# Chapter 469: Xue'er... Wait for Me...
“This… bastard!!”
Yun Che’s worst fear had finally come true. As expected, with Ye Xinghan’s ability, he had seen through the secrets of that profound formation. Ye Xinghan had already left at the fastest possible speed, but Yun Che’s heart had sunk completely into the abyss. He quickly stood up, summoned Long Que, and struck the stone door with all his might.
CLANG!!!
The piercing impact sound nearly tore his eardrums apart. The enormous backlash sent sharp pain through Yun Che’s arms, and his barely-stabilized internal injuries nearly burst open completely. He staggered backward, then heavily collapsed to the ground.
“Brother Yun!” Feng Xue’er moved her body and caught Yun Che’s shoulders. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
Yun Che’s gaze fell upon the point of impact between Long Que and the stone door… Not even a crack, not even a tiny visible notch. He let out a heavy breath, and his arms fell limply to his sides.
“Brother Yun…” Looking at Yun Che’s state, thinking about their predicament, Feng Xue’er hugged him tightly… “Brother Yun…”
These three words, at this moment, were her entire spiritual support.
“I’m sorry, Xue’er. In the end, we’ve still been forced to this point.” Yun Che let out a bitter laugh, his voice weak.
Feng Xue’er shook her head vigorously. “No… it’s me who should be sorry to Brother Yun. It’s all because of me. If Brother Yun hadn’t been protecting me, you wouldn’t be in any trouble at all…”
Tears from the Phoenix’s daughter fell drop by drop, gently landing on Yun Che’s arm. Yun Che turned his face and looked into Feng Xue’er’s eyes. After a long moment, he asked softly, “Xue’er, are you afraid?”
Yun Che’s face was strangely pale, but his eyes still held that familiar warmth she had unknowingly grown to love. Slowly, she shook her head. “If I were alone, I would be afraid. But with Brother Yun beside me, I don’t feel any fear at all.”
“But I am very afraid.” Yun Che closed his eyes. “I’m afraid I’ll never see my family and wives again… afraid no one will protect them… afraid I won’t be able to complete the dying wish Grandfather entrusted to me… afraid I’ll never have the chance to see Little Fairy again, and the child we share… afraid of so many things…”
“And now… right before my eyes, what I fear most is seeing you truly lose your life here.”
Rumble… rumble…
The spatial tremors grew stronger and stronger, the rumbling sound unending.
Yun Che dropped Long Que, took both of Feng Xue’er’s small hands in his, and looked upward, speaking with melancholy. “Xue’er, do you know? I have always been someone who cherishes his own life dearly, and I am an incredibly selfish person. Once, to save my own life, I poisoned countless people—more than you can even imagine. And among them were many innocent people…”
Feng Xue’er shook her head. “All I know is that Brother Yun is the best person in the world, and the one who treats me best. No matter who tells me Brother Yun is a bad person, I will never believe it.”
Yun Che smiled. “Xue’er, your heart is like crystal. Even back then when I deceived you, you not only didn’t expose me, but instead took the initiative to teach me the Phoenix Ode Scripture, and yesterday, you tried so hard to help me… Before you, my soul, stained with countless filth and sin, feels almost unworthy to stand. Your presence is like a brilliant pearl embedded in my soul—so precious I hardly have the courage to touch it.”
“Brother Yun…” Feng Xue’er didn’t know why Yun Che was saying such strange things to her, but every word was praise and cherishment for her, filling her heart with contentment and warmth, yet also a nameless unease.
“So no matter what, I will never stand by and watch you die… At least now, I would rather die than let that happen.”
“…Brother Yun, I will always remember every word you said today. Even if I die and go to another world, I will never forget.” Feng Xue’er murmured softly. Trapped in an inescapable dead end, with less than a quarter of an hour before death truly came, she should have felt fear and countless worries. But at this moment, her heart had become very calm, without a trace of fear. She knew the reason—because the person beside her was accompanying her.
A hint of determination flashed deep in Yun Che’s eyes. He raised his hand, and the golden flame mark between his brows suddenly blazed. Looking at Feng Xue’er, he said, “Xue’er, close your eyes.”
Feng Xue’er obediently closed her eyes. Yun Che extended two fingers and gently pressed them to her forehead between her brows. Instantly, the phoenix mark on Feng Xue’er’s forehead also flickered for a moment—the same golden mark as Yun Che’s.
“Ah… this is?” Feng Xue’er opened her eyes, her lips parted in surprise.
“These are the profound formulas for the fifth and sixth realms of the Phoenix Ode Scripture,” Yun Che said. “Quickly memorize them.”
The fifth and sixth realms of the Phoenix Ode Scripture—what the Fenghuang God Sect had dreamed of for five thousand years but never obtained. Now, someone had finally acquired them. Though the timing was hardly appropriate, Feng Xue’er obediently complied, closed her eyes, concentrated her mind, and deeply imprinted the profound marks entering her spiritual sea into her own soul.
In less than half an incense time, Feng Xue’er opened her eyes. Yun Che smiled gently. “Xue’er is even cleverer than I imagined. Like this, within a few months at most, you will be able to fully master them.”
The space began to tremble continuously, the amplitude growing larger and larger, as if it might collapse at any moment. But Yun Che’s expression was exceptionally calm. He gazed into Feng Xue’er’s somewhat dazed eyes and said seriously, “Xue’er, next, I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say, okay?”
“Mm.” Feng Xue’er nodded. “I will listen to whatever Brother Yun says.”
Yun Che gave a faint smile. “The Four Sacred Grounds have clearly already learned that Lord Phoenix God has passed away. Your display of power at the ranking battle yesterday will only confirm this further. From now on, your Fenghuang God Sect will likely face unprecedented pressure and crisis. I don’t know how your Imperial Father will respond, and no one knows what the future will bring. But Xue’er, after you leave here, you must diligently cultivate this sixth realm of the Phoenix Ode Scripture, gain more power, and protect yourself well.”
“Aside from your Imperial Father and Grandfather, don’t trust anyone easily—including your imperial brothers. Because it’s possible that others close to you, pressured by circumstances and worried about their own futures, might pledge allegiance to the Four Sacred Grounds… No matter what, you must put your own life and safety first. Because to your Imperial Father, the people of your sect… and to me… your life is more important than the entire Fenghuang God Sect. If one day your sect truly faces an unstoppable cataclysm, I hope Xue’er will not try to defend the sect with all her might, but instead use every ounce of strength to escape and survive… Xue’er, please promise me this.”
“Ah…” Feng Xue’er slightly parted her tender pink lips, at a loss. “After… leaving here? We… can we still leave?”
“In any case, promise me first,” Yun Che said with firm eyes. “You just said it yourself—you’ll listen to whatever I say.”
“Mm…” Feng Xue’er nodded gently. “Then… I promise.”
Yun Che smiled. He extended his pinky toward Feng Xue’er. “Then, like last time… pinky swear!”
Feng Xue’er extended her own fair little finger and gently linked it with Yun Che’s, their fingers quietly tightening together. Looking into each other’s eyes, they both remembered that first time they had linked pinkies, and they both smiled softly. Yun Che said with a gentle smile, “Since we’ve pinky-sworn, it means the things Xue’er promised me can never be denied.”
“Mm!” Feng Xue’er answered crisply. “What I promise Brother Yun, I will definitely do. Brother Yun, you’re not allowed to weasel out of your promise to take me to see the snow either.”
Yun Che’s eyes flickered. He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached up and took off the teleportation jade that Xia Yuanba had given him, which hung around his neck, and gently placed it around Feng Xue’er’s neck.
“This is…” Feng Xue’er lifted the jade with her palm, looking at it curiously. The jade was originally clear and translucent, but against Feng Xue’er’s jade-white skin, it seemed utterly dull in comparison.
Yun Che placed his palm over Feng Xue’er’s hand and quietly grasped the jade. He gazed lingeringly at her breathtaking face, so close to his, his voice as soft as a breeze. “What I promised Xue’er, I will definitely fulfill… Three years from now, at the Ice Extreme Snow Domain in the Cang Feng Kingdom, I will go with Xue’er to watch the endless falling snow. Three years from now, Xue’er, wait for me there, all right?”
RUMBLE… RUMBLE… RUMBLE…
The space boiled like water. Under the violent tremors, Yun Che and Feng Xue’er were jostled about. The Primordial Mystic Ark had finally entered the final countdown to closing. Feng Xue’er stared blankly at Yun Che, her heart filling with ever-increasing bewilderment and an unspeakable unease. “Wait for you? Brother Yun, why… why ‘wait for you’?”
TEAR!!
A horrifying spatial rift appeared less than three feet behind Yun Che. His expression remained perfectly calm, as if nothing in the world could disturb him now. His hand tightened gently. With a soft “crack,” the teleportation jade in his palm shattered. Instantly, profound light blazed, and a small profound array appeared around Feng Xue’er’s body. The appearance of this array, along with its mysterious profound energy aura, made Feng Xue’er suddenly sense something. “Brother Yun, you…”
“Xue’er… wait for me…”
Yun Che’s four words were soft and calm, but when they fell upon Feng Xue’er’s ears, they shook her like profound thunder, throwing her heart and mind into utter chaos… even bringing her to the brink of collapse in an instant. Her beautiful eyes widened in terror. Boundless fear and heartache spread through every part of her body. She reached out her hand, trying to grab Yun Che, but found his figure growing blurry, and she was getting farther and farther away from him… farther and farther…
“BROTHER YUN… BROTHER YUN! NO!!!!”
With a cry like a cuckoo spitting blood, all sounds and sights faded into the distance. Yun Che’s figure blurred completely into the endless, kaleidoscopic spatial light…
Rumble… crack… rip… BOOM…
The space erupted into complete chaos. The entire world seemed to be on the verge of destruction. Yun Che lowered his arm, picked up Long Que, held the great sword in his arms, and closed his eyes…
BOOM…
It was as if the entire space of the Primordial Mystic Ark’s world had shattered into pieces at once. Countless spatial fissures covered every corner of the ark. In an instant, countless bloody wounds burst open on Yun Che’s body, turning him into a blood-soaked figure, as if his entire body had been torn into countless fragments by the exploding spatial tears…
At that moment, it was early morning in Shenhuang City. The light at the center of the city suddenly grew much brighter. People instinctively looked up to the distant sky, where the Primordial Mystic Ark, which had remained for half a year, had completely vanished.