Chapter 252: Jasmine's Decision

As soon as Ling Yuefeng left, Ling Jie darted to Yun Che's side. "Boss! How about we team up! Even though it's my first time here, my dad told me a lot about this place. Many things he said could be useful, and I promise not to hold you back!"

While he said he wouldn't "hold back," his true intention was clearly to protect Yun Che, as Yun Che's current state would make traveling alone far too dangerous.

Yun Che was naturally touched by Ling Jie's concern, but he waved his hand, refusing. "No need. Since this is an experience, it's better to go alone. Especially you, Little Jie. Although your talent is good, and your sword intent and sword heart are top-notch, you've always been within the Heavenly Sword Villa. What you lack most is the experience of facing danger alone. Traveling with me would greatly reduce the effectiveness of your training this time."

"But, but..."

"No buts," Yun Che said, pinching his chin. "You personally promised to be my little brother. What, you're not going to listen to my first decision?"

"Uh..." Ling Jie, simple-minded and not quick-witted, was stumped by Yun Che's words. After much deliberation, he reluctantly said, "Alright then. Boss, please be very careful. My dad's earlier words really weren't meant to scare you."

"Don't worry, I'm not someone who dies easily. Besides, I'm wearing the Dragon Scale Armor," Yun Che said, pinching a corner of his clothing to reveal a section of dragon scales reflecting a cold gleam. As the reward for first place in the ranking battle, the Heavenly Sword Villa had, with immense reluctance and biting their teeth, handed over what was originally their Heavenly Profound Armor to Qin Wushang. Qin Wushang had given him this Dragon Scale Armor yesterday, and he was wearing it today.

The Dragon Scale Armor was a thin layer, neither cold nor heavy when worn, and it adjusted to fit the wearer's physique. It was undeniably a life-saving artifact. As he expected, when he revealed the armor, over a dozen gazes filled with greed and envy immediately shot his way.

Ling Jie turned to Ling Yun and said, "Big Brother, my boss said it's best for me to act alone, so I won't go with you. I'm off... Boss, you really must be careful. Otherwise, my beautiful Princess Sister will be all alone... Ahhh! I'm going!"

Ling Jie summoned his Sky Drake Sword, puffed out his chest, gathered his resolve, and walked forward alone. Ling Yun nodded to Yun Che, then seemingly casually glanced at Xia Qingyue's location. After a few steps, he finally took a deep breath and approached Xia Qingyue, courteously saying, "Fairy Xia, how about we travel together? I've been here three years ago, so I'm somewhat familiar with this place. It's fraught with danger, and traveling together would not only help us deal with any perils but also allow us to reach farther places. If we discover any treasures, you would have the first choice, how does that sound?"

Not far away, Fen Juecheng and Xiao Kuangyu exchanged surprised glances. They had also entered the Heavenly Lake Secret Realm three years ago. At that time, Ling Yun had gone ahead alone, giving no one the chance to accompany him. Now, he was actually taking the initiative to travel with someone, and his words sounded like a plea.

Anyone who wasn't an idiot knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master Ling, but Qingyue has decided to travel alone." Facing Ling Yun's proactive invitation, Xia Qingyue refused directly, without hesitation.

Among the younger generation, the number of people Ling Yun had actively invited to join him could be counted on one hand, and this was the very first time he had ever been refused. Ling Yun's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't insist further. He nodded and said, "In that case, please be very careful, Fairy Xia."

With that, Ling Yun also departed alone, his figure quickly vanishing amidst the swirling snow.

Even Ling Yun had been rejected. Xiao Kuangyu, who had been eager to try, gritted his teeth and struggled for a long time before finally choosing to give up. As for the others, none dared to attempt it. Even Xiao Kuanglei, the son of the Xiao Sect Master, simply couldn't muster the courage to speak to Xia Qingyue. Her demonstrated strength in the ranking battle clearly surpassed theirs by a level. These disciples from major sects usually held transcendent status and were accustomed to being obeyed. Yet, in front of Xia Qingyue, they all felt completely overshadowed.

Setting aside everything else, their sheer strength alone disqualified them from traveling with Xia Qingyue.

Yun Che, now alone, swept his gaze around. Without greeting anyone, he casually chose a direction and began walking at a leisurely pace.

"Junior Sister Xia, we're leaving now. Please be very careful." Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin greeted her and left together. Xia Qingyue nodded, watching them depart. Then, her gaze inadvertently drifted towards the direction Yun Che had taken, a flicker of complex emotion appearing in her eyes, before she headed north alone.

The entire world was covered in swirling snow, and the only way to discern direction was by the towering, cloud-piercing ice peaks. Yun Che walked onward; even with his profound energy protecting him, he shivered continuously from the cold.

"It's nothing but ice and snow here. There's not even a trace of this 'Heavenly Lake.' How could there be any rare treasures or materials in a place like this? Even if there were, they'd surely be buried under the ice and snow by now... Phew, it's so cold."

Yun Che walked for over half an hour, yet he still saw only an endless snow plain and swirling snow, with no discoveries whatsoever. This was completely different from his expectation of exotic flowers everywhere, piles of strange rocks and spirit jades, and his vision filled with towering mountains and dense forests. Moreover, he hadn't even seen a single profound beast after walking for so long!

This wasn't a search for rare treasures; it was outright suffering!

"The existence of this small world is quite peculiar," Jasmine mused.

"Peculiar?"

"This small world was indeed artificially created, and its power level is extremely high. It must have existed for a very long time, so it's not surprising that some mid to low-grade rare treasures might have formed... What's peculiar is that such a small world shouldn't exist in a place like this, because it couldn't have been created by the power of this plane at all."

"Maybe it was left behind by some powerful expert from a very, very long time ago," Yun Che said casually. He wasn't concerned about the origin of this Heavenly Lake Secret Realm. He continued walking at a leisurely pace, then suddenly asked, "Jasmine, how many people are following me?"

"Four," Jasmine replied.

"Four?" Yun Che paused, surprised. This number didn't match his guess.

"You'll never lack enemies who want to kill you. Don't you want to think about why?" Jasmine said coolly.

"No! These people can't be called enemies at all." Yun Che wagged his finger and sneered, "They're just a bunch of stepping stones looking for death!"

"Among these four, three are likely here to kill you. The other one doesn't seem to be, and might even be here to save you," Jasmine said.

"Hmm? Save me? Who is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Yun Che's steps gradually slowed. He lowered his brows and pondered for a moment, then said, "Jasmine, in a bit, I need you to kill someone for me."

"Alright!"

Jasmine's swift agreement actually startled Yun Che. Every time Jasmine acted, her severe poison would spread throughout her body. Therefore, she would never intervene unless it was a matter of life or death, and the enemy was someone Yun Che absolutely couldn't handle. Yet this time, as soon as Yun Che spoke, she agreed instantly. This made Yun Che feel uneasy, and he weakly asked, "Uh... don't you have any other... conditions?"

"Of course I do!" Jasmine's voice gradually turned cold and stern. "You know your current physical condition best. This small world is also a perfect place for a flawless killing. You know perfectly well who might try to kill you here. Yet you still dared to come, entirely because of my presence! The person you want me to kill, I absolutely *must* kill, otherwise, you'll die, and you'll drag me down with you."

"I recall you once said you would never want to rely on my power. But you seem to have completely forgotten those words. When doing many things, and when evaluating your own abilities, you factor in my power. When my power is available, you won't encounter true danger anywhere on the Profound Sky Continent. This kind of subconscious dependence will severely hinder your growth..." Every word Jasmine spoke was extremely serious, her tone like that of a grandmaster who had weathered countless storms, lecturing a junior disciple.

Yun Che agreed with some of Jasmine's words. For instance, this time, he didn't want to give up the opportunity to explore the Heavenly Lake Secret Realm, and if it weren't for Jasmine's presence, he absolutely wouldn't have entered in his current physical state. Fen Juecheng was secondary; the key was that he had also sensed killing intent towards him from Mu Tianbei.

As the current fortress master of the Heavenly Spear Thunderflame Fortress, Mu Tianbei's strength was certainly no less than Qin Wushang's.

"I'll help you kill one last person. After that, I will seal my profound energy for a long time and diligently purge my poison with the Heavenly Poison Pearl. From now on, you'll have to rely entirely on yourself. Don't even think about depending on me again," Jasmine said coldly.

"...Do you have to be so absolute?" Yun Che's heart stirred. "What if I encounter an insurmountable life-threatening danger? If I die, you'll also perish. Aren't you afraid...?"

"Hmph! Attached to the Heavenly Poison Pearl for so long, I've had poison outbreaks multiple times from forcibly using my power. By now, the poison in me hasn't been dispelled much compared to when I first met you! Rather than constantly having outbreaks with no hope of recovery, it would be better to just die and be done with it," Jasmine retorted irritably.

Yun Che opened his mouth, thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Alright, I understand. And I actually agree with your decision."

At this moment, two blurry figures suddenly appeared in the swirling snow ahead. As Yun Che continued his unhurried walk forward, these two figures became clearer in his sight.

When he clearly saw the two individuals, Yun Che stopped, feigning pleasant surprise as if encountering companions in a perilous situation. He jogged forward to greet them, saying, "Isn't this Young Sect Master Fen and Brother Juebi? What are you two doing here? To meet in this vast Heavenly Lake Secret Realm, who can say it's not a beautiful, fated encounter!!"