Chapter 277: "Monster" (Part 1)

Everyone looked at Yun Che with extreme astonishment. It was genuinely difficult for anyone to believe that someone would so readily hand over such a rare, once-in-a-millennium fortune. If he did this knowing full well it was the Bodhi Imperial Lotus, then his magnanimity and this act of kindness were truly immeasurable.

Chu Yueli nodded gently to Yun Che. "Yun Che, our Frozen Cloud Asgard will remember this favor you've done for us. From this day forward, you will be our most important friend! If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask our Frozen Cloud Asgard."

"That idiot..." Xiao Kuangyu muttered through gritted teeth. "...To curry favor with a beautiful woman, he actually gave away the legendary Bodhi Imperial Lotus! That's the Bodhi Imperial Lotus!" Although he spoke these words, he knew very well that Yun Che, capable of ranking first in the Ranking Tournament at seventeen, couldn't possibly be a fool! He was simply jealous... like all the other young profound practitioners, intensely jealous! He cursed his fate, wondering why he hadn't been the one to find the Bodhi Imperial Lotus.

They only saw the opportunity for two people to find the Bodhi Imperial Lotus, but they had no idea of the peril Yun Che and Xia Qingyue had faced at that time.

Chu Yueli's words were not surprising in the slightest. If Yun Che had been willing to give them the Bodhi Imperial Lotus, any sect would have been willing to treat him like an honored ancestor. This favor was simply too immense; not only did it save Frozen Cloud Asgard's most outstanding disciple in history, but it also significantly elevated the standing of Frozen Cloud Asgard.

Yun Che hadn't initially cared much for the so-called favor from Frozen Cloud Asgard, but as soon as Chu Yueli finished speaking, his heart stirred. He said, "Fairy Chu, you are too kind. Given my friendship with Qingyue, this is nothing... but, um, are you truly open to any request?"

As he spoke, his gaze flickered towards Chu Yuechan. Sensing his look, Chu Yuechan turned her beautiful eyes to him, her expression cold.

Chu Yueli's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she said elegantly, "The great kindness you've shown to our Frozen Cloud Asgard is difficult for us to repay. If you have any request, as long as we can fulfill it and it doesn't violate our Frozen Cloud Asgard's principles, we will certainly not refuse."

"Good!" Yun Che nodded. Since that was the case, he stopped being overly polite with Frozen Cloud Asgard. "I hope your Asgard remembers its words today. Should I, your junior, ever need your assistance in the future, I will not hesitate to ask."

"Our Frozen Cloud Asgard never goes back on its word. Your great kindness to Qingyue warrants such treatment from us." After saying this, Chu Yueli turned her gaze to Fen Moli, who was being helped up by Fen Juecheng, his face extremely grim. Her eyes instantly became as cold as ice crystals. "Fen Moli! Our Frozen Cloud Asgard has no prior grievances with your Burning Heaven Clan, yet as a grand elder of your sect, you shamelessly tried to kill our young disciple! If not for Qingyue's immense stroke of luck, she would have died by your hand just now! Is your Burning Heaven Clan preparing to become mortal enemies with our Frozen Cloud Asgard?"

Fen Moli had attacked in a rage, using roughly seventy percent of his power. Xia Qingyue's counterattack, however, had at least ninety percent of her power. With that single move, Fen Moli's internal injuries were severe. If he hadn't suppressed them with his powerful profound energy, he would have long since fainted. He gasped for breath, his face full of fury, pointing at Yun Che. "This... this beast! He killed... my clan's second young master!"

With the last flash of spatial light, the Heaven Lake Secret Realm completely closed. However, two people did not appear: one was Fen Juebi, and the other was Mu Tianbei.

"I killed your second young master?" Yun Che's mouth twisted into a smirk, his disdainful expression as if he'd heard a ridiculous joke. "Elder Fen, which eye saw me kill your second young master? Hmph, on the contrary, it was Fen Juecheng and Fen Juebi of your Burning Heaven Clan who tried to ambush me while my strength was not yet recovered in the Heaven Lake Secret Realm. They even dragged in Mu Tianbei of the Sky Spear Thunderflame Fort! If not for Fairy Xia's rescue, I would have already died at the hands of those two despicable villains from your Burning Heaven Clan!"

"What?" Qin Wushang's face changed, then became filled with anger.

"Nonsense!!" Fen Moli roared. "How could our dignified Burning Heaven Clan ambush an unknown junior like you! Clearly, you basely ambushed my clan's second young master!"

The four words "unknown junior" in his statement made many people secretly laugh. Before the Ranking Tournament, Yun Che was indeed an unknown junior. But now, Yun Che's overall strength and reputation far surpassed everyone in Burning Heaven Clan's younger generation. If he could still be called an "unknown junior," then wouldn't Burning Heaven Clan's disciples not even be worthy of the word "unknown"?

"Hahahahaha!" Yun Che burst into wild laughter. "Your Burning Heaven Clan's despicable shamelessness, ability to twist facts, and to accuse first truly open my eyes. Fen Juebi is indeed dead, but he clearly died by Mu Tianbei's hand! At that time, Xia Qingyue and your young master were both present. And I also heard your young master mention that you planted a special soul imprint on Fen Juebi. If he were killed by someone, you would immediately know who killed him... Do you dare to swear by your Burning Heaven Clan's thousand-year honor that the person you saw kill Fen Juebi was truly me?!"

"You..." Fen Moli was instantly speechless, his face turning purplish-blue. His reaction immediately made everyone understand. They were not unfamiliar with death imprints, but judging by Fen Moli's reaction, the person he saw kill Fen Juebi was definitely not Yun Che. It was clear then that the Burning Heaven Clan was trying to pin the blame on Yun Che, and what Yun Che had said must be the truth.

Chu Yueli slightly furrowed her moon-like brows. She asked, "Qingyue, were you really there at the time? What exactly happened?"

Xia Qingyue calmly replied, "To answer, Master, I was indeed nearby at the time. I overheard that Young Master Fen bore a grudge against Young Master Yun due to Princess Cang Yue. After entering the Heaven Lake Secret Realm, he and Fen Juebi constantly tailed Young Master Yun. They even allied with Fort Master Mu of Sky Spear Thunderflame Fort to try and kill Young Master Yun. However, during their attack, Fort Master Mu accidentally killed Fen Juebi. I then led Young Master Yun to escape the perilous situation by using the cover of ice and snow. Elder Fen's claim that Fen Juebi died by Young Master Yun's hand... is entirely false."

Everything Xia Qingyue said was true, but she narrated it very cleverly. It was true that Mu Tianbei accidentally killed Fen Juebi, but this "accident" was specifically engineered by Yun Che.

Xia Qingyue, like a fairy in the snow, with exquisite beauty and exceptional demeanor, spoke in a way that made it impossible for anyone to doubt her. As soon as her voice fell, a wave of jeers immediately rose from the surroundings. Various contemptuous gazes fell upon the six members of the Burning Heaven Clan, making them feel as if they had thorns in their backs. They had just suffered a crushing defeat in the Ranking Tournament, had angered Frozen Cloud Asgard, and were now scorned by the public. If this were to spread, it would undoubtedly have an extremely negative impact on the reputation of their Burning Heaven Clan.

Fen Juecheng's face kept changing. Finally, he gritted his teeth and exclaimed furiously, "Yun Che! You know full well how my second brother died! For this vengeance, my Burning Heaven Clan will make you pay with your blood!"

Yun Che sneered, just about to retort, when a deep voice suddenly boomed, "Enough!!"

Ling Kun's cold eyes swept over everyone. His gaze carried an incredibly heavy pressure, and everyone he looked at instantly held their breath. He said flatly, "Whatever grievances you have among yourselves, once you leave Heaven's Might Sword Sect, how you choose to resolve them is none of anyone else's business. But Heaven's Might Sword Sect is not the place for you to settle grudges! Who killed whom, or who provoked whom, I don't want to know. All previous incidents, I can pretend they never happened. But from now on, if anyone inside the Sect takes action or incites conflict again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Ling Kun's words carried unparalleled deterrence. Everyone immediately fell silent, while the Burning Heaven Clan side breathed a sigh of relief. Ling Kun said to Ling Yuefeng, "Yuefeng, I've stayed here too long. I must return tomorrow morning, so let's begin the demon sealing ceremony now."

Ling Yuefeng nodded. "Everything will proceed as Elder Ling arranges." After saying this, he turned to the crowd and said, "Everyone heard Elder Ling's words just now. All of you have just left the Heaven Lake Secret Realm, and I presume your profound energy is heavily depleted, and some may even be injured. However, the demon sealing ceremony is being made public for the first time. This 'demon' also involves a great secret. Being able to witness the 'demon' and the sealing ceremony firsthand will be a rare and valuable experience. Please follow Elder Ling and me to the Imperial Sword Platform. If you have any inconvenience, you may also return to your courtyards to rest; everything is voluntary."

It was known among the major sects that a mysterious "demon" was sealed beneath the Imperial Sword Platform of Heaven's Might Sword Sect. They had always been deeply curious about what kind of "demon" it was. Now that there was an opportunity to witness it, no one wanted to miss it. So, everyone collectively followed Ling Kun and Ling Yuefeng towards Heaven's Might Sword Sect's Imperial Sword Platform.

However, not everyone was interested.

"Qingyue," Chu Yuechan called out to Xia Qingyue. "Are you interested in this so-called 'demon'?"

Looking at Chu Yuechan, who was like a cold moon, Xia Qingyue immediately understood why she had stopped her. She shook her head slightly. "This disciple doesn't have much interest."

"In that case, come with me. Your profound energy has progressed too quickly, which can easily lead to instability and damage your profound veins. You must stabilize it as soon as possible." After speaking, Chu Yuechan soared into the air, flying towards the courtyards.

"Yes, Martial Aunt," Xia Qingyue greeted her master, Chu Yueli, then followed Chu Yuechan.

The people from the Ten Major Sects quickly returned to Heaven's Might Sword Sect and headed towards the Imperial Sword Platform. The group of four from New Moon Profound Palace was undoubtedly very conspicuous. Qin Wushang was in front, with Yun Che, Xia Qingyue, and Cang Yue following behind. Yun Che and Cang Yue constantly whispered to each other, while Xia Yuanba rubbed his hands together all the way, his eyes shining, clearly full of anticipation for the legendary "demon."

"Fen Juecheng and the others really wanted to kill you?" Cang Yue frowned tightly, suppressing her anger.

"Yes, but don't worry, a mere Fen Juecheng poses no threat to me now. However..." Yun Che secretly let out a breath and said, "Senior Sister, I might not be able to return to New Moon Profound Palace with them. Once we leave Heaven's Might Sword Sect, the Burning Heaven Clan will definitely make a move against me. So, I must escape their notice and leave alone. They absolutely won't lay a hand on you, Palace Master Qin, or Yuanba. Afterwards, the Burning Heaven Clan will undoubtedly launch a pursuit against me, and I won't be able to return to New Moon Profound Palace for a long time. But Senior Sister, rest assured, I've never been afraid of being hunted. Having someone chasing me will only force me to become even stronger."

Yun Che's words made Cang Yue's heart clench. The Burning Heaven Clan believed Fen Juebi's death was Yun Che's doing. The killing of the dignified Burning Heaven Clan's second young master would undoubtedly ignite the entire clan's raging fury, and the consequence would be an endless pursuit...

That was a pursuit by one of the Four Major Sects, which even the Azure Cloud Imperial Family deeply feared!

Although he had spoken these words in the most casual tone, he still felt Cang Yue's breath catch instantly, her face turning slightly pale, and one of her small hands gripped him tightly. He quickly comforted her, "Senior Sister, really, don't worry. Don't forget, I have the Frozen Cloud Asgard as a protective charm. At worst, I'll just hide in Frozen Cloud Asgard."