wicked divinity

Ice Cloud Immortal Palace

"Destroyed by someone?" Xiao Che's eyebrows shot up in surprise. From childhood to adulthood, whether from what his grandfather told him or from outside rumors, he had always believed his Xuan meridian was inherently damaged. Even he himself only realized after "rebirth" with the memories of the Medical Sage that his damaged Xuan meridian could not possibly be congenital.

And yet, Xia Qingyue had discerned within a few breaths that his ruined Xuan meridian wasn't innate but caused by external force after birth—something no one in the Xiao family had detected.

This woman…

"Yes," Xia Qingyue lowered her eyelashes gently and said softly, "And because you suffered severe damage at a young age, your family might not have noticed it early enough to repair it. As your body grew, the disability in your Xuan meridian solidified completely… There is absolutely no possibility of repair!"

Her last sentence was delivered with absolute confidence. For adults, if their Xuan meridians were damaged, it would cause a massive leakage of Xuan energy, but there were still several methods for repair. However, during infancy—a critical growth period—if the Xuan meridian was impaired, its development would begin as defective and grow into a more complete form of damage. By Xiao Che's current age, it had already become fixed and fundamentally impossible to repair.

Xiao Che, however, remained unperturbed, responding calmly, "That's not necessarily true."

Xia Qingyue glanced at him lightly. "So, you've been thinking about repairing your Xuan meridian?"

"I will repair it," Xiao Che replied expressionlessly.

Xia Qingyue looked deeply into his eyes, seeing not just pride and confidence but also an underlying coldness. She sighed inwardly and said softly, "The Tianxuan Continent is vast, filled with countless extraordinary individuals. Perhaps there truly exist exceptional people who can repair your Xuan meridian. My previous statement was indeed presumptuous; consider it my ignorance."

These words significantly improved Xiao Che's impression of Xia Qingyue. He hesitated before asking, "What about the freezing Xuan power you used earlier? I've never heard of anyone in Flowing Cloud City capable of wielding such power. Your master isn't from Flowing Cloud City, is she... Of course, this might be private information, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Xia Qingyue remained silent for a long time. Just when Xiao Che thought she wouldn't respond, she calmly said, "Ice Cloud Technique."

"Ice Cloud Technique?" The name sent a vague sense of familiarity through Xiao Che. When he suddenly remembered what it represented, his complexion changed drastically, and he blurted out uncontrollably, "Ice Cloud Immortal Palace?!?!"

Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, surprised at Xiao Che's reaction. Though his emotional outburst seemed mild compared to how even the city lord of Flowing Cloud City would react upon hearing those four words—likely collapsing in shock and trembling uncontrollably—she remarked lightly, "My master indeed comes from the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, and I am considered a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace… This matter is known only to my father in all of Flowing Cloud City, and you are the second person to know. I'm telling you this because, nominally, you are my husband, which is the basic respect I owe you."

Xiao Che's mind struggled to process the revelation. The words "Ice Cloud Immortal Palace" exploded like a massive bomb inside him. This was one of the four great sects of the Cangfeng Empire, a sacred place every Xuan practitioner aspired to enter, and an entity even the imperial family of Cangfeng paid annual tribute to!

Heavenly Sword Villa, Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, Xiao Sect, Fiery Heaven Sect.

The Cangfeng Empire was the smallest among the seven countries of the Tianxuan Continent, with the weakest overall strength, yet it had never been annexed by other nations largely due to these four great sects. Larger countries could disregard the strength of the Cangfeng imperial court but couldn't ignore the formidable power of these four sects.

The strength of these four sects was undeniable, and their recruitment criteria were incredibly strict, valuing talent over origin. Practically every Xuan practitioner in the Cangfeng Empire dreamt of entering one of these four sects. Being accepted into even the lowest rank of any one of them brought honor to the entire family, elevating them to esteemed guests of the court, even earning noble titles.

Flowing Cloud City had never heard of anyone joining these four sects, nor dared to dream of it. To the former Xiao Che, the names of these four sects were thunderous, yet they seemed like celestial palaces unreachable by mortals… But unexpectedly, the wife he had just married turned out to be a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, ranked second only to the Heavenly Sword Villa among the four great sects!

Xiao Che quickly regained his composure and asked, "If you're a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, why hasn't your family disclosed this fact? With your identity, the Xia family could dominate Flowing Cloud City without fear, and everyone, including the city lord's family, would come to curry favor. The Xia family's development would skyrocket exponentially."

"Because of you," Xia Qingyue answered.

"Because of… me?" Xiao Che paused, then fell silent… Those three words immediately made him understand the reason.

"Marrying you as just the daughter of the Xia family has already caused a stir throughout Flowing Cloud City. If I married you as a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, the commotion wouldn't be limited to this small city alone. It could bring many unforeseen consequences for both you and the Xia family. After all, the gap between you and me is too vast." Xia Qingyue's voice was faint, her gaze serene. Though she stood quietly, her presence was dazzling.

Xiao Che exhaled slowly. "Then why did you marry me?"

"The reason is clear in your heart… Because my life was saved by Uncle Xiao, who became unable to resist assassination while saving me and thus perished. Also, on the day I was born, Father betrothed me to you. Whether to repay Uncle Xiao's kindness or to honor Father's promise, I have no reason not to marry you."

Xia Qingyue lifted her gaze, her eyes as cold and clear as shimmering ice. "I told you I belong to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace because I wanted you to know that to cultivate Ice Cloud, one must first possess an icy heart. The Ice Cloud Immortal Palace only accepts women, who must remain pure and detached from desires forever. Although I am married to you, I will never love anyone in my lifetime. You need to understand this."

"Even if you weren't from the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, I don't think you would fall in love with me," Xiao Che responded with a self-deprecating smile.

Xia Qingyue shook her head slowly. "Perhaps you misunderstand. I'm not looking down on you, nor have I ever looked down on you… My master has often told me that no matter how high a person reaches, they may only look down but never belittle others. And I am merely at the starting point. Although the Tianxuan Continent reveres Xuan power, renowned physicians, alchemists, and weapon masters are also countless. A damaged Xuan meridian does not mean the end of one's life."

Xiao Che was deeply moved. Flowing Cloud City only spread tales of Xia Qingyue's beauty and talent, perhaps unaware of the profound mental fortitude beneath her charm, surpassing even most middle-aged individuals.

And she was only sixteen years old… What she would become in a few years was unimaginable. No wonder she caught the attention of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace!

And such a remarkable woman in terms of appearance, talent, and mental fortitude had actually become his wife, making it feel like a dream.

If it weren't for his two lifetimes of experience and memory, he would undoubtedly feel too inferior to even dare look at her directly.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," Xiao Che said gratefully, then shifted his tone, his gaze becoming resolute. "Then, can you tell me what level of Xuan power you currently possess?"

Reaching Initial Xuan Realm Level Ten at sixteen would certainly be an astonishing talent capable of causing a sensation throughout Flowing Cloud City. But now, Xiao Che didn't believe Xia Qingyue was merely at Initial Xuan Realm Level Ten. Such unparalleled talent unmatched in Flowing Cloud City was far from meeting the standards of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace.

Xiao Che's sudden question left Xia Qingyue momentarily silent, offering no response. Her silence, however, confirmed that her strength was indeed beyond Initial Xuan Realm Level Ten.

"You should go offer toasts now," Xia Qingyue turned her gaze away, speaking slowly.

As soon as her voice faded, footsteps approached the door, followed by Xiao Hong's aged, calm voice: "Young Master, it's time to offer toasts."

"Hong Ye, I'll be right there," Xiao Che replied, taking one last look at Xia Qingyue, straightening his clothes casually, and stepping out of the room.

As soon as Xiao Che left, a bright icy light suddenly appeared in the room. Within the icy glow, a snow-white figure materialized before Xia Qingyue in a dreamlike manner. Xia Qingyue stepped forward, bowing gracefully and respectfully addressing the figure as "Master."

"Qingyue, since you've achieved your wish, it's time for us to return to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace."

This voice was soft and beautiful, ethereal like clouds and gentle like wind, capable of melting even the coldest hearts.

Xia Qingyue shook her head lightly. "Master, I wish to stay a little longer. Leaving immediately after marriage would subject him to even harsher ridicule. Please allow me another month, and I will leave in a way that harms him the least and prevents others from continuing to harm him."

The white-clad woman gazed at her peacefully for a moment before nodding slowly with a faint smile. "Very well. Since we've already made an exception allowing you to be the first married disciple in a hundred years, delaying for another month is acceptable."

"Thank you, Master, for your understanding," Xia Qingyue bowed again, hesitating briefly before asking softly, "Master, is there really no way to repair his Xuan meridian?"

The white-clad woman shook her head almost instantly. "In this world, perhaps nothing is absolutely impossible… But in my view, it is impossible. Qingyue, you have a kind, compassionate, and grateful heart, which is commendable. However, this time, I truly cannot help you."