Chapter 1129 - Round the Corner
The more his mind submerged in the process of cultivation, the less he could feel the passage of time. It was a regular thing for the peak level experts in the God Realm to undergo secluded cultivation for several hundred or even a thousand years. When he was “shut” inside the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, Yun Che felt the change and amplification of his power, but he was entirely unaware that the day of the beginning of the Profound God Convention was just around the corner.
Evidently, it was because Mu Xuanyin didn’t want him to be distracted in the least that she didn’t wake him up.
“During these two years, the four great king realms have set up dimensional formations to go directly to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm in nine hundred of the star realms. The closest one from us has been set up in the southern region of the Snow Song Realm, so there’s enough time for you to arrive before the Profound God Convention. There’s no need to worry about it.”
“…Understood.” Yun Che’s rapidly beating heart finally calmed down upon hearing her words… He was clearly scared when he came to know how little time he had, as his whole body was drenched in cold sweat.
Connecting the entire Eastern Divine Region would mean setting up no less than nine hundred dimensional formations that would lead directly to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm… Given the vastness of the Eastern Divine Region, it was an unimaginably astonishing feat.
This alone was enough to show that the Profound God Convention this time was very important to the four great king realms, as well as different from the usual.
“Now that you’ve achieved the breakthrough, you’ve obtained the qualifications to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. You can go there as an invited audience member, or a participant. But, it is now known to all that the preliminary contest of the Profound God Convention will be held inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl. Being the only Heavenly Profound Treasure of the present world, the Eternal Heaven Pearl possesses the highest level energy laws in the entire Primal Chaos. It would be of extremely great benefit to enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl and bathe in the Eternal Heaven Divine Aura. This is also the main reason behind the craziness of countless star realms and profound practitioners for the Profound God Convention this time.”
“As you have already cultivated to the Divine Tribulation Realm, there’s no reason to miss such an opportunity.”
“Besides, our Snow Song Realm is only a middle star realm in the end. Even if the people from here arrive at the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, they would only get the seats for the bottom level people. There’s almost no opportunity to come into contact with the high level existences of a king realm. You would have a much higher chance of being discovered by the Heavenly Slaughter Star God as a participant.”
“Therefore, you should go with Bingyun and Huanzhi to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm as one of the participants. How things will unfold once you reach there will depend on your luck. But be sure to keep in mind that the relationship between you the Heavenly Slaughter Star God is far more of a taboo than you could imagine. Keep it secret at all costs… including the things that the Heavenly Slaughter Star God has passed down to you. Even if you two meet each other, you can’t let anyone else know about it.”
“If you fail to see her despite your efforts, or she is unwilling to meet you, that would be for the best.” The icy eyes of Mu Xuanyin shifted sideways. “Remember the words you said before. If things don’t go as you wish, you’ll set aside your obsession and won’t pursue this matter any further. Afterwards, whether you prepare to return to Blue Pole Star or stay in the Snow Song Realm, we’ll discuss it when the time comes.”
“…Understood.” Yun Che nodded his head.
But, he hesitated for three whole breathes before he replied.
It was at this time that Yun Che sensed something from Mu Xuanyin’s words. He asked in surprise, “Master, you mean that… you’re not going to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm with us?”
Mu Xuanyin gave him a glance but didn’t answer him. She lightly flicked her snow-white hand, making the barrier around the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake open a way through. “Go.”
Before Yun Che could go out of the opened barrier, he caught sight of a group of people waiting outside in a respectful manner.
Great Elder Mu Huanzhi was in the front and Mu Bingyun was by his side. Behind them were eight elders and palace masters of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. Standing at the back of the elders and palace masters was a big group of young disciples of the sect. Six to seven hundred of them could be seen just at a glance. Looking at their attire, Yun Che discovered that they were actually the disciples from the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall.
These disciples from the Divine Hall had an extremely heavy frost aura on their bodies. They had all reached the Divine Tribulation Realm.
They were the very best disciples of this generation in the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, as well as the future of the sect.
“We respectfully greet sect master.” The moment Mu Xuanyin stepped out of the barrier, all the elders, palace masters and disciples bent the upper half of their bodies and kneeled down. Their heads were in direct contact with the snow on the ground, but they didn’t move in the slightest before Mu Xuanyin gave permission.
A dazed look surfaced in Yun Che’s eyes.
He thought back to the scene when he had first entered the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, and the sect master was overlooking everyone from the sky… People of the entire sect, from elders at the top to ice phoenix palace disciples at the bottom, all of them were prostrate on the ground as if praying to a deity.
These years he had always followed beside Mu Xuanyin and could see her every day. He had listened to her teachings and sparred with her on a daily basis. At one point in time, he had actually forgotten that his master was the Realm King of the Snow Song Realm, a being who couldn’t be disrespected by anyone in the whole realm and was feared by everyone. No one dared to disobey her and she could slaughter countless living creatures with a word, like a supreme existence in the celestial palace. She was someone who had destroyed thirteen subordinate star realms of the Flame God Realm in anger.
But during these past two years, Mu Xuanyin had never once asked him to kneel before her, even though he had committed such a great sin and was then dragged back to the sect…
“Get up,” Mu Xuanyin said, as she swept her spirit sense across the bodies of all present. “Huanzhi, you’ll be in charge of this time’s journey to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. There’s no need to be too competitive, you just need to make sure to safely return. Naturally, it’d be best if we could get some positive results.”
“…Understood.” Mu Huanzhi was startled. He lowered his head as he replied but at once raised his head all of a sudden. “Sect Master, could it be that you’re not planning to go to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm?”
“This king has a reason for it.” Mu Xuanyin didn’t explain any further. “Tanzhi, Yunque, Canfeng… these disciples are the cornerstones of the future of our sect. Be sure to protect them well.”
Mu Xuanyin gave instructions to the elders and palace masters who were going to the Eternal Heaven Divine Place. Afterwards, her gaze suddenly shifted to Mu Bingyun, and her tone became a bit heavy. “Bingyun, take good care of Yun Che. Don’t let him get into trouble!”
Yun Che, “…”
Odd gazes shifted towards Yun Che at the same time. There were a total of ten elders and palace masters who were tasked with leading the participating disciples and the other nine had the responsibility of looking after the seven hundred disciples. No matter whether it was strength or standing, Mu Bingyun was of the highest level among them… and Mu Xuanyin actually wanted such a person to just take care of Yun Che alone, with all her might!
The implication of her words was not to bother with what happens to others…
“Understood. I ask the sect master to have no worries.” Mu Bingyun nodded her head lightly.
“You can leave now.”
Mu Xuanyin flicked her snow white sleeve, immediately causing wind and snow to blow through their location and sweep them away, high in the sky, onto the profound ark that had been stationed there for a long time.
The profound ark activated and pierced through the multiple layers of heavy snow and cold wind as it flew straight to the southern region of the Snow Song Realm.
Looking at the profound ark flying into the distance, the coldness in the eyes of Mu Xuanyin melted away bit by bit…
“Given the involvement of the Heavenly Wolf Star God, the Heavenly Slaughter Star God is bound to arrive at the Profound God Convention,” Mu Xuanyin mumbled to herself before letting out a light sigh. “I hope that things will go his way.”
“Hanyu, Feixue, we’ll be relying on you two to get a high ranking in this Profound God Convention.”
On the profound ark, Great Elder Mu Huanzhi was urging all the disciples to do well.
There was no change to the external appearance of Mu Feixue, as she still looked like a goddess that had come out of a picture scroll made of ice and snow. But she seemed to have become even chillier. Even someone a mere few steps away couldn’t detect the slightest sign of emotion from her. Only her chilly intention of keeping people at a good distance could be felt.
Mu Hanyu was the chief disciple of Mu Huanzhi, whom he had personally instructed in cultivation, and also the one with the highest level of profound strength among all the participants. She was at the eighth level of the Divine Tribulation Realm, similar to Mu Feixue. But her age was almost twice that of the latter, and therefore, there was an extremely big difference in their talents and future potential.
Mu Feixue didn’t give any reply. Mu Hanyu bent her body as she answered solemnly, “Master, rest easy. Disciple will definitely give her all so as not bring disgrace to the sect.”
“However,” Mu Huanzhi looked a bit complicated, “As the sect master said earlier, you don’t need to be too competitive this time… In short, just do your best. You’ll only get such an opportunity once in your life. At least, don’t fail to live up to your talents and the hardships you went through all these years.”
“Understood!” All the disciples replied together.
Other elders and palace masters had complicated looks on their faces. Then, their gazes shifted in the direction of Yun Che.
Back then, when the voice of Eternal Heaven was transmitted to every corner of the Eastern Divine Region, it was destined for the unusual Profound God Convention this time to influence the mentality of all the star realms. Given the unprecedented opportunity to enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl, there was no doubt that all the star realms would spare no effort to send as many disciples as possible to the Profound God Convention.
It was same for the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. Not long after the voice of Eternal Heaven, the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was opened to the young disciples on a large scale for the first time in the history of the sect. It was a direct order from Mu Xuanyin, which showed that the Profound God Convention this time was deemed very important by her.
Divine Ice Phoenix Sect had also started preparing for the Profound God Convention in an extreme hurry. All the elders and palace masters firmly believed that after ordering the opening of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake to the young generation of the sect, Mu Xuanyin would certainly pay a lot more attention to the Profound God Convention, and she might even personally instruct the divine hall disciples.
But they were left baffled when Mu Xuanyin didn’t bother any further with the matter of Profound God Convention. Especially during the past two years, she had thrown all responsibility on Mu Huanzhi and Mu Bingyun. She didn’t say or ask a thing concerning the Profound God Convention which was regarded with extreme importance by all the star realms.
As for the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, it was never again opened for any disciples.
They somehow realized that Mu Xuanyin wasn’t undergoing secluded cultivation or anything similar, but instead was putting all her heart into training Yun Che.
This made one thing clear to them for sure, in the eyes of Mu Xuanyin, Yun Che’s performance in the Profound God Convention was more important than that of all the other people of the sect combined.
The scenes of Yun Che directly reaching several thousand meters deep into the heavenly lake and inflicting a crushing defeat on Huo Poyun at the grand ceremony to acknowledge his master, were vivid in their minds. His talent in the ice element was considered to be higher than anyone else since time immemorial in the Snow Song Realm. They absolutely had no doubts that a person such as him would receive special treatment by Mu Xuanyin, and no one found it odd either.
It was like how the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect were divided into four ranks – Divine Hall, Ice Phoenix Palace, Freezing Snow Hall, and Snowfall Palace. The higher the talent of a disciple, the more resources and better treatment they enjoyed. It was a fact that was true everywhere in the Primal Chaos, and could be considered the most basic rule.
But they still found the treatment Mu Xuanyin had given Yun Che a bit exaggerated. In addition, the nature of Mu Xuanyin and her previous direct disciples… both were somewhat beyond their understanding.
Although no one dared to say such things, all the elders and palace masters of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect thought so, without exception.
“Yun Che, it’s surprising that you truly broke through to the Divine Tribulation Realm.” Looking at Yun Che, Mu Huanzhi said with an expression of amazement. “One month ago, when I mentioned the matter of going to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm with Sect Master, I was told that you were about to succeed in reaching the Divine Tribulation Realm and that you’d be going with us after your breakthrough. At that time I felt hesitant about it, but now it seems that it was simply foolish of me to doubt Sect Master’s abilities, hahaha.”
“Hehe, it’s only natural that Sect Master’s abilities must not be doubted, and Yun Che’s talent is also the main reason behind this achievement,” Third Elder Mu Tanzhi said with a sigh. “I’m afraid that his talent is no less than Sect Master’s back in the day.”
Mu Bingyun said in a light tone, “To step into the Divine Tribulation Realm from the Sovereign Profound Realm in three years time is a much, much faster progress than Sect Master’s back in the day.”
Her words brought a stiffened look to the faces of Mu Huanzhi and Mu Tanzhi at the same time. Other elders and palace masters who heard her words were also moving their eyes restlessly, as they quivered ceaselessly in their hearts.
Having reached their current age, the concept of time had already become vague to them. They almost forgot that Yun Che had only been at the Sovereign Profound Realm back then, and he hadn’t even stepped into the divine way when he joined the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.
It had only been three years since then.
In the short period of three years, he strode past the chasm blocking the entrance to the divine way, and continuously broke through three great realms…
“Ah, it’s such a pity.” Mu Huanzhi let out a heavy sigh. “This Profound God Convention is being held at a very early date. If it were to happen two or three hundred thousand years later, perhaps my Snow Song Realm would again have someone make their name known to all at the Profound God Convention, like Sect Master in the past.”
The profound ark was very big. All the disciples of the Divine Hall were sitting upright on the floor, with their eyes closed as they rested their minds, looking forward to the Profound God Convention that was just around the corner. But, their gazes and spirit senses would uncontrollably drift towards Yun Che, feeling surprise, envy, jealousy, and some reverence as well…
They were all disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, but no one dared to get closer to, or start a conversation with, him. Yun Che was clearly of the lowest cultivation level among them, however, he gave off a feeling as if he was worlds apart from them… To accompany the sect master every day, and being trained and nurtured by her with all her might while disregarding a major matter of the sect, was such great treatment that even Divine Hall disciples like them hadn’t dared to dream of it.
“Feixue, you and Yun Che haven’t seen each other for over two years now. Before the Profound God Convention, how about you two… Listen here, Feixue!”
While Mu Huanzhi was calling out to her, the figure of Mu Feixue gradually moved far away. She stood on the wing of the profound ark, bathing calmly in the snow flying across the sky.
“This child is becoming is increasingly similar to that Bingyun girl,” Mu Huanzhi said with an awkward look.
Yun Che’s gaze unwittingly fell on the back of Mu Feixue, and only shifted away after pausing for a long while.
Little Fairy…
Fluctuations would emerge in his mind every time he would think of Chu Yuechan. He walked over to the side of the profound ark and looked at the pale and boundless Snow Song Realm, which helped him to slowly calm his emotions down.
He was going to arrive at the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm soon.
His distance from Jasmine would finally become very, very short.
If I can still not see Jasmine this time, I’ll truly give up on it and won’t keep up this obsession…
The Golden Crow Spirit told me that if I can’t meet Jasmine within five years, I’ll never able to do so in my entire life. What exactly did it mean…?
In order to meet Jasmine, I left the Blue Pole Star, my parents, Caiyi, Lingxi, Yue’er, Ling’er… and didn’t even have a marriage with Xue’er. It has been three years and I already feel so sorry to them all. After this journey to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, regardless of the outcome, do I truly have any reason to stay in this place…?
Also, where exactly have you gone, Qingyue? I haven’t heard anything from you this whole time. Jasmine told me that you have the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass, and thus, have the protection of the heavens. I’ve also always believed that you’re safe and sound… but just where are you living right now? Did you already return to the Blue Pole Star during my absence in these past three years?
“Looks like your mind hasn’t calmed down yet.”
Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded beside Yun Che. It was Mu Bingyun who had come over to his side. Her white garment, which was tailored with snow silk, made her look outstanding like a fairy.
“Palace Master Bingyun.” Yun Che promptly turned to her side. “I’ve always had an extravagant hope for this day to come, and now that it’s right before my eyes, I’m feeling a bit indecisive.”
“It’s because you strove for it that things turned out this way,” Mu Bingyun said in a soft tone. “You’ve already given it your all, and the only thing left is to see what the heavens have in store for you. No matter the result, you should accept it calmly. Furthermore, that person is the Heavenly Slaughter Star God, after all… There are many taboos related to her. I believe that your master must have made it clear to you.”
Yun Che lightly nodded his head before asking all of a sudden, “Palace Master Bingyun, why did Master… not go with us to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm?”
“…” Mu Bingyun hesitated for a brief moment but eventually answered his question. “Two years ago, when your master brought you back to the sect, did you notice the change in her strength?”
Yun Che was a bit startled. Soon after, he said inquiringly, “Could it be…”
Mu Bingyun said slowly, “Inside the body of your master is the divine soul of Ice Phoenix that was personally bestowed to her by the ancestor of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, and that divine soul contains the source power of the Ice Phoenix. It would take an extremely long time to merge the source power of a god into oneself with the body of a human, even if there’s just a wisp of it. Your master spent a long ten thousand years to only succeed in awakening thirty percent of it, but after being severely injured at the Burying God Inferno Prison, she suddenly awakened seventy percent of the power. As a result, her profound strength also amplified by a great margin.”
Mu Bingyun’s chest heaved heavily for a moment, and her eyes flashed past Yun Che with an incomparably complicated look in them.
“So that’s why, Master is afraid of drawing the attention of others?” Yun Che had some realization.
Mu Bingyun nodded lightly, “Having reached the level of your master, it would be tremendously difficult to make the slightest bit of progress. It would be very normal to make no progress for a thousand years. But now that the strength of your master has greatly increased in such a short time, it’ll definitely draw the eyes of others towards her and will likely bring unnecessary trouble… Such a thing wouldn’t be good for us at a place like the Profound God Convention, where all the most terrifying people from the Eastern Divine Region will be arriving.”
“Your master has an extremely great reputation in the Eastern Divine Region because of her cultivation level and appearance. Seven hundred years ago, she also participated in the last Profound God Convention. There are too many people that harbor ill thoughts against your master, so it’d be too difficult not to catch the attention of others if they notice a great change in her cultivation in the short period of seven hundred years. Hence, although she is extremely anxious about you, she had no other choice but to make such a decision.”
“I see.” Yun Che finally understood everything. Back then when he had asked Mu Xuanyin why her injuries and profound strength had recovered so quickly, she told him that it was due to the awakening of the divine soul in her body… That was the only thing she had said in reply.
“Then, what realm has Master’s strength reached? Did it truly rise by a very big margin?” Yun Che asked.
“…I don’t know,” Mu Bingyun said in a light tone. “However, considering how she’s so concerned about your safety but still made such a decision, her strength should have increased greatly.”
“Perhaps, even beyond my expectations.”
Flying within the seemingly inexhaustible snow blowing all over the place, the profound ark covered forty percent of the territory of the Snow Song Realm, and finally landed on the boundless snowfield.
This was the southern region of the Snow Song Realm, which was quiet and desolate all year long with only snow flying everywhere. But in the last few months, layer after layer of footmarks had covered the snow piled up at this place.
The majority of star realms of the God Realm had been opened to others. Profound practitioners from every big star realm, including those from the lower realms, could freely enter or leave them. But it was basically not allowed for anyone from the outside to step into the existences such as king realms—except for those from the Western Divine Region.