Chapter 523: Chapter 512: The Sword Cultivator Father
"What kind of flame is that?" Wang Ting asked, her teeth chattering.
"If I’m not mistaken, it should be the Dark Blue Ice Flame. I’ve read about it once in an ancient book in the Book Collection Pavilion. It’s a Strange Fire that has long disappeared, said to be capable of freezing even an Immortal, and even Mahayana cultivators have no power to retaliate," Zhan Xiaofu said, unable to hide the covetousness in his eyes as he stared intently at the flame in Ye Sheng’s hand.
But even though he was envious, he was not jealous or greedy. Everyone has their own fortune, and sometimes the more you force it, the more severe the backlash.
Wang Ting was still shocked and rubbed her slightly cold arms as she continued to ask, "How did the junior brother tame such a powerful Strange Fire? He won’t be in any danger, right?"
"There will definitely be troubles. The junior brother’s cultivation level is too low now. Even though he has formed a contract, he can’t fully control it," Zhan Xiaofu said with a tense expression, revealing his concern as an elder disciple only at such moments.
"What should we do?" Wang Ting became completely anxious.
Zhan Xiaofu held her and continued to back away: "It’s no use, the Dark Blue Ice Flame is too formidable, there’s nothing we can do. Look at Lin Shen; the multi-colored light ring in his hand is definitely not simple either. Let’s go, it’s too late if we don’t leave now."
The two retreated in haste, while the Dark Blue Ice Flame in Ye Sheng’s hand also collided with the multi-colored light ring in Lin Shen’s hand.
The moment the Dark Blue Ice Flame appeared, Lin Shen already sensed the danger. But with the multi-colored light ring already in motion, he had no way out. The Black and White Beads in his Dantian spun wildly, and Spiritual Energy rushed towards his body like it was free.
"Boom..."
"What happened?"
"What’s going on?"
"Where did the explosion sound come from?"
"The space is unstable, this secret realm is going to disappear, everyone be careful!"
"Not good, we are about to be teleported out."
The whole secret realm shook at the moment of the explosion, causing everyone searching for treasures inside the palace to panic.
"Junior brother!" Seeing Ye Sheng at the center of the explosion, both Zhan Xiaofu and Wang Ting’s eyes reddened as they shouted sorrowfully. A wave of fluctuations followed, and they, like the other disciples, were thrown out of the secret realm.
"What happened?"
"What happened inside?"
Seeing these low-level disciples all transported out, the elders from the various sects rushed up to inquire.
"Where is Sheng’er?" Ye Qiu did not see Ye Sheng and asked anxiously.
"The junior brother, he..." Wang Ting was too grief-stricken to finish her sentence.
"Elder, we are sorry, we failed to protect the junior brother," Zhan Xiaofu, supporting Wang Ting, also apologized to Ye Qiu with both sadness and guilt.
"You mean he perished inside?" Ye Qiu asked with a furrowed brow, then shook his head, "No, his soul token is intact; he’s not dead."
"Really?" Wang Ting and Zhan Xiaofu looked up in surprise.
"Mhm, I’m sure of it, if Sheng’er died, I would definitely feel it," Ye Qiu knew all too well. If Ye Sheng had truly perished, the System would certainly have judged his task a failure, but there was no such indication. Therefore, Ye Sheng must be fine. The real question was, where had he gone now?
The moment the explosion occurred, the Yu Yang Immortal channeled his last bit of Divine Sense into Ye Sheng’s mind, guiding his body and the bamboo house to recognize a new master. Afterward, the secret realm turned into a red mole that attached itself to Ye Sheng’s arm before dissipating.
Ye Sheng’s current situation was dire. He was in a comatose state, and the violent explosion tore through space, transporting him to an utterly dark place. Although not dangerous, the scarcity of Spiritual Energy allowed only the natural resilience of his body to repair the damaged Dantian.
Due to the sudden explosion, the secret realm also vanished. The cultivators from various major sects were abuzz with discussions, but aside from Zhan Xiaofu and Wang Ting, no one knew the truth. Eventually, when nothing could be deduced, they had no choice but to take their disciples and return home.
Within Tianyan Sect, the simultaneous disappearances of Ye Sheng and Lin Shen spurred much gossip. Some speculated that they had encountered danger, while others suspected their involvement with the explosion.
However, their speculations were quickly contested. Those who had experienced the explosion knew its might; regardless of how formidable Ye Sheng and Lin Shen were, they were merely at Early-stage Foundation Establishment, and people were urged not to mythologize them excessively.
Since then, Ye Qiu secluded himself in Hidden Sword Peak, rarely emerging. People surmised it was due to the grief of losing his only descendant. To avoid hearing any rumors that might cause unnecessary trouble, discussions about Ye Sheng gradually faded among the sect members.
"What do you know? And Lin Shen?"
Ye Qiu had not expected Master Wu’an to confront him. Facing the latter’s icy, unfeeling expression, Ye Qiu was equally unamiable: "Is Master Wu’an questioning me? How would I know where your disciple is? I’d like to ask what Lin Shen did to my son inside the Yuyang Secret Realm?"
"You really have no idea?" Master Wu’an’s aura turned even colder.
Without backing down, Ye Qiu, radiating the authority of a Sword Cultivator, replied icily, "Know what?"
The Sect Leader, Master Qin Guan who arrived in a hurry, was almost scared witless by this scene. What in the world is happening?
"Let’s calm down and speak reasonably. Don’t act rashly," urged Qin Guan, genuinely afraid that their impulsiveness could destroy the entire Tianyan Sect. With Ye Qiu, a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Sword Cultivator, and Wu’an, a Late-stage Nascent Soul Magic Practitioner, a fight between them was no bluff—the entire Tianyan Sect could be brought to ruin under his watch, and he would become a sinner of enormous proportions.
Master Wu’an practiced the Heartless Dao and showed no response to Qin Guan’s attempts at mediation. On the other hand, Ye Qiu’s stance irked him, which caused his complexion to darken as if a storm were brewing.
Knowing not to expect Master Wu’an to back down, Qin Guan pinned his hopes on Ye Qiu: "Brother, please keep a level head, stay steady, you must stay steady."
Ye Qiu did give Qin Guan face. After all, he didn’t involve himself in sect affairs much, and the entire Hidden Sword Peak was essentially managed by this Sect Leader. However, he was quite displeased with Wu’an’s attitude, "He’s the one questioning me right now. My Sheng’er is still missing, how would I know where his disciple is?"
Hearing this, Qin Guan felt his sect brother had been wronged. None of the High-level cultivators really entered that secret realm, so who would know Lin Shen’s whereabouts?
Therefore, maintaining the most accommodating smile as Sect Leader, he said to Master Wu’an: "Master Wu’an, I’ve already made the situation clear. Nobody truly knows what happened. Besides, Lin Shen’s soul token is intact, isn’t it? This means he’s not dead."
Upon hearing this, Master Wu’an shot Ye Qiu a sharp, flickering glance, "For the best, Lin Shen’s disappearance should have nothing to do with Ye Sheng."
Ye Qiu’s anger flared, but he restrained himself for Qin Guan’s sake, though that didn’t mean he would forget or refrain from seeking vengeance.
Just wait. He would definitely teach Master Wu’an and his disciple Lin Shen a lesson!
Indeed, Lin Shen was lucky. Truly deserving the title of a Child of Destiny, he was even able to survive being struck by the Dark Blue Ice Flame.