Chapter 1415: Xuan Yin's Fury
Yun Che and Mu Feixue both froze. Mu Feixue cast a sideways glance at Yun Che and replied, "Yes, Master."
"Senior Brother Yun, please." Mu Feixue rose and stepped back several paces.
Yun Che stood there dumbfounded for several breaths, his gaze filled with complexity. Finally, he raised his foot and walked into the Sacred Hall.
"..." Mu Feixue turned and silently departed.
The Sacred Hall was filled with an extreme cold stillness, familiar yet somehow distant. The moment he stepped inside, Yun Che saw Mu Xuanyin's figure... Even though it was only her back, it seemed like the most gorgeous and coldest ice in the world—exquisitely beautiful yet imposing with authority. Even though Yun Che was the closest man to her in this world, he still dared not look directly at her.
She showed no reaction to his entrance or approach.
Yun Che stopped and knelt down. "Disciple Yun Che pays respects to Master."
The moment he entered the Sacred Hall's domain, Yun Che had shed all disguises and deliberately released his aura. He was certain that Mu Xuanyin had known of his return the very instant he set foot here.
"Master?"
Mu Xuanyin slowly turned around. A face carved from ice-jade, beautiful like an immortal fantasy, appeared before Yun Che's eyes. "Who is your master!?"
Yun Che froze, a chill seizing his heart.
His body still carried the soul crystal Mu Xuanyin had personally planted. So she would be the first to know of his death. While others could only hear about his demise, she could clearly see the process and the final moments before his death.
Thus, he imagined she would be the one most certain of his death and also the most shocked by his sudden return alive.
He had envisioned many possible reactions from Mu Xuanyin upon seeing him, but... there was no surprise, no excitement, no disbelief in her eyes. Her gaze and snowy face were only covered in cold, heartless authority. Every word from her lips pierced like ice shards into his heart.
"Master, I..."
"Shut up!"
Before Yun Che could speak further, a cold rebuke sealed all his unspoken words. Her icy, merciless pupils then were veiled with an anger that could make all living beings tremble. "My current personal disciple is Feixue. As for you... the most foolish decision of my life was ever having a disciple as stupid as you!"
"..." Yun Che stared wide-eyed, unable to speak.
"Three years ago, at the Star God Realm, you single-handedly slaughtered a group of star guards and killed a Star God Elder. What a grand display of power." Mu Xuanyin's voice grew colder, each word piercing deeply. "For the sake of Tiansha Xingshen, knowing full well you would die, knowing you could never save her, you still went alone to the Star God Realm, trading your death for power to drag them down with you. How majestic. How heaven-stirring."
"Heh! You died a satisfying, tragic death, steeped in profound emotion, fulfilling your duty to your Tiansha Xingshen! But... do you know how many people poured immense effort into keeping you alive, took enormous risks, nearly gambled the future of an entire star realm, all to give you a chance to survive in the Dragon God Realm? And yet, knowing you would die, you still went to your death... Can you face them!? Can you face yourself!? Can you face the wives, concubines, and family waiting for you in the lower realm!"
"Besides Tiansha Xingshen, who else do you have the right to face!"
The angrier Mu Xuanyin became, the more she spoke, until by the final sentence, her chest was heaving violently.
Under her icy fury, even the snowflakes outside the Sacred Hall ceased their drifting.
"..." Yun Che's lips trembled. It took him a long time to force out the words. "Master, I..."
"Don't call me master!" Mu Xuanyin froze his words again. "I took you as my disciple. I allowed you free use of the Minghan Heavenly Lake. I gave you the best resources in the entire realm. To help you reach the Divine Tribulation Realm as quickly as possible, I set aside all sect affairs and personally guided your cultivation day and night without rest... And this is how you repay me? Repay the Yin Xue Realm!?"
"I, Mu Xuanyin, have never had a disciple as foolish as you!"
She turned away. Her full, magnificent bosom heaved violently, tracing a poignant curve.
It was the first time Yun Che had ever seen Mu Xuanyin so enraged... Even back then, when he committed a grave mistake and fled, only to be captured by her, she had not been this furious.
"Mas...ter..." Yun Che lowered his head and said softly, "Your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain. You are the person who treats me best in this world. Yet time and again, I have made you feel pain and disappointment. I know I have no face..."
"Enough!" Mu Xuanyin spoke coldly with her back to him. "Why did you come back? Who told you to come back!?"
This question stunned Yun Che for several breaths.
She didn't ask why he was still alive, but... why did he come back?
It was as if... she had known long ago that he was still alive?
"Master, did you already..."
"I asked you why you came back! Answer me directly!" Mu Xuanyin gave him no chance to inquire.
The joy of seeing his master again had turned into apprehension under her cold fury. After a brief hesitation, he confessed everything. "For the Scarlet Calamity."
"The Scarlet Calamity? Explain clearly!" Yun Che's answer made Mu Xuanyin's icy brows twitch.
He had no reason to hide anything from Mu Xuanyin. He spoke honestly. "Beneath the Minghan Heavenly Lake lies a hidden Ice Phoenix deity. Master must have known this for a long time."
Mu Xuanyin: "..."
"I met her twice before. She knows my past and the power I possess. She also sensed the existence of that scarlet tear stain on the Wall of Chaos long ago and seems to know the reason for its existence and the calamity it conceals. She emphasized to me that the power within me is the only hope to quell this disaster."
"Including the fact that while inheriting the Evil God's divine power, I also bear the mission to calm this calamity."
Mu Xuanyin: "..."
"Every word I speak is true." Yun Che knew that what he said was too incredible. Terms like "hope" and "mission" were intangible things that no one would believe upon hearing, and might even find ridiculous.
"I have been in the lower realm these past few years. The Lan Ji Star I hail from is near the eastern edge of the Chaos, close to the scarlet crack. As a result, disasters have been frequent in recent years and growing increasingly severe, reaching a point beyond control."
"The Eastern Divine Region must have already experienced various similar disasters. It will only worsen with each passing day. So I returned to the Divine Realm, planning to re-enter the Minghan Heavenly Lake to see the Ice Phoenix deity. She might be able to tell me how to deal with this calamity."
A brief silence. Mu Xuanyin finally turned around, her gaze cold and icy as she looked at him. "Is that the reason for your return?"
"...And also because I have always missed Master." Yun Che lowered his head, not daring to meet her too-cold gaze.
"..." Mu Xuanyin's icy eyes narrowed slightly, her tone softening a bit. "So, you truly still consider me your master?"
"Yes!" Yun Che immediately nodded forcefully. "Forever and always."
"Good. Very good." She gave a slight nod, then her voice suddenly turned cold again. "If you still consider me your master, then now... immediately... get the hell back to your lower realm and never, ever set foot in the Divine Realm again!"
Yun Che lifted his head. "Master, I..."
"Calm the Scarlet Calamity? Your mission?" Mu Xuanyin said coldly. "Don't you find it ridiculous yourself?"
"The crack on the Wall of Chaos does indeed conceal unknown disasters. If it erupts, the Eastern Divine Region might face a catastrophe. Calming it is the mission of everyone in the Eastern Divine Region, the entire Divine Realm, and all living beings in the whole Chaos... When did it become your mission alone!?"
"And with your experience, status, and ability, are you worthy of such a mission?"
Yun Che's lips parted, unable to retort.
"Let me tell you something." Mu Xuanyin looked at him. "To deal with the Scarlet Calamity, the Zhou Tian Realm has combined the strength of all the King Realms and upper Star Realms of the Eastern Divine Region to forge a dimensional array that spans nearly half the Chaos, reaching from the Zhou Tian Divine Realm to the easternmost edge of the Chaos. It was completed just ten days ago."
Yun Che was stunned... A dimensional array spanning nearly half the Chaos?
Could such a thing even exist!?
"Furthermore, in less than a month, the [Zhou Tian Assembly] will convene. This Zhou Tian Assembly is specifically for dealing with the Scarlet Calamity. Those qualified to participate..." Mu Xuanyin paused. "Only Divine Masters!"
Yun Che: "..."
"For a calamity like this, even Divine Sovereigns are not qualified to deal with it. What can you possibly do? What you just said is simply a huge joke!"
"The Scarlet Calamity will be handled by others. Not only the Divine Masters of the Eastern Divine Region, but also experts from other Divine Regions will take part. But it absolutely does not fall to you to worry about! So, before anyone else finds out you're still alive, get the hell back to the lower realm!" Mu Xuanyin's voice was cold and resolute, leaving no room for argument.
"But this was told to me personally by the Ice Phoenix deity, and..."
Mu Xuanyin's icy brows sank. "So, are you going to listen to her words, or to mine!?"
"..." Yun Che stood frozen, unable to answer.
Mu Xuanyin suddenly raised her hand, and an ice-blue barrier instantly formed, sealing Yun Che within it... This barrier could block all light, sound, and aura. And the barrier she personally built—ten thousand Yun Ches could not escape.
"Since you dared to come back, it means you have already made a decision. I won't force you to decide right now."
Mu Xuanyin's voice echoed within the barrier. "I will give you twelve hours. Think carefully about what I just said. Think about the consequences if you are discovered in the Divine Realm. Then think about your wives, concubines, family, and daughter in the lower realm!"
"In twelve hours, either you obediently roll back to the lower realm and never return. Or I break your legs and personally throw you back!"
Her voice faded, leaving no other sound. Only Yun Che stood stunned in the ice-blue world.
How does Master know I have a daughter...
Could it be...
Outside the barrier, the coldness on Mu Xuanyin's face vanished, but her chest heaved even more violently, and it took a long time to calm.
Behind her, Mu Bingyun walked out slowly. Seeing Mu Xuanyin's state, she sighed softly. "Sister, you'll scare him like that."
"Hmph, I think I didn't scold him enough!" Mu Xuanyin snorted coldly, her residual anger not yet dissipated.
"I know. Sister has always been angry at him for going to the Star God Realm to save Tiansha Xingshen back then, knowing full well it was certain death. You are angry that he doesn't cherish his own life. But..." Mu Bingyun said softly, "Back then, didn't he do the same for you, sister?"
Mu Xuanyin: "..."
"The Yan Shen Realm, the Burial God Fire Prison. Sister was severely wounded by the ancient Flood Dragon, at the end of your strength. On top of that, you were poisoned by the Flood Dragon's venom, in a situation of certain death. The three sect masters of the Yan Shen Realm and all the elders of the various sects were present, yet not a single one dared to save you. Only him... who had the mere power of the Divine Origin Realm, a being of insignificant existence, yet for you, he charged at the ancient Flood Dragon that the entire Yan Shen Realm dared not approach... That was also a near-certain death situation for him."
"I originally thought you were only forced to submit to him back then and was once angry at him because of it. Later, I learned that you not only submitted your body but also your heart." Mu Bingyun looked at her sister, her gentle words stirring her soul. "What made you lose your heart, what made Tiansha Xingshen willingly turn into an Evil Infant for him, isn't it precisely his most 'foolish' trait?"
"Don't say anymore." Mu Xuanyin closed her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."