Chapter 1362 - Wuxin Yuechan (2)

Feng Xian’er carried Yun Che as she once again flew back to the heart of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. It was only when Ling Jie’s aura had completely vanished from her spiritual perception that she withdrew the firelight shrouding Yun Che’s body.

Yun Che’s expression was detached and indifferent.

“It doesn’t matter,” Feng Xian’er consoled Yun Che with a faint smile, “Father once said this to us privately. He said that Big Brother Benefactor might need many years before he is willing to leave this place. But it has just been slightly over a month. So Big Brother Benefactor is indeed Big Brother Benefactor, you’re truly awesome.”

Yun Che faintly raised his head, forcing out the turbid air within his chest with a long exhalation, “Was what just happened just now part of the ‘profound beast disturbances’ you were telling me about?”

“Mnn,” Feng Xian’er said as she nodded her head, “the profound beast rampages appeared not too long ago. In fact, it has not even been a year since they first appeared. It first happened in the eastern-most parts of the realm, but after that, it gradually started to spread towards the west and it has been spreading at a faster and faster speed.”

“I heard that this isn’t only happening in Blue Wind Nation and that a similar situation is also occurring in the eastern part of the Illusory Demon Realm.”

Yun Che, “...”

“However, you don’t need to worry,” Feng Xian’er said. “Blue Wind Nation is being protected by the Divine Phoenix Sect, so every single occurance of the profound beast rampages has been quickly suppressed. So it isn’t really a big affair on the level of a calamity.”

Profound beast rampages… which began in the east… and are spreading towards the west.

Feng Xian’er’s words reverberated in his skull, but he was unable to focus his attention on them, and they very soon were relegated to the back of his mind.

If not for that, he would definitely have thought of something.

“You spoke of a ‘Phoenix Goddess’ previously, that was referring to Xue’er… correct?” Yun Che asked as the image of a woman of surpassing beauty, status, and talent floated up in his mind’s eye. A woman whose beautiful countenance could topple eras, but whose attachment and love towards him surpassed everything else… The single fleeting glimpse he had caught of her before he fainted in Phoenix Perching Valley had engraved a mark on his soul that would never fade. 

“Mn.” Feng Xian’er nodded her head, a profound look of adoration, reverence, and admiration appearing in her phoenix eyes, “Goddess Sis stepped into the mythical Divine Profound Realm three years ago, and in the Profound Sky Continent, she is regarded as the other legendary figure besides yourself, Big Brother Benefactor.”

“On that day, Big Brother and I saw Goddess Sis, she was very pretty, even prettier than all the stars in the sky. Furthermore, Big Brother and I also knew that she was Big Brother Benefactor’s fiance… Am I right?”

“...” Yun Che’s eyes misted over due to his sorrow. Xue’er had already successfully stepped into the divine way, and she had already done so three years ago… Xuanyuan Wentian’s power at that time had indeed already reached the level of the divine way, but it was a distorted divine way that was accomplished by relying on heretical means. It was a method that rendered him unable to ever make any advancements in his power, one that would also continuously devour his lifespan. His own divine way, however, was only accomplished in the Snow Song Realm.

In the Profound Sky Continent, in the entire Blue Pole Star, Feng Xue’er was undoubtedly the first person to truly step into the Divine Profound Realm.

With her around, the profound beast disturbances, or even calamities even more serious than that were things that she could easily quash.

The Illusory Demon Realm has Caiyi, Father, Mother, and the rest of them to protect it...

But I...

Upon not receiving Yun Che’s reply, Feng Xian’er looked ahead, her eyes misting over. Her lips parted as she seemed to mutter what was on her mind to herself, “It’s also only a fairy like Goddess Sis who’s worthy of Big Brother Benefactor…”

Yun Che felt as if his heart had been fiercely stabbed by something.

She was like an ancient legend come to life in the Profound Sky Continent, she was the Phoenix Goddess, and her beauty could be said to be number one in the entire Profound Sky Continent… Whereas the current him was merely a cripple. He no longer had the qualifications to stand side by side with her, much less protect her or even deserve her attachment and love.

Given his presently mortal body and his inability to cultivate any profound strength, even if they plied him with a mountain of elixirs and spirit herbs, he would not live longer than a hundred odd years...

For the first goddess in this entire continent to be married to a cripple...

Cold air washed over his body, causing Yun Che to erupt into a painful coughing fit.

“Ah?” Feng Xian’er anxiously turned around as she hurriedly slowed down, “Am I flying too fast… Let me slow down a little.”

Yun Che shook his head.

In my lifetime, there were many times where I would assume a position of superiority to advise or mock many others. There were also countless times that I had coldly looked on in contempt upon witnessing another person’s gloom and despair. At that time, I was very convinced that there would never be a day that I, who did not even fear death, would end up in the same condition… But I never imagined that I would end up realizing that sometimes living on was far harder than dying.

If I had been an ordinary person my entire life, then I would be used to this for my entire life, and perhaps I would even enjoy this ordinariness.

But to think that returning to being ordinary overnight, after having lived that grand dream for thirteen years, would actually be so unbearably cruel.

“Oh, that’s right,” Feng Xian’er’s voice rang in his ears, “Right now Goddess Sis is the Divine Phoenix Sect’s sect master. After the previous sect master Feng Hengkong passed on his position to her, he focused on governing the Divine Phoenix Empire. Because of this, the Divine Phoenix Sect has risen up to become one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent, yet they are not the leader of the four. Does Big Brother Benefactor want to guess which Sacred Ground is standing at the head of the four?”

Yun Che, “...”

“It’s Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace,” Feng Xian’er said with a faint smile. “Even though the consolidated strength of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace cannot be compared to the other three Sacred Grounds, Big Brother Benefactor was once the Palace Master of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace. It is for that reason and that reason alone that no one will question their place at the head of the Four Sacred Grounds. That is the power of Big Brother Benefactor’s influence.”

“...” To think that Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace had actually become a member of the Profound Sky Continent’s new Four Sacred Grounds, and they were even at the head of them at that.

But if the people of the world knew that I had already become a cripple, then this special glory… would definitely disappear like smoke… 

The thoughts of the current Yun Che were all focused on the negative.

He was very aware of his current gloomy mood and disposition and he truly desired to be rid of it… Yet he did not have the power to be free from it.

He had used a short thirteen years to reach a height that other people would not even dare dream of even if they had a hundred lifetimes to spare… Yet in the span of a day, he had fallen straight to the bottom.

No one could imagine or understand what kind of blow this was.

The Phoenix Barrier appeared in their vision and as Feng Xian’er approached, a gap once more automatically appeared in the barrier.

After passing through the gap, the duo had once again returned to the lands of the Phoenix Clan.

Once they entered the barrier, Yun Che felt as if the panic that had been brought about by the outside world had been completely blocked off from him and his chaotic heart regained much of its composure. Following that, the corners of his lips hooked up in a cold, self-deprecating smile.

Feng Xian’er had been covertly keeping an eye on Yun Che all this while and upon observing his expression, her heart felt sore. She said in a soft voice, “Big Brother Benefactor, I don’t know what I can do to help you. But… but no matter what happens in the future, I will always… be by your side… until you don’t want to see me anymore…”

“...” The warmth that had risen in his soul every now and then over this period of time had largely been due to Feng Xian’er.

In his lifetime, he had endured countless gazes of respect, admiration, adoration, and flattery, it had gotten to the point where he was numb to it all and his heart was not the least bit stirred by any of it since a long time ago.

However, he had fallen on hard times now and it would be this way forevermore. This was merely one of the countless girls whose lives had intersected with his in this life. Yet she still focused all of her attention and heart on him without any reservation whatsoever...

During this period of time, her existence and her company had wiped away an untold amount of gloomy haze in Yun Che’s heart. If not for her, Yun Che might have sunk into an even deeper depression for an even longer amount of time...

It was just that the current him did not know how he could respond to or repay these far too precious feelings and intentions... 

Feng Xian’er flew extremely slowly, afraid the cold wind would harm Yun Che. Or perhaps it was because she enjoyed this feeling of being able to protect him, this feeling of being able to be close to him.

The scenery below them slowly flowed by. Because they had met Blue Scale Beasts, the path they had taken to return was different from the path they had used to depart. The area below them was an area Yun Che had never come across before and as they flew past a tiny mountain forest that swirled with dry leaves, he spied a small bamboo forest that was still emerald green.

In the heart of that bamboo grove, he could faintly make out the shape of a small and delicate bamboo hut.

A bamboo hut...

Yun Che’s eyes zoomed in on the hut and he was unable to look away for a very long time.

During his life in the Azure Cloud Continent, after he had watched Su Ling’er’s beauty pass from life to death in his very arms, he would feel as if thousands of arrows had pierced his heart every time he looked at a bamboo hut.

Even though he had managed to find Su Ling’er once more, the bamboo hut remained an extremely special existence in his heart and every time he saw one, his heart would be profoundly touched.

Ling’er, are you doing well in the Illusory Demon Realm… You are so intelligent so you’ve definitely already become a very awesome divine doctor by now.

After all, that was your dream all those years ago.

“I want to see that bamboo hut,” As thoughts of Su Ling’er surged into his heart, he could not help but speak those words.

“Bamboo… Hut?” Feng Xian’er was slightly stunned by those words but once she realized what Yun Che was saying, she immediately opened her mouth to say something. But upon witnessing Yun Che’s clearly dazed expression, she swallowed the words she was about to say and gave a light nod of her delicate head instead, “Alright.”

She lightly floated to the ground together with Yun Che. But she did not land in front of the bamboo hut. Instead she had landed in front of the bamboo grove the bamboo hut was located in.

Feng Xian’er’s movements caused Yun Che’s brows to twitch slightly as an expression of puzzlement appeared on his face.

As the blueish green bamboo swayed, cool breezes which smelled fresh and clean danced within it. Even though they stood in front of the bamboo forest, Feng Xian’er did not bring Yun Che into it. Instead, she simply stood there while supporting Yun Che’s body and her grip seemed to have grown a lot tighter than before.

“What’s wrong?” Yun Che asked, he could sense that Feng Xian’er had clearly grown somewhat tense.

Feng Xian’er replied, “There are people who live inside that bamboo hut, and they are not our clansmen.”

“Oh?” Yun Che said as if deep in thought, “Have they been living there since a very long time ago? I don’t recall any of you mentioning this before.”

“No,” Feng Xian’er said as she shook her head, “They were people that only came to this place after Big Brother Benefactor left all those years ago.”

“After I left?” Yun Che said in astonishment, “But you said before that this Phoenix barrier was something that was only erected after I had left all those years ago, and only those who possessed the Phoenix bloodline could pass through it. Then how did they… Could it be people from the Divine Phoenix Empire’s Divine Phoenix Sect?”

“That is… I don’t know,” Feng Xian’er still shook her head, “Because they have never once interacted with us. We had once tried to get closer to them and tried to help them all those years ago, but every attempt was rejected by them. So Father and Mother said that they were probably very hurt by something in the past, so now they are afraid of coming into contact with people. As a result, we also decided not to disturb them any further. Moreover, so many years have passed by, but they not only have not left this place, they have rarely even left this bamboo grove.”

“However, since they were able to come to this place, they should also possess the Phoenix’s bloodline,” Feng Xian’er said somewhat speculatively.

Yun Che’s eyebrows furrowed: In this entire continent, besides the Phoenix Clan who lived in this place, the only other people who possessed the Phoenix’s bloodline were the members of the Divine Phoenix Sect. But why would people from the Divine Phoenix Sect come to this place? Furthermore, upon hearing Feng Xian’er’s recounting of their tale, it seemed as if they actually shunned any sort of contact in a rather extreme manner.

Yun Che seemed to be in deep thought as he said, “Since that is the case, let’s not bother them then. Let’s leave.”

Upon saying those words, he glanced at the arm which Feng Xian’er was clearly gripping too tightly as he said in a half-joking manner, “Could it be that the women who secluded themselves in there look very scary? You seem to be really tense.”

It was at this moment that Feng Xian’er seemed to notice something and her two hands which held Yun Che’s arms hurriedly relaxed their grasp before she said, “That’s not the case, it’s just that… there is a very scary ‘little monster’ that lives inside there and I’m just afraid that she will hurt you by accident.”

“Little monster?”

Just as Yun Che voiced his suspicions, an exceptionally young and tender voice, a voice that was also exceptionally sharp and cutting, suddenly rang out from the bamboo forest, “Immediately leave this place! You’re not allowed to approach this place!”

After that voice had rung out in the air, a little girl strode out of the gently-swaying bamboo forest.

That little girl only looked about ten years of age, she was wearing a simple dress that looked tidy and delicate. Even though she was young, her hair, hair that looked like a starry night sky, hung below her waist as it gently danced in the breeze. Her face was white as powder and carved like a jade statue, her features were extremely adorable, but those bright eyes of hers were vigorously flashing with a fierce light… a light filled with an unspoken threat and vigilance. 

It was just that she was simply far too adorable as she stood there looking like a beautifully carved and sculpted jade porcelain doll. So even though Yun Che had already lost all of his cultivation, he still felt basically no threat from her at all, despite that fierce look in her eyes and the belligerent aura rolling off her body.

But the appearance of this little girl caused Feng Xian’er’s hand, which she had just relaxed a little, to tighten again once more. Even her body had clearly gone rigid and she gripped Yun Che’s so hard that he felt a deep ache.

Yun Che glanced to the side as he said in an astonished voice, “This can’t be the little monster… that you’ve been talking about, right?”