Chapter 375: Extreme Deterrence

Feng Xichen had already fallen unconscious. Although his injuries were frightening, none were fatal. The two black-robed elders breathed a sigh of relief. Although the hatred in their hearts was impossible to quell, they were no match for Yun Che. Even if their resentment were ten times stronger, they had to endure it. They stepped forward, faced Cang Wanhe, and bowed their heads, saying, "We thank the Cangfeng Emperor... for your benevolence."

"Haha, no need," Cang Wanhe said, raising a hand slightly, his imperial dignity radiating. "The seven nations of Cangfeng are like branches of the same tree; a deadlock benefits no one. Although today's events ultimately resulted in the prince's severe injuries, they originated with you—you won't deny that, will you? And if this matter were to spread, it would bring no benefit to either of us, only unpredictable future troubles. Therefore, as you yourselves suggested, let us consider today's events as if they never happened. I guarantee that no one present here will speak of it. Otherwise, before you even need to act, I will be the first to not spare them. Do you have any objections?"

After the Cangfeng Emperor finished speaking, his majestic gaze swept over his surroundings. Ling Jie immediately stepped forward and declared loudly, "Your Majesty, rest assured! Ling Jie of Heavenly Sword Villa, along with my elder brother Ling Yun, will absolutely not reveal this matter to anyone... including my father. This I swear! Should I violate this oath, may heaven and earth strike me down!"

Following Ling Jie's lead, others also swore an oath never to disclose the day's events to anyone.

If it had been a sect from another powerful nation present today instead of the Divine Phoenix Sect, this incident would have forged an irreconcilable, mortal enmity. However, the Divine Phoenix Sect was simply too powerful. When such power becomes too dazzling and unshakeable, it naturally creates a burden of honor... that is, the Divine Phoenix Sect's glory and dignity must never be trampled upon or humiliated, especially by those originally far weaker than them.

This outcome allowed the two black-robed elders to once again breathe a huge sigh of relief. They cast a warning glance at the surrounding crowd, then, without another word, took Feng Xichen and departed in disarray, quickly vanishing from everyone's sight. Yun Che's voice, following the direction of their hasty exit, reached their ears:

"Listen closely! Five months from now, I will personally travel to the Divine Phoenix Empire to participate in the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament! You had better prepare yourselves well and try to ensure I never return in five months. Don't disappoint me!"

This sudden, immense threat from the Divine Phoenix Sect thus ended in a way no one could have predicted.

When Feng Xichen and the two others appeared and targeted Yun Che, everyone believed Yun Che was utterly finished. Yet, not only was Yun Che unharmed and suffered no losses, he instead used his astonishing strength to brutally beat the three from the Divine Phoenix Sect, even seizing their vital weakness. While his strength and cunning were certainly formidable, what was even more terrifying by comparison was his ruthless, domineering, and decisive nature. His recent destruction of the Burning Heaven Clan had shocked Cangfeng, but compared to today's events, that act hardly seemed significant!

The arrival of the Divine Phoenix Sect not only failed to bring any negative consequences for Yun Che but instead caused his prestige and deterrent power to surge once more. In their eyes, "Cangfeng's foremost person" was no longer sufficient to describe the current Yun Che. Their gazes towards him began to carry an increasingly heavy mix of reverence, shock, and fear.

Yun Che turned around and smiled calmly, "Everyone, my apologies for these trifling clowns who happened to appear and dampen your spirits. Please, return to your seats. Today is my wedding day, and I am determined to ensure all esteemed guests depart thoroughly entertained. As for what just transpired..." Yun Che's eyes narrowed, "I'm sure you've all completely forgotten it, haven't you?"

A dignified Divine Phoenix Prince, referred to by Yun Che as mere "trifling clowns who happened to appear"—everyone present felt a twitch in their hearts. And Yun Che's final sentence, its threatening implication, permeated their very souls... By now, Yun Che's words were undoubtedly an unchallengeable imperial decree. All those present hastily responded, a chaotic mix of voices erupting as everyone frantically promised they had completely forgotten about the day's events, then returned to the wedding hall, not one daring to leave early. Moreover, these powerful figures, who were normally so arrogant in their own domains, now walked with unusually slow steps and stiff movements, especially the Sect Master of the Xiao Sect... when he returned to his seat, he didn't even dare to sit down too heavily.

As for Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo, who had guilty consciences, their faces turned pale. In the scorching summer heat, they shivered with cold and incessantly wiped away cold sweat. As princes themselves, they were utterly insignificant compared to the Divine Phoenix Prince. If Yun Che dared to trample the Divine Phoenix Prince underfoot, crushing them would be no different from crushing an ant.

The roof of the wedding hall, which Yun Che himself had smashed a large hole in, was quickly cleaned up. The wedding ceremony then continued, but the atmosphere had undergone a significant change. Especially when Yun Che toasted, those facing him were invariably filled with trepidation, their fearful expressions suggesting they wished they could kneel to return his toast.

The powerful do not necessarily inspire fear. Take Ling Tianni, for instance: for decades, he was Cangfeng's foremost person, yet people held more respect, admiration, and awe for him, with almost no fear, because while Ling Tianni's strength was immense, he was generally a gentle person; only the most heinous villains truly feared him. Yun Che, however, was different. His strength was not only far beyond everyone's imagination, but his nature was also vengeful, domineering, and ruthless, with decisive and merciless methods. A vast, thousand-year-old sect, for abducting his family members—even without harming them—was directly annihilated! A dignified Divine Phoenix Prince, a super-figure whom few on the entire Profound Sky Continent dared to provoke, was mercilessly beaten and had his head stomped underfoot without hesitation...

Such a nature, coupled with such strength... who would dare to provoke him! Who would dare to defy him! Who would dare to disrespect him!

And this was precisely the deterrent Yun Che had been deliberately cultivating all along!

With all guests seated, Yun Che and Cang Yue's wedding ceremony resumed. However, the master of ceremonies' voice began to tremble, stuttering intermittently, and only started to improve after a full quarter of an hour. Soon, Xiao Lie took his seat, positioned remarkably on par with Cang Wanhe. Everyone present firmly memorized Xiao Lie's appearance... this gentle, weathered old man, whose profound strength was only at the Spirit Profound Realm, was the one who caused the Burning Heaven Clan to be annihilated. The city lords and grandmaster-level figures present gazed at Xiao Lie repeatedly, fearing they might forget his face someday, and constantly reminded themselves that from now on, they must treat him as if he were their own father... lest an accidental offense lead to the terrifying consequence of their entire sect being destroyed!

The atmosphere, filled with awe and restraint, did not last too long before it grew lively again amidst the festive drumming. People gradually began to relax, and amidst the rising clamor, Yun Che walked in from outside the hall, holding a red silk ribbon. At the other end of the ribbon, Cang Yue, adorned in a phoenix coronet and bridal robes, walked shyly and delicately, supported by Xiao Lingxi.

The previous unexpected turn of events had startled Cang Yue, but as everything settled and Yun Che emerged unharmed, her heart, which had been pounding anxiously, began to thump with a different kind of nervous excitement.

The sunlight today was exceptionally gentle, its shimmering rays reflecting off her phoenix coronet and bridal robes, making them appear enchanting and brilliantly radiant, dazzling all eyes. The large red, gold-threaded phoenix coronet was adorned with long, slender pearl tassels, subtly revealing the ruby lowered on her brow and her delicate, soft-pink, snow-white face. Her dark eyebrows, fair skin, bright eyes, and jade lips were exquisitely captivating. Her tenderly shy demeanor, combined with the half-concealment of the pearl tassels, further enhanced her charm, making her seem like a celestial maiden descended to earth, too beautiful to be of this world...

Today was undoubtedly the most beautiful moment of her life. At this instant, she was like a fairy stepping out of a painting, so exquisitely beautiful that one couldn't tear their eyes away.

Her beauty, coupled with an intangible grace and nobility, instantly captivated everyone, whether they had seen her before or not. Onlookers unconsciously held their breath, their gazes fixed in a daze... especially Ling Jie, who had an overwhelming crush on Cang Yue; he stared wide-eyed, even letting a drop of saliva trickle down his chin.

She was the sole princess of the Cangfeng Imperial Family, the most noble woman in all of Cangfeng. Simultaneously, she possessed beauty that could topple nations and a gentle grace that captivated men irrevocably. It seemed the Creator had bestowed all its favoritism upon her. All the guests present marveled deeply in their hearts. Only Yun Che could be worthy of such a heaven-favored daughter, and only such a heaven-favored daughter could be worthy of Yun Che, who, though not yet twenty, already stood at the pinnacle of Cangfeng.

Cang Yue gazed at her toes, counting her heartbeats, as she firmly held the red silk ribbon with Xiao Lingxi's support, moving forward step by step. With each step, a scene unique to her and Yun Che floated through her mind... their first encounter under the new moon, fleeing together, enduring hardships together, unknowingly falling deeply in love, then the life-or-death separation at Heavenly Sword Villa, the deeply etched sorrowful yearning during that time, and the dream-like joy of seeing him again... And from this day forward, she would be his wife, destined to spend her life with him. All that was his would blend into her life, and all that was hers would entirely belong to him.

All of this felt like a beautiful dream, so happy that it was hard to find a sense of reality.

The deafening sounds of drums and joyous music lingered in their ears. Beneath the grand hall, before Cang Wanhe and Xiao Lie, and witnessed by countless high-ranking figures of Cangfeng, the couple began the ceremony of bows amidst the master of ceremonies' deliberately prolonged calls...

"First bow to Heaven and Earth!"

"Second bow to the Elders!"

"Couple's bow!"

At the same time, in the extreme west of the Profound Sky Continent, within the Black Fiend Empire, lay a desolate and wicked place, perpetually shrouded in eerie mist and chilling cold, utterly devoid of human habitation.

Thud... thud... thud...

A heavy series of footsteps echoed through the eerie mist. As the view zoomed in, a hunched figure came into sight, dragging his body forward step by step with his legs. His steps were slow and heavy, as if each movement required immense effort and willpower. His clothes were ragged, his body covered in scars and bloodstains, and even his face bore over a dozen deep gashes. In his hand, he dragged a long blade; its edge was severely curled, the blade itself damaged in multiple places, and it was covered in both long-dried and freshly stained blood.

Thud!

The figure collapsed heavily onto the ground. He braced himself with his hands, his whole body trembling, and let out hoarse growls, yet he could not stand up. So he gripped the ground with his hands, crawling forward inch by painful inch, leaving behind shocking streaks of blood in his wake...

"Yun Che... I will kill you... Even if I'm torn to shreds... I will kill you!!!!"

The low growl of pain and hatred spilled from his lips. He had repeated these words countless times; they were deeply etched into his soul, almost becoming the sole belief of his life now.