The green lights atop the mountainside suddenly erupted.
One after another.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Not just one explosion—
Dozens of them detonated in rapid succession, the blasts chaining across the mountain ridge like a violent string of thunder.
The entire battlefield froze.
Everyone looked up.
From above, Cang Yue's eyes widened in realization.
Down below, she saw Xue Ling standing calmly in the snow—
The detonator in her hand.
She had carried it the entire time.
The explosions raced across the mountainside, igniting the traps hidden throughout the basin.
Then the mountain answered.
A deep rumble echoed through the valley.
The snow along the slopes began to shift.
Then it collapsed.
A massive avalanche thundered down from every direction, the roaring wall of white cascading into the mountain basin like the wrath of nature itself.
From below, Tian Xi and Yao Yao stared in shock.
Their eyes widened.
The marbles they had planted earlier—
They had triggered the avalanche.
Soldiers across the battlefield suddenly panicked.
"Run!"
"The mountain's collapsing!"
The once-organized army dissolved into chaos as men scattered in every direction, desperately trying to escape the unstoppable tide of snow rushing toward them.
"You bitch! You just doomed us all!!" King Alugang roared.
The mountains answered him.
Explosions rippled across the ridgelines, one after another, shattering the fragile equilibrium of the basin. The snow shelves collapsed in unison, and what had once been solid ground became a descending wall of white destruction.
Xue Ling stood unmoved.
She had triggered it.
The avalanche converged from every direction—north, south, east, west—closing in on the basin like the jaws of a beast.
Alugang staggered back, staring upward in disbelief.
"You've buried us with them!" he shouted hoarsely.
His remaining soldiers scattered in blind panic. Some fled toward the cliffs. Others tried to mount their arks. A few simply froze in place, paralyzed by the scale of what was descending upon them.
It didn't matter.
The avalanche did not discriminate.
It swallowed formations whole. Men vanished mid-scream. Arks were crushed beneath thousands of tons of cascading snow. Trees snapped like twigs. Stone outcrops disappeared without resistance.
It was catastrophic.
There was no formation to hold.
No enemy to strike.
No defense to raise.
Only panic.
Only inevitability.
"She really did it!" Tian Xi gasped, eyes wide as the mountains collapsed inward.
"Wait—that includes us!" Yao Yao cried, dread dawning a heartbeat too late.
Even Zhong Chuke stood frozen for a fraction of a second, staring at the white wall racing toward them from every direction.
Then instinct took over.
Jin Zhuo, Zhong Chuke, Tian Xi, and Yao Yao launched upward simultaneously, profound energy surging beneath their feet as they attempted to take flight. Cang Yue moved at the same moment, Xue Ling beside her, both preparing to rise above the descending catastrophe.
King Alugang, however, did not move to escape.
Instead—
He smiled.
With blood still streaking his face, he pulled out his final weapon.
A small, blackened artifact pulsing with sinister light.
"You think I'd let you leave?" he rasped.
He crushed the activation seal.
A dull shockwave spread outward across the basin.
And instantly—
Everyone fell.
The profound energy beneath their feet sputtered and died. Flight collapsed mid-ascent, and bodies dropped back into the snow with heavy thuds.
Cang Yue felt her connection severed.
Xue Ling's wings faltered.
Even glider constructs failed to respond.
They turned in disbelief.
A flight-suppressing artifact.
Designed to disrupt and cut the flow of energy required for aerial movement. Even mechanical wing gliders were rendered useless under its field.
"You fiend!" Xue Ling shouted, already charging toward him.
But Alugang was faster in that single, desperate motion.
He hurled the artifact deep into the snow.
It vanished instantly beneath the white surface.
His grin widened, wild and unhinged.
"If I'm dying," he snarled, voice drowned beneath the roar of the avalanche, "I'm taking all of you with me!"
Above them—
The avalanche descended.
And now—
No one could fly.
Xue Ling's fury erupted.
She drove her fist into King Alugang's face again and again, each strike cracking bone, splintering teeth, spraying blood across the snow. The impact echoed even over the thunder of the descending avalanche.
But the mad king only laughed.
His broken mouth twisted into a grin.
"You're all dead anyway…" he rasped.
Xue Ling froze for half a breath.
"I… I'm sorry, everyone," she said, voice tightening. "I triggered the explosives. I didn't expect… I didn't expect him to activate a no-flight formation and throw it into the snow."
Above them, the white wall grew closer—roaring, swallowing the sky.
"No way…" Tian Xi whispered, staring upward. "Are we going to die?!"
"No!" Yao Yao shouted, panic rising. "I'm too pretty to die!"
Tian Xi shot her a look even as snow-laden wind battered them. "That's what you're worried about?!"
"Hey—at least we have each other!"
"Pool your profound energy!" Jin Zhuo roared over the chaos. "We can reinforce a barrier! We might survive the impact!"
Jin Zhuo gritted his teeth as the avalanche roared closer.
No.
If he died here, his wife would kill him.
The thought almost made him laugh—if not for the crushing weight of reality bearing down on them.
He had only just reclaimed the province. Order had barely been restored. There were reforms to implement, traitors to root out, alliances to stabilize. The people had begun to hope again.
He had work left unfinished.
To die here—
Buried under snow in some remote mountain basin—
That was not the ending he had in mind.
His profound energy surged violently as he stepped forward, joining Zhong Chuke in forming a barrier.
"I refuse," he muttered under his breath. "I did not fight this hard to fall to snow."
The wind howled. The ground trembled.
Jin Zhuo planted his feet firmly.
If the mountain wanted to crush him—
It would have to try harder than that.
----------------------
Zhong Chuke stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself directly between the avalanche and his two disciples. His arms spread wide as profound energy erupted from him, forming a trembling barrier against the descending white tide.
"I'm not letting these two die," he growled. "They are the future of our sect!"
The wind howled louder, snow whipping against his robes as the ground vibrated beneath the avalanche's approach.
If he perished here—
So be it.
A faint, almost rueful thought flickered across his mind.
I suppose I won't even get to die in front of Xue Yin…
Not that it mattered now.
Behind him, Tian Xi and Yao Yao clung to each other tightly.
Their new Throne-level power pulsed within their veins—vast, stable, full of potential.
And yet—
It might amount to nothing.
"If we die…" Yao Yao whispered, her usual bravado stripped away, "at least we go together."
Tian Xi tightened her hold, forcing a shaky smile. "If we survive… we stay together too."
They had just been granted power others would sacrifice everything to obtain.
They hadn't even had the chance to test its limits. To explore it. To revel in it.
Too bad—
They might not live long enough to truly enjoy it.
The avalanche roared closer, blotting out the sky.
Zhong Chuke braced.
Snow and fate were about to fall.
-------------------------
Cang Yue stood still for a fraction of a second, mind racing faster than the avalanche itself.
There had to be something.
She would not let it end here.
Not like this.
"Yue-sama!"
The voice pierced through the roar.
"Nemu?!" Cang Yue's head snapped up, disbelief and relief colliding.
"Where are you?!" Nemu's voice rang inside her mind, strained and urgent. "There's too much snow—I can't see you! I can't see you!"
The avalanche thundered closer.
Time was running out.
And somewhere above the collapsing basin—
Rescue was searching blindly through the storm.
Cang Yue's fingers brushed against something else in her robe.
Not the detonator.
The second item Yun Che had pressed into her hand that night.
She pulled it out.
A flare gun.
Compared to explosives, it seemed insignificant. Primitive. Almost laughable.
But if it came from Yun Che… it was never meaningless.
"Yue'er! Whatever you're going to do—do it now!" Xue Ling shouted over the roar of collapsing snow.
King Alugang laughed, even as his own men vanished beneath the avalanche.
"Useless! If I die, I'll drag all of you to hell with me!"
The mountains answered with thunder.
It was now or never.
Cang Yue raised the flare gun toward the sky—toward a sky no one could even see beneath the torrent of white.
She pulled the trigger.
A red flare erupted upward, tearing through the blizzard like a streak of blood against heaven.
At the same instant—
A massive wall of ice surged up around them.
It wasn't hers.
Cang Yue immediately recognized the aura behind it.
The haki was precise. Cold. Absolute.
Above them, the VTOL hovered violently against the wind.
Inside—
Chu Yueli and Qingyue stood side by side, palms extended.
They were holding back the avalanche.
Not stopping it.
Holding it.
The weight pressed against their ice barrier like the wrath of the heavens. Their veins bulged. Frost crept up their arms. The pressure was unimaginable—like restraining multiple mountains at once.
Even at the pinnacle of human existence…
Even they could not defy Mother Nature indefinitely.
The ice barrier began to fracture.
Above the chaos, Nemu circled in the VTOL, eyes sharp, hands dancing over the controls. Her spiritual perception strained through the storm until—
There.
A red flare pierced the whiteout.
"Yue-sama!" she breathed. "I see your flare! SPIE rig deploying!"
=============
The Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction rig or SPIE rig.
Normally used by helicopters to extract personnel from terrain too hostile to land.
But this was not normal.
This version had been modified.
Instead of a simple hook system, the cable was embedded with conductive filaments—once activated, a controlled electrical current would flow through the rope. Not lethal.
But powerful enough to lock muscle fibers in place, enhancing grip strength beyond natural limits.
=============
Nemu couldn't risk descending into the avalanche.
She slammed a command into the console.
A hidden compartment beneath the VTOL opened.
A reinforced extraction cable shot downward, slicing through the snowstorm toward the trapped group.
Below, they saw it.
Hope descending from the sky.
The cable struck the ice barrier and swung toward them.
"Yue-sama!" Nemu's voice crackled through the comms. "Tell everyone to grab the cable! Now!"
The ice wall groaned.
Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface.
"Once everyone is holding it," Nemu continued, voice steady but urgent, "I'll electrify the line. You won't be able to release your grip—even if you try. Hold tight!"
The avalanche roared louder.
The barrier began to collapse.
Cang Yue turned to the others.
"This is our only chance!"
Behind her, King Alugang's laughter faltered for the first time as he realized—
The heavens had not answered him.
Someone else had.
"Everyone! Hold on!" Cang Yue commanded.
There was no hesitation.
Zhong Chuke and Jin Zhuo grabbed the cable at the same time as Tian Xi and Yao Yao. Fingers locked tight. Knuckles white. They had no idea what was about to happen—but if this was survival, they would seize it.
The wind howled.
The ice barrier cracked louder.
"No—NO! You're dying with me!" King Alugang roared, stumbling forward through the collapsing snow.
He tried to force his way toward the cable.
A burst of profound energy struck him square in the chest.
Xue Ling stood before him, palm extended, eyes like frozen steel.
"Die alongside your men," she said coldly.
The blast hurled him backward into the churning white. His scream was swallowed instantly by the avalanche.
Several of his surviving men lunged desperately for the descending cable.
They never reached it.
Xue Ling moved like a phantom—precise, ruthless. One strike. One body. No wasted motion. In mere breaths, the snow claimed them too.
"Nemu! Pull us up!" Cang Yue shouted.
Inside the VTOL, Nemu's fingers tightened on the controls.
"Electrifying line!"
A controlled current surged through the cable.
Muscles locked.
Their grip became absolute.
"Ascending!"
The VTOL engines screamed as thrust output spiked.
In the passenger's compartment, Qingyue and Chu Yueli finally faltered.
The ice barrier shattered.
The avalanche came down in full fury.
For a split second, the world turned white.
Snow swallowed them.
The cable strained violently under the weight as the VTOL fought against gravity and the crushing pull of the mountain itself.
Then—
With a thunderous burst, the VTOL punched through the upper cloud of snow. Which is lighter compared to the snow below.
It erupted into clear air, dragging all six of them behind it, suspended like pendulums in a storm. Snow clung to their hair, their clothes, their faces.
But they were alive.
The mountain roared below as if angered at losing its prey.
After several long seconds, the cable stabilized.
Yao Yao sucked in a shaking breath.
"I thought I was going to die!"
"Same here!" Tian Xi gasped, coughing snow from his mouth. "I really didn't want this mountain to become our grave!"
Zhong Chuke let out a disbelieving laugh. Jin Zhuo simply closed his eyes in silent relief.
Cang Yue looked up toward the VTOL. The flare gun was still in her hand.
Simple and small.
But it had just saved them all.
Once they were far enough from the avalanche's epicenter, Nemu disengaged the electrified current.
The instant the current ceased, sensation returned to their fingers.
They flexed their hands instinctively.
"…My grip was that strong?" Tian Xi muttered, staring at his trembling fingers.
"It locked everything," Zhong Chuke said, impressed. "I couldn't have let go even if I wanted to."
One by one, they regained full control of their profound energy. Their ability to fly returned naturally once they were clear of the suppressive chaos below.
The rear compartment of the VTOL opened mid-air with a hydraulic hiss.
"Board from the back," Nemu instructed calmly.
They ascended into the craft, boots thudding against reinforced flooring. The hatch sealed behind them, cutting off the roar of wind and distant collapse.
Only then did they truly breathe.
Alive.
Zhong Chuke's eyes wandered everywhere.
The interior lighting. The reinforced alloy ribs. The digital displays flowing with tactical data. The concealed compartments and modular rigging systems.
It was his first time inside such an advanced ark.
"…This thing is extraordinary," he murmured.
Tian Xi and Yao Yao, however, barely reacted. They sank into their seats, still catching their breath. Survival outweighed curiosity.
Cang Yue leaned against the bulkhead, steadying herself.
She exhaled slowly.
Being swallowed by snow…
It was nothing compared to facing Wrath in the Sanctuary.
That had been true terror.
This?
This had simply been reckless.
Her gaze shifted to Xue Ling.
"Next time," Cang Yue said evenly, "discuss things with me before you decide to blow a mountain into our faces."
Xue Ling looked away.
"Thank the heavens Nemu heard our call," Cang Yue added.
A brief silence.
"…I'm sorry," Xue Ling admitted. "I wasn't thinking ahead. I thought we could just detonate the upper layers, scatter the snow, and fly off before it destabilized."
She sighed.
"I miscalculated."
Cang Yue folded her arms.
"There's no use dwelling on it. But I certainly didn't expect you to swipe the detonator from my robe."
"You dropped it," Xue Ling replied immediately.
"…Eh?"
"You dropped it," she repeated flatly. "I picked it up. And when we were overwhelmed, I pressed the button."
She glanced sideways at Cang Yue. "What if someone else had picked it up?"
Cang Yue raised an eyebrow. "Hey. You're the one who pressed it. Don't shift the blame onto me."
A faint spark of indignation flickered in her eyes.
For a moment—
The tension broke.
Tian Xi snorted.
Yao Yao covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Even Zhong Chuke smiled quietly.
After nearly dying, the absurdity of the argument felt strangely grounding.
From the cockpit, Nemu's voice came through, calm as ever. "Flight path stabilized. We are clear of avalanche range."
A brief pause. "…Yue-sama. I am glad you fired the flare."
Cang Yue looked down at the small flare gun still in her hand.
So simple.
So old-fashioned.
And yet—
Perfect timing.
She allowed herself the faintest smile.
"Yes," she murmured. "So am I."
========================
Zhong Chuke approached slowly, his expression solemn as he stepped before the two veiled figures seated quietly—Qingyue and her master, Chu Yueli. Without hesitation, he bowed deeply.
"My thanks to the Asgardian Fairies for saving the people of my sect."
Chu Yueli regarded him calmly. "You are their sect master?"
"Yes," he replied. "I am Zhong Chuke. It is an honor to meet the esteemed Fairy of the Frozen Moon, Chu Yueli… and the runner-up of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, Xia Qingyue."
A faint hint of surprise crossed Qingyue's eyes. "I am surprised you know of us, especially in such a remote region."
"My disciples told me," Zhong Chuke said. His tone grew heavier. "I am deeply indebted to both of you. I thought sending them away would ensure their safety… but instead, the Wu Clan attempted to ambush them. The Lunar Blossom Sect owes you both our lives."
Behind him, Tian Xi and Yao Yao stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Thank you as well," Tian Xi said.
"Thank you so much," Yao Yao added.
Chu Yueli shook her head lightly. "It is not necessary." Her gaze shifted past Zhong Chuke toward the two girls. "I did this for them."
Zhong Chuke blinked and turned back to his disciples. "My disciples?"
"My daughters like them," Chu Yueli continued calmly. "And I promised them assistance… as well as allowing my disciple to gain the experience she needs."
Zhong Chuke smiled faintly to himself. A simple act of kindness toward the Chu Yueli's daughter had earned them salvation.
"I see…" he said softly. "Then I am even more indebted. Is there any way I can repay you?"
"Those two…" Chu Yueli's gaze remained steady.
Zhong Chuke hesitated. "Are you planning to recruit them into the Frozen Cloud Asgard?"
There was clear concern in his voice. These two were the future of his sect.
Chu Yueli shook her head. "No. They are not suitable to become Asgardians. Just guide them properly. They are your future leaders… are they not?"
Zhong Chuke exhaled slowly. "…Yes."
"Then consider your debt repaid when they become the leaders you envision," she said. "I cannot speak on behalf of the Asgard to form an alliance… but you may consider us friends."
Zhong Chuke bowed deeply once more. "I understand. I cannot thank you enough."
Behind him, Yao Yao's eyes sparkled. "Friends… with Lady Chu Yueli?"
She turned to Tian Xi in disbelief. "Is this real? Pinch me, Xie'er."
Tian Xi complied without hesitation.
"Ah—! Not literally!" Yao Yao yelped, clutching her arm.
"You asked," Tian Xi replied flatly.
A faint smile touched Chu Yueli's lips. These two were not suited to become Asgardians—but that did not matter. One day, they would become something just as important.
Allies.
========================
[Detonation in T-Minus 30 seconds.]
============
The system chime cut through the air like a blade.
Yun Che's eyes snapped wide, a thin line of sweat tracing down his temple. Even in his full Super Saiyan state, golden aura flaring violently around him, he could barely suppress the chaotic energy raging within Xue Yin's dantian. It was unstable—slipping, shifting—on the verge of breaking free.
"Yuu-kun, this thing is slippery," Retsu said, her tone tight, her focus absolute as her fingers hovered with surgical precision over Xue Yin's chest.
"This is bad," Yun Che muttered, jaw tightening. "If it reaches the main artery, we lose it."
Time was collapsing.
==========
[Detonation in T-Minus twenty seconds.]
==========
Twenty seconds.
Then—
An idea.
Dangerous. Irrational. The kind of decision that only existed when there were no good options left.
"I've got one way," Yun Che said suddenly, voice low but decisive. "It's stupid—but it's the only window we'll get."
Retsu didn't look up. "Say it."
"I'm going to stop her heart."
Her hands froze—just for a fraction of a second. "Yuu-kun… that's—"
"It'll halt the blood flow," he cut in sharply. "Everything stops for a moment. You'll have a clean, motionless window to extract it."
Ten seconds.
The air grew heavier.
Retsu's eyes lowered slightly, her expression unreadable—calculating risk, timing, consequence.
Then she exhaled. "…Understood."
Yun Che's gaze locked onto hers. "I trust you."
A brief pause—
Then a faint nod.
"Hai… leave it to me."
=============
"This is… peaceful."
Xue Yin's voice echoed softly within the vast, boundless sea of her spiritual awareness. There was no pain here—no tearing instability, no constant gnawing within her dantian. Only stillness. Quiet. Relief.
"So this is… what it means to sleep…"
For a moment, she drifted.
Then the realization struck.
"…Don't tell me… am I dead?"
A flicker of panic rippled through her, breaking the fragile calm. But just as quickly as it came, it faded. There was no pain to cling to, no body to anchor her fear. Only acceptance… slowly settling in.
"…So this is how it ends."
And then—
A vision.
Faint at first, like ripples across still water.
Two figures.
Yun Che—his aura blazing, strained to its limit.
Retsu—hands steady, movements precise, her entire being focused on a single point.
"They're…" Xue Yin's gaze trembled. "…trying to save me?"
She watched as they pushed themselves without hesitation. No retreat. No doubt. Only effort—desperate, relentless effort.
A question surfaced from somewhere deep within her. "…Why?"
Her voice wavered. "…Even my own sister… turned away from me…"
The memory stung—but here, in this place, it felt distant. Hollow. "…So why…?"
Her eyes softened, fixed on the two figures who refused to give up.
"…Why are these two… fighting so hard for me?"
Something stirred within her.
Not pain.
Not regret.
Something warmer. "…Please…"
Her voice grew quiet, yet carried a fragile strength. "Young ones… don't stop…"
The stillness around her began to ripple, as if responding.
"Let me…" Her form flickered—faint, but reaching. "…see Ling'er again."
For the first time since entering that silent sea—
Xue Yin chose not to drift.
She chose to return.
============
[Detonation in T-Minus 15 seconds.]
============
"It's now or never…"
Yun Che's voice dropped as his expression hardened. Without another word, he struck—precise, absolute—halting Xue Yin's heart in a single instant.
A violent surge of energy erupted from her body.
The air fractured.
Cracks splintered across the walls and floor as the pressure spiked, the very structure of the house groaning under the strain.
"I see it!" Retsu's voice cut through the chaos, her focus razor-sharp.
"Now!"
In a movement too fast for the eye to follow, her blade flashed. She sliced open the vein and extracted the writhing parasite in one seamless motion.
The moment it touched open air—
It disintegrated.
No scream. No resistance.
Only instant vaporization.
==================
[Parasite eliminated.]
==================
For a fraction of a second—
Silence.
Then—
==================
[Warning… Warning…]
[Dantian energy destabilization detected.]
==================
"Shit…" Yun Che's eyes narrowed. "I thought killing it would stabilize everything."
"Yuu-kun, what's happening?!" Retsu demanded, already shifting her stance to contain the aftermath.
"Without the parasite…" Yun Che's voice tightened, "there's nothing regulating the energy inside her dantian anymore."
He looked at Xue Yin—at the violent fluctuations rippling beneath her skin.
"It's going to burst."
A beat.
"…Ten seconds."
Retsu's grip steadied. "Then we—"
"Wait." Yun Che's eyes flashed with sudden realization. "We can use this."
Retsu glanced at him.
"Force a breakthrough," he said.
Right now, her energy is at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm. This amount of power… it's enough to push her straight into the Peak Sovereign Profound Realm."
==================
[Error.]
[Proposed breakthrough calculation invalid.]
==================
"What?" Yun Che snapped.
==================
[Energy analysis complete.]
[Target possesses sufficient energy to forcibly ascend to: Sixth Level — Divine Origin Realm.]
==================
"The heck?!"
Even Yun Che froze for a fraction of a second.
That level…
That was beyond anything they had anticipated.
==================
[Warning.]
[Foundation insufficient for direct ascension.]
[Forced breakthrough to Divine Origin Realm will result in catastrophic backlash.]
[Recommendation: Stabilize at Peak Sovereign Profound Realm.]
==================
"Then we stop there," Yun Che said immediately. "We cap her at Peak Sovereign."
==================
[Calculation updated.]
[Excess energy remaining: Equivalent to sixteen additional levels.]
[Unrefined surplus energy remains unstable.]
==================
Retsu's eyes sharpened. "Meaning?"
==================
[If uncontrolled detonation occurs:]
[Estimated destructive yield: Equivalent to a modern nuclear strike.]
[Projected impact: Total devastation of surrounding province.]
==================
Silence fell.
Even the air seemed to freeze.
Yun Che's jaw clenched.
"…And if we stabilize her at Peak Sovereign Profound Realm?"
==================
[Residual detonation risk reduced.]
[Projected impact: Complete vaporization of Northern Mountain region.]
==================
"…Still not acceptable," Yun Che muttered.
Retsu did not hesitate. "Then what do we do? Do we abandon her?"
Yun Che didn't answer immediately.
His eyes remained locked on Xue Yin—on the storm threatening to erupt from within her.
Then—
==================
[Solution identified.]
==================
Both of them stilled.
Yun Che's voice lowered.
"…Say it."
"…"
The silence stretched—tight, suffocating—before the system responded.
==================
[Analysis complete.]
[Reference acquired: Evolved Yin Lunar Body — Cang Yue.]
[Solution: Structural Reconstruction of Profound Core.]
[A ten-layer vessel can be generated within the target's dantian.]
[This will establish a "Beginner Profound Realm" foundation layer into Xue Yin's Profound Core.]
[Target's cultivation system will be recalibrated to a system-based framework.]
[Requirement:]
[Host must construct an additional core layer using Spirit Ki Force.]
[Upon completion, system will reinforce and stabilize the structure.]
==================
Yun Che's pupils contracted.
A method like this…
It didn't just stabilize energy.
It rewrote cultivation itself.
An additional ten-layer foundation—artificially constructed, perfectly aligned, system-enhanced. If word of this spread, it wouldn't just attract attention—
It would provoke annihilation.
This was a technique that transcended even the known limits of the Realm of the Celestials.
For a brief moment, he hesitated.
Then—
His expression hardened.
"I'll take it."
==================
[Initiating profound core reconstruction…]
[Generating auxiliary layer…]
[Ten-layer foundation established.]
[Reinforcing structure…]
[Beginner Profound Realm foundation stabilized.]
[Recalibrating core system…]
==================
Xue Yin's body trembled violently.
Then—
The storm reversed.
Her profound core began to pull inward, siphoning the raging Emperor Profound energy back into itself. The chaotic pressure collapsed, compressed, reorganized.
Her cultivation—
Fell.
==================
[Cultivation adjusted: Grand Perfection Sky Profound Realm.]
==================
The excess energy did not vanish.
It gathered.
Condensed.
Awaiting direction.
==================
[Redistributing refined energy into newly formed core layers…]
==================
Yun Che turned sharply. "Retsu."
She was already ready.
"When I give the signal," he said, voice firm, "push everything into her dantian. Don't hold back."
"Hai…"
The air trembled.
The new core layers pulsed—empty, waiting to be filled.
Yun Che raised his hand.
"Three…" The energy began to spiral.
"Two…" Retsu's spiritual pressure aligned with his.
"One…" The moment crystallized.
"Now!"
Both of them moved.
Every ounce of energy—every fragment of power within Xue Yin—was forced inward, guided, compressed, and poured into the newly constructed layers.
The ten-layer foundation ignited. As for the remaining energy? They directly push it into the high profound layers.
Stabilized and accepted.
What had once been a catastrophic detonation—
Became structure.
What had once been chaos—
Became ascent.
That night—
A boundary was broken.
Not just for Xue Yin—
But for the very concept of cultivation itself.
A new legend… was born.
=======================
[Ding.... Quest Complete]
=======================
The VTOL descended onto the mountain peak—the very place where Yun Che and Retsu had once treated Xue Yin. Its engines hummed softly as it touched down, the winds around it gradually settling.
One by one, they disembarked.
For a moment, no one spoke.
They had just fought in a war… and survived the wrath of nature itself.
Slowly, they turned back.
Below them, the entire mountain basin had been swallowed.
What was once a battlefield was now nothing more than a vast, endless expanse of snow. The avalanche had buried everything—King Alugang, his army, and the remnants of the war.
Gone.
Lost beneath layers of ice and silence.
It would take years… perhaps decades… for that snow to ever be disturbed again.
Tian Xi and Yao Yao both let out long breaths.
They were only direct disciples of Zhong Chuke—used to high-level missions, yes—but nothing like this.
First, they were thrown against overwhelming forces of high level wolves. Then into a full-scale war against the Qiang State.
And finally… escaped a disaster of nature.
"…What is next?" Yao Yao muttered quietly.
"I just wanted to go home." Tian Xi sighs.
Still—
They had stepped into the Emperor Profound Realm.
That alone made everything feel surreal.
"Ah, you girls are here…" Yun Che's voice broke the silence as he came out of the small house alongside veiled Retsu. He sounded tired as he made way. As if they survived the horrors of the world.
But this time—
He looked different.
His hair was golden—platinum blonde, spiked upward, and his aura surged wildly around him, distorting the air like a constant wind tunnel.
The only ones visibly shocked were Zhong Chuke, Jin Zhuo, Tian Xi, and Yao Yao.
They had never seen this form before.
The others, however, remained calm.
They were already used to it.
Yun Che crossed his arms as he glanced toward the basin below.
"Didn't think you'd actually blow it up," he said, looking at Cang Yue. "I was planning to retrieve those marbles, but…"
He paused.
Then sighed.
"…Yeah. That's a lot of snow." His gaze lingered over the buried valley. "Guess the Northern Mountain Basin is no more."
"You can ask Sis Ling," Cang Yue said with a sigh. "She's the one who pressed it."
Xue Ling quietly looked away.
"I see…" Yun Che nodded, his tone calm. "It was meant as a backup plan, but what's done is done."
He turned his gaze toward her. "You alright, Sis?"
"I'm fine…" Xue Ling replied, though her voice carried a faint hesitation. "How's… that sister of mine?"
She tried not to show it.
But the concern was there.
Yun Che sighed softly. Even after everything—after the anger, the years apart—she still cared.
"Well, that was close. We almost died but we managed to extract the parasite," he said. "Her life is no longer in danger. Courtesy of Retsu's sharp hands."
Xue Ling's shoulders eased slightly.
She turned to Retsu and bowed her head.
"Thank you, Sister Retsu."
Retsu smiled gently. "It's the least I could do."
Then her expression softened further. "Don't be too hard on her. She just survived an operation that could've taken her life."
"And ours."
"….." Xue Ling remained silent, her gaze lowered.
Nearby, Tian Xi stepped forward slightly.
"She's… going to be fine?" she asked.
"Yes," Yun Che replied. "Your Grand Asgard Mistress will be fine. She just needs rest. You'll see her once she wakes up."
"Thank heavens…" Zhong Chuke muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Jin Zhuo gave a quiet nod of agreement.
========================
The Hutu Monk staggered back to his feet, robes torn and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Yet the madness in his eyes had not faded in the slightest.
"Damn it, Divine Xue Yin!" he roared, his voice shaking the battlefield. "I'll kill you and every last member of your family!"
Yun Che blinked in mild surprise as he looked toward the battered monk.
"That guy is still alive?" he mused. "I thought a single kick from you would've taken him down."
Retsu lightly brushed a strand of hair aside, her tone calm.
"Ara… apparently not." She glanced at the monk with mild disappointment. "I was hoping he wasn't dead yet. After all, he was Nemu's opponent."
Her eyes curved slightly with amusement. "All that experience should go to her."
Yun Che cracked his knuckles, a grin spreading across his face.
"Yosh. Then I'll take care of this one." Excitement flickered in his eyes as his aura began to rise. "Super Saiyan already and—"
He suddenly stopped.
Everyone did.
A terrifying aura erupted from the small house behind them.
With a deafening explosion, the structure burst apart, wooden debris scattering into the air as a figure slowly stepped forward from within the dust.
A sword rested calmly in her hand.
Moments earlier, the Hutu Monk had been roaring in fury.
Now, his voice was gone.
A thin line appeared across his body.
Then—
He split cleanly in two.
The Emperor Profound Realm expert collapsed instantly, killed in a single strike.
"Oh come on!" Yun Che groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I was ready for a fight!"
Standing where the monk had fallen was Xue Yin.
She had risen from her treatment.
The battlefield fell silent as all eyes turned toward her.
This was not the same Xue Yin they had seen earlier in the basin.
Back then, she had only been at the Peak Throne Realm.
Now, her aura surged outward like an endless ocean—heavy, majestic, and overwhelming. Every breath she took seemed to press against the surroundings.
It was unmistakable.
The power of a Monarch.
A Sovereign Profound Realm cultivator.
A realm spoken of only in legends.
Zhong Chuke, Jin Zhuo, Tian Xi, and Yao Yao stood frozen in place, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Even Chu Yueli and Qingyue were visibly surprised.
Two Monarchs… in the same empire?
Another Monarch had just appeared before them. To think that aside from Mio, another being had stepped into that realm. A new legend had risen.
Excluding Libra, who remained within the Sanctuary—
Xue Yin had just become one of the most powerful beings alive.
"Sister Xue… you…" Zhong Chuke's voice faltered, disbelief written across his face.
He stared at the woman standing calmly at the center of the battlefield.
This was Xue Yin—
Yet not the Xue Yin he remembered.
The pale, distant fairy who once carried an eerie, suffocating aura was gone. In her place stood someone entirely different.
Her presence was no longer unstable.
No longer dangerous to those around her.
Her beauty remained, but it no longer overwhelmed or distorted the senses. Her skin carried warmth, her breathing steady, her existence… whole.
The aura around her spread outward like a vast, tranquil ocean—immense, yet completely under control.
For years she had been surrounded by the corrupting poison that twisted her aura, filling the air with a suffocating miasma that distorted both her presence and the emotions of those around her. Her beauty had once felt unnatural, almost oppressive.
Now…
There was nothing.
No seductive aura.
No poisonous miasma.
No strange pull on the senses.
Only pure, natural beauty.
Her skin was no longer pale and stiff like before. It carried a healthy warmth, her presence calm and composed like a tranquil lake.
For the first time in years—
She felt human.
Tian Xi and Yao Yao stared in stunned silence.
But the most shocking change was not her appearance.
It was her cultivation.
A vast, stabilized aura radiated from her body, steady and overwhelming.
Sixth Level Sovereign Profound Realm.
Her original Peak Emperor Profound Realm cultivation had exploded upward after Yun Che restored the twenty years of power that had been sealed away inside her body. The energy had not only returned—it had stabilized perfectly, pushing her into the legendary realm of Monarchs.
Xue Yin stood quietly where the Hutu Monk had fallen.
Nearby, Cang Yue descended from the air and looked between her and Xue Ling.
Her eyes widened slightly.
The resemblance was astonishing.
They looked almost identical—like two reflections of the same person standing side by side.
So this was the missing older sister Xue Ling had spoken about.
"Incredible…" Cang Yue murmured.
Meanwhile, Xue Ling simply stared at Xue Yin without much reaction at all.
The presence of a Monarch seemed to disturb her about as much as a passing breeze.
Yun Che let out a long sigh beside them.
His golden hair flickered and faded as his Super Saiyan transformation dissipated, returning him to normal.
"It wasn't easy," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it means the experiment Retsu and I worked on was a success."
Then his voice suddenly appeared directly inside Cang Yue's mind.
A private transmission.
He made sure the mental conversation remained between him, Retsu, and Cang Yue.
"Experiment?" Cang Yue asked mentally.
"Well…" Yun Che coughed awkwardly. "We might have… scanned your body to understand something."
Cang Yue's eyes widened instantly. "You perv—! Wait… understand what?!"
"It wasn't like that!" Yun Che protested quickly. "Anyway—remember when Yuyun absorbed Ling Tianni's power to bypass the limitations of your Yin Lunar Body?"
Cang Yue blinked. "Yes."
"Well," Yun Che continued, "it turns out Xue Yin and Xue Ling both possess something extremely rare."
"The Legendary Enchantress Body."
Cang Yue stiffened. "Xue Yin's power went completely haywire because of the poison and the suppressed energy inside her body," Yun Che explained. "Meanwhile, Xue Ling's power is still dormant."
He paused briefly.
"It's like Yin and Yang."
"One awakened… one sleeping."
"Incredible…" Cang Yue whispered.
"Yeah," Yun Che replied in her mind. "Their bodies can be bypassed the same way yours can."
Cang Yue blinked. "Like me…? That means…"
Yun Che continued explaining calmly.
"Retsu and I modified her Profound Core during the surgery. When we converted her sealed energy back into her body, we discovered something interesting. Even if we pushed her cultivation to the Peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm, any excess power would simply disperse."
He paused briefly.
"In other words, the excess energy would leak out and potentially destroy everything around her."
Cang Yue remained silent, listening carefully.
"So when we realized her body structure could actually be modified," Yun Che continued, "we adjusted her Profound Core to support another ten levels of excess energy capacity."
"That extra capacity absorbed the overflow."
"And once we poured that power back into her… it effectively raised her strength by another ten levels."
"Just like your situation."
Cang Yue's eyes widened slightly.
Yun Che continued. "In our cultivation realm, we measure strength by levels, not just cultivation realms."
"Retsu, Kon, and I are currently around Level 70. In the cultivation system of this world, that corresponds roughly to True Grand Perfection Sky Profound Realm."
"To the people here, that places us roughly on par with Grand Perfection Emperor Profound Realm fighters."
He continued listing them off. "Mio is Level 99."
Cang Yue nodded. She saw the breakthrough herself.
"Ninety-nine?"
"Yeah," Yun Che said casually. "That places her roughly at the Ninth Level Divine Origin Realm equivalent despite her level is in Ninth Level Sovereign Profound Realm."
Then he continued.
"You're currently Level 63."
"That's technically Third Level Sky Profound Realm in our system, but because of how your body works, your combat output is closer to a Third Level Emperor Profound Realm cultivator here."
Cang Yue processed that slowly.
Then Yun Che added another piece of information.
"Nemu also broke through recently."
"She's Level 61 now."
Cang Yue nearly jumped.
"She's already in the Sky Profound Realm?!"
"Ufuu.... Apparently," Retsu said with a faint chuckle. "She is my sister after all. Onee-chan is proud of her."
Then his tone grew slightly more serious.
"But Xue Yin… little Yue?"
"We modified her core structure."
"That adjustment essentially gave her the power tier of a Beginner-class system cultivator just like you and us."
"Her new level is 96."
Cang Yue froze. "Level… ninety-six?"
"Yep," Yun Che replied.
"Three levels lower than Mio."
That meant Xue Yin had instantly become one of the strongest beings alive.
"With that level conversion," Yun Che continued, "she's now roughly equivalent to a Sixth Level Divine Origin Realm cultivator."
"And Mio is still sitting at Ninth Level Divine Origin Realm."
Cang Yue struggled to process it all.
"But… you said earlier they're at the Sovereign Profound Realm…"
Yun Che chuckled.
"Sovereign Profound Realm? Well, technically yes. In our levelling system, they're actually at Sovereign Profound Realm. But that's just the local cultivation terminology. In reality, they've already surpassed that realm."
He concluded calmly.
"In our leveling system, once you reach Level 80 or above, you're already considered Monarch-level by this world's standards," Yun Che continued in Cang Yue's mind. "But once you surpass Level 90, that's a whole different level entirely."
Cang Yue remained silent, trying to process the scale of what he was saying.
Yun Che added calmly, "The reason neither of them has a divine aura yet is because that only awakens at Level 100. Until then, they only possess the power equivalent to the Divine Origin Realm—not the true power of a divine cultivator."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"But even at Level 91, people on this planet already can't fight you anymore."
Cang Yue glanced at Xue Yin and Mio from the corner of her eye.
"Then… Xue Yin and Mio are…"
"The pinnacle of this planet," Yun Che answered plainly. "Cultivators that no one here can challenge."
There was another brief pause before he added one more detail.
"But if Xue Yin fought Mio… she would still lose."
Cang Yue blinked.
"Why?"
"In the Level 90s, every single level difference becomes enormous," Yun Che explained. "The gap between each level is like the distance between the earth and the sky. Plus minus a few skills Mio has that outclass her."
A difference of three levels at that height of power was no longer small.
It was overwhelming.
For a moment, Cang Yue found herself lost in thought.
If reaching Level 90 placed someone among the strongest beings on the planet… then one day, if she reached that height as well, she too would stand at the pinnacle of the world.
The idea was both exhilarating and daunting.
Before she could think further, movement ahead drew her attention.
Xue Yin slowly turned toward the group.
More precisely—
Toward Xue Ling.
Her expression, which had been calm and composed moments ago, softened with hesitation.
Then she began walking.
Step by step, she approached her younger sister.
Halfway there, she stopped.
The sword in her hand slipped from her fingers and fell to the snow with a dull thud.
Xue Yin lowered her head slightly and closed her eyes.
"I won't fight back," she said quietly. "If you want to vent your anger… hit me."
Her voice trembled faintly, but she did not waver. "Whatever violence you have… I will accept it."
Even if her sister's rage destroyed her, she would not resist. "If it means gaining even a splinter of love or forgiveness from you… I will endure it."
She inhaled slowly. "I'll apologize a thousand times if I have to."
Then she waited.
Eyes closed.
Completely defenseless.
Xue Ling began walking toward her.
The others held their breath.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Xue Ling passed directly in front of her sister.
Then—
She walked past her.
Without a word.
Behind them, near the edge of the cliff, a simple wooden log bench rested beneath the wind.
It was the very place where Xue Yin once sat countless times, quietly watching the city below.
Xue Ling walked to it and sat down.
Xue Yin slowly opened her eyes.
She turned around, unsure.
Unsure whether she should approach.
Unsure whether she even had the right to.
Yun Che watched the scene quietly before speaking.
"I think this is the moment where you two talk. Really talk."
Xue Yin hesitated. "I'm… not sure…"
Yun Che simply gestured toward her sister. "Just go to her."
He turned toward the others. "We'll leave you two here and head back to the Jin Family Watchkeep."
One by one, the group boarded the waiting VTOL.
The aircraft hummed to life.
Behind them, the battlefield had finally gone silent.
The war that had consumed the region for a day was over.
The Hutu Monks had fallen.
The Qiang State's assault had collapsed within a single day.
But for Xue Yin—
Her war was not finished.
Not yet.
Because the greatest battle she still had to face…
Was the one waiting for her beside that quiet cliff.
Her own sister.
Xue Ling.