Chapter 387: Ice Palace's Determination
Under Yun Che's "efforts," Murong Qianxue's Xuan Gates were broken through one after another. Her expression remained fairly calm, but her cicada-wing-like eyelashes trembled lightly the entire time. When the number of opened Xuan Gates reached forty, surpassing the legendary Bingyun Ancestor Mu Bingyun, she could not suppress an excited soft cry.
Whoosh...
As Yun Che let out a long breath, his hand finally left Murong Qianxue's jade-like back. He wiped his forehead—well, the sweat he had squeezed out. By this point, all of Murong Qianxue's Xuan Gates had been opened, and the time taken had absolutely not exceeded a quarter of an hour!
Murong Qianxue stood up, pulling her snow-white robe closed. For a moment, she was too excited to speak. With all her Xuan Gates unobstructed, she could clearly feel that the circulation of Profound Qi within her body was at least three times faster than before, and her body felt so light she could hardly feel its weight... This legendary Xuan Meridian was even more miraculous than the legends themselves. Before today, she had never imagined that the mythical Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian would suddenly appear on her body!
Gong Yuxian quickly stepped forward and grasped her wrist. After a brief examination, she raised her head and exclaimed in disbelief, "All fifty-four Xuan Gates opened... The Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian—truly the Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian!"
The ice maidens, who had been holding their breaths, heard Gong Yuxian's own words and could not help covering their mouths in shock. They gathered around Murong Qianxue to feel the flow of Profound Qi within her. The sight of all fifty-four unobstructed Xuan Gates left them all shocked beyond emotional control.
Xia Qingyue approached Yun Che and said softly, "Yun Che, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. Although the Profound Force consumption wasn't great, this task took a lot of mental energy." Yun Che shook his head, putting on a weak appearance while inwardly shouting: *My beloved Qingyue still cares about me. I'm obviously so weak, but those heartless women didn't even bother to ask.*
"This is truly a miracle from heaven!" Gong Yuxian's face flushed red with excitement. She quickly picked up her Sound Transmission Jade and muttered to herself, "Even in the Sacred Grounds, something like this would cause a huge sensation... I must inform the Supreme Palace Master immediately!"
Gong Yuxian's voice traveled through the Sound Transmission Jade. Not long after she put it away, a gust of cold wind howled over, arriving faster than anyone expected. The person who came had an aged face and half-white hair—it was the Ice Cloud Fairy Palace's Supreme Palace Master, Feng Qianhui!
"Supreme Palace Master!"
Feng Qianhui had not concerned herself with palace affairs for decades and rarely left her seclusion. Even the Ice Cloud Seven Immortals had only seen her a few times. Now, she had voluntarily left her secret grounds and rushed over at top speed, showing just how deeply her heart had been stirred. She landed before Gong Yuxian and asked directly, "Yuxian, what you just said... is it true?"
"Yuxian would never dare deceive Senior Uncle!" Gong Yuxian pulled Murong Qianxue forward.
Feng Qianhui quickly reached out and lightly brushed her hand over Murong Qianxue's arm. Instantly, a look of shock appeared on her face: "The Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian!" As her voice fell, her gaze shifted to Yun Che: "Yun Che! You actually possess such... heaven-defying means!"
To open all Xuan Gates of a person's Xuan Meridian in just a quarter of an hour—someone in the Tian Xuan Continent would consider such an ability nothing short of heaven-defying.
Yun Che stepped forward respectfully and said, "If the Supreme Palace Master is interested, this disciple can demonstrate before you by opening all Xuan Gates for another fairy maiden. I wonder... which fairy maiden is willing?"
"You can do it again?" Gong Yuxian asked in shock.
Yun Che said with confidence, "Opening Xuan Gates requires intense mental concentration, which greatly consumes mental energy. However, if I only need to do it for two people in a row, I am confident I can manage perfectly. Only with three would it become somewhat difficult."
In reality, the consumption of Profound Force and mental energy to open Xuan Gates was negligible for Yun Che at this point. He could open all Xuan Gates for over a hundred people nonstop in a single day without any fatigue... But if he revealed that truth, even someone like Feng Qianhui would be utterly astounded. Just being able to create Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridians for two people in quick succession was already seen as an earth-shattering ability in their eyes!
And the power of the Heavenly Poison Pearl was indeed heaven-defying in the Tian Xuan Continent!
After Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie removed her snow-white robe before Yun Che, presenting her jade-silk-like back before his eyes... Unlike Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie's heart was undoubtedly filled with excitement and anticipation.
Yun Che repeated the process. In front of Feng Qianhui, he solemnly stroked Jun Lianqie's powdered back for a quarter of an hour, while opening her Xuan Gates one by one. When Yun Che opened the last Xuan Gate, creating another Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian, Feng Qianhui was so moved that tears streamed down her aged face.
For Yun Che, opening the Xuan Gates of the Ice Cloud Seven Immortals was a trivial effort. But for the people of the Ice Cloud Fairy Palace, it was a great kindness that would affect them for centuries and millennia! After all, in the thousand-year history of the Ice Cloud Fairy Palace, only Xia Qingyue had ever possessed a Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian... and that one was also the work of Yun Che!
"This is truly Heaven's blessing and favor upon my Ice Cloud Fairy Palace!" Feng Qianhui raised her head, her voice trembling with emotion. When she had accepted Yun Che into the palace, she had vaguely sensed the approach of a great calamity and sought an extra source of power. She had never imagined he would bring such a miracle.
Yun Che appeared considerably weaker than before, his face somewhat pale. When he stood up, his body suddenly swayed violently. If Xia Qingyue had not quickly stepped forward to support him, he might have collapsed to the ground.
"Yun Che, are you alright?" Gong Yuxian asked quickly.
"It's nothing, just a bit dizzy. I should be fine after resting for one night." Yun Che leaned his body against Xia Qingyue, the soft fragrance of jade and warmth filling his nostrils: "I have succeeded in my mission. I have opened all Xuan Gates for two fairy maidens. With the Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian, their cultivation speed will greatly accelerate. They will no longer encounter bottlenecks when breaking through, and their lifespans will be extended several times... Additionally, our palace's ice arts are too cold and yin. Long-term cultivation causes increasing damage to the body. With all Xuan Gates open, the stagnant cold can be easily released... So their constitution will also greatly improve. Hoo... Please keep this matter confidential for this disciple."
After saying this, Yun Che collapsed even more limply onto Xia Qingyue. As his full weight pressed down, his arm almost felt the shape of her chest... Although Xia Qingyue vaguely sensed he might be faking it, she was afraid he might truly be mentally exhausted, so she did not push him away.
"Rest assured, not a word of this will be leaked! Your willingness to reveal such an astounding ability before us is a sign of trust and a gift from you. How could we divulge even a hint!" Feng Qianhui's excitement had not yet subsided. She even used the word "gift" for Yun Che. And what he had done today—endowing two disciples with Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridians—truly deserved that description!
"Yun Che, your power here is something this old woman, in nearly two hundred years of life, has never seen or heard of, not even in ancient legends. May I ask rudely where this ability of yours comes from?"
Yun Che took a heavy breath and said, "It was taught to me by my esteemed master. However, my master dwells beyond the mortal world and no longer involves himself in mundane affairs. So I beg your forgiveness that I cannot reveal the details."
Feng Qianhui nodded slowly, her face filled with admiration and longing: "Your master must be an immortal-like figure. No wonder he has such an extraordinary disciple like you."
"Supreme Palace Master flatters me. Today, I inadvertently offended six fairy maidens and committed a grave mistake. Now I have made some amends. I hope Fairy Murong and Fairy Jun can calm their anger. In the next two days, I will definitely open all Xuan Gates for the other four fairy maidens to atone for my sins."
"Compared to opening Qianxue's and Lianqie's Xuan Gates, the unintentional mistake you made earlier is no longer worth mentioning. Qingyue, take Yun Che to rest... For tonight, let him stay temporarily in the Ice Pavilion where your Senior Uncle Chu Yuechan once lived. Qianxue, go to the Condensing Snow Hall shortly and fetch two Snow Heart Pills and three drops of Ice Cicada Jade Nectar for Yun Che to take."
"Yes, Palace Master."
Xia Qingyue led the "weak" Yun Che away. Murong Qianxue also headed toward the Condensing Snow Hall. As Yun Che faded from view, Gong Yuxian and Feng Qianhui's hearts could not calm down for a long time... Since practicing the Ice Heart Art, this was the first time in so many years that they had experienced such intense emotional fluctuations.
"The prophecy left by the Bingyun Ancestor: 'If the thousand-year calamity is safely passed, the Ice Cloud Fairy Palace will prosper for ten thousand years.' Could it be that the reason for that ten thousand years of prosperity... is Yun Che?" Feng Qianhui murmured.
"With just a wave of his hand, he can create a top-tier physique with a Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian. Even the Sacred Grounds cannot imagine such a thing. If my Ice Cloud Fairy Palace could have dozens, hundreds, even thousands of Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridians... how powerful would that be? It would be impossible not to prosper for ten thousand years." Gong Yuxian said with great excitement. "Since that prophecy came from the 'Heavenly Mechanism Sect,' there is a great chance it will come true. The one who can allow us to safely cross the thousand-year calamity and prosper for ten thousand years... must be Yun Che. Senior Uncle, bringing Yun Che into the sect—that was truly unmatched foresight."
"I merely hoped to use his strength when the calamity descended. I never imagined he would possess such an unbelievable ability." Feng Qianhui sighed. "It seems we must do everything possible to keep him in the Ice Cloud Fairy Palace as long as we can... However, to make him stay, we must provide sufficient reasons and temptations. Otherwise, given his rate of growth, before long, this place will no longer be able to contain him."
Gong Yuxian nodded deeply in agreement.
The matter of Yun Che and Chu Yuechan had been a "taboo" in the Ice Cloud Fairy Palace, even a stain on the palace's honor. For years, it had never been allowed to be mentioned. Yet tonight, Gong Yuxian directly instructed Yun Che to stay in the Ice Pavilion where Chu Yuechan once lived—this move clearly carried an intention to please Yun Che.
...