Chapter 892: Leaving the Extreme Ice Sect (1/2, begging for monthly votes)

With the Empty Ice Sword Art raised to the third layer, not only did the sword art's own might increase, but its absorption rate for other techniques rose by a large margin as well.

The rise in absorption rate directly caused the upper limit of the Empty Ice Sword Art to be pushed endlessly higher.

The more deeply Fang Yue understood the Empty Ice Sword Art's power, the more he could sense just how terrifying Lord Han's strength must have been back when he stood at the peak of the Rain rank.

Yet Lord Han, with all that strength, had failed when facing His Majesty the Saint.

Fang Yue did not know what had happened in that day's battle between Lord Han and the Saint, but judging by the result, His Majesty the Saint's strength had probably already surpassed the upper limit of the Rain rank!

"Looking at it this way, to defeat His Majesty the Saint, one probably has to surpass the Rain rank before it becomes possible."

Fang Yue's heart sank slightly.

In his expectations, if he forcibly took You Sisi away, he might have to fight His Majesty the Saint.

Before an opponent of that caliber, there was only so much he could do.

"Sure enough, I still need to get stronger."

Fang Yue steadied his mind and continued practicing his sword.

Once he started, he practiced straight through to the afternoon, only stopping when Ni Dongmei returned.

"You don't look well — did something happen?" Fang Yue asked, puzzled.

"The Blazing Fire Sect has declared war first. Now all of the Extreme Ice Sect's combat strength has to be thrown into the fight, every single person must be mobilized, me included, and even… Tail has to go into battle."

Fang Yue's brow furrowed slightly. "That's to be expected, but as for Tail, I'm planning to take her and leave the Extreme Ice Sect alone for now. At least until her body has recovered, I won't let her get dragged into the dispute between the Extreme Ice Sect and the Blazing Fire Sect."

Ni Dongmei looked up at Fang Yue, slightly surprised.

Truth be told, she had thought the same.

In Tail's current state, she needed proper rest, yet the Sect Master had specifically ordered Tail to fight.

Even if they only carried Tail to the front lines to boost morale, the risk was enormous.

"It's good that you're taking Tail back to Jingcheng. Jingcheng isn't exactly peaceful either, but it's still better than staying at the Extreme Ice Sect — at least you'll be there to guard her. As for the Sect Master, leave that to me."

Fang Yue understood that, although Ni Dongmei spoke lightly of it, resolving the trouble with the Extreme Ice Sect's Sect Master was no simple matter; she might well be punished for it.

But right now the Extreme Ice Sect was in an extremely manpower-scarce period, so even if Ni Dongmei did something wrong, considering her status as an Elder and her combat strength, the Sect Master probably wouldn't punish her too heavily.

Once the matter was settled, Ni Dongmei deliberated for a moment over the time of departure and arranged it for the evening.

During the day, there were too many people and too many eyes watching — it would be hard to handle.

By nightfall, the two of them could slip away quietly.

Act first, report later. Once Fang Yue and the other had left, even if the Sect Master and the others flew into a rage, there would be nothing they could do to Ni Dongmei.

Night fell quickly, and Ni Dongmei arrived as promised.

Fang Yue, with Tail still looking a little bleary-eyed and half-asleep, left their lodging together, preparing to depart from the Extreme Ice Sect.

At the foot of the mountain, Ni Dongmei had already prepared a horse carriage; once Fang Yue and Tail were in place, they could simply ride off.

Surprisingly, all the way there, hardly any Extreme Ice Sect disciples were patrolling.

Fang Yue felt something was off. Before he could say anything to Ni Dongmei, Ni Dongmei, who was leading the way up ahead, suddenly stopped — and then, from the darkness ahead, a burst of firelight suddenly flared, illuminating an aged face.

That was…

"The Sect Master?!"

Ni Dongmei gasped in a low voice.

The person blocking the path ahead was unmistakably the Extreme Ice Sect's Sect Master.

And as the Sect Master appeared, firelight after firelight began popping up all around, illuminating the faces of several Elders.

"You…"

Tail's expression shifted slightly.

Fang Yue stepped in front of Tail in one motion, his sword faintly drawn — his meaning could not have been clearer.

The Extreme Ice Sect was only using Tail as a tool. Now that the Extreme Ice Sect was unsafe, and Tail was still being sent to the front lines by the Sect Master and the others — even if the Extreme Ice Sect's people would surely do their utmost to keep Tail safe — it was still safer to secretly take Tail down the mountain and back to Jingcheng.

As long as the fewer people who knew about it, and with a bit of disguise, Tail could get enough time to recover.

Once Qi Ba Jiu Daren could possess her body and appear again, wherever Tail wanted to go, Fang Yue would not stop her.

Fang Yue had assumed the Extreme Ice Sect's Sect Master and the others would certainly attack him outright for trying to take Tail away.

But the actual result left Fang Yue dumbfounded.

He saw the Extreme Ice Sect's Sect Master suddenly drop to one knee, and at the same time, the other Elders who had come along also knelt on the ground one after another.

"Tail, if you leave the Extreme Ice Sect, in this destined battle between the Extreme Ice Sect and the Blazing Fire Sect, the Extreme Ice Sect will have no chance of turning things around! For the safety of the Extreme Ice Sect, for the future of the Extreme Ice Sect, please do not leave the Extreme Ice Sect!"

The other Elders spoke in unison.

"Please, Saintess Tail, stay! Save the Extreme Ice Sect!"

"Please, Saintess Tail, stay! Save the Extreme Ice Sect!"

"Please, Saintess Tail, stay! Save the Extreme Ice Sect!"

The Sect Master seemed to have known about Tail's departure long ago, but what he chose was apparently not to hold Tail back by force — but… to take a different route.

Fang Yue looked at Tail.

He was not Tail; he had little attachment to the Extreme Ice Sect.

Added to the Extreme Ice Sect's attitude, he could fairly say he held no goodwill toward them.

But Tail's situation was, after all, different from his.

So what Tail would do, he did not know.

However, one thing was certain: if Tail stayed, he would stay too.

Qi Ba Jiu Daren had told him to guard Tail, and he needed to keep his word. As for Jingcheng, he could only send someone else to gather information.

At that moment, everyone's gaze converged on the slender, frail figure of Tail.

The flickering firelight swayed with the wind, rising and falling, unable to clearly illuminate Tail's expression at that moment.

When the wind ceased, the firelight steadied.

Tail had already stepped forward, passing the kneeling Extreme Ice Sect disciples and Elders, leaving behind only a single sentence.

"If Extreme Ice Sect is in danger, send someone to notify me. I will come back then."

The Extreme Ice Sect Master turned his head in stunned disbelief, but could only see Tail's frail back gradually melting into the darkness.

Clenching his teeth, he hastily raised his voice and said.

"I beseech Qi Ba Jiu Daren to reveal yourself! As the Extreme Ice Sect Master, I implore Supreme Sect Master Qi Ba Jiu Daren to remain at Extreme Ice Sect and personally take command! To lead the great war against Blazing Flame Sect!"

Seeing this, the other Elders also hurriedly shouted: "We beseech Qi Ba Jiu Daren to remain!"

But such shouting had no effect whatsoever on Tail.

Watching the somewhat dejected look on the Extreme Ice Sect Master's face, Fang Yue shrugged, brushed past them, and caught up with Tail.

As for Ni Dongmei, she remained where she was.

She gazed at Tail's back, and before her eyes it was as if the scene of her first meeting with Tail at Mo Cun surfaced once more.

The image of that shy, timid little girl and Tail's back as it was now slowly merged together, leaving her for a moment overcome with a thousand sighs of emotion.

"That little girl back then has already grown up."

(End of this chapter)