Chapter 379: Ice Cloud Male Disciple
At the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, there were several Ice Cloud Secret Grounds. The mysterious Supreme Palace Master had been meditating in one of them for many years. Yun Che and Xia Qingyue followed Gong Yuxian downward until they finally arrived at an ice chamber.
"Senior Aunt, Yun Che has arrived." Gong Yuxian spoke respectfully before the ice chamber.
Following that, a slightly aged woman's voice came from within: "Come in."
As the voice faded, the tightly sealed ice chamber doors slowly opened, and countless ice crystals wafted out from the chamber, lingering in the air for a long time before settling.
In the center of the ice chamber sat a woman with hair half-white and a face as calm as still water, positioned atop a piece of blue ice jade. The jade slowly released frigid mist, shrouding her entire body in a hazy veil of ice fog. As Gong Yuxian and the others entered, her closed eyes opened, emitting a gentle yet vast gaze. That gaze fell directly on Yun Che.
She was the former Palace Master of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace and the current Supreme Palace Master—Feng Qianhui.
"Disciple Gong Yuxian pays respects to Senior Aunt."
"Disciple Xia Qingyue pays respects to Supreme Palace Master."
The elderly woman raised a hand and said lightly, "No need to be formal. Be seated... Are you Yun Che?"
Before him stood yet another figure at the pinnacle of the Cang Feng Mystic Realm. From her, Yun Che even sensed a pressure almost equal to that of Ling Tianni. He stepped forward and bowed: "Junior Yun Che greets Senior."
Feng Qianhui's gaze swept up and down Yun Che, then she slowly nodded. Suddenly, her eyes shifted, and her arm lashed out abruptly. Dozens of ice crystals formed in the void and shot toward Yun Che's chest.
Faced with Feng Qianhui's sudden attack, Yun Che showed no surprise. His body remained still, his chest slightly puffing out, but he didn't even raise a defensive profound force. Instead, he met the attack with his bare body.
Bang, bang, bang, bang...
The ice crystals struck solidly against his body, but the moment they touched him, they shattered into fragments and dissipated, leaving no trace of injury on Yun Che.
A deep shock flickered in Feng Qianhui's eyes. Those ice crystals carried only half of her power, yet even a peak Heavenly Xuan expert would struggle to withstand them. Yet this young man before her, only at the Earth Xuan Realm, had taken them head-on without even using profound force defense, emerging completely unscathed... In this single aspect alone, no second person in the entire Cang Feng Continent could match him.
But Feng Qianhui's probing was far from over. When all the ice crystals hit the ground, she shot out both hands, her hair rising as her entire body danced with ice spirits. A vast power of Ice Cloud Art was unleashed, making the already small ice chamber feel like it had fallen into an icy hell.
As Feng Qianhui's hand seals shifted rapidly, seven enormous ice lotuses bloomed around Yun Che. Like ice lotuses, these from Feng Qianhui were far beyond those Xia Qingyue had once formed. Each one contained enough Ice Cloud power to completely freeze a ten-li-wide lake.
A flash of light appeared in Yun Che's eyes. Before the seven ice lotuses could begin transforming, he immediately grabbed the Dragon Gate and activated Heart Incineration. Stepping into Star God Remnant Shadow, he swung the Dragon Gate seven times, each strike overwhelmingly domineering.
By the time the seventh sword fell, the Dragon Gate had already vanished from his hands.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
Ear-splitting explosions instantly filled the entire ice chamber. The lotus blooms, just having blossomed, hadn't even released their Ice Cloud might before they burst apart like firecrackers strung together, scattering into countless tiny ice crystals. Carried by the residual heavy sword storm to the walls of the ice chamber, they formed a thick layer of ice.
Feng Qianhui's arm froze mid-air, deep shock flashing in her eyes. No matter how much she had heard, seeing it in person was different. Those two probes had been enough to make her realize just how terrifying Yun Che's strength truly was. Moreover, his profound power level was indeed at the unbelievable Earth Xuan Realm.
"Excellent!" Feng Qianhui praised. "It seems your reputation as the 'Number One of Cang Feng' is no exaggeration. And that you are the greatest genius in Cang Feng's history is equally free of falsehood."
Yun Che humbly replied, "Senior's praise is too great. This junior is still young, with a shallow foundation, and cannot be compared to figures of Senior's level. The so-called 'Number One of Cang Feng' is merely a jest, unworthy of my claim."
Feng Qianhui said, "I've heard that you annihilated the Fen Tian Gate, severely wounded the Divine Emperor's prince, and act with abandon and arrogance. Now that you're before this old woman, why be so pretentious? Sit down."
Yun Che sat down opposite Feng Qianhui.
"My secular name is Feng Qianhui. You may call me Granny Qianhui. With your current strength and reputation, you could easily disregard my request to meet. There is almost no one in all of Cang Feng who qualifies to ask you to come see them. So why travel thousands of miles to this far northern region to meet me?" Feng Qianhui stared at Yun Che, her expression indicating this was no casual question. Because Yun Che's attitude toward the Bing Yun Fairy Palace would determine her next decision.
"Well..." Yun Che glanced sidelong at Gong Yuxian and Xia Qingyue. "Senior, do you want the truth?"
"Of course the truth."
"Alright then, I'll be straightforward." Yun Che straightened his chest and said frankly, "Actually, the reason is simple. Qingyue is a disciple of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, and Qingyue is also my wife. I was afraid that if I didn't come, it might cause my dear Qingyue some trouble. So I came."
Xia Qingyue: "..."
"Yun Che! No nonsense before the Supreme Palace Master!" Gong Yuxian furrowed her brow and spoke coldly.
"It's fine." Feng Qianhui looked into Yun Che's eyes and smiled faintly. "He's not spouting nonsense. What he just said is exactly what's on his mind. Yun Che, I've heard that when your family was taken by the Fen Tian Gate, you annihilated their entire sect in a fit of rage. And now, just to prevent Qingyue from being troubled, you come to see me. It seems you value bonds of affection far more than you value strength... Very good. Then do you know why I have always wanted to meet you?"
"Please enlighten me, Senior." Yun Che could vaguely guess sixty or seventy percent, but he wasn't entirely certain. Before today, he had never heard any rumors about the Bing Yun Fairy Palace's Supreme Palace Master, not even her name. Clearly, she had long ceased to involve herself in mundane affairs. Yet now she suddenly wanted to see him, likely because of some major matter concerning the Bing Yun Fairy Palace that even Gong Yuxian couldn't decide.
Feng Qianhui said slowly, "I am fully aware of your relationship with my palace's disciple, Chu Yuechan. Since you have united with Yuechan, you naturally know one of the major secrets of the Ice Cloud Art. Beginning two years ago, the core profound art of my Bing Yun Fairy Palace—the Ice Cloud Art—has been on your person. Do you deny this?"
"Yes, I do possess the Ice Cloud Art. However, I have never used it in front of anyone, nor have I ever told a single person about this." Yun Che admitted candidly.
Feng Qianhui continued, "A sect's profound art is the soul of that sect and a forbidden knowledge that must never be passed to outsiders. Whether it is leaking one's sect's profound art or stealing another's, it is one of the greatest taboos in the Xuan realm! When any sect expels a disciple, the first thing they do is seal away that disciple's sect arts. Yuechan grew up in the Bing Yun Fairy Palace and was the foremost of the Ice Cloud Seven Immortals. Even so, before leaving the Ice Palace, she had to voluntarily abolish her own profound arts. Yet you, who are not a disciple of my Bing Yun Fairy Palace, possess the Ice Cloud Art, the core profound art of my palace. This is why I wanted to see you. Although I believe you will not pass it to others, and may not even value this humble Ice Cloud Art of my palace, for my Bing Yun Fairy Palace, this is an extremely important matter that cannot be ignored!"
Yun Che pondered for a moment, then said, "What does Senior wish me to do?"
"You have two choices." Feng Qianhui said sternly. "The first is to let me seal away your Ice Cloud Art. Water and fire counteract each other. You possess a Phoenix bloodline, so ice-type profound arts are extremely unsuitable for you. They might even burden or damage your profound veins due to attribute conflict. So sealing away the Ice Cloud Art should not be an unacceptable thing for you."
When it came to merely sealing away the Ice Cloud Art, Yun Che indeed had no reluctance. In the eyes of ordinary people, as the profound art of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, it was undoubtedly incredibly powerful. But compared to his Evil God, Desolate God, Celestial Wolf, and Phoenix arts, it was far too weak. In battle, Yun Che never used it. With the same consumption, the power of Phoenix Flame far surpassed Ice Cloud Art. The only time he occasionally used it was to conceal his aura with an Ice Cloud Barrier.
However, this Ice Cloud Art had come from Chu Yuechan! It was given to him through her virgin yin, becoming an unbreakable link between him and Chu Yuechan. Now that Chu Yuechan's whereabouts were unknown, it was the only trace left within him by her.
Therefore, he absolutely did not want the Ice Cloud Art to be sealed.
"I want to hear the second choice." Yun Che did not hesitate long and said resolutely.
Feng Qianhui gave Yun Che a deep look. "The second choice is to join my Bing Yun Fairy Palace and become a disciple of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace."
This statement from Feng Qianhui was nothing short of earth-shattering. None of the three had expected her to say such a thing. Before Yun Che could respond, Gong Yuxian stood up and exclaimed, "Senior Aunt, this..."
"Say no more." Feng Qianhui raised her hand to stop Gong Yuxian from continuing, speaking calmly. "I have my reasons."
Gong Yuxian opened her mouth but didn't say more. Beside her, Xia Qingyue also looked surprised.
"Well... as far as I know, the Bing Yun Fairy Palace has only ever accepted female disciples since its founding. There has never been a male disciple. Senior, you mean to make an exception for me?" Yun Che said, uneasy.
"The reason my palace has only accepted female disciples all along is that women tend to have a yin-natured physique, which is more suitable for cultivating the Ice Cloud Art. At the same time, the secret that romantic feelings hinder the cultivation of Ice Cloud Art is false; the true main reason for not accepting male disciples is that the Ice Cloud Art can be passed on through maiden yin." Feng Qianhui said slowly. "But as long as it does not violate the sect's core principles, the rules can be slightly adjusted. You are Qingyue's nominal husband and possess the Ice Cloud Art inherited from Yuechan, so you already have a great fate and connection with my Bing Yun Fairy Palace. Considering the strength and prestige you currently hold, if you were to join my palace, you could greatly enhance its influence. After weighing this, if you are unwilling to have the Ice Cloud Art sealed, I can make an exception and accept you as the first male disciple in the history of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace."
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