Chapter 922: Dust Settles Temporarily

Only Huangji Wuyu noticed the momentary change in Yun Che's gaze. When Yun Che simultaneously pardoned the Sun Moon Divine Palace and the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, the people from the Extreme Heaven Holy Land and the Supreme Ocean Palace were slightly surprised but inwardly sighed with relief.

After all, the Sun Moon Divine Palace and the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region were also sacred lands. While it was possible to forcibly eliminate them, doing so would undoubtedly cause a significant drain on their own vital energy.

"What are you still doing here?" Seeing the sudden stillness behind him, Yun Che's gaze shifted. "Everyone should return to where they came from. The Sea Hall still has a pile of problems to sort out, so I don't have time for you to linger. As for the teleportation formations, begin full preparations starting tomorrow... Do not exceed one month."

Yun Che's words were a massive reprieve for everyone who had been at a loss. No sane person would willingly remain in front of a terrifying deity who could arbitrarily decide their life or death. The people from the Sun Moon Divine Palace and the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, in particular, finally believed at this moment that Yun Che had truly spared them, and they hastily retreated, preparing to depart.

At this moment, Yun Che turned around, his gaze sweeping over the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, and suddenly said, "Wait."

His voice, precisely aimed at one person's back, instantly made that individual realize it was meant for him. His steps halted abruptly, and after pausing for several breaths, he turned to face Yun Che, an expression of profound trepidation on his face. "Palace Master Yun, did you call for me?"

"Isn't this Elder Ling Kun?" Yun Che slowly approached him, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Speaking of which, Elder Ling and I have known each other for six or seven years now. You were the very first person from a sacred land I ever met. Back then, at Heavenly Sword Villa, Elder Ling even extended a grand invitation for me to join the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. I was incredibly flattered at the time."

Ling Kun immediately showed an expression of flattery. "Palace Master Yun still remembers that matter, it is truly... my honor."

Everyone who had been preparing to leave simultaneously turned around, their faces filled with confusion. The members of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, in particular, all exchanged bewildered glances.

"Such an old acquaintance, yet Elder Ling was prepared to leave without even a greeting from beginning to end. Isn't that a bit unfeeling?" Yun Che was smiling, but his smile concealed a sinister chill.

Ling Kun's profound strength was at the late stage of the Tyrant Profound Realm. While considered mediocre within the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, he held an elder's position due to his exceptional cunning and vast knowledge. He would never genuinely believe Yun Che called him back to reminisce. He secretly gritted his teeth, maintaining a fearful expression. "Palace Master Yun, you overstate it. Palace Master Yun is now a Divine Sky Lord, far beyond what you once were. How... how could I possibly be qualified to presume such a connection?"

"Indeed, there's no need to claim acquaintance," Yun Che's eyes suddenly blazed with undisguised killing intent. "But shouldn't you explain to me, the current Palace Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard... why did Ye Xinghan forcefully attack Frozen Cloud Asgard back then!"

Crouched within the crowd of the Sun Moon Divine Palace, dreading being seen by Yun Che, Ye Xinghan abruptly heard his name from Yun Che's lips. He instantly stumbled backward, directly falling to his knees, and remained unable to stand for a long time.

Ling Kun's entire body stiffened, but his reaction was swift. A bewildered expression immediately appeared on his face. "This? What does Palace Master Yun mean by that? I... I truly don't understand."

"Then I'll make you understand!" Yun Che's face suddenly darkened. He reached out with his right hand, and in an instant, Ling Kun was directly pulled into Yun Che's grasp.

"Palace Master Yun, you..." Ling Kun's eyes bulged. He barely managed to stammer out a few words before letting out a muffled groan as Yun Che's profound energy directly invaded his mind, rendering him completely unconscious.

The members of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, witnessing this scene, did not dare to step forward. They all remained as silent as cicadas in winter.

Yun Che's profound energy swiftly scanned Ling Kun's memories, and his brow furrowed deeply.

As he had suspected, Ling Kun had indeed "sold" Xia Qingyue's information to Ye Xinghan after the Azure Wind Ranking Tournament!

Ancient texts preserved within the Four Sacred Lands contained records of the Nine Profound Exquisite Body. Although no one had ever witnessed such a body, on that day, Ling Kun, by correlating the profound energy characteristics described in the ancient texts with his direct observation of Xia Qingyue—who, despite her Earth Profound Realm cultivation, wielded a domain power usually exclusive to King Profound Realm practitioners—concluded that she most likely possessed the Nine Profound Exquisite Body mentioned in those ancient records.

The ancient texts also recorded that those possessing the Nine Profound Exquisite Body could form a small world within their own bodies, making them an unparalleled dual cultivation vessel, a rarity seen only once in ten thousand years!

He chose not to inform the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, instead selling this information to Ye Xinghan to maximize his personal gain. Furthermore, another individual's malicious intent was also at play behind this matter...

Xuanyuan Yufeng!

Ling Yuefeng was infatuated with Chu Yuechan, and Ling Yun was clearly obsessed with Xia Qingyue, losing his composure over her. Driven by intense jealousy and fury, Xuanyuan Yufeng not only sent people to hunt down Chu Yuechan but also proposed to Ling Kun that they use the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region's power to destroy Frozen Cloud Asgard. Ling Kun agreed, and the method they chose was to incidentally use Ye Xinghan's influence.

As the profound energy withdrew, Ling Kun's eyes regained focus. He stared at Yun Che, wide-eyed and terrified. "You... what did you do to me?"

"Die!"

*Whoosh!*

With a pained shriek from Ling Kun, flames erupted from Yun Che's hand, instantly engulfing Ling Kun and transforming him into a fiery figure. In the very next moment, his entire body vanished completely within the blaze, reduced entirely to ashes.

*Gulp...*

The members of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region swallowed hard, their bodies rigid with shock.

Yun Che lowered his arm, not forgetting to shake off the ashes from his hand. Then, his gaze shifted, and he unhurriedly approached Ye Xinghan.

Ye Xinghan, who had believed he had escaped, met Yun Che's gaze, and his hair immediately stood on end as if he had plunged into an abyss. He trembled as he backed away. "Yun Che... what... what are you going to do... don't come any closer... don't come any closer!"

Several Divine Envoys and elders of the Sun Moon Divine Palace surrounded Ye Xinghan, uncertain whether to advance or retreat. They were well aware of the animosity between Ye Xinghan and Yun Che: Ye Xinghan had first nearly caused Yun Che and Feng Xue'er to perish in the Primordial Profound Ark, and then he had dispatched forces to attack Frozen Cloud Asgard... and now, Yun Che was the Palace Master of Frozen Cloud Asgard!

"I am about to kill your Young Master. Do any of you intend to stop me?" Yun Che's gaze swept over the Divine Envoys and elders of the Sun Moon Divine Palace as he spoke with utter indifference.

As Yun Che's gaze fell upon them, the faces of all the Divine Envoys and elders of the Sun Moon Divine Palace tensed. Ye Xinghan had already slumped to the ground, frantically scrambling backward. "No... don't come closer... save... save me... save me..."

A pungent stench suddenly assailed them. A puddle of foul liquid spread beneath Ye Xinghan, who, utterly terrified by Yun Che's gaze, had lost control of his bladder and bowels.

Qitian Divine Envoy, the chief of the Divine Envoys, secretly gritted his teeth. His steps were slow, yet he retreated several paces. Following his lead, the other Divine Envoys and elders almost simultaneously began to retreat, and in the blink of an eye, they were several meters away from Ye Xinghan.

If the one pressuring them at that moment had been someone like Huangji Wuyu, they would certainly have resisted collectively. But against Yun Che, their resistance would not only fail to save Ye Xinghan but could even destroy the hard-won chance of survival for the Sun Moon Divine Palace.

Therefore, abandoning their Young Master, who was not particularly well-liked to begin with, was undeniably the most sensible and rational choice.

"You... you all..." Ye Xinghan's face was utterly devoid of color from terror, ashen like wall plaster scrubbed with sandpaper. "No... no... don't kill me... don't kill me..."

"Ye Xinghan," Yun Che slowly approached him, speaking in a flat, unconcerned tone. "Your father just died before your eyes. As a son, even if you can't collect his body, you should at least gather some of his ashes. To simply leave like this would be a great act of unfilial impiety. When you arrive in the underworld, I fear even your father won't forgive you."

"You... you... ah... mmph..." Ye Xinghan's face shifted from white to green. His mouth gaped open, his entire body curled into a fetal position, and twisted, strange sounds gurgled from his throat.

"You nearly killed me back then, nearly killed my Xue'er, and caused the deaths of Frozen Cloud Asgard's former Palace Master and Grand Palace Master. If I hadn't arrived in time, the entire Frozen Cloud Asgard would have been annihilated by your hand. Tell me, how should I exact this debt from you?"

"Should I flay you and rip out your tendons, or should I hack off your limbs, turning you into a human swine, leaving you unable to live or die?" Yun Che's face darkened completely, every word dripping with an endless, chilling malevolence. Everyone who heard him shuddered, feeling a cold dread creep up their spines.

"Ah... urgh... mmph..." Ye Xinghan's eyes were wide and fixated, scarlet blood vessels covering every corner of his eyeballs. His face had transformed from green to an extremely unnatural grayish-black, and strange sounds continuously gurgled from his throat, yet he couldn't utter a single coherent word.

Then, his eyes suddenly fixed, and he toppled straight backward, utterly motionless. White foam mixed with blood wildly gushed from his mouth.

Silence fell over the Sea Hall. The foul stench emanating from Ye Xinghan still permeated the air. Yun Che glanced at Ye Xinghan, then turned away, utterly speechless. These so-called young masters, raised in reverence, were often far more afraid of death than ordinary people. This Ye Xinghan didn't even require him to lift a finger; he had been scared to death, his very organs rupturing from sheer terror.

Ye Xinghan's death did not evoke any sorrow or indignation from the Sun Moon Divine Palace. On the contrary, it filled them with immense humiliation and caused them to lose all face.

Had he even ruptured his own heart veins, he might have at least died a valiant death and preserved the fierce reputation of the Sun Moon Divine Palace. Instead, in front of everyone, his opponent hadn't even touched him, yet he first soiled himself from fear and then was literally scared to death.

Indeed, he was quite possibly the first Tyrant Emperor in the history of the Profound Sky Continent to be scared to death.

His death utterly shattered the Sun Moon Divine Palace's ten thousand years of dignity.

"Let's go." Qitian Divine Envoy, gritting his teeth in exasperation, turned and departed, not even sparing a glance for Ye Xinghan's body. The others unanimously followed suit, not a single person stepping forward to retrieve the corpse, or even to look at it again.

"Let's leave too."

The members of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region also gathered, preparing to depart.

At the periphery of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region's contingent was a somewhat unique presence: Heavenly Sword Villa.

Ling Yuefeng and Xuanyuan Yufeng had been brought by Xuanyuan Jue to this Heavenly Sovereign Assembly, hoping to gain favor with Xuanyuan Wentian and be among the first to swear allegiance, thereby securing a higher status for Heavenly Sword Villa on the continent. But they had never in their wildest dreams imagined such an outcome. Instead of witnessing Xuanyuan Wentian achieve sovereignty, they saw him turn to dust, and what they truly witnessed was the emergence of the continent's rightful ruler.

And this young man, whose strength was unparalleled and who had become the continent's absolute ruler, had numerous grievances and a deep history with their Heavenly Sword Villa.

Xuanyuan Jue pulled the two of them to their feet, just as they were about to depart, when a figure suddenly flickered into view, and Yun Che's cold face appeared before them.

"Yun Che!" Ling Yuefeng was so startled he nearly took a step back.

"You... what are you doing?" Xuanyuan Jue was also terrified, frantically pulling Xuanyuan Yufeng behind him, his arms trembling uncontrollably.

"Don't be nervous," Yun Che said with a cold smile. "Xuanyuan Yufeng, although you are a vile wretch who deserves to die ten thousand times, you coincidentally bore a good son. Do you know, even if I were to kill you, Ling Jie wouldn't hate me for the rest of his life... And precisely because of that, I find myself unable to strike you down."

Called a "vile wretch" by Yun Che, in the past, Xuanyuan Yufeng would have lunged at him without hesitation. But facing Yun Che, who had not only killed Xuanyuan Wentian but also forced all Four Sacred Lands to bow, she couldn't possibly maintain her arrogance. Her lips turned purple, and she was unable to utter a single word.

Yun Che's hands clenched slightly, as he desperately suppressed the urge to torture and kill Xuanyuan Yufeng. Jasmine's words had implied he might never see Chu Yuechan or their child again in this life, and his hatred for Xuanyuan Yufeng had reached its peak. Yet, the moment Ling Jie plunged his sword towards his own throat at Heavenly Sword Villa, intending to exchange his life for Xuanyuan Yufeng's, Yun Che was destined to be unable to kill her.

Moreover, he was the true instigator of all this.

Since everything was already done, why cause Ling Jie a lifetime of suffering? After all, in this treacherous world, Ling Jie was one of the very few who treated him with complete sincerity.

Yun Che turned away, avoiding Xuanyuan Yufeng's face, which allowed the killing intent in his heart to subside slightly. In a low voice, he stated, "Xuanyuan Yufeng, although I yearn to tear you into ten thousand pieces, I will not kill you today. But you had best remember... for the rest of your life, never leave Heavenly Sword Villa! Never let me see you again, otherwise..."

Yun Che took a deep breath, then with a flash, he teleported far away.

"...Go, quickly!" As if he had just walked through the gates of hell, Xuanyuan Jue was drenched in sweat. He hastily pulled Ling Yuefeng and Xuanyuan Yufeng with him, flying away at their fastest possible speed.