# Chapter 843: Snow Domain Dark Clouds
Xiao Lingxi hadn't slept properly for ten whole days. Most of the time, she sat in a daze, occasionally drifting into unconscious sleep only to be immediately jolted awake by nightmares.
The chill of the Ice Extreme Snow Domain was far beyond what Xiao Lingxi could withstand. So most of the time, she, Cang Yue, and Xiao Lie could only stay within the special barrier set up by Feng Xue'er. They could not walk around the Bing Yun Fairy Palace for long, and getting close to the heavily chilled Ice Cloud Cold Pool to see Yun Che was nothing but a distant hope.
"Xiao Che..." She curled up in the corner of the room, murmuring absentmindedly. Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and Cang Yue walked in slowly.
Xiao Lingxi's head shot up, and she sprang up like she'd been shocked, throwing herself into Cang Yue's arms: "Sister Cang Yue, how is Xiao Che... has he woken up... is he awake yet?"
"Lingxi, don't get agitated first." Cang Yue quickly steadied her, then comforted her softly: "He will wake up, and he will definitely get better. Brother Tianxia Diyi said that with those injuries, anyone else would have died ten thousand times over, but husband is still tenaciously holding on. Have you forgotten... so many times before, we thought we would never see him again, but he always appeared before us safe and sound. This time, he will be the same—he will wake up steadily and get better."
"I... I know, I know..." Xiao Lingxi sobbed softly. "I only hate that I'm so useless. I can't do anything, can't help Xiao Che with anything. Now I can't even go see him, I... I..."
"Taking good care of yourself is the greatest help and comfort you can give him." Cang Yue forced a warm smile, then helped Xiao Lingxi sit down. "Husband is fighting so hard to live because he can't bear to leave you, can't bear to leave us. So don't let yourself collapse by the time he wakes up—that would worry him to death."
Xiao Lingxi bit her lip, tears in her eyes, then nodded softly: "Mm... I know, I'm fine... I've been taking good care of myself. Sister Cang Yue, you need to rest properly. These past days, you've rested even less than I have, and you've been comforting me. You're still an emperor—there must be so many things at the imperial city..."
Cang Yue shook her head gently: "Don't worry. I've already sent a sound transmission to Prefectural Lord Dongfang, asking him to handle court affairs temporarily. Lingxi, calm your heart and get some good sleep. Maybe when you wake up, your little Che will have woken up too."
"Alright..." This time, Xiao Lingxi obediently agreed. She stood up: "I'll go see Father first. He hasn't slept much these days either, and he's eating so little. Even Xiao Yun and Seventh Sister can't persuade him with news of his great-grandson. If this continues, he won't be able to hold on."
Although Xiao Lie's biological grandson was Xiao Yun, not Yun Che, he had raised Yun Che for sixteen years, sheltered him from wind and rain for sixteen years. And Yun Che had been at his side for those sixteen years. Though no blood bound them, the sixteen years of affection was no less deep than flesh and blood.
"I'll go with you."
Just as the two women were about to go see Xiao Lie together, they suddenly felt the light before them darken sharply, as if the high sun had been suddenly obscured.
But the Ice Extreme Snow Domain saw no sun or moon all year round—the sky was always a vast expanse of white. How could it suddenly darken?
Above the Ice Cloud Cold Pool, Xiao Yaohou, who had been as still as an ice sculpture, suddenly opened her eyes and looked up at the sky.
The sky, which had been an endless pale white reflected by infinite ice and snow, was suddenly covered by a gray, dim gloom. An extremely oppressive aura poured down, turning the already chilly snow domain into a heart-stopping dead silence.
"What's happening?"
All the Bing Yun disciples were alarmed by this sudden anomaly. The Ice Cloud Six Immortals soared into the air, looking at the sky and surroundings, an intensely strong sense of oppression and unease rising in their hearts. The climate of the Ice Extreme Snow Domain had been singularly uniform since ancient times—such a scene had never appeared. And this chilling oppressiveness that made one's whole body shudder could never be caused by climate...
This was clearly the aura of profound force!
"This is..." Xiao Yun also appeared in the air. He murmured in confusion: "Wait! This aura... don't you think it feels somewhat familiar?"
"It does seem like something we've encountered before," Tianxia Diyi said solemnly.
"It's Fen Juechen!" Feng Xue'er suddenly called out. "Months ago, when Brother Yun and Fen Juechen fought over the Eastern Sea, Fen Juechen had this exact power aura!"
"Him?" Xiao Yun and Tianxia Diyi were startled, then immediately realized. Tianxia Diyi said: "You're right, this feeling is indeed very similar to Fen Juechen's aura... but there's something off! Although it's the same power aura, the feeling it gives me seems different somehow."
But how it was different, he couldn't articulate.
"Look... look over there!" Tianxia Diqi suddenly cried out in alarm.
Xiao Yun and Tianxia Diyi both looked north, and were shocked to see the northern sky had turned a terrifying pitch black. And this blackness was spreading toward Bing Yun Fairy Palace at an alarming speed.
"Hiss..." Tianxia Diyi inhaled sharply. "Let's go!"
"Seventh Sister, you stay and protect Grandfather and Little Aunt!" Xiao Yun hastily instructed before flying out the palace gates together with Tianxia Diyi and Feng Xue'er.
At the same time, Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yueli, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Banyue had also led a group of Bing Yun disciples outside the palace gates. Their faces were cold as frost, and the light of their snow swords flickered as they stood ready for battle.
The black clouds from the northern sky rolled in, making the light grow dimmer. The oppressive, gloomy aura intensified with every breath. These women of Bing Yun, who cultivated the Ice Cloud Art and had long lived in the Ice Extreme Snow Domain, were not afraid of severe cold. Yet under this approaching aura, their entire bodies felt cold, and their hearts trembled uncontrollably.
"This... is this really the aura of profound force?" Chu Yueli asked incredulously. "How could such profound energy exist... even the most sinister profound arts recorded in our palace's history would not reach this level."
"Do you know who this is?" Murong Qianxue asked. She, too, could not believe that this was the aura released by a single person.
"We can't be entirely certain. But whoever it is, there's no need to worry." Tianxia Diyi spoke with considerable confidence. "With Xiao Yaohou here, if the opponent is an enemy, whoever they are, they're just asking for death!"
The moment he finished speaking, a flash of light appeared ahead. A petite girl in colorful glazed garments stepped onto the ice and snow. Her face was like jade, her eyes like cold stars, and she brought not a wisp of wind.
"Sister Xiao Yaohou." Feng Xue'er exclaimed in surprise, but immediately thought that if Xiao Yaohou came here, no one would be watching over Yun Che. Worriedly, she said: "Brother Yun's side..."
"All of you, fall back!" Xiao Yaohou suddenly raised her hand. A blizzard swept up, forcibly pushing everyone back dozens of body-lengths. She herself was already hundreds of zhang ahead.
At that moment, the rolling black clouds in the sky finally closed in. They churned slowly in the sky right before their eyes, stopping their advance. An extremely oppressive and sinister aura enveloped the entire Bing Yun Fairy Palace.
"Playing tricks," Xiao Yaohou muttered coldly. She turned her palm, and without any visible trace of profound energy flow on her body, a golden flame exploded in the dark clouds above, igniting a boiling sea of fire in the darkened sky: "Come out!"
The sea of fire raged, devouring most of the black clouds in an instant. The remaining half of the black clouds descended from the sky, sinking down until they were in front of Xiao Yaohou. Then, amidst wild, arrogant laughter, they slowly dispersed.
"Hahahahaha... Truly worthy of the Golden Crow Divine Flame. You did not disappoint me."
From within the dispersing black mist, a tall but somewhat gaunt figure walked out slowly.
A face of about twenty, dressed in black clothes, with pitch-black long hair and pitch-black pupils. He looked at Xiao Yaohou, a sinister smile on his face that made people extremely uncomfortable: "A first meeting, Xiao Yaohou of the Illusion Demon Realm. Welcome to the Tian Xuan Continent."
Xiao Yaohou: "..."
"Fen... Fen Juechen!? It really is him!" Feng Xue'er covered her lips, unable to believe her eyes for a moment. The person walking out of the black mist was undoubtedly Fen Juechen.
"No! That's not right!" Tianxia Diyi suddenly said: "He is not Fen Juechen! Although his appearance is identical, the feeling he gives me... is completely different from Fen Juechen! Even his voice is different! Who are you? Why are you disguised as Fen Juechen!?"
It wasn't that Tianxia Diyi was very familiar with Fen Juechen, but Fen Juechen had an extreme personality with too obvious characteristics. Fen Juechen's eyes were cold, ruthless, proud, and carried a heavy, heart-wrenching loneliness—like a lone wolf with nothing.
But this person before them, though he had the exact same appearance and build as Fen Juechen, and a very similar profound force aura, exuded not loneliness but an arrogant, peerless pride. His gaze, his aura, and the curve of his lips were completely different from the Fen Juechen he knew.
Most notably, his voice was different. And given Fen Juechen's temperament, he would never have laughed so wildly just now.
"Hahahahaha!" "Fen Juechen" laughed again, nodding appreciatively: "As expected of the young master of the Elf Clan, truly sharp senses. It would be such a pity if you were to die here in this frozen wasteland today."
Tianxia Diyi's face changed slightly, and his heart jumped... This person had called out "Xiao Yaohou" earlier, and now he had accurately called out his name and identity!
"Fen Juechen" raised his palm and said with a smile: "In that case, why don't you take a guess—who exactly am I?"
This voice was not unfamiliar. More than one person present had heard it before. After the initial shock, the voice overlapped with a figure in their minds.
"You are... Xuanyuan Wentian!" Feng Xue'er and Xiao Yun cried out simultaneously.
"Heh..." Fen Juechen—no, Xuanyuan Wentian's lips curled. The tilt of his mouth became more dangerous and arrogant, his voice haughty and leisurely: "A perfect answer. Correct, it is this venerable one. Let me remind you—from now on, you need not call me Xuanyuan Sword Master. Address me instead as... Supreme Heavenly Venerable!"
"To think... to think..." Hearing his own confession, Xiao Yun's eyes widened, still unable to believe what he saw and heard.
"Supreme Heavenly Venerable? Ha, what a big mouth," Tianxia Diyi sneered. "I've heard of Xuanyuan Wentian's name long ago. I never expected him to be not only arrogantly boundless, falsely claiming the title of Venerable, but also hiding his head and showing his tail, disguising himself as someone else—utterly laughable."
Tianxia Diyi mocked freely. Though on guard, he didn't feel much sense of crisis. Because he was absolutely certain that Xiao Yaohou was invincible in this world. Even if all four Sacred Masters of the Tian Xuan Continent came together, they would only be defeated before Xiao Yaohou.
But he didn't notice that although Xiao Yaohou's snow-like face was cold and calm, her icy eyes held deep gravity. Her small hands were not relaxed but tightly clenched.
"Disguise? Hehehe, hahahaha." Xuanyuan Wentian was not at all angry—or rather, to him now, there was nothing in this world worthy of his anger. "No, no, no. This venerable one gave him a great blessing—allowed him to offer his body to me, so that together we might look down upon this insignificant world."
"This is the great fortune he earned with the destruction of two clans and two lifetimes of life. Tsk, what extraordinary hardship."