Chapter 1200: Victory and Defeat

Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath, the ultimate flame recorded in the Golden Crow's Annihilation Scripture, could even be called the strongest destructive flame in the entire God Realm. To comprehend it, mastering exceptionally high flame laws and perfectly controlling the Golden Crow Flame are merely the basics; it also requires profound insight and fortuitous encounters. Even Fire Rulie, the foremost expert of the Golden Crow Sect, has yet to comprehend it.

And Yun Che... a Divine Tribulation cultivator who defeated a Divine Master... possessing both Ice Phoenix and Golden Crow divine blood... and a Profound God Illusion, specifically a dual ice and fire Profound God Illusion... in comparison, his ability to unleash this ultimate flame doesn't seem so unacceptable.

Everyone gazed up at the dazzling golden light in the sky, beholding this legendary strongest divine flame. Even Lu Lengchuan looked up, lost in thought for a long time. However, the Blazing Dragon Sacred World on his body was rapidly repairing itself, gradually returning to its complete state.

Fire Rulie's words were no exaggeration; Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath, as the Golden Crow's strongest flame power, was not easily unleashed. It required complete mental concentration, and its flame power needed a long period of full condensation. When Huo Poyun first used Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath in the Snow Song Realm, it took a full fifteen breaths. The reason he succeeded back then was due to a three-move mutual attack bet, ensuring that his concentration and power gathering would not be interrupted. But facing a strong enemy, not even a momentary lapse could be overlooked by an opponent, let alone a full fifteen breaths! Therefore, while Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath was incredibly powerful, on this God Sealing Stage, it was virtually impossible to successfully unleash. Yun Che's action seemed like a desperate, irrational move.

The flame might emanating from Yun Che grew increasingly intense, his entire figure completely enveloped in golden flame light. The golden sun in the sky appeared unchanged, but the aura it released surged wildly with every passing moment, as if limitless.

“Lengchuan, quickly interrupt him!” the Heaven Covering Realm King roared.

Venerable Quhui sharply turned his head, casting a warning glare at the Heaven Covering Realm King. But even without the Heaven Covering Realm King's warning, Lu Lengchuan had already leapt up, moving directly towards Yun Che. He was closest to Yun Che, with no barrier between them, and could most clearly feel the terrifying flame might. As he moved, the previously quiet Ice Phoenix phantom let out a sharp cry and plunged towards Lu Lengchuan, followed by a beam of ice light, as magnificent as the aurora borealis.

Crack, crack, crack... Over a dozen thick ice walls erupted from the ground, blocking Lu Lengchuan's path. At the same time, large swathes of dense ice mist diffused, blinding Lu Lengchuan's vision and then directly sealing off his spiritual sense, causing him to momentarily lose all awareness of Yun Che's presence. Bone-chilling cold invaded his mind, while the scorching heat persisted and intensified. One icy and one burning, they should have canceled each other out, but instead, they were strangely applied to Lu Lengchuan simultaneously, making him feel as if half his body was in magma and the other half in an icy hell. It was not only bizarre but also incredibly uncomfortable.

Lu Lengchuan was secretly alarmed but reacted immediately. His Sky-Rending Spear swept across, shattering several ice walls with cracking sounds. However, new ice barriers continued to form layered upon layer, creating an increasingly vast and thick ice mountain barrier. The ice mist also rapidly spread, tightly sealing Lu Lengchuan's path and spiritual sense.

“Yun Che is using the Ice Phoenix's power to stop Lu Lengchuan,” Mu Bingyun said.

“This is... the power of the Ice Phoenix God Sealing Canon!” Mu Huanzhi murmured, “The Golden Crow phantom can use the Golden Crow's Annihilation Scripture, and the Ice Phoenix phantom can use the Ice Phoenix God Sealing Canon... I have lived for ten thousand years, yet I completely fail to understand what kind of power this is.”

“I'll say it again, it's not a phantom, it's a Profound God!” Fire Rulie emphasized for the third time. Inheriting the purest Golden Crow bloodline, if Fire Rulie could become a Divine Master, he would certainly be able to cultivate the Golden Crow Profound God Art, 'Golden Crow Descent'. This was naturally the power he dreamed of; how could he tolerate it being repeatedly called a 'phantom'?

Mu Bingyun was right; Yun Che unleashed the Ice Phoenix Profound God precisely to stop Lu Lengchuan. Ten breaths would be enough! In terms of destructive power, the Ice Phoenix's might naturally couldn't compare to the Golden Crow's. But when it came to defense and control, the Ice Phoenix's power was absolutely far superior! Although it was only sixty percent of Yun Che's own power and couldn't hold out indefinitely, if it was just for ten breaths, it was absolutely possible!

To complete it in the shortest time, he decisively closed his six senses, completely focusing his mind and spirit. At this moment, even if Lu Lengchuan were within three steps of him, he would not be aware. This was his trust in the power of his Profound God Illusion, and his only choice. The consciousness of the Profound God Illusion did not come from Yun Che but from the corresponding divine soul. There was no need for Yun Che to be distracted with control; likewise, its combat awareness also came from the divine soul! The divine soul Yun Che possessed was a fragment of a true god's soul. The combat awareness imprinted within it would not only be no weaker than Yun Che's but would be far superior!

Within a few breaths, a massive array of linked ice barriers formed. Amidst the spreading ice mist, Lu Lengchuan launched a series of attacks, yet still faced an endless succession of layered ice barriers. However, no other ice power attacked him. Clearly, all the power was focused on defense.

Lu Lengchuan's brow furrowed. He briefly concentrated his power, transforming his spear into a dragon's shadow, and roared, “Crushing Dragon Spear!!” A dragon's roar shook the air, and a yellow light instantly blotted out the sky. Under the suddenly exploding immense power, nearly seventy percent of the ice mist and ice barriers shattered. The ice barrier array finally collapsed, and Lu Lengchuan burst out of the ice mist, only to find no sign of Yun Che ahead. He spun around abruptly, realizing Yun Che was a hundred miles behind him! Amidst the ice mist and barriers just now, his sense of direction had been muddled after several attacks!

Firmly locking onto Yun Che's aura again, Lu Lengchuan did not press closer. Instead, he swept his spear horizontally, and an aura instantly enveloped the entire three hundred-mile God Sealing Stage.

“Oh no!” Fire Rulie and the others felt their hearts tighten.

“Dragon Rock Array!”

After two breaths of power accumulation, a dragon shadow flashed, and the power of dragon rock erupted. This was a power explosion that covered the entire God Sealing Stage area; Yun Che had no way to evade it. And in his current state of complete concentration, once touched, Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath would instantly be interrupted.

High above, the ice phantom flickered. As a pair of ethereal ice wings circled, over a dozen layers of ice crystal barriers instantly stacked around Yun Che. If power was chosen for a large-scale eruption, it would inevitably be dispersed and greatly reduced. When the sky-piercing yellow light approached Yun Che, it was firmly blocked by the ice crystal barriers. After a series of crisp sounds, the ice crystal barriers shattered layer by layer, but by the eleventh layer, the Dragon Rock power had been completely nullified. Yun Che within the ice crystals was completely unharmed, not even a corner of his clothes stirring.

The next instant, the Ice Phoenix phantom did not form another ice crystal barrier around Yun Che. Instead, it suddenly changed direction, and a blizzard swept down, taking advantage of Lu Lengchuan's momentary power depletion. Above Lu Lengchuan, the sky instantly turned a sheet of white. Within the blizzard, a colossal blue halo silently materialized centered on Lu Lengchuan's body, then abruptly converged. The space within the halo instantly transformed into an icy hell.

“Ice Yi Heaven Sealing Array!!” the Snow Song disciples collectively roared.

Lu Lengchuan had just unleashed the vast and power-consuming “Rock Dragon Array,” leaving his profound energy temporarily depleted. He was firmly enveloped at the very center of the “Ice Yi Heaven Sealing Array,” and within the ice ring, a terrifying, doomsday-like ice storm raged, instantly burying Lu Lengchuan within it.

Crack, crack, crack... Inside the ice storm, ice furiously condensed. When the storm subsided, an ice mountain a thousand zhang wide and a thousand zhang high stood erect on the God Sealing Stage. It reflected the Golden Crow flames from above, yet remained chillingly formidable beneath the scorching heat, showing no signs of melting.

“Sealed... sealed in!!” Whether in the spectator stands or in front of the Star Stele, all the Snow Song disciples shouted uncontrollably, overcome with excitement.

“Such a massive Ice Yi God Sealing Array, the Ice Phoenix phantom could actually activate it instantly...” Mu Huanzhi gasped in astonishment.

“It’s a Profound God! A Profound God!!” Fire Rulie roared, wishing he could ram Mu Huanzhi's head into his backside.

“Sealed within the Ice Yi Heaven Sealing Array of the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect, Lu Lengchuan will find it difficult to escape quickly. Seizing the moment Lu Lengchuan's weakness was exposed, it sealed him instantly... This Profound God not only possesses independent consciousness but also clearly has extremely high intelligence,” Yan Juehai sighed. “However, strong as Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath is, can its weakest One-Sun form truly defeat Lu Lengchuan, who has three layers of the Blazing Dragon Sacred World on him?” Yan Juehai voiced his concern.

“No, look closely,” Fire Rulie said, gazing at the sky.

Yan Juehai looked up again, his pupils suddenly contracting. “That's... Twin Suns!!” It wasn't a single blazing sun, but two blazing suns overlapping!

In another corner of the Brahma Heaven God Realm, the sky was also covered in crimson gold. Under a thick tree, Huo Poyun looked up at the two blazing suns in the distant sky, feeling the incredibly potent Golden Crow aura that still reached him even from afar, and remained stunned for a very long time.

One breath... two breaths... three breaths... four breaths... five breaths...

Crack!! A long crack appeared on the ice mountain, then its center violently exploded, and Lu Lengchuan's figure flew out, his entire body covered in ice, already suffering from multiple frostbites. It took him a full five breaths to break free from the Ice Yi Heaven Sealing Array. The moment he appeared, a terrifying aura that made his heart tighten suddenly descended upon him.

“This is bad...” Lu Lengchuan was greatly alarmed. He instantly locked onto Yun Che's location, disregarding the Ice Phoenix Profound God's whereabouts, and at the fastest speed, gathered every shred of power he could muster onto his Sky-Rending Spear. The spear's body flashed with yellow light, and a dragon's roar resounded.

“Dragon Hunt!”

Rip!! Space seemed to tear apart. With an incredibly piercing shriek, the Sky-Rending Spear shot out like a meteor streaking across the sky, heading straight for Yun Che, accompanied by a world-shaking dragon's roar.

Chirp!! A phoenix cry tore through the air, completely overshadowing the dragon's roar. As the Ice Phoenix Profound God danced, ice barriers layered, and a blizzard swept forth, directly confronting the Sky-Rending Spear.

Bang, bang, bang... The ice barriers were pierced layer by layer, their power also weakened in turn. As the blizzard swept, the spear's flight path continuously warped. However, the Ice Phoenix Profound God, possessing only sixty percent of Yun Che's power, ultimately couldn't fully block Lu Lengchuan's concentrated full-power strike. After piercing through layers of ice barriers, the Sky-Rending Spear still rushed straight towards Yun Che.

With another phoenix cry, the Ice Phoenix Profound God suddenly flickered, instantly moving and appearing in front of Yun Che.

“Broken... Broken Moon Fading Shadow!?” Mu Huanzhi was so astonished his jaw nearly hit the ground.

Boom!!!! The Ice Phoenix Profound God was instantly pierced through and dispersed in mid-air after a shriek. The Sky-Rending Spear's power was also severely impeded; its power and flight speed greatly decreased, and its trajectory significantly deviated, passing a full half-mile to Yun Che's right.

At this moment, Yun Che slowly opened his eyes. The sky was a golden blaze, with Twin Suns overhead. Lu Lengchuan stood frozen, no longer attacking. He knew that Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath was complete; Yun Che only needed a single thought to unleash it, and it could no longer be stopped. For a full ten breaths, under the Ice Phoenix Profound God's full obstruction, he hadn't even touched a corner of Yun Che's clothes.

The God Sealing Stage was utterly silent. Everyone gazed at the sky, especially the Golden Crow Sect disciples, their eyes trembling as if beholding a deity. In ancient legends, the source of the Golden Crow's flames was the fire of the sun itself. Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath burned with true sun flame.

“He succeeded... He actually succeeded, Twin Suns... in just... ten breaths!?” Fire Rulie murmured, as if in a dream. On the stage of this God Sealing Battle, facing one of the Four God Children of the Eastern Divine Region, Yun Che had actually managed to complete Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath!

“This Yun Che kid... can never be judged by common sense,” Yan Juehai sighed. For an outsider to possess their sect's unique bloodline and profound art was originally a major event that would alarm the entire sect. But at this moment, Yan Juehai deeply envied the Golden Crow Sect. If it were their Phoenix Sect's “Brilliant World Red Lotus” displayed on the God Sealing Stage right now, what immense pride and glory that would be.

Yun Che's gaze was calm, but his breathing was heavy, and his face twitched with continuous pain. This successfully completed “Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath” had consumed all his remaining power, leaving not a single trace in reserve. If it still couldn't defeat Lu Lengchuan, he could only resign himself to fate. Though already on the verge of collapse, he did not immediately unleash Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath. His gaze met Lu Lengchuan's across the distance, conveying without words that once Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath was unleashed, he would have no power to control it.

Lu Lengchuan extended his hand, and the Sky-Rending Spear flew back to him. He held the spear high, yellow light swirling around him, supporting a heavy defensive aura: “Come!”

Yun Che took a deep breath, and the flame light on his body exploded. The crimson-golden sky suddenly collapsed, and the two overlapping blazing suns plunged down amidst tremendous gasps, splitting into two as they fell.

“Aaaahhh!”

The God Sealing Stage was separated by a powerful barrier, and the power within it certainly wouldn't affect the spectator stands. But when the collapsing sky and falling fiery sun appeared in their eyes, more than half of the young profound practitioners let out uncontrolled screams.

Lu Lengchuan looked up, the terrifying aura drawing ever closer. He heard his father's alarmed roar in his ears, but he did not choose to flee the God Sealing Stage. Instead, he let out a great shout: “Hmph!!!!”

Amidst a dull explosion, the fiery suns burst, their light blotting out the sky and illuminating the heavens. People felt as if they were witnessing two actual suns exploding before their eyes. Lu Lengchuan's figure was completely engulfed. The God Sealing Stage had been utterly transformed into a golden world, where only the world-burning golden flames raged wildly. Even through the barrier, the unbelievably terrifying aura shook the hearts of numerous Divine King realm experts.

“Sect Master, Young Master... he... he'll be alright, won't he?”

The Heaven Covering Realm King had risen, his hands tightly clenched, subtly trembling.

“This is our... Golden Crow Sect's power!” Throughout the Golden Crow Sect, from disciples to elders, every person gazed blankly with reverence, as if witnessing a miracle.

Amidst the sky-filling golden flame light, Yun Che fell from the air, completely devoid of strength, unable even to stand for a moment. The injuries, further aggravated by unleashing Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath, caused him immense pain, but fortunately, he could finally catch his breath. However, he suddenly looked up at that moment, staring fixedly in one direction, his gaze gradually sharpening.

The terrifying golden flames burned for a very long time. If this were not the God Sealing Stage, no one would doubt that this entire area would have been incinerated into complete nothingness. After a long while, the blazing flame light began to subside. As the golden flames gradually thinned, the two figures, long engulfed, slowly reappeared on the God Sealing Stage.

Yun Che sat slumped on the ground, his face pale, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, and his aura incredibly feeble. Straight ahead, where his gaze rested, Lu Lengchuan's head was bowed low. He knelt on one knee, holding his spear, unmoving. The three layers of the Blazing Dragon Sacred World on his body had completely vanished. All his outer clothes were charred black, and his exposed skin was scorched, visibly covered in severe burns, some deep enough to reveal bone. His aura had also become very weak.

However, this 'weakness' was a nightmare for Yun Che. The flames were gradually dying out. At this moment, Lu Lengchuan finally moved. He lowered the arm that held the Sky-Rending Spear high and slowly stood up. Although covered in burns and his face disfigured, he still stood perfectly straight. His aura was so faint it was less than one percent of one percent, yet compared to Yun Che, he was infinitely better off.

After a long silence, a cheer suddenly erupted from the Heaven Covering Realm side. The Heaven Covering Realm King let out a huge sigh of relief, slumping back down, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. The Snow Song Realm and Flame God Realm remained silent, their faces clouded with despair. Those who had yearned to witness a miracle were also silent; Yun Che had, in the end... still been defeated.

“Alas, just a little short, just a tiny bit,” Fire Rulie closed his eyes, sighing with lingering reluctance. Yun Che's Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath was unleashed while he was severely injured and greatly depleted of profound energy. Had it not been for that, Lu Lengchuan absolutely could not have withstood it.

“He could have won if he had used the Profound God from the very beginning,” Yan Juehai looked up. Initially, he never believed Yun Che could defeat Lu Lengchuan, but now, he found this result intensely unacceptable.

Yun Che braced his arms against the ground, slowly and with immense difficulty, pushing himself up. He was as weak as a child now; merely standing up had exhausted all his strength. Although Lu Lengchuan's aura was also weak, defeating Yun Che at this moment would take but an instant. The outcome was sealed; he had expended all his power, not holding back even a trace. He could only accept this result... yet, he was unwilling.

Lu Lengchuan watched him intently, but did not immediately strike him off the God Sealing Stage. His gaze flickered, as if struggling with some hesitation. At this moment, Lu Lengchuan's expression suddenly softened. He looked at Yun Che and smiled. The Sky-Rending Spear vanished from his hand. He turned around, facing Venerable Quhui: “I concede.”

Those two simple words stunned everyone; they almost thought there was something wrong with their ears.

Yun Che: “...??”

“What did you say... concede?” Venerable Quhui frowned, “You clearly hold an absolute advantage right now, why would you concede?”

Lu Lengchuan glanced at Yun Che, his face solemn: “As the Son of Heaven Covering, I, Lu Lengchuan, have lived with unyielding pride, never underestimating myself. But this battle... I am no longer worthy of winning.”