# Chapter 995: Ruthless Elimination to Silence
"In the lower realms, there are very few records of the ancient gods. You can do as you please, act however you want. But this is the God Realm! This is where the ancient gods once dwelt! There are countless divine ruins, divine inheritances, divine records, divine legends, and even divine memories here!"
"You came to the God Realm knowing almost nothing about this place, yet you dared to be unrestrained, revealing glaring weaknesses for the sake of momentary stubbornness without even realizing it. Whether when fighting Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng, or when facing Mu Yizhou, you used Star God Remnant Shadow without any hesitation!"
"Fortunately, the one who recognized it was Mu Bingyun, who would never harm you. If it had been someone else with ulterior motives, and it triggered the worst possible outcome... countless people would try every means to seize the Evil God's power from you — a Creation God inheritance that has never appeared before! At that point, your death without a burial place would be the least of it; you would also drag down the planet you came from!"
When Yun Che had fought Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng, he had indeed used Star God Remnant Shadow several times. At that time, Mu Bingyun had been watching from the shadows. Although she felt a sense of familiarity, she hadn't recognized it as Star God Remnant Shadow... but later, when Yun Che faced Mu Yizhou and Mu Luoqiu and used that movement technique to snatch Liu Hang away from the two of them in an instant, she became completely certain it was Star God Remnant Shadow.
The Yinxue Realm King had long known that Yun Che wanted to see Tiansha Xingshen, so even without Star God Remnant Shadow, she could have guessed something based on their relationship and Yun Che's exceptional elemental power. But... that was only for her, who knew about the relationship between Yun Che and Tiansha Xingshen. If someone else recognized Star God Remnant Shadow, even if they didn't think of the Evil God inheritance, the consequences would still be extremely severe.
Therefore, she had to give Yun Che the coldest and harshest warning.
And indeed, Yun Che was already drenched in cold sweat.
He had been invincible in the Lan Ji Star realm, able to do whatever he wanted without any restraints. Although he had been in the Yinxue Realm for over three months now, most of that time had been spent in the cultivation chamber. He had only been in actual contact with the God Realm for a few days, and he naturally carried the inertia from the Lan Ji Star world — quite a heavy inertia at that.
His understanding of the God Realm was so shallow it might as well be nonexistent.
This bucket of cold water chilled Yun Che to the bone.
In the past, the only ones who dared to rebuke him like this were Mo Li and Xiao Yaohou. But now, the Yinxue Realm King's merciless reprimand didn't arouse the slightest anger in Yun Che. Even the resentment he had harbored deep within him toward her directly dissipated, replaced instead by a trace of gratitude and respect.
Because not only had she given him a harsh wake-up call... but she also knew he carried the Evil God inheritance, yet she had absolutely no intention of seizing it. Otherwise, she wouldn't have wasted her breath telling him all this.
Her aura was incredibly fearsome, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe. Rumors said she was also utterly ruthless, treating life like mere grass... but she didn't seem at all malicious. The inheritance of a Creation God who had never appeared before — in the God Realm, this would undoubtedly be a temptation that no one could resist. She had discovered it, was the first and only one to discover it... yet she showed no sign of coveting it.
Yun Che bowed deeply with sincere conviction: "Thank you, Sect Master, for the warning... Your disciple was wrong."
"Wrong? Hmph!" The Yinxue Realm King snorted heavily. "You had better truly be wrong! Your profound force and elemental abilities — you can display them freely without needing to hide. But... from now on, you absolutely must not use Star God Remnant Shadow in the God Realm!"
"Yes." Yun Che nodded. After having the alarm bell rung so harshly, even if he were allowed to use it, he wouldn't dare.
However, the powerful instantaneous movement ability of Star God Remnant Shadow would minimize the disadvantage he faced when wielding his heavy sword. Without Star God Remnant Shadow to complement it, his disadvantage when fighting with the Heaven-Defying Sword would be far greater than before.
Those soul-piercing eyes seemed to see through Yun Che's thoughts in an instant. She said disdainfully, "You don't need to regret it. My Yinxue Realm's 'Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick' is unrivaled in the God Realm. What is mere Star God Remnant Shadow compared to it? Although no one in this sect besides myself has been able to master it, since you had the ability to master Star God Remnant Shadow, there's no reason you can't master Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick!"
"..." Yun Che spoke slowly, "So... is the Sect Master willing to accept your disciple?"
"If it weren't so, do you think you'd still be standing here alive?" The Yinxue Realm King said coldly. "But you don't need to bow to me now, because you're not yet qualified! In seven days, the formal apprenticeship ceremony will take place. For these seven days, you will remain in the Ice Phoenix Palace. You are not allowed to go anywhere. Think carefully about your position in the God Realm, your identity, and the purpose for which you came here! Think about what kind of person is qualified to be stubborn and demand fairness! And even more importantly, think about what you must do to live a little longer!"
"I rarely accept a disciple. If you turn out to be too foolish and short-lived, wouldn't that disgrace the face of the Yinxue Realm King!"
Yun Che took another deep breath and said, "Yes... Thank you for your teachings, Sect Master."
"You may go. Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan are still waiting outside. Before you leave, call them in."
Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan?
Yun Che didn't ask further. He calmed his mind and walked out slowly.
When he reached the edge of the barrier, it automatically opened a half-zhang long gap.
Yun Che stepped out of the barrier and immediately saw Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan waiting outside.
Seeing Yun Che, Mu Fengshu immediately turned her face away, her expression complicated. Mu Sushan quickly walked over: "Yun Che, congratulations indeed. From the very first day I saw you, I knew you were no ordinary person. I never imagined that even Han Yi would be far inferior to you. Plunging straight down a thousand zhang into the Minghan Heavenly Lake... even now, I still can't believe it."
Although Mu Sushan still maintained the bearing of an elder, the way he looked at Yun Che was completely different from before. Even his speech carried a hint of... deference?
Because he had been personally selected by the Yinxue Realm King as her personal disciple!
An Ice Phoenix Palace disciple and a Realm King's personal disciple — these were two entirely different concepts. The former was merely a disciple, while the latter... their status was almost on par with the elders and palace masters! If they gained the Realm King's favor, they would even be slightly above the elders and palace masters.
After all, a personal disciple was the one closest to the Realm King!
Yun Che always maintained a certain respect for Mu Sushan, so he quickly replied: "Your disciple was merely lucky. The Sect Master is waiting inside for Senior Sushan and Palace Master Fengshu. Please enter, both of you."
"The Sect Master..." Mu Sushan lowered his voice as much as possible: "Did she mention what it was about?"
Yun Che shook his head: "No. But since she summoned both of you at the same time, it should be about some major matter concerning the Cold Snow Hall."
"That should be it." Mu Sushan nodded, though he felt a vague unease in his heart. It didn't seem to be about the Cold Snow Hall, but he couldn't think of anything else.
Mu Sushan and Mu Fengshu walked in side by side. As soon as they entered the barrier, it completely closed behind them, cutting off all connection between inside and outside.
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Entering the Minghan Heavenly Lake again, Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan both noticeably slowed their steps, becoming cautious. They lowered their heads, arrived at the lakeside, and knelt down together:
"Sushan pays respects to the Sect Master."
"Fengshu pays respects to the Sect Master."
"May I ask what orders the Sect Master has for summoning us?" Mu Fengshu said with her head bowed.
"It's nothing major," the Yinxue Realm King's voice was unexpectedly calm. "I just wanted to ask you both about some trivial matter."
If the Yinxue Realm King had specially kept them behind, how could it possibly be about something trivial? Mu Sushan's heart remained tense: "The Sect Master need only speak. The General Hall Master and Sushan will certainly tell everything we know."
"Very good." The Yinxue Realm King nodded slowly, her voice carrying even a light tone of pressure: "I want to ask you — a few months ago, when Yun Che first arrived at the Cold Snow Hall, he fought with two disciples named Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng. Do you two still remember this?"
Mu Sushan was stunned, while Mu Fengshu's entire body trembled, and she said in a panicked voice: "Li Mingcheng is Fengshu's nephew. Ji Hanfeng is a Cold Snow Hall disciple. That day, they were reckless and rude to Yun Che. It was all Fengshu's fault for failing to discipline them properly..."
Clearly, Mu Fengshu thought the Yinxue Realm King wanted to investigate the matter of that day. After all, the Yun Che of now was not the Yun Che of that day... He was now the Yinxue Realm King's personal disciple!
"Oh, Fengshu, there's no need to be nervous," the Yinxue Realm King's voice remained calm. "I have heard a bit about what happened that day. If we're talking about recklessness and rudeness, Yun Che was actually worse. Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng both suffered severe injuries, yet you didn't pursue the matter. Your magnanimity is commendable. Where is the fault in that?"
"..." Mu Fengshu dared not speak.
"I want to ask about something else..."
The Yinxue Realm King hadn't moved at all, but the sounds Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan heard seemed to be right next to their ears: "Do you two still remember the movement technique Yun Che used when he fought Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng?"
Mu Sushan quickly raised his head. Although he didn't understand why the Yinxue Realm King was specifically asking about this, if it was about impressions, he not only had one but a very deep one. He quickly answered: "Reporting to the Sect Master, although three months have passed, Sushan's impression is quite deep. Because the movement technique Yun Che used that day was extraordinarily exquisite and bizarre. Sushan was less than a hundred zhang away from him at the time, yet he couldn't clearly see how he shifted positions."
Mu Fengshu also quickly said: "Although Fengshu didn't witness Yun Che fighting Mingcheng with her own eyes, the movement technique he used several times when fighting Ji Hanfeng was indeed extremely exquisite and bizarre, as Sushan said. The sword he wielded was clearly extremely heavy, yet he could shift positions in an instant, catching Ji Hanfeng off guard several times... Even Fengshu found it difficult to track."
Both of their minds settled down considerably at this point. So the Sect Master was just asking about Yun Che's matters... Indeed, since she had decided to accept him as a personal disciple, she naturally wanted to know everything about him. Both of them answered seriously while also adding a bit of praise for Yun Che.
"At that time, Yun Che's profound force hadn't even entered the divine path, yet his movement technique could make it difficult for both of you to track. That's quite peculiar. It must have been an extraordinary movement technique." The Yinxue Realm King's voice seemed to draw a bit closer to their ears: "Have you two ever thought about what movement technique he actually used?"
"Well, Sushan has indeed pondered this many times," Mu Sushan answered very seriously in response to the Yinxue Realm King's inquiry. "The movement technique Yun Che used is somewhat similar to the Sect Master's 'Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick.' But since he came from the lower realms... a lower realm technique naturally cannot compare to the Sect Master's Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick."
"Then, what if it wasn't from the lower realms, but from the God Realm — specifically the highest level of the God Realm? Is there any movement technique that resembles what Yun Che used?" the Yinxue Realm King asked lightly.
The highest level of the God Realm?
Mu Sushan didn't think for long before his eyes suddenly lit up, and he blurted out: "Star God Remnant Shadow!!"
These four words also struck Mu Fengshu like a sudden enlightenment, and she followed immediately: "Right! The movement technique Yun Che used is extremely similar to the Star God Remnant Shadow we saw at the Mysterious God Convention back then... It could even be said to be exactly the same!"
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
The Yinxue Realm King slowly clapped three times and said approvingly: "Very good. As expected of the well-informed Fengshu and Sushan. With just a little hint from me, you accurately guessed it. It seems that even without my hint, you would have figured it out on your own soon enough."
"For an Ice Phoenix disciple to actually know the twelve star gods' Star God Remnant Shadow — if this were to leak out, the Star God Realm would investigate, and this disciple I just accepted under my tutelage would likely die young."
The air seemed to freeze in an instant. A soul-piercing coldness, like the most terrifying plague, instantly permeated every part of Mu Sushan and Mu Fengshu's bodies. They finally realized what was happening and violently prostrated themselves, trembling in fear.
"Sect Master, Sushan... Sushan swears he will never leak a single word... If he breaks his vow, may heaven strike and earth destroy him, may he die a miserable death..."
"Fengshu... never knew about Star God Remnant Shadow... Never... never knew..."
"Fengshu, Sushan," the Yinxue Realm King's voice was cold and indifferent. "You've lived for so many years. You should understand one principle well — only the dead can truly keep a secret."
"Sect Master!" Mu Fengshu said in terror. "Fengshu... and Sushan have been loyal to the Sect Master all these years, rendering great service to the sect..."
"You have indeed always been loyal. Your lives have also always been important to the sect. It would be a pity to kill you." The Yinxue Realm King's voice was slow and ruthless. "But since Yun Che has become my disciple, his life is far more important than yours."
From behind the ice mist, a silhouette slowly extended a palm: "Will the two of you choose to end yourselves, or shall I do it myself?"