Against the Gods

Chapter 1046 – The Slaughtering Dragon Period

The scenery around him immediately switched over. The pale-white sky of the Ice Phoenix Realm appeared in his line of sight and he could sense the distinct aura of the Sacred Hall in the surroundings. Yun Che let out a long sigh of relief as he stood amidst the snow-covered land.

As his mind felt relaxed, the extremely severe injuries on his body caused his consciousness to grow increasingly fuzzy. The aura emanating from him was horribly weak at this time. While he was in a daze, he saw Mu Xuanyin coming over to his side and look at him with a chilly expression in her eyes.

“Mas… ter…” Yun Che opened his mouth to speak but could only utter so much in a pained and unclear voice.

“Hmph! It’s surprising that you could come out of Mist End Valley alive. You’re one lucky guy.” Even though Yun Che’s whole body was dyed in blood and he seemed to be close to his death, there was still no emotion in her eyes and they were as chilly as ever.

“…” Yun Che slightly moved his lips but failed to say anything in response. He slightly moved his right arm before lifting it up, bit by bit, in a very slow motion. His arm was trembling intensely, making it evident that not only it was incomparably difficult to lift the arm but it was also hurting a lot.

There was a bizarre flower in full bloom at the center of his palm, with petals similar to flawless tail feathers.

It was the Feathered Ice Spirit Flower he had nearly lost his life for.

Mu Xuanyin, “???”

“Disciple… obtained this flower... in Mist End Valley… to present it to… Master…”

“…” Mu Xuanyin didn’t receive it or show any other response to him.

His palm carrying the Feathered Ice Spirit Flower trembled more and more intensely and Yun Che started losing consciousness at a fast rate, “Disciple… is aware that he has committed a great sin… and would not ask Master for forgiveness… Disciple just does not want Master to experience a negative emotion such as anger… because of the unpardonable deed done by this disciple…”

“The flower in this disciple’s hand… is quite similar to the image of Master in this disciple’s heart… very beautiful… very cold… and… yet… actually…”

“……”

Yun Che passed out in the end. As he fainted, the palm holding the Feathered Ice Spirit Flower also drooped down powerlessly.

Mu Xuanyin made her move as fast as lightning. A graceful profound aura lifted held up the falling Feathered Ice Spirit Flower in the air, before slowly bringing it to the center of her opened palm.

The world suddenly turned quiet and remained so for a long while.

“Forget it. I’ll forgive you for now.”

The Feathered Ice Spirit Flower in her palm disappeared silently. Then, she turned around and muttered to herself in a very casual manner, with no signs of the might or intimidation that she had displayed just a moment ago.

——————————

Yun Che awakened after an unknown period of time.

He had regained his consciousness and his whole body was still hurting a lot but the pain wasn’t as severe as before. Besides the pain, he could feel an even stronger refreshing and comfortable feeling, as though he was bathing in a lukewarm and gentle breeze.

Upon opening his eyes, Yun Che discovered that his body was soaking in the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. There were ice spirits dancing around him with swift motions but the area of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was as quiet as usual, with no one else present besides him. The barrier around the lake was also in a closed state at the moment.

He felt multiple currents of high level foreign spirit energy in his body. Not only were they of a high level, they had also turned into liquid, and were currently helping his injuries to get better. His extremely strong recovery ability was complementing the healing process. As such, even though he was still severely injured like before, his injuries had healed by nearly thirty percent. Following the recovery of his consciousness and profound strength, his injuries had begun to heal at an increasingly faster rate.

It could only have been Mu Xuanyin who had liquified the spiritual herbs for him and placed him inside the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.

“Phew… Looks like Master isn’t that angry now.” Yun Che let out a long breath of relief. His entire body felt so relaxed that he didn’t even mind the pain.

Of course, he had no idea that Mu Xuanyin was the reason behind the misfortune he had suffered… because she had wanted to teach him a lesson.

Now that his heart was at ease, Yun Che closed his eyes to concentrate on recovering from his injuries. As he used the Great Way of the Buddha, the spirit energy of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake began to gush into his body at a speed several times greater than before.

Most of his profound strength had recovered in the short period of a few hours and at least sixty percent of his internal injuries had healed. Although his body was still in a weakened state, he barely felt any pain at this moment.

Suddenly, he felt an unusual change in his profound meridians. A four-colored nebula of profound energy had begun to rotate on its own and its speed of rotation was becoming faster and faster. The profound aura in his entire body had also started to rapidly flow back to his profound meridians.

I’m... about to break through!

His first breakthrough after entering the divine way only took three and a half months!

It was especially surprising because during this period he had spent all his time practicing Moon Splitting Cascade, the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon, and the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World. He had hardly put any effort into cultivating his profound strength. He increased the accumulation of his profound strength solely by relying on absorbing the spirit energy of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. But it only took him three and a half months to cross the first small realm of the divine way!

Yun Che concentrated his mind and focused on the process taking place inside his body. He had begun to make preparations to welcome his first breakthrough in the divine way.

——————————————

Outside the Ice Phoenix Realm, a huge, crimson boat with long and wide wings on the sides gradually came to a halt. There was no doubt that its existence was extremely conspicuous in the cold and white world of snow.

In front of the Sacred Hall, Mu Bingyun’s figure appeared amidst a flash of cold rays of light, Then, she gracefully entered inside with light steps and caught sight of Mu Xuanyin’s back. It might’ve be a coincidence, but Mu Xuanyin was standing right at the side of the pond where Buddha Heart Lotus of Nine Resurrections used to bloom before, a sight she had seen several times in the past.

“Has the profound ark from the Flame God Realm arrived?” Mu Xuanyin asked in a cold tone.

“It’s Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai.” Mu Bingyun came to Mu Xuanyin’s side. “Elder Sister, are you prepared to leave with them for the Flame God Realm?”

In the midst of her words, her gaze fell on a beautiful and flawless white flower at the center of the pond, where the Buddha Heart Lotus of Nine Resurrections was being raised earlier. Its petals seemed like the feathers of a goose and was releasing a particularly warm spirit aura.

“Feathered Ice Spirit Flower?” Mu Bingyun was taken aback and looked at Mu Xuanyin with a deep doubtful expression in her eyes.

Mu Xuanyin had especially set up this pond nine thousand years ago for raising the Buddha Heart Lotus of Nine Resurrections. The water from the heavenly lake was used to fill up the pond and three drops of Ice Phoenix Origin Blood were also added into it. Furthermore, the Ice Phoenix spirit energy would be poured into it at regular intervals and its location was right at the centermost place of the Sacred Hall, which was in itself a core facility of the Ice Phoenix Realm. In ordinary times, the pond would be guarded by a formless barrier around it. Let alone an outsider coming in contact with the pond, it was difficult for even a dust particle to get close to it.

In the past nine thousand years, only the Buddha Heart Lotus of Nine Resurrection had existed in this spirit pond.

So how come there was also a Feathered Ice Spirit Flower in such a place today!?

If it was some high level bizarre flower or an unusual herb, Mu Bingyun wouldn’t have been too surprised. After all, the Buddha Heart Lotus of Nine Resurrections had already lost all of its petals and didn’t need too strong of a spirit energy before it bloomed once again. But, even if the Feathered Ice Spirit Flower was an extremely high level and rare spirit flower in the Snow Song Realm, they were in no lack of it. Any one spirit flower around the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake would contain far more spirit energy than a Feathered Ice Spirit Flower.

Besides, the Feathered Ice Spirit Flower in the pond was just a fully bloomed flower and the rest of it was missing—So why exactly was it placed inside a spirit pond which comprised such amazing things as the spirit aura of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake and Ice Phoenix!?

“Well, the pond was empty, after all. I thought that it would be pleasing to the eye to throw in some other flower and see it grow,” Mu Xuanyin turned her face away. “Since the people from the Flame God Realm have arrived here, it means that it is almost time for that matter. Its nice that I’m not busy with anything at the moment, so I can leave today.”

Mu Xuanyin seemed to be intentionally changing the topic. Mu Bingyu gave a deep glance at the Feathered Ice Spirit Flower once again but didn’t pursue the matter any further. She said in a worried tone, “Are you going there alone?”

“No,” Mu Xuanyin’s eyes faintly stirred, “I’m planning to take someone else along.”

“The Great Elder?”

“Yun Che.”

“Yun Che?” Mu Bingyun was a bit startled.

“His knowledge of the God Realm is limited to the Snow Song Realm at present. It is about time to take him to other places and have him broaden his horizons,” Mu Xuanyin said in an incomparably indifferent voice. “Since he is my disciple, I can not let him stay ignorant of the world outside.”

“…” A very superficial smile appeared on Mu Bingyun’s face. “It seems that Elder Sister is no longer angry at him.”

Mu Xuanyin snorted in disdain, “Hmph! He was lucky enough to come back alive, so I also do not feel like getting angry with a brat.”

Mu Bingyun moved her lips a bit to the side, “The power of flame Yun Che possesses is even stronger than the frost. Therefore, it’s certainly a very good decision to take him to the Flame God Realm. I’m actually more concerned about Elder Sister. You need to be really careful.”

“Rest easy,” Mu Xuanyin said without the slightest hint of anxiousness. “That horned dragon suffered a serious injury at its dragon fault when I attacked it last time. It is absolutely impossible for such an injury to heal in the short period of a thousand years. Hence, there is no doubt that the threat of being significantly injured in a confrontation with it is greatly reduced. I am at least eighty percent sure that I’ll be able to slaughter it, so long as it did not finish casting off its scales!”

Mu Bingyun slowly nodded her head.

“Tell Huanzhi that he will be the person in charge of handling all the major matters of the sect in my absence. Unless some unresolvable matter comes up, he is not allowed to contact me.”

Having finished her words, she turned around to walk out of the hall. But just when she reached the entrance, she abruptly stopped in her tracks, as if she had recalled something. Then, she flipped over her palm and sent a white streak of light towards Mu Bingyun.

Mu Bingyun stretched out her hand to catch the white streak of light. It was none other than her Cloud Butterfly Blade.

“Elder Sister…”

“No need to explain anything,” Mu Bingyun said in a cold tone. “It is the most important thing left behind by mother and should not be given to an outsider at any cost… no matter who it is! I will overlook it this time but I hope that such a thing does not happen again!”

“Yes.” Mu Bingyun put away the Cloud Butterfly Blade with a guilty conscience.

Mu Xuanyin made a sweeping gesture with her palm, causing the space ahead to crack immediately. Her figure disappeared in an instant and appeared before the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.

In the midst of consolidating his profound strength, Yun Che suddenly felt the barrier of the heavenly lake opening up and immediately got out of the lake. The moment he arrived at the shore of the lake, Mu Xuanyin’s figure appeared in his field of vision.

Yun Che was still feeling very apprehensive in his heart before Mu Xuanyin and promptly got down on one knee, “Disciple pays respect to Master.”

He used to look right at Mu Xuanyin after getting down on the knee but this time he kept his head lowered… not daring to raise it for even a split second… He was afraid that he might end up ogling her chest in a moment of carelessness.

“Follow me,” Mu Xuanyin said in a cold voice. However, faint surprise surfaced in her eyes… Not only did he get all better so soon, he also achieved a breakthrough!

“Ah? Where’re we going?” Yun Che asked subconsciously.

“The Flame God Realm!”

Before Yun Che could react, his body lightly swayed and the scenery before his eyes switched over to a completely different one. He was high in the sky of the Ice Phoenix Realm.

It was at this time that Yun Che suddenly remembered something. Mu Bingyun had told him before he entered Mist End Valley that people from the Flame God Realm were going to arrive in a few days… In other words, the scale-casting period of the ancient horned dragon in the God Burying Inferno Prison had come. It was also known as the Slaughtering Dragon Period!

Unexpectedly, Mu Xuanyin wanted to take him along!

Yun Che had always longed to visit the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison. If he could also get at least a distant look at the legendary ancient horned dragon, that would be an even more fascinating and extremely rare experience.

It was a obviously a good opportunity for him.

Mu Xuanyin made her way ahead at an extremely fast speed, with Yun Che following her lead. They quickly approached the crimson profound ark that had stopped outside the Ice Phoenix Realm. Sneaking glances at Mu Xuanyin’s back a few times, Yun Che finally asked in a feeble voice, “Master, could it be that… only the two of us will be leaving for the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison? Are Elder Huanzhi and Palace Master Bingyun not going with us?”

He already knew that Mu Huanzhi and Mu Bingyun were the ones with the strongest profound strength in the sect, next to Mu Xuanyin.

Yun Che’s expression abruptly changed the instant he mentioned Mu Bingyun’s name. Immediately, he blurted out, “Oh no!”

Mu Xuanyin, “??”

“Master!” Yun Che said in panic. “Disciple just recalled a matter. Palace Master Bingyun had given something to this disciple, which got lost in Mist End Valley due to the inattentiveness of this disciple. Therefore, disciple needs to at once inform Palace Master Bingyun about it. Otherwise…”

On that day in Mist End Valley, Yun Che had used the Cloud Butterfly Blade, which was coated in the horned dragon poison, to successfully pierce the eye of the Giant Ice-armored Ape. But when he was blown away by the mighty sweep of its arm, he got severely injured in no time and the Cloud Butterfly Blade also naturally slipped out of his hand and flew away to some unknown place.

Mu Bingyun had personally told him that the Cloud Butterfly Blade was a thing passed on by their ancestor. There was no doubt that it was extremely important.

“Are you talking about the Cloud Butterfly Blade?” Mu Xuanyin asked in a cold voice.

“Ah…” Yun Che’s mouth was wide agape, “Yes…”

“Then there is no need for that. I have given it back in your stead.”

“Uh…” A heavy gulping sound issued from Yun Che’s throat. He said nervously, “Thank you very much, Master.”

Mu Xuanyin’s beautiful eyes glanced sideways, before she flipped over her palm all of a sudden. A white streak of cold light shot towards Yun Che, which he caught in his hand unconsciously.

The thing in his hand was a short blade that was glittering with a ice-cold light. It had a butterfly-shaped hilt and a chilly, white blade. Moreover, it gave off the impression that it could be used so swiftly that it might not even seem real… Its shape, aura and sharpness, all of them were exactly the same as the Cloud Butterfly Blade that was given to him by Mu Bingyun.

The only thing different was that the butterfly wings were facing the opposite direction.

“This is…”

“This knife is called Sound Butterfly. Since you seem to be quite adept in using such a blade, I will lend it to you for the time being,” Mu Xuanyin shifted her gaze away and said in an emotionless voice. “But if you dare to lose it, I’ll kill you for sure!”

Yun Che remained in a daze for a good while, before he promptly said, “Disciple expresses his gratitude for Master’s favor and will cherish it with all his heart.”

Yun Che carefully put away the Sound Butterfly Blade. As he never expected such a thing to happen, his brain had stopped working momentarily.

Huh? Wait a second. Why does Master know that I’m quite adept in using it? Don’t tell me…

Amidst the chilly wind blowing in their direction, the two of them left the sphere of the Ice Phoenix Realm. They sensed an unusual burning aura coming from ahead and soon the blazing profound ark from the Flame God Realm appeared in their line of sight.

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