Chapter 1046: Hidden Without a Trace

Frozen Cloud Valley, a "Forbidden Land," had always been exceptionally quiet. Under the survival laws, which were far more brutal than in other regions, profound beasts rarely even roared.

All the profound beasts in Frozen Cloud Valley were ice-elemental, and those exiled there were also Ice Phoenix disciples. Consequently, fire was almost nonexistent in the valley—much less a sky-obscuring Golden Crow Divine Flame!

The furiously burning Golden Crow sea of fire was an undeniable thunderclap in the deathly silent Frozen Cloud Valley. Under the vast expanse of flames, countless profound beasts instantly began to snarl and roar, their cries filled with terror, rage, or frenzy.

Within the fiery expanse, weaker profound beasts were scorched and annihilated, while powerful ones, enraged by the searing heat, went berserk. Outside the inferno, the air became chaotic, snow swirled, and countless profound beasts surged forward like a tide. An indescribably terrifying aura permeated the air, mingling with the flames and roars.

"Ahhh!" Mu Yizhou's screams echoed from within the fiery sea. His aura, instead of drawing closer, was steadily receding, indicating he was under siege by profound beasts. "Yun Che… are you out of your mind?!"

"Heh… now, it's anyone's guess who'll die first!"

Yun Che burst into wild laughter, picked a random direction, and bolted away at his fastest speed.

Since he couldn't shake off Mu Yizhou, his last resort was to alert the profound beasts and let them delay him—or, ideally, kill him!

Although he was not as fast as Mu Yizhou at extreme speeds, he possessed not only Phantom Light Thunderforce but also Star God's Broken Shadow and Flickering Moon – Flowing Shadow.

Moreover, with the ice-elemental profound beasts certainly losing their calm and becoming enraged under the Golden Crow Flame, simple evasion would be far more advantageous.

All around him, the auras of profound beasts surged like a storm—from the front, sides, back, and even above.

Yun Che took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and squinted his eyes.

He focused his mind, cast aside all distractions, engaging his five senses, spiritual perception, and touch… it was time to fight for his life!

Confronted by profound beasts charging from every direction, Yun Che's speed didn't falter; instead, it suddenly accelerated. Amidst the fire, his body left behind dazzling afterimages. By the time these illusions vanished, he too had disappeared into the vast sea of flames.

Yun Che put away the Heaven Punishing Sword. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, he employed Star God's Broken Shadow and Flickering Moon – Flowing Shadow. Across just ten *li* of fiery expanse, countless afterimages were shattered by the rampaging profound beasts' claws.

As he burst out of the fiery zone, his vision was filled with profound beasts startled by the inferno. Upon seeing Yun Che, they all charged at him as if insane.

Yun Che leaped a thousand *zhang* into the sky, but before he could stabilize himself, several Blizzard Fierce Eagles attacked with deadly malice. Before their talons even reached him, the chaotic storm they had generated had already ensnared Yun Che.

Yun Che's gaze darkened, and a cerulean dragon shadow materialized in the air.

Dragon Soul Domain!

The Dragon God's oppressive might naturally instilled far greater deterrence in beasts than in humans of the same level. Under the world-shaking dragon's roar, the profound beasts below instantly scattered in terrified panic. The six Blizzard Fierce Eagles that had been closing in on him all convulsed in mid-air, plummeting downwards as the storm they had conjured rapidly dispersed.

Yun Che, without a moment's hesitation, flew forward and quickly vanished into the dense ice mist.

***

Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall.

Mu Xuanyin stood by the pond, silently observing the snow lotus. Its petals had fallen, leaving only the stem and leaves, which shimmered with crystalline light, still brimming with life.

"I believe it will bloom again in nine thousand years."

Mu Bingyun approached silently, coming to stand beside Mu Xuanyin.

Mu Xuanyin remained silent.

After observing Mu Xuanyin's expression, Mu Bingyun softly inquired, "Have you calmed down?"

Mu Xuanyin's icy gaze shifted slightly. "You want to bring him out?"

Mu Bingyun let out a soft sigh. "It's already been a day and a night. You know his cultivation level better than anyone. Three days is simply impossible for him. If he's not brought out soon… there might not even be a chance for regret."

"Hmph!" Mu Xuanyin's voice was chillingly cold. "You are truly good to him."

Mu Bingyun gently shook her head. "I simply don't want you to have regrets, Sister."

"He won't die that easily," Mu Xuanyin stated coldly. "Even if he does, it's the punishment he deserves!"

"Yesterday, I didn't dare ask for details. What major… crime did Yun Che truly commit?"

"You needn't ask about this matter again, nor concern yourself with it! If he leaves alive, consider him lucky. If he dies, then it's over and done with!"

Though Mu Xuanyin's aura was no longer as terrifying as the day before, it remained chilling and merciless, clearly showing her lingering anger. After all, Yun Che had committed a grave sin that she could never forgive. She turned and departed, exuding a daunting chill. "In a few days, I must travel to the Flame God Realm. To deal with that Flame Dragon, I require several days of secluded cultivation. You are to guard me here and are forbidden from going anywhere! Especially… you are not permitted to approach Frozen Cloud Valley!"

Mu Bingyun remained silent, only letting out a sigh. It seemed Yun Che had indeed made a very grave error this time.

***

Yun Che collapsed heavily into a thick snowdrift, gasping for breath. Immediately, he pressed his lips together, struggling to suppress his labored breathing, his chest rising and falling violently.

He had been pursued by profound beasts for a full day and night, and he had been fleeing for just as long. Throughout this entire period, he had focused solely on escape, not once drawing the Heaven Punishing Sword.

The profound beasts here were simply too numerous, and in this harsh environment, each possessed terrifyingly keen spiritual perception. Even with his Flickering Light – Thunder Concealment, he found no place to hide. While Flickering Light – Thunder Concealment could conceal his aura, the omnipresent profound beasts could still spot him visually, especially the soaring Snow Eagle Giant Falcons, for whom the dense ice mist seemed to offer no obstruction.

He had just barely shaken off another wave of profound beasts, and with no apparent dangerous auras nearby, Yun Che lay collapsed in the snow, unable to stand, his entire body aching and weak. These short reprieves, totaling only three throughout the entire day, never lasted more than a quarter of an hour each.

After a good while, Yun Che struggled to sit up. *No!* He couldn't possibly last until the third day like this. No matter how quickly his profound energy regenerated, it couldn't withstand such relentless depletion. He might be completely exhausted by tomorrow. He had to devise another plan.

As he pondered, Yun Che diligently used the Great Way of the Buddha to heal his injuries and restore his profound energy. But just as he closed his eyes, his brow suddenly twitched for no apparent reason. Without a second thought, he abruptly ducked down.

*Rip!*

The air shrieked with a sharp, tearing sound as a chilling gust swept just above Yun Che's head, severing a sizable lock of his hair.

Yun Che rolled his body, his eyes sinking as he fixed his gaze on the white shadow that had landed in the distance. It was, surprisingly, one of the white wolves he had encountered upon first entering Frozen Cloud Valley!

This white wolf had also been concealed in the snow, launching a sudden pounce that Yun Che had not anticipated. Clearly, this was the customary hunting method of these formidable white wolves.

His rare moment of respite had been ruined by the white wolf. Yun Che quickly swept his spiritual perception around, instantly deciding not to flee. Instead, he would eliminate this white wolf with the smallest possible disturbance.

Yun Che's right hand reached to his chest, gripping the Cloud Butterfly Blade in his palm.

The white wolf's eyes gleamed with a bloody light, and its slightly agape maw emitted a deeply sinister growl, clearly also wishing to avoid too much commotion. Its killing blow had been unexpectedly evaded, and a profound wariness entered its blood-red eyes. After a few seconds of tense standoff, it suddenly sprang forward like lightning, its sharp claws tearing directly at Yun Che's chest.

Yun Che's mind was taut, and with intense focus, the white wolf's pouncing trajectory clearly appeared in his eyes. His gaze turned cold, and the moment the wolf drew near, he suddenly shifted position, simultaneously sweeping the Cloud Butterfly Blade with incredible precision across the white wolf's neck.

Yun Che's figure flickered ten *zhang* away, then he spun back like lightning, just about to unleash a counter-attack, but suddenly he froze.

The white wolf's body crashed straight down onto a distant boulder covered in jagged ice, its head and body separating instantly. Silence followed.

"…" Yun Che's mouth hung slightly open, and he stood stunned for several seconds before slowly lowering his gaze, staring at the Cloud Butterfly Blade in his hand with utter disbelief.

After being pursued for a day and a night, Yun Che was exhausted, and his profound energy was currently less than forty percent. Though he was certain his short blade had sliced across the white wolf's neck, at most it should have inflicted only a minor wound. He had never imagined it would completely sever the head.

Given the incredibly oppressive aura of this white wolf… it was highly probable it was a low-level Divine Soul Beast! With his current profound energy channeled into the sharp blade, merely tearing through its flesh would have been difficult, yet…

What was even stranger was that he hadn't felt any sensation of having sliced off its entire head.

Yun Che quickly stepped forward, using his ice profound energy to swiftly encase the white wolf's head and body, preventing the scent of blood from spreading. He then stared intently at the Cloud Butterfly Blade for a long time.

He lightly exhaled profound energy, and immediately, a half-foot long, colorless, intangible blade light extended from the Cloud Butterfly Blade. He slowly brought the blade light close to his finger, and even from several inches away, his skin felt a searing prick.

"Palace Master Bingyun actually gave me something this terrifying…" Yun Che muttered. In his hands, with greatly depleted profound energy, he had effortlessly severed the body of a low-level Divine Soul Beast. If it were a Divine Soul practitioner of the same level, wouldn't it be…

If he could find an opportunity, perhaps… even late-stage Divine Soul Realm experts could be instantly slain with a single strike!

Yun Che suddenly recalled that Mu Bingyun had mentioned this short blade was an ancestral item of her family; she and Mu Xuanyin each possessed one, the other being called the "Sound Butterfly Blade." Given Mu Xuanyin and Mu Bingyun's standing in the Snow Song Realm, this short blade was likely a top-tier treasure there. How could it not be terrifying?

A profound artifact from the God Realm, it was potentially of an extremely high grade… certainly incomparable to anything from the Blue Pole Star.

Having witnessed the terrifying power of the Cloud Butterfly Blade, Yun Che felt somewhat more at ease. He re-concealed his aura, leaned against the corner of the boulder, and scanned the white wolf's corpse, a slight frown creasing his brow.

His Flickering Light – Thunder Concealment was already an exceptionally high-level concealment profound art, yet even when fully activated, it couldn't achieve complete undetectability. However, these white wolves, hidden in the snow, were within ten *zhang* of him. Despite his spiritual perception constantly monitoring his surroundings, he had been utterly unable to sense their presence before they attacked.

How did they manage such perfect concealment of their aura?

When concealed in the snow, their auras seemed to completely merge with it.

Aura… fusion?!

Yun Che suddenly looked up, his soul trembling violently as a strange current of light abruptly flashed through his sea of consciousness.

His eyes showed a momentary flicker of confusion. He wanted to immediately focus his thoughts to seize this fleeting insight, but in the dreadful Frozen Cloud Valley, if his consciousness became still, he could easily face eternal doom. Yet, if he did not, that sudden flash of inspiration might be lost to him forever.

After a brief internal struggle, he ultimately chose the former, swiftly closing his eyes. Gradually, his breathing and aura became perfectly calm, his consciousness slowly sinking deeper and deeper, as if he had completely forgotten his current perilous location.

High above, a pair of icy eyes pierced through layers of thick mist, gazing coldly at Yun Che.

Upon seeing Yun Che suddenly quiet down, his aura quickly became slow and gentle, and his soul entered a state of profound stillness… he had actually entered a state of enlightenment!

Her crescent brows rose as she muttered coldly, a hint of anger in her voice, "This boy… to actually enter a state of conscious stillness in a place like this? Does he wish to die faster?!"

Despite her irritation, she did not leave. Her gaze swept over the Cloud Butterfly Blade in Yun Che's hand, and she stated coldly, "Bingyun actually gave him the Cloud Butterfly! This is utterly preposterous!"

Yun Che entered an incredibly marvelous state, entirely oblivious to the silent gaze upon him, and no longer perceiving the flow of time. Naturally, he was also completely unaware that an ice-scaled behemoth was approaching his location, drawing closer and closer.

Mu Xuanyin's gaze sharpened, and a faint blue light began to emanate from her fingertips. But just then, she suddenly saw Yun Che's body, sitting calmly, blur slightly, then gradually fade like a slowly dissipating phantom… becoming fainter and fainter…

Until he completely vanished from that spot, leaving no trace.

"…!?" Deep astonishment appeared on Mu Xuanyin's face. Her spiritual perception confirmed Yun Che was still there, unmoving, yet his physical form had vanished completely.

The ice-scaled behemoth was already close, walking unhurriedly less than ten *zhang* in front of Yun Che. It did not pause for an instant, nor did it glance in the direction of Yun Che's presence. Soon, it vanished into the thick mist in another direction.

"Hidden… Shadow!?"

Mu Xuanyin murmured softly, and in her icy eyes, an expression of shock and… daze appeared, a sight rare even over millennia.