Chapter 1053: There's Going to Be a Death
The two walked out side by side. Huo Poyun's heart was surging with emotion. He deeply looked at Yun Che and sighed, "Brother Yun, I really don't know how to thank you enough... It turns out, miracles really do exist in this world."
Although he was extremely astonished and curious, he didn't ask a single word about how Yun Che had saved Huo Ye.
Yun Che shook his head and said, "Master has been as heavy as a mountain to me in kindness, yet I have never been able to repay even a fraction. This can be considered the first thing I've done for Master."
"I saw Master like this for the first time. If I told anyone, they probably wouldn't believe it." Huo Poyun laughed. "Master has always been someone who repays grudges and debts. But this time, Brother Yun's kindness is just too great. I reckon that after he calms down, he'll have a headache for a long time, hahaha."
Yun Che also laughed. "If that's really the case, I won't refuse."
"I believe that after today, I will definitely see a completely different Master." Huo Poyun's eyes were full of relief. "Although I have only been with Master for a little over a decade, he... has lived far too bitterly and tiredly all these years. He knew in his heart that every moment Senior Brother Huo Ye was alive was excruciating pain, but he couldn't accept Senior Brother Huo Ye's death, repeatedly forcing life extension for him. This kind of mental torment, I'm afraid it's hard for anyone to truly empathize with."
Yun Che: "..."
"Over the years, Master often traveled to various star realms, personally searching for life-extending items for Senior Brother Huo Ye, sparing no cost. He even... even went against moral principles at times, secretly purchasing Wood Spirit Pearls from the [Heiya Realm] hundreds of times over a thousand years..."
"Wood Spirit Pearl!?" Yun Che's steps abruptly halted.
Huo Poyun naturally didn't know why Yun Che reacted like that. He gave a bitter smile and said, "Master was also acting out of pure sincerity. If not for Senior Brother Huo Ye, he would never have done such morally dubious things; he would have only hated and abhorred them."
"..." Yun Che nodded. "Sect Master Huo's love for his son is indeed moving."
"By the way, what kind of place is the 'Heiya Realm'?" Yun Che asked as if casually.
"That is a lower star realm." Huo Poyun answered naturally. "I heard from Master that there are many secret underground black markets there. Master's Wood Spirit Pearls were bought from those black markets. These underground black markets are extremely secretive and will never receive anyone they don't trust. Master happened to have the sound transmission imprint of one of the black market masters, so he was able to buy the Wood Spirit Pearls."
"To facilitate travel to Heiya Realm, Master even went to great lengths to establish a spatial profound formation connecting to Heiya Realm. His efforts were indeed heartfelt." Huo Poyun sighed lightly, then lowered his voice, "Brother Yun, please never speak of these matters... it could damage Master's reputation."
"Of course." Yun Che nodded, firmly remembering the name "Heiya Realm".
As the two talked, two bursts of flame suddenly appeared in the sky ahead, closing in instantly. Seeing Yun Che and Huo Poyun, they stopped and called from afar: "Poyun!"
Seeing these two middle-aged men, Huo Poyun quickly stepped forward, greeting respectfully: "Eighth Elder, Seventeenth Elder."
Elder? Yun Che's heart trembled slightly.
From their attire, they were figures from the Golden Crow Sect... and actually at the level of Elders.
Eighth Elder Huo Rujin, Seventeenth Elder Huo Rankong.
"Both Elders, aren't you stationed at the Fire Prison? Has something important happened?" Huo Poyun asked cautiously.
"Ah!" Eighth Elder Huo Rujin sighed heavily. "We just learned that the Young Master was suddenly critical a few hours ago, so we rushed over. I wonder if..." He suddenly noticed Yun Che's attire, his brow sinking sharply, and he said sternly, "Are you from the Yin Xue Realm?"
His voice was harsh, clearly carrying a surge of anger. Not only Huo Rujin, but Huo Rankong's expression also changed drastically. Huo Poyun was startled and quickly said, "Both Elders, this is Yun Che from the Bing Huang God Sect, a personal disciple of Yinxue Realm King."
"Hmph! It really is this brat!" Huo Rujin's brows were fully furrowed, his expression unfriendly.
"Being brought by Mu Xuanyin and having such weak profound strength, it can only be him." Huo Rankong also snorted coldly.
The atmosphere instantly became tense. Huo Poyun knew very well why they were so hostile towards Yun Che. He quickly said, "Both Elders, rest assured. Senior Brother Huo Ye is temporarily out of danger. Master is personally attending to him. If there are no other instructions, Poyun will take my leave."
"Wait!" Huo Rujin called him back. "Poyun, why are you with this brat? And you seem to be protecting him. Hmph, a disciple of the Bing Huang God Sect, and a disciple of Mu Xuanyin at that. Just toss him anywhere; he doesn't deserve your personal reception."
Huo Poyun's heart jumped. He quickly reached out and pulled Yun Che down slightly, signaling him not to get angry, and said urgently, "This is Master's order. Besides, Brother Yun and I also..."
"Enough!" Huo Rankong frowned deeply. "The Sect Master would never give such an order! Poyun, you are young and naive, it's normal to become attached to someone. But this brat... do you know who caused the Young Master to become what he is today? And a thousand years ago, how many disciples of our Golden Crow Sect did his master kill?!"
"Senior Brother Huo Ye has already..." As soon as the words left his mouth, Huo Poyun quickly stopped himself, because he had just promised to keep the matter a secret. He could only forcefully change his words, "The grudges from back then have nothing to do with Brother Yun."
"What do you mean nothing to do with him! He is Mu Xuanyin's personal disciple, the one who will inherit her mantle in the future! Anyone connected to that woman is a mortal enemy of our Golden Crow Sect!" Huo Rujin said sternly, his flame-like eyes glaring coldly at Yun Che. "Hmph! For Mu Xuanyin to come is one thing, but she actually has the audacity to bring her personal disciple. Is she so confident that we wouldn't dare to cripple her hard-won successor... or maybe she simply doesn't care about your life at all."
"Eighth Elder!" Huo Poyun was greatly alarmed and quickly stepped in front of Yun Che.
Yun Che had been inwardly calm before. He was not entirely surprised, even understandable, that the Golden Crow Sect would resent the Bing Huang God Sect—but they shouldn't go too far, after all, he was currently a guest. But under Huo Rujin's sarcastic words and gaze, anger surged in his heart. His brows instantly sank, and he said coldly, "Did the two of you get something wrong? Today, it wasn't that my master and I wanted to come; rather, it was your Flame God Realm that invited us here."
"Furthermore, it was the two Sect Masters who personally drove the Phoenix Wing Mysterious Ark to Yin Xue Realm to invite us!"
"Brother... Brother Yun!" As Yun Che uttered these words, Huo Poyun was even more shocked.
"Oh?" Yun Che's words caused both their expressions to change slightly. Huo Rujin squinted his eyes and said with a cold smile, "Good, truly good. As expected of Mu Xuanyin's disciple, quite impressive, daring to talk back. The Vermilion Bird Sect and Phoenix Sect invited you, that's right, but our Golden Crow Sect did not invite anyone from Yin Xue Realm! We only had bigger matters at hand and thought your master Mu Xuanyin could be used, so we didn't oppose it! Otherwise, with our Golden Crow Sect present, not to mention a little brat from Yin Xue Realm like you, even Mu Xuanyin herself wouldn't be able to set foot in our Flame God Realm again."
"Used?" Yun Che sneered without backing down. "The three strongest Sect Masters of your Flame God Realm wouldn't dare speak rashly in front of my master. What are the two of you? I'm afraid that even if you stood before my master, she wouldn't deign to give you a second glance... and you dare speak of using my master?"
"Brother Yun!!" Huo Poyun's heart almost jumped out of his chest. He reached out like lightning and pulled Yun Che back, saying urgently, "I won't disturb the two Elders from visiting Senior Brother Huo Ye. Poyun takes his leave."
Before Huo Poyun could forcibly leave, a heavy voice descended. Huo Rankong said slowly, "If this brat from Bing Huang God Sect had been well-behaved and proper, it would be one thing. But he dares to be so arrogant and domineering in our Flame God Realm. Poyun, according to the rules of our Flame God Realm, for gross disrespect to elders, what is the punishment?"
Huo Poyun was about to speak when he heard Yun Che burst into wild laughter, full of sarcasm: "Brother Poyun, although Sect Master Yan has a grudge against my master, that grudge has never been extended to me. But these two, full of righteous indignation, bully a junior who has nothing to do with them while posing as elders. It's utterly disgusting! These kinds of people who can only find satisfaction by bullying juniors probably wouldn't even dare to fart loudly in front of my master."
"And for such goods to be elders of your Golden Crow Sect is a disgrace to the sect!"
Once Yun Che was truly angered, his cursing never held back.
"Presumptuous!!"
To be scolded so fiercely by a junior from Yin Xue Realm to their faces—as elders of the Golden Crow Sect, Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong had never experienced such "treatment" and never imagined a junior would be so bold. They both flew into a rage. Huo Rujin's palm ignited with flames, and he said furiously, "You little brat, you really have some nerve! Hah! Afraid of Mu Xuanyin? Ridiculous! I only regret never having the chance to meet her; otherwise, I would personally make her cry and scream under the Golden Crow Flame!"
"Both Elders... Ah!?" As Huo Poyun desperately tried to stop the situation from worsening, even ready to transmit a message to Huo Rulie, he suddenly opened his mouth wide, his pupils contracted, and he stood there dumbfounded as if scared silly.
The sudden drastic change in Huo Poyun's expression was noticed by Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong. They both furrowed their brows and instinctively turned around quickly... The moment their gazes shifted, they met eyes seemingly from the abyss of an ice prison.
Mu Xuanyin, dressed in snow-white robes, stood like a heavenly snow goddess descending, with the grace to topple worlds and the chill to freeze the world, on the barren land... less than ten steps away from the backs of Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong.
Her eyes were incomparably beautiful, calm, yet carrying an extreme frost. Her gaze pierced into their eyes like ice abyss thorns, then deeply stabbed into their souls.
Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong's entire bodies stiffened instantly, as if they had suddenly fallen from a scorching sun into the depths of hell. Their bodies trembled in the cold, their souls trembled wildly. Gradually, they could no longer feel the existence of their bodies or souls, leaving only an unprecedented, extreme fear madly spreading to every corner of their consciousness.
"Ah... ah..." Huo Rujin's mouth gaped wide, letting out involuntary moans. His pupils had dilated dozens of times their normal size, nearly bursting. His face no longer had any of its previous authority and arrogance; every muscle and every line trembled violently in fear.
Yun Che's eyelids and heart pounded wildly... Oh no! Someone's going to die!
"Say that again." Mu Xuanyin spoke slowly, her plain, emotionless words falling on their ears like the judgment of the Grim Reaper.