Chapter 1176: Determination

Night fell, and the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm was enveloped in silence.

The first round of the Conferred God Battle had concluded. Tomorrow would mark the first battles for both the Conferred God Group and the Losers' Group. In these battles, seven participants from the Conferred God's Thirty-One would be eliminated from the Losers' Group, while eight from the Conferred God Group would fall into the Losers' Group.

Compared to today's battles, which had no eliminations, tomorrow's matches were bound to be even more intense and thrilling. The question of which eight individuals would remain in the Conferred God Group was also the focal point of attention for the entire Eastern Divine Region.

That night, other Conferred God Children either rested to conserve energy or recovered their profound energy and injuries within the "Time Wheel Pearl." Only Yun Che sat quietly by the pond all night.

In his mind, Jasmine's every soul-piercing, heart-wrenching word replayed incessantly, along with… Mu Bingyun's faint, wind-like words.

Even if I were to see her as I wished, even if I had a perfectly complete farewell with her…

Would I truly be content then, with no more regrets…?

Would I really…?

Why did I truly come here…?

My intense longing to see Jasmine—was it truly because of the incompleteness and regret I always believed I needed to mend…?

Or was it…

that from the very beginning… from that day until now… I simply couldn't accept the fact that she had left me…?

The first light of dawn scattered, morning arrived, and the sky gradually brightened.

The door pushed open, and Mu Bingyun emerged with silent steps. Yun Che was still in her line of sight, sitting in the same spot as yesterday, almost without any change.

Mu Bingyun's icy gaze softened slightly, and she remained silent. But then, she saw Yun Che slowly stand up, his gaze shifting, his eyes clear as water, devoid of yesterday's confusion and turbidity.

"It seems you've figured out what you want," Mu Bingyun's lips curved slightly into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, yet it exuded a grace that could steal one's breath.

"Not everything, but at least I know what I need to do next." Yun Che smiled. All the gloom seemed to vanish with that smile, and his eyes appeared even clearer than the day before. He said gratefully, "Palace Master Bingyun, I've always relied on your various forms of help, and I've caused you to worry countless times. Yesterday, I must have disappointed you again."

Mu Bingyun gently shook her head. "No. You are, after all, still a young man in your twenties. If at this age you were completely free of confusion, turmoil, foolishness, and impulsiveness, that would instead be a great sorrow."

"Moreover, to have someone for whom you are willing to act this way, isn't that also a blessing?" Mu Bingyun's fair face tilted up as she softly said, "Back then, if it weren't for my sister, I might have been unable to carry on a thousand years ago."

Yun Che straightened his posture, exhaled a long, turbid breath from his chest, and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he asked, "Palace Master Bingyun, you're right, she couldn't possibly be so heartless towards me. Even if there's a vast disparity in our statuses, heaven and earth apart, every single moment of those eight years we spent together was undeniably real… Although she is a Star God, she is clearly younger than me… Eight years, that's one-third of her life. How could she erase it so easily from her soul?"

Mu Bingyun remained silent.

"And I always have this feeling that she's about to face something major. After yesterday, this feeling has become even stronger… Palace Master Bingyun, have you heard of any particularly significant events happening in the Star God Realm these past years?" Yun Che inquired.

Mu Bingyun shook her head. "Matters at the Star God Realm's level are beyond the Snow Song Realm's reach."

After a moment, she seemed to recall something and continued, "However, if it's just a rumor, about twenty years ago, there was indeed a strange and quite sensational rumor concerning the Star God Realm."

"…What rumor?" Yun Che immediately listened intently.

"It was apparently called the 'True God Project.'"

"'True God Project'…" Yun Che immediately recalled where he had heard that name. "Two years ago, when I was in the Black Soul Realm, I think I heard about it as well."

"However, that was clearly just a false rumor."

"False? Why?"

"It's simple," Mu Bingyun said slowly. "Many king realms in the various Divine Regions are trying to find the path to a True God. If the Star God Realm truly had a method related to the 'True God Path,' it would undoubtedly be the Star God Realm's greatest secret, never to be revealed in the slightest. Yet, this rumor spread widely back then; not only king realms and upper star realms, but even many in our middle star realms, and even lower star realms, knew about it. Based on this alone, it's almost certainly not true."

"And in the years since, other king realms have made no unusual moves toward the Star God Realm, and that rumor has mostly faded away."

"Aside from this, the only other 'major events' concerning the Star God Realm were the successive 'falls' of the Heavenly Wolf Star God and the Heavenly Slaughter Star God back then. And that matter, you should know more about it than anyone else."

Yun Che was silent for a very long time, before seemingly muttering to himself, "What good is it for me to try and find out anything now? Jasmine was absolutely right; I truly don't have the slightest qualification right now. If those are major matters for her, what good would knowing do me, and what could I possibly do?"

Taking another deep breath, Yun Che's mind became a few shades clearer and sharper. He suddenly asked, "Palace Master Bingyun, when Huo Poyun arrived yesterday, he mentioned something about my match today… a bye?"

"That's correct," Mu Bingyun nodded. "In today's first round of the Losers' Group, your opponent was supposed to be the devil named Wei Hen. But he was annihilated yesterday, and his name was even erased from the Conferred God Battle records. Therefore, on yesterday's battle roster, you had no opponent and received a direct bye, effectively advancing straight into the second round of the Losers' Group."

"Perhaps this is also fate," Yun Che tilted his head slightly. At this moment, he truly made his decision.

"Palace Master Bingyun, I want to… return to the Snow Song Realm," Yun Che said.

"Alright," Mu Bingyun nodded without hesitation. "I'll accompany you back."

"No," Yun Che shook his head, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light. "I plan to go back alone, and… I'll return very soon!"

As the sky brightened fully, powerful individuals from all realms had already begun to make their way to the Conferred God Stage.

Yun Che walked alone, unhurriedly, but his direction was vastly different from everyone else's.

His steps were so slow, as if he were contemplating something in silence, yet his gaze was utterly clear, and his heart was like a tranquil lake untouched by the breeze, completely devoid of the excitement, nervousness, and confusion he felt when first arriving in the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm. There was only a profound stillness.

A stillness that even surprised himself.

"Huh? Well, well, well! Look who it is! Isn't this the trash who was so scared yesterday he didn't even dare to step onto the Conferred God Stage!"

A grating voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

Luo Chang'an, who had appeared out of nowhere, was squinting at Yun Che's back, his face filled with deep disdain and mockery.

Yun Che ignored him, not even pausing his steps for a moment.

"Hahahahaha," Luo Chang'an's unbridled laughter echoed from behind. "Yesterday he didn't even dare to go on the Conferred God Stage, and now he's so scared he won't even turn his head! A wretch truly is a wretch, hahahahaha…"

"Tsk tsk, letting trash like you enter the Conferred God Battle simply shames us true Conferred God Children." Luo Chang'an seemed to greatly enjoy the pleasure of tormenting the weak. Seeing that Yun Che didn't dare to retort a single word, he felt even more delighted. He half-closed his eyes and, with an extremely condescending gesture, pointed at Yun Che's back. "Hey, trash, listen well: a true man fights to the death, even if it means dying. Only the lowest scum surrenders like a boneless dog, hahahahaha…"

Yun Che's steps suddenly halted, and he slowly turned around, his gaze finally falling upon Luo Chang'an, yet it remained utterly calm.

"Your name is… Luo Chang'an, right?"

"Oh? What is it?" Seeing that Yun Che actually had the audacity to face him and speak, Luo Chang'an's eyes narrowed, revealing an interested expression.

"Heh," Yun Che's face showed none of the humiliation Luo Chang'an had hoped to see. Instead, he smiled slightly. "Remember well what you just said… don't forget a single word!"

Luo Chang'an was stunned for a moment, then, as if poked in a funny bone, he burst into wild laughter, doubling over with mirth. "Pfft hahahahaha… hahahaha…"

Yun Che no longer looked at him, nor did he pay any more attention to his mockery. He simply walked directly towards the exit of the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm.

Guests like Mu Bingyun and Huo Rulie, though invited, if they left the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm now, might not be able to re-enter. However, a Conferred God Child had the freedom to enter and exit the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm's restrictions at any time during the Profound God Convention.

In terms of timing, today's Conferred God Battle had already begun, yet he, as one of the Conferred God Children, had already stepped out of the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm's restrictions. Following his memory, he found the special spatial profound formation he had used to arrive.

Fortunately, the profound formation leading to the Snow Song Realm was currently open.

Emerging from the profound formation, a world of icy white, falling snow appeared before his eyes. Yun Che summoned the Ice Phoenix Profound Ark that Mu Bingyun had given him and flew towards the Ice Phoenix Realm at top speed.

"Sigh, Master must be furious and utterly disappointed with me now… I'll probably get a good beating from her." Standing on the profound ark, Yun Che muttered dejectedly to himself. He had figured out what he would do next, but he had no idea how he would face Mu Xuanyin.

Disobeying his Master's command, forcefully exposing himself to danger, and dragging her into being ridiculed by others…

*Phew*… Yun Che exhaled a long breath.

Reflecting now, in the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, just a step away from Jasmine, he had indeed, in his eagerness, done too many things he shouldn't have, things that even seemed unlike him.

However, if given the chance to choose again, he might still do the same.

Returning to the Ice Phoenix Realm and entering the sect, Yun Che headed straight for the Ice Phoenix Sacred Region. Upon entering the Sacred Region, he immediately knelt on the ground, saying remorsefully, "Master, your disciple has returned. Your disciple knows he has committed a grave mistake… Please mete out your punishment."

The only response he received was the sound of falling snow.

Yun Che remained motionless, kneeling there for nearly an hour, yet he received no response whatsoever from Mu Xuanyin.

"Master?" Yun Che tried calling out again, but still received no answer.

Could Master not be here?

Given Mu Xuanyin's cultivation, the moment he returned, she would know instantly, without him needing to make a sound.

"Master!"

Yun Che stood up and entered the sacred hall. The hall was empty and silent. In the eternally unfrozen pool at its center, a single Ice Feather Spirit Flower, which seemed never to have withered, floated, shimmering with exceptionally beautiful light.