Chapter 427: The Grand Finale (Part II)

"Holy crap, I only left for a week, and such a huge thing happened in Xia?!"

Li Qingyan said with a regretful look: "What a pity, I was the only one not there, and I missed seeing everyone's heroic bearing. But by the same token, you all didn't see my domineering aura when I was trading barbs with the Easterners!"

Xie Wanning said crossly: "At least you did something; I'm the one who was the most useless. I'm clearly the Master Senior Sister, yet I remained unconscious the whole time and almost got my head blown off... Sigh~~"

"It's okay, it's okay!" Lin Qingye hugged Xie Wanning's shoulders, "Senior Sister, it's hard to guard against thieves within one's own house, after all; you being safe is what matters most."

"But it was still fortunate that Second Senior Sister came back in time this time, otherwise it really would have been hard to wrap up."

Cheng Kexin looked at Tang Yu'e and said.

Tang Yu'e shook her head: "It was mainly because your message was sent quickly, and if Chen Che hadn't dealt with Zanpu Dunzhu first, it would have been useless even if I had rushed back."

Song Jinhe really couldn't listen anymore and said: "Alright, sisters, let's not engage in this mutual flattery here. Don't forget today's main business!"

"That's right!"

Li Qingyan looked at the door in front of her; the vintage wooden door was now plated with a layer of ice flowers, emitting waves of cold air, "Chen Che and Master have not come out of the room for a week; today we must ask for a clear explanation!"

"After the great battle, Chen Che's body was weak, and Master said she wanted to use her Yin Cold Body to help Chen Che recover, but a whole week has passed, so he should have recovered by now," said Song Jinhe.

Xie Wanning touched the ice flowers on the wooden door and said: "But looking at it like this, Master hasn't retracted the cold energy yet."

"Then what should we do?" Lin Qingye suggested: "How about we just charge in?"

Cheng Kexin shook her head and said: "With Master's cultivation, only Master Senior Sister and Second Senior Sister could withstand it; if we rashly enter, we would definitely be frozen into ice sculptures."

"Then what do we do? We can't just return empty-handed again, right?" Li Qingyan put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Mmm~~"

At this moment, a sound that made one's bones go soft came from inside the room.

The women outside the door all shivered at the same time.

"This... what is that sound?" Li Qingyan widened her eyes in disbelief.

Lin Qingye stared fixedly at the door, trying to see through it: "It can't be, right?"

Tang Yu'e coughed and placated: "Everyone stay calm first, maybe it's not what we think."

"How is it not?! We agreed on healing, but it turns out they're eating alone behind our backs!"

Li Qingyan was furious, "Master is really too much!!!"

At the same time, inside the room, the originally antique-style room had completely changed its appearance, as if it had fallen into a dreamlike world of ice and snow overnight.

Those old carved doors and windows were now wrapped in a layer of crystal-clear ice ridges; the ice surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting cold light and scattering the faint light coming from outside the window into patches of hazy light and shadow.

The ice flowers on the window lattices bloomed wantonly, like crystal flowers in full bloom; every petal was exquisite and detailed, as if carefully carved by the master artisan that is Mother Nature.

The tables and chairs in the room did not escape either, tightly entwined by the cold ice. The wood grain was faintly visible under the ice layer, like memories sealed in time.

From the beams and pillars in the room, icicles of varying lengths hung down like inverted sharp swords, emitting a biting cold light. At the tips of the icicles, a drop of water would occasionally slowly condense, then fall quietly under the force of gravity, hitting the ice layer on the ground and making a crisp sound, echoing in this silent ice palace, adding a touch of etherealness and mystery.

On the ground, the thick ice layer was like a huge crystal plate, reflecting the scene of the entire room, making one feel as if they were in an inverted world. Under the ice layer, one could still faintly see the originally laid antique floor tiles; those exquisite patterns seemed to be struggling to tell of the past prosperity under the confinement of the ice.

The curtains by the bed were also stained with frost, turning into a pure white; as they swayed gently, ice crystals fell down with a rustle, like a miniature snowfall.

And in this cold room, on the bed, a fiery battle was taking place.

"Mmm~~"

"Awoo~~"

"Master, that's enough! It's really enough!"

"Stop, I don't have the Great Red Sun Poison now, I can't withstand your Yin Cold Body; if this continues, my body that just recovered will suffer heavy damage again!"

"Shut up!"

Wu Qingkui shouted sternly: "Only this much ability? Where is the passion from when you fought Zanpu Dunzhu?"

"I don't have the Heavenly Book in my body anymore... Besides, aren't you supposed to be helping me heal? This counts as abusing your power for personal gain!"

"Nonsense! This is clearly a reward for you!"

Three hundred rounds later.........

The cold energy in the room receded, all the ice flowers dissipated, and the room returned to its original antique appearance.

Chen Che put on his clothes, holding his waist with one hand and supporting himself against the wall with the other, turned his head to glance at Wu Qingkui, and said with a bitter face: "It's over, this time I've really hurt my Vital Energy."

Wu Qingkui lay on her side with her hair disheveled, resting her chin on one hand, one alluring long leg stretched out from under the quilt, radiating extreme temptation.

"Stinky brat, don't sell out your cheap gains, watch out or I'll bite you!"

As she spoke, Wu Qingkui made a biting motion with her red lips; Chen Che shivered subconsciously and took a few steps back.

Seeing Chen Che's "frightened bird" appearance, Wu Qingkui giggled non-stop, her body shaking, and said: "Alright, I won't tease you anymore, I still have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Everything has been resolved, what do you plan to do next?"

Chen Che thought seriously and said: "Return to Kunlun."

"Return to Kunlun? Are you going to follow your master and live in seclusion? Not going to revive the Chen Family?" Wu Qingkui asked in surprise.

Chen Che shook his head: "I'm the only one left in the Chen Family; reviving it has no meaning. Besides, everyone has the right to choose their own life freely. Didn't my father choose to be with my mother back then even if it meant leaving the Chen Family?"

"So, not going to the Heavenly Kingdom, not becoming a god... these are all my choices."

"Of course."

Chen Che imagined: "I plan to move the Taiyi Sect to Kunlun as well, so I won't be too lonely. And, if you and the senior sisters are willing to live in seclusion with me, that would naturally be even better."

"You little rabbit, I knew you'd have such dirty thoughts!" Wu Qingkui scolded with a smile.

Chen Che said with a serious face: "My heart is very pure; it's Master who is doing bad things under the guise of healing me."

"Try saying that again?!" As she spoke, Wu Qingkui was about to lift the quilt and get out of bed.

Chen Che felt like he was facing a great enemy and immediately gave in: "Stop, stop, stop! Master, calm down! Impulsiveness is the devil!"

"I'm going to make you completely submissive today!"

"Calm down, calm down, impulsiveness is the devil, Master!!!"

………

"What's the situation? Why is there no sound?"

Outside the room, the several fellow disciples did not force their way in, but instead pressed against the door, sticking their ears to it.

"I don't know... let's listen some more."

The six of them were in various postures, yet they were all ungraceful in a tacit understanding.

"Creak!"

"Eh? Eh!? Eh!!!"

At this moment, the door suddenly opened, and the six of them, caught off guard, all tumbled to the ground with a rumble.

"Senior Sisters, what are you doing?" Chen Che appeared at the doorway, still in that standard posture, one hand supporting his waist, the other supporting the wall.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing!"

The six of them hurriedly stood up, tidied their appearances, and only then looked at Chen Che again.

"Little Junior Brother, what's wrong with you? Is your injury still not healed?" Lin Qingye was the first to notice Chen Che's abnormality and asked.

Chen Che glanced at Wu Qingkui, who was sitting calmly in front of the vanity, and said, "Uh... I injured my Vital Energy and need to recuperate in quiet."

"Oh, it's good that it's nothing serious." Lin Qingye nodded, feeling relieved.

Li Qingyan, however, jumped out at this moment and said sarcastically, "I don't think it's your Vital Energy that's injured, but your essence and energy, right?!"

Chen Che scratched his face awkwardly and said nothing. The others understood the meaning behind Li Qingyan's words and all began to blush.

"Ahem."

Wu Qingkui came to the doorway at this time and said, "There is something I want to announce.

Three months from now, Chen Che is going to Kunlun Mountain to live in seclusion, and after I finish dealing with matters in Xia, I will go with him. Is there anyone among you willing to go along?"

"Ah?"

The Senior Sisters were all stunned, feeling extremely surprised.

Chen Che explained, "Now that everything has been resolved, I don't want to be tied down by the mundane world anymore, so I have decided to live in seclusion. As for you Senior Sisters, if you have other plans, don't worry about me; just take the time to come and visit me."

"You brat, what do you take us for?!"

"Exactly! Even our Sect Mistress, that Empress, can abandon everything to follow you, so what is there that we cannot do?!"

"That's right! A family should be together and complete!"

"Life down the mountain is too boring. Any one of us could live a prosperous life, so it's better to go back to the mountain and stay there."

"There's nothing to hesitate about, we are all going with you!"

"Yes, let's go together!"

Chen Che looked at the Senior Sisters who were all expressing their stance, and his heart felt warm: "Senior Sisters, you are all too good to me! I love you all to death!"

"Hehe... Little Junior Brother, love isn't just something you say with your mouth, you know."

"That's right, love requires practical action... it needs to be done."

The room door closed once again, and because there were a few more people, the light inside the room dimmed significantly.

And in this dim environment, pairs of scorching and greedy eyes lit up, staring at Chen Che like wild beasts locking onto their target.

"Gulp!"

Chen Che's Adam's apple bobbed, and he changed the subject: "How about we discuss the seclusion matter again..."

"Stop changing the subject! The Sect Mistress has been eating alone these past few days, and now we want to eat too!"

"That's right! Don't even think about running, hurry up and bring out all the good food!"

"If you don't let us all have our fill today, don't think you can just brush us off!"

"Don't be in such a rush, don't be in such a rush! I'll go light the fire and prepare the ingredients first, I guarantee I'll let you all eat your fill! Give me time to prepare first, otherwise the food won't taste good!"

Chen Che said in a flustered manner: "Oh my! I told you all not to rush! Otherwise, if it's raw or burnt, it won't taste good, really!"

"Don't!"

"Don't be in a hurry!"

"You all... this is bullying!!!"

………

Three months later.

Chen Che stood at the peak of Kunlun Mountain, staring with full concentration at the Heavenly Book Stele in front of him.

Those brilliant characters, even though he had seen them a thousand times, still made him unable to help but be attracted by their indescribable profundity when he looked at them again.

"You've looked at it so many times, aren't you tired of it yet?"

A voice as refreshing as a spring came from behind him. Chen Che turned around and smiled slightly: "Every time I look at it, I can experience different feelings."

Yang Simin stood still beside Chen Che, bent over to examine the stele carefully, and frowned: "Maybe it's really that my comprehension is insufficient; I can't see anything at all."

"But it's fine, anyway, many disciples in the Taiyi Sect have already realized the mysteries of the Heavenly Book to varying degrees, so it's no loss if I don't."

Yang Simin looked at Chen Che with a beaming smile and asked: "But if we're talking about the deepest realization, that must be the Sect Master! So, may I ask, Sect Master, what were you just thinking about?"

Chen Che raised his head to look at the sky, his gaze profound: "I was thinking, since this universe is a giant World Tree, how do the gods of that tree live?

Since the world we are in is just one of the many Fruits on the World Tree, what kind of lives are the people in those other Fruit worlds living?"

"Who can say for sure? Perhaps they are not as well off as us, or perhaps they are living better than us," Yang Simin said casually.

Chen Che's eyes brightened as he looked at Yang Simin: "That makes sense."

Yang Simin smiled: "Then, does the Sect Master want to go and see other worlds?"

Chen Che looked up at the endless firmament, where a human face seemed to be looming in the clouds—with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, handsome and extraordinary, exuding a mysterious aura from the distant, ancient past, looking at him from afar.

Chen Che was slightly surprised, but he understood and curled his lips into a smile, saying softly: "Our own world is quite good; there's no need to envy the worlds of others."

"Mm-hmm!"

Yang Simin nodded heavily, then turned to look at the scattered houses in the distance, teasing with a giggle: "So, big brother, have you decided whose room you're going to practice Artisan Technique in tonight?"

Chen Che followed Yang Simin's gaze; on the rows of houses, window after window opened, and faces of distinct styles yet all breathtakingly beautiful were all craning their necks, looking over here in anticipation.

"Only children make multiple-choice questions; I want them all!" Chen Che straightened his back. "With my Martial Dao Cultivation, guiding all seven of them in their practice at the same time is more than enough!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Yang Simin teased: "I recall that last time someone was also this full of confidence, yet still ended up at a disadvantage and had to recover for a long time."

"Don't joke!"

Chen Che stretched his waist and laid down a harsh threat: "Just you wait and see, this time I am going to charge in and out seven times, leaving them with their armor discarded and helmets lost!"

"A beautiful, happy life, here I come!!!"

The End. "My new book, 'I, an SSS-Rank Esper, Am Mistaken for a Waiter by a Female CEO!', has already been published on Zongheng Chinese Network. Old and new friends are welcome to come and show your support 【Emoji】!"

This book ends here. Thank you to all the readers for your constant support. As I said before, without you, I would never have been able to persist until today.

This book is the first one I have written from start to finish. Although it is a flop, for me, it is a fairly satisfying beginning, and it has also gained the love of some readers. I am truly moved and very grateful!

I will continue to learn and continue to write, striving to produce better works to give back to everyone, and I hope to gain the love of even more people.

As for the new book I mentioned last time, I need to discuss it with my editor before I can confirm it; I expect to release it after the New Year. When the new book is released, I will state it in the synopsis of this one. Friends who like it are welcome to come and show your support then 【Emoji】!

Finally, I wish everyone a Happy New Year in advance, may everything go as you wish, may wealth pour in, and may you always have a smile on your face!

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!!!"