Chapter 939: Farewell
"..."
Mu Bingyun turned around, her limpid gaze once again fixed on him: "Is that all?"
These short four words instantly dispelled the unease in Yun Che's heart, replaced by boundless joy. He quickly said, "Yes! That's all! I only have this one request! My current strength is not enough to go to your world, and by the time I have sufficient power, I don't know how long it will be. But I have a reason that I absolutely must go within a short time... So if you are willing to take me to the Divine Realm, I will definitely do my utmost within this month!"
The excitement clearly displayed on Yun Che's face was reflected in Mu Bingyun's eyes. She was slightly surprised inwardly and slowly nodded: "Xiao Lan's dimension stone can still bring one more person back to Yinxue Realm. Compared to you saving my life, this is no more than a simple favor."
"Really? Aren't there supposed to be... some special restrictions or prohibitions?" Yun Che found it hard to believe for a moment... The Divine Realm of the Gods, the higher plane where Mo Li resided, was also the highest level plane in the current chaotic world. Although he was the strongest in the Tian Xuan Continent, the Divine Realm was still like a mythical existence to him.
"The restrictions or prohibitions you speak of do not exist." Mu Bingyun shook her head slightly: "On the contrary, every year, countless profound practitioners from the lower realms cultivate to the Divine Path, allowing them to roam the void and reach the Divine Realm. This process is called 'Ascension' in the Divine Realm. In our Yinxue Realm, we receive a large number of profound practitioners who ascend from the lower realms every day. Although they come from lower realms, many are outstanding, and some even qualify to enter the Ice Phoenix Palace."
"As for bringing someone from another realm to Yinxue Realm, it is not a big deal. However, with your current profound strength, you can dominate the world in this realm. But if you go to Yinxue Realm, you might find it very difficult to move forward. Moreover, from what I have seen, you are not someone blindly pursuing the ultimate profound path... Are you sure you want to return to Yinxue Realm with me?"
"Yes, absolutely sure! I am indeed not the kind of person who desperately wants to go to a higher plane for the sake of pursuing the profound path, but I have another reason I must go!" Yun Che said heavily, his hands already clenched tightly.
Mo Li... Wait for me, I will be by your side soon. No matter what... I must see you again! Even if all I get is a complete farewell.
"...Since that is the case, you should make preparations as soon as possible." Mu Bingyun gave him a deep look and said softly: "Xiao Lan and I will stay here for a month. During this time, I will tell you some things about the Divine Realm, and you should also say your goodbyes to those around you."
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The door of Ningxue Hall finally opened, and Yun Che walked out. Beside him was a woman who seemed to have stepped out of a painting, proud and otherworldly, elegant as an immortal.
"Mas... Master!!"
Mu Xiaolan cried out in infinite surprise and ran up quickly, seeing her face now clearly colored and her aura several times stronger than before. Tears of joy instantly rolled down: "Wuwu... Master, are you okay? Really okay now?"
Mu Bingyun reached out and gently stroked Mu Xiaolan's head: "Xiao Lan, I made you worry again. But it seems now that the bond between master and disciple still has a long, long time to go."
"Wuu... wah!" Mu Bingyun's words made Mu Xiaolan go from soft sobbing to loud crying. She hugged Mu Bingyun tightly, crying loudly without any regard for her appearance.
"Hey hey, little girl." Only after she had cried enough did Yun Che say with a helpless face: "Did you forget to thank the great benefactor who saved your master?"
Mu Xiaolan wiped the tears covering her face and looked at Yun Che... but her eyes were clearly wary: "You... you didn't take the chance to do anything inappropriate to my master, did you?"
Mu Bingyun: "..."
"~！#￥%%..." The corner of Yun Che's mouth twitched violently, then he took a light breath and said slowly: "Little girl, make sure you remember every word you said today, okay? I definitely won't let you say it for nothing."
Mu Xiaolan: "???"
"Senior," Murong Qianxue and others came before Mu Bingyun, their expressions solemn with a hint of awe: "Are you really the Ice Cloud Ancestor who founded the Bing Yun Fairy Palace a thousand years ago?"
Before Mu Bingyun could answer, Yun Che nodded heavily: "Fairy Mu is indeed the Grandmaster of Ice Cloud. The reason she appeared here was to take one last look at the Bing Yun Fairy Palace before her life ended."
"Ah..." Murong Qianxue and the others exclaimed in surprise. Then, they knelt down together: "Ice Cloud disciple... pays respects to Grandmaster Ice Cloud!"
"No need for this. Get up." Mu Bingyun gently raised her snow-white hand, and they were lifted by a gentle force, involuntarily standing up.
"When I left the Bing Yun Fairy Palace a thousand years ago, I had resolved to cut off all worldly ties and have no more attachments. But in the end, I could not achieve an ice-clear heart free of dust." Mu Bingyun spoke softly, especially in the years nearing the end of her life. She would uncontrollably think back to the Bing Yun Fairy Palace... worrying about its "Thousand-Year Calamity."
After all, that was the most peaceful and unforgettable period of her life. The first generation disciples she accepted into the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, each one had a piece of her heart poured into them... Like her own children.
"Master, that has nothing to do with the realm of an ice-clear heart. It's because you are too kind." Mu Xiaolan said with sparkling eyes: "Moreover, it's precisely because you left the Bing Yun Fairy Palace back then, and precisely because you always remembered this place, that you received a good reward today... Great! If the Great Realm King knew, he would definitely be extremely happy too."
Yun Che glanced sideways... Great Realm King?
"..." Mu Bingyun did not speak, but Mu Xiaolan's words added a bit of warmth to her gaze. The corner of her mouth also curved into a very faint, but dreamlike and beautiful, shallow smile.
"I never imagined that Grandmaster, you have always been an immortal presence in the world. If the previous ancestors had spirits in heaven and knew this, they would definitely... definitely..." Murong Qianxue was so excited she didn't know what words to use.
"Grandmaster, let us summon all the disciples of the palace. Grandmaster's descent from heaven is the greatest joyous event of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace in a thousand years." Jun Lianqie said.
"No need." Mu Bingyun refused: "I am ultimately not from this world. If not for this accident, I never intended to appear before you again. It's better not to make this public, otherwise it might bring unknown trouble to you."
"Senior Masters and Senior Uncles, it's better that only we few know about this matter." Yun Che said. He swept his gaze over the Ice Cloud women and declared solemnly: "I also have something to announce..."
"It has been over two years since the previous Palace Master entrusted me with the position. Although there have been many upheavals during this time, I have not failed the trust she placed in me at the end of her life."
Yun Che rarely showed such a serious expression. Murong Qianxue and the others listened quietly, wondering why he was saying these things.
"Now, the Bing Yun Fairy Palace has been reborn. The former calamities will not happen again, and I can finally rest easy." Yun Che extended his arm. With a flash of blue light, the Ice Cloud Soul emerged: "Senior Murong, today I officially entrust the position of Palace Master of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace to you."
"Ah!?"
Murong Qianxue was completely stunned. Jun Lianqie and the others exclaimed at the same time: "Palace Master, why... why are you suddenly passing on the position?"
"Palace Master, are you... abandoning us?" Feng Han Yue and Feng Han Xue almost cried.
"No no no," Yun Che quickly explained: "I absolutely do not despise you or the name of Palace Master. On the contrary, I have feelings for the Bing Yun Fairy Palace that are no less than anyone else's. Over the years, while protecting you, I have also been enjoying this feeling. If you don't mind, I would be willing to protect the Bing Yun Fairy Palace for a lifetime, but..."
"I have decided to follow Fairy Mu to the Divine Realm in one month."
"Ah!!"
This time, it was Feng Xue'er who cried out in shock.
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Huan Yao Realm, Demon Emperor Palace.
"What did you say? Divine Realm?"
Hearing Yun Che's words, Xiao Yaohou's reaction was as violent as expected, and even the aura around her became somewhat chaotic.
"Sister Xiao Yaohou, please persuade Brother Yun quickly." Feng Xue'er's eyes were pitiful, faintly glistening with tears.
They had all heard the legends about the Divine Realm. There were too many powerful beings there far beyond their imagination, and therefore too many unknown variables and dangers. Even the method of traveling back and forth was beyond their imagination.
In the Tian Xuan Continent, Yun Che was the supreme being, invincible and untouchable. To reach such a height and have everything he had now, he had gone through countless life-and-death storms.
And now, he wanted to abandon all of this to go to the Divine Realm, a place only heard of in legends, never truly reached by anyone!
From the Lan Ji Star to the Divine Realm was an unimaginable leap in space and plane. If he really went to the Divine Realm, no one knew how long it would be before they could reunite. Moreover, they were the ones who knew Yun Che best. No matter where he was or in what situation, he was never the type to endure humiliation and swallow insults. He wouldn't take even a small loss, let alone a big one... For him to go to a world where "gods" were everywhere, it would be extremely dangerous every step of the way. How could they be at ease?
"Cai Yi, Xue'er, I know this decision of mine is selfish." Yun Che said guiltily: "Xuanyuan Wentian only died half a year ago, and the Tian Xuan Continent and Huan Yao Realm have only just calmed down, yet I suddenly make such a decision. But I truly have a reason I must go."
"Reason? What reason?" Xiao Yaohou bit her lips slightly, her chest heaving. This decision of Yun Che's was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for her.
"Brother Yun Che, are you going to find your master, right?" Su Ling'er walked over and said softly.
"Yes." Yun Che nodded slightly: "I never mentioned my master Mo Li's matters to you before, because many things between her and me, even if I told you, you would find hard to understand. We met eight years ago, when I was at my most humble and helpless. At that time, I watched helplessly as Grandfather and Ling Xi were bullied, and I could only be driven out of my home like a bereaved dog, unable even to bite them back. Her appearance changed my life. Without her, there would be no me today, and I might not have been lucky enough to have you."
"Perhaps you cannot understand, but since we met, she and I were never apart day or night. She changed my life and is the one in this world who understands me best. I realized my dependence on her very early on, but only after our separation did I know that my dependence on her far exceeded my own expectations. Moreover, our separation was too sudden and hasty. Even now, I haven't fully moved on from that sudden parting."
Yun Che let out a long, low sigh. Before his eyes were all shadows of Mo Li: "After she left, I think about her uncontrollably every day. The longer she is gone, the heavier this feeling becomes. I dream of her almost every night. Later, whenever I think of her, I inexplicably have a very uneasy feeling... a feeling that I might never see her again."
"This feeling terrifies me. Later, the Golden Crow Soul Spirit suddenly said a very strange thing to me. It said that if I couldn't see her within five years... then in this lifetime, I would never see her again."
Xiao Yaohou: "..."
Feng Xue'er: "Brother Yun..."
Yun Che closed his eyes, not daring to face their gazes, because he deeply knew that this selfish decision of his would only bring them immense worry and concern... and a long separation. But if he didn't see Mo Li, his soul might never be complete for the rest of his life.
The Demon Emperor Hall fell silent for a while. Xiao Yaohou's gaze was fixed on Yun Che. When she saw the flash of pain on his face, her heart instantly softened.
Xiao Yaohou turned around, her voice suddenly becoming extremely calm: "Alright! Xue'er and I will go with you."
Yun Che knew Xiao Yaohou would say that, because before he came back, Feng Xue'er had said the exact same thing to him. But he could only shake his head: "The teleportation array they use to return to the Divine Realm can only bring one more person."
"..." Xiao Yaohou's body stiffened slightly, and she was silent for a long time.
"Sister Xiao Yaohou, let Brother Yun Che go." Su Ling'er stood beside Yun Che, gently wrapping her arms around him and said softly: "Because... he is just that kind of person. And the reason I like him is also because of this kind of Brother Yun Che."
"..." Xiao Yaohou's petite body trembled slightly. After a long while, she slowly raised her head and murmured softly: "Yes... he has always been this kind of person... otherwise... how could I have... fallen in love with him..."
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[Surprisingly, many young men and women actually believed I went back to school. Stop joking. I was just kidding. Someone like me, an old man nearly fifty... oh no, an old grandpa, going to school for what?]