Chapter 612 - The Last Hope
Blue Wind Nation, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.
“What a bunch of naive women! Do you think that mere Heavenly Firm Jade is enough to stop us?! Obediently open the door right now and hand Xia Qingyue over to us and I will still be able to spare your lives. After all, if our Young Master finds out we have killed so many beautiful women, his heart would surely ache… But if all of you remain stubborn and pigheaded and wait until I have blasted this great door apart, then all of you… will have to die!”
Bang!!
The green-clothed man viciously smashed his fist into the great door in front of him and a huge ear-splitting ring followed his attack. The explosive profound energy caused the space around him to violently tremble, but the great door that he had attacked was left without a blemish.
“Dammit!” The green-clothed man retreated a step his entire right arm was shaking and his wrist was filled with an incessant pain. He said with a sinister and gloomy expression, “Not only does this Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace have that bizarre protective formation… they actually have an entire great hall constructed of Heavenly Firm Jade! This is simply absurd! This amount of Heavenly Firm Jade, even if it was the Divine Phoenix Empire’s Divine Phoenix Sect, they also might not able to produce it!”
A half-step Overlord who was only twenty-two years of age, a protective profound formation that persisted for seven days and refused to break despite all their efforts… These were already things that they had never imagined possible. With much difficulty, they had waited for that protective profound formation to vanish, and when they thought that the lives of all the people in Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace would easily drop into the palms of their hands… who would have thought that they would all take refuge in a great hall that was hidden beneath the ground…. And this great hall was actually completely constructed with the incomparably hard and firm Heavenly Firm Jade that even Overlords such as them would have extreme difficulty destroying!
And the great doors which sealed this great hall shut were at least two feet thick… Heavenly Firm Jade that was two feet in thickness, even if the twenty of them labored day and night and attacked this door in concert, there was no way they would be able to blast it apart within a short period of time.
“I reckon that even Young Master did not know that Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace actually had an entire great hall that was built solely out of Heavenly Firm Jade.” The purple-clothed senior said solemnly, “Give the strength of the twenty of us, we definitely will not be able to blast this door apart within a short period of time. So it looks like we will have to send a sound transmission to inform the Young Master to send a Monarch Elder!”
“That’s out of the question!!”
The green-clothed man fiercely gesticulated, “If we, two Overlords along with ten other Thrones, cannot go to this tiny Blue Wind Nation and accomplish our mission of catching one girl and instead request for the help of an Elder… what face will we have left to go back! Hmph, those people who normally dislike us will mock us until we become dogs!”
“The Young Master’s current confinement will still last for at least half a year. Within that half a year’s time, I don’t believe… that I am unable to blast apart this Heavenly Firm Jade!!”
The sound of the hall’s doors being heavily smashed ceaselessly echoed throughout the great hall and each hit was punctuated by a loud and exasperated roar of fury. All the disciples belonging to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace were trapped within the Frozen End Divine Hall. However, the Frozen End Divine Hall was exceptionally vast, so the two thousand disciples did not have to squeeze together. Instead, the hall felt rather spacious… and desolate.
Within the interior of the Frozen End Divine Hall lay a transparent ice coffin. And within this ice coffin, laid the still body of a white-haired old lady and it was clear that she had already passed on. However, her expression was not quite so serene, it was instead an expression that was filled with a heavy and murky resentment and hatred.
She was no ordinary disciple of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace. She was the previous Palace Mistress of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace and the current Grand Palace Mistress… Feng Qianhui.
Several Frozen Cloud disciples knelt beside the ice coffin as ice spirits hovered all around them. They hung their hands and sobbed quietly and the entire atmosphere within the Frozen End Divine Hall was one of profound mourning.
“The Thousand Year Calamity prophesied by our Frozen Cloud Ancestor… In the end we were not able to hide from it… Cough… cough, cough….” Gong Yuxian’s eyes lifelessly stared at the ceiling
“Palace Mistress!”
“Palace Mistress!!”
The Frozen Asgard disciples cried out in alarm and the two people who were supporting Gong Yuxian, Murong Qianxue and Mu Lanyi, hurriedly circulated their profound energy and used all their might to suppress her injuries. Gong Yuxian’s injuries were extremely severe and even if she used all of her power as a level six Throne to support herself, she would only be able to live for a few more months.
“In order to allow Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace to survive this current crisis, the Grand Palace Mistress did not hesitate to break a thousand year sect rule and allowed Yun Che to join us as the first male disciple…. But in the end…. The calculations of heaven are beyond that of the calculations of man….”
“Palace Mistress….” Jun Lianqie pressed both hands on her chest as she, Murong Qianxue and Mu Lanyu suppressed her injuries together. After all their profound entrances had been opened by Yun Che, their profound strength cultivation advanced at a tremendous pace. The Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies had all broken through to the Emperor Profound Realm and the cultivation levels of all three of them had just managed to surpass the cultivation of the Palace Mistress Gong Yuxian, “Palace Mistress, please do not be too pessimistic, we are still under the protection of the Frozen End Divine Hall, they cannot break in… and there will definitely be a person who will come and save us…. We will definitely have a way….”
And as they said these things, these Frozen Cloud’s Fairies, who were regarded as celestial beings by the people of Blue Wind Nation, had their vision completely blurred with tears. Because, inside their hearts, they were all very clear that now that things have reached this stage, there was no way that anyone would come and save them. This Frozen End Divine Hall was their last place of refuge…. and once those great doors were blasted apart, they would truly be backed into a corner.
“They… are Overlords… the Frozen End Divine Hall… can only stop them for a while… Cough… cough, cough…. Qingyue, come over here….” Gong Yuxian extended her pale arm.
“Palace Mistress.” Xia Qingyue walked over and gently knelt in front of Gong Yuxian.
“Qingyue….” Gong Yuxian looked at her and a glimmer of hope finally brightened her slackened eyes, “My selfishness is completely to blame for this, because I did not agree to your request to proceed to Blue Wind Imperial City… If not… You could… have escaped this calamity…”
“No….” Xia Qingyue shook her head, “It is not Palace Mistress’ fault. These past few years, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace has already transferred most of its resources to Blue Wind Imperial City. So this disciple only has extreme gratitude in her heart….”
“Ah.” Gong Yuxian let out a long sigh, “Our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace has prospered for a thousand years. Who would have thought that it would fall into such dire straits during my generation… I have let down Grand Palace Mistress, let down our forebearers and let down the Frozen Cloud Ancestor… But, Qingyue, you are the most outstanding disciple in the history of our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace. You are only twenty-two years of age yet your profound strength cultivation has already exceeded that of our Frozen Cloud Ancestor… As long as you still live… as long as you are around… our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace will never truly die… and the Frozen Cloud Arts and the Frozen End Divine Arts… will not fall into obscurity… and maybe there will even be… the revival of the Frozen Cloud once more….”
Xia Qingyue’s head jerked up and a sense of disquiet could be heard in her voice, “Palace Mistress….”
“Use the profound formation the Frozen Cloud Ancestor left behind for the purpose of escape…. and leave immediately!!” Gong Yuxian said in an urgent tone, “Only you… are the most qualified to use this profound formation…. As long as you escape, our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace will have the hope of reviving one day! Go!!”
The "escape profound formation" Gong Yuxian was talking about was the profound formation Yun Che asked Xia Qingyue about when he had first entered the Frozen End Divine Hall. It was something that the Frozen Cloud Ancestor had left behind before passing on. No one knew where it led to and it could only be used to flee in times of great peril. Moreover, every time it was used, it could only accommodate one person and after the profound formation was activated, it would disappear, and would only reappear after a whole one hundred years have passed.
So only one person amongst the two thousand Frozen Cloud disciples trapped in the Frozen End Divine Hall could use this escape profound formation to leave this place.
All eyes fell on Xia Qingyue but not a single one of the women were envious or dissatisfied. This was because if only one person could escape from this place, no matter who it was, in their hearts, everyone felt that Xia Qingyue was the only choice. Because she was Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace’s brightest hope, and it was only if she escaped from this place that Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace would have a chance of rising up again once more to avenge the calamity that had befallen Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace today.
“No….” Xia Qingyue vigorously shook her head, “I am a disciple of Frozen Cloud and I should live and die with Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace. How can I disregard the lives and the safety of the Palace Mistress, my master, my seniors and all my fellow sisters, and flee this place alone….”
“Now is not the time to let your emotions affect your decisions….” Gong Yuxian yelled in a loud voice, “If you still regard yourself as a disciple of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, then you will immediately leave this place, and allow yourself… to become the last hope of our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.... Your life.... will be the last hope of our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace….”
“But….”
“There are no buts!!” Gong Yuxian’s voice quavered as she spoke, “This is the Palace Mistress’ order. And you, as a Frozen Cloud disciple… are not allowed to disobey!! If you do not go… do you want the Grand Palace Mistress to die in vain…. Do you want to personally destroy the last hope of our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace?!!”
“Qingyue….” Chu Yueli strode over to support Xia Qingyue’s shoulders, “Use the escape profound formation to leave this place. This is not only the order of the Palace Mistress, it is also the desire of all everyone here….” She closed her eyes and her voice gradually became softer, “As your master, what I hope for even more…. Is that you do not let yourself be burdened with the task of rebuilding the Frozen Cloud and avenging us. As long as you live a good life…. and continue to pass on Frozen Cloud Arts and Frozen End Divine Arts…. That will be all that I would want for you…..”
“Qingyue, listen to the words of the Palace Mistress and your master, activate the profound formation left behind by our ancestor.” Murong Qianxue said gently.
“Qingyue, you must live a good life, you definitely must not return… just think of us every now and then, ok?” Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue said with tears dancing in their eyes.
“Junior Sister Xia, leave this place and never come back….”
“Senior Sister Xia… please take care of yourself, we will all pray for you….”
A bunch of crystal and diamond-like gazes focused on Xia Qingyue, heavily vibrating the chord of her emotions. She bit her lips and still shook her head, “No… their objective is me… as long as I stride out those door, I can save yo….”
“Silence!!” Gong Yuxian’s voice fiercely quavered and her face became red due to agitation, “Qingyue, given your exceptional intelligence, how can you… believe the words of those villains?! Moreover… even if what they said is true… Even if the rest of our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace gets exterminated, you definitely must not die!!”
“Quick, leave…. If you still do not leave… I will severe my lifeline… and die right in front of you!!”
“Palace Mistress!” Xia Qingyue paled in shock.
“Why are you still here?!” Gong Yuxian’s voice began to grow hoarse, “Those villains are only separated from us by one wall, and they can break it and charge into this place at any time… By that time, even if you wanted to leave… you would no longer be able to… Every second you delay only adds to your danger and reduces the hope of our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace… Since you still have not left… is it that you want to witness my death before your very eyes?!!”
Bang!!
Gong Yuxian vigorously rose up and sent a palm exploding outwards. It landed on Xia Qingyue’s chest and sent her flying. And she just happened to land on the escape profound formation which was flashing with a weak profound light.
Xia Qingyue stood up and her eyes were filled with tears. She knew that she no longer had any leeway to choose for herself. If she still refused to depart, Gong Yuxian would really severe her own lifeline. She turned her face and her faintly trembling eyes drank in all of these familiar faces as she carved the appearance of every single person in the depths of her heart. After a long while, she softly said, “Palace Mistress, Master, seniors and my fellow sisters…. All of you…. must definitely take care of yourselves! I… Frozen Cloud disciple Xia Qingyue… will definitely not disappoint you….”
“Qingyue, go.” Chu Yueli turned around and looked away from her, to not let Qingyue see the tears that streamed down her face, “No one knows where the escape profound formation leads, whether it is still within Blue Wind Nation or some faraway place…. The further the better. Do not let those villains find you… You are your master’s pride and joy and also the smartest girl in the world, so you should know the consequences of impulsiveness…. Promise your master this, that before your power breaks through to the Sovereign Profound Realm…. Never return here!”
The Sovereign Profound Realm was truly a mythological realm of power within this Blue Wind Nation. But for Xia Qingyue, it was definitely not something that could be ruled out. Because she was only twenty-two this year, yet she was already a half-step Overlord.
The people who forced Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace into such desperate straits had the terrifying power of the Tyrant Profound Realm, but as strong as they were, they still answered to their so-called “Young Master.” To have Overlords as servants, one could well imagine just how terrifyingly strong this force was.
Thus, she only desired that if Xia Qingyue wanted revenge or if she wanted to rebuild the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace… she had to become a Monarch first.
“...Your disciple so vows. Before I step into the Sovereign Profound, I shall never return.” Xia Qingyue closed her icy eyes and sobbed out each word. And at this time, with much difficulty, she dragged her feet into the teleportation profound formation… She knew that once she left this place, her life would no longer belong solely to herself; she would inherit the hopes of all the people of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, so no matter what, she could not allow herself to simply just die.
The light of the escape profound formation flared up and an icy blue light engulfed the body of Xia Qingyue, and she vanished along with it in the middle of the Frozen End Divine Hall.
Gong Yuxian arm fell, pain and serenity appearing on her face at the same time.