Chapter 1515: Celestial Prince

"Un...bind!"No sooner had the Ice Phoenix girl's words fallen than Yun Che repeated the same two words, now colder, harder, and imbued with a heart-stopping ruthlessness.The Ice Phoenix girl was silent.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze a mix of confusion and icy clarity. "Will interference, in essence, is forcing others, through one's own will, to do things they fundamentally do not wish to do!""To have one's most basic will quietly manipulated all this time—how cruel and absurd that is! Especially for someone as proud and dignified as she is... This is far too cruel to her... Unbind it, no matter what, unbind it for me!"

His voice gradually trembled, each word laden with tightly suppressed fury, for he knew he had no right to rage at the Ice Phoenix divine spirit, which was about to vanish forever before him.He also knew clearly what would happen once Mu Xuanyin's will interference was lifted. Yet, he did not hesitate... How could he allow Mu Xuanyin to live her entire life under someone else's will?

Yun Che's words subtly moved the Ice Phoenix girl. She fell silent once more, for longer than before, finally letting out a long, soft sigh. "You are right," she said. "To interfere with another's will out of self-interest, using one's own soul, is indeed an overly cruel act... and profoundly unfair to her."

"Unbind it, no matter the outcome, I will accept it," Yun Che's voice softened.

Before him, the gradually fading silhouette of the girl flickered with a faint blue light. Then her voice resonated: "It has been unbound. From this moment forth, her will shall belong entirely to herself. With the protection of my divine soul, no one will ever be able to interfere with her will again."

"...I understand." Yun Che closed his eyes, breathing softly.

"Go," the Ice Phoenix girl said. "For my final moments, I wish to bid farewell to this world in solitude. Yun Che, no matter what happens in this world's future, as long as you exist, there will be endless hope and possibility. May you and the descendant of the Heretic God be safe and at peace for all eternity."

"I will," Yun Che nodded, stating sincerely. "I will also remember you forever. Like the Heretic God, you are an incredibly great divine spirit."

The Ice Phoenix girl smiled, the last divine smile in the world. As her figure turned, a blue light swept forth, carrying Yun Che up through the water. In the blink of an eye, he was on the bank of the Heavenly Pool.

The world at the bottom of the Heavenly Pool returned to calm. The Ice Phoenix girl floated there silently, her form as thin as lingering mist.

"Even though I am a surviving divine spirit, interfering with another's will for so long is an unforgivable sin. Lord Lishuo will surely blame me," she murmured softly. Her final lingering image transformed into scattered, ethereal starlight, accompanied by her last faint whisper: "The final gift I intended for Yun Che, let it be bestowed upon her... This is the only compensation and atonement I can make."The ice-blue phantom completely dissipated at that moment, while the scattered stars converged into a pure blue light, purer than crystal, and flew into an unknown space.

Standing by the Heavenly Pool, Yun Che stood stunned for a very long time, his mind still in chaos.

For Yun Che, the Snow Song Realm was far more than just his starting point and stepping stone in the God Realm; it was his home there, its status and importance in his heart almost equal to the Blue Pole Star.The deepening of his affection for the Snow Song Realm was largely due to Mu Xuanyin.His true interaction with Mu Xuanyin had begun in the Netherfrost Heavenly Pool, on the day she announced she would take him as her disciple...It turned out that from that day until just now, everything had been a "dream" woven under someone else's will.This was not only too cruel to Mu Xuanyin but equally so to Yun Che.

Even more cruelly, it was also today that he truly realized Mu Xuanyin's importance in his world, a significance that was already on par with anyone else.

"Hoo..." He let out a long breath, but his entire body still felt as though it was immersed in a thick, murky miasma, unable to break free.

From now on, would they truly be strangers to each other...?

The Ice Phoenix divine spirit was right. Reflecting on the events of these past years, given her own temperament and will, she would surely be deeply enraged, deeply ashamed, and wish she could kill him with her own hands.

He stayed at the bottom of the Heavenly Pool for several days. By the time he left, it was already close to the departure date set by Jie Yuan.

Shaking his head, he forcibly suppressed his chaotic thoughts, then stepped forward, approaching an ice sculpture.

Within the ice sculpture was Xing Juekong, the Star God Emperor, whose whereabouts had been unknown to all.However, he no longer possessed the majesty and arrogance of a Star God Emperor; even moving, speaking, or dying was a luxury for him.

"Xing Juekong," Yun Che said coldly, "I have good news for you. Now, all the major King Realms have been forced to accept Jasmine's existence. I will take her from the God Realm, and she should not return in the future.""And Caizhi, she is currently training herself in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning. She hasn't taken a single step out in these three years, and you should know very well who forced her into this state.""After Jasmine, it won't be long before I take Caizhi from the God Realm of Absolute Beginning and out of the God Realm. And you, you will never see them again... Of course, you don't even deserve to see them.""As for the Star God Wheel you gave me, I will give it to Caizhi at the appropriate time, but I think... it will never return to the Star God Realm!"

Even through the thick profound ice, a chaotic sense of sorrow and despair could be felt overflowing.

With a cold smile, Yun Che turned and left the Netherfrost Heavenly Pool.

Returning to the Sacred Hall area, standing before the Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall—his most familiar place in the Snow Song Realm—he felt such trepidation for the first time, hesitating to enter for a long while.

No matter how much one wished to escape, there would always be a moment of confrontation. Even though he knew the outcome would likely be the worst, or even worse than he imagined, he still couldn't just turn and leave.

He knelt before the Sacred Hall doors and called out, "Disciple Yun Che respectfully requests an audience with Master."

The Sacred Hall remained silent, without a reply.But Yun Che knew Mu Xuanyin was inside.

He did not leave, nor did he rise. He remained kneeling there, allowing the falling snow to pile freely upon him.

A quarter of an hour... half an hour...An hour...Two hours...Three hours...

Finally, a figure slowly walked out from the Sacred Hall... but it was not Mu Xuanyin, rather Mu Feixue.

"Master said she doesn't wish to see you," Mu Feixue said, her expression icy, yet her eyes conveyed complexity.

Yun Che's lips moved slightly, and he said dejectedly, "Regarding bidding farewell to Senior Devil Emperor...""Master said she has no time to go," Mu Feixue replied directly.

"...I understand." Just four short words, yet they seemed to exhaust all his strength. With the thick snow still clinging to him, Yun Che bowed deeply: "Disciple Yun Che, I respectfully obey Master's command!"

He stood up... The wind and snow around the Sacred Hall could also be so disheartening and desolate.

"Junior Sister Feixue," Yun Che said softly, "From now on, I trouble you to accompany and look after Master more often, and listen to her carefully... Do not mention anything about me again, lest you anger her."

Mu Feixue's icy brows furrowed, and an unusual expression appeared on her face. Her lips parted, and she asked in a very soft voice, "Did you... anger Master?"

Yun Che smiled, shook his head, and in the next instant, he soared into the sky, his figure quickly disappearing into the distant horizon.

"Shadow Slave, follow me to the Eternal Heaven Realm!" With a low cry, the Vanishing Moon Divine Palace reappeared, carrying Yun Che once again towards the distant Eternal Heaven God Realm... because the dimensional grand formation leading to the edge of chaos was located there.

Throughout the journey, he was exceptionally quiet, not speaking a single word to Qianye Ying'er. He Ling wanted to comfort him several times but didn't know how to begin.

Seven years... both he and she had finally taken that step.But what followed was such a truth.

No one could truly empathize with Yun Che's feelings.

Time passed in a somber silence. It wasn't until the vast and majestic Eternal Heaven God Realm appeared in sight that Yun Che quietly sighed, making an effort to cast aside all the turmoil in his heart. He exited the Vanishing Moon Divine Palace and, with Qianye Ying'er, landed in the Eternal Heaven God Realm.

The moment Yun Che appeared, a figure in flowing white robes swiftly arrived, landing before him and bowing from a distance. "Qingchen respectfully welcomes Divine Son Yun," he said. "My Father King has been eagerly awaiting your arrival for a long time. Please."

"So it is His Highness the Crown Prince," Yun Che returned the bow. "For His Highness to personally greet me, Yun Che is deeply honored and humbled."

Zhou Qingchen: Although Yun Che had never truly interacted with him before, his name was already renowned.The youngest son of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, he was nonetheless the universally acknowledged Crown Prince of Eternal Heaven!He was undeniably the most outstanding in talent and aptitude among all the Eternal Heaven God Emperor's sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons!

Beneath the God Emperor of the Eternal Heaven Realm were the Guardians, but the Crown Prince of Eternal Heaven held a status even more noble than the Guardians, for he was the future Eternal Heaven God Emperor.The God Emperor of the Star God Realm was one of the Star Gods, and the God Emperor of the Moon God Realm was one of the Moon Gods; most King Realms were similar. However, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor was never a Guardian, and his succession differed from that of the Guardians. It did not require the approval of divine power but was a special bloodline inheritance.The current Eternal Heaven God Emperor, Zhou Xuzi, was a direct descendant of the Eternal Heaven Grand Ancestor.When the time was right, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor could pass on his divine imperial power to his successor... which was Zhou Qingchen.

To become the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, character was as important as strength and courage, especially a benevolent heart for the world. Zhou Qingchen, who was being groomed as the next Eternal Heaven God Emperor, was as pure and unblemished as his name suggested.

Despite his great renown, the Crown Prince of Eternal Heaven rarely appeared in public. This time, he was actually sent by the Eternal Heaven God Emperor to personally greet Yun Che, and had clearly been waiting for a long time. This demonstrated the Eternal Heaven God Emperor's high regard for him, and simultaneously, it was to foster a connection between Zhou Qingchen and Yun Che.

And Yun Che, indeed, deserved such an honor.

"Divine Son Yun, please," Zhou Qingchen hastily said. "It is Qingchen's great fortune to be able to personally greet you."

As he spoke, his gaze subtly but quickly flickered to Qianye Ying'er behind him, then immediately moved away. A hint of sadness flashed in the depths of his eyes, then vanished.

When he first arrived at the Eternal Heaven God Realm years ago, before he had even officially set foot inside, merely at its border, the invisible might had made it almost impossible for Yun Che to breathe. Now, as he swept over the Eternal Heaven God Realm's skies, all who saw him fixed their gaze, some even bowing from afar, showing complete respect.

Although the full extent of events had not yet spread throughout the entire God Realm, how could the people of the Eternal Heaven God Realm not know that Yun Che had saved the God Realm from a calamity that had brought them immense despair? This matter would soon spread across the entire world. At that time, his personal prestige would certainly not be inferior to that of any King Realm, and his name would be passed down through eternity.

"To be frank," although he was the Crown Prince of Eternal Heaven, Zhou Qingchen showed no arrogance at all. His humble politeness even carried a hint of reverence, and this subtle reverence was not feigned but truly from the heart: "As early as the Profound God Convention four years ago, Qingchen was deeply astonished by Divine Son Yun's demeanor. However, due to my status, I regret that I could not approach and befriend you."

Indeed, the Crown Prince of Eternal Heaven held too high and noble a status, and to a great extent symbolized the dignity and prestige of the Eternal Heaven God Realm. How could he lower himself to actively befriend Yun Che at that time?

"Today, my wish is finally granted," Zhou Qingchen sighed. "However, Divine Son Yun's current achievements are something Qingchen could never hope to attain in a lifetime."

Yun Che smiled. "Your Highness the Crown Prince is truly the Divinely Appointed Son; Yun Che dare not accept such praise."

Zhou Qingchen shook his head and laughed. "To move the Devil Emperor, to block the Devil God, and to foster a balance where the God Realm and the Evil Infant do not harm each other, eradicating all calamities and disasters from the God Realm—such world-saving divine achievements are unrivaled, deserving of being remembered for all eternity, and worthy of all praise."

Yun Che was rather speechless. This manner of speaking and flattery was exactly like that of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor.