by Mars Gravity
Mu Bingyun moved her lips a bit to the side, “The power of flame Yun Che possesses is even stronger than the frost. Therefore, it’s certainly a very good decision to take him to the Flame God Realm. I’m actually more concerned about Elder Sister. You need to be really careful.”
“Rest easy,” Mu Xuanyin said without the slightest hint of anxiousness. “That horned dragon suffered a serious injury at its dragon fault when I attacked it last time. It is absolutely impossible for such an injury to heal in the short period of a thousand years. Hence, there is no doubt that the threat of being significantly injured in a confrontation with it is greatly reduced. I am at least eighty percent sure that I’ll be able to slaughter it, so long as it did not finish casting off its scales!”
Mu Bingyun slowly nodded her head.
“Tell Huanzhi that he will be the person in charge of handling all the major matters of the sect in my absence. Unless some unresolvable matter comes up, he is not allowed to contact me.”
Having finished her words, she turned around to walk out of the hall. But just when she reached the entrance, she abruptly stopped in her tracks, as if she had recalled something. Then, she flipped over her palm and sent a white streak of light towards Mu Bingyun.
Mu Bingyun stretched out her hand to catch the white streak of light. It was none other than her Cloud Butterfly Blade.
“Elder Sister…”
“No need to explain anything,” Mu Bingyun said in a cold tone. “It is the most important thing left behind by mother and should not be given to an outsider at any cost… no matter who it is! I will overlook it this time but I hope that such a thing does not happen again!”
“Yes.” Mu Bingyun put away the Cloud Butterfly Blade with a guilty conscience.
Mu Xuanyin made a sweeping gesture with her palm, causing the space ahead to crack immediately. Her figure disappeared in an instant and appeared before the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.
In the midst of consolidating his profound strength, Yun Che suddenly felt the barrier of the heavenly lake opening up and immediately got out of the lake. The moment he arrived at the shore of the lake, Mu Xuanyin’s figure appeared in his field of vision.
Yun Che was still feeling very apprehensive in his heart before Mu Xuanyin and promptly got down on one knee, “Disciple pays respect to Master.”
He used to look right at Mu Xuanyin after getting down on the knee but this time he kept his head lowered… not daring to raise it for even a split second… He was afraid that he might end up ogling her chest in a moment of carelessness.
“Follow me,” Mu Xuanyin said in a cold voice. However, faint surprise surfaced in her eyes… Not only did he get all better so soon, he also achieved a breakthrough!
“Ah? Where’re we going?” Yun Che asked subconsciously.
“The Flame God Realm!”
Before Yun Che could react, his body lightly swayed and the scenery before his eyes switched over to a completely different one. He was high in the sky of the Ice Phoenix Realm.
It was at this time that Yun Che suddenly remembered something. Mu Bingyun had told him before he entered Mist End Valley that people from the Flame God Realm were going to arrive in a few days… In other words, the scale-casting period of the ancient horned dragon in the God Burying Inferno Prison had come. It was also known as the Slaughtering Dragon Period!
Unexpectedly, Mu Xuanyin wanted to take him along!
Yun Che had always longed to visit the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison. If he could also get at least a distant look at the legendary ancient horned dragon, that would be an even more fascinating and extremely rare experience.
It was a obviously a good opportunity for him.
Mu Xuanyin made her way ahead at an extremely fast speed, with Yun Che following her lead. They quickly approached the crimson profound ark that had stopped outside the Ice Phoenix Realm. Sneaking glances at Mu Xuanyin’s back a few times, Yun Che finally asked in a feeble voice, “Master, could it be that… only the two of us will be leaving for the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison? Are Elder Huanzhi and Palace Master Bingyun not going with us?”
He already knew that Mu Huanzhi and Mu Bingyun were the ones with the strongest profound strength in the sect, next to Mu Xuanyin.
Yun Che’s expression abruptly changed the instant he mentioned Mu Bingyun’s name. Immediately, he blurted out, “Oh no!”
Mu Xuanyin, “??”
“Master!” Yun Che said in panic. “Disciple just recalled a matter. Palace Master Bingyun had given something to this disciple, which got lost in Mist End Valley due to the inattentiveness of this disciple. Therefore, disciple needs to at once inform Palace Master Bingyun about it. Otherwise…”
On that day in Mist End Valley, Yun Che had used the Cloud Butterfly Blade, which was coated in the horned dragon poison, to successfully pierce the eye of the Giant Ice-armored Ape. But when he was blown away by the mighty sweep of its arm, he got severely injured in no time and the Cloud Butterfly Blade also naturally slipped out of his hand and flew away to some unknown place.
Mu Bingyun had personally told him that the Cloud Butterfly Blade was a thing passed on by their ancestor. There was no doubt that it was extremely important.
“Are you talking about the Cloud Butterfly Blade?” Mu Xuanyin asked in a cold voice.
“Ah…” Yun Che’s mouth was wide agape, “Yes…”
“Then there is no need for that. I have given it back in your stead.”
“Uh…” A heavy gulping sound issued from Yun Che’s throat. He said nervously, “Thank you very much, Master.”
Mu Xuanyin’s beautiful eyes glanced sideways, before she flipped over her palm all of a sudden. A white streak of cold light shot towards Yun Che, which he caught in his hand unconsciously.
The thing in his hand was a short blade that was glittering with a ice-cold light. It had a butterfly-shaped hilt and a chilly, white blade. Moreover, it gave off the impression that it could be used so swiftly that it might not even seem real… Its shape, aura and sharpness, all of them were exactly the same as the Cloud Butterfly Blade that was given to him by Mu Bingyun.
The only thing different was that the butterfly wings were facing the opposite direction.
“This is…”
“This knife is called Sound Butterfly. Since you seem to be quite adept in using such a blade, I will lend it to you for the time being,” Mu Xuanyin shifted her gaze away and said in an emotionless voice. “But if you dare to lose it, I’ll kill you for sure!”
Yun Che remained in a daze for a good while, before he promptly said, “Disciple expresses his gratitude for Master’s favor and will cherish it with all his heart.”
Yun Che carefully put away the Sound Butterfly Blade. As he never expected such a thing to happen, his brain had stopped working momentarily.
Huh? Wait a second. Why does Master know that I’m quite adept in using it? Don’t tell me…
Amidst the chilly wind blowing in their direction, the two of them left the sphere of the Ice Phoenix Realm. They sensed an unusual burning aura coming from ahead and soon the blazing profound ark from the Flame God Realm appeared in their line of sight.
Chapter 1047: Dragon Fault?
The profound ark from the Flame God Realm had phoenix-like wings on both the sides and was thousands of kilometers long. Aside from the the Primordial Profound Ark that housed an independent world, it was the most enormous profound ark Yun Che had ever seen.
As he got near to it, he sensed an extremely strong burning aura on his face. Any other disciple of the Ice Phoenix Sect would’ve felt some discomfort but it was no issue for Yun Che at all.
The profound ark was not only enormous, it also had a majestic aura about it. As such, it appeared like an imperial city in the sky.
Sect Master of the Vermilion Bird Sect, Yan Wancang, and Sect Master of Phoenix Sect, Yan Juehai, were waiting in front of the profound ark. Seeing Mu Xuanyin and Yun Che flying over in their direction, they took t
he initiative to greet them.
“We meet again, Snow Song Realm King,” Yan Wancang gave a slight bow. “We’ll be completely relying on the Snow Song Realm King’s power to achieve our goal this time.”
“No need to say such superfluous words.” Mu Xuanyin waved them off without the slightest sign of courtesy. She directly went past the two of them and got inside the profound ark. “Take good care of this king’s disciple. I don’t want to be disturbed for any matter, unless it is related to the ancient horned dragon; no matter how great of a trouble comes up.”
Mu Xuanyin’s figure had already disappeared into the profound ark by the time others finished listening to her words. Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai didn’t feel odd or any awkwardness at her attitude. Yan Wancang turned around, “An ice room has been set up on the right side of the profound ark. If the Snow Song Realm King has any other instructions for us, please feel free to let us know.”
“Ah… Master!” Yun Che promptly looked ahead, only to find that Mu Xuanyin had vanished from his field of vision.
“Hehe, your esteemed master has always liked quietness. As her disciple, the person closest to her, you should be most clear about it,” Yan Juehai said with a laugh. “Young Yun, it’s really surprising to see your esteemed master have you accompany her to our destination.”
“No, it was expected,” Yan Wancang said as he smiled. “Given Young Yun’s talent in the elements, it would not have made any sense if your esteemed master didn’t decide to take you along. Poyun will certainly be overjoyed to know of this matter.”
“Hahaha, that’s only natural,” Yan Juehai let out a long laugh. “According to Sect Master Huo, Poyun frequently misses Young Yun, since his trip to the Snow Song Realm.
“Junior Yun Che asks forgiveness for the late greeting.” Yun Che respectfully bowed to the duo.
“No need to be so polite,” Yan Wancang said in a gentle tone.
The two great sect masters of the Flame God Realm would’ve never conversed with any Ice Phoenix disciple… even if they were an elder. Moreover, their expressions and tone were extremely gentle. However, Yun Che definitely had the qualifications to be treated so by them. Not only because he was a direct disciple of Mu Xuanyin but also due to his great elemental talent that deeply shocked even two distinguished sect masters like them.
And the thing that evoked a great sense of goodwill in their hearts towards Yun Che, was naturally the words that he had said to Huo Poyun, when the latter had admitted defeat in a miserable state.
As they were talking, the crimson profound ark activated and flew straight in the direction of the Flame God Realm.
The profound ark tore through the sky as it traveled thousands of kilometers in the blink of an eye. It was incomparably calm inside the profound ark, without the slightest fluctuation in the air, making it impossible to sense that the profound ark was covering distance at an extremely fast speed.
The Flame God Realm was worlds apart from the simplicity and indifference of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, which could be noticed from the way it was decorated. Yun Che was led to a well-prepared room by two disciples from the Flame God Realm. The room was especially spacious and was fully decorated in a luxurious fashion. Despite being only a guest room on the profound ark, it appeared far more gaudy than the Ice Maiden Palace, where he stayed during his time in the Ice Wind Empire.
“Hah… The Snow Song Realm is truly destitute in comparison.” Yun Che couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
Just this much was enough to make out that the Snow Song Realm had no qualification to be considered on par with the Flame God Realm, if it didn’t have the presence of a mighty person such as Mu Xuanyin.
He had heard Mu Bingyun mention before that all great realms were connected to each other by a transmission formation, which could be used by paying sufficient purple stones or purple crystals. But the Flame God Realm used a profound ark to receive them and chose simple flight as their traveling method. Although the profound ark could travel at an extremely fast speed, it still required eight hours to reach the Flame God Realm.
Why didn’t they directly make use of the transmission formation? With Master’s strength, it would be a million times faster to travel even via tearing apart space. Could it be just for the sake of formality? That might really be the case…
As he had nothing else to do, Yun Che closed his eyes to rest and soon entered into meditation. Then, after an unknown period of time, the sudden sound of footsteps could be heard from outside the room. Yun Che opened his eyes when he heard the sound.
“Young Yun, can I come in to have a talk?” The voice of Yan Wancang, the sect master of Vermilion Bird Sect, sounded from outside.
Yun Che got up immediately and went over to open the door, “Sect Master Yan.”
“Hoho, did I disturb you?” Yan Wancang asked with a laugh.
“It’s a matter of great honor to me that Sect Master Yan has come to visit me. There’s no way I’d feel disturbed. May I ask what instructions Sect Master Yan has for me?” Yun Che said respectfully.
“I only wanted to chat a bit with you. Consider it taking care of you, as your esteemed master has ordered. Alright, let’s sit down.”
With that, Yan Wancang closed the door and sat down by himself.
“...Then please excuse this junior.” Yun Che didn’t act unreasonably or cower either and at once sat before Yan Wancang.
If such a scene were to be witnessed by a resident of the Flame God Realm, their eyeballs might have popped out from fear. In the entire Flame God Realm, only Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie had the right to sit alongside him.
“Young Yun, I heard that you have come from a lower realm. May I know which star realm you’re from?” Yan Wancang asked.
When he first came to the Snow Song Realm, he had no hesitation in revealing his birthplace and even took the initiative to tell Feng Mo that he was from the Blue Pole Star, on the very first day of his arrival. After being severely reprimanded by Mu Xuanyin at the heavenly lake, his sense of vigilance was thoroughly awakened. Hearing Yan Wancang asking such a question all of a sudden, he replied in an apologetic manner, “About that… Junior has come from a little planet, so junior is sure that Sect Master Yan has never heard of it. Hence, it would be useless to mention its name.”
Yan Wancang was a bit startled at Yun Che’s tactful answer but didn’t pursue the matter or show any dissatisfaction. He lightly laughed before saying, “Let’s forget about it then. I may be extremely curious to know about the star realm from where an extraordinary genius like you has come but I think such a talent could only be bestowed by heaven and it has no actual relation with the star realm you were born on.”
“Sect Master Yan flatters me too much. This junior is undeserving of so much praise,” Yun Che responded.
“That might be true for others but your case is absolutely different,” Suddenly, Yan Wancang sighed with emotion. “When a person of your master’s capability appeared in the Snow Song Realm, I thought that her achievements would remain unsurpassed for eternity, with no one able to reach the same heights as her ever. Who would’ve thought that my estimation was so off the mark… It seems that Snow Song Realm is truly blessed by heaven.”
While voicing his thoughts, Yan Wancang didn’t bother hiding the look of admiration… and envy on his face.
After all, people like him who had reached such an age and cultivation level, were hardly left with anything to pursue other than finding a successor with exceptionally good aptitude; one could inherit their power and will. It would be for the best if their successor had the potential to surpass them eventually. However, to succeed in realizing such a thing was in fact even more difficult than becoming a sect master.
Yun Che, “…”
“Oh, hoho. Looks like I said a bit too much.” Yan Wancang waved his hand. “Young Yun, you can have as much fun as you want when we get to the Flame God Realm. So long as your master does not decide to hurry back, you can freely let that good-for-noth
ing son of mine take you anywhere you want. As for the horned dragon, your master will be the one to deal with it. When the time comes, you just need to watch her taking it down from afar. Hahahaha.”
Yan Wancang laughed in a very relaxed manner. It was apparent that he was especially confident in slaughtering the ancient horned dragon this time. Yun Che sightly pondered before saying, “Junior expresses his gratitude for Sect Master Yan’s kind hospitality. Junior wishes to… ask about a matter. In senior’s opinion, how much possibility is there in hunting the ancient horned dragon?”
“Well…” Yan Wancang was about to give him a reply when he forcibly swallowed back his words. He shook his head and said with a smile, “You should ask your master about it. No other person has the qualification to answer that question.”
“Eh?” Yun Che looked blankly at him for a brief moment. “Sect Master Yan, can I ask for the meaning behind those words?”
“Hehe, no matter how perfect our preparations are, it’s your master who is going to fight with the horned dragon in the end. So naturally, only she has the right to talk about the success rate of our objective,” Yan Wancang said with a rather noticeable smile of helplessness.
Yun was startled before immediately reacting to his words, “You mean… my master is going to fight the ancient horned dragon all by herself!?”
Yan Wancang was taken aback by Yun Che’s reaction “That’s only natural.”
“...” Yun Che opened his mouth to ask, “Don’t tell me the three senior sect masters are… not going to participate in the battle?”
An awkward look flashed past Yan Wancang’s face, “It seems your master hasn’t told you anything about the hunting of the ancient horned dragon. We have hunted the horned dragon multiple times in these past several thousand years and your master has always fought it alone so far. Even if the three of us want to assist her, we don’t have the ability to do so.”
“...” Yun Che fell in a daze. It went without saying that he was certainly unaware of the hunting process before and was actually under the impression that the Flame God Realm was the one exhausting all their power and primary battle force, while his master was only there to provide external assistance… Who the f*ck would have thought that they completely relied on his master to fight it single-handedly!?