Chapter 962: Ice Phoenix Palace Master
“Master!” Mu Xiaolan cried out in delight as she looked at the immortal figure drifting down through the air.
“Ice Cloud… Palace Master!” a disciple of Cold Snow Hall exclaimed softly.
Hearing the name “Ice Cloud Palace Master,” the surrounding new disciples’ eyes went wide. For profound practitioners who had grown up in Yin Xue Realm, the thirty-six Ice Phoenix Palace Masters of Bing Huang Realm were practically mythical figures. They never imagined that on the very day they first entered Cold Snow Hall, they would be fortunate enough to witness the celestial grace of an Ice Phoenix Palace Master with their own eyes.
“Mu… Bing… Yun!?” Mu Fengshu looked up, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with profound shock and disbelief.
A thousand years ago, her cultivation was far inferior to Mu Bingyun’s. But over that millennium, Mu Bingyun had been deeply afflicted by Flame Poison, not only on the verge of death at any moment, but her profound strength had also weakened to less than a tenth of its former power. Meanwhile, Mu Fengshu’s cultivation had advanced day and night. Though still inferior to the Mu Bingyun of a thousand years ago, she could easily defeat the Mu Bingyun weakened by Flame Poison.
But that azure radiance just now, though completely non-aggressive, had completely blocked all her power. To achieve that, one’s profound strength cultivation had to be at least half a major realm higher than hers.
So when she saw that the newcomer was actually Mu Bingyun, she simply couldn’t believe her eyes.
Mu Bingyun descended gently, as if borne by a soft breeze, landing beside Yun Che and Mu Xiaolan. Her appearance was like a soft light shining down; all the fear and trembling caused by Mu Fengshu’s anger and murderous intent quietly vanished, replaced by an indescribable warmth and peace. Even the icy pressure released by Mu Fengshu seemed to be completely unfelt.
Most of those remaining in the main hall were new disciples who had just passed the assessment. This was basically their first time seeing the Cold Snow Hall Master, and even more so their first time seeing a legendary Ice Phoenix Palace Master. Yet in just that one instant, they clearly felt the chasm-like gap between the Cold Snow Hall Master and the Ice Phoenix Palace Master.
Mu Fengshu inspired awe… and even more fear.
But Mu Bingyun, descending from the sky, made them feel as if they were gazing upon a supremely holy celestial maiden, one who could only be revered, never approached or defiled. Her appearance, aura, and immortal grace all cast Mu Fengshu into mud far deeper than anyone could fathom.
“Hoo, that’s good.” Mu Sushan let out a light breath. As he sensed Mu Bingyun’s aura, a deep astonishment appeared on his face. Today’s Mu Bingyun showed none of her former frail and sickly state. As his vision blurred, it was almost as if he saw again the gentle yet commanding Ice Cloud Palace Master of a thousand years ago.
Mu Bingyun glanced at Yun Che, then turned her gaze and spoke softly: “Mu Fengshu, as the Cold Snow Hall Master, attacking a junior—aren’t you afraid of losing face?”
“Hmph!” Though shocked inside, Mu Fengshu refused to lose her momentum in front of Mu Bingyun: “Mu Bingyun, you have the nerve to question me? The person you brought back first viciously injured my nephew, and then, right in front of me, crippled an outstanding disciple of my Cold Snow First Hall. Absolutely reckless, unforgivable! In all these years, no one has ever dared to run rampant like this in my Cold Snow Hall. It’s as if he doesn’t put Cold Snow Hall in his eyes at all—courting death!”
“Today, not only must he pay with his life, you must also answer to me!”
“No, that’s not it at all!” Mu Xiaolan quickly spoke up. “It was clearly…”
“Xiaolan, no need to explain.” Mu Bingyun gently interrupted her. “I arrived here before the Ice Profound Realm assessment ended. I saw everything that happened afterward.”
“Ah??” Mu Xiaolan was stunned speechless. Meanwhile, Yun Che, whose body was leaning against hers, let out a low “hehe” chuckle.
“Mu Fengshu,” Mu Bingyun’s voice was soft as a willow, yet carried a majesty that made people involuntarily hold their breath, “You know very well who was right and who was wrong in today’s events. And even if Yun Che was at fault, it is no longer within Cold Snow Hall’s authority to punish him.”
“Yun Che, you no longer need to enter Cold Snow Hall. From this moment on, I accept you as an official disciple of Ice Phoenix Palace. You will follow me into Ice Phoenix Thirty-Sixth Palace.”
As her voice fell, a flawless white jade hand reached out and gently touched Yun Che’s shoulder. With a flash of blue light, a sky-blue precious jade embedded itself on the front of Yun Che’s shoulder.
The sky blue color was the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade, proof of identity for Ice Phoenix Palace disciples! The words “Yun Che” were clearly carved on it.
The main hall was so silent a pin drop could be heard, broken only by the sound of gulping throats. Countless gazes filled with extreme envy fixed firmly on the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade on Yun Che’s shoulder… Entering Cold Snow Hall was already immensely difficult, an honor to one’s ancestors. But Ice Phoenix Palace—that was a sacred hall they hardly dared to dream of!
To enter Ice Phoenix Palace, one needed to reach the Divine Soul Realm before the age of forty just to qualify for the assessment… and that was only the qualification to take the assessment.
Disciples like Mu Xiaolan, who entered Ice Phoenix Palace by special permission at just over ten years old in the Divine Origin Realm, were extremely rare. And for someone to enter Ice Phoenix Palace at the Sovereign Xuan Realm had never happened in the history of Ice Phoenix Palace!
If one merely heard of such a thing, anyone would dismiss it as a huge joke. But those present, though shocked, almost none of them found it unacceptable.
Because they had all witnessed with their own eyes how Yun Che, with Sovereign Xuan Realm power, had successively severely injured Li Mingcheng, who was at Divine Origin Realm Level 3, and Ji Hanfeng, who was at Divine Origin Realm Level 6!
His profound strength was far below Ice Phoenix Palace’s standards, but with his unbelievable talent, he absolutely deserved it!
It was also because she had witnessed Yun Che’s performance today that Mu Bingyun felt no pressure in accepting him into Ice Phoenix Palace.
“Yes.” Yun Che glanced at the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade that now belonged to him and responded.
“Mu Bingyun, you… you actually…” Faced with Mu Bingyun, who had been weak for a thousand years but had suddenly become assertive today, Mu Fengshu was momentarily at a loss.
“It has been a thousand years,” Mu Bingyun sighed softly. No one could truly understand the vicissitudes of that millennium. “Mu Fengshu, over these thousand years, I have been fully aware of everything you thought, intended, and did. I always felt I owed you, so I never exposed you or held you accountable. Even when the Great Realm King wanted to punish you, I stopped him.”
Mu Fengshu’s head jerked up, shock flashing in her eyes.
“After all these years, the ‘debt’ I owed you has been repaid enough. From now on, I owe you nothing. As for the Flame Poison in my body, the Great Realm King long ago found a way to purify it. It has now healed, and my profound strength has recovered more than half. Next, I will revive Ice Phoenix Thirty-Sixth Palace. If you want an ‘accounting,’ you may come to Ice Phoenix Thirty-Sixth Palace anytime to find me.”
“Also, if you resort to any underhanded tricks in the future, I will no longer pretend not to know… I will not forgive you!”
As her voice fell, Mu Bingyun’s icy eyes, fixed on Mu Fengshu, suddenly flashed with a deep blue light.
The moment that blue light appeared, Mu Fengshu felt as if struck by lightning. She stumbled backward, her face turning deathly pale in an instant. Her pupils dilated, her mouth gaped wide, and for a long time she could not utter a word.
A thousand years of silence, a thousand years of sickness and weakness, had gradually made the people of Bing Huang God Sect forget that she was once the Ice Phoenix Palace Master with the strongest profound strength, the greatest prestige, the highest status, and the most beloved and respected by disciples among the thirty-six Ice Phoenix Palace Masters.
Back then, Mu Fengshu had always been respectfully deferential in her presence, never daring to be presumptuous. And she had genuinely respected her from the depths of her soul.
In her violently contracting pupils, Mu Fengshu clearly saw that the Ice Cloud Palace Master, silent for a thousand years… had returned.
“Xiaolan, Yun Che, let’s go.” Mu Bingyun turned around.
“Yes, Master.” Mu Xiaolan responded joyfully, her eyes brimming with tears of excitement.
“Ah… wait, wait, wait.” Yun Che, however, grabbed Mu Xiaolan’s little hand, not forgetting to savor the soft, smooth warmth of the girl’s skin, and said with extreme seriousness: “Although I no longer need to enter Cold Snow Hall, I still want to take the rewards that belong to me! I earned them with great difficulty.”
“That… Jade Soul Freeze Pill, and the Star Picking Stone…”
Mu Bingyun’s immortal figure halted. She was speechless.
Mu Xiaolan “smack” slapped his obviously dishonest hand.
“Hahaha,” Mu Sushan laughed heartily, looking in an excellent mood. “He’s right. The rewards that belong to you naturally cannot be left behind.”
Mu Sushan stretched out his hand and grabbed. The Jade Soul Freeze Pill immediately floated up from Ji Hanfeng’s body and flew into his hand. He pushed it, along with the Star Picking Stone, toward Yun Che.
The Jade Soul Freeze Pill and Star Picking Stone came to a stop in front of Yun Che, as if held aloft by something invisible. Sensing their presence up close, Yun Che’s heart surged with amazement and tumult… In both radiance and aura, they were something that Tian Xuan Continent and Huan Yao Realm could never possess. He carefully took them, stored them in the Heavenly Poison Pearl, and said respectfully: “Thank you, Senior Sushan.”
“No need to thank me. You earned these.” Mu Sushan said cheerfully, then cast a meaningful glance at Mu Bingyun: “Ice Cloud Palace Master, congratulations. It seems the revival of Ice Phoenix Thirty-Sixth Palace is just around the corner.”
Mu Bingyun slightly nodded, then rose into the air, bringing Mu Xiaolan and Yun Che with her as she departed through the void.
“Feng Mo, this is my sound transmission imprint. If you ever encounter something in Cold Snow Hall that you cannot solve, you may try sending me a sound transmission.”
Just as Feng Mo, watching Yun Che leave with mixed feelings, heard this voice transmission at his ear, his entire body trembled, and his eyes rippled with emotion for a long time.
Yun Che was completely exhausted, unable to fly on his own. But a gentle breeze from Mu Bingyun carried him softly and comfortably.
After leaving the Cold Snow Main Hall, Mu Xiaolan still hadn’t fully come back to her senses. She stared straight at Yun Che: “So you were actually… that powerful.”
“Of course,” Yun Che said, extremely pleased with himself. “Now you know how dangerous it was when you kidnapped my Senior Uncle Murong that day, right? Good thing you were obedient and let him go immediately. If you hadn’t, I definitely would have stripped you naked and thrown you into the snow.”
“You, you, you, you…” Mu Xiaolan’s little face turned bright red. The trace of admiration she had just developed for Yun Che instantly vanished without a trace. “Master! Look at him! He really is a lecherous, bad person… hasn’t changed at all.”
Mu Bingyun shook her head helplessly and gently scolded: “Yun Che, Xiaolan is still young, her nature is innocent. Don’t speak such explicit words to her.”
“Oh,” Yun Che responded.
“How annoying!” Mu Xiaolan glared angrily at Yun Che, then made an effort to move a bit farther away from him, and continued huffily: “You’re more capable than I thought, but you’re too foolish and impulsive! You know exactly who Li Mingcheng is. It would have been enough just to defeat him—why did you have to injure him so severely? And Ji Hanfeng too! If Master hadn’t arrived in time, you would definitely have died.”
“He wasn’t being overly impulsive.” Before Yun Che could reply, Mu Bingyun spoke softly: “Yun Che was enraged, but he never lost his reason. From start to finish, he never showed the flames he is best at. And the reason he dared to severely injure Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng was that he had long since detected my arrival.”
“Ah?” Mu Xiaolan was completely baffled. “But… how is that possible? How could Yun Che have detected Master’s aura? Not even Hall Master Fengshu and Senior Sushan noticed it at all.”
(End of Chapter)