Chapter 471: Snow Child... Wait for Me...

"That... bastard!!"

Yun Che's greatest fear had finally come true. With Ye Xinghan's abilities, he had indeed seen through the mystery of the profound formation. Ye Xinghan had already left at top speed, but Yun Che's heart sank completely. He quickly rose, summoned Dragon Fault, and smashed it with all his might against the stone door.

CLANG!!!

The deafening impact almost tore his eardrums. The immense rebound caused excruciating pain in Yun Che's arms, and his internal injuries, which had just begun to stabilize, nearly ruptured completely. He staggered backward, then fell heavily to the ground.

"Big Brother Yun!" Feng Xue'er moved closer and embraced Yun Che's shoulders. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Yun Che's gaze fell upon the point where Dragon Fault had struck the stone door... There was no crack, not even a tiny visible dent. He gasped heavily, his arms falling limply.

"Big Brother Yun..." Seeing Yun Che's condition and contemplating their predicament, Feng Xue'er hugged him tightly. "Big Brother Yun"—these three words were her sole emotional support at that moment.

"I'm sorry, Xue'er. In the end, we were still forced into such a situation." Yun Che gave a bitter, weak laugh.

Feng Xue'er shook her head vigorously. "No... it's me who should be sorry, Big Brother Yun. It's all because of me. If you weren't protecting me, you wouldn't be in any trouble at all..."

Tears from the Phoenix girl fell, gently landing on Yun Che's arm. Yun Che turned his face, looked into Feng Xue'er's eyes, and after a long moment, softly asked, "Xue'er, are you afraid?"

Yun Che's face was unusually pale, but his eyes still held that familiar warmth that she had unknowingly come to adore. Slowly, she shook her head. "If I were alone, I'd be scared, but with Big Brother Yun, I don't feel afraid at all."

"But I am very afraid," Yun Che closed his eyes. "I'm afraid I'll never see my family and wife again... afraid no one will protect them... afraid I won't be able to fulfill Grandpa's last wish... I'm afraid I'll never get to see Little Fairy again, or our child... I'm afraid... of so many things...""And now... right before me, what I fear most is seeing you truly lose your life here."

Rumble... Rumble...

The spatial tremors grew stronger, and the roar continued unabated.

Yun Che let go of Dragon Fault. He held Feng Xue'er's small hands in his own, looking up, and said with a sigh, "Xue'er, did you know that I've always been someone who cherishes his own life very much, and an incredibly selfish person? In the past, to save my own life, I poisoned so many people—more than you could ever imagine. Many of them were innocent..."

Feng Xue'er shook her head. "All I know is that Big Brother Yun is the best person in the world, and the best person to me. No matter who tells me you're a bad person, I won't believe it."

Yun Che smiled. "Xue'er, your heart is like crystal. Even when I deceived you back then, not only did you not expose me, but you voluntarily taught me the Phoenix God Art, and just yesterday, you tried so hard to help me... In front of you, my soul, tainted with countless impurities and sins, feels utterly ashamed... Your presence is like a precious pearl embedded in my soul, so precious that I barely have the courage to touch it."

"Big Brother Yun..." Feng Xue'er didn't know why Yun Che was saying such strange things to her, but every word was a compliment and a sign of his cherish for her, filling her heart with satisfaction and warmth, yet at the same time, an inexplicable unease.

"So, no matter what, I won't stand by and watch you die... At least not now. I'd rather die myself."

"...Big Brother Yun, I will forever remember every word you've said today. Even if I die and go to another world, I won't forget." Feng Xue'er whispered softly. Trapped in an inescapable predicament, with less than a quarter of an hour before death truly arrived, she should have felt fear and countless worries. Yet, at this moment, her heart became remarkably calm, not feeling a shred of fear. She knew why... it was because of the person accompanying her.

A hint of determination flashed in the depths of Yun Che's eyes. He extended his palm, and the golden flame mark between his eyebrows suddenly glowed. He looked at Feng Xue'er and said, "Xue'er, close your eyes."

Feng Xue'er closed her eyes. Yun Che extended two fingers and gently touched the center of Feng Xue'er's brows. Instantly, the Phoenix mark on Feng Xue'er's brow also flickered for a moment... the same golden mark as Yun Che's.

"Ah... What is this?" Feng Xue'er opened her eyes, her lips parted in surprise.

"These are the profound arts for the fifth and sixth stages of the Phoenix God Art," Yun Che said. "Quickly commit them to memory."

The fifth and sixth levels of the Phoenix God Art, which the Phoenix Divine Sect had yearned for but failed to obtain for five thousand years, had finally been acquired. Although the timing was highly inappropriate, Feng Xue'er obediently complied, closing her eyes and focusing her mind to deeply imprint the profound seals that entered her spiritual sea into her very soul.

In less than fifteen minutes, Feng Xue'er opened her eyes. Yun Che smiled and said, "Xue'er is indeed even more intelligent than I imagined. With this, Xue'er will be able to fully master them in just a few months."

The space began to vibrate continuously, and the tremors grew increasingly intense, as if it could collapse at any moment. Yet, Yun Che's expression remained exceptionally calm. He gazed into Feng Xue'er's somewhat hazy eyes and said seriously, "Xue'er, you must listen very carefully to what I'm about to say, okay?"

"Mm." Feng Xue'er nodded. "Anything Big Brother Yun says, I will listen."

Yun Che smiled faintly. "The Four Great Sacred Grounds have clearly learned of the Phoenix God's demise, and your display of power in yesterday's ranking battle will only strengthen their conviction. Consequently, your Phoenix Divine Sect will likely face unprecedented pressure and crisis. I don't know how your Royal Father will respond, and no one knows what the future holds. But, Xue'er, after we leave this place, you must diligently cultivate these six levels of the Phoenix God Art to gain greater power and protect yourself."

"Apart from your Royal Father and your grandfather, do not easily trust anyone, including your royal brothers. There might be others around you who, under pressure and worried about their own future and fate, might betray you to the Four Great Sacred Grounds... Whatever happens, you must prioritize your own life and safety, because to your Royal Father, your sect members... and to me, your life is more important than the entire Phoenix Divine Sect. If your sect truly faces an irresistible catastrophe one day, I hope you won't desperately try to defend it, but instead use all your strength to escape and survive... Xue'er, please promise me these things."

"Ah..." Feng Xue'er's delicate lips parted slightly, a little bewildered. "Leave here... afterwards? Can we still leave?"

"In any case, just promise me first," Yun Che said with firm eyes. "You just said yourself that you'd listen to anything I say."

"Mm..." Feng Xue'er nodded gently. "Then... I promise."

Yun Che smiled and extended his little finger to Feng Xue'er. "Then, like last time... let's pinky swear!"

Feng Xue'er extended her fair, tender little finger and gently interlocked it with Yun Che's. Then, quietly, their grip tightened. Looking into each other's eyes, they both recalled the first time their pinky fingers had intertwined, and they both smiled softly. Yun Che smiled and said, "Since we've pinky sworn, it means Xue'er can never go back on her promise to me."

"Mm!" Feng Xue'er agreed crisply. "I will definitely do what I promised Big Brother Yun. And Big Brother Yun, you're not allowed to go back on your promise to take me to see the snow either."

Yun Che's gaze wavered slightly. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached for the teleportation jade that Xia Yuanba had given him, which hung around his neck, took it off, and gently placed it around Feng Xue'er's neck.

"What is this...?" Feng Xue'er cradled the jade in her palm and asked curiously. The jade was originally crystal clear, but against Feng Xue'er's flawless, jade-like skin, it seemed to lose its luster.

Yun Che placed his palm over Feng Xue'er's, subtly enclosing the jade. He gazed wistfully at her breathtakingly beautiful face, so close to him, and said, his voice like a gentle breeze, "I will also keep my promise to Xue'er... Three years from now, in the Frozen Cloud Asgard of the Azure Cloud Continent, I will watch the boundless falling snow with you. Three years later, will you wait for me there, Xue'er?"

Rumble... Rumble... Rumble...

The space seemed to boil. Under the violent tremors, Yun Che and Feng Xue'er were not only tossed about. The Primordial Profound Ark had finally reached its final countdown to closure. Feng Xue'er stared blankly at Yun Che, her heart filling with growing confusion and an inexpressible unease. "Wait for you? Big Brother Yun, why would I... wait for you?"

RIP!!

A shocking spatial rift appeared less than three feet behind Yun Che. Yun Che's expression remained utterly calm, as if nothing in the world could disturb his mind at that moment. His hand gently tightened, and with a soft "ping," the teleportation jade in his palm shattered. Immediately, a profound light flared, and a small profound formation appeared on Feng Xue'er. The appearance of this profound formation, along with its mysterious profound energy aura, made Feng Xue'er suddenly sense what was happening. "Big Brother Yun, you..."

"Xue'er... wait for me..."

Yun Che's four words were gentle and calm, but to Feng Xue'er's ears, they resonated like profound thunder, utterly shattering her composure... bringing her to the brink of collapse in an instant. Her beautiful eyes widened in terror, and endless fear and heartache spread throughout her entire being. She reached out her hand, wanting to grasp Yun Che, but found his figure already blurring, and herself moving further and further away from him... further and further...

"Big Brother Yun... Big Brother Yun! No!!!!"

With her cry, like a cuckoo weeping blood, all sounds and sights receded into the distance. Yun Che's figure completely blurred amidst the endless spatial distortions...

Rumble... Crack... Tear... BOOM...

The space was completely in chaos. The entire world seemed to be on the verge of destruction. Yun Che lowered his arm, picked up Dragon Fault, hugged it to his chest, and closed his eyes...

BOOM.........

The space of the entire Primordial Profound Ark world seemed to shatter completely in an instant. Countless spatial rifts spread across every corner of the Ark. In a flash, countless bloody marks and splatters erupted on Yun Che's body, and he instantly transformed into a blood-soaked figure. It seemed as if his entire body had been torn into countless fragments by the exploding space in that single moment...

At this time, it was early morning in Divine Phoenix City. Suddenly, the light in the center of Divine Phoenix City became much brighter. People instinctively looked up and found that the Primordial Profound Ark, which had remained in the distant sky for half a year, had completely vanished.