Chapter 473: Change of Heaven (Part 1)

"Phoenix God…"

"Lord Phoenix God!!"

Even high-ranking figures like princes and elders of the Phoenix God Sect rarely heard the Phoenix God's voice or saw its true form. Some never saw it in their entire lives. At a time when everyone believed the Phoenix God had perished and fear gripped their hearts, its sudden appearance unequivocally shattered the "rumor" in the most direct way. The Phoenix elders, overwhelmed with boundless joy and excitement, knelt and prostrated themselves, gazing up in worship.

The Phoenix God's immense pressure enveloped the entire Divine Phoenix City. From every corner of the city, the colossal golden eyes in the sky were visible. Instantly, all Phoenix disciples prostrated themselves on the spot, looking up at the sky, trembling with excitement. A large number of profound practitioners in Divine Phoenix City also involuntarily knelt, feeling their blood almost completely freeze under the divine aura.

For Feng Hengkong, shock far outweighed excitement. He was one of the few who knew of the Phoenix God's demise and had personally witnessed its passing. Staring at the giant golden eyes in the sky, he was too stunned to react for a long time, unable to believe his own eyes. After a considerable period, he finally snapped out of his trance and slowly knelt.

"Gu Cang of the Supreme Ocean Palace, pays respects to the Phoenix Divine Venerable." Gu Cang bowed, performing a respectful junior's salute. Though Gu Cang's true age already exceeded a thousand years, before the Phoenix God, he was indeed considered a junior.

Ling Kun and Ji Qianrou also respectfully saluted. Before the Phoenix God, not to mention them, even figures like the Holy Emperor, Sea God, Heavenly Monarch, or Sword Master would not dare to act presumptuously. This was because the Phoenix God was the only being on the entire Profound Sky Continent to have entered the legendary Divine Profound Realm, truly supreme and mythical.

"Impossible... This is impossible!" Ye Xinghan's eyes widened as he stared incredulously at the golden eyes in the sky. "This Phoenix God... it should have died already!"

The golden eyes might be an illusion, and the voice might be fake. However, the pressure emanating from the Phoenix God could absolutely not be false. It was an aura of power far more terrifying than that of his father, Heavenly Monarch Ye Mo Xie, a truly divine might that no one could imitate.

From the sky, the Phoenix God's voice resounded, each word shaking their souls. "I merely slept for a few years, yet some dare to act so brazenly within my Phoenix God Sect! And they even attempt to harm my personal disciple with malicious intent. What audacity!"

The personal disciple referred to by the Phoenix God was naturally Feng Xue'er.

The Phoenix God's wrath descended from above, silencing everyone. At that moment, the immense golden eyes flickered fiercely. Instantly, a crimson phoenix fire ring descended from the sky, encircling Ye Xinghan. A violent ring of phoenix flames immediately erupted, firmly trapping him.

These were the Phoenix Flames from the Phoenix God itself; their terrifying high temperature paled the faces of the sacred land cultivators. Gu Cang, Ling Kun, and Ji Qianrou all swiftly retreated, moving at least thirty feet away. Though Ye Xinghan, encircled by the Phoenix Flames, was not directly touched by them, he felt as if he had instantly fallen into a lava inferno. His clothes began to burn in an instant. A deep fear appeared on Ye Xinghan's face. He had no doubt that if those phoenix flames engulfed him, he would be incinerated into ashes within a few breaths.

Few people in this world dared to kill him... but the Phoenix God was definitely one of them! It possessed the power to even eliminate his father. Given his previous actions and arrogant words, it would be perfectly normal for it to kill him.

Facing the threat of death, Ye Xinghan finally grew afraid. He frantically suppressed the phoenix flames burning on his body, forcing himself to sound calm. "Phoenix Divine Venerable, please calm your wrath. This junior absolutely had no intention of offending you. My father, Ye Mo Xie, often warned me never to be disrespectful to the Phoenix Divine Venerable... This junior merely believed Feng Feiyan's words, thinking the Phoenix Divine Venerable had passed away, and thus acted impulsively and unwisely. I humbly ask the Phoenix Divine Venerable to be lenient and spare this junior this one time. I will forever be grateful and will never repeat this mistake..."

To save his life, Ye Xinghan had to emphasize the name "Ye Mo Xie."

After his expression constantly shifted, Ling Kun finally stepped forward and sincerely said, "Phoenix Divine Venerable, please temper your anger. Young Master Ye is still young after all. Although his actions today are deplorable, youthful impulsiveness is not entirely unforgivable. Furthermore, Princess Xue is unharmed, and no serious consequences were caused. The Sun Moon Divine Hall and the Phoenix God Sect have always maintained a respectful distance. If the Young Master of the Sun Moon Divine Hall truly perished here today, I fear... I implore the Phoenix Divine Venerable to reconsider."

Whoosh!!

No sooner had Ling Kun's voice faded than the phoenix flames around Ye Xinghan surged violently, engulfing him. Before anyone could react with alarm, all the phoenix flames suddenly extinguished. However, the force of the impact did not diminish, and with a heavy thud, Ye Xinghan was violently flung away.

Ye Xinghan tumbled to the ground, vomiting four mouthfuls of blood. His face was ashen, and he lay on the ground, unable to stand for a long time. The Phoenix God's stern voice came from above. "Hmph! Ye Mo Xie has visited me twice over the past thousand years, establishing a slight acquaintance. For the sake of Ye Mo Xie and the Sun Moon Divine Hall, I will spare your life today! Get out of Phoenix City immediately and never set foot here again for the rest of your life. If you dare to step even half a pace into Phoenix City again... I will personally incinerate you!"

"Now get out!"

Every word from the Phoenix God carried immense authority and deterrence. Ye Xinghan clutched his chest, scrambled to his feet, and turned to leave in utter disarray, not even daring to show resentment.

His personal visit to the Divine Phoenix Empire had been solely for Feng Xue'er. He had been full of confidence, believing everything was under his control. Unexpectedly, in the end, he gained nothing and suffered great losses. Not only did he fail to acquire Feng Xue'er, but Yue Ji, Mei Ji, and his crucial tool, Feng Feiyan, all died in the Primordial Profound Ark. He was first mocked by Ji Qianrou, then injured by the Phoenix God, heavily offended Gu Cang, and utterly humiliated before the Phoenix God Sect, losing all dignity... To top it all off, he discovered that even the news of the Phoenix God's death was false!

The dignified Young Master of the Sun Moon Divine Hall, heavily wounded and under the Phoenix God's oppressive aura, left like a stray dog. The people of the Phoenix God Sect were all overwhelmed with excitement. Gu Cang, Ji Qianrou, and Ling Kun, however, found their minds in an extremely complex state. They had been ninety percent convinced of the Phoenix God's demise, with only ten percent doubt. Today, they discovered it was merely a rumor... or perhaps, an illusion deliberately created by the Phoenix God itself.

At that moment, all three of them stiffened simultaneously. Their bodies felt suppressed by a mountain weighing ten thousand pounds; neither their bodies nor their breaths could move at all. This was because the Phoenix God's attention had now focused on them.

"Did you three sacred lands also believe that I had died?"

Gu Cang sighed, then replied relatively calmly, "To my shame, my Supreme Ocean Palace did indeed hear similar rumors and had largely believed them. Learning of the Phoenix Divine Venerable's well-being today greatly reassures me. I am certain that His Majesty, the Holy Emperor, will also be deeply comforted upon hearing this."

"I am the divine spirit of the phoenix, coexisting with heaven and earth. As long as heaven and earth do not perish, I shall never fade away! Even if the entire Profound Sky Continent were to be destroyed, I would not die! You three are guests from afar; whether you choose to stay or leave is up to you, but do not attempt to challenge the authority of my Phoenix God Sect."

"How dare we, how dare we," Ling Kun quickly bowed, saying. The pressure the Phoenix God exerted on him far surpassed that of the Sword Master, Xuanyuan Wentian.

"Hengkong, bring Xue'er to me."

After the Phoenix God uttered its last words, the golden eyes slowly closed and then vanished from the sky.

"Greetings, Lord Phoenix God!" all the Phoenix disciples cheered in unison, but remained prostrated, not rising for a long time.

"Ming'er, handle the aftermath for me," Feng Hengkong simply said. He then swiftly flew towards the Phoenix God Hall, carrying the unconscious Feng Xue'er.

With the Phoenix God gone, the overwhelming oppressive sensation also vanished. Gu Cang exhaled slightly and said to Feng Xichen, "Fourteenth Prince, please be so kind as to take me to see my unworthy disciple."

Feng Xichen was startled by Gu Cang's initiative to speak with him. He quickly replied, "Very well, Senior Gu, this way please."

The appearance of the Phoenix God stunned the entire Divine Phoenix City. Soon, this sensational news spread rapidly throughout the Divine Phoenix Empire. For a whole day, the sole topic of discussion in Divine Phoenix City was the Phoenix God's manifestation, with the fervor even overshadowing the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament and the Primordial Profound Ark events.

By now, the Four Sacred Lands should also have learned that the Phoenix God had not perished at all.

While the people of the Divine Phoenix Nation rejoiced, a piece of news sent a chilling shock through all the Blue Wind Nation citizens in Divine Phoenix City, as if they had been doused with cold water.

Yun Che, who had single-handedly defeated the ten most talented disciples of the Phoenix God Sect yesterday and secured a historic first place for the Blue Wind Nation in the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, had, in his effort to save Princess Xue, been forever buried within the now-vanished Primordial Profound Ark.

Outside Phoenix City, Ling Jie, who was happily running towards it, preparing to return to the Blue Wind Nation with Yun Che as promised, froze like a thunderstruck statue upon receiving the news, remaining motionless for a long time, as if turned into a soulless sculpture.

Time quickly transitioned from morning to afternoon. Divine Phoenix City, after a day of commotion, finally quieted down. In the Divine Phoenix Emperor's bedchamber, Feng Ximing rushed in with hurried steps, eagerly asking, "Father Emperor, has Xue'er woken up yet? So Lord Phoenix God never truly passed away. Could it be that Lord Phoenix God deliberately created the illusion of its demise to observe the reactions of the Four Sacred Lands and expose those with disloyal intentions within the sect?"

"No..." Feng Hengkong's voice was remarkably calm. He turned around, his face a picture of cold serenity. "Lord Phoenix God's passing three years ago was not an illusion... Everything today is the illusion."

"Wh... What?" Feng Ximing suddenly held his breath.

"The Lord Phoenix God that appeared today was merely a divine phantom left behind by the Phoenix God before its passing. It did so to prevent the revelation of its death from bringing disaster upon the Phoenix God Sect, using its last remaining power... Now, the last of the Phoenix God's power left in the world has completely vanished. It summoned me to the Phoenix God Hall to inform me of these matters with its final spiritual voice," Feng Hengkong said with a heavy tone.

Feng Ximing's expression was blank, and he remained silent for a long time. After a while, he finally sighed and said, "Lord Phoenix God was wise, having foreseen today long ago... Now, everyone in the world, including the Four Sacred Lands, will certainly believe that the Phoenix God still exists. With Lord Phoenix God's deterrence, the Four Sacred Lands will definitely not dare to act recklessly against my Phoenix God Sect again."

"Paper cannot forever conceal fire. Although we have temporary peace now, the fact of the Phoenix God's demise will eventually be revealed," Feng Hengkong said, his brows furrowed and his expression increasingly resolute. "Ming'er, you saw today how the Four Sacred Lands disdain my Phoenix God Sect without the Phoenix God's presence! Now that the Phoenix God is gone, and Xue'er is only sixteen... Until Xue'er fully matures, we can only rely on ourselves! We must become powerful as quickly as possible, in the shortest amount of time."

"Father Emperor, do you mean..."

Feng Hengkong's eyes narrowed. He said faintly, "We must acquire that massive hidden purple crystal mine in the Blue Wind Nation! The numerous reports from the Spirit Kun Hall indicate that it seems to conceal a large quantity of Purple Vein Divine Crystals! If true, it will be an enormous aid to our sect!"

"Starting tomorrow, the entire army will prepare! In three months, we will invade the Blue Wind Nation! Within three years, we must fully conquer all territories of Blue Wind!"