Chapter 999: Absolute Silence and Elimination

In the lower realms, there are very few records of the ancient gods, so you could do as you pleased, whenever you pleased. But this is the God Realm! This is where the ancient gods resided! Here, there are countless divine ruins, divine inheritances, divine records, divine legends, and even divine memories!

You came to the God Realm knowing almost nothing about it, yet you dared to act without restraint, exposing your weaknesses for a moment of bravado without realizing it. You recklessly used Star God Broken Shadow, whether fighting against Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng or facing Mu Yizhou!

Fortunately, it was Mu Bingyun, who would never harm you, who recognized it. If it had been someone with ill intentions, and it triggered the worst possible outcome... countless people would try everything to seize the power of the Evil God from you—that's an inheritance from a Creation God, something never seen before! At that point, dying without a burial ground would be a minor consequence; your home planet would also be implicated!

Indeed, Yun Che had used Star God Broken Shadow several times when fighting Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng. At that time, Mu Bingyun had been watching in secret. Though she felt a sense of familiarity, she didn't recognize it as Star God Broken Shadow. However, when Yun Che later faced Mu Yizhou and Mu Luoqiu, the movement technique he used to instantly snatch Liu Hang from their grasp made her absolutely certain it was Star God Broken Shadow.

The Snow Song Realm King already knew Yun Che wanted to meet the Heaven Smiting Star God, so even without Star God Broken Shadow, she could have guessed something based on their relationship and Yun Che's unusual elemental power. However, this only applied to her, who knew of Yun Che's connection to the Heaven Smiting Star God. If Star God Broken Shadow were recognized by others, even if they didn't link it to the Evil God's inheritance, the consequences would be extremely severe.

Therefore, she had to give Yun Che the coldest and sternest warning.

Yun Che, indeed, was covered in a cold sweat.

On the Blue Pole Star, he was invincible and had no need for reservations when doing anything. Although he had been in the Snow Song Realm for over three months, most of that time was spent in cultivation chambers. The actual time he spent interacting with the outside world of the God Realm was only a few days. He undoubtedly carried the inertia from the Blue Pole Star world... and it was quite significant.

His understanding of the God Realm was so shallow that it could be considered nonexistent.

This nearly led him to unknowingly place himself in grave danger.

This cold shower chilled Yun Che to the bone.

Previously, only Jasmine and the Little Demon Empress dared to reprimand Yun Che like this. But now, the Snow Song Realm King's merciless scolding left Yun Che with no anger whatsoever; even the deep-seated resentment he held towards her dissipated directly. Instead, a sense of gratitude and respect filled his heart.

This was because she had not only given him a harsh warning... but she also knew he carried the Evil God's inheritance and showed no intention of seizing it. Otherwise, she wouldn't have wasted her breath telling him all this.

Her aura was terrifying, almost stifling him. Rumor had it that she was also incredibly ruthless, viewing life as insignificant... yet, she didn't seem malicious at all. The inheritance of a Creation God, something never before seen, would undoubtedly be an irresistible temptation in the God Realm. She had discovered it, was the first and only one to do so... yet she showed no signs of coveting it.

Yun Che bowed deeply and sincerely, saying, "Thank you, Realm King, for this warning... Your disciple understands his mistake."

"Understand your mistake? Hmph!" The Snow Song Realm King snorted heavily. "You had better truly understand it! You can freely use your profound energy and elemental abilities; there's no need to conceal them. But... from now on, you must never use Star God Broken Shadow in the God Realm!"

"Yes." Yun Che nodded. After such a severe warning, he wouldn't dare use it even if he were allowed.

However, Star God Broken Shadow's powerful instantaneous movement ability minimized his disadvantage when wielding a heavy sword. Without Star God Broken Shadow, his disadvantage when fighting with the Heaven Smiting Sword would be far greater than before.

Those soul-piercing eyes seemed to instantly see through Yun Che's thoughts. She said with disdain, "You don't need to feel regret. My Snow Song Realm's 'Moon God Departing Shadow' is unrivaled in the God Realm; what is a mere Star God Broken Shadow in comparison? Although few besides myself in this sect can cultivate it, since you were able to cultivate Star God Broken Shadow, there's no reason you can't cultivate Moon God Departing Shadow!"

"..." Yun Che slowly said, "Does this mean... the Realm King is willing to accept your disciple as a student?"

"If not, do you think you'd still be standing here alive?" The Snow Song Realm King said coldly. "However, you don't need to formally acknowledge me now, because you're not yet qualified! The apprenticeship ceremony will be in seven days. For these seven days, you will remain in the Ice Phoenix Palace and are not permitted to go anywhere else. You must thoroughly consider your position and identity in the God Realm, as well as your purpose for being here! Understand what kind of person is truly qualified to be resolute and demand fairness! And more importantly, figure out how to live a little longer!"

"It's rare for this king to accept a disciple; if you are too foolish and short-lived, wouldn't that bring shame upon me, the Snow Song Realm King!"

Yun Che took another deep breath and said, "Yes... Thank you for your instruction, Realm King."

"You may go. Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan are still waiting outside. Call them in before you leave."

Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan?

Yun Che did not ask further. He calmed his mind and slowly departed.

As he reached the edge of the barrier, it automatically opened a gap about half a zhang long.

Yun Che stepped out of the barrier and immediately saw Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan waiting outside.

Upon seeing Yun Che, Mu Fengshu instantly turned her face away, her gaze complex. Mu Sushan, meanwhile, quickly walked over. "Yun Che, congratulations! On the first day I saw you, I knew you were no ordinary person. I never imagined that even Han Yi would be so far inferior to you. Dropping a thousand zhang into the Heavenly Pool... even now, I can hardly believe it."

Although Mu Sushan still maintained the demeanor of an elder, the way he looked at Yun Che was completely different from before. Even his tone of voice carried a hint of... deference?

This was simply because Yun Che had been personally chosen by the Snow Song Realm King to be her direct disciple!

Ice Phoenix Palace disciples and direct disciples of the Realm King were two entirely different concepts. The former were merely disciples, while the latter... their status was almost on par with the various elders and palace masters! If they could gain the Realm King's favor, their standing would even subtly surpass that of the elders and palace masters.

After all, a direct disciple was the person closest to the Realm King!

Yun Che always held a degree of respect for Mu Sushan. He quickly said, "This disciple was just lucky. The Realm King is waiting inside for Senior Sushan and Palace Master Fengshu. Please, both of you, go in."

"The Realm King..." Mu Sushan lowered his voice as much as possible. "Did she mention what it's about?"

Yun Che shook his head. "No, she didn't. But since she summoned both of you at the same time, it must be something important concerning the Cold Snow Hall."

"That must be it." Mu Sushan nodded, feeling a subtle uneasiness in his heart. It didn't seem like it was about the Cold Snow Hall, but he couldn't think of anything else it might be.

Mu Sushan and Mu Fengshu walked in side-by-side. As soon as they entered the barrier, it completely closed, isolating everything inside from the outside.

Upon re-entering the Profound Sky Freezing Pond, Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan's steps noticeably slowed, becoming more cautious. They lowered their heads and, upon reaching the edge of the pond, simultaneously knelt in a bow:

"Sushan greets the Realm King."

"Fengshu greets the Realm King."

"May we ask the Realm King why you summoned us?" Mu Fengshu said, bowing her head.

"It's nothing major," the Snow Song Realm King's voice was unexpectedly calm. "Just a minor, inconsequential matter I wish to inquire about."

The Snow Song Realm King had specifically kept them back; there was no way it could be for something inconsequential. Mu Sushan's heart remained tense. "Realm King, please speak. Palace Master and Sushan will certainly tell you everything we know."

"Very good." The Snow Song Realm King slowly nodded, her words carrying only a faint sense of pressure. "This King wishes to ask you, do you recall that several months ago, when Yun Che first arrived at the Cold Snow Hall, he had an encounter with two disciples named Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng?"

Mu Sushan was stunned, while Mu Fengshu trembled all over. She said in a panicked voice, "Li Mingcheng is Fengshu's nephew, and Ji Hanfeng is a Cold Snow disciple. Their impudence towards Yun Che that day was entirely due to Fengshu's inadequate discipline..."

Evidently, Mu Fengshu assumed the Snow Song Realm King intended to pursue the matter from that day. After all, Yun Che was no longer the Yun Che of that time... he was now the Snow Song Realm King's direct disciple!

"Oh, Fengshu, there's no need to be nervous," the Snow Song Realm King's voice remained calm. "This King has heard a little about what happened that day. Speaking of impudence, Yun Che was actually more so. Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng were both severely injured, yet you did not pursue the matter. Such magnanimity is admirable; what fault could there be?"

"..." Mu Fengshu dared not speak.

"This King wishes to ask about something else..."

The Snow Song Realm King remained still, but the voice Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan heard seemed to be right by their ears: "Do you recall the movement technique Yun Che used when he fought Li Mingcheng and Ji Hanfeng?"

Mu Sushan quickly looked up. Although he didn't understand why the Snow Song Realm King would specifically ask about this, he indeed had a very deep impression of it. He quickly replied, "To answer the Realm King, although three months have passed, Sushan still remembers it vividly. The movement technique Yun Che used that day was incredibly subtle and bizarre. Sushan was less than a hundred zhang away from him at the time, yet couldn't even see how he moved."

Mu Fengshu also quickly added, "Although Fengshu didn't personally witness Yun Che fighting Mingcheng, the few movement techniques he used when fighting Ji Hanfeng were indeed as Sushan described—extremely subtle and bizarre. Despite wielding an incredibly heavy sword, he could instantly shift position, catching Ji Hanfeng off guard multiple times... even Fengshu found it difficult to pinpoint his movements."

Both of them felt much calmer at this point. So the Realm King was just asking about Yun Che... Indeed, since she decided to accept him as a direct disciple, it was natural for her to want to know everything about him. Both answered earnestly, and to some extent, included words of praise for Yun Che.

"At that time, Yun Che's profound energy hadn't even entered the Divine Way, yet his movement technique made him elusive to both of you. That is truly peculiar. It must have been an extraordinary movement technique." The Snow Song Realm King's voice seemed to draw a little closer to their ears. "Then, have you ever considered what movement technique he was using?"

"Yes, Sushan has indeed pondered this many times." Facing the Snow Song Realm King's inquiry, Mu Sushan answered very earnestly, "The movement technique Yun Che used was somewhat similar to the Realm King's 'Moon God Departing Shadow.' However, since he came from the lower realms... a movement technique from the lower realms naturally couldn't compare to the Realm King's Moon God Departing Shadow."

"Then, what if it wasn't from the lower realms, but from the God Realm, and specifically the highest level of the God Realm? Is there any movement technique similar to what Yun Che used?" the Snow Song Realm King asked indifferently.

The highest level of the God Realm?

Mu Sushan didn't ponder for long. His eyes suddenly flashed, and he blurted out, "Star God Broken Shadow!"

These four words struck Mu Fengshu like a revelation. She immediately followed, "That's right! The movement technique Yun Che used is extremely similar to the Star God Broken Shadow seen at the Profound God Convention back then... one could even say it's identical!"

*Clap!**Clap!**Clap!*

The Snow Song Realm King slowly clapped her hands three times, saying with approval, "Very good. As expected of the knowledgeable Fengshu and Sushan. This King merely gave a slight hint, and you guessed it accurately. It seems that even without this King's hint, you would have quickly figured it out on your own."

"An Ice Phoenix disciple actually knows the Star God Broken Shadow of the Twelve Star Gods. If this were to leak out and the Star God Realm investigated, this disciple whom I have just taken in would likely have a short life."

The air seemed to freeze in an instant, and a soul-piercing chill, like the most dreadful plague, instantly permeated Mu Sushan and Mu Fengshu's entire bodies. They finally realized what was happening, abruptly prostrating themselves as their bodies trembled violently in fear.

"Realm King, Sushan... Sushan swears he will not leak a single word... If I go against this, may heaven and earth punish me, and may I die a terrible death..."

"Fengshu... has never known about Star God Broken Shadow... never... never known..."

"Fengshu, Sushan," the Snow Song Realm King's voice was cold and indifferent. "You two have lived for so many years; you should know one truth very well: only dead people truly keep secrets."

"Realm King!" Mu Fengshu said tremblingly, "Fengshu... and Sushan have always been loyal to the Realm King over the years and have made significant contributions to the sect..."

"You two have indeed been loyal, and your lives have always been very important to the sect; it would truly be a pity for you to die." The Snow Song Realm King spoke slowly and mercilessly, "However, since Yun Che has become this King's disciple, his life is now far more important than yours."

The figure behind the ice mist slowly extended a hand. "Do you two choose to end your own lives, or shall this King do it personally?"