# Chapter 1126: The Tournament Approaches
At the Ice Phoenix Holy Hall, in the Cold Quenching Immortal Pool, over the course of ten thousand years, only two people had ever been permitted entry—one was Mu Xuanyin, and the other was Mu Bingyun.
The immortal pool was as cold as an ice prison, yet from ancient times it had never frozen. The surface of the pool was covered with all kinds of dazzling, magnificent ice lotuses. A slender, breathtakingly beautiful figure was faintly visible within the dense, icy mist. Outside the ice window, a gentle breeze blew in, causing ripples to spread across the water. The shimmering light of the waves and the crystalline, clear ice glow reflected the half-exposed legs that rose above the water, making them appear as smooth and flawless as jade, causing all the ice lotuses in the pool to lose their luster.
The ice door was pushed open. Mu Bingyun walked in slowly, immediately catching sight of Mu Xuanyin, who had lifted her face and was floating on the water's surface. A few droplets of water slowly trickled down from her perfect, immortal countenance, reflecting off her skin like pearls.
Xuan practitioners could purify themselves with Profound Force, let alone those at the Divine Path level. But Mu Xuanyin loved to bathe—Mu Bingyun knew this better than anyone. Perhaps it allowed her to find peace and clarity of mind.
"Sister, what did you call me for?" Mu Bingyun asked softly.
Her jade-like arms gently retracted as Mu Xuanyin rose slightly, causing the mist-covered surface of the water to reveal her heavenly jade-like shoulders and collarbone. "Bingyun, how is your Profound Force recovery progressing?"
"Ninety percent," Mu Bingyun replied. "In another few months, I should be fully recovered."
"That's good." Mu Xuanyin's voice was languid and soft. "For the next while, I plan to focus entirely on personally training Yun Che. After all, with his current state, it's simply impossible for him to participate in the Xuan Shen Grand Tournament on his own. Matters concerning the sect, both internal and external, I will leave to you. These past thousand years, your soul has been wandering; now that you have been reborn, it's time to re-familiarize yourself with the sect. As for the matter of which disciples will participate in the Xuan Shen Grand Tournament, I'll leave it entirely to Huanzhi's discretion—no need to consult me."
Mu Bingyun nodded slightly and said softly, "Sister... are you really... going to forgive Yun Che just like that?"
"Otherwise, what else can I do?" Mu Xuanyin's seductive eyes narrowed slightly. "After all, he risked his life to rush into the Burial God Fire Prison to save me. It's not like I can just slap him to death."
Mu Bingyun was silent for a long time before speaking slowly, "That's certainly for the best. I just didn't expect... given sister's temperament..."
Her voice trailed off, then she suddenly said, melancholically, "Sister, are you planning to groom Yun Che as the next sect master?"
"..." Mu Xuanyin gently shook her head. "His heart is not here at all. I knew that from the moment I accepted him as my disciple."
"Then you..."
"I don't know." Mu Xuanyin let out a soft sigh, a brief haze passing over her eyes, but then her expression shifted instantly. She raised her hand, plucking a petal of an ice crystal lotus, and gently wiped her smooth, rounded, snow-white shoulder as she murmured, "Bingyun, do you think I should practice dual cultivation with that little brat? Otherwise, so much of my precious Ice Phoenix Primal Yin will go to waste."
"...Sister, you're being mischievous again." Mu Bingyun's expression remained unchanged. "Since you've decided to forgive Yun Che, then forgive him completely. Never bring up that incident again. And don't go back on your decision at some future time. I will relay your words to Huanzhi."
"Also, have him dispatch three hundred Hall disciples to the Polar Ice Sea. Within three months, they are to retrieve at least a thousand pieces of Ice Chant Cold Crystal," Mu Xuanyin said.
Mu Bingyun was slightly taken aback, then, realizing something, she nodded slightly. "It seems sister is preparing to personally refine the Qiankun Five Jade Pill."
After leaving the Ice Phoenix Holy Hall, Mu Bingyun's footsteps halted. She lifted her head, a trace of complexity in her gaze, and murmured to herself as she faced the falling snow, "Sister has changed..."
"Could that sudden, violent awakening of her soul... be related to Yun Che?"
The Ice Phoenix Divine Sect remained as quiet as ever—the entire Yinxue Realm was the same. But one thing lingered constantly in the hearts and minds of all Xuan practitioners: the Xuan Shen Grand Tournament was drawing closer and closer.
This was the highest level, the highest standard grand event of the Eastern Divine Region. Countless young Xuan practitioners would rise to fame, proclaiming to the world the future rulers of the Eastern Divine Region. And this time, for the first time in history, the power of the Zhou Tian Pearl would be introduced.
This was certainly not just a feast for young Xuan practitioners. The entire Eastern Divine Region was eagerly anticipating it. With four great Realm Kingdoms jointly hosting it, it was the focus of the entire world. And those young Xuan practitioners of illustrious birth, with peerless talent, hoping to rank among the top thousand, had their hearts burning with passion and madness every moment.
The vast Eastern Divine Region had become much quieter. Cultivating the top disciples who were qualified to participate in the Xuan Shen Grand Tournament at any cost, sparing no effort, seemed to have become the top priority of all star realms and all sects.
The Yinxue Realm was no exception.
All Hall disciples of the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect who were qualified to participate in the Xuan Shen Grand Tournament had gone into seclusion to cultivate, under the personal guidance of the various elders. The sect's resources were being used in great quantities, without the slightest stinginess. However, during this period, not a single person in the sect had seen Yun Che, and the sect master had also been completely silent.
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**Tian Xuan Continent, Cang Feng Kingdom.**
Three years had passed since Yun Che followed Mu Bingyun to the Yinxue Realm.
Three years was a short time, especially for the development of a nation. However, after Yun Che killed Xuanyuan Wentian, the Four Sacred Grounds had bowed their heads, and the current ruler of the Cang Feng Kingdom was Yun Che's wife. Thus, the Cang Feng Kingdom, originally the weakest kingdom on the continent, had risen powerfully in these three short years, gradually becoming unshakable.
**Center of Cang Feng Kingdom, North of New Moon City.**
Although this was an official road, due to the occasional appearance of dangerous profound beasts, it usually required Xuan practitioners to escort travelers, so there were few traces of people. At this moment, a young man and a young woman were walking side-by-side on the road, their backs to the setting sun. In their eyes, excited sparks still shone.
"New Moon Mystic Palace—the place where Benefactor Brother once stayed. We've finally come into contact with something related to Benefactor Brother. I'm so excited!"
The young woman appeared to be under twenty years of age. Though she was wearing only plain clothes, she was delicate and lovely, with a slender waist, full chest, and bright eyes that outshone the evening glow. Her hands were clasped to her chest, and her face was flushed a rosy pink. Although she had already left New Moon City far behind, she still couldn't calm her excitement.
"It is said that a few years ago, when the Shenhuang Empire invaded Cang Feng Kingdom, New Moon City was burned by the Phoenix Flame, and the New Moon Mystic Palace was completely incinerated. What we saw was probably the rebuilt version."
The young man was about the same age as the young woman, and their features were about sixty percent similar. His physique was not large or strong, but he appeared quite steady.
Hearing the young man's words, the young woman pouted and complained unhappily, "You're always saying such depressing things. I don't want to hear it! Anyway, it's a place where Benefactor Brother once stayed! There are so many statues of Benefactor Brother there, but they're so ugly—Benefactor Brother is a hundred times better looking."
The young man let out a sigh of emotion. "I never imagined that Benefactor Brother would become such an incredible person. There are legends about him everywhere. I originally thought I had become strong enough to repay his kindness..."
"Do you think Benefactor Brother still remembers us?" the young woman suddenly asked, her beautiful face showing nervousness and anticipation.
"He probably doesn't," the young man said with a smile. "He became such a great figure. He must have encountered countless people and countless events over the years. We were young and weak back then—we must have been the most insignificant of all the people he helped. More than ten years have passed. How could he possibly remember us?"
"..." The light in the young woman's eyes dimmed instantly. She murmured softly, "Whether he remembers us or not, I want to see him again. I've worked so hard all these years just so I could meet Benefactor Brother sooner... I wonder where he is now."
"I want to see him too, but they all say Benefactor Brother hasn't appeared for several years. Some say he's in the distant Illusory Demon Realm, some say he's wandering and cultivating everywhere, and there are even legends that he ascended to a higher world..." The young man shook his head. "I don't know where to find him. And even if I did find him... would I be disturbing him instead?"
If a powerful practitioner had passed by at that moment and sensed the profound energy of the two, they would have been greatly shocked.
Because these two young people, who appeared to be barely twenty years old, had profound strength that had actually reached the King Xuan Realm!
In the Cang Feng Kingdom, the King Xuan Realm was the pinnacle of existence. Such young King Xuan powerhouses were enough to cause a massive stir throughout the entire Cang Feng profound world.
But they seemed to not want to attract attention. They were not flying, and even their walking speed was not very fast.
Just then, the two seemed to sense something and looked up at the same time.
A red figure was slowly flying across the sky. In the Cang Feng Kingdom, practitioners who could transcend the void were extremely rare, so it was quite eye-catching. With the two's eyesight, they could clearly see the full outline of the red figure.
Immediately, both of their footsteps halted. Their souls seemed to be struck by something heavy, frozen in place.
They saw a celestial figure like a Nine Heavens Divine Maiden, and a face so beautiful, so dreamlike, that even when seen, one could hardly believe its reality.
"A... fairy..."
The young man was completely stunned, and those two words slipped involuntarily from the young woman's lips.
Perhaps because she heard the young woman's voice, the celestial figure in the sky actually stopped. She looked at the two, and eyes that seemed to gather all the elegance of the world sparkled with brilliant starlight. "Are you... Feng Zuer and Feng Xian'er?"
"Eh?"
The young woman and young man were stunned. The young woman murmured, "Fairy sister... how do you know our names... are you really a fairy?"
The woman in red smiled faintly. Her celestial figure flickered, and she had already landed before them. "So it really is you. You can finally leave that place freely now. That's wonderful."
Feng Zuer came back to his senses, and a strong sense of vigilance surged in his heart. "Who... who are you? How do you know our names, and seem to know about us?"
The woman raised a snow-white jade-like hand, and a crimson Phoenix Flame ignited in her palm. "My name is Feng Xue'er. I come from the Fenghuang God Sect of the Shenhuang Empire. You must know of that place."
"Feng... Fenghuang God Sect!?"
This name startled Feng Zuer and Feng Xian'er immensely. Feng Zuer instantly stepped forward, shielding Feng Xian'er behind him. "You're from the Fenghuang God Sect! What... what are you trying to do!"
Their reaction made Feng Xue'er smile. "There's no need to worry. We are of the same Phoenix lineage. The Fenghuang God Sect will definitely not harm you. And besides..."
"Ah!!" Feng Xian'er suddenly screamed, poking her head out from behind Feng Zuer, and stammered, "You... you... you're called... Feng Xue'er!? Could it be... you are that... Phoenix Divine Maiden!"
Feng Zuer also realized something, completely stunned. His eyes widened to their maximum.
The Phoenix Divine Maiden, formerly the Snow Princess of the Shenhuang Empire, was the number one beauty of the Tian Xuan Continent.
Two years ago, she became the first person in the history of the Tian Xuan Continent to reach the legendary Divine Xuan Realm, replacing Yun Che, who had long since vanished, as the number one contemporary profound practitioner of the Tian Xuan Continent—and also the number one figure in history.
She also had another identity known to everyone: she was Yun Che's fiancée.