118: Chapter 118 I'm determined to be this senior brother!

Su Yun's mind raced.

If the freakishly strong woman before him was truly Burial Azure's Junior Sister, what should he do?

Rush out and explain everything clearly?

Tell her she had the wrong person, that her Senior Brother had long since died, and that he was just a lucky guy who happened to inherit his Legacy?

Don't be ridiculous!

Su Yun knew even without thinking that if he said that, the consequences would be dire.

The best-case scenario would be her flying into a rage, reclaiming the Heaven and Earth Supreme Yang Art Legacy he had just obtained, and leaving him here to fend for himself.

The worst-case scenario... heaven knows what this woman, who seemed to have a "brother complex," might do.

Upon learning the tragic news that her Senior Brother had died and not even a trace remained, she might lose control on the spot.

She might just slap him—the "thief" who had impersonated her Senior Brother and taken his Legacy—to death on the spot, forcing him to be buried alongside her Senior Brother.

No! This was a risk he absolutely could not take!

A flash of determination crossed Su Yun's eyes.

Since she mistook him for her Senior Brother, then he was determined to play the part!

It was just acting, right? He was a professional!

Having realized this, Su Yun immediately began preparing for his upcoming "performance."

First, he spoke in a low voice to the women beside him, who were looking just as bewildered.

"Listen well. From this moment on, no matter what you see or hear, keep it to yourselves! Especially regarding my identity. If anyone lets even a single word slip in front of that woman outside, don't blame me for being heartless!"

His tone was unprecedentedly serious, carrying an undisguised hint of threat.

Seeing him like this, the women, though filled with confusion, understood the gravity of the situation and nodded obediently.

"Don't worry, Husband, we know what to do," Fairy Ziyun was the first to declare.

"Good," Su Yun nodded, satisfied.

He took a deep breath and straightened his clothes, which had become disheveled from his injuries.

He then forcibly suppressed the injuries within his body and forced an expression that appeared somewhat frail, yet carried the complex emotions of a "long-awaited reunion."

With that done, he focused his mind, and his entire body transformed into a stream of light, flying out from within the map of mountains and rivers.

...

Outside, above the ruins.

The Ice Snow Palace Master was clutching the scroll, immersed in the overwhelming joy and excitement of having found her Senior Brother.

Suddenly, the scroll in her arms flashed with light, and a familiar figure appeared out of thin air before her.

It was Su Yun!

The moment she saw Su Yun, the Ice Snow Palace Master's ice-blue phoenix eyes, which had just dried, instantly clouded over with a layer of crystalline mist, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Her stunning face displayed an expression mixed with grievance, longing, excitement, and a trace of disbelief—an expression of extreme complexity.

"Senior... Senior Brother?"

She called out softly and tentatively, her voice filled with a caution born of the fear that this might only be a dream.

Watching her pitiful appearance, Su Yun secretly thought, "That was close."

Fortunately, he had reacted quickly and hadn't rushed out to explain; otherwise, he would likely be dead by now.

He forcibly suppressed the urge to immediately step forward and pull this peerless beauty into his embrace.

Following the "script" he had just devised, he slowly reached out his hand toward her.

His face wore a gentle smile, filled with "world-weariness" and "gratification."

"Junior Sister..."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried an endless sense of emotion, as if it had transcended the ages.

"You have suffered all these years."

Boom!

This simple sentence, this all-too-familiar form of address, struck the Ice Snow Palace Master's heart like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens.

It instantly shattered the final psychological defense she had built up with thousands of years of coldness!

"Senior Brother!"

She could no longer contain her emotions and let out a mournful cry filled with endless grievance and longing.

She threw herself straight into Su Yun's arms like a fledgling bird returning to the forest.

She buried her head deep against his chest and began to sob uncontrollably!

She wept like a child who had suffered a great injustice.

Her cries were shrill and filled with emotions suppressed for thousands of years, enough to break the heart of anyone who heard them.

Su Yun was momentarily stunned by her sudden "embrace."

He could clearly feel the soft, yet ice-cold body in his arms—devoid of even a hint of warmth—trembling violently.

A faint, cold, and holy fragrance, like that of a snow lotus, drifted into his nostrils, causing his heart to flutter uncontrollably.

Damn! Is she usually this bold?!

Su Yun was ecstatic, but he maintained the gentle and "doting" expression of a "good Senior Brother."

He reached out and gently stroked the woman's long, blue hair, which was as smooth as the Milky Way.

He spoke softly, his tone filled with "apology" and "heartache," comforting her.

"There, there, don't cry. It's all my fault. I was useless to have left you waiting alone for so many years. It won't happen again; I promise, Senior Brother will never leave you again."

His words, filled with "deep affection," did not stop the woman in his arms from crying; instead, she wept even harder.

It was as if she wanted to vent all the grievances and longing she had endured over these thousands of years all at once.

Seeing this, Su Yun said nothing more and simply held her quietly, letting her tears soak his clothes.

He knew that at this moment, any words would be pale and insufficient; all she needed was a warm shoulder to lean on.

After a long while, the Ice Snow Palace Master's emotions finally began to calm down.

She slowly raised her head from Su Yun's embrace; her ice-blue eyes, red and swollen from crying, still held a deep sense of attachment and reluctance.

Looking at Su Yun's face, which was at once familiar and strange, a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes.

"Senior Brother, your face... and your cultivation... how could they..."

She could feel that although the "Senior Brother" before her possessed the exact same Soul aura as in her memories,

his appearance had undergone a radical transformation.

Furthermore, his cultivation had fallen from that of the peerless powerhouse who had once been able to suppress the ages, down to a mere Soul Transformation realm—a level where she could crush him with a single finger.

What on earth had happened?

It was time! Su Yun's heart tightened! The most critical "test" had arrived!

If he didn't tell this lie well, he would meet his end right here today!