Chapter 355: Barren Land

The Burning Heaven Clan no longer possessed the power to contend with Yun Che. Even tens of thousands of disciples, or double that number, would pose no threat to him. As the Burning Heaven elders roared themselves hoarse, everyone, driven by the fear of annihilation and the sorrow of their clan's demise, let out wolf-like howls, grabbed their weapons, and charged towards Yun Che.

Yun Che lifted his head, his gaze sweeping over the rapidly approaching crowd. His calm face showed no ripple of emotion. In front of him, the last thirteen elders of the Burning Heaven Clan charged forward together. In their despair and indignation, their faces were completely contorted, their eyes wide and bulging as if they might burst. Despite their varying injuries, their bodies erupted with power far exceeding their usual strength.

Yun Che coldly raised his heavy sword and stepped forward. This was the first step in his slaughter today, and the first step in sending the Burning Heaven Clan into the abyss of annihilation.

The thirteen Burning Heaven elders wished only to perish alongside Yun Che. Facing his onslaught, they did not dodge but met him head-on. However, their Sky Profound Realm power posed no threat whatsoever in Yun Che's eyes at this moment. With a roar, they were all sent flying, half of them instantly severely wounded. Yun Che took another step, and a second wave of power erupted from the Dragon Fault, striking directly at Fen Duanhun.

Fen Duanhun was already no match for Yun Che, and with his injuries unhealed, he was sent reeling by Yun Che's blow, his arm fracturing on impact. But Yun Che did not pursue him. Instead, his gaze was fixed on Fen Yijue, who stood behind Fen Duanhun. Violent Phoenix flames surged from the heavy sword.

The terrifying power caused violent ripples in the air. The scorching firelight illuminated Fen Yijue's pale face. He stepped back, putting all his strength into shielding himself with his hands.

Boom!

The Phoenix flames exploded, but the formidable power from the heavy sword was not dispersed. It violently impacted Fen Yijue's hastily erected defense. Having foolishly agitated his profound energy while severely wounded and then suffering such a fierce blow, Fen Yijue staggered back dozens of feet before finally spitting out a mouthful of blood. His entire body's power dissipated, and the Phoenix Break surged through, striking his chest and erupting from his back!

“Supreme Elder!”

“Supreme Elder!!!!”

Fen Yijue stared blankly at the chaotic, ravaged Burning Heaven Clan. In a flash, images of the clan's former might and glory appeared before him, but these past scenes ultimately dissolved into an endless void. His body slowly collapsed into this boundless emptiness, the last sound he heard being the mournful cries of despair from those around him.

Although Fen Yijue had not appeared in over twenty years, he had always been the true cornerstone of the Burning Heaven Clan. His death signified the complete and utter end of the clan.

“No need to shout so loudly,” Yun Che said expressionlessly. “Because soon... you will all join him in hell!”

As his voice fell, a massive ball of Phoenix flames suddenly erupted from his body. In an instant, the violent Phoenix fire engulfed an area hundreds of feet around, dragging countless Burning Heaven disciples into a fiery inferno of certain death. The Phoenix flames spread with the wind, consuming more and more of the Burning Heaven Clan's grounds. Although it was already early morning, the incredibly hot firelight still dyed the sky above the Burning Heaven Clan a blood-red color.

“Gah!”

Xiao Juetian, who had been meditating with closed eyes, suddenly jolted as if struck by lightning. He shot up, his hands trembling, his forehead instantly covered in cold sweat.

“Sect Master, what’s wrong?” the old man beside him urgently asked.

Xiao Juetian's eyes twitched, and his face clearly showed deep shock and apprehension. As the Sect Master of the Xiao Sect, he had almost never displayed such an expression. “Second Uncle’s soul imprint has vanished… he… he’s dead!”

“What?!” The black-clad elder exclaimed in shock, then frantically shook his head. “Impossible! Elder Wuyi’s profound energy is second only to the Supreme Elder; he’s virtually invincible across the entire Azure Cloud Continent! And he carried five Heaven Destroyer Beads with him, how could he…”

“I don’t want to believe it either, but soul imprints don’t lie! Second Uncle is indeed dead. Furthermore, from the weakening of his soul imprint to its complete disappearance, only a few breaths of time passed. Not only did Second Uncle die, but it was a tragic death under extremely powerful force. With Second Uncle’s strength at the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, what could make him lose his life so quickly…”

Xiao Juetian could not continue speaking. He clearly felt a chilling wind crawling up his spine, freezing him to the bone. Yun Che single-handedly severely wounded Fen Yijue and killed Fen Ziya, which had already shocked him with his power. The swift and tragic death of Xiao Wuyi in such a short time further demonstrated to him the terrifying extent of Yun Che's strength. Most importantly, Xiao Wuyi's death proved that not only did he fail to kill Yun Che, but he was killed by Yun Che. After Yun Che dealt with the Burning Heaven Clan, the old hatred from three years ago, combined with this new enmity…

Xiao Juetian’s entire back was quickly drenched in cold sweat. He suddenly looked up and urgently commanded, “Immediately… immediately have the branch sect in Canghuo City thoroughly investigate the current situation of the Burning Heaven Clan… Go quickly!”

“…Yes!” The black-clad elder quickly withdrew.

After taking a few deep breaths, Xiao Juetian quickly calmed himself. He then swiftly darted out of the main pavilion and headed directly for the secret place where Supreme Sect Master Xiao Wuding was located. He already sensed that a great catastrophe, one concerning the very survival of the Xiao Sect, was rapidly approaching. This disaster was almost inevitable, and the entire Xiao Sect had to begin making all possible preparations immediately.

The air in Burning Heaven Valley was exceptionally hot that day. A blazing inferno raged wildly at the center of the valley. In less than an hour, it completely engulfed the Burning Heaven Clan’s headquarters, which spanned ten miles and had stood for a thousand years, reducing it to desolate ruins.

Beneath the flames lay piles upon piles of charred corpses, from the Burning Heaven Clan elders down to tens of thousands of ordinary disciples. Not a single soul escaped the sea of fire ignited by the Phoenix flames; all were annihilated beneath the Phoenix fire and the Dragon Fault.

A true wasteland of corpses, where not a blade of grass grew.

The Burning Heaven Clan, once an overbearing presence, revered by all, and hailed as a sacred land of the Azure Cloud Continent, was transformed into scorched earth in a single day, becoming a graveyard permeated with the scent of char, desolation, and despair.

Standing amidst the blackened ruins, gazing at the Burning Heaven Clan, which he had utterly destroyed, Yun Che felt no joy, no compunction, no pride or arrogance at having annihilated one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Instead, there was only profound calm. Tens of thousands of lives were buried beneath his flames and heavy sword, yet he remained as placid as if he had merely crushed a group of despicable ants.

This tranquility was not feigned or forced; it was a genuine calm stemming from his very soul. Such a scene and scale of destruction were things mortals could never witness in a lifetime, let alone orchestrate. But for him, it had happened far too many times.

In the past, it was born of hatred. He had used the heaven-defying poison of the Sky Poison Pearl to exterminate the sects that had caused his master’s death, one after another. He left entire sects, and even surrounding cities, littered with corpses. Many of those sects had been far larger in scale than the Burning Heaven Clan.

Today, it was also born of resentment. Although Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi had both been rescued and were safe and sound, having lived through his previous life, he would no longer allow himself to indulge in foolish mercy or compassion. Even if he were branded a demon, reviled, cursed, and feared by the world, he would never regret this day.

Because in his previous life, it was due to his compassion that his master was driven to death. It was due to his compassion that he narrowly escaped death multiple times, eventually being forced into the Absolute Cloud Cliff. And it was a moment of compassion that gave the Burning Heaven Clan the opportunity to abduct his grandfather and little aunt! His heart had not turned cold and dark; rather, two lifetimes of experiences had repeatedly taught him that any mercy shown to enemies was cruelty to himself and to those he cherished—sometimes, a fatal cruelty!

However, amidst the ruins of the Burning Heaven Clan, not everyone was dead, besides Yun Che. Right in front of Yun Che, a figure shakily rose to his feet. His hair was disheveled, his face covered in dust, and his body was riddled with wounds, yet his eyes shone with a ferocity even greater than that of a wicked wolf.

He swayed, barely managing to stand upright with what seemed like all his remaining strength. But with a fierce roar, a massive surge of power erupted from somewhere within his body, and he lunged forward, his hands gripping tightly at Yun Che’s throat.

His action made Yun Che’s eyes widen slightly. The man’s body was completely exhausted, yet he had still unleashed such power. And this… this was clearly strength squeezed from his very soul!

In his two lifetimes, it was the first time Yun Che had encountered someone whose willpower was strong enough to draw power from their soul, just like his own.

Yun Che lifted his arm and casually flicked it, sending a powerful gust of wind whistling, which swept the man far away. He lay prostrate on the ground, his body trembling, and then, to Yun Che’s surprise, slowly pushed his upper body upright again. His furious, wide eyes were brimming with bone-deep, soul-searing hatred.

“Fen Juechen, you should save your strength for breathing!” Yun Che said coldly. “Back at the Azure Cloud Profound Palace, you weren’t my match, but you could at least exchange blows with me. Now, however, you don’t even qualify for a second glance from me! With your current strength, even if I stood here motionless, you wouldn’t be able to harm a single hair on my head!”

Yun Che stared indifferently at the young man, whose body was filled with resentment and malevolence. “I will not kill you today, and you are the only one I won’t kill. But rest assured, I’m not sparing you because I pity you, nor because I don’t want to kill you. I know better than anyone the consequences of not completely eradicating a threat.”

“However, before my little aunt left, she specifically interceded for you, asking me to spare your life, and I promised her,” Yun Che said coldly. “What I promise my little aunt, I will always fulfill.”

Cutting the grass but not pulling out the roots invariably leads to future trouble. Fen Juechen’s eyes made Yun Che absolutely certain that leaving him alive today would be far more dangerous than leaving Fen Yijue alive! The consequence might be unforeseeable future trouble.

However, since he had already promised Xiao Lingxi not to kill Fen Juechen, he would absolutely not lay hands on him. Furthermore, according to Xiao Lingxi, if not for Fen Juechen’s repeated interventions, she might have taken her own life due to Xiao Juecheng before Yun Che arrived at the Burning Heaven Clan.

This alone was reason enough for him to spare Fen Juechen’s life.

As for any possible consequences, he would bear them fully!