Chapter 370: Self-Inflicted Humiliation

As a prince of the Divine Phoenix Empire, Feng Xichen could assert himself anywhere he went. Almost everyone would fall silent in his presence, daring not show the slightest disrespect or offense, especially in the weakest nation, the Azure Wind Nation.

However, his identity as a Divine Phoenix Prince clearly held no sway over Yun Che, which undoubtedly infuriated Feng Xichen, igniting a murderous intent towards Yun Che. He sneered arrogantly, "Yun Che, I truly wonder where you got the nerve and confidence to be so arrogant in front of me. Do you think you're invincible just because you destroyed the Burning Heaven Clan, one of the so-called Four Great Sacred Sects? Hahahaha, a frog in a well who has never left this small, insignificant country is truly laughable and pathetic. To be honest, I heard many rumors about you along the way and had some expectations, but who would have thought your profound energy is only at the Earth Profound Realm—a level that doesn't even warrant the word 'pathetic'? It seems these so-called Four Great Sacred Sects are nothing more than four colossal jokes..."

Feng Xichen watched Yun Che with a leisurely air, his gaze like one observing a lowly ant beneath his notice. "However, your fate isn't entirely bad, for you will have the honor of dying by my hand. Before you perish, I shall be merciful and allow a mixed-blood mongrel like you to witness true Phoenix Flame!"

With a change of his hand gesture, Feng Xichen opened his jade fan. A crimson flame mark flashed on his forehead, radiating a dazzling light. Instantly, scarlet Phoenix Flame erupted like a sudden storm, quickly engulfing the sky, blotting out the sun. The air violently expanded and surged, vision became severely distorted, and an intensely terrifying heatwave descended, making everyone nearby feel as if they were suddenly enveloped in molten lava. Their breathing ceased completely, and their entire bodies felt as though they would ignite.

The resonant cry of a phoenix echoed from within the flames, sending a deep shiver through the soul of every person present. People looked up, astonished to see the vast expanse of crimson flames, seemingly formed from thousands of freely soaring fiery phoenixes, radiating a destructive pressure that threatened to incinerate even the heavens and earth.

The Azure Wind experts nearby recoiled in fear. The heat and overwhelming pressure of these flames far exceeded anything they knew or could imagine. Even the highest-grade purple profound flames of the Burning Heaven Clan were not fit to even be mentioned in the same breath as these scarlet flames, for this was Phoenix Flame from the Divine Phoenix Sect... flames imbued with the might of a divine beast, universally acknowledged as the strongest flames in the entire Profound Sky Continent! Countless powerful individuals were present, yet none felt confident enough to contend with such flames. Even a super-expert like Dongfang Xiu, who was at the Half-Step Sovereign Profound Realm, would likely be instantly annihilated by these terrifying flames.

Watching the Phoenix Flame engulfing the sky, the black-robed elder and the crimson-robed elder slowly nodded. The black-robed elder remarked admiringly, "Although His Highness's talent among the princes isn't considered top-tier, he does possess imperial blood. Over the past year, his Phoenix Flame power has made considerable breakthroughs. It's now almost on par with us two useless old men. I believe in another year, he will completely surpass us."

The crimson-robed elder chuckled, "Heh heh, we are merely two minor guardians within the sect, and our limits in this life essentially stop at the Sovereign Profound Realm. How can we compare to His Highness? With His Highness's current progress, he might even have a chance to become an unrivaled emperor in his lifetime!"

The pervasive Phoenix Flame, like infernal fire, descended upon Yun Che with an aura of endless destruction. Watching the flames approach, Yun Che was about to act but suddenly seemed to recall something. He withdrew his raised hands, allowing the flames to fall and completely engulf him.

"Boss!!"

"Yun Che!!"

The vast sea of flames completely swallowed Yun Che, devouring his figure and aura. Witnessing this, horrified shouts erupted from around them. Ling Jie and Dongfang Xiu dashed out from the crowd, but before they could even approach the Phoenix Flame, they were forced back by its unimaginable heat, unable to get close... In their horror, they could barely imagine the terrible consequences of being engulfed by such flames. Perhaps in just an instant, everything from clothes to skin, flesh, and even bones would be incinerated to ashes.

"Hahahahahaha!" Feng Xichen burst into unrestrained laughter. "So this is the first place in the Azure Wind Ranking Tournament? The number one prodigy of the younger generation in Azure Wind? How utterly laughable! I thought he might at least put up a bit of a struggle, but who knew he'd be swallowed up without even a twitch under the pressure of the Phoenix Flame. In this world, there's nothing Phoenix Flame cannot incinerate. Under its blazing heat, in just three breaths, his very bones will turn to charcoal!"

Yun Che, engulfed by the Phoenix Flame, naturally suffered no harm. Not to mention Feng Xichen, even if his own father—the current Divine Phoenix Sect Master and Divine Phoenix Emperor—were present, they wouldn't be able to harm a single hair on him with Phoenix Flame. He stood motionless within the flames, concentrating on feeling the Phoenix Fire surging around him. Phoenix Flame indeed requires a Phoenix bloodline to ignite. Yun Che could ignite the Phoenix blood himself because he possessed three drops of pure Phoenix blood in his veins. He wanted to know if the Phoenix Flame cultivated by the Divine Phoenix Sect, passed down through countless years of bloodline inheritance, would be any different from his own.

The result, however, greatly disappointed him. Strictly speaking, neither Yun Che's flames nor those ignited by the Divine Phoenix Sect members could truly be called Phoenix Flame; they were merely ordinary profound fire mixed with a trace of divine Phoenix power. Only the flames of the divine beast Phoenix itself were true Phoenix Flame. The purity of the Phoenix bloodline naturally determined the "purity" of the Phoenix Flame. Possessing the Evil God's Seed and Phoenix blood, Yun Che's understanding of fire laws and control over fire power were incredibly profound. He instantly perceived that the "purity" of Feng Xichen's ignited Phoenix Flame... was not even half of his own!

After all, Yun Che's Phoenix blood directly originated from the divine beast Phoenix. In contrast, Feng Xichen's Phoenix bloodline had been passed down through generations from ancient times. Its purity simply could not compare to Yun Che's. The only one whose bloodline purity could rival Yun Che's was his ancestor, who first acquired the Phoenix blood!

Nevertheless, the method of combustion and the laws of destruction within these Phoenix flames were exceptionally profound. From them, Yun Che clearly saw the shadow of the World Ode of the Phoenix. During the Phoenix Trial, he had used the Evil God's Fire Seed to manipulate fire-elemental energy, forcibly breaking through the fundamental laws of Phoenix Flame. He even managed to forcibly comprehend the Phoenix Profound Skills of the fifth and sixth stages of the World Ode of the Phoenix, despite not having the foundational Phoenix Profound Arts. However, without the basic Phoenix Profound Arts recorded in the World Ode of the Phoenix, Yun Che's Phoenix Flame could only unleash its most fundamental power, and his two great Phoenix Flame skills were also limited in might.

The Divine Phoenix Sect, however, possessed the complete first through fourth stages of the World Ode of the Phoenix. If Yun Che could acquire these complete initial four stages and then integrate them with his fifth and sixth stages, the power of his Phoenix Flame would undoubtedly receive an immense boost.

Within Feng Xichen's Phoenix Fire, Yun Che attempted to discern traces of the World Ode of the Phoenix, but he quickly gave up. After all, reverse-engineering profound arts from an opponent's power was an almost impossible feat. He spread his arms, a golden flame Phoenix mark flashing on his forehead. A similarly crimson Phoenix Flame erupted from his body, then fiercely burst forth.

In an instant, like a fierce sea beast breaking through the waves, space violently trembled, and sounds like tearing fabric erupted in rapid succession. The previously overwhelming Phoenix Flame was instantly thrown into chaos by the impact, shattering and dissipating in vast swathes... And what was annihilating these Phoenix Flames was none other than Yun Che's... identical Phoenix Flame! The difference, however, was that Feng Xichen's Phoenix Flame was like a thousand agile snakes, while Yun Che's Phoenix Flame was like a divine dragon of the sky, brutally and forcefully clearing away all of Feng Xichen's flames wherever it went.

"Wh-what?!"

This sudden turn of events astonished Feng Xichen, as well as the crimson and black-robed elders. Yun Che had been engulfed by Feng Xichen's Phoenix Flame for nearly five breaths of time, and they had been certain he would have been incinerated to ashes. They never imagined that not only was Yun Che completely unharmed, but he had suddenly erupted, powerfully breaking through Feng Xichen's Phoenix Flame with his own Phoenix Flame...

Breaking through the Divine Phoenix Prince's Phoenix Flame!!

It must be known that within the Divine Phoenix Sect, the Phoenix bloodline of the Divine Phoenix Imperial Family was comparatively the purest. At the same level, the Phoenix Flame ignited by the imperial family far surpassed that of ordinary disciples. Feng Xichen's profound energy was at Sovereign Profound Realm Level Two, yet he was fully capable of facing a regular Divine Phoenix Sect disciple at Sovereign Profound Realm Level Four without losing.

And Yun Che, who was only at Earth Profound Realm Level Seven, had actually used the Phoenix Flame ignited by what they called his "bastard" Phoenix bloodline to break through Feng Xichen's Phoenix Flame!!

At this moment, they looked as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Simultaneously, their souls suddenly surged uncontrollably. They distinctly felt a pressure emanating from a bloodline! They were familiar with this sensation of bloodline suppression, but such a feeling could only be experienced from someone whose bloodline purity surpassed, and indeed far surpassed, their own. Yet, this sensation was clearly coming from Yun Che.

How could this be?!

How could a scattered 'bastard' bloodline make a prince with imperial blood feel suppressed... How was this possible?!

Feng Xichen's expression stiffened, then twisted by degrees as he watched his own Phoenix Flame being shattered by his opponent's identical Phoenix Flame. He felt his pride and dignity being torn to shreds, just like his flames.

Gritting his teeth, Feng Xichen suddenly roared, soaring into the air. The Phoenix Flame mark on his forehead blazed intensely, and his jade fan unleashed furious flames like a raging hurricane. "You little mongrel! I possess the most noble Divine Phoenix imperial bloodline in this world. Your lowly Phoenix Flame is nothing but an attempt to humiliate yourself before me! I'll show you right now... what true Phoenix Flame is!"

"Divine Phoenix Power... Phoenix Domain!!"

A long phoenix cry rent the sky, and the already overwhelming flames immediately expanded several times over. Previously, Feng Xichen, full of disdain and mockery, had only used about a quarter of his power. This time, he used all of his strength, forcibly activating his currently strongest destructive ability—the Phoenix Domain.

The flames roared wildly, rapidly transforming into a massive fiery phoenix that circled angrily above the ground, unleashing destructive power that made heaven and earth tremble.

A sarcastic smile curved Yun Che's lips. He spread his arms, the golden flame mark reappeared, and a colossal crimson lotus arrogantly bloomed.

"Burning Star Demonic Lotus!!"

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Layer upon layer of fiery petals, carrying a powerful aura capable of incinerating everything, rapidly unfurled. As the fiery petals bloomed one after another, the Phoenix Domain was forcibly and brutally torn apart. The newly formed fiery phoenix was directly sliced into several sections, and its scattered flames, consumed by the Demonic Lotus's fire, rapidly vanished like snow under a scorching sun.