Chapter 999 - Uninvited
The front three people stood shoulder to shoulder as they walked forward. Their footsteps were silent but every step caused others to feel as if their hearts were being trampled on and their organs were trembling. Their auras was so heavy that those elders and palace masters whose cultivations were below the Realm King felt their hearts subconsciously tighten and stop beating.
Their arrival had caused the atmosphere of the palace courtyard to suddenly undergo a great change. Not only was it clear that they had come with bad intentions, their group also included those from the hated Flame God Realm—the three figures at their head were the Three Great Sect Masters who were unparalleled within the Flame God Realm, figures who everyone within the Snow Song Realm had heard of before!
Right when the group had arrived, Yun Che’s gaze had immediately locked onto those three figures… because he was extremely familiar with the aura emanating from two of them.
As for the man in the middle of the three, he had an extremely fair face and seemed to be quite young, even though he was the tallest of the three. The feeling he gave the others was extremely mild and calm. As he stood in the middle of the group of three, it was clear that his status was somewhat greater than the other two.
It was none other than the sect master of the Flame God Realm’s Vermillion Bird Sect—Yan Wancang!
The face of the man on Yan Wancang’s right was motionless, ordinary and quite forgettable. However, his figure released a fiery aura which Yun Che was quite familiar with.
The aura of phoenix flames!
Sect master of the Flame God Realm’s Phoenix Sect—Yan Juehai!
As for the person on Yan Wancang’s left… although his face was also motionless, he was completely different from Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai. His long hair was like flames as they hung down freely and enveloped his body in a sea of fiery red. Wherever he went, the air and space around him would distort as if he were a moving volcano about to erupt. His eyes seemed to be filled with miniature suns and whenever his gaze swept over someone, the person would suddenly feel a terrifying burning sensation emerge within their mind.
As for the searing aura emanating from his body, it was also one Yun Che was extremely familiar with.
Sect master of the Flame God Realm’s Golden Crow Sect—Huo Rulie!
The Flame God Realm didn’t have any Great Realm Kings. Nonetheless, these three people were currently the strongest practitioners within the Flame God Realm and also the leaders of the three most powerful sects in the Flame God Realm.
This was because their statuses within the Flame God Realm were completely equivalent to the statuses of a Great Realm King!
Yet currently, they had all actually personally come to the Snow Song Realm even though they weren’t invited. Moreover, they had all come together! Thus, even the weakest disciples atop the courtyard could smell that something was up.
A young man followed behind each of the three great sect masters. Based on the auras coming from their respective bodies, each one belonged to the faction of the master they followed behind. As the three men walked behind the three sect masters, their gazes were serious but their indifferent expressions contained traces of arrogance.
However, as they walked ever closer to Mu Xuanyin, the arrogance on their faces slowly disappeared as they became pressured. Although they still maintained their postures as the top disciples of the Flame God Realm, their bodies had become extremely tense under the incredible pressure released by Mu Xuanyin.
The group walked up to in front of where Mu Xuanyin sat, then stopped. Then, Yan Wancang took one more step forward, cupping his hands in respect and loudly stating, “Flame God Realm’s Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai, and Huo Rulie greet the Snow Song Realm King. We are fortunate to be able to once again witness the Snow Song Realm King’s splendor and elegance. Our visit this time is extremely impertinent, we ask Snow Song Realm King to forgive us.”
Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie also cupped their hands in respect… As they moved, Yun Che’s gaze landed on Huo Rulie’s figure. Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai both had serious expressions and were not revealing any hostility. Instead, they seemed to have come to plead. As for Huo Rulie, although he was also cupping his hands, one could clearly sense the killing intent radiating out from within from his two eyes.
Huo Rulie was none other than the person who had plotted against Mu Bingyun a thousand years ago!
Even with the personal arrivals of the Flame God Realm’s three sect masters, Mu Xuanyin remained still where she sat. Her beauty was covered with a frosty countenance which caused them to feel as if they had fallen into an icy prison. “Rudeness? Hmph, do you even know what rudeness is!? Not only did you all come uninvited, you dared to directly enter the Sacred Hall! It seems like your spying has become much more clever than before… You people from the Flame God Realm are truly becoming increasingly bold.”
The three youths behind the three sect masters were all frozen still as if they had been sealed in ice. This was the first time coming to the Snow Song Realm for all of them, let along the first time meeting the legendary Snow Song Realm King. For them to be able to accompany the three sect masters naturally meant they were no ordinary people but never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the pressure exerted by the Snow Song Realm King would be so terrifying.
They didn’t feel as if they were standing there… instead, they felt as if their bodies and souls had been nailed in place by a terrifying, incomprehensible chill. They didn’t dare to move at all.
Even the pressure exerted by the three great sect masters together couldn’t compare at all to this pressure.
At this point, the three youths thoroughly realized why the three great sect masters dreaded the Snow Song Realm King so much even though the Snow Song Realm was much weaker than the Flame God Realm.
For the three dignified sect masters, who were all figures that could eclipse the heavens in the Flame God Realm, to be deemed as “visitors” greatly mocked them. In the Flame God Realm, this would have undoubtedly offended the three. However, Yan Wancang didn’t become angry at all and instead laughed along as he cupped his hands and said, “The three of us all know that our arrival this time is truly impertinent but it is because we cannot help it. Several months ago, after this Yan was rejected by the Snow Song Realm King, this Yan was unwilling to give up and thus began trying to find methods to meet with the Snow Song Realm King again. Finally, several days ago, this Yan learned about the Great Sect Assembly and thus resorted to this measure.”
“The reason for our personal appearances here today with our three juniors is to merely express our sincerity to the Snow Song Realm King and to also ask for the Snow Song Realm King to once again listen to this Yan’s sincere and conscientious words.”
“Zhuo’er, Mingxuan, Poyun, why have you all still not gone up and greeted the Snow Song Realm King?” Phoenix Sect Master Yan Juehai asked.
As Yun Wancang’s words finished, Yun Che immediately understood why they had come.
On the first day Yun Che arrived in the Snow Song Realm, right when he left the Freezing Snow Main Hall, he had heard a sound which caused the entire Ice Phoenix Realm to tremble. At the time, Mu Bingyun explained that this sound originated from Vermillion Bird Sect Master Yan Wancang, whose goal was to personally meet the Snow Song Realm King in order to plead for her to assistance in hunting the ancient dragon within the God Burying Inferno Prison.
Based on Yan Wancang’s words just now… Mu Xuanyin had completely ignored him that time.
After all, the ancient horned dragon only shed its scales once every thousand years. If they missed this opportunity, they would have to wait another thousand years. Thus, as the molting period of the ancient dragon became ever closer, the three great sect masters of the Flame God Realm also became increasingly anxious… because without Mu Xuanyin’s strength, they couldn’t possible deal with the ancient horned dragon.
Thus, upon learning about the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect’s Great Sect Assembly, they had decided to become “party crashers” and make an appearance because they knew Mu Xuanyin would definitely appear.
Only the six of them had come to express their sincerity, hoping to balance out the Snow Song Realm King’s anger for their “party crashing.”
Mu Xuanyin’s anger was quite terrifying and they had all experienced it before.
“Vermillion Bird Sect disciple Yan Zhuo pays respects to the Snow Song Realm King.”
“Phoenix Sect disciple Yan Mingxuan pays respects to the Snow Song Realm King.”
“Golden Crow Sect disciple Huo Poyun pays respects to the Snow Song Realm King.”
The three disciples all lowered themselves to one knee as the elders and palace masters on both sides all turned their attentions to the three youths, their expressions not changing the slightest.
For these youths to accompany the three sect masters, they naturally weren’t normal. No one like these three could be found within the entire Divine Ice Phoenix Sect as their cultivations and the fiery auras emanating from their bodies were too strong and shocking for their young ages, which seemed to be no greater than thirty.
Especially the youth named Yan Zhuo, the person whose body exuded the aura of the Vermillion Bird. From his life aura, he had absolutely not reached thirty years of age yet but his cultivation had actually reached the late stage of the Divine Tribulation Realm!
The Flame God Realm was indeed the Flame God Realm… this was the thought running through the minds of all the elders and palace masters.
Although the Flame God Realm and Snow Song Realm were both middle star realms, the overall strength of the Snow Song Realm was indeed far worse.
If one ignored the Snow Song Realm King, Ice Phoenix Sect Master Mu Xuanyin, then the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was much worse off than any of the three great sects in terms of disciples, middle level, and upper levels forces.
Moreover, the Snow Song Realm only had the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect which stood out whereas sects like it were everywhere in the Flame God Realm. Outside of the three great sects, there was also the Fireglass Sect, Sun Fiend Isle and the Nine Tailed Fox Clan, etc… There were approximately ten sects whose overall strengths were no lower than the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.
In history, the Flame God Realm had always been considered one of the more powerful middle star realms whereas the Snow Song Realm had always been considered one of the weaker ones. However, this had changed due to Snow Song Realm King Mu Xuanyin.
With the emergence of a Divine Master Realm level power, Snow Song Realm’s status immediately took off, suddenly jumping to an upper level middle star realm and even slightly surpassing the Flame God Realm. In the past, when Snow Song Realm practitioners went to other middle star realms, they would be treated as ordinary people. But now, as soon as others heard the Snow Song Realm, one would be treated with respect.
Mu Xuanyin was feared by all in the Snow Song Realm but the amount of reverence its people had for her was equally amazing. This was because she had completely changed the status of the Snow Song Realm amongst the God Realm by herself. Thus, in the Snow Song Realm, she was truly considered to be a supreme, god-like existence.
If not for Mu Xuanyin’s existence, why would these three dignified Flame God Realm sect masters ever have personally come and acted so politely in the face of such coldness? How could they have restrained themselves from moving?
Mu Xuanyin’s gaze swept across the three Flame God Realm disciples as she indifferently said, “Hmph, Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai, if I guess correctly, the two youths by your sides should be your sons.”
Hearing the anger in Mu Xuanyin’s voice become slightly more restrained, Yan Wancang’s heartbeat slightly stabilized as he slightly smiled and said, “Indeed. Zhuo’er is the child this Yan had twenty three years ago. As for Mingxuan, he is the grandson of Sect Master Yan, whereas Poyun is a direct disciple Sect Master Huo has just accepted. We brought them here with us this time to let them visit the Snow Song Realm and experience more things.”
Twenty three years ago… All of the Ice Phoenix elders took a deep breath of the cold air.
This meant… that this junior named Yan Zhou, who had cultivated to the eight level of the Divine Tribulation Realm…
Was only twenty three years old!!
Yun Che’s gaze also suddenly moved onto the figure of the one named Yan Zhuo, his heart filled with shock… as well as admiration. But for some reason, he almost immediately turned to look towards Huo Rulie afterwards.
Just then, Mu Xuanyin had only asked about Yan Zhuo and Yan Mingxuan and not Huo Poyun, who had been brought by Huo Rulie, as if she were certain Huo Poyun was definitely not blood related to Huo Rulie… and it was indeed like that. Yan Zhuo and Yan Mingxuan were indeed the children of Yun Wancang and Yun Juehai but Huo Poyun was only a direct disciple.
At this time, Huo Rulie’s two hands not only deathly clenched together, they also clearly began to tremble.
Yun Che furrowed his brows and seemed lost in thought as he thought about the words Mu Bingyun had once said.
“Hmph, he is indeed worthy of being your son, Yan Wancang. I’m afraid this level of talent is unparalleled even within the entire Flame God Realm. It seems like your Vermillion Bird Sect’s young sect master is not a simple person,” Mu Xuanyin expressionlessly said.
“Hahaha, I thank the Snow Song Realm King’s praise.” Yan Wancang rambunctiously laughed as he said, “Zhuo’er, hurry up and go present our gift.”
“Yes, father.” Yan Zhuo responded and then walked forwards as he took out a box which released a faint fiery aura. Within the box was a seemingly wooden cup which was completely crimson red.
Yan Wancang said, “Although the three of us are visiting this time out of the frustration of being rejected time and time again, as we are intruding and because we heard the news several days ago of the Snow Song Realm King’s acceptance of a direct disciple…” Yan Wancang glanced at Yun Che, “This little gift is not only to show our apologies but to also congratulate Snow Song Realm King on gaining a direct disciple. Please accept our humble present.”
“Oh?” The bold crescent brows slightly straightened as Mu Xuanyin indifferently said, “Che’er, accept it.”
“...Yes.”
Yun Che moved forward, accepting the red box in Yan Zhuo’s hands and bringing it over to Mu Xuanyin.
Mu Xuanyin didn’t motion to receive it. In fact, she didn’t even look to see what it contained as she coldly said, “I bestow it upon you.”