# Chapter 236: Ice Phoenix Qionghua Silk
"I must have her... I must have her!!" Xiao Kuangyu and Xiao Kuanglei's chests heaved, the exact same voice ringing in their hearts. As sons of the Xiao Sect's Sect Master, figures destined to dominate the world, women had always been mere appendages to men in their eyes. They had never imagined, nor believed, that any woman in this world could steal their hearts. But now, this woman had appeared. They even deeply felt that if they could obtain this woman, it would truly be a life without regret, the true pinnacle of existence! Compared to this, even the future position of Xiao Sect Master held no appeal.
And this was also the thought of nearly every man present who had sufficient standing. Those without enough capital could only feel inferior after endless astonishment, leaving behind nothing but fantasies that echoed in their hearts, like clouds in the distant sky...
"...She's even more beautiful than before. She's only seventeen now. In a few more years, what will she become?" Yun Che muttered softly. Looking at the reactions of those around him, it was impossible for him not to feel a trace of vanity. Because this girl who had stunned the entire venue was his lawfully wedded wife through proper matchmaking... However, he believed that if this fact were to be made public, he would surely be pierced into a hornet's nest by countless jealous and hateful stares.
Xia Qingyue had always known her own beauty, but she did not consider it a particularly important gift. Many times, she even wished her appearance could be more ordinary. Coming to participate in the Ranking Battle, covering her face was a direct order from the Palace Master, and she herself had no objection. Chu Yueli had also instructed her to never let the ice gauze on her face fall. But Ling Yun's dazzling sword strike, as swift as flowing light, caused this accident she had not wanted to see.
Ling Yun, after all, was Ling Yun.
However, this did not greatly affect Xia Qingyue's state of mind. From the moment the ice gauze fell to the time her face was covered again, she merely let out a soft sigh. But Ling Yun before her was different. Ling Yun, who always guarded his heart with sword intent and kept it free of dust, now had clearly disordered breathing. His gaze was no longer calm and stern, but stirred with ripples that did not subside for a long time.
For Ling Yun, this was the first time in his life. The first time his heart had been thrown into chaos before an opponent he was battling.
Just like Ling Yuefeng back when he saw Chu Yuechan's true face.
Ling Yun's strength was unquestionable. If that sword strike just now had not held back, only cutting her clothes and veil instead of slashing at her throat, she might have already lost her life. Although she had unparalleled talent, she had a fatal weakness: too little practical combat experience! This was something that even the highest talent could hardly compensate for. In this regard, she was ten thousand miles behind Yun Che.
However, this also served as a wake-up call for Xia Qingyue. Facing the formidable opponent Ling Yun, she could no longer hold anything back. The ice crystal long sword in her hand was withdrawn. Her right arm gently swept, and a ring of white light suddenly floated around her, transforming into a dancing white silk ribbon. The white ribbon was half a foot wide, two zhang long, its entire body pure white like jade, smooth as satin, gleaming like a mirror, reflecting the light falling from above, floating with a hazy luster, and surrounded by ethereal and mysterious ice spirits.
The long ribbon seemed to possess a spirit, like a white serpent coiling and floating around Xia Qingyue's body, the ice spirits it scattered intertwining with the ice crystals around her, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
"That is..."
"The Heavenly Xuan Artifact of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace... the Ice Phoenix Qionghua Silk! After Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin were eliminated, it was indeed handed over to Xia Qingyue."
"But I heard the Ice Phoenix Qionghua Silk is extremely difficult to control. To unleash even a fraction of its power, one needs at least the Earth Xuan Realm in profound force, and the Ice Cloud Art must be at the fifth level or above... Her opponent is Ling Yun. Ling Yun's mastery of the Tian Yuan Sword has reached the pinnacle. Even if she brings out the Ice Phoenix Qionghua Silk, it's unlikely to turn the tide, right? Well, we'll find out soon enough."
Ling Yun, however, responded to Xia Qingyue's action with his sword momentum.
The Tian Yuan Sword pointed forward. At the tip of the sword, the space twisted violently. An unparalleled sword momentum was released, sweeping across the entire Sword Discussion Platform like an invisible wave. For a moment, he seemed to become the center of heaven and earth. Even the spectators far away clearly felt an oppressive aura, as if a blade was pointed at their foreheads, a bone-chilling cold spreading through them! Compared to the sword momentum when Ling Jie wielded dual swords, this was nearly ten times stronger!
A single thrust, and the Tian Yuan Sword hummed!
In an instant, Ling Yun vanished entirely. What people's eyes could capture was only a streak of cyan sword radiance and a clear spatial ripple... Yes! That was a genuine, real spatial ripple caused by cutting through space, not the slight spatial distortion Ling Jie had caused with his sword's power. The two were simply incomparable!
With her profound force fully unleashed, Xia Qingyue's spiritual perception naturally increased dramatically. This sword strike was no longer invisible to her. Her upper body moved slightly, and the Ice Phoenix Qionghua Silk instantly began to dance. As the white light drifted, it precisely touched the flying Tian Yuan Sword. In the next instant, the Ice Phoenix Qionghua Silk, like a suddenly awakened serpent, coiled around the sword body with lightning speed. At the same time, a burst of cold enough to freeze space erupted violently...
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