2 Mysterious Youth

[Rewritten]

Eight years had passed since an obsidian-black star appeared in the sky. Its occasional glories radiance attracted the attention of innumerable masters. And yet, despite all of their struggles, no one could approach it. The star seemed dreamlike and illusory. Thus, some even assumed that it was not a real star but an unusual phenomenon, and during those years, it was given a name—Epsilon.

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(Realm Of The Gods)

In a peaceful and fascinating place, an impressive tower was piercing the sky. It was high and magnificent as though it was connecting heaven and earth by their cores. Inside the tower, at its peak, a man was standing, and o matter how one looked at him, he was absolutely ordinary: average in appearance with a soothing aura around him. And no matter how hard you were beaten, you would not even consider that this man, who looked like the sole purpose in his life, was to drink green tea, was one of the strongest and most influential masters in the Eastern Divine Region, The Ethernal Heaven Emperor.

The Eternal Heaven Emperor was observing the black star, marveling its beauty, and he could only sigh. This eerie light made him, one of the strongest beings in the entire Realm of the Gods, feel a well-forgotten emotion: fear! It was not because he was feeling a malicious aura, but precisely the opposite, he did not feel anything.

He stood there in complete silence before talking mostly to nowhere: "Ancestor, the people of the Heaven Mystery Realm have not succeeded in feeling anything." He murmured, "For the first time, they couldn't predict anything. Should I prepare for the worst to occur?"

As the Eternal Heaven God Emperor's voice faded away, an ancient voice suddenly rang out in the empty world in front of him, "The Eternal Heaven Pearl could not feel anything as well..." after an eerie silence the voice proceeded, "Recently a strong feeling of unease was coming from the Eternal Heaven Pearl; however, it is not due to this star."

"Ai…" The Eternal Heaven Emperor could only sigh.

When he was ready to turn around and leave the tower, a radiance caught his attention, "It's glowing again… This…" His aged eyebrows twitched. The usual gentle light was abyss-black, one that might suck one's soul and throw it into the depth of hell.

The strange phenomenon attracted the attention of the entire Realm Of the Gods. Soon the confusion became a shock when the abyss-black star started falling from heavens. There was no pressure, nor did it cause any sound. The world did not shake, and no one sustained injuries. Its size was rapidly increasing, and its radiance was becoming brighter and more profound. It was hard to believe that such a deep black color exists in the world, so dark that it was partially swallowing the light and disfiguring the space around it.

Instantly, the man standing at the summit of the tower was swallowed by the deep black color, and with him, the entire Realm Of The Gods, and even the Lower Realms were not spared. Nothing could be seen, the sound ceased to exist, the time stopped to flow, and one might doubt his own existence during those few breaths. Precisely like eight years ago, the black world disappeared as fast it arrived, and the mysterious star vanished from the sky.

An additional strange phenomenon occurred a few days after the shooting star. Those who were ready to undergo the Divine Tribulation were stupified—it didn't arrive. They quickly made a breakthrough and entered the Divine Spirit Realm. Yet, unfortunately for them, the heavens don't forget, and the Heavenly Lightning descended several days later containing an unseen fury.

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(Blue Pole Star)

In a white world, a young woman was smoothly walking through the snow, yet her feet were not touching it. She slowly removed her veil, revealing her cold and angelic looking face. The lustful gazes of the males all around caused her to veil her face. Thus, the only place she allowed herself to remove the veil was the place she considered home, the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.

She marveled at the sight; the clear snow was so beautiful and peaceful, and the white world could wash and cover all her thoughts. She was sent to a mission to gather information about the abyss-black light. However, she was disappointed to discover that nobody had any useful information. After a month, she decided to return and report the information she had gathered.

She was Chu Yuechan, the head fairy of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.

As Chu Yuechan proceeded further toward the Frozen Cloud, she noticed someone lying on the snow, a youth. "Another one?" She furrowed her beautiful brows. The Frozen Cloud Asgard was called a paradise by the men, over a thousand female disciples, and each was beautiful enough to cause a war in a nation.

This was expectable for many men to try their luck and see a few fairies, but their experience was not as sweet as their dreams. Most of them were buried by the cold and harsh environment. And Those who were powerful enough to reach the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace were chased away by the fairies, and those who were too persistent were harshly punished.

"This is your punishment for being too greedy," She thought to herself and came closer to the youth.

He laid on the snow with his eyes closed. His slightly parted tender lips showed his snow-white tooth and his canines that were slightly longer and sharper than those of ordinary humans. His chin was pointed and well-shaped. Chu Yuechan could not see the other parts of his face since an exquisite black mask with archaic golden symbols covered most of his face. Even though his face was covered, his flawless skin and the lower part of his face were enough to claim that he was an extremely handsome youth.

His two-hued hair, a beautiful combination of jet-black and light silver, resembled a two-colored waterfall flowing harmoniously as the colors intertwined perfectly. His left ear was pierced by a ruby-colored delicate earring, and it's partial transparency allowed to see a tinge of glazing gold within it. And had it been examined meticulously, one would've noticed that the golden color was moving slightly as though it had a life of its own.

As handsome he was, she could not care less, and she could not feel any profound strength inside him. He was dead and would be eternally buried under the snow. *Ah* "He is alive?" She exclaimed softly. Chu Yuechan had never been known for her emotions, the opposite was accurate. Yet, her cold heart skipped a beat when their gaze met—she had never seen such strange eyes.

His blood-ruby eyes were partially transparent with a tinge of gold deep within them. The black mask on his face, along with his dull black robe, created a light contrast to the little innocence seen within those demonic eyes.

The unknown youth muttered something unintelligible, the next moment, his eyes closed as he had fallen unconscious again.

She was confused and couldn't comprehend how someone without any Profound Energy was able to survive in this cold climate. She did not believe that the youth could be stronger than her. And even if he possessed higher Cultivation than her, she would at least feel something from him while he was unconsious. Yet she felt nothing.

She came closer to the youth; a soft peppermint, slightly musky scent drifted to her nose. Chu Yuechan held her two tender fingers slightly above his wrist, not touching him at all. She wanted to check his condition and confirm that indeed there was not Profound Energy inside his veins. Although she was even colder toward men, she wasn't cruel and heartless. If he were alive, she would put him outside the Snow Region Of Extreme Ice, the territory of her sect. "W-What?" A moment later, her pupils had suddenly contracted before she instinctively withdrew her fingers, a lingering fear remaining in her eyes.

Chu Yuechan confirmed that he was not a cultivator, but his veins… Usually, the Profound Veins of a human have their own 'correct' form. Although the shape, diameter, and even the color might be slightly different depends on the person, his legacy, and talent. This youth was another case, his Profound Veins were abyss-black in color, glittering with strange glow occasionally. The shape was weird, and the thickness—absolutely abnormal and uneven.

When she had immersed her Sky Profound consciousness into his Profound Veins, she felt as though a strange world sucked her. She was lost; the veins she saw were chaotic and unpredictable, part of them was three times thicker than average, part was much thinner. The profound veins inside a human body should be like a robust and mature tree with many branches spreading out in all directions, and on each branch would lay a profound entrance.

Chu Yuechan nonetheless could not see even a glimpse of anything that might resemble a 'tree'. His Profound veins were spreading chaotically and disorderly. There were no rules and no order in this world; she couldn't even find his profound entrances nor the origin, the core of his veins. They weren't blocked, she simply couldn't find them. She felt dizzy and immediately withdrew her consciousness.

"He doesn't possess Profound Energy, so how is he alive?"

The boy's skin was fair and pale, even too much, yet it looked elegant and not unhealthy. His breath was even, his heartbeat—stable, and he looked as though he had merely fallen asleep.

Chu Yuechan didn't find any Profound Tool that could help him to overcome the pitiless cold. Hence, two possibilities existed: either the Profound Tool's level was too high for her to detect, or his natural compatibility with the Water Law was beyond her comprehension. However, why would someone carry a so powerful tool specializing in resisting the cold? Even though the environment here was deemed harsh, a moderately stable barrier would easily cope with it. Yet, had it been a barrier she would've known.

The probability of the second option was outrageous that it could not even be considered laughable. For a stranger, especially a male, whose body contained more Yang than Yin, to possess such genetic compatibility with the essence of the water(that even the Immortal Palace Ancestor would've been left speechless)... The idea was insulting.

Chu Yuechan's beautiful face was so indifferent that no one would believe she was currently racking her brain.

*Sigh*

"Don't make me regret what I'm going to do," she bit her tender lips in uncertainty and lifted the youth with her profound energy. Then she soared to the sky, heading to the Immortal Palace.

XXX

Chu Yuechan arrived in front of a simple pavilion, which was made of smooth ice. The profound beads illuminating the surrounding in a soft icy glow provided the place with a sacred feeling. As she came closer, she heard a freezing voice, "come in." Chu Yuechan entered, carrying the youth with her Profound Energy.

"Disciple Chu Yuechan pays respect to Master," she bowed and greeted the mistress.

Gong Yuxian was a woman in her middle forties with fair skin. She was beautiful for her age, yet she was unhealthy pale. When Chu Yuechan was a little girl, Gong Yuxian found her and her younger sister after they had become orphans. She became a master and a mother figure for the two sisters, also she was the renown mistress of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.

"Yuechan, Why have you brought a male to my Immortal Palace?" She asked with a voice a few times colder than usual. When she saw the youth's extraordinary appearance, she became even more chilling, hoping her worth assumption would not come true. Had the one to break the rules hadn't been Chu Yuechan, she would've been severely punished, without the opportunity to explain.

"Master has misunderstood, this disciple doesn't have any relation to this male," Chu Yuechan said calmly.

Gong Yuxian relaxed a little and hinted to continue.

"This disciple had finished her mission and was returning to the sect. I noticed a youth lying unconscious on the snow. He does not possess profound energy, yet he wasn't affected by the cold," Chu Yuechan explained, causing Gong Yuxian to raise her brows.

"This disciple decided to inspect his profound veins and discovered that they are extremely weird, to say the least." Chu Yuechan explained and paused for a moment.

"I thought that if he has a great background, my Immortal Palace may do a great favor for a strong existence. Also," she sighed. "If it's indeed the case, it might not be the best idea to allow him to die at our territory."

Chu Yuechan was not stupid. Possessing such strange and fearful profound veins, and unknown treasures, the youth must have a strong background behind his back. Allowing him to die at the Frozen Cloud's territory and offending such a powerhouse is a bad idea.

Gong Yuxian was quiet for a while. She knew how vital a reliable ally is, especially now when the thousand-year calamity is very close. She strode to the youth who was lying on the ice-cold floor, then she pressed her fingers on his wrist. After a few breaths, her pupils contracted.

She was silent for a few moments before saying: "I shall ask master about this matter; I cannot allow a male to stay in the sect without her permission. You were not acting unreasonably, so I won't punish you for violating the rules."

There were several Secret Grounds inside the Immortal Palace. Its mysterious Grant Palace Mistress silently cultivated all year round in one of those secret grounds. Gong Yuxian and Chu Yuechan following her while carrying the youth with her profound strength, finally arrived in front of a big gate.

"Master, this junior asks for an audience," Gong Yuxian spoke respectfully in front of the room.

Right after, an elderly voice came from within the room. As the calm womanly voice drifted to their ears, the ice room's gate that was closed slowly opened. Innumerable ice crystals dispersed from within the room, soaring gently for a few breathes.

In the center of the room, a woman with a calm expression sat on an ice jade. Her hair was already half white, and the fog that her azure-colored jade was radiating gave her a mysterious aura. As the two entered, the elderly woman's eyes opened slowly, glittering with gentle, yet profound light.

Her gaze fell upon the youth floating by Chu Yuechan's profound energy. This woman was Feng Qianhui, the Geant Palace Mistress of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace sect.

Chu Yuechan placed him on the ice-cold ground.

"Disciple Gong Yuxian pays respect to Senior Master."

"Disciple Chu Yuechan pays respect to the Grand Palace Mistress."

They greeted.

The elderly woman raised her pale hand and spoke gently: "No need for formalities, take a seat." As they had sat on one of the ice jades in the room, she said to Chu Yuechan: "Yuechan, I hope you will give this old woman a satisfactory explanation for why you've brought a male to the sect. The reason better is important enough for interrupting my seclusion."

"This junior doesn't have any relation with this youth…" She decided to clarify an important detail.

"I know you have nothing to do with him. Otherwise, you wouldn't put a person without Cultivation on the ice-cold ground," She interrupted her, and her aged lips twitched, curling into a thin, barely noticeable smile.

She looked at the youth and said: "He doesn't seem uncomfortable, though," She was slightly surprised.

Chu Yuechan began elaborating how she had met the youth, while Feng Qianhui was listening patiently lifting her brows from time to time.

Feng Qianhui lifted her hand gently, profound energy surrounded the youth, and he soared to her will.

She inspected his body, and her reaction was somewhat familiar to that of Chu Yuechan and Gong Yuxian before; she almost released the youth, letting him fell to the ground. "This is certainly can be called eerie," She muttered. Silence shrouded the room, no one uttered a sound. Chu Yuechan and Gong Yuxian were waiting for Feng Qianhui as the later was thinking silently, her eyes released a profound glow. After a while, she made a decision.

"Put him in one of the free grounds in the sect. If he indeed has a strong background, you'll escort him back to his home when he wakes up."

"You may go now, bring him to me when he is awake," she said and closed her eyes.

As they went out, she released a deep sigh.

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Chu Yuechan placed him on an ice bed in one of the free Frozen Cloud Grounds as further as possible from any Palace Disciple.

"I hope I haven't made a mistake," she muttered to herself.

XXX

He knew nothing, and he did not remember anything: neither his origin nor his family, nor why he is in this place. He only knew an abyss-black world. In that cursed place, there was no sound, and he couldn't feel the time flowing, nor could he feel his own existence. The only entertainment he had was a bright, beautiful glow occasionally. Who am I? What am I? Does my life have any meaning? He didn't know how many times had he asked himself those questions, anyway, he couldn't care less about that.

The next thing he remembered was a white world full of snow. A breathtaking sight was surrounding him, but it paled in front of her.

A gorgeous woman in her late teens or her early twenties was standing in front of him. Her features were all absolutely exquisite, and not even the slightest imperfection could be found on her face. Her perfect little nose that seems was carved from a pure white crystal, her alluring cherry lips, and her fair white skin that put even the snow around her in shame.

Her large cold phoenix eyes were staring at him, a little confusion could be seen within them along with her cold demeanor and her inborn arrogance. The sky was already dark, but he couldn't remember the moon. Perhaps it was ashamed to show it's imperfections in front of her, or maybe it couldn't catch his attention while she was standing in front of him. Her thin snowy attire couldn't hide her buxom figure that would attract any man. Her breasts were full, and her waist was slender and probably could be hugged by one arm, while her neck was white and alluring. Her legs and the other parts of the body were covered by her white clothes, so one could only imagine what was under it. Her shining long black hair was falling like a waterfall due to the gentle wind caressing her face. The silver-colored liana-like ornament on her hair enhanced the beauty of her cold, light-grey eyes perfectly.

She brought colors to his black and cold world. He did not mind to appreciate the heavenly sight in front of him eternally, yet his eyelids did not listen to him as they began to fall…he did not want this dream to end so quickly, nor did he want the black world to replace her, "No…Fairy… Don't leave me…" He muttered before his mind drifted to a dreamless sleep. Then he had felt a snow-lotus-alluring smell he won't forget for a lifetime before he lost his consciousness.

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[Inside one of the Frozen Cloud Grounds]

"Where am I…" He murmured as he opened his eyes, slowly looking at the light-blue ceiling.

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