Chapter 401: Divine Phoenix City

"What is the other matter?" Feng Hengkong asked, his voice laced with anger. The Divine Phoenix Empire had dominated for many years, wielding supreme power over all. The other six nations had never dared to offend or disobey it, and when a Divine Phoenix Prince visited their lands, their emperors would be utterly deferential and subservient. He had never imagined that a royal family, especially one from the weakest nation, Blue Wind, would dare to attack his son!

This was undoubtedly a direct challenge to the supreme authority of his Divine Phoenix Empire, and his anger was immense.

In reality, Cang Wanhe absolutely did not have the courage to order anyone to attack the Divine Phoenix Prince. Even if he did, and even if Blue Wind's top masters were present, under his command, none of them would dare to make a move. From beginning to end, Yun Che was the only one who attacked Feng Xichen, and he deliberately prevented others from getting involved—he even stopped Xia Qingyue when she tried to help him. This was because, given Yun Che's nature, even knowing he was no match for the Phoenix Divine Sect, he would never tolerate humiliation.

On the contrary, Cang Wanhe eventually spoke out to help Feng Xichen. Unfortunately, Feng Xichen, wishing to conceal his own discomfiture and shame, instead pointed the finger at Cang Wanhe.

This incident, shortly thereafter, unwittingly accelerated the coming of Blue Wind's catastrophe.

"The other matter concerns the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament," Feng Ximing said, his expression turning serious. "In the past two days, your son has received news from each of the Four Great Sacred Grounds. On the day of the tournament, all four will send representatives to personally attend the event."

"Hmph! In previous Seven Nations Ranking Tournaments, at most one of them would show up, but once the Primordial Profound Ark appears, all four Sacred Grounds arrive without fail. They claim it's to bear witness, but in reality, isn't it all for the Primordial Profound Ark? We never gain the slightest benefit from their Sacred Grounds, yet when the Primordial Profound Ark appears in my Divine Phoenix City, they always want a piece of the pie. This is outrageous!" Feng Hengkong said with displeasure. If he didn't want to provoke the Four Great Sacred Grounds, and indeed could not afford to, he would never allow their people to step onto the Primordial Profound Ark.

"However, the people they are sending this time are a bit unusual," Feng Ximing continued.

"Unusual?" Feng Hengkong looked up. "Could it be the Sacred Emperor, Sea King, Heavenly Sovereign, or Sword Master coming in person?!"

Feng Ximing said, "Naturally, these masters of the Sacred Grounds will not come personally. From the Supreme Ocean Palace, it is True Master Gu Cang, who is also said to be bringing a personal disciple to observe… This disciple is rumored to possess terrifying talent, rarely seen among the younger generation of the Sacred Grounds, and once caused a sensation among all Four Great Sacred Grounds. From the Extreme Ocean Hall, it is Ji Qianrou…"

"What! Ji Qianrou? Why is she coming?!" Hearing the name "Ji Qianrou," Feng Hengkong was instantly speechless. His face, usually dignified and imposing without effort, actually twitched for a moment.

"This… your son does not know. If Father Emperor does not wish to appear then, your son can receive her… From the Heavenly Sword Villa, it is Ling Kun, the Seventh Elder of the Washing Sword Region. The representatives from these three Sacred Grounds are still considered normal, but from the Sun Moon Divine Hall, the person coming is actually… Ye Xinghan."

"Ye Xinghan?" Feng Hengkong's brows furrowed sharply. "Heavenly Sovereign Ye Mie Xie's eldest son… Young Hall Master Ye Xinghan? What is he doing here?!"

"This is also why your son rushed to report to Father Emperor," Feng Ximing quickly said. "The Primordial Profound Ark has appeared without a discernible pattern for ten millennia. Although the Four Great Sacred Grounds still care, their interest has long diminished over the years. The people they've sent in recent years have generally not been core figures. There's no reason for the Sun Moon Divine Hall to send Ye Xinghan. If it were to observe the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament or for training, it's even more unlikely! So your son thinks that Ye Xinghan's personal presence is highly likely…" Feng Ximing gritted his teeth tightly and said slowly, "It's possible… it's for Xue'er!"

Feng Hengkong paused in surprise, then erupted in fury, and the ground beneath his feet instantly cracked. "What… did you say!?"

Feng Hengkong's sudden outburst of rage caused Feng Ximing's heart to tremble, but he felt no surprise. This was because "Xue'er," whom he had mentioned, was the most important being in Feng Hengkong's heart. In Feng Hengkong's mind, her importance even surpassed the entire Phoenix Divine Sect! She was Feng Hengkong's greatest forbidden scale—to touch it meant certain death!

The same was true for Feng Ximing! For him, "Xue'er" was the most important being in this world, utterly irreplaceable. He said resentfully, "Father Emperor must also have heard that ten years ago, Ye Xinghan cultivated an evil art from the Sun Moon Divine Hall that had long been lost, which caused his strength to skyrocket. The cultivation of this evil art requires women with extremely high physiques as cauldrons, so over the years, Ye Xinghan has secretly sought out a large number of women with special physiques. Furthermore, it is known throughout the world that he is lustful by nature and finds no joy without women… Xue'er briefly appeared in the Imperial City three years ago and was immediately hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world. Coupled with her Divine Spirit Body, how could Ye Xinghan not covet her? This time he came in person, ninety-nine percent… it's for Xue'er!"

Every word Feng Ximing spoke was imbued with deep anger and hatred, as if he wished he could personally rip Ye Xinghan, who harbored designs on "Xue'er," into a thousand pieces. Yet, every time he mentioned the name "Xue'er," all his resentment and anger would suddenly turn gentle, as if it were the most precious and warmest word in his heart, and even his eyes would reveal an undisguised infatuation.

"You scoundrel!!!!"Feng Hengkong trembled with sheer rage, roaring in anger. He looked at Feng Ximing, then suddenly launched a kick, savagely striking Feng Ximing's lower abdomen.

*Pfft!*Caught off guard, Feng Ximing spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed heavily against the wall behind him. He clutched his lower abdomen, slowly rose, and said painfully, "Father Emperor…"

"Hmph! You beast, how dare you still call me Father Emperor!" Feng Hengkong roared, pointing at him. "Xue'er is your own imperial sister, and you actually harbor lustful thoughts towards her! I thought that in the past two years, you had overcome this demonic obsession with your willpower. I never expected that you haven't changed at all; you can't even control yourself from revealing it in front of me! You've disappointed me greatly!"

Feng Ximing knelt on both knees and said painfully, "Father Emperor… your son knows his mistake… your son knows this thought is an unforgivable sin, contrary to all principles of heaven and earth. Your son has been trying with all his might to suppress this thought for years, but… but Xue'er's perfection is simply not something willpower can resist… your son truly cannot do it… and it's not just your son; Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Seventh Brother… and also…"

"Silence!" Feng Hengkong's brows bristled, and his whole body exuded terrifying rage. "Xue'er is a treasure bestowed upon my Phoenix Divine Sect by heaven, and she is also our greatest hope in five thousand years to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Sacred Grounds! No one should even think of laying a hand on her! In this world, no man is worthy of Xue'er! Forget Ye Xinghan—even if Heavenly Sovereign Ye Mie Xie himself came, he shouldn't dream of harboring designs on Xue'er! You rebellious sons… you had best suppress all these improper thoughts deep in your hearts for your entire lives. If you dare to make any move beyond mere thought, even if you are my own son… I will personally cripple you!"

Feng Ximing hastily said, "Father Emperor, calm your anger… Father Emperor, rest assured, your son has never forgotten that he is Xue'er's imperial elder brother. Your son promises Father Emperor that he will never do anything to displease Xue'er in his entire life. If anyone dares to bully Xue'er, your son will make sure they suffer eternal damnation, even if it costs his life! It's the same for Third Brother and the others… We all regard Xue'er as the most precious treasure in the world, so how could we do anything to harm her? Otherwise, we ourselves would never forgive ourselves."

"It had better be that way!" Feng Hengkong's anger had not subsided. He turned around and said coldly, "Xue'er is currently cultivating in Phoenix Roost Valley. On the day of the ranking tournament, Xue'er will also be present to watch, as this is her first Seven Nations Ranking Tournament since her birth. At that time, you had best keep your distance. If you dare to come within ten zhang of Xue'er, I will break your legs!"

"Yes," Feng Ximing said, lowering his head, his face dispirited.

"You may go. I have noted what you have said."

"Yes, your son takes his leave."

Feng Ximing rose and cautiously walked out of the Divine Phoenix Grand Hall.

After leaving the Divine Phoenix Grand Hall, Feng Ximing stopped, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked up at the huge shadow in the sky. His face was a complex mix of infatuation, resentment, unwillingness, and resolute determination.

"Xue'er… my Xue'er… for you, I would stop at nothing… even if you want my life, I would not hesitate… When I become the Divine Phoenix Emperor and the Phoenix Sect Master… no one will be able to stop me from making you completely mine… Ye Xinghan… if you dare to harbor designs on Xue'er… even if you are the Young Hall Master of the Sun Moon Divine Hall… I will damn well cripple you!!"

At the same time, after thirteen days of continuous travel, Yun Che's feet finally touched the ground of Divine Phoenix City.

The air in Divine Phoenix City carried a distinct heat. This wasn't because the climate was warmer than Blue Wind Imperial City, but rather due to the abundance of profound practitioners cultivating fire-attributed profound arts, especially those from the Phoenix Divine Sect. Phoenix City, the core area of the Phoenix Divine Sect, was also located within Divine Phoenix City, thus saturating the air with an excessive fiery aura.

Although Cang Wanhe's words had prepared Yun Che, the clamor here still took him by surprise.

Divine Phoenix City was more than twenty times the size of Blue Wind Imperial City. Despite this, even at the city's edge, the population density was still remarkably astonishing. Countless profound practitioners, dressed in various garments, moved about, many appearing in groups. Almost every person exuded an exceptionally heavy profound energy aura… Any random individual among them would be considered a sect master in Blue Wind Nation.

Clearly, many of them had arrived early to witness the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament. In the days leading up to and during the tournament itself, the level of clamor and excitement would undoubtedly multiply.

"As expected of the Imperial City of the Divine Phoenix Empire," Yun Che murmured. "Its grandeur, atmosphere, and level of power are absolutely incomparable to Blue Wind Nation… It's almost a world of difference."

Yun Che couldn't help but marvel.

He did not disguise himself, as his reputation extended only within Blue Wind. In the territory of the Divine Phoenix Empire, no one would recognize him. Furthermore, Divine Phoenix City was home to countless powerful individuals; if a disguise were discovered, it would instead arouse suspicion and potentially lead to significant trouble.

However, when he needed to state his name, he naturally wouldn't use his real one.

"Look up!" Jasmine's voice suddenly rang out in his mind, and Yun Che immediately looked upwards.

Above Divine Phoenix City, boat-shaped flying objects occasionally soared by at extreme speeds. These objects varied in height, size, and length; some were only a few zhang long, while the longest were nearly twenty zhang. Although Yun Che had never seen such things in Blue Wind Nation, he had heard of them. However, back on the Azure Cloud Continent, he had seen them more than once…

Profound Arks!They were an extremely luxurious form of transport, possessing numerous advantages incomparable to flying profound beasts. However, their manufacturing cost was incredibly high, and their power sources—profound stones and profound crystals—were even more exorbitantly expensive. The profound stones and crystals consumed by a normal-sized profound ark for just one hour of flight, when converted to profound coins, amounted to an astronomical sum that would astonish ordinary families. Therefore, very few people owned profound arks, and even fewer could afford to use them. In Blue Wind Nation, it was estimated that only the Imperial Family and the Four Great Sects owned profound arks, but they had never been seen operating them.

But here in Divine Phoenix City, profound arks filled the sky, a clear testament to the nation's immense power.

His gaze passed over these profound arks, and in the distant sky, Yun Che clearly saw a colossal shadow… It was like a huge black cloud, floating far away in the firmament, largely obscuring the light shining downwards. Its shape and floating posture resembled a gigantic, oddly shaped profound ark.

"Is that… could that be the legendary… Primordial Profound Ark?" Yun Che murmured, then subtly frowned. "It seems a bit off. Father Emperor said the Primordial Profound Ark was comparable in size to the entire Blue Wind Imperial City, but looking at it now, it's nowhere near that large. Could Father Emperor have exaggerated?"

"Hmph, not exaggerated at all," Jasmine said disdainfully. "That's because the height at which this profound ark is located… is a full twenty thousand zhang!"