Chapter 1771: Ice and Snow Like Memories

The Ice Phoenix Sacred Region.

It was still the eternal, swirling snow of his memories. He slowly walked across the unmarked snow to the entrance of the Sacred Hall, his gaze sweeping over the ice pond, ice bed, and ice sculptures. Everything was exactly as he remembered.

Since Mu Bingyun became Sect Master, the Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall had been her personal domain. Yet, years later, she had not changed a single thing here. Even the simple trinkets Mu Xuanyin had cherished remained exactly where they had always been.

In a corner, an ice lamp bore a clear, diagonal crack. It was a mark from when Mu Xuanyin (Chi Wuyao) had forced him to ingest flood dragon blood, causing him to go berserk and knock down Mu Feixue. It had never been repaired.

Seeing Yun Che frozen in place, his gaze distant, Mu Bingyun gently invited, "Come in."

Yun Che did not move. Lost in thought, he murmured, "If Master saw me now… would she despise me?"

Mu Bingyun was momentarily stunned. This Dark Monarch, who upon his return had commanded the slaughter of countless star realms and lives, now hesitated to enter the Sacred Hall—a place holding countless memories of him and Mu Xuanyin.

"Yes," Mu Bingyun replied. "Because you still address her as Master. Back then, you might not have understood. But now… do you still not comprehend why she was so determined to expel you from the sect?"

"And what if I do?" Yun Che said softly, a self-mocking, tragic smile playing on his lips. "My naiveté back then cost so many lives. I would rather she detested me, hated me."

He slowly turned and looked at Mu Bingyun. "Palace Master Bingyun, do you still hate me?"

Mu Bingyun turned her icy gaze to him, then gently stepped forward to stand before Yun Che. Her snow-white hand rose, and to Yun Che's surprise, her jade-like fingers softly brushed his cheek.

"Back then, when you were in the deepest pain, I struck you." Her voice was soft, like a mist or a dream, and her icy, misty gaze held years of buried guilt. "Does it still hurt?"

The touch on his cheek was as soft as supple jade, stirring his very soul. Yun Che's gaze lingered slightly, his lips parting. "It never hurt."

When they had parted at the Netherfrost Heavenly Lake, he had sensed that all of Mu Bingyun's inherent icy gentleness had transformed into pain and melancholy. Seeing her again today, her gloom seemed to have completely vanished, and she had reverted to her former self – the "Ice Cloud" whose outer chill concealed inner softness.

At that moment, from behind an ice mirror within the Sacred Hall, a woman emerged, her face exquisitely beautiful, her aura like a frosty lotus.

It was Mu Feixue.

She saw Yun Che, and the snow-white hand stroking his cheek. Her head slightly bowed, she softly greeted, "Sect Master, Senior Brother Yun."

Mu Bingyun's jade arm subtly bent, and her hand unconsciously withdrew. Before she could speak, Mu Feixue had already performed a graceful bow and silently departed.

"Feixue's progress over these past few years has been astonishing." Yun Che turned his gaze toward the direction Mu Feixue had left. She was still within his perception; her steps were slow, and wherever she went, the swirling snow around her seemed to soften.

Mu Bingyun smiled faintly. "I had worried she would be weighed down by inner turmoil, but the outcome has been quite the opposite. It seems that the same state of mind can sometimes produce vastly different effects in different people. Feixue is a remarkable child, and she will undoubtedly be able to shoulder the future of the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect."

Yun Che raised his hand and produced three purple crystal rings. "These contain resources obtained from the Eternal Heaven Realm. They should enable the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect to develop rapidly."

The accumulated wealth and resources of a King Realm were an unimaginably vast fortune for a mid-tier star realm. Possessing resources of such caliber would, without doubt, allow them to cultivate a younger generation with strength far surpassing previous limits in a very short time.

Mu Bingyun directly reached out and took them, her divine sense briefly sweeping over them. "Good," she said. "I will do my best to maximize their impact. These resources are enough for the sect to undergo a transformation within a single generation."

Mu Bingyun's unhesitating acceptance, devoid of any intention to refuse, momentarily surprised Yun Che.

Mu Bingyun turned and entered the inner chambers. When she reappeared, she held several neatly folded Ice Phoenix Snow Robes. The Ice Phoenix inscriptions on them were of a style reserved only for direct disciples.

"These are your Ice Phoenix robes, all personally made by my elder sister," Mu Bingyun said. "Although you are no longer an Ice Phoenix disciple and won't use them in the future, they are, after all, yours. Leaving them here would only betray her original… intentions."

Yun Che lowered his eyes and slowly took the robes, his fingers lightly tracing the cold divine patterns on them. After a long silence, he lifted his gaze. "Palace Master Bingyun, I came this time to visit her. I also hope you will come with me."

He would absolutely not allow Mu Bingyun to be abducted by the Brahma Monarch God Realm again.

Without a hint of surprise, Mu Bingyun gently shook her head, her voice as calm as still water. "Yun Che, do not forget your current identity. Your concern, your guilt—let it all be for my elder sister alone. As for me, as for the Snow Song Realm, neither will nor should become a burden for you. Even if one day the Snow Song Realm meets its worst end, perishing alongside it would be my best destination."

Her voice, though soft, was unyielding and brooked no argument.

"Furthermore, I do not wish for you to visit her now. The bloodlust and malevolence clinging to you are too strong; they would disturb her peaceful rest. When, one day, you have achieved your goals and she no longer needs to worry or care for you, then go to her."

Yun Che remained silent.

"If you truly wish to take someone away…" Mu Bingyun's tone became meaningful. "Then take Feixue."

Leaving the Ice Phoenix Sacred Region, Yun Che stood high in the sky, letting his body sway with the wind and snow. He gazed at the boundless snowfields, his eyes holding an icy stillness—not the piercing cold of ruthlessness, but a calm, unruffled tranquility.

This was the calmest his heart had been since his return to the Eastern Divine Region. The blood on his hands and the ferocity in his heart seemed temporarily veiled by the ice and snow.

He had indeed not gone to the Netherfrost Heavenly Lake. Mu Bingyun's words had resonated with him, particularly the notion that he should not disturb her rest while still tainted with blood and sin.

Eleven years ago, he had arrived in the God Realm with Mu Bingyun, driven by a purpose so pure it might have seemed laughably naive to others. This place had been the genesis of everything.

At that time, neither he nor Mu Bingyun could have possibly imagined that it would be *he* who would become the turning point for the entire God Realm's destiny.

The Eastern Divine Region was now under his heel. He had displayed world-shaking demonic power, and the truth of that year was known to all. Moreover, he possessed the Northern Divine Region as a perfect, unshakeable retreat.

In terms of scale, might, deterrence, and even the hearts of the people… he could now completely dominate the Eastern and Northern Divine Regions, standing on equal footing with the Southern and Western Divine Regions. He was in a position to reshape the God Realm with overwhelming strength and influence.

Not even the Southern Divine Region. With the Dragon Monarch's return, he would certainly not act rashly in the face of the terrifying power now displayed by the Northern Divine Region and the dramatically changed landscape.

Yet, Yun Che had no intention of stopping. The hatred in his heart was calm amidst the ice and snow… but it had not diminished by an iota.

In this snowy realm, the faces of those who had attacked Mu Xuanyin that year quickly surfaced in his mind, each one incredibly clear, etched deep into his memory.

Especially… Long Bai, who had delivered the fatal blow to Mu Xuanyin!

Just then, amidst the wind and snow, a voice from a cherished memory drifted towards him.

"Oh? Did you really see Senior Brother Yun Che? What does he look like now?"

A slender woman in ice-blue robes asked eagerly and excitedly. She possessed a Divine Soul Realm cultivation, which was not as high as that of the surrounding Ice Phoenix disciples, yet she seemed to hold a very special position among them.

Yun Che's gaze dropped to the woman in blue. At her first word, he recognized it as Mu Xiaolan's voice. Despite the years, her silhouette remained unchanged.

"Just like in the projection… no, no, much more terrifying than in the projection. Especially his eyes; just one look, and I couldn't breathe for ages," an Ice Phoenix male disciple replied.

Another Ice Phoenix male disciple quickly interjected, "Junior Sister Xiaolan, he is now the Devil Master. You absolutely must not call him 'Senior Brother' anymore. Otherwise… if the Devil Master were to get angry…"

He dared not finish his sentence.

"No, he won't," Mu Xiaolan said, shaking her head with conviction. "I believe that no matter how much he changes, he will never harm the Snow Song Realm. Haven't the events of these past few days already proven that?"

The leading Ice Phoenix disciple sternly stated, "Our former Sect Master died to save him, so of course he wouldn't bear to harm the Snow Song Realm. However, everyone in the Eastern Divine Region has seen clearly how terrifying he is now. So, under no circumstances should you try to approach him, nor should you discuss him in private anymore. If he were to be provoked by something, then… uh… ah…"

His gaze inadvertently flickered upwards, and he saw Yun Che in the sky. In an instant, his heart seized, and the hairs on his body stood on end. The words on his tongue devolved into a trembling gasp.

Following his gaze, everyone instinctively looked up. Instantly, the entire world fell silent and cold. Their faces turned deathly pale, pupils dilated, and though mouths gaped open, not a single sound could escape.

"Yun… Che…"

Mu Xiaolan stared blankly at the dark silhouette in the sky, whispering the name from her lips, then immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, daring not to make another sound.

When the Northern Divine Region had completely submitted, countless Divine Masters could only tremble and prostrate at his feet. Now, Yun Che no longer needed to unleash his dark demonic might; a single, unassuming glance was enough to plunge countless souls into an abyss of fear.

Yun Che withdrew his gaze, said nothing, and departed with indifference.

As the terror dissipated, nearly half of the Ice Phoenix disciples collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, their bodies slick with icy sweat.

Mu Xiaolan stared blankly in the direction Yun Che had gone, her vision gradually blurring. The man she and her Master had brought into the Snow Song Realm, who had once bantered and joked with her, now seemed a distant dream, forever beyond her reach.

At that moment, from a distant spatial rift, a majestic voice resounded:

"Huo Poyun of the Flame God Realm requests an audience with Realm King Bingyun."

In the sky, Yun Che, who had been about to head north, paused. His gaze shifted slightly, but his expression remained impassively cold, without the slightest change.