Chapter 951: Difficulties

Although this was a grand hall, it was completely different from Yun Che's understanding of a "grand hall." Upon entering, Yun Che felt as if he had stepped into another vast world. The hall was a thousand zhang high, stretching out of sight, and unlike the quiet of Hanxue City, it was filled with countless powerful auras. Everywhere he looked, the hall was packed with neat rows of people, extending as far as the eye could see.

Everyone's aura was incredibly powerful—definitely surpassing the Sovereign Profound Realm, without a single exception! Despite the multitude of people, the hall was remarkably quiet and solemn. These powerhouses, who could dominate the Lower Realm, all looked tense and serious here. They stood in meticulous formations, their gazes and movements cautious, not even daring to whisper to each other.

Each formation comprised about ten thousand people, and there were so many formations that Yun Che couldn't see their end.

“So many people?” Yun Che exclaimed in surprise.

“These past few days have been the Hanxue Hall’s assessment period for new disciples,” Mu Xiaolan said, pouting. “These assessments happen once a year, lasting about seven days each time. Today should be the last day. Look, the assessment groups are ten thousand people strong, with 108 groups each day, corresponding to the 108 Hanxue Halls. Each group is assessed by a Vice Hall Master or a disciple of a Hanxue Hall, and sometimes even the Hall Master participates personally.”

“Except for inheritors of the Ice Phoenix bloodline, external disciples, especially those from the Lower Realm, must undergo an assessment to enter the Hanxue Hall. The minimum requirement to participate is to reach the Divine Origin Realm. If you fail the assessment, you can only try again after five years. As for you…” Mu Xiaolan rolled her eyes at him. “You’re someone Master brought, so you don’t need to go through all that. However, if you’re so weak and get bullied in the Hanxue Hall, I won’t be able to help you.”

“Oh.” Yun Che shrugged. To be honest, he felt a bit reluctant about getting preferential treatment like this.

Ten thousand people per formation, 108 formations, and the Divine Origin Realm is merely the threshold… This means there are over a million people cautiously participating in the assessment here, not even guaranteed to pass, and all of them are in the Divine Origin Realm!

And this was just one day of the assessment. Yun Che took a slight breath… The Divine Way that Xuanyuan Wentian had fought and schemed for his entire life seemed as common as cheap cabbage here.

Mu Xiaolan and Yun Che’s entrance immediately drew the attention of some nearby profound practitioners waiting for the assessment. When they sensed Yun Che’s profound energy, they all showed disdain. But upon seeing the jade emblem on Mu Xiaolan’s shoulder, symbolizing a disciple of the Ice Phoenix Palace, their pupils quickly contracted, and their gazes turned to envy and longing. They instinctively lowered their heads, not even daring to look much longer.

“Senior Sister Xiaolan,” several hall guards quickly approached, saying respectfully, “May we ask what brings you here?”

“By the Supreme One’s command, I am here to retrieve a Hanxue emblem for him.” Mu Xiaolan gestured towards Yun Che with her eyes.

The hall guard glanced at Yun Che, looking surprised. However, as it was a command from an Ice Phoenix Palace Master, he dared not question it. He quickly said, “Please come in. However, since it’s assessment day, the Head Steward isn’t in the Phoenix Jade Palace. He’s supervising the assessment with the Grand Hall Master. I’ll take you there now.”

“The Grand Hall Master?” Mu Xiaolan’s brow twitched, seemingly resistant to the mention of the Grand Hall Master. Then she waved her hand. “No need. I’ve already located his aura. Just attend to your duties. Yun Che, let’s go.”

Mu Xiaolan spoke with considerable authority, then led Yun Che directly towards the interior of the main hall.

Clearly, within the Ice Phoenix Sect, the hierarchy among disciples was very distinct. Hanxue Hall disciples were utterly deferential to Ice Phoenix Palace disciples, almost like servants.

After walking for a long time through the solemn hall, they finally stopped near a group of profound practitioners awaiting assessment. Mu Xiaolan approached a middle-aged man dressed in a long, dark blue robe. As she drew near, the man in blue immediately noticed her, turned around, and smiled, saying, “Oh? Isn’t that Xiaolan? What brings you here?”

Mu Xiaolan respectfully replied, “Xiaolan greets Senior Sushan. I am here by Master’s command to retrieve a Hanxue Hall emblem for Yun Che… Yun Che, this is Senior Sushan, the Head Steward of Hanxue Hall. Quickly pay your respects.”

Yun Che stepped forward, mimicking Mu Xiaolan’s bow. “Junior Yun Che greets Senior Sushan.”

“Oh? By your Master’s command?” Mu Sushan assessed Yun Che, a flicker of deep surprise in his eyes, then asked, “It seems Palace Master Bingyun hasn’t been in the sect recently. Could it be that this young man was brought by Palace Master Bingyun from another star realm?”

“Yes,” Mu Xiaolan answered truthfully. “Master brought him from a Lower Realm called Blue Pole Star.”

“A Lower Realm?” Mu Sushan was even more astonished. As for “Blue Pole Star,” he had never even heard of it. However, he didn’t press further, instead nodding slowly. “As far as I recall, Palace Master Bingyun has never brought a profound practitioner back from the Lower Realm. This is truly an exception. It seems this young man, despite his low profound strength, must possess extraordinary qualities. Hehe, come with me. By the way, Xiaolan, how has Palace Master Bingyun’s health been recently?”

Just as Mu Xiaolan was about to reply, a sharp female voice suddenly came from behind them. “Hmph, isn’t that Mu Xiaolan from the Thirty-Sixth Palace? Today is a big day for Hanxue Hall to recruit new disciples. What are you doing here?”

At the sound of that voice, Yun Che saw Mu Xiaolan’s entire body stiffen, her expression turning unpleasant. After a brief pause, she finally turned around, lowering her head as she said, “Xiaolan greets Hall Master Fengshu… I am here today by Master’s command.”

Yun Che also turned around. The woman approaching was clad in a blue robe, her long hair tied up, and her phoenix-like eyes slanted slightly. Her beauty carried an intimidating chill that made people hesitant to look directly at her… and this chill seemed specifically directed at Mu Xiaolan.

From Mu Xiaolan’s reaction, it was clear she was afraid, and seemed to harbor some aversion towards this person.

“Mu Bingyun?” After mentioning Mu Bingyun’s name, a hostile sneer clearly formed on Mu Fengshu’s lips. “What does she want you to do?”

“Heh heh, it’s a minor matter,” Mu Sushan said with a faint smile, his gaze turning to Yun Che. “This junior is a profound practitioner brought back by Palace Master Bingyun from the Lower Realm. Palace Master Bingyun wishes for him to enter Hanxue Hall. I was just about to take him to get his Ice Phoenix Emblem. As for which hall he enters, if Palace Master Bingyun has no specific requirements, then the Grand Hall Master can arrange it.”

The Grand Hall Master?

That title immediately startled Yun Che.

Mu Fengshu—the Grand Hall Master of Hanxue Hall, commanding 108 Hanxue Halls, hundreds of Hall Masters and Vice Hall Masters, and over two million Hanxue Hall disciples!

She was a figure of considerable standing within the entire Ice Phoenix Sect!

“The Lower Realm? Him? Enter Hanxue Hall?” Mu Fengshu had noticed Yun Che from the start but had merely given him a fleeting glance. His aura, which hadn't even touched the periphery of the Divine Way, gave him no right to a second look from her.

Mu Fengshu suddenly stretched out a hand, pointing at Yun Che. “You want to let a trash from the Lower Realm who hasn’t even stepped into the Divine Way enter my Hanxue Hall? Hmph, what a colossal joke! What do you take my dignified Hanxue Hall for!?”

Mu Fengshu’s voice was extremely loud, carrying through most of the main hall. All the nearby profound practitioners waiting for the assessment turned their heads, and immediately, countless disdainful gazes fell upon Yun Che.

“Only Sovereign Profound Realm Level Five? Damn, even trash like this wants to enter Hanxue Hall?”

“When I was at Sovereign Profound Realm Level Five, I couldn’t even get into Luoxue Palace, and he actually wants to enter Hanxue Hall? Is he out of his mind?”

“Shush, don’t talk nonsense. He must have connections. Didn’t you see he was brought in by an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple?… But according to the Grand Hall Master, he’s from the Lower Realm?”

“Tch, these good-for-nothing freeloaders who rely on connections are truly everywhere.” A profound practitioner also from the Lower Realm said with a mix of contempt and jealousy.

Yun Che’s brow immediately furrowed, but he quickly composed himself and remained silent. Mu Xiaolan’s expression, however, changed several times. She bit her lip slightly and said, “This is… this is Master’s intention.”

“So what?” Mu Fengshu’s tone suddenly rose again. “My Ice Phoenix Sect is the foremost sacred land in the Snow Song Realm. The reason we are what we are today relies on strict hierarchy and rigid discipline! Excellent disciples are the future of our sect and should receive preferential treatment, while trash should go where trash belongs! No one is allowed to cross boundaries for personal gain and waste resources on good-for-nothings! As a Palace Master, one should set an example and be strict with oneself!”

“But…”

“But what!?” Mu Xiaolan was about to speak when Mu Fengshu sternly cut her off. Her phoenix-like eyes deepened slightly, and her words were sharp: “If a good-for-nothing, merely at mid-Sovereign Profound Realm and not even having touched the threshold of the Divine Way, is allowed to enter Hanxue Hall just like that, where would the dignity of my Hanxue Hall be?”

She pointed to the profound practitioners waiting for the assessment. “And what about these profound practitioners who have endured countless hardships just to stand here? If we can’t even uphold basic fairness and instead openly practice favoritism, what face or authority do we have to deal with them!?”

Mu Fengshu’s words were impactful and righteous, striking directly at the hearts of those profound practitioners. Immediately, a wave of agreement rose, and as someone took the lead, the echoing voices grew louder and more impassioned… even indignant, quickly turning into a roaring tide of sound that threatened to drown Yun Che and Mu Xiaolan.

“Exactly! A piece of trash who isn’t even qualified to enter Luoxue Palace, what right does he have to enter Hanxue Hall?!”

“The Grand Hall Master is just and wise!”

“We’ve cultivated for so many years just to finally enter Luoxue Palace, and then to painstakingly cultivate for decades more in Luoxue Palace just to qualify for the assessment—what right does he have?!!”

“Get out, trash! Don’t disgrace yourself here! No matter how big his backing, he’s still trash… As expected of the Grand Hall Master, strict but truly fair and just.”

However, among the crowd, a few people who knew some inside information were whispering amongst themselves.

“Something’s not right here, is it? I just heard ‘Mu Bingyun’… That’s the name of the Palace Master of the Thirty-Sixth Ice Phoenix Palace! An Ice Phoenix Palace Master’s status is a level higher than a Hall Master’s… And, Mu Bingyun is also the Great Realm King’s own younger sister… This, this, this… the Grand Hall Master is practically directly confronting Palace Master Mu Bingyun, isn’t she?”

“I heard recently that Palace Master Bingyun was poisoned by something from the Flame God Realm a long time ago and was sure to die. If she were to die, the Grand Hall Master would be the most qualified to succeed as Palace Master of the Thirty-Sixth Palace. But Palace Master Bingyun is, after all, the Great Realm King’s own younger sister, so even though she was doomed, the Great Realm King spared no expense, using countless top-tier profound crystals and spirit medicines, to forcefully keep Palace Master Bingyun alive… She hasn’t died in over a thousand years, so the Grand Hall Master hasn’t been able to ascend…”

“Furthermore, a few hundred years ago, a certain spirit medicine the Grand Hall Master was using to aid her breakthrough was forcibly taken by the Great Realm King to treat Palace Master Bingyun, causing the Grand Hall Master to be unable to break through even to this day… That’s why…”

“Oh! So that’s what happened…”

“Sigh, a woman’s heart can truly be terrifying.”

The surging indignation erupting all around startled Mu Xiaolan. As a young girl who trembled with nervousness even when taking someone hostage, she had never encountered such a scene of “offending the masses.” Her face instantly turned pale with fright. Mu Fengshu, however, wasn’t finished. She called out in a deep voice, “Mingcheng, come here!”

At her call, a person swiftly stepped out from the profound practitioners waiting for the assessment and approached Mu Fengshu, respectfully asking, “What are your orders, Grand Hall Master?”

“His name is Li Mingcheng,” Mu Fengshu said, her phoenix-like eyebrows raised. “He is my own nephew!”

As soon as she spoke, a ripple of gasps went through the crowd, and the profound practitioners who had been standing with him before widened their eyes in shock. Li Mingcheng smiled faintly, perfectly masking his smugness, while not forgetting to cast a contemptuous glance at Yun Che.

“Furthermore, his talent is exceptional. His profound strength is already at Divine Origin Realm Level Three, just a hair’s breadth away from breaking through to Level Four. In this group, it can be said that none surpass him. Yet, he still has to honestly and thoroughly undergo the assessment; only by passing can he enter Hanxue Hall! As the Grand Hall Master of Hanxue Hall, I have neither shown favoritism because he is my nephew nor exempted him from the assessment due to his talent… So what right does a pure good-for-nothing like him have?”

“Go back and ask your Master whether she is openly trampling on the dignity of my Ice Phoenix Sect, or deliberately humiliating my Hanxue Hall!”

Mu Fengshu’s harsh rebuke and sudden accusation made Mu Xiaolan stumble back two steps. The strange looks from around her further flustered her, and she stammered, “I… I… Master… she… she… didn’t…”

“Sigh.” The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Mu Sushan, who had been observing from the side, secretly sighed. In truth, it was common for Hall Masters and Palace Masters to directly arrange for people to enter Luoxue Palace, Hanxue Hall, or even Ice Phoenix Palace; it wasn't a big deal at all. However, he knew the “grievance” between Mu Fengshu and Mu Bingyun. Mu Fengshu wasn’t targeting today’s matter at all, but rather Mu Bingyun herself.

She harbored a thousand years of accumulated resentment towards Mu Bingyun.

He spoke up to smooth things over. “Xiaolan, you should leave for now and go ask your Master’s intentions again. Grand Hall Master, this is, after all, Palace Master Bingyun’s wish. It wouldn’t be good to make things too difficult to resolve, don’t you think…?”