yun Che’s mind, Jasmine’s voice that carried a faint bit of killing intent rang out.
The next morning Yun Che, Xiao Yun, and Number Seven Under Heaven went to offer sacrifices to the Xiao Ying couple. Then, he unwillingly said his goodbyes to Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie before leaving Floating Cloud City and arriving at Blue Wind Imperial City.
Blue Wind Imperial City was still in a state of intense nervousness, but the terrified atmosphere was much fainter than two days ago.
After informing Cang Yue that he was about to go to the Divine Phoenix Empire and force the Divine Phoenix Army to retreat, Cang Yue remained silent for a long while as she leaned against Yun Che’s shoulders and looked at the painting of Cang Wanhe on the wall. She said softly, “Husband, I am royal father’s only daughter. The grudge of killing father was originally irreconcilable… But, I am the Empress of Blue Wind Nation. Inciting more conflict would only cause the people of Blue Wind Nation to get caught in a more terrifying spiral of war. If the Divine Phoenix Army could retreat, stop the war, and promised to never invade again…”
Cang Yue closed her eyes softly, “Then temporarily forget about getting revenge for royal father.”
“Yue’er, don’t worry, I know what to do,” Yun Che smiled and said. He knew that Cang Yue’s words were due to worrying about the future of Blue Wind Nation, and she was worrying about him even more… She knew that she couldn’t stop him and could only use words like this in hopes of minimizing the conflict between Yun Che and the Divine Phoenix Empire. Since, the smaller the conflict, the lower the risks he has to endure.
“Brother-in-law, I’ll go with you!!”
Xia Yuanba smashed his fists in front of his chest, letting out a loud sound which caused the entire palace to shake violently. “See if I smash the homes of those Divine Phoenix bastards into pieces with a punch!”
“No, Yuanba, you stay here,” Yun Che looked at Xia Yuanba and said. “I alone am enough for the Divine Phoenix Nation. You stay here, there’s a more important mission for you.”
“Blue Wind Imperial City is the last line of defense for Blue Wind Nation, it cannot be collapse! If I anger the Divine Phoenix Nation over there when they can’t catch me, they may very well vent their anger here. So someone must be here to protect this place… Yuanba, it’s because you are here that I can go to the Divine Phoenix Nation without worry.”
Yun Che’s final sentence caused Xiao Yuanba, who was already rubbing his fists, to not insist anymore. He nodded with a great amount of force, “Brother-in-law, don’t worry. With me here, no one from the Divine Phoenix Nation can think about getting near!”
“Brother Under Heaven, I’ll trouble you as well. Sigh… Originally, I brought you and Seventh Sister to come and play. I never thought that it would bring you guys so much trouble.”
“Heheh,” Number One Under Heaven smiled calmly. “Brother Yun, you don’t have to be so formal. I believe that with Brother Yun’s ability, merely a Divine Phoenix Nation… is not even worth mentioning.”
“Of course!” Yun Che laughed with arrogance thriving from his body. He hugged Cang Yue and looked at her eyes. “Yue’er, rest assured, I’ll be back. Just wait for me at home… I promise I will make the Divine Phoenix Nation give you an answer with utmost ‘sincerity.’”
Yun Che lightly kissed Cang Yue on her forehead, then flew up and summoned the Primordial Profound Ark. Then, by the next moment, he had already disappeared in a spatial whirlpool.
Chapter 691 - Meeting Zi Ji Once Again
The main branch of Divine Phoenix Sect was slightly west of the center of Divine Phoenix City, and the Black Moon Merchant Guild was at the very center.
The size of the Black Moon Merchant Guild was more than several dozen kilometers and could be comparable to a small town. Anyone would find it hard to believe that it was actually just a merchant guild’s station if they didn’t see it with their own eyes.
The Black Moon Merchant Guild had a total of eight floors. Although they were only eight floors, the height of each floor was incomparably shocking. Adding them together, the building actually shot through the blue skies. At the very top, a gigantic black-colored crescent moon exalted itself among the clouds. Seemingly, at any corner of this humongous Divine Phoenix City, it was clearly visible if one were to raise his head to take a look. The gigantic plaza at the front of the merchant guild was still filled with people like before, and every day, there would be countless profound practitioners trying to enter the place. However, not even one out of ten of them would turn out successful. And out of those who could enter, about eighty to ninety percent of them would only be able to enter the first two floors.
A youth in a long black robe with a solemn-looking and inconspicuous face, arrived at the center of the Black Moon Plaza where the seven-colored jade stage was. Raising his head, he looked at the large, cloud-piercing structure which was reflecting a pure jade luster. Although this was a merchant guild, every single one of its individual bricks and tiles was much extravagant than the ones used by the Blue Wind Imperial Family. Above the gigantic black moon at the top and under the shroud of extremely grand, imposing atmosphere, anyone who looked up towards it would seemingly have the impulse to worship it.
“Carrying a history even longer than Divine Phoenix Sect and possessing a tremendous to indiscernible background… Hopefully, it won’t disappoint me.” The youth softly muttered to himself, walking towards one of the profound arrays at the jade stage. As he approached it, a purple glow rose from his body, and then, under the attention of the incomparably surprised crowd around him, he immediately entered the profound array.
For the first six floors of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, whenever one wished to enter, he or she would have to always strike the jade stage once to obtain the qualifications to enter. However, the seventh floor was different from the first six. The moment one obtained the qualifications to enter it, the teleportation array would memorize the target’s essence, and the person could then enter it directly in the future… unless the Black Moon Merchant Guild decided to erase the target’s essence.
Because, compared to the first six floors, the seventh floor was a completely different world. To the Black Moon Merchant Guild, people who could enter the seventh floor and those who couldn’t were people of two different worlds.
When the profound light dispersed, Yun Che opened his eyes. What was revealed in front of him was what seemed to be a boundless garden at first glance. Adorned within the lush jade greens were various gorgeous, exotic flowers and herbs. Every single large tree was tall and erect, and within every single vertical stream, the endless trickling of flowing water could be heard. Such a sight would cause people to believe that they had suddenly walked into a divine realm instead of entering the interior of a merchant guild.
In front of him, three beautiful young girls wearing different dresses gracefully arrived and lightly bowed. “Welcome to Black Moon Merchant Guild Young Master Yun. Mister Zi is personally waiting for you, please follow this lowly one.”
Yun Che was currently in a disguise, yet when he heard how these three young girls addressed him, Yun Che was not fazed in the slightest. After all, that teleportation array had clearly memorized the entrant’s essence. Rubbing his face, he revealed his true look and smiled. “Then I will have to trouble you three little sisters.”
The three young girls gracefully smiled as they brought Yun Che through the jade-green garden and even through a small hill. Arriving at the same extravagant courtyard as before, seated under the same long pavilion was a purple-colored elder wearing a warm smile.
“You’re here.” Zi Ji slowly rose. His clearwater eyes sized up the youth before him, and gently nodded. His face revealed a meaningful smile. “It’s been three years since we last met, and your demeanor has surpassed your former by at least ten times… Haah, the younger generation will surpass the older as they say.”
“Junior Yun Che greets Senior Zi. Senior, you give me too much praise.” Yun Che took a step forward and bowed with cupped hands.
“Hoho, please sit.” Zi Ji stretched his hand forward, and then, sat at the same time as Yun Che. “Qing Chen, boil a new pot of tea. It has to be ‘Drunken Red Earth’ that has been freshly picked out this morning.”
“Yes.” The young girl in an azure dress politely bowed and floated away. The other two young girls split to Yun Che’s two sides beautifully and gracefully. Carrying light smiles on their lips and standing with respectful postures, they looked as though they could be freely dispatched by Yun Che.
“Senior Zi seems to have long predicted that this junior will come for a visit,” Yun Che smiled. Before he came here, he was absolutely sure that the Black Moon Merchant Guild was already aware of the news of him returning alive… If they hadn’t known, then he would have been disappointed.
“This old one has predicted that you would come, but I had never expected that it would be this soon,” Zi Ji lightly smiled. Compared to three years ago, his gaze on Yun Che seemed to have largely changed. “With the information this old one obtained, you were in Floating Cloud City two hours ago. But now, you have actually appeared in front of this old one.”
The information network belonging to the Black Moon Merchant Guild was impressive as expected. To actually have feelers stretching all the way to Floating Cloud City… Of course, the garrison set up by the Divine Phoenix Army over there might be related as well. The distance between Floating Cloud City and Divine Phoenix City was extremely far. Back then, when he set off from Blue Wind Imperial City which was much closer, even when he journeyed throughout day and night, it still took him several days. Yet now, with merely two hours, he had arrived at Divine Phoenix City from Floating Cloud City… This was indeed overly frightening. Even the strongest profound ark on Profound Sky Continent would definitely not be able to accomplish such a feat.
In regards to this point, Yun Che naturally couldn’t possibly not know of it, but he never thought of giving an explanation. Just as he was about to make a pass with a smile, he heard Zi Ji speak, using an admiring tone, “If it was someone else, this old one would have already been shocked beyond belief and would suspect that the person before me was a ghost or god. But your respected master is, after all, Old Man Duotian, who had once shaken the world ten thousand years ago. Crossing through the Primordial Profound Ark’s dimensional space was already a small feat for him, so with your respected master’s godly powers, the distance of a hundreds of kilometers between this place and Floating Cloud City is merely a flick of a finger.”
Old man… Duotian? Respected master?
The hell!?
A hint of astonishment flashed past the depths of Yun Che’s eyes, and to this astonishment, in Zi Ji’s eyes, was naturally misunderstood as something else. He chuckled, “There’s no need to be surprised. It’s not that my Black Moon Merchant Guild is powerful and large enough to know of your respected master’s existence, rather, Sun Moon Divine Hall did not keep the matter of encountering your respected master in Snow Region of Extreme Ice a secret. Currently, Absolute Sword Monarchy, Supreme Ocean Palace, and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region already knows of this matter.
“Although the name of ‘Old Man Duotian’ has long disappeared for ten thousand years, the Four Great Sacred Grounds were all established ten thousand years ago. The memories of their ancestors are inherited through generations and are never lost. This is why there are still people who knows of the name of your respected master. But, never would one expect that the unbeatable supreme being of the profound realm ten thousand years ago did not actually shatter void-space and ascend to a higher realm as the rumors had stated, but instead had been staying on Profound Sky Continent the entire time, overlooking the vast number of lives. I heard from rumors that your respected master had formed his own world and extinguished a Monarch with a speck of fire. I’m afraid that us so-called experts of this realm are merely ants in your respected master’s eyes.”
Zi Ji’s voice and expression did not carry any intentions to probe or falsehood. All they carried were deep respect, fear, and astonishment towards an expert. Yun Che listened with a calm expression, yet, his inner heart was completely stupefied…
What… is this situation?
Could it be… a person called “Duotian” really once existed? And he was even an ultimate boss-level figure in primordial times?
Seeing how Zi Ji looked… Not only did this unexpected “coincidence” not leave any flaws, it instead had cemented the existence of him having a “strong teacher” even further!?
“My mentor hadn’t meddled in mortal matters for many years and has never been willing to be spoken of by others. I hope Senior Zi understands.” Yun Che smiled very calmly, yet, in his heart, he was thinking: I have completely no idea of who this “Old Man Duotian” is. If we were to start conversing about him, I might accidentally reveal some flaws… It seems, there’s a need to find a way to understand this “Old Man Duotian” person of ten thousand years ago.
“This old one only has respect for your respected master and most definitely has no intentions to probe,” Zi Ji sincerely said.
That azure-dressed young girl named “Qing Chen” gently walked over, and held in her hands was a new pot of boiled tea. Before she even approached, a heart-intoxicating fragrance had already suffused into the air. Yun Che could not help but make a light sniff and spoke, “Speaking of which, in the two times this junior has visited, both were times when Senior Zi was fortunately free. With Black Moon Merchant Guild’s grand name, Senior Zi must be especially busy on normal days.”
“Hohoho,” Zi Ji smiled as he shook his head. “That’s not case. This old one has been here for more than a hundred years, but there was never a time I have been busy. There are countless capable people on Profound Sky Continent, but people who have the qualifications to enter the seventh floor are hardly one in a million. To give an estimate, there will be a guest here once every month while I’m free for the rest of the time.”
“A month?” Yun Che revealed a look of surprise, and then, continued, “The depths of Senior Zi’s profound strength cannot be measured. I’m afraid even the broadness of knowledge you possess cannot be compared to anyone else’s. Even in the Four Great Sacred Grounds, you will definitely carry an extremely high position. If it’s really as Senior Zi says… then in regards to Senior Zi’s abilities, isn’t it an extremely huge waste? And this seventh floor is clearly empty lodgings. With its expansiveness and boundlessness, with looks similar to that of a divine realm, with merely its construction costs, it mostly likely far surpasses any imperial city from the six countries with a simple estimate. Yet, it’s only used to receive a guest once every month?”
“That’s not merely the case,” Zi Ji lightly smiled. He received the teapot from the azure-dressed young girl’s hands and personally filled the cup of tea in front of Yun Che. “For the Black Moon Merchant Guild to be able to exist for thousands of years and flourish without end, it naturally stems from a matured survival plan. The number of customers in this seventh floor cannot be compared to even one ten thousandth of the customers in the lower six floors, but the construction costs and yearly maintenance fees of this floor are more than a hundred times of the previous six floors added together. That is because… people who are able to enter the first six floors, are our Black Moon Merchant Guild’s distinguished guests, while people who have the qualifications to enter this place… are my Black Moon Merchant Guild’s lifeline!”
“I believe with your wits, you should definitely understand this old one’s words,” Zi Ji said with calm smile.
Yun Che lightly closed his eyes. After a short moment of silence, he opened them and gently nodded. “I see. This junior has always believed that this junior’s knowledge and experience are considerably broad. But during my two visits here, with such celestial scenery and to have a supreme figure such as Senior Zi personally receive me, even I feel a little flattered. In that case, with every subsequent visit, affection will build. And, to build such close relationships with seemingly all of the experts and formidable powers on Profound Sky Continent, I believe your Black Moon Merchant Guild is the only one.”
“Hoho. Here, drink some tea.” Zi Ji raised his hand with a smile. Raising his teacup, he took a light sip, enjoying the aftertaste.
Yun Che raised his own cup of tea, though he drank it all in an instant. Shaking his teacup, he said with a smile, “Senior Zi’s tea sure is a worldly treasure. It’s just that this junior has always been ignorant in the tastes of tea, so it seems this junior has wasted a heavenly gift.”
“No matter how good tea is, as long as it goes into your hands, even if it’s spilled by you, it would still be a fortunate matter. How can it possibly be called a waste of a heavenly gift?” Zi Ji said with a laugh.
“This junior isn’t worthy of such praise from senior,” Yun Che said with a faint smile. He had initially arrived at Divine Phoenix City with a baleful aura, but, after reaching this place, in less than ten minutes, his inner heart was already clear and serene. The man in front of him, Zi Ji, had a calm, quaint, and encompassing presence… as though he was clear water that went untouched for ten thousand years in an ancient well.
“If you aren’t worthy, then I’m afraid there’s no one in this Profound Sky Continent who is.” Zi Ji’s tone was still the same as before, yet, he suddenly made an abrupt change in subject, and asked, “With your arrival here, what are your plans for Divine Phoenix Sect?”
Yun Che’s eyes narrowed, and a baleful aura instantly surged from his entire body. The killing intent gathered in his eyes was also revealed in front of Zi Ji without the slightest concealment. “Senior, what do you think this junior should do?”
The surrounding space instantly turned suffocating without any warning, causing the tender bodies of the three young girls at the sides to shudder at the same time. Zi Ji still carried the same calm and light smile; his expression did not have the slightest even in the face of Yun Che’s aura. “This old one only sees the results.”
“Then senior, what kind of results do you think it will be?”
Zi Ji gently shook his head. “Unpredictable. When this old one first met you three years ago, although I was shocked at your talent and the presence and shrewdness that surpasses your age, when you left, this old one had believed that if you were to head to Divine Phoenix Sect, there was more than a ninety-percent chance that you would have lost your life there, while the other ten percent was, even if you managed to keep your life intact, you wouldn’t have been able to obtain what you wished for. That was because I understood Divine Phoenix Sect more than I understood you.
“Ever since this old one has settled down here, not a single person I have seen in these hundred years weren’t outstanding individuals, and I had believed that my evaluation on people and various affairs would never go wrong. But, only when it comes to you, this old one had never guessed the ending in the slightest. A youth of not even twenty years old with profound strength at the Earth Profound Realm actually dealt a crushing blow to Divine Phoenix Sect, rendering them powerless on their own turf. In these years, you are the only one who has made me miscalculate completely.
“Divine Phoenix Sect had been established for five thousand years, and their roots are immensely deep. Even the Four Great Sacred Grounds find it hard to fathom their depths. Although your strength has greatly surpassed what it was three years ago, if you do not rely on the power of your respected master and head for a direct confrontation with only your own strength… If this was the first time we met, the only thing I can describe this situation as is ‘an egg hitting a stone.’ But now…” Zi Ji gently shook his head, as though he was deprecating himself. “I do not dare to jump to conclusions. Even though you’re only three feet away from me, it feels as though we’re separated by ten thousand miles. Hoho. I can’t see through you at all.”
The tender mouths of the young girls who were standing at Yun Che’s sides widened at the same time. They, who were exerting great effort to maintain their beautiful and tender smiles on their faces, were unable to conceal their deep surprise at all. They were extremely clear of the kind of position Mister Zi had. This was the first time they had heard such words… and it was even towards a person of such a young age.
“Hmph. The mere Divine Phoenix Sect still does not possess the qualifications to have my teacher make a move.” The corner of Yun Che’s brows rose, and a stern killing intent could be felt from his voice. “I won’t do much to them either. I merely want them… to pay at least ten times the debt they owe!”
“Speaking of which…” Yun Che suddenly switched the subject of the conversation. “I heard from rumors that three years ago, after the disappearance of the Primordial Profound Ark, the Divine Phoenix of Divine Phoenix Sect made an appearance?”
The appearance of the Divine Phoenix three years ago appeared in the memories of Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Ye Ziyi, and it similarly appeared in Feng Huwei’s memories as well… and he had even personally saw it! Not only did the Divine Phoenix appear, its overbearing strength and pressure had even coldly silenced the people of the Four Great Sacred Grounds and had even mercilessly punished Ye Xinghan in front of everyone.
But… The Divine Phoenix had clearly already disappeared!
“That’s right,” Zi Ji lightly nodded. “Three years ago, there had long been rumors about the Divine Phoenix’s depleted lifespan and its disappearance. We then found out, because of the Divine Phoenix’s disappearance, it would cause Divine Phoenix Sect to lose their strongest backing, and the moment this was exposed, there was a possibility of facing the crisis of extinction. Because of this, the Great Elder of Divine Phoenix Sect, Feng Feiyan, secretly surrendered to Sun Moon Divine Hall, and had even informed them of the disappearance of the Divine Phoenix. But, the descent of the Divine Phoenix three years ago, was personally witnessed by everyone in Divine Phoenix City, which clearly proved that its ‘disappearance’ was merely a test. What it was testing, was naturally people like Feng Feiyan who carried ulterior motives.”
“I see.” Yun Che slightly frowned; his heart was still filled with doubts. The Divine Phoenix had already passed on, this was what Feng Xue’er personally told him. With Feng Xue’er’s heart, she definitely couldn’t have lied. And Feng Xue’er had even succeeded all of the Divine Phoenix’s source of power, soul energy, and even memories… If that’s the case, how could the Divine Phoenix possibly still be alive!?
“There’s no need to doubt it, that Divine Phoenix spirit already died long ago,” Jasmine suddenly said with a cold tone.
Yun Che was startled for a moment. “Then the one that appeared three years ago…”
“Hmph. It’s merely a soul fragment which carried a little amount of power source,” Jasmine blandly said. “To leave behind a soul fragment which contains a bit of power is something a mortal isn’t capable of doing and isn’t something one would think of. But, the Divine Phoenix spirit is a cloned entity of the Phoenix’s soul, it’s an easy feat for it if it ever wants to do so! After it passed down all of its soul energy and origin power to Feng Xue’er, most likely, in order to guard against the appearance of people such as Feng Feiyan, it purposefully split a small part of itself and attached it within Feng Xue’er’s body. But, this detached soul fragment wouldn’t be able to exist for a long period of time, and by now, it should have completely dispersed. If it we are talking about it being alive… That’s absolutely impossible!”
“… Is that so.” Yun Che roughly got the gist of it.
“Mister Zi, in these three years, about Princess Snow of Divine Phoenix Sect… Do you have any news on her?” Yun Che asked.
Zi Ji deeply glanced at Yun Che; his eyes carried a certain profound meaning. A short while after, he lightly smiled and said, “Three years ago, after the departure of the Primordial Profound Ark and before the appearance of the Divine Phoenix, Princess Snow had fallen unconscious… Then after, she had been in deep slumber, and for three whole years, no matter what methods were used, she was unable to awaken.”
“What?” Yun Che’s expression greatly shook. “In deep slumber for three years? Three whole years?”
“That’s right. If the information I received was not mistaken, it was only yesterday when Princess Snow finally woke up.”
“…” For a moment, ripples surfaced in Yun Che’s heart. In Feng Huwei’s memories, he did not find any information regarding Feng Xue’er’s situation these three years. In these two days, he had been pondering and suspecting that, with Feng Xue’er’s heart and the pure feelings she had towards him, when the Divine Phoenix Empire invaded Blue Wind Empire, she should have definitely prevented it from happening! And Feng Hengkong had always extremely pampered her as well, complying with all her wishes… Blue Wind Empire shouldn’t have fallen into such dire straits.
So… She had actually been in deep slumber, for a whole three years.
Yun Che took a light breath and asked “Then Mister Zi, do you know why Princess Snow fell into deep slumber for such a long period of time? It shouldn’t be due to injuries, right?”
“In regards to this point, I only have conjectures as well.” Zi Ji slowly said, “After Princess Snow fell into deep slumber, her entire body was enveloped in scarlet flames, burning endlessly. Within three feet, not a single person could approach her. And the place where she had slept for three years, was brought about by the Divine Phoenix which appeared three years ago. Thus, the Divine Phoenix should be refining her physique with phoenix flames, or bestowing her with even stronger phoenix flame abilities, aiding her in stepping into the Sovereign Realm from half-step from the Sovereign Profound… That’s most likely the case. Currently, Princess Snow has already awoken. If you’re concerned, you can try asking her about it directly. Hohoho.”
Zi Ji smiled very meaningfully.
It’s no wonder either. The reason why Yun Che would “lose his life” in the Primordial Profound Ark was known to seemingly everyone in the Profound Sky Continent, so how couldn’t Zi Ji know of it… As the core figure in Black Moon Merchant Guild, he could only know much more than others.
Chapter 692 - Lost Control
Thinking about Feng Xue’er, Yun Che immediately became silent. It wasn’t that she didn’t stop them, but it was because she was in a coma and couldn’t stop them… this relieved a certain part of his heart. But when facing the Divine Phoenix Sect, how should he face the Feng Xue’er who had just woken up?
Zi Ji also didn’t speak. He smiled, looked at Yun Che, and the light in his eyes were so condensed and solid that it seemed to be piercing through Yun Che’s heart and soul. At this moment, Yun Che lifted his head; the expression on his face and his eyes had calmed down. “Senior Zi, this junior is visiting your noble Merchant Guild once again because of several matters. Does Senior Zi still remember the ‘Netherworld Udumbara Flower’ that this junior asked you about three years ago?”
“Oh? You are still looking for that item?” Zi Ji shook his head slowly. “These years, this old man has occasionally investigated whether or not the Netherworld Udumbara Flower still exists in this world. But unfortunately, there are already very few who knew about this flower, not to mention those who have seen it. These years, followed with more and more humans in the Profound Sky Continent, the yang energy in the continent has surpassed the yin. The Netherworld Udumbara Flower is an extremely yin, demonic, and evil item. It should have gone completely extinct on Profound Sky Continent thousands of years ago. Furthermore, with time moving forward, unless a calamity that destroys the world appears out of nowhere, the yang energy in Profound Sky Continent will only become stronger and stronger. In other words, the already extinct Netherworld Udumbara Flower will never appear ever again.
“At least that is how it is in Profound Sky Continent.”
Last time, Zi Ji’s answer was that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower had gone extinct and that it shouldn’t appear again. This time, the answer was the same… and he was even more sure of it. Yun Che showed disappointment on his face, but then asked immediately, “I remember that Senior Zi said last time that the last Netherworld Udumbara Flower sighting that was recorded in Profound Sky Continent was one thousand and three hundred years ago. Then… can Senior Zi tell me, where the last Netherworld Udumbara Flower was found back then?”
The reason that Yun Che asked this question was obviously because he wanted to go check out the place that the last recorded Netherworld Udumbara Flower was found. Since the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was able to grow there, that meant that the place must be extremely yin and evil. Even though more than a thousand of years have passed, there… was a possibility that the environment might not have changed too much.
Of course, the possibility of it was next to nothing. After all, with one thousand and three hundred years, this course of history was not a short one. Even the Blue Wind Imperial Family only had a thousand years of history. The reason he would ask was because he didn’t want to give up on even the most remote hope. But, what surprised him was that after he finished this sentence, he clearly saw that Zi Ji’s facial expression became stiff for a second, even the casual smile on his face disappeared.
“…I cannot tell you,” Zi Ji shook his head slightly and said slowly.
Zi Ji’s reaction caused Yun Che’s eyebrows to twitch. He placed his hand onto the stone table and said, “Very well! Then I will buy this information from Senior Zi! Senior Zi only needs to tell me the name of that place and where it is located! Name any price… as long as I can afford it!”
“No!” Zi Ji still shook his head. “On this matter, I cannot tell you the answer, and I cannot sell it to you as information.”
“Why? Could that place… have some exceptional hidden secret?” Yun Che asked aggressively.
Zi Ji shut his eyes slightly and said, “Because that place, is a ‘secret ground.’ Since it’s a ‘secret ground,’ not mentioning entering, even the people who know about it, in this world, are as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns… At least in the Profound Sky Seven Nations, including the Divine Phoenix Sect, no one knows about it. Also, in that ‘secret ground’ now, there are no longer any Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.”
Even the Divine Phoenix Sect didn’t know about it the “secret ground” Zi Ji was referring to, so it was naturally an absolutely unusual existence. Yun Che didn’t think that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower that he asked about with tiny hope would have him come across an incredibly mysterious… and even somewhat strange “secret ground.”
Seeing Zi Ji’s attitude, Yun Che knew that no matter how he asked, he wouldn’t be able to find out the answer to it. He locked his eyebrows tight, stopped wasting his breath, and nodded in an especially calm manner. “I see… since it is such a ‘secret ground’, then this junior should not look into it.”
But he kept what Zi Ji said before in his mind.
“Then, three years ago, this junior asked for help to find Chu Yuechan… does Senior Zi have any information on that matter?”
Yun Che spoke in a very calm manner, but when he was speaking, his fingers clenched uncontrollably, which revealed that his mind was definitely not as calm as he looked on the surface. Three years of time, searching for Chu Yuechan, who has very distinguishable traits… He believed that with Black Moon Merchant Guild’s information network that shrouds the Profound Sky, no matter what, there should be some news. Even if it was just traces of it.
“Sigh…” But just as Yun Che finished speaking, he heard Zi Ji sigh softly, and his heart sank immediately.
“Three years ago, not long after you asked my Black Moon to search for Chu Yuechan, you died on the Primordial Profound Ark. At that time, everyone thought you had no chance of surviving, so Black Moon didn’t continue to look for Chu Yuechan. Half a year later, Spiritual Master Ancient Blue, from Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, suddenly came and asked me to look for Chu Yuechan… Searching for Chu Yuechan was secondary, but there was an extreme possibility that your descendant is by her side. The heart of his disciple, Xia Yuanba, was filled with anger and hatred because of your death, and it was long lasting. Cultivating under this mindset would cause him to easily have a fiendish rebound. After Ancient Blue understood everything about your past, he hoped that he could find your descendant to resolve the hatred in Xia Yuanba’s heart. Because of this, I personally used Black Moon’s information network to find out Chu Yuechan’s whereabouts, and the search directly covered Profound Sky Seven Nations.”
“And? Did you find her?!” Yun Che held his breath and asked.
Zi Ji gave him a deep look and said, “Spiritual Master Ancient Blue and I have been friends for a few hundred years, and I received his help multiple times. This was the first time he personally asked me for something, so of course I did everything I could. But, using all of Black Moon’s information gathering power which covers the entire Profound Sky Seven Nations, including Divine Phoenix, for a whole ten months, we still didn’t find anything. Therefore, the most likely possibility… is that she is already dead.”
“What did you say?!!” Yun Che stood up suddenly, and following with a large exploding sound, a crack that was more than one feet long appeared on the stone table beneath his palm. His calm face turned ferocious, and his eyes were red like blood. “You’re saying that she… is dead?!”
“I know better than you how strong the information gathering ability of the Black Moon Merchant Guild is. Chu Yuechan should be extremely easy to find, but no matter what we did, we couldn’t find any trace of her… Sigh, this is indeed the worst, but also the most likely, or even the only possible conclusion,” Zi Ji sighed and said.
“You’re lying!!” Yun Che’s pupils dilated, he reached out suddenly, grabbed harshly onto Zi Ji’s collar and pulled him up from his stone chair, “You say she’s dead?! What evidence do you have to say she’s dead?! Do you know who Chu Yuechan is?! She is my, Yun Che’s, woman, the leader of the Frozen Cloud’s Seven Fairies, the most beautiful fairy in Blue Wind Nation! Anyone who sees her wouldn’t be able to forget her for the rest of their lives! Even though she gave up her profound arts, her profound strength still exists. In Blue Wind Nation, there is no one who could kill her!! What do you mean that she’s dead!”
“Sir… Sir Master Yun!” Yun Che’s action surprised the three young girls in colorful clothes. Zi Ji’s position was so high that even when Feng Hengkong saw him, he would bow to him immediately. For anyone to dare to grab his collar so rude and violently… and even on Black Moon Merchant Guild’s territory.
Zi Ji had lived for close to a thousand years, but there weren’t many people who would speak loudly to him, and no one has ever dared to treat him like this. However, his expression was still calm, and he did not express anger at all. On the contrary, after momentary of surprise, he felt impressed deep down… Once a profound practitioner had reached a high level, they would be arrogant and cold to emotions, especially towards women. Not mentioning Overlords and Monarchs who looked down to the world, even Thrones who dominate a territory would see them as toys that they can have as much as they want. Even if they especially valued a certain woman, they could not be compared to the cultivation of profound way.
But the young man in front of him who was hard to read and had deep eyes that even he couldn’t see through up close lost control of his emotions like this because of the news of the woman’s death.
“With Chu Yuechan’s profound strength, it is indeed difficult for her to find an equal match in Blue Wind Nation. But, when Black Moon started searching for Chu Yuechan, Divine Phoenix’s invasion on Blue Wind had already been in progress for a few months. Blue Wind Nation was already a mess with disasters everywhere, and there were countless deceased. Each Divine Phoenix Army had at least a high level Throne or even an Overlord, so Chu Yuechan would not be a match for them. If she ran into the Divine Phoenix Army, it would be difficult for her to even escape. The only possibility that the branch could think of when Black Moon has searched for this long but wasn’t able to find anything was during those months…”
“Shut up!!”
BOOM!!
The stone table exploded, and Zi Ji was pushed back several steps. Yun Che held his fist tightly while his whole body was trembling;his eyes were red like a vicious, blood-thirsty wolf. He pointed at Zi Ji and roared, “What Black Moon Merchant Guild! The reason you couldn’t find my little fairy is because of your own incapability. You made empty promises and even curse that she’s already dead… I’ll tell you, even if all of the people from Black Moon Merchant Guild are dead, she wouldn’t even be missing a hair!!”
“Huu…” Yun Che breathed a heavy breath, and his voice suddenly lowered, “What kind of crappy Black Moon Merchant Guild is this, you’re just a bunch of incapable people. You dare say you have a heritage that spans thousands of years, yet you can’t even find a single person… this is absolutely a waste of my time and friendship!!”
Yun Che swung his hand while cursing and turned around to leave.
From when Black Moon Merchant Guild’s name became well-known in Profound Sky until now, it had been thousands of years. In these thousands of years, no one had ever dared to behave rudely on the territory of the Black Moon Merchant Guild. No one had even dared to be disrespectful to the people of the Black Moon Merchant Guild. On the contrary, the higher the plane of the person, the more they respect and fear the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
For Yun Che to act like this at the Black Moon Merchant Guild… its headquarters at that… and on the seventh floor of its headquarters, he was definitely the first one in history to yell at Zi Ji like this.
Zi Ji’s eyebrows moved, slightly tightened, and then relaxed. He was still not mad; on the contrary, he laughed bitterly and then said to the three young girls that were already frightened into not knowing what to do, “Sigh, go get him back.”
The three young girls were stunned all at once, and then they flew out one after the other to Yun Che’s side like three butterflies. One person blocked Yun Che’s path, and the other two each grabbed onto Yun Che’s arm. “Sir Yun, please calm down. Mister Zi was only reporting the result of the investigation, he definitely did not intend for it to be a curse… Maybe, it was indeed an oversight of the information network. We sisters apologize to Sir Yun for the Black Moon Merchant Guild, we only ask Sir Yun to calm your anger.”
One more step and Yun Che would be able to collapse directly onto the chest of the young girl in green. He stopped, lifted his head, closed his eyes, and his chest rose and fell severely. It was then when he finally started to slowly calm down… He raged in this Black Moon Merchant Guild, and his words were filled with insults. If it was someone else, just by humiliating the Black Moon Merchant Guild, even if the person had ten lives, the person would die here. But he got such “special treatment,” and he knew the main reason was his “mysterious master” who didn’t actually exist.
He turned around, faced Zi Ji, and his expression was calm again. “Senior Zi, this junior was not able to control my emotions for a moment, please forgive my rude words and actions.”
“You don’t need to take it to heart.” Zi Ji shook his head and smiled. He lifted his arm, and the shattered stone table that was broken by Yun Che in front of him disappeared and was replaced with an identical, complete stone table. “If you don’t mind, drink some more with this old man.”
Chapter 693 - The Culprit Who Was Discovered Too Late
Yun Che stopped talking and slowly walked back, returning to his seat in front of Zi Ji.
“The matter involving Chu Yuechan, this old man really feels that…”
“Let’s drop the matter.” Yun Che raised his hand to stop him. Although his face remained calm, his eyebrows were still tightly knit together. “Regarding my request for the Black Moon Merchant Guild to search for Chu Yuechan, just cancel it now! As for payment, there is no need for me to pay you. You also don’t have to tell me about the so-called ‘result’ that you’ve obtained!”
“As for the fact that I badmouthed your guild previously, I retract whatever I said… but there’s one thing that I must say again…” In a determined manner, Yun Che said, “The fact that your guild cannot find her can only mean that that is the limit of your guild’s ability! She isn’t dead… definitely not!!”
Little Fairy, you’re definitely okay. Our child… is already four now… You all must be living peacefully at a very secure and secretive location… If our child is a boy, he must have already started learning how to protect you… If our child is a girl, she is definitely as beautiful as you…
Before I find you… even if the Sky Emperor himself were to say that you all are no longer in the human world, I would not believe him either!
“Hoho, this old man can only wish that everything is as you hoped for.” Zi Ji laughed slightly, “For things to turn out this way, this old man is ashamed as well. In order to make up for it, let this old man offer you some free information that we obtained while searching for news of Chu Yuechan… and this matter concerns Chu Yuechan herself. I’m sure you’re interested.”
“Concerns her?” Expectedly, Yun Che immediately looked at him. “Senior Zi, please tell me.”
Zi Ji drank some tea and then replied softly, “Back then, after you had escaped from under Heavenly Sword Villa’s Sword Management Terrace and found out what happened to Chu Yuechan, did you ever wonder how matters spread to the entire world?”
Zi Ji’s words immediately caused Yun Che’s expression to change slightly as he replied in a deep voice, “Of course I wondered! With Senior Zi’s knowledge, you should know the prestige and respect Frozen Cloud Asgard commands within Blue Wind Empire. Females of Frozen Cloud Asgard are known to be eternally pure and untainted. As Chu Yuechan was the head of the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies, news of her pregnancy spreading would definitely tarnish Frozen Cloud Asgard’s reputation to a great extent. Therefore, Frozen Cloud Asgard would definitely try to cover up the matter as much as possible and not allow it to spread. Heavenly Sword Villa’s Villa Master, Ling Yuefeng, used to love Chu Yuechan deeply… Even if he didn’t, he would definitely understand the underlying impact of this and would immediately cover up matters, preventing more people from finding out such a thing. However, when I had awoken, everyone had already learnt the truth regarding this.”
“Although I had always wondered about this back then, I did not go out of my way to look into this matter. Even if the news had been immediately covered up, there were no guarantees… Senior Zi, about what you want to tell me…” Yun Che’s face gradually darkened, “could it be that someone had spread the news deliberately?”
From how Yun Che had reacted when Zi Ji told him the news regarding “Chu Yuechan’s death,” he had already guessed the consequences of telling him this piece of information. Zi Ji nodded slightly, “That’s right. This information being spread was not due to a lapse in the cover up. Instead, it had been spread deliberately… and the one who leaked it and fanned the flames was the wife of the Heavenly Sword Villa’s Villa Master, Ling Yuefeng, that you just mentioned… Xuanyuan Yufeng.”
Yun Che stood up vigorously, his narrowed eyes immediately emanated ice cold anger and killing intent.
Back then, it was basically due to the fact that everyone had heard the news of Chu Yuechan’s pregnancy that Gong Yuxian was forced to kick Chu Yuechan out of Frozen Cloud Asgard to protect its reputation… she could even have been put to death. However, if the news had not been spread so widely, when Chu Yuechan had returned to Frozen Cloud Asgard, she would have been chided and punished, but at the very least, she would not have been chased out of Frozen Cloud Asgard… Furthermore, if Chu Yuechan had insisted, she would have been able to keep her child and would not have had to wander outside alone with a child in her womb… with no news of her even now…
It turns out that there was actually a culprit behind all of this!
After a while, Yun Che finally sat down, and a near pitch black haze shrouded his half opened eyes.
After his malicious aura had been gradually suppressed, Zi Ji calmly asked, “From the looks of it, you don’t seem to be that surprised.”
“…Ling Yuefeng loved Chu Yuechan deeply, and this lasted for ten entire years. In order to see her face, he had even abandoned his pride, although his wish did not come true.” Yun Che seemed to have calmed down. “This was a fact that nearly everyone within the Blue Wind profound world knew. As his wife, there was no reason why Xuanyuan Yufeng wouldn’t know of it. Women are jealous creatures. The more powerful a woman’s strength and background was, the more accurate this statement would be. Towards Chu Yuechan, she held deep jealousy. It’s also likely that, back then, when Chu Yuechan came to Heavenly Sword Villa because of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, Ling Yuefeng did things that he should not have done which alerted Xuanyuan Yufeng that his heart had not given up yet, resulting in hatred borne from this matter. Therefore, after she found out that Chu Yuechan was pregnant…” Yun Che’s voice became filled with killing intent yet again, “she carried out such a backhanded move!”
“Hoho, the reason that I have discovered is no different from what you have guessed.” Zi Ji laughed plainly as he continued, “Judging by your past experience, I can see that you’re a man that repays kindness with kindness and seeks revenge for grievances. As for how you’re going to handle this, it is not right for me to ask… However, do you understand anything about Xuanyuan Yufeng?”
Yun Che calmly replied, “I’ve heard that she was originally from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region… Especially from her surname! ‘Xuanyuan’ is a surname that only exists within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.”
“The surname ‘Xuanyuan’ indeed only currently exists within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, but not everyone there has the surname ‘Xuanyuan,’” Zi Ji calmly corrected. Yun Che already knew what Zi Ji had said was true as he knew that Ling Kun did not have the surname ‘Xuanyuan.’ “Instead, the surname ‘Xuanyuan’ is very rare within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Including Xuanyuan Yufeng, there are only thirty people that held this surname.
“And Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s Sword Master, Xuanyuan Wentian… as well as all the previous Sword Masters, all possess the surname of Xuanyuan!
“The founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region… also had the surname Xuanyuan!”
“Do you mean that, those with the surname Xuanyuan… belong to the bloodline of the founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region?” Yun Che frowned as he asked.
“That’s right,” Zi Ji nodded, his expression becoming more serious as he warned Yun Che, “Xuanyuan Yufeng’s father is the ninth elder of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region—Xuanyuan Jue. Within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, the sword reigns supreme. If one has enough attainments with the sword, he would gain the right to enter Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. However, if one’s descendants lacked affinity with the sword, he would be chased out… this was what happened to the founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. However, the bloodline of ‘Xuanyuan’ is completely different. As the bloodline of the founding ancestor, they are held with the highest regard within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and are the most supreme existence there. Even if one were born as a cripple, he would never be chased out of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and would instead receive this best form of treatment and all its resources.”
Initially, when Yun Che had heard Qin Wushang mention that Xuanyuan Yufeng and the Sword Master of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, Xuanyuan Wentian, possessed the same surname, he already knew that she was not so simple, but he never thought that her background would be that extraordinary. Zi Ji’s words were undoubtedly telling him that if he touched Xuanyuan Yufeng… he would be offending the most core bloodline of the founding ancestor within Mighty Heavenly Sword Region!
“Because the founding ancestor of Heavenly Sword Villa also came from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, Heavenly Sword Villa has been trying to reestablish their relationship with Mighty Heavenly Sword Region for the past thousand years… No matter how small the connection may be, it would be like obtaining a huge backer. Although Heavenly Sword Villa is unrivalled within Blue Wind Nation, they were not even worth consideration for Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. However, in the end, in order to obtain a source of information about Blue Wind Nation, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region stopped rejecting the offerings that Heavenly Sword Villa had sent and even gave back occasionally. This naturally made Heavenly Sword Villa ecstatic, and from then onwards, they prepared gifts wholeheartedly each year without fail.
“Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s actions initially were only so that they could make use of Heavenly Sword Villa as their ‘informant’ in Blue Wind Nation. However, no one could have imagined that… thirty years back, when Ling Tianni brought along Ling Yuefeng to hand the offerings over, Xuanyuan Jue’s sole daughter, Xuanyuan Yufeng, would fall in love with Ling Yuefeng at first sight.
“Although Xuanyuan Jue was already a thousand and seven hundred years old, his daughter was not even in her twenties yet. At an age where her love was blooming and given the fact that the young Ling Yuefeng was handsome, gentlemanly, and charismatic, it was no surprise that Xuanyuan Yufeng would fall in love with him. However, as she was someone from the bloodline of the founding ancestor of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, she was of extremely high status, whereas Ling Yuefeng was the descendant of an expelled disciple. This meant that their status were far apart, and Xuanyuan Jue naturally would not agree to their relationship… However, Xuanyuan Yufeng’s personality was headstrong and steadfast. She first threatened him with her death and eventually crippled her profound arts and left Mighty Heavenly Sword Region forever.”
“Hah, she is indeed a passionate person.” Yun Che laughed coldly, “To catch the attention of a descendant of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s founding ancestor, Heavenly Sword Villa naturally would tightly grab onto this huge backing. Even if that Xuanyuan Yufeng were ugly like a sow, Ling Tianni and Ling Yuefeng would never reject it… But for Xuanyuan Yufeng to make such a headstrong decision, Ling Yufeng must have sweet-talked her to the moon and back!”
“Hohohoho,” Zi Ji laughed plainly, his expression obviously showed his agreement with what Yun Che said. “After that, Xuanyuan Jue announced that he would sever his father-daughter relationship with Xuanyuan Yuefeng out of rage and chased them out of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, swearing to never meet them again.”
“Heh, even though he is called Xuanyuan Jue, he was not completely cruel to his daughter. Otherwise, he would have already killed Ling Yuefeng,” Yun Che continued laughing coldly.
“After all, Xuanyuan Yufeng was his only daughter.” Zi Ji continued, “After some time passed, his rage faded. Furthermore, Xuanyuan Yufeng and Ling Yuefeng had brought two grandsons to him. Xuanyuan Jue had no choice but to accept Ling Yuefeng as his son-in-law. A few years ago, Xuanyuan Yufeng brought her two sons and Ling Yuefeng back to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region to visit… I heard that Xuanyuan Jue was very fond of Xuanyuan Yuefeng’s two children, particularly her younger son, Ling Jie, and even offered to teach him personally. Heavenly Sword Villa naturally became more assured of its backing because of this.”
“If you’re unable to let go of matters and still want to punish Xuanyuan Yufeng… please think carefully before you act.” Zi Ji’s gaze was distant and deep, and he possessed an elder’s bearing. He was obviously trying to peacefully persuade Yun Che, who was exceptionally concerned with this matter.
“…Yun Che’s palm that was on the stone table retracted slightly. Compared to Xuanyuan Yufeng’s identity, he was more concerned with… the fact that she was Ling Jie’s birth mother!
“Senior Zi, I already know most of what you wanted to let me know.” Yun Che said as he looked up at Zi Ji, so calm that he sounded indifferent, “Indeed, I’m a man who seeks revenge for grievances. This matter regarding Xuanyuan Yufeng, even though I only figured it out many years later, I definitely will not let it go so easily. The debts that need to be repaid must be repaid in full. As for the free information Senior Zi provided, I’m absolutely grateful. However, I would like to let Senior Zi know one thing…
“As a person, the thing I hate the most is being plotted against and being used… No matter who it is by!”
Yun Che’s gaze concentrated as though it had become two sharps arrows, and this caused Zi Ji’s breathing to stop for an instant.
SummerRain: When Zi Ji says “even though he is called Xuanyuan Jue”, he is referring to the fact that Jue means cruel/heartless (绝情 = jue qing).
Chapter 694 - We’re Gonna Be Rich
The sudden change in the tone caught Zi Ji off guard. Although he only looked like he was forty or fifty and there was not even a speck of white in his beard yet, his actual age had already surpassed the thousand mark. He possessed knowledge far beyond any normal human’s comprehension and had gone through a flow of time that a normal person would not be able to comprehend.
Hence, he was able to see through a person’s inner thoughts clearly which meant that it had been a long time since he had experienced any unexpected feelings… However, when facing this twenty-two year old youth who was standing in front of him, a youth who was several times younger than him, the intense gaze of this youth seemed to pierce through the depths of his heart.
Facing Yun Che’s gaze, he uttered with a bitter smile after a moment of short hesitation, “Such unbelievably astute observational skills… no, rather than calling it observational skills, it would be more fitting to call it… instincts?
“I admit, there was some personal agenda behind me telling you the information we had about Xuanyuan Yufeng. However, in what I’ve just said, there were no lies nor was there any ill intent directed at you. I only wished to do you a favor while simultaneously gifting Mighty Heavenly Sword Region an ‘unfathomable’ enemy.”
Yun Che laughed slightly, “I believe you. If I had really felt that you had ill intent, I wouldn’t be sitting in front of you so casually right now.”
Three years ago when he initially met Zi Ji, he only felt that his status was extraordinary, but now, the more he spoke with him, the more he felt that this person’s strength and status was probably unfathomable. He decided not to beat around the bush anymore as he took out his Profound Currency Card that was shining with a violet glow and slapped it in front of Zi Ji. “I have bothered Senior Zi for long enough today, let’s get to the main topic. I need forty five thousand kilograms of Purgatory Stone and a hundred fifty kilograms of Flaming Devil Vines that are at least ninety years old. If you do not have those that are ninety years or older, then those above sixty years will be fine as well, but I would require twice the amount. Also, I need six thousand Rakshasa Heart-destroying Fruits, twelve thousand Skull Seeds, six thousand blades of Soul Withering Grass…”
Without stopping, Yun Che eloquently listed forty-nine different types of ingredients. If there were only a few, Zi Ji would not have thought much about it; however, all forty-nine ingredients that Yun Che had mentioned were all violent and explosive! Each one of them possessed a great amount of concentrated energy which also meant that they were extremely dangerous objects… For example, the erosive power in a ten centimeter long Flaming Devil Vine was sufficient to completely destroy a Sky Profound practitioner in a matter of seconds.
The reason why Purple Veined Divine Crystals were so precious was because it not only possessed extremely concentrated energy, the energy was also very gentle; it could be easily controlled, guided, and changed into other forms to use for other purposes, and also because it could be absorbed directly. Although the things that Yun Che asked for possessed the same concentrated energy, they were on the other extreme as each one of them possessed different attributes and only had one common characteristic, which was that they were extremely violent and difficult to control.
However, due to the “violent” characteristics, several of the ingredients could occasionally be used to make pellets that were used to break through bottlenecks… However, the success rate was unbelievably low, and there were huge risks involved.
However, if it succeeded… a pellet that could break through bottlenecks would undoubtedly be a treasure that could be priced for an exorbitant amount!
Therefore, although the energy within these forty-nine ingredients was extremely concentrated, their demand was very low which meant that they naturally did not cost much… After all, among all the top pellet refining masters within the entire Profound Sky Continent, not one of them would dare to say that they were able to perfectly handle any one of the listed ingredients.
If it were controlling several of them at the same time… they probably wouldn’t succeed a single time even if they had decades.
Not only had Yun Che requested forty-nine items that were already frighteningly explosive on their own, the quantity that he had requested was absolutely shocking.
The three young girls behind him were dumbfounded by what they had heard.
Zi Ji closed his eyes as a small profound formation appeared on his slightly raised right hand. After a short while, the profound formation disappeared and he opened his eyes. As he breathed out, he said, “Black Moon has all of these forty-nine ingredients. However, our storage is insufficient for your needs. To collect everything would require a little time.”
“How long would it take?” Yun Che asked calmly. He knew full well that the quantity that he had requested for was massive and he would not be able to obtain the full quantity at any other shop. He knew that Black Moon Merchant Guild would not disappoint him… as long as he paid them a sufficient sum.
“Purgatory Stones need to be collected from the depths of lava. For forty-five thousand kilograms, it will take approximately fifteen days. As for the other ingredients, five days would be sufficient,” Zi Ji replied.
“Good!” Yun Che nodded. “Then I’ll come back and retrieve them in fifteen days. Senior Zi please name a price. In order to reassure you, I shall pay half the cost in advance.”
Although he spoke with calmness, Yun Che was feeling restless within… thinking to himself, “I only have nine million purple profound coins, sufficient to buy a small city. These ingredients aren’t that expensive but the quantity is a bit much… but, I should have enough right?
If I really cannot afford… I could consider obtaining some money from the Divine Phoenix Sect.
When talking about money, Zi Ji was not verbose with Yun Che as he nodded and replied, “That would be the best. Although these aren’t extremely precious goods, it still isn’t cheap. I estimate it to be around eight million… purple profound coins! The deposit shall be as you said, half of the total.”
Eight million purple profound coins was undoubtedly an astronomical amount. Even for the Black Moon Merchant Guild, it was a huge sum. However, Yun Che secretly heaved a sigh of relief as he cleanly handed Zi Ji his Profound Currency Card to pay the sum of four million.
After paying the deposit, the millions of purple profound coins that he had extorted from the Xiao Sect had almost been completely spent…
Yun Che cried in his heart… I originally thought that this huge sum could last me for several lifetimes, but I didn’t expect… Sigh! Now I’m going to be broke again.
After paying the deposit, Zi Ji had a short and deep internal struggle with himself before he asked, “Yun Che, Black Moon Merchant Guild never asks their customers why they are purchasing goods, but I’m truly curious. All forty-nine ingredients that you have requested for are extremely violent and explosive. The amount is massive as well. What are you using them for? Heheh, if it’s possible, I hope you can kindly enlighten me on this mystery. However, if it isn’t possible, you can just laugh it off. The old man won’t pursue nor would he investigate in secret.”
Yun Che laughed, flipping over his palm. He placed a dark red round pellet on the stone table. In an instant, the room was filled with a pungent medicinal smell that spread quickly, causing the face of the three girls to grimace.
“Can Senior Zi Ji please help junior inspect this? If this pellet were to be auctioned off by the Black Moon Merchant Guild, what kind of price can it command?”
“This is…” Zi Ji’s gaze immediately concentrated on the pellet, and just based off the aura of the pellet, he could already conclude that this was no simple pellet. Using two fingers, he grabbed it off the table and placed it in front of his eyes. The pellet was clear and transparent. Looking through it, Zi Ji could see Yun Che’s face clearly. What shocked Zi Ji the most, however, was the aura that the pellet emitted. After observing it for a short moment, Zi Ji started to gather his concentration and placed his profound energy into the pellet…
After just a very short moment, Zi Ji looked up strongly, uttering in a deeply surprised voice, “This is a pellet that allows one to break through high level bottlenecks!!
“And anyone below the Tyrant Profound Realm… could break through directly!
“Below the Tyrant Profound Realm, break through directly!” Zi Ji shouted these words out with immense shock. Not just normal profound practitioners, even the masters of the Four Great Sacred Grounds would be shocked to hear those words.
Because this meant that… with this pellet, there would not be anymore bottlenecks… below the Tyrant Profound Realm!
This pellet was the “Overlord Pellet” from Illusory Demon Realm that allowed a peak leveled Emperor Profound practitioner to break through the bottleneck and advance directly into the Tyrant Profound Realm. However, what was different was that the Overlord Pellet from Illusory Demon Realm used thirty six different types of ingredients to make, whereas the one Yun Che took out used forty nine different ingredients and looked completely perfect and flawless. In terms of medicinal properties, the one made by the Illusory Demon Royal Family could not even be compared to the one Yun Che had made.
“Senior Zi obviously has a keen eye.” Yun Che sincerely said in admiration. Such a simple test and he was already able to determine the effects of the Overlord Pellet. This was not something a normal person could do. “Senior Zi please let me know how much this pellet can be sold for?”
Zi Ji’s current attention was completely on the Overlord Pellet. The more in depth he examined using his profound energy, the more signs of shock appeared on his elderly and composed face. He remained silent for several breaths of time before putting the Overlord Pellet down. Then, he looked at Yun Che and shook his head. “This old man has handled numerous treasures and pellets over the years, and I can determine their authenticity and value immediately for most of them… However, for this pellet, its value is something this old man cannot truly gauge.
“Pellets that are used to break through bottlenecks need to have extremely violent medicinal properties. Therefore, not only is it difficult to produce, there are huge risks in consuming it too… The higher the level the breakthrough the pellet is used for, the harder it is to make and the more dangerous it is as well. A middle risk pellet that could aid one in breaking through to the Sky Profound Realm is already a priceless treasure even within the Four Great Sacred Grounds. They would only be used on the most core and youngest disciples. As for your pellet…”
As Zi Ji spoke, his agitated feelings could not be stopped. “The medicinal properties within the pellet is mysterious, complex, overbearing, and its aura contains several different types that combining them individually was already a tall order. What’s even more frightening is that when these overbearing medicinal properties are combined, its reactionary effect toward external forces is exceptionally gentle. It is exceptionally easy to handle, and it can be easily controlled using profound energy of the Tyrant Profound Realm. A profound practitioner in the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm who consumes this pellet would be able to break through to the Tyrant Profound Realm within a day or two. Unless there is interference from the outside, there is no chance of failure at all! Furthermore, there are no risks in the entire process, and there is no need to be afraid of any backlash.
“What’s even more surprising is that the medicinal energy is extremely pure and practically has no flaws. I tried several times previously to examine it, but I still could not find any contamination! A high grade pellet that is this pure is something that this old man has never seen before despite living for thousands of years.”
Zi Ji’s unrestrained praise and shock was nothing much to Yun Che. After all, he did produce this Overlord Pellet and was clearer than anyone about its medicinal strength and purity. However, he was shocked at how well versed Zi Ji was in pellets. Also, the three girls behind him stared widely with their mouths agape for a long time…
Because this was the first time they had heard such “exaggerated” praise coming out from Zi Ji’s mouth.
“Since this pellet received such praise from Senior Zi, if it were sold to the Four Great Sacred Grounds, could one pellet be exchanged for two hundred grams of Purple Veined Divine Crystals?” Yun Che asked seriously.
Within the entire Profound Sky Continent, only the Four Great Sacred Grounds with their thousands of years of accumulation could offer a large amount of a legendary item like the Purple Veined Divine Crystal. Most normal sects did not even know what Purple Veined Divine Crystals looked like.
“Hehe,” Zi Ji merely laughed and shook his head before slowly stretching out his hand and showing Yun Che one finger.
“Oh, only one hundred grams?” Yun Che slowly nodded. He was not completely disappointed. After all, Purple Veined Divine Crystals were too rare and precious. It was already exceptionally worth it if an Overlord Pellet that did not cost much to make could be traded for one hundred grams of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.
“No!” Zi Ji continued shaking his head, “It’s one kilogram!”
“Huh?” Yun Che was instantly stunned.
“You’re completely underestimating the value and how prized a pellet that could be used to break through bottlenecks is.” Zi Ji exclaimed, “Although Purple Veined Divine Crystals are exceptionally precious and can be used to massively increase a profound practitioner’s profound strength in a short amount of time, if that person was stuck at a bottleneck, any amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystals would be useless. At places like the Four Great Sacred Grounds, profound practitioners below the Emperor Profound Realm could rely on the strength of Monarchs to assist them in forcefully breaking through. However, if they were at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm, on the brink to the Tyrant Profound Realm, even the assistance of a Monarch would not be able to help them break through the bottleneck. Within the past ten thousands of years, many disciples within the Four Great Sacred Grounds had frantically searched for pellets that could help them break through while they were training in order to not fall behind others. Pellets that could help break through the bottleneck of the Emperor Profound Realm were a rarity in the world, and even if one managed to get hold of it, the pellet was usually left for the most core disciple of the sect… Also, these pellets usually brought along uncontrollable risks. Who knows how many disciples of high status and talent had consumed such pellets and suffered backlashes like meridians being damaged, severe injuries, or even the complete loss of profound cultivation. Also, there are many who dared to not rely on such pellets to break through and as a result remained in the bottleneck of the Emperor Profound Realm for several years. After tens of years of being unable to break through… when they finally advanced to the Tyrant Profound Realm, they were so far behind others that they could only be considered as mediocre.
“Not only can this pellet in my hand allow one to break through the bottleneck of Emperor Profound Realm, there are no risks involved either… furthermore, it is exceptionally beneficial in aiding one in their attempt to break through the bottleneck of the Tyrant Profound Realm in the future.”
Despite all the praises he had already given it, Zi Ji eyes still glinted with curiosity. “If the Four Great Sacred Grounds were to find out about this pellet, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar and they would expend a large amount of resources to get this. One kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystal is my safest estimate… after all, when one obtains this pellet, he would enable someone of the young generation to break through to the Tyrant Profound Realm in a short amount of time, letting them obtain another pillar for their sect.”
“Ohh…” Yun Che’s expression seemed to be uplifted… Oh baby, we’re gonna be rich!
“Yun Che, would you mind telling me the name of this pellet? And which master produced it?” Zi Ji asked earnestly. He was familiar with all the high leveled pellet masters within Profound Sky Continent. However, among all of them, not one of them should be able to produce such a pellet… otherwise, he would definitely know about it.
“Oh, this pellet was casually produced and does not have a name yet,” Yun Che replied indifferently. After all, he could not mention the name “Overlord Pellet.” If Profound Sky Continent had records about the “Overlord Pellet” from Illusory Demon Realm, it would be troublesome. Furthermore, the medicinal properties of this pellet was far stronger than the Overlord Pellet. Therefore, it did not have to be called Overlord Pellet.
“Heheh,” Zi Ji shook his head and laughed, “This old one definitely does not believe that such a prized pellet that can shake the world can be causally produced. If it’s not convenient to let this old one know, then this old one shall not pursue it.”
Yun Che looked at him, grinned, and waved it off with his left hand…
“Clack clack clack.” There was an extended noise as Yun Che threw more than thirty Overlord Pellets onto the stone table. He threw it casually as though he were throwing sweets away.
Chapter 695 - Moon Slaughter Devil Nest?
Suddenly, an extremely rich medicinal fragrance diffused into the air. Although this was merely aura of a spiritual medicine, it was violent and tyrannical, as though it was profound energy being released by a profound expert in full force. Black Moon Merchant Guild’s immensely large seventh floor, seemed to be completely filled in an instant by this aura.
An aura like this, was sufficient to let Zi Ji know just what these medicine pellets were. However, after his long state of astonishment, he still picked up one of them disbelievingly, placed it on his palm, picked up another one, placed it in his palm once again, and then, the third, fourth…
A total of thirty-three dark red medicinal pellets… Every single one of them was exactly the same as the first one Yun Che revealed!
And the quality of all these medicinal pellets had all achieved the most extreme hundred percent condition!
Effectiveness of this degree, medicinal pellets of this level, and they were even of perfect quality! Earlier, when he was chuckling while saying the words: “a single one of this medicinal pellet is enough to shock the entire world”, was definitely not the least bit exaggerated.
Yet Yun Che, actually threw out thirty or so of them… And Yun Che’s unmindful actions and expression looked so casual, it was as though he was throwing out a bunch of sweets!
Zi Ji was completely stunned; shockingly large ocean waves were surging within his heart.
In regards to knowledge of medicinal pellets, and the authority to judge them, it could be said not a single person could compare to Zi Ji in the entire Profound Sky Continent. However, looking at the thirty-three dark red pellets placed in front of him, he actually felt as though he was suddenly thrown into a dream. After a long while, he suddenly thought of someone, and immediately exclaimed. “Could it be, that these treasured pellets are all refined by your respected master?”
Yun Che gave a sidelong glance, and nodded without a single hesitation. “Of course.”
“I… see…” Zi Ji was finally able to feel a little relieved, his face was filled with deep reverence and surprise. “This old one was completely shocked… No wonder, it was refined by your revered master. In this world, only your revered master, a mighty existence who had transcended the mortal realm, could possibly possess such world-shocking ability.”
Rumors were after all, just rumors. But after personally witnessing such feats, and making contact with more than thirty of these treasured pellets, in this manner, he had personally experienced the level of strength which Yun Che’s “teacher” possessed.
“Oh, right.” Yun Che casually said. “Earlier, those ingredients which I entrusted your Black Moon Merchant Guild to gather, will all be handed over to teacher to refine medicine. Mn, that’s right, it for these types of pellets… I’m prepared to have teacher help me refine more than three thousand of them.”
“Three… Three… Three thousand!?” This old man who had stayed bland and calm for several hundred years, actually fiercely bit his own tongue.
“Mn.” Yun Che still nodded in a very calm manner, and leisurely said. “Currently, this junior is already the Asgard Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard, so naturally, I have to take responsibility of Frozen Cloud Asgard. Although not a single person in Blue Wind Nation dares to offend Frozen Cloud Asgard, in the range of the entire Profound Sky Continent, it is still too weak. Not only was it bullied all the way to its doorstep, Grand Asgard Mistress and the former Asgard Mistress both died under poisonous hands one after another. Hence, this junior has no choice but to use some extraordinary methods to raise the strength of all Frozen Cloud disciples, to prevent them from being bullied by despicable people.”
“But, because their profound levels are too low, and are unable to withstand the medicinal powers that were of too high a level, my mentor said that for the time being, he could only refine these low-level medicinal pellets to help raise their strength, allowing me to similarly eat them whenever I want, and also use them to exchange for profound coins or purple crystals… Oh, I never expected that I can actually exchange one for at least a kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystal, heheh!”
“Three thousand”… “Low-level medicine pellets”… “Eat them whenever I want”… The knowledge Zi Ji had adhered to for a thousand years was instantly shattered into smithereens, and every single of his nerves in his body was convulsing uncontrollably.
He had attentively inspected the medicinal power of the Overlord Pellet earlier. He was incomparably sure that, if it’s three thousand of them… No, forget about having three thousand of them, even if three hundred of these pellets were to flow into the Four Great Sacred Grounds, during the next generation, there would be an immense transformation to the structure of the Four Great Sacred Grounds! And if only one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds were to obtain them, then, the balance within the Four Great Sacred Grounds would be completely destroyed. The Sacred Ground which possess these treasured pellets, would be able to completely suppress the other three Sacred Grounds, becoming a peak extraordinary existence of the time!
And three thousand pellets…
This extremely terrifying amount, brought about an incomparable impact on Zi Ji.
And, from Yun Che’s description… As long as the ingredients were sufficient, that terrifying teacher of his was basically able to refine any number of them! And the treasured pellet which he claimed “one being sufficient to shock the entire world”, was merely a “low-level pellet” in the hands of that teacher of his!
Yun Che had been observing Zi Ji, and he was incomparably satisfied with his reaction. With a smile, he said. “But, Senior Zi, please be at ease. Although to me, these pellets are as normal as they can be, I’m not that naive to not understand what these pellets mean to profound practitioners… especially to large and strong sects such as the Four Great Sacred Grounds. That’s why, most of them will only be used for Frozen Cloud Asgard, while the rest will be used to exchange for Purple Veined Divine Crystals…”
Yun Che slowly raised out three fingers. “Only thirty of them! Not a single bit more! Because no matter how precious something is, if there’s too many of them, then it’s no fun.”
Zi Ji silently looked at the three fingers Yun Che raised. After a long while, he then let out a faint sigh, and gently nodded his head. “About the rumors of your respected master, although it came from Sun Moon Divine Hall, this old man still had only believed seventy percent of it, while thirty percent of suspicion still existed… But now, not a single bit of that suspicion is left. The realm attained by your respected master, I’m afraid it’s already the fortune from seizing the heavens and earth, and a profound mystery approaching the sun and moon. It’s no longer something a mortal like me can possibly understand… Frozen Cloud Asgard of Blue Wind Nation was initially a very small sect comprised of women, but its luck is as high as the heavens. With the aid of your respected master, I’m afraid before long, it will soon become the fifth Sacred Ground.”
“Senior Zi is taking this too seriously. My Frozen Cloud Asgard simply wishes for sufficient strength protect itself, and to not be bullied by others. We have never thought of becoming a Sacred Ground or whatever. And the two words ‘Sacred Ground’, heh…” Yun Che let out a mocking laugh. “They don’t seem to be that sacred. They might even be extremely dirty and unclean. It’s best that my Frozen Cloud Asgard stay forever untainted.”
“Haah…” Zi Ji unknowingly let out a short sigh, before he calmly said. “This old one was simply worried that a large amount of these treasured pellets would flow into the Profound Sky Continent earlier, afraid that it would cause an earthshaking shock and change to the profound world. If there’s only… thirty pellets, then that’s fine as well.”
An evident pause appeared in Zi Ji’s words. Because a treasured pellet of this level was sufficient enough to shake the Sacred Grounds, and no matter one looked at it, the word “only” shouldn’t be used to refer to thirty of such pellets.
“Alright.” Yun Che immediately nodded, and then, with a wave of his hand, he had already returned all of the thirty-three Overlord Pellets on the table into the Sky Poison Pearl. “When the suitable time comes, I will naturally come again to discuss with Senior Zi about the matters of auctioning them. As for the pellets outside of the original thirty… I hope Senior Zi will keep them a secret.”
“Hoho.” Zi Ji smiled. “You’re definitely not someone who speaks thoughtlessly, yet, you were actually completely frank in front of this old one… This old man has lived for more than a thousand years, naturally, I’m not someone who does not know what’s good for me.”
“Black Moon Merchant Guild has been established under the name of ‘trust’ for several thousand years, and Senior Zi is even the core pillar of Black Moon Merchant Guild, so this junior can be completely at ease when speaking ‘thoughtlessly’ in front of Senior Zi, and not be worried that this information would be leaked to others in the slightest. Oh right, I have yet to ask what’s the auctioning fee for Black Moon Merchant Guild?”
Just as Zi Ji was about to speak, he suddenly paused for a moment. After pondering for a while, he lightly smiled, and said. “The auctioning fee for Black Moon Merchant Guild is much higher than any regular merchant guild. But, if you’re willing to accept this old one’s request, then the fee for auctioning thirty of these treasured pellets can be waived under this old one’s authority.”
“Oh? What ‘request’ could Senior Zi be referring to?”
“It’s simple.” A scorching fire could be faintly felt from within his calm gaze. “Sell ten of these treasured pellets to my Black Moon Merchant Guild. The price shall follow what this old one has determined before. Ten treasured pellets, and this old one will immediately give you ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals!”
Purple Veined Divine Crystals… ten kilograms of them!!
This was definitely a heavenly number shocking enough that even a powerful profound practitioner could pass out from.
Even if it was the Four Great Sacred Grounds—Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, Supreme Ocean Palace, Sun Moon Divine Hall and Heavenly Mighty Sword Region, it would still take them at least one or two hundred, or even three hundred years, to accumulate ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.
A single Overlord Pellet could be exchanged for a kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystals… this was an estimate given by Zi Ji. However, during an actual auction, there might be a possibility that it would be lower than a kilogram, or even higher than a kilogram… And with the extent of how precious Purple Veined Divine Crystals were, at the very least, Yun Che felt that the possibility of it being worth lower than a kilogram was higher. Yet, if the Black Moon Merchant Guild were to immediately exchange ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals for ten of these pellets, not only could his auctioning fee be waived, the price being suggested was definitely not a loss for him either… And in regards to Zi Ji’s words, he seemed to be giving him ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals right on the spot.
Waves slightly surged in Yun Che’s heart, however, his expression was calm. He did not immediately give a reply. After pondering for a moment, he lightly nodded. “Fine. But, Senior Zi must accept one of this junior’s requests as well.”
“Oh?” Zi Ji looked at him with lifted eyebrows.
“It’s simple…” Yun Che used the same tone as Zi Ji earlier. “Tell this junior… the location which the Netherworld Udumbara Flower appeared in a thousand and three hundred years ago.”
“This…” Zi Ji was dumbfounded, shaking his head immediately after. “It’s not that this old one isn’t willing. That place is no trivial matter. I’m simply unable to tell you.”
“Oh, in that case, then this junior will naturally not make it difficult for Senior Zi either.” Yun Che did not reveal a disappointed look. “Then there’s no need for Senior Zi to bring up the matter of waiving the fee either. Even if esteemed merchant guild wishes for up to twenty percent of the auctioned price’s fees, this junior will still be afford it.”
“…” Zi Ji was speechless. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to persuade Yun Che, however, looking at his calm expression and eyes that were as deep as a black hole, he swallowed the words which he had quickly thought of to persuade him, and in the end, turned them into a long sigh. “The Netherworld Udumbara Flower was extremely dark, sinister and evil, recorded as the most terrifying flower in existence. Simply by approaching this flower, one’s body would be invaded by a dark aura, damaging one’s soul. At best, they would fall into a long lasting coma. At worst, however, they would turn into the living dead. If one’s profound strength is low, then a life would be immediately lost. Other than this, from what this old one has seen and heard, I have never heard of any use of this flower. Why are you so persistent on searching for this flower?”
“This junior naturally has a use for it.” After a short pause, Yun Che added. “And it’s for an extremely important usage.. I must find a stalk of it at all costs! Even if I have to pay a huge price!”
“…” Zi Ji closed his eyes, and did not speak for a long while.
The seventh floor of Black Moon Merchant Guild momentarily turned silent.
“He’s sending profound energy sound transmissions.” Jasmine suddenly voiced out.
“Mn…” Yun Che lightly responded. “Could it be, he’s transmitting to that mysterious guild leader of Black Moon Merchant Guild…? Oh! He’s sending profound energy sound transmissions, instead of using sound transmission talismans. In that case, that Black Moon Merchant Guild leader… is close by?”
The silence continued for nearly a hundred breaths, and only then did Zi Ji slowly open his eyes. Yun Che did not speak up to break the silence, and instead, calmly looked at him just like that.
“That place is… much more terrifying that you can ever imagine.” Zi Ji slowly said. “It can only be entered once every five hundred years. And, even if it is a powerful Monarch, the amount of time one can stay there cannot surpass fifteen minutes, otherwise, that person will either die or become crippled!”
Zi Ji’s words, caused Yun Che to reveal a shocked expression. “Such a place still exists on Profound Sky Continent?”
“…To be precise, that place, is not located on Profound Sky Continent.” Zi Ji said.
“…?” Yun Che was even more confused.
“And, since you’re searching for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower with such vigor, you should know that it will only bloom once every twenty-four years, and it will then wither three days after. If you truly wish to enter that place, the time you can stay there, is incomparably short as well… A stalk of Netherworld Udumbara Flower truly exists in that place, and the possibility of it blooming at such a coincidental timing, is slim to the point of being close to none!”
“Then after, it can only be entered exactly after five hundred years.”
“Furthermore, an incomparably frightening existence lies in that place… With your current strength, if you were to enter that place, it’s completely no different from courting death.”
Zi Ji’s words, sounded more terrifying with every subsequent sentence, but Yun Che could discern that, there wasn’t a single bit of falsehood and exaggeration in his words. Zi Ji looked at Yun Che, revealing a persuasive gaze. “Even if that’s the case, will you still insist on finding out the location of that place?”
Yun Che, however, unhesitantly said. “Senior Zi, please tell me.”
Although he had guessed of this outcome, Zi Ji still let out a helpless, bitter laugh. He slightly raised his head, and with a fleeting tone, said. “That place, is named ‘Moon Slaughter Devil Nest’.”
“Moon… Slaughter… Devil… Nest…” Yun Che softly muttered… He flipped through his memories, and even Ye Ziyi, Feng Huwei’s memories, yet, he had never heard of this from anywhere, nor had he seen such a name.
Chapter 696 - Ocean Palace’s Secret
Zi Ji looked at Yun Che’s reaction and slowly continued, “It is completely normal that you have not heard of this name. Even if it is the other three Sacred Grounds aside from Supreme Ocean Palace, there are very few people who know about it.”
“Then where is it? Senior Zi mentioned just now that it is not located in Profound Sky Continent, what does that mean?” Yun Che tightened his eyebrows and asked.
Zi Ji extended his finger and pointed directly to the south, “It is located to the south of Profound Sky Continent, above the endless Southern Ocean.”
“Southern Ocean?” Yun Che looked surprised.
“Have you ever been to Supreme Ocean Palace?” asked Zi Ji.
“No,” Yun Che said. “”But I know that Supreme Ocean Palace is located one thousand five hundred kilometers south of the southern edge of Profound Sky Continent, above the Southern Ocean”. That was where the name ‘Ocean Palace’ came from. Could the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest that Senior Zi said be related to Supreme Ocean Palace?”
“That’s right,” Zi Ji nodded his head slightly. “Everyone spread the news and all knew that the Four Great Sacred Grounds each have their guardian responsibility. They guarded the safety of the Profound Sky Continent for tens of thousands of years, thus being bestowed with the divine name of ‘Sacred Grounds.’ However, out of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, only Supreme Ocean Palace have been upholding their guardian mission.”
“That place called ‘Moon Slaughter Devil Nest’ is the place that Supreme Ocean Palace has been guarding for generations?” Yun Che asked.
Zi Ji nodded his head once again. “Supreme Ocean Palace is one thousand five hundred kilometers away from the edge of the continent. Not only do they need to be prepared for oceanic disasters all the time, there are also a lot of inconveniences everyday. But Supreme Ocean Palace has existed for tens of thousands of years and have never moved onto land. The only reason behind that is the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.”
“What kind of existence is the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest exactly? Why would Supreme Ocean Palace do whatever it takes to stay at Southern Ocean and guard it? And this name…” As he listened to Zi Ji’s description, more and more questions piled up in Yun Che’s mind.
Zi Ji closed his eyes slightly, organized his thoughts, and continued to say, “I can only give you the simplest description about Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. About more than ten thousand years ago, when seven ancestors of Supreme Ocean Palace were touring Southern Ocean, they suddenly found a large area of ocean water that was dyed black. The pitch-black ocean region was very wide, and there were countless corpses of oceanic beasts of the same color. After that, they found the center of this pitch-black ocean region… which was an island that was completely dyed black.
“That island released an extremely thick yin energy, and it was the reason that a large ocean region such as that became a dead region. After that, the ancestors of Ocean Palace came to the pitch-black island and found a large cave on the island. That terrifying yin energy came from within that dark cave. When they entered the cave, the deeper they went, the heavier the yin energy became, causing even their profound strength to be greatly suppressed. In the deepest recesses of this cave, they encountered an incomparably terrifying dark profound beast.”
“Dark profound beast?” Yun Che felt more bizarre the more he heard about it.
“That dark profound beast called itself the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. It hates light and is especially afraid of the moonlight. Aside from that, nothing is known about it. The strength and aura of that dark profound beast isn’t very strong; it should be around the early stage Tyrant Profound Realm. The profound strength of all seven of Supreme Ocean Palace’s ancestors had reached great heights. Each of them were in the late stage Sovereign Profound Realm and stood at the summit. However, within that cavern’s depths, their profound strength had been suppressed down to the Emperor Profound Realm. In front of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, they could not retaliate at all. Out of the seven ancestors, only one escaped. The other six ancestors had all lost their lives in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.
“After the sole survivor escaped out of the cave, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign didn’t give chase. It was afraid of the daylight’s radiance and the night’s moonlight. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign would perhaps never leave its nest. However, the dark yin energy the nest released was endless, and when that Ocean Palace ancestor finally managed to get out, he personally heard the roars of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. It said, ‘The time the entire world is submerged in darkness is the day when it would come out.’”
“Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign… such a monster actually exists?” Yun Che grew more and more frightened. If it wasn’t Zi Ji telling him this personally, he would’ve just treated it as some story a random person fabricated. “After that, did the Ocean Palace ancestor use some kind of method to seal that nest to keep the dark yin energy from leaking?”
“Hehe, that is correct.” Zi Ji looked at Yun Che with admiration. “We don’t know whether that dark yin energy originated from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign or a terrifying unknown source that exists deep within the nest. However, if it continually spread without anything keeping it in check, there would be a day when it would reach the Profound Sky Continent, and the consequences would be unthinkable. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s roar also never allowed that Ocean Palace ancestor to be at ease. Thus, he combined the power of all the experts of the Ocean Palace and unhesitantly sacrificed more than a dozen of Ocean Palace’s strongest profound artifacts and a large amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to construct an enormous isolated barrier to seal the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, completely isolating the never ending leakage of dark yin energy.
“Because the barrier consumes a lot of energy, every three years they need at least a dozen Monarchs to input profound energy to maintain it. Because of this, the ancestors of the Ocean Palace moved their whole sect above the Southern Ocean and changed their name to the ‘Supreme Ocean Palace.’”
“…I see.”
Because of his hostility towards Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and how much he despised Sun Moon Divine Hall, Yun Che already didn’t have any good feelings towards the Four Great Sacred Grounds and even thought of them as the tainted grounds. But hearing Zi Ji’s description of Supreme Ocean Palace made him feel a decent amount of respect for them.
Compared to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and Sun Moon Divine Hall, a
Supreme Ocean Palace like this really didn’t tarnish the reputation of the “Sacred Grounds”
Thinking back to that Ji Qianrou from Supreme Ocean Palace, even though he was enchantingly demonic, his conduct was overall upright. In the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament, he was the first person who had spoken up for him, a person he had never spoke to before. He ruthlessly mocked the Divine Phoenix Crown Prince, Feng Ximing, and because of a small favor, acted against Ye Xinghan in the Primordial Profound Ark. It could’ve even been said that he had saved his and Feng Xue’er’s lives.
“Senior Zi mentioned just now that that place can only be entered once every five hundred years. It was discovered one thousand three hundred years ago and could still be found there… Could it be that the barrier was deliberately left behind in a place where one could enter?” Yun Che asked.
“This was what I was about to say next,” Zi Ji smiled faintly. Since everything had been revealed, he didn’t really have any worries left. “The Ocean Palace ancestor guessed that the dark yin energy came from the very body of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, and no matter how powerful a profound beast, it would still one day reach the end of its lifespan. In that case, upon the death of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, the dark yin energy in the sealed Moon Slaughter Devil Nest would naturally disperse. The guardian mission would then thereby be accomplished, and Supreme Ocean Palace could break away from the Southern Ocean from then on.
“In order to easily confirm whether the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was dead or alive, the Ocean Palace ancestor left a gap on the barrier, but set it so that it would open once every five hundred years. Moreover, in order to prevent the leakage of the massive yin energy, he also restricted the time it could be opened: only a hundred breaths! Since then, every five hundred years, Supreme Ocean Palace would dispatch disciples of the worst aptitude to enter and confirm the life or death of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. Since the start of six thousand and five hundred years ago, the disciples that entered had all came out alive. In other words, the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign is already dead now.”
“Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign is already dead, yet Supreme Ocean Palace is still standing guard… This means that although the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign has died, the dark yin energy is still spreading… The dark yin energy isn’t actually from the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign?” Yun Che said with sunken brows.
“Correct,” Zi Ji heavily nodded. “If the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign leaves the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, that is merely a Tyrant Profound beast. It’s not that frightening. The true terror is the endless yin energy which is coming from an unknown source. Supreme Ocean Palace has no choice but to continue guarding that area and maintain that barrier once every three years. And to this day, it has already been a full ten thousand years.
“In the several thousand years after confirming that the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was already dead, Supreme Ocean Palace still makes disciples of the lowest aptitude enter once every five hundred years, so as to avoid an accident from happening. In the end, all of those disciples came out alive, thereby completely asserting the death of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign. After that, the number of people entering had decreased, and no longer was it only disciples of the lowest aptitude entering. A few elders, and even the Sovereign of the Seas, would join and go exploring. However, the yin energy within was just too heavy. Even though they were exceptionally strong practitioners, they would at most stay for tens of breaths before immediately coming out and sealing the barrier.
“As for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower that you are interested in… it was one thousand three hundred years ago, when the barrier had reached a full five hundred years and could open, that a few newly promoted curious elders who had never entered went in. After they quickly arrived at the end, they suddenly heard the eerie sound of a ghost wailing.”
“Ghost wailing… right!” Yun Che’s mind shook. Even though he had never seen the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, his master had once mentioned the Netherworld Udumbara Flower to him and said that it would let out the sound of an evil spirit’s crying and laughter.
“Hehe, following the sounds of the ghost wailing, they saw a three meter tall demonic flower. Its stems and leaves were purple black but its blossomed flower was an alluring bright purple. Above its petals, a faintly purple mist that seemed as though it was from the Netherworld surrounded the flower. The mist danced around the flower even though there was no wind as it made the frightening noise that sounded like a devil’s cries and laughter.
“From what all the Ocean Palace elders described, when they saw the purple demonic flower, they felt as though their souls were instantly sucked away from their bodies… In their shock, they immediately retreated from that area and resealed the barrier. However, after that, all of them who were Monarchs became severely sick and only recovered after several months. They then investigated and found that was the legendary evil demonic flower… the Netherworld Udumbara Flower.
“Since then, it has already been a thousand and three hundred years since someone entered the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.”
Yun Che’s expression became slightly agitated as Zi Ji’s description of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was completely the same as what his master described to him back then in Azure Cloud Continent!
“Yes, that must be the Netherworld Udumbara Flower for sure!” Yun Che nodded, “The Netherworld Udumbara Flower grows in places of extremely harsh yin energy, and the yin energy there is harsh to the extreme. Therefore, it is the most suitable place for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower to grow. Furthermore, because the area is isolated by a barrier, not only does the yin energy not disperse, it only becomes even stronger. That means that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower from a thousand and three hundred years ago should still exist, and furthermore, the possibility of there being more flowers exists.”
Zi Ji shook his head and laughed bitterly, “Although what you said is true, this old one has already told you that the Netherworld Udumbara Flower only blossoms once every twenty four years and it will wither within three days. The Moon Slaughter Devil Nest only opens once every five hundred years, and the longest you can stay in it is a hundred breaths. The probability that you encounter a blossomed flower within these hundred breaths… is like searching for a needle in the ocean.”
“However, I will still have to give it a try. After all, this is the only news regarding the Netherworld Udumbara Flower I’ve received so far.” Yun Che replied without hesitation, “Also… my luck has always been pretty good! What if the flower just so happens to be blossoming at that time!”
Zi Ji shook his head once again. “The elders of Supreme Ocean Palace who were in the Sovereign Profound Realm had merely caught sight of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower and their souls were nearly stolen away. The consequences of approaching and touching it is unthinkable. Even if the flower blossomed when you entered, how are you going to pick it?”
“As for that… this junior has his own ideas,” Yun Che replied calmly and confidently. The reason for his confidence was naturally due to the Sky Poison Pearl.
Yun Che removed ten Overlord Pellets from the Sky Poison Pearl, placed them in front of Zi Ji and said sincerely, “I thank Senior Zi Ji for the detailed sharing. This matter is of utmost importance to this junior. According to the agreement, these ten pellets will be sold to your respected merchant guild at the price of ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals. At the same time, the amount of pellets I put up for auctioning will be reduced to twenty, not one pellet more.”
Zi Ji put away the ten Overlord pellets and looked thoughtfully at Yun Che. He knew that this youth was smart and shrewd and must have figured out something from their conversation just now. He did not talk about it and merely flipped his palm. A profound formation appeared and a deep purple spatial ring was pushed towards Yun Che. “Inside this is ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.”
Yun Che picked up the ring containing the purple crystals and scanned it quickly before depositing it into the Sky Poison Pearl. Then, he smiled at Zi Ji.
Ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals… Divine Crystal, you know! Obtaining it just like that… was just too easy!!
“Yun Che, after settling the matter with the Divine Phoenix Sect, are you going to pay a visit to Supreme Ocean Palace?” Zi Ji asked with thoughtful looking eyes.
“Indeed I am.” Yun Che nodded, “This junior also roughly knows where the general location of Supreme Ocean Palace is.”
“Actually, you don’t have to be hasty.” Zi Ji smiled slightly, “In five months time, Supreme Ocean Palace will be hosting a ‘Devil Sword Conference’ and you are among those being invited. The invitation regarding this will be handed over to you in two months time.”
“Oh? Devil Sword Conference? What’s that?” Yun Che asked in shock. “And why invite me?”
“Hoho, about this matter, without permission, it is inconvenient for this old man to reveal. But when the time comes, you can ask the person who delivers the invitation, maybe he will resolve your confusion.”
“Oh…” Yun Che nodded his head slightly. His heart was filled with confusion, but he didn’t continue to ask. “If so, then it would be inconvenient for Junior to continue this visit. I will wait for news from Supreme Ocean Palace quietly.”
Until now, even though he still had not found out any news regarding Chu Yuechan, all his other objectives had already been fulfilled. He had even surprisingly gained extra information regarding the “Netherworld Udumbara Flower” as well as confusing news with regards to the “Devil Sword Conference.” Yun Che stood up and cupped his fists together towards Zi Ji. “This junior has already troubled Senior Zi for long enough, it’s time for me to leave… Is my father-in-law Xia Hongyi… currently within the merchant guild?”
“Hoho…” Zi Ji seemed to have already known that he would ask about Xia Hongyi. He smiled lightly, flicked his fingers, and about six meters behind him, a yellow profound formation silently appeared there. “He’s at the first level of the Merchant Guild and has already been waiting for you for quite some time. You’ll be able to see him once you enter.”
“Thank you Senior Zi,” Yun Che nodded his head with some gratitude, gave the three young girls on the side a smile, and then turned around and walked into the profound formation.
A yellow light flashed, and Yun Che disappeared into the profound formation.
Zi Ji was slightly stunned for a good while before slowly sitting down. His face revealed a deeply complicated expression. After a while, he reached out his arm and carefully picked up an Overlord Pellet. His eyes expressed deep astonishment, and after he carefully examined it, he mumbled to himself in a low voice, “Such an overwhelming treasure of a pellet and yet it can be obtained so easily. This is indeed something earth-shattering… Furthermore, it has not even been named yet.
“This pellet emits six different type of auras, and each aura is different, varying in strength. The pellet helps one to become an Overlord, aids in the road to become a Monarch, and there are no underlying risks. It can be called the Emperor Pellet of this generation, so let’s call it…
“The Six Flavor Emperor Pellet.”
OverTheRanbow: The name of this pill is 六味帝皇丸, a reference to 六味地黄丸 (homophone) which is a cheap, common and widespread herbal medicine pill commonly advertised everywhere in china. This is an insider joke for Chinese readers.
Chapter 697 - At the Gates of Phoenix City
With a flash of profound light, Yun Che was teleported to the first level of the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
As the lowest level within the Black Moon Merchant Guild, the aura of this place was naturally not as thick or pervasive as it was on the seventh level. Yun Che took in his surroundings; this was a simple yet elegant single-room apartment, and it likely served as an ordinary guestroom. But he did not manage to get a good look at the room because his gaze was fixed to a certain spot.
A middle-aged man with a refined appearance slowly stood up from a dark-red wooden study and smiled at him gently, “Che’er, you’ve come.”
Yun Che’s mouth opened as he felt his nose crinkle up. He quickly strode forward before falling heavily on his knees, “Uncle Xia….” He immediately paused before changing his mode of address, “Father-in-law, I have finally been able to be reunited with you once more.”
“Haha, stand up please.” Xia Hongyi extended a hand and hoisted Yun Che up as he measured him with a warm gaze before cheerfully acknowledging him, “In a mere blink of an eye, more than six years have passed, and you have grown up as well. Even though your appearance remains unchanged, when you married Qingyue, you were only up to my forehead, but now you are already half a head taller than me.”
Indeed, since the day he had been kicked out of the Xiao Clan, he had not seen Xia Hongyi. Furthermore, when he had returned to Floating Cloud City and wanted to pay a visit to Xia Hongyi, he discovered that he had long ago left home and that his current whereabouts were unknown. Not only that, but when Yun Che had arrived at Phoenix City three years ago, he found out by chance that Xia Hongyi was actually residing with the Black Moon Merchant Guild, but at that time, he could not bring himself to face Xia Hongyi, so he did not meet him… and now, six years had passed since this meeting.
Yun Che did not detect any negative feelings such as gloominess or solitude from Xia Hongyi; instead, he seemed to be possessed of a certain simple and elegant calm. This cheered Yun Che up greatly, and he let out a laugh as he said, “If we are speaking of growing up, Yuanba is the one who has truly ‘grown up.’ If Father-in-law saw Yuanba right now, you might not be able to recognize him.”
“Oh? So that is to say that you’ve seen Yuanba recently?” Xia Hongyi asked as his smile became even warmer and his eyes shone with deep concern.
“Yes,” Yun Che nodded his head heavily. The Black Moon Merchant Guild had the most comprehensive information network in the Profound Sky Continent, so he was confident that Xia Hongyi had been kept abreast of the current state of affairs. “Yuanba has truly become a magnificent man. Right now he is keeping watch over our Blue Wind Nation’s final line of defence, and on his shoulders rests the heaviest and noblest burden of our Blue Wind Nation… As long as he is around, even if the Divine Phoenix Empire throws entire armies at him, they won’t even be able to take half a step into our Imperial City!”
“Good… that is truly good.” Xia Hongyi lightly nodded his head, and a deep sense of pride and contentment shone through his calm smile.
“Once our Blue Wind Nation has escaped this calamity and recovered its glory, the two of you can reunite once more… That day definitely isn’t far away.”
“Yuanba….” Xia Hongyi murmured softly and let out a hushed sigh that carried far too many complex emotions within. No one would have thought that… including Xia Hongyi, his very own father, that the Xia Yuanba whose gifts could only be called ordinary in Floating Cloud City and who had been the laughingstock of the Blue Wind Profound Palace had, within the span of a few short years, risen up like a phoenix, now stood at the very peak of the Profound Sky Continent, and had even caused the Four Sacred Grounds to go pale in shock and amazement.
Whereas others were shocked and left in disbelief at Xia Yuanba’s transformation, Xia Hongyi’s emotions seemed far more complex than that.
Both of them sat facing each other, and the two men were in high spirits; Yun Che had always held Xia Hongyi with the highest regard because, in the years he had lived in Floating Cloud City, he had only ever held two people of the older generation in regard… the first was his grandfather, Xiao Lie, and the other was Xia Hongyi.The main reason was, besides his closest relatives, Xia Hongyi was the only person that showed ‘genuine care and concern’ to this ‘cripple,’ and this perpetually gentle person had never, ever said a single word to oppose the marriage between his genius daughter and this ‘cripple.’ In fact, he had arranged the majority of the wedding by himself.
And having been through two lives worth of grievances, Yun Che was clearer than anyone on just how precious this kind of genuine warmth was in the face of universal ridicule and contempt.
When Xia Qingyue had entered Frozen Cloud Asgard and Xia Yuanba had gone missing… the blow dealt to Xia Hongyi at that time had been far too heavy. In order to track down Xia Yuanba, he had abandoned his family business, left Floating Cloud City, and had used the opportunity left behind by his ancestor to join the Black Moon Merchant Guild. Later, he had even seized a chance to enter the headquarters of the Black Moon Merchant Guild itself.
During the past few years in the Black Moon Merchant Guild, he would repeat the same routine every day. He would meet different people, and every other day he would try to find some news regarding his children and Yun Che, and this caused his heart to become more and more at peace.
“Father-in-law, I have a question that I am trying to find the answer to. But as a junior, I am really not sure if I should be asking this in the first place….” Facing Xia Hongyi, Yun Che really wanted to voice out the doubt that had been plaguing his heart for the longest time, but even though he had already decided that he was going to do it, he still hesitated when it came to actually asking the question… because, after all, it was extremely likely that it was the thing that Xia Hongyi was most sensitive about.
“You want to ask about… Yuanba and Qingyue’s mother, correct?” Xia Hongyi said gently as he looked at Yun Che
“….” A shocked expression appeared on Yun Che’s face.
“Haha, no matter who it is, they would definitely find it strange.” Xia Hongyi said as he gave a polite laugh, but after that, disappointment and frustration surfaced on his face as he continued, “Yuanba and Qingyue had clearly been born into a merchant family, and my Xia Family had been merchants for generations. My forefathers, my own departed father, and even myself, we had only dabbled in the profound way and held no interest towards it. However, Qingyue had possessed an extremely high aptitude towards the profound way from young, and Yuanba… in the past few years has displayed a talent that far outstrips that of mere mortals.”
Yun Che lapsed into a short silence before giving a light nod of his head. “Because I knew a bit more about the personal affairs of your family, I have always had more questions than other people.
“I already know that Yuanba possesses a special power that is known as the ‘Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins.’ I am not sure what meaning the ‘Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins’ hold, but what I do know is that the number one profound practitioner within the Profound Sky Continent—Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s Saint Emperor thinks extremely highly of Yuanba. And three years ago, when his existence was finally exposed, it caused shockwaves that swept through the other three Sacred Grounds. During these three years, many people have tried to either openly or discreetly dig up my background as well, investigating my history and my level of profound strength. But all of them returned empty-handed, haha….”
Xia Hongyi gave a faint shake of his head, and as he let out a dry chuckle, the expression on his face was not one of helplessness; it was instead a self-deprecatory expression that others would not understand.
Xia Hongyi’s various responses clearly showed that he was not shocked nor was he unable to accept the heaven-defying aptitude that had been shown by both his son Xia Yuanba and his daughter Xia Qingyue. Instead, the general feeling Yun Che got from him was that of a deep-seated melancholy. He finally opened his mouth and replied, “I actually only have a passing curiosity in regards to these things, so if Father-in-law does not want to talk about it, it’s really fine…”
“It happened during a cold winter twenty five years ago.” Before Yun Che’s voice could completely fall, Xia Hongyi’s rose up immediately. He raised his head to look at the green ceiling of the room, and his eyes swiftly grew hazy. “I had just secured a big deal outside the city, and it was already growing dark by the time I set off on my journey home. But it was then that I suddenly found myself in the middle of a blizzard. The bitter cold was hard to endure, and in order to make it back to Floating Cloud CIty before it got dark, I chose to take a shortcut and cut across some hills which were known to be inhabited by dangerous profound beasts. But we suddenly stopped in the middle of the journey, and my family servants reported to me that… they had discovered someone who had fainted in the snow in front of us.
“It was a young girl who looked to be about the same age as me. She was dressed all in white, but half of it had been stained red with blood. At that time, I was only just over twenty years of age, but being born into a merchant family, the principle that a merchant should never involve himself in the affairs of a profound practitioner had been deeply instilled into me since my childhood. Saving someone who was clearly being pursued by her enemies and whose background was completely unknown was an extremely big taboo for a merchant. But not only was that girl extremely beautiful, she also possessed a unique disposition that was impossible to describe. As she lay unconscious amidst the snow, her breathing was as light as gossamer and she looked so frail that it gave me an uncontrollable urge to protect her. In the end, I decided to rescue her and bring her back with me to Floating Cloud City… even though at that time I was already very clear that my actions were very likely to cause great tragedy to fall upon me.”
“….” Yun Che listened silently, and he knew then that the girl that Xia Hongyi had rescued was actually Xia Yuanba and Xia Qingyue’s mother.
To think that they had met in such dramatic fashion.
But just who was she and what status did she have?
“After I had brought her home, she did not awaken for a very long time and her lifeforce continued to weaken. So I searched all over for famous doctors, and I even made many trips to New Moon City to find doctors. But every single doctor that came said that ‘her lifeforce had been completely exhausted and they were unable to turn the desperate situation around.’ And after a whole seven days, when even I had begun to lose all hope, she suddenly managed to wake up… and after she had regained consciousness, not only was she extremely weak, but she had also lost all her memories.”
“Lost all her memories?” Yun Che said as his brows knit together fiercely.
“That is right, she did not know why she was wounded nor did she know where she was from or even her own identity. It could be because she had suffered a memory loss induced by a head wound. But after that, she remained with the Xia Family, and because her physical condition was extremely weak, she rarely left the house at all. It was I who personally took care of her,and in order to nurse her back to health, I spared no expense in getting my hands on any valuable medicine that I could find… but what was odd was that no matter what tonic she took, in the end, she was still extremely weak. Even a light walk would leave her completely breathless. But what was fortunate was that she did not exhibit signs of any other illness.”
Various tonics… and even major tonics, but she still remained weak? And at the same time, she did not show any signs of other illness?
The space between Yun Che’s brows tightened, and a puzzled grimace flashed across his face.
“And because I had met her amidst the snow of a cold winter night, I gave her the name Dongyue. It was just nice that the summer of my family name (Xia) corresponded with the winter in hers (Dong). I was with her all through the day, and we became the light of each other’s lives. Even though I never found out who she really was or where she really came from, I could not control my own feelings, and two years later, she and I became husband and wife. In addition, not long after that, she became pregnant, and because her body was too weak, those doctors advised her to abandon the child and that if she did not do so, the childbirth would be extremely dangerous. I also gave her the same advice, but she insisted on giving birth to the child… and in only seven months time, she suddenly went into early labor and gave birth to Qingyue.
“Perhaps it was because it was a premature birth and her mother’s weak constitution, but when Qingyue was born, she neither moved nor cried, and her entire body was icy and cold. But just as the midwives and the doctors were about to declare her stillborn, we were extremely fortunate that your father, Xiao Ying, had rushed down and discovered that Qingyue still clung on to a thread of life, so he poured all of his profound energy into Qingyue’s body, protecting her heart and her last chance at life. It was because Xiao Ying poured all his effort into saving her that Qinyue made a miraculous recovery two hours later and began to let out a wail….”
“….” Yun Che’s heart was deeply stirred; this story was very well-known amongst the residents of Floating Cloud City, and he had already heard of it from Xiao Lie when he was young. It was precisely because Xiao Ying saved Xia Qingyue’s life when she was young that Xia Hongyi, in the midst of boundless gratitude, had suggested that Xia Qingyue be married to Xiao Ying’s son in order to repay the debt of gratitude they owed to him.
Xia Hongyi briefly closed his eyes before continuing, “At first, we thought that Qingyue, who had been struck by calamity just as she was born, was going to be a very sickly child. But what was amazing was that Qingyue was healthy and hale ever since and she grew up without trouble. Moreover, she was incomparably intelligent, and she possessed a wisdom that far exceeded her peers in terms of maturity. Her mother also made a swift recovery after giving birth to her, and within a month’s time, she was as healthy as any other person, and she no longer suffered from a weak constitution. One year after that, she gave birth to Yuanba as well….”
When he had reached this point, Xia Hongyi suddenly came to an abrupt halt. His gaze was still fixed on the ceiling, and his eyes had completely misted over; his hands had began to steadily shake as well. Being able to walk hand in hand with the one he loved, having a son and a daughter, seeing his wife completely recover from her previous ailment, and seeing their children grow up safe and sound while residing in relative luxury… in anyone’s eyes, especially Xia Hongyi’s own, he already had the most perfect life a man could ever ask for.
Xia Hongyi lapsed into silence for a long while, as if he had completely lost himself in the happiness and contentment that had filled that period of bliss in his life. It was only after a long time that Yun Che finally broke the silence by saying, “And… what happened after that? Grandfather had told me that Yuanba and Qingyue’s mother had passed away due to illness… was that true?”
Before, he had never had any suspicions regarding the matter, because he had no reason to be suspicious.
But now that he had come to this conclusion, he no longer had any reason to not be suspicious anymore.
“When Qingyue was four years old and Yuanba was three, she… left,” Xia Hongyi said in a dazed voice.
“She… left?” Those two words contained many meanings.
“She flew away… she flew away like a celestial maiden.”
Yun Che, “?!”
“On the day that she left, she suddenly regained the memories that had been sleeping within her for many years, and at the same time, she recovered the powers that lay dormant within her as well…. She did not stay for a day, in fact, she did not even stay for an hour… she left just like that… and even though she was weeping, she was also determined and resolute… she said that the moment she regained her powers, her aura had already been discovered… and if she did not leave, she would bring a huge catastrophe down on me and our children as well… and before she left, she told me that… we would never ever see each other again in this lifetime… and she told me to never go looking for her as well… and to treat her as if she had already….”
Xia Hongyi’s voice was laced with immeasurable pain, and even though nearly twenty years had passed since then, his reaction proved that he had never been able to forget or find release from this agony. He had his enormous family holdings, and he was the head merchant of Floating Cloud City, but he had never married again nor did he take a concubine. So it could be imagined just how irreplaceable and important the girl that he had named “Dongxue” was to him and the special place that she had in his heart.
“Then, did she… mention … even briefly or fuzzily… the place that she was leaving to?” Yun Che asked in a small voice as he pondered deeply on how he would be able to console the present Xia Hongyi.
Xia Hongyi did not shake his head. He only let out a small sigh, and in a voice that was as fleeting as summer mist, he replied with five words that he had etched deeply into his heart.Five words that had not amounted to any new information or lead to anything else….
“The Realm of the Gods.”
“!!” When he heard those words, Yun Che received a huge shock and did not recover for a long period of time.
When Yun Che finally strode out of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, it had already begun to approach midday.
He looked at the bright, dazzling sky and gave a heavy sigh that was filled with emotion. “Who would have thought that the situation with Qingyue and Yuanba’s mother… was actually so complicated and bizarre. No wonder they had such frightening innate gifts. One possessed the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins while the other had the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass and the Nine Profound Exquisite Body…. To think that their mother hailed from such a place.
“The first time I heard the name ‘Realm of the Gods’ was from the Dragon God. And this time, I actually heard it from Uncle Xia’s own mouth,” Yun Che said as he let out a long sigh, his heart troubled by aftershock of the revelation.
“To be able to give birth to children who possess the Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins and the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass, even if that woman is from the Realm of the Gods, she definitely has a very high status there,” Jasmine said blandly.
“There is no woman who would truly be willing to be part with her husband and her children forever… she definitely had her own difficulties that were hard to bring up.” Yun Che muttered to himself, “If there is a day that I am able to go to that place that is known as the ‘Realm of the Gods,’ then perhaps I can try to locate her whereabouts… even if it is just for Yuanba and Qingyue’s sake.”
Having felt Yun Che’s spirit ripple when he was muttering to himself, Jasmine, who was inside the Sky Poison Pearl, raised a delicate eyebrow before suddenly asking, “Do you really have plans to travel to the Realm of the Gods?”
“Of course.” Yun Che nodded his head forthrightly. “After all, I personally made a promise to the Dragon God all those years ago that I would do my best to find and reach the place known as the Realm of the Gods. The only reason why I can possess such a strong body bloodline, and soul is because he destroyed himself in order to bestow his blessings upon me. So I will definitely give my all in trying to accomplish what I promised him. However, if I use all my power… but I am unable to reach that level, then I will naturally be helpless to do anything.”
“I suggest that you rid yourself of such foolish notions right away,” Jasmine said in an icy and cold tone.
“Eh? Why is that so? Do you not want me to go there?” Yun Che asked in a rather stunned voice.
“Hmph, now is not the time for you to think of such things.” Jasmine forcefully changed the subject, “What you should be puzzling out is just what kind of relationship this Black Moon Merchant Guild has with Supreme Ocean Palace.”
“Ah, there is no real need to think about this.” Yun Che replied as he turned around and eyed the pitch-black crescent moon which soared into the clouds, “The power that is standing behind the Black Moon Merchant Guild is Supreme Ocean Palace… or perhaps you could say that the Black Moon Merchant Guild was originally the other half of Supreme Ocean Palace.
“The other three Sacred Grounds have their own enormous supply chains and their own resource domains while Supreme Ocean Palace is located in an ocean domain that is surrounded by water. Yet their position amongst the Four Sacred Grounds has never waned, and they have even surpassed Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and are only second to Absolute Monarch Sanctuary in terms of power. If they did not have a huge resource pool located on the main continent, how would they have been able to reach such a position. This enormous supply chain is naturally the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
“Zi Ji should have been able to guess that I would be able to deduce the relationship between the Black Moon Merchant Guild and Supreme Ocean Palace from his words. However, I do not think this is a secret when it comes to the Sacred Grounds. And in the end, Zi Ji forcefully bought ten Overlord Pellets from me and viciously scammed the other three Sacred Grounds.” Yun Che stroked his chin and continued, “At present, his Supreme Ocean Palace are the sole possessors of ten Overlord Pellets while the other three Sacred Grounds will have to vye for the remaining twenty pellets…. No! Supreme Ocean Palace will definitely come in for the twenty pellets that still remain, or else, it will arouse the suspicions of the other three Sacred Grounds. In this situation, every Sacred Ground should be able to secure five pellets, leaving Supreme Ocean Palace with fifteen of them….”
“Yes, and then my Frozen Cloud Asgard will have three thousand pellets!”
“And so, the Sacred Grounds only amount to this in the end, hahahaha!” As Yun Che continued his ruminations, his spirits rose immediately and he began to swagger towards the west… in the direction of the Divine Phoenix Sect.
“Hmph, you used a Heavenly Profound Treasure, the Sky Poison Pearl, to refine such things, yet you use it to look down on a bunch of inferior powers. You are practically profaning a sacred object! How dare you still be so conceited because of that!” Jasmine gave cold snort of extreme contempt.
“Now, just how should I go about settling my debt….” Yun Che looked in the direction of the Divine Phoenix Sect and his voice suddenly grew sinister.
Phoenix City was located at the north-western part of Divine Phoenix City, and it belonged to Divine Phoenix City and stood alone at the same time; it was a unique city within a city. Phoenix City was the same as the Divine Phoenix Imperial Palace, they were both core pillars of the Divine Phoenix Sect. The difference was that one represented the seat of their power while the other represented the seat of their authority. It could be said that both places had incomparable prestige and military power within the Divine Phoenix Empire, and even if one included the rest of the Profound Sky Seven Nations, these two places would still have no equal.
As Yun Che approached Phoenix City, a pressure which caused one’s heart to race and scorching air welcomed him.
This would be the second time Yun Che visited this place. But compared to three years ago, both his mission and his mood was drastically different this time around. As he looked at the phoenix sculpture which raised its head and spread its wings as it radiated a scorching hot brilliance, he no longer experienced the respect and awe that he had three years ago. Instead, what flashed in his mind was the desolated lands of Blue Wind Nation, the cities which had been reduced to rubble, the citizens of his nation who had lost everything, and the battlefield filled with blood and littered with bones… Cang Wanhe’s memorial tablet… Cang Yue’s tears… the cheers of the Blue Wind soldiers… Sikong Du’s wail of fury and despair….”
The fires of rage and hatred were lit in his chest, and they fiercely welled up… he could not forget the reason he had come to this place and the mission he had to accomplish, and he could definitely not forget the fifty million blood-drenched people… and the hatred of a nation that had nearly been consigned to the oblivion of history.
“Who is it?! This is Phoenix City, not a place that commoners like you should approach, hurry up and leave!”
In front of the gates of Phoenix City, a Divine Phoenix disciple who was guarding the gate strode forth as he yelled at Yun Che with an arrogant tone.
“Eh? Why does this person seem kind of familiar?” Another disciple who was on the right of the first disciple said as his mouth slanted.
Yun Che faintly narrowed his eyes faintly, and he gently said in the most even tone, “Go and report to your Sect Master, Feng Hengkong, that Yun Che has arrived to pay him a visit.”
Even though his tone was gentle and slow, every single word spoken contained a killing intent that was beginning to froth over.
Chapter 698 - Destroying the Phoenix God Sculpture
“Yun… Yun Che!?”
Even if it was the name of someone who had fallen three years ago, in the ears of the Divine Phoenix disciples, it resounded like a thunderclap. The disciple to the right instantly realized why the face in front of him seemed so familiar… Three years ago, during the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, he was one of the guards as well. In fact, he was on one side of the main gates during that event!
Even after the two disciples had gotten over their shock, the arrogance on their face did not decrease in the slightest… because this place was Divine Phoenix City, and they were Divine Phoenix disciples who possessed the bloodline of the Phoenix, the most noble existence within the Seven Nations. Not to mention one Yun Che, even if the emperors of the other six countries came, they might still not treat them with respect.
“Didn’t Yun Che die three years ago? Could this be an imposter?”
“Who cares if he’s an imposter, to think that he would have the audacity to request a meeting with our revered Sect Master the moment he arrived? Haha, how do you have the face to do such a thing?”
“Could it be that you have come to plead on behalf of the tiny Blue Wind Nation that is about to be extinguished? Hehe…” The two disciples who were guarding the gate looked at each other and simultaneously let out a huge roar of laughter together.
“Hehe.” Yun Che joined in as well before continuing, “Forget it, I don’t need you to convey my message anymore, This has truly been a waste of my time. I’ll call him out myself.”
While he was coldly laughing, Yun Che strode a step forward as his entire body burned with a crimson red flame that was tinged with dull gold. The wild laughter of the two disciples died the moment the Golden Crow Flames were ignited. Their phoenix robe began to suddenly smoulder as flames quickly spread to their entire body, causing them to frantically retreat while letting out wails of pain.
Boom!!
The Golden Crow Flames rushed forward and exploded with a loud bang as a pillar of fire shot hundreds of meters into the air; the sound reverberating throughout the entire Phoenix City was loud enough to shock the heavens. The emblem of the Divine Phoenix Sect’s might and prestige, the grand gate and the Phoenix God Sculpture, which had been standing for all five thousand years of Divine Phoenix City’s existence, came crashing to the ground as they shattered into little pieces…
——————————
Gathered within the Phoenix Main Hall were all the core members of the current generation of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Among the fifty-six elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect, besides the deceased original great elder, Feng Feiyan; the deceased Nineteenth elder, Feng Feiheng; the deceased Forty-Third elder, Feng Feiying; the deceased Fifty-Second elder, Feng Hengjiang; and the two other elders who were still supervising the invasion of Blue Wind Nation, the rest of the elders had taken their seats and not a single elder of them was missing.
Given the absolute power the Divine Phoenix Sect possessed over the rest of the seven nations, for the past few millennia, all their elders had died from old age rather than falling in a battle against others. Feng Feiyan richly deserved the miserable death he earned for himself, and it brooked no discussion. But today, within the span of a single day, the soul crystals of three elders had shattered; they had all fallen in Blue Wind Nation. In the history of the Divine Phoenix Empire, this kind of thing had never happened before, and no one would have ever thought that the elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect, all of whom were at least mid stage Overlords and were invincible existences to the other six nations, would end up falling in Blue Wind Nation when they had just gone there as supervisors.
The atmosphere of this grand meeting of the elders was oppressive right from the get go. But the surprising thing was that the main topic of discussion was not the death of three elders, but instead the return of one person from the dead…
Yun Che!!
The discussion ranged from the dramatic increase in Yun Che’s profound strength that allowed him to kill Feng Huwei, the words that he had conveyed using Feng Huwei’s death imprint the day before… and the suspicion that he was the main culprit behind the disappearance of that Divine Phoenix Army that was several hundred thousand strong.
The name of Yun Che was naturally known to all the gathered elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect. The fact that he came back alive from the Primordial Profound Ark, which had suddenly disappeared, was enough to stun them all. However, as they gradually realized that the main agenda for the elder meeting that Feng Hengkong had convened was to discuss how to deal with Yun Che, even suggested that they should invite one of the grand elders out of seclusion in order to personally make the journey towards Blue Wind Nation to kill Yun Che, the expressions of all the elders turned into ones of bewilderment and astonishment… Yun Che’s return from the dead was indeed bizarre, and the fact that his profound strength had advanced to such a degree, wherein he was able to kill Feng Huwei, was indeed alarming. Given the fact that he was the Prince Consort of Blue Wind Nation, his intention to avenge his country against the Divine Phoenix Empire was completely understandable… However, he was only a mere Yun Che; even if his present strength was ten times stronger than what was previously estimated, what threat did he possess to merit such a large-scale mobilization of the Divine Phoenix Empire… and what qualifications did he possess for them to consider requesting one of their grand elders to come out of seclusion to personally deal with him?
It was only when Feng Hengkong brought up the matter with Feng Xue’er… that they all suddenly came to a realization.
As Feng Xue’er was the future Phoenix God of the Divine Phoenix Sect, no matter how small the matter was, anything related to her would be a huge issue that the Divine Phoenix Sect could definitely not ignore! If she truly held Yun Che in such high regard… then given the fact that the die had already been cast in regards to the current situation between the Divine Phoenix Empire and Blue Wind Nation, in addition to the attitude Yun Che had displayed since his return, Yun Che had to be eliminated in the shortest amount of time possible at all costs!!
Since this was the case, in order to ensure that there would be no accidents, even if mobilizing a grand elder was akin to using a cleaver to kill a chicken, as long as the matter concerned Princess Snow, then it was something that had to be done.
At this time, a huge explosion rang out from outside, and it was as if a thunderbolt had descended from the heavens to strike the grand hall, causing the entire hall to tremble violently.
“What’s going on?!” Feng Hengkong and the gathered elders immediately shot to their feet. The light of fire shone on their faces as the Crown Prince of the Divine Phoenix Empire, Feng Ximing, rushed into the hall with blazing speed as he urgently yelled, “Father Emperor, we are under attack! The gate of Phoenix City and the Phoenix God Sculpture… have been destroyed by someone!!”
“What?!” Feng Hengkong’s complexion abruptly changed, and all the elders had also turned pale from shock. Even though the recent explosion had shaken the heavens, they still maintained their composure. Despite being caught off-guard, no one had panicked. They were the Divine Phoenix Sect, and no one would dare to act rashly against them when they were in the territory of the Divine Phoenix Sect. As such, it was most likely an accident, but even if someone was trying to pick a fight with them, that person would only be courting death… however, the city gate and the Phoenix God Sculpture, which represented the might of the Divine Phoenix had been destroyed… so this was no longer just simply a rash act of violence against them; this was an action that had completely stepped beyond the bottom line of what the Divine Phoenix Sect could endure!
Feng Hengkong took the lead as he immediately rushed out of the Phoenix Main Hall; all the elders followed closely behind him. As they looked in the direction of the city gate, their faces immediately turned dark and grim…
The Divine Phoenix City gate had stood for an entire five thousand years, and the Phoenix God Sculpture above it was the symbol of their Divine Phoenix Sect. It was customary for an elder of the sect to personally come and imbue the sculpture with Phoenix fire once every seven days, so every corner of Divine Phoenix City would be able to bask in the eternal glory and firelight of the Phoenix flames exuded by the Phoenix God Sculpture. It was not only a simple Phoenix God Sculpture; rather, it was a representation of the Divine Phoenix Sect’s five thousand years of pride and glory.
When normal people gazed at the Phoenix God Sculpture from afar, they would be overwhelmed by a sense of irresistible intimidation, and even their manner of walking would become more withdrawn and cautious. Even if members of the Four Sacred Grounds arrived, they would not dare to display a disrespectful attitude in front of the Phoenix God Sculpture…
But at this moment, all they saw was that the Phoenix God Sculpture, which had stood hundreds of meters tall, had been toppled from the sky… it fragmented into many pieces before falling to the ground with a loud boom. Then, it was burned into a crimson red pile of slag along with the city gate.
The collapse of the Phoenix God Sculpture could clearly be seen even from the outskirts of Divine Phoenix City, and it undoubtedly caused a great commotion throughout the entire city as nearly everyone either stood rooted in place or rushed out of the buildings as they all stared dazedly in the direction of Divine Phoenix City.
“Who… who was the person who did this!?” Feng Hengkong’s hair exploded outwards as every strand of his hair stood on end. Molten rage poured out from his body in a manner that was akin to a volcanic eruption. To think that the Phoenix God Sculpture would be destroyed during his reign… this was an intolerable insult! No matter who the culprit was, just based on this action alone, that person and everything related to that person would become the mortal enemies of the Divine Phoenix Sect… and as long as neither of them died, there would be no end to matters!
“To think that someone would dare to profane our sect’s Divine Spirit… and touch our sect’s reverse scale(refer to note at the end)! Unforgivable!” Feng Feiran, the Second Elder of the Divine Phoenix, said in a voice which trembled with anger.
“I will personally rip him to shreds!”
Boom!!
Feng Hengkong morphed into a beam of fire as he rushed towards the city gate. He had actually left a sonic boom in his wake as he shot out into the air; anyone could tell just how volatile the fury in his heart was.
All of the Divine Phoenix Sect elders followed suit. Fifty Divine Phoenix Sect elders mobilizing along with their Sect Master was something that had rarely ever been seen in the history of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Moreover, the destruction of the city gate and the Phoenix God Sculpture was akin to a thunderclap exploding within the Divine Phoenix Sect, and all of the princes, hall masters, palace masters, attendants, high-ranked disciples, and low-ranked disciples were all stunned into insensibility. No matter how important the affairs they were attending to at the moment, without caring for any possible repercussions, they immediately ceased work as all of them rushed towards the city gate as well.
In one brief moment, the entire Phoenix City had been thrown into disarray as it was enveloped in an aura which was both scorching and furious. People began to congregate in the air like a swarm of locusts.
Divine Phoenix City gate… oh, now, the gate did not exist anymore, and the only thing left was a tower of rubble. The Phoenix Flames within the Phoenix God Sculpture had also completely dissipated following the destruction of the sculpture. Although it had blazed out at first as a large conflagration of crimson red flames, it still quickly died out as well.
In front of the rubble lay the two lucky Divine Phoenix disciples who were responsible for guarding the gate. With their pupils dilated, they lay there paralyzed, their legs fiercely trembling and their faces completely white with shock. The stark terror on their faces made it seem like they had just woken up from a nightmare, and they had even completely forgotten the pain inflicted upon them by the Golden Crow Flames.
Fire and sand quickly fell to the earth, revealing a figure that was standing atop the rubble. Feng Hengkong left a windstorm in his wake as he cleaved through the air. Once he had taken a look at the person who was on top of the rubble, his eyes immediately widened as crackling flames washed over his entire body. “Yun Che… it’s… you!!!”
Even though Feng Hengkong was extremely furious, he did not lose his composure. In fact, during the time he had spent flying here, he had already made several guesses… but the only potential culprits he could think of were the Four Sacred Grounds! At the same time, he realized that there was a possibility that the death of the Phoenix God had already been completely exposed!
Because only the Four Sacred Grounds, under the condition that they had confirmed the death of the Phoenix God, would dare to attack the Divine Phoenix Sect in such a blatant manner!
However, he had not even given any thought that it would be Yun Che. He had one reason which was sufficient to rule him out completely… and that was the fact that when Yun Che had used Feng Huwei’s death soul imprint to communicate with him yesterday, he was still in Blue Wind Nation. Moreover, Floating Cloud City was fifty thousand kilometers away from Divine Phoenix City, and without the high grade Profound Ark that only the Sacred Grounds possessed, it would be impossible for him to reach this place within a day.
Yet the person who was standing atop the heap was indeed Yun Che.
And while Feng Hengkong was still shocked and furious, he also let out a huge sigh of relief at the same time. Unless it was the Four Sacred Grounds, the Divine Phoenix Sect would not feel the least bit intimidated. Furthermore, it was also clear that the death of the Phoenix God had not been exposed to the world, so the danger that had flashed through his mind did not materialize in reality.
In addition, the best part of it all was that, while they were busy discussing the matter of eliminating Yun Che, he had actually delivered himself to their doorstep… and he had done so when all the elders were gathered! He had even given them an extremely good reason to kill him… a reason so good that there would be no better reason in existence! Originally, due to the fact that he had rescued Princess Snow three years ago, if they had killed Yun Che and news of it got out, they would undoubtedly face a lot of criticism. But today, he had personally destroyed the Phoenix God Sculpture, so even killing him ten thousand times would not be unreasonable!
So, no matter what, Yun Che should not think… that he would be leaving this place alive today! With that, Feng Hengkong could settle a matter that had been gnawing at his heart.
“Humph, you sure picked a great time to come, all of the people behind Feng Hengkong are in the mid to late stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm, so they should all be elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect. To think that they would all be gathered together in one place, they must have been in the middle of a grand meeting,” Jasmine said as she gloated at Yun Che’s misfortune.
Yun Che crossed both of his arms over his chest as his mouth slanted and crooked into a brash and sinister cold smile. He was facing Feng Hengkong and all the gathered elders and disciples of the Divine Phoenix Sect, but his face was devoid of any fear. Instead, he faced them with that cold smile as he said, “Divine Phoenix Sect Master, we have not met in the past three years, so I hope that you are still in good health. Che, to think that all those years ago, Divine Phoenix Sect Master was fixated on getting rid of me, to the extent that you did not forget to arrange for someone to assassinate me when we were on the Primordial Profound Ark. Ah, but to think that in just the short span of three years you have become so courteous. I have just arrived, but not only did Divine Phoenix Sect Master come to personally greet me, you even brought all the elders and disciples in the sect to welcome me as well… Ah, this truly makes this humble one feel rather embarrassed.”
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Translator’s note: The term, reverse scale originates from a Chinese saying, “Anyone who touches the reverse scales of a dragon will definitely die.” Legend has it that there is a portion of the scales on the dragon’s neck that are grown in reverse. In this case, it means something that is extremely sensitive and anyone who dares touch it would invoke the wrath of the owner.
Chapter 699 - Rebuking Divine Phoenix
Even though Feng Hengkong inwardly sighed in relief while facing Yun Che’s mocking taunts, he still couldn’t suppress the fury that was welling up in his heart, causing his killing intent to multiply. He didn’t have the ability to change the fact that the Phoenix God Sculpture had been reduced to rubble, and this insult had already been thrown at his face. As the current Divine Phoenix Emperor, his humiliation would be recorded in the records of the Divine Phoenix Nation, and he would never be able to wipe it away.
“Yun Che… Good… you’re very good indeed!” Feng Hengkong could no longer be bothered with what method Yun Che used to travel from Floating Cloud City to Divine Phoenix City within the span of a day. Instead, he rasped out these words in a low voice, “Three years ago, you somehow managed to survive by the skin of your teeth… but I would have never expected that you will be so eager to throw your life away!!”
The elders and princes of the Divine Phoenix Sect had all assembled, and the addition of all the other Phoenix disciples who were also rushing towards their location at the fastest speed possible formed a giant crowd of enemies that firmly surrounded Yun Che.
This was the first time in the history of the Divine Phoenix Sect that the entire sect had been put on full alert. It was also the first time they had assembled in such an enormous battle formation.
“It’s actually you!” The Divine Phoenix Empire’s Crown Prince, Feng Ximing, stared at Yun Che in disbelief as his eyes glowed with an intense hatred that practically exploded outwards. He was one of the first people to find out that Yun Che was still alive. Because of what had happened with Feng Xue’er, his hatred for Yun Che even surpassed that of Feng Hengkong… however, the majority of this hatred had nothing to do with the Divine Phoenix Sect. Instead, it was born of an insane jealousy which had given birth to this boundless killing intent!
“You presumptuous and insolent cur! Three years ago, our sect let bygones be bygones and showed you mercy, but to think that you would actually dare to… actually dare to destroy our sect’s great gate and our Phoenix God Sculpture!” The new great elder, Feng Feilie, pointed a finger at Yun Che as his whole body trembled in anger, “Even if you were to die tens of thousands of times, you would never be able to redeem yourself of this sin!!”
“Hahahaha!” Yun Che tilted his head back as he roared in laughter, but subsequently, both his expression and his voice abruptly turned dark and cold, “You bunch of mangy old dogs from the Divine Phoenix Sect, do you still have any face to criticize me!? My Blue Wind Nation never had any quarrel with your Divine Phoenix Nation, and for a thousand years, we had also paid a tribute to your Divine Phoenix Nation We had never failed to do this even once, so what crime did we commit against you!? Yet in the last three years, without cause or reason, you have trampled over my Blue Wind Nation, destroying its cities, killing its people, and causing mountains of bodies and rivers of blood to appear in my nation. Countless of innocent people died in your hands, and even more of them were rendered homeless and destitute! Even the old, the women and the children were not spared. In three short years, you have turned a peaceful and harmonious nation into a hell that is filled with terror!
“Your actions are simply the ones which have infuriated both the gods and men, and your crimes are too innumerable to count!
“I have merely destroyed your decrepit old gate and your worn-down statue, yet even dying tens of thousands of times would not be enough to redeem myself? If that is so, then in order to make up for the crimes committed by you people which have infuriated both the gods and men, shouldn’t your entire clan, down to its very roots, have its bones scattered to the winds hundreds of thousands of times?”
“How dare you!” Feng Feiran roared in anger, “This basic law of survival in this world has always been the survival of the fittest! It is only just and proper for our Divine Phoenix Empire to swallow the weak and expand its territory! For five thousand years, our Divine Phoenix Empire has been under the protection of the Phoenix God. Since the time of our ancestor, our nation has been blessed by a divine spirit! It is not something your tiny and pitiful Blue Wind Nation can compare to! This Phoenix God Sculpture represented the prestige and the divine might of our ultimate ancestor, yet you dared to destroy it, profaning and trampling on the dignity of the divine spirit. Even if all the people in your tiny Blue Wind Nation died as compensation for this heinous crime, it would still not be enough!”
“Divine spirit? Hah!” Yun Che gave a low and cold chuckle, “To think that you would still have the face to mention the Phoenix Divine Spirit? History has indeed been established by the law of the survival of the fittest, but the wars of humanity have always been governed by one basic principle: innocents should never be harmed!. Yet you have burned Blue Wind Nation to cinders and wantonly slaughtered its innocent people. To top it all off, you even used the Phoenix flames bestowed upon you by the very same Phoenix Divine Spirit that you keep on talking about!
“The Phoenix is a sacred beast from the Primordial Era, and the Phoenix flames are a kind of profound fire that has been deemed ‘sacred flames’! Yet all of you, the inheritors of the Phoenix’s bloodline and power, have used the Phoenix flames to commit vicious acts of evil which even an animal would not stoop to! All of you have stained the originally pure and sacred flames of the divine spirit with the blood of countless innocents and your dirty deeds… So who exactly has profaned and trampled on the dignity of the divine spirit!?”
Feng Feilie roared, “You!”
“The Phoenix bloodline within my body came from the other Phoenix Divine Spirit!!” Yun Che’s cold gaze landed upon every single face he saw with a mixture of hate, fury and contempt, “And it had also existed for at least as long as your ancestor’s Phoenix God! But do you know why no other Phoenix Sect emerged as well? That is because… many years ago, when someone who had inherited the flames was fighting with his enemies, he let his Phoenix flames go out of control, burning down an entire city, and causing the deaths of many innocent people. In its fury, the other Phoenix Divine Spirit inflicted the other clan who had inherited the Phoenix bloodline with a terrible curse; a curse that restricted their profound strength to the Elementary Profound Realm forever! Furthermore, this curse was inherited from one generation to the next, never dying out!”
Yun Che’s words caused a huge change in the expressions of the disciples of the Divine Phoenix Sect who were present; some of them even displayed shock and fear on their faces.
“It was only that one incident in which the out of control Phoenix Flames burned down a city by mistake, yet that entire clan had to suffer a curse that lasted for a thousand years. That clan could only cower in a desolate corner of the land to repent for their sins for generations, without daring to show their faces again! And what about the lot of you!? The sins you have committed are ten thousand times worse than theirs! Yet you still have the nerve to talk about how you are protected by the Phoenix Divine Spirit! Pah!
“I destroyed this Phoenix God Sculpture, but the lot of you have already lost the right to be called a Phoenix clan! Allowing the sacred sculpture of the Phoenix to reside in your sin-stained and dirty lands will only tarnish the prestige and holiness of the Phoenix!”
Yun Che extended a finger and pointed at the sect master of the Divine Phoenix Sect, “Feng Hengkong! If the Phoenix Divine Spirit is truly still in this world and witnessed the vicious, evil and extremely dirty deeds that you have committed, it would personally exterminate your entire clan… if not, it is unworthy to be called a spirit of the Phoenix!”
“Silence!” Feng Hengkong roared furiously as blood rushed to his head. Three years prior, he had already experienced the might of Yun Che’s tongue, and today, nearly the entire Divine Phoenix Sect had mobilized and surrounded Yun Che, yet they were all still furiously rebuked by him; at this moment, they were losing the upper hand! Furthermore, Yun Che’s voice was as loud as thunder, and he could be clearly heard throughout the entire Divine Phoenix City; every word he spoke had viciously besmirched the prestige and glory of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Feng Hengkong continued to roar in fury, “Yun Che, you have destroyed our Divine Phoenix Sculpture without any justifiable reason and offended our ancestor and the Phoenix God, yet you still dare to label us as unrighteous?! Every action taken by my Divine Phoenix Sect has been done with the approval of our ancestor’s Phoenix God! Do not even try to slander our good name and demonize us in public…”
“Hahahahaha!” Before Feng Hengkong could finish speaking, he was immediately cut off by the wild laughter that spilled out of Yun Che’s mouth. At the same time, the look in Yun Che’s eyes grew even more contemptuous and disdainful, “Feng Hengkong, even though I have nothing but loathing for you, I had always thought that the reason you were able to become the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Sect Master was because you were solemn and upright. I thought you are at least someone who would not besmirch the reputation of the Phoenix. But I would have never thought that you, the one who represents the bloodline, power, status and five thousand years of glory bestowed by the Phoenix Divine Spirit, would not only be unrepentant for your crimes which soar to the heavens, you would even throw this dirty water that is stained with the blood of countless innocents onto the head of the Phoenix Divine Spirit as well!!”
“You…” Feng Hengkong said as his body violently trembled.
“How can you face the bloodline that burns within your body!? How can you face the Phoenix Divine Spirit?! Is there even a shred of humanity or conscience left within your soul?! And after you have passed on… where will you find the nerve to face your ancestors?!”
“Xue’er’s heart is as pure as driven snow, and she has the soul of an angel! Yet she has you, a vicious, evil and ungrateful person as a father, someone who is even lower than the lowest of animals! Not only are you unworthy to possess the bloodline of the Phoenix, you are not even worthy to be the Divine Phoenix Emperor, and you are even less worthy to be Xue’er’s father!!”
Yun Che’s every word caused Feng Hengkong to go completely berserk with anger, leaving his heart completely devoid of any feelings of mercy. Every single one of Yun Che’s words were needle-sharp and laced with venom as they directly struck at Feng Hengkong’s vulnerable spots. Every muscle in Feng Hengkong’s face twitched with fury, and due to his extreme rage, the profound energy in his body produced a backlash against him, causing blood to spurt out of his mouth.
“Even though your death is at hand, you still dare to slander us and speak so impudently!” At Feng Hengkong’s side, Feng Ximing furiously yelled in response, “Royal father, this little animal has destroyed our Divine Phoenix Sculpture, and afterwards, he has even slandered our Divine Phoenix Sect. Even if he had saved Xue’er’s life before, there is still no reason for us to forgive him! Let us just proceed to capture and execute him right here and now!!”
“That is right! Royal father and the gathered elders do not need to waste their time talking to him! Just kill him… and rip his body to shreds!!”
The one who spoke was the Fourteenth Prince, Feng Xiluo! The moment he had seen Yun Che, both his eyes widened, his teeth ground together, and his gaze became filled with hatred! Three years ago, he had fought a duel with Yun Che during the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, and because he could not accept the humiliation of defeat, he burned his own blood essence in an effort to beat Yun Che. But not only was he still miserably defeated, the loss of blood essence caused his profound strength to plummet from the eighth stage of the Emperor Profound Realm to the seventh stage of the Emperor Profound Realm. And what made it even worse was that his innate talent had been irreparably damaged due to his actions.
Despite three years having gone by with him using countless amounts of spirit medicine and purple crystals, he had only managed to barely force his way back into the initial stages of the eighth stage of the Emperor Profound Realm. Even then, he had not regained the strength that he had three years prior. Furthermore, his talent was no longer ranked as the best amongst the young generation, and he no longer had the exalted status that he had once held amongst the princes; his fall had been dramatic and sudden.
Throughout the entire process, not once had Feng Xiluo blamed his own impulsive stupidity, instead his mind had conspired to shift all of the blame to Yun Che, causing him to hate Yun Che to the very bone. Now that he saw that Yun Che was in the pink of health, he was filled with so much anger and hatred that he had nearly shattered a tooth in rage. If not for the fact that he knew that he was definitely no match for the current Yun Che, he would have rushed towards him like a rabid dog in a bid to rip him to pieces.
Feng Hengkong’s breath had grown hot as his chest rose and fell urgently and dramatically; anyone could well imagine the damage Yun Che’s scolding had inflicted on him. He extended a hand and said in a quavering voice, “Kill him at once!”
“Directly smash him to death… do not leave his corpse intact!!”
This was a direct order to kill personally given by Feng Hengkong in front the gates of Phoenix City! The words ‘do not leave his corpse intact’ evidently displayed the extreme wrath and murderous intent that swelled in his heart.
After the elimination order had been given, Yun Che’s front, back and sides were completely blocked off. One person shot out from each direction to confront Yun Che, and each and every single one of them was an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect! In the great assembly that had just been held, Feng Hengkong stated that Feng Huwei had died in Yun Che’s hands, so it clearly indicated that his power had already reached that of a mid stage Overlord… or perhaps even a late stage Overlord! As such, the four elders that confronted Yun Che did not let their guards down; they took action together in order to destroy Yun Che in an instant!
Behind them, there were still many elders and disciples of the Divine Phoenix Sect waiting in the wings…. No matter what happened today, even if Yun Che had ten thousand lives, he could forget about leaving this place alive today.
Chapter 700 - What Now?
Four Divine Phoenix Elders attacked at the same time. Due to the surging Phoenix flames, the air was instantly dyed scarlet and rumbled as though lava had just been spewed out from the depths of an erupting volcano.
A sneer still remained on Yun Che’s face and when the four Phoenix Elders charged over, he also mobilized, releasing a similar scarlet fire type profound aura as he charged at the Phoenix Elders, not just targeting one of them, but instead all of them!
The four Phoenix Elders all saw the figure of Yun Che approaching them with a violent and terrifying aura!
Upon witnessing this scene, nearly all the surrounding members of the Divine Phoenix Sect who were watching let out a small cry. As for the Phoenix Elders, they all had a calm expression, and some of them even snorted in disdain, “Hmph, playing with afterimages…”
During an intense and close battle, afterimages could cause an opponent to lose his concentration for an instant; as a result, the opponent would be forced to be passive, eventually losing the battle. However, as one’s profound realm increased and their experience became increasingly vast, one would have the capability to differentiate the location of the actual body by spiritual perception. Therefore, at a high level such as the Tyrant Profound Realm, unless one used a special profound afterimage technique or specialized in using afterimages, it would likely serve no help to the user… and it might even cause him harm.
But in the next moment, they simultaneously had a drastic change of facial expression…
Because when they used their spiritual perception, the aura emitted by the four Yun Ches… were exactly the same! And they were all extremely strong…
All of them seemed to be his real bodies!!
BOOM!!
The sounds of four Phoenix Flames explosions merged together, and the blinding light from the flames that surged into the air dyed the sky scarlet for a short moment. Some of the Divine Phoenix Sect disciples, who were relatively weaker in profound cultivation, hastily retreated. In the midst of the strong Phoenix flames, all four Yun Ches faded away… The four “Yun Ches” they had attacked were actually just afterimages!
At the same time the four Phoenix Elders attacked, another blinding light shot out from a peculiar blind spot, and the speed of which was as fast as stars shooting across the sky. When Feng Hengkong and the other Phoenix Elders had realized the existence of the fifth ‘afterimage’, it was already above their heads… It was so fast that they could not even react in time.
A miserable cry was followed by the eruption of Phoenix flames. Yun Che’s right hand was now tightly holding onto a person’s throat; as Yun Che raised his arm, that person was lifted off the ground.
“Fo… Fourteenth Prince!”
The person being choked by Yun Che… was the Fourteenth Prince of the Divine Phoenix Sect, Feng Xiluo!
From the moment the four Divine Phoenix Elders attacked, to the moment Feng Xiluo fell into Yun Che’s hands, there was only enough time for lightning to flash. When Yun Che had lifted Feng Xiluo off the ground, not even a tenth of a breath had passed since the four elders attacked with their Phoenix flames.
Feng Hengkong and the Phoenix Elders swiftly turned around and witnessed the sight of Yun Che clutching onto the throat of the Fourteenth Prince, Feng Xiluo, and lifting him off the ground. They were all stunned as their expressions turned extremely ugly. The pupils of the four elders who had just “exterminated” Yun Che dilated as they could not believe their own eyes.
This was the territory of Divine Phoenix Sect, and the Sect Master, Feng Hengkong, had even personally come. There were also fifty Phoenix Elders present in addition to countless Divine Phoenix Sect disciples of different levels. On the other side, there was only a twenty odd years old youth who was not even hurt when the four elders had attacked him at the same time; on the contrary, he had even gained a hostage.
And the person he held hostage was a prince of the Divine Phoenix Sect!
Furthermore, this Fourteenth Prince was hiding behind all the elders, and it could be said that he was hiding at the safest place within the entire Divine Phoenix Sect… or perhaps even within the entire Sky Profound Seven Nations!!
More than a slap on the face, this humiliation suffered by all the members of the Divine Phoenix Sect present was like being smacked in the face with feces.
This humiliation was at least a thousand worse than the one they suffered when Yun Che single-handedly defeated the geniuses of their younger generation three years back. If this news spread, the Divine Phoenix Sect would be the laughingstock for generations.
“Royal father… Save… me… Ugh…”
Feng Xiluo uttered with a hoarse voice filled with pain. However, Yun Che immediately tightened his grip, disabling Feng Xiluo from utter another word as his originally handsome looking face was now ashen and contorting in pain.
Three years back, he could still force Yun Che into a tough battle, but now, although he was still higher in terms of profound strength, in terms of actual battle capabilities, Feng Xiluo could not even be considered worthy to face him. While he was in Yun Che’s grasp, it was not that he did not want to struggle, but Yun Che’s strength was just too much for him to put up a struggle. He could not use one bit of his profound energy, and he could not even move his pinky one bit.
“Fourteenth Prince!!!”
“Release the Fourteenth Prince at once!!!”
“If you dare to hurt the Fourteenth Prince one bit… our Divine Phoenix Sect would ensure you that you won’t have a proper resting place when you die!!!” Crown Prince Feng Ximing roared in anger.
“Let go of him!” Feng Hengkong rushed to the front but dared not move another step. His expression was downcast while his heart was still shocked at the speed Yun Che had displayed just now. “Yun Che, you should know his identity! If you dare to harm him, not only will we not leave you with an intact corpse… we will also exterminate your entire bloodline!!”
“Oh? Is that so?” Yun Che smiled coldly. Not only had he not loosened his grip on Feng Xiluo, he had even tightened it.
Cr-ack! The sounds of bone being shattered rang clearly in the air.
“Fourteenth Prince!”
“Stop!”
“You!” Feng Hengkong was instantly enraged as he ferociously stepped forward; he was no longer able to maintain the composure he initially had. It was widely known within the Divine Phoenix Empire that among his fourteen sons, Feng Xiluo was the one Feng Hengkong doted on the most. However, he was now being strangled like a dead dog in front of him.
As the emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire, this was definitely something that had never occurred to him, even in his dreams.
“Hahaha…” Facing Feng Hengkong, whose expression turned ten times more ferocious than before, Yun Che didn’t show the slightest hint of fear as he looked at him straight into the eye; only a cold mocking smile appeared on his face as he said, “Feng Hengkong, your son is in my hands. As long as I will it, I can instantly extinguish his life… yet you still have the guts to threaten me. Should I praise you for your foolishness or should I pity this so-called prince whom in your eyes, is only an unimportant and worthless trash?”
Feng Hengkong’s chest rose with intensity; it looked like it could explode at any moment. He said with a sinister voice, “Yun Che! If you dare…”
CRRAACK!!
The sounds of bone shattering was once again emitted from the throat of the Fourteenth Prince, causing Feng Hengkong to fall into silence. Due to his extreme rage, Feng Hengkong’s bones also let out cracking sounds. All the other elders, princes as well as disciples were also shocked and angry.
“So what would happen if I dared?” Yun Che spoke as he narrowed his eyes into slits. Feng Xiluo, who was in his hands, was similar to a ghoul as his ashen face contorted under his fear and pain.
At this time, Great Elder Feng Feilie immediately sent a sound transmission to Feng Hengkong, “Sect Master, for Yun Che to come alone, he obviously does not plan to go back alive. A madman who has no regards for his life is capable of doing anything… Fourteenth Prince is currently in his hands, so we must not anger him! He’s only holding the Fourteenth Prince hostage and hasn’t committed a killing blow yet. It’s obvious that he has some motive… You need to pacify him and save the Fourteenth Prince before doing anything.”
Feng Hengkong took a deep breath as he tried his best to calm himself down, “Alright! Let him go, this emperor promises to let you go and no one is allowed to stop you.”
“Oh?” Yun Che smiled cheekily, “Divine Phoenix Sect Master could cause my Blue Wind Empire to turn into a river of blood at one command, and yet you’re suddenly acting so magnanimous now? You’re even going to pardon me of the ‘heinous crime’ of destroying your Phoenix God Sculpture?”
“Hmph!” Feng Hengkong snorted, “Our son’s life is much more valuable than yours! Before this emperor changes his mind, you’d better let him go and scram from here!”
Yun Che still had a sneer on his face; it was evident that he did not have any intention of letting Feng Xiluo go. In a leisurely manner, Yun Che said, “Feng Hengkong, it seems like not only is your personality far more disgusting than I have imagined, you seem to be an idiot as well. Just how did a person like you become the Sect Master of the Divine Phoenix Sect… it seems like everyone in this world has overestimated the might of the Divine Phoenix Sect. Use your pig brain and think it through. For me to come all the way here, do you think that I would leave empty-handed?!”
Yun Che’s words had undoubtedly caused all of the Phoenix disciples to nearly explode in rage; their sharp and vicious gaze could almost tear Yun Che into the smallest shreds. With each and every insult Yun Che threw at Feng Hengkong, the principles and values of the latter as a ruler seemed to shatter into pieces in front of all the Phoenix disciples. Feng Feilie frantically rushed forward and gave the enraged Feng Hengkong, who looked like he was going to explode at any moment, a look, before directly asking Yun Che, “Alright… Yun Che, since you’re holding our Fourteenth Prince hostage, our Divine Phoenix Sect will accede to your demands! Just list down whatever conditions you have!”
“Very good.” Yun Che nodded in satisfaction as he leisurely continued, “Based on the heinous crimes that your Divine Phoenix Sect has committed, I had originally wanted to exterminate all of you, only leaving Xue’er behind. However, it’s a pity that I’m still a consort of the Blue Wind Imperial Family, and there are some matters that I have to consider for the sake of my empress. Also, because Xue’er had saved my life before, I shall not kill anyone and give your Divine Phoenix Sect a chance.”
A single person, standing in the territory of the Divine Phoenix Sect, saying that he wanted to exterminate the entire sect… was now giving them “a chance.” The entire Divine Phoenix Sect did not know whether to laugh or to cry. However, their Fourteenth Prince’s life was still in Yun Che’s hands. hence, they did not dare to make any noise…
In this world, was there anything that would be more indignant than this?
In the next moment, they were going to find out… that there actually was!!
“If you want me to let your Divine Phoenix Sect off, you just have to agree to three conditions.” Yun Che, who was surrounded by the Divine Phoenix Sect, had imbued his voice with profound energy and spoke in a voice that every corner of Divine Phoenix City could hear, “Firstly, within thirty days, the entire Divine Phoenix Army must get out of my Blue Wind Nation’s territory. Not one person or a strand of hair can be left behind!! Furthermore, you are not allowed to step foot into my Blue Wind Nation for the next hundred years!
“Secondly,” without waiting for the Divine Phoenix Sect’s reply, Yun Che had already continued, “You, Feng Hengkong, must personally pen a letter of apology towards my Blue Wind Nation! This must be announced to the world!!
“Thirdly, you must compensate my Blue Wind Nation ten billion purple profound coins!!”
Calling back the Divine Phoenix Sect troops was not a surprising condition. They had all guessed that this was probably the reason why Yun Che had come. However, they did not expect that this was only the first of his conditions. When Yun Che had finished saying his second condition, all the Phoenix Elders nearly exploded with rage… For them to apologize to the lowly Blue Wind Nation? This was undoubtedly an absolute joke.
When Yun Che had finished saying his third condition, even all of the disciples present nearly passed out in rage.
Compensation… Ten billion purple profound coins.
Exchanging it to yellow profound coins… that was a hundred trillion!
The first condition was to protect Blue Wind Nation, the second condition was to make the Divine Phoenix Nation lose all their face, and the third condition was to cause the Divine Phoenix Nation to suffer a huge loss… From Divine Phoenix Sect’s perspective, this was the biggest joke in the world! Though Feng Xiluo was indeed a Divine Phoenix Prince, even if Yun Che was holding Crown Prince Feng Ximing hostage, the Divine Phoenix Sect would never apologize to the lowly Blue Wind Nation, let alone talk about the third condition.
Did Yun Che think that he was holding the Divine Phoenix Sect’s Phoenix God hostage?!
Feng Hengkong’s rage turned into laughter, “Yun Che, did you think that just by holding our son hostage that we would not dare to do anything to you! This emperor has already given you a chance to live, but you are stubbornly seeking death…”
“No, no, no!” Yun Che interrupted while laughing coldly, “I am the one giving you all a chance! In my entire life, I have never offered such a magnanimous chance, yet you seem to be unwilling to accept it. Tch… On behalf of Xue’er, let me remind you one last time that you should take ahold of this chance. If you still fail to appreciate my kindness and choose to remain stubborn, I will not offer such ‘discounted’ terms anymore.”
When Yun Che said his last sentence, his face was as vicious as a cobra, and his laugh was as sinister as the devil’s.
“HAHAHAHA!” Feng Hengkong laughed loudly. However, the laughter was sinister and filled with anger. He swung his arms, stared at Yun Che like an eagle, and walked towards Yun Che step by step, “My Divine Phoenix Sect has reigned on top of Profound Sky for five thousand years, and we have never feared anyone, nor has anyone ever threatened us before! Those that dare to offend my Divine Phoenix, whether it be a person, clan, or nation can all be eliminated at the lift of my finger! This emperor really wants to see whether or not you have the guts to kill my son!”
BOOM!
The moment Feng Hengkong’s sonorous voice stopped, a ball of fire also erupted from Yun Che’s body.
Feng Hengkong stood rooted on the ground as his pupils contracted. His body first became stiff, then it trembled vigorously… several terrible shrieks that could nearly pierce the heavens rang beside his ears.
Within the flames, Feng Xiluo’s body turned into millions of pieces and dispersed. Before he died, he didn’t even have the chance to make a sound; even the pieces of his corpse were quickly burnt into ashes by the flame. Yun Che pulled his arm back and swung his right hand strongly in front of his body. With a cold smile and a sinister expression, he calmly asked, “What now?”
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