Chapter 947: Before the Departure to the Divine Realm

"Come in," Mu Bingyun said, turning her gaze.

The door to the hall was carefully pushed open. Mu Xiaolan entered, carrying a jade bowl that radiated a slight warmth. She first glanced at Yun Che, then completely ignored his presence. "Master," she said, "this is a special snow lotus porridge from here. It's delicious; you simply must try some."

Mu Bingyun nodded slightly. "Just put it over there for now."

Placing the jade bowl down, Mu Xiaolan quickly went to Mu Bingyun's side, looking her up and down with deep concern. "Master, how are you feeling today? You look much better than yesterday."

Mu Bingyun smiled faintly and said, "Xiaolan, there's something I need to tell you. I've decided that after we return to the Snow Song Realm, I will have Yun Che join our Ice Phoenix Sect."

"Huh?" Mu Xiaolan gasped at the news, her eyes widening as she stared at Yun Che. She instinctively objected, "But he's a bad person..." As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately remembered that her master's poison still depended on him, so she quickly corrected herself, "I... I mean, while his cultivation is decent, it's a bit too low to even enter the Falling Snow Palace in the Ice Phoenix Sect. After all, the same cultivation realm in the lower realms is significantly weaker than in the God Realm. His profound strength is at Sovereign Profound Realm Level Five, but I doubt he could even defeat someone at Sovereign Profound Realm Level Three from our place. He might not even pass the first test."

Yun Che remained silent.

"Yun Che won't need to take a test. I will admit him directly into the Falling Snow Palace, and after some time, I will transfer him to the Frigid Snow Hall. If I weren't concerned about causing too much controversy and drawing unnecessary attention and trouble for him, I would have directly placed him in our Ice Phoenix's Thirty-Sixth Palace."

Mu Bingyun's voice was soft and calm, yet it made Mu Xiaolan's lips part wide. "Why... why? He's so weak, and he's from the lower realms, and he's still... Master, you've already agreed to take him to the God Realm, which is a huge reward in itself. There's no need for this; otherwise, some ill-intentioned people might badmouth you even more behind your back."

"I have my reasons," Mu Bingyun replied. Although Yun Che's profound strength had not yet entered the Divine Way, and he was barely considered a semi-formal disciple in the Ice Phoenix Sect, he was recognized by the Sky Poison Pearl. He could cultivate the Ice Phoenix Conferred God Code without relying on Ice Phoenix blood or any guidance, and he also possessed the Golden Crow bloodline... How could such a person be ordinary?

However, Mu Bingyun could not explain these things to Mu Xiaolan. The fact that Yun Che possessed the Sky Poison Pearl absolutely could not be leaked. If he arrived in the God Realm without this secret being known, he would be like a tiny duckweed in a vast ocean, and no one would give him a second glance. But once the secret of him possessing the Sky Poison Pearl was revealed...

The eyes of the entire God Realm would instantly fixate on him!

"Xiaolan, although Yun Che's temperament is a bit unruly, he is by no means malicious. While his cultivation is far inferior to yours right now, that is due to the limitations of his plane. In terms of talent alone, if he had been born in the Snow Song Realm, he might not be much worse than you. From now on, within the sect, you should often remember his life-saving kindness to me and offer him more care and assistance."

"Oh, since Master has decided, then I... I'll certainly listen to Master." Mu Xiaolan agreed, but her cheeks puffed out slightly, clearly showing her dissatisfaction and reluctance. She glanced at Yun Che and declared imperiously, "Did you hear that?! When we return to the Snow Song Realm, I'll be your senior sister. You'd better obey your senior sister from now on. If... if I ever catch you doing anything bad, even if Master protects you, I... I'll still teach you a good lesson."

"Senior sister?" Yun Che's gaze leisurely swept her up and down. "Are you serious? You're just a little girl in her teens; you want me to call you senior sister?"

"In the Ice Phoenix Sect, disciple seniority is not determined by age, but by rank," Mu Bingyun explained. "For example, all disciples of the Falling Snow Palace must address disciples of the Frigid Snow Hall as senior brother or senior sister, and the same applies to Frigid Snow Hall disciples addressing Ice Phoenix Palace disciples. Within the same rank, seniority is based on the time of entry into the sect. Therefore, regardless of rank or entry time, after you join our sect, you will indeed have to call Xiaolan 'senior sister.'"

"Did—you—hear—me—or—not?!" Mu Xiaolan stuck out her tongue triumphantly at Yun Che.

"Oh, alright," Yun Che could only respond weakly. It seemed that in any realm or world, the strong would always be revered. Perhaps in the God Realm, this law of survival was even more brutal.

"Xiaolan, please remember what I told you earlier: you absolutely must not tell anyone, not even your family, about Yun Che healing my poison or his cultivation of the Ice Phoenix Conferred God Code!" Mu Bingyun's tone was exceptionally grave.

"I know, Master, you've told me hundreds of times already. If anyone asks, I'll just say it was a detoxification method found by the Great Realm King," Mu Xiaolan promised with another nod.

"By the way... what stage of the Divine Origin Realm are you currently in?" Yun Che suddenly asked.

"Hmph, hmph, I'm at Divine Origin Realm Level Five... but!" Mu Xiaolan immediately emphasized, "Even though I'm only in the Divine Origin Realm, I'm a disciple of the Ice Phoenix Palace in our Ice Phoenix Sect! The Ice Phoenix Palace generally requires at least the Divine Soul Realm and a successful assessment to enter. But a super—duper genius like me, who reached the Divine Origin Realm at sixteen, didn't even need an assessment; I entered the Ice Phoenix Palace directly. Even Master said I'll definitely enter the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall in the future, and perhaps even become a candidate for the Great Realm King's personal disciple, just like Senior Brother Han Yi... Hmm, though, I certainly can't compete with Senior Brother Han Yi."

"Oh, I see, I see," Yun Che replied casually, muttering under his breath, "Well then, you super genius should be careful. I heard that the more talented one is, the more likely they are to be struck by lightning. You'd better not get disintegrated by the lightning tribulation when you reach the Divine Tribulation Realm."

"You, you, you, you..." Mu Xiaolan was so angry she nearly jumped up. "Master, you... look at him!"

Mu Bingyun smiled and shook her head, long accustomed to the daily bickering between the two. "Xiaolan is indeed an exceptionally outstanding disciple in the Ice Phoenix Sect. Many disciples are admitted into the Ice Phoenix Palace each year, but very few are able to enter at the Divine Origin Realm. On average, one appears only every few years; the last one was thirteen years ago. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will qualify to enter the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall in a few decades."

"Alas, if not for me holding her back, Xiaolan's cultivation would surely be far beyond this," Mu Bingyun sighed softly.

Mu Xiaolan immediately panicked, shaking her head vigorously. "Master, please don't say such things. Being able to accompany you is the greatest blessing of my life. If I can always stay by your side and serve you, I would be perfectly content even if I never enter the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall my entire life."

"And besides, once Master fully recovers, our Ice Phoenix's Thirty-Sixth Palace will surely rise rapidly. Then, we'll see who dares to look down on our Thirty-Sixth Palace."

Mu Bingyun reached out and affectionately stroked Mu Xiaolan's cheek. Although she didn't speak, a complete tenderness radiated from the depths of her icy eyes.

It seems there are many stories behind this master and disciple pair, Yun Che mused.

"Speaking of which, who is this 'Senior Brother Han Yi' you just mentioned?" Yun Che asked, a hint of disdain in his voice as he recalled Mu Xiaolan's glowing eyes when she spoke the name.

"Senior Brother Han Yi is the most incredible person among our generation of disciples!" Mu Xiaolan's eyes immediately sparkled again upon hearing Yun Che suddenly mention Senior Brother Han Yi. "Oh, no! I should say, he's the absolute most talented person in the entire Snow Song Realm in the past thousand years. He was granted special permission to enter the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall when he was twenty, and his age... is similar to you, bad guy, but his cultivation is already at the Divine Tribulation Realm. Even in the Upper Star Realm, very few can break through to the Divine Tribulation Realm so quickly. So, he is undoubtedly one of the most likely candidates to become the Great Realm King's personal disciple. You should know, our Great Realm King only accepts one personal disciple every thousand years on average. Becoming the Great Realm King's personal disciple is an eternal glory in the Snow Song Realm, and one's status in our Ice Phoenix Sect would almost be on par with the various palace masters and elders, with an unimaginable future."

"And, and, Senior Brother Han Yi, even though he's incredibly powerful, he's not arrogant and overbearing like other people in the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall at all. On the contrary, he often selflessly helps and guides junior brothers and sisters in the Ice Phoenix Palace and Frigid Snow Hall. Even in the Falling Snow Palace, he treats everyone gently, and when he sees junior brothers and sisters being bullied by some nasty senior brothers and sisters without reason, he always steps in to stop it. He's helped me many times too! Almost no one in the entire Ice Phoenix Sect dislikes Senior Brother Han Yi."

"Furthermore, Senior Brother Han Yi is so handsome and dashing, and his family background is so good. He's simply the most perfect person I've ever met!" Speaking of Senior Brother Han Yi, Mu Xiaolan immediately gushed, her eyes filled with adoration. At the same time, she didn't forget to mock Yun Che, "Compared to certain bad people, he's simply... the difference between a deity and a stinky rock, hmph!"

"Oh my, oh my, I didn't realize you, little girl, haven't even grown all your feathers yet, and you're already in 'spring thoughts'," Yun Che said, resting his chin in his hand and smiling playfully.

"Spring... thoughts?" Mu Xiaolan was puzzled for a moment before finally understanding the meaning of those words. Her small face instantly turned beet red with anger, and she jumped up like a cornered rabbit. "You, you, you, you, you! Master... look at him! He's bullying me again! A bad person is a bad person; he just won't change. And Master, you're still so good to him!"

"Alright," Mu Bingyun said, shaking her head helplessly. "Yun Che, you've worked hard today. In the time before we go to the God Realm, spend more time with the people around you. You should also take this time to think very carefully, as personally, I strongly advise against you going to the God Realm."

"Understood," Yun Che nodded, said nothing more, and stood up to leave.

A month passed quickly. During this time, Yun Che completely stopped cultivating, except for his daily scheduled sessions to dispel Mu Bingyun's poison. He spent every day with his parents, relatives, wives, and confidantes. The Little Demon Empress also officially began receiving Su Ling'er's healing treatments, while Cang Yue completely abandoned court affairs, spending her days by his side. Feng Xue'er also did not return to Phoenix City again.

Joyful times are always short-lived, and a month slipped by unnoticed.

As Mu Bingyun's entire body was purified of the flame poison, the day for Yun Che to depart for the God Realm finally arrived.

The recent updates have been a bit slow, not because I'm writing less, but because the God Realm plot is spread out quite widely, and I need to properly organize it. Furthermore, the gap between Yun Che and Jasmine is just too, too, *too* vast. Reaching that level in a short time would be both unreasonable and easily lead to plot holes. Moreover, in the God Realm storyline, Jasmine is merely a catalyst, and there are too many plot points buried earlier. A slight oversight could lead to bugs, and if bugs appear, finding a programmer to fix them is quite costly, so I must be extremely cautious...

Yes, that's right, that's how it is.

The transition from killing Xuanyuan Wentian to going to the God Realm has become a bit long, much longer than I anticipated. Don't ask me why... I want to know too! However, the plot development in the Snow Song Realm will be very fast... incredibly fast.

There's something I absolutely must complain about: it's one thing for some people to fantasize about Bingyun's harem, but some are actually fantasizing about a *huge* harem in the Snow Song Realm! And there are quite a few of them. Harem, my foot!! Come on, the Snow Song Realm has over two hundred billion people; show me your harem!