# Chapter 1174: Gift of the Ice Phoenix
Yun Che searched for a long time but still found no trace of Mu Xuanyin.
He began to think of a possibility... Right! The Feng Shen Platform tournament was currently underway. Could it be that his master was watching from one of the Star Monuments?
Could it be that the Ice Cloud Palace Master hadn't sent word to his master that he was returning?
Time was too pressing for Yun Che, so he had no choice but to set aside other concerns and fly in the direction of Minghan Heavenly Lake.
In the sky above, shrouded by icy mist, a peerlessly beautiful gaze silently watched Yun Che's figure recede into the distance.
"Ah," she sighed softly, the complex melancholy laced with deep helplessness. Her originally eternal and still heart and soul had been disturbed again and again by him, rippling with waves.
"Should I break his legs..." she murmured to herself.
The barrier of Minghan Heavenly Lake couldn't restrict Yun Che. He passed directly through, arriving at the place in this Divine Realm that he was most familiar with. Taking a brief moment to catch his breath, he leapt directly into the Heavenly Lake and plunged straight down.
The heavy, inconceivably chilling water of Minghan Lake was nothing but a cool, refreshing sensation that soothed him from body to soul. Countless strands of cool air vied to surge into his body. These energies could not only gradually transform into his own power but also rapidly restore his profound strength and heal his injuries. Over the past two years, his rapid progress had been due in no small part to Minghan Heavenly Lake.
But at this moment, Yun Che had no heart to enjoy this body-soothing sensation. He sped straight downward at the fastest possible pace.
One hundred feet...
One thousand feet...
One thousand zhang...
Five thousand zhang...
The underwater world, which had been completely devoid of light, suddenly began to glow with shimmering blue light. A blue arc of light, originating from the cold vein at the bottom of the lake, came into Yun Che's view.
Yun Che slowed his pace, and soon, both his feet landed on a layer of crystal-like gravel.
Although he soaked in Minghan Heavenly Lake day and night, this was only the second time he had come to the bottom of the lake.
Following the direction of the blue light arc, Yun Che walked forward slowly. Soon, in his line of sight, a glittering, translucent diamond-shaped piece of ice lay quietly embedded in the azure world.
Within the ice curled a dreamlike figure of a young girl, her jade arms encircling her knees, her head buried between them. Her body was completely naked, her snow-white legs slender and long, her jade-like feet small and delicate like lotus buds. Her snow-white skin was like jade and fat, shimmering with the luster of stars and moonlight.
Her icy blue hair, tinged with a pale blue hue, cascaded down gently, concealing her face and also covering the most forbidden glimpses of her maidenly charms.
"Yun Che... why have you come here?"
Yun Che stood still for a moment, trying to figure out how to begin, when a voice as soft as a dream echoed in his mind.
Throughout the entire world, only Yun Che knew that the girl within the ice crystal was a True God from the ancient era, the only one in all of Chaos who had not been completely annihilated.
Although she could only barely survive by clinging to this last cold vein, separated from complete annihilation by a single thread.
"If one day, you feel that your power is strong enough, and your will and awareness are sufficient to bear the great waves and heavy responsibilities, then come find me. I will tell you all the truth..."
"...and bestow all my power upon you."
"...This is the last thing I can do... and also the best ending I can imagine."
These were the words she had spoken to him back then.
Although he had no idea what "great waves" and "heavy responsibilities" the Ice Phoenix girl referred to, and it was even less likely that he possessed the corresponding "will" and "awareness," right now he urgently needed power—power that would allow him to grow rapidly in a short time.
Calming his thoughts, Yun Che finally spoke: "Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit, I have come here... with a very selfish request. I want to ask you... to bestow upon me some power."
"...Why?" the girl asked, her voice still as soft as a dream.
"I... want to see someone. I have some things I need to say to her face to face, to let her see my determination, and even more so... I want to be able to protect her one day." Yun Che spoke with utmost seriousness. "And to see her, I need enough power. If I cannot do this, I will regret it for the rest of my life. So, I beg you to help me."
The azure world fell silent.
After a long while, the girl let out a soft sigh: "I'm sorry, but I cannot grant your request."
Yun Che: "..."
"Parting with my power will shorten my existence, and I must survive until 'that day.' On 'that day,' if you make the same request, I will not hesitate to bestow everything I have upon you... but now, you are acting only for your own selfish desires. I cannot agree. Please don't blame me."
"..." Yun Che's chest rose and fell slightly, but he showed neither surprise nor disappointment, nor did he press further. Instead, he smiled gently: "This request of mine was indeed too selfish. It's only right that you refused. I'm sorry for disturbing your rest. I'll go try to find another way."
Yun Che wasn't at all surprised by the Ice Phoenix girl's refusal. Just as he was about to leave, the soft voice of the girl called out to him: "Wait... I cannot part with my power now, but I can give you a sliver of my divine soul."
Yun Che turned back, a look of surprise on his face.
"Although this will also shorten my existence, it should still be enough for me to hold on until that day."
A flash of ice-blue light shimmered on the crystal, and then a drop-shaped light star slowly condensed, as if carried by a gentle breeze, drifting to Yun Che's side.
"The divine power attached to this sliver of soul is extremely difficult for ordinary people to convert into their own strength. Only you can absorb it easily in a short time. If you can fully absorb it, it will be enough to raise your current cultivation level by two minor realms. And the increase in your soul power will be far greater than the increase in your profound force, granting you long-term benefits."
"This is also the limit of what I can do for you right now."
Yun Che's gaze was clear. He said gratefully: "Thank you, Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit. I will never forget your kindness."
"You don't need to thank me. You should know that I am not doing this purely for you." The Ice Phoenix girl's voice was ethereal. "If... you are truly grateful, can you promise me one request?"
She said "request"...
As the only existing True God, she actually spoke the word "request" to Yun Che, a mere mortal.
"Alright, please tell me." Yun Che nodded heavily. "As long as I can do it, I will agree."
"If... one day, the world suddenly undergoes a cataclysmic change, and everything is engulfed in a crimson-colored despair... please, you must come find me..."
A cataclysmic change in the world?
Crimson-colored despair?
Just as Yun Che was about to ask, the girl's voice came again: "You don't need to ask, because it is far from the time for you to know everything. I only hope that you, who have inherited the seed of hope left by the Evil God, will definitely agree to this."
"Alright." Without overthinking, Yun Che nodded directly. "If such a day truly comes, even without these words, I would still come to seek your help."
"...Mm." The Ice Phoenix girl let out a pleased sound. The ice-blue light star floating before Yun Che then danced up, touched his body, and slowly sank into the center of his brow.
Instantly, Yun Che could clearly see that within his soul, there was now a brilliant blue light star.
Instead of immediately refining it, Yun Che expressed his gratitude once more: "Thank you, Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit. Although I don't know what the future holds, and I never consider myself great enough to bear any mission, I will definitely fulfill the promise I made to you."
"For now, don't worry too much. Although that day will surely come, even I cannot predict exactly when it will be. You don't need to burden yourself with it too early. Although you have inherited the 'seed' left by the Evil God, you are ultimately an independent existence, and no one has the right to force you to bear anything."
Her voice paused, and then she suddenly said: "It seems... you rarely use the Arcane Firmament power within your body?"
Yun Che was slightly startled inwardly, not understanding why she would mention Arcane Firmament. He nodded: "Arcane Firmament is a very powerful force for my people. But my own power lies mainly in the elements and heavy swords, relying on the amplification of the Evil God's Mysterious Vein. These cannot be applied to Arcane Firmament. Especially after my profound force reached the Divine Path, although Arcane Firmament is somewhat helpful, its power is relatively too small, while its consumption is enormous. So I rarely use it in battle."
The Ice Phoenix girl was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Arcane Firmament is a power that exists within your body. It is not only connected to your bloodline but also closely linked to your profound veins and soul. The Evil God's Mysterious Vein's amplification of profound force is not impossible to apply to Arcane Firmament. It's just... perhaps you haven't yet achieved sufficient 'unity' between 'Arcane Firmament' and 'Profound Vein.'"
"Sufficient... unity?"
"Additionally, you can try to fuse Arcane Firmament with your soul. With your special soul power and comprehension ability, you might, without even realizing it, touch upon another special kind of power."
What the Ice Phoenix girl could provide were merely pointers. True enlightenment could only come from Yun Che himself.
Uniting the Profound Vein with Arcane Firmament...
Fusing the soul with Arcane Firmament...
Arcane Firmament existed within the bloodline, but its power inherently came from the profound veins. And controlling Arcane Firmament naturally required soul power... In other words, they were already "connected."
But what the Ice Phoenix girl meant by "unity" and "fusion" clearly went beyond mere connection... What exactly did it mean?
"Although I don't fully understand, I will try to comprehend your words during my future cultivation," Yun Che nodded.
"I believe it won't be long before you gain some insight."
"Also, there is something I should probably tell you. Regarding your master, Mu Xuanyin, she is actually... I..."
The Ice Phoenix girl's voice suddenly faded, and after a moment of hesitation, the words that followed were not spoken.
Yun Che was startled and quickly asked: "What about my master?"
"..." After a silent pause, the Ice Phoenix girl said softly: "You only need to know that although her temperament sometimes shows surprising aspects, she... will never do anything to harm you. You can trust her completely in everything."
Yun Che was taken aback, then nodded gently: "My master has always been good to me. Even when I make mistakes, very big mistakes, she ultimately chooses to forgive me."
"...Go now. She is waiting for you above the Heavenly Lake. If you want to improve your cultivation in a short time, your master has the most suitable method for you."
Master... above the Heavenly Lake?
Yun Che bid farewell to the Ice Phoenix girl, released his profound energy, and shot upward against the water.
After Yun Che left, the bottom of Minghan Lake returned to its cold silence. After a long time, a girl's sigh echoed faintly.
"The crack in the Chaos Wall has already reached a hundred zhang. The crimson light will soon illuminate the world. Humans might have already discovered its existence, but they will never imagine what terrifying disaster lies hidden behind it."
"A disaster that the current world is utterly incapable of withstanding..."
"Yun Che... all I can do is pray that you can steer everything toward the best possible outcome... Only you can do this."