Chapter 1864: "Cheating the Master"

"I'll leave the matter of the name to you," Shui Meiyin said with a smile. "I guess you've already decided on Big Brother Yun Che's imperial title back in the Northern Divine Region, haven't you?"

"Of course," Chi Wuyao replied with a smile.

Shui Meiyin extended her hand, and a faint, almost imperceptible red glow flickered in her palm. "The sacrifices and losses from this battle are simply too great. The most urgent task now is to recuperate properly for a period of time. Therefore, I'll temporarily lift the seals on a few small palaces, so they can rest and heal during this time."

As she spoke, red patterns suddenly appeared on the six palaces at the very front of the Qiankun Dragon City. These patterns slowly flowed while flickering, then gradually thinned out until they completely faded and vanished.

Shui Meiyin lowered her hand and lightly exhaled.

Chi Wuyao had been silently observing Shui Meiyin's actions when she suddenly said, "There are many things I want to ask you. But you probably won't tell me, will you?"

"Hehe!" Shui Meiyin smiled radiantly. "It's better if Big Brother Yun Che tells you... when he thinks the time is right."

"I'm going to take care of my sister now!"

Chi Wuyao's gaze followed Shui Meiyin as she departed. She then turned her eyes back to the easily unsealed palaces on the Qiankun Dragon City, and recalling Yun Che's extremely abnormal changes, she fell into deep thought.

Shui Meiyin was not wrong; the profound practitioners of the Northern Region desperately needed a respite and time to recuperate—both physically and mentally.

The Qilin Realm and Azure Dragon Realm were to guard the north and west, respectively, to prevent any potential incidents. All severely injured Northern Region profound practitioners were transferred to the Qiankun Dragon City.

Yun Che, holding Caizhi, entered one of the palaces in the Qiankun Dragon City.

This appeared to be a vast bedchamber, its interior decoration far more lavish than its exterior suggested. It exuded an ancient, serene aura, showing no damage or even a speck of dust.

But Yun Che had no time to examine it closely. He placed Caizhi on the foremost jade couch, one hand pressing on her right arm and the other touching her chest, and intensely activated the Miracle of Life.

Under the power of light profound energy, Caizhi's not-too-severe injuries slowly recovered at a visible pace.

Caizhi's breathing became increasingly stable, and her face gradually regained its color.

As the light profound glow dissipated, Yun Che let out a slight breath of relief. Having sustained the Profound God of Draconic Might for so long, his profound energy and soul power were significantly depleted. Now completely relaxed, his mind continuously felt a slight dizzying sensation.

Just then, he suddenly felt something and abruptly turned around, meeting a pair of icy-blue eyes, as ethereal as a dream.

"It seems she's alright now," Mu Xuanyin said. Her demeanor and gaze were still as cold and indifferent as ever, like an eternally frozen, exquisite ice blossom.

Caizhi had known Mu Xuanyin was still alive much earlier than Chi Wuyao. They had both arrived in the Southern Divine Region early to pacify the Southern Sea God Realm for Yun Che and to eliminate Nan Wansheng as a future problem.

"Take good care of her," Mu Xuanyin said, turning to leave.

"Xuanyin!"

A soft call reached her ears, and a wave of warmth enveloped her. She was already embraced from behind by a pair of arms... held very, very tightly.

Mu Xuanyin's body stiffened. Just as a sound was about to escape her lips instinctively, Yun Che's body was already pressing against hers, his fierce heartbeat and warm breath transmitting clearly to her heart.

She closed her eyes and didn't struggle... The last time he had held her so tightly, it had been across the boundary of life and death.

After a long while, Yun Che's low murmur finally reached her ear: "Is it... is it the Ice Phoenix's... Nirvana?"

"Yes," Mu Xuanyin answered softly. "After I awoke in the Netherfrost Heavenly Lake, the Ice Phoenix memories preserved within the Nirvana power told me everything."

"As expected," Yun Che murmured softly. Yet, he showed no smile of relief or of regaining something lost. His arms unconsciously tightened their embrace, and in his heart, there was only profound dread.

If the Ice Phoenix hadn't possessed the Nirvana divine power like the Phoenix...

If the Ice Phoenix Divine Spirit hadn't, out of guilt, left its last power to Mu Xuanyin...

Then, he truly would have lost her completely... lost her forever and ever.

He extended his arm, placed it on Mu Xuanyin's jade shoulder, gently turned her around, and gazed directly into her eyes.

Mu Xuanyin's lips moved slightly.

"Xuanyin," Yun Che said, word by word, gazing directly into her icy eyes, "From now on, you'll never leave me again, right?"

He no longer called her Master, nor was his gaze like that when facing his Master. It was burning, tender, and filled with such deep attachment, so close.

Her eyes were startled and flustered, and her mind was bewildered amidst the chaos... Her heart-guarding ability was powerful enough to perfectly conceal her presence for a long time before instantly killing the Crimson Extinction Dragon God, but what lay before her now was a scene she had never faced, causing her soul to be so disordered that all her mental defenses seemed to collapse in an instant.

She abruptly averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact with Yun Che in this moment... Previously, it had always been Yun Che who would hastily lower his eyes under her cold gaze.

"No..." Yun Che slowly shook his head, as if speaking to himself, as if confessing, "This question shouldn't be asked of you, but of myself."

"Back then, because of my weakness, because of my naive stupidity, I was just a hair's breadth away from..."

Taking a soft breath, his gaze remained unwilling to leave Mu Xuanyin's eyes... Before, he had always been afraid to look into her eyes, fearing to see blame, fearing to see cold disappointment.

Until outside the Blue Pole Star, when she perished in his arms, her desolate gaze was more beautiful than a myriad of stars, yet it had forever plunged into his dreams from that moment, causing him endless longing over the years, but an inability to touch it again.

Now, how could he be timid again? How could he let go again?

"Soon, I will be the master of this world! I will ensure that no one, no power in this world, can ever take you away from me again!"

As he finished speaking, he suddenly moved forward, his lips pressing tightly against Mu Xuanyin's.

Mu Xuanyin's icy eyes widened. Amidst her alarm, a great force suddenly came upon her, and she was gently yet firmly pressed down beneath Yun Che.

"You!" Mu Xuanyin instinctively struggled, but as her power surged in panic, it was already suppressed by Yun Che's utterly domineering force.

"Don't even think of escaping," Yun Che said, pressing down his body. "I need to properly reclaim these years I lost you, and even more so... compensate for my past mistakes!"

In front of Mu Xuanyin, he had completely lost his former self... In reality, his reverence for his "Master" still lingered.

And it was the existence of this reverence that compelled him to overcome and erase it in the most direct and forceful way.

Back then, it was precisely this hateful reverence and timidity that almost cost him the chance to regret.

"No... don't." For some reason, her struggle was unusually chaotic and weak, and even the sound from her lips inexplicably had a softness akin to Chi Wuyao's: "They... they're all outside... You're the Devil Master... you can't..."

Yun Che waved his hand, sealing the palace entrance with a dark barrier. He said imperiously, "I'd like to see who dares to approach!"

Yun Che was now completely "disrespecting his Master." No matter how Mu Xuanyin struggled, he would forcefully suppress her, giving her no moment of escape: "Xuanyin, remember this: I am no longer your disciple. And I need you to know that you are no longer my Master... Therefore, I can disobey you, and I will never allow you to escape from me, not even half a step!"

"And Caizhi... Mmm!"

Yun Che waved his hand again, and another layer of ice barrier formed, firmly isolating their figures and sounds within.

Just as the ice barrier formed, Caizhi on the jade couch let out a soft moan from her lips, then slowly opened her misty eyes.

Outside the palace, Chi Wuyao's figure slowly approached. Seeing the dark barrier in front of the palace door, she paused slightly. Then, her devil soul lightly touched it, and a faint, ambiguous smile immediately appeared on her lips.

She transmitted her voice with her devil soul, saying, "All realms, heed my command: The Devil Master's spirit has suffered some damage and requires a period of quiet recuperation. Within twelve hours, no one is permitted to disturb him."

After transmitting the message, she did not immediately leave.

Not long after, she, without surprise, saw the figure of Qianye Ying'er, whose aura was clearly unstable, hurrying over.

"What happened to him?" Qianye Ying'er frowned deeply. "Why would he suddenly need such a long period of quiet recuperation? Was he just enduring it before?"

Given Yun Che's extraordinary recovery abilities, twelve hours of recuperation was absolutely "extremely long," indicating that his depletion far exceeded expectations.