# Chapter 661: New Palace Master
But even if Ye Qingsheng's speed were increased tenfold, he would never be able to escape from Yun Che's grasp. Because he could sense that Gong Yuxian's aura was growing fainter and more scattered by the moment — if things continued like this, her final spark of life could dissipate at any time.
"Palace Master, you asked me to spare his life because you wish to inquire where these people came from, correct?" Yun Che said calmly, facing Gong Yuxian. At the same time, he had already begun rapidly circulating the Great Dao Pagoda Art, gathering the energy of heaven and earth.
Mu Rong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, Feng Hanxue... and all the Bingyun women were staring fixedly at him, their gazes as misty as ice fog, as dreamlike as a dream... Perhaps even now, they still suspected they were trapped in the most illusory of dreams.
Heaven had sent calamity. Throughout these six months, they had been in despair at every moment... Facing them were two Overlord Emperors and ten high-level Thrones — forces they could never hope to resist. The six months had been their final reprieve, relying on the Ice God Temple. Today, when the villains broke through the Ice God Temple, all of them had already accepted their fate of death, no longer daring to hope for any miracle... But Yun Che, who had supposedly perished three years ago on the Primordial Mystic Ark... their Bing Yun Fairy Palace's only male disciple, had returned at the very last moment, appearing before them.
Not only had he miraculously returned alive, but his strength had become so incredible, so incomprehensible that they could hardly believe it. Ten powerful high-level Thrones had been annihilated by him in the span of two breaths. And the Overlord Emperor, whose fearsome power was nothing short of mythological to Cang Feng, had not the slightest power to resist before him — as helpless as a newborn infant.
The crisis that had pushed them to the brink of despair had been resolved in an instant with Yun Che's return. The villains they had hated and feared were now eleven corpses without a single intact body, and the one remaining lay there like the dead. But none of them cheered, because it all felt too surreal. For a moment, they simply couldn't believe that the Yun Che before them was the same Yun Che they had known.
"Yes..." Gong Yuxian slowly nodded. "Our Bing Yun Fairy Palace... cannot... suffer this calamity... without knowing why... cough... cough..."
Gong Yuxian coughed violently, and a line of black blood quickly dripped from the corner of her mouth.
"Palace Master!" Mu Rong Qianxue and Jun Lianqie cried out in alarm, frantically channeling their Profound Force into her body. Yun Che also immediately stepped forward and pressed his palm against her chest, pouring the breath of heaven and earth he had just gathered into her heart meridian: "Palace Master, rest assured. We will definitely get to the bottom of this... No matter who is behind it, they will pay a heavy price... Palace Master, please don't speak now. Close your eyes and calm your heart... There is no more danger. You just need to focus on recovering your injuries. You will surely heal soon."
"No..." Gong Yuxian shook her head instead. "There are some things... I must say... now..."
Gong Yuxian's voice trembled weakly, but at this moment, her pupils were no longer scattered — they had become clear and bright. Even her fading life force suddenly stabilized... But this change did not reassure Yun Che. Instead, his heart sank heavily...
This was... a final radiance!
It was Gong Yuxian using the last of her remaining life fire... to buy a final brief moment of clarity.
"Palace Master, you..."
"Don't... speak... Listen to me... listen to me..." Gong Yuxian's lips trembled, and her weak voice was filled with deep urgency, making Yun Che dare not interrupt her again: "Yun Che... can you tell me... what level your current strength has reached?"
All eyes once again focused on Yun Che. Everyone was intensely curious about what level his strength had reached. But Yun Che knew that Gong Yuxian was not asking out of mere curiosity. He replied seriously, "My Profound Force realm is at King Xuan Realm Level 3, but if I use all my strength, I might be able to fight against an Emperor Lord below Level 3."
Fight... against an Emperor Lord?
Indescribable shock and disbelief appeared on the beautiful faces of the Bingyun women, and soft gasps escaped their lips. With all his power unleashed, Yun Che could fight an Emperor Lord... That meant Yun Che's current strength had reached the legendary... Sovereign Xuan Realm!
This was not only the highest realm attainable by profound practitioners in Cang Feng Kingdom, but also throughout the entire Tian Xuan Continent! It was the pinnacle of this world! To enter this realm was to become a true Emperor Lord among men! A true myth of the Profound Path!
Gong Yuxian's expression was very calm, but a brilliant light flashed briefly in her eyes. She spoke slowly, "Then... do you still acknowledge... that you are a disciple of Bing Yun Fairy Palace?"
"As long as the Palace Master does not expel me, I will always be a disciple of Bing Yun Fairy Palace," Yun Che said without hesitation. He extended his hand, and a small, ice-blue crystal slowly appeared in his palm: "This Bingyun Soul Crystal was personally bestowed by the Supreme Palace Master back then. It is proof of my identity as a Bingyun disciple. Although I have been away from Bing Yun Fairy Palace for three years, it has always been with me and has never left my side."
Looking at the Bingyun Soul Crystal in Yun Che's hand, Gong Yuxian's eyes rippled with emotion. She nodded with all her remaining strength, and her voice became deeply stirred: "Good... good... good... In just six years... from having no profound power at all to being able to fight an Emperor Lord... only six years... unprecedented in Tian Xuan Continent's history... You are now enough to look down upon the entire Tian Xuan... Your future achievements are beyond anyone's imagination... To you now, Bing Yun Fairy Palace is nothing more than a humble existence... Yet you are still willing... to acknowledge yourself as a disciple of our palace... You truly are... a man of deep loyalty and righteousness... No wonder... Yuechan was willing to betray Bingyun for you... Qingyue could never calm her heart because of you... your master broke a thousand-year sect rule to make you our first male disciple..."
Gong Yuxian said all this in one breath, and her complexion turned from pale to rosy. But Yun Che knew clearly — this was not a sign of improvement, but rather a step closer to death: "Qingyue married you... Yuechan left the palace because of you... I once thought you were Bingyun's calamity... I also could not accept or understand your master taking you as a male disciple... Only today do I realize that you are not Bingyun's calamity at all, but the savior that heaven has bestowed upon our Bing Yun Fairy Palace... If not for you, Bing Yun Fairy Palace would no longer exist today... Your master truly had discerning and wise judgment..."
"Palace Master, please don't speak anymore." Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue were so anxious they were about to cry. "There is no more danger now. We'll take you to the Ice Heart Hall immediately... Once we get there, you will surely recover soon."
"No..." Gong Yuxian shook her head weakly but firmly. "Don't move me... Listen... let me finish what I have to say... Yun Che... Since you still acknowledge yourself as a Bingyun disciple, then... are you willing to obey the command of this Palace Master?"
"..." Yun Che nodded. He did not try to dissuade Gong Yuxian, because he knew that for someone who had already made up her mind to meet death, no amount of medical skill could help: "I am a disciple of Bing Yun Fairy Palace, so naturally I must obey the Palace Master's command."
"Good..." Gong Yuxian's voice trembled even more violently, and her tone suddenly became extremely solemn: "Bingyun disciple Yun Che... kneel to receive the order!"
Yun Che was slightly startled, but facing Gong Yuxian at this moment, he could not refuse. He knelt solemnly on one knee before her. At that moment, he saw Gong Yuxian's right palm slowly open, and a small, diamond-shaped ice crystal floated silently above the back of her hand, releasing an otherworldly, dreamlike blue light.
Seeing this ice crystal, all seven of the Ice Cloud Immortals were violently shaken, and they cried out in unison: "That... that is..."
"This ice soul is called the 'Bingyun Immortal Soul.' It carries all the techniques, secrets, and precious memories of past Palace Masters of our Bing Yun Fairy Palace. With it on one's person, one can also unlock all the restrictions within the palace... And furthermore, it is the proof of identity for the Palace Master of Bing Yun Fairy Palace..." Gong Yuxian trembled as she extended her arm, presenting the Bingyun Immortal Soul before Yun Che:
"I now... entrust this 'Bingyun Immortal Soul' to you... From today onward, you shall be the... New Palace Master of Bing Yun Fairy Palace!"