Chapter 8: Ice Cloud Immortal Palace

"Destroyed by someone?" Xiao Che's eyebrows shot up. From childhood, everything he'd heard from his grandfather and what was rumored outside suggested his profound veins were congenitally crippled. Only today, after his "reincarnation" carrying the memories of the Medical Saint's successor, did he suddenly realize that his damaged profound veins were not congenitally flawed.

Yet, Xia Qingyue had simply stated that his ruined profound veins were not congenital but had been damaged by external forces after his birth.

Not a single person in the entire Xiao Clan had noticed this fact, yet Xia Qingyue had seen it clearly in just a few breaths.

This woman...

"That's right," Xia Qingyue said softly, her eyelashes slightly lowered. "Furthermore, because you suffered a severe injury at a young age, and perhaps your family didn't notice it then, no treatment or repair was ever performed. As your body matured, the crippled state of your profound veins fully solidified... There is absolutely no possibility of repairing them!"

Xia Qingyue's final words were spoken with absolute certainty and confidence. If an adult's profound veins were damaged, it would lead to a great leakage of profound energy, but there were still various methods to repair them. However, if profound veins were crippled during infancy, the initial stage of growth, their development would begin from that crippled state, evolving into an even more thorough disability. By Xiao Che's age, they were essentially set, making repair utterly impossible.

Xiao Che's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "That might not be the case."

Xia Qingyue glanced at him briefly. "It seems you've been focused on repairing your profound veins?"

"I will definitely repair them," Xiao Che said, his face devoid of emotion.

Xia Qingyue gazed deeply at him. In his eyes, she saw not only arrogance and confidence but also a profound coldness. She sighed softly in her heart and said gently, "...The Profound Sky Continent is vast and boundless, with countless skilled individuals and extraordinary people. Perhaps there truly exists someone capable of repairing your profound veins. I certainly shouldn't have made such an assertion just now. Please consider it my ignorance."

These words significantly changed Xiao Che's impression of Xia Qingyue. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "What was that icy profound energy you used earlier? I've never heard of anyone in Floating Cloud City who can use that kind of profound energy. Your master isn't from Floating Cloud City, are they...? Of course, this might be personal, and you don't have to say."

Xia Qingyue remained silent for a long time. Just as Xiao Che thought she wouldn't speak, he heard her calmly say, "Ice Cloud Arts."

"Ice Cloud Arts?" The name made Xiao Che pause slightly, a vague sense of familiarity rising in his heart. But when he suddenly recalled the concept the name represented, his expression drastically changed, and a voice escaped him uncontrollably: "Ice Cloud Immortal Palace!?"

Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes flickered, and she looked at Xiao Che with a hint of surprise. When he shouted "Ice Cloud Immortal Palace," Xiao Che was clearly losing control of his emotions, yet to her, he was still too calm. Even the City Lord of Floating Cloud City would be so shocked by the name that his entire body would go limp and his legs would tremble. She said softly, "My master is indeed from the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, and I am considered a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace... My father is the only one in all of Floating Cloud City who knows about this; you are the second. I'm telling you... because, at least in name, you are already my husband. Consider it my most basic respect for you."

"..." Xiao Che's mind reeled in shock, unable to calm down for a long time. The four words "Ice Cloud Immortal Palace" exploded like a massive bomb within him. This was because it was one of the Azure Wind Empire's four most powerful sects, a sacred place yearned for and admired by all profound practitioners in the empire, and a transcendent existence that even the Azure Wind Empire's imperial family paid tribute to annually!

Heavenly Sword Villa, Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, Xiao Sect, Burning Heaven Clan.

The Azure Wind Empire was the smallest of the seven nations on the Profound Sky Continent, and its overall strength was the lowest. However, it had never been annexed by other nations, largely due to these four great sects. The larger nations might not fear the Azure Wind Empire's imperial court, but they certainly feared these four great sects.

The power of these four great sects was beyond doubt. Their recruitment of disciples was incredibly strict, not prioritizing background but talent above all else. Almost all profound practitioners in the Azure Wind Empire dreamed of entering one of these four great sects. Even being the lowest-ranking disciple in one of them would bring immense glory to an entire family, elevating their status, and the imperial court would even honor them as distinguished guests, perhaps even bestowing titles and peerages.

No one dared to even dream of entering one of these four great sects. For the former Xiao Che, the names of these four great sects were legendary, yet they seemed like celestial palaces, untouchable and beyond wildest hopes... But he never imagined that the wife he had just married was actually a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, ranked second only to Heavenly Sword Villa among the four great sects!

Xiao Che calmed himself down as quickly as possible and then asked, "Since you are a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, why doesn't your Xia family make this public? With your status, the Xia family could completely dominate Floating Cloud City, and no one would dare to offend them. All the wealthy families, including the City Lord's clan, would come seeking favor, and your Xia family's development would increase exponentially."

"Because of you," Xia Qingyue replied.

"Because... me?" Xiao Che was startled, then fell silent. Those three words made him realize the reason.

"My marriage to you, simply as a daughter of the Xia family, has already caused an uproar throughout Floating Cloud City. If I were to marry you as a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, the uproar would extend far beyond this small Floating Cloud City. It could lead to many unpredictable consequences, both for you and for our Xia family. After all, the gap between you and me is simply too vast." Xia Qingyue's voice was faint, and her gaze clear. Though she merely stood there quietly, she was stunningly beautiful.

Xiao Che slowly exhaled. "Then why did you still marry me?"

"You know the reason clearly in your heart... My life was saved by Uncle Xiao, and he tragically perished because, while saving me, he was unable to resist an assassination attempt. Also, on the day I was born, my father betrothed me to you. Whether it was to repay Uncle Xiao's kindness or to uphold my father's promise, I had no reason not to marry you."

Xia Qingyue looked up, her gaze as cool and brilliant as glittering ice. "The reason I told you I belong to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace is also to let you know that to cultivate the Ice Cloud Arts, one must first possess an icy heart. The Ice Cloud Immortal Palace only accepts female disciples, who must remain untainted for life and will never bear children. Although I have married you, I will never be able to love anyone in this lifetime. This, you must know."

"...Even if you weren't from the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, I don't think you would fall in love with me," Xiao Che said with a self-deprecating smile.

Xia Qingyue slowly shook her head. "Perhaps you've misunderstood. I am absolutely not looking down on you, nor have I ever looked down on you... My master has told me many times that even if one reaches the highest peaks, one can only look down, not slight others. Moreover, I am merely at the starting point. Although the Profound Sky Continent reveres profound energy, there are also countless physicians, alchemists, and artificers lauded by the world. Crippled profound veins absolutely do not mean a ruined life."

Xiao Che was deeply moved. Floating Cloud City only spoke of Xia Qingyue's beauty and talent; perhaps no one knew that beneath her grace lay a temperament rare even among most middle-aged individuals.

And she was truly only sixteen years old... A few more years, and she would be beyond imagination. No wonder she was chosen by the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace!

And such a woman, a true prodigy in terms of appearance, talent, and temperament, had actually become his wife just like that. It truly felt like a dream!

If he didn't possess the experiences and memories of two lives now, he would surely be too self-conscious to even dare look her in the eye.

"Thank you for telling me all this..." Xiao Che said with a sigh. Then, his tone changed, and his gaze became firm. "So, can you tell me what realm your profound energy is truly in?"

To reach Elementary Profound Realm Level 10 at sixteen was certainly astonishing talent, enough to cause a sensation throughout Floating Cloud City. But now, Xiao Che absolutely did not believe that Xia Qingyue was truly only at Elementary Profound Realm Level 10. Such talent, while unparalleled in Floating Cloud City, was simply not worthy of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace's notice.

Xiao Che's sudden question made Xia Qingyue fall silent; she didn't answer. However, her silence already indicated that her strength was indeed beyond Elementary Profound Realm Level 10.

"You should go toast the guests," Xia Qingyue said softly, averting her gaze.

As soon as her voice faded, footsteps slowly approached from outside the door, followed by Grandpa Hong's old and peaceful voice: "Young Master, it's time to toast the guests."

"Grandpa Hong, I'll be right there," Xiao Che replied. He took one last look at Xia Qingyue, casually straightened his clothes, and walked out the door.

The moment Xiao Che left, a bright ice light suddenly appeared in the room. Within the ice light, a snow-white figure materialized before Xia Qingyue in a dreamlike manner. Xia Qingyue stepped forward, bowed slightly, and called out gently and respectfully, "Master."

"Qingyue, you have achieved your wish. It's time to return to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace with me, isn't it?"

The voice was incredibly soft and beautiful, as ethereal as clouds and as gentle as wind, enough to melt even the coldest heart in the world.

Xia Qingyue gently shook her head. "Master, Qingyue wishes to stay a little longer. Leaving right after the wedding would subject him to even harsher and endless ridicule. Please grant me another month, Master. I will leave in a way that hurts him least and prevents others from further harming him."

The white-clad woman looked at her with a calm gaze. After a moment, she slowly nodded and smiled faintly. "Very well. Since we've already made an exception for you to be the first married disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace in a hundred years, an additional month won't hurt."

"Thank you for your understanding, Master." Xia Qingyue bowed again, then hesitated before softly asking, "Master, are his profound veins truly beyond repair?"

The white-clad woman shook her head with almost no hesitation. "Perhaps there's nothing absolute in this world... but at least to me, it's impossible. Qingyue, you possess a kind, compassionate, and grateful heart, which is excellent. However, this time, I truly cannot help you."