Chapter 1054: The Flood Dragon Appears
Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong stood motionless, their bodies as if nailed in place. Huo Rujin's lips parted slightly, as if he desperately wanted to say something, but for a long time, he could not utter a single sound.
Sweat instantly covered both their foreheads… every drop icy cold to the core.
In truth, Yun Che was absolutely right—Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong harbored deep grudges against the Ice Phoenix God Sect, but they only dared to vent them in front of Yun Che. If they were to face Mu Xuanyin directly, even if they had ten times the courage, they would never dare utter such words, and would probably not even dare show the slightest disrespect.
After all, back then because of the Mu Bingyun incident, Mu Xuanyin had bathed the Golden Crow Sect in blood and destroyed all the subordinate star realms of the Yan Shen Realm… Aside from the time Huo Rulie had completely lost his mind and schemed against Mu Bingyun, he had been forced to swallow his anger for a full thousand years. If even the sect master was like this, how much more so the others in the sect?
Among those killed by Mu Xuanyin in her rage back then, there were naturally disciples or collateral relatives of Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong. But with Mu Xuanyin's strength, they could only hold it in… hold it in for over a thousand years. Today, finally meeting a personal disciple of Mu Xuanyin in person, and on their own Yan Shen Realm territory, they naturally had to vent their feelings.
After all, who couldn't let off steam with harsh words? But when it came to actually making a move on Yun Che, they absolutely did not have that kind of courage. These two were at least elders of the Golden Crow Sect; they weren't foolish or reckless enough to go that far—especially with such a major event concerning the future of the Yan Shen Realm right before them.
So Yun Che dared to retaliate without holding back.
But… being caught by Mu Xuanyin was an entirely different matter.
The moment they saw Mu Xuanyin, Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong, who had just been acting arrogant and righteous in front of Yun Che, almost had their souls scatter and their gall bladders burst.
As elders of the Golden Crow Sect, they were certainly not cowards, but… that was Mu Xuanyin.
At their level, they understood all too well how terrifying Mu Xuanyin's strength was, and her temperament was utterly ruthless and heartless to the extreme… she was the most fearsome and least offendable person they had ever encountered in their lives.
The corners of Yun Che's mouth twitched. He wanted to speak but didn't dare, and could only sigh inwardly… You asked for it by showing off. Now not even the gods can save you.
But… this was still in the Yan Shen Realm, and with the major matter of hunting the ancient flood dragon at hand. If his master really severely injured or even killed these two, and the situation escalated and worsened… it would be detrimental to both realms.
"Yin Xue… Realm King…" Huo Poyun gathered his courage and stepped forward, mustering up all the guts he had in his life to plead for them.
But the moment his voice left his mouth, a blast of cold wind swept across the scorching earth.
BANG!!!
Blue light flashed, and ice crystals exploded. In an instant, the space that had been scorched for countless years had all its heat dispelled, replaced by boundless, biting cold. Amidst terrified screams, the two Golden Crow Sect elders flew sideways like bundled straw, carried by the exploding ice. They flew an extremely long distance before slamming heavily into the ground, but they did not get up. Instead, they curled up, lying prostrate, their entire bodies trembling like sieves.
The chill that had entered their bodies in an instant could not be dispelled no matter how they channeled their profound energy. For the first time, they understood that cold could be so terrifying—as if their entire bodies, from the outside in, had icy poison needles stabbed into every single cell. This pain surpassed the cruelest torture they had ever known. Like two dying larvae, every part of them convulsed and trembled uncontrollably, unable to live, unable to die.
"P-please, Yin Xue Realm King, have mercy!" Huo Poyun was terrified out of his wits. Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong were not just ordinary elders of the Golden Crow Sect; they were the eighth and seventeenth ranked elders! Even in the entire Divine Realm, they were beings of a very high level… but before Mu Xuanyin, they were so pitifully vulnerable.
Mu Xuanyin paid no attention to Huo Poyun at all. Her figure flickered, and she teleported again right next to Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong. In a voice even more terrifying to the two than a nightmare, she repeated: "Say it again."
Huo Rujin tremblingly raised his right arm, which was almost completely numb from the cold, and let out a pitiful, miserable voice: "Spare… me…"
Ice and fire were mutually opposing. When one's strength was overwhelming, this opposition multiplied. For someone bearing the Golden Crow bloodline and cultivating pure fire-based profound arts, being invaded by extreme cold was far more than just pain. If it lasted even a little longer, it would inevitably cause irreversible damage to their profound veins.
To any profound practitioner, this was the most terrifying thing imaginable.
"Hahahaha, hahahaha… Hmm??"
A burst of unrestrained laughter came from a great distance. It seemed to suddenly sense that something was off about the aura, and the laughter stopped abruptly. Then, a powerful aura approached like a storm, seeming to cross space itself, arriving in the blink of an eye.
"Master!" Huo Poyun exclaimed in surprise.
The arriving Huo Rulie still had a laugh on his face, apparently having laughed so hard that his mouth was a bit crooked. He swept a glance at the two on the ground, and it took him a good while to recognize that these two miserable, curled-up figures were actually Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong. His smile froze immediately. He rushed over quickly, covering them with blazing Golden Crow flames to drive away the cold, while frowning and turning his head to ask: "What is this?"
Huo Poyun hurried forward and said as quickly as possible: "N-nothing major. The two elders just now said something a bit off in their words, and the Yin Xue Realm King gave them a little discipline. It's fine now, truly fine."
Having lived for over ten thousand years, Huo Rulie instantly understood the reason. He knew Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong's temperaments very well. There was no way they would "say something off" in front of Mu Xuanyin even if they had a hundred times the courage. They must have lost control and vented after seeing Yun Che, and ended up being caught by Mu Xuanyin.
Those two useless bastards… and so unlucky.
Under Huo Rulie's powerful Golden Crow flame force, the chill on Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong was quickly dispelled. They stood up shakily, but before they could speak, Huo Rulie kicked Huo Rujin right in the stomach. The cold had just receded, and his whole body was still numb. This kick sent him flying dozens of zhang away, landing face-first on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
"You useless bastards! The Yin Xue Realm King is a distinguished guest we of the Yan Shen Realm went to great lengths to invite! And you, as sect elders, dared to show disrespect with your words! Are you tired of living!"
Huo Poyun: "…"
Yun Che: "…"
Mu Xuanyin: "??"
Not only Huo Rujin, who had been kicked flying, but Huo Rankong was also dumbfounded… The one who hated Mu Xuanyin the most in the entire sect was definitely Huo Rulie. He would curse her three hundred times a day if he could… And now this was what Huo Rulie was saying?
"S-sect master," Huo Rankong sensed something terribly wrong and said fearfully, "We… we absolutely wouldn't dare to show disrespect to the Yin Xue Realm King! We were only… only dealing with that surnamed Yun brat…"
BANG!!
Before Huo Rankong could finish, Huo Rulie kicked him right in the rear. He flew sideways like a ball, landing face-first just like Huo Rujin. Behind him came Huo Rulie's thunderous scolding: "What 'surnamed Yun brat'! Who are you calling a 'surnamed Yun brat'!? Yun Xianzhi is the Yin Xue Realm King's personal disciple and also a distinguished guest of our Yan Shen Realm! What kind of dog shit address is that! Didn't your parents teach you any manners as a host!"
Huo Poyun: "…"
Yun Che: "…"
Mu Xuanyin: "???"
"Sect master, I… we…" Huo Rujin struggled to get up, but as soon as he opened his mouth, another vicious kick landed on his back, sending him tumbling and flying again.
"You still want to make excuses!? Where do you get the nerve!?"
BANG!!
"Weren't they assigned to guard the Fire Prison!? Who the hell told you two to come back without permission!?"
BANG!!
"What are you looking at!? Get the hell back there right now!"
BANG!!
"How dare you show disrespect to our honored guests! You've disgraced us all the way to the Yin Xue Realm!!"
BANG!!
"This matter is more important than the heavens themselves, and you dare to cause trouble for me! If anything goes wrong, I'll slaughter the both of you myself!"
BANG!!
"You've ruined my perfectly good mood today!"
BANG!!
"Who told you to get up!? Get lost! Lost! LOST!"
BANG!!
BANG!!
BANG…
Huo Rulie's voice was naturally exceptionally loud, and each angry roar thundered through the air. The sounds of his kicks were like claps of thunder. The two esteemed Golden Crow Sect elders were kicked like balls by Huo Rulie, flying dozens of li away after more than a dozen kicks. Finally, Huo Rulie turned around and shouted, "Yin Xue Realm King, my apologies, my apologies! After this matter is settled, I'll have the two of them come apologize to you separately… My apologies, my apologies."
Mu Xuanyin: "?????"
Huo Poyun's mouth was wide open. It took a long time before he slowly closed it, and then his throat made a heavy "gulp."
Yun Che, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief… Huo Rulie had just saved those two. Otherwise, with his master's temperament, Huo Rujin and Huo Rankong would have been at least half dead even if they survived.
Mu Xuanyin suddenly turned her head and looked at Yun Che: "What is this?"
Huo Rulie's behavior just now was not just unusual; it was as if he had become a completely different person.
"Um…" Yun Che had to confess honestly: "Disciple used the medical skills I learned in the lower realm to treat Huo Ye. After two more treatments, Huo Ye should be fully healed within a few years."
Mu Xuanyin's gaze fixated on Yun Che's face for a moment… She knew very well how severe Huo Ye's injuries were. For a thousand years, there had been no cure. Lingering on for a millennium made it impossible even for gods to save him… How could mere medical skills heal him?
"Busybody!" she said coldly. Her figure turned and, like a dissipating ice spirit, vanished in an instant.
"Ah… Master!!" Yun Che quickly called out, but it was already too late. He could only lower his hand helplessly. He had also wanted to tell Mu Xuanyin about the Wood Spirit Pearl possibly being for sale in the Heiya Realm.
With Mu Xuanyin gone, Huo Poyun's tense nerves and body finally relaxed. After taking a dozen heavy breaths, he said with lingering fear: "Brother Yun, your master's aura… is terrifying."
"Uh… yeah." Yun Che nodded. The first time he had faced Mu Xuanyin's anger, he had felt the same way as Huo Poyun, but later…
———————————
Over the next two days, Yun Che treated Huo Ye once every day as scheduled. After the second day, Huo Ye's consciousness and speech were especially clear, and he could even sit up for a long time.
By the time the third day's treatment was complete, Huo Ye's complexion had clearly taken on a healthy flush, and his eyes were much brighter… at least, there was no trace of the deathly aura from before.
"As expected of the son of Sect Master Huo, one with the purest Golden Crow bloodline! Brother Ye's recovery is far better than I anticipated. At this rate, it might take less than two years instead of three for a full recovery," Yun Che said with a smile.
Huo Ye looked at Yun Che, tears glistening in his eyes: "Brother Yun, great kindness needs no words. In my previous life, I must have been a ten-life good person to be able to meet a benefactor like Brother Yun in this life."
"Hahahaha!" Huo Rulie laughed heartily. "Ye'er, repaying kindness is simple. First, get your body well, then you can repay him however you like."
Then he turned and stared straight at Yun Che: "You didn't just save Ye'er's life; you saved our entire lineage! This favor… ah, it's so big it gives me a headache. I've been racking my brains for days and still can't think of how to repay you. How about this—you name it. Whatever you want, or whatever you want me, Huo Rulie, to do, just say the word! If I so much as frown, then my name isn't Huo!"
Yun Che slowly shook his head and said sincerely: "This junior still says the same as before—I don't seek any repayment from Sect Master Huo. I only ask that you no longer hold a grudge against my master."
"…" High above them, in the distant sky, Mu Xuanyin silently watched below. Her gaze stirred slightly, carrying a hint of complexity.
But in the next instant, her brow suddenly darkened, and her gaze sharply turned south.
"Finally out."
She murmured softly. With a grab of her hand, the Sound Transmission Jade on her body was instantly shattered. A long crack split open in the space before her.
Her body passed through the crack, heading straight south, where the flames roared to the heavens.