Chapter 249: The Night Before Tianchi

"Are you okay?" Chu Yuechan tried to keep her voice cold and firm, but his body pressed tightly against hers, and his warm, familiar breath completely disrupted her heartbeat. Even with a strenuous effort to circulate her Ice Heart Secret Arts, she couldn't calm herself.

For those five months, she had been held in his arms almost constantly. She was intimately familiar with his touch, having unconsciously adapted to and even inexplicably enjoyed the sensation during that time. However, a voice in her heart told her that back then, it was because she was paralyzed and relied solely on his care and protection. Now, things were different. She had already made a grave mistake with him and absolutely could not continue down this wrong path.

Yun Che leaned his entire weight onto Chu Yuechan, appearing limp and half-dead. He spoke in an incredibly weak voice, "I... I'm fine... Little Fairy... don't leave me..."

Chu Yuechan was speechless. Every syllable of Yun Che's weak voice touched her heart, causing her a pang of heartache, like being pricked by needles. She couldn't push Yun Che away, nor could she fully yield. She could only remain quietly embraced with him. Though she forced herself to be resolute several times, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to push him away.

The night was deep and quiet, with only the two of them present. No one else would see or disturb them, and he was heavily injured. *Just this once*, she thought, *indulge one last time.* This was the reasoning Chu Yuechan repeatedly used to comfort and persuade herself.

Then, to check Yun Che's current injuries, she swiftly circulated her profound energy around his body...

*Bang!*

Yun Che, who had been lying on Chu Yuechan, was suddenly pushed away. His back hit the wall behind the bed directly, causing him to grimace in pain. "Ow, ow, ow, ow..."

"You dared to feign injury and deceive me!" Chu Yuechan's face was frosty, her eyes filled with suppressed anger, as she spoke coldly. However, upon realizing that his injuries hadn't worsened but had significantly improved, she instantly felt a wave of relief. Despite the anger on her face, in her heart, there was an unexpressed sense of ease. This feeling also caused a slight panic within her, as it was an emotion she absolutely should not have.

Yun Che rubbed his back and said pitifully, "Because I was afraid my Little Fairy would really leave. Little Fairy, I know you've been..."

"Don't say another word!" Chu Yuechan's chest heaved. She interrupted Yun Che coldly, turning her back to him, her voice filled only with ice and indifference. "Everything that happened between us was a mistake. I'm already trying to forget it, and I ask you to forget it all too! If you can't forget, then treat it as an illusory dream and never think of making it a reality."

Yun Che was silent.

"No one else will ever know about us. If you don't want complications to arise because of this, then never display the Six-Layer Ice Cloud Arts you've learned. You are Qingyue's husband. If you don't want her, or the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, to be ridiculed by the world and dragged into an abyss of moral judgment... then abandon all thoughts of me..."

Chu Yuechan closed her eyes, her ice spiritual energy fluttering chaotically around her. "After we leave Heavenly Sword Villa, we will never see each other again." With that final statement, Chu Yuechan vanished from Yun Che's sight, leaving him to quietly watch the faint, lingering traces of ice spiritual energy.

"Sigh." After a long time, Yun Che lay back on the bed, letting out a drawn-out sigh. He placed his hands near his nose, faintly able to smell her ice-lotus-like scent.

"It looks like you didn't get what you wanted," Jasmine said with schadenfreude.

"You don't understand," Yun Che muttered, tilting his head. He sighed again, thinking about Chu Yuechan's last few words: *ridiculed by the world... dragged into an abyss of moral judgment...* These phrases deeply stimulated his nerves.

Xia Qingyue was his wife. And Chu Yuechan was Xia Qingyue's senior martial aunt, and also half a master.

Violating moral principles would undoubtedly draw strange looks and public criticism, especially when it involved the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, a place revered like a sacred land in the Azure Wind Continent.

Regardless of whether Chu Yuechan truly harbored romantic feelings for him, this chasm alone, as the leader of the "Seven Fairies of Ice Cloud" from the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, meant she would never cross it, risking the millennium-long reputation of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace.

Therefore, no matter what her true feelings were, resolute separation was her only option.

The ranking battles for both the main and secondary arenas had concluded, with the rankings of over five hundred sects now determined.

The final rankings were: first, the Azure Wind Imperial Family; second, the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace; third, Heavenly Sword Villa; fourth, Xiao Sect; and fifth, Burning Heaven Clan. The announcement of these results caused an unprecedented uproar in the profound world of the Azure Wind Empire. The names of Yun Che and Xia Qingyue, two young people barely seventeen years old, spread throughout every corner of the Azure Wind Empire within days, then swiftly reached the other six nations.

The Azure Wind Empire's ranking battles had always been a point of interest for other nations. This year's results significantly shocked them, forcing them to remember the names Yun Che and Xia Qingyue.

Countless fabricated versions of Yun Che's origins, circumstances, exploits at the Azure Wind Profound Palace, and his performance in the ranking battles circulated in the streets. His battle with Xia Qingyue, in particular, was described with exaggerated, earth-shattering details, akin to a battle between gods and demons. Other stories even included a deeply passionate and moving romance between him and Princess Cang Yue.

If Yun Che were to walk down any street in any city in the Azure Wind Empire right now, the rumors about himself would cause him to have a fit on the spot.

Yun Che had somewhat underestimated the influence of the ranking battles. Within the peaceful Heavenly Sword Villa, he remained completely unaware that his name and various exaggerated, outlandish legends were now spreading everywhere outside.

After the ranking battles, the various sects departed one after another. Only the top ten sects, including Heavenly Sword Villa, remained. Having worked so hard to reach the top ten, all were eager to enter the Heavenly Pond Secret Realm, and absolutely no one wanted to miss the opportunity.

The time for the Heavenly Pond Secret Realm to open was drawing near.

After Yun Che awoke, his recovery rate accelerated several times over. For the past two days, he hadn't gone anywhere, focusing entirely on recuperation. Given the severity of his injuries on the Sword Discussion Stage that day, no one would believe that he had not only woken up but also recovered by a significant margin.

The night before the Heavenly Pond Secret Realm opened. Ling Yuefeng stood beneath an ancient tree in the courtyard, silently gazing at the crescent moon in the sky. His clothes were damp with night dew, indicating he had been standing there for a long time.

"Sigh," Ling Yuefeng suddenly let out a long sigh.

"Yuefeng, don't dwell on it," Xuanyuan Yufeng said softly, approaching him to offer comfort. "What's done is done; thinking about it further is useless. This time, it wasn't that we were weak, but that those two were unexpectedly strong. Our loss was not unfair."

Ling Yuefeng had been lost in thought, staring blankly at the crescent moon and pondering something unknown, so much so that he hadn't noticed Xuanyuan Yufeng's approach. A look of extreme complexity flashed in his eyes before he turned around and sighed. "It has been over 1,200 years since our ancestor, with his Sky Might Absolute Sword, established Heavenly Sword Villa and brought renown to the world. Our position as overlords has never been shaken. Yet, it was only during my generation that... Although I try my best to face it with equanimity day and night, I still cannot let it go. I feel deeply ashamed before our ancestors and for the millennium-old foundation of Heavenly Sword Villa."

"Don't say that," Xuanyuan Yufeng comforted him. "You took over as villa master at a young age, shouldering all the heavy burdens of this vast villa, and have held the position for twenty-one years now. Throughout these years, I've walked beside you, watching the villa grow stronger day by day. Under your tutelage, Yun'er and Jie'er have far surpassed you at their age. All of this is more than enough for us to be proud of. Although the results of this ranking battle were not what we hoped for, the ranking battles only evaluate the top young generation and carry a high degree of randomness. When it comes to foundation, resources, prestige, and overall strength, even if the nine other sects remaining here were combined, they couldn't compare to us. So what is there to be unable to let go of?"

Xuanyuan Yufeng's words of comfort slowly calmed Ling Yuefeng's gaze. He embraced her and said with emotion, "My dear wife, you are right. To have a wife like you in this life, I have nothing more to ask for. What then, is there that I cannot let go of?"

Xuanyuan Yufeng smiled gently and leaned against her husband's shoulder.

Ling Yuefeng's gaze shifted to the distance. "Yun'er's room still has a light on... Sigh. I can tell he's been distracted these past few days. I worry that Yun'er is the one who can't let go the most. I'm afraid his confidence and sword heart might suffer a severe blow. Perhaps I should go and talk to him."

Xuanyuan Yufeng stood up and slowly shook her head. "Yun'er's unusual behavior might not be because of that day's defeat."

"My dear wife, do you mean..."

Xuanyuan Yufeng said, "Very well. Yuefeng, go and see him. Let him speak his mind, and perhaps with some guidance from you, he can overcome this himself."

Ling Yuefeng nodded, then slowly walked out of the courtyard in the direction of Ling Yun's courtyard.

Xuanyuan Yufeng returned to her room. Not long after, a knock sounded at the door. "Yufeng, it's me."

Hearing the voice, Xuanyuan Yufeng quickly stood up to open the door. Standing there was none other than Ling Kun.

Ling Kun took a seat in the room. After observing Xuanyuan Yufeng for a moment, he said, "Yufeng, how have you been all these years? That boy Ling Yuefeng hasn't bullied you, has he?"

"Yuefeng has always been very good to me. Thank you for your concern, Uncle," Xuanyuan Yufeng replied with a faint smile. She poured a cup of tea for Ling Kun, then sat opposite him, a touch of melancholy in her expression. "I'm meeting Uncle so late because I want to... I want to know if my father... is he still angry with me?"

"Heh heh," Ling Kun chuckled. "Yufeng, don't you, as his daughter, know what kind of person your father is? Ninth Elder's anger has actually long since subsided. Over the years, there's been much interaction between Heavenly Might Sword Region and Heavenly Sword Villa. Do you truly believe a mere deacon like me could have facilitated all this? In truth, it has always been Ninth Elder secretly arranging it. Even the Dragon Scale Armor I brought this time was personally ordered by Ninth Elder himself... It's just that Ninth Elder is stubborn; although he has long accepted your marriage to Ling Yuefeng in his heart, he remains firm outwardly. What he's truly been angry about all these years is that you haven't returned to see him once."

Xuanyuan Yufeng's eyes became moist. "After making father so angry and causing him to lose so much face back then, how could I still have the nerve to go back and see him...?"

"Oh, silly child, you're wrong," Ling Kun sighed. "You are, after all, Ninth Elder's only daughter. No matter what, he wouldn't truly resent you. Though he hasn't spoken of it much over the years, everyone can see how much he misses you, otherwise he wouldn't constantly bring up your past. Once the matter of sealing the demonic beings is resolved, you and Yuefeng, along with Yun'er and Jie'er, should return with me to the Heavenly Might Sword Region. When Ninth Elder sees you and his two grandsons, he'll be overjoyed beyond measure. With this estrangement gone, Ninth Elder might even visit you and his two grandsons here frequently in the future. Heavenly Sword Villa will benefit greatly from this, and if Yun'er and Jie'er can receive personal guidance from Ninth Elder, their strength will undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds."

Xuanyuan Yufeng, having finally managed to control her turbulent emotions, slowly nodded. "...Alright. When Yuefeng returns, I'll speak with him."

"That's good then," Ling Kun smiled, then casually added, "When I arrived, I saw Yuefeng hurrying towards the southeast. Was there something urgent?"

"He went to..." Xuanyuan Yufeng's voice suddenly trailed off. She abruptly looked up, her expression instantly becoming stiff and troubled. "Southeast? You said... southeast?"