Chapter 988: Refusal!
Although he had already guessed what Yun Che might say, when he actually spoke it out loud, all the elders and palace masters were still stunned. As for the disciples of the Divine Temple and Ice Phoenix Palace, some snorted with cold laughter, while others revealed expressions of excitement, eager to watch the spectacle, all stemming from various mindsets.
Even more people looked at him as if he were a fool.
When Yun Che suddenly broke through, drawing all the ice spirits away, the last drop of water in the Heavenly Lake's pool had just fallen. This was indeed witnessed by everyone. At the moment the last drop of Heavenly Lake water fell, Yun Che had three thousand ice spirits by his side, while Mu Hanyi had none.
However, no one would accept this outcome, because no one associated "Yun Che" with the title of "Personal Disciple." Even Yun Che himself wouldn't have before this.
This result was merely an unexpected, unforeseen, and even somewhat inexplicable accident!
In anyone's eyes, it was purely an accident!
Although Yun Che had gained some minor fame by defeating a Divine Origin Realm cultivator while at the Sovereign Xuan Realm, and was personally brought by Mu Bingyun, he was nothing more than mud beneath a colorful cloud compared to the favored son of heaven, Mu Hanyi. Only today did he truly break through to the Divine Origin Realm. Apart from Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan guarding him, and his own excitement, the others couldn't be bothered to spare him a glance during the breakthrough process.
One came from the lower realms and had only arrived in the Yin Xue Realm a little over three months ago, barely stepping onto the divine path today. The other was born into the imperial clan of Yin Xue, of noble blood, with a talent so rare it might not appear in a thousand years. Under thirty years old and already at the mid-stage Divine Tribulation Realm, he held nothing back today, exhausting every ounce of his strength, earning renewed admiration from all the elders and palace masters.
Therefore, although Yun Che suddenly drawing away all the ice spirits startled everyone, and although the result was indeed a total victory over Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue, everyone's first reaction—indeed, their only reaction—was simply "accident." No one could, because of this, shift the title of "Personal Disciple" from Mu Hanyi to Yun Che.
Being at the first level of the Divine Origin Realm, in terms of profound strength alone, he was among the very lowest in the Cold Snow Hall... the concept of "Personal Disciple" was as far apart from him as heaven and earth.
However, they hadn't expected Yun Che to have the audacity and nerve to raise an objection... and in a tone of questioning. Faced with Yun Che's resounding accusation, their first reaction was shock, their second was... finding it somewhat amusing, well, and with a tiny bit of awkwardness.
Of course, the one who found it most amusing was undoubtedly Mu Yunzhi.
"Ha ha ha ha," Mu Yunzhi laughed heartily, then with a face full of mockery said, "So, you mean to say, we should declare you the victor and make you the sect master's personal disciple?"
"Is it not so?" Yun Che countered.
As for becoming the sect master's personal disciple, Yun Che hadn't even considered it before, thinking it would never fall to him no matter what. But this opportunity had landed on him when he least expected it. After hearing Mu Bingyun's sound transmission, his heart began to surge violently.
What he craved most was profound strength! Now, with only twenty-seven months remaining until the Profound God Convention—just over two years—although through impulsive self-harm training methods he had achieved astonishing results by accident, reaching the Divine Tribulation Realm before the Profound God Convention was still a pipe dream.
But if he could become the personal disciple of the Ice Phoenix Sect Master...
He would receive personal guidance and instruction from the Ice Phoenix Sect Master! He could obtain the Ice Phoenix Divine Blood, cultivate the highest-level profound arts of the Yin Xue Realm... most importantly, he could enjoy the best resources the Yin Xue Realm had to offer."
"Sect Master, what do you think of Huanzhi's proposal?" Mu Huanzhi asked cautiously.
"Very good," the Yin Xue Realm King behind the mist nodded briefly, worded succinctly. "Let it be so."
Receiving the sect master's approval, Mu Huanzhi breathed a silent sigh of relief and first addressed Mu Hanyi: "Hanyi, you exerted yourself fully to attract the ice spirits for three hours earlier; you must have suffered some depletion. Do you need to rest and recuperate a bit?"
Anyone could hear that Mu Huanzhi's words were purely "courteous." Mu Hanyi bowed and said, "Thank you for the Grand Elder's concern, disciple is currently in excellent condition and will follow all arrangements of the sect master and Grand Elder... though I have a slight objection."
"Oh?" Mu Huanzhi revealed a smile. "What objection?"
Mu Hanyi said, "To delve deep into the waters of the Heavenly Lake, while constitution and law comprehension are certainly important, profound strength cultivation is also extremely critical. However, the sect master's selection of a personal disciple does not place much emphasis on cultivation level but values constitution and law comprehension more. In terms of cultivation level, this disciple far surpasses junior brother Yun Che. Therefore, this supplementary test is unfair to junior brother Yun Che."
Mu Huanzhi wasn't surprised and instead laughed. "Then tell me, what would be fair?"
"Disciple boldly suggests that if junior brother Yun Che's diving depth reaches merely twenty percent of this disciple's, he will be declared the winner, and this disciple will accept defeat wholeheartedly, with no objections whatsoever."
Mu Hanyi's words were extremely solemn and honest.
"Ha ha ha ha," Mu Huanzhi laughed heartily. "For you to say these words, nothing could be better."
All the elders and palace masters nodded deeply, their faces showing approval. The surrounding disciples cast looks of admiration and reverence at Mu Hanyi. Mu Yunzhi also chuckled, saying, "Such breadth of mind and bearing—truly worthy of being my, Mu Yunzhi's, good disciple! Fine! Then it shall be as Hanyi suggests. Yun Che, did you hear that? You only need to reach twenty percent of my disciple Hanyi's depth to be declared the winner, and this suggestion was voluntarily proposed by Hanyi himself. What more do you have to say now?"
Not to mention twenty percent, even ten or five percent wouldn't make Mu Yunzhi the least bit uneasy. In fact, she was a little worried about Yun Che—with his cultivation level, would he even dare to go down... That would be too boring; at least struggle a bit to make things more entertaining.
Mu Bingyun said nothing, her gaze fixed on Yun Che the entire time.
"In that case... Yun Che, is there anything else you wish to say? If you have no other objections, we can begin," Mu Huanzhi said with a genial chuckle.
Yun Che's feet did not move. His expression remained as rigid as before. Staring at Mu Huanzhi, he spat out three extremely stiff words: "I — re — fuse!"
During the Cold Snow Hall assessment, he had clearly come first but still had to prove himself by force.
Today, the result was clearly his complete victory over Mu Hanyi... yet they insisted on a supplementary test!
Why?!
Why, upon arriving in the Yin Xue Realm, did he have to suffer such extreme discrimination and injustice time and again?!
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(Chapter End)