Chapter 1862: "Defying the Master"
"As for the name, I'll leave that to you," Shui Meiyin said with a smile. "I'm guessing that when you were in the Northern Divine Region, you had already decided on Yun Che's future imperial title, right?"
"Of course." Chi Wuyue smiled faintly.
Shui Meiyin reached out her hand, and a faint red light that was utterly devoid of aura flickered in her palm. "The sacrifices and losses from this battle have been enormous. What we need most right now is to take a good rest and recuperate for a while. So, let's temporarily lift the seals on a few of the smaller palaces and let them rest and heal properly during this time."
As she spoke, crimson patterns suddenly appeared on the six foremost palaces of the Kunlun Dragon City. The patterns slowly swirled and flickered, then gradually grew thinner until they completely faded and disappeared.
Shui Meiyin lowered her hand and let out a very light breath.
"..." Chi Wuyue had been silently watching Shui Meiyin's actions the whole time. Suddenly, she said, "There are many things I want to ask you. However, you probably won't tell me, right?"
"Hehe!" Shui Meiyin broke into a bright smile. "It's better for Yun Che to tell you himself... when he feels the time is right."
"I'll go take care of Sister now!"
Chi Wuyue's gaze followed Shui Meiyin as she walked away, then she turned back to look at those few palaces on the Kunlun Dragon City whose seals had been so easily lifted. Recalling Yun Che's extremely abnormal changes, she fell into deep thought.
What Shui Meiyin said was correct. The profound practitioners of the Northern Divine Region desperately needed a breather and some time to recuperate — both physically and mentally.
The Qilin Realm and the Azure Dragon Realm were assigned to guard the north and west respectively, guarding against any possible surprises. The heavily wounded practitioners from the Northern Divine Region were all transferred to the Kunlun Dragon City.
Yun Che carried Cai Zhi in his arms as he entered one of the palaces within the Kunlun Dragon City.
This seemed to be a massive bedchamber. The decorations inside were far more luxurious than they appeared from the outside, with an ancient and tranquil aura. There was no trace of damage, not even a single speck of dust.
But Yun Che had no time to look carefully. He placed Cai Zhi on the nearest jade couch, pressing one hand on her right arm and the other on her chest, focusing his mind and channeling the Life Miracle.
Under the power of Light Profound Force, Cai Zhi's injuries, which were not too severe, slowly began to heal at a visible rate.
Cai Zhi's breathing grew increasingly steady, and color gradually returned to her face.
The light of the Light Profound Force dissipated, and Yun Che let out a slight sigh. Having sustained the Arcane Firmament Dragon God for so long, his profound energy and spiritual power had been greatly depleted. Now that he was completely relaxed, a faint dizziness kept rolling through his mind.
Just then, he felt a sensation and abruptly turned around, meeting a pair of icy blue eyes as dreamlike as the blue sky.
"It seems she is already fine." Mu Xuanyin said. Her demeanor and gaze were still that same cold indifference, like an eternally frozen beautiful ice flower.
Cai Zhi had known that Mu Xuanyin was still alive in this world much earlier than Chi Wuyue. The two of them had arrived in the Southern Divine Region together, helping Yun Che pacify the Nanming Divine Realm and eliminate Nan Wansheng as a future threat.
"Take good care of her." Mu Xuanyin turned and prepared to leave.
"Xuanyin!"
A gentle call reached her ears, along with a warmth at her back. She was embraced from behind by a pair of arms, held very, very tightly.
"..." Mu Xuanyin's entire body tensed. Just as a sound was about to instinctively escape her lips, Yun Che's body pressed fully against her. The violent pounding of his heart and the warmth of his breath transmitted clearly into her heart.
She closed her eyes and did not resist... The last time he had held her tightly like this, it had been at the moment of life and death.
A long time passed before Yun Che's low murmur finally reached her ears. "Was... was it the... Nirvana of the Ice Phoenix?"
"Yes." Mu Xuanyin replied softly. "After I awakened at the Minghan Heavenly Lake, the Ice Phoenix memories left in my Nirvana power told me everything."
"So that's how it was." Yun Che said softly, but instead of showing a relieved and regained smile, his arms unconsciously tightened, his heart filled only with deep-seated fear.
If the Ice Phoenix didn't possess the same Nirvana divine power as the Phoenix...
If the Ice Phoenix God Spirit hadn't, out of guilt, left the last of its power for Mu Xuanyin...
Then he would have truly lost her forever... forever and ever.
He reached out his arm, pressed it against Mu Xuanyin's jade-like shoulder, gently turned her around, and looked directly into her eyes.
"..." Mu Xuanyin's lips moved slightly.
"Xuanyin," looking straight into her icy eyes, Yun Che said word by word, "From now on, you will never leave me again, right?"
He no longer addressed her as "Master", and his gaze was no longer that of a disciple towards a master. It was blazing, tender, and filled with a longing that was so close at hand.
Her gaze fluttered in panic, and her heart was lost in chaos. Her ability to guard her heart was powerful enough to allow her to perfectly conceal herself and instantly assassinate Crimson Extinction Dragon God, but what lay before her now was a scene she had never faced before. Her soul was in such turmoil that all her mental defenses seemed to collapse in an instant.
She suddenly averted her gaze, avoiding Yun Che's eyes at this moment... In the past, it had always been Yun Che who would hurriedly lower his head under her cold stare.
"No..." Yun Che slowly shook his head, as if talking to himself, as if confiding. "Back then, because of my weakness, because of my naive foolishness, I came so close... so close to losing you..."
He took a gentle breath, his gaze never willing to leave Mu Xuanyin's eyes. In the past, he had always been afraid to look into her eyes, afraid of seeing reproach, afraid of seeing cold disappointment.
It wasn't until that day outside the Lan Ji Star, when she had fallen jade-like in his arms, that her desolate and beautiful gaze had outshone thousands of stars. Yet from then on, it would forever be trapped in his dreams, causing him endless longing over the years, but never able to touch it again.
Now, how could he still be cowardly? How could he let go again?
"Soon, I will be the master of this world! I will make it so that no one, no power in this world, can ever take you away from me again!"
As he finished speaking, he suddenly leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly against Mu Xuanyin's.
"..." Mu Xuanyin's icy eyes widened. In her panic and confusion, a tremendous force suddenly surged, and she was pressed down gently but forcefully by Yun Che.
"You!" Mu Xuanyin instinctively struggled, but just as her power began to rise in panic, Yun Che's overwhelming force suppressed it completely.
"Don't even think about escaping." Yun Che's body pressed down. "I need to properly make up for the years I lost you, and even more so... make up for my mistakes back then!"
Standing before Mu Xuanyin, he had completely shed his former self. In truth, the reverence he felt for "Master" was still there.
And it was precisely because of this lingering reverence that he needed to overcome and erase it in the most direct and forceful way.
Back then, it was precisely because of this detestable reverence and cowardice that he had almost lost the chance to regret.
"No... please don't." For some reason, her resistance was especially chaotic and weak. Even the words that came from her lips carried a softness reminiscent of Chi Wuyue's voice. "They... are all outside... you are the Demon Lord... you can't..."
Yun Che waved his hand, and a dark barrier sealed the entrance of the palace. He spoke with authority: "Let's see who dares to come near!"
Yun Che had now thoroughly "defied his master". No matter how Mu Xuanyin struggled, he would forcefully press her down, not giving her a moment to break free. "Xuanyin, remember this: I am no longer your disciple. I want you to understand that you are no longer my master! So, I don't have to obey your words, and I will never again allow you to escape even a single step from me!"
"And Cai Zhi... hmm!"
Yun Che waved his hand again, and another layer of ice barrier formed, completely isolating their figures and voices from the outside world.
Just as the ice barrier was taking shape, a soft moan escaped Cai Zhi's lips on the jade couch, and her hazy eyes slowly fluttered open.
Outside the palace, Chi Wuyue's figure drew gradually closer. Seeing the dark barrier at the palace gate, she was startled for a moment, then her demon soul gently brushed against it, and a faint ambiguous smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
She transmitted through her demon soul: "Order to all realms: the Demon Lord's spirit has been somewhat depleted and requires a period of quiet recuperation. For twelve hours, no one is to disturb him."
After sending the transmission, she did not leave immediately.
It wasn't long before she saw, without any surprise, Qianye Ying'er's figure rushing over, her aura clearly still weak.
"What happened to him?" Qianye Ying'er frowned deeply. "Why does he suddenly need such a long period of recuperation? Was he barely holding on all this time?"
Given Yun Che's recovery abilities, which surpassed all understanding, twelve hours of rest was an "extremely long" time, indicating that his losses had far exceeded expectations.
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[Ah... can't hold on any longer. I'll just be a 2K party today ///]