Chapter 846: Snowy Region's Dark Clouds

For ten whole days, Xiao Lingxi had barely closed her eyes. Most of the time, she was lost in a daze, and even when she occasionally drifted off to sleep unconsciously in her exhaustion, she would immediately be jolted awake by nightmares.

The bitter cold of the Frozen Cloud Snow Region was far beyond what Xiao Lingxi could withstand. Consequently, for most of the time, she, Cang Yue, and Xiao Lie had to remain within the special barrier created by Feng Xue'er. This made it difficult for them to move freely around the Frozen Cloud Asgard for extended periods, and getting close to the intensely cold Frozen Cloud Sacred Pool to catch a glimpse of Yun Che was an even greater luxury.

"Little Che..." she mumbled softly, huddled in the corner of the room, looking utterly distraught. Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and Cang Yue slowly walked in.

Xiao Lingxi abruptly looked up, then sprang to her feet as if jolted, rushing forward to throw herself into Cang Yue's embrace. "Sister Cang Yue, how is Little Che? Has he woken up? Is he already awake?" she asked frantically.

"Lingxi, please don't get so agitated," Cang Yue quickly said, helping her steady herself, and then gently comforted her. "He will wake up, and he will recover completely. Brother Tianxia said that with injuries like those, anyone else would have died a thousand times over, but your husband is still stubbornly alive. Have you forgotten? So many times before, we thought we'd never see him again, but he always appeared before us perfectly fine. This time, he will surely wake up safely and recover, just like before."

"I... I know, I know..." Xiao Lingxi sobbed softly. "I just hate myself for being so useless, for not being able to do anything, for not being able to help Little Che with anything. Now I can't even go see him, I... I..."

"Taking good care of yourself is the greatest help and comfort you can give him," Cang Yue said, doing her best to offer a warm, gentle smile. Then she helped Xiao Lingxi sit down: "Your husband is fighting so hard to live because he can't bear to leave you, can't bear to leave us. So please, don't collapse when he wakes up, or he'll worry himself to death."

Xiao Lingxi bit her lip, holding back tears, then nodded gently. "Yes, I know. I'm fine, I've been taking good care of myself. Sister Cang Yue, you're the one who needs to rest properly. These past few days, you've rested even less than I have, and you've been comforting me constantly. You're still the Empress; there must be so many things happening in the Imperial City..."

Cang Yue smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I've already sent a message to Governor Dongfang, entrusting him to handle the affairs of the court. Lingxi, relax and get some good sleep. Perhaps when you wake up, your Little Che will have woken up too."

"Okay," Xiao Lingxi obediently replied this time. She stood up: "I'll go check on Father first. He hasn't been sleeping much these days, and he's eaten so little. Even Xiao Yun and Seventh Sister can't persuade him with his great-grandson. If this continues, he won't be able to hold on."

Although Xiao Lie's biological grandson was Xiao Yun, not Yun Che, he had raised Yun Che for sixteen years, shielded him from all hardships for sixteen years, and Yun Che had also spent sixteen years by his side. Despite lacking a blood connection, their sixteen years of affection were no less profound than that of blood relatives.

"I'll go with you."

Just as the two women were about to go visit Xiao Lie, they suddenly felt the light before their eyes dramatically dim, as if the scorching sun high above had suddenly been obscured.

But in the Frozen Cloud Snow Region, the sun and moon were rarely seen year-round; the sky was always a vast expanse of white. How could it suddenly grow dark?

Above the Frozen Cloud Sacred Pool, the Frozen Empress, who had been still as an ice sculpture, suddenly opened her eyes and looked up at the sky.

The pale sky, illuminated by endless ice and snow, was suddenly covered by a layer of hazy gloom. An extremely oppressive aura descended, cloaking the originally serene snow region in a chilling stillness.

"What's happening?"

All the Frozen Cloud disciples were startled by this sudden anomaly. The Six Fairies of Frozen Cloud rose into the air, looking at the sky and their surroundings, feeling an intense sense of oppression and unease. The climate of the Frozen Cloud Snow Region had been unchanging since ancient times, and such a phenomenon had never occurred before. Moreover, this bone-chilling oppressive feeling could not possibly be caused by the weather.

This was clearly profound energy!

"This is..." Xiao Yun also appeared in the air, murmuring doubtfully, "Wait a moment... does this aura feel familiar to any of you?"

"It does feel familiar," Number One Under Heaven said in a deep voice.

"It's Fen Juechen!" Feng Xue'er suddenly exclaimed. "A few months ago, Brother Yun fought Fen Juechen above the East Sea, and Fen Juechen's power aura was exactly like this!"

"Him?" Xiao Yun and Number One Under Heaven were stunned for a moment, then instantly reacted. Number One Under Heaven said, "That's right, this feeling is indeed extremely similar to Fen Juechen's aura. However, something's not quite right. It's the same power aura, but it feels different to me."

But he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different.

"Look! Look over there!" Seventh Under Heaven suddenly exclaimed.

Xiao Yun and Number One Under Heaven simultaneously looked north. They were startled to see the northern sky had turned an utterly terrifying pitch black. This darkness was spreading rapidly towards the Frozen Cloud Asgard.

"Hiss..." Number One Under Heaven gasped, "Go!!"

"Seventh Sister, you stay behind and protect Grandpa and Auntie!" Xiao Yun hastily instructed. He then flew out of the palace gates with Number One Under Heaven and Feng Xue'er.

At the same time, Murong Qianxue, Jun Lianqie, Mu Lanyi, Chu Yuechan, Feng Hanyue, and Feng Hanxue had also led a group of Frozen Cloud disciples outside the palace gates. Their faces were stern, and their snow swords gleamed with cold light, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The black clouds from the northern sky rolled in, making the light grow dimmer. The oppressive, chilling aura intensified with every passing moment. These Frozen Cloud women, who cultivated the Frozen Cloud Arts and had long resided in the Frozen Cloud Snow Region, feared no cold. Yet, under this rapidly approaching aura, their entire bodies grew cold, and their very souls trembled uncontrollably.

"This... is this really profound energy?" Chu Yuechan said in disbelief. "Even the most sinister profound arts recorded in our palace don't reach this level."

"Do any of you know who that is?" Murong Qianxue asked. She also couldn't believe that this aura could be released by just one person.

"I can't be entirely sure. But no matter who it is, there's no need to worry," Number One Under Heaven said with certainty. "With the Frozen Empress here, if the opponent is an enemy, no matter who they are, they are simply seeking death!"

No sooner had he spoken than a flash of light appeared in front of them. A small, delicate girl wearing a multicolored glaze robe stepped onto the ice and snow, her face like ice jade, her eyes like cold stars, not stirring even a wisp of cold wind.

"Empress Sister," Feng Xue'er exclaimed in surprise. But then she immediately remembered that with the Empress here, Yun Che wouldn't be guarded, and she worriedly added, "What about Brother Yun..."

"All of you, fall back!!" The Frozen Empress suddenly raised a hand. A blizzard surged, forcefully pushing everyone back dozens of paces. Meanwhile, she herself was already several hundred meters ahead.

At this moment, the rolling black clouds in the sky finally drew near. They slowly swirled in the sky before them, no longer advancing. An extremely oppressive and sinister aura also enveloped the entire Frozen Cloud Asgard.

"Playing tricks," the Frozen Empress coldly murmured. She flipped her palm; no trace of profound energy movement was visible on her. Yet, a golden flame had already exploded in the dark clouds above, forming a blazing sea of fire in the dimming sky: "Get out!!"

The sea of fire raged, instantly engulfing more than half of the black clouds. The remaining half of the black clouds, however, descended from the sky, sinking until they were in front of the Frozen Empress. Then, amidst wild laughter, they slowly dispersed.

"Hahahaha! As expected of the Golden Crow Divine Flame, it certainly didn't disappoint me."

From within the dispersing black mist, a tall but somewhat gaunt figure slowly walked out.

A face of about twenty years old, dressed in black, with long black hair and pitch-black pupils, he looked at the Frozen Empress, a sinister, unsettling smile on his face. "Greetings, Frozen Empress from the Illusory Demon Realm. Welcome to the Profound Sky Continent."

The Frozen Empress remained silent.

"Fen... Fen Juechen!? It's really him!!" Feng Xue'er covered her mouth, unable to believe her eyes. The person who emerged from the black mist was indeed Fen Juechen.

"No! That's not right!!" Number One Under Heaven suddenly exclaimed. "He isn't Fen Juechen. Although his appearance is identical, the feeling he gives me is completely different from Fen Juechen. Even his voice is different. Who are you? Who exactly are you? Why are you disguised as Fen Juechen!?"

It wasn't that Number One Under Heaven was particularly familiar with Fen Juechen, but rather that Fen Juechen was a person of extreme character, making his characteristics too obvious. Fen Juechen's eyes were cold, ruthless, and arrogant, yet they also held a profound, heart-wrenching loneliness, like a lone wolf with nothing left.

This person before them, although possessing the exact same appearance and build as Fen Juechen, and an extremely similar profound energy aura, what he exuded was not arrogance, but an overbearing haughtiness. His gaze, his aura, and the smirk at the corner of his mouth were all completely different from the Fen Juechen he knew.

The most striking difference was his voice. Moreover, given Fen Juechen's personality, he would never have burst into such wild laughter.

"Hahahaha," "Fen Juechen" laughed again. He nodded in appreciation: "As expected of the young master of the Elven race, truly a keen perception. It would be a pity if you were to perish in this icy wilderness today."

Number One Under Heaven's expression subtly changed, and his heart skipped a beat. Earlier, the figure had immediately identified the "Frozen Empress," and now, he had astonishingly and precisely called out his name and identity!

"Fen Juechen" raised his palm and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, why don't you all take a guess as to who I truly am?"

This voice was not unfamiliar. More than one person present had heard it before. After the initial shock, this voice abruptly overlapped with a figure in their minds.

"You're Xuanyuan Wentian!!" Feng Xue'er and Xiao Yun exclaimed simultaneously.

"Heh," Fen Juechen's—no, Xuanyuan Wentian's—lips curved into a smirk. The twisted smile became even more dangerous and wild, his voice arrogant and unhurried. "A perfect answer. Indeed, it is I. And just a reminder, from now on, you don't need to call me Sword Master Xuanyuan; you should address me as the Supreme Heavenly Venerate!"

"He actually... he actually..." Hearing his personal confession, Xiao Yun's eyes widened, still unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing.

"Supreme Heavenly Venerate? Heh, what big talk," Number One Under Heaven scoffed. "I've long heard the name Xuanyuan Wentian. I never imagined you'd not only be limitlessly arrogant, falsely claiming the title of Heavenly Venerate, but also hide your true identity and disguise yourself as someone else. It's truly laughable."

Number One Under Heaven mocked him freely; although he was vigilant, he didn't feel much of a sense of danger. He was utterly convinced that the Frozen Empress was an absolutely invincible existence in this world. Let alone one Xuanyuan Wentian, even if all four Sacred Masters of the Profound Sky Continent arrived together, they would only face defeat before the Frozen Empress.

But he did not notice that although the Frozen Empress's snow-white face was cold and serene, a deep heaviness was evident in her cold eyes, and her delicate hands were not relaxed but tightly clenched.

"Disguise? Hehehe, hahahaha." Xuanyuan Wentian showed no anger whatsoever. Or rather, to him now, there was nothing in this world worthy of his anger. "No, no, no. This venerable one bestowed upon him a great gift, allowing him to offer his body to this venerable one, and then to jointly look down upon this humble world with this venerable one."

"This was a great fortune he exchanged for the destruction of two clans and two lifetimes of existence. Tsk, how difficult it was."