Chapter 1063: The Worst Outcome

"Hahahaha!" Huo Rulie threw his head back and burst into laughter. "The bottom of the God Burying Inferno? I told you your brain must be fried. What foolishness are you spouting?"

"Brother Yun, you... surely you're joking?" Huo Poyun looked at Yun Che with some concern. No one would ever believe his words, yet his gaze was unusually strange.

"Is this boy really the Snow Song Realm King's direct disciple? Why is he acting so crazy?" A Phoenix elder shook his head.

"Ah," Yan Wancang didn't laugh, but let out a heavy sigh. "Yun Che, as the Snow Song Realm King's direct disciple, especially while outside the Snow Song Realm, you should be mindful of our sect's and your master's honor and choose your words carefully. How can you speak such nonsense! And even make such a drastic vow... quickly retract what you just said."

Yan Wancang had always greatly admired Yun Che, not just for his elemental talent that surpassed Huo Poyun's, but also for his composure far beyond his age, which he displayed at all times. However, Yun Che's recent behavior made him feel utterly bewildered, as if his mind had suddenly gone haywire.

Yun Che gritted his teeth. "How could I joke about something like this! Regarding the two ancient horned dragons, I haven't uttered a single false word. Otherwise, why would I, as a direct disciple of a sect master, make such a severe vow?! Sect Master Yan, please, you must believe me!"

"Enough!" Yan Juehai, unable to bear it any longer, frowned and said, "Yun Che, do you know that ancient horned dragons have been recorded in our Blazing Heaven Realm for six hundred thousand years? Since then, every generation has relentlessly pursued them! We have a complete and thorough understanding of everything about them! From beginning to end, there has only ever been one horned dragon; a second one is absolutely impossible. Otherwise, how could our Blazing Heaven Realm have remained completely unaware for six hundred thousand years?"

"You've only been in our Blazing Heaven Realm for a mere three days. Are the efforts of sixty generations of our Blazing Heaven Realm's ancestors less significant than your paltry three days?"

Just as Yun Che was about to speak, Yan Juehai's voice pressed on again. "Let's put aside that matter; we'll simply assume you're making a tasteless joke. But the God Burying Inferno... do you even know what kind of place the God Burying Inferno is? Even the three of us—Sect Master Yan, Sect Master Huo, and myself—cannot reach its depths. Not only our bodies, but even our spiritual energy can barely extend a thousand zhang deep. As for the bottom of the inferno, no one in the entire history of the Blazing Heaven Realm has ever been able to touch it. Yet you, a Snow Song disciple still in the Divine Origin Realm, dare to claim you've reached the bottom of the God Burying Inferno..."

"As the sacred source of our Blazing Heaven Realm, the God Burying Inferno is revered by our entire realm. It can only be challenged; it must never be made light of!"

"Hey!" Huo Rulie glared fiercely at Yan Juehai, displeased. "You old geezer, a simple lecture would have been enough. Why speak so harshly? He wasn't born in the Blazing Heaven Realm; how would he know our rules?"

"Sigh," Yan Juehai shook his head.

Yan Wancang looked at Yun Che's expression, then suddenly whispered, "From his appearance, he doesn't seem to be deliberately spouting nonsense. It appears he's been affected by the inferno."

At his words, those around them suddenly understood. Yan Juehai nodded, saying, "Indeed, the intense scorching energy here can easily burn the mind and soul, leading to mental disorientation. Especially for a Snow Song disciple like him."

"I'm perfectly sober right now, clearer than ever!" Yun Che gnashed his teeth, desperately trying to think of a way to make them believe him.

Huo Rulie reached out and grabbed Yun Che's shoulder, saying with a look of helplessness, "Alright, alright, even if everything you're saying is true, even if there really is another horned dragon... Oh, let's say not just one, but two more ancient horned dragons. With your master's strength, it would be effortless for her to escape safely, so you can put your mind completely at ease. Poyun, why don't you... take him somewhere to rest for a while? The farther, the better."

Just as Huo Poyun was about to agree, Yun Che roared, "It's not that simple! These two horned dragons haven't shown any weakness for sixty years! Last time, when one of them had its dragon horn injured, the other didn't emerge, which shows how terrifying their cunning and patience were! Therefore, the other one either won't appear, or if it does, it will definitely choose the optimal moment for them! My master has already expended a great deal of profound energy, and if she's ambushed by the other one with full force while completely unprepared... she will certainly be severely injured!"

"This is a trump card the two horned dragons will never reveal until the last moment. Once it's played, they will absolutely not give my master any chance to catch her breath! My master had to exert all her strength just to deal with one. Now, with her profound energy depleted and facing severe injury, how could she possibly escape while simultaneously confronting two ancient horned dragons—one of which is still at full strength!"

"Argh, you brat." Huo Rulie was close to losing his mind. If Yun Che hadn't saved Huo Ye's life, with his already meager patience, he would have genuinely wanted to just slap him unconscious. "If anything happens to your master, I'll pay with my old life, alright?!"

No one would believe him, no matter how dire a vow he made. Yun Che slapped Huo Rulie's hand away and rushed back to Yan Wancang. "Sect Master Yan, you can choose not to believe me, you can think I'm speaking nonsense. If that's the case, I don't ask you to transmit a message to my master telling her to escape. You only need to transmit a message to her, telling her that another ancient horned dragon might be lurking in the surrounding inferno, just so she's on guard... Surely that's acceptable?"

"No!" Yan Wancang refused without a second thought. "When your master engages the horned dragon, she first shatters her sound transmission jade precisely to prevent any form of disturbance! If I were to transmit a message to her like that, it would certainly distract her!"

Yun Che urgently said, "My master has the absolute upper hand now; the ancient horned dragon has no power to retaliate. So what if she's momentarily distracted by a transmission? A momentary distraction couldn't possibly affect the current battle!"

"It's not just a momentary distraction from the transmission," Yan Wancang patiently explained. "If your master were to believe another horned dragon exists, she would be constantly distracted and on guard throughout the battle! And her opponent is an ancient horned dragon that has lived for at least hundreds of thousands of years. Though it appears covered in blood now, it is certainly not severely injured, and no one knows what other trump cards it might possess. If your master were truly to remain distracted because of this, it's absolutely possible it could ruin the current situation!"

"Do you realize how many years our Blazing Heaven Realm has striven and waited for this day?! And if everything were to be ruined because of your unreasonable antics," Yan Wancang's tone became incredibly stern, "not only will our Blazing Heaven Realm not forgive you, but your master certainly won't forgive you once she finds out!"

"Fine..." Yun Che's lips trembled, and his hands clenched with audible cracks. "Then I'll go tell my master myself!"

Having said that, he resolutely soared into the air, heading straight for the inferno.

"Young Yun!" Huo Rulie cried out in alarm, his hand shooting out like lightning. A massive force, which Yun Che was utterly unable to resist, sent him plummeting down, crashing heavily beside Huo Rulie. Huo Rulie quickly grabbed him and roared, "Are you insane?! With your small frame, you'll be obliterated to nothing but dust before you even get within a thousand li!"

"That's still far better than watching my master face peril with my own eyes!" Yun Che roared back.

"Yun Che!!" Yan Wancang bellowed in rage, a roar that made everyone's souls tremble. His eyebrows were fully furrowed, and his face displayed a rarely seen indignation. "Do you realize how crucial this horned dragon hunt is to our Blazing Heaven Realm? It's not just about the dragon's exotic treasures; it also determines the future destiny and status of our entire realm!"

"Now, the hunt for the horned dragon is on the verge of success, and I absolutely will not permit any mistake, any accident, no matter how small!" Yan Wancang's piercing gaze fixed on Yun Che. "If it weren't for your master, had anyone else dared to behave so recklessly during such an important matter, I would have already struck them down! Now, be quiet and behave yourself, or else... don't blame me for being impolite."

Among the Three Great Divine Flames, the Vermillion Bird Flame was the most gentle. Yan Wancang was also the most cultivated and mild-tempered among the three sect masters. Even the Vermillion Bird elders rarely saw him so angered—after all, the horned dragon hunt was a matter of immense importance.

"..." Yun Che's chest heaved violently, but his gaze slowly softened under Yan Wancang's stare. His voice completely softened as well, laced with deep pleading. "Sect Master Yan, though my life as Yun Che has been short, I rarely make vows, and even less often do I beg... I swear again, not a single word of what I said just now was false. Otherwise, I am willing to be judged by the Heavenly Dao and die a terrible death! I beg Sect Master Yan to transmit a message to my master... just to remind her to be a little wary... Please, Sect Master Yan, grant this. My master's kindness to me is as vast as the ocean. If she is saved because of this, I, Yun Che, will never forget Sect Master Yan's grace throughout my entire life."

"..." Yan Wancang said nothing, instead turning away coldly... unmoved.

"But, if something truly happens to my master..." His pleading gaze instantly turned sinister, and his voice became hoarse with trembling. "Yan Wancang, I, Yun Che... will never let you off!!"

These words stunned everyone present.

"Impudent fool!" Before Yan Wancang could speak, the Vermillion Bird Sect's Grand Elder furiously cursed, "What are you, to dare call our Sect Master by his name!? And you even have the audacity to threaten..."

"Quiet! Quiet! This isn't your place to speak!" Huo Rulie shot him a sharp glare and said with a frown, "It really looks like this boy's mind is fried. Sect Master Yan, just pretend you didn't hear that. Poyun, quickly take him to find a place..."

Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack...

The deafening sound of ice crystals solidifying almost instantly tore through everyone's eardrums, pulling their gazes back to the Vermillion Bird projection.

A thick layer of ice crystals spread rapidly across the ancient horned dragon's body, completely encasing it. The ancient horned dragon roared and struggled, causing delicate cracks to constantly appear in the ice, only for them to immediately re-solidify and grow progressively thicker.

The ancient horned dragon's roars and struggles grew weaker and weaker until every part of its body was sealed within ice crystals several zhang thick, making further escape impossible.

"It's... sealed!!" Yan Juehai roared in ecstasy.

Previously, countless attempts to freeze it had been shattered by the ancient horned dragon. This was the first time it had been truly sealed. Although this complete seal wouldn't last long... it created an excellent opportunity for a decisive kill.

Mu Xuanyin's icy eyes closed, her arms gently spread. The shadow of the Ice Phoenix on her body danced silently, as a diamond-shaped ice glimmer condensed at her fingertips, growing deeper as it expanded.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths, four breaths...

Cracks appeared all over the ice crystals sealing the ancient horned dragon. The diamond-shaped ice glimmer at Mu Xuanyin's fingertips had grown to a full zhang in size, emitting a profound blue light that no one had ever witnessed before.

Watching that blue light through the Vermillion Bird projection, everyone felt their vision silently sink, as if their entire being had suddenly plummeted into an endless vast sea, then further into a bottomless abyss of frigid ice.

What was the concept of a Divine Master calmly concentrating profound energy for a full four breaths?

Not to mention the ancient horned dragon's current state, even at its full strength, if struck, it would be instantly severely wounded. And in its current condition...

The moment it broke free from the ice might just be the moment of its demise!

The air seemed to solidify. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the Vermillion Bird projection, awaiting that dreamlike moment... Only Yun Che's eyes were wide with desperation, but his body was held firmly by Huo Rulie, unable to move no matter how much he struggled.

No... this is bad! Master, escape... escape now!!

Bang!!

The ice crystals sealing the horned dragon burst apart.

And just as the ice diamond at Mu Xuanyin's fingertip was about to shoot forth, the inferno less than ten zhang behind her suddenly exploded. A fiery shadow, carrying world-destroying might and tearing through layers of shattering space, slammed down.

Mu Xuanyin's power was fully concentrated at her fingertips, her mind entirely focused on the horned dragon in front of her. Completely unprepared, and at such close range... The moment she became aware, her back had already been violently struck, and her consciousness instantly turned blank.