Chapter 990: End of the Divine Path

Why now, of all times... Mu Bingyun's crescent brows furrowed deeply.

If a minor realm breakthrough signifies a quantitative change in profound energy and a major realm breakthrough a qualitative one, then the transition from the Mortal Path to the Divine Path is a complete and utter metamorphosis, fundamentally different from any previous breakthrough. This process is exceedingly long and arduous, often taking several days to complete. Even for those with supreme talent and a perfectly smooth transition, it still requires several hours.

Furthermore, it comes with considerable risk, especially as any interference during the breakthrough can easily cause irreversible damage to one's profound veins.

Therefore, profound practitioners at the peak of the Mortal Path invariably choose to immediately enter seclusion when they sense an impending breakthrough.

Yet, Yun Che's breakthrough from the Mortal Path to the Divine Path occurred so suddenly.

Upon entering the Divine Path, one's entire profound energy undergoes a complete transformation. During this process, profound energy entirely escapes control, rendering it impossible to circulate or release, and thus making it impossible to harness the Heaven Pond's cold energy. The cold energy here would undoubtedly become a significant impediment to his breakthrough, potentially inflicting severe damage to his body and profound veins within a very short time. Therefore, Yun Che's sudden breakthrough in this location was extremely perilous.

Mu Bingyun no longer dared to hesitate. She quickly acted, releasing cold energy to establish a sealing barrier around Yun Che. At the same time, she swiftly considered how to remove him from the Underworld Cold Heaven Pond immediately, in a way that would least interfere with him.

Before she could even fully release the cold energy, she paused in astonishment... because the profound energy swirling around Yun Che's body was rotating at an incomprehensibly rapid pace.

Being a 'metamorphosis,' it should naturally be slow and arduous. Yet, the profound energy circulating within Yun Che was as swift as a storm. Without profound energy protection, his body should have recoiled and suffered immensely from the invading cold; however, Yun Che's expression remained normal, with not the slightest sign of twitching due to the cold.

Although the profound energy circulated extremely fast, it was not chaotic in the slightest.

Mu Bingyun's hand remained suspended, motionless for a long time, her gaze filled with lingering astonishment. Behind her, Mu Xiaolan was visibly tense, daring neither to make a sound nor even take a breath.

Only Mu Bingyun, being closest to Yun Che, noticed the abnormality in his condition. Everyone else—whether elders, palace masters, or disciples—quickly averted their gaze after their initial surprise. For Yun Che, this breakthrough was a rebirth into an entirely new realm. However, everyone else present, apart from him, had already been in the Divine Path realm for many years; it was not even 'unusual' for them, and some even sneered secretly.

For them, it was merely a starting point they had long since passed.

Their initial attraction had simply been due to the somewhat inconvenient timing of Yun Che's breakthrough. With a fierce battle determining the Realm King's next direct disciple ongoing, who would pay attention to a mere breakthrough at the Divine Path's starting point?

Furthermore, judging by Mu Bingyun's demeanor, she was clearly acting as a protector at his side. With her personal guard, a breakthrough even in this location should pose no major issues.

Within Yun Che's profound vein world, nebulae continued to slowly grow amidst rapid rotation, and the twinkling stars within them gradually became denser. Four-colored light pulsed at the same frequency, and the entire inner world of his profound veins was undergoing earth-shattering changes. Sensations from various parts of his body were also transforming, and his perception of the world was clearly shifting.

Images constantly replaying in his mind felt like a farewell to the past, signifying his progression into an entirely new world, possessing new life and power.

The only constant was the Devil God's Pearl within his profound veins... still a desolate grey silence.

The Underworld Cold Heaven Pond was utterly silent, save for the rhythmic drip of water resonating through one's soul. All attention was focused on Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue. As time passed, their contest became increasingly deadlocked; the number of ice spirits they attracted remained identical, with no gap opening between them from beginning to end.

Two and a half hours passed, and both had attracted twenty-four ice spirits. After another two quarters of an hour, almost at the exact same moment, the count became twenty-six. Another quarter of an hour passed, and simultaneously it became twenty-seven.

Time seemed to slow down. Whether Ice Phoenix Palace disciples by the pond or Divine Hall disciples within the Heaven Pond, all were unable to concentrate, instead wide-eyed and holding their breath, awaiting the final outcome.

Even a slight difference would not have created such a breathless atmosphere, but not only did the number of ice spirits remain identical for both, even their nuances were virtually indistinguishable.

“I never imagined they would be so evenly matched in the ice profound laws; it's been almost three hours, and it's still impossible to tell who is stronger,” an Ice Phoenix elder exclaimed.

“It is truly a great fortune for our sect to have two such exceptional disciples emerge simultaneously in this generation,” another Divine Hall elder remarked.

It was at this moment that everyone's gaze and expression abruptly changed.

Because, in these final moments, Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue, by a strange coincidence, simultaneously focused their power and spirit on the same ice spirit.

Both instantly realized this, but neither shifted their focus... because it was the closest one to them. Given their current, almost identical state, choosing another target at this crucial, fate-deciding moment would almost certainly guarantee defeat.

This situation caused the already incredibly tense atmosphere to suddenly solidify. This time, even the elders and palace masters held their breath.

Only a quarter of an hour remained, just enough time for them to attract at most one ice spirit... meaning the destination of this single ice spirit they both targeted would directly determine today's outcome.

Pulled and summoned by two streams of icy aura, the ice spirit's consciousness stirred. After only a brief hesitation, it flew towards both of them. Its flight speed was noticeably faster than any previous ice spirit, yet its trajectory was not straight; it constantly wavered, at times moving left, at times right.

Finally, it stopped... precisely between Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue. It then remained motionless for a long time... clearly making a difficult choice.

Drip... drip... drip...

The pond water within the profound formation diminished rapidly, signaling that the climax of this contest was imminent. All eyes were fixed intently on the ice spirit suspended between the two, yet it seemed rooted in place, refusing to move even as time entered its final countdown.

“Go to Hanyi’s side!” Mu Yunzhi’s breathing seemed to stop along with the ice spirit’s stillness, and despite her extremely high cultivation, her face turned bright red from holding her breath. The veins on her tightly clenched hands seemed almost ready to burst.

“Feixue, keep going,” Mu Huanzhi’s forehead was already slick with sweat. Although he didn’t view the outcome as critically as Mu Yunzhi, and would calmly accept a victory for Mu Hanyi, the three-hour contest had been so intense right up to the final moment that his heart couldn't help but tighten painfully.

Although Mu Feixue was cold in nature and spoke little, as an Ice Phoenix disciple, every one of them dreamed of becoming the Great Realm King's direct disciple!

Drip... drip... drip...

The Heaven Pond water continued its orderly dripping, and within the profound formation, the remaining water finally dwindled to the last hundred drops.

Ninety drops...Eighty drops...Seventy drops...

Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue's eyes remained tightly shut, while icy mist rose from their bodies. Both were pouring out their lifelong comprehension of ice profound laws without reservation. Before today, they had both possessed almost absolute confidence, yet neither had anticipated the other would be far stronger than they imagined.

Although they were recognized as the two most outstanding disciples of this generation's Ice Phoenix, they had always held back considerably in daily practice... only today did they unleash their full power without reservation.

Fifty drops...Forty drops...Thirty drops...

The sound of each falling drop reverberated heavily through everyone's heartstrings. Yet, the ice spirit, which would decide the final outcome, stubbornly remained in place, perfectly still.

In the entire Underworld Cold Heaven Pond, only one person's heartstrings were not taut with tension...

That was Yun Che, entirely engrossed in his own world.

His breakthrough also reached its perfect conclusion at this moment... just after a short hour.

The profound energy around Yun Che had ceased its swirling, silently returning to his body. His profound vein world was no longer filled with dense mist but resembled an endless starry sky, with countless stars twinkling with a mysterious and powerful aura.

The aura of the Divine Path... the aura of the Divine Origin Realm, first level!!

The Divine Origin Realm is the first step for mortals entering the Divine Path, a step where "origin energy transforms into divinity." It allows a profound practitioner's physique to transcend human limits, greatly enhancing it, and significantly extending their lifespan.

While this transformation was an extremely evident metamorphosis for other profound practitioners, for Yun Che, the physical change was not as intense, as his physique had long since far surpassed the realm of mortals.

Thus, what was a metamorphosis for others was merely another enhancement for him.

What ecstatic Yun Che was the explosive surge in his profound power!

The sensation of his profound energy had completely changed. Although he had previously fought against Divine Path practitioners, the feeling hadn't been distinct. Now, within himself, it felt like power from an entirely different domain! Though it was only a single breakthrough, a leap from the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm to the first level of the Divine Origin Realm, he felt more than merely one or two times stronger; he felt over ten times more powerful!!

With the amplification of the Heretic God's power, he himself couldn't estimate just how immense a power he could unleash!

This unprecedented sublimation in power made Yun Che's soul surge with prolonged excitement. His confidence and arrogance soared, and for a moment, he even felt an illusion of being so powerful as to be omnipotent. Immersed in this euphoria, he forgot his current whereabouts. With a hearty roar, he spread his arms wide, releasing the profound energy that had now entered the Divine Path without restraint. At the same time, his consciousness fully awakened...

Twenty-five drops...Twenty drops...Fifteen drops...

The Heaven Pond water gradually approached the edge of complete depletion. It was then that the ice spirit, after remaining still for so long, finally stirred amidst the anxious gaze of everyone. It shifted slightly in hesitation... and its shift was unmistakably towards Mu Hanyi's direction. It then seemed to make its final decision, flying towards Mu Hanyi.

Ten drops...

“Hanyi won!!” The final result was clearly presented at this moment, and with the ice spirit's choice, the dust finally settled. Only ten drops of Heaven Pond water remained; in such a short time, reversal was no longer possible.

“Hahahahaha!” Mu Yunzhi completely relaxed. Even with her thousands of years of cultivation, she could not suppress the ecstasy in her heart at that moment, bursting into unrestrained laughter.

“Alas,” Mu Huanzhi sighed deeply. After such fierce intensity, the final outcome was largely unrelated to strength, but rather dependent on the ice spirit's fleeting decision. Nevertheless, a loss was a loss.

Mu Hanyi's eyes remained tightly closed, but a smile appeared at the corners of his lips, and his body visibly trembled with excitement.

It was at this very moment, from the pond's edge, that a wave of profound energy, characteristic of one newly entering the Divine Path, was most inopportunely released, accompanied by an extremely disrespectful shout of excitement.

The instant this roar sounded, the ice spirit flying towards Mu Hanyi suddenly froze. Then, without any warning, it emitted a clear, ethereal chime, unlike any heard before. Its flight speed abruptly accelerated, far surpassing that of any previous ice spirit...

But its flight path changed; it no longer flew towards Mu Hanyi, but suddenly darted towards the distant pond edge... directly towards Yun Che's location!!

Before anyone could react to what was happening, the tranquil Underworld Cold Heaven Pond suddenly rippled. All the ice spirits dancing and playing in the distance emitted exceptionally clear and melodious elven sounds, then soared into the air, chasing directly after the first ice spirit, moving as swiftly as a shower of white meteors...

At that same instant, the ice spirits that had been dancing around Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue—spirits they had spent three full hours and exerted all their effort to attract—scattered without hesitation, all flying directly towards Yun Che along with every other ice spirit.

Their speed was extreme; all of them flew to Yun Che's side. Previously, the ice spirits dancing around the Divine Hall disciples had moved slowly, with caution and hesitation. However, those around Yun Che danced with exceptional excitement, their voices filled with immense joy, vying to get closer to him as they flew, as if he possessed some overwhelmingly powerful, almost fatal, attraction.

All three thousand ice spirits above the Underworld Cold Heaven Pond, without exception, gathered by Yun Che's side in mere moments!

The last drop of Underworld Cold Pond water within the profound formation finally fell. At that very moment, Yun Che opened his eyes, immediately freezing in place. He stared in astonishment at the excitedly dancing ice spirits surrounding him... and at the frozen, stunned faces of everyone else.