Chapter 224: The Power of the Throne

"Chu Yuechan, what is the meaning of this?"

With things at this point, Fen Moli, overwhelmed by anger, completely threw caution to the wind. Although he had only met Chu Yuechan once many years ago, he still recognized her instantly. However, he never imagined that the legendary Ice Pixie Fairy would suddenly attack him.

Chu Yuechan said coldly, "As the Grand Elder of Burning Heaven Clan, you have no reason to attack a junior. It's utterly shameless."

"Hmph!" Fen Moli's old face darkened. "He severely injured the son of our Burning Heaven Clan Master. For that alone, dying ten thousand times wouldn't be enough! Chu Yuechan, the affairs of my Burning Heaven Clan are none of Ice Cloud Asgard's business!"

"I'm going to interfere!" Chu Yuechan extended a hand like icy jade, and a faint azure light shimmered in her palm.

"Fine," Fen Moli's brows furrowed deeply. "I've long heard that the Ice Pixie Fairy, at such a young age, has already stepped into the Half-Profound Emperor Realm, even surpassing the former Asgard Mistress, Yu Xia. Among the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies, there's no one her equal. Today, I, an old man, will see for myself the power of the number one!"

Fen Moli was completely confident facing Chu Yuechan. Although both were in the Half-Profound Emperor Realm, Chu Yuechan had only entered it a few years ago, while Fen Moli had been there for thirty years. Though he knew he would never break through to the Profound Emperor Realm in his lifetime, he was confident he wouldn't lose to anyone within the Half-Profound Emperor Realm.

"Haaah!!" Fen Moli roared, and intense purple flames erupted around his body. He raised both hands, conjuring a fiery blade of purple profound flame dozens of feet long, and abruptly cleaved it towards Chu Yuechan. Purple profound flame was known to all profound practitioners in the Azure Wind Empire as the strongest flame. Only those at the late Sky Profound Realm could unleash purple profound flame. It was rumored that under purple profound flame, profound practitioners below the late Earth Profound Realm would instantly be incinerated to cinders, without even a chance to resist or struggle. A sweep of purple flame could completely evaporate a small lake in a very short time, making it incredibly terrifying.

Fen Moli's fiery blade wasn't particularly fast, but Yun Che was not far behind Chu Yuechan. If she dodged, Yun Che would have no escape from the terrifying purple profound flame. However, if Chu Yuechan resisted it head-on, Fen Moli was confident she would suffer at least a minor setback from this attack.

Chu Yuechan didn't move her feet, showing no intention of dodging. Instead, she flipped her palm upwards and clawed at the fiery blade in the air...

Clang!! The massive fiery blade, rapidly descending with suffocating heat waves, suddenly seemed to strike an invisible barrier and came to an abrupt halt. Then, an azure light appeared at the tip of the blade, rapidly spreading with the cracking sound of ice forming, enveloping the entire blade in an instant, transforming the intensely hot purple profound flame into incredibly cold blue profound ice.

When ice-attribute profound energy reached a sufficient level, it could freeze not only bodies and objects, but also various forms of profound energy!

Bang!! As Chu Yuechan flipped her jade-like palm, a shattering sound echoed throughout the entire Sword Discourse Arena. The frozen fiery blade burst apart in mid-air, scattering into countless tiny blue ice crystals that flew far away...

"Wh-what!?" Fen Moli staggered back two steps in panic, quickly shaking off the ice on his hands, his face filled with shock and disbelief. Just then, he saw Chu Yuechan extend her palm towards him, and a blue light flashed across his vision...

An ice pillar about half a foot long suddenly appeared out of thin air before him... That's right, it appeared completely from nothing. Even with Fen Moli's supreme profound energy at the Half-Profound Emperor Realm, he couldn't discern how or when it appeared. This seemingly inconspicuous ice pillar carried a terrifying chill that made him shiver all over. Before his pupils could even contract, the azure ice pillar struck his chest with a speed he couldn't comprehend...

Thump!! The area where Fen Moli was struck by the ice pillar instantly caved in significantly, his back dramatically protruding. A stream of blood, accompanied by a muffled groan of extreme pain, shot from Fen Moli's mouth. He flew backward like a shot arrow, landing on the Sword Discourse Arena's surface and then skidding dozens of feet, plowing a deep, dozens-of-feet-long furrow into the hard ground.

The entire arena fell silent. Even Ling Kun of Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, who had remained silent until now, finally showed a flicker of emotion. Ling Yuefeng stood up as if struck by lightning, exclaiming, "Spatial compression... Th-this... this is... Profound Emperor power!!"

The four words, "Profound Emperor power," struck everyone like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

"A Profound... Profound Emperor? Th-this... this can't be, can it?"

"Why not?! Manor Master Ling himself just shouted it out! And if she wasn't a true Profound Emperor, how could Fen Moli be beaten into such a miserable state by a single move?"

"My heavens, another Profound Emperor has appeared in our Azure Wind Empire, and such a young one! Even if she only entered the Profound Emperor Realm this year, it would still be earlier than Manor Master Ling... She's the earliest person to reach the Profound Emperor Realm in hundreds of years!"

"This means Ice Cloud Asgard now has another Profound Emperor, besides the legendary former Asgard Mistress! And there's also a rumor that the Supreme Asgard Mistress of Ice Cloud Asgard is still alive and residing there. If that rumor is true, then Ice Cloud Asgard would have three Profound Emperors! Both Burning Heaven Clan and Xiao Sect only have one each!"

The news that Chu Yuechan had become a Profound Emperor shocked everyone. This Ice Pixie Fairy, already exalted and seemingly a fallen immortal, now appeared to people's eyes as a true immortal treading high on the clouds, almost beyond reach even to gaze upon. In the Azure Wind Empire, a Profound Emperor was a legendary and invincible existence. A crucial reason why there were only four major sects in the Azure Wind Empire, and not five, was that only these four sects possessed a supreme "Profound Emperor."

The expressions on everyone's faces from Burning Heaven Clan and Xiao Sect changed. The emergence of another Profound Emperor from Ice Cloud Asgard undoubtedly meant they were now far surpassed in terms of power. Xiao Sect Master Xiao Juetian slowly stood up, gazed blankly at Chu Yuechan's retreating figure for a moment, moved his lips, and then slowly sat back down. Twenty years had passed, and she remained as ethereal and captivating as ever; even her back was breathtakingly beautiful. However, her brilliance was too dazzling at this moment, making him, the Xiao Sect Master, feel nothing but deep inferiority.

Back then, after first encountering Chu Yuechan during the ranking tournament, he too became infatuated with her, constantly dreaming of her. However, he wasn't as crazed as Ling Yuefeng, nor did he humble himself to dust like Ling Yuefeng, repeatedly venturing to Ice Cloud Asgard. He could only end up helpless and unsuccessful. But at least, he had always believed himself worthy of her...

But now, he barely had the courage to look into her eyes. Such a young Profound Emperor... not to mention the present, but throughout the entire history of the Azure Wind Empire, such a phenomenon had almost never occurred. She seemed like heaven's overly spoiled darling, bestowed with too many dazzling and brilliant halos. Under these halos, he couldn't even imagine anyone within the entire Azure Wind Empire who would be worthy of her...

At least, he admitted that he, as the Xiao Sect Master, was not worthy.

Over the past few centuries, many Half-Profound Emperors had appeared in the four major sects, but among these supreme practitioners who reached the Half-Profound Emperor Realm, barely one in ten could ultimately enter the true Profound Emperor Realm. Fen Moli, having been a Half-Profound Emperor for over thirty years, had resigned himself to the fact that he would never truly become a Profound Emperor in his lifetime. Though there was only a "half-step" separating the Half-Profound Emperor Realm from the true Profound Emperor Realm, this half-step was a chasm between heaven and earth, a difference in power as vast as sky and ground.

A Half-Profound Emperor, before a true Profound Emperor, was no different from a helpless infant, posing no threat whatsoever. Fen Moli's proactive attack on Chu Yuechan was nothing short of self-humiliation.

From the Burning Heaven Clan's seating area, Fen Juecheng quickly rushed out, picked up Fen Moli, who was either gravely injured and unconscious or simply knocked out from anger. After a quick check of his injuries, he faced Ling Yuefeng and hastily bowed, saying, "Manor Master Ling, Elder Ling, my younger brother was severely injured, and Elder Fen Moli's actions were merely an impulsive outburst due to his anxiety. I beg Manor Master Ling and Elder Ling to be magnanimous and forgive Elder Fen Moli, considering no major consequences were caused and he has already been disciplined by Senior Ice Pixie. After the ranking tournament, this junior will personally accompany Elder Fen Moli to apologize to Manor Master Ling and Elder Ling."

"Hmph!" Ling Yuefeng's face was stern. "Fen Moli, as a highly respected Grand Elder of a sect, abused his seniority, acted without discretion, and not only disregarded the ranking tournament rules but also maliciously tried to severely injure a rightfully victorious participant. According to the ranking tournament rules, not only should Fen Moli be expelled, but the entire Burning Heaven Clan should be stripped of its participation qualification!"

At this point, Ling Yuefeng's tone softened. "However, considering Fen Moli's impulsive haste and the lesson he received from the Ice Pixie Fairy, he has already been punished. Let's let this matter rest. Your qualification to explore the 'Heavenly Pond Secret Realm' after the ranking tournament will also be retained. But if you dare to offend again, not only will your right to explore the Heavenly Pond Secret Realm be revoked, but you might also lose your qualification to participate in the next ranking tournament. Act wisely."

After all, Burning Heaven Clan was different from other sects, and Ling Yuefeng was unwilling to easily offend them. So, although his words were extremely stern, he had in fact made a significant concession, giving Burning Heaven Clan ample face. Fen Juecheng let out a sigh of relief, bowed to Ling Yuefeng as a junior, and then left the Sword Discourse Arena with Fen Moli.

All eyes returned to Chu Yuechan. Yun Che slowly stepped forward and smiled, "Ice Pixie Fairy, thank you for saving..."

Before Yun Che could finish his sentence, his vision blurred with an icy shimmer, and the beautiful, cold silhouette had already vanished from the Sword Discourse Arena, returning to her seat.

Yun Che smiled silently, the meaning of which only he understood.

"This Chu Yuechan is truly extraordinary. To be a Profound Emperor at such a young age, no wonder you were so captivated by her back then," Xuanyuan Yufeng remarked to Ling Yuefeng beside her.

Ling Yuefeng smiled faintly and said, "My dear, you're mistaken. What captivated me back then wasn't her talent, but her beauty. I never imagined she possessed not only unparalleled beauty but also such peerless talent. It's truly astonishing."

Seeing him smile so openly, Xuanyuan Yufeng immediately felt relieved and gently leaned half her body against Ling Yuefeng.

The second match of the Top Eight Tournament: Ling Jie of Heavenly Sword Villa vs. Ling Feiyu of Heavenly Sword Villa.

Both belonged to Heavenly Sword Villa, but one was at the sixth level of the Spirit Profound Realm, and the other at the ninth. By all appearances, this was a match where the outcome was known even before it began.

Ling Jie was the first to step onto the stage, arms crossed, a slight smirk on his lips, looking utterly fearless. After a while, Ling Feiyu finally leaped onto the Sword Discourse Arena, standing before Ling Jie, though his expression was somewhat conflicted.

"You two have sparred many times in the past. Are you sure you want to compete again this time?" Ling Wugou asked expressionlessly from outside the profound energy barrier. As an elder, he naturally knew the strengths of these two outstanding young disciples from the Villa perfectly well.

Hearing his question, those below the stage clearly understood that the power gap between the two was immense. Their usual spars always resulted in one being completely suppressed by the other, and another match wouldn't yield a different outcome, only waste time.

Upon hearing Ling Wugou's words, Ling Jie showed little reaction, but Ling Feiyu's lips twitched, and a brief struggle appeared in his eyes. Then, he finally let out a breath and said, "Never mind, I concede."

Gasp—

The people below the stage instantly widened their eyes...

The one who conceded was not Ling Jie, who was only at the sixth level of the Spirit Profound Realm...

But Ling Feiyu, who was at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm and had crushed his way into the Top Eight Tournament!!