Chapter 398: 顺路讨债

The Snow Phoenix Beast soared straight up, reaching a height of three thousand zhang, and in the blink of an eye, it had flown beyond the confines of the Azure Cloud Imperial City.

Yun Che took out the map of the Profound Sky Continent that Cang Yue had prepared for him and visually estimated the distance between Azure Cloud Imperial City and Divine Phoenix City. The territory of the Divine Phoenix Empire was vast, nearly twenty times the size of Azure Wind Nation. Even with the speed of the Snow Phoenix Beast, flying seven or eight hours a day, it would still take over ten days to reach Divine Phoenix City.

"…It's actually this far!" Yun Che groaned softly. He had thought that leaving a month early would give him ample time to explore Divine Phoenix City, but having never seen a map of the Profound Sky Continent before, he had clearly misjudged the distance between Azure Cloud Imperial City and Divine Phoenix City.

After staring at the Divine Phoenix Empire's territory for a moment, Yun Che's gaze returned to the Azure Wind Nation. After lingering for a short while on the southwestern lands, his eyes settled on one particular spot. He let out an eerie sneer, closed the map, and shot away through the air.

With Mount Xiao Nan behind it and the Southern Sky River to its right, the main sect of the Xiao Sect was an impeccably located place of good fortune. From a thousand zhang up in the sky, Yun Che clearly saw the rectangular arched stone gate in front of the Xiao Sect. This gate was a hundred zhang tall, and the character "Xiao" carved at its very top was majestic and extraordinarily imposing.

"It really is a good place," Yun Che muttered.

Yun Che then steered the Snow Phoenix Beast downward at high speed. As they neared the stone gate, he leaped off the beast, drew the Dragon Fault sword, and slammed it onto the gate with a single strike.

BOOM!!!!An earth-shattering explosion reverberated throughout Mount Xiao Nan. As the Dragon Fault unleashed its sky-shaking dragon's roar, the Xiao Sect's millennium-old gate trembled violently amidst the din. Countless cracks spread rapidly, covering the entire gate in a dense network in the blink of an eye. Then, with a thunderous crash, the enormous stone gate…collapsed.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM…The sound of massive stones hitting the ground was incessant, and a cloud of dust billowed everywhere. Yun Che descended from the sky, a cold sneer on his face. His action had undoubtedly stirred a hornet's nest; the previously quiet Xiao Sect headquarters instantly erupted with alarm bells, and chaotic footsteps surged towards them. They watched, dumbfounded, as the gate, which symbolized the Xiao Sect's prestige and thousand-year history, simply collapsed into a pile of rubble. All of them turned pale with shock.

"Who dares to cause trouble at my Xiao Sect?!"

Xiao Jue Tian's furious voice boomed through the air. As the Sect Master, he usually disdained handling trivial matters, but the sudden destruction of the sect's gate was a major incident concerning the Xiao Sect's thousand-year honor! Xiao Jue Tian flew forward, rushing at the forefront like a hawk. He thrust out his palm, and a profound energy storm roared forth, scattering the pervasive dust and revealing the culprit—Yun Che's figure.

"Sect Master Xiao, it's been a few months. I trust you've been well," Yun Che said with a smile, looking at Xiao Jue Tian, whose beard seemed almost ready to bristle with rage.

"Yun… Yun Che!!"The moment he clearly saw Yun Che's face, Xiao Jue Tian felt as though he was staring at the face of a demon. His entire face twitched violently, and his mind reeled with a crash. The towering fury in his heart was instantly suppressed as if by an unimaginably heavy weight, unable to erupt, choking his chest until it felt like it would explode.

The Xiao Sect elders and disciples who were swiftly rushing up from behind all turned pale the moment they heard the name "Yun Che," and even their frantic steps slowed.

Yun Che put away the Dragon Fault and slowly, deliberately walked towards Xiao Jue Tian, saying, "Last time at the Imperial Palace, Sect Master Xiao personally attended my wedding. I was truly grateful, so I promised right then that I would visit the Xiao Sect myself on another day. What I, Yun Che, say, I always fulfill. So I came today… From a distance, I saw your esteemed sect's gate was incredibly magnificent and rare in the entire nation, so I thought I'd land on it to get a full view of the Xiao Sect. Who knew, this gate was so fragile? The moment I stepped on it, it simply collapsed, giving me quite a fright. Oh, I apologize for accidentally damaging your esteemed sect's gate, and I hope Sect Master Xiao won't take offense."

The Xiao Sect's gate had a thousand-year history, enduring countless storms; how could it possibly be "stepped on and damaged"?! Yun Che, who had just destroyed the hundred-zhang gate, merely casually said, "don't take offense." Xiao Jue Tian's blood pressure instantly soared, and his lungs felt like they would explode. If anyone else, even Ling Yue Feng, had stood before him, he would have lunged forward to fight to the death.

But the person standing before him was Yun Che, someone he absolutely could not provoke, and against whom he had long secretly sworn never, ever to conflict, even if his dignity was trampled underfoot. This was because not only was Yun Che terrifyingly powerful, but he was also a madman who had annihilated the entire Burning Heaven Clan and even brutally beaten a Divine Phoenix Prince!

Four months ago, on the day of Yun Che's wedding, Yun Che had seemingly casually mentioned that he would personally visit the Xiao Sect another day. That remark had kept Xiao Jue Tian sleepless for half a month. Now, several months had passed, and his heart had largely settled… but Yun Che had finally arrived.

Xiao Jue Tian forced a smile, uglier than a cry, onto his face: "So, it is Young Brother Yun! No wonder the medicinal garden of my sect is in full bloom today; it turns out such an esteemed guest has arrived! My Xiao Sect is truly honored and blessed… This gate has stood for a thousand years and was long past due for repairs. I never expected it to collapse at this very moment, disturbing our distinguished guest. It should be us apologizing! Young Brother Yun, please come in quickly, so I, Xiao, can fulfill my duties as host."

Having their millennium-old gate, which symbolized their sect's honor, destroyed, and then still having to apologize to the perpetrator, made the Xiao Sect elders and disciples flush red with shame. At the sect's grand assembly, Xiao Jue Tian had repeatedly stated that they must never make an enemy of Yun Che and must absolutely not offend anyone close to him. Today, they witnessed Xiao Jue Tian's attitude firsthand… Clearly, his apprehension towards Yun Che far exceeded their imaginations.

"Oh…" Yun Che narrowed his eyes slightly. Xiao Jue Tian's "ability to bend and extend" was truly masterful. Even after such an offense and provocation, he could still greet him with a smile and even apologize in return. He was indeed worthy of being the Xiao Sect Master. Yun Che slowly began, "There's no need to go inside. I came here today for only one thing."

Xiao Jue Tian hastily said, "May I ask what brings Young Brother Yun here? If I, Xiao, can be of any assistance, I will certainly do my utmost."

"Heh, this matter will be incredibly easy for Sect Master Xiao," Yun Che said with a faint smile. "I want to see someone from your Xiao Sect."

Xiao Jue Tian's heart instantly lurched. He forced himself to remain calm and asked, "May I know who Young Brother Yun wishes to see…?"

"Xiao Kuangyun!" Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly, his face devoid of any expression.

Although he had long anticipated this day, when it truly arrived, Xiao Jue Tian's heart still twitched, and the faces of the elders and disciples behind him also changed. By now, everyone in the Xiao Sect knew what Xiao Kuangyun had done to Yun Che years ago. The retribution that was due had finally arrived. Given Yun Che's brutal methods, such as directly annihilating the Burning Heaven Clan, they dared not imagine what fate awaited Xiao Kuangyun if he fell into Yun Che's hands. However, no matter what, the Xiao Sect absolutely could not fall out with Yun Che because of Xiao Kuangyun; the obliterated Burning Heaven Clan was a bloody lesson.

"Sect Master, what should we do?" Xiao Boyun came to Xiao Jue Tian's side, whispering with a worried expression.

Xiao Jue Tian's expression rapidly shifted. Finally, he fiercely gritted his teeth and roared with a voice loud enough to echo through half the Xiao Sect: "Drag that unfilial son, Xiao Kuangyun, out here!"

"But… but…" Xiao Jue Tian's reaction caught Xiao Boyun off guard. He had been considering whether to fabricate a story that Xiao Kuangyun was not in the sect, or had already been expelled, in an attempt to escape this calamity. He never expected Xiao Jue Tian to be so resolute. Everyone in the Xiao Sect knew that among Xiao Jue Tian's four sons, his most doted-on was his youngest, Xiao Kuangyun, who was also his only son born to his main wife.

However, facing Yun Che, who was as terrifying as a fiend, Xiao Jue Tian dared not harbor any shred of hope. He even desperately wished to end all this as quickly as possible, regardless of the outcome, so that he would no longer have to live in constant fear. He roared again, "No 'buts'! Make him get over here immediately! If he doesn't come, drag him here!"

Not long after, the crowd of Xiao Sect members in the back parted. Xiao Kuangyun stumbled forward, forcefully dragged by a Xiao elder, and then pushed roughly in front of Xiao Jue Tian. Xiao Kuangyun's steps were unsteady, and he fell to the ground. When he looked up, he saw a somewhat familiar face. After a brief moment of blankness, his face instantly turned ashen: "Yun… Yun Che!"

Xiao Kuangyun's hair was slightly disheveled, and his complexion was somewhat sallow, clearly indicating he hadn't been well recently. Ever since the Burning Heaven Clan was annihilated, and he learned that Yun Che was the same Xiao Che whom he had once dismissed and almost forgotten, he had been living a nightmare every day. Now, recognizing Yun Che, it was as if he had suddenly seen the fiend from his dreams in broad daylight, scaring him so much he nearly lost control of his bladder and bowels on the spot.

"Oh, Young Master Xiao, it's been over three years. I'm truly honored that you still recognize a nobody like me from the Xiao Sect of Flowing Cloud City!" Yun Che said, looking at Xiao Kuangyun with a faint, cold sneer. Three years ago, he had hated Xiao Kuangyun to the core, wishing he could grind him to dust. But now, facing this person, whose face was filled with terror and who cowered before him like a dog, he felt no anger, nor any pleasure in settling old scores. There was only a faint sadness. Indeed, he could only blame his past self for being so useless; a character who wasn't even trash had managed to force him from his home, causing his grandfather and aunt to suffer in solitude for three years. If Chu Yuechan hadn't been there back then, the consequences would have been even more unbearable.

Thinking about it now, he almost felt he should thank Xiao Kuangyun. If not for him, Yun Che would not have so desperately craved power, and the Yun Che of today would not exist.

At this moment, he didn't even have the interest to kill him. What kind of person was he now? The son-in-law of the Azure Wind Emperor, titled "The Foremost in Azure Wind," even Xiao Jue Tian, the Xiao Sect Master who could command the heavens with one hand, was respectful before him, barely daring to breathe. In front of him, Xiao Kuangyun wasn't even worth a pile of dirt. Killing him would only stain his hands and debase his status.

Although Yun Che was only at the Earth Profound Realm, his oppressive aura was so heavy that even Xiao Jue Tian might not have been able to bear it, let alone Xiao Kuangyun. Under Yun Che's imposing presence and gaze, he had already turned ashen, stumbling backward on all fours: "No… don't kill me… Back then… back then it wasn't my fault… All of that was… was Xiao Yulong's idea… It had nothing to do with me… nothing to do with me."

"I know," Yun Che said with extreme calm. "Of course, I know what Xiao Yulong did. That's why I severed his tendons and hamstrings, gouged out his eyes, chopped off his ears, sliced off his nose, cut out his tongue, pulled out all his hair, broke his leg and arm bones, and utterly crippled him… while keeping him alive! Letting him live well! Letting him die slowly, little by little, in hell!!"

"Aaaaah…" Xiao Kuangyun let out an extremely terrified shriek, his limbs trembling uncontrollably… Between his legs, yellow and white fluids streamed onto the ground.

Even the elders, who had weathered countless storms, were terrified and felt a chill run through their bodies upon hearing Yun Che's brutal methods. These were clearly the tactics of the cruelest devil.

The first stage of the Evil God is about to conclude. The next stages will be Divine Phoenix City and the Illusory Demon Realm. Soon, there will be a climax and a major turning point. During such a critical period, there are many hesitations when writing, always fearing something might be missed… R1058