by Mars Gravity
At the extreme limits of his line of sight was a three kilometer tall palace bigger than the entire Blue Wind Imperial City. Beside the palace was an ice crystal phoenix with its wings spread, as though it was in flight. The might it released was so thick that it nearly enveloped the entire world.
Everything seemed as though he had arrived in a wonderland of ice and snow.
The Snow Region of Extreme Ice could be said to be the Profound Sky Continent’s coldest, purest region where the ice element was the most concentrated and active. However, if it were to be compared to this place, it would be as insignificant as dust.
“Phew! We’re finally back. This is the first time I’ve left for this long after entering Divine Phoenix Sect.” Mu Xiaolan closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the pure cold air in this place. Even though she had only stayed for a month, the Profound Sky Continent’s aura was still turbid to the point where she couldn’t endure it.
“This is the Ice Phoenix Realm.” Mi Bingyun looked at Yun Che and said, “Up ahead is Freezing Snow City, the place where Freezing Snow Hall is located. Unofficial disciples are not allowed to enter and exit at will. If they encounter a disciple of the sect, they would be sure to be interrogated. However, since you were brought here by me, you do not have to worry.”
“Elder Sister already knows that I’ve returned. I must see to her immediately, lest she get too worried. I will also tell her of your situation in passing,” Mu Bingyun stated.
“Ah?” Mu Xiaolan softly gasped. Then, she hung her head and muttered in a small voice, “It’s even hard for someone like Senior Brother Hanyi to see the Great Realm King… How could the Great Realm King even bother with a small lower realm bad guy like him?”
Mu Bingyun slightly shook her head. “Xiaolan, Elder Sister definitely won’t treat him unfairly just based on the fact that Yun Che saved my life. So… Yun Che, you do not need to be too nervous here and just treat this place as an ordinary cultivation ground.”
“Alright.” Yun Che nodded. “I’ll be troubling you then.”
Profound practitioners, even those from the Snow Song Realm that had come to the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect for the first time, would all tremble in fear. Those ascenders from lower realms would be even more nervous, such that they would shrink to their smallest. However, what Mu Bingyun saw from Yun Che’s face was actually deep curiosity and even faint excitement… unexpectedly, not a hint of nervousness was found there.
“Xiaolan, go bring Yun Che to the Freezing Snow Main Hall. Use my name to directly take an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade for Yun Che so he could become a disciple of Freezing Snow Hall. As for which hall he’ll be placed in, let fate decide that. Afterwards, go take him on a stroll in Freezing Snow City.”
“Yes, Master.” Mu Xiaolan complied with unwillingness written all over her face.
“In addition, let me say this again. You mustn’t tell anyone that Yun Che cured my poison and learned the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon!”
“Don’t worry Master, I definitely won’t let out a single word.”
Mu Bingyun slightly nodded. She quickly rose, turned into a streak of blue and completely disappeared from their line of sight.
“Seriously, why does she treat him so well…” It was not known how many times Mu Xiaolan mumbled those words but she did it yet again with a tone that contained a distinct tone of jealousy.
“Cough, Little Sister Xiaolan…”
Once Yun Che said those words, Mu Xiaolan turned around lightning quick and answered aggressively, “What Little Sister Xiaolan! Call me senior sister! Senior sister! Also, before I bring you to Freezing Snow City, you better remember this well, you can’t secretly run around wherever you like, can’t say random things and your eyes can’t randomly roam around! Especially since our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect has more female disciples, y-y-you… you definitely can’t do things you shouldn’t do! Otherwise… otherwise, don’t blame me for not warning you.”
“Things I shouldn’t do? What things I shouldn’t do?” Yun Che asked with a face full of innocence.
“In short… just do whatever I tell you to. Otherwise, you better behave and stand there doing nothing!” Mu Xiaolan said in a really loud voice.
“Understood.” Yun Che gave a rather helpless reply.
“Hmph, now that’s obedient.” Mu Xiaolan nodded in satisfaction after seeing this “lowly bad person” behaved quite well under her admonishment. Then, she flew up, “Follow me.”
Under Mu Xiaolan’s guidance, Yun Che entered the Freezing Snow City. Freezing Snow Hall was located in and directly headed for the Freezing Snow Main Hall. The three kilometer tall palace hall Yun Che first saw upon his arrival was precisely the Freezing Snow Main Hall.
North of the Freezing Snow Main Hall were also exactly one hundred and eight Freezing Snow Halls and they were all around the size of a city in the lower realms.
After entering Freezing Snow City, the surrounding aura changed once more. An extremely dense ice aura assaulted his face as human figures also increased within his line of sight. It was at this time that Yun Che suddenly thought about a phrase Jasmine had once said. He conjured some energy and his right hand suddenly grabbed forward as his profound strength surged.
Bang!!
With Yun Che’s strength, whether it be the Profound Sky Continent or the Illusory Demon Realm, this attack was enough to cave space at a large scale. At this moment, Yun Che’s profound energy did create the ear-splitting sound of an energy explosion but space… forget about caving space, not even a minute distortion or ripple had been created.
Yun Che, “…”
At that time, Jasmine had said that the God Realm’s spatial laws far exceeded that of the Profound Sky Continent. With his power, even if he used all his strength, he should forget about causing the slightest amount of damage to the God Realm’s space. At that time, he somewhat doubted her words but it was now that he completely understood that Jasmine had not exaggerated the least bit back then.
The God Realm and the lower realms… truly were two different planes of existence.
“What are you doing?” The sound behind him caused Mu Xiaolan to be on guard as she turned around.
“Oh… I was just wondering what the ‘Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade’ Fairy Mu was talking about earlier was,” Yun Che stated.
“It is basically the nameplate that says that you are a disciple of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect!” Mu Xiaolan kept her temper as she explained, “Different ranked disciples of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect will also have different Ice Phoenix Engraved Jades. Snowfall Palace is light blue, Freezing Snow Hall is ice blue and our Ice Phoenix Palace is… sky blue!”
Then, she pointed at the sparking stone around her left collarbone which was releasing an illusory blue light. “Look, it’s this! The deeper the color, the higher your rank. It is your proof of identity and it can also be used to store items, transmit sound or even absorb cold energy to assist you in your cultivation. The teleportation formations of various sizes within the sect also require the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade to activate. Different engraved jades also activate different teleportation formations. For example, once you obtain the Freezing Snow Hall’s engraved jade, you are only able to activate the teleportation formations of Freezing Snow Hall and Snowfall Palace. If you want to go to Ice Phoenix Palace’s regions, hmph, fat chance unless Master or I bring you along.”
“Oh,” said Yun Che.
At this moment, two especially pretty white-robed Freezing Snow Hall disciples came over. When they saw Mu Xiaolan, they hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, “Senior Sister Xiaolan.”
“Strange, why are there so few people here today? Did something happen today?” Mu Xiaolan asked.
The girl on the right side answered, “In reply to Senior Sister, today’s the final day of this year’s new disciple examination for Freezing Snow Hall. The Main Hall Master has ordered all disciples without an assignment to stay in their respective halls. If they don’t have any special matt
ers, no one is allowed to casually walk around.”
“Oh, right!” Mu Xiaolan came to a realization. “It really is around these days, I actually forgot about it.”
“Senior Sister Xiaolan, this is?” The girl on the right looked at Yun Che. His profound strength aura was only at the Sovereign Profound Realm and he didn’t have an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade so he was a dubious individual who shouldn’t appear in this area.
“He’s someone my Master brought here from a lower realm. From now on, he’ll be your junior brother.” Mu Xiaolan casually explained, then gestured at Yun Che. “Alright, let’s go already. I forgot that these days are Freezing Snow Hall’s new disciple examination days. We should hurry up and go get an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade. We can’t disturb the busy hall masters.”
Astonishment flashed past the two Freezing Snow Hall’s females as they watched them leave. Mu Xiaolan’s Master… who was also a grand Ice Phoenix Palace Master, brought back someone who was only at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm from the lower realms?
This?
Mu Xiaolan was an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple. In this Freezing Snow City that was one rank lower than her, she could walk against the law and any Freezing Snow Hall disciples had to immediately greet her upon encountering her.
The most basic requirement to join Freezing Snow Hall was stepping into the divine way. Getting into the Divine Origin Realm was also merely obtaining the qualification to participate in Freezing Snow Hall’s examinations. Every year, countless people who had reached the Divine Origin Realm still did not qualify to enter Freezing Snow Hall and could only continue on as a member of Snowfall Palace.
As such, any person one would encounter the in Freezing Snow City would release the aura of the divine way, were in the formidable Divine Origin Realm and were all well-known people of excellence. If any one among them were to go to the Blue Pole Star, they would definitely be absolute existences without parallel.
This was the terror of the God Realm.
Chapter 947: Making Things Difficult
With her status as an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple in addition to Palace Master Bingyun’s name, Mu Xiaolan brought Yun Che to the Freezing Snow Main Hall unhindered.
Even though it was a great hall, it was a completely different concept than the “great halls” Yun Che recognized. Once he came in, it was as though he had stepped into a vast, different world. The hall was three kilometers tall and its boundary couldn’t be seen with a mere glance. Different from the silent Freezing Snow City, this place was brimming with innumerable strong auras. At a glance, neatly arranged waves of people were everywhere within the great hall, spreading all the way until the end of one’s line of sight.
The auras of each and every person here were incomparably strong—definitely auras that surpassed the Sovereign Profound Realm, without a single exception! Though there were so many people here, the great hall was still particularly quiet and solemn. Those lower realm powerhouses who could cover their worlds with one hand all wore nervous and serious expressions. They were arranged in teams, every one of their expressions and movements extremely cautious. They didn’t even dare to whisper to one another.
Each team had around ten thousand members and it was impossible for Yun Che to see how many teams were present.
“So many?” Yun Che was amazed.
“These few days just happen to be Freezing Snow Hall’s new disciple recruitment examination days.” Mu Xiaolan pursed her lips and explained, “This kind of assessment happens once every year and it lasts for around seven days. Today should be the last day. Yes, look, they split everyone in groups of ten thousand and they go through one hundred and eight groups every day, which perfectly fits Freezing Snow Hall’s one hundred and eight halls. Each group would be evaluated by a Freezing Snow Hall’s Vice Hall Master or disciple and sometimes the Hall Master might even personally come to participate.
Aside from successors of the Ice Phoenix bloodline, disciples that come from the outside, especially those from the lower realm, have to be evaluated before they are allowed to join Freezing Snow Hall. The base requirement for being able to participate in the exam is to have reached the Divine Origin Realm. If they fail the examination, they have to wait five more years to take part in it again. As for you…” Mu Xiaolan rolled her eyes. “You are someone Master has brought over, so you do not need to go through all this. However, since you’re so weak, if you’re bullied once you enter Freezing Snow Hall, I’m not running after you.”
“Oh.” Yun Che shrugged. In all honestly, getting in using the back door… was something he felt disclined doing.
A team of ten thousand people, one hundred and eight teams, with the Divine Origin Realm being merely the threshold… In other words, these people who were carefully participating in the examination might not even pass. There were over a million people here and they were all at the Divine Origin Realm!
And this was only one of the many examination days.
Yun Che sucked in a breath of cold air… The divine way Xuanyuan Wentian calculated and risked his entire life for was basically free cabbage here.
When Mu Xiaolan and Yun Che entered, they immediately attracted the notice of a few profound practitioners waiting to be evaluated. When they sensed Yun Che’s profound aura, all of them revealed looks of contempt. But once they saw Mu Xiaolan, who sported the engraved jade which signified her status as a disciple of Ice Phoenix Palace next to him, their pupils contracted as their gazes changed to one of envy and yearning. They also subconsciously lowered their heads, not daring to look a second time.
“Senior Sister Xiaolan.” A few disciples that were on guard welcomed over and said rather respectfully, “May we ask what you’re here for?”
“On behalf of my Master, I am here to get him a Freezing Snow Engraved Jade.” Mu Xiaolan hinted at Yun Che with her gaze.
The guarding disciples looked at Yun Che and then revealed expressions of shock. However, how could they dare question the order of an Ice Phoenix Palace Master? One promptly answered, “Please come over here. However, since it is an examination day, the attendant of general affairs is not at the Phoenix Jade Palace but here, supervising the examination with our Main Hall Master. I will bring you to them.”
“Main Hall Master?” Mu Xiaolan’s brows twitched, as though she had some issue with this “Main Hall Master.” She waved a hand and said, “No need, I’ve already found his aura. Go take care of your own mission. Yun Che, let’s go.”
Mu Xiaolan said rather majestically before bringing Yun Che directly toward the inner part of the main hall.
It was extremely obvious that the hierarchy within the disciples of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect were quite evident. In front of an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple, Freezing Snow Hall disciples were all as deferential as servants.
After walking for a long while through the solemn great hall, they finally stopped near a group of profound practitioners who were waiting to be evaluated. Mu Xiaolan walked toward a middle aged man in a long, dark blue robe. The moment she came near, that blue robed middle aged man instantly sensed her, turned around and smiled. “Oh? Isn’t this Xiaolan? Why are you here?”
Mu Xiaolan answered respectfully, “Xiaolan greets Senior Su Shan. I am here on behalf of my Master to get Yun Che a Freezing Snow Hall engraved jade… Yun Che, this is Freezing Snow Hall’s attendant of general affairs, Senior Sushan. Hurry up and go greet him.”
Yun Che walked forward and copied Mu Xiaolan’s salutation. “Junior Yun Che greets Senior Sushan.”
“Oh? Your Master’s order?” As Mu Sushan sized Yun Che up with a glance, deep astonishment flashed through the depths of his eyes. He then asked, “It seems that Palace aster Bingyun has not been in the sect for a period of time. Could it be that Palace Master Bingyn has brought this child over from a different star realm?”
“Yes,” Mu Xiaolan answered honestly, “Master brought him from a lower realm called the Blue Pole Star.”
“Lower r
ealm?” Mu Sushan was even more shocked. He had never heard of the“Blue Pole Star” before but` he did not inquire any further. He only nodded slowly, “If I recall correctly, Palace Master Bingyun had never brought back a lower realm’s profound practitioner yet she made a surprising exception this time. Although this child’s profound strength is on the low side, he must have some quality that exceeds others. Hoho, follow me. Oh right, how is Palace Master’s health faring lately?”
Just as Mu Xiaolan was about to answer him, a shrill female voice came from behind. “Hmph, isn’t this Thirty-six Palace’s Mu Xiaolan? Today is Freezing Snow Hall’s great recruitment day, what are you here for?”
Yun Che saw Mu Xiaolan’s body suddenly stiffen beneath this voice and even her expression had become a bit unsightly. She paused for a little while before finally turning around. She lowered her head and said, “Xiaolan greets Hall Master Fengshu… I am here on my Master’s orders.”
Yun Che also turned around. The approaching female was dressed in blue, her long hair was tied, her phoenix eyes were slightly slanted. Within her beautiful eyes was a cold intent that made one not dare to look straight at her… and this cold intent seemed to be targeted at Mu Xiaolan.
And based on Mu Xiaolan’s appearance, she was clearly afraid and also seemed to not like this person.
“Mu Bingyun?” When she said the name Mu Bingyun, the corner of Mu Fengshu’s lips clearly sneered with a trace of hostility. “What does she want you to do?”
“Hoho, a small matter,” Mu Sushan said with a smile. He looked at Yun Che. “This junior is a profound practitioner Palace Master Bingyun has brought over from a lower realm. Palace Master Bingyun wishes for him to enter Freezing Snow Hall. I was just about to take him with me to obtain an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade. As for which hall he’ll join, since Palace Master Bingyun has not specified that in her request, how about I leave that for Main Hall Master to decide?”
