Chapter 965: Again Disabling Someone

"What... what is this?" Mu Sushan cried out, his voice filled with disbelief. If his previous reactions were mere surprise or shock, this time, pure horror completely overwhelmed him, making him doubt his own eyes.

He had managed to exchange over twenty blows with Ji Hanfeng, using the power of an Emperor, a feat unprecedented and deemed miraculous in the history of the Snow Song Realm. Just as he believed he had finally witnessed Yun Che's limit, Yun Che's profound energy, which had been weakening, suddenly surged wildly again, instantly shattering his previous peak...

It even directly overwhelmed Ji Hanfeng!

Ji Hanfeng was no stranger to being overwhelmed by a burst of profound energy. However, the sheer ferocity of the profound energy before him was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. In an instant, all his emotions twisted into terror, leaving him incapable of even thinking about moving forward. His body recoiled uncontrollably, consumed by an overwhelming fear.

Even when facing powerful experts of the Divine Soul Realm within his sect, he had never cowered like this.

Yun Che re-gripped the Heaven Smiting Sword. Despite its immense weight, it felt weightless in his hands at that moment. With his gaze and the sword's might locked onto Ji Hanfeng, he stepped forward. Surging power erupted from his Evil God Profound Veins, coursing through his entire body, then into his arms, and finally into the sword, which he brought down with a devastating strike.

Under the might of that single sword, Ji Hanfeng's hair stood on end. He, who had previously felt great shame for not daring to directly confront Yun Che's first strike, now harbored no intention of meeting this one head-on. Instead, he retreated with all his might. However, he was locked in by the sword's momentum, his body feeling as heavy as a mountain. Realizing there was no escape, he frantically spun around in terror, letting out a hoarse roar as he desperately channeled all his strength into the Collapsing Dragon Spear, holding it up defensively before him.

*Boom!*

It was as if a small asteroid had suddenly exploded, sending an indescribable storm of destruction radiating outwards. While the Cold Snow Hall disciples managed to withstand it, all the newly advanced disciples who had just passed the assessment were struck as if by a heavy hammer, scrambling backward in disarray. Those who were slightly closer were directly flung away.

At the epicenter of the destructive storm, Ji Hanfeng's body was largely embedded in the ground. The Collapsing Dragon Spear in his hand had been bent into a shocking crescent shape. Blood poured from his arms that gripped the spear, and even his eyes were strained and bloodshot from the immense impact.

"Ji Hanfeng, open your dog-eyes and see clearly! This is the lower realm profound practitioner you repeatedly scorned and humiliated!"

Amidst a low, furious roar, Yun Che's final reserves of power erupted, filling every corner of the Cold Snow Main Hall with a colossal tremor.

The words Yun Che bellowed caused many profound practitioners from the lower realms nearby to snap their heads up, their eyes flashing with incomparable excitement.

*CRACK!*

The Collapsing Dragon Spear snapped in two with a resounding crack. Ji Hanfeng let out a near-despairing shriek as his body violently gouged a path across the ground for dozens of meters before finally being flung through the air, scattering crimson blood like stars. He then rolled motionlessly onto the ground, a growing pool of blood rapidly forming beneath him.

*Clang!**Clang!*

The two halves of the shattered Collapsing Dragon Spear clattered to the ground one after another. Its profound light and dragon's breath rapidly dissipated, leaving it a mere lifeless weapon. Even if repaired, it would be utterly impossible for it to ever regain its former divine power.

"Brother Hanfeng!"

After a prolonged period of stunned silence, the Cold Snow Hall disciples finally snapped back to reality, rushing frantically towards Ji Hanfeng, unsure if he was still alive.

The Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword slammed heavily into the ground. The wild, surging crimson profound energy around Yun Che instantly vanished without a trace, leaving him feeling utterly drained. He dropped heavily to his knees; had the Heaven Smiting Sword not been there to support him, he likely would have collapsed completely.

"Haaah... little girl, aren't you... going to... help me up?" Yun Che gasped, breathing heavily. This time, he truly couldn't stand.

Mu Xiaolan stood there in a daze, completely dumbfounded. Hearing Yun Che's voice, she mumbled a confused reply before quickly hurrying over and stiffly helping him to his feet.

Her gaze towards Yun Che no longer held any of her previous disdain. Instead, it was an unfamiliar look, as if she were staring at a monster.

"Are... are you alright?" Mu Xiaolan asked, still bewildered.

"Not... not well at all... If your master doesn't come soon, I... I might actually die," Yun Che gasped, still panting. For the past month, he had spent a significant amount of his mental energy daily purifying Mu Bingyun's flame poison and restoring her vitality. The remaining time was dedicated to his women and family, leaving no time for his own cultivation. Had he diligently cultivated during this month, fully adapting to the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword, he was confident he could have defeated Ji Hanfeng even without activating "Sky Shattering."

As it was, he had been forced to forcefully activate "Sky Shattering," and the natural consequence was a severe drain on his strength.

"But, Master..." Mu Xiaolan was so anxious that tears welled in her eyes. She had sent multiple sound transmissions to Mu Bingyun but had received no reply.

Meanwhile, the Cold Snow Hall disciples who had rushed to check on Ji Hanfeng's injuries turned back, their faces ashen, stammering, "Brother Hanfeng... his meridians are almost completely severed, and his Dantian seems to be shattered..."

"What?!" Mu Fengshu's eyes sharpened, while the others gasped in even greater shock.

Yun Che's heavy sword never inflicted minor injuries; those who couldn't endure it either died or were crippled.

With all his meridians severed and his Dantian shattered, even if immense effort and resources were expended to save him, he would forever remain a cripple.

Yun Che's decisive victory over Li Mingcheng had already left everyone in disbelief, and now he had defeated Ji Hanfeng as well. That single sword strike had not only defeated him but had utterly crippled him!

He even shattered the Collapsing Dragon Spear!

At this point, not only the profound practitioners undergoing the assessment but also the official Cold Snow Hall disciples standing by felt a profound sense of awe and dread towards Yun Che.

"Yun Che, you are truly... remarkable!" Mu Fengshu, who had previously not bothered to spare him a glance, now scrutinized Yun Che from head to toe several times. Her voice was devoid of emotion, yet it carried an icy, piercing killing intent. "On your very first day in my Ice Phoenix Realm, you gravely injured my own nephew, and now you've crippled a disciple of my Cold Snow Hall... Who gave you such audacity?!"

With a furious roar, Mu Fengshu suddenly launched herself into the air, personally moving to seize Yun Che.

"Stop!"

Mu Sushan could no longer hold back. He swiftly moved to forcefully block Mu Fengshu's path. "Hall Master, absolutely not! You saw it with your own eyes: Yun Che is undeniably a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. If he joins our Ice Phoenix Divine Sect, he'll be worth tens of thousands of Ji Hanfengs. You must not destroy him!"

He sensed that Mu Fengshu's personal intervention was not merely to apprehend Yun Che; it clearly carried murderous intent!

"Hmph! I care not what kind of prodigy he is! His actions today clearly showed utter disregard for my Cold Snow Hall. What reason do I have to spare him?!" Mu Fengshu roared furiously.

Mu Fengshu was well aware of whether the statement "Yun Che is a once-in-ten-millennia prodigy" was an exaggeration. If Yun Che were simply from the lower realms, Mu Fengshu might have—no, not "might have"—given his astonishing performance today, even though her own nephew was severely injured, she would certainly have forgiven him and prioritized his cultivation.

However, he was precisely the one brought by Mu Bingyun!

Mu Sushan quickly interjected, "Although Yun Che's methods were severe, he was provoked first. Both your nephew, Li Mingcheng, and Ji Hanfeng..."

"Silence! Get out of my way!"

Mu Fengshu swept her arm, sending Mu Sushan reeling backward. At that moment, someone suddenly darted out from the crowd and stood before Yun Che, loudly proclaiming, "Hall... Hall Master, you cannot kill Yun Che! Li Mingcheng deliberately provoked him earlier and then maliciously ambushed him after being defeated. Ji Hanfeng not only repeatedly humiliated us lower realm profound practitioners, but just now, he was also the first to attempt a fatal strike against Yun Che. We all saw it clearly, and Hall Master, you must have seen it clearly too! They all... they all brought it upon themselves. Yun Che was merely defending himself; he did nothing wrong... You cannot kill him."

Yun Che looked up in surprise, gazing at the person who, in such a tense situation, dared to face Mu Fengshu's rage and murderous intent to plead on his behalf.

And it was none other than Feng Mo, the one Yun Che had offered a slight hand to during the Blizzard Realm assessment.

During the previous assessment, he had been the only one brave enough to vocalize doubts about the fairness of the trials, which resulted in him being humiliated by Ji Hanfeng. Despite this, he had still brilliantly passed both the Blizzard Realm and Ice Profound Realm trials.

Now, he was once again the first to step forward and plead for Yun Che, facing none other than the Grand Hall Master of the Cold Snow Hall!

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the person standing in front of Yun Che. Was this individual a sworn friend of Yun Che, or merely a foolish simpleton?

"Hmph," Mu Fengshu sneered, "How truly strange today is, that even cats, dogs, and mice dare to defy this Hall Master!"

"No, no," Feng Mo's face was pale with fright. "This disciple... this disciple would never dare to disrespect the Hall Master. I merely stated the truth that everyone witnessed. While Yun Che may have made a mistake, it was excusable. At the very least... it should not be a capital offense."

Feng Mo turned, his voice trembling as he called out, "Brothers and sisters from the lower realms! Ji Hanfeng has repeatedly humiliated us from the lower realms. Yun Che's actions in injuring Ji Hanfeng were partly to stand up for us. I'm sure you all feel a sense of relief and gratitude in your hearts. Everyone, step forward! If we all plead for Yun Che together, the Hall Master will surely show mercy!"

As Feng Mo's voice faded, the area fell utterly silent. Not a single person responded. Some lower realm profound practitioners from the same group even quietly retreated a few steps, attempting to hide themselves behind the crowd.

Feng Mo's face slowly hardened, disappointment giving way to anger. He roared, "Did you hear me?! Are you all deaf?! To have ascended from the lower realms and reached this place, you must all have been towering figures in your respective worlds... Have you all turned into spineless cowards since arriving here?!"

The crowd remained utterly silent, with no one responding. Occasionally, a few snorts of derision and sneers could be heard from the Cold Snow Hall disciples.

"Hmph," Mu Fengshu scoffed, "Since you're so eager to be buried alongside Yun Che, then this Hall Master will grant your wish for both of you!"

Mu Fengshu launched forward, her hand striking out, as an icy, overwhelming celestial might descended.

With a soft chime like colliding ice crystals, a dreamlike, illusory azure glow suddenly illuminated the grand hall. Beneath this ethereal light, Mu Fengshu's figure halted momentarily, then seemed to be gently but firmly pushed back, causing her to fall backward. Her body swayed slightly upon landing, and her expression abruptly changed.

A pristine white, ethereal figure slowly descended from the air, her ribbons trailing gracefully. Her breathtakingly beautiful, snow-like face outshone the surrounding glow. A pure and immaculate aura of ice and snow gently enveloped the hearts and minds of everyone present, leaving them with blank stares, as if they were witnessing a celestial being descending to the mortal realm.