Chapter 250: Tianchi Secret Realm (Part 1)

A bright moon hung in a sky with sparse stars.

Ling Yuefeng walked through the air, but instead of heading to Ling Yun's courtyard, he changed course midway and arrived at the entrance of the Frozen Cloud Asgard's courtyard. The air in the Frozen Cloud Asgard's courtyard was distinctly cool. Ling Yuefeng closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, seemingly savoring the unique atmosphere. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his gaze settling on Chu Yuechan's room, where a light was still burning. As his eyes fixed on the light, he felt faint wisps of bone-chilling cold emanating from the room… He knew he had been detected. Chu Yuechan's current cultivation level was no less than his own.

Ling Yuefeng took a quiet breath, then condensed his voice into a silent message, transmitting it to Chu Yuechan: "I am Ling Yuefeng, and I wish to speak with Fairy Bingchan privately. Would Fairy Bingchan be willing to meet me?"

"What do you want? Speak!"

Chu Yuechan did not appear. Her response was a mere three words, each devoid of emotion, so chilling they could freeze one to the core.

In the Azure Cloud Empire, no one else, not even the Frozen Cloud Palace Mistress Lin Yuxian, would dare speak to Ling Yuefeng in such a tone. Faced with Chu Yuechan's frigid words, Ling Yuefeng could only offer a bitter smile and say, "Many years have passed since we first met at the Ranking Tournament. Yet, in the decade that followed, I visited the Frozen Cloud Asgard more than twenty times, but I was never able to see you again—until this Ranking Tournament..."

"That's old news; there's no need to bring it up again! Manor Master Ling, if you have anything important to say, please state it directly," Chu Yuechan said coldly.

Ling Yuefeng sighed briefly, then continued, "Back then, my affection for you was known throughout the land; I'm sure you weren't oblivious. Even then, despite enduring public ridicule and my father's anger, I repeatedly journeyed to the Frozen Cloud Asgard, simply to see you one more time... Now, after all these years, my memory of you remains from that very year. Even to this day, my greatest lifelong desire is still to catch another glimpse of you... I no longer aspire to your favor; I merely hope you'll allow me one more look, to know how you appear now..."

Ling Yuefeng was a man capable of profound devotion, yet he was also someone who rarely developed romantic feelings. Before encountering Chu Yuechan, all his energy was dedicated to the Way of the Sword. But upon meeting Chu Yuechan, her ethereal beauty captivated him entirely, unleashing all his emotions without reservation. Thirty years had elapsed since then. Ordinarily, after such a long time, feelings should have naturally diminished, but in Ling Yuefeng's heart, Chu Yuechan's image remained vivid. It was difficult to say whether this spoke to his boundless, unwavering devotion or to Chu Yuechan's immense charm.

"You already have a wife and children. You and I are merely strangers who have met a few times; there is no need for us to meet. My current appearance is of no concern to you. If there's nothing else, Manor Master Ling, please return. Disturbing a female guest late at night is hardly fitting conduct for someone of your standing!" A faint hint of anger began to color Chu Yuechan's voice.

"Alas, your temperament is still the same as back then," Ling Yuefeng said with a wistful expression. "I merely wish to see you once, to fulfill a long-held desire, nothing more. After our meeting, I will depart immediately and never trouble you again in this life..."

Swoosh!!

With a faint whistling sound, an ice shard shot from an unseen direction, aiming directly for Ling Yuefeng's face. Ling Yuefeng reached out and caught the ice shard. A wave of intense cold quickly spread from his palm into his very being.

Without a word of farewell, he said nothing more. Ling Yuefeng turned and departed, his solitary figure swiftly vanishing into the night. In those days, he was not only the young master of Heavenly Sword Villa but also exceptionally handsome and eloquent, with countless women admiring him. Yet, he inexplicably became infatuated with the one person he shouldn't have... Given Ling Yuefeng's power, fame, and status within the Azure Cloud Empire, it could be said there was nothing in life he couldn't acquire or achieve, except for Chu Yuechan... Heaven had bestowed upon her the most flawless beauty, but also the coldest of hearts. She thus became Ling Yuefeng's lifelong regret.

Not far away, in a shadowed corner of the night, Xuanyuan Yufeng's face was contorted, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

Due to Ling Kun's profound energy isolation, neither Ling Yuefeng nor Chu Yuechan detected their presence. Although their conversation was conducted via silent sound transmission, Ling Kun had effortlessly intercepted every word. Xuanyuan Yufeng had initially harbored some hope, but now, having personally overheard Ling Yuefeng's words to Chu Yuechan, she felt as though her internal organs would explode from fury.

"Ling Yuefeng... you truly are a devoted man... Thirty years, a full thirty years have passed, and you still can't forget this woman... I thought you were troubled by the Ranking Tournament results and spent half the day comforting you... It turns out... you were actually thinking of this woman! And trying to meet her in secret, right under my very eyes!"

Every word Xuanyuan Yufeng uttered was saturated with deep resentment and rage: "I, Xuanyuan Yufeng, humbled myself, bringing shame to my family, to marry into this Heavenly Sword Villa, enduring hardships for over twenty years... And yet, I'm still not as good as a woman who caused you endless ridicule and refused even to see you back then! Ling Yuefeng... you've truly done me proud!!"

When a woman harbors sufficient jealousy and resentment, she often transforms into the most terrifying of devils. As Ling Yuefeng and Ling Kun were from the same sect, Ling Kun naturally didn't wish to see the situation escalate beyond control. He immediately advised, "Yufeng, there's no need to be so angry. You've lived with Yuefeng for over twenty years; you should know him best. His words were very clear just now: he merely wanted to see this woman one last time, nothing more, with no other intentions. I've also heard that Yuefeng frequently visited the Frozen Cloud Asgard over a decade to pursue her, but to no avail. It's likely he's merely seizing the opportunity of her presence at Heavenly Sword Villa to finally put an old wish to rest. Besides, as the Manor Master of Heavenly Sword Villa, who could possibly intimidate him? Yet, this woman's cold words and dismissive attitude show him no respect whatsoever. As his wife, your first reaction should be sympathy for him. If you go back and argue with him now, what good will come of it, besides fostering unnecessary resentment in him toward you? However, if you overlook this matter and treat him as usual, he will likely feel remorse and treat you even better than before, won't he?"

"Overlook it? How could I possibly overlook it?" Xuanyuan Yufeng's chest heaved, though the anger in her voice had significantly diminished. She stared at the light in Chu Yuechan's room and whispered, "Some of your words, Uncle, have indeed given me an idea. I truly shouldn't blame Yuefeng; his persistent remembrance of her for so many years simply highlights his deep capacity for affection... But if this woman were to vanish from the world, then all these things I don't want to see would never happen again! And there's another person... Chu Yuechan has harmed Yuefeng, and someone else has harmed Yun'er. Yun'er has been restless these past few days; he might just follow in his father's footsteps."

"Are you referring to... Xia Qingyue?"

"I will... destroy this Frozen Cloud Asgard, which has brought misfortune upon both my husband and my son!" Xuanyuan Yufeng's brows furrowed as she spoke coldly.

Ling Kun's eyebrow twitched, and a strange glint flickered in his eyes. He offered no dissuasion to Xuanyuan Yufeng's impulsive, jealous, resentful, and almost deranged words. Instead, he nodded, "If that is truly what you wish, then of course I have no reason to refuse your request. However, the Frozen Cloud Asgard is not an ordinary sect. While its destruction would be simple, we must consider its millennia-long influence... How about this: once you return with me to the Heavenly Might Sword Region, you can bring this matter up to Elder Nine yourself. He has cared for you for many years and will surely not refuse any of your requests. At that point, I will personally handle it, and within three years, the Frozen Cloud Asgard will vanish from the world without a trace! No one will ever discover it was the Heavenly Might Sword Region's doing, and you will not be implicated in any way. How does that sound?"

The idea of destroying the Frozen Cloud Asgard had merely been a furious outburst from Xuanyuan Yufeng, but she hadn't expected Ling Kun to agree so readily. If one of the Sacred Grounds were truly to intervene, destroying the Frozen Cloud Asgard would be effortless. Xuanyuan Yufeng, who harbored immense resentment towards the Frozen Cloud Asgard, naturally had no reason to refuse. She nodded and said, "As Uncle suggests. Yufeng thanks you here."

"Haha, it's a minor matter," Ling Kun chuckled, his smile holding a profound, hidden meaning.

Deep in the northern reaches of the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range lay a flat clearing. Within the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range, a place shrouded in sword qi and radiating an awe-inspiring aura, this clearing felt like a unique sanctuary. The atmosphere was peaceful, and even the wind seemed exceptionally gentle.

At noon, a procession arrived at the clearing. These were none other than the ten top sects from the Ranking Tournament. This clearing was the entrance to the Heaven Pond Secret Realm. Every individual who arrived wore an expression of excitement to varying degrees. The young profound practitioners, especially those who had never entered the Heaven Pond Secret Realm, had eyes gleaming with anticipation, rubbing their hands together as if countless wondrous opportunities lay within their grasp.

However, Yun Che was not among them. Of the Azure Wind Imperial Family's contingent, only Qin Wushang was present.

Ling Yuefeng stood at the forefront of the group, addressing everyone solemnly, "In a short while, the entrance to the Heaven Pond Secret Realm will materialize. Before that, I must offer a few reminders. The Heaven Pond Secret Realm can accommodate a maximum of fifty individuals at a time. This means each of your esteemed sects can send a maximum of five representatives. The selection of these five is, of course, entirely up to you. Once inside the realm, you may stay for two days—which is twenty-four hours. After twenty-four hours, everyone will be forcibly returned to this very spot. However, there is one category of individual who will not be returned..."

Ling Yuefeng's voice turned cold: "Those who are dead!"