Chapter 1006: 狂言

Huo Rulie's words were clearly a desperate attempt to regain psychological balance under humiliation. The entire Ice Phoenix Divine Sect, while seething with rage, also felt a surge of secret shame and depression.

This was because Huo Rulie's words had struck a painful chord within the Snow Song Realm.

For the past ten thousand years, the Snow Song Realm's remarkable strength among the middle star realms was solely due to Mu Xuanyin.

Without Mu Xuanyin, they would plummet from the upper echelons of the middle star realms to the lower tier, utterly incapable of resisting the Flame God Realm.

"This guy still won't shut up!" Even Yan Wancang, with his ten thousand years of cultivation, was itching to kick Huo Rulie in the head. Mu Xuanyin was already radiating killing intent; after just conceding defeat, Huo Rulie had abruptly resumed taunting her, and by extension, the entire Snow Song Realm, right to her face.

To his astonishment, however, Mu Xuanyin did not erupt in fury at Huo Rulie's taunts. Instead, a cold sneer curved across her face, which was both dreamily beautiful and chillingly cold. "Huo Rulie, this King suddenly finds you truly pathetic," she said. "So pathetic that I suddenly don't even deign to kill you."

Mu Xuanyin's gaze slowly drifted past Huo Poyun, who stood beside Huo Rulie. That momentary glance caused Huo Poyun's body to stiffen instantly, and for a long while, he dared not move a muscle. "Sect Master Yan and Sect Master Yan brought their descendants to introduce them to my Snow Song Realm, which is perfectly natural," she stated. "But you, Huo Rulie, brought a mere disciple. This King initially thought you were just filling a quota, but it seems you did so specifically to satisfy that pathetic need for psychological balance. After hearing that I had taken on a new direct disciple, you deliberately brought your own direct disciple here to flaunt him."

"For a dignified Sect Master of the Golden Crow Sect to rely on his disciple to forcefully scrape together such a pathetic semblance of dignity—it truly fills this King with pity."

Gazing at Mu Xuanyin's back, Yun Che was once again stunned. Her words were truly venomous!

His new master treated the three Flame God Sect Masters as if they were mere playthings, like three tiny mice.

Yun Che felt an increasing sense of immense pressure. Would taking Mu Xuanyin as his master prove to be a great blessing or a profound disaster? When he had been Jasmine's master, despite their vast differences in strength, Jasmine's existence depended on his life and the Sky Poison Pearl. They had been inseparable, virtually one entity, with no sense of "distance" between them, and he never had to worry about her harming or killing him.

Mu Xuanyin, however, with her terrifying temperament and overwhelming strength, could end his life on a mere whim, perhaps just because she was in a bad mood. It would be so simple that she wouldn't even need to lift a finger; a casual breath could obliterate him hundreds of times over.

Huo Rulie's face turned crimson, whether from blood surging due to his injuries or from suppressed rage, he continued to laugh maniacally. "That's right!" he roared. "I, Huo Rulie, may never compare to you, Mu Xuanyin, in this lifetime. From the moment you crippled my son, and I was powerless to exact revenge, I lost every shred of dignity in front of you! But the thought that your successor will never, ever be able to rival mine, that after this generation, your successors will have to kneel before mine for all eternity—that makes me feel so, so good! Hahahahahaha!"

Everyone in the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect turned pale with a mixture of anger and exasperation. Yet, as they looked at Huo Poyun, whom Huo Rulie had brought, and then at Yun Che, standing motionless, they all secretly sighed and shook their heads.

Over the past ten millennia, Mu Xuanyin had taken on eight direct disciples. While all possessed exceptional talent and achieved remarkable success—with more than half becoming sect masters of various branch sects within the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect—they still fell short when compared to the direct disciples of the various sect masters in the Flame God Realm.

After all, despite Mu Xuanyin's heaven-defying power, she was the greatest anomaly in the Snow Song Realm's hundreds of thousands of years of history. Moreover, due to the limitations of divine bloodline inheritance and the surrounding environment, the profound practitioners of the Snow Song Realm—from the highest to the lowest tiers—were notoriously less talented than those of the Flame God Realm. This was a universally acknowledged truth.

Mu Xuanyin's newly accepted direct disciple was also from a lower realm, and his cultivation had only just entered the Divine Origin Realm. It was no wonder Huo Rulie, upon hearing this news, had forcefully brought his own direct disciple with him.

Yun Che sighed inwardly. *This Huo Rulie, he's absolutely insane! What did I ever do to provoke him?!*

Mu Xuanyin remained unperturbed, her voice softening further. "Indeed, you are truly pathetic and pitiable," she said. "Huo Rulie, where do you find the confidence to believe your successor can surpass mine? Are you not afraid that the last pathetic shred of your dignity will be utterly trampled under this King's feet?"

These words left both Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai momentarily speechless, and their gazes instinctively swept towards Yun Che.

Under those two gazes, Yun Che instantly felt as if two scorching suns were shining directly upon him.

*What terrifying auras!* Yun Che thought with an inward gasp.

Yet, such formidable individuals were virtually defenseless against Mu Xuanyin. As Yun Che gazed at Mu Xuanyin's back, his apprehension grew with every passing moment.

Huo Rulie staggered to his feet. Huo Poyun quickly stepped forward to support him, but Huo Rulie pushed him away, standing rigidly, and sneered, "What? Are you suggesting that this King's disciple is inferior to yours?"

"Hmph," Mu Xuanyin scoffed with utmost disdain. "How my disciple fares is irrelevant for now. But as for your newly accepted disciple, he isn't even worthy of carrying the shoes of my own newly accepted disciple!"

At her declaration, not only did the six individuals from the Flame God Realm gape, but the entire Ice Phoenix Divine Sect was utterly flabbergasted.

"Sect... Sect Master..." Mu Huanzhi, standing closest to Mu Xuanyin, stretched out a hand and whispered, his scalp prickling. Among the three young individuals brought by the Flame God Realm, Huo Poyun might have possessed the lowest profound energy, but he was still at Divine Tribulation Realm Level Five, and his life aura was remarkably youthful, certainly under twenty-five years old.

Someone accepted as a direct disciple by Huo Rulie and specifically brought to be flaunted undoubtedly possessed exceptionally high mastery of fire-elemental laws, in addition to a direct or collateral inheritance of the Golden Crow bloodline. By no means could he be compared to Yun Che, who had only just entered the Divine Origin Realm.

Huo Rulie's eyes bulged, and his facial muscles began to twitch before he erupted into a thunderous, maniacal laugh.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Him? Not even worthy of carrying shoes?" Huo Rulie shrieked, pointing directly at Yun Che, as if he had just heard the most ludicrous joke of his life. "Based on *him*? Based on *him*?! Hahahahahaha!"

Mu Bingyun's brows furrowed tightly as she quickly transmitted a message to Mu Xuanyin: "Sister, what are you doing?! By saying that, aren't you just giving Huo Rulie an opening?"

No sooner had she sent the message than Mu Xuanyin's voice resounded in her mind, silencing her instantly.

"Yes, based on the new direct disciple standing behind this King," Mu Xuanyin asserted, not only not retracting her words but reiterating them firmly. "Your disciple isn't even worthy of carrying his shoes!"

Yun Che: "..."

Mu Bingyun's words were immediately proven true. How could Huo Rulie, brimming with suppressed anger and resentment, not seize upon Mu Xuanyin's impulsive declaration? He let out a thunderous roar: "Good! Good! Well said! Since you claim he's not even worthy of carrying shoes, do you dare let him spar with my disciple?!"

"Huo Rulie!" Mu Huanzhi could no longer remain composed and bellowed, "Don't push your luck!"

"Sect Master Huo, please cease this at once," Yan Wancang stated gravely.

Huo Rulie, however, took a defiant step forward, his voice reverberating through the surroundings. "Pushing my luck?" he boomed. "Who is pushing their luck?! Mu Xuanyin, do you dare? Do you dare?! Hahahahahaha!"

He knew Mu Xuanyin surely wouldn't dare, which was why he laughed with such immense satisfaction—it was the first time in his life that he had gained the upper hand against Mu Xuanyin, and she had handed it to him herself.

"Sect Master Huo, that's enough," Yan Wancang said, grabbing Huo Rulie's arm. He then addressed Mu Xuanyin: "Snow Song Realm King, we shall no longer trouble you and will take our leave now. The matter of the Ancient Horned Dragon benefits both our sects, so we hope the Snow Song Realm King will give it careful consideration. Farewell—"

"Wait!!"

Huo Rulie violently shook off Yan Wancang's hand, his fiery eyes fixed intensely on Mu Xuanyin. "Mu Xuanyin!" he spat. "I never imagined that you, the dignified Snow Song Realm King, would forcibly utter such arrogant and ridiculous words just to save a little face and humiliate others! Heh, Mu Xuanyin, there's a day when even I, Huo Rulie, look down on you so utterly! You might as well generously admit it now; then I might at least retain some semblance of respect for you!"

It wasn't just today; for over ten thousand years, Huo Rulie had always been suppressed in Mu Xuanyin's presence. Today, facing a once-in-a-millennium opportunity to publicly humiliate Mu Xuanyin, he couldn't possibly let it slip away.

Mu Xuanyin's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. "You won't shed tears until you see the coffin!" she said coldly. "Very well, since you insist, this King shall grant your wish."

Mu Xuanyin's ethereal figure flickered as she turned sideways. "Che'er," she instructed, "you will spar with this Sect Master Huo's so-called esteemed disciple. Although he is a guest, there is no need to hold back!"

The entire Ice Phoenix Divine Sect was greatly alarmed, and several elders simultaneously stepped forward. "Sect Master—"

"Silence!" Mu Xuanyin sharply rebuked. The elders who had just taken half a step instantly recoiled, not daring to utter another word.

"Yes, Master."

Yun Che forced himself to step forward calmly, though his steps felt unsteady and his scalp tingled.

Huo Poyun, brought by Huo Rulie, appeared to be of a similar age, but his profound energy aura was no less formidable than Mu Hanyi's. This meant his profound cultivation was at least at the mid-Divine Tribulation Realm.

*Divine Tribulation Realm! What the hell am I supposed to do against that?!*

With the Star God's Broken Shadow, he might barely be able to maneuver for a short while, but only maneuver. However, he absolutely couldn't use the Star God's Broken Shadow, and the only outcome of clashing with Huo Poyun would be instant defeat!

Huo Rulie took in the fear on the faces of the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect members and the apprehension in Yun Che's eyes. He waved a hand. "Poyun," he commanded, "go and gain some experience from this esteemed disciple—the one the Snow Song Realm King claims you're not even worthy of carrying shoes for! Hahahahahaha!"

"Yes, Master." Huo Poyun respectfully replied, then walked forward.

Huo Poyun stood at a distance, facing Yun Che, but upon sensing Yun Che's profound energy was only at Divine Origin Realm Level One—clearly indicating he had just recently entered the Divine Way—his expression became momentarily complex.

He had entered the Divine Way at fourteen and broken through to the Divine Soul Realm at seventeen. Now twenty-four, he hadn't fought anyone in the Divine Origin Realm for a full seven years, let alone someone who had only just entered it.

Facing Yun Che, who was only at Divine Origin Realm Level One, despite him being the Snow Song Realm King's newly accepted direct disciple, Huo Poyun found himself genuinely hesitant to strike.