Heavenly Star (Web Novel)
chapter-176

“Hey, we can float now.” Ning Xue delightedly shouted. Whenever they reached a river that was too wide and nobody was around before, Tong Xin would always float them to the other side. This area was situated in a remote place and they had not been able to see any households for a very long time, so finding a boat was impossible.

Ye Wuchen nodded and lowered his head as he was about to call for Tong Xin, yet he discovered that her eyes were firmly fixed at the slanted area above. Immediately, Ye Wuchen followed her gaze, as far as the eye could see, at the point wherein the sky met the water, he saw an almost indistinguishable small white figure.

“Beautiful Woman?” Ye Wuchen’s heart was full of astonishment and lost in thought as he looked at the figure. Aside from Tong Xin, only Xue Feiyan had the ability to float midair.

Obviously positioned at a great distance, only a vague white dot can only be seen, yet Ye Wuchen could see that the white figure turned its body around to facing him as it exposed a very beautiful smile. The next moment, with her hand around the snowy sword, an ice-cold light quickly spread out with her body as its central point.

The dazzling white light caused Ye Wuchen’s eyes to squint a little bit. When he opened his eyes again, a snowflake floated down before his eyes and dropped onto Ning Xue’s head, almost welding together with her snowy white hair, until there was no distinction between them.

The snowflakes increased, more and more continued to fall down. In the blink of an eye, it the whole sky floated with snow.

Ning Xue opened her eyes wide, unable to restrain her emotions as she extended her arms to catch the falling snowflakes. With a delightful smile and a sharp, clear voice she said, “Brother, is this snow? So cool, oh so beautiful… This is actually my first time to see the snow… But brother said that the snow can only occur when the weather is very cold, but now, it’s not even a little bit cold.”

The snow floated like rainbow, but aside from the coldness of the snow, the temperature in the surrounding area did not drop. Even during winter, the weather in the south would still be the same as the springtime warmth of the Tian Long City. The sky had a number of stars and a few clouds, so the snow totally appeared out of nowhere as they fell from the sky.

The sound of the condensed ice resounded in succession, lingering incessantly in their ears. Before their eyes, the powerful torrential rush of the water from the South Heaven River was under the control of some bizarre power as it slowed, and ice rapidly formed on the surface. In the blink of an eye, the water’s surface had sealed off, stilling the water flow. The freezing did not just stop there, the still loudly echoing clinking sound resounded all the way to the bottom… As one would imagine, the thickness of the ice had reached the depths.

Stopping Tian Long Nation’s largest river was already an act similar to going against the will of nature. Freezing over such tremendous river was some kind of a legendary miracle, yet it had happened in front of their eyes. And moreover, what was really inconceivable was, to freeze at such an enormous scale, one could only imagine the coldness needed. Yet the three close to the river bank did not feel any unbearable coldness, just the bit of coolness released by the frozen surface.

The snowflakes in Ning Xue’s palm melted from her warmth, but she did not feel anything. Still blankly staring at the tremendous transformation in front of her eyes, she bewilderedly looked at Ye Wuchen, awaiting his explanation.

Xue Feiyan’s was as pale and white as the snow. The actions defying the natural phenomenon which she done in succession almost drained all her powers.

“This is my farewell gift for you, do you like it?”

With a gentle smile, her body slowly floated down towards the frozen surface.

“Let’s go.” Ye Wuchen did not hesitate. He held Tong Xin’s small hand as they treaded on the frozen surface and went straight ahead. Only a few would be able to achieve such remarkable abilities in the whole world. If it was not for the huge gap in the age and her being obviously unable to recognize Tong Xin, he certainly believed that her being the Cang Lan’s Snow Woman regarded as the “God of Snow” woould certainly shock the whole Heavenly Star Continent.

In the middle of the sky, the white figure has disappeared and the snow floating around the sky decreased. When they reached midway, Ye Wuchen halted, then looked at the frozen surface before his eyes.

"Even if you won’t drive me away, I must still go back. If you really like my gift, you must remember to go to the Snow Palace to look for me. If you don’t come, I will wait for you, wait for you until I grow old, and until my hair turns white."

Finally, a charming smiling face.

The floating snowflakes did not cover up the beautiful words deeply carved onto the frozen surface. Ye Wuchen stared around blankly, front and back left and right, but he did not see any shadows. Seeing his actions, Tong Xin blinked and pulled at his hand. She slowly shook her head, to tell him that, she already left and was already quite far that even she was not able to sense her presence anymore.

Ye Wuchen nodded. His heart was totally confused. Why did she do that? Why?

“Brother…”

“This is the gift given to us by your Sister Xue. Xue-er, do you like it?” Ye Wuchen turned around to look around again. Striding on, then continued ahead.

“I love it, Sister Xue is quite amazing.” Ning Xue answered. Interesting things appeared more attractive to her.

“I also love it, but it must have been exhausting for her.” Ye Wuchen laughed. He did not know why, but his heart felt somehow painful. The whole sky was filled with snow and the ice sealing off the river, not just paved the way for them, but it also told him that she had a heart for him purer than snow and stronger than the ice.

But for what reason?

He did not believe in deep love without cause, and even more from a woman with meticulous thought and terribly strong powers.

But regardless of any reason, his words yesterday must have stabbed her deeply in the heart. He regretted them now.

“Master, she was so amazing,” came Nan-er’s voice, “Why do a lot of amazing people show up around master?”

“How amazing was she?” while walking, he asked in his thoughts.

“Such is the God-Level strength! Master, don’t you think that she was very amazing? A thousand of master certainly wouldn’t be able to match against her.” Nan-er said, without giving any honor to her master.

“......”

God-Level… The Snow Woman’s Palace… Were there really two God-Level Masters in the Snow Woman’s Palace? Or maybe…

Finally, they reached the opposite bank and the fluttering snowflakes also stopped. Ye Wuchen turned his head around to see the frozen surface that was starting to melt, and he promptly said, “Tong Xin, I need a very huge piece of ice.”

Tong Xin was puzzled at first, but understood. Her body floated gracefully as it floated above the water surface. Aiming for a good spot, her two small hands cut across with a stroke, then horizontally with another stroke, creating two lines of ash black rays of light striking against the frozen ice below.

Crack, crack, crack, crack!

Four sounds of ice rapidly being cut came, and on the top of the frozen surface were four deep ditches of equal length connected together. Tong Xin’s body lowered, sticking her hands onto the frozen surface, lights flickered as she ferociously leaped up.

A huge ice the size of an ordinary house was lifted up by Tong Xin’s petite body, and she gently placed in front of Ye Wuchen. When she landed, her face was still as tender and white as ever, even her breathing was not in any way labored, as if she had not moved a block ice of almost two hundred tons, but a pile of cotton instead.

Ye Wuchen took the huge ice into the ring of the God of Sword. Within the ring was another dimension, with no light or heat. If food is stored inside, it would never change its quality, steel would never rust, water would never evaporate, and ice would never melt. Ye Wuchen looked at the layer of ice on the surface of the river that was being enveloped in water, turned around, then headed south.

As long as he could achieve greater strength, he would be able to obtain and protect everything he wanted. He was not willing or able to rely on Tong Xin forever. Yet the improvement of his powers did not depend on practice, but absorption. By arriving in the South, this was the first and most important step he needed to upgrade own strength. A short journey of more than twenty days added two more worries to his heart, and two more reasons for him to improve his strength.

He did not know what it meant to blame the gods and accusing the others, nor did he know how to give up. He only knew what he must do, what he must not do, and what he needed to do to truly obtain the perfection.

For the sake of Yan Zhimeng, he already intended to face the Northern Empire Clan. Facing them was be bound to be different from facing the Southern Empire Clan which had been effortless and unconstrained. He was not be able to produce the Bow of the Northern Empire similar to what he had done for the Southern Empire clan. Otherwise, he would not have had need to strive for anything and the Northern Empire would willingly give Yan Zhimeng to him for the sake of the Bow of the Northern Empire.

Although he was not like Xue Feiyan who knew everything, he had suspected before that she must be the daughter of the leader of the Northern Empire Clan, Yan Duanhun. Although her martial skill cultivation had been considered outstanding among others of the same age, with the family name Yan, such kind of power was still considered a little bit weak. But her power which was capable of the baffling one’s state of mind, had never been mentioned by othes before.

After two days, Tian Long Nation Yan Long City.

“Woo… Brother, it’s so hot. I would like to have a cool water bath, it’s really hot.” Ning Xue was using her hand to fan herself. Her forehead was already dripping with sweat.

After more than a day of constantly being on the move, they finally reached the Yan Long City. Yan Long City, named by the legendary protector god of Tian Long Nation Long JiYan, was a city of Tian Long that was nearest to the Heavenly Fire Volcano. One would not be able to find small villages neared to the south because the nearer they were, the more flaming hot it was. Yan Long City was located in the scope wherein ordinary people were still able to endure it. Proceeding further to the south, only the freaks would be able to adapt to the sizzling hot environment.

Ye Wuchen was not affected by the five elements, so he naturally was not afraid of the sizzling hot environment. Such temperature also could not affect Tong Xin, so only Ning Xue was suffering. As far as she could remember, she had lived in the north where it was always as cool as autumn. In addition, the white skirt on her body was somehow thicker and wrapped up tight, making her unable to adapt to the sizzling hot weather at once. Ye Wuchen had already been secretly gathering the element of water to chase away the heat for her numerous times, but when he used his magical power, the effect were not that powerful and his powers were quickly consumed. After a few more times, he gave up due to weakness.

On the streets of Yan Long City, a group of men were even topless, revealing their chests. If they were in the Tian Long City, they would be stared at by people, but here there were plenty of them along the main road. The occasion woman that passed by just ignored them, as if she had already become accustomed to it.

Such kind of weather compelled such awful dressing habits, but their faces did not reveal any bit of hardship. Apparently, living in this place for so many years made them already accustomed to such temperatures.

“Brother, let’s have a bath. Just have bath please…” Ning Xue twisted her body in Ye Wuchen’s arms without patience. While she was pleading, she was pitifully looking at him. Ning Xue was yelling hot the whole time, so he felt sorry for her, and finally found a guesthouse on the roadside. They quickly stepped inside, after a series of torment, the three of them had entered a room. When Ye Wuchen closed the door, Ning Xue had already removed her skirt, kicked off her shoes and socks, then finally her small undergarments. Standing there naked, she felt much better now.

Translated by:

Fatty_Uncle

Edited by:

seriouspotato patrick_father_of_dragons