Volume 1, Chapter 63: Six Months Later, A Fight to the Death!

This is entirely expected.

Mu Yi was testing his Four Seasons Heavenly Sword Art on these two individuals.
First, he unleashed the spring sword technique: Rippling Spring Water.
Then came the summer sword technique: Scorching Summer Flames.
Followed by the autumn sword technique: Desolate Autumn Wind.

These three distinct sword techniques represented three different seasons.
Nangong Ying and Gu Fan were completely trapped within them, unable to live and unable to die.

"Well then, your suffering is about to come to an end. I shall send you on your final journey: Frosty Winter Snow."

Mu Yi flicked his wrist, and the momentum of his sword shifted once more.
This was the final technique of the Four Seasons Heavenly Sword Art: the winter sword technique, Frosty Winter Snow.

Winter snow—the heavenly deities rage, overturning a sea of silver. Ten thousand swirling crystalline petals bury the ravines in the mountains, turning the entire world a stark, uniform white.

The Mysterious Ice White Dragon Sword in Mu Yi's hand seemed to transform into a divine dragon amidst the snow, stirring up a bitter chill that froze the firmament.

"Ah..."

Nangong Ying and Gu Fan felt as though they had been instantly plunged into the dead of winter. Standing upon bitterly cold, piercing glaciers, their entire bodies rapidly stiffened and froze from head to toe.

Under such circumstances, Mu Yi did not even need to strike.
They would simply freeze to death.

"Fools! Both of you are in the Origin Mansion Realm! You can soar through the air! Mu Yi is merely in the Divine Transformation Realm; he cannot fly!"

At that very moment, standing beneath the Platform of Life and Death, Zhao Fenghua suddenly let out a furious roar.

His voice was high and piercing, shattering stone.
Like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, it instantly jolted Nangong Ying and Gu Fan, who had been trapped in frenzy and awaiting death, back to their senses.

That was right! They possessed one massive advantage.
They could fly through the air!
While Mu Yi could not!

"Ascend into the sky!"

The two of them immediately attempted to leap upward.
As long as they took to the skies, no matter how immense Mu Yi's abilities were, he would be powerless against them.

This was the greatest gap between the Divine Transformation Realm and the Origin Mansion Realm.
One could not fly.
While the other could traverse the void.
Such a gap could not be bridged by mere strength alone.

"Hahaha, even at this point, do you really think you can still fly away?"

Mu Yi had anticipated this outcome long ago.
The Mysterious Ice White Dragon Sword in his hand suddenly surged with violent energy. Sword qi crisscrossed the air like divine dragons battling, scattering countless snowflakes like drifting scales.

Snow blanketed the universe.
The entire Platform of Life and Death was instantly frozen, locking everything in ice.

Nangong Ying and Gu Fan had barely leaped a single丈 into the air before they were completely frozen solid, turning into two statues of ice.

"It is a pity. Had I not mastered the Four Seasons Heavenly Sword Art and the Eight Desolations Dragon-Slaying Saber Technique, your ability to soar through the air in the Origin Mansion Realm would have indeed allowed you to escape from my hands."

"However, now that I have mastered these two peerless arts, none of that is possible."

Watching this unfold, Mu Yi flicked the Mysterious Ice White Dragon Sword in his hand.

"Vanish."

Sword qi swept across the space, pulverizing all things.

***

Crack! Crack!

The frozen Platform of Life and Death shattered into countless icy shards in an instant, scattering across the ground.
And the flesh and blood of Nangong Ying and Gu Fan dissolved into nothingness along with the broken icicles.

Not even their bones remained!

Such was the outcome of this battle that had attracted the attention of all.

Mu Yi stood proudly atop the Platform of Life and Death, gazing up at the sky. His eyes held a look of supreme disdain, carrying the fierce spirit of a tiger swallowing the world.

Meanwhile, beneath the platform, Zhao Fenghua, who had witnessed the scene with his own eyes, constricted his pupils sharply.

He had not expected Mu Yi's strength to be so terrifying!
The chess game he had laid out was flawless, and Mu Yi had swallowed the bait completely.

Yet the most unexpected part was that instead of killing Mu Yi, Nangong Ying and Gu Fan had been effortlessly eradicated by him.
From beginning to end, this battle had held no suspense whatsoever.

Mu Yi was delivering a vicious slap to his face!

"Well, Zhao Fenghua?"

At this moment, Mu Yi's gaze, filled with provocation and mockery, landed upon Zhao Fenghua.
The eyes of the crowd immediately followed Mu Yi's gaze, turning toward this peerless prodigy.

In truth, everyone could see it clearly.
The mastermind behind today's events was none other than Zhao Fenghua.

"What do you wish to say?"

Zhao Fenghua's expression turned as dark as night.
A vast, towering killing intent began to permeate the air.
The surrounding crowd instinctively stepped backward, keeping their distance.

They could all feel just how dense and intense the killing intent condensed by Zhao Fenghua had become—it was enough to freeze the very air.

"What I wish to say is that upon this Platform of Life and Death, the ones who died are your lackeys, Nangong Ying and Gu Fan."

Mu Yi showed not the slightest fear toward the towering killing intent radiating from Zhao Fenghua.
His gaze met Zhao Fenghua's directly, refusing to yield an inch.

"And next time, it will be your turn."
"You cannot escape."

That was how domineering Mu Yi was!
Before the eyes of over a thousand disciples of the Divine Concealment Academy, he had officially set a pact of life and death with Zhao Fenghua.

"Hahaha! Good! Very good!"

Zhao Fenghua had completely lost his previous refined demeanor.
His face was twisted and grim.

"Name a time, and I shall wait for you!"

"Splendid. Six months from now, right here, right at this spot, before everyone in the Divine Concealment Academy, we shall determine life and death in a single battle!"

Mu Yi burst into wild laughter. "When that time comes, upon this Platform of Life and Death, only one of us shall walk away alive."

"Very well! I accept!"

Zhao Fenghua's expression grew chillingly cold. "Though I fear you may not even survive the next six months."

"That is not something you need to worry about. Six months from now, I will certainly be waiting for you right here."

Mu Yi sneered. "So you must take good care of your life. I would hate to arrive at this Platform of Life and Death only to receive the news that you have already perished."

"Then let us wait and see."

Zhao Fenghua said no more and turned to leave.
This was not the place for him to engage in a war of words with Mu Yi.
He also disdained wasting superfluous words on Mu Yi.

Because he had never truly regarded Mu Yi as his opponent.
Mu Yi!
Was unworthy!

Within the entire Great Qian Empire, the number of individuals of the younger generation who could make him spare a second glance could be counted on one hand.

"Why were you so reckless as to agree to a life-and-death duel with Zhao Fenghua six months from now?"

As Mu Yi stepped off the platform, Xiao Ziyue hurried to his side, her pretty face etched with deep worry.
It wasn't that she didn't understand that the conflict between Mu Yi and Zhao Fenghua had long passed the point of reconciliation.
A life-and-death battle between the two was inevitable.

However, for Mu Yi to settle things with Zhao Fenghua in just six months was simply too rushed.

"Six months is more than enough."

Mu Yi, on the other hand, was not in the least bit anxious, remaining calm and composed. "You must remember, the time I have remaining until my duel with Mo Jinghong on the Platform of Life and Death is only nine months, and he is a giant of the Qian Yuan Realm."

"But you must realize that although Zhao Fenghua is not yet in the Qian Yuan Realm, his cultivation has long reached the peak of the tenth level of the Golden Core Realm, and he has constantly been attempting to break through into the Qian Yuan Realm!"

Xiao Ziyue said with profound concern, "Once he truly steps into the Qian Yuan Realm within these six months, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"It does not matter."

A confident smile curled the corner of Mu Yi's lips. "Six months is enough for me to bridge the gap between us. Even if he truly steps into the Qian Yuan Realm, I still possess the capability to slay him!"

That was how confident Mu Yi was, and how audacious!

"Sigh, I really am helpless against you..."

Seeing Mu Yi so utterly full of confidence, no matter how worried Xiao Ziyue was, she found it hard to say anything further.

"Oh, right, Mu Yi, the reason I came to find you this time is because there is another pressing matter."

Xiao Ziyue looked at Mu Yi and said, "Undercurrents are currently surging within the Divine Concealment Academy, and even Master may not be able to control the overall situation. Therefore, she has personally bestowed upon you the Divine Concealment Heavenly Token. With this token in your possession, you may enter any cultivation sanctuary within the academy. It is equivalent to the Headmaster's personal arrival, and no one is permitted to obstruct you."

With that, Xiao Ziyue handed a jade token into Mu Yi's hand.

"The Headmaster is..."

Mu Yi took the token, his words trailing off.

"That is correct. She intends for you to enter the Divine Concealment Secret Realm to cultivate—and to do so without limit, without any time restrictions."

Xiao Ziyue immediately explained, "Within the secret realm lie the four great cultivation sanctuaries. You entered the Heavenly Pool to cultivate last time, so you know better than anyone how immense the benefits were to you."

"Apart from the Heavenly Pool, the Divine Concealment Secret Realm also houses three other sanctuaries: the Battlefield, the Enlightenment Domain, and the Thunder Prison."

Xiao Ziyue continued, "The Battlefield is a place dedicated to combat. It contains a vast number of humanoid battle puppets. These lifeless entities are fighting machines operating day and night. Once you enter, as long as life remains, the fighting never ceases."

"The Enlightenment Domain is a miraculous spatial realm. Entering it stimulates the potential of the brain, accelerating one's comprehension of the great Dao of heaven and earth, and even allowing one to break through personal shackles, leap over the dragon gate, and step into brand-new realms."

"As for the final sanctuary, the Thunder Prison, it is an ocean formed of boundless lightning, specifically designed to temper the physical body and bones of anyone who enters. However, the pain is unimaginable and can only be truly understood by those who experience it firsthand."

Xiao Ziyue's clear eyes flickered, her red lips curving slightly. "In short, the four sanctuaries of the secret realm are the most vital cultivation resources of our Divine Concealment Academy. Because they are far too precious, for thousands of years, only disciples who have made monumental contributions to the academy have been qualified to enter and cultivate once."

"Moreover, the time allowed for each entry is only one week—not even the thirty-two Saint Sons are an exception."

"Since it is so precious, yet the Headmaster is allowing me to hold her token and enter the secret realm to cultivate recklessly without any time limits, if this spreads, won't it cause a massive uproar throughout the entire academy?"

Mu Yi furrowed his brows slightly.

This time, Headmaster Shen Yushu was not merely opening the back door for him; she was completely disregarding all rules to do so.

Coupled with the current turbulent undercurrents and fierce internal struggles within the Divine Concealment Academy reaching their peak, Shen Yushu's actions would undoubtedly bring even greater crises upon herself.