Chapter 664: Aftermath at Ice Cloud
The thunderous roar quaked for a hundred miles, yet in the end, it faded into utter silence.
As the golden light vanished, the southwestern area of Cangfeng Imperial City had become an empty void. The Shenhuang Army, the massive horde of profound beasts—all had disappeared without a trace. No corpses, no bloodstains, no shattered armor, not even the slightest remnant could be found. Only countless black spatial fissures twisted and rapidly shrank before vanishing.
This was the second wave of Shenhuang Army to arrive that day, and their end was exactly the same as the first...
Hundreds of thousands of Shenhuang soldiers, beneath the blaze of Yun Che's fury, were incinerated to ashes in an instant. An entire seventy li of space were annihilated into nothingness... The overwhelming shock of that scene left all who witnessed it unable to calm themselves even now. For what they had seen was a power of myth, a truly world-destroying force!
And such power, such a sight... had appeared before them for the second time on the same day. But this time, it was not Yun Che, but a different person. The similarity was that they both destroyed the mortal enemies of the Cang Feng Kingdom... The rage in his aura and roar was no less intense than the flames of Yun Che's fury from before.
The massive green bow in Tianxia Diyi's hands had already vanished. His heart was filled with endless shock, but no more panic... This "giant" possessed a terrifying power, almost comparable to Yun Che's, but he was certainly not an enemy. For his hatred was aimed at the Shenhuang Army, and when he released his power along with his fury, he had deliberately controlled it to avoid harming the Cangfeng Imperial City behind him... Otherwise, even just the residual force would have been enough to reduce the southern part of the imperial city to ruins.
Tianxia Diyi took a deep breath and asked Cang Yue: "You called out 'Yuanba' just now—is that this person's name? Do you know him?"
"His name is Xia Yuanba. He is my husband's and my junior brother... and more importantly, he is my husband's family," Cang Yue said, deeply moved.
"Ju-Ju-Junior brother?" Tianxia Diyi and Xiao Yun's eyes went wide, almost unable to believe their ears: "Is he even... younger than Big Brother?"
"Yes. He is a year and more younger than my husband," Cang Yue said softly.
"!#$%..." Tianxia Diyi and Xiao Yun almost heard their own jaws hit the ground.
In the sky, with the complete annihilation of the Shenhuang Army, Xia Yuanba's fury had somewhat subsided after being vented. He slowly turned and saw Cang Yue and Qin Wushang beside her. Having awakened the Overlord Emperor's Heart, he was no longer the coward he once was, yet his gaze still trembled, and his eyes moistened slightly.
"Senior Sister Xueruo... Lord Qin..." he murmured, then flew at full speed toward them. During his time at Cangfeng Mystic Palace, apart from Yun Che, Cang Yue was the one who treated him best, and Lord Qin had also shown him much kindness. Seeing them safe and sound... there was no greater comfort than this.
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Bang!!
A faint shattering sound seemed to ring deep within his soul, causing the irritable Feng Hengkong to suddenly open his eyes. His gaze flickered chaotically... He could only hope it was just an illusion.
But immediately, a hurried footstep came from outside, followed by a panicked shout: "Sect Master, it's bad! The soul crystal of the Fifty-Second Elder... just shattered as well!"
"We have tried to contact the Fifty-Second Elder and Commander Han who was with him, but there is no response at all!"
Feng Hengkong slowly stood up, his face dark. Less than half an hour ago, Han Xingchao had sent him a message, saying that the area before Cangfeng Imperial City was eerily quiet—no trace of the Shenhuang Army, not even signs of battle... And now, just like the main Shenhuang force, they had become unreachable, with no news at all!
What in the world is happening at Cangfeng Imperial City?!
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Bing Yun Fairy Palace.
Using the Ice Cloud Immortal Soul within his body, Yun Che unlocked a special barrier and led the women of Bing Yun Fairy Palace into the secret grounds. They placed the ice coffins containing the remains of Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian in the innermost ice chamber. The bodies of all past palace masters of Bing Yun Fairy Palace rested here in eternal slumber.
Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue knelt before the ice coffins, with all the Bing Yun disciples behind them. They knelt for nearly an hour, until Yun Che sighed softly and said, "Let's go out and let the palace master rest in peace. She toiled for Bing Yun Fairy Palace her entire life; she deserves a good rest."
Leading the Bing Yun women out of the secret grounds, the sky had already darkened. Although Bing Yun Fairy Palace had suffered a great calamity, it was protected by a barrier beforehand. Before the barrier vanished, they had all retreated into the Ice God Divine Hall, so no fierce battle had occurred, and the palace itself had not been too severely damaged.
The night-kissed Bing Yun Fairy Palace possessed a dreamlike beauty—glowing with icy reflections and crystalline splendor, like a fairyland of snow. Yun Che glanced at the sky... No message had come from Cangfeng Imperial City, so it seemed no other Shenhuang Army had attacked.
However, he did not know that the special barrier of the Bing Yun secret grounds could block not only external auras... but also sound transmissions.
"Greetings, Palace Master!"
Just as Yun Che was about to turn and speak, the Bing Yun women around him—including the Ice Cloud Seven Immortals—all knelt down, bowing their heads in solemn respect. He quickly said, "Rise, rise. You don't need to bow to me. Although I am the temporary palace master, you don't need to observe so many formalities with me."
Murong Qianxue said seriously, "Bing Yun Fairy Palace and our lives were all saved thanks to you, Palace Master. Moreover, you were personally appointed by the former palace master as the new palace master. Both in emotion and reason, we must kneel and pay our respects. From now on, we sisters and disciples will follow your orders."
Every woman of Bing Yun Fairy Palace possessed a beauty that could captivate the world, yet their hearts were as cold as ice, making them difficult to approach. Yun Che had once secretly ground his teeth in frustration, complaining that Bing Yun Fairy Palace was simply a sinful place that wasted nature's gifts... But now, he had become the master of this very palace, and all the Bing Yun women knelt before him. The feeling was indescribably complex and subtle.
"...Alright, get up now. Consider this my first command as palace master," Yun Che said, trying to straighten his expression.
The Bing Yun women rose. They looked at Yun Che, their eyes still carrying the grief of the calamity, yet there was not much rejection of this male palace master. Three years ago, when he entered the Ice Palace as the first male disciple in history, it had sparked confusion among almost all Bing Yun disciples—including Gong Yuxian. But afterward, when he unlocked all the profound gates for Murong Qianxue and the others, granting them six astonishing Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridians, and when he comprehended the Ice God Divine Art even faster than Xia Qingyue, the rejection and doubt toward him faded. Even their wariness diminished... After a few months, they had basically grown accustomed to his presence.
Now, he had returned at the moment of Bing Yun Fairy Palace's direst crisis, saving them from certain doom. The power he displayed was so overwhelming that they could not help but be impressed... The calamity of Bing Yun Fairy Palace was not yet fully resolved, but with Yun Che possessing Lord Xuan Realm strength, he was undoubtedly a powerful protective umbrella they had never even dared to imagine before.
Having endured those nightmare six months, they now felt a reliance on this male palace master—stronger than they themselves realized.
"Senior Uncle, Senior Martial Aunt, and all senior and junior sisters," Yun Che said sincerely, his voice calm, "Three years ago, I entered Bing Yun Fairy Palace as a male disciple, already breaking a thousand-year rule. Now becoming palace master is ultimately quite inappropriate and will bring much criticism upon our Bing Yun Fairy Palace. The former palace master passed the position to me out of necessity. Therefore, I am only acting as temporary palace master. Once I find Qingyue, I will immediately return the position to her. But please rest assured, I will always be a disciple of Bing Yun. I will not break the promise I made to the former palace master... Unless I die, I will never allow anyone to bully our Bing Yun Fairy Palace again."
The "Ice Cloud Immortal Soul" that Gong Yuxian had passed to him contained the important memories of past palace masters and most of Bing Yun Fairy Palace's secrets. According to those records, the escape profound formation used by Xia Qingyue was a random teleportation formation. It was impossible to know where it had sent her, not even the maximum range of its teleportation.
He had also learned that the purpose of Ye Qingsheng and his group attacking Bing Yun Fairy Palace was—stunningly—Xia Qingyue!
This was something that puzzled and alarmed him greatly. Before the age of sixteen, Xia Qingyue had lived in Liu Yun City, barely leaving her boudoir. Yun Che, who had a marriage contract with her, had only seen her a few times in sixteen years. After that, she had basically stayed at Bing Yun Fairy Palace, rarely going outside... And on the few occasions she did, she had never left the Cang Feng Kingdom.
Why would the Sun Moon Divine Palace suddenly target Xia Qingyue?
Could it be that Ye Xinghan had taken a fancy to her beauty?
That didn't seem right either... Ye Xinghan should have never even seen her!
"Palace Master, what should we do next?" Murong Qianxue asked softly, her ice-blue eyes carrying deep gloom and worry. Even now, they did not understand why Bing Yun Fairy Palace, a sect that never contended with the world, had suffered such a calamity.
A pair of beautiful eyes fell upon Yun Che. This young man of only twenty-two had quietly become their pillar of support in the face of this disaster. After all, in this world, strength reigned supreme—no matter where.
Yun Che thought for a moment, then said, "Let's interrogate that damned man first!"
With a wave of his hand, a blast of cold wind swept up a man in black, who was hurled over from afar and landed heavily at Yun Che's feet.
Ye Qingsheng had already had his profound power crippled and meridians severed by Yun Che. He could neither resist nor escape, nor even commit suicide. Exposed to the freezing snow and ice without any profound power to protect himself, he shivered violently. Every moment, countless ice needles stabbed into his body, causing him unbearable pain. He looked at Yun Che, his pupils no longer pleading, only filled with fear—but he could not utter even a single word.
Seeing him, all the Bing Yun women's faces showed anger and hatred. Yun Che stepped forward. Too lazy to waste a single word on him, he extended his hand. The Arcane Firmament flew out, directly invading his soul, and instantly completed the Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing technique.
Ye Qingsheng's entire body shuddered, his eyes quickly losing focus, becoming vacant.
"What is your name?" Yun Che withdrew his hand and asked flatly.
"Ye... Qingsheng..." Ye Qingsheng answered, his voice shivering from the cold.
Ye?
Yun Che's brow twitched slightly. So it really was the Sun Moon Divine Palace! Although the Sun Moon Divine Palace was not a family-style force, everyone who joined was required to change their surname to "Ye." He pressed on: "The sect you belong to—is it the Sun Moon Divine Palace?"
"...Yes," Ye Qingsheng answered woodenly.
"Ah!"
The expected gasps sounded in Yun Che's ears. The name "Sun Moon Divine Palace" caused the faces of all the Bing Yun women to lose their color.
There were not many forces on the entire Tian Xuan Continent that could dispatch an Overlord Emperor. During these six months, the word "Sacred Ground" had occasionally appeared in their speculations, but they had dismissed it immediately. Because to Bing Yun Fairy Palace, and to the entire Cang Feng Kingdom, the Four Sacred Grounds were entities that stood high above the clouds, like divine palaces. They could never have any connection with Bing Yun Fairy Palace... and even less reason to attack them so viciously.
But the name they now heard clearly belonged to those legendary, awe-inspiring Four Sacred Grounds.
"Then who sent you here?" Amid the voices filled with shock, confusion, and fear, Yun Che stared at Ye Qingsheng and continued.
"It was the Young Master... Ye Xinghan..."
"Ye Xinghan sent you to Bing Yun Fairy Palace to take away Xia Qingyue?" Yun Che's brow furrowed.
"Yes... and we were to ensure Xia Qingyue... remained unharmed..."
"Why did he want you to capture her? What is Ye Xinghan's plan for Xia Qingyue?" Yun Che's voice grew heavier.
Ye Qingsheng's vacant eyes showed a moment of confusion before he answered, "I don't know..."
Under the influence of Arcane Firmament Soul-Seizing, it was impossible to lie. Since he answered "I don't know," then he truly did not know.
The question that most puzzled Yun Che remained unanswered. He took a deep breath, then suddenly asked, "Then where did Ye Xinghan see Xia Qingyue? Or from whom did he learn of Xia Qingyue's existence?"
"The Young Master... has never met Xia Qingyue... The Young Master mentioned that the name Xia Qingyue... came from an elder of Tian Wei Sword Domain..."
"An elder from Tian Wei Sword Domain?" Yun Che's brows knitted tightly: "Which elder?"
"I... don't... know..."
Having lost all patience, Yun Che stepped on Ye Qingsheng's chest, pressed both hands to his head, and released the Arcane Firmament, rapidly reading his entire memory... After just a few breaths, he removed his hands from Ye Qingsheng's head, his expression grim.