Chapter 664: Divine Phoenix Returns

Gong Yuxian's words and her astonishing actions all revealed her determination to die. Murong Qianxue pulled forcefully, "Palace Master, please don't do this! You'll be alright; our Frozen Cloud Asgard needs you."

"Palace Master! We've escaped the danger, and you'll recover soon. Now is not the time to pass on the position of Palace Master!"

"Palace Master..."

"Don't try to persuade me," Gong Yuxian said with a faint smile. "My profound energy is depleted. Even if I recover, I'll be an invalid and only a burden to the Frozen Cloud Asgard. I forced myself to stay alive for these past six months out of a sense of reluctance. Now, with the Frozen Cloud Asgard having survived its dire straits and the most suitable person to inherit the position of Palace Master having appeared, I can finally rest in peace and accompany my martial aunt."

The originally designated successor for the Palace Master was Xia Qingyue. However, over five months ago, during a crisis, Gong Yuxian had forced Xia Qingyue to escape using an emergency profound formation, but in her distress and panic, she had forgotten to pass on the 'Frozen Cloud Asgard Soul' to her. Now, if Yun Che could become the Palace Master of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, perhaps it would lead to a better outcome. Perhaps this was even fate's will.

"Yun Che, I know it's a great burden to pass this Palace Master position to you. Given your current level, you would hold a very high position even within the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Although the immediate danger has been averted, behind these villains lies a power so immense that the Frozen Cloud Asgard cannot possibly contend with it. I have no choice but to selfishly entrust the Frozen Cloud Asgard to you. This is both my command as Palace Master and a plea. Please, you must promise me... promise me!"

Gong Yuxian's hand gripped Yun Che's collar with all her might. Her eyes welled with tears, and her gaze was filled with deep pleading. Yes, it was a plea.

The Master of the Frozen Cloud Asgard was an "unsurpassed" noble identity in the Azure Wind Nation. Their prestige and renown far surpassed that of the Azure Wind Emperor, comparable only to the Villa Master of Heavenly Sword Villa. Yet now, she was deeply pleading with someone to inherit the position of Palace Master—a man, unprecedented in the history of the Frozen Cloud Asgard.

Because Gong Yuxian knew deeply that the calamity of the Frozen Cloud Asgard had not ended; it had only just begun. Those whom Yun Che had killed were merely minor figures, and factions capable of having Overlords as their minions were extremely rare throughout the entire Profound Sky Continent. She even vaguely suspected that behind them might be one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds that overlooked all of Profound Sky.

To preserve the Frozen Cloud Asgard, the only straw she could grasp was Yun Che—the first and only male disciple in the history of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, merely twenty-two years old, yet his strength had already reached the Sovereign Profound Realm.

For a women-only sect like the Frozen Cloud Asgard to have a man as its Palace Master would undoubtedly invite censure from across the land. Yun Che knew that if they hadn't been pushed to such an extreme, they would never have made such a decision. Gong Yuxian didn't want to see the Frozen Cloud Asgard destroyed, and neither did Yun Che. Xia Qingyue belonged here, Chu Yuechan belonged here, and the Frozen Cloud Arts and Ice Phoenix God Cultivation Art he possessed also originated from here. He and the Frozen Cloud Asgard already shared countless intricate ties.

"Alright!" Under Gong Yuxian's pleading gaze, Yun Che took a deep breath, slowly nodded, and then extended his right hand, touching the back of it to the Frozen Cloud Asgard Soul.

The Frozen Cloud Asgard Soul emitted a soft blue light, flew toward Yun Che on its own, and then gradually disappeared into the back of his hand.

Yun Che clenched his right hand, feeling the presence of the Frozen Cloud Asgard Soul, and stated slowly and resolutely, "Palace Master, rest assured. Unless I die, I will never allow anyone to bully my Frozen Cloud Asgard again!"

Silently watching the Frozen Cloud Asgard Soul merge into Yun Che's right hand, Gong Yuxian's desolate expression was instantly replaced by boundless satisfaction. She peacefully closed her eyes and softly said, "Thank you... thank you so much. With your words, I can die in peace."

Gong Yuxian's voice grew fainter and fainter. As the last syllable faded, her final breath and her voice vanished completely. After passing the position of Palace Master to Yun Che, she departed peacefully.

"Palace Master...""Palace Master!!"

The sorrowful cries of the Frozen Cloud disciples echoed in the cold space. They knelt beside Gong Yuxian's body, their tears falling mournfully. For thousands of years, every previous Palace Master of the Frozen Cloud Asgard had died of old age, but this generation had suffered a heaven-sent calamity. Gong Yuxian's passing seemed peaceful and serene, yet her tightly clenched fingers revealed that she still harbored too much resentment and unwillingness, dying with profound regret.

Yun Che stood up and let out a long sigh. Although this calamity was resolved by his return, and the Frozen Cloud Asgard was saved, its core pillars—Grand Palace Master Feng Qianhui and Palace Master Gong Yuxian—had both passed away. And the force that caused the Frozen Cloud Asgard to suffer this calamity was none other than the Sun and Moon Divine Hall.

Under Gong Yuxian's plea, he unexpectedly accepted the position of Palace Master of the Frozen Cloud Asgard. However, the Frozen Cloud Asgard was now under the terrifying shadow of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, making the position of Palace Master incredibly burdensome.

But since he dared to accept it, he had already braced himself for the possibility of facing the Sun and Moon Divine Hall one day. Moreover, he and Ye Xinghan already had a deep-seated grudge.

"Let the Palace Master rest peacefully in the ice coffin," Yun Che said gravely, looking at the Frozen Cloud disciples who were weeping in a cluster before him.

Seventy li southeast of Azure Wind Imperial City.

As one of the Divine Phoenix Army's commanders, Han Xingchao had long since taken on the task of breaking through the Azure Wind Western Region. Excluding Heavenly Sword Villa, which they had been instructed to leave alone, the entire western part of Azure Wind was now under his control. These past few days, he had been closely monitoring the main army's progress. Breaking through the Imperial City was imminent, and soon, there would be no Azure Wind Nation; instead, there would be a "Divine Phoenix Empire's Azure Wind Territory." They could then return to their homeland, laden with honors.

Yesterday, he learned that the Divine Phoenix army had already reached the Divine Phoenix City gates.

Today, he had intended to send a sound transmission to inquire about the battle's outcome. However, neither the main army's General Commander Qi Zhencang nor the Vice Commander Duan Qinghang responded at all. Afterwards, he and his subordinates tried sending transmissions to almost everyone in the main army who had a communication jade, but still, there was no response whatsoever.

In shock, he quickly sent a long-distance sound transmission to Feng Hengkong. Under Feng Hengkong's command, he mobilized all his war cavalry and flying beasts, taking fifty thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers, and rushed directly towards Azure Wind Imperial City at an unprecedented marching speed. All along the way, he was consumed by extreme anxiety.

Phoenix Divine Sect Elder Feng Hengjiang, the Supervisor who accompanied him, also maintained a grim expression throughout the journey. If only one or two people hadn't responded to transmissions, it might have been due to their focus on the battle, with no time for other matters. But for everyone to be unresponsive—that was absolutely abnormal.

As dusk began to fall, they finally approached within seventy li of Azure Wind Imperial City. The sight before them brought them all to a standstill, frozen in long-lasting stupefaction.

"What's going on!?"

No sounds of fierce battle or shouts of killing could be heard; the silence here was unsettling. The land ahead was drastically sunken, and the depression was incredibly smooth. There were no traces of intense fighting, no corpses, no blood—not even footprints that would indicate people had walked there.

This scene extended as far as the eye could see.

Facing this utterly bizarre sight, everyone halted their advance. Feng Hengjiang flew down and landed on the vastly sunken ground, his expression shifting. He detected a faint aura of fire, and a premonition subtly took hold: this strange, boundless region seemed to be an area of destruction blasted out by an incomparably powerful force!

However, even if all the supervising elders who accompanied them from the Divine Phoenix Sect had combined their strength, it would have been impossible to create such an enormous zone of destruction. As for the Azure Wind Nation, it was even more impossible for such power to emerge from it.

The most crucial point was: where had the seven hundred thousand strong army, along with Elder Nineteen and Elder Forty-Three, gone? They were now approaching the Azure Wind Imperial City, which they had been attacking this very morning, yet not a single trace of them could be seen!

A terrifying thought flashed through Feng Hengjiang's mind, but he hastily dismissed it. Impossible, how could such a thing be!

"Elder Fifty-Two, can you tell what happened to this area? And what should we do next?" Han Xingchao asked, his expression grave.

Feng Hengjiang's expression shifted, then he grit his teeth and said, "Of course, we'll go to Azure Wind Imperial City to investigate! There are still a few tens of li left. Immediately inform the Sect Master of the situation here, then advance at full speed!!"

"Understood!"

Azure Wind Imperial City.

The sky began to darken. The entire city remained in a tense state of readiness, as the Divine Phoenix army could return at any moment.

Yun Che had not returned from the Frozen Cloud Asgard for a long time, causing Cang Yue and the others to grow somewhat worried. At this moment, an urgent voice came from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty, this is bad!!"

Cang Yue quickly rose from her imperial chair, her brows furrowed. "Has the Divine Phoenix army arrived?!"

An Azure Wind soldier in silver armor rushed in, knelt, and urgently reported, "A wave of Divine Phoenix troops is approaching from the northwest! They are now less than thirty li from the Imperial City."

"What?" Cang Yue's eyebrows shot up. The expressions of the generals in the hall also drastically changed. Feng Yunlie rose and roared, "Why were they only discovered when the Divine Phoenix army was so close?! Are all the scouts dead?!"

"Your Majesty, General, please calm down. This wave of Divine Phoenix troops numbers only around fifty thousand. However, their marching speed is astonishingly fast. Approximately twenty thousand of them are riding Divine Phoenix Nation's Flame War Mounts, and the remaining thirty thousand are all riding various flying profound beasts. Their speed is truly too great. Please, Your Majesty, order an immediate counter-attack."

Twenty thousand Flame War Mounts carrying thirty thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers on flying profound beasts—everyone in the hall gasped.

Aside from the fifty thousand Divine Phoenix soldiers, just the sheer number of terrifying Flame War Mounts and flying profound beasts alone was something the current Azure Wind Imperial City could not possibly stop.

Yet, not a single person showed panic on their face. This was because their Azure Wind Imperial City now had a guardian as powerful as a deity. He had annihilated hundreds of thousands of the main Divine Phoenix army in an instant; what was fifty thousand?!

"It seems that after the main army was annihilated, the Divine Phoenix army in the west noticed something amiss, and so they rushed here at full speed to investigate," Cang Yue said calmly.