Chapter 937: Heavenly Goddess Descends (Part 2)

Yun Che’s body was taut, his teeth clenched. He was using all his strength just to keep his body from sinking and to prevent the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword from slipping from his grasp.

This weight…

Yun Che suddenly drew a breath, and with a muffled thud, his lower body sank completely into the ground. Yet, the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword did not budge an inch.

Each time Hong’er devoured a sword, the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword's momentum, weight, and destructive power would increase. To date, Hong’er had consumed five Tyrannical Profound Swords, twenty-seven King Profound Swords, several hundred Sky Profound Swords, and a large quantity of various profound crystals.

Sky Profound Swords and King Profound Swords were already scarce in the Azure Cloud Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm. Tyrannical Profound Swords were even rarer, like phoenix feathers or qilin horns. The numbers – five Tyrannical Profound Swords and twenty-seven King Profound Swords – were enough to blanch the faces of even Sacred Land-level profound practitioners. In just a few short years, Hong’er had devoured nearly half of the top-tier profound swords from both continents.

This was what had forged the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword Yun Che wielded when he fought Xuanyuan Wentian.

However, after Hong’er consumed the Eternal Night Devil Sword, the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword's transformation completely surpassed the sum of all its previous growth!

Yun Che poured all his strength into his arms, yet he still couldn't lift it. Even maintaining his grip on the hilt to keep it from crashing down was incredibly difficult. At this point, the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword's weight alone had reached a terrifying level of at least ten million jin.

“Hah!”

Yun Che activated the Purgatory Realm, and his profound energy surged instantly. With a low roar, he finally lifted the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword, his body soaring into the air as he swung it forward.

He swung the sword in an utterly plain manner, without any profound arts or skills. But in that instant, a sword momentum so vast that it astonished Yun Che swept down. Where the sword tip pointed, the space ten miles ahead instantly collapsed. The ground was directly ripped into the sky and then completely vanished into the collapsing void.

Yun Che stood frozen. The might of that single strike left him stunned for a long time; he didn't even dare to swing a second sword.

A casual swing of the sword yielded such power. If he were to strike with full force... such terrifying sword might would leave even Xuanyuan Wentian half-dead if caught within it.

However, such immense power came with an equally immense consumption. Even though he had only swung the sword once, Yun Che's arms felt slightly numb, and despite being in his Purgatory state, a truly dreadful heaviness still lingered in his arms.

He estimated that even at his peak, he would be exhausted after swinging it a few dozen times.

The Eternal Night Devil Sword… it was, after all, an ancient devil sword, a sword of the demonic realm. Although it had become a 'dead sword,' the power Hong’er could transform from it was still incomparable to any sword from the Azure Cloud Continent. Hong’er's consumption of the Eternal Night Devil Sword had utterly transformed the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword into practically a different weapon. Its current might clearly surpassed the scope of a Monarch Profound Artifact, a level of power that simply could not be measured by the standards of the Azure Cloud Continent.

“Phew…”

Inside the jewel on the sword hilt, Hong’er was sound asleep, undisturbed by the earth-shattering commotion. Yun Che put away the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and let out a long sigh of relief.

“It seems I'll need a considerable amount of time to re-adapt to its weight and sword momentum,” Yun Che murmured to himself. He also thought that if one day he could freely wield the Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword in his normal state, then he should be truly close to entering the Divine Path.

After his fierce battle with Feng Xue'er and that last sword strike, Yun Che's profound energy was largely depleted. He sat on the ground to recover for a while before standing up and slowly walking back to Ice Cloud Immortal Palace.

Ice Cloud Immortal Palace was as desolate and quiet as ever. After years of trials and tribulations, it had finally ushered in a true rebirth. In another six months, once everything completely settled down, they would begin preparations to recruit new disciples.

Unbeknownst to anyone, in the extremely distant sky, a pair of ice-cold eyes, like a dark spring, silently watched the reborn Ice Cloud Immortal Palace amidst the ice and snow. Dressed in snow-white robes, she was enveloped in dreamlike mist, her face obscured. One could only faintly discern an ethereal, fairy-like silhouette, yet one that was also gracefully alluring like a succubus.

Beside her was a slender girl in blue. The girl appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen, her eyes like ice crystals, her face like fresh snow, and around her floated ice spirits more radiant and clear than the purest crystal in the world. She held the white-robed woman's arm with both hands, seemingly carefully supporting her.

“Master, Ice Cloud Immortal Palace looks completely different from before, doesn't it? Did I remember it incorrectly?” the blue-robed girl asked, also looking down at the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace.

“No,” the white-robed woman whispered, “It's not just Ice Cloud Immortal Palace. The elemental aura here has also undergone a massive change… *cough, cough*. It seems that after that, Ice Cloud Immortal Palace suffered an even greater calamity, was completely destroyed, and then was reborn… *cough, cough, cough*.”

The white-robed woman's voice was very soft, revealing a subtle weakness. Her brief remarks were punctuated by several painful coughs. Beneath the swirling mist, her snow-white face showed a sickly paleness.

The blue-robed girl softly said, “Over the years, I've accompanied Master here three times, and each time, I've seen a completely different Ice Cloud Immortal Palace. It seems Ice Cloud Immortal Palace has endured many significant upheavals over the years.”

“The tribulations are over. Not only has it been reborn this time, but the aura of all its disciples has also changed considerably. From now on, Ice Cloud Immortal Palace will only become more prosperous. *Cough*... All of this should be attributed to the new Palace Master. It's no wonder the former Palace Master went against tradition to pass the position to a man,” the white-robed woman slowly stated. With each cough, her aura weakened further.

“Indeed. Their auras have improved significantly since our last visit. So, Master can finally rest at ease, right? Ice Cloud Immortal Palace is truly fortunate to have always been a concern for Master,” the blue-robed girl turned her face. “Master, we've seen better results than expected. Can we return now? The aura of this world is too impure; staying here longer will worsen your injuries.”

“*Cough, cough*...” The white-robed woman covered her lips with a hand. When she removed her fingers, a faint reddish stain appeared on her palm. She lightly clasped her snow-white hand, concealing the bloodstain, and gazed at the boundless snowfield below. “Xiao Lan,” she whispered, “this time, stay with me here a little longer.”

“Huh?” The blue-robed girl looked at her in surprise.

The white-robed woman's eyes were slightly glazed, hazy like mist. “Looking back at my life's ups and downs, the time I spent here, without memory or divine power, was the most peaceful and comforting. In the years since returning to the Snow Song Realm, although my decaying life has lingered on for another thousand years, there hasn't been a single day of true happiness.”

“For these past years, the Ice Phoenix Palace has forcibly prolonged the life of someone destined to die, using countless precious spiritual treasures. I know full well that their continued reverence for me is only because of my elder sister. I know what they think and say behind my back,” the white-robed woman slowly closed her icy eyes. “Before leaving this time, I left a message for my sister: My end is near, and I will sleep eternally in the place I most wish to rest. Do not search for me.”

“And perhaps, this place is the most suitable for my eternal sleep.”

“Mas...ter...” The blue-robed girl did not cry out excitedly at these words. Her eyes welled with tears, and she lowered her head, beginning to sob softly. She knew... everyone knew that her ability to endure until today was already a monumental miracle.

As she was pressed against her master's body, she could clearly feel the extent to which her life force had withered.

“He's here,” the white-robed woman said softly. Her pupils were crystal clear and icy, showing no joy or sorrow... for she had long since accepted life and death.

Yun Che walked from the north and finally returned to the main gate of Ice Cloud Immortal Palace. In front of him, Su Ling'er suddenly peeked out, giving him a charming smile. “Brother Yun Che, you're finally back! Come quickly, I brought you something delicious.”

“Exquisite Pastries!” Smelling the aroma that drifted to his nose, Yun Che's eyes lit up, and he quickly approached Su Ling'er.

The two leaned against an ice wall, sitting on the soft snow. Su Ling'er used her delicate, jade-like hands to feed the exquisite pastries to Yun Che, smiling as she watched him eat them one after another.

The profound array connecting the Azure Cloud Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm was right in front of Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, so Su Ling'er and the others often came over when Yun Che was there during the day. Watching Yun Che finish the last pastry, she lightly wiped the corner of his mouth with her finger and asked, “Brother Yun Che, has Eldest Sister Little Demon Empress still not agreed to the treatment?”

“Ugh!” Yun Che exhaled, frustrated. “Not only has she not agreed, I've brought it up to her twice this month. The first time, she scolded me; the second time, she almost beat me. I knew long ago that with her personality, it would be difficult for her to accept such a strange treatment method, which is why I asked you to stay at the Demon Emperor Palace several months in advance. But the result is still the same.”

“Yes, Eldest Sister Little Demon Empress is such a noble and proud person; it's truly difficult to get her to accept it. Even I was quite startled when I first heard about it,” Su Ling'er propped her chin on her hands, looking as if deep in thought.

“Ling'er, you don't seem... very resistant to it,” Yun Che leaned his face close to Su Ling'er's ear and said with a mischievous grin, “Don't you feel... particularly embarrassed?”

“I'm fine with it,” Su Ling'er giggled, though her cheeks were still a little flushed. “If it were anyone else, even though a healer's destiny is to save lives, I might not be able to do it. But Eldest Sister Little Demon Empress is different; she's Brother Yun Che's woman, after all. Besides...” Su Ling'er's voice trailed off, “I've served Brother Yun Che alongside Eldest Sister Little Demon Empress so many times, so why does she still reject it so strongly? Does she not like me?”

“Uh... of course not. Who in Demon Imperial City doesn't like Ling'er now? Given her temperament, I'd find it strange if she accepted it so easily. Sigh, what should I do... Hmm, should I knock her out with Xue'er and then... that probably won't work...”

“Then how about this?” Su Ling'er's beautiful eyes suddenly lit up as if she had an idea. “I'll go persuade Eldest Sister Little Demon Empress myself.”

“Huh? You go?” Yun Che was startled.

“Hehe,” Su Ling'er smiled mysteriously. “I think it might be better if I talk to Eldest Sister Little Demon Empress about this in person. Although Eldest Sister Little Demon Empress usually listens to Brother Yun Che the most, this matter... might be an exception.”

“I'll go now.” Su Ling'er stood up and trotted directly towards the teleportation array. “Brother Yun Che, come back early before dark! Maybe there will be good news!”

“...” Yun Che's mouth was slightly agape. He scratched his nose and muttered to himself, “Will that really be okay?”